is one Heb. 4.13 to whom all things are open and manifest his word is quicke and as a two edged spirit dividing betweene the soule and spirit the joints and marrow the thoughts and intents of the heart Dally not therfore with him It s fearfull to fall into his hands He will not spare us but will punish our sins And Heb. 10.31 if we call him father who judgeth without respect of persons 1. Pet. 1.17 passe we the whole time of our dwelling here in feare For our God is a consuming fire This in generall In speciall The command of the Gospell to beleeve in Christ is most solemnly to be â—beyed make conscience of the most solemne command of the Gospel to beleeve in the Lord Jesus close with this command It is the most soveraigne and indispensable of all other Obey this and obey all for in this stands the obedience to all the rest The Lord hath ingaged all his glory and honour upon this one That the most vile miserable sinner living who is willing to come in with his load pinching him to hell shall finde ease Whether it seeme so or no this is the truth he hath purposed to magnifie all his Attributes in shewing mercy to such an one He will have it knowne that he can doe that which flesh cannot even love the most hatefull enemy in the world that is weary of his enmity This he hath set down with himselfe from eternity in time hath declared it to his Church by giving his justice a full discharge in the blood of his Sonne Hee is the upshot of promises and therfore looks that he be beleeved yea for a recompence hereof that he hath made all Yea and Amen in him 2 Cor. 1.20 Joh. 3.33 he desires but to be beleeved counting them that doe so to seale that he is true and calling the rest lyers Consult not now with flesh and reason Say not that this word is farre from thee Rom. 10.8 it is neere thee it is offered and pin'd to thy sleeve Esay 1. Luke 5.7 that thou mightst beleeve it consent and obey this and the worst is past As Peter sayd to Christ At thy command I will cast in though I have cast all night and catcht nothing So say thou I have long traded with mine owne inventions devotions and duties but now at thy command I will try what thy promise is worth and cast my selfe wholly upon it for pardon grace and life If I perish I perish Venture so and prosper Secondly proceed to other commands The same Lord of commands bids us love one another for love fulfilleth the Law Joh. 14. Jam. 3. 1 Tim. 1. All other commands issue from faith the end thereof being love out of a pure and good conscience and love unfained Feare this command also The person of man who is thy immediate object of love may perhaps seeme contemptible to thee for what can he doe unto thee whether thou love or love not But he that made thee and him too and hath planted you both in the body of his Church under Christ the head he it is who bids thee love thy neighbour love him by reproofe and murther him not love him by counsell example admonition compassion lowre not upon him curb selfe-love passion indignation wrath envie revenge slighting of him disdaining him Thinke with thy selfe it is not for nought that all the commands are said to bee done in this one of Love Thinke not that all shall be well if thou canst but beleeve in Christ Matth. 25. know that the Lord Jesus himselfe who will call for faith at his comming Luke 18.8 will call for love also The want of love and the due carriage of thy heart toward others is a spirituall solemne command of the Gospel as well as faith and one day will appeare to be so when God shall call thee to the Barre and convince thee how little fruit of love hath ever proceeded from thee Therefore close with this charge also look not upon man but upon that God who hath bound thee to him by this chain of love and who will hold himselfe wronged in the violation of it lay a more solemne charge upon thy spirit in this kinde then ever and feele thy soule to lye under the authority of this command as well as the former And what more should I say From these two well-springs proceed all the streames of Commands concerning God Man and thy selfe Hence issueth a Command of a close keeping the Sabbath ordering thy conversation aright Eph. 5.15 Jam. 1. ult hence comes that charge of walking circumspectly as wise keeping thy selfe unspotted of the world Hence it is that thou art forbidden to have thy course in covetousnesse to have any fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse Hence also it is that thou art bidden Redeeme the season Heb. 13.5 Eph. 5.11.16 Mat. 16.26 1 Pet. 3.9 Walke wisely toward them who are without To take up thy crosse daily to deny thy selfe to live by faith to sanctifie God in thine heart and make him thy feare And the like I might say of the rest for it were endlesse to speake of all Conceive of them all as comming from one rule of righteousnesse And know it hee that requires one urges all Perhaps thou wouldst thinke it equall to obey the Magistrate obey thy Parents keep the Sabbath but know it the same God commands thee to preach in season and our to execute the righteous judgements of God to be subject to thy husband to teach thy children the feare of God These are speciall ones and lesse welcome but if thou obey not them thou doest but play fast and loose with God in the generals For all sound obedience to God is equall and uniforme I know what flesh will say T is tedious to be so tied and tasked to be held to it from day to day never out say not I could be content to fast and pray one day to redeeme liberty for many I could walk close for a Sabbath so I might be mine owne man all the weeke But know that the law of love takes no thought for continuance it is no violent compulsion as a slave to ply his worke but as naturall as for the fire to burne or the sparkes to flye upward Let the Law bee once written in thy heart Jer. 31.31 and it will teach thee holy wisedome love and delight to accommodate and apt thy selfe to each one in speciall equally and constantly Simile The Law and Art of musick in the minde acts the fingers ends to such a nimblenesse and presentnesse of service as is admirable And if the writing of letters and characters upon Fringes and Frontlets were so powerfull as to prompt a man to the obedience of each occasion what then is the law of grace written in each faculty of the minde and will in the reines and the spirit of the Soule But here I cease
our families and living quietly with our wives hearing Sermons and the like But the Lord who will have us knowne to be such as feare God and eschew evill and declare our selves to be further off from mortall ones then so will take a course to try us further what is in our heart We see a lowd winde may long blow upon a rotten tree on the good side and the tree make a shift to stand But at last there comes a shrewd right winde and gets into the hollow of the tree Similie and affronts it on the rotten side and then it puts hard to it ten to one if it lay it not under feet Let us not then fence the hedge where it is highest but where it is lowest strengthen the feeble knees and rectifie that which is crooked seeke not praise to our selves for our gifts and labours but know there is a greater worke lies upon us to stick to our tacklings when the Lord tries us if God will bereave us of our onely beloved lusts and take from us the pleasure of our heart and that which is pretious in our eyes as he told Ezekiel if hee so bring it about Ezek. 24.16 that we cannot have him and our credit ease and carnall content also then let us consider what we have to doe and whether we will bee faithfull or no Now is our day of triall now to magnifie our selves and seek applause and spare our owne selves for ease for outward respects is unseasonable Thinke of these matters ere they come let us not be so busie with cockle shells and toyes upon the sea side that we forget the tide and so be swept away all on the sudden Despise not Gods trialls nor put the thought of preparing for them out of our minds as matters of lesse import thinke not to carry our course so smoothly as that we shall never be moved lest God gaster us with some such enemies as come with the necessity of armed men upon naked and unprovided ones and so make each veine in our hearts to ake because of our rashnesse Beware lest they make us examples unto others of more wisdome and prevention who might have given example to others of self-deniall uprightnesse of heart and trusting God in the greatest streights For surely if wee do thus seeke to save our lives Matth. 16.26 we shall lose them and no great thanke for our labour and that which we have preferred before God and peace of conscience shall come out at our nostrils as most irkesome vomit Amplification of the point John 21. The day of triall will not bee to us as the day of our freedome and ease but as our Saviour tells Peter When thou wert young thou girdedst thy selfe and wentst where thou wouldest but when thou art old another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldest not Prepare we for that day in our day of liberty Know that Halcyon dayes will not last alway but it is meet that offences and stumbling-blockes bee laid in our wayes to try us And commonly when we thinke our selves most stapled in our ease and exempted from trials then are they at our heeles So that it were our best wisedome to suspect our selves most when our way is most pleasant Suspect trials most when our estate seemes to be calmest and our neast warmest and best feathered Iob did thus and when sorrow came upon him in the midst of his prosperity yet if came not before it was feared Use wee our best outward contents as if we used them not and so the forgoing of them shall not be so excessively distastfull nor lye in our way as stumbling-blockes when God shall try us Behold them as things which may give us the slip when we least looke for it Nero that tyrant having a faire woman to his Empresse would sometimes take her by the necke or chin with these bloudy words O goodly face and necke but when I list it shall be cut off Such an Item should we give our best contents lest perhaps if we trust them to far they suddenly betray us to sorrow in forgoing or an ill conscience in retaining Oh faire mercies but when God will they shall bee cut off And not so onely but labour wee to stand upon good bottome and to trade not like banquerupts with other mens stockes who when they breake are found never to have been their owne men but with our own stocke be it never so little if it be good that is the love of God soundnesse of heart to the truth good conscience and faith unfained These being joyned with zeale and courage in the defence of a good cause will be armour of proofe without and a continual feast within whatsoever our affronts and discouragements shall be Faith shall then beare us out as a shield beares off blowes and assure us that let this cursed world bee never so disastrous yet God will keep us from absolute straits and so order it that wee shall not depart from his feare nor forsake his covenant They say that the Bezor that creature which hath that cordiall stone being hard hunted by the hounds and knowing by instinct also what it is she is hunted for not her skin nor carcasse but her stone will bite off her privities and leave them to the dogges to save her life And the like I have heard some affirme of the Fox that being catcht by the legge in a snare she wil gnaw it off flesh bones to escape with her life Let us take heed of such policie to wit when our pretious conscience is pursued which to some Nimrods is a more pretious thing then the pretious life of a man to an harlot then to bite it off and throw it to such Beagles Prov. 6.26 to save our skin carcasse They will make themselves as much or more sport in rejoycing at our flesh and nakednesse Judg 16.25 Gen. 37.30 then the Philistins did at Sampson their enemy and when we have lost that Jewell as poor Reuben spake of Ioseph how shall we behold the face of Iacob without confusion Or what shall it profit us to fish with a golden hook for a poor fish and lose it for our labour In vain is a net laid for that which hath wing or the deceitfull meat of the wicked ruler set before us to snare us Prov. 22.1.2.3 when we are jealous of our appetites and put our knife to our throats Let us also to conclude walke in this dangerous world Conclusion of all with admonition as a man would walke in a place full of snares laid to catch him Not onely with no purpose of committing evill but with a full purpose and armed minde not to commit it Watch we to the occasions of triall Seeing our way is so strawed with snares let us watch and bee armed which are offered us small ones may discover us to bee weake if unarmed when strong ones shall not
naturall and beloved object The truth hath not made them free for if it had they would forsake all for it and buy it whatsoever it cost them but not sell it whatsoever they might have for it Besides they know not what spirit they are of while peace lasteth and the Gospel runnes in the streame of their liberties gifts services commodities and advantages who but they An humble and zealous Christian would almost tremble to heare their protestations their engagements for God and truth the cause of Christ and Religion who but they in their fastings and prayers deepe detestation of the sinnes of the times and mourning for the sorrowes of such as suffer But let the winde turne to another coast so that they see the enemies of truth lay hard to their free hold and they must either sadly suffer indeed for that they have professed or else bewray themselves to be hypocrites Then they shew upon what hinges their doore hanges and turnes even upon Selfe and selfe-love Then they wax stiffe for themselves then they cleave to the creature their ease and welfares their liberties and worldly contents Why this Alas They understood not their owâ— spirit and therefore it laid them in the suds ere they were aware Now their great declaiming against the sinnes of timeservers and selfe-loving hypocrites is turned to apologize for their inconstancy selfe-love and ends of their owne Moreover another cause is they sought not Christ simply and honestly for himselfe but for somewhat which might bee gotten from him to serve their owne turne by his meanes They know not how to licke themselves whole upon the Lord Jesus for any thing they lose for him and therefore they are loath to venture any more then they must quite make forfeit of If they knew whom to trust for amends or could beleeve that hundred fold requitall for God and his Gospel which is promised to all that lose any thing for him Oh! it would lithe their hearts exceedingly to suffer any thing for him To conclude they consider not what a poore bargaine they make of it when they sell the honour and glory of the Lord Jesus for the redeeming of a poore transitory content here below they consider not that they fish with a golden hooke for minums if they lose their hooke upon a shrag of triall and temptation they can never make amends againe for it by all they catch though the fish were fairer Conscience is no commodity to weigh in the balance against ease and carnall profits and pleasures as Elisha asked Gehazi Is this a season to purchase olives and vineyards and menservants or maidservants They consider not what poor and silly figleaves they sow together to cover their nakednesse when they pretend a necessity of serving God their owne way that way which will hold best agreement with their own ends to shun serving him his way of suffering which contradicts their self-love In all these respects and in many more let us not wonder at the wofull declension of these revolting times which leave the Lord Jesus himselfe to sinke or swim Nay further let us not be offended overmuch at such as at their first entry and onset upon Religion seemed so zealous as to chalenge all enemies of Christ and began to suffer for him But having born the brunt a while and felt the triall too hot and too heavy for them have with more shame and reproach revolted from him then ever they began to suffer with honour and commendation And sithence it fareth thus let all whom it concerneth Counsells to helpe this Exhortation to approve their faith and fidelity to the Lord Jesus as it doth concerne all who will not prove hypocrites now in these wofull daies strive for the holding up and preserving the entire honour and esteem of Christ his Grace his truth profession and Gospel both in their owne soules with sincerity and before men without shame or cowardize Consider poore soule by whose strength thou standest do not look too wisely upon next hand examples of staggerers and timeservers though perhaps thou hast admired them for their zeale and gifts know them by their fruits stagger not at their revolts But looke to Jesus the author and finisher of thy faith Heb. 12.2 who for the hope set before him and the love to thy soule and salvation despised the shame and endured the crosse Behold if examples do so much affect thee the patternes of those faithfull ones who in all ages have borne witnesse to Jesus and not esteemed their credits or goods or lives so that they might vindicate the glory of Christ and discharge the trust which in baptisme and much more in their conversion to God was committed to them to be faithfull souldiers and to contend for the truth against Divell and his instruments the world and their own fleshly selfe-love The Lord hath had in all ages some who have though it a businesse of importance to sticke to Christ and his honour whatsoever it cost them although thy strength be small the trialls of the malicious sharpe and fiery as darts yet if thou canst deny thine owne selfe humble thy soule be little in thine owne eies be above thine owne ends and sensuality Then that God who hath suffered thousands of subtill selfe-loving hypocrites to fall on thy right hand and thy left shall keepe thee safe in the midst under the covert of the wings and shadow of his Almighty power Psal 92.7 Counsells And to this end and purpose first get faith in Trialls more pretious then gold and looke not to suffer for Christ by thine owne strength but get strength from him whom thou sufferest for Get thee his innocency be sure thy cause be good joyne with it a good conscience two excellent banners to fight under and then by prayer beg from Christ that strength courage meeknesse simplicity selfe-deniall unashamednesse to confesse him and to suffer for him which becommeth one who hath received thy being of grace and the hope of welbeing of glory for ever from him Beleeve that hee who nayled all enmity of Satan and the gates of hell to his crosse hath risen by the might of his Godhead and is at his right hand will so provide that the remnant of their conquered and captivated malignity and malice shall never prevaile against thee If ever thou tookest hold of his strength to save thee from hell and from perishing trust him for strength to overcome all earthly enemies he can and will subdue them unto thee divert them disarme them disable them and give thee full redemption from them If ever hee built thee soundly upon his rocke feare not neither stormes nor sands nor tempests nor any assaults shall ever cause thy building to ruinate but thou shalt stand because built upon a rock Secondly be not heedlesse and carelesse of trouble but be well settled and informed in thy judgement concerning the weight and the importance of the truth of God Let
the Lord workes great matters by them Or if they have other complements of authority in carriage awfulnesse experience and wisedome in the world yet being humble also and abhorring pride state and jollitie as all Gods Ministers ought to do they are mean in the eye of the world whatsoever inward excellencies they have for the world esteems them so much as they esteem themselves by the greatnesse of their stomacke Now it is not their skill knowledge which can hinder their humblenesse in their own eyes no more then ignorance can cause humilitie Nay I dare say Gifts and graces doe no more cause pride then ignorance causeth humility that if the number of proud ones were surveyed we shall finde more of them proud through ignorance and for lack of a bottome then of their knowledge though neither without speciall grace can be humble As then I would have none mistake me in this point so by the way I would admonish all bold ignorant and raw novices and young Ministers of whom the world is full who no sooner are crept out of the shell but thinke themselves fit enough for the Ministery being yet wholly untrain'd in the way thereof and very prone to fall into the condemnation of the Divell I doe admonish all such to looke to themselves and beware lest through a pearking and ventrous spirit and a desire after their owne ends gaine and living they dishonour God bring his ordinances into contempt and by their running and shifting from place to place for meanes they snare their consciences so farre that they can scarce get out againe when they would Runnagate idle unlearned Curates and Hirelings are a great bane to the Church Let them wait the time attend to reading deny themselves learne of their betters and ancients which few of them doe and trust God in due time for service and respect in the Church Further this point should minister exceeding consolation to poore Vse 2 ones in their owne eyes Consolation to despised ones in the eyes of men and silly and contemptible in the eyes of the world as indeed never was there a more scornfull age of those who are truly religious at the best but especially if they want parts wealth breed learning to commend them Oh! God doth great things in poore ones by poore ones for poore ones If the Lord hath humbled you truly and made you wise to salvation rejoyce although perhaps you are counted but poore politicians poore worldlings though perhaps your learning be not deep and a subtile fellow may circumvent your simplicity in a bargaine Oh! let not this discourage you James 2.5 For the Lord oft doth as much good to a poore creature by the want of some excesse of worldly wisedome as hee loses esteeme by it among men The Lord chuseth such often to be heires of salvation and their opposition to grace is commonly cōmonly I say for somtimes the most silly are the most perverse a great deale lesse then theirs who are more deeply wise who frame to themselves many objections and stumble at many offences As these poore ones have not the reach which many have nor the depth so neither do they meet with such reall lets from within Alas they are not so curious so proud selfe-loving but they are glad to stoop to the conditions of the Gospell they have little within them to cast downe and little without them to forfet they are little ones in understanding wealth honour and reputation and therefore they are fit to make Gods little ones They are glad to be accepted of God they are lost to the world they stinke before great ones therefore if God will esteeme them they are thankfull their hearts are low broken and ready to wonder that the Lord should cast an eye of respect to such Matth. 11.6 Therefore Matth. 11. the poore soon receive the Gospell Oh! little doe such thinke what rubs the Lord hath taken out of their way Besides when that grace shall be seen in such silly ones which great and wise ones cannot purchase with all their wisedome and learning when the Lord shall make them shine in holy example love and zeale to Gods glory tender of offending innocent humble nay when the gifts of rare holy wisedome of prayer conference judgement and discerning of things and persons shall appeare in them who wonders not how such should come by such gifts God worketh a great thing by them when he ordaineth praise by such to himself As the Lord Jesus had no beauty in him Matth. 21.16 Joh. 7. unlearned and yet so able to pose the Doctors and to stall his most potent enemies And his Disciples Acts 4. when they stuck so to Christ that they daunted the Elders Oh! how it drew admiration from the people and glory to God! So Ioh. 9. those who had knowne the blinde beggar sitting by the way and now heard with what a new tongue he convinced the Pharisees they glorified God That poore Martyr Alice Driver in the presence of many hundreds did so silence Popish Bishops that she and all blessed God that the proudest of them could not resist the Spirit in a silly woman so I say to thee Out of the mouth of Babes and sucklings will God be honoured Even thou silly worme shalt honor him when it shall appeare what God hath done for thee what lusts he hath mortified and what graces he hath granted thee which those that are wiser then thou fret to see in thee Oh! be thankful John 1.50 The Lord can yet do greater things for thee if thou wilt trust him he can carry thee upon Eagles wings enable thee to bear suffer strong affliction for him to persevere to the end to live by faith and to finish thy course with joy Oh! in that he hath made thee low in heart thy other lownesse shall be so much the more honour to thee Do not all as much and more wonder at Gods rare workmanship in the Ant the poorest bugge that creeps as in the biggest Elephant That so many parts and limbes should be united in such a little space that so poore a creature should provide in the Summer time her Winter food Who sees not as much of God in a Bee as in a greater creature Alas in a great body we looke for great abilities and wonder not Therefore to conclude seeing God hath clothed thy uncomly parts with the more honour blesse God and beare thy basenesse more equally thy greatest glory is yet to come that when the wise of the world have rejected the counsell of God thou hast with those poore Publicanes and Souldiers magnified the Ministery of the Gospell Luke 1.5 surely the Lord also 1 Thess 1. will bee admired in thee a poore silly creature that ever thou wert made wise to salvation and beleevest in that day Be still poor in thine owne eyes and the Lord will make thy proudest scornfull enemies to worship at thy feet Rev.
To teach us the price of grace which of us would ever thinke grace to be such a thing as it is which of us would not wax wanton with God and forget our former condition which of us would pâ—â—se mercy and conversion as the inestimable free gift of a gracious God who might have left us at large to the corruptions of the world and the depth of the Divell But when we see how the Lord crosseth us what blocks are in our way and how hard it is to be vessels prepared for mercy to be clensed from our evill savour which would defile the grace of God then we wonder that ever the Lord should bestow any mercy upon us at all And so we walke in the sense and savour of it more humbly and thankfully afterward we suspect our base hearts we are jealous of forgoing it earnest to pursue it glad of the least dram of it and why we know the price and worth of it In this frailty and corruption of nature we can beare no great measures of grace by good experience of that it cost us to compasse it Where is there a man who is meet to enjoy any great matter from God either outward blessing or spirituall favour without pride and swelling So that the Lord is faint alway to be much in preparing such as he intends to bestow any great matter upon How long was David in preparing by the Lord See 1 Sam. from chap. 15. to the end of the book ere he came to the kingdome Between his first anointing and his Crowning how many turn againes and pursuits had he Surely as the Merchant of the East Indies who ventures for rich wares and pretious commodities hath an hard taske of it goes through strange hazards by pirates by tempests by winds by rocks and by continuall feare both going for them and comming home with them and all to teach him the price of them that he may after enjoy them more soberly so is it here The Lord is faine to prolong the day of his mercy and pardon and to bring the soul through many adventures to teach it to enjoy mercy without wantonnesse giddinesse lightnesse and boasting A drunken man can beare strong drinke or wine with his weake braine aswell as our slight hearts can entertaine grace we wax vaine and frothy idle and empty as not knowing what we have received from God nor how sober and wise we ought to be in the use of it 2 Cor. 1.2.3 So Paul the Lord meant to betrust him with deep revelations But before that how was he faine to buffet him what bitter greetings had he of his vile heart and how was he abased in his owne feeling And why Surely to teach him to walke humbly not to swell nor disdaine others but to distinguish the excellency of Gods grace from the basenesse of his owne spirit As we see it to fall out in the disposition of seasons and weather Simil. while the winter season is in her setling and height although there be a generall coldnesse of the aire yet it is mixed with some calmnesse and moderation But when once the spring tide is approaching we see what inequality of weather there is winds raines tempests and blustering all to purge the sky and to bring down the winterly distempers of it that the coast being cleare the sweet season of the spring and summer may succeed Just so it is with the soule perhaps while it lies under the winter of her owne desolation she makes a shift and hath no great chaines upon her as being under the hatches of misery But if once the Lord cause the spring time of life and conversion to approach strange it is what tempests clouds and weather arise the heart growes full of feares corruption rebells by occasion of the Law and selfe rises up in armes by occasion of the Gospel a marvailous change appeares in the soule through terrors bondage doubtings resistings cavellings and distempers of a base heart loth to leave that hell of hers which by custome became her heaven But all this is but as it should be the Lord proceeds gradually and by steps delayes the worke of grace and all that the coast may be somewhat cleared before hand and the soule prepared to welcome the season of mercy with calmenes humblenesse and modesty To conclude the Lord is Reason 4 most wise in thus trying his owne servants before he convert them To discerne them from such as are not his owne to the end that he may discerne them from such as are not of his number For why when hypocrites once come to see the conditions of grace what attendance upon means what knowledge and sense of sin what deep convincing of conscience is required how humble hungry painfull earnest the Lord lookes the soule should be that desires grace how plain-hearted in her aimes and prising it above all liberties how willing to sell all and glad it may to buy this pearle lo their rotten carnall hearts fly off and abhorre to stoop so low upon any hopes They thought heaven might be compassed with small adoe and that they might have it and their owne wills too But when they see it will not be nay more that many a poore honest soule is faine to waite long at Gods gate till he see it a fit season to bestow his grace upon it alas poore wretches they never were either so pinched with sinne nor affected with mercy as to bestow halfe the cost for it although they might be sure of it and therefore they fall off either altogether and so turne backe to their lusts or else if light and compulsion of conscience scare them from that they still abide as they are in a saplesse fulsome and dead course But it is not so with the others Gods true Merchants of the best pearles who know the true worth of them will not be beaten off by such discouragements but but with Naaman in the verses following rather then they will forfet all their hopes and carry back their lepers skin With them See Mat. 13.44 they will put their lives in their hands or rather themselves in the Lords to deale with them as he please and whatsoever difficulties or delayes they meet with they will beare them seeing they are for the best all shall end well By waiting the Lord will appeare at last but by giving him over they are sure to perish Oh! there is great use of this course how many desperate hypocrites doth the Lord trie hereby discovering their basenesse rage and discontent and how doth he comfort his owne faithfull poore servants that have waited upon his salvation assuring them it was his owne grace that sustained them in such delayes and difficulties to hold on Vse Instruction admonition to all Novices in grace not to be dismaid for difficulties The use whereof should be instruction and admonition to all Naamans and novices in regeneration and the worke of
nature of this wofull Selfe A second gound of this point is from comparison with others For Reason 2 how easie a conclusion is it to make especially selfe being the Logician I see thus many adulterers From comparison with others liers and swearers despise God and all goodnesse contemne the meanes and scorne the light because their workes are evill now I for my part am a diligent hearer of the word a countenancer of Ministers a worshipper of God in my family and perhaps more yea a renouncer of all open sins and therefore must not I needs be led by a spirit of more excellent nature then they are Surely if I had their spirit I should be led to the same evills which yet now I abhorre Nay more when these hypocrites shall not onely compare themselves with others Selfe upholds herselfe by false comparisons but with themselves and say such a one was I wont to bee a grosse cozener and oppressor a cheater a covetous wretch uncleane and base but since I have heard and professed the Gospel I have abhorred such stuffe and am not onely in mine owne opinion but in the judgement of others another man Oh I say what a shrewd argument is this for one that cannot or will not compare himself with the word and trie himselfe by the markes of a beleever to give sentence on his own side which to doe for one not converted to God how doth it overthrow all his former shewes affections and duties and hinder him from true conversion indeed A third reason may be from Satan whose pillers are pitched more Reason 3 deeply and dangerously upon selfe Satan imbarks himself more deepâ—y in selfe then in other lusts then upon any other more open offender I say upon this privy-selfe especially Grosse persons doe but little hurt no nor such open hypocrites as whose shews are openly confuted by their owne practice for why each one stoppes his nose at them and they themselves comming once to the touchstone of the word have no great colour for themselves but more easily fall in peeces and give up their weapons to the battery of the law and power of the word convincing them But it is not so here For when Satan can so delude an unsound heart by the sweetnesse of selfe as to resist the dint of the truth and harden himselfe in his pretended religion and duties against the Lord Jesus and the spirit of faith and grace hee sleepes securely in his den knowing that such an one is under locke and key and is not like by any probability to get out of so excusing and erroneous a conscience and condition for he is as ready to damne himselfe for his owne ends as for Satans and therefore is under a more deepe chaine then any other sinner is True it is Satan chuseth rather out of the excesse of his wickednesse to debaush mens consciences but if once he can be resolved by sure markes that selfe beares sway above grace which is no hard thing for him to doe who can convey himselfe so cunningly into the bent and frame of mens carriages he knowes himselfe as sure of such abiding so as of men of more prophane and odious conversation Lastly how just is it with God to give over such to the hardnesse of Reason 4 their owne hearts to detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Selfe deludes dangerously by Gods just giving her over to her own way and to lurke still in their owne den of ease and selfeconceit who having cleerely conceived his will and knowing that all who gather without Christ doe but scatter and except the Lord make the soule an habitation for his spirit all our building is but in vaine a meere Babell of confusion and a Castle in the aire yet shall withdraw their heart from God in the maine worke of selfedeniall and selling all that they might buy the pearle I doubt not but there are many unsound ones who know it not but doubtlesse the number of such is few in comparison of others To him that hath shall be given but from him who hath not shall bee taken away that hee seemeth to have Matth. 25.29 And so much also may serve for Reason I come now according to my order to answer a question A Question answered How may a man discover this mischiefe in his heart Since this mixt selfe is so dangerous a mischiefe as to deprive the soul of all her labour and hopes how might a man come to some discovery of selfe that so he might the more easily be prepared to cast it out and prevent the danger of it betimes ere it be remedilesse Seeing the conceiving hereof may make much for the application of the doctrine following I will a little insist in answering the question Therefore I say that the nature of this disease may partly appeare in the degrees of it and partly in the footprints and passages of it of both a little and first of the first Answ These degrees may the better be conceived if we consider that privy selfe as I have noted is that chiefe fort and refuge which old Adam imbarkes himselfe in 1. By her degrâ—es for the avoiding of Christ and the promise according then to the degrees of this bulwarke of flesh and the danger thereof Selfe may bâ—â— perceived by 3. properties the degrees of this selfe may be I conceive then that we may refer all this secret mischiefe to these three degrees The first in selfe presuming 1. Presumption The secoâ—d in selfe fearing The third in selfe withdrawing Selfe presuming is that corruption which holds off Christ in the preparation of the Law Gospel such as these feeling of the soul to be in an utter strait and in an absolute need of Christ mourning after him desiring him and taking paines for him with the like These all if they be soundly wrought in the soule proceeding not onely from legall abasement but also Evangelicall tidings of peace by the good things which onely Christ hath purchased cannot proceed from any principle in our selves Howbeit selfelove is so prone to presume of that to bee wrought truly in us which she covets and wishes to be wrought out of a desire of her own welfare that she easily mixes her selfe with the offer and promise and not staying her full time to weigh duâ—y the nature thereof takes her owne pangs and hopes and selfeloving conceits to be true preparations Now whereas every abiding worke of grace must have a principle in it above selfe-ends and selfe-love therefore what marvell if such flashes of presumptuous selfe vanish and leave the soule as new to beginne as ever it was 2. Self-fearing A second degree is selfe fearing which may befall him who hath shot the former gulfe for it lies in another extremity and runnes as much on the left hand as the other did on the right thinking though ungroundedly that although some worke hath beene
seeing hee might not build him a Temple Salomon might build it not looking at the doer so God might have it built And Paul would have Christ preached any way rather than not preached by any as well as by himselfe rather then not at all yea chose rather to lose his owne happinesse then Israel should not be saved To draw to an end what subtilty is this 5. Instance To offer to God more then he askes to imagine that the offering of God more services then he ever commanded should discharge the conscience for breaking such commands as hee expresly enjoyned What else was the religion of them Micah 6. save to baffle Gods eyes with their selfe worship And this is a true marke of Selfe to outbid true worshipers in the multitude of our devotions that we might bee dispensed within our underbidding of the price which God calls for why is this but that we might be spared in the maine work of selling self and all our out bidding the Lords owne asking is no marke of our selfe-deniall but rather of subtill-selfe which would teach God to pitch a new price upon Christ but not offer him that price which be demandeth when the Lord bids thee bring nothing wilt thou bring him thy cost and when his price is thy selfe dost thou offer him other things to keep back that price what is an handfull of brasse worth to him when he demands a dram of pure gold why doe we loath Popish superogations save that they come short in their kinde of that which God asketh within the kinde offer to him the least dramme of selfe-deniall and soundnesse but else out of kinde no performance is welcome seeme it never so plentifull what shall thy subtilty do thee good when thy issue and Gods issue will not joine thou bringest in prayers teares duties devotions abstinences affections and he called for none of them as his price but thy will Prov. 26.23 thy wisdome thy conceit thy selfe give him his asking and as for the other thou shalt be in them all as a defiled clout and they shall be no more unto thee in point of Christ then if thou hast never done them And this may serve for the first branch Branch 2 Secondly consider the danger of this disease enough hath beene said of it in the reasons before of Admonition See the danger of Selfe Now I adde two or three things to the former And first to urge that maine danger in the doctrine mentioned That it threatens to deprive the soule of grace it selfe when all is done and to throw downe all the false building thereof at once as if one should with his foote dash a little childs house of oystershels which it hath built with much labour Esay 55.2 2 Joh. 8. Now what a sad thing were this to lose the good things which thou hast earned with much travaile so that thou shouldest never enjoy the fruit of all thy toile and labour under the Sun of Gods ordinances Selfe forfeits all her labour and cost in worship and dutâ—es nor eate of the worke of thine hands what a misery were it if it were but to lose the cost of thy plowed field thy compasse and husbandry the cost of thine orchard and garden planting graffing setting sowing how unpleasing a thing is it But then what is the losse of a few bushells of wheat plumbs or apples berries or flowers to the losse of Christ thy eternall crop Selfe will come betweene thee and home in this kind if thou prevent her not The Estrich laies her egs in the sand Job 39.13.14 as Iob saith and leaves them to their lot to the feet of beasts to tread on but why God hath denied her understanding to lay them in secret and to hatch them Art thou destitute of understanding to value so meanly thy cost in hearing in questions in travaile in trialls in duties as to forget what they cost thee If a Schollar should see all his note-books papers a great rich man all his silver and gold his evidences a Farmer all his corne and graine to bee consumed would it not sting him Are they not the fruit of his travell which every man naturally more priseth then a thing that befalls him which he never took paines for when the ship makes shipwracke in the haven what saith the merchant It grieves me as much for the losse of my voiage as for my ship is this the issue of my three yeares sailing over the seas my adventures my exchange of wares mine escapes of rockes and quick-sands so shouldst thou say in this case Oh! it grieves me as much for the losse of so many sweet Sabbaths Sacraments Communions Ordinances as for mine owne soule shall I thus lay heapes upon heapes and die for thirst Judg. 15.16.18 how much better had it been that I had never travelled to beate downe some forraine enemy of lust and prophanesse then that this inbred elfe this selfe and selfe-love as a viper should eate out my bowells and defeate me of heaven To what end should I come up to the City as farre as the suburbs to lie downe there and die for lacke of heart to enter the City gate Thus hast thou done O poore soule thou hast given faire onsets and hopes Thou hast felt thy selfe lost mourned prised Christ laboured and held out longer then many of thy companions here thou hast left some behinde thee sticking in the deepe slow of the earth others have turned backe having the winde the sunne the stormes of persecutions crosses and enemies in their face others in their pleasures and lusts which have overtooke them and shall a bosome enemy doe thee as much hurt as these and shalt thou for all thy twelve houres toile fare no better then they who came in at the last Oh! consider how desperate thy case will be and what a world of regret losse of heaven will be when so narrow and small an oddes must deprive thee Oh! it will sting thee as fire to see that such an offer of an invaluable purchase was made thee which thou biddest faire for and forsookest at last in a tech that thou wouldest not give a penny more whether have it or lose it This parting penny shall sting thee as much as now it troubles thee little Oh! there is but a little oddes betweene thee and home thinke that now the loving heart the heart bloud of the Lord Jesus wooes thee in this manner saying one thing yet remaines besides all thy preparations adde but this let none of these be thy Christ mistake them not they are but sparkles comming from my fire that onely can put life into thee deny these let me and my promise be thy pardon thy peace thy strength and thou hast bought the pearle I say do but consider the mischiefe of this selfe which causes in thee this sad mistake and will worke in thee so remedilesse repentance Besides in the second place The
portion never to be taken from her To apply the answer the cause of such staggering is self-love That which you feele to agree with your selves and to come easily pleaseth you too well and causeth you to dwell upon it too long and to withhold you from better things The remedy of your disease must bee to ascribe no more to your selves but to the glory of grace to abase selfe and to exalt mercy to renounce all selfe-reflex from duties and endeavors of your owne because they cannot shed any meritorious bloud to save you and to claspe to that promise which is established upon a satisfaction to justice which though it be out of your selves yet is after a sort made your owne by him that promiseth because faith is his gift and he hath covenanted to give it you for that end and purpose What skils it how little grace you feele within when as he who offereth you mercy onely seeke such as want it that he may have the glory Or what shall it boote you to thinke you have lesse sinne then others when as he who calls you to forgivenesse cares not how great it be so it hinder not your beleeving in him Read this wisely who seekes the superabounding of grace where sinne hath abounded Accept then such grace offered as those in whom nothing dwelleth toward any grace Grace best accepted by such as of themselves are emptiest of it and as if yee had stept no one step toward it more then the vilest publican and sinner have done Be content to gird your selves and serve grace and let not grace attend you as if you had wrong if it be not laid in your laps but come under the banner and authority of it the ends and honour of it It is something that grace runnes in your streame but your staggerings shall never cease till your streame be dried up and turned to runne meerly in Gods streame to be carried both whither how soone how and how farre it shall please him Use all meanes walke so in the way as making use of all incouragements but still looke forward to the price of the high calling of God boast not your selves as if you had put off your harnesse But rather thinke thus if it be so joyfull a message to heare of a pardon how much better were it to sue it out and apply it to my selfe and how wofully should it sting me if any things should come betweene cup and lip to defeat me of it Remember that all preparations of grace serve onely to testifie to the soule that the Lord hath beene at worke not that it should rest in a taste of absent but presse on with unweariednesse to obtaine the fulnesse of a present and enjoyed happinesse and betrust it selfe wholly to his workemanship who would never have begunne if it had not beene in his power and will to finish Stand therefore at his curtesie wholly as disabled in thy selfe to cooperate with him much lesse to have him at the bent of thy bow binde Selfe to the altar with cordes and turne thy active medling spirit into a meere passive and waiting spirit upon the worke of God not as a slave nor as a loyterer but as a self-denyer and one whose strength is to sit still and behold the salvation of God Oh beloved that I could so follow this councell of mine with effectuall prayer to the Lord that through mercy it might become a mean to put to an happy end those endlesse innumerable complaints of staggering consciences to settle them in some tolerable measure with comfort and quietnesse And so much may also serve for this third and last Branch of instruction Vse 4 The fourth use of this point may be examination of your selves concerning this secret sinne of Selfe Examination I say not the being of it for hee that would be rid of it must goe out of the world but the raigning and defiling and deceiving power of it to keepe the soule from Christ I need not be large in this I have prevented my selfe already in all which I have said before to describe this theefe by his markes But what shall it profit you brethren to say they are laid down in the opening of the doctrine if ye let them lie there apply none of them to your selves to find out your owne let What shall it availe that I have told you what grosse Selfe is and what this secret and wyredrawne Selfe is To have shewed you many instances of it The steppes and degrees of it The carriage of it both in the ground the proceeding and the scope of it The reasons of it both from the cursed nature of Selfe the curse of God and Satans advantage What good will it doe you to heare the danger of it described by the naturalnesse subtilty closenesse violence of it If none of all these will stirre ye up to cry out and aske Am I the man O Lord or with Rebecca feeling her twins to stirre within her to goe to God for counsell Alas brethren To this end all serves else all is as water running over in a full vessell some of yee perhaps will say there is so much said of this that it fills your head so that ye know not where to beginne I answer If it be so much it may make some amends for the little or nothing which most men will speake of it and oh that it might occasion others to speake more But to answer you I say take any one of these and trie your selves by it especially cull out such instances and markes as you thinke sort best with your condition let not plenty make you barren Who knoweth what is in the spirit of man save the Lord and it selfe Or rather the Lord searching the heart by his owne Spirit Jerem. 17. and teaching it to dive into the depth and secrets of sinne Selfe requireth good and deepe searchâ—ng Who can judge whether it be grosse Selfe or privy and subtill Selfe which pesters the soule and disables the promise Who knowes whether ease or pride feare or presumption conceit or error and ignorance hinder most Try therefore thy selfe knowest thou not that Selfe must stoope if Christ enter doe not thinke that because here thou maiest finde some markes of this else therefore by and by thou hast snatcht him no no thousands who know their diseases carry them under their privy garments as running sores till they destroy them especially remember if Selfe bee so deepe an evill so naturall a twinne eating laughing and living in thy bosome with such familiarity and bewitching what save the infinite wisedome and power of God can worke the discovery or resolvednesse of heart to cast it out Therefore not to urge any thing already urged in speciall I doe onely in generall urge thee to make use of what hath beene said already of this mischiefe Goe aside hide thy selfe in thy chamber Esay 26. powre out thine heart to
so the people let them bee exhorted also to exalt free grace and meere Christ in the promise not muttering that they find not that fruit of their selfe-deniall that they expect but counting it their chiefe work to wait at the posts of grace not as foolish pilgrimes doe at the gate of the Popes entrance knocking with a golden hammer till he bring them his Jubilee blessing but with patience attending the promise till the Lord shall stirre the dead poole of their hearts and quicken them with hope confessing that it is mercy they may live and breathe in Gods aire much more by the aire of a promise although not yet so established in their hearts as they could desire yet sufficient to keep them from grudging to make them lay their hand upon their mouth and to bee dumb Malac. 3. till the Lord bring healing in his wings and put an end to their waiting But as for esteeming themselves for their common gifts of knowledge or zeale to be ever the neerer to God for which thousands are in hell abhorring it and chusing to be the poorest doore-keeper in Gods house then the highest Pharisees in the Church who need no righteousnesse of another because they boast of their owne Therfore in all matters of God deny thy self cleave to God God is the first cause and therefore the true end of our being actions service All Rivers runne into the Sea For us to make our selves our owne ends were to make our selves God independent and to make God an Idoll To deny our selves is to distinguish our selves from the ungodly who make themselves and the creature their happinesse Wee looke to better our selves by our selfe-love but indeed we destroy our selves Selfe is our disease selfe-deniall is our cure Whether is it better for us to yeeld to but we infinitely better our selves by denying our selves even an hundred fold as Christ tells us Object But who ever hated his owne flesh Doth not God himselfe perswade us by selfe-loving arguments As by profit pleasure peace I answer yes Selfe is a plant of Gods planting in our nature But it is one thing to destroy an horses good mettall another to rectifie and subdue it so it is one thing to destroy Selfe and affections with Stoicks another to regulate and direct them Love thy selfe and spare not so the Lord by his word may order thee in it and take off thine exorbitant Selfe as in the love of thy wife seeking of learning wealth honour favour c. For the better perswading of thee hereto take some motives and some meanes First for motives Till Selfe be denied thou dost in vaine enterprise to be religious thou opposest a desire of thine owne against an whole body of death for Selfe is overspread in all the lims and faculties of thy body and soule as the forme is over the matter and the Call over the inwards Thou wilt be tried with selfe resistance except the principle be first removed Flesh will so dog thee with her askings that thou wilt be weary with refusings Till the soule be thus prepared there can be nothing done The first husband must be dead ere thou canst marry a new at least in the rectified intention and preparation of thy soule The flesh of the Virgin had beene a clogge to the second person except first separated and purified by the holy Ghost Else Demas might have clave to Paul as well as Silas the ten spies to God as well as Caleb and Iosue But they were of two spirits No agreement betweene two crosse principles Secondly God will never stoope to thee his will is not to be bowed to thine nor ever will while the world standeth For his will is the rule thine the string out of tune What should order a crooked thing but a streight Neither can they both stand together take whether you will both you cannot have you cannot have your will and swinge in your contents of world lust and liberties and Christ too no man can serve two Masters nor drive two such trades at once as a Fullers and a Colliers the one sullyes as fast as the other whitens nay of the two there is more to be made of following Selfe alone without Christ then Selfe and Christ by the former a man may at least get himselfe a worldly happinesse though he lose heaven after But by the latter a man makes him wretched and distracted so that he can neither enjoy the one nor the other Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will give for his life The heart of a Christian is single in respect of his object onely God and his favour no mixtures with it Either deny nature in her inordinatenesse or else give God over for both cannot consent in one degree of eminency who cares for a wavering minded man either to make him our chapman or friend or husband For still hee seekes not us but himselfe Let no sweet morsell be kept in our palate to cause God to be out of rellish with us Better key-cold then lukewarme Thirdly it is equall that Christ and God be chiefe because they have bought us with a price to bee theirs Wee should doe him great wrong who hath bought a Captive if hee should doe his owne worke God hath not onely bought our service but our selves Except then wee never made such a bargaine with God wee must bee for him who hath so dearly bought us To be sure God will bee revenged of us as well for not making that bargaine as for not keeping it 2 Pet. 2. Some hypocrites are said to deny Christ who bought them A servant is his Masters mony Fourthly The soule feeles a heaven in selfe-deniall What inward content thinke we had Abraham when he had denied Isaacs life And Moses and Paul when they could preferre God and his Church before their salvation to suffer afflictions with Israel rather then to be a Prince in Pharaohs Court Contrariewise what an hell carrieth that man in his soule who for base ends denies God and conscience Let but a man deny one base lust of revenge wrath and what an heavenly heart doth he carry with him to prayer Fifthly Think what an emptinesse there is in thy self thine own aimes and bents of heart and in those creatures and objects which thou judgest so sweet Wells wanting water and cloulds without raine As one saith of the Pagan Gods why did men chuse so many save that each one was emptinesse When the eie of Selfe falls downe from one cleere Sunne it thinkes it sees three or foure but they are all but fancies The fullest creature is but a brittle glasse full of water give it but as a cracke and it is gone If we were convinced hereof who would seeke vanity Who would deceive himselfe in eating ashes Esay 44. and hold a lie in his right hand It is meere inconsideratenesse and want of weighing things as hee saith there of the Idolater Sixtly Either be armed strongly
Reproofe in divers respects I have toucht some particulars by occasion before Practice of carnall reason reproved in all sorts I will adde a few more here I say it should convince the consciences of us all that are before the Lord this day for our arrerages of carnall reason We should say as Pharaohs butler Lord this day comes much of my sinne in this kind to my remembrance O Lord the branches of this stocke are infinite How oft hath my base heart stumbled at the purenesse the closenesse of thy waies desiring the doore were opener for my carnall ease liberty and breadth to goe in at How oft have I thought my fine wits and China-mettall'd understanding too dainty for thy matters to meddle with My parts too good to honour thee How little have I laboured to submit my wit to thy will with gladnesse How often have I stumbled at the simplicity of thy Ministers servants as too meanly gifted for my reach How much ado have I with my cursed heart to profit by them as not complying enough with my carnall expectation How oft have I measured good things by their successe Being ready rather to chuse sin with happinesse then vertue with defeat and ill consequence How weakely have I beene carried with partiality of heart towards the godly Affecting them who have beene close faithfull friendly usefull beneficiall welconceited of me tender and indulgent mercifull and bountifull rather then others who hath beene more estranged in affection more ready to reprove my faults How much adoe have I from restraining indignation from such as are aloofe from me and little esteeme me How seldome have I gone to heare publiquely or to take counsell but I have rather sodered my faults then desired that the righteous might smite me How prone am I to looke at the greatnesse of some religious ones and to make use of them in that kinde rather then their good examples and the savour of their grace How weake have I O Lord discovered my selfe to be both in doing and suffering In the one being carried more with outward incouragements hireling-wise then upon a promise If I have found my labours my services accepted with men credit countenance and maintenance following how trim have my wheeles gone If not how heavy In the sufferings I have had how doe I seeke rather to licke my self whole by outward helpes and remedies then by that hundred fold which thou hast promised to requite my losses withall And though I have not runne to good witches yet how have I clave to mine owne carnall reason And seeming to have shot a gulfe how have I beene drowned in a shallow Oh! when I have found unkinde unthankefull and base usage at the hands of them whom I have served in Ministry counsell or helpfulnesse how hardly yea bitterly have I taken it As if I had done it to bee thought well of and not as one who had learned to undergoe good and bad report How hath my arme shrunke it selfe in toward such As if I had served an ill master who will conceale the labour of my love Oh! yee Headburrowes and Officers of Townes let this truth of God convince yee how doe you looke at pleasing men shunning ill will aiming at serving your owne turnes and base ends rather then at discharging duty in punishing offenders both spirituall upon the Sabbath and morall at other times despisers of the ordinances swearers and drunkards Is not this carnall wisedome else know not I what is Alas where is Davids spirituall reason that blessed God for giving him an heart to build a Temple and prepare stuffe for it although it were the lot of Salomon to have the name of it So God had it how little cared he by whom So Christ were preached how little did Paul envie or care by whom And so againe what is the common speech of men If I had ever hurt him it would not have grieved me to bee ill spoken of or dealt with by him But alas thou hast more cause to blesse God for thy breast-plate of innocencie to shrowd thee from God his revenge Thou shouldst see God rather against thee for thy little respect to his Majesty in the sincerity of thy spirit then at man whom thou hast not offended So againe how oft have our carnall hearts intruded themselves upon Gods administrations to censure him for the long suffering of the bad and the crossing of his owne in their zeale and good cause Ah poore worme canst thou comprehend Gods ends in thy fist How doe wee Ministers murmure and complaine if wee doe no good Why are we above election or servants to it Is it well not that wee are a sweete savour in all And so I might bee endlesse Therefore I beseech you in Gods feare let this be a speciall meane to humble us all for this our base enterfeering with God in his holy wayes Application of it by our carnall reason Oh! you who have been so ready to be led from God by feare of parents displeasure losse of favour of betters repent and breake your hearts Ministers who have betraid the cause of God by base time-serving and pleasing men loathnesse to suffer Oh! repent of your carnall reason recover Gods losses ere ye dye Oh! you that have chosen to save your livings or lives rather then Gods honour consider how small your gaines have been in losing your soules for a mole-hill of earth Repent O carnall wretch who wouldest never bee brought to more religion then lay in the lap of thy carnall reason not cut off a locke for God not forgoe a petty oath for him not lose so much love of an husband a Landlord as is worth two strawes for him Repent and be humbled O thou that hast fleerd and laught in thy sleeve at the sincere Thou who hast made Gods worship and profession to serve thy turne and sold thy selfe by it to credit to custome in shop to good marriage by it thy selfe being bad Come out O thou hypocrite who like Absalon hast openly spread thy Tent for the attaining of thine owne ends Yee politicke projectors and cunning plotters for your owne gaines enhansing above others though with an ill conscience and oppressing of the silly humble your selves and be ashamed Take God and his people to witnesse this day by your teares and mourning that it is so You that have come and are still comming to the Sacrament with carnall hearts for custome and to prevent the Court or reproach rather then conscience who have your hearts on the left hand saying I see nothing there to be had it is no likely thing Abana can heale me and Jordan can cure my leprosie Me thinkes I feare I shall goe home as I come and lose my journey Oh! above all others repent yee of this carnall dispute Naman repented repent you yee have sinned with him repent with him on Gods name The Lord from heaven beloved showre downe blessing and convince your
pride and will in us which hath hitherto borne sway and defiled both minde and members to the obedience thereof as fearing to crosse her and let us at last bee confounded for it If Iob were so how much more need had wee Chap. 42.4 And seeing it hath ever misled us let us crosse it abhorre it and give up our selves to the rule and authority of the Lord Jesus He is our sole King who must rule he will teach us to chuse will and affect love loath feare abhorre nothing but which shall be for our good Be ruled by him and he will destroy Athalia the usurper and set up the true heire and the land shall have rest Otherwise if we finally hold our owne against him he will doe that in wrath which he would have done in love and have his will of us in hell and suffering who could not get it in obeying For every one that contends with him in judgement Esay 54. end he shall most righteously condemne And so much for the coherence Now I come to the words themselves of this thirteenth Verse You may remember beloved the Analyse I gave you of the contents in this Verse and the order thereof First as you know I beganne with the attemptors The first generall head of the verse the attemptors these servants of Naaman in whom I considered First that speciall duty of loyall faithfulnesse to their Masters soule and body and the welfare of both This I call the duty they stood bound unto by vertue of their relation Sutable whereto was his commendation in a due respect and tendernesse towards them as a father towards children Father say they if the Prophet c. The word I grant is generally a tearme of reverence howbeit here the realnesse of their faithfulnesse shews that there was more in it They carried a filiall subjection towards him as to a father of peculiar honor account with them No children could have more faithfully demeaned themselves to their naturall Parent then these servants did to Naaman For why Opening of this ground of the servants fidelity they observing the scope of their Masters journey to bee weighty an object of great expectation to their Master and seeing him now through his distemper to take a course contrary to his owne designes yea thereby being ready to renounce the meanes of his welfare by a meere tetch and pritch against the Prophet What doe they Most faithfully set themselves to procure a redresse of this error as foreseeing it like to be sad and remedilesse except prevented in time And this they do with some earnestnesse seeing the case so to require that is they oppose him in his mood and humors seeke to rectifie them and breed a good opinion of the Prophet in him that so he might obey the message recover the cure and turne from his wilfull purpose of a wrathfull departure This will better appeare if we conceive that which some servants yea the most would have done in this case Surely to demerit their Master to humour him in his base pangs they would have come to him and said Here is a surly fellow indeed a Prophet who sent for our Master and yet that scornes to speake to him lo he hath sent him a flim flam a tale of a tubbe And what Nobleman of worth could brooke it Come Master let us scorne to attend upon him any longer let us set spurres to our horses and let him goe let him keepe his cure to himselfe If they had said so they might surely have beene welcommer to a man of passion then speaking as they did But the Lord whose the work was put more faithfull and wise thoughts into them then so for the attaining of his ends Doctrine Servants must be faithfull to their Masters both for body and soule The point then is this Servants must be loyall and faithfull to their Masters and procure their good both spirituall and outward for conscience sake I am now entring upon a point of morall nature yet of speciall use and importance for the instruction of this condition of people which seeing I am fallen upon though besides my scope of this text yet I will labour to open unto you as God shall give me grace ere I come to those other points more suting to my purpose Marke it then The dutie of servants in speciall is faithfulnesse to their governours of both sexes to whom they belong Every servant should count himself as an Onesimus in name and deed to his Philemon Philem. 11. usefull in all respects but especially in faithfulnesse That which once the Duke of Medina generall to the King of Spaines his fleet against England in eighty eight spake basely each servant should speake out of conscience For being asked by one what his meaning was to do with the English in case he got the day whether he would not spare the Catholicke party he answered he would neither spare one nor other but make way for his Master A speech of a very wickedly faithfull servant But a good servant must say so I am for my Master that is my scope So their Master fare well though they have an ill word and have small thanke yea sometime by himselfe for flatterers for a time finde more favour then faithfull ones yet they must still bee faithfull Reasons and proofes are these Reason 1 First reason It is an honourable thing to be a servant and bee put in trust by a Master To be trusted by our betters is honourable therefore he must be faithfull else it were more slavish and treacherous When Ioseph was tempted to unfaithfulnesse in a high degree his argument of disswasive best he could use to an heathen was My Master met with me a stranger and boughr me yet hath betrusted me with all he hath he knoweth of nothing of all under mine hand Gen. 39.8.9 he hath forbidden me nothing save thee and shall I play the traytor with him in this No. The trade of a servant in each kind is a stewardship no servant is so silly but is or may be in case to bee trusted with more or lesse that way Now it is required of each steward that hee be faithfull 1 Cor. 3.2 not that all servants are equally betrusted yet none are so ill trusted but if they despise conscience both the life and state of their Master more or lesse may lye at their curtesie As one said of a traitor who so despiseth his owne life may easily be Master of anothers They are supposed faithfull not suspected If they be false what may not they attempt Chastity of wife of daughter welfare and safety of sonne wealth and estate of Master name credit and content of all And should such an one bee faithlesse and not faithfull No verily except one maine sinew of society among men should bee cut in sunder Some servants are I grant more interessed in their Masters then others Merchants Factors
controversies or common places or the text and so be able to preach But as for studying cases of conscience they deeme it needlesse they hope not greatly to need any experience in it and they see it is tedious requires a learning from heaven also a very broken selfe-denyed tender and mercifull heart And besides it requires a very life for the nonce to attend it though a man should doe little else and a diversion of a mans thoughts from his owne meere worldly affaires seeking of many benefices following sutes pleasures companies and liberties These men are loath to cut off for other mens ends and although it be one of Gods maine ends yet it is hard for a man to count Gods his owne especially in this selfe-loving world to prise a soule according to the true worth of it or to cast our selves upon Gods requitalls and set our labours upon his score This for the counsellors 2. And also those who take it 1 In respect of their dispositions Also for the parties counselled it is difficult Partly in respect of their dispositions and partly their diseases For the former The dispositions of people in these cases are strange For till there be no remedy and till absolute necessity and desperatenesse of state compell them men are very loath to make out and discover what troubles them They love to bite in their diseases and keepe them to themselves either through vanity hoping they shall be better in time and shake off their distempers which yet rankle within them as festred sores and yet use no meanes Loathnesse to advise till necessity compell them Or a lazy irresolute minde dallying with Gods ordinance As some kinde of languishing sicke folke are very hardly drawne to take physicke till feare of death compell them hoping that strength of nature will overcome it when yet the humour still encreaseth Or else others doe it through a lazy irresolute minde dallying and slothfull not able seriously to weigh the danger they are in nor the benefit of a well satisfied and quieted spirit Others out of bashfulnesse and shamefastnesse loath to be troublesome or to bee knowne and observed Or vitious selfe-love Others out of a vitious selfe-love as loath to have their ignorance or selfe-love corruption and unbeleefe unprofitablenesse under meanes or secret sinnes and lusts to bee discovered and searched by the word thinking it will cost them more shame smart and repentance then they are willing to undergoe Others snared by the Divell who buzzeth into them Or secret sins loath to bee ript up that if once they enter into these lists they will never come to any rest nor peace while they live and those that doe thus doe it but in pride humour to seem troubled and get them a name and these Ministers doe no good to such as come at them but still they live in as desolate a state as at the first that it is not in the power of men to helpe in such cases Or feare of too much engagement Others thinke they must bee so engaged to such as they advise with that they shall never make them amends with a thousand such crotchets neither of any truth nor import save onely that their distempered hearts are proud and loath to yeeld to Gods way through base ease and infidelity Or through sinister ends As credit and commodity Besides many there are who although they doe come and breake through yet have many base and sinister ends therein Some having onely a crafty meaning hereby to scrue themselves into good esteeme and not to be counted of the common sort also thinking it may breed some advantage thereby either for borrowing summes of mony or for gaining custome to their shops and trades or for commending themselves to marriages better husbands or wives then others or such base ends And when they are defeated hereof then they fall off and bewray themselves Discontent if faile Others doe it thinking withall to tell the Minister of their wants that by this stirrop they may get into the saddle of their owne ends to have mens eyes cast upon them more publickly for releefe and succour Others yet more basely doe so gull their owne consciences that although they know themselves debauched and vile To conceale themselves from the world yet if they can scrue into a Preachers affections they hope their sinnes may be better concealed or if their consciences doe accuse them yet by drawing the Minister to give them some comfort upon their subtill informations they may the better bear down their fears and smother their checks To gull themselves with false comforts Others although they doe complaine honestly and seeke out for conscience sake yet are so sullen so froward so difficult so thwarthing Sullennesse and melancholy captious and still unsatisfied that they turne the benefit of the ordinance to be a snare to them grow more deepe into their objections more stout and proud in the conceit of their owne distempers that none can satisfie them grow to affect multitude of counsellors and to thinke none sufficient to convince and advise them and so make a worke of forty daies a worke of their whole lives and if melancholy be deeply joyned with their disease they grow to affect their distempers as if it commended them really that they were so deeply troubled and so make their afflicted lives a continuall dropping of misery except they can make their hell to seeme a kinde of heaven by custome which is worse These I give but as a taste of many more This for mens dispositions Now in the point of their severall diseases 2. In respect of their diseases the case yet is more and more difficult And that both in point of true discerning or kindely healing of mens distempers As we say in the art of a Physitian that the exact Theorique skill of judging diseases and the Therapeuticke of applying medicines may well take up two mens lives So I may truly say here that these two skills in a Divine may take up two mens gifts to handle well For the former it is hard to discerne of spirituall distempers wisely 1. Discerning them Psal 41.1 Because of their depth and closenesse he is a blessed man that can doe it Some lie so deepe and close that the parties themselves cannot utter them nor another easily perceive them Iobs friends sate three daies and three nights looking upon Iob silently for they saw the griefe was great and the disease intricate both the outward and the spirituall both were unusuall and the cause thereof was hard to finde And when they began to pitch upon it all were deceived in it by an uncharitable judgement Secondly some lie in a perplexed confusion that is 2. By confusion of causes bodily and spirituall there is an unhappy mixture of some bodily and some spirituall distemper in one which it is hard to discerne whether is the others cause or
the vile that is the worke of his owne convincing spirit from the worke of their owne rebellious nature their discontent their fullennesse melancholy feares and other extremities that cleave unto them Also that he would shew them what hee hath done for them already that they may not provoke him by unthankefulnesse and what is yet to be done and at what especiall knots and objections they sticke what their chiefe barres and lets are which most hold them downe and if they cannot feele themselves rid of these confusions of spirit yet that the Lord would take away that wilfulnesse of stomacke that crossenesse that waywardnesse which makes their disease so ranckle in them and send them to seeke advice with a minde desirous to subject it selfe to God and to his ordinance and to mourne when it cannot being held in the chaines of it owne horrors or rebellion And secondly let them commend the enterprise in hand to God for successe that the Lord would bee pleased to dispose of the understanding of him that is to advise them that he may bee as from God unto them like Elihu that he may discerne of their complaints rectifie their errors meet with their corruption shew them their state and wants and comfort them at the heart as God allowes them That if they cannot at the first finde stay and support yet if they see but a little light at a crevis they may be glad of a little and not be dismaid that they may seeke still after counsell till the worke by degrees be perfected that they may not lay stumbling blocks in their owne way to fall by but hold the measure of light so farre as they are come waiting till God reveale the rest and not defiling their consciences the whiles Phil. 3.15 and so make the worke new to beginne Thirdly that the Minister of God may be wise as an Angell of God as well to find out apt and meete Scriptures to encounter the soule as the need thereof requireth either threats or promises or other sentences and when they see that these are urged not by the authority of a man but of God whom they only must look at in this case and not man that then their base hearts may no further kick cavill and gainesay and so put the Minister of God to a double toile not only to conflict with their reall distresse but also with their wilfull and accidentall sullennesse pride and rebellion Fourthly let them crave of God a wise utterance of their estate to the Minister of God or at least an inckling thereof that it may not be mistaken for a crooked rule being put into a mans hand will force him to make a wrong line though his skill be good enough to draw a right one Fifthly chuse thee out a faithfull interpreter one of a thousand for love lenity skill patience long suffering bowells of compassion and experience For such a mercury is not made of every blocke thou maist else light on miserable comforters Sixtly above all other things let such persons beware of any base motive or principle leading them to aske advice let them not affect any sinister respects nor aime at any base ends to bee noted for zeale to thinke themselves safe because they have taken counsell to choake and smother the accusations of conscience to make them bolder in sin to pretend and alledge the counsell and comfort of such a Minister to harden themselves against any just reproofes which after may bee urged upon them and the like base ends whereof the bouget of mans vile heart is fraught and full especially in this formall crafty age wherein every one will be Religious and Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light For by this meanes that uncleane spirit will returne with seven worse then himselfe and defile more dangerously But let thy aimes in this worke be honest simple and sincere to goe forward with God according to thy light cheerfully and humbly and so looke to prosper Secondly for the Minister of God let him be exhorted also first 2. Branch to Ministers 3. Things Abhorre error and prejudice 1. Error to cast out all bad principles perverting the spirit of counsell and crossing the gift of restoring the weake And these are first a prejudicate sowre heart enclined to sinister thoughts of the afflicted conceiving them according to carnall reason and not discerning the worke of Gods spirit in such This is no common grace to have a cleere spirit this way For the spirit that is in us lusts after envy We are all a kinne to old Eli who seeing poore Hanna sitting sad with her lippes moving and no voice thought her drunke But when he perceived her to bee a woman of a troubled spirit 1 Sam. 1.13.14 powring out her soule from a full heart to the Lord and understanding the cause he became a Prophet of God unto her for her satisfaction and comfort 2. Error 3. Error Beware therefore of a base heart of prejudice error misprision rashnesse And yet take heed also that love and pitty make us not too hasty in comfort Also ease unmercifulnesse unbeteamingnesse sullennesse uncharitablenesse wearinesse and loathnesse to be enlarged in our bowells as the Lord allowes us of which disease Ionah was sicke 4. Error Also waspishnesse suddennesse and hastinesse whereby as Physitians cutting off their patients in their complaints they are impatient to heare and so discourage them I confesse that the talkatives and vanity of many weake ones in their complaints who in stead of inclining their eare and hearing that their soules might live are swifter to jangle to neglect that which which is spoken then to marke and have never done with idle repetitions may sometimes cause a wise counsellor to chide and reprove them justly yet with tendernesse and meekenesse And the like I may say of those endlesse answers which many make when they are demanded how counsell hath prevailed and they rather bewray themselves worse and worse then better and better for though it be not in our power to settle the spirit sooner then the Lord please yet it behoves not any distressed soule so to nourish themselves in their lowring and distempers as to dismay the Minister but rather by wise concealement or desire of new satisfaction to draw his heart to pray for them more earnestly and waite more patiently till the spirit shall blow peace upon them The second duty Practise This preparation being made the next exhortation is that the Minister of God do first meekly then wisely speak to the heart of the afflicted For the first of these it is a duty much pressed and exemplified in Scripture I say a mercifull and loving heart of fellow feeling and tendernesse to the heavy Fot hereby the Minister of God conveieth the heart of the Lord Jesus into the soul of the afflicted of whom it is said He had learned compassion towards them by his owne sufferings Heb. 2.18 that so
you may say the living are worse and stinke worse above ground then if they had beene rotting in their graves So that by experience we are now growne to trust no sicke mens promises whatsoever they bee Oh you wofull people Doe you thus requite the Lord Alas I foresee you are ripe for the harvest and groane for the sickle to reape you downe indeed at last without any remedy And although some of you make a shift to hold out 1 Thes 5.2 yet your damnation sleeps not it shall come like a whirlewinde when you cry peace most then shall it come swiftly Oh be reproved Sort. 4 And lest I should touch upon outward blessings and deliverances only let mee adde somewhat of Gods word and his patience towards others of us How have some of you here present complained of your sillinesse to conceive the things of God the hardnesse of your hearts to melt at the word How have you beene vile in your selves for your ignorance and unbeleefe How have you wondred at the gifts of others Oh! if I might obtaine mercy of God to pray as such to remember to conferre as they how should I use it The Lord hath heard some of you granted you light and discerning melted your hearts enlarged your affections ripened your gifts and hath any sweet fruit proceeded from hence Could ye also trust him for the creating of the grace of faith in you and for converting your natures have you not given him over in that worke for the granting whereof he was sealed Joh. 6.27 I meane the seeking of the meat that perisheth not No But hee hath beene content with common gifts and so rested You have therefore shewed you selves false in covenant and given over the Lord in the plaine chase when you might have felt and groped the Lord in his manifest providence Act. 14. Sort. 6 Others how hath God lengthened out their daies beyond expectation When as they never looked to have harrowed that which they had sowne not so much as to see one of their children brought up How hath God given them a restitution from paines and infirmities and made their latter daies which they never thought to see farre better then the former so that they have lived to see more of Gods truth both in word and works Rom. 2.3 then ever they imagined But what hath this long suffering of God led them to repentance Hath not their clay laid in the warme sunne hardened the more Is their any power in their soules to breake off their old lusts and to returne to God sincerely No surely but having the better end of the staffe they have prolonged life to encrease wrath and to treasure up vengeance Nay to speake a word to the better sort how many of us in our deepe heavinesse of spirit under the Sort. 7 burthen of conscience when no counsell could worke upon us have even given sentence on our selves that there is no hope Jerem. 2. how have wee counted our lives scarce worth a straw under our feete Yet hath the Lord blowne over our fears made a calme swallowed up death into victory Nay some of us in our deepest sicknesses of body when sinne and Satan are most busie have we not found God neerer to us then in our best health Hath he not answered us as Hanna in our long praiers Hath he not enlarged the promise unto us by the seale of his Spirit making as I may say the light of the Moone as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven times greater then ever in comfort and holy confidence above all feares How hath this wrought with us Hath it knit us in so firm a covenant with God as never to be broken off Hath it caused us to walke here below as shadowes and to despise all the earth in comparison of our hopes I doubt not but some doe and shall finde the fruit of it at death But oh that such faire wether should doe harme and be an occasion to make us wax wanton earthly and thinke grace to be pind to our sleeves how reproveable is it Good brethren looke to your selves If carnall reason bee so base what is it to blindfold our eies against ocular mercies Oh! such favours as some of us have met with should make us cry out I have found I have found God hath not dealt with others as with me Therefore whether it be my lot to be in straits or whatsoever temptations I must endure yet I will call to minde the old mercies of the Lord and be comforted yea I will gladly be under infirmity 2 Cor. 12.9 that the strength of God may be perfected in me and though he kill me yet I will trust in him through mercy Oh that this fruit might appeare Who would have thought that when Hezechias request was granted to wit the going backe of the Sunne tenne degrees for the assuring of his recovery that his recovery should have beene so stained with apostacy But alas God hath made our fears and griefes goe back as many for us and yet we have revolted not as he did once but made a falling sicknesse of our course To conclude the Use In the Sacraments and Seales of Gods Covenant Sort. 8 how hath Christ come as it were in his likenesse unto us and by outward signes spoken to all our senses yea thrust our hands into his very sides that if it be not himselfe let us distrust him still see feele smell handle taste eate my flesh drinke my bloud a fancy hath no substance lo here is substance What fruit hath it had Brethren I shall speake a fearfull speech I am resolved that the carnall reason of most men is enlarged rather then diminished by the Sacraments And the judgement of most is become greater by them then if they had never had any Alas they cry not out as ashamed and convinced ones My Lord and my God! Thomas himselfe shall rise up against such So much for this Use also Thirdly let this be a caveat to Gods owne people to teach them to Vse 3 beware of this evill except they will have the Lord reprove them to Admonition their faces viz. That they will beleeve God no further then they see him when they heare the promises urged upon all broken and mourning soules what say they Yea you say well if wee could feele it thus Instances 1. Putters off the promise to be reproved First I say this may bee a pranke of an hollow heart and then it is horrible As we see in those Jewes who were alway pressing upon Christ for a signe Tell us if thou be the Christ And why Not as meaning to beleeve for so he tells them I have told you oft by preaching and miracles yet you beleeve not but as a cloake of your prophanenesse viz. That they could not so cleerly behold him as they desired But put case it be otherwise with us and that thou meanest
pleasures But leave we such to themselves and trust we God who hath taken such strickt order for our provision and contentment so long as we be faithfull As Peter speakes Feed we the flocke of Christ not for filthy lucre sake or from a greedinesse of gaine Pet. 5.2 but from a ready minde well appaid and satisfied with our service as serving a good Master who will see us abundantly requited Josh 13.33 The Lord told the tribe of Levi that they should have no inheritance among their brethren in the division of Canaan For why He himselfe would be their portion He had taken good and sure order for them and theirs that they should have no cause to complaine And so he did For so long as they walked in their places faithfully they were richly provided for Should the Levites then murmâ—re against God for this unequall distribution Should they cavill against him and say that he had cut them off from their hopes and means and preferred their brethren before them so that they must wait upon their trenchers and feed upon their scraps No no Rather he had exalted them above their brethren and alotted them a portion out of their estates by a command so that now their life was a life of faith their duty was to feed his people in Iaacob and his inheritance in Israel Their lips were to preserve knowledge so that the people might from their mouthes understand the lore and law of God If they attended these things well they were to cast themselves upon God for the rest who was their God allsufficient in a more eminent measure then any of the other Tribes Even so let the same care of God for us encourage us to our worke Let us not forsake this plow of the Ministry looking backe after the world and our owne ends Let us not distrust him for sinister and outward respects The world is unthankefull and the hearts of men very false and hollow this might cause us to forsake conscience and seeke our owne ends leave our studies conceale needfull discountenanced truths pick quarrells with our calling and alledge that we Ministers of all others are meanliest appointed exposed to the wrong and base usage of men that know not their worth nor how to prise their paines Therefore they must be faine to be lesse attendant to reading study oversight visitation of the people and regarding of their soules They must be compelled to turne Purchasers Usurers Merchants Husbandmen and to busie themselves deeply in the world They have a charge to looke too wife and children to maintaine and they know if they bee gone no body will looke after their posterity therefore if they turne their studies and Ministeries into carkings and toylings for the world let none blame them Well there is no doubt some cause to accuse the unthankefulnesse of people But of all others you may worst complaine for you rather harden their hearts by your own covetousnesse and base dishonouring of your Ministry by your sloth and idlenesse then procure to your selves or deserve respect and esteem from them they only may plead that who cleave to their Ministry and be instant in season and out of season not distrustfull Tit. 1.6 slothfull Cretians and worldlings and therefore be admonished Take not an occasion by the sinnes of the people to distrust God but rather by the promise of God abhorre your ease and distrust and fall to Gods work with cheerfulnesse and good conscience Againe seeing God hath taken the care for us Ministers 2. Branch Admonition Snare not our consciences in doing our worke whiles we are at worke let us not snare our selves with an ill conscience in the doing of our worke God is not tyed to our sinne for the meanes of supporting us Many make it a strong argument for the swallowing of any gobbets and to defend themselves in their flattering of their betters in their sinne smoothing and blanching them in their base courses because else say they wee shall not have their good will encouragement and assistance Great mens frownes are now a dayes all in all to scare men from faithfulnesse in their Ministry And if any perill or danger be cast in mens way for keeping of conscience presently this objection offers it selfe but what shall wee doe would you have us beg endanger our estates and freeholds our liberties and welfares Alas poore soules Is this the thanke which you returne to God for his alsufficient providing for you Should you distrust him after all the care which hee hath taken 1 Pet. 3. Should you now as Peter speaks cry a confederacy with the wicked cleave to base dishonourable courses to attaine your owne ends as if there were no God to provide It were base enough to do thus if the Lord hath left you at six and sevens to shift for your selves but having so faithfully promised to see to you while you are faithfull why should so vile a thought enter into you as to imagine that except you lick up the scurfe of the time and play the temporizers and hypocrites against conscience you must needs want supplies and be destitute of maintenance No no Trust God walke in your uprightnesse feare not the feares of the malicious but sanctifie the Lord God in your heart who hath promised to bee with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. ult Let him be your fear Let his promise be your strong hold forsake him not and he will not faile you he hath a treasure hid in the bowels of the earth for those that cleave to him and warpe not from him by an ill conscience hee hath not set men on worke to honour and support them to the end that he himselfe should let them sinke or swim if others should happly neglect them but in such a case he will step in himselfe and be their God alsufficient rather then faile so that they shall say by experience There is nothing lost by trusting God Heb. 13.5 At the hardest they have Gods bond to put in sure and he hath said 1 Pet. 4. ult Matth. 16.26 Habac. 3. He will not faile them Fear not therefore what man can do But in well doing commit your self unto him who is a faithfull keeper lose not conscience for what shall a man give for the recompence of ir Can all that a man gaines by such a bargaine requite his losse No surely Therefore quiet our selves though there were no calfe in the stall or bullocke in the flock yet the Lord will be your strong salvation I have seen the posterity of the idle scandalous covetous of Epicures and lovers of their owne bellles ease and lusts such as with Hophni and Phinees have stollen from Gods sacrifices to serve their owne turnes to beg their bread yea in that very place 1 Sam. 3. it s threatned But never saw I the righteous forsaken I have heard of a faithfull Minister who refused to change his living
that in some cases there be not that God might try our honesty then in the next place consult with the practise of such as lived next them in the most incorrupt ages and prime dayes of the Church when truth was as a chrystall streame which might bee seen to the bottome Read the writings of them who lived not only in times of prosperity and glory three hundred or foure hundred yeares after Christ but in those times of purity and sincerity when as yet truth had received no mixtures no defilements by the pompe the excesse of them who lived in them Enquire of the dayes of old when men were hunted persecuted martyred for the cause of Christ They to whom truth was dearer then their lives who were farre from seeking great things for themselves but carryed their lives in their bosomes to be let out with their life bloud for Christ I deny not but they are much to be reputed who have lived since but with difference the more arguments there be for their sincerity the more they deserve credit the more they suffered lost or forwent or still are ready to lose forgo for him when they need not the more ordinarily they are to be trusted except just reason may be alledged against them to wit that their self-deniall is contrary to the word as Popish martyrs the like Look how they preacht look what tenets they held concerning the aptnesse of men for the Ministry look what manners they were of what contempt of the world of fashions of carnall pompe look what they judged fittest for the calling of Ministers the pure administration of sacraments prayer in the assemblies collection for the poor censures of offendors admonition of the unruly frequency of preaching that let us take counsell from them in If they kept the Lords day onely as an humane ordinance by the Apostles appointment arbitrary and Ecclesiastically constituted or as the Lord Jesus his Agents from divine instinct and as a day perpetually to be observed for the honour of our perfected redemption then let us doe so looke what Paul hath thought of free-will of election of rejection of the free grace of God and so those worthies who followed looke what those Martyrs ancient or moderne thought of justification whether by workes or faith of Purgatory the Masse Popish Martyrs against the Scripture not to be regarded or the adoring of Saints and Images that let us cleave too for they wanted those blindeings of eies which others had though honour must be given to some without prejudice to any and the reason is my Doctrine Sincerity in the counseller deserves that their counsell be regarded And the like rule holds still good that those to whom truths are more pretious then goods lives liberties or ends other things sutable are to be preferred in point of advice and conscience then those who are short of them in selfe-deniall because the more of Selfe abides the lesse Sincerity Secondly it may be a caveat unto us in our judgements Caveat how to judge of meet or unmeet Counsellors touching Vse 2 them whom God hath set a marke of exception upon why their counsell ought in no wise to be followed whether Writers Preachers or Professors To wit such as have in all their courses bewraid themselves to be flatterers timeservers and seekers of their owne ends setters up of themselves with the pulling downe of Christ and his Gospel And they are first of all the nation of Papists contrary to Iohn Baptist Joh. 3.30 whose saying was I must decrease but he must encrease But these contrarily we must grow and encrease decrease who so will Tell me what one thing belonging to their Kingdomes savors of sincerity Popish falshood in all their waye in particulars from the crowne of the Miter to the foote Nay what was not first grounded in counterfeit humility to catch silly soules and to strip them both of their bodily welfare and salvation Even as the Ivy creeps out of the earth upon the silly stocke of the tree but never lins till it have overtopped it and suckt out the sap and so destroied it Sure if onely sincerity plead for audience then may all good Christians say of them their doctrine their lives their miracles traditions ceremonies sacraments Priests preachings prayers Gen. 49.6 Into their counsell let not my soule come Their scopes are carnall to set up their owne pompe ease belly-cheere to destroy the doctrine of faith true selfe-deniall and mortification Under the pretext of chastity of poverty of fasting pennance confession sacraments what have they done but lived in odious uncleannesse raked the treasures of whole Kingdomes into their Cells devoured whole houses of their votaries puft up themselves in the opinion of more righteousnesse then the Law exacts dived into the secrets of Princes hidden most cruell murthers of lawfull Kings and enhansed themselves to such a pompe state as made the whole Christian world groane under their tyranny Is it like that such should ever bring home soules to God whose onely study is to bring sacks to their Popes mill As he once said of the Turkes horse that where he came no more grasse grew So I may say of them so farre are they from sincerity in seeking mens salvation and Gods glory that they waste and blast all and every branch and blossome that tends that way Nay their most seeming holy devotions what serve they for but to fulfill the flesh to puffe up the heart with a conceit of her owne goodnesse Their counsells of perfection what tend they unto but to pride them in a thought of greater righteousnesse then God commands Their excommunications and censures to what end doe they aime save to live upon the sinnes of the people to picke their purses and spoile their soules Who ever by any of their counsells grew more chaste devoute or temperate and not rather desperate as knowing that money will answer all And when they write books what intend they but to flatter their Idoll the Pope and tell him although he draw milions of souls to hell yet may no man aske him what dost thou The travells of those Jesuits attending the Spanish armies into the East-Indies what scope had they Surely in shew for enlarging the religion of the Pope but in effect the murthering of infinite thousands savages and that contrary to oaths vows that so they might fill their purses with their treasures and hoards of gold till they made all Religion stinke in the nostrills of such as they pretended to convert Luther after all his experience of their Religion professed it to be the cutthroate of the soule and the leaver thereof at the brinke of despaire Doe not their attires fares attendance Temples exceed all the wealth of Princes their treasures are outward bravery Are such like to save souls Those Monks which were sent for to wait upon Austin the Apostle as they stile him of England found him mounted upon
a throne and thence dictating his new lawes and devices and therefore abhorred his counsell Even so let us doe and let all their nation head and taile branch and rush bee abhorred by us to the pit of hell for those who give not lawes counsell and rules out of sincerity but for the setting up of the flesh and destroying the Kingdome of Christ deserve no allowance neither they nor such as tread in their steps So much for this Use Vse 3 Thirdly let this point afford Admonition to all such as are in the place of Counsellors Admonition Magistrates Ministers all Superiours be sincere in their censures Admonishers Censurers and Governours of others whether Magistrates or Ministers or Officers of Courts or others in authority Is it so Can onely such counsell and instruction claime regard and obedience as comes from simplicity and deniall of our owne ends Is all other counsell unsavory unpowerfull and ridiculous In the feare of God then consider your places remember that the eyes of men are upon you they looke for uprightnesse and conscience in you Amos 5.7 6.12 if they finde judgement and equity turned into the wormwood and gall of your owne respects they will scorne their counsells and warning your selves have lost your honour and your counsell is as salt which hath lost her savor Ye Magistrates first remember that you execute not onely the judgements of the King but of God 2 Chron. 19.6 to him you are to give account abhorre covetousnesse bribes gifts bee not perverted hereby Let righteousnesse blinde your eye from all flattery feare and falshood Let not these blinde the eye of justice and counsell Favour not the wicked pinch not the innocent Prov. 17.23 turne the edge of your sword against the vile and the backe of it to the weldeserving doe not beare it in vaine as undoubtedly you shall Rom. 13.4 if once yee be found unfaithfull in your places Doe not for base respects beare downe a good cause nor speake not booty for a bad If inferior officers complaine and crave counsell and assistance against drunkards Sabbath breakers and disordered ones swearers lewd companions beware lest a false heart savouring sinne and distasting goodnesse cause ye to shuffle and conceale your owne power and authority in beating down sin be impartiall Say not falsely you want law you should do more then you can answer and you must have good cards to shew this argues insincerity Doe not call the delinquents and talke a few cold words of reproofe to them when both they and you know they deserve greater censure such counsell will never prevaile it stinkes it hath a dead flye of falshood in it Will your admonitions prevaile when they bewray such basenesse No no ye strengthen the hands of sinners Eccles 10.1 flesh them against good officers dismay the good and bolster sinne for why what doe men say of you Tush as for such Justices they maintaine Alehouses and disorder in their owne servants and Tenants and for a base bribe will advance those sins which they sit in place to put downe What are you then but painted walls under which a world of rottennesse lurkes Act. 23.3 Ecclesiasticall Officers So also you Officers for I see this day some of all sorts to heare me who sit in Ecclesiasticall seats and professe to aime at Evangelicall correction and censure looke to your selves make not a mart of the uncleannesse and disorderly courses of men let it not appeare that a little money can blunt the edge of excommunication or admonition let not men finde you out to be takers of gifts to pervert the way of Gods censures doe not openly raile against sinne but after for an underhand bribe discharge an adulterer or other sinner this doth but cast oile in the flame encrease sinne enrage the offender for why he thinkes of it according to the easie price he payes and what will not a man give to buy off shame and punishment No no if you will prevaile maintaine the authority of Officers if ye be from God be for him and let sincerity arme your censures and counsells Act. 5.7.8 so that men may tremble and feare that great thunderbolt and sinne no more else they will esteeme you and your counsell no more then men will doe a cracke of thunder which when it s past is forgotten and they will goe to their trade more fresh then ever So you the sacred Ministers of God Ministers in whom above all the wisdome and counsell of God should dwell who should be as Iob describes himselfe honourable and reverend terrible as banners such as both young and old should rise up unto Job 29.22 hide themselves and lay their hands to their mouth Bee you exhorted to sincerity if you would preserve the honour of your persons places and labours and not be made as unsavoury salt trodden under feet of men Above all the Divell labours to make your counsells unprofitable because thereby hee brings mens soules to perdition If your carriage be seasoned with gravity purenesse selfe-denial men will honour you and your counsells shall beare sway where no power of man can reach even in the consciences of men But if once they have the measure of your foote that any base lust defile your spirits it will presently make all that comes from you vile and contemptible Oh brethren consider many things will pollute us One thing onely can make us and our counsells savoury and that is selfe-deniall and sincerity If men perceive us to be leavened with the vice of sensuality gaming pleasures company Alehouse and boone companionship and yet perhaps on the Lords day lay load upon other sinners what will they doe but laugh in their sleeves and say Physitian heale thy selfe Luke 5. and then I will take thy physicke If they see us set another way to domineer over them as the best men of the Parish to maintaine a great stomacke and bring them under our girdles to stoope to us and know who we are they will but scorne us and tell us Christ and his Apostles were humble and meeke and sought to be great in the conscience not lord it over mens persons If they shall spy in us a jollity and pride of life in our fare apparell or course that all is little enough to maintaine our selves and our wives and children in the fashions of the world at the highest pitch though we borrow runne into debt and beg Alas what will they doe They will slight all our words Judg. 9. disdaine our counsells and say these men have forsaken their fatnesse and sweetnesse by which they cheerd the heart of God and man and all to exalt themselves above the trees like brambles If they perceive all our bent and streame to runne after honours dignities benefices or preferments in the meane while suffering the people to runne riot and to goe to havocke leaving them to hirelings and Idolls at
trust God and he shall make them good Let us try our selves in this case Put case we deny our selves in our passions and distempers of wife servants in the family when we bee provoked surely we thinke our selves to lose our owne will and the satisfying of our lusts which is as our life what shall we have for it Surely the peace of God Phil. 4. passing all understanding shall rule our hearts we shall be more then conquerours and the sweetnesse of the love of Christ for whose cause we doe deny our selves shall bee sufficient boot in beame to pacifie us Judg. 9. wee would not forsake our fatnesse and sweetnesse for an humour to exalt our selves rather wee would deny our selves to keepe that precious pearle unstained Can wee then rest in this pay Do we chuse rather to picke out the mystery of this hundred fold and to improve it by faith then wee will forfeit our obedience Do we chuse rather to maintaine our liberty with God in communion in prayer in a quiet conscience then we would breake a command Would wee endure the greatest evill of punishment rather then be guilty of the least knowne evill It is a good signe So I say also in our sufferings perhaps we see our selves slighted and disregarded by men for our service to God yea those who awe us most doe unthankfully if not trecherously handle us our labour seemes to bee lost and we are left to sinke in our owne charges Can we now in this case commit our selves freely to the promise of God and say Though there be neither calfe left in the stall Hab. 3. nor bullocke in the flocke yet we will still rejoyce in God our salvation When the wife in the bosome is not to bee trusted as Micah Mica 7.5 speakes when a guide a friend prove unfaithfull and our enemy is one of our owne Tribe familiarity houshold Can wee then trust in God and make him our strength Can we finde sap and savour in a promise of Gods support whether he seeme to answer our prayers or not yea though in stead of releeving us he adde sorrow to sorrow and give our enemies the better of us Can we make songs of him in our pilgrimage and finde a realnesse in his promises when nothing appeares save that God leaves us to sinke under our burdens Surely it may appeare then that our hearts are close in our obedience Triall 8 Eighthly if we close with both the substance and the extent of commands It closes with commands without colours or cavils without colours or cavils against either The guise of this world of hypocrites is contrary For the former when the question is touching the substance of reading hearing prayer Sacrament wee colour over our unwillingnesse with some by-cavils Being urged to read good bookes they cavill and say They are too deep and too learned form our understandings as if wee would read them if they were plaine whereas the bookes are plaine enough but wee have no heart Being urged to heare a good Preacher wee alledge wee conceive not his method If we be bidden to frequent such a good Congregation we say we cannot endure to bee so crowded and thronged If to follow such examples we answer they are too eminent for us to follow whereas indeed as once one answered when he was urged to doe some good with his great wealth The thing you urge is good but I have no heart to it so we want an heart So when wee are called to serve God in our time to fast and pray we cavill That it is dangerous and therfore we crave pardon whereas the Lord calls us to serve him with all our strength and courage not onely in safe and easie duties but even in such as hypocrites count dangerous and offensive Try we our selves then by this Rule If we professe to serve and obey God even in those duties for which the world loves not with Paul we be not ashamed to make them the best and fairest flower of our garlands it is a signe of closenesse and honesty See Acts 23. I say if wee bee willing to bend our selves to our uttermost wisedome and ability to obey rather then through feare to give God the slip it speakes well for us That which the world counts evill I am not ashamed to say I worship God by Ninthly if in such Commands of God as border and that lawfully Triall 9 upon our owne content and welfare In the obedience to pleasing Commands it looks at God not ease yet wee rest not in that obedience but can prove that wee are carried upon better respects For example it is Gods Command that we follow our Callings That we punish sin when we can wheresoever it lies Now marke Wee feele our selves prompt enough perhaps to follow our work and businesse because it runnes in the streame of our commodity and therefore wee will not be idle So againe it falles out that hee whom we pursue for his offences is our enemy and therefore we are easily drawne to pursue him Here therefore the triall is if we can by evident Arguments prove that as wee are not drawne to leave the duty for the neighbourhood to our owne ends so yet we doe the duty from a superiour principle of Conscience As for example though we should get nothing by our preaching yet wee would chuse to preach rather then desist And as we pursue our enemy so would wee also our friend if he sinned in like case This is a good marke For why hypocrites are very glad when Gods and their ends concurre As the dung swimming in the same streame with the Apples said We Apples swimme But when wee can separate the pretious from the vile and call dung dung and Apples Apples it is well Saint Augustine sayd well God bids me preach but I feele my selfe to please mine owne humour in it God wills me to shine and lo I feele that I shine to my selfe Therefore as I will not cease shining for this reason so yet I will endeavour so to shine to others in holy life that I may not therewith shine to my selfe by pride Tenthly close obedience growes It is as close and punctuall in Triall 10 old age as in youth and more at least for mettall and substance It groweth with â—ge 2 Chro. 16.12 It is said of one of the Kings of Juda that when hee was old hee put his confidence in the Physitians as if hee had not done so in his younger yeares but closed more with the promise There is a seed of Revolt in our base spirits appearing more in our age then in younger yeares It is not noted in vaine of that old Prophet of Bethel 1 King 13.9.10 that hee sent for the young Propht to eate with him contrary to the charge of God This then is some triall if in our age wee wax not more confident of our strength more loose in our zeale slacker in good
we must use such a deale of our owne indirect wit and pollicy and fetches that by that time wee have done he that lookes upon the issue may halfe doubt whether the performance be Gods or our owne at least if it be Gods yet it is sooted and crocked with such a deale of our owne that it hath almost lost his beauty And hence it is that as it was with Iacob so it is with us though in a far divers kinde our striving with God makes us halt ever after and commonly we carry some odde marke or other about us for our interblending Gods performances with our inventions Let us learne then to let God alone that we may enjoy such a performance of his promise as best sutes with his owne will and way let us count it our strength to sit still Esay 30. so shall we not bee in love with our owne nets nor intervert the entire praise due to God to our owne wits but take Gods worke home to our selves and yeeld him the fruit of our praise as himselfe requires Psal 50. ult So much for this Use I come to a fifth Use and that is terror and bitter reproofe of all Vse 5 such as goe quite contrary to God in this course of performing promises Thou shouldest be mercifull as thine heavenly Father is Terror Branch 1 Gods Faithfulnesse to us in keeping promise must teach us to be faithfull in our promises to others Matth. 7.2 and therefore faithfull also in thy promises as he is Nay more with what measure thou metest to him the same thou shouldest looke to bee measured with from him againe How then canst thou plead from him performance of promises to thee when as thy selfe breakest promises to him and to men But of the former of these I will speake at the end of the Use touching faithfulnesse to men where shall we finde a faithfull man as Salomon speaks Surely those that are faithfull should be so much the more esteemed as rare jewells Prov 20.6 but the times now neither use it nor love it What promises will not men make to pay sums of money borrowed of their friends by such a day But when it comes there is no such matter their turne is served and as for yours they have you at vantage you must shift as you can As good hold a wet Eele by the taile as you by a promise Words are winde as with men and bonds are as rotten wood stubble you must not urge them now a dayes except you will be laught at Breach of words and bands goes by a custome and this makes that great service of lending so abhorred by men because conscience in repaying is so sunke and decayed Here perhaps some might aske whether bands put into the Courts of men for appearance or other ends betweene man and man Quest How farre bands binde in conscience binde in point of conscience to performance I answer except civill bands did so binde we doe unjustly taxe men for breaking bands and promises for although a forfeit be annexed to the breach Answer There is a difference betweene bonds in meer civill câ—ses and criminall yet that 's used for forme of Law not for discharge of the borrower or party bound For the lender wants his money or bargaine for the present and is damnified by disappointment forfeits sometimes are hazardable but to be sure they require a longer time of traverse then can be endured yet in some cases I say that civill bonds because their forfeit is a double mulct and losse to the forfeiter may be conceived to satisfie the Law when the honesty of the party cannot be questioned But it is not in criminall cases as in civill for in criminall the deserter of his bond takes himselfe to be eased by the deserting of it and not damnified by it now the party questioned must not be his own carver to ease Reason 1 himself but be judged by another Neither doe the allegations of pretended unjustice incompetency or the like excuse in this case for it is supposed that the party accused must not be his owne judge and besides pressures must be legally alledged and impleaded for mitigation and not shunned upon our owne heads If our cause be bad wee had need judge our selves if good we must looke up to him that is higher then oppressors Secondly to desert criminall bonds concurres not with the intents of them that binde who trust to our fidelity and would not else have taken bonds and therefore ease us the whilst but rather open their mouth against us for equivocators Jesuits and hypocrites which we ought not to occasion because it hath ranke appearance of evill Thirdly as the case may stand the conscience of the bound party at the binding was convinced of no other save of an honesty and obligatory promise to present himselfe according to bond now to overrule an act past by a latter information or second thoughts is unjust and cannot but snare his conscience Therefore it is unlawfull Fourthly its scandalous and prejudiciall to the cause of Religion which all those who are religious carry in their foreheads as well as in their bosomes and therefore must be very tender and cautelous of I say how Gods cause suffers through us and lest by our sides the body of Religion be wounded yea as the case may stand although wee had some strong reason for our action yet because the wound is broader then our plaister we should be wary Fifthy the deserting of bonds in such cases imputes very shrewdly to the cause we are engaged in and inferres a deserting of it which is a sad businesse for him who thinkes his cause honest and if it be alledged that he doth it to avoid a sadder pinch I answer no pinch of penalty is comparable to pinch of conscience Sixtly by this meane we desert not onely our bond and cause but even that whereby we professe to be underpropped viz. the use of our faith in suffering and in our wel-doing to commend our selves to God as a faithfull keeper What place is there left for God to protect us to quit our persons to plead our cause to honour his truth against opposition when we our selves cut off and prevent his providence our selves by our discretion I have said enough and perhaps some may thinke too much but I have considerately done it not in any unkindenesse God knowes but first Apology for the Authors intent herein because it hath ever beene my judgement 2. In some respects I feele my selfe called to professe it 3. I hope by this meanes to stoppe the like course in some 4. I see it may bring a double pressure upon others guiltlesse of the same projects 5. It grieves me to see that a new custome the spawne of mens politicke braines should prevaile against the better practice of such as have feared God in times past to my uttermost memory 6. Those that doe thus raise bad
prepar'd to destruction as in the old world and Sodoms case Doth he not so to a sinner of an hundred yeares old nay to Cain of nine hundred who yet at length must be destroyed Eccles 8.12 Did he not so to those Atheists 2 Pet. 3.6.7 whose conceit yet could not out-sleep their damnation Shall God performe a promise to such as are in league with hell But why are others lesse sinners so set in the fore-front escape Surely perhaps to break their heart and convert them to God whereas thou goest on in a close and hardned heart to colour and excuse the like sins or if not yet to be far from repenting of them It had been better for thee God had served thee so too then to harden thee by long-suffering And perhaps thou hast bought of these sinnes with thy wealth and greatnesse but God is not mocked Another sort of these are such as boast because they are kept from open sins and outrages have no deep tempâ—aâ—ions 2. Abstinence from open sins no great horrors or distempers of consciences but goe on in a faire and civill way as one said of that Emperour rather free from foule vices then qualified with any true vertues They are well thought of and are no base drunkards or the like Such and such say they run into excesse of riot and discredit for their spend-thrifty uncleane and ruffianlike courses but I am void of such evils Is it not say they a signe of favour Doth not God promise to his to keep them free from such offences Oh mistaken wretch God upholds his in their integrity indeed in token of love Psal 41.12 But integrity is equality from great and small But alas sin as sin never affected thy soule as yet thou hast no sense of thy nature of the enmity of God of a secret false prophane hollow unsavoury heart Thy sent is in thee still as in Moab God hath not rolled thee upon thy dregges Jer. 48.29 therefore they settle And is this mercy thinkest thou to soder thee up in a base course Thou art held in by abstinence but that 's a negative principle no positive grace Restraint by education favour of nature generall light awe of punishment is not the favour of a promise these never cost the bloud of Christ to purchase at least they are not the purchase in kinde A third sort are such as boast of promises in point of externall blessings 3. By outward blessings Job 21.10 God hath so furnisht them with health strong bodies successe in trades good crops marriage and children as much corne as can stand on ground no Cow but gendreth and casts not Calfe that they conclude themselves happy as few rubbes and changes as any Psal 17.14 They goe downe in peace and leave all to their babes But are you not also of them who because they have no changes feare no God Such may be as ranke Atheists as live God makes no promises to such as goe downe into the pit Not the still but the safe death argues a promise True it is Psal 37.37 The end of the righteous is alway peace but it is the peace of good conscience not of stupor and ease Note Performances are alway good things but good things are not alway performances Mercies of the left hand are no tender mercies Eccles 9.1 Deut. 33.16 Love is no more discerned by these then hatred Hast thou got the love and good will of him that dwelt in the Bush Surely except the sea of mercy hath come between thy wealth and thy soule to purge away all thy drosse of carnall savour the blessings of the Sun and Moone and earth cannot pleasure thee Alas no! Jer. 2.13 All is from a dry pit as the corne on the thatch which fills not the hand of the Mower One performance from a promise is worth ten such blessings as these Lastly all such as boast of their hearings prayers doings and sufferings 4. By their Religion good affections to religion distastes of old sinnes These they say argue a change and that is a signe of a covenant But Oh poore soule these may be some changes in respect of what in times past hath been But these are not that change which comes from Gods promise except some other markes as well as these may be alledged Iehu doted upon himselfe to see such zeale against Iehoram But none of the sins of Ahabs house were purged out of him Goe 2 Kings 10.16 finde out some surer markes then the forbearance of some old anger pride wantonnesse while the pang lasteth or else this flame will breake out againe and burne up all To conclude I say let all such bee afraid of their rotten and false proppes What became of those Sycophants who would needs be King Edward or such other Princes Were they not hanged up What noble man can endure a base fellow who pleads kindred to him because of name or likenesse of countenance When yet they are mungrels and bastards having no drop of Noble blood within them Beware therefore and meddle not with Gods performances they are Childrens bread and belong to no Dogges while they are so Thus much for this Vse 6 A sixt use is Instruction teaching us the admirable honour and prerogative of saving and pretious faith A second Instruct with caveat Luk. 9.23 Faith in promises performances is a most pretious Jewel and why It is cloathed with all the wealth wardrobes treasures and provisions of God All the performances of God are hers As our Saviour said If thou canst beleeve all things are possible No sooner doth faith close with a promise upon earth but the Lord in heaven closes with that soule by ratifying to it what it beleeveth Faith as hee saith is when that which is said is done The Lord meaning to doe a poore soule good causeth it to meet his purpose by beleeving it that so he may honour it with a performance Faith is like the Cherubims which were alway peeping into the Mercy seat so doth faith alway trade in heaven spying out what good thing God is preparing for the soule that she may beleeve it and carry it alway with her If faith concurred not as well with performances as with promises who would care for it Pro. 27.19 But she makes all reall and present to the soule as well as promised As face answers to face in water so doth a promise to a performance in a needing soule Note Joh. 11.40 Compare Jona 2. v. 4. and 8. with v. 10. and that by the mediation of Fâ—i h. As our Saviour said to Martha Said I not to thee If thou beleeve thou shalt â—ee the glorious power of God Marke Naaman here No sooner doth he resigne up himselfe to the promise by washing but instantly there comes in new marrow into his bones and smoothnesse upon his flesh here is no intermission or delay of performance looke what was said is now