affliction â—ut he would not afflict them Again when he did afflict them yâ—t he layd it not on heavy he stirred not up all his wrath for he remembred they were but flesh Lastly his servants are defended by him he avengeth their quarrel he Keepeth them in safety Luk 18. Will he not avenge his elect that pray day and night unto him I tell you saith Christ that he will avenge them quickely he reproveth kings for their sakes as it is in the Psalm Touch not mine annointed c. It may be said of the Saints that they are all annointed he hedgeth them about he keepeth them as the apple of his own eye A man you know will not suffer the apple of his eye to be touched in any wise such a master is God and such a master shall you finde him to be If then he be a master thus rich in mercy then serve no other master serve not your lâ—sts and those by-respects that you doe in your actions but give up your selves unto God Consecrate your bodies and souls unto him remember what wages he giveth and make that use of it to serve him with a Chearful heart Last of all to conclude this point If God be so rich in mercy then this will follow from it certainly he will deal well with his church he will deale well with every particular Saint in his a fflictions for he is rich in mercy that is he is of a mercifull nature and can do nothing contrarie to his nature but all his wayes are mercy and truth we had need to draw this use from this doctrine because the wayes of God seem somewhat strange to flesh and blood he seemeth to deal hardly with his church and children But my brethren it is not so for he is of a merciful nature therefore all his wayes not a way he goeth not an action he doth about his own but it is full of mercy and truth First for the Church because hee seemeth to deal hardly with the church yet let us learn to be assured that he is still of a merciful nature though he may afflict them for a time yet he will in the end deal well with them he cannot otherwise chuse that is the church in the end shall rise again though it seem for the present to be fallen Excellent is that place to this purpose in Zach. 12. 3 4 5 6. verses where the Lord putteth together three similitudes to shew the success of the churches affliction The Church saith he seemeth to be swallowed up for a time as if the enemies had devoured it as if there were an end of it but it is compared to the devouring of a cup of poison now you know a cup of poison though it do not as soon as it is received bring the body to dissolâ—tion yet notwithstanding in the end when it hath had its full time of working it destroyeth the whole body Even so will the church be to those that devour it though for a time it seemeth not to work yet in the end it shall bring destruction to all the people Again men seem to overthrow the church as one that setteth his shoulder against a great stone to overthrow it but in the end the stone falleth back again and crusheth him to pieces So doth God deal with the church men seem sometimes almost to overthrow it it seemeth sometime to be at the point of utter undoing but yet neverthelesse it falleth back again upon them like a mighty stone too heavy and weighty for them that meddle with it Even so shall the enemies of the church be ruinated and crushed with it Last of all the church seemeth to be covered with the enemies and to be prest down with them as a few coals are pressed down with an heap of wood such a pressure seemes the Church to be under sometimes yet you know though the coals be few yet a little fire will devour all that wood this you shal find to be the issue of the church in thus it was with Ierusalem and thus you shall find it to be with the Churches that seem now to be overprest and overthrown and swallowed up with the enemies it shal be as a cup of poison to destroy the enemy as a mighty stone to crush them in pieces as a fire in the midst of a bundle of wood to devour them This you may the rather take notice of because our adversaries use it as an argument And Bellarmine amongst the rest useth it as a special argument against our churches and a confirmation of the truth of theirs viz. the many victories they have had against us but this is but a weak argument The people of the Iews were more afflicted then all their Neighbors and there is good reason for Gods dealings so with his own Church Men you know plow the field that belongeth to themselves let others alone men take their own Children and correct them oftentimes the children of strangers they meddle not with and if this be true of particular Christians that if they be sons they must be chastned must it not be true also of the whole Church which is nothing but a company of those that are his children let not this therefore trouble you God will be merciful to them in the end for he is of a merciful nature he cannot as we said before otherwayes chuse This a man in particular may apply to himself men when they are in trouble or under some affliction are apt presently to say O I shall be alwayes thus I shal never see better dayes my brethren this is a great fault in us But to keep to the matter in hand the way to comfort-you is to remember that God is of a merciful nature he will not take his children at advantage but he considereth what they are able to bear and so dealeth tenderly with them for he knoweth what they are that they are but flesh therefore will deal with them according to their strength for he is a merciful God So likewise for things you want and complain of still remember this that God is merciful But it will be objected we see God is not so rich in mercy to all the saints as you speak of many of his own children are poor they are beneath and not above mean in gifts and mean every way where is then the riches of his mercie Again many of his children are sorely afflicted who have worse entertainment in the world then they upon whom are afflictions more heaped then upon those that serve God with an upright heart We will answer this briefly to begin with the first you must know that though God be exceeding rich in mercy yet there is a difference amongst his children that is he hath made divers degrees amongst men men are put into different degrees of mercy notwithstanding all do taste of the riches of his mercy you know in the body there is the foot
reason of it but because he wanted the spirit and on the contrary when the Disciples had received the Spirit They spake with boldnesse The fourth effect that the spirit begets i holy and heavenly desires in the soul therefore the Church in Cant. 2 is marvellous inquisitive to find Christ and what is the reason there is in men such a want of holy desires but because they have not the spirit The fifth effect is That the spirit begets holy indignation holy anger is an effect of the spirit and therefore thé Apostle saith in 1 Cor. 7. What indignation and wrath This he speaks in the commendation of the Corinthians men will not be angry with sin as an evil untill they get the Spirit The sixth effect of the spirit is holy affections It will make you have heavenly affections towards God to grace to the Saints Therefore the Lord saith Eze. 26. 21. I will give you a new heart Carnal men they may do some things to make their children to reverence them as to love them in regard of some donation that is they may proffer an object but they cannot beget holy affections That is the onely work of the Spirit thus to change the heart The seventh effect of the spirit is this It will purge the soul i. e. it will cast out all rubbish out of the soul There fore the Lord saith that he will purge the sons of Levi as silver That is that they may be fit for the service of the Priesthood he will purge out of them by the spirit that which other wayes would make them unfit And David in Psal 51. often prayes That the Lord would purge him and then after he prayes for the restoring of the spirit making the absence of the spirit the cause of his uncleanness The eighth effect of the spirit is It kindles holy affections to good in us and this is that that giveth us great advantage against sin I say we have no small advantage against the devil when the heart is full of heavenly affections and that for these reasons First because the more holy affections the better man That is God accompts more of him A man is esteemed of God as he hath or hath not holy affections a man is that which he is in his affections that is a man is not a good man because he knowes much but he is a holy man because he hath holy affections when he is full of love to God to Christ and to the Saints The second reason is because holy affections are a means or a second cause of good That is they are the cause of good actions as for example for a man to suffer for Christ and yet not to do it with holy affections out of love unto Christ That is nothing worth Therefore when the affections are ripe they are drawn upwards by the spirit both to do and to suffer The third reason is because holy affections they widen the soul that is they make the soul large for when holy affections are dead in you the soul will begin to shrink in even as cloth that is not thorowly made when water fals upon it it will run in but if you stretch it it will come to its own length again so when the spirit comes and â—…rks holy affections they widen the soul and make it large and firm Therefore that you may have large hearts in prayer and in meditation labour to get the spirit that you may have holy affections kindled in you The fourth benefit that a Christian hath by the Spirit is this it will make the heart good because it is the proper work of the holy ghost to sanctifie the heart that is to cleanse and change it and so make it good It is the work of the Spirit to work repentance a thorow change because men for the most part mistake repentance That is men do think that if they be turned this way and that way from this sin and from that sin though it be not from every sin and evil way that they have true repentance but they are deceived For repentance is a true change of the whole man consisting both of soul and body whereby the parts and faculties of both are turned a quite contrary way That is the heart is turned out of the way of sin into the way of holiness Now that a partial turning is not repentance I will make it clear by this comparison Take any natural thing that is of an earthly substance whose nature is to go downwards Yet you may force it upwards by means that you may use As for example Water you know is of an earthly substance and the nature of it is to descend yet you see by the force and strength of the sun it is drawn upwards first into vapors and then congealed into ice and snow and rain and then it will not rest till it descend again But there is another motion of things light and spiritual clouds ascend upwards and are not forced but naturally do it Even so a carnal man may do the same things that a spiritual man doth he may keep down some lust and he may forsake some evil That is he may forsake his drunkenness and his uncleanness and his old evil haunts but yet he doth not forsake all neither doth he keep out sin by the spirit but by a natural strength if he do a good action itâ—… by constraint he is forced by something to do it but it changeth not his heart a whit he may take a resolution to be good and to be better yet to change his own nature is not in his own power for this is the work of the holy Ghost Thus much for this use and for this point We now come to a third point the Apostle saith he would have them To be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man noting thus much that God must give them the spirit before they could have him The point is this That The Spirit is a free gift I say that the sanctifying Spirit is a free gift I gather it thus The Apostle here prayes That God would give them the Spirit Not that they had deserved it and so should have it by merit as the Papists teach but he must give it them freely without defert of their own I need not stand in the proving of it long That the Spirit is a free gift onely I will shew you briefly how the Spirit is a free gift and this shall be in these five particular things First the Spirit is a free gift and it must be free because the Spirit is a gift and what more freer as we use to say then a gift is Now it is a free gift because it is not merited by us at Gods hands it is not extorted and drawn from God by force nor merited by desert because all the good that is in us is wrought by God it is God that
is a lyar now that he should swear to that Testament of Christs blood it is even because we should have hearts strengthened to believe and therefore now it is a shame if we have not more faith obedience and holiness then heretofore Certainly if we had faith instead of our presumption what abundance of peace of conscience and sweet and comfortable joy might we have because Christ hath done so much for us as we have heard and all that nothing might hinder the salvation of a poor believing soul. Now to handle this point as it is contrary to the erronious doctrine of the Church of Rome Who can condemn none This is the speech of the Apostle in the person of every true believer as well as those to whom he then wrote at Rome Onely those that have but a weak faith the weaker assurance yet all shall find the truth her oâ— if they believe both weak strong this then may serve in the next place against that tormenting and racking Doctrine of doubting so much maintained by Bellarmine t is true indeed saith he we doubt not of Gods mercy and the merit of Christ nor of the efficacy of the Sacrament c. but in regard of our own indisposition infirmities unworthiness and sins in respect of these we ought to doubt and fear And so by a counsel hath the Romish Church accursed all such as say they are assured of their Salvation though here every believer is enjoyned to believe it assuredly But as the Psalmist saith he that loves cursing it shall enter into his own bowels But what are Bellarmines reasons against assurance First Saith he because of our unworthiness But to this I answer to what purpose should the Apostle speak that which he doth here if our own unworthiness or sins could condemn But if they stand upon unworthiness we will say as much of our selves as they can possible But seeing Christ hath undertook as our surety in our stead and God through his grace gives power to believe he takes away our unworthiness and gives us Christs righteousness to go out and in as he hath done and so we make all our challenge in Christs name not in our selves and so our unworthiness obliges us more strongly to rest our selves upon Christ. In which case we resemble the vine that goes up layes hold on that which is stronger then it self so we in our selves weak close with Christ in whom God looks on us not as we are in our selves but in him in whom he is well pleased So we stand not upon nor look unto our righteousness but to God in Christ by whom our sins are washed away in his bloud and our persons covered with his righteousness I but saith he the promises of Salvation are made conditionally if we repent and beleeve now in regard of our selves we cannot beleeve and therefore we are to doubt To this the Apostle shall answer Though the promise of Salvation be conditional yet every on that truly beliveth his faith hath from God a light in it that makes him believe and repent 1 Cor. 2. 12. Wee have received saith the Apostle not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God So that the true believer hath received such a light from the word which letteth him see and know in some measure that hee hath faith and repentance Then what can hinder him from believing in Christ that hath done all this for him he may know he is chosen in that he is effectually called he may know he is effectually called in that he hath true repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus and therefore he may be assured of his Salvation I but who can tell saith he that he hath sufficient faith and sufficient repentance Our assurance depends not upon the sufficiency that is upon the measure but the truth of our faith and repentance As our faith is true and strong so is our assurance though it be but as smoaking flux yet if it be true Christ will not quench it It stands not upon this how much or how little we believe but how truly Acts 16. 31. Beleeve in the Lord Iesus and thou shalt be saved They said not believe thus much I but saith he a true believer hath many secret sins how can he then be assured The true believer though he do fall into sin yet if he be in Christ and Christ raign over him then sin raigns not over him and so long there is no condemnation to him as it is Rom. 8. 1. Seeing that sin doth but dwell though it trouble so it raign not it hinders not but he may have assurance Assurance may stand with secret sinnes that a man confesseth and humbles himself for but if a man be given up to any sin he cannot be assured else he may howsoever sin may trouble him much Lastly He saith we must doubt in regard of our selves because all we have is but natural assurance A man may hope well that he grants but he cannot be certainly assured Romanes 5. verse 5. He that hath sound hope is assured That I soundly hope I know for I truly believe which shews what the Doctros of the Romish Church are Though greatly learned yet fearfully given over to delusion for all true hope is grounded upon present faith So that if a mans hope be sound his faith is sound and therefore the true believer may have assurance A true Christian he looks not on himself but upon Christ what he hath done for him utterly disclaiming his own merits Now we have heard this great Doctors reasons and confuted him by scripture let us hear the instances he brings out of Scripture to maintain doubting There are three examples Bellarmine brings of holy and righteous men in Scripture that saith he durst not stand upon assurance where is then that man saith he that dare presume of his assurance The first is Iob. 27. 6. where he saith my heart shall not reprove me all my dayes I have lived so as in the main I have had a care to please God therefore â—…t my friends say what they will I will never forsake my righteousness Now saith Bellarmine If a man can say thus and yet fear as he doth Iob 9. 20. saying If I would justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me If I would be perfect he shall judge me wicked Though I were perfect yet I know not my soul. Who then dares stand upon assurance For answer hereunto we must understand and know that justification is double First from Faith Secondly from the fruits of faith namely that righteousness we receive by his grace the Imputative righteousness that is by faith in Christ that Iob there speakes not of so that we go not about to free our selves by our own righteousness or any thing that we can do but by Christ.
is contrary to Gods policy and that God hath thus done look into the stories of the Church and see if there was ever any good by done it we may find that much hurt hath been done what contentions rents and schismes have been made in the Church how many Churches have been ruinated by it As Arius his heresie was stirred up by this wherefore we must do with heresies as men do with a fire in a town leaving not a spark least it stir up novum insendium a new fire least it fall out in cutting up of heresies as it is in cutting up of weeds if the seeds do but fall there will be new weeds though not presently God commands that all heresies should be resisted therefore there must be no removing of some and admitting of other that God hath commanded so Ier. 15. 19. when Ieremy went on in such a course that the people began to contend with him he being weary of their clamors began to turn unto them nay saith God let them return to thee but return not thou to them and good reason that a string out of tune should be set to that in tune and not the other set out to that And therefore it was an excellent answer of a man to some that were better States men then Church men That Religion was of a stiff nature it would break not bend there must be no coming half way in religion Now when God commits a thing to us we must do it thoroughly One example we have in Moses who when God bad him take all away he would not leave a hoof so that if there be but the husks of heresie to cover it they must not be left no not so much as that which may cover the feet of heresie For then we do detractare mandato detract from Gods Commandement and especially they that sweep Gods house they must not suffer cob-webs to be in it least they breed spiders and they new cob-webs and so the Church become as defiled as ever it was 3. It draws not them to us but it is as tares that it may take hold of and pluck us to them and as stirrups that thereby they may get into the saddle Again it is not in Heresies as it is in the symbolizing Elements that they easily be transmutated one into the other therefore so far as in our power is let 〈◊〉 take that councel concerning heresies that Salomon gives of water to stop every crevis for else it will run in and make a breach and offer an inundation so let not us entertain a word of heresie especially let Ministers keep the hedge whole that there be no gap where the foxes may enter in for the small grapes must not be neglected see and understand the place Cant. 2. 13. 2. A second fault is when words are not sound for matter that concern practice as for defence of usury unjust non-residency from Livings c. we must take heed that in these we fail not of wholesome words And that for that place Mat. 5. 19. He that breaks the least Commandment and teaches men so shall be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven It is a fearful note that is affixed to the name of Ieroboam this is he that made Israel to sinne I confess it is good to know liberties as well as restraintments and I would have none to put a sore upon mens consciences except on good ground if matters be doubtful then let them alone onely that which is sure must be spoken in the pulpit yet of the two it is safer not to do them when dubious he that teaches any thing not to be lawful had best be sure least he make Israel to sin and least his words be like the words of Humeneus that fretted like a cankar an evil that soon overâ—â— reads the body Men in this case are like tinder and one or two words may set them on fire it is sure that to live at ones living and not take upon usury is safest And if men will do it let not the Minister have a hand in them for it is a fearfull thing to have other mens sinnes set on our score though our own be but small 3. A third is such as are unwholesome but more frequent The two former wounded Religion in the legges and arms but this doth Petere Iugulum kill it at the heart and that is when Religion is disgraced in the general by Puritanism or what terms soever If these words were onely heard in Taverns and desperate deboised persons spake â—…h desperate words it were no great matter but for the pulpit to bend this way is unwholesome Words against sinne are like fire in green wood that if it be not followed it will die but in this case an intimation is enough and it passes like lightning into mens hearts and consciences one push sets down the hill but it requires much labour to get up One stroke with the oars sets down the stream but it is hard to go against the stream since therefore men are tender in this case these words are to be taken heed of all that men can do is not enough to cry down sinne and all the arguments that can be used cannot restrain them If all Ministers should joyn together to cry down the Atheism of the times it were not enough How much to blame are they then that disgrace Religion and make it run into the rocks and dare not look out These Elimases cast dirt in the face of it on every side and well may they be called Elimases for as he perverted the straight ways of God so they make Religion seem crooked as water doth a staff and as a false glasse makes the face look deformed and God pronounces a wo against such Wo to them that make sweet things sowre It is no jesting matter to bring an evil report upon the holy land for God said they should not enter into it but die in the wildernesse But because these have something to say for themselves we will see their defence and I will we could quench their tongues set on fire by the fire of Hell Object 2. They say they speak against Hypocrites Answ. It were well if it were so and I would wish their words were as sharp as raisors to them for they make others fare worse but then what need this generality of Obloquies all are not Hypocrites as in a great payment some bad gold may crowd in so among Christians may be found Hypocrites It is a signe therefore that in thus speaking they call religious men Hypocrites and Religion hypocrisie Consider what makes an Hypocrite not the ill report of bold calumniators for then Christ should not be blameless If they call him Belzebub how much more you Act. 28. 22. The Iews tell Paul his sect is every where spoken against Neither do some slips or some grose sins make a Hypocrite for then David Salomon Peter and all the Apostles should be Hypocrites
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is