and what he is to you and so let your hearts stand in awe of him and be you afraid to displease him Againe the end of our redemption is that we should serue God without feare saith Zachary This is his meaning Wheras the face of God is naturally a terror vnto vs euen as the face of a Iudge is to a theefe and whereas that which we doe is so full of maimes and blemishes that we can haue no courage to present it vnto God nor hope that he will accept it this is the end of our redemption that being certainly perswaded of the fauour of God in Christ and of remission of sinnes by him all this feare may be quite remoued and we may boldly come to the throne of grace and comfortably assure our selues that God for Christ will accept euen the imperfect and scant measure of our obedience This is the true sense of the place this is the feare in the freedome from which standeth the true seruice of God So that now this is the doctrine The 3. Doctrine That till the mind and conscience of a Christian be quieted and pacified by the knowledge of ones personall acquittance before God by Christ a man cannot truly serue God nor yeeld vnto him that obedience which he ought This is plaine out of the place the true maner of seruing God is without feare that is without astonishment and suspense of mind how God will accept that which we doe Now this feare cannot be banished but by the comfortable apprehension of a discharge by Christ therefore without this comfortable apprehension no man can serue and obey God as he ought to doe These things are all manifest The reason also of the doctrine is apparent thus As often as I recount with my selfe the seuerity and iustice of God how that he cannot abide iniquity and is in his wrath a consuming fire t Heb. 12.29 and doe consider withall how full of corruption my heart is and how farre short the best I can doe comes of that which is required what heart shall I haue to tender my seruice vnto him vnlesse I be someway assured that my person is accepted in Christ and that Gods iust displeasure is allaied towards mee for his sake so that my scant performances shall be shrouded vnder his most absolute and perfit obedience Hence is that saying of Dauid There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared u Psal 130.4 It is the hope and apprehension of mercy which encourageth to obedience Seeing we haue these promises saith the Apostle let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse c x 2. Cor. 7.1 See what Paul inferreth vpon the promises of mercy which God hath made Paul saieth in one place that Whatsoeuer is not of Faith is sinne y Rom. 14.23 meaning that whatsoeuer is offered to God which proceedeth not from faith the same is a sinne In another place he saith that by faith our consciences haue peace with God z Rom. 5.1 Both the places put together do shew thus much that vntill the conscience bee pacified by the assurance of reconciliation with God by Christ nothing that is done can finde acceptance with the Lord. The order of the words touching Habel is woorth the noting The Lord had respect to Habel and to his offring a Gen. 4.4 First to Habel then to his offring So that till I know that God doth accept my person I can haue no hope that he will respect my seruice By this it is plaine first The 1. Vse that it is vnpossible for a Papist rightly to serue God or to yeeld vnto him any true obedience This wil be thought a hard censure especially touching those which seeme so deuout and make so great a profession of good works But it is easily iustified by the doctrine of this place God is not rightly serued vnlesse it be without feare without that slauish awe which ariseth out of the not knowing a mans own particular reconciliation with God Now it is certaine that Papists do stifly maintaine it that it is vnpossible for a man by an ordinary faith to bee assured of Gods fauour By the Decrees of the Councell of Trent a man must doubt of his saluation as long as he liueth in this world b Sess 6. Cap. 9. Can. 13.16 so that indeed a Papist can neuer attaine to any true peace of conscience by his owne doctrine If he keepe himselfe to it he must resolue while he liueth to be in suspense and vncertaine of Gods fauour What a racke is this to a mans conscience to bee taught that he can neuer bee sure in this World that his sins are pardoned and that God is reconciled to him in Christ Iesus What cheerefulnesse or boldnesse can a man haue to serue God when it is taught that there is no possibilitie for him to be assured in his soule that God in Christ will accept his seruice and forgiue his weaknesses Let this be a rule to vs to iudge of Poperie it is a desperate comfortlesse doctrine Christ came into the world to free vs from this seruile feare and to fill our hearts with cheerefulnesse by shewing vnto vs Gods louing countenance Poperie holdeth vs in suspence and laboureth to vphold that feare which is the very direct enemie to true obedience The 2. Vse Secondly this maketh also against the common opinion which in this point is the same with the Papists The most doe talke I know not what of seruing God and professe to do it euerie day but if it be asked what ground they haue of peace with God by Christ this will be found to bee a verie strange demand and they will not know what to answer Securitie they haue enough but what true peace of conscience is they vnderstand not Well may they seeme to be without feare in regard of their common brutishnesse but let their consciences be touched and awaked by some crosse or iudgement or by deaths approching then this seruile feare this dismall horror of heart will soone appeare and it will bee a hard matter to comfort them Know wee therefore that vntill we labour to know our owne particular reconciliation with God by Christ and to that end reuerence the ordinance of God the Word and Sacraments which serue to no other vse but to applie Christ to our soules carelesse we may be frozen in our dregges wee may bee benummed and senslesse wee may be but true peace of conscience wee can neuer haue neither can any seruice come from vs which shall be pleasing and acceptable vnto God vnlesse my heart can witnesse with me that I serue and obey God cheerefully and with a free spirit knowing that God for Christ hath and doth accept me and that my weake seruices shall bee fauourably looked vpon God measuring them rather by the sinceritie of my affection than by the measure of my performance I can not say that I serue God that which
might be to the praise of the glorie of his grace f Eph. 1.6 The Lord intending a memorable instance of his vnspeakable mercy chose some in Christ to be redeemed from eternall slauerie by his death Secondly it is woorthy the obseruing that the whole worke of our saluation is called by this one word Mercy g 1. Pet. 2.10 The reason is because to which part soeuer of it we cast our eies we shall see more than prints and footesteps of his grace the whole frame of it is as it were made of mercy If wee begin at the foundation of all Gods eternall election and passe downe along by the period and full point of all the glory which shall be shewed heereafter and aske from what root ech part did spring this one mercy must bee the sum of euery answer There was mercy in chusing mercy in sending Christ mercy in calling vs mercy in iustifying vs and what can it be but mercy that we shall be admitted to an Inheritance immortall and vndefiled h 1. Pet. 1.4 Mercy the beginning mercy the progresse the conclusion mercy In discoursing heereof the burden of our song must still bee like that of the Psalme For his mercy endureth for euer i Psal 136.1 c. This very same thing is shewed in that parable of the Prodigall In the whole passage therof we shall see nothing but the fruits of exceeding mercy He ranne and fell on his necke he kissed him he commanded to bring foorth the best robe and to kill the fat calfe c k Luc. 16.20 c. What was heere but mercy The same is true in the dealing of God the Father with those to whom hee is reconciled in his Sonne Christ being for them made sinne feeles the edge of his iustice but they being made righteous through Christ enioy the fulnesse of his mercy The 1. Vse This is first matter of information and of settlement in the truth For heere we see against the Papists that in the whole worke of mans redemption by Christ there is no footing left for humane merit Light and darknes God the diuell are not in a more direct line of opposition either to other than mercy and merit It is vnpossible that these two should admit any composition It is said by Philosophers that in lower degrees contraries may haue some concurrence as light and darknesse in the twilight But take two contrarie qualities and let one of them be in the height and full strength there is no possibilitie of place for the other So then seeing in the worke of saluation the Lord hath intended to make shew not of some parcels as it were but of the verie fulnesse of his mercy there is no more roome for merit than there was for Dagon before the Arke of Iehouah l 1. Sam. 5.3 I remember what is said of him that went into the field to gather herbes hee found a wilde gourd and shred it into the pottage But when the pottage came to be tasted the eaters cried out Death is in the pot m 2. Kin. 4.39.40 Such cookes the Papists are they take vpon them to make readie a potion of comfort for a perplexed soule but when they temper with this herbe of Grace the leaues of this wilde gourd of humane merit which neuer grew in the Lords garden or at least was neuer planted by him but crept in as a weed by the negligence of the dressers they haue giuen occasion to make the same crie Death is in the pot and with it they haue poisoned a world of soules and haue dealt as iniuriously with the Church of God as the Philistims did with Izhak when they stopped and filled vp with earth all his Welles n Gen. 26.15 so with this earthly trash they haue choaked vp the Fountaine of Grace o Zach. 13.1 that it cannot streame out comfortably for the refreshing of the wearied soules of Gods people Thus as Iob said to his friends they haue forged lies and by that meanes are Physicians of no value p Iob 13.4 Neither is this to be obserued only because of Papists but euen because of the common people inasmuch as the doctrine and opinion of Merit that is of doing somewhat whereby to further our owne saluation is grauen as with an iron pen q Ier. 17.1 in the tables of euery naturall heart Experience sheweth that the sowrenesse of this Popish leauen remaineth in many Good prayers and good doings meane well and doe well these and the like are the slaues they leane vnto It is said that the children of the Iewes which married wiues of Ashdod spake halfe in the speech of Ashdod r Noh 13.24 Such is the religion of many Talke with them of saluation they speake halfe popishly and halfe soundly They will speake of mercy and grace and seeme to magnifie and esteeme it yet something of their owne shall be brought in too and a man shall haue somewhat adoe before he can coniure out this diuell and bring them to an absolute dependance vpon the freedome of Gods mercie Remember we then the doctrine of this place God intented the mysterie of Christ in which to set out to the ful the vnsearchable riches of his mercie to couple with it ought els more or lesse is iniuriously to darken the beautie of that which the purpose of God was to haue to be seene and beheld in whole without impeachment Secondly this doctrine is a matter of comfort The 2. Vse There cannot be a matter of greater security to the soule of a Christian than to laie his whole hope vpon Gods mercy The reason is because the mercy of God is as himselfe infinite eternall and vnchangeable Where shall I finde a more certaine refuge When I see a plaister as large as my sore there is my comfort The perplexed conscience groaning vnder the weight of sinne and panting for grace is the fittest Iudge in points of this nature Well then let a mans Bones be full of the sinne of his youth Å¿ Iob 20.11 let his heart be broken with one breaking vpon another t Iob 16.14 let his conscience be set vpon the racke the Lord writing bitter things against him u Iob 13.26 you will tell him of the mercy and grace of God You doe well but you will adde withall that his comfort in this must bee eyked out with something of his owne Hee must crie out vpon you as Iob did vpon his friends Miserable comforters yee are all x Iob 16.2 Hee will see such weaknesse such scantnesse such maimednesse such imperfection in his best performances that hee will not dare to bring them into a reckoning before God yea the verie thought of them will but adde affliction to his griefe Thus will his comfort consume like a rotten thing and as a garment that is moth-eaten y Iob 13.28 But teach him to build all vpon Gods mercy labouring that
Isaak Behold I am now old and know not the day of my death wherfore now c x Gen. 27.2.3 as if he had said There is a thing to be done which must be done before I die and I know that as the daies of my life are but few so the greatest part of them are gone and past therefore that which I intended I will hasten to doe it so should euerie Christian reason wâ—â—h himselfe My time is short my life a span my daies nor many therefore Lord frame my heart that whilest it is called to day I may turne to thee and seeke thy fauour This care is a chiefe difference betwixt the godly and the wicked For they argue cleane contrarie Let vs eat and drinke tomorrow we shall die y Isay 22.13 Therein they imitate their father the Diuell for euen of the same humor is he He hath great wrath knowing that he hath but a short time z Reu. 12.12 The second point now followeth For so Zachary teacheth vs that as God is to be serued in our life which is the more generall point so it must be all the daies of our life Here come to be opened two doctrines 1 That religion is to be practised euery day 2. That it is to be practised to the end of our daies The former of these requireth assiduity and dailinesse The latter perpetuity and lastingnesse I will blesse thee daily saith Dauid and praise thy name for euer a Psal 145.2 That speech may be in stead of a commentarie to this place I will speake of both seuerally The former of the two doctrines is The 2. Doctrine That a Christian man is bound by the word of God to a daily practise of religion Euery day and euery action of the day must be a witnesse of his care to approue himselfe in all holy conuersation vnto God It will not be hard to proue this by the Scripture namely that a godly life is to be brought into euery daies practise We must henceforth liue as much time as remaineth in the flesh not after the lusts of men b 1. Pet. 4.2 As much time so that no time is exempted from liuing after the will of God Let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord continually c Pro. 23.17 Toto die Tremel There is no allowance for any intermission of time to be spent as it were a little more vainely or carelesly than other Paul speakes of being giuen vnto euery good worke continually or of attending thereupon dayly d So doth the word signifie 1. Tim. 5.10 Euery good worke there is no toleration for any sinne Euery day there is no exemption of time I endeuour my selfe to haue alway a cleere conscience e Act. 24.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Alway or thorowout that is at one time as well as at another one time of the day as well as another There are very few duties of religion but the Scripture speaketh of the dailinesse of them either by precept or example For dayly praying besides the commandement pray continually f 1. Thes 5.17 we haue Daniels example of three times a day g Dan. 9.10 and Dauids of seuen times a day h Psa 119.164 For reading we haue the charge giuen to Iosua Let not this booke of the law depart from thee i Ioâ— 1.8 For meditation we heare Dauid Oh how I loue thy law it is my meditation continually k Ps 119 97. For talking of good things My tongue shall talke of thy righteousnesse daily l Psal 71.24 For watching ouer our owne selues Keepe thy heart with all diligence saith Salomon m Pro. 4.23 Watch in all things saith Paul n 2. Tim. 4.5 Take heed lest at any time there be in any of you an euill heart o Heb 3.12 For depending vpon Gods prouidence we are taught to aske daily bread p Matth. 6.11 For preparation for the crosse there is speech of taking it vp daily q Luc 9.23 For seeking to doe good to others there is a precept to exhort one another daily r Heb. 3.13 These places and many like shew that one day as well as another is to be consecrated to God and the duties of religion rending to Gods glory the edification of our owne soules and the good of others are to be performed euerie day And if it were not so why should God be so carefull in the Scripture to giue such directions for euery specialty that can be incident to any day as apparrell meat calling companie speech solitarinesse recreation health sicknes prosperity crosses friends c whatsoeuer occasion may at any time take vp a man in any part of the day the Scripture giueth a direction for it because a man is bound to make conscience of the practise of religion in euery particular Now a double reason there is for this doctrine First Gods compassions are renued euery morning Å¿ Lam. 3.23 and he ladeth vs dayly with benefits t Psal 68.19 Now sith there is no slacking of Gods kindnesse why should there be any intermission of our dutie Secondly Satan goeth about seeking to deuoure u 1. Pet. 5.8 when a man beginneth to be a little secure and to giue the raines a little to his owne heart to wander after it owne waies then taketh he his aduantage and the soule being by some intermission of a godly care thus as it were let loose doth quickly fall into his snares The 1. Vse The first vse of this doctrine is to remoue two opinions which are common in the world touching religion The one is that it is an easie matter to be a Christian a thing of no great paines to be religious some generall desires some superficiall good meanings some formall shews some deuotion now and then by fits some few actions of charity this is enough to saluation Hence commeth our common security Moiling and droiling there is for the world without measure To some carnall and carking humors the day is not long enough the weeke is too short euen some of Gods day must be borrowed for earthly occasions Godlinesse is followed but at leasure times heauen we suppose will come of it selfe without seeking How many daies passe ouer vs in a yere in which matters of the soule are not once thought vpon But how much are wee heerein deceiued Religion is a taske for euery day Hee that doeth not make conscience euery day to looke to his Religion to profit in his Religion and to shew foorth the fruits of his Religion that hee may comfortably at night say he is so much neerer his iourneies end to heauen than hee was at his first setting out in the morning that mans Religion is not as it ought and he which thinketh to come to heauen by this idle and negligent course shall be called the least in the kingdome of God x Matt. 5.19 The second opinion is
possible the knowledge of saluation may from him be deriued vnto all that heare him This is iustifiable by this place For how shall a Minister be truely said to giue knowledge of saluation if he lap vp his speech in such a mist of words that the meanest and shallowest among the hearers cannot vnderstand it Such a kind of preaching is rightly compared to a Trumpet giuing an vncertaine sound at the hearing whereof no man can tel how or when to prepare himselfe to the battel k 1. Cor. 14.8 so if hee which speakes in publike doe speake in such high termes obscure phrases that ordinarie men cannot conceiue what he intends how shall they by his preaching be stirred vp to any good seruice how shall they prepare themselues to fight against Satan Hence was that worthy resolution of Pauls I had rather in the Church to speake fiue words c. that I might also instruct others than ten thousand words in a strange toong l 1. Cor. 14.19 In which place by a strange tongue may not only be vnderstood the speaking of Latin or French or the like amongst English men but the speaking of the mother tongue in such a strange fashion that it may seeme all one to the hearers as if one spake in the most vnknowen language The want of this painted eloquence brought Pauls preaching into disgrace among the learned Grecians whence came that phrase The foolishnesse of preaching m 1. Cor. 1.21 yet Paul still went on without excellency of words or the entising speech of mans wisedome and affected only the plaine euidence of the spirit n 1. Cor. 2.1.4 so that this was no small comfort vnto him that he had preached the Gospell after that familiar maner that he might truly say If our Gospell be hid it is hid vnto them that are lost o 2. Cor. 4.3 It is a fit comparison in which a Preacher is likened to a Nurse p 1. The. 2.7 Nurses doe halfe chew the meare to the little ones and doe babble with them in their owne stammering and vnperfit language so must a Preacher proportion his doctrine to his hearers capacity and fit his tongue to their conceiuing otherwise he shall neuer giue the knowledge of saluation but shall rather make it more obscure The 1. Vse This first belongeth as a reproofe to some who like the old Pharisies louing the praise of men more than the praise of God q Ioh. 12.41 soare so high in such vncouth words and in such an affected kind of eloquence that they become as Barbarians r 1. Cor. 14.11 vnto their hearers It were all one if they preached to them in Latin or in French Let all such remember that their office is to bring the people to the knowledge of saluation Now the plainer the Preacher is the sooner shall the people be brought to the knowledge of saluation by his meanes Secondly this discouereth the misconceit of many hearers who if a Preacher haue gallant words The 2. Vse and delightfull phrases and interlace his sermon with other toongs straightway admire him as extraordinarily learned and profound But I aske of thee what knowledge of saluation hast thou got by such a sermon how is thy vnderstanding holpen in the mistery of Christ Thou wilt say perhaps that he was too deepe for thee What good then shall he doe to thy soule if by hearing him thou art brought no neerer to the knowledge of God than thou wast before If thou wouldest heare for thy profit pray to God to send thee such an one which may speake to thy conscience which may season thy heart with soundnesse of knowledge and not tickle thy itching eares Å¿ 2. Tim. 4.3 with pleasingnesse of words The third doctrine from hence is That those which are ignorant in the true way and meanes of saluation The 5. Doctrine are not yet prepared for Christ nor fit to entertaine him The reason heereof is manifest by the text Iohn must prepare a way for Christ that is he must make men ready to receiue Christ How shall he doe that By labouring to bring them to the knowledge of saluation Therefore they which are not yet come so farre as to know what is absolutely necessarie to saluation are not come the first step towards Christ It is truly said by the Apostle that they whose cogitations are darkned be strangers from the life of God t Eph. 4.18 Heare what Christ saith This is life euerlasting to know God to be the only very God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ u Ioh. 17.3 Knowest thou not Christ what he is what he hath done how that which he hath done may be auaileable to thy soule thou art not yet in the way to life eternall This Paul begged of God for his hearers That they might be fulfilled with knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding x Col. 1.9 that they might be able to comprehend what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ c y Eph. 3.18.19 The Vse This serueth to shew the ineuitable danger of the common ignorance of the multitude They beleeue that they shall be saued and yet haue no skill in the doctrine of saluation they hope vpon Christ and yet vnderstand not the mystery of Christ Nay which is worst of all when the knowledge of saluation is offered to them they doe with both hands put it from them and doe aduisedly seeke to cherish and maintaine themselues in their wilfull blindnesse We are not a shamed to say What needeth this knowledge To what end is so much teaching Thou art laboured with from Sabbath to Sabbath that thy heart may be seasoned with the knowledge of saluation and that thou maist be prepared for Christ if thou reiect this kindnesse surely when thou commest to Christ to seeke fauour from him he will say to thee What hast thou to doe with me depart from mee I know thee not z Matt. 7.23 thou hast an ignorant heart a heart hating knowledge a Pro. 1.22 I cannot brooke thee THE NINTH SERMON By the remission of their sinnes VERS 78. Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from an high hath visited vs. THe fourth branch commeth next in place namely how this saluation the knowledge whereof must be giuen to Gods people is wrought and that is By the remission of sinnes In handling this point I am thus to proceed First I must teach what Remission of sinnes is Secondly I must prooue that our saluation stands in the Remission of sinnes Thirdly I must applie both to our vse Touching the generall nature of remission of sinnes It is an action of God whereby for the merit of Christ he accounts sinne as no sinne or as if it had neuer beene committed Hereupon it is that when thâ—â— is in Scripture speech made of forgiunesse of
be without Christ The latter what happinesse is offered to vs in Christ In handling the former wee must first enquire the sense namely what is meant by Darknesse and what by the shadow of Death The word Darknesse must not bee taken literally for any outward materiall earthly or sensible darknesse such as is when the heauens are ouerwhelmed with clouds the Sunne set the starres hidden and the Moone not appearing and neither fire nor candle to bee gotten But it must be taken in a spirituall sense with reference to the inward parts to the soule and conscience And being so taken it betokeneth two things 1. Want of true sauing knowledge 2. Want of true spirituall comfort Thus Light in Scripture is taken first for true knowledge That the Eies of your vnderstanding may be lightened m Eph. 1.18 Secondly for true comfort Light is sowen for the Righteous and ioy for the vpright in heart n Psal 97.11 So also darknesse is put for the contrarie First for Ignorance Men loued darknesse rather than Light o Ioh. 3.10 Hauing their cogitation darkned p Eph. 4.18 Secondly for amazednesse and perplexitie of spirit If they looke to the earth behold darknesse and sorrow q Isay 5.30 Therefore Hell which is the seat of Horror is 〈◊〉 led Darknesse r Matt. 18.12 So then by those which sit in darknesse are meant those which lie buried in ignorance and blindenesse vtterly destitute of all true spirituall consolation Now to this there is added another clause The shadow of death A phrase vsuall in Scripture signifying an estate brought as it were within the coastes and borders and as I may so speake within the reach of death So that the meaning of both clauses together is this That those to whom Christ hath appeared as a Sauiour were without knowledge without comfort without any meanes or possibilitie of life eternall in themselues This is the sense Heere then is ample occasion giuen to speake of our naturall estate without Christ The miserie whereof stands in three things 1. Want of true knowledge 2. Want of true comfort 3. Subiection and liablenesse to death eternall That these three are all true of euery naturall man I will declare briefly The 1. Doctrine And first That euery naturall man is destitute of true knowledge the Scripture speaketh plainly Paul saith that naturally our Cogitations are darkned through Ignorance ſ Eph. 4.18 that we are vnwise t T it 3.3 that is such as vnderstand not What the will of the Lord is u Eph. 5.17 that the Wisedome of our flesh is death and enmitie against God x Rom. 8.6.7 that we neither perceiue nor can know the things of the spirit of God y 1. Cor. 2.14 And of this ignorance we haue examples as in Nicodemus who could not tell what to make of the doctrine of Regeneration z Ioh. 3.9 and in the learned Athenians who mocked at that which Paul taught touching the Resurrection a Act. 17 32. The most points of Religion seeme to flesh and bloud vnreasonable absurd vnlikely Man hath no knowledge of God by nature but onely so much as may serue to condemne him We are taught by this first The 1. Vse to disclaime all opinion of freewill that is of power in man of himselfe to embrace and to entertaine good when it is offred This is certaine that where the minde of man hath no power to conceiue there the will hath no power to embrace Now it is prooued heere that we are all in darknesse nay euen darknesse it selfe b Ephes 5.8 We are possessed with that extreme ignorance and dulnesse in the things of God that of our selues we cannot vnderstand them Therefore as God must first enlighten our mindes before we can conceiue any good so hee must first bend and frame and new mould our willes before wee can truely affect nay before wee can once encline or leane towards the same Let the patrons of Free-will see how they can reconcile these things namely that man should naturally lie groueling in a thicke mist of spirituall darknesse and yet should haue power in himselfe to chuse that which is good without speciall and particular enabling Secondly this aduiseth vs not to admit our owne sense and conceit as a Iudge in matters of Religion The 2. Vse The blinde we say is vnfit to iudge of colours and naturall man to determine of holy things Hee that will beleeue nothing but that which his owne reason shall approoue nor doe nothing more than his owne corrupt affection shall encline vnto shall neuer beleeue so much as hee ought nor practise the one halfe of that which is required A great cause of mens disobedience in religion is that they consult with flesh and blood that is about matters of the soul they consult with that which is the greatest enemy to the soule The first lesson to be learned by a Christian is to deny himselfe c Matt. 16 24. It ought to satisfie thee that God hath so commanded so spoken so reuealed whether it be agreeable to reason or no it is all one Say with Peter At thy word I will doe this or I will beleeue that Happie is he who being priuy to his owne spirituall blindnesse can stretch out his hand to the Lord and say with Dauid Teach mee Direct my steps in thy word Let me not wander from thy Commandements d Psal 119.10.12.133 The 3. Vse Thirdly we are heereby let to see what they doe which please themselues in their ignorance What is it but a delighting in their owne miserie It is as if a man should content himselfe to lie in the bottome of a darke stinking dungeon euen when there is meanes offered to release him What is the chiefe part of our naturall misery Is it not this that we sit in darknesse But what darknesse is it Our senses doe tell vs it is not any outward bodily darkenesse which is meant It cannot bee any but the darkenesse of the soule And what is the darkenesse of the soule but Ignorance and dulnesse Faith is the eie of the soule and knowledge the ground of Faith You then which wilfully muzzell your selues in ignorance which desire not to bee better taught which are wearie of the meanes of knowledge what doe you but euen resolue with your selues to lie still in darknesse and to rush your selues into that Vtter darknesse where nothing will bee besides Weeping and gnashing of teeth e Matt. 8.12 Remember wee then that as by nature in respect of sinne wee are of all creatures the most miserable so one branch of our miserie is the darknesse of ignorance the want of true sauing knowledge if we doe willingly and contentedly cherish our selues therein and refuse to vnderstand the things which belong vnto our Peace it is all one as if we should say Wee will not be saued Hell shall bee more welcome vnto vs
then eternall life The second part of our naturall miserie is The 2. Doctrine The want of true comfort There is no peace to the wicked saith God f Isay 57.21 The conscience naturally being not yet renued and purged by Christs blood hath in it one of these two euils Senslesnesse or Amazednesse Either it is blockish and benummed and feeleth nothing and so passeth on in a kinde of drowsinesse and securitie like an Oxe that goeth to the slaughter g Pro. 7.22 or els it is perplexed and distracted with inward horror not knowing which way to turne it selfe for any true refreshing And the reason is this In euery naturall heart Sathan reigneth and worketh h Eph. 2.2 and Christ is a stranger from it Now where the King of confusion reigneth and where the Prince of Peace i Isay 9.6 is a stranger what comfort can bee looked for Againe the foundation of all true comfort is the perswasion of Gods loue in the forgiuenesse of sins but this I am sure doth not grow in natures garden And thirdly let a soule be wounded a heart pricked a conscience astonished with the apprehension of sin and with the Terror of the Lord k 2. Cor. 5.11 all the wit of all the wisest men in the World out of their owne reason cannot comfort it This is a lim of our natural darknesse Let vs once be touched with inward sorrow let nature doe her best let carnall reason stretch it selfe to the vtmost pin yet shall we be swallowed vp with dismaiednes This teacheth vs what we must doe The Vse when as in sicknesse losse disgraces and in any other sadnesse and sullennesse of spirit we desire refreshing If wee aske counsell of Nature or of carnall friends what direction shall we receaue Companie Musicke discourse gaming and things of the like nature which are like to water taken by one sicke of a burning feuer which cooleth a little at the first but after encreaseth the heat or to stickes catched at by a man readie to be drowned which promise some hope of helpe but yet faile in the vse and perish with him that trusted to them If wee desire true comfort we must goe out of our selues and looke vpward to him who is the God of all consolation l 2. Cor. 1.3 In his word we must meditate Except saith Dauid thy Law had been my delight I should now haue perished in mine affliction m Ps 119.92 The cause of mens deadnesse in the day of sorrow is their dependance vpon carnall meanes the reed of Egypt n Isay 36.6 while in the meane time they neglect the principall The 3. Dotrine The third part of our naturall miserie is subiection to eternall death Death is gone ouer all men o Rom. 5.12 and The wages of sinne is death p Rom. 6.23 God told Adam that in the day that hee did eat the forbidden fruit hee should die the death q Gen. 2.17 Now inasmuch as wee haue all taken part with this disobedience we haue all a share in this punishment This punishment is called Death not because it is an vtter abolishment of the Being of the creature happie were it for the wicked if it were so but it is so called because the soule is eternally separated from God who is the fountaine of life and happinesse and by that meanes it is euer dying but dieth neuer wishing a dessolution but can neuer obtaine it The Vse The vse heereof is to humble vs and to abate our naturall pride Among men if we see one that is a begger by birth to be proud and lifting vp himselfe wee account it intolerable Put case some one were borne to bee a slaue or a drudge we would thinke such an one had little cause of boasting Yet such is the naturall condition of vs all The shadow and darknes of eternall death is our best inheritance Let God giue vs our right and what portion can wee expect but the fire of hell It is natures desert nay it is euen the desire of nature to be plunged into it Why are we secure whom our sinnes haue cast into such a dismall estate Thou pridest thy selfe in thy birth thou in thy wealth thou in thy wit thou in thy painted sheath and gay clothing and considerest not thy best desert what it is and whereto it tends whereas thou oughtest rather to powre out thy heart like water before the face of the Lord r Lam. 2.19 and to crie with Dauid Saue me O God Deliuer me out of the mire that I sinke not Let not the pit shut her mouth vpon me Å¿ Psal 69.1.14.15 Thus much touching the state of the parties vpon whom Christ bestoweth the benefit of saluation where we see what we are all by nature without Christ without the light of knowledge without the light of comfort ready to be swallowed vp in the darknesse of eternall death The right vnderstanding of this point when it workes to the humbling of the soule is the very first step to happinesse and the first fruits of true godlinesse The second thing to be handled in this Text is the nature of the benefit which is heere declared in two things 1. To giue light 2. To guide our feet into the way of peace Of these two in their course In discoursing vpon the former I must shew first what is meant by Light and then how this Light is giuen The word Light is opposed to the former miserie Whatsoeuer is vnderstood by Darknesse and the shadow of death the contrarie thereunto is intended by this word Light as namely Light of knowledge Light of comfort and Light of life The 4. Doctrine All these three are meant by the word Light and into the world Christ came to impart these three First to giue the Light of Knowledge I am come into this world that they which see not might see t Ioh. 9.39 No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne c. hee hath declared him u Ioh. 1.18 In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and Knowledge x Col. 2.3 and of his fulnesse we must all receiue y Ioh. 1.16 Secondly to giue the Light of comfort The spirit of the Lord is vpon mee the place is meant of Christ to giue beautie for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heauinesse z Isay 61.1.3 And thence commeth that offer made by Christ Come vnto mee all that are wearie c. and yee shall finde rest for your soules a Matt. 11.28.29 Thirdly to giue the Light of Life He that followeth me shall not walke in darknesse but shall haue the Light of Life b Ioh. 8.12 Hee hath brought Life and Immortalitie to Light by the Gospell c 2. Tim. 1.10 And thus is that fulfilled which Christ spake Whosoeuer beleeueth in mee shall not abide in