goe to hellish torments and such as will be their companions in euill shall certainely be partakers with them in punishment and the more reprobates are in hell together the more hideous and woefull will their state be Obiect 3 Another sort there are that secure themselues with this that they haue stomach and courage in them and therefore they doubt not but they shall stand vndaunted and vnappalled in the midst of all extremities Ans But these stout-hearted champions shall finde that their hearts wil faile them when the mouth of their conscience beginneth once to be opened against them and to lay their sinnes new and old in order before them For what saith the Prophet Zephany In the great Zeph. 1. 14. 15. day of the Lords wrath the strong man shall cry bitterly Now crying is an argument of great perplexity and anguish and of basenesse of mind when it proceedeth from outward causes and yet the Prophet saith that the strong men and such as did professe fortitude should cry and that bitterly and the more couragious they had bene in sin the more cowardly they should be when the Lord did visite them for sinne Obiect 4 Lastly there are others that thinke to carie out their vile practises by reason of their noble parentage their high places the multitude of their attendants the largenesse of their substance c. If they say the word who can hinder the deed who dare controll them or crosse them If any thinke himselfe wronged say they let him take his aduantage and seeke his remedie c. Answer See the haughtinesse of flesh and bloud when once it is set on horse-backe but suppose that men dare not encounter them doe they imagine that the Lord will be afraid of their bigge words and bigge lookes if they do they are much deceiued Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar were as great and as proud as most of these braggers yet did not the Lord strike them with horrour and amazement and make them see and know that hee was the king of kings and Lord of Lords Sathan hath all that worldly men can haue and a great deale more both of wit and wealth and company and courage and command and yet for all this the very consideration of Gods indignation maketh him to tremble according to that of the Apostle Iam. 2. 19. Iames Thou beleeuest that there is one God the diuels also beleeue and tremble And how then can they thinke to escape the terrours of the Lord who though they be great in the world yet come farre behinde the prince of the world in greatnesse Let experience speake in this poynt when the Note Lord tooke away our gracious Queene and there was likelihood either of a ciuill dissension or forren inuasion howbeit the Lord miraculously deliuered vs from them both who were then least troubled with feares those that were great in the world or such as were great in Gods fauour And now that the Lord doth visite our cities and townes and villages with the pestilence who are they that are most couragious surely those that truly feare the Lord they thinke it the safest course to exercise theÌ„selues in the workes of their callings and not to run hither and thither and to come vnto the publicke assemblies of the Saints and not to neglect the feeding of their soules for feare of endangering their bodies whereas the wealthy and great ones of the world hide their heads in a corner being very vnwilling to aduenture vpon any good worke that either God or man calleth them vnto if there be but the least appearance of any perill Vse 2 Therefore in the second place if we would be voyde of those terrours that wicked men are subiect vnto and be able with boldnesse to hold vp our heads when Gods iudgements are abroad in the world then let vs obserue these directions following First let vs beware of all manner of sins that no Remedies against heâ—lish feares 1. Feare to offend See M. Dods booke Con. 1. Psal 1â— â— iniquity haue entertainment with vs and labour to be at one with the Lord that so our consciences may be at one with vs which if we can attaine vnto we shall be strongly fortified against all vnnecessary feares According to that in the Psalme Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord c. He shall not be afraid of euill tidings c. Where the Prophet sheweth that hee is an happy man that is truly religious and sheweth it forth by fearing of God and delighting in his commandements and by performing the duties of loue and mercie towards his brethren for as he shall be freed from all hurtfull euils so shall he be exempted from all passionate feare thereof Many wicked Note men haue not the plague in their houses and yet are plagued with the feare of it and many godly men haue their families visited therewith and yet are not perplexed with such terrors and the reason is yeelded in that place because their hearts are fixed and established and beleeue in the Lord. That is the foundation wherupon they build their courage and confidence euen the Lord himselfe who is a sure stay to those that relie vpon him His children know that nothing can befall them without his prouidence and that nothing shall betide them but he will support them vnder it and make them to profite by it and what cause then haue they to be distempered If therfore we desire to haue still quiet hearts when others shall be euen at their wits end then let vs get the breast-plate of righteousnesse and innocencie for the righteous is bold as a Prou. 28. 1. Lyon Let vs feare sin before it be committed and when we are tempted thereunto say with Iob Are there not strange punishments for the workers of iniquity Iob. 31. Will not the Lord be angry with me if I should commit this wickednesse will not mine owne heart be discomforted will not my spirit be made sad within me how should I be able to looke the Lord in the face if he should lay his hand in any fearefull manner vpon me or mine when I haue so prouoked him to his face c Thus if we could fright our hearts from offending the maiestie of God we shold be as bold as Iob was wheÌ„ the waues of aduersity flow in vpon vs on euery side The Lord saith he hath giuen and the Lord hath taken blessed Iob. 1. 21. Iob. 13. 15. be the name of the Lord. And in another place Though the Lord should kill me yet will I trust in him He feared sinne which is the sting of crosses and therefore were his crosses lesse terrible vnto him when they came and so will they be vnto vs if we carefully eschew those corruptions which otherwise will inuenome and poyson them vnto vs. This is the first meanes to arme vs against feares viz. to take heede of sinne before it be committed But if it be
Rom. 8. 15. wherby we cry Abba father So that none can confidently call God father but by the helpe of his blessed Spirit If vnregenerate men will pray to their father Christ telleth them who he is when speaking to such kinde of persons he saith You are Ioh. 8. 44. of your father the Diuell And how proueth he that The lusts of your father yee will do As those that are willing to do the workes of God are assuredly the children of God euen so they that are ready to doe the workes of Satan are without doubt the children of Satan and if they wil pray vnto their father they must pray vnto the Diuell Againe in that very place it is sayd that the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to Rom. 8. 26 pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh requests for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed where it is euident that the best of Gods seruants without the helpe and assistance of the holy Ghost are ignorant both of the matter and manner of prayer but the Spirit doth informe their mindes what to aske and frame their affections how to aske in an holy and acceptable sort so that albeit sometimes they want words to expresse their meaning yet they are full of inward sighes and heauenly desires But what are they the better for them will some say if they cannot powre them forth before the Lord in an outward forme of prayer They are much the better because as it is in the 27. verse He that searcheth the hearts knoweth the meaning of the spirit and he so knoweth it that he approueth of it and delighteth in it If there be neuer so many good words and those vttered by the very Saints of God themselues yet if they proceede not from the Spirit but from the flesh as sometimes they may they are not pleasing vnto the Lord but abhorred of him And on the other side albeit there be no words at all as many times it fals out when the heart is oppressed through extremity of griefe yet if there bee a multitude of holy desires in the soule stirred vp through the powerfull working of the holy Spirit they are accepted of him and shall bee rewarded by him for as it is added in the place aboue named The Spirit euen at such times maketh requests for the Saints according to the will of God And therefore their suits according with his will he cannot but yeeld vnto the same Againe it is the proper worke of the Spirit to conuince the iudgement of sinne and to humble Iohn 16. 8. the heart therefore without which there can no faithfull prayer be made vnto the Lord. Bring neuer so strong reasons to adulterers or gamesters or Saboth-breakers or any that liue in the continuall practise of such dangerous and damnable sinnes and presse them neuer so forcibly to cause them to forsake their lewd and wretched courses and yet can they not see why they should leaue them but rather imagine that they may lawfully follow the same still And no maruell for till the God of heauen do set downe their carnall reason it can neuer be set downe and till he stop their mouthes they will neuer be silenced but still haue somewhat to say for their wretched and vile behauiour Reasons collected from the former places Seeing then it is euident that Gods Spirit alone can perswade vs of the loue and fauour of our heauenly Father towards vs that so we may be in case to pray vnto him and withall must furnish vs with the matter and helpe vs in the manner of our praiers and humble vs in the sight of our owne miserable wants that so we may bee more earnest and feruent in the requests that we make the point now in hand may hence be strongly concluded to wit that none can make a faithfull prayer without the speciall ayde and direction of the holy Ghost which serueth Vse 1 First for the confutation of those sencelesse people that will be talking and bragging how they pray day and night They that know what it is to lift vp a feruent prayer vnto the heauens doe easily discerne that they are but meere braggers and boasters and that indeede they neuer made one faithful prayer since they were borne because they are and still haue bene sensuall and carnall and vtterly void of any sanctifying grace of Gods spirit and therefore so farre are they from hauing any cause of reioycing in regard of their good prayers as they call them that they haue great cause to be humbled for them as being workes of the flesh and not of the Spirit such as doe rather prouoke the Lords displeasure against them then pacifie his anger or any way procure his fauour towards them Such are the prayers of all blind and ignorant Papists who pray in an vnknowne tong to whom it may be said as it was by our Sauiour vnto the sonnes of Zebedeus Ye know not what yee aske They may speake what they list of their often praying and how readily they can goe through with their stint and taske but they that vnderstand what it is to bring God and their owne soules together in earnest requests and feruent supplications cannot but iudge them to bee bragging Pharises who thinke that the Lord is beholding vnto them and indebted vnto them for such prayers whereas in truth he may iustly condemneth em vnto hell for the same and will do so if they be not humbled for them as well as for the rest of their iniquities And therefore they that haue indeed the Spirit of prayer are of another mind for when they haue vsed the best preparation that possibly they can they finde so many defects in their prayers that they are driuen to make a new prayer for the pardoning of those their wants and are stirred vp heartily to praise the Lord when they can in any poore measure powre out their soules before him as knowing that it is not from any strength that they haue in themselues but from the helpe and furtherance of his good Spirit Secondly let this be an instruction vnto vs that if we would pray aright and speede accordingly we labour as Iude exhorteth to pray in the Iude V. 20. holy Ghost For those be the petitions that pierce the heauens and bring peace comfort vnto the conscience But how shall we know whether our prayers proceed from Gods Spirit or not for our sinfull hearts are apt to deceiue vs on both sides viz. either to make vs thinke through Satans suggestion that we doe not pray in the holy Ghost because we haue so many frailties when in truth we doe or that we pray as we ought to doe because we haue matter and words at will when indeed there is no such thing but onely a naturall gift of vttering that which is in our mindes and memories in apt and fit tearms and in a fluent manner of speech Therefore if wee
mercy vnto his Church He will seeke to destroy all nations that come against Ierusalem that is all the enimies that doe oppose themselues vnto his people and endeauour to hinder his good worke in them and for them Now when it is said that he will seeke to destroy them the meaning is that as he hath a resolution to ouerthrow them so he will prouide meanes whereby it shall be effected Then further in the tenth verse he setteth downe the meanes how his people should bee brought to such excellencie I wil powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace c. Signifying that he would vouchsafe vnto his Church vnder the Gospell a more plentifull measure of his Spirit that as they should haue more excellent and cleere and powerfull meanes so they should finde a greater blessing vpon the vse of those meanes that whereas vnder the law they had but drops of grace distilling easily by little and little now they should haue whole buckets full as it were yea whole flouds of grace powred downe vpon all sorts of Gods seruantes By the Spirit of grace is meant the Spirit of adoption and of regeneration so called both because it is giuen out of Gods free grace and fauour as also because it worketh grace and goodnesse in all such as are endued therewith this Spirit is further described by a speciall effect viz. that it is a Spirit of prayers Till such time as men are made partakers hereof they may vse many words of prayer but they are altogether idle and vaine fruites of their flesh and not of their faith such as they haue great cause to be humbled for and no reason at all to be comforted in but when once they haue this Spirit put into their hearts they can call vppon the Lord in an acceptable and comfortable manner Then next is shewed whither this Spirit leadeth them to wit vnto Christ They shall looke on him whom they haue pierced When men begin to pray in a religious and conscionable manner they disclaime all fleshly helps and hopes and betake themselues vnto their Sauiour whom they haue pierced by their sinnes for it cannot properly bee saide that the Scribes and Pharises or Iudas or the high Priests or the Romanes did put Christ to death they being but instruments thereof but the iniquities of Gods elect did the fact and they were indeed the true and principall cause that brought vpon the Sonne of God all manner of affliction and persecution and execution it selfe In the next place it is said that when his children shall looke vpon him They shall lament for him or ouer him or concerning him all comes to one reckoning As soone as they see what euils and miseries they haue brought vpon Christ Iesus by their transgressions and how odious their offences are which could be healed by no other medicine but by the precious bloud of the immaculate lambe of God the due consideration hereof will cause them to bee troubled and grieued at the very heart Which griefe is set out by two speciall circumstances two wit by the greatnesse of it and by the truth of it The greatnesse thereof is declared by two comparisons which yet are inferiour and lesse then the thing it selfe For the first comparison it is said That they should lament for him as one that mourneth for his only sonne and be sorry as one is sorry for his first borne If parents haue many children yet it will much grieue them to part with any of them but if they haue but one onely sonne who is likely to be the heire of the family and they lose him and so are disappointed of their hope then they vsually mourne with an exceeding bitter lamentation as the woman of the cittie of Nain did for the death of her onely son Luke 7. 11. Such the holy Ghost saith shall be the sorrow of all true penitent persons when they apprehend the multitude and grieuousnesse of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord of life The second comparison here vsed to expresse the measure of their sorrow is taken from the example of the Iewes who when their godly and worthy king Iosiah was slaine in the valley of Megiddo neere Hadadrimmon in fighting against Pharoah Necho king of Aegipt they lamented for him very 2. Chron. 35. bitterly and not onely the common people who haue not so good a gouernement of their affections mourned for him but Ieremiah the Prophet also and others of the best sort of men and women tooke this losse exceedingly to heart as seeing in the death of Iosiah the death and ruine both of Church and common wealth In which regard it was set downe as an ordinance that they should haue set times of mourning for that affliction which befell them through his death and such saith the Prophet shall bee the lamentation of those that attaine to the sight and sence of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord Christ Iesus verse 11. Hauing thus set forth the greatnesse of their sorrow he commeth in the next place to expresse the soundnesse thereof The land shall bewaile euery family apart c. Not in the publicke assemblies alone where the teares of one may draw on the teares of another and so their mourning be either naturall for company or hypocriticall for vaine glory but he saith that euery family should weepe apart and in priuate yea not onely the seuerall families but particular persons yea those that were most neerely lincked together viz. the husband and the wife should bee separated in this worke of humiliation and not content themselues to pray and bewaile their sinnes one with another but take some time each of them to performe this dutie in secret and if they that are so inward one with another should lament apart much more others that are further off one from another By the house of Dauid is meant as was before shewed the excellenter sort of Christians and the like is signified by the house of Nathan who was the son of Dauid of whom Christ came for the family of Salomon was wholy extinguished By the house of Leui is meant the ordinary sort of the Leuites and as for the family of Shimei it was one of the principall families of Leui. Whence we may obserue that all families without exception are tyed to this worke and ought iointly and seuerally to performe the same None are so good but they must weepe for their sinnes in secret and pray for the continuance increase of their goodnesse and as it is not needlesse for the best so neither is it bootlesse for the meanest but whosoeuer doth so shall haue a fountaine of grace opened vnto him whereby all his iniquities shall be washed away The drift then of these words we see is to manifest and expresse the great goodnesse of God towards his seruants in the time of the Gospel and here is shewed 1 First what gift he
on the almighty nor call vpon God at all times For that is a speciall gift of God and peculiar vnto the Saints and as any one maketh more such holy prayers so may he be confidently perswaded that he hath the Spirit of grace in a greater measure And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced that is vpon Christ and that by the eye of faith setting their heart and hope on him and through him expect to be heard and relieued whence obserue this doctrine that the Spirit of prayer doth alwaies leade men vnto Christ Iesus Doct. 3 It causeth them wholly to go out of themselues The Spirit of prayer doth alwaies direct men vnto Christ Iesus and to offer vp their supplications in and through their Sauiour and redeemer This was figured in the sacrifices that were offered vnder the Leuiticall law at which time if any one were polluted by any occasion or otherwise clogged with sinnes that hee had committed he was to bring his offering vnto the Priest and was to be sprinckled with the bloud thereof which did signifie the bloud of Christ by which all Gods elect were to be cleansed and a reconciliation betwixt God and them was to be procured For this cause Daniel though hee were a man much beloued of God and endued with the Spirit of prayer in an wonderfull measure yet he desireth the Lord to heare him not Dan. 9. 17. for his sake or for his peoples sake but for the Lord Christ Iesus his sake Therefore doth our Sauiour tell his disciples that whatsoeuer they should Ioh. 16. 23. aske the Father in his name hee would giue it vnto them Reason Now the reason why the Spirit of grace doth alwaies direct vs vnto Christ in our prayers is because it maketh vs see our owne vilenesse and wretchednesse and so consequently that we stand in need of the mediation of Christ Iesus Therefore in the couenant of grace after Gods people haue receiued the holy Ghost it is said Then shall Eze. 36. 31. ye remember your owne wicked waies and your deeds that were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities and for your abhominations This is the first worke of the Spirit euen to set them downe that they should haue nothing to say for thēselues but plainly acknowledge that shame and confusion that destruction and eternall condemnation is due vnto them if the Lord should enter into iudgement with them Now when they are thus abased and humbled in themselues then will they seeke to haue a part in Christ his merites that so both they and their seruices may be accepted of the Lord through his righteousnesse and through his intercession which he doth continually make for them which serueth Vse 1 First for the confutation of the Papists and to shew that they are not led by the Spirit because in their prayers they rest not vpon the mediation and intercession of Iesus Christ but ioyne thereunto their owne merits and the merits of the Saints thinking by that meanes to preuaile in their suites and to obtaine their hearts desire Secondly it maketh also for the confutation of a number of ignorant men and women among vs that wil bragge of their daily stint of prayers which they runne ouer and how they make no doubt but the Lord will accept of their requests will grant the same and why because they liue honestly among their neighbours do no body any harme and they hope withall that their good words prayers do deserue somewhat at Gods hands Alas poore simple people they little consider what it is to make a good praier for if they did they would go quite out of themselues vnto Christ Iesus and labour for acceptance onely for his sake And as for these prayers which they so much stand vpon if euer it please the Lord to open their eyes and to waken their drowsie consciences they will be so farre from thinking that they merite any thing thereby as that they will see great cause to be humbled therefore for that they haue dealt so hypocritically and carnally drawing neere vnto God with their lips when their hearts haue bene remoued farre from him Thirdly here is another vse of consolation and of instruction both that if we will haue this testimony vnto our soules that we pray in the Spirit then when we haue the most feeling affections and purest desires let vs offer them vp in Christ Iesus let vs not play the Priests our selues as king Vzziah did lest wee be smitten with a worse leprocie in our soules than he was in his bodie but let vs make Christ our high Priest to present our offerings before the Lord. So also when our prayers and thanksgiuings are most imperfect and weake let vs present them through him that so they may finde acceptance with God being perfumed by the righteousnesse of his deare sonne Obiect Oh but I cannot striue nor wrestle with God in prayer as others do and as I my selfe haue sometimes done Answer What of that did not Christ Iesus offer vp Heb. 5. strong cryes vnto his Father And for whom shall those be effectuall but for such poore Christians as cannot so feruently call vpon God for themselues It is said Hebrewes 12. That the bloud of Christ speaketh Heb. 12. 14. better things then the bloud of Abel Now we can easily beleeue that Caine was in a dangerous case when the bloud of Abel did call for vengeance against him and why should we not as throughly beleeue that they are in an happy case who haue the bloud of the son of God to cal for redemption and saluation acceptation of all holy seruices in their behalfe as all true hearted Christians haue The want of this perswasion is the cause why we omit many excellent praiers thanksgiuings which would be very pleasing vnto the Lord being offered vp as sweet incense by our high Priest Christ Iesus and therefore let vs labour for an encrease of faith in this poynt that so God may not be depriued of seruice nor our selues of those comforts and blessings which are promised to all that call vpon him in truth And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall lament for him c. In that this great lamentation is set downe as an effect of their beholding of Christ whom by their sinnes they had crucified this doctrine may hence be gathered Doct. 4 The due consideration of the death of Christ is The consideration of Christ his sufferings is a forcible meanes to godly sorrow a most forcible means to breake the hearts of Christians with godly sorrow There is no such motiue to make men weepe bitterly for their offences as to weigh with themselues in a serious manner that they by their sinnes haue slaine the Lord of life that his bitterest aduersaries were not the causes of that his shamefull and painfull death which he endured
the eyes of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Therefore marke what came of it after that he had ouercome the Edomites his heart was lifted vp and he contrary to common sense fell to worship their Idols whom he had vanquished in battle he would not bee so precise any longer nor be at the command of euery Prophet but would take his liberty and so being an hypocrite in the beginning he manifested himselfe to be a miserable hypocrite in the end So Ioash all the while the good Priest 2 Chron. 24. Iehoiadah liued that would not suffer him to take ill courses was very forward yea in some things more forward then Iehoiadah himselfe but as 2 Kings 12. 7. soone as Iehoiadah was dead his religion was dead with him and of a professour he became a persecutour and nothing could stay him from his wicked courses vntill he was taken away by a violent death But that the point may be yet more cleare we wil giue instance in some particular things wherein men iudge themselues to be very strong when as the truth is they are exceeding weake Many will thanke God that though in other things they come short yet they are endued with patience but what doe they when wrongs are offered them why then they take on as bad as the worst Such neede not brag of the aboundance of their patience for they haue neuer a iot more then they finde when iniures are offered them So others there are that hope they loue the truth but let one of the Family of loue or of the Brownists set vpon them and what will they doe presently beginne to thinke and speake hardly of the seruantes and seruices of God and of the truth of God This plainely argueth that there was in the heart but little loue of the truth but much pronenesse aptnesse vnto errours and heresies He is the truely couragious souldier that wil stand to it when the skirmish is at hottest as for those that will bragge much before and betake them to their heeles or ioyne for feare with the aduersarie when the battle beginnes they are meere cowards vtterly vnworthy of the name of souldiers Againe others are conceited that they haue merciful hearts but hereby they manifest the quite contrary that they giue so little of their superfluity to those that are in necessity whose hearts might be gladded and whose soules might be stirred vp to offer praises and prayers vnto the Lord for them in regard of their liberality Others againe will not be perswaded but they make conscience of the Sabboth but if there be occasion of trauell offered on that day will they not rather God should lose his glory than they their commodity Yes surely and thereby they shew themselues to be but prophane persons that did neuer conscionably sanctify the Sabboth for if they had done so euery sleight temptation would neuer carry them so farre wide Vse 1 This serueth for comfort vnto those that haue laid a sure foundation it is impossible that they should fall away for temptations doe not make those that are good to become ill but onely try what euery one is Gold is as good when it comes out of the fire as when it is cast in nay better many times whereas copper that was before glistering in shew appeares to be that indeed which formerly it was though men discerned it not so wel til it had gone through the fire This comfort the Apostle Iohn giueth vs saying VVhosoeuer is borne of God 1 Ioh. 3. 9. sinneth not and why for his seed remaineth in him c. that is he can neuer be brought vnder the dominion of sin any more because the immortal seed of the word sowne in his heart can neuer die It is as possible to pull the Sunne out of heauen as to pul grace out of such an ones heart because all such are kept by the power of God himselfe Adam at first Pet. 1. 5. stood by his owne strength but euery Christian now standeth by Gods strength VVho is greater then Ioh. 10. 29. all so that none can take them out of his hand Obiect This then serues to answere the obiections of diuers that are troubled with doubts and feares What if the pestilence should take hold of mee and I should be shut vp and all my friends forsake me Why now examine what foundation Ans you haue laid before this storme assaile you if your heart be vpright with God all the powers of hell can doe you no hurt Obiect But what if the pangs of death should be very bitter Ans If they be Christ can sweeten and sanctify them Obiect But what if religion should change how should I doe then Ans As well as any time before for God neuer changeth and therefore if you be a branch of the true vine once you shall neuer be cut off but remaine in the vine for euer Therefore we should be so farre from being afraid of any fiery tryals that we should reioyce when we fall into diuers Iam. 1. 2. 3. temptations And the Apostle yeeldeth 2. good reasons First because thereby our faith is refined Other weapons the more they are vsed the worse they are but it is otherwise with this shield of faith the more blowes it receiues the better it is Secondly these tryals do work patience as is plaine Rom. 5. 3. in Iob who by his weaknesse and humble submission vnto God vnder his grieuous crosses did much honour the Lord so that sathan is the lesser in all such conflicts Vse 2 Secondly this is for terrour to them that haue not a sound inside when afflictions come as come they will sooner or later they that are vnsound will shew themselues to be vnsound and they that are false-hearted in the sight of God will appeare to be so in the sight of men Therefore let euery one looke vnto his heart or else his fall will be fearefull and shamefull Neither let men dreame that it will be alwaies Summer nay the Lord hath said that those that peruert their waies shall be Pro. 10. 9. knowne hypocrites shall be sifted first or last and then their filthy nakednesse will appeare In the Acts of the Apostles we reade of many that made Acts 26. 1â— profession of Christ who when Paul brought amongst them the fire of persecution to try what mettall they were they in steed of standing for Christ fell to blaspheming of his name Pauls cruelty was but the occasion of this the cause was in themselues for if they had bene faithfull Christians they would rather haue denyed their life than the Lord of life and haue endured a temporall death than an eternall Indeed Gods deare children may be somewhat frighted and terrified at first but they quickly recouer themselues againe being therein like a pure spring which being trodde in by beasts or any other way stirred will be somewhat muddy for a while but come within an houre
bee readie to supplie our necessities whatsoeuer they be and to grant vs aboue that that we can aske or thinke And as for our owne priuate cases so for the publike state of the Church and Common-wealth if wee would haue the pestilence or famine or any other iudgement remoued the way to procure this is to repaire thither where wee shall meete with many of the faithfull that will be ready to ioyne with vs in praier and to wrestle with the Lord by feruent and earnest supplications for the remouing of his deserued strokes And this should much incourage vs and adde life vnto our prayers as often as wee haue occasion to aske any thing in publike that God will vouchsafe vnto vs his gratious presence and shew by good effect that hee is in the generation of the righteous Vers 6. Ye haue made a mock of the counsell of the poore In that the holy Prophet doth lay this vnto wicked mens charge as a hainous crime and as the cause of his strokes that were to bee inflicted vpon them this Doctrine offereth it selfe for our learning that Doct. 3 Iesting and scoffing at Gods children is a grieuous kinde of persecution and such as the Lord Mockers are grieuous persecutors Heb. 11. takes speciall notice of In which regard the Apostle Heb. 11. 36. speaking of the wonderfull great trials which sundrie of the Saints did by faith vndergoe reckoneth vp this as none of the least of them that they had been tried by mockings In like sort when the holy Ghost yeeldeth a reason of the vtter ouerthrow of the kingdome of Iudah and of their long and wofull captiuitie he setteth downe this to be one of the principall causes thereof viz. That they mocked 2. Chro. 36. 26. the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie This kinde of persecution Ismael vsed against Gal. 4. 29. Isaac as the Apostle witnesseth for which hee Gen. 21. 9. was cast out of the Church of God And this was one of the meritorious sufferings of our Lord Iesus Christ that they spit vpon him and nodded Mat. 26. 27. Psal 22. their heads at him and vsed taunting and disgracefull speeches vnto him and put as it were a fooles coate vpon him to disguise him and called him in mockage the King of the Iewes c. This I say was not the least part of his bitter passion through which hee purchased eternall saluation for all his elect namely that hee endured much contempt and reproch both in the course of his life and at the time of his death Now the reason why Satan maketh choice of this weapon aboue others therewith to fight against Gods seruants is Reasons First because mans nature is subiect greatly to abhorre contempt and therefore cannot easily endure to bee vilified and disgraced by scoffing and reprochfull speeches and gestures Secondly the diuell knoweth that he can get many souldiers to be imployed this way Euery Note limme of his cannot imprison nor spoile Christians of their goods or of their liues but there are few or none but they can frame scoffes and iests against the members of Christ Iesus Euery boy can quickly grow skilfull at this as we see in Ismael and in the two and fortie children that 2. King 2. were torne in pieces of two beares for their mocking of the Prophet Elisha the very scumme of the people the vagabonds and rogues that run vp and downe the countrie can doe their master the diuell good seruice this way those that were the children of fooles and the children of villaines Iob 30. 8. 9. as Iob speaketh who were more vile then the earth it selfe could make Iob their song and their talke and in like sort did the drunkards and Psal 69. 12. Psal 35. pot-companions deale with Dauid and the thiefe vpon the crosse with our Sauiour euen at that time Matth. 27. 44. when the fierce wrath of God was manifested vpon his bodie hanging on the crosse for that he had been a notorious and hainous malefactor Vse 1 First this doctrine must teach vs to beware of deriding and taunting at good men for taking of good waies lest by so doing we become persecuters and bee proceeded against as enemies vnto God and his people It is not so safe for vs as many take it to be to exercise our selues in such kind of scoffing he is commonly held to be a sillie fellow that cannot gird at a Minister and at such as vsually resort vnto Sermons But let vs take heed of such nipping and biting speeches as tend to the defaming of any of Gods seruants or seruices lest we be cast out from hauing any communion and fellowship with God as scoffing Ismael was and be exposed to such plagues and punishments as the wicked Iewes were who mocked the messengers of God and reuiled our blessed Sauiour in such an opprobrious and disgracefull manner as the Scriptures doe record Vse 2 Secondly for as much as contemptuous and reprochfull scoffes and girds are such weapons as Satan putteth into the hands of his instruments let vs prepare for them and arme our selues against them Christs Disciples must not looke to be aboue their master if wicked sinners reuiled and derided him we must not imagine to escape their virulent and venemous tongues and therefore the Apostle exhorteth vs that seeing he hath Heb. 13. 12. 13. borne our reproch wee should beare his and for the ioy that is laid before vs endure the crosse Heb. 12. 2. and despise the shame and so at length wee shall receiue the crowne of glorie which is prepared for all those that in patience doe waite for his glorious appearing Now that wee may be better inabled to beare How we may be inabled to beare contēpt these taunts and reproches let vs take this direction following 1. First labour against that inbred pride that Labour against pride is naturally in euery one of our hearts which maketh vs vtterly vnable to vndergoe disgrace therefore was it that though many of the chiefe rulers of the Iewes beleeued in Christ yet they durst not confesse him because of the Pharisies who would haue excommunicated them and disgraced them to the vtmost and the reason is rendred in that place viz. That they loued the John 12. 43. praise of men more then the praise of God they stood vpon their carnall credite and reputation among their neighbours and countriemen more then vpon that true credite and estimation which they might haue had with the Lord and his children and therefore was it that they were so loath to expose themselues for Christ his sake vnto the shame of the world whereas if they had had humble and lowlie hearts they would haue denied themselues in their estimation among men and haue taken vp the reproch of Christ as an honorable
prophane his Sabbaths doe they not defile their soules and bodies with many horrible pollutions And whereas they haue been often told of these faults and sharply rebuked for them doe they not for all that continue still in them and vndertake the defence of them Yea doe they not fret and fume and chafe at such as seek to reclaime them from their leaud courses If their consciences doe accuse them of these and the like crimes vndoubtedly they are guiltie of high treason against the Lord of heauen and earth they carrie the diuels badge and fight vnder his banner as professed enemies vnto God and his truth and whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues such the Lord will esteeme them to be and proceed against them accordingly Secondly let this teach vs to be most fearefull of transgressing the sacred lawes of our heauenlie King and if we be at any time put to that straite that wee must either violate the commandement of our earthly gouernours or of God himselfe let vs chuse rather to obey God then men and with a meeke spirit and peaceable cariage submit our selues to their censures rather then incurre the Lords displeasure and so become liable to his iudgements Thirdly this is for singular comfort vnto Gods people who are charged to be factious and seditious vnquiet and vndutifull persons yet so long as their consciences tell them that they are willing to attend to holie and wholesome doctrine whereby their sinnes may be reproued and their hearts and liues reformed and bettered they may be sure that God accounteth them good subiects and those that are such vnto him are of all other most loyall and dutifull vnto their rulers and gouernors neither indeed can any be truly faithful vnto men that hath not first learned to be faithfull vnto God Let vs not therefore be dismaied at the clamors of those that doe vniustly charge vs with disloyaltie Athaliah cried out treason 2. King 11. 14. treason but in truth she was the traitor her selfe and the like may be said of many that are so ready to traduce others in that sort whatsoeuer their outward behauiour towards Magistrates such as are in authoritie bee they are miserable and wretched rebels before the Lord and such they shall appeare to be in the end if they doe not in time submit themselues vnder his gratious gouernment FINIS The fifth Sermon Doct. 2 IT is an infallible note of an impious and It is a marke of an impious person to reiect the word prophane person to bee vnwilling to heare the holy word of God Although men doe ordinarily resort vnto the assemblies where the Gospell is purely preached yet if they wish in their hearts that they were from vnder those droppings and if they might haue their own choice they would be from vnder them they are carnall and vngodly men what appearances soeuer there bee to the contrarie From this ground the prophet Isaiah concludeth the Iewes to be a falsehearted and rebellious people because they would not heare the Isaiah 30. 9. word of the Lord. They were constrained now and then to heare it whether they would or not but their affection went against it and the Lord iudged them and passed sentēce vpon them for that calling them a rebellious people and lying children such as were full of peruersenesse and of dissimulation within whatsoeuer faire shews they made outwardly to dazle the eyes of men The same marke of wicked sinners is giuen by Iob where he saith They say vnto God Depart from Job 21. 14. vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies not that there is any such wicked monster that wil directly vse those tearmes vnto the Lord but his meaning is that their liues and practises do proue so much viz. that they would not willingly haue any thing to doe with God which appeareth by this that they desire not the knowledge of his waies Let them say what they will those that care not to be acquainted with Gods will nor to learne from thence what is their dutie doe in effect bid the Lord depart from them and therfore must needs be very impious and irreligious persons To the same purpose is it said in the Psalm My people would Psal 81 1◠not heare my voyce and what of that Israel would none of me If one should haue said to them You are Apostataes and hate God in your hearts they would haue thought it the greatest wrong that could be but we see what the Lords testimonie is concerning them they would not attend to my voice therfore they would none of me they reiected my word therefore they reiected me Besides these places and many moe that might be alleaged the causes and effects of this vnwillingnesse to heare the Lords message will euidently proue those to be sinful persons that are possessed therewith Reasons The causes First then for the causes thereof there shall two onely bee named though many other might bee brought One of them the Prophet Ieremy maketh mention of saying Vnto whom shall I speake and admonish Ieremy 6. 10. that they may heare behold their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot hearken In the words going before he had denounced heauie plagues against them in regard of their horrible and fearefull transgressions which did continually flow from them euen as waters from a fountaine vers 7. Now hereupon some man might say If their offences be so grieuous wherefore doe not you tell them thereof Why saies the Prophet vnto whom shall I speake whom shall I admonish their eares are vncircumcised that is fleshly and carnall so that albeit good instructions be brought vnto them yet they cannot hearken thereunto but will be gazing hither and thither and haue their mindes taken vp with other matters Let a debter of theirs come vnto them to pay thē money and they wil not be looking on this thing and on that when they should receiue it at his hands but when the true treasure is offered vnto them freely they are either idle or ill imployed so that they haue no minde to accept of that Tell them a tale of lucre which they may get or of some iniurie done vnto them whereof they may take aduantage and their eares are wide open for such matters but let there bee any speech vsed tending to the glorie of God or the saluation of their soules they are altogether deafe and cannot with any life or cheerfulnes listen to such things Now how come their eares to be thus vncircumcised because their hearts are vncircumcised which is the Second cause of their vnwillingnesse to attend to the words of wisedome And this appeareth in two things the first is that as Ieremy speaketh they delight not in Gods voice The Ierem. 6. 10. second that they doe take pleasure in vnrighteousnes as the Apostle witnesseth And looke how much 2. Thess 2. 12. delight any one taketh in sinne so much hatred will he beare against
and though his father beate him yet he beareth it and still loueth him They haue powred and infused 2. Pet. 1. 2. 3. 4. into them a godly nature so that they doe freelie loue God their father and though he afflict thē or crosse them in their desires yet they loue him and in loue performe their obedience vnto him continually Therefore Iob saith Though hee kill Iob 13. me yet will I trust in him And this is the third mark or rule whereby to proue and trie ourselues The last rule is in considering the effect of Gods mercies receiued For herein doe the wicked shew their wickednes two waies First on the right hand the mercies of God do worke in them a wonderfull contentation but not such as causeth them to returne the glory vnto God but rather to ascribe it vnto themselues for the graces of God doe puffe them vp make them conceited in themselues Hereof there ariseth a great securitie which bringeth first neglect and after contempt of all good meanes On the left hand others offend being neuer pleased nor contented with that they haue nay indeed forgetting or lightly esteeming that they haue and still desiring new These men besides that they are vnthankful they doe also murmure grudge against God and are neuer pleased with him Betweene these two doe the children of God hold a middle and euen course and therefore we shall see these things in them First a sight and acknowledgement of their wants which cause them to long for the sincere milke of the word that thereby their wants may be supplied and their graces increased and so farre are they from being lifted vp with pride that they reioyce when their pride may be pulled downe whether by rebukes or threatnings or corrections from the Lord. For they know that if Paul needed meanes of humbling 2. Cor. 12. much more doe they Besides as they desire the word so they waite vntill it please the Lord to worke further in them thereby and this waiting is as earnest as theirs who hauing watched all night do waite and look for the dawning of the day Secondly as they see their wants so doe they Psal 119. 10. also see the graces they haue receiued and are for that time well apaid and contented therewith and therefore as their wants doe humble them so Gods graces doe comfort them and as their wants do call vpon them to seek more so the gifts they haue prouoke them to bee thankfull for that they haue receiued And thus much for the last rule of trial These forenamed properties whosoeuer can finde in himself he may bee assured that the spirit hath wrought in him so effectually as that it shall neuer be taken from him But what then may such cast off all care No the Apostle saith vnto such Quench not the spirit And not without cause for though the spirit it selfe can neuer be vtterly taken from them yet doubtlesse if pride security or any other sinne begin to take place in them the graces of the spirit may decay and their cleere vnderstanding and comfortable feelings may be gone so that in their own and others iudgements the spirit may seem to be quite extinguished Neither must this seeme strange for if the Image of God which was more perfectly placed in Adam might bee quite lost then no maruell if the graces of the spirit bee drowned in vs for a time The Galathians were truly regenerated and had receiued Christ into their hearts yet their graces were so choked and quenched that hee was as it were without fashion or forme so Galath 4. 19. that the Apostle did as it were trauell againe vntill Christ was fashioned anew in them Dauid also vpon the committing of his sinne was brought vnto that case that he praied God to create in him Psal 51. a new spirit What was the spirit quite gone No for by and by after he praieth that God would not take his holy spirit from him but the graces thereof were wonderfully decaied and therefore he desireth that they might be renued But that none may abuse this doctrine let vs consider what punishments doe follow vpon the Euils that follow vpon quenching of the spirit quenching of the spirit in this sort First of all wee must know that though the spirit be not gotten by our labour yet that is required for the obtaining of it and it must cost vs much paines ere we can get it into our hearts all which seemeth to be lost when the graces of the spirit are withered Secondly all that peace and ioy before spoken of is gone with how great griefe and woe they know that in any measure haue tasted of it Thirdly for that time they haue no heart to do good but are made vnprofitable burdēs to the earth Moreouer such are in danger of falling into reprochfull euils and so to procure the sharp correcting hand of God vpon themselues who hath said that though hee will not take his mercies vtterlie from his children yet hee will visite their sinnes with the rod and their iniquities with scourges as he dealt with Dauid Last of all when the graces of the spirit of God are once decaied they cannot bee repaired but with very much sorrow for what a griefe will it be to call to minde our former transgressions to aggrauate them by all circumstances to apply the terrible threatnings of the law to our stonie harts and the like The consideration of all which discommodities should cause vs to beware how we quench the spirit Yet here is matter of comfort also for though wee may suffer a great decay of Gods graces yet by the rod or by the word or by both they shall be renued in vs againe Of murmuring in the time of affliction MAny men hearing of the often murmurings of the Israelites doe iudge them the worst people vnder the Sunne but such doe little consider either the temptations whereby they were prouoked to murmure or the corruption of their owne hearts which will as bitterly murmure vpon lesse occasion For albeit they were an obstinate and stiffe-necked people yet herein they were vehemently tempted that they came from plenty in Egypt to scarsitie in the wildernesse hauing neither meate nor drinke for all that multitude being sixe hundred thousand men besides women and children Wherefore let vs cease to wonder at this people and in them see our owne corruption For doe not many amongst vs beholding the abundance which the Lord hath bestowed vpon Magistrates or Ministers for the discharge of their duties doe they not I say rather murmure at it then shew themselues thankfull for troubles that they are freed from and for sufficiencie that the Lord hath giuen them to liue vpon True it is that notwithstanding the greatnes of this peoples temptation their sinne was very hainous for Gods mercies had been wonderfull towards them euen immediatly before and that the vnthankfullest of them had been driuen to confesse