in his owne hand Ephes. 1.11 He worketh all things See this 1. In the use of our reason and will Prov. 21.1 The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord he turneth it whithersoever he will No King can incline his owne heart which way himselfe listeth Man hath reason indeed but he cannot use it to his owne benefit Prov. 3.5 Leane not to thine owne understanding 2. In the senses Prov. 20.12 The hearing eare and the seeing eye the Lord hath made even both of them As the faculty that is in the eare and eye is of God so the ability to use and exercise it is of him also 3. In our labors and endevours they are to no purpose further then God is pleased to blesse them 1. Cor. 3.7 Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Psal. 127.1 2. Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it except the Lord keepe the City the watch-man waketh but in vaine It is vaine for you to rise up early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrowes 4. In our food Matth. 4.4 Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God there is a secret word and commission God hath given it to nourish us or else it could doe us no good For the Lord can call in this commission when he will and restraine and with-hold the naturall force he hath given to the second causes when it pleaseth him as we see Hag. 16. Yee have sowen much and bring in little ye eate but ye have not enough ye drinke but ye are not filled ye cloath you but there is none warme Therefore all good successe is ascribed to God Ezra 7.6 7. The King granted him all his request according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him Nâ—he 2.8 The King granted me according to the good hand of my God upon me In these two respects we shall find that the servants of God have beene wont to depend wholly upon him and to seeke to him by prayer for his direction and blessing in all the actions and occasions of their life not in spirituall things only but even in such matters wherein all have freedome of will and wherein they wanted neither ordinary means to helpe themselves nor wisdome and understanding to use them well 1. In making of marriages Thus did Eleazar Abrahams steward though he were a wise man and was able to make such a report of his masters estate as he had small cause to doubt of good successe yet doth he most zealously seek to God for direction and successe by prayer Gen. 24.12 2. In taking of their journeyes then which what can be more in the power of mans will Rom. 1.10 Paul made request that he might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come to the Romanes yea see how servent he is in prayer in this case 1. Thess. 3.11 Now God himselfe and our father and our Lord Iesus Christ direct our way unto you 3 In receiving of their food though there be therein a naturall vertue to nourish us For this we have the example of our blessed Saviour not only when he desired an extraordinary and miraculous blessing upon the creatures as when he sed about five thousand with fiue loaves and two fishes Matth 14. â—9 and foure thousand with seven loaves and a few little fishes Matth. 15.36 But even when he desired no more then that which was naturall and ordinary as Luke 24.30 As he sate at meate with them he tooke bread and blessed it Where it is also to be observed that by the prayer we use at our meales our meate is blessed unto us it is not blessed otherwise 4. In entring upon their houses and dwellings Ps. 30. title A Psalme and song at the dedication of the house of David But what need wee instance in more particulars and stand upon examples in this point seeing we have so expresse commandements for it Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him his hand his providence and so depend upon him and he shall direct thy paths And Phil. 4.6 7. In every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made knowne unto God and the peace of God shall keepe your hearts and minds This is the way to true peace to depend upon God by prayer for direction successe and for a blessing in every thing that we take in hand Lecture XIIII On Psalme 51.1 2. Ianuary 3. 1625. THE third reason they give why it is to no purpose to pray is taken from the nature of the Lord unto whom we pray 1. God knoweth well enough what our wants are and needs not to have them made knowne unto him by us Matth. 6.8 Your father knoweth what things you have need of before yee aske him 2. He hath appointed in his eternall decree what shall befall every one of us and what he will do for us which all the prayers in the world cannot alter Ephes. 1.11 He worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will 3. He is of so gracious a disposition that he is apt enough of himselfe to give us what he seeth to be good for us without asking or seeking unto Our Saviour we know when he was upon earth healed and helped many that never sought unto him as you may see in the man that had the withered hand Mark 3.3 and in the impotent man Iohn 5.6 and in many other places And the Lord is pleased to compare himselfe for this to the father of the prodigall who prevented his sonne and before ever he made any suite unto him when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him as we read Lu 15.20 To this I answer that all these three things they speake of God are most true but that which they would inferre upon them is most weake and unsound and hath no coherence with them the premises or anticedent of their reason is good but the consequence is starke naught For 1. Though God know our wants full well yet his will is we should make them knowne and open them particularly unto him our selves Phil. 4.6 In every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made knowne unto God as when blind Bartimeus had cryed out earnestly and vehemently unto Christ Iesus thou sonne of David have mercy upon me he would have him speake and tell him in particular wherein he would have him to shew mercy on him Mar. 10.51 What wilt thou that I should doe unto thee Secondly As God hath determined in his owne counsell what he will doe for any of us so hath he also in his counsell determined that prayer shall be the meane whereby we shall obtaine it Ezek. 36.37 Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for thâ— be enquired of and sought unto
we are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Yet taketh he no pleasure in correcting them but as hee doth it most unwillingly Psal. 103.8 He is slow to anger Lament 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men so is he most apt to repent him of the evill hee is constrained to bring upon them and to bee troubled with it Therefore it is said of him Ioel 2.13 and in many other places that he repenteth him of the evill Both which properties are most pathetically expressed Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And this is the first point in this comparison Secondly the very sight of the misery another is in will move a man that hath the bowells of a man and is tender-hearted to pitty his case and bee willing to helpe without any other respect at all to the person be he friend or foe good or bad onely because he seeth him to bee in misery Mine eye affecteth my heart saith the Church Lamen 3.51 because of all the daughters of my City yea the more the misery is that he seeth any man in the more he will pity him and be ready to helpe him as we see in the example of the Samaritan Luke 10 33 34 When he saw the Iew stripped of his cloathes and wounded and halfe dead he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds c. And in this respect it is oft mentioned as a duty wee owe to them that are in misery to visit them to go and see them Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse and the widow in their affliction But you will say is that enough I answer yes he that doth that if he have a mans heart in him cannot choose but doe what he can to helpe him They have cut off my life in the dungeon saith the Church Lament 3.53 and cast a stone upon me because they would not see my misery and therefore that is noted for the cause why neither the Priest not the Levite helped the poore man they could not abide to looke on him but passed by on the other side Lu. 10.31 32. Even so is it with our most mercifull and tender-hearted Father the very sight of our misery without any other motive in the world is sufficient to move him to pitty and helpe us yea the more our misery is the more ready will he be to succour us Exod. 3.7 See how pathetically the Lord speaketh Surely I have seene the affliction of my people for I know their sorrowes and am come downe to deliver them Ieremy 31.20 My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Yea the sight of the misery even of wicked men doth worke this upon his tender heart Psal 146.7 8 9. The Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe the Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow So againe Psalme 78.38 He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath and yet these men were but hypocrites they never sought to God but in their affliction verse 34. and 36. They did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues And thus have you seene the tender mercies of the Lord. Thirdly In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies He is aboundant in goodnesse Exod. â—4 6 Plenteous in mercy Psal. 86.5 Full of compassion Psal 86.15 Rich in mercy Ephe. 2.4 Admire it we may but no man is able to expresse and utter how great the mercy of the Lord is Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindnesse The mercies and kindnesses of all the men in the world compared to it are but as a drop of water to the great Ocean My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. Esay 55.8 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts See this difference in three points 1. A man can forgive small wrongs but the wrongs may bee so great as no man can forgive but there is no sin so heinous but the Lord is able to forgive it Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Matth. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Hee is able to forgive a debt of ten thousand talents and not be undone nay be never the poorer Matth. 18.27 2. A man can forgive one a great wrong if it were but in one action but the wrongs may be so many and of so many kinds as no man can forgive them but the Lord is able to forgive sins though they were as many yea more then the haires of our head as David complaineth his were Psal 40.12 3. A man is able once to forgive yea to forgive it may be even such wrongs as hee counteth very great and manifold but hee can never forgive or thinke well of him whom hee having forgiven sundry times yet hee still wrongeth him in the same kind but the Lord is able to forgive him that hath relapsed often into the same crime For hee requireth this mercy even in us Matth. 18.22 Thou shalt forgive him I say not unto thee untill seven times but untill seventy times seven times So that Gods children shall have no cause to say to their heavenly Father as Esau said to his father Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father Canst thou forgive but once yes hee is able to forgive the same offence often times if it be truly repented of The use of this Doctrine is first for instruction even to teach and assure you to testifie unto you as the Apostle did to Gods people 1. Pet. 5.12 that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand that the religion and Doctrine that is at this day and hath beene through Gods mercy now many above sixty yeeres without interruption taught and professed in the Church of England the Lord in mercy grant it may continue so to bee and which you have received and found comfort in is the only true ancient Catholique Propheticall and Apostolike faith Because it giveth the whole glory of mans salvation and of every degree and piece of it from the beginning to the end to the free grace and mercy of God and to nothing else Therefore the Apostle in that place I last named 1. Pet. 5.12 calleth the true religion and Doctrine of God for that is it hee meaneth in that place by a Metonimy the true grace of God because the whole
every mans conscience and men shall bee judged according to the things that are written in those bookes according to their workes Every mans owne booke his owne conscience will plead for God against himselfe at that day At that day it will appeare that not the Lord but every wicked man himselfe is the onely cause of his owne destruction that he is not saved because he had no desire nor will to bee saved hee did not his endeavour nor what lay in him to come to grace and salvation that the Lord was not wanting to him this way but he was wanting to himselfe In that day the Lord will say to every wicked man as hee saith to Ierusalem Matth. 22.37 O wretched man and woman how oft would I have gathered thee but thou wouldst not How oft would I have converted thee what meanes of grace did I give unto thee how often have I shewed my selfe willing by such and such a Sermon by such and such an affliction to have changed thy heart but thou wouldst not Certainely all wicked men perish wilfully they perish because they will perish they have no desire to be saved Why will ye die O house of Israel saith the Lord Ezek. 33.11 As if he had said Ye die because ye will die Now that men do perish thus wilfully that they have no true desire nor will to be saved appeareth evidently by these foure things that may be observed in them First They will use no meanes nor take any paines to escape damnation to obtaine grace and to get to heaven as they would doe to escape any great danger they desire to avoid or to obtaine any good thing they desire to have Salvation is farre from the wicked saith David Psal. 119.155 how should they come by it for they kept not thy statutes As if he had said They will not use the meanes nor labour to get it Secondly When they may have the meanes to bring them to grace and salvation without any labour or charge to them they flâ—ight and neglect them they account them rather a burden and trouble then any benefit or blessing unto them they shew no desire to them but say in their hearts to God as those wretches did of whom we reade Iob 21.24 Depart from me for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Thirdly When the Lord doth sometimes by his Word sometimes by his judgements force them to have some thoughts of heaven some good motions and desires they resist the spirit of God therein as Stephen saith the Iewes did Acts 7.51 They hold the truth in unrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1.18 They violently withstand and oppose these good motions and will not yeeld to them Fourthly and lastly which is the root of all the rest They doe in their hearts basely esteeme of and despise grace and salvation and the meanes thereof and preferre any trifle before them And as it is said of Gallio the profane deputy Act. 8.17 he cared for none of those things so may it be said of them the matter of religion and of their salvation is the least of their care when they have nothing els to doe or thinke of then they will thinke of heaven So that as it is said of Esau that he despised his birth-right Gen 25.34 because he sold it for one morsell of meat for one meales meat as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.16 so may it be truly said of all wicked that they despise grace and salvation because there be so many trifles that they preferre before it And so the Holy Ghost expressely speaketh Pro. 11.33 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his owne soule So that it is evident you see that every wicked man is utterly inexcusable he perisheth justly because he perisheth wilfully he hath no desire at all no will to be saved but an utter aversnesse and unwillingnesse to go to heaven or to walke in the way that leadeth thither Now if any man shall object against this and say How can this be seeing the spirit speaketh expressely in the holy Scriptures 1. That man hath by nature no freedome of will to any thing that is good but is dead in trespasses and sinnes as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 2.1 He cannot desire to have grace or to be saved no more then a dead man can desire to live nay he cannot accept of Gods grace when it is offered 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him he cannot choose but be unwilling and averse from good things 2. That the matter of mans salvation dependeth wholly not upon the will of man but upon the will and free grace of God as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth this matter dependeth neither upon the desire of man nor upon any endeavour neither that he can use but of God that sheweth mercy And verse 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth And he worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.11 3. Gods grace is irresistible and able to overcome and subdue this unwillingnesse and aversenesse that is in our nature God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham as Iohn Baptist speaketh Matth. 3.9 And that in these three respects it should seeme that the wicked man is not the cause of his own destruction but the Lord rather To this I answer First That the Lord is not the cause why man is by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes but himselfe onely he killed himselfe and deprived himselfe of this spirituall life the Lord did it not God requireth nothing of man for not doing whereof the condemneth him but he made him well able to doe it God made man upright saith the Holy Ghost Eccl. 7.29 not the first man but man indefinitely mankind God made man upright And as in Adam all men were made upright so in Adam all men voluntarily and unconstrainedly sinned as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.12 killed themselves lost this spirituall life So that even in this respect that standeth good which you heard out of Hos. 13.9 O man thou hast destroyed thy selfe Secondly Though God be able to restore to every wicked man this spirituall life againe and to quicken him by his grace yet is he not bound to do it he doth no man wrong if he doe it not Is it not lawfull for me saith the Lord Mat. 20.15 to doe what I will with mine owne Who hath first given to him saith the Apostle Rom. 11.35 who hath made God a debter to him and it shall be recompensed to him againe Thirdly Though every naturall man be dead in trespasses and sinnes so as he can doe nothing that is spiritually good and pleasing unto God nothing that hee can save himselfe by Yet may every naturall man doe much more then he doth to further
loves his people and sheweth his love even in reprooving by reproving sin neither in rage nor in a merry and flouting manner nor so as to set a brand of infamy upon them Ibid. Therefore desire to live under such a Minister as will faithfully reprove sinne and the great sin of the people that cannot endure it p. 52. the reasons why men cannot endure such a ministery Ibid. p. 53. the folly and sin of these men discovered in foure points Ibid. Objections answered that are made against such a ministery 1 That they use to raile give bitter and opprobrious termes to men 2 they use in a most unseemely fashion to cry and stampe and beat the pulpit p. 54. 3 They are alwaies chiding and inveighing and shew no love to the people pag. 55. 4 They love noâ— to deale with then people in private but disgrace them publikely 5 They are given to hearken to â—ale-beareâ—s page 56. Lect 10. In all our distresses we must fly to God by prayer and seeke comfort that way p. 59. for 1 In all our afflictions God hath 2 chiefe hand 2 He is able to releeve us 3 himselfe hath prescribed this course to us pag 60. 4 The Lord is ready to be found this way p. 61. The meanes of comfort we all apt to neglect Ibid. Lect. 11. Impediments that keepe us from this remooved 1 Th'extreamity of my affliction overwhelmes me and the tokens of Gods anger upon me are such that I have no hope to speed p. 63 64. 2 I am so vile a sinner that I dare not pray Ibid. p. 65. Lect 12. 3 I cannot pray p. 66 67. Every faithfull man hath the spirit of prayer yea a man may pray most acceptably though he do not feele that he hath faith or the spirit of prayer Ib. Such must bewaile their case to God and strive to pray for all they cannot doe it with feeling and comfort p. 68 69. Lect. 13. 4 It is to no purpose for me to pray Ibid. Resolve this is but a tentation and resist it and how p. 70. Particular answer to Sathans reason in this tentation 1 They that never use to pray doe as well as those that are most given unto it ibid. 2 men use ordinary meanes for their comfort with discretion they may do well enough though they never pray p. 71. Though God usually helpe men by meanes and best by best meanes p. 72. Yet he is the giver of all meanes and the vertue that is in them to do us good commeth wholly from him and Gods servants have therefore in the use of all meanes and in all occaâ—sions of their life sought to him Ibid. p. 73. â— Lect. 14. 3 God knowes our necessities well enough and hath decreed what he will do for us and is of himself apt enough to do us good without our asking Ibid. 74. 4 I have long used to pray and finde no good by it Ibid. It may be God rewards our prayer though we obtaine not our suite presently p. 75. Foure reasons why God delayes his answer Ibid. By five things wee may know God answereth us though we obtaine not what we aske p. 76 77. Lect. 15. When we have prayed long and finde no audience this must trouble us p. 78. We should hearken after our prayers what answer God gives them Ibid. We must not give over praying though we receive no answer p. 79. Examine the cause why thy prayers speed no better p. 80. Six causes for which the Lord useth oft to put back the prayers of his people without a gracious answer p 81 c. Lect. 16. Pardon of sin is more to be desired then deliverance from the greatest judgement that can befall us p. 84. for 1 sin is the greatest evill p. 85 2 pardon of sin a sufficient ground of comfort in any distresse Ibid. 3 in this suit we should be more earnest with God then in any other p. 86. 4 he hath enough to make him happy that hath that Ibid for 1 sin is a debt p 86. 2 sin is filthinesse and uncleannesse p. 87. Lect 17. Most men seeke after many things more then the pardon of sin count not sin the greatest evill nay no evill or misery at all p 88 89. our sins not smaller then such as Gods people have beene greatly humbled for Ibid p. 90. The knowledge of Gods mercy should not cause us to be the lesse troubled for our sins p. 91. for 1 His mercy in pardoning of sinne is not common to all but shall be denied three sorts of sinners Ibid. 2 That will aggravate sin and not make it the lighter p. 92. Nor this conceit that others worse then wee have found mercy both in life and death yet were never humbled For 1 it may bee they found not mercy with God though they prospered Ibid. 2 We are bound in charity to judge the best of their estate Ibid. 3 They may have beene soundly humbled for sin though we know it not p. 93. It s no good argument a sinner dieth in Gods favour because he dieth quietly p. 93. Lect. 18. Seeke pardon of sinne above all things Seeke it without delay and earnestly Ibid. For 1 its possible to be gotten 2 in regard of the excellency of this pardon p. 94. Seeke it speedily 1 in regard of the continuall danger of death we are in 2 in respect we are daily liable to afflictions p. 95. 3 in respect of the present comfort of our life page 96. Meanes to obtaine it 1 Bring the heart to a sound sense of sin Ibid. 2 Pray beg pardon for even such as want assurance of pardon may pray pag. 97. 3 Confesse thy sinnes to God 4 Fly by faith to Christ for it pag. 98. A man may have his pardon and not know and perceive he hath it and the reasons of it Ibid. p. 99. Yet may a man in this life be assured that his sins are pardoned Ibid. We must not be our own judges in this case but this must be knowne by the Word viz. 1 if we came to it the right way viz. by the foure meanes mentioned 2 If we finde ouâ— hearts changed and sanctified p. 100 3 If the knowledge of Gods love hath bred in us a love to him 4 If the knowledge of Gods love maketh us willing to forgive men p. 1â—1 Lect. 19. The best of Gods servants have no other ground of hope to finde favour with God for the pardon of their sinnes but onely in the mercy of the Lord p. 102. For 1 Though Christ hath dearely purchased our pardon yet is it meerely of Gods free grace that wee receive any benefit by him p. 103. 2 Though good workes bee strong foundations of our hope and comfort yet the maine foundation of all the hope and comfort we have in our workes is the mercy and free grace of God p. 104 106. Lect. 20. The best man cannot rely on any goodnesse hee findeth in himselfe
them that blame professors for their scrupulousnesse in indifferent and lawfull things 1 Oâ—e may see that to bee a sin which another more godly or learned then he cannot see neither should we judge one another for difference in judgement 2 Some good men may be more scrupulous then they ought to be and yet not to be despised 3 No cause we should judge one another for using or not using our liberty in indifferent things p. 715. Though we may hate the sins of professors yet its a dangerous thing to hate them for the goodnesse they professe Many hate professors not for their faults but for their goodnesse and three notes to discerne that by p. 716 717. Lect 138. The state of every hypocrite is most wofull and dangerous neither can he have any sound peace or comfort p. 718. Though in some respects the open profane sinner bee in worse case then he both in this life and in that to come Ibid. yet is the hypocrite also and every thing he does most odious unto God yea in some other respects his case is more wofull both in this life and in that to come then the open profane mans p. 719. It s a good signe in a Christian to doubt and suspect himselfe of hypocrisie Ibid. 1 He that lives in grosse sins and yet maketh a good profession is a grosse and palpable hypocrite p. 720. 2 Much more hee that maketh a good profession for this end chiefly that he may thereby the better hide and cloake his foule sins p 721. 3 He is also an hypocrite that maketh never so good a shew of godlinesse if he deny the power of it if hee obey not and practise what he heares Many of the best professors faile much in this p. 722. Even to our ministery so farre forth as we teach nothing but by good warrant of the Word obedience is due as well as to the ministery of the Prophets and Apostles p. 723 724. Lect. 139. He that lives in any one sinne though hee forsaketh all the rest and whose obedience is not universall is no better then an hypocrite p. 724. Sacriledge is a great sin Ibid. The care to keepe our selves unspotted of every sin is a sure signe of an upright heart p. 726. No hypocrite doth any thing with a good heart but upon some by respect or other p. 727. The true Christian even the poorest and weakest of them doth whatsoever he doth unto the Lord as a service to him his maine intent is to please and approve himselfe to him p. 728. Though he may have some respect to himselfe also in it Ibid. None can please God in any thing he doth unlesse he do it out of love to God neither can any love the Lord aright till hee know Christ is his p. 729. The goodnesse that is in the regenerate doth surpasse that that is in any morall man or hypocrite in three respect Ibid p. 730. Yet can no man have any true comfort in it till he know himselfe to be in Christ p. 730. Lect. 140. No man can be sanctified till he be justified p. 730. The only sure way to get strength against any corruption and obtaine any saving grace is first to get assurance by faith that our sins are pardoned and we reconciled to God in Christ Ibid. 1 faith is th' only inward instrument whereby the Spirit of God sanctifieth the heart p. 731. and th' outward instrument whereby the Spirit worketh sanctification in the heart of man is the preaching not of the law but of the Gospell p. 732. Th' only meanes to worke true mortification of sin is a justifying faith Ibid. Great is the force of faith to subdue and mortifie 1 covetousnesse 2 maliciousnesse 3 slâ—vish feare and 4 hardnesse of heart p. 733 736. Lect. 141. When a man is once by faith assured of Gods love then will he be renewed and become fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and never till then p 737. For 1 faith receiveth Christ and maketh him our owne and they that have Christ must needs have his sanctifying Spirit also 2 Faith exerciseth it selfe in the meditation of Gods love to us in Christ and in apprehending the promises whereby God hath bound himselfe to give us sanctifying grace p. 738 739. Faith is the roâ—te and cause of all true 1 repentance 2 feare of God 3 obedience 4 love to God p. 740 742. It only enables a man 1 to heare well p. 742. 2 to pray well p. 743. Lect. 142. Necessary we should have signes given us in the Word whereby they to whom Christ merits belong may be knowne for many are apt to think they have title to him that have not yea a chiefe thing that keepes many from hungring after Christ is this conceit that he dyed for all men and therefore they shall have benefit by him p. 744. But this is a dangerous delusion for all shall not have benefit by him but few in comparison viz. 1. onely the true Church of Christ and that is but a very little flocke 2 Not all that live within the Church and professe the true religion but a few even of them Ibid. 3 Many that professe the true religion are so far from receiving benefit as they receive much hurt by him p. 745. The reason why so few shall have benefit by Christ is because how sufficient soever Christs death was to save all mankinde yet true beleevers onely shall receive benefit by it all men have not faith but a few onely Ibid. 1 al men by nature unable to beleeve 2 Some for their sins are smitten with a supernaturall inability to beleeve p. 746. It stands us therefore upon to know whether our selves are of that small number Ibid. Christ hath set a marke on his sheepe viz. his holy Spirit whereby themselves may know they are his p. 747. By certaine fruits and effects of the Spirit the faithfull may certainely know they have the spirit of Christ Ibid. Specially if they can finde in themselves true charity Ibid. 748. Lect. 143. Wee must love the persons of all men and expresse it in nine duties p. 748 751. We may pray for the worst even for Idolaters p. 751. We must love our enemies and expresse it in eight duties p. 752 753. This he that hath the Spirit of Christ is able to do Evangelically and that appeares in five things p. 754. We must beare a speciall love to all that feare God though they differ from us in judgement and practise about things indifferent p. 754 766. Lect. 144. He that hath the Spirit of Christ will bee constant in the religion of Christ p. 766. Yet is not all constancy in religion but constancy in the true religion a signe of the Spirit p. 767 True religion is that that 's grounded onely upon the Word Ibid. Every necessary truth in religion is so plainely set downe in the Word as the simplest Christian may clearely understand it p. 768. The testimony God
808. 3 The respect we have to the Lord and his honour ought to be dearer to us then any other thing And that 's no way so much advanced as by the liberty of the Gospell and the good successe of it p. 809. Lect. 152. It s a great error to thinke that much preaching is not now necessary for 1 though prayer be a chiefe worke of the Minister and part of Gods publike worship yet is it not the chiefe of all but preaching p. 810 811. 2 No man can pray till by preaching he bee made able to pray 3 Preaching is the best meanes to quicken and stirre up the Spirit of prayer in them that have it p 812. 2 Preaching is necessary for them that have longest enjoyed it for 1 in the best Congregations the greatest part are still ignorant 2 Such as have profited by it have still need of it for 1 the most are weake and unperfect in knowledge and grace 2 they that are of best growth in grace are apt to decay 3 most care must bee had of them that have most profited p. 813. 3 It s no good reason against the necessity of much preaching because men grow weary and are glutted with it for 1 much preaching is not the cause why men loath the Word 2 Its the best meanes to cure that disease p. 814. 4 It s no good reason against much preaching that it is said to do little good where its most used p. 815. Severall places of Scripture opened and applyed in this Booke Booke Chap. Verse Folio Geneses 2 2 701 Geneses  3 704 Geneses 4 7 209 Geneses 20 16 694 Geneses 33 10 645 Geneses 50 19 752 Exodus 9 16 16 Exodus 14 15 72 Exodus 23 5 119 Exodus 34 7 599 Leuit. 24 14 186 Leuit 26 42 159 Num. 15 35 231 Num. 23 21 659 Num. 25 12 631 Deut. 4 9 42 Deut. 6 7 Ibid Deut.  25 433 Deut. 7 9 719 Deut. 17 20 321 Deut. 26 13.14 724 Deut. 29 19.20 91 Deut. 30 â— 3 288 Deut.  6 390 Deut. 32 5 533 Deut. 3â— 4 49â— Iosh. 23 14 4â—8 1. Sam. 2 25 602 1. Sam. 14 â—8 148 1. Sam. 15 23 230 1. Sam. 2â— 30.31 209 2. Sam. 23 1 5 2. Sam. 24 24 25 1. King 8 13 104 601 1. King 23 33 544 1. King 15 14 369 1. King â—0 35.36 381 1. King 21 9.10 312 1. King  12 180 1. Cron. 23 30 4 2. Cron. 5 13 5 2. Cron. 11 16.17 807 2. Cron. 17 7 480 2. Cron. 30 19 593 2. Cron. 35 1 718 Iob. 1 22 246 Iob. 2 3 664 Iob. 8 13.14 â—18 Iob. 11 13.14 593 Iob. 13 23 665 Iob. 18 15 687 Iob. 21 14 424 Iob.  23 620 Iob. 23 11.12 770 Iob. 27 5 374 Iob.  6 209 Iob. 29 3 404 Iob.  14 678 Iob. 34 31.32 606 Iob. 36 89 685 Iob. 42 7.8 561 Psal. 4 6 402 Psal. 5 7 130 Psal. 9 12 735 Psal. 16 9 7 Psal. 18 21 533 Psal.  2â— 7â—6 Psal.  25 466 Psal. 19 7 408 Psal. 22 30 290 Psal. 26 3 627 741 Psal.  5 6 179 Psal. 27 4 13â— 632 Psal. 28 1 78 Psal. 31 23 154 Psal. 32 1 677 Psal.  2 161 Psal. 34 8 488 Psal. 36 6 247 Psal.  7 645 Psal. 37 23 360 Psal.  37 469 Psal. 42 4 801 Psal. 44 17 18 771 Psal. 51 8 99 153 Psal.  18 171 Psal. 56 3 4 146 268 653 Psal.  10 11 624 Psal.  13 798 Psal. 59 10 126 Psal. 62 8 194 Psal. 63 1 â—3 632 Psal. 67 1 2 3 478 Psal. 68 21 390 Psal. 69 9 695 Psal. 73 1 466 Psal. 76 10 338 Psal. 77 1 67 Psal.  6 643 Psal. 84 9 647 Psal.  11 467 Psal. 85 8 620 639 Psal. 88 15 392 Psal. 89 50 51 553 Psal. 101 6 7 630 Psal. 102 10 250 Psal. 106 4 401 Psal. 107 42 43 645 Psal. 111 10 490 Psal. 112 4 686 Psal. 116 16 454 Psal. 118 28 628 Psal. 119 16 38 Psal.  30 31 770 789 Psal.  33 776 Psal.  64 130 Psal.  66 424 Psal.  73 493 Psal.  92 263 Psal.  104 490 714 Psal.  113 36 Psal.  130 513 Psal.  147 637 Psal.  155 424 456 Psal. 130 3 4 365 451 Psal. 137 1 6 7 564 565 Psal. 143 5 6 644 Pro. 1 27 28 590 Pro. 4 12 497 Pro.  26 642 Pro. 5 12 590 Pro. 7 2 235 Pro.  14 721 Pro. 8 9 514 Pro.  17 391 Pro. 9 10 484 Pro. 10 22 688 Pro. 14 14 643 Pro.  16 371 620 Pro.  26 376 638 Pro. 19 27 497 784 Pro. 20 12 7â— 650 Pro. 21 2 372 727 Pro.  15 678 Pro. 21 27 721 Pro. 22 6 584 Pro.  12 497 Pro. 24 29 752 Pro. 25 12 49 707 Pro. 27 7 620 Pro. 28 4 749 Pro. 29 24 186 Pro. 30 2 3 484 Pro.  9 118 Eccl. 5 1 197 585 Eccl.  2 310 Eccl.  6 494 Eccl. 7 2 3 4 260 Eccl.  16 381 Eccl. 10 1 549 Eccl. 11 2 117 Eccl.  8 2â—0 Eccl. 12 9 10 482 Cant. 1 7 796 Cant. 3 1 4 143 Cant. 4 4 263 Cant. 5 2 32 355 Cant.  3 640 Isa. 6 5 282 347 Isa. 11 2 488 Isa.  9 476 734 Isa. 26 2 769 Isa. 27 9 323 Isa. 28 12 617 Isa. 29 9 211 Isa. 30 20 21 776 Isa. 31 9 543 Isa. 32 2 676 Isa. 32 17 638 Isa. 38 16 739 Isa.  18 289 Isa.  19 630 Isa. 42 23 650 Isa. 44 5 628 Isa. 48 10 258 Isa. 50 4 165 Isa.  10 653 Isa. 51 7 488 Isa. 52 15 614 Isa. 53 1 588 Isa. 55 1 648 691 Isa.  3 127 Isa. 57 1 561 Isa.  19 19 797 Isa. 58 1 45 707 Isa.  10 117 273 Isa. 59 21 634 Isa. 61 3 46 144 Ier. 2 10 11 706 Ier. 3 12 13 158 Ier. 4 2 585 Ier.  3 498 Ier. 9 7 237 546 666 Ier. 10 25 70 Ier. 13 11 809 Ier. 15 10 47 Ier. 17 1 2 299 Ier.  16 17 273 396 Ier. 22 16 490 Ier. 23 6 673 Ier. 32 23 419 Lam. 3 29 311 Ezek. 5 15 547 Ezek. 13 19 695 Ezek. 14 7 8 593 Ezek. 16 9 14 107 Ezek. 18 10 11 726 Ezek. 20 12 702 Ezek. 24 7 8 718 Ezek.  13 345 Ezek. 28 19 548 Ezek. 33 11 455 Ezek.  31 32 27 698 723 Ezek. 36 26 27 739 Ezek.  28 31 736 Dan. 1 8 382 Dan. 4 27 117 1â—8 364 Dan. 3 5 627 Dan. 6 3 497 Dan.  6 589 Dan. 8 12 2 493 Dan. 10 1 437 Dan. 12 7 8 210 Dan. 13 9 455 Dan. 14 7 535 Amos. 5 10 52 Micah 2 7 241 Micah 6 9 219 606 Micah  16 545 Zeph. 3 18 801 Zach. 9 11 615 Zach. 12 10 17 627 736 Mal. 2
or am I a divell incarnate that I should prove so vile a wretch But though I be no Prophet to say so yet can I say with as great authority and warrant as though I were a Prophet that there is never a one of us here but may prove such a one before wee die And therefore we have need to feare and suspect our selves If any man shall object this is the manner of all your preaching to disquiet mens mindes with feares and doubts What cause have we thus to feare as long as we are sure we can never fall totally we cannot fall finally Iob. 5.24 He that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life I answer Happy is that soule that upon good ground can say he is sure of this But admit thou wert sure of that is it no cause of feare that thou moist for all this fall into so foule sins as thou hast heard of I tell thee that by falling into such sins First thou shalt greatly dishonour that God whose servant thou professest thy selfe to be and open the mouthes of his enemies to blaspheme his name as Nathan chargeth David to have done 2 Sam. 12.14 Secondly thou shalt greatly grieve thy heavenly father Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation saith the Lord Psal. 95.10 Thirdly thou shalt make him thine enemy and provoke him to smite and plague thee thou knowest not how deepely They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he sought against them saith the Prophet Esa 63.10 Take David for an instance and example of this The sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me saith the Lord by Nathan unto him 2 Sam. 12.10 Though thou breake not thy necke with these falls to the losse of thine everlasting life thou maist breake an arme or a leg to thy extreame anguish Fourthly though the seed of God will remaine in thee notwithstanding these sins yet wilt thou loose all the use and comfort of that grace that is in thee Psal. 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation that was gone 1 Thess. 5.19 thus farre forth the spirit may be quenched Fiftly thou maist bring on thyselfe by such fails the intollerable torment of a wounded spirit and who can beare that saith Solomon Pro. 18.14 Sixtly no man can tell thee how long thou maist continue in this uncomfortable and wretched estate Which is a thing that greatly aggravateth thy misery that thou maist say in this case as Psal. 74.9 There is not any that knoweth how long O then we have all great cause to feare these falls and not to be secure but to use all meanes we can to prevent such falls And the principall meanes are these First nourish in thy heart this feare of falling from God feare of sinning against him See how this is oft commended to us as a chiefe meane to keepe us from falling I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me saith the Lord Ier. 32 40. Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling The want of this even his presumptuous confidence was a chiefe cause of Peters fall Matth. 26.33.35.58 Secondly learne to make conscience even of the least sins Psal. 19.12 13. By the care he had to be cleansed of his secret sins and from every presumptuous sin he was sure he should be free from the great transgression Thirdly neglect no meanes of grace either publique or private but use them conscionably and daily If vision faile either through the Ministers fault or the peoples the people will decay Pro. 29.18 He that would not quench the spirit must not dâ—â—ise prophecyings that is the oft hearing of the Word preached saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.19 20. If we exhort not one another or our selves daily we shall be in danger to be hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sinne as he reacheth 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.13 Fourthly Pray daily to God that he would uphold thee So our Saviour teacheth us to pray daily Mat. 6.13 Lead us not into temptation but pull us by thy mighty arms from the evill one This was Davids prayer Ps. 119.116 11â— â—phold me according to thy word that I may live hold thou me up and I shall be safe The second use is to exhort us to be willing to die whensoever God shall be pleased to call us Sundry other motives there are to perswade us to this as full 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord we shall never enjoy Christ fully till then Secondly while we live here we shall be subject to many sorrowes and vexations of spirit Every day will bring upon us one evill and occasion of sorrow or another Mat. 6.34 All teares shall never be wiped from our eyes while we live here Rev. 21.4 But this third is a principall that while we live here we are in a continuall possibility and danger of falling from God Till we die we can never be perfectly freed from our corruption nor cease from our owne workes as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.10 As the earthen vessels that were legally polluted could not be purged but by breaking Levit. 11.33 15.12 Till we die we can never be freed from Sathans assaults and tentations The life to come is the onely time of our full redemption Luk. 21.28 And consequently we know not how far we may fall so long as we live Death will free us perfectly from all our sins and corruptions Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sin The third use is to exhort us to a care of perseverance to the end and not to content our selves in the good beginnings and proceedings we have hitherto made but to labour to finish our course with joy Act. 20.24 For 1 according to that we are at our end will God judge us When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse saith the Lord Ezek. 18.24 and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sins that he hath sinned in them shall he die 2. If we fall away we shall be in farre worse case then if we had never begun well 2 Pet. 2 21. It had beene better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them And to that end let us strive to make sure to our selves the truth of our regeneration as the Apostle exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1.10 For they whose hearts are not upright may fall irrecoverably how good shewes soever they make as is evident in those that are compared to the stony ground Mar.
him to heare him And our Saviour was so farre from blaming them as if they neglected their worldly businesse this way that hee defendeth and praiseth Mary for doing this Luk. 10 4â— though happily she had some whatelse to do at that time Thirdly few or none are thankefull to God for this ordinance of his nor do in their hearts esteeme it any such blessing to the land or towne that enjoy it as for which they should thinke themselves much bound to praise God They can be thankefull for peace and for health and for seasonable times but for a goâ—d ministery few or none can be thankefull to God whereas we should account it our chiefe blessing from God for so the Lord speaketh of this as his chiefe blessing bestowed upon a people Iere 3 15. I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart that shall feed you with knowledge and understanding And Amos 2.11 I raised up of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites And Mic. 6.4 I sent before thee and Moses Aaron Miriam Yea such a blessing it is as should abundantly content us and assure us of Gods favour even in the want of all other blessings For so speaketh the Lord of it Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers 2. We should account a faithful ministery the very glory and strength of our land When the Arke of God was gone the glory was departed from Israel 1. Sam. 4.31 And the true ministery of the Lords Levits is said to be that that strengthened the kingdome of Iudah 2. Chron. 11.17 And Abijah makes this a maine ground of his confidence and hope of successe in his battell against Ieroboam that he in his kingdome had a true and faithfull ministery which the other had not 2 Chron. 13.9 10. Have not ye cast out the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites waite upon their businesses Now to this first sort of persons that this Doctrine reproveth I have no more to say but this that I would have them to thinke seriously of two things First That they have cause to suspect whatsoever grace or goodnes seemes to be in them while their heart tells them they make no more reckoning of the ministery of the Word but despise it rather Two good things such men use to put most confidence in 1. They find some devotion in themselves they love prayers well and can say their owne prayers sometimes 2. They beleeve in Christ. Foolish man let not Satan deceive thee certainly while thou makest no reckning of the ministery of the Word they faith is nothing worth thy prayers will do thee no good For thy prayers know all the service thou seemest to doe unto God is no better then the sacrifice of fooles till thou be more ready to heare Eccles. 5.1 To hearken is better then the fat of Rammes 1. Sam. 15.22 And for both thy praying and thy beleeving in Christ marke well that knowne place well knowne indeed ô that it were aswell beleeved Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher How canst thou pray that hast no faith how canst thou have faith that camest not to it by hearing the Word preached that art no hearer But me thinks I heare many of you say this toucheth not me for I am a hearer I have heard many a Sermon O but marke what followeth in the next verse verse 15. and thou shalt find thou art no such hearer as Paul speakes of the hearers that Paul speaketh of are such as can cry O how beautifull are the feete of them that doe preach the Gospell of peace But thou seest no beauty in their feete thou hearest them but thou joyest not in them thou countest them no blessing nor art thankfull to God for them thou seest no great need of hearing of them thou art weary of them and how shouldest thou have any true faith how shouldest thou be able to pray aright The second thing I would have these men to consider is this that the holy Ghost speaketh of this as of a fearefull sinne and signe of a most gracelesse heart to be unwilling to heare the word to have no mind unto it 1. Such a one hath no care of his soule what becomes of it whether it sinke or swimme as we say whether it be saved or damned Pro 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soule Nay 2. more then that such a one careth not for God or the things of God regardeth him not feareth him not is in his heart a very Athiest they that desire not the knowledge of his wayes say in their hearts unto God depart from us Iob 21.14 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me saith the Lord Psal. 81.11 Nay 3. to refuse to heare the word preached when wee may and God offereth it unto us to have no mind to it no love to it is a greater sin if Christ be to be beleeved then the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrah Mat. 10.14 15. When all is done and the time of reckoning shall come this will be found to be thy chiefest sinne The second sort that are to bee reproved by this Doctrine are they which heare often seeme also to delight in the best ministry yet profit not at al by it but remaine as ignorant unreformed profane as they that never heard Sermon If tryall were taken of the most hearers they would be found such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such hearers I desire to consider and weigh well with themselves these sixe points First That it is no great matter of comfort to a man nor thing wherein any should blesse himselfe that he is a hearer a constant hearer a hearer of the best teachers and that with delight also This testimony the Lord gives of notorious hypocrites Esa. 58.2 They seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes and Ezech 33 3â— 32. They come to thee a faithfull Prophet as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words with their mouth they show much love praising the faithfull minister greatly and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument No musicke did ever delight them more then a good Sermon Yea of Herod himselfe it is said
to be desired then gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also then honey and the honey combe 2. Who knowes how soone you may be deprived of it 3. As in all other the parts and faculties of mans body and soule there is a naturall aversnesse and indisposition to that that is good so it is in the eare there is a marvellous unaptnesse and untowardnesse in it to hearken to the Word it is not so soone weary of hearing any thing as of Gods Word Mat. 13.15 This peoples heart is waxen grosse and their eares are dull of hearing Yea we are by nature deafe as well as blind Esa. 43.8 Bring forth the blinde people that have eyes and the deafe that have eares So that it is noted for a speciall worke of Gods Spirit which every one of you which find it in your selves may take great comfort in to be able to mind the word and to attend unto it Esa. 32.3 The eares of them that heare shall hearken And Act. 16.14 It is said of Lydia that the Lord opened her heart that she attended to the things that were spoken by Paul If the Lord had not opened her heart she could not have done it this is not every mans case Our Saviour speakes of some that hearing heare not Mat. 13.13 How can that be will you say Yes very well Men may heare and not mind nor regard what they heare and so in hearing not heare The hearing eare and the seeing eye saith Solomon Pro. 20.12 the Lord hath made even both of them To have an eare able to hearken and attend to the Word is a rare gift of God which made our Saviour say to his Disciples Matth. 13.16 Blessed are your eares for they heare Observe then another cause why the Word is so unfruitfull in Many 1. Some thinke it enough that they come to Church though they shew no desire to heare at all though they sit so as they can heare nothing True it is that it is fit there should be a decent order in the Congregation and above all other places there should there respect be had unto seemelinesse every man and woman should be placed there according to their yeares and degree and should keepe their places 1 Cor. 14.40 Let all things be done decently and in order Paul joyed in the seemely order be beheld in the Church-assemblies of the Colossians Col. 2.5 Among other things the Queene of Sheba observed and admired in Solomons house the sitting of his servants in that decent order was one 1 King 10.5 and if it were fit they should fit in such a decent order in Solomons house much more is it fit they should doe so in Gods house as that decent order did so much commend Solomons house so would it doe our Church-assemblies certainely It is a fault I observe amongst you here that many of you use to stand up upon your formes and seates For 1. It is an unseemely sight and decency becomes Gods house 2. It hinders their hearing that sit behind you and so it is not onely against decency but against edification also 3. You do it without any just cause at all when you may heare well enough though you sit or stand downe All this notwithstanding if you cannot heare where you sit the poorest or yongest of you should not be ashamed or afraid to come up higher and sit or stand nearer to the pulpit You should straine curtesie in this case What a disorder was in that congregation mentioned Luk. 12.3 they trod one upon another and yet because their desire to heare and to be edified by his doctrine forced them to it our Saviour never blamed them for it It is said of Christs hearers that they were wont to Sit about him Mar. 3.34 and Luk. 15.1 that they drew neare to him to heare him and Mary sate downe at his feet when he preached that she might be sure to heare him Luk. 10.39 Yea to helpe their attention and keepe their minds the better from roving they were wont to fixe their eyes upon him Luk. 4.20 Secondly Of them that do heare us few are able to hearken or attend to that they heare Esa. 43.20 Seeing many things but thou observest not opening the eares but he heareth not So that we may justly take up the complaint of the Prophet Ier. 6.10 To whom shall I speake and give warning that they may heare behold their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken Thirdly we should heare the Word with understanding and judgement 1. We must labour to conceive and understand what we heare Christ calls upon his hearers earnestly for this Mat. 15.10 He called the multitude and said unto them heare and understand How should we els profit by any thing we heare Acts 8.30 Vnderstandest thou what thou readest saith Philip. So say thou to thy owne heart in hearing els it is not possible for thee to profit by that thou hearest Mat. 13.13 In hearing they heare not neither understand they that understand not what they heare in hearing heare not Ps. 45.10 Hearken O daughter and consider and incline thine eare 2 Tim. 2.7 Consider what I say Yea 2. We should be able also to judge of that we heare 1 Coâ— 10.15 Iudge yee what I say Iob 21.11 Doth not the eare try words and the mouth tast his meate 1 Thes. 5.21 Prove all things not by thy proud fansy and conceit indeed but by the Word in reverence and humility hold fast that which is good Christs sheepe can put a difference betweene the voice of their true Pastor and of a stranger Ioh. 104 5. Take notice of this for one chiefe cause why the Word is so unfruitfull ye heare without understanding 1. Many understand not what they heare but that heavie judgement is upon them that is mentioned Mat. 13.14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esayas by hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and yet they neither bewaile nor feele it No marvell therefore though they profit not Mat. 13.19 When one heareth the Word of the kingdome and understandeth it not then commeth the wicked one and catcheth away that that was sowne 2. Many that understand well what we say yet here without all judgement can put no difference twixt truth and error Pro. 14.15 The simple beleeveth every word but the prudent man looketh well to his going They cannot judge when the Scripture is wrested and when it is well applyed Vnskilfull they are in the word of righteousnesse for they are babes Heb. 5.13 Lecture VII On the Title of Psal. 51. November 30. 1625. FOurthly labour to heare with affection and delight It was the charge Moses gave to Gods people Deut. 32.46 Set your hearts unto all the words that I testifie among you this day and he gives the reason vers 47. For it is not a vaine thing for you because it is your life It is said of Gods people in the primative Church that they received the Word
And Paul saith of himselfe and the rest of his fellowes that they found their Masters words true in their owne experience for they were reviled and persecuted and defamed and counted continually unto this day saith he as the filth of the World and the off-scouring of all things 1. Cor. 4.12 13. And when God opened unto him at Ephesus a large and effectuall doore that is blessed his ministery mightily and gave it entrance into the hearts of his people hee tells us there were many adversaries raised up against him 1. Cor. 16.9 Yea this hatred of the World doth so inseparably follow the faithfull ministers as the shadow doth the body as it is made a note of an unfaithfull minister not to be thus hated in the World Luke 6.26 Woe be to you when all men shall speake well of you for so did their fathers to the false Prophets And Gal. 1.10 If I yet after so long preaching pleased men I should not be the servant of Christ. Will you know the true cause of this Alas it cannot otherwise be they use according to the charge the Lord hath laid upon them to cry out boldly plainly and particularly against the sinnes of all men When the Prophet Ieremy complaineth Iere. 15.10 that though he had neither lent on usury nor borrowed on usury yet every one did curse him he gives this for the reason of it that he was a man of strife and a man of contention with the whole earth And this reason Ahab gives why he hated Miâ—ajah the Prophet for he doth not prophecie good concerning me but evill saith he 1. Kings 22.8 The two witnesses by their ministery did vexe and torment men Revel 11.10 And this hath made many a good man even afraid to enter upon this thankelesse office and function Moses was so as you shall find by the excuses he made Exod. 3.11 and 4.10 And Ieremy was so Ier. 1.6 And Ionah was so Ionah 1.3 Yea for this cause many a good man being in this function hath had strong tentations either to give it over or at least to give over his faithfulnesse in reproving sinne because it bred him so much displeasure and hatred of men So was it with good Ieremy Iere. 20.9 I said I will not make mention of him nor speake any more in his name I will give over preaching but his Word was in my heart as burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay Thinke not thinke not beloved that it is any pleasure to us to cry out against your sins Alas we are menlike your selves too desirous to have every bodies good wil it may be it troubleth us as much to do it as it doth you and we would be as glad to forbeare it as you would have us to be if we could do it if we durst do it Consider well I pray you of this true cause why we are so disliked and hated in the world and you will discerne great cause 1. Why you should not be apt to receive the evill reports you may heare of Gods faithfull ministers 1. Tim. 5.19 Against an Elder â—eceive not an accusation Alas man consider evill will never speake well 2. Why you should pray heartily for them that God would protect comfort and incourage them as the Apostle teacheth you 2. Thess. 3.1 2. Pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable men For Satan and his instruments will never give over practising against them 3. Why your selves should yeeld them all the comfort and incouragement you can in their ministery as Paul speaketh concerning Epaphroditus Phil 2.29 Receive him in the Lord with all gladnesse and hold such in reputation Matth. 10.41 He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet loves him the better for his faithfulnes shall receive a Propets reward Secondly this doctrine serveth to teach you how profitable it is for the people of God to have and to depend upon an ordinarie ministery of such as know them well For every one of Gods people to have a pastor of their owne to depend upon that liveth among them This the Apostle teacheth us 1 Thes. 5.12 Wee beseech you brethren to know them that labour among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you David knew this and therefore though hee were himselfe a great Prophet yet kept three Seers and Prophets about him that lived with him continually but to know him well and to observe his wayes that they might doe him the more good by their ministery the one was Nathan 2. Sam. 7.2 the other Gad 2. Sam. 24.11 and the third was Ieduthun 2. Chron. 35.15 Yea be willing and desirous thy minister should know thee well by questioning with thee himselfe or enquiring into thy wayes It is no true wisedome but extreame folly to seeke so carefully to hide and conceale your faults from theÌ„ that might minister strength to you against them Thy Physician that should minister physicke to thee for the health of thy body thou desirest may throughly know the state of thy body before he minister unto thee And thou wilt make thy case fully knowne to thy Lawyer Nay thou desirest that the Taylor that should make thee a garment should first take measure of thee How much more doth it concerne thee that thy minister should know thee well For indeed they that are strangers unto you and know not your wayes cannot apply their Doctrine to you so particularly nor so well meet with your speciall sinnes and consequently as you have heard not preach unto you with that power and profit as they might doe if they knew you better Lecture IX On the Title of Psalme 51. December 21. 1625. FOlloweth the use of instruction that concerneth us that are ministers and Preachers of the Gospel For seeing that if we would doe good by our ministery we must apply our Doctrine to our hearers and boldly and plainely reprove their sinnes and that this is a chiefe worke and duty of our ministery we learne that five propertyes had need be in him that would performe the worke of the ministery faithfully First Hee had need know his people well The minister had need not only to be resident and to dwell among his people but also to use his best endeavour to know them well This is Gods ordinance that every congregation should have a Pastor of their owne that may live among them 1. Pâ—t 5.1 2 The Elders which are among you I exhort feed the flocke that is among you The Lord wheresoever he plants a vineyard builds a watch-tower for the keeper of it in the midst of it Esa. 5.2 In this point our Saviour makes himselfe a patterne and samplar to all good pastors Iohn 10.14 I am the good shepheard and know my sheepe and am knowne of mine And so doth Paul when he saith he taught them not onely publickely but from house to house Acts 20.20 and in the care he
unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 3. They that pray not though they might be never so sure of these temporall blessings yet have they no just cause of comfort in them For they have them not with the blessing and favour of God 1. They come not rightly by them but like robbers breake into Gods storehouse and steale away his goods The richest man that is is bound to seeke even his bread of God every day Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread He hath no comfortable title to his food to his wealth that doth it not but is in Gods account a spirituall usurper and thiefe 2. Besides he can have no comfort in that he hath because it is not sanctified unto him it shall do him no good it shall do him much hurt rather A man may have these outward things without Gods blessing Hos. 13.11 I gave thee a king in mine anger and then they will be his bane it had beene much better for him to have beene without them Was not Goliahs strength 1 Sam. 17.9 Ahitophels wisdome 2 Sam. 17.23 and Herods eloquence Act. 12.23 so and yet all excellent gifts of God but they had them not with his blessing they were not sanctifyed unto them O that we had not too much experience of this daily in many that men may have abundance of these earthly blessings from God and have them with his curse as if God should have said as Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of fooles shall destroy them On the other side they that pray have just cause of comfort in these outward things be it little or much that they enjoy For 1. They have a blessed title to that they have they come honestly by it it is their owne they breake not into Gods treasury but by the key that God gave them they opened the doore and hold them by his gift 1 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours 2. That that they have is blessed and sanctified unto them 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every creature of God is good to them that beleeve and know the truth for it is sanctifyed by the Word of God and prayer And thus have I answered the first reason Now to the second reason that it is needlesse to pray Because the good successe of all things depends upon and is to be ascribed not to prayer but to second causes and meanes God useth to work by and unto the reason will and endeavour of man The Lord say they hath set a constant course in nature and given a naturall force to sundry meanes and second causes to doe us good There is a covenant of God for the day and night mentioned Ier. 33.20 that they shall continue their courses which cannot faile So is therefore other ordinary meanes God hath given a naturall force to our meate to nourish us and to our cloathes to keepe us warme A good diet a good aire and exercise we see will keepe men in health though they never pray And as for wealth if men take paines in their calling and have also wisedome to order their affaires there is not one of a hundred but they prosper well enough In all labour saith Solomon Pro. 14.23 there is profit And Pro. 16.20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good Shall we thinke say some that the fasts that were kept so long and the prayers that were made were the cause why the plague ceased No no there is a naturall cause say they to be given of it till the aire was purged by the coldnesse of the season all your fasting and praying could do no good This reason and perswasion of the sufficiency that is in the meanes and in our owne endeavours hath in all ages marvellously prevailed to draw men from depending upon God and seeking unto him for helpe and comfort by prayer and doth certainly at this day And that not only with such as have beene infidells and openly wicked By the strength of mine hand have I done it saith the King of Assyria Esa. 10.13 and by my wisedome for I am prudent and Habac. 1.16 They sacrifice to their net and burne incense to their drag because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous But even such as have lived in Gods Church as we may see at large Esay 22.8 11 Yea Gods owne deare children have received much hurt by it as we may see in the example of Asa. 2. Chron. 16.12 In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians For answer therefore unto it some things are first of all to be granted that is 1. That God useth not to helpe men without means as Iosh. 5.12 He fed them no longer with Manna from heaven when they came to Canaan where they might get corne So when God would deliver Peter out of the hand of Herod he caused the yron gate that lead unto the City to open of his owne accord and so he went out Acts 12.10 2. That God doth usually worke with and blesse the ordinary meanes Acts 9.19 When Paul had received meat he was strengthened And so are the places to be understood Prov. 14.23 In all labour there is profite and 16 20. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good 3. That it is folly and sin for us to expect that God should helpe us when we neglect the ordinary meanes Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Exod. 14 15. The Lord said to Moses why cryest thou to mee Speake unto the children of Israel that they goe forward He blameth him for resting upon prayer with the neglect of the meanes Gods blessing may be confidently expected upon our endeavours in the use of lawfull meanes 1. Chr. 22.16 Arise and be doing saith David to his sonne and the Lord will be with thee But all this is no sufficient cause to keepe us from prayer For 1. God is the authour and giver of all meanes when he intends to helpe us and doe us good he will give us the ordinary meanes to receive good by when he intends the contrary he will withold the meanes Iob 38.28 29. Hath the raine a father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew Out of whose wombe came the Ice and the hoary frost who hath gendered it and Psal. 104.3 He walketh upon the wings of the wind It was he only that sent that goodly season in the beginning of winter which these men say was the cause why the plague ceased 2. The vertue that is in any meanes to doe us good commeth wholly from God He is the Lord of nature Though he have given to man the faculty of reason and freedome of will in civill and morall actions and to our food and other creatures a naturall vertue to do us good yet that we are able to use this faculty that we have or the creature to put forth that vertue that is in it to the good of man comes wholly of God He keepeth the raines
that he looked for no comfort Therefore is this oft mentioned as the justest and soundest ground of all true comfort Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith your God it is the Lords speech to his servants and messengers Esa. 40.1 2. speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem How should we do that may Gods servants say Cry unto her that her warrefare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned No sound comfort can be had till then and when once that is knowne nothing can make a mans state uncomfortable So speaketh our Saviour to the poore man that had the palsie when he saw him dejected in mind and uncomfortable he saith not sonne be of good comfort thy palsie hath left thee thou that couldst not have come hither if foure men had not brought thee Marke 2.3 shalt be able to take up thy bed and walke home without any helpe but how doth he comfort him Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee So when he would comfort Mary Magdalene that was so full of trouble of mind and sorrow that she was able with her teares to wash his feet Luke 7.38 he saith unto her vers 48. Thy sinnes are forgiven thee As if he had said thou hast no such cause to weep so thou hast cause to be comfortable and cheerefull for thy sins are forgiven This peace of God that is the comfort and joy that riseth from the knowledge of the pardon of our sins and reconciliation with him is said Phil. 4.7 to passe all understanding No heart can conceive how comfortable and blessed a thing that is but that which hath felt and enjoyed it Thirdly The man that truly knoweth what sin is desireth and longeth after nothing so much as the pardon of his sin is not so earnest and importunate with God in any suit as in this If God should now have said to David as after he did unto his sonne Solomon 1. Kings 3.5 Aske what I shall give thee Certainly this should have beene his petition Lord that my sins may be forgiven yea see how earnest he is here with God for this To such men Christ who is our propitiation and only meanes to procure and purchase our pardon is pretious as the Apostle speaketh 1. Pet. 2.7 To you that beleeve he is precious yea so precious that in comparison of him and of Gods favour through him they esteeme basely of every thing else Phil 3.8 I do count all things but dung that I may win Christ. Fourthly and lastly The man that truly knoweth what sin is thinks he hath even enough when he hath gotten his pardon though God should deny him all things else and saith of it as Iacob when he was sure Ioseph was still living Gen. 45.28 It is enough Yea he counts himselfe to be a happy man if once he have obtained this So we see David here maketh this his only suit and saith in another place that this is enough even to make a man happy Psalm 32.1 2. Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose sinne is covered blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity Nothing can make that man miserable whose sins are forgiven Now the reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are principally two being taken from the true and sound consideration of the nature of sinne And for the nature of it we will goe no further then to that description that David maketh of it in these two verses and to those two comparisons whereby he doth here resemble it First he compareth sin to debt in these words verse 1. Blot out my transgressions Our sins are our debts as our Saviour teacheth us to call them and account of them in the fift petition of the Lords prayer Matth. 6.12 Forgive us our debts First The obedience God requireth of us in his Law is no more but just and due debt we are bound and ought to performe it and in case we performe it not the penalty and curse which the law inflicteth is most justly due unto us We stand bound to performe either the one or the other To this obligation every mans conscience hath set his hand and seale and will acknowledge it and say Amen unto it one day God requireth in his Law that so soone as his people should come into the land of Canaan the curses of this law this bond and obligation should be read in the hearing of them all men women children and that all of them should say Amen to it Deut. 27.26 Cursed is he that confirmeth not all the words of this Law to doe them and all the people shall say Amen The copy and counterpane of this bond betweene God and us every man hath in his owne conscience which will acknowledge it to be most true and just as the Apostle speaking even of heathen men saith Rom. 2.15 which shew the worke of the Law written in their hearts Secondly These debts of ours though we be apt to forget yet the Lord will never forget The Lord hath sworne by the excellency of Iacob saith the Prophet Amos 8.7 Surely I will never forget any of their works Hee keepeth a debt booke wherein he hath set downe in writing every one of them Esa. 65.6 Behold it is written before me And our owne conscience also scores up every one of our sinnes and sets downe the time and place when and where we committed them and so came into Gods debt further and further And though it be like a sealed and clasped booke for a time that we cannot looke into it which maketh us thinke wee are little or nothing in Gods debt yet these bookes will one day bee opened Revelation 20.12 I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the bookes were opened and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Bookes according to their workes and then it will appeare our debt bookes agree fully with Gods debt bookes our scores with his scores According as the Apostle saith Rom. â—15 â—6 that the consciences of men shall beare witnesse with God in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Iesus Christ. Thirdly These debts of ours if we get not in time a discharge and Quiâ—â— est from them will be exaâ—tâ—d every one oâ— them at our hands The Lord I tell you is such a creditor as will looke to have his owne Eccles. 1.9 Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement And 1â— 14 The Lord shall bring every worke into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or evill Fourthly these debts of ours are growne to such a huge summe as we are never able to satisfie and pay them and therefore they are compared to a debt of ten thousand talentâ— Matth. 18.24 a summe which there was never any merchant or King in the World so rich as was able to pay it Fiftly Now consider well of this reason To an honest
in him I will go no further for the setting of this forth unto you then to those three things which David heere in my Text speaketh of and which he observed in the Lords gracious disposition and on which he grounded his hope 1. There is in the Lord loving kindnesse 2. There are in the Lord tender mercies 3. There is in the Lord a multitude of tender mercies For the first The Lord is of a gracious and kind and liberall disposition Ioel 2.13 The Lord is gracious and of great kindnesse The love he sheweth the good he doth to any of his people is most free and hath no cause no ground at all but in himselfe alone The love we beare to any useth to have some ground in the party that we do love we see somewhat in the party that moveth us to it at first But the love the Lord beareth to us had no ground at all in us but in his owne goodnesse and loving kindnesse alone The Apostle therefore calleth it 2 Thess. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good pleasure of his goodnesse He set his love upon us as Moses saith Deut 7 7 8 because he loved us He even resteth in his owne love as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 3.1 and seeketh no further So speaketh the Lord Exod. 3 â—â— I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Nothing moved him to be gracious and mercifull unto us but onely his owne good will and pleasure So Esa. 43.25 I even I am he that blâ—â—â—eth ouâ— thy transgressions for mine owne sake So 2 Sam. 7. â—1 For thy words sake and according to thine owne heart thou hast done all these great things True it is that after the Lord hath set his love upon us he worketh that in us by his grace that maketh us amiable and beautifull in his sight and so causeth him to love us the more This is excellently set forth Ezek. 16.9 14. He anointed his beloved one with oyle cloathed her with broidered work covered her with silke deâ—ked her with ornaments put bracelets upon her hands and a chaine about her necke decked her with gold and silver made her exceeding beautifull marke how grace and piety doth beautifie the soule in Gods eye But when he first set his love upon us he saw nothing in us that did move him to love us as is also notably set forth in that 16. of Ezek. When the Lord first passed by his beloved as it is said verse 8 and looked upon her and her time was the time of love when he first loved her what was there in her to move him to it See that verse 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live Marke how earnest the Lord is to perswade us of the freenesse of his love to us and how it grew not at all from any respect he had to any goodnesse was or should be in us but from his owne loving kindnesse and goodnesse alone And this is the first thing that Daviâ— here considered in the mercy and goodnesse of the Lord that made him to hope he should find mercy with him for the pardon of his sin Secondly In the Lord there are tender mercies bowels of mercy as the word racham which is heere used doth properly signifie For thus it hath pleased the Lord to condescend unto our capacity and to make knowne unto us in his Word his gracious disposition by comparing himselfe unto a most tender hearted man or woman and attributing bowells unto himselfe Esay 63.15 Where is the multitude of thy bowells and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Luke 1.78 Through the bowells of the mercies of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited us And this comparison standeth in two points 1. As a tender-hearted man or woman when they see any to bee in misery cannot choose but pitty them and grieve for them and feele their bowells within moved and pained with it and this is the very nature of man humanity and not the corruption of nature As it is sayd of our Saviour Mat. 9.36 When he saw the multitude fainting and scattered abroad as shâ—epe having no shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowells yearned or were moved towards them ô that the beholding of men in that misery could move us so and Hebr. 4.15 that hee is touched with the feeling of all our infirmities hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condole and grieve and suffer with us when we do grieve and suffer So the Lord when hee seeth any of his people to bee in misery hee cannot but pitty them and be moved with it and grieve with them Iam. 5.11 He is pitifull and of tender mercy Exod. 22.27 When he cryeth unto me I will heare for I am gracious So it is said Iudg. 10.16 His soule was grieved for the misery of Israel And Esa. 63.9 In all their affliction he was afflicted How can that bee will you say seing himselfe was the author of all their affliction Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it How is it possible that the Lord would so sharpely correct his people and bring them to that misery if it did so grieve him to see them in misery I answer 1. that this is possible enough Did you never heare of a Iudge that did shed teares even in giving of sentence of death upon a malefactor and shewed a fatherly affection towards the poore wretch even at that time like Ioshua to Achan Iosh. 7.19 My sonne I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel Did you never know any father so tender-hearted as when he hath whipped his child hee hath done it with teares in his eyes yea he could not containe but must needs let his teares fall hee hath smitten and wept and beene as apt to cry even as the child it selfe Surely so it is with the Lord. Psalm 103.13 As a father pitieth his children so doth the Lord pitie them that feare him Even when he correcteth us he pitieth and his bowells yearne towards us 2. He never afflicteth us nor bringeth us unto misery but when his love constraineth him to doe it hee must needs doe it unlesse he would see us perish and that his love to us will not suffer him to doe The Lords love to his children is not fondnesse like the love of many foolish parents his pitie is not like the pitty that is in many men of which wee have a proverb foolish pitty marrs the City that may be called well Crudelis misericordia But the Lords love is guided by his infinite wisedome and judgement hee will correct the dearest of his children and that sharply too rather then hee will see them spoiled 1. Cor. 11.32 When wee are judged
out-casts bewray not him that wandereth What out-casts meaneth hee Let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoyler Let all men therefore take heede what oathes they take let no man thinke himselfe tyed in conscience to doe any thing that is evill because he hath bound himselfe by an oath to doe it but when a man hath bound himselfe by his oath to doe that that is lawfull as to detect to present to those in authority such as hee knowes to bee offendors let him take heed how hee breake that oath Every lawfull oath is a great bond unto the conscience Numb 30.2 If a man sweare an oath to binde his soule with a bond David maketh this one of the speciall markes to know him by that shall goe to heaven Psal. 15.4 He that sweareth to his owne hurt and changeth not Though after he hath taken his oath he shall perceive that the keeping of it will procure him such enemies as may doe him much hurt yet dareth he not change his minde but will keepe his oath And Solomon maketh this a speciall note of a godly man that he feareth an oath Eccles. 9.2 which words are not to be understood of private and voluntary oathes onely but chiefely of those oathes that are taken before a magistrate for they are the greatest and heaviest oathes a godly man is afraid of such oathes afraid to take them and afraid to breake them when he hath taken them See a notable example of this both in Abrahams servant who asmuch as he loved and respected his master before he would take the oath that his master ministred unto him is carefull first to know and consider with himselfe whether he might be able to keepe it or no Gen 24 5-9 And in those spies that Ioshuah sent to view Iericho who would not bind themselves by oath to Rahab rashly though shee had saved their lives till they got her consent to such an interpretation and to limit it with such conditions as they might bee able to keepe it Iosh. 2.17.21 See also an example of this feare to breake their oath after they had taken it Iosh. 9.20 And alas if this bee a note to know a godly man by how few godly men have we then in these dayes What cause have we to complaine with David Psalme 12.1 Helpe Lord for there is not a godly man left How many oathes are ministred daily to Churchwardens Constables jurors and witnesses at every Assise and Sessions in every Court Baron and Leet in every Commission whereby men bind themselves to doe things that are lawfull enough yea oft such as tend much to Gods glory and the good of the Common-wealth and no man regardeth them any more then the taking up of a straw they thinke it is no more then the laying on the hand and kissing of the booke Tush thinks every man the taking of these oathes is a matter of nothing all my neighbours have taken them before me and made no reckoning of them O but remember that the holy Ghost saith hee that hath any goodnesse in him will feare these oathes And there is great reason for it An oath is not to be estemed of according to the matteâ— wherein it is taken which in our account may seeme somtime triviall and small nor according to the person of the man unto whom or before whom it is taken though whatsoever the person be that ministreth the oath unto us the authority to minister an oath is derived to him from the supreame magistrate but according to the greatnesse and dreadfull majesty of God in whose name and before whom in a speciall manner for the magistrate is his Deputy and in his stead 2 Chron. 9.8.19 6. Rom. 13.4 and the judgement and course of justice is the Lords Deutero 1.17 the oath is given Therefore an oath specially taken by a magistrate is called an oath of the Lord Exodus 22.11 1 Kings 2.43 For every oath hath a curse implyed in it And the Hebrew word Alah that signifieth an oath signifieth a curse also an oath with a curse Therefore it is said of Gods people when they bound themselves by an oath Nehemiah 10.29 they entred into a curse and into an oath to walke in Gods Law So Iudges 21.18 The children of Israel had sworne saying Cursed bee hee that giveth a wife to Benjamin When you therefore take an oath specially before a magistrate you wish that if it bee not true which you speake in an oath assertory if you performe not that which you speake in an oath promissory Gods curse may light upon you and pursue you And bee you sure of this that if you performe not your part God will performe his if you doe not that which you bind your selves to do by your oath God will bring that curse upon you which you have wished to your selves as hee did bring upon the Iewes that curse which they wished to themselves Matthew 27.25 All the people said his bloud bee upon us and upon our children and his bloud wee see hath lyen heavy upon all that people and nation ever since When Zedekiah had broken his oath to the King of Babylon see what the Lord saith of him Ezekiel 17.15 Shall hee prosper Shall hee escape that doth such things Shall hee breake the covenant and bee delivered And verse 18. Seeing hee despised the oath hee shall not escape Know you therefore that these oathes which you make so light account of will lye heavy upon you one day They will bring Gods curse into your houses Zachary 5.4 I will bring foorth the curse saith the Lord of hostes and it shall enter into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name and it shall remaine in the midst of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof Yea these oathes so commonly taken and broken in all places have brought and will further bring Gods curse upon the whole land Iere. 23.10 Because of swearing the land mourneth And thus have I finished the first part of my answer to this objection and shewed you that they that by office and oath are bound to enquire and present to the magistrate these lewd offendors and do it not are chiefly guilty of their sins But now for the second part of my answer I say that these are not only guilty of the blasphemies and whoredoms drunkennes wherby God is dayly dishonored provoked amongst us but this contagion is spread farther then so there are very few or none of you that have not this way drawn upon your selves the guiltines of these sins made them your own because you have neglected to do that that in you lieth to bring these offendors to open shame punishment Notable good lawes have beene made of late yeeres against swearing breach of the Sabbath and drunkennes but they do little or no good at all because nobody wil have any hand
had not knowne sinne effectually for doubtlesse hee did by nature know many sins or to my good and comfort but by the Law The word is a lampe unto our feete and a light unto our pathes as David calleth it Psalme 119.105 It is a glasse that will discover unto us what manner of men wee are Iames 1.23 24. Let us therefore even for this cause desire not onely to live where wee may have this light but to increase also in the knowledge of the Word Let us therfore make this use of the light we live in and use the word as a glasse that we may know our sins better the more light wee have the better we may discerne what is amisse about us It is made the property of a wicked man to hate the Word for this and refuse to come at it because it discovereth to him his sins Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth bee to it lest his deeds should be reproved And on the contrary it is said of every one that hath grace that he loveth the Word the better even for this cause Iohn 3.21 He that doth truth that is practiseth what he knoweth and maketh conscience of his waies commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest Secondly He that would be able to confesse his sins unto God aright must observe his own waies well bethink himselfe well before hand or when he doth ought whether it be lawfull or no. He that never mindeth nor regardeth what he doth whether it please God or no how should he ever know his sins or confesse them aright unto God We are therfore oft commanded to set our minds and hearts upon that wee doe Pro. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet Hag. 1.5 Consider your wayes And the godly man is described by this property Pro. 14.15 The prudent looketh well to his going Yea this is spoken of as a speciall mean and help unto repentance Ps. 119.9 Wherwith shall a young man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy word ver 59. I thought on my wayes and turned my feete unto thy testimonies And on the other side this is made a chiefe cause why men commit many sins and never see them nor are troubled with them that they go rashly on in their waies at all adventures Keri Levit. 26.21 that they never consider what they do Esa. 1.3 that they despise their wayes regard them not as if they should never be called to account for them Pro. 19.16 And yet as light account as thou makest of them know God will reckon with thee for them one day Matt. 12.36 If men would thinke and consider what they do it would either keepe them from doing evill or when they had done amisse they would be able to discerne it and make their peace with God Solomon saith of the wise man Eccl. 2.14 that his eyes are in his head and in your worldly businesses when you buy or sell or do any worke in your calling you will mind that you goe about that you receive no hurt by your carelesnes and want of taking heed O that wee could learne to bee as wise for our soules to mind and set our hearts upon every thing wee doe least wee offend God by it This is required of us not only in our recreations and in the ordinary affaires of our calling but even in the services we doe unto God Take heed how you heare saith our Saviour Luke 8.18 Take heed to thy foote saith Solomon Eccle 5.1 when thou entrest into the house of God As if hee had sayd Marke what thou dost and consider whether thou performe thy service to God as thou shouldest doe and be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles for they consider not that they doe evill As if hee should say this is the cause why most men offer such foolish sacrifices unto God they consider not what they do Thirdly He that would be able to confesse his sins unto God aright must use to take a dayly account of himselfe and of his wayes This examination of our selves wee find oft prescribed in the word as a speciall meanes and helpe to bring us unto true repentance Lamentati 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord. Psalme 4.4 Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart upon your bed And on the other side the neglect of it is mentioned as a chiefe cause and signe of impenitency Ieremy 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done And as this examination of our selves is profitable and necessary so the oftener wee use it the more profitable it will be Three notable benefits wee shall receive by it if wee would accustome our selves to use it every day 1. It would be a good meanes to bridle us and restraine us from sin when wee considered this with our selves this I must account with God and mine owne conscience for before I sleep As the dayly thinking of the generall account wee must one day come to is most effectuall this way as is plaine in that speech of the Apostle 2 Corinth 5.10 11. so would the thought of this particular account wee bring our selves to doe us great good also 2. It would free us from the feare of sudden death which may befall any of us and we would be prepared for it when we suffer no sin to lodge with us all night that we have not repented of Watch yee therefore saith our Saviour Marke 13.35 36. for yee know not when the master of the house commeth lest comming suddenly hee find you sleeping When a man hath made his peace with God he may sleepe quietly he need not feare death Psal. 4 8. I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe 3 By this meanes a man may remember his sins and the circumstances of them much better and so more fully and effectually confesse them unto God Whereas if wee suffer our selves to runne long upon the score wee shall bee apt to forget much and not bee so sensible as when our sins were fresh in memory In this case we may say as Iob. 13.12 though he speaketh it there in another sense our memories are like unto ashes Fourthly Hee that would confesse his sinnes in an effectuall manner unto God must not onely observe and call himselfe to an account for his daily sins which happily will not much affect him but keepe in mind and call oft to remembrance his old sins such as he hath most fouly offended God by in times past that he may renew his repentance for them Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to wrath in the wildernes Thus doth David remember the sins of his youth Psal. 25.7 Fiftly and lastly He that would fully and effectually confesse his sins to God must beg grace and helpe of God to doe it For wee have heard it is a
hath taken us up againe and set us on our feete Nay though wee have given him just cause a thousand times to cast us off and dishinherit us to leave us to our selves and Satan yet hath his love beene so unchangeable towards us that nothing could move him to cast us off Nay he hath given us assurance by his spirit Rom. 8 38 39. that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus our Lord. So that we have just cause to say as the Prophet Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage that retâ—ineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercy And this is also that that greatly amplifieth the goodnesse of God in this point that it is so rare If we would consider how many have fallen some to Popery and other heresies some to profanesse some to the utter hatred of Religion some to worldlinesse that were once farre before us in knowledge and in profession how many that were first are become last Mat. 19.30 How many there are whom we may dayly looke upon that are like those the Apostle speaketh of 2 Pet. 2.18.22 that once were cleane escaped from them that live in errour but now with the dog are turned to their owne vomit againe and as the sow that was washed to their wallowing in the mire Many that are like unto Saul who though he had received excellent gifts of Gods spirit even another heart 1 Sam. 10.6.9 and never in his life fell into so grosse sins as David did yet he fell away quite from God and lost all grace and was quite forsaken of God 1 Sam. 16.14 and 28.15 whereas many of us that like David have had far stronger corruptions yet are still kept in the state of grace be it that none of those that have thus quite fallen away were ever truly regenerate and we may say of them as 1 Iohn 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us But what is it that hath made us to stand when so many that seemed much stronger then wee have fallen quite away Surely nothing but the meere grace and goodnesse of the Lord. It is not of him that willeth saith the Apostle Rom. 9.16 nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy And thus have I in some measure put you in minde of the infinite goodnesse and bounty the Lord hath shewed to every one of us that are his people Now the consideration of this marvellous goodnesse and bounty of God towards vs doth greatly aggravate our sins and make them out of measure sinfull There is no sin we have committed no commandement of God that we have transgressed but we have thereby sleighted and despised shewed contempt unto grieved and dishonoured that God that hath beene so good and gracious a father unto us Thus doth the Lord aggravate Davids sin 2 Sam. 12.7 9. I annointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house c. and if that had beene too little I would mereover have given thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord. Thus did God plead with Israel Mic. 6.3 5. O my people what have I done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee that thou makest so slight account of offending me testifie against me and then in the two next verses he putteth them in minde of the great goodnesse hee had shewed toward them that by that meanes he might bring them to a consideration and feeling of their sins Thus doth the Lord aggravate the sins of his people Deut. 32.6 Doe ye thus requite the Lord ô foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee This was that that made Mary Magdelene weepe so aboundantly Luke 7.38 she had a deepe apprehension of Gods goodnesse towards her verse 47. This was that that lay so heavy upon Davids heart heere Against thee thee onely have I sinned Nay it is not possible that any should ever haue a true assurance and sence of Gods fatherly goodnes wrought in his heart by the spirit of God but it will have this effect in him Zach. 12.10 I will powre out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall bee in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne Why doe our sins trouble us no more Surely we are not soundly perswaded of Gods fatherly goodnesse and love towards us the spirit of grace was never powred upon us I know 1. That the most men make the lesse account of sin because they say they know the Lord is so gracious and mercifull nothing doth so much keepe them from being troubled for their sinnes as this they cannot thinke it possible God should like much the worse of them for any of their sins because he is still so good and bountifull unto them but are ready to say to their soules with the Epicure Eccles. 9.7 Goe thy way eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy workes 2. Yea they embolden themselves to sin by this more then by any thing because they know and are peswaded the Lord is so infinite in goodnesse and mercy they turne the very grace of God into wantonnesse Iude 4. If a childe should thus resolve with himselfe rush I know my father beareth that affection to me that though I bee never so stubborne and rebellious against him though I grieve and dishonour him never so much yet he will never cast me off and therefore I care not for offending him all men would say that wretch had lost all naturall affection and had not the nature or heart of a child in him No more hath that man certainely any true or sound assurance of Gods fatherly love and goodnesse towards him that doth not hate sin that is not afraid of sin that cannot mourne for sin out of this respect above all others that by his sin he hath offended and grieved and dishonoured so good and gracious a father as the Lord hath beene unto him Lay aside saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.1.3 all malice and all guile and hypocrisies enuies and evill speakings because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee have tasted knowne with feeling that the Lord is gracious Lecture XLVI on Psalme 51.4 Ianuary 23. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to the uses that
setting our hearts upon any earthly comfort of admiring and affecting it much and labour to bring our hearts to a more meane conceit of these things to bee more indifferently affected towards them If riches increase set not your heart upon them saith David Psal. 62.10 And describing the man that shall go to heauen he saith Ps. 24.4 he is such a one as hath not lift up his soule to vanity No man that warreth saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.4 entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life And 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use this world must take heed of over-using it they must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fashion of this world passeth away We must part with all these things and the faster our hearts do cleave and are glued to them the more painefull will it be unto us to part with them In which respect certainely as it may be said of our whole land that if the Lord should bring these miseries upon us which the Palatinate and Bohemia and Germany have long endured we should be farre worse able to beare them then they or any other nation under heaven because we are so tender and delicate by the long peace and aboundance of all things we have enjoyed So may I say to every one of you that are rich and to you that are given to ease and to pleasure that the crosse and persecution the troubles and afflictions we have cause to looke for will be more heavie and intollerable to you then to others of Gods people If Moses had not learned to make light account of riches and of pleasures hee could never have so willingly and patiently endured to suffer affliction with the people of God as the Apostle observeth Heb. 11.25 26. Thirdly He that would be able patiently and Christianly to endure troubles and afflictions of what kind soever they be must before hand acquaint himselfe well with the Word of God he must be well seene and exercised in it And indeed this is one principall cause why the Lord hath given us his holy Word in wriâ—ing that by it he might prepare us for affliction and breed true patience and comfort in us Whatsoever things were written asore time saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning what learning may you say What is it that God would have us learne by them that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Many of the Philosophers have given in their writings excellent rules and grounds of patience but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and patience that was wrought in men by their precepts and rules was stupidity and senslessenesse rather then true patience the patience and comfort of the holy Scripture is the onely true and Christian patience In which respect our Saviour giveth this title to his holy Word he calleth it the Word of his patience because saith he Rev. 3.10 thou hast kept the Word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation The holy Scriptures are fitly resembled and typified by that tower of David mentioned Cant. 4.4 builded for an armoury wherein there hang a thousand bucklers under which a man may without feare and with great safety encounter with the strongest and fiercest temptation and affliction that can assault him all shields of mighty men all armour of proofe such as all the Lords Worthies Iob and David and Paul and the rest have had good proofe and triall of in all their afflictions Heare what Iob saith of this armour Iob 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food As if he should say No food no not my necessary food did ever so susteine and strengthen me so refresh and revive my fainting body as the Word of God hath my soule in all my afflictions Heare what David saith of this who was also a man of sorrowes one that was much exercised with afflictions of all kinds Psal. 119.50 This that is to say the Word of God of which he had spoken in the former verse is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me And verse 92. Vnlesse thy law had beene my delights he speaketh in the plurall number As if he had said instar omnium in stead of all manner of delights unto me I should then have perished in mine affliction And verse 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandements are my delights As if he should say In my greatest trouble in the extreamest anguish of my soule thy Word yeelded comfort unto me Therefore also you shall find he cryeth for nothing so earnestly in all his affliction as for understanding and knowledge in the Word Psal. 119. When hee had spoken verse 143. of the trouble and anguish he was in he cryeth in the next verse Give me understanding in thy testimonies he meaneth and I shall live And verse 169. Let my cry come neere before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word And verse 171. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes See also the proofe that Paul had of this armour of the patience and comfort of the Scriptures in all his afflictions For speaking 2 Cor. 6.4 5. that he and all the rest of the Apostles did in all things approve themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumules he telleth how and by what meanes he attained unto this grace to endure so much misery with so great patience he reckoneth verse 6 and 7. this for a principall by knowledge saith he and by the word of truth And surely 1 if there were nothing els to breed in our hearts an high esteeme of the Word of God to cause us to seeke the knowledge of it to exercise our selves with delight in the reading and hearing and meditation of it this were sufficient to do it even the patience comfort it will yeeld us in all our afflictions The remembrance of one sentence of holy Scripture will be more effectuall to yeeld us comfort in the evill day in the houre of temptation will have more force to repell Satan in his fiercest assaults then is in all the wisdome of the world in all the counsell of our friends that shall be then about us For it is the sword of Gods spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the onely weapon whereby Christ our Saviour the Captaine of our Salvation did overcome the divell and drive him away as you may see in the story of his temptations Matth. 4.4 7 10. Therefore also our Saviour when he promiseth his Disciples to send them the Comforter after his departure from them he telleth them how and by what meanes he should comfort them Iohn 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you By giving them understanding in
but I give my selfe unto prayer saith he Psal 109.4 Nay this was the way whereby our blessed Saviour sought strength to beare his extreame sufferings Heb. 5.7 He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared though the cup were not removed yet strength was given him to beare it with patience Let me apply this in a word or two 1. Would you know the true cause you have so little patience surely it is because you do pray so little 2. Let the signes God giveth us every day of marvellous troublesome times that are at hand make us all more frequent and fervent in prayer 3. We should call upon and exhort Gods people to fasting and prayer Is there any such meanes either to stand in the gap and keepe out Gods judgements or to prepare us with patience and strength to beare them as fasting and prayer is Well take this for a conclusion to your comfort which you shall read Act. 2.20 21. When the Sun shall be turned into darknesse and the Moone into bloud when the darkest and saddest times shall come that can come yet it shall come to passe that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved He that can pray shall doe well enough LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 5. Lecture LV. On Psalme LI. 5. April XXIIII MDCXXVII Behold I was borne or brought forth in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me WE have already heard that David in suing unto God for the pardon of his sinnes doth make confession of them unto God And not content to have done it generally in the 3. verse he doth it in the former verse in this that I have now read and in that which followeth more fully and particularly I have done this evill that Nathan hath charged me with Yea he amplifieth and aggravateth his sinne by these three considerations 1. Of the person against whom he had sinned in the fourth verse Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 2. Of the fountaine and root whence these his sinnes did spring in this verse 3. Of the knowledge and truth of grace that he had received from God before he fell into these sinnes in the verse following Now for the better opening of the words of this verse that so the Doctrine contained in it may more naturally arise two questions are to be moved and resolved concerning this what David meaneth by the iniquity and sinne that he heere complaineth he was borne and conceived in For the Anabaptists and such others as gainesay the Doctrine of originall sin and deny that infants stand guilty of any sin in the sight of God object two things against the proofe that is brought out of this most pregnant place against them First The word iniquity say they that David saith he was borne in is not to be taken properly in this place for sinne but for the punishment of sin and his meaning is no more but this as if he should have said I was borne in thy displeasure and in the punishment which thou didst justly inflict upon all women for the sinne of Eve Gen. 3.16 I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children in this punishment in this sorrow was I borne And two reasons may be pretended for this interpretation 1. That the word iniquity and sinne is oft in Scripture taken not properly but by a metonymie for the punishment of sinne as Gen. 19.15 Least ye be consumed in the iniquity of the city that is in the punishment of the city And Numb 14.33 Your children shall wander in the wildernesse forty yeares and beare your whordomes that is the punishment of your whordomes 2. That the word Cholel that David heere useth signifieth to bring forth with paine and trembling and commeth of the root Chol which signifieth to sorrow and tremble whereby it may seeme that David had in this word respect to the paines and sorrowes his mother felt in her travell when he was borne rather then to any iniquity that himselfe then stood guilty of Now for answer unto this cavill I say First That though the word iniquity be sometimes taken in Scripture not for sin but for the punishment of sinne yet it followeth not that it is so taken heere but by that that you shall heare in my further answer to this cavill and in the handling of the Doctrine it shall appeare unto you it cannot be so taken in this place Secondly Though the word Cholel that David useth heere do in the primitive sense signifie a bringing forth with sorrow and trembling such as women have in their travell yet it is farre more often and commonly used in the Scriptures to expresse any kind of making or bringing forth of things even without such sorrow or paine at all As Iob 26.13 His hand hath formed the crooked serpent And the son of God speaking of his eternall generation saith Pro. 8.24 25. When there was no depth I was brought forth before the mountaines I was brought forth So Deut. 32.18 Thou hast forgotten God that formed thee And Psal. 90.2 Before thou hadst formed the earth And when the birth of man is spoken of without all reference or respect to the sorrow and painefullnesse of his birth Iob 15.7 He saith Wast thou made before the hills And Esa. 45.10 Woe to him that saith to his mother what hast thou brought forth So that it may well be that David heere speaketh of his birth without any respect at all to his mothers paines and sorrowes in it Thirdly The iniquity that he speaketh of heere he mentioneth for his further humiliation before God that is the scope he aimeth at in this place as we have heard Now he would never have mentioned the sorrowes and paines his mother endured in his birth as a punishment and signe of Gods displeasure upon that sex for the sin of Eve for to further his humiliation before God at this time The mentioning of those judgements God by Nathan threatned to bring upon himselfe had beene much more effectuall to that end then those that were upon his mother specially so ordinary and common to all women as that was yet forbeareth he in this Psalme to speake of them at all Nothing but sin troubled him at this time he complained not of any punishment he knew to be due to sin but of his sin onely Fourthly and lastly The iniquity he speaketh of here he confesseth unto God and craveth mercy of God for the pardon of it he desireth God to wash him throughly and to cleanse him from it It is therefore certainely the sin he was borne in and not any punishment of sin that he complaineth of in this place The second question rising from a second objection of the Anabaptists against this place is this
knoweth Christ to have dyed for him cannot but cast off and renounce his lusts and corruptions This is that also which the Prophet teacheth Zach. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne aboundantly It is the spirit of grace onely that maketh a man able to know and beleeve aright that his sins pierced Christ that Christ in all that hee suffered had speciall respect unto him nothing but the spirit of grace maketh a man able to looke upon Christ whom he hath pierced to consider it to be moved with admiration and astonishment at this wonderfull love of his But when once the spirit of grace hath made a man to know and beleeve and consider this it must needs affect the heart much and make him mourne for his sins aboundantly it must needs worke in him a loathing of his sins and a resolution to set himselfe against them O that all wee that say wee know and beleeve that Christ loved us and dyed for us would thinke seriously of this Certainely thou that sayest so and findest no force in this assurance to mortifie sin in thee and to strengthen thee against thy corruptions deceivest thine owne soule and hast no true assurance that Christ bare such love to thee as to endure so much for thy sake Hereby wee know that wee know him to bee a propitiation for our sins saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.3 4. if wee keepe his commandements He that saith I know him to bee a propitiation for my sins for that is the knowledge of Christ he speaketh of as appeareth verse 2. and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Hee is a ranke hypocrite and void of all truth of grace how faire a shew soever hee make in the Church of God O fearefull sentence against the most of such as say they have faith And so much shall suffice to have bin spoken of the first reason why true faith must needs mortifie corruption wheresoever it dwelleth it applyeth Christ particularly to every one that hath it The second reason of it is this because true faith joyneth and uniteth us unto Christ. This union that faith maketh betweene us and Christ is indeed mysticall and spirituall Yea this is a great mistery as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 5.32 But though it bee mysticall and supernaturall yet it is most true and reall a most neere and unspeakeable union that faith maketh betweene Christ and every beleeving soule as neere as betweene husband and wife Ephes. 5.23 as betweene the head and the members Ephes. 1.22 23. as betweene the vine and the branches Iohn 15.5 By faith we receive him and make him our owne Iohn 1.12 Nay we feed upon him and make him our owne as the meat we eate which is turned into our substance is made our owne Iohn 6.35 By faith hee dwelleth in us Ephes. 3.17 By faith wee are grafted into him Rom. 11.23 Now if faith do so joyne us unto Christ and make such an union betweene us and him it is not possible but it must needs mortifie and kill sin in us Wee cannot bee thus joyned unto Christ but wee must needs receive vertue and power from him his spirit must needs bee derived from him unto us He that is joyned unto the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.17 is one spirit The law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the law of sin and of death The spirit of Christ must needs free him from the dominion of sinne that is thus by faith united to him And therefore to conclude this second point Certainly that man in whom sin reigneth still in whom the strength of his naturall corruption is not at all abated is not united unto Christ and consequently hath no true faith in him If wee say we have fellowship with him saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1.6 and walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth Lecture LXVII on Psalme 51.5 Aug. 14. 1627. THE third and last point which hath beene propounded for the more distinct handling of the last means of mortification is this He that desireth to get strength against any corruption must not content himselfe to have faith but hee must exercise and make use of his faith in this worke The most of us loose much of the benefit and comfort wee might find in our faith because wee doe not make use of it nay the cause why wee find it so weake and feeble to stand us in any stead when wee have most need of it for our comfort is because wee have not beene wont to exercise it and put it into action We have an old proverbe Vse legs and have legs and experience teacheth that the neglect of exercising the body is a great meanes to weaken it much This may every whit as truly bee said of the graces of Gods spirit exercise them by practise and they will increase neglect to exercise them and they will decay in thee To every one that hath saith our Saviour in the parable of the talents Mat. 25.29 that is that by making use of it and imploying it doth shew that hee hath grace more shall bee given and bee shall have aboundance but from him that hath not shall bee taken away even that which hee hath The Apostle commending the Thessalonians saith 1 Thess. 1.3 hee remembred their worke of faith their faith was ever in action ever exercising it selfe And what is the proper worke and act wherein faith exerciseth it selfe Surely in taking hold of the promises that God hath made unto us in Christ in applying them unto our selves and resting upon them Thus must wee exercise our faith if we would have it grow if wee would have the comfort of it The Apostle saith of all the faithfull 2 Cor. 5.7 that they walke by faith In our whole conversation we may and ought to make use of our faith And of himselfe he saith that hee did live by his faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God saith he Galat. 2.20 In all the occasions of our life we may and should exercise our faith and we loose a great deale of sweetnesse and comfort because we doe not so But in no occasion of our life can we have more use of our faith then when wee are troubled with any strong corruption which wee would faine overcome and get the mastery of Let us come then to Christ and stirre up our selves to take hold of him and confidently expect and looke for helpe and strength from him against it and wee may bee sure to bee delivered from the dominion of it Through God wee shall doe valiantly saith David Psal. 108.13 for hee it is that shall tread downe our enemies And Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Wee read
art Iohn 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the love of God in you 1. If thou be a profane person and goest on in a course of sinne thou canst not leave thy drinking nor thy swearing nor thy whoring then the Holy Ghost pronounceth of thee that thou lovest not God thou hatest him and art an enemy unto him Psal. 68.21 God shall wound the head of his enemies hath God any enemies So it appeareth Why who are they That he telleth you in the next words and the hairy scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses 2. If thou be a superstitious person and such a one as dotest upon any will worship that is of thine owne or of any other mans devising whatsoever thou thinkest of thy selfe then the Holy Ghost pronounceth of thee that thou lovest not God but thou hatest him in thy heart For so the Lord speaketh of the transgressours of the second commandement Exod. 20.5 Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of them that hate me 3. Nay if thou be but a meere naturall man unregenerated unconverted there is no love of God in thee but thou hatest him in thy heart For so saith our Saviour Iohn 15.18 of the whole world of all men in their naturall estate Yee know that the world hated me before it hated you And verse 23. He that hateth me hateth my father also Neither is this the state of the reprobate in the world onely but even of Gods elect also while they are of the world before they be regenerated they cannot love the Lord but hate him in their hearts This is plaine by that promise God maketh to his elect Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Till God circumcise our hearts and take away the hard fore-skin that is upon them we can never love the Lord with all our heart that is unfeignedly And the Apostle speaking to the elect Colosians putteth them in mind of this Col. 1.21 You were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mindes As if he had said you were not onely void of the love of God but you were quite alienated from him and enemies in your mind you hated him in your hearts Six evident demonstrations there be that may convince every naturall man that there is no true love of God in his heart First He loveth not God because he loveth other things more then God For so speaketh the spirit of God expressely 1 Iohn 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the father is not in him Secondly He loveth not God because he doth not desire to enjoy him to be where he is to have any communion with him neither in heaven nor in the assembly of his Saints and use of his ordinances For this hath beene the voice of such as have loved God 2 Cor. 5.8 We are willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And Psal. 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soule after thee ô God my soule thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appeare before God And 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy houses and the place where thine honour dwelleth And can he then have any love to God that cannot abide to thinke of death that if he might have his will would never go to God Can he have any love to God that careth not how seldome he commeth to Gods Sanctuary where of all places in the world the Lord sheweth himselfe to be present with his people in the most gracious and comfortable manner Thirdly He loveth not God because hee hath no delight to doe that that might please him nor feareth to doe that that he knoweth will offend and displease and dishonour him The carnall mind is enmity against God saith the Apostle Rom. 8.7 For it is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be He that hath my commandements and keepeth them saith our Saviour Ioh. 14.21 is he that loveth me and none but he Fourthly He loveth not God because when he knoweth he hath offended him and lost his favour hee is not troubled with it nor seeketh in any good earnest to be reconciled to him againe I love them that love me saith the Lord Pro. 8.17 But how shall that be knowne That he telleth you in the next words and those that seeke me early shall find me As if he had said Those that love me will seeke peace with me when they have offended me yea they will doe it early they cannot rest they cannot sleepe till they have made their peace with me and thus will I shew my love to them againe I will be found of them I will be easie to be intreated by them Fiftly They love not God because they love not them that feare God Every one that loveth him that begat saith the Apostle 1 John 5.1 loveth him also that is begotten of him Nay there is a certaine signe they hate God because they beare a mortall hatred to all such as in whom they see any life or power of religion for that cause onely because they beare the image of God they reproach them nickname them slander them use them with all the despite they can He that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked saith Solomon Pro. 29.27 Like the Leopard and Tiger of whom we read that they doe so hate man that they will expresse their hatred to the very picture of a man wheresoever they see it Sixtly and lastly They love not God because they have no assurance of his love to them in Christ and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes We love him saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.19 because he loved us first And it is no more possible there should be any true love in the heart of man towards God till then then it is possible there should bee heate in the pavement before the sunne in his strength have showne upon it Now then to conclude this first part of my application let no man bee too confident that he loveth the Lord but let every one examine himselfe by these sixe arguments and if thou find by them as I dare say many of you may that there is no love of God in thee but that thou bearest in thy breast such a canckered and malicious heart against God 1 Bewaile thine estate 2 Thinke not so well of thy selfe as thou hast done but loath and abhorre thy selfe for it 3 Admire the patience and goodnesse of God towards thee 4 Let this drive thee to Christ who is our onely peace as the Apostle calleth him Ephes. 2.14 and who by his crosse hath slaine the enmity that was betweene God and us as hee saith verse 16. 5 Let This patience and bountifullnesse of his move thee to turne to
consolation in this assurance And this is the maine end that God ordained preaching for So Zachary saith that Iohn the Baptist was sent to that end Luke 1.77 To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sinnes When God had promised Esa. 57.18 that he would restore comfort to his Israel and to his mourners he telleth us in the next words verse 19. the meanes whereby he will doe it I create the fruit of the lips my word in the speech and ministery of my servants Mal. 2.7 The priests lips should keepe knowledge and they should seeke the law at his mouth peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him God hath promised to worke by the ministery of his servants in the hearts of his people abundance of peace and comfort which cannot be without assurance of his favour and to heale them of all that anguish of heart which the doubting of his favour did breed in them And no maruell though the Word have this force to breed this assurance for therein are all the promises of God to be found which are the ground and evidence upon which all true assurance of Gods favour is built In God will I praise his word saith David Psal. 56.4 in God have I put my trust I will not feare what flesh can doe unto mee All his comfort all his assurance and confidence was grounded upon the Word The second ordinance of God that hath great force in it to breed in our hearts this assurance of Gods favour and to preserve it in us and to recover it when it is lost is the conscionable use of the holy Sacrament We reade of Gods people that had received the Passeover with good hearts that had prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord in that his ordinance as Hezâ—kiah speaketh of them 2 Chron. 30.19 that they found marvellous comfort in it verse 21. They kept the feast with great gladnesse And verse 26. There was great joy in Ierusalem And that Sacrament we know was the same in substance with our Lords Supper Certainely there is not more vertue in any ordinance of God to confirme us in the comfortable assurance of Gods favour then in this if it be worthily received For 1 Christ is no where so particularly offered and applied to us as in it 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eate this is my body which was broken for you 2 He is offered to us as meat and drinke to feede upon and what is so neerely applyed to us and made ours as our food which is turned into our very substance and made one with us 3 He is offered to us as bread and wine which of all food hath most force to strengthen and make glad our hearts Psa. 104.15 4 The Sacraments are ordained to be his seales to assure and confirme his covenant unto us they are seales of the righteousnesse which is by faith as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 4.11 The third and last ordinance of God that hath great force to breed and preserve this assurance of Gods favour in our hearts to recover it when we have lost it is prayer Aske and you shall receive saith our Saviour Iohn 16.14 that your joy may be full This is one of the principall fruits of prayer it breedeth full and sound joy in the heart which necessarily presupposeth assurance of Gods favour This course David oft tooke to recover his assurance and comfort and found great successe in it When he made that prayer that is set downe Psal. 6. he was in great anguish of minde through the losse of the assurance of Gods favour as appeareth verse 1 4. to recover his assurance he falleth to fervent prayer and before he had ended his prayer he was so filled with the assurance of Gods favour that he bursteth forth into these patheticall expressions of his joy verse 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplications the Lord will receive my prayer And Psal. 31. when he had lost his assurance so farre that he said in his hast verse 22. hee was cast out of Gods sight to recover it he betooke himselfe to prayer and prevailed so thereby that he cryeth out verse 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindnesse As though hee had said The Lord hath given mee againe a sweet and comfortable assurance of his favour I do not deny but many yea many of Gods owne children may use all these three ordinances of God that I have named unto you and use them often too read and heare and receive and pray and yet never attaine to this assurance of Gods favour by them Alas this will never be obtained without great diligence in the use of all meanes that God hath appointed Give diligence saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 to make your calling and election sure Yea verse 5. Give even all diligence thereunto Alas we do not in our hearing receiving praying seeke or aime at this to get assurance thereby that wee are in Gods favour or if we doe seeke it yet use we no diligence in the use of these meanes that we might obtaine that which we seeke in them But if wee cannot obtaine it by these meanes there is a third thing to bee done Seeke to bee more humbled in thy selfe in the apprehension of thine owne wretchednes Seeke the Lord and his favour with an humbled soule When Ieremy prophesieth of the comfort that Gods people should find upon their earnest seeking of his favour before the end of their captivitie he speaketh thus of them Ieremy 50.4 Going and weeping they shall goe and seeke the Lord their God When we can lament after the Lord as Israell did 1 Sam. 7.2 mourne for the losse of his favour and goe weeping to him to seeke the recovery of it wee need not doubt of prevailing with him God resisteth the proud saith the Apostle Iames 4.6 but hee giveth grace to the humble Specially this grace of a comfortable assurance of his favour hee useth not to give unto any but unto the humbled soule And thereupon the Apostle inferreth verse 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and hee shall lift you up The want of sound humiliation is the chiefe cause wee cannot attaine unto sound assurance of Gods favour Never did any attaine unto any great measure of assurance of Gods favour that had not first bin deeply humbled in themselves Neither doth God use to give the spirit of adoption to his people till hee have first given them the spirit of bondage Rom. 8.15 God comforteth those that are cast downe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.6 Therefore the day of humiliation wherein Gods people did afflict their soules is called the day of atonement betweene God and them Levit. 23.27 28. Such God hath bound himselfe by promise to speake peace unto Blessed are they that mourne saith our Saviour
Ioh. 5 3. His commandements are not grievous But wee have also the experience of the faithfull in all ages who have beene so farre from finding of that hardnesse in the yoke of Christ as was in the yoke of Moses that terrour in the law of Christ as was in the law of Moses that they have found more sweetnesse in it then in any thing else in the world And by how much the more the inward man and grace of regeneration hath growne and increased and as the flesh and corruption hath decayed and bin weakened in them by so much the more easie they have found the commandements of God to be by so much the more sweetnes and delight they have felt in them We know how plentifull and patheticall David is in expressing this Oh how love I thy law saith he Ps. 119.97 ver 143. Thy cōmandements are my delights As if he had sayd they are to me in stead of all delights pleasures in the world And thus the Prophet professeth Ier. 15.16 Thy word was to me the joy rejoycing of my heart And whence commeth this strange alteration and difference betweene the people of God Moses quaked at and found terrour in the Law David joyed and felt sweetnes in it all Gods people at the delivery of the law desired they might heare no more of it Paul and Ieremy delight rejoyce in it O see beloved what Christ hath done for us he hath taken out the sting of the law that it is no more a killing letter See the difference betwixt Christ and Moses betwixt the law and the Gospell And thus have I finished the second part of my answer and shewed you that the Lord setteth no such hard taskes to his servants as Satan pretendeth The commandements and duties that God enioyneth unto them that are in Christ are not impossible nor hard to be performed it is nothing but this cursed flesh of ours that maketh us so to complaine of the commandements of God and repine at the yoke of Christ as we use to doe Now come wee to the third and last part of my answer to this slander that Satan hath raised against the religion and service of God wherein I will shew you that it is so farre from being a bondage and drudgery that it is the most happy and comfortable life in the world And for proofe of this I will lead you no further then unto the consideration of the person that wee doe service unto how gracious and good a master the Lord our God is unto all that serve him We find among men that great men that have honour and power and authority can want no servants every one coveteth that themselves and their children may belong to such And whose service is so much to bee desired in that respect as the Lords is Who would not feare thee saith the Prophet Ieremy 10 7. ô King of nations for to thee it doth appertaine As if he had said All greatnesse and Soveraignty all power and Majesty belongeth unto thee But when unto greatnesse and power goodnesse also and graciousnesse of disposition is added when men can say of a man that he is not only a great man but hee is also one that useth to bee good and bountifull to his servants this hath wonderfull force to draw the hearts of all men unto him For a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to dye for such a one men thinke they can never doe too much And certainely if wee knew the Lord well and how gracious and good hee is towards his servants there is none of us here but would desire and long to bee in his service And that which David saith Psalme 9.10 of putting our trust in him may also bee said of doing him service They that know thy name will be glad to serve thee And surely Satan deceiveth men and keepeth them from serving God and being religious by no device more then by this that he perswadeth them as he did the lazy and unprofitable servant Matth. 25.24 that the Lord is an hard master hard to be pleased apt to exact rigorously of his servants more then they are able to performe Observe therefore I pray you that you may perceive how false a slander this is the gracious disposition of the Lord whom we do service unto in these foure points especially First His aptnesse to winke at and passe by our offences Whereas we can doe no worke hee setteth us about so well but wee shall offend many wayes in it and find cause to cry him mercy for it as good Nehemiah did Nehem. 13 22. the Lord is not apt to marke and observe strictly every thing that is done amisse but useth to winke at and is ready to passe by and remit many slips and failings of his servants in this kind I will spare them saith he Mal. 3.17 as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity saith David Psalm 130 3 4. ô Lord who shall stand As if hee had sayd Who could endure thy service But there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared As if he had said That aptnes that is in thee to forgive thy servants their slips would make any man that is not a very beast willing to serve thee This made the Church break out into these words of admiration Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage As if he should say Where shall a man find such a master as thou art Secondly Observe his aptnesse to accept of that little wee are able to doe That whereas wee are oft so untoward unto good duties that wee find our selves unable to doe any thing To will is present with us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.18 but we find no ability at all to performe that that is good we have nothing in us but an unfeined desire to doe well and a griefe that wee cannot doe it this good Lord and master of ours is apt to take even that in good part if wee but doe what wee can and accounteth that as perfectly performed by us which hee seeth us unfeinedly desire and endeavour to doe If there bee first a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 it is accepted according to that that a man hath and not according to that that a man hath not And whereas wee when wee have done our worke best are apt to bee ashamed and discouraged in our selves because wee have so slubbered it over and done it so illfavouredly this good master of ours is apt to accept of in Christ and to take in good part these poorest services that are done in faith and obedience unto him Yea hee is apt to delight in them and to praise us for them Our spirituall sacrifices the Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 2.5 are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And let mee see thy countenance saith
in those torments where the worme shall never dye and the fire shall bee never quenched as our Saviour speaketh oft Marke 9.44.46.48 2. Though the ignorance of that man that wanted either meanes or capacity may find some mitigation of torments in hell yet is there no hope that thy ignorance that is willfull should doe so Secondly Knowledge I meane sanctified knowledge such as you heard described unto you the last day is a certaine signe a man is the elect child of God and in the state of grace To speake distinctly of this point 1. It is a signe of a mans election So Ananias speaketh of it as of an high favour of God unto Paul and signe of his election Actes 22.14 The God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will And so doth our blessed Saviour also unto his disciples Matthew 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given As if hee had said It is a speciall favour and gift of God And verse 16. Blessed are your eyes for they see and your â—ares for they heare Surely it is a great blessing of God or else Christ would not have said so Yea hee rejoyceth in his spirit on their behalfe for this and said Luke 10.21 I thanke thee ô father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reveiled them unto babes even so ô father for so it seemed good in thy sight Certainely it is a singular favour and blessing of God that our blessed Saviour made such high reckoning and account of 2. It is a signe a man is in covenant with God reconciled to him in Christ. So wee shall find it promised as a favour peculiar to them that are in covenant with God Ieremy 24.7 I will give them an heart to know mee that I am the Lord and they shall bee my people and I will bee their God And 31.34 They shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord. As if hee had sayd They shall not bee taught of men onely nor rest upon this outward and ordinary meanes of knowledge I will bee their teacher my selfe for they shall all know mee from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sinnes no more It is a signe that God hath received thee into covenant that he hath forgiven thee thy sinnes and is reconciled to thee in Christ when hee hath given thee an heart to know him to understand what thou hearest and readest in the matters that concerne God and their owne salvation 3. It is a speciall signe of an honest and good heart a false and naughty heart cannot attaine to this What man is hee that feareth the Lord saith David Psalme 25 1â— him shall hee teach in the way that hee shall choose So speaketh the wisedome of God likewise Proverbs 28.5 Evill men understand not judgement they have no judgement in the things that belong to God and their owne salvation but they that seeke the Lord desire nothing so much as his favour and to know how they may best please him understand all things So that if God have given thee an heart to understand his word to carry away what thou hearest to profit in knowledge and to have a cleare and setled judgement in religion it may bee a comfortable testimony to thy conscience that thy heart is upright and that thou dost indeed seeke the Lord and feare him in truth On the other side 1. It is a great judgement of God and signe of his reprobation when having the meanes of knowledge hee can learne nothing nor profit by them This our Saviour giveth for the reason why many of the Iewes profited not either by his miracles or ministery Iohn 12.40 God hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart that they should not see with their eyes nor understand with their heart and bee converted and I should heale them A signe it is God never decreed to save them whom hee so blindeth that they cannot understand and learne nothing 2. This is a signe of a man that remaineth still under Satans government and is in his power to bee led which way pleaseth him For hee is the ruler of the darkenesse of the world as the Apostle calleth him Ephes. 6.12 Therefore the Lord telleth Paul he sent him to open the eyes of the blind and to turne them from darkenesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. â—8 Therefore also you shall find in the parable of the sower Mat. 13.19 that of all the three sort of bad hearers hee that understandeth and learneth nothing is the worst and most under the power of Satan The wicked one commeth and catcheth away that that was sowen in his heart 3. Lastly This is a signe of an ungracious and wicked heart when a man under good meanes can learne nothing nor get any knowledge None of the wicked shall understand saith the Prophet Daniel 12.10 hee meaneth feelingly and savingly And the Apostle speaking of certaine women 2. Timothy 3.7 that were ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth giveth this for the reason of it verse 6. that thâ—y were laden with sinnes and led away with divers lusts A wicked and naughty heart is certainely the chiefe cause why many enjoying excellent meanes and frequenting them also diligently yet can never attaine to any cleare and certaine and savoury knowledge of the truth Thirdly He that hath knowledge and a well grounded and setled judgement will bee constant in religion and not wavering hee will hold fast the truth and not hearken unto or bee seduced by new opinions and doctrines of men The Apostle having prayed for the Collossians Col. 2.2 that God would give them all riches of the full assurance of understanding giveth this for the reason of it verse 4. This I say thus I pray for you lest any man should beguile you with entising words As if hee had said The onely meanes to preserve you from being beguiled by false teachers that will seeke to draw you from the sincerity of Gods religion and worship is to get knowledge and to ground your selves well that way On the other side They are children in understanding are apt to bee tossed too and fro as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 4.14 and carried about with every wind of Doctrine And what kind of persons have the seducers in all ages beene wont most to prevaile withall and to lead captive That the Apostle will tell you 2 Tim. 3.6 7. silly women that were never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such as are ignorant and have not grounds in themselves for that which they hold and professe in religion will bee apt to pinne their conscience upon other mens sleeves and to bee carried
was there in him either to further or to hinder any of them And if the efficacie of grace that God giveth to men for their conversion were no more but this that they are made thereby able to convert and repent if they will how could that bee true which the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Who made Peter to differ from Iudas that when they had both fallen the one truly repented the other did not Surely if this were so Peter might have said not the Lord but I made my selfe to differ from Iudas he had as sufficient grace given him of God for his conversion as I had he had power given him to repent if he had listed as well as I but he did not make right use of his free will for the accepting of Gods grace as I did and that was it that made the difference betweene him and me Lecture CIII On Psalme 51.6 Nouemb. 11. 1618. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the latter branch of the Doctrine namely to shew That the sound and saving knowledge of the truth that is in any man is to bee ascribed only to the worke of Gods grace and holy spirit not unto any power and ability that is in man himselfe In the hidden part saith David here thou hadst made mee to know wisedome See this confirmed unto you in three points 1. No man is able without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit to attaine unto that knowledge of the truth as is sufficient unto his salvation 2 This supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is not common nor actually vouchsafed unto all that doe enjoy the meanes of instruction 3. No cause can bee given why this grace should bee vouchsafed unto one rather then unto another but onely the good pleasure and will of God For the first of these points I can no way better confirme it unto you then by answering two objections that may be made against it 1. Concerning the cleare and evident manifestation of the truth in the word and the ministery thereof 2. Concerning the great measure of knowledge that many a man by his naturall abilities without any supernaturall worke of Gods grace hath attained unto For the first It cannot bee denyed that all those truths the knowledge whereof is necessary unto salvation are not darkely and obscurely but plainly and clearely set downe in the holy Scriptures Thy word saith David Psal. 119.105 is a lampe unto my feet and a light unto my path And the Apostle 2 Peter 1.19 calleth the word of prophesie the Scripture of the old Testament a light that shineth in a darke place An evident demonstration of the plainnesse and easinesse of the holy Scripture to be understood is this that it was written for the use not of the learned onely but of all Gods people I have written to him saith the Lord Hosea 8.12 that is to say to Ephraim to the whole people and congregation of Israel the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing And how could Ephraim be blamed for counting them as a strange thing if they had beene written so obscurely and darkely that they could not bee understood by them So our Saviour speaking to the multitude to the common people Iohn 5.39 commandeth them to search the Scriptures that is to read and studie them diligently and giveth this for his reason For in them saith hee you thinke to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of mee which hee would never have done if he had thought the Scriptures had beene so darke that the common people could never understand them Neither would the Apostle have commended this in Timothy 2 Tim. 3.15 that from a child hee had knowne the holy Scriptures nor noted it to the praise of his grandmother and mother that they had trained him up so if hee had not knowne that the holy Scriptures are so plaine that even children may bee able to understand them Certainely they are so plaine in those points the knowledge whereof is necessary to the obtaining of eternall life as no man no woman no child need to bee discouraged from the reading and study of them Yea it was purposely written by the holy Ghost in that manner that it might bee understood of the simplest of them that read it and bring them unto knowledge The testimony of the Lord saith David Psal. 19.7 8. is sure making wise the simple the commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes And 119.130 The entrance of thy words saith hee or the doore of them as it is in the Originall giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple As if he had said So soone as they doe but open the doore and make any entrance into them they shall see light and get understanding by them And if these necessary truths of God were so plainly delivered and set downe in the word of prophesie in the Scripture of the old Testament how much more in the new wherein all things are plainer then they were in the old and which doth open and interpret those things that were more darkely delivered by the prophets The mystery which was kept secret since the world began saith the Apostle Rom. 16.25 26. is now made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets he meaneth as they are now opened and interpreted according to the commandement of the everlasting God made knowne to all nations for the obedience of faith And if all necessary truths be so plainely set downe and delivered in the written word how much more in the ministery of the word preached For this is a chiefe worke and duty of the ministery to open the Scriptures and make the meaning of them plaine unto the people as those Levites did Nehem. 8.8 They gave the sense of the law of God and caused the people to understand the reading And if all necessary truths be with such evidence and plainnesse delivered in the word and the ministery thereof why may not any man having the use of reason and judgement and being attentive in reading and hearing without the helpe of any supernaturall grace attaine to the sufficient knowledge of them nay how can he choose but doe it To this I answer The whole truth of God that is necessary to be knowne unto salvation is indeed plainely and clearely revealed in the holy Scriptures there is in the word and ministery thereof a bright and shining light But alas every man by nature is blind Hee that lacketh these things saith the Apostle 2 Peter 19. he that is unregenerate and lacketh saving grace is blind And what use can the blind man make of the light while he remaineth blind and till his eyes be opened Till the Lord annoint our eyes with that eye-salve that Christ speaketh of Revel 3.18 and cure us of this blindnesse till he open our eyes till he by his spirit inlighten
telleth us Zach. 4.7 that when the temple which was a type of the spirituall house and Church of God should be built by Zerubbabel this should be the generall acclamation of al Gods people they should shout and cry grace grace unto it As though he had said They should praise God and ascribe the beginning the proceeding and the perfecting of Gods house this whole spirituall building to the grace of God alone and to nothing els By grace ye are saved saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.5 and not contenting himselfe to have said so once hee saith it againe and saith it most emphatically verse 8 9. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gâ—â—t of God not of workes lest any man should boast Marke three points in this Doctrine which the Apostle doth thus earnestly presse upon Gods people 1. Hee contenteth not himselfe to say Wee are saved by grace but he addeth not by workes What needed this superfluity of speech may some say O he knew there were then and ever would bee in the Church erroneous spirits that would seeme to ascribe much to grace in this worke of mans salvation and yet they wouâ—d give somewhat also unto workes somewhat unto that man himselfe being helped a little by Gods grace is able to do Now therefore he opposeth the one to the other the one quite excludeth the other If by grace then not by workes saith he Rom. 11.6 otherwise grace is no grace As if he had said ascribe never so little to workes to that that a man himselfe is able to doe as any cause of his salvation and ye renounce Gods grace utterly Whatsoever glorious words you give of Gods grace you doe indeed and effect denie you are saved by grace 2. Observe that he addeth Not of our selves Our selves have no hand at all in this worke as of our selves all is to be ascribed unto Gods grace 3. He giveth this for the reason why God would not have us to be saved by our workes but by faith onely why he so ordained that we our selves should have no hand at all in this worke but all should be of grace lest any man should boast The same reason he giveth of that marvellous liberty God is pleased to use in the calling and conversion of men in giving the meanes of conversion and grace to profit by them to such as are most unworthy and unlikely and denying it to others that are more worthy more likely men 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence And verse 31. this is given for the reason why Christ is made unto us of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption all in all that he that glorieth might glory in the Lord. God cannot abide that any flesh should glory in his presence that any matter of boasting or glorying should bee given unto man His maine drift in his Word and workes is to abase man to pull downe his pride to make him even to despaire in himselfe and on the other side to advance and magnifie the glory of his owne free grace Hee that glorieth let him glory in the Lord saith he and in him alone Wee are the circumcision saith the Apostle Phil. 3.3 that rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh They onely are the true Israel of God that make Christ the onely ground and matter of their joy and comfort and renounce all confidence all ground of hope and comfort in themselves or in any thing they are able to doe Thirdly and lastly This is the best rule and note to try all doctrines and religions by This is given by our blessed Saviour as a sure note and rule to try all teachers and doctrines by Iohn 7.18 Hee that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory humane doctrines doe all tend one way or other to the glory of man to the advancing of him but he that seeketh his glory that sent him is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him As if hee should say That teacher that in his Doctrine giveth no glory to man at all but all unto God alone hee is the onely true teacher that is the onely true Doctrine and religion of God So the Apostle proveth the Doctrine of justification by works to be a false Doctrine and that of justification by faith onely to be a true doctrine by this argument Rom. â— 27 Where is boasting then It is excluded saith he By what law or Doctrine By workes No but by the law or Doctrine of faith As if he should have said That doctrine that doth excluâ—e and shut out all matter of boasting of rejoycing or comfort in himselfe but onely in the Lord that must needs bee the true doctrine of God that that leaveth unto man any matter of boasting at all that must needs bee an earthly and false Doctrine Let us now make some application of these three points 1. Vnto such erroneous and false teachers as trouble and oppose this doctrine 2. Vnto our selves For the first There are two sorts of false teachers that doe most oppose this doctrine the Papist I meane and the Pelagian Both these doe in their Doctrine derogate from the grace of God they give unto man some part of the glory of his own salvation they leave unto man some matter of boasting and glorying before God and therefore their Doctrine must needs be a false and damnable doctrine Of the Papist this will easily be beleeved their doctrine of justification by workes of merit of satisfaction to be made by our selves unto God for our sins either in this life or in purgatory their doctrine of works of supererogation proveth them so palpably to be adversaries of the grace of God thaâ— I shall not need to spend any more time in confuting of them But Pelagius and his followers of old do in words some times seeme to ascribe much to Gods grace in the work of mans conversion but it hath beene the ancient practise of most dangerous seducers as the Apostle teacheth us Rom 16.18 by good words and faire speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple If they that hold damnable opinions should not make some shew of truth and piety few would be deceived by them They shall speake lies in hypocrisie saith he 1 Tim. 4.2 But marke how they expresse themselves and you shall find that for all their good words and faire speeches they are indeed adversaries of the grace of God and hold and teach that that doth greatly derogate from the glory of Gods grace and doth give much matter of boasting and glorying unto man himselfe I will not stand to prove this from their other Doctrines touching our election our redemption our justification and perseverance to the end the maine grounds on which the hope of our salvation and comfort is built all which they have corrupted and poisoned and in all which they derogate from the glory of Gods grace and give too
And so long as thou canst doe thus thou art in a blessed state For so saith our Saviour Mat. 5.3.4 6. Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Nourish these things in thy selfe and thou art safe enough These non-proficients that I am to speake of are such as enjoying and frequenting also the meanes can obtaine no grace by them no saving knowledge no faith no change of heart at all but become the worse by them rather and yet are never troubled nor grieved for it The second Caution that I told you I must premise to prevent the mistaking of that I have to say is this That even of these that I have long enjoyed the meanes and beene never the better for them but the worse rather I dare not say they are reprobates I dare not conclude from hence that they shall bee damned None of us is able to say unto the worst man that heareth us as that Prophet by immediate revelation was able to say unto Amaziah the King 2 Chron. 25.6 I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast not hearkened unto my counsell For God may bee pleased hereafter to make the meanes effectuall unto them though hee have not done it yet and wee know by Matthew 20.6 that hee hath sometimes called them at the eleventh houre that had stood idle all the day But this I say that the present estate of these men is most dangerous and fearefull yea the more excellent the meanes have beene which they have enjoyed the more dangerous and fearefull their estate is if they cannot profit by them And to perswade you of this consider these three things First How fearefull a sentence â—hrist hath given of them that doe not receive and profit by the meanes of grace Whosâ—ever shall not receive you nor heare your words saith hee to his Apostles Matth 10.14 15. and that which hee saith of their ministery in that place hee would have to be understood of the ministery of any other whom he sendeth to teach his people Iob. 13.20 verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that city Yea wilt thou say they that refuse to heare Gods ministers are in this danger I grant for that is an high contempt done to the word indeed But I thanke God I am none of those I am willing to heare True but thou art in the danger Christ speaketh of heere unlesse thou receive the Word and profit by thy hearing unlesse thou heare it and receive it and bring forth fruit as our Saviour speaketh of the good hearer Mar. 4.20 Thou wilt say againe I thanke God I do not onely heare but profit too I get some knowledge by my hearing True but thou art in the danger Christ speaketh of here unlesse thou profit unto repentance unlesse thou be humbled and reformed by that thou hearest So our Saviour expoundeth himselfe in the next chapter Why should they of Capernaum be in worse case at the day of judgement then they of Sodom as he saith Mat. 11.24 He telleth us ver 20. Because having such meanes of grace they repented not Secondly Consider that if the ministery of the word convert thee not thou canst have no hope that any thing else will ever be able to doe it For that is the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1 1â— that is the ministration of the spirit â— Cor. 3.8 Thirdly and lastly Consider what is the cause thou canst not profit and then thou shalt see yet more just cause of feare and trembling in thy selfe I doe not deny but thou art a chiefe cause of it thy selfe 1. Thou hast not done what lyeth in thee to make the Word profitable to thee So as the Lord may say to thee as the Apostle saith in another sense to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 6.12 Thou hast not beene straitned in mee but thou hast beene straitened in thine owne bowells I have not beene wanting to thee but thou hast beene wanting to thy selfe 2. Thou hast wilfully hindred the fruit of the Word in thine owne heart When our Saviour speaketh of that fearefull sentence that God had pronounced against the wicked Iewes Matth. 13.14 Ye shall heare and shall not understand ye shall see and shall not perceive he layeth all the blame of this upon themselves and giveth this for the reason and cause of it verse 15. For this peoples heart is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed leâ—t at any time they should see with their eyes So expounding the parable of the sower and shewing how many of them that heare the word are never the better for it hee giveth this for a cause of it Luke 8.14 that when they have heard they goe forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life 3. Thy former sinnes have provoked the Lord in his judgement to give thee up to this blockishnesse and hardnesse of heart that no meanes can doe thee good As they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge saith the Apostle Rom. 1.28 God gave them over to a reprobate mind All this is true I say that thou art a chiefe cause of this thy selfe that thou canst not profit thou canst not bee converted But that is not all there is more in it then so Wee have heard in this Doctrine whereof wee are now making use that the Lord himselfe hath a chiefe hand as in giving and with-holding the meanes of grace so in making or not making them fruitfull in them that doe enjoy them To have the meanes and to have grace denyed thee of God to profit by them is a fearefull signe that God loveth thee not that hee regardeth thee not that hee never ordained nor appointed thee unto life You know who it is that said Iohn 8.47 Hee that is of God heareth Gods words yee therefore heare not because yee are not of God and 10 26. Yee therefore beleeve not because yee are none of my sheepe What will you say are wee all reprobates that are never the better for your preachings No I say not so for they may doe thee good hereafter though they have not yet But this I dare boldly say that if thou dye in this estate thou shalt carry with thee to thy grave as fearefull a marke and note of reprobation as any wee can find in the whole booke of God I told you even now that it is a dangerous signe when God denyeth unto a people the meanes of grace but it is a farre worse signe to enjoy them and to bee never the betterr but the worse rather for them Therefore Iohn Baptist compareth the ministery of the Gospell Mat. 3.12 unto a fanne when Christ maketh use of this fanne amongst a people it will appeare who among them are wheate that shall bee gathered in the
are they the better for it Wherein are they better then other men And alas what shall we say to these men How can wee deny but that this is most true that they say Onely let our selves take notice of the true cause of this surely the Lord doth not his worke in these exercises of religion that men doe use the Lord with-draweth himselfe from his ordinances and then all is in vaine that man is able to doe The Lords glorious presence which was wount to dwell in his sanctuary to accompany his owne ordinances and to worke with them is now departed not from his sanctuary onely but from the City too as once the Prophet in a vision saw it doe Ezekiel 11.23 This reason the Prophet rendereth Esa. 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Few or none doe profit by the ministery of the word because the Lord sheweth not his power in it he worketh not with it And why doth not the Lord his worke in his owne ordinance Surely as for other our sins so for these among the rest First Because of the sin that aboundeth in these times and even among them that enjoy Gods ordinances and frequent them most This was that that caused the Lord of old to leave his Sanctuary Sonne of man saith the Lord to his Prophet Exekiel 8.6 seest thou what they doe even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here that I should goe farre from my sanctuary If hee see any fi lt by thing in thee hee will turne away from thee saith Moses Deut. 23.14 Can two walke together saith the Prophet Amos 3.3 unlesse they be agreed Is it any wonder that God joyneth not with many of you in any of his ordinances worketh not with you in them blesseth them not unto you while you live as you doe Nay is it any wonder if God withdraw himselfe from the Sanctuary it selfe from our whole engregregations for the whoredoms and drunkennesse and oathes that breake out amongst us and of which we every one stand much more guilty in his sight then the whole congregation of Israel was of the sinne of one Achan Ioshua 7.11 12. Secondly The second cause why the Lord with-draweth himselfe from his owne ordinances and doth not his part in them is because we doe not ours Wee use to serve him by the halves Whereas hee requireth in every part of his worship the service of our soule and spirit as much yea much more then of our bodies and that as David doth in the duty of thankesgiving call upon his soule Psalme 103.1 2. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name and againe Blesse the Lord ô my soule so wee should doe in every ordinance of God wee use to give to the Lord the service of our lip or eare or knee or body onely And is it any wonder if the Lord withdraw himselfe from us and refuse to joyne with us in these services wherein as our Saviour complained of the hypocrites of his time Matth. 15.8 we draw nigh to him with our mouth and honour him with our lips but our heart is farre from him A third and last cause may be this that we rest too much upon and blesse our selves in the excellency of the meanes that wee doe enjoy and make an idol of them as they of Lystra you know did of Paul and Barnabas Actes 14 11 13. and never seeke to God that hee would inwardly worke with his ordinances in us we care not for that And even to this that may bee applyed which the Apostle speaketh of every naturall man Rom. 3.11 There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God And that this will much provoke God to see his glory given to his instrument that ascribed to the meanes which belongeth to him you may perceive by that feare and indignation that Paul and Barnabas did expresse when they saw them of Lystra offend this way Acts 14.14 Lecture CXVI On Psalme 51.6 Aprill 28. 1628. FOlloweth the second use of the Doctrine namely the use of exhortation and that is double according to the two severall branches of the Doctrine For first If no duty we performe to God in his worship can please him nor doe us any good unlesse it bee done with understanding therefore wee must bee exhorted that if wee desire to bee saved wee would make this our first care and endeavour to get knowledge With all thy getting saith the wisedome of God Prov 4 7. with all thy possessions whatsoever it cost thee get understanding And that for this cause chiefly because till a man by catechising and preaching of the word be brought unto knowledge all his prayers and other services he doth to God are in Gods account no better then the sacrifice of a foole as you heard the last day out of Eccl. 5.1 He that said to his people even under the law Hosea 6.6 I desire knowledge more then your burnt offerings As if he had said I was ever of that mind even when I did most straitly command the offring of sacrifices and seemed most pleased and delighted with them he will much more say to us that live under the Gospel I desire knowledge more then your prayers more then your comming to the Communion or any other service you can doe unto me Certainely most men do not beleeve this And that appeareth in three things that may be observed in the dispositions and humours of men First All men hold themselves bound to serve God all men thinke they sin that doe not use to pray but few or none hold themselves bound to use the meanes to get knowledge they are grossely ignorant and desire to continue so Of the most people in our congregations the Lord may justly take up that complaint which hee made of Israell a little before the captivitie Ieremy 4.22 My people for so they professe and hold themselves to be is foolish they have not knowne me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to doe evill but to do good they have no knowledge Secondly For other of Gods ordinances they will seeke to Gods ministers and crave their helpe If they have a child borne they will seeke to the minister to have it baptized but they will never seeke to the minister nor crave his helpe for the catechising and instructing of their children when they come to yeares of capacity they make no hast they shew no forwardnesse in that at all So they seeme to make great conscience of comming to the Communion and thinke they were undone if they should not receive it once a yeare but for hearing of the word they care not at all it would be no trouble at all unto them to want that Ye fooles and blind saith our Saviour to the ignorant and superstitious Pharisees Mat. 23 19. whether is greater the gift or the altar that
down in Psalme 6. For when hee made that Psalme it is evident that hee was in great anguish of heart by the losse of his assurance of Gods favour as appeareth by the seven first verses To recover his comfort hee falleth to servent prayer And before hee had ended his prayer hee was so filled with the assurance of Gods favour that he breaketh forth into these patheticall expressions of his joy Verse 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer The second experiment of this in him is in Psalme 31. Where wee finde that when hee had so farre lost his assurance that hee thought as hee saith verse 22. he was quite cut off from God as a dead and rotten branch he betooke himselfe to prayer hee cryed and made many supplication unto God and had such successe in this course that hee bursteth forth into these words verse 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindnesse as in a strong city And how falleth it out then wilt thou say that I have beene so long a suiter to God for this and cannot yet obtaine it I answer thee in the words of the Apostle Iam. 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Five defects there be in thy prayer that this is to be imputed unto First Either thou prayest not fervently and earnestly for this but there are some other things that thou dost more affect and more earnestly desire then thou dost this Whereas thou shouldst seeke and desire this above all things in the world and say of it as David doth Psal. 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better then life A second defect in thy prayer may bee this that thou livest in some knowne sin unrepented of If thou prepare thine heart saith Zophar Iob 11 13 14 and stretch out thine hand towards him if iniquity be in thine hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles Hee whose conscience telleth him he doth somewhat daily and purposeth still to doe that he ought not or somewhat he daily omitteth to doe and doth not yet resolve to doe which he ought to do can have no hope to find comfort by his prayer A third defect in thy prayer that may bee the cause why thou speedest no better may bee that thou art not humbled enough in thy prayers for this I tell thee this is a suit worth the setting of a day apart and keeping of a secret fast for Of this spirit of infidelity that possesseth thee and whereby thy poore heart is so vexed and tormented it may bee Christ hath said as once he did of another spirit Mark 9 2â— This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Remember what I told thee out of Levi. 23.27 Of all the dayes of thy life the day of humiliation wherin thou afflictest thy soule in prayer and fasting will prove the day of atonement betweene God and thy soule thou canst use no meanes to get assurance of thy atonement and reconciliation with God better then that A fourth defect in thy prayer that may perhaps bee the cause why thou speedest no better is this that thou prayest not in faith for this blessing Thou usest to pray out of this perswasion that thy heart telleth thee that thou must doe it God hath commanded thee to pray thy conscience will checke and smite thee if thou doe neglect it But thou dost not when thou prayest set before thy mind the promises of God Such as that is Iohn 16 22. Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever yee shall aske the father in my name hee will give it you And that Luke 11.13 If yee beeing evill know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him And this holy spirit is the spirit of adoption that witnesseth with our spirit that wee are Gods children as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.16 These and those other promises we heard of before wee should thinke on when we pray and verily expect the performance of them Thus did David I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed saith hee Psalme 119.147 I hoped in thy word As if he should say The gracious promises thou hadst made in thy word encouraged mee to it So dost not thou Thou prayest for comfortable assurance of Gods favour but thou dost not looke to obtaine it by thy prayer nay thou hadst no hope to obtaine it And so by this thy infidelity when thou prayest thou setttest up a wall of partition betweene God and thy prayer to keepe it from having any accesse unto him Let not that man thinke saith the Apostle Iames 1.7 that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord. The Lord useth to answer his people in their suites as hee did the two blind men Matthew 9.29 According to your faith bee it unto you The fift and last defect in thy prayer that may bee the cause why thou receivest no comfort by it is this that thou faintest in prayer Because thou hast so long sued to God for assurance and comfort and canst yet receive none thou hast beene weary of prayer and given it over and so hast limited the holy one of Israel as they did of whom the Prophet complaineth Psalme 78.41 whereas our Saviour hath taught us by the parable of the unrighteous judge and the widow Luke 18.1 that wee ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Blessed are all they that wait for him saith the Prophet Esa. 30.18 As if hee had said They that wait shall not loose their labour they shall certainly obtaine their suit in the end This is a blessing I tell thee worth the waiting for Many a Saint of God hath waited many yeares for this suit before they have obtained it and when they have obtained it at the last have thought themselves happy men And thus much shall serve to have beene spoken of the first sort of meanes the other we must leave till the next day Lecture CXXV On Psalme 51.7 Aug. 11. 1629. THE second sort of meanes which I call more inward and spirituall then the former are foure principally The first is care to keepe a good conscience in all things The second a diligent observation of our owne wayes The third a consideration of the experiments wee have had of Gods favour The fourth a renouncing of our selves and resting only upon the free grace of God in Christ. First Hee that would get a comfortable assurance of the favour of God in Christ and feele that the bloud of Christ is sprinkled by the spirit of God upon his heart hee that desireth to keepe and preserve in himselfe this assurance or to recover it when hee hath lost it must nourish in his heart a constant care to please God in all his wayes and a feare to offend him in any thing The worke of
have said All Gods people throughout the world should greatly rejoyce in Christ. And the Apostle maketh this a speciall note of a true Israelite Phil. 3.3 that hee is such a one as doth rejoyce in Christ Iesus And the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 1.8 saith of all the elect strangers to whom he wrote that beleeving in Christ they did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious And though all these places doe proove that we are in a wofull and wretched estate none of Gods Israel no better then infidells if Christ be not the only ground of our consolation if we cannot rejoyce in him yet alas to many that thinke themselves to bee good Châ—istians this Doctrine yeeldeth no comfort at all they heare it without all joy the reason is because they have no need of comfort they have other comforts that doe fully satisfie and content their soules for the time The full soule loatheth an houy combe saith Salomon Proverbs 27.7 The sweetest and comfortablest Doctrine that is is but unsavoury to the soule that is full of comfort already but the humbled soule the soule that hath need of comfort and such may the soule of every one of us be we know not how soone will find more sweetnes and comfort in this Doctrine then in any thing in the world besides To the hungry soule saith Salomon there Pro. 27.7 every bitter thing is sweete that that seemeth bitter to others is sweet to him To the soule that doth indeed hunger and thirst for comfort Christ is most sweet notwithstanding all the bitternesse that the flesh findeth in him and in those termes and conditions upon which he is to be received by us And to these hungry and thirstie soules am I to direct the word of consolation that I shall now deliver and to none other persons Hoe every one that thirsteth saith the Prophet in the name of Christ himselfe Esa. 55.1 come yee to the waters Thou that art most deepely afflicted in spirit that thinkest thy thirst to bee insatiable such as can never be quenched come thou to these waters and thou shalt find them aboundantly sufficient to quench and satisfie the thirst of thy soule come unto Christ and thou shalt find there is in him and in that that he hath done for thee comfort enough to raise up to refresh thy spirit though it be never so much dejected in thee Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall givâ— him saith our Saviour Iohn 4.14 shall never thirst with a tormenting and deadly thirst but the water that I shall give him shall bee in him a well or fountaine of water springing up into everlasting life Come unto me saith hee againe Mat. 11.28 all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Certainely the cause why wee have so little rest so little comfort is because we come not to him because we seeke not comfort in him if we would come to him wee might find comfort enough in him against all the angvish of our soules bee it never so great A man shall be saith the Prophet Esa. 32.2 speaking of Christ as an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shaddow of a great rocke in a watry land See in how many words and with what variety of most apt Metaphors the holy Ghost teacheth that there is no kind of affliction or distresse of mind that any of Gods people can bee subject unto but there is sufficient ease and comfort to bee found in Christ against it He is able to save them to the uttermost saith the Apostle Hebr. 7.25 that come unto God by him And what are the grounds of this aboundant and all-sufficient comfort that the humbled and afflicted soule of every believer may find in Christ Surely these inestimable benefits that wee have heard in the Doctrine every true beleever receiveth by him 1. Because hee hath purchased by his precious blood our pardon and blotted all our sinnes out of God debt-booke and made us as cleane in Gods sight as if we had never sinned 2. Because by his perfect righteousnesse and fulfilling of Gods law for vs and in our stead he hath made us more perfectly righteous before God then if we had in all points observed the whole law our selves Both these points I will handle distinctly and shew you that they are sound grounds of comfort yea the only sound grounds of true comfort For the first of these See how just a cause of comfort it is to every afflicted soule to know his sins are pardoned Esa. 40.1 2. Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith your God speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem See how earnest God is in charging his ministers to comfort his people yea to comfort them effectually to be diligent and zealous in this worke and beat much upon this and whereas they might have said Alas how should wee comfort thy people that are so much dejected and afflicted in spirit To this the Lord answers Cry unto her that her warrefare is accomplished all the enemies of her salvation are fully vanquished her iniquitie is pardoned for shee hath received at the Lords hand in Christ her surety double for all her sinnes As if hee had said perswade her in this assure her of this and this will comfort her aboundantly So when our Saviour would comfort Mary Magdalene who was as much humbled and troubled in mind as any poore Christian can be her sorrow was so aboundant as she was able to wash his feet with her teares how doth he seeke to comfort her Woman saith hee Lu. 7 48 50. thy sins are forgiven thee goe in peace As if hee had said Thou hast cause to be comfortable and cheerefull for thy sins are forgiven O this peace of God the comfort and joy that riseth from the knowledge of the pardon of our sinne and reconciliation with God is said Phil. 4.7 to passe all understanding No heart can conceive how sweet how blessed and comfortable a thing it is but that only that hath felt and enjoyed it David could tell what it was from his owne experience and therefore saith Psal. 32.1 2. Blessed is hee or the blessednesses of that man for the word that hee useth there is not an adjective but a substantive hee speaketh not in the concrete as wee say but in the abstract neither is it a word of the singular but of the plurall number that hee useth to expresse himselfe by As if hee should say ô the compleate the full the infinite happinesse of that man whose transgression is forgiven whose sin is covered ô the infinite and unspeakable happinesse of that man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity As though hee had said This is even enough to make a man perfectly happy if his sinnes bee forgiven him nothing can make that man miserable that hath once obtained this And the reason of this is evident For 1. sinne is the
after Sermons these holy brethren that stand so much upon sincerity and can abide nothing that savours of Popery these precise fooles that must be singular forsooth that dare not sweare by small oathes were all well taxed to day We see they are no better than hypocrites all these things have beene found in hypocrites we heare Let no man I say say so For though these things have beene found in some hypocrites yet are they no signes to know an hypocrite by neither are they all hypocrites that do thus neither is an hypocrite that doth thus an hypocrite for that cause because he doth thus But thou in scorning any man for this very thing because he maketh profession of religion because he goeth to Sermons because he useth prayer and so seemeth more holy than his neighbours because he is scrupulous in the smallest thing that he thinketh to be a sinne bewrayest the profanenesse of thine owne heart and openest thy mouth against heaven as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 73.9 All these five things that I have instanced in are such things as God is highly pleased with and hath promised great reward unto as I will shew you particularly First It is a singular good thing to love and delight in the sound Ministery of the Word and such a thing as a Christian may take much comfort in Great peace have they saith David Psal. 119.165 that love thy Law And by the Law and Word of God the same thing is meant throughout that Psalme and nothing shall offend them And on the other side That man can have no true goodnesse in him that hath no love to the Word that careth not for it For faith commeth by hearing of the Word as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.17 Yea he must needs be in a most wofull estate though he feele it not For He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 28.9 even his prayer shall be abomination And what shall other his actions be if his prayer be so Secondly It is a singular good thing also to use prayer constantly The Holy Ghost praiseth Cornelius for this Acts 10.2 that he prayed unto God alway As if he should have said He kept a constant course in prayer He that useth it must needs receive a blessing from God by it This is so ordinary a thing with God to blesse them much that pray much that our Saviour saith Matth. 7.8 Every one that asketh receiveth It is said of Obed-Edom 2 Sam. 6.11 that while the Arke of God continued in his house the Lord blessed him and all his houshold And the blessing that he received by it was so sensible and apparent that others were able to take notice and to tell David of it It was told to David saith the holy story 2 Sam. 6.12 that the Lord had blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertained unto him because of the arke of God And certainly there is no family where prayer and Gods Worship is constantly used morning and evening but the whole family useth to receive a blessing by it Yea God hath been wont to shew such respect unto this duty that he hath oft rewarded it and given a blessing unto it a temporall blessing I meane not onely when it hath beene performed by his owne faithfull servants with a good heart but even when it hath been used also by such as have had no truth of grace in them at all As appeareth in the example both of Iehoabaz the King of Israel 2 King 13.4 5 and of the mariners Ion. 1.14 15. And on the other side as they can have no true goodnesse in them but are Atheists in heart that use not to pray Psal. 14.14 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God He calleth not upon God so the many houses where no prayer is used seeme to prosper as well as any other doe yet certainly God hath given sentence already against them in that Propheticall prayer which we read Ier. 10.25 Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy Name There wanteth nothing but that God give order for the execution of this sentence which he hath already given against them which how soone and in what manner he will doe it is knowne onely to himselfe no man can tell Lecture CXXXV On Psalme 51.7 Decemb. 22. 1629. IT followeth now that we confirme the same unto you in the other three particulars And for the third Although there be as I shewed you some hypocrites that seeme to be strict observers of the Sabbath Day yet is that no signe of an hypocrite neither is the conscionable and precise observation of the Sabbath to be misliked ever a whit the more for that For it is a singular good thing to be strict in the observation of the Sabbath and such a thing as God is highly pleased with and hath been wont to reward wheresoever he findeth it I will give you a full proofe of this in one particular To keepe a bodily rest upon that day from all our owne workes is but one particular that is required of us in the observation of the Sabbath Nay that is as I may say but the outside of the commandement and concerneth onely the outward man the outward and bodily observation of it Of the fourth commandement as well as of all the rest that may truely bee said which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.14 of the whole Law We know saith he that the law is spirituall The spirituall observation of it by the inward man when wee call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable as the Prophet speaketh Esa 58.13 That is When wee can joy in that day as in the Lords owne holy Day and esteeme it in our heart a farre greater and more honourable Day than any other day keeping the rest and performing the duties of the Day cheerefully reverently conscionably spiritually This spirituall observation of it I say by the inward man is the chiefe thing that God requireth of us in the fourth commandement The outward and bodily observation of it which may bee performed by a man that hath no truth of grace in him at all is nothing in Gods account in comparison of this And yet of this bodily observation of the Sabbath by the outward man the resting from our owne workes is but the least part The exercising of our selves upon that day in doing of the Lords worke the spending of it in such holy duties both publike and private as may breed and increase grace and sanctification in us is a greater matter and more pleasing to God a great deale than that is No man may think hee hath kept the Sabbath well because hee resteth from all the labours of his calling upon that Day So farre forth the bruit beast thy oxe and thy horse keepeth the Sabbath as well as thou For so is the expresse commandement Deuteronomie 5.14 Neither thy
both thy selfe and others that are no whit inferiour unto them but farre beyond them in knowledge and grace doe think otherwise of them There may be difference in judgement even betweene godly and good men and one may see that to be a sinne which another man every whit as good as he cannot be perswaded to be so The Apostle Paul and those that joined with him Galathians 2.12 13. knew it was a sinfull and unlawfull thing to withdraw and separate themselves from eating and conversing with the beleeving Gentiles in the presence of the Iewes and for feare of offending them though neither Barnabas nor Peter men no whit inferiour to them in knowledge and grace could discerne it to be so Christians may not condemne or judge one another to be hypocrites for their difference in judgement in these smaller matters Who art thou saith the Apostle Rom. 14.4 that judgest another mans servant To his owne master hee standeth or falleth Secondly It may well bee that some men even some good men are through want of knowledge and weaknesse of judgement righteous over much and make scruple of those things which no law of God bindeth them to make scruple of Els Salomon would never have said Eccl. 7.16 Bee not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise Such a one was he of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 14.2 Another that is weake eateth herbs As if he should say It was his ignorance and weaknesse of judgement that made him so scrupulous and fearefull to eate any thing which by the ceremoniall law which was now abrogated had beene forbidden But no man must be despised or judged to be an hypocrite because of this For that is directly against the Apostles rule Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Thirdly There is no just cause why wee should judge or thinke the worse one of another either for using or not using our liberty in this case Because the thing that is in it owne nature lawfull and lawfully also used by one man it may be in another man a damnable sin to do it And that upon these two grounds First Because the one knoweth and is perswaded of the lawfullnesse of it which the other is not but doubteth it to be a sin I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle Romanes 14.14 that there is nothing no creature of God uncleane of it selfe But to him that esteemeth any thing to bee uncleane to him it is uncleane Why will you say Can the opinion of man make any thing cleane or uncleane lawfull or unlawfull No not in it owne nature but to himselfe it may For a man to doe any thing that hee doubteth to bee unlawfull is a damnable thing Hee that doubteth saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 is damned if he eat because hee eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne The conscience of a man though it bee deceived though it bee erroneous yet hath a binding power and it is a matter of great danger for any man to goe against it All men must seeke to informe their conscience aright by the Word of God which is the onely true rule to guide our conscience by Let every man bee fully perswaded in his owne mind saith the Apostle Romanes 14.5 But though it be a sin for a man not to seeke to have his conscience rightly informed and instructed by the Word yet is it a double sin in him to do any thing against his conscience If thou therefore see a man who is otherwise conscionable in all his waies scrupulous and fearefull to doe that which thou knowest and art fully perswaded hee may lawfully and ought to doe pity him informe him instruct him and labour to bring him out of his errour but scorne him not hate him not maligne him not for it Secondly The one is able to use or doe the thing that hee knoweth to bee lawfull lawfully and take no hurt by it the other though he know the thing to be lawfull yet findeth that through his weaknesse he is not able to use it but he shall receive hurt by it All things are lawfull for me saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient all things are lawfull for mee but I will not bee brought under the power of any And certainely this is the thing that restraineth many a good man from the use of sundry recreations which he doth not doubt to be lawfull in themselves because he findeth his owne weakenesse to bee such as he cannot use them without receiving much hurt by them And this would restraine many more from them if they had that care of their owne soules as they ought to have To conclude therefore this first branch of the point we have in hand If thou seest any man that loveth the word that useth constantly prayer in his family that seemeth to bee a strict observer of the Sabbath day that hateth popery that is strict and precise even in the smallest things If thou seest I say any such a one to bee a drunkard or an uncleane person or unjust in his dealings or carelesse of his Word or a busie body or negligent in his calling hate these things in him in Gods name nay hate them in him more then in another man because hee maketh so good a profession and because his sinne bringeth more reproach upon the Gospell then another mans would doe But take heed thou hate him not because of his profession because of any of those good things thou discernest in him For if thou dost thou wilt be found to be a hater of God and of his grace and neere unto that sinne that can never bee pardoned which the Apostle calleth Hebrewes 10.29 A doing of despite to the spirit of grace And what comfort canst thou have either in life or death if thou bee a hater of God if thou doe despite unto the spirit of grace What remaineth for thee when God shall open thine eyes and cause thee to see thine owne estate but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement as the Apostle speaketh there ver 27. and of fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries the adversaries of God the haters of God O it is a fearefull thing to hate any man for his goodnesse take heed of it I beseech you As we have no surer note that we are translated from death to life that we are in the state of grace then this if we love the brethren as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Iohn 3.14 If we can love a disciple in the name of a disciple as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 10.42 so can we have no certainer a signe that there is no grace in us but we are in the very gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity as the the Apostle speaketh Acts 8.23 then this when we hate the brethren when we hate a disciple a professour in the name of a disciple and professour even
men So speaketh the Lord likewise of them Esa. 58.3.4 that used much not ordinary prayer only but extraordinary fasting and prayer yea seemed in their fasts to afflict their soules and to be much humbled but even then when they seemed so devout and holy they lived in strife and debate they used to smite with the fist of wickednesse Though they seemed to be very religious yet were they most malicious men Now they that live in grosse and notorious sinnes oppression malice uncleannesse drunkennesse cousenage and such like though they make never so good a profession as in all ages the Church hath had many such are most palpable and grosse hypocrites Neither ought they to be ever a whit the better thought on for their good profession Let such either leave their grosse sinnes or forsake their good profession or else the better profession and shew of goodnesse they make the more odious they will make themselves both to God and man Secondly some of those hypocrites that I told you of that seemed to have very good things in them did not only live in grosse sinne while they made so good a profession but they did make so good a profession for this cause principally that they might thereby the better cloake and colour their foule sinnes For this wee have a proofe in the example of that ruler of the Synagogue of whom we heard out of Luke 13.14 15. he could not without great indignation see Christ heale and the people come to be healed by him on the Sabbath day and our Saviour calleth him hypocrite for this Why Because hee could not see the Sabbath broken without great indignation Or because hee out of his ignorance tooke that to be which was not indeed any breach of the Sabbath day No verily our blessed Saviour would never have passed so sharp a censure upon him for either of these causes But Christ knew that not his zeale for the Sabbath but his malice against him was the true cause of his indignation and therefore the Evangelist Verse 17. Calleth him Christs adversary This malice against Christ he durst not for feare of the people make open shew of He findeth no fault with Christs healing but with the peoples travelling to be healed on the Sabbath day He cloaketh his malice against Christ with this â—aire pretence of his great zeale for the Sabbath day This also is most grosse and palpable hypocrisie yea the most odious kinde of hypocrisie that can be when men shall use Religion as a cloake to hide sinne when men shall professe goodnesse of purpose that they may the more safely and with the lesse suspition commit any sinne And yet many such vile wretches have beene in all ages and are still to be found in the Church of God One example only I will give you for this though I might give many which haply you may out of your owne knowledge paralell in these times And that is that woman of whom we read Pro. 7. who though she were a most impudent Whore yet could say to the foole whom she entised unto lewdnesse Verse 14. I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes She did use to performe not the ordinary duties of Religion only and such as God did enjoyne and require of all men such as peace offerings were but to shew more then ordinary zeale and love to piety she made vowes also unto God which was a free and voluntary service whereunto by no expresse law she was tyed nay and she duly paied her vowes too How could her husband or any body else ever suspect this devout and religious woman to be a Whore Nay this was certainely one of the strongest arguments she used to allure the young man to folly and to cloake and hide from him her extreame filthinesse that she seemed so Religious and good a soule For this was the effect of her speech unto him though the love I beare to thee above all men in the world make me desire to enjoy and take my pleasure with thee yet I would not have thee thinke me to be a prophane and lewd and common strumpet No I feare God love Religion and goodnesse I thanke God I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes Would any honest heart think it possible that one that liveth so lewdly should seeme so Religious yea that they should seeme so Religious for this purpose only that they might live so lewdly Yet you see so it hath beene and so it is with too many in these dayes they would not come so constantly to Church as they doe but only for this cause that they might more freely and with lesse suspition continue the dishonesty and lewdnesse that they use at home These persons certainly take Gods Name in vaine in an high degree and let them be sure The Lord will not hold them guiltlesse that take his Name in vaine Exod. 10.7 specially in so foule and odious a manner as this is To every such a one I may say as the Apostle doth in another case unto Ananias Acts 23.3 God shall smite thee thou whited wall that usest to cover thy rottennesse with this vernish How soone he will smite thee or in what manner or degree he will smite thee is knowne only to himselfe but certainly God shall smite thee thou painted wall that makest Religion a cloak for any lewdnesse whatsoever it be The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 21.27 How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde The hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament and prayer that any lewd man useth is abominable unto God how much more the hearing and receiving and praying of these men that doe these things to this end that they may sin the more freely Now these two sorts that I have already named are so grosse and palpable hypocrites as many of you wil easily discerne your selves to be better then they The other three are closer hypocrites a great deale yet hypocrites too and odious unto God The third sort of those I told you of that had very good things in them and yet were no better then hypocrites were such as though they lived not in grosse sins yet the Religion and goodnesse they made profession of had no power in them to reforme their hearts and lives Of this sort were they I told you of out of Ezek. 33.30 32. 1. They came constantly to the Ministery of the word 2. Even to the Ministery of Ezekiel who did not use to preach Placentia unto them but was wont plainly and roundly to reprove their sinnes they shunned him not nor liked the worse of him for that 3. They tooke great delight to heare him his preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument 4. They professed great love to his person 5. They used when they had heard him to talke
right hand of my righteousnesse And Vers. 14. Feare not thou worme Iacob thou that art so base and contemptible in thine owne eye I will helpe thee saith the Lord. Yea of all the faithfull those that are now before-hand so fearfull and weake have most promises of God that he will give them strength sufficient when the time of tryall shall come Out of weakenesse they were made strong as you heard Hâ—b 11.34 My grace is sufficient for thee saith the Lord to Paul 2 Cor. 12.9 for my strength is made perfect in weaknesse He giveth power to the saint saith the Prophet Esa. â—0 29 and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Certainly if Gods people would make use of their faith in making claim to these promises of God and challenging of him in humble prayer the performance of them unto themselves they could not be so tormented with slavish feares as they are The fourth and last corruption that much troubleth the best of Gods people is the hardnesse of their hearts they cannot mourne they say nor weep for their sinnes they are not sensible either of the judgements or mercies of God they cannot pray nor heare nor read nor receive with any feeling or affection at all See how Gods people complaine and were afflicted with this Esa 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our heart from thy feâ—râ— Now the best way that any soule can take to cure this stoninesse of the heart to make it soft and tender able to mourne kindly for sinne and to serve God with feeling and affection is to get assurance by a lively faith of Gods love to him in Christ and of the forgivenesse of his sinnes Foure notable experiments we have for this two in the old Testament and two in the new The first is that of Gods people mentioned in Ezek. 36.28 31. after that they were become Gods people and God was become their God and he had saved them from all their uncleannesses as you read Vers. 28 29. that is after that they were entred into the covenant of grace assured of Gods favour and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes then shall ye remember saith the Lord of them Vers. 31. your owne evill wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your owne sight for your iniquity and for your abominations Nothing hath that force to make a man loath himselfe for his sinnes as the knowledge and consideration of Gods love in the pardoning of his sinnes and the receiving of him into a covenant of grace and mercy that hath beene so extreamely unworthy of it The second experiment of this force of faith to soften the heart is that of Gods people whom the Prophet speaketh of Zach. 12.10 that they should mourne as one mourneth for his onely sonne and be in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne And the Prophet alledgeth two causes of this 1. The Spirit of grace that God had powred upon them that is the Spirit of adoption whereby God had assured their hearts of his favour and love in Christ. 2. The looking upon Christ whom they had pierced that is the weighing with themselves seriously what Christ had done and suffred for them And therfore also it is said they mourned for him they were in bitternesse for him It is the Spirit of grace and adoption assuring us of Gods fatherly love to us in Christ it is the weighing with our selves seriously how dearely Christ hath loved us that will make us mourne for sinne more than for any thing in the world all the terrours of the law all the judgements of God are of no force to soften the heart in comparison of this The third experiment of this is in Mary Magdalen Luke 7. Of her we read Ver. 38. that she had a very soft heart she was able to weep abundantly for her sinnes so abundantly as she could wash Christs feet with her teares And what was it that made her heart so soft Surely the knowledge and assurance she had of Christs marvellous love to her in pardoning her sinnes her so many and so hainous sinnes was that that did it as our Saviour plainely telleth us Vers. 43 48. The fourth and last example is that of Peter of whom we read Luke 22.62 that he had a most soft heart he was able to weepe bitterly for his sinnes And what was it that wrought so upon his heart That the Holy Ghost telleth us Vers. 61. The Lord turned and looked upon Peter and Peter remembred the Word of the Lord how he had said unto him before the cocke crow thou shalt deny me thrice When he considered the marvellous love of Christ to him that though he had so shamefully denied and forsaken him yet he was pleased still in the midst of all his troubles to think upon him to have care of him to turn himself about and cast a gracious eye upon him this brought Peter to remember what he had done this even broke his heart and made him weep abundantly And surely look what force a true and lively faith had in all these examples the same it would have in us if we did stir it up and make use of it as they did The true cause why our hearts are so hard is this that either we have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in Christ or if we have it we make not use of it unto this work of softning our hearts For all that are in the covenant of grace reconciled to God in Christ have this promise given them of God Ezek. 11.19 which is also repeated 36.26 I will take saith the Lord the stony heart out of their flesh and I will give them an heart of flesh And if any of the faithfull when they are most troubled with the hardnesse of their hearts could make claime unto this promise and presse the Lord with it as he loveth to be importuned as you may see Luke 18.1 7 certainely they might have helpe against it And so much for the force that faith hath in the first part of our sanctification for the mortifying of sinne The second part I must leave till the next day Lecture CXLI On Psalme 51.7 Febr. 23. 1629. IT followeth now that I shew you likewise the force of justifying faith in the second part of true sanctification in making us partakers of the divine nature and renewing the image of God in our hearts in producing the fruits of the Spirit in us in the breeding and working of every saving grace When a man is once justified by faith in Christ is reconciled unto God through his bloud then shall he bring forth fruit unto God and never till then This will make the heart of a man fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and nothing but this will ever be able to doe it For the first that is to say that faith will make the heart fruitfull we have a plaine proofe in that speech of the
faith that God hath so loved him hee cannot choose but love him againe and serve him out of love and not out of feare onely Faith worketh by love saith the Apostle Galathians 5.6 As if hee had said The first and chiefe fruit that it putteth forth and whereby it sheweth that life and efficacy that is in it is this it breedeth in the heart that hath it an unfained love unto God Yea proportionable to our faith and the assurance wee have of Gods love to us will our love unto God bee Many sinnes are forgiven her saith our Saviour Luke 7.47 for shee loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth but a little Certainely beloved the true cause why the most of us beare no more love to God and goodnesse then wee doe is this that either wee have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in the pardon of our sinnes or els wee have knowne but few sinnes by our selves and have beene but a little humbled for sinne and therefore we are not much affected with the mercy and love that God hath shewed to us in the pardon of our sinnes Now for the force that is in justifying faith to quicken and enable us unto every good duty which is the second particular that I promised to speake of I might be large in the handling of it There is no good duty either towards God or man that thou findest thy selfe most backward in but if thou hadst faith to assure thee of Gods love to thee in Christ and to beleeve the promises that God hath made unto that duty and if thou wouldst also stirre up and exercise thy faith in meditating of Gods mercy and love and of those particular promises thou shouldst find thy selfe thereby made farre more able to performe that duty and to performe it in a holy and comfortable manner then thou art This is that whereby David was wont to prepare himselfe to Gods publique worship I will goe to thine house saith hee Psalme 5.7 in the multitude of thy mercies But I will instance and that briefly too but in two particular duties that is to say the hearing of the word and prayer For the first No man can heare the Word with any affection and fruit till he have faith and be thereby perswaded of Gods love to him in Christ. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. that you may grow thereby if so bee yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious As if he should say Then and not till then you shall be able to doe it God hath made many promises to such as heare his Word Generall promises 1. Hee will ever assist this ordinance and worke with it Matthew 28.20 Goe teach all nations and loe I am with you to the end of the world 2. That hee will save the soules of his people by this ordinance Iames 1.21 Esa. 55.3 3. That by this ordinance hee will begin grace and convert the soule Psalme 19.7 4. That by this ordinance hee will increase and perfect grace where hee hath begun it Vnto you that heare shall more bee given saith our Saviour Marke 4.24 And Acts 20.32 I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up And particular promises God hath also made to them that attend upon this ordinance 1. That hee will by this ordinance give them strength to overcome their strongest corruptions Even a young man may cleanse his way thereby Ps. 119.9 2. That he will by this ordinance worke peace in their consciences Esa. 57.19 How falleth it out then that many of us heare constantly and find no such thing Surely the cause is rendred Hebrewes 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it In our hearing wee make not use of our faith to make claime to these promises and expect the performance of them unto us Secondly For prayer Till a man have some assurance by faith of the pardon of his sinnes and of Gods favour hee can never pray aright nor with any heart and affection Romanes 10 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved It is the spirit of grace that is the spirit of supplications Zach. 12.10 He that goeth to God must apprehend him and conceive of him as of his father Matthew 6.9 And on the other side hee that is by faith perswaded that God is his gracious father cannot choose but resort much to him in hearty prayer Galathians 4.6 O God thou art my God saith David Psalme 63.1 early will I seeke thee And 86.4 5. Vnto the Lord doe I lift up my soule for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thy name Many are the promises that God hath made unto prayer Generall promises that he will heare and answer us Esa. 30.19 Hee will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when hee shall heare it he will answer thee And Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you And particular promises 1. Deliverance from any trouble and affliction Psalme 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Or strength and patience to beare it Iames 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God and it shall be given him 2. Whatsoever spirituall grace we stand in need of Luke 11.13 Your heavenly father will give his holy spirit to them that aske him 3. Inward joy and peace of conscience Iob 33.26 Hee shall pray to God and hee will bee favourable unto him and hee shall see his face with joy Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Iohn 16.24 Why then have wee no more heart to prayer Why receive wee no more good by it Surely wee doe not make use of our faith in thinking of and trusting to these promises of God when we goe to prayer and that is a maine cause of it And let not that man thinke saith the Apostle Iames 1.7 that hee shall receive any thing from the Lord. And thus have I finished those foure Motives I promised to give for the enforcing of this exhortation Lecture CXLII On Psalme 51.7 March 2. 1629. IT followeth now that we proceed unto those signes and notes that I promised to give you whereby they that have received Christ and are justified by him may be knowne And surely there is great need that we should have signes and notes given us in Gods Word whereby this may be discerned and judged of For we finde by experience of all ages that many doe verily thinke that Christ and all his merits doe belong to them who yet did never receive him nor have any title to him at all Many will say to me in that day saith our Saviour Matth. 7.22 23. Lord Lord have we not prophesied in
gives to know his Elect by Iohn 10.5 a stranger one that brings new and strange Doctrine other Doctrine then such as their shepheard doth teach they will not follow but will flee from him Lest they should follow him and bee mislead by him they will flee from him if they should not flee from him they feare they might bee seduced by him Yea though Timothy was himselfe a preacher and a man of rare and excellent gifts too yet the Apostle forbids him to reason much with wrangling spirits and such as would use their wits to dispute against the truth Perverse disputings saith hee 1 Timothy 6.5 of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth From such withdraw thy selfe And if such a man might not bee allowed to reason much with heretickes nor to delight to heare what they could say against the truth and for their errours how much lesse may a private Christian bee allowed to doe thus Say not I shall by hearing and reading what they say discerne the absurdity of their opinions the better and bee confirmed in the truth For first This is not the meane that God hath sanctified to confirme his people in the truth but expressely forbidden it as you have heard heare them not saith hee avoid them flee from them Secondly The way that God hath sanctified to confirme thee in the truth sufficiently and abundantly is the sound ministery of his Word Paul and Barnabas by their preaching confirmed the soules of the Disciples Act. 14 21 22. And Paul sent Timothy by his ministery and preaching to establish the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.2 Thirdly This will be a meane to weaken thee rather and breed doubts in thee and pervert thee then to confirme thee in the truth Remember what Eve got by giving her selfe liberty to conferre and reason with the Serpent specially when she was alone yet was she then in the state of innocency Gen. 3.1 2. If thou wilt needs heare and read what such men can say bee sure thou have some with thee that is able to detect and confirme thee against their errours Neither say secondly But I know my selfe to bee so setled in the truth that nothing they can say against it shall bee able to move mee but I shall bee rather able to convince them For first Many that oppose the truth and teach errour are full of sleight and cunning craftinesse as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.14 and will speake with farre greater probability and shew of reason then thou art aware of Secondly Heresies are workes of the flesh as the Apostle teacheth us Galathians 5.20 and therefore wee are all by nature much more apt and enclined to receive any heresy then the truth No tow no tinder is apter to take the fire then wee are to receive errour Thirdly Of the Minister of God it is indeed required that hee should bee able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainesayers Titus 1.9 hee hath a calling unto it and therefore hee may safely so farre as the necessity of the Church shall require it heare and read what they can say for themselves For while we walke in any of our waies that God hath appointed us to walke in wee have a promise of protection from God Psalme 91.11 Hee will give his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our waies But of every private Christian God requireth not this that hee should bee able to convince the gaine-sayer and answer all his cavills they have no calling unto it and therefore cannot expect the like protection from God to bee kept from taking hurt by it Fourthly and lastly Thou hast just cause to feare that because thou presuming upon thine owne strength dost willfully disobey his commandement who hath forbidden thee to heare them commanded thee to avoid them to flee from them God will leave thee and suffer thee either to bee corrupted or unsetled in thy judgement by them Take Salomon for an example of this who because hee did contrary to the commandement of God presume upon his owne understanding and strength hee was so forsaken of God that every one of his strange wives corrupted him in his judgement and drew him to approve of and practise their severall idolatries 1 Kings 11.8 And certainely many now adaies are daily either altogether corrupted or made unsetled in religion by their voluntary and needlesse reasoning with and reading the bookes of Papists and other hereticks To conclude therefore this first direction Bee not so desirous to heare what such men can say but rather as our Saviour Matth. 10.16 commands us to be wise as Serpents learne that wisedome of the Serpent which the Prophet speaketh of Psalme 58.4 5. Stop thine eare and hearken not to the voice of these charmers charme they never so wisely The second direction of the first kind is this If thou do desire to be constant in thy religiō to keep thy self from being corrupted in thy judgemēt that way take heed of affecting in religiō the knowledge of intricate curious unprofitable things There is a desire of knowledg that is most necessary such as al Gods people are to be exhorted unto and there is a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous and which we must warne you all to beware of Concerning the former First It is certaine that whatsoever God hath hath revealed in his Word as it doth concerne all so all Gods people may and should desire to attaine unto the knowledge of it Nay there is not a Chapter not a verse in all the holy Bible but every one of Gods people might make a profitable use of it if the fault or defect were not in himselfe The things revealed saith Moses Deut. 29.29 belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law There is no part of Gods revealed will but it would further us in our obedience to God if we understood it as we ought to doe Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime in the Old Testament and then much more in the New were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort in the Scriptures might have hope Whatsoever is written in the holy Scriptures would further us in our faith and increase our patience and comfort and hope in all our afflictions if we did understand it aright Secondly No man ought to envy unto the people of God any measure or degree of knowledge in the holy Scriptures that they are able to attaine unto but desire and rejoyce in it rather Wee doe not cease to pray for you saith the Apostle Col. 1.9 and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will Nay though any of our people should equall our selves who are their teachers in the knowledge of the Word and be able to discerne when any of us teach unsoundly or mistake the meaning of the Scripture or play the trevants study not for our Sermons but doe the worke of the Lord
a burden Observe in the Lords speech five things 1. This was one of the greatest sorrowes of Gods people in their captivity that they wanted then their solemne assemblies Though they might have some religious meetings for Gods morall worship yea they had publique fasts then foure times a yeare as appeares Zach. 8.19 yet their assemblies were nothing so solemne so populous as they were wont to be at Ierusalem 2. The Caldeans their enemy were wont to reproach them for this and to say to them to this effect where are your solemne assemblies now as it is said Lam. 1.7 they did mocke at their Sabbaths they joyed to see they could have no such solemne assemblies as they were wont to have as indeed the solemnity and greatnesse of the Church-assemblies hath ever beene a great eye-sore to wicked men 3. It was a burden to Gods people to have this reproach cast upon them they could have twitted them with nothing that would have grieved them more 4. That the Lord saith to his Church of these that were so sorrowfull for the solemne assembly these are of thee these are indeed naturall and kindly children and members of the true Church that do stand thus affected 5. And lastly The promise that the Lord makes to such I will gather them saith the Lord. I will have a speciall respect unto them and though they be thus scattered and dispersed not one of them shall be lost but I will bring them back againe to their own land Thirdly He that hath the spirit of Christ any true love or zeale of God in his heart will joy in the plentifull and free preaching of the Word which is a chiefe part of Gods worship a principall occasion of our most solemne assemblies All that have true hearts to God doe and ought to desire heartily and to pray to God for this When our Saviour had complained Matth. 9.37 that there were so few labourers about Gods harvest he commands his Disciples Verse 38. To pray unto the Lord of the harvest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he would cast forth speedily and without delay send forth or by a strong hand as in a case of present necessity thrust forth labourers many labourers labourers indeed he would have them to be not loiterers or such as should doe the worke of the Lord negligently into his harvest Brethren saith the Apostle 2 Thes. 3.1 pray that the word of the Lord may have a free course 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may run freely that preaching of it may not be hindred or interrupted by any meanes And Col. 4.3 Pray for us saith he that God would open to us a doore of utterance that we may have free liberty to preach the Gospell And as all men you see are bound to pray to God for the increase and liberty of faithfull preachers so will every one that truly loves God and hath any zeale for his glory rejoyce greatly in the liberty of the Gospell and when the truth is plentifully preached Wee reade in the reformation that Nehemiah wrought Neh. 12.44 That Iudah rejoyced for the priests and for the Levites that waited that stood saith the originall They joyed in this as in the chiefe part of the reformation of Religion that they had store of faithfull and able Priests and Levites and that they also stood and were setled and established in their places with liberty and maintenance and all good encouragements And the Apostle Paul was so zâ—alous for much preaching and rejoyced so much in the glory he knew redounded to God by it that speaking of some in Rome that preached the truth and sound Doctrine without all truth and soundnesse of heart he saith Phil. 1.18 Nothwithstanding every way whether in pretence or in truth Christ is preached and I therein doe rejoyce and I will rejoyce saith he Surely they were very bad men of whom he saith Verse 15.16 that they preached Christ even of envy and strife even to adde affliction to his bonds to increase his griefe and trouble who was then in bonds and prison for the Gospell How could Paul rejoyce in such mens preaching will you say Certainely he knew that though they were so bad in themselves yet their Doctrine which was both for matter and manner sound might through Gods blessing upon his owne ordinance become effectuall to the conversion and comfort of Gods elect For be you sâ—re of this that if Paul had beene of that minde that he that is a wicked man himselfe cannot by his Ministery be the instrument of the conversion of another he would never have said of such men as these I doe rejoyce that Christ is preached by them yea and I will rejoyce in it On the otherside he that hath any true love or zeale of God in his heart cannot but grieve for the want of preaching that preaching should be hindred that good Preachers and such as God hath made able and willing to doe him and his Church service should have cause to complaine as Paul doth 1 Thes. 2.18 that Satan hinders them No good man will rejoyce in this but grieve and mourne for it It is said of out blessed Saviour Mat. 9.36 that when he saw the multitude to be like sheep without Shepheards that the harvest was great and the labourers so few that there was such want of preachers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Holy Ghost his bowels eraned in him with inward griefe and compassion of their misery And which of us should not desire to be affected as our blessed Saviour was When Eliah would give unto the Lord himselfe a reason of that griefe and passion he was in which made him weary of his life he alleadgeth this for one chiefe cause of it and healledgeth it twice in that one Chapter 1 King 19.10.14 They have slaine thy prophets with the sword and it was a death to the good man to thinke of that Fourthly and lastly He that hath the spirit of Christ in him will rejoyce to see the Ministery of the word fruitfull in them that doe enjoy it and powerfull to bring them to the obedience of it when it goeth forth conquering men and to conquer more as it was Revel 6.2 said to doe in the primitive Church in those Apostolicall times This made Paul to rejoyce and praise God for the Thessalonians 1 Thes. 1.5 6. For our Gospell came not to you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost and yee became followers of us and of the Lord. This is that that every good heart ought to desire and begge of God not only that the word of the Lord may have a free course but also that it may be glorified as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thes. 3.1 that it may have good successe and prosper in that that God sent it for that is to reforme the hearts and lives of men He that hath any true love or zeale of God in him will rejoyce to see this When the
into the true Church are not yet called to the knowledge and profession of the truth them also I must bring they must needs bee brought into this fould they must needs bee made members of the true Church and brought into the number of them that professe the truth And how must that be done And they shall heare my voice saith he If Christ intend to bring them into his fould to save them they shall heare his voice And how shall they heare without a Preacher Saith the Apostle Rom. 10.14 So that when God with-holds from a people the Preaching of his word though we may not presume to judge of his secret counsell and decree concerning any man or to limit his power yet may we boldly say that this is a fearefull signe that Christ hath no sheepe there whom he meanes to bring unto his fould no elect people there whom hee meanes to save And when God restraines preaching and takes it away from a people for whosoever be the instrument this is his doing certainly Is there any evill in a city and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3.6 we may take it for a signe that the Lord hath no more sheep there whom he means to bring into his fold If God should send upon a land such weather either in seed-time as should rot all the seed in the ground and make it unfruitfull or in the harvest as should rot all the corne when it is come even unto ripenesse or if sending a plentifull and seasonable harvest he should send such a generall mortality and sicknesse among men as none could be got to reap and gather it all men would take this for a signe that God meant to bring a famine upon that land and destroy both man and beast by it yea they would be much affected and mourn extreamly for such a judgement it would be a day of griefe and of desperate sorrow as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 17.11 And yet men know well enough that God can keep men from famine and feed them sufficiently though they have no corn at all as he did all Israel for forty yeares together in the wildernesse Even so it is in this case the Apostle speaking of the state that the Athenians and all other Gentiles had been in before Christs ascension into heaven saith Acts 17.30 that the time of that ignorance while God with-held from the Gentiles the means of knowledge the Ministerie of his Word God regarded not as the old translation well rendreth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did looke over it he did not vouchsafe to looke or set his eyes upon it that is regarded them not cared not what became of men that lived in those dayes For that this is the meaning of the phrase appeares by the contrary Psal. 34 5. The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous that is he respecteth them and hath a care of them in a speciall manner The people that God denieth his Word unto it is a fearefull signe that they are such as God regardeth not cares not what becomes of them And have not we just cause then to mourne when we see preaching restrained Surely if our Saviour had not thought so his bowels would not so have yerned in him to see so few Preachers to see the people like sheepe scattred upon the mountaines without Pastours to looke to them and feed them to see the Lords harvest like to be lost for want of labourers as we see he did Matth. 9 36. But you will object againe It is no marvell sure you should so plead for preaching We have preaching enough in these dayes if that be good Are all saved that have preaching Where have you worse people then where is most preaching I answer That though all be not saved that have preaching but preaching is sent to some obstinate people and continued to them onely to be a witnesse against them and to increase their condemnation as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 24.14 yet is it a just cause of comfort and rejoycing to all Gods people to see sound preaching abound to see store of good Preachers raised up by God Preachers of Gods sending For how can they preach saith the Apostle Rom. 10.15 that is preach profitably and effectually except they be sent of God Yea will you say it is indeed a just cause of joy to see store of those Preachers in the Church that are of Gods sending For those surely are not onely good Preachers but good men too I answer none are Preachers of Gods sending so qualified in all points as he requires but such as are orderly approved to be 1 men able to teach profitably 2 men of unblameable lives But a man may be a Preacher of Gods sending though he be an hypocrite and have no truth of grace in his heart as those were I told you of the last day out of Phil. 1.18 and as Iudas was he was sent of God to preach Matth. 10.4 7. yea and God wrought with him â—oo as is plaine by that we read Luk. 9.6 and yet he was but an hypocrite in heart he never had truth of grace in him when he was at the best When therefore we see store of such Preachers as are men able to teach profitably and we may be sure such are of Gods sending and we have just cause to rejoyce in it For it is a certaine signe not onely that God hath a true Church among us a company of elect ones but also that he hath among us more people to be gathered and brought into his fold that he meanes not yet to remove our candlestick but to continue and inlarge the bounds of his Church amongst us For God did never send the Ministery of the Word to such as were all reprobates or for the reprobates sake onely or principally to harden them and increase their condemnation but for his elects sake principally he sends his Word to any people This was the cause saith the Apostle Eph. 4.12 why God gives Preachers For the perfecting of the Saints and for the edifying of the body of Christ. So the Apostles were sent Mat. 6.10 to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel to bring the Lords sheepe his elect that were in Israel into his fold So when God sent Paul to Corinth and maintained his liberty there a yeare and a halfe he gives this for the reason of it Acts 18.10 For I have much people in this city saith he It is a signe God hath much people there where he placeth able and good Preachers and maintaineth them in peace and liberty for any time So you see to conclude this first reason of the point that in respect of the love we owe to all men and the desire we should have of their salvation we are bound to rejoyce in the liberty of the Gospell and grieve to see it hindred and interrupted any way The second reason is the respect we owe unto our selves and to the Church and