forget you for you are called by my Name you are mine though I thus punish you Thirdly that the Lords Name is called upon his people For the first the Scripture is frequent in examples of this kind so as I shall not need to stand to name any places to you they are so well knowne already I come to reasons of it why it is so First he sends sharpe afflictions on them because he loves them they are such as belong to him and the ground of this reason is because Ira est tam ex amore quam ex odio Anger is as much out of love as hatred it is a true rule though it may seeme a paradox because when one loves another hee desires much from the party beloved and expects much from him and therefore a crosse and stubborne action from such a one provokes more to anger than from any other man as from a Son from a Friend from a Wife it woundeth more and therefore God saith of himselfe that he is a jealous God Iealousie is a mixt affection of love and anger the meaning is if I find my peoples affection stealing out from me I am presently affected as a jealous husband useth to be in such a case and there is no anger to that nor none sooner stirred God will indure ten times as much from another but when one that he hath taken into covenant with him offends him he is angry and will therefore be sure to send some sharpe affliction on him which is the fruit of his anger for his anger is not in vaine Secondly hee doth it that his Name might not bee blasphemed that was the reason he gives why hee punished David when he committed adultery for the Lord must of necessity doe it for their sakes that stand by and looke on to shew to them that he cannot indure such things no not in his owne people Thirdly because he hath said that he will be sanctified of all that draw neere to him he will have them know that he is an holy God hating iniquity and that none should draw nigh to him but such as have holy hearts and pure hands and this was the reason why he did send fire upon Corah Dathan and Abiram The Lord hath separated you and you draw neare to himselfe saith Moses to them and that in the nearest manner to doe service as Priests to offer Sacrifice and you are among the heads of the people and therefore he will not forbeare you others that are afarre off it may bee God will long and farre forbeare but others that are sanctified to the Lord and draw neare to him in profession and in the opinion of others and also so indeed of those God will either bee sanctified by their bringing holy hearts before him or else he will vindicate his holinesse by punishing them and will not suffer them to go on with prophane hearts Fourthly because they are his people among whom hee walkes and with whom he dwels 2 Cor. 6. and the three last verses and the beginning of the seventh Chapter he is conversant among them But you will say is he not every where else yes but he is there as a man is in his owne house among his sons and daughters observing every thing looking narrowly to them and because he is still with them therefore hee will endure no uncleannesse among them thence it was that in the Campe he commanded every man to carry his paddle with him when he went aside to bury it that no outward filthinesse might appeare for I walke among you hee did it to shew by that which is odious to us that wee should hide what is odious to him namely sin and filthinesse which caused him to loath his house to loath Israel when Israel was so unswept and so filthy God loathed it and so departed from it and so Asahel came upon them God will bee sure to plow his owne ground whatsoever becomes of the wast to weede his owne Garden though the rest of the world should be let alone to grow wild But you will object and say that the Saints wee see often sin and afflictions doe not follow I answer it may be and doth fall out often and the reason is because God findes his worke done to his hand If they plow themselves up God will not but if we do it by halves as that is our fault we leave many balkes behinde us then God alwaies comes with afflictions yet then the lesse that you leave behind unplowed the lesse will God afflict you if you humble your selves throughly you shall escape except only in the case of scandall and then God must needs do it for their sakes that looke on as in David God would have all the world see his punishment on him as well as they knew of his sinne but this comfort you may have though you have greatly sinned if not scandalously that humble your selves throughly and you shall escape Learne from hence to feare the Lord to tremble at his words and seeing he will endure no uncleannesse in his owne people stand in aw and sin not labour to bring your hearts to such a constitution to such an awfull respect as to feare to omit any good duty or commit the least sinne and this had need to be urged upon you for it is the cause of all that laxiture and loosenesse in our profession that we doe not feare the Lord as we should If we had the feare of the Lòrd before our eyes as the Apostles speakes Rom. 3. that is if we saw the Lord so as to feare him we should walke warily and look how and where wee set every step and the reason why you are so uneven and not like your selves is from want of the feare of the Lord Now the reason of that phrase of the Apostle that the feare of God is said to bee before your eyes is from the nature of feare Timor figit oculum as if a man bee busie about any thing if there be any thing that he feares he wil still have an eye to that and he watcheth least it should come with some by blow when he thinks not of it and so doth the feare of the Lord worke where it is it fastneth our eyes on him And if the Lord were thus before our eyes to feare him it would make us walke more evenly and more constantly with him And therefore when the holy Ghost in Scripture would chuse to commend a man he singles out this propertie especially of fearing God as that Iob was an upright man fearing God and so speaking of Cornelius it is said that hee was a just man fearing God and so Abraham when hee would expresse the wickednesse of the Court of Abimelech he sayes the feare of the Lord is not in this place that is there is no religion nor good men God is not regarded there and the more feare the lesse sin stand in awe and
say sit up higher all the world cannot hold downe an humble man because the Lord setteth to his hand to raise him up neither keepe up a proud man because the Lord setteth himselfe to depresse and debase them when the wall swells it is not like to stand long when a joynt is luxated and swelled till the swelling abate it cannot be saved and set he hath respect to the low estate of his handmaiden so saith Mary the blessed Virgin Luke 1. 48. So he dealt with Naomi hee was long in humbling her and then raised her up so with Iob when hee was humbled then God doubled his estate thus God deales with the humble and that constantly he never does any great things for any men till hee hath first humbled him how much was Ioseph humbled ere he made that promise to him that the Sunne Moone and Stars should bow to him that is his father and mother and brethren should obey him and yet againe before God made good these promises to him what a doe there was to humble him further which doubtlesse made him more to prize these mercies and so more thankfull to God for them So also in his glorious appearance to Abraham Isaac and Iacob he would still before hand humble them and make them low by some affliction or other still before hee would make any gracious promises to them When Iacob was flying from the face of his brother and was in great streights and so made low in his owne eyes then did God first appeare to him when a man is humbled it is the next doore to preferment one way or other Therefore it should be our wisedome to humble our selves more and more since there is so much benefit to be gotten by it Prov. 22. 4. By humility and the feare of the Lord are riches and honours and life the rule holds constant the Lord makes it good let a man be humble and feare God too that is allow himselfe in no sinne and the Lord will make it good one way or other in his time But you will say we see the contrary proud men are advanced and humble men deprest they have riches when as the humble man is poore and as we use to say where the hedg is lowest there all the beasts goe over and tread it downe every man will be ready to trample upon the humble man I answer first The Lord gives outward gaudy things to proud men but hee gives his Iewels to those that are humble hee reveales his secret to them these are Princes though they goe on foote and the other are servants though they ride on horsebacke But this is not all my answer but secondly I say that even for the things of this life the Lord doth exalt the humble and bring downe the proud onely with this caution hee doth both in season when things are brought to maturity as the Apostle Saint Peter saith 1 Pet. 5. 6. humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time God doth it not on a suddaine When the proud like the corne are ripe then he puts in the sickle and cuts them downe and casts them into the fire The wall which is sweld must have a time to moulder and fall and so on the contrary there is a due time for the exaltation of the humble And therefore if thou sayest I have humbled my selfe and have not beene healed I have not beene freed from such a temptation for all my humiliation if this bee thy case then assure thy selfe thou art not humbled enough but goe thou and yet bring thy heart lower and then bee confident that this rule will hold the Lord will take off the smarting plaister as soone as it hath eaten out the proud flesh so soone as thy heart is truly humbled the Lord will helpe thee he will either remove the crosse or give thee that which is equivalent and thus the Lord hath alwayes done So he dealt with Ioseph You happily may thinke and hee might thinke it was long before he was exalted but yet that time was not too long for as soone as the LORD had truly humbled him then hee presently exalted him as you may see in Psal. 105. 18 19 20. Whose feet they hurt with fetters he was laid in iron until the time that his word came the word of the Lord tryed him then the King sent and loosed him c. And so he dealt with Iob. All that time that his friends were reasoning with him his heart would not bee brought downe but the Lord himselfe must come and reason with him and then he began to abhorh mselfe in dust and ashes and how soone after was hee restored and al he lost restored double also This being as you see Gods constant course if thou humbling thy selfe yet lyest long under a calamity thou mayest assure thy selfe there is somthing wanting in thy heart and therefore bee content with Gods dealing 2 Cor. 12. lest Saint Paul should be exalted there was given him a thorne in the flesh if Saint Paul needed humility who doth not Remember this rule that if Gods people humble themselves then he will certainely helpe them onely it will bee in due season But you will say how shall wee get downe our stubborne hearts Pride is very naturall and the hardest thing in the world to overcome Let every man consider whether he be released or no from the plague of his heart if that there be not some calamity which hangs continually on him if there be then know thou art not humbled enough the meaning is not that thou shouldest be brought to an apprehension and feare of hell but thy heart is to be brought down more thou maiest be humbled truly so as to be within the covenant and yet not enough to have thy heart wrought to this or that frame God would bring it unto And to bring your hearts lower use these meanes First consider your hearts often consider what unruly lusts you find hid there make it your daily custome to search into this We goe not a daies journey in this life but there is somewhat discovered in our hearts which may serve to humble us further as it was with them in the wildernesse Deut. 8. 2. Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee to prove thee and to know what was in thy heart c. There is not one day but a godly-wise man may discerne something in his heart which may be matter of humiliation to him which he saw not before vaineglorious speeches unlawfull silence cowardize in good causes thy worldly mindednesse thy unruly affections that will be still stirring and something will be discovered without in thy actions also which when thou seest such sparkes ascending remember to looke to the fire the furnace within these are but the buds
goe and humble my selfe I will goe home to God and change my course and give up my selfe to him and serve him and this we shall finde in these examples mentioned before especially of the Prodigall Luk. 15. he came to this conclusion If I stay here I dye for hunger but in my fathers house there is bread enough here was hope that bred this resolution I will goe home and say to my father I have sinned against heaven and against thee c. here was that true humiliation we speake of So Manasses hee humbled himselfe greatly out of an hope of mercy for a man comes not to this active humiliation wherein he kindly humbleth himselfe unlesse hee hath hope of mercy and the beginning of faith is with a hope of mercy which sets a man a worke to goe to God and say Lord I have committed such and such sinnes but I will returne to them no more I am worthy of nothing Now there are foure severall compositions or foure paires of ingredients that have influence into this second kind of humiliation to cause us to humble our selves 1 Payr an hope of mercy as wel as a sence of misery that whereas before wee did looke upon God as a severe Judge we looke now on him as one willing to receive us both are requisite Sence of misery onely brings a man but to himselfe as the Prodigall first is said to come to himselfe but hope of mercy joyned with it drives a man home to God as it did also him without which sence of misery drives us from the LORD but hope of mercy being added to it causeth this active humiliation wee speake of whereby wee say I will goe and humble my selfe 2 Payre of ingredients are the sence of our own emptinesse together with an apprehension of that Alsufficiency that is in God which we also may see in the Prodigall when he said I shall starve and die if I stay here but in my fathers house is bread enough he lookt to that alsufficient fulnesse that was in God to supply his wants The creature whilst it findeth any thing in it selfe it will stand upon its owne bottome and not bee humbled but when it finds nothing in its selfe but emptinesse then it beginneth to seeke out for a bottome which it seeing to be in God alone it goes out to him for men will not be drawne off from their owne bottome till they see another bottome to stand upon 3 There must bee a sence of a mans owne sinfulnesse and the LORD JESUS his righteousnesse and so a light comes in that discovereth both thus when S. Paul was humbled there was a light shone about him which was an outward symbole of that new light which shone within him of Christ and his owne sinfulnesse A sence of the love of God and Christ joyned with the sence of a mans unkindnesse unto God whereby wee looke upon sinnes as injuries done to God and an unkindnesse shewne therein And now let us see the difference betwixt these two works or parts of humiliation that wee may further understand what it is to humble our selves And first they differ in the matter they are conversant about in that first a man is humbled properly but for the punishment a man indeed is humbled for sinne yet principally as it hath relation to punishment it is guilt works on him he is not humbled for sin as it is contrary to God and his holinesse but as contrary to himself and his own good and thus we are not humbled till we come to love God and to have a light discovering the holines and purity of his nature which one that is savingly humbled hath wrought in him They differ in their grounds and principles whence they arise The first ariseth but from selfe-love and is but a worke of nature though thus farre a worke of God to stirre up self-love by the sence of misery and to awaken it but so as any unreasonable creature if in danger useth to be sensible of it and what wonder then is it for a man when hee begins to have some sence of hel and death let into his conscience to be wounded and apprehensive of it but the other ariseth from the love of God kindled in the heart by hope of grace and mercy They differ in the instrumental causes that work them the one is wrought by the spirit of bondage by an enlightning meerly to see his bondage and the soule is as one that is in bondage fearing God as a master and he hath no further light than thus to see God as a Judge but this other is wrought by the spirit of adoption making the Gospell also effectuall discovering God as a father They differ in their effects as The one driveth a man from GOD but this latter causeth a man to goe to GOD and to seeke Christ it workes that affection to Christ that the Church in the Canticles had to him who would not give over seeking him till she had found him whom her soule did love Though there bee twenty obstacles in the way yet the soule hath no rest as a stone hath no rest till it bee in its owne center so nor this soule thus humbled but in God and therfore gives not over seeking him though it hath never so many denyalls The first breeds death an acedia a deadnesse and listlesnesse it makes a man as a log that moves not to God in prayer So it wrought in Nabal and Achitophel it breeds such discouragement as often ends in death Of worldly sorrow and such is all sorrow whereof God is not the end commeth death but when it is right and true and kindly sorrow for sinne it doth that which an affection should doe it quickneth him to doe that which he ought to do so feare when it is right worketh and so all other affections which were put into the soule for that end that it might bee stirred up by them to that which it should doe for GOD and its owne good and therefore this affection of sorrow for sinne quickens a man to seeke out to God when it is right The first breeds a fiercenesse and turbulency in a mans spirit as we see often in men whose consciences are awakned to see their sinnes they are fiercer then they were before for guilt of sin vexeth their spirits and where there is no sence of mercy from God there is none to men but hee that is broken for sinne spends his anger upon himselfe frets chiefly for his owne vilenesse and unworthinesse and the Peace of God which his heart hath a sence of makes his spirit gentle and peaceable and easie to be entreated and perswaded bring him Scripture and a child may lead him and perswade him The rough wayes are made smooth the rough and froward dispositions of the heart and every Mountaine-like affection cast downe as it is said they were by Saint
not the greatest joy that discovers it selfe in laughter that is not the greatest sorrow which workes the most violent commotion in the heart there is a sad silent quiet sorrow that sinketh deeper and wets more slowly and sokes into the heart and makes the heart more fruitful in the issue which ariseth out of a more spirituall conviction of Judgement of the evill of sin though lesse passion accompanies it yet a stronger and deeper affection of sorrow is wrought I call it deeper because it is more constant and lasting more to purpose the one being as a land-floud the other as a spring Put the case such a violent sorrow should bee greater yet it is not alwayes alike necessary neither on Gods part nor mans Not on mans part as some disease doth not need so sharpe and quick a medicine as an other as some mens flesh is harder to heale than others so some mens hearts have more stubbornnes in them than others some have made themselves children of the Divell by their wicked courses worse then they were at first others in comparison are but as the children of Adam still as they were borne and therefore the same work may be wrought in them with much lesse adoe On Gods part it is not alwayes so necessary but is proportioned to Gods ends and God differs and is various in his ends concerning men He meanes to bestow a greater measure of grace upon one then upon an other and where he meanes to set a greater building there he digges a lower foundation hee meanes to use some as a meanes to comfort others and therefore letteth them see and feele more the bitternesse of sinne that they may be able to comfort others with the same comfort wherwith they have beene comforted Hee differs in the meanes to attaine his ends if hee meanes to bring them to the same measure of grace yet hee will not goe alwayes the same way to worke as hee often doth that without affliction which sometimes hee doth with it as a man is brought to the same Haven divers wayes some in a calme is tided in others are driven in with a storme but it is no matter how they come so they come in the promise is made to those that come A third consideration is that it is not for want of this greatnesse of humiliation that divers have not so violent a sorrow but from some circumstance in the worke it selfe as First because the light of comfort comes in sooner to some than to others they have the salve presently after the wound is given God having broken the heart bindeth it up presently againe a man may have as deepe a wound which a mitigated medicine comming neare to the bottome of the disease and soone applyed may sooner heale than another lesse deepe to which the remedie is not applyed a long time after which therefore askes longer So also it is in joy suddainnesse increaseth it for a fit for example put case a man is condemned for high treason and brought to the blocke and verily expects death and his pardon on the suddaine comes there is such a great sensible change wrought in him and our natures are sensible of great changes and therefore how excessively doth hee rejoyce but take one who is guilty of the same fault who knows that if he have not his pardon hee should lose his life but hath his pardon presently after the sentence passed hee will prize his pardon as much as the other though happily hee is not so turbulently affected as the other It falls out thus by reason of the ignorance some have lived in before who therefore are enlightened to know their estates all on the suddaine whereas an other hath beene brought up in knowledge and the knowledg of his misery being let in by degrees then the case doth also differ as betweene two men who were to goe through a wood whereof one is set upon by theeves not suspecting any and is put into a feare of his life and knowes not how to escape but one comes on the suddaine and rescues him and gives him his life but another is warned before knowes hee must goe through such a passage and that unlesse hee hath a strong guard to goe along with him hee shall certainely perish this man apprehends the danger as great as the other and the benefit as great and the love of him that should goe with him as great onely his passion either of feare or joy is not so violent as the others though hee truly rejoyceth in the deliverance as much as the other and thinkes himselfe as much bound to the man that delivered him I have spoken these things because some are scrupulous in the point and thinke they may not safely apply the Promise because they have not had that measure of sorrow that others have had But let no man suffer his assurance to hee weakned for want of this for a man may have as high an esteeme of CHRIST and bee as throughly convinced of sinne though hee want that violent worke which GOD workes in some even a great sence of his wrath and letting them lie there and then speakes peace so as these are wrought by distinct acts and causes in a great distance one from the other so that as their sorrow was evident so their joy was evident in another he workes so that as soone as hee sees sinne hee sees God also pardoning And in those that have that violent shyning of affection in their first Humiliation looke how much of it is violent will vanish and what is substantiall will hold so that even they in the end come to this solid conviction of Judgement at last which onely is constant and abideth with them And therefore let not thy assurance bee weakend for the want of this for faith unites to Christ and establisheth us in well doing But you will say is it not good to get that sensible stirring sence and sight of sinne I answer yes for to that end GOD leades through crosses and suffers thee to fall into sinnes that thou mayest see the vanity of the creature and the sinfulnesse of thy nature that when thou commest to heaven thou mayest say by thine own experience it was not by my owne righteousnesse that I came hither And therefore though it be good to get it yet let GOD goe his owne way and use his owne manner of working whether by Legal terror or otherwise what he sees good for thee he will do to humble thee but doe thou use meanes to understand the Law thy owne heart and actions and as thou art fallen into new sinnes labour to see what a case thou shouldest be in if Christ had not delivered thee But let not thy assurance bee weakened for you must know there are but two maine ends of humiliation which if they bee attained in thee thou needest not call in question thy estate Now first
terme or object to another that is from sinne to righteousnesse from Sathan to God And because there are many false turnings and many men that wheele about and never turne truly who yet suppose that they are converted therefore we will endeavour to open to you this true turning Now it may be found out foure wayes First by the causes of it or motives upon which Secondly by the termes from which and to which we turne Thirdly by the manner Fourthly by the effects First for the causes of this solid true turning and the motives which worke upon a mans heart to turne him you must know that there are many things may cause a man to leave his evill ways for a while As it may be some present affliction for the avoyding of which a man may seeme to turne unto God Therefore God still complaines of the Iewes that they turned but fainedly unto him and not with the whole heart because when hee slew them then they sought to him and then they would turne from their evill wayes but when they were delivered they turned to their old Bias againe So Pharaoh when as he was plagued with any new Iudgement then hee would let the Israelites goe but as soone as that was off hee hardened his heart and would not let them goe As also a second cause to move men to turne may be some present commodity This doth appeare in many of those that applied themselves to Christ some did it for the loaves and some for their convenient living some for the hope of an earthly Kingdome which they thought hee would have brought but these all left him afterwards There bee many such false motives but the onely true motives are taken from the apprehension of eternall life and eternall death the conversion is not right till then and the reason is because all other motives may be over ballanced But the motives of life and death cannot be over topped by any thing If preferment be offered or what ever the world can offer but these exceed all that Sathan or the world or the flesh can suggest Therefore a man is then turned when the Lord shall enlarge his thoughts to see the greatnesse and the vastnesse of these two for then all those other things appeare but as Candles in the Sunshine So that if Sathan come with earthly honours and pleasures in his hand the answer will be easie but what are these to eternall death and everlasting life and these are not thought of nor considered by carnall men though they talke of heaven and hell yet they see not the immense vastnesse and latitude of them and therefore goe on so confidently hence Christ in Marke 16. when he sends forth his Disciples to convert men he bids them use these two arguments Tell every man if hee beleeve hee shall bee saved if not hee shall bee damned Where wee see the motives that Ministers are to use by Christs direction are eternall life and death And Saint Paul endeavouring to convert Felix told him of the Iudgement to come which made him to tremble And Christ told the woman of Samaria of that water and spring that flowes up to eternall life Consider therefore whether ever thou hadst a true apprehension of these without which a man cannot be throughly wrought upon which apprehension if true hath these conditions in it First it must be an apprehension of them as present for happily a man may have a slight thought of eternall life and death he may looke upon them as things absent and afarre off but when they are set on by God a man is pursued and brought into streights by the apprehensions of them so as he hath no rest till he be translated into another condition A carnall man on his death bed having an actuall apprehension of hell as present is strangely affected Now at conversion the apprehension of these seizeth upon a man by a work of the Spirit and compasses him about so as he cannot shake it off till he turnes to God The wise man sees the plague before hand even as present and therfore stayes not till it comes but turnes in the time of youth health and strength Secondly it must be a deepe fix'd and setled apprehension for sometimes a man that shall never be saved may be moved with the present apprehension of eternall death and life but it is as a storme soone blowne over but in him that shall be saved it is set on by the spirit of bondage and such an impression made as will never out but he still remembers it and this is that true apprehension which moves to repentance But some will say can a man be wrought upon by the meere apprehensions of eternall life and death to turne from his evill wayes without an apprehension of sin and grace When a man hath a true apprehension of eternall life and death he comes to know what sin and Grace is and never before till a man knowes eternall death he looks on sin as a trifle as a thing of nought therefore the wise man saith they despise their waies but this apprehension is it which helpes to present sin in its lâ—vely colours and so also the price of grace is then understood when it is apprehended as drawing with it everlasting happinesse as the needle drawes the threed The second thing is the consideration of the termes for there is no turning without going from one terme to another and there is no true turning except it be from Sathan and the creature and your owne selves to God Of this you reade in Acts 26. 18. that Saint Paul was sent to open their eyes and to turne them from darkenesse to light and from the power of Sathan unto God c. You see these the termes of true turning and this is especially to be marked for if there be no more then a turning from misery to happinesse it is not sound for if you look upon sinne and misery grace and happinesse as in themselves without respect to God you doe but turne upon your owne hinges as axle-trees you goe but different wayes to the same center that o ther wicked men goe unto so long as you looke only at the misery and the happinesse of your selves alone which is the center of all mankinde Therefore in a true conversion these motives are lookt upon in relation to God as thus if I follow my selfe and the creature they are never able to save me but if I apply my selfe to him that hath the keyes of life and death I shall be happy in him for ever therefore henceforth I will forsake Satan and every creature and apply my selfe onely to the Lord. And upon this ground a man makes this resolution with himselfe I will forsake Sathan and subject my selfe to God for he only is the author of true happinesse so that now God is made a tearme to which thou turnest and appliest
thy selfe Hos. 7. 16. They returned but not to the most High c. There is a turning made mention of and one would thinke in a speciall manner for they fasted they prayed but this was no turning to God and why because yee have turned but from misery and sought your owne happinesse and ye have forgotten me saith the Lord who am the most High and only able to deliver and save you and therefore their turning was counterfeit not true this will not hold such will start aside like a broken bow Thirdly for the manner of turning as it is exprest in Scripture you must turne to the Lord with all your heart and all your soule though it be not exprest here yet it is to be understood If my people turne from their evill waies with their whole hearts But what is this turning with a mans whole heart A man is then said to turne with his whole heart when hee is fully enlightned and convinced in his understanding of the evill of a thing and thereupon doth take a full resolution to forsake it As if a man bee going out of the way and another man come and tell him he is not in the right way which will leade him to his journeys end if he be fully perswaded of this he will returne and that with all his heart as we use to say when we doe a thing willingly So it is here if a man be fully perswaded that sinne is the cause of all misery and God of happinesse hee turnes to GOD with his whole heart Now unlesse it be with the whole heart this turning is but fained as appeares by that in Ier. 3. 10. And yet for all this her trecherous sister Iudah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord which falls out when men have some motives to move them but not enow they are not fully convinced and so they turne but by halves When therefore the illumination is perfect and full that these wayes wherein he walkes will bring him to misery and the contrary to happines then a man perfectly turnes and with his whole heart and because turning thus with the whole heart followes full conviction therefore the Apostle doth expresse this turning by the phrase of opening the eyes Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turne them c. that is every man goes on in his wayes of sinning till his eyes be opened to see the thing which he saw not before and GOD many times meetes men in the midst of their wayes and gives them some light and meanes as some exhortations and motions to good some checks for their evill wayes and if those admonitions be so farre effectuall as to open their eyes that is to convince and perswade them that the way they goe in leades to eternall misery then doe they turne and are willing to do it And therefore also on the contrary when GOD will not heale and convert a people hee suffers not their eyes to be opened as in Esay 16 10. Make the heart of this people fatt and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their cares and understand with their hearts and convert to be healed Where we see that the first chaine of our conversion is the opening of the eyes the second chaine is the opening of the heart the third is to be converted and healed and the two former will draw on the last and because the Lord is resolved not to heale them therfore their eyes must be shut up But at conversion mens eyes are opened to see sin comming against them even as an enemy with a sword in his hand and to see the riches of the inheritance of the Saints which neither the eys of natural men have seene nor their eares heard nor their hearts understood And then is a man turned from his evill wayes and not before A man goes on in a course of sinning as Balaam did in his way he met an Angell with a drawne sword but saw him not at the first so soone as his eyes were opened there needed no more perswasions to move him to turne So a wicked man goes on in a way wherein hee runnes upon the swords point and he sees it not but when his eyes are opened to see it then hee turnes backe and when they are thus turning back like Gehazi 2 Kings 6. 15 16 17. who seeing an army comming against him and his master Elisha he cries out Alas what shall we doe if we goe on and Elisha answered feare not for they are more that be with us then they that be with them and so Gehazi saw when God opened his eyes So do men when they set upon a new course they meete with many oppositions and dangers in the way which makes them cry alas what shall wee doe then God openeth their eyes and they see also more with them then against them they see the glorious priviledges that they have and the strength that they received from God these things encourage them that they goe on resolutely because that the latter are farre greater than the former Lastly to finde out what this true turning unto God is we must consider the effects of it Now a man is then turned when he finds these three effects wrought in him First he findeth that those evill wayes of sinne and those corruptions which before did dwell in his heart and had the rule there are now put out of possession and the contrary grace is made master of the house so that he can say with the Apostle Rom. 7. It is not I but sinne in mee that is sinne sometimes was the master of the house and that which I now call my selfe as then was not had no existence in mee but now the case is altered the regenerate part that is in me is master and though sinne thrusts in and dwells there also yet it is but an intruder no lust but is thrust out and if it creepes in it is by one of these wayes First either stealing in as a thiefe by night when they doe not watch and see it or secondly it breakes in by violence as rebells taking the advantage of some strange passion so as they are not able to resist it yet sinne dwells not there as master for it is expeld as soone as the rebell is found as soone as strength is recovered so as possession is still kept by grace that as it is said of peace Let the peace of God rule in your hearts that is though you be ready to fall out with your brethren yet let not malice rule but peace Now what is said of one grace is true of all so then examine thy selfe how comes sinne in into thee comes it in by stealth or by violence onely and when it is come in does it continue master then thou art not turned to GOD for
scandalous sinnes but the first rise of it was his unconscionable walking with God in secret as the Apostle Paul sayes of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 20. to 24. That because when they knew God they glorified him not as God God gave them up to vile affections So Psal. 80. 11 12. But my people would not bearken and Israel would none of mee So I gave them up to their owne hearts lusts and they walked in their owne counsels As if he had said I used all the meanes they still refused and would none of me and therefore I gave them up Seest thou a man given up to a lust his heart so cemented to it as hee cannot live without it know this is in judgment to him for some unconscionable walking before and not practising according to his knowledge 3 There is yet a judgement beyond these when the Lord forsaketh the creature and withdrawes himselfe from a man which though men doe little account of is the fearefullest of all others The losse of Gods presence is a losse unvaluable Take a man that makes wealth or honour his God take that prop from him and how doth his heart sinke within him how much more when the true God shall bee departed from a man that God that is the God of all comfort if hee bee withdrawne the heart sinks into a bottomlesse pit of horrour as when the Sun is gone all things run into darknesse All comfort is from some measure or degree of Gods presence though men doe not take notice of it which when it is taken away there remaines nothing but horrour and despaire when God was departed from Saul 1 Sam. 16. hee from that day ranne into one errour after another in his government till hee was destroyed and the cause of this was sinne he had cast off the Lord and therefore the Lord rejected him The like was Caines case Gen. 4. His judgement was to bee banish'd from the presence of the Lord which hee acknowledgeth to be an insupportable punishment which hee was not able to beare When any trouble is upon thee sticke not in the rind and baâ—ke of it but looke through it and beyond it to the inward root of it looke to sinne as the cause and thou shalt finde it so it may bee the immediate cause and instrument may bee some outward thing some enemy of thy disgrace some sicknesse c. but who hath permitted them to worke is it not the Lord and what is the motive of his permission but sinne men may have many severall motives to doe this or that but nothing moves the Lord but sinne and grace When an enemy comes upon thee say not this man is the cause of this evill but the Lord hath suffered him to worke and sinne hath occasion'd this suffering 2 Chron. 12. 5 7. Shishak was but the violl through whose hands God powred out his wrath so I may say sicknesse is but the violl it is the Lords wrath that is powred out in it Amend this common errour that men are ready to seeke out the naturall causes of the evils that befall them if it bee sickenesse they looke to such a distemper in diet or cold c. as the cause of it so if they miscarry in any enterprize what folly and oversight hath beene the cause of it These are but the naturall and immediate causes but Christians should looke to and seeke out to the supernaturall When there came a famine upon the land of Iudah for three yeares 2 Sam. 21. 1. the naturall cause was evident which was a great drought for that famine was healed by raine afterwards and so in those hot countries famine came by drought alone but David rests not here but went to the Lord and enquired out the reason the sinne that should bee the cause of it And God told him it was for the sinne of Saul and his bloudy house in slaying the Gibeonites as wise statesmen when they find a meane person in a treason they rest not there but seeke further what deepe heads was in the businesse and who was the contriver of the plot When Iacob saw the Angels descend and ascend he lookes to the top of the ladder and saw the Lord there sending them to and fro Looke not to the stayres of the ladder one or two that are next to thee but to the top of the ladder and there thou shalt see the Lord sending one Angell to do thee a mischief another to be a Saviour to thee If you say how shall I know for what sinne it is Pray earnestly and enquire as David did and as Ioshua did when he saw the people flie before their enemies that God would reveale to thee the particular sinne and if thou canst not find out the particular sin for it may bee some sin long ago committed or some secret sinne yet be sure that sin is the cause of it for as in the works of nature we know the vapours arise out of the earth and ascend invisibly but come downe againe in stormes and showers which we are able to see and are sensible of so the judgements may be open and manifest enough but not the sins but some secret sin that past by thee without notice taken is the cause of it Learne hence to see sinne in its owne colours sinne is a secret and invisible evill and in it selfe as abstractly considered is hard to be seene of the best therefore looke upon it as it is cloathed with calamities and when you view it under the cloathing you will have another opinion of it than you had before If you should know a man who whersoever he comes doth nothing but mischiefe poysons one stabs another c. and leaves every where some prints of his villany how hatefull and terrible would he be unto you it is sin that playes all these reaks among us if sin come upon a man cloathed and armed with Gods wrath as it often doth at death then it is terrible Why do we not look upon it thus at other times but because we doe not behold it in the fearefull effects of it as then in the wrath due to it we doe Sin is the same at all times else but our fancy is not alwaies the same as the body is alwayes the same though the shadow bee greater or lesser that which we now count a small sinne as swearing and petty oaths will one day bee terrible such a sinne as was committed by Ananias and Sapphira would seeme small it may be to you in it selfe alone but see it cloathed with that judgement that befell them dying at the Apostles feete so see the sinne of Ahabs oppressing Naboth which you may looke at but as doing a little wrong to a poore man by a great man but see it cloathed with Ahabs death and the dogs licking his bloud and it will appeare to be most hainous so the prophanenesse of Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire Learne
that if you would remove the crosse you must remove the sinne first You may observe it in diseases that twenty medicines may bee used and yet if you hit not right upon the cause of the disease the patient is never the better but if that be removed the symptomes presently vanish so when some crosse is upon us wee set our heads and hands and friends aworke to remove it but all in vaine whilst wee hit not the cause and that is sinne which whilst it continues the crosse will continue The reason why our peace and prosperity is entertained with so many crosses and troubles is because our lives are interwoven with so many sinnes The cause of Gods unevennesse in his dispensations of his mercy towards thee is the unevennesse of thy carriage towards him Hast thou a healthfull body a sure estate many friends Thinke not that these shall secure thee see Adam in paradise Salomon in his glory David on his mountaine which hee thought made strong and you shall see Adam when sinne had made a breach upon him once quickly made miserable and sinne bringing in upon Salomon an army of troubles after it and upon David in the height sin bringing in upon him the hazzard of his kingdome the rebellion of his sonne sinne in a mans best estate makes him miserable and grace in the worst estate makes a man happy Saint Paul with a good conscience was happy in prison David through faith was happy at Ziglag But you will say how is it that calamities thus follow upon sinne wee feele no such thing and thus because it is deferred the hearts of men are set to doe evill All this is to bee understood with this caution that sinne when it is perfected brings forth death and not till then God stayed till Ahab had oppressed Naboth and gotten possession and then when he was seene God sends the message of death to him What hast thou killed and also taken possession Thus Iudas he was a thiefe whilst he kept the bag and went on in many sinnes in Christs family and Chri stlets him alone and he goes on till hee had betrayed his Master and then when his sinne was perfected and come to its full ripenesse then at last CHRIST comes with judgement upon him There is a certaine period of judgement and if the Lord stay execution till then thou hast little cause to comfort thy selfe Eccles. 8. 11 12. Because sentence against an evill worke is not speedily executed therefore the hearts of men are set to doe evill As if the wise man should have said Goe to you you that have peace and comfort your selves in this that whatsoever the Word and the Ministers threatten yet you feel nothing yet remember that as soon as the sin is committed the sentence goeth forth therefore he useth the word sentence to expresse this though it bee not so speedily executed yet it goes forth at the same time with the commission of the sinne The sentence you know is one thing the execution another and many times there is and so may be here a long distance betwixt the sentence of the Iudge and the execution of it So as his meaning is that execution is deferred Therefore flatter not your selves sentence is gone forth and execution will follow For the amplification of this that vision of Zachary seemes to make it good Zach. 5. When swearing and theft had beene committed Verse 3. Hee saw a flying roule Verse 2. Which Verse the 3. is interpreted to be the curse that goeth over all the earth for him that stealeth and sweareth Verse 3. which curse may bee upon the wing long ere it seizeth on the prey but it goes forth as soone as those sinnes were committed that is the execution may be deferred which is there further shewed in the parable of the Ephah which sets out as there the measure of the peoples iniquities for so Verse 8. he sayes this is wickednesse which untill it be filled hath not the weight of leade laid upon the mouth of it it being a long while ere God comes to execution and not till their sinnes are full the plummet of leade being laid as it signifies that then their sins are sealed up with the waight of leade rolled upon them that none might be lost or forgotten but God remembers them all and then hee saw two women come and the wind was in their wings Verse 9. that is when their sinnes are thus full and their measure sealed up their judgement comes swiftly like the winde and carries it into Shinar and there this wickednesse is set upon its owne base that is in its proper place a place of misery as hell is said to bee Iudas his owne place Sinne may sleepe a long time like a sleeping debt which is not call'd for and demanded for many yeares but if a man hath not an acquaintance the creditor may call for it in the end and lay the debtor in prison It was forty yeares after Sauls slaying of the Gibeonites ere execution went forth and vengeance was call'd for it So Ioabs sin which he committed in slaying Abner which was slaying innocent bloud slept all Davids time til Salomon came to the crowne Doe not therefore as ill husbands in debt that suffer the suite to runne on from tearme to tearme till they bee out-law'd and pay both debts and charges and all Thy sinnes are a bringing swift damnation and it slumbers not it is on foote already and will overtake thee and meete at thy journeyes end the end of thy dayes Let it therefore be thy wisedome to take up the suite and compound the matter with God betimes else thou shalt not onely pay the debt and smart for the sin it selfe but for all the time of Gods patience towards thee the riches of Gods patience spent and beare all the arrerages Rev. 2. I gave her space to repent but shee repented not God meant to make her pay for all the time he gave her to repent in The next point from these words is That if the calamity bee removed and the sinne bee not healed it is never removed in mercy but in judgement Hee doth here promise first to forgive the sinne and then to heale the Land so as if hee should have healed the Land without forgivenesse it had beene no mercy Because sinne is worse than any crosse whatsoever If therefore hee takes away the crosse and leaves the sinne behinde it is a signe thou art a man whom the Lord hates When a Physician takes away the medicine and leaves the disease uncured it is a signe the parties case is desperate or that the Physician meanes to let him perish Because the Lord doth nothing in vaine if therfore an affliction doth a man no good it must needes doe him hurt for that which doth neither good nor hurt must needes be in vaine That was a property of the Idols of the Heathens which are