is fallen into sinne continues in it the guilt and power of it remaines upon his soule and he excuses himselfe with the smalnesse of it This is a common fault and therefore I will presse it the more Consider that which Christ saith Heaven and earth shall passe but the least jot of this Law shall not passe What is the meaning of that It is as if he had said somethings in the Law of God you may thinke small which are but ïotas though other things be greater but take you heed that you keepe every particular for there is not a jot of it but the Lord will have all his servants regard it exactly they shall have respect to every Commandement and to every part of that Commandement the least particular in his Law shall not passe away For consider if it were not so it would bee a prejudice to the Lords wisdome for there would bee something that hee commands which wee might slight But the Lord that hath commanded all both great and small knowes that it is best that all shall bee kept and therefore though heaven and earth shall passe yet the least jot of that Law shall not passe that this is the meaning of the place you may see by Christs exposition of the Law The Pharisies said Adultery must not be committed but I say saith CHRIST He that lusts hath committed adultery in his heart They said You must not sweare by the Temple but I say Sweare â—ot at all they said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say You must forgive your brethren Thus we must labour to resist sin in every even the least particular and reforme our selves in the omission of the least particle of the Law And so much likewise for the second point Thirdly we come now to consider what it is that turnes away his wrath and that is Zeale Phineas hath turned away my wrath while hee was zealous for my sake so that Zeale turnes away the Lords wrath You shall see it exemplefied in Elijah's answer to the Lords demand 1 Kings 19.4 What dost thou here Elijah As if he had said what hast thou done abroad in the world Sayes hee I have beene zealous for the Lord of Hosts because the children of Israel have broke thy covenants throwne downe thine Altars and killed thy Prophets and I onely am escaped As if he had said I have done the most I could for the safety of the Church I have beene zealous for the Lord and therefore hee prevailed with God for his owne deliverance You may see it likewise in Iehu who being zealous not in word onely but in deed also turned away the wrath of the Lord. And you may know it by the contrary that it is zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath because it is coldnesse and luke-warmenesse that brings on his wrath Rev. 3.16 consider there what is the reason why the Lord will spue out the Church of Laodicea and cast it away Because it was luke-warme and therefore the meanes to continue or procure his favour is it not heate and zeale Againe Rev. 2.4 The Church of Ephesus fell from her first love what then Therefore I will come against thee shortly and remove thy Candlestick Then to abound in love so that our workes may be more at last than at first to bee zealous for the LORD is the way to stay the Lord among us and to continue his Gospell of peace Therefore by the way it is not only the great sinnes of the Land that are causes of Gods wrath but the coldnesse of them that are otherwise good that causeth the Lord to remove the Candlesticke The very coldnesse of the Church of Ephesus in falling from her first love the luke-warmenesse of the Laodiceans the LORD would not endure in them Let every man consider this is his zeale now as much as it hath beene if not let us know that it is reckoned coldnesse and luke-warmenesse the falling from our first love is the cause of bringing Gods judgements on a Nation But what is this zeale Zeale is nothing else but the intention of all holy affections and actions I will goe no further than this Text to shew the nature of it Phineas was zealous that is he not onely did the thing but his heart burned within him with zeale for GOD. So as First there must be a stirring up of affection Secondly it must be holy it must bee for the Lord and this is it that discovers true zeale to looke onely to the Lord to have no by-respects as there may be zeale that makes a great deale of heaâ—e and yet it comes from the earth although it makes as great a show as the best Againe there must bee intention not only of affections but also of action Therefore it is said while hee was zealous for my sake among them as if he had said this zeale of Phineas was not kept smothered in his owne brest but it brakâ— forth into action hee did something for the Lord. And indeed it is action that glorifies GOD and that benefits men onely actions stand on our reckoning for you know God judgeth every man according to his workes It is action that doth our selves good that makes us usefull and serviceable to men and the Church that makes us instruments of Gods glory Therefore adde action to affection and know that zeale stands in both for it is the intention of holy actions and affections I will adde no more in the explication but will briefly apply it And first if it bee zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath then why should wee discourage zeale by it I dare bee bold to say the Citie stands Why doe wicked men cry downe all religion and zeale under the name of precisenesse and overmuch strictnesse of life walking bouldly in the streets and reckoning it their glory to wound God through the sides of men So that they make those that beare the name of Christ ready to reckon that their shame which is their glory to hang downe the wing and to seeke corners to hide their heads in whence it is that the servants of Christ follow their Master a far off as if they were halfe ashamed of his service when as they should weare his Livery in open view as accounting that their greatest honour It were well if some meanes were used to prevent this If it be zeale that turnes away the wrath of God wee should doe well then to nourish and cherish them that are zealous Are not religion and zeale the two which hold all up Are they not the pillars that beare up the Church and Common-wealth Are not they the rescues that deliver the Citie Yet doe not wicked men with them as those that to lop the Tree are still hacking at the boughes But the Lord still holds them up and the world for their sakes For why is this heape
the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealouâ— should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with fâ—ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee
turnes away the wrath of the Lord. Therefore remember these in particular and consider what it is to spare in this case Saul was lost by sparing Agag and remember what Elijah gained and Iehu gained by being zealous The manner we will wholly leave to you onely be zealous for the Lord. The second thing you must doe for the Church to turne away the Lords wrath is to contend for that which maintaines the Church I meane Faith maintaine that which maintaines you preserve that which preservs you the whole Church and Kingdome Wee will therefore commend to you that of Iudges I exhort you saith he that you contend for the faith which was once given to the Saints Marke it you are to contend earnestly for so much the word implies herein we are to be contentious men The very example of our adversaries may teach us to contend for thâ— Truth if we consider how they contend fâ—r the contrary if we observe what unity there is among them what joynt consent in opposing the truth Againe remember what you are to contend for it is for Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith every jot whereof is precious and it is the faith that was once given to the Saints As if hee had said looke to it if you lose it it shall be recovered no more Christ will not come againe from heaven to deliver this point of doctrine And againe it was once delivered to the Saints for what Certainly to be kept as we keepe Pearles and Iewels that it may not suffer the least detriment And let no man say he hath nothing to do with this for it is the common faith which every man hath to doe with you know in common things wherein every man hath interest every man is ready to maintaine his right Consider this and stand for the whole Faith for all the doctrine of Faith and know that these are matters of exceeding great moment all that we have said before of the punishment of Injustice Whoredome Idolatry and Superstition c. is not so much as this for a man may turne aside to these sins and yet have a right judgement but so long as the judgement is perverted the soule is irrecoverable Againe these are of exceeding great consequence for what Elisha did with the Syrians who when they thought they were led to the man whom they sought to take were brought into Samaria to be taken the same falls out where there is an errour of faith that which men think builds them up unto the Kingdome of GOD leads them to that which will bee their destruction Therefore contend for the Faith for the whole doctrine of Faith for every point of Faith and remember to contend for it earnestly The third and last action that wee will commend unto you is this Labour to doe that most which will most glorifie God that is endevour to set up a learned Ministery in the Land and Church you know it is a great complaint My people perish for want of knowledge and who are they that perish Acts 20.28 Even the flocke that God hath purchased with his owne bloud And at whose hands must it be required It is true we are the Vines that beare the Grapes but you are the Elmes that must hold up the Vines It is true wee are the Shepheards to defend the flock but it must bee your care to see that every flocke have a Shepheard Is it not a lamentable thing to see how many perish for want of knowledge in Wales in the Northerne Countries and in many places besides Is it not your part to take care and labour as farre as you may that every Candlestick may have a Candle set in it to give light That every Pâ—rish have an able Preaching Minister It is true every Parish cannot be provided for alike Starres are of different magnitudes some Stars are greater some are lesser some Starres shine not at all some againe shine in another Hemisphere and not in our owne some shine like Meteors for a little time and then disappeare againe let it be your care that all Sâ—rres that are in the firmament of the Church I meane those that are to dispence the mysteries of salvation may though weakely yet like true Starres shine These things wee must commend to your care onely remember this you know the wrong that is done to the flock if dogges be suffered among them therefore let them be removed I meane those that endeavour to put out the light that so they may the better prevaile and teach their doctrines of darkenesse As when the day is done the beast wanders abroad and doe not we finde it so amongst us For where doth Popery abound so much as in the darke places of the Kingdome I beseech you consider this and be zealous I should have added more but so much shall serve for the third point The other I will but name and indeed I will the rather name them though I doe no more because they follow so one upon another You have heard that GODS anger brings all evill that sinne is the cause of that anger that it is zeale that turnes away that anger Now Fourthly it followes that if you be not zealous his jealousie shall grow hotter it shall encrease more and more The very word Iealousie hath something in it when the Lord looks on a Church or Nation the losse of their affection breeds a jealousie which is intended more and more if there be not care to prevent it Therefore when the Lord is jealous he sends some tokens of his jealousie as when a man strikes we know he is angry so when the Lord sends a plague among us we may conclude he is angry When a messenger comes the sooner he hatâ— his answer the sooner hee is gone but hee will stay till hee hath his answer and will the Lord send this messenger in vaine Doth hee not send it for an answer And what is the answer the Lord lookes for That you fast and pray and humble your selves and turne from your evill wayes and bee zealous for his sake What else is the end of all his judgements Are they not as medicines or plaisters to heale a Church or a Nation or a particular person They will stick on till the sore be healed but when it is healed they will fall off so you shall finde these judgements of the Lord as long as wee remaine unreformed they will stick by us till we bee healed the playster wil continue Therefore are those phrases in Scripture his hand is stretched out still and still as in Deut. 28. Till wee be healed hee will not make an end of correcting he is now as it were engaged and you know when a man is engaged to proceed in a thing hee must goe on till hee hath brought it to an issue else it will be counted rashnesse and doe you thinke the LORD will turne from his wrath now it is begun
to particulars you should finde how exceedingly they are out of order Come to love and hatred we little thinke we hate what is good and love sin come and tell any man so much hee will not beleeve it but examine it a little Doe not you hate holinesse in others You will say No we hate no man for his Goodnesse But consider the nature of man doth so every unregenerate man doth so David was hated for that cause And Cain hated his brother because his workes were good And Gen. 3. The Enmity betweene the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Whence comes it but from the holinesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other Looke to our actions and you shall finde we doe not hate sin we doe not hate our lusts for if we did we should not be angry with them that speake evill of them if we hated these things we should like them that speak against them but we be Enemies to those that be Enemies to them and Friends to those that be Friends to them Doe we not lodge them Doe we not feed them with the things they desire They can aske nothing but they have it Godly men hate their sins though they be carried away with present objects but a wicked man loves the lust it selfe he can say I could wish I were free from this lust from the vexation it puts me to but for all this he is not angry hee may indeed be angry with it as with a friend when he hath done some unkinde Turne but he hates it not for if he hated it he would not be at peace with it againe for hatred is implacable Againe if a man hates he hates all the kinde But why doest thou love one more than another If thou didst hate any one because it is a sinne because it is a rebellion against God thou wouldest love none As the Lambe hates all Wolves Againe if thou hatest them why wilt not thou labour to have them utterly destroyed Why wilt thou cherish them a little Where hatred is it will have the thing hated utterly taken away as if there were no such thing and that shall be laboured for not remissely but we will put our strength to it and doe it with all our might and in good earnest But seeing we doe not thus it appeares we hate goodnesse and love sin It is true we are ready to lay it on other things and to say The Infirmities of the Saints which we see we hate but their goodnesse wee love if it be every way right But let me aske you a question Didst thou love them for their holinesse wouldest not thou rather labour to cover their Infirmities grieving for them Do you not so out of love then your hearts are deceived when you thinke you hate the Infirmities and not the goodnesse in them you hate the goodnesse it selfe and this is the nature of every man before Regeneration Besides these of Love and Hatred looke to your Delight and see if that be not turned upside downe The wheele turnes the quite contrary way We delight in things we should not delight in you know we delight in vain things in sinfull things in things that are sutable to our lusts and humours Againe we delight in the fals and sufferings of others as 1 Cor. 5. They were puft up when others fell and they stood It should no be so we should be humbled at the fals of others and be grieved for them that they being members of the same body with us should bee any way blemished Againe the things we should delight in are they not tedious to us are they not grievous The Sabbath should be kept with delight but how burthensome is it to give God his whole time to keepe it holy and not to rob him of any part of it That is not to pollute it with unholy actions And so holy company should be our delight wee should thinke our selves in our Element among them and so the hearing of the Word how tedious are these to our natures But I cannot stand on this Come we to Feare Doe not we feare men Doe not we feare the Creature and this and that particular evill But God we feare not Take it in that one sin of lying A man will lye to a man to keepe his credit with him but he cares not to lose it with God This is a signe you doe not sanctifie God in your hearts that is not reverence him not value him Come to Sorrow how ready are we to exceed in worldly sorrow Let us be told of an Injury in our names losse in our estate of troubles and calamities any way it affects us much but sin we make nothing of we thinke it is but a passion a trifle and it is not so great a matter to be in passion Yes my beloved it is a great matter to have passion these passions shall condemne us if they be not mortified if you kill them not they will be your death Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified these Againe consider that affections are the Principles of Actions therefore it is not so light a matter to erre in your affections for they will cause errour in your actions Consider that your estimation is taken by your affections according to them you are said to be good or evill Therefore an holy man is described to be one that loves God feares God delights in his Commandements so as it is no slight matter to be distempered in your affections and know this if it be no more than lust you know what Christ saith of that Hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Now if lust breakes the match in the mariage of men these inordinate affections these whorish affections these adulterous affections will breake the marriage betweene God and us Affections are placed in us for this purpose to draw nearer to God but we misplacing them and setting them on the Creature they draw us further from God Againe when they be thus distempered they grow hinderances As the Israelites could not pray for the anguish of their hearts and Peters feare made him to deny Christ. So that this distemper of our Affections as well as the disorder of the rest of the faculties doth shew the Truth of this point That the nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse And so much shall serve to shew the corruption of Nature by the faculties Now this is not all there are besides these actuall sins whereby likewise this Truth will be made manifest And these are of three sorts that is in Thought in Word in Action for they be all actuall sinnes though inwardly they be the Acts of the minde First let us see it by the Thoughts and you shall see in them this great corruption of Nature and the great cause you have to be humbled and it is that that should amaze us wee shall
sinned that amazed him it made him to know what Originall sinne was wherof this was but a fruit and being the spring it must needs have more efficacie If a man finde any pride in his actions let him looke to his heart it may be God hath left him to such fals that he may see what is within as it was with Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.31 For this cause God left him to try him that he might know all that was in his heart that it might be discovered to him what an heart he had The Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.22.23 a place very considerable for it may helpe to humble us of vessels prepared for honour and of vessels prepared for wrath and destruction the vessels be of two sorts those for honour they have a fashion peculiar to them which when you see you may say this is made for such a purpose and in other vessels you shall see another fashion and may say This is not a vessell of honour but of dishonour So looke on thy heart see how it is framed and when thou seest the fashion of it thou maist say for ought I see my heart is framed and fashioned to destruction This use we should make of our nature it should be so farre from excusing sin that it should aggravate it The third Excuse is But we live in times of the Gospell and God is full of mercy and will not deale with us now as he did with them in the time of the Law Will you make God all Iustice I answer and shew that there is a great deceit in this out of that place Matth. 5.20 Except your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God This is spoken to them that were under the Gospell for he saith I say unto you c. The meaning is this The Pharisees did many things they kept the Law in a great measure and thought to be saved by it but except you doe more than that you shall never be saved As for example in the sequele of this chapter he names foure particulars The Pharisees say Thou shalt not kill but that is not enough I say Thou shalt not be angry unadvisedly Againe they say Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say If thou cherishest any lust though thou never commest to act it thou committest adultery Againe the Pharisees say Forsweare not But I say Sweare not at all but let your yea be yea and your nay nay for whatsoever is more than that is evill Let them that sweare By Faith and Troth consider this Againe the Pharisees say An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth But I say You shall doe good to them that hurt you and blesse them that curse you and except you doe this which is more than the Pharisees doe you cannot enter into the Kingdome of God You that thinke your condition so good because you have a new Priesthood a new Iubile a time of liberty I tell you except you yeeld an Evangelicall obedience to all I have now named which are but some of many more at all times and in every particular although you live under the Gospell you cannot be saved for otherwise the Publicans and Pharisees can doe as much as you and you must doe more than men can do by nature you must doe something that is singular and above the reach of Nature you must strive to perfection labouring to be like your heavenly Father So much for that The fourth Excuse is But wee doe many things that will ballance our sins although we doe some things amisse yet we doe many things well we give Almes receive the Sacrament it may be wee come to Church diligently and these things in their conceits ballance their sins and though they sin yet they aske God forgivenesse morning and evening and their sins are not so hainous as if they had done no good at all and for this they thinke God may deale better with them But it is true in this as in your Law Stoppage is no payment When a man does somethings that God commands and leaves othersome undone let him know God requires a perfect obedience to every Commandement Iam. 2.10 He that keepes the whole Law and failes but in one that is omits one duty he is guilty of all If that be so then every bush can stop but one gap you have no more than was your duty If you could doe something superfluous and more than God requires at your hands it were some satisfaction But if there be other sins wherein you spare your selfe and would have a little more liberty you would not bee so strait laced in this seeing I say God requires an exact obedience to all all that you doe is nothing It matters not how much you doe if you faile in one though you be carefull to doe all the duties of new obedience so that there is no Commandement but thou endevourest to performe it to the full yet if there be one thing wherein thou takest liberty it is enough to condemne thee Againe But I hope I am not so bad as others I am free from many sins wherewith others are tainted and I have many good things in mee that they want To this I answer briefly and so will passe from it First thou maist deceive thy selfe much in thinking thou art not so bad as others Art not thou cut out of the same peece and made of the same masse the same clay Hast not thou the same nature that other men have And what is the reason thou runnest not into the same Outrages that others doe Not because thy nature is better but because thou art more restrained A Wolfe that is tyed up is the same with the Wolfe that doth all the mischiefe This therefore know that every naturall man is restrained by by-respects That rule is generall Rom. 3.18 They have not the feare of God before their eyes when he would have a reason why the nature of man is so bad having spent the former part of the Chapter in reckoning up the sins to which it is inclined he gives this reason They have not the feare of God before their eyes all are alike in this one is not more restrained than the other The difference of restraint is in regard of outward actions there is no new spring of Grace in them as is in the Saints Againe for thy Vertues take heed thou deceive not thy selfe for thou must know there be natural vertues that imitate those which be true and are very like them as the Bristow stone is very like the Diamond yet there is great difference one is a Pearle the other is only a shining stone So I say naturall vertues may be very like true but in Gods sight there is a great deale of difference For example two men may come to die One man is not afraid out of a stupidity of spirit and on
may goe and yet how farre they fall short And now have I done with those three things that the good things that carnall men have doe them no good Secondly that they doe them hurt Thirdly that they may goe farre and yet that you may not be deceived in apprehending what men they are and what Condition we speake of that they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints and so much for the second use Thirdly if this be the Condition of men to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse then this will likewise follow that commonly men sin not out of mistake not out of want of Information and conviction but out of the very love of unrighteousnesse And this serves to take away the Common excuse whereby men doe usually mitigate and extenuate their sins as if they were committed by accident out of incogitation or want of due consideration you see it is not so but that is the case of every man out of the state of Regeneration to commit sin out of love to unrighteousnesse And this is a point that needs much to bee urged because men are not humbled you know the scope of this Text is to humble men to convince them of their sins to shew them the Circumstances by which their sins are justly to be aggravated now because men will pretend they sin out of Infirmity and their meaning is good and they intend not to doe such and such evils or if they doe them it is not with an ill minde I advise you take heed you deceive not your selves you know it was Ionas his case when he had no minde to goe to Niniveh he pretends faire reasons God that searches the heart knowes your hearts howsoever you defend and dispute for your sins and there is a Truth within that tels you such and such things ought not to be done Therefore learne from hence to know your sins and the quality of them And if you object we doe not resist this Truth we obey it in many things Let me aske you Doe you obey it in those things that crosse that particular unrighteousnesse wherein you are delighted for there is the proofe there be some personall sins to which a mans nature is most enclined examine if out of love to them you doe not withhold the Truth for it fares commonly with Truth in this case as it did with Iohn Baptist all the while he preached Herod heard him willingly yea gladly but when he came to touch upon Herodias then he tooke away his head and as he dealt with Iohn so doe we with Truth so long as it suggests nothing to us that crosses our desires we are willing to obey it in all things that it shall dictate to us but when it tels us of sins that we are unwilling to heare of we first imprison it and then extinguish it as there be degrees in restraining of it first in one degree then in a greater degree and at last we put it quite out Therefore take heed to it labour to know your sins to see those which are most naturall to you whether in these you doe not with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse which is done after this manner When a man shall have his heart set upon any particular thing which he is not willing to part with and the Truth shal tell him something that is contrary thereto now let him trie himselfe Pilate the Text saith knew that the Pharisees had delivered CHRIST for Envie this he knew but yet to content the people sayes one Evangelist and out of feare of Caesar sayes the other he delivered him to them Out of those two respects because he would not part with his love of the people nor with the good-will of Caesar he would part with CHRIST Now here is the Triall Suppose thou esteemest credit and applause with men the Truth comes and tels thee thou art to doe a thing that crosses this marke what thou art ready to doe in this case you shall see an instance in Iohn 12.42 There were many among the chiefe Rulers which beleeved on CHRIST but for feare lest the Pharisees should cast them out of the Synagogue they durst not confesse him for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They beleeved on him the Truth did its part they were thereby informed well enough what they were to doe but because they loved the praise of men they resisted this Truth out of love to unrighteousnesse So put case thy minde be set upon wealth and in that thou wilt not be crost This truth tels thee thou must doe one thing but it will crosse thee in matter of thy estate as the Young-man had that Triall put on him Goe and sell all thou hast and thou shalt have Treasure in heaven Compare thine owne with the Young-mans behaviour hee went away sorrowfull Whence we may gather that he was enlightned to see the Truth he knew it was best to follow CHRIST the Truth was thus farre revealed to him for otherwise why should he goe away sorrowfull If he had not beleeved him to be the Messiah he needed not to have sorrowed but in that sorrow was left in his heart it manifested what his minde was set upon Is it thus with thee Learne hence to humble your selves to judge aright of your sins and of your Condition by them And if all this will not perswade you take this one instance which I will give you Take a view of thy selfe as thou art affected at some apprehension of Death in some dangerous sicknesse in some good mood after some quickning of the Spirit in thee after some great trouble into which thou art cast and see what thou wilt doe in such a case See what libertie this Truth hath at such a time how ready thou art to obey it in all things how ready will the Truth be to informe thee these and these things thou oughtest not to doe and thou hast neglected these and these duties how imminent this Truth is to dictate to thee what thou oughtest to doe Consider againe what thy behaviour is in time of health and strength in time of Peace when thou livest in abundance of all things See how farre short thou art of performing what in those times thou wouldest doe and in the same measure thou with-holdest the Truth in unrighteousnesse in such measure thou imprisonest it for that declares what light is in thee Take a survey of one or two dayes goe through the actions that passe by thee in the same see what evill thou hast done and what good thou hast omitted and say thus Might not I have forborne this evill if I would have set my selfe to doe it Might not I have performed this duty if I would have gone about it and let this humble thee For this cause I have chosen this Text that you might be driven out of your selves and why should you be backward in it seeing it is the first
your Sanctification And if there were no other reason but Gods will that those that be justified shall be sanctified it is enough God hath called you to holinesse he hath appointed it hee wills it and his will is sufficient to enforce it Againe consider when we are ingrafted into Christ it it not simply an ingrafting but wee are ingrafted into the similitude of his death and resurrection Rom. 8. that is no man is ingrafted into Christ but sinne is crucified in him hee is dead thereto that is he is a dead man in regard of the life of sin and is alive to God as Christ rose from the dead so he is raised to newnesse of life If it had beene simple ingrafting into Christ there had needed no further Relation but we are ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection Again it was the end of the Lords comming If hee had come only to save men there had beene no need of being New Creatures but he came also to purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes and to destroy out of man the workes of the Devill and to purchase to himselfe an holy Generation and Royall Priest hood Now whatsoever the Lords end is he never failes of Againe you must consider that to whomsoever Christ is a Priest hee is also to them a Prophet and a King he is annointed to all these Offices And therefore if you will be saved by him by the vertue of his Priest-hood you must take him as a Prophet that is you must take his counsell in all things and not only so but he must also be your King you must not only learne his way but you must also be perfectly subject and obedient to him to walke therein Indeed as a Priest he reconciles God unto us but not us to God except hee come with his other two Offices for man stands out and will not know the way and therefore as a Prophet Hee is to guide our feet into the way of peace and that is not all therefore because our hearts are stubborne and will not come in he exercises his Kingly Office And brings into subjection every thought to the obedience of his will Againe looke to all the meanes as first to Faith the same Faith that justifieth doth also purifie the heart Having their hearts purified by faith Act. 15. And as many as are sanctified by faith that is in me Act. 26.28 And likewise the bloud of Christ not only covers but also heales Hebr. 9.14 How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through his eternall Spirit offered himselfe to purge your Consciences from dead workes c. It hath not onely vertue to take away the guilt of Sin but it is effectuall also to purge the conscience from the power of sinne Againe the Gospell wee preach doth not only offer Christ but likewise cleanseth You are cleane through my Word Ioh. 15. And in the hundred and nineteenth Psalme and the ninth verse Wherewith shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto according to thy Word The Spirit as it is a Spirit of Adoption so is it of Sanctification making clean the roome where it dwelleth and making it a fit Temple for the Lord. Consider the Sacraments Baptisme doth not only wash from the guilt of sin but from the filth of sin also from the blot and deformity of sinne And so I have done with these two points how Sanctification rises from Iustification and that they cannot be separated Before we proceed to other Observations we will by way of Vse from the inseparability of Iustification and Sanctification draw this consequent that if they be inseparable we should goe to God and beseech him that having given us the first that he would grant us the second also If you have any assurance that your sins are forgiven you let him not deny you this to make you new Creatures they be inseparable and therefore you have just cause to pray him not to separate them therefore you may claime them both as your due seeing you have his promise for both and you must urge him on his promise we desire Iustificatioâ—â—or our owne sake but Sanctification that we may glorifie God and therefore when you come to God with this request Lord make mee a new Creature that I may bring glory to thy Name that I may serve thee and do good in the place wherein I live he will not deny thee Consider but this very Sacrament which we are now going to receive you must know that the Sacrament seales the whole Covenant of God as 1 Cor. 11. This is the New Testament in my bloud that is this Cup is a signe and seale of the new Covenant which I have made with man and which is confirmed with my bloud Now what is that Covenant You shall see it it Ezek 36.26 and it containes three parts all which are sealed by this Sacrament First hee promiseth to wash them from their filthinesse that is from the guilt of their sins which is the first part Secondly A new heart will I give you and a new Spirit I will put into you that is I will make you new Creatures which is the second part of the Covenant Thirdly I will call for the Corne and will encrease it and will lay no famine upon you c. that is hee will give all outward comforts you shall inherit he Earth and be heires of the world and of â—ll in the world for the world is yours 1 Cor. 3. All and all in it is yours This is the whole Covenant of God and this hee seales to every one of you when you come to receive the Sacrament If you receive it worthily for it is the New Testament in his bloud And therefore seeing hee seales it to you that he will give you a new heart and a new Spirit and make you new Creatures you should go to him and claime it of him for you may sue him of his own bond written and sealed and he cannot deny it therefore begge it and you cannot misse of it This is a very comfortable doctrine if it be well considered For what is that that keepes a man from comming to Christ but his discouragements He thinkes it so hard a thing to be a new Creature that he cannot attaine it that he cannot leave such a course of life and therefore he stands off and though he will come in yet he will not as yet because it is a bondage intollerable But you do not consider what it is to have a new Nature If it were to have a new life and an old heart it were otherwise but the Lord will give a new heart and if he will not deny you but make you new Creatures you may be encouraged to goe to him If there be any Rebellion in your heart any untowardnesse in your nature if you goe to him for the removall of it it is
combate Object Answ. Differences betweene the combate in the New Creature and that fight that seemes to be in naturall men Consect 6. Thinke it not strange that you finde some aukednesse in the wayes of God at first Object Answ. Consect 7. Give God the praise of chanting thy Nature Object Answ. Observ. 4. The New Creature is Gods worke This is proved by foure Arguments Arg. 1. Arg. 2. Arg. 3. Object Answ. Arg. 4. Object 1. Answ. 1. Impediments of two sorts Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Object 2. To what use serveth this doctrine Answ. To foure uses Vse 1. To let us see that our condition in Christ is better than in Adam Vse 2. That it may appeare that God setteth us now about a worke which he doth not inable us to performe Vse 3. To make us love Christ the better seeing how much we are beholding to him Vse 4. To make us take heed of putting off the worke when Christ cals Vse 1. See what the businesse of Preachers is and with whom you have to doe when you heare the Word Learne hence 1 To come to heare the Word with reverence and feare 2 To give the praise of any good you receive by the preaching of the Word to God onely 1 Tim. 1. 3 expect not that the Minister should come with excellency of wisdome or of words Observ. 4. What workes you finde upon your owne hearts in the preaching of the Word Object Answ. In what sense he would be understood when hee affirmeth the wilâ— of Regenerate persons to be free Observ. 5. The order first in Christ and then New Creatures Hence learne 1 Not to be discouraged from going to Christ for any defect or imperfection that is in us Reason 2. From your union with Christ to perswade you to good workes Doctr. To bee in Christ is the ground of all Salvation 1 What it is to be in Christ. What giving is 1 Of what moment this union is Vse 1. Exhortation two-fold 1 Those that have this union with Christ let them seeke to enlarge it more In what sense this is to be understood Object Answ. How it may be done Five helpes to doe it 1 Consider your misery without him 2 Labour more to know the Vertues and excellencies of Christ. 3 Be perswaded of his love to you 4 Get experience of him 5 Pray that the Holy Ghost may draw thee to Christ. Object Answ. 2 Those that want this Vnion let them seeke to get it In what this taking consists In two Acts. Motives Mot. 1. You shall finde rest Object Answ. Forgivenesse of sinne makes a man blessed foure wayes 1 In taking away that which is the cause of all miseries 2 In giving boldnesse 3 In taking the sting out of affliction 4 In making God ours Matth. 1.21 Object Answ. Sinne is a burthen in two respects 1 As it brings a man under guilt 2 As it is a sicknesse or disease of the soule Mot. 2. If you be united with him you shall be free from all evill and enjoy all good In particular consider 1 Mans misery out of Christ. 2 Mans happinesse by being in Christ. Object Answ. If you beleeve you shall be saved if not you shall be damned Salvation and Damnation are matters of great moment 1 They belong to the soule 2 They continue for ever Mot. 3. Your thirst shall be satisfied and healed Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Iohn 6. Mot. 4. If you be united with Christ all things shall worke together for your good if not for your hurt 1 Cor. 3.18 Mot. 5. If you be out of Christ you are poore and naked and miserable 1 Poore What that poverty is 2 Naked Nakednesse what 3 Hungry Object 1. Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object 3. Answ. Pleasure what Object 4. Answ. Luke Object Answ. The time when some Fathers lived Why the Fathers are not so distinct in the doctrine of Transubst Damascene set transubstantiation a broach in Grecia 730. yeares after Christ. Lanâ—ranke Bishop of Canturbury 1030 yeares after Christ brought transubstantiation into England Bâ—ringerius lived foure hundred yeares since The benefits by Christ. What the wearinesse of sin is 1 In the service of sinne 1 Rest by Christ. 2 Wearinesse in the guilt of sinne 3 Wearinesse in the fruit of sinne Afflictions without sinne as the Adder without a sting 4 Wearinesse in the habite of sinne Sinne to the soule as sicknesse to the body 5 In all that sinne touches Folly quarrels at the best condition Wisdome makes the worst condition comfortable 4 Benefit by Christ. Kings have 1 Liberty Liberty what Christiaâ—s live as they list because they list not but to doe that which is good 2 Plenty Quest. Answ. 3 Peace To overcome what 3 Glory Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. 6 Benefit a feast Object Answ. 1 Property of spirituall foode it endures for ever 2 Satisfieth Quest. Answ. 7 Benefit apparell