love nor respect to us though wee have forsaken all and followed him Secondly apprehension putteth a bastard glowme upon Christ and causeth us to take a false measure of Christ Fancy hath strong operations especially when it commeth in the roome and place of faith What could they imagine now but that the Sea will drowne Christ hee had said to them hee must bee delivered to the hands of sinners and bee crucified or then hee could walke upon the Sea and escape death and would let them goe to the mercie of the raging Seas and perish in the waters now this was a belying of the promises of God Christ had both decreed and said that they behooved to bee his witnesses and to carry his name to the Gentiles and carry the chariot of the Gospel thorough all the world and be delivered up to Synagogues and councels and bee beaten and scourged and hated of all men for his names sake now all these are dreams they must bee drowned in the waters through no other cause but the negligence and cold affection that their master Christ beareth to them though they had preferred him and his service to all the world Wee are beasts under great temptations and phantasie is all the wit that leadeth beasts so the Prophet saith of himselfe Psal. 72. 22. so foolish was I and ignorant I was a beast before thee and why a beast hee had said in his heart Vers 11. how doth God know that was a strong dreame hee that teacheth man knowledge shall bee not know Psal. 94. 10. and Vers 13. Verely I have cleansed my heart in vaine {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is an emptie thing and our word smoake or reeke seemeth to come from it then said the Prophets imagination it is as empty a thing as smoake to serve God Thirdly sense is strong as fancy drowning and death was come over board and therefore they complaine of a changed and sleeping Christ now old and gray haired judgements move us not as the drowning of the old world the destruction of Sodom with fire and brimstone these are gone many hundreth yeares therefore they affect not us and the day of judgement is farre off and where is the promise of his comming say the scoffers 2 Pet. 3. and so did the people Ezek. 12. 27. Sonne of man behold they of the house of Israel say The vision that hee seeth is for many dayes to come and hee prophecieth of times that are afarre off But when death is at thy right side and sitteth upon the ball of thy cheek that acteth and worketh on us When the Sword is two hundreth miles from us wee take no care of it but if the enemy were comming in at the ports of the Citie and wee saw them burning houses and killing husbands and children and heard the crying of women and children wee should then bee on the other extremitie and cry Christ is changed and cares not for us keepe good and heavenly thoughts of Christ in the saddest times Psal. 22. 2. O my God I cry by day and thou hearest not in the night season I am not silent What then doth hee fall a chiding with God doth hee say Oh God is changed hee careth not for us no yea the contrary hee saith Vers 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel 4. Our fathers trusted in thee and were delivered say in the mouth of hell I will beleeve as Job 13. 15. Though the Lord should kill mee I will trust in him faith liveth and breatheth in the grave in the throat of hell How sweet is it to heare There is the grave of a buried beleever these bee the ashes of a dead man that went into the grave in faith and hope as Christ did Psal. 16. 10. Beware of false imaginations of God in time of trouble Fancy can spin out and forge a God weake of memory who hath forgotten his promises Esay 49. 14 15. wee cast behind us the promises in the day of trouble yea which is fearefull often when wee conceive wee are praying wee are but chiding with God and not farre from blaspheming grace in the day of trouble layeth silence on the thoughts wee have need of an high Priest to wash our sacrifices and when we have prayed there is so much sinne in our prayers that Christ must pray them over againe as it were for hee maketh prayers and requests for us Heb. 8. 25. They awoke him saying Master master Prayer awaketh a seeming sleeping God and puts him to it wee cannot take a better course in trouble then to runne to Christ by prayer Psal. 130. 1. Out of the deeps have I cryed unto thee Psal. 18. 6. In my distresse I called upon the Lord that is a sweet story Psal. 34. 6. This poore man cryed unto the Lord and the Lord heard and saved him out of all his troubles David used this weapon of prayer against his owne sonne Absolom Psal. 3. Faith is not partiall prayer is not selfie David prayed and prophesied his sonnes destruction 7. Arise O Lord save mee and hee answers himselfe Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly A praying Army must be a victorious Army If this storme had not risen they should not have prayed alas wee put Christ often in the reere or wee keepe Christ to a reserve or a recrute when we have tryed Physitians for twelve yeares and spent all then wee come to Christ when wee can doe no better There is much deceit in bed-prayers for the principium motus the first spring is extrinsecall it comes from the rod on us it is true naturall consciences deaded and benummed with rubbing doe gather warme blood and are stirred up to devotion and fasting and praying in the spirit and the spirit of prayer may bee wakened by judgement but judgement is not the cause of praying in the godly but the occasion Hee that raiseth up a sleeping man is not the cause of his motion and walking the cause was in him when hee was fast asleepe his life and the Locomotive power is the cause of walking and this is not put in the sleeping man by him who raiseth him when the hypocrite and ungodly man fasteth and prayeth the hand of an angry God is both occasion and cause of his praying wee would try what moveth us to fasting and praying First whether sinne or afflictions this is a good signe if we can pray with as great intention of spirit to bee delivered from the dominion of sinne as for the pardon of the guilt we may be afraid that God heare us when wee pray for deliverance from the dominion of Idol-sinnes experience teacheth this But wee are never afraid to bee heard but afraid with the feare of unbeleefe for the most part that wee bee not heard when wee pray for pardon and deliverance from the guilt of sinne the reason is men may hate the guilt of sinne and yet love the sinne
onely but they indured as much heat of fire as the hearth-stone that is daily under the extremitie of the fire so the Apostle speaketh of himselfe 1 Cor. 4. 8. For I thinke God hath set forth us {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the last Apostlâ—s as it were appointed to death for we are made a spectacle to the world and to men and Angels The Apostles in regard of their great sufferings were so exposed to violent death as in the Roman Playes Bulls Dogs Lions were set forth to fight one another to death they were made worlds wonders and gazing-stacks to heaven and earth to men and Angels for their great sufferings Behold how strong the tempest was that invaded that barke that carried the witnesses of Jesus to heaven Heb. 11. 35. they were tortured stoned sawen asunder tempted slaine with the Sword The reason of the Lords so dealing is 1. God declareth himselfe more impatient of sinne in his owne children then in the wicked I meane of Gods impatience Evangelick in regard that it is a sinne of higher ingratitude to sinne against the Gospel 2. Illumination 3. And the mercy of regeneration then to sinne against the Law and common favours and gifts though Gods legall impatience in regard of revenging justice bee farre more against the sinnes of the wicked then against the sinnes of beleevers it being an act of vengeance which God cannot exercise towards beleevers and if Antinomians would acknowledge an Evangelick displeasure and anger of God against the sinnes of beleevers as the Scripture doth 1 Cor. 10. 21 22. 1 Cor. 11. 30 31. 2 Sam. 11. 27. they should not so stumble at the Gospel as they doe I say God is more displeased with the sinnes of his owne children then with the sinnes of the wicked even as the husbandman is more offended that Thristles and Thorns grow in his Garden then in his out-field Esay 1. 2. Heare O heaven hearken O earth why it is more then an ordinary defection that moveth the Lord to this I have nourished and brought up children and they rebell against me God taketh it also harder that violence and unjustice should bee in Parliaments and Assemblies then in Prelates Courts and High Commissions The Lord expecteth nothing else but sowre grapes from his enemies 2. The hell of the godly and the heart of their hell should ordinarily bee heavier then the borders and margin of the hell of the wicked the sufferings of the Saints in this life is their whole hell wicked men have here a heaven and but fore-tastings of hell which I grant in regard they want the presence and comforts of God in this life and also that their curses are in themselves heavier then the afflictions of the godly but not so in their apprehension 3. Gods deepe counsells worke under-board providence is a great mystery why these three kingdomes having a good cause and contending for Christ yet should bee put to a more bloody condition and have more of floods of blood for a while then bloody men who defend a cursed cause is wondred at by us as ignorance is the cause of admiration hee that never saw husbandry thinketh sowing losing and casting away of good Corne the end cujus gratia which seasoneth Gods workes with wisedome and grace is unseene hony is sweet but tasting onely discerneth it neither eye can see it nor eare can heare it our senses cannot reach the reason of his Counsell who will have the godly plagued every morning If it bee so that the godly the greene tree suffer such a fire it must bee more then fire that is abiding the enemies O enemies of the Gospel O Malignants and haters of the Lord and his Saints have you Castles and strong holds to runne to in the day of wrath or are your Castles judgement-proofe Cannot death and hell scale your walls and though you shut your doores climbe in at your windowes are your bulworkes and walls salvation have you strength to bide the proofe and shot of the vengeance of the Lord and the vengeance of his Temple hath not the second death long and sharpe tuskes will you indure the siege and batteries of everlasting wrath vengeance will have nothing under your pretious soules take your pleasure kill and destroy the mountaine of the Lord the feast is good ever till the reckoning come Job 28. 8. Can you drinke a Sea of vengeance and floods of gall and wormewood there is a Sword before the throne forbished that will lap and swallow up blood and never bee quenched wrath wrath creepeth on the sinners in Zion by theft without a cry or noyse of feet you heare not the ratling of your sunnes wheeles when it is setting and the night falleth on you the day of wrath is secret and uncertaine you sleep you see not hell at your heels what will you do when you shall make your prayers to the hills to cover you quick This serveth to condemne our softnesse who love a wanton and a smooth providence and Golden and silken sayling to bee carried away quickly to land without wind or storme wee desire to goe to Paradise through no other way but Paradise and a way strowed with Roses nay but wee must indure hardnesse and resolve the way cannot bee changed to flatter our softnesse it is as God hath carved it out there bee not two wayes to heaven one way strowed with blood and brimstone and deaths to Christ and another to us white faire easie heaven was not so feazable to Christ but it was to him sweating if Christ had taken the faire way and a street to heaven like Paradise and left the rough way to us wee had the more reason to complaine But it should silence us that Christ saith you have no harder usage then the Captaine of your salvation had Joh. 15. 18. when wee see wee must suffer wee would bee at a chosen Crosse and afflictions carved by our owne wit or flowred and perfumed with Diamonds and Rubies so our heart saith any judgement but warre and any warre but civill warre the hatred of the world is not much but hatred from our brethren the sonnes of our Mother O that is hard yet it is not to bee expected but the flesh will warre in the Saints against both the Spirit and the flesh in other Saints no lesse then the flesh warreth against the Spirit in one and the same Saint wee are to kisse and adore providence wee can no more change the foule and dirtie way to faire heaven then wee can remove heaven it selfe out of its place God hath drawn and moulded the topographie to heaven and set all our Guests before hee is a bad Souldier who followeth such a Captaine of salvation as Christ weeping and murmuring But what doth this ship lead us to certaine it is that it holdeth forth to us the condition of the Church of God tossed with wind and wave and the world
in the rwo kingdomes some say it is because libertie is not given to every man to live in what Religion hee pleaseth but this is a sin that every man doe What seemeth good in his owne eyes because there is not a judge to put any to shame Judg. 18. Chap. 19. 1 2. the contrary then cannot bee the cause of the so great judgement Others say rebellion against the King is the cause but rather the not timous rising to helpe the Lord and his oppressed people against the mightie is the cause The defection of both kingdomes to altar worship imagerie idolatry Popish and Arminian Doctrine the articles of Perth Assembly followed and practised in our owne kingdome without repentance the ignorance of God people perishing for want of knowledge both under prelacy and now the not building of the house of God in this land the backsliding of many after the Covenant of God is sworne are the true causes and it is to bee feared that if Presbyteriall government bee erected in this land as wee hope it shall if this bee not taken heed to it shall continue a judgement on the Land and it is this many both preachers and professors shall conforme to the Government as they would doe to either the prelaticall or congregationall way as many time-servers doe and shall hate and persecute the power of godlinesse under the pretence of Sectaries Brownists Separatists independents and the like and retaining an Antichristian and rotten heart shall doe what in them lies under that colour to vex oppresse and banish many godly men out of the land But this is to bee considered if it were not needfull there were a Fast through both kingdomes to deale with God to find out the true causes of our fastings and these heavy judgements in which in the three kingdomes many hundreth thousands are killed I doubt if under any Prince or Emperour there bee a history can parallel the blood shed within these few yeares Job when God visited him desired to know wherefore God contended with him it is a sad thing to lye drowned under unknown and fatherlesse plagues wee being ignorant of the causes of Gods judgement so wee suffer blind crosses like the Oxe that beares the yoake and knoweth nothing of the art of husbandry or the horse killed in the battell and yet is ignorant of State-affaires and of the causes of warre and of disorders in Lawes Liberties Religion in State and Church wee are like one smitten in the dark night by a spirit or a ghost but hee seeth not who striketh Oh it were good wee would inquire as the Prophet doth Esa. 42. 24. who gave Jacob for a spoyle and Israel to robbery and wherefore is all this come on us why doth the Lord contend with us O make us know our iniquities Often the rod maketh a lying report of God and accuseth Christ in our desertions O! Christ is unkind hee is changed hee hath forsaken me wee can sooner spy a fault in Christ under desertion then in our selves and wee often reason from that which is no cause for the cause Christ seemeth changed to us and unmercifull and sleepey and carelesse First when the judgement is extreame and wee apprehend it as a fruite of the anger and vengeance of God Apprehension gives life to afflictions and casteth in many ounce weights of wrath in our cup which was never there because our conscience giveth in against us lying libells and unjust complaints such as this thou art not in Christ nor a convert nor a pardoned and justified sinner and wee first retort the lying libell upon Christ O! Christ hath forgotten to bee mercifull wee see Christ in the false glasse in our extreame suffering our sinne and apprehension joyning together Secondly Christ may sleepe and hide himselfe in a great tryall and when hee is gone and grace hath no actuall influence on our soules then wee languish and die the passes of the Clock being laid by there is no motion at all and the wheeles gather rust Should wee suppose that the Creator of nature did suspend his influence all naturall operations should cease there should bee no motion in the Sunne it should neither rise nor goe downe the raine should not fall the wind should not blow living things could not move Beasts could not walke Fowels could not fly Fishes could not swimme Roses Flowers and Hearbs could not grow c. because hee causeth all these to bee and his immediate influence addeth oyle to all wheeles and rowleth and moveth them else they could not stirre so Christ in the spheare of grace being the first mover if his influence stand still all our wheeles as wanting oyle and motion gather rust and stand still Paul cannot call Jesus Lord the Spouse runneth not for the bridegroome will not draw Can. 1. David dieth and withereth a hundreth deaths for God hides his face Hezekiah fainteth for God glowmeth Haman is downe amongst the dead in the grave Christ his life worketh not so here in trouble Christ standeth behind the mount and the poore Disciples faint and die and dreame and are all afraid in a storme because God seemeth to sleepe as if God were dead Oxthodoxe and sound apprhensions of Christ in us are not habits but acts and are in us as lightnings are in the ayre when nature actually cooperateth or as fire is in the flint not but when it is beaten out with force Thirdly distempers and feavers on faith take away the taste and the honey out of Christ the father is not a father to the child in a fit of an ague Thirdly when extreame danger is neare and the Army foyled and the enemy entering in at the ports our courage is as farre to seeke as ever was the courage of the Apostles Oh then wee are gone this is our death the cause is now losed Christ is buried hee cannot rise againe Esay 7. 2. It was told the house of David saying Syria is confederat with Ephraim and his heart was moved as the trees of the field the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is to bee moved from place to place and is ascribed to Cain the vagabond Gen. 4. 12. wee feare the creature too much because hee can kill the body and wee feare the Lord of heaven and earth to little though hee have dominion over both soule and body remember what a forgetting of God it is to feare the creature in Gods cause Esay 51. 12. I even I am hee that comforteth you who art thou that shalt bee afraid of a man that shall die and of the Sonne of man that shall bee made as grasse is it so great a sinne to feare man ay the next words beare no lesse 13. and forgettest the Lord thy maker that stretched out the heaven and laid the foundation of the earth an unbeleeving people hath a feare of their owne which the people of God are not to follow Esay 8. 12. Feare yee not the
and Malignants were on the top of their wheeles God from despised and contemned beginnings raised the worke to a great height 2. our adversaries were agents and would not rest but did cooperate to their owne destruction They would move the King to change Religion in Scotland against all Lawes 2. They would stirre him up to raise Armies by Sea and Land against Scotland 3. They moved the King to break the articles of peace and the word of a Prince to his Subjects after an accommodation and set him on bloody warres againe 4. After his Army was defeated and a Parliament granted in England they moved him first to come and yeeld to all that is just and right in a Parliament of Scotland but against their mind with no purpose to keepe their faith and then to raise Tragicall and bloody warres in England and in all these they were coagents and workers with a judiciall and secret providence to their owne destruction 3. They have beene searching to find out that our intentions were not to establish Religion in power and puritie and to bee freed of the bondage of arbitrary and tyrannicall domination over Church and State but to change monarchy and set up another government this they could never yet find 4. They see God against them prophanitie and wickednesse on their side and with them Papists Idolaters Irish murtherers the cruellest of men the scumme and refuse of the Churchmen yet they will not see God in this 5. They find and see their treachery popery tyranny discovered by many plots come to light by letters under the Kings hand their intentions to bring in a forraigne nation ere popery and arbitrary government bee not established and that all Treaties have beene intended not for a just peace but for this end that a peace being once patched and sowed up all things shall returne to their ancient Channels as the King speakes in his instructions to his Commissioners at Vxbridge yet they will not see God in all these passages of his deepe providence If naturall men wonder at the power and excellency of Christ in that hee with a word commands Sea and winds and they obey him should not Christ bee to us a worlds wonder should hee not bee to us altogether lovely were it possible to lay in the counter-scale of the ballance to Christ a world of Angels put in yet millions of worlds of Angels adde to them a world of Solomons with tripled wisedome put in all the delights of the sonnes of men put in yet the flowre and Rose of ten thousand possible worlds perfections they should bee under-weight to him the ballance should never downe Oh! wee glory in good armies wee rejoyce in victories and successe in a good Parliliament in godly Commanders in a good reformation all is excellent to us that hath any lustre or glimpse of created goodnesse but why doe wee not rather wonder admire and extoll excellent Jesus Christ who setteth him on high above the skies who lifts up his throne and his glory Consider but what is said of him Col. 1. 15. Who is the image of the invisible God the first borne of every creature Vers 16. For by him were all things created c. 17. And hee is before all things and in him all things consist 18. And hee is the head of the body the Church who is the beginning the first borne from the dead that in all things hee might have the preheminence see what wonders are there in Christ as first hee is Gods equall every way as high as God being the substantiall Image of God begotten of the Father and without all beginning Secondly as man the eldest of the creation of God and as God the Creator of the new world Thirdly no lesse the Creator of all then the Father wee have a head who can make and unmake all the glorious Angels in heaven the royallest of the house of heaven these principalities and powers these little Gods the eldest and supreme Courtiers the higher house of the Peeres of heaven are but peeces of dependent shadowes that fell from the fingers of our highest King when hee framed this great all and the rich Palace-Royall of this greatest body of heaven and earth and all the furniture within the bosome of the great world Fourthly the Lord Jesus hath all the created world so in the hollow of his hand as a man that holdeth a bowle of glasse in his hand in the aire should hee take his arme from under it it should fall to the earth and breake in a hundred peeces and doe no more good if Christ in whom all things consist some say as the notes of an excellent musick in a song draw in his armes of conserving providence the world should go all out of tune and the Globe of Crystall glasse should fall to a thousand meere nothings and as a man betweene his fingers may crush an Egge so hath Christ the huge created Lump of the whole creation in his hand if hee but thrust his two fingers together with a little crush all the world is dissolved like a broken Egge Fiftly hee is the head of the Church and such a head as is deaths eldest sonne and heire hee lay in deaths wombe and as the doubly blessed first-borne had the key of death with him in the inner side and opened the wombe and tooke away the ports and gates of death on his backe that now all the younger brethren might come out at the same passage also yea hee came a bridegroome from heaven to suite in marriage a bride his Church was sicke and died of love for a Princes daughter his lovely Church rose the third day from death and married her Sixtly he hath so the absolute preheminence in all things that the highest of the Angels are but his vassals and servants is now in such incomparable eminency of Glory above all creatures that when the beloved-disciple John who came that neare to him in the dayes of his flesh that hee leaned on his bosome saw him in his glory hee fell downe at his feet dead Revel. 1. 17. yea there was more of heaven in Christ then his eyes of flesh could behold FINIS Iob. 20. 5 6. 2 Cor. 6. 9. 2 Cor. 4. 8 9. Esay 17. 6. Esay 30. 26. Six parts of the Text The words opened Part I. Preachers are to converse much with Christ why {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Luc. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} How carefully Christ husbanded time How both kingdomes faile in improving of opportunities of mercy A generall faile of all in the care lesse improvement of time Part II. Christ and his Ship have more then ordinary stormes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Reason why the afflictions of the people of God are so extreame Evangelick legall anger in God Vse 1. Wrath untolerable to the ungodly Vse 2. We love a soft and a chosen providence of our owne carving Eight particulars considerable in the ship in which Christ and his Church is carried The Church a moveable thing as a ship {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Great change of the spirituall condition of the Church of particular Saints The Ship sayleth in a Sea of glasse mingled with fire Hope the Anchor of the Church The wares of the ship Seven sorts of passengers in the ship Why Christ took on our nature and infirmities Christ God and man and why The influence of the Godhead in Christs sufferings was active not passive Vse 1. Vse 2. It were sacriledge in the Roman Empire and Senate to give out decrees to the Churches as the Apostles and Elders did Acts 15. Innocency can sleepe sound amidst the greatest calamities How God is said to sleepe God will have his Church cause within a haires breadth of losing except he arise and helpe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Why God saveth not while the Church be betweene the sinking and the swimming The presence of God in trouble how comfortable {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Part III. The unitie and harmony of Christs Disciples in their trouble Reasons for Christian unitie Doct. Wee put unkindnesse on Christ because wee are not presently delivered and the reasons thereof {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Et non addet bene velle ultra â— Iudgements of themselves are the occasion rather then the cause of praying Some signes that sinne not afflictions put us to fasting and praying How the rod of God must work us to humiliation ere we be delivered Grace doth not extirpate but regulate feare and other affections The faults of the Disciples feare It were good to inquire the causes of the judgement Vse 2. The causes of misapprehending of Christ What is a small or weake faith Faith and fainting may consist together in one Reasons why wee know our grace so hardly The grounds of a faith weak in action Faith and sense compared together Simile Faith from instinct of grace sometime rather then from light of discourse The speciall cause of all sinnes of infirmitie From {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis mucio and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} captivus or {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} cuspis hastae {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Vse 4. How God really rebuketh the creature Gods omnipotency in creating and ruling the earth and Sea Vse This sword in Brittaine not the sword of men but of the Lord It is proper onely to omnipotency to make peace Part V. Two Characters of God in this miracle 1 That it is done in an instant and irresistibly 2 That it is great Things necessary to the Creature to the Creator have a may not be Things contingent to the Creature may have a must bee to the Creator Vse It is enough that our sea be calme when Christs is calme Greatnesse is printed on all the works of God Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Part VI Wee see little of God in his wayes Vse 1. God most visible in that hee now doth in Brittaine but Malignants will not see him Vse 2. The Lord Jesus a wonder to all
to heaven and not seeke after the power of godlinesse it is good wee see the farre end of the judgement and that wee bee heart-humbled and tamed and made weaned children that wee put our mouth in the dust and sit alone on the ground and keepe silence and bee filled with reproach and beare the yoake Lament 3. 28 29 30. and resolve to beare the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned Mic. 7. 9. and it is good we be threshed while we be so broken as we may remember and bee confounded and never open our mouth any more because of our shame when the Lord is pacified toward us for all that we have done Ezek. 16. 63. Marke 4. 40. Why are you so fearefull Luke 8. 25. Where is your faith The ground of their doubting and unbeleefe is excessive and immoderate feare not simply feare therefore Marke saith {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} why are you so fearefull hee saith not why feare you hence the Text will leade us to inquire in the bad properties of this feare which that wee may doe a little of the affections in generall 2. of this bad feare condemned by our Lord in these following propositions 1 Proposition Grace removeth not affections Christ condemneth not their feare but onely their fearfulnesse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} so high bended Grace maketh not men Stoicks nor does it root out Nature Nature of it self as it commeth out of the work-house of the Creator is an innocent thing Whatever decrees the high former and Potter have concerning all things in the exercise of his absolute but most pure and holy Soveraignty over lame Vessels yet all that hee made is good hee is the author of no sinfulnesse in the Creature But hee doth not extirpate the nature and harmlesse being of naturall affections A Chirurgion taketh not away life and sense but onely rottennesse and corrupt humors that are enemies to life and sense Grace embroidereth sinlesse nature but does not turne it out at doores Give your lust to Christ who maketh all things new and hee shall restore it againe to you in renewed love Put your fainting in his hand and hee 'll make it holy feare Christs furnace melteth but out the refuse and drosse of our affections What fire was in Peter a Fisher is but made holy zeale in Peter the Apostle no man is the worse that hee come through the new Physitians hands hee maketh brasse Gold I should wish no better but that Christ would barter an old heart with a new for Christ has skill to over-gold nature with Grace Grace turned not Job in a lumpe of iron that hee could not weepe or sorrow for it was not destructive of Grace which hee saith Job 16. 16. My face is foule with weeping The Man Christ that chosen flower and the rarest pearle of sinlesse nature both wept Job 11. 35. Luke 19. 42. and was feared Luke 22. 44. Heb. 5. 7. 2 Propos. Grace but removeth the scumme and exorbitances of our affections As first Grace is a regular thing and moves as the Starres doe in a motion contrary to the motion of the whole World it moveth not as nature doth to seeke its own being and life but with subordination to God Bee angry but sinne not holdeth in all Feare but sinne not Love the Creature but sinne not Trust holy men but sinne not Sorrow at calamities but sinne not Grace is a straight line that measureth both it selfe and all crooked lines And therefore the Grace of God the Gospel is a teaching guide Tit. 2. 11. The grace of God 12. teacheth us to deny ungodlinesse Secondly grace is an excellent skreene between the soule and the burning heat of affections it is a strong banke to keepe off over-swelling tides of lusts in the soule when affections start up without leave of the grace of God then a man according to Gods heart David will but utterly destroy Nabal and all hee hath the Disciples because they cannot have a nights lodiging will doe no lesse then burne Cities and Townes have Samaria destroyed as Sodome as if Christ were come in the world to raise fire and sword against men women and sucking infants but when affections looke toward the creatures the grace of God sets them on to move on leasurely and upon slow wheeles and loppeth off from our affections all the wanton and luxuriant branches that is a sweet fruite of the grace of God 1 Cor. 7. 29. But this I say Brethren the time is short it remaineth that both they that have wives bee as though they had none 30. And they that weepe as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and mortification laugheth at mirth and laughter as Solomon in his repenting dayes doth Eccles. 2. 2. I said of laughter it is mad and of mirth what doth it 3. Proposition There bee diverse diseases in the feare of the Disciples as first their feare is more then enough they speake as if the Sea could drowne Christ and them both ere the man Christ awake Hence their precipitations Master master and their complaint carest thou not for us our affections in great dangers runne with the head formost not onely before the light of faith but before that reason command them to rise according to the measure of unmortified lusts so is the swelling of our affections grace keeping them within banks else they are as some great Seas that have great tides Secondly there is much unbeleefe in this feare and therefore as Matthew relates the story Christ said to them why are yee fearfull O yee of little faith and as Marke saith 4. 40. How is it that you have no faith and Luke saith where is your faith that is they had little or no great strength of faith with this fear it being mixed with much doubting hence as Christ denyeth not simply that they had no faith so hee condemneth their unbeleefe unbeleefe doth not a little dull our apprehension so that death and afflictions looke on us with a more ugly and awsome countenance the more of the sunne bee covered in an eclipse the greater is the darknesse unbeleefe is a darke black webbecast over our eyes that wee see not what omnipotency can doe and how it secondeth the faithfulnesse of God to make good his owne promises our corrupt affections arising in their strength are great enemies to righteous judging Hence thirdly this feare doth make them to misfather their affliction they lay the blame of their danger on Christs sleeping and his forgetfulnesse and carelesnesse of them as their complaint sheweth Carest thou nor for us wee perish and thou sleepest in this if in any thing it is true happy is hee who knoweth the causes of things wee are often smitten of God in the darke To apply these to our selves It is much to know the causes of this present warre
feare of this people neither bee afraid 13. Sanctifie the Lord of hosts let him bee your feare Matth. 8. 26. Then hee saith unto them why are yee fearefull O yee of little faith Luke 8. 25. where is your fatth That which Christ first seeketh and first misseth in any is their faith Where is your faith by comparing the Evangelists together a little faith is faith and it is no faith that is not so great a faith as is required in a great storme Hence these conclusions concerning a little faith 1. Conclus A little faith in regard of the nature of faith is faith as Christ Matth. 8. saith not they have no faith but hee chideth them for their little faith as the least of fire is fire as well as a fire of all the timber and fewell of the earth is fire and the fourth part of a drop of dew is water no lesse then the whole element of water is water the least measure of saving faith is saving faith and there bee other three acts of free grace that are of the same nature As first Gods free love of election to glory can neither bee halfe nor divided the meanest of the elect is no lesse a chosen Senator inrolled in the booke of life then Abraham or great Moses Secondly all the Saints are equally ransomed and equally married on Christ there was no greater ransome of Christs blood given for Job David the Apostles then for thee O thou the least of Saints Thirdly all are equally saved and crowned Kings of the degrees of grace and glory I doe not now speake 2. Conclus Faith and fainting may consist together at one and the same time as night and day are one in the twylight so the poore man said Marke 9. 24. I beleeve that is faith Lord helpe my unbeleefe that is fainting and David Psal. 31. 22. I I said in my hast I am cut off from before mine eyes here is much fainting Neverthelesse thou heardest the voyce of my supplication here must bee much faith when his prayers hath beene heard So Jonah Chap. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight this was base fainting yet I will looke toward thy holy Temple this is faith and Jeremiah ch. 20. 7. O Lord thou hast deceived me and I was deceived thou art stronger then I and hast prevailed I am in derision daily and every one mocketh mee Hee fainted not a little when hee spake so of God to God but Vers 11. hee getteth up the mount againe But the Lord is with mee as a mightie terrible one therefore my persecutors shall stumble they shall not prevaile A wrestling faith opposing doubtings and faintings is an argument of a vigorous life of Christ and weaknesse here is an argument of strength and deadnesse doth argue life and fainting beleeving wee have a bad opinion of our owne state when there is no cause and the reason is that it is a reflect act to know our owne acts of faith and first reflect acts are more rare and difficill because more spirituall then direct acts Secondly the light of saving grace must concurre in all our reflect acts but it seemeth to mee to bee easier because more naturall to reflect upon our doubting and unbeleefe then upon our beleeving especially where there is any tendernesse of conscience as a sleeping man knoweth not that hee is in health nor can hee have any sense of his health while hee sleepeth and yet a sleeping man may know and feele the paine of sicknesse and of an aking bone and thereby bee wakened to feele it more sensibly though I know there bee a necessitie of the influence of saving grace either to know our fainting or our faith in a spirituall manner yet there bee degrees of grace here 3 Conclus Those who have a great faith in habit many have a little faith in act and the Disciples who had forsaken all and followed Christ must have a great measure of faith of fiduciall adherence it is a great faith to renounce all our bosome-lovers for Christ Though 2. their faith of light or in regard of knowledge was weak they not knowing Christs death and resurrection which are principal Articles of faith Matth. 16. 21 22 23. Joh. 20 9. Yet in this present act their faith was weake The grounds of a weake faith in regard of the act and some speciall exigents of a prevailing temptation are first because faith is one thing and the use of faith another thing The habit of faith is not the compleate and onely cause of beleeving 1. Because then the regenerate from the first moment of their regeneration to their dying day should alwayes beleeve which is repugnant to Scripture and all experience for the habit of faith and the seed of God alwayes remaineth in them even when they sin they lose not that Joh. 3. 9. 1 Ioh. 2. 27 28 29. Ioh. 4. 14. Ier. 32. 40 41. Esay 59. 21. 2. We are not Lords having by free-will a dominion over the habit of faith to stirre it up into acts when wee please for then these that have the habit need not to pray for the actuall influence of the grace of God to worke in them to will and to doe against many Scriptures as Cant. 1. 4. Psal. 25. 5. Psal. 86. 11. Psal. 119. 18 36 37. 66. 68. 80. 3. Our free-will at its best is but Graces armour-bearer and servant Grace whether habituall or actuall is Gods Prerogative Royall and one of the supreme and absolute flowers of his Crowne And therefore wee are Masters of our owne sins wee can bee willingly wicked and fall when wee will we are not masters of our owne rising againe wee can faint when wee will but wee beleeve when Christ will and when his saving grace breathes on us and neither sooner nor later neither more strongly nor more remissely then the free-grace of God inableth us for if wee could beleeve ere grace blow on us First wee could prevene grace and then should wee carry it all before us and it should bee after this not prevening grace but prevening nature prevening free will Secondly if the intention of the degrees of actuall beleeving were in our power Paul did not well to ascribe his labouring more abundantly to the grace of God and not to himselfe 1 Cor. 15. 10. But I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Secondly our faith is often led by the sense of appearance and second causes and that is a very bad rule Faith and sense may thus bee compared Faith is like the just horologe or watch which sheweth to us justly the houres at midnight when there bee neither Sun Moone nor Stars to give notice what time of night it is so rotten boylie Job chap. 19. 25 26. when hee had not so much as Star-light of appearance to lead him but death and rotten boyles could in faith point the
houre and say I know that my Redeemer liveth and that I shall see him for my selfe and my eyes shall behold and not another though my reines bee consumed within mee But sense is not like the night horologe but like the Sun-diall that cannot point the houres in the night nay nor yet in day-light if the same bee under cloud sense must have daylight and a shining Sun and can doe nothing for Christ upon trust and this is a great unthankfulnesse in our sense for it is faith and not sense that layeth hold on relations and such a relation as is betweene husband and wife so the Lord speaketh Esa. 54. 4. Feare not that is beleeve upon what ground Upon the ground of marriage-faith Ver. 5. for thy maker is thy husband so is faith expressed by a marriage word Wee are freed from the Law Rom. 7. 4. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that yee should bee for another husband that yee should bee maried on another lover 4 Conclus Sometimes wee beleeve on Christ as morall agents and then wee may both know Christ and our own state if the light of the Spirit concurre to make the promises visible to our spirituall senses not onely as true but also as good and sweet for wee see colours and apprehend them both as colours and as pleasant and delectable so a man may see a great heape of Gold which belongeth to another man hee sees it as of such a colour and as it offereth it self to the eye but because it is not his owne nor hath hee any hope it can bee his owne hee seeth it possibly with griefe but if it were offered and given to him hee should then see it as good and acceptable now the grounds of a weak faith is a weake evidence of our interest in Christ small and weak evidence produceth weak acts of beleeving it is true there is sometime little evidence of knowledge where there is strong adherence and strong faith as many unlettered Martyrs of no great knowledge in the Scriptures have dyed with great adherence and strength of faith but there is a twofold evidence one literall another spirituall it is unpossible there can bee a strong faith but there must bee a strong spirituall evidence proportionable thereunto to convey it for faith walketh not without eyes and therefore the weakenesse of spirituall evidence of our interest in Christ as here the Apostles see not but Christ hath forgotten them and cares not that they perish must produce a weake faith Againe faith commeth not onely from discourse and the morall perswasion of the holy Ghost making use of sanctified reason but also sometime from a meere spirituall instinct as where there is no discourse especially when wee first beleeve and have nothing but a meere command and knowes not whether the promise and the Saviour belongeth to us or not even as the infant that can make no use of discourse relieth and trusteth to the mother or nurse for milke by meere instinct having neither promise nor experience for it and the young Chickens confide in the covering of the Hens wings and the Lambes for food from the damme meerly by naturall instinct so when wee are new borne againe the first act of fiduciall adherence seemeth to bee from the new nature and instinct of grace as the child in a suddaine danger without discourse or promise that his father will helpe him runnes to his father and the Conies in danger to their holes of the rock and so a weake instinct of grace may produce weake acts and by the way the promise may bee forgotten and out of mind and the assurance that Christ loved mee before the world was none at all and a beleever yet may rely and confide in Christ through instinct and know no ground as through some secret sympathy of nature one may love another and they know not the reason and proportionally may trust in another also for love produceth some confidence so some are kind and their heart warmed with Christ and they doe not well know Christ as the Disciples going to Emmaus have hearts burning with the love of God but they knew not it was Christ who was there the third man conferring with them 5. Conclus The chiefe cause as of all sinnes of infirmitie so of a weake and infirme faith is not so much from want of will as want of power and rather from want of grace and a larger measure of the spirit of faith then from malice and wickednesse I deny not but the corruption of a wicked nature hath influence in sinnes of infirmitie and in a weake faith as it hath in all sinnes as some of the mothers seed must alwayes bee in the child but I speake comparatively and in regard of that which is the nature of sinne therefore sinnes of infirmitie and a weake faith though they bee not veniall sinnes as Papists vainely teach yet they bee sinnes of a lower size for there bee lesse activenesse and more passivenesse in these sinnes and so lesse will and more renitency and reluctancy then in raigning sinnes and all sinnes of infirmitie have but the halfe of the will sometime nothing but a virtuall consent as in the first motions of concupiscence and some sinfull errors and bad opinions contrary to the truth which the children of God have and the renewed part doth protest on the contrary against the flesh and side with Christ and if the will joyne in sinnes of infirmitie it is but the one halfe of the will trayling the other halfe after it like the motion of a worme in which the former part having more life and vigor draweth after it the hinder part But I come to prove the nature of a weakâ— or little faith and of other sinnes of infirmitie Paul Rom. 7. 14. saith of him selfe I am carnall sold under sinne hee useth the passive Verbe {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that which is put to the market to bee made away for money were it man or woman is a patient But Ahab had another marke Elias said to him 1 King 20. â—0 {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} thou hast sold thy selfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord hee that is sold is not sui juris not his owne man the flesh in that act prevaileth over him the renewed will saying the contrary The acting of â—…d unbeleefe in a Saint is like a businesse in a court hardly 〈◊〉 hotly debated and the matter is carried by one voyce onely or as in weighing of things in a ballance one scruple may cast the seale and where there is but one graine of saving grace the worke may bee swayed by it if the flesh act by prevalency it goes wrong but in the wicked where there is no prevalency of saving grace nor any such principle the sinne is not a sinne of infirmitie Christ hath not one voyce in the court if reason speake against some crying sinnes that is