men So speaketh the Lord likewise of them Esa. 58.3.4 that used much not ordinary prayer only but extraordinary fasting and prayer yea seemed in their fasts to afflict their soules and to be much humbled but even then when they seemed so devout and holy they lived in strife and debate they used to smite with the fist of wickednesse Though they seemed to be very religious yet were they most malicious men Now they that live in grosse and notorious sinnes oppression malice uncleannesse drunkennesse cousenage and such like though they make never so good a profession as in all ages the Church hath had many such are most palpable and grosse hypocrites Neither ought they to be ever a whit the better thought on for their good profession Let such either leave their grosse sinnes or forsake their good profession or else the better profession and shew of goodnesse they make the more odious they will make themselves both to God and man Secondly some of those hypocrites that I told you of that seemed to have very good things in them did not only live in grosse sinne while they made so good a profession but they did make so good a profession for this cause principally that they might thereby the better cloake and colour their foule sinnes For this wee have a proofe in the example of that ruler of the Synagogue of whom we heard out of Luke 13.14 15. he could not without great indignation see Christ heale and the people come to be healed by him on the Sabbath day and our Saviour calleth him hypocrite for this Why Because hee could not see the Sabbath broken without great indignation Or because hee out of his ignorance tooke that to be which was not indeed any breach of the Sabbath day No verily our blessed Saviour would never have passed so sharp a censure upon him for either of these causes But Christ knew that not his zeale for the Sabbath but his malice against him was the true cause of his indignation and therefore the Evangelist Verse 17. Calleth him Christs adversary This malice against Christ he durst not for feare of the people make open shew of He findeth no fault with Christs healing but with the peoples travelling to be healed on the Sabbath day He cloaketh his malice against Christ with this â—aire pretence of his great zeale for the Sabbath day This also is most grosse and palpable hypocrisie yea the most odious kinde of hypocrisie that can be when men shall use Religion as a cloake to hide sinne when men shall professe goodnesse of purpose that they may the more safely and with the lesse suspition commit any sinne And yet many such vile wretches have beene in all ages and are still to be found in the Church of God One example only I will give you for this though I might give many which haply you may out of your owne knowledge paralell in these times And that is that woman of whom we read Pro. 7. who though she were a most impudent Whore yet could say to the foole whom she entised unto lewdnesse Verse 14. I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes She did use to performe not the ordinary duties of Religion only and such as God did enjoyne and require of all men such as peace offerings were but to shew more then ordinary zeale and love to piety she made vowes also unto God which was a free and voluntary service whereunto by no expresse law she was tyed nay and she duly paied her vowes too How could her husband or any body else ever suspect this devout and religious woman to be a Whore Nay this was certainely one of the strongest arguments she used to allure the young man to folly and to cloake and hide from him her extreame filthinesse that she seemed so Religious and good a soule For this was the effect of her speech unto him though the love I beare to thee above all men in the world make me desire to enjoy and take my pleasure with thee yet I would not have thee thinke me to be a prophane and lewd and common strumpet No I feare God love Religion and goodnesse I thanke God I have peace offerings with me this day have I paid my vowes Would any honest heart think it possible that one that liveth so lewdly should seeme so Religious yea that they should seeme so Religious for this purpose only that they might live so lewdly Yet you see so it hath beene and so it is with too many in these dayes they would not come so constantly to Church as they doe but only for this cause that they might more freely and with lesse suspition continue the dishonesty and lewdnesse that they use at home These persons certainly take Gods Name in vaine in an high degree and let them be sure The Lord will not hold them guiltlesse that take his Name in vaine Exod. 10.7 specially in so foule and odious a manner as this is To every such a one I may say as the Apostle doth in another case unto Ananias Acts 23.3 God shall smite thee thou whited wall that usest to cover thy rottennesse with this vernish How soone he will smite thee or in what manner or degree he will smite thee is knowne only to himselfe but certainly God shall smite thee thou painted wall that makest Religion a cloak for any lewdnesse whatsoever it be The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 21.27 How much more when he bringeth it with a wicked minde The hearing of the word and receiving of the Sacrament and prayer that any lewd man useth is abominable unto God how much more the hearing and receiving and praying of these men that doe these things to this end that they may sin the more freely Now these two sorts that I have already named are so grosse and palpable hypocrites as many of you wil easily discerne your selves to be better then they The other three are closer hypocrites a great deale yet hypocrites too and odious unto God The third sort of those I told you of that had very good things in them and yet were no better then hypocrites were such as though they lived not in grosse sins yet the Religion and goodnesse they made profession of had no power in them to reforme their hearts and lives Of this sort were they I told you of out of Ezek. 33.30 32. 1. They came constantly to the Ministery of the word 2. Even to the Ministery of Ezekiel who did not use to preach Placentia unto them but was wont plainly and roundly to reprove their sinnes they shunned him not nor liked the worse of him for that 3. They tooke great delight to heare him his preaching was to them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument 4. They professed great love to his person 5. They used when they had heard him to talke
my God and â—or the offices thereof And indeed there is no way whereby we can expresse our love to God so well as by loving and delighting in and taking care for the house and pure worship of God Therefore in the reason of the second commandement as I told you the last day they that make conscience of that commandement that use and love that worship onely that he hath in his Word appointed are called such as love God Exodus 20.6 and they that are addicted to will-worship and care not for the true worship of God are called ver 5. haters of God Thus did David expresse his love to God Psal. 26.8 Lord I have loved the habitation of thy house and the place where thine honour dwelleth He that careth not for the house and worship of God whether it be maintained in purity or be corrupted whether it prosper or no certainely hath no love of God no zeale of Gods glory in his heart And this shall serve for my first sort of proofes which I told you should be more generall Now you shall see the point opened and confirmed unto you in foure particulars First He that hath the spirit of Christ will rejoyce to see religion prosper to see the purity and sincerity of Gods worship restored and set up See what Ioy there was in Ierusalem in the daies of David when the Arke of God was brought to Ierusalem 1 Chron. 15.28 And in the daies of Hezekiah when the Sacrament had beene celebrated according to the first institution of it which it had not beene of a long time before in such sort as it was written saith the Text 2 Chron. 30.5 and verse 26. from Salomons raigne to that time there had not beene such a Passeover kept it is said ver 25 26. All Gods people did marvellously rejoyce in it So when Nehemiah had reformed and purged the house and worship of God from sundry corruptions and restored it to the primitive purity and sincerity thereof It is said Neh 12.43 That Gods people did rejoyce for God had made them to rejoyce with great joy their wives also and their children rejoyced so that the joy of Ierusalem was heard even a farre off Nay he that hath the spirit of God in him will rejoyce to see any beginnings of reformation in places that were rude before to see religion get any entrance or footing any beginnings of a Church in such places It is said Ezra 3.11 that all Gods people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid On the other side he that hath the spirit of God in him cannot chuse but grieve to see or heare that the true religion and worship of God is banished from any place and that Idolatry and a false worship is set up in it Old Ely is noted by the Holy Ghost 1 Sam. 4.17 18. to have grieved much more deepely for the taking away of the Arke of God then either for Israels flying from before the Philistines or for the great slaughter that had beene made of Gods people or for the death of his two sonnes Hophâ—i and Phineas It came to passe saith the Text that when the messenger made mention of the Arke of God hee fell from of his seate backward and his necke brake and hee died And this is also noted to have beene the chiefe griefe of his daughter in law and maine cause of her death too verse 22. this would never out of her mouth in all the extreamity of her paine and anguish while breath was in her body the glory is departed from Israel for the Arke of God is taken away And this was that that troubled that zealous man of God Eliah and made him even weary of his life through griefe and discontentment 1 King 19.10 The children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant saith he they are fallen from thy holy religion they have throwne downe thine altars that is they have abolished and shewed contempt and hatred to thy true worship and why should I desire to live any longer in such a time Hee that hath any love or zeale of God in him cannot but grieve to see or heare that idolatry is set up in any place that it groweth and increaseth any where specially in any place where God was truly worshipped before We read of blessed Paul Acts 17.16 that when hee saw even the city of Athens where God had never beene truly worshipped wholly given unto idolatry his spirit was stirred in him he was incensed with zealous griefe and indignation to see it O how would it have troubled the good man to have seene or heard of such a thing in Corinth or Galatia or Ephesus that were true Churches of Christ where the Gospell had beene and still was faithfully and plentifully preached Nay hee that hath any true love or zeale of God in him cannot but grieve at the least Eclipse that religion suffers in any place though the substance of it doth still remaine yet if it have lost any thing of that luster of that purity sincerity and power that once it had even that is sufficient cause of griefe to every good man Wee read that when in the dayes of Zerubbabel the foundation of the second Temple was laid and Gods people that had seene no better did greatly rejoyce in it Ezra 3.12 Many of the Priests and Levites and chiefe of the fathers who were ancient men that had seene the first house wept with a loud voice even when the rest shouted for joy and the noise of their weeping was as great every whit as the noise of the others rejoycing And why did they so Surely it grieved their hearts to see how farre the house that God was now to have in Ierusalem was short in beauty and glory of that that God had had before in that place Secondly He that hath the spirit of Christ in him will joy in the frequency and fullnesse of the Church-assemblies When David to aggravate the misery of his present estate Ps. 42.4 speakes of the joy and comfort that he had formerly taken in going to the house of God he names this twice in that verse as a maine cause of that great joy he tooke in going to the house of God that there went such a multitude with him And this is noted for one cause of that great joy the people of God expressed at the celebration of that Passeover in Hezekiahs time 2 Chron. 30.26 that the number of the communicants was so great as it is said verse 13. There assembled to Ierusalem much people to keepe the Passeover a very great Congregation On the other side even this hath grieved Gods people to see the Church-assemblies neglected and unfrequented to see the Congregations much thinner then they had wont to be I wil gather them saith the Lord Zeph. 3.18 that are sorrowfull for the solemne assembly who are of thee to whom the reproach of it was
Proleps and notwithstanding he say he cannot beleeve for 1 hee hath foure just causes and encouragements to beleeve 2 He doth indeed truly beleeve though weakely and though hee perceive it not p. 682. Lect. 132. We should all highly esteeme of Christ and hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse labouring above all things to win him and to be found in him p. 683. 1 Motive else our state will bee wofull when extreame affliction and death shall seize upon us Six things to bee distinctly considered in this 1 Motive 1 Certaine it is a change affliction sicknesse and death will come 2 how soone none knowes 3 nor in what kinde and measure p. 684. 4 when it commeth it will awaken the conscience and that being wakened will bring into our remembrance our sins and the judgement wee must goe to 5 If we have not gotten Christ before we are in danger then to bee made uncapable 6 our case will bee most wofull if we be without him then for there 's no hope of mercy or comfort from God without him p. 685. On the other side they that have Christ may be safe and comfortable in any affliction nay never so comfortable as then p. 686. 2 Motive He that hath not Christ can have no sound comfort in his prosperity nor in any of Gods outward blessings for 1 though they be blessings and good things in themselves yet to him they are not He had better be without them they shall doe him no good but much hurt Ibid. For they are none of their owne they have no spirituall sanctified or comfortable title to them p. 687. 2 God hath not given them any thing in love Though these things be fruits of his common love they are no signes of his speciall love And no man can have any sound comfort in the common love of God but in his speciall love onely Ibid. p. 688. On the other side he that is in Christ may have sound comfort even in the outward and common blessings of God for 1 they are his owne and he hath the highest title to them 2 They are good to him and shall doe him good and no hurt p. 688. 3 They are to him pledges of Gods speciall love p. 689. Applic. Great folly and danger of such as preferre worldly things before Christ Ibid. p. 690. Lect. 133. None are fit to receive Christ nor can thirst after him but the poore and such as feele themselves utterly void of all goodnes p. 691. The civill honesty and those morall parts that are in many naturall men are in themselves good things pleasing to God and such as he useth to reward and the reasons of it p. 692 693. Professors should walke honestly and the greatnesse of their sinne that doe not set out in three points p. 694 695. Yet there is no sound comfort to be found in it the Lord is never a whit the better pleased with a man in resepct of salvation for his civill honesty unlesse he be in Christ p. 695 696. Lect. 134. There are sundry good things to be found in many an hypocrite and better things then in any meere naturall man and that in three respects p. 697. There is in many an hypocrite 1 a kinde of love to the Word and the ministery thereof he will heare constantly and with delight hee will commend and professe much love to the teacher so doth not the civill man 2 he will keepe a constant course in praying not ordinary onely but extraordinary so doth not the civill man 3 He is a strict observer of the Sabbath so is not the civill man p. 698. 4 Hee hateth Idolatry and the monuments of it and loveth the sincerity of religion so doth not the civill man 5 He is reformed not only from grosse sinnes but even from the least sins so is not the civill man p. 699. These things are not therefore to bee misliked because they are to bee found in some hypocrites neither may wee despise and scorne any for any of these things for though they be found in many hypocrites yet are they no signes of an hypocrite Ibid. 1 It s a singular good thing to love the Word and he can have no true goodnesse but is in a wofull estate that doth not 2 to keepe a constant course in prayer is a very good thing and such as God will blesse and he can have no true goodnesse in him but is in a wofull state that useth not to pray p. 700. Lect. 135. Though 1 the bodily observation of the Sabbath and such as may bee performed by th' outward mâ—n be nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall 2 The bodily test from our owne workes bee the leaft part even of that the spending of the day in holy duties is a farre greater matter then that p 701 702. yet God is highly pleased with that and hath promised great reward unto it p. 702. and a chiefe cause of common calamities hath beene the neglect even of that p. 703. No man can become poorer by the conscionable keeping of the Sabbath day Ibid. Man receives a greater blessing by the Sabbath then by any other day specially in spirituall things but also in temporall p. 704 705. Lect. 136. We have all cause to praise God for the good lawes have beene made to provide for the better observation of the Sabbath and the hypocrisie and profanesse of the people generally appeares in seeming so zealous for the lawes and neglecting these so much p. 706. Every Minister is bound to reproove sin p. 707. The â— and chiefe thing that belongs to the right observation of the Sabbath is the keeping of the rest and performing the duties of the day cheerefully and spiritually and against this they offend that sleepe ordinarily at Church this sin is worthy of open reproofe p. 708. This is more then a sin of infirmity Foure notes given to discerne a sin of infirmity from a raigning sin p 709. The second duty required in the observation of the Sabbath is to spend the day in religious duties specially publike against this they transgresse that absent themselves from the Church p 710. The third and last thing is that we rest from al our own works on that day against this the profanesse and open contempt of the Sabbath by children and youth is a grosse sin Ibid. God will not endure profannesse and open contempt of religion no not in children yet will he lay this their sin to the charge of Masters and Parents and Governours chiefly p. 711. Lect. 137. It is a good thing and highly pleasing unto God to love the sincerity of Gods worship and to do nothing in that but what he can see warranted by the Word p. 71â— It is also a good thing to â—ate all Idolatry and every thing that belongeth to it and proceeds from it p. 712. It s no signe of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin p 714. Answer to
hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
or am I a divell incarnate that I should prove so vile a wretch But though I be no Prophet to say so yet can I say with as great authority and warrant as though I were a Prophet that there is never a one of us here but may prove such a one before wee die And therefore we have need to feare and suspect our selves If any man shall object this is the manner of all your preaching to disquiet mens mindes with feares and doubts What cause have we thus to feare as long as we are sure we can never fall totally we cannot fall finally Iob. 5.24 He that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life I answer Happy is that soule that upon good ground can say he is sure of this But admit thou wert sure of that is it no cause of feare that thou moist for all this fall into so foule sins as thou hast heard of I tell thee that by falling into such sins First thou shalt greatly dishonour that God whose servant thou professest thy selfe to be and open the mouthes of his enemies to blaspheme his name as Nathan chargeth David to have done 2 Sam. 12.14 Secondly thou shalt greatly grieve thy heavenly father Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation saith the Lord Psal. 95.10 Thirdly thou shalt make him thine enemy and provoke him to smite and plague thee thou knowest not how deepely They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he sought against them saith the Prophet Esa 63.10 Take David for an instance and example of this The sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me saith the Lord by Nathan unto him 2 Sam. 12.10 Though thou breake not thy necke with these falls to the losse of thine everlasting life thou maist breake an arme or a leg to thy extreame anguish Fourthly though the seed of God will remaine in thee notwithstanding these sins yet wilt thou loose all the use and comfort of that grace that is in thee Psal. 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation that was gone 1 Thess. 5.19 thus farre forth the spirit may be quenched Fiftly thou maist bring on thyselfe by such fails the intollerable torment of a wounded spirit and who can beare that saith Solomon Pro. 18.14 Sixtly no man can tell thee how long thou maist continue in this uncomfortable and wretched estate Which is a thing that greatly aggravateth thy misery that thou maist say in this case as Psal. 74.9 There is not any that knoweth how long O then we have all great cause to feare these falls and not to be secure but to use all meanes we can to prevent such falls And the principall meanes are these First nourish in thy heart this feare of falling from God feare of sinning against him See how this is oft commended to us as a chiefe meane to keepe us from falling I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me saith the Lord Ier. 32 40. Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling The want of this even his presumptuous confidence was a chiefe cause of Peters fall Matth. 26.33.35.58 Secondly learne to make conscience even of the least sins Psal. 19.12 13. By the care he had to be cleansed of his secret sins and from every presumptuous sin he was sure he should be free from the great transgression Thirdly neglect no meanes of grace either publique or private but use them conscionably and daily If vision faile either through the Ministers fault or the peoples the people will decay Pro. 29.18 He that would not quench the spirit must not dâ—â—ise prophecyings that is the oft hearing of the Word preached saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.19 20. If we exhort not one another or our selves daily we shall be in danger to be hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sinne as he reacheth 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.13 Fourthly Pray daily to God that he would uphold thee So our Saviour teacheth us to pray daily Mat. 6.13 Lead us not into temptation but pull us by thy mighty arms from the evill one This was Davids prayer Ps. 119.116 11â— â—phold me according to thy word that I may live hold thou me up and I shall be safe The second use is to exhort us to be willing to die whensoever God shall be pleased to call us Sundry other motives there are to perswade us to this as full 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord we shall never enjoy Christ fully till then Secondly while we live here we shall be subject to many sorrowes and vexations of spirit Every day will bring upon us one evill and occasion of sorrow or another Mat. 6.34 All teares shall never be wiped from our eyes while we live here Rev. 21.4 But this third is a principall that while we live here we are in a continuall possibility and danger of falling from God Till we die we can never be perfectly freed from our corruption nor cease from our owne workes as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.10 As the earthen vessels that were legally polluted could not be purged but by breaking Levit. 11.33 15.12 Till we die we can never be freed from Sathans assaults and tentations The life to come is the onely time of our full redemption Luk. 21.28 And consequently we know not how far we may fall so long as we live Death will free us perfectly from all our sins and corruptions Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sin The third use is to exhort us to a care of perseverance to the end and not to content our selves in the good beginnings and proceedings we have hitherto made but to labour to finish our course with joy Act. 20.24 For 1 according to that we are at our end will God judge us When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse saith the Lord Ezek. 18.24 and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sins that he hath sinned in them shall he die 2. If we fall away we shall be in farre worse case then if we had never begun well 2 Pet. 2 21. It had beene better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them And to that end let us strive to make sure to our selves the truth of our regeneration as the Apostle exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1.10 For they whose hearts are not upright may fall irrecoverably how good shewes soever they make as is evident in those that are compared to the stony ground Mar.
your selves are precious in Gods sight and of high account with him above all the princes in the world Psal. 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him He hath appointed the glorious Angels to be your servants Mat. 18.10 Take heed you despise not one of these little ones for I say unto you that in heaven their Angels do alway behold the face of my father You are more gracious with him and may prevaile more with him in prayer and a wise Christian had rather to have one of you to pray for him then all the learned and eloquent men in the world Psal. 145.19 He will fulfill the desire of them that feare him and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Your prayers and services how poore and unperfit soever they seeme to your selves he will take in good part Mal. 3.17 I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him He will not be rigorous to observe what is amisse in your services Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage And in this respect you have just cause to be comfortable Rom. 8.31 If God be for us who can be against us at least to hurt us 4. You are the people whom Christ as I told you before hath more care of then of all the world nay then of all his Church besides whom he graciously and earnestly inviteth to come unto him and promiseth ease unto Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest And therefore you have cause to rejoyce And I may say to you as they did to Bartimeus Mar. 10.49 Be of good comfort arise he calleth thee 5. And lastly you are the people that have speciall interest in all Gods mercies If there be any goodnesse any mercy in the Lord as you have heard from this Text there is an infinite multitude of them they are all yours Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation You therefore that feare God know 1 that you ought to be comfortable that it is your sin that you are not learne to check your selves for it and say as Psal. 42.11 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule and why art thou disquieted within me 2 Pray to God that he would make thee cheerefull as David doth Ps. 51.8 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse that the bones that thou hast broken may rejoyce and 86.4 Rejoyce the soule of thy servant For he and he onely is able to comfort them that are cast down Esa. 51.12 I even I am he that comforteth you Lecture XXVII On Psalme 51.1 2. May 30. 1626. THe fourth and last thing that I am to say to these poore servants of God that are afflicted in Conscience is That the objections they make against themselves and the reasons whereby they use to conclude against themselves that they have just cause to be thus heavy and uncomfortable are weake and insufficient to inferre any such thing upon The first and chiefe objection they make against themselves is this Alas I cannot be assured of the favour of God or that I have any part in Christ or in his speciall mercy but am rather perswaded God hath rejected me and maketh no other reckoning of me then of an enemy and a castaway and how can I then be comfortable and cheerefull Now my answer unto this so dangerous an objection shall consist of two parts For I will shew you 1 how they that are in this case must stay and comfort themselves while they continue in this tentation that they may not faint and sinke under it and 2 how and by what meanes they may recover themselves out of it and get the victory over it For the first There be five considerations that are of great force to support Gods poore servants that are in this case First Thou must consider that thou hast no cause to give credit unto this perswasion For it is but a tentation of Satan as thou maist know by this because it is so directly opposite to the Word of God The spirit of God saith 1 Tim. 1.15 that this is a true saying and by all meanes worthy to be received that Christ Iesus came into the world to save sinners That above all others such as thou art that are heavy laden are invited by Christ to come to him and promiseth that he will give them rest Mat. 11.28 That this is Gods commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his son 1 Ioh. 3.23 That Gods mercy belongeth to them that feare him throughout all generations Luk. 1.50 And what spirit then must that needs be that would perswade thee that thou hast no part in Christ nor in the mercy of God Certainely it must needs be the spirit of Satan who is called our adversary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5.8 an enemy and a slanderer a lyer and the father of lies â—oh 8 44. And wilt thou beleeve him 2. But thou sayst thine owne heart perswadeth thee so I answer thy estate is not to be judged of as thou speakest and thinkest of thy selfe For as there is that maketh himselfe rich Pro. 13.7 full of peace and joy from assurance of his salvation and of Gods favour to him that hath nothing not one jot of true peace and joy no favour at all with God so there is that maketh himselfe poore perswadeth himselfe to be in a most wretched estate and hath great riches is highly in Gods favour and hath great store of saving grace It is not therefore safe for a man to judge of his owne estate according to the perswasion he hath of himselfe specially for a Christian that is in this tentation that is in the case of spirituall desertion to judge of his estate towards God according to the perswasion he hath of himselfe As in time past there was much infidelity malice covetousnesse in thee and yet thou didst not thinke so nor couldst be induced to beleeve it so there may be now much grace in thee and yet in this astonishment of thy soule thou canst not see it to be so Thy estate is not to be judged of according to that that thou speakest and thinkest of thy selfe being in this case For thou art now sicke and sicke of such a disease as deadneth and distempereth thine understanding Matth. 9.12 Have yee not knowne many that in burning feavers and such like diseases have had such thoughts and speaches as in their health they would have abhorred And of such a one we are apt to say alas it is not he but his disease that maketh him speake and think so and so shouldst thou say of thy selfe now as Asaph did being in this very case Psal. 77.10 I said this is mine infirmity God forbid he should judge of thee as thou dost of thy selfe in this case No no
refuge for us Gods people have no other refuge to flye unto in all their distresses but him alone Yea nature hath taught this to all men as wee may see both in Scripture Ion. 1.5 and in dayly experience how the worst will looke towards God in their extreame sicknesse and send for the minister then to pray for them For that which Solomon saith of riches Prov. 11.4 may bee said of pleasures and friends and all other things wee have most set our hearts on they will not availe us in the day of wrath Loe thus good and gracious the Lord hath beene to every one of us even in the things that concerne this mortall life but 2. he hath shewed much more goodnesse to our soules then all this commeth to For as our soules are farre more excellent then our bodies so the Lord hath much more care of them then of our bodies Hee is in a speciall manner called the father of spirits Heb. 12.9 and hath doubtlesse a fatherly care of them in a speciall manner Let me therefore say to you as the Prophet doth Ps. 6â— â—6 Come and heare all ye that feare God I will declare what hee hath done not for my soule onely but for every one of your soules Neither will I speake of those bounties of the Lord that are peculiar to some choice servants of his but of those that are common to all that doe unfeinedly feare him even to the meanest of them Nor of all them neither but of three of them only which may sufficiently serve to demonstrate this point First When wee had lost our selves by the voluntary transgression of our first parents and made our selves the children of his wrath and slaves of the Devill hee bought us againe with no meaner a ransome then the bloud of his only Sonne Iohn 3.16 So God loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him might not perish but have life everlasting And how did he give him The Apostle telleth us Rom. 8.32 Hee spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for us all He did not remit unto him the least jot of those torments that were due in his justice to our sins but made him a curse for us as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 3.13 Hee dranke at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury as the Prophet speaketh in another case Esa. 51.17 He drunke the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out This amplifyeth greatly the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord to his people that this ransome was paid for them in a speciall manner Esa. 53.5 Hee was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities and verse 12. He hare the sins of many He prayed not for the world Iohn 17.9 Oh what a goodnesse of God was this to us that passing by and neglecting the greatest part of the world he should thinke upon us in a speciall manner to pay such a ransome for us Oh what cause have every one of us to admire this mercy of the Lord and to say with Iob 7.17 What is man that thou shouldest magnifie him and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him What was I that thou shouldest make so precious account of me that thou shouldest pay such a ransome to redeeme my soule Secondly when we lay snorting in our sins without all regard either to our owne wretched condition or to the ransome that was paid for us he awakened us and called us to the knowledge of our selves and of Christ. Hee cryed to us as Cantic 6.13 Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne that wee may looke upon thee He besought us to bee reconciled to him as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.20 stood long at our doore and knocked Rev. 3.20 waited long and endured many a repulse from us as he saith Rom. 10.21 All the day I have stretched out my hands unto a rebellious and a gaine saying people and at last overcame us with his kindnesse changed and converted our hearts and made us new creatures When the Apostle had said Ephes. 2.5 Even when wee were dead in sins he quickned us he addeth by grace yee are saved Nothing but grace nothing but the goodnesse of God was the cause of it He wrought such a change in us as is mentioned Esay 11.6 The wolfe shall dwell with the lambe and the leopard shall lye downe with the kid and the calfe and the young lyon and the fatling together and a little child shall leade them And this also doth greatly amplifie the goodnesse of God towards us in our conversion if we shall consider how rare a mercie it is 1. How the Lord vouchsafeth not so much as the outward calling in particular to the greatest part of the world by farre He sheweth his word unto Iacob saith the Psalmist Psal. 147.19 20. his statutes and his judgements unto Israel He hath not dealt so with any nation and as for his judgements they have not knowne them 2. How few of those that the Lord vouchsafeth the outward calling unto receive grace to believe and obey the truth as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 22.14 Many are called but few are chosen How many our selves may observe of our owne kindred of our owne neighbours of them that have as long as we obtained the same meanes of our betters every way of them whose lives have beene far more civill and unblameable then ours whom yet God vouchsafeth no such grace unto So that I may say to you as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 1.26 You see your calling brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called This consideration was the thing that bred such zealous love in Davids heart toward the Lord 2 Sam. 6.21 It was before the Lord saith he to scoffing Michall which chose me before thy father and before all his house to appoint mee ruler over the people of the Lord over Israel therefore will I play before the Lord. This was that that moved our blessed Saviour to rejoyce so in his spirit in the behalfe of the faithfull in his time and ascribe it all meerely to the free grace and goodnesse of the Lord. Luke 10.21 Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Thirdly When after he had thus converted and called us wee have beene apt through our frailty and corruption ever and anon to fall away from him againe we are kept by the power of God unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 1.5 he will not suffer his to take such falls as shall breake their neckes or to fall into such pits as we should never get out of againe Hee will keepe the feet of his Saints from such falls as Hannah speaketh 1 Sam 2.9 Hee hath beat us for falling and haply for our carelesnesse left us to take such falls as have bruised us fore or broken an arme or a leg of us but he
yeeld his people helpe this way as he was the other and more willing too 3 If the principall worke he came into the world for was not to cure the bodies of men but to heale their soules 4 If we have his expresse promise for the healing of our soules of all their corruptions which they had not for the curing of their bodily infirmities How commeth it to passe that so many then were cured by him of all their bodily infirmities and we have little or no helpe at all from him for the healing of our soules Surely one of these three things must needs be the cause of it 1. Either we doe not so earnestly desire helpe for our soules this way as they did for their bodies the punishment of our sins we would faine be delivered from but whether we be freed from the power of them or no we are indifferent 2. Or we doe not seeke to Christ for helpe in this case of ours as they did in theirs Pardon of sin and mercy with God and comfort and peace we looke to have through Christ alone but we seeke not to him for grace to sanctifie us and mortifie sin in us nor looke to receive that benefit by him also Or els 3 we seeke not to Christ for helpe this way in that manner as they did that is in faith and full assurance of heart to receive helpe from him in this case But of us it may be said in this case as the Apostle speaketh in an other Iam. 4.2 3. We desire to have grace and cannot obtaine we fight and warre against our lusts and yet have not victory over them because we aske not we seeke not to Christ we aske and receive not because we aske amisse that is we aske not in faith in confidence and assurance to obtaine it of God through Christ. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to take hold of Christ and these promises and confidently expect the performance of them to our selves in our owne particular cases and so by faith draw vertue from Christ to drie up all the filthy issues that are in our foules As the Israelites looking on the brasen serpent in faith healed them Num. 21.8 9. So let thine eyes be upon Christ with expectation dependance upon him as Iehoshaphat speaketh 2 Chron. 20.12 in another case for helpe and vertue will be derived from him to cure thee All things saith our Saviour Mat. 21.22 whatsoever ye shall aske in prayer beleeving having his promise for them as in this case we have ye shall receive And if thou canst beleeve saith he thou maist have helpe against that spirit that hath possessed thy son from his very childhood though my Disciples could not cast him out Mar. 9.23 all things are possible to him that beleeveth Certainely it were possible enough for any of us to get power over our strongest corruptions and to attaine to a farre greater measure of mortification then we are yet come unto if we would imploy our faith in this worke if we would make claime to these promises and rest upon them and confidently expect strength and helpe from God through Christ against them Say not any of you alas I am so sinfull and unworthy a wretch that I dare not presume to beleeve and be so confident that Christ will helpe me For First Thy unworthinesse will not barre thee from receiving helpe from Christ. In all the cures he did upon men he had no respect at all to the worthinesse of the persons Mat. 8.16 He healed all that were sicke without all respect of persons He selleth not his grace but giveth it freely Esa. 55.1 Every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Secondly The more unworthy thou feelest thy selfe to be the more fit thou art to receive helpe from him For God giveth grace to the humble Iam. 4.6 And among all that received helpe from Christ those had the strongest faith and did most confidently expect helpe from him that had in themselves the deepest sense of their owne unworthinesse as is evident in the example of the Centurion Luke 7.7 8. and of the woman that had the bloudy issue Mar. 5.27 33 34. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.27 28. Neither say secondly Alas I cannot beleeve I go to Christ I pray against my hardnesse of heart and against my frowardnesse and against my blasphemous thoughts c. but I cannot pray in faith nor certainly beleeve that God will give me helpe against them For First Do as the poore man did that went to Christ to have his sonne dispossessed Mar. 9 24. mourne and weepe for thy unbeleefe that thou canst not give credit unto God Secondly Do againe as he did pray heartily to God to helpe thy unbeleefe Mar. 9 24. Thirdly Then know assuredly thou hast a true faith though a weake one and that this weake one will be sufficient to procure helpe to thee from him as it did for that poore man Mar. 9.25 Thirdly and lastly Say not this is contrary to mine owne experience and to the experience of all the godly who though they have had true faith yet they could never obtaine power from Christ to vanquish their lusts I have in my prayers against my corruptions called to mind these promises you have spoken of and made claime to them and am never the nearer Yea Paul though he had so much faith yet complaineth Rom. 7.23 that the law of his members did bring him still into captivity to the law of sinne The faithfull do indeed receive from Christ their justification in this life fully and perfectly but as for their sanctification it is but litle that many of them do receive as appeareth by the strong corruptions that may be discerned even in the most of them To this I answer First Christ doth not utterly destroy sinne in any beleever so long as he liveth here For he seeth that would not be good for us in many respects as we heard in the handling of the Doctrine Secondly He doth give to some of his servants a greater measure of sanctification and power to overcome their corruptions then he doth unto other Ephes. 4.7 To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Thirdly Every beleever is in some measure sanctified by Christ and his corruption hath received from him a deadly blow that it shall never reigne more he hath so much strength given him as he shall never be quite overcome nor brought under the dominion of sinne any more but shall be made able to maintaine warre against it For Christ hath made us all Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 And Rom. 6. â—4 Sinne shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Fourthly Proportionable to the measure of our faith shall our sanctification be and our strength to overcome our corruptions And even
Ioh. 5 3. His commandements are not grievous But wee have also the experience of the faithfull in all ages who have beene so farre from finding of that hardnesse in the yoke of Christ as was in the yoke of Moses that terrour in the law of Christ as was in the law of Moses that they have found more sweetnesse in it then in any thing else in the world And by how much the more the inward man and grace of regeneration hath growne and increased and as the flesh and corruption hath decayed and bin weakened in them by so much the more easie they have found the commandements of God to be by so much the more sweetnes and delight they have felt in them We know how plentifull and patheticall David is in expressing this Oh how love I thy law saith he Ps. 119.97 ver 143. Thy cōmandements are my delights As if he had sayd they are to me in stead of all delights pleasures in the world And thus the Prophet professeth Ier. 15.16 Thy word was to me the joy rejoycing of my heart And whence commeth this strange alteration and difference betweene the people of God Moses quaked at and found terrour in the Law David joyed and felt sweetnes in it all Gods people at the delivery of the law desired they might heare no more of it Paul and Ieremy delight rejoyce in it O see beloved what Christ hath done for us he hath taken out the sting of the law that it is no more a killing letter See the difference betwixt Christ and Moses betwixt the law and the Gospell And thus have I finished the second part of my answer and shewed you that the Lord setteth no such hard taskes to his servants as Satan pretendeth The commandements and duties that God enioyneth unto them that are in Christ are not impossible nor hard to be performed it is nothing but this cursed flesh of ours that maketh us so to complaine of the commandements of God and repine at the yoke of Christ as we use to doe Now come wee to the third and last part of my answer to this slander that Satan hath raised against the religion and service of God wherein I will shew you that it is so farre from being a bondage and drudgery that it is the most happy and comfortable life in the world And for proofe of this I will lead you no further then unto the consideration of the person that wee doe service unto how gracious and good a master the Lord our God is unto all that serve him We find among men that great men that have honour and power and authority can want no servants every one coveteth that themselves and their children may belong to such And whose service is so much to bee desired in that respect as the Lords is Who would not feare thee saith the Prophet Ieremy 10 7. ô King of nations for to thee it doth appertaine As if he had said All greatnesse and Soveraignty all power and Majesty belongeth unto thee But when unto greatnesse and power goodnesse also and graciousnesse of disposition is added when men can say of a man that he is not only a great man but hee is also one that useth to bee good and bountifull to his servants this hath wonderfull force to draw the hearts of all men unto him For a good man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to dye for such a one men thinke they can never doe too much And certainely if wee knew the Lord well and how gracious and good hee is towards his servants there is none of us here but would desire and long to bee in his service And that which David saith Psalme 9.10 of putting our trust in him may also bee said of doing him service They that know thy name will be glad to serve thee And surely Satan deceiveth men and keepeth them from serving God and being religious by no device more then by this that he perswadeth them as he did the lazy and unprofitable servant Matth. 25.24 that the Lord is an hard master hard to be pleased apt to exact rigorously of his servants more then they are able to performe Observe therefore I pray you that you may perceive how false a slander this is the gracious disposition of the Lord whom we do service unto in these foure points especially First His aptnesse to winke at and passe by our offences Whereas we can doe no worke hee setteth us about so well but wee shall offend many wayes in it and find cause to cry him mercy for it as good Nehemiah did Nehem. 13 22. the Lord is not apt to marke and observe strictly every thing that is done amisse but useth to winke at and is ready to passe by and remit many slips and failings of his servants in this kind I will spare them saith he Mal. 3.17 as a man spareth his sonne that serveth him If thou Lord shouldst marke iniquity saith David Psalm 130 3 4. ô Lord who shall stand As if hee had sayd Who could endure thy service But there is forgivenesse with thee that thou mayest be feared As if he had said That aptnes that is in thee to forgive thy servants their slips would make any man that is not a very beast willing to serve thee This made the Church break out into these words of admiration Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage As if he should say Where shall a man find such a master as thou art Secondly Observe his aptnesse to accept of that little wee are able to doe That whereas wee are oft so untoward unto good duties that wee find our selves unable to doe any thing To will is present with us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.18 but we find no ability at all to performe that that is good we have nothing in us but an unfeined desire to doe well and a griefe that wee cannot doe it this good Lord and master of ours is apt to take even that in good part if wee but doe what wee can and accounteth that as perfectly performed by us which hee seeth us unfeinedly desire and endeavour to doe If there bee first a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 it is accepted according to that that a man hath and not according to that that a man hath not And whereas wee when wee have done our worke best are apt to bee ashamed and discouraged in our selves because wee have so slubbered it over and done it so illfavouredly this good master of ours is apt to accept of in Christ and to take in good part these poorest services that are done in faith and obedience unto him Yea hee is apt to delight in them and to praise us for them Our spirituall sacrifices the Apostle telleth us 1 Pet. 2.5 are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. And let mee see thy countenance saith
they by our doctrine ascribe unto man any matter of glorying at all we give the whole glory of mans justification unto Christ aâ—ore To this I have two things to answer First the Apostle saith Rom. 3.27 that boasting is not excluded by any doctrine but by the Doctrine of justification by faith onely that the Doctrine of justification by works by any workes whether done before or after grace doth leave unto man some matter of boasting And Ephes. 2.8 9. he telleth us plainly that if we could be saved by such works as we that are his workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good works that is regenerate persons do perform we might have matter of boasting in our selves Secondly Though the good actions that are wrought by the faithfull after grace received be wrought in them by the speciall assistance of the grace of Christ yet are they not Christs actions but their owne When they believe or repent or pray it cannot be said that Christ believeth repenteth or prayeth in them If their actions were meerely the actions of Christ and his grace then indeed we could not deny them to be perfect undefiled and meritorious also then though they were justified by them they could have no cause of glorying or boasting at all but the whole glory of it should redound unto Christ alone But because we are immediate agents in them our selves therefore the Holy Ghost calâ—eth them our own and not Christs works So Paul calleth all that goodnesse that was in him that care and conscience he made to keep Gods law Phil 3-9 〈◊〉 owne righteousnesse And so doth our Saviour also call the good works of the faithfull their owne works Let your light so shine before men saith he Matth. 5.16 that they may see your good works And Rev. 2.9 I know thy works And from hence also it commeth even from the imperfection and corruption that is in us who are the immediate agents in them that they are both imperfect and defiled also For who can bring a cleane thing out of 〈◊〉 uncleane Not one saith Iob 14.4 Though the fountaine from whence they first sprink be most pure yet they receive such pollution from the filthy channels through which they passe as were it not for Christ they could not at all be accepted of God And from hence also it commeth that if we were justified by them we should have some just cause of glorying before God And thus have I confirmed to you the first of those truths which I propounded that is to say That we are not justified before God by our inherent righteousnesse by it we can never be made whiter than the snow in Gods sight It followeth now that wee proceed unto the second That wee are justified before God by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to us and by that alone In confirming whereof I will observe the same order that I did before First I will shew you by evident proofs of holy Scripture that it is so Secondly I will give you good reasons out of the Word why it must â—eeds be so For proofes I will give you six that are plaine and pregnant 1. The Apostle saith Rom. 4.6 that to the blessed that is to the justified man the Lord imputeth righteousnesse without workes And what righteousnesse can that be Inherent righteousnesse it cannot be for that is not without works it must needs therefore be Christs righteousnesse 2. He saith expresly Rom. 5.19 that by the obedience of one that is of Christ many that is the whole number of Gods elect are made righteous not efficiently and meritoriously onely but formally as by Adams disobedience we were made sinners not efficiently and meritoriously onely but formally his first sinne was made our sinne 3. The Apostle 1 Cor. 1.30 saith that Christ is made to us of God wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption where 1 he expresly distinguisheth righteousnesse from sanctification imputed righteousnesse from inherent righteousnesse and 2 saith that Christs righteousnesse is made ours of God 4. 2 Cor. 5.21 He saith we are made the righteousnesse of God in him where observe 1 That he saith we are made the righteousnesse of God that is righteous by such a righteousnesse as God requireth 2. That he saith not onely in the concrete we are made righteous but in the abstract righteousnesse that is perfectly and fully righteous 3. That we are made so in him not in our selves inherently 5. The Prophet Ieremiah Ier. 23.6 saith this is the name whereby Christ should be called by all Gods people the Lord our righteousnesse As if he had said All Gods people should professe they have no other righteousnesse to stand before God with but onely Christ his righteousnesse and his alone They should say as David doth Psal. 71.16 I will make mention of speake of glory in trust unto thy righteousnesse even of thine onely 6. Lastly This is the confession of all the Saints in that Hallelujah whereby they do solemnize the marriage of the lambe Revel 19.8 To his spouse was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linnen cleane and white For the fine linnen is the righteousnesse of Saints Where observe 1. That that made Christs Spouse and Church most beautifull whiter than the snow in his eye was not so much her owne beauty any righteousnesse of her owne or inherent in her selfe as the robe the fine linnen that was granted to her put upon her none of her owne 2. That this robe this fine linnen is said to be the righteousnesse of Saints Not in our first justification onely as the Papists fondly distinguish but in our second justification also if there were any such even when we are Saints we have no other righteousnesse to make us beautifull in God's eyes but this robe this fine white linnen that is put upon us graunted to us and none of our owne 3. Observe the confirmation and ratification that is given to these words Verse 9. The Angell said unto Iohn These are the true sayings of God And what is this robe this fine linnen that is the righteousnesse of all the Saints Surely Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which is given and imputed unto us of God In which respect they that are baptized into Christ and truly believe in him are said Gal. 3.27 to have put on Christ. And Paul desireth that he may be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 cloathed with this robe not having his owne righteousnesse which is of the law which consisteth in obedience to the Law of God but that which is through the faith of Christ. The righteousnesse which is of God by faith As Iacob got the blessing by having the goodly raiment of his elder brother put upon him Genes 27.15 so must we Now the reason why this must needs be so is evident Because that righteousnesse onely is able to justifie us before God which is perfect and absolute that hath no defect nor blemish in it such as may ablde the
see What for all men May we pray for professed idolaters and enemies to the religion of God Yes even for idolaters and enemies to the Gospell and for worse than them too if worse can be We may pray for any wicked man excepting him onely that hath committed the sinne against the Holy Ghost There is a sinne unto death saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.16 I do not say that any man shall pray for it that is for the pardon of that sinne But that sinne no blinde idolater certainely specially none that hath beene borne and bred in idolatry can possibly have committed Moses being required so to do prayed even for Pharaoh yea he prayed oft for him as we may read Exodus 8.12.30 9.33 10.18 So did the man of God also for Ieroboam a grosse idolater 1 Kings 13.6 And Stephen of his owne accord though he were not required to doe it prayed for them that stoned him Acts 7.60 Said I we may pray for idolaters Nay we must pray for them specially if they be such as God hath placed in any degree of preheminence over us we sinne if we doe it not See two expresse commandements of God for this one in the Old Testament another in the New What more grosse idolaters were there ever in the world both for Prince and subjects than the Babylonians were at that time when Gods people lived in captivity under them Yet were they expresly commanded to pray even for them Ier. 29.7 Seeke the peace of the city saith the Lord whither I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it And were there ever more foule idolaters than the Roman Emperours were in the dayes of the Apostles And yet God giveth an expresse commandement 1 Timothy 2.1 that in all Church-meetings there should be first and principall care taken for this that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes might bee made as for all other men so specially for kings and all that are in authority Three things are to be observed in this commandement First That whereas the former commandement seemeth to reach no further than unto temporall blessings that Gods people were to begge of God for Babylon as did also Moses his prayer for Pharaoh and that of the man of God for Ieroboam in this wee are charged to pray for the conversion of idolatrous Princes and for the salvation of them Secondly That this is given for a reason why we should pray for them That wee may live a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty As if hee had said If Gods people can by their prayers prevaile for the conversion of such as are in authority these three benefits will bee obtained by it First The Church shall enjoy more peace by this meanes Secondly Honesty that is justice and equity and fidelity in the civill conversation of men wil be the better preserved Thirdly Godlinesse true piety and religion will prosper the better by this means When Kings and Queens are converted they will become nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church as the Lord promiseth Esa. 49.23 And therefore we are bound first of all and above all others to pray heartily to God for their conversion Thirdly Lastly Another reason is to be observed which the Apostle giveth for this Vers. 3 4. For this is good and acceptable saith he in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men that is of all sorts of men Gentiles as well as Iewes Kings and Princes as well as men of meaner condition though this may seeme never so unlikely a thing unto you because ye see none such converted hitherto yet be not out of hope of it God will have of them also some to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if he should say These Princes as bad as they be now may belong to Gods election for ought you know and certainly some such as they are heathen and idolatrous Princes are in Gods eternall counsell ordained to salvation And who knoweth whether you prayers be not also ordained to be the meanes whereby it shall be procured Therefore pray for them saith he And out of doubt there is great cause to hope that our superiours who are yet in errour might be sooner reclaimâ—d and such of them also that do professe the truth might become more religious and zealous than they are if Gods people could according to their bounden duty pray more fervently unto God for them than they do And thus must we try the truth of our charity by the love we beare unto all men If we beare not such a love as this is unto all men certainly our charity is not such as it ought to be Secondly We must make tryall of our charity by the love we beare unto them that have wronged us and are our enemies Know this therefore beloved that thou art bound to love thine enemy yea every enemy of thiâ—e how much soever or in what kind soever he hath wronged thee thou art bound to love him and if thou canst not doe this thou hast no true charity and consequently thou hast not the Spirit of Christ in thee I say unto you saith our Saviour speaking of and describing true love Mat. 5.44 45. love your enemies that you may be that is that you may know your selves to be the children of your father which is in heaven As if he had said you can never be assured that you are Gods children till you can do this Now that we may the better understand and be affected with this point I will shew you more particularly what a manner of love God requireth of us towards our enemies in these eight degrees First We may not revenge nor so much as purpose with our selves or desire to be revenged of any enemy we have for any wrong that he hath done unto us Dearely beloved saith the Apostle Rom. 12.19 avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath As if he had said Let God alone with that for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Say not saith Salomon Prov. 24.29 that is purpose not nor resolve with thy selfe thus I will do so to him as he hath done unto me As if he should say I will do him no wrong and so long as I do him no wrong I hope I cannot be blamed I will render to the man according to his worke Why what wrong is there in that Is not this a most just and equall thing to render to every man according to his worke I answer That in the Lord himselfe it is indeed so and in the Magistrate which is Gods deputy it is so too but in a private man it is not so it is a wrong it is wickednesse for him to doe it because he usurpeth Gods office Nay it were unjustice even in a Magistrate to revenge his owne private wrong Feare not saith Ioseph to his brethren Genes