you see the sheath fitted to the sword you say this is some Art this is not by accident Even so it is in nature you see a fitting of one thing to another in the body in the Creatures in every thing in all the senses in the Sunne with the ayre in the eye with the light and the colours with the transparent medium The fitting of one thing to another shewes that there is an Art that doth it the providence of God Besides the constancy of things we see they goe their course Those things that come by accident that come by chance and not by providence they fall out vncertainely now one way and then another but we see all the workes of nature goe in a certaine constant course And lastly Looke but vpon a house or a family if there be not a providence it will quickly be dissolved there is not any family but it will be so and therefore there is a neede of government also in the great family of the world and if there be a government it must needs be by him for by man it cannot be governed for the preservation of every thing is in the vnitie of it and therefore you see any thing that is divided that is the dissolution of it as when the soule is divided from the body and when the body is divided from it selfe So likewise in a family or in a Common-wealth when it is divided looke how farre it goes from vnitie so neere it comes to perishing and the more peace and vnitie the more safetie Now if there were not one guider of all these if there should be many guiders there would be different streames there would be divers well-heads and if there were divers principles of things that swerue this way and that way there would be a division in the nature of things there would not be a vnitie and by consequence it would be the destruction of them And therefore of necessitie first there must be a government or else how could the family stand and if there be a government it must not be by man and if it be not by man it must be by one that is God Now the objections in briefe we see many things are casuall and you may strengthen the objection out of Eccles. 9. 11. I see sayth he that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor yet riches to a man of vnderstanding but time and chance befals every thing To this I answer in a word that it is true there are chances that fall out in all these things that we call properly casuall or accidentall when some thing comes betweene a cause and the effect and hinders it As when a man is going a journey and an Axe-head fall off and either wounds him or kils him it comes betweene the effect and the cause betweene his doing and that which he intended if the fire be burning and water cast vpon it and hinders it that is casuall because it takes off the cause from its intention So it is in this wherein the Wiseman instanceth when a man is strong and some accident comes betweene and hinders him from obtaining the battaile when a man hath wisedome and some accident comes betweene and hinders him from obtaining favour This is that which we properly call chance Now it is true there is such a chance in the nature of the thing but yet consider this though this chance be contrary to the particular causes yet it hath a cause and it riseth from the vniversall cause so that it is called chance because it thwarts and comes betweene the intention of the particular cause but it doth not differ from the intention of the vniversall for those accidentall things haue a cause as well as the things that we intend haue a cause somewhat there is that is the author of all causes that is the first of all causes and therefore it is impossible that any thing should be totally by accident And therefore I say whensoever you finde this it is so farre from being casuall if you looke into it exactly that then the providence of God is most seene in it of al others so far is it from comming by chance because those things that are done by particular causes according to their intention we vsually ascribe it to them but when there is an intercurrent action comes that we call chance that belongs to the vniversall cause and is to be ascribed to him and hence it is that the Lord vsually in the dispensing and administring of contingent things he turnes things rather by accidentall causes by casuall things then by those causes that haue influence into their effects because his owne hand is most seene in it he gets the greatest glory by it when he turnes greatest matters by a small accident as we turne a great Ship by a little Rudder therein his power and his glory is seene And therefore I say when you see such a vanitie in the Creatures labour to see the more fulnes in God if there be such an emptines such a mutabilitie such an instabilitie in the Creature looke vpon his immutabilitie and his eternitie and labour to be partakers of it When you see such an inabilitie in the Creature to bring its enterprises to passe labour to see his almightie providence and to be perswaded of it to think with thy selfe there is not the least thing without this there is not the least Creature that makes a motion this way or that way but as it is guided and directed by him I would willingly adde but this one word concerning the tryall when we haue said so much of the All-sufficiencie of God and of the emptines of the Creature All the question is now how farre we practice this Let every man examine his owne heart and aske himselfe these questions First if a man beleeue that All-sufficiencie that is in God why doth he terminate his affections in the Creature If there be nothing in the Creature but emptines why doe you loue the Creature why doe you feare the Creature why doe you reioyce in the Creature immediately as you doe Beloved if there be nothing in that but all be in him we should see through the Creature we should looke beyond it It is that which is said of Shisack 2 Chron. 12. he was but the viall through which Gods wrath was powred vpon Israell so it was true of Cyrus he was but the viall through which Gods goodnesse was powred vpon Israell If you did looke vpon every man vpon every friend and every enemy vpon every Creature he is an instrument of good or hurt to you but as an emptie viall in it selfe through which God powres either his goodnes and mercy or else his wrath it would cause you not to sticke vpon the Creature not to wrangle with men not to hate men or to be angry with them for that is but the viall It would cause you
wayes they cannot sticke fast to God and walke perfectly with him But herein is their sinceritie they choose him they pitch vpon him Now the ground of it is they apprehend him to be All-sufficient though this apprehension be not alwayes kept strong it is not alway liuely and actiue in their minds their perswasion is not alway full and present and therefore they are readie to step out So the latter instabilitie befalles the Saints the former befalles hypocrites and both the one and the other instabilitie still proceede from hence that we apprehend not God to be All-sufficient Holy men haue that apprehension in the maine but not in a constant tenour at all times Hypocrites haue it not so much as in the maine Fourthly This truth will likewise appeare from the nature of faith that which makes a man righteous that which sanctifies a man throughout is faith That which is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse in vs is vnbeliefe for it causeth a man to depart from the Lord as Heb. 3. 12. Take heede least there be in any of you an evill heart of vnbeliefe to depart from the living God In this sence faith is sayd to be accounted for righteousnesse Abraham beleeved God Gen. 15. God indeed made the same proposition that he doth here for substance he tells him what he would doe for him and sayth the Text Abraham beleeved God and it was accounted to him for righteousnesse Now It was accounted to him for righteousnesse chiefly in this sence as it is interpreted Rom. 4. that his very taking of the promise and his accepting of the Covenant in that he did receiue that which God gaue that put him within the Covenant and therefore the Lord reckoned him a righteous man even for that very acceptation and beleeving But that is not all but likewise he accounted faith to him for righteousnesse because faith doth sanctifie and make a man righteous and therefore Beloved by the way wonder not at this that we put so much vpon faith for let a man beleeue that God is All-sufficient which is the Covenant for iustifying faith is but a beleeving of that part of the Covenant and inabling a man to keepe the other part which is required and I say it makes a man righteous for when a man beleeues that God is All-sufficient it will cause a man to giue vp himself to the Lord. Againe when he beleeues the Lord to be all in all things to him it inableth him to be all in all things to the Lord againe that is to be holy to the Lord in all manner of conversation It knits his heart vnto the Lord. It sanctifieth a man throughout it makes him peculiar to the Lord iâ— makes him wholly to him This is the nature of faith Now marke it faith could not thus sanctifie if it did not beleeue Gods All-sufficiency Againe vnbeliefe could not cause out falling or departing from God if it were not hence that we fayle in beleeving some promise of his or some threatnings we thinke there is not an All-sufficiencie in God you know his promises containe all good things if we cleaue vnto him and his threatnings all evill things if we depart from him If this were fully beleeved our hearts would keepe neare to him as farre as it is not beleeved so farre we step out Now I say hence faith purifieth the heart It sanctifieth is the cause of all righteousâ—esse that is wrought by vs and vnbeliefe is the cause of all vnrighteousnesse that is wrought by vs. Hence we gather then that the perswasion of Gods All-sufficiency keepes a mans heart perfect with God and as farre as you come short of this perswasion so farre you are ready to depart from him And all the ground of it is because that which drawes vs from the Lord is either vaine feares or vaine hopes Those are the two eares as it were by which Sathan takes euery man whereby the drawes him away out of the wayes of the Lords Commandements Now if a man did beleeue that God were All-sufficient he would be subiect to none of these false feares if he did apprehend him to be a Buckler that could keepe him from all ill Againe on the other side if the did beleeue God to be an exceeding great reward that is so great a reward that there can be nothing wanting in him that there is a length and breadth and depth and height in that reward that his heart hath latitude enough to walke in he can dosire nothing out of it this would free a man from all vaine hopes so that the apprehension of it would keepe his heart perfect Contratiwise as farre as you faile in either so farre you are subiect to those two either false feares or vaine and sinfull hopes and that is the cause of our vneven and vnaequall walking with God that we are not vpright and perfect Hence you may see both the nature of sinne and the cause of all sinne for it is profitable for vs Beloved nothing more profitable than to finde out the cause of sinne It is a Rule that Physitians haue that a disease when it is throughly knowne that is when the cause of it is fully knowne it is halfe cured so it is in the disease of the soule to know the very roote and rise from whence it proceeds or commeth to know the principle from whonco it ariseth it is a great helpe to vs to prevent it to heale it But I say this will both shew the nature of sinne and the cause of sinne in vs. First it shewes the nature of sinne how evill a thing it is yea worse than for the most part we apprehend it to be for if there be no sinne committed but it comes from hence that you apprehend not God to be All-sufficient then there is Idoldtrie in a manner committed in every sinne that is you take from God and adde another God to him if you thinke him not to be All-sufficient whatsoever you seeke to and youne with him you make it God as well as he If it be credite if it be honour if it be pleasures if it be riches yea whatsoever it is I say there is a bitter roote of Idolatrie in the commission of every sinne that makes it out of measure sinfull This we may consider by the way but this I purpose not to stand on the thing that I would chiefly presse is to finde out the cause of sinne the cause of that hollownesse and that imperfectnesse and insinceritie that is in the hearts of men towards God which I say ariseth from hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient for this for the most part is the case of men if they did not apprehend some sufficiencie in him they would not seeke him at all againe if they did apprehend him to be All-sufficient they would serue him perfectly but this middle apprehension in men that they thinke there is a sufficiencie in the
Wheat-haruest 1 Sam. 12 the people feared exceegingly and Ezra 10. when there was an exceeding great raine the people did exceedingly tremble and you know in that Earthquake though all were safe Act. 16. and there was no cause why he should be so vnquiet yet we see how the Goaler was amazed his heart was wounded this was not for these particular Iudgements there might bee a great raine there might be a great Earthquake and thunder in Wheat-haruest and yet mens hearts little moued but there went a spirit of bondage that bred a feare in them this is that I say no man can come to Christ without the Law either in it selfe or in afflictions which are but the executioners of it and these are not effectuall without the spirit of bondage and there is a very great reason for it because otherwise wee should neuer know the loue of Christ he that hath not knowne what the meaning of this spirit of bondage is what these feares are what these terrours of conscience are in some measure knowes not what Christ hath suffered for him or what deliuerance hee hath had by him besides he will not be applyable to Christ But I will not stand more vpon this Hast thou not had the spirit of bondage I say surely if thou hast not tâ—sted of this Christ hath not sowne the seed of grace in thy heart doth any man sow before he hath plowed doth any man make a new impression before there bee an oblâ—tâ—ration of the old Beloued before the heaâ—t be meâ—ted wâ—th 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage there is no sence of a new spirit to make a new impression vpon it I confesse it is different it is sometimes more sometimes lesse but all haue it more or lesse sometimes the Medicine goes so close with the reuealing of sinne and of Iudgement that it is not so much discerned sometimes againe God meanes to bestow vpon some men a great measure of grace and therfore he giues them a greater measure of the spirit of bondage because God meanes to teach them more to prize Christ he meanes more to baptize them with the baptisme of the Holy Ghost and therefore hee baptizeth them with a greater measure of the spirit of bondage they shall drinke deeper of that spirit because his intention is that they shall drinke deeper of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Christ takes it for an argument concerning the Woman when he saw she loued exceeding much surely she had a great measure of the spirit of bondage she was much wounded for her sinnes there had beene exceeding much forgiuen her in her apprehension and so was Paul exceedingly wounded you know This must goe before The things which goe together with it are these three the testimony of the blood of the water and of our owne spirits First beloued there is the testimony of the blood there are three that beare record in the Earth the spirit the water and the blood though the spirit be set first as it is vsuall amongst the Hebrewes and in the Scriptures to put the last first if a man would know now whether hee be in Christ whether he hath receiued the promised seede or no let him consider first whether hee hath beleeued in the blood that is there is a word of promise that saith thus to vs there is a Sacrifice that is offered there is the blood of the Lambeshed from the beginning of the world and this blood shall wash thee from all thy sinnes when a man stands to consider this promise beloued this promise bath two things in it there is the truth of it and the goodnesse of it a man doth with Abraham beleeue the truth of it he beleeues God and saith it is true I beleeue it but withall there is a goodnesse in it and therefore as the vnderstanding saith it is true so the will saith it is good and therefore he takes it and embraceth it and is exceeding greedy of it for when the spirit of bondage makes a man feare it empties a man of all righteousnesse as a man empties a Caske that there is nothing left in it when it puls away all other props and stayes from it it leaues a man in this case that he sees nothing in the world to saue him but the blood of Christ when a man sees this hee takes fast hold of that he will not let it goe for any thing and though it be told him you shall haue many troubles and crosses you must part with all you haue you shall haue somewhat hereafter but you shall haue little for the present he cares not though it costs him his life so he may haâ—e this blood to wash away his sins it is enough this he layes fast hold vpon Beloued when a man doth this at that very houre he is entred into Couenant he is translated from death to life he hath now receiued the promised seede and he shall be blessed for God hath said it and sworne it and it cannot be otherwise and this is the testimony of the blood when a man can say I know I haue taken and applyed the blood of Christ I rest vpon it I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen I graspe it I receiue it this is the testimony of the blood Now when a man hath tooke the blood What shall he continue in filthinesse now and walke after the lusts of his former ignorance No the Lord comes not by blood onely but by water also that is by sanctification that is he sends the Spirit of sanctification that cleanseth and washeth his seruants that washeth away not onely the outward filthinesse but the euill nature the swinish nature that they desire no more to wallow in the myre as before for the Lord will not haue a sluttish Church and therefore Eph. 5. he washeth his Church and clenseth it he washeth euery man in the Church from top to toe there is not one place in the soule not one place in the conuersation but it is rensed in this water and then when a man comes to finde this that he hath not onely found the blood of Christ applyed to him by faith but hath found that he hath been able to purifie himselfe and by the worke of Christs Spirit ioyning with him when he goes about to purge himselfe that helpes to cleanse his conscience from dead workes There is the second testimony Now follows the testimony of our own spirits that gathers conclusions from both these and saith thus Since I haue receiued the blood and seeing I am able to purifie my selfe I conclude I am in a good estate I am a partaker of the Couenant if a man could say this truely it is said whosoeuer beleeues shall be saued but I beleeue this is the testimony of the blood onely but when a man can say I doe labour to purifie my selfe I desire nothing in the world so much I doe it in good earnest this is the testimony of the water to
to finde and a man knows it not of himselfe nor can any tell him yet this promise is made he that keepes the Commandement and the heart of the wise that is the godly man he shall know the time and the Iudgement Beloved it is a sure rule If we be obedient to Christ as a King we shall finde him to be to vs as a Prophet If you will resigne vp your selues to keepe his Commandements that propheticall office of his which is to guide vs in the way he will performe to vs. So I take that place to be vnderstood Act. 2. I will powre out my spirit vpon all flesh and your young men shall see visions and your olde men shall dreame dreames c. It begun to be fulfilled in that extraordinary gift of Prophesie that was powred vpon the Apostles but yet sayth he I will powre it vpon all flesh that is it shall be such a spirit as shall teach you to see those mysteries that were hid from the beginning of the world and such a spirit as shall guide you and direct you it shall teach you what you ought to doe what way you ought to choose This I say the Lord will doe if we walke in his wayes Beloved if we will be stepping out of his wayes we shall get many knockes and many fals too many troubles many afflictions shall sticke by vs while we liue You know the Children of Israell went not a foote but as they were guided by the Cloud Iacob in his Iourney would neither goe to Laâ—an without warrant nor come from him without it David in all that he did he asked counsell of the Lord shall I stay in such a Cittie or shall I not stay Shall I goe vp to warre to such a place or shall I not goe As I said before shall I goe vp to Hebron or shall I not goe at this time This walking in the wayes of God is that which the promise is made vnto You shall finde Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feares the Lord Him will he teach the way that he shall choose As the promise is made to trusting in him for then he will direct him in his wayes So what man is he that feares the Lord and keepes his Commandements Him will he teach the wayes that he should choose And this is the first direction The first cause why men misse is Inabilitie to discerne the time and the season therefore let them take this Course and God will reveale it to them A second Cause why men misse of these times that God hath allotted to every action purpose is some passion and distemper to which they are subject for passion causeth indiscretion in the ordinary course of things you see passion makes a man misse of his time it makes a man doe things vnseasonablie whereas were the heart quiet the judgement would be cleare too to see what were fit and what vnfit As it is in the common Converse with men So it is in these great actions to choose the time that God hath allotted to every action and purposâ— If there be any carnall worldly sinfull distemper in the heart you are apt to misse of the time for every passion and distemper is like drunkennesse it casts a man asleepe Now he that obserues the times must watch and watch diligently and a man that is distempered is not fit to watch and to obserue And therefore Christ â—ayth Luk. 21. 34. Take heede that your hearts be not over charged with surfeiting and drunkennes and thâ— cares of this world least that day come vpon you 〈◊〉 vnawares As if he should say The reason why you misse of the times why that great day comes vpon you vnawares why you doe not that dutie as you ought within the compasse of the time that God hath appointed it comes from hence some excesse in the vse of lawfull Comforts So you haue two Causes given there Either when men inebriate themselues too much with the present Comforts of this world when they exâ—eede in them when they take more then they ought though the things in themselues be lawfull Or secondly They take so much care for worldly things that it breeds a distemper in them that is it distracts their mindes for by that a man may know when his cares are inordinate when they breede distractions in the mind as we see in Martha Christ found not fault because shee was carefull to provide but because her care went to farre that it troubled her that she could not attend vpon spirituall duties there was the fault Marthaes thoughts were troubled about many things when such distempers grow on vs it causeth vs to misse the time My Beloved if we would then keepe our times If we would know the times allotted vs take hâ—ed of excesse Take heede we affect not too much outward comforts that our hearts be not too much set vpon any outward blessings be it what it will be Take heede againe that we take not too much â—â—re for any thing that we minde not too intentiuely worldly businesses they will cause vs to misse our times This is the second Cause Thirdly to doe impertinent things is that which causeth men to misse the time that is allotted to every purpose and to every busines When a man is occupied about things that he ought not he misseth doing of those businesses that he ought to doe Therefore 1 Cor. 7. The Apostle giues this Rule sayth he whatsoever you haue to doe if you be to buy doe it as if you bought not if you be to marrie doe it as if you did not And generally vse this world as if you vsed it not That is All the actions belonging to this world be not too much occupied about such impertinent things as they be Impertinent things to the maine businesse for which you came into the world for I would haue you sayth he without care for he that is vnmarried cares for the things of the Lord and I would haue you cleaue to the Lord without separation The meaning is this The reason why men misse their times that God hath appointed them is because men are too intent vpon impertinent things which interrupts their care to serue the LORD And therefore we are to passe by them and not to put our full intention to every worldly busines but reserue the maine intention of our thoughts for the things of the spirit for not to take care overâ—much for them is that which will make vs carefull to doe things in their time The next impediment is selfe-Confidence when a man trusts himselfe and will be his owne Counsellour And therefore the way to hit of a right time is to take Counsell with others In the multitude of Counsellours there is peace Lastly The cause of the missing of the time is negligence when men are idle slacke and indiligent in doing those things that belong to them that is the Cause of
graces of Gods spirit in you and the actions that flow from them whether they be sincere or perfect but likewise we will shew you the ground of this sincerity whence it ariseth and how it is wrought in every mans heart And thus these words containe the Covenant sayth the Lord to Abraham I will be thy God On the other side thou shalt be mine Now he shewes what a kinde of God he will be to him I will be All-sufficient to thee which consists in two things If you compare this with Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy Buckler to preserue thee from all evill And againe I will be thy exceeding great reward that is I will not onely be a shield but I will be a Sunne to thee I will both preserue thee from all evill and I will fill thee with all good things I will â—ompâ—â—ssâ— thee about with mercy and loving kindnesse so that thou shalâ— finde that I will be an exceeding great reward So God expresseth himselfe to Abraham And this is the Covenant on Gods part Now that which is required on Abrahams part is that he be the Lords as the Lord is his for so you see in the words following The question onely is in what manner Abraham shall be the Lords how that shall be declared Sayth he It is not an emptie relation but thou must shew that thou art mine by walking before me And yet it must not be any kinde of walking before the Lord but it must be a perfect walking before him Walke before me and be perfect and therefore it is added I will make my Covenant that is this is the Covenant of which Circumcision was but a Signe for it was instituted presently as we see in the words following There are three especiall poynts that we will gather out of the words The first is from the connexion and we will begin with that because it is a preparation to the other two In that the Lord vseth this as an argument to Abraham I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be thou perfect We may obserue this that The cause of all departure from God of all vnevennesse in our wayes towards God is from hence that we doe not thinke God to be All-sufficient As on the other side the cause of all our sinceritie and perfectnesse ariseth hence that we doe apprehend him to be All-sufficient This you see evidently ariseth from the words for thence is the force of the Argument I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be perfect My Beloved it is evident that the cause of every mans keeping off from God the cause of his vnevennesse after he is come in to him is from hence that men thinke not God to be All-sufficient for if a man had enough in the Lord he would never goe out from him but because he wants something he desires something that is not in him or he feares something that he thinkes he cannot keepe off from him hence it comes to passe that he steppes out from God he goeth out of the wayes of his CoÌ„mandements And therefore I say the cause of every mans departure from God the cause of his keeping off from God or of his vnevennesse in the wayes of God is from hence that he thinkes not God to be All-sufficient and this you shall see in three sorts of men First there is a generation of men that liue as without God in the world and that looke not towards God at all that make conscience of nothing and what is the reason of that but because they thinke they haue sufficient of their owne and therefore they walke in their owne wayes and stand vpon their owne bottom and they loue thernselues and serue themselues altogether and apply not themselues to the Lord at all and therefore whensoever any man is brought vnto God the worke is to take him off from his owne bottom to shew him his owne insufficiency in himselfe and the emptinesse of himselfe and of every creature and the All-sufficiency that is in God and vpon this ground he comes in to him As you know the Prodigall Sonne when he saw that he could not subsist longer but he must perish if he stayed where he was and saw againe if he went home to his Fathers house there was meate enough this was that that moved him to go home this course the Lord takes with all whom he brings home to him as we see in the Iaylor and in those Act. 2. They were pricked in their hearts and in Paul when the light shined about him and he was stricken from his horse Act. 9. It was all but to shew them their vanitie to take them off from their owne bottoms to shew them their owne insufficiency and then he discovered that All-sufficiency that was in himselfe for no man will change but for the better he will not deny himselfe and leaue what he hath till something that is better be propounded vnto him So I say the cause why men come not in is because they haue an opinion of sufficiency in themselues and in the creature and they apprehend not an All-sufficiency in God that is an All-sufficiency to be in him alone A second fort of men are such as doe come in and performe many things and bring forth some fruit and become professors of the feare of God and yet they doe it not throughly But by halues the cause of this is likewise from hence that they doe not apprehend God to be All-sufficient for it they did they would be perfect with him as we see the Second and Third Ground for that Parable doth but shew you the kindes of Professors they were all such as professed the feare of the Lord that are there spoken of for we see they brought forth fruit They received the Word with Ioy. What was the reason the second Ground was not perfect with the Lord Because they thought him not to be a Buckler strong enough to beare off all evills to beare off all persecution What was the reason the Third Ground did it not Because they thought there was something in riches in pleasures in divers lusts that they could not haue in the Lord so they departed from him Onely the Fourth Ground kept close because they did apprehend all to be in the Lord that they desired they did apprehend him to be strong enough to deliver them from all the things they feared The third sort of men are such as are regenerate which yet are subiect to many slips and falls to many turnings aside And the cause of all this is that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient As for example what was the reason that Abraham when he went downe into Egypt being driven thither by reason of Famine saved himselfe with a lye saying that Sarah was his Sister and not his wife but because he thought God was not able to keepe him and defend him If he had thought him to haue beene
fashion their hearts to passe through the varietie of troubles might say of themselues Non patimur c. They seemed to suffer but in truth did not suffer What was it to Paul when he indured that state and condition that he did when his heart was so fashioned to it as it was Now I say in that the Lord hath this dominion over the spirits of men hence it is that he makes a mans life comfortable Put the case thy hand hath gotten much that thou hast gathered much wealth together yet you know Eccles. 2. 24. There is no profit to a man but that he eate and drinke and delight his soule with profit after his labour I say this also that it was of the hand of God That is All this is nothing except a man delight in it except a man enioy the comfort of it Well but is not that an easie thing when the mind and the state are put together No sayth the Wiseman this is of the hand of the Lord. That is Except the Lord doe it by a speciall hand vpon the creature it is not able to doe it except he fit the mind to the state except he sute them together it cannot doe it so I may say of all things else A hony-Combe may be very bitter to a man his stomacke may be so disposed as in a Feaver you know that which is sweete is bitter againe that which is bitter may be sweete to a man so those that are the greatest comforts may be bitter and those things that may be bitter to other men may be sweet to him It is sayd of evill men they feare where no feare is That is When there is no cause of feare yet the Lord can so fashion their hearts and so frame their apprehension that they shall feare where there is no cause of feare when they are but laru◠et spectra shadowes of evils Againe another feares not when there is cause of feare That is Though things be pu◠vpon him that are terrible yet the Lord can take away that feare And as we say of that affection so I may say of any other of joy and gladnes he fashions the heart Deut. 28. 65. where the Lord threatneth many Cursles and this is one amongst the rest You shall goe into a strange Nation and there you shall liue A man might obiect thus Though I liue in a strange Nation yet I hope I may haue some rest and some comfort there No sayth the Lord you must know this that I haue dominion over the apprehension of your hearts and affections when you come thither I will giue you trembling hearts and sorrow of minde That is Though there be comforts there yet you shall not take comfort from them and the reason is added for thine eyes shall sayle That is When thou commest thither I will put a restles vnquiet disposition into thee that thou shalt not content thy selfe with the comfort thou findest but shalt haue a longing desire to returne to thine owne home and that thou shalt not be able to doe so thou shalt haue a restles minde whilst thou art there Thus I will follow thee with judgements I am sorry I haue stayde so long in the doctrinall part the life of this poynt is in the vse and application of it I will adde a little that I may not wholly dismisse you without it And first this vse you may make of it If the Lord be All-sufficient hence we should learne how to guide our comfort how to guide our joy how to guide our affections That is Labour to see that fulnesse that is in God and that emptinesse that is in the creature if the Lord be thus All-sufficient my Beloved then let your hearts be satisfied with him alone let them be filled with him let them be so bottomed vpon him and so strengthned by him that you neede not to goe out from him to fetch in any comfort from any creature whatsoever if the Lord fill the heart it should strengthen you against all carnall joy What neede you goe out to others if you haue enough in him it will strengthen you against that expence of spirit and of your thoughts which you bestow vpon vaine things for my Beloved we haue but a short time to liue in this world the strength of our minde is the most precious thing we haue the thoughts and affectiōs that we haue the busines the actiuenes of our mindes we should be carefull to improue them we should be carefull that none of this water runne besides the Mill. That is That it be not bestowed vpon things that are vnworthy of it If the Lord be All-sufficient why should you not bestow it altogether vpon him Why should you spend it vpon the creature Why should your minde be occupied about it Why should you be so intent vpon them Why should you be so subiect to carnall griefes and feares and carnall desires Surely all these should be taken vp about the Lord for he lookes for it at our hands I am All-sufficient therefore let all these be bestowed vpon me And againe as we should learne to see this fulnes in God to haue our hearts bottomed and fixed vpon him so we should labour to see the emptines of the creature But you will say who doth not know that the creature is emptie It is no new thing my Beloved it is certaine we doe not fully know it if we did what meane those complaints and those griefes that we take vp vpon euery evill accident that falls out for nothing is said to be emptie but when you looke for a fulnes in it you say a Well is emptie of water because you looke for water there you doe not say a Rocke is emptie for you doe not expret it there So we may say of the creature if we thought and did beleeue that there were an emptines in it we would never expect so much from it as we do But when we complaine and say I thought to haue found such and such things and I find them not it is a signe that we looke for a fulnes there and therefore let vs labour to correct that conceit it will helpe vs against those griefes complaints to which we are so much subiect let vs looke for no more in the creature then is in it All griefe and stirring of affection ariseth from this expectation this over-weening this high prizing of the creature if you finde inconstancie in men why doe you looke for constancie in them they are creatures if you looke for stabilitie in your estate and wonder why a change should come I was heretofore rich and now I am poore I was honourable and now I am in disgrace why didst thou expect stabilitie in that which is subiect to vanitie Things would not trouble vs if we did not expect too much from them if we knew there were an emptines in them he that lookes not for
much from the creature can never be much deceived he that lookes for much from God shall be sure to haue his desire answored and satisfied he shall never fall short of his expectation And therefore Beloved labour to alter your conceits that way that whensoever any thing falle out you may not be troubled â—â—it you may not feare for that a coident for it ariseth hence because you looked for more in it than was in it It is 〈◊〉 saying that we haue in morall Philosophie that after a man is put into expectation of any thing then every affection is stirred more vehemently whereas had he not had that expectation he would haue beene more quiet Therefore if we were perswaded and convinced of the vanitie of the creature and the emptines in it we would never expect much from it and if we did expect nothing our hearts would be quieted within vs for all varieties of accidents that fall out for I say it ariseth hence that we thinke there is some fulnes some stabilitie in them we are not fully perswaâ—ed of the vanitie of the creature we thinke it can doe good or hurt You will say Is not the creature able to doe good or hurt Beloved I will name but one place besides that I named before 1 Cor. 7. 30. Let those that weepe be as those that weepe not and those that reioyce as those that reiâ—yce not and those that buy as thâ—se that possessed not and they that vse this wâ—rld as they that vse it not for the fashion of this world goeth away When the Lord giues such a precept as this certainely there is a ground for it as that we haue often told you that in all the Commandâ—ments of God if they were open to vs if we did see the ground of them we would see that there were so much reason for them that if God did not command them you would see it best for you to practise them you would see reason for it Now when the Lora bids them that grieue to do it as though they grieved not and them that reioyce to doe it as though they reioyced not I gather this from it that the creature can doe very little good or hurt for if the creature could doe much hurt certainly then we might grieue to some purpose but sayth he let the evill be what it will yet grieue as though you grieved not That is Let it be as good as nothing that as a man is said to heare as though he heard not and to see as if he saw not when he doth not intend the tale that is told but yet he heares it so sayth he if you haue some griefe let it be so small so little as if you grieved not And so likewise for Ioy Put the case you had all the preferments all the comforts and blessings in this world heaped vpon you yet reioyce in these so rmisly as if you reioyced not Now it is certaine if they could doe vs any speciall good we might reioyce in a greater measure then so but when the Lord sayth reioyce as if you reioyced not it is certaine they can doe vs very little good That is So little as if they did vs no good at all But you will say it seemes it is a little good that they can doe vs whereas it was sayd before the creature can doe neither good nor hurt We will answer that briefly The meaning is this that the Lord giues vs leaue to grieue a little and to reioyce a little so that it be in a remisâ—e manner so that it be kept within bounds but the creature can doe vs no good nor no hurt at all of it selfe but as it is disposed by the Lord and therefore though it doe something yet that is done by God and not meerely by the creature So the rule holds good though the creature doe something yet seeing it is not of it selfe but as it is an Instrument you may truely say it is not the creature that hath done any thing but the Lord hath done me good and hurt by the creature But why then is it said it is a little for this takes all away I answer the meaning is this it can doe a little That is All the evill any creature can doe it is but a little in regard of the eternall that God inflicts on the soule it is as good as nothing in comparison of those eternall good things As if he should say The things that belong to God immediately the things that belong to the Kingdome of God and to a mans salvation the things that are spirituall and eternall these are good indeede and evills indeed if any of these befall you you must grieue exceedingly for you haue great cause for that can doe you great hurt and so grace can doe you much good for it tends to eternitie it tends to set things even or odde betweene al-mightie God and you and therefore in these things let your reioyching be very great and your griefe very great But for any thing that belongs to this present life it is exceeding small it is as good as nothing So much for this time FINIS THE THIRD SERMON GENESIS 17. 1. I am God All-sufficient THe next Vse we are to make of this that God is All-sufficient is to learne to be content with him alone for our portion That is a Vse both to those that are strangers to the life of God and likewise to those that are within the Covenant To those that are strangers to bring them in for the Lord propounds that but vpon reasonable conditions It is true he requires of you absolute and perfect obedience that you serue him altogether But then withall he propouâ—ds to you an absolute and full reward I am All-sufficient you shall neede nothing out of me As he requires you to Ieaue all for his sake so he promiseth that he will be to you in stead of all things and therefore let men consider that in Heb. 11. 6. Whosoever comes to God must beleeue that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that serue him That is a man will never change except it be for the better except a man thinke his condition will be better with the Lord than it was out of him he will never come in but when he is once perswaded of that he cannot keepe out you know that argument is vsed by the Prodigall sonne sayth he if I stay here I shall perish if I goe to my fathers house his servants haue bread enough that double argument brought him home So when a man considers out of God there is no sufficiency at all there is not any thing in the creature as we shewed to you before at large then if you come home to the Lord there is All-sufficiencie in him That is All your desires shall be satisfied there is nothing that you neede nothing that you want but it shall
be supplyed This I say is that that brings a man in to consider of Gods All-sufficiencie but this we doe not meane to inlarge now but rather proceede to the other Whether a man be come in or not there will not be much difference in the application of this that we are now to deliver to be content to haue God alone to be our portion for that is the cause of all our vnevennesse and of our imperfect walking with God we would haue somewhat besides And therefore the Lord taketh this course with his Disciples he tells them the worst first he tells them they must part with all that they must deny themselues throughly perfectly and they must be coÌ„tent with him alone because the Lord knew otherwise they would never haue constantly followed him and though they might haue gone farre with him yet when they had met with a rub when that which they would not part with and the service of God should come in competition surely they would turne aside and leaue him Now my Beloved you must consider this and worke your hearts vnto it that if you haue him alone it is enough for if men were perswaded that he is enough they would be content with him alone When the Sunne shines to you though there be never a Starre is it not day Doe you not call it so Againe when all the Starres shine and the Sunne is set is not that night Is it not so when you haue the Lord alone Suppose you haue nothing but him for your portion shall not the Lord be sufficient to make you happie Is he not a Sunne and a Shield sayth the Psalmist Is he not a Sunne That is All-sufficient to fill you with comfort of all kindes What then though you haue nothing but him alone Againe put case you had all those creatures all those Starres to shine to you for they haue an excellency in them they haue a light and a comfort though it be a borrowed and a derived light as we heard such as they receiue from the Sunne suppose you haue them it is but night notwithstanding you are but in a state of misery And therefore Beloved why should you not be content to haue the Lord alone for your portion Take all the creatures and you finde by experience that when they are inioyed you see an end of their perfection you quickly finde a bottom in them the heart hasteth after somewhat else you quickly sucke out the â—oney that is in every one of those flowers and when you haue done so you goe to another flower and to another and no where doth the soule finde rest God did purposely set forth Salomon and gaue him all things that his heart could desire so that no man had the like before him nor any man since And for what end doe you thinke did the Lord it Surely for this purpose that he might be a perpetuall example as things were written for our learning so all these things that were done in those former times which are the Rule of these latter they were done for our learning he had all varietie of blessings more then any man else can hope to attaine to yet you know what verdict he giues of them All is vanitie and vexation of spirit That is He found in them an emptines of that good he looked for they were emptie Clouds Wells without water Againe they were a vexation of spirit That is There was the presence of much evill in them thaâ— he looked not for many stings many troubles And therefore why should you not be content with God alone Take all outward things before you inioy them they seeme to be great when you haue inioyed them and tryed them you quickly finde a bottom in them for there is but a false lustre that Sathan and your owne lusts put vpon them they haue gilded outsides but when they come to wearing the guilt weares off and you finde after a while what they are But come to spirituall things the more you weare them the more you finde the beautie and excellencie that is in them for there is a dust and a rust that is cast vpon them which likewise the wearing takes off And therefore why should you not be content to take God alone What is it that man so seekes after is it not happines and comfort Alas suppose that you had all these in the highest degree that you can looke for when all is done you shall finde that but labour lost you shall finde no stabilitie in them You know what Davsd sayth in Psal. 30. when he thought his mountaine was made strong and vnderpropped well on each side What caused now an alteration He doth not say there was a change in the thing he doth not say his mountaine was pulled downe or that there was an alteration in his estate that this or that accident fell out that the people rebelled against him now which did not before or that he had lost such and such friends that he had before But sayth he thou turnedst away thy face and then I was troubled The meaning is this that if there was a change in his estate the change in God was the cause so then it was the Lord that comforted him though he saw it not it was not the mountaine that held him vp it was not all those blessings that he enioyed in it that refreshed his heart but it was the light that shined through them and therfore he found when this light was with drawne though he inioyed them still his comfort was gone So I say if it were from the things they might continue your comforts to you but when there is a change in heaveÌ„ then comes the change vpon earth And on the other side if God continue constant if he remaine safe you neede feare nothing the creature followes him it is he that shines through them What if a man had the avre and no light in it So what if we had never so much and no beames flowing form him though them who onely is the God of all comfort and the Father of all consolation But my Beloved to be briefe Put the case a man were stript of all things and suppose he were exiled out of his owne Country suppose he were reduced to extreame povertie or shut vp close Prisoner suppose all imployments were taken from him and he were laid aside like a broken vessell now for a man to say yet God is enough and that he is content with him alone for his portion This is the tryall and this we ought to doe and there is great reason why we should doe it you shall see it was practised by the Saints When Abraham was an exile from his Countrey and had not a foote of land was not the Lord All-sufficient to him did he not provide for him abundantly When Eliah fled and had no meate he had neither money nor any body to provide any thing for him did not the Lord
provide for him he set the creature a-worke to doe that to feede him in an extraordinary way when the ordinary fayled When Paul was shut vp in Prison yet the Lord filled him with joy and comfort you know Sylâ—s and he their feete were fast in the Stoâ—kes yet they sang with joy of heart there was such a flush of joy their hearts were so filled with it that they could not containe If a man be brought to povertie it cannot be beyond that of Iobs was it not enough for Iob to haue God for his portion did he not soone turne it did he not soone take away that and turne the River another way as it were and fill him with abundance Oh but you will say if I were a spirit and consisted onely of an immateriall soule no more I should be content it may be to haue the Lord for my portion but besides that I haue a body I haue a temporall life and therefore I need temporall comforts and therefore though I would haue the Lord I would haue these things added for how should I be without them To this I answer First that though thou be deprived of all these temporall blessings and comforts yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord I say though â—hey were all lost and all scattered though thou wert stript of them all yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord if thou haue him alone You will say how can that be This you must know that all that God hath wrought in the creature all the excellencie all the beautie and delight and comfort he hath put into the creature into meate drinke musicke flowers yea into all creatures of all sorts who is the cause of all this Is not the Lord the cause It is certaine then that whatsoever is in the effect is in the cause and in the cause in a more excellent manner There are some causes that produce but their like as when fire begets fire or when a man begets a man here there is an equalitie betweene the cause and the effect but there are other causes that are vnlike their effects as the Sunne produceth many effects that haue a dissimilitude to it it hardens and softens and heates and dryes and all these are in the Sunne but they are in a more excellent manner then you shall see them in the effect that is but a poore similitude to expresse that I would but yet it is the best we haue Looke now vpon whatsoever thou hast found in the creature whatsoever beautie thou hast â—eene whatsoever delight thou hast taâ—ted of whatsoever excellencie thou hast discovered and be perswaded of this that all this is in the Lord in a more excellent manner than it is in the creature Well you will say I grant this but what followes on that what is this to my comfort Beloved It is this to thy comfort If thou loose all make vse of that in Mark 10. If thou loose father and mother or brethren or sisters or lands and houses and all that you haue you shall finde all these in him for if all these comforts be in him if thou hast him alone thou shalt finde all these comforts communicated to thee That is Thou shalt finde the comfort of them in a greater measure in a more excellent manner than thou shouldst in the things themselues why else should he say You shall haue an hundreth fold with persecution And marke the instance for you shall finde the promise repeated againe and he names them every one I say to you there is no man that forsakes father or mother wife and children brother or sister or lands and houses for my sake and the Gospells but he shall receiue an hundreth fold in this world and in the world to come eternall life That is you shall finde comfort in God alone if thou be shut vp alone and yet conversest with God and hast communion with him and seest no creature in the world besides him thou shalt haue abundance of sweete comfort take all those varieties of comforts that these giue as lands giue one kinde of comfort and Parents another and wiues another thou shalt finde all these varieties of comforts in him he will fill thy soule with all these for they are in him alone Marke that reason that the Lord vsed to Moses when he complained of his tongue that he was not able to speake Send sayth he by whom thou shouldest send sayth the Lord who made the tongue who made the dumbe and the deafe and the hearing and the seeing Is it not I the Lord As if he should say Moses sure I am the maker of all these though I haue not the things in me the Lord hath no tongue he hath no eye yet sayth he thou shalt finde them all in me That is His comfort is this I will be with thee when Moses might haue made this obiection Though thou be with me yet I shall want a tongue to speake what will that helpe Sayth he I who made that I haue a power in me and if I be with thee it shall be sufficient I will finde out a way for thee that shall be as good as if thou hadst the most eloquent tongue in the world The same may I say of all other comforts in the world who made them who made those fathers and mothers who made those brothers and sisters that thou art deprived of in exile or vpon any such occasion in povertie and disgrace Is it not he that made them What if the Lord will be with thee What if he will goe with thee into banishment or into prison as he did with Ioseph What if he will be with thee in disgrace What if he will be with thee in povertie Is there not enough in him who is full of all comfort He can fill thee with all varietie by that immediate communicating of himselfe Beloved what doe you thinke heaven is When you are in heaven doe you thinke your estate shall be worse You see what varieties of comforts we now haue here When we come to heaveÌ„ shall we haue lesse varieties No we shall haue more how shall we haue it for we shall haue none but God alone we shall haue fellowship onely with him If there were not that varietie in him that is in the creature certainely we should be loosers the soule should not be filled nor satisfied And therefore sayth the Text There shall neede no Sunne nor Moone all the creatures that now giue vs comfort shall be taken away why for the Lord shall be Sun and Moone he shall be every thing he shall be all in all things That is Thou shalt finde them all collected in him and doe you thinke that the Lord shall be thus in heaven and will he not be so to his servants vpon earth It is certaine wheresoever he pleaseth to communicate himselfe to any man to reveale himselfe and to take any man into
them and trusts in the Lord may not he wither Beloved I will adde but that in briefe seest thou a man that doth not reckon the Lord to be All-sufficient that doth not rest on him alone but makes flesh his arme and trusts in any creature that hath such thoughts as these I haue the favour of high persons and therefore I am safe or I haue many friends to backe me and to support me and defend me and therefore I am safe I haue a great estate to helpe me against dangers to provide for me against the time of difficultie and therefore it shall goe well enough with me I say be it thine owne case or seest thou any man doing so be assured that such a man shall certainly wither cursed shall that man be that doth this that makes flesh his arme Againe on the other side seest thou a man that is willing to depriue himselfe of all these things when it is to keepe a good conscience when he put to it It is an evidence that he resteth on God that he trusts in him alone be assured howsoever that man may be vnder a cloud and though it may be winter with him for a little while yet he shall spring againe his light shall breake forth and he shall prosper sayth the Text Ier. 17. That is the place I haue reference to and his leafe shall be greene The other man sayth the Text there though God doe come to him and all about him yet he shall not see good he shall haue no part in it but he shall surely wither sooner or later On the other side Though evill doe come vpoÌ„ this man that trusts in God yet he shall not see evill Now my Beloved consider that we may draw to a conclusion whether you doe this or no which you are here exhorted vnto But it may be a man will be readie to say I hope I doe performe this It is well if you doe But I will say but one word to you if you doe thus looke vpon God as All-sufficient if you reckon him your portion doe you walke as one that sees him in his greatnesse and in his almightie power Remember that in Pro. 30. when Agur lookes vpon God and himselfe together sayth he I am worse then a Beast I haue not the vnder standing of a man in me And why sayth he I haue not the knowledge of the holy one he that ascends and he that descends he that holds the winds in his fist he that gathers the waters in his lap as into a garment he that stretcheth forth the ends of the earth and that settles it who knowes him sayth he who can tell his name or his sonnes name The meaning of it is this sayth he when I consider what God is and beginne to thinke how I haue walked with him and how short I am of knowing him as I should sayth he I am as a Beast I am confounded and amazed Now consider that and make it your owne case who walkes with God my Beloved and seeth him that ascends and descends which hath reference to that vision that appeared to Iacob The Lord was on the toppe of the laddâ—r and the Angels descended and ascended That is All the Creatures both in heaven and earth are like messengers that goe to and fro at his Commandement who walkes with God as knowing this providence of his that sets the Angels a-worke all the hoasts all the particulars of them in their kinde to doe this busines and that busines Who walkes with God as seeing him sending a messenger to doe every thing that we see done in the world sending a messenger to take away such a mans life to giue another life and health sending a messenger to remoue such a difficultie from one man And againe stopping vp another mans passage This you call accident when you see a concurrence of two things together the cause whereof you know not but he knowes both who walkes with the Lord as seeing him do this or that through the ends of the earth Againe he holds the windes in his fist who sees him as such a God that is able to hold the windes in his fist Who lookes vpon him as such a God The breath of a man that is lesse then the winde he holds it in his fist as a man holds a thing in his hand and that he keepes there at his pleasure Who lookes vpon God as thus great in power And so againe breathing the holy Ghost who lookes vpon God as one that dispenseth it as it pleaseth him to giue it and withdraw it at his will Who lookes vpon him as one sending forth motions and iniecting them into the minde stirring it this way or that way as the windes and the stormes and the Creatures He hath them all in his hand and holds them all in his fist for by these workes of nature we may learne to know the greatnesse of God and to reflect vpon our selues and see how farre we are short of him And so againe who lookes vpon him as lapping vp the waters as in a garment That is When the Sea is outragious yet he takes it as you would take a little water in your lap sometimes and he containes it and gathers it vp and sometimes he lets it loose againe And so likewise he is able when the people are vnruly even great Nations that sometimes are readie to over-spread his Church and to run over it with proud waters yet he is able to keepe them backe he is able to restraine them and to shut them vp with barres and doores as he doth the waters He that lappes the waters in a garment is he not able to restraine men that are violent against vs in wrath Who can stand before wrath and envie that is like a violent water that overflowes all and that carries all before it Yet he that laps the waters as a garment he is able to restraine them wheresoever he findes them And so againe who walks with him as knowing him that establisheth the ends of the earth That is as the originall shewes more clearely as one that hath founded the great and waightie earth vpon nothing Sayth he that God when a mans spirit hath instabilitie and inconstancy in it naturally he that establisheth the earth vpon nothing making a mightie building where there was no foundation he can establish thy spirit too Suppose there be nothing to support the Church to suppoâ—â— a man when he is falling or that he hath no friend to prop him nothing to vnderlay him yet he that hath set the earth vpon nothing but vpon the thinne ayre that you know is not able to support it but he onely sayth to the earth stand there is he not able to support a man in any case See now the Lord in this greatnesse of his But who walkes as seeing him thus in his greatnesse and in his All-sufficiencie For all these doe but expresse the All-sufficiencie
an offensiue and a defensine League and when we seeke to him and put him in mind of it he can not deny vs. The people of Rome had other parts and Nations that were allyes with them and if they were to fight at any time the Romans were bound in honour to defend them and to assist them and they did it with as much diligence as they defended their owne City of Rome If we doe implore GODâ— ayde doe you thinke that God will breake his Couenant Will he not 〈◊〉 vp himselfe to scatter his and our 〈◊〉 Certainely hee will This great benefit you haue therefore you haue cause to magnifie your â—elues in this Condition and to blesse the Lord to magnifie him for his great goodnesse that he would eâ—ter into Couenant with you this was the greatest fauour that euer hee shewed to Abraham and it is the very scope of this place Abraham I am willing to enter into Couenant to tye my selfe to enter into bond and therefore since the LORD is not ashamed to make vs his people let vs not bee ashamed to call him our God to professe it and make it good vpon all occasions This is the first vse Secondly from this difference of the Couenants you haue these two things to obseâ—ue First in that the Couenant of Grace onely is the ministration of the Spirit when the other is but the ministration of the letter it should teach vs thus much to labour to grow to assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes If a man would deâ—ire to change his course to haue his heart renued to be made a new creature to be translated from death to life beloued the way is not to consider presently the Commandement for a man to thinke with himselfe this I ought to doe and I will set about it I haue made a Couenant I haue resolued with my selfe to doe it but the way is to labour to get assurance of forgiuenesse to labour to apprehend the Couenant of Grace for by that meanes thy heart shall be softned there shall be an infusion of the Spirit that shall write the Law of God in thy inward parts all those places of Scripture make this good wherein it is said faith purifieth the heart and by the promises we are made partakers of the godly nature as 2. Pet. 1. 4. and likewise Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing GOD. The meaning is this if a man would haue his conscience purged from dead workes let him labour for faith whereby hee may bee iustified let him labour to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ to haue assurance of the forgiuenesse and pardon of his sinnes through that blood then he shall haue that Spirit put into his heart that eternall Spirit that shall purge and cleanse his conscience from dead workes So likewise Gal. 3. Did you receiue the Spirit by the workes of the Law Did you not rather receiue it by the hearing of â—aith preached And so Gal. 5. Faith that workes by loue that is it is faith that brings forth loue and loue sets vs on worke All these shew thus much vnto vs that the best way to heale any strong lust the best way to change our hearts to get victory ouer any sin that it may not haue dominion ouer vs to haue our conscience cleansed from dead workes to he made partakers of the diuine nature is to grow vp in the assurance of the loue of God to vs in Christ to get assurance of pardon and forgiuenesse for beloued know this if the heart doe no more but looke to the Commandement if you heare onely that there are such duties to be done and consider them and you compare your owne heart and the Commandement together there growes a quarell betweene the heart and the Commandement an exâ—lâ—eration betweene them and an enmiâ—y they looke one vpon another as enemies but when the heart is softned and reconciled to God it closeth with the Commandement as the soft clay doth with the mould and is ready to receiue any impression but till then it rebels against the Commandement and stands out as a hard stone that receiues no impression and therfore the way is not â—o go about to reforme our liues as morall men to thinke with thy selfe there are these duties I must take a course to keepe them and enter into vowes in particular courses with my selfe to doe them no my beloued the way is to get assurance of forgiuenes to labour to bee partaker of the Couenant of Grace your hearts will then be softned when you haue receiued the Spirit that hath wrought in your hearts a disposition answerable to the Law without when the Law is put into your minds And this is the first difference The 2. is in regard of the difference of the two Testaments the second Testament being stablished vpon better promises What is the reason that the New Testament is said to bee stablished vpon better promises Beloued you shall finde this to be the condition of the New Testament you shall finde in it very little expression of the promises of this life looke in all the Epiâ—tles of paul and the other Epistles looke to all the Doctrine of the Gospell and you shall see the things that are iâ—erated still they are these You shall bee saued you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall bee iustified you shall bee sanctified you shall receiue the adoption of sonnes you shall receiue the high price of your calling c. These are the things that Paul euery where magnifies as the condition that exceeds and goes beyond the conditions in our forefathers times Now this great Mystery is reuealed now these great riches are opened that before were hid Whence you may gather this much that grace and spirituall things spiritual priuiledges things belonging to the Kingdome of God and of â—esus Christ exceed much all outward and temporall happinesse Why are they otherwise called better promises There are many other places I know to shew the vanity of outward things and to preferre spirituall things before them but let this be added to the rest this Couenant is established on better promises labour then to worke your hearts fully to that perswasion namely to thinke with your selues it is better to be rich in grace better to haue the priuiledges of Iesus Christ then to bee rich in this world Reu. 2. I know thy pouerty but thou art rich You must thinke with your selues this is the great riches and therefore the Apostle exhorts rich men that they-change these other riches they enioy to spirituall riches Now a man will neuer be exhorted to change except it bee for the better Charge those that are rich in the world that they bee rich in good workes let them so vse their
would haue it by free grace and not of debt for saith hee If I should giue a Law and rules to men and promise them life vpon it when they had performed the worke they would challenge it of debt no saith the LORD it is an inheritance I doe not vse to deale with my children as men doe with their seruants that I should giue them worke to doe and when they haue done it I should giue them wages then they would come and challenge it a my hands by way of debt no saith the Lord this is an inheritance and you are my sonnes and you shall haue it giuen you freely and giuen you as it becomes a Father to giue it so you shall take it therefore that it might bee of free grace and not of debt therefore it is by faith and not by workes And that is added likewise if it had beene by workes men would haue beene ready to boast and haue said I haue done this I am able to keepe the Law therefore the promise of eternall life shall bee made good to mee I shall receiue it as wages men would boast in themselues No saith the LORD no creature shall boast in it selfe for that puts euery man further from the LORD the more a man reioyceth in himselfe the more he stands vpon his owne bottome the more he is diuorsed from GOD and separated from him but saith he he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the LORD for that fits a man for the LORD and therefore I will haue it by faith it shall not bee by workes So beloued you see now what is the Condition Surely looke how Abraham was made partaker of the Couenant so euery one of vs must bee Abraham was made partaker of it by saith so shall euery man be made partaker of it by faith and no otherwise Abraham beleeued God when hee had a promise and because he beleeued him not that particular act of faith but that grace of faith whereby he beleeued this and the other promises of the Messiah was counted to him for righteousnesse and so for this cause because wee beleeue the promises and the Couenant of Grace therefore the LORD accepts vs and accounts vs righteous and because this seemes strange to the sonnes of men therefore we see with how much adoe Paul labours to make it good what strong obiections were against it in all times I haue shewed the reason Now when you reade Rom. 3. 4. and Gal. 3. 4. you may know the better the meaning of those places Well so you see the Couenant secondly you see the Condition now you heare that there is such a Couenant as this The third thing is the confirmation of the Couenant when a man heares that GOD will vouchsafe so much fauour vnto mankinde a man is ready to say as Gedion did alas my family is poore in Manasses I am the least in all my Fathers house And who am I that I should be raised vp hitherto that such a promise as this should be made to mee that I should goe and saue Israel c. I say after the same manner a man might bee ready to obiect Alas what are wee the sonnes of men that the great GOD of Heauen and Earth should enter into such a Couenant with vs that he should make vs such promises as these that he should make vs heyres of the World that hee should blesse vs in that manner to make vs sonnes to make vs Kings and Priests Saith the LORD I confesse it is a Couenant that needes confirmation therefore the LORD hath confirmed it all these wayes the LORD hath confirmed it first by his promise saith he you haue my sure word for it if that bee not enough I will confirme it by an Oath and because he had no greater to sweare by he saith by my selfe haue I sworne that I will make it good this is not enough but he confirmes it by the blood of Christ himselfe the Mediator shall come and confirme this Testament and when the Testament is confirmed by the death of the Testator there is no more altering of that saith hee Gal. 3. A mans Testament no man changeth after once it is confirmed and when the Testator is dead Heb. 9. then the Testament is confirmed so it is confirmed by the blood by the death of the Testator This is not enough but hee hath added seales vnto it hee hath confirmed it likewise by them saith hee I will adde the seale of Circumcision and of the Passeouer For Circumcision saith the LORD Goe and circumcise your selues and when I see the Circumcision I will remember my Couenant and make it good to you that as hee said of the Bow he set the Bow in the Cloud saith hee I will make my Couenant that I will neuer destroy the Earth againe with raine this Bow shall be the witnesse of the Couenant and when I looke vpon it I will remember my Couenant after this manner are the signes and seales of the Couenant saith he Circumcise your selues and when I see that I will remember my Couenant and will spare you and I will make good to you all the promises of it So likewise the Passeouer saith hee See that â—ou keepe it take the Lambe and sprinkle the blood c. Saith he when I see it I will remember my Couenant Where beloued this is to be obserued that these signes or seales of the Couenant not onely confirme the promises on our part but they signifie that faith that condition which is required on our part for when the LORD comes and lookes into his Church and sees a great company in it sees his House full and he comes and askes What doe you in my House What doe a number of those that professe themselues to be within the compasse of the Couenant there Their answer is LORD we beleeue wee are among those that keepe the Condition If you beleeue where is your Circumcision It may be you haue that outward Circumcision in the flesh but where is the Circumcision of the heart for if you did beleeue indeede it would worke a change in the heart as faith I told you that is indeede a liuely faith workes a chaâ—ge it câ—ts off sinfull lusts it makes a man deny himselfe and cleaue to God and serue him with a perfect heart So againe after that manner doth the second signe of the Couenant which is the Passeouer when the LORD shall aske Doe you beleeue Yes heere is the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe But where is the true sprinkling vpon the heart and conscience heere is the outward Passeouer the outward profession you come and take the signe and the seale but where is the inward sprinkling Therefore you see what was required in the Passeouer saith hee when you eate the Lambe c. haue you tasted of the sweet of the Lambe haue you euer tasted of the sweetnesse that is in Iesus Christ so that you can loue
impotent and beggerly rudiments The reason is because their knowledge was exceeding little therefore it brought little profit to them they were beggerly they had little riches in them and they were impotent they could communicate little power and strength and efficacy to the inward man On the other side now the New Couenant is strong and rich and liuely and effectuall and the reason is because there is more knowledge in it wee are taught to know GOD better and to know the whole mysterie of the Gospell better Therefore I say if you would bee strengthned in grace if we would be enabled to keepe the Couenant more then they were labour to grow in knowledge let it not be vnusefull vnto you whatsoeuer is deliuered but make benefit of it You see what riches of knowledge are deliuered to vs in Pauls Epistles let none of this be lost it is thy benefit that this is now discouered to thee that was hid from all the world aforetimes It is that benefit that the Apostle Paul so exceedingly magnifies that to vs this mystery is reuealed that wee haue this grace to make knowne to principalities and powers the manifest wisdome of God the vnsearchable richâ—s Christ make this vse of it grow in knowâ—edge and thou shalt grow in grace by that 〈◊〉 the strength thou gettest in grace it is â—â—om â—he abundance of knowledge beloued this is an exceeding vsefull point Those are â—he complaints ordinary amongst men they would faine doe otherwise they would abstaine from such sinnes and they would obserue such â—â—uties they intend it and desire it and purpose it but they are not able to performe it What is the reason of that Because they want grace and strength that is the immediate cause But what is the cause they want grace Because they â—ake not paines to grow in knowledge Beloued that place 2 Pet. 3. see how they are put together Take heede you bee not plucked away with the errour of the wicked but grow in grace How shall we doe that Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. I deny not but a man may haue much knowledge and want Grace but on the other side looke how much grace a man hath so much knowledge he must haue of necessity Though there may be much wood that is not kindled yet looke how much fire there is so much fuell there must needs be Knowledge is the Oyle wherein the flame of â—he Spirit liues and you cannot haue more Gâ—ace then you haue knowledge though you â—ay haue abundance of empty and vnprofitaâ—le knowledge without grace Therefore if 〈◊〉 would haue the fruite of this Couenant laâ—our to grow in knowledge Ioh. 1. 17. that place is excellent for this purpose The Lawe continued till Iohn Baptist the Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. Marke it grace and truth What was the reason there was more grace dispersed by Iesus Christ than by Moses The reason is because there was more truth reucaled to the sonnes of men by CHRIST then there was by Moses truth was hid in Moses time vnder vailes and shaddowes but was manifest in the time of Iesus Christ. Now because truth was more reuealed by him hence it was that there was a greater communication of grace a larger effusion of the Spirit because there is more truth but that place comes as neere to this purpose that you shall finde 2 Cor. 3. you shall see there an expression of the difference betweene the two Couenants Neuerthelesse when their hearts shall bee turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken from before their eyes Hee said before To this day when Moses is read there is a vaile laid ouer their hearts but when their hearts shall be turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken away And what then They shall behold as in a glasse the glory of God with open face and be transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The meaning is this saith he in the time of the Old Testament there was a vaile that couered their hearts and their eyes that they were not able to see the truth cleerely but now saith he that vaile is tooke away and we see the truth with open face euen as you see an Image in â— Glasse But what is the benefit of this knowlâ—dâ—e Now the vaile is taken away we know much more saith hee by seeing with open face we are transformed into the same Image that is by the knowing of it by looking vpon it by renewing those truths that are deliuered in the Gospell by seeing the wayes of GOD and the Image of GOD there described and set forth to vs by this knowledge we are transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree of that Image to another not that the very knowledge shall doe it but it pleaseth the LORD to accompany that knowledge by the Spirit this is done saith hee as by the Spirit of the LORD So my beloued the way to grow in grace and in strength to receiue that immediate benefit of the Couenant is to grow in knowledge Ioh. 17. it is a part of Christs prayer vers 17. Sanctiâ—ie them with thy truth thy Word is truth The meaning is this as if he should haue said Oh Lord I know that the way to sanctifie them the way to increase grace and holinesse in their hearts is to reueale more truth to them now Lord I beseech thee reueale thy Word to them for thy Word is that truth teach them to know thy Word acquaint them with it more and more for by that meanes they shall get grace and sanctification So then if you would receiue the strength of the Couenant you must labour to grow in knowldge labour to vnderstand it more and more for beloued this is a very sure rule there is not a new notion that a man gets there is not a beame of truth of new truth there is not a further enlargement of knowledge and illumination but it brings some riches of grace with it it comes not empty but it comes loaded with something it hath some power and strength and it giues a new vigour to the inward man and therefore if thou wouldest abound in grace study the Scriptures much attend to them much meditate in them day and night labour still to get some new sparke of knowledge some new light out of them and thou shalt finde this that grace will follow as it is the Apostles exhortation to Timothie saith he Giue attendance to reading and to learning so thou shalt saue thy selfe and shalt be able also to saue others The meaning is the way to get that grace that will saue a man is to giue much attendance to reading and to learning for beloued whatsoeuer it is that begets a man the increase of that likewise edifies and builds him vp
to vanitie In every mans particular vse you shall finde this true as in riches a man that is sinfull shall not haue comfort from them but vexation of spirit he shall finde a vanitie and an emptinesse in them And so wisedome learning knowledge and skill the more sinne the more vanitie is in them Euery man shall finde this in all the creatures vnder the Sunne As on the other side the more grace the more substance you shall finde in them and the lesse vanity For that which immediatly brings the vanitie is the curse and sinne is the immediate cause of euery curse I say the immediate cause of vanitie is the curse of God When God bids such a thing wither when he bids it not prosper with such a man when he bids it doe him no good as hee bad the figg tree wither that makes euery thing vaine to a man euen the curse that lies vpon the creature and sinne is the cause of the curse Againe that which giues a substance that which giues a filling to the creature that which causeth it to giue downe that milke of comfort that is in it is the blessing of God vpon it when God shall say to such a creature goe and doe such a man good it is the blessing which doth it immediatly but grace is the cause of the blessing Therefore let vs looke on sinne as the cause of all this vanitie and on grace as the cause of the contrary let vs labour to excell in the one and to resist the other So much for this first vse Secondly if there be such a vanity in all things vnder the Sunne then surely he that hath brought this vanitie vpon them must needes be much more vainie For what causeth this vanitie that lieth vpon the whole face of the creature is it not man it came not vpon the creature as you know for its owne sake but by man why then surely man that hath bin the cause of all this vanitie must needes be himselfe much more vaine Therefore if a man looke vpon himselfe let him consider this that he shall neuer find any happines within his owne compasse or circle If hee will needs build himselfe vpon his owne bottom he is subject to vanitie and more then any other creature besides therefore let vs learne to goe out of our selues and seeke it else-where Againe if you seeke for any comfort from man from friends from great men remember they are vaine and more vaine then any other creature as in Psal. 62. 9. All men are vaine and great men are lvers if they be layd in the ballance they be lighter then vanitie that is in all the sonnes of men there is a vanitie and the greater they are the more vanitie is in them not that they are in themselues more vaine but because wee expect more from great men therefore to vs they are lighter then vanitie they are more vaine then all other men Therefore let vs neither seeke that in our selues nor in other men for they that cause the vanitie vpon the creatures themselues must needes be much more subject to vanitie Thirdly if the creature be subject to vanitie then consider what an euill choice wee make to loose heauen to loose grace to loose the opportunitie of growing rich in good workes for any thing vnder the Sunne either for riches or vaine glory and praise of men for pleasures or whatsoeuer men reckon precious and pleasant to them vnder the Sunne For if they be all vanitie what a change doe wee make doe wee not giue gold away for drosse as our Sauiour expresseth it Luke 16. 26. Put the case a man had all the world and loose his soule that is if he neglect the things that belong to his saluation and for the neglect of them shal haue in recompence whatsoeuer the world can afford him so that hee wants nothing that the world hath yet sayth hee what shall it profit him that is there is a vanitie in it it will be altogether vnprofitable to him For to be vaine and to be vnprofitable is all one Consider then what a foolish change men make when they draw sin on with cart-roapes that is when they vse their vtmost strength to get these vaine things to them with the losse of better things what a change doe they make although they should get the whole world seeing all would be vnprofitable that is they should finde nothing but vanitie and Emptines and vexation of spirit in it Againe if all things be subiect to vanitie learne we then first not to couet after earthly things not to set our hearts vpon it nor to desire it over much when we want it And secondly when we haue it not to be confident nor to trust to much to it not to rejoyce in it to inordinately For it is but vanitie there is an emptines in it it will deceiue vs as a broken reede Thirdly if God doe take from vs any of those earthly things as riches credit health or friends let vs be content to part with them For even the best of them are vanitie subject to emptines such as will not performe that which they promise such as will deceiue vs when we come to vse them Last of all because this is not the point I intend to stand vpon if all things vnder the Sun be subject to vanitie even those that seeme to be least subject vnto it then let vs labour to haue our hearts weaned from the world and whatsoeuer is in the world to make it our whole busines to feare God and keepe his Commandements You know that is the maine vse that the wise man makes of this whole booke it is all but an explication of the particular vanuties which hee found vnder the Sun and the vse that the makes of it is this therefore saith he the whole dutie of man is to feare God and keepe his Commandements My beloved I beseech you marke that expression for therein we are exceeding apt to deceiue our selues A man is content to doe some thing that tends to Gods worship and to the Saluation of his Soule but to make it his whole worke to haue all the water to runne in that chanell to haue his mind altogether intent vpon it he is not willing to doe so but hee joynes other things with it because there is a secret leaning of the heart and an vnweaned lingering after some other vanitie It is certaine that when the heart is weaned from all things vndor the Sun a man will make it then his whole busines to feare God and keepe his Commandements but because the heart is false in this it hath some thing else that it is set vpon Some men thinke that wisedome knowledge increase of Skill in such a particular Science Trade and profession that that is not subject to vanitie so it may be his heart is set vpon that this is
enough to keep a man from making it his whole dutie to â—eare God and keepe his commandements Another man perhaps neglects this but to gather in an estate to strengthen himselfe that way to bottom himselfe well vpon a good estate this he thinkes is not subject to vanitie as other things and this therefore his heart is set vpon though hee see vanitie in some other things yet this his heart is set on and this is enough to keepe him from making it his whole dutie to feare God and keepe his commandements And thus we might goe through many instances Let every man therefore search his owne heart for when a man makes not this his whole dutie some thing or other deceiues him a vanitie that hee yet seeth not I say the best things be subject to vanitie if which way so euer the wise man turned himselfe they were subject to vanitie it is fit we should learne then to make it our whole dutie to set all our thoughts and affections vpon this how we may grow in grace how wee may feare God and keepe his Commandements Lastly a man may by this trie himselfe whether he hath done it of no. For as Salomon when he grew wise after his repentance he saw a vanitie in all things vnder the Sunne So a man when his heart is once changed he will see a vanitie in all things If there be any thing wherein thou seest not a vanitie it is an argument thou art not yet a new creature Paul sayth now know we no man after the flesh for whosoever is in Christ is a new creature as if he should say when any man is a new creature hee looketh vpon all things vnder the Sunne with an other eye he iudgeth of them with another iudgment and therefore if thou finde it otherwise if thou looke vpon the world or vpon any thing that is in the world as vpon things that are precious that is a signe that Sathan hath bewitched thee You know it was one of the witcheries that he attempted vpon our Sauiour he shewed him the world the kingdomes and glory of it and so he doth to euery man more or lesse he shewes him some thing or other and if a man doe not see the emptines and vanitie of them but sees a glorie in them he hath yeelded to Sathan who hath bewitched him and preuailed ouer him and therefore when you looke on euery thing vnder the Sunne riches credit wisedome skill knowledge if you looke on all as on flowers if you see a vanitie and an emptines in them that is a signe you are now changed that you are now turned to God by vnfained repentance that you see a vanitie in all things vnder the Sunne So much for this first point I returned and saw vnder the Sunne sayth hee that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor yet bread to the wise nor riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet favour to men of knowledge but time and chance commeth to all The next point that we are to obserue in these words is this that Men of the greatest abilities men of the greatest sufficiencies are often disappointed of their hopes and ends This is a vanitie vnder the Sun and not so onely but men that are more weake and insufficient doe obtaine their ends and hopes For you must vnderstand it reciprocally the battell is not alwayes to the strong therefore it is some times to the weake riches are not alwayes to men of vnderstanding therefore they are often to men that haue not vnderstanding The opening of this point will be best done in shewing the reasons and grounds of it why it comes to passe that men of the greatest abilities haue not alwayes successe answerable to that sufficiencie that is in them And first one cause of it is because there is no creature that is or euer shall bee strong in his owne strength In his owne strength shall no man bee strong 1. Sam. 2. 9. A creature in it selfe hath not so much abilitie althought it be never so well furnished as to bring any enterprise to passe There is more required then the simple strength of the creature be it never so strong because in euery enterprise there are many wheeles many things that must concure to bring it to passe Now a creature is not able to see all the wheeles that are in every busines or if hee doe see them he is not able to turne euery wheele but this belongs to God And therefore without his concurring with the creature be the creature never so strong hee shall not be able to get the battell be he neuer so swift he shall not be able to winne the race bee hee neuer so great in skill and vnderstanding hee shall not get fauour nor riches This you may see 1. Sam. 2. 3. Where Hanna giues this counsell in her song speake no more presumptuously neither let arroagancy come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge by him enterprises are established As if she had sayd for any man to say hee is able to bring an enterprise to passe hee speakes presumptuously hee takes more to himselfe then hee is able to performe The Lord is onely a God of knowledge that is the reason of it and therefore by him onely and not by any mans strength enterprises are established The Lord is a God of knowledge as if shee had sayd men haue not so much knowledge and wisedome as to looke through a busines to see all the circumstances of it to behold all the ingredients into it all the wheeles that must coÌ„curre to bring it to passe The Lord onely is a God of knowledge and therefore by him enterprises are established And this was that I sayd that the creatures insufficiency was partly because they are not able to see all And partly agiaine it is because though they doe see all the wheeles that goe to make vp an enterprise yet they are not able to turne them As you may see Psal. 33. 16. The King is not saved by the multitude of an host neither is a mightie man delivered by his great strength A Horse is a vaine thing to saue a maÌ„ he shall not deliuer any by his great strength Though a man doe see and though he can say such a wheele is necessary yet it is not in his owne power to vse it An hoast is a great meanes to get a battell yet sayth he be an hoast never so strong that is not enough But what if hee haue valiant men and Souldiers Yet that will not doe it a mightie man is not deliuered by his great strength I but what if hee haue horses and chariots c. Let the instrument be what it will be a horse is a vaine helpe that is except the Lord concurre with that hoast and turne that great wheele except hee bee with those valiant men except he
let him know this that God wil so much the rather blow vpon him that he will so much the rather dissettle him and take him off that he will so much the rather turne away his face and he shall be troubled I say God will doe it so much the rather partly because that successe of things is his and when a man will begin to challenge it to himselfe God will begin then to looke to his owne right and challenge his owne priviledge You shall find in 1. Sam. 17. 47. David giues this reason why he should prevaile against Goliah it is not I but the battle sayth he is the Lords as if hee should say if the battle were mine or thine it may bee Goliah thou mightest prevaile against mee it may be thou mightest over-come me but the battle is the Lords So we may say in this case The event and successe of things the good and evill that comes to a man vpon that preparation and indevour that hee makes it is the Lords and not any mans nor any creatures Therefore when a man challengeth it to himselfe and boasts of it and thinkes I will doe this the Lord will not doe it the battaile is his and as it is said of the battaile so all things else are his and therefore he will not dispose them according to mans preparations but disposeth of them according to his owne purpose Againe God will doe it the rather that he might shew forth his owne power discover the Creatures weaknesse especially when a Creature shall pride it selfe in any of these outward things as Asahel did in his swiftnesse it was the cause of his overthrow and indeede God vsually takes men in such things when they begin to boast I shall now haue the battaile because I am strong These things I say are commonly their ruine The policie of Achitophell the hayre of Absalom and so many a mans wealth many a mans wit that thing wherein their strength lies wherein they boast themselues God causeth to be the meanes of their ruine he takes them in these things that he might discover his owne power the vanitie and weaknes of the Creature Againe The Lord doth it so much the rather when men grow in confidence of their owne strength that he might manifest his owne providence and therefore he puts in many accidents which turne things another way It is true my Beloved when men goe well prepared to the battaile and doe overcome there is a providence of God in that as well as when they get the battaile by some chance or accident but by reason of the infirmitie of man by reason of the iniudiciousnes that he is subject vnto they doe not so much acknowledge this providence in an ordinary course as they doe in accidentall things that are done by occasion by sudden intercurrent causes that wee are not able to fore-see Therefore I say God delights to doe it so much the rather when men are prepared and say with themselues what should hinder me What should keepe me from bringing such an enterprise to passe God therefore puts in some accident and turnes it another way that his providence might be seene and acknowledged The Conclusion is let none boast themselues that this and this I will doe because I am strong for God will turne all a contrary way So much for the first vse Secondly As men are not to boast themselues when they are strong So likewise if the battaile be not alwayes to the strong but that sometimes also to the weake let no man be discouraged because he is weake because he is vnprepared because he is not so well furnished to bring such an enterprise to passe For as there are certaine times that God will haue to passe over men for their evill that be a man never so strong as he hath appointed his change and condition so it shall come to passe So also there is a certaine time that God hath appointed for other mens good advancement when a man is weake and low his weakenesse and follie and inabilitie shall no more frustrâ—te turne aside and prevent his advancement when God will bring it vpon him then the strength or wisedome of the other shall turne away Gods decree and prevent the counsell of God against him Besides when a man is weake God puts in an accident that he may haue the prayse of his providence that men may say he hath done it whereas if things went in ordinarie course they might ascribe it to the second Causes Againe The Lord rather delights to doe it even when men are weake because therein his glorie is most seene he delights to manifest his power in our weaknesse And therefore Paul when he saw this he sayth he will reioyce in his infirmities That is he thought his infirmities would be a very great advantage to him partly because they would keepe him humble that is one reason And partly because he thought that God would the rather put forth his power because he was weake that he should the rather haue Gods power to vphold him Therefore I say let not men be discouraged for their weakenesse be the adversaries never so strong and their resolutions never so fixed yet they shall not prevaile if God haue purposed otherwise You see how peremptorie Iezabels speech was God doe so and so c. if I make no Eliah as one of the Prophets of Baal by to morrow this time yet you see he was safe notwithstanding this Thus was it also when the Iewes had vowed with themselues the death of â—aul he was in great danger there was fortie to one and their resolution was so strong as it could not be altered yet God kept him safe he prevailed and they were disappointed So Elisha when the King thought to haue taken off his head though he had the power of a King and his purpose was firme that it should come to passe to a full height there was no doubt made of it yet God kept him safe Therefore let vs be incouraged on the other side that are weake God is able to hide vs he is able to strengthen vs to giue vs advantage and successe when we are vnable to helpe our selues for as it is true that the battaile is not alwayes to the strong nor favour to the wise c. So it is ture on the other side that many times when men are not strong when men are not wise when they mannage not their businesse with that prudence warinesse and circumspection that they should doe yet oftentimes they haue successe when the other want it So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON ECCLESIASTES 9. 11. 1â— And I returned and sawe vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battaile to the strong c. YOu know where we left we proceede to that which remaines In the third place If men of the greatest
is exceeding hard because it is not in the power of any man to know it except God guide him to see it there are not principles in man there is not the sufficiencie of wisedome to finde out the fitnes of time except God guide him to pitch vpon that time Now if the Lord were pleased to reveale to men these seuerall times allotted to actions it were an easie thing to finde it out but he hath kept them to himselfe and that for these two Causes One is That men might watch for if men knew the time they would be loose and neglect till the time came Therefore sayth he seeing thou knowest not the time when he will come whether at night or at what time of the night whether at the dawning or at the Cocke-crowing whether at the first watch or at the second therefore watch As if he should say If men knew the time certainely they would sleepe till that time and then they would be awake but God will haue men watch Secondly God hath appointed these times and reserved them to himselâ—e that men might learne to feare him that they might learne to keepe a continuall dependance vpon him for if the times were in our owne hands we might mannage our businesse with our owne strength but when they are in Gods hands we know not what to morrow will bring forth Therefore Iames sayth say not I will doe such a thing I will goe to such a place and stay there a yeare and buy and sell for sayth he it is not in your hands your life is not in your owne hands to effect this busines If you doe liue it is not in your hands and therefore you ought to say if the Lord will And therfore to keep men in this dependancie vpon him God hath reserved these times vnto himselfe The third and last proposition is That because men misse of these times therefore their miserie is great vpon them partly because they do not effect the thing they goe about when they misse of their time for the Lord workes not with them when they hit vpon a wrong time partly also because they fayling in their dutie not taking the good time that God hath appointed he in his most just judgement sends vpon them evill times that suddenly come vpon them euen as a snare vpon the birds As you see when birds are feeding quietly and fearing nothing then an evill snare comes and takes them So it is with men when they haue missed their times when they thinke they are safest when they speake peace to themselues when they thinke that danger is farthest off then evill times come suddenly vpon them This you shall see best in examples Gehezi when he tooke a gift of Naaman The Prophet his Maister reproues him in these words Gehezi sayth he is this a time to receiue gifts As if he should say To take a gift in it selfe is not amisse but this is not a time for it for Naaman was but a stranger Againe he was but a beginner in beleeving in the true God and therefore to take a gift of him that was not a time It was the manner you know to bring gifts to the olde Prophets not for reward of their Prophesies but for the maintenance of their estate So Saul brought to Samuel a gift and therefore in some cases it might haue beene seasonable but sayth he is this a time to take a gift of such a man vpon such an occasion at such a season And what miserie came vpon Gehezi for missing his time sayth his Maister The leprosie of Naaman the Assyrian shall cleaue to thee that miserie came vpon him So you shall see Haggai 1. The people did a lawfull action but they missed of the time Thus sayth the Lord of hosts This people say the time is not yet when the Lords house should be built Then came the Word of the Lord by the ministerie of the Prophet Haggai saying Is it a time for your selues to dwell in seeled houâ—â—s and this house lie wast Therefore now saith the Lord of hosts you haue sowne much but you haue brought in little you eate but you haue not enough you drinke but you are not filled you cloath you but you are not warmed and he that earneth wages he puts it into a broken bagge It was a lawfull thing for them to build houses to dwell in and to enioy but sayth he is this a time to dwell in your seeled houses As if he should say You haue misâ—ed of the time And what then You see therefore their misery was great on them you haue sowne much but you bring in little c. Iacob It was lawfull for him to haue sought the blessing but because he missed of the time you see his misery was great vpon him how many sore yeares of travaile had he vnder his vncle Laban And this was because he missed of his time On the other side David that did hit vpon his time God promised him a Kingdome and he stayed his time you see he had it with good successe he had it in such a manner as was fit for him for he stayed his time Rehoboam is another example when he consulted with the olde men They tolde him that if he would serue the people at that time they should be his servants for ever but he followed the counsell of the young men and you see what fell out vpon this the missing of his time for that was the counsell that the olde men gaue him if thou wilt serue them at this time c. As if they had sâ—yd Rehoboam thou thinkest it will be disadvantage to thee if thou let the raines loose vpon them and not restraine and curbe them in the beginning but thou missest of thy time There is a time for meeknes and a time for roughnes There is a time for clemencie there is a time againe for severitie but this is not a time for Rehoboam to vse severitie in the beginning of his Raigne therefore you see his miserie was great vpon him he lost ten tribes by this meanes So likewise The people of Israell when they sought a King for themselues it was lawfull for them to seeke a King for God had appointed from all eternitie David to be their King and if Saul had not beene their King David had beene King at the same season that he was but their error was in the time they would haue a King when Samuel raignâ—d over them when God was pleased to Iudge them by the hand of the Prophets more immediately then by the hand of the King and therefore he sayth that himselfe ruled over them and therefore God tels them because they would needes haue a King now because they would anticipate him they would haue a King before God had appointed them a King therefore this curse should goe with their King he shall doe thus and thus to you he shall take your sonnes
turne I haue given him nothing he is vncapable of my gift and therefore I looke for no recompence as by merit from him Againe If God be All-sufficient let vs be exhorted to make a Covenant with him for as I told you before these words doe but containe the Covenant betweene God and vs. Now this is the Covenant that God will make with you if you will enter into Covenant with him that he will be All-sufficient to you Now that which is expressed here generally I finde in other places divided into these three particulars where in the All-sufficiencie of God consists as if they were the three parts of this Covenant First He is All-sufficient to justifie and to forgiue vs our sinnes Secondly He is All-sufficient to sanctifie vs and to heale our infirmities Thirdly He is All-sufficient to provide vs whatsoever we neede so that no good thing shall be wanting to vs. These are the three parts of the Covenant which we finde set downe in divers places in Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 8. 9. 10. 16. But most clearely are they set downe in Ezek. 36. Sayth the Lord there I will powre cleane water vpon you you shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you There is one part of the Covenant that he will clense vs from all our sinnes That is From the guilt and the punishment of them Secondly A new heart will I giue you also a new spirit will I put into you and I will take away your stonie hearts out of your bodies and I will giue you a heart of flesh There is the second part of the Covenant consisting of Sanctification The third is You shall dwell in the Land that I gaue to your Fathers and I will call for Corne and I will increase it and I will lay no more famine vpon you and I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you beare no more the reproach of famine among the Heathen Here are the particulars set downe some are named for the rest I will call for Corne and Wine That is For whatsoever you want That is the third part of the Covenant These are the three parts of the Covenant which I shall spend this time in opening and shewing you that God is sufficient in all and to answer those objections that mens hearts haue against his All-sufficiencie for the heart is readie to object against these three to haue sinnes forgiven to be sanctified and to haue abundance of all good things belonging to this present life in all these he is All-sufficient to fulfill all the desires of mens hearts Now to begin with the first First I say He is All-sufficient to take away all our sinnes My Beloved it may be when you heare this poynt you will say it is an easie thing to beleeue it there is no difficultie in this the Lord is All-sufficient to forgiue sinnes Surely whatsoever we say or pretend wee finde in experience it is exceeding hard Who is able so fully to beleeue the forgiuenes of his sinnes as he ought Who is able to doe it when he is put to it At the day of death at the time of extremitie at that time when the conscience stirres vp all his strength and opposeth it selfe against him when all his sinnes are presented vnto him in their colours who is able then to beleeue it therefore we had neede to finde out the All-sufficiencie of God in this for the greatnesse and exceeding largenesse of his power is shewed in it in nothing more then in forgiving of sinnes Hosea 11. 9. See there how the Lord expresseth it Sayth he I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Marke my Beloved when we haue committed sinne against God we commonly thinke thus with our selues if my sinnes were but as other mens if my sinnes wanted these and these circumstances I would beleeue the forgiuenesse of them but something or other a man hath still to object Now sayth the Lord it is very true If I were as man is it could not be but I should execute the fiercenesse of my wrath vpon Ephraim who hath provoked me so exceedingly for Ephraim was a part of Israell and is put for all Israell and the Prophet wrote this in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash when Israell abounded in sinnes and in Idolatry but sayth the Lord though their sinnes be exceeding great yet I am able to forgiue them for I am God and not man As if he should say Looke vpon weake man and compare God and man together and see how farre God exceeds man see how much he is stronger then man being infinite and almightie so sayth he his mercy exceeds the mercy of man As if he should say If I were not God it were impossible I should forgiue the sinnes of Ephraim which they haue multiplied against me from time to time So likewise in Esay 55. 7. the Lord cals them in there and vseth this as an argument for sayth he I will forgiue and multiplie my pardons so the word signifieth in the originall when a man makes this objection But it is more then any man can beleeue that my sinnes that I haue thus and thus repeated that the Lord can so easily put them away and multiply his pardons as I haue multiplied my sinnes Sayth he my thoughts are not aâ— your thoughts my wayes are not as your wayes but as high as the heaven is aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue your thoughts and my wayes aboue your wayes That is As a man lookes to heaven and considers the great distance betweene the earth and it so farre sayth he doe my thoughts exceede your thoughts That is When you thinke with your selues I cannot forgiue because you measure me and draw a scantling of me by your selues when you haue gone to the vtmost of your thoughts my thoughts exceede yours as much as heaven exceeds the earth And therefore sayth he my wayes are not as your wayes That is When you would not forgiue yet I am able to forgiue in so great a disproportion We doe with this as we doe with all the Attributes of God we are able to thinke him powerfull as a man but to thinke him powerfull as God there we come short We are able to thinke him mercifull as a man but to thinke him mercifull as God there our thoughts are at an end we can thinke and see no reason why he should pardon vs. Now sayth the Lord my thoughts goe beyond your thoughts as much as the distance is betweene heaven earth If you say to me who doubts of this that the Lord is able to forgiue My Beloved if we did not doubt of it what is the reason when great sinnes are committed that you fall to questioning of Gods mercy when you can more
easily beleeue a smaller sinne to be forgiven Therefore certainly men doubt of his power whether he be able to forgiue for if the difference of sinne doe cause in you vnbeliefe it could not be that you should pitch vpon the power of God and his readines to forgiâ—e Therefore it is certaine that it is his power that is called in question and therefore the thing we haue to do is to make this good to you that the Lord is able to forgiue But you will say to me It is true If it were a matter of power I make no question Beloved you shall finde it a matter of power take a man Is it not a matter of strength in him to forgiue to passe by an infirmitie If it be strength in a man to be meeke to forgiue and to passe by iniuries to be kinde to those that be vnkinde to him Is it not also power in God to doe so Besides is it not a power to be rich Riches giue a man a potencie and the Lord is said to be rich in mercy That is As a man that is rich though he giue much yet he is not exhausted So when you haue made thus much vse of Gods mercy yet still there is more behinde still there is more and more mercy for you there is a spring of mercy there is no end of it Besides as there is a power in his wrath Who knowes the power of his wrath so likewise there is a power in his mercy as we see Rom. 9. 22. 23. it is a place worth the considering for this purpose What if God to shew his wrath and to make his power known will suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destructioÌ„ And the next verse is thus to be read otherwise you cannot make the sence perfect and what if he would also to shew the greatnesse of his power declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy that he hath prepared to glory Marke as God shewes the greatnes of his power in executing wrath vpon evill men so he shewes the exceeding greatnesse of his power and declares his glorious riches That is The riches of his mercy vpon the Saints Now as it is hard to finde out the depth of the one so it is to finde out the depth of the other to consider the height the length and bredth and depth of his mercy When a man considers his sinnes and lookes vpon them in the height of them in the bredth and depth of them when he sees a heape of sinne piled vp together reaching vp to the heavens and downe againe to the bottom of hell now to beleeue that the mercy of God is higher then these sinnes and that the depth of his mercy is deeper then they This is to comprehend the length and bredth depth of mercy in him Ephes. 3. This is exceeding hard and a great thing for vs to doe but yet this the Lord is able to doe his mercy is able to swallow them vp and therefore you shall finde this expression in Iames 2. mercy reioyceth against Iudgement As if he should say There is a certaine contention betweene the sins that we commit and the mercy of God though our sinnes oppose his mercy yet his mercy is greater and at length it overcomes them and reioyceth against them as a man reioyceth against an adversary that he hath subdued Therefore herein we must labour to see Gods All-sufficiencie that although our sins be exceeding great yet the largenes of his mercy is able to swallow them vp But you will say to me we could beleeue this if we were qualified but all the difficultie is to beleeue it when we want those qualifications God requires softnesse of heart godly sorrow truth of repentance c. Beloved to this I answer briefly that whaâ—soever thou seest that discourageth thee that thou seest in thine owne heart when thou reflectest vpon it it is either sinne or emptinesse That is A want of that righteousnes that should be in thee If it be sinne the greatnesse of his mercy is able to swallow it vp And if it be emptinesse know this that he is rich in mercy and All-sufficient able to bestow this riches even vpon nothing you know he did bestow all the glory of the creature on it when it was nothing There was nothing you know when he made the world when he made â—he Angels what was it he bestowâ—d his riches vpon And is he not able to bestow it on thee though there be an emptines in thine heart Therfore thinke with thy selfe what is the exceeding 〈◊〉 of his loue It was a great loue that moved him to give Christ to vs but after we are in Christ then you must consider this â—hat his loue hath increased to a full object his loue is fully bestowed on him and is derived from Christ to vs. 〈…〉 sinnes yea all the degrees of my sinnes to overcome them and â—ubdue them yet if the fulnesse of his loue that he loues Christ with be derived on me what neede I make question But you will say againe What needs this perswasion of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving This is but to open a dore of liberty to make men more loose Beloved it is not so it is the most profitable thing yoâ— can doe for your owne soules to beleeue his All-sufficiencie in forgiving sinnes as well as his All-sufficiencie in any thing besides therefore we see in Rom. 6. concerning the abounding of grace for so the objection stands where sinne hath aboâ—nded there grace hath abounded much more If mens sinnes be multiplied grace and mercy shall be multiplied much more and still out-goe and swallow them vp Shall we therefore sinne that grace may abound or because grace hath abounded No sayth the Apostle for the abundance of grace kils sinne for so the consequence stands how shall we that are dead to sinne liâ—e any longer therein So that his answer stands thus Sayth he the abundance of grace doth not cause men to sinne more for it kils sinne And therefore the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie in God to forgiue sinne the more sinne is killed in vs it is not enlarged by it life is not given to sinne by it but we are made more dead to sinne by it You will say how can that be Because the beleeving of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving our sinnes increaseth our loue and our Ioy. It increaseth our loue for when there is no scruple in our hearts of Gods loue towards vs it makes our loue more perfect towards him It increaseth our joy also because when we haue a full assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that fils the heart with joy and peace in the holy Ghost Now spirituall loue eates out of the heart all carnall delights all sinfull lusts and all inordinate loue vnto the creature And so likewise spirituall joy takes away