leave the house of his Lord the Church of his God would leave as much as lies in him all in good order before he goes would see that true religion should be thorowly planted Like a good Pastor before he leaves his flock faine would hee gather together the outcasts of Israel and bring all into one fold He would faine make all that dwelt in Israel to be true Israelites indeed Here my beloved you have a faire mirrour of pietie but wherein you may behold the disproportion of these times For where is that Authoritie which so bestirres it selfe in Gods cause where is hee that will undertake that in his private house which Ioshuah doth in a Common-wealth O barren world which dost gather strength in sinne by running towards thy end needs must thy sinnes be purged with a deluge of fire since the best amongst us are but briars and thornes and have not so much as one dram of Ioshuahs zeale Well but to proceed Ioshuah you see leaves no meanes unassaied to bring this good purpose of his to a wished effect But if this unrulie multitude would not obey the commandements of God of that God which had wrought such great things for them nor keepe his Covenant If the hardnesse of their hearts were such that they could be content to enjoy his benefits and performe no service hee sets before them life and death this day to choose which they will whether they would serve the gods which their fathers served that were beyond the floud or the gods of the Amorites in whose land they dwelt As for himselfe he is firmely bent and resolute both for himselfe and his familie to maintaine Gods cause against the whole world But as for mee c. Now from this practice of Ioshuah wee learne what is our dutie namely this teacheth us that if all the world would go from God Yet every one of us particularly is bound to cleave unto him This doctrine which Ioshuah had well laide up in memorie now to make use of it and by his rare example to commend it unto posteritie hee had learned in Moses schoole Thou shalt not follow a multitude saith hee to doe evill Exod. 23.2 which as it prooves that wee must not suffer our selves to bee carried away into anie evill course whatsoever by doing that which the greater part doth so especially in the things that concerne the honour and worship of God And this stands by good reason Reas 1 for if we consider our calling first wee are chosen out of the world to be a peculiar people unto God and therefore what others doe wee ought not to regard wee are the children wee are the servants of God wherfore as the eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters even so must our eyes wait upon the Lord our God Psal 123. In the next place if wee consider the truth of Gods promises God is constant in his purpose nothing can make him change nothing can make him breake his covenant with us Hee is able and will profect us against all adversaries if wee relie upon his power and put our trust in him If we faile not in his service he will not faile in his promises A crowne of glorie is the high price of our calling nothing can take it from us if wee continue to the end And shall wee then bereave our selves of so great a reward as makes us happy and blessed for ever by going backe from the service of so good so powerfull so just a God either for feare or for favour of vaine man A third and last reason why wee should cleave unto GOD though the whole World should goe from God is because though wee have never so manie presidents in this kind yet no multitude can warrant us against the justice judgements of God If wee sinne with the multitude wee shall be punished with the multitude For when wee are called to give up our account it will not bee sufficient for us to say wee have done as wee saw others doe but as we are partakers of their sinnes so wee must partake of their sufferings too Mark my brtheren and take Aaron for example who because he ranne the same course with the people and being overcome with the importunitie of the unrulie multitude consented to their idolatrie in making them a golden calfe and worshipping it was not suffered to come into the land of promise Numb 20.24 But on the contrary if wee look unto the examples of the holy men whose praises are registred by the spirit of God we shal find it recorded to their high commendation that their hearts were alwaies strait and right in the service of God they cleaved stedfastly unto the true worship of God though living in the midst of a froward and perverse generation When all the world was set upon wickednesse yet even then was just Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2. Pet. chap. 2. vers 5. Abraham built an Altar unto the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord when he dwelt amongst the fierce and idolatrous Heathens Gen. 12. Righteous Lot was not without the feare of God nor did depart from the commandements of God though living amongst the beastly Sodomites his righteous soule was vexed with the uncleane conversation of those wicked men Gen. 19. Lastly in a word Daniel did not shrink to pray openly unto his God notwithstanding that wicked decree of the king were published to the contrarie whereby he was brought in danger of his life for the zeale and freedome of his devotion Dan. 6. Alas Alas my brethren needes must the examples of these zealous Saints rise up in judgement against us and condemne the coldnesse and hypocrisie of our wretched times in which the most part of men are readie to startle aside from the profession of that faith and religion in which manie yeares they have bin taught even upon the least earthly advantage that shall be offered unto them If there be hope that they may better their decaied fortunes if they may please men give content and currie fauour they will easily be brought to fall from Christ to renounce his Gospel Thus the foundations of the earth are out of course and none like Ioshuah to beare up the pillars of it Let but the sound of a change in Religion strike the eares of men what a number of false and wavering hearts will soone be disclosed who will runne with the multitude and expose that truth whereby they should bee saved unto an open shame And why is this but because men doe not value the great and pretious promises of Christ as they should they doe not love Christ for himselfe they care not for Religion further than it may stand with their worldly and carnall ends Yet here is a ground of comfort for all them that doe faithfully serve the Lord and stedfastly cleave unto him for he will cleave stedfastly unto them he will not forsake them nor leave them in the hand
1. Cor. 5.6 To conclude this point they can never truly and sincerely serve God who doe not cause them that live in their houses to serve him in like manner The use of this serves in the first place for information to shew us what manner of proficients we are in the schoole of grace how stedfastly we cleave unto the covenant of God how perfectly we walke in his waies how neere wee have attained to that heavenly communion of Saints For if our conversation be in heaven all our delight will bee upon the Saints on earth Wee know saith S. 1. Ioh. 3.14 Iohn that we have passed from death unto life because wee love the bretheren Wee know by this that wee love God and that wee are beloved of God if we love his servants and make much of them that feare the Lord. Psal 101.3 And then with David wee walk in our houses with a perfect heart when with one spirit with one soule both our selves and those that be under us do serve the Lord then wee shall be sure of a blessing When the Lord did so familiarly converse with Abraham and create him the father of the faithfull it was with this proviso for saith hee I know him that hee will command his sonnes and his household after him that they keepe the way of the Lord to doe righteousnesse and iudgement Genes 18. When David was chosen of God and pronounced a man after Gods owne heart it was with respect unto the faithfulnesse and truth of his in ruling them that were committed to his charge prudently with all his power Psal 78.72 Wouldst thou find that favour in the eyes of the Lord that Abraham did then thou must follow the steppes of Abrahams faith Wouldst thou be as deare unto God as David was then with David thou must seeke to enlarge the glorie of God Thy eyes must look unto such as be faithfull in the land that they may dwell with thee hee and none but hee must be thy servant that leadeth a godly life In a word wouldst thou with Ioshuah enter into the promised Canaan then with Ioshuah thou must bee zealous for Gods cause Though all the world should stagger and revolt from God forsake his Covenant yet must thou maintain his worship thou must obey his Commandemēts thou must reverence his word bear this resolution I and my house will serve the Lord. The second use of this point serves to discover unto us the backward disposition of the Christians of this age in whom wee find no such zeale for Gods glory no such forwardnes in this service Alas alas where have wee one endewed with Abrahams faith to teach the commandements and ordinances of God unto his posteritie where is one inspired with this zeale of Ioshuah to protest sincerely I and my house will serve the Lord We may runne to and fro with Ieremie Ierem. 5.1 and search long enough before wee finde the man either amongst small or great Tell mee Is not the vigour and force of Christianitie strangely abated and decayed when most places in the world like Caiaphas hall are filled with a rabblement of Vice Hereticks Atheists Epicures pell-mell all of all sorts saving of good men We are falne upon those last and desperate times of the world which S. Paul foretold should come and hath lively set forth 2. Tim. 3.1 This know saith he that in the last dayes shall come perillous times for men shall be lovers of their owne selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers despisers of those that are good lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a forme of godlinesse but denying the power thereof The Divell hath gotten the start of the world and hath set up in the mindes of men his idols of worldly pompe and vanitie What is more neglected than the Commandements of God what is slighted so much as his service and who are so backward in it as they that should be most forward All the counsell that I can give in this case is that of David O consider this yee that forget God Psalm 50.22 lest he pluck you away and there be none to deliver you The third and last use of this point is for exhortation to stirre up those who have the charge and command of others unto the carefull and conscionable performance of this duety by all meanes to enlarge and advance the kingdome of Christ and where God hath established them that there they should establish godlinesse As this is the greatest and weightiest duetie that lyes upon men in this world so hath it the greatest arguments and the weightiest motives to enforce it First the benefit which the performance of our duety herein brings with it Secondly the danger that we runne into by the neglect hereof Godlinesse is the greatest gaine to a Christian that is it hath not onely the promises of this life but of the life to come for in serving the Lord saith David there is great reward Whereas on the contrarie an everlasting curse of miserie and contempt is laid upon those wretches that are negligent in his worke When the Lord sent his Prophet to reprove Eli and to threaten the taking away of the Priesthood from him and his posteritie because his sonnes ran into a slander and their father stayed them not this is the sentence that the Lord addes withall For them that honour mee saith God I will honour and they that despise me shal be despised 1. Sam. 2.30 Would you hear what gratious singular priviledges the true servants of God have listen then to that which David tells you The eyes of the Lord saith David are over the righteous and his eares are open unto their prayers Againe The righteous cry and the Lord heareth them and delivereth them out of all their troubles And once more hee addes this in the same Psalme The Lord delivereth the soules of his servants and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute Psal 34. Nay moreover whosoever hee is that is zealous for the Lord shall not only have the Lord for his protector and defender in all his afflictious but for his Counsellor and Director in all his affaires as the same Prophet doth notablly expresse it in another place What man is hee saith David that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose These benefits and testimonies of Gods fatherly affection and care towards them are ordinarie and dayly extended to them but what solace or delight is there that this world can afford to bee compared with the joy and comfort which the dying servant of God feeles when hee can truely say his conscience bearing him witnesse Lord I have brought up them in thy knowledge and feare whom thou gavest into my hands I have not hid thy commandements from my posteritie The talents which I received of thee loe here they are encreased I made it the scope of my life to set
thee and doe not I rise up against them that rise up against thee yea I hate them right sore as if they were mine enemies If thou lovest the Covenant of thy God thou must despise them that despise that Covenant If thou lovest the law of thy God thou must needs hate them that forsake that law such must not dwell with thee such must not tarrie in thy sight Dost thou think that he can prove faithfull to thee that prooves faithlesse to God or canst thou endure that he should be graced by thy countenance that laies a reproch upon thy religion T is more than Christian patience such was never in David such was never in Ioshuah Wee count him no loving subject that harbors those who despise resist the lawes of his Soveraigne Shall we be so zealous for the honour of a mortall Prince and shall wee be so carelesse of the majestie of the immortall God In the old law he that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses Deu. 19.15 Marke now what the Apostle inferres upon this Of how much sorer punishment saith hee suppose yee shall he be worthie which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God and counteth the blood of the Testament as an unholy thing wherewith he was sanctified and doth despite the spirit of grace Hebr 10.29 You see it is no such light matter to fall from the knowne truth and to forsake the Gospel of Christ being so much more excellent than Moses law was Yet wee are dumbe and silent in Gods cause and passe over these things as if they were done in another world and did no whit concerne us whilst wee suffer that gangrene of heresie to invade our families Oh be not deceived Everie master must give an account for everie servant hee keeps And looke how manie such despisers of the word and truth of God are nourished by him so manie witnesses will stand up against him in the day of the Lord to convince him of coldnesse and want of zeale Here I have just occasion to take up that complaint reproofe which Eliah used towards the back-sliding Iews of his time How long halt ye between two opinions If the Lord be God follow him but if Baal be God then follow him 1. Kin. 18.21 So say I If this Gospel which we preach unto you which ye receive be the Gospel of Christ if it be sole sufficient meanes unto salvation why doe not yee receive it in uprightnesse and sincerity why stand ye not up for Christ and for the maintenance of his truth why doe ye not labour to beate downe errours and utterly suppresse the kingdome of Antichrist Take heed lest your indifferencie herein argue that yee belong not to Christ I will say no more but onely close up this point with that of Austin Non amat Christum qui amat aliquid plus quam Christum He loves not Christ that loves anie thing more than Christ or with that which Christ himselfe speakes He that prefers any thing above Christ is not worthy of him I will now draw towards an end yet before I conclude one speciall rubbe there is that I must remove out of the way principally of great men What is that say you I will tell you There is a generation of men than which never had the Church of God enemies more pernicious Saint Paul in the third to the Philippians hath set them forth in their lively character The good Apostle considering what mischiefe they would doe in the Church of Christ could not speake of them without manie a teare Many saith he walke of vvhom I have told you often and now tell you even vveeping that they are the enemies of the Crosse of Christ whose end is destruction vvhose god is their belly and whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things These walke from one house to another and Chameleon-like change their colour at everie change of ayre These are those ungodly men of whom S. Iude speakes that defile the flesh despise dominion and speake evill of dignities by reason of whom the way of truth is evill spoken of Not the Ministers of God not the Word of God no nor that drad and sacred Majestie of God himselfe can passe free from the poison of these mens lips These are they that buzze into your eares that cursed policie of wicked Ieroboam 1 King 12.31 to make Priests of the lowest of the people Hold them short say they and keepe them under lest they be too busie with you O full of all subtiltie and all mischiefe you children of the Divell Act. 15.10 you enemies of all righteousnesse will you not cease to pervert the right waies of the Lord Behold now whom doe you resist For what are Moses and Aaron but the ministers but the messengers of the Lord I say it is the Lord himselfe that you strive against your tongues are set against the most High and hee will not faile to recompence your deserts with eternall flames But as for you whom God advanceth in this world if wee be so vile so contemptible in your sight not to be thought worthie of accesse nor to have that freedome of speech which befits our place calling we must suppe-up our contempt in silence and thinke with David Psal 84. We had rather be doore-keepers in the house of our God Neverthelesse we beseech you that you would sometimes retire out of the vanity and deceitfulnesse of this world into your owne soules consider of your selves as you are men not great and mightie but fraile and mortal which must die like one of the people and give an account as well as the meanest of the multitude There comes another world after this where Herod and Iohn Baptist shall both meete again but upon othergesse tearmes than here in this world they did for then the Martyr shall be set upon the Throne whilst the cruell King shall bee sent unto the Prison What joy what comfort or courage can the Ministers of God have where the vilest wretches may insult over them where they are debarred that libertie which ever the Heathens had in their better times Vbi vix sentire que velis nedum quae sentias Tacit. lib. 1. histor dicere licet Where they scarce dare think what they list much lesse speake what they thinke Certainly such contempt of his messengers God useth to pay home with his severest judgements and to furnish them accordingly where they be so slightly regarded The Iewes did despise Ieremie and that word which hee spake unto them in the name of the Lord But what was the issue of this Namely that the Prophet should not so much as pray for them nor the name of the Lord be once mentioned amongst that ungratefull people Ier. 44. Ezechiel was restrained of his libertie and despitefully handled by the same stiffe-necked and rebellious nation What doth God doe upon this Hee makes the tongue of his prophet cleave