other side The use may be for complaint of the generall and grievous neglect of these things in the most men and women Where may a man observe in any family almost that amiable carriage betweene man and wife that ought to be Quest. What are the causes of this generall disorder and unquietnesse betweene men and their wives Ans. 1. It may be God revengeth some sin in the manner of the marriage or going about it of which the parties have not soundly repented as precontracts or marriage for carnall ends without respect of Religion or Gods glory as for wealth or the like or some secret wickednesse betweene the parties before marriage 2. In the most it is the want of the true feare of God they are carnall and so their natures being not regenerate are full of all evill fruits Two carnall persons can no more agree together than two wilde beasts and what will not men and women allow themselves in when they doe not from their hearts feare Gods displeasure 3. In many it is ignorance of their mutuall duties men and women doe not studie with care and conscience the particular duties which in this estate God requires of them 4. In such as know their duties it is either unskilfulnesse to beare with infirmities or neglect of daily prayer to God to fashion their hearts to obey his will in those things as well as in other points of his service and worship 5. In some it is strange and strong lusts and inordinate desires which being not resisted and subdued the inward cause of all that absurd and perverse carriage shewes it selfe openly Quest. 2. But what should men and women doe that they might attaine to this orderly and amiable conversation Answ. 1. They should heartily in secret bewaile their former disorders and seeke pardon of God and then reconcile themselves one to another by confessing their faults and follies These things will never be mended till they be repented of 2. They should seriously attend to the doctrine of their duties and heare it with all conscience and desire to obey and take notice of Gods preceptorie commandement in requiring these things and by all meanes take heed of prejudice in hearing but make conscience to heare this part of the word of God as the word of God as well as any other Thinke not this doctrine too base or meane to be heard or studied nor imagine that it is but the severitie of the Teacher to tell of so many things to be done by men and women especially take heed of that profane jesting to put off the sound practice of this doctrine with jesting one at another Remember one thing by the way that it is a great testimonie of true uprightnesse of heart when men and women make conscience of it to be good at home as well as abroad Thus of the first generall doctrine Doct. 2. Secondly we may hence in generall note That the Word of God and the instructions of the ministry of the Word belong to women as well as men and therefore the Apostles call to the women to heare the Word of the Lord. This point is to be noted the rather because many give out that the knowledge of religion and hearing of Sermons and studying the Scriptures is not fit for women God doth not require it of them Now that this dotage may be the more evidently confuted consider that which is here intimated There are a multitude of arguments may be brought as First the image of God by creation was stamped upon the female as well as the male Gen. 1.27 2. The profession of godlinesse good workes faith charity and holinesse is required of women as well as men 1 Tim. 2.10 15. and therefore all means of grace is necessary for them as well as men 3. It is required of them to be teachers of good things though they are not allowed to teach publikely 1 Cor. 14. yet they must teach their children and the elder women must teach the younger women Tit. 2.3 4. They are commanded expresâ—ly to learne the doctrine is publikely taught 1 Tim. 2.11 5. The Scripture is full of instances Of the good woman in the Proverbs it is said that she was not only a good house-wife but the law of grace was in her lips Pro. 31.26 King Lemuel was taught prophecies by his mother Pro. 31.1 and women followed our Saviour to heare his Sermons some followed him I say from place to place Luke 8.3 and Mary was commended by our Saviour for choosing the best part when she set her heart about religious duties â—itting at the feet of Christ to hear his word Luk. 11. Our Saviour instructs a woman of Samaria in the great mysteries of conversion and salvation Iob. 4. At Philippi Pauls hearers at the first were onely women Acts 16.13 and an honourable narration is made of many Christian women converted Acts 17.4.12 ult and we reade of Priscilla that she was a meanes to instruct Apollos an eloqent and learned man and to make him more perfectly to understand the way of God Acts 18.26 and so we reade of women that laboured with Paul in the Gospel Phil. 4.3 6. If women must suffer for their Religion it is reason they have all the knowledge and helps in Religion but women are in danger to suffer for Religion as well as men Acts 8.3 9.2 22.4 7. Finally the way to be saved is the same for women as well as men and therefore all meanes of salvation belong to them and are to be used by them as well as men Which as it may incourage all women that are religious to study the things that belong to the kingdome of God so it should teach them to make conscience of what they heare and learne of the Virgin Mary to lay up the good word of God in their hearts and keepe it and to looke to their waies in all things that they may please God for as God is no respecter of persons but loves godlinesse in women as well as in men so he doth require sound obedience and reformation and holinesse of life of women as well as men â—or with God there is neither Jew nor Greeke bond nor free male nor female but all are one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.27 28. Thirdly before I yet come to open the particular parts of the text it may be asked why the Apostle is so large in speaking to wives as spending so many verses upon them I answer it is not simply because wives are more faulty than husbands though many times it proves to bee so in many wives but 1. Because it is more against nature to obey than to rule 2. Because women have many hinderances or lets both in receiving the doctrine and in practising it sometimes they rest in the generall that they must obey and so never study particulars and therefore had need to have it beaten out in particulars for them Besides they are in danger to be
in our repentance Luk. 4.44 Act. 6.20 Every tree must not only beare fruit but his own fruit proper to his kind as the proper fruit of rich men is mercy and if they had never so many praises otherwise that they were courteous wise just chaste c. yet if they be not mercifull their workes are not good workes Ninthly his workes must bee full before God It was an objection against the Church of Sardis that her workes were not perfect or full before God therefore she is threatned if she repent not to feele the heavie hand of God Rev. â— 1 2. Noâ— as I conceive a mans workes are not full when he is not carefull of every good worke which he knowes concernes him as for instance if a man pray and yet be not carefull of hearing the Word his prayers are abomination to God because his workes are not full There be some duties which he makes no conscience to obey in though he know they be required hee that turneth away his eares from hearing the Law his prayers are abominable Pro. 28.9 If a man would be never so carefull about Gods service and yet make no conscience of the works of mercy required of him his sacrifice is not accepted Hos. 6.6 7 c. Thus the long prayers of the Pharisees will not be regarded if they devoure widowes houses Mat. 23. and so on the other side if a man were never so mercifull a man if he were not also a religious man in the things of Gods service his workes would not abide triall before God they were not good because they were not full And for this reason the workes of civill honest men are not good such were Pauls workes Phil. 3.6 which hee accounts but drosse and dung in comparison vers 8. of such as these Thus of the rules of good workes the kinds follow The vulgar commonly when they heare of good workes thinke of nothing but almes and hospitality or other courses of shewing mercy Now though it be true that workes of mercy be good workes yet they are but one sort of good workes whereas the Christian is bound to be ready to every good work 1 Tim. 3.17 and therefore it will bee profitable to informe our selves of the many wayes by which we may do good workes for thereby such Christians as are not able to give almes may see a way how to enrich themselves in well-doing other wayes These then are the sorts of good workes First to beleeve is a good work yea it is instead of many good workes yea in some sense it is to us instead of the works of the whole Law as it is a means to lay hold on all the good works that ever Christ Jesus did To put on the â—ord Jesus is a good worke in a high degree and so every act of faith in all the passages of a mans life is a good worke for this is the worke of God to beleeve as our Saviour shewes when hee gives that for answer for such as asked what they must doe to doe the workes of God Ioh. 6.28 Rom. 13.12 13 14. This is clearly acknowledged in these other Scriptures 1 Thes. 1.3 2 Thes 1.11 Secondly all workes of piety are good workes all workes of worship that is such workes by which a man doth service to God are all in the number of good workes and so to pray to fast to heare the Word to receive the Sacraments c. are good workes for godlinesse hath the promises of this life and of the life to come and therefore it is profitable to all things 1 Tim. 4.8 And these workes must needs be accounted good workes for they are deare works the blood of Christ was poured out that wee might be cleansed from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 Thirdly all workes of repentance all that a Christian doth about his humiliation or reformation are evangelically good workes as if he confesse his sinnes and do execution upon his sinnes if hee make satisfaction for his trespasses to men if he reforme himselfe or his houshold or his charge these and the like are all good workes 2 Chron. 19.3 Fourthly to suffer for a good cause is reckoned in the number of good workes as to forsake father or mother house or land wife or children liberty or life for Christs sake and the Gospels it is in the number of those good things that shall have a good reward Mat. 19.29 Ier. 31.16 Ruth 2.11 12. Fifthly workes of mens particular callings whether in the Common-wealth or Church or family or any vocation or trade of life so workes of Justice are good workes and to obey Magistrates is called well-doing vers 14. of this chapter so to preach the Gospel is a good worke 1 Tim. â— 1 So in the family for parents to bring up their children well is a good worke 1 Tim. 5.10 yea the labours of servants in the family are such workes as shall have reward of God as well as workes of piety Esa. 6. Col. 3. Sixthly workes of mercy are good workes whether it bee spirituall mercy to instruct admoniâ—h or reprove or comfort Psal. 140. or whether it be outward mercy in giving lending visiting defending the poore or the like All confesse these to be good workes Act. 9.16 But that almes may be a good worke these three rules must be observed First that it be given of goods well gotten else no good workes Secondly that he that gives it have a good eye to distribute where there is need for to keepe a good house and to entertain russians and drunkards and gamesters is not a good work nor hospetality because here is not a good eye Thirdly almes muâ—t be given to a good end not for the praise of men or to merit thereby Mat. 6. Thus of the kinds of good workes The questions follow Quest. 1. How can any workes done by any man in this life be accounted good seeing there is none that liveth and sinneth not yea all our workes even the workes of the most righteous are as a menstruous cloth Esa. 64.6 For ansâ—er hereunto I say It is true that if God looke upon the best workes of the most godly in this life and examine them by the rigour of his covenanâ— which he called His covenant of workes then no flesh living can have comfort of his workes but all will appeare lothsome as a menstruous garâ—ent But the workes of the beleeving Christians are otherwaies to bee considered of for First they are tried by the covenant of grace by the benefit of which covenant he is delivered from the rigorous perfection of the Law his uprightnes is accepted instead of perfection he is now no more under the Law but by Gods grace and acceptation his workes are taken as if they had been perfect Secondly he hath the benefit of Christs intercession who presenteth his workes before God covering the evill of them and tendring them to God who accepts
refuse certaine meates and dayes the Conscience erred in judging those meates and dayes to bee unlawfull to be observed and used and yet hee calls them that were so led by an erring Conscience hee calls them I say brethren But when we speake of an evill Conscience we meane Conscience unregenerate As a man may have sinne in him and yet be a good man so may Conscience have blindnesse in it and yet bee a good Conscience The signes of an unregenerate Conscience may be gathered from the differences of evill Consciences The signes then of an unregenerate still Conscience are these First when it is quiet in the committing and after the committing of knowne sinne whether open or secret For open sins as for drunkennesse swearing lying profanation of the Sabbath and the like the Conscience cannot be good when these or the like open wickednesses are committed and so when it is quiet notwithstanding secret whoredome or filthinesse of any kinde or continuall wickednesse in the thoughts or desires that Conscience that can abide a soule heart is a wicked Conscience Secondly when it excuseth for doing notorious evils and so they have evill Consciences that could trouble and persecute even to the death godly men and yet thinke they did God good service Iohn 16.2 The signes of an unregenerate stirring Conscience are these First when the Conscience serves onely to tell ill newes when it serves to tell a man onely of his losse by Adam or the Law but never comforteth him by bringingâ—in any evidence of Gods favour in Christ. That Conscience that terrifies without Christ that is without mixing any of the comforts of the Gospell in Christ is an evill Conscience the speciall property of a good Conscience is to excuse and comfort and therefore that Conscience that doth onely accuse is an evill Conscience Secondly when the Conscience flees from the presence of God as did Adams Conscience after the Fall and this the Conscience discovers when it dares not stand before the discovery of the Law of God not dares abide a powerfull Minister that speakes to the Conscience of the hearers and ransacks them Thirdly when the Conscience languisheth about questions that tend not to edification and raiseth the strength of zeale and all the power of it about things that are lesse necessary either unto faith or practice And this was the case of the Pharisees Conscience that spent all their zeale about lesse matters and neglected the waightier things of the Law And this is the case of all such Christians that are zealous with a fiery zeale about circumstances or the estates and businesses of others and neglect the maine things of substance that concerne their owne sanctification assurance or salvation Fourthly when the Conscience is for men and not for God when the motive that raiseth and incourageth it is the praise of men and not the praise of God This also was the case of the Consciences of the Pharisees for the Conscience in them was busie and did require good duties but the respect was still the praise of men whereas a good Conscience is for God above all Fiftly when it will accuse onely for grosse evils and those knowne to others and not for lesse and secret sins to be repented of Sixtly when it will accuse onely in the time of adversity as in the case of Iosephs brethren Thus of the signes of an evill Conscience The misery that the men have that have an evill Conscience followes and they are miserable whether they have a waking or a sleeping Conscience The misery that comes from a waking Conscience is evill and may be two wayes discerned first by the tearmes by which it is called and resembled in Scripture secondly by the effects which it worketh really upon a man For the first An evill Conscience that is awake is in Scripture compared to a sting or pricke wounding the heart of a man It is likened also to a dog or a bloud-hound that lieth at the doore and having fresh sent howleth and barketh after the malefactor Gen. 4. It is likened as some thinke by David Psal. 51.4 to an evill contentious wife that is ever before a man chiding and brauling and as a moth secretly eats the garment so doth an evill Conscience eat up the heart of a man when others little see it Prov 25. It is like a dart strangely shot into a mans body Psalme 38. and it is compared to the boyling of the tumultuous sea Esay 57. and it is called a worme that dieth not but lieth gnawing and eating upon the heart of a man Esay 66. Marke 9. So that a man that hath an evill Conscience is like a man that is stung by a serpent or followed by a bloud-hound or vexed by a continuall-contrarious wife or that is hourely shot through with darts or that hath a living worme ever gnawing at his heart But that this may be more distinctly understood wee must take notice of foure effects of an evill Conscience usually The first is shame He that hath an evill Conscience is betrayed by his own blushing many times when his offence is secret yea a man feeles an inward shame in his owne heart disgracing and abusing him though he make no outward shew of it For though sometimes an innocent person upon the fulnesse of an aspersion may conceive shame as David did Psal. 44.15 yet it is usually the effect of an ill Conscience The second is paine and anguish of heart arising from the gnawing and stings of Conscience mentioned before which so continually burdens the heart that it takes away all contentment in any thing and keepes the heart in an habituall disconsolation and though the disease of melancholy may breed a sadnesse like unto it yet is there manifest difference betwixt this affliction of spirit and melancholy for the melancholick person usually can assigne no certaine reason of that sadnesse whereas Conscience when it stings a â—â—gnes the cause of it to be such and such things which bring noâ— only the shame of men but the wrath of God Besides melancholick sadnesse may be eased by physicke but this sorrow is not cured by any meanes but such as are spirituall The third is a strange kind of feare breaking the heart of a man and so subduing his courage that he is not able to sustaine himselfe against the impressions of vaine causes of feare A trembling heart is the effect of an ill conscience Deut. 28.65 Thus wicked men are said in Scripture to feare when no man pursueth them Pro. 28.1 and to be so faint-hearted as the sound of a shaken leafe shall make them fly as it were from a sword Levit. 26.36 and as it is in Iob The sound of feare is alwayes in his eares yea the terrours of conscience sometime so enrage upon the offender that no torments are like unto their terrours which sometimes are so great that they are hardly able to sustaine themselves but discover their horrible
curing it and putting life into it by sprinkling it with the bloud of Christ and love infusing or rather inflaming it with the heat of life All these things are requisite though I stand not upon the precise order of the working of every one of these Thus how conscience may bee made good Now I might adde a direction or two how conscience may doe her worke aright that is a good conscience and not doe ill offices in the soule Two things I say are of great use for the guiding of a good conscience First that in all her proceedings she must follow the warrant of Gods word Secondly that she doe not mistake in judging of particular actions she must bee sufficiently informed about our Christian liberty for unlesse the conscience discerne that wee are freed from the malediction of the law and from the rigorous perfection of obedience and have restored unto us a free use of all things indifferent and the like shee may be over-busie and troublesome disquieting the heart and restraining the joyes should refresh and support a man Thus of the meanes how conscience may be made good the signes of a good conscience follow First by the opposition it makes against the remainders of sinne in the godly It maintaines a constant combating against the law of the members having at command the law of the minde It doth not only resist grosse evils but even the most secret corruptions in the heart of man This Paul discerned in himselfe Rom. 7. of doing God service Secondly by the manner of exacting of obedience for a good conscience First doth incline a man to doe good duties not by compulsion but a man shall find that he doth them by force of an internall principle in himself Secondly it cannot abide dead works a good conscience abhors all cold and carelesse or luke-warm or counterfeit serving of God it puts life into all good dutes it exacteth attendance upon God in doing them Heb. 9.14 Thirdly it more respecteth God than all the world or the man himselfe and therefore will compell a man to obey against profit and pleasure and liking of the world 2 Cor. 1.12 Fourthly it requires an universall obedience it would have all Gods commandements respected and therefore Paul saith I desired in all things to live honestly Heb. 13.18 The allowing of one sin shewes the depravation of the conscience if it bee a knowne sinne and still tolerated As one dead flie will spoyle a boxe of pretious oyntment I say one dead flie though many living flies may light upon a boxe of oyntment and do it no great hurt so a godly man may have many infirmities and yet his conscience be sound but if there be one corruption that lives and dies there that is such a corruption as is knowne and allowed and doth by custome continue there it will destroy the soundnesse of the best conscience of the world and doth usually argue a conscience that is not good Fiftly a good conscience doth require obedience alwaies thus Paul pleads I have served God till this day It doth not command for God by fits but constantly Acts 23.1 A third signe is that a good conscience is alwayes toward God it still desires to bee before God it seekes Gods presence it reckons that day to be lost and that it did not live as it were when it found not the Lord or had no fellowship or conversation with God A good conscience is like a good Angell it is alwayes looking into the face of God Acts 23.1 Thus of the signes The benefits of a good conscience are many and great for First it is the best companion a man hath all the daies of his life it is ever with him and speakes good unto him and comforts him A man that hath no company needs not to be alone for he may converse with much delight with his owne conscience and it is the surest friend a man can have for it will neither hurt him by flattery nor forsake him for any carnall respects and being an internall agent is out of the watch of all outward hinderances and is alwaies a messenger of good things to a man and fits him and fills him with peace that passeth all the understanding of all men that want a good conscience Secondly it gives a man assurance of the best treasures it makes a man certaine of his salvation for a good conscience will not be quiet till it know the love of God and the promises of grace in Christ and the assurance that conscience gives is a better assurance than any man can have for his lands or any estate on earth because it is so highly honoured that Gods owne Spirit doth not disdaine at any time to witnesse with it and to it Rom. 8.15 16. Thirdly by reason of that new acquaintance and affinity it hath with the holy Ghost it brings us into a familiar friendship with God as being an immediat Agent with the holy Ghost in all things that concerne us for Gods Spirit treates with the conscience and the conscience treates with the Soule Fourthly it is a continuall bulwarke against the divell and all his fiery darts whether he tempt us to sinne or to feare and doubting for so soone as the temptation is cast in a good-conscience by her reasoning presently throwes it out reserving principles both of precept and promise alwaies in a readinesse to that end so as by contrarious reasoning within us it both hinders us from yeelding to sin and supports us against all doubts and feares Prov. 28.1 Fiftly against all afflictions and disgraces and reproches of the world a good conscience still comforts a man and makes him rejoyce by the force of the testimony thereof 2 Cor. 1.14 So as it is most true that a good conscience is a continuall feast he never fares ill that hath a good conscience Psal. 7.8 Acts 24.16 Rom. 9.10 Sixtly and the greater is the comfort of a good conscience because it will comfort us and stand by us and for us when all other comforts faile It will never leave us in sicknesse or in death and so is better than a thousand friends or wives or children yea it will goe with us to the Judgement feat of Christ with this assurance that as a good conscience speakes to us now so will Christ speake to us at that day Rom. 2.16 Thus of the sorts or kindes of consciences The last point is about the bond of conscience what it is that can binde a mans conscience and the doubt ariseth from this and other Texts because here a servant is bound in conscience to submit himselfe to a froward master both to his command and to his punishments and other Scriptures speake of his obedience to superiours for conscience sake For answer hereunto we must know that God and his law have power simply and absolutely to binde conscience that is to urge it to require obedience of a man or to accuse
conversation in the world but have no taste of religion or conscience of zeale for Gods glory fourthly all open worldlings that minde not heavenly things and savour nothing but the things of this world and lastly all hypocrites that make a shew of mortification and yet are not mortified and then suppose how small a number will be left in every place to be reckoned in this lift of true Christians Doct. 2. Mortification is the very first step of grace and the entrance into all power of godlinesse Till our sins be soundly crucified and dead no worke of Religion that is acceptable to God can be done and therefore Iohn Baptist and Christ and the Apostles call for repentance as the first thing that opens a way into the kingdome of heaven because else sin unrepented like a prison will infect all wee doe Esay 1.13 to 16. Besides the heart of man being naturally like a stone or iron till it be softned no impression of grace can be fastned upon it and if the ground of our hearts be not well plowed up the seed of the Word cannot but be lost Ier. 4.4 The seed cast upon the high way will be picked up by the fowles of the aire and not grow or if any seed or plant of grace did grow for a while in the heart yet the weeds of sin would overgrow and choake all as is evident in seed sowne iâ— thorny ground or plants set in ground that is not digged and weeded And fâ—â—ther while the person is evill the worke will be vile and abominable An evill tree canâ—ot bring forth good fruit And therefore this shewes that such Christians as leape into the profession of Religion so easily and thinke it is no more but to give-ovâ—r ill courses and fall to the practice of good duties are deceived for if by â—ound mortification their sins past be not bewailed and they soundly humbled either their sins will after a while grow and revive againe or else the conscience of these sins will secretly throughout their lives torment them or else the Divell on a sudden may seize upon them with deâ—paire having so manifest a reason against them that they did never practise mortificâ—tion for their sins Besides lamentable experience shewes in those places where Christians are not soundly formed at first in the exercise of mortification they leade their lives in a dull course of profession and have not the experience of the life and power of Religion in themselves for the joyes of it or towards others in the practice of it The mourners in Sion and such as are broken-hearted are the most glorious and the most fruitfull Christians Is. 61.1 2 3 4. and continue in the greatest power of Religion And further it may be noted in the best of those that their separation from the love of the world is most really performed as hath appeared when in any speciall workes of men or for the help of the Church of God they are called upon to shew their zeale by their bounty in such cases one poore Macedonian would shame a hundred of those rich Corinthians 2 Cor. 8. Doct. 3. True repentance for sin doth in divers respects kill a man it strikes him dead to repent is to be a dead man not only in respect of the world which casts off a man that will not run in the excesses of the time as a dead man indeed Col. 3.3 but in respect of themselves For first by the assise a man must keep upon himselfe he will be found dead by sentence when he judgeth himselfe before the Lord he stands as a man condemned in the flesh he sentenceth himselfe to eternall death for his deserts by confessing what he meriteth 1 Pet. 4.6 Now a condemned man is reckoned for a dead man in Law Secondly repentance destroyes the senses and affections and conceits and reason that were wont to be alive in men it dissolves the very frame of the old conversation The word rendred dead signifies to undoe what was done about the life of man to unmake him as I may say so as all the old things passe away and all becomes new 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 6.6 1 Iohn 3.8 In the new Convert there is not left the savour sent lust or affections after sin and the sinfull profits and pleasures of the world he doth not find that inflammation or inticement he was wont to feele from evill example or the glory of the world or evill compaâ—y or the things before he most esteemed and delighted in Thus he is dead to himselfe because he denies himselfe and could be well contented to forget that ever he had beene such as he was before Thirdly in some of Gods children their repentance is performed with such griefe and sorrow as brings their life almost to the buriers as is noted Iob 33.19 20 21. Fourthly they may be said to be dead in repenting because repentance is never fully finished till their naturall death sin sticks so fast as they have daily cause of mortification in some degree and it will never be gotten wholly out till they be indeed dead men though in the mean time God accepts of their first repentance as if it were perfect This Doctrine serves effectually to discover the estate of multitudes of Christians not to be right as they That doe nothing at all about their sins That excuse their sins and hide them and favoâ—r them and cast the fault upon others Pro. 28.13 Gen. 3. Iob 20.11 12 13. That blesse themselves in their hearts when their iniquity is found worthy to be hated Psal. 36.2 That haunt with such persons as may make them sin more That say It is no profit to walke humbly before the Lord Mal. 3.14 and rather blesse the proud That hate and revile such as are mortified That are dead rather in faith and good workes and finde a deadly savour in the Word That have sense and savour onely in the things of the flesh Secondly this should teach all that mind their owne salvation to looke carefully to the truth of their mortification and not to thinke it is such a sleight and easie worke but to consider that in repenting for sinne they must never cease till they be like Christ dying for sinne and that is in the sense before given So our bearing of the similitude of Christs death in our repentance notes divers particular things in our repentance as 1. That our sorrowes be voluntary not inforced he gave his life it was not taken from him we must not tarry till the Divell fire us with the terrors of despaire 2. That we be pained at the very heart for our sins so was Christ it must be a hearty griefe 3. That wee shew forth the fruits of our repentance so hee suffered openly 4. That he suffered by degrees and ceased not till he died so must we by degrees resist sin and never cease untill it be quite abolished Hence also we may know whether we have truely
thoughts of Gods glory â—â—o waies established Note A double caveat in glorifying God Foure things must be done by us to make others glorifie God 1 Men are said to visit diversly 2 God doth also visit many waies 1 The creatures But especially men and so either as â—e visits all men in generall or some men in speciall God visits men two waies especially 1 In justice What kind of men in particular are in danger of this kind of visitation 2 God visits in mercy and so either in temporall things as in the case of blessings or in case of afflictions God visits in spiritual things diversly Signes of such as are truly visited in mercy with true grace 1 Hee hath a new Lord. 2 New acquaintance 3 A new language 4 A new heart Speciall signes of a new heart 1 It hath no guile 2 It is void of malice 3 It is void of covetousnesse A new mind New affections A new behaviour discovered divers wayes Many sorts of daies noted in Scripture Note How the day and season of grace may bee knowne Note Against such as presume on late repentance First objection answered Note Second objection answered Third objection confuted Note Note What glorious things the day of visitation brings forth Use. Note Use 1. Use 2. Note Doct. 8. Note What Submission hath in it viz. six things Siquis tentat excipere conâ—tur decipere Agnoscit dominum suum â—â—erâ— Aâ—â—â— Ezra 1 Subjectivè 2 Objectivè 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In what things the Magistâ—ate is not to be obeyed In what things they are to be obeyed In what matters ecclesiastiâ—â—ll â—he Magistrate hath no power In what things he hath power ecclesiasticall Actions about Gods wâ—rshâ—â— of two sorts Quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whether any inventions of men ought to be obeyed Gal. 5. Mat. 15. Command 2. Circumcision was a burthen Acts 5 10 and these burthens 〈◊〉 necessary things v. 28. and they were 〈◊〉 to doe well if they observe them v. 29. Pretended inconveniences by humâ—ne Lawes surveyed Acts 15.1 Rules about taking and giving scandall at humane ceremonies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hypocrisie Originall of Kings Homo naturâ est animal politicum Divers kindes of societies Pagus a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The excellencie of Kings above others 1 Tim. 1.12 Bernard Epist. 170. Who are branded for evill doers Wherein it is unlawfull to seeke the praise of men 2 Cor. 12.11 Ioh. 5.36 37. Helps to get praise from men Ier. 8.18 21. Vide Ephes. 4.17 18. Signes of spirituall folly Prov. 17.16 Signes of spirituall madnesse Wherein godly men sometimes shew folly Why it is so hard to cure ignorance and silence ignorant men Speciall gifts of Christ bestowed on the godly Quanquam humantur non tamen damnantur From what a Christian is made free Electi sunt liberi à damnatione legis à dominatione regis peccati To what a godly man is made free In what respects we are but as free 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men may use their liverties as a cloake of maliciousnesse five wayes 2. Pet. 2. 19. 20. How Christian liberty is made a cloake of malice in things indifferent How we must serve God Rom. 12.45 Heb. 9.14 Who are rejected from the number of Gods servants Deut. 28.47 Prerogatives of Gods servants By what wayes we may expresse our honouring of men How we shew our love to the brother-hood In what respects godly men are brethren The Apostle doth especially urge the inwarâ— worship of God The fear of God what it is It is twofold Sixe things in God we are to stand in awe of Motives to get the feare of God What kindes of men do not fear God Signes of Gods feare Pro. 31.30 Note What a family is Three things required to make a society happy We are bound of God to the care of domesticall duties for divers reasons Why inferiors in a family are first and especially charged with their duties Servants of men are of divers sorts For what causes servitude came in Gen. 12.16 and 32.5 Eccles. 2.7 How a godly servant may comfort himselfe in that estate Servants must be subject three wayes Helps for servants to yeeld subjection The originall of masters The name father given to divers sorts How many waies servants shew the feare of God in their 〈◊〉 Signes of good masters Reasons 〈◊〉 frowardâ—â—â—â— Prov. 10.32 Prov. 16.28 Helpes against frowardnesse Reasons why men ought to be instructed about conscience What conscience is Rom. 2.15 and 9.1 The proper worke of Conscience These principles in the minde shâ—w a keeper they call Synteresis How consciâ—â—ce is imployed in us Chirâ—graphia Deâ— Prâ—râ—gatives or pâ—â—pertâ—â—s of conscience Kindes of conscience Difference of evill in mens consciences Note The signes of an evill Conscience 〈…〉 Signes of an ill stirring Conscience Hurt of an evill conscience Foure ill effects of an ill conscience Aggravations of the misery of an ill Conscience What must bee done to make an ill conscience good Two things for the guiding of conscience Signes of a good conscience Acts 23.1 Benefits of a good conscience How far conscience may be bound Use. Wherein vaine-glory is seene 1 Thes. 2.6 Wherein true glory consists Divers wayes of suffering Christ suffered for us in divers respects Ten things for us to follow in the example of Christs sufferings In what things Christs example binds not How farre examples binde conscience A man is said to make sinne many waies How Christ had no sinne Guile in words many waies Guile in Hypocrisie many wayes What reviling is Who are guilty of reviling Esay 5.20 Motives to patience In what cases it is not fit to complaine unto the Magistrate In what cases men may lanfully seeke redresse from the Magistrate Thâ—t God is a Iudge is terrible to wicked men and that in many respects God is comfortable to godly men How Go◠〈◊〉 rigâ—tâ—oâ—â—â—y Use. Rules in committing our cause to God In what respects Christ bare our sins Christs sufferings â—itted to the circumstances of sin 1 John 2.1 Rom. 3.26 Reasons why Christ suffered on a tree Men die divers wayes Naturall men aâ—e said to be alive to sin in divers respects Great is the misery of such as live in sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Divers things in Christs death that ought to be in our repentance Signes of true mortification The happinesse of such as live spiritually A religious â—sâ— is the best liâ—e for 6. reasons Signes that describe a righteous mâ—n in himsâ—lâ—e Sixe other signes of righteousnesse as it groweth How the righteousnesse of a godly mâ—n disfers from that of the Scribes and Pharisees Why so many do not imbrace a righteous life Helpes unto righteousnesse Phil. 3.3 1 â—or 7.23 Defects of a righteous life of two sorts First in tâ—e parts of it And 〈◊〉 in respect of the fâ—rst table Psal. 27.3 5. Pro. 2â— 3. Psal. 55.22 Psal.
two should suffer with him per compassionem mentis and by the scarlet should be meant the theefe that suffered with him per compassionem carnis Some thinke that the Cedar-wood is hope that dwels on high and will not be putrified Hysop is faith a low growing herb that fastens her roote upon the rocke scarlet is charity Others understand by the Cedar contemplation by the hysop humility and by scarlet twise dyed charity which is twise dyed viz. on the one side with the love of God on the other with the love of our neighbour All these must burne in the Lords passion but I thinke that hereby may be noted that three things arise out of the passion of Christ 1. th◠〈◊〉 of immortality 2. the hysop of mortification For so the word purge applyed to hyssop Psal. 51. doth import 3. the scarlet is the blood of Christ which is twise dyed in that it is twise applyed once for expiation 600. yeares agoe and then againe for justification of every particular beleever 17. The impurity of the Priests mentioned verses 7 8. might prefigure the impurity of the Jewish Priests till they were washed by conversion from their sinne in killing Christ of whose conversion is mentioned Act. 6. But rather hereby may be gathered as the Apostle doth gather it the great excellency of Christs Priesthood above all those legall Priests For they in their solemnest sacrifices were impure themselves and needed cleansing but Christ was not so Heb. 10. Quest. How could the Priests be made uncleane by that which did purifie the people Answ. Uncleanenesse was two wayes contracted 1. First by the foulenesse of the things touched and so he that touched a dead corps was uncleane 2. Secondly by the unworthinesse of the man touching and so it was here He must professe himselfe unworthy to touch so sacred an expiation we had need to take time even till the evening to humble our soules and bewaile our unworthinesse of the blood of Christ. 18. Now after the death of the Heifer it is said Verse 9. that a man that is cleane must gather up the ashes of the Heifer and lay them up without the Campe in a cleane place This man that is cleane is the Gentile purified by faith For this is after the death of Christ The gathering of the ashes is the applying of the merits of Christ and laying hold of the mysteries of his kingdome The laying up of the ashes imports the Christians accounts of Christs merits as his chiefe treasure The cleane place is the cleane heart for the merits of Christ belong not to all Gentiles but to such as have a clean heart and will keepe the mystery of faith in a pure conscience Without the Campe notes the native condition of the Gentiles who were without the law strangers from the common-wealth of Israel and from the covenant of promise without sacrifices and out of the Synagogue of the Jewes 19. These ashes are kept for the congregation to note that there shall never be want of merit to any Christian to any member of the congregation of Christ when he saith it is to make a water of separation it notes what our sins bring upon us by nature we are separate and cast out of Gods sight and need the blood of Christ to recover us from our separation This water was made of the ashes of the Heifer and running water to note that after separation to cleanse us again we must be sprinkled with a water made of the ashes of Christs merits and the water of the grace of the holy Spirit of God This is the perpetuall way of purification for sin and in that it must be sprinkled upon us with Hyssop it notes that we can have no comfort either of the merits of Christ or the grace of the Spirit without the hyssop of true mortification 20. He that gathereth the ashes must wash his clothes and be uncleane till the Even to note that even the neerer a Christian comes to the merits of Christ the more he is affected with the sense of his owne uncleanenesse he that hath the strongest faith doth most wash his clothes yea he retaines the sense of his uncleanenesse till Even that is till death as some interpret it Thus much of the sprinkling of the blood of the Heifer In the sprinkling that was used about the passeover there are not many things which need expounding The Lambe for the Passeover is Christ the lambe of God the blood is the blood of Christ. The sprinkling of the blood is the application of the blood of Christ. The sprinkler is the Minister The hyssop wherewith it is sprinkled is the word of mortification The people are the faithfull The house is the soule of man The doores of the house are the eares eyes and mouth of man The benefit is deliverance and protection from the destroying Angell In the narration of the sprinkling of blood used at the ratification of the covenant The sense of the most things may be briefly touched The altar under the hill is Jesus Christ ready to succour and sanctifie those that are afflicted in spirit with terrors of conscience in the sense of the law given on the hill Sina The pillars are the faithfull that stand before and beare witnesse to the comforts expected or felt for the sacrifice of Christ and they are 12. to note out the 12. Tribes and in them all the faithfull The young men and the first borne of the children of Israel were types of the Elect in visible Churches borne againe to God his first fruites of the multitude a people consecrated to God as his onely portion These offer to God two kindes of sacrifice the one was the Holocaust or the whole burnt offering even the dedication of themselves wholly even of their lives unto the death for the service of God and the practise of godlinesse The other was the peaâ—e offerings which were sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving The blood was the blood of Christ. The basons that received the blood are the word and sacraments The Altar sprinkled with blood is Christ truly suffering and truly retaining in himselfe all sufficiency of merits The other part of the blood sprinkled on the people notes the application of the merits of Christ to the faithfull and of his graces without diminishing from the fountains of excellency of merit and grace in himselfe The meanes by which it is sprinkled is to be supplyed out of the Heb. 9.19 viz. the hyssop of mortification and the scarlet of charity and the Christian love 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 against sin and â—ervent desire of piety The benefit is the reconciling of the people to God and the establishing of the covenant In the aspersion of blood mentioned Levit. 16. I note onely foure things 1. The benefits that come by it which are first entrance within the vaile even the right to the kingdome of heaven 2. The assured procurement and continued establishment
you two things First the signes and markes of a man without Guile even of a true Israelite Secondly the encouragement and comforts that belong to such men c. For the first a true Nathaniel hath these praises and especiall markes 1. He shunnes Guile in his spirit as well as in his words or workes Psal. 32.2 What hee accounts vile to speake hee accounts vile to thinke 2. His praise is of God and not of men Rom. 2.26 Hee more strives to doe good then to get credit and applause and if God accept him hee cares not though all the world deride him 3. When he confesseth his fault to God he will not hide his sinne but confesseth all his sins that is all sorts of sins and his sin without extenuation or excuse Psal. 32.2 5. 4. If he offend it is of ignorance and he will not receive doctrine of trust and if he be shewed the truth he quietly yeelds and gives glory to God Iohn 1.46 47 48. 5. He is a plaine man and speakes the truth in his heart What hee saith he saith without fraud or dissembling he saith it from his heart his heart and his words agree he hateth lying and all deceit Psal. 15.2 Zeph. 3.13 though he might gaine never so much yet will he practise no untruth 6. He is a constant man just of his word he will performe his promise though it be to his owne hinderance Psal. 15.4 He will not deny the truth though it be to his extreame danger Such men as these have many encouragements to hold on their courses It was a chiefe praise of Christ that he was without Guile 1 Pet. 2.7 and so was it in the Martyrs and Saints Rev. 14.15 It is one of the signes and markes of Gods houshold servants Psal. 15.2 Of a true Convert Zeph. 3.13 These men are faithfull with the Saints and rule with God Hos. 11. 12. Such as these will abide the Balance to be weighed and God will acknowledge their integrity Iob 31.5 The wealth of these men gotten by labour and just dealing shall increase when riches gotten by vanity shall diminish Prov. 13.11 And those lips of Truth shall be established for ever when lying tongues shall be but for a moment Prov. 12.19 And thus much of Guile Onely before I passe further it is worthy the noting that he sayes of these two first sins that all Malice and all Guile must be laid aside which imports that howsoever some other infirmities bee in the godly yet they should be found farre from all Malice and Guile not a jot of either of them should be found in them Malice must bee in them in no kinde nor in no measure neither secret nor open Malice neither grudge nor desire of revenge neither at home nor abroad neither in civill things nor in matters of Religion neither in any of the aggravations nor in the least drop of it And the like may be said of Guile It were a shamefull thing that any kinde of Guile should be found in a Christian in any of his dealings at any time with any sort of men or in any measure For if but a drop of Malice or Guile bee left in us it may breake out againe and our hearts prove like a festered sore Malice is like leaven a little of it will sowre the whole lumpe It is like Poyson a drop may spoile us It is like a coale of fire within it wants nothing but the devill to blow it and then into what a flame may it kindle And therefore we should all looke to our hearts to see that we be free from Malice and look to our wayes that we be guilty of no kinde of Guile Such as are reconciled should note this point to see to it that they keepe not the least drop of the poysonfull grudge in their hearts It is not enough that they say daily they will forgive or can receive the Sacrament For if they cannot respect them with a free heart without reservation they are still infected with the disease of Malice Hypocrisie The third sin to be avoided is Hypocrisie Concerning Hypocrisie I propound two things to be considered First how many wayes men commit Hypocrisie Secondly what reasons there are to disswade us from Hypocrisie For the first the Scriptures discover many wayes of the practise of Hypocrisie In the 23. of Matthew our Saviour notes eight wayes of being guilty of Hypocrisie 1. To say and not doe ver 3. 2. To require much of others and plead for great things to be done by others and not at all doe it our selves as we prescribe it to others ver 4. 3. To doe what we doe to be seen of men ver 5. This is at large opened Mat. 6.1 to the middle of the chapter 4. To affect greatnesse in the respects and entertainments of others ver 6. to 12. 5. To doe duties of Religion of purpose to hide some soule sinne ver 14. 6. To be curious and strict in small matters and neglect the greater duties ver 23 24. 7. To be carefull to avoid outward faults and to make no conscience of the inward foulnesse of the heart ver 25 27. 8. To commend and magnifie the godly absent or of former ages and to hate and abuse the godly present and of our owne times verse 29. to 36. There are divers other Hypocriticall practices noted in other Scripture As 9. To serve God outwardly and yet our hearts to be caried away with vile distractions Esay 28.13 This is a chiefe Hypocrisie to be avoided in such as come to the word 10. To pray onely in the time of sicknesse or danger when we are forced to it and to shew no love of prayer or delight in God in time of prosperity or deliverance Iob 27.8 9. 11. To judge others severely for smaller faults and to be guilty themselves of greater crimes Mat. 7.5 12. To be just overmuch I meane to make sins where God makes none Luke 13.15 13. To be convinced in his owne conscience and yet not confesse it nor yeeld though they know the truth Luke 12.56 57. c. Thus of the divers wayes of Hypocrisie There are many reasons to declare the hatefulnesse of this sin of Hypocrisie I will instance onely in the reasons from the effects The effects of Hypocrisie are either first to others Or secondly to the Hypocrite himselfe First to others the Hypocrite is a continuall snare He walkes in a net that converseth with an Hypocrite Iob 34.30 Secondly to himselfe the effects of Hypocrisie in the Hypocrite are both privative and positive The privative effects which the Scripture instanceth in are chiefly three The first is that the Hypocrite loseth all his service of God In vaine doe Hypocrites worship God Mat. 15. Secondly hee infecteth all his gifts and praises Hypocrisie is like leaven Luke 12.1 It sowreth all gifts and graces a little of it will marre all his praises and gifts whatsoever for the
cast us out of their companies yet we must persist in our intention to sacrifice still to God Fourteenthly in the Sacrifices God had a great respect of mercy that cruelty were not shewed as Levit. 22.27 When he enjoined that the creature must be seven daies under the damme and that no damme with the young one was to be slaine the same day Certainly God abhorreth that cruelty should bee exercised under pretence of piety Cursed be those long praiers that will devoure widdowes houses Matth. 23. In one thing we differ from the sacrifices For the sacrifices were dead or consisted of things without life but we must be living sacrifices we must doe what we will doe while we are alive and must do it lively with the affections that belong to the duties to be done Vse The use may be briefly twofold for partly it should humble us for our neglect of praiers thanksgiving almes contrition We omit the maine duties of our general calling when we omit these It was the abomination of desolation when the temple was without sacrifices how can it but be exceeding uncomely with Gods spirituall house that hath not sacrifices in it We are Christians but in name when pietie and mercy is neglected But especially we should be instructed from hence to mind our work to strive to answer our high calling by a continual care day night to exercise our selves herein the smoak of our incense should daily ascend unto God The Apostle Paâ—l beseecheth the Romans by the mercies of God to looke to their sanctifying Rom. 12.1 Which shewes it is of wonderfull necessity and would make us in some measure walk worthy of the Lord. And to theâ—Hebrewes he bids them take heed of forgetting these sacrifices importing that usually our deficiency in these services are from forgetfulnes we forget to pray and forget to shew mercy even after we have purposed both And thus much of the worke of a Christian. Now his honour followes Acceptable to God by Iesus Christ. VVherein three things may be noted First That howsoever piety and mercy and well-doing finde little acceptation in the world yet it shall never want honour and great esteeme with God Pions and mercifull Christians shall never faile of the love and favour of God Their works are accepted It is true that God may change his minde concerning the Ceremoniall Sacrifices but the acceptation of Christian Sacrifices is a thing established with God Heb. 10.9 These offerings shall be pleasant unto the Lord Malach. 3.4 Thâ—y are well-pleasing in his sight Heb. 13.16 They are a sweet savour unto the Lord Phil. 4.18 God hath a booke of remembrance Mal. 3.17 And our fruit shall certainly remaine Ioh. 15.16 And thus Cornelius his prayers and almes came up before the Lord Acts 10. Secondly That it is not enough to doe good duties but we must strive so to doe them that God may accept them Heb. 12.28 Esay 1.11 12.13.14 Thirdly That now our best works are made acceptable to God onely by Iesus Christ Revel 8.3 4. It is from the presenting of Christ that wee are found holy and without blame in Gods sight Col. 1.22 Therefore we must doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus Col. 3.17 Vsâ— The use of all should be to teach us with all care to devote our selves unto godlinesse that thereby we may prove what this good and acceptable will of God is Let us try Gods acceptation and we shall certainly finde it shall goe well with the just Rom. 12.1 2. Yea wee should from heâ—ce gather much encouragement to imploy our selves in piety and mercy It is enough if God accept of us Quest. But what should wee doe that wee may be sure our sacrifices be accepted of God How shall we know when God doth accept our service in any holy duty Ans. That a mans conscience may be soundly established in this point of God's acceptation we must looke to three things First that the person be sanctified None but Priests must approach to offer sacrifice to God They that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8.8 The sonnes of Levi must be purified and refined as the silver is refined before their offering will be pleasing Mal. 3.3 4. When the Lord rejected with so much disdaine the sacrifices of the Iewes he shewes what they should have done to please him they should have washed themselves by true repentance and put away the evill of their works Esay 1.11 16. Onely the works of the penitent cannot be accepted if the person be not in favour the works are hated For they are sanctified by the holy Ghost Rom. 15.16 Secondly That the manner of performing our service be right there are divers things in the manner are hatefull and divers things pleasing The things specially hatefull are first beloved sinnes secondly hypocrisie thirdly malice and fourthly luke-warmnesse The sacrifice is lothsome if it be blinde or lame or blemished that is if men bring to Gods service the love of any soule sinne the service is lothsome Malach. 1. So if mens hearts be carried away with continuall distractions that service is lost this is To come neere to God with our lips when our hearts are farre from him Hypocrisie is leaven as beloved sinne is bony both forbidden Againe when a man comes to God's works and hath not forgiven his brother hee keepes the Feast with some leaven his Passeover is defiled nor can his owne sinnes be forgiven bâ—câ—use he forgives not Math. 6. 1 Cor. 5.8 Finally luke-warmnesse is like a vomit to God when we are neither hot nor cold They are lothed like the Laodiceans Revel 3. There are other things wonderfull pleasing to Godâ— as First When a man doth whatsoever he doth in the Name of Christ this is the Altar that sanctifieth the gift and the sacrifices are here acceptable through Iesus Christ Heb. 13.15 Col. 3.17 Secondly When our works are soundly powdered with salt that is when we soundly confesse our owne unworthinesse and give all glory to God in Iesus Christ. Thirdly When wee love mercy and piety accounting it our delight to doe God s will and thinking our selves grâ—atly honoured to be admitted to doe this service Mich. 6.8 2 Cor. 8.5 Fourthly When wee can bring faith that is a heart well perswaded of God so as we can beleeve all good of him and his mercy Without faith no man can please God Heb. 11.6 and God takes no delight in him that withdraweth himselfe through unbeliefe Heb. 10.36 37. Fifthly When it is our every-dayes worke Sacrifice will please God if it be continuall Heb. 13.15 Thus of the second thing Thirdly We may know that our sacrifice is accepted if the Lord burne it to ashes with fire from heaven Thus God did put a difference betweene the sacrifice of Cain and Abel by some visible signe and though wee may not limit God and expect hee should answer us by visible signes yet God hath not left us
implied is that God will passe by these workmen and reject their service This I gather from hence that whereas these builders would not make use of Christ in the building it is here repeated that the building doth goe on and Christ is laid as the Head of the corner which imports that God had rejected them Now God rejects wicked Ministers two waies First one when he curseth or blasteth their gifts and refuseth to be glorified by them when he causeth the night to come upon their divination and puts out their right eyes Secondly the other is when he roots them out by death and makes their places spue them out The first is here chiefly intended and so it notes that it is a great curse of God upon learned men in the Ministery when God will not imploy them or make use of their gifts A learned man that either laboureth not or proposeth not in his labours Gods glory is a publike and standing Monument of Gods displeasure for men to stand and gaze at as it is a great argument of disgrace done to a Carpenter or Mason to stand by while the house is builded and they not intreated or suffered to work and yet have their tooles readie Oh it is a marvellous justice of God to see learned but not godly men passe by so as they have not the honour to doe any work in the Church for the salvation of the souls of men and contrariwise it should rejoyce the hearts of godly Ministers that God as Paul saith of himselfe will account them faithfull to put them into his service and to give their labours any successe Secondly the exprest punishment is the preferment of Christ and the promoting of his Kingdome Hee is made the Head of the corner which words must be considered either in relation to the builders or in themselves as they concerne the exaltation of Christ. First in relation to the builders it imports that it is a punishment to wicked Ministers that love not the Lord Jesus that Christ and his Kingdome should flourish As it fretted the Pharises so it doth and will fret the heart of wicked men till the day of Christ and it is a punishment because of their envie at it and because they finde that they have no part in Christ or the happinesse of his Kingdome their consciences accusing them and besides because they are openly crossed in their oppositions and so ashamed before men Which observation may serve for triall For it is a certaine note of a wicked man who loves not the Lord Jesus that he is crossed and accounts himselfe afflicted or ashamed because the Kingdome of Christ prospers The words in themselves concern the exaltation of Christ and shew how God raised him out of the heap of rubbish as it were and carried him up to heaven and made him their Head and King Head I say over all things giving him power over all things and in particular in respect of the Angels head of principalities and powers and in respect of men head of the Church Nor is it barely said he is head but head of the corner which is a Metaphor borrowed from the building where the holy Ghost intends to shew that he is the onely foundation of the Church as hath been shewed in the first verse of this Chapter And he is well said to be Head of the corner because upon Christ meet as the two sides meet in the corner stone both Angels and men and amongst men both the Saints in heaven and the godly on earth and amongst men on earth both Jewes and Gentiles even all the Elect of all nations ages and conditions in the world The uses of the exaltation of Christ briefly follow First it should teach us to strive by all means to get into his service that is so powerfull and able to doe so much for his servants Secondly It shews us the end of the oppositions of all wicked men Christ shall increase and prosper and they shall be confounded and perish Thirdly it should especially enforce the necessity of beleeving in Christ wee should lie upon him with all our waight as the building doth on the foundation Fourthly it should comfort us in all distresses considering what end God gave to the sufferings of Christ and so it is urged Heb. 12.2 The consideration of the manner and the time followes Is become or is made He doth not tell how but leaves that as granted to be effected without hands even by the speciall providence of God which gives us occasion to take speciall notice of the truth that in things of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ God is pleased to make his worke or to worke sometimes without using any of the meanes which the world takes notice of hee neglects all those meanes which fall within the expectation Psal. 118.20 21. as here for the proclaiming of the Messias there was not any one order or rank of men eminent in the world which God made use of But by a way altogether strange to the world erected the Christian Monarchie which should teach us not to limit God to the meanes which is likeliest to us but to live in all things by faith and where means seeme to faile then with Abraham above hope and under hope to give glory to God and cast our selves and all our care upon God Thus of the manner The time followes In that he said It is become Christ was Head of the corner according to the present time First if we consider the type of it Christ was become head of the corner in that David was made King of Israel as a type of Christs Kingdome over the Church Secondly Christ was head in that in the Apostles time he had received power after his Ascension over all things though as yet the Gentiles were not so fully converted Thirdly that hee is become the head may be taken prophetically For the Prophets to expresse the certainty of a thing to come utter it in the words of the present tense It is so because it shall as surely be so as if it were already done VERSE 8. And a stone to stumble at and a rocke of offence even to them which stumble at the Word being disobedient unto the which thing they were even ordained HItherto of the punishments upon the builders The punishment upon the whole body of unbeleevers is contained in this verse Wherein note first the kindes of punishment Christ is a rocke of offence and a stone of stumbling Secondly the causes both in themselves and in God in the words that follow A rocke of offence and a stone of stumbling Since wicked men have refused Christ and will not beleeve in him hee that may not be a stone of foundation will prove a stone of stumbling and a rocke for them to dash on till they be dashed to pieces which words import the fearefull judgements of God spiritually afflicted upon unbeleevers which is two-fold First they shall be given up to
the flesh worke that which was extreemly ill for us Fourthly we hold our profession before many witnesses many eyes are upon us and the most men are crooked and perverse 1 Tim. 6.12 Phil. 2.15 and the best way to silence foolish men is by unrebukeablenesse of conversation 1 Pet. 2.15 Fifthly our heavenly Father is hereby glorified Mat. 5. 6. Sixthly it will be a great comfort to us in adversity 2 Cor. 1.12 Lastly great is our reward in heaven For hereby will be ministred abundantly an entrance into the glorious Kingdome of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.11 But then we must looke to divers rules about our conversation that it may be right for First it must be a good conversation in Christ 1 Pet. 3.16 Secondly it must be a conversation discharged from those â—suall vices which are hatefull in such as professe the sincerity of the Gospell and yet common in the world such as are lying wrath bitternesse rotten communication or câ—â—sed speaking or the like Eph. 4.25 Col. 3.8 1 Pet. 1.14 Thirdly it must be all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 wee must shew respect to all Gods Commandements at home and abrâ—â—ad in religion mercy righteousnesse or honesty Fourthly we must shew all meeknesse of wisedome when we heaâ—e outward praise or do good or are to expresse our selves in discourse or otherwise Iam. 3.13 2 Cor. 1.12 And that we may attaine to this holinesse of conversation First we must walke according to the rule of Gods Word and let that be a light to our feet and a lanthorne unto our paths Gal. 6.16 Ioh. 3.21 Secondly wee must set before us the patterne of such Christians as have most excelled that way Phil. 3.17 and walke with the wise Thirdly especially as obedient children we should learne of our heavenly Father to fashion our selves according to his nature and in all conversation strive to be holy as he is holy and as it followes in this verse we should studie and strive to shew forth the vertues that were eminent in Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.15 16. and 12.10 Thirdly in so much as holinesse is the prerogative of a Christian it should teach all sorts of men to try themselves whether they have attained true holinesse or no so as they bee sure their holinesse exceed the holinesse of the Scribes and Pharisees for else they cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven For a Christian must have that holinesse of conversation which no wicked man can attaine unto Now that this triall may bee done effectually I will shew wherein the holinesse of a true Christian exceeds the holinesse First of a meere civill honest man Secondly of the most glorious Hypocrite First for the meere civill honest man The true Christian exceeds his righteousnesse both in the righteousnesse of faith and in the internall holinesse of the heart and the power of holy affections but because it is holinesse of conversation which is especially here meant I will touch the differences in conversation and so First they differ in one maine cause of orderly life For the holinesse of the godly Christian proceeds from a regenerate heart whereas the meere civill man is so naturally or onely by restraining grace he hath not beene in the surnace of mortification for sinne Secondly the meere civill honest man glories in this that he payes every man his owne and is no adulterer or drunkard or the like notorious offender But for the most part he is altogether defective in the religious duties of the first table especially in the duties of the Sabbath and the religious duties he should performe in his family Thirdly the meere civill honest man makes conscience of great offences but cares not to be stained with lesser sinnes whereas the true Christian lives circumspectly and makes conscience of the least Commandement Secondly now for the hypocrite Though the difference be hidden yet it may be assigned in divers things as First the holinesse of the godly Christian flowes from a pure conscience and faith unfained whereas there is no such repentance or faith in the hypocrite Secondly the true Christian hath his praise of God but the hypocrite of men Rom. 2.26 Thirdly the true Christian obeyes in all things the hypocrite but in some as here for the most part they may be found tainted with some evill vice Fourthly the true Christian is carefull of his conversation in all places and companies the hypocrite onely or chiefly when he is where he thinkes hee shall be observed and marked Fifthly the true Christian will not cease bearing fruit what weather soever come Ier. 17.7 8. But the hypocrite gives over when hard times come He is not like the good ground that brings forth fruit with patience The hypocrite will not hold out till the end though the times bee peaceable till his death For the most part he then beares the burthen of his hypocrisie he cannot die in peace Use. Lastly this is a terrible doctrine for open and notorious offenders For hereby it is apparent they are strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel and are not of this nation their language and their workes betray them Drunkards Adulterers Swearers Lyers Usurers and such like cannot inherit or have any lot in this heavenly Canaan For all this nation is holy and such are not they their owne consciences being Judges Nor is it a pleasing Doctrine to scandalous professors For such as give scandall are either hypocrites or godly If they bee hypocrites their scandalls betray them and testifie to their faces they have no lot among the Saints and if they be godly Christians that have fallen through weaknesse yet they have cause to be much humbled For by them the name of God is blasphemed and besides many other inconveniences that will pursue their fall this is not the least that hereby they have weakned their evidence and wonderfully darkned the markes of their happinesse For if the godly be a holy nation how discomfortably have they provided for themselves and their owne soules that have so stained their profession and holinesse An holy nation The sixth prerogative of Christians is imported in this word Nation which shewes the number For though all the wicked are more in number than the godly yet such is the glory and greatnesse of the number of all the godly of all ages that if we could behold them on earth as wee shall see them in heaven and at the last Judgement we would wonderfully admire the beauty and multitude of the Christian Armie All the godly together make a goodly Nation and though in largenesse of number they do not goe beyond the wicked yet in the priviledges of their number they goe farre beyond them They are all one and a whole Nation of them which imports divers priviledges First they are all originally of one blood borne of the blood of Jesus Christ. Secondly they are all governed by one Ruler their noble Ruler is of themselves there
view of our owne naturall dispositions to bee able to discerne distinctly what it is the flesh usually is prone to or imployed in 2. We must bee sure to commit our selves to God and by faith lay hold upon Jesus Christ and settle our selves in our assurance for that cuts off many of the maine advantages of the flesh especially it quencheth all those hellish darts that arise from doubtings and despaire which is to discerne the flesh 3. Wee must quicken in us our hope of a better life for that will shew us so much glory to bee had in the service of Christ as all the motions of the flesh will seeme vaine in comparison wee are never allured by the lusts of the flesh but when wee have forgotten heaven or are destitute of the lively hope of it 4. We must bee sober in the use of outward things 1. Pet. 1.13 and remove from the flesh those things wee observe the flesh to bee apt to dally withall if the flesh could be divorced from the world there were little or no danger 5. We must with all readinesse upon all occasions entertaine all good motions any way cast into us by Gods Spirit for as those are set up and nourished the flesh is subdued and kept under 6. We must daily commit our selves and our soules to God by prayer and beseech him to keepe us and accordingly to begge strength to avoid those evils which by nature wee find our selves most prone to 2. Tim. 1.12 Now if the flesh notwithstanding doe on the sudden either provoked by the world or entised by the devill make assault and lust after evill things then in the conflict our armour must be 1. Contrary lustings Gal. 1.17 The Spirit must lust against the flesh by raising up holy desires and loathing of those base affections of the flesh 2. Prayer we must crucifie them drag them before the Crosse of Christ and there accuse them shame them judge them condemne them and begge vertue from the death of Christ to kill them 3. The Word of God For as Christ beat away the devill by alledging what was written so should wee get store of places of Scripture which wee might alledge to our owne hearts when wee are entised to any sinne and so the promises of the Gospel would bee as shooes to our feete that neither thorny care prick nor vaine pleasures defile us and so those promises are because they both shew us greater things then fleshly pleasures can bee and withall shew us such treasure in Christ as may free us from living in care Two rules are of excellent use for this purpose 1. To silence the flesh When it assaults not to suffer it to plead much but presently resist it 2. To looke to the beginnings of any corruption not to dallie with it and give it way upon pretence of safety for it may strangely provoke and beyond expectation if it bee not looked to at first After the conflict wee must remember two things 1. To give thanks to God for the help of his presence as accounting it a singular favour to be protected against so vile an enemy 2. To take heed of our security so to consider of present deliverance as to for more conflicts In the frft place it is profitable considering what reasons Christians have to be carefull of themselves and attend their soules in respect of the flesh For 1. This combate is a daily combate the warre is never at an end it is an adversary that never takes so much as a day of truce 2. There is no safety or help by running away for thy adversary is seated within thee and thou canst not runne from thy selfe 3. The flesh hath might and continuall aid from the divell and the world which almost with infinite variety of occasions ministers obstinacy to the flesh 4. For want of care many worthy Champions have beene for the time foiled shamefully as were Noah Lot David Peter and others 5. No Christian can avoyd it but hath this combate within him Gal. 5.17 And as these or the like reasons may breed care and watchfulnesse so hath the true Christian no cause of despaire but rather many arguments of hope of good successe and daily victories and triumphs over the flesh if he be watchfull For 1. God hath provided him of armour against those kindes of assaults and it is mighty to preserve and subdue 2. Cor. 10.3 4. 2. Christ in his power doth rest in us for this end to assist us in the combate as we cry for help 2. Cor. 12.10 3. We fight against an adversary hath beene often foiled by all sorts of Godly Christians and by our selves in divers particular combates yea against an adversary that hath received a deadly wound that cannot bee cured for so the flesh the first day of our conversion was mortified All that are Christs have mortified the flesh with the Insts thereof 4. Wee have assurance of victory if wee resist Rom. 8.38 5. An incorruptible Crown is laid up for all that overcome 2. Tim. 4.7 8. Re. 2. Now for the seventh point wee obtaine victory against the flesh divers waies as 1. In our justification when wee by faith obtaine the pardon of our sinnes committed and a righteousnesse able to cover us notwithstanding all the spite the flesh doth us This is our victory in Christ Rom. 7. 2. In our sanctification and so wee get victory 1. When we conquer some sins wholly so that we never commit them again 2. When we turne and subdue the power of the sins that remain so as they cannot reigne though they rebell 3. We shall have our finall and full victory in our glorification in the day of Christ when the flesh shall be utterly abolished for ever Now for the eighth point wee may knowe that wee are not at any time overcomne by these signes if we finde them in us 1. If wee judge our selves for all knowne sinnes so as there be no sin arising from the flesh but wee condemn it and keep our selves as men condemned in the flesh being grieved at the rebellion of the flesh in us Rom. 7.1 Pet. 4.7 2. If we hold fast our assurance of faith we are safe so long as we keep the faith 2. Tim. 4.7 3. If wee goe on in our Christian way or course and doe not give over the practice of knowne duties against the light of our consciences if we finish our course 2. Tim. 4.7 Use. The use of all should be First for information and so two waies for 1. It shewes the miseries of such persons as never feel this combate that have all quiet in them it is a signe the flesh and the divell rule all and there is no sanctified Spirit to resist 2. It shewes the folly of some godly persons that are troubled as if their states were not right because they finde such a combat in themselves whereas they should rather conclude the contrary that therefore there is some workmanship
servants in heaven but in Gods Kingdome they are as free as their Masters and therefore should not thinke much of a little hardnesse or harshnesse in this life Thus of the originall of servants Secondly we may hence note that servants are bound by God himselfe in his Word unto their subjection The Word of God doth belong to the calling of Servants as well as to any other calling God hath included them within the doctrine of Scripture as well as any other men partly to shew that they have right to the Scripture as well as others and partly to shew that the power of binding servants is from God And God hath taken it upon him by his Word to teach Servants as well as other men and that for two reasons The one is because Servants belong to the Kingdome of Christ and his Church as well as other Christians and therefore must be taught as well as they Secondly the other is because usually Masters are negligent in teaching them and therefore God provides that by his Word they shall bee taught Men have some care in teaching their children but little of their servants and therefore God to shew that he is no respecter of persons gives order to his Ministers to see them instructed The Use may be divers Uses First Masters must learne from hence their dutie For when they see that God takes care to teach their servants they should not be so proud or carelesse as to neglect their instruction Yea it shewes also that if they would have them taught or reproved or incouraged they must doe it with Gods Word and with their owne yea it also shewes the folly and wickednesse of divers Masters that cannot abide their servants should heare Sermons or much reade the Scriptures when they doe not only wickedly in restraining their servants from the meanes of their Salvation or comfort but do foolishly also hinder them of that meanes which should especially make them good servants Secondly Servants may hereby be instructed or informed and taught Informed that though neither Master nor Minister will teach them yet they are not excused because they are bound to learn from Gods Word their duties And taught from hence they must be to do their duties to their Masters not for fear or reward but for conscience sake because God hath bound them to his subjection Thirdly Ministers should learne and from hence be awakened to take notice of their charge both to catechize in speciall and to teach servants in generall as well as others their hearers If it be a part of the Commission of great Apostles to instruct servants as well as other Christians then what accounts can they give to God if it be found that they have had no care of instructing the servants of their parishes and charges Doct. 3. Thirdly the indefinite propounding of the word Servants shewes that all sorts of servants are equally bound to subjection hired servants are as strictly bound as bond-servants The servants of Princes are not free from the duty of servants more than other servants and â—o likewise poore mens servants must be subject and obedient to their Masters with as much reverence and fear as servants to great men Old servants are tied to as much duty as such as come new to serve Religious servants are bound to as much subjection and obedience as Pagans or rather their bond is the stronger because Religion should rather make them better servants And so there is no difference of sexes men servants are bound as well as women servants neither doth birth office gifts or meanes priviledge any servant from the strictnesse of the bond of subjection Be subject The duty then required of servants is subjection servants must be subject It is not enough to weare their masters Cloth and to hire themselves to their masters they must make conscience of it to performe constant and humble subjection to their masters And so they must be subject to their masters three wayes First to their commandements and so they must obey them and yeeld themselves to them to be ruled and directed by them in all things Eph. 6.5 Colos. 3.22 Secondly to their rebukes and corrections For if children need rebukes and corrections then doe servants also Pro. 13.1 and 15.5 Servants will not alwayes be corrected by words and therefore need blowes Pro. 29.19 Gen. 16.6 yea they must patiently suffer correction though it be inflicted unjustly as appeares in the verses following this Text. Thirdly to their restraints Servants must be subject to the appointment of their masters even in the things wherein they restraine them as for instance in their diet It is a sinfull humour in them not to be content with such diet as their masters appoint them though it be worse than the diet of their masters or the diet of the children of the family So likewise in their company they must avoid all company that may be any way offensive to their masters and so likewise in their apparell in such cases where servants are to be apparelled by their masters as also in respect of their going out of the house in the day time when they have not leave but much more abominable it is to be out of their masters houses in the night without their leave And as their subjection must be performed in all these cases so the indefinite manner of propounding it shewes both that they must be subject in all things and in all the wayes of shewing subjection for the manner of it they must be subject in all things so as to beare with their masters for it is a sinfull rebellion to crosse or disobey or leave undone any thing that is required of them to doe And besides it showes that they must be subject in their very hearts and in their words and in their countenance and gesture as well as in the work to be done by them Use. The use may concerne both servants and the parents of such servants and the masters that rule them Servants should hence from their hearts learne to yeeld themselves over to their masters with all good conscience to performe the subjection required yea such servants as heare this doctrine may try their hearts whether they be indeed good servants or no for a good servant that makes conscience of his duty when he heares the doctrine doth from his heart consent to it and will strive to fashion himselfe according to it Now the servants that desire to be such as is required may attaine to it if they observe these rules First they must carefully study the doctrine of servants duties Servants oftentimes faile through meere ignorance because they doe not lay before their mindes what God requires of them Secondly they must often judge themselves for their faults wherein they have displeased their masters or neglected their duties therefore many servants mend not because either they will not see their faults or doe not humble themselves in secret for them Thirdly they
he sheweth the manner how they must be subject viz. With all feare Servants must subject themselves to their masters in all feare which being put downe indefinitely must be understood both in respect of God and in respect of their Masters Servants must shew their feare of God in their places divers wayes First by avoiding such sinnes as are contrary to the will and commandement of God in their generall life such as are swearing lying slandering hatred of the godly drunkennesse whoredome and the like Psal. 101.3 4 5. Secondly by carefulnesse to doe good service as well as their masters not only by spending the Sabbath in the duties of Religion but in redeeming the time in the week-dayes as may be without hindrance of their worke or offence to their masters to imploy themselves in prayer reading conference c. and the reason is because as servants must doe their masters worke as they are servants so they stand bound in the common obligation to doe Gods service as they are men and no man but is subject to the Law of God who hath given all his commandements to servants as well as to masters Thirdly by doing their masters worke out of conscience respecting the will and commandements of God and therefore serving their masters with all faithfulnesse as if the service were to be done to God himselfe or to Jesus Christ Ephes. 6.5 Col. 3.23 Fourthly by praying for their masters and for the good successe of their labours for their masters commodity thus Abrahams servant is commended for his practice of the feare of God and left for an example to all servants to doe likewise Gen. 24. Fiftly by doing their masters worke without eye-service being as carefull and as diligent when their masters are absent as when they are present as remembring that the Lord sees them though their masters do not Col. 3.22 The feare then towards their masters they may shew divers waies First by avoiding what may displease their masters such as is answering againe Tit. 2.10 contention with their fellowes and all unquietnes Phil. 2.4 fullennesse Prov. 29.19 and all unfaithfulnesse shewed either by puâ—loining in the least things Tit. 2.10 or carelesnesse in disappointing the trust committed to them as also masterfulnesse pride and haughtie behaviour when they will not abide it to be told or directed or doing what they list not what they be appointed Secondly by reverent behaviour to bee shewed by lowlinesse of countenance by giving titles of honour and respect Iohn 13.13 by standing before them when they sit Luk. 17. by avoiding rude behaviour or sawcy familiarity as accounting them in heart worthy of all honour 1 Tim. 6.1 One point of which reverence is that servants should not presume to deliver their opinions easily in their masters presence unlesse it be required or may be gathered by argument from the lesse Iob 32.6 7. Thirdly by their secrecy in all the affaires of their masters especially they should take heed of discovering their masters infirmities to others abroad out of the family Fourthly by avoiding inquisitivenesse to meddle only with their owne businesse the servant knoweth not what his master doth Ioh. 15.15 Fiftly by doing their worke with all faithfulnesse and diligence in absence as well as presence that when the master comes hee may finde them so doing Mat. 24. Thus of the manner of the duty the persons to whom they must thus submit themselves follow and so they must be subject with all fear not only to the good but also to the froward To the good and gentle For the sense we must enquire who are good masters and who gentle Good masters are discerned by divers signes First they seeke not only painefull and skilfull but religious servants Psal. 101.1 6 7. Secondly they not only licence but teach their servants to keepe Gods Sabbaths and to worship him Commandement 4. Gen. 18.19 Thirdly they will not command their servants to doe any thing that is sinfull or to lye as snares or defraud others for their profit Fourthly that receive their servants especially such as are religious as their brethren Fiftly that are overseers as well of the manners of their servants as of their labours being as carefull that their servants be no worse to themselves than to their masters Sixtly that use their servants well not only praising them for well doing but alwaies rewarding their service with liberall wages and when they part from them not suffering them to goe from them empty without portion c. Masters shew their gentlenesse also divers waies as First when they use their authority moderately or are not haughtie or violent towards their servants Secondly when they passe by their infirmities and take not notice of all the ill they say or doe Eccles. 7.22 Thirdly when their servants offend they chide them with good words and not revile them But also to the froward Froward masters are such as are bitter to their servants hard to please that are apt to finde fault that use their servants hardly in words or deeds but chiefly such as are cholerick and passionate and peevish in their carriage towards their servants So that foure Doctrines may be noted from these words and from the coherence Doct. 1. First that God takes notice of the faults of Superiours as well as he requires duties of inferiours he sees frowardnesse in masters as well as disobedience in servants and the reason is both because God is no respecter of persons and also because he gives his law to all men And therefore superiours must make conscience of their duties for though in all things they are not to give accounts to their inferiours yet they must give accounts of all they doe to God Col. 3.24 Doct. 2. That God sees and dislikes such faults as the lawes of man take not notice of If a master should kill his hired servant mens lawes would take hold of him but if he be never so froward with him he may escape mens lawes But though the lawes of men punish not frowardnesse yet God will So we see in the exposition of Christ given unto divers commandements Mat. 5. man failed in killing adultery purity c. not once thinking of anger lust filthy speaking reviling c. yet God forbids even these things also which serves to reprove the folly of such as justifie themselves for very just men because they offend not the lawes of men but never consider that God can finde a world of faults in them that mens lawes cannot because God sees the heart and by his lawes requires obedience of the inward man and condemnes all swerving from the right temper of heart and carriage And therefore we should all looke to our waies to approve our selves not only to men but to God and so to confesse the imperfections of mens lawes as to admire the perfection of Gods Word Doct. 3. That frowardnesse is a vice to be avoided of all sorts of men It is not only uncomely in
is laid downe verse 19. and avouched and made good verse 20. In the ninteenth verse then it is the drift of the Apostle to shew that though masters should be so froward as to beat their servants causelesly yet they should be subject and indure it for conscience sake unto God because this is a Christian mans case and a great praise when out of conscience to God he doth his duty and suffers wrongfully The reason is so intended for the particular case of servants so abused as it holds in all cases of injury for conscience sake In this verse then the Apostle intreates of suffering and we may note foure things about suffering First what is to be suffered griefe Secondly how is it to be suffered viz. wrongfully and with enduring Thirdly the cause of suffering it conscience toward God Fourthly the effect which is praise and acceptation Doct. 1. In this world all sorts of men are liable to suffer grief For though the Apostle in the scope intends to speake of servants suffering griefe yet the Argument with the uses concerne all sorts of men In this world then we must looke for griefe and how can it be otherwise since first there are such mines in our owne nature made by sinne and so many abominations round 〈◊〉 us to Gods dishonour Secondly the creatures which we are to use in this world are empty and vaine and so occasion much vexation in the users that are disappointed by them All is vanity and vexation of spirit saith the wise man Thirdly wee are liable to so many crosses and losses every day hath his griefe and his crosse which must bee taken up Mat. 6. â—lt Luke 9.14 Fourthly how can we be long without griefe that live in a world so full of sinne and divels and divellish men Fiftly our owne bodies often grieve us being liable to so many paines and diseases What should I say Our owne houses are full of causes of griefe if the disorders of masters husbands wives servants children bee considered of and therefore we should be weary of the world and long for heaven we shall never be long together without griefe till we come thither Doct. 2. We must not only endure grief but many times suffer it wrongfully Besides all the griefe befals men otherwise the world is full of wrong and injury and the waies of doing wrong are so many as cannot easily be reckoned Who can recount what wrongs are done daily by deceit violence oppression lying false witnesse slanderings and other base indignities Which should teach us not to thinke it strange if wrongs befall us and withall it imports that woe shall be to all them that doe wrong That God that discovers them that doe wrong will repay them according to all the wrong they have done Doct. 3. It may bee here noted too that usually they suffer most wrong that are most carefull to doe their duties which ariseth partly from that fearfull Ataxie in mens natures that are falne into such distemperature of disposition and partly from that naturall malice ungodly men bear to them that are good and partly such as are indeed godly will not use such meanes of revenge as others will doe and partly because the Lawes of men doe not reach to a sufficient way of correcting and reforming such indignities and especially it proceeds from the pride and unthankfulnesse and discontentments which raigne in the hearts of froward and corrupt minded persons And from hence wee may gather the necessity of Gods generall Judgement because in this world it is ill many times with good men and there is no remedy seeing their wrongs are not righted here It must needs be that there will be a time appointed of God for the redresse and revenge of all wrongs Secondly it should the more incourage such as suffer wrong to endure it patiently seeing it is the lot of the best Thirdly wrong should not measure the goodnesse oâ— mens cases or the badnesse of it by the things they suffer For many times they suffer wrongfully Doct. 4. That God takes notice of the wrongs that are done to the meanest even the wrongs that Masters doe to their servants and so other Scriptures shew that if the poorest bee oppressed or defrauded God will require it at the hands of them that oppresse or defraud them bee they never so mighty or rich in the world And so if the weakest Christian be wronged by scandall or otherwise it were better for those that give the scandall or doe the wrong that a milstone were hanged about their necks and they cast into the sea And for that cause the Scriptures shew that God takes great notice of the wrongs done to widows and orphanes that have little meanest to helpe or protect themselves and there is reason for it for the meanest Christians are Gods servants and belong to him and therefore hee must protect them And besides Gods Law is so powerfull that it condemneth wrongs of all sorts to all men And further there is a cry in oppression or wrong that goeth up to heaven which will not cease till God heare it which as it may be a comfort to such as are wronged that they have so great a Patrone as God is so it should warne all Superiours to looke to their behaviour for though man doe not punish them yet God will Doct. 5. That barely to suffer griefe is not a praise but to suffer it in a right manner and for the manner this likewise tels us of two things first that we suffer not as evill doers justly and secondly that we endure it that is continue with patience to abide it especially when oâ—â—ward and lawfull redresse may not be had in the world And therefore Papists are no Martyrs though they lose their lives when it is for treason Nor are wives to bee regarded if they complaine of their husbands that they are bitter to them love them not so entirely when they suffer this for their pride or wilfull hardinesse or lasciviousnesse or frowardnesse or contention or wastefulnesse or the like Nor are those servants to bee moned that suffer blowes justly for their disobedience or wilfull negligence or unfaithfulnesse Doct. 6. That whereas wrongs cannot bee redressed by a lawfull meanes on earth they must be endured without using unlawfull meanes and leave the injuries to the judgement of God Which condemnes servants that being hardly used runne away from their Masters as Hagar did from Sarah or else with wicked murmuring and reviling back-bite their masters and so it condemnes the wicked practice of our Gentry in righting their wrongs by their owne private revenges which case is abominable First because their wrongs may be righted by the Magistrate Secondly because the desired revenge is far above the injuries for they seeke satisfaction in bloud for a supposed wrong in reputation Thirdly because it is a course directly against the Lawes of God and of Kings and hath been condemned in all well governed States
him of nothing But by renovation conscience is good for the time of this life but imperfectly and increaseth in good men by degrees and so because man is renewed but in part it is a part of the goodnesse of the conscience to accuse for sinne especially if it be presumptuous after calling as well as to excuse from faults while the man keeps his uprightnesse That a good conscience should only excuse is true in this world onely of conscience as it was good by creation Now concerning the goodnesse or badnesse of conscience these seven things are to be considered of First that all mens consciences by nature are evill Secondly the difference of evill in mens consciences Thirdly the signes of an evill conscience Fourthly the hurt of an evill conscience Fiftly the meanes how evill consciences may be made good Sixtly the signes of a good conscience Seventhly the great happinesse of the man that hath a good conscience For the first that all mens consciences are by nature evill is manifest because all have sinned in Adam and lost their originall righteousnesse in all the faculties of the soule and so every man in his naturall condition is in every point uncleane and to the impure all things are impure even their consciences are polluted saith the Apostle Tit. 1.15 For the second evill is not in the same degree in all mens consciences but after a different manner in divers men for First in most men wee see that conscience is so feeble and works so little that it seemes to be but a small sparke or like a bubble which riseth now and then and presently vanisheth Now the reason why conscience stirs so little in the most men is not to be taken from the nature of conscience for that can worke all workes mentioned before but from divers things in man For first Adams sinne as it deprived all mens consciences of originall righteousnesse which was the life of the conscience so it brought such a depravation and evill disease upon the conscience that it was never healed nor cured in the naturall man to this day but the weaknesse arising from the infection holds him downe still Secondly the generall ignorance and darknesse which is in the world is one great cause why conscience lieth so miserably weake and neglected For it cannot worke for want of light For in the mind it findes only a few naturall principles or some generall truths of religion which are altogether insufficient to direct in the particular occasions of mens lives Thirdly besides the law of nature is corrupted in man and so those principles are very muddy and uncertaine and the generals of Religion are poysoned with secret objections gathered from the controversies of so many false religions Fourthly further it is manifest that the cares and pleasures of life oppresse conscience in many and in them conscience stirs not not because it cannot stir but because there is no leasure to heare what it saith men are so violently carried to the pleasures and busines of this world As a man that runs in a race many times runs with such violence that he cannot heare what is said unto him by some that he passeth by though it were counsell that might direct him in the right way of the race so is it with men that haste to be rich conscience often cals to them to take heed of going out of the way by deceit or lying or oppression or the like but they pursue riches so violently that they cannot heare the voice of conscience And so is it with the voluptuous person and with the most men that live in any habituall gainfull sinne Fiftly yea this weaknes comes upon the conscience of some by custome of sinnes that are not sinnes of gaine or pleasure as the sinnes of negligence sloathfulnesse passion or the like in which men are wilfully confirmed and will not regard the checks of their owne conscience Finally one great reason why the most of us feele so little of conscience is the evill hearing of the Word of God for the Word of God powerfully preached would awake the conscience but that most men set themselves to neglect it by a willing wilfull entertainment of distractions and in voluntary forgetting of what they have heard and so hood-winking themselves it is no wonder they cannot see Secondly some mens conscience is starke dead it stirs not at all The conscience is compared to a part of the body that is not only without sense and rotten but is feared with an hot iron and this is the case only of some notorious either Hereticks or malefactors that have lived a long time wilfully in some monstrous wickednesse either knowne or secret 1 Tim. 4.2 This seared conscience is either joyned with a greedinesse to commit speciall wickednesse or with a reprobate minde that is so horrible stupid that it judgeth evill to be good or at the best not dangerously hurtfull Ephes. 4.18 Rom. 1.28 Thirdly in some men the evill of conscience lyeth in this that it is over busie and sinnes too much and so in two sorts of men first the superstitious or secondly the desperate The superstitious person is many times disquieted by his conscience in doing well or when he doth that which is not unlawfull as the Popish Priest is troubled for comming to our Churches or the Christian that is carried with preposterous zeale is troubled for obeying the Magistrate in using his liberty in things indifferent in the desperate the evill of Conscience is the horrible tormenting of them beyond the bounds of the offence of Conscience and that in two things First in that it presents the wrath of God to them without the hope of mercy in Christ as did the Conscience of Cain Secondly in that it drives them to doe that against themselves which is desperately wicked as to make away themselves as the desperate Conscience of Iudas and Achitophel did Fourthly in some men there was a temporary goodnesse in the Conscience of which they made shipwracke and so utterly lost the goodnesse they had for a time And thus many hypocrites doe that for a time get the forme of Religion even into their Consciences but afterward falling into the immoderate love of the world or the lust of some particular sinne fall cleane away from Religion and so lose the goodnesse which they had 1 Tim. 1.19 Thus of the differences of evill in the Consciences of divers men the signes of an evill Conscience follow But before I give the signes wee must take notice of a distinction and that is that the Conscience may have evill in it and not be an evill Conscience Conscience in this life in men regenerate is renewed and restored but in part and so may erre sometimes and in some cases and yet be no evill Conscience As for instance in certaine weake Christians in the Primitive Church who yet were godly men the Apostle shewes Rom. 14. that some Christians for Conscience sake did
delay but with heart and readinesse finish his worke This is to seeke righteousnesse and to haste to it Esay 16.5 Amos 5.14 Thus he must observe to doe as the phrase was Deut. 5.22 Eighthly it will be a great helpe unto him if he get into the way of good men and walke with the wise sorting himselfe with discreet and sincere Christians Pro. 2.20 Ninthly he must keep his heart with all diligence for thereout commeth life He must carefully resist the beginnings of sinne within and avoid those secret and spirituall dalliances of the soule with inward corruptions and temptations and withall take heed of secret hypocrisie in suffering his heart to be absent when God is to be served Pro. 4.23 For thereby hee may lose what he worketh if his spirit be not without that guile Tenthly all that know the happinesse of a righteous life should strive to amend those defects which are found even in the better sort of people that so their life at length may answer to the end of Christs death and therefore wee should examine our selves throughly The defects and faylings found in the lives of righteous men may be referred to two heads First for either they faile in the parts of righteousnesse Secondly or in the manner of well-doing In the parts of righteousnesse there are great failings whether we respect the first or second table I will briefely touch the principall defects which are observed and complained of in Christians in both tables In the first table men faile either in the knowledge of God or in the affections to God or in the service to God First for knowledge how little do many men know of Gods praises and glory that might be knowne and how farre are many from a right conâ—eit of God when they come to thinke of him or to worship him Secondly in the most there is a great want in the exercise both of the fear of God and trust in God men have not such awfull thoughts of God as they should have nor doe they tremble so as they should at his judgements that are in the world Psal. 4.4 Heb. 2. ult Dan. 6.26 And for the trust in God men are specially faulty that they doe not commit their waies daily to God for assistance and successe in all estates resting upon him alone as they ought to doe Thirdly joying and delighting our selves in God is hardly found in any and yet no wife should take such continuall delight in her husband to solace her selfe with him as a Christian ought to doe with God Psal. 37.4 and 68.3 4. Phil. 4.4 Fourthly in the service of God there are divers defects as 1. Some neglect the private reading of the Scriptures who ought to exercise themselves therein day and night Psal. 1.2 2. In prayer some have not the gift of prayer nor seeke it and prayer for others is extremely neglected contrary to Gods expresse commandement that enjoynes us to pray one for another in many Scriptures 3. Praising of God in our discourses as becommeth his great glory in his workes where is this found and yet required at our hands and at the hands of all people and that which we should doe with a whole heart and while we live Psal. 96.6 7 8. and 63.4 and 9.1 and 67.2 4. Where is that walking with God required in Scripture Who doth alwayes set the Lord before him Where are those soliloquies betweene the soule and God Are not many content to goe weekely and monthly without speaking to God And thus of the defects concerning the first table In the second table divers things may be noted as were defective in the parts of righteousnesse as First there is a generall defect of mercy men doe exceedingly faile in that liberality to the distressed and poore servants The bowels of mercy are every-where shut up either altogether or in the neglect of many degrees and duties of mercy Secondly in many Christians there is a fearfull want of meekenesse they being guilty of daily sins of passions and worldly vexations and that many times with a kind of wilfulnesse against knowledge and conscience Thirdly the carâ—â— of life and worldlinesse doe strive and blemish the conversation of many and discover a strange defect of that contempt of the world should be in them Fourthly domesticall disorders doe even cry to heaven against many husbands for want of love and of most wives for want of obedience and of servants for want of diligence and faithfulnesse in their places And thus men faile in the parts of righteousnesse In the manner of well-doing many things are wanting first both in the generall well-doing of good duties secondly and in speciall affection to God thirdly and in the manner of Gods service In generall First zeale of good workes is exceeding defective in the most Tit. 3.14 Men shew not that willingnesse and fervency of affection should be shewed in all parts of righteousnesse men doe not lift up their hearts in Gods waies Gods commandements are usually grievous and tedious Secondly there ought to be a holy feare in the practice of their good duties 1 Pet. 3.2 which is uâ—ually wanting men doe so much trust upon themselves and doe duties with such boldnesse and neglect of their wayes whereas they should feare alwayes Pro. 28.14 Oh that meeknesse of wisedome required Iames 3.9 where is it to be found Thirdly men are not circumspect to make conscience even of the least duties as they ought and to observe to doe them even to watch for the opportunity of well-doing and to looke to the meanes of the performance of every duty and to abstaine from the very appearance of evill and to be discreet in looking to the circumstances of time place persons c. Eph. 5.15 Deut. 5.32 Fourthly there is great want of moderation in Christians for either they are just over-much in conceiving too highly of themselves for what they doe or else they are wicked over-much in thinking too vilely of their workes Eccles. 7. Fiftly men are strangely negligent in the growth of grace and knowledge men stand still and doe not prosper and strive to increase in every good gift as they ought 2 Pet. 3.18 Many graces are not strengthened and many workes are not finished Secondly in mens affections to God how are men defective Where is he that loves the Lord with all his heart and all his might and all his soule Deut. 30.6 and 6.3 Thirdly in Gods worship these things are in many wanting 1. Reverence and that holy feare which should be shewed when we appeare before the Lord Heb. 12.28 2. Men usually forget to doe all worship in the Name of Christ Colos. 3.17 3. The care of praising of God that is of looking to Gods acceptation in all service is much forgotten Heb. 12.28 4. The desire of unity and consent in judgement among our selves when we worship God is miserably neglected and rejected by divers wilfull Christians Zeph.
Apostle and other Apostles think it fit with such effectuall termes when they write to the Churches to give such speciall charge to Husbands and Wives it shewes That God doth greatly desire that they should in a speciall maner be carefull to leade an orderly and comfortable life together Whatsoever in domesticall matters is sometimes omitted in the Text yet seldome in any place that treats of family-family-duties is the duty of Husbands and Wives left out Here it is vehemently urged and so in the Epistle to the Ephesians which should worke in all that feare God a caâ—e and conscience of these duties and of carrying themselves in the best manner they can one towards another Now the substance of an orderly life betweene man and wife is to love one another with all constancy tendernesse and fidelity to shew one heart in all things helping one another to doe the duties of the family especially in the service of God and in carrying the crosses may light upon them in their callings encouraging and comforting one another honouring one another before others and â—earing one with another in respect of infirmities and each of them striving to doe exactly the duty that belongs to each Now that men and women may be carefull hereof many motives may be alledged and ought to be thought upon 1. Because this society betweene one man and one woman in marriage was instituted of God himselfe and was the first society that he brought into the world and had the honour to be ordained in the blessedest place in this visible world even Paradise and was made betweene two persons that were like God himselfe and therefore God doth expect that men and women should walke very carefully in this estate Gen. 2. 2. Because man and wife had so heere an originall and dependance one upon another The woman was made of the rib of a man which Adam perceiving by a spirit of prophecy said she was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh that is another selfe or himselfe in another shape or sexe and therefore whosoever disagreed they should agree it being most unnaturall for a man to hate or disagree with himselfe Gen. 2. Ephes. 5. and ever the more miraculous the forming of the woman was the more extraordinary should the affection betweene man and wife be 3. Because they are but two of them they would hardly please many that cannot please one 4. Because they are appointed necessarily to be companions in life withouâ— parting or dissolution and therefore since they live alwaies together they should resolve to dispose of themselves so as their lives might be comfortable 5. Because from man and wife is the originall of all mankind of Church and Common-wealth and all other societies now those Husbands and Wives that live disorderly dishonour the whole kind What would they have the streames to be when the fountaines are so troubled and impure 6. Because marriage is honourable in Gods account and ought to be so amongst men therefore it being a great dignity to which they are called it is as shamefull a fault to live disorderly in that estate as in the estate of a Magistrate or Minister or the like Heb. 13. 7. Note that the fift Commandement that concernes family-duties and the order should be in our dwellings stands betweene the Commandement of the first Table and the rest of the Commandements of the second Table to signifie that from the carefull performance of domesticall duties men are fitter to serve God in the first Table or converse with men in the world in the second Table yea all we get from God in the first Table or from men in the second we bring it home to our houses or to the place of well imploying it Note the last words of verse 7. of this Chapter 8. Because man and wife resemble Christ and the Church by way of type or image and will men or women dare say that Christ and the Church carry themselves so unlovingly or disorderly one to another as they doe one to another Doe you not think it had beene a hatefull thing for any man that was to be a type of Christ to have exprest the type by false or wicked waies Even so is it for man and wife to carry themselves one to another so as Christ and the Church doe one to another Ephes. 5. 9. The end of marriage is Gods glory now if God may not have glory by the loving and orderly carriage of man and wife one to another he will winne himselfe glory to his Justice in revenging the quarrell of the Covenant which they have broken 10. Because usually the carriage of man and wife is the originall cause of good or evill order in the family partly because thereby they are the more inabled or disabled for their carriage towards others in the family and besides their courses are exemplary and withall they thereby lay the ground of their owne honour or dishonour in the hearts of children and servants 11. Because Gods commandement injoyning them their duties one to another binds the conscience as hard as any of the other Commandements so as God is as well provoked by these disorders betweene man and wife as by swearing or cursing or Idolatry or murther or whordome or drunkennesse or the like yea they that live in the customary breach of these duties are unjust and dishonest as well as if they broke any other Commandements 12. The Apostles were the more earnest in pressing husbands and wives to a loving and orderly behaviour one towards another because of the scandall or honour came to Religion by it It did greatly adorne and become the Gospel if they lived amiably together it made men like of their Religion the better and contrariwise it was a foule scandall and caused Religion to bee lesse esteemed or else hated when they lived so ungodly and unquietly together 13. Because if they live lovingly together they are like to have a quiet conscience and a cleane heart whereas if they jangle and live in discontentment it is a thousand to one the conscience will be very froward and their hearts filled with foule lusts after others Pro. 5. And that the conscience should be froward how can it be otherwise when they live in the direct breach of Gods commandement which as was shewed before binds as strongly in this as in any other duty 14. Because this commandement is the first commandement with promise To the faithfull discharge of these domesticall duties is promised a long and happie life in the land God hath planted men in 15. Because men and women may greatly further their salvation by living according to Gods will in this estate as is intimated 1 Tim. 2.15 16. Lastly let husbands and wives remember their accounts at the last day Will it not be a wofuli miserie for a rebellious and froward wife to be throwne to hell and see her quiet and religious husband goe to heaven and so on the
former ages In old time The example is in the second place commended for the antiquitie of it Where we learn that a respect may be had to old time yea respect is due to the times of old Antiquitie is an argument of praise therefore are wee bidden to aske after the old way Ier. 6.16 to aske of the daies that are past Deut. 4.32 to remember the daies of old and to consider the yeeres of many generations Deut. 32.7 And Ministers in publick teaching must be like the good Scribe that brings out of his treasurie things both old and new Mat. 13.52 fathers must talke of the things of old time to their children Ps. 44.1 Now because the argument from aâ—â—â—quitie or the old time hath beene much abused and such reasoning is taxed in many Scriptures therefore that the point may be more cleare I will distinctly consider first in what cases the old times and antiquitie may not be pleaded and then in what cases antiquitie may be pleaded and good use may be made of it For the first antiquitie is ill pleaded in the caseâ— folloâ—â—ing as 1. When antiquitie is counterfeit when that is called the old time which in comparison was but yesterday as the Papiste lead us to the ages not long since past and will not permit us to looke higher to the times of the Prophets and the Apostles which is the true antiquitie 2. When antiquitie is pleaded to confirme 〈◊〉 in doctrine And so the doctrin was never a whit the better that caught the law of God 〈◊〉 only bind the outward man not the heart the outward man â—oo but in some higher cases And therefore our Saviour rejects the errours of the Pharisees though they would confirme thâ—â— by the sayings of oldâ—imeâ—punc Mat. â— Ioâ— â—5 â—0 3. In the case of sinne sinne is not the better for the oldnesse of i◠〈◊〉 the worse therefore the old man must be mortified and all old things must be put away 2 Cor. 5.17 As an old leprosie is worse than a new Lev. 13.11 so their hatred was the worse because it was old Ezek. 25.15 And the godly pray Remember not against us our old iniquities Psal. 79.8 and the wicked are condemned for not purging out their old sins 2 Pet. 1 9. and all men should purge out the old leven 1 Cor. 5. And as in the sins of life betweene man and man so about Gods service old courses are barefull if they be idolatrous and superstitious and therefore they were condemned for doing after the old maner 2 Reg. 17.34 and they are reproved by the Prophet Ieremy that so commended the old times of Idolatry Ier. 44. 4. When God abolisheth the old things and brings in new and so the old Covenant is not better than the new nor the old Testament better than the new Heb. 8.6 7 13. 2 Cor. 5.17 5. In the case of the discoverie of such mysteries as for the time of revealing them depend upon the good pleasure of God only so things hidden for ages and generations are revealed in the Gospel and yet must not be rejected Col. 1.16 6. When old times are pleaded of purpose to lessen the glory or profit of the present workes of Gods power and mercie Esay 43.18 And this way the Pharisees offended that to avoid subjection to Christ and his doctrine would magnifie Moses and the Prophets of old time And so doe those people offend that commend the old Teachers more that are dead or absent and will not profit by those they have Mat. 23. 7. When it is used in defence of publike disorders and offences and grievances in Church or Common-wealth The pretence of Innovation must not hinder the reformation of knowne diseases in publike States Such things as have beene wastes of old must be built though it were not done of long time They shall build the old wastes saith the Prophet Isa. 62.4 8. When particular Christians doe mis-apply it to confirme them in their unbeliefe or doubting as if God did not regard or accept as informer times whereas if we serve him in uprightnesse of heart he will accept our offerings as in the dayes of old Mal. 3.4 And if we get Davids affections to God and goodnesse and will attend upon Gods mercie in the meanes we shall have the sâ—â—e mercies of David Isa 55.1 4. Thus of the wayes how old things and the pleading of them may be misapplied and done in our owne wrong Now followes to shew in what cases respect must be had to Antiquitie and old times And so Antiquitie commends 1. The workes of Gods power and mercie Deut. 32.7 2 Kings 19.25 Psal. 44.2 and God is well pleased to be urged with arguments taken from his old dealing with his people Arise as in the daies of old Isa. 51.9 so in Mich. 7.14 20 and bath left the memory of them upon record that we might thence confirme our weake faith 2. The particular experiences we have had of Gods goodnesse towards us Thus David remembers dayes of old Psal. 77.6 143. â— 3. The profitable determinations of right in judiciall things betweene man and man and so the old bounds are to be greatly respected Pro. 22.28 4. The publike orders of the Church about the circumstances of Gods worship as the orders of the Jewes to have the preaching of Moses in every Citie on the Sabhath day Acts 15.21 This order is the more observeable as few other reasons 〈◊〉 because it was so in oldeiâ—â—â— 5. Gods Commandements It is an argument of weight to perswade to obedience when it can be shewed that that Commandement is an old Commandement Iohn 2.7 6. In things that one doubtfull or difficult such respect is to be given to Antiquitie as men should not rashly oppose their owne or other mens new conceits so as due respect be had to equally comparison in the nature of the things questioned Ioh. 32.6 7. In the examples and patterns of wel-doing that have had due conformity to Gods will revealed in his precepts and so the examples of holy practises in old time should much move the consciences of the godly now-adaies as the Apostle shews in this verse And thus of the two points in the description Holy women The persons from whom this patterne is taken are holy women where observe 1. That holinesse in the first Table is required of women as well as men and they are bound to the duties of Gods worship and to be religious women as well as to the duties of the second Table to be chaste mercifull faithfull diligent in the affaires of the family or obedient to their husbands Which serves to confute those men that say women need not be studious in matters of Religion it is enough for them to be good house-wives and obey their husbands And withall it may comfort women in the practise of the duties of Religion for by the commendation given of holy women in this Text it appeares
prayers be not hindred HItherto of the duties of Wives the Husbands dutie followes in the words of this Verse Where three things are to be observed 1. The proposition of their dutie Husbands dwell with them 2. The exposition shewing how they must doe it viz. as men of knowledge and such as honour them 3. The Reasons which are three 1. Because they are the weaker vessell and therefore need to be carefully and continually well used 2. Because they are both alike heires of Gods grace 3. Because else their prayers and Gods service will be much interrupted and hindred In the Proposition may be observed First the word of connexion Likewise Secondly the terme of application Yee Thirdly the persons charged Husbands Fourthly the dutie imposed viz. Dwell with them Likewise This terme bindes these words to the former and shewes that God doth charge husbands to looke to their duties as well as wives Now if God charge the husband it imports that evill husbands must give account to God of all the evill they doe though no law of man punish them yet God will that gave them this law And withall it may comfort such husbands as are censured without cause God that hath given them their charge knowes their integritie whatsoever foolish wives object or a vaine world imputes to them And in generall God will accept and reward the carefull behaviour of good husbands But before I proceed two questions may be asked Quest. 1. Why are husbands charged in the last place Answ. There may be two reasons given of it first to shew the respect that God gives to husbands He first by his precept informes his wife before his face and shews him a patterne how he shall walke towards him and therefore now may the more willingly attend to his owne dutie Secondly because things last spoken have usually the greatest and longest impression upon the heart and this is a matter of greater consequence that the husband be soundly carefull of the discharge of his dutie The well-being of the family and the well-doing of both man and wife depends much upon the husbands right behaviour If the head bee out of order how can the body bee well and the wife being the image of the husband what shall she learne of him if he give an ill patterne If the eye be darke how can the bodie be light If the Pilot of the Ship be ignorant and carelesse what safety can the Ship be in Besides what a world of hurt will the ill example of the husband doe in the family either in children or servants Quest. 2. But why are husbands charged with so few words Ans. Because it is to be supposed that they have a larger knowledge of Gods will And besides in that tender age of the Christian world the Apostles in discretion said lesse to superiours to avoide provocation of irreligious husbands and the better to allure them to the Christian faith when they should see their wives so largely instructed in their behaviour towards them And further ever the shorter their lesson is the more shame for them not to learne it and shew themselves exact both in the understanding and in the practise it Yee Husbands God speakes to them in the second person to import that they should heare these words as if God were present to speak to them in his owne person and withall to teach them that the right hearing of this doctrine is for everie man to heare it as spoken directly to himselfe God doth single them out to heare their charge and speakes to them as if he named them in particular Husbands The persons charged are husbands and the word is a terme that imports that speciall relation in which God binds one man to one woman investing the man in prerogatives of a superiour in that union Before I come to the dutie charged upon husbands it will not be unprofitable by way of preface to use some motives to such husbands as will make conscience of their waies to perswade them to be verie carefull of their charge The reasons used in the Text afterwards I will not now meddle withall but only put them in mind of some few things which ought to be effectuall to perswade them The motives may be drawn from foure fountaines 1. From commandement and there let them consider who commandeth them and how Who commandeth them and so let them marke first that God himselfe hath given them their law of walking They are not tyed by mans laws but by Gods owne law Secondly God speakes to them by the Ministerie of great Apostles it was one part of the Commission of those high Ambassadours sent into the Christian world to give husbands their charge Thirdly it should somewhat the more move them that S. Peter was himselfe a married man and therefore did practise what he taught them and did know by experience that a husband mightwith comfort undertake this taske And then it should much move them to observe how God hath given his commandement to them he first chargeth their wives before he charâ—â—tâ— them And besides he hath given a long charge to the wives but a short charge to them 2. From their relation to their wives They are their wives heads and therefore should be carefull how they order themselves They are the life of their lives as it were God hath made the wife to depend upon them for comfort and direction and preservation 3. From their prerogatives God hath given them great power more than the wives They are heads to their wives and besides they are images of Jesus Christ they shew in the family what Christ is in the Church they doe as it were act Christs part and resemble him in his relation to the Church and therefore they had need to thinke of it how they carrie themselves They are types of Jesus Christ and will they shame him by acting folly passion pride and dissolutenesse Did Christ doe so to the Church Besides it should much move him that God hath in the most things left the husband free from the lawes of men He hath no man to controule him in his office and hath not God made him both King and Priest in his family His houshold is a little Kingdome or a little Church where he is of soveraigne power and hath great supremacie and if the world acknowledge not the glory of his place yet it is acknowledged in heaven 4. From the maner of his comming into this relation he was not borne a husband but made so and made so by the gift of God for God gave him his wife as he did Eve to Adam yea let him consider that God gave him the wife that was of his owne choosing and whom with so much desire he longed after and it may be prayed for But especially let him consider that God hath bound him to his wife by covenant yea that he hath bound himselfe to God by covenant for this thing yea that the oath of
God is upon him he hath sworne before the Lord to doe his duty Thus of the generall motives Further in that he said Husbands indefinitely he shewes thereby That all husbands are bound to observe this charge and all alike God chargeth rich learned wise godly husbands as much and as well as poore unlearned and ill disposed men Two Uses may be made of this point for first hereby we may see cleerely that outward things make no difference before God when God gives a law he gives it to all men as if they were but one man Civill difference of bloud nations calling condition or common gifts makes no exception from any when God gives his law Secondly such husbands as finde an outward difference from other husbands either in their gifts or greatnesse of meanes or highnesse of office or calling should lay aside all thought of such things and shew as much respect to their wives as any other men that have no such things to boast of And yet one thing more I may add to such hearers as heare this doctrine seeing God chargeth all they should take heed of that common fault of thinking of other husbands and how the doctrine will fit them and so neglect application to themselves Dwell with them The duty charged upon husbands is contained briefly in these words and under this phrase of dwelling with them is comprehended in effect all essentiall matrimoniall duties for it imports 1. Not only cohabitation but also 2. Separation from all the world to a speciall fellowship with that woman 3. Communion of goods They that must be partners of Gods treasures in heaven must be partners in all outward blessings All things should be common so as the husband must provide maintenance for his wife and that not only while he lives with her but he ought as he is able to provide for her maintenance after he is dead 4. Mutuall benevolence or the mutuall use of each others bodies 1 Cor. 7. 5. Delight in her company so as to be loath to be absent from her it is not enough to be with her but he must dwell with her Pro. 5.19 6. Serving of God together as the last reason in the end of the verse shewes Now divers reasons may be given of this why husbands should dwell with their wives 1. From the institution of marriage divers things may be noted as that God said hee would provide a helper for man to be before him Gen. 2.18 and besides Adam confessed she was bone and flesh of his flesh which the Apostle urgeth Eph. 5. And further it is said For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall bee one flesh All which imports a necessity of living together 2. From the example of Christ husbands should love their wives as Christ loved the Church Now how Christ desires to be with the Church may bee seene in the Canticles and hee hath promised he will be with his Church to the end of the world Mat. 28. 3. From the unnaturalnesse of the offence of living asunder Did ever any man hate his owne flesh saith the Apostle Ephes. 5. or can the arme or head in the naturall body live well from the other parts of the body no more either comely or convenient is it for husbands to live from their wives The use is therefore for great reproofe of many husbands that have so little desire or delight to converse in this holy and loving manner with their wives but study all occasions to draw them from home yea some men had rather live abroad with their dogs or hawkes than at home with their wives But especially those beasts are abominable that leave the society of their wives to follow strange women that is Whores Secondly here is somewhat for wives too If they would have their husbands to keepe home and delight in their company they must labour to be amiable and pleasing and study to be quiet and obedient that their husbands may be encouraged with delight to live with them Againe the indefinite propounding of the duty shews that they must dwell with them at alltimes not for the first quarter after they are married but for ever and that for conscience sake not only to avoide shame or the displeasure of the wives friends or onely while her portion lasts or for such like carnall respects But before I leave this point something would be said of foure cases of absence which may bee put as first the case of absence in respect of calling secondly the case of separation from bed and boord thirdly the case of nullities fourthly the case of divorce For the first when God gives a man a just calling to live from his wife or to goe into forraine parts it is lawfull to forbeare cohabitation for the time as in the case of Souldiers or Merchants or Ministers that are called to exercise their Ministeries in remote places In these cases when the wives cannot or will not goe with them they may lawfully live absent yea though their wives consent not to it because all relations to man must give place to our relation to God Now when God calls any man to any imploiment no man can disannull that calling and therefore such in the Ministery as have lawfull callings to exercise their Ministeries in other countries and have not fit imploiment at home doe very sinfully when they refuse to preach the Gospel in such places upon that silly pretence that they cannot get their wives to consent For the second viz. the case of separation from bed and boord it is for the most part very wicked and abominable because we have not either commandement or permission or example of any such in the Word of God And besides experience shews it breeds a world of scandalous inconveniences though I doubt not but in some speciall cases the Magistrate or Church may cause such a separation for a time but as it is ordinarily practised by divers husbands and wives it is very vile For the third viz. the case of nullities we must understand in divers cases though the man have bound himselfe by the contract or consummation of marriage to the woman yet he must not dwel with her because such contracts and marriages are meere nullities in the sight of God and of no force 1. If he marry her that is divorced for any other cause than fornication Mat. 19.9 2. If the marriage be incestuous that is within any of the degrees prohibited in the law of God see Lev. 18. Which lawes were not ceremoniall or politicall but morall and naturall which may appeare as by other reasons so by this one God saith he did destroy the Nations for such incestuous matches Lev. 18.24 Now God could not punish the Nations for breaking a law was never given them The ceremoniall and politicall lawes were given to the Jewes and not to the Gentiles thus it was not lawfull for Herod to
profane like Esau to contemne Gods blessing but seeke it while it may be had Heb. 12.17 Quest. But what should we doe to get Gods blessing Answ. First you must diligently resort to Gods house for there God hath commanded the blessing Psal. 133.3 and be carefull and attentive hearers of Gods Word for the ground that drinketh in the raine receiveth a blessing from God Heb. 6.7 the raine of instruction must soake into your hearts 2. You must turne you every one from all your transgresâ—ieâ—â— if you will have Gods blessing in his Son Jesus Acts 3.26 without found repentance Gods blessing will not be had Men must not thinke to get Gods blessing and doe after the things they doe now a daies every one that â—hâ—â— is right in his owne eyes Deut. 12.7,8 Finally we must be all such as feare God truely Psal. 115.13 and such as will not lift up their soules to follow vanity but get cleane hands and a pure heart for such only shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousnesse from the God of their salvation Psal. 24.4 5. and to this end we must carefully hearken to Gods voice and observe to doe all that he commâ—â—deth us Deut. 15.4 5 6. Lastly Gods owne children that have felt the comfort of Gods blessing must be admonished to carry themselves so as they may grow in the comforts of it more and more And to this end 1. They must daily aske God blessing and by their daily prayers let the Lord know that they make more account of his blessing than any children of earthly parents can doe of their fathers blessings 2. Since they have such showers of blessing in Gods house daily they especially should be like good ground so to drinke in the spirituall raine that the fruits of it may appeare in their lives in all piety and mercy and righteousnesse Heb. 6.7 3. Since they know the worth of Gods blessing they should learne of Abraham to command their servants and their children and their housholds to feare God and to live righteously that so they may bee a means to help them also to this great happinesse of inheriting Gods blessing Gen. 18.18,19 4. If they be put to it to deny themselves in things most deare to them for the glory of God they shall approve themselves as Abraham did in offering up Isaac to be such indeed as doe feare God and esteeme his favour above all things Gen 22.17 18. Verse 10. For hee that will love life and see good daies let him refraine his tongue from evill and his lips that they speake no guile Verse 11. Let him eschew evill and doe good c. THus of the first reason taken from the condition of Gods servants as they are heires of blessing In these words is contained the second reason taken from Propheticall testimonie David long since taught the same doctrine Saint Peter now doth and gave the same advice in effect for he had shewed That if a man would live a quiet and contented life free from troubles and mischiefe he must then take heed of all reviling and evill-speaking and avoid all things might offend either the godly or the wicked all things I say that are evill and must labour after all courses of peace and mercy and well-doing and then God would be a protectour of such godly and carefull men and he would recompence upon the wicked all the wrongs they doe to his servants This is the summe of the meaning of these words In the words for the order of them observe three things 1. The persons advised or charged by the Prophet David viz. such as would needs love life and to see good and quiet daies 2. The duties charged upon them as the meanes to attaine what they desired and so he shewes what they must avoid and what they must doe They must avoid in particular an evill tongue and in generall an evill and injurious life And contrariwise for what they must doe in generall they must doe good and in particular seeke peace ver 10 11. 3. The reason of his advice and that is taken from the nature of God and his disposition both towards the godly and amongst the wicked ver 12. From the generall consideration of all the words we may gather That a great part of the miseries of life might be avoided if men would be advised and ruled Most men and women may thank themselves for the unquietnesse and distresse they live in And this will appeare if we consider of either their crosses or their temptations or their corruptions which are the things onely that can distresse life As for the crosses it is manifest by experience that the most people suffer for their ownefolly and such things as might have beene avoided Their discontentments arise either from their rash matches in the estate of life they are in or from vaine jangling in idle opinions or from their rash and perverse words or from their wilfull neglect of easie rules of good behaviour in the family or the like Take but the directions here given If men did refraine their tongues from evill-speaking by censure or reproaches or slander orfrandulent words and that men did avoid injurious courses or grosse crimes and withall if men did strive to doe all the good they could to all sorts of men and finally if men would use all lawfull meanes to preserve peace and to avoid contumely how quiet might the lives of the most people be Againe let a Christian consider of his corruptions which at some times so trouble himselfe and others doth not his owne conscience know that if he would constantly pray against them and be sure to be circumspect in his carriage how certainely and how soone he might be delivered from the power of any sin And for his infirmities with how little labour might he store his head with comfortable places of Scripture that might support him against the sense of his daily frailties And for temptations of Sathan that so extremely molest some few Christians how might they have beene either avoided or borne with more quiet Some Christians tempt the Divell to tempt them by their solitarinesse or idlenesse or security or wilfull nourishing of pride and vanity in themselves or by a carelesse living without assurance of faith And when temptations are upon them and they are truely humbled under them how doe some Christians wilfully refuse consolation and limit God so as never to be quiet till the temptation be removed though the Lord himselfe answer them that his grace shall be sufficient for them The Use should be therefore to warne all men that would live quietly and comfortably to awaken to the care of their dutie and to study the rules given them out of the Word of God for let them be assured till they make conscience of living by rule it will never be better with them Againe in that St. Peter and the Prophet David agree so right in judgement
16.8 Or else in respect of the second table 2. Defects in the manner of doing righteously and so 1. In generall 5. waies Many defects in Gods worship How the 〈◊〉 comâ— 5 to be diseased The diseases of the soule are grievous many wayes Why many feel not the diseases of their soules Wherein Christs healing excels for our comâ—ort Ezek. 36. Hâ—s 14.2.3 Esay 19 2â— Jer. 17.14 What we must doâ— to be healed of Christ. Psal. 147.3 Esay 57.15 18. Gal. 6.14 Rules for such as desire Christ to heale or help their bodily griefes What is meant by going astray The misery of such aâ— goe astray â—ppears in divers râ—spects Aggravations of their misery 〈…〉 mens 〈◊〉 asâ—ray Esay 16 1â— Job 12.28 Signes of a lâ—sâ— sheepâ— Divers things that give hope of curing to such as be out of the way 〈…〉 〈…〉 The time of returning 〈…〉 returning 〈…〉 against dâ—vers the 〈◊〉 aggravations against divers that returned 〈…〉 of lost 〈◊〉 do 〈…〉 The meanes of returning 〈…〉 〈…〉 Qâ—â—st 〈…〉 What attributes are given to Christ as a Shepheard Christ is one Shepheard He is the true Shepheard He is the good Shepheard 1 Tim. 1.13 16 1 Cor. 9 10 11 Hee is the great Shepheard and that in divers respects The happinesse of such as live under this Shepheard appeares in ten particular priviledges Cant. 1.7 Zach. 11 9.10 Explanation of the tearme Bishop Christ excels all other Bishops in ten respects Such are happy that live under the charge of this Bishop Duties of such as be under the charge of this Bishop Generall scope Note Sixteene motives fâ—r man and wife to live quietly and comfortably together Use. Five speciall causes of disorder betweene man and wife Helps for man and wife to attain an orderly and quiet life Reasons to prove that women ought to be taught their duties as well as men Why the Apostle is so large in setting down wives duties What thingâ— are imported by often repeating of them Note Eight reasons why Wives ought to be subject Why the Apostle chargeth wives only with subjection In what things they are to be subject The maner how they must submit In what cases the wife ought not to subjâ—ct her selfe Particular sins of the wife again subjection Divers waies of winning men Note Causes oâ— revolting in many are divers Nine signes to know whether we be won effectually Sixe things required to sound obedience Divers kinds of winning Note What a Minister must doe to win soules To be won what it imports Note Why all are not converted at once Divers waies from God to further our salvation Doct. 1. By what meanes we may win wicked men in our conversation What things a wife must especially practise to win her husband Note Use. In what respects godly men are said to be pure Note Motives to chastity Preservatives of châ—stity How a chaste wife may be discerned Reasons why wicked men are sinitten with a serviâ—e feare Feare two 〈…〉 Reasons why we ought to expresse this fâ—â—re of God in our conversation By what waies we must shew this feare of God By what waies we are to expresse this feare of God towards men What sorts of men have not Gods feare Wherein wives shew their fear of their husbands Elâ—vâ—n reaâ—oâ—â— against vâ—ine â—ttâ—re in â—omen Foureteene waies by which appâ—râ—ll or dressing our sâ—lâ—â—s becomes vicious Whâ—t the man of the â—eart iâ— His originall Whâ—râ—in he eâ—cells the outward man His naturall condition very miserable many wayes Especially in his workes which are abominable By what means the man of the â—eart may be menâ—ed How we may know when the man oâ— the heart is right Not◠〈…〉 Note What things are requisite to meâ—knesse Motives to meeknesse Oâ—iousnesse of frowardnesse from the cause and effects of it Helps for the attaining of quietnesse and meeknesse Rules for our practise so as God may bee pleased with 〈◊〉 Two singular vertues in a good example When an example binds In what things Antiquity is ill pleaded In what cases respect is to be bad unto old times Use. Signes of such as trust in God Reasons proving the excellency of this trusting in God Admirable effects of this trusting in God Helps to attain this grace of trusting in God Rules to be observed in our right trusting in God Vid 1 Tim. 5.5 Ier. 49.11 Note Doct. Gaâ—ly women daâ—gâ—ters of Sarâ—h three waâ—es What things mar a good action How we are said to do well Reasons why we 〈◊〉 alwaies to be doing well Causes of amazement in wives Why Husbands duties are noted in the last place Moâ—â—vâ—◠〈◊〉 persâ—ade Husbands to be carefull of their duties What things cohabitatâ—â—n doth import In what cases it is 〈◊〉 full for the husband to be absent Whether separation from bed and brood be lawfull Cases of nullitie Concerning divorce what rule is to be observed Excellency of divine knowledge in many respects Means to give power to our knowledge What this dwelling with knowledge imports How many waies husbands honour their wives In what things women are more fraile than men Hâ—w godly men come to be heires Wherein the greatnesse and glory of our adoption appeareth What kind of persons we must be to attaine this adoption Marks of Gods heirs and adopted children How Gods â—eires must carry themselves Naturall life but a meane thing in divers respects Degrees of spirituall life The originall of this life It hath its originall from God three waies The nature of it consists in a saving knowledge or celestiall light Which knowledge must have these properties and effects in it Divers things nourish this life This life differs from eternall life many waies 1. In respect of place 2. In respect of the means that preserve this life 3. In respect of the company 4. In respect of the quality of the life it selfe 5. In resect of the effects of life in â—â—ch degree 1. For righteousnesse 2. â—â—r peace 3. For joy Whâ—t men must dâ—e to attaine this life A Christian hath many helps to attaine it Signes of this life are six Properties of this life are five What duties this doctrine should compell godly men to practise Grace manifold What is meant here by grace Two wayes considered What it excludes What it includes What priviledges follow on such as enjoy Gods grace Men trâ—nsgresse against the grace of God many wayes Godly men and women are heires together many wayes The excellency of prayer appeares in many respects Fâ—om whence the sorts and difference of Prayer doth arise Prayer may be hindred seven waies in the hearing of it How it is interrupted in the making of it Five things of singular use to keep us quiet in trouble Note For what reasons we ought to be all of one mind Helps unto unity of mind 2 Pet. 1. ult Aggravations against discord in opinion Many are the ill causes of dissenting In what things we may not be of one minde with the Church of Rome Wherein â—e expresse our compassâ—on The motives or reasons to perswade us to it Who are brethren Reasons to perswade us to love as brethren With what kind of love we are to love the brethren Rules to be observed that brotherly love many continue Either such things we are to avoid Or such things we are to practise How to order our selves towards our brethren in case of sinne against God or trespasse against us Three caveats to be looked unto in our loving of them What things bowels of compassion or mercy import When our bowels of mercy are right Motivés to be pitifull What things are comprehended under courtesie Divers kinds of blessing When we blesse in deed Wherein particularly For what reasons â— Christian should be much affected with the conâ—ideration of his calling Reasons proving the necessity of knowing our calling and assurance By what means a Christian comes to know his calling Divers sorts of Christians Causes why many weake Christians know not their calling Note Godly men doe inherit blessing many wayes 1. From men 2. From their own consciences 3. From God and that divers wayes In this life godly men have Gods blessing three wayes What we must doe to get Gods blessing How godly men may grow in the comforts of Gods blessing Note Note For what reasons men ought to take off their affections from the love of this life In what respects the vanity of earthly things appeare Men have no reason to be in love withearthly commodities and that for divers causes In what cases it may be lawfull for some persons to be in love with this life What such must doe to prolong their life What daies are evill in respect of wicked men Wherein godly mens daies are evill Great difference betweenâ— the evill daies of wicked and godly men Evill daies common to wicked and godly men 2 Sam. 19.36 What are good daies in generall In particular there are divers sorts of good daies to the godly Mans life is short In what respect it is short Causes why most mens lives are so short Uses
restlesnesse by the grievous distempers of the body or failing of their senses being for the time as Iob saith brought under the king of terrours Iob 18.14 What a wofull case Belshazzar was in you may reade Dan. 5.9 These terrours are the fansies the Gentiles so much dreamed of The fourth is desperation An evill Conscience in sinne many times brings them to hellish despaire of all mercy and pardon thus Cain rageth and blasphemeth like a frantick man And these effects of an evill Conscience are so muâ—h the more great 1. Because the Conscience can lash a man without noise it can secretly inflict torments when no eyes shall pity him 2. Because there is no escape from Conscience a man can neither drive it away nor run from it it cleaves to the offender inseparably From a tyrant or ill master some men run away but from an ill Conscience there is no flying 3. Because Conscience it selfe is a thousand witnesses to prove the fault though never so secret and the offender is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemned of himselfe and goes up and downe with a heavie sentence upon him in his bosome though all the world should account him innocent 4. Because an evill Conscience is such a damnable disease and the griefe raised by Conscience is such and so lasting that the grieved dies before the griefe can be removed yea so violent is the confusion which despaire bringeth into the thoughts that out of the grievous mistaking and impatience many times the offender makes away himselfe as Saul Achitophel and Iudas did and many in our times doe 5. Because death it selfe doth not abate the torments of an evill Conscience but the living worme gnawes them even in hell for ever and with so much strength and power there that one said wittily Hell were not hell if it were not for the gnawing of this never-dying and never-ceasing worme 6. Because unto the making up of the compleat misery of the impenitent sinner the sentence of Conscience and the testimony of it shall be heard and admitted at the last day before the Tribunall of Christ. For though an evill conscience shall never disgrace for some effects as for that of working despaire of mercy yet for the maine body of the proceedings of Conscience it shall be not only allowed but justified by the voice of Christ to the eternall shame and confusion of the offender And though it be true that the worst of the effects before mentioned arise from a stirring Conscience yet is not the man safe that hath a still Conscience if it bee evill For first hee is in continuall danger of the awaking of that conscience of his that now is asleep What ease can that mans heart be at if he had all pleasures round about him if he were tied to a Beare or Lion or mad Dog though he were then asleep for hee may awake every moment and then where is hee The stilnesse of an ill conscience is but like the sleep of a frantick man Secondly there can be no true peace unto the man that lieth in sinne without repentance Isa. 57. There is no peace to the wicked saith my God Though hee bee friends with himselfe for a time yet God is not friends with him nor is sinne and Satan at peace with him though there be an uncertaine truce for a time Thirdly the danger of a still conscience is the greater for the terrours of a troubled conscience may prepare a man for Christ and compell a man to seeke helpe from Christ but in the case of a still conscience there are these two usuall miseries the one that men take a still conscience to be a good conscience and the other is that a man runnes onely blindefolded so long till death and hell may seaze upon him Thus of the effects of an evill conscience the meanes how conscience may be made good follow That an evill conscience may be made good two things must bee looked into first that wee get a right medicine to heale it secondly that we take a right course in application of the medicine First the medicine for the curing of an ill conscience is onely the bloud of Christ the disease of conscience is of so high a nature as all the medicines in the world are insufficient nothing but sprinkling it with bloud will serve the turne and it must be no other bloud than the bloud of the immaculate Lambe of God as the Apostle shews Heb. 9.14 The reason of this is because conscience will never be quiet till it see a way how Gods anger may be pacified and sinne abolished which cannot be done any way but by the bloud of Christ which was powred out as a sacrifice for sinne Now unto the right application of this medicine foure things are requisite First the light of knowledge Secondly the washing of regeneration Thirdly the assurance of faith Fourthly the warmth of love First knowledge a man must have both Legall and Evangelicall for they must know by the law what sinnes lie upon the conscience and trouble it and they must know by the Gospel what a propitiation is made by Christ for sinnes And for the second an evill conscience will never bee gotten off unlesse our hearts be sprinkled and washed from the filth and power of the sinnes which did lie upon the conscience Heb. 10.22 1 Tim. 1.5 Now unto such removing of such sinnes from the heart two things are requisite First that by particular confession wee doe as it were scratch off the filth of those sinnes that soule the heart and trouble the conscience Secondly and then that wee wash our hearts and daily rinse them with the teares of true repentance and humiliation before God for those sinnes Thirdly assurance of faith is necessary to the cure of an ill conscience because faith is the hand that layes on the medicine A man must apply the sufferings of Christ to himselfe and beleeve that Christ did satisfie for those sinnes that lie upon the conscience and must accordingly all to besprinkle the conscience with that bloud of Christ and then of an evill conscience it will presently become good but men must looke to one thing and that is that their faith be unfained For conscience will not be satisfied with the profession of faith they must beleeve indeed and with their hearts and with sound application of the promises of the Gospel concerning the bloud of Christ or else conscience will not be answered Heb. 10.22 1 Tim 1.5 Fourthly the heat of love must be added a man must so apply the bloud of Christ as that his owne bloud be heated in him affection with both towards God and Christ and Christians Christian love doth put as it were naturall heat into the conscience and makes it now receiving life by faith to bestirre it selfe in all the workes either of service to God or duty to men 1 Tim. 1.5 Heb. 9.24 knowledge bringing it light mortification making it cleane faith
that God accepts holinesse in them as well as in men 2. That all holy women did make conscience of subjection to their husbands and therefore the Apostle speakes indefinitely of all holy women And this is the more evident because amongst all the infirmities noted in any godly woman in the Scriptures yet there is no example of a godly woman that did customarily live in the sinne of frowardnesse or rebellion against her husband the instance of Zipporah is but of one onely fact and the errour seemes to be as much in her judgement as in her affections And this doctrine should light verie heavie upon many wives that professe Religion in these times and compell them to reforme their hearts and behaviours in their carriage towards their husbands for this Text doth import that they want holinesse that are not subject to their husbands and live in customarie frowardnesse and unquietnesse 3. That Christian women ought to studie the example of holy women in old times and therefore they should do well to get a catalogue of the praises of godly women in Scripture to lay before them for their imitation and so they should learne of Sarah reverence to their husbands and of Rahab and the Midwives of Egypt to shew mercy to Gods servants in distresse and of Ruth obedience to their parents and constant love to religion and of the Shunamitish woman 2 Reg. 4.8 c. and of Lydia Acts 16.14 and of Phâ—be Rom. 16.2 to be entertainers of Gods servants and to succour them and of Hanna to be humble and patient and devout in prayer and of the good woman in the Proverbs chap. 31. and of Priscilla and Salâ—mons mother Pâ—â— 30.1 2. and Timothies mother and grand-mother 2 Tim. 1.4 to get the law of grace into their lips to instruct others and of that woman in the Proverbs to bee painfull in labour and to be wise in oversight of the labours of their servants and children and of Hester to keepe religious Fasâ—â— to God with their maides and children Hess 4.16 and of the Virgin Mary to lay up the words of Christ in their hearts and with Mary Magdalen to love Christ with all tendernesse and to bewaile their sinswith sorrow and to sit as Christs feet to heare his words and of Elizabeth to live without offence Lâ—â—e 1. and of Dorcas to be merciful to the poore and of the holy women mentioned Heb. 11.3 to be constant professors of the truth in the times of persecution That trusted in God The fourth thing is the cause of their subjection and that is their trust in God about which foure things are to be observed 1. That trust in God is such a grace as is found in all the godly even womâ—n that were holy had attained to trust in God All holy women trusted in God therefore if women that are the weaker sexe cannot get holinesse but withall they trust in God it is impliedly cleere That all the godly doe trust in God The house of Israel and the house of Aaron Priests and people even all that feare the Lord must trust in the Lord Psal. 115.9 10 11. and all the Gentiles must trust in the Lord. Rom. 15.12 It is the Periphrasis of God to be the confidence of all the ends of the earth Psal. 65.5 And the reasons why the godly must and doe all of them trust in God are first Gods Commandement that requires it of all which the former places shew secondly Gods promise that he will be the hope of his people even of all his people Ioel 3.16 and they have a sure word of the Prophets to warrant their trust 2 Pet. 1.19 thirdly without faith and trust it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. fourthly because they have nothing else to trust in Of all people the godly are most miserable if their trust were to be placed in other things than God for as all earthly things are vain and transitorie so can they make least shift for themselves and are most opposed in these things And therefore the Use should be to teach us to trie our hearts soundly whether we be such as trust in God seeing in this thing lyeth one great part of our evidence about true grace If all the godly trust in God then we are not godly nor holy men and women if we doe not trust in God The question then is By what signes doe godly men prove that they doe trust in God and the answer is 1. By making God their refuge in all their distresses and by pouring out their hearts before him in prayer and supplication 2 Sam. 22.3 4. Psal. 62.8 2. By their feare in any thing to displease God and their care to keepe his Commandements and to cleave to God 2 Reg. 18.4 5 6. doing his worke whatsoever come of it 3. By relying upon God in times of distresse without using any ill means or courses that they know or feare to be unlawfull Esay 28.16 with 1 Chron. 10.13 14. but still wait upon God till he help them Psal. 33.20 4. By accounting God to be their portion and sufficient heritage Psal. 16.1 5 6. 5. By setting the Lord alwaies before them Psal. 16.1 18. for if we put all our trust in God then our hearts doe continually thinke of God and are lifted up to God 6. By committing all their wayes to God and leaving the successe of things to his disposing Psal. 37.5 7. By their patience in the case of wrongs and indignities having their hearts free from desires of revenge and their tongues from words or reproach or reproofe they are as deafe or dumb men Ps. 38.13 14 15 1 Tim. 4.10 8. By contemning the glory of the world and not regarding or seeking dependancies upon proud and sinfull persons Psal. 40.4 9. By the joy and contentment they take in the house of God their hearts flourishing like a greene Olive tree when they heare of the doctrine of Gods goodnesse and feele the refreshing of his name Psal. 52.8 9. 10. By their thankfulnesse and great desires to praise God when they find the experiences of Gods providence in grace and bounty towards them Psal. 13.5 6. 52.8 9. Yet by the way we mâ—â—t know that godly persons that do truly trust in God may be burdened with cares but yet they cast their burthens upon God when they feele them Psal. 55.22 They may be affraid and yet trust in God Psal. 56.3 They may cry and make great moane and that a long time Psal. 69.3 They may seeme to want strength and yet renew their strength Esay 40 ult 2. From â—â—nce we â—â—y gather That it is a great praise and an excellent gift in any to trust in God to have and exercise this trust in God and therefore of all parts of holines fâ—nctification in this place trust in God iâ— mentioned And therefore in divers Scriptures they are pronounced to be very blessed that can doe it Psal. 84.12 34.8 and it