25. Christians may loose the assurance of their Peace with God through the weakness of their Faith 1. Weakness When they think the sin they fall into doth presently cause an enmity between God and them Object What need Beleevers then be careful to avoid sin Answered 2. Weakness Judging Gods works as enmity against them FIrst Through the weakness of their Faith and that in Two waies Weakness 1. When they shal through their weakness think that that sin they fall into or are overtaken with doth presently cause an enmity between God and them I make no question but there are many souls that God is reconciled unto and somtimes have had some comfort in the assurance of this reconciliation and yet if at any time they be but overcome with the sinful distempers of their hearts they presently think that this puts an enmity between God and them again and they begin to look upon God as upon their enemy and think that all the peace is broken between God and them and this makes such a Breach between God and them as that al that God hath done is undone again and now they think that God is against them in all his waies and contrary unto them as unto an enemy It 's true Carnall hearts that do not understand what the difficulty is of making peace with God or what a breach it is that sin makes between God and the soul they can sin and sin and sin and yet think God wil be merciful to them stil and never look upon their sin as enmity unto God or upon God as an enemy unto them in regard of their sin But take a poor soul that understands what sin is and hath found it a hard thing to make peace between God and himself as soon as any sin overcomes such a soul the dayly weaknesses many times make him think that God is an enemy to him and however he had good hopes before yet the breach is again as wide if not wider between God and him as ever it was Now by this know you do dishonor much the great work of God in Christ in the point of Reconciliation surely it is as great a dishonor as you can cast upon Christ when he hath come to make Reconciliation between God and you and when he hath undertaken it and done it so throughly as he hath and when it cost him his very life to do it yet when you apprehend this Reconciliation to be no otherwise but that upon any offence you think al is undone again truly this were but a very poor Reconciliation Suppose two that were at ods one with another and a great breach hath been made between them another comes and reconciles these two for the present but yet so as that the one shal watch the other to take an advantage against the other so as if there be but the least offence committed they shal be as great enemies one to another as before this were but a poor Reconciliation So when you come to think that upon every sin you commit after you have had your peace made between God and you though you can appeal unto God in the sincerity of your heart that it is the greatest burden in the world to you that you do thus sin against him and you would think it the greatest mercy in the world to be delivered from that body of sin yet when you shal come to think that upon this sin you have committed the breach is made as wide as ever it was with God What a dishonor do you put upon Christ What a Reconciliation hath Christ made for you O! therefore beleeve that Christ hath made another manner of peace with God then so and know that it is not a peace that can so soon be broken If a Bone-setter should set a Bone in your Body that were broken or our of joynt and set it so that it is right for the present but yet so too that if you stir your arm or leg it is out of joynt again you wil conclude this is no skilful Bonesetter Christ came from Heaven for this very end and purpose that he might joyn God and us together that he might make us one with God Do you think that Christ hath only set us so together as that upon every dayly infirmity we should be out with God again No certainly he hath set us strongly together more strongly then ever we were Adam in Innocency when he was without sin had not such a strong peace with God as thou hast in the mid'st of thy sins It is a truth and though we cannot speak of such things without trembling in regard we know how ready carnal hearts are to abuse them yet this is a truth and so I would have Christians to look upon it to look upon the reconciliation that is made between God and them as a peace firmer then ever it was with Adam and God though Adam had no sin and they have many sins for Adam had it not in Christ and therefore think upon it as such a Reconciliation as Christ hath wrought and so honor God in it and sanctifie God in it If indeed it were no other reconciliation then thou hast got by thy own prayers or then thou hast got by thy own tears then thou mightest feare that that reconciliation might be broken upon thy renewing of sin And the truth is this is the ground why those that have inlightned Consciences are so ful of feares and doubts those indeed that have no inlightnings in them are without any feare but the other are ful of doubts and feares and it is upon this ground because that peace they have is no other but that which they have gotten by their Prayers and by their duties and by their teares and by their good meanings as they think and never bring in Christ they never have been acquaynted with that great Mistery of Godliness Now that peace with God that thou hast got any way but by Gods revealing the work of his reconciling himselfe to the world in Christ that peace wil never hold long but thou wilt be ready upon every temptation upon every suggestion upon every new sin committed to cal that peace into question But if thou hast been rooted in Christ and thy peace grounded upon that which is beyond al thy duties and al thy teares and prayers nnd canst look upon God as reconciled unto thee in Christ this peace wil hold and this may hold notwithstanding abundance of sins may remaine in the soul of one that is thus reconciled unto God And therfore for your help because you may not upon every sin cal in question your reconciliation with God know this that being reconciled unto God thou art not under the Law so as that every sin against the Law should put thee under the sentence of eternal death thou art not under the curse that doth threaten everlasting death to those that so sin Here is the difference between one that is
reconciled unto God and an other that is not One that is not reconciled unto God in Christ is so under the Law as every sin he commits be it little or great doth put him under the sentence and curse of eternal death the neglect of any duty be it never so smal doth it But now here is the priviledg of a Beleiver when thou art once a Beleiver and so art in Jesus Christ then the sins thou committest those should indeed be for thy humiliation but there is none of them that do put thee under the sentence of eternal death neither upon this ground art thou to keep the Law that is to keep it so as to think that if thou do it not or that every breach of the Law should put thee under the sentence of eternal death Indeed others that are under the Law they must looke to keep the Law whether they be able or not but the Law hath no power over thee that way and thou art not upon that ground to keep it and therefore thy sins which thou committest do not put thee under the sententence of eternal death as the sins of others do there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ it is true of every moment and instant of time that there is no condemnation to them that are in Jesus Christ I wil give you another scripture for this that is as cleer as the other though not perhaps so much taken notice of It is in Rom. 7.5 For when we were in the flesh the motions of sin which were by the Law did worke in our members to bring forth fruit unto death Note the Motions of sin which were by the Law did work in our members What did they do they brought forth fruite and fruite unto death this the blessed Apostle saith was when we were in the flesh But now being Beleevers though we have the remainings the motions of sin yet they are not such as bring forth fruit unto death None of the sins of Beleivers bring forth fruite unto death for they are delivered from that power of the Law that the Law cannot come with the sentence of death upon them This is an high priviledg of Beleevers and the right knowledg of this would help us that we should not think that our peace with God is so broken that God is our enemy through every sin which through humane frailty is committed Object You wil say what need then Beleevers to be careful to avoid sin may they not take liberty to walke as they list O! No there are other arguments besides this Indeed had they a slaveish spirit had they no other arguments to perswade them from sin but this that sin would make God and them enemies it were somewhat Men that object and say that Beleivers may do what they list because their peace with God cannot be broken The truth is they themselves have slavish hearts and they do not know the strength of other arguments to keep them from sin I deare boldly affirme this that a Beleever should not upon the Commission of sin think that therefore he is now under the sentence of death if so be it be such a sin as may stand with the state of Grace as many weaknesses and frailties may for there are some sins as liveing after the flesh which the scripture speakes of which if Beleivers live in they shal die You wil say what can they perish eternally yet this is made as a means to keep them from living after the flesh But if they should come to live after the flesh which Gods grace wil keep them from doing in a constant way they shal die and so far they may apprehend eternal death were due unto them if it were possible for them to fal into that condition to live after the flesh But it is not true that a Beleiver upon every sin he committs should be under the sentence of death for being once Beleevers we are freed from the Law And therefore the Apostle after he had spoken of the Law of God to the same purpose in Rom. 5. He answers this Objection What shal we say then shal we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid How shal we that are dead to sin live any longer therein and then follows Even as sin hath raigned unto death so grace must raigne through righteousness to eternal life The Grace of God raigns domineers over al things that come to oppose it even over al our infirmities over al our sins over whatsoever may seem to contradict it the grace of God raigns there is a domineering power in the grace of God over al things that would contradict it but this is through Righteousness Thou hast sin in thee that would oppose Gods reconciling Grace but it â—aigns notwithstanding that sin of thine and it raigns to eternal life it hath a raigning power to carry thee through al difficulties and hinderances to eternal life and al through the righteousness of Christ Therefore Beleevers that they may keep their peace with God are to look upon al duties required in the Law as bound to do them and that they are not freed from the duties the Law requires their relation unto God redeeming of them doth not take away their relation unto God as a Creator stil they are bound to God as a Creator as wel as a Redemer But they should look upon the Law as comeing to them in the hand of Christ It is an excellent speech which Luther hath for this O! how sweet saith he are the commandements of God unto us when we receive them not as they are in the Book but as they are in the wounds of Christ When we reade the Commandements of God in the wounds of Chrst And receive them there O! how sweet are they then then we obey them out of sweet principles not out of Legal respects as if upon every Breach we should be brought under the sentence of eternal death as we did before This I take to be the meaning of that place in Rom. 8.15 For you have not received the spirit of Bondage againe to feare What is the spirit of Bondage The spirit of Bondage that causeth feare at first before one is a Beleever is this either perfectly obey the Law or Perish saith the spirit even the spirit of God whether able or no you must obey every thing or die and if thou hast sinned against the Law thou art now accursed notwithstanding al the duties that thou hast done the spirit of God saith so to al unbeleivers and this causeth feare but saith the Apostle you have not received the spirit of Bondage to feare again though perhaps thou mayest feare upon thy weakness that God wil turne thine enemy upon every Breach but the spirit of God saith not so that thou art therefore accursed but that spirit inableth thee to go to God as a Father to heale thy weakness and to give thee power against them and the Contrary
Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2 Pet. 1.19 2 Christ in Travel Wherein 1. The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. And his satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Sermons on Isa 53 11. 3 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6 Temptation 7. Dissertion 8. Unserviceableness 9 Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptaton 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 21 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From. 2 Cor. 5 19 20 21. 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 3 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in General And particularly In hearing the Word Receiving the Lords supper prayer 4 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1 17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3.20 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16.21 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Mr. Burroughs his fifty nine Sermons on Matth. 11.28 29 30. Are Printing A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Cure Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the Loadstone By Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. VVard The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there Eleven Books by Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie 1. The Practice of Physick containing seventeen several Books Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and several sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of al Diseases in the Body of Man Being a Translation of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been sold in a very few Yeers having been eight times printed though al the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the cure for them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 2. A Sure Guide to Physick and Chyrurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whol body of Man and its parts with their Respective diseases demonstrated from the Fabrick and use of the said Parts In Six Books of Riolanus translated and adorned with a hundred eighty four Figures cut in Brass 3 Veslingus Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several Parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 4 A Translation of the New dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galens Method of Physick 5 The English Physitian enlarged being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering al Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping al manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 6 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and illustrated with divers new Plates 7 Galens Art of Physick with a large Comment 8 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 9 A Treatise of the Rickets being a Disease common to Childrenâ— wherein is shewed 1 The Essence 2 The Causes 3 The Signs 4 The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bates and Dr. Regemorter translated into English And corrected by N. Culpeper 10 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 11 Health for the Rich and Poor by Dyet without Physick The Idea of Practical Physick in twelve Books are Printing The London Dispensatory in Folio of a large Character in Latine The London Dispensatory in twelves a smal Pocket Book in Latine The Royal and Delightful Game of Picquet written in French and now rendred into English Octavo The Golden Rule of Justice Advanced Six Sermons preached by Dr. Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Church of Christ 3 The Spring of
is God at Peace with thee is not he froward towards thee and shal your spirits be disturbed with those things when you are at Peace with God is there not enough in this peace to swallow up all those disturbances I have observed that it is a frequent complaint of those that are taken to be godly men they wil say such a one is a very good man but he is very passionate and froward truly it is a an extream blot to professors and the truth is if we duly consider all things a man would think there should be nothing more opposite to the spirit of a Christian than frowardness and passion is nothing more opposite to true grace for when grace comes when Faith in Christ comes it breedeth such abundance of peace in our hearts that one would think that frowardness and passion with any in the world should be inconsistent with the Reconciliation here spoken of with true grace and with Faith in Christ When men are of such spirits that they are soon put into a passion and being in a passion cannot be Reconciled it is a dangerous sign that there is not that peace made between God and your souls that you speake of And Certainly this is the reason why many Christians are so passionate as they are because they do not maintain their peace with God there is usually some breach in their peace with God which makes them so froward and so passionate as they are with men And to shew that the more our peace with God is broken the more froward wil our spirits be You have a notable example for that in Saul Saul when he came first to the Crown he seemed to be of a very low and meek spirit he counteth his family to be the least of the Tribes and himself to be of the least of that family And when there were some Children of Belial that spaek against him and said Shal this man be King over us The scripture tels us that he held his peace and when some would have had those that spake against him before to be put to death no saith Saul there shal not any man be put to death this day At first you see Saul was of a quiet spirit of a very meek disposition but after Saul had departed from God and God was departed from him he was then of a very froward and surly and rugged and harsh disposition and he that was before of a peaceable and quiet disposition to his enemies yet afterwards he was of a froward and cross disposition even to his own Son to Jonathan who was a good Son a gracious and godly Son a Son of a sweet nature and yet even to him how harsh was he O thou child of a perverse woman saith he and he would have slaine him in that passion if the people had not prevented him And how froward was he likewise when he was but crossed of his wil when he heard that the Priests had but let David pass away with some smal supplies they must be al put to death man woman and Child and fourscore and five of the Priests of the Lord that wore a sinnen Ephod must al be presently murdred such a froward cross rugged and harsh nature was Saul of and what was the reason of this Because he had departed from God and God was departed from him You therefore that are of froward and passionate Spirits have cause to look into your own hearts and examine your selves wel whether this be not the ground of it even that you have broke your peace with God and now you are at peace with no body not with Husband nor with Wife nor with Neighbors whereas if you did keep close with God and maintained but the sweetness of your hearts in the injoyment of peace with him it would not be easy for you to be disturbed with any thing that befals you from without This is the first thing that followeth from the sweetness of our Reconciliation with God that a gracious heart who knows what that meaneth must needs be of a sweet and lovely and meek disposition towards others CHAP. 7. VSE 2. Secondly O! the blessed estate of a Beleever of one that hath imbraced the Gospel he is Reconciled to God he is at peace with God and that hath a great deal in it as you have have heard The Jews were wont to expresse all kind of prosperity and happpinesse by this word Peace Peace be to you and in saying so they did wish all manner of good for indeed the word is a comprehensive word and therefore God accounteth it his glory to be called the God of Peace and the very God of Peace c. And the Son of God it is his glory to be the Prince of Peace And the spirit of God it is his glory to have the fruits of the spirit to be Joy and Peace And it is the honor of the Gospel to be the Gospel of Peace And it is the glory of the Kingdom of God to consist in righteousnesse and Peace And it is the Evangelical benediction Grace peace It is the glory of the Covenant of Life to be a Covenant of Peace Peace it is a most amiable thing But Peace with God how lovely and amiable and glorious is it Ask a wounded Conscience that apprehends and is sensible of that enmity that sin hath put between God and it what it would give for peace with God Ask Ask a dying man that apprehends what God is one who hath no peace with God what he would give for Peace with God If you could possibly ask those damned spirits that are now in Hell what they think of peace with God O! what a Commendation would they set on this peace Well may we be willing to endure some trouble in seeking after this peace with God well may we be contented to lie under the stroak of the Law as long as God pleaseth for this peace wil at last make up all Those that have endured the greatest terrors of the Law when the Lord hath come in with manifestations of this peace and Reconciliation to them in Jesus Christ they have thought all well recompenced and if it had been to endure a thousand times more than they have done they would have thought all to have been made up in this blessed peace This is a blessing indeed in these troublesom times wherein we hear of nothing but of wars and of rumors of wars and we are taught by what we now hear and feel and know to prize outward peace But if we think outward peace be so great a mercy what is this Reconciliation and peace with God the Soul blessings Yea yoâ— wil say there is a great deal of Blessing indeed in this Reconciliation with God which we have read of and happy is the soul that is at peace with him But how shal we know that we are those that are Reconciled to God that so we may injoy those blessed fruits of
pleasure in the death of a sinner c. As I live saith the Lord God They were pineing away in their wickedness lying down in their sins now as I live saith the Lord I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn and therefore turn turn O! turn Why wil ye die As if a poor sinner should lie down and say the Lord is provoked against me and he wil not be reconciled to me No the wrath of God is out against me he wil revenge himself of me the Lord looks upon a sinner lying in this manner and he bids his servants go and say to him the Lord swears by his own life and saith to this sinner As I live I have no pleasure in the death of a sinner I swear by my self because I have no greater to swear by CHAP. 66. The Sixt Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to sinners ANother Argument is this wherein God doth manifest in his word that above al works that are pleasing to him and that he would have people most to respect in this world is the work of beleeving in his Son and laying hold upon him and so upon that mercy of his that he doth offer in his Son and that is the great work that he is more pleased withal then al the works they do and not doing that it is the greatest offence whereby they can offend God they cannot offend God more in doing any thing in the world And this shews the willingness of God to be reconciled unto sinners God being pleased with a sinner that doth come in to take hold of his mercy And that you have in John 6.29 This is the work of God that ye beleeve on him whâ—â—â—â—â—ch sent by way of excllency above all other therâ—â—â—â— as if God should say If you should do the 〈◊〉 famous work that ever man did in this world I would not delight in it I would not care for that in comparision of this work of comming in and beleeving in my Son Is there a man that should be the great Conqueror of the whole world a man that were famous in al the world Let a poor Soul a penitent heart come in and close with Gods grace in Jesus Christ and rowl it self upon mercy in Christ for Reconciliation this poor Soul though the meanest that were possible to be immagined in the whole Nation is a more glorious work in Gods Eye then the most glorious work of the greatest Conqueror of the earth If thou wert able to rule the Sea if thou wert able to govern al the world if thou wert able to command the Heavens it would not be such a glorious work in the Eyes of God as that is to come and lay hold upon his Son as he is tendred in the Gospel If you should give al your Almes to the poor and your body to be burnt yet it were nothing to the work of beleeving in his Son In John 3 God is most displeased with not beleeving in his Son As if God should say it 's true you are naturally enemies to me and you have lived in waies of enmity against me O! you have provoked me al your daies when you were yong a drunken unclean prophane Youth a Lyar a Swearer a Sabboth-breaker c. but yet you live to hear the voice of the Gospel sounding in your ears and to have the offer of Jesus Christ to your Souls for the pardon of your sins Now be it known to you al the Oaths that ever you swore al your Blasphemies al your Drunkenness al your Uncleaness al al your Sabboth-breaking put them altogether they wil not provoke me so much as rejecting of my Grace in Jesus Christ that I tender to you That is the condemnation of the world al the other iniquities wil not sink you down so deep in Hel as not comming to beleeve in Jesus Christ to lay hold upon the Grace of God that is tendred to you in the Gospel Now is not God very willing to be reconciled when he shal manifest himself thus unto sinful men CHAP. 67. The Seventh Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God and Christ to be reconciled to Sinners YEt further God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this that when he sees that notwithstanding al these expressions that have been before that we have spoke of if sinners wil not come in God he wil seek them seeing they wil not seek to him God seeks himself to sinners First that is a point that you have heard before that God is aforehand with us God comes to us because we wil not seek to him If a man be fallen out with another he should come and seek to him but he wil not because he hath such a stout heart Wel saith he that I may convince him that I am not such an austeer man as he conceivs me to be I wil seek to him first and I wil not only seek to him but I wil go to him and beseech him and that you have in the Text Christ is said to come to save and to seek that which was lost we were al lost and we would not seek to him but he was fain to come yea he came from the bosom of his Father He came into the world and his great Errand was to seek those that were lost and when he had found them he beseeches them to be reconciled unto him CHAP. 68. The Eight Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners FUrther God manifests himself willing to be reconciled in this in the waies of his dealing with wretched sinful men in sending his Grace to allure the hearts of sinners the Lord sends his mercy to spread al the beauty and lustre thereof before the Sons of men al the excellency and Glory of it before the Soul that it may entice the Soul of the sinner to come in unto him he doth not meerly send and seek to him but that he might overcome the hearts of men with love and mercy this is Gods way to cause his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty and excellency of it that it move and entice and allure the hearts of men that so God as it were by coards of Love might draw the hearts of poor sinful men unto him If God did but scare men so come in to him it were somwhat but it is this which we have cause to bless God for if the Lord come in never such a terrible way to force us to come in that so there might be made up peace between God and us the Lord besides that way of terror and wrath though somtimes he wil use that way to stop men in the course of their sins and to force them to come in he goes forth and doth send his mercy to stand before the Soul and to spread the beauty excellency and glory of it before the heart of
if our petitions be repeated twice in prayer it is atautology this shews the earnestness of the spirit of God in it and he is exceeding willing CHAP. 74. The Fourteenth Argument manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners ANother evidence is this when yet siners do not come yet the lord leaves them not but he doth then appeal to the very conscinces of sinners and deales with them that way and that is very powerful he deals with sinners that way to breake their hearts when after al his arguments they com not in then the lord appeals to their own consciences then wil plead with them in a way of appealing to their consciences why they should not come in and yeild unto him and this way is verry powerful to prevail with sinners If you would go and prevail with any one for a thing that you have a desire to accomplish what course do you take either you send to them or go to them and then you open the case to them and yet they are not moved then you bring powerful arguments to perswad them and yet they do not move them then you take away al their objections and yet that doth not prevail upon them then you do importune them and if that do not overcome them what is the next way you take then you appeal to their owne consciences then say you nay I appeal to your own conscience whether I have said it or no I wil even leave it to your conscience and judg of it in the presence of God let your own conscience be your judg and somtimes this prevailes more than al the arguments in the world When you appeal to a mans one conscience that he doth deal unequally and very il that he doth not yeild but God doth thus he doth apeal unto mens consciences I wil give yo suome scripture for it in the 43. Esa 26. Put me in rememberance let us plead together declare thou that thou must be justified come saith God let us hear what you can say let us plead together Declare thou that thou mayest be justified declare it say what thou canst try whether you or I be in the right way I wil even be contented to leave it to you only let us plead and declare what we can But that place seemes yet to be more ful that you have in Jerem. 2 3 you have often expressions of Gods pleading with his people in the ninth verse and then you have it again at least three times in this Chapter that the lord saith he wil plead in v. 23. you have it again wherefore wil you plead with me c. and then in the 35. vers Behold I wil plead with thee saith God but now God pleads thus in his pleading he wil leave it he wil appeal to the very consciences of men and that you have in Exek 18.25 vers yet you say the way of the lord is not equal hear O! house of Israel as if he should say conscience answer Is not my way equal wil not your owne consciences answer you thus that his waies are equal the lord is content to plead with his people the conclusion of his pleading is a leaving it to their consciences to the people as if God should say thus as he doth often God comes by his spirit in the ministry of his word I appeal to you hath he not often done so and saith do you think in your very consciences that these waies that you walk in are right my waies are they good is it any way equal that wretched sinful creatures should take their liberty to go on al their daies and please themselves in the lusts of their own vaine hearts and now when they can sin no more nor longer that then they should cry to God for mercy and that then he should pardon them and accept them unto his favour Is this equal is not the lord infinitly more worthy of al the strength thou hast if it were ten thousand times more than it is than that thou shouldest have given it up to thy lusts and vanities Conscience speak whether God be not most worthy of al and what wert thou made for no other end but meerly to eat and drink and satisfie thy flesh and have thy lusts heere for a while dost thou thinke in thy concience that God did intend no other end for thee when he sent thee into the world you have been upon your sick bedds and cried to God and have promised to God better obedience now are your waies equal to take your liberty to sin after God hath thus delivered you and after God hath preserved your life when you were at the very brinke of death and that death was ready to deliver you up into the hands of eternal misery and do you think that this was Gods end in preserving your life that you might have more time to sin against him and might spend the latter part of your strength in bringing dishonor to his Name was this Gods end in preserving your life God might have struck you one blow more and sent you down to eternal misery and then God should have had no more dishonor of you but should have had the Glory of his Justice upon you Now do you think that this is the end why God did preserve you that you should have more years added to your life that you should have more time to sin against him This argues Gods willingness to be reconciled that the Lord is thus pleasing with you and let me speak to every one in this place that hath felt God pleading thus with them know that the Lord by this work of his doth strive with thee to bring thee to be reconciled unto him This is no other thing than the striving of the Spirit of God himself with you though perhaps you think this is troublesom to you Many men and women when they have their consciences pleading thus they think it is troublesom Oh wretched man or woman that thou art this work of Conscience is nothing but God pleading with thee to save thy Soul Thou hast stood against his Word that hath been preached to thee and now God seeks to thee the other way by his Spirit to strive in thy Conscience he appeals to thy own Conscience that so thou mayest be brought in to be reconciled unto him But when God hath no mind to be reconciled then saith God to Conscience let him alone and then the sinner goes on with a hard heart and blesses himself that his Conscience is quiet Oh no no Conscience is quiet but God hath left laboring any more with thee CHAP. 75. The Fifteenth Argument Manifesting the exceeding willingness of God to be reconciled to sinners BUt further the Lord shews his willingess to be reconciled to sinners in this that when this way wil not prevail you wil think there were never another way to be found yet there is another way when God
God threatens those that are disobedient and stout to their parents that the very ravens shal pick out their eyes and under the law they were to be punished with death if any parent would come and charge his son with disobedience he was to be stoned to death USE 2. You that are old and ancient seeing God hath put honor upon you take heed you dishonor not your hoary haires God saith you are a Crown of Glory dishonor not you this your Cown of Glory for your white haires wil make your sins so much the blacker and we read in Numb 6.7 that the high priest might not defile himselfe because the consecration of God was upon his head There is a Crown of Glory upon thy head therefore defile not thy selfe I have read of a Lacedemonian that wore his beard very long and it was white and one asked him why he wore it so long he gave this answer I wear it long that I seeing my white hairs may do nothing dishonorable to them may do nothing unbeseeming those white haires of mine If thou shouldest do any thing unbeseeming thy Hoary head and Crown of Glory thou takest the beauty away from thee there is a Puerilis Senectus an Old man may be a Child as wel as a young man may be Old A young man may be Old in respect of his spirit and demeanor and carriage And much vanity may appeare in those that are Old to make them be as Children Titus 2.2 3. you have there the exhortation of the Holy Ghost to Old men how they should carry themselves with al gravity and with modesty It is a notable place that we are to observe that Rehoboam though he were above forty years Old yet the scripture you shal find in 2. Chron. 13.7 cals Rehoboam a Child he was but a Child one that had a very childish Effeminate heart when Rehoboam was young and tender hearted and could not withstand them young a child tender hearted of a softly heart a foolish Effeminat childish spirit that is the meaning of it and yet this Rehoboam was above forty years Old whereas Joseph was a young man and the scripture in Gen. 45. cals him a Father unto Pharoah But Thirdly USE 3. If it be an honor to live many years in this world O! What an honor is eternity then to live for ever It hath been counted a great honor to have but any monuments of men after they are dead to last for a great while Julius Ceasar he hath appointed his ashes to be kept in an urine in a Room to this day as they say so very honorable is a monument But then to live to al eternity with God what honor is in that If the hoary head be a crown of glory what crown of glory is it for a man to have eternal life to have that eternal crown of glory put upon him what are a few years here in this world in comparison to eternity but a little plash of water in comparison of the infinite ocean If thou hast cause to bless God for a few dayes that he hath lengthened out to thee here what cause hast thou bless him for the hope of eternal life Again USE 4 If the hoary head be such a Crown of Glory if it puts honor upon men What then doth eternity it selfe put upon God If men be to be honored because of a few years here in this world how is God to be honored then that is eternal God doth glory himselfe in his eternity I am he that inhabiteth eternity And the Elders in Revel 4.8 they fel down and worshipped him that was and is and shal be for evermore I remember Pareus tels us of a custom of the Turks that they use every morning to have one proclaim aloud The lord that was and that shal be for ever the Lord is eternal he hath no beginning at al. Thou art but of yesterday though thou hast lived now many years the Lord he shal have no end at al but though thou livest long yet it wil be said within a little time such an one lived so many years and is dead as it is in Gen. 5. There Methuselah and others lived thus and thus many years and Adam and others and they died And I have read of one that hearing that Chapter read that such an one lived so many hundred years and he died and such an one lived so many hundred years and he died it made such an impression upon his spirit as took him off from al the things of the world and caused him to mind the provision of his eternal estate and was the cause of his conversion by reading the years of so many mens ages and yet they dyed Remember it must be said one day such a man was seventy or eighty years Old and he dyed but God abides for ever we are but as grass And therfore if God wil have honor put upon you because of your Age put you honor upon God because of his eternity God he can have no time added to his time there is no succession of time with him God cannot be said to have continued or to have lived a longer time now than he did live before the world began there is no time added to him he is beyond all measure of time and it is good for us when we injoy any continuance of time in any comfort to worship the eternal God to have our hearts to delight in that eternal God that is beyond al time It is a very observable place that we have in Genesis concerning Abraham it is in Gen. 21 That when Abraham had been going up and down a while and afterwards had a resting place the text saith Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba that notes that he was to abide where he planted a grove and what then and he called there upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God This is the first time that God is called in Scripture the everlasting God and then did Abraham call upon the name of the Lord the everlasting God when God did grant unto him â—ome abiding in that place where he was that he could stay and plant a grove Hath God caused an abiding in you that you have lived a long time in this Ciâ—y in a prosperous condition do you learn to cal upon the name of God the everlasting God give honor to the eternal God But we must pass from this first point though it be a point of great use yet the second is the principal The hoary head is a crown Glory but when When it is found in a way oâ— righteousness That is the Second Doct. 2. That it is the way of righteousness that puts the Crown of Glory indeed upon the hoary head That is the Diamond that is a top of the Crown if the hoary head be an honor this is the honor of that honor if it bee a Crown righteousness it is the Crown of that Crown Mensura vitae non
present truth of that age and so in these times there are present truths made knowen both concerning our outward and spiritual liberties There was a great deal of false divinity before preached amongst you even concerning your estates that you had nothing of your own but al was at the absolute wil of those above you you had no propriety at al and for spiritual liberty we know in what bondage we were there Therefore labor now to understand these truths and give God the glory of them before you do imbrace these present truths It is strang that men should be so much set upon former things as to neglect the grace of God for the present and al because of those that were before As now among the Fathers as we cal them Fathers though they be to be reverenced for their graces yet they living among heathens and coming newly out of heathenisme they were faine to yeild as much as ever they could to the heathens among whom they lived and did so and therefore there were many corruptions among them and so the first reformers coming newly out of popery they were fain to yeild and did yeild so far as they could for the gaining of them therefore we must not make that that was heretofore the rule of things but bless God for what is revealed at the present 6. Another work of Old men for beautifying their crown in righteousness is this you that are ancient often think of eternity you are now just a launching into the ocean of eternity and in a few years there wil be a mighty difference between your conditions between that that is now and that when you shal be entered upon an eternal estate Think much of eternity al you that are ancient Al young ones should have their thoughts much weighed with eternity nothing wil take of the thoughts of Old and young more than to have them ballased with the thoughts of eternity especially those that are ancient 7. Take heed of those things that are the usually distempers that accompany Old age as namely timerousness Oh! you would faine die in peace you have lived al this time in peace and are loath to suffer any thing for the truth Policarpus did not so when he was eighty six yeares of age he was couragious So labor you for young mens courage for God even in the time of your old age Take heed of such a surliness and pettishness of spirit that because you have not heretofore received such things therefore now you wil not Remember it is reported of the Senate of Rome that when Tiberius would have had Christ to be honored as a God Oh! it must not be done forsooth why Because the Senate did not first motion such a thing because it was not first motioned by the Senate Many times in your meetings though many be convinced of a good thing they wil give notes against it why because they that were most ancient did not first move it because it was put on by the young ones first therefore though it be never so good they wil stick to their Old waies O! take heed of such a surliness and pettishness of spirit Remember the Gretians it was said of them that when they wished a curse upon their enemies it was that they should please themselves in bad customes and it is a greivious curse indeed when old men are set upon such things that they wil not bauk what they have done heretofore And then again another thing for the honor of your crown in the waies of Righteousness is 8. When God shal take you out of this world as ere longe must needs be labor before to prepare your selves so as you may die in faith in the hope of the glorious things that God is working for the Church in this latter age for certainly God is doing great things for his Church in this latter age of the world greater things than ever yet have bin done and those that are a live may live to see glorious workings of God in the world more than before and though you are not like to live to see the great things that God intendeth to do yet thus far you may glorifie God before you die die in faith as old Jacob did It is a notable expression of old Jacob when he lay a dying he called his sons to him and saith in Gene. 48.21 And Isarael said to Joseph behold I die but God shal be with you and bring you again to the land of your fathers So you that are old when you ly upon your death beds when other young ones com about you say thus to them behold I die but assure your selves God wil be faithful in his promises to the Church there are glorious things adoing for his people in Heb. 11.22 the faith of Joseph is there commended in that when he dyed he gave order concerning his bones why what work of faith was it for him to give order for his bones to be caried out of Egypt yes it was a work of faith that he beleeved God would fulfil his promises do you die so beleeving that God wil fulfil those blessed promises he hath made to the Churches And 9. Take heed now in this your old age of a worldly spirit this is that that is charged upon old men and yet it is the most strange and unreasonablest thing that can be and it is very observable that God hath promised length of daies to the quite contrary and yet we see this distemper of heart prevails with old men exceedingly in Prov. 28.16 but he that hateth covetuosness shal prolong his daies and yet it is observable that old men are most subject to it and yet the scripture promiseth length of daies by hating covetuousness none of you but would fain live a year longer now hate covetuousness especially in these times There is nothing wil more dishonor your crowne than the sin of coveteousness in these daies because if ever there were times that God called for spiritual and heavenly hearts now it is in Keve 4 we read of the discription of the several ages of the Church one was like a Lion the second a Calf the third a Man the forth an Eagle the last state of reformation of the Church should be like an Eagle that is the hearts of those that lived in that state should be Eagle like soaring a loft in heavenly and spiritual things and so it becometh those that are old Be not now basey sparing and pichning because God hath now great works to do for his people I have read of a people in India that worshipped the tooth of a beast and when it was taken from them they offered an incredible mass of treasure to recover the tooth of the beast againe because they put religion in it If these heathens should be willing to disburse an in creedible masse of treasure to regaine that religions relique of a tooth of a beast how willing should you be freely to lay out