I do not wonder that all sorts of sects and heresies though they be of contrary principles in particular should meet and concurre in this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or liberty to live by their own lawes unaccountable to others and independent Those that are commonly called Independents are far off from making the Church to be such a Romulus his asylum a Sanctuary for all commers they allow that Jerusalem shall reach forth her hand as far as Antioch neither I think do they plead the letting alone of the tares untill the harvest Matth. 13. 30. against the censures of the Church or the faces securim of the Magistrate but I am sure of this that he that saith Let both grow together until the harvest doth not give way to any man to sow them An enemy hath done this but enough of this at this time There are others that go about with liberty too and cry a liberty from the obligation of the Morall Law as a rule a liberty from poenitential sorrows fastings humiliations to them that are regenerate a liberty from sinning or if not so yet from asking pardon for it if they be in Christ These are great liberties indeed but they are glorious liberties reserved unto another world if any man promise you them here on earth he takes upon him to antedate the time of them There are certain fruits and effects of Christs Redemption of us which are payable only in the world to come There is yet another liberty which some will promise and that is a liberty of sensual lusts and fleshly loosnesse It was Balaams bait whereby he invited the Israelites to the idolatry of Baal-peor and the Apostle finds these false teachers baiting their hook with the same 2 Pet. 2. 18. They allure through the lusts of the flesh through much wantonnesse and ver 14. Having eyes full of adulteries or of an adulteresse as the originall carries it and again ver 2. many shall follow their lascivious wayes for some copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But you will say Is there any such affinity between seducing by doctrine and sensuality How is it that the Apostle charges these teachers with such filthy lusts I shall answer but little to this question as God for idolatry which is spiritual fornication gives men and women up to that which is corporall for it s said Rom. 1. 25 26. They changed the truth of God into a lie for this cause God gave them up to vile affections so will God shame and discredit the errours that are set up against his truth by the lusts that keep company with them They undervalue and cast dirt in the face of al that stand in their light this is an old way of insinuating into people the wolves perswade the sheep that their Shepherds feed them to fleece them that so they may the easilyer worry them It is not much that we are called legall Preachers time-servers persecutours inquisitours what not The devill must first asperse God to Eve before he prevail with her and those popular preachers could not reigne at Corinth but by bringing Paul into dis-esteem if they could His letters say they are weighty and powerfull but his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10. 10. It s easie for men to ingratiate themselves with their party by espying faults in every Ordinance and Administration never so well constituted we see beauty enough and find no want of light in the Sun though they that look upon it through their Galilean glasses discover spots in it as big as all Asia or Africk as themselves say They wrest the Scriptures 2 Pet. 2. 16. making it to speak upon the rack that which it never meant partiality and affection to their own opinion is an ill medium to look through Pull the staffe out of the water and it will not be crooked how often do men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compell the Scriptures to go two mile when of themselves they will go but one we should tremble to put words into the mouth of those Oracles which we do by mis-inferences and mis-applications 1. By mis-inference drawing forth that which they will not yeeld as the Sadduces proved no Resurrection because seven brethren had taken one woman to wife Matth. 22. 28. unto whom our Saviour answers that though they cited a place of Scripture yet they erred not knowing the Scripture for not he that repeats the words but takes up the true sence is the man that knows the Scriptures We must not mangle and cut one joynt from another and expound one sentence against the whole stream I would men would tremble to take Gods hand which he hath set to his own Word and set it to a lie of their own it were odious to serve a man so 2. By mis-application of general rules to particulars For it hath been observed that it is a great cause of many evils not to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arrian in epictet able to adapt common principles and generall rules to particular cases or actions for how often is a general rule of Scripture brought for the warrant of an unlawfull action As if the Apostle should have eaten with scandall upon the rule of All things are pure to the pure so we know how men first imagined a decency and order in superstitious ceremonies and then warranted them by that Let all things be done decently and in order we fear not to say that no man can prove the calling of our Ministers or the Baptisme of our infants or the Morall Law to be null c. but by the torture of the Scriptures They recommend their doctrine upon some private pretended revelation and light of their own or by some effects thereof which they seeme to have found in themselves since they became therewith acquainted as that they have found such experiments of it in themselves as they never had before they are more lively cheerfull comfortable c. As for their revelations or light what is it they mean by them Doe they mean that the vaile is taken off the Scripture or rather their eye so that they have a cleerer spirituall discerning into and savour of and affection to the Word Or do they mean by revelation some secret sealings or assurances which are indeed private to their own soules like the white stone of absolution with their own names written thereon These are admirable first-fruits of the Spirit and of glory Happy are they to whom God in this wildernesse gives to taste these Clusters of Canaan-Grapes And for the effects of the word which they find in themselves as attestations of the truth power and goodnesse of the word I find the Apostle appealing to the sense of beleevers to attest the doctrine of the Gospel Gal. 3. 2. received ye the Spirit by the preaching of the law or by the hearing of faith But now what is all this to the revelation or effects of new and strange
14. Arise let us flee for we shall not else escape Or 2. to bear himself up by such things as might seem to make for him Jerusalem adhered to him in their affections the Priests and Levites followed him all the countrey thereabout wept for him ver 23. some faithful men were resolved to run the same hazard with him But whatsoever made either against him or for him as if the total sum on both sides had been but Cyphers set over against one an other He resolves himself and all into God if I find favour in his eyes c. but if he say thus I delight not in thee c. and if we view David well we shall observe that he was a man very happy in this frame of spirit Doth Michol scoffe him for his zeal I will be more vile saith he it is for God Doth Shimei curse him its God that hath bidden him Hath he lost all at Ziglag why yet he encouraged himself in God Doth he flie before his son he resignes himself up into the hand of God and indites a Psalm namely the third Psalm wherein is the first Selah in all the book of Psalmes he had it seemes his elevations of spirit even at this time what an excellent spirit is there in a godly man he will be happy either in the fruition of God in peace or in submission to God under calamity he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath a square side to fall upon be he thrown where or how the enemy can Vse That which I draw from this first head by way of use is to exhort you to resolve all your thoughtfulness cares feares doubts questions upon God What without use of means No that 's madness as we must sow to the spirit so we must serve providence God will not be tempted into miracles David at this time had sent forth his espialls and intelligencers he had a counter-mining Hushai in the counsels of the enemy To have means in our hand and not to use them is secure unbelief to use them and trust in them is proud unbelief and this is our epidemick sin when we ride upon the arm of flesh then we gallop when we are unhorst and smitten off that then we lie despondent and cannot keep our legs either we swell or sink in our victory and successes hitherto God hath first shown us the vanity of our strength and then made bare his own arm It s even some losse to our selves that he must distrain for his honour before we give it to him In our successes we are proud rather then thankful in our strokes we are rather broken then humbled oh that we would cast away these bladders that help to drown us The stile of man is Alexander or Caesar hath gotten such a victory But the stile of Scripture is The Lord dicomfiled Sisera before Barak Iudges 4. 15. 23. It was said the sword of the Lord and of Gideon How poor an army was it with which the sword of the Lord was coupled yet the victory was so examplary and signal that it is made a pattern of an utter overthrow Isay 9. 4. as in the day of Midian and again do to them as to the Midianites Psa 83. 9. and therefore as it is in Tragoedies when the scene is come to such a paroxism or such a knot as there seems to be no way out then Deus a machina comes in and heales all So when things are doubtful desperate inextricable let God have your eyes who can resolve every riddle and lead you out of the Labyriuth And there is reason for it why at such a time as this when there is so much at stake you should resolve all your thoughts into God because events and issues are his duty is yours but issues are out of your Sphaere The Enemy may heat his oven but he cannot make the fire to burn the three children Balaam may set up his Altars and offer his sacrifices but he cannot speak inchantments when he hath done all he can It may be observed that though the devil begin the tragedy with Iâ—b and the Sabeans and Caldeans act in it yet the end is not called theirs it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 James 5. 11. The end of the Lord Whatsoever the premises may be God drawes the conclusion and that by another manner of inference than is in our mood and figure we have this hope that if God bring his people into the wilderness he will also bring them out He will give them their vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope Hosea 2. 15. Let us not trouble our selves about that which is Gods work and not ours let us not only look at the storm that threatens us but to the steers man that sits at the heâ—m to pilot us through all difficulties Noah need not beat his head about a monntain or place for the Ark to rest upon God will find an Ararat in the end He makes Gods favour to him the ground of Gods restoring of him or bringing him back again If I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me back again Free grace is the refuge or the plea of the most righteous man Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations and walked with God and he found favour saith the Text Gen. 6. 8. in the eyes of the Lord but some may say why doth David appeal to favour was he not innocent as to Absolom who rose up against him and as to them that rose up with Absolom was there not sin in the adverse party and godliness on his part there is no question of it but yet David had former sins which were now remembred to him and he flies to meer grace and favour and insists on that plea. It was favour and meer grace that put Noah into an Ark when all the world besides was drowned And what is it but Grace and Favour that hath shut you up into an Ark of safety Now when so many Families and Countries are brought under spoil and misery and which is not the least part of mercy hath freed you from temptations of betraying either your lives or your consciences and from being put to such disguisements of your selves as Dawas when he changed his behaviour before the Philistines 1 Sam. 21. 13 When God comes down in judgement against a people there is ordinarily a reason to be found in themselves The Marriners knew that the storm fell upon them for some cause and therefore they went to the lot And David when the famine did hang upon the Land from year to year inquired of the Lord for what it was 2 Sam. 21. 1 And for our own case there is certainly a reason in our selves why the Sword is so long in our bowels which we should search out upon these days of inquiry for the smarting corrosive would drop off if it did not find raw matter in the sore which makes it stick
fast and eat into the quick But now for the matter of our recovery if ever God bring us again to shew us his Ark and his Habitation it must it will be meer grace and favour which grace is as powerful as it is free Powerful I say to break through all obstructions lay flat all Mountains of opposition remove all impediments and therefore it is said If I find favour he will bring me again let Absolom let Achitophel let them all do what what they can As some worthy Divines do assert grace to work irresistibly in a mans conversion so may I assert it as irresistible in reducing and bringing back his Churches and people from under the yoke of any enemy God that works graciously works omnipotently and we know as little Why as How This is that which doth most indear God to an unworthy sinner and which doth most kindly melt the heart towards God again Nothing doth so at once ravish the heart into admiration and lay it low in self-confusion The Inferences which I draw from this Point by way of Use to our selves are these 1. Doth David now at this time when he might easily in his affliction see his former sins the greatest that are recorded of him in the Scripture Fasten his eye upon the free grace of favour of God as to which his restoring was possible then why may not we who are now under wrath for those many heynous national sins of ours fly to this free grace of God and therein likewise apprehend a possibility of our restoring we are not shut out by our sins from free grace that which takes away our iniquities is not taken away by them all the aggravations of our sin do not prohibit our application to it nor bind the hands thereof 2. In that David builds not upon the ground of either the enemy his wickedness or his own godliness and integrity but derives his bringing back again from meer favour it may reach us to cast away all false flattering arguments which are the foundations of our proud hopes one while we look on the prophaneness and wickedness of our enemies and gather thence a kind of self-presumption as though God might not use such scorpions to correct his own people withal or not sell the Israelites into the hand of Moab Ammon Philistines people worse than themselves otherwhiles we applaud our own godliness and sincerity and do bottom our expectations rather upon somewhat in our selves than the free grace and favour of God to us Doct. 3 David casts up the events both ways If the Lord will shew me favour then thus If he say I delight not in thee then so He could not resolve himself as touching the particular what God would do with him And are not we in a like predicament at this time doth not the Lord hold us in suspence and is not the ship filled with water again after that it hath been pumped almost empty is there yet any certain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our estate David might have said something for himself Himself was a godly man an honest party adhaered to him The Priests and Levites were ready to follow him and these things were good abodements yet he saith if and if and so it may be with us and therefore we ought to cast up events both ways not to create doubtings in our selves or distrust in God but 1. To this end That we may be fortified against the offence and scandal that may be taken if we should see Christ Jesus led to be arraigned and crucified for what would become of us then that have always expected a temporal and flourishing estate from him Might we not for want of forecast of such a thing come to warm our selves at the High Priests fire and earn it full deerly wiâ—h a non putaram or with the denial of our Lord. 2. To the end that we may know our own hearts for he that feeds himself with confidence that he shall never be moved shal never know his spirit what mettal it is of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or reasonings of his heart will never be known unto him for is it not plain enough that many Samaritans that claim kindred of the Jews whiles they prosper do disclaim their acquaintance when they see them going down are not many of us friends to the fortune of the cause and not to the cause it self Durst Shimei open his mouth against David until he saw him flying Put the case then both ways and search your hearts whether your compass will not vary at such a time but still point to the true pole and whether you can and wil abide in the Ship when it seems neer to breaking all to pieces And there is reason why we should cast up events both ways not so much in respect of the cause it self as in respect of our resolutions and standing to it for the cause of God and of Religion will prosper and will swim on t of all waters of that we have no doubt though the vision be yet for an appointed time Though God drive with Abraham until the date of his body be out yet the promise shall beget Isaaâ— out of a dead root and if there shall not be left an Isralite to rescue the Ark of God out of the Philistims hands the Ark shall rescue it self and come home alone This is our confidence as concerning the cause of God in it self and as touching our selves God hath not left us hopeless for he hath a great harvest of his faithful people in this Land and no Husbandman ever laid his field fallow while the corn was yet standing upon the ground untill he had inned his crop but yet there is reason why we should cast up both events The first reason I shall gather up into three heads Reason 1 1. The sins we lie in and under 2. The unpreparedness that is in us to close with God his â—â—y his truth 3. The ill symptomes that put forth themselves in us 1. The sins we lie in and under and first that masse of National sin which hath been gathering into a heap for fourscore years together and upward sins of all kinds under the Gospel and against the Gospel Idolatry oppression abuse of plenty and peace as the Apostle saith of the workes of the flesh Gal. 5. 19. They are manifest which are these and such like So I say of the sins of this Nation their aggravations are great themselves are great If I should go about to number them I must adde an etcaetera at the end as the Apostle doth and these are they which may justly put in a caveat or a notwithstanding in our way as the sins of Manasses did to the Reformation made by Josiah 2. Kings 23. 26 Notwithstanding the Lord turned not away from the fierceness of his great wrath But then secondly our wilderness-sins threaten us much For as it was not Israels Egipt sinnes which shut them out of Canaan and held