sayes Yea what seare 2 Cor 71. 1. a natural conscience may cause a kind of feare too nay a horrible feare The sinners in Zion are afraid fearefulnesse saith surprized the Hypocrites c. Isa 33. 14. for a guilty Conscience cannot but worke feares when it s awakened but this feare is meerely out of selfe love and of Bondage But when the Conscience hath done so its owne duty upon a man that it hath made him to doe his now it makes him filially afraid to sinne against God as a true Childe feares to offend his Father when a man hath this feare in him this is a signe of a living Conscience Fourthly another effect is trembling despaire in ones self it maks him see nothing but hell and damnation in himselfe and it flings him downe at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope in himselfe for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of sicknes he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a living Conscience in regard of mercy a naturall Conscience the effect of that is to despaire too But that is to despaire in God because when there is nothing but nature in the Conscience how can it be otherwise But when there is grace in the Conscience grace in the heart now though Conscience represent to him his damned estate it represents withall the free grace of God in Jesus Christ to all such as are heavy laden and so it is onely despaire in himselfe now hast thou such an effect in thee to despaire in thy self to fling of all thine own hopes and thy own dependences hangings holdings ye know the soule hath a thousand thousand such wishes wouldings purposes dutyes performances these the soule hangs on But now hast thou this effect in thee that thou doest absolutely despaire in thy selfe I meane selfe confidence with whatsoever good is in thee be it grace or what ever doest thou despaire in thy selfe this is a signe of a living Conscience now thou hang'st upon nothing but the meere mercy and good will of God And this is the best hold in the world though the world cannot abide it Thus ye see for sinne The livingnesse of Conscience in regard of sinne Secondly now for the livingnesse of Conscience in regard of good Then is the Conscience alive to that which is good First when it goes and it does not onely urge a man to that which is good so it did Agrippa Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian Act. 28. 28. when Paul spake unto him it seemes his Conscience tooke hold of Pauls words and it did mightily urge it had almost done the deed alas this is not it a dead Conscience may doe this yea with admirable importunity as it is in many But when the Conscience doth not onely urge when that does not onely doe its duty in this point but it makes a man doe his duty too the man freely urges himselfe and freely sets himselfe to it and about it as it was with David when thou sayest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27. 8. that is when thou sayest thus in my Conscience seeke my face my heart ecchoed back I will doe so indeed marke his Conscience did not onely doe its duty but it made him to doe his as his Conscience did urge him so he tooke these urgings and urged himselfe Secondly when the Conscience hath life towards good it excuses and it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart many a wicked man hath such an excusing Conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathen Rom. 2. 15. their Consciences accusing or else excusing their Conscience did excuse in part But it excuses full out it tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve in God that he does truly repent from dead workes that he does in some poore measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God by faith in Christ Jesus or if it doe not excuse thus it is meerly out of Ignorance of the things given him of God a living Conscience is an excusing conscience it does not onely say the thing that he does is good but that he does it unfeignedly withall his heart true a naturall Conscience not awakened may doe thus but that 's a misprision for when it comes to see its owne condition indeed then it will be in another tale ah I am rotten I have beguiled mine owne soule to this very day but a living Conscience can never be confuted as it excuses so its excuses shall stand before God because it is quickened by the grace that is in Jesus Christ his bloud is sprinkled on it Thirdly when the Conscience hath life towards good it approves a man and his wayes it either may or does pronounce a man to please God As it was with Enech he had a conscience that told him he was approved of God before his translation he had this Testimony that he pleased God Heb 11. 5. this is the nature of conscience if it be alive to do its duty and so as to make a man to doe his to tell a man that he is allowed of God which is an admirable mercy that a childe of God should have such an intelligencer in his owne bosome that can tell him he is approved of God no creature is able to expresse what comfort this is none but good people can have this others may be approved of men others may heare that such and such doe approve them but they can never heare that God does approve them These are the consciences onely towards good which it can never doe except it be alive Now the effects of these be First Joy when the conscience does its duty towards God and makes a man doe his duty too this worketh Joy in his heart as Paul says This is our rejoyeing even the Testimony of our conscience that with sincerity and godly purenesse we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1. 12. There is no joy like this joy wicked men may laugh and seeme as merry as crickets but in the of their laughter their conscience gives them but cold comfort now when a man hath such a conscience as this that sets him about that which is good this makes him have truer joy then all the world besides for howbeit the world are besotted that they doe not looke after God Yet the conscience knowes it is goodnesse onely that will please God and therefore when the conscience is privy to this no tongue can speake what a joy this is unto one Secondly another effect is boldnesse and freedome from slavish feare There 's a deale of feare in a mans heart as long as he does not serve God and doe the things that are
honesty civill honesty between man and man is a sweet thing the Apostle himself brings it among other things as a testimony of his sincerity Wee trust wee have a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. O it is an excellent beauty to a servant of Jesus Christ when his Moralls are sound and exemplary and there cannot bee any thing that will make the profession of Religion odious in the eies of the world then want of Morality when Christians faile palpably in their Moralls May bee such a one thou wilt think comes farre short of thee in grace in the knowledge of good in the beleife of the Truth in a spirituall in-sight into the mystery of Christ O then count it a shame that hee should goe before thee in the keeping of his Word There cannot be a greater dis-honour unto God than when a naturall man shall bee able to accuse thee of any dis-honesty in any kinde The Spirit of God sets it down as a great shame upon Sarah that Abimelech a Heathen man should be able to reprove her Thus was shee reproved saith the Text Gen. 20. 16. When Jacob perceived that his sonnes had sinned against morall honesty there in the matter of Shechem O saith hee yee have made mee to stink among the Inhabitants of the land Gen. 34. 30. Yee have troubled mee saith hee it was a great griefe of heart to the good man hee knew this would bee a great dis-honour to God as well as a shame unto himselfe and therefore God forbid I should speak against a Ministers speaking for morality Yet Beloved this know that this is not enough a man may professe the name of Christ and thinke verily that hee Beleeves in Iesus Christ and be a very admirable morall man and yet never quickned up to the grace of life Saint Paul shewes this plainly in himself I might have confidence in the flesh if any other man might trust to that I might be circumcised the eighth day of the stocke of Jesse of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the Law a Pharisee Phil. 3. 4 5 6 9. if any fine-carriaged man under heaven could hope he is right I could before my conversion I was admitted into the Congregation of Christ by the Sacrament of Circumcision I was borne in the true Church of God I had godly Parents I was of the Common-wealth of Israel Nay I was a Pharisee which was so admirable a strict order that after his conversion he was not ashamed to be still called a Pharisee I am a Pharisee and the sonne of a Pharisee sayes he Act. 23. 6. He cals himself a Pharisee still Nay he was zealous and concerning the righteousnesse of the Law he was a very blamelesse man so that if any faire cariaged man under Heaven were right hee was right But the truth is S. Paul Confesses that when God came to opon his eyes he finde that he was a dead man a vile wretch he shews he had gone sheere to hell for all this if God had not converted him So that morality is a poore thing And yet people makes it their Idoll and trust to it and thinke certainely they are the children of God certainly they shall have mercy certainly they shall to heaven And how many Ministers make this to be true Religion and preach nothing but this This then is another way whereby Ministers doe leave a dead Congregation by morall preaching Thirdly A flat preaching is when there is no keennesse in our Sermons when we do not strive to stagger mens consciences that are to be staggered When a man goes on in a track Preaches true doctrine though it were to be wished that more Ministers would do thus This does not hunt the heart out of its owne starting holes this Ministery leaves people dead It is said of our Saviour Christ that the people were astonisht at his Doctrine Matt. 7. 28. he stun'd their consciences he set them at a stand so if a Minister would quicken hee should labour to set the wicked at a stun Yee know every wicked one gets somewhat or other to hang on to hope they shall not be damned for all they are no better Now when a Minister sets himselfe to put his hearers to a stun still to startle truth in an astonishing manner that may flash the bare truth into the soule and to make them see their bad estates this is quickning preaching But when a mans Ministery is cold there is nothing to stun the heart their heart may have its starting holes for all it his Ministery does not labour to meet with them this leaves people dead a Minister that still goes on in a track can never looke to quicken First Because a good Minister must make Conscience to bring out new things as our Saviour Christ speakes The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto an Housholder that bringeth out of his treasure things new and old Mat. 13. 52. that is though he bring none but the old things that were brought before Yet still he brings them forth as new He labours to keepe the Word stil new unto the heart the reason is this when people have once been convinced of the truth presently it growes stale to them and so they are subject not to be quickned by it at all O this we knew before and so the heart makes little or nothing of it I knew this before Now when the Ministery of the Word darts it in a-new and makes it looke still with a fresh looke upon the Conscience this is a quickning Ministery Like a man that keeps his Barrell still fresh when a man gives the drinker still fresh from the Barrell so when a Minister preaches still fresh from the Word But when a Minister does not do thus he is like a man that gives one liquor that hath stood a great while in the Cup it growes dead Secondly Because a good Minister must goe further and further or else he cannot quicken My meaning is this the more people are convinced by the Word the more subtleties still the heart does devise the more word is in the Conscience the more wiles the heart mints the Devill also prompting thereunto so that if a Minister doe not follow mens hearts still further and further this will leave the people dead The reason is this Because when the heart hath once invented a wile to maintaine its owne hopes for all the same truth we may preach the truth all the dayes of our life it will never quicken that mans heart because still when he heares that truth he hath a wile lying by him that still defends himself from it so that there is a necessity for a Minister to go further and further The Word of God is a deepe mine there is no Bottome a man may still dig deeper and deeper Thy judgements are a great deepe Psal 36. 6. When the Minister besieges the heart he is to dig round
perish more justly may our people say so to us O sirs doe not ye care that we perish they may even come and awaken us Sirs Care ye not that we perish doe not you see how dead we are how heardned how Ignorant of God how empty of grace how backward to that which is good how prone to loose our soules and doe not you care that we perish why doe not you labour more to quicken us and move us and to drive us out of our by wayes that we may come into the right way and live when Archippus was somewhat dead in his Ministry Saint Paul bids the people of Colosse to goe and awaken him say to Archippus Take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfill it Col. 4. 17. well then Thirdly another use is an use of exhortation that we labour for a quickning Ministry that our Ministry be a reviving ordinance of God that we may as Esay say though Israel be not gathered yet shall I be glorious Isa 49. 5. so though our people be not quick end yet shall we be glorious we have done what in us lyes for to quicken them Consider first this is the end of all true Ministers preaching that they may bring life into the hearers hearts as the Prophet sayes Heare and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. wherefore else doe we preach but that the dead may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live people are alive to that which they should be dead unto and they are dead to that which they should be alive unto they are alive to the world and the things of the world and dead to God and all goodnesse dead to the humbling of their soules dead to the seeking of God dead to Prayer dead to the holy communion of the Saints dead to holy comfort and meditation and what ever else may doe their soules good now wherefore doe we preach if not to quicken up your hearts that your soules may live for ever they have knowledge already more knowledge then they are quickened up to our maine intention then should be to quicken them up to doe what they know are we not sowers of seed why then we should most labour so to plow and harrow and till the ground that our seed may quicken this is the very end of preaching that our hearers may heare and live Secondly as it is the end of all true Ministers preaching so it is the nature of all true and right preaching either to quicken or to be a fitted instrument of quickening when David heard the word it quickened his heart thy word hath quicken me Psal 119. 50. and indeed it is never heard nor preacht aright unlesse it be in a quickning way therefore let us not think it is only the taking of a Text and the speaking of good and wholsome truths but let us ever remember what right preaching is that our Ministry be quickning that God may affect our soules and accompany our words and teach us how to go beyond the policy of mens hearts and direct us how to drive the truth home to the quick to answer the evasions of flesh and blood and so put his live coale into our speeches that our Sermons may be warming Thirdly let us consider this is onely profitable preaching we may preach all the dayes of our life and our people stird no more then a mill-post unlesse our Ministry be quickening they may heare what we say but unlesse we could quicken their hearts they will forget all again it may be they may remember the doctrin but I meane they will forget to doe what they heare it is the quickening that makes any remember to practise as David says I will never forget thy precepts for with them theu hast quichened me Psal 119. 93. we can never forget that friend whom our hearts doe most dearely affect so when our Ministry doth quicken and affect peoples hearts they will never forget what they have heard The quickening of the come in the earth makes it the faster in the earth it twists about the earth it gets a rooting if it quicken so it is with our Sermons if they be quickening they get about peoples soules and will not out againe otherwise they are never the nearer Fourthly let us consider this kinde of preaching onely will yeeld us true comfort when our Ministry is lively in our parish as Paul was at Ephesus when we can say to our people You hath God quickened by us as he sayes you hath he quickened who were dead Eph. 2. 1. I dare say it was a great comfort to his soule to see that his Ministry was quickening nay if our Ministry be quickening though none be quickened by it but two or three nay though none at all yet we shall have comfort whereas when we have preacht 1000 times in a dead hearted manner never labouring to creep into mens consciences nor to be Ministers of life we shall have no comfort on our death-beds nay our owne hearts will tell us we have preached often indeed but we never preached Christ Jesus we never flung our hearts among our people as one said of the good Bishop Eâ—ltâ—n he flung his heart among his people But when our consciences can say we are not hearty for God we are not earnest to save our peoples soules we did not goe the way to doe them good this will lye as lead upon our bosomes when we dye Fifthly a dead Ministry is but the bare name of a Ministry it is little better then meer voyce as the Lacedemonian in Plutarch said when he heard how sweetly the Nightingall sang O thought he surely that Bird is good meat if I had it and so when he took it and eat it and found but little meat in it he said voxes praeterea nihil now I see thou art meere voyce and nothing else so a dead Ministry it may have a great name of a good Ministry and a man may desire to live under it O let me live under such a Ministry but when he comes to it and thinks to receive much benefit by it he finds it to be little better then a name Sixthly a dead Ministry is not a signe to our people Ministers should be signes to the people thus Ezechiel is unto you a signe according as he hath done so shall ye doe A voyce Ezek 24. 24. true Iohn the Baptist was a voyce Isa 40. 3. I but he was more then a voyce he was a burning and a shining light there was life and heat in his Ministry he was not a meere voyce But when ones Ministry is but a meere voyce little good comes of such a Ministry Fourthly another use is for direction to shew what a lively Ministry is and how we may have a true lively Ministry that is in one word to preach with affection as Quintilian says of Eloquution affections are the soule and
eare to heare before it be too late Consider first thou art farre from the Kingdome of God such as are sober and morall and frequenters of the ordinances of God professe godlines though they be not alive yet they are not farre from the Kingdome of God as Christ said of the discreet Scribe Mark 12. 34. But thou art a hundred hundred degrees farther off thou art so farre off that thou hast need to hasten quickly thou hast a 1000 degrees of reformation to passe over before thou canst get so neere as some of them that are short Secondly thou art altogether become unprofitable as the Apostle speakes Rom. 3. 12. thou art good for nothing but to doe mischief in a parish to infect to spoile youth to trouble thy wife and thy poore Children to corupt thy servants and thy neighbours to spill the good creatures of God to be a very slave to thy fleshly-lusts others that are well governed in their lives though they be dead yet they doe a great deale of good they help the Saints they are I say gotten to stand for good order but thou art a very burden to all well disposed people the very shame of the Towne the disgrace of the family where thou art what will people say yonder 's a drunkard yonder goes a fornicator a dissolute fellow though he be a gentleman yet he is fit for none but rogues and raseals and tinkerly companions a man that hath but a spark of honesty would be ashamed of him a Christian no he is a very beast he cannot govern himselfe But what doe I stand spending of time to speak against such wayes which the Apostle sayes should scarcely be named in Christians mouthes The very heathens shall judge thee the Lord open thine eyes to see what a cursed creature thou art that thou maist come out of the snare of the devill I have hindered my selfe from going on I should shew you first a reproof of those that are Christians and yet dead Secondly I should shew you the danger of being a dead Christian Thirdly what it is to be a lively Christian Fourthly how we may know whether we be dead Christians or no. Fifthly how farre forth a childe of God may be dead Sixthly what is the reason that so many are dead Seventhly how we should all come to be lively Eighthly what motives there be to induce us to labour for life in our Christian course But of these at another time REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe last doctrine that we gathered out of these words was this that a dead Christian is as good as no Christian at all though a man be orthodoxly converted baptized reformed though a man professe the true faith towards God repentance and amendment of life and follow all manner of good and honest courses for the matter of them yet if he be dead to them he is even as good as nothing I told you what I meant by a dead Christian I shewed you this in five things First deadnesse of guilt when a man is guilty of any offence that is death by the Law he is said to be a dead man so every man hath sinned against God which is death by Gods Law and therefore every man is dead by nature when a man is pardoned of God then he is alive againe and therefore it is called Iustification of life Rom. 5. 18. now when a man is not pardoned of God he is dead though he have never so many hopes and conceits of forgivenesse yet as long as he is not forgiven indeed he is but a dead man Let a man have never so much Christianity about him if he be not forgiven indeed he is a dead Christian Secondly deadnesse of minde when the understanding of man is dead my beloved ye must know it is not bare knowledge that quickens the minde a man may have the knowledge of all Christian divinity and yet have a dead understanding it is said of Christ every true Christian that he is of a quick understanding in the feare of the Lord Isa 11. 3. then is the understanding quick when it is quick in the feare of God when it feeles the weight of all divine truth we may see this in worldly minded men their understandings are quick in the things of the world if there be any booty to be had presently they feele it you may lead them any way so you doe but let them see profit and gaine there is weight in such reasons But now shew them divine reasons why they should beleeve the sacred writings of the holy Prophets and Apostles and yeeld obedience unto the form of wholsome words delivered in the Gospell though they understand well enough what we say yet they feele no weight in these reasons whole Sermons doe not stirre them their understanding is here dead so that this is a dead Christian who though he have never so much knowledge yet his understanding is dead he feeles not the weight of divine things he hath divine things in his speculative understanding and carnall in his practicall gracious truths in his fore dictats and carnall in his last when he knowes heavenly things but mindes earthly my meaning is this O sayes his understanding I should live thus and thus this is the rule this is the will of God But then his owne corrupt will suggests unto him for to doe otherwise and His understanding does not hinder Thirdly deadnesse of heart when the heart is not inclined towards God The life of the heart consists in the inclinations and bents of the heart as David sayes Incline mine heart to thy Testimonies Psal 119. 36. what followes quicken thou me in thy way This is the quicking of my heart to thy Testimonies when it is inclined unto them now though a man goe to good duties everyday yet as long as the heart is not inclined unto them it is dead to them all it goes about them in a dead manner as a Boy that is not inclined to his Book though he doe goe to Schoole it is with a dead heart This then is another expression of a dead Christian he is a man though he be a professour of Holinesse yet his heart is not inclined towards God and all goodnesse and therefore he goes on in good duties with a dead heart Fourthly deadnesse of conscience when the conscience hath no force it may be it finds fault with such and such wayes but it hath no power over a man to make him to leave them it approves such and such holy courses yea but it hath no power over him to make him to buckle to them indeed O sayes the conscience I should not doe thus I should be more mindfull of God I should not be so vaine I should not spend my time as I doe I should make another use of Gods warning then I doe I should be better But it hath no force over the man whose conscience it is this is a
give you an acquittance when ye pay in onely wash duties clipt obedience if ye served God with life conscience would give you an acquittance when ye have prayed it would give you an acquittance when ye have done a dayes worke in his harvest it would acknowledge the receipt of it well done good and faithfull servant it is well done in some measure This made Paul full of life every day Herein doe I exercise my selfe to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men Act. 24. 16. that is I doe not onely goe on in good duties both towards God and towards men but this I doe always I do even exercise my selfe that I may have an acquittance from mine owne conscience when I have done that my conscience may give me a true discharge well done I have done well in some measure now as long as we are dead-hearted and hollow in Gods wayes our conscience can never give us a discharge no marvell that so few of us have Peace of conscience when we are so dead-hearted as we are if we would stirre up our selves to serve God with all heart and life we should have Peace but till this will be once we can never looke to have Peace and comfort Fourthly Though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet we cannot have comfort in affliction if we be of a dead heart how many are there that seeme to have comfort while they are well but when they come to be sick and at deaths doore then they are all to peeces then they see they have no grace no faith no good cards to shew then they are stript stark naked then their conscience sees what they are O I am a wretch how have I deceived my self so beloved though we have comfort in time of prosperity yet if we be dead-hearted we can have no comfort in affliction As David sayes this is my comfort in affliction thy word hath quickened me Psal 119. 50. when the word of God hath quickened our hearts and made us lively in all manner of goodnesse this will yeeld us comfort in affliction But if we be dead to all spirituall wayes though we scramble up hopes now they will not hold when affliction comes now what a fearefull thing is 't we shall all come to affliction ere long for man is borne to trouble as the sparks that fly upward as Job speakes nay we know not how soone man knoweth not his time as Solomon speakes but as the Fishes are caught in an evill Net so are the Sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly on them And God onely knowes what sore afflictions we may have the Cup of affliction is in Gods hand and he tempers it and powres it out as his pleasure is I say what a fearfull thing is it not to have comfort then then we have most need of comfort and if we have not comfort then we are utterly undone now my brethren it is not a dead dull profession will yeeld us comfort then Let us thinke of this as God sayes What will ye doe in your day of visitation to Whom will ye flye for helpe then Isa 10. 3. so may I say though ye can be quiet and comfortable enough now in the dayes of health and peace your deadnesse does not trouble you now but what will ye doe in the dayes of visitation doe but consider what a sorry comfort ye shall have then assuredly a dead heart will assord not a syllable of true comfort then Fifthly we can never blesse God with a dead heart a dead heart is not able to affirme upon any good ground that God is his or that the promise is his or that Christ is his the soule knowes Christ is a quickening spirit and they that have him are quickened up by him the promise is a promise of life and they cannot be dead that are the possessors of it we cannot blesse God either for love or mercy or grace or any thing else when we would blesse God for any of these things the deadnesse of heart it will be objected to us O I am so dead that how can I hope that these things belong unto me Let my soule live and it shall praise thee Psal 119. 175. when the soule is alive towards God then it can praise God then it knowes all the good it hath it hath it in mercy doubting and deadnesse doe ever goe together or it 's a great marvell And indeed what is deadnesse of heart towards Christ and all his holy Gospell but a secret doubting whether it have any part in it or no as when a poore man sees a rich treasure it does but dead him the more because he sees no interest he hath in it if he could see he had an interest in it this would quicken up his heart and put it out of it's dumps And is not this now a miserable condition when a man cannot praise God if he pray it is but in a sorry manner no life no heart at all But for blessing and praising of God that he cannot doe at all except he be in a fooles paradise and dreame of a false gift This is a dreadfull condition when we are hindred from that which God most delighteth in what is there that more delighteth God then to blesse him and praise him The Lord sayes we never honour him otherwise who so offereth me praise he glorifieth me Psal 50. 23. now we can never offer God praise except our heart live Sixthly Religion is a very irksome thing unto us as long as we are dead-hearted what is it that takes away the grievousnesse of it but a lively heart when the heart is dead it must needs be very tedious very tedious to be thinking of God to be meditating of death or the world to come to be imployed in prayer to be constant in the humbling of the soule or the abstaining from our naturall inclinations to be discoursing of repentance or studying of Gods heavenly Kingdome to be imployed in the word or to goe through dirty and frozen wayes to it to goe and repeate it in our Families or to urge it upon our hearts O what weary tedious duties are these when the heart is a dead heart This is the reason why the world lets them all generally alone and never troubles their hearts with them at all because they have no life in them and many that are better minded fend them very tedious because they are dead-hearted as Solomon sayes correction is grievous to him that forsaketh the way Prov. 15. 10. now as long as we are out of the way of life while we are dead-hearted we forsake the right way and therefore correction is grievous unto us nay all the commandements of God are grievous unto us does a dead heart rejoyce to goe to Prayer nay generally he is loth to goe to it is he glad that the Sermon Bell rings is he glad at an opportunity
when the heart comes once to be willing towards God now every thing is possible I may say of him as Christ saith of faith All things are possible to him that beleeves Mark 9. 23. so all things are possible to him that willeth as we use to say there is nothing hard to a willing minde And therefore godly men in Christ Jesus the Apostle cals them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 2 Tim. 3. 12. Fourthly because this takes in the manner of good duties too as well as the matter it is more a thousand times then the bare doing of them a dead heart will serve to doe them Put when the heart is made willing this is more then the bare naked deed as Paul sayes to the Corinthians about Almes ye have begun not onely to doe but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be willing a yeare agoe 2 Cor. 8. 10. as he sayes of his preaching if I doe it willingly I have a reward but if against my will c. 1 Cor. 9. 17. that is q. d. I may preach indeed I may have so much heart to it as to doe the deed alas that is nothing because if I doe it willingly this is it this is it brethren this is the right manner too Fifthly this is an argument that the heart hath an inward principle what is the life of the heart but an inward principle of acting looke where the heart is alive there it workes from within there needs no compulsion to a covetous heart to have regard of his profit no he regards it most willingly he hath an inward principle to regard it and therefore he is alive to it now when the heart puts forth its will towards God now it hath an inward principle of agency it needs no constraint as Peter sayes to Ministers feed the flock of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Pet. 5. 2. that is doe it very lively doe it with an inward principle not because ye see others feed not because ye see the disgrace what will people thinke if I should not preach constantly not because ye dare not doe otherwise conscience will flye in your face alas ye may doe it that 's with a dead heart But doe it willingly where note this is the hearts life this is an inward principle of the heart now the heart will doe it though no body else doe it though he be hated for his labour though he have no thanke for his paines among men Thus ye see this is the life of the heart Now for your better understanding we will open this more particularly this willingnesse of the heart you see in the life of the heart and it containeth seven things First the inclinations of the heart Secondly the intentions of the heart Thirdly the Elections of the heart Fourthly the aversations of the heart Fifthly the appropiating of the heart Sixthly the savourings of the heart Seventhly the carings of the heart Beloved these are the living acts of the heart if these be converted to God in you now your hearts are alive towards him These make up the whole willingnesse of the heart First then the inclinations of the heart it may doe a thousand thousand good things with a dead heart But marke if your hearts be inclined towards God then ye serve God with a live heart if the Lord hath inclined your heart to him I have inclined my heart to performe thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. Hath God made you doe thus hath he inclined your heart to his name once ye were without heart but now he hath inclined your heart to doe good now ye finde sweet inclinations to every good duty ye doe not goe to them as a Beare to the Stake but now ye have an inward disposition to them he hath given you a feeling of your sinnes and your wants and that caryes you to Prayer a feeling of your Ignorance and forget fulnesse and that carries you to Sermons that ye may learne more of God that ye may see more into your owne unworthynesse that ye may be stirred up in all his wayes ye doe not onely shunn your owne iniquities in some measure but your heart is inclined unto it inclined to thinke of God inclined to holy talke inclined towards them that are Godly-minded ye had no disposition to the works of God heretofore but now the Lord hath not onely put you upon them but inclined your heart towards them ye â—â—ele inward impressions that bowes you others may be have good talke but you feele an unfeigned desire to be edisied and that bowes you unto it Others may be doe good things but the Lord hath bent your heart to them when you went to good duties heretofore ye went against the hare as a Stone does upwards but now in some measure the Lord hath put in a new nature and ye feele an internall mover This is life now Secondly the intentions of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas sua natura vult finem the heart naturally wils the end now if God were our end if communion with him and sanctifying of God in our hearts and lives were our end our heart could not be dead towards his wayes nay we should be very eager after them all all our deadnesse comes from this that God is onely a matter by the by with us But if he were our end then we would be mainely for him and how to approve our selves to him Would we talke as we doe if edification were our end would we keep such company as we doe if mutuall helpe towards eternall life were our end Looke what the heart does intend from day to day the heart is very earnest after it therefore those that intend to rise if they can in the world they are very earnest in the pursuit after the same flatter fawne please humor they will doe any thing to the attaining of it if it be to rid a 100 miles it 's nothing with them if it cost them never so much O how greedy are they if a man intend to gather an estate if he can or to live in pleasure if he can all the world are eager in their intentions the heart runnes naturally on after it's ends Now when the heart is alive towards God these intentions are towards him now the heart standeth thus so I may obey God so I may take heed of dishonouring God so I may keep my heart close to him this is that I doe desire now I goe to worke so I may keep the world from carying away my heart I shall be glad now I am going to Prayer so I may draw down a blessing and get some farther help to walke before God this is the thing I ayme at now I goe to be in such a company so I may discharge a good conscience carry my selfe well and not bring dishonour to God and the like you may see this in Paul what was the matter he was
so eager to deny himselfe I count all drosse and dung the intentions of his heart were after Christ O sayes he that I might know him Phil. 3. 10. Thirdly the elections and choosings of the heart this is another part of the hearts life no man is dead to that which he chooses rather then any thing else now if we did still choose the wayes of God we could not be dead to them when we are dead to them at any time it is because we could even finde in our heart to make another choyce and therefore if we would know whether our heart is alive unto goodnesse whether doe we choose the way of goodnesse every day before any other way as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal 119. 30. as the Lord sayes of the good eunuches they choose the things that please me Isa 56. 4. Beloved what ever we doe or thinke or speake still there be two wayes propounded to us one that is Gods way another that is our owne way now which doe we choose every day what thoughts doe we choose rather of the two to thinke what words doe we choose what actions what courses when we are together what conference doe we choose when alone what doe we choose there be two kinds of eating and drinking which choose we when we are provoked there be two wayes to take either to be impatient and suffer our passions to arise or to quell them and beat them down which doe we choose doe we say as that good man said Lord let thy han help me for I have choosen thy precepts Psal 119. 173. Fourthly the aversions of the heart ye know the heart it chooses what it likes so there is some thing that it shuns now if thou wouldst know whether thy heart be alive towards God doe but thinke with thy selfe what it uses to shun when thou art angry is it disgrace or sinne it ever shuns some thing or other either what God dislikes or what thou every day and houre something it puts off does it put off things that are offensive to thy flesh or things that are offensive to God Here lies thy hearts life if thy heart be alive towards God it is of this temper to put off those things that are displeasing to God I hate vaine thoughts sayes David Psal 119. 113. marke his heart was of this temper to put of all those things that were contrary to God it may be many of those thoughts his own heart would have rather kept I but when his heart was alive towards God he put them off though I have refrained my feet from every evill way that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. now when good things shall be put to a man every day by the word and by conscience and a man hath a refusing heart to them this is a dead heart as God put to Iudah to returne but they refused to returne Jer. 5. 3. God put shame before them for their sinnes but they refused to be ashamed Jer. 3. 3. now my brethren examine your bosonies how stand the refusals of your hearts doe you refuse good or evill every day if thou canst refuse temporall evill and not spirituall thou hase a dead heart Fifthly the savourings of the heart this is another peece of the hearts will something there is that every heart savours most and that it is which it is alive unto now then if thy heart be alive unto God it will savour the things of God most it will not onely doe good duties but savour them too not onely heare the word of God but it will have an admirable savour with the heart as the Apostle sayes it will have the savour of life unto life 2 Cor. 2. 16. as the Church sayes to Christ because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee Cant. 1. 3. Oh how it will savour a reproofe how it will relish but if holy things have no sweet savour in thy heart it may be thou canst not for shame of the world not seeme to stand for them thy conscience will not let thee but thou wilt give them a good word and seeme to approve them but there 's no more savour in them then in the white of an egge nay they are irksome and untoothsome they doe not goe merrily down with thee like sweet conserves assure thy selfe thy heart is a dead heart Sixthly the cares of the heart this is another show of the hearts will what the heart is alive to it carketh and careth for it and therefore if thy heart be alive towards God how carefull will it be that it may not offend him yea what care 2 Cor. 7. 11. As the Apostle sayes to Titus I will have thee affirme constantly that they which beleeve in God must be carefull to maintaine good works Tit. 8. 8. therefore if a Minister be alive towards God he will be full of care for his people how he may pull them from their sins how he may draw them to God how he may most doe them good as Paul sayes of Timothy he will naturally care for your Estute Phil. 2. 20. True a man hath many things to doe in the world many cares how to live how to pay rent at quarter day what may become of his poore Children c. I but if the heart be alive towards God it will labour to cast these cares upon God cast all your care upon him 1 Pet. 5. 7. But for heavenly things for the having and keeping of a good conscience it will be full of cares about these things yea it how may get to be more afraid of sinne how may I get a weaned heart from the earth it will be caring how he may be provided for evill times how he may stand in the wofull day Seventhly the appropriating of the heart the esteeming of the heart what 's the hearts jewell that 's the heart most alive to now thinke what does thy heart prize most of all if it be alive towards God he is dearest to thee his will dearer then thine his glory then thy credit his word then thy life as Paul sayes I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course with joy Act. 20. 24. this was the Jewell of his heart how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe that he might finish his course so likewise if thy heart be alive love will be like a precious oyntment Psal 133. 2. heavenly wisedome more precious then Rubies Prov. 3. 15. a promise will be precious to the heart 2 Pet. 1. 4. So also faith will be a precious thing 1 Pet. 1. 7. But above all Christ will be precious to the heart to you that beleeve he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. these are heart Jewels these it endeares most it will rather â—art with any thing then these nay it will morgage any thing to redeeme these againe These things are little
will not let you doe otherwise alas ye may doe it thus with a dead heart but doe it willingly doe it out of an inward principle no obedience is good without it be done with an inward principle if ye be willing and obedient Isa 1. 19. that is if ye obedient with an inward principle of obedience I this is it indeed Thus you see an absolute will is the life of the heart Now least any should be deceived I shewed you what this absolute will of the heart is I shewed you first it is the inclination of the heart ye know the heart that is alive to the world all its inclinations are that way and therefore the will runnes mainely out that way but its averse from God backward to all heavenly things now when the will is absolutely set towards God God inclines it towards him and makes it incline it selfe as David sayes I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even to the end Psal 119. 112. it may be the world may wonder that any man should be so strict as some are to forgo the pleasures of the flesh as some doe be so precise and so taken up with God as some are the reason is this their wills are absolutely set that way the Lord hath inclined them Secondly the intention of the heart we have a saying in Divinity voluntas ut natura vult finem the heart naturally wills it own ends looke what men aime at looke what they would have what they beat at what they drive at that they will naturally that they will eagerly now when the hearts intentions are towards God then the will is absolutely towards him Beloved what is it ye would have what doe ye drive at a dayes what is the souls scop if that be God if that be to commune with him if that be to please him doubtlesse ye are alive towards God for then the wills are absolutely to him This is a rare worke and therefore true grace of life is a rare thing for how few doe attaine this you come to Church if God were your aime certainly ye would heare otherwise then ye doe many would ye set in your pewes so as ye doe if your aime were to please God or that the word should direct you if this were your aime ye would heare in another gats manner so when ye discourse if your meaning and aime were O now I will discourse to be edisied would ye talke so loosely as ye do nay ye would speake more to the purpose a great deale you may see this in Paul what made him so eager to deny himselfe I count all things drosse and dung sayes he O sayes he the intention of my heart is to Christ that I may know him c. Phil. 3. 10. But I must hasten Thirdly the election of the heart ye know all our life is in Bivio There be two wayes in everything there be two wayes of thinking two wayes of speaking two wayes of doing the one godly the other not There be two wayes in eating and drinking in sleeping and waking in studying in praying and in all our cariages one gracious and the other not now which doe your hearts choose if your hearts have such a disposition to choose the gracious way then your wills are set absolutely that way there ye are alive as David sayes I have chosen the way of truth Psal. 119. 30. marke he had this disposition in him to choose the true way Fourthly the conversation of the heart the heart ever shunnes something or other every day and houre the heart puts off something or other now what does thy heart shun every day does it shun things offensive to thee or things offensive to God if thy will be set absolutely towards God then thy hearts shunnings will run there in things displeasing to him as the Prophet sayes I have refrained my feet from every evillway that I may keep thy word Psal 119. 101. Fifthly the appreciatings of the heart or the estimations of the heart what 's the hearts Jewell that the hearts will is absolutely to now doe but thinke what does thy heart prize most of all what 's dearest to thee O sayes Paul I doe not count my life deare so that I may finish my course Act. 20. 24. this was his hearts Jewell how he might doe the worke that God set him to doe how he might finish his course Gods commandements were dearest to him not his owne credit but Gods glory Sixthly the savouring of the heart this is another piece of the hearts will something there is that the heart savours most Now doth thy heart savour the things of God most thou savourest a businesse where there is profit I but doest thou savour Gods word most canst thou finde the best relish of all in holy duties canst thou savour life in them as Paul sayes there 's the savour of life in these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. Seventhly the cares of the heart This is another signe of the hearts absolute will worldly minded men are full of cares above the things of the world but art thou full of cares about heaven does heaven fill thy head full of cares about it how thou mayst get it c. Thus ye heard what an absolute will is Now because when the will is made absolutely to be for God yet there is an unwillingnesle in the same will in regard of the unregenerate part therefore I shewed you there be other acts of life in the heart towards God opposing that unwillingnesse in the flesh But I must of necessity breake off so much for the heart The next thing to be inquired about is the conscience what is the life of the conscience and here the world is deceived too for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First à conscience awakened may like all good things Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one exceedingly to good things Fifthly a conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in this urging Sixthly a conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre with it's eagernesse Seventhly a conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes all this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is First I say the conscience somewhat awakened may like of God and all his wayes it may like of Gods judgements be they never so terrible as we see there in Pharaoh when God plagued Aegypt his conscience liked of Gods dealings he thought in his conscience the Lord dealt very righteously with him The Lord is righteous sayes he and I and my people are wicked Exod. 9. 27. So when Rehoboam was horribly beset with Enemies
his conscience justified God O he deales very rightly with me The Lord is righteous 2 Chron. 1â— 6. so Adonibezek when the Lord brought that lamentable judgement on his head his conscience likâ— of Gods doings as I have done so God hath done to me so againe the conscience awakened may like of Gods commandements as Moses tels Israel that God gave them no other Commandements but such as were right and wise and good in the sight of the Heathen Deut 4. 6 7 8. that is they were such commandements that the Heathens thought in their conscience were good Againe the conscience somewhat awakened may like of Gods people that walke according to those Lawes and Commandements you may see this in Balaane O that I might dye the death of the righteous Numb 23. 10. his conscience lik't of their courses so Sauls conscience did approve Davids courses Thou art more righteous then I 1 Sam. 24. 17. A conscience somewhat awakened may like of the best preaching and the strictest preachers never man spake like this man O how mightily they lik't him Herod lik't Iohn admirably he was glad for to heare him profane Israel did wonderfully like the Sacrament of Gods presence when the Arke of God came into the Camp they shouted with a great shout that the earth rang againe 1 Sam. 4. 5. now when a carnall man perceives this work to be in him he is apt to conceive this is true grace of life Beloved you see this is very false Thou mayst like of Gods dealings with thee yea thou mayst thinke in thy conscience he deales very rightly with thee though it be never so bitter thou mayst thinke in thy conscience his commandements are good though they be never so strict thy conscience may like his Ministers and like his precepts and like his Ordinances and his Sacraments and yet be a dead conscience Secondly a conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things it may lay the commandements of God to his charge conscience may make him say not onely that the commandements are good but that it is his duty to doe them we see this by experience in many carnall people tell them of any commandement what is their answer Oh you say well I confesse it is my duty every drunkard will say thus I it is my duty never to be drunken the swearer will say thus you say right it is very true I confesse I should not take Gods name in vaine and therefore they are said to be under the Law Rom. 3. 19. that is they are bound in conscience to the Law their conscience tels them they ought to doe it their conscience layes it on them as a bond as the mad Prophet said must I not take heed to speake what God bids me speake Num. 23. 12. conscience layed a must upon his soule And this is the reason why a naughty heart will put off a commandement of God if he can when he sees it goes against his profit or his ease or his credit for he knowes if he yeeld it to be a commandement of God his conscience will come over him and say why then ye must doe it as we read of the Priests and the Elders they would not yeeld that Iohns Baptisme was from heaven O if we should yeeld that why then Christ will say why doe ye not beleeve Mat. 21. 25. mark the conscience comes over a man in all that he knowes God hath commanded and it layes it to his charge and you must doe this and you must doe that this is your duty now when men see this they are apt to conclude that their conscience is alive they thinke this is the life of their conscience to lay Gods commandements to their charge Alas brethren the conscience may be dead for all this you see this in people that are dead in trespasses and sinnes All that the Lord speakes that must I doe Num. 23. 26. it was the speech of a very wretch thou mayst have this principle in thy conscience all that the Lord bids me that must I doe and yet be a dead man O how does this beguile people because they feele such a principle in their conscience a dayes O thinkes one all that the Lord bids me that must I doe when people feele such a principle as this they thinke they are well now if they doe offend at any time they hold it to be but their infirmity and there 's an end But this is very false the conscience may have this principle in it and be dead Thirdly a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled about his sinnes he may be troubled before he commits he may be very loth to commit them as we see there in Herod when he was betrayed with his rash Oath and he was now tempted to behead John the Baptist his conscience made him very loth to doe it the Text sayes â—â— was exceeding sorrowfull Mark 6. 26. and the contempt shewes it was meerely because he thought in his conscience he should doe very ill to behead so good a man and therefore he was very loth he was troubled in conscience about it so was Darius when the Princes had wound him to cast Daniel into the Lions Denne he was moved troubled in conscience about it he was very loth to doe it he sought a good while how to put off the temptation by getting away how to avoyd this great sinne Dan. 6. 14. so was Pilot troubled in conscience about the condemning of Christ he went to it with a heavy heart and as a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled before the committing of sinne so he may be troubled in the committing of it An example of this we have in Saul when he committed that sin in sacrificing before Samuel came he was troubled in conscience in the very act I forced my selfe and offered a burnt offering 1 Sam. 13 12. Marke he did not commit the sinne hand-smooth as some doe but he felt a reluctancy againstit Againe a conscience somewhat awakened may be troubled exceedingly after the committing of sinne when Iudas had betrayed our Saviour you see how his conscience was troubled after he had done O sayes hee I have sinned in betraying innocent blood Matth. 27. 4. especially at the hearing of a searching Sermon or at a Fast also then the conscience if it be onely awakened a little will be troubled exceedingly for his sinnes when Samuel kept a Fast there at Mizpah the Text shewes how they were smitten in conscience for their sinnes in so much that they cryed out in the open congregation we have sinned against the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 6. and yet many of these very men by and by shewed the rottennesse of their hearts so that this is another gall when men feele a lothnesse in them to commit sinne trouble of conscience before and at and after they thinke this is true grace doubtlesse doubtlesse their conscience hath life Fourthly conscience somewhat awakened
the Lord of Hoasts so when the Philistines sent home the Arke of the Lord they would send it home honourably with a very rich present and the Text sayes how they lookt at Gods glory in the thing O say they let us give glory to the Lord God of Israel 1 Sam. 6. 5. Thus you see how the world are deceived about the life of the conscience when people have these operations of conscience within them they thinke their conscience is alive and good towards God Now that these cannot be the life of conscience I prove it First because all may be in naturall men as ye have heard in Laban in Pharaoh in Balaam in Micah in Saul in Darius in Iudas which were dead in trespasses and sins what life can be in a dead man it is very true the conscience is least dead of all the powers of the soule the Pelagians say the will is a pure virgin that 's as false aâ— the devill is false if any faculty be a pure virgin it 's the conscience all the religion that is left in a naturall man God hath planted there there 's the effect of the Law there Rom. 2. 15. The whole nature of man is like a Countrey taken by the Enemy except one little Fort may be that 's batter'd too but it is not quite taken so is the conscience after the whole man is quite vanquish't by sinne except onely that and that 's batter'd too in a wofull manner But it is not quite taken the Lord will ever keepe a part in that to have the man at controll when he pleases and as farre as he pleases But yet it is so farre taken too that there is no spirituall life left at all in it man is dead in trespasses and sinnes and so is the conscience too Secondly the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was I confesse these are flashes of life that God sparkles into mens consciences but they use to goe out againe and leave the conscience as dead and deader then ever before they came we see it in Pharaoh that hardened his heart worse afterwards Exod. 9. 34. so did Balaam though his conscience were so quick for a spurt yet within a while he could goe and lay a stumbling block before the Children of Israel to make them sinne Rev. 2. 14. and we see it to this very day many smitten in conscience for a time afterwards their smitings cease and they grow more stiffe then ever they were like water that hath beene heated it freezes afterwards the more Thirdly the conscience notwithstanding all these is soon pleased though it seeme to be eager and earnest and zealous for God yet any little thing will content it if it were alive nothing would content it but meerely indeed the favour of God the Image of God sincere conforming to God But this conscience is soone pleased againe it is but angry a while if but halfe the Lords due be brought in this conscience is satisfied Like the unjust Steward that set downe 50 for a 100 Luk. 16. 6. When the man goes on praying and doing good duties may be the conscience is whist though it be but a forme when he hath reformed a little conscience thinkes it hath enough we may see this in Balaam when he had found that worke of conscience that he could deny Balac's house full of Silver and Gold to stand for God presently he concluded that God was his God if Balac would give me his house full of Silver and Gold I cannot goe beyond the word of the Lord my God Num. 22. 18. Like the wretched Jewes they brought God the blinde and the lame and the torne and the sick and then they thought much that they should be called despisers of God Mal. 1. 6 7 8. Saul was commanded to destroy all the Amalekites now though he spared some his conscience was content I have done the will of the Lord sayes he such a conscience as this is soone pleased like little Children it cryes it takes on it sets up its Pipes but a little thing stills it may be a Rattle or an Apple or a Brasse Counter so my brethren though a mans conscience be thus as ye have heard yet it is a very childe it will be soone stilled let him but bestirre himselfe a little towards God and goe on in a pretty handsome way this conscience will quickly say it 's well Fourthly the conscience that hath but these stirrings is so farre from being alive that many times it will be a help unto ones lusts which if it were a live it could not be But thus it is though when these works are reall it will serve to help a mans lusts when a mans lusts would faigne have some thing or other don then steps in thy conscience and will help the lame dogge over the stile as we say Herod had a lust to make away Iohn the Baptist O but he 's a good man sayes his conscience and thou must not cut off his head Mark 6. 20. O but he was urged now to doe it by Herodius her daughter and he had sworne to grant her hearts request now see how his conscience helpt him to doe it Thou hast sworne an Oath and thou must make conscience of that therefore cut off his head So it was with the Iewes when they have a lust to crucifie Christ their conscience found out a trick for it we have a Law say they and by our Law he should dye because he mado himself the Sonne of God Iohn 19. 7. mark they made it a matter of conscience what they murder Christ they put him to death unjustly no God forbid we have a Law and are bound in conscience to keepe it so when a man hath a lust as to weare long haire by and by he makes it a matter of conscience to weare it forsooth his head will ake and he is bound in conscience to have a care of that so if a man have a lust of covetousnesse and not to give where is need forsooth his conscience findes a place in the Apostle to help it He is worse then an Infidell that provides not for his owne and so he will make conscience of that so when a man hath wronged him he hath a lust of revenge anon he findes out a trick O it may tend to the dishonour of the Gospell if he put it up the matter is not so But he is willing to thinke so and he will make conscience of that is he revengefull now no God forbid It was a disgrace to religion and he did it out of conscience of that Thus men will have what lust they please they can finde some Text or other which they wrest to make conscience of that O how common is this Fifthly this conscience is not all it cals out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others may be as bad like Ahabs for the Vineyard and
let his Baalisme alone or if the conscience be against all manner of sinnes it is but in a fume cito redibit in gratiam they are but like new Wine in old Bottels at last the Bottels break and the Wine is all spilt so all these workes in an awakened conscience are onely then while the conscience cannot sleep But when it can fall asleep againe then the man can be quiet againe the conscience is an old conscience and not renewed and therefore it is not able to hold them well then ye see these are not consciences life What then is the consciences life for this ye must know First the conscience hath a Testimoniall life a life whereof it lives as the soul lives for it is the reflexion of the soule the soules privity to it selfe betweene God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himself without spoâ— to God purge your conscience from dead workes is to serves the living God Heb. 9. 14. marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive as we say of the goodnesse of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tydings though he be never so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tydings we say he is an ill Messenger he sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be ill Angels because they brought evill Plagues upon Aegypt so stands a good conscience that can bring good tydings of a man that he is a good man true a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good But when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now then it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out ye know we call it a fowle bill that hath fowle crimes written in it Item this man stole a horse Item he brake into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore Prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was born in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and gotten litte good Item I was at such a Sacrament and was nere the better thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. This is a bad conscience now when the conscience is cleane then it is a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive towards God then it beares witnesse but that is not all the conscience hath other acts Secondly the conscience hath another life of it's own namely the conscience is said to be quickened up to its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his As the conscience of the good people that offer'd to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eagerer conscience is faine to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when a man is alive the conscience stirres him up with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas when the debter is a slye fellow there needs the more Bawling so that if thou would'st know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no But whether does it quicken thee up to doe thy duty or no. This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and mind to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience this conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not that is not it whether with much a doe or little that is all one First When the conscience does not onely check but it checkes to some purpose as when David had numbred the people his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. such checks there may be in a wicked heart when a man is made to doe the Lords will for conscience sake Secondly When it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall conscience may doe but it pulls a man downe before God and cites himselfe effectually before God The just man first accuseth himselfe as the Greek and the Latin read it Prov. 18. 17. Thirdly when it does not onely condemne one for sinne for so the wicked have condemning consciences as the Apostle sayes if our heart condemneth 1 Joh. 3. 20. that is if we be wicked as Paul sayes knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being condemned ef himselfe Tit. 3. 11. that is he is a wicked wretch so that a wicked mans conscience may and will and shall condemne himselfe But I meane when the conscience does not onely condemne one for sinne but it tramples upon ones self as a damned wretch in himselfe to save God a labour as the Apostle speakes if we would judge our selves we should not be Iudged 1 Cor. 11. 31. Fourthly when it does not onely pull a man a dayes so it may doe the wicked and the ungodly they feele many puls every day and may be their conscience makes them leave many particular sinnes But when the conscience puls a man out of every known sinne withall the detestation and loathing out of unbeleife out of inpenitency and heardnesse of heart out of formality and all this is a lively conscience as Iob sayes my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live Job 27. 6. These are the
lively acts of conscience about sinne The lively effects whereof are three The first is penitent shame that ever he hath done it conscience makes him flye from it as a horrible shame and confusion of face before God as the Apostle sayes what fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 21. Secondly another is penitent griefe and compunction of heart so ye may see this effect in the new converts They were pricked in their hearts Act. 2. 37. Thirdly another effect is penitentiall feare whereby he is afraid to sinne against God againe 2 Cor. 7. 11. Fourthly another is humbling despaire in himselfe that he sees nothing in him but death and damnation and so he lies at Gods Gate as a man utterly undone in himselfe having no hope but onely in Christ for as God dealt with Paul in regard of his recovery out of his sicknesse he brought him to despaire of life in himselfe 2 Cor. 1. 8. so does a lively conscience in regard of misery Thus ye see for sinne Secondly now for the lively acts of conscience in regard of good when the conscience hath life it does not onely excuse in part for so it may doe in a wicked heart nay a wicked man hath such an excusing conscience when he does good for the matter of it as we read in the Heathens Rom. 2. 15. But it does sweetly excuse him and tels him he hath done it unfeignedly in the truth of his heart that he does beleeve that he does truly repent that he does in some measure walke in new obedience from day to day and that he stands guiltlesse before God through Jesus Christ When the conscience does not urge a man onely to that which is good As it urged Agrippa almost thou perswadest me c. 26. 28. Thirdly approbation when the conscience either may or does pronounce a man to please God The lively effects of these acts are 1 Ioy. 2 Cor. 1. 12. The second is boldnesse freedome from slavish feare The righteous is bold as a Lyon Prov. 28. 1. Againe a lively conscience is a sudden conscience Secondly a tender conscience REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead THe point we are in is when is the conscience alive when is that quickened up in a man ye have heard First what is the quickening of the minde Secondly what is the quickening of the heart now I say it followes what is the quickening of the conscience I shewed you how thousands are deceived here for the conscience may be awakened very much and yet never quickened indeed First the conscience somewhat awakened may like of good things Secondly the conscience somewhat awakened may oblige a man to all manner of good things Thirdly a conscience somwhat awakened may be much troubled about sinnes Fourthly a conscience somewhat awakened may urge one to good things Fifthly it may be very eager in this urging Sixthly it may prevaile very farre with its eagernesse Seventhly it may make one looke at God in some sence so farre as it prevailes All this may be in conscience and yet the conscience never quickened indeed and we have shewed you all these and cleared them unto you so that you see what need there is to enquire what the life of conscience is After the handling of these seven particulars we gave you five reasons to prove that these are not arguments that the conscience is truly alive that the conscience may doe all this and yet not have the grace of life in it First because all these workes of conscience may be in a naturall man 2. Because the conscience notwithstanding all these may be deader then ever it was Thirdly because such a conscience as this may be foolish and childish and soone pleased if the conscience were alive indeed nothing would content it but the favour of God and the Image of God and true faith ' and true peace c. But this conscience may be soone pleased if it have but any colour of grace and goodnes that 's able to still it quiet it Fourthly because the conscience though it be thus stirring as ye heard it is so far from being alive that it uses to be a help furtherance unto ones lusts Fifthly because this conscience is not universall it culs out onely some particular sinnes to be violent against and lets alone others it picks out some particular duties and good courses to be very eager for and is carelesse of others You will say then what is consciences life when is the conscience said truly to be quickened For the opening of this ye must know there be two lives of conscience in a godly man The first is a relative life whereby it 's alive when the man is alive The second is a simple life The first I say is a relative life whereby it is said to be alive when the man whose it is is alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule the soules privity to it selfe between God and it selfe And therefore if the soule be alive towards God then the conscience is alive too as the Apostle sayes How much more shall the blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. Marke when a mans dead workes are purged away the conscience is alive when a mans selfe is alive and his workes are alive the conscience is alive also as we say of the goodnesse of conscience so it is the life of conscience though the conscience be never so good in it selfe yet as long as the man is not good his conscience can never be good conscience is said to be good as a Messenger is said to be good namely when he bringeth good tidings as David said of Ahimaaz he is a good man and he bringeth good tidings 1 Sam. 18. 27. Though a Messenger be nere so good a man yet if he doe not bring good tideings we say he 'es an ill Messenger He sent evill Angels among them Psal 78. 49. Calvin thinkes it may be meant of good Angels yet said to be evill Angels because they brought evill upon Aegypt so that 's a good conscience that bringeth good tidings to a man that he does beleeve that he is in Christ that he is a good man True a wicked mans conscience may report well of him as Absolon did of the people O your matters are good sayes he when they were stark naught so thy conscience may flatter thee and say thy matters are good but when conscience can say truly thy matters are good The conscience is like a Register or a Bill now when it is a Bill of good Items when all thy sinnes are blotted out and good things are written in now it 's a good conscience ye know we call it a fowle Bill that hath fowle crimes written in it though the Bill be never so faire written yet if it have fowle
crimes written in it it 's a fowle Bill Item this man stole a Horse Item he broke into such a mans house Item he murdered such a man when such a Bill as this comes in at the Assizes against a poore prisoner this is a black Bill this is a fowle Bill so as long as thy conscience is a fowle Bill Item I was borne in sinne Item I have lived very loosely Item I have heard so many Sermons and yet I have beene nere the better Item I have beene at so many Sacraments and yet I have gone on in my vile courses thy conscience is a fowle Bill this is a fowle conscience as the Apostle sayes a defiled conscience Tit. 1. 15. now when the conscience is cleane then it 's a good conscience so I may say of a lively conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive when his mind is quickened up towards God his heart which before was dead in trespasses and sinnes now it 's alive towards God this mans conscience is alive The reason is because now his conscience may say I am alive for conscience is the reflection of the soule on it selfe and therefore if thou beest alive thy selfe thy conscience is alive too This is the first life the relative life of conscience Now that this is one life of conscience is plaine because if a mans selfe be dead conscience will say I am dead as Paul sayes speaking of himselfe and the Ephesians before their conversion O sayes he ye were dead in sinnes Eph. 2. 5. looke what a man is if the conscience be inlightened it takes it on it selfe when David had sinned I have sinned sayes his conscience so let a man be holy the conscience presently takes it upon it selfe as we see there in David when he was holy I am holy sayes his conscience Lord preserve my soule for I am holy Psal 86. 2. So that if thou beest dead thy conscience is dead if thou beest alive thy conscience is alive But I let this passe I come now to the second life of conscience and that is it 's simple life conscience hath another life of its owne for as when the man is alive the conscience is alive so the conscience is quickened up to doe its duty when it quickens up the whole man to doe his as the conscience of the good people that offered to the Tabernacle was a quick conscience their conscience was quick to doe its duty because it quickened them up to doe theirs their heart made them willing Exod. 35. 29. that is their conscience made them willing Though the conscience be never so eager that is not it it never does its duty with life till it make thee to doe thy duty with life The conscience of the godly may be is not so eager neither does it keep such a doe as many a wicked mans conscience The eager conscience is feigne to be it 's a signe the man is the more dead when the man is alive his conscience stirres him with more ease like a man that is willing to pay his debts the creditor need no more then aske whereas if the debtor be a very slye fellow there needs the more bawling so that if thou wouldest know whether thy conscience be quick the question is not whether it be eager or no but whether does it quicken thee up to thy duty or no This then is the life of conscience when it makes a man doe his duty sincerely both towards God and man when it makes a man beleeve with all his heart when it makes him love God with all his soule and minde to serve him in truth to doe his holy will to humble himselfe soundly before God for all his sinnes to make his peace with God daily to please him and to walke before him in newnesse of life This is a living conscience This conscience hath the grace of life in it whether it doe it by eagernesse or not whether with a horrible stirre or a great pudder or no that is not it if it make a man doe his duty aright then conscience does its duty this is Consciences life First when the Conscience does not onely check but it checks to some purpose when it smites so that all the soule feeles it and lies downe under it when the Conscience does not onely doe duty in this thing but it makes a man to doe his it makes him smite himselfe as the Publican did he smote upon his breast Luke 18. 13. as Ephraim did I smote upon my thigh Jer. 31. 10. when a man is made to Check himselfe what have I done Jer. 8. 6. when David numbred the people the Text shewes how his conscience was quick his heart smote him 2 Sam. 24. 10. Dull checks there may be in a wicked heart yea mighty checks and mighty smitings yea greater for quantity then in any Childe of God but all to little or no purpose Davids Conscience smote him to purpose you see there it made him doe his duty indeed it was a Divine Check it was a Check that put him into a right way againe so except thy Conscience thus Check thee a dayes may be thou forgetest thy selfe now and then and then thy Conscience gives thee a Check O what a beast am I and so sets thee to rights againe sometimes thou art over taken in passion but then comes Conscience and tels thee what God sayes O why doe I give place to the Devill and then thy passions goe downe againe This is Gods Bit that he guides his people by as the Rider does his beast with a Bridle The wicked are like your sturdy horses that get their Bridle in their Teeth God may pull hard at them give them fiercer twitches then he does his owne Children but they get the Bridle in their Teeth and so they are unrulier But when it is Gods Bridle to lead a man by now his Conscience is alive when it Checks to purpose Secondly when it does not onely accuse for sinne so a naturall Conscience may doe but it puls a man downe before God and Cites himselfe effectually before his Tribunall I make this a different work for the accusation of Conscience differs from its Checking the Check is a spirituall lash the Conscience gives the soule now the accusation gives the reason of its lashing O thou hast sinned against God ye know this is a duty of Conscience too in regard of sinne to accuse And then Conscience is alive when it does this duty to purpose to make a man to doe his namely to goe and Confesse his sinne in a penitent manner True a wicked mans Conscience does accuse but that drives a man from God as it 's said of the Scribes and the Pharisees when their Consciences accused them they went cut Joh. 8. 9. But when Conscience is alive it accuses before God it Cites a man soundly before God and what a vile wretch am I it so does its duty in accusing
for his conscience he called it up every day he was active about it so that the stirrings that are in wicked men they are none of theirs but Gods meerly to pull them out of the bottomlesse pit if it might be in the meane time his conscience is as dead as himselfe Thus ye see what the life of the conscience is First there is a relative life of conscience the conscience is alive when the man is alive Secondly the conscience is alive when it makes duty so that it makes the man do his duty too when it does not onely check for evill and accuse for evill and condemne for evill and prompt a man that he should take heed of evill but it make a man doe his duty in all these so also when it does not onely urge a man to that which is good and excuse him and approve him but in all these it makes him doe his duty too so likewise when it counsels it does not onely counsell and dictate what is to be done and what not but it so does all these particulars that it makes the man to doe his duty in sincerity from day to day This is alive conscience Now that this is the live conscience I prove it unto you by five Arguments 1. Because conscience was made not onely to doe all these acts but to make a man to doe his so that when conscience does its own acts never so much that 's nothing to the life of conscience does thy conscience check thee and smite thee does it whisper never so much in thee this is no Argument it 's alive except it make thee to be obedient unto God Conscience was given man for this purpose and therefore then onely is it alive when it is for this purpose in thy Bosome when David would get up out of his temptations you may see how he got up by conscience I communed with my owne heart and my spirit sayes he made diligent search Psal 77. 6. that is he communed with his conscience what he knew about God and so got himselfe up this is thy consciences office to tell thee what thou hast heard out of the word and that is not all but to lead thee guide thee as the helme does the Ship It is given thee to be thy keeper as he sayes J was upright before him and I kept my selfe from my iniquity Psal 18. 23. that is this is my iniquity this is the sinne that I am most inclined to I must keepe my selfe from that Thus his conscience was his keeper under God Secondly another argument is because this is the way whereby godly people doe their duties their conscience makes them doe their duty it makes them beleeve it makes them feare God it makes them eschew evill and doe good from day to day Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits Psal 103. 2. when the Prophet would doe this duty he made his conscience presse it soundly upon him to doe it so when he would waite upon God he set his owne soule and conscience upon him to make him to doe it waite on the Lord be of good courage he will strengthen thy heart waite I say upon the Lord Psal 27. 14. Thirdly another argument is this is the description of those that have a live conscience they are such as make themselves doe their duties continually as the Apostle sayes He that hath this hope in him purisieth himselfe even as he is pure 1 Joh. 3. 3. that is he is a man that makes himselfe doe his duty his owne soule and conscience sayes thus unto him Christ is a pure Christ and I must be like him as ever I hope that he will bring me into his kingdom and this makes him doe his duty he purisieth himselfe even as he is pure I could quote abundance of places to prove this Fourthly another argument is when God speakes to any that are alive from the dead to doe their duties towards him he bids them make themselves to doe their duties on this manner so Saint Paul sayes Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the sight of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. that is goe and aske your owne soule and conscience what have I not these and these promises why then I must labour to be cleansed from all manner of sinne I must perfect holinesse in the feare of God now sayes he let us make our selves doe our duties thus Nay fifthly when God speakes to them which are yet dead and would turne them home unto him he bids them doe thus in regard of the meanes turne your selves and live you Ezek. 18. 32. that is Let your owne soules and consciences consider this is the way to live ye cannot be saved without turning as ever I would live for ever I must be turned from all my sinfull courses make your selves doe your duties in this manner that is use all the meanes that the Lord hath given you to use make your selves goe about it not as though any man hath free will to turne himselfe But he speakes of the use of all meanes that he puts into your hands make your selves to use them nay no soule can ever look to be saved except he doe not onely let his conscience check him and tell him thus and thus his duty is but also let his conscience make him doe his duty too so that this must needs be the life of the conscience when it does not onely doe its owne duty to check and to whisper but also it makes a man to doe his The use of this is first then we see here how few have live consciences for people have consciences that doe onely tell them they should be more carefull they should give over such and such sins they should beleeve and they should be zealous and they should be more setled but O how few have consciences that make them doe their duties Numb 15. 40. that ye may remember and doe all my commandements and be holy unto your God REVEL 3. 1. And art Dead WE are come to speake of this necessary point when is a man quickened up towards God and all his holy wayes We have shewed you three things concerning this already First what the life of the minde is Secondly what the life of the heart is Thirdly what the life of the conscience is Now there remaines two more the one is the life of the memory the other is the life of the affections Fourthly then what is the life of the memory for the memory too may be dead and the memory may be alive First the memory may be dead when a man may be remembers if ye aske him a thing he can tell it aske him of a Sermon he can tell the Text and the points and the particulars that were delivered in the Sermon but here 's all it 's a dead memory he never remembers it to
their wages therefore must set them on work ibid. 4. They cannot otherwise look for his assistance Page 166 5. Nor have peace of Conscience ibid. 6. The people can have no pleasure under such a Ministery Page 167 Vse 1. Ministers ought to look for Christs placing ibid. 2. It condemnes intruders Page 168 3. Use to them that have Ministers of Christs placing among them ibid. 4. Never complain of gracelesse Ministers Page 168 2. What is the reason there is no more able Ministers every where Page 169 5. God hath the placing of Ministers then we know whether to goe for good Ministers Page 170 The Reasons Page 171 Vse 1. Ministers should not feare to bee deprived of their liberty Page 173 2. A Reason why the Gospel continues any where when the world cannot abide it Page 174 3. Christ hath the continuing of his Ministers Page 175 4. Reason to be earnest with God to have his Gospell continued Page 176 Christ hath the removing of Ministers And how Page 177 Vse 1. If Christ remove Ministers we ought to mourne before him Page 178 2. Look to the meritorious cause our sins Page 179 3. Christ takes away Ministers we ought to repent of our sinne Page 180 Doct. 1. The Lord knows every mans ill courses Page 185 How Page 186 Why. Page 188 Vse 1. If God knows all mens sinfull courses then men cannot dawb before him Page 192 2. To condemn those that doe not consider of this truth Page 194 3. A terrour to all that goe on with a selfe-condemning heart Page 195 4. Comfort to good people that if he see sins he sees goodnesse much rather Page 196 5. It should make us affraid at any time or place even the secretest Page 198 Doct. 2. The knowing that God knows our works is the powerfull meanes to all Gods Elect to quicken them Page 199 Reasons 1. Gods knowing our works is not a meer knowing but a marking Page 200 2. God sees our sins with a pure eye ibid. 3. He records them in a book Page 201 4. If God see them all one as if the world should see them too ibid. 5. Our disposition we cannot indure any should know of our Wickednesses that cannot indure them Page 202 Vse 1. They that this point cannot work on are gracelesse Page 203 2. If such meanes can work on our hearts let us not harden them ibid. The Reasons why God knows all our works Page 210 What is meant by dead Page 214 A horrible thing to rest in the name of being Religious Page 215 The Reasons Page 216 An unexcusable thing not to be alive Page 217 The Uses Page 218 2. What is meant by dead Page 219 Doct. 1. A dead Ministery none at all Page 222 2. The Scripture calleth it no Ministery in effect Page 223 3. It doth little or no good ibid. 4. God seldome goes along with it Page 224 5. It prophanes the word of God ibid. Vse 1. We see a reason why a dead Ministery is applauded in the world Page 225 2. To reprove Ministers that are no more lively in the Ministery Page 226 3. Of Exhortation to labour for a quickning Ministery Page 228 Motives ibid. 4. How to get a Ministery to be quickning Page 240 What meant by deadnesse of guilt Page 245 What by deadnesse of minde Page 246 What by deadnesse of heart ibid. What by deadnesse of conscience ibid. What by deadnesse of affection Page 247 Doct. 1. A dead Christian as good as none at all ibid. 2. All duties of Religion must be done with life Page 250 Reasons why a dead Christian none at all Page 253 Vse 1. If dead Christians be none what then that are not Christians in name Page 255 2. How dangerous to be a dead-hearted Christian Page 267 For 1. All we doe with a dead heart is nothing ibid. 2. It does not please God Page 269 3. It cannot yeeld us any true comfort Page 271 4. Though it comfort us in time of prosperity it cannot in adversity Page 272 5. We can never blesse God with a dead heart Page 273 6. So long Religion is irkesome to us Page 274 7. If a dead heart take it up it will soon be weary of it Page 276 Causes of living Christianly 1. Efficient God Page 278 2. Instrumentall Faith Page 280 The parts of it 1. Justification Page 281 2. Sanctification ibid. 3. Joy and Comfort Page 282 2. What is the life of man Page 283 Six stirring acts in the mindes of men Page 289 1. Application ibid. 2. Meditation Page 291 3. Considering Page 292 4. Remembring Page 294 5. The Inventing of the heart Page 295 6. The judgeing of the minde Page 296 Vse 1. How rude or profane wicked Christians are rejected for deadnesse Page 297 2. Condemnation of the sins wherein most part of the people are dead Page 298 3. What to be a living Christian ibid. Every act of an heart not an argument of the life of it Page 304 No not her wouldings Page 306 When wishing is an argument Page 308 The same proved Page 310 The acts of the heart living if converted to God Page 312 Five other acts of life in the heart towards God Page 319 What the life of a Conscience Page 327 1. A Conscience some what awakt may like of God and his wayes Page 328 2. It may oblige a man to all manner of good things Page 329 3. It may be troubled about his sins Page 330 4. It may urge one to good things Page 332 5. It may be very eager in urging Page 333 6. It may prevaile far by its cagernesse Page 334 7. It may make one look a great way as it prevaile ibid. But these cannot be the life of conscience and why Page 335 Signes of a living conscience Page 341 Two kindes of Conscience in a godly man Page 346 Foure effects of a lively Conscience Page 351 Effects of a good conscience Page 355 What is an humbled Conscience Page 356 How to know quicknings of Conscience Page 358 Arguments of a live conscience Page 360 Vse 1. How few have live Consciences Page 362 When the memory is dead Page 363 When the memory is alive Page 364 Memory a great blessing Page 367 And that for 8 Reasons Page 368 There must needs be the office of the memory Page 370 Vse 1. The onely living memory that remembers God Page 378 2. We can never retain Gods Commandements without some memory ibid. 3. The want of this cause of sin ibid. Seven causes of an alive memory Page 379 CHRIST'S ALARM To Drowsie SAINTS REVEL 3. 1. And unto the Angel of the Church in Sardis write These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven Starres I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead SAint JOHN being banisht into the Isle of Patmos though the persecuters of the Gospel thought to doe him a displeasure yet the Lord turned it unto his great good
be holy Let thy Urim and thy Thummim be with thy holy one Deut. 33. 8. so that our very calling will testifie against us if we be not holy We of all men should labour to be holy What a Minister and yet a drunkard a Minister and yet a whoremonger a Minister and yet without the feare of God a Minister and yet have a dead heart O consider what God sayes What hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldst take my covenant within thy mouth seeing thou hatest instruction and hast cast my words behind thee Psal 50. 16 17. With what face can we here stand in a Pulpit and preach against sin and teach our hearers to make conscience of all their wayes and denounce the judgements of God against them that doe evill if we that condemne another do the same things or as bad How inexcusable are we if we can preach the straitnesse of heavens gate and the narrownesse of the way and the strictnesse of the account the people shall be forced to give at the last day and lay heavie burdens on other mens shoulders and we our selves not touch them with one of our fingers Teach precisely and live loosely teach graciously and walke broadly This is grosse hypocrisie act zeal and goodnes in the Pulpit and be heartlesse and luke-warm in our private duties unto God Again we can never look to doe good if we be not holy as Jet will not draw if it be not clean For how can we hope our people will follow our exhortations if they see we doe not follow them our selves When S. Luke had shewed how Barnabas exhorted the Christians to cleave close unto God Acts 11. 23. presently he gives a reason why he might well exhort them to do so For he was a good man full of the holy Ghost and of Faith v. 24. When our hearers are met with for any of their sinnes when wee rub their consciences with our Sermons presently their eye is at us and if they see us to be vain and worldly this heals them again though the word wounded them yet this is an ease to them O think they he is as bad himselfe and we see no such holinesse in him and we are as faire for heaven as he he loves his peny as well as we he is as ready to quarrell as we he is as proud and ambitious and fearfull and idle as we he loves to sleep in a whole skin what wil not hee doe rather then lose his living hee 'l break the Sabbath and teach others to doe so Now my brethren how should we abhorre this O it should prick and spur us up to study holinesse of life that so our Ministery may be powerful Thirdly are Ministers Angels Then they should be apt to teach ready to preach and to labour in Word and Doctrine It is said of the Angels that they have wings One of the Seraphims came flying unto me Isa 6. 6. They are ready prest to doe any thing that the Lord gives them in charge so should we be or else how should we beare the name of Angels We must labour that we may be fruitful in our labour among our people You know the Angels are called Reapers and so are Gods Ministers I sent you to reap John 4. 38. When a man reaps he gathers nay Christ chuseth good Ministers for this end that they should bring forth fruit in their places I have ordained you that yee should goe and bring forth much fruit John 15. 16. Nay our Saviour Christ supposes that all his true Ministers are fruitfull upon some Every sower though he have some high-way ground to sow in and some thorny ground and some stony ground yet he hath some good ground or other For first a good Minister it is the desire of his soul to see the fruits of his labours As a Hen many a Hen will hardly ever off from her egges till she see a young chickens bill peep nay she will sit stil till she die before she will off What made Paul so desirous to come to the Romans Was it onely to see them and to be among them or to take his tythes or his maintenance No it was that he might have some fruit Rom. 1. 13. And certainly this is the study of every true Minister that he may see his preaching fruitfull in the conversion and salvation of some that some are awakened by his means that some are quickned some are made to leave their sinnes and to become new creatures unto God Secondly does not every man count it a misery to be unprofitable The Lord names it as a brand upon wicked men that they are unprofitable Rom. 3. 12. What a wofull brand is this when we can live two three seven ten twenty yeares in a place and our services are unprofitable no man delivered out of ignorance no man purged from his filthinesse by our means when our Ministery is a dead letter we preach without life and no man is translated from death unto life by it I say this is to bee unprofitable like salt that hath lost his savour I confesse the best Ministers may have little takings as the best tradesman may have little vent for his wares when his trading growes dead Nay thirdly this is the end of our gifts that wee may profit with them as the Apostle sayes The manifestation of the Spirit is given unto every man to profit withall 1 Cor. 12. 7. Hath he given us knowledge He hath given it us that we should profit others with it Hath hee given us skill in the opening and applying of the Scriptures He hath given it unto us that we may doe good with the same And therefore O how earnest should we be that our Ministery may profit that our pains may be profitable and successfull that we may say with the Prophet Esay Lord behold I and the Children whom thou hast given me Fourthly this is the best argument that God hath of a certain called us to bee Ministers in his Church If we have called our selves and run without sending then no marvell if we be fruitlesse and doe little or no good But if we find that God blesseth our labours this is the best seal of our ministery as if the arrow hit it 's a good sign it was sent out of the bow it may fall out of the bow of it own accord but then it never hits but when it is sent out of the bow ye know he that sends it will aim and therefore now when it hits that 's a signe it was sent indeed so when a Minister converts peoples soules this is a good signe that God sent him when a Minister can say to his people as Paul to the Corinthians The seale of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord 1 Cor. 9. 2. though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am unto you For the seale of my Apostleship are ye in the
Lord. So the seale of us Ministers are yee in the Lord though I have not converted others yet doubtlesse I have converted you unto God as he sayes Truly the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you 2 Cor. 12. 12 c. Fifthly this is that which will give us comfort when we lie upon our death-beds when we can say we have been faithfull in our callings and can shew a token of it too by blessing of our faithfulnesse in the gaining of foules as Paul saith to the Thessalonians What is our hope or joy or crown of rejoycing Are not even yee in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming For ye are our glory and joy 1 Thess 2. 19 20. This is a pledge of our glory The promise is cleare They that turn others unto righteousnesse shall shine as the starres Dan. 12. 3. I doe not deny but a wicked Minister that hath parts and is gifted of God with an Art of speaking to the conscience may convert and therefore it is not a naked argument But when a man hath had this successe by his faithfulnesse and hath set himself to doe it in Gods way indeed what an unspeakable comfort is this He is not the wisest Minister that can plot most for prefermet or can preach best for applause or the like No no but he that can most compose himselfe to doe good He that winneth soules is wise Prov. 11. 30. that is as he had need to be a wise man and to goe wisely to work that would doe it so he is a wise man he is wise to himself he layes up to himself a good foundation of comfort against the world to come Sixthly and lastly if we can endure to be unprofitable not to stirre up our selves not to point and sharpen our Ministery that it may pierce into mens consciences nor never study how to doe good what a heavie woe will lie upon us You read what was done to the unprofitable servant he was bound hand and foot and cast out into utter darknesse where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Matth. 25. 30. O then how carefull should we be to doe good and to be effectual Preachers that we may say these and these I have been an instrument of good to by the mercy of God these and these I have begotten through the Gospel then are we Angels indeed that are sent out for the good of Gods elect I confess it is good to civilize our people to abate their wickednesse to make them Professors and I would to God we could see more of these effects rather then none But to gather in Gods elect this is an Angels work the conversion of one soule is better then the civilizing of a thousand And therefore let us be diligent and industrious and preach in season and out of season let us con the skill of preaching not to tickle mens itching eares not so much to make our people say our Minister is a fine Scholar a good Churchman as to rouze up the consciences of our hearers to pull down their hearts before God to feed their souls with divine meat with the good knowledge of the Lord to shew them the severall wiles of Satan as Paul sayes Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine that the aged men be sober and grave c. Tit. 2. 1. that is so preach as to good to old men to old women to young men to young women to Masters to servants to all as it follows there wee must look unto our life that we defile not our Angels place that we doe not undoe what we preach Alas if we doe not sincerely practice all that we doe deliver if our lives doe not answer our teaching we are like unto kine that give very good milk but then put their feet into the paile or throw down the paile when they have done This is to make our preaching of no effect and therefore as the Apostle says to Timothy Take heed unto thy selfe and to thy doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy selfe and them that heare thee 2 Tim. 4. 16. They are the best Ministers that carry people unto heaven when men think to send people to heaven and not goe themselves suppose this should doe the deed yet what will it profit us if our people goe to heaven and we stay behind and never come there Nay we cannot look they will go except they see us goe before them and therefore let us do nothing that may hinder the fruitfulnesse of our Sermons Thus shall we be Angels indeed Fourthly another use is If Ministers be Angels then let us know that we are mainly for Gods elect as the Psalmist sayes of every elect person God shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes Psal 91. 11. Mark the Angels have the charge of the elect they are their main charge may be they are to doe many things towards others but these are their principall charge so it must be with Gods Ministers their chiefe charge is towards Gods elect as the Apostle sayes I endure all things for the elects sake that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus which is eternall glory 2 Tim. 2. 10. Wee that are Gods Ministers have all our gifts and graces for their sakes He gave some Apostles and some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For what For the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministery for the edifying of the body of Christ Ephes 4. 11 12. And therefore if wee have any that feare God in our Parishes wee should bend our main Ministery unto them and for the adding of more to them wee should not bee like those wretched Ministers that count such persons the worst of their flock and they doe most hate them and oppose them and jeere them No no we should most dearly love them and tender them and bend our selves unto them nay we should not altogether in these bad times stand declaiming against drunkards murtherers and so leave the Lords Saints without their portion The truth is yee that live in your ungodly courses yee that walk after your wicked lusts and wil not be gotten to forsake your cursed doings we could bee content to lay hell here before you in every Sermon and spend our shot on you all the houres that we have of preaching in the week are little enough to tell you what a damned condition yee are in But if yee wil not enter in into the strait gate we must not neglect them that wil if yee will be filthy be filthy still and if yee wil to hell and we cannot perswade you to live out of your sins Though there be but two or three that are wel-minded in our Parishes we are to bend our selves chiefly unto them Indeed as long as we have any hope of adding more to their company we must preach points for them
the secrets of his heart are made manifest and so falling down on his face hee worships God that is the Sermon is made effectuall unto him and turnes his wretched heart But observe now how this comes to passe the Text shewes in the foure and twentieth verse it is by reason of the unity of the Ministers He is convinced of all he is judged of all that is all the Ministers were of one note they all were in one consent one did not preach looser doctrine then another one told him he was a very wretch and another told him hee was a very wretch and a third convinced him hee was a very wretch all had a blow at him O thought he I I I am a very wretch indeed this burst his heart If he could have heard any one of them preach easier doctrine may bee that would have given his conscience some foolish ease and so the man had gone away never the better but when hee was convinced of all and judged of all this strikes him dumb So beloved when a man can goe into no Church but every where hee is met with all the Ministers condemn him all their lives condemn him and all their Sermons condemn him to the pit of hell and he can scramble comfort no where if the man belong to God this is the readiest way to beat him down and subdue his heart On the contrary side when a man is wounded at one Ministers Sermon by and by he drops into another and there hee catches hold of some ease this makes him goe on in his sinnes and to blind his eyes against the truth It is a great stumbling block unto the people this very thing Thirdly as it makes the Ministery more powerfull so it brings more glory unto God As it is said of John the Baptist that when our Saviour did commend him and made the people see that hee was of Johns minde and that he held the same Tenets and that hee would not speak against a tittle that John had delivered but testifyed his unity with him And made it appear what a reverend esteem hee had of him saith hee Hee is a Prophet and more then a Prophet Yee shall see how this brought glory to God The Text saith When the people heard this and the Publicans they justifyed God being baptized with the Baptisme of John Luk. 7. 29. The use of this is first to condemne such as envy their fellow-Ministers and will not bee in the unity of minde and heart and life with them In the most the Proverb is too true Figulus figulo invidet One potter hates another one Tradesman envies anothers custome so one Minister another if there bee a Minister that desires to powre out his soule in the doing of good in the taking of paines in the discharging of his Conscience there are some that will envy such a one their hearts rise up against him nay not onely so but the worst Enemy that Jeremy had was Pashur one of his own Coat Jer. 20. 2. The sorest adversary that Amos had was Amaziah a Priest of Bethel who would never leave heaving at him untill hee had gotten him away Amos 7. 12. and why so because hee would not preach such pleasing Doctrine as hee Forsooth the Land was not able to bear Amos his words hee Preaches as if hee would scare people out of their wits Hee preaches Schismatically and as if hee loved to bee singular The cheif Priests were furious against our Saviour Christ because his Ministery was more blest then theirs was nay they hated him more then Pilate Pilate a very Pagan his Conscience told him hee found no fault in him Why what evill hath hee done Their envy against Christ was so palpable that hee did discover it Hee knew that for envy they had delivered him unto him So when all the Country know in their Consciences that such and such teach the waies of God sincerely set themselves to roote out sin and to save soules nay the very Drunkards you shall hear them say I I hee is a good man Gods blessing on his heart hee tels us our faults wee may doe what wee list for all such and such but hee tells us of our faults and God help us to amend them and when they are sick they would rather have such a Ministers prayers then twenty of other Ministers that will soothe them up and bee haile-fellow with them Whereas there bee many of our own Coat that are implacable against a Minister that labours to bee faithfull How contrary is this unto the Rule The Ministers of God should bee all one and if one bee godly all should bee if one painfull all should bee so if one preach home to the conscience all should doe so they should all live as Brethren What saies our Saviour Christ Yee are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt hath lost its savour wherewith shall it bee salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to bee cast out and to bee trodden underfoot of men Matth. 5. 13. That is Salt may season others but if it have lost its savour nothing can salt it A Minister is of an excellent calling appointed to season mens hearts but if hee have lost his savour hee can never truely bee seasoned again nothing can doe him good An evill Minister is a more desperate forlorn man than any else Secondly Another use is that all that are the Ministers of God would bee hence stirred up to be all of one minde all drawing one way all bending our forces to one and the same end the glory of God and the salvation of our people It s a fine comely thing to fee any Brethren in unity Behold how good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard even Aarons beard that went down to the skirts of his garments as the dew of Hermon and as the dew that descended upon the mountaines of Zion for there the Lord commended his blessing even life for evermore Psal 133. 1 2 3. I say this is a very comely thing to see any brethren to dwell together in unity it is like the perfume of Aaron that made all his garments fragrant-sweet it is like the dews of Hermon and Zion that made all the ground fruitfull this is that which hath the Lords blessing annexed to it it is an excellent meanes unto eternall life As the Apostle saith If there bee any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies Fullfill yee my joy that yee bee like-minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde Philip. 2. 1 2. if it be so necessary for Brethren to bee united how much more for Brethren in the Ministery of all men Ministers have most reason to bee of one minde because wee are to teach union unto others Besides if
more and more As Solomon saith Where there is no vision the people perish Prov. 29. 18. that is where preaching is defective the people die they are spiritually dead in trespasses and in sins Can a man live without bread or without food no more can people live without constant preaching The Word is the bread of life now when this is not broken unto people they must needs dye Mark how Zachary describes them that are without preaching They are such as fit in darknesse and in the shadow of death Luk. 1. 79. that is they are blinde and ignorant and livelesse dead while they live they are wicked and abominable in the power of Satan under the wrath of God strangers from the life of God such Ministers as doe not preach constantly they are soule-murtherers they are guilty of their peoples blood they doe not give them that which should quicken them up unto eternall life they should quicken them up unto newnesse of life but they doe not they should powre in the words of eternall life into their hearts but they doe not people are naturally dead to Prayer and dead to communion with God and dead to all holinesse they have no heart to purenesse and righteousnesse of walking and such Ministers doe not study to revive them Secondly as a Minister may bee the cause of his peoples deadnesse by his not Preaching so he may be the cause of their deadnesse by his Preaching when the manner of it is dead Preaching may be dead in the manner of it 7 waies First When it is too generall when they preach onely in generall That which wee say is very good for the generall but wee doe not apply our selves to every particular mans Conscience this â—eads peoples hearts Beloved it is particular Preaching that does people good When Nathan told David Thou are the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. this stirred Davids heart When Peter had said to his hearers Yee have crucifyed Christ Act. 2. 36. This prickt them to the heart Generall preaching cannot quicken First because generalls cannot act Actio est singularium as wee say It s onely a particular works Let a man preach home and in particular and this will work on the hearers This made Michah a powerfull Preacher when hee preached particularly to his peoples Conscience Truely I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord and of judgement and of might to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin Mich. 3. 8. this made him a powerfull Prophet to quicken up his people because hee told every man his sin and smote every man conscience for his transgression No man is stirred till hee feeles his case laid open till hee sees the Minister beates upon him and hit him till the Minister treads hard upon his toes hee will never cry out Secondly Generall Preaching leaves the Sermon to the people to apply it now the people will never apply it while the world stands Nay David himself would not apply as long as Nathan dealt with him in generall as long as Nathan was speaking of a man in the clouds a rich man that had wronged a poore man Davids heart was as whole as a fish till hee came to Thou art Him Now hee cries out I have sinned Nathan was fain to make application For David would never have done it else Will a truantly Boy ever whip himself the Master may lay the rod before him but except the Master lay it on hee will goe scot-free if hee can The words of the wise are as goods and as nailes fastened by the Masters of Assemblies Eccles 12. 11. Mark the Masters of Assemblies must fasten them into the post lay the nailes by the post it self will never knock them in So though the Sermon bee never so good a naile yet hee must knock it in the people will never doe it The Prophet Jehu must come and say to Jehosaphat Shouldst thou help the ungodly Wrath is upon thee from the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 2. Hee fastened in the naile though Jehosaphat were a good man yet the Prophet knew he would not do it Nay people are so farre from applying the word unto themselves that they will apply it to any body else rather than to themselves the Minister met with such a one to day there was a lesson for him But none will say this was for mee and I am a vile wretch and vengeance hangs over mee unlesse I doe amend and therefore certainly generall Peaching is a dead manner of preaching Thirdly Generall Preaching is confused when Ministers tell people they must repent and beleeve and serve God and bee godly and carry themselves well in all their places and callings When they doe thus in generall this is like as if the trump should give an uncertain sound like the noise in a battle a confused noise as the Prophet speaks Esa 9. 5. Like the confusion in Ephesus Great is Diana of the Ephesians they kept a great stirre Act. 19. 32. the Text saith The assembly was confused and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together so while wee preach onely in the generall Great is the Lord Jesus Christ and wee are great sinners and great is the need of repentance but wee neither tell the people how nor when nor who nor what may bee our Sermons may keep some pudder in mens Consciences but people have no distinct edification they goe away and say O it was a very godly Sermon I pray God give us grace to follow it But no man is the better They heare admirable things about repentance but they are not taught how to goe about it there they are at a losse They remember gracious things about the serving of God and about a good Conscience and the like But they know not how in the earth to set about these things to any purpose if ever wee would quicken our peoples hearts wee must let them see distinctly the will of God concerning them the particular means and helps and signes of it the particular motives and Arguments to it the particular circumstances of it the particular hinderances lets and impediments of doing of it and you can never doe the will of God as long as yee doe thus and thus and this course will break your neck this practise of yours will bee your utter undoing when people heare distinct Preaching this doth them good if any thing will Generall Preaching is like the setting of good Physick before the Patient without giving him directions for the taking of it Fourthly Generall Preaching is deceitfull Est dolus in generalibus as wee say there is deceit in the generalls wee Preach that people must love God and feare him and thank him and they must bee new men and they must leave their sinnes and they must Pray and hear the Word and they must doe every thing to Gods glory Now mark what deceit there is in such preaching as this this is in the generall People goe away and
field and give a slash a generall slash at one Corn of the field as though that would fetch down all the Corn No they apply it to the Corn to reap it down The preaching of a Generall Sermon is but a sickle now except it bee applyed to all the people it is not the way to reap in Gods harvest Preachers are called Christs seed-men The sower went out to sow his seed Luk. 8. 5. Now what does the seeds-man does hee onely bring in a sack of seed and powre it all on a heap in the field does hee think that every spot of ground will draw it unto it self No hee sprinkles it and disperses it abroad that every Lea may have its part Whence comes that foolish conceit that reading is Preaching a tenet which many hold the truth is it comes from hence because Generall preaching is made by most Ministers to serve the turn Now if this were Preaching reading were Preaching indeed But this is no preaching preaching is the opening of the Word of God and the applying of it according as every man hath need The not doing of this leaves poore people in their hardnesse and deadnesse of heart This is the first Generall Preaching is such a manner of preaching as leaves the heart dead Secondly Morall Preaching is a dead manner of preaching When Ministers preach honest matter but doe not goe to the quick they strike at the boughes They preach against Drunkennesse and intemperance and malice and hatred and tale-bearing and lying and covetousnesse and making of shews it is very good to preach against these things and wee must too and let them know they are farre from the Kingdome of God that live in these or any other such lusts But alas this is onely to strike at the boughes If we would awake the Conscience indeed wee must preach deeper then so The axe is laid at the roote of the tree Mat. 3. 10. John the Baptist was a lively Preacher now the Text shews hee did not onely strike at the boughes but hee laid his axe at the roote of the tree When Ministers preach onely good morall matter this kinde of preaching does not quicken First Because Morall preaching does not hit all many are very Morall people that have not one whit of grace in their hearts True this may hit some Paul told Felix of his intemperance and how that there was a day of Judgement to judge all such persons this made him tremble Felix trembled saith the Text Act. 24. 25. I say morall preaching may startle some but it does not startle all Many Heathens have been sober and temperate and true in their speeches and just in their dealings and loving in their carriages and painfull in their callings as Paul saith they have done by Nature the things contained in the Law Now yee know the Heathens are without grace and are not acquainted with God neither have they any communion with God Powre out thy wrath upon the Heathen that know thee not Jer. 10. 25. Mark they have no communion with God they doe not know Jesus Christ nor the mysteries of saving Grace So that a man may bee very finely morall and yet bee without grace Now then if a Minister should content himself with good morall teaching many would goe away and conclude well of their own estates though they have no grace Secondly Morall preaching those that it does hit it does them indeed some good but it does them not the good it never quickens them up unto eternall life it seemeth to civillize their lives and to reforme them a little but it never reneweth them neither does it put them into Jesus Christ Let a Drunkard heare hee is a damned wretch if hee do not give over his drunkennesse if this Sermon hit him what does hee say why then I will bee sober and I will never bee a drunkard more And I can tell you this is very rare too But suppose it bee hee may goe to hell for all this Suppose wee doe make all our people morall which were a fine thing if wee could but grant wee could this does not quicken them together with Christ No no a man must see his vile nature and loathe himself and bee made to deny himselfe to mortifie his carnall reason to put off his corrupt will to feele his cursed condition in himself to bee emptyed of himself that Christ may bee all in all to him that hee may bee led by the Spirit of Christ and guided by the word of Christ that hee may hang onely upon the promises of God in Christ that his minde may bee taken up with Christ and his thoughts and affections daily bee laboured to bee fixed upon the things above none are alive unto God but such Now Morall preaching will never doe this God-forbid I should speak against Morall preaching absolutely or against Morality it self it is a very good thing Who will not commend Abimelech for the integrity of his heart that hee pleaded before God Gen. 20. 5. Yee know how the Lord himself liked of it who will not say but that the young man in the Gospel was a very commendable man that had observed all these from his youth Nay the Text saith That Christ in some sense did love him Mark 10. 21. Daniel told Nebuchadnezzar what an excellent thing Morality was O! saith he If thou wilt break off thy sins and bee righteous hee means Morall righteousnesse towards man if thou wilt shew mercy to the poore it may bee God will lengthen thy tranquillity Dan. 4. 27. The Prophet Esay tell the Moabites what a deale of good they might doe to themselves if they would but bee morally honest saith hee Take Counsell execute Judgement hide the outcasts let mine out-casts bee with thee Esa 16. 3. Q. d. If thou wilt bee kinde and loving to my people thou shalt fare the better When the King of Babylon punished the wickednesse of Tyre the Lord rewarded them very richly for it I have given him the Land of Egypt for his labour saith God because he wrought for mee Ezek. 29. 20. Morall goodnesse is commended of God as well as spirituall goodnesse in Jesus Christ Nay it is needfull that Ministers should insist very much in pressing of morall duties and the godly are to bee willing to hear such Sermons to look to just dealing to Civill honesty to justice between man and man How aboundant is the Scripture in urging this Theme it is thought by some there is no Divinity in this and such a Minister is not deep enough and why does hee stand so much upon such things as these which the light of nature calls for But these doe greatly erre the Holy Ghost is carefull to urge such duties as these to bee honest Walk honestly towards them that are without saith the Apostle 1 Thess 4. 12. Let us walk honestly as in the day saith hee Rom. 13. 13. Provide things honest in the sight of all men Rom. 12. 17. Nay
maintenance that brought him thither His owne conscience told him he was a Hyreling He could not say the Lord brought me hither He came not in by the doore Now every true Minister comes in by the doore into a Parish and therefore he comes in by Jesus Christ Secondly No Minister can be placed in any Parish but by the Bishop of the Diocesse Now Beloved who ever be Christs substitute Christ is the maine Bishop of every Diocesse Christ is the Shepheard and Bishop of our foules 1 Pet. 2. 25. Indeed there be other Bishops under him other Shepheards under him I but he is the great Shepheard of the sheepe Heb. 13. 20. the Arch Shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 5. 4. The chiefe Shepheard When the chiefe Shepheard shall appeare Well if he be the chiefe Shepheard it is fit that he should institute and induct into Pastorall charges It s fit that his word should be followed in every ones comming into a living to go no where but where his word doth allow To take no care of Soules but of such as he commits to our custody All true Ministers are his Curats and therefore if they be not of his placing they came not in right Thirdly If it be he that must pay them their wages then reason good that he should set them on worke If a man thrust himself into a Parish it was not Christ that moved him to come there but forsooth he wanted a Living he would faine have maintenance there is so much Per annum this was his motive Christ never moved him this man can look for no wages from Jesus Christ When he hath gathered in his Tithes or his quarteridge Christ will tell him as he told the foolish Pharisees Ye have the record He that set you on work he wil pay your wages I never set you on work and therefore ye can look for nothing at my hands Certainly if Christ must pay a man his wages good Reason that he should have the putting of a man into this or that Vineyard He called in the Labourers and payd them their wages that gave them their taske Matt. 3. 20. 8. Fourthly How can they looke for his assistance and Blessing if they be not placed by him when the Lord had placed Jeremiah a Prophet in Judah the Lord undertooke to assist him I have made thee this day a defenced City and an iron Pillar and Brazen walles I will be with thee Jere. 1. 18 19. A Minister hath need of Christs assistance where e're he is his Preaching else will doe little good his Sermons will be of no effect Christs assistance and Blessing is all in all Moses prayes for Levi Blesse Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands Deut. 33. 11. No man hath more need of Christs blessing to go along with him then a Minister Now when a Minister is not there where Christ would have him to be How can hee expect that Christs blessing should be with him if he can say Christ would have me here Christ hath placed me here then he may looke for Christs being with him Fifthly what peace of Conscience can they have when they lye on their death-beds except they can comfortably say Lord thou didst place me in this Parish Lord I came in by the doore and by no other way It was not by-ends nor filthy lucre nor gaine as Jeremiah sayes I did not thrust in my selfe to be a Pastor Lord thou madest me a Minister to this Congregation I have faithfully tended those Soules that thou gavest me to feed this is a sweet thing Ye know people are apt to say who sent for you who made you our Minister we will not acknowledge you to be our Minister As Shemaiah said of good Jeremiah Thou hast made thy self a Prophet to this people Jer. 29. 27. Now if Jeremiah had not his own Conscience to prove his Institution from God what a taking had he beene in Sixthly And lastly what comfort else can the people of God have to live under such a mans Ministery unlesse they can say this is my Minister set over me in the Lord This is so needfull that without it he were as good have no Minister at all As the Apostle tells the good people of Colosse Epaphras is for you a faithfull Minister of Christ Col. 1. 7. This is their comfort indeed when they can truely affirme that this man is for us a faithfull Minister of Christ This Minister is our Minister in Christ This is the ground of their Consciences submitting to his Ministery and of their receiving of him as an Embassador from Christ unto them Now when a man is not placed by Christ in a Parish as their Minister what joy can they have to heare him What hope that God will sanctifie his labours among them The use of this is first For us that are Ministers that we looke we be of Christs placing that we may be able to conclude to our people as Paul to the Corinths Though I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtlesse I am an Apostle unto you So that we may be able to conclude to our people doubtlesse I am Christs Minister unto you As our Saviour Christ sayes Who is the faithfull wise Shepheard Whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his houshold Luk. 12. 42. Hath the Lord made us Rulers over his houshold We are all shepheards in such and such Parishes But did the Lord put us there We are Spirituall Rulers over such and such housholds of God but did the Lord make us Rulers over them otherwise we are not Starres in his hands No We are blazing Comets out of his Orb if we be Starres in his hands wee can prove our placing from him Secondly This serves to condemne them that are theeves and intruders into Gods Heritage that never came in by the doore but by some other way that are hirelings and will leave the sheep for their own advantage Gain makes them take livings gain makes them chop and change that never went to Christ for his approbation it is said of the Apostles that the Rulers and Elders perceived that they had been with Jesus Act. 4. 13. Those are Ministers of Parishes indeed that have been with Jesus But these men no man can perceive that ever they have been with Jesus Christ that ever they had any allowance from him and yet they will bee crowding in into Livings But I let this passe Thirdly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then this is of use unto you that have Ministers of Christs placing among you Take heed how ye carry your selves under your Ministery If you doe not obey their Doctrine you sin against Christ O reject not their reproofes put not off the Word of God in their mouthes if ye doe ye doe not put off men but God It was an excellent exhortation of that godly King Jehosaphat Heare me O yee inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem beleeve the Lords Prophets
and ye shall prosper 2 Chron. 20. 20. O if Kings and Princes would do so now call upon people up and down O Sirs beleeve the Lords Prophets and ye shall prosper Ye that have Gods Ministers among you beleeve them may bee when they threaten against all your sinfull courses they tell you of hell and damnation and heaven and salvation ye hardly beleeve any such thing O beleeve them that it may goe well with you Remember they be of Christs placing among you He put them into your Pulpits he gives them the Themes that they preach to you from day to day Beleeve them Fourthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then never complain of gracelesse Ministers O ye have gracelesse Ministers and our Minister is not as he should be he is not a good liver he does not preach to the Conscience People are apt to complaine of Patrons and such and such causes but let mee tell you you murmure against Jesus Christ every Parish in England might have a good and a godly Minister a Minister after Gods own heart for all that I know if they would goe to Jesus Christ he hath the placing of Ministers Now what is the reason that there are no more able worthy Ministers every where Answer Surely if Christ were sought to this would quickly be holpen when Judah had no Ministers in the Captivity their soules starved for want of good feeding thousands perisht and their soules were quite lost for lack of Vision What sayes Christ to them Turn ye backsliding children saith the Lord for I am marryed unto you and I will take you one of a city and two of a Family and I will bring you to Zion And I will give you Pastours according to my heart which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding Jer. 3. 14 15. people are subject to murmure and this is long of such and such that wee have no better Ministers whereas the Truth is it is long of our selves iniquity abounds every where the love of many waxes cold people grow weary of wholsome Doctrine they have itching eares they are full fed any Ministery is good enough for them if a man prophesie of Wine and strong drink hee shall even bee the Prophet of this people Mich. 2. 11. that is any Prophet is good enough for them fitter than a better One that would shew people how to get Bread and Drink and Wine and profits and pleasures People would rather hear such a one preach than to hear of Repentance and Mortification and Faith and Holinesse and the wayes of God they care not for these things The true Preaching of the Word is as contrary to the disposition of men as can be Nothing is more irksome unto them as the Word rightly taught It goes against their lusts it crosses their wicked wills They are weary of it they say unto God depart from us they will not let Christ reigne in their hearts therefore we may rather wonder that there is any good Minister in the Kingdome any where wee are to blesse God and pray for our Governours that wee have any good Ministers at all the truth is wee deserve not any There is so little Religion every where so much hypocrisie so much profession without any power of godlinesse such a deale of vanity and unsoundnesse and hollow-heartednesse nay among such as have gone for good Christians so much falsehood and rottennesse and apostacy to what end should Christ let us have any more Preaching Wee give the world occasion to think that Preaching is the cause of all this wretchednesse What a dishonour is this to Jesus Christ and therefore no marvaile we have no more wee may admire the patience of God that wee have any Fifthly Hath Christ the placing of Ministers then see whether to goe for good Ministers Christ is the generall Patron of all Livings Hee can present whom hee will to a Parish and therefore we should pray unto him When our Saviour Christ preached here and there and saw how the people came out of all Parishes to him it seems though they had Levites in their own Synagogues yet they did not know how to feed their flocks they were as sheep for all them without a shepheard there was hardly ere a good Minister among them all Mark what the Text sayes Jesus had compassion on them because they were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepheard O sayes he Pray yee therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth labourers into his harvest Mat. 9. 38. so much for the first Secondly Now as Christ hath the placing of Ministers so hee hath the continuing of them as long as hee pleases Hee continued the Prophet Isaiah in his Ministery during the Reigne of foure Kings Hee kept the Prophet Hosea in his function during the reign of five Kings though the times were very bad When it was told Christ that Herod sought his life that hee would not onely put him besides his Ministery but also his very life sayes he Goe tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and I doe cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall bee perfect Luk. 13. 32. Christ had his time appointed him by his Father himself and hee would Preach all that time out and all the devills in hell and all his Enemies on earth should not hinder him So Beloved it is with all his Ministers hee hath set them a time and hee hath power to continue them all that time I shall preach to day and to morrow and such a day doe the world what they can they cannot hinder his ministers from preaching till Christ please as hee told his people Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy Teachers bee removed into a corner any more But thine eyes shall see thy Teachers Esa 30. 20. q. d. though thy Ministers have been put by yet I will restore them againe and they shall not be put by any more I have power to continue them as long as I will when he called Noah to preach to the old world he appointed him 120. years and hee continued him all that while whether the wicked world would or no. And the Reason is first because Ministers are his Embassadors Now a King it is in his choyce how long his Embassadors shall lye Lieger in a forain Country he hath so many businesses for them to doe and so long they shall continue there So true ministers are the Embassadors of Christ as the Apostle Paul speaks Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us wee pray you in Christs stead be reconciled unto God 2 Cor. 5. 20. we are Christs Ambassadours and therfore he will continue us as long as he list as long as he hath any busines to doe as long as he hath any soules to save any men or women to reconcile to his father or to build up so
feeth wickednesse also will not he then punish it Job 11. 11. The reasons of this point that God knowes all mens sinnes and sinfull courses hee knowes all that they ever have done or doe doe or will doe or can doe or would doe are First because God is infinite in knowledge as David sayes his understanding is infinite Psal 147. 5 as the Prophet Esay sayes ther 's no searching of his understanding Isa 40. 28. well if he be infinite in Knowledge what can a poore Creature keepe close from him who can hide his iniquities from him who can set such a colour upon his wicked devises that hee can not discover them let a man excuse himselfe may be his excuses may passe currant among men but God must needs know the falsenesse of his excuses and that they are but Fig leaves men may pretend what they will and deny what they will with an impudent forehead and set a good face upon what they will and this may goe unperceived among men but Gods understanding is infinite and therefore hee knowes all that men do he knows how every man stands affected unto him he knows how people come to Church and whether they meane to doe what they have been taught whether they meane to reforme what they have been reproved for for He is infinite in Knowledge and therefore he is privy to all the sins of men Secondly as he is omniscient so he is omnipresent he is present every where whether can any Creature goe from his presence if hee goe into Bed or Chamber or Closet or Street or high way or Alehouse or Drab-house home or abroad hee can go howhere but where God is and how can hee doe ought but God must needs see him God himselfe argues on this manner Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I should not see him 〈◊〉 not I fill Heaven and earth sayth the Lord Jer. 23. 24. qâ—d if I be every where I must needs be able to see every where Thirdly the Lord is omniprovident as I may so speak hee hath a hand either in the making of all things or at least in the permitting and disposing of all things All that is good hee does it himselfe or else it cannot be done All that is evill hee must permit it to be or else it cannot be committed nothing is done without his concurrence or sufferance therefore he must needs know all mens sins he knowes what hee hath suffered to be or does suffer or will suffer not so much as the sinnes of men can fall out without him as Peter speaking of Judas his sinnes and the Iewes and Pilats and Herods they did nothing but what he knew they would doe why they did nothing but what his Hand and Counsell determined before to be done Acts 4. 28. therefore he knew the Jewes would be betray Christ he could tell the Prophet Zachary diverse hundred yeares before that hee would take 30 pieces of Silver to doe it He could tell the Prophet Esay that they would fmite him and buffet him that they would reck on him among transgressors he could tell the Prophet David that they should pierce his hands and his Feet and that they should offer him Vineger to drinke the Lord knew all these sinnes of yours why because hee had decreed them True hee did not decree that hee would make them commit them but he decreed that they themselves should be the agents of them it should be meerly their fault their covetousnes their malice their men-pleasing their wicked disposition I but he ordred these things and therefore he must needs know them The drunkard could not hold up the cup to his mouth if God had not intended to preserve his armes and his mouth at that time hee could not goe to the tipling house but that God intended to continue him his feet and his health no man could thinke a wicked thought nor speake a naughty word but that God upholds his heart and his tongue in the interim if God should forbeare his goodnesse to them he would be speechlesse and not able to thinke so much as any thought at all and this aggravates mans sinnes that hee hath need of Gods goodnesse at the same time and yet that he should sin against his Maker Fourthly the Lord knowes every mans sinnes because he hath a Candle in every mans bosome hee hath made mens hearts on that wise that he hath a Candle in them all Yee know there is a spirit in a man that we call conscience that is Gods Candle as Solomon sayes The spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly Pro. 20. 27. well if he have a Candle shining in every mans bosome what can there be hidden in the darke nay he knoweth mens hearts and wayes better then they knew them themselves as the Physitian can better judge of his Patients body then himselfe Christ knew Peters unbelieving heart when he knew it not himselfe though all men be offended in thee yet will not I Christ knew he would be offended in him that very night so hee knew Hazaels wicked life when the man that owned it would not believe it is thy servant a Dogge sayes he that I should be so wicked yet he knew he would be so wicked and cruell and therefore God can bring to a mans minde a thousand things that he never dreamt of before many a man deceives himselfe all his life time But when hee comes to sicken and die then God shewes him what he is and what he hath done and now he sees he is a damned wretch and yet before though all the Ministers in England had told him so much hee would not have believed it Fifthly he must needs know every mans sins because he is the Judge of all the World and he is to judge every sinner according to his deeds now if hee should not know all his sins he could not judge righteous judgement The Judge must know all secrets otherwise he cannot well judge Now beloved God is a righteous Judge and therefore no sin can scape him God shall bring every work into judgement with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill Eccl. 12. 14. True it is he shall not want witnesses in the day for conscience shall be a thousand witnesses yet it is needfull that himselfe should have perfect knowledge of all the actions of men For why is conscience so ready to accuse a man when it is awakened it is onely because it is conscious that God knoweth all its doings now if God had not perfect knowledge himselfe conscience would not witnesse all then neither could it make a sinner confesse all But Gods knowing all this is it that will make conscience to speake truth The Psalmist being to dispute against a company of Atheisticall people that sayd tush God shall not see Psal 94. 7. marke how hee reasons against them He brings
as though my promises belonged unto you if ye could not doe as I bade you you should not have borne me in hand as though you would now yee have played the Hypocrites and drawne neere to me with your lips and taken my name into your mouthes whereas yee would not be reformed by me What had you to doe with my Covenant that you must needs he medling with it Psalme 50. 16. if yee would not obey it yee should have let it alone so that ye see that to have a naked name to live is an inexcusable thing Seventhly it is an unprofitable thing a naked name will doe us no good when the Jewes trusted in the name that they had O they were the children of Abraham they were Gods onely people they had his Covenant and his Oracles and his Temple O the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord they hoped well haveing thus much to say for themselves but marke what God tels them behold you trust in lying words that cannot profit Jeremy 7. 8. this would not profit them one jot because they did not verifie the name they had So the Galathians they presumed mightily on this that they were Christians as for making good this holy name that they gave no heed to at all they would have the Ceremonies when Paul told them of their faults they would not listen unto him may they counted him their Enemy they would have the Ceremonies of the Law well the Apostle told them plainly that if they would not be ruled their name would doe them no good Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing Galathians 5. 2 q. d. you beare your selves upon Christ and yet will not doe as he would have you doe yee will doe what yee list but let me tell you if yee will not reforme Jesus Christ shall profit you nothing you say you beleive in Jesus Christ I but it shall profit you nothing So when the people there in Isay rested in this they came to Gods house they gave him Sacrifice every morning and evening they did thus and thus and so they had a name for his peculiar people the Prophet assures them this should not profit them one whit I will declare thy righteousnesse and thy workes for they shall not profit thee Isaiah 57. 12. Thou prayest and doest many good duties and so thou getttest thy selfe a name yea but if thou dost not soundly and throughly answer that name God will declare all thy righteousnesse and all thy profession and all thy good duties and none of them all shall profit thee in that day he will declare what rotten things they have been how heartlesse how livelesse how dead-hearted all thy duties have been and they shall doe thee no good and indeed what good can a name doe a man true faith alone does justifie not the name of it true peace of conscience does comfort not the name of it true interest in God gives a man a chearefull accesse to God not the name of it Eighthly it is not onely unprofitable but also it is hurtfull It is hurtfull unto others a bare name I say without substance and truth is hurtfull unto others It is hurtfull unto them that are without for when they see how lazy such as goe for professors be how they have little else in them but talking and professing and prating and hearing otherwise they are as vaine and as covetous and as having as other men no strictnesse no purenesse no holinesse no humblenesse of minde no love no forgiving one another no forbearing one another no brotherly Kindnesse no Union nor Communion no power in their Prayers no gravity non authority in their speeches no Heavenlinesse in their conversation no brokennesse of heart this hardens the hearts of them that are without and makes them all thinke that Religion is a matter of nothing thus they doe a great deale of hurt unto others the professing Wife to the prophane Husband the professing servant to his profane Master the professing Neighbour to his prophane Neighbour whereas if they were godly indeed and humble indeed and as their name does import indeed they would doe a great deale of good but now they doe a great deale of hurt Againe they doe a great deale of hurt unto commers on many a man that is smitten at the Word that begins Reformation and amendement and gives good hopes that hee will come to something in the end when hee lights upon such Sardian Saints that are so in name but there is no life at all in them these put him backe againe and make him set up his staffe before hee sees halfe way like the dead body of Amasa that made the people stand still Againe they doe a great deale of hurt unto the Saints of God sometimes by deceiving of their hearts and cooling of their zeale and fervour or if they cannot doe that then they hate them and prove very shye of them and gird them behinde their backs and doe them much mischiefe as Paul complains hee was in perils among false Brethren 2 Corinthians 11. 26. that is those that had a name to be Brethren in Christ but were not so indeed hee was in perils many times and often by them againe they increase the disgraces and sufferings of Gods true Saints and Children for while they seeme to be Saints good enough themselves the other that are Saints indeede are rejected of all and thought to be besides their wits Againe they do a great deale of hurt to themselves for it had beene better for them they had never had a name then having a name not to be as the name does require The use of this is First let mee tell what use yee must not make of it namely to beate downe the having of a name for all the Lords people should be carefull of having of a name I will give them a name of Sonnes and Daughters nay a better name then so Isaiah 56. 5. yea and the people of God should make conscience of a name before men A good name is betier then pretious Oyntment Eccles 7. 1. and the servants of God have had a name Demetrius had a good report of all men yea of the truth it selfe too and therefore they are blacke mouths of Hell that object against good people that they are Hypocrites they doe thus and thus to have a name This is no newes for the World hath alwayes dealt thus with the Saints in all Ages Paul was counted the great imposter of the World O sayee hee wee are deceivers and yet true 2 Corinthians 6. 8. that is the World gives us a name for deceivers and yet wee are true Yee know what was sayd of Christ Jesus himselfe some sayd of him hee was a good man others sayd nay Hee was a deceiver of the people it was sayd of David that Hee was a subtle man a crafty Fox and that Hee was a meere Polititian it
was Sauls judgement of him Thus the Saints have a nick name put on them the World thinkes they are Hypocrites and that they have sinister ends in what they doe and whereas they make such a shew it is but in Hypocrisy that they may deceive and that they may have a Name for Religious people so that the World would faine put downe the having of a Name But that is a Devillish use wee must not make such a use of this point No the Lord does not finde fault with Sardis for having of a Name that they lived but that they had this Name when as they were dead if they had beene alive the Name to be alive had beene well well then what use must wee make of this point The First Use then is this to shew the misery of the Church of Rome which hath a Name to live and in their owne judgement and a great part of Christendome is the onely true Church but in the judgement of God it is dead and therefore starke naught some say its a body full of diseases and whose throat is cut but yet the heart pants and life is therein But the truth is it s starke dead and hath no manner of spirituall life What though they have the Sacrament of Baptisme so had Edom circumcision and yet they were never counted a Church of God And what 's a Seale to a blanke what though they have the Scriptures among them and the Articles of our Creede that does not make a Church for Ptolomy and all Aegypt had the Bible and yet that did not make them a Church if the Scriptures might have their owne sense it were another matter but they oterturne it with their exposition and make it in their sense to be a fardell of Doctrine of Divels and what though Antichrist bee said to sit in the Temple of God yet his Body is a Synagogue of Satan There is no life in that Church But to come neerer to our selves This may bee said of them of our Churches too and of our Congregations they have onely a Name to live though wee might live well enough for wee have the Doctrine of Life in many places yet in regard of our conversations for the most part wee may say it is but onely a Name For how does sinne reigne among us everywhere Coveteousnesse Profanesse fulnesse of Bread Lust Security as it were in Noahs time deadnesse of heart Formality now where such sinnes doe abound there the power of godlinesse must needs bee away generally our Assemblies content themselves with an outward profession if they goe so farre they have but a Name to live True wee are a Church so was Sardis though shee had hardly any thing but a Name yet shee was a Church as Saint John shewes washed in the Bloud of Jesus Christ Revelations 1. 4 5. for they had a few Names that were so but the body had onely a bare name so it is with us wee are not nullifyed from being a Church for God hath his chosen among us though they bee very few here one and there one that live indeede and in truth yet the Bodies and Bulkes of our Congregations have onely a Name if that no Discipline no good Order no thorough Reformation nay Cages of uncleane Birds nay such as professe better then the multitude little better then titular and morall Christians Nay are not all things almost growne to bee a sole Name What is the Preaching almost but the bare Name of Preaching For conversion of Soules where is it the pulling people out of the Kingdome of Satan where it it a thousand Sermons may be and hardly one wrought upon wee may be sayd to be fishermen but it is turned only into a name for when doe we catch any So for hearing of the Word True it is very common and yet not so common as it ought to bee for many care little whether they heare or no. But that that is there 's hardly ought left but the Name for who heares with trembling who mingles his hearing with faith who drinkes the Word as the Earth doth the Raine who does what hee heares without which all hearing is no better then an empty Name So for comming to the Sacrament is not that made a name too setting a side the Name of a Sacrament now and then what have wee else who feeds upon Jesus Christ who comes to the increasing of his Faith who hath Faith at all that it may bee increased Who comes to it with preparednesse who sits at the Lords Table with a Wedding Garment who goes away nourished up any more unto eternall Life without the which all our Sacraments are but naturall things So for holy Conference unlesse it bee the Name of it what is there of the thing it selfe left may bee a few cursory words of goodnesse before wee part but no quickning of one another up no exhorting of one another no comforting of one another or admonishing one another nay wee are growne to bee ashamed of these duties and for Prayer but that wee take Cushions and fall downe on our Knees and say a company of Confessions and Petitions there is little else done Come wee to the Graces of Gods Holy Spirit without the which a man is Dead in trespasses and in sins c. as Faith Repentance peace of Conscience and Love c. Secondly another use is of terror against us doe wee thinke that the Lord will endure this at our hands Hee hath endured it too too long but Hee will not suffer it alwayes Hee hath a Spirituall thunder-clappe that Hee lets slye against this sinne The vile person shall bee no more called liberall nor the Churle bee said to bee bountifull Isaiah 32. 5. That is the Lord will unmaske all such persons Hee will plucke of all their Names and they shall have a Name fit for their natures and Hee will doe this First in their owne Consciences if wee will not bee awakened to bee as wee have a Name to bee the LORD will make our owne Consciences to call us Reprobates as wee are and then what will our Name doe us good when our owne Consciences shall tell us wee are naught and condemne us in our Bosomes what shall wee bee the better for our Neighbours judging well of us Our Neighbours may bee thinke wee Pray well what a poore thing is this when Conscience shall say no our Neighbours may hope wee stand upon good ground when Conscience shall say no Men call us godly and Conscience shall say nay but yee are not What a shame was it to the Iewes when they were convicted by their owne Consciences Joh. 8. 9. It is not the Name of joy and holinesse that will give their Consciences true Peace no no Conscience knowes another name is sit for us Unbeliefe and Ungodlinesse and Hardnesse of Heart Secondly againe Hee will doe it in the judgement of others if wee rest in a Name the Lord will
dead Ministry God seldom goes along with it nay that 's the life of a Ministry when the Minister seekes God to goe along with him now a dead Ministry God goes not along with it a lively Ministery Christ goes along with it So I am with you to the end of the world Matth. 28. 20. if there be any of Christs sheep in the parish a lively Ministery does assuredly one time or other finde them out those that are not Christ his sheep a lively Ministry hewes them all downe slayes all their Souls ripens them apace for hell and for the pit But a dead Ministry the Lord does not goe along with that the Lord does not Crowne it Fifthly a dead Ministry prophanes the word of God it makes it seeme nothing worth it does not hold forth the glory of the Lord nay it hides it keeps it from being seen either by dwelling upon Generals and what 's that but hiding for people will confesse the word in generall they see it the generall all their blindnesse is in particulars there they slip away like Fish out of a broad Net or else by delivering it so coldly that people think it no great matter a lively Ministry holds forth it lets out God into the conscience it gives people to understand they come upon life and death it makes people looke about them it makes people consider all that ever they have done it slashes the word of God into their hearts as a light to discover all their wayes it gives them a view of their Christian estate either one way or other as it is said of Pauls Ministry The word of the Lord was glorified by it Act. 13. 48. But a dead Ministry prophanes it it vailes the glory of it it lets people sit quiet under it it diseases no sinner where as if it glorified Gods word it would either trouble them or turne them The use of this is first here we see the reason why a dead Ministry is not houted at but applauded in the world why it is as good as no Ministry at all it does not make the devill roar it lets people sleep in their sins whereas a lively Ministry can hardly come into a pulpit but presently he is halfe a martyr Briers and Thornes were with Ezechiel Ezek. 2. 6. lively Ministers cannot give the world any good content they fought against Jeremy they played the wolves against the Apostles of Jesus Iohn the Baptist was counted too sterne and austere and Luther sayes it is impossible for a man to be a true lively preacher of Gods word and not be persecuted there 's an utter antipathy between the world and such a one the world and such a Minister can no better agree together then light and darknesse such a Ministry stands in the worlds light it makes the world see their works are evill it detects it shames it opposes their sinnes that the world tumbles in as Christ sayes I have given them thy word and the world hates them because they are not of the world Joh. 17. 14 therefore there cannot be a lively Ministry any where but the world hath a sling at it but now let a man have a dead Ministry that 's let alone that may stand long enough that never comes home to men to shew them their ill estates the devils dawbers the devils upholsters that doe not pluck mens pillowes away from under their arme-holes that deale gently with men and they may do what they list for all them these are the worlds minions and applauded at all hands what a thing is this whereas a dead Ministry is the undoing of mens soules it lets men perish and never drawes them back Secondly this may serve to reprove us that are the Ministers of Jesus Christ I desire to speak to my self especially that we are no more lively in our Ministry that our Ministry hath no more edge upon it to enter into this horny thick skin age we complaine of much deadnesse now a dayes alack how if we be found guilty of it that we preach no more quickningly I confesse blessed be God we have so much lively preaching left yet among us that woe be to them that are dead and have to grace of life But O that our Ministry had more lively-hood in it that it were more exciting and provoking Is the Apostles of Christ complained of dull hearers Heb. 5. 11. how many dull hearers have we why then shall we make our soules guilty of their dulnesse the deader people be we had need to be the quicker in our Ministry or else we cannot say we are pure from their blood don't we see how many people are very neer the Children of wrath how they cannot be saved except they be justified and sanctified in Jesus Christ how few are so how hard a thing it is to awaken mens hearts nay the world and the cares of this life carry their minds quite and cleane away how scarce any almost seriously consider their latter end don 't we see how the devill tempts how the flesh and the world reigne in most and how little religion we have up and down the Saints scarce the wicked many times very bad the shortnesse of life the irrecoverable estate after death the immortality of the soule the paines of hell and the joyes of heaven and how that without holinesse no man shall see God how should we bestirre our selves to beat these truths into mens minds that they may be bethinke themselves and flee from the wrath to come The cold preaching of such weighty things cleane cozens the world so that they hardly conceive any great matter in the businesse live and dye perish for ever in their sinnes and we give them such faint warnings that no wonder so few do take any warning we found the trumpet too too low that scarce any almost prepare themselves we come into the pulpit but we doe little or no thing there may be we preach good doctrine but we doe not presse it to the quick that the conscience may feele we doe not bleed for our peoples security and though they do not heare how little does our soul weep in secret or melt in publik Bucolcerus that admirable lively preacher was wont to say that a Minister should preach flebiliter obsecratorie anxie humiliter expectore cum gemitu that is a Minister should preach mournfully over peoples soules beseechingly anxiously humbly heartily groningly as it is said of our Saviour Christ he groned for the peoples unbeliefe now when our Ministry is deadish as though we cared not much whether people doe our doctrine or no whether they be damned or no this is a lamentable thing The poore soules of our hearers may say to us as the disciples of Christ said to Christ and more justly they said it unjustly to him Master carest thou not that we perish Mark 4. 38. he was asleep and they awakened him Master carest thou not that we
too too low that scarce any almost prepare themselves we preach as though we did not care much whether our people be damned or no this is a lamentable thing people may say to us as the disciples said to Christ they said it unjustly to Christ but our people may say it justly to us Master carest thou not that we perish Mark 4. 38. he was asleep and they awakened him Master carest thou not c. O Sirs don't you care that we perish awaken awaken don't you see how dead we are how hearned how Ignorant of God how emptie of grace how backward to that which is good how prone to lose our soules and don 't you care that we perish why don't you labour more to quicken us and move us why don't you rub us and pull us and prick us and drive us out of our security Thirdly another use is that we labour for a quickning Ministrie This is the end of all true Ministers preaching that they may bring life into their hearers hearts as the Prophet saies heare and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. wherefore else doe we preach but that the dead may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live people are alive to that which they should be dead unto and dead to that which they should be alive unto dead to God and all goodnesse dead to reformation and amendment dead to Prayer and the communion of the Saints dead to holy conference and meditation and what ever else may doe your soules good now wherefore doe we preach if not to quicken up your hearts that your hearts may live for ever are we not sowers of seed why then we should most labour so to plow and harrow and till the ground that our seed may quicken Fourthly now another use is how to get a Ministrie to be quickening First let us consider the worth of a soule our Saviour Christ saies it s of more worth then the whole world Matth 16. 26. if one soule be of such worth O then what is the worth of so many soules as God hath given us the charge of wherefore doe we stirre up our selves no more in our Ministrie its a plaine signe we don't consider the worth of soules that we have the care of the blood of the Sonne of God was shed for them O if we would but consider this this mought whet us up if by any meanes we might gaine some soules to Gods heavenly Kingdome Secondly as we must consider the worth of the soules of our people so we must get bowels to tender their soules The Apostle Paul sayes he had the bowels of a Father towards the soules of the Thessalonians you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father thes his Children 1 Thess 2. 11. nay as a Mother to the Babe of her womb nay sayes he we were ready not onely to impart the Gospell of God to you but also even our owne soules because ye are deare to us as it is there in verse 8. Is a Father dead-hearted toward his deare childe or a kinde Mother toward her deare babe no if we were set to doe our people good if our bowels did yearn after their everlasting good it would appeare in every Sermon we make yea it would appear in our delivery in our faces in our carriages in our earnest endeavour for their comfort the earnestnes of a true Ministers preaching Saint Iude compares to the snatching of a childe that is fallen into the fire other some with feare plucking them out of the fire Iude. 23. if we did see our poore children fallen into the fire how would we bestirre our selves quickly to pluck them out againe would we goe about it coldly nay would we not runne and snatch and pull and cry out and alas my poore childe nay we would schriek out O woe is me my childe will be burnt O how our bowels would yearne so we should doe to our people this would quicken our Ministry and so I full upon a third Thirdly then as we should dearely love our peoples soules so we should be pitious and affectionate towards them we should let them see how we pity their condition we don't onely tell them their sins and threaten against them the Judgements but with pity and compassion lamenting their condition as Ieremy said O my howels my homels I am pained even at the very heart Jer. 4. 19. we should not mouth hell and damnation and roare out against their sinnes in a stirdy manner as if we had Iron sides but in a relenting pittious wise bewayling their case Preaching sometimes is called lamentation in Scripture take up alamentation for the Princes of Israel Ezek. 19. 1. that is goe and preach to them this is to quicken in our Ministry may be people now will say what a beast am I how does our Minister pity us he mournes over us and bewayles us what a wretch am I that I doe not bewayle mine owne miserable condition O beloved what a wofull thing is it that any of us should perish to be damned for ever in hell to lye in everlasting burnings what a pity is this Is it not much better we should embrace the good word of God repent and beleeve and take up Christs Yoke and to be willing to do any thing to part with any thing then to lie by it for ever in the paines of hell for the pleasures of sinne for a season alas brethren it is for want of bowels that we doe no more good O we should fling our hearts among you as was said of that good Bishop the People said of him he flung his very heart among them so should we doe we should even melt over you the Lord give us tender bowels for you this is a quickening Ministry Fourthly We should worry our people out of their sinnes we should not let our people be quiet in any of their sinfull courses we should daily labour to disease them to make them set upon thornes as is said of the two witnesses they tormented the earth Rev. 11. 10. so we should torment and vex guilty consciences gall them and peirce them and make our Sermons haunt them we should be eager and earnest with them to let goe their sinnes we should be like the importunate widdow that would have justice she would never let the Judge be quiet for her as God sayes there returne returne O Shulamite returne returne compell them to come in Luke 14. 23. repent repent O wretch repent repent O doe not goe on thou'lt perish turne back turne back thou 'lt be in hell in a moment else it is not enough to deliver a good doctrine and then to say thus and thus ye are guilty of sinning against this good doctrine but we should labour to lay it home and to impose it firmly on their conscience to haunt them with the danger O how dull and blockish and secure in their heart
no worke and no devise and no wisdome and no purpose in the grave whether thou goest that is when men are dead then they can doe nothing so it is here as long as we are dead we can doe nothing True because we have the life of sense and of nature and of a naturall conscience in us we may counterfeit good workes as a painter may make a man True he cannot make a living man so as long as we are dead-hearted we doe but paint out good duties before God all our Prayers are but painted prayers all the good workes we doe are but paint there 's none of them to the life as God sayes of the Jewes you will say they did very many good workes they fasted and prayed and sacrificed and many other things they did But what sayes God they are vanity their workes are nothing Isa 41. 29. as a dead Corps there be eyes and nostrils and eares and mouth But when the life is out they are as good as nothing so it is with a dead heart we may thinke we preach much and study much and heare much and professe much and doe much the truth is we doe nothing Secondly all that we doe with a dead heart it does not please God God sayes my Son give me thy heart Prov. 23. 26. ye know the heart that is primum vivens that's the first living thing in us now if we give God never so many performances yet if all our heart be not with them what cares he for them all when they are a company of heartlesse things when the Apostle had said that to be fleshly minded is death by and by he concludes so then sayes he they that are in the flesh cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. would that please any of us that one should come and rake up a dead stinking carcase and lay it before us no more can it please God to lay a dead duty before his heavenly Majesty ye know a dead carion it is loathsome as long as life remaines in it that 's a sweet thing and it preserves it from stinking and therefore the heathens called the soule the salt of every living thing because the life is a preserving thing it preserves a thing sweet but when the life is gone out presently it becomes odious so is all that we doe when we doe it with a dead heart it is odious with God it cannot be accepted of him as the Apostle Peter speakes Ye also as lively stones are built up a spirituall house a holy Priesthood to offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 5. that is the Apostle had compared true Christians unto stones now he correcteth himselfe did I call true Christians stones I pray doe not mistake me I doe not meane for deadnesse but for firmenesse a stone is a dead livelesse thing O sayes he ye must be stones I but ye must take heed of deadnesse ye must be lively otherwise ye cannot offer acceptable sacrifices unto God this is even as if a Jew should have taken a dead sheep out of a dich and laid it on Gods Altar This is abomination to God even so are dead doings to Almighty God as Vinagar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes so is a sluggard to him that sends him Prov. 10. 26. that is when a Master sends a servant on his errand if he goe dully about it even as if he had no life nor heart in him at all to doe his Masters businesse this will not please him nay it will offend him as smoke does the eyes or as Vinegar does the teeth it will make him looke with a sowre looke upon such a servant so beloved when God bids us serve him in all our wayes may be we are not so grosse as not to goe about it at all But we goe about it with a dull and a dead heart this does not please God one whit nay he takes it ill that we should thinke he will accept it at our hands as when the Jews had no heart to Gods holy and pure worship it was too chargeable to them it put them to too much charges what a whole sheep and a whole lamb every morning besides many whole ones at other times whole Bullocks whole Oxen and whole Goates this was even as death to them they went up to Gods Temple with a dead heart nay they thought much to give him of the best they gave him the torne the maimed now mark what he says should I accept this at your hand saith the Lord Malac. 1. 13. He took it ill they should thinke he would accept it so when we thinke much to be so precise and so strict to pray so much to heare so much to minde him so much and to deny our selves so much to watch so much over our hearts to humble our selves so much what may we not keep one lust may we have no more liberty then so may be we doe some thing this way but God knowes how with a dead heart it is the Lord takes it ill that we should hope he will accept this at our hands Thirdly all that we doe with a dead heart it cannot yeeld us any comfort true if we were quickened up towards God if we served God with all our heart and soule and life this would comfort us indeed to seeke him daily in a lively manner to goe into his presence with all our minde if we went eagerly a dayes to the throne of grace if we were earnest in prayer earnest against sinne earnest for all goodnesse this were a signe of his favour and a Testimony of the true grace of life this would comfort our hearts exceedingly this would breed peace in our conscience as the Apostle speakes To be spiritually minded is life and Peace Rom. 8. 6. there 's life and therefore there is peace The reason is thus because lively works alone can truely pacifie conscience when a man hath beene a professour all his dayes and done never so many things yet if the conscience can say yea but all these are dead workes all this while I have gone on with a dead-heart this fowles the conscience it can never have true peace How much more shall the blood of Christ purge your conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Heb. 9. 14. it shall purge the conscience from dead workes dead workes foule the conscience whether they be dead for matter or manner sinne is a dead worke for matter and good duties heartlessely done are dead workes for manner now both fowle the conscience the conscience remaines under guilt continues without peace it is an ill conscience why because the conscience knowes it hath the living God to serve that will not like of such workes when a man payes in his rents onely by halves or by dribblets or with light money the Kings receiver will not give him an acquittance my brethren conscience is Gods receiver no wonder it does not
Sarahs wombe is said to be dead he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs womb Rom. 4. 19. that is her womb had no activity to conceive now when a wombe is active this way then we say it is quick so a coale that hath sire in it is said to be a live coale There flew one of the Seraphins having a live coale in his hand Isa 6. 6. we call it alive coale because it is active it is able to burne whereas if that fire were out then it were not able to burne and therefore then we call it a dead coale so when a man is active towards God Take him in prayer there he can act now take him in selfe deniall in reconciling of himselfe in humbling of the heart in mourning for sinne in hungering after righteousnesse even as a man does after his appointed food take him in any of the things of God though he were like a dead coale afore yet here he can act now now he can move this way when one is like a block in good duties that man is dead we call moving things living things Every moving thing that liveth Gen. 9. 3. when a thing cannot stirre that we call dead when a man is not stirring in heavenly things he is stirring enough in earthly but he cannot stir in heavenly things that man is a dead Christian though he professe never so much yet if he be not stirring towards God from day to day he is dead I thinke it meet to stirre you up sayes Saint Peter 2 Pet. 1. 13. that is I think it meet to quicken you up Now beloved this being so if ye would know what it is to be alive towards God let us but finde out a little what is the life of a man First what is the life of a mans understanding people thinke that bare knowledge is and approving of Gods wayes and thinking of them now and then they thinke this is the life of their understandings But you shall see these are not it therefore we will search out what is the life of the understanding Secondly what is the life of the will or of the heart people are apt to thinke that wishings and wouldings and velleities if they have some volitions towards God and all holy courses they thinke their wills are alive no these are not it therefore we will search too wherein the life of the will does consist Thirdly what is the life of the conscience people generally doe conceive that if their consciences doe check them for their sinnes and smite them for evill and excuse them in other things that are good then their conscience is alive now we desire to enquire what is the life of the conscience indeed Fourthly what is the life of the affections I gave you a touch of these when I shewed you what it is to be dead now let me speake of them more fully to shew you what it is to be alive For the first what is the life of the understanding ye know there be many things in the understanding knowing approving studying determining now the world thinks that when the understanding is so far wrought upon as to know Christian religion to approve it to study it to determine aright upon things evill things to be evill good things to be good duties to be duties sins to be sins now they suppose their understandings are alive But the truth is none of all these are the life of your understandings The understanding hath another life besides these The understanding may have all these and be dead As first for knowledge I need not stand to prove that the dead Heathens the Apostle sayes they knew God when they knew God they glorified him not as God Rom 1. 21. knowledge is not enough as cur Saviour Christ speakes is ye knew these things blessed are ye if ye doe them Joh. 13. 17. nay literall knowledge does not so much as give them understanding true light much lesse life a great learned divine that is wicked his understanding is still in darknesse nay it may leave him more dead then those that are groslely Ignorant as the Prophet sayes of them that had knowledge I will get me to the great men for they have knowne the way of the Lord but these have altogether broken the Yoke Jer. 5. 5. they were more dead their hearts were more averse from all goodnesse Bare knowledge is a poore thing and yet people are apt to glory in it the Apostle makes a pish at it we know we have all knowledge 1 Cor. 8. 1. q. d. is that such a peece of matter never tell me of your knowledge I know ye all have knowledge but that 's a poore thing nay the greater is thy woe if thou hast not a quickened mind as Solomon sayes he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow Eccl. 1. 18. thou increasest thine owne selfe condemning the more thou hast the greater knowledge in thy Bosome thou knowest the more thou feest to condemne thee thy knowledge is like a sword in thy bowels that daily galls thee and wounds thee and therefore little reason to thinke that knowledge is the life of the minde it is not so much as the light of the minde take heed sayes our Saviour that the light that is in thee be not darknesse Luk. 11. 35. that is thou mayst have a great deale of light and yet be in darkenesse nay in worse darknesse then Ignorant blinde people that have no light at all if the light that is in thee be darknesse how great is that darknesse Matth. 6. 23. such people are more senselesse at the word harder to be wrought on they have the more distinctions to deceive their owne soules they thinke to well of themselves they are too wise to be fooles that they may be wise they are farther of from confession if they had lesse knowledge it may be there might be more hope to doe them good But having so much knowledge in a carnall minde it is made a strong hold against grace it is with such people as it was with Babylon thy wisedome and thy knowledge hath perverted thee Isa 47. 10. true knowledge is a good thing but when a man is fleshed with it that he takes himselfe to be some body this marres all but I will speake no more of this Secondly for approving of the truth that cannot be the life of the minde neither when a man approves goodnesse and good people this indeed is an excellent mercy of God to make a man approve goodnesse and good men O how are such bound to be thankfull few goe so farre But alas if thou goest no farther thy minde is not yet quickened up to God as the Apostle shewes that a man dead in his sinnes still may yet approve the best things Thou knowest his will and approvest the things that are most excellent Rom. 2. 18. Herod approved Iohn the Baptist and his preaching Achish King of Gath approved David and all
may urge one to good things and no question but many of you that are yet in your sinnes have found this to be true how often have your consciences urged you to give over your sinnes to looke after the getting of Christ to lead a godly life how many heaves have your consciences given at you to hoyse you up out of the state ye wallow in to make you more earnest for heaven more strict in your walking to provide for your latter end when ye are at Prayer how often does it urge you to dwell longer at it As it is said of Doeg he was detained before the Lord 1 Sam. 21. 7. he was held there he would have gone away afore but he was held now what should that be but his conscience his conscience urged him to stay long so your consciences urge you to be more attentive in hearing more mindfull of preaching more humble in your mindes lesse worldly more heavenly you may thinke this is a lively conscience no no it is not the truth is the more your consciences doe urge you a dayes the greater is your sin if ye yeeld not But this is so farre from life that it argues you to be the more dead if ye doe not obey and urging conscience is a great blessing I if men have eyes to see what the Lord does for them to deliver their soules from the pit This is the taking of men by the shoulders now if thou pull away thy shoulder They refused to hearken and pull'd away their shoulder Zach. 7. 11. that is the Lord set conscience upon them and urged them to obey as if a man should take another by the shoulder so dragge him and hale him and yet they would not So when Paul spake to Agrippa he felt an urging in his conscience O let me be a Christian and he confest as much two Paul almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian it was almost done he had a great heave he was urged But it would not doe so that this is no argument of life neither Fifthly conscience somewhat awakened may be very eager in urging it may be very importunate every day digging in his sides every day whispering in his bosome O thinke of God O consider thy soule O remember death conscience may be earnest and wonderfull eager with a man O doe not live as thou doest O be not so carelesse of God what wilt thou dye and be damned wilt thou to hell wilt thou never have done away with thy sinnefull courses away with thy dreamings O be stirre thy selfe or thou wilt perish such a conscience had Pilat about Christ it was eager with him not to condemne him This conscience is an admirable blessing woe be to those that stand out against it it is like Iacob with the Angell He would not let the Angell goe till he blest him Gen. 32. 26. like the man that was importunate with his friend and knockt and knockt and would have no nay Luk. 11. 8. I am in bed never tell me of your being in bed I pray let me have three loaves my children are in bed I pray trouble me not that is all one still he knocks he will have him up so when conscience is thus awakened and is importunate and will not be answered c. many a wretch hath such an impudent conscience as this But this is so farre from an argument of life as that it is a signe of a greater death Sixthly conscience somewhat awakened may prevaile very farre by its eagernesse it made the King of Iury doe many things it made the Heathens doe the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14 15. when the Pharisees came to tempt Christ with the woman taken in adultery conscience made them cease and goe out one by one Joh. 8. 9. it made Paul live so unblameably as he did ye know concerning the righteousnesse that is in the Law he was blamelesse Phil. 3. 6. now if ye looke into the 23. of the Acts and the first you shall see it was his conscience that made him doe so men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day as since his conversion his sanctified conscience made him live godlily in Christ so before his conversion his naturall conscience holpen by good education made him live unblameably so that what with one and with the other he could say he had lived in a good conscience to that day that is either morally good or spiritually good And therefore it was conscience that made him doe all that he did people thinke I indeed if they did good duties for outward by respects then they should thinke they were unsound but conscience sets them a worke and therefore they gather they are sound and alive towards God no beloved conscience may make a carnall man goe against all outward by-respects and doe very good dutie this we see in Balaam he went against all outward selfe respects and followed conscience for a house full of Silver and Gold he would not goe beyond the word of the Lord to doe lesse or more Num. 22. 18. so Iudas went against his credit and his profit and all ye know when his conscience told him the money was unjustly taken he went and threw it downe so did Michah the man was an Idolater and had stollen 1100 Peeces of Silver from his Master yet when he heard his mother curse he restored all againe O thought he what shall I heare my mother curse his conscience rose up against that and made him make restitution why doe carnall men pray in secret no question but it is conscience that makes them may be when they are tempted to a sinne in secret they will not doe it and it is the conscience that with holds them in this sense they doe good duties out of conscience now is this Conscience alive no it does not follow ye see this may be in naturall men and women Seventhly conscience somewhat awakened may make one looke at God so farre as it prevailes you may see this in Laban the man was a wicked man yet he lookt at God in not hurting of Jacob though it were in the choyse of his hand yet he would not hurt Jacob and he lookt at God in the thing O sayes his conscience the God of your Father spake to me yesternight Gen. 31. 29. he abstained from hurting of Iacob and he lookt at God in the abstaining from it Because God had forbidden him therefore he will not hurt him so it was with King Cyrus he was a naturall man too yet when he tooke order for the building of the Temple at Ierusalem his conscience made him look at God in the thing O sayes he the Lord God of Heaven and earth hath charged me to build him a house Ezek. 1. 2. so when Jehu destroyed Ahabs house and Baals Priests he himselfe sayes how he lookt at God in the thing come see how zealous I am for
pleasing in his eyes though it may be people doe not feele this same feare as long as they are well and lusty but let but conscience be awakened or let death seize upon them then a feare will appeare O how afraid are they to goe before God But let a man have such a living conscience as this this gives a man boldnesse The righteous are as bold as a Lyon Prov. 18. 1. thy conscience is an admirable thing without this all a mans boldnesse is nothing Thou maist hold up thy head very high and out face all the world for a time as bold as can be tush thou art well thought of among all thy neighbours but what sayes thy conscience if that cannot say thou art a gracious man I tell thee thou canst have no boldnesse But now if thou hast this same living conscience now thou maist be as bold as a Lyon though the world doe accuse thee yet what sayes thy conscience if that excuse thee thou maist shew thy face where thousands shall be confounded when Austin was accused by Secundinus to have come from the Maniehees for feare of losse and for hope of preferment he comforted himselfe with his conscience I esteeme not sayes he what Secundinus thinkes of me so long as my conscience approves me before God so also Paul when the false Apostles accused him O sayes he it is a very small thing with me that I should be judged of you 1 Cor. 4. 3. Thus ye see for good what is the livingnesse of conscience towards good This is the second thing Thirdly now about Poth both sinne and goodnesse when is the conscience alive about both namely when it does instruct a man and not onely so but it guides a man to shun the one and to imbrace the other This is a living conscience indeed when it is a mans privy counsell from day to day This is a Divine Counsell it s like a little privy Counseller in a Childe of Gods bosome that the Lord in mercy hath placed there to direct him as David sayes I will blesse the Lord for giving me Counsell my reines instruct me in the night seasons Psal 16. 7. By his reines he meaneth his conscience now that did instruct him not onely in the day time but also in the night if he were tempted to sinne his conscience instructed him nay I must not yeeld to that if he found himselfe backward to any good duty nay still his conscience advised him nay I must be forward to that I confesse a dead conscience may give admirable counsell and Instruction to the wicked I their conscience proves it unto them But it does not do its duty for it does not make them to doe theirs Thus ye see what a living conscience is when it so does its duty that it makes us to doe ours But it may be humbled conscience is paedagogus animae it is the soules Schoole Master as Origen cals it now a Schoole-Master may doe his duty though he doe not make his Scholler doe his for if he be diligent in teaching and doing of his office the Scholer may be a dunce for all him the best Schoole-Master may have a block head and a dunce in his Schoole I answer the reason is not alike First a Schoole-master teacheth another But conscience is a Schoole-Master not to another but to a mans selfe and therefore if the conscience doe its duty indeed it must needs make the man to doe his because his conscience is a Schoole-Master to himselfe Secondly againe a Schoole-Master is not alwayes by his Scholer sometimes his back is turned but conscience is ever by a man and therefore if it did alwayes doe its duty it might make the man to doe his Againe Thirdly a Schoole-Master it may be his Scholer is duller then himselfe and then though himselfe be never so learned yet he cannot put his learning into his Scholer But it is not so here here the Scholer and the Schoole-Master is all one one is no more dull then another for looke how dull the one so dull the other look how active the one is so active is the other because conscience and the man is all one it is very true the conscience by accusation is eagerer then the man for God may take a dead conscience and sur it exceedingly and he does so ordinarily in men but these stirrings of conscience are none of consciences stirring but Gods my spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Gen. 6. 3. they are his strivings with men But the consciences own quick enings and the mans are all one you will say how shall I know whether the quickening that is in my conscience be my consciences or onely the Lords stirring in my conscience I answer First when thou art glad that thy conscience is so busie with thee it is very welcome unto thee then the Lord hath made thy conscience alive then God does not onely strive in thy conscience but thy conscience it selfe is alive as we see there in David I will blesse the Lord for giving me counsell my reines doe instruct me Psal 16. 7. when his conscience did instruct him he was glad of it he blest the Lord for it his conscience was alive But now in a wicked heart the more his conscience accuses and condemnes and checks the more buisie it is with him the more unwelcome it is and therefore he labours to still it may be he will stop it with some thing may be some little reformation for the time may be with Prayer or some yeeldings thereunto nay there be some labour to drown it out right they will goe to the Ale-house or to Cards or among their boone companions and so shake of those dumps therefore my Brethren if ye would have a signe that your conscience is alive be glad at its dictates give them all their deare intertainement ye can Blesse the Lord for them and make very much of such they are the sweet motions of Gods holy spirit quench them not doe not stop the mouth of them by halfe payments let them have their full sway Secondly when thou callest upon thy conscience to be buisie when thou usest to stirre up conscience every day wind it up as a man does his Clock that it may be in continuall motion So the Prophet did Why art thou so heavy O my soule why art thou so disquieted within me hope thou in God Psal 42. 11. marke he took his conscience and stir'd up himselfe with it a wicked man does not thus his conscience comes before it is sent for it is like an unbidden guest And therefore if thou wouldst know whether thy conscience be alive doe but consider whether this be thy course if thou doest daily awaken thy conscience if thou doest set it a worke this is a signe of life in it as Paul did here in doe I exercise my selfe that I may have a good conscience voyd of offence Act. 24. 16. He laboured