and hee is not able to stoope to it nor to be framed by it These men deale with Christ as men that entertain a neighbour liberally to this end that he will look to his owne grounds onely and not intrench upon his for to have him a Land-lord or Commander over him and to bee in dependance upon him this he cannot beare But the Saints of God doe the second they entertaine Christ as a Land-lord but the other onely as a neighbour Let these men know that all those that are not with Christ are against him though a man stand still and doe nothing and love not warre because he would bee in peace let him I say know that all the wrong that is done by others if he be not a helper against it the Lord will require it at his hands as if he had done it himself as in that place Curse ye Merosh Judg 5.23 because she came not to the helpe of the Lord against the mightie as if a man did say I am loath to meddle before I am called to it But I say thou art called the Gospel was persecuted and thou wouldst not stir therefore the Lord will deale with thee as he did with that luke-warme Church in the Revelation the Lord will spue thee out of his mouth luke-warmnesse is loathsome to the stomacke therefore appeare in your colours what you are that you may be knowne either a Saint or a Divell lukewarme water goes against the stomacke and the Lord abhors such lukewarme tame fooles Hypocrites enemies of Christ 3. The third ranke of those that love not Christ are the fawning hypocrites that will fawne upon the Lord Jesus that make admirable faire weather and professe marvellous affectionate love unto him and will speake for a good cause and hazzard himselfe in it and when all is done he is an inward hater of Christ Of this sort I take Saul to bee 1 Sam. 15.13 the Lord gave a commandement to goe and kil all the Amalekites who when he saw Samuel comming toward him saith Blessed bee thou of the Lord here marke the tricke of an hypocrite I have performed the commandement of the Lord and therefore blessed be God that I see thee that I may give up my account unto thee But saith he What meaneth then this bleating of the sheepe in mine eares and the lowing of the oxen which I heare I need not speake for the bleatings of the sheepe shew that Saul is an hypocrite These men may be discovered by these two passages They doe not desire to give contentment to Jesus Christ but to themselves and withall they lift up their own glory with Christ Foure sorts of hypocrites Of this ranke there are foure sorts The wrangling hypocrite The whining hypocrite The vaine-glorious hypocrite The presumptuous hypocrite The first sort is the wrangling hypocrite I know many men that will professe they are at your command to serve you and to doe what they shall be commanded and they shall thinke themselves happy to be imployed by you and yet in conclusion they intend no such matter They desire to live no longer to do nothing but that which may promote the honour of the Lord Jesus and if they did not think to honour him by this or that they would not doe it but if it come to this that a man must leave his profits or livings or honours for Christ he will not say expressely he will not do it and that hee will not part with his honours and profits for Christ but yet he will stand to quarrell and say It is not fit to doe it and there is no command for it It is admirable to see and to conceive the vileness and basenesse that is in the spirits of these men for when the duty is revealed and enjoyned they will search far and neer to make it no duty they will rake the Divels skull and invent some new shifts to prove that it is not needfull to be done that so they may avoid the doing of it as it is amongst some that follow the fashions of the times though they pretend to doe things comely and to keep close to the Word yet if a new fashion come up though never so absurd they will forget their promise and plead for it not questioning what is lawfull but what most pleases their humour But observe this in thy owne soule do not thinke to quarrell with thy selfe about duties which the Lord requires at thy hands But art thou in good earnest content that the Word should be true as God would have it and to have that accounted naught which God saith is naught It is certaine many will say it for shame but they have an inward league between them and some sin they will not have that lawfull that they may not doe and they will not have that to be sinne which God saith is sinne that they may commit it with quiet ease and liberty striving more to content their owne hearts and the fashion then Christ They must content their liberty they will not be imprisoned and therefore will give full content to a spirit that desires freedome These never had this fire of love to Christ kindled in their hearts Now before I come to the next give me leave to unmaske this hypocrite and to dogge him to his owne doore and for this end First I will shew what this pretence of love to Christ is Secondly I will shew the prankes that hee hath to cover his hypocrisie withall and when both these are opened it will appeare that he onely intends to wrangle and that he hath not this true love of Jesus Christ For first he wil joyne side with Christ in the generall in the common nay when it cōes to the particular case wherin his heart withdrawes yet therein also he wil vow openly that he doth nothing but what his conscience tels him is fit to be done and that which his judgement is fully satisfied in Alas poore conscience he hath couzened thee before or else curbed and charmed thee by saying I am resolved that it is not so therefore conscience you must be of my side yet conscience replies You should not do this or that let the Lord have the glory and take you the shame that all may be warned for ever Thus it was with the old Prophet 1 Ki. 13.18 when he came to couzen the young Prophet he said I am a Prophet also as thou art an Angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord saying bring him back with thee into thine house And thus it is with this wretched hypocrite in his pretence of love unto Christ it is cleare in his conscience he dares not do any thing against the Lord Jesus and in his judgement and in his conscience he thinkes so and so hee hath peace at home but let him goe with his peace Again he will talke marvellously of Gods honour and of the promoting of the Gospel the
what thou wouldst have not after thy owne unworthinesse nor the kindnesse which others doe enjoy better than thy selfe murmuring that thou art not worthy whereas thou art not fitted that God should do any thing for thee This mis-judging many times carries the heart with a speciall mistaking against the Lord as it is with a poore creature that hath had the meanes but not received the like comfort and mercy thereby that others have see how the heart reasons saying Others have such and such assistance in the meane time God leaves me and such and such have evidence of his favour but God regards not me had I but such power against corruptions and such evidence of Gods love and favour as God hath given to such and such Christians farre younger than I I seeke and pray and intreat and have not and with that the heart is carried with a secret heart-burning against the Lord this breeds a secret kinde of wrangling and quarrelling and withdrawing from the Lord. Therefore labour thou to still those distempers and to rectifie thy selfe and to judge as thou oughtest Judge not thy selfe by what others have and by what thou deservest but say Blessed be God I am not as I might have been and blessed be God I am not as I have deserved for then I had either beene upon the chaine with felons or upon the gallowes with theeves and robbers or in the Ale-house at my abominations for my nature is prone to it as well as others I confesse I am not so holy as I ought to be but blessed be that mercy in Jesus Christ that I am as I am I have not what others have and yet it is a wonder that I have any thing at all at the hands of the Lord so unthankefull and dead-hearted as I am others are meeke and patient and heavenly and painfull and therefore it is a wonder that I have any thing at all Goe thy way and bee contented with the Lords goodnesse and quarrell no more and mis-judge the Lords kindnesse no more Thus you see the hindrances removed now there is a way made that the soule may come to some termes of love with God Meanes 2. 2. When the soule hath beene thus ordered we must labour to bee throughly acquainted with the beauty and sweetnesse of Christ in the promise that this may provoke our soules to love the Lord and to rejoyce in him When these hindrances are removed there is way made for the promise to come and meet with the soule these breed-bates are sent out of towne and now there may be some possibility of love and this is the next way to worke and draw our hearts to Christ and to kindle in us these affections of love and joy The soule that is loosened from all the causes of jarres and dissentions betweene Christ and him that soule is ready to match with the promise and to bestow it selfe in love upon Christ In a marriage a man must know the party first and the portion and understand both or else he can love neither so thou must see the beauty and excellency of the promise before thou canst love the Lord Jesus As it is in the baser affections the covetous man seeth a good bargaine before hee loves it so that it is the eye that makes the bargaine as one well observes so thou must looke wisely upon the promises and be able to know them and this will make thee love them as in Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his love upon me therefore will I deliver him I will set him on high because he hath knowne my Name How came he to love the name of the Lord because he knew him as it is Cant. 1.2 when the name of our Saviour was as an ointment powred forth then did the virgins love him this name is the graces of our Saviour revealed and communicated to us and Cant. 4.9 see what our Saviour saith My sister my spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chaine of thy necke this is by way of comparison from the lesse to the greater the Spouse of Christ is the Church of Christ and by eye and neck is meant nothing else but the beauty of his grace in the heart truely humbled now the Lord Jesus Christ lookes upon these graces and loves them and is ravished with the fight of them Now if the worke of grace in the heart of a poore sinner ravished the heart of Christ who is the God of all grace then much more if our hearts could but see one finger of the excellency that is in Christ they would bee ravished with earnest love and kindled with violence towards him There are three things that ought mainely to bee respected in the promise that we may eye and apprehend and that our hearts may be kindled with love to the Lord and these three worke love any where First the worth of the party in himselfe Secondly the desert of the party Thirdly the readinesse of the party in himselfe to seeke our good Three things in Christ to make us love him So it is with the Lord Jesus first he is worthy of our love in himselfe considered Secondly he hath deserved it Thirdly he seekes our love Thou that dwellest in a poore cottage wilt hardly beleeve this but I say he seekes thy love First Christ is worthy in himselfe I wonder that the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer himselfe to be beloved by such wretches as wee are if wee had a thousand hearts to bestow upon him we were never able to love him sufficiently for as Nehemiah said Nehem. 9.5 The name of the Lord is above all praise and as the name of God is above all praise that wee can give him so the name of the Lord is above all the love that we can bestow upon him Will you let out your love and affections as wee use to say in the market it is a good penny worth it is worth more money than you shall pay for it so if you will lay out all the affections that you have you may lay them out here and that with good advantage too What would you have you may have enough for your money Wouldst thou have beauty then thy Saviour is beautifull Psal 45.2 Thou art fairer than the children of men yea he is full of grace nay the Spouse Cant. 5.10 saith My beloved is the cheife of ten thousand and in the 16. verse Hee is altogether lovely hee is a very beautifull husband There is no beauty in the world but it hath its blemish nor no day so faire but it hath its clouds but the Lord Jesus Christ is altogether love if beauty will please thee he is altogether excellent Would you have strength Psal 45.3 hee is all strength A wife would not have a cowardly husband therefore the Text saith Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty ride on prosperously so that Kings are slaine and people shall fall
reproach losse paine persecution for righteousnesse sake shall be abundantly recompenced with joy in the holy Ghost and the joy of heaven Mat. 5.10 11 12. The like of suffering by the hand of God or men in common affaires They that are well exercised by afflictions shall one day bee comforted as Lazarus all will end as a Comedie in mirth and felicitie All this is metaphorically compirsed in the Text by a figure of sowing and reaping usuall in the Scripture Sow to the flesh or spirit sow liberally Gal. 6.8 2 Cor. 9.6 Psal 97.11 and reap liberally the Lord gives bread to the sower light is sowen for the righteous c. A wet and cold seed-time brings the husbandman afterward a plenteous and ioyfull harvest so the sad times and occasions that goe over Gods people will first or last bring them a great measure of joy comfort blessednesse Heare the limitations a little 1. Not the teares themselves considered in themselves bring forth the joyfull crop but the sowing in teares Esau his teares were shed to no purpose and in hell there will be weeping and wailing but because there is no sowing no good comes of it It is onely the pretious seed in vers 6. that affoords the good sheaves and it is required it be godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.9 that we mourn for the absence of the Bridegroome and that we faint not when we sow Gal. 6.9 neither in faith nor obedience In due time yee shall reap if yee faint not It were unreasonable to sow in September and look to reap in October No stay till the moneth of harvest and then see what blessing God will give The husband-man hath patience c. Jam. 5.7 2. Of the joy that is to be reaped here put for the whole happinesse of a Christian as a Christian both here hereafter according the Grecian salutation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They joy before thee Isai 9.3 according to the joy of harvest In this life a Christian hath the beginning first fruits of the Spirit peace joy quietnesse assurance for ever In Christ he shall have peace by the Ordinances comfort is to be had and the afflictions would be too sharp and heavie if there were not some mixture of joy But in the world to come we shall have joy to the full what is wanting now shall he supplied then to the uttermost This rich harvest will pay for all the cost and labour and patience good measure pressed downe and running over 3. Of the reaping of that joy first it shall be certaine which no husband-man can promise to himselfe a Christian is sure to reape if he sow All the promises of God are Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 Secondly it shall be abundant not an hundred for one but a thousand yea millions of degrees beyond our expences a farre more exceeding 4.17 and eternall weight of glory But many a poore husband-man reapes sparingly scarce can pay his rent and live c. Thirdly it shall be in joy onely all teares for ever wiped from our eyes no chaffe among our wheat no darnell nor weeds of any kinde The joy of this harvest is never done the barns never emptied the provisions never spent the labours no more repeated It is no proverb for these husband-men Their worke is never at an end No they rest from their labours and their workes follow them henceforth they are blessed Rev. 14.13 Sorrowfull seed-time breeds Christians a joyfull harvest Doctr. The sorrowfull seed-time of true Christians in the exercises of humiliation and mortification yeelds them a rich ioyful harvest They shall be paid for all sooner or later They sow in righteousnesse and reape in mercy Hos 10.12 they have their fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6.22 Reas 1. Because of the promise of God And why This in the Text is uttered by way of promise and there be many the like promises in Scripture which for the matter of them are precious for the manner free for the extent universall and for certainty most faithfull confirmed divers wayes by oath c. 2. Because they are heires of blessing the Israel of God partakers of the heavenly calling and promise Destroy not the cluster for there is a blessing in it Esa 65.8 9. They are as an Oke whose substance is in them though the leaves be cast Chap. 6.13 namely in and by Christ who makes them honourable before God and capable of a sound and lasting joy 3. Because of the precious seed which they beare forth and must bring home againe in the harvest The seed of God abideth in them 1 Joh. 3.9 and they sinne not as the wicked doe that is Rom. 11.29 the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost which are without repentance of an immortall being and immortall in the effect 1 Pet. 1.23 24 25. 4. The very field wherein they sow is ioyous and wholsome I meane the duties they performe and ordinances they frequent Prayer yeelds a comfortable answer of God to the soule The Lords Supper affords much ioy and peace of conscience hearing receives the glad tydings of the Gospel c. In the field lyeth a treasure he that buyes it goes away rejoycing 5. The shedding of these teares preventeth the matter of future sorrow namely the curse of sinne the wrath of God the deadnesse of heart the reigne of lusts the sting and feare of death the bitternesse of persecution Having mourned before and kept even with God from time to time there is the lesse sorrow now to be taken Is not the guiltinesse gone and a sure foundation laid for comfort 6. As the causes of sorrow are removed so the Christian by mourning makes sure to his soule all the causes of true joy Causes of true joy assured by mourning which are the love of God a part in Christ inhabitation of the Spirit the great Comforter the white stone and new name the image of God in the soule the testimony of a good conscience interest in the prayers of all Gods people a sanctified and safe use of all mercies and afflictions joyfull and assured expectation of the glory of heaven Rom. 5.1 2 3. Grant the full and the immediate cause and the effect will follow Objection What say you to the case of desertion Answ It is one day of the sorrowfull seed-time the harvest comes afterward and the Eclipse will soone be over in darkenesse the Lord shall bee a light unto me Mic. 7.8 Some lightsome passages there are in the meane time Sharpe Preachers make you gainers Use 1. If so then by our sharpest preaching you receive damage by us in nothing we make some weepe and take on for their sinnes we wring teares from them wee take them off from their pleasures of sinne which are for a moment But while you are set a sowing in teares you are set into the right way of reaping in joy We give
you the best counsell that can be given and little deserve that outcry that is made against us Oh this is bitter preaching this man speakes not in love he would make us all despaire I thinke and Should not a Minister come with the spirit of meeknesse Yes but not meekenesse opposed to zeale meekenesse to the bruised reed or broken heart to others sharpnesse A corrosive for some is wholsomest some patients need lancing and all is well that ends well If our preaching bring you to an harvest of joy no matter though it compelled you to sow in teares And what wise man will thinke his estate either so holy or so safe as to reject teares for a womanish passion Use 2. If so Enemies help the joy of true Christians then it is a bootlesse thing to goe about to grieve or disquiet a godly Christian Thou makest him cry perhaps but to whom is it not to his father in secret who will put all his teares into his bottle and is there not a rich crop arising out of this sad and dripping seed-time A ridiculous conceit to thinke of drowning a fish in a faire and pleasant river it his owne element he is where he would bee Ridiculous also it is to attempt the making a true Christian unhappy or weary of his estate for even out of darknesse ariseth light to him out of teares joy one contrary out of another the omnipotent grace of God who promised will also doe it Indeed for carnall men you may so set them on weeping that they may dye upon it 2 Cor. 7.10 Worldly sorrow causeth death But with the godly it is not so God will ever hold them up by the chinne and lead them through all their waves to a safe and joyfull harbour Well may Julian and his fellowes mocke at this doctrine and tauntingly heape up more indignities upon the Saints but God will blesse them the more for their cursing stay but till the appointed weekes of harvest you shall see what it is to sow in teares Esteeme none by present grievances Use 3. If so then iudge not the state of whole Churches or particular members by present afflictions thinke them not presently miserable after the seed is cast into the ground it abides many a cold blast before harvest come 1 Cor. 15.36 It is not quickned except it dye much lesse multiplied in July or August you will see what is become of your Wheat and Rye In the day of judgement at farthest you will see the reward of true worshippers what confusion wil befall Papists Athiests scoffers hypocrites idolaters superstitious fooles persecutors Then yee shall returne and see a difference Mal 3.18 Now there is a difference but then it will appeare now the iudgement of God is according to truth but that is a day of the declaration of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 Sow still though in teares Use 4. To urge perseverance in the good wayes of God notwithstanding discouragements What if thou sowest in teares to God and righteousnesse what if the whole season prove a cold wet blustering time as the poore husband-man sometime findeth it What if scarce a day goe over thy head but thou either weepest or sighest or meetest some bitternesse in thy life yet is this an hopefull weeping there is an harvest comming to make amends for all None shall abide with Christ in temptation Luk. 22.28 29 but Christ will appoint a Crowne unto him And as the mother goes through all her hard labour comfortably in hope of a childe to bee borne so must the Disciples of CHRIST through all tribulations Joh. 16.20 21 22. Faint not therefore that yee may reape in due time Be strong in the grace of Christ Feare not Rev. 2.10 Bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee a Crowne of life These are evill times for the discouraging of zeale and piety but remember this Text They that sow in teares shall reape in joy Use 5. Be patient in suffering for God A ground of patience in all suffering according to the will of God especially for the cause the service the faith the truth of God Seed cast into the earth is not cast away nor lost but will be improved to good advantage The husband-man willingly endures that cost adventures all to the blessing of God And such is thy sicknesse poverty trouble in the world other calamitie when thou hast made a good use of it A little patience will make thee gainer thirty fold sixty an hundred a thousand fold more if religion be the cause of thy trouble The Martyrs sowed in teares but because they carried forth precious seed they brought their sheaves backe with joy singing in the prisons and flames triumphing over their persecutors finding no ease to their mindes till they had recanted their recantations Losing their lives they saved them sowing to the spirit liberally they reaped life and immortality Comfort in death our own or friends 6. A ground of comfort against death both our owne and our friends Death is a kinde of sowing though in weaknesse mortality and dishonour 1 Cor. 15.36 Many teares are shed at the parting of friends of husband and wife of parents and children Joh. 18.14 of Pastors and people Death is the King of terrors it hath a sting and bitternesse but where Christ comes not only the sting is taken forth but the nature of it is altered there is a joyfull resurrection as a joyfull harvest to make the body rise in honour in power in livelinesse and immortality though sowne a weak and contemptible body Christianity therefore here must command moderation to our mourning Teares are naturall expressions of love and compassion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and good men they say are easily dissolved into teares But seeing religion tells of reaping in joy our hearts must thereby be fenced against immoderatenesse of grieving Be paineful in thy calling 7. If so let every one follow his particular calling painfully and faithfully though with teares Ministers in sowing the seed of eternall life in the hearts of their people Rich men in sowing upon the waters or obiects where they are never likely to finde their seed againe 2 Cor. 9.6 and poore men in praying abundantly for their Benefactors for their Preachers for their neighbours for the peace of Sion prayer is as seed cast into heaven and therefore must needs be fruitfull Therefore though praying preaching governing ordering of the family other duties be a sowing in teares accompanied with many difficulties thanklesse offices many times yet hold not thine hand morning nor evening observe not the winde nor raine he that doth shall neither sow nor reap in comfort Eccles 11.4 8. A motive it is to beginning and renewing our repentance Encouragement to repent of sinne First feare not the harshnesse of turning to God Say not a Lyon is in the way a Beare will meete me in the streets some trouble there is but soone to be overtaken with peace and joy trouble but with promise trouble but nothing to the trouble and misery which impenitent persons reserve themselves unto No sowing in teares no reaping in joy A lazie husband-man that flyes winde and weather must looke for no crop in harvest nor a lazie Christian 2. Be willing still to renew your repentance And to renew our repentance specially before the Sacrament this hath abundance of joy in it this bread strengthens mans heart and this wine makes it glad as Psal 104.15 this feast of fat and sweet things will in present make us reap in much joy though nothing to that which remaines for hereafter Presently faith is strengthened and the Joy of faith increased withall and the Christian that hath gone worthily shall walke in the strength of that banket holily and comfortably for many dayes afterward Therefore what if you sow a little in teares before-hand whilest you examine your estate be waile your unworthinesse confesse your sins sue for peace with God and to lay hold on eternall life What if due preparation cost you well the setting on endure all in hope of the harvest My brethren be awakened from security you finde your evidences for heaven somewhat muddy and that you had need renew your covenant with God and Oh that you could get the old feelings and the comforts that sometimes you had To do that renew your repentance sow a little more though in teares digest all well because you do all in hope and with a promise that they who sow in teares shall reap in joy FINIS