rather their desire to oppose then any sound reason The latter is condâ—tionâ—ll How free The second Call is conditionall And that concernes such as are inlightned and that is also soveraignly free and meerely gracious For why this condition is Faith which is a second free gift to the elect following the former freedome of visiting with light Now this condion is not all mens lot All men have not faith 2 Thess 3.2 nay it is a flower growing in few gardens This floweth from Election So many as the Lord our God shall call Acts 2.39 and so many as were to be saved beleeved This condition of faith is not in our freedome of will but the Lords It s he who of his good pleasure workes both the will and the deed 2 Thess 3.2 Act. 2.39 47. Phil 2.13 John 3.8 Object and without his spirits breath which bloweth where it will nothing is done Now this condition of the Gospell Faith I meane being so few mens portion how can it otherwise be but where it is its free grace But here it s objected That this were to translate a crime upon God needlesly which may lye upon man I answer No still the crime lyes upon man God is free Answ If the Lord having man now sunke from his former integrity at a deepe yea infinite advantage which in Adam he had him not at shall worke out greater glory to his name and attributes then formerly he could have done shall any man grudge him this prerogative or count him cruell or tye him to his owne tether Matth. 20.13.14 Is it not free for him to doe what he pleases with his owne Is it not in his power to release or not to release his owne advantage Againe Object wheras the cause of this difference is cast upon mans owne default for not receiving that grace which he hath freedome to receive or refuse I answer Answ True it is that condemnation shall never want a just merit thereof viz. from mans rejecting of grace but this proves not a freedome in man to accept it of himselfe if he please for he rejects not grace by the actuall defect of any thing which he had power or free-will in himselfe to doe seeing that is meerely from the soveraignty of the caller but from his actuall contempt Object And whereas some alledge God will not be wanting to any who are not wanting to themselves I answer First Answ if this have any truth in it it is not from hence that ought in mans concurring with grace can further the worke of it But because first it is sure that those who walke not in Gods way are seldome converted and secondly because usually the Lord is mercifull to such as doe humbly subject themselves to his way not opposing and slighting him in it purposely and thirdly because we ought not to discourage any from close attendance upon the meanes But to affirme that God is in the least manner obliged to doe for all such as are not wanting to themselves if yet any can be said to be so it s unwarranted yea and more then so The Lord to shew his absolutenesse herein doth oft times communicate himselfe to such as seeke him not Esay 65.1 and hide himselfe from such as seeke him in some sort and forsakes the morall the pharisaicall the vertuous and cals the vicious the publicans and sinners That where sin abounded Rom. 5.20 grace might abound much more Many ungodly ones being convinced of their owne wofull incompliablenesse to the grace of God offred are called that they might magnifie the freedome of it and many more civill and morally disposed who might seeme faire for it yet are prone to joyne themselves purchasers with God in this great worke are defeated that he who will boast might boast of the Lord 1 Cor. 1.30 and all might stand as guilty and abominable before God But here some will object True it is All being fallen from the grace of Creation stand at Gods curtesie for he may condemne them Object and none can say What dost thou And againe whomsoever God saves they confesse that he saves them of his free and meere grace But yet they adde This grace is an universall one answering to the universality of corruption and therefore by vertue hereof all may if they will and doe not put a barre to themselves receive this grace but if they doe not the cause say they is not from any defect in the sufficiency of grace or from any soveraignty in Gods dispensing it to some more then others for say they as he ought it to none at all so when he offers it freely he offers it to some one with the same freedome and efficacy with which he offers it to any one and the difference of the accepting by one and the not accepting by another flowes from the different dispositions and free-will of him that nilleth or willeth but not say they from any diversity of disposition in God Besides the reason why they affirme grace must be universall is this because else say they God should deale hardly with the creature to urge it to such a condition of grace as he doth not allow him sufficient strength to performe and yet punish him for the not performing thereof more deeply then if such grace had never bin offred yea to urge it to performe such a condition as he never was able in his best integrity to performe I answer God doth not exact any such condition at mans hand Answ as he gave him not sufficient strength to performe For man had at the first strength enough to performe not onely whatsoever God did then require But also whatsoever he might require which included a power to obey universally And therefore man having lost that power by his fall stands justly guilty before God of his impotency to beleeve the promise But they still urge Adam could not possibly have the power to beleeve Instan in his innocency since that presupposes a thing which Adam Answ 1 then was not guilty of viz. Disobedience I answer Adam could not beleeve the pardon of that whereof he was not guilty But Adam could and did beleeve in generall by an holy trust or confidence upon Gods supporting him during his obeying which trust though it had another object in speciall then our faith hath yet in generall hath the same That looked at the alsufficient goodnesse of Creation this of Redemption yet both behold God as the same object still of infinite good in severall regards and fidelity to his creature Secondly I answer That is false and inconsequent to affirme that Answ 2 because God condemned all mankinde for the losse of that grace of creation which he gave in Adam to the whole nature of man Therefore he must needs bestow an universall grace of redemption in Christ upon the same mankinde before he can justly punish them for refusing it I say this followes not except it be first proved that
Monica was so carefull for her sonne Augustine that Ambrose told her the sonne of such prayers could not perish and as it fell out he was a true Prophet for never had any man greater and stranger preventions as may easily be seenâ— in that life of his written by his Deacon to excellent good purpose as the lives of many other Worthies both ancient and moderne have bin for the setting forth of the blessed fruit of Gods preventing providence both for the salvation of the parties and unspeakable good of Gods Church by the labours of such instruments And for this use so much Vse 3 Thirdly this point should be a great consolation to all such as have had experience of such mercy preventing them Of Consolation It should comfort and Branch 1 encourage them from all those doubtfull distempers which arise up in their fearfull mindes Experience of former prevention should encourage us for time to come that God will leave them in the midst of his work unperfect and unfinished It is a wofull unthankfulnesse in many who having found God gracious to them and theirs beyond expectation in preventing much evill seasoning them betimes even in their tender years and stopping evill That yet they dare not trust him forth on especially if they perceive any staggering in themselves or delaying of their desires so that God proceeds not on with them and theirs according to their hopes Judg. 13.22.23 But let them learne of a woman Manoahs wife to correct their folly who hearing her husband to feare least God would slay them answered no for then God would never have freely discovered himselfe to them at all touching a Son which should save Israel Surely if those first free preventions and gales of grace were so prised and so thankefully entertained and observed by us wee should not dare to give over God so easily for the finishing of his worke Dallyance with Gods first preventions is the cause to change his course But it is commonly mens dalliance with the first grace of God and his early preventions of us and ours yea it is our presumption upon free mercy as if it were pinned to our sleeves which causes us to winde it about our fingers and carry it loose about us as a pearle in a loose pocket and which causes the Lord to blast us to change his first course with us to suffer us to wax pearke and sawcy with him and to venture upon such occasions companies and actions as at first we durst not thinke of And so the Lord frownes upon us and changes our first motions into cold qualmes and loose affections and the base fruit of our presumption to trie whether his grace be pretious or no and whether we will forsake our fatnesse and sweetnesse of first beginnings to exalt our selves our wits conceits and humours and through embracing of lying vanities forsake our mercy If we doe let us know the Lord prevented us rather to make our destruction inexcusable then to convert us But if it be otherwise then let it appear in our extraordinary humiliation and teares Jonah 2.8 repentance and recovery of our former workes and affections let not Satan stall us in our own mire of sinne nor oppresse us with distrustfull bondage and despondency of heart to drive us to despaire let all our vanity be vaine and all our stollen waters bitter our pride and new-found selfe-contents odious unto us in comparison of former old compassions let us bee zealous I say and amend rather then harden our hearts so far till the print of our first preventions tendernesse feare and conscience be quite worne out This by the way not impertinently But to returne if there have been a levell and even eye to walke according to our first Grace let us not warpe ungrounded feares out of unthankfull distrust to thinke like that wretch 2 King 3. God hath brought us to this point to forsake us or as tâ—â—y said to slay us in the wildernesse Read Jer. 2. and we see how the Lord speaks to such as cavilled against him Oh! saith he I remember the love I made toward thee in the wildernesse a barren drie land and the first love of thy youth when thou wert dainty to me and still I can beteame thee the same love if thou wert not weary of it A sweet place Could God finde in his heart to be so to Revolters to Idolaters such as had forsaken his fountaine and digged pits to themselves and shall he not much more poore soule of little faith remember thee Art thou of no more worth then so Oh! the Lord remembers his first love still its pretious to him he cannot forget it and is it not so to thee Put case his assisting and perfecting grace seemes not in thine eye so proportionall at the first May there not bee cause Is it not to teach thee to claspe about the first as the Ivy about the bow to suck out juice from it to support thee Doubt not but proceed He that prevented thee first perhaps when thou soughtst him not or soughtst him but formally he will not faile thee now he will sticke to thee by his assisting grace also uphold thee in thy zeale meanes using make the mystery of Christ more cleare and evident draw forth reall desires and hungers esteems and diligence yea he will not give thee over till he have also finished the worke of conversion and effectuall calling in thee by the worke of faith and by daily familiarising with thine heart by his promises create the fruit of the lips which is peace in thee Isaih 57.17 Onely suffer not thy selfe to wax lazy loose and dallying with him to give him over thy selfe and then lay the fault upon him That he was very forward to lay the foundation but was not able to finish his building None but hypocrites dare bring in such verdicts rather slanders upon God Luke 14.30 Be not thou the first And againe it may be consolation in a second regard to all such to Branch 2 wit that he who not being tied to them by promise yet called them of encouragement Rom. 5.8 will now much more sticke to them having a promise to plead Which I speake because many forgetting the old mercies of God by a worldly unthankfull and estranged heart make that part of their lives most sad which should be gladdest of all And that What to doe when feare of our corruptions masters us by distrusting God for the mercie consequent upon their calling They feare that God will never make them masters over some speciall corruptions of theirs pride world ease nor increase any grace to any fulnesse but onely leave them to a poore pittance nor yet uphold them in their outward wants and crosses of poverty or infamy Deut. 32.13.14 c. by his all-sufficiencie nor rid them out of their streights by unreasonable men nor recover them out of their revolts to their former
had the proudest hearts to say we are Abrahams children and free men and never served any The cause whereof is within our wofull bosomes viz. that as we have lost our first honor of Creation so we have lost both understandings to know and wills to yeeld and bee convinced of it being like drunken slaves that dreame of liberty and make themselves merry with their owne woe Even so doe we struggle against the prerogative of God and scorne that any difference at all should be made between us and others Numb 16. Hence comes that fulsome conceit of the most that all who professe Christianity are in an equall condition to God-ward all the people of God are holy They thinke that those Ministers who put difference betweene one and other except open monsters and odious livers take too much upon them and out of singularity of spirit and factious pride doe but sow the seed of dissention betweene men and women who else would live alike in neighbourhood and amity And as for the worke of grace and conversion which indeed puts the difference either they conceit themselves to be as forward in it as the best or if they be convicted of the contrary that notwithstanding the common profession which they make with others yet they come short of them in the spirituall power and fruit of the Covenant and Word of the Seales and Sacraments oh they storme and rage as a Beare robbed of her Whelpes Judg. 18.24 Micah did not make such an out-cry after them who stole his gods as these doe after them who would rob them of their Idoll of formall profession Which in truth argueth that their hearts were never truly meekned nor subdued under this doctrine of soveraignty But let all such beware for every blow which they give to God lights upon their owne skin and they carry a blacke marke about them of such as must perish while they scorne to confesse the misery which they are fallen into and so to apply themselves to the humble seeking of that peculiar mercy in God which must if ever they be saved bring them home to him Sure it is that the winding themselves up in the common sheet of other men hoping they shall doe as well as they and abhorring to thinke that others should be better then themselves whiles yet they let others goe before them in humiliation and faith themselves rejecting the meanes of grace this pride and fulnesse of selfe conceit will sooner seale them up to hardnesse of heart and arme them with weapons of pride and envy rage and rebellion against Gods soveraignty then bring them into the least degree or step towards salvation Secondly Lie under the conviction of Soveraignty let us be exhorted to lie under the conviction of this sad Branch 2 truth that God is the Soveraigne Lord of his owne grace to do with his owne what him listeth The neglect of this duty is the meane to foster in the heart of man a roote of bitternesse and rancor against God and so of enimity treachery jealousie the high way to hell And therefore rest not till thy soule can fully accommodate her judgement to confesse this truth that grace is free and without all respect of persons To this end first consider the root of this soveraignty 1. partic Consider the root of Soveraignty I meane that infinite advantage which thou hast given the Lord by thy wilfull fall in Adam The little weighing whereof hath caused as many errors and mistakes in Religion and Divinity as any one Confesse it to be righteous with God to take the uttermost advantage against thee which the most strict justice of his can devise Admit no carnall corrupt colours of reason or cavillers against this truth but lay thine hand upon thy mouth and say Thou hast shut up all under disobedience Oh Lord most justly that thou mightst by their sinne set forth the largenesse of thy Power justice and mercy yea although thou canst not sometimes unty the knots of carnall objections comming from thy rebellious heart yet loose thy selfe in this truth of God and tremble at it saying this is a depth too deepe for me to fadom and too high for me to reach my reason is as the short arme of a poore child which cannot reach farre But whether I reach it or not I am sure there is an eternall truth in it wherein I rest And this step is a great degree towards mercy and a marke of one whom the Lord will save I meane to rest convinced and well apaid concerning this soveraigne pleasure of God A rebell hypocrite and enemy of God dare not commit himselfe to this sea he chuseth rather to creep by the shore of his owne carnall reason though it be to his owne perdition It was the speech of an Heathen man concerning a profound oration which he had heard a Philosopher make what I understood said he I admired as excellent and I beleeve also that was excellent which I understood not How much more shouldest thou bear in thy judgement such a reverend conviction of Gods matters though above thee And secondly let us rest well contented in the Lords free dispensation of the severall measures of his grace 2. Instance Be content that the Lord dispence grace in what measures he pleaseth If he please to be found of some that sought him not Esay 65.1 to make a shorter worke of it yea to intercept them ere they are aware in the midst of an evill course and to powre in mercy by large measures battering breaking and subduing them betimes and as it were all at once whereas he suffers others to goe on by the yeare and the seven yeare without working any great matter in them sensibly but suffers them to welter in their fears doubts and complaints let us not murmur but acknowledge his Soveraignty Of which more in the use following 3 Judge not God in the effects of his unlimited Soveraignty either in sinnes See also Rom. 9.17 Likewise let us not judge God in the effects of this his unlimited will I mean in the trialls commands penalties which he exercises the wicked withall for why he created them holy and accordingly may in equity trie them with strict charges though exceeding their strength to obey For he looks upon them according to that grace which they have lost not which they have So I may say touching those penalties which they incurred by their sinne they were just Had they clave to their duty 4 Or penalties of wicked but in the matter of it they had bin highly rewarded and therefore falling off in coole bloud from doing the outward act which was in their power in the midst of so many encouragements how just was their overthrow Why did the Lord inflict so heavy a plague upon all the posterity for Adams sinne Because it was a bundell of all sinne in one and if he had stood he had enjoyed all happinesse for
portion never to be taken from her To apply the answer the cause of such staggering is self-self-love That which you feele to agree with your selves and to come easily pleaseth you too well and causeth you to dwell upon it too long and to withhold you from better things The remedy of your disease must bee to ascribe no more to your selves but to the glory of grace to abase selfe and to exalt mercy to renounce all selfe-reflex from duties and endeavors of your owne because they cannot shed any meritorious bloud to save you and to claspe to that promise which is established upon a satisfaction to justice which though it be out of your selves yet is after a sort made your owne by him that promiseth because faith is his gift and he hath covenanted to give it you for that end and purpose What skils it how little grace you feele within when as he who offereth you mercy onely seeke such as want it that he may have the glory Or what shall it boote you to thinke you have lesse sinne then others when as he who calls you to forgivenesse cares not how great it be so it hinder not your beleeving in him Read this wisely who seekes the superabounding of grace where sinne hath abounded Accept then such grace offered as those in whom nothing dwelleth toward any grace Grace best accepted by such as of themselves are emptiest of it and as if yee had stept no one step toward it more then the vilest publican and sinner have done Be content to gird your selves and serve grace and let not grace attend you as if you had wrong if it be not laid in your laps but come under the banner and authority of it the ends and honour of it It is something that grace runnes in your streame but your staggerings shall never cease till your streame be dried up and turned to runne meerly in Gods streame to be carried both whither how soone how and how farre it shall please him Use all meanes walke so in the way as making use of all incouragements but still looke forward to the price of the high calling of God boast not your selves as if you had put off your harnesse But rather thinke thus if it be so joyfull a message to heare of a pardon how much better were it to sue it out and apply it to my selfe and how wofully should it sting me if any things should come betweene cup and lip to defeat me of it Remember that all preparations of grace serve onely to testifie to the soule that the Lord hath beene at worke not that it should rest in a taste of absent but presse on with unweariednesse to obtaine the fulnesse of a present and enjoyed happinesse and betrust it selfe wholly to his workemanship who would never have begunne if it had not beene in his power and will to finish Stand therefore at his curtesie wholly as disabled in thy selfe to cooperate with him much lesse to have him at the bent of thy bow binde Selfe to the altar with cordes and turne thy active medling spirit into a meere passive and waiting spirit upon the worke of God not as a slave nor as a loyterer but as a self-denyer and one whose strength is to sit still and behold the salvation of God Oh beloved that I could so follow this councell of mine with effectuall prayer to the Lord that through mercy it might become a mean to put to an happy end those endlesse innumerable complaints of staggering consciences to settle them in some tolerable measure with comfort and quietnesse And so much may also serve for this third and last Branch of instruction Vse 4 The fourth use of this point may be examination of your selves concerning this secret sinne of Selfe Examination I say not the being of it for hee that would be rid of it must goe out of the world but the raigning and defiling and deceiving power of it to keepe the soule from Christ I need not be large in this I have prevented my selfe already in all which I have said before to describe this theefe by his markes But what shall it profit you brethren to say they are laid down in the opening of the doctrine if ye let them lie there apply none of them to your selves to find out your owne let What shall it availe that I have told you what grosse Selfe is and what this secret and wyredrawne Selfe is To have shewed you many instances of it The steppes and degrees of it The carriage of it both in the ground the proceeding and the scope of it The reasons of it both from the cursed nature of Selfe the curse of God and Satans advantage What good will it doe you to heare the danger of it described by the naturalnesse subtilty closenesse violence of it If none of all these will stirre ye up to cry out and aske Am I the man O Lord or with Rebecca feeling her twins to stirre within her to goe to God for counsell Alas brethren To this end all serves else all is as water running over in a full vessell some of yee perhaps will say there is so much said of this that it fills your head so that ye know not where to beginne I answer If it be so much it may make some amends for the little or nothing which most men will speake of it and oh that it might occasion others to speake more But to answer you I say take any one of these and trie your selves by it especially cull out such instances and markes as you thinke sort best with your condition let not plenty make you barren Who knoweth what is in the spirit of man save the Lord and it selfe Or rather the Lord searching the heart by his owne Spirit Jerem. 17. and teaching it to dive into the depth and secrets of sinne Selfe requireth good and deepe searchâ—ng Who can judge whether it be grosse Selfe or privy and subtill Selfe which pesters the soule and disables the promise Who knowes whether ease or pride feare or presumption conceit or error and ignorance hinder most Try therefore thy selfe knowest thou not that Selfe must stoope if Christ enter doe not thinke that because here thou maiest finde some markes of this else therefore by and by thou hast snatcht him no no thousands who know their diseases carry them under their privy garments as running sores till they destroy them especially remember if Selfe bee so deepe an evill so naturall a twinne eating laughing and living in thy bosome with such familiarity and bewitching what save the infinite wisedome and power of God can worke the discovery or resolvednesse of heart to cast it out Therefore not to urge any thing already urged in speciall I doe onely in generall urge thee to make use of what hath beene said already of this mischiefe Goe aside hide thy selfe in thy chamber Esay 26. powre out thine heart to
not trouble for the cause of Christ finde thee so busied about doing for him that thou shouldest neglect the consideration of those weighty respects for which he calls thee to suffer also Many irresolute and staggering ones have done Christ as much dishonour as some libertines and timeservers self-Selfe-love and ease hath so blinded them on the one side that they can looke but one way As thou canst not deny but truth is pretious powerfull and prevailing So adde this thereto aske what is truth study it inquire into it the consequences which attend upon both the faithfull sticking to it against all enemies and the treacherous traducing it for fear or flattery or any sinister ends Remember that of Davids servants and apply it to truth thou art worth tenne thousand of us if we fall there be others to raise up in our stead but if thou fall how irrecoverable is thy losse And say not this truth or that I could suffer for but such and such I dare not for if thou honor not God in denying thy owne cavils and suffering for any truth perhaps thou shalt be so left to thy selfe-shifts and snared by thine owne treachery that either God will deny thee an heart or the honour to suffer in greater truths if occasion serve Thirdly know for certaine God will have a day to trie thee what cost thou wilt be at for him If he have brought thee through the pikes of the enemies of thy conversion trust to it he will have some triall or other to know all that is in thine heart God bestowes no great favours especially Christ himselfe but he will be sure to try thee throughly of what mettall thou art made and whether the experience of his first and greatest love have deserved at thine hands the fruit of thy faith to cling to him and be of more worth then thine owne ends and contents He rejoyceth to discover those who are firme to him and beare him hearty loyall affection from the hollow and false If Abraham Hezechia Ionah Peter wanted not their trialls of whom some stuck to God others warped shalt thou escape Nay if God would try Saul and Ieroboam and Iehu so deepely will he passe thee over No bee not such a foole as to thinke that thou shalt scape in a mist swimme alway in a calme sea and runne a smooth course for as verily as God is true thou shalt be tried yea perhaps many wayes one after another Resolve thy selfe it is no slight thing in Gods esteeme to try his if he should leave them without trialls whereof all sonnes are partakers they were bastards Heb. 12.8 it is drosse and no oare which is not worth the trying easie duties of praying hearing and worship are no trialls for Gods close people in these dayes he will have other trialls for them and although perhaps thou hadst scaped many windes and blasts yet he will have some direct and opposite winde to try thee to the quicke ere the Lord have done with thee Selfe had need have trialls as Gideons souldiers Upon these considerations apply this exhortation briefly to thy selfe Application of all in two duties Be for him that hath beene for thee even the Lord Jesus be for his glory and honour to thy uttermost I will commend but two passages to thee First in the feare of God my beloved be sure that you deny your selves for God in the point of doing for him Secondly 1. To doe all for God in the matter of suffering in both which thy whole obedience standeth I urge no exactnesse but such as the Gospel both promises and affords to a beleeving soule onely I exclude treachery and falshood For the former aime at God and deny thy selfe in thy doings and duties in thy worship and use of meanes in thy speciall calling and condition of life This will inure thee to the latter selfe-deniall in suffering Throughout thy whole conversation of life towards God and man thou shalt finde that from the center of selfe-love the Divell will teach thee to draw lines of crookednesse and obliquity warping from God and tending to it selfe The soule cannot endure to be under the authority of God either commanding promising or threatning it hath a bredth of her owne in the narrow of God See Hos 10.1 and where shee can fleece away ought from him and his ends to herselfe she is safe yea where the duties are strictest shee bewraies most a false heart which being pincht in the point of her owne ends is ready to cast all in the dirt In fasting what pleasure can the soule finde to herselfe instead of soule afflicting Esay 58.3.4 Much more then in ordinary duties she will dispence and seeke herselfe In mens buyings and sellings how doe they foist in a dreg of seeking themselves loath to lye close to the rule to doe as they would bee done too In preaching the solemne truthes of God what a deale of selfe-honour and men-pleasing creeps into the duty What duties meanes or graces are there which are void of this dead fly Witnesse the innumerable dispensations which this libertine age seekes to herselfe in all her wayes in fashions attires recreations worldly dealings lending letting hyring and borrowing In the duty of prayer how scanty seldome carnall are wee Looking sometime more at them that heare us or at the setnesse of our sentences edge of our owne affections then at Gods awfull presence our owne abasement or the speciall ends that concerne us What causes so little mourning and fasting for the sinnes and sorrowes that are upon us or hang over us Selfe-love every man lookes to his owne matters his owne griefes losses take up all his teares and desires What causes Magistrates to be so partiall and connivent at offenders at drunkards breakers of the Sabbath self-Selfe-love they are affraid to be noted to bee precizer then needs they seeke their owne bribes or ease men are loath to disquiet themselves for God or conscience Whence comes our murmuring under our crosses or our sottishnesse and insensiblenesse under them Both from selfe-love either tendernesse to our owne skin or loathnesse to be at any cost to search out the causes to humble the soule or to repent loathnesse I say to lay any thing to heart What is the cause of so many jarres and janglings among Christians for meere trifles to the dishonour of God and their communion self-Selfe-love that seekes her owne ease and profit little looking how others fare Christians in generall will professe selfe-deniall yet take pritches discontents Endlesse it were to mention all learne we to seeke God in all we doe and whatsoever we finde our conscience to accuse us of as an excrement and superfluity of our owne beware we nourish it not in our selves lest it poyson the carriage the bent and streame of our indeavours with singularity hypocrisie and selfe-love Shake off conceits rash surmizes tetches enmities sullen froward humors 2. In suffering Lastly
he urgeth nothing at our hands but himselfe promiseth strength to performe he can and will subdue the hardnesse of an unwilling heart by an irrestible prayer he promises to rebuke Satans subtilty and malice to doe all our workes It is his owne glory which he seekes why should he lose it And why should he doe that which he hath done except he meant to perfect it I say thus to argue in truth is not every ones measure but theirs onely to whom it is given to answer strong doubts and to quench fiery darts To say with Mano ' as wife we shall not dye Judg. 13.23 if the Lord had meant to slay us he would never have so farre have declared himselfe to us as he hath done To say with that rare patterne yet Lord the dogges may eate crummes c. so answering the objections of her Saviour against her Matth. 15. To say with Iob though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee against all the terrors with which thou affrightest me I say it is the Lord who only can turn the heart to be wise to salvation And to be sure as it should humble all such cavillers who are alway proudest of that wit which damps them most as feele this nature unsubdued in them so it should raise up a speciall spirit of thankefulnesse in all them whom God hath pluckt out of all such snares causing them to turne their Satyrs into songs and their invectives into admirations and to blesse him who hath put their soules out of those questions which if they were now to resolve the greatest question would be whether ever they would be resolved This I have briefly said of this point generally whereof much more might have been said save that my text pitches my thoughts upon the speciall cavill of Naamans carnall reason unto which I hasten hoping that in this instance I shall satisfie them who are desirous to heare more of the generall The second point then out of this answer of Naaman is this Carnall reason a great enemy to faith That carnall Doct. 2 reason is a great enemy to the soule in point of assenting and cleaving to the truths of the word So it was here to Naaman and so it is to all who leane thereto For the better conceiving of which point first in a word I will shew what I meane by carnall reason what sorts of men and in how many respects and instances it resists the word Secondly I will prove the point by Scripture and sundry reasons And lastly come to the uses and therein answer one maine question how farre forth mans wisedome may be admitted to have any thing to doe in the matters of God Carnall reason what For the first by carnall reason I meane not the power of reasoning according to rationall and sensible grounds nor yet the exercise of that power in such things as are objects of reason I meane humane matters which sense can judge of For to deny such things were to make men meere idiots and to disable them from capablenesse of Religion But I mean that carnallity of reason which judges and disputes according to sinfull corrupt and depraved reason and calls Gods holy and mysticall truthes which are onely judged of by a superior power of spirituall reason and understanding to the barre or ballance of an unregenerate See 1 Cor. 2.15 that is an inferior and disabled reason and judgement which hath lost the the gift of discerning truthes by the error and corruption of old Adam Three steppes of carnall reason Now this erroneous judgement hath three steppes and degrees For first carnall reason buyes and sells God and his actions according to the meere proportion and scantling of outward appearance and weighes him so just in her ballances that she will abate him no one dramme of weight in the reckning but he must be just the same not one haires bredth under or over Psal 78.19 then she allowes him Thus the Israelites when they were in the wildernesse because they saw no reall second causes or meanes of a supply of meate and drinke deny it possible that they should be furnished at all concluding that they must of necessity perish Can the Lord say they spread a table in the wildernesse They would allow the Lord no more power then the meere possible or probable meanes would afford This is carnall reason in grosse somewhat like the grosse condignity of Popish merit This was Naamans reason here in the Text. A second steppe is when although light out of the word and common convincing experience dare not confine God so close nor girt up his power so narrowly but hee must have a power beyond any thing which appeares yet for all that in secret she thinkes it very meet that God should tye himselfe and yeeld of himselfe to worke by rationall and likely means and when he doth so shee is best satisfied and stumbles when it is not so Luke 7.4.5 Thus the Jewes thought it a very meete congruity that Christ should heale his servant who had built them a Synagogue and loved their nation as if Christ were tyed in doing miracles to gratifie his benefactors and so his mother herselfe Ioh. 2.4 when she saw they wanted wine would needs forestall him saying Sonne thou canst doe a miracle and thou canst not doe it at a better season then now to supply their want of wine as if our Saviour served onely to attend mens opportunities by the power of his Godhead indeed hee did the miracle but not upon either the ground or end which she framed This is a dreg of the former The third steepe is when we confesse God and his will and power above all and confesse it must be hee onely which must worke all of himselfe and is above the meanes but yet in the use of meanes we expect God should not frustrate us but worke by and through them not remembring that as in the first the Lord is tyed to no meanes and in the second he is a free agent and is above all meanes so in this third he can worke aswell without the meanes and against them as with them and useth meanes onely for other causes not for his but our better helpe and convenience So that this base carnality plaies her prises one way or other and dares act her part upon Gods stage so that no one mystery administration worke or ordinance of his can passe her fingers without some verduit or other of her owne she will have an oare in every boate In this first branch I would further have it considered What subject carnall reason dwels in in what subjects or persons I conceive this carnall reason to reside when I say it is an ill judge and a great enemy to the matters of God I doe not here intend Atheisticall reason such as that of the Epicurean sect was who thought the world to be eternall both before and after because there could
is thus which yet cannot be avoided till the love of God come in stead of love of Selfe to enforce the soule as by a principle of powerfull perswasion to a sweet frame of spirit well appaid by the promise and abhoring such extremities Vse 4 In which respect lastly be exhorted to be humble in Gods way Be humble in that aâ—d spare not Be humble in Gods way Esay 55.2 there is no feare of excesse in the way which God hath chalked out Be earnest in prayer for this wisdome to spend thy labour to purpose and thy silver in that which can profit thee Ascribe this prerogative to the Lord that he onely must teach the soule both how and wherein to expresse humility and account all other a device of Selfe serving to no other end save to barre the Lord out of the soule in the maine point of selfe-deniall and to nouzle up it selfe in pride and ease the Lord onely who knowes the heart knowes the secret basenesse and pride that lurkes therein and by what meanes it may be best searched out and purged For us to affect other waies and to be humble where God requires it not is to set our selves on worke and to be wiser then God and therefore let no such looke for requitall at his hands Jam. 4. God resists all proud ones and none more then those who are proud under a maske of devotion and humblenesse Let us hearken what God saith and abase our selves in his way and then our hearts as well as our habits shall be so and we shall not lose our reward For so saith Saint Peter he giveth grace to the humble And he who denieth any thing for me wealth credit wife child having first denied himselfe shall have an hundred fold here and hereafter eternall life Let this use then be a spur to quicken our pace in the use of the former doctrine of selfe deniall of which I will now speake no more having handled it at large Thus much for this doctrine 1. Part of his distemper Rage The other point and last of this verse is Naamans rage It may seem as strange as the former For why What cause was given him to carry himselfe thus If Elisha had dealt by him as by Iehoram handled him roughly at the doore and chased him away with disdaine If hee had answered his request with a scorne as our Saviours did the womans Matth. 15. Away thou dogge what hast thou to doe with childrens bread Thy disease is past cure I will not meddle with such a nasty one as thou an enemy and Champion against the Church of God then indeed had he a just cause of wrath and rage The ground of the point opened But now he hath an answer of mercy and love and hope from one that sent for him for the nonce when he was at a set and lo because onely he crosses him in a circumstance that is that he concurres not with his humour for the manner of curing but sends him word of another way for this alone hee findes enough in his heart to picke a quarrell and to depart in a rage Ah poore wretch If thou hadst now seene thy waywardnesse and foolish strugling against mercy thou wouldest have abhorred this curst humor of thine and wondred that mercy could so have enclosed such a rebell in her armes as to heale him against his will For why Had it beene but a Physitian should have prescribed a medicine one of seven which he could thinke of wouldest thou have taught him how to cure thee Would not a Physitian have said If thou be wiser then I what dost thou here Goe heale thy selfe How is it then that in a desperate case onely in Gods power to heale thou art so carelesse of his counsell that thou railest at the messenger and art ready to goe away in a rage Oh! this is surely for our example brethren to learne by doe not cast off the point ere it come at you say not that he was an heathen a Noble man of great spirit and they will beare no affronts True it is so hee was But this was neither the fruit of ignorance properly nor yet of greatnesse although of both in part but of that disease which all of us carry in our bosomes that is Selfe and selfe-love be wee never so enlightned to know the truth or never so meane for poore ones without grace can be as proud as rich we may bewray this tetch and distemper as well as he well beloved now you have the ground lay aside descants and come with meekenesse to heare this point that you may bee rid of this disease which though all condemne in Naaman yet few see in themselves The doctrine is plaine Selfe if she be defeated of her hopes rageth Doctrine Selfe defeated rageth Naaman whiles he had hopes is at ease and a good point he waites and is patient now comes this crosse errand that turnes him over as drinke doth a drunkard now he can hold no longer his patience turnes wearinesse and waxes madnesse I doubt not but you see the bottome yet I doubt not but you would be glad to see it cleared marke then a little those texts and reasons which serve for it and so lead to the application of it to your selves Take that behaviour of the yong man for one proofe who comming in a deepe forestallednesse of conceit to our Saviour that his case to Godward was good and yet thinking so highly of Christ that he could enforme him thought it not amisse to aske Good Master what shall I doe to be saved Matth. 19.22 Our Saviour to beat downe his courage sends him to the Law saying Keep the commandments He being prepared and hoping to be riveted into his course by the mouth of truth as men if they can get but halfe a word from a Preacher of comfort they are safe ever after answers All these have I kept from my youth Our Saviour not to establish any rule as Papists dream but to quash his selfe-love replies then thou hast need of an eleventh command to be doing with seeing thou hast kept the tenne Goe sell all and thou shalt have heaven what a pickle is hee in upon this Oh thought he this is yrkesome this is to beat me off quite surely if it bee thus I am wrong and have beene long defeated my wealth I am loath to foregoe and therefore he went away sorrowfull What is that Secretly vexing at his lot out of love with Christ sad and discontent fretting and distempered at the counsell Another example for the ground of all rests upon a fact may be their practice of whom we read Esay 58. who fasted and sought the Lord from selfe-love as appeares by the context that they might under pretence please and flatter themselves the more in their oppression and stoppe conscience from biting and stinging them Now when they perceived this was no way to speed and themselves would
effect Now till the one be severed from the other and the soule see cleerly what troubles it looke what is spoken is as water spilt upon the ground For what availes it to lay an outward plaister upon a soule sicknesse or to give spirituall counsell to a worldly sorrow and a carnall malady When the body is eased then the soul still remaines in her distemper and never complaines There is many one that being rid of shame poverty enemies bad husband or wife never complaine after Againe oftimes there is a true speciall disease and yet through the distemper of the spirits by melancholy 3. Unstablenesse c. the soule is not capable of counsell through unsettlednesse and ficklenesse which till physicke have removed the soule cannot apprehend or retaine counsell Againe some are so weake and feeble minded that they through long custome in their greefes cannot well tell how to beginne or proceed in the mentioning of their estate Others have confused legall terrors so that all is not well with them and yet they cannot directly say why Perhaps they have beene indirecty wrought upon by some afflictions upon them in their bodies children wife or name and this hath pinched them so farre that their consciences are toucht and give in some reason against them from their owne guilt and sin yet not in a kindely sort from the word convincing them and killing corruption or leaving them in case to heare of any remedy Others are distempered in spirit yet not from within but without the Divell mixing himselfe with their fancy and thoughts and so causing a distemper in the frame of their soules as by hideous temptations about the Godhead the Scriptures the Ordinances the Providence of God c. And sometimes by heating the fancy he disturbeth the will with base desires and the sensuall appetite with odious lusts when yet the soule of it selfe is no cause hereof in speciall Some are troubled for their corrupt natures Others for some peculiar corruptions or evills inward or outward Some are dâ—stempered about their Evangelicall disposition either about the condition of faith the truth of it the measure of it or the roote whence it commeth or else the worke of faith it selfe the long delay between the one and the other the holding under of their spirit by feares by the difficulty of beleeving by the hiddennesse of Gods decree by the freedome of the spirits working by the feare of death ere the promise bee received by casting the unlâ—keliâ—ood of ever beleeving or of casting out some lust that dogges them or of finall persevering Others are troubled about the truth of grace Others the measure Others the recovery of it after their revolts In such a multitude and variety of diseases had not he need to be one of a thousand who should discerne wisely the speciall case of a distempered spirit Especially when perhaps the spirit it selfe cannot cleerly judge of her own The applying of remedies hard And secondly when the malady is perceived yet the application of the remedy and the beating in of resolution and satisfaction is not so easie The cure of diabolicall temptation is contrary to the cure of our owne corruption He that should urge a poore soule to attend the one or to shake off the other suddenly might destroy it There are peculiar remedies according to the diseases one salve and counsell cannot heale all sores oftimes there is necessity of staying a man in an extremity who yet may not be comforted Againe the objections of an unsatisfied spirit are not easily answered although perhaps the remedy be knowne Want of experience or of tendernesse or as the case may be of courage and boldnesse or too much haste or delay in applying remedy or want of some speciall apt Scriptures to terrifie or such promises or examples as might specially comfort are out of minde and finally the Lord is not present with every counsell and so the cure waxes tedious the patient impatient the counsellor weary and discouraged So much for the Reasons Now I come to the Uses Vses And first I would beginne with one or two generall ones the one touching the dealing with naturall distempers The other touching the duty of inferiours when they are called to treate with their betters For Naamans distemper much what was a carnall moodinesse and rage And the servants who encountred it were inferiours yet prospered in their attempt because qualified for the purpose In the first respect let it be Instruction 1. Instruct 1. Branch Anger must be pacified with meekenesse 1 Pet. 2.23 Prov. 26.5 to all who have to deale with distempered passions that they requite not evill with evill Let the same minde be in us which was in our Lord Jesus of whom Saint Peter saith When he was reviled he reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously And the like hath beene the practice of all Gods Saints except in some cases we be compelled to answer a foole according to his foolishnesse lest he encrease in his pride and rage and so grow to implacablenesse Thus Ipta handled those proud Ephramites who would be answered with no reason Judg. 12.4 but shewed that they came with proud and disdainfull hearts to speake desperately in their wrath An exception When hee saw them more enraged with his equall answers he fell to blowes and cooled their courage with slaying two and forty thousand of them And the truth is none but dogged hearts and treacherous spirits will be incensed by softly speeches For the Lord hath appointed it as a quencher of the cause of wrath Pride and Selfe are the matter and cause of this distemper and that which kills these kills the effect Mildenesse and love will shame pride and put it to confusion and when an angry man sees his wrathfull face and sparkling eyes in a quiet glasse he is astonished and afraid of himselfe but if he see himselfe in another which is like himselfe he is enraged to try who shall shout furthest in the Divells bow None save a Iudas will be provoked with mildenesse And therefore it is just that such should be left to the fruit of their owne hands to reape as they sow But usually it is otherwise and so have the Saints practised Not onely such as have stood in feare of the angry as it stood Abigail upon to please David with faire words and with kinde presents 1 Sam. 25. because she saw him armed to make havoke but even such as had power to revenge themselves Thus Gedeon when he could have served those Ephramites as Ipta after did yet he chose rather to appease them by faire speech Alas saith hee Judg. 8.3 you shall not need to grudge me this victory for what is my strength and prowesse to yours And who knowes not Ephraim to be chiefe of the tenne tribes Or what is the whole vintage of Abiezer to the after
the vile that is the worke of his owne convincing spirit from the worke of their owne rebellious nature their discontent their fullennesse melancholy feares and other extremities that cleave unto them Also that he would shew them what hee hath done for them already that they may not provoke him by unthankefulnesse and what is yet to be done and at what especiall knots and objections they sticke what their chiefe barres and lets are which most hold them downe and if they cannot feele themselves rid of these confusions of spirit yet that the Lord would take away that wilfulnesse of stomacke that crossenesse that waywardnesse which makes their disease so ranckle in them and send them to seeke advice with a minde desirous to subject it selfe to God and to his ordinance and to mourne when it cannot being held in the chaines of it owne horrors or rebellion And secondly let them commend the enterprise in hand to God for successe that the Lord would bee pleased to dispose of the understanding of him that is to advise them that he may bee as from God unto them like Elihu that he may discerne of their complaints rectifie their errors meet with their corruption shew them their state and wants and comfort them at the heart as God allowes them That if they cannot at the first finde stay and support yet if they see but a little light at a crevis they may be glad of a little and not be dismaid that they may seeke still after counsell till the worke by degrees be perfected that they may not lay stumbling blocks in their owne way to fall by but hold the measure of light so farre as they are come waiting till God reveale the rest and not defiling their consciences the whiles Phil. 3.15 and so make the worke new to beginne Thirdly that the Minister of God may be wise as an Angell of God as well to find out apt and meete Scriptures to encounter the soule as the need thereof requireth either threats or promises or other sentences and when they see that these are urged not by the authority of a man but of God whom they only must look at in this case and not man that then their base hearts may no further kick cavill and gainesay and so put the Minister of God to a double toile not only to conflict with their reall distresse but also with their wilfull and accidentall sullennesse pride and rebellion Fourthly let them crave of God a wise utterance of their estate to the Minister of God or at least an inckling thereof that it may not be mistaken for a crooked rule being put into a mans hand will force him to make a wrong line though his skill be good enough to draw a right one Fifthly chuse thee out a faithfull interpreter one of a thousand for love lenity skill patience long suffering bowells of compassion and experience For such a mercury is not made of every blocke thou maist else light on miserable comforters Sixtly above all other things let such persons beware of any base motive or principle leading them to aske advice let them not affect any sinister respects nor aime at any base ends to bee noted for zeale to thinke themselves safe because they have taken counsell to choake and smother the accusations of conscience to make them bolder in sin to pretend and alledge the counsell and comfort of such a Minister to harden themselves against any just reproofes which after may bee urged upon them and the like base ends whereof the bouget of mans vile heart is fraught and full especially in this formall crafty age wherein every one will be Religious and Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light For by this meanes that uncleane spirit will returne with seven worse then himselfe and defile more dangerously But let thy aimes in this worke be honest simple and sincere to goe forward with God according to thy light cheerfully and humbly and so looke to prosper Secondly for the Minister of God let him be exhorted also first 2. Branch to Ministers 3. Things Abhorre error and prejudice 1. Error to cast out all bad principles perverting the spirit of counsell and crossing the gift of restoring the weake And these are first a prejudicate sowre heart enclined to sinister thoughts of the afflicted conceiving them according to carnall reason and not discerning the worke of Gods spirit in such This is no common grace to have a cleere spirit this way For the spirit that is in us lusts after envy We are all a kinne to old Eli who seeing poore Hanna sitting sad with her lippes moving and no voice thought her drunke But when he perceived her to bee a woman of a troubled spirit 1 Sam. 1.13.14 powring out her soule from a full heart to the Lord and understanding the cause he became a Prophet of God unto her for her satisfaction and comfort 2. Error 3. Error Beware therefore of a base heart of prejudice error misprision rashnesse And yet take heed also that love and pitty make us not too hasty in comfort Also ease unmercifulnesse unbeteamingnesse sullennesse uncharitablenesse wearinesse and loathnesse to be enlarged in our bowells as the Lord allowes us of which disease Ionah was sicke 4. Error Also waspishnesse suddennesse and hastinesse whereby as Physitians cutting off their patients in their complaints they are impatient to heare and so discourage them I confesse that the talkatives and vanity of many weake ones in their complaints who in stead of inclining their eare and hearing that their soules might live are swifter to jangle to neglect that which which is spoken then to marke and have never done with idle repetitions may sometimes cause a wise counsellor to chide and reprove them justly yet with tendernesse and meekenesse And the like I may say of those endlesse answers which many make when they are demanded how counsell hath prevailed and they rather bewray themselves worse and worse then better and better for though it be not in our power to settle the spirit sooner then the Lord please yet it behoves not any distressed soule so to nourish themselves in their lowring and distempers as to dismay the Minister but rather by wise concealement or desire of new satisfaction to draw his heart to pray for them more earnestly and waite more patiently till the spirit shall blow peace upon them The second duty Practise This preparation being made the next exhortation is that the Minister of God do first meekly then wisely speak to the heart of the afflicted For the first of these it is a duty much pressed and exemplified in Scripture I say a mercifull and loving heart of fellow feeling and tendernesse to the heavy Fot hereby the Minister of God conveieth the heart of the Lord Jesus into the soul of the afflicted of whom it is said He had learned compassion towards them by his owne sufferings Heb. 2.18 that so
such selfe-deniall or try us with hard duties we rather would hang downe the head with that young man and goe away sorrowfull So that he might say of us I have tried thee now and found that thy wealth thy liberty wife children are dearer to thee then my selfe I will trust thee no more Oh how should we tremble at this How should our base penurious scanty hearts even stinke in our nostrills and shame us Act. 3.3 when that creeple looked stedfastly upon Peter and Iohn all he gaped after was a penny or two of almes but they bestowed more then he desired and healed his lamenesse How thinke wee was hee astonished 1 King 3.15 And how was Salomon ravished when he had Gods answer Even so which of us brethren that belong to God can deny but that he hath given us more then ever we could aske or thinke But what have we done for him Have we found out singular things for him Deniall of our selves forgoing of our wills lusts pleasures for him Nay have we not taken our uttermost liberty in them A good wife husband child recovery out of sicknesse have deserved more from us then ever we rendred But what can we say when his Christ is yet unpaid for 1631. Now this deare yeare which of us makes it our season to doe great things for God We know that we doe for his members wee doe for him Where is the man who fellow-feeles this hard pinching yeare and these prises of corne and victualls If you of the poorer sort would doe great things for God even live by faith and set up the promise and alsufficiency of God above your hungry bellies and empty purses hee would doe great things for you But brethren let the sinnes of the poore goe looke we to our owne and amend them Be wee really pinched in the feare of God with their present miseries Say not with that churle shall I take my flesh and bread and give it these beggars 1 Sam. 25. No give a portion to six and to seven the necessity of the time craves some singular thing Common service stinkes in Gods nostrills in a season of speciall duty If now we come in with our common stuffe our sinne shall be as great as our denying them altogether at another time Oh! it were a great thing if we would even feele a pinch in our owne selves while this pinch lasts and abridge our diet our apparrell much more our feasts and excesse in an holy sympathy of their pinch and let our pinching and sparing from our selves become a reliefe of theirs and a bound to their refreshing Else wee shall pay full dearly for our basenes Sell a groat a test on yea two if need be cheaper then every churle Pinch your selves in your prises sell your corne eat your meat and put up gaines with lesse sweetnesse more pinching of sorrow then at other times If it were not Lord thou knowest for this pinching time I would not be so scanty to my selfe as I am but seeing I cannot abound my selfe Satan who seeks thy bloud can prevaile for more then Christ who shed his bloud for thee but I am prone to be scanty to others therefore I will chuse to scant my selfe that I may bee enlarged to others Let his good brethren be that singular thing wherein we declare our selves to God And if we do this in love and be sutable in other the like we shall have the reward of such as doe great things for God when as others doe little or nothing at all Remember Satan himselfe requires it and obtaines it at the hands of his servants So much for the ground of this second Argument Now I come to the inference upon it The which is The second branch of this Argument the application and urging of this truth upon their Master If thou wilt do such great things out of thy love to the Prophet then shew it by reall obeying his counsell q. d. else all thy shews are naught worth The point is True love and honour to a Prophet Doctrine True love and honour of Gods Prophets appears in our obeying them stands in obeying his voice We see in common experience if a man have a friend whom he seems to thinke highly of yet if that friend perceive that in any case of importance and weight his friend will sooner hearken to any stranger then to him and that he shall be of his court but others of his counsell What will he doe thinke himselfe regarded No he will conclude surely this man slights my counsell and followes his owne wayes whatsoever I say therefore for my part I leave him to them who can sway him more with their counsell then I can How much more then is it thus with the Minister If he see his people court him in their carriage complement with him in speech and curtesies but still abide the old men reforme nothing amisse goe on still in their course what shall he conclude Surely this I see this people loves me not for I can prevaile with them in nothing their owne waies they will take though I teare my tongue to the stumps therefore surely they love me little or not at all But let us see first some Reasons then some Scriptures to prove the point and so come to some use First they who love from the heart will obey from the heart because Reason 1 there is a reciprocall affection of people to Minister as well as of Minister to God and Christ Now the Minister out of a loyall heart of love to God and Christ doth as he is bidden God saith If thou love me feed my lambes and my sheep else pretend no love to colour thy sloth and negligence Even so should the Minister of God say to the people If you love me obey my counsell and do as I teach else colour not over your falshood with pretences As the Minister is to carry himselfe to God so are they under God to carry themselves to him It will bee smally to their comfort if all the obedience lye upon his shouldiers for although he hath saved his owne soule yet no thanke to them Ezek. 18. But when there is a reciprocation of affection with the fruit of obedience then shall neither grudge at other Both stand in equall obligation to obey if both performe it there is mutuall cause of joy and love but if one be faithfull to God and the other unfaithfull to him there will be unequall drawing in the yoake and great cause of complaint Secondly there is an holy judiciousnesse and wisdome in love compelling Reason 2 the people to consider that the Minister presseth that he doth upon them not as from himselfe but as from God it s nothing to him what they doe or doe not he is but a servant he is set over them for good and to give an account to God for them hee shall have his recompence for his worke
and his labour is with God if then for conscience he seekes their welfare and counts it his crowne if they obey Esay 49.4 its equall and righteous that they requite love for love duty for duty That they set his crowne upon his head by their faithfull obedience The businesse concernes themselves very sadly for the Minister preaches not comforts not exhorts not for his owne ends but for theirs If then he be for them and not himselfe shall they be able to answer it if they be not for their owne soules Alas what shall the discouragement they afford to the Minister hurt him Shall it not redound to them See Heb. 13.17 That were smally to their comfort He is from God and as in the stead of Christ doing his Embassage As Ieremy speakes to those rebells Chap. 44. Lo I am before you you may answer me as you will But know that he who sent me will not be so easily answered 2 Pet. 1.16 he will pay ye home for your rebellion If the Minister be bound to follow God and not cunning devises and fables of his own head and must give a strict account thereof to his Master Woe be to them that perceive not nor lay to heart What a solemne account will lye upon them if they dispise that message which he delivers upon such tearmes He hath saved his soule but thy bloud shall be upon thine owne head True love then is judicious see 2 Cor. 5.14 and as in all other things so in this she is loath to offer any measure to the Minister which she is loath God should offer herselfe Reason 3 Thirdly love is marveilous tender He then that loves his Minister is very sensible of that griefe and discontent which must needs smites his heart when he sees his labours slighted 1 Cor. 13. especially if he be a man wholly set to seek Gods ends in preaching A good heart will say I warrant you it stings the heart of him who teaches us soundly to behold in us slight acceptance Oh this will breed bad bloud This will load him with sorrow and he hath no whither to goe for ease but to him who set him on worke And the Lord will take his wrongs to heart and count them his owne and that will prove sad for us Oh! let us not provide so ill let us not cut downe the onely prop we stand on let us condole him in his heavinesse and remove the cause of it that so his heart being joyed may procure a good errand to heaven in our behalfe and bring downe a blessed answer from God unto us Reason 4 Fourthly love is given to esteem highly of that which it loves unites it and strengthens it selfe in the object delighted in she sets it up in her heart exceedingly and good cause why for love proceeds from some convinced amiablenesse and worth in the thing loved and that reflects backe honour and esteeme Now if it be so then love of a Minister will breed honour to him under God neither under his worth nor above it but sutable to it contrariwise if there be small or no love what will the answer be Tush what is he He is but a man as others yea and perhaps a weake one a man of passions and frailties So then marke A lovelesse heart despiseth a Minister shames him is as rottennesse to his bones thwarts the doctrine makes all that behold him in the mirror of such people to thinke they have a Minister of like disposition to themselves else for shame they would not be so base I conclude then true love will devise with her selfe what will grace and magnifie the Minister and his labours and finding that nothing will do it so much as the obeying of his voice they will force and compell themselves out of the meer nature of their love to obey him to the uttermost cost it them never so much the setting on as face answers face in water Proverb so doth the life of an hearer who loves his Minister answer his labours Love must needs destroy it selfe if it should disesteem her object therefore she honoureth that as she would support herselfe So much for Reasons This point first affords Terror to all basely minded men who live Vse 1 in the utter hatred and scorne of their Ministers thwarting Terror Two or three Branches vexing and crossing them to the uttermost in stead of obeying Such as Jer. 44.16 openly tell him The word of God which thou spakest unto us we will not heare it Such as live at open defiance with the Minister asking Shall this fellow reigne over us No Shall we be tyed to his girdle We scorne it Let us cast his cords from us Psal 2.12 What Lord shall controll us Our tongues our spirits and wayes are our owne Shall he teach us to marry to buy sell keep company use our liberties Shall he come among us to forestall our pleasures our wills and lusts They that live at open defiance with their Ministers are odious Cannot wee tell as well as he what is good for us He serves us and lives upon us and shall we maintaine our servant to be in our tops Oh base wretch He is thy servant for thy good but made so by God not a slave but a free honourable Minister of reconciliation not to serve thy humours but to controll them And as I said before then they will runne and ride and lay their purses together nay set on all the mastives of the Country against them to worry them out But oh wofull creatures Reproach of Ministers shame and spots of assemblies you need not to hunt them out Read but that in Mica 2.6.7 and there you shall finde God himself will doe it for you You say prophesie not But I say Ezek. 3.26 they shall not prophesie unto such lest they take shame I will not suffer their faces to be covered with such confusion as to be plagued with such I will rid them from among such and carry them to a people that love them As for these haters of them when as once their shepheards are gone I will come in among them and worry them that worried these And I will let in a flood upon them of woe when my Noa's are taken into mine Arke That which they sought for revenge of my Minister I will inflict as a revenge upon them and when they see themselves left to be consumed by those lusts of theirs which they scorned to be rooted out by him then they shall roare for very anguish some here under penury rags shame diseases and impenitency some in hell but then one houre of a faithfull Minister shall not be given them if they had the world to give for it Beware lest seeing the fearefull examples of vengeance in Scripture for contempt of the Minister besides daily experience of the sudden end of scorners and persecutors will not draw you from your trade God make you examples for
Nextly here is Terror and Reproofe for all that live under convincing Terror to all proud despisers of sincere Counsell sincere and faithfull counsell yea such as they cannot except against to proceed from unfaigned desire of their salvation conversion and repentance and yet still live in a stout and wilfull obstinacy and resolution to abide in their lusts and liberties without controll This is sure while men can pretend any sinister end in the Minister they thinke themselves to have buckler enough to beare off all blowes But even to you this I say that it shall not serve your turne to cast this blame upon your Minister for the power of the word ought more to convince you and scare you from your base courses then the Ministers insincerity to excuse you But when all this your plea is gone and cut off and you cannot deny but the evidence of the word goeth with the evidence of sincerity and you cannot for your eares deny but that your soules and selves have beene sought with the denying of our owne health gaine nay that you have had some Ministers who have robb'd themselves to teach you denyed many succours for your sake and been at their owne cost to study and preach unto you and yet the day is to come that one of many of you are wonne from your blindenesse Atheisme infidelity hollownesse pride worldlinesse or the like Oh what answer shall you make to the Lord when hee shall load you with this accusation Saul himselfe in a pang relented at Davids simplicity of heart in cutting off the lap when he might have cut his throat 1 Sam. 24.4 but such confession was yet never extorted from some of you I will not make all alike in this kinde God forbid But I wish all to looke about them Some are so cursed as those hearers of Christ who when he by the finger of God cast out Divells Matth. 12.31.32 yet enraged their hearts even against the very Spirit it selfe by which he wrought and preacht in an high degree whom he pronounced unpardonable It were enough to sin against any one doctrine promise or threat or command of the Spirit as thousands doe daily and many of you before me have done Speak before the Lord and answer for your selves what one sound reproofe what truth of Gods Spirit either of Law or Gospel hath pierced many here for their dead hearing tyring out the hearts of Gods Ministers for their drunkennesse uncleannesse base tongues lying and the like But some there are who have set themselves against the Spirit it selfe of truth and sincerity in the Preacher Witnesse this That the more faithfull he is the more they have raged against him and rebelled nay some have studied how to make the sincerity of the Preacher his snare entrapping him in those speeches wherein perhaps not with so much caution yet with as great sincerity as is possible for sinfull flesh he hath expressed himselfe for their good And if not so yet they wilfully have slept and lived in security under it As Nicodemus told Christ Joh. 3.2 that the Pharisees his fellowes knew him to be from God in their conscience but yet smothered their light Oh fearfull sinne How dare any of you provoke the wrath of God thus to smoke against you I remember that example of them who came to Christ and practised this treachery Matth. 16.22 Mark 11.31 Master say they we know thee to be from God and teachest the word sincerely not caring for the person of any Tell us then Is it lawfull to give tribute to Cesar or no As if they should say Thou preachest sincerely therefore wee come to cut thy throat with thine owne words Worse then Herod in this kinde who murthered Iohn halfe against his will Matth. 14.2 and afterward feared that he was risen and could have no peace because he had slaine so sincere a witnesse of God but these would shed the bloud of such and no whit blanke but thinke they doe God good service But say that all are not so vile Joh. 16.2 yet how many of us are there who being guilty in our owne conscience of our sinnes and of the sincerity of the reprover yet hold their owne and will not come in will not discerne a gift of God above any thing which man can reach unto but resist it Partly by their slightnesse partly that they are so full of their owne matters contentions with others covetous courses politicke principles and self-delusions with pride of heart stoutnesse and disdaine techinesse and reliques of some old bitter roote which is bred in the bone or such like evills and the love of them will not be drawne by any sincerity of the Minister to forsake these wayes which long custome hath hardned them in but rather become more pathed in their sinnes by much beâ—ting upon To whom I say will you never bethinke you Will it not be bitternesse in the end What will you deferre all till death And then as others have done cry out for the Minister and empty out your whole heart The misery of contemners and say Oh Sir I knew of a long time that you spoke unto me from God but what for one cause and what for another I contemned the love and compassion wherewith you spake dallyed with God and sinned against my owne soule and that tender honesty of your reproofes and admonitions Oh you have been patient long and borne with my frowardnesse Prov. 1.26 But now if I live I hope I shal see your affection honour your Ministery humble my selfe under your terrors beleeve the promises reforme my wayes Oh doe you delay till now But who can tell whether God will not leave you at such a time to the former hardnesse of your heart Or if not yet whether your humiliation will prove sincere or false as being on the racke Whether God will take you away in your dallyings or no ere that day It is not safe venturing But most wise and safe to yeeld to the sincerity of good counsell while it is given ere it be too late This know that wheresoever God hath a sincere Minister he shall never goe without honour although it be in the destruction and finall conviction of the gainsayers Take heed you be none of them whom this guilt ceazes upon Vse 6 Sixtly this is Instruction and that in two kindes The former this To judge by this rule 1. Brâ—nch Instâ—uction Gods counsells are most sincere Rom. 15.3 Rom. 5.7 what great reason God hath to presse us to obey all his offers counsels exhortations promises To be sure although we should say all men are lyars and seeke themselves yet the Lord is sincere faithfull he cannot seeke his owne ends to our hurt Hee cannot bee benefited by us his are the sheep upon a thousand mountaines Psal 50.10 he needs not our wealth but goodnesse reaches not to him Psal 16.2 Who hath given to him first
beleeving of his promises Fourthly the Lord doth thus for the continuall strengthening of his Reason 4 poore servants in better and closer clasping to his promises For the strengthning of his servants 2 Tim. 1.12 and that by daily experience growing in the soule hereby it might come to this pitch to say I know in whose lappe or bosome I have put my pledge I know in whom I have beleeved I goe not upon had I wist but upon undeceivable grounds Thus as the wicked through unbeleefe withdraw themselves more and more to perdition so the faithfull follow faith to the preserving of the soule Heb. 10.38 they grow more and more rooted therein by such triall of faith they grow from faith to faith Rom. 1.17 Eph. 3.16.17 Matth. 11.29 rooted and established and not easily puft off by every winde of error feare temptation they grow from beleeving one to beleeve more from generall promises to speciall from spirituall to temporall from promises in peace to promises in and under crosses darke ones deep ones long ones so that no estate service occasion triall waxes strange to them but familiar and at last the yoke of God waxes easie and his burthen light Fifthly because the Lords performances or purposes at least to Reason 5 performe are the causes in a sort of his promises It s not so with men Because his promises come from purpose of doing good They promise apace but their spirit being backward in love and entire wel-wishing to the good of others come short of their owne promises Now the Lord in his intention or purpose to doe good to his Church and People doth thereby draw his heart to make promises that so the good things which he wisheth them may be presented to them before hand they may know that in meer faithfulnes he binds himself to them not to strengthen himselfe but their weaknesse rather in beleeving Now because the Lord out of an Idea and foresight of his owne free grace purposing to doe good to his doth breake into promises thence it is that promises are easie to performe with him Men are rashly drawne either by their owne suddaine pangs or by others motion to make promises not knowing their owne spirits and scantlings of affection and so in coole bloud they undoe that which in hot they made But because Gods purposes strong and firme caused him to promise therefore the same Spirit moves him also to performe Againe though men meane well in promising yet inability oftentimes causes them to breake against their wills whereas in God purpose of love and power of hand to performe are alway equall so that nothing can come between barke and tree nothing can set his promises and performances together by the eares Let the reader looke back into the point of Faith where I have mentioned abundance of excellent Attributes in God every of which are objects of Faith and means to strengthen it and especially his faithfulnesse Reason 6 Sixtly and lastly the Lord sometimes performes his promises rather with the better then otherwise Because he lookes not at us but his owne bounty because he promiseth not according to what the narrow necke or vessell of the soule is capable of but what his bountifull heart can beteame it Promises would prove but barren and bare matters if so be our bucket could reach their bottome But since the Lord promises according to the extent of his owne bounty therefore he performes so also whether the soule conceive so or not What heart can conceive the unspeakable good things prepared by God for such as love him Eye hath not seene eare hath not heard nor hath it entred into mans heart to contain them 1 Cor. 2.9 yet all these are inclosed in the promise and though the soule at first obtaining of pardon see not what God includes in it to be in time accomplished but is glad of a present supply of her need yet the Lord who gives his Christ the knot of promises all at once is content to keepe touch with the soule and in due time to reach her out all sorts of them according as her need calls for in duties in wants in temptation in conflict with her lusts 1 Cor. 1.30 or in affliction Then he makes Christ Righteousnesse to be Christ Wisdome Sanctification and Redemption The lesse the soule looked for it the welcommer it is when it comes It s not so with base men If the party promised unto conceive not the extent of the promiser the promiser thinkes he hath quit himselfe well in concurring with the expectation of the other although he shorten his owne intents But this base falshood of restraint is farre off from God and therefore he performes that which often is unexpected as well as what is And so much shall serve for Reasons Now to the Limitations Limitations of the point And they are sundry These three following may give a taste of the rest which because they availe much for the due qualifying of the Doctrine therefore I will mention them and the proper uses flowing from them and so proceed to the other uses belonging to the Doctrine The first limitation is That God though he alway performe his promise yet not alway in that very kinde which the soule perhaps seekes and claimes The soule lookes at one kinde the Lord lookes at another It is enough with him God performs promises alway yet not in that very kinde which the soule expects And why that he alway keeps touch in one kinde or other though he doe not fulfill it as the soule would And good reason since the scope of fulfilling a promise being the speciall good of the soule that beleeves it and the Lord himselfe being fitter to judge of that then the soule it selfe can Therefore it is meet that we leave it to him in what kinde he will heare and performe We in the meane time cannot be losers because the Lord doth not neglect to heare us in our kinde for lacke of love but through â—bundance of wisedome If wee can beleeve that the kinde which hee answeres us bee questionlesse best for the present condition in which the soule stands then may shee bee as well satisfied in Gods way as her owne For example There is a promise Psal 50.15 that if wee call upon God in the day of affliction he will heare us and we shall praise him Upon this the soule under any yoke of body or minde sues to God upon his promise to ease that yoke that she may praise him But the Lord being wiser then she holds on the yoke still howbeit he doth it not as forgetfull of his promise but because he sees there be other graces to be set on worke in the poore soule as breaking of heart patience further faith selfe-deniall which would not worke kindly if the yoke were off If he meant onely to exercise thankfulnesse in the soule he would deliver it but he judgeth the other
a new body of people not defiled with this scurffe and live among them Ezek. 9. rather then to take these Coleworts of ours to feede upon aad this refuse remnant and scraps of that royall feast which we were wont to make him whiles the savour of his grace continued among us Large I might be in urging particulars but by the Paw judge of the Lion and let this shaâ—p reproofe in Gods feare warne so many of us as in whom every sparke of old spirit is not extinct to looke about us 1 Thes 5.25 that we nourish this marke of Grace in us and quench it not And so I goe on to speake of that Use of Admonition And Use 4 first to warn all in whose hearts any spark of this Spirit of Grace Branch 1 and Zeale to Gods truth hath beene bred Admonit Admonition to the people of God to nourish the spirit of first conversion in themselves that they nourish and nurse it in themselves continually That they waxe not confident in their first beginnings because their edge was quick at the first as if they were past danger or as if this grace would grow up in them without their owne industry and watchfulnesse Alas poore soules you have but saluted Religion with the upper lip Tender spirits and keene edges may be soone damped and dulled you have a great journey to goe a world of worke to doe a wofull heart of secret poyson still to subdue which will not easily yeeld it is not your affections which will beare you out against a sad body of death and a nature of old Adam many crosses feares bad examples and errours of the wicked abide you and early or late will shake your frame and try what metall you are made of Doe not prophecy to your selves a shot-free ease and to walke without feare of bullets and darts in this world The Devill seemes to be sad that he hath lost you but of all other people he watcheth you a mischiefe and would bee gladdest if he could pay you home you are his objects of fury and set in the forefront of his battery if the dint light upon any it is likest to seise first upon you And thousands who have given as great hope of as sound and close a spirit to God and have opposed sinne base formall courses as much as you have yet revolted to Satan and he hath laid seven times as many irons upon them as at first to secure himselfe from a second escape Tremble to thinke of it Matth. 12.45 Seeke to improve this first Grace of yours this zeale and affection to the Gospel and against all enemies of sincerity with a wise steddy and full resolutenesse of heart to undergoe any brunts pursuits discouragements offences by false Hypocrites or other affronts which may come in the way It is not possible but this Age affecting nothing more then a contrariety to power of good and upright walking with God must needs put you to it daily and try you throughly with the infinite many trials which it hath devised to ferret out the good from themselves that they and their hypocrisie might predominate and all soundnesse be abandoned Lie not therefore as two irons on both sides the loadstone let not your soules play booty with God in this weighty businesse stagger not be not now haled by the false flatteries of this painted harlot or scared by the terrours and threats of a frowning tyrant for the world is both but seeke to be insensible of her If she finde that love of Gods truth wanzeth in thee and thou coudst beteame to be at more ease and elbow-roome in the world or that thou fearest trouble or beginst to strew and garnish thy false heart with any other lust she hath enough she is sure of thee Rather set before thine eyes the wofull end of all decliners All that come rolling down the hill faster then they ever got up Caveats against a declining course in sundry particulars They shatter themselves and breake their bones without hope of setting againe their end is commonly worse then their beginning Loath each step of a base heart going this way and allaying this spirit with her owne mixtures If first heate chill it will die a thousand to one if that which should inflame all the whole course be it selfe cold how great is that coldnesse Discerne it in the first approach whether it be by casting on cold water or not laying on more fuell If the love of the world pleasures merry company a loose heart tickle thee of if thou grow scanter in meanes as in prayer hearing meditation or fasting lesse watchfull and timorous suspect thy selfe betimes Stumble Stumble not at the infirmities of the religious but cover and interpret them mercifully take no occasions of offence nourish every thing which might breed in thee a better opinion of holinesse and entertaine no suspitions against it let not her fare the worse for the errours of them that professe no nor for the revolts of time-servers Harbor not in thy spirit any secret distemper of pride selfe-love selfe-conceit fullennesse frowardnesse carnall wisdome earthly mindednesse These will creepe in and tickle as a Viper under colour of some lawfulnesse or other but they will eate out the very bowels and heart-heate of the spirit of grace Nibble at none of the Devils baits Behold not too wisely the errour of the wicked and the streame of evill without feare or checke lest this cause the love of many to waxe cold Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 Daily ply the meanes and lay on fewell arme thy selfe by prayer against the course of decliners as David did Ps 101.3 Pal. 101.3 Nourish humility and simplicity of spirit next to faith above all Inure thy selfe to deny much for God that so he may grow dearer to thee and thou to him Spend not nor waste thy zeale needlessely and rashly upon objects of lesser weight but reserve thy selfe till a better warrant and call a stronger and more weighty object to pull thee forth lest thou faile in the hottest of the attempt as those mostly doe whose zeale is unballanced Be not wedded to thy selfe for the spirit of grace doth not so well befit him who abounds in his owne sense Compare Num. 23. with Exod. 32.19 Moses was a man who in his own matters was very meek and calm and therfore his zeale in breaking the Tables and indignation against that Idolatry became him the better Esteeme and value each sinne by the nature of it not the cry or outside of it The losse of thy spirit perhaps seemes not so hideous to thee as some open sinne which thou seest in others as to oppresse or be drunke but it is worse not onely because it is the seed of thee but because although thou shouldest never breake out so farre yet it is the decay of thy frame and temper of goodnesse A burning Ague is not so dangerous as a