good through his blessing becoming means to draw his Elect nearer to the chiefest good yea let God's Judgments go as high as they can in this World in Plaguing of the wicked Etsi novum videtur quod dicere volo saith Origen dicam tamen Though it be-strange that I will say I will say it Etiam bonitas Dei est qui dicitur furor ejus that which we call the anger of God the wrath of God the Fury of God is the goodnesse of God Luther goes yet higher Hell it self is full of God and the chief good no lesse then Heaven for the Justice of God which shines forth in the damnation of the wicked is God himself and God is the chiefest good And thus much of the Objections made against the Doctrine delivered Let me now shew you the Grounds of it Reas 1 First God is the first and supream cause of all and all second causes are subordinate unto him and but inferiour means to work his Will and in their subordinate operations they are but in the nature of Instruments to the first cause And however there is in Nature a concatenation and linking of Causes together whereby inferiour Causes are subordinate one to another yet so as that all hold their subordination unto God who is the first and principal Cause Hos 2.21 22. I will hear the Heavens saith God and the Heavens shall hear the Earth Hos 2.21 22. and the Earth shall hear the Corn and the Wine and the Oyle and they shall hear Jezreel Man standeth in need of food food is not provided without the help of the Earth the Earth is not fruitful without the Dew of Heaven the Heavens cannot send their rain without God's appoyntment So that he is the principal Cause and first Mover who sets all inferiour means on Work one Creature stands in need of another and depends upon one anothers help none of them can help or work without the next cause to which it is subordinate but all depends upon God he hears them all and by that vertue which they receive from him the first and chief Cause they have all their vertue and efficacy without which they could do nothing In regard whereof all the Effects and Actions of secundary causes are not so properly the effects of them as of that cause which is fiâ—st and principal As the Scribe is more properly sayd to write than the pen which he writeth with and the Workman to do the work rather then the tools which he useth as his Instruments in doing of the Work So the Lord Who is the chief Agent and first Mover in all Actions may more fitly and properly be sayd to effect and bring things to passe then any inferiour or subordinate Cause they being but his Instruments that he works by Who ever then may have a hand in afflicting and punishing of us they are but Instruments as the Rod or Axe in his hand to effect his good will and pleasure he it is that works by them Reas 2 Secondly To revenge is God's Prerogative Three things he reserves to himself The glory of Works and Actions the Judgment of Secrets and the Revenge of Injuries saith one And he saith no more then what the Scripture saith in so saying For it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord Rom. 12.19 Where we see Rom. 12.19 1st God's Challenge Vengeance is mine 2ly His Execution of it I will Repay 3ly His Subscription of his great name thereunto saith the Lord. And that this is the Lords true Act and Deed and a Faithful Copy out of the Original St. Paul the Register of God's Holy Spirit gives witnesse with Scriptum est It is written And so we find it Deut. 32.35 Deut. 32.35 God sometimes may send us our payment by the hand of the Ministers of the Word Who have Vengeance in a readinesse against all disobedience 2 Cor. 10.6 which Vengeance is spiritual saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.6 and mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds verse 6. And is to be understood especially of the threatnings and denunciations of God's Judgments against offenders but the Execution is left to God for that we know He will repay and in his own time fullfil And sometimes that Vengeance is Corporal reaching but the Body which is partly inflicted by his substitutes the Magistrate or other Messengers of his wrath Rom. 13.4 Rom. 13.4 And partly referred to the Lords own hand immediately to inflict Particularly in this Life and Generally at the last great Day of Vengeance 2 Thes 1.8 Whether Vengeance taken 2 Thes 1.8 be mediate or immediate upon Body or Soul or both We know him that hath sayd Vengeance is mine Heb. 10.13 and I will recompence saith the Lord Heb. 10.13 Reas 3 Lastly Every good thing is of God so teacheth St. James 1.17 Jam. 1.17 Now if every punishment be a good thing though not simply in it self and in its own nature but as it is a just work and having a good end as before hath bin shewed we must needs conclude that it hath God for the Authour whoever be the Instrument But this is a Poynt that needs not so much evident Demonstration as serious Consideration and right and seasonable Application which now we fall upon Use 1 From this that hath bin delivered of God's being the principal Author and Efficient of those evils which do befall us They of the Church of Rome would make the World believe that we of the Reformed Church make God to be the Author of sin and that the Adultery of David Treason of Judas c. by our Doctrine were the proper work of God which is a Devilish slander that they cast upon us This we say that in a sinful Action there are two things Actio and Actionis irrectitudo there is an Entity Being or Action and there is of that Entity Being or Action a crookednesse obliquity or naughtinesse which is Actionis Malitia as they call it unlawfulnesse transgression pravity that in every such action is contained Prim. Secun Quest 71. Art 6. Conclus Quest 79. Art 2. Conclus Act. 17.28 And so Aquinas himself doth teach us to distinguish and illustrates the same in a lame legg wherein are two qualities ability to go but inability to go upright the going and stirring that it hath is from the virtue that moveth it from God Almighty in whom we live move and have our beeing But the lamenesse and debility of the legg belongeth to another Cause Distortion Crookedness or some other Impotency in the legg it self So the action or motion it self in every evil action is from a good Author but the evil in the action from a bad Author even from the impure fountain of man's corrupt heart whose imaginations are evil and onely evil continually But our Church hath bin justified by her Children sufficiently in this poynt I passe it Use 2 There are
Ingratitude Besides the share that we have had in those general mercies before mentioned which have not bin small Psal 68.13 Which of us all have not had many Particular nâ—eâ—cies multiplied on him by this our bountiful and gracious God Who called thee from amongst the Pots thy sooty and soylie condition to serve â—im Who planted â—hee in that fruitful Hill that Country County Town Parish Famiâ—y where thou enjoyest so plentifuâ—â—y the meanes of grace which many want Who hath protected and defended thee from the Cradle to this hour and when Father and Mother forsook thee took the charge of thee who hath cast out those â—â—ones which were naturally in thy heart Psal 27. Ezek. 11.19 36 26. Isa 4 4. 1 Pet. 2.11 Joh. 15.2 Psal 68.19 and clean ed thee from those foul lusts mortifâ—ing and subduing them in some good measure which did fight against thy soul Who was it that hath pruned thee with so many fatherly Chastisements and Corrections that thou mightest yet become more fruitful in a holy liâ—e and conversation Who is it that loadeth thee daylie with his blessings undeserved undersired unexpected every morning yea every moment renewed Hath not this good and gratious God done all this for thee and for every soul of us that stands here before the Lord this day Add unto all this that blessing of blessings Gâ—ft of all Gifts Joh. 4.10 his own Son who came down from Heaven was born in poverty lived in penury dyed with intolerable pain and sorrow and all to recover thee and me from our willful fall and to restore us to our former happinesse Now what retuâ—n have we made to God for all his mercies Hath he not great cause to say of us as David of his enemies they have shewed me hatred for my good will Psal 109.5 to the great grief of my Soul He expects Humiliâ—y and behold Pride He looks for Love and behoâ—d Envy for Liberaliâ—y and finds Covetouâ—nesse for Mâ—rcy and meets with cruelty c. Do you so requite the Lord O foolish People and unkind Math. 13.27 Heb. 6.8 We find a great complaint in Scripture of such Soyl as bâ—ings forth Thorns and Weeds and â—ares yet all these are good in their kind and useful to the wise but the worst fruit that the groaning Earth bears is man himself our sinful and unprofitable selves from whom God hath so long expected fruit but after all his cost and pains when he looks for fruit he finds none or worse bad fruit instead of good As this our Ingratitude should humble us for time past Use so we should be stirred up for time to come to make a better return to God than hitherto we have made that he may not be altogether deceived in his hopes When Showrs fall on a Dunghil they cause stink when in the Strees dirt if in desolate places they bring up weeds but if they fall in a Garden they produce herbs and flowres If in a tilled Field corn If in an Orchard fruit If the soyl of our hearts be foul with uncleannesse rank with covetousnesse sowr with lusts c. the rain which now falls upon us will cause an appearance of weeds in us but if you bring hearts thither like a well tilled Field or cultured Vineyard then you will recompense those Instructions which shall be given you with Increase of good fruit The ill requital that we have made to God for all the good we have received from him hath bin in part discovered Now give me leave to discover unto you the vilenesse of this vice Ingratitude that we may shun it and hate it And the rather because we have bin foretold that it is one of those sins that renders these times perilous 1 Tim. 3.1 I am not able with the best skill I have to draw it to the Life and Anatomize it as I ought Could we but see it in its own colours we could not but detest it I must desire you to rest satisfied with that rude draught of it which I shall present unto you And so first take notice that it is a Compounded sin it hath many poysonful Ingredients in it which makes it extreamly evil and amongst others these First Ignorance and such an Ignorance as whereunto mercy is deâ—yed Isa 27.11 He that made them will shew them no favour Isa 27.11 being a people of no understanding it being willful and affected Thus God complains of Israel Isa 1.3 Israel doth not know Isa 1.3 Hos 2.8 and Hos 2.8 She did not know The meaning is they would not know they did shut their eyes and would not acknowledge God to be the bestower of that good which they had in that respect the Oxe and the Asse is preferred to â—srael It is worâ—e then brutishnesse what Creature can you resemble an ungrateful Person unto unlesse it be to the Hog who eats up the Acorns which faâ—l from the Tree and locks not up unto it And yet though they look not up to the Tree whereon the Mast did grow they know their trough and take notice of them that use to feed them at it Secondly Idolatry Ingratitude doth not onely passe by without notice-taking of good bestowed but ascribes all to others Thus Israel ascribed all their plenty their Bread their Wine their Wool their Water c. to their Lovers or Sweet-hearts that is to their Idols and false Gods Hos 2.5 Thirdly Pride is another sinful ingredient that goes to the composition of it Hos 13.6 Their hearts were exalted saith God of ungrateful Ephraim therefore have they forgotten me Hos 13.6 And this is rendered as the reason why Hezekiah returned not to God according to that he had received his heart was lifted up in him 2 Chron. 32.25 2 Chro. 32.25 Psal 73.6 10. There is no one thing in the world that causeth unthankfulnesse so much as Pride Psal 73.6 10. It is Pride that causeth a man to undervalue the Mercy and to overvalue himself as if he deserved better thence it is that God doth so often and strictly warn Israel to beware of it Deut. 8.14 17. Prov. 6.16 Jam. 4.6 1 Pet. 5.5 is a sin that God abhors Prov. 6.16 and resists Jam. 4.6 and no marvel for it resists him other sins fly from God and decline him but this opposeth him to his very face Fourthly Envy that is the Daughter of Pride and will wait upon her Mother where the one is the other will be Non potest quisquam et invidere et gratias agere Sene. we grudge no men the praise of their kindnesse but whom we envy and hate And by experience we have found that true which Tacitus saith of extraordinary favours which lighting upon ill minds cause hatred instead of love whence arose that Proverb so often in use Save a Malefactor from the Gallows Quo plus debent magis oderint Senec. Ep. 19. and he will be the first that will
is sinne And this saith he none denyeth but the wicked only This he proveth for that vertues must be defined not by actions but by the end and likewise from the absurdity which otherwise would follow that an evill Tree should bring forth good fruit contrary to the saying of Christ before mentioned Thus then we answer this cavill Quoad substantiam operis Quoad modum Rom. 2.14 A thing done may be good in the Substance of the work and yet evill in the Manner of doing of it The Substance of every moral Action is its Conformity with the Rule of goodnesse that is the Law when that thing is done which is commanded by the Justice and Equity of the Law and thus the Gentiles which did by nature the things conteined in the Law did good And this Moral goodness in heathen men was without doubt pleasing and acceptable unto God so farr forth as that he liked the work and approved of it with that common allowance which he affords to all things Gen. 20.6 that bear any stamp of his own goodnesse The Circumstances or Manner of the Action consists in the Efficient cause or Person that doth the work and in the End or Scope that he proposeth to himself in the doing of it Heb. 11.4 In the Person is required Sanctification that the work may be acceptable And in the End a right Intention for albeit a good Intention makes not an Action good yet without a good Intention 1 Cor. 10.31 the Action cannot be accepted as good in God's sight The Glory of God in Christ must be the Scope of all our Actions And herein the Heathen failed as doth every other man in the state of Nature their Persons were unholy their consciences defiled their purposes perverse and crooked c. And so albeit the work they did was Ethically and Morally good in the sight of men and to humane purposes yet not being cloathed with all due circumstances they were not Theologically and Divinely good such as to be accepted of into any special favour of Grace yea so far were they from being so that they were no better in God's account then glorious sins Splendida peccata Aug. and beautifull deformities seemed they never so glorious in the eyes of men the like is to be conceived of the works of every unregenerated Person Use 2 Wherefore let every one that would bring forth good fruit and have some comfortable assurance of God's accptance thereof look to his planting Let our gifts of Nature be never so great and excellent yet Va soli Wo to Nature if she go alone Judg. 4.8 Barach durst not venture upon Sisera without Debora went with him no more may Nature venture upon any holy duty without Grace nor shall wee be esteemed for any other Trees then Barren and fruitlesse Joh. 15.4.5 whilst we remain in our naturall soyl of Corruption Without me saith our Saviour you can do nothing The Bud of a good desire the Blossome of a good resolution and the Fruit of a good action all proceeds from our spiritual plantation and ingrafting into Christ who is that Root from whence we have both sap and safety Object But we are all within the Vineyard branches of God's own planting we believe in Christ professe his name c. Resp. And it is a great mercy that we are so many Priviledges belong unto us in being so as the Apostle speaketh of the Jews Rom. 3.2 Wisd 4.9 Rom 3.2 But that external Plantation may not be rested in there are Adulterinae Plantationes Bastard Plants as Wisdom termeth them such as are not planted with that spiritual and internal planting before spoken of Thy planting it may be is from man's Injunctions Joh. 19.12 1 Pet. 1.18 1 Cor. 2.4 or out of some By or Politique respect If you do thus or thus you are not Caesar's friend Or by the Tradition of your Fathers or else the enticing speech of so me man's wisdom humane perswasions effected it and such as these are not Plants of the Father's planting Mat. 15.13 It affoards no further strength then to produce Figg-leavs meer formall and hypocritical Conformities wherewith to cover our nakednesse as Adam did after his fall The Father's planting is into the state of Grace and Regeneration and doth cause us to participate of the life sap and influence of the Root which kind of internal planting is that and onely that which will affoard us true and solid comfort without which the other will but subject men unto sorer condemnation for despising Christ in his Word and Spirit with whom in their Baptism they made so solemn a Covenant Vse 3 You therefore that professe your selvs to be branches of God's planting look to it that the fruits of your plantation be seen in your conversations If Figgs be not found under your leavs where shall we think to find them shall we gather Figgs from Thistles or can we think to find them sooner on the tree growing by the way-fide than on the tree that is planted in the Vineyard of the Lord And yet I read of ten Lepers that were cured by Christ of their Leprosy Luk. 17.16 17. and but one of them returned thanks and he was a Samaritane a stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel God's own arable would not pay the Tythe the wild Forrest did it Act 18.2 And St. Paul finds more kindnesse amongst Barbarians than his own Countrymen they receive him out of the Rain and Cold when his own Nation shall whip him and turn him into the Rain and Cold. Shall Mercy and Fidelity be without the Church and falshood be found in it shall Turks be given to good works as building of Temples Colledges Hospitals and we who call our selvs Christians and Believers spend our Zeal in defacing and demolishing of them Shall they make conscience of their Vows Promises Dealings and we that professe better come short of them many paces What a dishonour would this be to our Religion shame to our Profession And yet so it is to our shame be it spoken that many of us who have blessed means of direction and instruction for the due ordering of our hearts and lives which the Heathen want may yet be sent to School to learn moral honesty of them both in the detestation of grosse enormities and in the conscionable practise of many vertues Woe to such as give occasion to any to tell the World that it is better to trust a Pagan than a Professor and to have dealing with a Turk rather than with a Christian I know not how any such can make their peace with that of our Saviour Unlesse your Righteousnesse shall exceed the Righteousnesse of the Scribes Mat. 5.20 and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Unlesse we have a Righteousness that goes beyond theirs how can we think to escape the nethermost Hell if we exceed them in unrighteous
and cannot do other than right unlesse he should deny himself which is altogether impossible for him to do Gen. 18 25. Deut. 32.4 Job 8.3 34.10 11 Rom. 3.5 6. Secondly He is gracious and slow to anger Exod. 34. Favours are from God's own bowels but Judgments alwaies are forced as the Bee stings not till it be provoaked Thus it is in the maine Poynt of a man's eternall estate man's Salvation is ex mero beneplacito The gift of God is eternall life but his damnation is never without a cause in man The Soul that sinneth shall dy so is it in this case of lesser Good or Evill We may make good Use of this Vse in all Judgments and afflictions that befall our selves or others seem they never so severe Let us learn to justify God and clear him from all injustice Psal 51.4 Rom. 3.4 David indeed complained justly of his enemies that they persecuted him without a cause Psal 35.19 that is In respect of them he had given them no cause so to do but who can charge God with this injustice but he must charge God foolishly and impiously He never smites till he be provoked nor alwaies then God when he doth smite exacteth lesse of us then our sins deserve as Zophar said to Job 11.6 An Ounce of Judgment was never without a Pound of Sin Yet when any Judgment lyes upon us we are too apt to think that God deals therein over-severely with us and are ready to cast a sullen frown upon God with Cur me coedis Why dost thou smite me It is storied of Titus Vespasianus the Emperour that lying on his death bed and looking up to heaven he complained of his Gods saying Immerenti sibi vitam eripi That he deserved not to dy having never committed any thing in his whole life whereof he repented but one surely he had so much the more cause to repent him now But why speak I of him Job was a holy godly man and confessed his own vilenesse and guiltinesse before God as appears Job 40.4 yet he had in himself a secret conceit that he was not so vile and sinfull as to deserue such heavy Afflictions as God had laid upon him which was the reason of God's so speaking to him Job 40 4. Ver. 8. vers 8. Wilt thou also disanull my Judgment Wilt thou condemn me that thou maist be righteous The best of us are apt under heavy afflictions to disanull God's proceedings with us and question God's righteous proceedings therein but this may not be we may not give liberty to tongue or thought to murmur or repine under God's stroaks But First Learn Silence Job 4.4 6. Psal 39 9. and with Job to lay our hands upon our mouths Job 40.4 5. and with David Psal 39.9 to be dumb nor onely bind our Tongues to the good behaviour that they do not speak impatiently against God but our very Hearts must be kept from inward repining and fretting against him Psal 62.1 Psal 62.1 Truly my Soul keepeth silence unto God Secondly Acknowledge God to be just in all that hath befallen us I have sinned said holy Job What shall I do to thee Job 7.20 Psal 119.75 ô thou Preserver of men This David confessed I know O Lord that thy Judgments are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me Psal 119.75 Which saying of David Mauntius the Emperour used when his Children were slain before his eyes and after that his own eyes put out Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy Judgments Thus it should be with us in all Judgments that befall a Land or Nation seem they never so severe and sharp Let us learn to justify God therein As did the Princes of Israel and the King himself When God punished them by Shishak they said The Lord is righteous 2 Chr. 12.6 Lam. 1.18 Neh. 9.33 Dan. 9.14 Mich. 7.9 2 Chron. 12.6 the like confession did the Church make Lament 1.18 So Neh. 9.33 Dan. 9.14 Mich. 7.9 They have not onely confessed God's righteousnesse therein but his Goodnesse and Mercy some mitigation of the rigour of Justice some cause of admiring rather his Indulgence towards them than of repining against him for his severe dealing with them Lam. 3.22 Lament 3.22 It is the Lord's Mercy that we are not utterly consumed that is from being a People because his compassions fail not Thirdly Patiently bear the soarest correction that God is pleased to lay upon us out of this perswasion that we have deserved more Thus Ezra speaking of the extream Judgment of God upon his People in the Babylonish Captivity which was the extreamest and heaviest Judgment that ever God had inflicted upon any people under Heaven as appears by that we read Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 yet he confesseth Lam. 1.12 Dan. 9.12 Ezr. 9. 13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse than our Iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 When their uncircumcised heart is humbled saith God then they shall accept of the punishment of their Iniquity Lev. 26.41 Mich. 7.9 10. Levit. 26.41 that is they shall willingly bear them Well may that Offender bear a brand in the hand who saves his neck Mich. 7.9 10. Ransack thine own heart and thou shalt find that thou hast deserved that which thou sufferest more 1 Joh. 3.20 and if thy conscience condemn thee God is greater Fourthly If in case the Cause and Reason of God's severity be unknown unto us yet let us learn to justify God therein resting assured that there is Cause enough albeit as yet we have not found it out His Judgments are somtimes secret but alwaies just It is not possible that he should do any wrong to any of his Creatures his Will is the Rule of Justice and every thing is right because it is his Will to have it so But besides this there is some particular Cause or Reason why God writes such bitter things against us Job 13.26 1 Sam. 17.29 2 Sam. 21.1 Jer. 8.6 Ezek. 16.43 Therefore as David answered his Brother so answer thy repining Soul 1 Sam. 17.29 What hath God now done is there not a Cause Therefore Fifthly Search out the Cause if it may be as did David 2 Sam. 21.1 God blamâ—s the want of this Jer. 8.6 Ezek. 16.43 But how may we find out the particular Cause for which God punisheth us Quest What must be done in this case God doth so order his Judgments commonly Resp. that in the Punishment we may see the Sin and in the Sin foresee the Punishment Sometimes the very Punishment and Circumstances of it shewes us the Cause God many times punisheth us in the like kind Jud. 1.6 7. 1 Sam. 15.33 Exod. 1.22 Talia quisque luat qualia quisque facit Euseb l. 9. c. 9. Bodin l. 6. de Rep. Lin. Decad. 1. 1 King 21.19 Jer. 7.32 as in Adonibezeck's Case Judg. 1.6 7. And in Agag's Case 1 Sam. 15.33 And Pharaoh's Case Exod. 1.22 He
Sometimes the Condition is not expressed but is Included and so to be understood Gen. 20.3 So Gen. 20.3 Abimelech thou art but a dead man because of the Woman which thou hast taken He conceiveth aright of this commination restoreth Abraham his wife untouched Abraham prayes for him and Abimelech was spared Ver. 17. Jer. 26.18 19. Lalightned and he and his Family were healed ver 17. In the daies of Hezekiah God threatned that Zion should be as a plowed field and Jerusalam be layed on heaps and the mountains of the House the high places of a Forrest i.e. the Temple should be ruinated the City desolated and the whole Kingdom utterly overthrown Here no Condition was expressed but the King and his People understood that threatning to be Conditionall and therefore they besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of that evill which he had denounced against them Jer. 26.18.19 The like we have Isa 38.1 Hezekiah was commanded to make his Will Isa 38.1 and put his House in order For thou shalt dy not live saith the Prophet The good King conceived aright of the message albeit no Condition was exprest he turns his face to the Wall prayes and weeps Ver. 5. and then God sends a new message to him and addeth to his daies fifteen years ver 5. And such was that Jon. 3.4 Yet forty daies and Nineveh shall be destroyed Jon. 3.4 The King though a Heathen and Idolatrous yet conceiving aright of this threat fasted prayed and repented and Nineveh stood 40 years after that And thus are we to understand the threatnings Generally that are made against Sins and Sinners Comminations and Threatnings are the heaviest Texts that we can light upon in the Scriptures and they are the saddest and heaviest Commentaries saith a great Divine of our own that a man can make upon these Texts When God hath awakened a man out of his Dream Dr. Donn 2. Vol. p. 71 and rowsed him up out of the Bed of his security he suffers him to read to the Quia but not to the Tamen he comes to see a Reason of that Threatning of that Judgment that shall befall him but not to see the Remedy His Eye is carried to an hundred places of Commination against such sins as the Land is guilty of or himself is guilty of and there makes a Period a full stop But he reads not with a Comma he makes it not as an imperfect Sentence he takes not in what followes either expresly or implicitely he takes not in the Remedy the Relief Yet turn to God by Humiliation by Prayer then God will turn to you How heavy soever God's threatnings are against a Nation or any Particular Person in that Nation yet still there is room for David's Question Quis scit Who knoweth whether God will be gratious or no 2 Sam. 12.22 2 Sam. 12.22 There is no room for it as it is a Question of diffidence and distrust every one of us must know it and believe it that there are Conditions upon which the Lord will be gratious Be they spoken never so peremptory and set down never so absolutely yet God hath reserved to himself power of Revocation in case he be sought unto by Prayer Repentance Secondly Know that God's eternall Decree takes in the Means as well as the End so that according to God's Decree when his threatning of ruine and desolation is gone out against a Land or Nation Prayer and other Means falling in to hinder Execution Mutat sententiam non decretum Greg. Mar. l. 2. c. 24. His decree stands and the present sentence only falls It alters not what God hath decreed to do but effects it and accomplisheth his purposes Nor are his threatnings made voyd and of none effect when by Prayer and Repentance the execution of them are stayed but then rather are they most effectuall for then they do most of all accomplish their proper end and the thing for which they were principally intended But if God threaten one thing and doth another Object it seems that either he hath two wills or else his will is changeable The Will of God is but One Resp. 1 Cor. 12.4 5. as he is One but as there is one spirit yet diversity of manifestations So this one will of God doth exercise and extend it self diversly and upon divers Objects and so it may be said to be manifold as His wisdom is said to be Eph. 3.10 It is usually distinguished into Secret and Revealed which Distinction is grounded on that of Moses Deut. 29.29 Deut. 29.19 The Secret Will of God is of things hidden in Himself and not manifested in His Word The revealed Will of God is of things made known in the Scriptures or by daylie experience and event The secret Will of God is Absolute and peremptory without any condition and alwayes effected no man can hinder it the Devils themselves are subject unto it but that is secret and not our rule to walk by His Revealed Will is with condition and for the most part is joyned with Exhortation Admonition Instruction and Reprehension This is said to be four-fold First His Determining Will What shall become of us Ephes 1.5 Secondly His Prescribing Will What he requires of us Ephes 1.5 Ephes 1.9 Math. 18.14 1 Cor. 1.1 Rom. 1.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 13.22 Ephes 1.9 Thirdly His Approving Will by which he gratiously accepts and tenderly regards us Math. 18.14 Fourthly his Disposing Will which is the Will of his Providence 1 Cor. 1.1 Rom. 1.10 It is said of David that he should fulfiill all Gods Wills for so it runs in the Original resigning himself over to God's determining Will as the highest cause of all things resting in his approving Will as his chiefest happinesse obeying his prescribing Will as the most absolute form of holinesse and subjecting himself to his disposing Will with all patience but all this is spoken to our Capacities for the weaknesse of our understandings Psal 39.9 who cannot conceive how God doth after a divers manner Will and not Will the same thing His Will is still one and the same and not two Non est De Volunt as d diversa se loquutio diversa est de voluntate Mag. Sent. l. 1. Dist 45.46 but rather two several parts of God's one and most simple Will and are so far from being repugnant or contrary the one to the other as that they do most fitly and subordinttely agree one with another But we hasten to make some Application of the Point If Gods threatning and complaining time should be our praying time and his complaints and threatnings bring us upon our knees Then without question there was never more need to seek unto God by humble prayer and supplication than now Use 1 God threatens us for our wickednesse calls upon us to behold the wrong that he suffers in his Name by our unprofitablenesse Behold saith God
transgressed And the neglect of this discovery of sin is made the proper mark of a false Prophet Lament 2.14 Thy Prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee and they have not discovered thine Iniquity Lament 2.14 to turn away thy Captivity but have seen for thee false burthens and causes of banishment This is not onely a part of the will of God which we are commanded to make known unto our People Reas 1 but as necessary a part to Salvation as any other and without which no other part will become fruitful without this discovery of sin there can be no conviction wrought Joh. 16.8 as appears John 16.8 The Will follows the Vnderstanding and till that be enlightned Pleas and Excuses for sin will not be removed How boldly and malepartly did the Woman of Samaria discourse with Christ before her foul sin that she lived in Joh. 4.18 19. was discovered unto her John 4.18 and all things told her that ever she did verse 29 and then she begin to have her conscience awakened and to reverence Christ as a Prophet verse 19. and to acknowledge Him to be the Saviour of the World vers 29. this kind of Preaching is it which makes mâ—n feel Verse 29. and acknowledge the mighty Power of God in His Ordinances When the Hearer feeleth himself to be convicted of all and judged of all and that the secrets of his heart are manifested to him 1 Cor. 14.24 25. then he falls down and worships God and is enforced to say God is in you of a truth 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Again till mens sins are are effectually discovered unto them in the glâ—sse of the Law they can never attain to any soundnesse of Faith nor any other saving grace Hâ—nce it is that St. Paul wills Tâ—itus to rebuke the Grecians sharply or to the quick Tit. 1.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they may be sound in the Faith Tit. 1.13 Nor is there any other ordinary way to attain true comfort When God appeared to Eliah there was first a mighty strong winde that did rend the Rock and then an Earth-quake and after that a terrible fire 1 King 19.11 and then came a still Voyce full of Comfort So when God's Ministers by the Tempest of thâ— Law have rent the rocky hearts of men and made them in a manner at their wits end so that they come trembling and crying with the Jaylor Act. 16.30 What shall I do to be saved then is the season for the Voyce of Peace and Comfort and not before And this is the course that the Spirit of God it self takes who is the Comforter in bringing God's Elect to true Comfort John 16.8 God's Spirit never comforted any Joh. 16.8 before he had reproved him and convinced him of his sinful and damnable estate The Spirit of bondage must alwayes go before the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 In his first operation Rom. 8.15 he rebukes them of sin in whom he worketh and lets them see that bondage and slavery under which they lye which works fear in them but in his second operation he is a Spirit of Adoption comforting them with a sight of God's mercy in Christ Jesus Use 1 Hence we may be informed of the great necessity both of teaching and learning the Law of God the sum whereof we have in the ten Commandements by which we attain to the Knowledge of sin Rom. 7.7 without the knowledge of that corruption of nature lyes as it were dead in us Rom. 7.8 Rom. 7.7 8. It yes hid and is not discovered men have no sense of inward corruption no touch of conscience in respect of it as the Apostle speaks in his own particular case verse 9. But when the Law comes Verse 9. then sin appears to be sin the very Root of sin Original corruption is layd open and appears to be sin This is a Doctrine much opposed by the Familists Anabaptists Antinomists and other Libertines who under pretence of Christian Liberty cry down the Law as no hing at all belonging to Christians affirming that they that are in Christ have nothing to do with it but are out of the reach of it A pestilent error and of dangerous consequence For from henâ—e they inferr First That God can see no sin in his Children for as much as he câ—n see no Law tranâ—gressed contrary to that we read Jer. 23.24 Can any hide himself in secret places Jer. 23.24 Psal 69.5 Heb. 4.13 that I shall not see him Psal 69.5 My sins are not hid from thee saith David Heb. 4.13 All things are naked and open unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do Secondly That a man being in Christ cannot sin if he would for where there is no Law there is no transgression So that Be in Christ say they and sin if thou canst Yet we read otherwise in Scripture Jam. 3.2 1 Joh. 1.8 Jam. 3.2 In many things we sin all 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin the truth is not in us Thirdly That the Gospel takes away all obedience to the Commandements and that Faith hath nothing to do with Doing and Working and yet saith the Apostle Faith without Works is dead Jam. 2.17 18 20. Jam. 2.17 18 20. Joh. 14.23 1 Joh. 2.17 3.7 Rev. 2.5 16. Mat 6.12 and the Scripture calls for Doing John 14.23 1 John 2.17 3.7 Fourthly That justified persons have nothing to do with Repen tance Albeit we read that the Church of Ephesus and Pergamus are called upon to repent Revel 2.5 16. Nor is any Believer say some of these to pray for pardon of sin albeit Christ hath taught every one that calls God Father to pray daylie for forgivenesse Math. 6.12 Fifthly They each that such as call upon us for good works and presse obedience to the Law are Legal Preachers and that the Preach Popery and have Popes in their Bellyes Albeiâ— we have for our pattern herein both Christ and his Apostles who pressed on believers obedience to the Law Mat. 5.17 19. Tit. 3.14 Math. 5.17 19 Tit. 3.14 These and many such like inferences which a good heart cannot but tremble at are daylie broached by these Sectaries all tending to licentiousnesse and grounded upon this erroneous Tenent That the Law is not now under the Gospel to be taught nor pressed by Minister on their Hearers for that we are not now under the Law Rom. 6.14 but under Grace as the Apostle speaks Rom. 6.14 But these have not learned that distinction Zanch. in Eph. 2. loc 5 de Leg. Mos abrogatione Sect. 9. which learned Zanchy makes The Law is two wayes to be considered saith he First in the Substance of it Secondly in the Accidents or Circumstances belonging to it If we consider the Substance of it as it is the sum of Doctrine concerning piety shewing what is good and what is evil so Believers are still under it
Midianites into their hands lest Israel vaunt themselves against him saying Mine own hand hath saved me Judg. 7.2 Thus in taking of Jericho it must be by the blast of Trumpets made of Ratns horn Josh 6.3 Josh 6.3 5. 5. Divers Instances might be brought of this And as he maketh choyce of weak means so he giveth many times the greatest Blessing to the weakest and unlikeliest means Twelve baskets full of fragments shall remain after the feeding of five thousand with five Loavs and two Fishes Mat. 14.17 Mat. 14.17 21. Mat. 15.34 37 38. Josh 23.8 21. And but seven Baskets full shall remain after the feeding of four thousand with seven Leavs and more Fishes mat 15.34 37 38. Where there was lesse Company and more Food there is the lesse remainder Joshua could say to Israel what Moses could not Cleave unto the Lord your God as you have unto this day Josh 23.8 Under Moses Government that People was a rebellious People and forsook the Lord that made them and had done much for them and yet in Joshua's dayes who was farr inferiour in gifts to Moses they were obedient so that his Government was blessed above the Government of Moses Nor do we read that Christ ever converted so many by his three years Ministry Act. 2.41 4.4 as St. Peter did by two Sermons Act. 4.4 That preaching which is most contemptible in the world hath been usually found to be most profitable and successefull 1 Cor. 1.4 1 Cor. 1.4 There is a Story which is pertinent to the businesse 1 Sam. 30.11 David in the pursuit of the Amalekites 1 Sam. 30.11 where he had no kind of Intelligence nor no ground to settle a conjecture upon which way he must pusue them yet pursue them he must in the way he finds a poor young fellow a famished sick man one that was derelicted of his Master and left for dead in the march and by the means and conduct of this Wretch David recovers the Enemy recovers the Spoyle and the Love of his People and his own honour So in the Ministry And it is God's good pleasure that it should be thus that He may especially be looked unto 2 Cor. 4.7 2 Cor. 4.7 So much weaknesse shall appear in the Instruments as that their strength shall not be thought their own Reas 3 Thirdly There is utterly a fault amongst our selvs as the Apostle speaks in another Case 1 Cor. 6.7 Mat. 23.37 Joh. 5.40 I would saith Christ and you would not Mat. 23.37 You will not come unto me that you might believe Joh. 5.40 Man's wilfulnesse is a cause of his Unbelief and Barrennesse under the means And this we may affirm without any danger of falling into Popery For three things there are that concur in a Sinner's Coversion First the Word perswading Secondly God's Spirit prevailing Thirdly the Will of Man consenting Now God works not upon us as upon stocks and stones but as upon reasonable Creatures and if we would be saved we must co-work with God in the work of our Salvation We must hear read confer resort unto the Church c. and do what lyes in us that the means may become profitable For He that made us without our selves will not save us without our selves Aug. The Father begets a Child without the Will of the Child for then it was not and it had none But when the Child is born he cannot bring it up to any Art or Science against his Will So we are created without our selves but not regenerated without our selves Now herein we are wanting we do not what lyes in us that the means may be profitable we are wanting in our Attendance Preparation c. we come not at all 1 Pet. 2.1 2 or with prejudicate opinions when we do come or else bring Malice Guile Hypocrisy in our hearts and regard not what is said Were we not wanting to our selves in using of the means God would not be wanting unto Us in blessing our endeavours for though we merit not from God in that we do nor can challenge any thing from Him as due debt for our best performance yet God would not leave Himself without witness did we our best endeavours to profit by the means Use 1 Wherefore See that we rest not in the means be they never so good or excellent Judg. 17.19 I know the Lord will do me good said Micah seeing I have a Levite to my Priest Judg. 17.19 As if that must of necessity follow So say some We have got amongst us a learned man a powerfull Preacher now we shall profit and get good by such a man's Ministry 1 Sam 16.6 But God seeth not as Man seeth as God told Samuel who being sent to anoint one of the Sons of Ishai â—o be King without any more paaticular Instruction and Eliab being presented Surely said Samuel noting the goodlinesse of his Person this is the Lord 's anointed But look not on his countenance nor the heighth of his stature saith God for I have refused him and David in appearance lesse likely to be chosen was the man 1 Sam. 16.6 It is indeed a mercy to enjoy the outward means of profiting And the better and abler the means are the greater ought the Blessing to be esteemed for ordinarily in course of Nature the best food yields best nourishment and breeds best blood but yet we may not rest in this There is a staff of Bread Lev. 26.25 Mat. 4.4 Levit. 26.25 which is the Word of God Mat. 4.4 And so the Word it self hath a staff too which is God's Spirit if that be wanting no man living can live or profit by it Be the Preacher never so excellent or his gifts never so rare were he one of a thousand as Job speaks or as prompt a Scribe in the Law as ever Ezra was Job 33.23 Ezr. 7.6 1 Cor. 13.2 were his Learning never so profound that he knew all secrets and all knowledge which the World can afford or were he as mighty and well-instructed in the Scriptures as ever was Apollo Act. 18.24 be he that good Scribe well taught unto the Kingdome of Heaven able to bring forth of his Treasure at all times things both new and old Mat 13.25 or be he endued with never so good dexterity in opening and dividing the word aright 2 Tim. 2.15 1 Cor. 13.1 2 Tim. 4.2 Nisi Dâ—us in â—riori gâ—atâ—â mâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 like a good Workman that needeth not to be ashamed yea though he could speak with the tongue of men and Angels and were instant in his labours preaching both in season and out of season upon occasions offered Nay if Christ himself should be again upon the Earth and preach in our Temples every Sabbath day should he heal the diseased restore the blind to sight cast out Devils turn Water into Wiâ—e feed thousands with a few Loavs and Fishes work as many wonders in our
other prophane wretches amongst our selves who bark against the Justice of God and make a causelesse complaint against him as if He were the cause of all their Adulteries Murthers Robberies c. They do they say but the will of God and who can resist that The will of God indeed cannot be resisted Rom. 9. ungratious Instruments in all their outrages shall do that service to God which they dream not of God saith Kill not Rob not they contradict Him and will Rob and Kill Even then though they violate the Law of God Yet His will is accomplished and in the same action some other way performed than they intended But this is another will than that they should walk by a secret will which the very Devils in Hell cannot but observe and give obedience unto It is the revealed will recorded in Scripture published and proclaimed by Prophets Promises Threatnings that should be our Rule which not conforming unto albeit you do the other yet woful will be the wages which you will receive for so doing Vse 3 But the principal use that I would perswade you to make of the Poynt is In all Judgments that do befall us learn to turn your eyes from all those Instruments and Organs of God's Vengeance which are but secondary Causes and subservient to a higher hand and truly judge of the true Author of them This is a lesson not so soon learned as is conceived It is an easie matter to feel the smart of a Judgment but not so easie to see the hand of God in inflicting that Judgment on us No man is so blind so stupid as that he doth not see his affliction that is feel it but we must see it so as that we see through it and that we do not unlesse we see the hand of God therein ordaining inflicting and ordering of it Belshazzar saw the fingers of a mans hand-writing upon the Wall Dan. 5.5 yet that was God's hand albeit he could not read the writing We must see our affliction so as we must see it to be the hand of God albeit we see not presently what will be the issue of it and till we see that we see nothing as we should see When God speaks by his Prophet Zachary of breaking his two Staves Beauty and Bands wherewith he fed the Flock that is Zach. 11.7 Enlightned the staff of his gratious Protection and fatherly Correction signifying thereby that he would no more take charge of so refractory a People whatsoever calamity befell them He would not put to his hand to help them or redresse them Zach. 11.9 That which dyeth let it dye and that that is to be cut off let it be cut off Upon this cutting off of the stiff-necked and rebellious the poor of the Flock that waited upon God knew that it was the World of the Lord Verse 11. verse 11. Those humble and meek Servants of God wâ—ich waited upon him conscionably in that sinful and wicked Generation well knew that it was the just will and pleasure of God to deal so severely with so Rebellious a People They acknowledged God's hand to be therein and that He was the inflicter of those Judgments on them It is not every mans Case to see God and acknowledge the hand of God in his Judgments onely the poor of the Sheep such as discern their own poverty and unworthynesse can make that use of Gods Judgments so as to find Gods hand and then Gods purpose in it This did Joseph You sent me not hither saith he unto his Brethren but God sent me hither before you to preserve you Gen. 45.5 7. Gen. 45.5 7. So Ely when he heard that the Philistines should kill his two sons and take away the Ark It is the Lord said he 1 Sam. 3.18 1 Sam. 3.18 And David had learned thus to look on all his Enemies as on God's Instrments Deliver my Soul from the Wicked which is thy Sword from men which are thy hand O God Psal 17.13 15. Psal 17.13 14. But it is otherwise with worldly and carnal men In all Judgments that fall out with Balaam they see the Asse but not the Angel and so extend their rage against the dumb Beast which it may be deserves no blame and slander sometimes the Aire sometimes the Wind and Weather sometimes the Starrs sometimes the Fire sometimes the Water attributing all their Sufferings to things in nature rather then unto God as though there were an opposition and not a subordination betwixt God and his Creatures in their operations and in so doing they do but resemble the Dog that snarls at the stone not regarding the hand that cast it Or as if a Traytor sentenced to dye should quarrel with the Axe or fall foul upon his Executioner I speak not this as if the Inferiour causes of our miseries and Instruments of God's vengeance were altogether to be neglected for albeit in divers Judgments that are infflicted on us we are to look wholly upon the hand of God therein As when he useth such means and Instruments to correct us by as have in themselves no malignity against us nor will to hurt us as Fire Water Aire which are God's bare Instruments for effecting of his Will Yet when he useth the reasonable Creature as his Agent we are to have some respect to him in regard of that maglinity and sin which is in him whereby they desire our destruction and hurt rather then the executing of God's good will and pleasure whose malice and rage iniquity and cruelty we are no way to justifie and excuse but hare and shun by all good means endeavouring to crosse them in their wicked purposes and free our selves what may be from their violence But it is this we drive at that we would learn to acknowledge God's hand to be the Principal in all and have our eyes fixed especially upon him knowing as Christ said to Pilate they could have no power at all against us Joh. 19.10 11. unlesse it were given them from above Joh. 19.10 11. It is one degree of good Husbandry in ill Husbands saith one Dr. Donn to bring all their debts into one hand So shall that man husband his Afflictions well that puts them all upon his debts to God and leavs out the consideration of the Instrument For in so doing we shall be the better enabled First To bear them patiently which is very hard for Flesh and Blood to do I was dumb and opened not my mouth said David Psal 39.9 because thou didst it Psal 39.9 As if he should have said I should have spoke again and spoken it may be very passionately when Shimei curst me 2 Sam. 16.6 Explained rayled on me and cast stones at me I should not have born it but that I saw thy hand therein Thou hast said unto him Curse David otherwise that Dogg should not have wagged his Tongue against me Ver. 10 2 Sam. 15.10 This kept him