seruant Nebucadnezzar Ier. 25. 9. 27. 6. 43. 10. And for this very reason when God bids Shimei to curse Dauid 2. Sam. 10. Dauid durst not to meddle with him for he knew he that set him on worke was to be feared and could not be resisted but as long as God pleased to employ Shimei Dauid thought it fitter to submit himselfe vnto God and so to appease him than to fly into the face of his chastisement before he was appeased When a Father corrects his sonne for a fault if the sonne in stead of confessing and amending his fault and thereby acknowledging the iustnesse of his correction doe nothing else but fly vpon the Rod and teare it in pieces doth not this increase his fault and so increase his punishment Wherefore lift vp thy head and looke on thy Chastisements like a man and not like an vnreasonable creature Come down by the Causes to cure the Effects hauing in the Effects beheld the Causes When thou seest the Rod see withall who hath appointed it It is God that sendeth it Amos 3. 6 For is there any Euill of punishment and the Lord hath not done it And why are the Euills of punishment laid vpon vs but because of our sinnes We waite for light but behold obscurity for brightnesse but we walke in darkenesse c. The Cause is annexed Isa. 59. 9. For our Transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs. So to take the right course wee must begin with the first Cause and take notice thereof and that is our Sinne. Therfore it followes verse 12. Our Transgressions are with vs and as for our Iniquities we know them Wee must know our sinnes and by acknowledgement of our sinnes giue glorie to Gods Iustice in the punishing of our sinnes And when by this Confession Gods righteous iudgements are approued and accepted this is a right step and a good degree of Repentance toward the abolition both of sinnes and punishments Another reason of seeing and confessing our sinnes is in regard of our selues For how shall wee come to loath and forsake those sins which we doe not know acknowledge And if wee doe not come to forsake them wee can neuer come to bee cured of them and the euills that attend them Therefore Salomon Pro. 28. 13. maketh his Cure of sinnes to begin in Confession of sinnes and so he goeth on to forsaking and so to the finding of Mercie And surely if we did clearly see them they would appeare most loathsome to vs we should plainely finde that the sight of sinne is the way to the detestation of sinne But sinne being a spirituall defect or spot it must bee spiritually discerned And for lacke of this eie it comes to passe that sinne doth not appeare out of measure sinfull For if a clear spirituall eie did see the spots of sinne in the glasse of Gods Law it would appeare as blacke as an Aethiop and as loathsome as Leprosie Yea the righteousnesse that hath but a tainte of it would shew like filthy cloutes and the soule would hate euen a garment spotted with the flesh But because wee are darkenesse therefore all colours are like to vs for darknesse takes away the difference euen of contraries Therefore Laodicca Reuel 3. 17. when one of her miseries is blindenesse she thinkes her self rich and to haue need of nothing though indeede she be miserable and poore and naked and what is the reason because being blinde she knowes it not Therefore her way to finde her owne misery that so she may be cured of it is to beg of Christ Iesus that eye-salue with which her eyes being anoynted she may see And when she seeth she cannot but see her nakednes and seeing it she cannot but loathe it and loathing it desire to bee clothed with the grace and righteousnesse of God in Christ Iesus 7. But of the true sight of sinne Oyl of Sc. 226. A second part of Repentance Detestation of sinne I haue elsewhere more fully spoken and likewise of the detestation of sinne Yet this I adde That if we cannot detest sinne à priori by loo king it in the face and seeing the vgly and hideous shape of it yet let vs detest it à posteriori by seeing yea by feeling the miserable effects and consequences of it All the torments of a distracted Leuit. 26. soule Deut. 28. the racke of the conscience the terrours of hell in the minde All the diseases of the body feuers pestilences and rottennesse of the bones All the fearefull stormes that light on the things of this life lightning and tempest cold and fire wracke of estates by Sea or Land they are some small resemblances of sinne the euill of doing being a little though not at full represented in the euills of suffering If then there be such a loathing and detestation of such euills being suffered know that the euils are more loathsome for which they are suffered for God doth not goe beyond justice in the punishment of mankinde yea he is yet farre short of it For after all these euils attending sinne here on earth the Lord shall come in flaming fire 2 Thess. 1. 8. taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall bee punished with euerlasting destruction Wherefore as deepe as the loathing and hatred of all paines and torments both on earth and in hell doth enter into thy heart so deepe let the detestation of sin enter yea a little farther as an euill cause deserues some more hatred than that euill which is made by it And indeed thou must take notice that this detestation must goe deepe with thee euen to the bottome of thy heart for it being the needle which makes way for conuersion from sinne that conuersion will not come but where this detestation hath gone before And here should I come to speake of the true expressions of this hatred of sinne in selfe-reuenge by fasting and other exercises of humiliation but of these also I haue already spoken only in some other place I may haue occasion to speake of the excellent vse and power of fasting being ioyned to the substantiall parts of repentance 8. And now come wee to A third part of Repentance the turning from sinne vnto the contrary righteousnesse Turning from sinne vnto the contrary Righteousnesse and I would to God we were indeed come home vnto it For this is the maine worke of repentance that sets the soule yea all things in ioynt againe and makes a full agreement between God and vs for sinne hauing separated vs the wall of this separation being drawne downe there is entercourse between God and vs. The Image of God in vs lookes cheerefully vpon God whose Image it is and God lookes cheerfully on this Image because it is his Likenesse breedes loue and on the loue of God attend all blessings and the
helpes whom God of his meere grace bestoweth vpon Paul Yea naturall helpes being opposed against spirituall are ready helpes to destruction so the Master and owner of the ship being beleeued against Paul become the meanes of the ships destruction Naturall helpes if they bee not stayed and held by spirituall helpes will then runne away from vs when we haue most need of them so the Mariners would haue run away when they might haue stood most in steed if Paul had not stayed them Spirituall helpes are they that saue vs when naturall helpes doe faile vs so the loue of God to Paul saued both him and his companions when they were destitute of the helpe of man And lastly when spirituall helpe and blessing is giuen to the meanes then the meanes can saue vs yea then the meanes are so necessarie that without them we cannot bee saued So when God is pleased to giue successe to the seruice and helpe of the Mariners then they are vsefull to bring the ship where the passengers may bee saued Yea they are then so necessarie that without the Mariners they cannot bee saued Thus wee see that spirituall helpes are the strong helpers and outward helpes are themselues holpen by them Spirituall helps are the foundation and temporall helpes are a building vpon that foundation Wherefore if we will be wife builders first let vs bee sure to make the foundation strong and then may we hopefully reare vp the walls Let vs by penitence draw neere vnto God our Rocke and being spirituall fetch strength and helpe from the Almighty Spirit Then may wee say and not till then The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Yea he is a Sunne as well as a shield Psal. 28. 7. and when this Sunne returnes Psal. 84. 11. then there comes a spring vpon a Nation 6. Being thus put vpon spirituall helpes Sure and sound Repentance is a sure sound helpe and particularly vpon Repentance as vpon that which reconcileth to vs the strong and All sufficient helper A first part of it is the sight and acknowledgment of sinne let vs giue all diligence to make this repentance sure vnto vs. And sure it is made to vs by making it our owne and it is made our owne when wee our selues doe practise it For then repentance only can heale vs when by particular applying of it to our owne soules we make it our repentance And as it should bee a sure repentance so should it bee a full repentance For then is it most sure in it selfe to heale vs when it is most entire and perfect And so being sure in it selfe and sure to vs I hope we may be sure to bee saued Now to come to this fulnesse of repentance let vs view the parts of it yea let vs view some Accessions and necessary improuements of it yea let vs see the Crowne and consummation of it And let vs not only see but doe that wee may bee blessed in the Deede of it The parts of it Oyle of Scorp pag. 219. I haue heretofore shewed They are a Sight and Acknowledgment of Sin a Detestation of Sin and a Turning from Sinne to the contrary Righteousnes And first the Sight and Acknowledgement of our sinne is absolutely necessary It is necessary in respect of God and in regard of our selues In respect of God it is necessary for thereby we giue the glory that is due to the Iustice of God When we see our sins and acknowledge them we confesse that God is iust in his punishments and that he hath rightly afflicted vs. Dan. 9. 5. 7. 14. We haue sinned saith Daniel and haue done wickedly and haue rebelled euen by departing from thy precepts and iudgements And therupon he inferres O Lord righteousnesse belongeth to thee but to vs Confusion of Faces as at this day And a little after Therefore hath the Lord watched vpon the Euill and brought it vpon vs for the Lord our God is Righteous in all the workes that hee doth for wee obeyed not his voyce Thus from the Acknowledgement of sinne ariseth Glorie to Gods Iustice in punishing Sinnes and this Glorie hee expecteth before the Sinner be dismissed Hee will haue an acceptation of his punishments as of things iustly due vnto vs and it is an excellent degree toward Mercie to say with the penitent Thiefe on the Crosse We are righteously here Luk. 23. 4â— and receiue the reward of our deedes Yea with that holy Man Thou O God Ezra 9. 13. hast punished vs beneath our iniquities But if this be the fruite which God expecteth of his punishments for sinne that his Iustice should be so farre approued that the punishments should bee accepted how contrary an effect doe men commonly returne to God who in stead of acceptation returne nothing but murmuring and repining They employ their thoughts most on the stones that are cast at them and they bound their imaginations with the euills that presse them And they are so farre from this right fruite and vse of them that they neither see them as punishments for sinne neither doe they see the Iustice of God in sending these punishments yea they doe not see God at all in them but which is most lamentable and feareful because it is the very character of the wicked ones God is not in all their thoughts Psal. 10. 4. But while thus wee looke downeward to Effects without looking vp to Causes we look on our punishments rather like beasts than men And whatsoeuer toile wee take about the Effects if wee doe not remoue the Causes it is but losse of labour But how can we remoue the Causes when we doe not see them Sinne is that which moues Gods Iustice to punish vs and God will haue his Iustice approued and accepted in the punishment of Sinne before he will remoue those punishments And if it be our owne sinne and the Iustice of God that lay these euils vpon vs I wonder what good thou dost toward the cure of these euils by biting the stone that by these is throwne at thee For if thou shouldst bite it to powder as long as the Iustice of God remains vnappeased because thy Sin remaines vnacknowledged the great God of Iustice who in Mercie can turne stones into children of Abraham in Iustice can turn any sonnes of Adam into stones to batter thee Yea I will tell thee farther that as long as thou standest off from God and doest not take notice of him and much more while thou standest out against God and only snarlest at his punishments he wil defend euen his punishments against thee The punishments of God while they are in Gods businesse and till they haue done their errand are the seruants of God God will mainetaine them in that seruice vntill it bee done Therefore whatsoeuer become of Nebucadnezzar when his worke is done yet in doing of Gods worke God himselfe doth call him My
and the root of Grace too much starued and pined But let vs feare this building of our owne houses with the contempt of God and his houses for hee hath blasted it with a Iudgement and his owne mouth hath told it vs. Haggai 1. Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the Prophet saying Is it time for you O yee to dwell in your sieled houses and this house lye waste Now therefore saith the Lord of Hostes Consider your wayes And againe Consider your wayes You looked for much and loe it came to little and when you brought it home I did blow vpon it why saith the Lord of Hostes Because of mine house that is waste and yee runne euery man to his owne house Wherefore that the Church spiritual which is the house of God and the Church materiall which is the house of the hosue of God may bee edified and built vp yea that all good fruites euen all good works may prosper and increase let not the roote of prophanenesse starue and keepe downe the roote of holinesse for hee that thus wageth warre against good workes by killing the roote of them puts away from himselfe the name of a Christian and puts on the title of a Libertine Fourthly it is a thing most fearfull and followed with infinite misery For they that fight against the grace of the spirit fight against the spirit whose grace it is So when the Prophets were resisted by the Iews in whom Gods spirit instructed and spake S. Steuen saith Nehem. 9. 20. 30. Act. 7. Yee doe alwayes resist the holy Ghost And S. Peter most plainely The spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4. 14. and of God resteth vpon you which on their part is euill spoken of but on your part hee is glorified Behold a fearfull thing with which Gamaliel affrighted the hard-hearted and stiff-necked Iewes Act. 5. 39. Lest yee bee found to fight against God For when the pot will fight with the Potter wee know it can expect no end but breaking in pieces Psal. 2. 9. Thou shalt breake them with a rod of Iron thou shalt dash them in pieces like a Potters vessell Wherefore kisse the sonne lest he be angry and yee perish from the way Kisse the spirit of the Son by which spirit hee kisseth the soules of those that loue him and are loued of him This is the way to eternall happinesse and saluation But if in stead of kissing you kicke against his Spirit bee yee sure yee shall perish from the way of saluation For holinesse is the way to happinesse and if we resist the spirit by which men are sanctified yee put from you the Author of that holines by which we walke to happinesse It is a prayer of our Church That our life may be pure and holy so that at the last wee may come to Gods eternall ioy Wherefore if purenesse and holinesse bee the way to eternall ioy why dost thou hate stop vp the way that leades to eternall ioy Surely if thou stop vp this way to thy selfe and others there remaines no other way for thee but that broad way which leadeth to eternall destruction Behold the end of Gods enemies wherefore feare yee also Lest yee bee found fighters against God and remember that when you call Saints Puritanes you are Gods enemies and the titles which follow that are children of wrath and sons of perdition But though it be a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you 2 Thess. 1. 6. 7. yet to you that are troubled rest shall be with the rest of the Saints when the Lord Iesus shall bee reuealed from heauen And in the meane time follow the example of the same Lord Iesus pitty their ignorance and out of that pitty pray for them Luk. 23. 34. Father forgiue them for they know not what they doe If a man distracted doe raile on thee thou art more sorry for him than for thy selfe Doe the like in a case not vnlike Doe according to thy owne knowledge and not according to his ignorance Secondly know the Diuells aime in it and then thou art safe His aime is to take thy holinesse from thee and to quench the spirit or some fruites of the spirit Be thou most carefull to keepe what hee is most carefull to take away for be thou sure that is a most precious Iewell which thy greatest enemie seekes most to take from thee Thy enemie plainely tells thee the worth of it by his endeauours to steale it Wherefore let his malice be a very motiue to keepe that purenesse holinesse which his malice setteth at so high a price Thirdly vnderstand the diuells language thou maist be very well pleased for in the Diuels language a saint is a Puritane Wherfore know that when for so me good worke hee calls thee Puritane vnderstand that in his language he calleth thee Saint See More Medit. wherfore let this turn to thee for a testimoniall that euen thy enemies being Iudges thou art such a one as is truely honourable here in earth shall eternally be honoured hereafter in heauen Matt. 5. 1. For blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God As for other sins wherewith this Land is pressed downe I wish they were so inuisible that men should need to looke into bookes to finde them It may not be doubted but where such a bitter roote of prophanenesse and irreligion preuaileth so strongly the cursed fruites of it are too plentifull But men bend not their mindes to that counsell of God Hag. 1. Consider your wayes Yea the tree of knowledge of good and euill hath so infected mens iudgements with a carnall wisdome that they looke only for good and euill in outward and carnall things If those things goe well all is well And euen for this very cause doth God punish vs in outward things that by the euills which we regard wee may be brought to take notice of the euills which we regard not For though the carnall man doe not see sinne to bee euill but only thinkes that to bee euill which hee feeles yet that euill which he sees not is the cause of the euill which hee feels For there is an euill way of sinne which drawes on the euills of iudgement Ionah 3. 10 and as they come together so they goe together For when man turnes from the euill way by repentance God turnes from the euill which he said he would doe and doth it not But of these euills of sinne I haue often spoken and brought them before mens eyes but I pray God to annoint our eyes with that eye-salue of his spirit by which spirituall things are seene and discerned that rightly seeing our sinnes and rightly iudging them wee may escape the iudgements of God All should aduance this repentance And first be Magitrate 19. From the sinnes to be repented of we passe to the persons that ought to be principall Agents
remouing of all curses And indeed why should wee not leaue sinne what is there in it or with it that we should not leaue it and loathe it Surely if wee looke neerely and cleerely vpon sinne wee shall see all the reason that may bee to cast it from vs and vtterly to abhorre it Among others let vs consider the deformity of it mentioned before the vanity of it and the miserie of it The deformity of it should especially bee looked on as that whereby God is offended and the offence of God should chiefly bee regarded Surely sinne is an ill-fauoured thing and it cannot bee otherwise for it is contrary to the most absolute purenesse beauty and glorie of the Deity it crosseth the will of God the Rule of righteousnesse it crosseth and opposeth God who is light because it is darknesse it is a blot and spot vpon the Image of God and it cannot but bee a thing odious and hatefull to God to see his Image and superscription blotted defaced it turnes men into a generation of Vipers it makes them rauening Wolues it makes them like the Horse and Mule which haue no vnderstanding Yea it makes them worse than the beasts that perish Esay 1. 3. For the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters cribbe but Man by sinne casts off his owner and Master euen the high Lord and Master of the whole Creation because the sole and whole Creator of it And what doe we now to saue this sinne from death and destruction which makes vs fit for nothing but the wrath of God the plagues that attend it And if we behold the vanity of sinne that may make vs weary of it and willing to forsake it For the maine cause of keeping our sinnes are certaine pleasures with which the diuell hath bayted them and wee so loue this bayte that wee take downe the hooke with it and by taking it we are taken And indeed if we could see sinne stripped of this pleasure that is the hooke without the baite wee should both feare and hate it And of this men haue some sight in the end of pleasures and in the day of sicknesse and death But looke vpon them now in the very time of thy health if thou canst but bring thy flesh a little on sleepe while thy soule is waking For if thy flesh would be quiet while thy soule is in this contemplation thou mightest answer out of thy owne knowledge vnto this question of the holy Ghost What fruite haue yee of those Rom. 6. 21. things whereof yee are now ashamed Take all the pleasures that are past squeese them with all thy might and see what drop of fruite thou canst wring of them They are past and gone and there remaines no one iot of them but they are perished with the vsing Coloss. 2. 22 And as these haue dealt with thee that are past so shall they serue thee that are to come There is nothing left of the former neither shall there be of the latter but they shall be all swallowed vp of one emptinesse and nothing But in stead of the pleasure of sinne which is vanished thou maist haue a sting of sinne that will not easily vanish and this meere naturall reason hath told vs. Habet omnis hoc voluptas Boeth Stimulis agit fruentes Apiumque par volantum Vbi grata mella fudit Fugit nimis tenaci Ferit icta corda morsis And if the pleasure of sinne vanisheth and the sting remaineth how much better is the labour of righteousnesse whose labour vanisheth but the comfort and reward of righteousnesse for euer abideth But if nothing else yet let the miseries of sinnes which are so many blowes of an offended God beate vs from sinne When wee see it attended with Plague Famine and Sword with Sicknesse Death and Hell with vnsuccesfulnes in Armies Nauies with terrours within and without at home and abroad yea with all the euills of soule body and estate then let vs hate it if not for it selfe yet for the fearefull consequences and followers of it Yea let vs hasten from it as Lot was hastened out of Sodom for to hasten out of sinne is to make haste from fire and brimstone and from all the torments that may be inflicted by an omnipotent wrath 9. But if we meane throughly to leaue sinne To leaue sinne throughly we must roote vp sinfulnes wee must leaue sinfulnesse wee must not plucke off the branches but plucke vp the rootes of it Wee must not heale sinne downeward but vpward we must goe to the bottome of it and begin to purge and heale it at the bottome and so come forward to make it whole at the top If wee pull vp the roote of it the branches will die but if we do but breake off the branches of it the root will bud againe and bring forth both branches and fruit The tree of knowledge of good and euill that brought-in lust to be the law of our hearts which is a contrariety to the law of God must bee pulled vp by the rootes And why should it not For when this is done a man is in no worse case by it than Adam was in his perfection euen when hee was happy and before his vnhappinesse Yea thou shalt hereby free thy selfe from a most miserable bondage and so let thy libertie as well as the excellencie of this estate moue thee Thou art now a slaue to thy lust euen an Egyptians bond-slaue if it bid thee goe thou must goe if it bid thee come thou must come and wouldst thou not rather choose to be free from so blinde and base and imperious a master to serue the highest and most glorious Creator euen the true and liuing God True it is that sinfulnesse is rooted somewhat strongly in thy nature but there is a mighty power that is able to roote it out euen the same power that first created Nature and that can raise the dead yea which raised Iesus Christ. Eph. 1. 19. 20. This mighty power and outstretched Arme is that which helpeth soules in their passage from Egypt and giues them safe conduct into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God Wherefore feare not to incounter the power of sinne and to cast off the yoke of it for thou hast a mightier power to make good thy freedome euen a power against which Pharaoh his hostes 1 Ioh. 4. 4. the diuell sinne and the gates of hell shall not bee able to preuaile The Lord in his mercy Exo. 15. 13. leades forth the people whom hee hath redeemed and guideth them in his strength vnto his holy habitation 10. Neither must we only put off sinne When sin is put off righteousnesse must be put on Mat. 3. 10. but wee must put on righteousnesse There are certaine fruits which are worthy or sutable to amendment of life and these must bee brought forth For when the Axe of Gods iudgements is laid to
of Circumcision hauing cut off that by which the sinne of the Fathers was deriued to the Children For in Regeneration which putteth off the old man and the body of sinne we are cut off from the stocke of the first Adam and graffed into the second Adam and from thence our pedegree is reckoned from the second into whom wee are ingraffed and not from the first from whom wee are cut off We are then beheld in him in whom God is wel pleased and not in him in whom God is offended Yea in stead of the guilt of the sinnes of our Fathers the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus descendeth vpon vs and we are so farre from the guilt of those whose corruption we haue put off that we are cloathed with the righteousnesse of Him whom we haue put on In the very conception of Christ Iesus the Holy Ghost stopped or cut off this streame of Corruption that it should not descend vpon him and that not descending neither did the guilt of old sins descend vpon him But what he had in his Birth wee haue in our New-birth when wee are New-borne of him For then is the guilt of old sins cut off the sinfulnesse being cut off by which it streamed downe vpon vs. Heb. 10. 17. And thus doe wee come to the New Couenant whereby the Lawes of God being written in our hearts not onely the sinnes of our Forefathers but our owne sinnes are put away for God forgiueth all iniquities and remembreth sinnes no more And indeede to this very Couenant doth God call vs in those places of Scripture where hee teacheth vs this way of putting off the sins of our Fathers For though he begins in the Law yet hee ends in the Gospell And we know that the Gospell is generally though secretly intimated in the Law Gal. 3. 24. which was a Schoolemaster to Christ. But here samewhat openly wee are called to the Gospell and New Couenant There are two places wherein God answers the Iewes that had set vp a Prouerbe against his Iustice. Ier. 31. 29. The Fathers haue eaten sower grapes Ezek. 18. and the childrens teeth are set on edge As if they should say Wee are righteous and haue not eaten the sower grapes of vnrighteousnesse but onely by our Fathers eating the teeth of vs their children must be set on edge Surely a terrible taxe and accusation of the Equalitie and Iustice of Gods waies That righteous Children should bee punished for the sinnes of vnrighteous Parents Heare the Force of their Argument standing vpon this Assumption That they were righteous God ioynes Issue with them iust in that point and tells them plainely that if they bee righteous they shall not dye but liue And because the Iewes by reason of the vaile on their eies still groped for a Legall Righteousnes Rom. 10 3. and as S. Paul saith being ignorant of Gods Righteousnesse goe about to establish their owne that is a Legall Righteousnesse God knowing their meaning talkes with them in their own language and accepts their challenge in their Legall termes Compare Ezek. 18. 5. 6. 7. 8 9. 19. with Leuit. 18. 4. 5. Gal. 3. 10. 12. Therefore he vseth the very words of the Law when he answers them setting forth to them a Legall Righteousnesse and with the very Legall condition Doe this and thou shalt liue But at length because hee knew that the Law made nothing perfect because it was weake and did not powerfully change the heart by the change and renewing whereof sinne with sinfulnesse may onely bee put off hee remoues their eies from the Law to the Gospell And therefore in Ezekiel he calls vpon them for a new heart and a new spirit without which all their legall Righteousnesse can neuer put off the sinnes of their fathers And in Ieremy Ier. 31. 31. c. God plainly tells them how this new Heart is to bee gotten euen by the grace of the new Couenant whereby the lawes of God are written in our hearts and the heart being changed by this grace by a blotting out of sinfulnesse and writing of holinesse the guilt of sinnes passed both ancient and moderne are all blotted out al-also for GOD forgiueth their iniquities and doth no more remember their sinnes for iustification is giuen together with sanctification where sanctification is not present iustification is absent Wherefore since God hath made known to vs this sound and sufficient remedy against the sinnes of our fathers let vs take it heartily and put away the sins and sinfulnesse of our fathers by putting on Christ Iesus in the new and second birth Rom. 8. 1. For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus but in stead of the guilt descending from our fathers Rom. 6. the righteousnesse of Christ Iesus shall descend vpon vs for by the obedience of this one many shall be made righteous For as sinne aboundeth so grace superaboundeth the breadth of Mercy exceeds the depth of Iustice for as Instice goes down to the third and fourth generation of them that hate God so Mercie spreades it selfe abroad vpon thousands of them that loue God and keepe his Commandements The righteousnesse of one if wee be one with that one shall bee more auailable to our Iustification than the sinnes of many from whose sinfulnesse wee are diuided shall be powerfull vnto condemnation 16. But while we are speaking of the sinnes to bee put off A sinne of our Ancestors made ours and made worse the name of it is Gluttonie there presents it selfe to vs another sinne which also hath beene the sinne of this Nation and withall we may take notice that it was a sinne of Sodom This sinne in the Scripture goes vnder the name of Fulnesse of bread and in our Language is plainly called Gluttony And this sinne hath beene so proper to this Nation that one puts Voraces for an Epithete of Angli and another when he will say he is full euen to the brim expresseth it thus Si saoul comme vn Anglois He is glutted like an English man It may bee some men out of naturall Philosophy will gather an excuse that the cold Climates haue need of more food because the heate being stricken in and so by vnion made stronger expecteth more fuell to feed it and to draw it away from feeding on that stocke of naturall humidity which is the lampe of life But this only pleads for such a measure which preserueth life but we speake of a measure that oppresseth life A filthy and vnreasonable and vnmeasurable measure proceeding of a filthy cause and going on in a bruitish way to a dangerous end The roote of this sinne which we speake of is Concupiscence and this Concupiscence hauing conceiued infects both vs and our meate and doth so turne our table into a snare that it changeth wholsome meate into poyson euen into the poyson both of body and soule No reason in the world vseth meate beyond
persecution were ended wee receiued the word with ioy in the holy Ghost wee did then runne well who doth let vs from running so still Yea then God mightily prospered vs and made his owne word good vnto vs 2. Chro. 15. 2. The Lord is with you while yee be with him Why then should wee not bee still with him as at first that hee as at first may stil be with vs Those that are of God the word and wisedome of God should moue them for that saith to them Ier. 6. 16. Inquire the old way and Remember from whence thou art fallen Reu. 2. 5. and repent And those that are of the world the wisedome of the world should moue for thus saith their Oracle It is more cleare than the day Disc. vpon Liuy lib. 3. cap. 1. that such bodies of Common-wealths c. doe not endure except they bee renewed and the manner whereby to renew them is to bring them backe to their beginnings And then comming to Religion wherof hee discourseth vnder the name of Sectes he saith It is manifest that such renewings are necessary euen by experiments in our Religion And indeede by his owne Rule if Religion decay a Kingdome and Common-wealth will decay therfore he aduiseth lib. 1. c. 12. He that wil maintain a Kingdome in his entirenesse must aboue all take care that Religion doe not decay and by little and little come to bee neglected Thus should Religion bee reuiued and mainetained in ancient vigour by all By those that know it truely because of the goodness which is in it By those that know it not in the inside but onely some outward goood effects of it because it is good for themselues if the good of the Kingdome wherein they liue be their good 21 The great remedy of Repentance and Conuersion being taken downe into the hearts and soules of vs Vpon the foundation of Repentance sure hope of mercie is builded I would not doubt Act. 27. 22. but wee should see Paul standing forth againe and heare him saying I exhort you to bee of good cheere for there shall bee no losse of any mans life among you And I speake it not without ground for God himselfe hath giuen vs some earnests of this safety For as the same Paul gaue this for the reason of his Encouragement There stood by me this night the Angel of God so may I say for a ground of our Comfort Not onely the Angel of God but the Lord of the Angels hath stood by vs in the night of our sufferings and chastisements and by a manifest grant of our petitions vpon humiliation hath giuen vs good proofe that more humiliation may obtaine more safetie and deliuerance Vpon a little humiliation for a little space grace hath bin shewed from the Lord our God Ezra 9. 8. to leaue vs a remnant to escape and to giue vs a nayle in his holy place that our God may lighten our eyes and giue vs a little reuiuing The first Fast was followed with miraculous successe Neuer a greater pestilence in our greatest Citie recorded in these later ages and I thinke neuer so great a pestilence so soone so cleane swept away Yea though the Citie were not long after thronged with a double meeting so that it should be thought that the chambers of death were filled with the liuing yet death being cōmanded to sheath his sword could not touch life though fallen into the armes of it So death by Gods mercy was turned to vs Gen. 31. 29. as Laban toward Iacob though it had a hurtfull power it had no power to hurt vs. But when the greatest Pestilence hath thus the speediest end it is a very wonder and plainely shewes a hand aboue Nature And what hand doe we finde to be the cause of extraordinary changes but Dextera excelsi the right hand of the Highest And if wee looke below by what lower meanes the right hand of the most High hath beene moued to make these changes euen to repent of the euill Ionah 3. which hee said hee would doe Ioel. 2. and did it not wee finde that Humiliation with Fasting is a principall meanes Wherefore this way being taken by vs and this effect following it what can wee thinke but that by this way Gods mercy came vnto vs A second blessing following a second Fast was the stay and turning away of a Famine And this also was strange and extraordinarie euen by a strange and extraordinary change For the Famine was posting apace towards vs yea it flew on the wings of the cloudes which dropped downe death and destruction by destroying the fruites of the earth Yet in the very speed of this blacke Horse the Fast gaue it a stop and the word of God set that day for a bound to it And concerning that day a command came to the cloudes Thus farre shall yee goe and here shall yee stay your destroying waters For wee know that this very day was the end of that iudgement Now when wee see a Iudgement stop in such a day what shall we thinke but that the worke of that day was the stop of the iudgement For otherwise that day wherein wee were relieued had no more vertue than the dayes wherein wee were punished Besides by both rule patterne in the Scriptures wee finde that this effect by such causes may bee produced The Scripture saith 1 Cor. 11. 31. If wee iudge our selues wee shall not bee iudged God was readie to iudge vs with a Famine which is a Fast of necessitie We vnderwent a voluntary Famine by a voluntary Fast So the Famine meeting with a Famine went no farther but dyed in it The businesse which it should haue done was done and the end being attained that which moued to the end rested And it is not without patterne that spirituall workes haue bounded the iudgements of God with a day Yea God himselfe doth call vs to set a Marke on that day and by that on others that are like it When the Iewes for the neglect of a worke that tended to Gods glory were punished with pouerty and scarsitie yet in that very day wherein they began that worke which God required there was a change of curses into blessings whereupon God calls vpon them Consider from this day Hag. 2. 18. and vpward from this day will I blesse you Thus by the good hand of God vpon vs there hath beene a change and deliuerance from two of the great scourges wherewith God professeth that hee scourgeth the sinfull Nations of the earth Ezek. 14. And if in two euills hee haue deliuered vs why may we not hope that hee will deliuer vs in the third If he haue deliuered vs from the Beare and the Lyon why may wee not hope that hee will deliuer vs from a third though it be as bigge as Goliah It is a sure signe that Gods eare is yet open to vs and while his eares are open