Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	know_v	name_n	write_v	5,306	5	5.6704	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15579	Iacobs staffe To beare vp, the faithfull. And to beate downe, the profane. Touching the one's assured, and the others conceited title, vnto God himself, and all his precious promises. VVherin. The saints interest is justified, to be absolutely infaillible, the sinners clayme detected, to be apparantly deceivable, notwithstanding all infernall suggestions of feare, and infidelity in the one, or of presumption, and security in the other. Formerly preachcd [sic] at Hamburgh by Iohn VVing late pastor to the English Church there, as his farewell to the famous followship [sic] of Merchant Adventurers of England resident in that city. And now published, and dedicated, to the honor and vse, of that most worthy Society, there, or wheresoever being.; Jacobs staffe to bear up, the faithful and to beate downe, the profane	Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.	1621 (1621)	STC 25846; ESTC S120115	141,154	226

here and in heaven I say if you have his Faith I say not so much faith but such faith as he had a man is sufficiently proved to be the lawfull heire of his father though he come short of the extent and measure of many things his father had Our faith even the least measure given vs in the soundnes and truth therof doth avouch vs not only the children of Abraham but of God too Gael 3.19 as the apostle addeth we are all the sons of God by faith in Iesus Christ Let vs not then thus fondely pretend any thing against our selves but give our harts soundly to contende for that which may bring true benefit vnto vs. To be the successors of the saints in grace and holines is as good as to be named Christ argue's the Iewes because they granted themselves the children of them that slew the Prophets to be guilty of the blood of the Prophets and laye's it vpon them in these tearmes That vpon you may come all the blood which was shed from the blood of righteous Abell to the blood of Zacharias c. whome yee slew c. Now the same evidence that may convince a wicked man may comfort a childe of God to wit that he is a childe a successor in grace to the saints as they were in sin to those bloody persecutors And this is our second evidence against this pretence Thirdly this pretence of being named Eviden ∣ ce 3 overturneth all truth of scripture now and tyeth it wholy and only to the persons then liuing and there named as if it were then true to them but neither now nor then to any body els If this point of being named be soe materiall as these who thus vrge it doe make it then it was good scripture and Gods truth to them but it must needes dye with them become a dead letter to vs that now live And would not this inference be mōstrous vnspeakably blasphemous that we that are Gods childrē should devise argumēts against Gods word the jmmutability whereof is so oftē avouched every where that heauen earth must passe before one jot or title may fall therof yet with one breath we will make it all voyde as a thing of naught by our argumentation conclude that now it standes for a cypher rather them for any scripture what neede the divell more advantage he hath now enough to worke the vtter subversion of all religion seing out of the mouthes of religions persons he can gather conclusiōs to proue the scripture which is the ground of religion not to be as once it was of any power authority force and vertue but rather like some ban● that is cācelled some lease or deede expired making Gods truth as momentany fading and mortall as the men were to whome it was spoken wheras we are to know that God speakes contrarily that albeit all flest be grasse yet the word of the Lord endureth for ever as being like the Lord himself who spake it eternall and vnchangeable If we shut not this out all atheisme wil be let in this is an open gap to all vngodlynes for if none haue right in the scriptures but they that are named there is now no booke of God no revealed will of his no scripture no rules of any religion extant the life of all is tyed to the length of their dayes to whome it was spoken and soe they being dead his truth is deceased with them and hath no more power to helpe vs then a dead man hath to helpe himself And thus every godles wretch may now lift vp his head tryumph that there is no curbe for his corruption no bridle for his rebellion he hath what he would haue seing these precise fooles which make such a doe about religion haue now when they haue done all vndone all religion and taught them a trick to cast off all that is revealed against their jmpietyes because they are not named they neede neither feare nor care for any thing that is either forbidden or commanded Nay which is yet more and more hellish by this reason of those that in this particuler are thus vnreasonable the Lord must make as many Bibles as there be ages and generations of men and put in all the names of all men both good and bad too if he make account to be beleeved or obeyed We must expect new editions of the scripture daily wherin every one may read his owne part and know it to be his owne by his proper name annexed thervnto Yea long before our dayes even in all the ages of the olde and new testament should many Bibles have beene extant besides that one which concerned but a few Patriarcks Prophets and Apostles whereas the multitude of beleevers was very great besides these we may safely thinke the Lord had many people beside these principall and extraordinary persons who were especially spoken to Now then seing the Lord in his wisdome never saw it meete to pen and publish more then one Bible that noe people of God in any time or state of the church did or could ever challēg more how grosse egregiously sinfull sencelesse are these who vtter that which if in this perticuler of names wherof we now speake it might be justified must condemne all Gods people of folly and God himself of injury God must be vnjust to witholde his will they must be vnwise not to call for that which they might as well know did concerne themselves as Abraham Dauid or any other whose name is soe often mentioned and recorded in this Inasmuch then as God himself remayne's only wise without doing this and his people of all ages were wise in not desiring any such thing cease we from this infernall infatuation which proclaimes our folly and infidelity to be of a deeper strayne then any age hath ever seene Let vs be sorrowfull for what is past and silent for heareafter and know that the truth of the scripture standes not vpon mens names but vpon Gods owne nature who for his owne names sake though our names be not there will fulfill it vnto vs in every tittle of that saving truth which by faith we can apprehend And this is our third evidence against this pretence Fourthly Eviden ∣ ce 4 this conceit of names concludes all the comfort of a Christian to depend vpon his nameing wheras intruth that of it self can evince no comfort at all and therof we may be soone perswaded if we consider these two things 1. that many are named who are never comforted in Gods booke 2. that the only comfort of a childe of God is to haue his name written in another booke to wit that booke of life For the first he knowe's nothing as he ought to know who knoweth not that many are named in the bible for evill not for good nay it had beene good for them in some sort that they had had no names recorded there As Cain Saul Ahitophell

Iudas with many others who are so farre from being comforted by their names registred that they are shamed branded haue their names left for everlasting reproach and infamy that all ages and generations of men to the worlds end might know what monstrous hypocrttes they were on earth what miserable reprobates they are in hell For the second who knoweth not that the true joy comfort of a christian cannot consist at all in being named in Gods booke for even many of his holy ones are also markt with a black coale for some saylings wherby they are blemished to this day but that which may joy them indeede is the assurance of their names being written in the booke of life many may have names in the Bible who have none in that booke but whosoever hath his name written there is sure of all comforts that are revealed and promised here Hence it was that our sauiour gave that Item to his disciples who returning from the excecution of their commission were almost ouerjoyed with the happy successe they founde and came to Christ with most glad harts Master Luk 10 9. even the divells are subdued to us well sayes he that is some matter to joy in you may be glad of that but if you would joy in that which is indeede a sound cause of rejoycing as being such wherin none but Gods elect have any part ver 20. Rejoyce saith he in this that your names are written in the booke of life in the other reprobates may rejoyce as well as you but in this they have no portion it is your only and your all-sufficient cause of rejoycing And the consolation of being written in this celestiall register is both peculiar only to true christians and common to all none but the faithfull can have it and none of the faithfull but have it So saith the spirit they that overcome Ren. 3.5 their names are written and shall not be blotted out of the lambes booke of life cap. 20.15 and every one wohse name was not founde written in the booke of life was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone but they whose names were found there might enter into that holy cap. 21.27 and most glorious city So then we see plainly by these particulers that these two things will follow to wit 1. that a mā may have his name writtē in the Bible yet not in heauen as many hypocrits and reprobates haue and. 2. that a man may not haue his name here yet written in heaven as millions of the elect haue And if these two propositions be true and vnreproueable as we see they are what validity can be founde in these fonde conceites of ours what consequence of comfort or discomfort is is to any man whether he be named in this booke of God or noe Let vs surcease to mention this which cannot profsit vs and make sure of the other which is such a sure evidence of our salvation And this is our fourth evidence against this pretence Fiftly Eviden ∣ ce 5 this allegation of names is popish doth confirme the papists in their error of denying the ceartainety of the salvation of the elect and when they argue against the truth of God herin they vrge this very thing where say they is it written that I such a one or such a one by name John Thomas Mary Martha or any man or woman shal be saved This is their language vp and downe and shall the people of God speake it shal Satan make christians to speake as antichrist doth God for bid It were a most easy matter to make them a full answer quitt them with like questions in other cases where is it written that any man by name hall rise at the last day is it not therefore sure that they shall because they are not named by this reason all papists must be notorious heretikes as some of their holy fathers have beene who have shewed thēselves damned hell hounds in denying as evident truth as this Againe I would fayne know of any papists whether no more shal be beleeved of any man then that which is written of him by name if not then no man hath any thing at all to beleeve now because no man that now lives hath his name in the scripture if yea then why may not this truth of the assurance of salvation be beleeved of the faithfull as well as any other wherin they are no more named then in this But our purpose is not to refute them now but to reprove you who confirme and harden them in this their falshood heresy by the like allegations of the same things for your selves The divell is equally subtile to seduce you both to witholde the truth of God in vnrighteousnes and to turne it into a lye by suggesting this pretence of names into your myndes and mouthes Doe but thinke what dishonour the Lord hath what disadvantage his truth hath hereby that his aduersarys who speake soe blasphemously can alledge that they speake no other then his owne children doe even the sincerest of them who live and looke to their wayes most exactly Thus Satan make's you ignorant papists vnawares and make's them jmpudent papists through your ignorance herin And shall we support that popery which we hate And this is our fifth Evidence against this pretence The sixt and last is Eviden ∣ ce 6 that this allegation doth also abett prophanes as well as popery It is the manner of the most impious and ignorant persons that live to throw out these or the like interrogatoryes vnto vs and that in a scornefull and vnsavory manner When we have convinced them of their sin and Gods curse due thervnto and that soe plainely by the power and evidence of the scripture that there is noe denyall or evasion to be made but that such a sin and such a sinner must be accursed then as their last refuse in defence of the sin defiance of the reprooffe due vnto it they fly to this where is this or that written of you or of me or of any man particulerly shew vs that by all your divinity if you can soe with this accursed enquiry they insult against God his truth his ministers and make themselues wholy incapable of reformation going on in all vngodlines with a high hand and a hellish hart because forsooth we cannot shew their names entituled to the justice of God and that the arrowes of his vengeance are shott at them personally And this they either doe or may say they haue learned of these pure and scrupulous persons who made a marveilous shew they would in no wise sin against God yet are too well knowne to alledge the same sinfull excuse for themselues And hath any christian a hart to vtter that which hath soe much evill in it and no good at all shall any who feare the Lord vnfaynedly harten proqhane persons and strengthen their handes against him and his word who

taken them neere oh how sweete vnto me are thy words c. And lastly ver 103. not to be too tedious in instancing he doth lay a downeright clayme vnto them as his owne land intayled to him and never to be taken from him Thy testimonies haue I claymed as myne heritage for euer ver 111. for thy are the joy of my hart Thus doth good Dauid bestirre him herin and goe's before all Gods people whose commendation and comfort it would assuredly be to trace him in these steps But we neede not stand on particuler persons for we finde that whole churches have done the same in the dayes of their sorrowes So we reade of the church Haue respect to thy covenant and againe The Lord will not cast of his people Psal 74.20 Psal 94.14 micah 7.20 nor forsake his inheritance and yet againe Thou wilt performe thy truth to Iacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne to our fore-fathers of olde In all these and many the like which we spare to vrge we see the saints carriage and practise whether we cōsider them apart or combined together into one body And now is it a small thing that this threefolde corde should be soe lightly broken wherwith the Lord would binde his people to this practise shall himself his law and his holy ones be all so slighted of vs Have we soe many worthy jnducement to draw vs on and soe many worthies that have gone before us and shall we lye behinde and not once striue or stirre that way nay which is yet worse run a cleane contrary course and fly from our owne comforts to the fearfull aishonour of God and danger of our owne soules through this desperate infidelity Oh deare Christians whervnto will this come what shall we say vnto you ● Cor. 4.21 how shall we intreat you let vs demaund the apostles question shall we come among you with a rod or with the spirit of meeknes when we have to doe with you for this fault well I know we must be wonderfull wary when we have to doe with wounded consciences we will not be too tart with the Lords tender lambes but endeavour since reprooffe must have place here to mixe reprehension and commiseration together inasmuch as we have to doe with afflicted soules and humbled spirits which speake not according to the truth in a setled resolution but according to the distraction and terror of some present temptation wherwith their adversary the divell doth so feircely assault and soe furiously fight against them that they are not able to stand vnder his stroakes but faint and sinke because he is so violent and they soe impotent fayne they would be better perswaded and beleeve professe otherwise if they could but their enemy aboundes with outrage and they are voyd of courage and hence it is he overules them and having captivated the power of Gods spirit in them for the present he make's them speake according to his owne the truth is that the people of God in their perplexity are the divels parhots and by him made to vtter that evill which many times he knowe's not well how to vent otherwise Oh that these poore soules the true most proper subiects of all good mens pitty and prayers did but well know and were throughly convinced that it is not they that doe it but sin yea Satan dwelling in them that the Lord will of his especiall grace discharge them of it and charge it as well he may vpon him who is both his adversary and theirs But the divell is so subtile in dealing with Gods sorrowfull saints that he will be exceeding loth to be seene in this or knowne of it but rather layes it vpon God and provokes many a distracted saint that is not himself to surmize that it is no small jmpiety against God to appropriate the promises And the better to seduce them therin he puts such pretences into their mindes and mouthes as they dreame and jmagine to be of God against whome they thinke they should fearfully offend if they should clayme these heavenly comforts to thēselves Which pretences of his seing they are the maine impediments which hynder the happines of Gods people let vs take such knowledge of them as may make them apparantly knowne to be infernall therefore in no wise to be beleeved but alwayes abborted Among many other two to my obseruation are most vsuall doe prevaile vpō the faithfull soe afright them that they dare not meddle but doe in some sort forsake their owne mercy He suggesteth into the dejected soules of these afflicted saints to make their harts the more fearfull 1. that the promises of God are not assigned to them by name how then can they have any interest in them 2. that they are soe vnworthy of them in regard of their wickednes that they dare not owne them or have any thing to doe with them These are the sear-crewes the bug-beares wherwith he make's them to forbeare and put off all But you that thus speake according to temptation now speake according to truth and shame the divell the father of lyes who suborne's these fruitles things against you to rob you of the riches of Gods vnspeakable grace Iob. 28.2 Spake out I say and tell me Is not this to darken the truth of God by words without knowledge which no man ought to doe Is not this to disparage his truth and faithfullnes who is Amen Reu 1.2 Cor. 1.20 the true faithfull witnes that faith that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto us that we might be rooted in the assurance of them Is not this to be beyond all Gods boundes to be besides ones self in our spirituall estate being overcome of a mysticall frenzy to cast of all affiance in the Lord Iob. 9.16 ●7 speaking strōgly in this distemper as Iob did if I had called vnto him and he had answered me yet would J not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voyce And shall we stand on that which we see will not beare vs but let vs fall nay throw vs downe and make vs fall for soe will these aforesayd pretences doe No be it farre from vs to doe soe And that it may be soe let vs come neerer to a more straight and narrow inquisition touching them which that we may the better doe we will set vpon them seuerally and soe set them out before you that we may shew them and you may see them to be the base subornations of Satan and by him bent to abuse God and beguile you of your blessednes and these two are all his only ends For the first which sti●ks so much with many Pretence and wherat they stumble to wit that because they are not named they dare not intermedle they know not that they are mean't or may make bolae with that which is written and wherin others are by name interessed You tell

world beleeue that he is their father their God who are wicked wheras he hath revealed his wrath from heavē against them and doth from his very soule abhorre them as the base brood of Belzeebub and the loathsome spawne of Satan by reason of their sin Thus is the Lord thrust from his throne of glory and his honour layd in the dust and what an egregious abuse and abasement this is we may measure by our owne if the like to it were offered to any of vs. Suppose some base varlet the knowne bastard of some notorious strumpet should thus fawne vpon a man of approved honesty and honour admit he were a Prince and wheresoever he came be still calling him his father and laying challeng and clayme vnto him were it not an infamy and an iniury not to be borne would any man endure it that had power to punish it were it not such a wound in a Princes good name as might enrage him to send such a villane to the executioner rather then to suffer him to live daily to disgrace him in calling him his father Surely the greatest patience vnder heaven would be overcharged with this reproach we cannot dreame that ever this fellow should be endured to make any request or if he did that he might hope of any acceptation but instead of being graciously answered he might expect to be fearfully punished for abusing him whome he did soe beare himself vpon For what would the world thinke of him that should let such a fellow alone but that sure he is foule and hath lived basely seing such a base companion is suffred to challeng him as his father And beloued if such a thing would thus iniure and anger us let vs thinke how it will affect the Lord who is so jealous of his honour and sensible of his dishonour as he hath revealed himself to be and whose glory and fame is soe infinitely aboue ours he being the king of glory and king of saints the father only of his naturall son Christ and of so many as in him he adopteth to be his children by grace let vs I say bethinke our selves how this wil be taken that our father which is in heaven should by Satans suggestion and these mens appellation become the father of all those infernall helhounds and lyms of Satan whome he for the honour of his justice hath cast into hell to their perpetuall shame and contempt The divell can tell though he will not tell it you yee wicked one 's that this is a ready way to enreage the Lord against you and to provoke him to powre out the feircenes of his greatest fury vpon you there cannot be a quicker course to fill Satans kingdome and cast men into hell fire then by suborning vngodly men to call God father for in setting them on in this manner to call God theirs he make's them thereby seaven times more his owne then they were before Now is it not bydeous I had almost sayd vnpardonable jmpiety to vnthrone the Lord of heaven and thrust him into the base condition of his cursed vassall to rob him of this honour to be the God of all his elect and holy ones and become the father of all prophane person Thus doth every godles man when he call's God father for if he may be in any sence a father to such he can in no sence be sayd to be the same to his owne Secondly Euill 2 this evill doth not end though it begin here for as the Lord is abased soe is the diuell exalted and put into the place of the most high For if God be the God of vngodly men to whose right must Gods people belong It is impossible that both should appertaine to one party if therefore the wicked have God to be theirs the interest of the saints must needes be in Satan and soe he is set vp and the most high made vile The Diuell himself and all that tooke part with him in that accursed practise was banished heaven as it is supposed for aspiring into Gods place but this is to giue away the glory of the euer-liuing God put his most professed adversary into the actuall possession of the same And if heauens infinite justice were so exceeding neauy vpon him only for the attempt what will it be vpon these for the act Oh that their soules could throughly consider this who thus speake ah they litle dreame what high treason it is against the majesty of God to utter that which at once dishonour's the Lord and advanceth the divell But I leave them to the Lord by whome I desire they may be awaked that they sleepe not in this sin to death yea to damnation Thirdly Euill 3 this is a wonderfull and a wofull hardening of wicked men in their evill wayes and an vtter dishartening of such as would vndertake the things that be good What jmpious person or vngodly miscreant will take his sin to hart or thinke it worth any such sorrow as is required to repentance if in this his sinfull estate he may beare himself vpon God who would come out of that condition wherin he may clayme God to be his owne Againe what comfort can he have that is now comming on to religion to goe on and make a proceeding in piety a progresse in grace and holines to strayne towards a more holy exact pure and precise estate wherin he may more sanctify the Lord and subdue himselfe when he shall observe such sinfull persons as savour of noe grace to make as bolde with the Lord as the best of his owne saints So that this divelish jmpudency of vngodly persons doth cause them to comit two cutlls at once to wit to appale all piety and applaud all prophanes hindering some from entring on the former and hartening many to run on in the latter till they be past all recovery This is to make sad the hart of the righteous and to make glad the soule of the sinner and both these the Lord doth deepely abhorre Fourthly and lastly to make vp the measure of this euill or rather to make it out of measure euill Euill 4 let vs know that the Diuell himself was never soe vile as in this particuler to dare to entitle himself to God or once in any place to call the Lord his Where doth or may it appeare in all Gods booke that ever he offred it Others interest he hath indeede acknowledged as when he confessed Christ to be the son of God I know who thou art Mar. 5.7 thou art Iesus the son of the liuing God and when he gave testimony to the Apostles these are the seruants of the most high God c. Act. 16.17 but where did he ever challeng any right or make any claime of his owne to call God his is any man able to shew it no sure why then for a wicked man thus to doe is an offence more foule then the divell will be founde guilty off And who can

thy handmayd c. And soe for all other comforts of any kinde whatsoever this was ever vrged as we might abundantly instance in Moyses in Dauid in Eliah Iehosophat Hezekiah and many more who many a time pressed God with it Yea which is well worth our nothing God himself hath often rendered this as that which hath as it were wrought vpon himself to respect them in his grace as it were easy to alledge out of many scriptures That one may serve for all which we finde by the prophet But thou Israell art my seruant Is 41.8 ver 9. Iacob whome I haue chosen the seede of Abraham my freind c. Thou art my seruant I haue chosen thee and not cast thee away And if the Lord himself doe make this vse of it to magnify his owne grace to vs we may cōfortably plead it before him to prevaile with him therewith we may be well assured that that which he makes an argument of magnifying his mercy on vs would be of excellent vse and force to pleade before him to moue him to manifest the same mercy to vs. Let vs not then in any wise be sparing herin we cannot be too bolde nor too abundant the Lord like 's that prayer and loue 's that suitor the better that is most full of it And the divell will have least to doe with those which are neerest and fastest to God And therefore to conclude and shut vp this point be it now our perpetuall care and endeavour to doe according to the tennor of that truth we have heard in this our first instruction arising from this interest so stissly pleaded by this blessed Patriarch in that he enter's thus into his petition with these words O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac c. Shewing clearely that he that would have his prayers enter into heaven and be entertayned with God must goe in this way with them And soe much for our first lesson laide downe in these words The end of the first Sermon Having done with his first encouragmēt we proceede to the consideration of his secōd as it lieth in the text following Thou Lord which saidest vnto me Returne into thy countrey c. wher in he now pleadeth his warrant he had from God as before he did his interest he had in God And herein we have two things to thinke off the first is the warrāt it self the second his assuming application therof home to himself The former to wit his warrant he divides into two particulers 1. a precept Returne into thy countrey c 2. a promise and I will deale well with thee From both which we might well note vnto you in the next place this worthy lesson that VVhatsoever we doe without warrant from God is wickedly done So much warrant as any man hath to doe any thing soe much comfort shall he haue in the doing of it If this were not an absolute and an vndenyable truth why did the Lord giue Jacob this comission for his journey or why should Jacob take it and make this vse of it to God himself as he doth it were no favour or mercy to haue it no point of faith no part of our duty to vse or to vrge it if we might be justifyed in any thing we vndertake without it But wee purpose not to prosecute this point at this presēt but to take another occasion if the Lord please to handle it at large Doctrine 2 The thing we ayme at is not soe much the matter of the warrant it self as Iacobs taking of it home applying of it to himself in that he saith Thou Lord who saydest vnto me From which practise of his we may obserue and you must learne thus much That it is the duty of every chirstian to carry the word of God home to his owne hart and to apply it particulerly to himself Looke what sacred truth the Lord hath left recorded for vs and either in any generall speciall or particuler rule of his word revealed to vs as tending to our particuler estate the same soe farre as it toucheth vs in any thing that doth or may concerne vs the Lord looke's we should lay it to our harts and appropriate it to our selves as our owne Every true christian is bounde to apply every part of Gods truth to himself evermore making that his owne which is mean't to him The instance of our text contayneth so cleare an evidence and confirmation of this doctrine and this holy Patriarchs practise is so pregnant for the point that we shall not neede to seeke farre for more witnes to enforce the truth of it Let vs a litle consider his carriage herin We heard before how God had spoken vnto him about this busines of his removall into his countrey here now we have himself not only relating what God said to him herin but also applying the same to his owne hart and state now that he is to goe to heaven for direction and comfort in the same in speaking to God he speakes that which God spake to him thou Lord who sayd vnto me c. he cleave's fast vnto that which he heard from God and let 's God heare of it from him againe he claymes Gods kindnes builde's vpon his precept and promise as vpon a foundation of direction consolation and assurance sufficiently able to beare him out against all opposition what-soever The precept leade's him to begin his journey the promise hartens him to goe on hoth are good to him in the duty he had to doe And we see that as Iacob is faithfull in applying all this so is the Lord carefull in reporting this his practise vnto vs and make's Moses many yeares after it was performed to receive it from his spirit by inspiration and to register it in this his blessed booke that it may remayne written for all ages to come for his approbation for our imitation that we might follow him who hath gone before vs herin and not only know what Iacob hath done but what the God of Iacob require's of vs from this light of his truth both to know to doe in any such cases as may ever become ours in any passage betweene the Lord and vs. In a word what he here did is therefore written and related that we might goe and doe likewise walking in the same path which this true survant of God hath troden out before vs which if we shall endeavour conscionably to doe and to be vpright with the Lord in the same what our benefit and advantage shal be the sequell will shew and we shall ever finde it our happines to lay Gods truth to hart Thus we see the case is cleare in the particuler of our text If we shall looke further abroade for our more assurance in the truth of this instruction and take vp such testimonyes as we might soone finde fasten vpon to this present purpose multitudes would flow apace vpon vs and it would be

vs that you finde these good words in Gods booke and doe nothing doubt of the truth of them no question but the Lords minde was that Abraham David and those other whose names are recorded with these comfortable sayings should rejoice in them and if their harts did not leape at them they were too blame seing these consolations were directed personally to them had they beene soe to vs we could have beene happy had we beene the men it had beene our consolation also but alas who are we to them where are our name 's to be founde But what a poore and pittifull plea this is Evindeces against it how idle and empty of all good evidence to proue any thing either directly or by consequence to this present point or any other good purpose will quickly appeare if we once come to looke into it and as we discover it we shall see there is nothing worth looking vpon in it Only here by the way before we set vpon it we may discerne a subtilty of Satan wherby he doth notoriously abuse you as once in another case he did divers others For when as there was some question made of Pauls doctrine Act. 18.14 Gallio told the Iewes that if their motion were a matter of weight and substance he would have hearkened to them but being but of words and names as he thought it was not worth the hearing The truth was that that matter was of more then words or names or such triviall stuffe even of the foundation Iesus Christ and the truth of the Gospel but the divell deluded that Gallio as now he doth many a man to thinke slightly of the great things of God but here he doth contrary for this which we haue in hand is but a question of wordes and names and no more and he strikes this jmpression deepely as if all the happines of a christian and all the hope of heaven lay vpon it Thus doubly deales the diuell to a wicked man the mayne truth of God shal be a matter of no weight and to a childe of God that which hath no weight at all in it shall overbeare the mayne truth of God But this by the way to shew how Satā befoole's both sorts I would all Gods people were as wise in this which is of no moment as wicked Gallio was in that which he thought to be soe And that they may be soe we will now lay open the nakednes of this matter of names in particuler and that so clearely I hope that hereafter it shall not be soe much as once named among christiās when they shall once see the notable vanityes nay the notorious jmpieties that will follow vpon the pressing of it to this purpose And that they may be seene how sinfull they are we will set some of them downe in order before you wherof you shall doe well seriously to consider for you shall finde them exceeding grosse 1. Euidence cōfuted First it thwarteth manifestly overturneth Gods most wise and gracious manner of speaking by his spirit throught out the scriptures in this point of the application of his heavenly truth His course and order of speaking is this VVhen any diuine truth of his is reuealed it is soe vttered as it may most plainely appeare that he did intende and meane the application of the matter and substance therof except in some personall circumstance as well to every true Christian not named as vnto any to whome it was directly spoken and particulerly directed And that this is an vndeniable truth may be made very evident by many allegations both out of the olde testament and the new In the olde testament such as speake by Gods spirit spake thus David for one applyeth to himself that which is common to all Christians It is written of me Psal 40.7 that I should doe thy will O God where is this written more of David then of any other man many things were spoken to him by name from God but this was no more to him then to vs yet you see he assumeth and applyeth it to himself as written to him because he could not but know that obedience to the will of God did as directly appertaine to him and would be as exactly required of him as of any other man If this had beene sent by name to him from God he could have sayd no more then he doth and thus much you see he saith though no mans name be mentioned because he knew that euery man was meant The people of God in another Psalme doe the same as we may read and it very good for vs to note Psal 66.6 He turned the sea to dry land they passed through the riuer on foote th●re did we rejoyce in him marke how the people of God speake here of a thing long since past a mercy shewed to their fore-fathers yet the benefit and favour is acknowledged to God and he magnified for it as if it had bene done to them selues the change of the person is worth observation they passed through c there did we rejoyce Another like vnto this we finde in the prophet Hosea where that which is intreated off is spoken personally of Iacob to wit of his wrestling with God but the people of God in that time take it home and apply it vnto themselves soe the words inferre Hos 12.4 He had power over the Angell and prevailed he wept and prayed he founde him in Bethel there he spake with vs. The gracious consolatory words given by Christ called here the angel as being the angel of the covenant to Iacob touching his prevailing with God and Gods benediction of him are here said to be spoken to them there he spake with vs they claime them as if the Lord had blessed them as he did him Thus haue Gods people in the olde testament done And they in the new haue done likewise if we consider a few examples it will easily appeare Our Lord Iesus Christ is cleare in this case when he doth apply those very words of God as spoken to the Iewes that then were which were vttered to their progenitors many a yeare before Haue yee not read that which was spoken to you by God mat 22.31.32 I am the God of Abrah●m c see he aske's them why they did not make vse of this as spoken to themselues Exod. which yet by voice from God was sayd to Moses out of the middest of the bush that burned but consumed not Haue yee not read saith Christ as of he should say it is your negligence that you have not if you haue read it is your ignorance that you know not that thus you ought to apply the words of God if you have read what was spoken to Moses in this matter and imagine that God meant it to no more but him you erre it is an erroneous reading of Gods word and argue's we want knowledge when wee make that peculiar to anyone which the Lord

all temptation giving no place to the divell or any instigation of his touching the application of the truth of God Let it not greiue vs a litle that we have given see much eare to him already and that the Lord hath beene soe slenderly beleeved of vs. Our insidelity hath done the Lord wōderfull dishonour we haue ill shewed our selves children of such a father whenas like froward infants we haue refused the sweetnes he hath provided for vs and even put into our mouthes We must soundly repent of this refractary carriage or els we may live to cry for that which now we will not have It were our part and duty rather to pant after the truth of God and to faint for want of it then thus frowardly to put it from vs when it is so lovingly proffered to vs. We litle know what we doe in refusing to receive his gracious truth he never spake that which was not worthy that we should heare it conscionably and lay it vp carefully Let vs resolve to doe soe heareafter and thinke him worthy of all prayse from vs who hath revealed his truth soe clearely as it may be entertayned of vs comfortably And if we will thus doe and endeavour hervnto we shall soone see what inconceivable consolations the Lord hath reserued for vs in those promises he hath revealed to vs. If this reproffe worke kindely to purge out this evill we may then give you some taste of the good the Lord hath in store for you Shall we speake euill to our selves where God speake's good or turne his goodnes into our owne euill this is for Satan not for saints to doe Strive we to doe as the Lord would have vs and if we will now cease to lend an care to the divell and further for ever hearken to our God we shall see what more he hath to say to his people in the second place from the truth of the doctrine which we have propounded And all that is sayd by God touching his people is only good Consola ∣ tion 2 for if it be an absolute and infaillible truth that every one ought to apply that truth of God which God speaketh to him then may all the Lords saints know for a surety that all the sacred blessed and sweete sayings of God contayned in his booke are now become their owne the Lord intende's they should apply and enjoy them Not a good word is fallen any where from the mouth of God but the same is wholy and solely meant to the soules of his children he sptake it of purpose that they might take it it was reuealed by him that it might be receiued by them Noe heavenly tydings of gladnes and great joy no speech of life and peace either for present or eternall happines but it is meant and sent by God to them and from him they have it sometimes immediately from his owne mouth I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speake peace to his people to his saints c. Psal 83.8 Luk. 2.10 sometimes by the ministrey of Angells Beholde we bring you glad tydings of great joy c. The Lord hath nothing to say on his churches childrens behalf but when thy speake to him to answer them with good words comfortable words Zach. 1.13 as the prophet Zachariah tell 's vs. Whatsoever is found any where that savours of any saving efficacy or excellency it is appropriated to them by the Lord himself who is the sole authour and the allsufficient founder of the same He sets open the fountaine of grace and compassion to the house of David his servants Zach. 13.1 and to their only vse benesit and behooffe is it reserved such only may drinke of the water therof as he hath of his grace put apart to partake of himself it is noe open place for all persons or any ordinary for all commers but enclosed and jmpaled to the Lords people alone All the consolations of God are theirs Isa 52.12 God himself sayes it both by his prophet I euen I am he that comforteth and by his apostle blessed be God the father of all mercy and God of all consolation who comforteth us in all our tribulation c nay he gives so much that if they will receive it their consolations may abounde not only in themselves but towards others they may have comfort to spare that we may comfort others with the same comforts wherewith we were comforted of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Isa 30.1 speake comfortably to Ierusalem cry unto her that her jniquity is pardoned her warfare is accomplished c Behold how freely how fully the Lord speake's how he doubles his comforts Comfort yee comfort yee and jtterates his words Speake comfortably cry vnto their and this saith the prophet will your God say it may be nay it is sure the divell● and the world will say otherwise to you thus to others it is their manner miserably to misapply all that God saith they vse having their heads yea their harts full of ydle proclamations to promise peace to themselues and their fellowes in jmpiety and prophanes and out of their owne spirits to blesse themselves and discomfort the saints of the living God but if the Lord once open his mouth and come to speake his minde we are to know that his words which are simply good in themselves and himself absolutely able to make them good to vs are to be vttered only to his owne none but they are spoken too when he speakes good He drawes out the breasts of his consolations to them but shuts vp his bosome to all others not a drop of this milke is for any mans mouth but his owne babes and to them both breasts are tendered that they might drinke freely and have thier full draught Soe saith the Lord by his prophet Isa 66.10 Rejoyce with Ierusalem all ye that loue her c that yee may sucke the breasts of her consolations and be satiffyed that yee may milke out and be satiffyed with the abundance of her glory For thus saith the Lord ver 11. ver 12. I will extend peace like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall yee sucke and be borne upon her sides and be dandeled upon her knees As one whome his mother comforteth ver 13. soe will I comfort you and yee shal be comforted in Jerusalem And when yee shall see this your hart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish the hand of the Lord shal be knowne towards his servants c. Thus in this most comfortable metaphor doth the Lord make knowne his mercy and favour and we all know the most that can be manifested in nature is betweene the tender babe and the loving mother and this similitude the Lord assumeth to resemble his vnto vs the nature wherof cannot be fully shaddowed by any thing vnder

oyle is good to glad your harts and to make you to have a cheerefull countenance nay which is an invalable benefit a cheerefull conscience Open your mouthes wyde yea as wyde as you can and he will fill them extende dilate enlarge your hart to the vttermost there can be no just feare of want of grace in him all the doubt is that you will want place to receive it make as much roome as is possible and the Lord will powre it in freely even till it overflow as David tell 's vs he did vnto him when he confessed that his cup did run did over and the apostle Psal 23. when he also acknowledgeth further that the Lord can doe unto us exceeding abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke Eph 3.20 and both these sayings doe shew apparantly that the Lord hath more to giue them we can either aske or receive We cannot want so much as he can spare nor beg soe much as we may have Well Psal 115.15 and worthily might the Psalmist say yee are the blessed of the Lord who can deeme you lesse that see 's all the blessednes that is written in Gods booke and reserved with God in the highst heavens to be intended and appropriated to you by the Lord himself Now then inasmuch as you see Gods favour let him see your faith set that grace a worke on this goodnes of his Doe not suffer your selves to be deluded any more by him who in all his endeavours meane's no glory to God no good to you but mischiefe to both by labouring to cancel his truth to you and to make voyde your faith towards him Grace him not soe much as to give him the hearing of any thing he offreth to whisper into your harts Cast off all his suggestions with contempt and scorne let him see himself despised and his sabttityes abhorred Jam. 4.7 that is the next way to be rid of him if we resolutely resist him And let vs strive now and ever to cleaue to our God who can comfort and doe vs good his voyce hath sweetnes and vertue in it as well to worke good in us as to speake good to us it is all one to him to give vs good things as to give vs good words If he say it it is done why then doe we not as he saith and lende our best attention to his consolatios Craue we pardon for our perversnes past and power against it fortime to come that nothing may for ever heareafter hinder the sounde application of Gods saving truth vnto vs. And thus we have now at length finished our first vse which concerneth both the righteous reprehension and the gracious consolation of the saints of God who have now had the double portion we promised them We are now to put on to the second use of the same Vse 2 to wit that which cometh to wicked men from the consideration of this instruction to wicked men reprehēsion of the application of Gods truth Which being a duty wherevnto all men are bounde they also are enwrapped within the cordes of this doctrine and tyed to take home that part of Gods holy truth which doth concerne themselves And if thus they doe as it is their duty and their not doing of it wil draw downe heavy vengeance vpon them then will their misery and feare flow apace vpon them even so fast that they shall not be able either to escape the swiftnes of it but it will come to them nor to withstand the rage and violence therof but it will seize them in spight of all their cursed security and presumption whereby they often put their evill farre from them Nay whether they doe take it home or noe it will take yea overtake yea and overturne them too according to Gods owne fearfull threatning by Moses All these curses shall come vpon thee and overtake thee Deut. 28.15 till thou be destroyed So that a wicked mans evill is every way open before him assured to him let him turne himself which way he will he is in an ill case if he apply not Gods truth he incurres double danger for the Lord will both plague him for disobedience to this doctrine and the truth of God in the terror therof wil apply it self and fasten vpon him whether he will or noe and if he doe according as God hath sayd in the lesson before named then must he also know that there is no good at all appertayning to him but all the evill thath Gods booke reveale's Nothing is more plaine then that the Lord never meant any good to any vngodly man any good did I say oh it were well with them if that were all but to speake as the truth is and as they shall feele from God in case they continue in their jmpiety and prophanes he doth not only intend them no good but he intendes them nothing but evill and all evill of every kinde which is writtē all the curses comminations heavy sentences wofull sayings all miserable misceivous messages either of present justice or future vengeance whatsoever it be that the wisdome of God hath revealed from heaven or the justice of God hath reserved to be executed either here on earth in part of payment in temporall curses or fully and finally in hell in that infinite vengeance which is jmmeasurable and everlasting all this in every jot and tittle therof is theirs and they must drinke off this whole cup of the Lords wrath and enraged jndignation to the bottome in all the bitternes of the same Goe ye sinners and vngodly persons of all sorts reade over pervse every part every page of Gods sacred booke and in what leafe or line soever ye meete with any thing that favours of confusion or sounde's like a curse or sentence of comdemnation say to your selues as our Jacob doth here Thou Lord saist this to me this part of Gods truth is my portion and belongeth to me my jmpiety applei's this to me my wickednes doth draw me vnder this wofull censure But because Gods booke is so laden fraught with dreadfull threatnings hence now I thinke of it may a man give a great guesse at the cause reason why vngodly persons have no delight or pleasure to reade the scriptures but preferre every vaine pāphlet before those divine words which were inspired by Gods spirit a filthy play booke invented by the divell and by him prompted and put into the brayine of some base impiont varlet whose hellish tongue and hand he doth imploy to pronounce and pen it hath more readers more acceptance and attention then those blessed words which God hath breathed into those holy men who spake from himself vnto vs and why is this why is it thus surely a more eminent reason of this jmpiety cannot be rendred then this that the Lords booke boade's them no good every word is a woe vnto them therefore they take no more pleasure therin then a fellon