on the almighty nor call vpon God at all times For that is a speciall gift of God and peculiar vnto the Saints and as any one maketh more such holy prayers so may he be confidently perswaded that he hath the Spirit of grace in a greater measure And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced that is vpon Christ and that by the eye of faith setting their heart and hope on him and through him expect to be heard and relieued whence obserue this doctrine that the Spirit of prayer doth alwaies leade men vnto Christ Iesus Doct. 3 It causeth them wholly to go out of themselues The Spirit of prayer doth alwaies direct men vnto Christ Iesus and to offer vp their supplications in and through their Sauiour and redeemer This was figured in the sacrifices that were offered vnder the Leuiticall law at which time if any one were polluted by any occasion or otherwise clogged with sinnes that hee had committed he was to bring his offering vnto the Priest and was to be sprinckled with the bloud thereof which did signifie the bloud of Christ by which all Gods elect were to be cleansed and a reconciliation betwixt God and them was to be procured For this cause Daniel though hee were a man much beloued of God and endued with the Spirit of prayer in an wonderfull measure yet he desireth the Lord to heare him not Dan. 9. 17. for his sake or for his peoples sake but for the Lord Christ Iesus his sake Therefore doth our Sauiour tell his disciples that whatsoeuer they should Ioh. 16. 23. aske the Father in his name hee would giue it vnto them Reason Now the reason why the Spirit of grace doth alwaies direct vs vnto Christ in our prayers is because it maketh vs see our owne vilenesse and wretchednesse and so consequently that we stand in need of the mediation of Christ Iesus Therefore in the couenant of grace after Gods people haue receiued the holy Ghost it is said Then shall Eze. 36. 31. ye remember your owne wicked waies and your deeds that were not good and shall iudge your selues worthy to haue bene destroyed for your iniquities and for your abhominations This is the first worke of the Spirit euen to set them downe that they should haue nothing to say for thēselues but plainly acknowledge that shame and confusion that destruction and eternall condemnation is due vnto them if the Lord should enter into iudgement with them Now when they are thus abased and humbled in themselues then will they seeke to haue a part in Christ his merites that so both they and their seruices may be accepted of the Lord through his righteousnesse and through his intercession which he doth continually make for them which serueth Vse 1 First for the confutation of the Papists and to shew that they are not led by the Spirit because in their prayers they rest not vpon the mediation and intercession of Iesus Christ but ioyne thereunto their owne merits and the merits of the Saints thinking by that meanes to preuaile in their suites and to obtaine their hearts desire Secondly it maketh also for the confutation of a number of ignorant men and women among vs that wil bragge of their daily stint of prayers which they runne ouer and how they make no doubt but the Lord will accept of their requests will grant the same and why because they liue honestly among their neighbours do no body any harme and they hope withall that their good words prayers do deserue somewhat at Gods hands Alas poore simple people they little consider what it is to make a good praier for if they did they would go quite out of themselues vnto Christ Iesus and labour for acceptance onely for his sake And as for these prayers which they so much stand vpon if euer it please the Lord to open their eyes and to waken their drowsie consciences they will be so farre from thinking that they merite any thing thereby as that they will see great cause to be humbled therefore for that they haue dealt so hypocritically and carnally drawing neere vnto God with their lips when their hearts haue bene remoued farre from him Thirdly here is another vse of consolation and of instruction both that if we will haue this testimony vnto our soules that we pray in the Spirit then when we haue the most feeling affections and purest desires let vs offer them vp in Christ Iesus let vs not play the Priests our selues as king Vzziah did lest wee be smitten with a worse leprocie in our soules than he was in his bodie but let vs make Christ our high Priest to present our offerings before the Lord. So also when our prayers and thanksgiuings are most imperfect and weake let vs present them through him that so they may finde acceptance with God being perfumed by the righteousnesse of his deare sonne Obiect Oh but I cannot striue nor wrestle with God in prayer as others do and as I my selfe haue sometimes done Answer What of that did not Christ Iesus offer vp Heb. 5. strong cryes vnto his Father And for whom shall those be effectuall but for such poore Christians as cannot so feruently call vpon God for themselues It is said Hebrewes 12. That the bloud of Christ speaketh Heb. 12. 14. better things then the bloud of Abel Now we can easily beleeue that Caine was in a dangerous case when the bloud of Abel did call for vengeance against him and why should we not as throughly beleeue that they are in an happy case who haue the bloud of the son of God to cal for redemption and saluation acceptation of all holy seruices in their behalfe as all true hearted Christians haue The want of this perswasion is the cause why we omit many excellent praiers thanksgiuings which would be very pleasing vnto the Lord being offered vp as sweet incense by our high Priest Christ Iesus and therefore let vs labour for an encrease of faith in this poynt that so God may not be depriued of seruice nor our selues of those comforts and blessings which are promised to all that call vpon him in truth And they shall looke vpon me whom they haue pierced and they shall lament for him c. In that this great lamentation is set downe as an effect of their beholding of Christ whom by their sinnes they had crucified this doctrine may hence be gathered Doct. 4 The due consideration of the death of Christ is The consideration of Christ his sufferings is a forcible meanes to godly sorrow a most forcible means to breake the hearts of Christians with godly sorrow There is no such motiue to make men weepe bitterly for their offences as to weigh with themselues in a serious manner that they by their sinnes haue slaine the Lord of life that his bitterest aduersaries were not the causes of that his shamefull and painfull death which he endured
bee readie to supplie our necessities whatsoeuer they be and to grant vs aboue that that we can aske or thinke And as for our owne priuate cases so for the publike state of the Church and Common-wealth if wee would haue the pestilence or famine or any other iudgement remoued the way to procure this is to repaire thither where wee shall meete with many of the faithfull that will be ready to ioyne with vs in praier and to wrestle with the Lord by feruent and earnest supplications for the remouing of his deserued strokes And this should much incourage vs and adde life vnto our prayers as often as wee haue occasion to aske any thing in publike that God will vouchsafe vnto vs his gratious presence and shew by good effect that hee is in the generation of the righteous Vers 6. Ye haue made a mock of the counsell of the poore In that the holy Prophet doth lay this vnto wicked mens charge as a hainous crime and as the cause of his strokes that were to bee inflicted vpon them this Doctrine offereth it selfe for our learning that Doct. 3 Iesting and scoffing at Gods children is a grieuous kinde of persecution and such as the Lord Mockers are grieuous persecutors Heb. 11. takes speciall notice of In which regard the Apostle Heb. 11. 36. speaking of the wonderfull great trials which sundrie of the Saints did by faith vndergoe reckoneth vp this as none of the least of them that they had been tried by mockings In like sort when the holy Ghost yeeldeth a reason of the vtter ouerthrow of the kingdome of Iudah and of their long and wofull captiuitie he setteth downe this to be one of the principall causes thereof viz. That they mocked 2. Chro. 36. 26. the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets vntill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people and till there was no remedie This kinde of persecution Ismael vsed against Gal. 4. 29. Isaac as the Apostle witnesseth for which hee Gen. 21. 9. was cast out of the Church of God And this was one of the meritorious sufferings of our Lord Iesus Christ that they spit vpon him and nodded Mat. 26. 27. Psal 22. their heads at him and vsed taunting and disgracefull speeches vnto him and put as it were a fooles coate vpon him to disguise him and called him in mockage the King of the Iewes c. This I say was not the least part of his bitter passion through which hee purchased eternall saluation for all his elect namely that hee endured much contempt and reproch both in the course of his life and at the time of his death Now the reason why Satan maketh choice of this weapon aboue others therewith to fight against Gods seruants is Reasons First because mans nature is subiect greatly to abhorre contempt and therefore cannot easily endure to bee vilified and disgraced by scoffing and reprochfull speeches and gestures Secondly the diuell knoweth that he can get many souldiers to be imployed this way Euery Note limme of his cannot imprison nor spoile Christians of their goods or of their liues but there are few or none but they can frame scoffes and iests against the members of Christ Iesus Euery boy can quickly grow skilfull at this as we see in Ismael and in the two and fortie children that 2. King 2. were torne in pieces of two beares for their mocking of the Prophet Elisha the very scumme of the people the vagabonds and rogues that run vp and downe the countrie can doe their master the diuell good seruice this way those that were the children of fooles and the children of villaines Iob 30. 8. 9. as Iob speaketh who were more vile then the earth it selfe could make Iob their song and their talke and in like sort did the drunkards and Psal 69. 12. Psal 35. pot-companions deale with Dauid and the thiefe vpon the crosse with our Sauiour euen at that time Matth. 27. 44. when the fierce wrath of God was manifested vpon his bodie hanging on the crosse for that he had been a notorious and hainous malefactor Vse 1 First this doctrine must teach vs to beware of deriding and taunting at good men for taking of good waies lest by so doing we become persecuters and bee proceeded against as enemies vnto God and his people It is not so safe for vs as many take it to be to exercise our selues in such kind of scoffing he is commonly held to be a sillie fellow that cannot gird at a Minister and at such as vsually resort vnto Sermons But let vs take heed of such nipping and biting speeches as tend to the defaming of any of Gods seruants or seruices lest we be cast out from hauing any communion and fellowship with God as scoffing Ismael was and be exposed to such plagues and punishments as the wicked Iewes were who mocked the messengers of God and reuiled our blessed Sauiour in such an opprobrious and disgracefull manner as the Scriptures doe record Vse 2 Secondly for as much as contemptuous and reprochfull scoffes and girds are such weapons as Satan putteth into the hands of his instruments let vs prepare for them and arme our selues against them Christs Disciples must not looke to be aboue their master if wicked sinners reuiled and derided him we must not imagine to escape their virulent and venemous tongues and therefore the Apostle exhorteth vs that seeing he hath Heb. 13. 12. 13. borne our reproch wee should beare his and for the ioy that is laid before vs endure the crosse Heb. 12. 2. and despise the shame and so at length wee shall receiue the crowne of glorie which is prepared for all those that in patience doe waite for his glorious appearing Now that wee may be better inabled to beare How we may be inabled to beare contēpt these taunts and reproches let vs take this direction following 1. First labour against that inbred pride that Labour against pride is naturally in euery one of our hearts which maketh vs vtterly vnable to vndergoe disgrace therefore was it that though many of the chiefe rulers of the Iewes beleeued in Christ yet they durst not confesse him because of the Pharisies who would haue excommunicated them and disgraced them to the vtmost and the reason is rendred in that place viz. That they loued the John 12. 43. praise of men more then the praise of God they stood vpon their carnall credite and reputation among their neighbours and countriemen more then vpon that true credite and estimation which they might haue had with the Lord and his children and therefore was it that they were so loath to expose themselues for Christ his sake vnto the shame of the world whereas if they had had humble and lowlie hearts they would haue denied themselues in their estimation among men and haue taken vp the reproch of Christ as an honorable
goe to hellish torments and such as will be their companions in euill shall certainely be partakers with them in punishment and the more reprobates are in hell together the more hideous and woefull will their state be Obiect 3 Another sort there are that secure themselues with this that they haue stomach and courage in them and therefore they doubt not but they shall stand vndaunted and vnappalled in the midst of all extremities Ans But these stout-hearted champions shall finde that their hearts wil faile them when the mouth of their conscience beginneth once to be opened against them and to lay their sinnes new and old in order before them For what saith the Prophet Zephany In the great Zeph. 1. 14. 15. day of the Lords wrath the strong man shall cry bitterly Now crying is an argument of great perplexity and anguish and of basenesse of mind when it proceedeth from outward causes and yet the Prophet saith that the strong men and such as did professe fortitude should cry and that bitterly and the more couragious they had bene in sin the more cowardly they should be when the Lord did visite them for sinne Obiect 4 Lastly there are others that thinke to carie out their vile practises by reason of their noble parentage their high places the multitude of their attendants the largenesse of their substance c. If they say the word who can hinder the deed who dare controll them or crosse them If any thinke himselfe wronged say they let him take his aduantage and seeke his remedie c. Answer See the haughtinesse of flesh and bloud when once it is set on horse-backe but suppose that men dare not encounter them doe they imagine that the Lord will be afraid of their bigge words and bigge lookes if they do they are much deceiued Pharaoh Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar were as great and as proud as most of these braggers yet did not the Lord strike them with horrour and amazement and make them see and know that hee was the king of kings and Lord of Lords Sathan hath all that worldly men can haue and a great deale more both of wit and wealth and company and courage and command and yet for all this the very consideration of Gods indignation maketh him to tremble according to that of the Apostle Iam. 2. 19. Iames Thou beleeuest that there is one God the diuels also beleeue and tremble And how then can they thinke to escape the terrours of the Lord who though they be great in the world yet come farre behinde the prince of the world in greatnesse Let experience speake in this poynt when the Note Lord tooke away our gracious Queene and there was likelihood either of a ciuill dissension or forren inuasion howbeit the Lord miraculously deliuered vs from them both who were then least troubled with feares those that were great in the world or such as were great in Gods fauour And now that the Lord doth visite our cities and townes and villages with the pestilence who are they that are most couragious surely those that truly feare the Lord they thinke it the safest course to exercise theÌ„selues in the workes of their callings and not to run hither and thither and to come vnto the publicke assemblies of the Saints and not to neglect the feeding of their soules for feare of endangering their bodies whereas the wealthy and great ones of the world hide their heads in a corner being very vnwilling to aduenture vpon any good worke that either God or man calleth them vnto if there be but the least appearance of any perill Vse 2 Therefore in the second place if we would be voyde of those terrours that wicked men are subiect vnto and be able with boldnesse to hold vp our heads when Gods iudgements are abroad in the world then let vs obserue these directions following First let vs beware of all manner of sins that no Remedies against heâ—lish feares 1. Feare to offend See M. Dods booke Con. 1. Psal 1â— â— iniquity haue entertainment with vs and labour to be at one with the Lord that so our consciences may be at one with vs which if we can attaine vnto we shall be strongly fortified against all vnnecessary feares According to that in the Psalme Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord c. He shall not be afraid of euill tidings c. Where the Prophet sheweth that hee is an happy man that is truly religious and sheweth it forth by fearing of God and delighting in his commandements and by performing the duties of loue and mercie towards his brethren for as he shall be freed from all hurtfull euils so shall he be exempted from all passionate feare thereof Many wicked Note men haue not the plague in their houses and yet are plagued with the feare of it and many godly men haue their families visited therewith and yet are not perplexed with such terrors and the reason is yeelded in that place because their hearts are fixed and established and beleeue in the Lord. That is the foundation wherupon they build their courage and confidence euen the Lord himselfe who is a sure stay to those that relie vpon him His children know that nothing can befall them without his prouidence and that nothing shall betide them but he will support them vnder it and make them to profite by it and what cause then haue they to be distempered If therfore we desire to haue still quiet hearts when others shall be euen at their wits end then let vs get the breast-plate of righteousnesse and innocencie for the righteous is bold as a Prou. 28. 1. Lyon Let vs feare sin before it be committed and when we are tempted thereunto say with Iob Are there not strange punishments for the workers of iniquity Iob. 31. Will not the Lord be angry with me if I should commit this wickednesse will not mine owne heart be discomforted will not my spirit be made sad within me how should I be able to looke the Lord in the face if he should lay his hand in any fearefull manner vpon me or mine when I haue so prouoked him to his face c Thus if we could fright our hearts from offending the maiestie of God we shold be as bold as Iob was wheÌ„ the waues of aduersity flow in vpon vs on euery side The Lord saith he hath giuen and the Lord hath taken blessed Iob. 1. 21. Iob. 13. 15. be the name of the Lord. And in another place Though the Lord should kill me yet will I trust in him He feared sinne which is the sting of crosses and therefore were his crosses lesse terrible vnto him when they came and so will they be vnto vs if we carefully eschew those corruptions which otherwise will inuenome and poyson them vnto vs. This is the first meanes to arme vs against feares viz. to take heede of sinne before it be committed But if it be
prophane his Sabbaths doe they not defile their soules and bodies with many horrible pollutions And whereas they haue been often told of these faults and sharply rebuked for them doe they not for all that continue still in them and vndertake the defence of them Yea doe they not fret and fume and chafe at such as seek to reclaime them from their leaud courses If their consciences doe accuse them of these and the like crimes vndoubtedly they are guiltie of high treason against the Lord of heauen and earth they carrie the diuels badge and fight vnder his banner as professed enemies vnto God and his truth and whatsoeuer they thinke of themselues such the Lord will esteeme them to be and proceed against them accordingly Secondly let this teach vs to be most fearefull of transgressing the sacred lawes of our heauenlie King and if we be at any time put to that straite that wee must either violate the commandement of our earthly gouernours or of God himselfe let vs chuse rather to obey God then men and with a meeke spirit and peaceable cariage submit our selues to their censures rather then incurre the Lords displeasure and so become liable to his iudgements Thirdly this is for singular comfort vnto Gods people who are charged to be factious and seditious vnquiet and vndutifull persons yet so long as their consciences tell them that they are willing to attend to holie and wholesome doctrine whereby their sinnes may be reproued and their hearts and liues reformed and bettered they may be sure that God accounteth them good subiects and those that are such vnto him are of all other most loyall and dutifull vnto their rulers and gouernors neither indeed can any be truly faithful vnto men that hath not first learned to be faithfull vnto God Let vs not therefore be dismaied at the clamors of those that doe vniustly charge vs with disloyaltie Athaliah cried out treason 2. King 11. 14. treason but in truth she was the traitor her selfe and the like may be said of many that are so ready to traduce others in that sort whatsoeuer their outward behauiour towards Magistrates such as are in authoritie bee they are miserable and wretched rebels before the Lord and such they shall appeare to be in the end if they doe not in time submit themselues vnder his gratious gouernment FINIS The fifth Sermon Doct. 2 IT is an infallible note of an impious and It is a marke of an impious person to reiect the word prophane person to bee vnwilling to heare the holy word of God Although men doe ordinarily resort vnto the assemblies where the Gospell is purely preached yet if they wish in their hearts that they were from vnder those droppings and if they might haue their own choice they would be from vnder them they are carnall and vngodly men what appearances soeuer there bee to the contrarie From this ground the prophet Isaiah concludeth the Iewes to be a falsehearted and rebellious people because they would not heare the Isaiah 30. 9. word of the Lord. They were constrained now and then to heare it whether they would or not but their affection went against it and the Lord iudged them and passed sentēce vpon them for that calling them a rebellious people and lying children such as were full of peruersenesse and of dissimulation within whatsoeuer faire shews they made outwardly to dazle the eyes of men The same marke of wicked sinners is giuen by Iob where he saith They say vnto God Depart from Job 21. 14. vs for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies not that there is any such wicked monster that wil directly vse those tearmes vnto the Lord but his meaning is that their liues and practises do proue so much viz. that they would not willingly haue any thing to doe with God which appeareth by this that they desire not the knowledge of his waies Let them say what they will those that care not to be acquainted with Gods will nor to learne from thence what is their dutie doe in effect bid the Lord depart from them and therfore must needs be very impious and irreligious persons To the same purpose is it said in the Psalm My people would Psal 81 1◠not heare my voyce and what of that Israel would none of me If one should haue said to them You are Apostataes and hate God in your hearts they would haue thought it the greatest wrong that could be but we see what the Lords testimonie is concerning them they would not attend to my voice therfore they would none of me they reiected my word therefore they reiected me Besides these places and many moe that might be alleaged the causes and effects of this vnwillingnesse to heare the Lords message will euidently proue those to be sinful persons that are possessed therewith Reasons The causes First then for the causes thereof there shall two onely bee named though many other might bee brought One of them the Prophet Ieremy maketh mention of saying Vnto whom shall I speake and admonish Ieremy 6. 10. that they may heare behold their eares are vncircumcised and they cannot hearken In the words going before he had denounced heauie plagues against them in regard of their horrible and fearefull transgressions which did continually flow from them euen as waters from a fountaine vers 7. Now hereupon some man might say If their offences be so grieuous wherefore doe not you tell them thereof Why saies the Prophet vnto whom shall I speake whom shall I admonish their eares are vncircumcised that is fleshly and carnall so that albeit good instructions be brought vnto them yet they cannot hearken thereunto but will be gazing hither and thither and haue their mindes taken vp with other matters Let a debter of theirs come vnto them to pay thē money and they wil not be looking on this thing and on that when they should receiue it at his hands but when the true treasure is offered vnto them freely they are either idle or ill imployed so that they haue no minde to accept of that Tell them a tale of lucre which they may get or of some iniurie done vnto them whereof they may take aduantage and their eares are wide open for such matters but let there bee any speech vsed tending to the glorie of God or the saluation of their soules they are altogether deafe and cannot with any life or cheerfulnes listen to such things Now how come their eares to be thus vncircumcised because their hearts are vncircumcised which is the Second cause of their vnwillingnesse to attend to the words of wisedome And this appeareth in two things the first is that as Ieremy speaketh they delight not in Gods voice The Ierem. 6. 10. second that they doe take pleasure in vnrighteousnes as the Apostle witnesseth And looke how much 2. Thess 2. 12. delight any one taketh in sinne so much hatred will he beare against
that sometimes they would because the spirit strugleth and fighteth against the lusts of the flesh Now concerning wicked men they are altogether fleshly and therefore when they haue vile motions from nature or bad suggestions from Satan they like of them and nourish and cherish them and if meanes and opportunitie bee offered proceed to the execution of them Herein then may Gods children reioyce that they are farre vnlike the limmes of the diuell in that they mortifie the deedes of the flesh by the spirit Rom. 8. 13. and therefore shall liue whereas others walke after the flesh and satisfie it in the lusts thereof and therefore shall die In the meditation whereof they should raise vp their discouraged hearts and fainting spirits to sound ioy and due thankfulnes for that the Lord hath by his good spirit and powerfull word wrought a change in their hearts and made them that were naturally set on mischiefe and did drinke in iniquitie with delight euen as beasts drink water to be in any measure tractable vnto holy duties and to carrie a perfect hatred against all impietie and vnrighteousnesse albeit they cannot get that masterie of their sinfull lusts as they should and as they would This is a wonderfull worke of God for which we cannot sufficientlie praise his name and therefore wee should doe as the Prophet Dauid did when the Lord had put it into his heart and into the hearts of his subiects to be liberall towards the building of the Temple Now therefore our God saith he 1. Chron. 29 13. 14. 18. we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name But who am I and what is my people that we should be able to offer willingly after this sort c. O Lord God of Abraham Izhac and Israel our fathers keepe this for euer in the purpose and thoughts of the heart of thy people and prepare their hearts vnto thee From which words it is apparent that it is an admirable and supernaturall worke to haue a well disposed minde and a well affected heart vnto any thing that concernes the worship of God and his glorie to be franke and free-hearted in bestowing ones substance vpon sumptuous buildings costly apparel great house-keeping setting vp Lords of misrule and the like is a thing not worth the speaking of because a mecre carnall man in arrogancie and vain-glorie may bee very lauish and prodigall to such ends and purposes But to haue a liberall heart for good vses either for the furtherance of Gods seruice or for the reliefe of the distressed Saints is a matter that wee should take speciall notice of and bee carefull to magnifie the name of the Lord for it and earnestly to intreate the continuance of it as Dauid doth in this place And though we be not alwaies alike but now and then dull and heauie and lumpish and drowsie when it pleaseth the Lord for our humbling to let the flesh play it part yet if wee sometimes and for the most part finde spirituall motions and affections and from thence proceed to holy speeches and actions as occasion and abilitie is offered wee haue great cause to blesse the name of God for his singular fauour and goodnesse towards vs in that behalfe Doct. 5 AL the sorrowes and teares of Gods children All the afflictions of the Saints shal end in consolatiōs Isaiah 30. 20. shall end in ioy As they haue their times of feeding vpon the bread of aduersitie and the water of affliction so haue they also seasons of reioycing and of singing Psalmes of praise for their happie deliuerance 29. out of troubles and miseries Heauinesse may abide Psal 30. 5. at euening but ioy commeth in the morning They may sow in teares for a time but they shall reape in ioy This is the very patrimonie and inheritance of the Saints as the Wiseman saith Surely to a man Ecclesiast 2. vlt. that is good in his sight to wit through Christ God giueth wisedom and knowledge and ioy this he may build on and make full account of euen in the middest of all his sorrow and anguish And there is good reason why it must needs be thus Reasons 1 First because the afflictions of the Saints doe exceedingly humble them for they looke vpward in their distresses and behold Gods righteous hand smiting them and thereupon descend vnto themselues and diue deepe into their hearts to search what corruptions doe lurk there whereby the Lord is incēsed against them that so those being remoued by sound repentance his heauie displeasure may bee turned away from them and his louing countenance may shine vpon them This is it that Gods children will sooner or later come vnto albeit for a fit they be passionate and discontented they will at length turne their eies from looking vpon their crosses to see the true cause thereof and so be grieued for their offences against God and smite vpon their thighs in a holie Ierem. 31. 19. indignation against themselues in regard of their pride and vnbeliefe and vnthankfulnesse and other the like corruptions They then leaue off musing on other mens iniuries and begin to bethink themselues of their owne transgressions that so casting downe themselues by godly sorrow the Lord may raise them vp to pure and holy 1. Pet 5. 6. ioy which he will certainly doe in due season neither shall all their sinnes and sorrowes bee able to keepe them downe when once they are thoroughly humbled vnder the holy hand of God It is his promise then to lift them vp and Christ his office to comfort them that mourne therefore Isai 61. as those that in their miseries are passionate and desperate full of murmuring against God and of fretting against men cannot expect any ioyfull issue out of their troubles so on the other side they that are lowly and broken harted much deiected and abased in the presence of the Lord and milde and peaceable in their carriage before men they may be assured that all their sighs shall end in songs that all teares shall be wiped away from their eyes and that in stead of the spirit of heauinesse they shall in due time be clad with the garments of gladnesse Secondly Gods seruants doe pray in their afflictions which is the very high way vnto sound comfort Call vpon me in the time of trouble saith Psal 50. God and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie me This Asa and Iehoshaphat had good experience 2. Chron. 14. 20. of for when they being in a great straite had humbled themselues by fasting and prayer their hearts were full of ioy and their mouthes full of the praises of the Lord for their wonderfull deliuerance from their enemies And the like may be said of Hester and Mordecai and the rest of the Hester Iewes in his time And our Sauiour telleth his Disciples Verely verely I say vnto you that yee shall Iohn 16. 20. weepe and lament but your sorrow
mercy vnto his Church He will seeke to destroy all nations that come against Ierusalem that is all the enimies that doe oppose themselues vnto his people and endeauour to hinder his good worke in them and for them Now when it is said that he will seeke to destroy them the meaning is that as he hath a resolution to ouerthrow them so he will prouide meanes whereby it shall be effected Then further in the tenth verse he setteth downe the meanes how his people should bee brought to such excellencie I wil powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of grace c. Signifying that he would vouchsafe vnto his Church vnder the Gospell a more plentifull measure of his Spirit that as they should haue more excellent and cleere and powerfull meanes so they should finde a greater blessing vpon the vse of those meanes that whereas vnder the law they had but drops of grace distilling easily by little and little now they should haue whole buckets full as it were yea whole flouds of grace powred downe vpon all sorts of Gods seruantes By the Spirit of grace is meant the Spirit of adoption and of regeneration so called both because it is giuen out of Gods free grace and fauour as also because it worketh grace and goodnesse in all such as are endued therewith this Spirit is further described by a speciall effect viz. that it is a Spirit of prayers Till such time as men are made partakers hereof they may vse many words of prayer but they are altogether idle and vaine fruites of their flesh and not of their faith such as they haue great cause to be humbled for and no reason at all to be comforted in but when once they haue this Spirit put into their hearts they can call vppon the Lord in an acceptable and comfortable manner Then next is shewed whither this Spirit leadeth them to wit vnto Christ They shall looke on him whom they haue pierced When men begin to pray in a religious and conscionable manner they disclaime all fleshly helps and hopes and betake themselues vnto their Sauiour whom they haue pierced by their sinnes for it cannot properly bee saide that the Scribes and Pharises or Iudas or the high Priests or the Romanes did put Christ to death they being but instruments thereof but the iniquities of Gods elect did the fact and they were indeed the true and principall cause that brought vpon the Sonne of God all manner of affliction and persecution and execution it selfe In the next place it is said that when his children shall looke vpon him They shall lament for him or ouer him or concerning him all comes to one reckoning As soone as they see what euils and miseries they haue brought vpon Christ Iesus by their transgressions and how odious their offences are which could be healed by no other medicine but by the precious bloud of the immaculate lambe of God the due consideration hereof will cause them to bee troubled and grieued at the very heart Which griefe is set out by two speciall circumstances two wit by the greatnesse of it and by the truth of it The greatnesse thereof is declared by two comparisons which yet are inferiour and lesse then the thing it selfe For the first comparison it is said That they should lament for him as one that mourneth for his only sonne and be sorry as one is sorry for his first borne If parents haue many children yet it will much grieue them to part with any of them but if they haue but one onely sonne who is likely to be the heire of the family and they lose him and so are disappointed of their hope then they vsually mourne with an exceeding bitter lamentation as the woman of the cittie of Nain did for the death of her onely son Luke 7. 11. Such the holy Ghost saith shall be the sorrow of all true penitent persons when they apprehend the multitude and grieuousnesse of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord of life The second comparison here vsed to expresse the measure of their sorrow is taken from the example of the Iewes who when their godly and worthy king Iosiah was slaine in the valley of Megiddo neere Hadadrimmon in fighting against Pharoah Necho king of Aegipt they lamented for him very 2. Chron. 35. bitterly and not onely the common people who haue not so good a gouernement of their affections mourned for him but Ieremiah the Prophet also and others of the best sort of men and women tooke this losse exceedingly to heart as seeing in the death of Iosiah the death and ruine both of Church and common wealth In which regard it was set downe as an ordinance that they should haue set times of mourning for that affliction which befell them through his death and such saith the Prophet shall bee the lamentation of those that attaine to the sight and sence of their sinnes whereby they haue slaine the Lord Christ Iesus verse 11. Hauing thus set forth the greatnesse of their sorrow he commeth in the next place to expresse the soundnesse thereof The land shall bewaile euery family apart c. Not in the publicke assemblies alone where the teares of one may draw on the teares of another and so their mourning be either naturall for company or hypocriticall for vaine glory but he saith that euery family should weepe apart and in priuate yea not onely the seuerall families but particular persons yea those that were most neerely lincked together viz. the husband and the wife should bee separated in this worke of humiliation and not content themselues to pray and bewaile their sinnes one with another but take some time each of them to performe this dutie in secret and if they that are so inward one with another should lament apart much more others that are further off one from another By the house of Dauid is meant as was before shewed the excellenter sort of Christians and the like is signified by the house of Nathan who was the son of Dauid of whom Christ came for the family of Salomon was wholy extinguished By the house of Leui is meant the ordinary sort of the Leuites and as for the family of Shimei it was one of the principall families of Leui. Whence we may obserue that all families without exception are tyed to this worke and ought iointly and seuerally to performe the same None are so good but they must weepe for their sinnes in secret and pray for the continuance increase of their goodnesse and as it is not needlesse for the best so neither is it bootlesse for the meanest but whosoeuer doth so shall haue a fountaine of grace opened vnto him whereby all his iniquities shall be washed away The drift then of these words we see is to manifest and expresse the great goodnesse of God towards his seruants in the time of the Gospel and here is shewed 1 First what gift he
and amiable in the sight of God and of his holy Angels which was before time a most vgly and deformed creature This must needes be a maruailous great benefite for if the defacing of Gods Image be the cause of all our woe then the repairing thereof must of necessity be the cause of all our happinesse A fift reason why their state is so happy that are endued with Gods spirit is because that is it which comforteth and strengtheneth them in all their temptations and troubles Those that are destitute of this holy comforter when aduersity lighteth vpon them do either fret or faint either fall to murmuring or to desperation but those that haue their hearts replenished with the holy Ghost doe then most strongly reioyce when tribulations and miseries lye most heauily vpon them as the Apostles when they were most grieuously persecuted are said then to be filled with the holy Ghost And Acts. 4. 31. what of that Then they reioyced that they were counted Acts 5. 41. worthy to suffer rebuke for Christ his name And as Pauls sufferings did abound so did his consolations 2 Cor. â— 5. in Christ abound also So that when comfort is comfort indeed and when life it selfe would go vnlesse comfort came then doth the holy Ghost most plenteously refresh the heart with inward ioy and contentment according to that saying of the Apostle Peter Now for a season yee are in heauinesse 1. Pet. 16. 8. and yet reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Hitherto the reasons alledged haue tended chiefely to this euen to shew what good the Spirit of grace bringeth vnto our selues Now further there is a sixt reason for the confirmation of this poynt which is that it doth also make vs exceeding profitable vnto others which is a very great addition vnto our blessednesse All the wit learning and art in the world cannot make a man to bee a constant and conscionable doer of good but Gods spirit alone must doe that and therefore goodnesse is set downe as a fruit thereof Gal 5. 22. And in the sixth chapter of that Epistle ver 1. the Apostle saith If any man be ouertaken by any offence ye that are spiritual restore such a one not ye that are wittie or learned c. For no man can be a good Physitian vnto others but he that hath first wrought a cure vpon his owne soule in which 2 Cor. 1. 4. regard the Apostle Paul saith Wee are able to comfort others with the consolations wherwith we our selues haue bene comforted Looke then who is most spirituall and we shall finde that he doth alwayes most good Therefore was it that when the Apostles were to conuert the whole world and to batter downe hell gates vpon Sathans head they had the Spirit plentifully powred down vpon them which filled them so full of heauenly wisdome and courage Acts. 2. and zeale that they did that which all the Kings and Monarches of the earth could neuer haue effected by all their power and policy So also when Christ was to do the greatest good that euer any creature did the Lord saith that his Spirit shall rest vpon him and thereby was he fitted to go through with the great worke of our redemption Isa 11. 1. For as it is in that place the Spirit of the Lord is a Spirit of wisdome and vnderstanding making those that haue it to be of a sound iudgement and able to search into the hidden things of God a Spirit of counsel to guide and direct them and of power to strengthen and confirme them though they were neuer so feeble and weake a Spirit of knowledge and of the feare of the Lord to make such as are indued therewith prudent in his feare as there the Prophet speaketh Now seeing it is cleare by these reasons that the hauing of this holy Spirit is the way to al happines Vse 1 First of all this may serue for the iust reproofe of those that would faine liue happily and comfortably and yet neuer had any feruent longing nor made any earnest request for Gods Spirit and the graces thereof they plainly manifest themselues to be ignorant and carnall persons that do not yet know what true happinesse meanes Secondly here are those much more sharply to be rebuked who thinke it best not to be led by the Spirit but rather by the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes imagining in their folly and madnesse that if they can heape together a great deale of wealth aduance themselues theirs to great places in the world then they shal be happy men leade a merry cheerefull life albeit they neuer take any care nor vse any endeuour to get the spirit of grace into their hearts but rather think them to be out of their wits that labour to be spirituall Wil these men know what their estate is the Apostle telleth them If any man haue not the Spirit of Rom. 8. 9. Christ the same is not his and if he be not his he is for the present a bond-slaue of Sathan and in the state of a reprobate and if such can be happy men 2 Cor. 13. then are they happy otherwise not If it were possible that for their outward condition of life they could be equall vnto Adam in paradise yet must they needs be very miserable as he was when the spirit of God was taken from him it was not the garden of Eden that could then yeeld him contentment but he was in farre greater misery and perplexity in that place then many theeues are in the dungeon or vpon the gallowes when they are ready to be turned ouer He that hath the spirit of God as Paul had shall finde a heauen in prison in sickenesse in death it selfe whereas he that hath it not shall finde a hell though he liued in as good a place as the very paradise of God was Thirdly here is an vse of instruction viz. that we should search and try whether we haue the Spirit or not for it is not a matter of small consequence but such as neerely concerneth vs. If then we would be resolued of this point let How wee may discerne whether we haue the spirit or not Gal. 5. 17. vs first examine whether there be in vs that continuall warre and conflict mentioned Gal. 5. 17. betweene the flesh and the Spirit which all godly men doe finde and feele in themselues more or lesse for as the Apostle there speaketh The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Now this combat is generall throughout all the powers and faculties of the soule as to giue instance in the chiefe of them First in the vnderstanding part there is a conflict betweene carnall reason the iudgment rightly informed by Gods word as in this particular A good man is railed vpon and vnderseruedly traduced and vilified in this case reason will thus play its part Why should you
Rom. 8. 15. wherby we cry Abba father So that none can confidently call God father but by the helpe of his blessed Spirit If vnregenerate men will pray to their father Christ telleth them who he is when speaking to such kinde of persons he saith You are Ioh. 8. 44. of your father the Diuell And how proueth he that The lusts of your father yee will do As those that are willing to do the workes of God are assuredly the children of God euen so they that are ready to doe the workes of Satan are without doubt the children of Satan and if they wil pray vnto their father they must pray vnto the Diuell Againe in that very place it is sayd that the Spirit helpeth our infirmities for wee know not what to Rom. 8. 26 pray as we ought but the Spirit it selfe maketh requests for vs with sighes that cannot be expressed where it is euident that the best of Gods seruants without the helpe and assistance of the holy Ghost are ignorant both of the matter and manner of prayer but the Spirit doth informe their mindes what to aske and frame their affections how to aske in an holy and acceptable sort so that albeit sometimes they want words to expresse their meaning yet they are full of inward sighes and heauenly desires But what are they the better for them will some say if they cannot powre them forth before the Lord in an outward forme of prayer They are much the better because as it is in the 27. verse He that searcheth the hearts knoweth the meaning of the spirit and he so knoweth it that he approueth of it and delighteth in it If there be neuer so many good words and those vttered by the very Saints of God themselues yet if they proceede not from the Spirit but from the flesh as sometimes they may they are not pleasing vnto the Lord but abhorred of him And on the other side albeit there be no words at all as many times it fals out when the heart is oppressed through extremity of griefe yet if there bee a multitude of holy desires in the soule stirred vp through the powerfull working of the holy Spirit they are accepted of him and shall bee rewarded by him for as it is added in the place aboue named The Spirit euen at such times maketh requests for the Saints according to the will of God And therefore their suits according with his will he cannot but yeeld vnto the same Againe it is the proper worke of the Spirit to conuince the iudgement of sinne and to humble Iohn 16. 8. the heart therefore without which there can no faithfull prayer be made vnto the Lord. Bring neuer so strong reasons to adulterers or gamesters or Saboth-breakers or any that liue in the continuall practise of such dangerous and damnable sinnes and presse them neuer so forcibly to cause them to forsake their lewd and wretched courses and yet can they not see why they should leaue them but rather imagine that they may lawfully follow the same still And no maruell for till the God of heauen do set downe their carnall reason it can neuer be set downe and till he stop their mouthes they will neuer be silenced but still haue somewhat to say for their wretched and vile behauiour Reasons collected from the former places Seeing then it is euident that Gods Spirit alone can perswade vs of the loue and fauour of our heauenly Father towards vs that so we may be in case to pray vnto him and withall must furnish vs with the matter and helpe vs in the manner of our praiers and humble vs in the sight of our owne miserable wants that so we may bee more earnest and feruent in the requests that we make the point now in hand may hence be strongly concluded to wit that none can make a faithfull prayer without the speciall ayde and direction of the holy Ghost which serueth Vse 1 First for the confutation of those sencelesse people that will be talking and bragging how they pray day and night They that know what it is to lift vp a feruent prayer vnto the heauens doe easily discerne that they are but meere braggers and boasters and that indeede they neuer made one faithful prayer since they were borne because they are and still haue bene sensuall and carnall and vtterly void of any sanctifying grace of Gods spirit and therefore so farre are they from hauing any cause of reioycing in regard of their good prayers as they call them that they haue great cause to be humbled for them as being workes of the flesh and not of the Spirit such as doe rather prouoke the Lords displeasure against them then pacifie his anger or any way procure his fauour towards them Such are the prayers of all blind and ignorant Papists who pray in an vnknowne tong to whom it may be said as it was by our Sauiour vnto the sonnes of Zebedeus Ye know not what yee aske They may speake what they list of their often praying and how readily they can goe through with their stint and taske but they that vnderstand what it is to bring God and their owne soules together in earnest requests and feruent supplications cannot but iudge them to bee bragging Pharises who thinke that the Lord is beholding vnto them and indebted vnto them for such prayers whereas in truth he may iustly condemneth em vnto hell for the same and will do so if they be not humbled for them as well as for the rest of their iniquities And therefore they that haue indeed the Spirit of prayer are of another mind for when they haue vsed the best preparation that possibly they can they finde so many defects in their prayers that they are driuen to make a new prayer for the pardoning of those their wants and are stirred vp heartily to praise the Lord when they can in any poore measure powre out their soules before him as knowing that it is not from any strength that they haue in themselues but from the helpe and furtherance of his good Spirit Secondly let this be an instruction vnto vs that if we would pray aright and speede accordingly we labour as Iude exhorteth to pray in the Iude V. 20. holy Ghost For those be the petitions that pierce the heauens and bring peace comfort vnto the conscience But how shall we know whether our prayers proceed from Gods Spirit or not for our sinfull hearts are apt to deceiue vs on both sides viz. either to make vs thinke through Satans suggestion that we doe not pray in the holy Ghost because we haue so many frailties when in truth we doe or that we pray as we ought to doe because we haue matter and words at will when indeed there is no such thing but onely a naturall gift of vttering that which is in our mindes and memories in apt and fit tearms and in a fluent manner of speech Therefore if wee
idiote it were better for him to play his part on the ground if those that are in eminent places haue not power to maister their owne lusts and carnall affections they are but great fooles vpon an high stage Therefore let vs seeke for spirituall things more then for earthly and be more thankfull and ioyfull when we finde grace in our hearts then if we should find many mines of gold which none could lay claime vnto but our selues The end of the second Sermon vpon the 6. of Luke THE THIRD SERMON vpon the fourteenth Psalme PSALME 14. Verse 5. There they shall be taken with feare because God is in the generation of the iust 6 You haue made a mocke of the counsell of the poore because the Lord is his trust IN the former part of this Psalme is set downe the iust complaint of the Prophet concerning the sinfull and corrupt nature and conuersation of all vnregenerate persons where is declared their horrible impietie against God in that they sayd in their hearts there was no God as also their bloudy crueltie against his seruants in that they deuoured them as greedily as an hungry man doth eate bread Both which their impietie and crueltie are sufficiently proued first by their abhominable practise and behauiour both in committing euill and in omitting good v. 1. 3. 4. Secondly by the testimony of the Lord who tooke a suruey of their disposition and cariage v. 2. Thirdly by the euidence of their owne consciences Do not the workers of iniquity know c Now in these words the holy Ghost sheweth what will be the end and issue of such vngodly courses and what iudgement will fall vpon such irreligious and cruell persons describing it 1 First by the manner of it There they Verse 5 shall be taken with feare that is in the mids of their sinfull practises horrible terrours shall take hold of them so that they shall be full of trembling and amazement 2 Secondly by the principall causes for which this iudgment is sent which are two 1 One in respect of God viz. his fauour and loue vnto his people which he manifesteth by being in the congregation of the righteous That is among all righteous persons and that not with an idle presence but standing with them and for them to vphold direct and comfort them according to their need and to confound all such as lift vp their heads against them 2 Another cause is in regard of the enemies of God and of his people to wit their malice and sinfulnesse against which the holy Ghost inueigheth by way of insultation You haue made a mocke c. q. d. You shall assuredly be met withall and will you know why You haue made a mocke of the Verse 6 counsell of the poore That is at their resolute purpose to seeke God and their constant endeuours to depend vpon him as the words following seeme to imply Because the Lord is his trust q. d. You are so farre from taking good wayes and resting vpon the prouidence and goodnesse of God your selues that you disgrace and despite those that will doe so and therefore without doubt woe and miserie shall ouertake and ouerwhelme you when you little imagine any such matter Doct. 1 Vers 5. There they shall be taken with feare We may reade in the former part of the Psalme how forward these men were vnto all vngodlines and vnrighteousnesse and now see how they are affected and thence learne this doctrine that Boldnesse in sinne brings dastardlines afterward Those that are most bold to commit sin are most cowardly when dangers doe approach Hardines and venturousnesse in euill courses hath commonly darstardlinesse attending thereupon when any occasion of feare is offered There they shall be taken with feare saith the Prophet that is in the very height of their impiety against the Lord and of their cruelty against his seruants euen there they shall be surprizsed with horrour and astonishment albeit they in their folly say There is no God and therefore rush into all abhominations vtterly casting off the yoake of obedience and delighting in nothing more than in deuouring Gods people yet will he make them know that there is a God in heauen that takes notice of their workes and of their waies and if nothing else will cause them to beleeue it the very torments and tortures which he suddenly and strangely inflicteth vpon their consciences shall make them will they nill they to confesse it For when they presume of all manner of safety and doe not so much as dreame of any perill that is toward because of the weaknesse and basenesse of their aduersaries then some vnexpected euill shall ouertake them and anguish shall come vpon them Euen as trauell vpon a Psal 48. 6. woman that iâ— with child that is suddenly grieuously and vnauoydably This is denounced as a part of the curse to be executed vpon those that would not obey the lawes of God nor feare the glorious and fearefull name of the Lord That he would giue them a trembling Deut. 28. 65. 66. heart and a sorrowfull mind that they should feare both day and night that in the morning they should say VVould it were euening and at euening VVould God it were morning Which very curse is expressed in other termes in the booke of Leuiticus where the Lord threatneth those that would not be reformed but would walke stubbornely against him that he would send a faintnesse into Leuit. 26. 36. their hearts in so much that the sound of a leafe shaken should chase them and they should flie as flying from a sword though none did pursue them This point may be made yet more plaine by examples King Ahaz was maruailous bold in his 2 Chron. â—8 2. 3. idolatrous and wicked courses reiecting the ordinances of God and bringing in heathenish abominations in stead thereof without any feare of God or of his iudgements But how was he affected when danger was neare The Prophet Isaiah telleth vs that when the king of Aram and the king of Israel came against him his heart together Isa 7. 1. 2. with the hearts of his people that were like vnto him was moued as the trees of the forest are moued by the winde That is both he and all his souldiers were euen as Aspen leaues or some such like that in a great tempest of boisterous winds are maruailously tossed and shaken the feare of their enemies that were neare at hand did make them hauing no faith in God exceedingly to quake and tremble The like wherunto the same Prophet foretelleth concerning the vnbeleeuing Iewes speaking of that which should be as if it were already done The sinners is Sion were afraid saith he a Isa 33. 14. feare is come vpon the hypocrites When Gods iudgments doe flie abroad in the world this is the vse that sinfull persons will make of them they will vexe their hearts with hellish and desperate feares and cry out VVho
among vs shall dwell with deuouring fire VVho among vs shall dwell with euerlasting burnings For so they conceiue of God that he is a consuming fire as indeed he is vnto such as they are and that he will not onely torment them presently but euerlastingly We may reade of Saul in what wofull perplexity he was when he must part with his kingdome and his life at once In the time of his prosperity he was a man of great courage and too too boysterous against Dauid yet when newes came vnto him that he must dye the very report of it caused him straight way to fall all along vpon the earth like a beast so that all that were present had much adoe to make him arise and take a little food to refresh him He was strong in body and mighty in Note battle but sinfull in heart and therefore cowardly in heart the like might be shewed concerning Belshazzar king of Baâ—el Daniel 5. and the souldiers that kept the sepulcher where Christ was laid Mat. 28. 4. when the Angell appeared in glory But let vs consider of the reasons hereof Reasons 1 One is because all misery commeth vpon them vsually at vnawares For they sooth vp themselues in their naughtinesse and perswade themselues that all shall be peace though they walke on according Deut. 29. to the stubbornnesse of their owne hearts therefore crosses being vnexpected doe finde The suddennesse of their misery them vnprepared and so cast them into greater perplexity and anguish It is said Psal 53. 5. concerning vngodly men There they were afraid for feare where no feare was Not but there was perill and so cause of feare but they had no expectation thereof they mistrusted nothing but went on as boldly in sinning as a man would doe in the workes of his calling therefore were their hearts so distracted with feares when troubles did light vpon them A second reason why presumptuous offenders Their iudgmentâ— are very grieuous are so tormented with horrour is because many times the iudgements that God layeth vpon them are very grieuous as they haue pressed downe others with heauy burdens so the Lord pursueth them with heauy plagues Those that offend onely through infirmity shall haue more milde and gentle corrections but as for them that transgresse with an high hand the Lord will visite them with sharper scourges and as they haue bene more bitter against their neighbours so the Lord will haue them to drink more deeply of that cup which they prepared for others Thirdly God in his iustice will haue his hand to Gods terrible iustice is apparant in their afflictions be seene against those that make warre against him and against his people he will appeare in his anger against such and that must needes be terrible vnto them There is no blessing so small but if it come with Gods fauour it is made very great neither is there any crosse so small but if it come with Note Gods displeasure it is made exceeding grieuous and that made them so afraid Isa 33. 14. of whom mention was made before A fourth cause of their great terrour is the The guiltinesse of their consciences guiltinesse of their consciences They haue imposed vpon them grieuous burdens which when the world went well with them they scarse euer felt but in time of distresse they are made sensible thereof and then they haue as it were a hell within them and are continually vpon the racke But that we may not mistake the meaning of this point we must vnderstand that this faint-heartednesse and cowardlinesse doth not alwaies come vpon presumptuous sinners when they behold imminent dangers for though none of them haue true courage fortitude yet many of them haue Note a kind of desperate stoutnesse and resolution when they doe as it were see death present before their faces which proceedeth from a kind of deadnesse that is vpon their hearts and a brawninesse that hath ouergrowne their consciences to their greater condemnation But when it pleaseth he Lord to waken them out of the dead slumber and to set the worme of conscience aworke within them then this doctrine holdeth true without any exception that the boldest sinners proue at length the basest cowards they that haue bene most audacious in aduenturing vpon the most mischieuous euils do become of all others most timorous when Gods reuenging hand seazeth vpon them for the same Vse 1 First therefore let vs hence learne not to embolden our selues to sinne in confidence of any outward helps for there is nothing in the world that can procure vs safety if we by our inquities do set the Lord against vs. Obiect 1 Yet many are so foolish that they will trust in lying vanities for their safegard and protection Some will say Tush none of their threatnings shall fright me for if the worst come to the worst I can haue twenty deuices to helpe my selfe Ans But was not Achitophel as deepe a polititian as the best of vs yet when Gods terrible stroake was vpon his heart all his cunning could not keepe him from hanging himselfe Obiect 2 Others there are that rest vpon the multitude and thinke themselues sufficiently sheltred from Gods plagues if they haue a great many to ioyne with them Why should should we not sport and game and take our full pleasure vpon the Sabboth say they doth not all the country so If it be so dangerous many others shal feele the smart of it as well as we Ans They shall so indeed for in the beginning of this Psalme it is said They are all corrupt all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one so that there was as it were an vniuersall conspiracy in euill yet is it said of them all There were they taken with feare And at the last day at the beholding of the terrible signes that shall appeare and at the hearing of the roaring of the sea all nations shall quake and tremble so that the multitude of offenders doth no whit better their case nay that rather maketh it worse for sometimes euen where there is no perill the very hearing of many sending foorth bitter cryes and lamentable complaints is a sufficient terrour how much more then would it be if we were plunged in misery with them It is a cold comfort vnto vs to be told You may safely goe to such a towne for there all the houses are generally infected with the pestilence and as small an incouragement is it for men to rush vpon the committing of any sinne because almost all the world is addicted thereunto and corrupted therewith For as the more are infected with the pestilence the more are likely to die and those that go vnto them are sure of more discomfort among them and in danger to perish with them so by how much the number of them is greater that are tainted with grosse sinnes the more are likely to
crowne let this therefore be our first worke to labour against the hautinesse of our fleshly hearts Secondly to the intent that we may more patiently Consider what scoffers are indure to be vilified and disgraced let vs consider what manner of men scoffers be viz. the most abiect vile and contemptible persons that are as we may see in those before mentioned who in this sort pursued Iob and Dauid and our blessed sauiour Obiect Oh but will some say they are men of great wealth of great place of great parentage of great wit and learning that doe mocke vs and gird at vs for our religion and for our profession Answere Grant that they be great men in all the former respects yet if they be wicked and vngodly the holy ghost accounteth them vile and contemptible men and so should wee esteeme of them though they be as mightie as Zenacherib was for when he sent a disdainefull and scornefull message vnto Hezekiah and the rest of Gods people hee was indeede ignominious because hee was impious and blasphemous he was vile in Gods sight and he made him appeare vile both before men and Angels according to that of Isaiah The Isai 37. 22. virgin daughter of Sion hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorne Thirdly let vs consider as what they are for the present so what they shall be hereafter and that the same Prophet Isaiah sheweth saying Feare ye not for the reproch of men neither be ye afraid Isai 51. 7. 8. of their rebukes For the moth shall eate them vp like a garment and the worme shall eate them like wood Obiect 1 But will some maÌ„ say what great matter is this shall not the wormes consume the good as well as the bad Answere Yes surely that cannot be denied and yet there is an euident difference betweene the wicked the godly euen â—â— this respect for though Note righteous mens bodies become wormes meate yet it is not in any displeasure from the Lord nor for any hurt vnto them for they are still pretious in his eyes as their soules are which euen then enioy celestial happinesse and besides euen those bodies of theirs shall be restored and be made euerlastingly glorious together with their soules all which things are farre otherwise with such sinfull persons as delight themselues in scoffing and deriding of the Saints of God their bodies are at best when they are deuoured by wormes they can neuer expect better but that which is farre worse shall surely come vnto them Fourthly that wee may bee inabled in conscience Meditate on the reward to swallow vp such reproches as are cast vpon vs let vs seriously meditate on the reward which is promised vnto them that can so doe Blessed are you saith our Sauiour when men reuile Matth. 5. 11. 12. you and persecute you and speake all manner of euill against you for my names sake falsely Reioyce and be glad for great is your reward in heauen And againe the Apostle Peter saith If yee be railed vpon 1. Pet. 4. 14. for the name of Christ blessed are yee for the spirit of glorie and of God resteth vpon you This made Moses to esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches then Heb. 11. 26. the treasures of Egypt for saith the holie Ghost hee had respect vnto the recompence of the reward Therefore when wee finde our hearts beginning to bee dismaied at the bitter taunts and iests of prophane scoffers let vs animate our selues vnto patience with these or the like considerations why should I be discouraged at these things sinfull men seeke to vilifie and disgrace me but doth God thinke euer the worse of me I am base and contemptible in their eyes but doe the Angels of God or any of his Saints conceiue any whit more hardly of me in that regard Nay doth not the Lord himselfe and such as haue his image most liuely shining foorth in them esteeme me so much more honorable by how much they labor to make me more vile and abiect in regard of my weldoing Why then should I faint vnder the burthen of reproch wherewith they do still load me especially seeing that this momentanie disgrace which I sustaine for Christ his cause shall bring vnto me an eternall and inualuable weight of glorie Doct. 4 Of the poore From which words note this Doctrine that the estate of Gods people is commonly The godlie vsually afflicted a poore and afflicted estate Therefore in the originall the word poore is not vsed in the Plurall number but in the Singular and carries this sense ye haue made a mock of the counsell of that poore one implying thereby what is the common case of all namely to be full of calamities and distresses through many tribulations to enter into the kingdome Acts 14. 22. Rom. 8. of God and to be conformable vnto their head Christ in afflictions and sufferings And this the Lord in his wise prouidence will haue to be so for these reasons Reasons First that thereby the flesh might be discountenanced and haue no cause to reioyce before 1. 1. Cor. 2. him Secondly that men might embrace religion for it self and in conscience vnto God not in any outward respects Whereas if most of those that are Christians were of great place many would make a shew of being religious that they might Note thereby grow to aduancement in the world and so seeke earthly things in spirituall exercises Thirdly that his childreÌ„ might grow in neerer acquaintance with him who otherwise would be strangers vnto their owne father In their affliction Hos 5. 15. saith God they will seeke me diligently Before that time they would rather sue vnto any then vnto the Lord therefore was he driuen to break them with one breaking vpon another that so hauing no other refuge to betake themselues vnto they might haue recourse vnto him This is cleere in the example of Manasse who being in bonds and in irons humbled his soule before the Lord and prayed vnto him for fauor and mercie and found it at his hands whereas before such time as hee was pressed downe with grieuous miserie he obstinately refused to hearken vnto the Lord and to his messengers and was so far froÌ„ calling vpon his name that he dishonored it by all manner of abominations which hee committed with an high 2. Chron. 33. 6. hand euen to anger the Lord. Fourthly God would haue his people often to taste of aduersities and troubles that so they might learne to trust in him whereas otherwise they would make the arme of flesh to bee their stay and confidence This the Lord himself auoucheth in the prophecie of Zephanie saying I will Zeph. 3. 12. leaue in the middest of thee an humble and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. Vse This point maketh for the confutation of an error which withholdeth diuers from the profession of the Gospell Is this
the word of God is this your holy ministerie say they and are these your good men that doe embrace the same a companie of simple base fellowes of poore Artificers and the like who can imagine this to bee the truth which such kinde of men as these doe giue credence vnto How many Gentlemen or Noblemen or men of learning and policie are of their mindes and for those that are haue they not manifold afflictions in their hearts or vpon their bodies and estates This is iust the cauill of the Pharisies against the doctrine of our Sauiour Neuer man spake like this man say the officers that Joh. 7. 46. 47. 48. were sent to take him but did not Then answered the Pharisies Are yee also deceiued Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisies beleeue in him but this people which know not the law are accursed Therefore let not vs bee deceiued by such vaine words of men that iudge not righteous iudgement but according as their owne fleshly wisedome directeth them but let vs rather build vpon the words of him that is the true witnesse who as he receiued a commission to preach vnto the poore so he did accordingly Luke 4. performe it and found good successe thereupon and therefore biddeth Iohns disciples to tell him that the poore receiued the Gospell They Luke 7. 22. were the profitable and fruitful hearers of Christ who by reason of some outward calamities and distresses or other were humbled and abased in their owne eyes and had the pride and stubbornnesse of the flesh somewhat mastered and taken downe Secondly here is matter of reioycing for Gods seruants that are in pouertie and distresse any maner of way it is the common condition of the members of Christ and therefore they must not from thence draw any hard conclusions against themselues It is the very high way vnto heauen which hath been troden by Christ and all his Saints to passe through manifold troubles and grieuances manifold straits and extremities and at length to attaine vnto that rest which is prepared for vs in the kingdome of God If any by reason 2. Thess 1. 7. of their necessities and miseries had euer missed of the crowne of life wee had some cause to feare our selues in that regard but sithence none euer did so but rather haue reaped benefit by their afflictions then taken any hurt thereby wee should be of good comfort and be so farre from fainting in our trials that wee should reioyce in the same making full account that then Gods owne hand will most manifestly appeare for our preseruation and consolation when humane helps do most of all faile vs neither indeed could it be so cleerely discerned that he is the vpholder of his Church if it had wealth and power and outward props and pillars to beare vp the same Doct. 5 Ye haue made a mock of the counsell of the poore and why because the Lord is his trust This is the verie true cause whatsoeuer other pretences there bee Wicked men haue a quarrell against godlinesse Whence obserue this Doctrine that true godlinesse is that which breeds the quarrell betweene Gods children and the wicked Vngodly men may say what they list as namely that they hate and dislike them for that they are proud and sawcie in medling with their betters for that they are scornefull disdainfull towards their neighbours for that they are malâ—content and turbulent and I know not what but the true reason is yeelded by the Lord in this place to wit because they make him their stay and their confidence and will not depend vpon lying vanities as the men of the world doe And the like reason is giuen by the Apostle Peter who speaking of vnregenerate men saith that it seemeth strange to them that the godly runne not 1. Pet 4. 4. with them to the same excesse of riot and therefore saith hee speake they euill of you The cause why they traduce and defame them is not because Note they are euill but because they will not be as bad as themselues not because they haue committed great faults but because they will not commit them And this we may obserue in our owne experience that the most holy exercises are most offensiue vnto carnall persons and that they exclaime against many things as if they were hainous crimes which God hath commanded as necessarie duties to wit fasting and prayer and hearing of the word and such like which as occasion serueth must of necessitie bee performed these are the holy men say they that must needs bee more forward then all their neighbors that will not allow of good fellowship and of merrie meetings but are altogether for praying and for preaching c. when others are sporting and dancing and recreating themselues I warrant you they are but meere hypocrites and dissemblers their hearts are as bad as the worst and none are more disloyall subiects to their Prince then such are These are hard charges yet such as befell Christ Iesus himselfe who among many other false imputations was esteemed an enemie to Caesar But whence proceed all these hard surmises and censures Surely from this that Gods children doe endeuour from a true and faithfull heart to serue and please the Lord in all things and doe refuse to walk with the multitude in the broad way that leads vnto destruction Here is the matter whereupon al their malice doth work and this ariseth Reasons 1 First from the diuell himselfe who is an vtter aduersarie vnto mans saluation and vnto Gods glorie and therefore makes warre against the seed of the Church which keepe the commandements of Reuel 12. 17. God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ Secondly from that hellish corruption that is in mans nature which though there were no diuell would minister vnto them sufficient malice whereby they should bee stirred vp to carrie a grudge against the image of God wheresoeuer it is yea though it be in those that in the bounds of nature are most neerely linked vnto them as we see in Cain who hated and murthered his brother Abel and why because his owne workes were euill 1. Ioh. 3. 12. and his brothers good Vse 1 Therefore let Gods seruants neuer looke to please the world by weldoing but make full reckoning that they shall much displease them Obiect Oh but it is your owne precisenes will some say that causeth you to be so much maligned and disliked Answere Nay it is the worlds wickednes not our strictnes otherwise what caused the Prophets of God the Sonne of God himself and his holy Apostles to bee so much hated and wronged by vngodlie men They dare not say it was their indiscretion and nisenesse or any the like failing on their part but in trueth the malice of the wicked which is the very cause why euen in these our daies Gods people finde such hard measure from prophane persons Secondly let this teach vs not to be