the Divel that we would abuse all thy gifts so fast as they come thy blessings make us proud thy riches covetous thy peace wanton thy meaâ—…s intemperate thy mercy secure and all thy benefits serve us but as weapons to rebell against thee We have prophaned thy daies contemned thy ordinances resisted thy Word grieved thy Spirit misused thy Messengers hated our Reprovers slandered and persecured thy people seduced our friends given ill example to our Neighbours opened the mouths of thine and our adversaries to blaspheme that glorious Name after which we are named and the truth we professe whereas meaner mercies and far weaker means have provoked others no lesse to honour thee and the Gospel who may justly rise up in judgmeâ—…t against us Besides which makes our case far more miserable we can scarce resolve to amend or if we do we put off our conversion to hereafter when we were children we deferred to repent till we were men now we are men we defer untill we be old men and when we be old men we shall defer it until death if thou prevent us not and yet we look for as much at thine hands as they which serve thee all their lives Thou might'st have said before we were formed let them be Toads Monsters Infidels Beggers Cripples or Bondslaves so long as they live and after that Cast-awaies for ever and ever but thou hast made us to the best likenesse and nursed us in the best Religion and placed us in the best Land and appointed us to the best and onely Inheritance even to remain in blisse with thee for ever so that thousands would think themselvs happy if they had but a piece of ouâ—… happinesse Perhaps we have a form of godlinesse but thou who searchâ—…st the heart and triest the reins knowest that too often we deny the power of it and that our Religion is much of it hypocrisie our zeal envie our wisedom policie our peace security Why shouldest thou give us thy Son for a ransome thy holy Spirit for a pledge thy Word for a guide thy Angels for our guard and reserve a Kingdom for our perpetual inheritance Why shouldest thou bestow health wealth rest liberty limbs senses food raiment friends and the means of salvation upon us more then upon others whom thou hast denied these things unto We can give no reason for it but that thou art merciful and if thou shouldest draw all back again we had nothing to say but that thou wert just which being considered why should any serve thee more then we who want nothing but thankfulnesse Why should we not hate the Way to Hell as much as Hell it self and  why should we not make every cogitation speech and action of ours as so many steps to Heaven yet 〈◊〉 thoâ— shouldst now ask us what lust is asswaged what affection qualified what passion expelled what sin repented of what good performed since we began to receive thy blessings to this day we must needs confesse against our selvs that all our thoughts words and works have been the service of the World the Flesh and the Dâ—vel yea it hath been the course of our whole life to leave that which thou commandest and to do that which thou forbiddest yet mâ—serable wretches that we are if we could give thee our bodies and souls they should bee saved by it but thou wert never the richer for them our life rebellion our devotion deadâ—esse and that we live so securely as if we had no souls to save Thus while we look upon our selvs we are ashamed to lift up our eies unto thee yea we are ready to despair wâ—th Cain yet when we think upon thy Son and the rich promises of the Gospel our fear is in some measure turned into joy while we consider that his righteousnesse for us is more then our wickednesse against our selvs onely give us faith we beseech thee and settle it in thy beloved that we may draw virtue from his death and resurrection whereby we may be enabled to die unto sin and live unto righteousnesse and it sufficeth for all our iniquities necessities and infirmities Indeed thy Word and Spirit may work in us some flashes of desire and purposes of better obedience but we are constant in nothing but in perpetual offending onely therein we cease not for when we are waking our flesh tempts us to wickednesse if wee are sleeping it sollicites us to filthinesse or perhaps when we have offended thee all the day at night we pray unto thee but what is the issue of our praying First we sin and then we pray thee to forgive it and then return to our sins again as if we came to thee for no other end but to crave leave to offend thee Or of thy granting our requests we even dishonor thee and blaspheme thy name while thou do'st support and relieve us run from thee while thou do'st call us and forget thee while thou art feeding us so thou sparest us we sleep and to morrow we sin again O how justly mightest thou forsake us as we forsake thee and condemne us whose consciences cannot but condemne our selvs But who can measure thy goodnesse who givest all and forgivest all Though we be sinful yet thou lovest us though we be miserably ingrateful yet thou most plentifully blessest us What should we have if we did serve thee who hast done all these things for thine enemies O that thou who hast so indeared us to serve thee wouldest also give us hearts and hands to serve thee with thine own gifts It is true O Lord as wee were made after thine own Image so by sin we have turned that Image of thine into the Image of Satan but turn thou us again and we shall bee turned into the Image and likenesse of thy Son And what though our  sins be great yet thy mercie is far greater then our sins either are or can be we cannot be so bad as thou art good nor so infinite in sinning as thou art in pardoning if we repent O that we could repent O that thou wouldest give us repentance for we are weak O Lord and can no more turn our selvs then we could at first make our selvs yea we are altogether dead in sin so that we cannot stir the least joint no not so much as feel our deadnesse nor desire life except thou be pleased to raise and restore our souls from the death of sin and grave of long custome to the life of grace Apt wee are to all evil but reprobate and indisposed to all grace and goodnesse yea to all the means thereof Wee are altogether of our selvs unable to resist the force of our mighty adversaries but do thou free our wills and set to thy helping hand in casting down by thy Spirit our raging lusts and by thy grace subdue our untamed affections and we shall henceforth as much honor thee as by our wickednesse we have formerly dishonored thee  Wherefore
the Fathers think so that in his own apprehension God was his mortall enemy as hear how in the bitterness of his soul hee complains of his Maker saying Hee teareth mee in his wrath hee hateth mee and gnasheth upon mee with his teeth he hath broken mee asunder taken mee by the neck and shaken mee to pieces and set mee lip for his mark his Archers compass mee round about he cleaeth my reins asunder and doth not spare to pour out my gall upon the ground he breaketh me with breach upon breach and runneth upon me like a Giant Job 16. Now when so much was uttered even by a none-such for his patience what may we think he did feel and indure Look upon Abraham thou shalt see him forced to forsake his Countrey and Fathers house to go to a place he knew not to men that knew not him and after his many removes he meets with a famine and so is forced into AEgypt which indeed gave relief to him when Canaan could not shewing that in outward things Gods enemies may fare better than his friends yet he goes not without great fear of his life which made it but a dear purchase then he is forced to part from his brother Lot by reason of strife and debate among their Heardsmen after that Lot is taken prisoner and he is constrained to wage Warre with sour Kings at once to rescue his Brother then Sarah his wife is barren and he must go childlesse untill in reason he is past hope when he hath a Son it must not onely die but himself must stay him Now if that bosom wherein we all look to rest was assaulted with so many sore trials and so diverse difficulties is it likely we should escape Look upon Jacob you shall see Esau strive with him in the wombe that no time might be lost after that you shall see him flie for his life from a cruel Brother to a cruel Uncle with a staffe goes hee over Jordan alone doubtful and comfortlosse not like the son of Isaac In the way he hath no bed but the cold earth no pillow but the hard stones no sheet but the moist air no Canopy but the wide Heaven at last he is come fat to finde out an hard friend and of a Nephew becomes a servant aafter the service of an hard Appronticeship hath earned her whom he loved his wife is changed and he is not onely disappointed of his hopes but forced to marry another against his will and now he must begin another Apprenticeship and a new hope where he made account of fruition all which fourteen years he was consumed with heat in the day with frost in the night when he hath her whom he loves she is barren at last being grown rich chiefly in wives and children accounting his charge his wealth he returns to his Fathers house but with what comfort Behold Laban follows him with one troop Esau meets him with another both with hosile intentions not long after Rachel the comfort of his life dieth his children the staffe of his age wound his soul to death Rouben proves incestuous Judah adulterous Dina is ravished Sime on and Lovi are murtherous Er and Onan are stricken dead Joseph is lost Simeon imprisoned Benjamin his right hand endangered Himself driven by famine in his old age to die among the AEgyptians a people that held it abomination to eat with him And yet before he was born it was Jacob have I loved and before any of this befell him God said unto him Bee not afraid I am with thee and will do thee good Gen. 28. 15. And did so even by these crosses for that 's my good saith the Proverb that doth me good Now what Son of Israel can hope for any good daies when he heats his Fathers were so evill It is enough for us if when we are dead we can rest with him in the Land of Promise Again hear what David saith of himself Thy arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Psal. 38. 2. And see what cause he had so to say what were these Arrows To let passe those many that Saul shot at him which were sharp and keen enough and those other of Doeg when he flew fourscore and five of the Priests and the whole City of Nob both man and woman child and suckling for shewing him kindness Likewise Shimei's carriage towards him also his distresse at Ziglag and those seventy thousand which perished by the Pestilence upon his numbering the people and the like First Nathan tells him from the Lord that the sword should never depart from his house and that he would raise up evil against him out of his own loins here were as many Arrows as words Again the child which he had by Bathsheba was no sooner born but it died there was another Arrow Tamar his daughter being marriageable was destowred by his own Son Amnon there was two more Amnon himself being in drink was kill'd by Absalom at a Feast there was another This Absalom proves rebellious and riseth in Arms against his own Father makeshim fly beyond Jordan there was one more He lieth with his Fathers Concubines in the fight of all Israel there was another And how much do you think did these Arrows wound the Kings heart and pierce his very soul Lastly look upon Lazarus though Christs bosome friend Joh. 11. thou shalt see him labour under a mortaldisease c. though many souls were gained to the Gospel and cured by his being sick Si amatur saith Saint Austin quomodo infirinatur Thus it were easie to shew the like of Joseph Jeremy Daniel John Paptist Peter Paul and all the generaton of Gods Children and servants For as the Apostle giveth a generall testimony of all the Saints in the Old Testament saying That some endured the violence of fire some were rack'd others were tried by mockings and scourgings bonds and imprsonments some stoned some hewen in sunder some slain with the sword some wandred up and down in Sheep-skins and Goat-skins being destitute afflicted and tormented some forced to wander in Wildernesses and Mountains and hide themselvs in Dens and Caves of the earth being such as the world was not worthy of Heb. 11. So Ecclesiasticall History gives the like generall testimony of all the Saints in the New Testament and succeeding ages for we read that of all the Apostles none dyed a naturall death save onely Saint John and hee also was banished by Domitian to Pathmos and at another time thrust into a Tun of seething Oil at Rome as Tertullian and Saint Jerome do report As for other beleevers there was such a multitude of them suffered Martyrdom for professing the Gospel whereof some were stoned som crucisied som beheaded some thrust through with spears some burnt with fire and the like for wee read of twenty nine severall deaths they were put unto that Ecclesiasticall History makes mention of two thousand which suffered the same day with Nicanor
then conquerours through him that loved us and so goeth on even to a challenge of our worst enemies Death Angels Principalities and Powers things present and to come height depth and what other creature besides should stand in opposition What voluminous waves be here for number and Power and terrour yet they shall not separate the Ark from Christ nor a soul from the Ark nor a body from the soul nor an hair from the body to do us hurt What saith David Mark the upright man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37. 37. Mark him in his setting out he hath many oppositions mark him in the journey he is full of tribulations but mark him in the conclusion and the end of that man is peace In Christ all things are ours 1 Cor. 3. 22. How is that Why we have all things because we have the Haver of all things And if we love Christ all things work together for our good yea for the best Rom. 8. 28. And if all things quoth Luther then even sin it self And indeed how many have we known the better for their sin Mary Magdalen had never loved so much if she had not so much sinned had not the incestuous person sinned so notoriously he had never been so happy God took the advantage of his humiliation for his conversion Had not one foot slipt into the mouth of Hell he had never been in this forwardness to Heaven Sin first wrought sorrow saith Saint Augustine and now godly sorrow kills sin the daughter destroyes the mother neither do our own sins onely advantage us but other mens sins work for our good also Objection But may some say Can any good come out of such a Nazarite Answer Yes The advantage we have by Christ is more then the loss we had by Adam If Arrius had not held a Trinity of Substances with a Trinity of Persons and Sabellius an Unity of Persons with an Unity of Essences the Mysteries of the Trinity had not been so clearly explâ—…ned by those great Lights of the Church If Rome had not so violently obtruded her Merits the doctrine of Justification onely by faith in Christ might have been less digested into mens hearts We may say here as Saint Augustine doth of Carthage and Rome if some enemies had not contested against the Church it might have gone worse with the Church Lastly suppose our enemies should kil us they shall not hurt but pleasure 〈◊〉 yea even death it self shall work our good That Red-sea shall put us over to the Land of Promise and we shall say to the praise of God we are delivered we are the better for our enemies the better for our sins the better for death yea better for the Davil and to think otherwise even for the present were not onely to derogate from the wisdom power and goodness of God but it would be against reason for in reason if he hath vouchsafed us that great mercy to make us his own he hath given the whole army of afflictions a more inviolable charge concerning us then David gave his Host concerning Absalom See ye do the youngman my son Absalom no harm Now if for the present thou lackest faith patience wisdom and true judgement how to bear and make this gain of the cross Ask it of God who giveth to all men liberally and reproacheâ—…h no man and it shall be given thee Jam. 1. 5. For every good giving and every perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights Verse 17. 6 use 6 Sixthly for this point calling more for practice then proof it behoves us to be larger here briefer there If that which is one mans meat proves another mans poison let it be acknowledged that the fault is not in the meat but in the stomach and that it is the wickedness of our hearts want of a sincere endevour to make good use of Gods corrections which causeth him to withdraw his blessing from them Wherefore let it provoke us as we love our selves as we love our souls through all the transitory temporary moment any passages of this World first to strive after and then to preserve the life of our lives and soul of our souls sincerity and integrity Again if afflictions which are in their own nature evil and unto others strong temptations to sin by the goodness of God do make so much for our advantage and benefit here and hereafter If our Heavenly Father turns all things even the malice of Satan and wicked men yea our own sins to our good Rom. 8. 28. If for our sakes and for his Names sake he even changeth the nature and property of each creature rather then they shall hurt us as it is the nature and property of fire to burn yet that vehement fire in Nebuchadnezzars Furnace did not burn the three servants of God It is proper to the Sea to drown those that be cast into it yet it did not drown the Prophet in the very depth of it It is proper for hungry ravenous Lions to kill and devoure yet they did Daniel no harm And the like when we need their help It is proper for the Sun to move yet it stood still at the prayer of Joshua proper for it to go from East to West yet for Hezekiahs confirmation it went from West to East It is proper for Iron to sink in the water yet it swom when the children of the Prophets 〈◊〉 need of it In like manner It is proper for affliction to harden and 〈◊〉 worse as well as for riches and prosperity to ensnare But as some Simples are by Art made medicinable which are by nature poisonable So afflictions which are in nature destructive by grace become preservative And as evil waters when the Unicorns born hath been in them are no longer poisonable but healthful or as a Wasp when her sting is out may awaken us by buzzing but cannot hurt us by stinging so fares it with affliction when God pleaseth to sanctifie the same as he doth to all that love him Rom. 8. 28. For of God it is without thanks to Affliction or our selves or our sins that we are bettered by them All the work is thine let thine be the glory But lastly for though we can never be thankful enough for this yet this is not all that we should finde him a Saviour whom our enemies sinde a just revenger That we should be loosed from the chains of our sins and they delivered into the chains of Plagues That the same Christ should with his precious blood free us that shall with his Word sentence them Again if we were by nature the Seed of the Serpent children of the Devil and Subjects to that Prince which ruleth in the air even that spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 2. We may learn by it to be humble and thankful if changed to be the womans seed children of God and members of Christ
favourably with thee touching thy naturall death hee is mercifull if not thou must not think him unjust Though the Devill and the world can hurt us aswell as other men in our outward and bodily estates as the Devill had power over Job in his Ulcers over his children in their death over Mary Magdalen that was possessed and over that daughter of Abrahams Luk 13. whom hee kept bound 18. years ver 16. yet they can do us no hurt nor indanger our souls they shall lose nothing but their dross as in Zachary 13. 9. Isa. 12. Let them sluce out our blood our souls they cannot so much as strike let wild beasts tear the body from the soul yet neither body nor soul are thereby severed from Christ. Yea they can neither deprive us of our spirituall treasure here nor eternall hereafter which makes our Saviour say Fear yee not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Helt Matth. 10. 28. The body is but the Bark Cabinet Case or Instrument of the soul and say it falls in pieces there is but a pitcher broken the soul a glorious Ruby held more fit to bee set in the crown of glory than here to bee troden under foot by dirtie swine and therefore so soon as separated the Angels convey her hence to the place of everlasting bliss Alas what can they do they cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus Rom 8. 38. 39. Yea they are so far from doing us harm as that contrariwise wee are much the better for them In all these these things wee are more than conquerours through him that loved us ver 37. Whatsoever then becoms of goods or lives happie are wee so long as like wise Souldiers wee guard the vitall parts while the soul is kept sound from impatience from distrust c. Our enemie may afflict us hee cannot hurt us Objection Nevertheless that which I suffer is exceeding grievous Answer Not so grievous as it might have been for hee that hath afflicted thee for a time could have held thee longer hee that toucheth thee in part could have stricken thee in whole hee that laid this upon thy body hath power to lay a greater Rod both upon thy body and soul. Again there is no chastisement not grievous the bone that was dis-jointed cannot bee set right without pain no potion can cure us if it work not and it works not except it make us sick Nay my very disease is not so painfull for the time as my remedy how doth it turn the stomack and wring the in trails and work a worse distemper than that whereof I formerly complained neither could it bee so wholesome if it were less unpleasing neither could it make mee whole if it did not first make mee sick But wee are contented with that sickness which is the way to health There is a vexation without hurt such is this wee are afflicted not overpressed needy not desperate persecuted not forsaken caâ—…t down but perish not how should wee when all the evill in a City coms from the providence of a good God which can neither bee impotent nor unme cifull It is the Lord let him do what hee will Woe worth us if evills could come by chance or were let loose to light where they lâ—…st now they are over-ruled wee are safe In the name of God then let not the tall stature of the Anakims nor the combination of the Edomites nor the politick counsels of all the Achitopels and Machivillians nor the proud looks not the big words of all the Amaziahs combining themselvs together deter or dismay you Let not the over-topping growth of the sons of Zerviah seem too hard for you for God is infinitely more strong and mighty to save us than all our enemies are todestroy us and he hath his Oar in their Boat he hath a speciall stroke in all actions whatsoever and can easily over-reach and make stark fools of the wisest by making their own counsels and endeavours like Hushai's to overthrow those intentions which they seem to support As touching the continuance of afflictions God so ordereth and tempereth the same in his merciful wisdom that either they be tolerable or short either our sorrows shall not be violent or they shal not last if they be not light they shal not be long grievous and sore trialls last but for a season Pet. 1. 6. A little while Joh. 16. 16. Yea but a moment 2 Cor. 4. 17. Hee endureth but a while in his anger saith the Psalmist but in his favour is life weeping may abide for a night but joy cometh in the morning Psal. 30. 5. And this had hee good experience of for if we mark it all those Psalms whose first lines contain sighs and broken complaints do end with delight and contentment he began them in fear but they end in joy you shal see terrible anguish fitting in the door irremediable sorrow looking in at the window despair bordering in the margent and offering to creep into the text yet after a sharp conflict nothing appears but joy and comfort God loves to send relief when wee least look for it as Elisha sent to the King of Israel when he was rending his cloaths 2 Kings 5. 8. Hear what the Lord thy Redeemer saith by Isaiah For a moment in mine anger I hid my face from thee for a a little season but with everlasting mercy have I had compassion on thee Isa. 54. 8. It is but a little for a moment that his anger lasts his mercy is everlasting and I hid my face never turn'd my heart from thee Ioseph when hee lay down to sleep was full of care about his Wives being with child Matt. 1. 20. but hee awakened well satisfied ver 24 To day a measure of fine flower is lower rated in Samaria than yesterday of dung Although Christ's Star left the wise-men for a time yet instantly it appeared again and forsook them not till they had found Christ which was the mark they aimed at Matt. 2. 9. Afflictions are like running waters which make many grounds fruitfull but tarry with none of them Yea it is a rule in nature that violent things cannot last long The Philosophers could observe that no motion violent is wont to bee permanent and Seneca concludes That if the sickness bee tedious and lasting the paiâ—… is tolerable but if violent short and so of spirituall temptations the which were so vehement upon Luther that the very venom of them drank up his spirits and his body seemed dead so that neither speech sence blood or heat appeared in him but this sharp fit lasted but for one day so if wee suffer much it shall not bee long if wee suffer long it shall not bee much Some misery is like a Consumption gentle but of long continuance other like a Fever violent but soon over If our sorrows be long
our learning and recorded by the holy ghost to the end that wee may gather unto our selvs assurance of the same pardon for the same sins upon the same repentance and beleeving Are thy sins great his mercies are infinite hadst thou committed all the sins that ever were committed yet in comparison of Gods mercy they are less than a more in the Sun to all the world or a drop of water to the whole Ocean for the Sea though great yet may bee measured but God's mercy cannot bee circumscribed and hee both can and will 〈◊〉 easily forgive us the debt of ten thousand millions of pounds as one penny and assoon pardon the sins of a wicked Manasses aâ—… of a righteous Abraham if wee come unto him by unfaigned repentance and earnestly desire and implore his grace and mercy Rom. 5. 20. The Tenure of our salvation is not by a covenant of works but by a covenant of grace founded not on our worthinesâ—…s but on the free mercy â—…d good pleasure of God and therefore the Prophet well annexeth blessedness to the remission of sins Blessed is bee whose transgression is forgiven Psal. 32. 1. Yea the more miserable wretched and sinfull wee are the more fit objects wee are whereupon hee may exercise and shew the infinite riches of his bounty mercy virtue and all-sufficiency And this our spirituall Physitian can aswell and easily cure desperate diseases even the remediless Consumption the dead Apoplex and the filthy Lâ—…prosie of the soul as the smallest malady or least faintness Yea hee can aswell raise the dead as cure the sick and aswell of Stones as of Jews make Abrahams children Did hee not without the Sun at the Creation cause light to shine forth and without rain at the same time make the earth fruitfull why then should you give your self over where your Physitian doth not Besides what sin is there whereof wee can despair oâ—…â—…e remission when wee hear our Saviour pray for the forgiveness of his mâ—…rtherers and blasphemers And indeed despair is a sin which never knew Jesus It was a sweet saying of one at his death When mine iniquity is greater than thy mercy O God then will I fear and despair but that can never bee considering our sins bee the sins of men his mercy the mercy of an infinite God Yea his mercies are so great that among the thirteen properties of God mentioned Exod. 34. almost all of them appertain to his mercy whereas one onely concerns his might and onely two his justice Again shall it ever enter into our hearts to think that God gives us rules to keep and yet break them himsef Now his rule is this Though thy brother sin against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying it repenteth mee thou shalt forgive him The son angers his father he doth not straight dis-inherit him but Gods love to his people exceeds a fathers love to his son Matth. 7. 11. and a mothers too Isa. 49. 1â—… I hear many menaces and threats for sin but I read as many promises of mercy and all they indefinite excluding none whose impenitency and infidelity excludeth not themselvs every sin deservs damnation but no sin shall condemn but the lying and continuing in it Wherefore if our clamorous conscience like some sharp fang'd officer arrests us at Gods suit let us put in bail two subsidue virtues Faith and Repentance and so stand the triall the Law is on our side the Law of grâ—…ce is with us and this Law is his that is our Advocate and he is our Advocate that is our Judge and hee is our Judge that is our Saviour even the head of our selvs Jesus Christ. For the first of these do but repent and God will pardon thee hee thy sins never so many and innumerable for multitude never so hainous for quality and magnitude Isa. 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 33. 17. Yea sins upon Repentance are so reâ—…itred as if they had never been committed I have put away thy transgressions as a cloud and thy sins as a mist Isa. 44. 22. and what by corruption hath been done by repentance is undone as the former examples and many other witness Come and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow Isa. 1. 18. yea whiter for the Prophet David laying open his blood-guiltiness and his originall impurity useth these words Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Psal. 51. 7. And in reason did hee come to call sinners to repentance and shall he not shew mercy to the penitent Or who would nor cast his burthen upon him that doth desire to give ease As I live saith the Lord I would not the death of a sinner Ezek. 18. 32. and 33. 11. Section 5. Ojection Yea but I cannot Repent Answer In time of temtation a man is not a competent Judge in his own case In humane Laws there is a nullity held of words and actions extoâ—…ted and wrung from men by fear because in such cases a man is held not to bee a free-man 〈◊〉 to have power or command in some sort of himself A troubled soul 〈◊〉 like troubled waters wee can discern nothing clearly in it wherefore if thou canst lay aside prejudice and tell mee in cold blood how it fares with thee at other times though indeed thy words at present are enough to convince thee For first thou findest sin a burthen too heavy for thee to bear which thou didst not formerly what 's the reason are thy sins more and greater No but the contrary for though they appear more yet they are less for sin thé more it is seen and felt the more it is hated and thereupon is the less Motes are in a room before the Sun shines but they appear onely then Again secondly the very complaint of sin springing from a displeasure against it shews that there is somthing in thee opposite to sin viz. that thou art penitent in affection though not yet in action even as a child is rationall in power though not in act Yea more thou accusest and condemnest thy selfe for thy sins and by accusing our selvs wee prevent Satan by judging our selvs wee prevent God Neither was the Centurion ever so worthy as when hee thought himself most unworthy for all our worthiness is in a capable misery nor does God ever thinke well of him that thinkes so of himself But to let this passe Are not your failings your grief are they not besides your will are they not contrary to the current of your desires and the main bent of your resolutions and indeavours Dost thou determine to continue in the practice of any one sin Yea dost thou not make conscience of all Gods Commandements one aswell as another the first table aswell as the second and the second aswell as the first Matt. 5. 19. Dost thou
thou and thy money perish Thou wouldest go the naturall Way to work What shall I do to inherit eternall life but it is impossible to inherit it by any thing that wee can do for all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragges Isa. 64. 6. Yea if our doings could have done it Christ dyed in vain whereas if Christ had not died wee had perished every mothers child of us 1 Cor. 15. 22. and 2 Cor. 5. 14 15. Ephes. 2. 1. Colos. 2. 13. Ezek. 18. 4. Job 11. 50. Rom. 5. 6. 8. and 14. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 3. Matth. 18. 11. O fool dost thou not know that our sins are his sins and his righteousness our righteousness Jer. 23. 6. Psal. 4. 1. and that God esteems of Faith above all other graces deeds or acts of thine as what did our Saviour answer when the people asked him What shall wee do that wee might work the works of God The work of God is that yee beleeve on him whom hee hath sent Joh. 6. 28 29. and yet thou talkest of thy worthiness and thou takest this for humility too but it is pride for if thou wouldest deny thy self and bee nothing in thine own eyes renounce thine own righteousness and wholly and onely rest on thy Saviour Jesus Christ for thy salvation thou wouldest not hope the more in regard of thine own worthiness nor yet doubt in respect of thine own unworthiness But thou wouldest first bee worthy and deserve of God and then accept of Christ and deserve Christ at Gods hands by thy good works and graces which pride of thine and opinion of merit is a greater sin then all thy other sins which thou complainest of and except you do abandon it and wholly râ—…ly upon the grace and free mercy of God for salvation Christ shall profit you nothing Gal. 2. 16. and 5. 1. to 7. Colos. 3. 11. for nothing is available to salvation but faith which worketh by love Gal. 5. 6. whence it is called righteousness through faith ver 5. Faith is the staffe whereupon wee stay our selvs in life and death by saith wee are blessed Gal. 3. 9. by faith wee rejoice in tribulation Rom. 5. 2. by faith wee have access unto God Ephes. 3. 12. by faith we overcome the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. the flesh Gal. 5. 24. and this is the shield whereby wee quench the fiery darts of Satan and resist his power Ephes. 6. 16. Yea whosoever seeks to bee justified by the Law they are abolished from Christ and â—…aln from grace Gal 5. 4. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free and bee not tangled again with the yoke of bondage And say Lord wee are not worthy to bee servants and thou makest us sons nay heirs and co-heirs with thee of everlasting glory Objection I grant the Lord is mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity transgression and sin but hee is just aswell as mercifull and therefore hee will not acquit the wicked Exod. 34. 6. 7. but reward them according to their works Revel 20. 12. 13. and 22. 12. Answer Hee will therefore pardon all thy sins if thou unfainedly â—…pent and wholly rely upon Christ for thy salvation by a lively saith because hee is just for as the Lord cannot in justice let sin go unpunished for the wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Death in the person if not in the surety and therefore hath punished the sins of all men either in his Son or will throughly punish them in the parties themselvs so the same justice will not admit that the same fins should be twice punished once in our Saviour and again in the faithful or that a debt once paid should be required the second time 1 Joh. 1. 9. Now that Christ hath sufficiently satisfied for all the sins of the faithful and paid our debt even to the utmost farthing it is evident by many places of Scripture as Isa. 53. 4. 5. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Heb. 9. 26. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Rom. 3. 25. 26. 1 Joh. 1. 7. 9. and sundry others Are we bound to perform perfect obedience to the Law hee performed it for us were wee for disobedience subject to the sentence of condemnation the curse of the Law and death of body and soul hee was condemned for us and bore the curse of the law hee died in our stead an ignominious death did wee deserve the anger of God hee indured his fathers wrathfull displeasure that so he might reconcile us to his father and set us at liberty Hee that deserved no sorrow felt much that wee who deserved much might feel none and by his wounds wee are healed Isa. 53. 5. Adam eat the Apple Christ paid the price In a word whatsoever wee owed Christ discharged whatsoever we deserved he suffered if not in the self same punishments for hee being God could not suffer the eternall torments of Hell yet in proportion the dignity of his person being God and Man giving value unto his temporary punishments and making them of more value and worth than if all the world should have suffered the eternall torments of Hell for it is more for one that is eternall to die than for others to die eternall Therefore was the Son of God made the Son of man that the Sons of men might bee made the Sons of God and therefore was hee both God and man lest being in every respect God he had been too great to suffer for man or being in every respect man hee had been too weak to satisfie God Seeing therefore our Saviour Christ hath fully discharged our debt and made full satisfaction to his Fathers justice God cannot in equity exact of us a second paiment no more than the Creditor may justly require that his debt should bee twice paid once by the Surety and again by the Principall Again secondly it is the Lords Covenant made with his Church and committed to writing Jer. 31. 34. Heb. 10. 16 17. Psal. 32. 10 Isa. 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 21 22 23. and 33. 11. Mal. 3. 17. Confirmed and ratified by his seals the Sacraments together with his Oath that there might be no place left for doubting for God willing more abundantly to shew unto the Heirs of promise the stableness of his counsell bound himself by an oath that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie we might have strong consolation as the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. 17. 18. And â—…est the affâ—…icted conscience should object that hee entred into covenant and made these promises to the Prophets Apostles and holy men of God but not to such hainous and rebellious sinners who have most justly deserved that God should pour out upon them the Vialls of his wrath and those fearfull punishments threatned in the Law All the promises made in the Gospel are generall indefinite and universall excluding none that turn from their fins by unfained repentance and beleeve in Christ
rightly considered It was hard for Josephs brâ—…hren to hear him speak roughly unto them take them for spies accuse them of theft and commit them to prison Gen. 42. 30. and think it is all out of love much more hard for 〈◊〉 to bee cull d cut from the rest and committed to ward while his brethren are set at libertie Vers. 24. and yet it was so yea he loved him best whom he seemed to favour least yet such is the 〈◊〉 of our nature that as weak eies are dazled with the â—…ght which should comfort them so there is nothing more common with God's Children than to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causes of 〈◊〉 joy and 〈◊〉 with that which is intended for their confirmation Even Manoah conceivs death in that vision 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 did consist Judg. 13. 22. And the Shepherds Luk. 2. who were sore afraid when the Angel of the Lord came to bring them good tidings of great joy to all people viz. their Saviours Birth which â—…as Christ the Lord Vers. 9. 10. But what hath been the answer of GOD alwaies to his children in such their extasies but this Fear not Gideon Judg. 6. 23. Fear not Joseph Mat. 1. 20. Fear not Zachary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 13. Fear not Abraham for I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward Gen. 15. 1. Fear not Paul for I am with thee and no man shall lay hands on thee to do thee hurt c. Acts. 18. 9. 10. the words are often repeated as Pharaohs dreams were doubled for the surenesse Yea to the end that we should be fearlesse in all our sufferings so long as we suffer not as evil doers 1 Pet. 4. 15. Fear not as one well notes is the first word in the Annunciation of Christs Conception and the first word in the first Anâ—…iation of his Birth and the first word in the first Annuuntiation of his Resurrection and almost the last words in his last exhortation a little before his death are Let not your hearts be troubled and be of good comfort strengthening his followers and sweetâ—…ing his Cross by diverse forcible reasons 〈◊〉 21. Mark 13. And the words of dying men have ever been most emphatical most effectual Nay more than all this if yet thou wilt not be comforted look but Joh. 16. 20. and thou shalt have thy Saviour assure â—…hee by a double bond His Word I say Oath Verâ—…ly verily I say unto you that though for the present you do fear and sorrow and weep yet all shall be turned into joy 〈◊〉 that joy shall no man be able to take from you v. 22. And so much of the Patience of the Womans seed Innocency Felicity If you will see the Malice of the Serpents seed Subtilly Misery Read the three soregoing parts viz. The cause and cure of Ignorance Error c. The cure of Misprision Characters of the kinds of preaching The last whereâ—… sold only by James Crump in Little Bartholomews Well-yard A two-fold PRAYER for the Morning and for the Evening as also another to be said at any time Jer. 1â—… 25. Pour out thy fury upon them that know thee not and upon the families that call not on thy name Psal. 145. 18. Rom. 10. 12. The Lord is nigh and rich unto all that call upon him in truth Isa. 65. 24. Before they call I will answer and whiles they are yet speaking I will hear Jer. 33. 3. Call unto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not 1 Joh. 5. 14. If wee ask any thing according to his will he heareth us Joh. 16. 23. Mat. 21. 22. Whatsoever yee shall ask the Father in my Name believing he will give it you Psal. 55. 17. Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray A PRAYER for the Morning O Lord prepare our hearts to Pray O Most glorious LORD GOD and in JESUS CHRIST our most merciful and loving Father in whom wee live and move and have our being in the multitude of thy mercies we desire to approach unto thee from whom all good things do proceed who knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking It is true O Lord if we should consider onely our own unworthiness and how we have heretofore abused thy goodnesse and long-suffering towards us wee might rather despair with Judas and like Adam run from thee then dare to approach thy glorious presence For we confesse O Lord to the shame and confusion of our own faces that as we brought a world of sinne into the World with us and deserved to dye so soon as wee began to live so ever since that thou hast spared us we have done nothing but add sinne unto sinne as thou hast added mercy to mercy For we have been no lesse rebellious unto thee then thou hast been beneficiall unto us We do daily and hourely break all thy commandements adding unto that our originall corruption which we were conceived and borne in all manner of actuall transgressions by sins of Omission sins of Commission sinnes of Ignorance sinnes of Knowledg sinnes against conscience yea sinnes of Presumption and Will fulness and that in thought word and deed We have sinned against thy Law and against thy Gospel against thy mercies and against thy judgments against the many warnings and the abundance of meanes afforded by thee to reclaime us against the spirit â—…of grace cotinually knocking at the doors of our hearts with infinite checks and holy motions as our first Parents left us a large stock of sinne so we have improved the same beyond measure O that we could have so improved that stock of grace which wee have received from thee But whereas thou gavest us as large a portion we suddenly lost it We were created indeed by thee after thine own image in righteousness holiness in knowledg of the Truth But alas now our understandings are so darkned and dulled our judgmeÌ„ts so blinded our wils so perverted our affections so corrupted our reason so exiled our thoughts so surprised our desires so entrapped and aâ—…l the faculties and functions of our souls so disordered that we are not sufficient of our selves to think much lesse to speak least of all to do ought that is good And yet usually like Bladders we are not more empty of grace than we are blown up with pride whereby with Laodicea we not once see our own spiritual misery and nakednesse but think we are rich and good enough as wanting nothing when as scarce Our eares have been alwaies open to the 〈◊〉 shâ—… unto thee we have abused our eyes to wantonnesse our mouthes to filthynesse and our feet have been swift to all evill flow to ought that is good any â—…ark of grace yet appears in us Yea so far have we been from loving and serving thee that we have hated those that do it and that for their so doing And so far have we been from performing that vow which we made to Christ
other rebellions when we rightly consider them makes us even speechless like him in the Gospell as neither expecting mercy nor daring to ask it  Howbeit when wee call to mind thy manisold mercies shewed to Manasses Paul Mary Magdalen the Thief and the Prodigall Son with many others who were no less vile then wee and who notwithstanding found thee more ready to hear then they were to ask and to give above what they durst presume to beg wee stay our selves and receive some incouragement from the application of the merits of Christ Jesus which thou hast promised shall bee a sufficient satisfaction for all our sins and the rather for that then caâ—…est all that are weary and heavie laden with the burthen of their sins unto thee with promise that thou wilt ease them and hast promised that though our sins be as red as scarlet thou wilt make them white as snow and that thou wilt not the death of a sinner but that he turn from his wickedness and live and that if a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart thou wilt blot out all his wickedness out of thy remembrance And lest wee should yet be discouraged thou who didst no less accept the will of David then the act of Solomon hast further promised that if there be but first a willing mind thou wilt accept of us according to that which we have and not according to that which wee bave not But forasmuch O Lord as thou knowest that is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou dost first give him grace to convert for thou O Lord must work in us both the will and the deed and being that it is as easie with thee to make us righteous and holy as to bid us bee such O our God give us ability and willingness to do what thou commandest and then command what thoâ—… wilt and thou shalt find us ready to do thy blessed will Wherefore give to us and increase in us all Christian graces that wee may know and believe and repent and amend and persevere in well doing Create in us O Lord a new heart and renew a right spirit within us take away from us our greedy desire of committing sin and enable us by the powerfull assistance of thy grace more willingly to obey thee in every of thy commandements then ever wee have the contrary Be favourable to thy people every where look down in much compassion upon thy Militant Church and every severall member thereof blesse it in all places with peace and truth hedge it about with thy providence defend it from the mischievous designs and attempts of â—…hine and her malitious enemie let thy Gospell go on and conquer maugre all opposition that Religion and uprightness of heart may bee highly set by with all and all prophaneness may be trod under foot More particularly be mercifull to this sinfull Land the civill Magistrates the painful Ministers the two Universities those people that sit yet in darkness all the afflicted members of thy Son Lord comfort the comfortless strengthen the weak bind up the broken hearted make the bed of the sick be a father to the fatherless and Yea let thy Spirit bear such rule in every one of our hearts that neither Satan that forrain enemy and roaring Lyon which seeketh to devour us may invade us nor our own concupiscence that home-bred traytor may by conspiring with the world work the ruine and overthrow of our poor souls but that all our wills which have been altogether rebellious our hearts which have been the receptacles of unclean spirits our affections which are altogether carnall may be wholyframed according to thy holy heavenly will and that we may the better know how to avoyd the evill and do the good let thy word as a light discover unto us all the sleights and snares of our spirituall adversaries yea make it unto us as the Star which led unto Christ and thy benefits like the Pillar which brought to the Land of Promise and an husband to the widdow cloath the naked feed the hungry visit the prisoners relieve the oppressed sanctifie unto them all their afflictions and turn all things to the best to them that fear thee thy Cross like the Messenger that compelled guests unto the Banquet Prosper the Armies that fight thy battells and shew a difference between thy servants and thine enemies as thou did'st between the Israelites and the Egyptians that the one may bee confirmed and the other reclaimed Give us O Lord to consider that although sin in the beginning seem never so sweet unto us yet in the end it will prove the bane and ruine both of body and soul and so assist us with thy grace that wee may willingly part with our right eyes of pleasure and our right hands of profit rather then sin against thee and wrong our own consciences considering that it would bee an hard bargain for us to win the whole world and lose our own souls These Blesse preserve and keep us from all the temptations of Satan the world and our wicked hearts from pride that Lucifer-like sin which is the fore-runner of destruction considering that thou resistest the proud and givest grace to the humble from covetousnesse which is the root of all evil being taught out of thy word that the love of money hath caused many to fall into diverse temptations and snares which drown them in perdition and destruction from cruelty that infernal evil of which thou hast said that there shall be judgment mercilesse to him that sheweth not mercie from hypocrisie that sin with two faces whose reward is double damnation and the rather because wickednesse doth most rankle the heart when it is kept in and dissembled and for that in all the Scriptures we read not of an hypocrites repentance from whoredom which is a sin against a man's own body and the most inexcusable considering the remedy which thou hast appointed against it for the punishment whereof the Law ordained death and the Gospel excludeth from the Kingdom of Heaven from prophanation of thyday considering thou hast said that whosoever  sanctifieth it not shall bee cut off from thy people and did'st command that he should be stoned to death who only gathered a sew sticks on that day from swearing which is the language of hell considering that because of oaths the Land doth mourn and thou hast threatned that thy curse shall never depart from the house of the swearer from drunkenness that monster with many heads and worse than beast like sin which in thy Word hath many fearfull woes denounced against it and the rather for that it is a sin like the pit of Hell out of which there is small hope of redemption  Finally O Lord give us strength to resist temptation patience to endure affliction and constancie to persevere unto the end in thy truth that so having passed our pilgrimage here according to thy will we