lived in the mountaines and in the tombes crying and cutting himselfe with stones They then wander wide out of the right way and are ignorant what the true revenge is neither let them looke for any reward at the hands of God who bring sorrow upon themselues and are executioners or tormenters of themselues Or what commendation of patience can arise to them that afflict themselues and suffer willingly from their owne hands Secondly let us see wherin this revenge standeth Vse 2 how we may use it aright in what particulars it consisteth First there cannot be a greater revenge than to spoile our adversary of his chiefest delight and to vexe him with the contrary The flesh in every one hath oftentimes some darling sinne at least wherein it most delighteth which most properly we may call our iniquity above all the rest Psal 18.23 and which is as the right eye or the right hand the right eye in respect of pleasure the right hand in respect of profit This right hand and right eye must be cut off and pulled out Thus did Zacheus when hee was conuerted Luk. 19. his gainfull and profitable sinnes of wrong and oppression being his master sinnes he shaketh off and renounceth Luk. 19.8 Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have taken away any thing-from any man by false accusation I restore him foure-fold This taking of revenge was the counsell that Daniel gave to Nebucadnezzar Dan. 4.27 to breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquity by shewing mercy to the poore The maine sinne of Paul was persecution and wasting of the Church but loe how he revenged the flesh after his Conversion as fast as hee had destroyed and plucked downe so fast he builded up againe even with both his hands and laboured more abundantby than all the rest yea he never traveiled so farre to persecute the faithfull but he tooke a thousand times more paines to preach the faith Act. 9. Rom. 15.19 Gal. 1.23 1 Cor. 15.10 The great labours which he tooke in planting Churches in perils in watchings in wearinesse 2 Cor. 11.26.27 in hunger and thirst in cold and nakednesse were nothing else but his revenge upon the flesh for the paines he had taken before in persecuting Secondly this revenge consisteth in converting those very things which have beene the matter or object of sinne and abused by the flesh to sinne to the seruice of God to be the matter of our repentance as the siluer gold that was abused to Idolatry was afterward employed to the worship of the true God David in his adultery defiled the mariage-bed in his repentance he washed his bed with teares Psal 6.6 yea all night long he made it to swim So the Ephesians that had used curious artes when once they beleeued came and confessed and shewed their deedes for they made a sacrifice to the Lord of their Conjuring bookes of exceeding value Act. 19.19 esteemed to be worth fifty thousand pieces of siluer And as the Israelites had sinned greeuously in offering their earings of gold to make therewith a Calfe so repenting of their Idolatry Exod. 35.22 they offered likewise gold and earings to the Tabernacle willingly whose heart made them willing to bring an offering to the Lord untill there was more then enough Exod. 36.5 Thirdly when with the same members and instruments of our bodies which the flesh most of all hath abused to sinne and wickednesse wee in speciall sort seeke and endeauour to glorifie God Zachariah the Priest sinned with his mouth in giving God the lie whiles hee beleeved not the Angell sent unto him that God would give him a sonne but so soone as hee could speake for he was striken dumbe he glorified God with his mouth and praised his name Luk. 1. Luk. 1.64 So the woman which is thought to have abused her eyes her haire his lippes to wantonnesse and uncleannesse for she was a greevous sinner when she repented she revenged her selfe upon the flesh in shewing her love to Christ she ceased not to kisse his feet to wash them with the teares of her eyes and to wipe them with the haires of her head O how happy were it for such as have used their tongues to deceit whose mouthes have beene full of cursing and blasphemy their throate an open sepulcher if they would circumcise their lips and make their tongues their glory to glorifie the name of God! that whereas they have cursed bitterly Eph. 4.29 now they may learne to blesse graciously that our communication may be good to the use of edifying and minister grace unto the hearers And such as have had feet swift to shed blood to carry them to places of vanity and impiety of drunkennesse and uncleannesse happy were it if they would take revenge of themselues and use their feet to carry them into the house of God Psal 122. â— and say to the Lord Our feete shall stand within thy Gates O Ierusalem Psal 122.2 Fourthly we take revenge on the flesh when we oftentimes refraine ourselves and bridle our affections from the use of things otherwise lawfull because we have offended therein As if we have offended in gluttony and drunkennesse we should punish our selues with fasting and abstinence from strong drinke as we take knives from children when they cannot use them without hurting of themselues The last point of this revenge is when we upbraid the flesh and cast it in the teeth with those afflictions which God sendeth as the wages of sinne For though we may not draw punishments upon our selues to mortifie the flesh yet when God imposeth them upon us for our good we should make benefit and advantage thereof and insult over the flesh and triumph over it when God punisheth it rating and checking it as the cause of all our smart Ah thou vile flesh I may thanke thee for all this paines and sorrow I could not turne thee but I hope God will now tame thee I could not convert thee but I trust God will now evert thee and turne thee quite out of dores thou liftedst up thy selfe aloft but God will bring thee under thou rebell Thus we should joyne with God helpe him to whip our sinnes harder and oftner by taking his part justifie him in all his dealings drive his chasticementes home to our hearts as the nailes to the head and impute all the causes of our afflictions to our selues If we would try our repentance by this revenge and our revenge by these few notes alas where shall we find the repentance that is required among the greatest number doe we mortifie our beloved sinnes or are they as bitter as gall and wormewood unto us doe we turne those things times and place which we have abused to sinne to be matters and witnesses of our repentance doe we turne those members of our bodies abused to sinne to be instruments of righteousnesse and
repentance The former penitency or humiliation and compunction of heart is the ground-worke and foundation of true repentance and maketh way for it as the needle doth for the threed This consisteth in avoyding evill and in doing good This abstaining from evill is signified by our abstinence from food and it is the cheefe end of fasting For what is our forbearing from meats and drinkes if we doe not fast from sinne but drinke in iniquity as water like the fishes of the sea Esay 1.13 58.4 This was it that caused the Lord so often to reject the fastes of the Iewes because they filled themselues with all wickednesse they fasted for strife and debate To abstaine from sustenance and not to abstaine from sin is the Devils fast it pleaseth him but not God If then we desire to approve our fasting to him let us practise the workes of piety toward God and that in the sincerity of a good conscience as in the sight of God and likewise the workes of Charity toward our brethren forbearing one another and forgiving one another remitting debtes to the poorest sort that are no way able to pay and especially in bestowing almes upon such as want releefe and fustenance Esay 58.3.6.7 Zach. 7.9.10 At least let us bestow so much as is spared by our abstinence that day least under a pretence of godlinesse we practise miserablenesse like those that allow of this exercise to pinch the bellies of their labouring seruants Hence it is that Christ Iesus joyned fasting and almes together in precept Math. 6.23.16 Act. 10.30.31 and we must joyne them both together in practise like Cornelius He that doth not thus repent doth not truly repent If every mans fasting were measured by the line of his repenting Iona. 3.8 I feare the greatest number of those that abstaine from food would be found to doe nothing lesse then repent of their offences The third part is prayer which we must make in time of fasting No prayer no true fasting for fasting without it is as a dead carcasse without life This is one end of fasting to make our praiers more feruent and forcible Hence it is Ioel. 2.17 that the Lord prescribed a platforme of praier to the Priestes the Ministers of the Lord in the solemne assemblies of sanctifying a fast Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach that the heathen should rule over them wherefore should they say among the people where is their God These Ninevites having but a short warning and a little light of knowledge knew thus much for they proclaimed a fast that neither man nor beast should either eate or drinke but they added with all and cry mightily unto God vers 8. Luk 2.37 Math. 17.21 Act. 10.30 1 Cor. 7.5 Thus did Anna serue God with fastings and prayers not with fasting alone neither with prayers alone but with both of them joyntly together Neither is it ordinary prayer onely that should be conceived at such times but as the occasion of the Assembly is extraordinary so ought our prayers to be Thus therefore ought every one to rouse up himselfe to be feruent in prayer and as faithfull remembrancers of the Lord to give him no rest untill he heare us and grant our requestes This prayer consisteth partly in confessing our speciall sinnes that have brought his judgments craving pardon of them and beseeching him to turne away his wrath and heavy displeasure from us and partly in asking such things as are needfull for us The severall sorts of a religious fast The severall reasons and causes of publike and private fastes which a man undertaketh to make his soule and body the fitter to pray more feruently to God are these two private and publike to these I will joyne the severall causes and reasons wherefore they have beene taken in hand which vary according to severall occasions The private is which we sanctifie in secret and before God for such causes as our owne Consciences beare record unto us Math. 6.18 Of this sort our saviour speaketh Mat. 6. We may not appear unto men to fast but unto our Father which is in secret the Father which seeth in secret shal reward us openly This David practised what time his child was striken with mortall sicknesse because in the sicknesse of the child he did consider the wrath and displeasure of God against himselfe for the remooving whereof he fasted 2 Sam. 12.22 mourned and prayed and never gave over day nor night untill such time as he saw Gods will fulfilled by taking away the life of the child 1 Sam. 1.10 So did Hannah the wife of Elcanah she wept and did eate nothing but in the bitternesse of heart she prayed to the Lord. The causes of private fasts This is and hath beene undertaken when a man becommeth an humble and earnest suter for the pardon of some great and grosse sinne that lyeth heavy upon the conscience Sometimes for the preventing of some sinne whereunto a man feeleth himselfe to be tempted Zach. 3.2 1 Cor. 10.13 that God would rebuke Satan even that the Lord who hath promised to assist his children with sufficient grace would rebuke him and not suffer us to be tempted above the strength that he hath given us but make a way to escape that we may be able to beare it Sometimes to obtaine some speciall blessing which we want Sometimes to turne away some judgment which we feare or is already fallen upon our selues and our families Sometimes to subdue the flesh to the spirit and such like The other sort is the publike Fast The publike fasts which is openly commanded and publikely practised Of this the Scripture speaketh evidently in this place 2 Chro. 20.3 Ezr. 8.21 Ioel 2.15 16. and oftentimes elsewhere which is done when a whole congregation or severall congregations assemble together to performe the forenamed duties of humiliation and to remove some publike calamity as the sword famine pestilence inuasion of enemies and such like But let us consider the reasons in particular The first is to prevent some heavy and imminent danger threatned as a fire ready to fall upon his people and to consume them For this cause did Iehoshaphat proclaime a solemne fast and joyned it with prayer saying 2 Chron. 20.12 In us is no strength to stand against this great multitude that commeth against us neither know we what to doe but our eyes are upon thee The second cause is the angry face of God punishing thereby to remove the present calamity as warre famine plague and other like fearefull sicknesse or contagious visitation Thus have we present occasion to humble our selues if ever we had For if we must seeke the Lord before affliction come while he sharpneth his arrowes and whetteth his glittering sword how much more when the destroying Angell is sent among us and many fall downe on every side This moved Ioshua and the Elders of
such faire warning to avoyd the stroke of his sword drawne out against us For wherefore doth hee not destroy us Is it for want of desart on our part No doubtlesse he findeth just cause to proceede against us and hee is of infinite power to punish us The Prophet teacheth Num. 11.23 Esay 59.1 that his hand is not weakned as though he could not strike us neither is his arme shortned as though hee could not reach us Esa 59.1 v. Secondly if any man bee overtaken with any judgement he must know thus much that certainely God was true and that his purpose was we should prevent it or else he would never have given warning of it There is no man that can justly say that the silence of God is the cause of his security for Gods manner is never to come with any judgement and to discharge a whole volly of shot but he alwayes sendeth a warning peece before But you will say we have no Prophets to foretell Ob. they are all gone it is not with us as it was in former times Answ To this I make answer as our Saviour saith of the rich man in the Gospell that his brethren had both Moses and the Prophets among them Luk. 16.29.31 when indeed both Moses and the Prophets were all dead long before but his meaning was that they had the bookes of Moses and the writings of the Prophets before them So may I say that wee have the Prophets and Apostles still among us I meane we have the holy Scriptures wherein are contained the workes of the Prophets and of the Apostles and besides these God hath given to us his Ministers that they might as it were put life againe into the dead Prophets that they might open and declare unto us those things which are doubtfull and obscure and therefore if any man be admonished by these that judgements shall certainly come let him take heed he withstand not the Spirit of God for it is as true and evident as if the Prophets and Moses himselfe were alive and uttered these threatnings and it is the wonderfull goodnesse of God that hee will foretell us of his judgements and after a sort send them home to our owne hearts Our consciences tell us that wee are guilty of those sinnes which have formerly beene reprooved and whereof we have beene forewarned let us therefore conclude with our selves that it is the mercy of God that hee doth threaten hell and judgements unto us as well as promise heaven and happinesse and let us blesse his name in our hearts that he hath granted such a gracious warning unto us and endeavour to breake off our sinnes that so hee may bee pleased to proceede no farther with his judgements against us Lastly this dealing of God must provoke us to repentance and to turne unto God Rom. 2.4 2 Pet. 3.13 because his patience serveth to leade us to repentance Rom. 2.4 The daies of his patience last long but they are not everlasting if we repent not Let us meete him betimes while hee is in the way before he approach nearer unto us and come upon us Sinne separateth betweene him and us and maketh God our utter enemy Let us make an attonement with him before his wrath burne like fire True it is he beareth long but if we greeve his Spirit we shall beare his indignation and our owne condemnation whosoever we be He forbeareth long but he will not alwaies forbeare Exod. 34.6 he will come speedily and suddainly upon us The longer he is in drawing his bow the deeper do his arrowes pierce Thus much of the generall doctrine Yet forty daies Before we come to the cheefe point offered to our considerations in these words Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Intiellgit post 40. dies non intrà ut quidavolunt Vide Drusij Lection a question may bee demanded how this threatning standeth with the truth of God and the issue and event of the matter mentioned in the end of this prophesy to pronounce such a dreadfull sentence against a City and the inhabitants thereof which tooke not that effect or shall wee thinke that God changed his minde to propose that which he purposed not and doth not the Scripture teach us that he is unchangable and no shaddow of turning with him I answer the threatnings of God are oftentimes conditionall though the condition be not expressed as appeareth in the last verse of the 3. Chapter Chap. 3.10 God repented of the Evill that he had said that he would doe unto them and he did it not True it is he might have destroyed them justly for their crying sins if it had pleased him Chap. 1.2 seeing their wickednesse was come up before him calling for judgement and it had beene as easy for him to have sent a destroying Angell to overturne them as a preaching Prophet to turne them unto him From hence wee learne Doct. 2 that the threatnings of God and denouncing of his judgements are not absolute but conditionall toward his people Gods threatnings are conditionall Gen. 6.3 1 Pet. 3.20 1 Cor. 6.9.10 Eph. 5.5 they containe an exception and limitation except they repent and amend their waies The condition is understood So it was to the old world Their daies were an hundred and twenty yeares which S. Peter calleth the time of his patience while the Arke was preparing See the same 2 King 20.1 Gen. 20.3 Mic. 3.12 and Ier. 26.18 Sometimes it is expressed as Lu. 13.3.5 Re. 2.5 Let us see some reasons Reason 1 First because after threatnings if we repent and lay them to our hearts it causeth forgivenesse and blotting of our sinnes out of his remembrance For sinne the cause of Gods judgements being removed Ezek. 33.14 c. the effect will cease as Ezek. 33. If I say to the wicked you shall dye the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that is lawfull and right none of his sinnes that he hath committed shall be mentioned he shall live and not die Secondly God is a God of long sufferance and much patience ready to forgive and receive to mercy yea in judgement to remember mercy as 2 Sam. 24 16. and Hab. 3.2 when once we turne unto him Ier. 3.22 and 33.20 as Ier. 3. O ye disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellion and Chap. 31. when Ephraim after his corrections lamented saying Thou hast chastened me and I was chastened as a Bullocke unaccustomed to the Yoke surely after that I was turned I repented the Lord answered My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him he is my deare sonne he is my pleasant child Thirdly it is a speciall end and purpose why God doth denounce his judgements and threaten his plagues that we should repent and so that he might repent therefore they are not absolute but limited with condition except we change and amend And thus did the King of Nineveh understand
make mention and yet it was not priviledged from the judgements of God This teacheth that the sinnes of a nation or people or kingdome when they are growne to an hight both in the manner measure Doct. 3 doe cause the Lord to bring desolation and destruction upon that land When sinnes grow generall the judgements are generall When sinnes are generall and overspread a kingdome as a Leprosy doth the body then Gods judgements also are generall See this Gen. 6.5.7 and 18.20.21 and 19.24 Deut. 9.4.5 For the wickednesse of the nations the Lord did drive them out from before thee and 2. Samu. 24.15 2 King 21.12.13.14.15 Hos 4.1.2.3 The reasons Reason 1 First because the justice of God requireth that the punishments of sinne should be answerable to the sinne it selfe If the sinne once become common it is just with God that there should come a generall judgement also And albeit haply some few should repent and bee free yet it is no reason this should priviledge and exempt the rest and keepe away the generall judgement from them for hee that doth repent shall have a recompence for himselfe when notwithstanding a generall judgement as a violent flood shall sweepe them all away Againe when sinne is extreame it is reason that judgemēt also shoud be extreame when sin is at the highest it is reason that judgement should be at the highest and a generall defection of sinne must of necessity have a generall waight of judgement that when we have filled up the measure of the one God may fill up the measure of the other Gen. 15.16 Vse 1. Seeing this is true that God will bring desolation upon a land for sinne then have we cause to feare that the day of our desolation and of our mourning is not farre off For seeing it hath beene proved that wee are growne to the hight of wickednesse both in the manner by breaking all the bounds that God hath set to keepe us and also in the measure by adding sinne unto sinne then certainely in the next place what can be expected but that our land should mourne and destruction come upon us Hos 4.1.2 as paine upon a woman in travaile because there is no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the Land but by swearing and lying and killing and stealing and committing adultery they breake out and blood toucheth blood And if God destroy his owne people and other nations and roote them out for the same sinnes that sway and swarme among us filling all places and abounding in all persons every where what can we looke for but that wee having the same weight of sinnes should also have the same waight of judgement God hath made us to drinke of as bitter judgements as ever any nation did onely this remaineth that as yet wee have not drunke the dregges we have not yet tasted the cup of utter desolation and destruction Now if God have gone thus farre with us and our sinnes are heaped up to a full measure pressed downe and running over why should not wee feare to drinke of utter desolation as well as any other seeing the same sinnes are to be found among us So then we see that the day of Gods visitation cannot be farre off by his course of Iustice and certainely it is the nearer because all feare is so farre from us and the land so full of security which being added to our former sinnes will be a great meanes to hasten his judgements Secondly it teacheth us notably who are the greatest enemies of a land and bring wrath upon it certainely the greatest enemies are those that bring the daies of ruine and desolation and mourning upon it It is not simply such as sinne for there is no man that sinneth not daily but such as commit sinne with an high hand breaking all the bounds and bankes that God hath set unto them continuing in sinne and adding one sinne to another These certainely are they that pull downe destruction upon a land It is true such persons are ready to accuse the Ministers of God and the faithfull of the land as Ieremy was charged to weaken the land and to hasten the desolation thereof and to be the troublers of the state howbeit they may answer these as Elijah did Ahab 1 King 18.18 I have not troubled Israel but thou and thy fathers house in that ye have forsaken the commandements of the Lord. Is the physition the troubler of the patient or the disease that is within him Is the law the cause of strife and contention or the malice and envy and emulation that is in men Is the watchman the cause of the approch of the enemy or the armour and munition and fortifications the weakning of a Citty No doubtlesse these strengthen the same and serve to keepe him out The Ministers of God are the physitions of the soule to cure the diseases thereof and the horsemen and Charets of Israel to defend it 2 King 2.12 13.14 and the word is the meanes to beate downe sinne which weakneth and wasteth the land till it come to destruction Lastly this serveth for instruction and admonition for all and every one of us If we have any love to our Countrey if we long after the peace and prosperity thereof or desire the florishing of our kingdome if we would not destruction to come upon us and it and if we would live in quietnesse the way is to take heede of adding sinne to sinne and prophanenesse to prophanenesse We account him an enemy and that justly that combineth and conspireth with another to bring him to destroy the land and undermine the state thereof so is he the greatest spirituall enemy that a State can have that followeth sinne with greedinesse and multiplieth one iniquity upon another The way therefore to prevent such judgements is to breake off our sinnes by true repentance which turne upside downe kingdomes Citties Families private houses and particular persons We wish to have our Citties flourish and our families prosper and our children to continue our names and memories after our departure but what availeth all this unlesse wee set our selves to worke holinesse and righteousnesse This is the onely way to keepe our State our Citties our townes our villages our families and our children from mourning and misery and to prevent the desolation and finall destruction of them To conclude let no man blesse himselfe because wickednesse overspreadeth the land as water doth the sea neither thinke that we may with more safety and security commit sinne because the land is generally wicked but let every soule and sinner repent him of his sinnes and not harden his heart because of the wickednesse of the times 5. So the people of Nineveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them Hitherto of the preaching of Ionah now followeth the effect thereof wherein consider two things both what the
bettered by it So we have small profit by that which others heare except we apply it to our own soules What good hath the wounded man that hath a Soveraigne salue and plaister when hee layeth it not unto the sore And proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from c. Hitherto of the faith of the Ninevites Now of their repentance expressed by two signes of it proclaiming a fast and putting on sackcloath to make themselues thereby the fitter to pray and intreate the Lord to spare them and to shew mercy and compassion upon them They come not to God with full bellies or with meat in their mouthes or in gay and gorgeous apparell but in the commonest and coursest which they had These are the witnesses of their sorrow yea helpes and occasions and furtherances to more acceptable workes than they are of themselues For considered in themselues and in their owne natures they are little worth seeing bodily exercise profiteth little 1 Tim. 4.8 1 Tim. 4. But as we see that which is blunt in it selfe and not able to cut Horat. dâ— arte poet may not withstanding sharpen other things so fasting in it selfe no better than feasting and sackcloath than silke and costly apparel may neverthelesse further holy duties and quicken us in the persormance of them with greater zeale The Prophet therefore could not complaine of these Ninevites as our Saviour did of the Iewes Luk. 7.32 We have mourned to you and yee have not wept Let us now come to the meaning of the wordes Fasting importeth an abstaining not only from meate and drinke and sleepe so farre as humane infirmity wil suffer but from labour and the workes of our callings most of all from delights pleasures plaies pastimes recreations idlenesse haunting of tipling houses surfetting and drunkennesse the common sinnes of the Land which have drawne downe the hote wrath and heavie displeasure of Almightie God upon us 2. They Proclaime it That is they leave it not indifferent and arbitrary to the will and pleasure and discretion of every person to doe what they best fansied but they are bound by a Law and decree to performe it and undergoe it For doubtlesse were every man left at his own liberty whether he would serue the Lord or not or when to serue him O what a decay in religion should we find in the world in a short time Yea touching the Lords day though it be but one for seven Luk. 14.23 and God have left the rest to our selues or our lawfull labours yet if no man should be compelled to the seruice of God should we finde any knowledge of God in the land or any faith in Christ So backward we are in matters of our owne salvation to which a man would thinke we should be so forward as we should need no spurre of exhortation 3. They put on sackcloth It may be it was not sackcloth in his proper kind which is commonly so called which they could not possibly in such plenty and abundance supply themselues withall at such a suddaine but their ordinary and meanest attire so that were it that in civility and modesty they might they would have stripped themselues to the bare skin thereby acknowledging and confessing themselues unworthy of any creature to cover their nakednesse They had sinned through their wealth and superfluity in both these in pride and excesse The Pampering up of backe and belly are as the two daughters of the horseleech that sucke the very blood of the land have wasted the substance and estates of many persons and consumed great families Both these lay aside and cast away from them yea they punish and revenge themselues of their surfetting drunkennesse by fasting professing themselues unworthy to tast one bit of bread or to drinke one drop of water and of their pride and excesse in apparell by putting on sack cloth acknowledging themselues unworthy to weare any thing upon them Doct. This practise of theirs teacheth that it is a fruit of repentance to take vengeance of our selues for our sins It is required of us to be revenged of our sinnes This the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 7.10.11 Godly sorrow worketh repentance to saluation not to be repented of Behold what revenge this hath wrought in you This will shew what affection we beare to our sinnes when we daily strive to mortifie the deeds of the flesh Before repentance they are so deare unto us and so beloved of us that we cannot abide to be reprooued of them but when true repentance and sorrow for sinne commeth then we begin to brooke and digest not onely reproofe of them from others but vengeance also upon them from our selues And when once we can be avenged of them it is a plaine token we account them our utter enimies For no man desireth revenge but upon him whom he supposeth and accounteth his enemy 1 Sam. 24.19 and no man findeth his enemy that will let him goe well away 1 King 3 26. Salomon knew the right mother 1 King 3. by her tender heart and yerning bowels which could not endure to see the child divided by the sword so surely when we cannot abide the sword of reuenge to wound and slay our sinnes we have iust cause to suspect our repentance and that as yet we love our sinnes too wel when we are loath to have our enemy wounded This revenge the Apostle calleth the beating downe of the body 1 Cor. 9.27 or the keeping it under and bringing it into subjection and the offering up our bodies as sacrifices to God Rom. 12.1 Our sinnes must be dealt with all as Sarah dealt with Hagar hardly and roughly that she fled from her face Gen. 16.6 so we must handle them that they may depart from us we must claspe them and crush them hard as men doe nettles and other noysome plants that they doe not sting us But if we pamper them and use them delicately 2 Sam. 18.5 as David bade Ioab intreate the young man Absolom gently for his sake they will soone over-master us and get the upper hand of us Let us make use of this point Vse 1 This revenge standeth not in wounding our selues and offering violence to our owne bodies The Romanists glory in whipping themselues like the old heretikes called Flagellantes This they call penance howbeit it is no better than a mocke-repentance this revenge is a will-worship Esay 1.12 the which God never accepted but will say unto them Who required these things at your hands Eph. 5.29 The Apostle teacheth that no man yet never haâ—ed his owne flesh but nourisheth cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church 1 King 18.28 none ever did the contrary that we reade of but onely the Priests of Baal who cut themselues after their manner with knives and lancers till the bloud gushed out upon them and the man possessed and thereby after a sort distracted Mark 5.5 who
Aquinat jeiunium jeiunij and therefore it is not unfitly called a fast of a fast Howbeit even in this God in judgement remembreth mercy We have heard many complaine and cry out in their necessities What shall we eate or what shall we drinke Math. 6.31 and wherewithall shall we be clothed Neverthelesse we have rather heard what famine is then felt it in truth we know not what this judgement meaneth neither have tryed what the sharpe weapon of necessity bringeth with it The Lord hath rather threatned than executed it and touched us with his little finger than laid his whole hand upon us and smitten us with the backe of the sword rather than turned the edge toward us For what I pray you have we ever suffered in comparison of the judgements of God upon his owne people Israel as in the daies of Ahab when it rained not on the earth by the spaâ—e of three yeeres and sixe monethes 1 King 17.1 Iam. 5.17 and in the siege of Samaria when an Asses head was sold for fourescore pieces of siluer and the fourth part of a Kab of Doves doung for five pieces of siluer 2 King 6.25 nay more than all this when the fruit of the field failed Levit. 26.29 Deut. 28.53 c. they did eate the fruit of their own bodies even the flesh of their sons of their daughters in the straightnesse wherwith their enimies did distresse them yea oftentimes fell out in the shifting and dividing of that lothsome meat as Ieremy noteth in the Lament Lam. 4.10 2 King 6.28.29 Ioseph debello Iudeor The hands of the pitifull women have sodden their owne children they were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people O how gracious and mercifull hath God beene to us that we know none of all these things Nay we have beene so farre from having a wofull and wretched experience of these things that moe among us have destroyed themselues through surfetting and drunkennesse wantonnesse than have dyed through want moe have perished by riot excesse and superfluity than through penury and necessity This commeth to passe through the abuse of our long peace and the contempt of the Gospell The Gospell bringeth peace peace bringeth plenty plenty breadeth prodigality prodigality bringeth penury and therfore Moses chargeth the Israelites when they should enter into goodly cities which they builded not Deut. 6.10.11.12 houses full of all good things which they filled not welles digged which they digged not vineyards and Olive trees which they planted not then they must beware least they forget the Lord their God For if ever we forget God it is when we are full that is when we have greatest cause to remember him Besides the former kindes there is likewise a fast from sinne this is a spiritual abstinence a sacrifice which especially pleaseth God consisting in the holinesse of our lives which we must keepe all the dayes of our lives Of this the Prophet speaketh Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burdens Esay 58.6 7. Zach. 7.5.6 c. to let the oppressed goe free to deale thy breed to the hungry and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh This fast we must all keepe and that at all times There is also a miraculous fast above nature Of this we have three examples in holy Scripture one of Moses at the publication of the Law one of Elias at the restitution of the Law another of Christ Iesus our Saviour at his inauguration and entrance into his office This the Church of Rome after an apish imitation hath taken up and that which he did once only in all his life as if they meant to go beyond him they make annuall or yearely Hee abstained from all meates and drinkes they celebrate a counterfeit fasting which may better be called a feasting The last sort is a religious and Christian fast when we unfainedly humble our selues before the Lord and judge our selues that we may escape his judgement Of this we speake in this place and this we have before described This fasting hath two parts one outward The parts of fasting both outward and inward the other inward helped forward by the outward The outward is called a bodily exercise which is an abstinence for a time from the profits and pleasures of this life thereby to make us apter and fitter to the inward vertues These are either generall belonging to all as abstinence from food both meate and drinke so farre as humane infirmity suffereth provided if we cannot that we doe it sparingly privately without giving offence and without pretending a necessity where there is none Be not deceived God will not be mocked If he inable us to abstaine and we doe disable our selues if we make shew of fasting and doe nothing lesse he will find us out and we shall beare our condemnation whosoever we be For better it were not to fast at all then thus to dissemble and play the notable hypocrites with God and man I leave such therefore to the judgement of God and the checke of their owne conscience But as we say commonly necessity hath no law where God inableth not to beare out this hard exercise let them in the feare of God take some short refreshing For these outward exercises were instituted to make us fitter to better duties not to make us unfitter that the flesh should be tamed not killed Dometur caro sed non interimatur Hierony above ordinary custome but not beyond the nature of man But besides this abstinence from food it is as necessary that we abstaine from bravery in apparell Exod. 33.4 Ester 5.1 4.1 and from the workes and labours of our daily callings much more therefore from pleasures and pastimes and from excessive measure of sleeping 2 Sam. 12.16 Ioel. 1.13 that we may have no occasions or allurements to reioyce in the flesh and so to withdraw and withhold us from the solemne worship of God We have such among us as will seeme willing more forward then many of their fellowes and would account themselues wronged to be accounted contemners of holy things who notwithstanding when they should make preparation to so high and holy a worke are busie about their owne workes or which is all one about their masters and when they should use meditation after praying and preaching ended they runne every one after the lustes of his owne heart I can learne no otherwise out of the Law of God but these may as lawfully follow their labours upon the Sabbath as upon the day of fasting let these looke in what Schoole they have learned farther liberty Ezod 20.8 Ioel. 2.15 Levit. 16.29.30.31 For the same Lord that saith Sanctifie the Lords day saith also Sanctifie a fast he that chargeth not to doe any worke on the Sabbath chargeth likewise to do no worke at all on the day
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
not to delay the time seing we know not what shall be on the morrow Iam. 4.14 First it is a just thing with God to contemne that man dying that despised him living He that calleth not upon God in his prosperity will God heare his cry Iob. 27.9 when trouble commeth upon him The best way to kil a Serpent is to bruise his head and when it is young so the safest and surest way to withstand sinne and Satan will be in the beginning not the latter and of our dayes in health not in sicknesse in life not in death betimes not when it is too late See this in the foolish Virgins that lingred their time of repentance but when the season was past they cryed againe and againe Lord Math. 25.11.12 Lord open unto us And what answer did they receive Verily I say unto you I know you not Luk. 13.24 verifying the saying of our Saviour Many I say unto you will strive to enter in and shall not be able because doubtlesse they strive when it is too late Secondly we must looke for a time when there will be judgement without mercy now is the time of mercy without iudgment Now are the dayes of grace now is the time of turning and repenting when this time is gone and past there will come a day of blacknesse and utter darknesse when there is no place nor time of turning For as the day of death taketh us the day fo judgment shal find us as we see in Caine Esau Iudas the rich man in the Gospell and such like Thirdly the houre of death to which the greatest sort post over their repentance hath many hindrances accompanying it that the sicke man cannot freely thinke of the state of his soule neither call to remembrance his sinnes that he hath committed Lastly beware of all lettes and impediments which as so many stumbling blockes lye in the way and keepe us from repentance Never was there good worke to be done but it hath found many oppositions Satan standeth at our right hand ready to catch hold of us The manifold impediments of true repentance when he seeth us sliding from him and resolued to leave sinne As then they that were bidden and called to the feast had all of them their excuses so such as are stirred up to repentance make not that hast which they ought but are wise to their own hurt and become the greatest enemies to their owne soules Let us therefore see their reasons or rather pretences which they use to hinder their returne into the right way First they alledge that repentance is full of difficulty a way hedged with thornes hard and painfull Be it so the harder the worke is the more excellent it is But what is the hardnesse of the worke in respect of the greatnesse of the wages and reward Besides this yoke of Christ is easie and this burden is light because the often practise thereof will make it so familiar unto us that we shall take pleasure and delight in it because we shall have God to put under his hand and assist us in the practise thereof because such vertue proceedeth from the death of Christ Rom. 6.6 that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne and we have him after a sort to draw in the yoke with us and because God powreth sweet and secret consolation into the hearts of such as resolve to turne to him whereby they find that peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding Another impediment is presumption of Gods mercy and a foolish and ungrounded perswasion that God will accept of them whensoever they returne to him True it is we have many precious promises of grace and mercy in holy Scripture Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Psal 103. 1 Tim. 2.4 But these men do abuse them and build upon a weake foundation they dreame of a God made all of mercy and forget his justice which is to set up an Idoll in their hearts they dwell so much upon the promises of the Gospell that they cast from them the curses of the law These are like to the Spider that gathereth poyson out of the sweetest flowers The goodnesse of God is published and Proclaimed so often for the comfort of the weake not for the encouragement of the wicked to raise up the penitent not to hearten or harden the obstinate it is bread for the Children to eate not for dogges to devoure To conclude Nah. 1.3 let us remember that as the Lord is slow to anger so he is great in power and wil not surely cleere the wicked The third impediment is contrary to the former and that is despaire of Gods mercy The former hoped too much this sort hopeth too little and both of them without cause This possessed the heart of Caine despairing of Gods goodnesse as if it were lesse than his sinnes Thus also Iudas perished who saw his sinne in the glasse of the Law but could not lay hold on Gods mercy and therefore died without hope Sathan hath two deceitfull glasses and brast asunder through despaire Thus doth Satan shew forth two false glasses to deceive the sight of sinners before sinne is committed he sheweth them his mercies greater than they are and his justice lesse than it is but after the committing thereof he maketh his mercies to appeare lesser and his justice greater than indeed it is But he is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lies trust him not beleeve him not the contrary to that which he speaketh is commonly true God hath mercy in store for all that doe repent from the bottome of their hearts Ezek. 18.21.22 and hath promised to put all their sinnes out of his remembrance To deny the infinitenesse of his mercy is to deny him to be God Remember the examples of old how he hath dealt with penitent sinners with Rahab the harlot with Manasses the King with Peter that denyed him with Paul that persecuted him with such as crucified the Son of God and delivered him into the hands of murtherers Luk. 7.38 with that woman which washed the feete of Christ with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head To conclude let us call to minde the description of the name and nature of God The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in truth Exod. 33.6.7 reserving mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinnes The next impediment is the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches the pleasures of this world These are dangerous snares and baites of Satan wherewith he hunteth after the soules of men and catcheth them as fishes are with an hooke Luk. 14.17 Math. 13.22 Luk. 12.19 2 Tim. 4.10 and as corne is choked with thornes Luk. 8. For as full hands are able to hold and receive nothing no not the purest gold when they are
full of earth or clay before so it is with our hearts when they are forestalled and fore-possessed with the world they cannot recive the least measure of grace Let us therefore set before us evermore the Counsell and Commandement of our Saviour Math. 6.33 1 Tim. 4.8 6.17 First seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and all these things shall be ministred unto you An other impediment is the quiet and peaceable end of obstinate sinners who hauing led a wicked and wretched life yet in outward appearance to the eye have died peaceably and as it is judged very happily From hence they encourage theÌ„selues in doing evill to go on in their sins so keep theÌ„selues from repentance These are diligent observers for their owne endes how the vngodly oftentimes go away like Lambes there are no bandes in their death and on the other side how such as have repented have unquiet endes and much discomfort at their death and so by them both are kept from making hast to turne to God But we must learne and consider it well that the quiet endes of wicked men proceed partly from the secret justice of God partly from the cunning subtilty of Satan and partly from their owne corruption so to blind their eyes and harden their hearts that they imagine as men in a dreame that they stand in good state and are as well the children of God as they that have never so much repented Thus God sendeth them strong delusions least they should be converted and be saved Esay 6.10 Whereas all outward things fall out alike to the righteous and to the wicked to the cleane and to the uncleane to the good and to the sinner Eccl. 9.2 He arose from his throne and he laid his robe from him and covered c. The next point to be considered is the beginning of this wonderfull conuersion from the highest to the lowest The beginning was from the King himselfe Ier. 13.18 and from him proceeded to the people As the head giveth life to the rest of the members and one wheele giveth motion unto others so the action and forwardnesse of the King Doct. as the head of the common wealth Great men should be forwardest in all godlinesse and be examples to others of lower places stirred up all the people to fasting and prayer by his example Hereby we learne that superiours men of high place must by their practise give good example to others It behoveth them whom God hath placed in authority and lifted up their heads above their brethren to give good example to others and goe in and out before them in that which is good and holy The more high worthy and excellent their calling is the more zealous and forward they should be in Godlinesse and thankfulnesse to him that hath exalted them The Prophet Ioel beginneth first with the Elders or Ancients and from them descendeth to all the inhabitants of the land when he exhorteth all persons to repentance Ioel. 1.2 Hag. 1.1 2.2.21 This we see in the Prophet Haggai he beginneth with Zerubbabel the governour and then with the people The cause why the Gospel so much florished and prospered in Thessalonica is rendred because the cheefe men were most forward and received the word with all readinesse of mind Act. 17. Act. 17.11 And there is great cause why it should be so Reason 1 For first they may more easily draw on others to the best things by their good example as by their evill example they do draw backe others so that they offend doubly by their sinne and by their example So Ieroboam set up Idolatry and thereby made Israel to sinne Lips in polit For as we have light or darkenesse from the Sunne so we have vice or vertue from superiors And as the high and tall Cedars of Libanus while they stand fast well rooted in the earth are a shield and defence to the lower shrubbes that are underneath them but if they fall downe they beare downe all that are within their reach so suâ—ch as are of higher estate and calling so long as they continue firme in the feare of God and in the wayes of godlinesse are as notable proppes and pillars to such as cast their eyes upon them and great meanes to draw on others by their authority and example but when once they fall away and give themselues to wicked wayes they walke not in that way alone but are an occasion of falling to many others by their followers and inferiors Secondly it is well knowne by daily experience that such as are under others are led more by examples than by edictes and looke upon the lives of superiors rather than upon their Lawes Claudian Componttur orbis regis ad exemplum c. True it is we should live by the precepts of God rather than by the practises of men but for the most part we see it otherwise Hence it is that Salomon saith Pro. 29.12 If a ruler hearken to lies all his servants are wicked Thirdly superiours must give an account of their government to God who is the great master and commander in heaven and earth of whom they have received their place and power for promotion commeth neither from the East Psal 75.6.7 nor from the West but God putteth downe one and setteth up another and he will streightly enquire not only how just and civill Ezek. 18.4 1 Sam. 2.13 but how holy and religious their gouerment hath beene True it is the soule that sinneth shall die the death yet their blood shall be required at the hands of all them that have not done their duty to bring them to God but beene a meanes to draw them and drive them from God Fourthly if such as be superiours and have jurisdiction to prescribe rules to others be not brought to a conscience of their owne duties in the first place they might by the abuse of their authority frustrate and make void all the good care conscience that might happily be begun in their children servants by urging commanding them to do otherwise than â—he law of God and their own consciences would permit them First of all Vse 1 this reprooveth such as being unmindfull of their high calling unmindfull that the Lord bringeth low and lifteth up 1 Sam. 2.7 unmindfull that he maketh them inherit the throne of Glory unmindfull that they are as a City set upon an hill to be seene a farre off and unmindfull of the great account which they are to make at the great day of account for to whom much is given of him the more shall be required do give themselues over to all manner of evill as if their authority were a priviledge or sanctuary for impiety and thereby draw others into the same excesse of riot untill both they and their followers perish as it is noted of Theudas and Iudas Act. 5.36.37 who drew away much people after them
but they were destroyed and such as obeyed them brought to nought We see by common experience that the infection and contagion of sinne creepeth closâ—ly and proceedeth somtimes from the lowest to the highest as it were from the foote to the head how much more easily and strongly from the highest to the lowest as it were from the head to the foot We see sometime sinne spreadeth from the wife to the husband 1 King 11.3 1 King 11.3 Solomons outlandsh women witnesse this truth for in his old age he fell to Idolatry through entisement of his wiues that drew away his heart Ahab is sayd to doe evill in the sight of the Lord what was the cause 1 King 16.30.31 as if it had beene a light thing to walke in the sinnes of Iehoram he tooke to wife lezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Zidonians But what followed he went and serued Baal and worshipped him The like I might say of Ietroram he walked in the way of the Kings of Israel that is in evill wayes for bad was the best of them and what was the reason The daughter of Ahab was his wife and he did evill in the sight of the Lord. 2 King 8.18 Sometimes sinne ascendeth from the Counsellers to the King as well as from the wife to the husband as 1 King 12. for Rehoboam following the aduise of the young men answered the people roughly and rigourously 1 King 12.20 11.13 but what followed the revolting of the rest of the tribes so that there was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Iudah onely The like we reade 1 Chro. 19.3.4 Sometimes likewise it ascendeth from the children to the fathers Gea 13.7.8 yea from the seruants to their Masters who make them of bad to be much worse Thus it commonly falleth out howbeit then the waters runne as it were against the streame But much more doth sinne prevaile when the waters runne with the streame and heavy things fall downeward when from men of higher places it rowleth upon such as stand in lower ground For they draw their inferiours by their countenance they allure them by their rewardes they discourage them by their threatnings they terrifie them by their punishments they embolden them by their connivence they charge and command them by their authority Secondly it teacheth all superiours to looke to themselues and as it concerneth all in generall so especially them to let their light so shine before men that they may see their good workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven For as shewres of raine fall soon and suddainly from the mountaines to the vallies from the house top to the earth from the higher places to the lower Psal 133.2.3 as Psal 133. Like the precious oyntment upon the head that ranne downe upon the beard even Aarons beard that went downe to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the Mountaines of Sion so when once God hath rained the sweet shewres of his word Deut. 32.2 when his doctrine hath dropped as the raine and his speach distilled as the dew upon the hearts of such as are in eminent places the fruit hereof is communicated quickly to such as stand beneath and abide in an inferiour condicion who looke upon such as are set above them as the eyes of seruants looke unto the hands of their Masters and as the eyes of a maiden unto the haâ—ds of her Mistresse We are charged all to xhort and admonish one another and to be helpers to the faith one of an other but a double charge lyeth upon the heads of all Heads and Superiours to stirre them up that are under them by word and by example As Abimelech taking an axe in his hand and cutting downe a bough tooke it and laid it on his shoulders and said unto the people Iudg. 9.48 7.17 What ye have seene me do make haste and do as I have done Iudge 9. and as Gideon the Captaine of the Lords host dividing his men into companies said unto them Looke on me and do likewise and behold when I come to the side of the campe it shall be that as I doe so shall yee doe So the forwardnesse of great men ought to be such as they should call others by their example and say looke upon me make haste doe as I have done as ye have seene me to doe Thus they ought to perswade themselues that either by their Godlinesse they are meanes to bring others to God or by their evill they are meanes to drive them from him A good meditation for all Superiours O that this were throughly ingrafted in the hearts of all the rulers of this world that upon this ground they would thus reason with themselues Is it true that I have a share and portion in the actions of every one under my jurisdiction either in his goodnesse or wickednesse then surely I have great neede to looke narrowly into mine owne wayes to be a patterne and president of godlinesse unto others Thus should the Minister that hath charge of mens soules and must give an account for them to the great sheepheard of the sheepe reason with himselfe thus also ought the Master of the family the father of children and generally all superiors to reason with themselues and so make good use of this duty But alas we see every where the contrary practise for every man almost looketh upon the pleasure and case the gaine and profit that may be gotten in his calling and followeth after them with greedinesse never considering what offence they give to God and man neither regarding what multitudes of soules they draw after them to hell Lastly let inferiours be provoked by the good examples of their superiours to follow them in godlinesse and to be stirred up to walke in their wayes This precept hath many branches and teacheth us sundry points first that they are doubly guilty of sinne who having good examples are evill followers and having good rulers to go in and out before them to leade them the right way will not walke after them in their footsteps If they had none to guide them in the course of godlinesse they could not be excused but when they have good governours and will not be informed by them they have no cloke nor colour for their sinne So then this is the second rule that they must not thinke themselues discharged and acquitted when evill Superiours walke before them in all loosenesse and licentiousnesse no though they can pretend they have been exhorted admonished perswaded counselled or commanded for the leaders and they that are led shall perish together Thirdly it is the duty of all as are under the authority of others to make prayers 1 Tim. 2.1.2 supplications intercessions and giving of thankes for all that are in authority that under them we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all
nothing but in outward abstinence from flesh onely as for humiliation of our selues before our God and afflicting of our spirits as for solemne prayer and amendment of life they are dead and buried as if they were the carcasse of fasting there is deepe silence of them as of things impertinent and utterly from the purpose Thus albeit they retaine the name of fasting yet they have altered the nature of it and albeit they make it meritorious yet was it but a notorious mocking of God a dishonouring of him and a deluding of his people Secondly we receive from hence encouragement in performance of these duties yea comfort and assurance that God will spare us and save us returne to us if we returne to him and turne away his wrath from us Ezr. 8.23 as he did from these Ninevites This we see how the Lord performed Ezr. 8. We fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us Where we see fasting and praying ioyned together and this benefit they found thereby this was the successe they obtained a blessing the Lord was intreated of them If we practise these as we are commanded we have his promise of mercy If he be not intreated it is because we seeke him not aright neither are sufficiently humbled before him but provoke him more by our fasting then we did before and so adde sin unto us O how great are our provocations of the Almighty when his ordinances sanctified to withdraw his wrath shall be meanes to draw it farther upon us and how farre doe our evill workes kindle his indignation against us and encrease his plagues cause him to double his strokes upon us when our best actions performed amisse serve for no other end but to turne us farther out of his favour and to keepe his mercies from us so that we deserue justly a new plague for our fasting if God were not gracious unto us For what are our meetings in many places for the most part but a mocke-fast as if we meant to despite God to his face or as if we met together according to every mans fansie and not warranted by publike authority nor urged by our owne necessity Some are feasting while others are fasting Some keepe it indeed as they doe keepe the Sabbath neither resting from their labours not attending the worship of God and so they make conscience of neither Some come sweating and blowing into the house of God from their owne workes without any preparation of themselves or consideration of the worke of God where about they goe Some are only fore-noone men some againe onely after-noone way Some beginne when others have halfe ended others end when some have halfe begunne Others come to Church betimes but they bring the Devill at their elbowes that lulleth them fast asleepe so as they learne nothing and serue as Cyphers onely to fill up a place for being present they were as good be absent nay better be absent because they should lesse dishonour God shew lesse contempt of the word and give lesse scandal to their brethren Call you this a fasting to the Lord Call you this an afflicting of our selves or of our soules Call you this a solemne repentance Nay where is he almost that once mindeth amendment of life or calleth his sinnes to remembrance or who saith to the eternall God the Lord of heaven and earth the King of Kings as that servant sayd to his Lord and Master an earthly King Gen. 41.9 I call to mind my faultes this day See then the causes why we are not heard We use the meanes but God regardeth us not as Iam. 4. Iam. 4.3 Yee aske and receive not because ye aske amisse and we doe not performe them aright Behold then the true cause why Gods judgments often continue and his hand is stretched out still we remaine still in our sinnes We fast from food but we fast not from our offences We abstaine from the pleasures of the things of this life Heb. 11.25 but we abstaine not from the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season What should it profit to put on sackcloth upon the body and not to put off the pride of heart to abridge out selves of naturall sleepe and to be spiritually asleepe in sinne to put off our best apparell and not to cast off the old man which is corrupt through the deceivable lustes Object It will be objected it hath beene usuall with Moses and the Prophets and the people of God when his hand was heavy upon them by famine or pestilence or the sword they fasted and prayed and the plague ceased why is it not so with us we have fasted but our plague continueth is God changed or is there any alteration in the Almighty Answ I answer there is some difference betweene the old Testament and the new between his administration under the law and under the Gospel For in the time of the law he crowned the obedience thereof more and oftner with temporall blessings as he recompensed the disobedience with temporall judgements whiles the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell were more darkly shadowed whereas now in the sunne-shine of the Gospel we behold Christ Iesus with open face the Kingdome of heaven is set open to all beleevers and the judgment of the great day of the Lord to which the vngodly are reserved is made manifest and therefore his wrath is not now so fully and plentifully revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men neither doth he reward with earthly blessings so commonly such as serve him But to passe this over as not so proper for this place let us enter into our selves let us search and try our own wayes and we shall find the true cause in our owne hearts For how should we thinke or perswade our selves that God should cease his hand presently when we encrease our sins dayly Is it not just with him to multiply his judgments upon us when we multiply sin upon sin or should we looke to have him repent of the evill when we will not repent of our evill We should doubtlesse see an other manner of successe and blessing of God upon our praying and fasting and humiliation if we did as the people of God were wont to doe we should speed as they were wont to do the Lord would deale with us as he dealt with them but forasmuch as we be not like to them in the one no marvaill if we be not like them in the other Lastly seeing the people of God were wont in solemne times of humilâ—ation and professing of their repentance to joyne together prayer and fasting the one giving the right hand of fellowship to the other let us stirre up our selves to call upon his name but how Not as ordinarily we doe but as our fasting is extraordinary so ought our prayers to be also in regard of continuance in regard of zeale in regard of confession of the sinnes of all
disability or prophanenesse or from contempt or from deriding of all good things in such as delight in them or from posting it over to the Minister or from lying in some knowne sinne or from an evill custome and continuance without reading or praying in their houses To conclude this point we must obserue two rule First it is not enough to bid others pray for us as did Pharaoh Ieroboam Simon Magus and some others but we must pray our selues We must learne this knowledge As Parents will not have their children require others to request them to grant such things as they want but will accustome them to come boldly themselues so it is with our heavenly Father He will not have us to depend upon others to speake unto him for us but he will have us come to his throne our selues with such reverence and boldnesse as behoveth children to come to their fathers Secondly we ought not to pray in company onely for that many times is hypocrisie The greatest sort rest in comming to the Church in hearing the Word in receiving the Sacraments in being present at the prayers of the Church and in doing as others do but over and above this we must pray in secret between God and our selues that he which seeth in secret may reward us openly He that never prayed but in company never prayed in sincerity If we have the spirit of supplicatioÌ„ we must sequester our selues from others for private meditation as our Saviour both instructed others and practised himselfe Math 6.6 Touching others he willeth us to enter into our Closet and shut the dore Math. 6. and to pray to our father in secret Luk. 6.12 And touching himselfe He went out into a Mountaine to pray and continued all night in prayer and was oftentimes aâ—one by himselfe as we shewed before Lastly come often to Gods throne as children do to their father accounting it a necessary duty Iam. 5.13 not arbitrary or left at our liberty as Iam. 5. Is any among you afflicted let him pray Neither let any man pretend the difficulty The more hard it is the more excellent and the greater labour should we employ to be able to do it If an earthly Prince should make Proclamation among the lowest meanest sort of his subjectes that whosoever would come to begge such a mannor at his hands and put up his petition for it shewing his case and laying open his poverty there is none so simple or so shallow but he would find wordes and matter enough to plead for himselfe Why then are we not so wise for the soule as we are for the body for the life to come as for this present life for heaven as we are for the earth for eternall things as we are temporall Let us therfore draw neere to God and he will draw neere vnto us he is more ready to heare then we are to speake to grant then we are to aske to open then we are to knock True it is he is often found before we seeke after him and when we aske one blessing he is ready to grant many yea more then we desire and we make an end of asking before he doth of granting Gen. 18. yet if we enioy the things of this life when we refuse to pray for them and resolue not once to open our mouthes unto him all such blessings are turned into curses as he threatneth Mal. 2.2 Yea let them turne every one from their evill wayes It was not enough for these Ninevites to pray to pray fervently to pray unto God but they must turne every one from his evill way This is necessary to be annexed as a companion to the former For as fasting is nothing worth without prayer so prayer is nothing worth without repentance Doct. This teacheth that no prayer is acceptable to God No prayer accepted but of the righteous Psal 145.19 but the prayer of the penitent of such as walke before him in holinesse and righteousnesse The Prophet teacheth that he will fulfill the desires of them that feare him 1 Tim. 28. he will heare their prayers also and saue them as if he should say theirs and no others The Apostle willeth that men pray every where lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting Iam. 5.16 Thus also another teacheth that the prayers of a righteous man availeth much If then it be not the prayer of a righteous man it is not the prayer of faith and without faith it is unpossible to please God Heb 11.6 The reasons are many that shew the causes wherefore God regardeth not a wicked mans prayer Reas 1 Ioh. 9.31 For first God heareth no sinners Ioh. 9 but if any be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Secondly sinne separeteth from God and divideth between him and us Esay 59.2 2 King 4.40 and defileth all our prayers This the Prophet teacheth Your iniquities have separated you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare As then the children of the Prophets having gathered wild gourds cryed out there is death in the pot so when we mingled our prayer with the sowre herbes of iniquity we may cry out death is in our prayer Thirdly our persons must please God before our Prayers can be accepted Gen 4.5 Mal 1.8 3.3 God had no respect to the person of Caine because he was of that evill one and came in hypocrisie into his presence and therefore he accepted not his offering but unto Abâ—l and Tit. 1.15 to his offering he had respect so the Apostle teacheth that to the pure all things are pure but unto them that are defiled and unbeeving is nothing pure but even their mind and conscience is defiled To apply these things to our selues Vse 1 First it teacheth that the prayer of the wicked is abominable before him the ungodly are not accepted in his sight If we incline our hearts to wickednesse the Lord will not heare us Psal 66. Psal 66.18 nay the more we pray the more we sinne if we be impenitent Therefore the prayers of such are abominable as Solomon teacheth in many places He assureth us that the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Pro 15.29 28. â— but the prayer of the upright is his delight and after the Lord is farre from the wicked but he heareth the prayer of the righteous and chap. 28. he that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be abomination Albeit such may and do often cry in his eares with a loud voyce Ezek. 8.18 yet he will not heare them Ezek. The wicked therefore are out of hope of obtaining for their comfort the things that they pray for nay they farther provoke God to the confusion of their faces by their mock-prayers This answereth an objection which the wicked may make God hath commanded us to pray and hath
other men that they are not all for the present but have their eyes in their fore head to foresee and so to prevent evils to come as Eccl. 2. The wise mans eyes are in his head Eccl. 2.14 but the foole walketh in darknesse The naturall man seeth with one eye to witt the carnall eye of naturall reason that can pierce no farther then the light of nature reacheth but Christian men have together with it the spirituall eye of faith also to foresee evils to come such as sense and reason are not able to apprehend Bernard in Psal Quihabitat Serm. 1. There are foure sortes of men in this case to be considered of us some hope but feare not others feare but hope not some neither hope nor feare others both hope and feare The first sort is of those that hope but feare not these runne through thicke and thinne and stand at nothing they feare not when there is cause but they presume without cause These hope for his mercy but they feare not his wrath they have their eyes fastned upon his mercy but they shut them upon his wrath least they should looke upon it and thereby take liberty to sinne without any remorse of conscience or of repentance from dead workes We have infinite examples both written and unwritten of such persons and therefore the Prophet David prayeth to God to keepe his servant from presumptuous sinnes least they have dominion over him Psal 19.13 This faith is no faith but a fancy or rather a frenzy These set up an idoll instead of God made all of mercy that is an other kind of God then he hath described himselfe to be in his word Exod. 20 and 34 he will by no meanes cleare the wicked Exod. 34.7 visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth generation Wherefore all mercy and no feare is all fansie and no faith An other sort is of such as feare but hope not at all These are contrary to the former They feare his judgments too much but they hope in his mercies too little as Caine Saul Achitaphel Iudas and such like who had no more hope then the Devils have and so come to be swallowed up in the deepe gulfe of desperation The third sort neither hope nor feare neither hope in his mercy neither fear his justice It is al one with such which end goforward whether God be offended or not whether he be pleased or displeased These are like the Laodiceans neither hote nor cold but luke warme whom God wil spew out of his mouth Revel 3.16 Rev. 3. These are seiled in their lees or dregs of their sins that say in their hearts the Lord will do neither good nor evill Zeph. 1.12 These are Epicures or Atheists that make God sit idle in heaven and do nothing The Fourth and last sort are such as both hope and feare also In the first sort raigneth presumption in the second desperation in the third prophanation in the last religion These so hope in his mercy that they stand in feare of his wrath as Noah David Iosiah and sundry others Such must we be to regard both of his mercy and judgment We must not be any of the former sinners neither presumptuous nor desperate nor prophane but fearefull of his wrath and yet confident in his mercy 10 And God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that he had said that he would do unto them and he did it not Hitherto we have heard what the Ninevites did Knowledge is of Apprehension Heb. 4 13 Approbation Psal 1.6 Math. 7.23 here we are to consider what the Lord did he saw their works and repented of the evill which he had denounced Let us first marke the meaning of the words and consider them in order as they lie He saw First he not onely beheld what they did but he approved their workes Chap. 1.2 and conceiveth a liking of the service they performed as Gen. 1.31 4.4 Lam. 3.6 But doth not the Lord see the wicked and their workes Ob. did he not see before this their wickednesse Yes doubtlesse Answ or else how could it come up before him For answer unto this we must understand that he is said to have a two fold eye the eye of knowledge and the eye of alowance He seeth all persons and all things good and evill with the eye of his knowledge that nothing can be hid from him for he that formed the eye shall not he see the night Psal 94.9 139.11 and the light are both a like with him but he seeth not all things in this maner with the eye of his alowance liking loving and approving In this sence he did not looke upon Caine and upon his offering but upon Abel and his offering to whom he had respect Their workes First their faith their conversion from their evill wayes their fasting and prayer how they cryed mightily unto him God repented of the evill First God is after a sort transformed and transfigured into our nature as we sometimes read of his eyes eares hands heart feet nostrils and other bodily members not that he is so indeed not that he hath these parts but the Scripture speaketh after our capacity and understanding as they do that speake to children we are not ignorant what use office and property these severall parts have in our selues and we conceive not how a man should see without eyes or heare without eares or walke without feet or worke without hands and to teach us therefore that God seeth heareth worketh and understandeth all things those parts are ascribed unto him by which we see heare worke walke and understand But properly repentance is not in God as we have noted before but the effect is Repentance not properly in god which is nothing else but the undoing of a worke which he had formerly done So then the Ninevites turned and God turned they turned from their evill and God from his evill Howbeit these evils differ the one from the other for theirs is criminall his penall Doct. they turned from the evill of their sinne he from the evill of his punishment God knoweth whatsoever we do and approoveth of that which is good From hence we may obserue two points which because they have affinity one with an other we will consider together namely that God seeth knoweth and heareth whatsoever we do speake or thinke yea he acknowledgeth aloweth Whatsoever we do and approoveth of that which is good Psal 139.2.3.4 33.13.14 praiseth and commendeth good things in whomsoever they are Touching the first branch the Prophet saith Psal 139. Thou vnderstandest my fitting my rising my thoughts afarre off there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it wholly thou possessest my reines my bones are not hid from thee and 33.13.14 The Lord looketh from
our selves and others to repentance Fasting and praier must be joyned together Prayer is a meanes to remove Gods judgments Prayer must be earnest zealous and feruent Prayer must be directed to the true God onely Prayer and repentance must go together The naturall man not yet called must repent Repentance standeth in turning from our evill waies unto God Where true faith is there is a feare of judgments to come God seeth all things and approveth that which is good God is gratious and mercifull to penitent sinners GODS TRVMPET SOVNDING THE ALARME Sommoning all persons speedily to repent and turne unto God teaching the doctrine removing the hindrances and urging the practise of true repentance before the evill dayes come which are at hand Act. 17.30.31 The times of this ignorance God winked at but now commandeth all men every where to repent Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse c. Revel 2.5 Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and wil remove thy Candlesticke out of his place except thou repent LONDON Printed by T.C. for Michael Sparkes 1632. GODS TRVMPET SOVNDING THE ALARME SVMMONING ALL PERSONS SPEEDILY TO REPENT An Exposition upon LVK. 13.1.2 c. 1 There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their Sacrifices 2 And Iesus answearing said unto them suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things 3 I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 4 Or those eighteene upon whom the towre in Siloe fell and flew them thinke ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Ierusalem 5 I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 6 He spake also this Parable c. HEre is a communication touching an inhumane and cruell fact of Pilate against certaine Galileans The maine doctrine use taught by our Saviour who tooke all occasions to doe good to soule and body is to move to repentance comprehended in these words except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish The preaching of this necessary truth be all that were present arose upon the report and information Pilates barbarous cruelty in three respects which certaine made to him of Pilates barbarous and bloody action which was so much the more foule and beastly first because he was president and Governour of Iury Math. 27.11 under the Romane Emperour and as a judge ought to have proceeded according to Law to have kept and preserued the Country in peace and quietnesse and not to have used force and violence in sheding of blood Secondly because these Galileans did not properly belong to his jurisdiction neither were these within his liberty but did belong to Herod and therefore if they had offended they were to be sent to him to whom they were bound to give on account as he dealt afterward with Christ whom he sent to Herod Luk. 23.7 Luk. 23.7 Lastly because this murther was committed upon their persons whiles they were in a sacred place which should have bin as in a sanctuary and performing a sacred duty in offering sacrifice which should have purchased unto them an immunity from such danger But what these sacrificers were what there sacrifice was and where the place of meeting was it is uncertaine whether they were Proselytes sacrificing at Ierusalem Ioh. 4.20 or as the Samaritans sacrificing else where in the mountaine it appeareth not But this is certaine and appeareth evidently that in the time of sacrificing as the blood of the beast was shed and ranne downe Pilate came upon them with his men of warre and shed their blood so that the blood of the men and of the beasts was mingled together Of this strange and sauage practise there were some that informed our Saviour whereupon he began to make use thereof and to preach to them the doctrine of repentance to apply it the to consciences of all his hearers as also to reprove and meet with a secret common corruption that reigned in them For it seemeth by Christs Question that such as were present and saw that slaughter judged hardly and uncharitably of those men that so suffered as being notorious and extraordinary wicked persons because such things had befallen them and therefore he propoundeth a generall doctrine I tell you Nay but except your selues be take your selues to a better course and resolue to lead a new life ye shall in like sort perish as well as they To worke a deeper impression of this in their hearts Hieron in 8. cap. Isaj he addeth and annexeth another example not much unlike the former of a like suddaine judgment upon eighteene persons which perished by the fall of a tower in Siloe Esay 8.6 Ioh. 9.7 This Siloe was a calme streame or little brooke running softly which riseth at the root of mount Sion flow ing at certaine times onely which carried the water about Ierusalem De bello Iudai lib. 6. cap. 11. and had upon it a fort builded as a Castle or Citadell Of this read more in Iosephus Now certaine standing under it a piece of the Tower and wall fell downe and crushed 18. of them to death Vpon occasion of this example also he presseth again the former doctrine and in the same words as if he should say Because these 18. were slaine and died in that suddaine fall not once thinking of death impute you the cause of this extraordinary event and successe to be their extraordinary sins I tel you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish When he hath thus propounded the doctrine he farther amplifieth explaneth it by a Parable or similitude as if he should say I wil tel you in what case the Church of Ierusalem in generall you here present in particular are it is as much as if a man had a large Vineyard in it had planted a fig-tree Now when he had set it in his fruitfullest ground fattest soile he looked for the fruit of his labours at the time of bearing he cōmeth calleth the dresser of the vineyard he saith Loe I have planted this fig tree I have spared it a good time and yet it remaineth barren bringeth forth no fruit what remaineth but that I cut it downe The dresser whether in regard of pitty and commiseration or that continuance of time might do some good or hope that other or farther dressing might helpe to amend the matter pleadeth with the Lord of the Vineyard for the Vineyard I will dresse it and dung it and digge about it and use all good meanes I can and it may be the next yeare your patience and forbearance shall not be repented off and my labour shall not be grudged at but if after all this toile paines-taking it yeeld
his judgments who never once consider the causes thereof not hate their sinnes though heinous and horrible which bring them upon us We deale commonly with our sinnes as the vniust Steward did with his Masters debters and debt for an hundred he sets downe fifty Luk. 15.6 See herein how partiall we are when we censure others we are ready for fifty to set downe an hundred and of every mole-hill to make a mountaine but when we cast up our owne accountes we say to our owne soules Take thy bill and sit downe quickly and write fourscore or fifty or happily foure or five so unequall and unjust are our wayes Againe others acknowledge themselues to be sinners in grosse or in generall as Pharaoh Saul and sundry others but come to the particulars of the law which is the glasse to shew us our sinnes for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sin examine these by it from point topoint Rom. 3.20 who never examined themselues they are not ashamed to pronounce themselues innocent For bring them to their triall as it were to hold up their hand at the barre whether they ever brake the first Commandement Exod. 20 3.4.7.8.13 Thou shall have no other Gods before me they answer readily God forbid I should set up strange gods Or the second To make graven images or the rest To kill To steale To beare false witnesse Math. 19.20 and such like they sticke not to plead not guilty and to say with the young man All these things have I kept from my youth up what lacke I yet These are like to a man that saith he is sicke and being asked where and led a long from the crowne of the head to the Sole of the foot should then say he is well in every particular part Thus they shew they understand not the Law which is spirituall Rom. 7.14 and searcheth into the heart Lastly it is our duty to use all meanes to move us and bring us unto repentance The first may be our present necessity Motives to stirre us up to repentance If there were no other but the distresse and calamity that lyeth upon our Churches it were enough to rouse us up out of the dead sleep of sinne into which we are fallen It is not our fasting and prayer that can call in Gods judgements nay they provoke him the more against us except we repent O let us consider the wofull mortality and the pittifull estate of thousands of our brethren and sisters Psal 80.5 79.8.9 that the Lord feedeth them with the bread of teares and giveth them teares to drinke in great measure and thereby be stirred up our selues and stirre up others to unfained repentance then let us say with the Prophet O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake and he will heare us in the end and send us a gracious deliverance Secondly a man that liveth in this world without amendment of life is farre more uile then the basest creatures that creepe upon the ground it had beene better we had never beene borne or beene brought forth as dogs and swine as wormes of the earth nay as Serpents or a generation of Vipers We are worse then all these lying in the state of impenitency for there is an end of them when this life endeth but our misery shall never have end Thirdly such as ate not truly conuerted are in danger of all the judgments of God which as a suddaine and violent flood may breake in upon them or as a mighty host of men may quickly ouerthrow them and destroy them Happy are they that feare them a farre off and can beware by other mens harmes Let us not tarry till they come upon us Exod. 12.30 as the Egyptians did till one in every house was dead God was neuer more prouoked then at this day Hitherto he hath prevailed little or nothing with us Math. 3.10 now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every one which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire Fourthly God hath used all meanes to worke in us repentance the greater is our sin if we use them not We are fast a sleep he hath sounded his trumpets to awakeÌ„ us He hath the trumpet of his word and commandeth his Ministers to cry aloud and spare not Esay 58.1 to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to shew the people their transgressions their sins He hath also the trumpet of his judgements to pierce into our hearts when the word findeth no place in us He hath often sounded the alarme and blowne the trumpet of his Word by the Ministery of his seruants that have spoken unto us early and late in the name of the Lord and warned us of his wrath to come and of our wickednesse present and we would not heare them He is therfore constrained to take in hand an other trumpet and to strike us with the pestilence and mortality Ames 3.6 shall this Trumpet be blowne in the City and the people not be afraid Or shâ—ll there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it For as when a trumpet giveth a signe or token out of a watch-tower the people hearkneth and is troubled and prepare themselves this way or that way as the trumpet giveth the token so the Lord cryeth unto us by his judgments as it were by the voyce of a shrill trumpet ought we not then to be attentive and be moved at the sound thereof and according to the warning prepare our selves to repentance and heare his voice while it is called to day Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 4.7 lest our hearts be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It were better for us a thousand times to hearken to the sound of the first trumpet then tarry till be sound the second to heare his word then waite till he take up his sword O how much better had it beene for us to have taken his word which he sends among us and to Obey it then to cause and even constraine him to send his destroying Angel to make havocke of us Lastly he that converteth not is in danger of eternall damnation to be separated from Gods presence at whose right hand is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Dan 12.2 to have fellowship with the Devill and his angels to have shame and everlasting contempt powred upon them and to have horrour and anguish of conscience cast upon them arising from a feeling of Gods wrath Then shall the last trumpet blow and waxe lowder that the dead shall heare the sound thereof 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 when the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a great shout and with thousands
his mercies Hee hath preached unto us by his mercies a long time and the dayes of his patience have long continued among us How neere hath Gods hand bin unto many of us in the great plague When it hath beene in the same house one hath bin taken away and another hath bin spared Nay in the same bed one hath bin smitten another hath had his life granted him for a pray Consider this yee that have forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before his judgement falleth upon us He commeth with a leaden foote but he striketh with a rod of iron and dasheth his enemies in pieces as a potters vessel The Lord complaineth in the Prophet Ier. 8.7 that the storke in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord they have rejected the word of the Lord c. Every man even by the light of nature obserueth his times for his several workeâ— Skilfull Physitians have their times of the yeare and of the Moone for their purges and potions The Mariner stayeth not when the tide is come the Husbandman soweth while it is winter the Smith striketh while the iron is hote the Merchant buyeth while the market lasteth thus doe these take their time while the time tarrieth onely men in the matters of God and their owne Saluation know not or will not know the time of their returning Eph. 5.14 They will not awake from their deepe sleepe in sinne they will not stand up from the dead that Christ may give them light and life They will not heare his voyce while it is called to day but suffer themselves to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Lord speaketh in the time present behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation but we will take a further day with God as desperate debters doe with men they can abide no present reckonings Thus doth Satan beguile carelesse sinners he promiseth them time enough hereafter like to biting Vsurers as one saith who are wont to give day to young heires from yeare to yeare untill at last they wind and wring their inheritance from them So the Prince of darknesse August Confâ—s lib. 8. cap. 5 the God of this world suggesteth to the children of disobedience that they may let repentance alone a little and it will be soone enough to come anone to repent heereafter Remember that Esau losing the opportunity of the blessing sought it afterward with teares Heb. 12.17 and yet found no place for repentance Remember that the rich man cryed for mercy but it was too late Lne 16.24 Remember the foolish Virgins that cryed Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25.11.12 7.22.23 but the doore of mercy was shut and they received their answer verily I say vnto you I know you not Remember that many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull workes but it shall be said to them Depart from me yee that worke iniquity Let us therefore beginne betimes to turne to God while the day of grace endureth let us cease to doe evill learne to doe well eschew evill and doe good Lastly let no man flatter himselfe with the enioying of earthly blessings health wealth peace plenty and prosperity nor with the bare continuance of the Gospel among us as though it must therefore goe well with us and that we must needes be highly in Gods fauour This was the folly of Micah Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good seing I have a Levite to my priest This was the vaine flattery of the Iewes who because they had Abraham to their father together with the law and the Oracles the Arke and the Covenant thought themselves in a good case and that they must needes be Gods people they cryed the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord. But Iohn the Baptist putteth them from this foolish confidence in the flesh Math. 3. Math. 3.9 thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And the Prophet Ieremy chap. 7. Ier. 7.8.9 Behold ye trust in lying words that shall not profit will ye steale murther and commit adultery c. and then come and stand in this house before me which is called by my name and say we are delivered to doe all these abominations behold I see it sayth the Lord. O let it not be so with us to prophane the house house of God to continue in our sinnes farre be it from us to bring them to the place of Gods worship for this will cause him to curse all our meetings and assemblies that they shall be for the worse not for the better to encrease our plagues not decrease them and to double his judgements not diminish them Let us therefore leave them behind us and cast them from us never to returne to them againe 2 Pet. 2.22 lest we be like the Dog that returneth to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Otherwise let us not boast of the Gospel and flatter our selves because we have the Gospel as the Iewes did glory in the Temple but seeke to bring forth the fruit of the Gospel For our sinnes are the causes of all plagues and judgements neither can we looke that he should stay his hand or say to the destroying Angel 2 Sam. 24.16 It is enough stay now thy hand as he did in the dayes of David And doubtlesse then we have begun to profit vnder the correcting hand of God when we seeke the cause of his judgments within us and acknowledge out sinnes to be the cause of all For what is the true cause of this plague and pestilence Our sinnes And what is the cause of the continuance of his heavy judgement Rom. 1.18 doubtlesse the continuance in our sinnes We must confesse that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men When Israel had received an overthorw and turned and their backes to their enimes Iosh 7.10.11 When we are chastened we must looke to our sinnes 1 Cor. 11.30 Esay 64.5.7 Lam. 3.39.40 Levit. 26. the Lord said unto Ioshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and they have also trespassed my Covenant which I coÌ„manded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also Nay as we encrease our sinnes in number and measure he will not onely continue his judgements but encrease them also and if we will not for all this hearken vnto him but walke contrary unto him he will walke
Thou shalt not lust how heinous must the sinnes of our nature and the transgressions of our life be wherein we have yeelded full consent to rise up and rebell against God And Iesus answering said vnto them Suppose ye c. It seemeth by this answer of Christ that these men justified themselves because they suffered not as the other did and condemned them as notable notorious wicked men which rash judgement as a false sentence and censure in them Christ condemneth Doct. This teacheth that outward judgements and calamities that befal the children of men Outward judgements doe not alwayes befall the worst neither free the best men doe not alwayes seize upon the most wicked and worst men neither do they free the most righteous from them It is the corrupt judgement of corrupt men to jmagine that such as are sharpely corrected and extraordinarily visited and chastened are the greatest sinners of all and on the other side such as escape and live in health in wealth in glory in favour in peace in honour and inprosperitie are highly in his favour A common errour of the world and no marveile For first being blinded with the disease of selfe love few looke upon themselves and enter into a search of their owne hearts and wayes or consider what they doe themselves deserve They turne their owne sinnes behind their backes where they are sure they cannot see them but other mens they hang before them to have them alwayes in their sight Secondly by escaping without punishment and having freedome from scourges they flatter themselves with a vaine perswasion and presumption that God approveth and is delighted with their workes whereas we should learne that God by such examples stirreth up all men every where to repentance This errour we see in Iobs friends who beholding the suddaine calamity into which he was fallen tooke occasion to condemne him of Hypocrisie impiety that because he suffered much they judged he had offended much and therefore suffered more then others and more then themselves Chap. 22. This we see in the Disciples of Christ Ioh. 9. Ioh. 9.2 When they saw the man that was blind from his birth they asked him Master who did sinne this man or his Parents that he was borne blinde They never consider the secret causes of Gods judgements but as if there could be no other cause but this one they enquire whether he or his Parents deserued by their sinnes that he should be so borne The like we see in the Barbarians of Melita Act. Act. 28.4 28. When they saw the viper upon Pauls hand they sayd amongst themselues Doubtlesse this man is a murtherer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live So in this place these men would have coÌ„cluded these Galileans to be desperate sinners who happly might be better then themselves because they were suddainly and savagely slaine with the sword but Christs answere teacheth that outward afflictions and chasticements doe not evermore seaze upon the worst and wickedest men neither are the better sort freed from them but they oftentimes lye open to them more then others as we see in Iob Chap. 1. and 2. and 1 Pet. 4. judgement beginneth at Gods house the wicked abound in all things Psal 17. Whiles David lay under persecutions Psal 73. The reasons Reas 1 first all outward things fall out alike to all as David saith â— Sam. 11.25 The sword devoureth one as well as an other So affliction meeteth with one as well as with another There is one event to the righteous and to the wicked as is the good so is the sinner and therfore no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them Eccl. 9.1 Secondly the wicked are oftentimes as it were stalled and fatted to the day of slaughter like fedde beasts appointed to be killed Iam. 5.5 Deut. 32.15 Iam. 5. Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth and beene wanton Yee have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter Thus he letteth them alone to worke out their owne destruction that they forsake God which made them and lightly esteeme the rocke of their salvation Thirdly he chastiseth his owne children that he may bring them nearer to himselfe and that they should not be condemned with the world as 2 Cor. 4. We alwayes beare about in the body 2 Cor. 4.10.11 1 Cor. 11.31.32 the dying of the Lord Iesus that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall body for we which live are alway dilivered vnto death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might be made manifest in our mortall flesh When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world if then we would judge our selves we should not be judged 1 Cor. 11. Vse 1. Vse 1 Seing God layeth outward afflictions upon his owne children and letteth the wicked goe free we may gather and conclude from hence that no affliction whatsoever shall separate from him those that are his nor death nor famine nor nakednesse nor sword nor perill nor pestilence nor persecution can divide and divorse betweene God and us his love is so sure and steadfast like mount Sion which cannot be removed Psal 125.1 the Lord standeth like a buckler round about his people Rom. 8.28 that all shall worke for the best to them that love him This is a singular comfort that he will make not onely his blessings to turne to our good but he will sanctifie all our afflictions and adversities and make even them blessngs also and further our salvations yea oftentimes more then the other It is not so with the vngodly not only their crosses are curses but all their blessings are turned into judgements and nothing shall be able to doe them Indeed the faithfull must suffer they are called unto it 1 Pet. 2.21 The Crosse is the calling of a Christian and the badge of Christianity Christ hath left us an example that we should follow his steppes therefore though they suffer yet their sufferings cannot take them from God nor God from them The foundation of God remaineth sure and his giftes are without repentance They then are justly to be reprooved that conceive and judge hardly and harshly of them that have beene taken away by the plague and pestilence in this heavie visitation nay the dayes may hang over out heads and we may see them with our eyes when we may pronounce them happy that died of this contagious sicknesse and gaâ—â— up the Ghost in their beddes no doubt many of our deare brethren in other places that are pursued by the rage of cruell enemies daily in danger of the sword at their throates that are constrained to keepe garrisons in their townes and Cities yea billit mercilesse Souldiers in their houses as it were vipers in their owne bosoms desire with all their hearts that they were striken by
the immediate hand of God rather then endure these manifold miseries that are upon them and those that belong vnto them Secondly it leadeth us to thinke that our hope and comfort is not heere upon the earth Our happinesse and the time or place of our resting and refreshing is not heere We must not looke for an heaven in this life but make our selves ready to take up our crosse and follow our Master Our Saviour never promiseth his Disciples to live ever in prosperity and be free from all adversity O how many followers should he have if the profession of his name were coupled accompanied with honour and temporall glory as appeareth by the Shechemites that would be circumcised for gaine Ioh. 6.26 Gen. 34. and by those that sought him because they did eate of the loaves and had their bellies filled Ioh 6. but he forewarneth them in all places of grieuous troubles he sent them out as sheepe in the middes of Wolves he telleth them that they will deliver them up to the Councils and scourge them in their Synagogues and the Apostle was assured by the holy Ghost Act. 20.26 that bands and afflictions did abide him It shall not be thus in the life to come when the Lord shall wipe away all teares from our eyes 1 Cor. 15.19 therefore the Apostle saith If in this life only we have hope in Christ we are of all men most miserable This is the description of such as are wicked men Psal 17.14 their portion is in this life Psal 17. they lay up for themselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt where theeves breake through and steale and where their treasure is there is their heart also Math. 6.19 Math. 6.19.21 they say let us eate and drinke for to morrow we dy 1 Cor. 15. The happinesse of a godly man is heereafter Phil. 1.23 to be dissolved and to be with Christ is best of all Phil. 1. When this earthly house of this his Tabernacle is dissolved he hath a building of God an house not made with hands eternall in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Phil. 3.20 2 Cor. 5. his Conversation is in heaven and from thence looketh for a saviour Phil. 3. Col. 3.1.2 he seeketh those things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Col. 3. he setteth his affections on things above not on things on the earth Thirdly seing be oftentimes chastiseth his children while worldly men feele nothing at all it behoveth us to beare his chastisements cheerefully humbly and patiently and not faint under the crosse as men out of heart Heb. 12.6 veing he correcteth every son whom hereceiveth and loveth and with this we should comfort our selves and strengthen the feeble-minded support the weake and be patient toward all men This condemneth all murmuring and complaining under the Crosse which causeth the Lord oftentimes not to remove but rather to double his strokes upon us When Parents perceive their children grow stubborne and wayward froward and foolish under the rod doe they not rather encrease their punishment then let them alone Lam. 3.33.36 Thus doe we constraine the Lord to deale with us true it is he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feete and to subvert a man he approveth not but when we are impatient and fret against him this is not the way to stay his hand and to call backe his judgements but rather to provoke him against us to strike againe and againe Motives to patience and to double and treble his strokes upon us Now there are sundry motives to move us to this patience and to stay us from all impatience First God useth bodily afflictions to cure spirituall diseases Every paine preventeth the paines of hell by drawing us to Christ We may learne more by adversity then we can doe by prosperity Manasses learned more in Babylon then in Ierusalem and profited more in prison then in his palace 2 Chro. 33. In prosperity David said I shall never be remooved but in adversity he confessed Psal 30.6.119.71 it was good for him to have beene afflicted that he might learne the statutes of God whereas before he was afflicted he went astray but now he kept his word Secondly the sorrowes and anguish we endure alas what are they if they be compared to those dolours and paines which Christ our saviour suffered for us for he might say more truly then any other Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me Lam. 1.12 wherewith the Lord afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger Thirdly our sorrowes are a thousand times lesser then our sinnes have deserved Let us enter into our owne hearts and consciences to try and find out this point and we shall easily discerne our sinnes and offences to exceed all our paines Fourthly nothing commeth upon us but that which the Lord hath sent and laid upon us affliction springeth not out of the dust though dust and ashes judge after that manner We looke too much to second causes to finde the cause of our visitations as also we trust too much in outward meanes and remedies to remove the same The Prophet saith Psal 39.9 I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it This consideration wrought patience in him And our Saviour teacheth us to lift up our eyes higher then the earth Math 10.29 and to rest in his providence Are not two sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father Fiftly God hath not given us ouer into the hands of our enemies to be chastened but he correcteth us with his owne mercifull hand When David had his wish to chuse his owne chasticement either warre famine or pestilence all sharpe weapons able to wound to death he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of God then by men or other meanes 2 Sam. 24.14 2 Sam. 24. Let us fall now into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let me not fall into the hand of man for the very mercies of the wicked are cruelty For if we stood at the discretion of mercilesse men as sundry our bretheren at this day in other places doe and heard the alarme of battel sounding in our eares when mourning is in our streets Amos 5.16 and we should heare crying in all our high wayes Alas alas and all places be filled with weeping and wailing when the blood of the Saints shall be powred out like water that cannot be gathered up againe when so many widowes and fatherlesse children are left to lament we would confesse it a great mercy to fall into the hands of God and not of men if we considered aright these things Sixtly all the afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory laid up for us in the life to
when they may doe them no service when it shall doe more hurt to their servants soules then good to their bodies and when they cannot be suffered to worke for them they care not if they play neither what else they do but whosoever giveth must learne to give of his owne the Lords day is none of his own to give away Secondly they are sometimes forward in giving but not to Iobs almesmen the poore labourer the blind the lame the aged the impotent the maimed but to the idle and sturdy begger whom it were more mercy to punish it would doe them more good Thirdly by saving many malefactours from punishment like Saul that spared Agag or like the Iewes that would have Barabbas let loose who had bin put in prison for murther and sedition Fiftly by laughing and taunting all the infirmities of our brethren reproved in the law of God Levit. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the deafe nor put a stumbling blocke before the blinde but shalt feare thy God Prov. 17.5 I am the Lord and Pro. 17. Who so mocketh the poore reproacheth his maker he that is glad at calamities shal not be nupunished Lastly to deale hardly with the poore among us that are most helplesse and succourlesse of which are foure sortes often ioyned together the day labourer Mal. 3.5 the comfortlesse widow the fatherlesse child and the destitute stranger Touching labourers oppressed The first branch is of such as with-hold the labourers wages often reprooued and condemned in the law and the Prophets Levit. 19.13 Deut. 24.14 Ier. 22.3.13 Doubtlesse if there were not great wickednesse and crueâ—ty in men it had beene needlesse to set downe any such threatnings as these here contained We know the poore have no rents nor revenues to live upon as the richer sort have The poore laboures hovv defrauded their lands and inheritance is the labour of their hands it is therefore against all right and reason that they should be deprived of the fruit of their labours This is done many wayes first when the wages of their worke is denied or detained or delaied without respect or regard of the necessity of the workman Secondly though it be not wholly wrung and wrested from them yet it is often clipped or gelded and so a part is kept away For if we constraine a poore man to labour for us and then will pay him but by halfes and use him as the Ammonites did the messengers of David 2 Sam. 10.4 who cut off their garments by the middle this also is open violence and oppression Thirdly when we will seeme to deale justly and truly with them and pay them all but it is not in mony according to Covenant but with old shooes or with ragges and reliques of our own or with cast garments which we have left yet sell them value them againe to our servants as if they were new and sometimes at a dearer rate Thus both we shew our owne cruelty and abuse their simplicity Fourthly when we see a poore man out of worke and that he must needes passe through our handes if we take occasion and advantage thereby to bargaine with him as we list and to give him little or nothing because we know he knoweth not otherwise where to have worke and whereabout to set himselfe and begin to say within our selves This fellow is a fit pray and booty fallen into my hands he cannot escape me he is quite out of worke and apparrell now I may hire him for a crust now I have him at an advantage I can use him at my pleasure now he will be glad to serve for a song or a morsell of bread what is this but horrible and monstrous oppression for albeit through the wrongs and iniuries they lye under as a greevous burden that presseth them downe they dare not complaine or mutter much lesse sue and bring an action yet the hire it selfe detained and the wrong sustained crieth out and is ready to witnesse against such cruell oppressours that grinde the faces of the poore Gâ—â— 4.10 as it is said of the blood of Abel behold the voyce of the blood of thy brother crieth unto me from the ground so the Apostle Iames teacheth that the hire of the labourers Iam. 5.4 which have reaped downe your fields which is by you kept backe by fraud cryeth and the cries of them which have reaped are entred into the eares of the Lord of the Sabbath Levit. 19.13 This is indeed and in truth no better then a cunning kind of stealing and robbing This they must learne that use such winching to save a penny or halfe-penny out of a poore mans wages which being given could doe them no hurt but to the poore man much good whereas we should provide not onely that they may live but that they may live cheerefully and comfortably Otherwise what doe we but prolong their lives in misery and penury and of their wives and children in beggery and necessity How many are there every where that care not how much they spend in surfetting and drunkennesse in revelling and riotousnesse in feasting and banketting who thinke they never bestow enough in complements and entertainment yet grudge at a little given to the poore and strive who shall bestow least Touching widowes and fatherlesse children how wronged such a one is though the best husband and most provident he is judged to have made the best bargaine and to goe away with all the praise and glory in the world The second and third branches are touching the widow and the fatherlesse God will be avenged of such as vexe and oppresse them Deut. 10.18 14.29 24.17 True it is many widowes are tendred and regarded and much made off while their husbands are living and so are children in their father life time but when once their husbandes and parents are dead they are not once looked upon but left to the wide world and soon out of mind It is greefe and sorrow enough to the widow to loose her husband and the children their parents howbeit the cruelty of men spareth not to adde more affliction but the Lord will take their cause into his owne hand and reserveth to himselfe the punishment of such oppressours See this Exod. 22. Ye shall not afflict any widow Exod. 22.23.24 or fatherlesse child if thou afflict them in any wise and they cry at all unto me I will surely heare their cry and my wrath shall waxe hote and I will kill you with the sword and your wives shall be widowes and your children fatherlesse Where he threatneth not onely to punish them but in like manner and measure as they had sinned according to the saying of our Saviour With what judgement ye judge ye shall be judged Math. 7.2 Touching strangers how they aâ—â— iniuried and with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you againe The last is touching strangers that is such as
standeth Esay 1.6 might I not say with the Prophet from the sole of the foote even unto the head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores they have not beene closed neither mollified with oyntment and after this might I not lead you a long in the spirit Ezck. 8.6.15 as God did the Prophet Ezekiel and after many sinnes much prophanenesse say Turne thee yet againe and behold greater abominations then these I might point out unto you such not to speake of the greater and higher sort whose doings I know not as make religion nothing else but a matter of pollicy and forget the high God that hath set them up on high but turne ye yet againe and ye shall see other abomination How many in this cleere light of the Gospel remaine in darknesse and blindnesse and in the shadow of death that know not the right hand from the left that is truth from errour which know nothing of God neither can give any even the least account of their faith worse then children in understanding yea how many say to God with the wicked Iob. 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the almighty that we should serve him and what profit should we have if we pray unto him and behold greater abominations then these Others are wholly given over to the world men possessed with a spirituall dropsie the more riches encrease the more they desire and the more they set their hearts upon them that they bury the remembrance of heaven and of heauenly things as if they should abide and continue upon the earth for ever the cares of this world and the deceitfulnesse of riches choke all good things How many perswade themselves to be highly in Gods favour because they are blessed with outward blessing who shame not to say I see God blesseth us as well as the purest and precisest of them all But understand ye unwise among the people must all needes be well because God forbeareth for a time to punish or shall we continue in our sinnes because he continueth his mercies towards us What should I speake of the contempt of his word and the prophanation of the Sabbath May we not turne our selves yet againe and see these greater abominations then the former which are common and capitall crimes swarming in every place And might we not from these turne our selves to swearing and and drunkennesse in every streete A rare thing to find a parish without a common drunkard and as rare to find an house without a common swearer These are the principall causes of his visitations these are the sinnes that bring the pestilence among us let us labour to keepe out these The ends of Gods lenity and patience or all the care we can take and diligence that we can use shall not be able to keepe it from us Let us not therefore flatter our selves in our sinnes and so abuse his patience let us not thinke we are justified because we are not striken Gen. 15.16 Math. 23.32 There are other end of Gods bounty and patience First to let us alone to fill up the measure of of our sinnes that then he may fill up the measure of his judgements from whence arise sundry profitable meditations we see his infinite mercy and compassion who ceaseth not nor giveth over to waite for their conversion who have deserved already to be punished and such as he hath determined to destroy so that we may say with the Prophet he desireth not the death of a sinner Ye see that he is most just and never punisheth without our deserts neither will he suffer sinners to go unpunished albeit he hold his peace keepe silence a long time We see that howsoever we offend all is cast upon an heape that the measure being full Ioh. Feri in Gen. 15. enarrat pressed downe and running over certaine destruction might fall upon us Let us not account sinnes to be small or slight matters for how light and little soever they may seeme to be yet they adde somewhat to the heape as every graine of corne serveth to fill the bushell We see it is a speciall token of his mercy and favour when he punisheth quickly or at the beginning and suffereth us not to runne on from one sinne to another for thereby the heape of our sinnes is diminished We see on the contrary it is a token of Gods great displeasure when he delayeth and differeth to punish for thereby the heape of sinne groweth and encreaseth and consequently the punishment Lastly as God is faithfull and suffereth not his to be tempted above that they are able so also he is just and beareth with the wicked untill they proceed to a certaine point or period beyond which they cannot passe Thus he suffereth sinners to grow to their height to teach us that our nature declineth from worse to worse unlesse we be staied by a stronger hand And this is the first end of his lenity Secondly it may be the dressers of this barrâ—ne vine by their continuall intercession as his faithfull remembrancers have obtained some respit and forbearance as this fig-tree mentioned in this parable Thirdly it may be there is yet a remnant to be gathered from among us and the number of the elect not yet accomplished as Iob. 10. Other sheepe I have that are not of thiâ— fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce Ioh. 10.16 and there shall be one fold and one Sheepheard Such then as belong unto him must in his good time be brought to repentance Fourthly that the reprobate may be more and more hardned and so perish everlastingly 1 Sam. 2.24 Secondly concluded the wofull wretched estate of those that despise the riches of his goodnesse and patience For they are most certainely in worse case of all others whom God doth most blesse and beare with all except they repent nay worse then Turkes and Infidels and it had been a thousand times better for such prophane sinners that they had never received such blessings and tasted so plentifully of his fatherly kindnesse then to take occasion by his bountifulnesse to continue and increase in sinne as may plainely appeare by those cities which our Saviour upbraided where his word had beene preached and his workes had beene seene Math. 11. Math. 11.22.42 because it should be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment and more easie for the land of Sodome and Gomorah then for them It shall not be enough for us to say Oh God is mercifull and Christ died for us For because God is mercifull shall we be sinfull or because he hath beene more mercifull to us then to others shall we be more sinfull then others Or because Christ Iesus hath died for us shall we live in our sinnes Heb. 10.29 and by our prophanenesse crucifie him againe and tread under our feete
the blood of the new Testament as an unholy thing and doe despite to the spirit of grace God for bid Lastly let all stand in feare to provoke him and breake off his patience least there come a wofull and heavy reckoning in the end Let us take heed and beware of after reckonings We are wary enough to prevent them in our dealings with men and ought we not to be wise more in our reckonings with God The increase of sins bringeth with them an heavier waight of vengance upon our selves when the Lord beginneth to enter into judgment with us He is slow to wrath and proceedeth leysurely but when once he commeth he striketh home We cannot be brought to feare before him because he doth not presently strike but be not deceived he is all this while fetching his blow the higher he lifteth his hand the heavier it lighteth and the sorer he striketh This the Prophet notably expresseth Psal Psal 7.12.13 7. If he turne not he will whet his sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath also prepared for him the instruments of death he ordaineth his arrowes against the persecuters O that we could alwayes when we heareor read understand what we heare and marke what we read according to the commandement of our Saviour who so readeth Math. 24.15 let him understand There the Prophet compareth the Lord to A man of warre Exod. 15.3 that taketh some time to scoure up his sword bright and to sharpen the edge and point thereof to strike and wound his enemie as also to an archer that taketh a certaine time to bend his bow and to make ready his arrowes but in the end he draweth them up to the head never misseth his marke being more skilfull then those Benjamites that could sling stones at an haire bredth Iudg. 20.16 and not misse so that he shooteth sure and meaneth to pierce deepe to the very heart of all his aduersaries Thus it is with the Lord when we thinke him forgetfull oftentimes or unmindfull of justice and judgment we must thus judge that he is whetting his sword and bending his bow drawing out his arrowes and preparing to shoot all which require some time and therefore let us feare before him and not tarry untill his judgements be upon us Why combereth it the ground Hitherto of the commandement to cut down the figtree now we come to the reason The owner propoundeth the justice of his former doome or sentence The word importeth and signifieth not onely to make unprofitable fruitlesse barraine and good for nothing but to hinder the growth of other things which might be planted in the roome thereof that might bring forth good fruit They that professe the Gospel if they be not fruitfull are unprofitable and hurtfull to themselues and others Doct. Evill minded men are altogether unprofitable and full to the vvhole society where they remaine Iudg. 19.22 20.13 Iosh 7.11.12 This teacheth that evill minded men are noysome hurtfull and unprofitable to themselves and to others wheresoever they abide untill they be removed We see this in the rebellion of Korah Dathan and Abiram how hurtfull they were to the whole assembly Numb 16. in the shamelesse uncleannesse of Zimri and Cosbi Chap. 25. A notable example hereof is at large expressed Iudg. 20.15 Those wicked Beniamites the sonnes of Belial that committed folly in Israel were the causes of the ruine of many thousands and brought the whole tribe to a low ebbe yea this often falleth out to the children of God when they provoke him to wrath We see this in David 2 Sam. 24. When he had numbred the people in the pride of his owne heart 2 Sam. 24.17 and had exalted himselfe in his owne strength he said I have sinned and have done wickedly but these sheepe what have they done let thy hand I pray thee be against me and against my fathers house Hereby many thousands perished The like we see in Ionah chap. 1. he forsooke his calling and the commandement of God he must be cast into the sea or else the passengers in the ship must perish who had beene almost drowned through his disobedience Ionah 1.11 for the sea wrought and was tempestuous And no marveil Reasons 1 For first they are the meanes and causes of judgments and punishments to others among whom they live as well as to themselves as trees twise dead reserved to the fire A tree albeit it were dead in it selfe and albeit it did keepe the ground barrne and hinder the growth of a better in his place yet it killeth not another that standeth beside it but one wicked man hurteth and destroyeth another and therefore we must needes judge such to be hurtfull and dangerous to an whole family or society We feare judgements but we seeke not to know and remove the true cause thereof The faithfull are commanded to depart out of Babylon Revel 18.4 the mother of fornications that they be not partaker of her sinnes and that they receive not of her plagues wherby we see these follow each other infection participation destruction He that is infected himselfe never resteth till he have made other partakers of his sinne and from them both followeth the destruction of them both as we shall shew afterward Secondly they are unprofitable hurtfull and dangerous and why because other vines and trees cannot prosper and florish or bring forth fruit neere unto them When any part of the body is putrified it passeth and spreadeth from ioynt to ioynt and from one member to another 2 Tim. 2.17 as the canker or gangrene fretteth or eateth the flesh next unto it so where loose livers are many others are brought to the same loosenesse and stand in danger to go to wracke 2 Cor. 5.6 Gal. 5.9 To this purpose the Apostle saith Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lumpe Sinne is fruitfull and compared to the child in the wombe it groweth apace one sinne begetteth another and one sinner infecteth another which bringeth forth death Iam. 1.15 This reproveth such as reioyce in the fellowship of the ungodly and delight wholly in their company Vse 1 For what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse or what communion hath light with darknesse and what concord hath Christ with Belial or what agreement hath he that beleeveth with an infidel But what is more common in every place then this that which the Lord himselfe could never doe to reconcile these contraries and bring light and darknesse nay heaven and hell together sinfull men professe themselves able to doe These goe about to set God to schoole and to make God and the devill Christ and Belial good friends Gen. 3.15 God in the beginning put enmity betweene the woman and the serpent betweene her seed and his seed but these have broken downe this hedge and pulled away the wall of partition and have set them together againe The
that worketh deceit shall not dwell in mine house hee that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my fight him that privily flandreth his neighbour will I cut off him that hath high lookes will I not suffer mine eyes shall be upon the faithfull of the land that they may dwell with me be that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me This is profitable to be considered of fathers and masters yea of all house-holders and governors whatsoever that are in any place of superiority and are set over others as a City upon an hill would we have our people obedient our children dutifull our servants trusty our families faithfull and in good order we must lead them the way and goe before them in all uprightnesse we must first of all be faithfull our selves and behave our selves wisely in a perfect way we must be obedient to him and his word and walke within our house in a perfect way For it is most certaine that none are greater enemies to their children and posterities pulling their houses downe even with their owne hands and bringing them to utter ruine and desolation then such superiours or overseers as are ungodly and disobedient unto God Let us seeke never so much to make our names great upon the earth and to leave our issue rich and wealthy in the world yet so long as we live in prophanenesse we pull an heavy curse not onely upon our owne heads but upon our posterities and make our names to stinke and rot as we see in Ieroboam that made Israel to sinne 1 King 14.10 21.21.25 the Lord threatned to bring evil upon his house and to take away the remnant thereof as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone The like we see in Ahab who sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord who more likely to make himselfe great upon the earth and to have left a plentifull issue behind him yet were all swept away suddenly as a man wipeth a dish and turneth it upside downe Pro. 14.1 Wherefore that which Salomon teacheth touching the wise and foolish woman Every wise woman buildeth her house but the foolish plucketh it downe with her hands we may extend and apply to the faithfull man and the ungodly the one doth by godlinesse lay a sure foundation in time to come as Psal 112. Psal 112.1.2.3 c. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord and delighteth greatly in his Commandements his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the upright shall be blessed c. the other sort by their infidelity impiety and iniquity pull their houses quite downe that they are never raised up againe whose children may curse such perverse and prophane parents Vers 8. And he answering said unto him Lord let it alone this yeare also Hitherto of the first part of the communication concerning the Owner of the Vineyard now followeth the second touching the dresser thereof wherein consider first of all his prayer directed to the Owner Lord Gualt in Lucā hom 237. let it alone this yeare Here we see the dresser of this Vineyard intreateth the Lord of it for the fig-tree and maketh intercession to have it spared Heb. 13.20 I will not precisely or peremptorily decide and determine what part of the Church Hab. 2.1 whether Christ the head and great sheepheard of the sheepe Esay 62.6.7 or the Ministers that stand in their watch-tower or other the faithfull as the Lords remembrancers which give him no rest this Dresser of the Vineyard in the parable representeth onely I will observe that the prayer of him continueth yet one yeare longer the standing and abode of it in the Vineyard Doct. This teacheth that it is the duty of Gods children to make request for others Gods children must pray for others God heareth them and their requests are powerfull and available not onely for the faithfull but oftentimes for others to remove judgments and God heareth them when they pray We see this touching Abimelech who had taken away Abrahams wife Gen. 20.7 17.20 God sendeth him unto him and said He shall pray for thee and thou shalt live and God saith to Abraham concerning Ishmael I have heard thee And our Saviour Christ and his faithfull witnesse Stephen doe commend their strongest enemies and persecuters into the hands of God Luc. 23.34 Act. 7.60 Father forgive them for they know not what they doe lay not this sinne to their charge To these infinite other testimonies might be ioyned The reasons are Reason 1 first because it is an expresse commandement to pray one for another he transgresseth the law and sinneth against God that faileth in it and performeth it not It is a commandement of God to honour parents and this is the first commandement with promise of a particular blessing but it is a commandement in the first Table to honour God by praying unto him which we are no lesse but rather more commanded to practise then we are forbidden to kill or to steale If then we make conscience of these 1 Sam. 12.19.23 we ought in like manner to make conscience of the other This appeareth in the words of Samuel when the people desired him pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not he said as for me God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you Secondly such have a promise annexed vnto their prayer that we should not say with the wicked what profit should we have if we pray unto him Iob 21.15 nor with those shamelesse blasphemers It is in vaine to serve God Mal. 3.14 Our Saviour because we are weake in faith assureth that Whosoever asketh receiveth and he that seeketh findeth Math. 7.8 and to him that knocketh it shall be opened And the Apostle Iames accordeth hereunto Iam. 5.16 The Prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent Would we have a surer ground and foundation to build upon then the faithfull word and promise of God that cannot lye or deceive Seing it is the duty of the Church to pray one for another and that is profitable and available hence ariseth comfort and cheerefulnesse in all heavy and sorrowfull times such as the present times are when afflictions lye sore upon sundry our bretheren and sisters in other places and presse them downe to the ground nay to the grave remember the rest of the Church of God pray for us I say Gods people our fellow-members commend us and and our causes day and night with fasting and praying weeping whom he hath promised to heare they thinke upon us in their best meditations and are earnest remembrancers for us to him as if it were their owne case and have a fellow-feeling of all our miseries Heb. 13.3 as if themselves were afflicted This in the middes of all our heavinesse and greatest weaknesse is not our least comfort that we have many
strong servants of God strong in faith that send up many strong cries to the throne of grace nay the strong God that hath commanded this duty to pray one for another hath also promised to heare them This no doubt was a comfort even to Peter himselfe put in prison that he knew Act. 12.5 Heb. 12.5.12.13 Prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him and for his deliverance Let us not therefore faint under the Crosse when we are rebuked of him neither despise the chastening of the Lord who aymeth at our profit that we might be partakers of his holinesse but rather lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees and not cast away our confidence which hath great recompence of reward And let this be our comfort in these rerillous times that God heareth us for our brethren and our brethren for us and our elder-brother Christ Iesus our mediatour for us all who for his mercies sake for his truthes sake for his promise sake for his sonnes sake will in his good time send an happy deliverance that albeit for a season we be kept in affliction 2 Cor. 1.5.12 yet as our sufferings have abounded in us so our consolation should abound through our restoring when we had in a manner the sentence of death in us that thankes also may be given by many on our behalfe Secondly seeing Gods children for our comfort and consolation make request and intercession for us and are heard O how much more ought we to remember the sweet mediation of Christ Iesus our Lord and Saviour and comfort our selves and one another therewithall True it is we may and ought not a little to comfort our selves with the prayers and intercessions of other weake men our fellow servants like to our selves and subject to the same passions we are especially seing we know our whole Church at the same time assemble together to pray for us and to turne away his wrath from us and to call backe his destroying Angel that he may at length say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 stay now thy hand and so repent him of the evill upon our repentance and humiliation if I say we have much matter of comfort offered unto us by the publike prayers of the Church often as it were with one mind and with one mouth made and renewed on our behalfe how much more doth peace and consolation arise unto us by the mediation and intercession of Christ our Saviour the head of the Church the beloved sonne of God Heb. 1.2.3 Math. 17.5 the sonne of his love the heire of all things the brightnesse of his glory and the expresse image of his person in whom the father is well pleased Herein consisteth our cheefe comfort that we rest and repose our selves in him as our Advocate and rely upon the merit of his passion Ioh. 11.42 whom the father alwaies heareth Indeed he commandeth that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes be made for all men 1 Tim. 2.1 and that we pray one for another that we may be healed Iam. 5.16 But if God at any time vouchsafe to heare any of his children it is for his sonnes sake not for any worthinesse or merits in them but for the Lords sake that is for Christs sake Dan. 9.1.7 for he is the Angel of the Covenant Revel 8.3 to whom was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the throne Therefore also the Apostle saith Heb. 5.16 In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares was heard in that he feared because he prayed to him that was able to save him from death Lastly it is our duty to performe this duty our selves toward others and to require this duty to be performed for us by others Thus did Daniel a man greatly beloved of God who had many deepe mysteries by vision declared unto him he spake to his Companions Dan. 2.18 that they should desire the mercies of the God of heaven to reveale his secret to him that they might not perish So the Apostle prayed the Church of the Thessalonians 2 Thess 3.1 to pray for him and the rest of his fâ—llow-labourers that the word of the Lord much hindred by the opposition of potent adversaries might have a free passage As then he prayed before for the Thessalonians so here he prayeth the Thessalonians to pray for him that he might be comforted together with them by the mutuall prayers both of them and of him The use of mutual praier To this duty we should be stirred up in regard of the mutuall profit that proceedeth from the practise and performance thereof For first it serveth as the ordinary meanes ordained and sanctified of God to prevent judgments threatned and to remove judgments already inflicted Remember the devout and zealous prayer of Salomon 2 King 8.33.35.37.44 when the people of Israel be smitten downe before their enemies because they have sinned against thee when heaven is shut up and there is no raine c. if there be in the land famine if there be pestilence blasting mildew locust or caterpiller c. whatsoever plague whatsoever sicknesse there be heare thou in heaven thy dwelling place and forgive the sinne of thy servants c. Secondly it is a cordiall to preserve and strengthen us in all spirituall graces as we see that by Christs prayer Peters faith was kept from failing Luc. 22.32 Luc. 22. and thus he prayed not onely for the rest of the Apostles but for all them that should beleeve on him through their word Ioh. Iob. 17.20.24 17. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me c. Prayer therefore is a notable preseruative to keepe the precious treasures and iewels of grace in the Closets of our hearts and serveth to strengthen and encrease good things in us For as it obtaineth blessings at Gods hands so it procureth the encrease of them and it is no lesse vertue to keepe and continue to enlarge and encrease what we have obtained then at the first to obtaine it Thirdly to bring remission of sinnes to subdue in us the power of sinne Iam. 5.15 Psal 19.13 Iam. 5.15 The prayer of faith shall save the sicke and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sinnes they shall be forgiven him For the cause of sicknesse and all diseases is sinne and therefore our Saviour healing the man sicke of the Palsie said unto him Math. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee dealing like a good Physitian who removeth the cause that he may remove the effect So then faithfull prayer and a purpose or resolution to continue in sinne cannot poffibly stand together Lastly it
the body to see one eye lifted vp to heauen and the other cast downe to the earth It choketh the Word as a rancke Thorne and stoppeth yea stuffeth the mouth so full with earth that it cannot be opened to pray to God Psal 14.4 Ezek. 33.31 Psal 119.36 The third is broken because it draweth men to cursing and swearing and forswearing in buying and bargaining and that sometimes to get a penny Hence proceed false waights and false measures making the rules of Iustice to be the meanes of iniustice Such oftentimes take the name of God in vaine The fourth is trangressed because it thrusteth men headlong to the breach of the Sabbath they thinke it commeth too soone they iudge that it beginneth too earely they suppose that it lasteth too long they imagine that it is urged too strictly being ready to ioyne with those in the Prophet Neh. 13.20 Amos 8.5 When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set forth wheat c The fifth Commandement maintaineth the dignity of our person which the couetous man defaceth If wee should see Kings and Princes or the children of Kings and Princes that are heires to a Kingdome busie themselues in base Trades or handy-crafts and occupations Turk History in the life of Aemet as the Turkish Emperours doe what a reproch would wee thinke it to their high calling God hath made his children Kings and prepared for them a Kingdome shall we therefore be so base bad-minded as to follow after this world and forget the things of the World to come The sixt Commandement is pulled vp by the rootes because this sinne is often a bloody sinne and taketh away life from the owners thereof as we see in Ahab and in Judas When a man is once couetous it cannot be but he shall giue himselfe to hatred malice cruelty violence rage and reuenge It causeth the breach of the seuenth Commandement for when whoredome hath taken away the heart of many to maintaine their unbridled lusts they oftentimes oppresse rich and poore small and great without difference so that sometimes whoredome is the cause of covetousnesse and sometimes covetousnesse of whoredome The eigth Commandement is principally broken by this sinne aboue the rest Here the couetous are as it were in their proper element and make shipwracke upon it as upon a rocke They devise all mischiefe they regard no Contracts nor Couenants their word is yea and nay as standeth most with their owne profit They rush against the ninth Commandement because they are faithfull to no man they are voyd of all true dealing they sticke not to lye and beare false witnesse as appeareth in Gehazi 2 King 5.25 and in those that were hired for mony to dissemble deny the resurrection and to make report that the Disciples came by night Matth. 28.13 15. and stole away the body of Iesus out of the Sepulchre while they slept The tenth Commandement striketh at the root of all these evils and forbiddeth the couetousnesse of the heart before consent which is throughly setled therein All these things considered what a blot is it to our holy profession that wee should professe our selues Christians and yet live as the Gentiles Infidels and Pagans as Christ himselfe speaketh Matthew 6.32 After all these things doe the Gentiles seeke whereas our heauenly Father knoweth that wee haue need of all these things If wee should see a young man rake and scrape all he can together shifting for himselfe and no other upon the earth prouiding for him or looking after him or mindfull of him wee would presently conclude Doubtlesse his father is dead Even so when wee see men in this world bestow all their thoughts studies endeauours and practices reaching and ouer-reaching day and night for the things of this world it argueth plainely that they take God no longer for their Father but imagine in their unbeleeving hearts that he hath cast away the care of them and will no longer provide for them otherwise they would not thus shift and shave for themselues Hitherto of our duty respecting our selves Our duty toward our brethren learned out of this Title now we have somewhat to learne from hence in respect of our brethren For if we have all of us one Father are wee not to demeane and behave our selves uprightly and lovingly toward those that are his Children and our owne brethren Wee must be like our heavenly Father if we beare his Image and not as bastard-children that carry but the Image of his Image And first wee must imitate him and walke in his steppes that hath gone before us 1 Ioh. 4.11 Ioh. 13.34 15.12 loving them heartily that are his Children as well as our selves Jo. 4.11 Beloued if God so loved us we ought also to love one another And againe This is my commandement that yee love one another as I have loved you This duty must appeare especially in two points first in loving them that hate us and in doing good to them that persecute us Math. 5. That thereby we may shew our selves to be the Children of our heavenly Father Matth. 5.45 Luke 6.32 For if wee love them onely that love us what reward have we or what singular thing doe we for sinners also love those that love them And if we doe good to them onely which doe good to us what thanke have we for sinners also doe even the same And if ye salute your brethren onely what doe ye more then others doe not even the Publicanes so Wee must therefore labour to goe beyond them and to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect who maketh his Sunne to shine upon the good and bad and the raine to fall upon the godly and ungodly Secondly wee must doe good and shew mercy to the poore and impotent Luke 6.76 that we may also be mercifull to others as our heavenly Father is mercifull unto us who is a Father of the Fatherlesse of the Stranger and of the Widdow Lastly hence ariseth much comfort to all the Children of God that he is become their Father Consider first from hence the dignity and prerogative of all true beleevers Is it not a great honour to be the Sonne and Heire of a great King an honour doubtlesse that belongeth and befalleth to a few Thus doth David debate the matter with Sauls servants 1 Sam. 18.23 Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a Kings Sonne in law seeing that I am a poore man and lightly esteemed howbeit it is a thousand times greater honour to be the Sonnes and Daughters and consequently Heires of the King of Kings the eternall God This Christ our Saviour sheweth Joh. 1.12 Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave prerogative to be the Sonnes of God So the Apostle saith and speaketh it with admiration 1 Ioh. 3.1 Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that we should be called the Children of God! This preeminence
Professors of it And who are they Verily not onely such as are wise in their owne eyes but also such as cannot themselves give the meaning of one Precept of the Law or of one Petition of the Lords Prayer such as cannot render any account of their faith neither an answer to any that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them through want and contempt of knowledge yet have they knowledge enow to deride such as labour earnestly after knowledge Every base and deboshed fellow full of prophanenesse and impurity hath learned to upbraid such with purity that any way love Religion so that we may see with our eyes and heare with our eares such as are truly religious no lesse scoffed and scorned even at home among their owne brethren neighbours acquaintance and friends then if they lived among the very Savages It is well knowne to those that are but little conversant in History how the Christians are taunted and reviled that live among the Turkes and Sarazins for the Christian Religion and what an heavy burden they beare But is it much better thinke you with many poore Christian soules though they live among their owne people if they be any whit zealous in the Truth and will not runne riot with the multitude if they will not sweare commonly and be drunke for company if they will once fall to reprove sinne in others what is this reckoned but flat or ranke Puritanisme and such are no lesse hated and persecuted no lesse taunted and traduced then if they lived among the Infidels and Barbarians the Paganes and open professed enemies Nay I would this were all For Religion it selfe to set aside mens persons becommeth in very many places a very by-word and a matter of reproach True it is the Iewes sinned with an high hand against God they loved not the Oracles of God neither walked they worthy of his calling and chusing of them before other Nations and therefore worthily deserved to be forsaken of God who had first forsaken him howbeit they never proceeded to this top of sinne to make a mocke of their Religion it selfe they never scorned the Word of the ever-living God But we have learned to sticke at nothing wee are come thus farre to treade under our feete like Dogs and Swine the precious Iewell of the Gospell as if it were a curse rather then a blessing unto a Kingdom O how happy were it for these men that God would give them eyes to see these their sinnes and hearts to bewaile them betimes which now are hidden from them before the time of Iudgement come which doubtlesse cannot bee farre off from every one of them Thirdly let us all account that our happinesse standeth above not beneath in heaven not upon the earth in being partakers of the Kingdome and enjoying the blessed presence of God not in riches or abundance not in honour or worldly dignity Such as will have true comfort in this life must learne to looke beyond this life Heb. 11.27 that he may see him that is invisible as the Scripture speaketh of Moses Heb. 11. For albeit a man flow in wealth so much as heart can wish albeit he abound in honour and glory and estimation that the world esteeme him the onely happy man yet shall he finde in the middest of all sundry discontentments perplexities crosses and vexations and himselfe far from true happinesse so that he must not onely behold the things present and before his feete but must looke further then this life Hee that will not feare death the king of terrour Iob 18.14 as Job calleth it must looke beyond death and see the Land of Canaan before he come into it as Moses did from the mount Death is dreadfull and fearefull to the flesh when we see no more in it but the dissolution of the soule and body but if we have the eyes of faith to looke further and consider both from what evils it freeth us and to what good it bringeth us we have great comfort and consolation in it so that we may triumph over it So he that will have true and sound joy in this world must looke beyond it to the joyes of the World to come He that would have comfort in trouble must cast his eyes beyond trouble and looke up to this Kingdome which Christ Iesus promiseth in this place like the Mariner who being tossed in the Sea comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the desired Haven where he would be Now this point to wit of esteeming our happinesse to consist in heaven hath many particular branches First we must long earnestly for it If the Saints account them blessed that dwell in the house of Prayer and of his worship how much more to dwell in the house of his glorious presence He that loveth the Kingdome of Heaven will long for it he that loveth it not longeth nor for it The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp for such as love the appearance of Christ For whiles we are at home in the body 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.2 we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. He that is from home longeth greatly to be at his house This body is but a poore cottage that must shortly be dissolved and laid downe our chiefe mansion and habitation is above in the heavens Secondly we must pray for this Kingdome of glory It is the meaning in part of the second Petition Thy Kingdome come For we pray therein not onely for the Kingdome of grace but for the Kingdome of glory also This is the prayer and request of all the Saints Come Lord Jesus Revel 22.20 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 1.13 Acts 2.35 The Kingdome is as yet come onely in part we see not all things put under his feete sinne and Satan are not yet subdued many oppositions are made against it have we not just cause therefore to crave both the enlarging of the territories and stretching the Curtaines thereof and likewise the finishing of these dayes of sinne Thirdly let us endure with joy all sorts of afflictions whereunto we are called and which it shall please God to lay upon us and to try us withall considering that they are no way comparable to the glory that shall be revealed to the sonnes of God We are all that will be the Disciples of Christ forewarned of troubles and afflictions that abide us and that we shall be hated for his Names sake howbeit the next life will make amends for all we shall have a super-abundant recompence for all our sufferings It is our Fathers pleasure to bestow upon us the Kingdome He that loseth his life for his sake shall finde it Fourthly let us rejoyce and comfort our selves daily in the expectation of our full and finall deliverance and Redemption at the last day Many defects and many sinnes doe yet hang about us many wants and workes of darknesse compasse us on every side all these together with the remnants of sorrowes shall quickly be