Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	holy_a	zeal_n	zealous_a	69	3	8.5406	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A10010	The saints qualification: or A treatise I. Of humiliation, in tenne sermons. II. Of sanctification, in nine sermons whereunto is added a treatise of communion with Christ in the sacrament, in three sermons. Preached, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Doctor in Divinitie, chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometime preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670.	1633 (1633)	STC 20262; ESTC S115180	353,805	720

is fallen into sinne continues in it the guilt and power of it remaines upon his soule and he excuses himselfe with the smalnesse of it This is a common fault and therefore I will presse it the more Consider that which Christ saith Heaven and earth shall passe but the least jot of this Law shall not passe What is the meaning of that It is as if he had said somethings in the Law of God you may thinke small which are but ïotas though other things be greater but take you heed that you keepe every particular for there is not a jot of it but the Lord will have all his servants regard it exactly they shall have respect to every Commandement and to every part of that Commandement the least particular in his Law shall not passe away For consider if it were not so it would bee a prejudice to the Lords wisdome for there would bee something that hee commands which wee might slight But the Lord that hath commanded all both great and small knowes that it is best that all shall bee kept and therefore though heaven and earth shall passe yet the least jot of that Law shall not passe that this is the meaning of the place you may see by Christs exposition of the Law The Pharisies said Adultery must not be committed but I say saith CHRIST He that lusts hath committed adultery in his heart They said You must not sweare by the Temple but I say Sweare ●ot at all they said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say You must forgive your brethren Thus we must labour to resist sin in every even the least particular and reforme our selves in the omission of the least particle of the Law And so much likewise for the second point Thirdly we come now to consider what it is that turnes away his wrath and that is Zeale Phineas hath turned away my wrath while hee was zealous for my sake so that Zeale turnes away the Lords wrath You shall see it exemplefied in Elijah's answer to the Lords demand 1 Kings 19.4 What dost thou here Elijah As if he had said what hast thou done abroad in the world Sayes hee I have beene zealous for the Lord of Hosts because the children of Israel have broke thy covenants throwne downe thine Altars and killed thy Prophets and I onely am escaped As if he had said I have done the most I could for the safety of the Church I have beene zealous for the Lord and therefore hee prevailed with God for his owne deliverance You may see it likewise in Iehu who being zealous not in word onely but in deed also turned away the wrath of the Lord. And you may know it by the contrary that it is zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath because it is coldnesse and luke-warmenesse that brings on his wrath Rev. 3.16 consider there what is the reason why the Lord will spue out the Church of Laodicea and cast it away Because it was luke-warme and therefore the meanes to continue or procure his favour is it not heate and zeale Againe Rev. 2.4 The Church of Ephesus fell from her first love what then Therefore I will come against thee shortly and remove thy Candlestick Then to abound in love so that our workes may be more at last than at first to bee zealous for the LORD is the way to stay the Lord among us and to continue his Gospell of peace Therefore by the way it is not only the great sinnes of the Land that are causes of Gods wrath but the coldnesse of them that are otherwise good that causeth the Lord to remove the Candlesticke The very coldnesse of the Church of Ephesus in falling from her first love the luke-warmenesse of the Laodiceans the LORD would not endure in them Let every man consider this is his zeale now as much as it hath beene if not let us know that it is reckoned coldnesse and luke-warmenesse the falling from our first love is the cause of bringing Gods judgements on a Nation But what is this zeale Zeale is nothing else but the intention of all holy affections and actions I will goe no further than this Text to shew the nature of it Phineas was zealous that is he not onely did the thing but his heart burned within him with zeale for GOD. So as First there must be a stirring up of affection Secondly it must be holy it must bee for the Lord and this is it that discovers true zeale to looke onely to the Lord to have no by-respects as there may be zeale that makes a great deale of hea●e and yet it comes from the earth although it makes as great a show as the best Againe there must bee intention not only of affections but also of action Therefore it is said while hee was zealous for my sake among them as if he had said this zeale of Phineas was not kept smothered in his owne brest but it brak● forth into action hee did something for the Lord. And indeed it is action that glorifies GOD and that benefits men onely actions stand on our reckoning for you know God judgeth every man according to his workes It is action that doth our selves good that makes us usefull and serviceable to men and the Church that makes us instruments of Gods glory Therefore adde action to affection and know that zeale stands in both for it is the intention of holy actions and affections I will adde no more in the explication but will briefly apply it And first if it bee zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath then why should wee discourage zeale by it I dare bee bold to say the Citie stands Why doe wicked men cry downe all religion and zeale under the name of precisenesse and overmuch strictnesse of life walking bouldly in the streets and reckoning it their glory to wound God through the sides of men So that they make those that beare the name of Christ ready to reckon that their shame which is their glory to hang downe the wing and to seeke corners to hide their heads in whence it is that the servants of Christ follow their Master a far off as if they were halfe ashamed of his service when as they should weare his Livery in open view as accounting that their greatest honour It were well if some meanes were used to prevent this If it be zeale that turnes away the wrath of God wee should doe well then to nourish and cherish them that are zealous Are not religion and zeale the two which hold all up Are they not the pillars that beare up the Church and Common-wealth Are not they the rescues that deliver the Citie Yet doe not wicked men with them as those that to lop the Tree are still hacking at the boughes But the Lord still holds them up and the world for their sakes For why is this heape

the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealou● should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with f●ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee

turnes away the wrath of the Lord. Therefore remember these in particular and consider what it is to spare in this case Saul was lost by sparing Agag and remember what Elijah gained and Iehu gained by being zealous The manner we will wholly leave to you onely be zealous for the Lord. The second thing you must doe for the Church to turne away the Lords wrath is to contend for that which maintaines the Church I meane Faith maintaine that which maintaines you preserve that which preservs you the whole Church and Kingdome Wee will therefore commend to you that of Iudges I exhort you saith he that you contend for the faith which was once given to the Saints Marke it you are to contend earnestly for so much the word implies herein we are to be contentious men The very example of our adversaries may teach us to contend for th● Truth if we consider how they contend f●r the contrary if we observe what unity there is among them what joynt consent in opposing the truth Againe remember what you are to contend for it is for Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith every jot whereof is precious and it is the faith that was once given to the Saints As if hee had said looke to it if you lose it it shall be recovered no more Christ will not come againe from heaven to deliver this point of doctrine And againe it was once delivered to the Saints for what Certainly to be kept as we keepe Pearles and Iewels that it may not suffer the least detriment And let no man say he hath nothing to do with this for it is the common faith which every man hath to doe with you know in common things wherein every man hath interest every man is ready to maintaine his right Consider this and stand for the whole Faith for all the doctrine of Faith and know that these are matters of exceeding great moment all that we have said before of the punishment of Injustice Whoredome Idolatry and Superstition c. is not so much as this for a man may turne aside to these sins and yet have a right judgement but so long as the judgement is perverted the soule is irrecoverable Againe these are of exceeding great consequence for what Elisha did with the Syrians who when they thought they were led to the man whom they sought to take were brought into Samaria to be taken the same falls out where there is an errour of faith that which men think builds them up unto the Kingdome of GOD leads them to that which will bee their destruction Therefore contend for the Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith for every point of Faith and remember to contend for it earnestly The third and last action that wee will commend unto you is this Labour to doe that most which will most glorifie God that is endevour to set up a learned Ministery in the Land and Church you know it is a great complaint My people perish for want of knowledge and who are they that perish Acts 20.28 Even the flocke that God hath purchased with his owne bloud And at whose hands must it be required It is true we are the Vines that beare the Grapes but you are the Elmes that must hold up the Vines It is true wee are the Shepheards to defend the flock but it must bee your care to see that every flocke have a Shepheard Is it not a lamentable thing to see how many perish for want of knowledge in Wales in the Northerne Countries and in many places besides Is it not your part to take care and labour as farre as you may that every Candlestick may have a Candle set in it to give light That every P●rish have an able Preaching Minister It is true every Parish cannot be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some Stars are greater some are lesser some Starres shine not at all some againe shine in another Hemisphere and not in our owne some shine like Meteors for a little time and then disappeare againe let it be your care that all S●rres that are in the firmament of the Church I meane those that are to dispence the mysteries of salvation may though weakely yet like true Starres shine These things wee must commend to your care onely remember this you know the wrong that is done to the flock if dogges be suffered among them therefore let them be removed I meane those that endeavour to put out the light that so they may the better prevaile and teach their doctrines of darkenesse As when the day is done the beast wanders abroad and doe not we finde it so amongst us For where doth Popery abound so much as in the darke places of the Kingdome I beseech you consider this and be zealous I should have added more but so much shall serve for the third point The other I will but name and indeed I will the rather name them though I doe no more because they follow so one upon another You have heard that GODS anger brings all evill that sinne is the cause of that anger that it is zeale that turnes away that anger Now Fourthly it followes that if you be not zealous his jealousie shall grow hotter it shall encrease more and more The very word Iealousie hath something in it when the Lord looks on a Church or Nation the losse of their affection breeds a jealousie which is intended more and more if there be not care to prevent it Therefore when the Lord is jealous he sends some tokens of his jealousie as when a man strikes we know he is angry so when the Lord sends a plague among us we may conclude he is angry When a messenger comes the sooner he hat● his answer the sooner hee is gone but hee will stay till hee hath his answer and will the Lord send this messenger in vaine Doth hee not send it for an answer And what is the answer the Lord lookes for That you fast and pray and humble your selves and turne from your evill wayes and bee zealous for his sake What else is the end of all his judgements Are they not as medicines or plaisters to heale a Church or a Nation or a particular person They will stick on till the sore be healed but when it is healed they will fall off so you shall finde these judgements of the Lord as long as wee remaine unreformed they will stick by us till we bee healed the playster wil continue Therefore are those phrases in Scripture his hand is stretched out still and still as in Deut. 28. Till wee be healed hee will not make an end of correcting he is now as it were engaged and you know when a man is engaged to proceed in a thing hee must goe on till hee hath brought it to an issue else it will be counted rashnesse and doe you thinke the LORD will turne from his wrath now it is begun

sinne by frequencie in any actuall sin As Varnish intends colours it puts on no new colours but intends it makes it more bright if there was a glimmering light before addition of light makes the former light greater so frequencie of sin makes sinne more active more efficacious more vigorous as humours being accustomed to a place are ready to breake forth there so a sin wherein you have had an issue wherin you have given your selves liberty there sin gets greater victory over you therefore consider if you be not guilty of the power of sin of the impetuity of your lusts Lastly consider if you have not deserved that God should give you up to these lusts many are taken in sin as the fish on the hooke which cannot get off it seizes as an Apoplexie on a man that cannot be cured When the sinne gets ground it is like the sea getting ground on the land which cannot be recovered I confesse this is the Case of many hundred men but consider if you have not made way for this for as the lower stayres lead up to the higher so there be lesser sins which make way for greater not by way of efficacie as Acts beget an habite but by way of merit God may Iustly give them over to this strength of sin Therefore though their lusts bee strong and impetuous yet this doth not make them inexcusable Fifthly when none of this will serve the turne then they are readie to lay it on their temptations How can a man doe otherwise when it stands in such circumstances that is subject to such company to such occasions such businesses and so many things to draw him away When that within will not excuse him he comes to that without To this I answer when a man is drawne to any thing without it is the concupiscence within that doth it put fire to that which is not combustible it will not burne it is the corruption within that doth all Therefore observe that in Act. 5. It is Peters speech to Ananias and Saphira Why hath Satan filled thy heart As if he had said It is true Satan hath put this into thy heart he hath tempted thee to the sin to lye to the Holy Ghost but know thou wast the cause of it thou hadst the keyes of thy heart if thou hadst not suffered Satan to have entred he could not have done it And besides consider if thou hast not put thy selfe into this Temptation It is one thing for God to lead into temptation and another thing to lead our selves into it You know what is said of Ahaziah 2 King 8.27 He walked in the wayes of the Kings of Israel and did as the house of Ahab had done because he had the daughter of Ahab to wife As if he had said It is true it was Ahabs daughter that led him into those sins but he led himselfe into the temptation he should not have married Ahabs daughters Consider whether thou hast not put thy selfe into this circumstance and led thy selfe into this temptation Last of all another Pretence and Excuse is as I have the temptation that others want so I want the means others have If I had the means others have I should doe well enough I answer first consider if thou hadst not meanes and didst not profit by them consider how many meanes God affoorded thee from whence thou receivedst not that fruit and profit which thou mightest have done And if thou didst not and God deprived thee of the meanes know thou art the cause of it thy selfe for when men neglect the meanes when God shall set up a light and men will not worke by that light he doth as Masters doe with their servants when they set them a candle and they play by it and will not use it as they should they take it away in anger so God removes away the light he takes away the Gospell he sends a famine of the Word when we neglect it or as parents doe when their children play with their meat they take it from them When men will not use their Talents God takes them away and this Talent of the Word above all other when it shall be abused and not used to Gods glory If all this will not serve to excuse them in generall then are they ready to excuse themselves in particular First by denying the fact or Secondly by slighting the fault First by denying the Fact they deny that they are guilty of a thousand sins of which they are guilty this disposition you shall finde in them in Malach. 1. You have despised me and you say Wherein have we despised thee And you have robbed me and spoiled me and you say Wherein have we robbed thee And you reckon it a wearinesse to serve the Lord and you say wherein are we weary So it is the nature of man to deny the Fact if it be possible See Gods answer when they have asked these questions You have offered the lame and blinde in sacrifice Consider what you doe doe you not despise God in the prayers that you make doe not you performe them in a sleight and perfunctory manner Doe you not offer to God of the worst There be men that Salomon speakes of that despise their way that is some things they neglect which they thinke are not worth looking after some things they reckon as trifles which they will not care for this is to despise God Secondly If they cannot deny the Fact they sleight the Fault and one of these they say either the sinne is small which they commit and hope that will excuse them or if they be greater sins they fall into them by humane frailty and infirmity and are sorry for what they have done so extenuating what they doe and making it a matter of nothing But to answer first for small sins sins are not to be measured by the bulke but by the circumstances with which they are committed though thou thinkest it a small sin in it selfe yet considering it with the circumstances it may bee great A sin committed against light of conscience and with deliberation is a great sin as the Prophet that turned another way it was a small thing for him to doe it yet having the sure Word of God for a rule not to doe it you see God punished him not as for a small sinne and he being just we may argue from the greatnesse of the punishment that the sin was great so Adams eating of the forbidden fruit to eat an Apple was a small matter but there being the Almighty God's Command to the contrary the punishment shews what the sin was So men thinke that to sweare a small oath is no great matter but Christ saith Let your yea be yea and your nay nay and when God hath commanded a thing though it be never so smal yet that makes it great so it was a small thing for Saul to sacrifice before Samuel came

men see it not that keepes them in their old condition if we could hit on it And it is either Inconsideration men consider not what they have to doe they look not about them according to that in Deut. 29. You have seene all what the Lord did to Pharaoh but the Lord hath not given you hearts to consider it to this day Now if you aske what Consideration is I answer Consideration is nothing else but an Act superadded to Knowledge when a man not only knowes but returnes and reflects on what he knowes when he stayes and abides on it when he lookes round about a businesse not on a corner of it but fully and weighes every circumstance Therefore we are said to ponder our wayes when wee doe not onely looke to that which is present but to the time past and to come when all things are taken in Now when a man shall lay all together when he shall consider that is thinke seriously and remember that he hath but a little time to live here and that there is another place where he shall live for all eternity that he hath an immortall soule and that his state is dangerous that his sins are great and the wrath of God is as a consuming fire when these are laid together when he considers them and stayes on them by these means he comes to see with his eyes and understand with his heart and to be converted and healed but because men doe consider thence it is that they grow on their roote still and are not brought to this inexcusablenesse nor have all Arguments taken away Or another reason is some Lust there is world credit riches pleasures or something which they are loath to part with the rich man will not part with his possessions they in the twelfth of Iohn will not part with their credit with the Pharisees Ieroboam will not part with his Kingdome till these Arguments shall be answered and God shall cut off those snares for so they are termed 2 Tim. 2.25 Waiting if God will give them repentance to know the truth and to come out of the snare of the Devill who taketh them at his will The meaning is every man before he be regenerate is holden by some snare the snare is some lust the root of it is some false reasoning now when men come to know the truth and to be delivered out of the snare of the Devill when God convinceth a man and opens that truth undoes that false reasoning on which that lust is founded he cuts the snare asunder and then they are set at liberty Every man saith I cannot live without credit without my state without my kingdome as every man hath a kingdom of his owne when God teacheth that this is vanity and if we will be happy the best way is to serve God with a perfect heart when God teacheth the contrary Truth then he is out of the snare of the Devill when he hath awaked his conscience that he is sicke of sin that he feeles his rebellions then the thing he magnified before is nothing now As when a man is sicke the houses and orchards he magnified before are now not regarded his dainty fare and gorgeous apparell he hath no pleasure in them for he is sicke So it is with the Soule when God chargeth sin on the Conscience Againe when God shewes better things than these as Heb. 10.34 They had in heaven a better and an enduring substance and therefore cared for nothing They cared not for parting with their goods when they had another righteousnesse to trust to So when God opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to Paul He reckons all as dung and drosse he doth not magnifie what he did before And thus are men freed from the snare of the Devill Therefore when a man shall deferre and thinke I am ready to come but I will not yet I say these must be taken away for they are false reasonings by which we are built on our root Now when a man shall be perswaded of the danger of putting the evill day farre from him when the Holy Ghost shall give him wisdome to number his dayes then he will take to himselfe new thoughts Every man naturally feares death but because it is farre off no man regards it and so because we put the evill day farre from us we turne not to God now when God shall convince a man of the Truth and teach him to number his dayes Wel thou art now in healt● and strength but when thou commest to num●ber the dayes that remain they are very small Put case a man had an hundred dishes of meat before him if one come and sayes Take heed what you doe for one of these dishes is poison he will not taste of any of them except he have taken an Antidote before So when the Holy Ghost teacheth it is true In one of these dayes is death thou shalt finde poison that shall take away thy life whether first or last it is uncertaine if thou were wise to consider thy latter end that is if thou hadst the wisdome which God must teach thou wouldst see little reason why to venture thy soule on one of these daies if thou hast not made thy Election sure for this is as to eat of one of those dishes when there is poison in it Therefore consider beloved what uncertainty of life there is what it is to venture the soule and what eternity is When God shall each this and stirre up present affections of feare and apprehension of wrath it will teach a man not to deferre but to come home speedily Againe when this place of Scripture and the like shall be seriously considered That if the Good-man of the house knew at what time the Theefe would come he would have an eye to him That Christ hath threatned all before hand that doe not watch And I will come at a time thou thinkest not of me If thou didst consider this when thou art most secure and furthest off from God in the midst of thy jollity and fast asleepe I will come at a time when thou lookest not for me And didst thou thinke this threatning in vaine Didst thou beleeve this Scripture and lay it to heart thou wouldest not deferre thy Turning to God Againe consider put case thou hast liberty if sicknesse come and give thee warning alas how farre art thou from being able to repent Are the times in thine hand Must not the Holy Ghost change thine heart If thou dost now take resolution to amend hast not thou cause to suspect that it proceeds from selfe-love For if it had beene not of love to God wouldest thou not have turned sooner And if it be out of selfe-love God accepts it not All this while wee have spent in shewing the Disease and now wee must shew the Remedy FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT A GENERALL FAST BEFORE THE COMmons-House of Parliament the second of Iuly 1625. In the time of

such change wrought in him doth delight in nothing but to doe evill to doe well he hath no pleasure Gods Commandements are burthensome to him therfore the Laws of God are too strait for him that he cannot march in them as David could not march in Sauls Armour for it was too heavie for him A man that is a New Creature doth things with facility and delight But this is not all If thy Soule be fashioned and cast into a new mould thou wilt not onely doe good things readily but well and handsomely to use our common terme when as other men bungle at good workes and know not how to turne their hand unto them They doe them indeed but as the Wiseman saith Prov. 26.7 As the legs of the lame are not equall so is a Parable in a fooles mouth When they come to doe any good Actions it is like a Parable in a fooles mouth the Parable is not fit for his mouth as when a man hath one legge longer than another he is lame so a Parable in a fools mouth is not equall to his mouth the action may be good yet he do●h it but lamely it is beyond his reach hee doth not doe actions as hee should but an holy man doth them as a workeman I speake not of doing of them before men but before God who judgeth righteously when he comes to performe an holy duty hee doth it as it is meet hee prayes fervently and consecrates himselfe unto the Lord with delight Hee shewes mercy with cheerefulnesse and every grace hath his peculiar property wherein the goodnesse of it consists as Faith Love and Hope are the concomitants of his actions wherein their excellencie consists whereas other men doe the same duties but not with that affection that they should and they doe it but with a dead heart they are workes of vertue and have the lineaments of true ones but they are dead workes because life is not in them Therefore consider how thou doest things the matter is not so much what thou doest as how thou doest them Againe if thou bee a New Creature thou shalt know it by thy doing of good constantly as a man that doth it naturally In Nature you know the habites and inclinations are close and neere unto us and growing in us therefore if thou doe good in thy constant practice it is a signe thy heart is changed This is the first thing there is a new frame all the bent of the faculties are changed and by this you may know it if you doe good readily with facillity and delight and constantly One thing more observe in this new Frame there is not onely a bending of the Soule to a contrary point as it were but moreover all must be changed as for example Cast any thing into a new mould there is not only one part altered but all so if you be New Creatures you must finde this in your selves that you doe not make choice in the duties of godlinesse but take all and omit nothing You must bee holy in all manner of conversation those words are added in all manner of conversation and they are much to be observed that is in all the turnings of a mans life As if he be a Magistrate hee must be exact in hearing of Causes neither to feare any mans face nor to be moved by any mans favour if hee be an husband his speeches and actions must be holy his speeches must be gratious If thou be a Subject in reverence to the King and respective to others thou must bee holy in all manner of conversation otherwise the frame is not altered this must be of necessity for that which God requires of us is the keep●ng of the whole Law as Iames saith Iam. 2.20 where hee speakes of keeping the Law Evangelically For whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet faile in one point he is guilty of all Goe thorow the whole Latitude of our obedience if in one part thou wilt favour thy selfe thou art guilty of all In the same Epistle Iam. 1.26 If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceives his owne heart that mans Religion is in vaine That which is here said of the tongue may be said of any thing else Doest thou doe thus and thus doest thou sanctifie the Sabbath doest thou goe to God in prayer goe to all particular duties I know not what to name unto you and yet in any of these dost faile consider that the Apostle might as well have said unto thee for that thy Religion is in vaine hee speakes of keeping the Law in an Evangelicall manner a man must set himselfe to keepe every Commandement and if he doe but take liberty in any he is guilty of the whole Take this for a sure rule what God requires of us in the Gospell he gives us strength to performe but if our hear●s were not altogether new moulded the worke would be more than our strength therefore of necessity the heart must be altogether new moulded Therefore the Apostle saith and what he saith is common to all the Saints I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth mee Every man that hath this new frame wrought in him may say so If thou be in Christ thou hast a new frame in thy heart which makes thee able to doe all things through Christ. Consider of this and apply it to your selves for it is a matter of much moment as the Apostle saith We are not ashamed to write unto you of these things againe and againe So it is a point we have touched before yet we will speake of it againe and again Consider with thy selfe whether there be such a generall change in thee or no for the goodnesse of a thing consists in the order else the whole is dissolved as in beauty there are two things wherein it consists the frame and order of it that we say is beautifull when the frame is good and no part is to bee admired above the rest so it is the frame and order of the Soule wherein its beauty consists when the whole frame is right and thou art inabled to doe the whole duties of new obedience Observe Gods dealing in this case when Saul had failed in one thing God cast him off But you will say this was an heard judgement did not David faile many times as well as he It is true but here is the difference Saul had a naturall heart to doe evill although his profession was good yet when he was put to the triall whether he would take the fat sheepe and the oxen he did it yet you must know it was not for that that God cast him off but because the frame of his heart was not good for hee would have done it againe and againe an hundred times over I say the disposition of his heart was evill Balaams eye unto the wages of iniquitie marred all though he kept himselfe aloft and