honour Him so they that despise him shall be despised 1 Sam. 2.30 How did the Lord honour David in time of his uprightness How did that dog Shimei presume to raile at him when he had defiled himself 2 Sam. 16. yea and how did his own Son faile in duty towards him Vse 1 So then let us all here take notice of the true cause of that vile esteeme wherein at this day many live I speake of all sorts of men It s a common and most just complaint that many have in their mouths How much the dignity of the Ministery is in these dayes decayed contrary to that Reverence given by Cornelius unto Peter And to what cause think you do they impute it Some to lack of Authority Some to our poverty Some to decay of Auricular Confession But these not the maine Causes Apostles were never Confessours yet highly esteemed never abounded with wealth yet reverenced John Baptists rochet was of haire-cloath yet reverenced by Herod himself But this is that which hath exposed us to contempt namely the lewd life of many in place of ministers The like of Magistrates the like of Fathers the like of the Aged Children presume against the Ancients and no marvell when old age is not found in the way of righteousness 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth but be thou then unto them that believe a pattern in good works Vse 2 See we here where a man must begin to lay the ground of Reverence and Reputation namely in an holy life Live holily then shalt thou live honourably if not amongst the wicked yet amongst Gods Children who honour such as feare the Lord Psal 15.4 While Adam stood in innocency the savage beasts did him Reverence when he threw off obedience they began to Rebell John Baptist feared of Herod because he knew him to be a just man Mat. 6 2â— If a punishment to be vilely esteemed then a Blessing to be honoured and justly well esteemed especially for Ministers good name a rich pearle and loving favour above silver and gold Prov. 22 1. Eccles 7.3 How prevalent this is for security how many times did this restrain the fury of Iewes against our Saviour The people held him as a Prophet Mat. 21.46 Besides the good that such may do rather then others True honour is that that is given by men rightly judging of the graces of God Hence then collect Vse that its lawfull for a man by good meanes to seek honour and good report from men See 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth 1 Tim. 3.7 A testimony even from men without is to be laboured for And here that little regard of approving our selves to men justly taxed what men say or think they care not yet saith the Apostle Phil. 4.8 If there be any vertue if any praise follow things of good report Meanes 1. To be an Honourer of God 1 Sam. 2.30 in all carriage publique or private 2. To do the things that tend to good Report rather then simply to hunt after praise 3. Not principally to ayme at praise It is like your shadow the more you run after it the faster it runs from you But have been Partiall in the law A new reason of this judgment mentioned partiality in the Law This is propounded vers 9. 2. Confuted by a reason a communi principio and so from equality This uttered in a Rhetoricall Dialogisme Partiality what it is See we the nature of this sin Partiality is when without just cause one is preferred before another in matter of justice this is commonly called Acception of persons preferring one before another See 1 Tim. 5.21 Now not every such preferring is partiality For there is a preferring of one before another warrantable therefore it s added without just cause causes of preferring of two sorts just unjust Unjust as when a rich man is regarded for his Riches a poor man for his poverty See Deut. 1.17 Exod. 23.3 Levit. 19.15 Lastly in matter of justice as in punishment or reward in reproof or forbearing reproof So in kindness we may without partiality preferre 1. Our own before strangers 1 Tim. 5.8 2. Houshold of faith before others Gal. 6.10 but in matter of justice no such thing to be done This pressed upon Magistrates Vse that they especially observe it Deut. 1.19 we have the example of God himself Rom. 2.11 1 Pet 1.17 They are Gods Psal 82.6 nor may inferiour officers goe unpressed herein To ministers urged with a straite charge 1 Tim. 5.21 However it be imputation to my self To people Jam. 2.1 sundry reasons 1. God chuseth 2. Rich in faith 3. Heyrs of the kingdome 4. A breach of Gods Law 5. A cause of murmuring Act. 6.1 VER 10. Have we not all one Father Hath not one God created us Why do we deal treacherously every man against his Brothers by profaning the Covenant of our Fathers HEre is set down the Confutation Observ One common principall of all men Adam our common father Eve our common mother God our common Creator Christ our common Redeemer See Eph. 4.6 This should teach us vnity in judgment and affection Vse Eph. 4.3 It should abate pride teach to avoid partiality in any thing and would God in all things we could consider this it would be a bridle from many injuries and injustice VER 11 12. Iudah hath dealt treacherously and an abomination is committed in Israel and Ierusalem for Iudah hath prophaned the Holiness of the Lord which he loved and hath marryed the daughter of a strange God The Lord will cut off the man that doth this the Master and the Scholler out of the Tabernacles of Iacob and him that offereth an offering unto the Lord of Hostes c. A Transition from the sins of the Priests to those of the people These are two both about Marriage 1. Vnequall yoaking themselves 2. Disloyalty vers 14.15 16 17. In the first we are to consider 1. The sin 2. The hainousness of it 3. The punishment 4. The amplifications by frequency and by Effects A hainous sin Observ for a Child of God to couple himself in marriage with a woman of contrary Religion with an Idolater See here how it is called a transgression an abomination a defiling of the Lords Holiness Reasons 2 Cor. 6.14 No communion betwixt light and darkness if none at all then not the nearest Reasons 1. An unequall yoke 2. The contrary nature of both 2. The speciall commandment of God this way Exod. 34. Deut. 7. with Reasons 1. Of corruption that may ensue and lest any presume in respect of graces received 1. No protection out of Gods wayes as appeares by Solomons example none like him beloved of God yet Neh. 13.26 strange women caused him to sin See also Gen. 6. Num. 25. 1 King 11. Ezr. 9.10 Where we reade of the judgment of God upon such 2. 1 Cor. 7.39 The injunction is to marry only in the Lord. 3. 2 Joh. ver 10. Not
sparing us even as a father spares his own son that serveth him And though there be in the dearest children of God abundance of iniquity and corruption yet whilest they are striven against the Lord sees them not that is he takes no notice of them Num. 23.21 He seeth none iniquity in Iacob nor transgression in Israel But when a man lives in his sins without repentance these sins even the least of them are most detestable unto him A second reason of it is because no obedience can be performed by such a man in singleness of heart and he doth but dally with the Lord and even mock him who comes before him with such services Isai 29.13 This people saith the Lord draweth neer me with their lips but their hearts are far from me Singleness of heart is that the Lord accepts A third Reason because such performe not the conditions of acceptation neither doth Christ during that state mediate for such It s one main condition the Lord requires in all that come neer him that they be holy even as he is holy at least in affection c. Vse 1 This then shewes us the cause why the Lord walks so stubbornly against us notwithstanding we seemed daily to seek him as Levit. 26.21 and as he speaks Iosh 7. When Ioshuah complains unto God for his wrath upon Israel what shall I say when Israel turns his back upon their adversaries It s because of some detestable sin amongst us Vse 2 Secondly let it teach us all with speed and singleness of heart to turn to our God that our services may finde acceptance with him upon this ground the prophet Isaiah chap. 1 18. Exhorts us comfortably inviting us then though sins be as skarlet yet shall they be as white as wooll as on the other side though services never so glittering and glorious prayers never so many and fervent all is to no purpose If I regard wickedness in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66.18 Yea and let Gods children make use of it in this kinde for the comfort and assurance of acceptance of their services before the Lord. Vse 3 Thirdly see here the miserable estate of men living impenitently in their sins they glory perhaps in this that they serve God earely as those hypocrites Isa 58. But alas vain men all they do is unclean unto them God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 No drunkard usurer c. Impenitently such and here by the way I might take notice how many deceive themselves with an opinion of repentance some think the buyers speech in Solomon is repentance It is naught It is naught and would I could leave it fondly for what is it verbally to dislike sin and affectionately to practise it Some cry God mercy as fondly some mourning for sin some confessing of sins some forbearing the outward practice when their hearts run after their covetousness some leaving off some sins living in others contra Ezek 18 28. Consider sin and turn from it VER 14. Yet ye say wherefore Because the Lord hath been witness between thee and the wife of thy youth against whom thou hast dealt treacherously yet is shee thy companion and the wife of thy covenant Yet ye say Wherefore So willing is wickedness to defend it self so hardly brought to serious confessing Observ and hearty detesting iniquity wherein They would fain still seem innocent and guiltless Job puts from him this sin Job 21.33 and withal expresseth the fashion of wicked ones and the cause of it if I have hid my sin as Adam concealing mine iniquity in my bosome c. So Adam and Eve so Cain c. And in this how right shew we our selves the Posterity of old Adam colouring and shifting and excusing our sins Vse even then when the Lord by his judgments findes them out Now brethren let us be admonished to take heed of this and to root out of our hearts this corruption so natural so usual in us The just man is the Accuser of himself And for this cause good for us to consider what a God the Lord is with whom we have to deal such an one as is about our beds and to whose eyes all things are naked and uncovered Secondly labour to acquaint thy self with thine own deceitful heart and bring sin out of its lurking holes And thirdly consider the benefit of open and free confessing sin accusing and condemning thy self See Psal 31.5 Because the Lord hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth c. Here followeth the second sin laid to their charg a second violation of the marriage-bed in polygamy or multiplying of many wives through liberty of divorses where 1. The sin is propounded in general 2. Reproved 3. Confuted 4. Amplyfied The general propounding of the sin is vers 14. amplyfied by a prolepsis that howsoever they had so carried the matter as they thought that none could justly detect them of lust or cruelty in this manner of putting away the old and and marrying a new yet the Lord was witness between them The reproofe is vers 14. she is thy companion and therefore ought not to be thus sinned against The confutation 1. She is the wife of thy Covenant that is she with whom thou enterest covenant and that before God Pro. 2.17 therefore ought not to be thus despised 2. From the ordinance of God and his first Institution He made one and but one to be joyned unto one amplyfied though he had abundance of Spirit could have made more yet made but one 3. By the end because he sought a godly seed as if he had said what ever is born otherwise is not the seed of God but of the devil 4. The amplyfication God hates dismission yet they did it under pretence and colour of Moses law The Lord is witness So then Observ we have God a witness of our secretest sins most privately commited most colourably covered See Mal. 3.5 In this testimony or witneship of the Lord are three things 1. Knowledg and this is every where given unto God Psal 139. and 50.21 2. Record registring our sins as Mal. 3.16 A book of remembrance written for those that feare God so the Lord is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to have a book of record and to keep a register of all our sins little and great Rev. 20.12 Jer. 44.21 did not the Lord remember 3. Evidence giving evidence to the face of all sinners of their trangressions Now what should we learn hence Surely not to sin in hope to be hid for though man cannot testifie Vse yet the Lord is both witness and judg against trangressours Psal 94.7 The wicked Psal 10.12 are brought in thus speaking The Lord shall not see neither doth the God of Jacob regard but mark how David reasons against this phancy God made the eye the ear c. teacheth man knowledg and Causa is not to to genere deteâ—â—â— effectâ— suo Yet this how evident a cause of many
Law to the maintenance of the Ministery if not directly yet by consequent if not in specie yet in the aequivalent Whence this conclusion will soundly follow that to detain any thing belonging to maintenance of the Ministery is Sacriledg let it be coloured with never so goodly pretences Now Vse beloved where should I begin to reprove First those ingrossers of Ministers maintenance by impropriations c. I stand not now to dispute the question this only know things once consecrated are the Lords Levit. 27 30 31. and may not for ever be alienated 2. This holden by all Divines that so to alienate as that there be not a liberall maintenance for the Minister for all works of his calling is generally holden an accursed practice And what maintenance is this Micah's allowance Iudg. 17. A Livery dyet and ten shekells of silver surely the platform I think was first taken from that Idolater But beloved let such men consider how many souls perish for lack of Ministers I know what they say blame the law Be not deceived God is not mocked Gal. 6.7 There is a law of equity should guide every christian and they should be laws unto themselves Ob. Ministers covetous Answ So indeed they say who are deeplyest engaged this way but it will be hard to prove that desire of a competency comes under the censure of covetousness Secondly guilty of this sin also are all those that detain any thing due from the maintenance of the worship of God I know it will be said I am now in my own harvest But sith it pleaseth God to give so just occasion judg I pray you in charity that I preach of conscience not of commodity And this let me say from my own and other mens experience men most liberall to other profane uses think any thing too much that is given to the Ministery What should be the cause of it Surely 1. That root of all evill covetousness 2. Lack of feeling sweetness and comfort by the Ministery surely if Spirituall things were reaped temporall things would flow of own accord But to what cause should we impute the scanthandedness of men professing of Religion and the fear of God that they notwithstanding should so niggardly contribute and paying never so little look for a cap and courtesie from the Minister Let me add some Reasons for exhortation 1. It s an honouring of God Prov. 3.9 2. It argues that we have tasted sweetness in the word and are indeed partakers of spirituall things 3. Consider but the example of very Idolaters this way as of papists at this day and let it shame us Christians 4. Detaining brings Gods curse Prov. 20.25.5 Mark what the Lord here speaks it brings down scarcity and famine upon the land Ye are cursed with a curse The punishment the generallity of it obstinacy of the Jews notwithstanding thus afflicted Common sins draw down common judgments Observ All partake in sin all therfore in punishment Hence that exhortation Rev. 18.4 Go out lest thou partake of her plagues What doth this teach us but as Solomon saith Prov. 1.10 If sinners entice us not to consent unto them Quest What is then to be done Must we leave the world Answ There may be a just dwelling among sinners and wicked men 1. If there be mourning for their sins Ezek. 9.4 2 Pet. 2.8 2. If we partake not with them any way by consent countenance-giving fellowship in evill Eph. 5.11 3. If there be a reproofe of their evil within bounds of our calling 4. An hindering within bounds of our calling Neh. 13. Josh 24. Yet ye have robbed me Note here the amplyfication of the sin yet ye spoyl me This is ever an aggravating circumstance in sin Observ to persist in practice of sin when Gods judgments are upon us Neh. 13.18 Yet ye encrease the wrath Ezr. 9.13 After all this Jer. 5.3 Thou hast smitten them but they have not sorrowed And this the common sin of these times Vse God hath made his plagues wonderful amongst us and though his arrows have passed amangst us yet who hath regarded to enter into his heart and once to say what have I done Ier. 8.6 c. VER 10. Bring ye all the Tythes into the store-house that there may be meat in mine house and prove me now herewith saith the Lord of Hostes if I will not open you the windowes of Heaven and pour you out ablessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it c. IN the former verse was a reproofe of sacriledg We have here a duty prescribed as a remedy for removal of that curse of God now upon them Wherein consider we 1. The duty Bring all the Tythes into my store-house 2. Reasons perswading the duty 1. Abundance promised 2. Means of their penury removed 3. That all nations shall call you blessed For the duty see we 1. What it is 2. Form of it Bring ye all my Tythes For this was the ordinance of God partly to free the Levites from distractions and partly to prove the fidelity and willingness of the people this way that they should bring the Tythes to the place appointed a store-house provided for that purpose Deut. 14.28 29. Whereas the Lord propounds this mean to remove his wrath we may observe what course to take Oserv when Gods hand is upon us namely to give our selves to practice of those duties for omission whereof Gods wrath is come out against us and this propounded Isa 1.16 So in Moses Exod. 4. Isa 9.12 13. Reason is because that cause remaining the effect must needs stay upon us The Lords wrath is compared to a fire Isa 10.17 Wicked men they are as the fewel impenitency as the bellows that blow it till it have utterly consumed This then let us do Vse when as we see the tokens of Gods wrath gone out against us every one as Ieremy Lam. 3.48 Search and try his wayes and turn unto the Lord. Beloved we have seen and do see the infallible evidences of Gods wrath upon us and just cause have we to fear lest greater plagues than these hang over our heads Surely as many evidences of it we see still before our eyes as any nation how the Lord hath gathered his Saints from evil to come Isa 57.1 How stubbornly and securely we walk still towards our God who seeth not Beloved these are the fore-runners of some heavy judgment Would we prevent it Remove the cause of it that is every man his own sins What duties we have been slack in let us learn now zealously to practise And to see the behaviour of our people in all these judgments it 's strange Some little wonderment we can make how it should come to pass that the Lord should be thus incensed against us never free from one judgment or another One while sword another while pestilence another while famine and one blames this cause another that Poor they cry out it comes from wealthy and their hearts
them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name IN the words before is set down the blasphemy of the wicked In the words now read is expressed the behaviour of those that fear God they spake 2. The blessedness of them that fear him they are 1. Gods peculiar 2. Fatherly clemency promised them and the use and even of it containing a confutation of the blasphemy of the wicked men shall return and put difference c. In the barrenest times of the Church of God the Lord hath some that fear him Observ 1 and that stand up to justifie his truth against the blasphemies of the wicked Experience of all times shews it Gen. 6.12 When all flesh had corrupted their wayes there was found a Noah upright before God and a Preacher of righteousness In the days of Elijah 1 King 19.18 Seven thousand reserved Isai 6.13 A tenth in the days of our Saviour when all was overgrown with superstition were found Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.5 6. Rev. 3.4 A few names that had not defiled their garments In the very heat of Antichrists raign two witnesses Rev. 11.3 A few that stood up for maintenance of Gods truth in times of Arius when the whole world groaned to see it self become an Arian Athanasius raised up to maintain Gods truth Reason that his Covenant and promise may stand His promise and Covenant made with the Church is perpetuity and howsoever it be not tyed to any certain place nor in all times hath like number yet some in all times in some places stirred up to maintain his truth Rom. 3. Though some unfaithful and deale untruly in the Covenant yet God faithfull vers 7. Mal. 3.6 I am the Lord and change not and ye sons of Jacob are not consumed A second reason is because his worship must be everlasting and without interruption upon earth he will have alwaies some to worship him in spirit and in truth A third reason for a testimony unto the wicked that they might not at any time plead ignorance of the truth which they have oppugned and blasphemed as the Gospell must be preached if not for conversion yet for a testimony unto them Mat 24.14 This Vse if any thing should abate the fury of all the enemies of Christ and his Church that rise up against his kingdome Psal 2.6 The drift of the Psalm is to perswade all men to submit themselves to the dominion of Christ and sundry reasons are set down as 1. They indeed consult and binde themselves but it is but a vain thing yet saith the Lord have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion And what though tyrants in all times have set themselves to extirpate the very name of Christ yet out of the very ashes of those slain for his testimony have sprung up others to defend the Lords cause 2 Tim. 2.9 I suffer trouble even unto bonds yet the word of the Lord is not bound that still hath its free passage and that the swifter by meanes of persecutions Phil. 1.10 And let it admonish all those amongst us if any such that oppose themselves against Gods truth to lay down all their intendements many attempts there have been to put out from amongst us the very light of Gods truth c. Yet still the Lord stablisheth it yea beloved as our Saviour speaks Luk. 19.40 When the Pharisees would have had our Saviour rebuke his Disciples for acknowledging him the Messiah If these should be silent the stones would cry that is rather then God will have his truth unconfessed undefended he will make the very stones of the streets to publish it Wherefore kiss the son lest he be angry that is submit to his dominion lest yee peâ—ish from the way Observ 2 The properties and behaviour of men truly fearing God 1. That they stand up to stop the mouth of blasphemy and to maintain Gods truth against the adversaries thereof 2. That they labour to stablish one another in perswasion of Gods truth and care of his children 3. That they think upon his name The first of these properties see in all the Saints of God Iob 32.19 When Elihu had heard the fond reasonings and censures of Iobs friends as if afflictions could not with Gods justice be inflicted on Gods servants the Spirit was in him even as new wine in vessels without vent and he could not keep silence Ieremy cap. 20.9 when he saw that the word of God became a reproach unto him that the people fell a scoffing at his most serious reprehensions and severe denunciations of judgment against the sins of the people he professeth of himself that in his weakness he had resolved and almost vowed to speak no more in the name of the Lord but thy word saith he was in me as fire and he was weary of bearing when he heard the railing and blasphemy of the multitude Psal 39.3 David he also had a purpose to keep silence before the wicked but that samefiery Spirit of God would not let him be at rest he must speak or burst assunder c. See also Act. 17. I might be infinite this way If any man demand the reason of it it 's nothing but this the ardent and fiery love that is in them to the glory of God having tasted of his love in Christ they cannot indure to see Gods name dishonoured life it self not so precious unto them as Gods glory Besides this is the very work of the Spirit of God as our Saviour Matth. 3.11 he is compared unto fire as in other respects so for this also that he is of a strong and operative nature in the hearts of the children of God as Gen. 6.3 He is sayd in Noah to have striven with men By this let us try our selves whether our hearts be possessed with the fear of Gods name indeed or no Beloved we cannot have a surer testimony of the soundness of Gods graces in us then this the fearless maintaining and defending of the Lords cause against the adversaries and blasphemers of Gods truth Look then and see how thou findest thy heart affected when thou hearest the blasphemies of the multitude Beloved these and as great blasphemies we are some of us forced to hear from prophane men in the Church of God It s vain to serve God and what get they by theirzeale but hatred and obloquy and trouble amongst men Now when thou hearest any of Gods truth 's blasphemed and evil spoken of how feelest thou thy self affected Goeth it not to thy heart nearer than any thine own outward reproach else suspect thy self And alas beloved to see the state of most men this way argues a nullity of Gods fear in their hearts If it be but a friends name called in question how do we startle If our own credit never so little impeached and questioned that kindles us and sets all on fire but if Gods name be blasphemed his word traduced his ordinances violated c. How keep we silence as
Church when he is provoked by their disobedience See 1 Pet. 4.17 Judgment begins at Gods house So Jer. 25.29 Reasons are these First because amongst them Reasons by the Lords wise dispensation lye many wicked Hypocrites that by their secret sins provoke Gods wrath as Achan Josh 7. Secondly Gods care more over them than others Psal 89.31 32. as a good Father over his own Child Thirdly To prevent scandall in the Adversaries 2 Sam. 12.14 Vse 1 Let no man therefore presume of impunity because he is gathered to the Church of God and made one of his people as the Jews Jer. 7. The Temple of the Lord That they thought was a Bulwark against all afflictions fondly And at this day how take most men upon them Profession like bankrupt Debters a Kings Protection as those Hest 8. became Jews to enjoy their privileges and immunities But Beloved know we God spareth not his own in any age not Jerusalem not Israel but as David speaks Psal 89.7 God is very terrible in the assembly of his Saints and will beare that in an Alien what he will not beare in his own House or People And therefore feare we and be not high-minded Rom. 11.20 Many excellent things are spoken of us in this Kingdom of England how long we have had the Gospell amongst us c. How many by it converted and this must thankfully be acknowledged But it is but a weak consequence collected thence therefore England shall be free from Gods wrath if it provoke him The Lord had a burthen for Israel and he hath a burthen for England also Vse 2 Secondly Doth the Lord then not spare his own people Much lesse then them that are not his people Jer. 25.29 1 Pet. 4.17 And this should comfort Gods Children in their Chastisements through expectation of heavy vengeance to be poured down upon the ungodly And withall it should terrifie ungodly men when they see the Lords heavy wrath against his own people of all men the ungodly have least cause to rejoyce in the Afflictions of Gods people See Micah 7.8 9 10. Against Israel That is against the whole people because generally all engaged in Transgression Observ so have common Transgressions common Punishments If any say Object that the Lord promiseth deliverance out of common Afflictions and Iudgments to his own Answer Answ From destruction not from afflictions Secondly All these Promises are to be understood with exemption of the Cross and chastisement for particular disobedience So Lot Gen. 14. taken Prisoner amongst the Sodomites to chasten his boldness in pitching his Tent amongst them whom he knew to be such exceeding sinners against the Lord. Thirdly Delivered out of Temptations Fourthly If more expedient permitted unto them Let no man promise himself immunity from common judgments who takes liberty to partake in common sins It is just with the Lord that they should be partakers in punishment that are partakers in transgression And if nothing else yet let this teach us to beware of the common sins of the Times I know it is common especially with the multitude to do as the most do that fewest may talk of them and that also to avoid singularity unjustly so censured prevailes over-much with Gods Children Well heare If all Israel sin All must beare their burthen yea if Gods Children give way to like corruption and streame of the Times let them look for a chastisement from the hand of the Lord. By the hand of Malachy Not to trouble you with the vaine speculations of the Rabbins what this Malachi was whether an Angell in an assúmed body whether Ezra the Scribe and those others of the exceeding beauty of his body things that perhaps have some truth but little use It is generally received that he was the last of the Prophets and that he prophesied in the daies of Ezra and Nehemiah as some gather by the things he specially deales against as corruptions in marriages with Idolaters whereof see Ezra 10. and Neh. 10. By the Ministery of Malachy not as the Executioner but as the Denouncer Hence observe Observ That the Lord hath ordained the Ministery of his servants the Prophets not only for Consolation of his people by mercies but also for their terrour by judgments See Ezek. 3. Isa 6. Ier. 1. c. And this should teach us that are Ministers to make conscience hereof the judgment for omission is fearefull and a Note of unsoundness Ier. 28.7 And secondly To you that are the people Learne you to submit not only to their Evangelical but also to their Legall Preachings sharp it may seem but surely it is wholsome Sundry reasons there are of it 1. It serves not to inflict but to prevent Judgments And it is but Satans policy to perswade the people there cannot be love where there is severity Cannot a Father chasten severely and yet love tenderly it serves likewise secondly To humble Gods Children Taxed here is the over-much delicacy of our people in hearing Vse who are all for Mercy Mercy Peace Peace whereas alas there is no peace as in the dayes of Amos so now Amos 7.10 The Land not able to endure or bear his words And that exception of bringing men to despaire is frivolous our Saviour himself how often hath he woe in his Mouth And againe know we That the best way to bring to sound hope is first to bring to a kind of despaire namely In respect of our selves or of our own sufficiency to compasse as meerly by our selves our own happiness VER 2 3. I have loved you saith the Lord yet ye say wherein hast thou loved us was not Esau Jacobs Brother saith the Lord Yet I loved Iacob and I hated Esan and laid his Mountaines and his Heritage waste for the Dragons of the wilderness THe summe An Expostulation with the People And an Exprobration of their Ingratitude Parts three 1. Gods Protestation 2. The peoples Exception 3. The confirmation by an argument from the effect I have loved you Schoolemen have many curious enquiries touching Love whether it be in God Answ The love of God his very Essence 1 John 4.8 Yet this love in God is no Passion but implies these three things 1 Benevolence 2. Beneficence 3. Oblectation As hatred not to will good to will evill to work evill to detest The peoples Exception Wherein hast thou loved us The reason of it was their Affliction by Captivity as if it had been said we see not but we are afflicted as much as others therefore thou lovest us not Now mark here the corruption of Nature Observ instigated by Satan To conclude from Afflictions that they are not loved The reason is that Carnality in every one measuring Gods love by feeling and Temporal blessings whereas it should rather be measured by Spiritual Blessings Take we heed of this Temptation Vse Satan usually labours to perswade that we are not loved and advantage taken by afflictions as usually as by any thing Now note here for thy
his meer good pleasure to magnifie his grace upon his own First then Follow not the Multitude for they go the broad way 2. Strive to enter in at the straight gate and let this warne thee to labour and endeavour the more diligently to strive to make thy Calling and Election sure And hated Esau That is Reprobated Esau Now that there is Reprobation appears because there is Election 2. God hath not Mercy on all 3. There are Vessels of wrath prepared to destruction Rom. 9.22 and Jude 4. ordained to this Judgement 4. Effects denyall of means to many for Salvation If any aske what it is Reprobation is an Act of God whereby he determines not to have mercy on some but to leave them to destruction for the glory of his justice For the moving cause of Election that that may be known we are to conceive the Acts of Reprobation to be two 1. A decree not to have mercy this Absolute and hath no other cause but the Will of God And let none say this is injury for God is bound to none Rom. 11.33 therefore Saint Paul refers all to Gods Will and admires the depth of this secret which had been vain if the cause thereof be foresight of sin and disobedience 2. The second Act is ordination into punishment and Damnation this hath some respect unto sin being an Act of Justice in respect of Execution And therefore though it be true that God refuseth to shew mercy only because he will yet he ordaines no man to damnation but for his Sin Judas damned for his sin Comparative why this not that no other cause but Gods Will. Of whom Of the greatest part of the world Ob. Means vouchsafed to all Answ Not so Mat. 11.21 22. and to whom vouchsafed the end is to deprive them of excuse Object Christ ransomed all Answ Not so Joh. 17.9 Inst 1. Pet. 2. Answ The place to be understood of the Power of a Master over his Servant Ob. Then God cause of Damnation Answ Deficient not Efficient being not bound besides betwixt the Decree and Execution comes sin Marvaile not at this That the most part of the world believe not Vse nor are converted God hath armed us against this Temptation 2. See here the endless love of God to us whom he hath chosen that leaving many nay the more part that had deserved as much as we yet chose us and left them Signs 1. Denyall of means finall 2. Cursing of the means unto them Isa 6.10 3. Their own contempt of the means vouchsafed 4. Apostacy finall Heb. 10.26 27. These not known to us wherefore we hope well of all till the Lord discover VER 3 4 5. And I hated Esau and laid his Mountaines and his Heritage waste for the Dragons of the Wilderness Whereas Edom saith we are impoverished but we will return and build the desolate places Thus saith the Lord of Hosts They shall build but I will throw down And they shall call them the border of wickednesse and the people against whom the Lord hath indignation for ever And your eyes shall see and ye shall say The Lord will be magnified from the border of Israel 1. GOds Protestation 2. The peoples Exception 3. The Lords Confirmation of what he protesteth by an argument from an effect wherein he appeales to themselves for witnesses De hoc supra Hatred of Esau manifested by a sign their desolation where the Antithesis is understood Wilderness for Dragons that is without Inhabitant as Isa 34.13 Hence observe That externall afflictions are unto Reprobates testimonies of Gods hatred Reason Because no such are freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.19 branches whereof even those outward afflictions are Deut. 28. examples are extant Not the least Sickness Infamy Penury Famine Banishment Death all stand unto such in the nature of Curses as the Law propounds them A sign of which is For that they all work together for evill unto such whereas it is contrary in them who love God Rom. 8.28 They do but harden such as Pharaoh or cause blasphemy as in many bringing out into the eyes of men the hidden Corruption of the Heart Object If any shall say They are made testimonies of love Heb. 12.6 Answ So are they to Gods Children not to Reprobates To them they are fatherly Chastisements To these severe Punishments a sign whereof is That they are driven by them the farther from God Hence then it will follow Vse That from Corrections we cannot conclude certainty of Election or of the Love of God No man can thus reason The Lord follows me with crosses therefore he hath chosen me to Salvation For To some men they are pledges and testimonies of his wrath and hatred and as one well terms them Atrium inferorum And therefore vain is that conclusion of many from Corrections to Gods love As How often heare we it from profane men They doubt not they say but God loves them Why Because he follows them with Judgments never without one cross or another in Children Goods good Name Body Mind In summe These Externall things are ever to be measured according to Persons not Persons according to them It is true That Crosses to Gods Chosen are tokens of his love but crosses to a Castaway are Pledges of his hatred And though it be said That whomsoever God loves him he corrects yet is it not convertible That whomsoever God corrects him he loves Saul had his punishment as well as David his Troubles Ishmael Famine as well as Isaac c. Yet neither beloved God What then is to be done in this case for comfort If thou wilt have comfort in a Cross look to this Art thou chosen called c. Then Crosses are Comfortable If no token of Election suspect thy self I might apply this unto our selves unto many amongst us whom the Lord hath long followed with heavy judgments externall robbing of Children or heart-breaking with ungracious Children Beloved I say not where these are there the men are hated but yet where these things are amongst some they are tokens of Gods Hatred What then to be done in outward Crosses First Look to their issue and fruit that they have in thee As 1. If they humble thee for thy sins Jer. 5 3. 2. If they bring neerer unto God Hos 5.15 3. If they make thee feare before God not only while they are felt but after they are removed Pharaoh cries peccavi and promiseth amendment while the Rod is on him Esau howls whilest he is under the hand of God the wicked Jews Ezra 9. crouch whilest the hand of God presseth them but when a little ease is given them they break the Commandements ver 10. God otherwise corrects his own Children Observ otherwise Castawayes I meane in respect of the measure and weight of his Corrections Psal 118.18 So David The Lord hath chastened and corrected me but he hath not given me over unto death Israelites carried Captives as well as Edomites but
yet Israel returns Edom is laid waste Isa 27.7 8. Not smitten as he that smote her For 1. In measure 2. In the branches 3. To purge sin ver 8.9 Not so with the wicked See 2 Cor. 4.8 9. His own for a time Isa 54.7 8. His enemies for ever Mal. 1.3 The Reasons may be these 1. The Promise of God made of love to his people 2. The difference of their sins It is true that Gods Children are sometimes overtaken with the same sins that others are But though the same sins yet not in like measure committed One with an high hand The other of frailty And this should comfort Gods Children against all common judgments wherewith the Lord shall chasten Vse or visit us As what have we not cause to expect in regard of our sins Wicked men foolishly thus reason to the deluding of their soules Isa 28.15 though a plague run over all yet it shall not come nigh them for they have made a Covenant with Death c. Gods Children may better thus reason though they cannot assure themselves to be exempted from common Calamities yet from the measure of them For with the Lord they are at agreement Beloved What plagues we in this Land have cause to feare The Commonness and height of sin in our Multitude and that communication with them in a measure by Gods Children who seeth not And it is good for us all to prepare to meet the Lord by Repentance But yet this is our comfort there shall be a difference betwixt the Righteous and Wicked betwixt him that serveth God and him that serveth him not The means whereby the Lord provides for the comforts of his own Servants These 1. He delivers them from the Temptation as he did Lot Noah c. 2. Or else provides a mean for restitution Ez. 9. 3. Comforts inwardly in afflictions 4. Takes from evill to come 2 Kings 22.20 Edom saith we are impoverished but we will return Ver. 4. Observ and build the desolate places Mark here the nature of wicked men opposing themselves to the power of God and the course of his Judgments providence We are impoverished but we wil return build the desolate places Isa 9.10 Ephraim in the pride and presumption of their hearts say The Bricks indeed are fallen down but we will build it again with hewen stones the wild Fig-trees are cut down but we will change them into Cedars Pharaoh though he sees the more he oppresseth the more the people grew through Gods blessing yet ceaseth not to attempt their destruction And when Israel flies yet ceaseth not to pursue them till he be destroyed with his People Exod. 14. The Scribes and Pharisees though they see still the Disciples growing and the number of Believers to be multiplied yet cease they not to persecute So was it with Saul against David And Vse at this day How strive men with their Maker the Potsheard with the Potter though they see the hand of God against them yet still are fighters against the Lord See Act. 5.39 Gamaliel yet could thus say If it be of God ye cannot destroy it except you will be found fighters against the Lord But let Gods children learn to humble themselves for their sins under the mighty hand of God more prevalent to turn away Gods wrath is unfeigned Repentance than all the power and might of man It is excellently said of Job Cha. 9. v. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength who ever was seen against him that hath prospered And how vain such contentions are he sheweth by his might in the mightiest Creatures This therefore let us do when as we shall see the Lord against us humbly deprecate his judgments but feare to stand out against him They shall build Observ but I will throw down When God means to destroy no man can withstand or hinder desolation The Ephraimites promised unto themselves Resting the Lord had denyed the contrary therefore they perish An 130 years after the death of Christ the Jews by the leave and help of Julian the Emperour attempted to re-edifie their City and Temple but mark how the Lord because his Counsels must stand and because he will be known to be true in his threatnings Ruffin l. 1. c. 38 causeth fearefull thundrings lightnings and Earthquakes to arise many of them slain and all driven from their attempts And other stories record many huge hosts of Jews attempting the recovery of their Holy Land and their dipersions The like ye may see in the Lords dealing against Antichrist many attempts have they made to destroy with the name of Luther and Calvin the whole truth of God and to re-establish their Kingdom of Idolatry but yet see we him blasted by the breath of the Lords mouth and though an utter consumption cannot be expected till the brightness of Christs coming 2 Thes 2.8 Yet this they can never hope for The recovery of their full power and dominion they once had in the Christian world What doth this teach us Vse but to tremble before the Lord when as we see his judgments begin to take course against us and to take heed how we harden our selves to his resistance that is to our own utter overthrow and desolation It is the fashion of many when they see the Lord crossing their attempts or weakening their State justly for their sins yet still to attempt their fortification without humbling themselves for their sins But it is vain to strive when the Lord will destroy In these days of security how many fond and profane speeches have been heard That they will not cease till they have brought Corne to such a rate c Beloved it were well to depend upon Gods blessing if we had turned from our sins But thus desperately to oppose against the will and decrees of the Lord without humiliation how vain is it And they shall call them the border of wickedness It may be demanded what was the cause of this irrecoverable desolation brought upon Edom These speciall sins we may see set down Num. 20.18 Ezek. 25.13 Jer. 49. alibi but specially if ye read the Prophecy of Obadiah where this judgment of God is denounced against the Edomites and the causes thereof specified One was unkindness to the people of God denying them in their passages common courtesies Num. 20.18 Another was Cruelty against his Brother Jacob in that not only they helped them not against their Adversaries but were partakers with them in their cruelty And thirdly Insulting over them in their afflictions ver 10. Now then mark here How fearefull a sin it is and how the matter of extreme desolations Observ cruell usage of the people of God The Lord delights in this Title The avenger of his people Luk. 18.7 8. and therefore as James hath it Chap. 5.6 Ye have condemned and killed the just therefore howle Beloved This is the common and crying sin of this Land unkindness and cruelty offered to the people
are 1. A desire through hypocrisie to seeme righteous no man so vile but would gladly avoid the censure of Atheisme and profaneness 2. That they forget the Lord to be a searcher of secrets and trier of the hearts and reines 3. That opinion of righteousness and Religion they have obtained among men See Luk. 16.15 This sin through their gross ignorance rife among our People And Let it teach Gods Children better things The just man is the Accuser of himself Vse and free confession of sins his mark Ver. 7. Ye offer polluted Bread The Lord instanceth in particulars Observ So then Particularizing is the best mean to bring men to the acknowledgment of their sins So the Lord here So Samuel 1 Sam. 12.19 in asking a King So Peter Act. 2.23 The murther of our Lord So Stephen Act. 7.51 Their resisting of the Holy Ghost speaking in the Prophets John Baptist to Hâ—rod Mat. 14.4 Paul before Felix of Temperance Acts 24.25 The Reason is because it is naturall to every man to wind out of generall Accusations and when reproofes are ministred in gross they do little good such shifting there is from generalities Then see we here a Ministers warrant for particularizing the sins of his own people A course generally distasted Vse though most wholesome and the best means to make the Word work to humiliation 2. We are taught but so as we guid our words with discretion to whom the Ministry is committed to labour hereto for the good of our People 3. You that are the people To be content to have your particular sins the sores of your soules ript up and laid open 4. To apply generalls to particulars and so shall ye best profit in hearing A second sin laid to the charge of the Priests and people is sleight performance of the Worship of God So they sacrifice no matter how So then note this as an heavy sin For a man sleightly to performe the Worship of God Observ without regard to the Majesty of God or the holiness of his Worship yea though the things done be commanded for example To pray is a thing commanded but to pray sleightly or unreverently a thing abominable The Lord professeth Isa 1.12 that he had not required what they performed that is held them in as little esteeme as if he had not commanded them in regard of their bad manner of performance The Reason is because the Lord looks not so much to the outward work as to the inward Affection of the heart measures Religion by sincere Affection not by multitude or works done in the service of God Here then Vse see what our people may judge of all their services that unreverendly they performe This very sin is rife amongst our people whose whole worship consisteth in outward obedience pray they must how they pray not to be regarded Hence they think a duty receiving of the Sacraments c. But know Beloved That unreverence more displeaseth than outward observance can please Wherefore Let us all be admonished when we come before God to sharpen our affections and intentions to the utmost that the Lord may have pleasure in our sacrifices For this cause weigh 1. It is Gods work and remember who hath said Jer. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the Lords work negligently 2. To whom to God himself a great King Mal. 1. ult 3. Before whom before God and Angels Act. 10.33 Hence learne we to humble our selves not only for the omission of duties but for the imperfect manner of our services Thou hast not all done in Repentance when thou hast bewailed thy gross sins and wilfull omissions but in every good duty thou hast cause of humbling in respect of the coldness of performance as hearing coldly praying coldly VER 8. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice is it not evill and if ye offer the Lame and Sick is it not evill offer it now unto thy Governour Will he be pleased with or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts NOte here the fashion of a wicked Hypocrite Observ To keep the best to themselves and serve God with that that is most despicable See Gen. 4.3 Cain brings an offering but as if he cared not what of the fruits of the groung Abel of the first fruits and of the fat of the Flock 1. The first fruits 2. The fat 3. The first born 4. The first day of the week And generall is this sin Vse at this day See the strength of youth given to vanity when old then they will bethink themselves of serving God Health to the Devill sickness to serve God when no other business then heare a Sermon understanding and wit in the prime bent to other studies Religion the last when understanding is gone Therefore mark how Gods judgment is upon such their services utterly rejected and themselves given over to prerish in their sins seldome or never see you any such become religious being forsaken of God And let it be an admonition to take heed how we thus serve God with the refuse A Child of God thinks nothing to deare an Hypocrite any thing good enough Observ 2 Apply these types to the truth they had a double signification they figured Christ that Lamb undefiled and without spot but withall figured some things to be regarded of us in our services As 1. The blind sacrifice was a type of ignorant services which are ever held abominable therefore S. Paul every where calls for knowledge to be ground of all service pray with understanding 1 Cor. 14.15 Sing with understanding and Rom. 12.1 services reasonable called for Whence it is evident that all blind devotion of ignorant people are abominable sacrifices See Rom. 10.2 their excuse is God knows their mind but he looks thou shouldst also know c. Lameness Is hypocrisie double-mindedness Jam. 1.8 and 1 King 18.21 Halting betwixt two when no consent betwixt the Affection and Action God did not allow sowing of the field with seeds divers nor Linfie-woolsie in garments nor yoaking together of an Oxe and an Asse wherefore damnable is all doubling in hypocrites See Isa 29.13 They honour me with their lips but their hearts are far from me Sick Or faint or languishing services that come from us faintly without cherrefulness the Lord would have the very strength of our Affections and Intentions the whole strength in his services given unto him those are faint and languishing that come coldly from us Another added Vnblemished Whereby absolute innocency signified in all those that worship him and not the least mixture of humane devices in Gods service So that the very Prayers of a wicked man are all abominable Last of all observe the Amplification of their sin what they would not dare to do to men Observ 3 that they presume to do unto God And see whether this be not right the disposition of our People If the King yea or a meane man should speak unto us would we gaze or sleepe or interrupt him A
of duty most negligent And parts of the Priests duty this way are 1. To teach 2. To exercise Discipline Therefore how well they discharge Ministeriall Offices that are the foremost in corrupting the sincere worship of God consider we Corruptions in Religion are of two sorts 1. In matter 2. In manner In matter when means of worship not prescribed are brought in by men as Mat. 159. How full of such Corruptions is the Church of Rome In manner when abuses in the worship of God are tolerated Secondly See here what we have to answer to that common objection of the people That we meddle where we need not when we oppose our felves to corruptions in Religion As to insist in one particular Profane abuse of the Sacrament the common saying is The unworthy Communicant shall himself smart for his profaneness True yet the Minister also For to him is this Commandement given to inhibit as much as in him lyeth all profaning of the Lords holy Ordinances Proceed we to the threatning Observ Wherein we may observe how the Lord in threatning of Judgment interposeth condition of obedience and repentance which if performed the streame of Gods judgments is stayed See Jer. 18.7 8 9 10. Vse 1 See then how true it is what the Lord professeth of himself Ezek. 33.11 That he delights not in the death of sinners but rather would they should convert and live that every mouth may be stopped And see whether ever the Lord was hasty before warning to execute judgment upon any people The old world had corrupted their waies before God yet not suddenly swept away but Noah a Preacher of righteousness given to warn them So in Sodom Lots example and admonitions So Hierusalem often would the Lord have gathered them with our selves the Lord hath thus dealt Then that we may avert and turn away the judgments of God from us See our duty of two branches Vse 2 1. To hear that is with attention and regard to mark what the Lord requireth of us 2. To lay it to heart And this duty hath in it two things First Due consideration of what the Lord enjoynes Secondly Resolution and care to put it into practice the other without this nothing Lastly To give glory to God by reforming abuses crept in upon us Beloved The Lord hath come near unto us in sundry judgments Pestilence hath long dwelt in our Land Famine and scarcity have been oft amongst us greater Judgments may be expected if these be neglected and yet who cares to heare Or hearing who considers Or considering who reforms So that just must needs be our destruction whensoever the Lord shall bring it upon us See the Judgments 1. Curse their blessings that is weaken their abundance 2. Corrupting their seed so taking away hope of recovery 3. Cast dung upon their faces that is extremity of vileness and contempt And the cause of all this corruptions in Religion Corruptions in Religion cause of most judgments of God Observ See Neh. 13.81 Did not your fathers thus and all this wrath is come upon us Jer. 44. Their Incense-burning to the Queen of Heaven true cause of Gods judgments Hag. 1. The people wonder at their Famine the Lord sets them down this one true cause and reason of it His house lay waste ver 9 10 Exod. 32. The Calf incenseth him See we then to what cause we may impute all those heavy Plagues Vse wherewith the Lord hath so long followed us surely no doubt this the main Neglect of Religion and of the worship of God in Princes Priests People And this let us all be assured of Never to have peace till abominations this way be removed from us And therefore let us all be admonished for our particulars here to begin Reformation at the worship that it may please him to turn away his fierce wrath that he hath determined to bring upon us many are the corruptions that are grown in upon us this way Resolve we every of us with Josuah cap. 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I will corrupt your seed So then God is he that is the inflicter of all judgments Observ From him come Famine Poverty Infamy c. Amos 3.6 No evill in the City but the Lord hath done it So Isa 45.7 Job 5.6 Affliction riseth not out of the dust Manichees then are here refuted who dream'd of a double Vse or twofold beginning one Authour of good things The other of evill For the understanding whereof know we That nothing is summum malum inflicting of pains a part of Justice and therefore hath in it some respect of goodness Again amongst our people Luck and Fortune carry away all But though in respect of us that know not second causes some events may be termed casuall yet in respect of God all things are determined not a sparrow falls to the ground without our father Mat. 10.30 Some stick in second Causes impute famine to drought c. But though it be true that judgments are many times executed by second causes yet so as that the first Cause orders all barrenness comes of drought but the Lord makes drought Hag. 1.11 I called for a drought c. Therefore Learn we to whom in all judgments to resort See Hos 6.1 To the Lord it is he who smites and he only must heale VER 4 5. And ye shall know that I have sent this Commandement unto you that my covenant might be in Levi saith the Lord of Hosts My covenant was with him of life and peace and I gave them to him for the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my Name FOllow now the Reasons 1. From the speciall mercy of God bestowed upon them and their fore-fathers Gods Covenant was with them of life and peace Now Gods Covenant is of foure sorts 1. Generall made with all Creatures Gen. 9. 2. With the Church in generall 3. With the Church of the Elect. 4. With some particulars of some speciall graces of this last must this place be understood God having entred a Covenant with them especially to give them life and peace So then with Ministers especially hath the Lord made a Covenant of Peace binding himself especially Observ to be a mighty Protector and gracious rewarder of them And therefore ye shall see in evill times how the Lord hath given speciall charge of them Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harme hath made speciall promise of assistance and protection unto them Mat. 18. and we see sundry examples hereof as if ye read the whole Scriptures you shall not see any to whom more speciall deliverances vouchsafed than unto them See in Jeremy Elijah Peter c. God was their portion And this should be our incouragement unto whom the Dispensation of the word is committed Vse 1 couragiously to do our duties Jer. 1.18 It is true that of all men we are most subject to the hatred of the world as being those whom the
so much as God-speed to heretiques men of contrary Religion much less marriage 4. Great inconveniency as griefe to the godly parents Gen. 26.35 27 36. 5. Care of the contrary commanded in Abraham Gen. 24. in Jsaak Gen. 28.6 Duties hindered yea such as belong to the main end of marriage namely Education in the Information of of the Lord Eph. 6. 7. Corruption of manners in Solomon 1 King 11. in Achab this given as a reason of all his wickedness Iezabel his wife provoked him 1 King 21.25 and of Iehoram that he walked in the way of the house of Achab the reason given he was son-in-law to the house of Achab 2 King 8.27 8. Such an one forced to see and heare what cannot but grieve the Spirit of God Ob. Ioseph marryed the daughter of Potiphar Moses of Iethro Answ Examples are no rules when they swerve from Gods Commandements 2. It s likely they received a promise and saw likelihood of conversion Deut. 21. After ceremonies observed they might as strangers might not eate the passover Exod. 12. Yet if any would submit himself and become a member of Israel after such incorporation warrantable Ob. Paul permits Cohabitation 1 Cor. 7.13 Answ Case not the same marriage once entred cohabitation may be continued so long as hope but not therefore to be entred when we may chuse Now Brethren Vse here is reproved the common sin of these times wherein wealth or beauty swayes all in matter of marriage What portion What friends all the enquiry never what Religion or what graces of God And this I would it stayed amongst worldlings and were not to be found even amongst the servants of God Consider 1. Perill of corruption 2. Continuall grievances that if thou hast grace thou must needs have 3. Provocations to evill as in Achab. 1 King 21. and its common to all the wicked Prov. 4. Disloyalty and what marvell if they be unfaithfull to Menâ— that are unfaithfull to God 5. Many times cursed posterity as Moab of the daughters of Heth. Ob. Now no Infidels or Idolaters Answ Would God that were so but. 1. Every profane unreformed man and woman an Infidell for true faith purifyeth the heart Act. 15.9 2. Idolatry is of two sorts In worship In manners 3. Reasons the same Whether such marriages are ratified Quest so as without Adultery they may be continued Some judg Answ no because God hath not coupled them and Ezr. 9.10 We see example and precept of dismission Some otherwise that though to enter them be sin yet being entred they may be continued 1 Cor. 7.14 Reasons they are sanctified unto us and perhaps in such case God may use us as meanes to gain them Cautions 1. Rash choyce to be bewailed continually 2. Infection especially to be taken heed of 3. Children not permitted to their education 4. Endeavour by all good meanes to reclayme them Vers 12. The Lord will cut off the man that doth this That is root out him and his posterity Where we note 1. The punishment it self 2. Extent of it 3. Certainty An heavy curse Observ to have posterity cut off See 1 King 21. threatened to Achab and David Psal 69.25 prayed for upon the wicked as a special plague And surely if this be a blessing to have posterity continued as Psal 128. then a curse to have it cut off Now Vse beloved take we notice of this plague upon many And take we heed of the Causes of it 1. One is lewd and ungracious marriage as here 2. Adultery See Hos 4.10 the adulterous brood prospers not 3. Neglect of education in the fear of God as in Eli's sons 4. Swearing and oppression Zech. 5.4 5. 5. Persecution of Gods children Psal 69.25 Davids prayer was withall a prophecy And let them lay it to heart whom it may concerne The Master and the Scholler out of the Tabernacles of the Lord Namely without respect of persons So doth the Lord never respect how great or how little but how righteous or unrighteous for Observ with God there is no acception of persons And therefore let all take heed how they provoke the eyes of the Lords glory to wrath God shall not spare thee for thy poverty c. But especially note we here how the Lord joynes together in punishment those that have any way been conjoyned in transgression Master and Servant c. And let this admonish especially servants Vse how they partake with their masters in evill How common this is we see in many as in 2 Sam. 10. 11. in David his servants they are the panders and the bawds And a warrant they think the commands of their Masters But Beloved know that the Lord is an avenger of all such things we may apply this Bribery to vsury c. Follows next the certainty so that very devotion it self shall not hinder Whence we note how that devotion Observ without holy life availes nothing to avert Gods judgments Isa 1.12 15. Though yee make many prayers I will not heare for your hands are full of blood Isa 66.3 The Lord saith to Hypocrites their sacrifices were abominations 1 Sam. 15.22 Saul in his kinde seemingly and pretensively devout yet hath his kingdome rent from him for disobedience and the Lord in generall protesteth he more esteemes mercy then Sacrifice See also Isai 57. Iam. 4. Let all then that call upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity 2 Tim. 2.19 and Iam. 4.8 Draw neer to God but first cleanse your hearts and purge your hands Beloved its strange to see how many wonder and begin to finde fault with the Lord that he regards not there prayers as Isa 5.8.3 They fasted but God regarded not the Reason is at hand they do their own wills Again see here the cause as Iam. 4.1 2 3. why many devout in externall worship yet are for all that subject to Gods just judgment heare and profit not pray and receive not Spirituall judgments especially are evident upon them wonder yee at this the cause is evident your sins seperate betwixt God and you and hinder good things from you As the Lord speaks Mal. 3.10 amend your lives then prove me with this If I will not open the windows of Heaven therefore Luk. 8.15 An honest heart required It s strange to see how men like atheists begin to cry out its vain to serve God No not so but it s in vain for a wicked man continuing purpose to be wicked to pray or heare for the condition of obedience on their part is not performed at most no farther then from the lip Isa 29.13 VER 13. And this have ye done again concerning the altar of the Lord with teares with weeping and with crying out in so much that he regardeth not the offering any more or receiveth it with good will at your hand FOllowes the amplification this have ye done again as if he had said not enough to have once done it ye repeate it Iterating of sins Observ hainous
Lam. 5.21 Secondly refuse not the Lords corrections but embrace them as the Lords love-tokens think they all cry unto thee saying as Elisha to the Assyrians 2 King 6.19 This is not the way and look how thou wouldest rejoyce if in a dangerous journey thou shouldest have one but to tell thee thou wert wrong c. 2. Because these are indeed but dumbe guides learn to depend on the Ministery of the word God hath given us all in our places to be guides and directors unto you as Paul Act. 26.18 God sends us to open the eyes that ye may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Sathan unto God See Act. 3. ult This should admonish every one of us to be diligent in admonition as Iam. 5.19 20. Look what we would do if we met with a travellour out of the way so c. especially strive we to be guides unto them by our example Heb. 12.13 Make strait steps to our feet lest that which is halting be turned out of the way The nature of repentance And that is here briefly described to be a returning unto God so every where Hos 14.1 Ioel. 2.13 Act. 26.18 therefore commonly the working of it is called conversion and men repenting are called converts as Nicholas the convert or proselyte of Antioch Act. 6.5 Let us all try our repentance by this that we may see Vse whether we have indeed repented we shall know it by this our hearty turning unto God Sundry notes there are of it First as preparatives there are these things 1. Knowledg of our sins and of our errours Ier. 3.12 13. The Lord thus exhorts the people of Israel thou disobedient Israel return saith the Lord and I will not let my wrath fall upon thee how may this be performed Know thin◠iniquity that thou hast rebelled against the Lord thy God 2. A second preparative is shame Ier. 31.18 I was ashamed Rom. 6.21 Whereof ye are now ashamed 3. A third is indignation 2 Cor. 7.11 I smote upon my thigh Ier. 31.18 4. Enquiry after God See Act. 2.37 What shall we do And Act. 16.30 What must I do 5. Deprecation Hos 4.2 Take unto you words and say receive us graciously 6. Thankfulness ibid. 7. As a sign of all this holy obedience in all things The last observation is the benefit of repentance I will return unto you Observ Sence The Lord is said to be with us when he favours us giving us testimonies and pledges of his love Isa 54.7 To go from us when he removes the signs of his favour and to return unto us when he restores us the comfortable pledges of his loving-kindness So that the meaning is this return to me by repentance I will return unto you that is whereas I have now a long time withholden the pledges of my love and by judgments inflicted have testified my displeasure against you return to me I will restore my blessings inward and outward This then the benefit of repentance it draws down from the Lord his blessings in abundance it turns away his wrath brings us the pledges of his love and favour And Vse let this teach us that have lost any of the pledges of Gods favour how we may recover them namely by unfeigned repentance Beloved in Christ we have long had the Lord averse from us as is apparent by sundry judgments which he hath inflicted upon us he hath withholden the former and the latter rain sent us cleaness of teeth and scarcity of bread and yet the Lords wrath is not ceased but his hand is stretched out still Isai 9.12 Wonder we at this Surely the cause is this our not returning unto the Lord by repentance would we recover the Lords favour return we then unto him let the wicked forsake his own unrighteousness Isai 55.7 Prove the Lord with this if he will not open us the windows of Heaven and pour down his blessings in a bundance Isai 1.26 The like say I of all other pledges of Gods favour whereof he hath deprived us health a blessing peace of conscience comfort in Gods service would we recover these We have here the mean And see the experiment of it in sundry examples of the Lords dealing with his people Psal 32.5 I said I will confefs my sin and thou forgavest the punishment of my sin But ye said wherein shall we return Their justification of themselves Whence we note Oserv that men deeplyest engaged in the guilt of sin are hardlyest brought to acknowledg their sin See Luke 16.15 You are they that justifie your selves but God knows the heart and what is highly esteemed amongst men is abominable in the sight of God Reasons hereof many but principally that very custom of sin wherein they have long lived brings blindness upon the Understanding insomuch that the grossest sins seem as no sins after custom in them See Eccles 4.12 They know not that they do evil 2. This falls by Gods just judgment giving them up to blindness as Rom. 1.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a minde voide of all judgment so that they speak evil of good and good of evil Isa 5.20 And therefore be we exhorted to take heed of that which brings this judgment upon us VER 8 9. Will a man rob God Yet ye have robbed mee But ye say wherein have we robbed thee In Tythes and offerings ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed mee even this whole nation THe Lord insisteth in their accusation by mentioning a new crime namely sacriledg or spoiling of God himself Where we note 1. The crime laid to the peoples charge sacriledg 2 Their apology or justification of themselves 3. The amplyfication of the sin they did as none would do no not Idolaters themselves 4. The proofe of it by instance 1. In tyths and offerings 2. By the signes and effects Gods curse upon them Where is also the generality of it in the subject This whole nation Observ 1 Will a man rob God Care of maintaining Gods worship is ingraffed in men by nature Will a man spoyl his gods Though Idolaters err in their apprehension yet when they have once conceived a god-head they are careful to maintain his worship and conscionably abstain from purloyning any thing that may thither serve This I might shew in the very heathen themselves How devout in dolatry How liberal in contribution to maintain their divine worship See what cost the Egyptians were at this way what store of crafts-men maintained by Idolatry How frets Laban when he loseth his gods So Micah Judg. 17. I might be infinite this way Reason is the fear of natural conscience this way which howsoever it erreth in particulars yet for the general holdes the conclusion that God must be worshipped And therefore sets up a stock and a stone rather than it will be without a god Then Vse Then hence learn what to judg of an Atheist or a prophane man he is is far worse than the vilest
promise useth those means prescribed for his comfort expecting by hope the performance of what is promised And it hath in it three things 1. A promise of God to rest on 2. Walking in the wayes that God hath prescribed 3. Expectation of performance in use of the means Or briefly thus when a man using the means prescribed waits for the performance of what is promised as in this place here is 1. Promise of plenty 2. The means repentance 3. Faith in use of the means prescribed Now when a man fails in any of these he proves God indeed but that proving is tempting As for example when a man throwes himself into an unnecessary danger he hath no promise of protection as the devil tempted Christ to do Matth. 4.6 He may make experiment of Gods truth so doing but indeed is a tempter of God So likewise when a man having holy means prescribed neglects to use them as having meat looks to be fed as Elias was by Angels that he may prove God this also is tempting of God See we the means with this now prescribed the observation will be A man that would have a comfortable experience of Gods truth in his promises Observ must tye himself precisely to those means that the Lord prescribes Act. 27.31 The Apostle had received a promise from God for preservation of him and his company in the shipwrack they seeing the ship like to break begin by means not prescribed to provide for themselves but the Apostle tels them that unless they tarry in the ship they cannot be safe And let it teach us to walk in Gods high-way if we look for comfortable deliverance Vse out of any troubles Reproved those that neglect the means vouchsafed as how many both in temporal and spiritual things there be that fain would be saved but means of their own they seek at least neglect use of means by God prescribed and vouchfafed unto them Secondly such as in dangers and extremities betake themselves to means of their own that have no warrant from God As how many in these dayes of scarcity to pilfering and stealing prophanation of the Lords Sabbath c. Though the Lord hath often protested that obedience is the best means of preservation Deut. 28. If I will not open the windowes of Heaven See Gen. 7.11 2 King 7.2 Meaning that the Lord would give them plentiful means and a plentiful blessing with them Where note the power of repentance how prevalent it is with God to draw down his blessings upon us it turns the greatest penury into abundance See this first in feigned repentance by Ahab it respits Gods vengeance though but counterfeit 1 King 21. ult In Nineveh Who knows saith the King whether the Lord will repent of the evil and return and leave a blessing behinde him See Jon. 3.10 See Psal 106. in the example of the Israelites Beloved let us prove God with this It hath pleased God a long time to follow us with his judgments Vse in this Kingdom as Amos 4. And what marvel Isa 9.12 13. If the Lords wrath be not ceased but his hand stretched out still sith the people turneth not to him that smites them nor seek the Lord of Hostes Now beloved that we could be perswaded by repentance to seek the Lord and would prove him a whiles with this as we have provoked him by our sins so we would prove him a little with repentance how easily could the Lord turn our penury into abundance It was a prophane speech of the Prince 2 King 7.2 Though the Lord should open the windowes of Heaven this thing could not come to pass And as prophane is the thought of our people because perhaps we see no means mens hearts we say are hardend c. But in whose hand are the hearts of men How moved he the hearts of the people that led Israel captive to pity them Psal 106.46 See Gods favour to Israel in the eyes of the Egyptians that before had oppressed them neither is his hand shortened Prove the Lord with this Observe again secondly how plenty and scarcity are all the works of God Observ be the means what they will as scripture abundantly evidenceth He turneth the rock into a spring he maketh a fruitfull land barren he maketh the earth iron and the Heavens brass Again he opens the windows of Heaven he brought grass-hoppers upon Egypt he calls for a winde and sweeps all away He sends the Canker-worm and grass-hopper to devour as his instruments to be avenged of our sins it 's he that rebukes them c. Amos 3.6 No evil to wit of punishment but the Lord doth it Now Vse this serves for the reproof of those Naturallists who ascribe all things to Nature and never look up to the God of Nature whose will these second causes fullfil and accomplish dearth and plenty with them all come from Nature drought and immoderate rain but who sends the drought who rain Is it not the Lord Elias prayes for drought it 's given prayes for rain it 's given also Iam. 5.17 18. So in these inundations of late the windes observed but God not seen in them though as David saith he brings the windes out of his treasures Well beloved let us learn to hear the rod and him that smites Mic. 6.8 Surely of all these means we may say as Elias of the still voyce the Lord is in them 1 King 19.12 And what else should be the reason that the same causes have not allwayes the same effects but that the first cause tempers and over-rules them Nature ever works constantly and to the utmost of her power Natural faculties are applyed and brought to action by the power of God And therfore take we the Prophets advice Hos 6.1 as the Lord hath smitten us so to him let us return it 's he alone that can heal us VER 11. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes c. NOte we here Observ by how many mean instruments God can take vengeance of his people caterpillars and cankerworms creatures of no great power yet see how the Lord by them can avenge him of his people â— How dealt the Lord with the Egyptians by grasshoppers froggs lice flyes haile c. And let us learn hence to take heed how we provoke the eyes of the Lords glory Vse seeing by the meanest of his creatures he can thus be avenged of us thou that boastest of strength of body and promisest to thy self long life how soon can the meanest and vilest spider kill thee c. VER 13 14 15. Your words have been stout against me saith the Lord yet yee say what have we spoken so much against thee Yee have said it is vain to serve God c THe crime laid to their charge stout words against God In them consider the blasphemies themselves 1. Vain to serve God 2. Proud blessed Arguments whereby they prove it 1 From their own experience what profit have we had The interrogation
Preaching Tà m vivâ quod aiunt voce quà m per Epistolas posteà as k Tertullian de Praescript advers Haeret. c. 21. Tertullian speaketh as well by their Epistles absent as by their lively voyces present They delivered precepts both of doctrine and manners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostome saith both without writing and with it the which is also insinuated by St. Paul 2 Thess 2.15 where he exhorts his Thessalonians to stand fast and hold the traditions to wit of doctrine which they had been taught by word or their Epistle And indeed in its degree a man may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as m Clemens Alexandr l. 1. Strom. See Eccles 12.10 Clemens Aexandrinus phraseth it Preach as by his tongue so by his pen. David compared his tongue to the n Psal 45.1 pen of a ready writer that what he spake might as o 1 Tim. 4.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a written letter * litera scripta manet last and as the Spirit is said to speak expresly so is the Scripture that is the written word to p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 4.5 say A writer is a silent as a speaker is a vocal Orator Either sanctified winneth glory to the Lord and much advantage to the Church of Christ faxit l Rom. 6.17 So Dr. Fulk expounds it against the Rhemists num 17. on 2 Thess 2. * Chrysost Hom. 4. in 1 Thess 2. Now it may be thought not well beseeming me or at all my Herauldry to blazon the coat of my fathers graces the crest whereof is glory Perhaps it might be lawful for me who knew him both in word in life in writings better then another did or could but as the Doctor of the Gentiles said of his own rapture and visions q 2 Cor. 12.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is not expedient doubtless for me to glory though after Solomons expression such a Father may be my r Prov. 17.6 glory Let his own works praise him in the Gates he was a fair Copy for me to write after and as it s written of righteous Abel He being dead yet t Heb. 11.4 speaketh and what saith he Surely me-thinks as the ghostly Father of Timothy to him 2 Tim. 3.10 14. Thou hast fully known my doctrin manner of life c. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them now my own desires and endeavours are that as I resemble him they say in * Sic oculos sic ille manus sic ora ferebat Virgil Aen. 3. de Astyanact Hectoris fâ—lio visage as a son by natural birth so I may do likewise in religious imitation adding only as in all dutiful acknowledgments of him what Nazianzene wrote as an Epitaph on his Basil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His doctrine was thunder and his life lightening the one to startle sinners rock't asleep in security the other to u Matth. 5.16 shine before good eyes and to dazle others who shun'd illumination He was in his native disposition as Moses abounding in mansuetude and * Num. 12.3 meekness yet in the cause of Christ x Act. 7.22 mighty in words and deeds So Å¿ Prov. 31.31 * Joh. 8.39 See this book c. 2. v. 8. p. 78 79 80 81. and him also on Psa 116. p. 174 175. that my hope is the y Prov. 10. memory of him as of a just man both is and shall be blessed And I am the rather induc'd to think so for that in the perusal of divers Modern writers I finde him quoted often as an approved Textuary and of a sound judgment in those Scriptures and Sermons which he undertook to treat of some whereof were set forth and revised by himself in his own life time some published by me since his decease As concerning this book which I thought meet to style A brief commentary with notes on the Prophet Malachy the materials of it were meditated and Preached some years before his death of whom what concerneth mine own private estate I say no more but as Philip sayd of Hipparchus being gone Sibi maturè mihi citô he dyed in a good time for himself but for me too-soon but as the Hebrewes are wont to express that in the z In prophetis praeteritum pro futuro poni crebrò solet Joh. Drusius Lect. in Obad. v. 7. praeter-tense which was to be accomplished in the future thereby denoting the certainty of what they foretell so what was uttered by him as in Exposition of this Prophecie for divers yeares past was as an apt mould for these very times He was no Prophet or Prophets son much less a favourer of bold * Contra Enthusiastas lege Bulling l. 2. c. 1. adv Anabapt Dieteric In feriâ 3a Penecost Enthusiasmes or a pretender to extraodinary a 2 Cor. 12.1 revelations under a constitution of * See Dr. Sclater on Psal 116. v. 13. p. 127 128. ordinary means b Zanch. de Divinatione per Insomn p. 163. by God Yet certainly as Aristotle the Patriarch of Philosophers writes of some that they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it were forespeaking and after Zanchy's expression praesagient * See 1 Tim. 4.13 conjecturing natures peculiari vi c Conrad Dietericus Dominicâ post Circumcis Domini num 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 futuros eventus praesagientes as Conradus Dietericus hath it so surely finding withal in experience the d Psal 25.14 Prov. 3.32 secret of the Lord to be with him God gave him a e Prov. 22.3 foreseeing eye and by a prudent yea Political observation of Gods exemplary dealings with other Nations and Churches sinning or reforming seemed to discover how the pulse of this land began to beat and by foregoing symptomes guessed at the approaching disease that was growing upon this Church and State and which since in great measure hath broken out For the style it might in all likelihood have been better polished if he had surviv'd to have drawen his last and smoothest hand over it yet to any who have pleased to be conversant in his other writings it shall be found alike that is as himself was somewhat after the stature of Zacheus f Luk. 19.3 short curt and strict though withal full and clear And indeed sententiousness not loquacity in serious Theology is to be preferred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His skill was somewhat choyce in searching and springing the mine of an intricate obscure scripture sparing no devotion or Logick til he had found out the right veine where the treasure lay hid And in this respect he hath been heard to say that he would warily adventure to start the hare with any man which done a common ingenuity may finde scope enough to pursue a text g Homer II. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For the method it
's for the Chapters themselves at large Analytical for the Practical observations thence deduced synthetical disposed for the best advantage both of the memories and hearts of those plain people that heard him The scope is to discover Gods judgments in the causes and withal to hold forth means of prevention or removal in their due application Having on these and the like considerations pondered in my secret thoughts the usefullness of this work I was fully purposed to prepare it for the press and to let it see the light Yet because amidst so great Atheism abroad that now as Jacob did Esau hath taken the general h Isa 6.10 infatuation by the i Gen. 25.26 heel insomuch that the k 2 Tim. 3.5 power of godliness being long since lost now the very outward form is hardly to be found Foggy and wo is me too much uncontrolled errours l Mundus senescens patitur phantasias Gerson in this dotage of the world arising like those m Rev. 9.3 Locusts out of the bottomless pit have damp'd the ancient zeal and as the n Jon. 4.7 worm in Jonah's gourd eaten out the very sap and vigor of allmost all right holiness For this cause a patron must of necessity be sought to perfect this helpless posthume from the injuries of an o Act. 2.40 Philip. 2.15 untoward generation And to shelter a pious discourse I quickly knew where to finde one a very neer neighbour even your self most worthy Sir A gentleman 'twixt whom and the Authour there did ever pass constanly so dear and affectionate a reciprocation of most cordial and religious respects I cannot but well hope from so much candor and gravitie for a courteous entertainment of a suitor that comes thus in his name to Bradfield And the rather for that I have been informed of your Noble acknowledgments that Doctor Sclater's ministry was under God one of the first means of your calling at least of your firmer establishment in your first right wayes of truth and godliness insomuch that I begin to think on a sudden you might personally be an Auditor of some of these very Sermons the sum whereof I now crave the favour to present you with nor do I question but that your inward experience of the comforts of * The work of the Lord was precious in those dayes as 1 Sam. 3.1 See p. 79. of this book those dayes occasioneth even yet whereof I rejoyce so daily mention and so honourable a commemoration of his name at your refections deambulations conferences How willingly had I any tolerable skill in the musick of Oratory could I now strike the sweet strings and sound the pleasant Notes of your due prayses the garlands whereof about your Temples like the trees of Alcinous are ever green and not suffered to flag or wither through any defect of the radical moysture of Divine graces But herein me-thinks I am as in a straite betwixt two affraid on the one side of the Scilla of mine own insufficiencies your perfections as if in the very Tropick of Cancer are advanced to so great an height that if I should speak of them in a magnificent style they would * De quo non possum ità magnifice loqui id virtus quia superettua Terent. surmount the reach of my expressions this were an alloy for an abler pen on the other side of the Charybdis of q Laudator quasi adulator 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 flattery especially when as your piety is i cloathed with so great * Vir justus quantò perfectior efficitur tantò in oculis suis minuitur Peraldus tom 2. c. 5. De virtut vitiis humility that as those who live under the Equinoctial even at noon-day have no shadowes at all so in the very Meridian of your Sanctity you decline your own that God may have his glory quà m magnum est nolle laudari esse laudabilem Sene Yet sith the self-depressing * 2 Chro. 12.11 Apostle would ca. have his Converts to minde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 due praise Phil. 4.8 and as ſ Granatens tom 3. conc de Temp. p. 460. vol. 8. Granado observes in praising of good men we in them honour the God of such men when we shew forth the vertues or praises of him who hath called them and though an humble man be shye of giving eulogies of u 2 Cor. 10.18 himself yet as St. Clement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 3.8 in his Epistle to the Corinthians a genuine piece of antiquity lately come to our hands hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let him permit another to give testimony of him this kinde of laudation being saith a reverend x Davenant exposit in Coloss c. 2. v. 5. p. 170. confer p. 84. of this book Bishop but an artificial or effectual perswasion to persevere in things allready praise-worthy thereby withal to testifie good affection and to hold out the lamp of their vertuous lives unto others In this case as Austin speaks in the matter of commending the dead nec laudantem adulatio movet nec laudatum tentat elatio neither adulation may justly be imputed to the praiser nor Elation to the praised p Ecclus. 43.7 r 1 Pet. 5.5 t 1 Pet. 2.9 * S. Clemens Epist ad Corinth p. 50. edit Oxon. 1633. And on this Apology I must acqaint the world that my Rhetorick would here fail me before matter the * Inopem me copia fecit copiousness whereof hath brought upon me a penury of language to embellish it However sith my self have seldom departed from you without some improvement of Holiness by you I cannot forbear to break my box of prayses as of so much spikenard to perfume the Age with the mention of your Vertues and that if not in proportion to your * Quod si digna tuâ minim est mea pagina laude At voluisse sat est Lucan in panegyr ad Calpurn Pisonem merit yet in some measure to mine own desires Loe from a living root of worthiness there have sprang forth from you by an happy vegeration various branches of very eximious qualifications being made conspicuous and to be seen 1. In Artificial inventions 2. In Civil moralities 3. Oeconomical decorum's 4. In Political administrations And as the crown and glory of all these 5. In religious devotion For the first so singular in the universality of them as if the Universal had been but one singular as to another Bezaleel a spirit is given you to y Exod. 31.3.4 devise cunning works in all manner of workmanship and as some Christian Archimedes no engine or instrument for contrivance or motion exceeds your skill even the most extravagant Element the water is taught to make melody yea repast and delight for most of the senses Yet all this as being far beneath your better thoughts is made the business but of your spare succisive houres and regarded
stablishing 1. The Fountain of the afflictions of Gods Children Heb. 12.6 Gods Fatherly love not so with the wicked but in wrath 2. In measure See Isa 27.7 8. Ier. 30.11 10.24 3. See the use and end of afflictions 1. To prevent sin Hos 2.6 A hedge of thornes 2. To reduce Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray 3. To subdue Rebellion mans Nature is Rebellious Afflictions tame and subdue 4. To quicken Gods graces in us ease slayeth the foolish Pro. 1.32 Affliction makes grace flourish 5. To prevent Damnation 1 Cor. 11.32 And Beloved if we had the wisdome not to stay in our sence but to turn our eyes to the issue we would never thus reason Argument of love thus disposed If I have chosen you and your Fathers and rejected your Brethren and their Fathers then I love you but I have loved Jacob and hated Esau Ergo. What is meant by his love Paul best expounds Rom. 9. of Election The greatest evidence of Gods love is Election to Salvation There is generall love to all Creatures Observ some token of love to Saul that he was a King but nothing to this that we are elected all nothing without Election Wealth and Honour and Learning and Authority good Blessings but this the depth and height of Gods love to be chosen to Salvation First It is the fountain of all graces Secondly Of all blessings so far as Blessings Thirdly Those only exempt from Condemnation Fourthly Heirs of glory Rom. 8.17 Now then Beloved Vse see we if we would know whether we be beloved of God or no Look hath God elected us to Salvation then indeed he loves us And hence thou mayst soundly conclude God loveth thee and holds thee deare It is no Argument God hath enriched me therefore he loves me Eccles 9.1 Outwardly all things alike God hath advanced me therefore he loved me See Saul called me to be a Preacher therfore he loved me See Judas till thou commest to Election thou hast no sound argument that the Lord loves thee yea what ever afflictions betide thee This then labour to be assured of Two notes are 2 Thes 2.13 1. Faith of the truth I meane not a generall notice or assent to the Truth but beleeving of the truth in respect of thy self when God gives thee this Particularity and Propriety of Assurance that is a token of Gods love and Election 2. Sanctification of the Spirit known by this when thou hast ascended higher than Nature can reach unto Nature attains to civill honesty as were sundry Heathen famous for morall vertues of Temperance Justice c. but when the very inward affections are renewed there is the triall of true Sanctification Signs of it are 1 Hatred of sin because it is sin this a note of a sanctified heart detestation of sin because sin 2. Purging of our selves as well from little as from great sins 1 Thes 5.22 3. Conscionable walking in all Gods Commandements Luk. 1.6 Psal 119. Lastly Hatred of the World and Afflictions for Righteousness sake Joh. 15.19 Mat. 5.11 A second generall thing Observ how the Lord putteth difference in his Election and Love between parties neerliest conjoyned Esau Jacobs brother of the same Parents of the same Birth Conception yet Jacob loved The like we see in many places two in company the one received the other forsaken two in a bed the one received the other refused Father sometimes chosen Children refused as Abraham and Ishmael Isaac and Esau David and Absalom Let no man therefore please himself in this Vse that he is born of a religious Parent or hath religious Kindred as the Jews Joh. 8.33 They had Abraham to their Father See Mat. 3.9 Think not to say we have Abraham to our father Indeed A blessing it is to be born of religious Parents 1. Because within the outward Covenant 2. Benefit of holy Education 3. Vertuous Examples but Ezek. 18. If the Son shall turn from his Fathers vertuous example It is his curse that ever he had such a Father by consequent 4. Temporall mercies thou mayest partake by their means as the Lord speaks of Ishmael Gen. 17.20 Now as touching Election it self for the unfolding of it this order is observable to shew 1. That it is 2. What it is 3. Of whom 4. Why or the Cause Motive For the first that it is Infinite are the places to prove it Mat. 22.14 Few chosen Mat. 24.24 The Elect from the foure corners of the World And it confutes that sottish error of some otherwise learned that will have nothing determined certaine touching mans Election before his Birth but that the Lord made man without determining any thing certain touching his finall estate Object Then vaine Holy life Answ Not so for that is the meane of attaining the right end Heb. 12.14 Object Vaine Exhortations Answ Not so for they also are Means Object Freewill taken away and fatall necessity brought in Answ Necessity of Infallibility only not forced to believe but God that works the wills knows how sweetly to frame and encline them For the second What it is It is an Act of God whereby he chooseth and calleth some out of mankind to be Heires of Salvation Or as Bellarmine well describes it A part of Providence whereby some certaine men are mercifully selected out of the mass of Destruction and directed by infallible means to life eternall But see we the cause moving God thereto False cause Prevision of good works that no cause for we were predestinated to be holy Eph. 1.4 Not because we were holy And 2. Rom. 9. directly excluded 3. The very end of Election crossed which is to shew the works and glory of Gods grace 4. The first cause orders the secondary not on the contrary not good use of free-will foreseen See Ioh. 1.13 Jam. 1.18 Regeneration not caused thereby much less Election Nor could any inclinableness of will be foreseen in perverse man not Faith for that is a fruit of Election Act. 13.48 1 Cor. 7.25 And not cause of vocation but effect much less of Election Not Christ himself Reason is for that Christ as Mediatour falls under decree of Election the end first thought on before the means True cause the good will and pleasure of God Mat. 11.26 even because he would and Rom. 9.15 He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy It teacheth us to ascribe all the glory of our Election Vse Calling and all fruits thereof unto God and still to say that God chose me was his grace not my merit or obedience Of whom Mat. 12.14 Of a few as appears by the fruits as faith sanctification holy obedience Few not in themselves but comparatively as a bag of sand hath a numberless number of sand yet in comparison of all the sands of the Sea even as nothing And let no man say This is hard in the Lord for that any one is chosen is his Free grace and he may do with his own what him pleaseth It is
Observ by acceptation See 1 Tim. 2.8 Lift up pure hands I say done in faith for otherwise all unclean to the unclean Tit. 1.15 and secondly in obedience when things are done that God commands I add last of all by acceptation to exclude that Doctrine of Papists touching perfect inherent Purity Now that they are not perfectly pure by inherence of inherence of purity appears 1. Because sanctification imperfect Rom. 7.20 2. Because Gods Children pray to be judged in mercy So David Psal 143.2 3. Cannot justifie Object But it proceedeth from the Spirit of God and grace of Christ I answer Yet through imperfect instruments which defile them The perfectest Scrivener marrs his proportions by an ill Pen The perfectest soul though it move perfectly yet cannot make a lame man to walk upright The cunningest Musitian makes not an untuned Instrument sound perfectly The purest water is defiled in a muddy Channell How then pure By acceptation as above 1 Pet. 2.5 And this should comfort Gods children in all their weak services thou they cannot do them Vse without many imperfections 1. If thy person be united unto Christ thou art judged as in Christ not as in thy self 2. If apprehension of Christ in every service 3. If there be striving against impurity 4. If bewailing of imperfections Lastly Observ the ground of pure worship apprehension of the greatness and Majesty of God Ever according to apprehension of greatness so is veneration performed Labour then to know the greatness of that God whom thou servest and that by experience otherwise thou canst never with that humility and reverence perform his services Heb. 12.27 28. Consider then the Power the Justice the endless Mercy of that God to whom thou performest thy due worship and service VER 12. But ye have profaned it in that ye say The Table of the Lord is polluted and the fruit thereof even the meat is contemptible c. IN the eleventh verse A judgment denounced against the Jews viz. the taking from them his Word and Worship and giving it to the Gentiles Here a Reason given of that judgment That they had polluted the Name of the Lord proved by particulars three in number v. 12 13. And ver 14. A Curse threatned The parts two 1. A Crime imputed 2. A Curse denounced The Crime polluting the Name of God amplified by specifying particulars 1. The Table of the Lord is polluted 2. His meat contemptible 3. That under the shew of devout service they served him with the basest Curse ver 14. with other reasons All comprised in the description of these Hypocrites 1. By their Title Deceivers 2. By their fair promises 3. Slender performances Table for Altar Altar for sacrifice and service 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is polluted that is as a common profane work in performance whereof speciall reverence is not requisite Polluted my Name Ezek. 36. Not that any reall blemish can come to the Majesty of God but for that their Facts were such as in their nature tended that way So that the sence is My Name and Majesty which you should tremble at and reverence you have as much as in you hath layen blemished and dishonoured by your unreverend and unrespective behaviour in my worship and by esteeming so lightly those things that I have ordained for your maintenance It is an high point of dishonouring the name of God Observ either basely to judg of or perfunctorily to perform the worship of God The Apostle 1 Cor. 11.29 speaking of one part of the worship of God celebrating the Lords Supper thus notes the sin of such as come without due preparation to that Sacrament Their sin is that they discerned not the Body of the Lord that is whereas the Bread and Wine at the Lords Supper were separated from common use and set apart to represent the Body and Bloud of Christ and so ought with all reverence to be received They came to that holy Banquet as to a common drinking they discerned not the Lords Body that is put no difference betwixt those holy Elements and other ordinary repast but came thereto as to an ordinary banquet See the hainousness of the sin in comparison and in the punishment Ezek. 33.31 The Lord speaking of the sin of that people in hearing the Word of God notes their vile and unreverend practice that they came indeed to heare but how As if they had been to hear a Caroll or idle Song so far were they from trembling at his Word And mark whether it argue not a base conceit of the Majesty of God thus slubberingly to do his worship Take the Comparison that the Prophet makes Offer it now unto thy Prince Vse 1 See we then whether this high profaning of Gods Name be not rife in our people And Beloved consider it well ye shall see it generall It is a great part of the worship of God to hear as we ought the word of God read and preached unto us by his Ministers yet see whether that the Lord complains of by Ezekiel chap. 33. be not the generall sin of the people that Preaching seems to them Prating and the learnedst Sermons of no better esteem than old wives Fables The celebrating of the Sacraments an high part of Gods worship yet see how those in whom superstitious reverence is abolished profane contempt is evident not only by unreverent leaving them but by unreverend handling them we justly condemn Popish Adoration but it is too too evident that they scarcely sinned more In Idolatrous adoration then we in careless handling these holy mysteries In medio virtus Adoration of the hoast we must all detest as abominable Idolatry but profane irreverence should be as much fled from Prayer a principall part of the worship of God yet how sleightly performed that wandring of the eye and idle gazing in the midst of devotions argues unreverence c Yea let me aske the hearts of Gods own Children whether we have not all cause in in this point to condemn our selves and pray with Naaman The good Lord be mercifull unto us in this How leap many from their ordinary Callings into the Temple and rush illotis manibus ad sacra Vse 2 Let me therefore in the second place exhort as Paul Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace to serve God that we may please him How is that with reverence and fear Mark Reasons we cannot otherwise please God It is not babling in prayer but reverence in prayer that God accepts not hearing but trembling at his word Isa 66.2 Not receiving but discerning the body of the Lord. 2. Our God is a consuming fire that is though gracious unto his Children yet incensed even by them his wrath burns though not to their utter destruction yet to their heavy astonishment 3. Eccles 5.1 2. Gods Majesty our baseness 4. Amongst heathen a Principle Vt ne quis ad sacra illotis manibus They had their purgings and purifyings before they came to worship their Idols and they shall
Lord hath called to deale with the sins of men but yet if we shall look up to our God that hath made Covenant with us least cause have we of all others to fear the malice or power of Adversaries Vse 2 This should be an admonition unto the people to take heed how they attempt any malitious courses against them The Lord hath said concerning his people in generall he that toucheth them toucheth the e Zech. 2.8 Apple of his eye but more speciall care of Ministers hath he every where protested And would God this could sink into the hearts of those wretchless people amongst us whose indignities and wrongs no men taste more For the fear wherewith he feared me and was afraid before my name Here have we Levi's behaviour in the Covenant declared by the cause effects and signs of it Feare of God is an affection of the heart whereby we reverence the Majesty of God What the fear of God is and flye from his offence in all things Of it there are three kinds 1. Meerly servile such in Devills Jam. 2.19 2. Meerly Filiall such in the Saints in heaven 3. Mixt of both which is that only whereof we partake in this life The first of these ariseth only from judgments either felt or feared and only in that regard restraineth The second from Gods goodness and feeling of his mercy Hos 3. ult and in respect thereof causeth to depart from evill The last from both partly from fear of judgment partly from sence of mercy But let us see the properties and effects of it 1. It causeth a reverence of the Majesty of God therefore the Lord called The fear of Jacob and sheweth it self partly in speaking reverently of God and his services partly in trembling at his words partly in a seemly carriage in all things as in the presence of God together with a constant care to depart from evill and a stout courage in good causes and courses Try by these things And I gave them to him Here we observe That fear of God is his own gift See Jer. 32.40 And Observ this appears by that generall depravation of nature whereby since the fall of Adam we are destitute of all saving grace Rom. 3.18 Naturall men are thus described No fear of God before their eyes apparent by effects contrary running into all excess of riot without any bridle or restraint till this gift of God be obteyned If this be so where is that Doctrine of free-will Vse taught by the Church of Rome And secondly see the excellency of this gift Jer. 32.40 set out in the Scripture by sundry Arguments 1. It is made the note of a Child of God therefore it is the usuall description of men Religious to be such as fear the Lord. 2. Blessedness promised unto it Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. 3. The immunity that such men have in common judgments Wherefore bless God if he have given it unto thee and think him more mercifull to thee in this than if he had given thee all the wealth of the world severed from it This indeed by earth-wormes commonly counted faint-heartedness whereas it is indeed The highest point of wisdom and courage VER 6. The Law of truth was in his mouth and iniquity was not found in his lips He walked with me in peace and equity and did turn many away from iniquity A second reason why the Lord threatens to inflict those judgments upon the Levites was their swerving from those good precedents set before them by their Fore-fathers And it is handled in a plenary Comparison of unlikes The Protasis whereof contains an explication of Levi's behaviour The Apodosis expresseth their swerving from the pattern set them ver 8 Now before I proceed to particular handling it is fit First to remove the glosses of Papists Hence they infer That it is possible for some man in the state of this life to walk so inoffensively and perfectly before God that he may merit and deserve Salvation one argument for which they take hence indeed they confess that we cannot ordinarily live without veniall sins but without mortall sins that is such as deserve in their own nature death we may Now against the state of such perfection the Scripture every where speaks The Apostle Rom. 7.23 expressing the state of himself and others in state of grace confesseth that he was led captive to the Law of sin and least they should say they were veniall sins he acknowledgeth them deadly when as he calleth the corruption whence they proceeded to be a body of death And in many things we offend all shall we say venially Nay deadly Rom. 6.23 For The wages of every sin is death Hear the Reasons 1. Because but in part sanctified 1 Cor. 13.15 2. Knowledge in part 3. The perfectest fear tryall in extremity of justice which they would not do were their works perfect Psa 43.2 4. Taught to pray for forgiveness Wherefore if we may live free from mortall only with veniall sins why may we not perfectly expiate What then is that perfection that the Scripture speaks of Answer 1. Perfection in Christ 2. Perfection in Parts 3. Uprightness and sincerity of heart in all duties when we are free from hypocrisie And this is that here commended in Levi. In this verse then we have two things 1. The behaviour of Levi in two things In Doctrine and in life In Doctrine Truth and it only In life peaceable and equall carriage In both sincerity and uprightness before God Where 2. we have the effect of these two He turned many from iniquity See here the description of a true Pastor Observ in foure qualities 1. That they are Teachers 2. Teachers of truth only without mixture of errours or humane inventions 3. That they are men of inoffensive life 4. That they are upright in all these and walk as with God Their first good property is That they are Teachers therefore it is said that the Law of truth was not only in his braine or in his heart but that it was in his lips and in his mouth therefore we are called Feeders of others Joh. 21.15 Voices Mat. 3.3 Aaron had Bells on the skirts of his Garment and his sound must be heard when he goes into the Tabernacle Second property That as he taught so he taught truth and meere truth without wilfull mixture of falsehood or other corruptions therefore Paul as he bids us preach so to preach the Word 2 Tim. 4.3 4. and it must be wholsome Doctrine and Pharisees are blamed not for that they taught nothing but errour for some truth they taught Mat. 23.1 2. but for that they mingled errours and humane devices Mat. 16 6. as Leaven that soured the whole lump Third this That as he taught well so he lived uprightly and inoffensively a singular duty of a Minister See 1 Tim. 3. As much care takes the Apostle to instruct touching life as a liberty of teaching and Mat. 5.16
of God was precious in those daies when there was no manifest vision how frequent was it with them then to ride many a skore miles to heare a Sermon setting apart all worldly employments But alas How are our people degenerated in this kind To whom when the Lord comes home even in every of our particular Congregations yet audience not vouchsafed Again How dear was the word of God unto them when for it and to maintain it in purity how many of them laid down their lives and shed their bloud Read the histories of our Martyrs set out for this end and you shall see how many of all sorts and conditions the Lord then crowned with Martyrdom and with what constancy they embraced the extremest torments for Christs sake But behold degenerate children How do we flinch even at the least verball persecution if it be but a scoff and what they counted their glory and that justly we now count our shame to be professors of the Gospell Besides in education of Children and in straight charging of them to maintain the truth which they sealed with their bloud how forward were they O we slow-backs in this necessary duty Time would faile me to speak of their temperance the just condemnation of our gluttonous times their peaceableness condemning our jangling their hospitality condemning our nigardly living to our selves These things we can oft talk of Lord that we did make conscience to walk and to tread in their steps we wonder as Solomon Eccl. 7.10 Why it is that former daies were better than these though we enquire not wisely of these things when our manners are so far worse than theirs More particularly I doubt not but many of us can say and that truly that God hath given us our own immediate Parents Patterns of many excellent graces Gravity Piety love of Religion Bountifulness c. shall t not be our sin and shame to degenerate and disgrace our families What greater shame can there be than for the Son to talk of his Fathers Religion himself living as an Atheist Of his Fathers bounty himself a niggard Of his Fathers zeale himself a luke-warme Monster Now surely as these sins are odious in whomsoever So most odious in those who have had so worthy Patterns as examples to go before them To conclud this point as Esay in another case Cap. 51.2 Consider Abraham your Father and Sarah that bare you Consider every of us and call to mind their commendable parts Surely of all things the Lord most hates degenerating Children In the second place we may hence well observe That the piety of the Parent shall not priviledge the degenerating Child from the wrath of God Observ but yet threatned as a judgment for swerving from their fathers footsteps In Ezekiel Cap. 18.20 The Lord purposely teacheh thus much when the unthankfull Jews began to justifie themselves and condemn the Lord of injustice for their affliction as if they had smarted for their Fathers sins only The Lord protesteth that the Son shall not dye for the Fathers sin nor on the contrary a degenerate Child shall not live by his Fathers righteousness except he walk in his fathers steps And this that the Scripture affirmes Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his own faith Object If any shall say That the Lord hath somewhere protested That for Davids sake he would spare as Solomon Rehoboam c. 1 King 11.12 Answer It is true that it pleaseth the Lord remembring the righteous dealing of Fore-fathers sometimes to bestow outward mercies upon degenerating Children But then these are not to them in the nature of blessings such an one may have wealth but to his hurt as Solomon speaks Riches reserved to the hurt of the owners thereof 2. Not the Child but the Parent in them crowned And this should teach us not to trust Vse or vainly to put confidence in the righteousness and obedience of our forefathers as if we for that should escape the Lords wrath yet this Beloved is the conceit of many ungracious children that love to be telling of their forefathers piety and love and zeal and how many descents Religion hath continued in their families what their Fathers suffered for the truth c. And this is indeed a Blessing if men know how aright to use it It s a Blessing when the Lord permits a man a Religious Parent as above but shall we therefore thinke that we are priviledged from Gods wrath being degenerate nay rather not much more laid open to his fierce Indignation because of our declinings was thy father Religious Thou an Atheist Heavy is thy Condemnation Thy father frugall Hospitable c. Thou a spend-thrift Woe worth the time that ever thou wert born of so righteous Parents whose steps thou refusest to follow and walk in Object Promise made to parents and seed Answ Rom. 9.8 To the seed that are such by Imitation conditionally so that they Imitate and tread in their fathers Righteous steps As well as to the seed who are such only by natural Descent VER 9. Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as ye have not kept my wayes but have been partiall in the law FOllows now the punishment of this their sin I have made you contemptible c. Wherein two things 1. The punishment 2. The cause of it Where Observ first observe we That base estimation amongst the people is a punishment even this to be vilely esteemed and disregarded amongst men is a punishment See vers 3. cap. 2. And surely if good Name and Reverence be a Blessing then is Contempt a Punishment Object If any shall say that this befell Christ Psal 22. A worme and no man Answ This a part of his humiliation Phil. 2. Object The Lot of the Apostles 1 Cor. 4.9 Answ With the wicked only for otherwise their feet are beautifull Rom. 10.15.2 Even they also have Sins to be chastened and this must be acknowledged as a part of the Curse Deut. 28.37 This should teach us Humiliation Vse under the mighty hand of God for our many abasures we are subject unto there is no blemish in good Name but comes for sin and he hath promised to Honour those that Honour Him It s true that the Lord turns these things unto the Best unto his Children and brings good out of them unto those that are his As 1. It seems to purge from Ambition and desire of vain-glory a great hinderance of sincerity Ioh. 12.43 2. It works in us a care to approve our selves the more to God that we may be glorious in his eyes 3. It makes us more dye to the world But yet it 's in its own Nature a Punishment and many times to Gods own children a chastisement Therefore The cause followeth whence we observe That vitious life breeds vileness of estimation this casts the salt of the earth to the dunghill Luke 14.34 35. and as its the Lord promise to Honour those that
in the sight of God See Ezra 9. 10. its hated by us in our own very children and servants Therefore this mark Gods Children have not been noted to have fallen twise in the same kinde except in matters of smaller weight I mean after once brought to see their sin by affliction or other meanes few or none examples of iteration shall be found of Abraham concealing the truth we read that it was done twise but of great and gross sins we read it seldome Indeed of Lot and Solomon we read they fell oftner but mark their acts were as it were continued acts and in the interim little or no remorse or chastisement but after once scourging you shall not I take it finde that they turned to their old sins Now then Vse let us be admonished to take heed of these sins or the Iterating of any sin whatsoever Its a grievous thing to fall into the hands of God and by one sin to provoke him but to fall again that is discomfortable once drunkenness or whoredome c. fearfull but once warned to fall again marvellous discomfortable I do not exclude such men from hope of pardon for I know the Lord is much in sparing and he that will have us to forgive seventy times seven he no doubt hath mercy in store upon repentance renewed But repentance in such cases hardly attained and admonitions contemned cause that the Lord withholds and permits to wallowing many times And therefore Let this be mine admonition to all those that have been in any one sin overtaken Hast thou sinned and hath the Lord had mercy on thee Remember who said Joh. 5.14 sin no more lest a worse thing happen unto thee the last errour worse then the first conscience deeplyer wounded Gods favourable Countenance more estranged And for this cause we must be exhorted 1. After such falls seriously and heartily to repent not to content our selves with superficicall cures but to have the wound searched to the bottome As it fares in the body so in the soul a wound superficially only cured the rottenes still remaining within breaks out again and the cause is evident so in spirituall diseases ordinary this the cause we see many fall again into the same sins 2. But specially keep watch over that affection or that occasion that was occasion to betray us surely as the divell ceaseth not every where to assault us so especially he there gives the onset where he hath once prevailed and there specially hopes for success If thou hast fallen once by lust look again to be assaulted there and therefore there-against specially arme thy self 3. Labour especially to shun all occasions of that sin and come not neere any of those meanes that have entangled thee if company beware it if idleness beware it the burnt child dreads the fire let it be true of thee 4. Labour especially to forget the pleasures of that sin 5. Be not behinde in any measure of humiliation publique or private Covering the altar of the Lord with teares Observ with weeping and with crying out c. The thing we may here observe is how even the wicked are sometimes grieved at the testimonies of Gods displeasure especially in rejecting their services from his acceptance One speciall instance we have Gen. 4. How doth Cain go drooping and hange the head when he sees the Lord give testimony of accepting his brothers rejecting his own Sacrifice vers 5. and Isa 5.8.3 The Hypocrites are brought in reasoning the case with the Lord why he should not respect their fasting And Heb. 12.17 and Gen. 17. As lightly as Esau esteemed of that favour of God in his primogeniture yet when he sees himself deprived of the blessing how weepes he and howls to think of it This one Reason of it there seems to me to be namely because there is not the wickdest man that lives but knows and thinks this that the top of blessedness consists in Gods favour and the testimonies thereof Balaam as vile a wretch as he was he could wish to dye the death of the righteous when he had seen the blessednes that God had provided to bestow upon his Church Num. 23.10 And I am perswaded howsoever we have many at this day that like Atheists mock at the counsell of the poor because he makes God his hope Psal 14.6 Yet he wisheth from his heart he were as many of them be so well acquainted with Gods will so sensibly favoured of the Lord and so highly assured of his love All the world for a good conscience in extremity Now hence it follows that every grief for the loss of Gods favour is no token of a childe of God because Vse even wicked men may have it a very cast-away may bewaile the loss of Gods favour as Esau did he may be discontented at the Lords testifying his displeasure as Cain and therefore let no man thus conclude It grieves me to think that the Lord favours me not therefore I am a Child of God And yet its true there is a kinde of grieving for the testimonies of Gods dis-favour that is a true note of a Child of God and therefore let us examine it Signes of that grieving for the lack of Gods favour that is a note of a childe of God are 1. A Childe of God that is indeed sorrowfull for the loss of Gods favour he is never at quiet till he have recovered the sensible tokens of it as Psal 32. When David had offended the Lord by those his fearfull sins see how he professeth of himself that he found no quiet in himself till he had recovered it conferr Iob 33. Sleep and all things are unpleasant to him with a wicked man it s not so ordinary though perhaps it may disquiet him some time yet the storme is soon blown over and you shall see such is the like esteeme of it that as they speak it shall never break their sleep they will never eate or drink less c. By this try thy self 2. Confession of sins as the cause of it Psal 32.5 And they will be the first who will accuse themselves and acknowledg that its just with God thus to plague them with a wicked man not so 3. A desire to remove all things that may offend and continue the Lords displeasure as Iosh 7. When it pleaseth the Lord to manifest his displeasure against Israel for their sin and the Lord hath made known the cause of it Ioshua presently goes about the removall Thus is it with all Gods Children and nothing so dear but they part with to recover his love Not so with a wicked man gladly would he have Gods favour but doth nothing to procure it if they may have his favour together with the pleasures and profits of their sins they are contented if otherwise rather then lose their pleasures farewell Gods favour 4. Instant prayer and that without ceasing as in David c. Not so with a wicked man hypocrites in heart encreaseth the
And Paul before Felix a bribing and incestuous person preacheth of justice and temperance Act. 24.25 It warrants like practice of ministers at this day Vse that bind themselves especially to the particular corruptions of their own people and therefore pleaseth it God to set us over particular congregations and to give us charge of them that we might redress their sins And howsoever that other course be most plausible unto carnall men I mean generall dealing in instruction admonition reproof c. as you shall hear such preachers that shoot at rovers in their Sermons much applauded yet this is the profitable kind of teaching And therefore in the primitive Church were there assistants unto the Minister in particular congregations to enquire and give information of manners and if we had now such as the household of Cloe 1 Cor. 1.11 No doubt we might more profitably a great deal converse in our Ministery that by the way First particular mentioned Sooth-saying Sooth-saying the word rendred by skilfull in originall languag proestigiatores as you would say juglers such as by deceiving the sence bring strange things to pass but Synechdochically under this name are comprized all such as exercise any of those divellish arts that cannot be exercised without contract either secret or open with the Devil which in one word we call Magick My purpose is to speak something largely of it and so much the rather because I see there is some kinde of this divellish art still in practice amongst our ignorant people Of it there are sundry branches but they may be all reduced to these two heads Magia Divinatrix Operatrix The first is that that is exercised about prediction of of contigent events not out of their causes but by wayes not sanctifyed of God and this is of two sorts according as the persons that use them one seemingly joyned with art the other vulgar these of divers sorts briefly of each First Pythones or Pythonissae such as by acquaintance with familiar spirits take upon them to reveale secrets and to foretell things to come of such read Levit. 20.27 Deut. 18.11 Beloved I say not we have such in our own congregation but this I fear is too common amongst us upon every occasion consulting with such if any thing lost or out of the way presently a messenger dispatched to the cunning man or the cunning woman any sickness dangerous enquiries whether they shall recover if a journey undertaken consult of success c. As the Lord saith Psal 50.18 Thou hast been partaker with the adulterer so surely such are partakers with Soothsayers And it were to be wished that as there are laws wholesome that way provided so those to whom execution thereof is committed would put upon them this resolation and imitate his practice 2 King 23.24 And let us all be admonished to take heed how we joyn with them 1. See what is noted of Saul before the Lord forsooke him he took them away out of the land when God had forsaken him then goes he to consult with a witch 1 Sam. 28.7 2. The Lord by strange judgments hath shewn his dislike of it See 2 King 1. Ahaziah was sick and as it 's the fashion of profane men to be more inquisitive touching the issue then to prepare for death he sends to Baal-zebub the god of Ekron to enquire whether he should recover mark how the Lord reasons against him 1. What a sin is this as if the devil in Ekron could better resolve then the God of Israel 2. He tels him he shall surely dye and accordingly it came to pass 3. Isa 8.20 The Lord taxing this sin prescribes us the right means how we should know what the success of our enterprises will be To the law and to the testimony When journeyes are so undertaken we have a promise of blessing when otherwise assure we our selves of a curse though all the devils in hell shall foretel a blessing A second sort are Astrologers or start-gazers who as Austin well saith though under another colour yet exercise their art of foretelling things to come by secret compact with the devil of these the world was ever full and at this day almost no place empty of them These are of sundry sorts 1. Genethliaci that by calculating Nativities and searching out the constellations and aspects of the starrs take upon them to foretel what should be the manners state of life death c. of men born under them 2. Such as of particular events in businesses undertake to fortel events of things in their own nature contingent These also not amongst us yet I fear every where consulters with such That we arme our selves against them let us see some reasons out of the word of God 1. starrs made to another end Gen. 1.14 namely to measure out dayes and nights summer and winter 2. That they make good creatures malignant 3. The houses themselves feigned things 4. They but universal causes and their influence mixt 5. Gemini or twins born in one hour have divers issues 6. Many other wayes doth the Lord descry their folly Isai 46. Ier. 10. shewing them to be but heathennish vanity I might add unto these those that by dreames take upon them to foretell things to come now it once pleased God by dreames to reveal particular events not so now So those that by looking on the hand take upon them to foretell what shall be mens fortune to these also may be added that same which they call Necromancy that is divination by consulting with the dead that is indeed with the devill in the habit and likeness of the dead Of all which ye may read Deut. 18.10 11. Vulgaris that which our common people in superstitious ignorance observe of things boding good or ill as how many such observations have they of dismall days wherein they say its dangerous to begin any work That when a man puts his shooe on the wrong foot that bodes ill if the salt fall towards us on the table ill luck that if the staff fall out of the hand a hare cross our way stumble at the threshold when we first go out of the house or if the garments be gnawn of the Rats of which Augustine well notes the answer of Cato an old wizard among the Romans A superstitious observer of such things came to him as a man full of heaviness more grieving saith he at the suspition of ill to come then for loss present and he would needs know what hard chance that might bode To whom the heathen answered merrily that is no strange thing saith he that Rats should gnaw cloathes the wonder had been if thy cloathes had eat Rats so did the heathen deride that folly and superstition And it should admonish us Christians to detest and abhorr such idle superstitious observations whereby as much as by any the devil ruleth in such If it be said that the event many times answers to their fear and expectation This comes
God gives thee eyes to see the sins of thy parents and to fly from them Ezek. 18. Humble thy self even for thy fathers sins See Dan. 9. Neh. 13.18 But specially learn to fly from them and for this cause inform thy self by the word of God touching thy duty and ever set thy self these bounds to follow thy father no farther then he follows the Lords commandment great is the benefit of such wisdom Prescription in errour is no feasible plea in the Court of the Lord. What if thou couldest say Popery whordom covetousness c. had continued in thy lineage to a thousand descents This may aggravate thy sin but shall not excuse it And therefore observe every where how the Lord adds this as the aggravating circumstance Psal 95.10 Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation and Act. 7.51 Alwayes ye have resisted the Holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye And therefore Vse vain and hellish is that speech of prophane ones amongst us that because they are able to prescribe in sinning therefore procure themselves immunity from the wrath of the Lord. How often hear we those speeches from our people Thus have I alwayes used and my father before me Now brethren put it in some other case in sins against the second table and see how odious a defence this would be if a man should plead thus in his whordom thus my father hath used before me if in theft c. How should we abhorr him And yet in sins as vain as the excuse is must go for currant Psal 78.8 Be not as your fathers a disobedient and rebellious generation and Psal 95.9 in tempting God and hardness of heart Ezek. 20.18 Walk not in the ordinances of your fathers to defile your selves with Idols and for thâ—s cause see Zech. 1.5 Your fathers where are they and remember what Peter speaks 1 Pet. 4.3 It s enough if any thing were enough that we have spent the former part of our life in vanity ignorance c. To the dishonour of our God Sins never so long continued shut not out from mercy if repentance unfeignedly be performed Observ 3. Luk. 19.42 If thou hadst known in this thy day c. that is if after all this contempt of my word all this innocent blood of my Prophets shed amongst you if in this day thou knewest and wouldest embrace the things that concern thy peace happy wert thou Act. 17.30 The times of this ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth every man to repent The reason is nothing but the endless mercy of the Lord that knows no limits of time so be it repentance can be performed If a man turn whensoever he turn he shall live Ezek. 18. c. Now mark the forward use prophane men make of this doctrine Vse sith there is place for pardon after so long continuance in disobedience vain therefore to take thought too soon a little in old age or on the death-bed will serve the turn for Gods mercy never rejects repentance from pardon if at any time heartily performed Well beloved this is true But shall we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid Rom. 6.1 Know we therefore that that God who hath promised to give pardon whensoever repentance is performed hath not all-wayes given repentance when it 's sought for nay hath threatened to deny repentance to them that contemning it offered in the means respit the day of their conversion unto God How howls Esau for the blessing How fain would he come to heaven How bewailes he the loss of Gods favour with tears Heb. 12.17 and yet obtains it not and what saith wisdom Prov. 1 24 26. I called you heard not you shall call but shall not be heard you shall seek mee early but not finde mee And therefore mark what Esay saith Isa 55.6 Seek the Lord while he may be found Is there any time when the Lord will not be found Answ Yes no doubt not but that his mercy is everlasting but for that men cannot seek it when the time is over-slipt Ezek. 24 13. Hence then let us learn beloved that perhaps have lived long in our sins now at the length to seek God if he may be found of us And mark how lovingly the Lord invites us who have gone astray c. a long time yet return unto mee and I will turn unto you as if he had said yet at the length return there is hope of mercy and forgiveness Beloved the Lord is the same to us as he was to Israel and still saith to us as to them though ye have long gone astray yet if now at length we could return there were hope of mercy and forgiveness Let me thus apply it to every of us and let us all think this spoken to our selves Thou that art ignorant and lived thus all thy life long if now at length thou couldest be admonished to repent God regards not thy past sins upon performance of present repentance so to all other sinners and mark how the Lord protests he delights not in our death why will ye dye saith the Lord See Hos 13.9 And let not Sathan prevail with thee so far as to think as the saying is too late now for the promise of remission is made to repentance without all limitation of time person or number of offences and this be assured out of the word of God that howsoever there is no sin so light but deserves a thousand hells yet none deadly in the event but impenitency yea the very sin against the Holy Ghost were capable of pardon if capable of repentance And Observ 4. if these things move us not what shall we say but as the Lord by his Prophet thy destruction is from thy self salvation of me this only be sure of that thou bring repentance What that is we shall see anon if we shall first observe the state of man during impenitency which is the next thing to be considered in the text The State and condition of impenitency it s nothing else but a continuall straying from God as Ier. 2.27 They have turned unto me the back therefore 1 Pet. 2. ult We are said to go astray like sheep and the Scripture every where calleth it a wandring from God And beloved let this be holden of all men whose hearts are not turned and renewed by the Holy Ghost Let their civill honesty be never so great their zeal and devotion never so fervent till the heart be changed all is but celer cursus extra viam What learn we hence Surely to take notice of our own misery whose hearts the Lord hath not yet turned unto him we are as men in a wilderness fain perhaps we would finde the way to heaven but cannot nay the more we strive the further out of the way and this is the misery of every impenitent sinner Then hence learn all such to pray with Ieremy Chap. 31.18 19 Convert thou us O Lord and we shall be converted