of that which my brother spake the last day touching their estate But to you beloved I am to direct my speech at this time that have more then a forme of godlinesse that have felt the life and power of it in your owne hearts to every one of you that can say with David here unto the Lord out of the feeling and experience of his owne soule In the hidden part thou hast made mâ—e to know wisedome To every one that is such I have two words of exhortation to speake from the Doctrine that you have heard 1. Be thou above all men most afraid to fall into any sin for the time to come 2. Be thou above all men most humbled for the sins that since thou wert in this estate thou hast fallen into For the first No man hath so great cause to bee afraid to sin as the child of God as the regenerate man hath O feare the Lord ye his Saints saith David Psalme 34.9 As if he had said Though you be his Saints in the state of grace and in his favour yea because yee are his Saints in his favour and in the state of grace therefore you must feare him none have more cause to feare him then yee But to speake distinctly of this point I will shew you 1. How farre forth this feare of sinning must extend 2. Reasons why the regenerate the child of God hath more cause to feare sin then any other man For the first The extent of this feare is to be observed 1. In the object of it the kinds and degrees of sin that we must be afraid of 2. In the continuance and durablenesse of it For the first of these for the helpe of your understanding and memory you shall see it in seven degrees First The child of God hath cause to be afraid of falling into grosse and scandalous sins As Ioseph was when he was strongly tempted to adultery and might have committed it most secretly and securely yet he durst not doe it How can I doe this great wickednesse saith he Genesis 39 â— and sin against God And David when hee was as strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortall enemy and had such opportunitie also as flesh and bloud would never have let slip insomuch as Saul himselfe wondred at it 1. Samuel 24 18 19. yet hee durst not doe it And why durst he not doe it Was it out of basenesse of mind because he was a coward No no he was as valiant a man as ever drew sword Why then durst hee not doe it Surely hee durst not sinne nor doe that that would so offend God Who can stretch foorth his hand or offer to doe such a thing saith he 1 Sam. 26 9. against the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse These were grosse sins you will say and he can be no better then an hypocrite that is not afraid to doe such things I say therefore secondly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do the least thing that might offend God Daniel was afraid of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 Because it was such as God in the ceremoniall law had forbidden he knew it would have defiled his conscience Nay thirdly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest cause to doubt thou shalt sin and offend God in doing it He that doubteth is damned if he eat saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 Nay fourthly If thou be in the state of grace thou hast cause to be afraid not only to speake amisse but even to thinke evill to offend God in the very thoughts of thy heart Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart saith the Lord Deut. 15.9 saying the seventh yeere the yeere of release is at hand Fiftly If thou be a Christian thou hast cause to be afraid of doing good duties loosely perfunctorily carelesly Serve the Lord with feare saith David Ps. 2.11 Yea sixtly Thou hast cause to be afraid even of standing at a stay and not growing better under the means of grace Worke out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 with feare and trembling As if he should say If the worke go not forward if it be not forwarder then it was many yeares since you have cause of feare and trembling even for that Nay seventhly and lastly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest is of evill report and will cause thy religion and profession to be evill spoken of though thou know never so assuredly that the thing in it selfe is not sin but lawfull enough Dare any of you having a matter against another saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.1 goe to law before the unjust and not before the Saints Yea why not I pray you might some of them have said What sin what unlawfulnes is there in that Hast thou not taught us Rom. 13.1.4 that the law and magistracy is ordained of God for our use and benefit whatsoever the man be that executeth it And didst not thou thy selfe seeke the benefit of law before an unbeleever when thou didst appeale unto Caesar Act. 25.11 Yes might the Apostle say But though the thing in it selfe be never so lawfull yet because it exposeth your religion to the scorne and reproach of the unbeleevers you that feare God may not dare to do it saith he All things all such kind of things as he there speaketh of are lawfull saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient Though the thing be never so lawfull yet if thou see cause to think that hurt will come of it thou must be afraid to do it You see in these seven degrees how tender hearted how cautelous and precise the child of God had need to be The Prophet calleth them Esa. 35.4 such as are of a fearefull heart and you see they have just cause to be so But how long must they be so will you say which is the second thing I told you was to be observed in the extent of this feare Surely so long as we live we have cause to nourish this feare in our selves My son saith Solomon Prov. 23.15.17 let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord all the day long And the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.17 Passe the time of your sojourning here all the time of your life in feare If any man shall object How can this be Seeing the Apostle saith of the faithfull 2 Tim 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of feare And Rom. 8.15 We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father As if he had said Before we beleeved in Christ we were indeed subject to much feare but now wee have received another spirit and are freed from those feares And the life of a Christian is the greatest bondage and slavery in the world if he must be alwayes of so fearefull an heart To this I answer That to live continually in
is it in this case They that desire to receive good by the divine power of God in this his ordinance must bring faith to it and according to their faith so shall they speed And as it is said of Christ Matth. 13.58 He did 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 works in Nazareth because of their unbeliefe So may it be sayd of our Church assemblies now adayes God sheweth not his saving power much in them because of the unbeliefe of our hearers Eightly and lastly If thou wouldest profite by thy hearing pray before thou hearest No good thing ye know can bee expected from God with a blessing if it be not sought by prayer Deut. 4.7 The Lord our God is nigh unto us in all that we call upon him for And in this particular it is the duty of Gods people to pray for their teachers that they may so speake as they ought to speake Col. 4.4 and specially that in their ministery they may so apply the word as it may effectually meet with their corruptions Let the righteous smite me saith David Psal. 141.5 it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be as an excellent oyle For themselves also they should pray that through Gods assistance they may heare profitably and be blessed in their hearing Thus did David go to the Word Psal. 19.18 Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wonderous things out of thy law For the Lord only is he that can teach us to profite Esa. 48.17 I am the Lord thy God which teacheth thee to profite To this is the promise made Pro. 2.3 5. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God And surely this is one chiefe cause why there is so little profiting by the ministery of the word For before they come to Church pray either for the preacher or themselves nay few when they are at Church have any heart to joyne with the Preacher in the prayer that he maketh before the Sermon But that complaint may bee made in this case which the Prophet maketh Esay 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy name that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Lecture VI. On the Title of Psalme 51. Novemb. 23 1625. IT followeth now that we proceed to the other two parts of the use of Direction And for the better stirring up of your affection to that which I am to deliver you must know this that to heare the word profitably is a laborious and painefull thing The bringing of your bodies hither and lending of your eares is not all though that be painfull to you that come farre but there is more belongs to it then so there is a labour of the mind and heart required in this worke Strive saith our Saviour Luk 13.24 to enter in at the strait gate Every gate every part of that way whereby wee must come to life eternall is strait and narrow and without much striving labour it is not possible to passe through it To pray aright you that are acquainted with the conscionable performance of this duty find it to be a painfull and laborious thing Rom. 15.30 Strive together with me saith the Apostle in your prayers to God for me And surely it is no lesse painfull a thing to heare spiritually and profitably Labour saith our Saviour Iohn 6.27 not for the meate which perisheth but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life And no marvell For 1. there is an utter indisposition of our owne hearts by nature to every thing that is good being alienated in our minds from God as the Apostle speaketh Colos. 1.21 and estranged as David saith Psal. 58.3 from the very wombe 2. Satan also is very busie with us when wee goe about this worke of hearing Gods Word to hinder us by all the cunning he hath from hearing it fruitfully Luke 8.12 Those by the high-way side are they that heare then commeth the devill and taketh away the Word out of their hearts lest they should beleeve and be saved 3. The Lord though he first converted us without any helpe of our owne will and endeavour for wee were by nature dead in trespasses Ephes. 2.1 yea he converted us against our will Rom. 10.21 All the day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gain-saying people Yet will he not save us nor build us up in grace nor blesse the meanes of grace unto us without the helpe of our will and endeavour but when he hath once regenerated and renewed our will hee will have usâ— imploy it in his worke Phil. 2.12 Worke out your owne salvation Wee had need therefore to take paines with our owne hearts and strive to heare profitably For certainely as a great cause why we profit so little by the Word is this that we will not do that that lyeth in us to make our hearing profitable we will take no paines in this worke so if we would take a little paines for it we should find that the fruit and comfort we should receive by it would abundantly recompence all the paines wee have taken in it That which Solomon saith of labour in our lawfull callings Pro. 14.23 In all labour there is profite and 13.11 He that gathereth by labour shall increase there is a secret blessing of God upon men that labour in the meanest calling that is that they are able to live and thrive by it may fitly be applyed to this purpose they that labour and will take paines in the worke of their owne salvation to make all meanes of Grace profitable unto themselves shall certainly thrive and increase in Grace whereas the lazy soule under the best meanes of Grace that are shall still be like Pharaohs Kinâ— lâ—ane and ill-favoured Gen. 45.21 VVe find by experience that it is not the greatnes of a mans living that maketh him rich but the good imploying and carefull husbanding of it A little ground if a good husband a carefull and painfull man have the occupying of it proves oftentimes more fruitfull then a great deale more land will doe in the hands of a lazy and carelesse husband though it be of it selfe a better soile and have more helps from God and nature then the other hath Pro. 24.30 3â— I went by the field of the slothfull and by the Vineyard of the man void of understanding and loe it was all growne over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof and the stone wall thereof was broken downe So it is not the greatnesse and excellency of the ministery that a man liveth under and daily frequenteth that will make one rich in Grace but the care and endeavour himselfe useth to make it profitable to him A weaker ministery with this care will be more availeable to inrich the heart then the strongest can be without it As I therefore shewed you the last day what you must do before you come
oxe nor thy asse nor any of thy cattell shall doe any worke upon that Day Of thee that art a man and a Christian man God requireth more than so Hee will have thee not onely to rest from thine owne labours but to spend the Day so farre as thy bodily necessitie will permit in such religious duties as may make thee a more holy and a better man The Hebrew word Sabbat from whence the Sabbath Day received the name signifieth not such a rest as wherein one sitteth still and doth nothing as the word Noach doth but onely a resting and ceasing from that which hee did before So God is said Genesis 2.2 to have rested the seventh Day not that hee rested from all workes For My Father worketh hitherto and I worke saith our Saviour Iohn 5.17 but because he rested from all the worke that hee had made as Moses saith there As if hee had said Hee rested from creating any thing more And so wee likewise are expresly commanded to rest upon the Sabbath not from all workes but from such workes as we did and might doe upon the six dayes God never allowed us any day to spend in idlenesse and doing of nothing specially not that day But hee hath appointed us workes and duties for that Day which hee would have us as carefull to goe about them as we are upon any other day to goe about the workes of our calling and when wee are at them to performe them with every whit as much diligence and care to doe them well as wee doe any worke wee take in hand upon the six dayes Let no man say what would you have us to doe if we may do no businesse upon the Sabbath Would you have us spend the time in sleeping or talking or sitting at our doores or walking abroad How would you have us passe the time for the whole day To such a one I answer Thou hast so much worke to doe as if thou wert as thou shouldst bee thou wouldst complaine that thou wantest time to doe it And yet this worke that God hath enjoyned us to spend this day in hath such interchange and variety in it as no good hearth hath cause with those carnall professours Malachy 1.13 to snuffe at it and to cry behold what a wearinesse it is how â—edious and toylesome a thing it is to keepe the Sabbath as these men would have us to doe But the true Christian findeth just cause to call the Sabbath a delight as the Prophet speaketh Esa 58.13 for all this worke and labour that God hath enjoyned us in it Wee have publike duties to performe on that day in Gods house And both the family-duties and secret duties which wee are bound to performe every day are by the equity of that law Numbers 28.9 10. to bee doubled upon the Sabbath Day And in very deed the Lord hath for that very cause chiefly commanded us to rest from all our owne worke upon the Sabbath Day that wee might the better attend upon and profit by these holy workes these duties of piety and religion which are the proper workes of that Day For that is the chiefe end that the Sabbath was ordained for Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy saith the Lord in the fourth commandement Exodus 20.8 And Deuteroâ—omie 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it And I gave them my Sabbaths saith the Lord Ezekiel 20.12 to be a signe betwixt mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them As if hee had said Hee remembreth not nor keepeth the Sabbath he regardeth it not nor careth for it how strict soever he be in resting from his owne labours that keepeth it not holy that spendeth in not in such religious duties as wherein we may know and feele by experience that it is the Lord who by his ordinances doth sanctifie him who doth both begin and increase grace in his soule And yet though this be so though the bodily observation of the Sabbath and that that is performed by the outward man onely bee nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall observation of it with the heart and inward man and though our resting from our owne labours in that Day bee the least part even of the outward and bodily observation of it Yet see what account the Lord maketh even of that and how highly he is pleased with it This will sufficiently appeare unto you in that promise the Lord hath made unto it Ier. 17.24 26. wherein he plainly declareth that the flourishing estate both of Church and Common-wealth dependeth greatly even upon this even upon the strict observing of the bodily rest from our owne workes upon the Lords holy Day Two things are to be observed in this promise 1. The duty unto which the promise is made ver 24. If ye diligently hearken unto me saith the Lord to bring in no burden through the gates of the City on the Sabbath Day but hallow the Sabbath Day to doe no worke therein As if hee should say If ye carefully looke to this that no burdens no carriages goe in and out at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath Day that the Sabbath may be but so farre hallowed that no worke be suffred to be done upon that Day You see the promise is made even unto the bodily rest even unto so much as an hypocrite and carnall man may performe and which every Magistrate and Master and Father hath power to compell such unto as are under their government Even to this I say the promise is made Then secondly observe the blessing and reward that is promised even unto this and that is twofold The first concerneth the common-wealth and civill state Verse 25. Then shall there enter into the gates of this City Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David riding in chariots and upon horses they and their Princes the men of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem and this City shall remaine for ever As if he should say I will maintaine the honour and dignity the wealth and strength the peace and safety of this State and Kingdome The second blessing that is promised concerneth the Church and State of Religion Verse 26. And they shall come from the Cities of Iuda and from the places about Ierusalem c. As if he should say My solemne assemblies shall be duly frequented there shall be no sects and heresies no schisme or separation I will continue mine owne worship and the purity of my holy Religion among you You see beloved by this one place how much God is pleased even with the outward rest from our owne works upon the Sabbath Day and what a happinesse it would bring both to the Church and Common-wealth if even that were observed On the other side it is worth the noting how all publike judgements and common calamities that ever befell Gods people are imputed by the Holy Ghost to no one sinne more than to the profanation of
479. Though it be the great sin of many professors of the Gospel that they give little or nothing to charitable pious uses yet the greatest work of charity mercy that can be don is to provide for a people able Ministers and to maintaine and encourage them Ib. 480. Parents and masters of families must use their utmost endeavour to bring their children and servants to knowledge and by what meanes p. 481. Ministers first and chiefe care must be to bring the people to knowledge Ibid. and therefore must 1 Catechise them 2 teach plainely 3 ground all their application upon sound doctrine 4 study for their Sermons p. 482. Lect. 97. All Gods people should seeke for knowledge 1 not resting in any good thing they seeme to have without this 2 not contenting themselves with every small measure of knowledge but seeke for a setled and well grounded knowledge and certainty in religion p. 483. Yet is there a kinde of knowledge in religion and divine things that 1 many hypocrites doe attaine unto Ibid. 2 and wherein they excell most Christians 3 yea which is the greatest barre and impediment to grace of all others p 484. The knowledge wee should labour for is sanctified knowledge such as Gods Spirit worketh in the regenerate Ibid. Wee should examine whether our knowledge be such or no. Signes of saving knowledge p. 485. 1 th' object of it is the Word 2 Specially such parts of it as are most usefull and most concerne us Ibid. 3 It s a cleere and certaine knowledge 4 There 's no fullnesse nor satiety in it but the more a man hath it the more he feeleth the want of it and desires it p. 486. Lect. 98. Saving knowledge may be knowne by the effects of it 1 It humbleth them that have it and puffs them not up p. 487. 2 It workes upon the heart to stirre up good affections p. 488. 3 It s operative and powerfull to reforme the heart and life of him that hath it p. 489 490. 4 It strengthens a man against tentations p. 491. Lect. 99. Motives to seeke knowledge 1 The matters we are exhorted to get knowledge in concerne all one as well as another for 1 all challenge an equall interest in God therefore it concernes one as well as another to know him his will p. 492. 2 all Gods people have equall interest in the holy Scripture one as much as another and therfore it concernes all to be well acquainted with them and expert in them p. 493. 2 Great is the necessity and benefit of knowledge and great is the danger and mischiefe of ignorance for 1 knowledge is a duty commanded a grace highly pleasing to God and such as hath a promise of blessing Ibid. Whereas ignorance is a sin which much grieveth and provoketh God yea such a sin as he hath revealed his wrath from heaven against by judgements both corporall spirituall and eternall p. 494. 2 Knowledge is a comfortable signe of a mans election and that hee is in covenant with God and that his heart is upright pag. 495. Whereas ignorance is a signe of reprobation and that one still remaines under the power of Sathan and hath a wicked and naughty heart p. 496. 3 He that hath knowledge will bee constant in religion and not be corrupted by any seducers whereas hee that is ignorant will easily bee drawne away from the truth hee professeth Ibid. 4 He that hath knowledge walketh boldly and comfortably in all his waies whereas hee that is ignorant must needs bee full of doubts and feares p. 497. Lect. 100. Meanes of sanctified and saving knowledge 1 None can attaine it that is not sensible of his owne ignorance p. 498. 2 nor he that hath not an heart truly humbled Ibid 3 nor that doth not attend diligently conscionably upon the sound ministery of the Word preached p. 499 502. 4 Reading of the Word is also a good meanes to confirme and establish the heart in knowledge So is 5 Meditation 6 good conference and 7 Prayer p. 502. Lect. 101. The Conversion of a man is to bee ascribed wholly unto God and the mighty working of his grace 1 of God it is that any man enjoyeth sufficient meanes of grace even a sound ministery in this Gods speciall hand and goodnesse is to be acknowledged p. 503. 2 This is no common favour but a speciall and rare favour of God p. 504 505. 3 The right use of the light of nature cannot deserve God should give his Gospell to any neither hath he respect to any goodnesse in man but is mooved to it onely by his owne free grace p. 506 507. Lect. 102. That the meanes of grace become effectuall to the conversion of any is to be ascribed onely to the Spirit of God not to the meanes themselves Why so much is ascribed in Scripture to the Word it selfe and to the ministery thereof p. 507 509. Powerfull and effectuall grace is not given to all men that enjoy the meanes to profit be converted by them if they will p. 510. The worke of grace in the conversion of man is most free it dependeth wholly upon the will good pleasure of God Ibid. 511 Lect. 103. No man is able to attaine to that knowledge of the truth as is sufficient to salvation by any ability that is in him by nature without the supernaturall worke of Gods grace p. 512. for 1 though the Scripture be plaine and lightsome and all truths needfull to be knowne are clearly and evidently delivered in it specially in the New Testament and more especially being interpreted to us in the ministery of the Word yet are we all by nature blind Ibid. p. 513. and void of capacity and a vaile is over our hearts which till God do cure and remoove we can make no use of that light p. 514. Proportionable to the work of the Spirit in opening our eyes and curing our blindnesse shall our knowledge be God perfects not this cure in any during this life nor doth hee so fully cure it in some of his good servants as in other some but in heaven this cure shall bee perfected Ibid. 2 Though some naturall men have attained to a great measure of knowledge yet not such as is sufficient to salvation for it is but literall and historicall it is not a full assurance of understanding it s not spirituall knowledge that none can attaine unto without supernaturall grace Ibid. p. 515. This supernaturall work of Gods grace as it is extraordinary and miraculous so is it rare and vouchsafed but to few Ibid. 516. Th' onely cause why God vouchsafeth it to one rather then another is his owne good pleasure and will nothing in man himselfe Ibid. Lect. 104. Every man by nature is dead in trespasses and our conversion is the reviving or raising of a dead man p. 516 517. From the Scripture similitudes doctrines may be taught and errors convinced p. 517 518. Though
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
gladly Act. 2.41 And of Christs hearers Mar. â—2 37 The common people heard him gladly 1. It is a great signe of grace to heare the Word with joy Ps. 119.162 I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoile to be cheerefull while we are in Gods house Esa. 56.7 I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer That that is said of almes 2 Cor. 9.7 God loveth a cheerefull giver may be said likewise of the hearer of Gods Word 2. This will be a great helpe to your memory and make you better able to keepe that you heare when you heare it with delight Psal. 119.16 I will delight my selfe in thy statutes I will not forget thy word 3. This will greatly encourage thy teacher and add spirit and life to him to see thee heare chearefully Even our blessed Saviour himselfe was much stirred up in his affections by beholding the zeale of his hearers Mat. 5.1 Mar. 6.34 Ioh. 4.30 32. Mar. 3.20 Know therefore this is one cause why most get so little good by their hearing they heare without all delight and affection Their very countenances testifie that they say in their hearts as Mal. 1.13 Behold what a wearinesse is it And thereby 1. They dishearten and grieve their teachers which must needs be their owne disadvantage Heb. 13.17 If they doe their worke with griefe it will be unprofitable for you 2. They provoke God to anger 2 Thess. 2.10 11. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved for this cause God shall send them strong delusions that they should beleeve a lie Fiftly in the hearing of the Word we must take every thing as spoken to our selves As 1 wee must desire to heare that chiefly that concernes our selves most as Iohns hearers did Luk. 3.12.14 So 2 must we strive to apply all that we heare to our selves Iob 5.27 Heare this and know it for thy selfe For 1. There is no truth of God taught out of Gods Word but it concernes every one of Gods people and was intended by the Lord for his use Whatsoever things were written afore-time were written for our learning Rom. 15.4 2. There is no truth that can bee taught be it never so wholesome or soveraigne can doe us any good if we doe not apply it as the best food cannot nourish us unlesse we take it and eate it And this comparison the Prophet applyeth to this purpose Esa. 55.2 Hearken diligently unto me and eate yee that which is good 3. It is noted for a property of Gods Elect that they are apt to apply Gods Word unto themselves as there is in every member of our body to draw from the stomacke and liver and veines nourishment for it selfe and to make it his owne to which the Apostle alludeth Eph. 4.16 This we shall finde in the elect Disciples Mat. 26.22 And they were exceeding sorrowfull and began every one of them to say unto him Lord is it I The like you shall see in them when he spake of the dangerous state that rich men are in Mat. 19.25 27. and yet one would have thought that Doctrine did little concerne them And certainely this is one cause why so many though they heare us constantly profit so little Heb. 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them saith the Apostle of the Iewes that perished in the wildernesse not being mixed with faith in them that heard it They are apt to put of from themselves to others whatsoever is taught like to those the Lord complaines of Hos. 8.12 I have written to him the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing And thus have I finished those duties that are to be performed by us during the time that we are in hearing the Word Now follow those that are to be done after we have heard the Word if we desire to reape fruit by it And those also are principally five First we must be carefull to keepe that which we have received both in our minde and in our affections Heb. 2.1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip And of the the blessed Virgin it is said Luk. 2.51 But his mother kept all these sayings in her heart For 1 as the best seed must have a time to tarry in the ground or it can never bring fruit so is it with the Word Luk. 8.15 The good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having heard the Word keepe it and bring forth fruit with patience 2. Our carelesnesse in laying up the Word and hiding it that we may keepe it gives great advantage to Satan to steale it from us as the loose and carelesse laying of our money or goods doth to a thiefe yea makes many a child and servant false that otherwise would have beere true Marke this in the parable Out of what hearers hearts did Satan steale the Word Out of theirs that were like the high way that had no earth to hide or cover the seed Luk 8.12 3. This carelesnesse to keepe the good Word is a high contempt done to it which God must needs take vengeance of Therefore the Apostle Heb. 2. when he had said verse 1. We ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard lest at any time we should let them slip he adds this for a reason verse 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Let men then impute the small good they get by their hearing unto this profane carelesnesse of keeping that which they have received 1. They are like sives that while they are in the water seeme to be full and to have a great quantity of water in them but take them out and there is not a jot left in them They forget presently what they heare and it never troubleth them Every one would count it a great judgement and be sensible of it in his temporall estate to get much and to put it into a bottomlesse purse not to bee able to keepe it because God blowes upon it as Hag. 1.6.9 And if a thiefe had taken your purse or broken into your house and robd you what outcries would you make But in his spirituall estate no man regards this 2. Nay they have no care nor desire to keepe and remember what they have heard for this indeed is the cause why mens memories are so bad they take no delight in the Word Ier. 2.32 Can a maid forget her ornaments or a bride her attire 3. The good affections and desires wrought by the Word they nourish not but they are presently choked with worldly businesse and pleasure Luk. 8.14 Secondly wee must meditate and seriously thinke of that which we have heard It is a duty injoyned us to thinke of good things Phil. 4.8 thinke of these things It is not enough to heare Gods Word but we must consider
us in his eternall counsell to be of that small number that should receive benefit by him Iohn 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me and vers 9. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me for they are thine Thirdly It was the wonderfull mercy of God to us and nothing else that moved him to give any of us the grace to receive Christ by faith being offered to us in the ministery of the Gospell and to obey him Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Fourthly It was the wonderfull mercy of God and nothing else that moved him to accept of the satisfaction which Christ our surety hath made for us and not to exact it at our owne hands For nothing bound him to it but his owne free promise In which respect all the Elect that shall have benefite by Christ are called heires of promise Hebr. 6.17 And therefore the Apostle saith Ephesians 1.6 It was to the praise of the glory of his Grace that he hath made us accepted in his beloved As though he should say the glory of his grace is wonderfully set forth in this that hee will accept of Christs satisfaction for us Fiftly and lastly It is his wonderfull mercy and nothing else that moveth him to performe this promise and to keepe covenant with us considering how weake and staggering our faith and obedience is and how oft we breake covenant with him And this made Solomon to fall into that admiration 1 Kin. 8.23 O Lord God of Israel there is no God like unto thee in heaven above or in earth beneath who keepeth covenant and mercy with thy servants that walke before thee with all their heart As if hee had said It is the mercy of God that he keepeth Covenant even with such And thus have I finished the answer to the first objection and shewed you that it doth no whit derogate from the mercy and free grace of God but amplifieth and advanceth it greatly that wee obtaine pardon of our sins by the merit of Christs bloud and no other way The second objection is How can it bee said that wee have no ground of hope to find favour with God and the pardon of our sins but onely in Gods meere mercy and free grace Will a mans good workes do him no good in this case Is there no ground of hope and comfort for us in that goodnesse and grace that God hath wrought in our hearts by his holy spirit The Scripture teacheth us that there bee sundry graces and good workes that may give us much comfort in this case and bee good grounds of hope unto us that wee shall finde favour with God As 1. If a man can find hee doth truly feare God Proverbs 14.26 In the feare of the Lord is strong confidence and his children shall have a place of refuge 2. If a man can find hee hath bin of conscience towards God given unto works of mercy Psal. 18. â—5 With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy selfe mercifull and 41 1. Blessed is hee that considereth the poore the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble and Iam. 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against judgement 3. If a man can find that of conscience towards God he can forgive his enemies Matth. 6.14 If yee forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father also will forgive you 4. If a man can find that he is able with an upright heart to confesse his sin unto God even that is a good ground of hope that God will forgive it For thus David reasoneth here verse 2 3. Cleanse me from my sinne for I acknowledge my transgressions 5. and lastly If a man can but humble himselfe and mourne before God for his sin even that will give him good hope of comfort For Christ saith Mat 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted And the Publican doing so went home justified Luke 18.14 My answer to this objection shall consist of two parts 1. I will shew you how much is to bee ascribed unto good works and to that goodnesse and grace that Gods children may find in themselves 2. I will let you see that this doth nothing derogate from the truth of my Doctrine concerning the reposing all our hope in the mercy of God only For the first I say first of all that these good works and graces we find in our selves though they bee not the causes why God pardoneth our sins yet are they certaine and infallible signes that wee have found mercy with God and that our sins are pardoned For thus runneth the covenant of God Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane and then followeth verse 26. A new heart also will I give unto you and a new spirit will I put within you And thus speaketh our Saviour of Mary Lu. 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven her for she hath loved much As if he had said shee could not have had this grace to love me as she doth if her sins had not bin forgiven Secondly This grace and goodnesse which a man findeth in himselfe may bee a ground of hope unto him that God will respect his prayers Iohn 9 3. Weâ— know that God heareth not sinners but if any man be a worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth Iohn 3.22 Whatsoever wee aske we receive of him because we keepe his commandements and doe those things that are pleasing in his sight The Angell telleth Cornelius Acts 10.4 thy prayers and thine almes are come up for a memoriall before God Certainely his almes made his prayers more effectuall with God Thirdly The goodnesse and grace which a man findeth in himselfe may bee a sound ground of comfort unto him even in greatest affliction So was it to Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this even the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity wee have had our conversation in the world So was it to Iob the testimony that his owne heart gave him of the conscience hee had made of all uncleannesse of dealing equally with his servants of his mercifulnesse to the poore of his freedome from covetousnesse and maliciousnesse Iob 31. And of his hearts love to the Word and pure worship of God Iob 23.12 susteined and yeelded him great comfort in his extreame affliction as you may see Iob 31.35 36. If mine adversarie man or Satan had written a booke against mee surely I should take it upon my shoulder and bind it as a crowne to mee So was it to Hezechiah when he had received from God the message of death Esay 38.3 Remember ô Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight Fourthly These good works this goodnesse and grace that a man findeth in himselfe are foundations upon which a man may confidently ground and build
Gods children in deed and not in shew and profession only will strive to be profitable and to doe good to the places they live in and the more good they doe the liker they are to their heavenly Father That which God saith of Abraham Genesis 12.2 Thou shalt bee a blessing belongeth to all the true children of Abraham they are a blessing to the places they live in Not onely 1. by their prayers as Elias was to Israel Iames 5.18 At whose prayer the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit And Amos likewise Amos 7.3 6. The Lord repented for this at his prayer It shall not bee saith the Lord. 2. Not onely because the Lord for their sakes useth to doe good to the places where they live Gene. 39.5 The Lord bessed the Aegyptians house for Iosephs sake But even 3. In this respect also because they seeke and endeavour to doe good to them with whom they live and that not in spirituall things only but even in the things of this life yea he doth this diligently Prov. 11.27 He diligently seeketh good A good Christian is not onely Bonus vir a good man but Bonus civis a good Common-wealths-man a good Townes-man also It is said to the commendation of Mordecai Esd. 10.3 that he was accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people This gained him love and honour in the hearts of all the people he sought the publike good And of Iehojada it is said he was greatly honored after his death for this 2. Chron. 24.16 Because he had done good in Israel But you will say these were publike persons and great men it became them well to be such I answer it is true they were so and indeed of such men this is chiefly required For the thing that God aimed at in advancing of any was only this that they might be Patres patriae do more good to the Countrey places where they live then men in meaner degree can doe Rom. 13 4. He is the minister of God to thee for good and verse 6. For this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods ministers And surely this is the onely thing that will gaine true honour and esteeme and authority unto Gentlemen and great men in the hearts of all that know them not their birth nor their lands nor their offices nor their power but their goodnesse I meane the readinesse that is in them to doe good to the places where they live Luk 32.25 The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was it that gained them such authority in the hearts even of Gentiles that they sought not themselves in these great places but the good of the people But this belongeth not to publike persons and great men only the poorest Christian that is must not live to himselfe alone but strive to bee profitable and to doe good to them he liveth with See the commandement of God for this Galat. 6.10 As wee have opportunity let us doe good unto all men A notable direction wee have for this Ieremy 29.7 Seeke the peace of the city whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it For in the peace therof shall ye have peace Though that City were a most wicked place yet seeing God by his providence had brought them to dwell there they were bound not only to pray for it but to seeke the good of it the Wealth and Peace and Prosperity of it by all meanes Such as truly feare God will not bee backward in any worke that tendeth to the publike good of the place they live in Titus 3.14 Let ours also learne to maintaine good workes for necessary uses that they bee not unfruitfull Now if wee apply this that wee have heard of this last point that hath beene observed for our imitation in the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord wee shall finde there are very many that are so unlike to our heavenly Father in this point that wee have no cause to judge them to bee his children First The Papists who are notoriously knowne to be so farre from seeking the peace and prosperity of their country that they have for many yeares uncessantly sought the utter ruine and subversion of it and the betraying of it into the hands of strangers yea such strangers as are the worst nation Ezek. 7.24 most bloudy enemies And this is not the fault so much of the men that professe popery this is the fault of the religion it selfe Their chiefe teachers the Iesuites the common incendiaries of the world teach them they ought to doe so they shall merit heaven by doing so Certainly this religion cannot be of God nor they that professe it And was there ever such a religion before in the world as this is Other heresies and religions there have bin perhaps that were as pernicious to the soules of men as Popery that is of the Gnosticks and Arrians of old of the Anabaptists and Antitrinitarians of late But a religion so pernicious to states and Common-wealths as popery is was there never heard of in all the world They have another father mentioned Iohn 8 44. Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe he was a murtherer from the beginning He whose name is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon the destroyer mentioned Rev. 9.11 is the father of that religion that teacheth men to practise the ruine and destruction of their owne countrey Three things they pretend for all their practises against the state and Kingdome 1. The wrongs and oppressions they endure among us But to this I say admit all their clamors and complaints of this were most true yet can this make it lawfull for them to doe as they do The true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith teacheth men thus Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith Lord. And Mat. 5.44 I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And can this then be any other religion then Antichrists that teacheth them to revenge themselves yea to revenge themselves as cursed Haman did Est. 3.6 But 2. they pretend zeale for Christ and his religion in this we are not onely their enemies but we are enemies to Christ and his religion they say and therefore it were a meritorious deed to destroy us all So did Iames and Iohn when they would have had fire to come downe from heaven to consume those Samaritans Lu. 9.54 But did Christ approve of that zeale Looke the next verse 55. He turned and rebuked them for this zeale yee know not what manner spirit ye are of So may we say to these
I may use to you the words of the Prophet Esa. 42.23 Who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for the time to come Thirdly and lastly Admit there were but one or two among you that had present need of comfort and none of the rest of you either needed it now or were like to stand in need of it hereafter yet stand I more bound to respect the two poore afflicted soules then al the rest of you though you were as many more as you are and rather let you all go without that portion that belongeth to you then those two And I have three reasons to move me to it First the example of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 4.27 who had tender respect to the Shunamite when her soule was vexed within her Yea of Christ who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepheard and pastour who professeth this to be his chiefe care Ezek. 34.16 I will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that that was sicke And that this was the chiefe worke God appointed him to when he sent him to preach Esa. 61.1 2. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Zion And gave an experiment of this in Peter and Mary whom because they were afflicted in conscience he shewed more care of after his resurrection then of all the rest of the Disciples Mar 16 9. 1 Cor. 15.5 Ioh. 21.15 Secondly the charge and commandement of Christ which he hath given all his Ministers concerning these as appeareth Esa. 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem And in that charge to Peter Ioh. 21.15 Feed my lambes Thirdly as these poore soules have need to be comforted and have this evill usually accompanying their other misery that it is a hard thing to fasten any comfort upon them their soulâ— usually refuseth comfort when they are in this case as David speaketh Psal 77.2 So the ministery of the Word being ordained to this very end 1 Cor. 4.3 hath more force and God sheweth his power more in it this way then in any private meanes According to that Esa 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him Now therefore hearken unto me so many of you as feare the Lord and yet are much subject to trouble of mind and heavinesse of heart and to use the words of the Evangelicall Prophet Esa. 51.1 hearkâ—n unto me ye that folow aâ—â—â—r righteousnesse ye that seeke the Lord. Stirre up your hearts to admit of the word of consolation Foure things I have to say to you for your comfort First It is the will of God that such as you are should be cheerefull and comfortable in your spirits He hath oft charged you in his Word to be so yea as oft and as earnestly as ever he charged you to feare him and to lead a godly life Psal. 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous so I would wilt thou say if I were so but marke what followeth and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Yea Psalme 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. Yea Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce To omit many other places as Psalme 2.11.33.1.48.11.68.4.97.12.149.2.5 Matth. 5.12 Luke 10.20 Rom. 12.13 Phil. 3.1 1 Thess. 5.26 By all which you may perceive this that God greatly delighteth to see you cheerefull and comfortable Secondly I must intreat you to consider the mischiefe that commeth by your giving so much way to your heavinesse and feares 1. You give occasion to wicked men to blaspheme and speake evill of the good waies of God as if this preaching and profession made men mad or mopish that follow it and so yee alienate their hearts from religion and make them hate preaching As the spies that brought an evill report of the land of promise and said Numb 1â— 32 It was a land that devoured the inhabitants of it alienated the hearts of the people from it and made them murmur against Moses and Aaron Numb 14.2 It is said Acts 9.31 that while the faithfull walked in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost they multiplied That is the way to add to the Church and gaine others to it when Christians walke cheerefully and comfortably and so the contrary is a stumbling blocke to keepe men from it 2. By yeelding to this heavinesse you give advantage to Sathan and make your selves lesse able to resist his tentations Neh. 8.10 Be not so sorrowfull for the joy of the Lord is your strength 3. By yeelding to this heavinesse and feare ye make the duties and services ye do to God lesse acceptable unto him For as God loveth a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 so doth he a cheerefull worshipper Psalme 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladnesse The Lord would have us call the Sabbath a delight Esa. 58.13 And threatneth captivity even for this Deut. 28.47 Because they served him not with joyfullnesse and with gladnesse of heart Thirdly I must desire you to consider how just cause such as you are have to be comfortable and cheerfull in the Lord what cause soever you have of humbling in your selves For certainly yeare in a blessed state Psal. 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. 1. You are the people to whom the kingdome of heaven doth belong Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven And all things that befall you shall certainely tend to the fitting of you for it and therefore you have just cause of joy Feare not little flock saith our Saviour Luk. 12 3â— it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Rom. 8.28 All things worke together for good to them that feare God Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Yea we glory in tribulation also verse 3..2 You are the people whose sins are forgiven and for whom Christ hath fully satisfyed the justice of his father so as though you may be chastised sharply for them punished you shall never be In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 In what day See that Zach. 12.10 when God shall poure upon them the spirit of grace and supplications so as they should looke upon him whom they had pierced and mourne for him And therefore thou hast just cause of joy Esa. 40.2 Speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished the battell is fought and victory obtained against all her enemies that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes 3. You are the people that how ever men esteeme you or you thinke of
celebrated upon the fourteenth day of the first moneth Numb 9.3 he was content to be singular and to differ in his judgement and practise from the whole Church rather then he would swerve from Gods commandement even in so small a matter And for this cause though the whole Church did put of the passeover that yeare from the fourteenth to the sixteenth day of the first moneth because that was the Sabbath and by a tradition of the Elders they were forbidden to keepe two such festivities so neere together yet durst not our Saviour doe so but kept his passeover two dayes before them as appeareth Ioh. 19.14 the day that hee was crucified on which was you know the day after his passeover was the day before theirs the day of the preparation of the passeover The last example is Mordecayes of whom we read that he durst not do the smallest thing no not so much as yeeld a formall complementall curtesie to Haman being forbidden of God no not to prevent the destruction of the whole Church that was likely to have ensued upon it as you may see Ester 3.2.6 The precepts and rules we have in Gods word to guide us in this case are likewise three 1. We may not commit the least sin for the preventing of the greatest danger that may possibly ensue if we doe it not We may not do evill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 2. We may not wittingly commit or consent to the least sin no not for the preventing of a farre greater and fouler sin Neither can Lot be excused who to keepe the Sodomites from committing the sin against nature offered them his two daughters to commit adultery withall Genes 19.8 There can bee no such necessitie layd upon Gods child at any time that hee must needs doe either the smaller sins or the greater But in these two cases of exigency when there seemeth a necessity of sinning for the preventing of danger or for the preventing of greater sin we must follow the counsell of the Prophet Psal. 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe Rest upon the power and promises of God who can deliver us out of these perplexities without the helpe of any of our sins As Peter perswading Christian women from vanity and pride in their attire answereth a secret objection they might make against this Alas our husbands being infidels will hate us and misuse us yea and bee ready to fall to a liking of other women if we do not platt our haire and make our selves as brave as we can and paint us and follow every fashion to this he answereth by propounding to them the example of holy women of old time and telleth them how they armed themselves against this they trusted in God and were not afraid of any amazement and so doe you 1 Pet. 3.5 6. Thirdly and lastly Wee may not dare to doe any thing that we see cause to doubt that God hath forbidden it to be done Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eate As if the Apostle had said even this is sufficient to condemne a man if he repent not of it that he hath given liberty to himselfe to doe that that he doubted was unlawfull and forbidden of God The third and last thing I have to say unto these men is to advise and warne them to take heed how they hate and scorne any whom otherwise they can take no exception unto for their precisenesse in such things as themselves account trifles and toves But first enquire into their grounds and reasons why they doe so And if you find they have good warrant in the word to doe as they doe commend them encourage them imitate them and say with David Psal. 119.63 I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts But if you shall find that through their weakenesse and ignorance they mistake their grounds and have no good warrant for that they doe but are more scupulous and doubtfull in these things then they have just cause to be yet pity them instruct them with meeknesse and shew them their errour persecute them not nor hate them for the errour of their judgement but beare with them till they may be better informed We that are strong saith the Apostle Rom. 15.1 ought to beare with the infirmities of the weake and not to pleâ—se our selves And though they be in errour yet love them for this that they dare not do anything that they doubt would offend God Certainly this is a thing not to be derided and scorned but to bee beloved and commended whersoever we see it For this the Apostle loved the Iewes in his time and professeth Rom. 10.1 2. that his hearts desire and prayer to God for them was that they might be saved because he saw and hare them record that they had the zeale of God though it wâ—re not according to knowledge Take heed of hating any for this for this is a part of the image of God and worke of his spirit and therefore to hate this in any though I dare not say it is the sin against the holy Ghost yet do I confidently affirme that it is a neere neighbour unto it and though it be not impossible yet will certainly be found a very difficult and rare thing for any to be renewed by repentance that shall fall so farre Lecture XLVIII On Psalme 51.4 Febru 6. 1626. NOw followeth the reason why David professing his repentance and suing to God for mercy in the pardon of his sins doth make confession of his sin and accuse himselfe before God for it not only in generall termes but in particular and the reason is contained in these words That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be cleare when thou judgest For these words have reference not to those that go immediatly before them in this verse as if his meaning should be I have therefore sinned against thee and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest c. But these words have reference to the third verse and his meaning is this I acknowledge my transgressions and accuse my selfe in this manner that I may justifie thee and give glory unto thee and acknowledge thy righteousnesse both in that which thou hast spoken and threatned against me by thy servant Nathan and in those judgements also which thou hast already executed upon me in taking away my child and which thou shalt also hereafter be pleased to lay upon me for my sinne So that you see there be two parts of this reason why David doth thus confesse his sinne 1 That God might be justified in whatsoever he had spoken 2 That God might be cleared in the judgements he had already or should further execute upon him So that the first thing we have heere to observe is this that though the message the Lord had sent unto him that which he
will is so Thus the Apostle proveth it was no unrighteousnesse in God to love and chuse Iacob and to hate and reject Esau before either of them had done good or evil even before they were borne because his holy will was so Rom. 9.14 15. What shall we then say Is there unrighteousnesse with God God forbid For he saith to Moses I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion And this is the first ground and reason of the Doctrine taken from the consideration of the Iudge himselfe The second respecteth them that are judged and corrected by the Lord. We must needs cleare the Lord from wronging any man in any of his judgements because he never judgeth nor punisheth any man before he hath deserved that and much more then that that God layeth upon him This reason Elihu giveth Iob 34.10 11. Hearken unto me ye men of understanding farre bee it from God that he should doe wickednesse and from the almighty that he should commit iniquitie for the worke of a man shall he render unto him and cause every man to find according to his wayes And the Apostle Rom. 3.19 That every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God As if he should have said Seing all the world is guilty before God and lyable to his curse for the transgression of his Law every mouth must needs be stopped if not yet certainly at the day of the Lord no man shall be able to open his mouth against or charge him with injustice in any of his judgements upon men Now this Doctrine serveth unto two uses especially 1. For instruction and the informing of our judgements 2. For exhortation and working upon our will and affections For the first This Doctrine serveth notably for convincing of an errour that hath too much place in the minds of most men All men by nature are apt at least secretly in their hearts to question the righteousnesse of God in many of his judgements When the Apostle had made this objection Rom. 3.5 Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance He addeth presently these words I speake as a man saith he As if he should say Every naturall man is apt to speake and thinke so This appeareth evidently by the generall opposition that is made against the doctrine of predestination which both our Church and other reformed Churches have long taught and received by cleare warrant of the word of God For not onely the Papist and the Anabaptist and the Pelagian but every naturall man in the world is apt to cavill against this Doctrine to account it a most absurd and unreasonable Doctrine and all because they cannot conceive how it can stand with justice that God should make such a decree as that is But the Doctrine you have now heard and the reasons of it being well understood and beleeved will stop their mouthes and convince their errour in this point This will be evident unto you if you will but observe these foure points First God had done no wrong if in his eternall decree he had chosen no man unto life but reprobated all men unto destruction For he is our absolute soveraigne Lord as we have heard and it was lawfull for him to doe with his owne what himselfe pleased And who hath deserved that God should choose him unto life As the Apostle speaketh in this very case Rom. 11.35 Who hath first given unto him and it shall be recompensed to him againe Secondly God never condemneth any nor did decree to condemne any but for sinne For he will render to every man according to his workes Rom. 2.6 So that if any man be damned the Lord is not the cause of it but himselfe Thou hast destroyed thy selfe saith the Lord to the wicked Iewes Hos. 13.9 And we have more cause to admire the mercy of God that he hath ordained to save any when he did foresee that all would cast away themselves then to doubt of the justice of God in appointing some to destruction which hee did foresee they would by their voluntary and wilfull transgression most justly deserve Thirdly Though God did foresee that such and such would by their sinnes and continuance in infidelity justly deserve eternall damnation yet it was not the end God aimed at and propounded to himselfe in the decree of reprobation that wicked men might perish for that is a thing God never tooke pleasure in As I live saith the Lord God Ezek. 33 11. I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked But the thing that moved God to make that decree and the end he intended and aimed at in it was the manifestation of his owne glory Pro. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himselfe yea even the wicked for the day of evill 1. The manifestation of his glorious justice and wrath against sinne upon the reprobate Rom 9.22 2. The manifestation of his glorious mercy towards his elect which could never have beene so glorious if it had beene common to all mankind And this reason also is gven by the Apostle Rom. 19.23 Fourthly The Lords decree as it is not the cause of the damnation of any but their owne sinne so neither is it the cause of their sinne It doth not impose a necessity upon any to sinne but notwithstanding this decree every man sinneth voluntarily and unconstrainedly neither is the Lord but his owne corruption onely and Satan the cause of his sinne Iam. 1.13 14. So that to conclude this first use Let every one of us strive to suppresse and to reject with detestation and trembling all thoughts that shall rise in our hearts to call into question the righteousnesse of God in any of his decrees or judgements According to the example of the Apostle Rom. 3.4 who when he had but by occasion of this doctrine of reprobation mentioned this objection Is there unrighteousnesse with God abhorreth it presently and rejecteth it in this manner God forbid saith he And if we be not able to comprehend how any thing that the Lord hath decreed or done can stand with equity and justice let us ascribe it rather to our owne weaknesse and shallownesse of understanding then impute the least shadow of injustice unto the Lord and check our selves in that manner that holy Iob did Iob 42.3 I have uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not Lecture L. On Psalme 51.4 Febru 27. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second use that this Doctrine serveth unto And that is to stirre up every one of us that we should strive and labour for this grace to be able to do as David doth heere when it shall come to be our owne case to yeeld this passive obedience unto God in all the degrees of it that we have heard of whensoever or howsoever the Lord shall be pleased to judge and correct us The necessity
and rebuke with all authority and see that no man despised him He should take heed that he doe not by his loosenesse either in life or doctrine loose his honour and authority in the hearts of his people for if he doe there will bee little hope his doctrine shall ever do good be his gifts never so excellent That is every whit as much required of parents towards their children and to every parent the Lord Likewise saith maintaine thine authority take heed thy children despise thee not We shall find it noted by the Apostle 1 Tim. 3.4 for a great blemish in a Christian and such a one as be his gifts otherwise never so excellent maketh him uncapable of the honour of the ministery if he cannot rule in his owne house if he keepe not his children in subjection Every father must be a ruler in his owne house every childe must be kept in subjection Our blessed Saviour was subject unto his parents Luke 2.51 Yet his father Ioseph was but a poore carpenter and his mother so poore that she could get no better roome in Bethlem then a stable to be brought to bed in It is not sufficient for you that are parents to advise and wish and admonish your children to leave any lewd course you see them to hold Ely did so much 1 Sam. 2.23 24. and yet we know God was highly offended with him because he did not enough parents must doe more then so they must with authority charge and command and compell them to doe it I know saith the Lord of Abraham Gen. 18.19 that hee will command his childen to keepe the way of the Lord. And Deut. 32.46 Yee shall command your children to observe and doe all the words of this Law and I charged every one of you saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 2.11 as a father doth his children If parents maintaine not this authoritie if they become haile-fellow well met with their children if they loose their honour and reverence in their children hearts as certainely now adayes most have done 1. They shall dishonour their head as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 11.4 the dishonour and contempt reacheth unto God whose Image they beare whose person they represent as we have heard 2. They undoe their children and disable them from profiting by any meanes they shall use for the reforming of them or saving of their soules Surely this were an excellent thing will you say if parents could maintaine their authority and honour in the hearts of their children but how may this be done This is such an age as there is little or no possibility of it I answer It is true that this falleth out sometimes through the just judgement of God that doe parents what they can some children will be stubborne and rebellions sons of Belial that will beare no yoke It is foretold by the holy Ghost 2 Tim. 3.2 as one of the chiefe mischiefes and diseases that should raigne and rage in these last dayes and should make these times so perilous that men should be disobedient to parents It cannot bee avoided it must bee so that the Scripture may bee fulfilled And it is foretold as a signe and fore-runner that doth presage the ruine of a state and nation Esa. 3.5 The child shall behave himselfe proudly against the ancient and the base against the honourable Yet it is also certaine that parents themselves are for the most part the cause why they have no more honour and reverence in the hearts of their children when they maintaine not but loose that authority that God hath given them over their children And that two wayes First Because they doe not themselves honour and feare God therefore their children cannot honour nor feare them Solomon by the spirit telleth us Prov. 11.16 that a gracious woman retaineth honour and that that is there said of a woman even of a mother may likewise bee said of a gracious father hee retaineth honour The true feare of God will procure reverence and esteeme to a man even in the hearts of such as have no grace in them Mark 6.20 Herod feared Iohn knowing that he was a just man and an holy and he observed him For 1. this image of God carrieth such a Majesty in it as a man cannot choose but honour it in whomsoever he seeth it It is called therfore by the Apostle the spirit of glory 1 Pet. 4.14.2 Besides the Lord hath bound himselfe by promise to give honour to them that honour him 1 Sam. 2.30 them that honour me I will honour If any man serve me saith our Saviour Iohn 12.26 him will my father honour Certainly if parents did feare and honour God in their hearts and expresse in their whole conversation their children must needs honour them they could not despise them On the other side if parents feare not God themselves their children cannot honour them If children see their parents to bee irreligious malicious against religion filthy and drunken persons how can they honour them I know they should bee unwilling to see any such thing in their parents they should with Sem and Iaphet cast their mantle over them but it is not possible for them to doe it That which is said of Ierusalem may be said of all men Lam. 1.8 All that honoured her despise her because they have seene her nakednesse They that thus see the nakednesse of them whom by nature they ought most to honour cannot choose but despise them I told you all parents do beare the image of God but these foule sins do so deface it as men can discerne no glory in it men cannot honour it God hath said they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.30 And when God will have men to bee despised when he powreth contempt upon them when he saith of any as he doth of Ninivie Nah. 3.6 I will cast abominable filth upon thee and make thee vile who can then honour them in their hearts And this is one cause why most parents have no reverence in their childrens hearts Secondly Another is this because they did neglect to keepe their children in awe when they were young they laid the raines upon their necks they corrected them not but cockered them in their tender yeeres The fathers of our flesh saith the Apostle Heb. 12.9 corrected us and wee gave them reverence As if he had said If they had not corrected us wee should not have reverenced them so much And it is expressely noted for the cause why David lost his honour in the heart of his sonne Adoniah 1 Kings 1.6 His father had not displeased him at any time not so much as in saying why hast thou done so I grant that those parents governe best that can maintaine their authority and keepe their children in awe with little or no sharpenesse and severity and many parents are too apt to offend in too much rigour this way else would not the Apostle have given this charge twice unto
fearefully so long as they live How fearefull falls have many of Gods worthies taken in their latter times Davids first wayes are commended 2 Chron 17.3 which implyeth that his last dayes were not so good No no in his latter time hee fell as wee have heard fearefully The like is noted of Solomon 1 Kings 11.4 And of Asa 2 Chron. 16.10.12 And of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.35 For 1. while wee are in this world we are never out of Satans danger For hee is the prince of this world Iohn 14.30 2. That fountaine of corruption that is in our vile natures will never be drawn dry while we live here this root of bitternesse will never be stocked up nor killed there can never be a perfect cure made of that filthy leprosie that is run over our whole nature so long as this life lasteth Therefore are the corruptions of our nature called our members that are upon the earth Col 3 5. and worldly lusts Titus 2.12 because while wee are here upon the earth while wee live in this world we can never be rid of them The Apostle compareth himselfe and the best of Gods servants to earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 And the earthen vessells that were defiled with any legall pollution could not bee sufficiently purged till they were quite broken in pieces as you shall see Levit. 11.33 and 15.12 To teach us that wee can never bee perfectly cleansed from the filthinesse of our nature till we be broken in pieces by death We have a double righteousnes by Christ as we had a double unrighteousnes from Adam the one imputed to our justification and by that wee are already perfectly cleansed from all our sins as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 1.7 the other inherent in our sanctification and that is not yet perfect as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5.49 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners How Not by imputation only for of that hee had spoken verse 18. so by the obedience of one many shall bee made righteous They are not yet but they shall bee When shall they be so Surely after this life is ended As the Apostle calleth the faithfull departed Hebr. 12 2â— The spirits of just men that are made perfect The best mans sanctification is not perfect here the holiest man that is is not perfectly cleansed while hee liveth but hath much filthinesse remaining in him Prov. â—0 9. Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne We may doe much in the worke of mortification by such meanes as I have told you Gâ—â—s spirit in the word hath directed us unto wee may keepe it from reigning in our mortall bodies as the Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 6.12 but so long as these mortall bodies have life in them so long will our sins have life in them Though it raigne not in us as a King so as wee obey it willingly yet it keepeth us in bondage as a tyrant doth his captives and slaves as the Apostle complaineth Rom. 7.23 It brought him into captivity Now when death commeth it and nothing but it will set us free from this bondage Hee that is dead saith the Apostle Rom. 6.7 is freed from sinne Death will free us from all danger and possibility of offending God and falling away from him then may it bee said of our sins as Moses saith of the Aegyptians Exod. 14.13 Yee shall see them againe no more for ever And what child of God is there that would not even in this respect bee willing to dye When Ioseph was in prison though he wanted nothing there but had all at command Gen. 39.22 23. yet see how earnest he was with Pharaohs chiefe Butler to helpe him to his liberty Genes 40.14 Thinke on me when it shall bee well with thee and shew kindnesse I pray thee unto mee and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring mee out of this house I know well there may bee in the dearest of Gods servants an unwillingnesse and feare to dye as there was in Ieremiah Ier 37.20 Our Saviour fore-warning Peter of the manner of his death telleth him Iohn 21.18 he should be carried whither he would not Whereby it appeareth that even in the blessed Martyrs there hath beene some unwillingnesse to dye Though Lots righteous soule was vexed day by day while he lived in Sodom 2 Pet. 2.8 yet ô how he lingred when God would take him from thence Gen. 19.16 Even the Saints of God who while they live in this world this Sodom are dayly vexed and disquieted with their owne corruptions are not so willing to leave this world as they should bee When Cyrus made proclamation for the Iewes that who so would might returne from the land of their captivity it is said Ezra 1.5 none were willing to leave Babylon but those whose spirits God had raised up to goe Though we know this world is as Babylon to us the land of our captivity and bondage yet till God raise up our spirits by his grace we can never be willing to leave it but shall rather be desirous still to serve in this bondage as wee may also see Exodus 14.12 And great reason there is for this 1. Death is a parting of two most deare and inward and ancient friends When David and Ionathan were to depart one from another for a while ô how grievous was their parting 1 Sam. 20 41. But the soule and the body have bin more inward and ancient friends then ever Ionathan and David were no marvell therefore though their parting be painfull and grievous 2. The best of Gods children doe beleeve but in part Though the spirit be ready the flesh is weake as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 26.41 But though there be some unwillingnesse in the best to dye yet they know it is their fault and sin to be so they know they ought to be willing upon this ground even in this their spirit in them lusteth against the flesh as the Apostle speaketh Galat. 5.17 Yea they overcome this unwillingnesse in the end according to that promise Psal. 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace And certainely hee that desireth not that striveth not to be willing to dye even upon this ground because death and nothing but death will perfect the worke of mortification in him hath just cause to suspect that there is no truth of saving grace in him no sense of the vile corruption of his nature it is no bondage unto him Lecture LXVI On Psalme 51.5 August 7. 1629. THe seventh and last Meanes of Mortification is this He that desireth to mortifie and subdue any corruption that is strongest in him must flee to Christ by faith for strength against it he must exercise and make use of his faith for the mortifying of it and he shall find great force in it this way All other meanes we have heard of are in vaine without this and this will do the deed
truly knoweth Christ to have dyed for him cannot but cast off and renounce his lusts and corruptions This is that also which the Prophet teacheth Zach. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne aboundantly It is the spirit of grace onely that maketh a man able to know and beleeve aright that his sins pierced Christ that Christ in all that hee suffered had speciall respect unto him nothing but the spirit of grace maketh a man able to looke upon Christ whom he hath pierced to consider it to be moved with admiration and astonishment at this wonderfull love of his But when once the spirit of grace hath made a man to know and beleeve and consider this it must needs affect the heart much and make him mourne for his sins aboundantly it must needs worke in him a loathing of his sins and a resolution to set himselfe against them O that all wee that say wee know and beleeve that Christ loved us and dyed for us would thinke seriously of this Certainely thou that sayest so and findest no force in this assurance to mortifie sin in thee and to strengthen thee against thy corruptions deceivest thine owne soule and hast no true assurance that Christ bare such love to thee as to endure so much for thy sake Hereby wee know that wee know him to bee a propitiation for our sins saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.3 4. if wee keepe his commandements He that saith I know him to bee a propitiation for my sins for that is the knowledge of Christ he speaketh of as appeareth verse 2. and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Hee is a ranke hypocrite and void of all truth of grace how faire a shew soever hee make in the Church of God O fearefull sentence against the most of such as say they have faith And so much shall suffice to have bin spoken of the first reason why true faith must needs mortifie corruption wheresoever it dwelleth it applyeth Christ particularly to every one that hath it The second reason of it is this because true faith joyneth and uniteth us unto Christ. This union that faith maketh betweene us and Christ is indeed mysticall and spirituall Yea this is a great mistery as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 5.32 But though it bee mysticall and supernaturall yet it is most true and reall a most neere and unspeakeable union that faith maketh betweene Christ and every beleeving soule as neere as betweene husband and wife Ephes. 5.23 as betweene the head and the members Ephes. 1.22 23. as betweene the vine and the branches Iohn 15.5 By faith we receive him and make him our owne Iohn 1.12 Nay we feed upon him and make him our owne as the meat we eate which is turned into our substance is made our owne Iohn 6.35 By faith hee dwelleth in us Ephes. 3.17 By faith wee are grafted into him Rom. 11.23 Now if faith do so joyne us unto Christ and make such an union betweene us and him it is not possible but it must needs mortifie and kill sin in us Wee cannot bee thus joyned unto Christ but wee must needs receive vertue and power from him his spirit must needs bee derived from him unto us He that is joyned unto the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.17 is one spirit The law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the law of sin and of death The spirit of Christ must needs free him from the dominion of sinne that is thus by faith united to him And therefore to conclude this second point Certainly that man in whom sin reigneth still in whom the strength of his naturall corruption is not at all abated is not united unto Christ and consequently hath no true faith in him If wee say we have fellowship with him saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1.6 and walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth Lecture LXVII on Psalme 51.5 Aug. 14. 1627. THE third and last point which hath beene propounded for the more distinct handling of the last means of mortification is this He that desireth to get strength against any corruption must not content himselfe to have faith but hee must exercise and make use of his faith in this worke The most of us loose much of the benefit and comfort wee might find in our faith because wee doe not make use of it nay the cause why wee find it so weake and feeble to stand us in any stead when wee have most need of it for our comfort is because wee have not beene wont to exercise it and put it into action We have an old proverbe Vse legs and have legs and experience teacheth that the neglect of exercising the body is a great meanes to weaken it much This may every whit as truly bee said of the graces of Gods spirit exercise them by practise and they will increase neglect to exercise them and they will decay in thee To every one that hath saith our Saviour in the parable of the talents Mat. 25.29 that is that by making use of it and imploying it doth shew that hee hath grace more shall bee given and bee shall have aboundance but from him that hath not shall bee taken away even that which hee hath The Apostle commending the Thessalonians saith 1 Thess. 1.3 hee remembred their worke of faith their faith was ever in action ever exercising it selfe And what is the proper worke and act wherein faith exerciseth it selfe Surely in taking hold of the promises that God hath made unto us in Christ in applying them unto our selves and resting upon them Thus must wee exercise our faith if we would have it grow if wee would have the comfort of it The Apostle saith of all the faithfull 2 Cor. 5.7 that they walke by faith In our whole conversation we may and ought to make use of our faith And of himselfe he saith that hee did live by his faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God saith he Galat. 2.20 In all the occasions of our life we may and should exercise our faith and we loose a great deale of sweetnesse and comfort because we doe not so But in no occasion of our life can we have more use of our faith then when wee are troubled with any strong corruption which wee would faine overcome and get the mastery of Let us come then to Christ and stirre up our selves to take hold of him and confidently expect and looke for helpe and strength from him against it and wee may bee sure to bee delivered from the dominion of it Through God wee shall doe valiantly saith David Psal. 108.13 for hee it is that shall tread downe our enemies And Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Wee read
that ever they desired that ever it came into their thought to doe us any hurt Shall wee impute this to any goodnesse of nature that is in them No no this is to be ascribed to the powerfull restraining grace of that God who made this promise to his servants that were compassed about with most wicked people on every side Exod. 34.24 No man shall desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in a yeere Secondly Whereas we know there be many lewd men amongst us not Papists onely but others to whom we are an extreame eye-sore that do with all their hearts desire to do us a mischiefe and have even in their words oft bewraied as much Of whom we may say with David Psal. 57.4 My soule is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire How commeth it to passe that they have yet done us no hurt nor so much as attempted any thing against us Surely that God that restrained Laban from hurting Iacob though hee had pursued him sixe dayes journey with a great power and full purpose to bee revenged on him and continued in this purpose till the very night before hee overtooke him as you shall find Gen. 31.23.29 that God I say is he that hath kept all these lewd men from doing us that hurt that they have desired and purposed to doe Hee that when the Sunne ariseth Psal. 104.22 23. maketh the Lyons to gather themselves together and lay them downe in their dens that man may goe forth to his worke and to his labour untill the evening Hee that shut the mouthes of the Lyons from hurting Daniel 6.22 doth curbe and muzzle these men from hurting us and let him have the glory of all that safety wee live in Thirdly and lastly Whereas every wicked man doth naturally hate us according to that sentence of God Genes 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed How commeth it to passe that many wicked men we live by are not onely harmelesse and void of malice towards us but neighbourly and courteous and kind unto us Surely of this wee may say as the Prophet doth in another case Psalme 118.23 This is the Lords doing and it should seeme marvellous in our eyes Hee that made Esau run to meet Iacob and to embrace him and fall on his necke and kisse him Gen. 23 4. Hee that gave his people such favour in the sight of the Egyptians Exod. 11.3 that they thought nothing too good for them is the only cause of all this And certainely if the Lord should not thus restraine wicked men if hee should set their hearts at liberty and let loose all that wickednesse that is in them wee might with much more safety live among Lyons and Beares then among them When our Saviour had told his disciples Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheepe into the midst of wolves hee addeth presently verse 17. but beware of men As if he had said What speake I of wolves you have more cause to feare danger from men then from wolves or from any other creature whatsoever Let us therefore beloved 1. Among other mercies of God take notice of this and bee thankefull for it that in so wicked a world wee live in such peace and safety as wee doe 2. Let us in these dangerous times wherein wee see cause of so great feare on every side by reason of the multitude and cruelty and strength of our enemies both at home and abroad learne to secure and quiet our hearts in the providence of this mighty God that can thus command and rule the hearts of the vilest men upon earth yea though they were the mightiest Princes that can turne them whether soever he will as Solomon speaketh Prov. 21.1 Let us seriously meditate of that which the Prophet speaketh Psal. 76.10 Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise the remnant of the rage thou wilt restraine 1. God can and will in his time restraine the remnant of the rage that the bloudy enemies of his Gospel are apt to shew still against his people 2. And surely the rage that they have already shewed shall in the end tend to his praise or else it should not have proceeded so farre as it hath done That wee may bee able thus to quiet and secure our hearts in the providence of this mighty God 1. Let us never give our selves rest till wee be able through a lively faith to say with Gods people Psal. 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide and shepheard even unto death 2. Let us live in his feare and labour to please him in all our wayes For when a mans wayes please the Lord as the holy Ghost saith Prov. 16.7 hee maketh even his enemies to bee at peace with him Then may wee bee secure and void of feare though the times were much worse and our enemies many more and stronger then they are then may we say as David doth when his heart was made glad with the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.8 I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe also for thou Lord only makest mee to dwell in safety And so much shall suffice to bee spoken of the benefit wee receive by the worke of Gods restraining grace in the hearts of other men But yet in the worke of Gods restraining grace in our owne selves we have much more cause to admire the goodnes of God towards us By the former he hath provided for our outward security and safety in the world but by this hee doth procure and maintain the inward peace tranquilitie of our consciences For seeing as wee have heard wee are all of us by nature as bad as any other Wee are all by nature the children of wrath even as others as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 2.3 Wee have all of us still even after our regeneration the whole body of sin not one member of it wanting in us the seeds of all sins as appeareth plainly by that complaint of the Apostle Rom. 7 24. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death How commeth it to passe that wee are not in our lives as well as in our natures as bad as any others Surely the Lord by his restraining grace suffereth not all the corruption that is in our nature to breake forth in us as hee said to Abimelech Genesis 20.6 so may hee-say to every one of us I have kept thee that thou shouldst not sin against mee in these and these kinds Why but will you say this is true indeed of heathens and naturall men they are kept from sin by restraining grace but there is more in us that are regenerate then so we have sanctifying grace also I answere This is true and of that I shall speake in the next place but yet the best of Gods servants are much bound to him also
thy God to wrath in the wildernesse And to this end Moses spendeth a whole chapter Deut. 9. in calling to the peoples minds and bringing into their remembrance their old sins which he would never have done if he had not knowne this profitable and needfull for them that their repentance for them might bee oft renewed But further then the knowledge of our sins serveth for one of these foure ends it is no benefit it is a judgement and correction of God upon us Therefore it is threatned as a judgement to wicked men Psal. 50.21 I will reproove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Therefore Iob complaineth of it as of a judgement Iob 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the sins of my youth And Paul prayeth against it 2 Cor. 12.8 I grant indeed it is such a judgement and correction as God useth most to exercise them by that are dearest to him and seeth it to bee most necessary for them as is plaine by the example of Iob 13.26 and of Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 But herein his mercy appeareth that as it is said of all other corrections upon his Church Esa 27.8 In measure thou wilt debate with it so it is in this 1. The Lord doth not let any of us see all our sins but so many of them as he seeth will be sufficicient for us to see for our saving humiliation and repentance Dealing with us in this case as Balak did with Balaam Num. 23.13 Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them thou shalt not see them all And 2. those that he is pleased to discover to us he doth not let us feele the full weight of them nor let us fully see the loathsomnesse of them Oh if the Lord should breake up the sinke that is in every one of our hearts and let us fully discerne and feele how much filth is in them we were never able to abide our selves but should every one of us become a Magormissahib as Ieremy calleth Pashur Ier. 20.3 4. a terrour to our selves If the Lord should let us feele the full weight of our sins certainely we were never able to beare it but should be overwhelmed by it See this not only in the sin of Cain and Iudas that were castawayes Gen. 4.13 Mat. 27.5 but in the sins also of Gods own people Heare what David saith of his sin Ps. 38.4 It is a heavy burden too heavy for me to beare And heare what Paul saith of the incestuous person 2 Cor 2.7 he was in danger to bee swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 1. Thinke of this thou wretched man to whom many foule sins seeme as light as a feather drunkennesse swearing whoring c. when the Lord shall but let thee throughly to see what thou hast done when he shall lay but any one of these sins unto thy charge and cause thee to feele the full weight of it hee shall need to inflict no other punishment upon thee but even to let thee see feele what thou hast done Ier. 2 19. Thine owne wickednes shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee Wickednes will burne like the fire Esa. 9.18 Hell it selfe hath no greater torment then that And this thou hast cause to looke for and knowest not how soone Num. 32.23 Thou hast sinned against the Lord and be thou sure thy sin will find thee out 2. Let us therfore beloved acknowledge it for a mercy of God that he doth give us the sight and sense of our sins so farre forth as is necessary to our saving humiliation and repentance but let us acknowledge it for as great a mercy that hee doth not let us see and feele our sins to the full so as we should be overwhelmed by it Lecture LXIX On Psalme 51.5 Septemb 18. 1627. THe second thing wherein the admirable goodnes of God appeareth unto us is this If we could rightly weigh what we were by nature we would see just cause to wonder at the power and goodnesse of God in this that there should bee any truth of grace in any of us Let us consider this first in generall in the whole worke of our conversion and of that change that is wrought in our hearts by the grace and spirit of God Secondly In every particular act of grace that we do discerne in our selves And for the first wee shall find the Apostle maketh this use of the Doctrine of originall sinne Ephes. 2.4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead in sinnes hath quickened us together with Christ by grace yee are saved As if hee had said this was nothing but meere grace this argued the riches of Gods mercy the greatnesse of his love to doe this When the people beheld the mighty workes that Christ wrought in giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deafe and speech to the dumbe and life to the dead it is said they were all amazed at the mighty power of God Luke 9.43 and as it is said Matth. 9.8 they marvelled and glorified God And the party himselfe whom Christ had restored to sight admired the worke of God upon himselfe and said Iohn 9.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind But the worke that God hath wrought upon our hearts whom he hath converted and begun saving grace in is though not so sensible yet a farre greater demonstration of his power and goodnesse then any of those was and such as wee have much more cause to admire and glorifie God for Certainely it is as possible for a blackmore to change his skinne or a leopard his spots as the Prophet speaketh Ieremy 13.23 for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle as our Saviour saith Luke 18.25 as for us to have a change wrought in our hearts But blessed bee God that the thing which is impossible with men hath beene possible with God as our Saviour there speaketh Luke 18.27 This admirable power of God is sensible and apparant in the conversion of some men of such I meane as have beene prepared for their conversion with legall terrours such as having beene notorious sinners before have beene by some strong hand of God changed suddenly In the conversion of such as Paul was that of a bloudy persecutour was of a sudden made not onely a disciple but a zealous preacher also Where hee that was even now a Wolfe and a Leopard was so chaunged that hee dwelt with the Lambes and lay downe with the Kids as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 11.6 All men will bee apt to take notice of and to admire the power of God in the conversion of such a man as Paul saith of himselfe Galathians 1.24 that the Churches glorified God in him But the worke of Gods power in the conversion of most men of such as have beene bred in the Church and
now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 The master of the house hath not yet shut his doore upon thee but how soone it may bee shut thou knowest not Thirdly If this be so then let every one of us that feele any truth of grace wrought in our hearts rejoyce in our estate and magnifie the power and goodnesse of God towards us Indeed it behoveth us to try well whether we have it in truth 2 Cor. 13.5 and how that may be done you shall heare out of the next verse But if thou hast but the least measure of grace in truth thou hast just cause to rejoyce in this more then if God had made thee the greatest prince in the world Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal. 105.3 And the Apostle Iames 1.9 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted Whatsoever men thinke of thee or thou art apt to thinke of thy selfe he that cannot deceive thee hath pronounced of thee that if thou have but any one grace in truth thou art a blessed man happy art thou that ever thou wert borne If thou canst beleeve in Christ heare what he saith Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven As if he had said Thou hast more in thee then flesh and bloud If thou dost feare to displease God hearken what the Holy ghost saith of thee Psal. 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Nay if thou canst but unfeignedly desire to beleeve and to feare God remember this was all that Nehemiah could say of himselfe Neh. 1.11 that he desired to feare Gods name Remember what Christ pronounceth of thee Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled Nay if thou have but so much grace as to feele the want of grace and unfeignedly to bewaile it hearken what thy blessed Saviour saith of thy estate Matth. 5.3 4. Blessed are the poore in spirit Blessed are they that mourne for that poverty Make thy calling and conversion sure and thou hast made thine election sure as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 1.10 If thou have but the least grace in thee in truth thou hast Gods seale upon thee whereby hee hath marked and will owne thee for himselfe by the print and stampe of that seale According to that speech of the Apostle Ephes. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Wherefore let me say againe unto thee as I began in the words of David Psal. 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all yee that are upright in heart And 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord ô ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright O it is a seemely sight to see an upright hearted Christian cheerefull and comfortable Say not ô but I have so much corruption in me that I cannot take notice of nor rejoyce in any goodnesse that I have For 1 I bid thee not rejoyce in any corruption but dislike and bewaile it still but rejoyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 In the very same action thou maist have just matter of mourning in respect of the worke of thine owne corruption in it and of joy in respect of the worke of Gods grace in it Rejoyce in trembling Psal. 2.11 Regard not so much thine owne corruption as to neglect altogether the grace of God in thee 2. By how much the more corruption thou findest in thy selfe by so much the more cause hast thou to rejoyce in and to admire Gods mercy that to such a wretch as thou art he should give the grace to make conscience of any sin to do any duty in truth of desire to please God Wicked men thinke it strange as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4.4 that we do not as they doe that we run not with them into the same excesse of riot They thinke it strange yea impossible that any man should be in deed and truth so changed in heart as Gods people in their outward conversation would seeme to be they esteeme all profession of holinesse to be no better then hypocrisy and therefore speake evill of us But we that know our owne hearts have more cause to wonder at this our selves and to praise God for it Lecture LXXI On Psalme 51.5 October 2. 1627. THE third point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God appeareth unto us who are even by nature so vile as wee all are is in the worke of his confirming grace If wee could rightly weigh what our nature is and what a strength and power of corruption there remaineth still in the best of us we would see cause to wonder that any of us after we are converted and have some measure of saving grace begun in us should stand for any time We read in Scripture of a three-fold standing and in every one of these kinds every Christian hath cause to admire Gods power and goodnesse towards his soule 1. There is a standing in the faith and in the profession of the truth Of this the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15.1 I declare unto you the Gospell which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein yee stand 2 There is a standing in the state of grace and in a comfortable assurance and feeling of Gods favour Rom. 5.2 By Christ we have accesse by faith into the grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. There is a standing in a Christian course of life and conscionable practise of godlines This Epaphras begd of God for the Colossians Col. 4.12 That they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Now that any of us should bee able to stand stedfast and persevere any of these wayes that is to say either in foundnesse of judgement and profession of the truth or in the comfortable assurance of our salvation and of the favour of God or in a conscionable care to please God in our whole conversation is certainely a matter of greater wonder and admiration then the most of us doe conceive of This we would all easily discerne and acknowledge if we would but seriously consider of these foure points First what a world what an age and time we live in wherein by reason of the continuall discouragements goodnesse doth find every where and the manifold allurements and tentations unto evill by examples and other wayes wee have unto sinne it is as strange any of us should continue in the state of grace as it is for a man to keepe his health that liveth in a Towne where every house and every person and the very ayre it selfe is infected with the plague That which David saith of wicked men that live in the greatest prosperity Psalm 73.18 may truly bee said of all Gods children even of those whose soules
prosper and thrive most in grace Surely thou hast set them in slippery places Surely the times and places wee live in are so slippery as it is strange any of us should hold our feet or keep our selves from falling fearefully This made the Prophet complaine so Esa. 6.5 Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips As if hee had said My speech is too uncleane too prophane to bee a Prophet and how can it choose but be so I dwell saith he in the midst of a people of uncleane lips Secondly Consider what the malice and subtilty and power of Satan our enemy is and wee shall see just cause to wonder that any of us should bee able to continue in the state of grace for any time When our first parents were created after the image of God in holinesse and true righteousnesse his eye was evill toward them hee could not endure they should continue in that blessed estate for any time And his envy and malice is still the same towards any in whom he seeth this image renewed he cannot rest till he have defaced it againe as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 12.43 When the uncleane spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry places seeking rest and findeth none And the old Serpent hath a thousand waies to worke his owne ends in this Yea his envie and malice is most bent upon them whom he discerneth the greatest measure of grace in Sathan hath desired to have you saith Christ to Peter of himselfe and all the elect Apostles Luke 22.31 that he may sift you as wheat And there is no faithfull soule that observeth himselfe well but he may oft say of this his enemy as David did of his Psal. 118.13 Thou hast thrust sore at me that I might fall but the Lord helped me This made the Apostle so jealous and fearefull of the Thessalonians that made so great proceedings in grace 1 Thess. 3 5. he sent Timothy to them to confirme them lest by some meanes the tempter might have tempted them and his labour amongst them should have beene in vaine Thirdly Consider how fearefully many others have fallen some to scandalous and foule sins some to popery and other heresies some to profanesse some to worldlinesse some to an utter hatred of all religion that were once farre before us in knowledge and profession of zeale and piety How many there be in whom we may see that fulfilled which our Saviour speaketh Matth. 19.30 Many that were the first the forwardest in their love to the Word and in every good duty are now become the last the backwardest of all others How many there be that with the dog are fallen againe to the vomit that once they had cast up and with the sow lie wallowing in that mire that once they were washed from as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2 22. And shall we not then see cause to wonder that our selves have been preserved in the state of grace thus long When we have seene so many to fall on our left hand and so many on our right hand as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme 91.7 have wee not cause to wonder that our selves stand still in any measure of uprightnesse and truth of heart But fourthly and lastly The greatest cause of all that we have to wonder at our perseverance is the state of grace is the consideration of the naughtinesse and corruption of our owne hearts For if we had better hearts of our owne then other men have had or were better by nature then they it were nothing strange that we should stand when they have fallen that we should overcome all those tentations of Satan and the world that other have bin so foiled by But alas if we know our owne hearts well if we have well observed this Doctrine of originall sinne as it hath beene delivered unto us we cannot but acknowledge we have as bad hearts as any other have had 1. We are by nature as weake as water as unable to stand against the strength of those mighty enemies we are daily in danger of and have cause to cry with Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 We have no might to withstand this great company that commeth against us 2. We have no corruption in us that we are more strongly inclined unto then to inconstancy in goodness and pronesse to decline and fall away from God to be quickly weary of well doing In respect whereof the best of us have cause to complaine of our selves as the Lord doth of Ephraim Hos. 6.4 Our goodnesse is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away This people is of a revolting heart saith the Lord of Israel Ier. 5.23 And none of us all are any better then they were in that point 3. There is such a deale of corruption remaining still in every one of our hearts of pride and infidelity and hypocrisie and malice and worldlinesse that it is certainely as great a miracle that grace should live and grow and continue in such hearts as ours are as to see a candle or fire continue burning in the water That this fire of God that came downe from heaven should burne in water as that did that consumed Elias sacrifice that lay soked in such abundance of water so as the water ran round about the altar and the trench was also filled with water as we read 1 King 18.35 38. this is doubtlesse the wonderfull and miraculous worke of God onely Our Saviour tells us Mar. 4.19 That the cares of the world and lusts of other things will choake the Word and make it unfruitfull And what heart of all ours is there that hath not in it these cares of the world and lusts of other things And is it not then strange that any grace should live and grow in us and not be quite choked with all these thornes The nature of sinne is to grieve the spirit of God and to quench grace If he see any uncleane thing in thee saith the Lord to his people Deut. 23.14 he will turne away from thee And is it not then strange that the spirit of grace should abide in us and not forsake us utterly in whose hearts he seeth so much uncleannesse as he doth in every one of us That he that once said Gen. 6.3 My spirit shall not alwaies strive with man for that he also is flesh should yet strive with us though we be flesh And whereunto then shall we ascribe this that any of us do persevere in the state of grace Surely to the Lord alone The admirable worke of God is to be acknowledged in this that the best of us have not fallen totally and finally long before now First His admirable power is the cause of this For nothing but a divine power could uphold us against such enemies and such assaults as we are subject to Be strong in the Lord saith the Apostle Ephes. 6.10.12 and in the power of his might For we wrestle against
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
every mans conscience and men shall bee judged according to the things that are written in those bookes according to their workes Every mans owne booke his owne conscience will plead for God against himselfe at that day At that day it will appeare that not the Lord but every wicked man himselfe is the onely cause of his owne destruction that he is not saved because he had no desire nor will to bee saved hee did not his endeavour nor what lay in him to come to grace and salvation that the Lord was not wanting to him this way but he was wanting to himselfe In that day the Lord will say to every wicked man as hee saith to Ierusalem Matth. 22.37 O wretched man and woman how oft would I have gathered thee but thou wouldst not How oft would I have converted thee what meanes of grace did I give unto thee how often have I shewed my selfe willing by such and such a Sermon by such and such an affliction to have changed thy heart but thou wouldst not Certainely all wicked men perish wilfully they perish because they will perish they have no desire to be saved Why will ye die O house of Israel saith the Lord Ezek. 33.11 As if he had said Ye die because ye will die Now that men do perish thus wilfully that they have no true desire nor will to be saved appeareth evidently by these foure things that may be observed in them First They will use no meanes nor take any paines to escape damnation to obtaine grace and to get to heaven as they would doe to escape any great danger they desire to avoid or to obtaine any good thing they desire to have Salvation is farre from the wicked saith David Psal. 119.155 how should they come by it for they kept not thy statutes As if he had said They will not use the meanes nor labour to get it Secondly When they may have the meanes to bring them to grace and salvation without any labour or charge to them they flâ—ight and neglect them they account them rather a burden and trouble then any benefit or blessing unto them they shew no desire to them but say in their hearts to God as those wretches did of whom we reade Iob 21.24 Depart from me for wee desire not the knowledge of thy waies Thirdly When the Lord doth sometimes by his Word sometimes by his judgements force them to have some thoughts of heaven some good motions and desires they resist the spirit of God therein as Stephen saith the Iewes did Acts 7.51 They hold the truth in unrighteousnesse as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1.18 They violently withstand and oppose these good motions and will not yeeld to them Fourthly and lastly which is the root of all the rest They doe in their hearts basely esteeme of and despise grace and salvation and the meanes thereof and preferre any trifle before them And as it is said of Gallio the profane deputy Act. 8.17 he cared for none of those things so may it be said of them the matter of religion and of their salvation is the least of their care when they have nothing els to doe or thinke of then they will thinke of heaven So that as it is said of Esau that he despised his birth-right Gen 25.34 because he sold it for one morsell of meat for one meales meat as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.16 so may it be truly said of all wicked that they despise grace and salvation because there be so many trifles that they preferre before it And so the Holy Ghost expressely speaketh Pro. 11.33 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his owne soule So that it is evident you see that every wicked man is utterly inexcusable he perisheth justly because he perisheth wilfully he hath no desire at all no will to be saved but an utter aversnesse and unwillingnesse to go to heaven or to walke in the way that leadeth thither Now if any man shall object against this and say How can this be seeing the spirit speaketh expressely in the holy Scriptures 1. That man hath by nature no freedome of will to any thing that is good but is dead in trespasses and sinnes as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 2.1 He cannot desire to have grace or to be saved no more then a dead man can desire to live nay he cannot accept of Gods grace when it is offered 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him he cannot choose but be unwilling and averse from good things 2. That the matter of mans salvation dependeth wholly not upon the will of man but upon the will and free grace of God as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.16 It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth this matter dependeth neither upon the desire of man nor upon any endeavour neither that he can use but of God that sheweth mercy And verse 18. He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth And he worketh all things according to the counsell of his owne will saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.11 3. Gods grace is irresistible and able to overcome and subdue this unwillingnesse and aversenesse that is in our nature God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham as Iohn Baptist speaketh Matth. 3.9 And that in these three respects it should seeme that the wicked man is not the cause of his own destruction but the Lord rather To this I answer First That the Lord is not the cause why man is by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes but himselfe onely he killed himselfe and deprived himselfe of this spirituall life the Lord did it not God requireth nothing of man for not doing whereof the condemneth him but he made him well able to doe it God made man upright saith the Holy Ghost Eccl. 7.29 not the first man but man indefinitely mankind God made man upright And as in Adam all men were made upright so in Adam all men voluntarily and unconstrainedly sinned as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.12 killed themselves lost this spirituall life So that even in this respect that standeth good which you heard out of Hos. 13.9 O man thou hast destroyed thy selfe Secondly Though God be able to restore to every wicked man this spirituall life againe and to quicken him by his grace yet is he not bound to do it he doth no man wrong if he doe it not Is it not lawfull for me saith the Lord Mat. 20.15 to doe what I will with mine owne Who hath first given to him saith the Apostle Rom. 11.35 who hath made God a debter to him and it shall be recompensed to him againe Thirdly Though every naturall man be dead in trespasses and sinnes so as he can doe nothing that is spiritually good and pleasing unto God nothing that hee can save himselfe by Yet may every naturall man doe much more then he doth to
to be good for thee he will be a sheild to thee when the evill day shall come In the time of trouble he will hide thee in his pavillion as David speaketh Ps. 27.5 When a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand and at thy right hand as the Prophet speaketh Ps 91.7 he can so hide thee that the judgement shall not touch thee Thus he did hide diverse when he sent his destroying Angell to smite the city and other parts of the land with the pestilence and thus he can hide thee when he shall send his destroying Angell to smite our land with the bloudy sword if it please him Nay thus he will hide thee if he shall see that good for thee he will be a sheild unto thee Pro. 2.7 He is a buckler to them that walke uprightly But if he will not be a sheild he will certainely be a sunne unto thee he wil be a comforter to thee in that day Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darknesse saith the Prophet Psal. 112.4 As when there was palpable darkenesse in all the land of Egypt all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Exod. 10.23 So in times of greatest misery and perplexity that shall come upon the land certainely God will be a sunne to them that walke uprightly to the upright there shall arise light in darkenesse they shall find comfort in God even in that day yea more then then ever before Thus you have seene how God will doe good to them that are upright in heart in outward things But that is not all he will be better to them then so he will do good to them also in spiritual things Three speciall blessings of this kind hee hath promised them First Such shall never fall away nor loose his favour and grace O continue thy loving kindnesse saith the Prophet Psal. 36.10 and a propheticall prayer hath the nature of a promise as I told you before unto them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart And Psal. 112.6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever Thou art oft much disquieted with the feare of this that thou shalt never be able to hold out to the end thou fearest that thou maist fall that thou shalt fall before thou dyest labour to be upright in heart and God will continue his loving kindnesse unto thee he will love thee to the end surely thou shalt never be moved Though the seed was lost upon all the other three sorts of hearers though they all fell away and lost those beginnings of grace they had received yet he that had an honest and good heart as our Saviour speaketh Luke 8.15 he kept it If thy heart be not â—ound thou that makest profession of the truth with greatest forwardnesse and zeale maist become a Papist before thou diest and a persecuter of that truth which thou now professest and thou that seemest to be most reformed and sanctified in thy life maist prove a most profane and debaushed man The Prophet speaking of those Israelites that perished in the wildernesse who though they had made a most zealous profession as you may read Deut. 5.27 Speake thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speake unto thee and wee will heare it and doe it yet afterward became some of them grosse Idolaters some of them beastly adulterers the Prophet I say giveth the reason of this Psal. 78.37 why they were not more stedfast in his covenant for their heart saith he was not right with him and verse 8. They were a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God even then when they made the best shewes their heart was never right Thou canst not be sure to be preserved from any sinne how foule soever it be and how much soever thy heart seemeth now to abhorre it pay thou shalt be sure to fall fearefully one way or other if thy heart be not upright 2 Chron. 12.14 He did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord that was the cause of all Rehoboams lewdnesse he professed the true religion and made excellent shewes of goodnesse for three yeares 2 Chron. 11.17 but he fell fearefully hee had no care of his heart his heart was never right The Apple that is rotten at the Core though it seeme never so beautifull will quickly putrifie and so will every professour that is unsound at the heart But if thy heart be upright feare not certainely thou shalt hold out and persevere to the end Secondly Such as are upright in heart shall have strength given them of God to endure any tryall he shall be pleased to bring them unto The eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.9 run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him When thou thinkest of the fiery triall that all Gods people may be brought unto thou tremblest much and fearest that so weake a wretch as thou art shall never be able to endure it But looke thou to thy heart that that be upright and sound and certainely though thou be so weake God will shew himselfe strong in thee when that triall shall come What a measure of strength and courage shall we find in the booke of Martyrs that a number of weake and simple women and children did shew in the time of that fiery triall More a great deale it is to be feared then would bee found now if the like triall should come Wee have much more knowledge now then they had but they had better hearts then we have Feare not thine owne weaknesse if thy heart be upright For as it is not any strength that is in thee that can make thee stand in such a triall In his owne might shall no man be strong saith Anna in her song 1 Sam. 2.9 if ever we be strong at such a time it must be in the Lord onely and in the power of his might as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6.10 so the sense we have of our owne weakenesse is no hinderance to the Lords strengthening of us but a furtherance unto it rather His power is made perfect in weakenesse 2 Cor. 12.9 As if he had said it useth to shew it selfe most in them that have most sense of their owne weakenesse Out of weakenesse saith the Apostle of the Martyrs in the time of Antiochus Hebrewes 11.34 they were made strong Thirdly and lastly Such as are upright in heart shall be sure to have a comfortable issue and a joyfull deliverance out of all their tentations Marke the perfect man saith David Ps 3â— 37 and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Thou art oft subject to grievous tentations and spirituall desertions that maketh thy life wearisome and burdensome unto thee Thy well-beâ—oved is gone thou hast no sense of Gods favour Thou art apt to say with Zion Esa 49.14
he that doth not heartily desire this did never yet know how to pray aright Now if any of us doe indeed pity the estate of wicked men and desire that they may bee saved let us then pray and procure for them so farre as in us lyeth that they may have the meanes of knowledge For this is the way yea this is the onely way to bring them unto salvation God will have all men saith the Apostle 1 Timothy 2.4 that is some of all sorts of men for that phrase cannot bee properly meant of any that shall perish God will have all men to bee saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if hee had said Looke whom God will have to bee saved them hee will bring to the knowledge of the truth So when the Church maketh so fervent a prayer unto God for the conversion of all nations Psalm 67 3 5. shee prefixeth this as the meanes whereby that was to be effected and brought to passe verse 1 2. God be mercifull unto us to the whole catholique Church to the whole number and company of his Elect for so that prayer is to bee understood God bee mercifull unto us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us that thy way may bee knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all nations As if shee had said This is the greatest mercy and blessing the greatest fruit of Gods speciall favour unto a people when hee giveth them the meanes whereby they may know his wayes how to serve and please him and his saving health how to attaine unto the eternall salvation of their owne soules and till this mercy bee vouchsafed to them as appeareth by the coherence of the third verse with these two men can never praise God nor worship him aright This is the greatest outward fruit of Gods mercy and goodnesse towards men of all others when hee giveth them able and faithfull teachers to bring them unto knowledge As the Apostle also teacheth us Ephes. 4.8 When Christ ascended up on high and led captivitie captive went up in his triumph after he had conquered Satan upon the crosse he gave gifts unto men And what were those gifts which that great King and conqerour at such a time when hee would expresse his bounty to the full did bestow upon men Surely they are expressed verse 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers As if he had said He gave able ministers unto his Church as the greatest outward gift that he had to bestow upon them And as this is the greatest outward worke of mercy and love in God towards man so is it certainly the greatest worke of mercy and charity in man towards man to provide for them the meanes of sound knowledge and instruction The Papists glory much of their good workes and thinke they have therein a great advantage against us And if their religion were indeed more fruitfull in good works then ours is they had a just and great advantage against us for you shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7.16 But what are the workes whereby they teach men they may merit most at Gods hands Surely to give largely to the Church To what end Was it to provide thereby that the people might bee taught and instructed how to know God and to worship him aright No no the whole endeavour of their Church hath beene to take from men the key of knowledge as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 11.5 2. that is the meanes of knowledge whereby as by a key men are to have their entrance into the kingdome of heaven all that was given to their Church wherein as their fore-fathers the Pharisees did they teach men to put such confidence was to maintaine a sort of idle fellowes to say masses and sing dirges for their soules And what goodnesse I pray you was there in these workes No no blessed bee the Lord our God the Papists have no just cause of glorying against the Gospell in this behalfe For though we have too many amongst us whom the Lord hath greatly blessed with worldly wealth that neither in their life nor at their death doe honour God with their substance as the holy Ghost telleth us Prov. 3.9 they are bound to doe and that even with the first fruits of all their increase As if hee had said God should have the first part of all Though wee have many I say that are too strait-handed and hearted this way that being of great ability give nothing to God or at least nothing proportionable unto their estates that when they make their wills and find they have hundreds and thousands to dispose of yet never thinke of God give nothing to speake of unto pious uses all is too little they thinke for their children and kindred And shall their children and kindred prosper the better for this thinke you when God is robbed of his part No no the sentence of God shall stand which hee pronounceth of the man that is bountifull in the workes of charity Psalm 37.26 Hee is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed his children shall bee never the poorer for that Though wee have I say too many such of our profession yet is not this the fault of our religion our religion teacheth the necessity of such good workes as much as Popery doth this is onely the fault of these carnall and worldly minded professours of our religion having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 these are spots in our Church as the Apostle speaketh Iude 12. they blemish and shame our religion But though wee have too many such yet is it thanks bee to God notorious to the world that the Gospell hath beene more fruitfull in all sorts of good workes that have beene good workes indeed then ever popery was More hath bin given in this land within these threescore yeeres to the building and increase of hospitals of Colledges and other schooles of good learning and to such like works as are truly charitable then were in any one hundred yeeres during all the time and reigne of popery But this is a good worke passing all other wherein the Gospell glorieth and triumpheth against popery that the Gospell hath made men carefull and liberall to provide for the soules of Gods people to provide meanes of knowledge and sound instruction for them That there have beene so many good Lectures founded of late That there hath bin such care taken and cost bestowed for the redeeming of Impropriations restoring of them to the Church That even in this last Session of Parliament there was so earnest endeavour used by the state and God be mercifull unto them that were the hinderers of so honourable and pious a worke that out of every impropriation in the land there should bee so much taken as might make a competent maintenance for an able teacher These these
and publique assemblies count your selves happy men 2. Resolve with your selves as David doth Psal. 23.6 that you will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever you will never live where you may not frequent Gods house where you may not enjoy the comfort of a sound ministery 3. While ye enjoy this blessing make your best use of it When the Apostle had said Iames 1.18 Of his owne will begat he us with the word of truth As if he had said That saving grace that is in any of us was wrought in us by the ministery of the Word He inferreth verse 19. Wherefore my beloved brethren Let every man be swift to heare For who can tell how soone this blessed liberty will have an end And though I cannot say to you as our Saviour did to the Iewes Iohn 12.35 Yet a little while is the light with you I cannot certainely say you shall enjoy it but a little while yet his next words I may boldly apply to you Walke while ye have the light lest darknesse come upon you Make your best use of this ordinance of God while ye have it lest ye be deprived of it before you be aware The foure other meanes whereby saving knowledge is to bee attained I will but name onely because of the time The fourth meanes to come to this knowledge by is the reading of good bookes and of the holy Scriptures especially As is evident by the commandement given to the King not onely for the private reading of it Deut. 17.19 but also for the publique reading of it unto all the people Deut. 31.11 12. and the reason given for the commandement in both places Fiftly Meditation and serious thinking and considering with our selves of that which we have heard and read is a speciall meanes to breed knowledge and without it indeed neither hearing nor reading will doe us much good I have more understanding saith David Psal. 119.99 then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation Sixtly Conference and making use of other mens gifts and moving our doubts to such as are able to resolve us would also much increase our knowledge and settle our judgements in the truth This was the course that Christs Disciples by his direction no doubt tooke for the increase of their knowledge Iohn 16.17 19. first to conferre among themselves of that which they heard and then also to move their doubts to Christ himselfe Seventhly and lastly Prayer is a principall meanes to make all other meanes of knowledge effectuall to doe us good Pro. 2.3 5 6. If thou cryest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice to God he meaneth for understanding Then shalt thou understand the feare of the Lord and find the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth wisedome out of his mouth commeth knowledge and understanding The use of reproofe I purposely omit because the summe of it is intermingled with this use of exhortation Lecture CI. On Psalme 51.6 October 28. 1628. WE have heard that in these words there be three principall things to be observed 1. The discription that David maketh here of his owne conversion and regeneration In the hidden part he had knowne wisedome that is his mind was enlightned with the sound and saving knowledge of Gods true religion of the right way how to serve God and to save his owne soule 2. Who was the authour and worker of this his true conversion of this saving knowledge that he had attained to In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. And lastly The end and purpose David had in mentioning the truth of his conversion in this place and that was to aggravate the heinousnesse of his sin by the consideration of it The first of these three points we finished the last day and now it followeth that we proceed unto the second of them Now therefore we are to observe that David calling to mind here the estate he was in before he fell into these sins that he was a regenerate man hee had truth of sanctifying grace in him hee was inlightned with the saving knowledge of the truth he mentioneth and that purposely and with an emphasis and vigorous and strong expression of his mind in this point who wrought this conversion and truth of grace this saving knowledge in him In the hidden part thou hast made me to know wisedome And from hence this Doctrine doth naturally arise for our instruction That the conversion of a man even the bringing of him unto saving knowledge is to be ascribed onely unto God and to the mighty worke of his grace Two branches you see there are of the Doctrine that must bee distinctly handled 1. That any man is truly converted it is to be ascribed onely unto God 2. That any man hath attained to so much as to the sound and saving knowledge of the truth it is to be ascribed unto the Lord onely yea both these are to bee ascribed to the mighty worke of Gods grace In the hidden part thou hast made me to know wisedome For the first We shall see the truth of it confirmed to us in both the causes of the conversion of a man Every man that is converted ordinarily hath both an outward and an inward calling Outward by the Word in the ministery of Gods servants of which our Saviour speaketh Matth. 20.16 Many be called but few chosen And even this calling is necessary by the ordinance of God to the conversion of every man that shall be saved as is plaine by the Apostles speach Rom. 10.14 How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard And how shall they heare without a preacher Then there is an inward calling also by the spirit of God without which no man can bee converted Of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them hee also called and whom hee called them hee also justified Now the glory of both these is due to the Lord alone nothing in either of them unto man himselfe For the first You shall see it made evident unto you in three points 1. The meanes of grace that are sufficient to convert a man are Gods gift and no man can have them but by his speciall favour 2. This is no common gift and such as God vouchsafeth to all men to have sufficient meanes of grace and conversion vouchsafed unto them 3. This is a free gift of God and such as no man can deserve any way at the hands of God First Of God onely it is that any man doth enjoy the outward meanes of grace the sound ministery of the Word I know God useth meanes in bringing the ministery of his Word to any people as hee doth also in all other the ordinary workes of his providence but in this the Lord himselfe hath a speciall hand more then in other ordinary workes of his providence hee hath Of this the Lord speaketh as of a speciall gift of his Ieremy 3.15 I will
it was God alone that begot us by it This made that Convert mentioned 1 Corinthians 14.24 25. when hee had felt in the hearing of Gods Prophets and Ministers the searching and piercing power of the Word in his heart to fall downe on his face and to worship God and to professe God is in you of a truth As if he had said Certainely God is in your ministery it is not in the words that I have heard you speake nor in your manner of uttring and delivering of them that my heart hath beene so mightily wrought upon but in the divine power of God that speaketh in and by you So the Apostle telleth the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13.3 it was Christ that spake in him who to them-word was not weake but was mighty in them As if he should say It was not I nor any thing that I said when I preached to you but Christ that spake in me that was so mighty in your hearts to convert them But then from hence there ariseth a second Question What Is the Word and the ministery thereof in it selfe but as a dead instrument or toole that God worketh by Is it but as a truncke through which Christ speaketh Is there no more vertue and power then so in the Word it selfe My answer to this Question must have two parts For 1. I must shew you what vertue and power the Word hath in it selfe 2. What vertue and power it hath not For the first It cannot be denied but that there is some vertue and power in the Word it selfe and in the ministery thereof For First There are in the Word most strong and effectuall arguments to move and perswade men both unto repentance and unto faith It setteth before men life and death blâ—ssing and cursing as Moses speaketh Deut. 30.19 And Agrippa was almost perswadad to be a Christian by hearing of that which Paul spake concerning Christ Acts 26.28 Secondly Some doctrines that Gods Ministers teach out of Gods Word are more effectuall to perswade and move and worke upon the affections then other some are Which maketh the Apostle give speciall charge both to Timothy and to Titus also for teaching and pressing some Doctrines above others These things command and teach saith he 1 Tim. 4.11 and Tit. 2.15 These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authority Thirdly and lastly There is much force this way even in the manner of handling and delivering of the Word Some of Gods servants are men of so excellent gifts such as Apollos was said to have beene Acts 18.24 25. so eloquent men and mighty in the Scriptures and fervent in spirit that no man almost can heare them but he must needs understand them and be affected with that that they teach But the second part of my answer to this second Question is That the power to convert the soule of any man lieth neither in the excellency of any teachers gifts no not in the Doctrine and Word of God it selfe but in the spirit of God onely that worketh by these meanes And thus the Apostle who had said as you have heard that he was the Corinthians father he had begotten them to Christ they were his worke interpreteth himselfe in other places He ascribeth all the power that was in his ministery though both his doctrine doubtlesse and his manner of deliuering it his ministeriall gifts were most excellent yet he ascribeth all I say to the worke of Gods spirit onely My preaching was saith he 1 Cor. 2.4 in demonstration of the spirit and of power As if he had said It was such as the power of the spirit was evidently to be seene and felt in it all the power that it had was from the spirit And 2 Cor. 4.7 he saith that the excellency of that power that was in his and his fellow Apostles ministery was wholly of God and not of them The weapons of our warfare saith he 2 Cor. 10 4. are mighty through God As if he had said All that mighty power that is in our ministery to pull downe strong holds and cast downe imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ is from God alone Yea he professeth in another place that he durst not for his life ascribe any thing to himselfe in this worke of converting men to God by his ministery I will not dare saith he Rom. 15.18 to speake of any thing which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentiles obedient both in word and deed As if he had said That the Gentiles that heard me were brought to that obedience and reformation God forbid I should say or thinke it was my doing I dare not for a world say so No no it was Christ and hee alone that did worke it by me as by his poore instrument Nay when he had said 1 Cor. 3.6 that he as an Apostle and master workman had planted and Apollos as an Evangelist and under workman had watered the plants that he had set he addeth not onely that it was God that gave the increase all the successe and fruit of their labours was from God alone but he addeth further verse 7. so then neither is he that planteth any thing nor hee that watereth but God that giveth the increase As though he should say As excellent as the gifts of these men were they did nothing in this worke the whole glory of it was to be â— given unto the Lord alone And thus have you seene the first point I propounded confirmed unto you that it is of God onely that the meanes of grace become effectuall unto the conversion of any man And now let us come to the second point which I propounded unto you for the proofe of the Doctrine This worke of Gods spirit in making the meanes of grace effectuall in them that enjoy them is no common worke This powerfull and effectuall grace is not given of God to every man to profit by the Word unto his conversion For first It is expressely said of some Iohn 6.41 45. that this was the cause why they profited not by Christs ministery but murmured against him and his Doctrine because his father did not draw them because they were not taught of God And Iohn 12.38 They beleeved not that the saying of Esaias the Prophet might be fufilled which he spâ—ke Lord who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed 1. The arme of the Lord was not revealed to them no not in Christs ministery the mighty spirit of God did not work with the Word in their hearts 2. That was the cause why they did not beleeve and profit by the Word 3. That the onely cause why they were not converted was not because they would not themselves but because the Lord did not give them that grace whereby they should be converted Secondly It is expressely said that Gods intent and
purpose in giving his Word to some is that some should be made inexcusable by it When the Lord sent the Prophet Ezekiel to preach he did not absolutely intend in sending him that all to whom he should preach should profit by him for hee telleth and assureth him of the contrary Ezek. 3.7 The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto me for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted What was the Lords intent then in sending him unto them That is expressed Ezek. 2.5 Yet they shall know that there hath beene a Prophet among them As if he had said To make them without excuse to make their condemnation more just the Lord sent his Word unto them So when our Saviour saith Matth. 24.14 that before the destruction of Ierusalem the Gospell should be preached in all the world hee declareth that the intent of God in sending his Apostles to preach to all nations was for a witnesse to all nations that is to make them without excuse And our Saviour himselfe speaking of his owne ministery saith Iohn 9.39 For judgement am I come into this world not onely that those that see not might see but also that they which see might be made blind Thirdly and lastly It is expressely said that this grace of Gods spirit whereby men are made to profit by the meanes to repent and beleeve is peculiar and proper to the elect of God and not common to all men As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved saith the Holy Ghost Acts 13.48 And Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them hee also called that is to say with an inward and effectuall calling And 11.7 The election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded And thus you have seene also the second point proved that every man to whom God giveth the ministery of the Word hath not so powerfull and effectuall grace given him as whereby he shall be converted Now let us come to the third and last point I propounded for the proofe of the Doctrine namely That the worke of Gods spirit whereby he maketh the meanes of grace effectuall to the conversion of any is most free it proceedeth meerely from Gods free grace and good pleasure The sonne quickneth whom hee will and whom he will he hardeneth Of his owne will saith the Apostle Iam. 1.18 begate he us by the word of truth So when our Saviour fell into an admiration at the worke of God in this case that he should hide the mysteries of his kingdome from the wisest men in the world and reveale them to babes Luke 10.21 hee could find no other reason of it but onely the good pleasure of God Even so ô father saith hee for so it seemed good in thy sight The conversion of a man you see dependeth wholly on the will and good pleasure of God upon the will of man it dependeth not at all They that beleeve in Christ saith the Evangelist Iohn 1.13 are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This will appeare clearely to us in two points First Nothing that is in man before his conversion can moove or procure God to convert him Hee hath called us with an holy calling saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 1.9 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace Even when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes hee quickened us saith the Apostle Ephesians 2.5 and addeth these words upon it By grace yee are saved As if hee should thus say Nothing but Gods free grace could bee the cause of the conversion of a man that had no goodnesse in him to move God to it but was dead in trespasses and sinnes Secondly Nothing that is in man before his conversion can hinder Gods worke in his conversion True it is the best of Gods Elect have beene apt to draw backe and to resist Gods grace in the worke of their conversion and even of them the Lord may complaine as Rom 10.21 All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gaine-saying people But when God is pleased to convert them hee doth by his grace overcome this rebellion that is in their will that they resist no longer Yet doth hee not convert any man against his will nor force the will of man to obey his call but hee changeth the will of man and taketh from it that frowardnesse and rebelliousnesse that was in it by nature and maketh it heartily willing to yeeld unto God I will take the stony heart out of them saith the Lord Ezek. 11.19 and will give them an heart of flesh God worketh in us to will of his good pleasure saith the Apostle Phil. 2.13 This may fitly bee resembled by the change that God wrought in the heart of Esau toward his brother Iacob Esaus heart and will was most strongly bent against Iacob he came against him with a great power and with a most cruell mind Genesis 32.6 yet when hee met him hee had no power to hurt him what was the cause of this Did God by force restraine him or bind him from hurting Iacob No verily God changed his will and heart that he was naturally affected towards him Gen 33.4 Hee ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his necke and kissed him and wept in kindnesse over him And even so is it in this case The Lord in converting of a man doth not onely perswade him by effectuall arguments out of the word to repent and turne to God nor onely give a man so much grace as hee may bee able to repent and turne to God if hee wiâ—l himselfe but hee doth also infuse and worke the grace of repentance in him hee doth so change his will that hee doth most willingly repent and obey the call of God A new heart will I give you saith the Lord Ezechiel 36.26 27. and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my judgements and doe them And so saith the Apostle of Christ Act. 5.31 God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour not onely to perswade men to repent or to give them power to repent if they would themselves but to give repentance unto Israel to infuse this grace into them and to worke this change in their hearts So that you see the worke of mans conversion is wholly to bee ascribed to the grace of God to his will and good pleasure not to the naturall will of man at all It lyeth not in man either to further or absolutely to hinder it In which respect we shall find it is compared to the worke of creation 2 Cor. 5.17 and to the worke of raising men from death Iohn 5.25 and to the worke of generation Iohn 3.5 And what use had man of his owne will in any of these works What power
Prophet telleth us Zach. 4.7 that when the temple which was a type of the spirituall house and Church of God should be built by Zerubbabel this should be the generall acclamation of al Gods people they should shout and cry grace grace unto it As though he had said They should praise God and ascribe the beginning the proceeding and the perfecting of Gods house this whole spirituall building to the grace of God alone and to nothing els By grace ye are saved saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.5 and not contenting himselfe to have said so once hee saith it againe and saith it most emphatically verse 8 9. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gâ—â—t of God not of workes lest any man should boast Marke three points in this Doctrine which the Apostle doth thus earnestly presse upon Gods people 1. Hee contenteth not himselfe to say Wee are saved by grace but he addeth not by workes What needed this superfluity of speech may some say O he knew there were then and ever would bee in the Church erroneous spirits that would seeme to ascribe much to grace in this worke of mans salvation and yet they wouâ—d give somewhat also unto workes somewhat unto that man himselfe being helped a little by Gods grace is able to do Now therefore he opposeth the one to the other the one quite excludeth the other If by grace then not by workes saith he Rom. 11.6 otherwise grace is no grace As if he had said ascribe never so little to workes to that that a man himselfe is able to doe as any cause of his salvation and ye renounce Gods grace utterly Whatsoever glorious words you give of Gods grace you doe indeed and effect denie you are saved by grace 2. Observe that he addeth Not of our selves Our selves have no hand at all in this worke as of our selves all is to be ascribed unto Gods grace 3. He giveth this for the reason why God would not have us to be saved by our workes but by faith onely why he so ordained that we our selves should have no hand at all in this worke but all should be of grace lest any man should boast The same reason he giveth of that marvellous liberty God is pleased to use in the calling and conversion of men in giving the meanes of conversion and grace to profit by them to such as are most unworthy and unlikely and denying it to others that are more worthy more likely men 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flesh should glory in his presence And verse 31. this is given for the reason why Christ is made unto us of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption all in all that he that glorieth might glory in the Lord. God cannot abide that any flesh should glory in his presence that any matter of boasting or glorying should bee given unto man His maine drift in his Word and workes is to abase man to pull downe his pride to make him even to despaire in himselfe and on the other side to advance and magnifie the glory of his owne free grace Hee that glorieth let him glory in the Lord saith he and in him alone Wee are the circumcision saith the Apostle Phil. 3.3 that rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh They onely are the true Israel of God that make Christ the onely ground and matter of their joy and comfort and renounce all confidence all ground of hope and comfort in themselves or in any thing they are able to doe Thirdly and lastly This is the best rule and note to try all doctrines and religions by This is given by our blessed Saviour as a sure note and rule to try all teachers and doctrines by Iohn 7.18 Hee that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory humane doctrines doe all tend one way or other to the glory of man to the advancing of him but he that seeketh his glory that sent him is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him As if hee should say That teacher that in his Doctrine giveth no glory to man at all but all unto God alone hee is the onely true teacher that is the onely true Doctrine and religion of God So the Apostle proveth the Doctrine of justification by works to be a false Doctrine and that of justification by faith onely to be a true doctrine by this argument Rom. â— 27 Where is boasting then It is excluded saith he By what law or Doctrine By workes No but by the law or Doctrine of faith As if he should have said That doctrine that doth excluâ—e and shut out all matter of boasting of rejoycing or comfort in himselfe but onely in the Lord that must needs bee the true doctrine of God that that leaveth unto man any matter of boasting at all that must needs bee an earthly and false Doctrine Let us now make some application of these three points 1. Vnto such erroneous and false teachers as trouble and oppose this doctrine 2. Vnto our selves For the first There are two sorts of false teachers that doe most oppose this doctrine the Papist I meane and the Pelagian Both these doe in their Doctrine derogate from the grace of God they give unto man some part of the glory of his own salvation they leave unto man some matter of boasting and glorying before God and therefore their Doctrine must needs be a false and damnable doctrine Of the Papist this will easily be beleeved their doctrine of justification by workes of merit of satisfaction to be made by our selves unto God for our sins either in this life or in purgatory their doctrine of works of supererogation proveth them so palpably to be adversaries of the grace of God thaâ— I shall not need to spend any more time in confuting of them But Pelagius and his followers of old do in words some times seeme to ascribe much to Gods grace in the work of mans conversion but it hath beene the ancient practise of most dangerous seducers as the Apostle teacheth us Rom 16.18 by good words and faire speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple If they that hold damnable opinions should not make some shew of truth and piety few would be deceived by them They shall speake lies in hypocrisie saith he 1 Tim. 4.2 But marke how they expresse themselves and you shall find that for all their good words and faire speeches they are indeed adversaries of the grace of God and hold and teach that that doth greatly derogate from the glory of Gods grace and doth give much matter of boasting and glorying unto man himselfe I will not stand to prove this from their other Doctrines touching our election our redemption our justification and perseverance to the end the maine grounds on which the hope of our salvation and comfort is built all which they have corrupted and poisoned and in all which they derogate from the glory of Gods grace and give too
it is said verse 4 that as the people lift up their voices and wept The second example is that which is mentioned 2 Sam. 1.11 12. When David heard how the Philistines had prevailed and what an overthrow they had given unto Gods people As alas we have heard of a great many overthrowes that within these few yeares Gods people have received from as bad people as ever the Philistines were it is said there that David and all the men that were with him all his souldiers though many of them hated Saul mortally and one would have thought that the cutting off of that wretched man in that battell should have mitigated much their sorrow for the losse of all the rest yet it is said there that David and all the men that were with him rent their clothes and they mourned and wept and fasted for it The third example for this is that of Nehemiah when Hanani and the rest had told him Neh. 1.3 that the remnant that were left of the captivity in the province of Iudaea were in great affliction and reproach and that the walls of Ierusalem were broken downe and the gates thereof were burnt with fire no worse newes then we have often heard of late of many of the Churches of Christ When I heard these words saith he verse 4. I sat downe and wept and mourned certaine daies The fourth and last example is that of the Levites the holy Musicians mentioned Ps. 137. who as they were Church-officers ordained of God for the service of the Temple so did they receive such gifts from God for the discharge of that function as that they did excell in skill all the musicians that have beene in the world Of them we read five remarkable things in that Psalme 1. Verse 1. By the rivers of Babylon they sat downe and wept when they remembred Zion The pleasantnesse of the countrey could not make them forget Zion nor keepe them from griefe nor from weeping when they remembred Zion 2. Verse 2. They hanged up their harps As if the Psalmist had said As great as their skill was they had no mind of musick all that while that they remembred Zion and the miseries she was in 3. Verse 3 4. Though they that carried them captives and were now their masters that had power and authority over them and had heard doubtlesse of their excellent skill that way required mirth of them were earnest with them to use their skill in singing and playing upon their instruments to make them and themselves merry yet could they not get them to sing so much as one of the songs of Zion 4. Verse 5 6. The reason that they give for this If I forget thee ô Ierusalem if I doe not remember thee Marke 1 the change of the number they had spoken all the while before in the plurall number and expressed so the joint affection of them all in this case now they speake in the singular number every man in his owne person so say I and so say I. 2 Marke the reason why they would not obey their masters in this alas saith every one if I should now give my selfe to mirth and musicke it would be an evident signe I remembred not what case Ierusalem is in I had quite forgotten the miseries of Gods Church 5. Lastly Observe in the same verses 4. 5. the imprecation they make against themselves whereby as by an oath and vow they bind themselves from mirth and jollity during the time of Ierusalems misery If I forget thee ô Ierusalem if I doe not remember thee As if they had said one by one If any thing make me forget Ierusalem and her distresses nay if as well as I love mirth and musicke specially this or this kind of mirth or recreation and delight as ill as I could live without it yet if I cannot be content to abridge my selfe of it for Ierusalems sake let some strange curse of God fall upon me And these are certainely two strange judgements that they wish against themselves in this their imprecation 1. Let my right hand forget her cunning 2. Let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth For a Minister whom God hath endued with excellent gifts for his service to have his gifts blasted and taken from him to be strucken dumbe and loose the use of his tongue as Zachary did for a time these are certainely great and strange judgements In all these examples we see beloved how the holy servants of God have beene affected with the afflictions of Ioseph and how they have mourned for them And I doubt not also but you see that we all ought to bee so affected likewise and that we could not choose but be so in some measure if the same spirit were in us that was in them And that you may see they did in this no worke of supererogation I will shew you now which is the second proofe I promised to give you that they did no more the◠they were commanded to do When the Lord had executed a strange judgement but upon two of his servants Nadab and Abihu though the cause why he did it the sinne whereby he was provoked to it was apparant and notorious to all the people yet see what a commandement is given concerning this Levit. 10.6 Let your brethren the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled That fire was quenched and ended in the death of those two men But the Lord hath now kindled a burning which hath lasted many yeares and burneth still outragiously and hath consumed not two of Gods servants onely but many whole Churches of Christ and ought not then the whole house of Israel all Gods people much more to bewaile such a burning as this which the Lord hath kindled But let us see the reason why this ought to be which is the third proofe of the point which I promised to give you And that is this they that can thus take to heart the miseries of the Church though themselves be in peace may have great comfort in their estate and none but they For first this is a signe that they are true living members of Christs mysticall body If one member suffer saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.26 all the members suffer with it he meaneth if they be true living members for a woodden leg or an artificiall eye cānot Say not thou art a member of the Church of England thou art not a member of the Church of France or of Germany or of Bohemiah for all the Churches of the world that professe the same faith and religion are but one body There is one body and on◠spirit saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.4 It is not the distance of place nor the difference of language that can fever us There is neither Iew nor Greek bond nor free saith he Gal 3.28 but we are all one in Christ Iesus I believe one Catholique and Apostolique Church saith the Nicene creed The true Catholique
wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted and prayed for them And even by this meanes he relieved them greatly as appeared by the successe he had in the next chapter in his suit hee made unto the King for them And certainely so might wee even the poorest and meanest of us all helpe our poore brethren much this way if we could doe this for them in that manner as we ought to doe it Oh let it be our care so to prepare our selves to the fast to pray so for our brethren as we may doe them good by our prayers and prevaile with God for them When I cry unto thee then shall mine enemies turne backe saith David Psalme 56.9 this I know saith he for God is for me Oh let us labour so to cry unto God as we may give the enemy a foyle and overthrow When Moses held up his hand Israel prevailed Exod. 17.11 when Moses let downe his hand Amalek prevailed Certainly the heavinesse of our hearts and hands this way hath bin a chiefe cause why Israell hath had so many foiles why Amalek hath prevailed so much as he hath done Fourthly and lastly The example of the Lords so strange severity towards all other Churches should make us feare the like towards our selves When we see God executeth strange judgements even upon most wicked men it should worke feare in the best of us For who is so good but he knoweth there is matter enough to deserve Gods fierce wrath even in himselfe also All Israel when they saw Korah and his company swallowed up Numb 16.34 cryed and were afraid that the earth would swallow them up also The righteous shall see and feare saith David Psal. 52.6 when they see Gods strange judgement upon Doeg But these strange judgements of God upon his owne people give us much more just cause to feare our selves Observe I pray you these just causes we have to feare our selves and our owne estate First The manner of the Lords proceeding hitherto and the strange successe he hath given unto the enemy all this while and the conveighing of the cup of his fury from Church to Church from nation to nation these many yeares may give us just cause to feare that he hath given a charge to his sword of vengeance to goe through all the Churches in the world that professe his Gospel And that he hath said of all his Churches as once he spake of all Israel Ezek. 21.4 5. My sword shall goe forth of his sheath against all flâ—sh against all Israell from the South to the North that all flesh may know that I have drawne forth my sword out of his sheath it shall not returne any more till it have gone through all Israel Secondly The very same sins whereby God hath beene provoked against other Churches abound in our land And we know God hateth sin as much in us as he did in them neither have we any priviledge more then they Goe yee now saith the Lord Ieremy 7.12 unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my name at the first and see what I did unto it for the wiâ—kednesse of my people Israel As if the Lord should say to us all Goe and see what I have done to my Churches in Bohemia Germany and France where I set my name at the first and that were in Christ before you Thirdly and lastly Even our strange want of feare and generall security under all these examples of Gods so marvellous severity upon them may above all other things give us most cause to feare that there are greater plagues in brewing for us then any that they have endured that they have drunke but the top of the cup of Gods fury that the bottome and dregs of it are reserved for us Oh if we could but learne by all these examples and by all other the signes of Gods indignation against us to feare if our hearts were tender and we could humble our selves as Iosiah did 2 Chron. 34.27 28. we should be safe enough as Iosiah was But our generall senslesnesse in such times as these are is a most dangerous signe of some fearefull ruine determined against us It was of the Lord saith the holy Ghost of the Canaanites Iosh. 11.20 to harden their hearts that he might destroy them utterly And remember what I told you even now out of Amos. 6.6 7. They were not grieved for the afflictions of Ioseph therefore now shall they goe captive with the first that goe captive Lecture CXIIII On Psalme 51.6 Mar. 31. 1629. IT followeth that we proceed to the third and last use of the Doctrine which serveth to teach us how to judge of and to be affected with our owne sins that professe our selves to be the people of God and in the estate of grace And this is an use of as great if not of greater importance and necessity then either of the former were In the two former wee were taught how to be affected with the state and condition of other men in this we are to be taught how to be affected with our owne doings And as it is an use of great necessity at all times so never of greater then at such a time as this is And that in these two respects First Because we all know that we have cause dayly to expect an evill day a day of great triall and affliction wherein it standeth us upon to have all our evidences in a readinesse and to take to our selves the whole armour of God that we may be able to stand in it as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 6.13 And Secondly Because it is a time wherein all of us by the custome of our Church are to renew our covenant with God at his holy table and no Doctrine we can heare is more fit and effectuall to prepare as thereunto then this that teacheth us how to be affected with our owne sins And I am now to direct my speech not to such of you as have only a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof such as I feare the greatest number of you are to whom my brother spake worthily the last day out of 2 Timothy 3.5 which will needs have a forme of godlinesse they will be Christians and have as good a part in Christ and his merits as the best they will be Protestants they will professe a love to the word they would not for any thing be kept from the Sacrament at this time especially But that Christ or his word or the rules of religion which they professe should have any commanding power to restraine them from any sin they have a mind to bee it never so grosse from swearing from drinking from filthinesse or any other sin that they deny that they scorne as an intolerable slavery and bondage and cry out of it as Psalme 2.3 Let us breake their hands asunder and cast away their cords from us To these men I say I have nothing to say at this time but with them to thinke well
Fiftly and lastly It cannot be denied but that in some sense a man may bee said even by this inherent righteousnesse to be justified before God For so farre forth as any man by the worke of Gods spirit in his heart is become truly holy and good upright and without hypocrisy so far forth God doth esteeme and account him a holy and good and just man The Lord taketh notice of his owne graces in his children approveth of them and giveth testimony unto them So the Holy Ghost saith of Noah Gâ—n 6.9 that he was a just man And of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1.6 that they were both righteous before God So Solomon prayeth 1 King 8.22 that the Lord would justifie the righteous to give him according to his righteousnesse You see then wee doe not deny as the Papists falsly slander us all inherent righteousnesse no nor all justification by inherent righteousnesse neither But this is that we beleeve and teach according to the Scriptures That this inherent righteousnesse is not that righteousnesse whereby any poore sinner in this life can be justified before Gods tribunall and judgement seat for which hee is pronounced to be innocent absolved from death and condemnation and adjudged unto life eternall Of this justification as it is opposed unto condemnation as the Apostle useth the word Rom. 8.33 34 It is God that justifieth who shall condemne and as our Saviour useth it Matth. 12.37 By thy words thou shalt be justified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned is the Question betweene us and them And that we are not thus justified in Gods sight by any inherent righteousnesse I will first give you evident proofe out of the holy Scripture and secondly I will shew you good reason out of the Word why no man can be so justified in Gods sight For the first Nothing is more cleerely taught in the holy Scripture then this that no man can be justified in Gods sight by the works of the law that is by doing that which the law requireth him to do And what is our inherent righteousnesse but a conformity to the law of God to that which the law requireth of us By the deeds of the law saith the Apostle Romanes 3.20 there shall no flâ—sh bee justified in his sight And againe Knowing saith he Gal. 2.16 that a man is not justified by the workes of the law but by the faith of Iesus Christ even we have beleeved in Iesus Christ that we might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the law for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified True saith the Papist the Apostle saith so indeed but by the works of the law he meaneth the workes of the ceremoniall law which many false teachers in those daies did maintaine to be necessary unto justification And those be the works he speaketh of Rom. 4.10 Abraham was justified before he was circumcised which was a worke enjoined him by the ceremoniall law therefore it was not his circumcision nor his obedience to that law that justified him So Gal. 2.16 when he denieth we are justified by the works of the law he meaneth those works of the law he had spoken of in the former verses and for which he had reproved Peter and that was about his conforming himselfe to the Iewes in works enjoined by the ceremoniall law But to this I answer First It is true that he speaketh in those two places of the workes of the ceremoniall law and excludeth them from having any hand in our justification But even in those places he excludeth not the workes of the ceremoniall onely but all workes of the law even of the morall law also For 1 his words are generall and without any limitation Rom. 4.6 David describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without workes without any workes And verse 5. To him that worketh not but beleeveth in him that justifieth the ungodly to him hâ—s faith is imputed unto righteousnesse And what good workes are they the want whereof maketh one an ungodly man Are they the works of the ceremoniall law onely are they not rather the workes of the morall law And in Gal. 2.16 his words are generall Knowing a man is not justified by the workes of the law 2. He excldeth the workes of that law that was given to all men to the Gentiles as well as to the Iewes and whereby the Gentiles as well as the Iewes might have some hope to be justified For he saith Gal. 2.16 By the workes of the law shall no flesh be justified As if he had said Neither Iew nor Gentile We have before proved saith he Rom. 3.9 that is to say In his former dispute against justification by workes both Iewes and Gentiles that they are all under sinne And verse 28 29. Therefore wee conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law Is he the God of the Iewes onely is he not also of the Gentiles As if he should say Neither the deeds of the law that the Iewes were bound unto nor the deeds of the law that the Gentiles were bound unto can justifie a man before God And what law was that which the Gentiles were bound to observe Certainely not the ceremoniall but the morall law only Secondly I answer The Apostle doth exclude from justification the workes of that law whereby commeth the knowledge of sin For these are his words Rom. 3.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh bee justified in his sight for by the law commeth the knowledge of sinne As if hee should have said The use that the law serveth unto is not to justifie us in Gods sight but to discover our sin and misery to us and so to drive us to seeke justification by faith in Christ. And what law is that whereby commeth the knowledge of sin Certainely the morall law principally But then they object secondly Admit the Apostle do speake of the works of the morall as well as of the ceremoniall law yet he meaneth not those workes of the morall law that are done by the faithfull through the grace of Christ but those that are done by men while they are in the state of nature before their conversion before they do beleeve And such works of the morall law say they we confesse cannot justifie a man before God To this I answer 1. That the Apostles words are generall as I shewed before and we must use no limitation where he useth none 2. The Apostle Rom. 4.2 denieth that Abraham was justified by his workes though he were one of the faithfull yea the father of the faithfull as he calleth him ver 11. no not by those works of his whereof he might seeme to have cause to glory which he could never meane of those works he did before he was a beleever for he was an idolater before as we read Iosh. 24.2 And the Apostle would
the Sabbath yea even to the neglect of this outward rest from our owne workes on that day If you compare 2 Chronicles 36.21 with Leviticus 26.34 35. you shall finde this noted for a chiefe cause of that miserable captivity that Gods people did endure in Babylon Because the land did not rest in your Sabbaths saith the Lord when yee dwelt upon it And Nehemiah telleth them so much after their returne from that captivity Nehemiah 13.18 that God did bring all the evill that was come upon them and upon Ierusalem because their fathers had prophaned the Sabbath so as they then did How was that Surely they suffered men to tread wine-presses on the Sabbath a work that is not in use among us but our grinding of corne and making of malt is equivalent unto it and they suffered men to goe in and our with burdens and carriages and to buy and sell wares upon the Sabbath as you shall finde Verse 15 16 of that Chapter And these are the things of which hee saith Verse 18. Did not your fathers thus and did not our God bring all this evill upon us and upon this City And looke what hath beene said of every Church and Kingdome that the flourishing estate or ruine thereof dependeth greatly upon the observation or neglect even of this outward rest the same may be also said doubtlesse of every towne and family and particular person that their welfare and undoing dependeth much upon this Never was any man made the poorer by the strict observation of the Sabbath Day by refusing to buy or sell or doe any of his worldly businesse upon that Day But the more conscionable any man is in resting from all his owne workes upon that Day the more plentifull a blessing hee shall be sure to receive from God upon the labours of his calling in the six dayes And it is not thine owne labour or toyling but the blessing of God that maketh rich when all is done as Salomon teacheth us Proverbs 10.22 I know well that the worldly man cannot believe this but thinketh this would be the way to undoe him How should I live saith he if I should do no businesse on the Sabbath Day I cannot maintaine my charge by going to Church and doing nothing for a whole day But marke I pray you how God answereth these men Leviticus 25. The Lord gave his people then a commandement to keepe every seventh yeere a Sabbath all the yeere long thus farre forth The seventh yeare shall be a Sabbath of rest to the land saith the Lord there verse 4 5. a Sabbath for the Lord thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard no nor reape and gather that that grew of it owne accord to thy private use for so the 5 verse is to bee understood And if ye shall say and object saith the Lord verse 20 21. what shall wee eat the seventh yeere As if he should say How shall wee live then that yeere seeing wee shall neither sow nor reape As indeed they had much more reason to object this against the keeping of one yeare in seaven then wee have against the keeping of one day in seven for a Sabbath the Lord answereth this verse 21. I will command my blessing upon you in the sixt yeare and it shall bring forth fruit for three yeeres So may I say to thee Keepe the Sabbath conscionably remember the Sabbath day before it come and cast for it by dispatching before hand all that thou hast to doe as neither thou nor thy servant may have any thing left to be done upon that day and the Lord will command his blessing upon thy labours in the six daies accordingly so as thou shalt not bee impoverished ever a whit but enriched by it On the other side the Lord hath beene wont to reveale his wrath from heaven upon townes and families and upon particular persons as much for this one sinne of profaning the Sabbath as for any other And namely by that fearefull judgement of consuming fire by which specially and by name hee hath in his Word threatned to punish this sinne If you will not hearken unto mee saith the Lord Ieremy 17.27 to hallow my Sabbath day and not to beare a burden even entring in at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devoure the pallaces of Ierusalem and it shall not bee quenthed And thus have I shewed you in this one particular how highly God is pleased with the strict observation of the Sabbath day And if it please him so well to see men rest from their owne workes upon that day which yet as I told you is but the least thing that belongeth to the right observation of it you may bee sure hee is much more pleased to see men spend that day in doing of his workes in exercising themselves in those duties of piety and mercy which hee hath appointed to bee done upon that day especially in seeing them keepe his Sabbaths spiritually and conscionably Certainely they that doe so shall bee sure to bee blessed and rewarded of God for it To this purpose it is worth the observing that as our Saviour saith Marke 2. â—7 that the Sabbath was at the first made for man for the great benefit and behoofe of man Man could not no not Adam in his innocency have beene without it but with great danger and losse unto him So the Holy Ghost saith that twice of the Sabbath Gen. 2.3 and Exodus 20.11 that hee never said of any other day that the Lord blessed that day that is appointed it to bee a meane of a greater blessing to man if hee keepe it as God hath commanded him to doe then any other day or any of the ordinary workes of any other day can possibly bee Two sorts of blessings there be which the conscionable observer of the Sabbath shall be sure to receive by it The first are spirituall And they indeed are the chiefe blessings of all because they are durable and everlasting and because they concerne the soule which is the chiefe and most precious part of man And for these was the Sabbath chiefly ordained that God might by it in the use of his ordinances inrich our soules with spirituall blessings in heavenly things So the Lord saith Ezekiel 20.12 that hee gave his Sabbaths to his people to that end that they might know that hee was the Lord that sanctified them Wee shall know and find that the Lord will sanctifie us both begin and increase saving grace in our hearts if we keepe the Sabbath conscionably Yea the Lord hath promised Esa. 56.6 7. to every one that keepeth his Sabbath from polluting it that he will make them ioyfull in his house of prayer And Esa. 58.13 14. that if a man shall keepe the Sabbath heartily and spiritually then hee shall delight himselfe in the Lord. By these two places it appeareth that God hath bound himselfe
for this very cause because he professeth goodnes I know every man will say hee hateth no professour for his profession nor for any good thing that is in him but onely for such faults as I named which they find to bee in them And so the cursed Iewes could say for themselves Iohn 10.33 For thy good workes wee stone thee not but for thy blasphemy Whereas indeed they hated him only for his good workes And so it is certaine there have beene alwaies many in the world yea in the Church too that have hated a disciple even in the name of a disciple Cain hated Abel because saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.12 his owne workes were evill and his brothers righteous And David saith of himselfe Psal. 38.20 that he had many adversaries for this very cause because he followed the thing that was good And our Saviour telleth his Disciples Iohn 15.19 that the world should hate them for this very cause because they are not of the world but hee hath chosen them out of the world Whereby it is plaine that the most that hate the professours of religion hate them not for any of their faults but onely for the goodnesse that they make profession of O take heed beloved that thou bee none of those And I will give thee three notes to discerne this by First If thou didst hate and dislike them onely for their faults and not for their goodnesse thou wouldst be sure those faults were in them indeed which thou so hatest them for Wheras thou art apt to beleeve any slander against them and to imagine and charge them to bee guilty of such things as thou canst not prove but they are most free from They cast iniquity upon me saith David Psal. 55.3 and in wrath they hate me This casting of iniquity upon professours and aptnesse that is in men to surmise and report evill of them without cause argueth a deadly hatred not to their faults but to their persons and profession Secondly If thou didst dislike or hate them for their faults onely then thou wouldst hate other men also in whom the same and greater faults doe abound more then in them But that thou dost not thou likest other men never the worse for these and grosser sins thou hatest sin in none but in them only that professe goodnesse Thou hatest them that are good and lovest them well enough that are naught as the Prophet speaketh of lewd men in his time Mic. 3.2 And therfore it is evident thou hatest them not for their faults but for their goodnesse only Thirdly and lastly If thou didst hate them only for their faults thou wouldst not rejoice to heare or speake evill of them but it would grieve thee to heare and see that such as professe so well should live so ill that occasion should be given to wicked men to blaspheme and speake evill of religion through their sins This is the nature of true zeale and hatred of sin I beheld the transgressours and was grieved saith David Ps. 119.158 because they kept not thy word But thou hast no greater joy then to heare and speake of the faults of professours and to blaze them abroad as far as thou canst yea thou art apt to glory in the advantage thou hast gotten against religion by it Like those that David complained of Ps. 38.16 When my foot slippeth then they magnifie themselves against me And therfore it is evident thou hatest them not for their faults but for the goodnesse that is in them And thus have I finished the first branch of that point that I instanced in touching the good things that may be found in many an hypocrite I have shewed you that though all these five things may bee found in some that are no better then hypocrites yet are they all very good things for all that and such as God is highly pleased with Lecture CXXXVIII On Psalme 51.7 Ianuary 19. 1629. IT followeth now that wee proceed unto the second branch of the point which is indeed the maine thing I aimed at in propounding it unto you to shew you that though all these bee very good things in themselves yet can no man that hath them find any sound comfort in them till hee bee in Christ. For a man may have these good things in him and yet be in a most wofull case he may perish everlastingly for all that Further proofe I need not bring for this then that which you have already heard that every one of these five good things have beene found in some that have beene no better then hypocrites And every hypocrite certainely is in a most wofull case he can have no sound joy nor comfort in him The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment saith the Holy Ghost Iob 20.5 and 8.13 14. The hypocrites hope shall perish his hope shall be cut off and his trust shall be a spiders web As if he should say He may for a time blesse himselfe in his estate by reason of these good things he findeth in himselfe he may have some hope and confidence in himselfe that hee shall goe to heaven and in this hope hee may find some comfort and joy but if hee bee an hypocrite if his heart bee unsound this hope and joy of his will not last it will faile him when he shall have most need of it When the houre of tentation shall come fearefullnesse will surprise the hypocrite as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 33.14 And though in some respect the case of the open profane man be worse then his he dishonoureth God more and sinneth with a higher hand and with more contempt of God and doth also more hurt to men by his example then the hypocrite doth in which respect God useth in a more exemplary manner to plague him in this life then hee doth the hypocrite and hath also prepared for him in hell a greater measure of confusion and torment then for the hypocrite She set her bloud and murders saith the Lord Ezekiel 24.7 8. and that that is said of murder may bee said of beastly filthinesse also and of all other sinnes that are committed impudently and with a high hand shee set her bloud saith the Lord upon the top of a rocke and cared not how many were eye-witnesses of it shee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust shee did not desire to have it concealed and hidden from any that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance As if hee should say The sinnes of profane men so desperately and impudently committed doe use to provoke God unto furious vengeance even in this life And for their portion in hell the Prophet speaking of such men Esa. 5.11 12. saith verse 14. that for them hell will enlarge her selfe and opâ—n her mouth without measure Although I say that in these respects the case of the profane man bee worse then the hypocrites yet is the hypocrite also and every thing that he doth most odious
faith in meditating and feeding upon the goodnesse and love of God towards him in Christ and of those promises of God which through Christ hee hath title unto doth quicken and increase every saving grace in his heart And nothing hath that force to quicken and increase grace in us as this hath The better wee know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge the more assurance wee have of it the more oft and seriously wee thinke of it and meditate upon it the more we shall bee filled with all the fullnesse of God that is with all spirituall and saving and sanctifying grace as I shewed you the last day out of Ephes. 3.19 And the apprehending and beleeving of the promises of God these exceeding great and precious promises that God hath made to us in Christ hath great force to quicken and increase grace in the heart of man By them saith the Apostle 2 Peter 1.4 wee are made partakers of the divine nature O Lord saith Hezekiah in the prayer that hee made after that God had given him a promise to restore him to life Esa. 38.16 ô Lord saith he by these things by these gracious promises of thine men live and in all these things is the life of my spirit so thou wilt recover mee and make mee to live As if hee should say Though I be not fully recovered yet having thy promise for it I am revived in my spirit by these promises of thine thy people doe live thy promises are the life of their spirit If you aske mee what promises of God they bee that are so effectuall to breed and quicken grace in the heart of man I answer All Gods promises are very forcible and effectuall that way for in them all Gods marvellous love and goodnesse towards us is manifested And these bands of love as the Lord calleth them Hos. 11.4 have great force to draw the heart of Gods child unto him By them thou hast quickned mee saith David Psalme 119 93. But yet there is a speciall promise which above all other is most effectuall this way and that is that God hath promised to all them that are in the covenant of grace that are reconciled to him in Christ that hee will give them his holy sanctifying spirit A new heart will I give you saith the Lord Ezekiel 36.26 27. and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes As if hee had said Hee will by his holy spirit worke sanctifying and saving grace in his people And yet more particularly God hath promised that as wheresoever Christ came when hee was upon earth he restored the deafe to their hearing and the blind to their sight and the lame to their lims and even the dead to life as wee read Matthew 11.5 Yea hee made that woman goe straight and upright that had had a spirit of infirmity eighteene yeeres and was so bowed together that shee could not lift up her selfe of whom wee read Luke 13.11 13. Even so the Lord hath promised to worke the same mighty workes in the hearts of all his people that have by a lively faith received and entertained Christ. The eyes of the blind shall bee opened saith hee Esa. 35.5 that is they that were ignorant shall have knowledge wrought in them and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped they that could not heare heavenly things with any affection or fruit shall bee made able to heare the Word feelingly and fruitfully the lame man shall leape as a hart they that were before reprobate to every good worke shall bee made able cheerefully and willingly to walke in Gods waies and the tongue of the dumbe shall sing they that could not speake of any goodnesse before shall bee able to speake graciously for in the wildernesse shall waters breake forth and streames in the desart they whose hearts were most barren before of all goodnesse shall bee made most fruitfull in grace and good workes Now the promises of God all that are reconciled to God in Christ all true beleevers have just title unto they are all heires of the promises of God as the Apostle calleth them Hebrewes 6.17 the promises of God are their chiefe inheritance They are set downe in Christs testament and wee may challenge them as our legacy And if wee would make use of our faith when wee find in our selves most want of any grace or are most troubled with the poverty of our spirits and lay claime to these promises of God that in Christ wee have so just title unto certainely wee might bee farre more rich in grace then wee are Why are wee still so blind and so deafe so dumb and so lame so barren and unfruitfull Surely because though God have made us promises to helpe us in all these things wee doe not stirre up our faith to lay hold of and make claime unto them and therefore wee have so little benefit by them That as wee read Christ did not many mighty workes in his owne countrey Matthew 13.58 nay it is said Marke 6.5 hee could doe no mighty workes there and the reason is given because of their unbeleefe so it may truly bee said that the true cause why the Lord hath not in all this time wrought more spirituall miracles in our hearts is because of our unbeleefe either wee doe not at all beleeve these promises or at least wee doe not stirre up our faith nor make use of it in making claime unto them and challenging our right in them as wee ought to doe But I shall make this plainer unto you by handling it more particularly and distinctly and shewing you the force that is in justifying faith 1 to breed every saving grace in the heart 2 to enable a man unto every good duty And for the first I will instance but in foure particular graces by which you may easily judge of all the rest The first of them is saving repentance What is it that maketh a poore sinner when hee hath offended willing and able to turne unto God againe and seeke reconciliation with him Not the knowledge of Gods justice and power to consume him though I know there is a kind of repentance a legall repentance such a one as Iudas his was of whom wee read Matthew 27.3 that when hee saw Christ was condemned and what a gulfe of misery hee had cast himselfe into by his sinne hee repented himselfe that is wrought thereby But this will never worke saving repentance in a man it will never cause him to turne unto God and seeke reconciliation with him no no it will make a man hide himselfe from God and flie from him if possibly hee could as Adam did Genesis 3.8 It is the apprehension and perswasion the heart hath of the mercy of God and of his readinesse to forgive him upon his repentance and turning to him and that onely that giveth a man a heart to repent and turne unto God when
15. did me much evill the Lord reward him according to his works of whom he thou aware also for he hath greatly withstood our words And what was the cause of his falling thus fearfully That the Apostle hath told us he forsook a good conscience He gave liberty to himself to sinne against his conscience to live in some knowne sinne Corruption in manners will breed corruption in judgement A man that hath once knowne and professed the truth is seldome knowne to fall into Popery or any other heresie till he had first forsaken a good conscience and by living in knowne sinnes provoked God to give him over thus farre So among other judgements this is one whereby God threatneth to punish the disobedience of his people Deut. 28.36 Thou shalt serve other gods of wood and of stone thou shalt become a grosse and senslesse idolater And the Apostle speaking of them that in this last age should be drawne unto Popery 2 Thes. 2. he speakes of it Vers. 11. as of a fearefull judgement of God upon men for some sinnes they had beene guilty of For the cause saith he God shall send them strong delusiâ—â—s that they should believe a lie They shall be strongly deluded How By the learning or holinesse or miracles of their Priests No but by the most just hand and curse of God upon them God shall send them strong delusions that there shall be no errour in Popery so grosse no lie so palpable but they shall verily and undoubtedly believe it Marvell not then at their confidence For this cause saith the Apostle For what cause What is the sinne 〈◊〉 provokes God to plague men in this manner He nameth two one in Vers. 10 because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved the second Vers. 12. because they tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse To conclude then this second direction what hope can there be that many common Protestants though they be willing to heare and make profession of the truth should ever be able to continue constant in the truth in the time of tryall but that they will be apt to turne Papists blasphemers and persecutors of the truth when a time of tryall shall come seeing 1 they beare no love to the truth at all take no delight in it love every trifle and vanity better than it 2 they give liberty to themselves to live in knowne sinnes and take pleasure therein 3 they content themselves with a forme of godlinsse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 but deny and renounce the power of it and hate it mortally wheresoever they see it casting the most odious aspersious upon it Lecture CXLIX On Psalme 51.7 Nouem 1. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the third Direction and that is this He that would preserve himselfe from falling quite away from the truth and forsaking his religion must take heed of declining from or forsaking of the least truth he must not give himselfe liberty to shrink and fall from the least truth that God hath revealed unto him and wherein his conscience hath beene convinced that it is indeed a truth of God Two things there be whereby men do falsly warrant themselves to take this liberty and they be both of them certaine and undeniable truths First That there be many good and worthy men that see not nor make any reckoning of such truths as themselves have been convinced in And indeed a man may bee a right good man and indued with a great measure of saving grace and yet he cannot see nor be perswaded of some truths that God hath taught us in his holy Word but his judgement is erroneous and unsound in some points yea though he hath had great meanes to informe him in the truth yet he cannot see it And that therefore difference in judgement in some things which cannot be without errour on the one side should not alienate the hearts of brethren one from another as I shewed you in my last lecture but two out of Rom. 14 1-6 Secondly That on the other side there be many in whom no life nor power of godlinesse can be discerned that busie themselves altogether and glory in these points And indeed it is an ill signe in any and a shrewd note of an hypocrite to busie his braines about truths of lesâ—e moment with neglect of greater when a man shall seeke to be expert and cunning in those truths which concerne the ceremonies and discipline of the Church and be stiffe in the holding and maintaining of them and yet be ignorant and void of all desire to learne the doctrine of faith and repentance of mortification and newnesse of life the meaning of the ten commandements and articles of our faith of the Lords Prayer and doctrine of the Sacraments For such persons are doubtlesse under that wo that Christ denounceth Mat. 23.24 against them that straine at a gnat and swallow a camell But though these two things I say be so yet for a man to be wilfully ignorant of the truth of God in any thing wherein he is pleased to reveale his will unto us in his holy Word or to forsake it when he hath once beene convinced of it out of this conceit that it is but a small matter a trifle a man may be saved though he never know nor hold such a truth is a very dangerous sinne Observe I pray you the proofe of this in three points First Though some truths of God be comparatively greater than others as our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 some matters of the Law and Word of God are weightier than others yet is not any one truth of God to be accounted small or of little or no moment even of those points of the law which he cals but gnats in comparison of others our Saviour saith Mat. 23.23 these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone even those small things ought not to be neglected ought not to be left undone I have written to them saith the Lord Hos. 8.12 the great things of my Law They are all great things that God hath written and revealed to us in his holy Word All the truths of God which the Apostles when the Spirit fell upon them in cloven tongues like fire did utter and teach are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 2 11. Magnalia Dei the great things of God Yea the least truth of God that he hath revealed in his Word is to be esteemed of greater moment and weight than heaven and earth and all the creatures contained in them It is easier for heaven and earth to passe saith our Saviour Luk. 16.17 than that one title of the law should faile It is therefore a great contempt done unto Gods Word to think so lightly of any thing he hath taught us in it as if it were not worth the knowing or not worth the holding and sticking to when we do know it When David hath professed his high esteeme of Gods Word
exercise those small abilities that God hath given us in prayer and wee shall find that by using they will greatly increase Lecture XIII On Psal. 51.1 2. Ianuary 24. 1625. FOlloweth the fourth and last impediment that keepeth men from flying to God and seeking helpe and comfort from him by prayer in their distresses and that is a conceit that it is to no purpose for them to pray This conceit as it prevaileth with wicked men and castawayes and keepeth them in a continuall neglect of this duty What profit should we have say they if we pray to him Iob 21. â—â— So have Gods dearest servants beene oft troubled with it and for a time kept from this duty by it And have beene apt to resolve as David doth of all the duties of piety in generall Psal. 73.13 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine so of this duty in particular certainely it is but lost labour for me to pray And as Satan will alway pretend reason for whatsoever he suggesteth to us so did he with our first parents Gen. 3.5 God doth know that in the day yee eate thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evill And his chiefe strength still to keepe out Christ and his grace lyeth in the thoughts and imaginations in the reasons that he suggesteth unto men to object against goodnesse and to defend sinne as is plaine 2 Cor. 10.5 so hath he put foure reasons into the hearts of men to confirme them in this conceit that it is to no purpose for them to pray Let this short summe of the foure reasons suffice in the first propounding of them and the larger laying of them downe reserved to the place where they are to be answered particularly 1. That many doe well enough that never pray 2. That the use of the meanes with discretion will serve the turne without prayer 3. That God knoweth our necessities well enough and hath both decreed what to do for us and is apt enough of himselfe without seeking to 4. That themselves have used it long to no purpose Now before I come to answer these reasons in particular this I must say of them in generall that if any of Gods people such as I must judge all you to be that heare me now be troubled at any time with these thoughts as surely as I have already told you they may be they must resolve thus with themselves Certainely this is but a tentation this commeth of the evill one For it tendeth directly to atheisme and is high blasphemy against God Those thoughts that tend to the restraining of men from prayer tend directly to the casting off of all true feare of God Thou castest off feare saith Eliphâ—z Iob 15.4 and restrainest prayer before God The man that is once perswaded not to call upon God hath learned to say in his heart there is no God Psal. 14.1.4 And of them that said Mal. 3.14 It is in vaine to serve God the Lord saith verse 13. that their words had beene stout against the Lord. Poure out thy fury saith the Prophet Ier. 10.25 upon the heathen that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name 1. The persons the families that use not to pray know not God are no better then Atheists 2. God will poure out his fury upon such And seeing this is so what must they do that are troubled with this tentation Surely They must 1 Put on a resolution to resist it harden thy heart against it withstand it defie it Iam. 4.7 Resist the Divell and he will flee from you Say as our Saviour did when hee was tempted by Satan to such a foule sinne Mat. 4.10 Get thee hence avaunt Sathan Yea in a tentation farre lesse then this when Peter tempted him but to favour himselfe and shun the crosse Mat. 16.23 He turned and said to Peter get thee behind me Sathan thou art an offence unto me 2 By prayer and crying unto God for strength against it they must resist even this tentation against prayer For that is a chiefe remedy against all tentations Luk. 22.40 Pray that ye enter not into and be delivered into the power of temptation As Christ did for Iehoshuah when Satan stood at his right hand to resist him Zach. 3.2 The Lord rebuke thee ô Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Ierusalem rebuke thee 3 They must make use of the sword of the spirit whereby Christ our captaine did drive away the tempter Mat. 4.4 7.10 It is written by weighing with themselves how directly this tentation opposeth the whole tenour of the holy Scripture And say thus with themselves Shall I yeeld to this conceit that it is to no purpose to pray Why how oft hath God commanded us to pray Psal. 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble and Mat 7.7 Aske and it shall be given you and 1 Thess. 5.17 Pray without ceasing How frequent and constant have all the Saints even such as God hath given greatest testimony unto beene in prayer Even the wisest of them as Daniel who would not give over his constant course in prayer no not for the saving of his life Dan. 6.10 Nay our blessed Saviour was so himselfe even he was frequent in this duty Mar. 1.35 In the morning a great while before it was day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed And shall I suffer Satan to perswade me that it is a needlesse thing to pray But let us now consider the reasons whereby Satan perswadeth men to this Atheisticall divellish conceit And to the first That they that never use to pray do as well as those that are most given unto it I answer that this is most false they do not so well For 1. The blessings they receive are but temporall and such as are no testimonies of Gods speciall love Mat. 5.45 He maketh his sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine on the just and on the unjust Whereas they that pray shall have better things then these Luk. 11.13 Your heavenly father will give the holy spirit to them that aske him 2. They that pray not can have no assurance to enjoy no not these temporall blessings neither to have them when they want them nor to hold them when they have them For they have no word nor promise of God for them Iob 21.16 Loe their good is not in their hand Whereas they that pray may be sure to have so much even of these things as shall be good for them For they have a promise that they may build upon Psal. 34.10 They that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing This promise certainely to them that can beleeve it is more worth then a thousand pound land a yeere So that he that can pray may be secure for outward things and need not disquiet his heart with carking cares Pro. 16.3 Commit thy works thy labours and endeavours
unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 3. They that pray not though they might be never so sure of these temporall blessings yet have they no just cause of comfort in them For they have them not with the blessing and favour of God 1. They come not rightly by them but like robbers breake into Gods storehouse and steale away his goods The richest man that is is bound to seeke even his bread of God every day Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread He hath no comfortable title to his food to his wealth that doth it not but is in Gods account a spirituall usurper and thiefe 2. Besides he can have no comfort in that he hath because it is not sanctified unto him it shall do him no good it shall do him much hurt rather A man may have these outward things without Gods blessing Hos. 13.11 I gave thee a king in mine anger and then they will be his bane it had beene much better for him to have beene without them Was not Goliahs strength 1 Sam. 17.9 Ahitophels wisdome 2 Sam. 17.23 and Herods eloquence Act. 12.23 so and yet all excellent gifts of God but they had them not with his blessing they were not sanctifyed unto them O that we had not too much experience of this daily in many that men may have abundance of these earthly blessings from God and have them with his curse as if God should have said as Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of fooles shall destroy them On the other side they that pray have just cause of comfort in these outward things be it little or much that they enjoy For 1. They have a blessed title to that they have they come honestly by it it is their owne they breake not into Gods treasury but by the key that God gave them they opened the doore and hold them by his gift 1 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours 2. That that they have is blessed and sanctified unto them 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every creature of God is good to them that beleeve and know the truth for it is sanctifyed by the Word of God and prayer And thus have I answered the first reason Now to the second reason that it is needlesse to pray Because the good successe of all things depends upon and is to be ascribed not to prayer but to second causes and meanes God useth to work by and unto the reason will and endeavour of man The Lord say they hath set a constant course in nature and given a naturall force to sundry meanes and second causes to doe us good There is a covenant of God for the day and night mentioned Ier. 33.20 that they shall continue their courses which cannot faile So is therefore other ordinary meanes God hath given a naturall force to our meate to nourish us and to our cloathes to keepe us warme A good diet a good aire and exercise we see will keepe men in health though they never pray And as for wealth if men take paines in their calling and have also wisedome to order their affaires there is not one of a hundred but they prosper well enough In all labour saith Solomon Pro. 14.23 there is profit And Pro. 16.20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good Shall we thinke say some that the fasts that were kept so long and the prayers that were made were the cause why the plague ceased No no there is a naturall cause say they to be given of it till the aire was purged by the coldnesse of the season all your fasting and praying could do no good This reason and perswasion of the sufficiency that is in the meanes and in our owne endeavours hath in all ages marvellously prevailed to draw men from depending upon God and seeking unto him for helpe and comfort by prayer and doth certainly at this day And that not only with such as have beene infidells and openly wicked By the strength of mine hand have I done it saith the King of Assyria Esa. 10.13 and by my wisedome for I am prudent and Habac. 1.16 They sacrifice to their net and burne incense to their drag because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous But even such as have lived in Gods Church as we may see at large Esay 22.8 11 Yea Gods owne deare children have received much hurt by it as we may see in the example of Asa. 2. Chron. 16.12 In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians For answer therefore unto it some things are first of all to be granted that is 1. That God useth not to helpe men without means as Iosh. 5.12 He fed them no longer with Manna from heaven when they came to Canaan where they might get corne So when God would deliver Peter out of the hand of Herod he caused the yron gate that lead unto the City to open of his owne accord and so he went out Acts 12.10 2. That God doth usually worke with and blesse the ordinary meanes Acts 9.19 When Paul had received meat he was strengthened And so are the places to be understood Prov. 14.23 In all labour there is profite and 16 20. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good 3. That it is folly and sin for us to expect that God should helpe us when we neglect the ordinary meanes Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Exod. 14 15. The Lord said to Moses why cryest thou to mee Speake unto the children of Israel that they goe forward He blameth him for resting upon prayer with the neglect of the meanes Gods blessing may be confidently expected upon our endeavours in the use of lawfull meanes 1. Chr. 22.16 Arise and be doing saith David to his sonne and the Lord will be with thee But all this is no sufficient cause to keepe us from prayer For 1. God is the authour and giver of all meanes when he intends to helpe us and doe us good he will give us the ordinary meanes to receive good by when he intends the contrary he will withold the meanes Iob 38.28 29. Hath the raine a father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew Out of whose wombe came the Ice and the hoary frost who hath gendered it and Psal. 104.3 He walketh upon the wings of the wind It was he only that sent that goodly season in the beginning of winter which these men say was the cause why the plague ceased 2. The vertue that is in any meanes to doe us good commeth wholly from God He is the Lord of nature Though he have given to man the faculty of reason and freedome of will in civill and morall actions and to our food and other creatures a naturall vertue to do us good yet that we are able to use this faculty that we have or the creature to put forth that vertue that is in it to the good of man comes wholly of God He keepeth the raines