vâ— quiet hearts and say why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou â—o vnquiet 〈◊〉 me yet hope in God Psal 42.11 43.5 after they must turne in to God 〈◊〉 bleeding heart and 〈◊〉 weeping eyâ—s and say with Hezechiah in his lamentable song O Lord I am opressed vndertake for mee or ease mee Esay 38.14 At any hand hauing faith in God they may not for any thing distrust his saâ—uation Abraham would not giue his saluation for last though hee was to offer vp that earnest of it that God had pledged to him in Isaac the feed of promise Gen. 22.3 Rom. 4 18. The Apostle S. Paul was perswaded and this must bee our resolution that neither death nor life nor Angels the euill you must thinke for the good will not can or shall separate vs â—s it could not him from the loue of God which is in Christ â—esu our Lord Rom 8.38.39 the same â—postle would not giue away his saluation because so great a sinner but takes faster hold because Christ came to saue sinners of which â—ee was chiefe 1 Tim. 1.15 so the father of the child that had a dâ—mbe spirit though of little faith when hee came to Christ for hee said If thou canst doe any thing â—elpe vs yet hee would not lose euen that little saith which hee had but crying with teares said Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeloofe Marke 9.22.24 Iob would beleeue euen beyond death for though the Lord would kill him he would trust in him Iob 13.15 Iob knew by his saith that hee that takes away life is able to make to liue hee knew the cup of despaire to be the cup of death and did feare it as much as man would to drinke poyson And thus we see that wee must maintaine our saluation against all obiections of Satan the litterall Scripture or our own misjudgements for so did this woman a woman of excellent faith who had many sore skirmishes which shee endured being scarce warme in the Gospell a very cold blast began in her face welcom'd her to Christ her Physicion seemingly gaue her ouer the courteous Sauiour answered nothing and when he spake it was no better than if he had said nothing the Disciples entreated forâ—â—er but to no purpose and Christ said speaking to the eare tha◠〈◊〉 might doe nothing for 〈◊〉 et this woman would haue no nay for reposing on Christ in the generall promise she doupted not but hee would make good what hee had spoken though she knew not how and she had reason for it for God wil not go from his word he wil neuer denie himselfe 2 Tim. 2.13 the reasons why Christians must beleeue nothing in barre to their saluation are For first Reasons it is an iniurie to God who hath decreed it whose promises are all yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Secondly it is a wrong done to the sufficiencie of Christs bloud that was the price in their redemption 1 Pet. 1.19 And thirdly it teareth the seale which the spirit hath set vnto their saluation for after they beleeue they are sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 a second reason they that cast away their hope for saluation and cast not anchor there doe wilfully damne themselues hauing neither the life of repentance in them nor the new life of one borne to God Christians must not doe so and true Christians will not Thirdly they must beleeue the word that saith Whosoeuer beleeueth that is with repentance and in a holy life shall not perish Iohn 3.16 Now beleeuing so and being such how can they beleeue against their saluation and not discredit the word that saith otherwaies A reproofe of their too great feare Vse 1. who hauing lined orderly in the Gospell and hauing been sorry with a godly sorrow where they failed or did otherwaies do for all this in their feare ioyne with Satan to put out their name where God hath writen it who hath written it in the booke of life to whom I say bâ— the word of the Lord that they should rather labour their owne comfort and reioyce that their name is there Luke 10.20 Phil. 4.4 Obiect but they will say how shall we be assured that our names are written in heauen if we knew it wee should bee glad indeed Answ I answer doe ye loue the brethren that is the godlie and doe yee know that yee loue them this is a token and well fare a good token that yee haue passed from death vnto life 1 Iohn 3.14 doe yee hate sinne and loue righteousnesse though yee doe the euill ye would not and not the good yee would it was a principall Apostles case Rom. 7.19 the seed of God is in you and yee grow into heaven 1 Iohn 3.9 Doe ye sâ—â—ue to the pâ—ritâ—cation of heart and 〈…〉 your hope is authenticall for as hee that hath this hope must purifie himselfe as God is pure 1 Iohn 3.3 so hee that doth so may well hope with a seeing hope to bâ—e sâ—ued Dâ—e yâ—e ascend vp by staires in your sâ—lues to the election of God and can yee finde the steps of it in your effectuall calling in the Gospell in your holy conuersation in it also in your spirituall Sonneship which is your adoption in Christ can ye truely say that yee are called that yee are sanctified that ye are Sonnes and so iustified ye are Gods elect ones and shall most surely bee glorified Rom. 8.30 yee know the commandements but doe ye worke at them dayly in your obedience by killing sinne and quickening grace if ye doe these things ye shall soiourne with God in his temple on earth and dwell with him in his glorious Temple in heauen Psals 15.1 and further doe yee make your calling and election sure 2. Pet. 1.10 it is sure in God but doe yee make it sure to your selues by infallible signes and true effects of grace if yee can doe so your saluation is sure enough though neither signes nor effects bee free from weaknesse for what hath perfection here but sinne finally doe yee beleâ—ue the generall promise in the word with true though imperfect application hee that will bee saued must beleeue in the Sonne of God to his saluation Iohn 3.16 and hee that so beleeues knowes himselfe to be vnder the generall promise and one in the generall pardon comprehended and therefore dâ—res to applie it as particularly as if hee saw his owne name written in it for so euery Prisâ—ner at the barre when any generall pardon is out will bring it home to himselfe in his owne particular case Now what common Prisoners at mans barre doe shall not beleeuing and truely humbled Prisoners in sinne doe before the barre of Ichouah or will euerie malefactor condemned in barre of iudgement pleade the generall pardon for himselfe and shall a iustified that is pardoned sinner doe lesse and not make the generall promise to belecuers particular to himselfe this is too much feare and
betweene the outward Court and the Sanctuary was rent at Christs death Matth. 27.51 and then hee said to the prisoners goe forth Esa 49.9 The vse is for instruction Vse 1. teaching that great grace is come to vs the sinners of the Gentiles that wee haue great cause of glorying in God for his mercifull health We that were dead in sin and trespasses are quickned Ephes 2.1 now wee are written among the liuing in the Gospell whose names before where not in the booke Our dutie in this case is to beware that wee race not the booke by our contempts neither blotit and our names in it with the pen of our sins Rom. 11.20 21. Be we aduised then how we ioyne in answer with those who bidden to the great Supper absented themselues by their farmes yoakes of Oxen Luke 14.18 19. God hath pitied vs let vs not be cruell to our selues he loued our saluation aboue the life of his Sonne Iohn 3.16 let vs not vnderualue it with Esau to a portion of meat Hebr 12 16. nor let vs with the Papists open a shop of our owne doings when the Lord hath done alfour works for vs Esa 26.12 for God hath not giuen vs this great stock of his gracious bounties to set vp for our selues but to occupie for him Matth. 25.25 much lesse to put it out to bad vses or to consume it on our lusts Iam. 4.3 Is the saluation of God come to the Gentiles and if to any to vs of this nation it reproueth the cold affections of the most among vs who receiue it with no better welcome The Lord hath cast the seed of his word and the precious stone of his Gospell among vs where others labour and trade with earthly wares he hath made vs the Merchants of a rich Iewell wherein is life saluation but this ignorance that is among vs and this vntowardnesse that is in vs either to learne the good will of God or to practise that wee know hath made vs the merchants of the earth and not Merchants of so heauenly a treasure It cannot bee denied but that great grace is come vnto vs that the Lord hath set vp his Altar in this Realm for his worship but as when the Arke of God was with great gladnesse receiued of the Bethshemits after it came from the Philistims but with little reuerence vsed it became the death of 50000 and 70 persons who died in that contempt 1 Sam. 6.19 so it is to be feared and almost to bee looked for that if generally more care be not taken that the Arke of the Gospell haue better rooms among vs welcome to vs than now it hath or of late hath had that euen that worthy thing which otherwaies would haue bin our life will proue our death and the death of all the whole Realme without such redresse of our waies as one well saith what can bee thought but that which otherwaies should haue beene and would haue beene the water of life to saue vs will bee but a sea of waters to drowne vs and become for a sweet powder of health a strong dose of destruction and for meat to feed vs poyson to kill vs and for a word of glad newes a word of the saddest that euer was heard So much for the occasion of this conference in the Pharises the other occasions follow out of the text of S. Marke Marke 7.24 25 26. And entred into an house would haue no man know it but he could not be hid For a certaine woman whose young daughter had an vncleane spirit heard of him came and fell at his feet The woman was a Greeke a Syrophenician by nation and shee besought him that hee would cast the Deuill out of her daughter IN these words which we take vp for supply of what S. Matthew hath not we haue the other occasions of the following conference where concerning it the Euangelist S. Marke speaketh of certaine adherent circumstances and then of the occasions themselues and first there is a barre set against the womans comming to Christ for he would not bee knowne and then it is remoued for he could not be hid Christ neuer shewed himselfe but his power was great full of excellencie and wonder yet as Ioh. 7.3 6.10 so here hee shunned all opennesse He was alwaies worth the seeing yet here and now he would not be knowne And now this humble minde in Christ who though he might haue honoured himselfe would not Doct. doth teach all Christians to bee humble in their gifts When Christs brethren would haue him to get credit by seeking to be openly knowne he would not ante-date his fathers time nor goe openly to the feast but secretly and in no shew Iohn 7.4.10 In the Chapter before some would haue made him a King but his hand such as it was then being not fit to hold the Scepter he got him froÌ„ them to a mountaine where was no companie Iohn 6.15 Further he commandeth his to learne of him and what is the lesson it is to bee meeke and lowlie in heart Mat. 11.29 Hereupon the Apostle S. Paul biddeth Christians to cary the minde that was in Christ who emptied himselfe of all outward glorie and made himselfe of no reputation Phil. 2.5.7 so humble he was in his rare excellencies and high place that he washed the feet of those who should haue worshipped at his feet Iohn 13.5 and thus Christians though of neuer so great gifts and eminent place should be humble in them for what are their drops to his full sea Reasons the reasons First much good will come vnto vs by doing so for where the ambitious and proud are tossed vpon a restlesse sea of cares we shall finde rest vnto our soules Matth. 11.29 where they haue a storme of perturbations in their mindes wee shall finde nothing but a sweet calme of quiet affections in them Secondly it shall be for our greater honour for they that humble themselues shall bee exalted Luke 14.11 Men shall lose nothing by humilitie as they shall get nothing by pride by which what man euer made a sauing bargaine the lower or deeper we lay the foundation the stronger the building is Luke 6.48 and so the humbler in grace the surer of grace and who hauing any good thing would not bee sure of it Thirdly by pride in our gifts wee pull from God to take to our selues as our owne that which is his and can this glorying be good which is so vniust The vse is for reproofe of thâ—se that swell as if they had a Tâ—â—panie because their gifts exceed the common rate of vulgar or ordinarie Vse Christ would not be knowne but such would not bee hid Moses countenance shone and he knew it not Exod. 34.29 these knovv all and more too but thus following their owne shaddow they driue it further from them the way to catch it is to fall downe vpon it so they that praise
to call vpon any name but the LORDS in prayer For what need two labours when one will doe and who will goe about when hee may directly goe forward going to Saints or Angels we goe about but goe directly forward when we goe to God againe going to God wee saue the labour of going to any other and shall wee spend labour against Scripture and Religion where wee may saue it to Gods honour and cannot leuie it but to his reproch for then wee call into question his power or truth A reproofe of those who much vnlike this woman do not in the day of their trouble Vse 1 call vpon God that bindes them but vpon those or those first and rather that are standers by as the Saints that can neither heare nor helpe them there is but one Mediatour or Master of request betweene God and vs the Man lesus Christ 1 Tim. 2 5. and Popish aduocatâ—s are put out of office by one that is able pâ—rfectly to faue all those that come to God by him Heb 7.25 Hereupon the primitiue Saints concluded their prayers neither by Peter nor Paul neither by the virgin Marie or other Saint but by Iesus Christ Papists tell vs that iâ— is presumption to come first to God but is it presumption to doe as wee are commanded of God himselfe as wee heard Eph. 3.12 Heb. 4.16 and of Iesus Christ Was Dauid in all his poenitentiall prayers in which hee came to none but God presumptuous Ps 6. 32. 51. was the contrite Publican Luke 18.13 the confessing prodigal Luc. 15.25 the humble Centurion Matth 8.5.6 presumptuous and did a whole cloud of holic persons men and women enter presumptuously who entred so rather they had entred presumptuously if they had taken another way If the King should say let no man dare to present any request to mee but in the hand of the Prince were it not presumption to offer our requests in any other hand God hath said This is my beloued Sonne speaking of Christ by him pray vnto me Iohn 16.24 and can they bee innocent and not offend presumptuously that doe otherwaies the presumption then is in Popish prayers made in the name of Saints not in ours that acknowledge no man but Christ in all we aske But they say who commit this sacriledge in their Saints prayers that as men come not to earthly Princes but by meanes friends about them so neither should we to God without mediators to which it is answered by the whole Colledge of our Diuines the reason is much vnlike and that there is a great disparison betweene our comming to God and to earthly Princes for earthly Princes haue need of a Remembrancer so hath not God before and vnto whom all things are present Psal 111.5 earthly Princes may bee put in feare but God feares no man Prou. 21.30 earthly princes cannot heare all themselues either because they will not or because the affaires of the throne will not suffer them but Gods eares are open to all that call vpon him though all speake together and at one instant Psal 34.15 139.7 8 9. earthly Princes sit vnder stare and men may bee too base to come vnto them but here poore Lazarus may come as soone and as welcome as the greatest hee in Christendome Luke 16.22 and there is no respect of persons with God Iob 34.19 and to be short earthly Princes if they were too open might fall vnder the hand of some villaine but what hand can reach him that dwelleth so high in heauen and so wee see that it is not with God as with Princes but so much is written in bookes against this sacrifice of Saints prayers that I need not to bee vpon it any longer But some not Papists in their affliction goe not the kings way but another backe-way to witches and witches children for helpe as did Saul and Ahazi ab 1 Sam. 28.7 8. 2 King 1.2 This woman came directly and onely to Christ for her daughter and therefore that which commendeth her reproueth these but this was spoken of before A comfort to the godlie in all their troubles Vse 2. for they haue one such an one as this woman sought and found to flie vnto Now if the King bee our friend what need we to feare because an ordinarie man is against vs if the Iudge fauour thee what can the simple countrie-man do against thee God aboue all being with vs what need we to care how many and how great they bee that are against vs Rom. 8.31 if men faile vs our comfort is wee may goe to him that will neuer faile Heb. 13.5 this is the beaten way of the Saints in trouble they that haue held it neuer repented and you may write probatum est as Physicions vpon proued medicines that this course or way to God in miserie is your sure and onely way to prosperity and peace this way ouâ— fathers walked in for they called vpon God in their distresse and he deliuered them and being found in this way we cannot bee lost in any trouble The womans request was short but pithie full of power and from a troubled spirit and because from it it was better welcome to him that despiseth not rather greatly respecteth a broken heart Psal 51.17 Esa 61.1 66.2 Doct. 3 From whence wee may gather that acceptable prayer standeth not in the power of words but of spirit for where there is a floud in the heart to bring it to God no matter though there bee an ebbe of words and phrase in the tongue Christs prayer in the garden was short but of great power Matth 26.39.42 44. also the Publicans prayer God be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18.13 was more in spirit than in words And what expressions were there 14.15 so farre at that time from all force of words that a word was not heard to come from him which is not spoken to condemne long prayer neither zeale in prayer that makes it to breake out into a fire of words for long prayer is sometimes necessarie as at a publike fast and neuer amisse when the troubles of the Church and good occasions otherwaies giue it length Christ made longer prayer than that he taught Matth 6 9 c. sometimes spent the whole night in prayer Yet prayer is not in length or excellencie of words for the power of it but in spirit and in an humble heart Reasons The reasons Long and eloquent prayer may want a heart without which it is but as the singing of a Nightingall pleasant in the varietie of sweet voices but without any soule Now the prayer that wants a heart how curious so euer in well set words wants that that should commend it to God as a reasonable seruice pleasing him Rom. 12 1. where yet short and plaine prayer comming from a broken heart or heart as it were bruised betweene the wall and doore because of sinne is the sacrifice of God or a