of the excellency of spirituall things then spirituall practice will follow And undoubtedly the reason of the prophane conversation of the world it comes from hidden atheisme that men make no better choyce than they do that they draw not neare to God let them say what they will it proceeds from hence I prove it thus when men are convinced of good things they will do good for conviction is the ground of practise and when men do not take good courses it is because they are not convinced of the best things Therefore men that sweare and blaspheme that are carnall bruit persons at that time Atheisme rules in their hearts that they beleeve not these things in the book of God to be true Can the swearer beleeve that God will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his name in vaine that a curse shall follow the swearer and the whoremonger that whoremongers and adulterers God will judge and so the covetous and extortioners they that raise themselves by ill means shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven can men beleeve this and live in the practise of these sinnes if they did beleeve these things indeed as the word of God sets them downe if they did beleeve that sin were so bitter and so soule a thing as the word of God makes it certainly they would not therefore it comes from a hidden Atheisme Indeed there is a bundle of Atheisme and infidelity in the heart of man and we cannot bewaile it too much In the best there are some remainders of it as this holy man so foolish was I and as a beast before thee when he thought of his doubting of Gods providence Therefore considering that the cause of all ill practise is that we are not spiritually convinced of the contrary that sinne is a naughty and bitter thing nor are wee sufficiently convinced of the best things let us labour more and more to be soundly convinced of these things Now nothing will do this but the holy Ghost as yee have it Iohn 16. Christ promiseth to send the Comforter the holy Ghost and he shall convince the world of sinne that is hee shall so set sin before the eyes of mens soules that they shall know there is no salvation but in Christ hee shall convince them of unbeliefe that horrible sinne they shall have it presented so to them that they shall beleeve presently upon it This the holy Ghost must do But the holy Ghost doth it in the use of meanes therefore it must be our wisdome to heare and pray and meditate much that God would vouchsafe his spirit to perswade us to convince our understanding to convince us of all our false reasonings against good things that there may not a vile imagination rise in our hearts contrary to divine principles It is good to draw neare to God therefore it is good to come to the Sacrament which is one way of drawing neare to God Let us be so convinced of it that it is not only a necessary but a comfortable and sweet duty to have communion with God for will we suffer for Christ if wee will not feast with him What shall wee say of those therefore that are so farre from drawing neare to God when they have these opportunities that they turne their backs They cleane thwart this blessed man here he saith It is good for me to draw neare to God nay say they it is good for mee to have nothing to do with God nor Christ no not when he comes to allure mee Now hee is come neare us indeed that wee might come neare him because wee were strangers to God and could not draw neare to him simply considered God became man Emmanuel God with us that he might bring us to God Christ is that Iacobs ladder that knits heaven and earth together Christ God and man knits God and man together this was the end of his incarnation and of his death to make our peace to bring those neare that were strangers nay enemies before and of our part and portion in the benefit of his death we are assured in the Sacrament Therfore let us draw neare to our comfort with chearefulnesse for his goodnesse that we have these opportunities Let us draw neare to God to have our faith strengthned and our commuion with him increased Only let us labour to come with cleane hearts God will be sanctified in all that come neare him Let us know that we have to deale with a holy God and with holy things and therefore cast aside a purpose of living in sinne let us not come with defiled hearts for then though the things be holy in themselves they are defiled to us let us come with a resolution to renew our covenant and come with rejoycing that God stoups so low to use these poore helps that in themselves are weak yet by his blessing they are able greatly to strengthen our Faith FINIS KING DAVIDS EPITAPH OR An Epitome of the life and death of King DAVID In three Sermons By The late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Master of Katherine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at Grays-Inne Luke 1.74 75. That we being delivered from our enemies might serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives 2 Sam. 14.14 For we must needs die and are as water spilt upon the ground LONDON Printed by E. P for Nicholas Bourne and Rapha Harford KING DAVIDS EPITAPH Acts 13.36 For David after in his owne Generation he had served the Counsell or will of God he fell asleep and was laid to his Fathers and saw corruption THe words are part of a Sermon of blessed Saint Paul wherein he proves out of the old Testament Psal. 16. that David prophesied of Christ and not of himselfe David saw corruption but hee of whom David spake saw no Corruption therefore David was not the Messias He shewes that the things there spoken do no way agree to David but to the Messias who saw no corruption For David after hee had served his owne Generation fell asleep and saw corruption In generall observe this One of the best wayes to understand the Scriptures is to compare the old Testament and the new together That which was spoken and fore-told of Christ in the old Testament and fulfilled in the New that must needs bee true Christ is the true Messias why It was fore-told so of him in the old Testament and accomplished in the new therefore Christ is the true Messias comparing the prophesie and the event together For the old and new Testament make up but this syllogisme He that should be so and so as was prophesied Born of a Virgin that should come at such a time in the later end of Daniels weeks c. he is the true Messias But Christ was such a one hee was borne of a Virgin came at such a time he saw no corruption for hee rose the third day therefore Christ
leave it shortly here he found it and here he must leave it in spight of his heart ere long and all is but vanity in the censure of him that knew all things the best of any man even Salomon that had gone thorow the variety of all things And oft times they misse of that they labour for They doe not rest that they get in hunting they hunt after preferment and after riches but oft times they doe not enjoy them and if they doe they get the curse of God with them and ere long they are stripped of all but here is that that may strengthen our indeavours The Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it it is not an indeavour that is lost Then againe this shewes that the state of true Christians is different from the state of persons that are carried to good things but not violently The violent take it he surprizeth the city at the last he laies his siege and will not remoove till death he will not give over till he have it he will have it or he will dye in the businesse and so at last he obtaines his desire The sluggish carelesse man he goes a little way As Agrippa said to Paul he was almost perswaded to be a Christian so it is with such men in some things they will be Christians but there they are at a stand they will go no farther and so all they have done is to no purpose The sluggard desireth and wisheth but his soule hath nothing A sluggish cold lazie Christian he looseth all his paines If a man be to goe ten miles and goe but nine and there sit downe he shall never come to his journies end If a man will give but 7 or 8. shillings for that which is worth 10. he shall goe without it Grace and Glory are set at this price there is required such strength of labour and indeavour and violence therefore without this a man shall never attaine it unlesse he stretch himselfe to such a pitch He shall never come to the end of his Faith the salvation of his soule to the high calling of God in Christ Iesus The sluggard wisheth and gets nothing the reason is because he is a sluggard because he will not strive but the striver gets the fort and hath all in it and is a man made for ever The sluggard thinkes himselfe wiser then many men that can give a reason The sluggish discreete Christian I warrant you he hath reasons for what he doth It is not good to be too earnest it will incurre the disfavour of such a man or such a man J shall bee accounted so and so for my paines But a wise man he seeth the excellency of the things and he knowes that his courses and his conscience will justifie him at the last and therefore he goes on what ever comes of it God is not so weary of these precious things these precious jewels of grace and glory as to force them upon us Is the Kingdome of Heaven such a sleight thing that it should be obtruded to us whether we will or no Shall we thinke to have it when our hearts tell us wee esteeme other things betâ—er No there are none ever come to Heaven but their hearts are wrought to such an admiration of grace and glory that they undervalue all things to it therefore there is no hope for any to obtaine it but he that takes it by violence We see Moses esteemed the basest thing in the Church better then the greatest excellencies in the world that men are so violent after he esteemed the very afflictions of Gods people better then the treasures and pleasures of sinne for a season nay then the pleasures of a Court. When men shall esteeme the base things of the world above all the treasures of Heaven above the state of Christianity they have no hope of comming there they may pretend God is mercifull and Christ dyed c. I but whosoever he brings to salvation he workes such a sence of misery in them and such an apprehension of grace and of the meanes of grace that there is an undervaluing of all other things God will not bring them to Heaven that shall not glorifie him when they come there and how shall they glorifie him here or there when they value the world and these base things that they must leave behind them more then the things of Heaven This is the reason that few are saved because they content themselves with easie dull and drowsie performances and never consider with what proportion they are carried to things when they had rather loose the advantage of that which will bring everlasting good to their soules then loose the petty commodities of this world and yet think themselves good Christians what a delusion is this It is the violent only that are successefull they take it by force I but what if the opposition grow more and more Then the grace of God and courage will grow and increase more and more As Luther said well the more violent the adversaries were the more free and bold was he So the more the enemies rage the more the spirit of grace growes in Gods people it inceraseth by opposition As Noahs Arke the higher the waters were the nearer still it was carried to Heaven So we are nearer to God and nearer to the Kingdome of Heaven the more opposition swells and rages True courage growes with opposition As the Palme-tree riseth up against the burden that presseth it downe so the divine spirit being a heavenly thing and all opposition below of the Divell and divellish minded men being but earthly what are they to the divine Spirit which sets us on and encourageth us They cannot quell it but the Spirit growes more and more in opposition The Apostles they ran all from Christ when he was to be crucified they had but a little measure of the Spirit but when the Holy Ghost was shed more plentifully on them they beganne to stand couragiously for the cause of Christ when there was more opposition the Spirit grew more and more till they sealed the Truth with their blood Therefore though opposition of enemies and their fury and rage grow let us know whose cause we mannage and with what assurance of successe the violent at length shall take it by force Let us meditate upon this that successe is tyed to violence therefore when you pray to God if he seeme to deny your request offer violence wrastle with him let him not goe without a blessing when he seemes to be an enemy as sometimes he doth to try our strength we must use an holy violence when we are dull and not fit to pray nor fit for holy things Let us stirre up the Spirit of God in us and labour to get our of that estate let us use violence and violence will overcome at the last A man that hath the Spirit of
a cover for our sinnefull courses after as if God were beholding to us for what we doe now and therefore mighâ— the better beare with us though we make bold with him hereafter he not onely heares what we say but sees our mindes and purposes nay hee knowes our thoughts long before they are This is the cause why godly men have alway walked so carefully and circumspectly they knew that Gods eye and eare was over them as of Enoch and Noah it is said in this regard that they walked with God and Ioseph when hee was tempted Shall I doe this saith he and sinne against God and shall not God see if I doe this Doth not hee see my waies and count all my steps saith Iob. So againe What makes wicked men so loose The Prophet tells Psal 94.7 they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Iacob regard it Or as it is Iob. 22.12 c. Is not God in the height of Heaven How doth God know can he judge through the darke cloud thicke cloudes are a covering to him that hee sees not and hee walketh in the circuit of the Heavens Tush he regardeth not he is immured and shut up there but to such Atheists wee see what the Prophet answers Psal. 64.8 c. Yee brutish foolish people shall he that makes others heare not heare himselfe he that planted the eare he that is all eare shall not hee heare As it makes good men walke holily and reverently to consider of this that God is present and present as an observer and a judge so the want of taking this to heart makes wicked and carnall persons doe as they doe So much briefly for these wordes I hearkned and heard No man spake aright But what evidence doth he give upon this inquisition they spake not aright which is amplified from the generality of this sinne No man spake aright the meaning is especially that they spake not aright concerning the judgements of God threatned when God had threatned judgements he hearkened and heard what use they made of them but they spake not aright In how many respects doe wee not speake aright in regard of the judgements of God First in regard of God men speake not aright when they do not see him in the judgement but looke to the creature to the second causes as now in the time of the plague to looke to the ayre and weather and this and that which is a good providence and to forget him that is the chiefe to kill doggs and cats and to let sinne alone to cry out oh what ayre there is this yeere and what weather it is to talke of the second causes altogether and to forget God this is to talke amisse of Gods judgements threatned in regard of God Againe we talke amisse in regard of others when we begin to flight them in our thoughts and speeches oh they were carelesse people they adventured into company and it was the carelessenesse of the Magistrates they were not well looked to they were unmercifull persons c. Is it not Gods hand put case there might be some oversight art thou secure from Gods arrow he that strooke them may he not strike thee this is to talke amisse of the judgement of God in regard of others when wee thinke that God hath singled them out as sinners above the rest as the Disciples thought of the Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their sacrifice No no saith hee thinke not they were greater sinners then the rest do not adde your bitter censure of the judgement of God on them and make it heavier there is a woe to such persons as adde afflictions to the afflicted except yee repent yee shall all likewise perish Is not the ripest corne cut first God oft times takes those away that are fittest for him and leaves others to the cruelty of men therefore by this rash judgement there may be great wrong to men and to wrong men in our censures it is to talke amisse of Gods judgements in regard of others Againe we talke amisse of Gods judgements in regard of our selves when wee murmur and fret any way against God and doe not submit our selves under his mighty hand as wee should Againe we sinne against the judgements of God abroad when we take liberty to inquire of the judgâ—ments of God abroad and never make use of them as now to be asking what number die of the plague weekely and our hearts tremble not at it wee lift not up our hearts to God God be mercâ—full to us Lord forgive our sinnes what will become of us we had need to make our accounts even this is to talke amisse of Gods judgements It is a veyne that men have naturally to enquire after newes of all sorts be it the sharpest and bitterest that may be though it be the destruction and ruine and death of other men whatsoever it be they desire to heare it if newes in the meane time there is no care to make use of it which is directly that for which these men here are said to have talked amisse No man spake aright Why no man repented him of his wickednesse c. as we shall see afterwards Wee should talke of the judgements of God to be bettered by them we should learne righteousnesse when the judgements of God are abroad and the arrowes that wound others we should make warning arrowes to our selves now when we trifelingly only inquire of these things and are not mooved our selves we talke amisse of Gods judgements Let us labour to talke of the judgements of God when they are abroad as we should Jn regard of God to raise our hearts above all second causes to see him in it Jt is the hand of God as the Scripture calls the plague whatsoever the second causes are whether it be the ayre and the divell mingling himselfe oft times to corrupt the ayre all is by Gods permission and providence We should looke to the first wheele that leades the rest and sets them going wee should see God in all and therefore speake reverently of him And in regard of our bretheren to speake charitably of them and thinke it is the goodnesse of God that hee hath not stricken us as hee hath them And when we speake of our selves when the judgements of God are on us let us humble our selves and justifie God wee may complaine but it must be of our selves and of our sinnes that have brought judgements upon us of our want of making use of the judgement of God upon others or upon our selves lesser judgements would not serve turne therefore God is faine to follow us with greater let us alway justifie God and complaine of our selves and then in regard of our selves we speake aright of the judgements of God Let us never speake of the judgements of God but with affections fit for judgements with awefull affections Shall the Lyon roare
and shall not the beasts of the forrest tremble Shall wee heare God roare in his judgements and heare the trumpet blowne and not be affected wee see here how God complaines that when he harkened and heard they spake not aright Let us therefore make conscience of all our words Wee shall if not now yet at the day of judgement give account for every idle word for every cruell word as it is in the prophesie of Enoch cited in the Epistle of Iude But especially let us take heed of our words when wee speake of Gods judgements for it is the not speaking aright of them that is here especially meant I hearkened and heard but they spake not aright So much for the evidence come wee now to the next clause Gods complaint upon this evidence No man repented him of his wickednesse They did not repent of their wickednesse and the fault was generall No man repented the first yeelds this instruction That it is a state much offending God not to repent when his judgements are threatned God will not suffer it long unpunished to be impenitent when his judgements are abroad and threatned much more when they have already ceazed upon our brethren For that is the end of all his judgements to draw us neare to him to draw us out of the world and out of our sinnefull courses when therefore we answer not God must take another course What is the plague and other judgements but so many messengers sent to every one of us to knocke and our answer must be Lord I will repent of my evill waies I will turne from my evill courses and turne to thee If wee give this answer God will take away his judgements or sanctifie them and that is better but when there is no answer the messenger will not be gone God will adde plagues upon plagues till we give our answer till wee repent and turne from our wicked vvaies Novv that vve may doe this vvee must bee convinced thorovvly that the courses vvee live in are unprofitable dangerous hatefull courses and that the contrary state is better For repentance is an after-vvit and man being a reasonable creature will turne from his vvay except hee see great reason vvhy therefore there must be sound conviction that it is a bitter thing to offend God vvee must indeed be convinced by the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God usually takes the benefit of affliction affliction together vvith instruction instruction without affliction will doe little good stripes and the Word must go together else we will not give God the hearing as we should Therfore that we may be soundly convinced of our sins we should desire God especially in the houre of affliction to helpe our soules by his Spirit that wee may bee convinced that our courses are naâ—ght that they are courses dishonourable to God and dangerous to our selves that sinne defiles our soules that it hinders our communion with God which is the sweetest thing in the world that sin puts a sting into all our troubles that sin makes us affraid of that that should bee comfortable to us of death and judgement and Gods presence that sinne grieves the good Spirit of God that would take up his lodging in us that it quencheth the motions of the Spirit that are sent as sweete messengers to us to allure and comfort us that sinne grieves the good Spirit of God in others that it grieves the good Angells that are about us that it gratifies none but the Divell the enemy of our salvation that it defiles and slaines our soules wherein the Image of God should shine that it doth us more harme then all the things in the world besides indeed nothing hurts us but sinne because nothing but sinne seperates us from God that it shuts Heaven and opens Hell and so makes us affraid of death least death should open the gate to let us into Hell in a word that it hinders all good and is the cause of all ill Let us consider of this and worke it on our hearts And consider withall our former courses rip up our lives from our child-hood consider the sinnes of our youth together with our present sins that so we may the better stirre up and awaken our consciences Let us consider whether we are now in a state wherein wee could bee content that God should send his judgements upon us Consider how wee have been scandalous to others how we have drawn others to sinne that the guilt of other mens sinnes will lye upon us it may bee wee have repented but have they Consider the repetition of our sinnes if wee have not committed them againe and againe and other circumstances that may aggravate them Let us labour to worke these things on our hearts and desire the Spirit of God to convince our soules of the foulenesse and dangerousnesse of sinne When we sinne against conscience what doe we but set the Divell in the place of God wee make our selves wiser then God wee leave Gods waies as if wee could finde better and more profitable and more gainefull courses then his sound conviction of this will moove us to repentance And let us be stirred up to repent presently doth not God now warne you Is it not dangerous living one houre in a state that wee would not dye in May not God justly strike us on the sudden Doe but purpose to live in sinne one quarter of an houre may we not be taken away in that quarter Is not repentance the gift of God and are not gifts given according to the good pleasure of the giver Waite therefore for the gales of grace and take them when they are offered Grace is not like the tide that ebbs and flowes that we know when it will come againe when we see it goe No God gives the gales of grace according to his good pleasure therefore take the advantage of the present motions of the blessed Spirit The longer we live in any sinne unrepented off the more our hearts will be hardened the more Satan takes advantage against us the more hardly he is driven out of his old possession the more just it may bee with God to give us up from one sinne to another the understanding will be more darke upon every repetition of sinne and conscience will bee more dulled and deaded Those that are young therefore let them take the advantage of the youth and strength and freshnesse of their yeares to serve God That which is blasted in the bud what fruit may we looke for from it afterward Alas when wee see the younger sort given to blaspheme and sweare to loosenesse and licentiousnesse what old age may we looke for there Againe what welcome shall wee expect when we have sacrificed the best of our strength and the marrow of our yeares to our lusts to bring our old-age to God Can this be any other then selfe-love Such late repentance is seldome sound it
comes I say from selfe-love and not from any change of heart As in the the humility of wretched persons a little before the judge comes though they haue carried themselves as rebels before yet then they will humble themselves not out of any hatred to their courses but out of feare of the judge So it may be now thou art arraigned by Gods judgements thou forsakest thy sinnefull courses not out of the hatred of thy sinnes for if thou couldest thou wouldest sinne eternally and that is the reason sinners are punished eternally Because they would sinne everlastingly but thou seest thou art in danger to be pulled away by Gods judgements It is not out of love to grace it is not from any change of nature that thou desirest to be a new creature that thou admirest grace to be the best state but it is to avoid danger not that thou carest for the face of God to be reconciled to him but to avoid the present judgement And what a staggering will this be to conscience when a man shall deferre his repentance till Gods judgements seaze upon him We see it is false for the most part Because such persons that are then humbled when they recover they are as bad or worse then ever they were Therfore an Ancient saith well He that is good onely under the crosse it never good it comes not from any change that God works but meerely from selfe-love Therefore presently let us repent of those waies that God convinceth our conscience to be evill wayes God may strike us suddenly Those that forget God and care not for him now it may be just with God to make them forget themselves to strike them with frenzy to take away the use of their memories then and when sickenesse comes wee shall have enough to doe to conflict with sicknesse we shall have enough to doe to answer the doubts of conscience Oh it would upbraid then We shall thinke it a hard matter then to have favour from God whose worship we have despised the motions of whose Spirit we have neglected and resisted Conscience after long hardening in sinne will hardly admit of comfort it is a harder matter then it is taken for Therefore even to day presently you that are young now in the daies of your youth now in the spring of your yeares repent you of your sinnes before old-age comes which indeed as Salomon describes it is an ill time to repent in Alas then a man can hardly performe civill duties as we see in Barzillai he complaines that in his old-age he could not take the comfort of the creatures Therefore put not off this duty till then And all both young and old now when the judgements of God are abroad in the world take the advantage returne to God renew your covenants make your peace now now this danger doth warme our hearts a little let us strike the Iron now while it is hot let us take the advantage of the Spirit now avvakening us vvith this danger Our hearts are so false and so dull we have need to take all advantages of withdrawing our selves from our sinful courses And to incourage us to doe it let us consider if we doe this and doe it in time wee shall have the sweetnesse of the love of God shed abroad in our hearts You will say wee shall loose the sweetnesse of sin I but you shall have a most sweet communion with God One day of a repentant sinner that is reconciled to God is more comfortable then a thousand yeares of an other man that is in continuall feare of death and judgement Oh the sweete life of a Christian that hath made his peace with God! he is fit for all conditions for life for death for every thing now by this wee shall have this grace and favour of God the Lord will say unto us by his Spirit I am your salvation And besides you shall have his grace renewing and altering and changing you framing you to a better course of life And he will be so farre from misliking any for their former sinnes that hee will give them cause to love him the more as wee see Luk. 7. Shee loved much because shee had much forgiven her Christ we see upbraided not any of his followers with their former sinnes hee regarded nor what they had beene formerly Zaccheus the extortioner Mary Magdalen Matthew the Publican Peter that denied him wee never heare that he upbraided any of them hee doth not onely vouchsafe mercy to Peter repenting but advanceth him to his former office Apostolicall so sweete a God have we to deale with let this incourage us Againe it is the way to prevent Gods judgements as wee see in Nineveh and others Put case we repent not we cannot goe fafe in the citie nor any where but God may meete with us and strike us with his arrow The onely way to prevent his judgements is to meete him speedily by repentance This is the way not onely to turne away the wrath of God concerning eternall damnation but outward judgements as wee see Ioel. 2 and many other places Then againe should we be stricken if we have made our peace with God if we have repented all shall be welcome all shall be turned to our good wee know the sting is pulled out If the sting of death be pulled out if the malignity and poison of any sicknesse be it the plague or whatsoever be pulled out why should we feare it Jt comes in love and shall be turned to our good and in the meane time God sweetens it Here is a grand difference betweene the children of God and others If the judgement of God light upon a repentant person it comes from favour and love to correct him for his former sinnes it is turned to good and in the meane time it is sweetned with love and mixed with comfort and moderated as it is Isa. 27.7 hath hee afflicted thee as I afflicted others No hee moderates his judgements to his children and not onely moderates them but sweetens them with comfort Jf God doe correct a repentant person hee is no looser by it nay he is a gainer It is good for mee that I have been afflicted Oh the blessed estate of that person that repents and turnes from his evill wayes But if a man doe not repent but live still in sinne what a state is hee in God cares not for his prayers If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare my prayers and what a state is a man in when his prayers that should beg for blessings and avoid judgements and procure deliverance are not heard but shall be turned into sinne When God that is a God hearing prayer shall not regard his prayer What a case is this Yet if we regard iniquity in our hearts if we repent not of our sinnes God will not regard our prayers Then besides that there is a noise of feare in the
unrepentant persons heart wheresoever he goes he is affraid of the plague affraid of sicknesse affraid of death affraid of every body he knowes he hath his heaven here hee hath not the sting of evills pulled out therefore hee is affraid hee shall goe from the terrors of conscience to the torments of hell his conscience speakes terrible things to him what a cursed state is this How can hee looke with comfort any way Jf he looke to Heaven God is ready to powre the violls of his wrath to execute his vengeance on him If hee looke to the Earth hee knowes not how soone hee shall be layd there or that the earth may swallow him up If he thinke of death it strikes terrour to him every thing is uncomfortable to an unrepentant sinner Let all this stirre us up to this duty of repentance it is the end why God sends his judgements First he warnes us by his Word and if we neglect that he sends judgements and they â—eaze on us that is a second warning and if lesser jâ—dgements will not warne us then he sends greater and all to make us repent if we repent we give the judgements their answer and he will either remove them or sanctifie them so much for that A word of the generality No man No man repented of his evill wayes wee see then That Generality is no plea. We must not follow a multitude to doe evill we must not follow the streame to doe as the world doth will any man reason thus Now there dye so many weekely of the plague it is no matter whether I goe I will goe now into any place without any respect to my company c Will he not reason on the contrary Therefore I will take heed J will carry preservatives about me and looke to my company Selfe-love will teach a man to reason so The Infection is great therefore I will take the more heed And will not spirituall wisedome teach us the more spreading and infectious sinne is the more heed to take When all flesh had corrupted their way then came the flood Generality of sinne makes way for sweeping judgements that takes all away Therefore we have more reason to tremble when the infection of sinne hath ceazed upon all when no man repents of his wickednesse a man should resolve surely I will come out of such company as we see Lot departed out of Sodome and David in his time was as a Pelican in the wildernesse I will rather goe to Heaven alone then goe to hell and be damned with a multitude Multitude is no plea to a wise man Shall we thinke it a meanes to increase danger in worldly things and shall we thinke it a plea in spirituall things It hath beene the commendation of Gods children that they have striven against the streame and been good in evill times Redeeme the time because the dayes are evill saith the Apostle A carnall Christian saith does as the rest doe but saith David Mine eyes gush out with rivers of waters because men keepe not thy Law Doe not feare that you shall passe unrespected if you be carefull to looke to your selves this way If there be but one Lot in Sodome one Noah and his family in the old world he shall be looked to as a Jewell among much drosse God will single him out as a man doth his Iewels when the rubbish is burnt God will have a speciall care to gather his Iewels When a man makes conscience of his waies in ill times and ill company God regards him the more for witnessing to his truth and standing for and owning his cause in ill times it shewes sincerity and strength of grace when a man is not tainted with the common corruptions No man repented What was the cause of all this that they were thus unrepentant and that generallly No man said What have I done The did not say in their hearts and tongues What have I done they were inconsiderate they did not examine and search and try their waies Here we see First that a man can returne upon himselfe he can search and try his owne waies and cite and arrest and arraigne himselfe What have I done This is a prerogative that God hath given to the understanding creature the reasonable soule it can reflect upon it selfe which is an act of judgement The bruit creatures looke forward to present objects they are carried to present things and cannot reflect But man hath judgement to know what hee hath done and spoken to sit upon his owne doings to judge of his owne actions God hath erected a tribunall in every man hee hath set up conscience for a register and witnesse and judge c. there are all the parts of judiciall proceeding in the soule of man This shewes the dignity of man and considering that God hath set up a throne and seate of judgement in the heart we should labour to exercise this judgement Secondly God having given man this excellent prerogative to cite himselfe and to judge his owne courses when man doth not this it is the cause of all mischiefe of all sinne and misery Alas the vile heart of man is prone to thinke it may be God hath decreed my damnation and he might make mee better if he would But why dost thou speake thus O wicked man the fault is in thy selfe because thou doest not what thou mightest doe hath not God set up a judgement seate in thy heart to deliberate of thine owne courses whether thou dost well or ill and thy owne conscience if thou bee not an Athiest and besotted tells thee thou dost ill and accuseth thee for it An ordinary swearer that by Athiesticall acquaintance and poysonfull breeding is accustomed to that sinne if he did consider what good shall I get by this by provoking God who hath threatned that I shall not goe guiltlesse and that I shall give an account for every idle word much more oâ— every idle oath the consideration of this would make him judge and condemne himselfe and repent and amend his waies The exercising of this judgement it makes a mans life lightsome he knowes who he is and whether he goes it makes him able to answer for what hee doth at the judgement seate of God it makes him doe what he doth in cofidence it perfects the soule every way Againe whatsoever we doe without this consideration it is not put upon our account for comfort when we doe things upon judgement it is with examination whether it be according to the rule or no. Our service of God is especially in our affections when wee joy and feare and delight aright Now how can a man doe this without consideration For the affections wheresoever they are ordinate and good they are raised up by judgement they are never good but when they are regular and according to judgement when judgement raiseth up the affections and we see cause why we should delight in God and love him and feare him
deluge of sin made vvay for the deluge of water So the overflow of sinne will make vvay for a flood of fire God will one day purge the vvorld vvith fire But now for particular sinnes whereby we may know vvhen judgement is comming these they are first Injustice and formality in Religion vvhen men are generally unjust destruction is neare and indeed how can a Christian soule looke upon mens courses abroad in these regards but he shall weepe in secret Is there not a generall injustice Will not men get any cause so they have a good purse Is not innocency trodden downe oft-times And so for Religion it is generally neglected indifferency and formality they are the sinnes of the times Here is a sweet progresse In Queene Elizabeths time vve began vvith zeale and earnestnesse but now vve begin to stagger whither Religion is the better we vvill joyne and put them together that God hath put an eternall difference betvveene Light and darkenesse Is this our progresse after so much teaching to put off God vvith formality and deny the povver Againe another particular sinne foreshewing judgement is persecution of Religion and religious men When God is worshipped with conscience as he should be what imputations are laid on it I neede not speake the world knowes vvell enough Can God indure this when conscience of his service shall goe under the brand of opposition God is much beholding to the times vvhen there is nothing so heartily hated as that There are many things loathsome as deboishnesse c. But vvhat is so eagerly and heartily hated as the povver of godlinesse that vvhich they have beene knowne to doe for conscience hath beene matter of reproach and ruine almost to many men If a man vvill not prostitute his conscience to a creature to make an Idoll of him to set him highest if he will not be buxome and cracke his conscience for a creature he is scarce thought fit to live in the world vvill God suffer this if these things be not amended If any thing be good in Religion the more the better the more exact Christian the better Exactnesse in other things is best Is to be best in the best naught when to be best in that which is not so good carries away the commendations In 1. Thessa. 2. The wrath of God is come on them to the utmost God they hate and they are contrary to all men This is a forerunner of destruction the spitefull opposing of goodnesse God will not endure it long And so when men will goe on incorrigibly in sinne as these here They rush as the horse into the battell when they will not be reclaimed it is a fore-runner of destruction Alas the Ministers of God strive with men but they breake off the cords and cry tush they are silly men shall we yeeld to them Wee know what is for our gaine and profit and credit in the world better then so Let us looke to that and not be hampered in these religious bonds No we are wiser then so Thus when men are incorrigible and account the wisedome of God starke folly it is a signe of destruction There is an excellent place for this Ezekiell 24.12 13 14. She hath wearied her selfe with lies and her great scum went not out of her shee would not have her filthinesse taken from her In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse because I would have purged thee with the Word and the preaching of judgements and thou wouldest not be purged therefore thou shalt not be purged til thou die untill I cause my fury to rest upon thee I the Lord have spoken it it shall come to passe I will do it When God goes about to purge us by his word and we wil not amend our waies we vvill not stoope but strengthen an Iron sinnew and a whores forehead We will not be purged nay saith God thou shalt not be purged til J purge thee out of the vvorld to hell till my fury rest on thee i the Lord have spoken it it shal come to passe There is another notable place Prov. 29.1 He that is a man of reproofe that is a man that is sermon proofe that is often reprooved and yet carryes himselfe impudently and hardens his heart and stiffens his necke he shall suddenly be destroyed he doth not meane but that he had warning enough but because after long warning he hardens his necke he shall suddenly be destroyed when he lookes not for it and that without remedy There is the same phrase in 2. Chron. ult 16. There was no remedy when they did not regard Gods Ministers that directed them the way to Heaven but would live in rebellion against the meanes of salvation then saith God there was no remedy God sent his messengers betimes and had compassion on his people he would not have had them perish They trifled with him and mocked his messengers accounted them weake men they despised his Word and misused his Prophets and then the Lords wrath rose against his people and there was no remedy So when people are as those here in the text that they rush as the horse into the battell that they are Sermon-proofe that when every Sermon they heare as the hammer on the Smiths anvile makes them harder and harder as Moses speaking to Pharoah increased the hardnesse of his heart it is a signe of destruction Now whether it be so or no I leave it to your particular consciences we that are Ministers tell you of your filthinesse of your profaning the Name of God and contempt of Gods Word Whether have we gained upon you or no Who hath left an oath Who hath left his wicked courses and entered into a nearer communion with God for all our teaching Blessed is that man It is a signe God will not destroy him it is a signe that in the generall visitation God will regard that man But alas we may almost complaine with Ieremy in this Prophesie Iere. 5.1 Where he runnes up and downe to seeke a man Alas They are very few they are thicke sowen but come thinne up that obey the ordinance of God It is some comfort that men will submit to the ordinance that they will come to heare some good may be learned it is better then to keepe out of the compasse of Gods law as those men doe that pretend they can reade Sermons at home and so will teach God a course to bring men to Heaven there is hope of men when they submit to Gods ordinance But I beseech you how are you affected now for the present How doe you come now into the presence of God If you will not amend and resolve to enter into a new course He that is often reprooved and will not come in judgement will come suddenly on him without all remedy And it is good it should be without remedy Because it is without excuse you cannot pleade and say that there were not Prophets among you If the
sinnes he quickned us but they are put in in the translation because they must be understood to make the full sence In the words consider these things First of all heere the Apostle puts them in mind of their former condition And then he sets downe in particular what it was They were dead in trespasses and sins Then he tells them wherein they were dead what was the cause of their death and the element wherein they were dead in trespasses and sins Lastly not in one trespasse and in one sin but in trespasses and sins And then to speake a little of quickning to take it out of the 5. verse You hath he quickned There is the benefit with the condition That which Jaime at is especially to shew our estate by nature and how we are raised out of that I shall touch the points briefly as I have propounded them Saint Paul here first minds them of their former condition you were dead in trespasses and sinnes For contraries give lustre one to another and it magnifies grace mervailously to consider the opposite condition Hee that never knew the height and bredth and depth of his naturall corruption will never be able to conceive the height and breadth and depth of Gods infinite love in Iesus Christ. Saint Paul had deepe thoughts of both as ever man had therefore he could never enter into the argument of abasing man and extolling the love of God in Christ that he could satisfie himselfe but his spirit carries him from one thing to another till he set it out to the full And every one of us should be skilfull in this double mystery the mystery of the corruption of nature that is unsearchable there is corruption in the heart that none knows but God only and we must plow with his heifer that carries a light into the hidden parts of the soule and discovers corruption there is a mystery of that as well as of the Gospell of our deliverance out of that cursed estate from the guilt and thraldome of it I doe but touch it onely to shew the scope of the Apostle Now besides the consideration of it for this end to magnifie the grace of God and to understand what our former estate was the better there are many other ends As to stirre up our thankefullnesse when we consider from what we are delivered to glorifie God the more There is no soule so enlarged to glorifie God as that soule that hath large thoughts of its estate by nature and that estate by nature made worse by custome our second ill nature and bondage voluntary considering Gods mercy in delivering and freeing us from all sinnes and trespasses this will make us thankefull indeed And it is a spring of love to God when we consider what great sinnes we have forgiven usâ— it will make us humble all the daies of our lives and pitifull to others but this may be handled fitter from another portion of Scripture To come therefore to the words Who were dead in trespasses and sins Their condition is they were dead the specification of their death in sinnes and trespasses and not in one but in sinnes and trespasses Here I might digresse and tell you a discourse of life and death at large every man knowes by experience what they are In a word death is a privation of life What is life and whence ariseth it Not to speake of the life of God God is life and Christ is life but of lâ—fe in us It ariseth from the soule first there is a soule and then a life from the union with that soule and then there is a secret kindled motion and operation outward wheresoever life is Life in man I say springâ— from the soule The soule hâ—th a double life a life in it selfe and a life it communicates to the body The life in it selfe it liveth when it is out of the body it hath an essentiall life of its owne but the life of the body is derived from its union with the soule and from that union comes lively motion and operation The spirituall life of the soule is by the Spirit of Christ when our soule hath union with the quickning Spirit of Christ and by Christs Spirit is joyned to Christ and by Christ to God who is life it selfe and the first fountaine of all life then we have a spirituall life The Spirit is the soule of our soules and this spiritual soule this Spirit in us is not idle wherever life is there is motion and operation inward and outward suteable and proportionable to the fountaine of life the Spirit of God himselfe So on the contrary it is with death what is death Death is nothing else but a seperation from the cause of life from that from whence life springs The body having a communicated life from the soule when the soule is departed it must needs be dead Now death take it in a spirituall sence it is either the death of law our sentence as we say of a man when he is condemned he is a dead man Or death in regard of disposition and then the execution of that death of sentence in bodily death and in eternall death afterward Now naturally we are dead in all these sences First by the sin of Adam in whose loynes we were we were all damned there was a sentence of death upon all Adams rotten race as we say damnati antequam nati we were damned before we were borne as soone as we had a being in our mothers wombe by reason of our communion with Adam in that first sinne And then there is corruption of nature as a punishment of that first sinne that is a death as we shall see afterward a death of al the powers we cannot act and moove according to that life that we had at the first we cannot thinke we cannot will we cannot affect we cannot doe any thing that savours of spirituall life Hereupon comes a death of sentence upon us being damned both in Adams loynes and in originall sinne and likewise adding actuall sinnes of our owne if we had no actuall sinne it were enough for the sentence of death to passe upon us but this aggravates the sentence We are dead in law as well as in disposition This death in law is called guilt a binding over to eternall death it breeds horrour and terrours in the soule for the present which are the flashes of Hell-fire and expectation of worse even of the second death for the time to come which is an eternall seperation from God for ever an eternall lying under the wrath and curse of God in body and soule after they are united at the resurrection because wee would sinne eternally if we did live eternally here and no satisfaction being made for man after death there must be an eternall sentence and punishment upon him a terrible condition if we were not afraid of the first death we should be afraid of the
second death that followes wee are all dead in trespasses and sins Now what is the reason of it why we are dead First of all the ground of it is by sin we are seperated from the fountaine of life therfore we are all dead Secondly by sinne we lost that first originall righteousnesse which was comproduced with Adams soule when Adams soule was infused it was cloathed with all graces with originall righteousnesse the stampe of God was on his soule it was connaturall to that estate and condition to have that excellent gratious disposition that he had Now because we all lost that primative Image and glory of our soules we are dead We are dead likewise not onely in regard of the time past but for the time to come No man by nature hath fellowship with the second Adam till he be grafted into him by Faith which is a meere supernaturall thing In these regards every man naturally is dead Nay sinne it selfe it is not onely a cause of death of temporall death as it is a curse and so of eternall death of that bitter sentence and adjudging of us to both that we feele in terrours of conscience and expect after But sinne it selfe is an intrinsicall death Why Because it is nothing but a seperation of the soule from the chiefe good which is God and a cleaving to some creature For there is no sin but it carries the soule to the changeable creature in delight and affection to its pride and vanity one thing or other Sinne is a turning from God to the creature and that very turning of the soule is death every sinfull soule is dead In these and the like considerations you may conceave we are all dead And you hath hee quickned who were dead c. Let us consider a little what a condition this is to be dead in trespasses and sinnes Not to speake of the danger of the death of sentence when a man by the state of nature lies under the wrath of God that hanges over his head and is ready to crush him every moment But to speake of that death that seizeth upon our dispositions wee are dead by nature And what doth death worke upon the body unactivenesse stiffnesse so when the Spirit of God is severed from the soule it is cold and unactive and stiffe Therefore those that finde no life to that that is good no nor no power nor strength it is a signe that they have not yet felt the power of the quickning Spirit when they heare coldly and receive the Sacrament coldly as if it were a dead piece of worke and businesse when they doe anything that is spiritually good coldly and forced not from an inward principle of love to God that might heate and warme their hearts but they goe about it as a thing that must be done and thinke to satisfie God with an outward dead action Againe death makes the body unlovely Abraham would buy a piece of ground that hee might bury his dead out of his sight hee could not indure the sight of his owne beloved wife when shee was dead Death takes away the beauty and the honour that God hath put upon the body so that it is not honourable to those that behold it after death The Image of God stamped upon the soule of man by the Spirit it is the glory of a man after sin it is an unlovely soule We are all deprived of the glory of God as S. Paul saith And not onely so but there is a loathsomenesse contrary to that honour that was in it before Though all art and skill be used that may be to set out a dead body with flowers or whatsoever you will to please the fancy of the living yet it is but a dead body and the stench will be above all other sweete smells So let any naturall man be as witty and as learned and as great and as rich as you will or as he can be set out with all these ornaments and flowers yet hee is but a carrion a loathsome creature to God if his soule be seperated from God and inwardly cleave to the creature If he have not a new heart he is abhominable and loathsome to God and to all that have the Spirit of God A dead soule is abhominable to all Gods sences the Scripture thus familiarly condescends unto us hee will not behold him hee lookes upon the proud afarre off And hee smells no savour from their performances the very sacrifice of the wicked is abhominable he lookes upon them as wee doe upon a dunghill as a loathsome thing The prayers of the wicked are an abhomination to God he turnes away his face from them hee cannot indure them And for his eares hee will not heare the prayers of the wicked And for feeling he is wearied with their sinnes as a cart is with sheaves Nay he is wearied with their very good actions as it is Isa. 1.8 Whatsoever wicked men performe it is abhominable to God hee cannot behold them hee cannot indure them hee is burdened with their sinnes and those also that have the Spirit of God in them as farre as they see the foulenesse of their sins they loath them But herein a wicked man agrees with a dead body a dead body is not loathsome to its selfe So take a carnall man hee pranks up himselfe hee thinkes himselfe a jolly man especially when hee is set out in his flowers those things that hee beggs of the creatures he sees not his loathsomenesse hee thinkes himselfe a brave man in the world in the place he lives in and hee hath base conceits of others of God and all things of God Dead men are not loathsome to themselves because they want sences As in a prison the noisome savour is not offensive to them because they are all acquainted with it it hath ceazed upon and possessed their sences So wicked men they smell no ill savour and sent one from another because they are all dead persons one dead man is not loathsome to another as a company of prisoners they are not offended with the noysomenesse of one another Againe we sever dead persons from the rest so indeed a dead soule as he is severed from God so ae jure he should be severed from the company of others there should be a seperation and as soone as the life of grace is begun there will be a seperation betweene the living and the dead Let the dead follow the dead and bury the dead saith our Saviour in the Gospell Where bodily death is it deprives of all sences there is no use of any either of the eye or tongue c. it makes them speechlesse So he that is spiritually a dead man he can speake nothing that is savoury and good of spirituall things if he doth he is out of his element if he speak of good things he speakes with the spirit of another man if he speake of the writings of
is sleighted and men will regard that when they can spare time c. It is not regarded according to the worth and valew of it if ever wee looke to have good by the Gospell our dispositions must be violent in some proportion answerable to the excellency of it Alas we may justly turne the complaint on our selves that whilest we spend our strength in violence about the base and meane things of this life the Kingdome of Heaven it offereth violence to us and yet we will none of it How doth God beseech us in the Ministery Wee beseech you to bee reconciled and Why will yee die O house of Israel As if the Gospell and grace were commodities that God were weary off he comes and puts them upon us whether we will or no and yet we refuse them we are so farre from offering violence to the Gospell and to grace that God offers violence to us as if we should doe him a favour to receive the Gospell and to doe good to our owne soules and yet the vile proud base heart of man will not regard and receive these heavenly things How will it justifie Gods sentence at the day of judgement when hee shall alleadge there was a discovery of such things unto you and instead of violence in seeking them you sleighted and neglected them Nay there is a worse sort of men then these those that oppose the Kingdome of Heaven in the meanes of it in the persons of it what kinde of men are these thinke you Againe we see here that there is a blessed violence that may stand with judgement A man cannot be violent and wise in the things of this world because the things are meane and eagernesse is above the proportion of them A man cannot be violent after honour or riches and be as he should be these are things that he must leave behind him and they are worse then himselfe much lesse after filthy pleasures can a man be violent and wise a man must become a foole in this respect as the Scripture saith But in respect of heavenly things a man may be violent and wise for there is such a degree of excellency in the things that no violence can be too much Men talke of being too strict and too holy Can there be too much of that which wee can never have enough of in this world I speake it the rather to confound the base judgement that the world hath of a holy disposition which is carried with a sweet eager violence to tâ—ese things They are thought to be franticke to be out of their wits as they thought St. Paul was but he answers If wee be out of our wits besides our selves it is to God Christ himselfe was sometimes laid hands on as if he had beene out of himselfe and as Festus told blessed St. Paul That much learning had made him mad when he saw him eager in the cause of Christ. So many when they see a man earnest in the matters of God they thinke surely these men have lost their discretion No it is the highest discretion in the world to be eager and violent for things that are invaluable and if men be not eager for these they are fooles they know not how to prize things the most judicious men here are most violent so that it be violence that hath eyes in its head violence guided with judgement from the knowledge of the excellency of the good things in the Gospell I speake of such a violence as that Away then with base reproaches let us not be affrighted with the ill reports of idle braines and rotten hearts of people that know not the things that belong to the Kingdome of Heaven Alas they know not what they say they are to be pittied and not censured Is there any thing that a man should be earnest for if not for these things Were our foules made to pursue things that are earthly and base worse then our selves Were our wits made onely to plod in our temporall and to neglect our heavenly calling If any thing may challenge the best of our indeavours the marrow of our labours the utmost of our spirits and wits certainely it is these grace and glory that will stand by us when all things will faile us Therfore let not your owne hearts besot you nor the vaine speeches of others affright you It will be acknowledged by every one ere long that there is nothing worth a mans eagernesse but these things The worldling is violent and eager he troubleth himselfe and his house about a vaine shadow for pleasures and profit c. and what comes of all his violence He is turned naked into his grave and thence into Hell and there is an end of all the violence about all other things besides these We see then the disposition of true professors they are violent in respect of heavenly things Those therefore that are not earnest in the cause of Religion when the state of things requires it they have no Religion in them they are not in the state of grace We must be earnest first of all against our owne sinnes Violence must begin there to subdue all to the Spirit of Christ to suffer nothing else to rule there and after that violence to maintaine the cause of Christ. To contend earnestly for the Faith once delivered to the Saints to contend with both hands not to suffer it to be wrested from us or to be betraied and if it be opposed to vindicate it we must be violent both to propagate the truth of God and in case of opposition to vindicate it He that is not with me saith Christ is against me If a man be not with Christ he is against him it may seeme a strange speech but Christ cannot abide luke-warme neuters he cannot abide nullifidians he cannot indure cold persons his stomacke cannot brooke them he will cast them up as he saith Reve. 3.15 16. I would thou wert hot or cold A man had better be nothing in Religion then be luke-warme The reason is if a man will have good by any Religion he must be earnest in it If Baal be God stand for him if you would have good by him if the Lord bee God stand for him be earnest in his cause if Popery be good then stand for that if you hope for good by it and if our Religion be good then stand for that if you hope for good by it There is no good received by Religion if wee be not earnest for it Religion is not a matter to be dallied in Therefore they are bitter sowre profane scoffing Atheists that trifle with Religion as if it were no great matter what it bee They will bee earnest in all things else earnest to scrape riches to satisfie their base lusts but for Religion iâ— is no matter what it be it is a thing not worthy the seeking after the old Religion or the new or both or
charge this and that let us accuse our selves as he would and as he will ere long The more we accuse and judge our selves and set up a tribunall in our hearts certainely there will follow an incredible ease Ionah was cast into the Sea and there was ease in the Ship Achan was stoned and the Plague was stayed out with Ionah out with Achan and there will follow ease and quiet in the soule presently conscience will receive wonderfull ease It must needs be so for when God is honoured conscience is purified God is honoured by confession of sinne every way It honours his omniscience that he is al-seeing that he sees our sinnes and searcheth the hearts our secrets are not hid from him It honours his power what makes us confesse our sinnes but that we are afraid of his power least he should execute it And what makes us confesse our sinnes But that we know there is mercy with him that he may be feared And that there is pardon for sinne we would not confesse our sinnes else with men it is confesse and have execution but with God confesse and have mercy it is his owne protestation we would never lay open our sinnes but for mercy So it honours God and when he is honoured he honours the soule with inward peace and tranquility We can never have peace in our soules till we have dealt roundly with our sins and favour them not a whit till we have ripened our confession to be a thorow confession What is the difference betweene a Christian another man Another person slubbers over his sins God is mercifull c. and he thinkes if he come to the Congregation and follow the Minister it will serve the turne But a Christian knowes that Religion is another manner of matter another kinde of worke then so he must deale throughly and seriously and lay open his sinne as the chiefe enemy in the world and labour to raise all the hatred he can against it and make it the object of his bitter displeasure as being that that hath done him more hurt then all the world besides and so he confesseth it with all the aggravations of hatred and envy that he can But to come more particularly to the confession here spoken off We all are as an uncleane thing c. We all We see here holy men themselves confesse their sins and ranke themselves among sinners in their confessions so we learne hence this That we in our confessions in our Fastings especially ought to ranke our selves amongst the rest of sinners and not to exempt our selves from other sinners Perhaps we are not guilty of some sinnes that they have beene guilty off God hath beene mercifull to us and kept us in obedience in some things but alas there is none of us all but we have had a hand in the sinnes of the times the best of all conditions are guilty of them therefore wee have cause to ranke our selves among others as he saith here We are all as an uncleane thing and as Daniell he makes a confession of the sins of all we are all of us guilty How are we all guilty We are all guilty in this respect we receive some taint and soyle from the times we live in either our zeale is weakned we doe not grieve so much for the sinnes of the times and who is not guilty in this respect We doe not grieve and lament as we should as S. Paul tels the Corinthians they should have beene sorry and humbled they were guilty of the sinne of the incestuous person because they were not humbled for it We are thus farre guilty at least the best of us that we doe not sorrow for the common sinnes Alas how many sinnes are there that every body may see in the times in all rancks In Pastors what unfaithfullnesse and 〈◊〉 Governours and in places of justice what crying of the poore and men oppressed and in all rancks of people we see a generall security we see filthinesse and heare oaths for which the Land mournes as Ieremy saith Ier. 23. These and such like sinnes provoke God and solicite the vengeance of God and will have no nay till they have pulled downe vengeance Who hath beene so much humbled for these sinnes as he ought Perhaps our selves are not personally guilty of them but are they not our sinnes so farre as we are not abased for them and oppose them and represse them as we should in our places and standings whether we be Ministers or Magistrates Thus farre wee are guilty all therefore the Prophet might well say We all are as an uncleane thing c. Then againe there is a great Simpathy in the hearts of good men they are full of pitty and compassion and therefore they joyne themselves with others partly knowing that they are guilty in some degree with others and partly because they are members of the same body politike and ecclesiasticall they live in the same Church and common wealth therefore all joyne their confession together wee all are as an uncleane thing c. Let us make this use of it every one of us to be humbled doe not every one of us bring sticks to the common fire Do we not adde something to the common judgement If there be two malefactors that have committed a trespasse one of them is taken and used in his kinde he is executed will it not greeve the other he will thinke was it not my case I was a wretched sinner as well as he If there be divers Traitors and the King is mercifull to one and the other hee executes will it not grieve him that is spared if hee have any bowells or good nature besides goodnesse in other kindes will hee not thinke it was my owne case there was no difference betweene me and them only the mercy of the King So the best of us may thinke have I not a corrupt nature and for the sinnes of the times am not I soyled with them others have beene stricken might not the same arrow have stricken mee certainely this consideration that we bring somthing to the publique sinnes it will make us humbled for the publique as the Church here confesseth We are all as an uncleane thing c. To come to the particulars of the Confession We are all as an uncleane thing Heere is a confession of their persons their persons were tainted we are all a tainted seed and generation in nature what the wickedest is wholy the best are in part therefore it is no error that wee should say so and so of our selves in our confessions as Saint Paul saith of himselfe I am sold under sinne Rom. 7. one would wonder that he should confesse so Alas blessed man he felt that in part that others in the state of nature are wholy so we are all filthy the best as farre as they are not renewed are as other men are Vncleane It is a comparison taken from the
himselfe Thou art a God that hidest thy selfe hee seemes as a stranger in his owne Church to be as a way-faring man as the Prophet saith he takes no notice of his Church and their afflictions hee seemes not to take them to heart nor to pitty his Church Oh! but this is but for a time and for tryall Can a mother forget her childe Isai. 49. Put case she should yet will not I forget thee God hides himselfe but a while to try the graces of his children and to give way to the enemies to let his children to see their corruptions his wise dispensation And these desertions wee must be acquainted with God seemes to be away from his children yet he is with them and supports them with invisible strength Hee seemes to bee with wicked men in prospering them in the world that they have al at their wil in outward things yet he is farre from them hee withdrawes himselfe in spirituall things they have no grace no sound inward comfort And he seemes opposite to his children hee leaves them outwardly in regard of assistance and friends but they have an invisible inward presence of the spirit to support and strengthen them therefore measure not desâ—ertions Gods being or not being with us by outward respects for so he is with the enemies of the Church oft-times and not with his children But hee is with his in the sweetest manner supporting of them when they are in darkenesse and see no light of Gods countenance yet they have so much light though they thinke they see it not as makes them trust in God Let him that is in darknesse and sees no light trust in the name of God Therefore as I said it is a principle pregnant for comfort and use if God be with us he is with us in life and death for whom he loves he loves everlastingly from everlasting to everlasting If this be so what shall wee doe to God againe what is the best evidence to know that God is with us There is a relation betweene God and his he is so with them as that they are with him likewise in all passages Doth he chuse them they in time chuse him Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee Doth hee call them they answer Doth hee justifie and free them from their sinnes they make that answer of faith that Peter speakes of I doe beleeve Lord help my unbeliefe they have faith to lay hold upon the forgivenesse And likewise if God be with them they can delight in Gods presence Can God delight to bee present with them that have not grace to delight in him Gods children maintaine their communion with him in all the sanctified meanes they can they are afraid to breake with God Therefore those that to please and give content to others and for base ends will displease their God it is a heavie signe that God as yet hath not shewed himselfe in his gracious mercy in Christ Iesus to them If God be with us wee will be of his side and his enemies shall be our enemies and his friends our friends Hee that claimes this that God is with him he will say I will bee with God and for God God hath two things in the world that wee must have a care of his Church and his cause take them out of the world the world is but a hell upon earth a company of miscreants prophane godlessâ— impudent poysonfull creatures take away the cause of God Religion and the people that are begotten by Religion and what is the rest of mankind The world would not stand but be all upon heapes for a company of sinfull wretches that will have their wills but it is for the Church and people of God that the world stands Now hee that hath God with him and he is in termes with God that they are friends as Abraham was the friend of God he will side with God and Religion Gods cause shall bee his cause and Gods people his people hee will cleave to Gods side as the safest if hee may have never so much prâ—ferment in the world hee will not joyne with Antichrist hee will not betray the cause of Religion if hee might have a world for it Why because he knows if God be with him who can be against him God hath given us understanding and grace to maintaine friendship with him to haâ—e common friends and common enemies Therefoâ—e if we stand not for God let us never talke of Gods presence with us Hee will bee present to confound us to overthrow us and pursue us to Hell but not graciously present without wee labour to maintaine the cause of Religion as farre as wee may God is with us if â—â—e be with him 2 Chron. 15. if wee be with God to take his part hee will be with us to protect and defend us to guide and comfort us and to give issue to all our affaires Not that our being with him is the prime cause of his being with us but it is an evidence to know whether hee be with us as wee make profession when as farre as our callings will suffer wee be with him and maintaine his cause Againe If wee would know whether we be with God and hee with us aske conscience whether it bee with thee for conscience is Gods Vicar Is conscience with thee dost thou not sinne against conscience What conscience saith God saith and what it forbids God forbids especially when it is enlightned by the word doth conscience speak peace to thee from the Word then thou art with God and God is with thee Especially in the great point of justification doth conscience speak peace to thee in the blood of Christ is thy heart sprinkled with it that it is not as the blood of Abel that cries for vengeance haâ—t thou a spirit of faith to beleeve that Christ shed his blood for thee in particular then thou art with God and he with thee because God hath sprinkled the blood of Christ upon thy heart What course shall wee take to keep God comfortably with us Looke thou be in covenant with him and not onely at large in covenant but looke that continually upon all occasions thou renew thy covenant for sometimes Gods children may be in covenant they may be his children yet because they renew not their covenant especially after some breaches God is not with them so comfortably as hee would to free them from their enemies as wee see in the case of the Benjamites Gods people sometimes may have the worst though they be in covenant because they have committed some sin and have not renewed their peace and covenant with God Therefore if we would make a comfortable use of this truth that God is with us and would finde him so in our affaires and businesse let us renew our covenant upon all occasions and
well as living 2 117. Divell Carnall men better then the Divell would have them 2 11. Diligence Diligence how stirred up 1 254. E Enemies How farre God suffers the Enemies of his children to prevaile 2 75. See Against Eternity Eternity of misery should deterre us from sin 2 30. Everlasting life What meant by meate that indures to Everlasting life 1 175. Excellent See Necessity F Face Face of God what 1 322. Conflict of faith when God hides his Face 1 323. Godâ— Face how to be sought 1 324. Fade Men Fade as leaves how 1 315. Failing How to make use of Christ in our Failings 1 49. Faith How Faith doth that which Christ doth 2 45. To get into Christ by Faith why 2 175. Faith drawes neere to God 2 137. Father The consideration that God is our Father what it should work 1 326. Fathers who meant by them 2 223. When we die wee are put to our Fathers 2 224. Feed Food Christ and his benefits why called Food 1 176. Difference of spirituall and corporall Food 1 182. How to know we have Fed on Christ 1 188. Motives to Feed on Christ 1 197. Formality Formality in religion a forerunner of judgements 1 121. Freedome Freedome acceptable 2 31. Freedome from all ill by Christ how 2 32. Freedome double 2 46. See Violence Full. Christianity a Full state 1 232 G Generality Generality in sin no plea 1 98. Generality of sin a forerunner of judgement 1 120. Generation Generation what 2 171. An eternall Generation to be made sure 2 173. Every man hath his particular Generation 2 175. To observe the Generation we live in why 2 176. To take benefit by the good in our Generation 2 178. Not to be tainted with the sins of the Generation 2 180. Wee should labour to make the Generation we live in good 2 182. God God is with his children how 2 69. Ground of Gods presence with his children 2 72. How to know God is with us 2 87. What course to take that God may be with us 2 90. To goe from God what 2 144 See Prayer Godly Difference betweene the Godly and others 1 96. Good There is Good in our actions though they be defiled 1 300. We are advanced to the greatest Good by Christ 2 56 See Generation Gospell Difference of giving the Law and the Gospell 1 69. Gospell why disesteemed 1 266. Spirit effectuall in the Gospell 1 267. Guilty The best men Guilty of the sins of the times 1 291. H Happy The judgement of the world who are Happy 2 18. Heaven The Church the Kingdome of Heaven 1 326. Threefold signification of the Kingdome of Heaven Ibid. Why grace and the meanes of grace are called the Kingdome of Heaven 1 229. Help Helps to doe Gods will 2 197. See Outward Hide God sometimes Hides himselfe 2 86. Hold. We must stirre up our selves to lay Hold on God 1 308. Hopefull See Violence Horse Wicked men compared to Horses 1 110. Humility Humiliation Grounds of Humiliation 1 16 320. Humility why to bee laboured for 1 73. Humiliation necessary 1 281. Kinds of Humiliation 1 282. Helps to Humiliation 1 283. Verball Humiliation 1 287. Humiliation extraordinary 1 314. J Idolatry Idolatry the ground of it 1 47. Image Image of God defaced by sin 1 112. Importunate Why to be Importunate with God 1 310. Imitation Imitation of holy men needfull 2 210. To take heed whom wee Imitate 2 125 231. Impregnable The estate of a Christian Impregnable 2 78. Indeavour Difference betweene Indeavours of Christians and others 1 256. See Successe Infirmities Infirmities should not discourage us 2 85. Innocencie In what case to stand on our Innocencie 1 303. Iudgement Iudging What meant by Iudgement 1 63 113. Iudgements of God how spoken of amisse 1 85. How to speake aright of Gods Iudgements 1 87. God offended when wee repent not by his Iudgements 1 88. Neglect of selfe Iudging the cause of misery 1 101. After long patience God sends Iudgements 1 117. Iudgements comming how knowne Ibid. Sin to be looked to in Iudgements 1 318. Iustice See Sin K Kingdome What things are in a Kingdome 1 231. Excellency of Christs Kingdome 1 268. See Heaven L Labour Labour for earthly things when immoderate 1 173. To Labour for Christ as food 1 216. Labour distinguisheth Christians from others 1 219. Language Language of Scripture savoury 2 165. Law Law what 2 5. See Gospell Sin Leprosie Sin a Leprosie 1 294. Life Life what 1 141. Life spirituall whence 1 142. Life in Christ how 2 34. To serve God in the time of Life 2 184. Long Life not to bee looked for 2 217. Not to repine if God give us Life 2 218. Lie Grand Lie in the Church of Rome 2 191. Love Christ Loved of God how 1 22. Decay in our Love a forerunner of judgement 1 127. Lust. Comfort against rebellion of Lusts 2 51. M Marriage Comfort by our Marriage with Christ 2 103. Meanes Greatnesse of sinning against Meanes 2 179. Mourne To Mourne for the sins of the times 1 130. N Name Gods children leave a good Name behind them 2 164. Nature Things made use of in Scripture from Nature 1 116. To see what we are by Nature 1 150. Naturall parts how to bee used 1 153. Every one tainted by Nature 1 293. In actuall sins to see the corruption of Nature 1 298. Neare God Neare us how 2 145. How wee are Neare to God 2 146. Necessity Necessity of what we pray for 1 309. Newters Newters hatefull to Christ 1 247. O Obedient The Spirit given to the Obedient 1 58 Offices Offices of Christ in what order performed 1 36. Old God can convert Old sinners 1 154. Opposition Grace increased by Opposition 1 260. Outward Outward service alone not accepted 1 310. Outward helps to doe Gods will 2 194. P Patience See Iudgement Peace Foure things trouble a Christians Peace 2 1. Perish Meat that Perisheth what 1 167. Not to gaine things that Perish with the losse of our soules 1 170. Plague Sin worse then the Plague 1 297. Popery To be thankfull for freedome from Popery 1 266. Popery opposeth preaching why 1 270. Pâ—â—er Power of Christ to give himselfe and his benefits 1. 201. Prayer Prayer a meanes to obtaine the Spirit 1 61. Formes of Prayer usefull 1 278. Danger of neglecting Prayer 1 305. Prayer laies hold on God 1 307. To looke for answer of our Prayers 1 312. Resignation of our selves in Prayer 1 328. See Worship Preaching Grace wrought by Preaching 1 68 See Popery Precious See Violence Priestly Christs Priestly office the principall 1.37 Prerogatives How to use our Prerogatives 2 52. Principles Principle in a Christian double 1 302. Principles to be laid up 2 80. Promâ—seâ— Christ Promised in the Old Testament 1 3. Prophanenesse Prophanenesse whence it is 2 152. Providence To looke to the end of Gods Providence 2 135. Q Querie It is good to propound Queries to our selves