totall in all parts here is a new Creature 2. Cor. 5.17 as the old nature is a Leprosie spred ouer all parts This Creation is a renouation of the whole soule and man which for this worke absolutely depends on the Creator as euery creature doth And then God createth a good and honest heart 1. When the holy Ghost creates in the soule sauing faith by which a man is vnited as a member of Christ to the Head and applyeth to himselfe Christs righteousnesse For thus Faith is said to purifie the heart Act. 15.9 2. When the same Spirit inwardly mortifieth all corruptions in the soule minde will and affections and putteth in stead of them holy desires and good motions and renueth in the heart daily the Image of God which is the goodnesse and honesty of it Thirdly there must be the grace of heauenly Influence and Irrigation No ground can be good which hath not a fauourable aspect from the heauens so as both the shine of the Sunne and the showres and dewes of heauen may cherish and water it So our hearts are made good when the heauens answere the earth Hos. 2.21 that is 1. When Christ the Sunne of righteousnesse darteth the beames of his grace and fauour daily vpon our hearts to inlighten them with sauing knowledge and to warme and cherish them with influence of grace without whom wee can doe nothing nor haue any life in vs. 2. When the ground of our hearts is daily mollified and moystened by a three-fold moysture First of the blood of Christ daily sprinkled and applyed to the conscience For as the blood of beasts applyed to the roots of trees makes them more fruitfull so the blood of this Immaculate Lambe sprinkled on the roots of our hearts makes vs fruitfull Christians Secondly by the moysture of the Word of grace which as the raine from the clouds is euery way beneficiall to the ground of our hearts to mollifie them and keep them in fitnesse vnto fruitfulnes Ier. 31.33 God makes our hearts good by writing his Law therein Thirdly by the moysture of the Spirit of grace whose worke alone it is to apply y e two former namely the vertue of Christs blood and the power of the Word to the conscience for the clensing of the hart By which worke of his the heart of a dead and barren heart becomes more fruitfull than euer Egypt did by the inundation of Nilus But because all this grace of Action is imperfect in this life therefore that our hearts may become truly good and honest there needs also the grace of Acceptation The best ground is good but in part and No man can say his heart is cleane but much euill and guile will cleaue vnto it Yet where God hath begun a good worke and beholds a constant purpose of good resoluing against all sinne and to please him in all things he is pleased to behold onely the worke of his owne finger and to see vs onely in our Head in whom he beholds vs all faire and good imputing his goodnesse to vs and couering our remainders of euill in him Thus hee esteemed Nathaniel in whom great weaknesse appeared a true Israelite in whom was no guile Ioh. 1.47 that is none raigning none imputed And so hee esteemes vs also according to that we are comming vnto and shall attaine not by that we haue attained These are the Meanes whereby our hearts become good Now of the Markes whereby they may be knowne so to be And here because the heart of man is deceitfull aboue all things and euery one challengeth to himselfe a good heart which yet is giuen but to a few scarce a fourth part and a better gift is not giuen by God to the sonnes of men therefore wee will insist the longer to anatomize a good heart and discouer the seuerall passages and signes of it which in euery thing will discouer it selfe one way or other Turne it any way you will it is good and honest These Markes because they are many wee will in generall reduce them to seuen heads and consider this good heart 1. In respect of God 2. Christ 3. The Spirit of God 4. The Ordinances of God 5. It selfe 6. Good duties 7. Sinne and euill I. In respect of God it hath fiue excellent properties First it desires neerer vnion with God daily and all things shall set it neerer vnto God For it knowes that euery thing is so much the more good as it approcheth vnto the chiefe Good Dauids heart was a good heart and herein the goodnesse of it bewrayed it selfe Psalm 73.28 It is good for me to draw neere vnto God Whereas an euill heart flyes from God and keepes aloofe from him euen when it drawes neerest him in his worship Esa. 29.13 Secondly if it seeke God it will seeke him with the whole heart Psal. 119.10 which is a sound conformity of the inward and outward man directed in the seruice of God according to the truth of his Word And because it is hearty hee will vphold the worship of God and seeke him at all times morning and euening on weeke-dayes as well as on the Sabbaths out of Lent as deuoutly as in Lent not only when he is sicke but when he is well In all places in his owne house as well as in Gods House like Moses who was the same in Pharaohs Court as among Gods afflicted people In all companies a good heart is euer like it selfe and stands to God with whomsoeuer it conuerseth Paul is a good Confessor and Christian not only among the Disciples but euen those that count Religion heresie Act. 24.14 Nay it seeketh and serueth God alone if it can get no company as Ioshua c. 24.15 Whereas a bad heart doubleth with God and diuides it selfe betweene God and Mammon It can pretend seruice to Christ and blanch with Antichrist as those Samaritans that feared the god of the countrey because of the Lions and the God of the nations 2. King 17.33 It cannot pray at all times Iob. 27.7 but in affliction diligently Hos. 5.15 nor in all places neuer so kindly as when it stumbles into a Church as the Samaritans thought God would onely be worshipped in the mountaine It can frame and sort it selfe to all companies entertaine all practices either of Protestants or Papists please the most profane speake for and against good men and good things as the occasion serues Thirdly a good heart will onely and wholly stand to Gods approbation in that it doth or doth not Thus farre it lookes to men 1. To walke innocently and cut off occasion of scandall 2. To please his neighbour in that which is good Rom. 15.2 3. To acquit himselfe if hee may come to a iust Apologie and to the faces of accusers say as 1. Samuel 12.3 Behold I am here this day whose Oxe or whose Asse haue I taken c. But it lookes not to please man principally the first care
heart will I giue you and a new spirit c. so called 1. Because it hath put off the old malice and corruption 2. Because there is a renouation in all the faculties as 1. The minde is renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 It is giuen to this heart to vnderstand the mysteries of the Kingdome Math. 13.11 While it was an euill and old heart it might attaine a naturall knowledge or an historicall knowledge or a morall knowledge generally to discourse of Diuine things but altogether vnfruitfull making him a little the wiser but neuer the better But heere is a new knowledge beyond the story or theory a practicke knowledge and experimentall of the vertue and power of Christs death Phil. 3.10 full of mercy and good fruits Iam. 3.17 2. The renewed conscience is an vn-diuided companion of a good heart for whereas before the minde and conscience were defiled Tit. 1.15 either senslesse or raging now the heart sprinkled from an euill conscience Heb. 10.22 becomes a pure and good conscience excuseth and imboldeneth before God ceaseth all accusation and condemning is peaceable tender waking and indeuours to keepe the goodnesse of it before God and all men alwayes and in all things Act. 24.16 Heb. 13.18 3. The will is renewed It was as heauie as a Beare to the stake to pray heare obey It was as a slaue in fetters vnder the bondage of sinne and Satan It ranne after lusts as after sports no sugar so sweete as the pleasures of sinne But now it is carryed according to the motion of a good Spirit after God It willingly obeyes the Commandement It hath a free Spirit and now being drawne by God runnes after him Cant. 1.3 4 The affections are renewed as in foure instances 1. Loue. It is a signe of a good heart to loue goodnesse first the chiefe good and best of all God himselfe whom before he hated deadly and hee loueth God for himselfe not for his benefits onely Secondly he loueth goodnesse not onely in the fountaine but in all the streames Hee loues the children of God not for sinister ends of profit credit kindred but for the image of God in them He loues Gods Word not for knowledge onely but for direction and reformation In a word he loues that most which hath most goodnesse 2. Ioy is not carnall in base and inferior things as formerly but the ioy of a good heart feeds it selfe on things most excellent for kinde and continuance For kinde in God himselfe who is his glory and in the shining of his countenance Psalm 4.6 7. in the sweet taste of his Word aboue honey aboue pearles in the purchase of the pearle it goes away reioycing in the prosperity of the Church which it preferres before his chiefe ioy in heauenly and spirituall exercises Col. 3.3 in the assured hope of resurrection Psalm 16.9 and in the expectation of Christs comming to his eternall redemption These are things most excellent in kinde to be ioyed in and the wicked enters not into this ioy Then for continuance a good heart reioyceth in things of most continuance for the perpetuating of his ioy Ioh. 16.22 Your ioy shall none take away from you The third affection is feare renewed Before it feared not God but this watchman of the soule being absent it became a spoyle and prey to the diuell and lusts But now it feares God yet not as a slaue but as a childe not as a Iudge but a Father And this feare of God begets another feare of sinne and the feare of falling keepes it from falling and finall defection Blessed is the man that thus feareth alwaies It is a signe of some goodnesse in the heart worth watching and keeping The fourth renewed affection is zeale feruency Before it was most zealous against zeale now it is truly zealous 1. In earnest and affectionate desires after Gods glory his House his worship the zeale of Gods House consumed Dauid Psalm 119.139 2. In thorow-hatred of the corruptions of his owne heart against which hee wrestles and cries out as Paul Rom. 7.24 Vehement fire soone ouermasters drosse and stubble 3. In contending and warring against the profanenesse and wickednesse of the world and corrupt times Paul earnestly grieued to see men fall from God Rom. 9.2 and Lots righteous soule was vexed daily with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites and Christ mourned for rebellious Ierusalem Luk. 19.41 Which is alwaies ioyned with an endeuour by all possible meanes to bring them backe againe as Elijah prayed for Israel 1. King 18.37 Matth. 18.12 4. In an ardent loue and defence of such as feare God delighting in things and persons that are sincere and most affecting the most grace Matth. 12.48 Psalm 16.3 Thus haue I giuen a taste of the newnesse of a good heart which is his first property The second is softnesse a good heart is soft and sensible The best heart indeed hath some hardnesse but it is sensible of it for 1. It sees still a burden of sinne and an heauy load of corruption within left nay it sees more euill in it selfe then in all other Grace within as a straite line is the measure of it selfe and that which is crooked 2. It sees to bewaile the hardnesse and distemper of it selfe with much bitternesse and sorrow and many complaints Esa. 63.17 O Lord why hast thou hardned our hearts against thy feare Ah miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death These are the common complaints of the godly how they are toyled with their slownesse of heart to beleeue with earthlinesse of heart finding themselues chayned to the loue of earth with frowardnesse of heart when they cannot heare or beare reproofes Prou. 17.20 And in all these they are more seuere because they are more sensible of their owne lusts than any other 3. It still striueth against this hardnesse and prayes for a soft heart Esa. 63.17 Why hast thou hardened our hearts Oh return c. And the poore man in the Gospell I beleeue Lord helpe my vnbeliefe Whereas an euill heart goeth on neither seeing nor suspecting nor willing to see the euill of it till it be growne to the hardnesse of a stone to which it is compared Ezek. 11.19 because there is no life no humour no aptnesse to softnesse more than in a stone And so going on in hardnesse comes to bee Adamantine which is the hardest and inuincible stone Zech. 7.12 The third property of a good heart is cleannesse euery good heart is a pure and cleane heart Psalm 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart O God Math. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart Obiect Can any man say his heart is cleane seeing in many things we sin all and if we say we haue no sin or foulenes we lie and our owne clothes will defile vs Answ. The best heart hath much foulenesse and frailty What a heape of sins of
He hath noâ—hing but condemnation in his mouth I will 〈…〉 him 2. A man may goe thus farre in Christian duties and be bad ground by a delusion and mistaking his owne estate namely by a false conception of faith or an vnfound apprehension of the excellency of Iesus Christ and the blessed estate of Beleeuers vnited vnto him An hypocrite may see what is the comfort of remission of sinnes what a tranquillity and heauen on earth it is to haue a good conscience washed and sprinkled in the blood of the Lambe what an happinesse to haue free accesse to God in prayer to liue with God and enioy him heere below But he sees it in others not in himselfe and hee will goe a great way to haue part in them and lay out something for them but he will not bee at so much either cost or paynes for them as they are worth and as he must pay before he haue them 3. A man may be carried a great way in temporary faith for temporary causes and selfe-respects which respects as they faile so also must his faith and hopes One is curiosity and nouelty A new Preacher or some new strange matter neuer heard of before drawes a number of men to heare gladly And now they professe they will keepe their Church and not misse For they neuer goe but they know that they neuer knew before So the Athenians Act. 17.20 will heare Paul preach and enquire the meaning of his doctrine because they say he brought strange things to their eares and their life was to heare and tell newes But Athenians grow weary both of that matter and man who ceaseth to be new And vnthankfull Israelites when Manna first commeth admire it reioyce in it feed vpon it grow strong by it Why Because it is a strange kind of meat But afterward they murmure and lothe it because not new tho it was euery day new A second selfe-respect that may make a man diligent in the means is pride and conceit They desire knowledge and reioyce to get it not to edifie themselues which were wisdome nor to edifie others which were charitie but that themselues may be knowne to be some body which is meere vanity If the world honour the profession of the Gospell they will share in that honour If it will credite them amongst men to professe the Gospell and line according to it outwardly they will doe it Iudas himselfe can fashion himselfe outwardly to the holyest Disciples A Pharise can fast and pray and giue almes to be seene and praised of men Many Pharisaicall Protestants can play on both hands or as wee say fast and loose In some company can speak good words commend good men speake of some good notes of Sermons confesse and condemne many of his owne courses and take hold on the better end of the staffe But the same man as if not the same man in another company can be as loose as scornfull and apparantly hatefull of goodnesse as euer before A third selfe-respect is worldly profit So long as men may hope to be gainers by Christ so long they will follow ioyfully as the Iewes after that Christ had fed them with bread hee could neuer bee rid of them but they followed him from place to place but neither for his Doctrine nor Miracles nor for himselfe but because of the loaues Ioh. 6.26 Profit and preferment will make a man heare diligently professe openly preach painfully at least till the preferments or profits choke both Preachers and Professors But Christ if the bring no loaues shall faile of much of his company How far did Demas goe in his profession that the Apostle Paul reckons him among the Saints who saluted the Colossians chap. 4.14 but all this was for some preferment which when he got Paul changed his note Demas hath forsaken me and embraced the present world If euer the complaint was iust it is now of Christians All men seeke their owne and as Augustine in his time complained Vix quaeritur Iesus propter Iesum Scarce any seeke Christ for Christ his sake But our wisdome will be to seeke Iesus for Iesus that is saluation Seeke him for that end he came into the world not to make thee rich in the world or heire of the earth but to enrich thee with grace of iustification and of sanctification and make thee heire of eternall life So much of the third Reason 4. God seeth it fit that hypocrites should go thus far in the way of saluation and yet fall short 1. Because he will haue his owne wayes iustified and allowed by his very enemies Euen they shall giue him witnesse both by word and deed that it is the best way though they cannot hold it 2. Hereby he cuts off all cause of iudging others before the time Thou canst not iudge betweene a sheepe and a goat only the chiefe Shepheard can 3. Seeing it befals reprobates to be esteemed and goe for good Christians and be so like as none can discerne them hee will haue vs hereby take occasion to iudge our selues what ground we are and goe to the ballance of his Word and make iust triall whether we hold waight or no whether we be sound and differenced by true markes of Christianity from apparant Christians Vse 1. How may this doctrine dant and terrifie many of vs who take our selues to be in good estate when yet we are not comparable to this bad ground whom yet if we come short of we must needs come short of saluation If the ground that goes thus far shall bee damned what damnation abides such as come not halfe way with them More specially 1. Doe wee see a stony heart receiue the Word speedily and hungrily See wee heere a gracelesse ground and heart swift to heare and painfull in trauell to get the Word soundly taught What then shall become of vs that are in no readinesse make no haste to receiue to whom the small time of an houre in a weeke is tedious while wee sit at our ease Shall forward Hearers bee condemned and the backward in hearing approued 2. If we see some that attend the Word loue it and finde sweetnes in it yet shall be kept out of heauen how can contemners raylers persecutors notwithstanding they heare hope to get in where many that haue attended remembred and marked yea and come to a great measure of knowledge by it shall be shut out 3. If we see in our Text that many who are much affected with the Word who haue receiued the same with ioy and delighted many times to confer of it by day and meditate of it by night for who will not speake and thinke often on that which ioyes his heart if I say we see here a rocky heart relenting and reioycing at the Word yet shut out of heauen what may wee thinke of many of our drowsie Hearers who are no more moued almost than the seats they sit on or the stones in the
hee immediatly prepared to goe into Macedonia being assured the Lord had called vs vnto them 2. Examine thy desires in the matter of them which is twofold 1. In respect of God the chiefe Good 2. In respect of the Word the meanes to it For the first An hypocrite may desire happinesse as Balaam for selfe-loue but properly desires not the loue of God for it selfe See therefore that thy desire be rather of reconciliation then saluation rather to glorifie God then be glorified of him esteeming the light of his countenance better then life it selfe This is a pure and holy desire after grace and fauour aboue all things For the second 1. Thou must desire not the Word so much as God in his Word seeke after the liuing God in his Ordinances loue him in the Word who there shewes he loued thee first Many professe loue to the Word who loue not God 2. Desire the Word of the Kingdome for the Kingdomes sake For an hypocrite may desire the Word of the Kingdome for feare of hell 3. Desire the whole Word An hypocrite may desire some part of it the promises affect and rauish him but the conditions are distastfull Gods indulgences and recompenses please him wonderfully but restraints and impositions are burdensome and tedious Therefore see thou desire the conditions as well as the promises and loue the worke of the Word as well as the wages yea if there were no wages So cannot he 3. Examine thy desires in the end of them thus 1. An hypocrite may desire the Word for science sake not for conscience to puffe himselfe vp not to humble himselfe for discourse not for direction If thou desirest the Word to learne selfe-deniall to yeeld conscionable obedience in all things and to take the constant direction of it as Israel by the pillars in all their iournies thou art beyond any hypocrite 2. Hypocrites may desire the Word to bee like the children of God in happinesse but not in sincere obedience to meet them at the end and be saued but not to ioyne with them in the meanes or if they doe ioyne in the meanes it is by starts and fits for most part and vnconstantly See thy desire be to keepe the way as well as the end of it though it be all strawed with crosses and be as desirous of the means as of the end Especially desire the Word as a constant light direction comfort and strength For such are the grones and desires of the Spirit An hypocrite likes Heauen well but not the way to Heauen 4. Examine thy desires in the companions and qualities of them One is sence of want They proceed from a bruised heart as in the Conuerts Acts 2.37 and the Iaylor chap. 16.30 True desires are the breathings of a broken heart Another vndiuided companion of them is the Word they alwaies set a man forward to the Word of the Apostles to be instructed by them as in the former examples whereas an hypocrite will comfort himselfe and rest satisfied without the Word in blinde vngrounded hopes A third is vehemencie and feruencie they must not bee light or slight desires but a vehement thirst as Samsons almost ready to die as the Hart chased pants for water an hunger that would breake stone walls and contemne fire and water euen the vtmost perils more eager then any worldling can desire siluer and gold Hypocrites haue desires but faint not so earnest within as they seeme to be A fourth is the good affections that attend it as an earnest desire to repent to reforme both the heart and life to abstaine from lusts to keepe a good conscience before God and man in all things A fifth is constancy as a thirsty man desires drink till his thirst be quenched as Hannahs for a child till she had one so is the Christians till Christ bee formed in him and then to be still knit neerer vnto him An hypocrite may desire by starts and moods as Pilate desires to know what is truth Ioh. 18. but stayed not to know it He desires the good things of the Kingdome but they are held at such a rate as deads his desires as the young man They are cooled and quenched before he attaines the thing he seemed so earnestly to desire Doe thou see that thy desire bee not satisfied before thou get the thing desired euen Christ and his merits The more true taste thou gettest the more earnestly thou wilt desire him no rate will be too deare all things will be drosse and dung in comparison of him The sixth or last is growth in desires and endeuours Spirituall life stayes not in beginnings but riseth to a great measure of liuelinesse as a graine of mustard-seed 2. Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 13.11 Be perfect desire perfection But an hypocrite faints in his desires the labour of vsing meanes is soone if not quite giuen ouer yet lessened and abated Get these desires of the Word thus qualified for the ground matter end and companions of them and then know to thy comfort that no Reprobate euer came so farre no bad ground attaines such desires II. Doe we heare that hypocrites who shall neuer be saued attaine a great measure of illumination and the knowledge of the mystery of Christ whereby they discerne and approue of the truth in Iesus Christ refuse and reprooue errours both in iudgement and practice and hauing escaped such as were wrapped in errours yet are entangled againe and ouercome whose latter end is worse than the beginning Then be carefull to try thy knowledge and illumination whether it be got beyond the illumination of hypocrites or no In foure particulars 1. In the matter of it thus 1. An hypocrite may know the story of Christs death and resurrection and the merits of them but neuer did any hypocrite know the vertue and power of his death and resurrection as the Apostle Paul desired Philip. 3.10 Obiect Why did he not know it and preach it before that time Answ. Yes he knew well the death and resurrection of Christ as also the vertue and power of them but he would feele in himselfe that power more and more standing in the death of sin and the life of righteousnesse This experimentall knowledge farre passeth the theorie and is the knowledge but of a few 2. An hypocrite may know in generall that Christ is a Redeemer and discourse excellently of the manner meanes and end and this swimmes in the braine But there is a particular knowledge with application to say with Iob I know my Redeemer liueth and Paul who gaue himselfe for me To this neuer Reprobate came If hee could speake it he knew not what he spoke he knowes and speakes onely in grosse Therefore see thy knowledge be distinct 3. An hypocrite may know Christ as God hath described him in the Scripture but not as he is made of God vnto vs wisedome
16.9 2. A pure and holy ioy is more in God himselfe and Iesus Christ than in all holy and heauenly things beside and in all other things for them Therefore the godly are said to make the Almighty himselfe their delight Iob 27.10 as the hypocrites doe not neither can doe It is a ioy of saluation but in the God of our saluation that hath couered vs with a robe of righteousnesse Esa 61.10 An hypocrite may delight in holy things but for nouelty or vaine-glory in vttering such knowledge as others haue not or selfe-loue or the like 3. Sound ioy is more in the time and things to come than for the present An hypocrites ioy is for the present and in the present it is sudden as the Text saith incontinently it receiues the Word with ioy and soone abates And in present things a conceit of a present good at least in appearance but in good things that are further off v.c. in Gods electiō or eternal life it reioiceth not so much because there is euer more sence than faith in it 3. Examine thy ioy in the measure and degree of it The ioy of the regenerate in holy things is the chiefe ioy Psalm 119.72 Thy Law is better vnto mee than thousands of gold And Psal. 137.6 If I preferre not Ierusalem to my chiefe ioy In hypocrites it neuer exceeds the ioy in the world the profits and pleasures and aduancements of the world doe more comfort and affect their hearts than the ioy of the Word and therefore they forsake the Gospell for them The wise Merchant sels all for the Pearle and goes away reioycing Math. 13.46 The Martyrs ioyed more in the Word than in riches honours liberty life or all the world 4. Examine thy ioy in the companions of it which are of two sorts First holy affections three in number 1. Feare and reuerence Sound ioy is neuer dis-ioyned from true feare of God Psal. 2.11 Reioyce before him with trembling Phi. 2.12 Worke out your saluation with feare and trembling 2. Loue of grace aboue all things Dauid neuer danced so as before the Arke because he loued Gods presence And Simeon was neuer so ioyfull as when hee had Christ in his armes because hee loued him 3. Sorrow to see the Word not kept Psa. 119.136 Mine eyes gush out with riuers of water because they keepe not thy Law And indeed sound ioy comes out of sound sorrow for sin Ioh. 16.19 Ye shall sorrow the world shall reioyce but your sorrow shall be turned into ioy Lots righteous soule was vexed with the vncleane conuersation of the Sodomites 2. Pet. 2.7 Secondly there are certaine holy graces attending it 1. Humility It issues from true humiliation in the sence of his owne infirmity The ioy of an hypocrite is proud because he sees not sinne or not all sinne and promiseth and assureth that to it selfe which the Word doth not 2. Regeneration The ioy of an hypocrite is a ioy of illumination not of regeneration as a man reioyceth in the sight and light of the Sunne but not in the sence of comfortable heate quickening and reuiuing by it The one reioyceth to heare of a Pearle the other to haue it 3. Faith attends the ioy of the regenerate therfore it is called the ioy of faith The hypocrites ioy is a ioy of affection not of faith He reioyceth to conceiue of rare nouelties and deepe mysteries but not as deeply rooted in himselfe 4. Righteousnesse attends it An hypocrites ioy is alwayes ioyned with the raigne and delight of some sinne See thy ioy take righteousnesse for his companion and dis-ioyne not them whom the holy Ghost hath ioyned Rom. 14.17 Know if the loue of one sin raigne if thy ioy marre not the taste of carnall ioyes if it thrust not downe the rule of the loue of the world yea if it imbitter not the rellish of earthly delights thy ioy is vnsound 5. The last grace is Constancy and continuance it is an euerlasting consolation 2. Thes. 2.16 And of this ioy Christ hath said You shall reioyce and your ioy shall none take from you Ioh. 16.22 Yea this ioy increaseth according to the increase of grace and continuance of meanes It holds in aduersity in persecution in life in death and is most vnspeakable and glorious in heauen But the ioy of hypocrites is a blaze at first and soone out it is suddenly and irrecouerably lost a little persecution or triall turnes all into sorrow and heauinesse but at their death and afterward not a sparke remaines So as Iob said truly The ioy of the hypocrite is but for a moment If thou finde that thy ioy is thus qualified no hypocrite falling from his ioy need dismay thee thou art beyond his farthest reach Thou hast drunke of the Well of consolation and shalt neuer thirst againe The stranger neuer enters into this ioy IV. Hearest thou from the Text that a wicked man may grow vp and rise vp to a farre degree of profession and reformation yea that an hypocrite may outwardly performe all that true Christians can doe and leade his life so seemly so innocently as how euer he shall neuer come to heauen by it yet his paines shall bee lesse in hell where it shall bee easier for some than for others Hearest thou this Then what great need is there that euery one of vs who would not at length proue reprobate ground should try our growth in our profession and standing not contenting our selues with a forme of godlinesse which now goes for good Christianity denying the power of it 1. Examine thy growth from what roote it is two wayes First an hypocrite springs from no root but onely the old Adam and whatsoeuer is of flesh saith Christ is flesh But sound growth in profession or reformation is from a new creation a tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord transplanted out of the old stock of old Adam and new rooted into the second Adam by spirituall regeneration and from this Root all acceptable growth riseth according to our Sauiours speech First make the tree good c. Secondly all the growth of an hypocrite is from an heart which at best restraineth some euill but neuer changed vnto good But sound growth is from an heart renewed a soule mortified a pure heart and good conscience 1. Tim. 1.5 2. Examine thy selfe in what fruits thou growest The best fruit of an hypocrite is in externall things and by externall things As first by education he may grow in ciuility and in morall vertue which many thinke Religion enough This was the righteousnes of the Heathens of the Scribes and Pharises Secondly by the meanes of saluation he may grow to an externall holinesse v. c. hee may grow in knowledge in hopes and confidence in zeale in many outward seemly duties and rest in these or in some other things in stead of some inward graces which would better bestead him But a sound
shall be great Vse 1. See hereby the nature and end of persecution it tries who are sound and puts a difference betweene such as peaceable and calme estate cannot distinguish In a faire and calme day Apples and Peares on a tree seeme all sound and good but a blustering storme or tempest makes difference betweene those that are sound and such as for want of moysture fall off iust so it is in the stormes of the Church Persecution is like a mighty winde which discerneth betweene wheat and chaffe that before lay quiet together in the same floore it shakes not the wheat but blowes away the chaffe And as the furnace consumes the drosse but refines the gold so doth the furnace of affliction We are now all shuffled together the hypocrite with the sincere-hearted Christian but to end this poynt with our Sauiours instance as the heate of the Sunne and summer discouers barren dry and stony soyle frō good ground so the scorching beames of persecution shall discouer barren husky and empty hypocrites from good and fruitfull Hearers And thou art that indeed thou art in triall A man in peace may personate and disguise himselfe as Ieroboams wife going to the Prophet seeme another but affliction for the Word will vncase him Peter was not the man in triall hee vaunted to be when he would dye with Christ. And the winter-weather of affliction for the Gospell will discouer who be the Swallowes that will take their summer in the Church but in the winter of it take them to their wings Vse 2. Let vs not take offence when wee see forward Professors offended at Christ and shrinke in triall but make account that some such must forsake vs. For all are not of the Church that are in the Church Some are tyed onely by a thred of externall profession to the members that are not vnited to the Head by the band of faith these must fall off and wither Let Hymeneus and Philetus two great lights fall away lose their shine in the firmament of the Church yet the foundation of God abideth sure And if we see some shrinke before the wetting and in dayes of peace and protection of the Gospell white-liuer'd and ready to deny their profession at the breath of a silly Damosell that the frowne of a Superiour a word of reproch a feare of change shakes off their leafie profession let vs not maruell if many of them would deny Christ in triall rather than dye with him Vse 3. Let him that standeth take heede lest hee fall And the rather because 1. Our nature is prone to defection or backsliding 2. Neuer was there more defection either in Doctrine or manners then at this day 3. When wee see others slide backe we are too soone moued and offended So as the best need continuall exhortation and admonition to beware they fall not away from the grace of God Else would not our Lord haue still beaten on this poynt with his Disciples who for all his warning of them when it came to the poynt forsooke him and fled Now the meanes to vphold vs in tryall from falling are these 1. Meditate much and often of such Scriptures as foretell persecution for the Name of Christ and call to minde the examples of such as haue valiantly endured the losse of temporals and ioyfully suffered the spoyling of their goods the forgoing of liberty and life for Christ c. Especially reade diligently the whole 11. Chapter to the Hebrewes 2. Cast the costs of thy profession Thinke it not enough to heare and receiue immediatly and reioyce yea and beleeue and grow But know thou must not onely beleeue but suffer for his sake The seed that is immediatly receiued must endure an hard and sharpe winter before it can come vp kindly He that forecasts onely the pleasure and ioy of his Religion and not the sorrow losses and crosses of it is like the foolish builder that thinkes hee can finish a building with so little charge as will scarce serue to lay the foundation Paul knew and made account that bonds and imprisonment abode him euery where and so must thou 3. Labour for soundnesse of iudgement and sincerity in affection in receiuing the Gospell A sound iudgement in matters of faith to beleeue firmely and distinctly the truth of Religion must goe before vndanted confession 2. Cor. 4.13 I beleeued and therefore I spake Rom. 10.10 Wee must beleeue with the heart vnto righteousnesse before wee can confesse with the mouth to saluation This is the rooting and stablishing in faith which shall abide Then for the second sincere affection is onely blessed with continuance when we bestow the chiefe affection of our heart vpon it euen our principall loue and our chiefe ioy and delight For this is a cause why this bad ground failes not so much the dislike of Religion as the liking of other things better and the not receiuing of truth in the loue of it is a cause why many are giuen vp to beleeue lies 4. Purge thy heart from the raigne of corrupt lusts Weed out sinfull desires labour in mortification and selfe-denyall get further power to dye vnto sinne get out of the loue of the world and the things in it resolue against selfe-loue that in case of confession thy life may not be deare vnto thee Else shall not all thy wisedome or ciuility or learning keepe thee from backsliding For if the Apostles themselues who professed they had left all to follow Christ yet shrunke in tryall how shall they stand that come with hearts thrust full of the world and earthly desires 5. Labour to finde full contentment in the good things of the Gospell Thinke it full happinesse to enioy naked Christ. Esteeme peace of conscience aboue all worldly peace Account the fauour of God the ioy of the holy Ghost the sweet hope of the pleasures of Gods right hand and the treasures of a better world worth all thou canst giue in exchange and aboue all that may be compared with them This will make thee with the wise Merchant fell out thy selfe and forgoe all for the Pearle and goe away reioycing 6. Examine thy heart how it stands affected in lesser trials now in the peace of the Church If it shrinke in smaller trials I must not looke to trust it in greater If now it will not endure the threat of a Superiour the feare of losse the dread of dis-fauour If it now shrinke from good men because of their troubles and sufferings which are their crowne if thou canst ioyne with the times in disgracing men fearing God assure thy selfe if greater trials come thou shalt be giuen vp to greater delusion and Apostasie 7. Because to stand in persecution is a worke aboue naturall strength and ascribed to the holy Ghost to stablish men to this triall and strengthen them to all patience with ioyfulnesse Col. 1.10 We must pray the Lord not to leaue vs in tentation but preserue
is to please God nor to please man by doing any euill nor by leauing vndone any good it is bound to by the calling it will not be afraid to depart from any good purpose or practice for mens displeasure Againe it can set it selfe naked before Gods presence to whom it desires to stand it desires liuing and dying to be acceptable vnto him 2. Cor. 5.9 A true Israelite hath praise enough to bee praised of God and to be a Iew within and can more satisfie it selfe with Gods allowance than a thousand witnesses Further it dares appeale to God and flie to his Tribunall when men accuse it as Dauid Iudge me according to mine innocency and Moses when Israel would not heare turned to the Lord saying I haue not taken so much as an Asse from them nor hurt any of them Numb 16.15 Lastly if men will condemne him timerously vnheard vnconuinced if all his wary carriage cannot obtaine a right iudgement and sentence then out of sence of innocency and goodnesse of conscience hee can contemne such vniust iudgement and fearelesly expect the Iudgement of God who will make his innocency shine as the light as Dauid against his scoffing and slaunderous Michol 2. Sam. 6.22 It was before the Lord and Paul against the carnall Corinthians 1. Cor. 4.3 I care little to be iudged of any man A good heart cares not for mans allowance if God allow him This is comfort for the seruants of God whether publike or priuate that the testimony of their conscience makes them care no more for the obloquie of profane men than the barking of dogges A little they may be moued sometimes more than needs but much they care not But an euill heart cannot abide the presence of God but flies as Adam and sets him out of sight It dreades the Iudgement of God and trembles like Felix It lookes asquint and dares not stand in a good cause for feare of men as Ioh. 12.43 Many beleeued but durst not confesse for they loued the praise of men And if it cannot be approued of God it is content with Saul to be honoured before the people Fourthly a good heart resteth and reioyceth in God as in the best and onely portion Psalm 73.25 Whom haue I in Heauen but thee or whom in Earth in comparison of thee It holds all other things as moouables vsing them as not vsing them and is onely comfortable that it wants not him in whom is no want It knowes the Lord hath designed his portion and maintaines him out of his owne fulnesse as out of his portion both for his spirituall and temporall estate Hence his ioy in his presence is the greatest and so is his sorrow in his absence stepping aside and clouding his presence now the good heart mournes after him and thirsts for his presence as the Hart for water And as the losse of the whole world is nothing to this so the whole world cannot make it vp nothing but God himselfe satisfieth it And seeing God hath made himselfe his portion he is carefull to make himselfe Gods portion by entring couenant with him as the Israelites Deut. 32.10 But an euill heart affects God in his gifts more than himselfe Professing him the best Benefactor and thanking him for all indeed it mindeth earthly things And his portion is in this life or else hath none Fifthly a good heart aymes at the glory of God in all things In all his parts 1. Corinth 6.20 in his body because it is his and in his spirit because he is a Spirit In all his actions whether naturall as eating drinking 1. Cor. 10.31 or spirituall the parts of his worship He will cleaue to the Word to know and obey it in prayer giues him the glory of hearing and so in confession Iosh. 7.19 and in praises Psalm 50.23 and in beleeuing Rom. 4.20 and a reuerent vse of his Name and Sabbath Yea he will glorifie God what-euer it cost him nothing is so deare to him as to lay it in the scoales with Gods glory And if there be an opportunity he will shew it euen in difficult commandements as Abraham and dangerous as Daniel and costly as Zacheus Whereas an euill heart maketh shewes of glorifying God in spirituall actions but not in naturall or in his actions not in spirit neither God nor his Word get any of his thoughts As for duties of difficulty danger or cost it casts them quite off as Saul and the young man Thus a good heart behaues it selfe toward God II. In respect of Christ it hath fiue other excellent qualities First it preferreth Christ before a thousand worlds All other things all aduantages whatsoeuer are but losse and dung in comparison of Christ Phil. 3.8 The Church esteemes her Welbeloued the chiefe of ten thousand Cant. 5.10 Why what seeth she in Christ aboue other what is thy Well-beloued aboue other well-beloueds Answ. She seeth in him such purity of nature such power of merit such perfection of loue such freedome in promises and such truth in performances as nothing in the World can so affect her Shee seeth him euery way more beautifull then the sonnes of men Psalm 45.3 therefore she sels all for the Pearle as the Disciples left all to follow Christ. But can an euill heart espy such beauty in Christ or can it thus affect him Is not a Pigge better to a Gadaren or a messe of pottage to a profane Esau Who almost preferres not the riches of the world aboue the riches of Christ Nay Christ and his profession are generally esteemed the greatest losse Secondly a good heart reioyceth more in Christ and his loue than in all worldly ioyes Cant. 1.3 We will reioyce and be glad in thee thy loue is better than wine And Dauid will make the Lord his song all the day long Quest. Why what cause of ioy is there in Christ Answ. 1. A good heart seeth in Christ a full redemption from wrath and pardon of sinne therefore reioyceth in God his Sauiour as Mary Luk. 1.46 Esa. 61.10 I will greatly reioyce in the Lord saith the Church for he hath clothed me with garments of saluation 2. It seeth in Christ Gods fauour returned a new couenant and league of friendship made with God himselfe of an heire of wrath made an adopted sonne an heire of God and co-heire with Iesus Christ. 3. It seeth by Christ the Spirit put into his soule sealing vp Gods loue chasing away ignorāce being the Spirit of light working faith and kindling the prayer of faith sending it boldly to the Throne of grace and making it cry Abba Father with assurance that we can but aske and haue and that we are not so ready to knocke as he to open It feeles the vertue of Christs death killing corruptiō and perfecting his sanctification 4. It sees in Christ a blessed future estate of glory prepared for it selfe in which he shall behold the face of God in Heauen and
c. Againe it will examine the Religion in the Effects 1. If it magnifie Christ the end of the Law and Gospell 2. If it bring Diuine consolation in life and death 3. If it binde to God from whom our sinnes had separated vs 4. If it bring forth obedience to the Morall Law in both Tables 5. If it be pure peaceable full of good workes Iam. 3.17 A good heart will not chuse a Religion wherein to be assured of Gods fauour of pardon of sinne of perseuerance is presumption nor that allowes Sâ—ew-houses of bawdry or dispenseth with vnlawfull or incestuous marriages as the impure religion of Popery doth nor that which must bee set vp and held vp by violence blood massacres lyes equiuocations murthering of Princes or Gun-powder treasons for the Gospell is a doctrine of peace nor that which is an enemie to good workes as in Popery a man may bee as wicked as the diuell can make him so hee bee rich to buy pardons Thus a good heart is carefull in the choyce of true Religion and holy as from the holy God the obiect of which are holy things practised by holy men begun in Paradise continued by the holy Patriarkes described by holy Pen-men Moses the Prophets and Apostles and obserued in all ages by the Saints to whom it is deliuered Hauing thus carefully made choyce of true Religion a good heart doth Christianly imbrace it in regard of Internall affections Externall effects The inward affections are three 1. It firmely beleeues it and labours still to bee more firmly rooted and stablished in the faith Col. 2.7 The Scribes and Priests themselues confessed that the doctrine which is from heauen must be beleeued Luk. 20.5 2. It loues it feruently and hates all false religion contrary vnto it Reuel 2.12 15. The Church of Pergamus must not onely keepe the Name of the Lord but hate the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans which the Lord hates Dauid appeales heere to the Lord himselfe Loue I not them that loue thee and hate them that hate thee So a good heart will esteeme the enemies of Religion his owne enemies 3. It ioyfully imbraceth it and vndiuidedly cleaues vnto it Act. 16.34 The Iaylor reioyced that hee and his house beleeued The wise Merchant went away reioycing that hee had found the Pearle 4. And it cleaues with full purpose of heart to the Lord Act. 11.23 True Religion in the heart is inseparable most inuincible A good heart with Cyprian admits no deliberation in diuine things for the substance of Religion Good Ioshua will cleaue to the Lord though all the world goe away chap. 24.15 and the Disciples will not forsake Christ though multitudes doe Ioh. 6.68 69. The outward effects of a good heart toward true Religion are fiue 1. It will by all meanes promote it Abraham will teach his family Gen. 18.19 It will further the causes of it Cornelius calls his family and kindred to heare Peter Act. 10.24 Paul wisheth all that heare him that day as himselfe whole and entire Christians Act. 26.29 If Scribes Pharises hypocrites if Priests Papists Iesuites would as the diuell compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte and seuen-fold more the child of wrath than themselues how much more should a good man will a good heart for the conuersion of his brethren 2. It will professe and maintaine it openly boldly Dauid before Kings Psal. 119.46 Paul will professe his hope before Agrippa Festus Felix because it makes the conscience good and that ministreth boldnes It will come in the day to Christ not with Nicodemus by night It will professe with dangers and losse of sweetest things For nothing is so sweet to a good heart as the truth of God Paul held not his life so sweet and so the Martyrs 3. It will study to adorne and beautifie it in holy life expressing the power of it and walking according to the rules of it Tit. 2.9 Seruants must so walke as they may adorne the Gospell much more Gods seruants A good heart cannot talke of Christ but liue in Christ cannot with Iudas professe Christ his Lord and by loosenesse of life deliuer him to the scoffer and buffetings of his enemies A good heart knowes that true Religion is to bee esteemed by the life and conuersation Prou. 4.2 He that walketh vprightly feareth the Lord. Hee is truly religious that keepes himselfe vnspotted of the world 4. It will suffer the extremest losse rather than lose his Religion knowing that it is giuen to the Elect not onely to beleeue in Christ but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1.29 For true Religion so fortifies the heart in the fatherly affection of God towards him in the loue of Christ Iesus in the assured care and prouidence of God and the sweet comforts of the holy Ghost euen in the middest of death as death it selfe is not formidable but a sweet and easie passage to Iesus Christ with whom to be is best of all This truth is confirmed by a cloud of witnesses euen all the glorious Martyrs that euer suffered in their Lords quarrell who for his sake counted their greatest losses their greatest gaine 5. It will honour and embrace all the Professors of Religion Psal. 15.4 the Citizen of Sion honours all that feare the Lord as wee see in the great change of the conuerted Iaylor toward Paul and Silas Act. 16.31 A badge of Christ and Christian Religion is to loue one another yea of one translated from death to life 1. Ioh. 3.14 It will pray for them and praise God for their graces It will encourage them and helpe them forward in the good way It will pitty and relieue their miseries It knowes the loue of God dwelles not in him that shuts vp his compassion 1. Ioh. 3.17 This an euill heart cannot doe 1. It neuer makes choice of Religion but takes the Religion he findes without further examination neuer lookes whether his Religion come so high as from Heauen but either superstitiously takes vp and continues a Religion from the forefathers and will not endure light because they liued in darknesse as one could not endure liberty because his father was in prison or Atheistically measures the Religion by the length of the Scepter or by multitudes authority of men that are with it or against it succession successe outward pompe c. The Pharises of our time say as those of old Doe any of the Rulers beleeue in him and the most haue the faith of God in respect of persons 2. His Religion bindes him not to God for it neuer loosed him from his lusts but suffers pride worldlinesse malice vncleannesse in thoughts speeches and actions hypocrisie and the like all vnmortified It pities some Agag some fat or darling sinne either of nature or custome It reioyceth and riseth by the reuenue of some sinne and vnlawfull profits It would binde God to it selfe not
it selfe to God 3. It hath no care commonly of his grounds of Religion and so runnes 〈…〉 still is wauering and 〈…〉 in what Religion he meanes to 〈…〉 betweene God and Baal and sees no 〈…〉 betweene true Religion and Popeâ—◠〈…〉 of one trumpet would make them as forward Papâ—â—â—s as now they are Protestants 4. It can pretend Gods glory and Gods ends but intend the owne ends Herod pretends to come and worship Christ but intends to kill him Iezabel can make Religion a pretext for her foulest fact of murdering an Innocent so can Papists finely in ordine ad Deum and to promote the Catholike cause raise Massacres c. 1. Sam. 2.22 Women professing great sanctity by comming to the Temple polluted themselues with wicked Priests It were a sinne to say so of holy Popish Priests and their pure Nunnes 5. It will haue a Religion for fashion or shew but loue it not promote it not no not in their owne families scarce professe it for present reproach or after-claps but zeale and forwardnesse were madnesse as Festus said to Paul and to become an hatefull Puritan They frame not their actions to the rules of Christian Religion but are loose vnsauory earthly in all their courses they will lose nothing for it Christ shall lose the glory of Heauen for them and so farre they like their Religion but they will not lose crummes of earth for his sake 6. An euill heart can make a profession of Religion and scorne the Professors reuile them as a packe of hypocrites But our Sauiour packs such out of his number saying They that are with vs cannot lightly speake euill of vs Mark 9.39 Now of the markes of a good heart in respect of the meanes by which this true Religion is vpheld And first of the Word and Sacraments The equity of carefulnesse in these stands in these reasons 1. Because a good heart cannot heare God himselfe speake nor enioy such neere and immediate fellowship with him as it desires it is most glad to enioy him through the grates of the Word and Sacraments to heare him speake by his Messenger to reade his letters and be enriched with such pledges of his loue which therein he includeth to his sonnes and daughters Thus doth a faithfull Spouse to him absent whom her soule loueth 2. Because these Ordinances proceed from the holy Spirit of God and are meanes appoynted for the sanctification of the Elect a good heart will neuer heare or reade the Scriptures nor speake of them but with great reuerence It dares not profane the sacred Scriptures vsing them vainely or wickedly as in iests playes charmes neither dares it come to the Sacrament without due examination preparation instruction correction or strength and consolation in the course of Christianity 2. Tim. 3.16 3. Because the good heart sees his continuall need it is carefull in the continuall vse of the means of grace It sees hardnesse of heart still stealing on it It discernes spirituall weaknesse and fainting of soule It feeles many conflicts of the flesh against the spirit It is acquainted with the thrusts and temptations of Satan It sees the health of the soule stand in these refreshings and the strength of the heart decaying without them as the body doth without repayre And therefore it still relieues it selfe by the Word Sacraments Prayer and the like Psalm 119.28 My heart melteth for heauinesse raise me vp according to thy Word vers 92. Had it not been for thy Word I had perished in my trouble 4. Because it conceiues God a Spirit and his Ordinances spirituall therefore in performing these it neuer contents it selfe with the outward deed alone but especially aymes at soundnesse and sincerity in the manner of doing Psalm 119.80 Let my heart be vpright in thy statutes All is out of sence and conscience not for shame fashion custome law or vaine ostentation But now in speciall for the Word preached A good heart makes great conscience of it as is great reason 1. Because it sees the Word preached only able to bruise a stony heart to tame melt and cause to tremble a secure heart as Felix Esa. 66.2 that trembleth at my Word Acts 16.24 The Iaylor came trembling and shiuering as hauing a strong Ague in his conscience Also it is of power to open a shut conscience as Dauids by Nathan 2. Because the preaching of the Word reueales the vnsearchable riches of Christ Ephes. 3.8 and brings into acquaintance with him This is the hammer by which Christ standing at the dore of the heart knocks and if any open he comes in and suppes with him Christ not onely inuites him to a feast but feeds him with his owne flesh and blood and he with Christ that is a fruitfull Hearer of the Word entertaines Christ calls him as the Church Cant. 4.16 to a feast in his Garden to eate of his pleasant things Christ is feasted when he tastes the sweet fruits of repentance faith mortification and obedience wrought by the preaching of the Word Nay it makes vs of neere kindred with Christ his father his mother his brethren and sisters Luk. 8.21 3. Because the Word preached brings in the Spirit of God with his sauing graces being the chariot of the Spirit by which hee rides gloriously into the hearts of Beleeuers God who can giue his Spirit without it ordinarily doth not He could haue taught Cornelius without Peters so tedious a iourney but Cornelius must attend Peters Ministery and while Peter was yet speaking the holy Ghost fell on them all Acts 10.44 But see it in speciall sauing graces first illumination is by preaching Acts 8.31 The Eunuch cannot vnderstand without an interpreter he must ioyne himselfe to Philip. Secondly faith comes by hearing Rom. 10.14 and by the foolishnesse of preaching God will saue them that beleeue 1. Cor. 1.21 Neither can actuall faith be without some measure of actuall knowledge Thirdly the feare of God is wrought by preaching Rom. 8.15 the spirit of feare is wrought by the Ministery of the Law shewing sinne distinctly the curse due to it and our owne guiltinesse And by the Gospell is wrought that childlike feare by the spirit of adoption by which now we feare to offend God as before to be offended and reuenged on by him Fourthly peace of conscience and a sweete ioy in God is wrought hereby Psalm 51.8 Let me heare the voyce of gladnesse that the broken bones may reioyce Lastly the Word preached brings in not onely this life of grace but that of glory Act. 11.14 Send for Peter to Ioppa and he shall speake words whereby both thou and thy house shall be saued And therefore is it called the Word of life and saluation In these and other regards a good heart is a conscionable Hearer 1. It prepares it selfe as a fit casket or storehouse to lay the Word in conceiuing it the most precious iewell and richest pearle in all the world
things it will sowe temporall for the labourer is worthy of his hire Secondly with earnest prayers that God would thrust more of them into his worke and double yea treble his Spirit on them he hath sent as Elisha 2. King 2.9 and open to them both a doore of entrance and vtterance as Paul often requireth of his Hearers Psalm 132.9 Let thy Priests bee clothed with righteousnesse Thirdly with comfort in their troubles euen with his owne losse and dammage and danger Good Obadiah with the hazard of his owne life prouided for the safety of the Lords Prophets and with like hazard the Shunamite for the Prophet Elijah Fourthly it will crowne their heads and comfort their hearts by his willing obedience and constancy in the truth when both shall know they runne not in vaine nor their labour shall be lost in the Lord. Now an euill heart because it lothes the liquor it doth also loath the vessell hates the Word and the bringer of it Hence is it that many cursed Chams mocke their fathers till the curse rebound on themselues The very habit of a Minister is enough to procure scorne and contempt though in all other things a man bee free enough These scorners say they reuerence Christ and would not mocke him as the Iewes did but plainly lye for they mocke him in his seruants and so hee takes it and therefore Christ keepes him out of their way and will haue nothing to doe with them For as hee would not come into his owne Countrey Nazaret because they reiected and scorned their owne Prophets so doe thou mocke the Prophets Christ comes not into thine heart seldome doe these scorners returne seldome or neuer escape they the seuerity and iudgement of God there is no remedie when they mocke his Messengers 2. Chron. 36.16 Herod as bad as hee was reuerenced Iohn because he was a good man 2. Hence are those swarmes of haters of Gods Word who in stead of singular loue for their worke sake swell like Toads with poyson and wrath against their Preachers for their worke sake as Ahab I hate Micaiah he neuer prophecyeth good vnto me so when a powerfull Ministery discouers the filthinesse and hypocrisie of a wicked heart crosses his corruptions as a fretting corrosiue to his conscience torments him before the time suffers him not quietly to inioy his sin his Herodias now saith Ahab to Elijah Hast thou found me O mine enemie Now is Paul become an enemie for telling the truth For sinne is so incorporate and become almost themselues that a man cannot be an enemy to their sins but as they thinke to themselues also Now he pryes and watcheth him narrowly and takes hold of his least infirmities if so be by casting some shame on the Preacher he can hide his owne Now he deuiseth against this Ieremie he is a spy-fault a troubler of the State a factious Preacher or as Festus said of Paul Too much learning or singularity makes him mad while hee speakes words of sobriety and wisedome Act. 26.24 25. And this is the double honour wherewith hee loads them Dealing most vnthankfully as Saul who when Dauid was playing with his Harpe to ease his distracted minde cast a speare at him 1. Sam. 18.10 So while the Preacher seekes by playing on the heauenly Harpe to solace and comfort them and to driue euill spirits and lusts from them they cast darts and speares and arrowes of reproches and slanders against them And now the most sauory salt if they can doe withall must bee cast out and trodden vnder foot 3. From this contempt of the Word and Ministers it is that many will not come to heare the Preacher as the deafe Adder refuseth to heare the voyce of the Charmer charme hee neuer so wisely and so shew themselues not to be of God 1. Ioh. 4.6 He that is not of God heareth not vs. Some heare seldome and for shame businesse of greater inportance stayes them and if they chance on occasion to heare any thing that displeaseth them Oh then as Corah said to Moses Ye take too much vpon you Moses and Aaron Numb 16.3 and are like them that contend with the Priest Hos. 4.4 Wherin the Prophet expresseth the outrage of euill in the Iewes This is their subiection to resist the holy Ghost As for the comfort and maintenance of their Preacher further than Law forceth neither conscience nor shame nor example nor perswasion moueth them to maintaine the worship of God But if they can liue of slanderous and scornfull speeches of hatefull and iniurious actions they will not suffer them to want maintenance Thus did Herod returne Iohn euill for good and Demetrius to Paul Obiect Though we heare not some yet we heare some learned and wise men and therfore this is not hatred of the Word Answ. 1. A wicked heart will heare and receiue doctrines and persons so long as hee is pleased and so long the diuell himselfe is good But let him meddle with thine eyes once or deare sins now there is nothing but storming and raging as a diuell incarnate 2. A wicked man may heare a man because he is learned yet learne no good from him And it is hatred of goodnesse that makes him refuse good Sermons vnder pretence they bee not learned he meanes not indeed that all the learning in the world should make him better Obiect Oh but wee loue the Word and if God himselfe or Christ would teach vs wee should say more But what are Ministers more than other men Answ. 1. He that loueth God will not bee wiser than God who hath described his owne meanes but would obey them that haue the ouersight of soules 2. It is false that thou wouldest obey the Lords immediate voyce who wilt not obey this voyce Did not the Lord speak to Cain immediatly to reclaime him from his sinne but did hee repent at the voyce of God himselfe Did not Israel heare Gods owne voyce in giuing the Law with dread and yet did they cease to murmure and rebell against him What was Iudas and the Iewes better for Christs owne voyce No no this is like the Iewes Math. 27.42 Let him come downe from the Crosse and we will beleeue in him Which had he done they would not haue beleeued for did hee not rise from the graue which was more Luk. 16.31 If they will not beleeue Moses and the Prophets neither would they beleeue though one should rise from the dead Therefore we conclude against all pretences that an euill heart hates the Word first and principally and then the Preacher of it V. A good and honest heart hath many Markes in respect of it selfe as the Scriptures ascribe many properties vnto it without which it cannot bee good 1. Newnesse 2. Softnesse 3. Cleannesse 4. Singlenesse 5. Fruitfulnesse 6. Watchfulnes Of these in order The first is newnesse A good heart is euery where called a new heart Ezek. 36.26 A new
whatsoeuer his Lord saith as Mary to the seruants Whatsoeuer he saith doe it As a man that is to plant an Orchard will be sure to get of euery good fruit some so a good heart will not know any fruit to be good but will carry some of it Particulars were infinite for workes spirituall and corporall duties to them within and duties to them without workes of iustice and workes of mercy in giuing and in forgiuing of incitation to good and hindering of euill 6. A good heart doth good duties constantly for first grace knits the heart to God that it may sticke to his seruice not looking backe secondly the writing of Gods finger that is the Law is neuer blotted out his workmanship neuer defaced and so what it is once by grace as it desires euer to be so it remaines thirdly it sees Christ before it finishing his worke Ioh. 4.34 and so it is his meate and drinke also to finish his worke fourthly it will not giue vp or cease to doe well for any crosses Iob 2.3 In all this Iob sinned not the loue of God and goodnesse in that heart is like a raging fire and much water cannot quench it fifthly it is loth after the suffering of many things to lose the Crowne promised onely to perseuerance Reu. 2.10 Bee thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life 7. A good heart doth good duties watchfully before-hand to apprehend occasions as Abraham sate in the doore of his Tent to entertaine passengers and after the doing to reuiew them as God did all the workes of his hands after the Creation to finde either peace and comfort in them if well done or trouble and disquiet in failing It knowes they shall enter into a strict examination of a strict Lord and Master therfore it selfe will first examine them whether they were done sincerely seasonably cheerfully humbly and according to the rules of well-doing Oh the wickednesse of our hearts who yet conceiue better of our selues 1. Some good actions we would doe but hate the light which should direct vs and such as walke in it 2. Some good deeds we would doe at our death but fearfully outstand the opportunities of grace and will know no season Christ mourneth ouer vs as ouer Ierusalem 3. How proud are we of a little glorying of our good works delighting to heare them praised whereas a good heart would dislike euery thing 4. How seldome measure we our actions by the rules of Gods glory good conscience and sincerity of heart but by multitudes and examples of men doing as the most do and for our owne crooked ends 5. Wee content our selues with the deed or action done neuer care with what affection which the Lord most respects as in the widowes two mites and rich mens superfluitie 6. God hath long manured vs but where is our abundant fruit for clusters wee cannot shew berries Can God be content to finde so little where he expects so much and may not hee expect much where he hath giuen so much Shall we neuer come to answere for our meanes which we are so vnanswerable in 7. How many are falne backe from their righteousnesse which shall neuer bee remembred They seemed to begin in the Spirit but are vnstable and peruerted whose latter end is worse than the beginning VII Markes of a good heart in respect of sinne It knoweth first that nothing is properly hated of God but sinne as being directly against his Law and his Image who is a God hating iniquity and as God himselfe is the chiefe and absolute Good so onely sinne is the chiefe and absolute euill Secondly that the proper effect of hatred being reuenge he is not more sure to sinne than God to reuenge one way or other yea vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate him Thirdly that all and euery sinne is vpon record there is an hand-writing against euery sinner and an obligation in euery sinne binding the sinner who hath not one farthing to pay for an infinite debt or infinite forfeit Col. 2.14 Fourthly that all and euery sinne lies in the way betweene God and vs and separates from him and holds good things from vs shuts heauen curseth the earth and burthens all the creatures Fifthly that it exposeth to all misery within vs without vs both here and hereafter Within vs the destruction of all Gods Image the corruption and guilt of the whole nature all euill inclinations against God and our neighbour especially an euill conscience where sinne lyes at the doore either vexing and galling it or dogging and watching it which is a very hell before hell Without a man all the calamities of this life sicknesse pouerty madnesse shame death and corruption all the proper effects of sinne Gen. 2.17 In the day thou sinnest thou shalt dye the death And hereafter the extreme misery of sinne in all not deliuered by Christ is that eternall death which is the wages of it the vnsupportable curse denounced on all that continue not in all things Deut. 27.26 and to be executed on all Reprobates in the Day of the Lords appearing Math. 25.41 Goe ye cursed c. Hence 1. it sees the misery of sinne and grones vnder the burthen both the sinne of his nature for which Paul cries out of himselfe as a wretched man and Dauid Psal. 51.5 and of his life as the Prodigall who acknowledged himselfe not worthy to be called a sonne and the sinnes against the Gospell vnbeliefe despighting of Christ and his Spirit as the Iewes pricked in their hearts Act. 2.37 2. It truly repents for sinne for which this heart may be called an house of mourning an Hadadrimmon or the valley of mourning In which repentance is first confession against it selfe Psal. 32.5 It will not flatter it selfe but cast the first stone against it selfe and will say more against it selfe then all men can as Dauid hauing numbred the people before the Prophet Gad came cast the stone against himselfe saying I haue exceedingly sinned 2. Sam. 24.10 Secondly confession of all the sinnes it knowes as 1. secret and hid corruptions for the good heart knoweth that God loueth truth in the inner parts which made Dauid complaine of his originall corruption and brooding sinne which none tooke notice of but himselfe and the Apostle Paul of the law of euill rebelling against the law of his minde 2. Small and lesser euils it extenuates no sinne as little esteemes none as Gnats Moats or Mites which Gods Law takes order against It lookes not so much on the matter as on the forme It is burdened and takes notice of the least sinnes omissions failing in good things falling from the first loue c. Thirdly in repentance there is remorse or biting A good heart cannot commit sin without remorse not secret sinnes because it knowes nothing is secret in respect of God with whom it hath to deale
not most naturall and inbred sinnes to which it selfe is most inclineable because it knowes the more familiar the sinne the more dangerous not small sinnes Dauids heart smote him for Sauls lap as for his head the eye feeleth the least moat And this by small meanes as soft wax is soone impressed so is a good heart because of his softnesse It will melt and resolue more at the very hearing of Gods Iudgements denounced against others as Iosiah 2. Chron. 34.27 than an euill heart at the feeling of Gods most dreadfull Iudgements as Pharaoh Exod. 7.23 Peter when Christ onely lookes backe vpon him gets out and weepes bitterly It is true that a good man may lye a while without sound remorse as Dauid nine moneths after his adultery though not that time without grudgings but that time the euill and corruption of it preuailes and the Spirit will not suffer it to lye still but awake it must and no sooner wakened then humbled Fourthly in repentance there is reuenge on it selfe with holy indignation for playing the beast before God 2. Cor. 7.11 Thus the Publican knocked his brest and Iob abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes Chap. 42.6 And all this a good heart will doe both secretly and constantly Secretly because hee is a Iew who is one within and hee is praised whom God praiseth And it knowes that euery sound action of grace as mortification repentance humiliation must begin within and flow from thence the seat of soundnesse is the heart and to take notice of outward things to reforme them and neglect the heart and soule and secret passages is to begin at a wrong end Constantly because it sees such dayly ruines in the soule as make it continually mourne and put it to a continuall charge and labour in repairing it And this is to grieue sincerely for sinne as sinne as the offence of God not for punishment whence it is called godly sorrow 2. Cor. 7.10 3. A good heart because it knowes that the greatest happinesse stands in the pardon of sinne Psal. 32.1 and the conscience can neuer be rightly quiet but in declaration of forgiuenesse it labours most for assurance of the pardon of sinne with strong cryes for mercy Psal. 51.1 and to feele the ioy of saluation vers 12. in many seuerall petitions Wash me clense me purge me with Hysope with importunity as Dan. 9.19 and endlesse repetitions as â—he poore starued begger foâ— relieâ—e or the condemned person for a pardon 〈◊〉 the poore Publicans prayer was God be mercifull to me a sinner It sees more need of Gods fauour then of life and therefore more eagerly desires it and pines till it feele the sence of it It sees his filthy nakednesse and is neuer quiet without a couer his horrible foulenesse and is euer washing and bathing in the Lauer of Christs blood and the teares of true repentance It feeles a deadly sore and cannot bee eased without application of Gods saluation 4. It feareth and watcheth all sinne to come as it hateth and shameth for all sinne past As nature shunnes and feares all Serpents euen little ones as well as great so grace shunnes all sinnes and hates them being the spawne of the serpent First it knowes all are hatefull to God all preiudiciall to the soule as one hole in a ship or one Swine in a Garden or one Fly in the Apothecaries box is enough to spoile all therefore it watcheth all Secondly seeing small sinnes are commonly Harbingers to greater it dares not venture on the smallest Thirdly it knowes that the way to auoyd finall defection or back-sliding is to feare staying a little Fourthly it feares the shew the taste the occasions the first appearances of sinne lest from the broth it easily fall to the flesh Fifthly it feares and hates his owne sins more than all other mens and not as it is said of Anthony He hated the Tyrant not tyrannie Rom. 7.15 I hate that I doe Sixthly it hates and feares his owne inward sinnes as much as the outward wisely damming the fountaine and Well-head and stocking vp the root Seuenthly it hates and feares the repetition of sinne and much more shakes off the habite of it lest hee should suddenly grow to expertnesse in the trade Lastly it hates and mournes for other mens sinnes and stops them when he can Psal. 119.136 Phil. 3.18 and now tell you weeping Yea the sinnes of others against God more smite a good heart with sorrow than their owne sinnes can an euill 5. It retaines and still renewes a full purpose of not sinning so as though it sinne the conscience can testifie that it is carried against the setled purpose of it Dauid sweares and vowes he will keepe the righteous iudgements of God and Away from mee ye wicked for I will keepe the Commandements Act. 11.23 with full purpose of heart cleaue to the Lord. Psal. 119.2 Surely they worke no iniquity they doe sinne but not as workemen they cannot plot it but are simple to doe euill Rom. 16.19 Now an euill heart may be humbled and grieued for some sinne but rather for some actuall sinne past than the sinne of nature and that not as sinne or an offence of God but either for some iudgement feared so Ahab put on sack-cloth 1. King 21.27 or some already executed Exod. 9.27 28. Or if there be any release and the iudgement be a little ouer it returnes afresh to the old course as a dog to the vomit 2. Pet. 2.21 2. It can make shew of repentance yet is but as a cloud without raine his teares are soone dryed vp he goes away and forgets he was washed he can be bold enough to sinne and is onely ashamed to confesse his sin or if he doe it is in grosse in the lumpe with excuses and extenuations 3. It will be at little or no paines for the pardon of sinne the assurance of it it thinkes either impossible or vnnecessary It cannot throughly resolue to leaue sinne and therefore cannot bee so earnest for forgiuenesse 4. It can purpose sinne and reioyce in a future sinne Esau saith the dayes of his fathers mourning will once come and then he will slay his brother Absalom carries a purpose of killing his brother Amnon two yeeres together and then doth it This plotting and contriuing of sinne is a sure signe of a wicked heart 5. It can repeate sin remorslesly till it can trade and come to bee expert by often committing ouer the same sins and let them grow to customes habits natures 6. It can defend and pleade for sinne cloking bad actions with good pretences or good meanings Saul saues the fat for sacrifice Absalom will be King to doe iustice and he will begin to execute iustice with rebellion and treason against his owne indulgent father 7. It can glory in sin Phil. 3.19 whose glory is their shame which is true of drunkards swearers proud persons c. all of them farre from
grace farthest from a good heart These are the Notes of a good an honest hart of which I will say to you as the Lord himselfe sometime said of the Israelites Deut. chap. 5. vers 29. Oh that there were such an heart in you to feare your God and keepe his Commandements alwayes that it might bee well with you and with your children for euer Now hauing spoken 1. of the Meanes whereby the heart becomes good 2. of the Marks whereby it is knowne so to be we come in the third place to the Motiues which is the last thing in the description of this last soyle I. Onely such an heart keepes the Word to saluation Fusty vessels are not fit for the precious liquor of sound and sauing knowledge and the graces of the Spirit The Law is spirituall and the place where the Lord layes it is in the spirit and heart of his Elect in whom onely he hath wrought a care to keepe it Psal. 119.11 I haue hid thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee The Lord hauing written his Law in Tables made choyce of y e Arke to lay vp the same safe Exo. 25.16 Thou shalt lay in the Arke the Testimony that I shal giue thee Now this Arke must be ouerlaid with pure gold both within and without signifying that the godly heart which must keepe the Word must be sincere within and without and euery other heart but the good and honest will shake the Word out one time or other hence Dauid prayeth Psal. 119.80 Let my heart bee vpright in thy statutes that I be not ashamed II. God esteemeth the goodnesse of our works by the goodnesse of the heart Ier. 17.11 I the Lord try the hearts to giue to euery man according to his work Hence many workes of ciuill men glorious and beautifull to the eyes of men are hatefull to God because they flow from the filthy puddle of a corrupt heart For as an euill action for matter can neuer bee made good by a good intention of the heart so a good action for matter can neuer be good in acceptance from an euill and deceitfull heart If the spring be corrupt so are all the streames Hence also God esteemeth good duties perfect when the heart is sincere because what is wanting in the manner and measure of obedience is supplyed by soundnesse and made vp by the goodnesse of the â—â—art and therefore in Scripture vprightnesse and perfection are put one for another The widowes mite was in it selfe very light but putting her heart to it made it ponderous Adde thy heart to thy mite and it shall be accepted as a Talent Hence the Scripture saith God iudgeth not as man we iudge from without God from within we proceed from the effect to the cause hee from the cause to the effect wee iudge the heart by the worke hee the worke by the heart we looke first to the sacrifice and then to Abel hee first hath respect to Abel and then to his sacrifice Hence we see a mite in sincerity accepted and a Talent from hypocrisie reiected III. Without this good and honest heart thou losest all thy labour all thy graces all thy hopes all thy expectation If they come not from a pure heart he that is pure looks with pure eyes reiects them all If thou beleeue not from the heart Rom. 10.10 it is vanishing and temporary If thou liftest not vp pure hands in prayer that is the prayer of a pure heart suppose thou diddest weare thy tongue to the stumps and thy knees horne-hard thou losest all thy labour therefore Paul describeth true worshippers 2. Tim. 2.22 to be such as call on the Lord with a pure heart If thy loue be in word and tongue and not in truth thy heart cannot assure thee that thou art of the truth 1. Ioh. 3.18 19. If thou doest not from the heart obey the forme of doctrine deliuered Rom. 6.17 all thy obedience is lost without recompence without acceptation yea abominable Finally whatsoeuer we doe doe it heartily vnto the Lord and not vnto men Col. 3.23 The kernell of all duties lyeth within in the true disposition of the heart without which all is as an empty shell which when it comes to cracking and opening the hypocrites hope faileth See we not in the Day of Iudgement many shall pretend great matters done in preaching or prophecying in the Name of Christ and casting out diuels in the same frequenting Christs presence Wee saw and heard thee in our strâ—ets and so expecting some great reward for so great and glorious workes But not being sound at heart all these things are no better esteemed then working of iniquity and recompenced as hatefull sinnes Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity for all the sacrifices of an hypocrite are abominable his very prayers abominable Esa. 1. Bring no more sacrifices but wash you clense you and then come let vs reason together Esa. 58.3 The Iewes vrge God with their fasting and yet are sent away empty IV. A good heart is the essentiall difference or distinction betweene a godly man and an hypocrite whosoeuer wants it shall receiue his portion with hypocrites The Pharises make cleane the out-side A good Christian heares his Master say Thou hypocrite first make the in-side cleane As the hypocrites religion is made but a couer or cloke so he vseth it as a cloke to cast on and off as hee list And as men make their clothes so doth hee his religion so it be some fine stuffe without they care not what base lining they put in But the sound Christian is as the Kings daughter Psal. 45.13 all glorious within like a late fashion of great men lining russet or base Clokes with Taffatie or Veluet cleane thorow or like the hangings of the Sanctuary without course Badgers skinnes within fine linnen embroydered Exod. 26.1 14. The hypocrite desires to seeme either onely or principally the sound Christian desires to be acceptable Saul when hee knew Gods minde in reiecting him yet honour me saith he before the people 1. Sam. 15.30 the sound Christian knowing the minde of God in electing iustifying and sanctifying him endeuours both liuing and dying to be indeed acceptable vnto him An vnfaithfull and euill heart that departs from God hath faire showes goodly greene leaues a kinde of faith ioy profession and will giue God euery thing but a good heart which gift he only calls for which because hee with-holds hee shall neuer speed so well as a sound Christian who can giue nothing but true desires of a changed and sincere heart V. The whole comfort of a Christian vnder God is in a sound honest and good heart As first all inward comfort 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of a good conscience that in all simplicity and godly purenesse we haue had our conuersation This ioy is the ioy of Gods people which the stranger enters not
into and of it our Sauiour saith None shall take it from you It is like a little veine or spring which euer runneth whereas the ioy of an hypocrite which makes a greater show and noise then the other is like a great pond cleare at top muddy at bottome dried vp in Summer when is most need of the waters of comfort Secondly in outward opposition when men who cannot abide sincerity obiect to vs that all is hypocrisie and scorne vs for the things we doe when Ismaels scoffe vs for the blessings sake that from the world we haue small comfort and encouragement in our godly way now wee may finde comfort and peace in the sound constitution of our hearts 2. Sam. 6.21 Dauid being scorned by Michol for dancing before the Arke and called foole for his paines contemned that contempt for he did it in the vprightnes of his heart and would be yet more vile Paul teaching the strictnesse of Christian Religion to bring Christ into the hearts and liues of men was counted an heretike but professed After the way which ye call heresie doe I worship the God of my fathers Apply wee this to our selues A good conscience as a brazen wall feares not the arrowes of scorners and aduersaries Iobs innocencie will beare his aduersaries booke of accusations on his shoulder Thirdly in personall affliction this good heart ministreth great comfort 1. In inward temptation when Satan shall obiect as against Iob that thou art an hypocrite then which no temptation more assaulteth or infesteth the poore Christian looke what way thou canst not hearing not praying not fasting reading or almes can answere it but onely the sincere and inward disposition of an honest heart in all these He is molested with hypocrisie but not subdued by it So when Satan shall obiect the weaknesse of thy faith or the defects of thy obedience and that God cannot accept so broken and sinfull performances nothing can answere this dart but sincerity of heart manifest in true desires and endeuours which God accepteth beholding mercifully what a man hath not what he hath not Sincerity makes light things massie and ponderous where hypocrisie makes talents lighter then feathers So if he obiect thy heauinesse and vntowardnesse in prayer that thou prayest coldly and distractedly the only answere is God regards not the tune of the voyce the phrase of speach the sound of words or eloquence of tongue but the affection of the heart as in Moses Exod. 14.15 and Hanna 1. Sam. 1.17 2. In outward affliction onely a good and honest heart beares a man vp Iob in all his troubles had no other comfort Chap. 27.5 Vntill I dye I will neuer take away mine innocencie from my selfe When Abimelech was threatned for taking Sarah it was happy and comfortable to him that hee could say With a good and an vpright heart I did this Gen. 20.5 What a strength is it when afflictions take a man in his way and while with a good heart he goes about his businesse But if crosses come while a man is wandring or his heart rouing after vanity this disposition adds a sting to the affliction when the heart shall smite it selfe that it suffers as an euill doer Fourthly in respect of perseuerance in good a good heart onely ministreth comfort For as an Apple rotten at core must faile and perish seeme it neuer so beautifull so all graces shall wither that are not soundly fixed in a good and honest heart It is not leaues and showes without but soundnesse of sap and iuice within that makes the tree continue in fruitfulnesse One time or other the Word of God blasts the hypocrite as the fruitlesse Figge-tree and then how soone is it withered Inquire after his graces his zeale forwardnesse diligence ioy faith loue his place cannot be found his place in the profession shall be as empty as Dauids when Saul asked after him He that builds on the sand and in soundnesse of heart settles not himselfe on Christ the corner stone as our Sauiour said of the stately buildings of the Temple so may wee say of this man who held a beautifull place in the Church and shined in many graces See you all these things the time comes when a stone shall not be left on a stone the fall of his house shall be great and of the ruines of his graces wee may say as the Merchants of the riches of Rome Reuel 18.17 In one houre shall so great riches come to desolation But the vpright of heart shall neuer be ashamed Fiftly in the life time the Lord will doe them good that are true of heart Psal. 125.4 Hee will be mercifull to his defects that prepares his heart to seeke him though hee be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2. Chron. 30.19 Hee will shew himselfe strong with the vpright heart chap. 16.9 Let them be neuer so weake in themselues Gods strength shall perfect all their weaknesses Let all the world condemne them yet he will iustifie them as true Nathaniels in whom is no guile In a word prosperity is their portion in this life 2. Chron. 31.21 Hezekiah in his workes sought the Lord and prospered Sixtly in his death this comfort shall neuer be shaken out of his heart when death shall sunder his soule and body it shal neuer seuer his heart from the soundnesse of it Hezekiah when sentence of death was passed against him the conscience of his honest and sincere heart comforted him Esa. 38.3 O Lord thou knowest I haue walked with an vpright heart c. At this time it will not comfort a man to haue done neuer so excellent workes but the manner of doing and his true endeuour shall comfort him Lastly in the day of Iudgement onely the good and honest heart shall lift vp the head before the Iudge of the world As a faithfull companion it will goe with vs before the Iudge and plead where no other Proctor can be admitted no other friend can appeare for vs. But how dare an hypocrite who hath nothing but chaffe and straw and stubble stand before the fire of that great Day which nothing but golden soundnesse and sincerity can abide No matter how thou canst gild thy selfe if thou beest not golden the fire shall consume thee But be thou the meanest creature that the whole earth can present before the Iudge with an honest heart that hast been faithfull and sincere in a little in the basest calling and estate that euer was any that Day shall preferre thee aboue hollow-hearted professours Preachers yea Princes For then it shall be better to vse Augustines comparison to be a little small finger that can doe no such seruice in the body if sound than to bee an eye of admirable quicknesse and vse for the guiding of the body if vnsound darke or ready to fall out of the head HAuing thus largely shewed the nature of this soyle of
3. It excites them to much thankfulnesse when being acquainted with their owne weaknesse and Satans daily assaults they see themselues set into so firme an estate of happinesse as they are armed against the dread of vtter foyling or forsaking Whence Bucer on Ioh. 6. saith Nothing is more profitable than to preach to Beleeuers that it is impossible for them euer to fall from grace Vse 1. Let all this moue vs to the earnest desire of so permanent a condition and so to labour for truth of grace which onely shall continue Content and please thy selfe with no seeming or vnsound grace which shall leaue thee in thy greatest need In earthly things men desire such as are most durable and lay about them for long estates of life or liues or fee-simples And why not heere in so great necessaries and expectations 2. Let this prouoke vs to perseuerance in the state and measure of grace receiued And hereunto let vs consider 1. The end of Redemption to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and holinesse all our dayes Luk. 1.75 2. That righteousnesse departed from is vaine and forgotten Ezek. 18.24 All labour prayers hearing yea all sufferings are lost as the Galatians suffered many things in vaine Chap. 3.4 3. Thou shalt bee iudged as thou art found when the Lord comes the question shall not bee what thou wast once but what thou art As the tree falls so it lies If of straight it bee growne crooked so it shall bee iudged 4. This makes Election sure and is a note of the saued of the Lord to continue to the end Math. 24.13 Glory and immortality is the part onely of such as by continuance in well-doing seeke it Rom. 2.7 And our Sauiour is expresse Luk. 22.28 To you which haue continued with me in tentations haue I appoynted a Kingdome as my Father hath appoynted me a Kingdome The Lord make vs vpright that by continuing in his Word wee may manifest our selues Disciples so following our Lord with patience and perseuerance in holinesse vntill he bring vs vnto an vn-discontinued happinesse purchased by his owne blood Amen Prima perit perit altera altera quarta perennis FINIS THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE MOST REmarkable poynts inlarged in this Treatise ABuse of things lawfull is damnable as well as the pursuite of things vnlawfull Reasons 3. 164 Abundant measure of grace is the strength of a Christian in a foure-fold afflicted estate 395 Sound Affection to the truth vpholds men from withering 107 Of Affections renewed foure instances 347 Apparell abused how 166 Apostates in dangerous estate three reasons 397 Not to be Ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell sixe reasons 417 The ayme of euery good hearer must be to bring forth an hundreth fold 392 B Behold what it noteth 16 Booke of nature to be translated into the vse of grace 18 Brutish ignorance after long hearing three reasons 61 C Callings abused how 168 Calling of God without repentance 430 Care of the family abused 169 Cares of the world are great chokers of Gods Word 1. Before hearing two wayes 180 Word 2. In hearing two wayes 181 Word 3. After hearing 182 Foure true Causes of the worlds hatred of God and his truth among many false pretensed ones 134 Church not to be defined by multitude 259 Christ the Author and matter of true wisedome 292 Christians must aspire to the highest pitch and measure of grace for fiue reasons 393 Circumstances necessary to doe good duties well seuen 359 Cleannesse of heart wherein it is 349 Comming to Church Satan euer comes with thee 58 Comforts in persecution three 135 Companions of holy desires sixe 78 Companions of true Illumination foure 82 Companions of sound Ioy 1. Holy affections three 86 Companions of sound Ioy 2. Holy graces fiue 87 Company and society abused 169 Comforts for a Minister who seemeth to lose much labour among a rude people foure 258 Conscience if sound hath 1. Sincerity 2. Tendernes 108 D Dangers in enioying earthly pleasures foure 227 Deceitfulnesse of heart in the matter of repentance in seuen particulars 370 Defects of an euill heart in the matter of his Religion in sixe things 319 Delicacy in Christianity condemned by fiue reasons 411 Holy Desires examined in their 1. ground 2. matter 3. ends 4. companions 76 Sound Desire of the Word tryed by three things 77 Differences between sound knowledge and hypocriticall three 81 Differences betweene Christs sowing and his Ministers 4.19 Despisers of Gods Word in fearfull case two reasons 36 E Earnest of the Spirit what 283 Effects of true Religion fiue 316 Effects of sauing knowledge three 123 Elect how farre they may fall in fiue conclusions 422 Ends to aime at in our pleasures 3. 250 Examination whether we are gotten beyond hypocrites in foure things 75 F Faith especially impugned by Satan many reasons 54 Tēporary Faith is raised on tēporary causes which they be 69 Iustifying Faith necessary to a good heart for 5. reasons 294 Faith gouerneth the whole life fiue instances 296 Forwardnesse to heare the Word of God vrged by 4. reas 5 To Fruitfulnesse in grace foure things required 20 Fruitfulnesse necessary to Christians fiue reasons 388 For our Fruitfulnesse the Lord hath done fiue things 399 Sweet Fruits of patience foure 414 The better the Fruits the more need of patience 415 G God glorified by ioyning of the Crosse to Christian profession foure wayes 129 Gods glory is the ayme of a good heart in all his parts and in all his actions 276 Godly men are most peaceable and yet none more troubled than they foure reasons 299 Godly man keepeth the whole Sabbath with the whole man 332 God esteemeth the goodnesse of our workes by the goodnesse of our hearts 372 Goodnesse of heart is a full Sea of comfort in all afflictions 1. Inward 2. Outward 375 Good ground bringeth forth fruits answerable in kinde to the seed 386 The thing hated in Good men is goodnesse 134 Goodnesse of hearers esteemed by goodnesse of heart for foure reasons 264 Grace if sound groweth still fiue reasons 307 Graces of the Spirit compared to water in 4. things 120 Graces speciall and sauing are wrought by the Word preached fiue 323 Sound Grace is blessed with perseuerance 418 Grounds of perseuerance in grace 6. cleered frō exceptions 424 Growth in Grace tryed in the 1. Root 2. Fruits 3. Measure 4. Affection 5. Continuance 88 In naturall Growth persons are higher but in spirituall they grow lower 91 Growth of hypocrites deceitfull in sundry things 98 Some Ground on which the seed of the Word falleth is good ground fiue reasons 252 True Growth is in all graces sixe instances 307 The good heart onely Growes 311 H Heart called good in two respects 261 An Heart qualified by grace is beyond an euill heart in sixe things 262 The Heart is softened by a threefold moysture 270 A good Heart hath fiue properties in regard of God 272 Hath fiue excellent properties in
How to carry our selues to these thornes 6. Rules Heb. 13.16 Doct. Riches full of deceitfulnesse They deceiue men of 1. Gods Word 2. Their Religion 3. Their hearts 4. Sound iudgement Zech. 11.5 Act. 3.6 5 Of saluation Mat. 16.26 Riches deceiue by false promises of 6. things 5. Rules to preserue vs from the deceitfulnesse of riches 1. Esteeme them as they are indeed not as in mens esteeme 2. Take them from God For foure good ends Prou. 39. 3. Looke on them as receits 4. Looke beyond them on true and substantiall riches 1. Tim. 6.6 5. Pray for wisedome well to vse them The third sort of thornes are worldly pleasures All worldly pleasures not condemned 6. Reasons Doct. Earthly ioyes shrewd enemies to the Word and saluation Reasons 7. Non quae optima sed quae suauissima Iam. 4.1 Justi lib 1 Vse 6. Motiues disswading the pursuit of pleasures The vigill must goe before the holy-day the fast before the feast Dolor voluptas innicem cedunt Ereuior voluptas 4. Great dangers in worldly pleasures Aues vagae in easdem pedicas retiaque non incidunt Hieron Eccles. 11.9 Ita curandum corpus vt castiganauÌ„ 1. Cor. 9. vlt Gen. 47.9 Heb. 11.25 26. 7. Markes of a man in whom pleasures choke the Word Men vnder-value better pleasures fiue wayes Psal. 84.10 Exod. 5.4 17. The goodnesse of the giuer commends the gift â— Generall rules how to carry our selues thorow our pleasures 1. The person must be sanctified 2. The choyce for Matter Circumstances Kinde Non subtraâ—untur voluptates sed mutantur pijs August in Psal. 74. Ioy of Gods people is in 7. things Greg. 3. The manner of vsing our pleasure 1. Weanedly 2. Watchfully 3. Wisely August de ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 25. 4. Christianly 4. The season of pleasure Foure vnseasonable times for pleasure In Sabbato melius est arare quâm saltare 1. Cor. 12.26 5. The end of our pleasures Three ends which we must aime at in our pleasures Motiues thus to carry our selues through our pleasures Greg. Ioh. 15.1 Si debeo totum me pro me facto quid debeo pro me refecto Aug. Doct. Some ground which the Word falls vpon is good Reas. 1. 2 3 4 Act. 20.32 5 4. Comforts for a godly Minister who seemes to lose much labour Secundùm laborem non secundùm prouentum Not to looke what others doe but what our selues shuld doe The heart called good in two respects An honest hart why so called Doctr. Goodnesse of Hearers esteemed by goodnesse of heart Reas. 1. 2 Iam. 4.8 3 4 Caius Seius vir bonus sed Christianus 2. Meanes to attaine a good heart Graces required to a good heart are of 1. Action 2. Acceptation Creatio est motus à non ente simpliciter ad ens Ioh. 15.5 Pro. 20.9 Cant. 4.7 Ier. 17.9 Markes of a good hart reduced to 7. heads I. In respect of God a good heart hath 5. properties as 1. It desires neerer vnion with God 2. Seeketh him with the whole heart Ioh. 4.20 3. Standeth wholly to Gods approbation See Acts 20.33 Psal. 7.8 Psal. 37.6 1. Sam. 15.30 4. Resteth and reioyceth in God as his onely portion * Psa. 17.14 5. Aymeth directly at Gods glory in all his 1. Parts 2. Actions both 1. Naturall 2. Spiritual II. Jn respect of Christ a good heart hath fiue properties 1. Preferreth Christ aboue a thousand worlds 2. Reioyceth in Christ aboue all worldly ioyes Rom. 8.17 Phâ—l 3.21 3 Giueth it selfe wholly to Christ who hath giuen himsâ—lfe wholly to it Esa. 63.9 4. Prepareth a sweet roome in it selfe for Christ to dwell in 5. Conformeth it selfe wholly vnto Christ. 1. Ioh. 2.6 III. In respect of the Spirit of God 4. Kindes of notes of a good heart 1. Kinde spirituall assurance from 1. The witnesse of the Spirit 2. The first fruits of the Spirit 3. The seale of the Spirit 4. The earnest of the Spirit 5. The liberty of the Spirit 2. Cor. 3.17 Psal. 51.12 No bad hart euer attained any of these which no good heart is without Act. 19.2 Monendo mouendo remouendo 2. Sort of rules concerning the Spirit is for spirituall worship Ioh. 3.6 From Gods Spirit 1. Inspiring 2. Directing 3. Assisting Esa. 1.12 Psal. 51.17 â— Sam. 1.15 and from our spirits 1. Contrite â— Cheerful 3. Sincere 4. Feruent 1. Tim. 2.8 Act. 2.3 Mic. 6.7 3. Sort in spirituall Graces 5. Humiliation in respect of 1. God 2. It selfe 3. Other things Ps. 126.5 6 Signes of soundnes of humiliation 3. Heb. 4.13 Exod. 5.2 2. Jllumination for which a good heart labours for 5. reasons Acts 17.23 6. Markes of soundnesse of knowledge Ioh. 13.17 Christ the Author and matter of wisedome to a Christian Luk. 7.35 3. Grace Justification by sound faith which a good hart cannot want for 5. reasons Mark 6.5 6. Soundnesse of faith manifested by 6. markes Math. 5.6 Hab. 2.4 How faith gouerneth the life in 5. things Esa. 28.16 Gen. 22.8 Mark 9.24 1. Tim. 1.5 4. Grace sound peace 1. With God 2 With it selfe 3. With others Godly most peaceable yet none more troubled 4. Reasons Gal. 6.16 Wicked men without peace Esa. 57.21 5. Grace supplication No good heart without this grace 4. Reasons Psal. 65.2 Sound prayer tryed by the 1. Mouer 2. Matter 3. Manner Zech. 12.10 True manner of prayer in foure things Heb. 5.7 An euill heart cannot pray 1. Thes. 5.17 The fourth sort in spirituall growth Soundnesse of growth knowne by two things 1. Outgrowing of sinnes 2. Growing â— all 〈◊〉 especially in Humility See Col. 1.9 Faith Rom. 12.21 Patience Obedience 1. Thes. 5.22 Heauenly-mindednes 6. signes of it Reu. 21.17 2. Tim. 4.8 Only a good heart thus groweth Luk. 9.62 Reuel 2.5 Vers. 19. Beware of this ordinaâ—y fruit of Apostasie Markes of a good hart in respect of Gods Ordinances Eph. 4.4 5 1. It chuseth true Religion in the true 1. Causes 2. Effects Efficient Matter Deut. 4.2 Pro. 30.6 Reu. 22.18 Forme End 5. Effects of true Religion Religio à religando August 2. It Christianly imbraceth it in 1. Inward affections 1. Faith 2. Loue. Psal. 139.21 3. Joy 4. Constancy 2 Outward effects as 1. Promote it 2 Professe 〈◊〉 Act. 20.24 3. Adorne it Iam. 1.27 4. Suffer for it 5. Honoar the Professors of it How an euill heart carryeth it selfe in matter of Religion in 6. things Ioh. 7 48. Iam. 2.1 A good hart carefully imbraceth the ordinances of God 4. Reasons Cant. 2.9 Ioh. 4.24 Jt makes great conscience of the Word preached 3. Reasons Reu. 3.20 Ministerium Verbi vehiculum Spiritus 5. Speciall sauing graces wrought by the Word preached Act. 13.26 Conscionable hearing in fiue things 1. Pet. 2.2 An euill heart saileth fiue waies in hearing Ier. 6.17 2. Tim. 4.4 Psa. 50.17 Rom. 7.22 Numb 11.28 A good hart is very conscionable for the Sabbath 6. Reasons Mark 2.28 Heb. 4 3. 5. Properties of a good heart about the Sabbath 1. It remembers it
before Gen. 35.2 2. Keepeth the whole Sabbath 1. Cor. 16. â— 3 With the whole man Mat. 12.36 4. Will see it kept by others Gen. 18.19 5. Wil ioyne with the Assemblies in Gods House Mat. 18.23 Exod. 3.5 How an euill heart carryeth â—t selfe to the Sabbath in fiue things Parasceue A good hart honoureth Gods Ministers 4. Reasons 1. Pet. 2.2 Gal. 4 19. 1. It knowes who they be Mat. 5.14 Reu. 1. vlt. 2. Whence they be 1. Kin. 9.6 1. Cor. 5.5 Reuel 2.1 3. To what end they be 2. Cor. 4.7 4. That God will see all their word-fulfilled How a good heart receiueth Gods Ministers in 4. things Rom. 10.15 Gal. 4.15 Eph. 6.19 1. Thes. 2.19 An euill heart loathing the liquor hateth the vessell Mark 6.20 Ier. 18.18 An euill hart hateth the Word first and then the Preacher 6. Markes of a good heart in respect of it selfe Newnesse of heart in 4. principaâ—l faculties Minde Conscience Will. Psa. 51.12 Affections in 4. instances 1. Loue. 2. Ioy. Psal. 137.6 3. Feare Pro. 28.14 4. Zeale 2. Softnesse in 3. things Mark 9 24 3. Cleannes in 2. things 4. Singlenesse in 5. things 1. Jt is plaine 2. Whole Deut. 6.5 3. Secretly religious Psal. 51 5. Psal. 19.12 4. Though alone 5. Often tryeth it selfe Mat. 26.22 Psal. 139.23 â— Motiues to sincerity 5. Property of a good heart is fruitfulnes 6. Property watchfulnesse 1. Watcheth it selfe narrowly 1. Against all sinne before in the sin and after it 3. His graces both to keepe perfect and exercise them 4. His whole conuersation both alone and With others 5. It watcheth the coÌ„ming of Christ. Luk. 12.45 Reu. 22.20 A good heart prouoketh it selfe to good duties Reas. 4. It careth to doe them well in 7. circumstances 1. Wisely Phil. 2.16 Esa. 1.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Humbly Psa. 143.2 3. Heartily Col. 3.23 4. Abundantly 5. Vniuersally Mat. 3. Phil. 4.8 Ioh. 2. 6. Constantly 7. Watchfully A wickâ—d heart faileth in all VII Markes of a good hart in respect of sinne Esa. 59.2 Ier. 5.25 Rom. 6.23 1. It sees the misery of sinne 2. Truly repenteth sin in which are foure things 1. Confession against it selfe 2. Of all sins knowne Psal. 51.6 3. Remorse 4. Reuenge Ille dolet verè qui sine teste dolet 3. Seeketh pardon Luk. 18 1â— 4. Feareth sinne Odit Antonius tyrannum non tyrannidem 5. Retaineth a purpose of not sinning Deceit of an euill heart in the businesse of repentance Motiues to get this goodnesse of heart 1. Tim. 2.8 Mat. 24.51 Mat. 23.26 2. Cor. 5 9. Goodnesse of heart a full sea of comfort 1. Inward Ioh 16.22 2. Outward opposition Act. 14 14. Iob 31.36 3. Personall affliction 2. Cor. 8.12 4. For perseuerance in good 5. In the life 6. In death 7. In the Day of Iudgement Better a sound finger than a dimme eye Doct. A good heart is a fruitfull heart Of these fruits 1. The kinde 2. The season 3. The Meanes Reas. 4. Rom. 8.14 Triall of sound fruits by 4. rules Mat. 13.27 Mat. 21.19 Ioh. 15.2 1. Ioh. 2.19 2. Pet. â— 21 Lib. 18. cap. 10 Doct. Aspire to the hundreth fold measure of fruits Esa. 61.3 Reas. 1. 2 3 4 5 Math. 10. Straite-neckt vessels are long a filling 5. Motiues to aspire to the highest pitch of grace The Lord hath done 5. things for our fruitfulnesse Ioh. 15.16 Gal. 3.1 Ezek. 47 1â— Iam. 3.17 4. Notes to know thy proceeding in the degrees of grace Doct. 1. Patience necessary to fruits of grace Patience what it is Mat. 26.39 Patientia Lombardica Reasons for the necessity of patience fixe Heb. 12.2 Fiue hinderances of spirituall growth preuented by patience Gal. 2. Vse 1. Vse 2. Motiues to prouide our selues of so vsefull a grace as patience 3. Patience strengtheneth the Christian 3. wayes Num. 13.31 Nulla anceps luctamen in it virtute sine ista Virtus nam vidua est quam non patientia firmat Prudent in Psychomachia 3 â— Sweet fruits of patience Mat. 7.14 Vse 3. Vse 4. Reu. 33.10 6. Helpes or meanes to the patient induring of the Crosse. 1 Pet 4.14 Doct. 2. True grace is blessed with continuance Psal. 1.3 Perseuerance what it is The description explained The obiect subiect and meanes of preseruation Non dicit nulluÌ„ damnabile sed nulla condemnatio Reuel 2.4 Perseuerantia radicis tantùm persistentiam infert non fructuum et foliorum omnium Lapsus est non prolapsio The perseuerance of Saints stablished by 6. grounds or conclusions cleared from the exceptions of Aduersaries Mat. 22.14 De praedest lib. 2 cap. 6. sect 36. In nullo glorianduÌ„ quia nihil est nostrum Cypr. ad Quir. l. 3. ep 4. Aug. de corrept gratia ca. 8. Bellarm. de iustif Lib. 3. Cap. 15. Most of the obiections preuented in foure positions or conclusions Hortatio ad tantam diligentiam ne deâ—iciant noÌ„ arguit deâ—ectabilitatem absolutam omnili ad quos exhortatio adhibetur sed cum certa perseuerantia conuenit vt media cuÌ„ fine causa cum effecto Christus ipse timuit vt exemplo doceret timorem omnem noÌ„ esse frustraneuÌ„ vbi perseuerantia est certa Psal. 51.11 12. Conditio nihil ponit in esse August in Psalm 69. Delentur cum declarantur ibi non esse August Most true of Rome and the Church therein Folia abiecit radix vixit Theoph in Luc. 22. Rom. 9.3 Reu. 2.4 2. Pet. 3.16 Nihil vtilius quà m praedicare credentibus impossibile esse vt vnquam gratia excidant Bucer in Ioh. 6. De terra infrugifera frugifera
vnderstand for so Beza translateth the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and proues both out of the Syriake and out of the opposition of this ground to the next which receiues the Word with ioy that it were more conueniently read and translated which attend not than vnderstand not Vse 1. Lectio haec saith Gregory non indiget expositione sed admonitione Christ hath expounded this to our hand and therefore this needs not an Interpreter so much as a Practiser Thus then I proceed If the worst ground of all heareth the Word and those Hearers which shall be deepest in damnation are Hearers of the Word what shall then become of them that will not heare What haruest can they expect who will suffer no seed to be sowne in their fields Or what earth is that that is let lie vnsteared and vnsowne but some barren Common or some dry Heath and Wildernesse which brings nothing but thornes and briers whose end is to be burned What shall we say to our Popish Recusants who runne from the Church and stop their eares against the Word as if Religion and deuotion stood onely in flying the Scriptures the rule of all Religion Were they here present to heare mee I would tell them 1. That if they were of God they would heare his Word but as Christ said to the Iewes Yee are not of God because ye heare not his Word 2. If they were the sheepe of Christ they would heare his voice Ioh. 10.27 But Christs marke is worne off and they beare the marke of Antichrist 3. Were they of Christs kindred and acquaintance they would heare his Word Luk. 8.20 My mother and brethren are they which heare the Word of God and keepe it 4. Were they not wedded to that Man of sinne they would not so sinne against their owne soules Prou. 8.35 Hee that sinnes against me saith Wisedome hates his owne soule and all that hate me loue death 5. Were they heires of blessing they would not runne from the blessing of them that are Hearers of the Word and doers of it and so wrap themselues in that curse Act. 3.23 It shall be that euery person who will not heare that Prophet shall be destroyed from his people 6. Were their Religion of God they would not thrust away his Word with both hands contrary to the man of God Psalm 119.48 who lifted vp both his hands to the Word of God as if hee would pull it to him with both hands Were their Religion any other but a mystery of darknesse it would brooke the light which whosoeuer feareth or flyeth hee is an euill doer Were it any other but an heape or packe of Idolatry it would abide the triall of the Word But Dagon must downe before the Arke Euery contrary flies and expels the contrary Gods Word is the breath of Christs mouth which must blast wither the kingdome of Antichrist and therefore all the kingdome of Antichrist hates and shunnes it as the theefe the gallowes set vp for his execution Againe what shall we say to the despisers of Gods Word Many there are who make light account of a Sermon they had rather heare an Enterlude than a Sermon A game at Maw or Irish is as good an employment They can passe a day and a night at these sports with farre lesse tediousnesse than one houre at a Sermon To these I say 1. You shall bee arraigned at Christs Barre for despising the Lord Iesus himselfe Luk. 10.16 He that despiseth you despiseth me 2. You shall be cast and condemned to the most wofull damnation that euer befell the most notorious sinners in the world Beleeue not me but â—esus Christ himselfe Math. 10.14 15. He that shal not heare the words of his messengers it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah in that day of Iudgement than for that man Oh woe worth thee that thou art a despiser Christ hath read the sentence of thy damnation already and vnlesse thou repent hee hath with strong asseueration adiudged thee to an heauier load of curses than shall be laid on Sodom and Gomorrah those filthy sinners which were burnt with fire and brimstone for their crying sinnes See the greatnesse of thy sinne in this grieuous punishment and if thou wilt not be deeper in hell than filthy Sodomites beware of despising the Word Heb. 12.25 Obiect If I escape so long I shall care the lesse Answ. No but for the present thou art as a condemned man bound and hampred with the plagues of God and especially that great plague that thou seest them not Deut. 28.15 If thou wilt not heare my voice then cursed shalt thou be in the City and in the field in the fruit of thy body and of thy ground in thy comming in and thy going out These and more than these awaite thee in euery corner Againe Gods curse is vpon thy soule euidently thou diddest neuer taste of the Kings Supper thou neuer knewest the felicity of Gods people thou art a leading with a guard of diuels to thine execution hast thine eyes couered as with a napkin of errour and ignorance as a felon ready to be turned off and thinkest thou thy selfe in good case all this while Lastly what may wee say to Persecutors of the Word and the Preachers of it such as would if they could with a sword slay those that seeke to saue them Like the Hearers at Nazareth who would kill Christ himselfe Luk. 4.28 Eliah shall bee counted a troubler of the State Daniel shall be watched and accused in the matter of his God Amos shall bee accused to the King as one whose words the whole Land is not able to beare 1. What need wee say more than they proclaime against themselues For who be they that stand against the Gospell and Preachers of it but Swearers Libertines Gamesters Drunkards Ruffians Couetous Adulterous and in their whole courses enemies to Righteousnesse that they must needs bee good men and deare to God that are encountred with such aduersaries 2. That Word which thou persecutest and wouldest driue out of thy conscience or wilt not heare the same shall pursue thee and follow thee as an Hue and Cry and thou shalt heare it and condemne thy selfe because thou couldest not endure it should condemne thy sinnes 3. The time comes wherein if thou timely repent not thou shalt see and say thou tookest the wrong end of the staffe and didst kicke against hard prickes and thy conscience shall conuince thee that what thou didst against Christs seruants and Gospell whatsoeuer thy pretence now be thou didst it against Christ himselfe who will pay thee home with thy owne coyne Iulian that cursed Apostate finding himselfe at last too weake cryed out Vicisti Galilaee vicisti Christ was far enough out of his reach he persecuted his seruants and Professors but his conscience now tels him it was against Christ who is too strong for him Writing against Christians he alleaged many things that they
world are intangled againe therein as the dogge returning to his vomite and the Swine washed to her wallowing in the myre How many haue wee obserued so strict in their course that they could endure no sinne no nor the appearance of euill in themselues or others They seemed to hate the very garment spotted by the flesh Now they see many of the same things to bee more indifferent in which men may be more nice then wife Nay they are growne so strong as their stomacks like Ostriches can digest Othes Playes profane and wanton speeches in themselues and others Euery one sees them withering apace but themselues see it not Lastly how many out of their loue to Religion were formerly much and often in deare and costly duties for God for his Gospell and Saints as the Galatians who would part with their eyes to doe Paul good But now they can slinke away except the dutie be cheape and easie If good countenance to Religion or good words which are good cheape will serue the turne that they will affoord no more 4. Men wither in respect of meanes which should preserue their gifts and greenenesse Some haue made conscience of the Word preached and tasted the sweetnesse of it so as nothing could hinder them from hearing all the Sermons they could come at But now the man is nothing so sharpe set euery straw is a Lion in his way hee hath not so much leisure as he had or he hath a greater charge Whereas indeed hee onely hath not the same thirst and desire after Grace in the meanes of it but rather as an vnthankefull Israelite loathes the sweete Manna which at first was so precious Others were wont to pray much and often and that with such earnestnesse as if they had been right Israelites who were resolued to wrestle it out with God but now much of that labour is remitted the hand growes so heauie and so ready to fall downe that Aaron and Hur haue much adoe to support them Some were once diligent in instructing their families in reading the Scriptures with them in carefull watching ouer their behauior as if they had meant to haue gone thorow with Ioshua his resolution But now more then halfe the allowance of the family is taken away Thus as a man in decay casts off some of his traine and sets himselfe at a lower rate So hee that is withering in grace sets downe himselfe in iudgement affection practice and diligence in the meanes And this is the first generall thing proposed The second is the danger of such withering which we shall clearely see in foure particulars 1. In respect of God they are most hatefull seeing they can finde nothing more worthy forsaking then the good way and esteeme euery thing better worth keeping then Gods image and graces Therefore he stileth them Dogges and Swine 2. Pet. 2.20 and most vncleane beasts which his soule hateth as in whom his Spirit ceaseth to worke by illumination sanctification consolation and giueth way to the diuell 2. In respect of the Church they bring scandall to the weake and the scorne of the wicked vpon themselues and all Professors They wound the hearts of Gods children who in them are made vile to the World They open wicked mouthes to speake euill of the way of God Lastly they confirme and harden many in their libertine and loose courses 3. In respect of the sinne it selfe none more dangerous For first relapses wee say are farre more dangerous then first diseases Secondly Satan returning comes with seuen more wicked spirits then himselfe and so hee is for euer held vnder the power of Satan Thirdly this sinne is commonly punished with other sinnes which is Gods most fearefull stroke to which hee seldome giues vp his owne Fourthly it is in the degrees of the sinne against the holy Ghost and easily brings a man into that estate that there may bee left no sacrifice for his sinne 4. In respect of the iudgement that awaites and ouertakes this sinne First the house not founded on a rocke must fall and the fall is great and irreparable Matth. 7.37 Secondly the iudgement is certaine as which is already in part inflicted The talent is already taken away and nothing remaines but casting the vnprofitable seruant into hell-fire Matthew chap. 25. vers 28. The third generall thing proposed is Notes of a man withering in Grace And these are sixe 1. A resting in a common and generall hope of a good estate without desire or indeuour to seeke markes of certainty or speciall assurance in himselfe As a foolish Trades-man hopes his estate is good enough and beares his Creditors in hand it is so but hee is loth to cast vp his bookes or come to a particular view of it No surer argument of a man decaying 2. An opinion of sufficiency that hee hath Grace enough Hee will seeke no more because hee pleaseth himselfe in his present measure and hee that careth not to increase his stocke wastes of the principall And not to goe forward is to goe backward Therefore alwaies displease thy selfe in the measure of Grace alreadie receiued saith Augustine 3. A comparing of a mans selfe with those that are of lower and inferiour graces or meanes Our Fathers say some were saued with lesse adoe they heard but few Sermons and knew not what the precise fashion meant But what saith our Sauiour Luk. 12.48 Where men commit more more is expected Others come to Church as others doe and liue ciuilly and soberly yea haue as much knowledge as such and such of their ranke and they hope as much conscience too and are not very ambitious to steppe before others in this course But for the patternes of Scripture and the example of Saints registred for our imitation they thinke concernes not them because they cannot be Saints Here is a marke of a man withering and growing worse and worse who will not be drawne beyond them that are but a step beyond the worst because hee scornes the best examples as too singular 4. A shunning or slighting of Gods ordinances a willing excommunicating himselfe from the Assemblies when he list That mans strength is abating who fals from his meales Hee must eate that must liue And the plant that would not wither must draw moisture dayly Or if vsing publike meanes diligently hee neglect priuate hee is on the withering hand We cannot haue our ruinous hearts stand vpright further then we dayly repaire them The Word and Prayer dayly vsed are soueraigne meanes to heale dayly infirmities A sound Beleeuer whose leafe shall not wither is a tree standing by riuers of water 5. Secret sinnes ordinarily committed not bewailed not reformed and the same of such as men count small sinnes lesser oathes idle speeches rouing thoughts lashing out against Professors of Religion expense of time in excessiue gaming company keeping with naughtie and scornefull persons idlenesse in the calling or in the Sabbath If
sand and the fall is great how needfull therefore is it for vs to bee fully settled and rooted in our grounds of Religion Quest. How shall I know I am thus rooted in the Doctrine of faith Answ. By a spirit of discerning which enlightens the minde and supplies euen to simple ones a sharp insight and cleernesse of iudgement through vse of the Word in all needfull matters of saluation For faith brings in the Spirit which leads into all truth and the eye-salue still cleering the sight more and more 2. By building our hearts on this foundation and that is by beleeuing it for thus it is a foundation not in it selfe onely but vnto vs when by faith we are coupled and knit vnto it 3. By growing vp on that foundation and yeelding obedience vnto it This note our Sauiour giues Math. 7.24 He that heareth these words and doth the same is a wise builder that layes his house on a Rocke c. Secondly looke well to thy rooting in the grace or gift of faith Content not thy selfe with any thing but onely that faith which is called vnfained 1. Tim. 1.5 and the faith of the Elect Tit. 1.2 This is the faith by which the iust shall liue Hab. 2.4 Quest. What is the rooting in the grace of faith Answ. It is a sound worke of Gods Spirit whereby the heart attaines a true assurance and perswasion of remission of sinnes and the fauour of God in Christ. A worke of the Spirit because no man is borne a Beleeuer but new borne A sound worke for true faith is no empty or windy thing but a subsistence and ground without hollownesse and deceit as all the speciall workes of Gods Spirit in the hearts of the Elect are A true assurance and perswasion because many are deceiued by a temporary faith by blind hopes of mercy at the last by colours either of ciuill honesty or religious performances are misse-led with the example of such as they admire for wisdome place or power and mistake a conceit for faith that because they be not so ill as they were wont to be they be as good as they need be But this man out of good grounds riseth to good assurance Quest. How may I know my selfe soundly rooted in the gift of faith Answ. By fiue notable effects of it 1. Sound affection to Iesus Christ prizing him aboue all the world and counting all but dung in comparison in so much as our life is not deare vnto vs but as Paul wee dare dye for him And this affection is alway ioyned with affiance in Christ or holding fast our assurance by him For as God will still owne his people euen in the furnace in the deepest trouble so must they owne him Zech. 13. vlt. yea when Christ may seeme to withdraw and neglect them as the woman of Canaan Abraham rested in the naked promise and beleeued aboue hope Rom. 4. so must we not hasting to euill meanes in the want of good Esa. 28.16 He that beleeueth shall not make haste 2. If it purge and renue the heart from all kinde of sinnes especially secret and inward Till faith come the heart is full of raigning guile and deceitfulnesse and hollownesse cannot hold out but faith purifieth and garnisheth the heart as a Temple So faith and inward purity grow together 3. If it keepe the heart humble and hungring For it is a light in the bowels causing a man daily to see his sinne more cleerly and to seeke pardon for it in Christ casting it out daily by confession and godly sorrow and still it hungers after righteousnesse insatiably 4. If it be ioyned with good conscience These two goe vndiuided Now a good conscience being perswaded of Gods loue in Christ first excuseth the man that his sinnes are pardoned and then in way of thankfulnes hath respect to all the Commandements and endeuoureth obedience to all Also it hateth feareth and auoideth all sinne because it offendeth God 5. If it be a shield enabling thee to withstand the tentations of Satan and such as runne with thy owne naturall inclinations now it is well grounded That faith which shall stoutly withstand all sinne in time of prosperity shall preuaile mightily against all troubles in time of triall But if thy faith giue thee vp to bee led away to vanity or any ordinary preuailing sinne now in the time of peace suspect it trust it not for time of triall Such as fall from the Religion of God when times of change come being led away either by the seduction of deceiuers or persecution of Tyrants are such as shall finde by examination that the faith they pretended was neuer of power against some knowne sinne and so was neuer strongly rooted in Christ. This faith thus qualified is strongly rooted Cast it into the fire it will come forth purer than gold 1. Pet. 1.7 And when the best faith of hypocrites forsaken of carnall helps on which it stayed it selfe shall proue drosse and be consumed this faith shall set the Christian on a rocke safe in the middest of stormes and waues of aduersity Thirdly looke to thy rooting in the profession and holding forth of thy faith For faith well rooted will breake forth in confession profession and defence of Gods truth 2. Cor. 4.13 I beleeued and therefore I spake and Act. 4.20 We cannot chuse but speake say the Apostles Quest. How may I know I am soundly rooted in the profession of faith Answ. 1. If policy or feare hinder thee not from the profession of the truth by day Many cast themselues into the night with Nicodemus as if it were a worke of darknesse to professe the light Common faith holds it no wisedome to be so forward pulls in the tender horne if any scornes losses or oppositions be abroad Carnall reason swayes against it Master pitty thy selfe it shall not bee so vnto thee Carnall friends easily perswade a man not to bee too busie The feare of a chaine or the wrath of superiours quite blast it 2. If by these cold and pinching times thou abate not thy affection or loue to God his Word and his children 3. If thou gettest courage yea and aduantage by opposition as a strong tree is stronglier rooted for shaking winds Whereof we haue an example Ierem. 36.32 When the profane King had burnt the Booke Ieremiah caused the same to be written againe with many moe words The more euill men oppose holy Doctrine concerning holy life and the worship of God for matter manner time c. the more godly men will iustifie and maintaine it This confession is an acceptable thing to Iesus Christ and honourable and Christ lookes for it Math. 9.28 saying to the two blind men Doe you beleeue that I can doe it Not that hee was ignorant of their faith but for them that were present he would haue them confesse him plainly shewing that it is not enough to beleeue with the heart but confession
home of his penny-vvorths of the chiefe commodities and prizes But alasse vvhen God sets open his Market that all might buy vvithout money or money-vvorth things of such high price no man speakes of them or for them because they see no need of any such commodities 3. In his calling knovv him by clogging himselfe vvith too much businesse an euident signe of an earthly heart in vvhich the Word cannot thriue Martha troubles and distracts her selfe vvith many things and so slippes the opportunity of hearing Christ so when men surcharge themselues and in hope of gaine grapple in so much businesse as they leaue from their affaires no conuenient time and leisure for the seruice of God in publike or priuate but God offers the meanes of saluation in publike they cannot intend it hauing mo irons in the fire the instruction and prayers of the family are interrupted and no time is left for Gods Worship in the family or the world affoords no time to meditate on what they haue heard all the thoughts put into their hearts by a good Sermon dye as a sparke for want of blowing Heere is a sure note of the Word choked Choke the worship of God at home it is choked also in Gods House and in publike 4. Vniust getting or sparing of riches argue the choking of the Word when men can dig downe to hell or fall downe before the diuell for wealth For had the Word any place in mens hearts they would not vse iniustice or any vnlawfull meanes to get riches knowing that the Lord will auenge all such things So are they as wickedly couetous in sauing and sparing when iust and reasonable causes in the Common-wealth or God and good causes call for it as numbers are prodigall enough when the diuell or their lusts call for pounds that grudge at a penny parting for God or any good purpose 5. When a man by reason of his wealth growes either secure in his course or licentious in his sinne or scornefull of admonition or hatefull of reproofe or puts off duties wherein the Word is cleare euen to his conscience that either hee will not vndertake all or not yet or not at all This cleares to such a mā that many thornes lye on his heart and haue beset him to hinder obedience Put a drop of honey into a bottle of vineger it is as sharpe as before So drop in the sweet Word of God into such an heart sowred with the world the taste is not changed the Word is ouer-mastered II. Now follow the Remedies against these choking thornes 1. Consideration that aboue all men rich men should embrace the Word and goe on cheerfully to heauen For to whom God hath been more bountifull they are bound to bee more dutifull To whom much is giuen of them much is required and expected Besides they are more free to good duties not so straitly tyed to bodily labour for their present maintenance are not burthened with so many distractions how to liue as poorer men And further they must giue account for more time more opportunities of well-doing more ability to further the duties of piety and workes of mercy than others How then will they answere it if they seldomer heare know lesse obey lesse and sinne more than others Therefore in the first place consider seriously of the large reckoning thou art to make for all thy large both receits and expences 2. Circumspection is another helpe If riches increase set not thy heart on them Thou mayest haue riches in thy hand not in thy heart In thy hand as a Steward in trusted to distribute not in thy heart as a Treasurer to hoord vp In thy hand to saue by disposing what thou losest by reposing in thy heart In thy hand and power so as the world be thine not in thy heart whereby thou becommest his and yet the world so in thy hand thine as still the euill of it bee his owne Account it thine to dispose of others to partake of 3. Moderation of minde in hauing and inioying the profits of this life 1. Cor. 7.30 They that possesse as if they possessed not and they that vse this world as if they vsed it not Motiues hereunto 1. Consider how much of all thou hast thou hast deserued or art worthy of Iacob confessed O Lord I am lesse than the least of thy mercies and thou art lesse than Iacob 2. Consider how little will serue nature if a mans minde were not more crauing than his backe or belly And yet grace is content with lesse 3. He that desires but a little cannot want much and hee that wants not is wealthy enough as he is great enough that is his owne master and can command his owne desires Consider Agurs request Prou. 30.8 4. If God giue thee not much but scant thee in the things of this life and it make it precious and comfortable it is all one A little box of Diamonds is more precious than a Mountaine of lead Better is a dry morsell with peace that is of mind and conscience than a stalled Oxe with contention And if hee haue giuen this little as a pledge of a better inheritance bee contented yea thankfull that thou art an heire in right though not in possession 5. Consider that it is an high poynt of Christian wisdome if the estate and condition be not to a mans minde to bring his minde to his estate as Paul had learned in all estates to be content 4. Christian couetousnesse is a forcible meanes to draw out these thornes out of the heart and hath these properties 1. It makes God the portion and accounts not him happy that hath wealth enough but as Dauid Psalm 144. vlt. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. 2. It couets that which he may haue both heere and hereafter It is best coueting of that which a man may haue heere and carry away with him 3. Because it knowes it must leaue these things behinde and cannot carry them away it will bee sure to carry the comfort of them out of the world by wise and prouident disposing of them to God his Church and seruants 4. It is assured it shall be countable for all and therfore is more carefull to giue a good account of a little than to make it more There is greater praise in managing a little well than in getting much together though neuer so well Vse 2. To checke the foolish conceit of carnall rich men who thinke themselues the onely happy men because of their wealth To whom I say yet not I but the Lord If thy conscience can charge thee of deceitfull getting thy wealth God is greater than thy conscience and as Iudas now thinkes his thirty pieces dearely earned so shalt thou one day which will marre all thy mirth But if thou hast gotten them neuer so fairely if thou hast stucke thy selfe fast in this thicke clay and hast laid for thy selfe of them a log
and inordinate in it if I may forbeare and chuse another I must not meddle with that The Apostle Phil. 4.8 will haue vs delight in nothing but that which hath some vertue praise or good report in it This Rule will make choyce of the best recreations of best example best vse and least abused It will chuse the best fashion of apparell of the most sober and graue of our ranke and shun such as haue the note of lightnesse curiosity vaine affectation new-fanglednesse and fashioning to the times But how many cast off all consideration of aduised circumstances out of which the inioying of lawfull pleasure is most vnlawfull As for example Suppose some kinde of Stage-playes were lawfull were it not vnlawfull to play in a Church Suppose dicing and carding were as lawfull as most men would haue them must therefore Ministers bee gamesters women dicers children and seruants passe away their time in such games Nay because eating drinking and sundry games as bowling shooting be lawfull must I therefore or may I doe these in all companies May I sort my selfe with swearers ruffians riotous persons without respect of company were not this to ensnare my selfe and offend others Yes For fit circumstances are the grace or disgrace of most lawfull pleasures 3. For the kinde Make first choyce of the best kind of pleasures First because it is a note of a good man to desire to reioyce with the ioy of Gods people Psal. 106.5 Secondly as the godly are different from the world in all their courses so also in their pleasures now the worldlings chiefe pleasure is when his corne and wine and oyle is increased Psalm 4.7 Thirdly this kind of pleasures will make vs not merrier onely but better both in body and minde Quest. Wherein stands the ioy of Gods people Answ. 1. In the Lord himselfe Psal. 37.4 Delight thy selfe in the Lord. Phil. 4.4 Reioyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say Reioyce And why For first a man hereby returnes to his true pleasure againe When man forsooke God true pleasure forsooke man and when men chiefly delight in God they goe backe againe to the chiefe Good and pleasure Secondly why doe wee loue or delight in any outward thing but because of the beauty and pleasantnesse of it But can there be so much beauty or pleasantnesse in the creatures as in the Creator Thirdly what a shame is it for Christians not to bee able or willing to find so much ioy and delight in the Lord as wicked men doe in forced merriments Fourthly is not that the perfect ioy which ariseth out of the presence of that which is most perfect and shall be most perfect in heauen because of the immediate fruition of him who is most perfect Fifthly is not this the next way to perpetuate our ioy and pleasure to set it on him who is euerlasting and indeficient Besides all this we all know that the true pleasure of a Christian is 1. For the present in the fauour of God reconciled by Christ onely by his atonement the soule is at sweet peace and repose in his loue as the child in his fathers armes Rom. 5.11 2. For time to come in his mercy and saluation Psal. 9.2 and 13.5 3. In his presence when hee shall bee a Sunne vnto him to refresh and reuiue him Psal. 84.11 2. In Iesus Christ Phil. 3.3 Wee worship God in the spirit and reioyce in Iesus Christ. The wise Merchant takes more pleasure in the Pearle than all his substance beside Paul accounts all things losse and dung in comparison of him The blessed Virgin reioyced in God her Sauiour and Zacheus receiued him ioyfully How can the faithfull soule being the chaste Spouse of Iesus Christ delight in anâ—â—hing in the world aboue or comparable to her so sweet Head and deare Husband If we as chaste Virgins conceiue Christ in our hearts and claspe him with the armes of faith as Zachary here is cause of sound ioy and true pleasure indeed Take delight in his Natiuity but especially in thy natiuity by him 3. In the testimony and graces of the Spirit First in the testimony of the Spirit that our names are written in the Booke of life in this reioyce Luk. 10.20 This ioy in the holy Ghost is vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. 1.8 He is the great Comforter of his Church an euerlasting Spring of ioy and pleasure which no wicked man euer tasted of Ioh. 14.16 Secondly the graces of the Spirit are full of delight faith hath a speciall pleasure called The ioy of faith Phil. 1.25 Euen temporary faith hath great ioy much more iustifying faith Hope also hath his pleasure euen the expectation of pleasure at Gods right hand for euermore Rom. 12.12 Reioyce in hope What a sweet pleasure is it in the spring to see our seeds and plants grow and come vp in our gardens How much more pleasant is it to see the buds of the Lord grow in our hearts to the vn-rooting and ouer-mastering of the weeds of sinne Sweet is the contentment of grace but the comforts of Gods Spirit bedewing the foule in the thirst of it is like a shadow in a great drought 4. In the Word and Ordinances of God Ps. 112.1 Fearers of God haue great delight in his Commandements The Gospell is a deepe Well of precious promises and the Spirit worketh consolation by the Scripturâ—â— Rom. 15.4 There is the ioyfull tidings of saluation there the doctrine of free Remission of sinnes and Redemption by Iesus Christ is proclaimed there are the pleasures of Gods House and the Word which is food for Gods children Cloath an infant with gold and pearles and make it heire of the whole world yet nothing pleaseth it but the brest-milke so heere In the Word also are described the wayes of wisedome which are wayes of pleasure Prou. 3.17 and all thou canst desire is not to be compared to her 5. In the testimony of a good conscience that they walke in simplicity and godly purenesse and not in fleshly wisedome 2. Cor. 1.12 and haue not willingly moyled their conscience in lusts and pleasures but haue cherished the lust of the Spirit against the lusts of the flesh 6. In the communion of Saints to enioy their fellowship being present and reioyce to heare of their well-fare being absent To reioyce in the prosperity of the Church as Iethro when hee heard of all the good that God had done for Israel Exod. 18.9 Yea to preferre Ierusalem before our chiefe ioy Psal. 137.5 6. when the Gospell runnes with free passage 7. In Euangelicall obedience both in action and passion for the Gospell First serue God with cheerefulnesse Deut. 28.47 as Christs meate and drinke was to doe the will of his Father in this he reioyced Psalm 40.8 Secondly reioyce euen in afflictions for the Gospell and for the Name of Christ as wherein is greater pleasure then in the honour and greatest pleasures of the world Gal. 6.14 God forbid
12.1 Let vs runne with patience the race set before vs Our life being a Christian race patience holds vs in breath and makes vs long-winded that we tyre not and giue ouer before we obtaine the goale and crowne of glory Here for our further direction we will consider 1. What this vertue of patience is 2. Why it is so necessary 3. The vse of all I. Patience is a grace of God by which wee passiuely obey God in all the crosses he imposeth vpon vs willingly quietly and constantly It is a grace of God a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 not growing in our owne grounds but deriued from God who is therefore called the God of patience Phil. 4.13 Not a common grace but a speciall issue of faith and loue neuer sowne nor sprouted in the waste of the world among Heathens but specially bestowed on the Elect and Beleeuers By which wee passiuely obey God Here is expressed the obiect and the act of patience The obiect of it is griefe and passion take away passion there is no vse of patience as where no enemie no vse of weapons where no disease no vse of Phisick The act is obedience to God as Christ in all his suffering Not my will but thy will be done and old Eli 1. Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him doe whatsoeuer he will In all the crosses hee imposeth vpon vs not such as we call pull on our selues as Baals Priests 1. King 18.22 or such as in Monkes Fryers Eremites of themselues whipping themselues to make show of hypocriticall patience and satisfaction This is a voluntary blinde obedience vnder their owne hand and not Gods And because patience perforce is no vertue I adde the manner of Christian suffering that it is willingly quietly and constantly Willingly because there must be correspondence betweene our wills and Gods in things so greatly making for our good The Patient willingly submits himselfe to the bitter Pills and tastlesse Potions of Phisicians because hee hopes for good by them But here is more assurance that God will turne all to the best Quietly and meekely Psal. 39.9 I held my tongue and said nothing for thou Lord diddest it And herein our Lord hath gone before vs in example who was dumbe before the shearer and opened not his mouth Esa. 53.7 Constantly A good Disciple must take vp his crosse dayly not startling at the greatest afflictions as Paul he is ready not onely to be bound but to dye for the Lord Iesus Act. 21.13 nor fainting vnder the heauiest burden seeing it is but for a moment and the burden shall not be aboue our strength and in the issue we shall see The light afflictions of this life are not worthy the glory that shall be reuealed Rom. 8.18 II. The necessitie of patience in the Christian course appeareth by these reasons 1. The scope of the Gospell is to make men fruitfull Christians But this can neuer be without the persecution of the world For Christ and his crosse are inseparable and it is a ruled case Whosoeuer will liue godly in Christ Iesus must suffer persecution 2. Tim. 3.12 No Disciple can expect to auoid or shunne the crosse but expect that entertainment which our Sauiour fore-told Math. 10.22 Ye shall be hated of all men for my Names sake The shadow doth not more vndiuidedly follow the body then persecutions and trials follow the profession of the Gospell This necessity of suffering afflictions implies and inferres a necessity of patience For as he that is to stand vnder an heauie burthen must haue strong shoulders or else hee must needs sinke so vnlesse patience beare such burthens as doe ineuitably follow the profession of the Gospell the godly cannot but sinke vnder them 2. It is necessary in respect of the manuring and preparing to fruit The best ground brings no fruit vnlesse it indure the Plough the Harrow the cold the frost Euen so the Lord prepareth his children to fruits of grace by patient induring many trialls The Wall-nut tree is made fruitfull by beating Camomile by treading vpon the Palme by pressing and the Christian by suffering while the Lords ouer-ruling hand brings out of the eater meate and out of sowre sweet as the most seasonable Summer-fruits by the sharpest Winter 3. In respect of the producing of fruits there is great neede of patience seeing there is no fruit of grace which Satan seekes not to kill in the very sprouting and first appearance as the child in his birth Reu. 12.4 And the wicked world seekes to blast them with the East-winde of reproches yea to nip and pinch them out-face and destroy them with strong and violent persecutions so as without patient enduring the crosse and despising the shame this thirty fold cannot be expected much lesse an hundreth fold As a woman brings forth no fruit of the wombe vnlesse shee patiently endure her sorrowes no more can the Christian any fruit of grace without his sorrowes Thus Christ himselfe brings forth to vs all his blessed fruits not without the greatest patience proportioned to his greatest sufferings and after the same manner must wee also bring forth our fruits to him 4. It is necessary in respect of the growth and ripening of fruits The seed sowne comes not vp all at once but by degrees first the blade then the eare then ripe fruit Mark 4.28 So all our graces and fruits are small at first and receiue increase by little and little And therefore as the Husbandman expects with patience his fruits and plucks not vp his corne because it is small and weake at first and comes not vp full corne So the Christian must patiently waite for the growth and increase of his fruits euen till they come to some perfection Iam. 1.4 Let patience haue her perfect worke Nothing can come to perfection but by patience 5. It is necessary in respect of things that might hinder the growth if patience preuented not as first the smart of present afflictions for euery affliction is grieuous for the present Heb. 12.11 the mention thereof oftentimes makes vs shrinke and startle and grow out of heart because of the roughnesse of our way But now by patience we shall possesse our soules the present remedy of the Disciples greatest persecutions Luk. 21.17 19. whereas by impatience wee lose our selues and lessen our fruits Secondly the common crosses which accompany our mortall life will make vs weary enough vnlesse patience supply some strength and vndershore vs. But by patience we giue glory to God and his soueraignty and right in disposing of vs and to vs according to his good pleasure Iob 1.20 and 2.10 Patience makes vs say Not my will but thy will be done If I must drinke of the cup I will drinke of it Thirdly inward temptations and disquietnesse of conscience the wounds of spirit are so intolerable that the violence of them often shakes off many fruits and makes the Christian walke weakely many
dayes Now patience alone keepes the soule at peace and quietnesse waiting for God vnto succour or issue It holds the heart in expectation of the accomplishment of Gods promises and our happinesse in Christ. Though the vision tarrie yet it waites for the appearing of Gods face and the healing of the soule and is not disappointed Fourthly there are enemies without which hazard our fruits How easily and suddenly are wee ouercome of euill and drawne to returne iniurie with iniurie being prouoked follow our owne reuenges But now Christian patience steps in holds the bridle and turnes the course Now the Christian can blesse being cursed and do good for euill and ouercome euill with goodnes which is a singular fruit of grace Fifthly infirmities of brethren with whom wee conuerse were a great meanes to shake off our fruits as Barnabas lost his sincerity for a time by Peters dissimulation if patience did not vphold to discerne and beare the infirmities of the weake Rom. 15.1 2. and not please our selues But this will put an hand to helpe them vnder their burden and from vnder it as 2. Tim. 2.24 The seruant of God must be gentle to all suffering euill men patiently prouing if at any time God will giue them repentance And much more it endures and if it can couers and cures the infirmities of brethren That is the fift reason 6. Patience is necessary in respect of the Haruest of fruits the gathering and full reaping of all the seed sowne And thus the good ground brings forth with patience that is with patient expectation of the full fruits the first fruits whereof are already attained Rom. 8.25 It patiently abides for that it seeth not And in this respect the Apostle saith Wee haue neede of patience Heb. 10.36 that after we haue done the will of God we may receiue the promise And thus we now inherit the promises as did the Saints namely through faith and patience Heb. 6.12 How strong the expecting of the recompence of reward is to vphold the heart vnto fruitfulnesse see in Abraham Heb. 11.10 and in Moses vers 26. And that this Haruest is only promised to patient enduring our Sauiour noteth Mat. 10.22 He that continueth to the end shall be saued And the Crowne is giuen only to the Conquerour not to him that forsakes the field III. The Vse of all now followeth 1. This serues to reprooue the delicacie of our times For generally men professe a faith seuered from patience For what Haue they suffered for Christ or good conscience any thing all their life long Nay they resolue to suffer nothing not a word of disgrace not a frowne of a Superiour not the least trifling losse or inconuenience for Christ but rather farewell Christ and his profession Let these men know 1. that sound grace neuer comes without a sound burden of crosses to bee taken vp dayly 2. Refuse to suffer with Christ refuse to raigne with Christ Reu. 1.9 Iohn a companion in the Kingdome and patience of Iesus Christ neuer expect to be a companion in the Kingdome if not in the patience of Iesus Christ He need no such companions as flie away when hee hath most need of them 3. Refusest thou to suffer a Flea-biting in comparison a blast of words a frowne of bad times now in dayes of the peace of the Gospell what wouldst thou doe in the stings of Scorpions and the fiery trials of former times but shame both thy Lord and thy selfe 4. Didst thou euer look so high as the hope of the high calling Phil. 3.14 or euer poyze the eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 that thou wouldst forgo them by auoyding a light moment any affliction not worthy the glory y t shall be reuealed Lastly shal Christ suffer so much for thee wilt thou suffer nothing for him 2. Let this stirre vs vp to get vnto vs so needfull and vsefull a grace as patience is so great a preseruer and continuer of fruitfulnesse and furtherer of saluation And consider some Motiues hereunto 1. The act of suffering for Christ is an higher degree of Christian excellency then beleeuing onely Phil. 1.29 First because it aduanceth the glory of God whose power can make Christians as Salamanders not onely liue but thriue and be glorious in the fire of persecution and suffering The same power is dayly put forth in his seruants by which the three children walked in the midst of the fire and onely their bands were loosed Secondly because it conformeth vs vnto God our Father who in his admirable patience endureth wrongs at mens hands which men and Angels could not put vp vnto Christ our Head while we follow him in his sufferings and by bearing his crosse goe on to the Crowne and to the blessed Spirit of God who for his meekenesse and patience is resembled by the Doue 2. It is a maruailous great strength to a Christian first for the setting and ripening of his fruits for how comes it that sinne wastes in him and corruption abates yea consumes which still raignes and swayes the most or that grace thriues and prospers in him which is scorned and trampled by the most but because he is patient to haue his lusts mortified so are not they he is patient to endure the labour of faith and loue so will not they An heauie Christian when he is to goe about duties of mortification or sanctification is soone discomfited as were the ten spyes there were so many enemies so high walls to scale so many Lions in the way But where patience preuailes it comes in like the two hearty spyes Caleb and Ioshua Tush it is nothing to ouercome these Canaanites why they be but men in Gods displeasure the Land is ours already and what if we abide a brunt or two or endure some difficulty the good Land is worth it Secondly what great strength doth it fortifie our faith withall then which no one nor all graces are more assayled Patience as a shield steps in and beares off such thrusts and blowes and shot as otherwise would foyle Faith vtterly It is a preseruing vertue and is for the conseruation of the soule Heb. 10. vlt. Cyprian in his booke de bono perseuerantiae saith that as Faith is the foundation of Christianity so patience is the roofe and couer that keepes the whole worke whole and dry and therefore is said to hold our soules fast to our selues as Faith holds them to Christ. Hence it is called the Anchor of the soule without which Faith and all graces in the soule as in a ship doe totter and reele as a ship without an anchor Thirdly what great stability affords it to a Christian when it makes him and holds him constant and himselfe in all the changes of his outward condition and externall occurrences Let what stormes can bluster abroad he possesseth his minde at home His heart is settled by patience which frameth his minde to his estate when
his estate is not to his minde He is the same man in prison as at liberty in sicknesse as in health in trouble as at rest Where others goe for currant Christians till triall come and the whistling windes rise which blow off their leafie profession but then are proued counterfait because they stored not vp patience to part with deare things rather than with Christ and his Religion these are constant to Christ and themselues seeing Christian patience supports them in doing and suffering for God and good conscience Great are the sweet and comfortable fruits of patience euen aboue peace First a Christian heereby may try the sincerity of his faith Iam. 1.3 The triall of your faith brings forth patience for faith is such as it is in triall Hence did the Apostle Peter 1.1 7. tell the Iewes that by patient enduring of affliction their faith was tryed to be much more precious than gold Wouldest thou try the sincerity of thy faith Haue recourse to thy patience not to thy peace Secondly Christian patience makes a man a liuing Martyr without fire or sword makes him not onely dye liuing but liue dying for Christ and good causes to which being a speciall seruice of honour belongs a speciall recompence Reu. 2.10 Be thou faithfull vnto the death and I will giue thee a Crowne of life Whatsoeuer patience layeth out for Christ Christ hath giuen assumpsit to repay an hundreth fold Mark 10.30 And the Lord takes speciall notice of it to approue and testifie vnto it Reuel 2.19 to the Church of Thyatira I know thy faith and patience that is I acknowledge and accept and commend it Thirdly patient bearing of trialls is a good argument wee are in the right way which is narrow and straite all strowed with crosses difficult and vnpleasing vnto flesh Act. 14.22 By many tribulations wee must enter into the Kingdome of God and hee shall not enter who will not be at the paines to seeke and finde and enter Fourthly it makes the whole life though afflicted yet comfortable Outward peace often turnes our good things into euill and hurtfull as Dauid in his peace and prosperity said that is craked and vaunted he should neuer be moued Psalm 30.6 But patient induring of affliction turnes all euils into good Be any thing neuer so euill in it selfe it is not so to thee but by thine owne default If thou hast patience so many crosses will be so many comforts Thou shalt sucke sweet out of sowre Misery cannot make thee miserable whose patience turnes all poysons into medicines Thou hast by thee a soueraigne remedy for all sores And in the end the issue is blessed and immediatly after the combate comes the Crowne 3. This serues to reforme our iudgements who are so ready to mistake the sufferings of godly men The world esteemes them most miserable that suffer most persecution as Christ himselfe in the dayes of his flesh was despised of men and therfore thought also reiected of God Esa. 53.3 4. But this Treatise hath declared that the better the person is the more is his suffering and the better the fruit the more need of patience Pauls worke was holy himselfe an happy man yet bonds and afflictions did abide him in euery place he was twice in prison before Nero and at last put to death by him Yea the more holy and innocent our Lord himselfe was the more heauenly and powerfull his doctrine and miracles the more was his suffering and so the more vse of patience that in him the Head we might see the estate of the members His fore-runner Iohn Baptist the friend of the Bride-groome and greatest of the Prophets was not his worke good in seeking to draw Herod from his Incest yet what was his wages but wrongfull imprisonment and at the suite of a dancing Damosell he was vniustly beheaded without course of Law What other fruits did the Apostles beare thorow the world but the sweet and comfortable light of grace both in their doctrine and conuersation And what other cup did they drinke but the cup of affliction persecution and death it selfe Now who dare conclude vs vnhappy for suffering who in suffering haue the same cause and such partners in our griefes who haue with vs the Head of the Church and the whole Church either going before or accompanying or following after vs 4. This teacheth vs not to be ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell but to be willing partakers of the sufferings of Christ as Timothy is exhorted 2. Tim. 1.8 Heere is the patience and faith of the Saints Moses esteemed the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt And as the sufferings of the Gospell are the wealth of a Christian so indeed a chiefe honour What needs Christ our witnesse who hath so many witnesses in heauen and earth Angels creatures yea diuels in hell But yet hee honoureth vs to giue testimony vnto him Quest. How may we willingly and patiently take vp the Crosse and indure the shame of our Profession as our Lord did Answ. By these meanes 1. Consider how inseparably the Lord hath ioyned persecution with the profession of the Gospell He might if it had pleased him haue seuered affliction from the Gospell but for sundry ends hath ioyned them together first for his owne glory who will erect and preserue a Church in the world in despight of the world and of the diuell and his wicked instruments Christ will rule and shew his power in the middest of his enemies Secondly hee will haue the light manifest it selfe by discouering and chasing away darknesse between which a continuall fight must be maintained Thirdly to stop the mouth of Satan who would accuse vs as Iob that we did not serue God but for ease and outward prosperity Now cleauing vnto God in so many trialls wee make the diuell a lowd lyer Fourthly to try his children who will abide with him in affliction and to make their rest sweet after so many conflicts c. Therefore wisedome will patiently beare what is hopelesse to auoyd 2. Consider we the goodnesse of our cause which is better than the best thing wee haue and this will incourage vs to defend it with the losse of the best thing wee haue Consider that Christ suffers with thee and that the Spirit of glory rests vpon thee Cast thy selfe vpon the hand of thy God as Hester saying If I dye I dye and his power shall bee perfected in thy weaknesse 3. Consider there is no cause wee should be ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell 1. Nothing is a iust cause of shame but sinne not that which helpes vs out of sinne 2. There is no shame in witnessing to a truth especially a diuine truth from heauen 3. Christ was not ashamed of thy crosse and wilt thou bee ashamed of his 4. Compare thy shame now from wicked men with theirs at the day of Iudgement 5. All thy shame for
shall bee subordinate to their owne benefit 3. Because they are not vpheld with patience to fruition as the Elect are Thus much of the Phrases of Scripture which seeme to infringe the Doctrine of the Elects perseuerance Many moe there be but these are the principall Now to examples 4. Conclusion No examples in all the Scripture proue falling away wholly and finally from sauing grace Bellarmine brings in a great number as if what he cannot effect by waight of argument hee would by a number of examples Wee will quickly dispatch them by reducing them to fiue heads 1. Of Angels who fell wholly and finally from grace Which instance is cleane out of the socket For our question is not of Angels but Elect men not of the grace of Creation but Redemption not of Legall inherent righteousnes but Euangelicall imputed by faith in the Mediator of which they are not capable because Christ tooke not their seed but mans 2. Of Adam in innocency who lost all grace thouâ—â— he was perfectly righteous therefore much more â—hose who haue grace imperfect Answ. 1. This example is to no purpose the question being of men truly iustified in Christ as Adam in innocency was not 2. They must proue that Adam fell from his estate of Renouation and Faith in the Messiah or else they proue nothing 3. That he fell from all grace of Creation which is hard for them to prooue and many of the learned hold the contrary 4. Adams grace in innocency and ours now are farre vnlike He had more measure of grace but ours hath more priuiledges He had grace whereby he might haue continued if hee would wee haue grace whereby we both can and will So the argument is vtterly naught 3. Of whole Churches as Rom. 11.20 The naturall branches are cut off Answ. The Iewes were cut off in respect of the outward Couenant and the common state of that people as any Nation may but not in respect of Faith if inward and effectuall So of the Galatians Chap. 3.1 they were cut off from Christ this is spoken of the visible face of a Church not of the inuisible or of such as had a profession onely not faith or not true So in Esa. 2.22 The faithfull City is become an harlot That is the City which was a seat of faithfull men is corrupted with idolatry not the faithfull in the City Againe faithfull men may be corrupted but not wholly not finally 4. Of hypocrites as Iudas Demas Saul Simon Magus Hymeneus and Philetus who made shipwracke of faith and a good conscience Answ. 1. They might spare their bead-roll for the question is of none such for they haue no true grace to fall from 2. These must fall from all the shadow of grace they haue the Talent must bee taken from them 3. Hypocrites are said to depart from the faith not the grace of iustifying faith which they neuer had but either the doctrine of faith so called in Iude 3. or the profession of it or from temporary faith 5. Of good and truly gracious men for whom I answere thus 1. Dauid the act of his faith was interrupted not the habite the flame of faith appeared not but the sparkes remained and besides he repented as we see in Psal. 51. 2. Of Peter it is true which Theophylact saith The leaues faded the root liued 3. For Salomon he fell not quite away but was saued both because it was neuer said of any Reprobate that hee was loued of God as of Salomon 2. Sam. 12.24 and because he was an holy Pen-man of Scripture and a Prophet therefore sate in the Kingdome of God Luk. 13.28 and because of the promise to scourge him with the rods of men but not take away mercy from him 2. Sam. 7.14 15. 4. For the prodigall sonne who is thought quite lost and dead after he was a sonne 1. It is a symbolicall argument 2. He was dead and lost that is to his father and in his owne sence and so may Gods children be 3. He returned and was receiued 5. For Paul who wished himselfe cut off for his countrey-men 1. He spake not simply but with implicite condition if God might rather glorifie himselfe in his reiection than in casting off his Countrey-men 2. He onely manifests his affection to them but concludes not such an effect in himselfe 3. Hee saith not hee could be separated from Christ but in this case hee could desire it And whereas he saith in 1. Cor. 9.29 he indeuours and beats downe his body lest hee be a Reprobate I answere 1. He speakes not positiuely but suppositiuely 2. Reprobate is not there opposed to Gods Election but mans approbation Hee would not bee reproued for not hauing his life answerable to his Doctrine 3. If it were opposed to Gods Election yet it prooued nothing but rather the contrary He endeuours not to be a Reprobate or not to be so manifested therefore being an Elect Vessell can he be cast away No therefore he shall not In a word if the faithfull bee said to fall from grace it is lapsus not prolapsio a falling but not a falling away it is from the measure or the degree or the sence not the whole grace giuen as the Pastor of the Church of Ephesus fell from his first loue not all loue And it is inconsequent The faithfull may fall for a time and in part therefore wholly and finally Therefore we conclude that no regenerate man can fall totus à toto in totum the whole man with full consent from all grace and goodnesse into all euill or any euill for altogether to the end So as when all is obiected against this Doctrine that can be true grace we see is blessed with continuance Obiect This Doctrine of perseuerance doth much hurt to make men secure and take liberty to sinne Answ. 1. Fire can neuer make a man freeze for cold nor the fire of grace to freeze in sinne 2. No good man can hence purchase a licence to sinne for 1. to be Elect and giuen vp to sinne implyes a contradiction for we are chosen to be holy Eph. 1.4 2. To perseuere is to cleaue to the Word of Christ Ioh. 8.51 3. As he that beleeues he may quite fall from Christ is no true Beleeuer no more is hee that thinkes hee cannot and doe what he list for faith is most industrious in the meanes 3. Though wicked men will peruert Pauls writings yet he must write and though they doe peruert truth to their destruction yet wee must propound such profitable and necessary truths for 1. This confirmeth the faith of the Elect and raiseth them out of despaire and excites them to repentance by leading them out of themselues to fixe their eyes not on the ouglinesse of their sinnes onely euen after grace receiued but vpon Gods promises Christs prayers and power preseruing them to saluation 2. Nothing makes the Saints more loue God than so free and vnchangeable loue