Gods Creatures and so far good Seventhly Other evills are used by God as medicines either First To prevent this or Secondly for the cure of this p. 4 5. Doctrines proved by Demonstration 1 That which fighteth against and opposeth the greatest good must needs bee the greatest evil p. 5 6. Secondly That which is universally evil all evil and no good must needs bee the greatest evil but sin is all evil c. p. 6. Thirdly That which is the sole object of Gods hatred must needs bee the greatest evil but sin is c. Fourthly That which separates the soul from the chief good must needs bee the greatest evil p. 7. Fifthly That which is the ground and cause of all other evils must needs bee the greatest evil but sin is c. p. 8. National evils 1. Wars 2. Famine 3. Pestilence personal temporal spiritual eternal p. 8. Sixthly That which is worse than the utmost evil must needs bee the greatest evil but sin is worse than the utmost evils worse than Hell p. 9. Second part of the Doctrin as sin is in it self so In the apprehensions of Gods people sin is the greatest evil and this appears by p. 9. 1. Their sighs for sin 2. By their sufferings to avoid sin they have esteemed sin worse than 1. Poverty 2. Prisons 3. Death 4. Hell it self p. 10. Consectaries or Uses 1. Let us fall down and admire the wisdome and adore the goodness of God who out of the greatest evil could bring the greatest good bee humbled for the fault and blesse God for the remedy p. 11. 2. Hence conclude it is the saddest punishment the fearfullest judgement in the World to bee given up to sin Ibid. 3. See what fooles they are who seek to bee rid of other evils by the admission of sin p. 12. 4. If sin bee the greatest evil what then is sin circumstantiated sin compounded sin made exceeding sinful p. 13. 5. See what fools they are who make a mock of sin who sport with Hell hee who sports with sin sports with Christ with killing Christ and tearing the flesh of Christ p. 14. 6. See the utter impossibility of any thing under Heaven to help us from under the guilt of sin save Jesus Christ only infinite Righteousness is required for one sin no more for a thousand sins no Righteousness proportionable to the evil of sin but Christs p. 15 First Not our own Secondly Nor will the Righteousnesse of the Law Thirdly It is not the Righteousnesse of Angels it must bee infinite wisdome to finde out a way it must bee infinite mercy to pardon infinite power to subdue infinite merit to purge and cleanse infinite grace to destroy sin p. 16 7 See how much wee are bound to Christ who hath born our sins who hath an interest in him p. 17 And secondly who hath so born them that wee shall not bear them Eight Consectary If sin bee the greatest evil it then calls out First For the greatest sorrow though not to the quantity and bulk yet in quality and worth though not in strength yet in length and continuance p. 20 Sorrow proportionable to the measure and greatness of sin p. 21 To the merit and desert of sin p. 22 Secondly It calls for the greatest hatred p. 22 Thirdly for the greatest care to avoid and hee that is careful to avoid will bee acquainted with the falls of others with the weaknesse of his own heart hee is acquainted with the power and policy of Satan with the danger and deceitfulnesse of sin Deceitful in Its Objects Arguments Pretences Excuses Incroaches Promises p. 22 23 Fourthly It calls for the greatest indeavours to bee rid of it this evil if it bee kept makes our good evil where on the contrary if sin bee removed the evil of the evil is taken away Sin is the sting of every affliction Therefore First Let us chuse the greatest evil in the World rather than the least sin Secondly Let us pitty and pray for such as are under the state of sin p. 24 Thirdly Let us admire the greatnesse First Of the patience of God in bearing with sinners And that if you consider Sin is contrary First To Gods works Secondly To Gods Nature Thirdly To Gods Will. p. 25 Secondly Let us admire the greatnesse of Gods mercy in pardoning sin p. 26 Thirdly See what cause wee have to humble our selves that wee have had such slight thoughts of sin Six Glasses wherein sin is presented to show sin is exceeding sinful Look upon it in the 1 Glasse of Nature p. 72 2 Glasse of the Law p. 27 28 3 Glasse of griefs woundings peircings which The Saints have found First In their Admission into the state of Grace Secondly In their relapsings into sin p. 28 4 Look upon sin in Adam p. 28 5 Look upon sin in Christ p. 28 6 In the damnation of the soul p. 29 Use 1. See what need wee have to aggravate sin to the utmost in our confessions p. 29 Six Singular fruits of so doing p. 30 Use 2. If sin bee the greatest evil then it is the greatest mercy in the World to bee rid of it p. 31 That appears in these particulars 1. It is the dearest bought-mercy p. 31 2. It is the purest mercy p. 32 3. It is the freest mercy of all other in two particulars p. 32 33 4. It is an intituling mercy p. 33 5. It is an irrevocable mercy p. 33 34 6. It is an universal mercy the womb of mercy p. 34 Seven Glorious fruits of pardon of sin p. 34 35 First Use Labour above all things to get pardon of sin Five sorts of men who do but dally and trifle with God about pardon of sin p. 36 37 38 The Contents of the Treatise of Christs Love to his Spouse On CANT 4.9 THe Penman of the Canticles who p. 43 Why called the Song of Songs Ibid. Matter contained in the Canticles p. 44 Words of the Text opened p. 45 Doct. 1. The heart of Jesus Christ is exceedingly taken with his Church and People p. 46 In the Prosecution hereof is shewed 1. VVhat is meant by his heart being taken p. 46 47. 2. That the heart of Christ is exceedingly taken Diverse Arguments Because 1. Christs thoughts are upon his Church and People p. 47 2. Christ doth affectionately love them p. 48 3. Christ doth rejoyce over his Church Ibid. 4. Christ doth exceedingly delight in conversing with his Saints p. 48 49 5. Christ thought nothing too dear to do or suffer c. 6. Christ is fully satisfied with the injoyment of his Church p. 49 50 7. Christ is exceeding charie over his Church p. 50 51 Three other Particulars that demonstrate the Doctrin 1. Christ made all things for them p. 52 2. Christ prepared Heaven for them 3. Christ shed his blood for them Reasons why Because they are his First People Secondly Friends Thirdly Children Fourthly Spouse Fifthly Members Sixthly Jewels They are his First By Choice p. 54
and no good must needs be the Greatest Evil in the world But sin is All evil As we say of God There is no Evil in him He is All Good Quodcunque in Deo Deus est So I may say of Sin There is no Good in it It is All Evil Quodcunque in Peccato Peccatum est There is some good in the worst things in the world and some thing in the worst things to make them capable of our choice of them in some cases some good in sickness some good in Death But now there is no good in sin nor can any considerations in the world make sin the Object of our Choice Though you might avoid Death by sin yet because sin is Universally Evil and No good in it you may not make use of sin to avoid Death And therefore you shall read That when the Apostle would speak the worst of sin he could finde no Name worse than its Own to set it out by Rom. 7.13 ad finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sinful-sin He calls it Sinful-sin Nothing but Sin 3. Demonstration 3. That which is the sole Object of Gods hatred 3. Demonstr Sin the sole object of Gods hatred must needs be the Greatest evil But sin is the sole Object Not onely the Object but the sole Object of Gods hatred He hates nothing but Sin His love runs in divers streams towards all things he hath made But his hatred runs in One Chanel alone and that is Towards Sin If Man were made the Center of all other Evils in the world God could Love him under All if sin were not there And if there be a Confluence of all other Goods Health Beauty Riches Learning c. God hates you if Sin alone be there Gods love cannot be there but his wrath abideth there 4. Demonstration 4. That which separates the soul from the chief good that which divides between the soul and God the chiefest good 4. Demonstr Sin Separates the soul from the chief Good i. God must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin divides betwixt God and the soul Isa 59.2 Your iniquities have Separated betwixt you and your God Betwixt your souls and my Grace your souls and my Comforts your souls and my Blessings It was said of Naaman That he was a Great man an Honorable man a mighty man of War But he was a Leper 2 Kings 5.1 So whatever Ornaments a man hath whatever Gifts Parts Riches Beauty c. yet if he be a Leper though a Learned man a Rich man But a Wicked man that spoils all the rest 5. Demonstration 5. Demonstr Sin is the root of all other evils 5. That which is the ground and cause of all other Evils must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is the cause of all other Evils Is the Old world drowned with water it is for sin Is Sodome destroyed with fire and turned into an Asphaltite-lake to this day it is for sin Is Jerusalem laid on heaps Sin hath done it Should I enter on this I should finde no end 1. Of National evils 1. Sin is the cause of All National Evils We will name some and but name them 1. Wars 1. Wars Judg. 5.8 They chose new Gods Then was War in the Gates James 4.1 From whence come wars and fightings among you is it not from your lusts 2. Famine 2. Famine Psal 107.34 He turneth a fruitful land into a Desert for the wickedness of them that dwell therein Amos 4.6 Therefore sc for their sins have I given you cleanness of teeth in all your Cities and scarceness of bread in all your places c. 3. Pestilence 3. Pestilence as Davids sin here of Numbring the people Read Deut. 28.21 The Lord shall make the pestilence to cleave to thee till he hath consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it And as sin is the cause of National so also 2. Of Personal evils 2. Of personal Evils and those are 1. Temporal 2. Spiritual 3. Eternal Sin is the Cause the Meriting the Procuring Cause of all All Evils are but the Births of sin sin is a Big-bellied Evil and all other Evils are but the births of sin 1. On Body Those upon your Bodies Sickness Aches Pains Weaknesses 2. On Soul Those upon your souls Fears Heart-breakings Terrors Horrors If you could rip up sin you would finde all these to lie in the bowels of the least sin Shall I tell you Sin was the first Founder of Hell that which laid the Corner-stone of that Dark Vault for before Sin there was no Hell Nay and it is Sin that Built up Hell and hath fitted Hell with those Treasures and Riches of Wrath Fire and Brimstone Nay and that which still Addes to it and increaseth the Fewel Rom. 2.5 It treasures up wrath against the day of wrath And therefore being an Universal Evil a Catholick Evil the Womb of Evils and Cause of all it must needs be The Greatest Evil. 6. Demonstration 6. That which is worse than the Utmost Evil 6. Demonstr Sin worse that the utmost Evil. must needs be the Greatest Evil But sin is worse than the Utmost Evil. That which is Greater than the Greatest Evil must needs be Exceeding Great Hell is the Utmost Evil but Sin is worse than Hell it self Hell separate from sin is but miserable not sinful A Penal Evil not A Sinful Evil. I say separate Hell from sin though we cannot really separate Hell from sin yet an Intellectual Separation we may make we may in our Understandings abstract Hell from sin And then I say sin is worse than Hell because Hell is but A Penal Evil sin is A Sinful Evil And there is no Penal Evil so bad as A Sinful Evil. There is good in the Punishment the good of Justice But no good in sin And therefore sin in it self is the Greatest Evil. Now we come to the Second which is the Main As sin is in it self so 2. In the Apprehensions of Gods people sin is the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin do shew they apprehend sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Their sighs for sin you may look into Davids Penitential Psalms and see what sighs and groans for sin Look into Psalm 51. Why what was the reason of them All the Sufferings all the Evils in the world would not so much have affected him as his sin Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death The Death of his body was nothing to him in comparison of This Body of Death Paul went through many tribulations endured a great deal of sufferings as you may read 2 Cor. 11 23 24 25. at large yet all these Scourges these Prisons and Persecutions did not go so much to his heart as sin even the presence though not the power of sin Though he suffered much yet we do not read that ever he cryed OH
for all And yet he doth for Sin OH miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin So Peter Manasseh c. 2. Their sufferings to avoid sin Daniel was content to be thrown into the Den of Lyons the three Children into the Fire Paul and Silas into the Stocks and many of Gods people have chosen to embrace Prisons Stakes Fire and the hottest Persecutions rather than sin Which doth plainly evidence to us They esteemed Sin the Greatest Evil. 1. Greater than Poverty which yet is a great evil Melius est Panem mendicare quam Fidem perdere Better to Beg saith one than to sin Heb. 11.24 to the 28. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the Pleasures of sin for a season The like of that Christian Moses Galcacius Caracciolus who was a Noble Prince and Marquess who yet that he might not sin left and forsook all he had and betook himself to live meanly with the people of God meerly to enjoy the Ordinances And Musculus a man of excellent Learning and a famous Divine who rather than sin would close with any condition The Story tells us That being driven out of all he had he was content rather than sin to betake himself to a Poor Trade to be a Weaver to get bread to maintain his wife and children Afterwards being cast out of that way the world looking upon it as too good for him he betook himself to work with a Spade in the Common Ditch of the Town to get his living He could down with any condition rather than sin Nay they have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Poverty But 2. Greater than Prisons greater than Death it self It was the speech of Ambrose Vultis in vincula rapere Vultis in Mortem Voluptas est mihi Will you cast me into Prison will you take away my life All this is desireable to me rather than to sin When Eudoxia the Empress threatned Chrysostome whom she afterward banished He sends to her Go tell her saith he Nil nisi Peccatum timeo I fear nothing in the world but sin 3. Nay they have apprehended sin a Greater evil than Death Basil speaks of a Rich Virgin who being condemned to the fire and sentenced to lose her estate because she would not Worship Idols yet afterward was promised life and restitution of estate if she would She replyed Valeat vita Pereat Pecunia Farewel life let money perish Look through the Ten Bloody Persecutions and our Late Marian-days and you shall finde many instances to this purpose 4. Nay yet further They have not onely apprehended sin a Greater Evil than Death but yet more A Greater Evil than Hell it self It was the speech of Chrysostome Ego sic censeo sic assiduè praedicabo c. I thus think and thus will I ever preach that It is more bitter to sin against Christ than to Suffer the Torments of Hell Anselm saith That if on the one side were presented unto him the Evil of sin and on the other side the Torments of Hell he would rather choose to fall into Hell than to fall into sin At such a distance were their hearts set against sin And nothing more ordinary than such expressions as these from the Saints in temptations in troubles of spirit or in clearing their own hearts Rather slay me Rather Damn me Rather cast me into Hell than let me sin against thee c. But this shall be sufficient to clear the Doctrinal part We come to the Application 1. Consectary 1. If sin be the Greatest Evil in the world 1. Consectary Then let us fall down and admire the Wisdom of God and adore the Goodness of God who out of the Greatest Evil could bring the Greatest Good who makes the Greatest Evil an Occasion of the Greatest Good that ever was wrought Bernard was so taken up with the thoughts of it that he saith Foelix Culpa quae talem meruit Redemptorem Happy fault which occasioned such a Redeemer We should be humbled for the fault bless God for the Remedy and withal admire that wisdom and that goodness which hath taken occasion by mans wickedness to declare his own goodness by mans sin to make known and express the infiniteness of his wisdom power mercy justice c. That this should be an occasion to draw out all his Glorious Attributes That he should bring Good out of Evil Life out of Death Heaven out of Hell Good out of sin Cordials out of Poyson Let us never doubt never suspect but God can bring good out of any thing turn the Greatest Evils to the advancement of his Glory and the good of his people who can out of sin and Hell bring good What is it to turn Afflictions Persecutions the Plots and Malice of men What is it to turn Troubles Wars c. to his own Glory and Advancement of his own cause who was able to turn Sin to all this He that can turn the Evil of sin which is Pure Evil and the Greatest Evil can much more turn the Evil of Trouble to the good of his people This made the Apostle say that All things should work together for good to them that love God c. He that hath experience of this needs not to doubt of any thing else That God that can turn Sin can turn Afflictions Crosses Persecutions c. to the good of his Church and people 2. Consectary 2. Hence conclude then That it is the Saddest punishment 2. Consectary the Fearfullest judgement in the world To be given up to sin This is the utmost punishment that God insticteth upon men and therefore the Greatest of all Punishments God doth usually proceed by Degrees in the ways of his judgements first he begins with lesser if lesser will not do then he proceeds to greater he will punish yet Seven times more and still the further he goes the greater are his strokes Now this is the finishing the concluding stroke this is the last punishment and the Greatest of all other To give a man up to the state of sin To say to a man Thou that art filthy be filthy still and thou that art unclean be unclean still This he tells them in Ezek. 24.13 Because I would have washed thee purged thee and thou wouldst not be purged therefore thou shalt not be purged And so he tells the Israelites Because you would have altars to sin therefore altars shall be to you to sin Hos 8.11 Oh! There is no sadder judgement in the world than for a man To be given up to his own hearts lust This sets an Eternal night of Darkness A Meipso me libera Domine saith Augustine Good Lord deliver me from my self You had better be given up to the lusts of men to the malice and cruelties of blood-thirsty men better to be given up to the utmost rage and malice of our bloody Cavaliers and Irish Rebels than to be
that Act of his patience no less than his power Now I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken The Lord is long-suffering c. where you see he makes his patience his power And so it is indeed if you consider what sin is Shall I say no more of it than this which God saith Levit. 26.21 It is contrary to God 1 It is contrary to the works of God 1 Sin contrary to Gods works As soon as God set up and perfected the frame of the world sin gave a shrewd shake to all it unpin'd this frame and had like to have pull'd all in pieces again And had it not been for the promise of Christ all this frame had fallen in pieces again If a man should come into a curious Artificers shop and should with one blow dash in pieces a Piece of Art which cost him many years study and pains the contriving of it How could he bear with it Thus sin did and yet that God should forbear Oh! Omnipotent patience 2. But yet further It is Contrary to Gods nature 2 Sin contrary to Gods Nature God is holy sin unholy God is pure sin is filthy and therefore compar'd still to the most filthiest things in the world to the Poyson of Aspes to Ulcers Soars c. If all the Noysom Pollutions in the world met in one common Stuk it would never equal the Pollution of sin God is good perfect Good Sin is evil universally evil There is good in all other things Plague Sickness Hell it self in a kinde hath a good in it None in sin Sin is the Practical-blasphemy of all the name of God It is the Dare of his Justice the Rape of his Mercy the Jeer of his Patience the Slight of his Power the Contempt of his Love It is every way contrary to God 3. It is contrary to the will of God God bids us Do this 3 Sin contrary to the will of God Sin saith I will not do it Sanctifie my Sabbath I will not sanctifie it Here is Contradiction And who can endure Contradiction It is set down as a great piece of Christs sufferings Heb. 12.3 That he indured the contradiction of sinners against himself certainly it was a great suffering How can a Wiseman indure to be contradicted by a fool And here that Christ who was The Wisdom of the Father should bear with such contradiction from fools here vvas a great piece of Suffering Now sin is a contradiction of God Sets Will against Wisdom and the Hell of a wicked Will against an Heaven of Infinite Wisdom And that God should bear vvith such sinners here is a Wonder You knovv in all the Creatures Contrariety makes all the Combustion It makes all the War in nature it causeth one Element to fight against another Fire against Water Water against Fire It will make very Stones to sweat and burst asunder Travel through the vvhole Creation and you shall not see Any Creature that can bear vvith its Contrary And that God and Sin should be Contrary and yet the Sinner live in the World Here is a Wonder a VVonder of Patience 2 Admire Gods mercy in pardoning sin 2. Is sin so Great an Evil Let us then fall down and Admire the greatness of Gods mercy in pardoning sin You see how the Prophet cryes out and Admires Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee That pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the Transgressions of the remnant of his heritage It is one of the Greatest works that God doth in the world To pardon sin A work in which he declares All his glorious Attributes His Wisdom his Power his Justice his Mercy his Holiness c. in pardoning sin Men that have cheap and slight thoughts of Gods Pardoning-Mercy have thereby an evident sign They never had a pardon never knew what it was indeed To have a pardon If ever any work in the world did put God to it then this of the Pardon of sin And if ever God do intend thee any good he will instruct thee and rectifie thy judgement in this Touching the Pardon of sin Therefore doth God humble men at their Bringing-in To raise up their esteem of a pardon To advance the greatness of his own Mercy in Pardoning sin And indeed we should not need such great Preparations and Humiliations in coming to Christ if we had but Greater thoughts of the Pardon of sin Men make no more of a Pardon than to Cry God Mercy Swear an oath and then say God forgive me Or say Lord have mercy on me when I dye It was said of Lewis the 11. King of France that He wore a Crucifix in his hat and when he had sinned he would but kiss his Crucifix and then all was done And so the Papists make it no more but a Crucifix and a Confession Ah! my Brethren if ever God mean good to you he will make you Know what a Pardon is Isa 55.7 when God would draw men up to Shew them a Pardon he calls them Above all the World My thoughts are not as your thoughts nor your ways my ways saith the Lord. If they were then I could not multiply Pardons But as the Heavens are higher than earth so are my thoughts above your thoughts and my ways above your ways I am infinite If Gods Creating-mercy were so great as David vvith doubled Admiration sets it out Psal 8.1 and the last verses O Lord our Lord how wonderful is thy Name in all the world who hast set thy Glory above the Heavens What is then his Pardoning Mercy 3. Lastly Is sin so Great an Evil Then see What cause we have to humble our souls before God this day That vve have had such slight thoughts of sin vvho hath thus judged sin to be the Greatest of all Evils What slight thoughts have vve of sin vve can svvallovv it vvithout fear vve can live in it vvithout sense vve can commit it vvithout remorse All vvhich shevvâ— vve have but slight thoughts of sin vve do not apprehend sin to be such an evil as indeed it is Nay Hovv faulty are Gods people themselves here What mean thoughts have they of sin They are not so watchful against it not so Burdened vvith it not so troubled for it as they ought to be All vvhich shevvs that though sin do appear to them to be A great Evil and The Greatest of all other Evils yet they do not apprehend it to be so Great an Evil as it is Now that you may be able to have some suitable conceptions of sin to the greatness of it that you may be able to see sin exceeding sinful I will briefly present it to you in these Six Glasses 1. Look upon it In the Glass of Nature which though it be but a Dim-Glass a Blown-Glass Sin hath dimmed it yet is this able to discover a great deal of the evil of sin The very Heathen themselves have seen and judged many
Saul Jehu Where now on the contrary where the heart is sound all their raisings raise God God is advanced in all their advancements And the higher God sets up them the higher will they indeavour to raise and set up God his glory his cause his people Mâ—â—cies on an enemy strengthen him to sin but on a friend strengthen to service hee is but a man of greater ability to serve God Many think if they were but so rich so great Oh how would they advance God and his cause how make all to serve him but thy heart may deceive thee if thy heart bee not sound the higher God raiseth thee the lower thou wilt lay him the more good God doth for thee the more evil thou wilt do to him It is a special time to read your spirits to see to your sincerity in time of prosperity There is no tryal in afflictions alone they have something in them may make men humble meek c. but look to them in times of prosperity of a Church Religion cause of God Many men have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church which stagger fall back in times of redemption of a Church That is the saddest It is no strange thing for men to stagger to fall in the times of a declining in the Church for fear c. But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness that falls away in prosperity That is the fourth time 5. See how your spirits work in time of difficulty of danger Of Danger An unsound heart thinks how hee may avoid the danger a sincere spirit how hee may avoid the sin Heb. 12.4 striving against sin not against danger trouble but against sin to keep their consciences pure and undefiled An unsound spirit thinks how hee may save his carkass a sound Christian how hee may keep his conscience As Epaminondas who resolved to keep his buckler or dye for it being wounded to death Cryes out num salvus clypeus meus intimating hee was not hurt if his buckler were safe What hee of his buckler a sincere heart cryes out of his conscience num salva conscientia An unsound spirit hee sees and judgeth his safety sometimes to lye in the neglect of duty and therefore in times of danger hee will bank and decline his duty for fear of man But a sound spirit hee sees his safety to lye in the doing of his duty and his danger in the neglect of it An unsound spirit will rather choose sin than affliction Job 36.21 But where the spirit is sincere he will rather chuse the greatest evil Vultis in vincula injure vultis in mortem voluptas est mihi than the least sin as Daniel and the three children Ambrose saith will you cast me into prison will you take away my life all this is desirable rather than sin And when Eudoxia the Empresse threatned Chrysostome with banishment go tell her saith he I fear nothing in the world but sin And the reason is Nil nisi peccatum timeo because they look on sin as the grand and universal evill the womb of evill and all other evils but the births of sin It hath been the founder of hell for before sin no hell t was that which laid the corner stone in that dark vault nay it is that which hath filled hell with those treasures of wrath and still addes to it and increaseth the fewel Rom. 2.5 Nay they look not only upon sin as â—n evil universal but as universally evil no good in sin And therefore when the Apostle would speak the worst of Sin hee could find no name worse than in its own to set it out by sinfull siâ— as you see Rom. 7.13 These may bee the special times wherein you may read your own spirits and bee able to gather evidences of your sincerity 3. Branch of Exhortation You that have cleared your sincerity do you labour to maintain the evidences of it c. 4. Branch of Exhortation To exhort them whose hearts are sincere that they would declare the sincerity of their hearts on all occasions I have told you that God hath special times for the tryal and discovery of the sincerity of his own people And it should be our wisdomes to take notice of those times and seasons and our care at those times to declare our sincerity Balaam had once a time to declare his sincerity when hee was hired with wealth and honor to curse the People of God but not approving himself at that time hee was branded for an hypocrite for ever Saul had once a time to discover his sincerity when hee was commanded to go and slay all but missing that time of declaring sincerity hee is branded c. The young man had a time too when Christ propounded to him to part with all and follow him but missing that not taking time to declare sincerity c. Solomon had a time too but he was too neglectfull and what follows hee is questioned whether ever saved or no he is pictured between heaven and hell as if men knew not where to fix him These had all special times afforded to them of declaring their sincerity and like vile wretches they make them times of discovering Hypocrisy And there is not a man of you but God doth afford you some or special other occasions in your lives of declaring the sincerity of your hearts which if God give wisdome to discern of and a heart to close with you will bee happy but if not you will smart for it God may suffer you to lye and roar upon your death-bed for want of an evidence of sincerity because you are neglective of declaring your Sincerity when God affords you an occasion of it Oh what sad thoughts will these bee when thou shalt look upon thy life and think with thy self Such a time I was in such a place in such an office had such an opportunity to shew my self for God to advance his glory to do good to his Church his people his cause and yet vile wretch I neglected it I bawked it I was unserviceable or I used my power my strength my authority as an Engine against God against his people against his cause this will be trouble with a witness Well then if you would prevent this let every one in their several places and stations declare the Sincerity of their hearts Make your places your power your parts your riches your friends serviceable to God to his Church to his Cause As Christ made all his Ascensions for the good of his Church so do you Think it not much to adventure and hazard any thing for the glory of God the good of the Church Pray for the Church act for the Church do for God suffer for God run this brave adventure to hazard all for the good of the Church of God Hee who raiseth up Gods glory though by the ruines of himself hee who advanceth Gods cause though himself lye low for it shall
never be looser by it hath bargain good enough You know those places Hee who prizeth father and mother riches lands before mee is not worthy of mee Again There is no man forsaketh father or mother riches or lands for my sake c. but shall have a hundred fold c. So Who saves his life shall loose it but hee who looses his life c. So Hee who denies me before men him will I deny It is now a time wherein wicked men do shew their corruptions do you make use of it as a time to shew your graces when they discover their hypocrisy do you declare your sincerity I have looked and wondred to see those men who have stood firm in the times of affliction of a Church should stagger and fall back in the times of redemption of a Church It is not so strange for a man to fall in the times of the declining of a Church Then fear may make men stagger as in Peter But that is a corrupt heart indeed corrupt with a witness who falls back and flyes off in the times of reforming of a Church to see men to fall back not in the times of persecution but in the times of reformation this is a sad thing It may be weakness of grace which occasions a man to decline and fall back in the times of persecution but it is a wickednesse and height of wickednesse it shews a spirit opposite to God and goodnesse to bee worse in times of reformation Wee see it so in many in our times and seeing unsound spirits to discover their corruptions let Gods people now discover their graces When Israel halted between God and Baal making a mixture of divine worship and idolatrous together one to bee set off by the other that poison might bee swallowed down without scrupling then did Elijah take occasion to declare his sincerity when hee cryed how long do you halt c. When Haman had plotted the death of all the Jews and had gotten the Kings warrant for the doing of it then was it a special occasion for Mordecai and Hâ—sler to declare their sincerity which they did Hesler 4.15 16. When Israel had joyned themselves to Baal Peor then was it a special occasion for Moses to declare his sincerity which hee did Numb 25.5 You see what honour Phineas wonne by taking that special occasion of declaring his sincerity The like of Levi in Deut. 33.9 So of Abraham Gen. 22. consider 1. God calls on you to declare your sincerity 2. The Church calls on you 1. Those abroad our poâ—r distressed brethren in Ireland they cry in the language of the Psalmist Psal 94.16 Who will rise up for mee against the evil doers or who will stand up for mee against the workers of iniquity Do you declare your sincerity by helping them with your purses with your prayers and with your persons so far as you are called out to it 2. Our own Church and Nation calls upon us to declare our sincerities the singleness and honestness of your hearts in these double times To help forward with our prayers the good of the Church the great work which concerns Gods glory his cause now on the wheeles the great work of reformation 3. Your conscience that calls on you to discover your sincerity and conscience is either a mans best friend or worst enemy If you would not have conscience shew it self an enemy at that time when you desire it to appear your friend then make use of the seasons to declare the sincerity of your hearts to God And then will conscience bee thy friend in health thy friend in sickness thy friend in life thy friend in death when all other friendâ— must leave thee The testimony of Hezekiahs conscience to him when hee lay on his sick-bed which gave in evidence of his sincerity brought more comfort than all the World Lord remember how I have walked before thee c. Would you have conscience to give in the like testimony for you then declare the sincerity of your hearts when God calls you out There is a story the moral whereof is good that a man who had three friends which hee loved well and being sent for to the King asked which of his friends would go with him one tells him hee could not go not stir another told him hee would go a little way with him but could not go out with him the third hee tells him hee will not only go with him but answer all for him bring him off God is the King the World kindred and conscience are â—he three friends the arrest death and the person sent for the soul The World that will leave you kindred bring you a little way to the grave there leave you but it is a good conscience which carries a man thorough and makes a man stand blameless before the tribunal If you would have conscience bee your friend theâ— labour to discover sincerity now A TREATISE OF THE Wonderfull Workings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE Wonderful VVorkings OF GOD FOR HIS Church and People EXODUS 15.11 Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in Holiness fearful in Praises Doing wonders WHen troubles are threatned God doth charge us with two things and undertakes to discharge us of all the rest 1. The first thing in Gods charge is Faith Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord The burden of fears of cares of troubles There is the charge and the discharge followes Hee shall sustain thee 2. The second thing God doth charge us withall is Prayer Psal 50.15 Call upon mee But if you will take the charge and the discharge together See Phil. 4.6 Bee careful for nothing There is the discharge But in all things make your request known to God There is the charge And there are two things which God doth charge us withall when our fears are blown over and they are 1. Thankfulness 2. Obedience The former you may read Psal 50.15 The latter 1 Sam. 12.24 And this hath been the practice of the Saints when calamities and troubles hath been either felt or feared they have betaken themselves to those weapons to incounter them with Faith and Prayer You see in Heslers time And when God hath bestowed deliverance then they have betaken themselves to Praises You see in the same story of Esther the Primitive Christians had their Stationary-daies their daies of Prayer wherein they assembled themselves together for the removal of the Churches pressures lying upon them And no doubt but they had their Solemn Feasts and times of Praises when God had wrought his deliverances The want of Mercy sends us to Prayer the injoyment of Mercy sends us to Praises But what need wee seek further for an
Secondly By Purchase p. 54 Thirdly By Donation p. 55 Fourthly By Covenant p. 55 46. Second Reason Because they are adorned with his Beauties 1. Of his Righteousness p. 56 2. Of his Graces p. 57 2 They are persons singled out to advance the great design of glorifying the riches and freenesses of his grace p. 58 59 Uses 1 To strengthen our faith in expectation that Christ should do more for his Church p. 60 The Church Christs 1 Fould 2 Field 3 House 4. Flore p. 60 Note to Explication joyn Supplication p. 61 Second Consectary Then hee will never take his heart off from them Object God doth sometimes forsake his Church and People p. 63 In answer to the Objections several conclusions laid down 1 God doth sometimes seemingly when hee doth not really forsake them p. 63 2 God may partially forsake his People but hee doth never totally forsake them p. 64 3 God may forsake them for a time not for ever p. 65 Third Consectary Then all the passages of Gods Providence 1 Towards the Church in general 2 To any particular member are all for good p. 66 67 4 Consectary VVhat a fearful sin it is that causes God to deal hardly with that which his soul loves so dearly p. 68 69 70 5 Consectary It discovers into what you may resolve all the passages of God to his Church even into his own love p. 70 71 Two streams in which the Love of God doth run 1 Higher in four Particulers 2 Lower in four Particulars more p. 72 6 Consectary VVith what confidence wee may pray for the good of the Church p. 73 7 Consectary What will become of those who are enemies to his Church and People p. 74 8 Consectary See here the ground of acceptation of the services of his People p. 75 Use of Examination whether wee have interest in this love Four Rules to bee observed in our Examination p. 76 Inquiry it self hee whose heart is taken with Christ Christs heart is taken with him Signes Nine signes of a heart taken with Christ p. 77 to 88 Use of Exhortation To them of his Church 1 Walk sutable to this Love in five Particulars p. 88 2 Beware of abusing his Love Four particulars wherein Christs Love may bee abused p. 88 89 3 Bee much in contemplation of his Love p. 90 The thoughts of Christs Love will work seven Effects p. 90 to 93 4 Labour for a reciprocal affection towards Christ p. 94 95 The Contents of The Nature and Royalties of Faith JOHN 3.15 Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have eternal life 1 THe occasion of this discourse p. 41 2 The discourse it self p. 42 Parts of the Text. Ibid. Inquiries First What Act of Faith that is whereby a sinner stands justified before God p. 42 43 44 2 Upon what Object this Act is to bee terminated p. 45 Doct. The great thing which is required at our hands for Justification and Salvation is beleeving in Christ p. 46 1 What Faith is the Definition with the Explanation of it which answers to six Objections that are made against the Definition p. 46. to 61 2 Faith the only requisite whereby wee should bee justified and saved 1 No way of union with Christ but by Faith p. 61 62 2 Faith necessary for our communion with Christ p. 62 to 64 3 Why God should make choice of this Grace for our Justification 1 That it might bee by Grace Ibid. 2 That the promise might bee sure in two respects p. 64 65 3 That the promise might bee to all the seed Ibid. 4 That no man might have cause to beast or glory in himself p. 65 66. 4 How Faith justifieth p. 67 68 What are the Royalties of Faith Faith is a heart-chearing Grace 1 By procuring a sufficient paymaster Christ p. 68 65 2 By making us one with Christ by which his payment is ours p. 66 2 Faith is a heart-cleansing grace and that two wayes 1 Argumentatively from God four Arguments p. 69 2 From our selves two Arguments p. 70 2 Operatively Faith makes thee First Of the Merit of Christ Secondly Prayer Thirdly Promise of Christ p. 71 3 Royalty Faith is a heart-commanding grace and it inables the soul to do what it commands p. 71 72 4 Faith is a heart-quieting grace 72. 71. Again false figured Two manner of wayes Faith calms the heart 1 Imperiously and that 1 By commanding or 2 By checking the soul p. 72 73 2 In a perswasive mild way presenting three grounds for patience p. 73 74 5 Royalty Faith is a soul-securing grace nothing else will secure but beleeving p. 75 1 It sets the soul upon a soul-securing bottome p. 75 76 2 Instates the soul into soul-securing promises p. 77 3 Into soul-securing priviledges 1 Sons of God 2 Spouse of Christ 3 The inheritance of Christ. p. 77 6 Royalty Faith is a heart-humbling Grace it makes real all humbling considerations from God the justice of God threatnings of God against sin p. 78 79 7 Royalty Faith is a heart-softening grace and that p. 80 1 By looking upon heart-melting Promises Ibid. 2 Taking up heart-softening Considerations Ibid. 3 Looks upon soul-melting Objects a wounded and broken Christ the considerations of his sufferings p. 81 1 Either in themselves 2 Or in their cause 3 Or as the effect of sin p. 81 82 8 Royalty Faith is a heart-transforming grace heart head will transformed p. 82 to 84 9 Royalty Faith is a heart-pacifying grace an unbeleeving-heart a stormy heart above us within us below us all against us whilst unbeleevers p. 84 2 Faith makes us servants to the God of Peace p. 65 2 Subjects to the King of Peace p. 66 3 Christ our Peace interests us in the Covenant of Peace 4 Instates us into the conditions of Peace p. 66 Quest Many have peace and yet are not beleevers and many are Beleevers and yet want Peace Answered p. 87 to 90 10 Royalty Faith is a heart-inabling grace First To do Secondly To suffer p. 90 91 1 Faith begets inabling-promises p. 92 2 Supplies with soul-inabling strength Ibid. 3 Furnisheth a Christian with soul-inabling considerations in three Particulars p. 93. 2 Faith inables the soul to suffer p. 93 1 Puts the soul into a suffering frame 1 By putting the Judgement into a right frame Ibid. 2 Prevails with the will p. 94 3 Works upon the affections Ibid. 2 Faith furnisheth the soul with suffering resolutions Ibid. 3 Begets suffering graces p. 95 4 Layes in suffering strength Ibid. 5 Propounds to the soul suffering rewards Ibid. 11 Royalty Faith is a heart-innobling grace Ibid. 1 It sets our persons above others Ibid. 2 Our performances above others p. 96 1 It begets in us soul-innobling Principles Ibid. 2 Implants us into soul-innobling relations It first makes us servants of the great God 2 Friends of God 3 Sons and Daughters of God 4 Spouse of Christ 5 Makes us members of Christ who is such a head as doth
EVIL 2 SAM 24.10 And now I beseech thee Take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly THE occasion of these words was the hand of God upon the Children of Israel for Davids Sin of Numbring the people You read in Verse 2. That David commanded Joab to go and number the people and at the first Joab he disswaded him But you will say Was it not lawful to number the people Did not Moses the same in the Wilderness and Joshua and Nehemiah Yea But Joab saw the pride of Davids heart in it as appears by his answer in Verse 3. And Joab said unto the King Now the Lord thy God adde unto the people how many soever they be an hundred fold But why doth my Lord the King delight in this thing notwithstanding the Kings word prevailed against Joab though indeed to his trouble and Israels cost Happy had it been for David and Israel too if the work had not been done But Joab goes and the number is brought in There were Eight hundred thousand valiant men that drew sword and the men of Judah were Five hundred thousand Well But what was the Fruit what was the Effect of this 1. You read Davids heart smote him Verse 10. that is His Conscience accused him If Conscience be not a Bridle it will be a Whip if it be not a Curb it will be a Scourge if you will not hear the Warnings you shall feel the Lashings of Conscience if it do not restrain from sin Monendo by Admonition it will put us to Pain in sin Mordendo by Contrition 2. But there was not all God would punish him for the sin And you may read the Sin in the Punishment He had Gloried in the Number and therefore God would Lessen the Number Yet he puts it to his choice which of the Three judgements he propounds whether Seven years Famine or Three moneths flight before his Enemies or Three days Pestilence he would take Every one was Flagellum Mundans A sweeping Scourge But mark Davids behaviour God threatens judgâ—ment and David goes and Mourns for sin For Davids heart smiting and his Prayer though set before yet seem to be afterward and an effect of the Prophets discovery of sin as appears by the Verse following the Text For When David was up in the morning the word of the Lord came unto Gad Davids Seer where you see it is rendred as a reason why his heart smote him and why he prayed thus because the Prophet had been with him and had convinced him of his sin and denounced Gods judgements against him whereupon Davids heart smote him and he prays Take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly But here it may be demanded Why when God threatned judgement David should go and pray for pardon of sin why did he not desire GOD rather To forbear his strokes To avert and turn away his wrath Than meerly To Beg pardon of sin or if he had desired this yet why did he not Beg the other as well as that and joyn them together in the same Petition Answ 1. To teach us in all the pressures and evils upon our Outward man to turn our thoughts Inward and lament sin 2. Because he saw sin the Cause of judgement and therefore desires the removing of this that so the other might be withdrawn also 3. Because he knew the judgement could never be removed in Mercy unless the sin were taken away Every Preservation is but a Reservation every Deliverance is in justice not in mercy if sin be not taken away 4. He was more apprehensive of the Dishonor of GOD by his sin than of any judgement that his sin had brought upon him Or 5. He sees sin The Greatest Evil and therefore seeks the redress of that rather than of any other Evil Take away the iniquity of thy servant In the Text you may observe Two Parts of Prayer I. Confession II. Petition 1. Confession with self-judging For I have done very foolishly 2. Petition Take away the iniquity of thy servant joyned with faith Or here you have 1. The Petitioner David set forth from his Relation Thy Servant 2. The Petitioned GOD. 3. The Petition it self Take away or Pardon the iniquity of thy servant for the phrase seems to have respect to the Scape-Goat a Type of Christ which was to Carry away the sins of the People into the wilderness Levit. 16.22 thereby signifying Christs taking away sin There is little difficulty in the words but what we may make a difficulty As indeed it would be a making of difficulties to go about to expound that which is so plain rather than an unsolding of them if I should tell you of the several distinctions men make of sin Three words in the Hebrew Exod. 34.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By one they will have to be meant Original Sin by another Infirmities by the other your Grosser Sins But upon examination I finde them used promiscuously and therefore such distinctions of them hath no bottom The letter of the words and outward face of the Text speaks Three Doctrines 1. That GODS servants may commit sin commit iniquity The iniquity of thy servant 2. Fresh sinnings must have Fresh repentings If you Renew your sins you must Renew your Sorrows 3. There needs fresh pardon for fresh revoltings Take away He doth not say Assure me it is taken away but Take away But this will not be the subject of my discourse now That which I intend to speak to shall be The Time and Occasion of these words which was when GODS judgements were threatned against him 1. Sin truly is and GODS peöple do apprehend it to be Doct. 1 The Greatest evil in the world He doth not say Take away the Plague take away the Judgement threatned but Take away this Sin He lookt upon sin as the Greatest Evil. 2. When GOD threatens to punish sin Doct. 2 it is the best way to run unto GOD to Take away sin Or When GODS hand is either Felt or Feared it should be a Christians wisdom To Repent of sin To Desire sin removed We begin with the first Doctr. That sin truly is and GODS people do apprehend it to be The Greatest Evil in the world We will take it 1. In its Pieces 2. We will close them 1. The Doctrine doth part it self into Two parts 1. That sin is the Greatest Evil in the world 2. That GODS people apprehend it to be the Greatest evill in the world 1. Sin the greatest evil in the world 1. For the first That sin is the greatest Evil in the world I may shew this 1. By Collation and Comparison of this with other evils 2. By Demonstration and Proof of it to you 1. If you Compare the Evil of sin with other evils you shall see how short All other kinde of Evils are to this Evil of Sin 1. Most of all other evils are but outward They are but such as
delivered up to Your selves to the lusts of your own hearts Nay you had better to be Given up to Satan than to be Given up to your selves your sins The Incestuous person was Delivered up to Satan as you read 1 Cor. 5.5 And was restored again and the better for it But we never read of any who were Delivered up to themselves who ever returned never any who were Given up to the lusts of their own heart that ever recovered Better then To be delivered up to Satan than to sin inasmuch as All Penal Evils fall short of Sinful Evils It is Judicial in respect of God who may punish one sin with another and curse sin with hardness of heart But this is a sinful evil in respect of us we bring the writing and the wax and God puts to the seal and then we are shut up for ever And you are in the High-way to this who Go on in sin and will not be reformed when God hath laboured by Sickness Afflictions to recover you you are in the way to this Final Doom You that are filthy be filthy still c. 3. Consectary 3. Consectary 3. If sin be the Greatest Evil in the world Then see what fools they are who seek to rid themselves of other Evils by the Admission of sin He who labors to prevent other evils or remove other evils by the admission of sin runs into the greatest evil of all He kills himself to save himself he destroys himself to preserve himself He that thus saves his life doth lose his life There were never any times so bad but Gods people might have been safe in them if they would have admitted of sin But they have seen their safety to lie in Suffering when they could have no safety but in the Admission of sin You see it in the practice of the Three Children It was the speech of the Primitive Christians when they were threatned with Prisons and Deaths if they would not renounce Christ Parce precor Imperator Tu Carcerem Ille Gehennam S are good Emperor thou threatnest a Prison but Christ Hell When Cyprian was sentenced to dye upon the same ground the Governor perswaded with him that he should pity himself and rather Renounce his error than lose his life and consult a little on it He answers him Fac quod tibi praeceptum est In re tà m justâ nulla est consultatio Sir you are my Judge you are none of my Counsellor In so clear and just a cause there needs no Counsel I will not dishonor the justness of my cause to enter into Parlee and Consultation whether to suffer or sin The like of that Virgin whereof Basil speaks who bade adieu to estate and life rather than abandon her Profession Oh! it were a sad thing to secure our selves by that which is our ruine to purchase our liberty by bondage our safety by sin You see what it cost F. Spira and Cranmer in Queen Maries days who knevv not hovv to be avenged on himself for his act but by Burning that hand first that had subscribed to sin It is better to be still in Prison than for sin to set open the Prison door Inasmuch as its better to be Gods Prisoner than the Devils Freeman Better to lose all than to preserve our estates by the admission of sin And therefore whatever your troubles are whatever your fears whatever your dangers bevvare of preserving your selves or purchasing liberty or life it self at so dear a rate as by the admission of sin by Dishonoring God and wounding your own conscience Beware of getting Man your Friend by purchasing God to be your Enemy We know not yet what our times may come unto but it is out of the reach of the power or malice of men To make you miserable if they do not first make you sinful 4 Consectary 4. If sin separately considered be so great an Evil 4. Consectary What then is sin circumstantiated sin against knowledge against means If there be so much evil in sin in the least sin what then in the greatest If Atomes be so great How great then are Mountains If impertinent thoughts be so sinful as having more sin in them than all the treasures of heaven besides God and Christ can expiate what then are rebellious thoughts contrived Murders speculative Adulteries contemplative wickedness covetous Aims and Ends contempts of God slightings and undervaluing of his ways If there be so much sin and hell in a vain idle word what a hell of sin what mountains of wrath in your Carrion-communications your stinking-discourses your bloody and horrid oathes and blaspemies Nay if there be so much evil in one sin and one sin simply considered what shall we think of sin compounded sin circumstantiated sin made exceeding sinful sins against knowledge against means against mercies Oh! sit down and consider one sin and see much in it Such a sin I committed against knowledge such a one against checks of conscience such a one against the motions of the Spirit c. and tell me if the least sin be not exceeding sinful 5. Consectary 5. Consectary If sin be so great an evil then see what fools they are who make a mock at sin Prov. 14.9 Fools make a mock at sin they sport at sin It is a sport to swear to be drunk c. they will sin for sport and recreation It is their recreation to do evil to drink to swear to lye to profane Gods-day These are Fools What Natural Fools No he that goes about with a Whistle and a Bable and a Coat is in far better case than he He is a Spiritual Fool the greatest Fool. Will you sport with poyson will you sport your selves with Hell nay worse Will you recreate your selves with destroying your selves will you sport your selves with that which was so bitter to Christ and will be so to thee if ever thou be pardoned Who would sport at that which is the misery of lost men and Devils both here and in Hell to eternity One would think this poor sport and recreation to tear in pieces the flesh and wound and shed the blood of A Stranger of An Enemy but how much more of Our Dearest Friend Thou who sportest at sin dost so with Christ sportest thy self in killing Christ crucifying Christ tearing the flesh of â—hrist again Every oath is a dagger to his heart as the spear to his side again It is the highest piece of a Devilish nature in the world To sport at sin None but Devils do it It is the Burden of God he complains of it and he accounts it an ease when he is rid of you Ah! I will ease me of my adversaries Isa 1.24 It is the Wounding of Christ the Grief of the Spirit the Trouble of Angels the destruction of the Creatures Will you sport at that which hath brought all evil on man all on Christ which hath made Hell fuelled Hell and the Torment of souls
A loss in love better than an injoyment in displeasure More dye in the Flood than in the Ebbe Though prosperity bee more cordial yet afflictions are more physical Wee often surfeit of Cordials when Physick doth us good And a sanctified cross is better than an unsanctified comfort c. 4. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee taken with his Church and People 1. Then see what a fearful thing sin is which doth cause God oftentimes to deal hardly with that which his soul loves so dearly God doth oftentimes afflict and punish his Church sharply and severely which yet his heart is much taken withall And sin is the cause And therefore what a fearful thing is sin How grievous would it bee to you to bee forced to take hard courses with a Child your heart is taken withall though it bee to do him good Why God is taken with his Church and do you not think it moves God to afflict and chastise it Wee would fain do all the good wee can to the persons wee love Oh! wee can never do enough for them Why so it is with God to his Church Hee loves his Church and willingly would hee do any thing for it And it is the grief of his soul that hee must take contrary courses with us to do us good that hee must bee forced to afflict and chastise them hee loves so dearly to bring them to Life by Death to Good by Evil to a Crown by Crosses When God parted with the ten Tribes you see what a conflict there was in him how his bowels stirred and were moved towards them notwithstanding all their sins Hos 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim My heart is turned within mee my repentings are kindled together How loath was God to seal to a Bill of Divorce His heart loved her though shee was an Adultress to him And when Judah did justifie the sin of her Sister Israel exceeding her in Idols what trouble was it to God to cast her off How willing was hee to receive her after all her adulteries Jer. 3.1 Thou hast plaid the Harlot c. And when shee would go on in her adulteries yet how unwilling still was hee to give her up till at last it grew so high that there was no Remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 hee must needs do it And when hee had done it how exceedingly was Gods heart moved that hee must bee forced to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly read Jer. 12.7 8.9 c. See how God laments over the loss of that which their sins would not give him leave to keep I have forsaken mine house I have left mine heritage I have given the dearly beloved of my soul into the hand of her enemies And what was it that forced God to deal so hardly with them hee loved so dearly Why it was sin 2 Chron. 36.15 16. Hee sent Messengers because hee had compassion on them They mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and mis-used his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his People till there was no Remedy And which of these hath remained to bee done among us How hath our Sun been darkened the Stars lost their light How many burning and shining lights have been taken out of our Candlesticks and planted in others How many blown out by the rage of wicked men Did wee not justly fear by reason of that Idolatry Superstition Prophanation of Sabbaths Persecution of the Saints and Messengers of God that our day was gone our night approaching Did wee not fear that wee were come up to this that there was no remedy That God should have opened the Sluces of his wrath and let in a Sea of his displeasure upon us made us an Aceldema a field of Blood long before this Ah my Brethren Never Nation never Church from whom God hath shewed himself more unwilling to depart and leave than England Look upon the passages of us to God and his wayes towards us and see how unwilling hee declared himself God hath upheld us as if hee himself should fall if wee did not stand as if his Glory could not stand if wee fall as if his Glory had depended upon our preservation And how can wee better answer Gods dealings towards us than to abandon that cast out that which was our fear and gave God just occasion to destroy us Let us now do by our sins as the Israelites did by their Leaven There was 1. Inquisitio fermenti There was search made for it So let us search out that Leaven of sin Superstition Idolatry which have sowred our Kingdome and laid us open to the stroak of Gods wrath Search your houses search the land search your hearts 2. Ejectio fermenti 3. Execratio fermenti And let all bee found in us if ever wee would have a Passover Otherwise our Preservations from former will bee but Reservations to future and worser evils sin will cause God to punish those hee loves 5. Consectary If the Heart of Christ bee so much taken with his Church Then let this discover to you into what you way resolve all the passages of Gods love to his Church and People even into his own Love His Grace is the rise and his Glory is the end There are two main streams in which the goodness of God doth run to his Church 1. The higher and 2. The lower But both these streams have the same Head the same spring from whence they come even his own Love 1. For the higher or upper streams and these are four 1. Election 2. Justification 3. Sanctification 4. Glorification And all these arise from the great Abyss and Sea of his mercy toward his Church His heart is taken with us and therefore 1. Hee chose us Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord loved you not nor chose you because yee were more in number than any people but because the Lord loved you So God did not set his heart on us because wee were better than others for there are others in the World who might have been made more lovely His heart is taken with us therefore Operamur ex Justificatione non in Justificationem 2. Hee justifies us Wee could do nothing to strike off any former score for all wee did set us further in debt it was but an adding of sin to sin guilt to guilt the sin of our righteousness to the sin of our unrighteousness Covering a blot with a blot as Isa 30.1 No it did arise from this His heart was taken with us therefore did hee justifie us Tit. 3.7 Wee are justified freely by his Grace The like Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4.5 All which shew that into this all the expressions of his love are resolved His heart is taken with us therefore 3. Hee did sanctifie us Our holiness is not wrought out of our own Principles spun out of own bowels
the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. This should make us live more humbly more actively more studious to please more diligent to obey more carefull to serve him This should make us live at higher rates for Heaven more spiritual more heavenly minded It is a Cord let down from Heaven to fetch our souls up thither And doth this cause us to bee more remiss more careless Doth this which should quicken slacken our hand to duty Oh base ungrateful neglect of Love 3. when wee take heart to sin thereby Grow more loose careless This is an high abuse of this Love Because God is Good wilt thou bee Evil because hee is Merciful wilt thou bee sinful because hee is Gracious wilt thou bee impious What fearful abuse of Love is this This is to wound Christ in the house of his friends To return good for good is but Humane To return evil for good is Wicked To return good for evil is Christian-like But To return evil for good and the greatest evil for the greatest good Sin for Love this is devilish Were you his enemies hee knew how to deal with you hee could revenge himself and the abuses of his love upon you but you are his friends and those bowels which you wrong are stirred in him when hee goes about to punish you Oh Ephraim How shall I give thee up how shall I deliver thee Israel my bowels are turned within mee My repentings are kindled together Hos 11.8 The greatness of God prevails with wicked men that awes them often that they dare not sin against him But the goodness of God this should prevail with us There is mercy with thee therefore thou art to bee feared It is set down as the Principle in such with whom the heart of Christ is taken Hos 3. ult They shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter dayes None but venimous spirits will suck poison from such a sweet as thence to draw incouragements to sin from that which is the great incouragement to service The Love of Christ had so prevailed with Chrysostome that hee used to say Ego sic censeo sic assidue praedicabo And Anselme That if on the one hand hee should see sin and on the other the torments of Hell hee had rather chuse to fall into Hell than fall into sin 4. When wee stagger and doubt give way to misgiving thoughts of Christs Love and unbeleevings of our own hearts wee abuse this Love What is it possible that Christ should do or suffer more than hee hath done and suffered to perswade your hearts of his Love If Christ should ask the question of you who doubt most of his Love What shall I do to answer your scruples to satisfie your souls for ever in this that I love you could you rationally desire more than what hee hath expressed in his words and to your heart and if notwithstanding all bee in vain 1 Sam. 25.21 may hee not justly say as David of Nabal Surely in vain have I done all this when this all commeth to nothing 3. Direction to them of the Church 3. Bee much in the contemplation of this Love of Christ Dwell upon this This Love of Christ will bee matter of eternal perusal in Heaven Wee shall do nothing but read over this Love Oh! let us not bee strangers to it now View it in the 1. Fulness 2. Freeness 3. Bounty 4. Perpetuity thereof 1. Measure it in the Fulness of it It is a Love which reacheth to every necessity A love able to make you holy and able to make you happy Thou art under guilt and sin thou art terrified by the one and ashamed and confounded because so loathsomely defiled by the other Why It is a pardoning a purging a sanctifying Love it is a Love as large as himself though the persons beloved bee finite 2. Read it over in the Freeness of it 1. It was an undeserved 2. It was an unsought-for Love 1. It was an undeserved Love Wee may provoke him to anger but wee cannot tempt him to love Amat Deus non aliundè hoc habet The former doth arise from our sins the latter from himself His chusing justifying adopting saving love all are free 2. It was an unsought-for Love Never a prayer put up for it I am found of them that sought mee not Isa 65.1 3. Read it over in the Bounty and Expressions of it 1. What hee did 2. What hee suffered 3. What hee hath given to his Church 4. Look upon it in the Perpetuity Permanency and continuance thereof A Love which reaches from Eternity to Eternity From Eternal chusing to Eternal glorifying An unchangeable Love Let us then peruse this Love Read it over in all the Dimensions Dwell upon the thoughts of it till your hearts bee Humbled melted inabled in-nobled winned quickened comforted c. The Thoughts of this Love are 1. Soul-humbling Thoughts Nothing layes the soul lower than Love The consideration of this will vile a man to Hell Ezek. 36.25 to 33. where you may read some expressions of love how it affects These would bee 2. Soul-melting Thoughts They will not only humble but melt not only break but dissolve the heart Nothing doth melt the soul more than Love The Law may break us but it is as the breaking of a flint every dust retains hardness but it is the Gospel that melteth us The thoughts of Gods Justice do stone the heart make it more hard but the thoughts of Gods Mercy do melt the heart You know you never mourn indeed till Love till Mercy do melt you Every drop of tears sticks like an hailstone and congeals in the eyes but when Love comes in then all the springs are opened and a man is dissolved into waters So much apprehensions of this Love of Christ so much godly sorrow They are like the Fountain and the Stream whereof the one doth rise no higher than the other The thoughts of this Love have 3. A Soul-inabling Power It will not only ingage us to service as the Apostle The Love of Christ constrains mee But it will inable us to service make us pray and pray with affections pray with life make us hear and hear with strength This puts us upon work and puts life vertue and vigor into our actions No actions stronger than those that come from Love Things incredible and impossible to others are yet easy to them who love See what the Saints have gone through what they have done what they have suffered Let but the thoughts of this love lye on your spirits a little and you will finde that Love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 and will mightily carry us through that which otherwise may seem impossible They will bee 4. Soul-innobling thoughts They will make you like themselves Whatever the soul feeds on the soul is digested into the nature of it So here feed on the thoughts of this love and your spirit will bee digested into it Whiles wee behold as in
is that the Lord said c. And Aaron held his peace Why what was his tryal why it was the loss of his Sons the loss of his Eldest Sons when they were young and without posterity in the first day of their Ministration in the sight of all the Congregation and by so fearful a Judgement as fire from the Lord and in the act of their sin offering strange fire Nay and which some think was joyned with Drunkenness too whereupon immediatly follows the prohibition of Wine So that the Congregation might suspect they went but from fire to fire from a destruction by fire to a preservation in fire from a temporal to an eternal burning Yet now in all this mark the Power of Faith Moses having declared the Author God the cause their sin It 's said Aaron was dumb and held his peace Auditâ voluntate Dei silet having heard the Will of God hee was mute and silent his Tongue was chained up hereby confessing saith Calvin Justo Dei Judicio extinctos esse That they were slain by the Just Judgement of God The like you see in Eli when Samuel had declared what God had said to him concerning the destruction of his house why saith he It is the Lord let him do what pleaseth him 1 Sam. 3.18 And remarkable was that in Job You may read in the first Chapter how one wave came upon the neck of another 1. The Sabeans fell upon his Oxen and his Asses and slew his Servants 2. Another comes and tells him Fire from Heaven had burnt up his Sheep 3. A third tells him The Caldeans had taken away his Camels 4. A fourth hee comes and tells him His Sons and his Daughters were eating and drinking and a wind blew down the house on their heads and buried them all in one grave His whole stock was lost in one day Nay Hee lost not his stock of Cattel only but of his Children also My Brethren these were great trials enough to put a man out of patience enough to make the most composed man besides himself To lose his goods his Cattel his Substance and all in a day Nay to lose his Sons and his Daughters which were his whole Posterity the stay and hope of his Family yea and all at once at one clap and that so suddenly yea and in the midst of their merriments These were great Tryals where Yesterday it might have been said who so rich as Job now to day who so poor as Job Yet mark here now the Power of Faith how it silenced the Soul In stead of murmuring hee fell down and worshiped and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away Blessed bee the Name of the Lord. Thus you see the Power of Faith And my Brethren you had need of Faith As the Apostle said of Patience So I of Faith You have need of Faith As you walk in the way of this life you shall meet with such things as will move you as will put you besides your selves If Faith do not settle and compose you you cannot bee undique sursùm like a Dye light upon your square if Faith bee not your bottom You may have crosses and losses before you die You may lose your Husbands your Wives your Children your Goods Jobs lot may befall you And every one of these may cause a man to rise up against himself may cause an uproar in the Soul Wee are not Stoicks wee are not without Passions nor sinfull-Passions mutinous-Affections And therefore wee had need of something in the Soul to sway and keep down these unruly distempers And this is only Faith which can stil and calm the soul in all storms and tempests A man without Faith in such a case as this is like a naked man in a storm like an unarmed man in a battel like a Ship unballanced and unanchored in a Tempest A man without Faith is under no command Passions of Anger Fear Grief and all command him And Passion without Faith is violent breaks down all banks drowns overwhelms and destroies the Soul And therefore you had need of something to ballance the Soul to charge the Soul to calm and still the Soul in such a condition Now you see Faith is an Heart-calming an Heart-quieting and stilling-Grace which it doth after this manner 1. Imperiously 2. Perswasively 1. Sometimes Imperiously and that either 1. Commanding or 2. Checking the Soul 1 Imperiously commanding the Soul Laying charge on the Soul to bee quiet to bee still My Soul bee silent to Jehovah said David As Christ did the Waters and the Wind. Peace and bee still and there was a great calm So here when the Waves are up and threaten to overflow the banks to overwhelm the soul Faith laies her command upon the soul Peace and bee still No more words Leave your murmurings Leave your impatiency Thus sometimes Faith calms the soul 2. Imperiously checking the the soul You do not well to bee angry You do not well to grieve You do not well to bee discontented to bee impatient You offend God cause him to scourge you more to lay more load upon you seeing you bear this so impatiently As the Town-Clerk of Ephesus stilled that uproar with these words Act. 19.40 Wee shall verily bee called in question for this dayes uproar seeing there is no cause can bee given-of this concourse So Faith doth sometimes lay the tumults in the soul You shall verily bee called in question one day for this Passion this Discontent this Murmuring this Uproar seeing no cause can bee given that you should quarrel with God as you do 2. Faith doth sometimes calm the Soul in a Mild and perswasive-way wherein it reasons with the Soul Why art thou so much cast down oh my Soul Why art thou so troubled so disquieted within mee In which reasoning Faith will take an Argument of Patience 1. From the Author of Afflictions That is God Afflictions troubles arise not out of the dust but from God which was the ground of Davids patience I was dumb c. Because it was thy doing So of Jobs The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away So in case of Shimei his cursing David David did not bite at the stone and never minde the thrower but hee looks up discovers the hand as well as the stone Let him alone It may bee God hath bid him go forth and curse David 2. Sometimes from the ground of Gods dealings and that is sin Faith produceth sin to bee the cause For this cause and this stops the mouth Psal 51. That thou mayest bee just when thou judgest This laies a Soul in the dust makes a man accept of the punishment of his iniquity As you have the phrase Levit. 26.41 That is lye down justifie God clear God in all his dealings bee so far from murmuring that the Soul will take Gods part in all clearing God and condemning it self Thus you see the Church Wherefore doth a living man complain A man for the
punishment of his sin it is his mercy that wee are not consumed Thus Faith brings to remembrance our sins Such a time such a place c. It laies the finger on the sore place discovers the cause which causes a man to make himself the subject of Gods anger and turns a mans anger against himself This was some ground of Davids patience when Shimei cursed Go up thou Bloody man It made him smel his own sin his Blood and so became patient 3. Sometimes from the end of Gods dealings 1. In general And that is for good though it be not bonum yet it is in bonum Though it bee not good yet it is for good It is a Chastising-mercy not in vindictive-Justice There is a Misericordia-puniens and there is a Justitia-parcens A punishing-Mercy and a sparing-Justice As God doth exercise his Sparing-Justice towards the wicked when hee suffers them to go on in sin and doth not punish them as wee read Hos 4 14. I will not punish your Daughters when they commit Whoredome nor your Spouses when they commit Adultery the like Ezek. 16.42 I will cause my fury towards thee to rest and I will bee quiet and will bee no more angry Upon which one saith Solo auditu tremisco I tremble at the very hearing For if God will correct no more then hee will destroy next This is a Sparing-Justice And as God doth exercise this towards the wicked so hee exerciseth a punishing-mercy toward the good Hence the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.32 Wee are chastised of the Lord that wee might not bee condemned with the World That wee may not bee condemned with the World Hee suffers the World to condemn us That wee may not love the World hee suffers the World to hate us That wee may bee crucified to the World hee suffers the World to crucifie us Therefore wee meet with Crcrosses with abuses in the World because hee will not have us perish with the World God takes liberty to chastise our carkasses to heal our consciences to afflict our bodies to save our souls And wee have oftentimes occasion to bless God more for crosses than for comforts As there is a curse hid in the best things to the wicked so there is a blessing hid in the worst things to the Godly There is a blessing in sickness a blessing in crosses in losses c. Hence All his wayes are wayes of mercy His correcting and comforting wayes His scourging and solacing wayes The wayes of health and the wayes of sickness wayes of prosperity and wayes of adversity All are in Mercy All things shall work together for good unto them that love God Thus in the general Faith doth clear to the soul whereby it doth possess the Soul with patience under any evil and laies the tumults and quarrels of the Soul 2. In particular Faith discovers at what end God aims 1. It may bee the trial and exercise of our Graces as in Job 2. It may bee for the Destruction of sin and ruine thereof Either Pride Worldly-mindedness Adherency to the Creature with many more To humble us to wean us to win us to make us more thankful with many such ends All which discovered and cleared by Faith to the Soul do exceedingly calm and still the heart in every condition Fifth Royalty 5. Faith is a Soul-Securing-Grace It is such a Grace that doth shelter and secure the Soul from all evil Hence 5. Faith is a Soul-securing Grace Prov. 29.25 They who trust in the Lord shall bee safe or shall bee lifted up on high as the word signifies above men above the World above all storms above all troubles shall bee set out of danger out of Gunshot As Noahs Ark was carried above all waters So Faith shall carry the Soul above all dangers Hee that trusts shall bee safe So that you see Faith is an Heart-securing-Grace Wee may sit down securely under the shadow of Faith It is a Soul-Securing-Grace Nothing else will secure you but beleeving Build as many Towers of succour as you can Raise up as many Castles of strength as your provisions will reach yet all these are but Castles in the Air there 's no foundation for them nor shelter in them Beat and cast out as many Anchors as you can yet you will but Anchor on the waves you shall never finde a bottom to rest on to secure your souls from trouble All the provisions in the Creature All that thy power thy Policy can do and finde out will not compass thee with safety if thou do not trust There is nothing doth secure the Soul and set the Soul out of danger but a Resolved-Trust And no Trust but a Trust in God 1. Not a Trust in Riches The Rich mans wealth is his strong City but it 's so in his conceit only it is weak 2. Not a Trust in Friends Deceitful Friends Job calls them Waters that fail as Jeremy calls them But broken Walls and tottering Fences as the Psalmist stiles them Psal 62.3 3. Not a Trust in Princes If any could secure the Soul one would think they might but these cannot Psal 62. throughout Psal 146.3 4. Prov. 10.15 Nahum 3.12 13. Wee read the Children of Israel would trust in the shadow of Egypt Egypt was a Wel-spread-Tree it promised security under her boughs and branches but it could not there was no security Jer. 2.37 God threatens hee would reject their confidences and they should not prosper thereby So that no Trust but a Trust in God will compass the Soul with safety and this will it is an Heart-Securing-Grace 1. It sets a man upon a Soul-Security-Bottom which is God himself Christ himself This is that Bottom David cryed to bee set upon Set mee upon the Rock that is higher than I. Why one would have thought David had been secure enough upon his own Bottom Hee had a good bottom to stand on if there bee one in the World Hee was a King and had provisions for safety If any man might be secure then he But hee sees hee could not be secure in himself His feet began to sink And therefore crys out for a better bottom Oh! Set me upon the Rock that is higher than I. Time was a Man was his own bottome A bottome to himself But it was but a Sandy-bottome Even in his Innocency there was no Security in it But now God hath appointed our Bottome to bee out of our selves and to bee in him And therefore our conditions are secure the Soul that stands on this bottome is safe is secure This Christ sets down in the Parable of the Hoâ—se built upon a Rock that is upon himself Though The winds blow the waves and billows beat yet there is no danger of our fall We stand upon a Rock Why but may not a Weak and Tottering house bee built upon a strong foundation And what is it then the surer for the Foundation It may bee blown down though the foundation bee never so strong Yea But no
by unbelief do slight all the threats of God denounced against sin if you make childs play of them as the word signifies 2 Pet. 3.3 If you look upon these but as Bug-bears things to keep men in awe and not real things No marvel if you bee not Humbled But if by Faith you would Realize these things to your selves and behold them not as Fancies and sad dreams but such things as are infallibly true real things not as painted Hell painted fire but as reall you would them finde them to work These mingled with Faith would lay a man in the dust Now this is a property of Faith to Realize the Object or thing beleeved and hence comes an influence on the soul to humble and abase it 3 Faith doth not only take up humbling Considerations and Realizeth all these to the Soul But Faith makes all this present Faith doth give a present being to all this Hence Heb. 11.13 Faith imbraceth the promise The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith kisseth the promise gives a present being to the promise And as it gives a present being to the promise or word of comfort so to the threatning and word of terror Faith discovers death and hell and all at hand for Sin Faith looks upon sinne in all it's Doomes-day apparrel and array smels fire and Brimstone in sin Whereas unbeleevers they look on these things at the wrong end of the Prospective and that makes things neer seem a far off and that afar off is not seen at all But Faith looks upon them through the right end of the prospective And there things a far off are seen at hand present Hence it is called The Evidence of things not seen As it was said of Abraham Hee saw the day of Christ and rejoyced and yet Abraham was dead many hundred of years before Christ yet by vertue of his prospective by vertue of his Faith hee saw it as if it had been present though it were never so far off So here though the second day of Christ the day of judgement bee a far off yet Faith sees it and is humbled Faith gives it a present Being 4. Faith applies and brings home all this to Soul As the word of Comfort the Promise is applyed and brought home to the Soul by Faith so the word of Terror the Threatning is brought home to the soul by the same Faith by which the Soul is cast down and humbled The manner of Faiths Application is by a practical Syllogisme where the Major or first Proposition is the Word of God The Assumption or second Proposition is the Testimony of Conscience and the conclusion is inferred from them both as hee that beleeveth not but continueth in sir is for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath at the last Judgement But I beleeve not but continue in sin Therefore I am for the present guilty and obnoxious to wrath to bee inflicted at the last Judgement Seventh Royalty 7. Faith is an Heart-softening-Grace Such a Grace as doth not only humble us but soften us not only break us 7. Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-softening-Grace but melt us In the Law it humbles us it breaks us but the heart like a flint every dust still reteins its flinty stony Nature is a stone And therefore in the Gospel it melts us it dissolves us Thunders of Sinai terrifie but Dews of Sion mollifie So much Faith so much Sorrow they are like the Fountain and the Stream whereof the one ariseth no higher than the other So much Faith and apprehension of Mercy so much brokenness of spirit for sin Where Unbelief doth stony the Heart harden the Heart dries up the spring and issues of sorrow No Heart is so hard as an Unbeleeving-heart neither the Promises nor Threatnings neither Mercy nor Justice neither Word nor works will melt it Faith on the contrary turns the Soul into Water dissolves a man into tears opens all the deep springs of sorrow in the Soul 1. Faith looks upon Heart-melting-Promises Takes a survey of the Riches of Gods Love and Mercy in making such precious Promises which doth exceedingly melt 2. Faith takes up Heart-softening-Considerations from the Love and Mercy of God towards us which are Heart-melting-Mercies from the goodness and sweetness of God Faith makes us see God as hee is It makes God no otherwise than hee is not more gracious not more merciful than hee is But Faith discovers him as hee is a gracious and a mercifull God It doth but undraw the Curtain but take off the Mask which Satan and Infidelity have put on and makes us to behold God as hee is in all his glorious excellencies Soul saving attributes and Mercies which who can behold by Faith but must needs mourn and dissolve into tears that they have offended him Thus you see Ezek. 36.31 when God had discovered himself in his Pardoning-Mercy his washing Forgiving-Mercy to the beleeving soul then they shall mourn and bee humbled Oh! There is nothing breaks the heart more than Mercy nothing melts a man more than the smiles of God the Mercies of God which being discovered to the Soul the Soul is not able to stand stubborn under it 3. Faith looks upon a Soul-melting a Soul-softening Object upon Christ a wounded a broken Christ And who can behold him but with an Humbled and a broken-heart A bleeding Christ without a bleeding Heart Oh! Here is enough in this Object to open all the springs of sorrow in us wee need not to go to Bellarmines Twelve Considerations to open the Fountain of tears in us wee need not bring in the miseries of mankind for one nor the sad condition of the Souls in Purgatory for another Wee need not bee beholden to him for such considerations as these to help us to mourn Oh! Here is enough in Christ in a broken and wounded Christ to open all the springs in thee and if thou hadst a Fountain of tears to spend them all The Considerations of his sufferings 1. Either in themselves 2. Or in their cause 3. Or as the Effects of sin 1. The Considerations of his breakings and sufferings as they were in themselves 1. The sufferings of his Body What woundings breakin gs scourgings crownings peircings did hee endure upon his Body 2. The sufferings on his Soul What conflict and struglings with the wrath of God the powers of darkness what weights what burdens what wrath did hee undergo when his Soul was heavy unto death be set with terrors as the word implies When he drunk that bitter Cup that Cup of bitterness that Cup mingled with Curses which made him sweat drops of blood which if men or Angels had but sip's of 't would have made them reel stagger and tumble into Hell 2. The Consideration of his sufferings in the Cause as the meriting cause of all our good procurer of all our Peace Life Salvation Hee was wounded that wee might bee healed scourged that wee might bee solaced drank the
bitter Cup of wrath that wee might have the draught of Mercy Hee was slain But not for himself saith Daniel But wounded for our transgressions broken for our iniquities The Chastisement of our peace was upon him Faith looks upon these his sufferings as the meriting causes of our good 3. The Considerations of his sufferings as effects of sin as the effects of our sin as that which our sins have brought upon him Which Consideration must needs effect and break our hearts When the soul shall look upon Christ and say It was I that have been the murderer I that have been the Traitor my sins which brought all this evil on thee I sind and thou sufferedst It was I that did eat the soue Grape and thy teeth were set en edge My sins were thy death yet by thy death thou brought'st the sinner life I have wounded thee yet thou hast healed mee even out of that wound which my sins have made hast thou sent out a Plaisâ—er even thy Blood for my sins Oh! This must needs fill the heart with sorrow Faith still looks upon an Humbled Christ with an Humbled Heart upon a Broken Christ with a Broken Heart upon a Bleeding Christ with a Bleeding Heart upon a Wounded Christ with a Wounded Heart Hence Zach. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have peirced And how shall that sight affect them It follows They shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only Son and lament for him as one lamenteth for his first born In that day there shall bee a great mourning as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the Vallie of Megiddon God made the same Organ for seeing and for weeping And the soul that sees well weeps well Never soul that did by the Eye of Faith look upon this Son of Righteousness but their frozen hearts did melt within them Would you ever bee mourning men and Women for sin would you bee in bitterness as one is in bitterness for his first born Oh! Steep your thoughts in the blood of the Lamb Dwell a little on Christ crucified Look wistly upon Christ by Faith and this will solvere Gelicidium melt and thaw our frozen hearts turn us from stones into flesh Eight Royalty 8. Christ is an Heart-transforming-Grace 8 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-transforming-Grace Such a Grace as doth transform the Soul into the nature of the Object Faith is as powerful in this spiritual conception to work in us the image of the Object seen as Fantasy is oftentimes in the natural conception The Poets tell us of some that did transform such as beheld them into stones such a power there was in the Object the thing beheld as to transform say they But here it is true If by Faith wee cast our Eyes upon Christ of stones wee shall bee turned into men of sinners into Saints of a hard heart to a soft and fleshly of Children of Satan to the Sons and Daughters of God Joh. 1.12 As many as beleeved on him to them hee gave power to bee the Sons of God Sons not born of the flesh or the will of the flesh but of God who begets like himself As that which is born of flesh is flesh So that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Hence wee are said to bee made partakers of the Divine Nature To bee transformed into the image and likeness of God To bee Holy as Hee is Holy Pure as Hee is Pure To bee as hee is in this World Never soul that looked on him by Faith but came away with another heart They looked to him and were enlightened saith the Psalmist Psal 34.5 But plainly you shall read the Transforming Power of Faith 2 Cor. 3.18 Whiles beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord wee are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory Such a Glass hee is that never did the Eye of Faith behold him but the Soul was changed with the sight from a Wolf into a Lamb from a sinner into a Saint from Darkness to Light You were once Darkness now are you Light in the Lord. It turns a man upside down wholly transforms him Indeed there is no change of the substance of soul and body nor of the faculties of soul and body but the qualities of the faculties are cleer changed The Head is transformed where before was darkness now there 's Light where before it did judge highly of carnal things and low esteemed spiritual it doth now the quite contrary The Will is transformed where before it was full of obstinacy and stoutness contradiction and rebellion now there is pliableness to good and conformity between Gods Will and his They are not two but one Will. Gods Amen is his Amen Gods Fiat his Fiat Gods Will his will So the Heart that is transformed whereas before it was nothing but a noisome sink of sin nothing but a Cage of unclean birds the womb of sin a seminary of lust Now it is washed purged purified sanctified made a fit Receptacle for Christ an Habitation for God by his Spirit Thus you see Faith is an Heart-transforming-Grace Wee cry and say Oh! If I had another heart I could beleeve If my heart were more holy more sanctified why the way to get another heart is to beleeve do but beleeve and you shall see another heart come into you another Spirit another Soul Do but look upon Christ and you shall bee transformed It is such a look as sends a man away with another heart As the Wise men It is said After they had seen Christ beheld Christ they went home another way So when by Faith wee have seen Christ it sends the Soul another way with another spirit with other Principles with other Resolutions There is this Power of Faith to transform the Soul into the nature of the Object beleeved Belief of the Promises breeds Principles in the Heart suitable to the Promises Belief in Christ breeds a Spirit suitable to Christ As Faith Belief in God a Father breeds Principles of Love Fear Reverence and Obedience in the Soul such things as are agreeable So the belief in Christ a Saviour breeds Principles of Trust of Love of Desire with the like Ninth Royalty 9 Faith is an heart-pacifying Grace 9 Royalty of Faith It s an Heart-pacifying-Grace Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staied on thee because hee trusteth in thee A place alledged by One who lying on his death-bed and injoying abundance of peace and calmness of spirit being demanded how it came to pass hee was not now assaulted with Satan replyed Hee knew no ground no cause save this God had promised To keep that soul in perfect Peace whose mind was staied on him who trusteth on him Hee relyed on Christ and therefore injoyed rest Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength That is by Faith lay hold on my Covenant my Christ and I will bee at peace with him Hence the Apostle Rom. 5.1
bee content to climb to Heaven by a thread of our own spinning God is willing to give and wee would deserve hee would have all of Grace and wee would have all of debt Wee would fain bring our penny to the Promise yea when wee are nothing wee would bring our own nothingness So hard it is to make a soul empty and when that is done to bring that empty soul over to the Promise 3. A third ground from our selves which makes men humbled so slow to beleeve It may bee too much tenderness they are affraid of abusing Gods Justice in their closes with his Mercie Oh say they I am affraid of presuming of Mercy It was their fault before to presume the fear of it their fault now I say to presume of Mercy was their fault before and the fear of presuming is their fault now One would think this to carry a fair forehead they dare not beleeve say they and why so because they are affraid to presume is not this a good pretence But ah here is the Prince of darkness like the Angel of light let us examine it thou sayest thou darest not beleeve because thou art affraid to presume And why dost thou fear to presume It is presumption to beleeve Mercy and yet continue in a way of sin and it is presumption to expect Mercy in a way of unbelief but it is no presumption to beleeve Why dost thou fear thou shalt presume thou canst not say thou takes that which doth not belong to thee for it belongs to whoever can take it But it may bee thou sayest thou art not fitted for Mercy thou art then fit for Mercy when thou art made willing to close with Mercy in the tearms of Mercy that is to take Mercy as to render up thy self to duty as to give up thy self to obey But thou sayest thou shalt presume for thou art not worthy of Mercy And wouldest thou bee worthy of Mercy dost thou know what thou sayest wouldest thou deserve Mercy where then were Grace This overthrows the Covenant of Grace it cannot bee a Covenant of Grace if there should bee any thing of thy bringing which is not of Gods bestowing May wee not say to thee truly what Eliab Davids Brother falsely said to him when hee told him hee came out for Gods Glory Hee tells him no it was the pride of his heart 1 Sam. 17.28 So thou pretends Gods Glory thou sayest because thou wouldest not wrong Gods Justice and make Gods Mercy a sinfull mercy therefore thou doest not beleeve but take heed it bee not the pride of thy heart If the time would permit I would put something to thee 1. By way of Question 2. By way of Supposal 1. That which I should have put to thee by way of question should have been 1. Couldst thou not have beleeved God would bee mercifull unto thee if thou wert not so sinfull 2. If thou wert more humble if thou hadst more Grace couldst thou not bee content to pennance thy self for a time for thy former sin were not this good and what were this but to make thy humiliation a step to Mercy to a pardon 2. That which I would put by way of supposal Suppose thou hadst been a Traytor and thy Prince should offer thee a pardon for all thy treason upon condition of acceptance and rendring up thy self to him for service And thou shouldest refuse a pardon because thou art a Rebel or Traitor or because thou doubt'st of the truth and reality of thy Princes tender or else because thou thinkest thou art not able to do him service for future therefore wilt not accept of a pardon for present what should wee think of this Or suppose a Creditor should tell thee if thou wouldest but bring thy books come to him and reckon with him and acknowledge thy debt hee would pardon thy debt And the debtor should now refuse to come 1. Either because hee is not able to pay 2. Or because hee thinks hee shall bee able to discharge all himself in time 3. Or else because hee doubts of the truth of his intention in stead of bringing him to reckon that hee might pardon him hee intends to arrest him and cast him into prison Is not here a great deal of pride and unbeleef and wronging of love And how shall wee interpret this standing off is not the case alike God tenders mercy to thee as a Prince a pardon and thou refusest why either thou beleevest not the truth of this that God offers pardon upon beleeving or else thou thinks to deserve thine own pardon So God offers thee an acquittance if thou wilt bring thy book and come and reckon with him confess sin acknowledge Mercy but thou commest not and what is the reason either thou beleevest not the truth of this this is too good news to bee true thou thinkest it is but to take advantage against thee You think when you go to God in confession you go as a debtor into the hands of a hard Creditor who doth but wait to arrest him You cannot beleeve the truth of this offer or else you think you shall bee able to pay your own debt in time 4. Another ground from our selves why wee are so slow to beleeve is that wee doubt of Gods will wee doubt whether God will have mercy on us yea or no. It is with us as with a Prince or Creditor as before were wee but well setled in the Major of the Gospel in these truths 1. That God sent his Son for this end into the World to save poor sinners 2. That Christ was able to save to the utmost 3. And that Christ was as willing as hee is powerfull wee should not bee so slow of heart to beleeve My Brethren what can God do more to perswade you of his willingness nay more what could Christ do more than is done Will you go by his revealed will and that you shall bee judged by at the last day why there you see nothing but willingness of God and Christ to accept of them who come If you should go by the revealed will of man you may bee deceived they may speak one thing and intend another But if you go by the revealed will of God you cannot miscarry because Gods heart is really the same that his word is hee speaks not a syllable more than hee will make good Men speak often more than their hearts or they may speak contrary to their hearts but God doth not hee really intends what hee speaks And his revealed will tells thee that hee would have thee saved by comming c. that if thou wilt beleeve thou shalt bee saved That if thou confess c. therefore no cause to doubt of Gods will 5. A fifth ground of our slowness to beleeve It may bee you finde some rest to your souls on this side Christ It may bee you have been troubled for sin have been in anguish of conscience and you have prayed you have mourned
c. for the supply of strength 3. You make your selves every way unserviceable to God as I shewed you you make your selves unable to do unable to suffer for him You make your selves good for nothing unserviceable to God to the Church to his cause to your selves too c. Many there are that think they can do God better service in standing off than in comming in by Fear than by Faith They think that in nourishing their doubts and their fears they do cherish their care watchfulness humility And on the contrary they think that if once they should come to beleeve then they should bee more loose and careless and take more liberty to themselves Indeed you would have more liberty to service not to sin You would not bee tyed to service with coards of fear but with bands of love your principle of service and your manner of service would bee changed where now you serve nim out of fear then out of love now out of convictions of conscience then out of propensions of a divine nature now you serve him as slaves involuntarily then as sons with willingness and delight c. Now you do duty as a task then as your trade And you will walk in the wayes of duty though you see no commings in As a man that loves his trade that loves his calling hee will hold it up and follow it though hee get nothing by it though no gain or comming in by it So the soul which hath a Principle bred in him suitable to the things of God which is wrought by Faith hee will hold up to pray and to do duty though hee finde not commings in there is a natural agreeableness between him and duty between his spirit and the work and though hee never get good by it yet hee will hold up his spirit to the doing of it As it is with a man whose nature is sensualized that hath sinned away the very common Principles pluckt up the very senses of nature hee will drink and bee drunk though hee undo himself by it though hee hurt his body impoverish his estate yet hee will drink c. As Solomon saith a Whore will bring a man to a morsel of bread will undo a man yet hee will go on in sin hee will not leave his sin though undone by it hee will sin not only though hee get nothing but though hee get hurt though hee undo himself thereby yet hee will go on in sin and the reason is that universal sutableness that is between his soul and sin So on the other side a godly man hee will serve God hee will hold on in duty in obedience though hee finde no comming in by it There is such a sutableness between the spirit of a beleever and the work that though there is no commings in though hee finde no peace no comfort in the wayes of God yet hee will hold up to the work Where now an unbeleever if hee do not by these things get peace which is all hee looks after in the doing of it if he do not get comfort at last hee throws off all because there was no Principle of sutableness to hold him to the duty Therefore you see how Satan deludes you Faith alone is the spring of action that which sets us a work and quicken us in working if Faith bee up all his Graces will bee so too and if that bee down all other Graces are weak and down with it As Parisiensis saith it is the vertue of a Christal when the vertues of other precious stones are extinct to raise them and revive them again So doth Faith with our Graces when Davids heart was down in Psal 43.5 you see hee recovers himself by his Faith no sooner did hee exercise his Faith but his heart is raised That which quickeneth you to service and inables you in service is Faith and that which deads your spirit and makes you unserviceable is unbeleef and therefore bee convinced of your sin 2. Bee humbled for it this is the great sin the womb of sin the Mother and Nurse of sin as I have shewed That which holds up Satans Kingdome in you is your unbeleef if this fort were once taken all the rest would quickly yeeld up You see when Christ would conquer covetousness hee labours to conquer unbeleeving as you see Mat. 6.25 to the end That being overcome all the rest yeeld up and are vanquisht Nay it is a sin which doth not only uphold particular sins but the state of sin It is called a state of unbeleef wee do not say a state of drunkennesse a state of swearing c. but a state of unbeleef others are but particular this an universal sin And is there not then cause to bee humbled for it you see what a sin it is how you wrong God how you gratifie Satan how you injure your selves and is there not cause then to bee humbled for it Men are hard to bee humbled for this sin because hard to bee convinced either that they are guilty of it or that it is a sin Prophane and wicked men worldly men they will not bee convinced that they do not beleeve Though there bee nothing more plain if the Devil did not delude them for Faith and sin cannot stand together you can no more separate Holiness and Faith than Light and the Sun And humbled men they are hard to bee convinced that it is a sin Though it is easy to convince them that they do not beleeve they are sensible enough of that yet it is hard to perswade them that it is a sin not to beleeve that it is their duty to beleeve they think they do well in keeping off from the Promise they express their tenderness of Gods justice and holiness and judge it a great wrong to both that God should bee merciful to such sinners as they But I must tell thee it is a greater sin than all thy sins a killing a murthering an undoing sin It is a finishing sin that seals thee up in a state of sin and therefore you had need to bee convinced of it and humbled for it 3. Bee yee quickned to beleeve What shall I do now to perswade with you who are slow of heart to beleeve to come in and beleeve Alas all that I can say is nothing if God do not mightily work upon your hearts and perswade with you Shall I tell you there is an inexhaustible fulness of mercy in God and merit in Christ for the greatest sinner among you and this is something Shall I say that God is willing to forgive the greatest sinner of you if you will now come in and beleeve If you will go by Gods revealed will and thou hast no other rule to go by nor to bee judged by there God tells thee that hee keeps open house hee invites hee excites hee intreats hee beseeches to come these were something to perswade with our hearts But I shall pass them I will only name these two
as well as sound Gospellers in the Church of God 7. Nay A man may not only do but suffer too and yet bee unsound Hee may suffer in his Goods Hee may suffer in his Good-name Hee may bee nicknamed as others are hee may suffer in his Body An evil heart may suffer in a good cause Every one that beareth Christs Cross upon his shoulders doth not consequently bear him in his heart Wolves may suffer in Sheeps-cloathing Sufferings may overtake them that have nothing but the cloak of profession As Jehoshaphat was taken for Ahab So may an Ahab bee taken for a Jehoshaphat Times may come that it may cost a man as dearly for wearing the Livery of Christ as for wearing Christ himself for unsound profession of Christ as for the sincere To summe up all Though an unsound spirit bee not able to do any thing which is essential to a Christian as a Christian Though hee cannot do any of those works which are good propter fieri in regard of the act the goodness whereof doth adhere intrinsecally and cleave to the thing done as to Love God fear God trust in God Yet all these works the goodness whereof doth more consist in the Manner than in the Matter or thing done viz. to pray read hear c. In all these they may abound And this seems to bee implied in the Apostles phrase 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness yet denying the power From such turn away Where by the form of godliness which the Apostle grants they may have there are two things which are implied 1. That no unsound spirit hath any thing in it which is essential to a Christian as a Christian or which makes a Christian a Christian. As a Form and Picture hath nothing in it which is de Essentiâ Hominis nothing which is essential to a man There is no Reason no Understanding no Life in it So an Hypocrite hee hath nothing that is Essential to a Christian as a Christian Hee hath nothing which doth constitute and make a Christian a Christian As wee say of God Hee hath his communicable and incommunicable Attributes something which is in himself only as his Infinitness his Omnipresence c. and something whereof there is a Resemblance some footsteps in the Creatures so the Saints they have something which is communicable something whereof there is some resemblance in others and which others do as well as they though not in the same Manner And there is something incommunicable to any but to Saints such things as are proper and Peculiar to the Saints only And they are such things as are Essential to a Christian as a Christian And that is the first thing implied in the word Form 2. A second thing which is implied in it is That a false Professor may have a compleat Resemblance of a Christian in all those things which are not essential to a Christian as a Christian Hee may have a form of godliness that is all the outward lineaments of godliness Hee may bee a compleat Picture of a Christian from top to toe in every member every limb every duty for the outwards of it This is implied in the word Form As a Picture if it were not perfect in every limb if there wanted any member as an Hand an Eye nay but a Finger it could not bee said to bee a compleat Picture so is it here If there bee a want in any thing even in the least duty for the outward part of Religion if hee do not all for the Externals which a Christian doth hee cannot bee said to bee a compleat Form a compleat Picture of a godly man And therefore these two things are implied in the word Form 1. That no Hypocrite hath any thing in him essential to a Christian no more than a Picture that which is essential to a man 2. That there is a compleat Resemblance of a Christian in all the outward lineaments of Godliness Hee may bee able to do all the outwards every duty for the externals which lies within the latitude and compass of a Christians walking with God Thus the first thing is cleared to you Now wee come to the second thing propounded 2. How it may stand with 1. Gods ends 2. Satans ends 3. A mans own ends to abound in duty and yet not bee sincere 1. It may stand with Gods ends both 1. Towards the Good and they are merciful ends 2. Towards the Bad and they are partly merciful and partly judicial 1. It may stand with Gods ends towards the good and those are merciful ends That God may serve his own Glory by them for the bringing in and building up of the godly God makes use of the parts and abilities of some whose persons hee will not own for the advancement of the work of grace in the hearts of his people The Raven was an unclean Creature under the Law yet God made use of the Raven to bring flesh and food to Elijah Though the Raven was not good meat yet it was good meat which the Raven brought So God doth oftentimes make use of such who are in themselves unclean for the feeding and nourishing of his people The food may bee good though the person that brings it may bee naught This is that Christ told the people Matth. 23.2 3. The Scribes and Pharisees they sit in Moses chair and therefore whatever they bid you observe that observe and do but do yee not after their works for they say but do not As if Christ had said They are set up and furnished with abilities to do you good though they are naught themselves Therefore let their Doctrin build you up for it is of God and let not their practice throw you down for that is of the Devil and themselves The Pearl in the Toads head may bee useful and good though the Body bee poison And the abilities of such men may bee serviceable to you though their persons bee unclean Thus may it stand with Gods ends toward the good that corrupt hearts should abound in all the wayes of duty And this is one end for the advancement of the work of Grace in the hearts of his people Though this bee not their aim though it bee not their end yet it is Gods end They have theirs and God hath his end As it is said of the King of Assyria Isa 10.5 6 7. God used him for a rod and scourge to punish his people God had his end and hee had his It was Gods end that hee should spoil and punish them for their sin but his to inrich himself by the spoil as the Text tells us Howbeit Though I send him to punish them for their sins saith God yet hee the King of Assyria meaneth not so nor doth his heart think so it is in his heart to cut off and destroy Nations not a few Though hee served his own ends yet Gods end went forward also The like of Jehu hee served his own ends in the
not discover to bee sins Peccata vastantia conscientiam An unsound heart may mourn for some greater sins such as have made great wounds and gashes in his conscience but for sins quotidiana incursionis for omissions and common frailties wandring of thoughts imperfections in duty deadness coldness unbeleef these gnats can hee swallow his light doth not discover these to bee sins Nay yet further A sincere mourning is not only an universal mourning that hee mourns for all sinnes of his own but hee mourns for other mens sinnes as well as his own he hath a fountain within him which runnes over to the good of others Wee have read of some who have mourned for their own sinnes and yet have been unsound You see Pharaoh Ahab Judas But wee never read of any who were grieved with and have mourned for the sinnes of others as well as his own but their hearts were sound Lot his righteous soul was grieved for the sinnes of Sodome and yee know his heart was sound hee s called Righteous Lot David hee mourned for the sinnes of others yea such as were his enemies Ps 119.139 as hee saith Rivers of tears runne down mine eyes because mine enemies keep not thy Law And you know David was sincere God tells us hee was a man after his own heart and the heart of David was single and sincere with God The like I might tell you of Moses of Samuel of Daniel Nehemiah and others hee that mourns only in relation to guilt and hell that mans Cistern runnes out only for his own house Hee mourns for sinne no farther than it doth reflect upon himself and so not for sin as sin but sin as it is evil to him as it binds him over to the wrath of God and eternal damnation But hee that mourns for sinne in its own nature as an offence to an holy pure gracious God his fountain runs over to the use of others hee goes and mourns over other mens sins as well as his own Wee read the Angels they rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner What is the ground do they receive any further addition of good thereby no they are full but therefore do they rejoyce because God is further glorified And if joys were capable of sorrows heaven of tears they would upon the same ground mourn for the sinnes of mee because thereby God is dishonoured And if wee could see God as they do our hearts would bee filled with grief our eyes with tears to see the God so great so gracious so holy to bee abused and wronged by wicked men though wee no way guilty of their sinne Thus a sincere heart hee mourns for other mens sinnes as well as his own he is grieved when his enemys do break Gods laws not so much because they hurt or wound him but because they dishonour God and wound their own souls It troubles him to see men swear and lye to joyn hearts hands together against God his cause his Church his people his Ministers not because they hurt him but strike against God and so but beat themselves against a rock and break themselves do that which will turn to their own shame and sorrow at the last which is the best end that can bee expected of sin 3. Character 3 Sincere mourning is a mourning for sinne a sorrow for sin Sorrow is like Mercuries influence good if joyned with a good Planet bad if it bee joyned with a bad Planet It was good in Peter it was naught in Judas good in David naught in Ahab In the one it was worldly in the other it was a godly sorrow the one was a sorrow for the evil of punishment thâ— other for the evil of sinne Flagella dolent quare flagellantur non dolent The one roared under presenâ— lashes the judgement and punishment of sinne as Augustine saith They lament the evil caused not the evil causing the evil of puâ—â—â—hment the present lashes not the evil of sinne You shall see the difference of it in Pharaoh and David God you see punished Pharaoh for sinne plague upon plague judgement upon judgement and hee crys under the lashes the present judgement Oh! take away this plague take away this death also take away these lice these Caterpillars c. but there was not a word of sin But I have sinned saith David 2 Sam. 24. to 27. I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant One would have thought hee should have prayed to have the plague removed which was then on the people But hee saith take away this sinne not this plague nay in the 17th vers Continue the plague if thou please against mee and my fathers house only pardon mine iniquity Why thus because hee saw sinne a greater evil than the plague and therefore desires rather to be rid of the sin than the punishment of it Here was now a vast difference between the sorrows of the one and the other Take away this plague saith Pharaoh but continue the sinne Take away the sinne saith David though thou continue the plague The one hee mourned under the present lashes the other under sinne Sincere mourning is a mourning for sinne and not for sinne as clad with wrath but for sinne abstractly sinne in its own nature not for sin in its damning but for sin in its defiling nature 4. Character 4 Sincere mourning is a proportional mourning there are two proportions of sin First of the measure Secondly Of the merit of sin Where the heart is sincere it is proportionable 1. To the measure of Sin Great sins must have great sorrows thou hast abounded in sinning thou must abound in sorrowing Thus you see it was with Manasses hee was a great Sinner and a great sorrower hee was humbled greatly saith the Text. So Mary Magdalen a great sinner and shee is a great sorrower It s true I grant Non ex gradu â—t mensura paenitentiâ—â— c. That Sincerity doth not lye so much in the measure as the truth of mourning there may bee godly sorrow in a drop in one tear when there is not godly sorrow in a Sea of Teares But this I say withall that sincere hearts doe ever labour to carry a proportion between their sinnings and their sorrowings between their repentings and their revoltings and though a man may bee justified in heaven without such a measure of sorrow yet hee will scarce bee justified or get peace in the court of his own Conscience without it That 's the first 2 The second Proportion is To the merit of Sin Sincere mourning is proportionable to the merit of sinne Non actu sed affectu as the demerit of sin is infinite so sorrow for it must bee an infinite sorrow infinite I say not in the act and expression yet in the affection of the soul As it is said of a wicked man if hee should live for ever hee would sinne for ever in respect of his desire and will to
special and particular fruits set down 2 Cor. 7.11 of godly sorrow on which I want time to insist But now an hypocrites sorrow is a sorrow to sorrow a paenal not a fruitful sorrow hee is never the better for all his howling his heart never the more humble his spirit never the more broken his soul never the more set against Sin These tears they leave him as they found him they are not changing and transforming tears hee is never the more watchful never the more careful to please God hee rather grows more secure takes more heart to sin against God hee thinks hee hath done penance and satisfied the Law hee hath discharged the former score by his present roarings and therefore may beginne a new reckoning a new score and sin more freely against God whereas true mourning makes us watchfull and so our falls make us secure To sum up all in a little 1 The unsound heart hee mourns for Sin either as clad with punishment or as it bringeth the evil of punishment after it the first you see in Pharaoh the second in Ahab The other laments Sin as Sin sin abstracted and separated from wrath and punishment 2 The one howls under the present lashes the evil of punishment the other under the evil of sin 3 Sence doth provoke the one to mourning faith and love do cause the other to mourn 4 The ground of the one is self-love the ground of the other love to God 5 The one is slavish the other childish 6 The end of the one is peace and joy of the other it is discouragement and dispair as in Cain and Judas c. 7 The one breeds a bitternesse and turbulency of spirit the other humility mildness self-denial Thus I have shewed you these three things and cleared them I beleeve there 's many of you who do not pray at all many who are yet to shed one tear for Sin Alas when was the time thou hast entred thy Chamber thy closet and broken thy heart for sin humbled thy soul for sin Let mee tell thee thus much thou hast sinned this sinne will have sorrow one time or other if not here in fruitful mourning hereafter in paenal mourning in weeping and gnashing of teeth If thou wilt not sorrow for a time thou shalt howl for ever It may bee thou thinks no such matter conscience is now at peace Ista tranquillâ—tas tempestas erit it is like a book bound up if once opened your peace shall end in a storm your joy in sorrow happy thou if God wound thee that hee may heal thee break thee that hee may bind thee humble thee that hee may comfort thee It is better bee broken here than to go whole to hell better be wounded here than to go sound to hell better to bee a sad Saint than a merry Devil What David prayed for his enemies may wee pray for our best friends Send them down quick to Hell Send them down here by humiliation that they may avoid eternal damnation hereafter Wee began with the last first viz. clear your sincerity in your performances in particular wee named three particulars in Hearing Praying Mourning Wee come now to the end which is the first in order of nature though wee have made it last in time Clear sincerity in Obedience in the general 2. Clear the sincerity of your hearts in Obedience in general Now to this as to the former I will give you some Characters of a sincere Obedience Sincere Obedience is 1. A faithful 2. An universal 3. A fruitful 4. A filial Obedience Wee shall only single out some of them because wee are willing to finish this Doctrin 1. Character Full. A sincere Obedience is a full Obedience an universal Obedience It is universal in respect of the subject the whole man it is universal in respect of the object the whole Law it is universal in respect of durance the whole life Hee who obeyes sincerely obeyes universally his obedience is not only sutable to the rule in respect of the nature and quality of it but it is proportionable also to the rule in respect of the latitude and extent of his obedience There is no man that serves God truly who doth not indeavour to serve God fully Sincerity turns upon the hinges of universality It is said of David that hee had respect to all the Commandements of God and that hee hated every false way Hee had not obeyed any if hee had not respected all nay which is yet more Act. 13.22 hee fulfilled all the will of God the words are in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the wills and Commands of God and of Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 that they walked in all the Commandements of God blameless hee who obeyes sincerely indeavours to obey thoroughly Wee will instance in these branches 1. In suffering as doing First Hee will obey God in suffering Commands as well as doing in losing as well as gaining Commands An unsound spirit may follow God while hee can follow his own game too while they can serve God without cost without pain or losse c. such men love cheap obedience But when Obedience comes to bee chargeable when his Obedience to God may cost him his liberty his riches his estate then they retire while Religion and the World do walk in the same path there are many who will tread the paths of Religion but when there comes a turning that they must shake hands and part riches one way Christ another God one way the World another then they will forsake Christ You see it was so with the young man hee was willing to follow Christ so far as hee might bee no loser so far as to keep his wealth too But when Christ told him if hee would follow him hee must sell all when it comes to this that either hee must part with his Riches or with Christ then hee falls off and went away sorrowing But hee who obeyes sincerely serves God for himself such a man will obey God though to the hazard and loss of all hee will obey God in costly as well as cheap losing as well as gaining duties Such a man prizeth more of one act of Obedience than hee doth of all his injoyments and will take up naked Obedience though with the loss of all As hee will not commit a sin though hee might gain the World for it so hee will not neglect a duty though hee lose a World for it You see this in the three Children in Daniel and in Queen Maries dayes those go in Sheep-skins who might have gone in Silks c. Secondly Hee will obey God in relative Commands as well as absolute Sincerity doth not only lye in absolute Commands towards God but in relative Commands one towards another And where the heart is sincere hee will not only hear and pray and obey God but hee will walk in all duties of Righteousness and charity towards his Brother Hee is