they by our doctrine ascribe unto man any matter of glorying at all we give the whole glory of mans justification unto Christ aâ—ore To this I have two things to answer First the Apostle saith Rom. 3.27 that boasting is not excluded by any doctrine but by the Doctrine of justification by faith onely that the Doctrine of justification by works by any workes whether done before or after grace doth leave unto man some matter of boasting And Ephes. 2.8 9. he telleth us plainly that if we could be saved by such works as we that are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works that is regenerate persons do perform we might have matter of boasting in our selves Secondly Though the good actions that are wrought by the faithfull after grace received be wrought in them by the speciall assistance of the grace of Christ yet are they not Christs actions but their owne When they believe or repent or pray it cannot be said that Christ believeth repenteth or prayeth in them If their actions were meerely the actions of Christ and his grace then indeed we could not deny them to be perfect undefiled and meritorious also then though they were justified by them they could have no cause of glorying or boasting at all but the whole glory of it should redound unto Christ alone But because we are immediate agents in them our selves therefore the Holy Ghost calâ—eth them our own and not Christs works So Paul calleth all that goodnesse that was in him that care and conscience he made to keep Gods law Phil 3-9 〈◊〉 owne righteousnesse And so doth our Saviour also call the good works of the faithfull their owne works Let your light so shine before men saith he Matth. 5.16 that they may see your good works And Rev. 2.9 I know thy works And from hence also it commeth even from the imperfection and corruption that is in us who are the immediate agents in them that they are both imperfect and defiled also For who can bring a cleane thing out of 〈◊〉 uncleane Not one saith Iob 14.4 Though the fountaine from whence they first sprink be most pure yet they receive such pollution from the filthy channels through which they passe as were it not for Christ they could not at all be accepted of God And from hence also it commeth that if we were justified by them we should have some just cause of glorying before God And thus have I confirmed to you the first of those truths which I propounded that is to say That we are not justified before God by our inherent righteousnesse by it we can never be made whiter than the snow in Gods sight It followeth now that wee proceed unto the second That wee are justified before God by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us and by that alone In confirming whereof I will observe the same order that I did before First I will shew you by evident proofs of holy Scripture that it is so Secondly I will give you good reasons out of the Word why it must â—eeds be so For proofes I will give you six that are plaine and pregnant 1. The Apostle saith Rom. 4.6 that to the blessed that is to the justified man the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes And what righteousnesse can that be Inherent righteousnesse it cannot be for that is not without works it must needs therefore be Christs righteousnesse 2. He saith expresly Rom. 5.19 that by the obedience of one that is of Christ many that is the whole number of Gods elect are made righteous not efficiently and meritoriously onely but formally as by Adams disobedience we were made sinners not efficiently and meritoriously onely but formally his first sinne was made our sinne 3. The Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 saith that Christ is made to us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption where 1 he expresly distinguisheth righteousnesse from sanctification imputed righteousnesse from inherent righteousnesse and 2 saith that Christs righteousnesse is made ours of God 4. 2 Cor. 5.21 He saith we are made the righteousnesse of God in him where observe 1 That he saith we are made the righteousnesse of God that is righteous by such a righteousnesse as God requireth 2. That he saith not onely in the concrete we are made righteous but in the abstract righteousnesse that is perfectly and fully righteous 3. That we are made so in him not in our selves inherently 5. The Prophet Ieremiah Ier. 23.6 saith this is the name whereby Christ should be called by all Gods people the Lord our righteousnesse As if he had said All Gods people should professe they have no other righteousnesse to stand before God with but onely Christ his righteousnesse and his alone They should say as David doth Psal. 71.16 I will make mention of speake of glory in trust unto thy righteousnesse even of thine onely 6. Lastly This is the confession of all the Saints in that Hallelujah whereby they do solemnize the marriage of the lambe Revel 19.8 To his spouse was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen cleane and white For the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints Where observe 1. That that made Christs Spouse and Church most beautifull whiter than the snow in his eye was not so much her owne beauty any righteousnesse of her owne or inherent in her selfe as the robe the fine linnen that was granted to her put upon her none of her owne 2. That this robe this fine linnen is said to be the righteousnesse of Saints Not in our first justification onely as the Papists fondly distinguish but in our second justification also if there were any such even when we are Saints we have no other righteousnesse to make us beautifull in God's eyes but this robe this fine white linnen that is put upon us graunted to us and none of our owne 3. Observe the confirmation and ratification that is given to these words Verse 9. The Angell said unto Iohn These are the true sayings of God And what is this robe this fine linnen that is the righteousnesse of all the Saints Surely Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which is given and imputed unto us of God In which respect they that are baptized into Christ and truly believe in him are said Gal. 3.27 to have put on Christ. And Paul desireth that he may be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 cloathed with this robe not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the law which consisteth in obedience to the Law of God but that which is through the faith of Christ. The righteousnesse which is of God by faith As Iacob got the blessing by having the goodly raiment of his elder brother put upon him Genes 27.15 so must we Now the reason why this must needs be so is evident Because that righteousnesse onely is able to justifie us before God which is perfect and absolute that hath no defect nor blemish in it such as may ablde the
suffered to come into the house of the Lord as you shall find 2 Chron. 26.21 Nor the woman that had borne a child for a good space after her child-birth Levit. 12.4 Nor he that had touched the dead body of a man Num. 9.7 19.11 Nor he that had the running of the reines Levit. 15.14 Yea see what the Lord saith to Moses Numb 5.2 3. Command the children of Israel that they put out of the campe every Leper and every one that hath an issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead both male and female shall ye put out without the Campe yee shall put them that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell Certainely by all these ceremonies God meant to teach his people this that no sinne maketh us more odious unto God no sin deserveth more that we should be forever seperated from God and his kingdome then the very corruption of our nature doth Now for the second branch of the doctrine that our originall sinne the corruption of our nature is the sinne for which wee should bee most humbled and abased in our selves see the proofe of it in foure notable examples besides this of Davids which we have in the Text examples I say of such of Gods people as being not guilty of any actuall sinne that did reigne in them yet have complained exceedingly and cryed out of themselves even for this The first is of Iob who though in respect of his conversation he was a perfect man and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evill Chap. 1.1 yet Chap. 40.4 he cryeth out thus unto God Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee As if he had said How shall I appeare or stand before thee The second is the Prophet Esay who so soone as he had seene the glory of the Lord in a vision and by that meanes discerned what himselfe was better then ever he did before breaketh forth into this complaint Esa. 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone The third example is the Apostle Paul of whom you shall not find that ever he complained so bitterly of any of the foulest sinnes that he had committed before he knew Christ as he doth of this Rom 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death this was a death to him and nothing so much as this The fourth and last example is that of the whole Church Esa. 64.6 We are all as an uncleane man using the very words that the Leper was commanded to use and to cry Levit. 13.45 I am uncleane I am uncleane worthy to bee separated for ever from God and from his people Now for the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine why the Lord hath so just cause to abhorre us for this corruption of our nature and why we have so just cause likewise to be humbled in our selves for it they may be taken from the properties and effects of it For as Adam by that first sinne of his which excepting onely the sinne against the Holy Ghost was in sundry respects the most heinous sinne that ever mortall man did commit and which sinne of his as we have heard in the first doctrine of this verse is most justly imputed unto every one of us as he I say by that first sinne of his did loose from himselfe and all his posterity that glorious image of God in which he was created and whereby he did wholly resemble the Lord in wisdome and holinesse so did he thereby also receive for himselfe and his whole posterity the image of Satan and was transformed into it Whereby it is come to passe that we do all by nature a fearefull thing to heare and yet a certaine truth most lively in our disposition resemble Satan Let us therefore consider our nature and the corruption of it in the properties and effects of it and it shall evidently appeare unto us that there is no creature upon earth that hath so venimous and poisonfull a nature as every one of us have Neither will I speake of such properties and effects of originall sin as are to be found in the naturall man onely and him that is void of all saving grace but of those that every one of us and the best of Gods children such as David and Iob and Esay and Paul were shall find in themselves And those are foure principally First This corruption of our nature depriveth us of the comfort of our best actions and maketh the dearest of Gods children heavie and uncheerefull even in those duties wherein they have most cause to bee comfortable and cheerfull according to that commandement of God Psal. 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladnesse For this flesh of ours this corruption of our nature 1. Disableth us unto spirituall duties maketh us unwilling untoward dull and cold and faint in them so as we performe them with no lust no life no servency of spirit This the Apostle complaineth of Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me through grace he meaneth but how to performe that which is good I find not Heb. 12.1 It easily besetteth us on every side to hinder us from running in any way of Gods commandements 2. It will shew and intermingle it selfe and will not be kept out of doors no not for a moment when we purpose and go about the best duties but it will be medling and have a finger even in them When I would do good saith the Apostle Rom. 7.21 evill is present with me 3. It will crosse 3. It will crosse and oppose the spirit and interrupt the worke of it stirring up such thoughts and motions as are quite contrary and opposite unto it I see saith blessed Paul Rom. 7.23 another law in my members warring against the law of my mind And Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Yea 4. by these and such like meanes it defileth our best duties and maketh them not onely unworthy of all reward with God but worthy to be rejected and loathed by him as the Church complaineth Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Secondly It draweth the best of us to offend God oft 1. Even to doe that that we do not onely know to be evill but that also that our hearts do hate In many things saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 we offend all And Paul Rom. 7.15 What I hate that I doe and verse 23. It bringeth me into captivity to the law of sinne 2. Yea it is restlesse and never giveth over working this way Like thtroubled sea as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 57.20 which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt This root and fountaine is ever springing and putting forth one corruption or other Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearâ— saith the Lord Gen. 6.5 is
is but for a moment worketh for us a farre more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Rejoycing in hope saith the Apostle Rom. 12.12 patient in tribulation As though he should say The hope of this reward is able not onely to make you patient in any tribulation how great soever it may be but even comfortable and joyfull in it also O that all this that we have heard might through Gods gracious and mighty working with it become effectuall to make us all in love with Gods service O that we could count it our happinesse and honour to be admitted into it and thinke and say of it as David doth Psal. 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy house and be one of thy houshold servants And 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant thy servant and the son of thine handmaid thou hast loosed my hands As if he had said I was a bondslave till I became thy servant but thou hast brought me out of that bondage and by making me thy servant hast loosed my bonds and made me a free man And then followeth verse 17. I will offer unto thee the sacrifice of thankesgiving As if hee should say I will praise thy name for this so long as I live Lecture XCII On Psalme 51.6 Iune 24. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last point which I propounded to handle in this first part of the application which concerneth those that refuse to serve God and to be religious and it is to shew the dangerous estate that they are in that doe so to reprove and terrifie all wicked men specially such as live in the Church and under the meanes of grace We have heard in the handling of this third and last note of an upright heart That if there be in a man but an unfeigned desire to be saved and to please God he is accepted of God he hath certainely truth of saving grace in him That no man is rejected of God no man shall perish that hath in him a true desire to be saved and to please God This point if it be well considered is of great force to humble all naturall men to take all excuse from them and to make them ashamed of themselves For what goodnesse can there be in that man that hath not in him so much as a desire to be good What can that man pretend why he should not be most justly condemned and cast into hell that never had in him a true desire to be saved and to flie from the wrath to come And surely thus it is with every wicked man that liveth in the Church and under the meanes of grace to that man I may boldly say thou canst not repent nor leave thy sinnes because thou dost not desire to repent and forsake thy sinnes thou hast no grace because thou dost not desire grace thou canst not beleeve because thou dost not desire to beleeve thou shalt perish everlastingly because thou hast no true desire nor will to be saved Wicked men are apt and ever have beene blasphemously to impute all this wholly unto the Lord and his will to cast all upon God and to say of their future estate I shall doe as it pleaseth God if it be the will of God and he have so decreed I shall be saved if it be otherwise how can I helpe it And of their present estate if God would give me the grace I should be better then I am and till then how should I mend Thus did our first father plead for himselfe so soone as ever he was fallen from God The woman saith he Gen. 3.12 which thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate As if he had said I may thanke thee for that that I have done If thou hadst not given me this woman I had never sinned And thus did the unprofitable servant pleade for himselfe Matth. 25.14 I know thou art an hard maâ— reaping where thou never sowedst As though he had said Exacting fruit of holinesse and obedience where thou didst never bestow the seed of grace And thus the Apostle bringeth in wicked men objecting against the Lord Rom. 9 19. Why doth he yet find fault for who hath resisted his will As if he had said How can I justly be blamed or punished for being as I am if it be the will of God I shall be no better How can I be said to be the cause of mine owne damnation when it is the decree and will of God that I should perish But as I told you these are but the pleas and pretences of wicked men These pleas will not hold Certainely as God is not the cause of any mans sinne but himselfe as the Apostle teacheth us Iam. 1.13 14. Let no man say As if he had said I know men are apt to say so but it is folly and sinne for a man to say when he is tempted or moved to any sinne I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted of evill neither tempteth he any man but every man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed So neither is God the cause of mans destruction but himselfe It is the fruit of his owne way as the Holy Ghost speaketh Pro. 1.31 And as of every temporall crosse that befalleth a man in this life of what kind soever it be a man may justly smite himselfe upon the breast and say to his owne heart as the Lord speaketh Ier. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this to thy selfe He may truly say Whatsoever hand God or man had in this evill that is befaâ—len me I am sure I was the chiefe cause of it my selfe so may it truly be said to every wicked man of his spirituall and eternall death and destruction as the Lord speaketh to Israel Hos. 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in mee is thy helpe that is though thou canst not save thy selfe nor worke any goodnesse in thy selfe that must come wholly from my meere grace By grace are ye saved through faith saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.8 and that not of your selves it is the gift of God yet thou hast destroyed thy selfe thou art thy selfe the cause why thou hast no grace why thou canst not repent nor leave thy grosse sinnes why thou canst not beleeve nor take any comfort in Christ why thou shalt be damned and perish everlastingly Yea how apt soever men are now to plead thus for themselves and to impute all unto God there will come a day when as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.19 every mouth shall be stopped and all the world shall become guilty before God No man shall have any such thing to say for himselfe but shall cleare the Lord he shall cry guilty and acknowledge himselfe to have beene the onely cause of his owne destruction The bookes shall be opened as the Apostle speaketh Revel 20.12 the bookes of
he that doth not heartily desire this did never yet know how to pray aright Now if any of us doe indeed pity the estate of wicked men and desire that they may bee saved let us then pray and procure for them so farre as in us lyeth that they may have the meanes of knowledge For this is the way yea this is the onely way to bring them unto salvation God will have all men saith the Apostle 1 Timothy 2.4 that is some of all sorts of men for that phrase cannot bee properly meant of any that shall perish God will have all men to bee saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if hee had said Looke whom God will have to bee saved them hee will bring to the knowledge of the truth So when the Church maketh so fervent a prayer unto God for the conversion of all nations Psalm 67 3 5. shee prefixeth this as the meanes whereby that was to be effected and brought to passe verse 1 2. God be mercifull unto us to the whole catholique Church to the whole number and company of his Elect for so that prayer is to bee understood God bee mercifull unto us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us that thy way may bee knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all nations As if shee had said This is the greatest mercy and blessing the greatest fruit of Gods speciall favour unto a people when hee giveth them the meanes whereby they may know his wayes how to serve and please him and his saving health how to attaine unto the eternall salvation of their owne soules and till this mercy bee vouchsafed to them as appeareth by the coherence of the third verse with these two men can never praise God nor worship him aright This is the greatest outward fruit of Gods mercy and goodnesse towards men of all others when hee giveth them able and faithfull teachers to bring them unto knowledge As the Apostle also teacheth us Ephes. 4.8 When Christ ascended up on high and led captivitie captive went up in his triumph after he had conquered Satan upon the crosse he gave gifts unto men And what were those gifts which that great King and conqerour at such a time when hee would expresse his bounty to the full did bestow upon men Surely they are expressed verse 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers As if he had said He gave able ministers unto his Church as the greatest outward gift that he had to bestow upon them And as this is the greatest outward worke of mercy and love in God towards man so is it certainly the greatest worke of mercy and charity in man towards man to provide for them the meanes of sound knowledge and instruction The Papists glory much of their good workes and thinke they have therein a great advantage against us And if their religion were indeed more fruitfull in good works then ours is they had a just and great advantage against us for you shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7.16 But what are the workes whereby they teach men they may merit most at Gods hands Surely to give largely to the Church To what end Was it to provide thereby that the people might bee taught and instructed how to know God and to worship him aright No no the whole endeavour of their Church hath beene to take from men the key of knowledge as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 11.5 2. that is the meanes of knowledge whereby as by a key men are to have their entrance into the kingdome of heaven all that was given to their Church wherein as their fore-fathers the Pharisees did they teach men to put such confidence was to maintaine a sort of idle fellowes to say masses and sing dirges for their soules And what goodnesse I pray you was there in these workes No no blessed bee the Lord our God the Papists have no just cause of glorying against the Gospell in this behalfe For though we have too many amongst us whom the Lord hath greatly blessed with worldly wealth that neither in their life nor at their death doe honour God with their substance as the holy Ghost telleth us Prov. 3.9 they are bound to doe and that even with the first fruits of all their increase As if hee had said God should have the first part of all Though wee have many I say that are too strait-handed and hearted this way that being of great ability give nothing to God or at least nothing proportionable unto their estates that when they make their wills and find they have hundreds and thousands to dispose of yet never thinke of God give nothing to speake of unto pious uses all is too little they thinke for their children and kindred And shall their children and kindred prosper the better for this thinke you when God is robbed of his part No no the sentence of God shall stand which hee pronounceth of the man that is bountifull in the workes of charity Psalm 37.26 Hee is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed his children shall bee never the poorer for that Though wee have I say too many such of our profession yet is not this the fault of our religion our religion teacheth the necessity of such good workes as much as Popery doth this is onely the fault of these carnall and worldly minded professours of our religion having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 these are spots in our Church as the Apostle speaketh Iude 12. they blemish and shame our religion But though wee have too many such yet is it thanks bee to God notorious to the world that the Gospell hath beene more fruitfull in all sorts of good workes that have beene good workes indeed then ever popery was More hath bin given in this land within these threescore yeeres to the building and increase of hospitals of Colledges and other schooles of good learning and to such like works as are truly charitable then were in any one hundred yeeres during all the time and reigne of popery But this is a good worke passing all other wherein the Gospell glorieth and triumpheth against popery that the Gospell hath made men carefull and liberall to provide for the soules of Gods people to provide meanes of knowledge and sound instruction for them That there have beene so many good Lectures founded of late That there hath bin such care taken and cost bestowed for the redeeming of Impropriations restoring of them to the Church That even in this last Session of Parliament there was so earnest endeavour used by the state and God be mercifull unto them that were the hinderers of so honourable and pious a worke that out of every impropriation in the land there should bee so much taken as might make a competent maintenance for an able teacher These these
saving and sanctified knowledge must first see and be truly humbled for his sins Till men have a true sight and sense of their owne sins they can never attaine unto any cleare and certaine and comfortable knowledge in the matters of God That which is said in generall of all grace Iames 4.6 God giveth grace to the humble must needs be true of this God useth to give the saving knowledge of himselfe and of his will unto the humbled soule and unto it only God will teach sinners in the way saith David Psalme 25.8 that is such as know and feele themselves to bee sinners And in the next words verse 9. The meeke that is such as by sight and sorrow for sins are made meeke and humble as our Saviour also describeth the meeke Matth. 5.5 will hee guide in judgement As if he had said Vnto such God will give a good and sound judgment to guide them by in their whole conversation As the earth cannot receive the seed till it be plowed up no more can the heart of man receive the seede of the Word till the Lords plough have first bin in it It is the comparison that the Lord useth Ier. 4.3 Breake up your fallow ground and sow not among thornes Marke two things in this speech of the Prophet 1. It is to no purpose to sow good seed among thornes to heare and read and use the best meanes of knowledge while our sinnes remaine in us unrepented of 2. That these thornes will never be gotten out till our hearts be plowed and broken up by an effectuall sense and sorrow of heart for sin A kind of knowledge I will not denie may be in many a man that liveth securely in sin and never knew what true sorrow of heart and trouble of mind for sin doth meane but a cleare and setled a sanctified and comfortable knowledge of religion was never knowne to bee in any such man See an example of this in the woman of Samaria mentioned in the fourth of Iohn verse 10 29. How ignorant did she shew her selfe yea how blockish and uncapable of any thing Christ had said till Christ did effectually discover unto her the foule sin she had so long lived in Yea the maine cause why she was so blockish and unable to understand the words of Christ was because she lived securely in so grosse a sinne But after Christ had once touched her conscience with sight and sense of her sin see how the scales fell from her eyes presently how desirous she was of knowledge how savoury and profitable questions she propounded to our Saviour yea how capable and apt to understand and beleeve whatsoever Christ taught her And certainely this is a chiefe cause at this day why most men are so ignorant and unsetled in religion because there are so few to whom the Lord did ever yet effectually discover their sins and give them hearts to bee truly humbled for them The soft and tender heart is the onely teachable heart the heart that is secure and senslesse can never be capable of heavenly and sanctified knowledge Perceive yee not neither understand saith our Saviour to his owne Disciples Marke 8 17. have ye your heart yet hardned As if hee had said Even Gods owne children unlesse they be carefull to keepe their hearts soft and tender shall never be able to understand well what they read and heare nor to profit by the best meanes of knowledge that they do enjoy Thirdly He that would attaine unto sanctified and saving knowledge must attend diligently and conscionably upon the sound ministery of the Word preached He that loveth instruction saith Solomon Pro. 1â— 1 loveth knowledge As if he should say He and none but he hath any love to knowledge or desire to attaine unto it that loveth instruction which is the meanes to bring him to it Therefore the Holy Ghost having earnestly exhorted Gods people Pro. 4.5 12. to get understanding and heavenly wisdome addeth this as the chiefe meanes of it verse 13. Take fast hold of instruction let her not goe keepe her for she is thy life As if he had said Forsake not in any case be not drawne away neglect not this meanes of knowledge And Chap. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his owne soule As if he had said He hath no care of his owne soule but neglecteth and despiseth it careth not what becommeth of it that careth not for instruction As there is no art and science that a man can get knowledge and skill in unlesse he have some to teach him so may no man hope without teachers and instructours to attaine to this knowledge this heavenly and supernaturall knowledge especially But though he have never so good capacity and naturall parts in him and use his best endeavour by reading and study to get it he shall still have cause to say with the Noble Eunuch Acts. 8.31 How can I understand what I read in the holy Scriptures except I had some to guide me But what is this may some say to prove the necessity of depending on the ministery of the Word preached May not a man have helpe enough in good Commentaries and printed Sermons to guide and instruct him in the meaning of the holy Scriptures though he heare no Sermons I answer It is very true that God giveth his people in this age especially much helpe that way But the instruction the Holy Ghost sendeth us to and calleth upon us to regard so much is that that is gotten not by reading but by hearing Heare instruction saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 8.33 and be wise and refuse it not yea by hearing and attending constantly upon the publique ministery of the Word as appeareth in the next words verse 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me saith Christ the wisedome of God watching daily at my gates and giving attendance at the posts of my dores The frequenting of the house of God to heare Christ in his ordinances there is the instruction that the Lord so much commendeth to us promiseth such a blessing unto God revealeth his will and teacheth his people no where so clearely and effectually as he doth in his house in the publique ministery Thy way O God is in thy Sanctuary saith David Psal. 77 1â— As if he should say It is no where so clearely and comfortably seene and learned as there There David learned to know and understand aright the doctrine of Gods providence of his wisedome and righteousnesse in ordering all things that fall out in the world when he could learne it no where els nor by any other meanes When I thought to know this saith he Psal. 73.16 17. it was too painefull for me untill I went into the Sanctuary of God then understood I their end And there it is that God saith Esa. 2.3 his people should exhort and stirre up one another to seeke the true knowledge of God and of his wayes Many people shall goe and say Come ye
never have said he might seeme to have had matter of glorying in those works he did while he was an idolater but matter of shame and confusion rather 3. The Apostle speaking unto men that feared God Act. 13.16 telleth them ver 39. that they could not be justified by the law of Moses that is by those workes which were commanded in the law of Moses 4 Lastly David when he was the servant of God a true beleever professeth that he could not stand before Gods judgement in the confidence of his own righteousnes it could not justifie him in Gods sight and therfore cryeth Ps. 143.2 Enter not into judgement with thy servant ô Lord for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And thus you see No man no not the best man that ever lived can be justified before God by any righteousnes that is in himselfe Now I will give you two reasons of it out of Gods Word First The righteousnesse and goodnesse that is in the best man is lame and imperfect and farre short of that God in his law requireth of him yea it is also spotted and defiled with the Leprosy of his originall corruption and therefore it cannot justifie him in Gods sight it cannot stand before God nor abide the tryall at his judgement seat The blessed Apostle himselfe professeth Phil. 3.12 that he was not perfect Iohn Baptist though he were sanctified in his mothers womb yet avoucheth Mat. 3.14 that he had need to be baptized of Christ he was not washed and cleansed sufficiently his sanctification was imperfect And the Church complaineth Esa 64.6 We are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse are as filthy rags There is not a just man upon earth saith Salomon Eccl. 7.20 that doth good and sinneth not In many things we offend all saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 If we say saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1.8 we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us True saith the Papist the justest man is not free from venial sins but that is no hinderance to his justification by his inherent righteousnes To this I answer First 〈◊〉 no sinne is so veniall but it justly deserveth etâ—râ—all â—eath The soule that â—â—nneth it shall die saith the Prophet Ezek. 18.4 And the wages of sin is death saith the Apostle Rom. 6.23 And Gal. 3.10 Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them Not onely every thing that is done against Gods Law how small soever it be but every thing that is lest undone which the law commandeth how small soever it be maketh a man lyable to the curse of God Secondly The holiest men that have ever lived and such as the Holy Ghost hath given testimony unto that they were just and perfect men have beene notwithstanding that guilty of such sinnes as the Papists themselves confesse to be mortall Zachary though he were a just man before God as the Holy Ghost saith of him Luke 1.6 yet was he guilty of grosse infidelity in not believing the Word that God spake to him by the Ministry of an Angell Luk. 1.20 yea the holiest men have had that deep sense of their owne sinfulnesse and corruption as they durst not stand before God in their owne righteousnesse they have freely professed they could not be justified by it in Gods sight Thus was Iob perswaded of his owne righteousnesse though hee were a man of whom the Lord himselfe giveth testimony Iob 1.8 that there was none like him upon the earth an upright and a perfect man Though I were righteous saith Iob 9 15. yet would I not answer him but I would make supplication to my Iudge And 10.15 If I be righteous yet will I not lift up my head As if he should say I will not plead my righteousnesse before thee I will not trust to be justified by it in thy sight And thus was David perswaded of his owne righteousnesse of whom yet the Lord saith that hee was a man after his owne heart 1 Samuel 13.14 If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquities saith David Psalme 130.3 O Lord who shall stand Lastly Thus was blessed Paul perswaded of his owne righteousnesse I know nothing by my selfe saith he 1 Corinth 4.4 yet am I not thereby justified but he that justifieth me is the Lord. As if he had said Though I should discerne no defect in mine owne righteousnesse as for the maine bent of my heart and course of my life I do not yet dare not I plead it before God nor hope to be justifyed by it for the Lord that is my Iudge can espie in me much more than I can in my selfe And certainly to conclude this first reason there is no Papist under heaven that hath not lost all conscience but his heart must needs give his tongue the lie when he saith he believeth to be justified before God by that righteousnesse and goodnesse that is inherent and dwelling in himselfe A second reason against it is this If a man could be justified by that righteousnesse that is inherent in himselfe then might he have in himselfe just cause of boasting and glorying before God neither should the whole glory of mans salvation and justification bee due unto the free grace and mercy of God in Christ. This argument the holy Apostle presseth against justification by works and for justification by faith onely Where is boasting then saith he Rom. 3.27 it is excluded By what law or doctrine Of works Nay but by the law or doctrine of faith And againe Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were justifified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God By grace ye are saved through faith saith he Eph. 2.8 9. not of works least any man should boast So 1 Cor. 1.30 31. he giveth this for the reason why Christ is all in all to us in the matter of our salvation wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth let him glory in the Lord. As if he had said God cannot abide that man should glory before him but would have him to be humbled to the very dust but if he could be justified before God by any goodnesse that is in him then might he have just cause of glorying even before God True saith the Papist if a man could be justified by his owne works by such works as he doth by the power of nature then had he indeed matter of glorying and boasting in himselfe But not when he is justified by such works onely as are wrought by the power of Gods grace in him For these workes are not his owne but the works of Christ and his grace in him according to that speech of the Church Esa. 26.12 Lord thou hast wrought all our workes in us And that of the Apostle Romans 15.18 I will not dare to speake of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by mee Wee doe not therefore say
For 1 hee knowes many blemishes in his best workes 2 though he did not yet hee knoweth the Lord may 3 Though there were not yet can wee not ground assurance of pardon and eternall life upon them p. 106. The mercy of God is such as we may safely ground our hope upon it for 1 the Lord is of a gracious kind and liberall disposition his love is most free 2 in the Lord there are tender mercies bowels of mercy p. 107. 3 In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies p. 109. The religion and Doctrine of the Church of England must needs be true because it ascribes our salvation wholly to Gods free grace p. 110. Lect. 21. The true knowledge of Gods mercy hath great force to move men to forgive wrongs and to live in charity p 111. Take heed of comming out of charity to the Sacrament p. 112. Yet doe they also sin that absent from the Sacrament upon this pretence they are not in charity p. 113. Many thinke they are in charity when they are not and six notes to judge of this by p. 114. Lect. 22. He that hath truly tasted of Gods mercy to him in Christ will be mercifull unto others p. 115. viz. 1 apt to pity them that be in misery 2 bountifull and ready to helpe them do them good p. 116. great promises are made to this p. 117. 3 Free in his bounty mooved to it onely by the sense of their need and misery yet must respect bee had to the deserts of the poore p 118. But the badnesse of the poore should not keepe us from relieving them p. 119. Necessary to urge men to this duty The great sin of many in neglecting to give to the poore Ibid. p. 120 Lect. 23. Gods people are not onely peaceable and harmelesse but strive to be profitable to do good to the places they live in p 121 122. Popery in this sheweth it selfe not to bee of God for it teacheth men to be treacherous unto and to seeke the ruine of their owne countrey p. 123. The great sinne of oppressors and depopulators p 124. This aggravates much the sinne of wicked men that they bring Gods curse upon the Countrey and places they live in Ibid. A great sin for any man to live unprofitably idly p. 125. and to be all for our selves without care of the common good Ibid. Lect. 24. We must not content ourselves to know God iâ— mercifull but labour to know that his mercy even his speciall mercy belongs to us p. 126. Five differences betweene it and the common mercy of the Lord Ibid. p. 127. Five notes whereby wee may know whether Gods speciall mercies belong to us p. 128 Lect. 25. Five effects that the true knowledge of Gods mercy will work in our hearts p. 129 130. The knowledge of Gods mercy may encourage him that hath been the vilâ—st sinnet to turnâ— to God and to seek unto him p. 130 131. 1 Proleps That which the Scripture speaketh of Gods severity against sinners belongs only to the impenitent p. 131. 2 Proleps Though the number of the elect be small in comparison of the reprobate yet no man that desires to repent may judge himselfe to be a reprobate but rather that he is one of Gods elect p. 132. Many grounds there are for this in Gods revealed wil which we are rather to look into then to pay into or meddle with his secret will p. 133. Lect. 26. The best soules most subject to doubts feares p. 134. Though the most hearers have more need to heare the terroâ—rs of the law then the comforts of the Gospel p 135. yet we must preach as well these and rather them then th' other because 1 that there be some in every Congregation that have present need of these comforts it is to be presumed 2 all of us are like to have need of them one day Ibid. 3 of all heaâ—ers we must have most respect to theÌ„ p 136. Such as feare God must strive against their terrours heavinesse and stirre up themselves to receive the comforts of the Gospel p. 137. 1 It s the commandement of God they should bee chearefull 2 They hart themselves greatly by giving way unto this feare and hâ—avinesse Ibid 3 They have manifold causes of joy and comfort p. 138. Lect. 27. 4 The reasons they give against themselves why they have just cause to be so heavy and uncomfortable are insufficient viz. 1 Obj. They cannot be perswaded they are in Gods favour but rather that hee hath utterly rejected them Five considerations that may stay comfort us in this case 1 This is but a tentation of Satan therfore not to be credited It followeth not thou art rejected of God because thou art in thine owne heart so perswaded p. 139. A man may bee in Gods favour yet himselfe not feele perceive it p. 140. an excellent grace to rest upon Gods Word promise even when wee want sense of his favour Ibid. 2 This hath been the case of many of Gods dearest servants and there is great force in this consideration Ibid 3 The Lord hath a speciall hand even in this kind of affliction p. 141. 4 The Lord doth this in love and intends to doe us that good by this kinde of affliction that could not have beene done by any other Ibid. 142. for hereby 1 he causeth us to repent of our security 2 he prevents such sins as he seeth us in danger to fall into 3 he prepares us for such measure of comfort as otherwise we should be uncapable of p. 142. Lect. 28. 4 He weaneth us from the world maketh us think of home 5 Hee worketh us to an high pretious esteeme of his favour p. 143. 6. He causeth us to bee better rooted setled in a christian course theÌ„ otherwise we could be p. 144. The 5 and last consideration to stay us in this case that God will certainly sustaine and not suffer us to be overcome in it Ibid. Take heed of seeking ease in this case by false waies p. 145. Yeeld not to this â—entation but resolve to resist it Ibid. 1 by considering what God hath said in his Word concerning them that are in this case Ibid. 2 resolve to rest upon Gods promise and trust him on his bare word against thine owne sense p. 146. The hainousnesse of the sin of infidelity appeares 1 by Gods severity against it Ibid. 2 by the dishonour it doth to God 3 by three dangerous effects of it pag. 147. what ability is in us to beleeve Ibid. Lect. 29. Directions how to recover our selvés and overcome this tentation 1 find out the chiefe sin that is the cause of it and mourne more that thou thereby hast forsaken God then that God hath thus forsaken thee 2 call to mind the comfort thou hast found formerly for from thence thou maist ground hope of recovery p. 14â— 149. 3 examine thy present
Get a true knowledge and sense of thine owne sinnes p. 265. This also the best preparative to the Sacrament Ibid. Lect. 53. 5 Get before a lively faith p. 266. the reasons of this the necessity of faith in this respect p. 267. rules to try our faith by p. 268. Comfort for such as have true faith though in the least measure p. 269. Lect. 54. 6 Get before hand a sound hope and assurance that when thou dyest thou shalt goe to heaven p. 270. Notes to trie true hope by p. 271 c. 7 Get before hand a good conscience and be carefull to lead a godly life p. 272. 8 Seeke this grace of God by hearty prayer p. 273. Lect. 55. The Text 1 Psal. 51.5 cleared against the Anabaptists by answering two questions p. 275. The youngest infant is guilty of sin and deserveth to be damned p. 277. In what respect infants called innocents holy Ibid. p. 278. and some also borne in the state of grace p. 279. How severe God hath beene in his judgements towards some infants Ibid Three waies they are guilty of sinne pag. 280. Therefore 1 Anabaptists erre grossely 2. Great need they should be baptized 3 Observe and take to heart Gods judgements on them 4. The sins of little ones not to bee neglected p. 281. Lect. 56. The sinne that is in infants is derived to them from their parents Though there bee three other causes of actuall sins p. 282. yet of originall sin this is the onely cause Ibid. Why the children of the holyest parents are borne in sin p. 283. yet this doeth not excuse or extenuate their sins nor give cause to deny reverence or duty to parents Ibid. Great is the duty that children owe to their parents p. 284. For they have all received that benefit from the parents godly or ungodly rich or poore which no duty of theirs can requite Ibid p. 285. No man hath cause to be proud of his parentage Ibid. Parents should be humbled for the sinnes of their children p. 286. Lect. 57. Our originall sinne is that for which God may most justly abhorre us and for which we should be deeply humbled p. 301 303. Lect. 58. Parents should use their utmost endeavour to breed grace in their children For 1 No. way like this can we shew we love them as we ought 2 Iustice bindeth us to it 3 It will be our chiefe comfort to see grace wrought in them p. 287. 4 They will bee more dutifull to us 5 This will give us assurance that there is truth of grace in our selves 6 God hath charged us and put us in trust with their soules p. 288. 7 The hope of the Church and propagation of the Gospel depends on this 290. Lect. 59. Meanes to destroy corruption to breed grace in our children are these Wee must 1 Maintaine our authority There is an honour due to us from our childe p. 291. This we must take heed we loose not Ibid. This many loose by neglecting 1 to feare God themselves and to give good example p. 292 2 to keepe their children in awe when they are young p. 293. Correction necessary for children and three great sins parents commit in neglecting this Ibid. 294. Lect. 60. Secondly we must instruct our children 1 By teaching them the principles plainely even whiles they are very young p. 294. 2 By acquainting them with the practise of religion 3 bringing them to Church even while young 4 examining them how they profit at Church p. 295. 1 Obj. Absurd to teach little ones religion Answ. 1. No for they are capable of the feeds of grace 2 child-hood the fittest age to be wrought upon this way p. 296. 3 Though it doe them no good for the present it may prepare them for grace and doe them good hereafter p. 297. 2 Obj. No heed to be taken to the good things seeme to be wrought in children for they will loose them againe Three answers given to this Ibid. Thirdly we must give good examples to our children great force in this p. 298. Fourthly wee must take heed how wee place them at schoole or in service or in mariage p. 299. Fiftly we must bee earnest with God in prayer for them Ibid. In using these meanes wee may comfort our selves though we see them fruitlesse oft p. 300. Lect. 61 Two rules to try all doctrines in religion That Doctrine cannot bee of God 1 that gives any thing to man in matter of his salvation any cause of boasting or confidence in himselfe 2 That is agreeable to naturall reason and grounds it selfe most upon that pag. 304. The Papists errour touching originall sin p. 305. How dead wee are by nature and void of all freedome of will unto good in foure points Ibid. Concupiscence without consent is sinne p. 306 307. Lect. 62. The knowledge of our naturall corruption is of great force to humble us p. 308. viz. 1 to keepe us from priding our selves in best duties we have done p. 309. 2 to humble us when we pray Ibid. Long prayers not unlawfull so it be with foure cautions p. 310. respect to be had to th' ability of them that joyne with us Ibid. 3 to humble us in our fasts Fasts are to no purpose if wee bee not humbled in them p. 311. 1 for Gods judgements upon ourselves and the Church Ibid. 2 for th'outragious sinnes committed every where that wee know or heare of pag. 312. 3 For our owne sins specially Ibid. 4 specially for our originall sin Ibid. Lect. 63. Every one should endeavour to be delivered from the danger of his originall corruption especially p. 313. Three motives to this p. 314. Meanes 1. Seeke to be justified from it by Christ. Labour to be in Christ and to know by faith that Christ is ours for then God cannot loath us for it Ibid p. 315. 2 Labour to finde that by the Spirit thou art delivered from the dominion of it and to cleanse thy selfe from it and to mortifie it This meanes more sensible then the first though not so perfect p. 316. Lect. 64. Meanes we must use to mortifie corruption in our selves 1 Observe the first stirrings of it and what sins thy heart is most inclined to p 317. 2 When thou discernest it set thy selfe against it viz. resist it hate and dislike it and grieve for it Ibid. 318. 3 Shun all occasions and provocations to it Be sober 1 in the use of the comforts of this life p. 319. 2 In following the businesse of our callings some part of every day to be spent in religious duties p. 320. Lect. 65. The fourth meanes to mortify corruption is a diligent and conscionable use of the exercises of religion p. 321. Great force in reading and hearing of the Word to mortifie corruption Ibid. Prayer hath great force to mortifie sin p. 322. The fift meanes of mortification is to beare afflictions willingly and patiently Ibid Great force in affliction this way p. 223.
Proleps and notwithstanding he say he cannot beleeve for 1 hee hath foure just causes and encouragements to beleeve 2 He doth indeed truly beleeve though weakely and though hee perceive it not p. 682. Lect. 132. We should all highly esteeme of Christ and hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse labouring above all things to win him and to be found in him p. 683. 1 Motive else our state will bee wofull when extreame affliction and death shall seize upon us Six things to bee distinctly considered in this 1 Motive 1 Certaine it is a change affliction sicknesse and death will come 2 how soone none knowes 3 nor in what kinde and measure p. 684. 4 when it commeth it will awaken the conscience and that being wakened will bring into our remembrance our sins and the judgement wee must goe to 5 If we have not gotten Christ before we are in danger then to bee made uncapable 6 our case will bee most wofull if we be without him then for there 's no hope of mercy or comfort from God without him p. 685. On the other side they that have Christ may be safe and comfortable in any affliction nay never so comfortable as then p. 686. 2 Motive He that hath not Christ can have no sound comfort in his prosperity nor in any of Gods outward blessings for 1 though they be blessings and good things in themselves yet to him they are not He had better be without them they shall doe him no good but much hurt Ibid. For they are none of their owne they have no spirituall sanctified or comfortable title to them p. 687. 2 God hath not given them any thing in love Though these things be fruits of his common love they are no signes of his speciall love And no man can have any sound comfort in the common love of God but in his speciall love onely Ibid. p. 688. On the other side he that is in Christ may have sound comfort even in the outward and common blessings of God for 1 they are his owne and he hath the highest title to them 2 They are good to him and shall doe him good and no hurt p. 688. 3 They are to him pledges of Gods speciall love p. 689. Applic. Great folly and danger of such as preferre worldly things before Christ Ibid. p. 690. Lect. 133. None are fit to receive Christ nor can thirst after him but the poore and such as feele themselves utterly void of all goodnes p. 691. The civill honesty and those morall parts that are in many naturall men are in themselves good things pleasing to God and such as he useth to reward and the reasons of it p. 692 693. Professors should walke honestly and the greatnesse of their sinne that doe not set out in three points p. 694 695. Yet there is no sound comfort to be found in it the Lord is never a whit the better pleased with a man in resepct of salvation for his civill honesty unlesse he be in Christ p. 695 696. Lect. 134. There are sundry good things to be found in many an hypocrite and better things then in any meere naturall man and that in three respects p. 697. There is in many an hypocrite 1 a kinde of love to the Word and the ministery thereof he will heare constantly and with delight hee will commend and professe much love to the teacher so doth not the civill man 2 he will keepe a constant course in praying not ordinary onely but extraordinary so doth not the civill man 3 He is a strict observer of the Sabbath so is not the civill man p. 698. 4 Hee hateth Idolatry and the monuments of it and loveth the sincerity of religion so doth not the civill man 5 He is reformed not only from grosse sinnes but even from the least sins so is not the civill man p. 699. These things are not therefore to bee misliked because they are to bee found in some hypocrites neither may wee despise and scorne any for any of these things for though they be found in many hypocrites yet are they no signes of an hypocrite Ibid. 1 It s a singular good thing to love the Word and he can have no true goodnesse but is in a wofull estate that doth not 2 to keepe a constant course in prayer is a very good thing and such as God will blesse and he can have no true goodnesse in him but is in a wofull state that useth not to pray p. 700. Lect. 135. Though 1 the bodily observation of the Sabbath and such as may bee performed by th' outward mâ—n be nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall 2 The bodily test from our owne workes bee the leaft part even of that the spending of the day in holy duties is a farre greater matter then that p 701 702. yet God is highly pleased with that and hath promised great reward unto it p. 702. and a chiefe cause of common calamities hath beene the neglect even of that p. 703. No man can become poorer by the conscionable keeping of the Sabbath day Ibid. Man receives a greater blessing by the Sabbath then by any other day specially in spirituall things but also in temporall p. 704 705. Lect. 136. We have all cause to praise God for the good lawes have beene made to provide for the better observation of the Sabbath and the hypocrisie and profanesse of the people generally appeares in seeming so zealous for the lawes and neglecting these so much p. 706. Every Minister is bound to reproove sin p. 707. The â— and chiefe thing that belongs to the right observation of the Sabbath is the keeping of the rest and performing the duties of the day cheerefully and spiritually and against this they offend that sleepe ordinarily at Church this sin is worthy of open reproofe p. 708. This is more then a sin of infirmity Foure notes given to discerne a sin of infirmity from a raigning sin p 709. The second duty required in the observation of the Sabbath is to spend the day in religious duties specially publike against this they transgresse that absent themselves from the Church p 710. The third and last thing is that we rest from al our own works on that day against this the profanesse and open contempt of the Sabbath by children and youth is a grosse sin Ibid. God will not endure profannesse and open contempt of religion no not in children yet will he lay this their sin to the charge of Masters and Parents and Governours chiefly p. 711. Lect. 137. It is a good thing and highly pleasing unto God to love the sincerity of Gods worship and to do nothing in that but what he can see warranted by the Word p. 71â— It is also a good thing to â—ate all Idolatry and every thing that belongeth to it and proceeds from it p. 712. It s no signe of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin p 714. Answer to
hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
or am I a divell incarnate that I should prove so vile a wretch But though I be no Prophet to say so yet can I say with as great authority and warrant as though I were a Prophet that there is never a one of us here but may prove such a one before wee die And therefore we have need to feare and suspect our selves If any man shall object this is the manner of all your preaching to disquiet mens mindes with feares and doubts What cause have we thus to feare as long as we are sure we can never fall totally we cannot fall finally Iob. 5.24 He that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life I answer Happy is that soule that upon good ground can say he is sure of this But admit thou wert sure of that is it no cause of feare that thou moist for all this fall into so foule sins as thou hast heard of I tell thee that by falling into such sins First thou shalt greatly dishonour that God whose servant thou professest thy selfe to be and open the mouthes of his enemies to blaspheme his name as Nathan chargeth David to have done 2 Sam. 12.14 Secondly thou shalt greatly grieve thy heavenly father Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation saith the Lord Psal. 95.10 Thirdly thou shalt make him thine enemy and provoke him to smite and plague thee thou knowest not how deepely They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he sought against them saith the Prophet Esa 63.10 Take David for an instance and example of this The sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me saith the Lord by Nathan unto him 2 Sam. 12.10 Though thou breake not thy necke with these falls to the losse of thine everlasting life thou maist breake an arme or a leg to thy extreame anguish Fourthly though the seed of God will remaine in thee notwithstanding these sins yet wilt thou loose all the use and comfort of that grace that is in thee Psal. 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation that was gone 1 Thess. 5.19 thus farre forth the spirit may be quenched Fiftly thou maist bring on thyselfe by such fails the intollerable torment of a wounded spirit and who can beare that saith Solomon Pro. 18.14 Sixtly no man can tell thee how long thou maist continue in this uncomfortable and wretched estate Which is a thing that greatly aggravateth thy misery that thou maist say in this case as Psal. 74.9 There is not any that knoweth how long O then we have all great cause to feare these falls and not to be secure but to use all meanes we can to prevent such falls And the principall meanes are these First nourish in thy heart this feare of falling from God feare of sinning against him See how this is oft commended to us as a chiefe meane to keepe us from falling I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me saith the Lord Ier. 32 40. Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling The want of this even his presumptuous confidence was a chiefe cause of Peters fall Matth. 26.33.35.58 Secondly learne to make conscience even of the least sins Psal. 19.12 13. By the care he had to be cleansed of his secret sins and from every presumptuous sin he was sure he should be free from the great transgression Thirdly neglect no meanes of grace either publique or private but use them conscionably and daily If vision faile either through the Ministers fault or the peoples the people will decay Pro. 29.18 He that would not quench the spirit must not dâ—â—ise prophecyings that is the oft hearing of the Word preached saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.19 20. If we exhort not one another or our selves daily we shall be in danger to be hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sinne as he reacheth 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.13 Fourthly Pray daily to God that he would uphold thee So our Saviour teacheth us to pray daily Mat. 6.13 Lead us not into temptation but pull us by thy mighty arms from the evill one This was Davids prayer Ps. 119.116 11â— â—phold me according to thy word that I may live hold thou me up and I shall be safe The second use is to exhort us to be willing to die whensoever God shall be pleased to call us Sundry other motives there are to perswade us to this as full 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord we shall never enjoy Christ fully till then Secondly while we live here we shall be subject to many sorrowes and vexations of spirit Every day will bring upon us one evill and occasion of sorrow or another Mat. 6.34 All teares shall never be wiped from our eyes while we live here Rev. 21.4 But this third is a principall that while we live here we are in a continuall possibility and danger of falling from God Till we die we can never be perfectly freed from our corruption nor cease from our owne workes as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.10 As the earthen vessels that were legally polluted could not be purged but by breaking Levit. 11.33 15.12 Till we die we can never be freed from Sathans assaults and tentations The life to come is the onely time of our full redemption Luk. 21.28 And consequently we know not how far we may fall so long as we live Death will free us perfectly from all our sins and corruptions Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sin The third use is to exhort us to a care of perseverance to the end and not to content our selves in the good beginnings and proceedings we have hitherto made but to labour to finish our course with joy Act. 20.24 For 1 according to that we are at our end will God judge us When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse saith the Lord Ezek. 18.24 and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sins that he hath sinned in them shall he die 2. If we fall away we shall be in farre worse case then if we had never begun well 2 Pet. 2 21. It had beene better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them And to that end let us strive to make sure to our selves the truth of our regeneration as the Apostle exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1.10 For they whose hearts are not upright may fall irrecoverably how good shewes soever they make as is evident in those that are compared to the stony ground Mar.
and their back-slidings are increased As the sand being the least thing that is yet by number is made extreamely heavy My griefe saith Iob 6.3 would be heavier then the sand of the sea 2. David continued not in the filthy puddle of his sinne above one yeare and thou hast lyen snorting in such and such sins of thine a great many yeares How long is it since thou first began to be a blasphemer a drunkard an uncleane person and given to such other sins and in all this time thou wert never soundly humbled for them never madest thy peace with God I tell thee continuance in sinne unrepented of is a great aggravater of sinne the longer that sinne lyeth upon a man the fouler and more loathsome it will make him in Gods sight the deeper staine and die it will set upon his soule Ier. 4.14 O Ierusalem how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee Hos. 8.5 How long will it be ere they attaine to innocency 3. So that 1 If David became so filthy by these sinnes but once committed if his sins were so heavy upon his conscience what will thine appeare to be when God shall open thine eyes and restore to thee thy sight that hast made sin thy trade and practise all thy life long 2 If there must be so much a do to make David cleane who had been cleane many yeares before and now lay scarce one yeare in these sins if the Lord must bestow so much washing and rubbing and wringing upon him to get him cleane verse 2. Wash me throughly or multiply thy washings of me wilt thou thinke it a matter of no difficulty a matter not worth the troubling of thy mind about to be cleansed from all thy sinnes 3 If David cryed so earnestly and was so fervent and importunate in this suit and desired nothing but that his sinnes might be pardoned wilt thou be so mad to thinke that a cold cry God mercy and God forgive me will serve thy turne and that thou canst so easily get thy pardon when thou wilt thy selfe Thou wilt say againe Though my sinnes be many and great yet there is no cause I should be so troubled with them nor keepe such a doe for the pardon of them as you speake of for God is mercifull and very ready to forgive To this I answer that touching Gods mercy thou canst not say more then thou shalt heare mee acknowledge when I shall come to the next that is the third and last part of this Text. But for the present this I say First It is true indeed that Gods mercy is infinite When David had spoken of the goodnesse and mercy of God Psal. 106.1 he adds verse 2. Who can utter the mighty acts of the Lord Who can shew forth all his praise And there is a mercy of God that extendeth it selfe to all his creatures Psal. 145 9. The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works And so I cannot denie but the leudest man that is may tast and doth daily tast of the mercy of God Iob 25.3 Vpon whom doth not his light arise and Luk 6.35 He is kind to the unthankefull and to the evill But this mercy that we now speake of the mercy of God that reacheth to the pardon of mens sinnes is not common to all this is restrained and limited to a certaine number It is peculiar to the Catholike Church as we are taught in our Creede and as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 33.24 The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity It is restrained to them that feare God Luk. 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation And Psal. 103.11 As the heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy to them that feare him And verse 17 18. The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him to such as keepe his covenant and remember his commandements to doe them This mercy is restrained unto such sinners as are humbled and afflicted in heart for their sinnes Psal. 25.16 Turne thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted This mercy God hath threatned to deny to some kinde of men that is 1. To the brutish ignorant Esa. 27.11 It is a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will not have mercy on them and he that formed them will shew them no favour 2. To them that despise and scorne the meanes of grace Pro. 1.27 28. When your feare commeth as a desolation then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Why what was the reason that is given verse 29 30. For they hated knowledge they would none of my counsell they despised all my reproofe 3. To him that sinneth presumptuously and upon hope of mercy and doth blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I doe walke in the stubbornesse of my heart to add drunkennesse to thirst that is sinne unto sinne or unsatiablenesse in sinne the Lord will not be mercifull unto him Deut 29.19 20. Now then thou that alleadgest this for the reason why thy sinnes shall not trouble thee because God is so mercifull consider with thy selfe how small cause thou hast to trust to that 1. Thou art not a member of the Catholike Church for that is holy and is a communion of Saints 2. Thou art none of them that feare to offend God 3. Thou keepest no covenant with him 4. Thou never remembrest his commandements to doe them 5. Thou art not humbled nor afflicted in heart for thy sinnes 6. Thou art void of understanding 7. Thou art a despiser and scorner of the meanes of grace 8. Thou incouragest and blessest thy selfe in thy sins upon hope of mercy And therefore as Iehu said to Amazias servants 2 King 9.18 19. What hast thou to doe with peace turne thee behind me So doth the Lord say unto thee what hast thou to doe with my mercy Iona 2.8 They that observe lying vanities forsake their owne mercy And this is the first answer I give to the second plea of these men Secondly I answer That the knowledge of the infinitenesse of Gods mercy will make no mans sin the lighter but cause it to lye much the heavier upon the conscience When he shall rightly consider that he hath despised and made so light account of offending so mercifull a God The knowledge of Gods goodnesse should lead men unto repentance it should breake their hearts and make them to mourne for their sins the more and this will heape up wrath unto a man against the day of wrath when a man shall despise the riches of Gods goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering Rom. 2.4 5. It is therefore said Revel 6.16 that wicked men shall cry to mountaines and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth upon the
will do nothing because they have no love unto nor care of the soules of poore sinners whether they sinke or swim but say in their hearts with Cain Genes 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper Or as the chiefe Priests to Iudas Mat. 27.4 What is that to us see thou to that Secondly they will do nothing because there is in their heart no hatred of any sin A certaine signe of an ungracious heart Psal. 36.4 He abhorreth not evill Thirdly They will do nothing because there is in them no love to God nor zeale to his glory Ps. 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evill For thus standeth the stipulation and contract betweene God and his people that are in covenant with him God bindeth himselfe on his part that he will be a friend to our friends and an enemy to our enemies Exod. 23.22 I will be an enemy to thine enemies and an adversary to thine adversaries So doe Gods people for their part bind themselves to God that they will love them that he loveth and hate them that he hateth Psal. 139.21 22. Doe not I hate them O Lord that hate thee and am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred I count them mine enemies Fourthly and lastly They will do nothing to further the punishment of lewd men because they have no faith to beleeve Gods word threatnings that these sins being winked at unpunished will bring Gods curse and judgments upon the whole town upon the whole land What made the king people of Nineveh so zealous in reforming their land Ion. 3.8 Let every man turne from his evill way from the violence that is in his hands The reason is given ver 5. The people of Nineveh beleeved God that which hee had threatned against the land by the ministery of Ionah And what made good Iosiah so zealous in reforming his land 2 Chr. 34.33 He tooke away all the abominations out of all the countryes that pertained to the children of Israel The reason is given verse 27. That when he had heard what curses God in his law had threatned against the land for such sins his heart was tender and he did humble himselfe before God he undoubtedly beleeved Gods word and threatning And doubtlesse on the other side the infidelity and atheisme that is in mens hearts is the cause why no man sheweth any zeale gainst sin no man seeketh to have it punished Lecture XXXVII on Psalme 51.3 Octob. 17. 1626. THe second sort that are to be reproved by this doctrine are such as having authority to enjoyne publike repētance to scandalous sinners for the satisfying of the congregation when they are detected presented unto them refuse or neglect to do it This reproofe I will be briefe in because they that offend in this kind are not here present to heare me Yet it is profitable for you to heare somewhat of it that you may take notice of one chiefe cause why sin so aboundeth every where be affected with it and pray heartily unto God for the reformation of this great evill We see that now adayes this publike acknowledgement of scandalous sins in the congregation is almost grown quite out of use And this fault is imputed by some to our whole Church to the discipline of it but they are to blame and do great wrong to our Church that judge and speake so The Canons of our Church Can. 26. straitly charge every minister that he shall not in any wise admit to the communion any of his flocke which bee openly knowne to live in sin notorious without repentance And the booke of common prayer in the Rubricke before the communion commandeth that if any be an open and notorious evill liver so that the congregation by him is offended the minister shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lords table till he hath openly declared himselfe to have truly repented that the congregatiō may therby be satisfied which were asore offended So that you see the lawes and discipline of our Church require that open scandalous sinners should do open publike repentance yea give power to the minister to repell keep back such from the communion that refuse to doe it Where is the fault then may you say Surely in the covetoūsnes corruption of those officers that are put in trust with the execution and exercise of the discipline of our Church who when they seeke themselves only not the reformation of any thing that is a misse amōg Gods people and by their illegall commutations of repentance doe neglect the use of publike repentance in the Church of God Of such that abuse the trust cōmitted to them by our Church to their owne gaine wee may justly complaine as the Lord doth Hosea 4.8 They eate up that is feed on and live by the sinnes of Gods people and lift up their soule as it is in the originall that is earnestly desire and long after for so much that phrase signifieth as we shall find Ier. 22.27 Deut. 24.15 unto their iniquities They earnestly desire that sin may increase among the people that so their fees and gaine may increase See the foulnesse of the sins of these men in three points First They sin against God and his glory in being a chiefe cause of the increase of sin in all places and consequently that religion thriveth not the best preaching that is doth so little good in any place When the Lord speaketh of the great care and paines hee tooke to make his Vineyard and Church fruitfull hee saith Esay 5.2 hee fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof If Gods Vineyard have no fence but every swine and dog may approach to the holy things of God to the Sacraments and priviledges of Gods people without restraint if these stones of offence these scandalous sinners be not taken out how should the Lords Vineyard be fruitfull unto him Certainly the neglect of discipline is the cause why these stones doe multiply as they doe why sin doth so increase in all places For the hope of impunity hath great force to encourage and embolden men in sin Ecclesi 8.11 Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to doe evill and for pecuniary punishment it hath no such force to reforme them and bring them unto repentance at least to restraine from sin as the bringing of them to open shame hath It is open punishment of which the Lord speaketh so oft in his law Deut. 22.21.22 24. and elsewhere oft so shalt thou put away evill from among you And this is noted for a chiefe use and benefit of Magistrates Iudg. 18.7 to put to shame for sin Fill their faces with shame saith David Psal 83.16 that they may seeke thy name O Lord. Secondly Those that against intent of Law and Canon privily compound for mens
with shame sorrow when he considered that he had done so lewdly the Lord being by the Lord looking upon him And surely so will this work upon every one of us also when God shall be pleased to awaken touch our hearts as he did his It is a matter of extreame shame and trouble of mind even to most wicked men to know that any man hath seene them and bin privy to that which they have done If one know them saith Iob 24.17 they are in the terrors of the shadow of death How much more must it trouble the heart of Gods child when he considereth the Lord saw was an eye-witnes of all the foulest sins that ever he committed All men by nature would be much restrained from many sins if they knew of any body though it were but a child that were by them to see what they did And thus the murderer and adulterer are brought in by Iob 24 5. emboldening themselves No eye shall see me As if he had said If they knew there were any eye to see them they durst not do it And they are noted for men grown to an extraordinary height in sin that feare not at all nor are restrained from sinning by the eye of man that are so impudent as they care not who see or know what lewdnes they do Esa. 3.9 Such as declare their sin as Sodom that hide it not Such as are like Absalom who spread his tent upon the top of the house and went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 And will not this appeare to the child of God when God shall open his eyes a far greater impudency height of sin that he in sinning regarded not nor feared the Lords eye that he durst do such such things when the Lord looked upon him Surely to David it did here O Lord I have done this evill in thy sight And so it will do to every one of us when God shall be pleased to give us such hearts as he did unto David For thus doth the Lord oft aggravate the sins of men Esa. 65.12 Therfore wil I number you to the sword you shal al bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did evill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not The second attribute of God the consideration wherof setteth forth the hainousnes of sin is his infinite holines and the dislike he beareth unto sin This is a chiefe attribute of his that wherein his glory doth principally consist This is plain by that song of the blessed Angels Esa. 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And in the first petitiō of the Lords praier where when our Saviour would have us to pray that Gods name may be glorified he teacheth us to expresse it in these termes Hallowed be thy name let holines be ascribed unto thee Now the Lord being thus infinitely holy 1. He hateth and disliketh sin there is nothing so contrary and opposite to his nature as sin is No man doth hate any thing in the world no mans heart doth so much loath or rise against any thing as the Lords doth against sin Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill canst not looke on iniquity He cannot abide to looke upon it Ier. 44.4 I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early sending them saying do not this abominable thing that I hate The Lord in the ministery of all us his servants doth in the most patheticall manner he can perswade and entreat you to be afraid to sin to repent of your sin even for the Lords sake even for this cause because his soule doth so much hate and loath sin Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate 2. Because the Lord is infinitly holy he must needs be grieved with sin Nothing grieveth the Lord so much as sin doth It is a great griefe to any ingenuous mind and a thing that of all others we can worst brooke to see our selves despised and contemned by any David complaineth oft of it and prayeth against it Ps. 119.22 Remove from me reproach contempt But never was man so much grieved to see himselfe despised as the Lord is to see men despise and sleight him as I told you we all do when we sin against him Grieve not the holy spirit of God by your corrupt communication saith the Apostle Eph. 4.30 As if he had said Because he is holy sin must needs grieve him 3. Because the Lord is infinitly holy sin must needs anger disquiet and vexe his spirit Nothing in the world can so much provoke a man unto anger nothing can so cut him to the heart so vexe disquiet his mind as the Lord is provoked cut to the heart vexed with our sins Esa. 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Eze. 16.43 Thou hast fretted me in all these things Now when Gods child doth consider well of this his sin must needs trouble him more in this respect that he hath done that that God so loatheth hateth that he hath grieved and vexed him so much by it then in respect of any evill or punishment he hath brought upon himselfe by it So did it David here Against thee thee only have I sinned And so wil it the senslessest heart here when God shal touch him as he did David here O that we could consider how God may complaine of us as Ps. 95.10 Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation How long have we grieved the Lord some of us by living in one sin some in another O that we could say to our own hearts as the Prophet doth to Ahaz Esa. 7.13 ô my soule is it a small thing for thee to grieve men by thy sins that thou wilt also grieve my God The third attribute of God that setteth forth the hainousnes of our sins is the infinite greatnes majesty of the Lord Great is the Lord saith David Ps. 145.3 greatly to be praised his greatnes is incomprehensible And indeede this is the beginning and foundation of all religion and piety to esteme the Lord to be higher then the highest Eccl. 5.8 and to acknowledge in our hearts this infinite greatnes and majesty of the Lord Ascribe ye greatnes to our God saith Moses Deut. 32.3 And thus did the blessed Virgin Lu. 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord. Every transgression even among men is more or lesse hainous according as the person is against whom it is cōmitted He that doth smite his father or his mother or but curse revile them shall surely be put to death saith the Lord in his Law Exo. 21.15 17. Whereas the reviling yea or wounding or maiming of another man was not so great a sin nor to be punished in so severe a manner as you may
revealed and taught in the Word many duties that the Word enjoineth they cannot be perswaded that they are bound unto them many sinnes that the Word reproveth they cannot be perswaded that they are sinnes Before I shew the danger that these men are in I will give you certaine cautions to prevent the mistaking of it First A man is not bound to beleeve every thing that commeth under the title and name of Gods Word not every thing that the best Minister doth teach because he teacheth it and you are well perswaded of him But you may yea you ought to try before you trust in this case examine how we ground that we teach upon the Word before you beleeve us 1 Thess. 5.21 Prove all things and then hold fast that that is good It was a noble disposition as the Holy Ghost saith Acts 17.11 in the men of Berea that they were not so serviâ—ely addicted to any teachers how excellent soever their gifts were as to receive any thing upon their credit but they searched the Scripture daily to see whether the Doctrine were sound and true which they did teach and yet they are said to have received the Word with all readinesse of mind for all this God requireth no greater readinesse then this of any of his people in receiving or beleeving his Word Secondly it is no signe of infidelity for a man to move questions and to have doubts in himselfe of some things that he hath heard and read in Gods Word so he do it with reverence and out of an humble desire to be instructed and resolved in the meaning of them For so did the blessed Virgin doubt and make a question of that which the Angell Gabriel had said unto her Luke 1.34 How shall this be seeing I know not a man This questioning and moving of doubts was used in the Church of the Iewes and our blessed Saviour approved it by his owne example Luke 2.46 47. He sat in the midst of the Doctours and both asked them questions and answered the questions they propounded unto him This was the course the Apostles much practised they moved questions to the people and gave them liberty to propound their doubts unto them So it is said of Paul Acts 17.2 that he reasoned with the Iewes out of the Scriptures A happy thing it were if Gods people now adaies were more given then they are to these doubts and questions Thirdly it is no signe of infidelity nor of an ungracious heart in a man to have thoughts rising sometimes in his heart to doubt of the most cleare and evident truths that are revealed in the Word thoughts of infidelity of atheisme of blasphemy For they may come sometimes from the tentation and suggestion of Satan And such evill motions of Satan our blessed Saviour himselfe was subject unto he was tempted by the divell to make away himselfe Mat. 4.6 and to fall downe and worship the divell Mat. 4.9 And they may come sometimes from the corruption of our owne heart And such evill motions the holy Apostle was subject unto 2 Cor. 12.7 he felt a thorne in his flesh which hee calleth the messenger of Satan because he stirred up this corruption of his heart and furthered it Neither is it an argument of an heart void of grace to be borne downe for a time by the violence of these motions of infidelity and suddenly to yeeld unto them For Sarah was so Gen. 18.12 13. when shee laughed within her selfe and said Shall I that am so old have a child And David was so when Psal. 116.11 he said in his hast all men are liars These Prophets will lie as well as other men Provided alwaies that they that have these motions of infidelity 1 Do abhor them resist them and not yeeld unto them For so did our Saviour Mat. 4.10 Get thee hence Satan 2 Do mourne and are humbled for them as for a great affliction and judgement of God upon them For so did David when he had a motion of Atheisme to doubt of Gods providence and to think Psal. 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine This did so trouble him that he saith verse 21. His heart was greeved hee was pricked in the reines And so did Paul when he felt the evill motions of his flesh it was unto him as a thorne in his flesh it pained and grieved him exceedingly he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him 2 Cor. 12.7 8. Yea he saith that this was given him of God of purpose to humble him And so may I say to every child of God that is thus troubled with these motions of Atheisme and blasphemy certainely they are given thee of God to humble thee be of good comfort God intendeth to do thee good by them But now to come to these that I told you were to be reproved by this Doctrine that man that cannot beleeve nor give credit to the Word of God nor be certainely perswaded of any truth that is clearely revealed in it can never grow to any certainty in religion cannot justifie the Lord when he speaketh and is never troubled for this never striveth to beleeve never prayeth against his infidelity as alas this is the case of most men and he is certainly in a most dangerous and damnable estate For thus our blessed Saviour speaketh of such Iohn 8 46. If I say the truth why do ye not beleeve me Then he addeth verse 47. shall I tell you the cause Ye therefore heare not that is beleeve not because ye are not of God and 10.26 Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my sheepe as I said unto you and 12.39 40. Therefore they could not beleeve because he hath blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts The second sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are such as give themselves liberty to gainsay and dispute against many things that God hath spoken in his Word they that call into question many main points of our Christian religion clearely revealed in the Word because they see not how they can stand with reason that turne all religion into disputation they that do thus do not justifie God when he speaketh rest not upon the authority of his Word but accuse and condemne him rather These men are guilty of most heinous sinne These mens case the Apostle layeth downe plainely 1 Tim. 6.3 4 5. Of these men that consent not to wholesome words even the words of our Lord Iesus Christ and to the doctrine which is according to godlinesse he saith that they are proud and know nothing but dote about questions and strife of words c. The man that hath truth of grace and hath felt the saving power of Gods Word in himselfe hath his thoughts captivated as the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 10.5 and will say as 2 Cor. 13.8 We can do nothing against the truth but for the truth And is apt to say of Gods Word as David doth of Gods corrections Psal. 39.9
I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou hast spoken it No man should dare to oppose or reason against any truth that God hath in his Word taught and revealed but it becommeth all men to lay their hands upon their mouthes in this case according to the speech of the Prophet Hab. 2.20 Let all the earth keepe silence before him And with these disputers we may fitly rancke the most of our people that can well endure to heare the religion they professe any truth of God that they have heard and received to be gainsaid and contradicted that have no greater delight then this to heare any point of religion wittily opposed and disputed against by any man be he Papist or Anabaptist or whatsoever he be Whereas if we ever learned to justifie God when he speaketh and to beleeve undoubtedly that which God hath revealed and to receive it with love it would be a matter of extreme griefe and trouble of mind unto us to heare any thing that should give us cause to doubt of our religion as it was to the two Disciples that went towards Emaus Luk. 24.17 Yea and although difference in judgement about smaller matters ought not to cause that alienation of affection and strangenesse either among Ministers or people as with many it doth to the great hinderance of the growth of the Gospell yet towards such as oppose themselves against the truth in main and fundamentall articles thereof Christians are bound to shew themselves strange to shun all voluntary and unnecessary familiarity with them to shew them no countenance If we shall receive such into our houses or bid them God speed we make our selves partakers of their sinnes 2 Iohn 10 11. Such we are bound to shew our detestation unto and to hold them accursed though they had the gifts of Angels Gal. 1.9 If any man should goe about to touch or undermine you in your freehold and to find holes in your leases or evidence whereby you hold your lands your hearts would rise against him and you would count him as your utter enemy that seeketh your undoing And he that esteemeth not more of his religion and of the truth of God the evidence whereby he holdeth his interest to heaven and his eternall salvation did never yet find any sound comfort in it According to that saying of David Psal. 1â—9 111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of mine heart The third sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are they that cannot endure the word of reproofe Of such also our Congregations are full that though their sins be reproved with never so good warrant and evidence from the Word of God yet cannot submit themselves to it nor justifie the Lord in that which he speaketh against them but storme and rage against the Minister and cannot abide him for it This was wont to be counted a dangerous sin This people saith the Prophet Hos. 4.4 is as they that strive with the Priest The fourth and last sort that are to be reproved by this Doctrine are they that heare constantly and do professe they beleeve what they heare but take nothing to heart that as they feele no sweetnesse at all in any of the promises of God so do no reproofes or threatnings of the Word work any sorrow or feare in their hearts The judgements God hath threatned against any nation where such sins abound as do in ours that is to say Ier. 5.22.29 Num. 35.31.33 Ier. 17.27 c. yea those that God hath threatned against such sins as themselves live in as Zac. 5.4 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Mat. 11.24 Rev. 21.8 do not move them at all to humiliation to sorrow or feare or to any care to make their peace with God But these two last sorts I doe but point at the time being past I must leave them to be inlarged in your owne meditations Lecture XLIX On Psalme 51.4 Febru 20. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second reason why David doth in this manner confesse his sins accuse and condemne himselfe before God which is contained in these words And be cleare when thou judgest Now for the understanding of the words foure questions are to be briefly propounded and answered First How is the Lord said heere to judge any To which I answer that not to trouble you with any other acception of this word by Gods judging David heere meaneth Gods correcting of men So that his meaning is as if he should have said that thou mayst be cleare when thou correctest And so is this word used 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord and 1 Pet. 4.17 Iudgement must begin at the house of God The second question is this What correction or chastisement of God hath David speciall reference unto in this place wherin he desireth to cleare the Lord Whereunto I answer That he meaneth 1. That correction which the Lord had already taken of him both in smiting the child he had begotten in adultery with grievous sicknesse first and then in taking it away by death 2 Sam. 12.15.18 2. Those fearefull plagues God had told him by Nathan he would bring upon him afterward which I mentioned unto you the last day out of 2 Sam. 12.10 11. Yea 3 howsoever God should be pleased to judge him for he limits not his speech either to that that the Lord had already done upon the child or to that that Nathan threatned he would further do but speaketh indefinitely as if he should have said Whatsoever thou shalt inflict upon me thou art cleare when thou judgest me The third question is How is God said to be cleare when he judgeth I answer 1. He is cleare in himselfe from the least spot or stain or mixture of injustice in any of the judgements or corrections he layeth upon men Ps. 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and upright are thy judgements 2. He will be cleared and acknowledged to be righteous in the judgement of all men even of them that are most apt to cavill at his judgements For so the Apostle citeth this place and interpreteth the meaning of it Rom. 3.4 That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged Then the fourth last questioÌ„ is How could David by confessing his sin heere make the Lord cleare from al injustice in his judgements correctioÌ„s upoÌ„ him I answer He could not thereby make the Lord ever a whit more cleare from injustice for though he had not confessed his sin at all though he had continued and beene hardned in it the Lord should have beene neverthelesse cleare and pure in judging of him And thus do the Angels of God professe of the plagues that God prophesieth he would bring upon the bloudy Papists and persecuters of his Saints Rev. 16.5.7 Thou art righteous O Lord because thou
See an example of this in Iob who when he had received those grievous losses in his goods and children and that in so strange a manner he was so far from repining that he bursteth forth into these words Iob 1.21 The Lord gave the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. And marke what the holy Ghost saith of him for this verse 22. In all this Iob sinned not nor charged God foolishly As if he should say If he had not thus willingly accepted of Gods correction if he had not thus kissed the rod when his father did thus beat him he had sinned he had charged God foolishly See also an example of this in the Churches speech mentioned Mic. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And in that of Ezra who speaking of the extreame judgement of God upon his people in the Babylonish Captivitie saith Ezra 9.13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve And Lamenta 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed utterly from being a people because his compassions faile not You see Gods people have discerned and taken notice of some mercy some mitigation of the rigor of justice some cause of thanksgiving and of admiring rather his indulgence towards them then of repining against him even in the most extreame afflictions that have befallen him And from hence it is that they have growne to that pitch of blessed resolution not onely to submit themselves and beare the crosse that presently lieth upon them how heavy soever it be but as David here limiteth not his speech to the judgment he had felt in the losse of his child nor to those that Nathan had told him should befall him but speaketh indifferently that thou mayest be cleare when thou judgest whensoever or howsoever thou shalt judge correct me So have Gods people that have bin soundly humbled professed a resolution to beare whatsoever God should further bee pleased to lay upon them whatsoever it should be So speak the people of God Iudg. 10.15 We have sinned do thou to us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee And Ely 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And David when he fled from his son Absalom when he was in extreame danger both to loose his kingdome and his life 2 Sam. 15.26 If the Lord shall thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him As if he should say Though he cast me into hell I shall have no just cause to say he doth me any wrong Hitherto I have shewed you three degrees of that passive obedience that every one of us are bound to yeeld unto God in our afflictions And there is never a one of these but they are hard yea impossible for flesh and bloud to do till the mighty arme of God hath tamed our hearts and subdued and humbled them 〈◊〉 can never thus cleare the Lord when he judgeth us A hard thing it is to hold our peace when God correcteth us not to utter words of discontent impatiency specially not to fret and repine in our hearts against the Lord. A harder 〈…〉 acknowledge heartily and unfeinedly that God dealeth most justly with 〈◊〉 when he correcteth us But the hardest thing of all it is to submit our selves to Gods correcting and willingly to beare it to be perswaded that that we endure is nothing so much as we have deserved to admire his fatherly indulgence and love to us even when he correcteth us most sharply But the fourth and last degree of this obedience which I must now proceed unto is much more difficult for in all those judgments and corrections of God that befall our selves or others when the sins that deserved them are known and evident unto us it is no such hard matter to justifie and cleare the Lord in them But there be many judgements of God where no such cause can be knowne or discerned no not by the wisest men Thy judgements saith David Psal. 36.6 are a great deep ô Lord no man can dive to the ground bottome of them And Rom. 11.33 How unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out Now this is the fourth degree of obedience required of us that we must not only cleare the Lord in those judgements that we can discerne the cause reason of but even in those that we can conceive no reason of we must resolve with David Ps. 119.137 Righteous art thou ô Lord and upright are thy judgements and 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works Admiring with the holy Apostle and adoring that which we are not able to comprehend Rom. 11.33 O the depth both of the wisedome and knowledge of God Now for the reasons and grounds of this Doctrine they are principally two the one of them respecteth the judge himselfe and the other them that are judged by him For the first It is not possible that the Lord should do wrong to any of his creatures or that any thing he doth should be unjust Deut. 32.4 All his wayes are judgement a God of truth and without iniquitie just and right is hee Doth God pervert judgement saith Bildad Iob. 8.3 or doth the almighty pervert Iustice As if hee should say that is impossible in the judgement of every mans conscience Shall not the judge of the whole world doe right saith Abraham Genes 18.25 This reason the Apostle giveth for this doctrine Rom. 3.5 6 Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance God forbid saith he for then how shall God judge the world This was that that stopped Elyes mouth that he had nothing to say against that grievous judgement God threatned against him and his house 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good And why is it not possible the Lord should do wrong to any of his creatures 1. In regard of his Soveraignty and Supreame and undependant power he hath over all things that he hath made even as the potter hath over his clay This similitude the holy Ghost useth Rom. 9.20 21. Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power over the clay of the same lumpe to make one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour Is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine owne saith the Lord of the vineyard Matth. 20.13 In respect of this Soveraignty and Supreame power of God Elihu saith Iob 33.13 that God giveth not account of any of his matters His manner is not neither is he bound to give men account of his decrees or of his judgements 2. In regard of his will it is not possible that hee should wrong any of his creatures for his will is the rule of all righteousnesse and every thing is therefore just right because his
and fell downe upon the ground and worshipped God Secondly True patience is a fruit of faith 2 Thess. 1.4 Paul gloried of the Thessalonians in the Churches of God for their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they did endure And he desireth the Hebrewes Heb. 6.12 that they would be followers of them that through faith and patience inherit the promises And Iam. 1.3 The trying of your faith worketh patience True patience riseth out of this perswasion that the crosse that befalleth us is from God that he hath a speciall hand and providence in it This was the root of Davids patience 2 Sam. 16.10 The Lord hath said to him curse David Yea that this God that sendeth the crosse is our God and loving father in Christ and that maketh the child of God beare it patiently Iohn 18.11 The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drinke The man that wanteth this faith though he be never so quiet under any crosse yet if his quietnesse grow from this conceit it is but his ill fortune and destiny as the Philistines said 1 Sam. 6.9 It was a chance that happened to us hee cannot bee said to bee truly patient Thirdly True patience is a fruit of our obedience unto God and of an heart subdued and made able to yeeld unto God in all things yea it is indeed a chiefe part of our obedience unto him So speaketh the Apostle of the patience our blessed Saviour shewed in all his sufferings Phil. 2.8 He humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death Because he knew it was the will of God he should suffer those things though he were deepely sensible of them how grievous and intollerable they were therefore he did so patiently endure them His patience was a willing subjecting of his owne will to the will of his father Mat. 26.39 O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt So then that quietnesse and temper that many shew in great afflictions which riseth onely out of a naturall courage and stoutnesse of heart and out of this manly resolution I see no way to avoid this crosse sorrowing and fretting at it is but a childish and womanish thing and will do no good at all and therfore I must and will endure it as the Iewes are said to speake Ier. 10.19 Truly this is a griefe and I must beare it this hardning of a mans selfe in sorrow as Iob speaketh Iob 6.10 this patience perforce as we use to call it without all reference to the will of God and respect of their obedience unto him deserveth not the name of true patience Fourthly True patience consisteth not in bearing of some crosses and afflictions but of those that the will of God is to exercise us by whatsoever they be We have a proverbe that beggers must be no choosers If we be truly patient we must learne to beare our owne crosse If any man will come after me saith our Saviour Luk. 9.23 let him denie himselfe and take up his crosse daily I have learned saith the Apostle Phil. 4.11 in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content They therefore that will be their owne carvers and can say if my crosse were but as such or such a ones is I could well beare it but alas no man is in my case none could endure that that I do are farre from true patience He that is truly patient will do the Lord that honour as to judge that the fittest and best crosse for him which he thinketh good to lay upon him And resolve with Moses Deut 32 4. His worke is perfect it could not have beene better done for all his waies are judgement Fiftly True patience will make a man more desirous to profit by his affliction then to be rid of it it will keepe a man from desiring to shake it of till God have finished his worke that he intended to do upon him by it Let patience have her perfect worke saith the Apostle Iam. 1.4 We should be of Iacobs mind Gen. 32.26 we should be unwilling that God when he hath beene wrestling and striving with us by his corrections should depart from us till he have left a blessing behind him No wise man will desire to get from under the Surgeons hand till he be cured of his wound or past all danger That which the Prophet saith Esa. 28.16 He that beleeveth shall not make hast may fitly be applyed even unto this case This was Asas sinne 2 Chron. 16.12 he sought to the Physicians to be cured of his disease but not to the Lord to be cured of his sinne which was the cause for which that disease was laid upon him Sixtly True patience will make a man able so to depend upon the will of God in all his afflictions as he dares not ease himselfe of his crosse by any unlawfull meanes by any other way then such as the Lord hath appointed or permitted him to use The Apostle speaking of the faithfull that endured most grievous persecution under Antiochus in the daies of the Maccabees saith of them Heb. 11.35 that they would not accept of deliverance he meaneth upon unlawfull conditions that they might obtaine a better resurrection And we have a notable example of this in David 1 Sam 26.8 11. who when God had delivered Saul his enemy into his hand and Abishai offred him with one blow to have eased him of him and all the extreame miseries he endured by his meanes would by no meanes accept of it but answereth him thus verse 10 11. As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or hee shall descend into battell and perish the Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed And what patience is there then in those men that how quiet soever they seeme in their afflictions will neglect no meanes that either themselves can thinke of or others shall suggest unto them though it be by a witch or wizard that is by the devill himselfe to helpe themselves by as Saul did who in the height of his impiety as the greatest sin that ever hee committed sought to the witch of Endors devill and familiar spirit for helpe and comfort 1 Sam. 28.7 Seventhly and lastly True patience whereby wee obediently submit our selves to the will of God in our afflictions will moderate our passions and make us more meeke spirited even towards men yea towards such men as have had any hand or beene any instrument in our afflictions This property of Christian patience is commended to us in the example of our blessed Saviour 1 Peter 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously The Apostle perswading unto patience hath these words Iam. 5.9 Grudge not one against another brethren he saith not rage not raile not revenge not
setting our hearts upon any earthly comfort of admiring and affecting it much and labour to bring our hearts to a more meane conceit of these things to bee more indifferently affected towards them If riches increase set not your heart upon them saith David Psal. 62.10 And describing the man that shall go to heauen he saith Ps. 24.4 he is such a one as hath not lift up his soule to vanity No man that warreth saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.4 entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life And 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use this world must take heed of over-using it they must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fashion of this world passeth away We must part with all these things and the faster our hearts do cleave and are glued to them the more painefull will it be unto us to part with them In which respect certainely as it may be said of our whole land that if the Lord should bring these miseries upon us which the Palatinate and Bohemia and Germany have long endured we should be farre worse able to beare them then they or any other nation under heaven because we are so tender and delicate by the long peace and aboundance of all things we have enjoyed So may I say to every one of you that are rich and to you that are given to ease and to pleasure that the crosse and persecution the troubles and afflictions we have cause to looke for will be more heavie and intollerable to you then to others of Gods people If Moses had not learned to make light account of riches and of pleasures hee could never have so willingly and patiently endured to suffer affliction with the people of God as the Apostle observeth Heb. 11.25 26. Thirdly He that would be able patiently and Christianly to endure troubles and afflictions of what kind soever they be must before hand acquaint himselfe well with the Word of God he must be well seene and exercised in it And indeed this is one principall cause why the Lord hath given us his holy Word in wriâ—ing that by it he might prepare us for affliction and breed true patience and comfort in us Whatsoever things were written asore time saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning what learning may you say What is it that God would have us learne by them that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Many of the Philosophers have given in their writings excellent rules and grounds of patience but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and patience that was wrought in men by their precepts and rules was stupidity and senslessenesse rather then true patience the patience and comfort of the holy Scripture is the onely true and Christian patience In which respect our Saviour giveth this title to his holy Word he calleth it the Word of his patience because saith he Rev. 3.10 thou hast kept the Word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation The holy Scriptures are fitly resembled and typified by that tower of David mentioned Cant. 4.4 builded for an armoury wherein there hang a thousand bucklers under which a man may without feare and with great safety encounter with the strongest and fiercest temptation and affliction that can assault him all shields of mighty men all armour of proofe such as all the Lords Worthies Iob and David and Paul and the rest have had good proofe and triall of in all their afflictions Heare what Iob saith of this armour Iob 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food As if he should say No food no not my necessary food did ever so susteine and strengthen me so refresh and revive my fainting body as the Word of God hath my soule in all my afflictions Heare what David saith of this who was also a man of sorrowes one that was much exercised with afflictions of all kinds Psal. 119.50 This that is to say the Word of God of which he had spoken in the former verse is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me And verse 92. Vnlesse thy law had beene my delights he speaketh in the plurall number As if he had said instar omnium in stead of all manner of delights unto me I should then have perished in mine affliction And verse 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandements are my delights As if he should say In my greatest trouble in the extreamest anguish of my soule thy Word yeelded comfort unto me Therefore also you shall find he cryeth for nothing so earnestly in all his affliction as for understanding and knowledge in the Word Psal. 119. When hee had spoken verse 143. of the trouble and anguish he was in he cryeth in the next verse Give me understanding in thy testimonies he meaneth and I shall live And verse 169. Let my cry come neere before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word And verse 171. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes See also the proofe that Paul had of this armour of the patience and comfort of the Scriptures in all his afflictions For speaking 2 Cor. 6.4 5. that he and all the rest of the Apostles did in all things approve themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumules he telleth how and by what meanes he attained unto this grace to endure so much misery with so great patience he reckoneth verse 6 and 7. this for a principall by knowledge saith he and by the word of truth And surely 1 if there were nothing els to breed in our hearts an high esteeme of the Word of God to cause us to seeke the knowledge of it to exercise our selves with delight in the reading and hearing and meditation of it this were sufficient to do it even the patience comfort it will yeeld us in all our afflictions The remembrance of one sentence of holy Scripture will be more effectuall to yeeld us comfort in the evill day in the houre of temptation will have more force to repell Satan in his fiercest assaults then is in all the wisdome of the world in all the counsell of our friends that shall be then about us For it is the sword of Gods spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the onely weapon whereby Christ our Saviour the Captaine of our Salvation did overcome the divell and drive him away as you may see in the story of his temptations Matth. 4.4 7 10. Therefore also our Saviour when he promiseth his Disciples to send them the Comforter after his departure from them he telleth them how and by what meanes he should comfort them Iohn 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you By giving them understanding in
onely evill continually When we have by faith and repentance mortified one sin and cleansed our selves of it another will rise out of the ashes of it this vile nature of ours will cast up some other mire and dirt some wretched motion or other to defile us withall 3. And what are the motions and lusts it will stirre up in us Surely there is no sin so foule and unnaturall but we shall find it will be ready to stirre up motions and incliâ—ations unto it even in the best of Gods children motions of atheisme and blasphemy motions of desparation and of every other foule sin Sin wrought in me saith the Apostle Rom. 7 â— all mannâ—r of concupiscence Thirdly It is an universall corruption and leprosie that goeth over the whole man the understanding and conscience and memory and will and affections all are corrupted by it It is a leaven that sowreth the whole lump as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.6 Fourthly and lastly We can never be rid of it while we live It dwelleth in us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.17 It is an inmate that will never be gotten out till the house be pulled downe It is an hereditary disease as we have heard which no Physician can cure that that is bred in the bone will never out of the flesh Lecture LXI On Psalme 51.5 Iune 19. 1627. THe uses that this doctrine serveth unto are foure principally 1 To informe and settle our judgements 2 To humble and abate the pride of our hearts 3 To exhort us to seeke the cure of this dangerous leprosy 4 and lastly To breed thankfullnesse in our hearts towards God and admiration of his goodnes to such vile wretches as we are For the first This Doctrine serveth notably to confirme us against popery by discovering to us the grosse errour of the Papists in their doctrine of originall sin And yet would I according to my custome content my selfe to ground and confirme you in the truth and not trouble you with confuting their errours were it not for three reasons that move me to it 1. That by confirming you against the errour of the Papists in this point I shall also preserve you from the errour of the Semi-Pelagians who as in sundry other maine articles of our Christian religion so in this agree to well with the Papists 2. That the errour of the Papists in the Doctrine of originall sin is maintained by them as a prop and stay to many other of their damnable doctrines which doe depend upon this Take away their errour in the doctrine of originall sin and then their doctrines of 1 freewill of 2 preparatory works of 3 the regenerate mans ability to keepe the whole law of 4 justification by works of 5 merit cannot stand but must needs fall to the ground 3. Because I discerne strong inclinations in many now adayes to thinke better of Popery then they were wont to do And yet was popery never worse then it is now neither was there ever Church or nation that had more cause to detest it then our Church and nation hath neither had our Church and nation ever more cause to detest it then at this time Now for our entrance into this use of confutation two generall rules I will give you whereby you may try all doctrines in religion whether they bee of God or no. First That Doctrine and religion that ascribeth any thing to man in the matter of his salvation that giveth unto man any the least cause of boasting or confidence in himselfe that doth not give all the glory to God and ascribe the whole praise of mans salvation to the free grace of God alone that doctrine certainely is not of God For the maine drift of the holy Scripture is to abase and pull downe the pride of man to make him even to despaire of himselfe and to advance and set up the glory of Gods free grace 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flâ—sh may rejoyce in his presence and verse 31. He that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord. And Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law or doctrine Of works Nay but by the law or doctrine of faith Where we see the Doctrine of justification by works proved a false doctrine and the Doctrine of Iustification by faith onely proved a true Doctrine by this argument because the one leaveth unto man some matter of boasting the other doth not So Eph. 2.8 9. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should rejoyce This note our Saviour giveth of a true teacher Iohn 7.18 He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousnes is in him The true teacher doth in his Doctrine and ministery ascribe all glory unto God And this note Paul giveth of the true Church and religion Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh And this is the first rule I said I would give you to try all doctrines and religions by The true religion giveth all glory to God and none at all to man The second rule is this That doctrine and religion that is most agreeable to naturall reason and groundeth it selfe upon it and not upon the holy Scripture onely that doctrine and religion certainely is not of God This rule we find given us Esa. 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there it no light in them And Iam. 3.15 This wisdome descendeth not from above but is earthly naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and divellish That wisdome that is naturall agreeable unto grounded upon naturall reason is not from above but it is earthly and divelish For naturall reason is blind as a beetle in these matters 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very same word that Iames useth receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Whereas on the other side the holy Scriptures are a perfect direction able as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 3.15 to make a man wise unto salvation and a sure direction therefore can never deceive us Thy testimonies saith the Prophet Psal. 93.5 are very sure For they were all given by divine inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 It is Gods Word 2 Pet. 1.21 The prophesy of the Scripture came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake and wrote too as they were moved by the Holy Ghost So that he that contradicteth the Scripture in any point contradicteth God himselfe And therefore when the great Antichrist is discribed 2 Thess. 2.4 this is one chiefe note that is given us to know him by hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that opposeth himselfe unto
this naturall weakenesse there is a sinfull weakenesse also in the best of Gods children even weaknesse of faith which maketh them subject not to naturall feares onely but to sinfull feares also There is much lacking in their faith as the Apostle said of the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.10 And this is a chiefe cause of all their feares Why are ye fearefull ô ye of little faith saith our Saviour to his Disciples Mat. 8.16 pointing at the chiefe cause of all our feare When are apt to doubt of Gods favour and of the pardon of our sinnes and who can choose but bee much disquieted in his heart with â—eare when he doubteth of Gods favour When the Prophet complained Psal. 88.15 While I suffer thy terrours I am distracted he telleth us verse 14. what was the cause of those terrours he felt in himselfe Lord why castest thou off my soule why hidest thou thy face from me Hee could not be perswaded of Gods love hee thought God had cast him of And can you wonder then though his heart were full of terrour The second cause of these feares is the Lord himselfe Certainely his holy hand is to be acknowledged in this kinde of affliction as well as in any other These feares are therefore called the Lords terrours Psal. 88.15 and 2 Cor. 5.11 because they come from him And the Lord seeth it to bee good and profitable many waies for sundry of his servants to bee much exercised by them 1. This maketh them carefull by repentance to purge themselves from all their knowne sinnes So the Lord speaketh of the feare which they that travell by sea are in when they see the strange breaches which the whale by his rising doth make in the sea Iob 4â— 25 When he raiseth up himselfe the mighty and most stout hearted are afraid by reason of his breakings they purifie themselves As wee see the mariners that carryed Ionah did Ionah 1.5 The mariners were afraid and cryed every man to his God Every one sought to make his peace with God in the best manner that he could This effect wee know feare usually hath even in all men but much more certainely in Gods children 2. This keepeth them humble fearefull to sinne tractable and willing to obey God in all things This is also a naturall effect of feare to abate the pride of mans heart and to make it humble and tractible Put them in feare ô Lord saith David Psal. 9.20 that the nations may know themselves to bee but men Certainely if the Lord should not now and then visit them with inward terrours and gripes there be many in the world would even forget themselves to be men But this effect it hath in Gods children especially O that there were such a heart in them saith the Lord of his people Deut. 5.29 that they would feare me keepe my commandements alwaies As if he had said Now they are fearefull to offend me in any thing now they are willing to doe any thing I would have them as they protested verse 27. But when was that Surely when by seeing the law delivered in that terrible manner they were brought into a wonderfull feare 3. Lastly This prepareth them and maketh them fit to receive comfort from God Thus the Lord hath beene wont to prepare his servants whom he meant to give most comfort unto Before the Lord delivevered that large and comfortable promise unto Abram Gen. 15.13 21. it is said verse 12. Loe an horrour of great darknesse fell upon him Before Elijah could heare that still and small voice that spake so much comfort unto him concerning himselfe and the whole Church the Lord first affrighted him with a great and strong wind that rent the mountaines and brake the rockes in pieces and then by an earthquake and after that by a fire 1 King 19.11 12. hee deepely humbled him by feare and terrour first that he might prepare and make him fit to receive that comfort You see then that this may bee the case of them that are most upright hearted and such as truly love the Lord they may bee much subject to these feares And this is the first thing I told you I had to say for the comfort of such poore soules The second is this That it is not onely possible that thou maist love God unfeignedly though thou be so subject to these terrours but even while thou art in this case thou hast evident signes in thee that thou dost so and if thou couldst observe thine owne heart well thou wouldst be able to discerne that thou dost love God indeed For First Thou desirest Gods favour above all things in the world and no crosse afflicteth thy heart so much as this that thou thinkest thou hast lost it thou canst not be assured of it this is a certaine signe thou lovest him When the Churches diligence in seeking after Christ when she had lost him is described Cant. 2.1 4. she expresseth the cause that moved her so to seeke after him by calling him him whom her soule loved and this title she repeateth in every one of those verses Certainely if her soule had not dearely loved him she could not in that manner have sought after him So that this griefe and trouble thy heart is in because thou canst not be assured of Gods favour argueth plainely that thou art sicke of love as the Church saith she was Cant. 2.5 and 5.8 Thy love to God is the cause of thy sicknesse and griefe O how happy a thing would it be with many if they were sicke of this disease Secondly Thou darest not doe any thing that thou thinkest would offend God but makest conscience to doe his will therefore thou lovest God Hee that hath my commandements and keepeth them saith our Saviour Ioh. 14.21 is hee that loveth me And 1 Iohn 5.3 This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements we could not els do it constantly nor conscionably Thirdly When thou hast through infirmity done any thing to offend God thou grievest unfeignedly and art troubled with it This argueth that thou lovest the Lord. It was love that made Mary Magdalen to weepe so abundantly for her sinnes as our Saviour testifieth of her Luke 7.47 And this was the onely thing whereby Peter did expresse that though he haâ— so shamefully denied Christ yet he loved him above all things when he had so offended hee went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 Fourthly Thou lovest the Word and ordinances of God and the sincerity of his worship Therefore thou lovest God For the Lord calleth them that keepe the second commandement specially and above all others such as love him Exod. 20.6 And David professing himself Psal. 119 132. to be one of those that did love Gods name declareth it by no argument so much as by this throughout that Psalme even by that love hee bare unto and that delight hee tooke in the Word of God Fiftly thou lovest the children of God even because of the
saith Christ to his Church Cant. 2.14 let mee heare thy voice for sweet is thy voice and thy countenance comely And well done good and faithfull servant saith the Lord to him Matth. 25.23 that had but two talents And who can complaine of such a master Nay who that knoweth and beleeveth this would not bee glad to serve such a master as is so ready to accept of and delight in to commend and applaud such poore service as wee are able to doe unto him Thirdly Observe how ready hee is to helpe his servants in the worke that hee setteth them about Whereas the Lord is sometimes pleased to enjoyne his people duties and services of more then ordinary hardnesse and difficulty he presseth them with affliction out of measure above strength as Paul saith hee was 2 Cor. 1.8 He bringeth them to the fiery tryall that the Apostle speaketh of 1 Peter 4.12 He setteth the messenger of Satan to buffet them with strange tentations as Paul was 2 Cor. 12.7 in such a case the Lord is wont to put to his owne hand to the worke in an extraordinary manner and to helpe his poore servants that they may be able to goe through with it It is said 1 Chron 15.26 that God helped the Levites that bare the arke of the covenant of the Lord. And the Apostle speaking of the great tryall of affliction that Gods servants are sometimes brought unto telleth us Rom 8.26 that in that case the spirit it selfe helpeth our infirmities The greater that the tryall is that God shall be pleased to exercise us by the greater degree of strength will hee minister unto us for the bearing of it And what need the weakest of Gods servants feare the heaviest burden that can bee laid upon them when he hath such a one to helpe and support him When those everlasting armes that Moses speaketh of Deut. 33.27 are underneath him Nay why may wee not in all dangers secure our hearts in this and say Lord give thou strength to beare it and lay on me what thou wilt The things that are unpossible with men saith our Saviour Lu. 18.27 to his Disciples when they were astonied out of measure with a Doctrine hee had taught as Marke 10.26 are possible with God So when Paul prayed thrice that is often unto God to bee delivered from that messenger of Satan that buffeted him so as it may bee some of you have done against those blasphemous thoughts whereby you are buffeted hee received this answer from God 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee As if hee had said Feare him not I will warrant thee thou shalt be strong enough for him he shall not be able to overcome thee my grace and helpe will be sufficient enough for thee in this very case to uphold and strengthen thee And this made Paul speake so confidently Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me Fourthly and lastly Observe what wages God giveth to his servants He is many wayes good unto them besides their wages as all good masters are they have many availes as we speake from him even in this life many are the priviledges of Gods servants First If wee bee his faithfull servants wee shall have his countenance and favour When David had spoken of the happinesse of them that dwell in Gods house he mentioneth this for one part of it Psal. 48.11 For the Lord God is a sunne to such the light of his countenance useth to shine upon them And this is such a priviledge as is worth all the paines wee can take in his service though it were a thousand times more Cause thy face to shine saith the Church Psalm 80.19 and wee shall bee saved As if she had said We have even enough Secondly If wee bee Gods faithfull servants we may bee assured of protection and safety in times of greatest danger For what master is there that will not defend and beare out his servants specially in the service they have done unto him And this also David reckoneth for another part of their happinesse that dwell in Gods house and serve him Psal. 84.11 the Lord will bee a shield unto such Thirdly If we be Gods faithfull servants we shall be sure to want nothing that shall be necessary for our comfort in this life For what good master is there that will not provide for his owne especially those of his owne house as the Apostle speaketh 1 Tim. 5.8 And this David reckoneth for a third part of the happines of those that dwell in Gods house Psal. 84.11 No good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly Fourthly and lastly If we be Gods faithfull servants we shall be sure when the time of payment commeth that is not till the even be come as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 20.8 till our day bee done till this life bee ended to receive such a reward of our service as no tongue can expresse no heart can conceive how great it shall bee Our Saviour speaking of the reward of such of Gods servants as had done but little service unto God even so little as themselves tooke no notice of it saith he will say thus to them at the day of judgement Matth. 25 34 35. Come yee blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you for I was an hungred and yee gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drinke Alas what was that that they had done to be rewarded with a kingdome Certainly there is no proportion betweene the service and the wages but this it is to serve such a master thus will the Lord reward all that serve him And therefore admit the service that God should imploy us in all our life long either in doing or suffering were never so hard and painefull yet the certaine hope wee have of this reward in the end were sufficient to make it easie unto us yea to make us cheerefull and comfortable in it and even to sing at our worke as Paul and Silas did even at midnight when they had bin grievously scourged and were then in a dungeon and their feete fast in the stocks as you shall read Actes 16.25 And what was it that made Moses not only willing to forsake the pleasures of sinne and all those wicked liberties and delights that worldly men dote so much upon but to betake himselfe to the service of God and joyne himselfe to the people of God even then when they were in greatest affliction and reproach yea to account their life a farre more happy and comfortable life then the life of any courtier or of Pharaoh himselfe but onely this that he had respect to the recompense of reward as the Apostle telleth us Hebr. 11.26 For this cause wee faint not saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.16 17. but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day our delight in Gods service and in his holy law increaseth daily for our light affliction which
and beseecheth him by us that hee would bee reconciled unto God Commandeth us to offer Christ to every wicked man that heareth us upon condition that he will beleeve and obey and to proclaime a generall pardon without excluding any Preach the Gospell saith hee Marke 16.15 to every creature And what cause then hath such a man that hath gone thus farre to doubt of finding mercy 3. Because God hath bin pleased out of his infinite goodnesse to shew respect even to such poore stuffe as naturall men out of the strength of nature have beene able to doe Christ loved the young man of whom we read Marke 1â— 21 even for that morality that was in him And God shewed much respect even unto Ahabâ— humiliation 1 Kings 21.29 and to Iehoahaz prayer that in the sense of his misery he made Iehoahaz besought the Lord saith the story 2 Kings 12.4 and the Lord hearkened unto him and to that prayer which Saul out of his legall humiliation before his conversion did make unto him Acts 9.11 Thirdly and lastly I may confidently affirme of all such as doe not their endeavour thus and what in them lyeth to escape damnation and to be saved these three things 1. That they are hereby made more inexcusable and do more evidently declare themselves to be the causes of their owne damnation 2. That they make themselves worse and worse thereby and more unable to repent As the Apostle plainely reacheth Rom 1. that the Gentiles by not making use of that light and freedom of will and of that power that was in them by nature because as he saith verse 18. they held the truth in unrighteousnesse and verse 21. when they knew God they glorified him not as God neither were thankefull but became vaine in their imaginations therefore verse 4. God gave them up to uncleannes through the lusts of thâ—ir owne hearts 3. That their damnation shall even for this be farre greater in hell they shall become two-fold more the children of hell as our Saviour speaketh Matthew 23.15 This is plaine by that Christ saith of Capernaum Matthew 11. â—4 It shall be more tollerable for the land of Sâ—dom in the day of judgement then for thee Lecture XCIII On Psalme 51.6 Aug 5. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the second branch of the application which is for the comfort of all such as do unfeinedly feare God For though it be the least part of them that heare us that have need of comfort the greatest part alas have more need to be humbled then comforted yea they will be in danger to take hurt by that which they shall heare spoken for the comfort of Gods people yet are we bound in our ministery of all other our hearers to have most respect to those few that are broken-hearted This was the first and chiefe charge that was given to Christ the chiefe pastor 1 Peter 5.4 when he came to bee a preacher Hee hath sent mee saith he Esa. 61.1 2. to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Zion And this was the first and chiefe charge that Christ gave to Peter and so to all us his servants and ministers hee chargeth him indeed to feed all his sheepe but the first and chiefe charge he giveth him is concerning his lambs the weakest and tenderest of his flocke If thou love me Ioh. 21.15 feed my lambs He that prophesieth saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 14 3. speaketh to edification to exhortation and to comfort As if he had said No man prophesieth no man preacheth or divideth the word aright if hee omit this if he doe not apply his doctrine to the comfort of such as stand in need of it Therefore when the Prophet Esay beginneth to speake of the ministery of the Gospell hee bringeth in the Lord giving this first of all in charge to his servants and ministers Esay 40.1 2. Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith your God speake yee comfortably to Ierusalem As if hee had sayd Whatsoever yee doe else neglect not this duty of your ministery Now of all the things that doe deject the hearts of Gods poore people and cause them so to droop as they doe this is the principall that they cannot bee perswaded of the uprightnesse of their owne hearts they cannot be perswaded that they are any better then hypocrites Yea they are so farre from finding any comfort in those signes of uprightnesse of heart that I have given you out of Gods word that even from thence they are apt to conclude strongly against themselves that all the goodnesse that is in them is no better then hypocrisie And I nothing doubt but many of you while you have heard me speaking of them have beene apt to say within your selves alas I can take no comfort in any of these signes and notes that the Scripture giveth of an upright heart for I find no such thing in mee If these be the markes whereby the truth of the heart is to be knowne woe be unto me how farre am I from truth of heart what can I bee but an hypocrite For 1. The evill abstaine from and the good I doe I do it not in obedience to the word that is not the onely rule that I follow but I make custome and example my guide rather then it and for many things I doe I never enquire for warrant and direction from the word for them I never say to mine owne heart before I doe them as Luke 10.26 What is written in the law how readest thou What hath God in his word directed mee to doe in this case 2. I doe that I doe more out of a slavish feare of Gods wrath then out of any true love to God and am like to those of whom the Lord speaketh Iob 41.25 by reason of breakings they purifie themselves When my heart is broken with terrours then am I carefull to doe well but never else 3. I doe not that that I doe in faith out of a comfortable assurance of Gods love to mee in Christ. This could I never yet attaine to And without faith I know and have learned Heb. 11.6 it is impossible to please God 4. Gods grace where it is in truth is like to the leaven that leaveneth the whole lumpe Matth. 13.33 it sanctifieth the whole man the mind conscience memory will affections thoughts words and actions In such a one all things are become new as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor 5.17 But alas I can find no such totall change in me in some of these I can discerne no worke of Gods grace at all 5. He that hath an upright heart will be universall in his obedience he will obey the will of God in one thing as well as in another And thus wee have heard God describeth the uprightnesse of Davids heart 1 Kings 9.4 Hee walked in integrity of heart and in uprightnes to doe according to all that God commanded him Now alas saith the poore Christian I
The Lord hath forsaken me Thou art troubled with strong and fearefull tentations unto desperation Well for all this if thy heart bee upright though thou perceive it not nay if ever it were upright certainely they shall end in joy Marke the perfect man and behold the upright As if he had said It is our great sinne that we observe no better the manifold examples and experiments God giveth us of this for the end of that man is peace Yea proportionable to the measure of thy desertion and discomfort shall thy joy be in the end According to the comparison the Lord useth in this case Ps. 7.11 Light is sowen for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart And 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reape in joy Proportionable to the seedâ—esse of their sorrow shall the harvest and crop of their joy be Now then to conclude all that I have said of these motives seeing there be so many promises made so many excellent priviledges belonging to them that are upright in heart let us not any longer content our selves with shewes of goodnesse with professing and thinking we are Christians we feare God we serve him But let us be ashamed of and bewaile and strive against our hypocrisie and our halting with God Let us labour to attaine to that uprightnesse of heart which we have heard at large described to us out of Gods Word and which the Lord our God so much delighteth in And for our helpe herein I will shew you some of the principall meanes which God hath in his Word directed us to use for the obtaining of it And I will passe over them as briefly as I can First It is not possible for a man to have an upright heart till his heart have first been truly humbled for sin Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is listed up is not upright in him It must be humbled before it can be upright As when a bell is crackt it can never be mended till it have beene first broken in pieces and melted and cast a new so before the heart of man that is so full of cracks and unsoundnesse can be made sound and whole it must first be broken David could not rid himselfe of that guile that was in his heart till he tooke this course till with an humbled soule hee did acknowledge against himselfe his wickednesse to the Lord as is plaine Psal. 32 2-5 Secondly He that would have an upright heart must labour for a true faith for assurance of Gods fatherly love to him in Christ. Let us draw neere saith the Apostle Heb. 10.22 with a true heart in full assurance of saith For it is faith onely that purifieth the heart as the Apostle speaketh Acts 15.9 as from all other corruptions so from that falshood and hypocrisie that is in it by nature When David had professed Psal. 16. â— that he had walked in his integrity he nameth this to be the cause of it and the meanes whereby hee was brought unto and preserved in this integrity verse 3. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes when wee once know that the service we doe is unto our father that hath so dearely loved us this will make us serve him heartily and unseignedly Thirdly He that would have and keepe an upright heart must take heed of living in any knowne sinne of doing any thing against his conscience Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes saith David Psal. 19.13 let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright The end of the commandement is love saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.5 out of a pure heart and a good conscience Purity and truth of heart can never be had or preserved without a good conscience Fourthly He that would have an upright heart must thinke oft of this and keepe it in his minde that Gods eye is upon him wheresoever he is and whatsoever he goeth about This the Lord himselfe prescribeth unto Abraham Gen. 17.1 as a meane to breed and preserve uprightnesse of heart in him Walke before me saith he and be thou upright By this meanes Paul kept his heart upright in his ministery and so may we do now from seeking his owne praise or advantage or the humouring of men As of sincerity saith he 2 Cor. 2.17 as of God in the sight of God so speake we in Christ. By this meanes Noah kept himselfe upright in a most corrupt age and so may we do now as bad as the times are Noah was a just man saith the Holy Ghost Gen. 6 9. and upright in his generations Noah walked with God He looked not to the practise of men but set the Lord alwaies before him and walked as in his sight and presence and that kept him upright By this meanes the Church and people of God kept themselves upright in times of extreame trouble and persecution and so may we doe when the like times shall come upon us All this is come upon us say they Psal 44.17 18. even all that they had mentioned in eight verses before yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned backe Why What was it that kept them from halting with God in such a time as that was That they tell us verse 21. even the consideration of this thaâ— they could not hide themselves from God they were ever in his eye Shall not God search this out say they for he knoweth the secrets of the heart Certainely a secret Atheisme that lodgeth in our breasts whereby either we beleeve not or remember not that Gods eye is upon us is a chiefe cause as of all other foule sins according to that Ezek. 9.9 The land is full of bloud and the city full of perversenesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not so is it a chiefe cause of all that falshood and hypocrisie that is in our hearts Fiftly and lastly He that would have an upright heart must diligently observe the falshood and hypocrisie of his own heart how apt it is to halt and dissemble with God in every service he doth unto him and out of an humbled soule for it complaine much to God of it and beg helpe of him against it By this meanes David here laboureth to get an upright heart he complaineth to God in this verse of the want of that truth in the inward parts which God so much delighteth in for as we have heard he speaketh of that here for the aggravation of his sin and then he beggeth of God helpe against this falshood of his heart verse 10. Create in me a â—leane heart ô God and renew a right spirit within me And so doth he likewise Psal. 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed As if he had said O Lord give me a sound heart And certainely one chiefe cause why hypocrisie so much prevaileth that increaseth
it was God alone that begot us by it This made that Convert mentioned 1 Corinthians 14.24 25. when hee had felt in the hearing of Gods Prophets and Ministers the searching and piercing power of the Word in his heart to fall downe on his face and to worship God and to professe God is in you of a truth As if he had said Certainely God is in your ministery it is not in the words that I have heard you speake nor in your manner of uttring and delivering of them that my heart hath beene so mightily wrought upon but in the divine power of God that speaketh in and by you So the Apostle telleth the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13.3 it was Christ that spake in him who to them-word was not weake but was mighty in them As if he should say It was not I nor any thing that I said when I preached to you but Christ that spake in me that was so mighty in your hearts to convert them But then from hence there ariseth a second Question What Is the Word and the ministery thereof in it selfe but as a dead instrument or toole that God worketh by Is it but as a truncke through which Christ speaketh Is there no more vertue and power then so in the Word it selfe My answer to this Question must have two parts For 1. I must shew you what vertue and power the Word hath in it selfe 2. What vertue and power it hath not For the first It cannot be denied but that there is some vertue and power in the Word it selfe and in the ministery thereof For First There are in the Word most strong and effectuall arguments to move and perswade men both unto repentance and unto faith It setteth before men life and death blâ—ssing and cursing as Moses speaketh Deut. 30.19 And Agrippa was almost perswadad to be a Christian by hearing of that which Paul spake concerning Christ Acts 26.28 Secondly Some doctrines that Gods Ministers teach out of Gods Word are more effectuall to perswade and move and worke upon the affections then other some are Which maketh the Apostle give speciall charge both to Timothy and to Titus also for teaching and pressing some Doctrines above others These things command and teach saith he 1 Tim. 4.11 and Tit. 2.15 These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authority Thirdly and lastly There is much force this way even in the manner of handling and delivering of the Word Some of Gods servants are men of so excellent gifts such as Apollos was said to have beene Acts 18.24 25. so eloquent men and mighty in the Scriptures and fervent in spirit that no man almost can heare them but he must needs understand them and be affected with that that they teach But the second part of my answer to this second Question is That the power to convert the soule of any man lieth neither in the excellency of any teachers gifts no not in the Doctrine and Word of God it selfe but in the spirit of God onely that worketh by these meanes And thus the Apostle who had said as you have heard that he was the Corinthians father he had begotten them to Christ they were his worke interpreteth himselfe in other places He ascribeth all the power that was in his ministery though both his doctrine doubtlesse and his manner of deliuering it his ministeriall gifts were most excellent yet he ascribeth all I say to the worke of Gods spirit onely My preaching was saith he 1 Cor. 2.4 in demonstration of the spirit and of power As if he had said It was such as the power of the spirit was evidently to be seene and felt in it all the power that it had was from the spirit And 2 Cor. 4.7 he saith that the excellency of that power that was in his and his fellow Apostles ministery was wholly of God and not of them The weapons of our warfare saith he 2 Cor. 10 4. are mighty through God As if he had said All that mighty power that is in our ministery to pull downe strong holds and cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ is from God alone Yea he professeth in another place that he durst not for his life ascribe any thing to himselfe in this worke of converting men to God by his ministery I will not dare saith he Rom. 15.18 to speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient both in word and deed As if he had said That the Gentiles that heard me were brought to that obedience and reformation God forbid I should say or thinke it was my doing I dare not for a world say so No no it was Christ and hee alone that did worke it by me as by his poore instrument Nay when he had said 1 Cor. 3.6 that he as an Apostle and master workman had planted and Apollos as an Evangelist and under workman had watered the plants that he had set he addeth not onely that it was God that gave the increase all the successe and fruit of their labours was from God alone but he addeth further verse 7. so then neither is he that planteth any thing nor hee that watereth but God that giveth the increase As though he should say As excellent as the gifts of these men were they did nothing in this worke the whole glory of it was to be â— given unto the Lord alone And thus have you seene the first point I propounded confirmed unto you that it is of God onely that the meanes of grace become effectuall unto the conversion of any man And now let us come to the second point which I propounded unto you for the proofe of the Doctrine This worke of Gods spirit in making the meanes of grace effectuall in them that enjoy them is no common worke This powerfull and effectuall grace is not given of God to every man to profit by the Word unto his conversion For first It is expressely said of some Iohn 6.41 45. that this was the cause why they profited not by Christs ministery but murmured against him and his Doctrine because his father did not draw them because they were not taught of God And Iohn 12.38 They beleeved not that the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fufilled which he spâ—ke Lord who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed 1. The arme of the Lord was not revealed to them no not in Christs ministery the mighty spirit of God did not work with the Word in their hearts 2. That was the cause why they did not beleeve and profit by the Word 3. That the onely cause why they were not converted was not because they would not themselves but because the Lord did not give them that grace whereby they should be converted Secondly It is expressely said that Gods intent and
saith Iob. 32.8 There is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding Of this knowledge our Saviour saith to Peter Matth. 16.17 Blessed at thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not reveiled it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Why what was it that Peter had the knowledge of Surely this as you shall find verse 16. That Iesus was Christ the sonne of the living God And could not this bee knowne without the inspiration of the Almighty Why Satan himselfe knew thus much as you shall find Marke 5.7 Yes but he knew it onely with a literall and historicall knowledge he knew it not with that full assurance with that spirituall understanding hee knew not the goodnesse the sweetnesse and power of that truth as Peter did So the Apostle saith Ephes. 4.20 21. No man hath learned Christ no man can know him rightly till he have heard him and beene taught by him Though he have heard and beene taught by the best preachers in the world if hee have not heard Christ by his spirit speaking to his heart if he have not had this inward and powerfull teacher hee can never know Christ aright And that is it which our Saviour also speaketh Iohn 6.45 It is written in the Prophets and they shall bee all taught of God every man therefore saith hee that hath heard and learned of the father commeth unto me and none but he And thus have I finished the first point I propounded for the proofe of the Doctrine No man is able without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit to attaine unto that knowledge of the truth as is sufficient unto his salvation Now for the second point That this supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is not actually vouchsafed unto all that enjoy the meanes of instruction all are not thus taught of God is alas so evident in dayly experience that it were folly to spend time in prooving of it This as it is a miraculous and extraordinary worke of God God who commanded light to shine out of darkenesse saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.6 hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ As mighty a worke as the creating of light at the first when there was nothing but darkenesse upon the face of the deepe Gen. 1.1 2. as mighty and miraculous a worke as the opening of the eyes of them that were borne blind which could never be done but by the divine power Since the world beganne saith the man that had bin blind Iohn 9.32 was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind As I say it is a mighty and extraordinary and miraculous worke of God so is it a rare worke also To you it is given saith our Saviour to his Disciples Matth. 13.11 to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of heaven but to them it is not given Though the Lord command us to teach all men Matth. 8.19 he will not teach all men himselfe What man is hee that feareth the Lord saith David Psal. 25.12 him shall be teach the way that hee shall choose As if hee should say Hee will teach none but such as by his holy spirit hee doth also effectually convert and sanctifie such and none but such shall ever attaine to a certaine and spirituall understanding of Gods truth The secret of the Lord saith David Psalme 25.14 is with them that feare him and hee will shew them his covenant The mystery of God saith the Apostle Col. 1.16 is now made manifest as cleare as the light but to whom to his Saints saith hee and to none but them Certainly the Lord himselfe hath nothing so many hearers nothing so many schollers as we his poore servants have Many are called but few are chosen saith our Saviour more then once to his hearers Mat. 20.16 12.14 Now for the third and last point that I propounded That no cause no reason can be given why God by his holy spirit should teach and give saving knowledge to one rather then to another but only the good pleasure and will of God That he denyeth this mercy to the most yea if he had denyed it to all men there had bin cause and reason enough to be found for that in man himselfe But that he vouchsafeth it to some rather then to others of that no reason at all can bee found in man himselfe but of that we must say as our Saviour doth Mat. 11.26 Even so father for so it seemed good in thy sight And with the Apostle Eph. 1.9 He hath made knowne to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himselfe Lecture CIIII. On Psalme 51.6 Novemb. 25. 1628. NOvv it followeth that wee proceed unto the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine That it is so we have heard it proved sufficiently but now why it is so yea why it must needs be so that whatsoever goodnesse whatsoever soundnes of knowledge is in any man must be ascribed wholly to Gods grace and nothing to man himselfe that remaineth to be enquired into And we shall find in the holy Scriptures two principall reasons given of this the one of them respecteth man and the other the Lord himselfe For the first Every man by nature is not onely utterly void of all true goodnesse of all sound knowledge and understanding but unable also either to doe anything that might move God to give him his grace or to desire it or to receive and accept of it when it pleaseth the Lord to offer it unto him or to withstand and repell it when God is pleased thereby to enlighten and convert his heart For in all these respects hee is neither better nor worse then a dead man Thus speaketh the holy Ghost not only of such as have bin notorious and grosse sinners of such as by their lewdnesse may be thought to have extinguished in themselves that light and goodnes that was in them by nature Such a one was the prodigall of whom his father saith Luk. 15.24 This my sonne was dead And those widowes the Apostle speaketh of 1 Tim. 5.6 She that liveth in pleasure in wantonnesse he meaneth as appeareth ver 11. is dead while she liveth But of all naturall men indefintely the Holy Ghost speaketh so Let the dead bury the dead saith our Saviour Matth. 8.22 Even of them that God loved before all eternity and ordained unto life the Holy Ghost speaketh thus The elect Ephesians were dead men by nature Ephes. 2.1 And the elect Colossians were dead men by nature also Col. 2.13 Yea of them that have beene most civill and morall men that have lived most unblameably in whom the light of nature and the remnants of Gods image that any naturall man can have did most abound even of them I say the Holy Ghost speaketh thus that in their naturall estate they were no better
us to judge surely for these and these sins God hath thus and thus plagued them Thus David saith Psalme 52.6 7. that when the righteous should see the strange judgements of God that should fall upon Doeg and his posterity they should say Loâ— this is the man that made not God his strength but trusted in the abundance of his riches and strengthened himselfe in his wickednes As if they should say He thought that so long as he was in such place and authority and favour with Saul he need not care what he did against David or against the Lords Priests but see now the end of this persecuting wretch The judgement of God that followed him kept his sin in their remembrance and made them oft to talke of it And doubtlesse so should the judgements of God that we see upon such as have bin notoriously wicked for whoredome for oppression for hatred of religion the judgements I say that we see upon them and their families should keepe their sins in our remembrance and cause us oft to thinke and speake of them Nay for as much as those poore Churches of Christ in the Palatinate and Germany and Rochel have bin notoriously knowne to offend generally in the ordinary profanation of the Sabbath the sin that God saith was a chiefe cause of the Iewes captivity Ezekiel 20.13 In the contempt of the ministery of whom the Lord hath said Deut. 12.19 Take heed to thy selfe that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth Forasmuch as I say they have bin notoriously knowne to offend generally this way besides the loosenesse of their lives in drunkennesse and lasciviousnesse professing outwardly religion having a forme of godlinesse as the Apostle spreaketh 1 Tim. 3.5 but denying the power thereof it is not unlawfull for us to impute all this marvailous severity of God towards them unto these their sins But then I answer secondly that there be two wayes whereby wee may offend greatly in this case First When only for the afflictions that they endure and the judgements of God that we see upon any we judge them guilty of some great sin though we know no sin by them nor can justly taxe their conversation any way As it was in Iobs case This I say is a great sin For it is evident by the scripture that the holiest of all Gods servants have bin most sharpely afflicted Such as of whom the world was not worthy as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 11 37 38. were stoned and sawne asunder were tempted were slaine with the sword they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented And God doth not alwayes in afflicting his children correct them for sin but he doth it sometimes only to try their faith patience and to make them examples of faith and patience unto others You are in heavinesse saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.6 7. through manifold temptations that the tryall of your faith being much more precious then gold that perisheth though it be tryed with fire might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. And sometimes he doth it for other causes which he keepeth secret unto himselfe and which the wisest and holiest men under heaven have not beene able to conceive yea this maketh much for his glory that he doth so as we read Prov. 25.2 That the Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes every faithfull man hath ever beene ready to acknowledge Psalme 145.17 Ieremy 12.1 But the wisest and holiest of Gods servants have oft beene astonished at the beholding of his judgements and unable to discerne his meaning in them but have beene constrained in a holy reverence and admiration to cry out as Esa. 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe And Romanes 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his wayes past finding out As if he had said His judgements are so deepe and unsearchable that no man is able to found them to find out the ground and reason of them The second way wherby we may much offend in this case is when though we know sins and great sins too in them whom God thus afflicteth we do by reason of the greatnesse and strangenesse of their afflictions judge them to be no better then hypocrites or greater sinners then our selves or other men whom the Lord doth not so plague as he hath done them For we have heard in the Doctrine God doth use to affliâ—t his owne deare children for sin more sharply in this life then he doth any other It was a strange judgement that fell upon old Ely that he should with a fall breake his necke and dye 1 Sam. 4.18 and doubtlesse his sin in bearing too much with his children in their profanesse was the cause of it yet he were a mad-man that would doubt whether he were a good man and dyed in Gods favour for all that or that would thinke he was a greater sinner then any other in Israel because of that So it was a strange judgement that befell the young Prophet 1 Kings 13 24. and certainely his sin was the cause of it And yet the old Prophet by his mourning for him and charging his sons verse â—9 31. that when he dyed they should bury him in his grave declared that he was undoubtedly assured that he was Gods deare child dyed in his favour for all that O take heed therfore of judging of those poore Churches that have so strangely perished or of any other persons to have beene hypocrites and void of true grace or to have bin greater sinners either then our selves because of the miseries that they have endured Take heed of despising or thinking the worse of any for their afflictions and miseries This is a corruption too strong in all men by nature Prov. 14.20 and 19.17 Eccles. 9.15 16. This is the first sin that is taxed and reproved by the Doctrine that we have heard And there be three things that may discover to us both the folly and the wickednesse and danger also of this humour First That God hath expresly said in his word that we may not judge them the greatest sinners that are most afflicted No man saith the holy Ghost Eccl. 9.1 knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before him that is by any outward thing that doth befall men as he expresseth himselfe verse 2. Suppose ye saith our Saviour Luk. 13.2 3. and to shew the certainty and necessity of this truth he repeateth it againe and giveth another instance of it verse 4 â— Suppose yee that those Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they endured such things They were murdered by Pilate even while they were sacrificing and serving God a strange judgement and yet heare what Christ saith I tell you Nay As if he should say you may not judge so you sin
good works by all their prayers and intercessions to merit of God for any man the pardon of the least sin And in this also Popery doth miserably and damnably deceive the world We know they teach men to trust and expect mercy from God in the pardon of their sin by the merits and intercession of the Saints specially of the blessed Virgin And it is notorious to the world that their whole Church in their publique Liturgie doe oft beg of God the pardon of sinne and deliverance from his wrath for the merits and intercession of such and such Saints Miserable comforters are they that teach poore soules in this case to leane upon the staffe of this bruised reed Of all the Saints that have beene most rich in grace and good workes that may truly bee said which David speaketh of the worldly rich men Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give unto God a ransome for him for the redemption of the soule is precious No Saint was ever able with all his holinesse and good works to pay a price sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for one soule Nay I say more no Saint or Angel durst ever so farre mediate with God as to intreat him for his sake to pardon any one sin to any soule If one man sin against another saith old Ely to his sons 1 Sam. 2.25 the judge shall judge him satisfaction may bee made for the offence by the authority of the magistrate but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him As if he had said No Saint or Angel dare presume to be so much as a mediatour of intercession unto God for any that hath sinned against him Call now saith Eliphaz to Iob 5.1 if there be any that will answer or speake for thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne No none but Christ onely durst ever doe so much for any poore sinner And this is the first point in this Doctrine that doth discover to us how heavy and heinous a thing sin is Secondly Christ himselfe could not cleanse thee from thy sins nor procure thee the pardon of the least of them any other way but by dying for thee The holinesse of his life and that exact obedience he yeelded to the law of God in all points fulfilling all righteousnesse as himselfe speaketh Matth. 3.15 was doubtlesse of great merit and wee received much benefit by it As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners saith the Apostle Rom. 5.19 so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous We are justified in part even by his active obedience for by it we obtaine the imputation of that perfect righteousnesse that giveth us title to the kingdome of heaven For seeing it was not possible for us to enter into life till wee had kept the commandements of God Matth. 19.17 and wee were not able to keepe them our selves it was necessary our surety should keepe them for us And hee by performing to the full for us not for himselfe for he being God and not man only and his manhood having no personall substistance without the Godhead was not bound to keep the law for himselfe he I say by fulfilling the whole law of God did thereby purchase heaven for us and merit that God should account us righteous and perfect fulfillers of his law By this means he brought in everlasting righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh Dan. 9.24 In which respect also the Apostle saith Rom. 10.4 that Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth As if he should say The end of the law is to justifie them that fulfill it and this Christ hath done for every one that beleveth in him and so hath made him righteous before God And for this cause the Apostle saith also Rom. 3.31 Doe we then make void the law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the law As though hee had said The Doctrine of justification by faith in Christ doth no way derogate from the law for it acknowledgeth a necessity not only of satisfaction for the penalty that is due to the transgression of it but also of a full and perfect observation of it in all points by them that would enter into life But though this be so yet Christs active obedience his good works and holy life could never have bin meritorious for us could never have justified us nor brought us to heaven if he had not dyed for us And therefore both our justification and our obtaining of heaven is ascribed to his bloud as if that alone had done both Being justified by his bloud saith the Apostle Rom. 5.9 we shall be saved from wrath through him And we have boldnes to enter into the holiest that is into heaven Heb. 10.19 by the bloud of Iesus So the scripture ascribeth much to the intercession that our Saviour daily maketh for us in heaven much comfort doubtlesse we may receive by this that we have such a friend in the court such an advocate to speake and plead and pray for us unto his father He is able saith the Apostle Heb. 7.25 to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them But his intercession could never have bin meritorious for us it could never have prevailed with God for us to the procuring for us the pardon of the least sin if he had not by his death given full satisfaction to the justice of God for us When Christ is described unto Iohn Rev. 5.8 9. as the only mediatour of intercession for his Church unto whom the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Catholike Church and company of all Gods Saints do bring their golden viols full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints to be presented by him unto his father he is represented to him in the likenes of a lambe that was slaine ver 6.11 And the foure and twenty Elders ver 9. give this for the reason why they bring their prayers unto him and make him their only mediatour of intercession aswell as their only Prophet interpreter of his fathers will Thou art worthy say they to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Hee could not have beene our Prophet neither could his intercession and prayers have ever beene meritorious for us if hee had not dyed for us It is the death of Christ that giveth vertue and merit to his intercession and prayers for us It is the blood of sprinkliâ—g that speaketh better things then that of Abel saith the Apostle Hebrewes 12. â—4 It is that that speaketh for us and pleadeth with God continually for mercy as the other did for vengeance Thirdly Christ himselfe could not by dying for thee have cleansed thee from thy sins nor procured the pardon of the least of them if he had not dyed
Nehemiah knew that God was his God and would remember him in goodnesse as is plaine by his prayer Neh. 13.22 because he had shewed such zeale in punishing the profanation of the Sabbath day And what shall we say then of such Magistrates as having good law and authority to punish swearing and whoring and profanation of the Sabbath have no zeale at all for the execution of such lawes but when any come to them for justice against such offences they are ready to put them off as much as is possible and to extenuate such faults and to say with Gallio Acts 18.15 I will be no judge of such matters and verse 17. Gallio cared for none of those things Certainly these men whatsoever they say have no true assurance that Christs bloud was shed for them if they had they would shew more love to God and care of his honour Lecture CXXIIII On Psalme 51.7 August 4. 1629. NOw concerning the meanes whereby we may attaine to a particular assurance of the pardon of our sins we must first understand that this is a supernaturall worke of the spirit of God and that no man is able of himselfe and by his owne endeavour in the use of any meanes whatsoever to attaine unto it It is the spirit that beareth witnesse saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.6 And againe The spirit it selfe saith the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.16 beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God Yet doth the spirit worke this assurance in the heart of man not by immediate and extraordinary inspirations and revelations but by ordinary meanes And he that shall with an honest heart use these ordinary meanes hath no cause to doubt but that the Lord will be pleased by his holy spirit to work it in him And these meanes we find are of two sorts The first are more outward and bodily the second more inward and spirituall The first are those ordinances of God and exercises of his holy religion which he hath appointed and sanctified which as they were all ordained for this end principally to bring us unto salvation and to worke in us a comfortable assurance of it so he that useth them diligently and conscionably may obtaine it by them Of them all in generall specially of all the parts of Gods solemne and publique worship it is to be observed that David professeth this to be the cause why he was so in love with it why he desired the comfort and benefit of Gods worship and ordinances more then he did any thing in the world besides why he resolved to make this his only suit unto God that he might never be deprived of them One thing saith he Ps. 27.4 have I desired of the Lord that will I seecke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life It is to be observed I say that he professeth this to be the chiefe cause why he was so highly in love with Gods house and ordinances That I may behold saith he the beauty of the Lord and visit his temple And what meaneth he by beholding the beauty of the Lord That he expoundeth himselfe in Ps. 48.9 We have thought of thy loving kindnesse O God in the midst of thy temple The loving kindnesse of God and his speciall mercy to his elect in Christ his favourable and cheerefull countenāce upon his servants that is the Lords beauty that is it that maketh him amiable to his people and that Gods people do behold they do think and meditate upon it farre more cleerly and comfortably in his house and temple in the use of his ordinances then any where els or by any other meanes in the world besides This made him in his troubles and banishment thirst and long after the sanctuary of God so as he professeth he did Psal. 63.1 Every place he lived in where he was deprived of the liberty and comfort of the sanctuary was unto him as a dry and thirsty land where no water is he could find nothing in it to refresh and satisfie the thirst of his soule And verse 2 he giveth the reason why he did so long after the sanctuary To see thy power and thy glory saith he so as I have seene thee in the sanctuary As if he had said I shall never see it so as I have seene it there And what meaneth he by the power and glory of God which he had seene in the sanctuary That he expresseth verse 3. Because thy loving kindnesse is better then life He had seene the mercy and loving kindnesse of God toward him in Christ he had obtained a more comforaable assurance and feeling of it in the Sanctuary in the use of Gods solemne worship and ordinances there then ever he did or could do in any place or by any meanes in the world besides All other places were to him as a dry and thirsty land where no water is in comparison of the sanctuary And certainely they that beleeve this to be so as David did they that know this to be so in their owne experience as he did and as many of you I doubt not have done will stand affected to Gods house and ordinances as he was will highly prize and esteeme of a sound ministery as he did will desire this above all things as he did that they may never want the benefit and comfort of it But to speake of this point distinctly I will instance in three parts of Gods worship onely for this and shew you what force there is in them to breed in the heart of Gods child the assurance of his favour to make him able to behold the beauty of the Lord and the light of his countenance The first of them is diligent and conscionable use of the Word of God both in the reading and hearing of it Two things there be which God hath spoken concerning his Word and the ministery thereof that may give a Christian good ground of hope that by a diligent and conscionable attendance upon this ordinance he may be able to attaine unto a comfortable assurance of Gods favour in Christ. The first is this That the Lord gave his Word and the ministery thereof to that end principally The maine thing that the Lord aimed at both in writing his holy Word and in sending of preachers to his Church is that he might by this meanes bring his people to the knowledge of himselfe and of his mercy in Christ. The second is this That the Lord will by his spirit accompany his Word and the ministery thereof in the hearts of his people and make it effectuall in them unto this end that he hath ordained it for For the first Of the Word in generall it is said that it was written principally for that end to breed in the hearts of Gods people sound comfort Whatsoever things were written asoretime saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope
our sinnes have parted them These things which God hath joyned together we have put asunder Our sinnes have separated betweene us and our God as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 59.2 There is great force in the Word to worke in the heart a comfortable assurance of thy salvation but thine owne corruption hindreth the efficacy and working of it in thee And what corruption principally doth this Surely the infidelity that is in thy heart The word preached did not profit them saith the Apostle speaking of the Israelites that perished in the wildernesse Hebrewes 4.2 not being mixed with saith in them that heard it Nay it is said of our blessed Saviour Marke 6.5 6. that he could do but a little good in Nazareth because of their unbeliefe Thou dost not in thy reading and hearing of the Word believe and make claime unto these promises that God hath made to this his Ordinance thou dost not looke to receive this benefit by it and what marvell is it then if it doe thee so little good Learne in thy reading and hearing of the Word to wait upon God for the performance of these promises with David Psalme 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord God will speake for he will speake unto his people and to his Saints If thou canst with an honest and humble heart wait upon God for comfort in the use of his Ordinance thou shalt certainely find a great deale of comfort by it in the end For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me saith the Lord Esa. 40.23 The second ordinance of God that hath great force to worke and preserve in us assurance of Gods favour in Christ and to recover it when it is lost is the conscionable use of the Lords Supper It is said of Gods people that had received the Passeover in Hezekiahs time with good hearts 2 Chron. 30. that they found marvellous comfort in it Verse 21. They kept the feast with gladnesse And Verse 26. There was great joy in Ierusalem And what was the cause of this great joy Surely they had prepared their hearts to seeke the Lord and his favour in this Ordinance as we read Verse 19. And in the conscionable use of this Ordinance they found assurance of Gods favour and that was the cause of their joy Two things there be that will make it evident to us that there must needs be great force in the conscionable use of the holy Sacrament to sprinkle Christs bloud upon our hearts and to give us assurance it was shed for us First That in this Ordinance Christ and his bloud is applied to us more particularly than by any other meanes that ever God ordained His body and blood is offred by his Minister in his Name and by his commandement to every receiver and offered as meat and drinke which of all things that we receive is most nearely applyed to us and made our owne And offred with a charge and commandement to receive him and feed upon him by faith undoubtedly believing that his bloud was shed for us For this is the commandement of Christ to every one of his people as the Apostle recordeth it 1 Cor. 11.24 Take eat this is my body which was broken for you Secondly Christ and his bloud is in this Ordinance not onely thus particularly offered and applied but verily and really though not corporally but spiritually exhibited and given to every worthy receiver In which respect every Sacrament is said by the Apostle Rom. 4.11 to be a seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith And our Saviour calleth the bread his body and the wine his bloud Mat. 26.26.28 This is my body this is my blood saith he As if hee had said As verily as the one is present unto and received by the body so verily is the other present unto and received by the soule of the worthy receiver And the Apostle moveth a Question as appealing thereby to the conscience of every true believer 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the blood of Christ Is it not an applying of Christs blood to our selves and making of it our owne And how falleth it out then that we that have so often received this holy Sacrament have gotten so little assurance by it that Christ is ours That there is never a whit the more joy in Ierusalem Gods people are never a whit the more comfortable in themselves for being at our Passeover Surely 1 We do not before-hand prepare our hearts to seeke the Lord our God in this Ordinance as they did in Hezekiahs time 2. Wee doe not when wee are at this Ordinance stirre up our selves with humble and thankfull soules to receive that mercy that is offered us from the Lord. But that complaint may bee taken up in this case which the Prophet maketh Esa 64.7 There is none that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Christ commeth to us in this his Ordinance and offereth as with a bunch of hysop to sprinkle his bloud upon us and we will not open our hearts to receive it from him The third and last Ordinance of God that hath great force in it to breed and preserve in our hearts this particular assurance of Gods favour and to recover it when it is lost is prayer This is that that giveth virtue and force to all other meanes and without which no meanes we can use will doe us any good If thou wouldst attaine to a particular assurance of Gods love to thee in Christ thou must seeke to God for it as David doth here and cry unto him as hee doth likewise Psalme 35.3 O Lord say unto my soule I am thy salvation Great is the force of humble and fervent prayer as in all other cases so in this especially Two things we have to assure us of this First The promise of God I will make my people joyfull saith the Lord Esa. 56.7 in my house of prayer What is the thing that maketh Gods people joyfull and comfortable Surely when the Lord lifteth up the light of his countenance upon them and giveth them assurance of his favour as we see plainely Psalme 4.6 7. How and by what meanes will the Lord worke this joy and comfort in them By prayer I will make them joyfull saith he in my house of prayer So speaketh our Saviour Ioh. 16 24. Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full So the Lord promiseth unto his people Levit. 23.27 that the day of their most solemne and fervent prayer wherein they should humble themselves by fasting and afflict their soules to that end that they might pray the more fervently shoud bee a day of attonement and reconciliation betweene him and them they should obtaine more comfortable assurance of his favour upon that day and by that means than by any other Secondly The experience of Gods people may assure us of this Two experiments onely I will give you of this in David The first is
set down in Psalme 6. For when hee made that Psalme it is evident that hee was in great anguish of heart by the losse of his assurance of Gods favour as appeareth by the seven first verses To recover his comfort hee falleth to servent prayer And before hee had ended his prayer hee was so filled with the assurance of Gods favour that he breaketh forth into these patheticall expressions of his joy Verse 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my prayer The second experiment of this in him is in Psalme 31. Where wee finde that when hee had so farre lost his assurance that hee thought as hee saith verse 22. he was quite cut off from God as a dead and rotten branch he betooke himselfe to prayer hee cryed and made many supplication unto God and had such successe in this course that hee bursteth forth into these words verse 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindnesse as in a strong city And how falleth it out then wilt thou say that I have beene so long a suiter to God for this and cannot yet obtaine it I answer thee in the words of the Apostle Iam. 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse Five defects there be in thy prayer that this is to be imputed unto First Either thou prayest not fervently and earnestly for this but there are some other things that thou dost more affect and more earnestly desire then thou dost this Whereas thou shouldst seeke and desire this above all things in the world and say of it as David doth Psal. 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better then life A second defect in thy prayer may bee this that thou livest in some knowne sin unrepented of If thou prepare thine heart saith Zophar Iob 11 13 14 and stretch out thine hand towards him if iniquity be in thine hand put it farre away and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles Hee whose conscience telleth him he doth somewhat daily and purposeth still to doe that he ought not or somewhat he daily omitteth to doe and doth not yet resolve to doe which he ought to do can have no hope to find comfort by his prayer A third defect in thy prayer that may bee the cause why thou speedest no better may bee that thou art not humbled enough in thy prayers for this I tell thee this is a suit worth the setting of a day apart and keeping of a secret fast for Of this spirit of infidelity that possesseth thee and whereby thy poore heart is so vexed and tormented it may bee Christ hath said as once he did of another spirit Mark 9 2â— This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Remember what I told thee out of Levi. 23.27 Of all the dayes of thy life the day of humiliation wherin thou afflictest thy soule in prayer and fasting will prove the day of atonement betweene God and thy soule thou canst use no meanes to get assurance of thy atonement and reconciliation with God better then that A fourth defect in thy prayer that may perhaps bee the cause why thou speedest no better is this that thou prayest not in faith for this blessing Thou usest to pray out of this perswasion that thy heart telleth thee that thou must doe it God hath commanded thee to pray thy conscience will checke and smite thee if thou doe neglect it But thou dost not when thou prayest set before thy mind the promises of God Such as that is Iohn 16 22. Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever yee shall aske the father in my name hee will give it you And that Luke 11.13 If yee beeing evill know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that aske him And this holy spirit is the spirit of adoption that witnesseth with our spirit that wee are Gods children as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.16 These and those other promises we heard of before wee should thinke on when we pray and verily expect the performance of them Thus did David I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed saith hee Psalme 119.147 I hoped in thy word As if he should say The gracious promises thou hadst made in thy word encouraged mee to it So dost not thou Thou prayest for comfortable assurance of Gods favour but thou dost not looke to obtaine it by thy prayer nay thou hadst no hope to obtaine it And so by this thy infidelity when thou prayest thou setttest up a wall of partition betweene God and thy prayer to keepe it from having any accesse unto him Let not that man thinke saith the Apostle Iames 1.7 that hee shall receive any thing of the Lord. The Lord useth to answer his people in their suites as hee did the two blind men Matthew 9.29 According to your faith bee it unto you The fift and last defect in thy prayer that may bee the cause why thou receivest no comfort by it is this that thou faintest in prayer Because thou hast so long sued to God for assurance and comfort and canst yet receive none thou hast beene weary of prayer and given it over and so hast limited the holy one of Israel as they did of whom the Prophet complaineth Psalme 78.41 whereas our Saviour hath taught us by the parable of the unrighteous judge and the widow Luke 18.1 that wee ought alwayes to pray and not to faint Blessed are all they that wait for him saith the Prophet Esa. 30.18 As if hee had said They that wait shall not loose their labour they shall certainly obtaine their suit in the end This is a blessing I tell thee worth the waiting for Many a Saint of God hath waited many yeares for this suit before they have obtained it and when they have obtained it at the last have thought themselves happy men And thus much shall serve to have beene spoken of the first sort of meanes the other we must leave till the next day Lecture CXXV On Psalme 51.7 Aug. 11. 1629. THE second sort of meanes which I call more inward and spirituall then the former are foure principally The first is care to keepe a good conscience in all things The second a diligent observation of our owne wayes The third a consideration of the experiments wee have had of Gods favour The fourth a renouncing of our selves and resting only upon the free grace of God in Christ. First Hee that would get a comfortable assurance of the favour of God in Christ and feele that the bloud of Christ is sprinkled by the spirit of God upon his heart hee that desireth to keepe and preserve in himselfe this assurance or to recover it when hee hath lost it must nourish in his heart a constant care to please God in all his wayes and a feare to offend him in any thing The worke
certainly loose his assurance and comfort by it Your iniquities saith the Prophet to Gods owne people Esa. 59.2 have separated betweene you and your God and your sins have bid his face from you You need no other experiment of this then in David What man hath ever had more comfortable assurance of his salvation and of the favour of God in Christ then he sometimes had Thou art my God and I will praise thee saith he Psal. 118.28 thou art my God and I will exalt thee And Ps. 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare But when this man had once given liberty to himselfe to sin against his conscience in the matter of Vriah see how his assurance and comfort was quite lost and how much adoe he had to recover it againe Make me to heare joy and gladnesse saith he here verse 8. and verse 12. Restore me to the joy of thy salvation But what speake I of grosse sins Let a Christian but grow worldly and secure let him but remit any thing of that watchfulnes care to take heed to his wayes of that feare to offend God in any thing that was wont to be in him and his comfortable assurance of Gods favour will be lost See an experiment of this in the Church and spouse of Christ the mother of us all Cant. 5.2 6. Shee complaineth ver 6. that her wellbeloved had with-drawne himselfe and was gone shee had lost the comfort and assurance of his love and both in that verse and those that follow it appeareth shee had much adoe to recover him againe Shee sought him but shee could not find him shee called upon him but hee gave her no answer And how came this to passe What had shee done Surely shee came to this wofull losse not by any foule sinne shee had falâ—e into but onely through a spirituall lazinesse and wretchlesnesse and worldly security that was crept upon her as appeareth by her answer verse 3. I have put off my coate how shall I put it on I have washed my feete how shall I defile them Shee answered him as a lazy sluggard newly awakened out of his sleepe and loath to arise out of his bed and the effect of her answer was this I am now at ease and quiet and by opening my heart unto thee by receiving thee to rule and governe in it by hearkening and yeeldding unto thee in every thing I shall put my selfe to a great deale of trouble and labour that I am now eased of Certainly this is an answere that many a poore soule hath oft made unto Christ. He hath fallen asleep in worldly security Christ both by his word and spirit knocked oft at the doore of his heart and sought to enter and take full possession of it and because this could not be without trouble to the flesh it would put him to labour and paine therefore he hath refused to open unto Christ and so hath lost him and the comfortable assurance of his love Let us now make some application of this unto our selves And first Let every one of us that complaine wee cannot get assurance of Gods love examine well whither this bee not the cause of it Dost thou not or hast thou not lived in some knowne sin that thou hast not yet repented of or beene humbled for as thou oughtest to bee Or art thou not growne more secure and carelesse of thy wayes and cold in holy duties then once thou wert Certainely this must be found out and repented of or thou canst have no hope at all to recover the assurance of Gods favour Sinne unrepented of is like a filthy vapour rising out of the soule that will cause such a mist and thicke fog betweene God and us as will keepe the light of his countenance from shining upon us That remedy therefore that is prescribed unto us in all other afflictions Lamenta 3.39.40 must bee used in this case Wherefore doth living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sinne Let us search and try our wayes and turnâ— againe unto the Lord. Search thine owne wayes and crave helpe of God also crying to him with Iob 10.2 Shew mee wherefore thou contendest and art angry with me and with the Church Psalme 44 24. Lord wherefore hidest thou thy face If thou canst find out thy sinne that is the cause of this and humble thy selfe and returne unto God by unfeined repentance thou needest not doubt of recovering thy assurance againe Returne unto mee and I will returne unto you saith the Lord of hosts Mal. 3.7 Secondly Let this restraine us from sinne For is there not force enough in this beloved though there were nothing else to make us afraid to sin to doe any thing that wee know would offend God that wee shall bee such loosers by it That though we do not thereby loose our fathers love so farre forth as to cause him to disinherite us yet wee shall loose thereby the assurance of his love wee shall so offend him as it may be wee shall never have kind looke of him againe while wee live Is there any pleasure or profit to bee found in sinne that will countervaile this losse As ungracious a child as Absalom was yet hee professeth 2 Sam. 14.32 that it was no comfort to him at all to bee restored from his banishment to his owne house and land nay it was no comfort to him to live so long as his father refused to looke upon him Thirdly and lastly Should not this make every one of us in love with a Christian course and willing to walke circumspectly and exactly as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 5.15 To watch end be sober as the Apostle Peter exhorteth us to bee 1 Peter 5.1 to grow in grace and take heed of decaying in zeale or 〈◊〉 If you grow remisse and carelesse though you loose not your salvaâ—â—â—â— yet the full and comfortable assurance of it you will certainely loose I know this will not bee done without paine and labour But of all the labours in the world this is the most profitable yea the most comfortable and sweete labour The labour of the righteous tendeth unto life saith Solomon Proverbs 10.16 And who would not labour for life specially for life eternall That which Solomon saith of bodily labour Ecclesiast 5.12 The sleepe of a labouring man is sweete whether hee eate little or much may much more bee said of this labour it will make both our food and rest and all other comforts sweet unto us for it will preserve in us the assurance of Gods love in Christ which will give a pleasant relish unto them all The second of these more inward and spirituall meanes of assurance that I told you of is A diligent observation of our owne wayes It is profitable and necessary for a man that would get or preserve or recover the assurance of Gods favour to observe diligently his owne wayes Many good soules there bee that feare God
saith the Prophet Habacuk 2.4 It is not our feeling but our faith that wee must live by Take two examples to perswade and encourage thee to this The one in David the other in Abraham What time I am afraid saith David Psalme 56.3.4 whensoever I am most disquieted with doubts and feares in my selfe I will trust in thee How could he doe so will you say That hee will tell you in the next words In God saith hee I will praise his word In God have I put my trust As if he had said What cause of feare soever I find in my selfe yet I thanke God I have the word and promise of God that hee will bee mercifull to mee and that I will trust unto Our other example is in Abraham recorded by the Apostle Romanes 4.19 10.21 Hee beleeved that hee should have a sonne by Sarah in whose seed himselfe and all the nations of the earth should be blessed though hee saw and â—elt in himselfe great cause to doubt that this could never possibly bee For his body was now dead that is the strength and vigour of it was quite gone and so was Saraâ—s too How could hee then beleeve this Why hee had Gods word and promise for it and that though it were contrary to his sense and reason he gave credit and trusted to He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe saith the Apostle being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to performe And in thus doing the Apostle saith hee gave glory to God By how much the more matter of doubting and feare and despaire wee feele in our selves by so much the more glory wee give unto God when notwithstanding this wee can give credite unto and rest upon the word and promise of God O but you will say Abraham was strong in saith he staggered not through unbeliefe as the Apostle saith of him there No marvell though his faith were imputed to him for righteousnesse though it justified him in Gods sight What speake you of his example to such a one as I am that am so weake in faith and am ever staggering through unbeliefe can such a faith as mine is justifie me in Gods sight and make Christ and all his merits mine I answer yes the weakest faith will do it if thou can receive Christ rest upon him even with the weakest faith it will serve thy turne The weake faith of the poore man that came to Christ for his child that was possessed Mar. 9.24 though he staggered much through unbeleefe which made him cry with teares Lord I beleeve helpe mine unbeliefe yet this weake faith of his served his turne and obtained mercy from Christ. Take heed thou thinke not that it is the strength of thy faith that justifieth thee no no It is Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which thy faith receiveth and resteth upon that doth it He that hath the feeblest and weakest hand may receive an almes and apply a soveraigne plaister to his wound as well as he that hath the strongest and receive as much good by it too Thy blessed Saviour that gave that charge concerning such as thou art Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones will not despise or reject thee for the weaknesse of thy faith which thou mournest for and strivest to amend but will have tender respect to thee in it A bruised reed saith the Evangelist Mat. 12.20 shall he not breake and smoaking slax shall he not quench This is a comfortable speech indeed will you say for them that can beleeve and trust in Christ though but with a weake faith But alas I find my selfe to be â—ouâ—worthy a wreth so oppressed many times with the sense of my unworthinesse that I cannot beleeve I cannot rest upon Christ nor hope and look for mercy through him When thou art so yet lift up thy heart to God crave helpe of him in this case beg of him that he would make thee able to go to Christ and to rest upon him Do as David did When my heart is overwhelmed saith he Psal. 61.2 lead mee to the rocke that is higher then I. And what was that rocke I pray you Surely the Lord Iesus of whom himselfe saith Matth. 16.18 Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Was the rock that David desired God to lead him unto when thy heart is overwhelmed with feares and doubts and thou canst get no sensible assurance of Gods favour nor comfort in thy selfe nor hast power to goe unto Christ pray thou likewise to God with David that he would lead thee to this rocke that he would make thee able to stay and rest thy selfe upon Christ and then the gates of hell all the subtiltie and power of the divell shall never be able to prevaile against thee This is all true indeed If I could pray I were happy when I find my selfe able to pray then am I safe but alas my heart is so overwhelmed many times that I cannot pray To this I answer First That it may well bee so with thee for so it hath beene with many a good servant of God Thus David complained Psalme 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speake Thus good Hezekiah said of himselfe Esa. 38.14 Like a craâ—e or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a dove And the Apostle telleth us Romanes 8.26 it is thus oft with Gods people in extreame affliction Wee know not hee putteth himselfe in the number what wee should pray for as wee ought But then I say secondly When thou findest thy selfe thus unable to pray yet doe what thou canst pray as well as thou canst chatter unto God as Hezekiah did sigh and grone unto God as the Apostle there saith the faithfull oft doe they pray with gronings which they cannot utter and even this will prevaile with God as much as any prayer which with the greatest liberty and freedome of spirit thou ever madest unto him in all thy life David found it to be so for hee saith Psalme 77.1 the Lord gave eare unto him even when he cryed to him in such a troubled manner And Hezekiah found it to be so for he saith that after that chattering prayer of his hee found abundance of comfort Thou hast saith hee Esa. 38.17 in love to my soule delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe And the Apostle giveth us this reason why it must needs be so Romanes 8.27 Hee that searcheth the hearts saith hee knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because hee maketh intercession for the Saints acrording to the will of God As if hee should say Those prayers that are made with sighs and grones which wee cannot utter proceed from Gods spirit as well as any other that ever wee made and the Lord that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of his
for themselves why they cannot rejoyce nor take that comfort in him that they ought to do which I will endeavour to strengthen you against Alas saith one how can I be joyfull or comfortable in Christ that have the hand of God so heavy upon me many wayes as I have both in outward and inward afflictions and which though I have oft and long sought to the Lord to be eased and delivered from them yet I cannot prevaile To this I answer Remember what thou hast heard in the Doctrine 1. Thou maist be as deare to God as any is upon earth though thou be thus afflicted For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth saith the Apostle Heb. 12.6 and scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth 2. Thou canst not justly say that those afflictions that thou complainest so much of are certaine arguments that God is angry with thee for some sinne that thou art guilty of For it may be he hath no respect at all in them to thy sinnes but either to keepe thee from some sin that he seeth thou art in danger to fall into if thou shouldst not bee thus kept under as it was in Pauls case 2 Cor. 12 7. or to try thy faith and patience and make thee an example of faith and patience unto others as it was in Iobs case 3. Admit God hath respect to thy sinne in keeping thee thus under the rod so long yet are not thy afflictions punishments whereby God taketh vengeance on thee for thy sinnes but fatherly chastisements onely whereby he intendeth to doe thee good Christ thy Saviour hath borne the whole punishment due to thy sins The Lord hath laid upon him saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 the iniquity of us all And thou maist be sure that God hath pardoned and will never lay to thy charge that sinne that he thus correcteth in thee because thou dost what thou canst to find out thy sinnes and the sins thou hast found out thou art unfeignedly humbled for and resolvest to forsake For repentance and remission of sins are never separated as is plaine by that speech of Christ Luke 24.47 4. Lastly So long as thy sinnes are pardoned thou maist bee and hast just cause to bee comfortable what ever thine afflictions be Sonne be of good cheere saith our Saviour Matth. 9.2 to the man that had as uncomfortable a disease upon him as a man can lightly have thy sinnes are forgiven thee As if hee had said This is a sufficient cause of comfort unto thee what ever thy distresses and afflictions be How can I take comfort in Christ saith another that am privy to my selfe of such odious and enormious sins as I have beene guilty of in times past yea as I find in my selfe continually such cursed and blasphemous thoughts as never child of God was troubled with To this I answer First Christ hath satisfied the justice of God not for small and ordinary and common sinnes of his people onely but for all their sinnes how great and heinous soever they have beene The bloud of Iesus Christ his Sonne cleanseth us from all sinne saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1.7 As all bodily diseases were alike to him He healed every disease saith the Evangelist Mat 9.35 and every sicknesse among the people so all sinnes which are the diseases of our soules are alike to him Blesse the Lord ô my soule saith David Psal. 103.2 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities and healeth all thy diseases Let Israel hope in the Lord saith David Psalme 130.7 for with the Lord there is mercy and with him there is plenteous redemption As if he had said The redemption that Christ made the ransome that hee paid was not scant but plenteous enough and enough againe for all the sinnes of his people how many or how heinous soever they were Where sinne abounded saith the Apostle Romanes 5.20 grace did much more abound As if hee should say No sinne of any of Gods elect can be so great but the merit of Christ and Gods mercy in him is farre greater Secondly The benefit of this ransome that Christ hath paid doth certainely belong to thee because those heinous sins that thou complainest of are a burden to thy conscience thou yeeldest not to them but labourest and strivest against them For our Saviour expressely saith that such shall find rest and comfort by him Come unto me saith he Mat. 11.28 all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest Thirdly and lastly The consideration of the heinousnesse of thy sins which thou art thus troubled with and consequently which Christ hath purchased thy pardon for should be so farre from making thee unable to rejoyce in Christ as none under heaven hath so much cause to rejoyce and take comfort in him as thou hast They to whom many and foule sins such as that poore womans were of whom Christ speaketh Luk. 7.47 are forgiven will love Christ and consequently rejoyce in him much but to whom little is forgiven the same will love but litle Paul that counted himselfe chiefe of all sinners as he saith 1 Tim. 1.15 found more joy and comfort in Christ then we shall read of any other to have done this he often maketh profession of 1 Cor. 15.31 Gal. 6.14 Phil. 3.3 and sundry other places Nay in that very place where he calleth to remembrance how horrible a sinner he had beene and what mercy hee had found with God through Christ he bursteth forth into this doxology 1 Tim. 1.17 Now unto the King eternall immortall invisible the only wise God be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen There is yet a third objection A third reason that many a poore soule alledgeth why he cannot rejoyce in Christ nor take comfort in him He that truly beleeveth in Christ hath just cause indeed to rejoyce in him saith he As Elizabeth said of Mary Luk. 1.45 Blessed is she that beleeveth so saith he ô they are happy that can truly beleeve in Christ. But alas I cannot beleeve Now unto this poore soule I have these two things to say First Yeeld not to this infidelity of thy heart but strive against it stir up thy selfe to take hold of Christ to beleeve in him and consider what encouragements God hath given thee in his Word to do so 1. God hath commanded that Christ and the pardon that he hath purchased should in the ministery of the Gospell be offered in most generall termes to thee as well as to any other thou art not excepted out of this pardon Goe and preach the Gospell saith Christ Mat. 16.15 that is offer this pardon to every creature 2. Christ hath in his Word made offer of himselfe and all his merits to such as thou art more then to any other 1. Thou knowest and feelest the burden of thy sins And such he inviteth above all others to come to him Matth. 11.28 and assureth them they shall receive benefit by him 2. Thou thirstest
after Sermons these holy brethren that stand so much upon sincerity and can abide nothing that savours of Popery these precise fooles that must be singular forsooth that dare not sweare by small oathes were all well taxed to day We see they are no better than hypocrites all these things have beene found in hypocrites we heare Let no man I say say so For though these things have beene found in some hypocrites yet are they no signes to know an hypocrite by neither are they all hypocrites that do thus neither is an hypocrite that doth thus an hypocrite for that cause because he doth thus But thou in scorning any man for this very thing because he maketh profession of religion because he goeth to Sermons because he useth prayer and so seemeth more holy than his neighbours because he is scrupulous in the smallest thing that he thinketh to be a sinne bewrayest the profanenesse of thine owne heart and openest thy mouth against heaven as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 73.9 All these five things that I have instanced in are such things as God is highly pleased with and hath promised great reward unto as I will shew you particularly First It is a singular good thing to love and delight in the sound Ministery of the Word and such a thing as a Christian may take much comfort in Great peace have they saith David Psal. 119.165 that love thy Law And by the Law and Word of God the same thing is meant throughout that Psalme and nothing shall offend them And on the other side That man can have no true goodnesse in him that hath no love to the Word that careth not for it For faith commeth by hearing of the Word as the Apostle saith Rom. 10.17 Yea he must needs be in a most wofull estate though he feele it not For He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 28.9 even his prayer shall be abomination And what shall other his actions be if his prayer be so Secondly It is a singular good thing also to use prayer constantly The Holy Ghost praiseth Cornelius for this Acts 10.2 that he prayed unto God alway As if he should have said He kept a constant course in prayer He that useth it must needs receive a blessing from God by it This is so ordinary a thing with God to blesse them much that pray much that our Saviour saith Matth. 7.8 Every one that asketh receiveth It is said of Obed-Edom 2 Sam. 6.11 that while the Arke of God continued in his house the Lord blessed him and all his houshold And the blessing that he received by it was so sensible and apparent that others were able to take notice and to tell David of it It was told to David saith the holy story 2 Sam. 6.12 that the Lord had blessed the house of Obed-Edom and all that pertained unto him because of the arke of God And certainly there is no family where prayer and Gods Worship is constantly used morning and evening but the whole family useth to receive a blessing by it Yea God hath been wont to shew such respect unto this duty that he hath oft rewarded it and given a blessing unto it a temporall blessing I meane not onely when it hath beene performed by his owne faithfull servants with a good heart but even when it hath been used also by such as have had no truth of grace in them at all As appeareth in the example both of Iehoabaz the King of Israel 2 King 13.4 5 and of the mariners Ion. 1.14 15. And on the other side as they can have no true goodnesse in them but are Atheists in heart that use not to pray Psal. 14.14 The foole hath said in his heart there is no God He calleth not upon God so the many houses where no prayer is used seeme to prosper as well as any other doe yet certainly God hath given sentence already against them in that Propheticall prayer which we read Ier. 10.25 Powre out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy Name There wanteth nothing but that God give order for the execution of this sentence which he hath already given against them which how soone and in what manner he will doe it is knowne onely to himselfe no man can tell Lecture CXXXV On Psalme 51.7 Decemb. 22. 1629. IT followeth now that we confirme the same unto you in the other three particulars And for the third Although there be as I shewed you some hypocrites that seeme to be strict observers of the Sabbath Day yet is that no signe of an hypocrite neither is the conscionable and precise observation of the Sabbath to be misliked ever a whit the more for that For it is a singular good thing to be strict in the observation of the Sabbath and such a thing as God is highly pleased with and hath been wont to reward wheresoever he findeth it I will give you a full proofe of this in one particular To keepe a bodily rest upon that day from all our owne workes is but one particular that is required of us in the observation of the Sabbath Nay that is as I may say but the outside of the commandement and concerneth onely the outward man the outward and bodily observation of it Of the fourth commandement as well as of all the rest that may truely bee said which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.14 of the whole Law We know saith he that the law is spirituall The spirituall observation of it by the inward man when wee call the Sabbath a delight the holy of the Lord honourable as the Prophet speaketh Esa 58.13 That is When wee can joy in that day as in the Lords owne holy Day and esteeme it in our heart a farre greater and more honourable Day than any other day keeping the rest and performing the duties of the Day cheerefully reverently conscionably spiritually This spirituall observation of it I say by the inward man is the chiefe thing that God requireth of us in the fourth commandement The outward and bodily observation of it which may bee performed by a man that hath no truth of grace in him at all is nothing in Gods account in comparison of this And yet of this bodily observation of the Sabbath by the outward man the resting from our owne workes is but the least part The exercising of our selves upon that day in doing of the Lords worke the spending of it in such holy duties both publike and private as may breed and increase grace and sanctification in us is a greater matter and more pleasing to God a great deale than that is No man may think hee hath kept the Sabbath well because hee resteth from all the labours of his calling upon that Day So farre forth the bruit beast thy oxe and thy horse keepeth the Sabbath as well as thou For so is the expresse commandement Deuteronomie 5.14 Neither thy
oxe nor thy asse nor any of thy cattell shall doe any worke upon that Day Of thee that art a man and a Christian man God requireth more than so Hee will have thee not onely to rest from thine owne labours but to spend the Day so farre as thy bodily necessitie will permit in such religious duties as may make thee a more holy and a better man The Hebrew word Sabbat from whence the Sabbath Day received the name signifieth not such a rest as wherein one sitteth still and doth nothing as the word Noach doth but onely a resting and ceasing from that which hee did before So God is said Genesis 2.2 to have rested the seventh Day not that hee rested from all workes For My Father worketh hitherto and I worke saith our Saviour Iohn 5.17 but because he rested from all the worke that hee had made as Moses saith there As if hee had said Hee rested from creating any thing more And so wee likewise are expresly commanded to rest upon the Sabbath not from all workes but from such workes as we did and might doe upon the six dayes God never allowed us any day to spend in idlenesse and doing of nothing specially not that day But hee hath appointed us workes and duties for that Day which hee would have us as carefull to goe about them as we are upon any other day to goe about the workes of our calling and when wee are at them to performe them with every whit as much diligence and care to doe them well as wee doe any worke wee take in hand upon the six dayes Let no man say what would you have us to doe if we may do no businesse upon the Sabbath Would you have us spend the time in sleeping or talking or sitting at our doores or walking abroad How would you have us passe the time for the whole day To such a one I answer Thou hast so much worke to doe as if thou wert as thou shouldst bee thou wouldst complaine that thou wantest time to doe it And yet this worke that God hath enjoyned us to spend this day in hath such interchange and variety in it as no good hearth hath cause with those carnall professours Malachy 1.13 to snuffe at it and to cry behold what a wearinesse it is how â—edious and toylesome a thing it is to keepe the Sabbath as these men would have us to doe But the true Christian findeth just cause to call the Sabbath a delight as the Prophet speaketh Esa 58.13 for all this worke and labour that God hath enjoyned us in it Wee have publike duties to performe on that day in Gods house And both the family-duties and secret duties which wee are bound to performe every day are by the equity of that law Numbers 28.9 10. to bee doubled upon the Sabbath Day And in very deed the Lord hath for that very cause chiefly commanded us to rest from all our owne worke upon the Sabbath Day that wee might the better attend upon and profit by these holy workes these duties of piety and religion which are the proper workes of that Day For that is the chiefe end that the Sabbath was ordained for Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy saith the Lord in the fourth commandement Exodus 20.8 And Deuteroâ—omie 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it And I gave them my Sabbaths saith the Lord Ezekiel 20.12 to be a signe betwixt mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them As if hee had said Hee remembreth not nor keepeth the Sabbath he regardeth it not nor careth for it how strict soever he be in resting from his owne labours that keepeth it not holy that spendeth in not in such religious duties as wherein we may know and feele by experience that it is the Lord who by his ordinances doth sanctifie him who doth both begin and increase grace in his soule And yet though this be so though the bodily observation of the Sabbath and that that is performed by the outward man onely bee nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall observation of it with the heart and inward man and though our resting from our owne labours in that Day bee the least part even of the outward and bodily observation of it Yet see what account the Lord maketh even of that and how highly he is pleased with it This will sufficiently appeare unto you in that promise the Lord hath made unto it Ier. 17.24 26. wherein he plainly declareth that the flourishing estate both of Church and Common-wealth dependeth greatly even upon this even upon the strict observing of the bodily rest from our owne workes upon the Lords holy Day Two things are to be observed in this promise 1. The duty unto which the promise is made ver 24. If ye diligently hearken unto me saith the Lord to bring in no burden through the gates of the City on the Sabbath Day but hallow the Sabbath Day to doe no worke therein As if hee should say If ye carefully looke to this that no burdens no carriages goe in and out at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath Day that the Sabbath may be but so farre hallowed that no worke be suffred to be done upon that Day You see the promise is made even unto the bodily rest even unto so much as an hypocrite and carnall man may performe and which every Magistrate and Master and Father hath power to compell such unto as are under their government Even to this I say the promise is made Then secondly observe the blessing and reward that is promised even unto this and that is twofold The first concerneth the common-wealth and civill state Verse 25. Then shall there enter into the gates of this City Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David riding in chariots and upon horses they and their Princes the men of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem and this City shall remaine for ever As if he should say I will maintaine the honour and dignity the wealth and strength the peace and safety of this State and Kingdome The second blessing that is promised concerneth the Church and State of Religion Verse 26. And they shall come from the Cities of Iuda and from the places about Ierusalem c. As if he should say My solemne assemblies shall be duly frequented there shall be no sects and heresies no schisme or separation I will continue mine owne worship and the purity of my holy Religion among you You see beloved by this one place how much God is pleased even with the outward rest from our owne works upon the Sabbath Day and what a happinesse it would bring both to the Church and Common-wealth if even that were observed On the other side it is worth the noting how all publike judgements and common calamities that ever befell Gods people are imputed by the Holy Ghost to no one sinne more than to the profanation of
that none shall receive benefit by the death of Christ but such only as doe beleeve in him God so loved the world saith our Saviour himselfe Ioh. 3.16 That he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting And it is certaine that all men have not faith as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thes. 3.2 Nay it is evident that there be but very few of them that live in the Church and professe the truth that have true faith And when thy conscience shall be awakened beloved thou wilt finde that there is in thee an evill heart of unbeleefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 3.12 that there is no one sinne that thou art more strongly inclined to then to infidelity that though now in the time of health and peace thou thinkest it the easiest thing in the world to beleeve in Christ it is a matter of of extreame difficulty to beleeve aright Two evident reasons there are for it First All men are by nature utterly unable to beleeve There is in the bloud of Christ a fountaine opened to us by the Gospell for sinne and for uncleannesse as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 13.1 And if we could get into that fountaine if we could make use of and apply to our selves the water of that fountaine certainely it would cleanse us perfectly from all our sinnes But alas we are like unto that poore impotent man that lay at the poole of Bethesda Ioh. 5.7 he knew well enough that if he could have got into the poole so soone as the Angell had stirred the water he should have beene perfectly cured but he could not of himselfe get into the poole And so is it with every one of us by nature the fountaine of Christs bloud is able to cleanse us throughly from all our sinnes and this fountaine is by the Ministery of the Gospell opened even unto us it is not shut against any of us none of us are barred or excluded from it but though it be thus opened we cannot get into it of our selves No man can come to mee saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.44 Except my Father which hath sent me doe draw him The Lord must by his spirit change our hearts he must draw us unto Christ by his mighty and out stretched arme and make us able to beleeve in him or we shall never come unto him Yea the Apostle calleth this Eph. 1.19 a worke of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power that any man is made able to beleeve in Christ aright And this helpe this grace God doth not vouchsafe to all he draweth not all but whom it pleaseth him The winde bloweth where it listeth saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.8 So is every one that is borne of the Spirit The Sonne quickneth whom he will saith hee Ioh. 5.21 Nay hee vouchsafeth this mercy but to few Who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet Esaâ— 53.1 And to whom is the arme of the Lord reveiled And this is the first cause why so few doe truely beleeve The second is this that some are through Gods just judgement upon them for some former sinnes smitten of God with a supernatuall inability to beleeve Therefore they could not beleeve saith our Saviour out of the Prophet Esay Ioh. 12.39 40. because God had blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts Oh then beloved seeing there be so few in comparison that shall have any benefit by Christ it standeth us upon to take heed we be not deluded any longer with a conceit of the common interest that all men have in Christ but diligently to enquire whither wee our selves be of that small number or no whether we can finde in our selves those notes whereby Christ hath marked his owne sheepe and whereby hee will owne them for his Certainely as the Lord himselfe knoweth them that are his as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 2.19 so he hath set that marke upon them as whereby themselves also may know that they are his I know my sheepe saith he Ioh. 10.14 And I am knowne of mine Wee know saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.13 that we dwell in him and he in us O what a happinesse is this to a Christian to be sure of this And on the other side what sound comfort can a man have in life or death if he be not sure of this Alas the more confident that any man is of his interest in Christ the more wofull will his case bee if when hee shall appeare before Christ Christ will not owne him because he findeth not his marke upon him or if when his owne conscience shall be awakned he shall looke and search for Christs marke upon himselfe and cannot be able to finde it When Christ shall say to them that were confidently perswaded that they had great interest in him I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me as we read Luke 13.27 28. he will one day say to many such persons there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth saith our Saviour If you aske mee What marke is that Christ useth to brand his sheepe withall whereby he will owne them and whereby themselves may know that they are his I answer It is his holy Spirit which he giveth to all that truly believe in him He that is joyned to the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 6.17 is one spirit As if he had said He hath in him the very same spirit that is in Christ. If any man have not the spirit of Christ saith the Apostle Romans 8.9 hee is none of his Therefore also is the holy Spirit called the Lords seale that he setteth upon his and whereby he doth use to marke them After ye believed in Christ saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.13 ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise When once a man findeth that he hath this seale this marke upon him he may confidently and comfortably conclude that certainely he is Christs and Christ is his and till then hee can never know it Hereby wee know saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.24 that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us and 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit But may not this marke be counterfeited will you say May not a man easily mistake and be deceived in this and thinke he hath the Spirit of Christ when he hath it not indeed I answer Yes that hee may or els wee should not bee so oft and so earnestly charged as we are 2 Corinth 13.5 to examine our selves to prove our owne selves and Galat. 6.4 Let every man prove his owne worke But yet by the fruits and effects of the Spirit that he findeth in himselfe the true believer may certainely know that the Spirit of Christ doth dwell in him indeed I have oâ—t had occasion heretofore to speake of sundry fruits of faith and effects of the Spirit whereby he that is in Christ and hath
15. did me much evill the Lord reward him according to his works of whom he thou aware also for he hath greatly withstood our words And what was the cause of his falling thus fearfully That the Apostle hath told us he forsook a good conscience He gave liberty to himself to sinne against his conscience to live in some knowne sinne Corruption in manners will breed corruption in judgement A man that hath once knowne and professed the truth is seldome knowne to fall into Popery or any other heresie till he had first forsaken a good conscience and by living in knowne sinnes provoked God to give him over thus farre So among other judgements this is one whereby God threatneth to punish the disobedience of his people Deut. 28.36 Thou shalt serve other gods of wood and of stone thou shalt become a grosse and senslesse idolater And the Apostle speaking of them that in this last age should be drawne unto Popery 2 Thes. 2. he speakes of it Vers. 11. as of a fearefull judgement of God upon men for some sinnes they had beene guilty of For the cause saith he God shall send them strong delusiâ—â—s that they should believe a lie They shall be strongly deluded How By the learning or holinesse or miracles of their Priests No but by the most just hand and curse of God upon them God shall send them strong delusions that there shall be no errour in Popery so grosse no lie so palpable but they shall verily and undoubtedly believe it Marvell not then at their confidence For this cause saith the Apostle For what cause What is the sinne 〈◊〉 provokes God to plague men in this manner He nameth two one in Vers. 10 because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved the second Vers. 12. because they tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse To conclude then this second direction what hope can there be that many common Protestants though they be willing to heare and make profession of the truth should ever be able to continue constant in the truth in the time of tryall but that they will be apt to turne Papists blasphemers and persecutors of the truth when a time of tryall shall come seeing 1 they beare no love to the truth at all take no delight in it love every trifle and vanity better than it 2 they give liberty to themselves to live in knowne sinnes and take pleasure therein 3 they content themselves with a forme of godlinsse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 but deny and renounce the power of it and hate it mortally wheresoever they see it casting the most odious aspersious upon it Lecture CXLIX On Psalme 51.7 Nouem 1. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the third Direction and that is this He that would preserve himselfe from falling quite away from the truth and forsaking his religion must take heed of declining from or forsaking of the least truth he must not give himselfe liberty to shrink and fall from the least truth that God hath revealed unto him and wherein his conscience hath beene convinced that it is indeed a truth of God Two things there be whereby men do falsly warrant themselves to take this liberty and they be both of them certaine and undeniable truths First That there be many good and worthy men that see not nor make any reckoning of such truths as themselves have been convinced in And indeed a man may bee a right good man and indued with a great measure of saving grace and yet he cannot see nor be perswaded of some truths that God hath taught us in his holy Word but his judgement is erroneous and unsound in some points yea though he hath had great meanes to informe him in the truth yet he cannot see it And that therefore difference in judgement in some things which cannot be without errour on the one side should not alienate the hearts of brethren one from another as I shewed you in my last lecture but two out of Rom. 14 1-6 Secondly That on the other side there be many in whom no life nor power of godlinesse can be discerned that busie themselves altogether and glory in these points And indeed it is an ill signe in any and a shrewd note of an hypocrite to busie his braines about truths of lesâ—e moment with neglect of greater when a man shall seeke to be expert and cunning in those truths which concerne the ceremonies and discipline of the Church and be stiffe in the holding and maintaining of them and yet be ignorant and void of all desire to learne the doctrine of faith and repentance of mortification and newnesse of life the meaning of the ten commandements and articles of our faith of the Lords Prayer and doctrine of the Sacraments For such persons are doubtlesse under that wo that Christ denounceth Mat. 23.24 against them that straine at a gnat and swallow a camell But though these two things I say be so yet for a man to be wilfully ignorant of the truth of God in any thing wherein he is pleased to reveale his will unto us in his holy Word or to forsake it when he hath once beene convinced of it out of this conceit that it is but a small matter a trifle a man may be saved though he never know nor hold such a truth is a very dangerous sinne Observe I pray you the proofe of this in three points First Though some truths of God be comparatively greater than others as our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 some matters of the Law and Word of God are weightier than others yet is not any one truth of God to be accounted small or of little or no moment even of those points of the law which he cals but gnats in comparison of others our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone even those small things ought not to be neglected ought not to be left undone I have written to them saith the Lord Hos. 8.12 the great things of my Law They are all great things that God hath written and revealed to us in his holy Word All the truths of God which the Apostles when the Spirit fell upon them in cloven tongues like fire did utter and teach are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2 11. Magnalia Dei the great things of God Yea the least truth of God that he hath revealed in his Word is to be esteemed of greater moment and weight than heaven and earth and all the creatures contained in them It is easier for heaven and earth to passe saith our Saviour Luk. 16.17 than that one title of the law should faile It is therefore a great contempt done unto Gods Word to think so lightly of any thing he hath taught us in it as if it were not worth the knowing or not worth the holding and sticking to when we do know it When David hath professed his high esteeme of Gods Word
judgement or practise Give thy strength unto thy servant saith David Psal. 86.16 and 119.117 Hold thou me up and I shall be safe So Cornelius when his mind was much perplexed and troubled with the great difference of opinion and doctrine which he found among the teachers in his time took this course to settle himselfe in the truth hee gave himselfe much to fasting and prayer as you may read Acts 10.30 31. Yea see what confidence and boldnesse they have used in their prayers in this case You heard even now out of Cant. 1.7 how familiarly and boldly the Spouse of Christ finding her selfe to be in danger to be seduced expostulateth with him and teacheth us by her example that we may and should doe so in the like case O thou whom my soule loveth saith she why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flockes of thy companions As if shee had said Why shouldst thou suffer me to be mislead by any false teacher or seducer whatsoever The like familiar expostulation you shall find David using in this case Psalme 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soule from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walke before God in the light of the living As if hee should say Thou hast redeemed me and effectually called mee and justified and sanctified mee in some measure and wilt not thou keepe mee from falling from thy truth into any damnable errour And thus have I finished that which I have to say touching this second fruit and effect whereby a man may know himselfe to have the spirit of Christ that is Constancy in the true religion of Christ. Lecture CL. On Psalme 51.7 Novemb. 15. 1631. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the third principall effect and fruit whereby a man may know that he hath the spirit of Christ. The point then that we have now to handle is this Hee that hath indeed the spirit of Christ in him and is in the state of grace will take to heart the cause of God and of his holy religion nay he cannot choose but doe so I will give you both the explication and the proofe of the point together that is I will both shew you what it is to take to heart the cause of God and religion and also prove that he that hath the spirit of Christ in him cannot choose but doe it And this I will doe first generally and then more particularly And my generall proofes shall be an introduction unto the particulars In my generall proofes I will observe three degrees First then he that hath the spirit of Christ in him cannot choose but love the Lord unfeignedly yea love him above all other things even better then his owne selfe This is made the summe of the first Table of all the duty and worship we owe unto God Mar. 12.30 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God c. If any man come to me saith our Saviour Luk. 14.26 and â—ate not that is love not lesse then me as it is to be interpreted out of Mat. 10.37 his father and mother and wife and children and brethren and sisters yea and his owne life also hee cannot be my Disciple He cannot be in the state of grace he cannot have the spirit of Christ that doth not thus love the Lord. And on the other side he that can find in himselfe that he doth thus love the Lord though he have otherwise many defects in himselfe may be assured that he is in the state of grace that he hath the spirit of Christ in him If any man love God 1 Cor. 8.3 the same is knowne of him hee is approved and beloved of God Therefore when Christ would comfort Peter after his grievous fall he examineth him thrice and by his examining of him so provokes him to examine himselfe about this Ioh. 21.15 Simon sonne of Ionas lovest thou me As if he had said then all is well be of good comfort thou art in a happy state Secondly No man can thus love God but he must needs have the zeale of God in him he cannot but be zealous for God grieved and troubled in himselfe to see God dishonoured When David had said Psal. 119.158 I beheld the transgressours and was grieved because they kept not thy word He gives in the next words the reason of it verse 159. Consider how I love thy precepts Because he loved God and his Word he could not but grieve to see him dishonoured See an example of this in Eliah I have beene very zealous for the Lord of hoasts saith he 1 King 19.10 He was so troubled for the dishonour he saw done to God under the governement of Ahab and Iezabel that it made him weary of his life as you may see verse 4. See it also in David Psal. 69.9 His zeale had even eaten him up he saith and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me as an intollerable burden that I cannot beare See lastly an example of this in Hezekiah and his Nobles 2 King 19.1 4. We read that Hezekiah rent his cloathes and clad himselfe in sackcloth and so did his Princes too they were in great griefe and trouble of mind And what was the cause of it Not the extreame danger they were in of the sword of Sennacherib who had proclaimed warre against them and had already taken all the defensed cities of Iuda Chap. 18.13 and was so potent an enemy that he was able to besiege Ierusalem with an army of above an hundred fourescore and five thousand Chap. 19.35 No no the blasphemy that Rabshakeh had belched out against God and the reproach and dishonour he had cast upon him troubled them more then all the danger they were in In craving the Prophets prayer he mentioneth this more then the other This is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy saith he ver 3. and ver 4. It may be the Lord thy God will heare all the words of Rabshakeh whom his master hath sent to reproach the living God And in his prayer unto God verse 16. he complaines most of this Heare the words of Sennacherib who hath sent him to reproach the living God Thirdly and lastly He that hath any true zeale of God in him will shew and expresse it towards his house and worship especially Thus did David shew his zeale for God The zeale of thy house saith hee Psalme 69.9 hath eaten mee up And so did Iehojada 2 Chron. 24.16 the cause of that great honour that was done him after his death is said to be this Because hee had done good in Israel towards God and towards his house hee had restored and established the pure worship of God in Iudah And so did Nehemiah expresse his zeale for God and tooke great comfort in expectation of reward from God for it Remember me saith he Neh. 13.14 ô my God concerning this thing and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of
faithfull Iewes that had beene before much offended with Peter for going unto Cornelius heard of the fruit and successe of his Ministery there it is said Acts 11.18 That they hâ—ld their peace and glorified God saying then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Though we know that the Iewes naturally fretted at nothing so much as this to heare that the Gentiles should become Gods people as every naturall man doth to see others more Religious then him selfe yet the Iewes that were converted joyed greatly in this When Paul and Barnabas Acts 15.3 declared to them the conversion of the Gentiles they caused great joy unto all the brethren He that hath any grace in his owne heart will joy in the conversion of others And on the other side he that hath the spirit of Christ in him cannot choose but grieve to see how unfruitful the Gospel is in most places how little power it hath in the hearts of men This the Prophet foretold Esa. 53.1 should be the complaint and lamentation of the Ministers of the Gospell and daily experience proves it to be so Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed And of our blessed Saviour it is said Mar. 8.12 that when he saw the infidelity and hardnesse of heart that was in the Pharisees and Iewes who though they had seene so many miracles of his and heard so many of his gracious and powerfull Sermons could not beleeve but asked still for a signe from heaven that he sighed deepely in his spirit to see and thinke of this And so will every one in some measure doe that hath the spirit of Christ in him when hee seeth the marvellous senselessenesse of most men under the powerfull and excellent meanes of grace that they doe enjoy The reasons of this point and the application of it I must deferre till the next day Lecture CLI On Psalme 51.7 November 29. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed to give you the grounds and reasons of this point and then make some application of it unto our selves The reasons then why we should thus take to heart the cause of God and of his holy Religion why we should joy in the liberty of the Gospell and in the fruitfulnesse and good successe of it and mourne for the contrary are three principally according to the respect we ought to have unto three severall persons that are interested in it in respect had 1. Vnto other men 2. Vnto our selves 3. And principally unto the Lord. The first reason I will for the helpe of your understanding and memory deliver distinctly unto you in three degrees First we are bound in conscience to love the persons of all men and we can have no comfort in our owne estate unlesse our hearts can beare us witnesse we doe so The Lord make you saith the Apostle 1 Thes. 3.12 to increase and abound in love one towards another and towards all men Secondly If we do not love their soules unfeignedly desire their salvation there is no true love to them in our hearts I know well the most of you thinke otherwise you thinke you love your neighbours your friends your Wives your children well and dearely though you have no care at all of their soules but leave the care of them to God alone Nay they are of all others accounted the most loving and kind natured men that have least care of all either of other mens or of their owne soules whose kindnesse and good fellowship shewes it selfe in nothing more then in poysoning and destroying one anothers soules But be not deceived beloved the holy Word of God by which thou must be judged at the day of thy appearing before the judgement seat of Christ defineth love otherwise then thou doest and saith thou bearest no true love at all to the person whose soule thou hast no care of Thus Paul expressed and proved his unfeigned love to the Iewes his country men Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to GOD for Israel is that they might be saved Because we are bound to love all men we are bound to desire the salvation of all men that God would give to all places to all people the meanes of their salvation and make them effectuall in their hearts This is plaine by that prayer of the Church Psalm 67.2 3. That thy way may be knowne upon earth thy saving health among all nations let the people praise thee O God let all the people praise thee If we doe not grieve to see how people lye in ignorance and infidelity and profanenesse and so under the power of Satan we beare no true love to them at all The Apostle professeth his love this way also unto his country men Rom. 9.1 2. his conscience did beare him witnesse in the Holy Ghost that he had great heavinesse and continuall sorrow in his heart for their blindnesse and obstinacy Nay he hateth them in his heart that cannot grieve to see them live in this estate Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart saith the Lord Levit. 19.17 thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sinne upon him If we suffer men to live in any sinne were it in our power to helpe it if we be utterly carelesse of it and it never trouble us to see it the Lord you see saith plainly that we hate them in our hearts And whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.15 and ye know that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him or is in the state of grace If this be so as doubtlesse it is alas how hainous a sin are we all guilty of that neither doe any thing to bring them out of this misery they lye in nor are at all grieved and troubled for it Thirdly If we doe truly desire the salvation of men and grieve to see them perish in ignorance and profanenesse then will we desire that sound preaching may abound and will grieve to see the preaching of the word hindred any way Because the meanes whereby the soules of men must be saved is preaching It hath pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 that is first by preaching hee workes faith in men according to that faith commeth by hearing Romans 10.17 and then by faith hee saveth them But why doth hee call it the foolishnesse of preaching Not that it is so indeed but that carnall men doe account it so for so he expoundeth himselfe Verse 18. The peeaching of the crosse is to them that perish foolishnesse they that perish and shall goe to hell account so of it But you will object and say cannot men be saved without preaching I answer that preaching is the meanes that he hath appointed to doe this worke by ordinarily Other sheepe I have saith our Saviour Iob. 10.16 which are not of this fould are not yet come
affected with the miseries of the Church and bow 562 c. Pray for the Church 567 Onely the Church hath benefit by Christ. 744 Nor all within that Ibid. Church-Assemblies Being come into them we must set our selves as in the presence of God 35 Their sin which behave themselves unreverently in them 36 That sleepe ordinarily there 708 709 That absent themselves from them 710 Reverence due in them in three regards 709 The fulnesse of them a comfort to Gods children 800 Civill-honesty In it selfe a good thing pleasing to God and such as he useth to reward 692 693 The great sinne of Professors that are defective in that 694 695 Yet no sound comfort to be found in this alone 695 696 Comfort Ministers must take care to comfort such as are afflicted in conscience though the greatest part of their audience stand not in need of the word of consolation 135 136 459 649 650 Reasons to perswade such as are afflicted in mind to give way to comfort 137 God intends good to his children by with-holding comfort from them for a time 142 Comfort for those that complaine and mourne for their unprofitablenesse in the use of Gods ordinances 595 Of their doubtings and infidelity 647 648 654 680 682 Common-wealth A great sin to be all for ourselves and to have no care of the common good 125 We must seeke the good of it 806 The Gospell brings blessings to it 806 807 Communion Their sin that forbeare it because they are out of Charity 113 Because we come not to it rightly humbled wee depart without comfort 265 266 There 's great force in that to work assurance of Gods favour in Christ. 635 And constancy in the truth 797 Concupiscence without consent is sin 306 Conference We should conferre of what we heare specially in our owne families 40 41 Good in trouble of mind to make knowne our case to some faithfull friend or Minister 151 Confession He that truly repents will willingly confesse and bewaile his sin 158 He that can rightly and truly confesse his sins may be sure to find mercy in the pardon of them 159 160 The Reasons why Gods people have beene so willing to confesse their sinnes and why the Lord hath so much delighted to see them do so 161 162 How farre forth confession of sinne in private to a Minister or other friend is not necessary 163 164 How farre forth it is profitable and fit 164 165 Those whose sinnes are publike and scandalous must be willing to make publike confession and profession of their repentance 171 c. Three cautions touching this 171 Confession of our sinnes to God is of all other most necessary and usefull 191 192 Five meanes whereby we may be enabled to confesse our sinnes aright 196 c. Five properties of sincere confession of sinne 198 203 Conscience Thy conscience will one day bring thy secretest sinnes to thy mind 207 And smite thee for them 208 No comparison betweene the pleasure of sinne and that 209 A good conscience a speciall meanes to make us beare affliction comfortably and patiently 272 And to get assurance of Gods favour 409 410 638 641 Make conscience of every truth 793 794 Conversion The power and goodnesse of God to us in it is admirable 342 c. God hath set a time for every mans conversion we must count the present time that 345 Reioyce in the truth of grace wrought in thee 346 In it a change and reformation wrought in the whole man 414 Three cautions 415 416 Conversion is to be ascribed wholly unto God and the mighty working of his grace 503 c. 519 The work of grace in the conversion of man is most free 510 511 God in denying the meanes of conversion or grace of conversion to any doth them no wrong because he is a solute Soveraigne 519 520 In that he denies effectuall grace to profit by the meanes to most he manifests his free grace and mercy to his elect 520 God in conversion not onely offers grace but conâ—ers and inâ—useth that grace into the will that actually inclines it 524 Covetousnesse True saith will subdue it 733 Curiosity Take heed of affecting the knowledge of curious intricate and unprofitable points 785 This discerned three wayes 786 788 D. Death ONe chiefe thing that should make the faithfull willing to die is that then they shall sin no more but be freed from all possibility of falling away 11 324 325 In the best an unwillingnesse to die 325 Delay Presently set upon the practice of what you have learned out of the Word 43 Seeke speedily the pardon of sin 9â— Without delay make thy best use of the meanes of conversion 346 Desire Vnfained desire to please God a signe of uprightnesse 438 439 463 Five differences between the desires of the godly and the wicked 442 443 Signes to know a true desire of grace 465 Doubting All doubting is not a signe of infidelitie 242 Yet a dangerous signe not to bee able to believe the Word nor to be troubled with infidelity Ibid. Or to dispute against the Word 243 Comforts for such of Gods children as doubt they are hypocrites 461 A man may be in the state of grace though hee perceive it not 650 651 He that finds least comfort in himselfe yet should rest upon Christ. 653 E. Enemies WE must love them and expresse it in eight duties 752 753 Errours Corruption in iudgement the most dangerous corruption 779 780 The faithfull may erre in matters of smaller moment 780 781 Yea in fundamentall points for a time 782 We must shun the hearing and conâ—erring with seducers 784 Examination Christians should daily examine their wayes 197 198 A meanes to get and increase assurance of Gods favour 641 643 Example Great force in example 298 Experience It is profitable to call to mind the signes of grace we had in former times 643 And the speciall Experiments wee have had of Gods love in temporall blessing 644 But specially in spirituall things 645 Exercises of Religion Every man is to spend some part of every day in them 320 Conscionable use of them is a meanes to mortifie corruption 321 F. Faith WIthout faith we cannot beare afflictions patiently but having it we may 266 267 How to trie it 268 Diverse effects of it 627 True faith is operative 626 Comfort for such as complaine of the weaknesse of it 269 Till faith come into the heart no sin can be mortified but when it commeth it will mortifie sin 326 327 Two reasons of that 327 330 We must exercise and make use of our faith 330 Faith the root of all true piety and love to God 397 There may be true faith where there is no assurance of salvation 411 650 652 Wherein the nature of true faith consisteth 411 413 653 It will bring comfortable assurance in the end 413 The inward instrument to sanctifie the heart 731 All men by nature unable to believe 746 Falls of the godly The truly
regenerate may fall fearefully into odious sinnes 8 Why the Lord suffers his people to fall 9 10 The best have therefore great cause to feare 10 11 Means to keep us from falling 11 Take heed of declining in the least matters 795 When they are fallen they cannot rise up again of themselves 13 Comfort against tentations of falling away 352 357 Differences between the falls of the elect and others 355 556 Their sinne is great that rejoyce to heare and speak of them 552 And theirs that embolden themselves to sin by them 554 557 Why the falls of the godly are recorded in the Word 555 Family True converts will have a care to reforme their families 288 630 Such as have children and families are charged with the soules of them 289 481 Must answer for their open proâ—anenesse and contempt of religion 711 Fast. Humiliation necessary in every fast and for what causes we should be humbled 311 313 Feeling A man may be in the state of grace and highly in Gods favour though be feele is not nor have the comfort of it 140 141 Feare of God That may be well done that is done cut of feare of Gods judgements 387 But it must be such a feare as is mixed with love 388 A man may be subject to slavish feares and yet truly love God 392 Reasons of it 393 394 We must strive against these feares 395 6 Means to overcome them 396 734 735 He that is in the state of grace must be affraid to sin 569 570 Must feare every degree of sin must continue in this feare Ibid Faith the root of it 741 Freedome of will How dead we are by nature 305 517 518 Wicked men have no true desire nor wiâ—l tâ— have grace and to be saved 454 455 Wicked men may forbeare many sinnes and doe much more good than they do 457 He that doth what lieth in him is nearer to salvation than another naturall man 458 The naturall man is able to â—â—ve to men and to himselfe but not to God 518 G. God HIs omnipresence and omniscience 221 222 His holinesse 222 His Maiesty 223 His goodnesse and bounty 224 Gods love Wicked men are perswaded God loveth them and hee doth indeed with a common love 398 Faith assures us of Gods speciall love 400 Rest not in common favours but get assurance of Gods speciall love 401 402 687 688 Motives to seeke for assurance of Gods speciall love 402 406 Meanes to get it 406 c Grace We are bound to give God thanks for his restraining grace in others 337. In our selves 339 Saving grace is of a permanent and durable nature 428 Gospell The preaching of the Gospell is the outward instrument whereby the Spirit workes sanctification 732 H. Hearers TO love and reverence Gods Ministers 22 167 What Ministry they should most prize 22 23 Yet must they esteeme reverently of the meanest faithfull Minister 23 Reprooâ—e of hearers that love not their Ministers person 24 That discourage their Ministers 480 That regard not his Ministry 24 169 The danger of such as neglect to heare 26 That heare without profit 27 528 Many complaine without cause they cannot profit by the Word 528 What the true causes are men profit not by the Word 529 What they must do that have long enjoyed the Ministry of the Word and cannot profit by it 530 Hearers must examine what they heare 790 How wee may heare with profit 30 c. 742 1. What we must do before 30 35 792 2. What in hearing 35 39 3. What after 39 44 Resort to Ministers for resolution 43 Heart Grosse sinnes harden the heart 14 15 16 Hardnesse of heart a â—earefull judgement 16 Meanes to deliver and preserve us from it 16 17 735 Make conscience of the first stirâ—ings of thy corruption there 317 When God hath a mans heart it is a signe of uprightnesse 438 c. 463 Signes that the purpose and desire of the heart is right 465 Honour Whom God accounts truly honourable 286 Hope A sound hope that when wee shall die wee shall goe to heaven a speciall meanes of patience 270 Signes of a true hope 271 Humiliation The knowledge of our naturall corruption is of great force to humble us 308 We have cause to be humbled when wee have performed our best duties 309 When we go before God in prayer Ibid. Specially at fasts 311 And at the Sacrament 574 Seeking assurance of Gods favour with an humbled soule is a speciall meanes to obtaine it 408 647 Humiliation for sinne a speciall meanes to obtaine sanctified knowledge 498 He that is in the state of grace â—ath more cause to be humbled for his grosse sinnes than any other man 573 Foure benefits of â—ound humiliation 574 The humbled soule most capable of mercy 647 648 None fit to receive Christ but the humble and such as find themselves utterly void of all grace 691 Hypocrisie The best are apt to suspect themselves to be hypocrites 460 Comfort for such 461 Many things in an hypocrite better than in any meere naturall man 697 An hypocrite may go farre 698 c. The good things in them not to be misliked and scorned 699 In some respects the hypocrite is worse and in worse case than the open profane person 719 Signes of an hypocrite 720 c I. Idlenesse A Great sinne for any man to live idly and un-profitably 125 Idolatry It is a good thing and pleasing to God to hate Idolatry 712 714 Ignorance Is a sinne that much provokes God 494 It is a signe one is under Sathans power 496 Such a one easily seduced Ibid. Such an one is full of doubts and feares 497 Infants Every Infant so soone as it is borne or conceived is guilty of sin in the sight of God and deserveth to be damned 277 In what respects called Innocents Ibid. And said to be holy 278 How severe God hath beene in his judgements towards some Infants 279 280 The originall corruption of Infants consists in three things Ibid Observe Gods judgements on them 281 The sin that is in Infants is derived to them from their parents 282 Infidelity The hainousnesse of that sin 146 147 Notwithstanding Infidelity discerned and bewailed a man may trust in Gods mercy 648 682 Infirmities Foure notes to discerne a sin of infirmity from a reigning sin 709 Ioy. The humble-hearted man hath great cause of Ioy. 138 Gods children have cause to be comfortable and to serve God with alacrity 364 365 He that truly believeth he is justified by Christ must needs rejoyce in him 675 c. Their great sin that do not 680 Iudgements of God The Lord sheweth his severity more in this life against the sinnes of his owne people than of the wicked 1. He afflicts all them 2. Begins with them 542 543. 3. He usually makes them examples 544. 4. His judgements are wont to be heavier and sharper on them 545 This be doth to keep them from sin and perdition 546 He getteth himselfe glory