are to be made of this point And those are foure principally 1. For instruction 2. For the triall and examination of our selves 3. For exhortation 4 For reproofe And first for instruction To teach us how to judge of the hainousnesse of sin that no sin is small or light to be accounted of every sin even that that we thinke to be the least is a dead worke as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 6.1 deserveth eternall death This is a point of great use 1. To worke in us more feare of sin and to arme us against a conceit that usually emboldneth us to many sins and hardeneth us in them because wee thinke that they are but small ones 2. To confirme us against the error of the Papists who to maintaine many other of their false doctrines the better their doctrine of possibility to keepe the whole Law their doctrine of merit their doctrine of Purgatory and such like doe teach that all sins are not in their owne nature mortall nor doe deserve eternall death but that some transgressions of the Law of God are onely veniall sins Foure things there bee that will make the truth that wee maintaine against them in this point evident unto you First Consider the father that begetteth and engendreth it in us and that is the devill who is the father of every lye not of the pernicious lye onely but of every lye Ioh. 8.44 and of every vaine and petry oath Mat. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then these that is then yea in affirming any thing and nay in denying cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the wicked one that is from the devill as the same phrase is used 1 Iohn 3.12 Secondly Consider the punishment that the righteous God hath inflicted upon men even for the smallest sins And that not onely upon such as wee have no cause to doubt but that they were reprobates as upon Saul who for sparing of Agag and saving the fattest of the oxen and of the sheepe for sacrifice was utterly rejected of God 1 Sam. 15.23 and upon Ananias and Saphira who for dissembling in a small matter were suddenly strucken dead Acts 5.3 But even upon such as we have no cause to doubt but they were his elect children as upon Lots wife who for looking backe out of a loathnesse to leave the profits and pleasures of Sodom was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.26 2. Vpon fifty thousand men of Bethshemesh who were slaine for looking into the Arke 1 Sam. 6.19 3. Vpon Vzzah for touching and staying the Arke when it was in danger to have fallen 2 Sam. 6.7.5 4. Vpon the young Prophet who being deceived by the old Prophet did but eate and drinke in Bethel which God had forbidden him to do 1 King 13.24 5. Vpon the man that was slaine by a lyon for refusing to smite a Prophet of the Lord when God had commanded him 1 King 20.36 6. Vpon Moses himselfe whom God would have slaine in the Inn for delaying the circumcision of his child Exod. 4.24 7. Vpon many of the elect Corinthians that for this very cause were smitten with death because they came unpreparedly unto the Lords table 1 Cor. 11.30 If any man shall object that these examples of Gods marvellous severity upon men for small sins prove not that every small sin deserveth eternall death For we are not to thinke that any of these seven sorts that have beene brought for examples died eternally I answer It is true But these corporall deaths that the Lord smote them with in this manner were evident documents and demonstrations that every one of them were worthy of eternall death for these sins For so the Apostle proveth that infants that never committed actuall sin are worthy of condemnation because they also doe die Rom. 15.14 16. And indeed this is the due desert of all sin Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death What death That appeareth by the other member of the verse But the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus runneth the sentence of the most righteous law of God Galat. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them The least breach of the Law the least omission of any duty commanded in it maketh men liable to the curse of God And to all that are under the curse of God eternall death belongeth according to that Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels Thirdly Consider the price whereby we are redeemed from the punishment that is due unto us for the least offence that ever we committed against the Law of God and it will appeare that the least sin deserveth no lesse then eternall death If it were true that a man might be cleansed from the guilt of the least transgression of Gods Law by the sprinkling of a little holy water or by entring into an hallowed Church or by a knocke upon the brest or by a Bishops blessing as the Papists teach then it might well be granted that some sins are veniall and doe not deserve eternall death But the Scripture teacheth that it is the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 17. from the least aswell as from the greatest And therefore Gods people under the Law that had committed any sin against any of Gods commandements though they had done it ignorantly must bring their sacrifice unto the Priest or else there could be no atonement made betweene God and them Levi. 5.17 18. Fourthly and lastly Consider the reason of this which hath beene at large delivered in the handling of the doctrine namely that neither our obedience nor our sin is to be valued according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the thing that is commanded or forbidden nor according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the good or hurt that is done to man by it but according to the greatnesse and authority of the person that doth command or forbid the thing So when Saul thought that that hee had done if it were any fault was but a very small one Samuel telleth him 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity and idolatry As if he should say Thou wilt acknowledge witchcraft and idolatry to bee very hainous sins and I tell thee Saul thy rebellion and stubbornesse against Gods Law is no lesse a sin then that Why but Saul might have said alas I did not this out of a rebellious and stubborne minde wilfully to offend God I did it out of a good intent and the people perswaded me to it and I thought it a shame for me to be lesse forward and zealous to provide for Gods worship then they Yea but saith Samuel thou hadst the commandement of God to the contrary thou hast sleighted and set light by Gods commandement and the Lord accounteth this neglect of his commandement no
Doctrine so unto the uses that are to be made of it Now the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine are principally two The one taken frō the consideration of the nature of sin the other from the consideration of the nature attributes of the Lord himselfe And in the nature of sin two things are to be cōsidred 1. that every sin is a transgressiō of the law of God 2. that every sin is a contēpt done unto God For the first What is it that maketh any thought or word or action to be a sin Not the offending or hurting of our selves or any other man by it but the offending of God and breaking of his Law As no good duty I performe to any man is a good worke unlesse in doing it I respect the Lord and do it in obedience to him As Paul saith to Christian servants Colos. 3.23 24. Whatsoever ye doe doe it as to the Lord and not unto men knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ. So no wrong I can do to any man is a sin but in respect of the disobedience contempt I shew unto God and his Law by doing of it This is plain Lev. 6.2 If a soule sin commit a trespasse against the Lord lie unto his neighbour in that that was delivered him to keepe or in fellowship or in taking away by violence or hath deceived his neighbor No sin can be more directly committed against our neighbour then cosenage theft and robbery are and yet ye see that that maketh a man a sinner in these things is this that in doing of them he hath cōmitted a trespasse against the Lord. Thus the Apostle when he had said every one that hath a true hope to be saved to go to heaven doth purifie himselfe from all sin corruption so maketh himselfe fit to go thither giveth this for the reason of it 1 Ioh. 3.4 because sin is a most hainous dangerous thing and why so Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law for sin is the transgression of the law That that maketh sin so dangerous a thing that that maketh Gods people so fearfull to sin so careful to purifie cleanse themselves from their corruptions is this that by sinning they transgresse the law of God So the Apostle Paul teacheth us 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law What is it that maketh death so painfull terrible as it is unto men Surely nothing but sin that giveth the sting unto it and what is it that maketh sin so strong to condemne them and cast them into hell to sting and torment the conscience as it doth Surely nothing but the law that giveth the strength to sin that the law of God hath bin transgressed by it This is the plain meaning of that which the same Apostle saith Rom. 4.15 The law worketh wrath for where no law is there is no transgression What is it that brings Gods wrath upon man in this life or in the life to come that stingeth the conscience with the sense of it Why sin you will say and in saying so you say truly for so saith the holy Ghost Ephes. 5.6 Because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience Yea but what is the cause that sin bringeth the wrath of God upon man Surely nothing but this because by it Gods law is transgressed the law worketh wrath saith the Apostle Secondly this is also to be considered in the nature of sin that by every sin that we cōmit we do not only transgresse Gods law but we also despise him do an injury and contempt unto him For as it is among men when ye invite a man of worship and worth unto a feast if you give him not his due in placing of him though his cheere be never so good though the place he sits in be otherwise never so convenient though in words entertainment you neglect no cōplement towards him yet if you place him not according to his degree if you set one that is known to be his inferior above him in stead of a kindnes that you have pretended he wil esteeme that you have done a great disgrace indignity unto him So is it much more in this case If we set not the Lord in the highest roome of our hearts if we prefer our owne will before his as in every sin we do if we sleight any commandement of his thinke it is no great matter to transgresse it this is a plain contempt done unto God a despising of him So the Lord doth not only esteeme of grosse sinners that they cast him behind their backs as he tells Ieroboam 1 kin 14.9 But even of his own people whē they sin against his law So he telleth David twice that in cōmitting these sins of adultry murder 2 Sā 12.9 10. he had despised his cōmandement he had despised him So he telleth Ely that in neglecting to shew that severity to his lewd sons that he ought to have done he despised him 1 Sam. 2.30 And he telleth Moses Aaron that they had rebelled against him Nū 20.24 And so much for the first reason ground of the doctrine The second reason is taken from the consideration of the nature and attributes of God the person whose law is transgressed by our sins Foure attributes there be in the Lord which if we consider well we shall easily beleeve that we are to hate our sins and mourne for them out of this respect chiefly that we have offended God by them The first is his omnipresence omniscience he is present with us whersoever we are his eye is upō us he beholdeth us whatsoever we are doing Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I should not see him saith the Lord Ier. 23.24 do not I fill heaven earth saith the Lord Pro. 15.3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evill the good This was a main thing Nathan laid to Davids charge whereby he aggravated his sin 2 Sam. 12.9 Wherfore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord to do evill in his sight And this was it that at this time lay so heavy upon Davids conscience O Lord I have done this evill in thy sight As if he had said all my care was to be secret to hide my sin from the eyes of men thou didst it secretly saith the Lord to him 2 Sam. 12.12 but all this while thine eye was upon me when for the committing of my filthines I had shut all out of my chamber I could not shut out thee when I did it in the darke the darknes hid me not from thee as he speaketh Ps. 139.12 but the night shineth as the day the darknes and the light are both alike with thee This is that that did even fil his heart
with shame sorrow when he considered that he had done so lewdly the Lord being by the Lord looking upon him And surely so will this work upon every one of us also when God shall be pleased to awaken touch our hearts as he did his It is a matter of extreame shame and trouble of mind even to most wicked men to know that any man hath seene them and bin privy to that which they have done If one know them saith Iob 24.17 they are in the terrors of the shadow of death How much more must it trouble the heart of Gods child when he considereth the Lord saw was an eye-witnes of all the foulest sins that ever he committed All men by nature would be much restrained from many sins if they knew of any body though it were but a child that were by them to see what they did And thus the murderer and adulterer are brought in by Iob 24 5. emboldening themselves No eye shall see me As if he had said If they knew there were any eye to see them they durst not do it And they are noted for men grown to an extraordinary height in sin that feare not at all nor are restrained from sinning by the eye of man that are so impudent as they care not who see or know what lewdnes they do Esa. 3.9 Such as declare their sin as Sodom that hide it not Such as are like Absalom who spread his tent upon the top of the house and went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 And will not this appeare to the child of God when God shall open his eyes a far greater impudency height of sin that he in sinning regarded not nor feared the Lords eye that he durst do such such things when the Lord looked upon him Surely to David it did here O Lord I have done this evill in thy sight And so it will do to every one of us when God shall be pleased to give us such hearts as he did unto David For thus doth the Lord oft aggravate the sins of men Esa. 65.12 Therfore wil I number you to the sword you shal al bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did evill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not The second attribute of God the consideration wherof setteth forth the hainousnes of sin is his infinite holines and the dislike he beareth unto sin This is a chiefe attribute of his that wherein his glory doth principally consist This is plain by that song of the blessed Angels Esa. 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And in the first petitiō of the Lords praier where when our Saviour would have us to pray that Gods name may be glorified he teacheth us to expresse it in these termes Hallowed be thy name let holines be ascribed unto thee Now the Lord being thus infinitely holy 1. He hateth and disliketh sin there is nothing so contrary and opposite to his nature as sin is No man doth hate any thing in the world no mans heart doth so much loath or rise against any thing as the Lords doth against sin Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill canst not looke on iniquity He cannot abide to looke upon it Ier. 44.4 I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early sending them saying do not this abominable thing that I hate The Lord in the ministery of all us his servants doth in the most patheticall manner he can perswade and entreat you to be afraid to sin to repent of your sin even for the Lords sake even for this cause because his soule doth so much hate and loath sin Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate 2. Because the Lord is infinitly holy he must needs be grieved with sin Nothing grieveth the Lord so much as sin doth It is a great griefe to any ingenuous mind and a thing that of all others we can worst brooke to see our selves despised and contemned by any David complaineth oft of it and prayeth against it Ps. 119.22 Remove from me reproach contempt But never was man so much grieved to see himselfe despised as the Lord is to see men despise and sleight him as I told you we all do when we sin against him Grieve not the holy spirit of God by your corrupt communication saith the Apostle Eph. 4.30 As if he had said Because he is holy sin must needs grieve him 3. Because the Lord is infinitly holy sin must needs anger disquiet and vexe his spirit Nothing in the world can so much provoke a man unto anger nothing can so cut him to the heart so vexe disquiet his mind as the Lord is provoked cut to the heart vexed with our sins Esa. 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Eze. 16.43 Thou hast fretted me in all these things Now when Gods child doth consider well of this his sin must needs trouble him more in this respect that he hath done that that God so loatheth hateth that he hath grieved and vexed him so much by it then in respect of any evill or punishment he hath brought upon himselfe by it So did it David here Against thee thee only have I sinned And so wil it the senslessest heart here when God shal touch him as he did David here O that we could consider how God may complaine of us as Ps. 95.10 Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation How long have we grieved the Lord some of us by living in one sin some in another O that we could say to our own hearts as the Prophet doth to Ahaz Esa. 7.13 ô my soule is it a small thing for thee to grieve men by thy sins that thou wilt also grieve my God The third attribute of God that setteth forth the hainousnes of our sins is the infinite greatnes majesty of the Lord Great is the Lord saith David Ps. 145.3 greatly to be praised his greatnes is incomprehensible And indeede this is the beginning and foundation of all religion and piety to esteme the Lord to be higher then the highest Eccl. 5.8 and to acknowledge in our hearts this infinite greatnes and majesty of the Lord Ascribe ye greatnes to our God saith Moses Deut. 32.3 And thus did the blessed Virgin Lu. 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord. Every transgression even among men is more or lesse hainous according as the person is against whom it is cōmitted He that doth smite his father or his mother or but curse revile them shall surely be put to death saith the Lord in his Law Exo. 21.15 17. Whereas the reviling yea or wounding or maiming of another man was not so great a sin nor to be punished in so severe a manner as you may
was the onely ground of all his comfort he rejoiced and gloryed in nothing els God forbid saith he that I should glory save in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. And thus we have heard the Doctrine confirmed unto us sufficiently Let us now proceed to the reasons and grounds of it and they are two principally according to the two severall branches of the Doctrine First No man can expect any mercy from God but onely through Christ Because he knoweth that he is by nature the child of wrath Wee all saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.3 were by nature the children of wrath even as others the elect as well as the reprobate the blessed Apostle as much as any other man was by nature the child of wrath And as he knoweth hee is in this estate by nature so by falling into and living in knowne sinnes he knoweth likewise that he provoketh the Lord afresh oftentimes and maketh him his enemie Thou hatest all workers of iniquity saith David Psal. 5.5 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit saith the Prophet Esa. 63.10 speaking of Gods owne people therefore he was turned to be their enemy And who can expect mercy and kindnesse from him whom he knoweth to be his enemy No no no mercy no comfort can be looked for at Gods hands nothing but terrour nothing but indignation and wrath while God is our adversary till we be reconciled unto him Till then if a mans conscience be not senslesse there can be nothing in him but a certaine fearefull looking for of judgement as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 10.27 and of fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries Now Christ is the onely mediator between God and us to go betweene us and make reconciliation There is but one Mediator betweene God and man saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.5 the man Christ Iesus And Col. 1.19 20. It pleased the Father by him to reconcile all things unto himselfe Secondly No man can expect any mercy from God till he know first that the justice of God is satisfied for him As the Lord hath set this law unto all men to looke first to justice and then to mercy not to shew mercy unto any wiâ—h neglect of justice What doth the Lord require of thee saith he Mic. 6.8 but to do justly and to love mercy Thou shalt not respect the person of the poore in judgement saith the Lord Levit. 19.15 As if he had said Thou shalt not out of compassion to his distressed estate neglect to do justice So hath he set this law unto himselfe to looke first to justice and then to mercy not to have compassion upon any mans misery or to shew mercy on him with neglect of his justice For God is infinite in justice and will have his Law satisfied to the full It is easier for heaven and earth to passe saith our Saviour Luc. 16.17 than for one title of the law to faile As though he should say The Lord had rather heaven and earth and all the creatures therein should come to nought and perish everlastingly than that one word or title of his Law should faile and be unfulfilled And this is the irrecoverable sentence of his Law which the Apostle mentioneth Galat. 3.10 Cursed iâ— every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them Till therefore a man know that this sentence of the law be fulfilled till a man know that this curse is borne for him he cannot expect to find any mercy with God See how the Lord hath expressed himselfe in this point even in that place where he hath amplified his mercy most and set it forth to the full I meane Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord is mercifull and gracious long sâ—ffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sinne What can be said more for the amplifying of Gods mercy than is said here And yet mark what followeth in the very next words and that will by no meanes cleare the guilty As if he had said As infinite as the Lord is in mercy yet will he by no meanes cleare any man that is guilty of the transgression of his law without satisfaction be made to his justice for him And who is able to make satisfaction to the justice of God for the sinne of man Who is able to satisfie the law and to beare this penalty and curse that is due unto him for the least transgression of it Who can stand before his indignation saith the Prophet Nah. 1.6 and who can abide in the fiercenesse of his anger Surely all the Angels and Saints in heaven and earth could not do it Onely Christ Iesus who was more than a man was able to doe it and did it for his elect to the utmost The Lord hath laid upon him saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 the iniquity of us all that is the full punishment of all our iniquities Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 from the curse of the law being made a curse for us He trod the winepresse of the fiercenesse and wrath of almighty God saith Iohn Rev. 19.15 There was not one jot of the fiercenesse and wrath of God that was due to the sinnes of any of the elect but he trod it out it came all upon him Christ himselfe our blessed Mediator could not make our peace with God nor get him to pardon our sinne and shew us mercy by intreaty or intercession or by any other meanes till he had satisfied the law for us till he had paid every farthing of our debt till he had borne the curse and punishment that was due to us for our sinnes even to the uttermost When we were enemies saith the Apostle Rom. 5.10 we were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne nothing but the death of his Sonne would do it This truth the Lord taught his people even under the Law Without a sacrifice without shedding of blood there was no remission of any sinne saith the Apostle Heb. 9.22 It is the bloud saith the Lord Levit. 17.11 that maketh attonement for the soule And these are the reasons and grounds of the Doctrine Now before we come to the uses of it a question must be resolved to prevent the misunderstanding of this that hath beene delivered and to make way for the uses that are to be made of it How can it be said that no mercy can be obtained of God for us by any other way but by the bloudy passion of Iesus Christ seeing the Scripture so oft ascribeth our whole salvation to the meere grace and goodnesse of God onely By grace ye are saved saith the Apostle Eph. 2.5 And for the undoubted certainty of this truth he repeateth it againe Verse 8. in the very same words and teacheth us that our whole salvation commeth most freely unto us I will love them freely saith the Lord Hos. 14.4 We are justified freely by his grace saith the Apostle
for thee the death of the Crosse that cursed death if he had not beene made a curse for thee Christ both redeemed us saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 from the curse of the law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree The scripture indeed seemeth to ascribe our redemption wholy to his bodily death and to the bloud that he shed for us We have redemption through his bloud even the forgivenesse of our sins saith the Apostle Eph. 1 7. And Revel 5. â— Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud But wee must understand that in these and such like places the holy Ghost useth a Synechdoche that is putteth one part of Christs passion for the whole And two reasons there are why his whole passion is expressed by this part of it rather then by the other 1. Because the shedding of his bloud was the most apparant and sensible signe and evidence that hee did indeed lay downe his life and dye for us yea that hee dyed a violent death For the life of the flesh is in the bloud saith the Lord Levit. 17.11 2. This did best declare him to bee the true propitiatory sacrifice that was figured by all the sacrifices under the law that lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world as Iohn Baptist calleth him Ioh. 1. â—9 But it was not that alone that could have done the deed all the pains and torments he endured in his body for us could not have obtained for us the pardon of any one sin He suffered much more in his soule for us then he did in his body He made his soule an offering for sin as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 53.10 His soule was exceeding sorrowfull even to the death Mat 26.38 He endured the torments of the soule aswell as of the body for us Yea the curse of God and those unspeakeable and unconceivable torments that were due to all the sinnes of all Gods Elect both in body and soule he endured to the uttermost The Lord spared him not as the Apostle saith Rom. 8.32 nor abated him one farthing of our debt but made him pay it all The Lord laid upon him saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 the iniquity of us all that is the punishment due unto all our iniquities And verse 4. Surely hee hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes the sorow and anguish that was due to us for our sinnes hee hath borne it all and every jot of it and so he made full satisfaction to the justice of God for us and unlesse he had so done he could never have redeemed us from our sins He made our peace through the bloud of his crosse saith the Apostle Col. 1.20 by no death but by that cursed death hee could have made our peace with God Fourthly and lastly Christ himselfe by dying for us the death of the Crosse and by enduring in body and soule the torments due to our sins could not have made our peace with God if hee had not beene more then a man more then a creature admit it had beene possible for a creature to have borne Gods curse if hee had not beene God All his sufferings could not have bin a price sufficient to redeeme one soule to purchase the pardon of one sin if they had not bin the sufferings of God himselfe The infinite wrath of God due unto sinne which no creature is able to beare at once and therefore must be enduring of it everlastingly Their worme shall never dye saith the Prophet Esay 66.24 their fire shall never be quenched Christ being God mighty in strength as Iob speaketh Iob 9.4 was able to beare altogether and at once in that short time that he was upon the Crosse. The Apostle calleth the bloud of Christ wherby we are redeemed a precious bloud 1 Pet. 1.19 And indeed it must needs bee precious of infinite price and merit able to countervaile and answer for the everlasting torments that were due to the sins of all Gods elect because it was the bloud of God himselfe God purchased his Church with his owne bloud saith the Apostle Actes 20.28 God laid downe his life for us saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.16 The Lord of glory was crucified saith holy Paul 1 Cor. 2.8 Nothing but the infinite suffering of such a person could have procured us the pardon of the least of our sins Now to conclude this use of instruction and to make some application of it Learne by this that thou hast heard to judge rightly of sin of every sin of thine owne sins especially Labour to have a sound judgement in this point to bee perswaded in thy judgement that every sin is a most deadly and heinous thing Know thou and see saith the Lord Ier. 2.19 that it is an evill thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my feare is not in thee Iudge not according to the appearance Ioh. 7.24 of this matter but judge righteous judgement Iudge not of sin according as the world judgeth of it nor according to those colours that Sathan and thine owne foolish heart is apt to put upon it but judge of sin as God in his word judgeth of it for his judgement will stand when all is done Account it a point of extreame folly in thy selfe and a signe that thou hast lost all judgement that thou art strangely blinded besotted and bewitched by the devill even this I say that thou canst thinke of any sin that it is but a small matter that thou canst so sleight and make nothing of many sins that thou dost in thy heart so scorne and befoole them whom thou seest so precise and fearefull to do the least thing that might offend God Fooles make a mocke of sin saith Solomon Prov. 149. They are fooles certainely and starke fooles that make so small a matter of any sin But for the better perswading you to hearken to my counsell in this I will 1. give you two motives to seeke for soundnesse of judgement in this case â— I will shew you the meanes whereby you may rectifie your judgements in this point And for the Motives consider First That no man can truly repent of his sinne nor bee affected with it as he ought to be till he can rightly judge of sin know how heinous and dangerous a thing it is The will and affections of a man are swayed by his judgement Be ye changed by the renewing of your mind saith the Apostle Rom. 12.2 All saving repentance and change of the heart beginneth in the renewing and rectifying of the mind and judgement This will the better appeare if wee consider five things that are required in true repentance 1. Wee must cast away with loathing and detestation our sinnes as a man would cast away a menstruous and filthy ragge that by chance is fallen upon him and say to it get thee hence Esay 30.22 2. Wee must hate and abhorre
Two plaine testimonies I will give you for this and trouble you with no more The first is that in 2 Cor. 3.6 8. where the Apostle having spoken of the fruit of his Ministery in the hearts of the Corinthians he telleth them God had made him and his fellow Apostles able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the spirit As if he had said by my preaching of the new testament the new covenant the covenant of grace you were converted the spirit of God was conveied into your hearts And making a comparison betweene the Ministery of the law and of the Gospell in the next verses he calleth the preaching of the Gospell in the new Testament the ministration of the spirit that ministery whereby the spirit of grace is infused into the hearts of men The other testimony which I will bring you for this is that of the Apostle Gal. 3.2 where appealing unto their owne consciences he asketh them how and by what meanes they first received the spirit of God This only would I learne of you saith he received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith that is by the hearing of the doctrine of faith the doctrine of the Gospell which teacheth justification by faith only And thus have I confirmed this fourth Motive unto you in the generall that we can never be sanctified till we be justified first that the man that desireth to amend his heart and life must first seeke to know that his sins are forgiven that he is reconciled unto God in Christ Followeth now that we shew you this likewise in both the parts of sanctification more plainly and particularly And first for mortification of the old man the best way that any man can take to mortifie and subdue any lust and corruption that is strongest in him and that troubleth him most is to get assurance by faith that Christ is his that his sinnes are forgiven him and God is reconciled unto him in Christ and when he hath once got this assurance to make use of his faith in this worke to stirre it up and exercise it by thinking and meditating oft of the marvellous love of God to him in Christ and by making claime to the promises of God which through Christ he hath just title unto Faith purifieth the heart saith the Apostle Acts 15.9 It purgeth out the corruption that it findeth in it it killeth sinne wheresoever it commeth Not all at once indeed but by little and little so soone as ever it entreth into the heart it giveth sinne the deathes wound so as it shall languish ever after and never recover the strength and vigour againe that it had before Every faithfull man hath this promise given him of God Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for yee are not under the Law but under grace So that the man that knoweth himselfe to bee in Christ and so within the covenant of grace may goe boldly to the throne of grace when he findeth himselfe unable to subdue any strong lust and corruption and even ready to be mastered and overcome of it nay he ought then to exercise and make use of his faith by challenging and making claime to this promise of God and say Lord thou hast promised that no sinne shall have dominion over them that are not under the law but under grace and I know that thou art faithfull that hast promised this and able to performe what thou hast promised Lord make good this promise of thine now unto me let not this lust and corruption have dominion over me But I shall make this plainer to you and shew you what force there is in justifying faith that assureth us of Gods favour in Christ to mortifie sinne by instancing in foure of the strongest lusts and corruptions that the faithfull are wont to bee cumbred with all The first is covetousnesse and the love of the world And for the force that is in justifying faith to mortifie this corruption wee have an example first in Abraham and Sarah and some others of whom the Apostle speaketh Heb. 11.8 14 15. of whom the Apostle saith that they willingly forsooke their owne country and all the comforts that they had there and went willingly upon the Lords call they knew not whither and had no desire to returne to their owne country againe nor were so much as mindefull of it they never thought of it nor looked backe as Lots Wife did and he telleth us plainly it was nothing but faith that did thus weane their hearts from the world and made them so willing to part with it See an example of this in Zachâ—us like wise Luke 19. Of him we reade Verse 2. That he was the chiefe among the Publicans and Verse 7. That he was a sinner a noted and infamous man And for what sinne Surely for covetousnesse for getting his wealth by extortion and such like unjust meanes And yet so soone as this man had received Christ not into his house only but much more into his heart when he considered and weighed with himselfe the wonderfull love and goodnesse of Christ towards him that was so vile and unworthy a wretch how Christ tooke particular notice of him and called him by his name how he offered himselfe unsought to to bee his guest to abide in his house which was no more then he hath done for every poore soule amongst us that truly beleeveth in him when Zacheus I say saw and considered this wonderfull love of Christ towards him see what a change it wrought in him how it mortified that lust that had so raigned in him before he became presently a most liberall man as you may see Verse 8. both by his bounty towards the poore and by his readinesse to make restitution to all such as had beene wronged by him And thus doth the Apostle teach us to mortifie this corruption Heb. 13.5 6. Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say the Lord is my helper and I will not feare what man shall doe unto me As if he should say If thou wouldest purge thy heart from covetousnesse and get strength against it make use of thy faith remember the promises that thou being in Christ hast title unto If thou hadst no body to take care for thee but thy selfe thou hadst some reason to toile and moile to carke and care for this world as thou dost but being in Christ and having these promises it is madnesse for thee to doe it A second strong corruption and lust that Gods people are troubled with is uncharitablenesse towards them that have done them wrong How may a Christian best mortifie and get strength against this corruption Surely by getting assurance to his heart of Gods love in Christ and making use of his faith This is evident by that
loves his people and sheweth his love even in reprooving by reproving sin neither in rage nor in a merry and flouting manner nor so as to set a brand of infamy upon them Ibid. Therefore desire to live under such a Minister as will faithfully reprove sinne and the great sin of the people that cannot endure it p. 52. the reasons why men cannot endure such a ministery Ibid. p. 53. the folly and sin of these men discovered in foure points Ibid. Objections answered that are made against such a ministery 1 That they use to raile give bitter and opprobrious termes to men 2 they use in a most unseemely fashion to cry and stampe and beat the pulpit p. 54. 3 They are alwaies chiding and inveighing and shew no love to the people pag. 55. 4 They love noâ— to deale with then people in private but disgrace them publikely 5 They are given to hearken to â—ale-beareâ—s page 56. Lect 10. In all our distresses we must fly to God by prayer and seeke comfort that way p. 59. for 1 In all our afflictions God hath 2 chiefe hand 2 He is able to releeve us 3 himselfe hath prescribed this course to us pag 60. 4 The Lord is ready to be found this way p. 61. The meanes of comfort we all apt to neglect Ibid. Lect. 11. Impediments that keepe us from this remooved 1 Th'extreamity of my affliction overwhelmes me and the tokens of Gods anger upon me are such that I have no hope to speed p. 63 64. 2 I am so vile a sinner that I dare not pray Ibid. p. 65. Lect 12. 3 I cannot pray p. 66 67. Every faithfull man hath the spirit of prayer yea a man may pray most acceptably though he do not feele that he hath faith or the spirit of prayer Ib. Such must bewaile their case to God and strive to pray for all they cannot doe it with feeling and comfort p. 68 69. Lect. 13. 4 It is to no purpose for me to pray Ibid. Resolve this is but a tentation and resist it and how p. 70. Particular answer to Sathans reason in this tentation 1 They that never use to pray doe as well as those that are most given unto it ibid. 2 men use ordinary meanes for their comfort with discretion they may do well enough though they never pray p. 71. Though God usually helpe men by meanes and best by best meanes p. 72. Yet he is the giver of all meanes and the vertue that is in them to do us good commeth wholly from him and Gods servants have therefore in the use of all meanes and in all occaâ—sions of their life sought to him Ibid. p. 73. â— Lect. 14. 3 God knowes our necessities well enough and hath decreed what he will do for us and is of himself apt enough to do us good without our asking Ibid. 74. 4 I have long used to pray and finde no good by it Ibid. It may be God rewards our prayer though we obtaine not our suite presently p. 75. Foure reasons why God delayes his answer Ibid. By five things wee may know God answereth us though we obtaine not what we aske p. 76 77. Lect. 15. When we have prayed long and finde no audience this must trouble us p. 78. We should hearken after our prayers what answer God gives them Ibid. We must not give over praying though we receive no answer p. 79. Examine the cause why thy prayers speed no better p. 80. Six causes for which the Lord useth oft to put back the prayers of his people without a gracious answer p 81 c. Lect. 16. Pardon of sin is more to be desired then deliverance from the greatest judgement that can befall us p. 84. for 1 sin is the greatest evill p. 85 2 pardon of sin a sufficient ground of comfort in any distresse Ibid. 3 in this suit we should be more earnest with God then in any other p. 86. 4 he hath enough to make him happy that hath that Ibid for 1 sin is a debt p 86. 2 sin is filthinesse and uncleannesse p. 87. Lect 17. Most men seeke after many things more then the pardon of sin count not sin the greatest evill nay no evill or misery at all p 88 89. our sins not smaller then such as Gods people have beene greatly humbled for Ibid p. 90. The knowledge of Gods mercy should not cause us to be the lesse troubled for our sins p. 91. for 1 His mercy in pardoning of sinne is not common to all but shall be denied three sorts of sinners Ibid. 2 That will aggravate sin and not make it the lighter p. 92. Nor this conceit that others worse then wee have found mercy both in life and death yet were never humbled For 1 it may bee they found not mercy with God though they prospered Ibid. 2 We are bound in charity to judge the best of their estate Ibid. 3 They may have beene soundly humbled for sin though we know it not p. 93. It s no good argument a sinner dieth in Gods favour because he dieth quietly p. 93. Lect. 18. Seeke pardon of sinne above all things Seeke it without delay and earnestly Ibid. For 1 its possible to be gotten 2 in regard of the excellency of this pardon p. 94. Seeke it speedily 1 in regard of the continuall danger of death we are in 2 in respect we are daily liable to afflictions p. 95. 3 in respect of the present comfort of our life page 96. Meanes to obtaine it 1 Bring the heart to a sound sense of sin Ibid. 2 Pray beg pardon for even such as want assurance of pardon may pray pag. 97. 3 Confesse thy sinnes to God 4 Fly by faith to Christ for it pag. 98. A man may have his pardon and not know and perceive he hath it and the reasons of it Ibid. p. 99. Yet may a man in this life be assured that his sins are pardoned Ibid. We must not be our own judges in this case but this must be knowne by the Word viz. 1 if we came to it the right way viz. by the foure meanes mentioned 2 If we finde ouâ— hearts changed and sanctified p. 100 3 If the knowledge of Gods love hath bred in us a love to him 4 If the knowledge of Gods love maketh us willing to forgive men p. 1â—1 Lect. 19. The best of Gods servants have no other ground of hope to finde favour with God for the pardon of their sinnes but onely in the mercy of the Lord p. 102. For 1 Though Christ hath dearely purchased our pardon yet is it meerely of Gods free grace that wee receive any benefit by him p. 103. 2 Though good workes bee strong foundations of our hope and comfort yet the maine foundation of all the hope and comfort we have in our workes is the mercy and free grace of God p. 104 106. Lect. 20. The best man cannot rely on any goodnesse hee findeth in himselfe
their afflictions p. 559. But we may also therein offend two waies Ibid. p. 560. The folly wickednesse and danger of rash judgement appeares in three things p. 560 561. None of us are so affected with the miseries of the Church as we ought Ibid. Foure duties God requires of us in these times of the misery of other Churches 1. By the best meanes we can informe our selves how it fareth with the Church of God p. 562. Lect. 113. 2 We are bound to take to heart and to worke our hearts to unfeigned griefe for the Churches misery p. 562 567. 3 We are bound to remember them in our prayers and to importune the Lord for them p. 567. 4 The example of the Lords strange severity upon them should cause us to feare our selves Ibid. Three reasons we have for this feare pag. 568. Lect. 114. He that is in the state of grace must bee afraid to sinne The extent of this feare in th' object in seven degrees of sin that he must not dare to commit p. 569 570. and in the continuance of this feare p. 570. He hath more cause to be afraid of sin then any other man for 1 He can have lesse hope of impunity then any other p. 571. 2 Hee hath more to loose then any other viz. 1 The Spirit of adoption Ibid. 2 the Spirit of Sanctification 3 The credit and honour of the Gospell p. 572. He that is in the state of grace hath more cause to be deepely humbled for his grosse sins then any other man p. 573. No disposition of soule is fitter to prepare us to the Sacrament then a sound humiliation for sin p. 574. Foure great benefits we receive by sound humiliation of soule Ibid. Lect. 115. The least thing that God hath appointed in his worship may not be neglected but is reverendly to be esteemed of and observed p. 577 579. Because God hath ordained them and we may receive helpe in faith and piety by them p. 579 580. We must depend upon Gods direction in his Word in matters of his worship p. 581. Three sorts of men are too precise but yet not they which cleave precisely to the warrant and direction of the Word Ibid. Conscience to bee made of all outward parts of Gods worship and exercises of religion and foure motives to it Ibid. pag. 582. Lect. 116. We must labour to understand every thing we do in the service of God this God required even under the law in his ceremoniall worship but much more in his morall worship specially now under the Gospell pag. 583. 1 We can receive no good by the reading of the Word unlesse we endeavour to understand what we read Ibid. 2 nor by our hearing 3 nor by the Sacraments p. 584. 4 nor by prayers 5 nor by our singing 6 an oath may not be given to any but such as are of understanding Reason For no service pleaseth God unlesse it be spirituall and done with feeling and affection and that cannot be without knowledge p. 585. 1 Every part of Gods worship is spirituall and there is in it somewhat to bee done by man and somewhat by the Lord himselfe 2 The Lord hath promised to accompany all his owne ordinances and to worke with them 3 All that man can doe in Gods worship is nothing worth unlesse God worke with him p. 586. 4 Our chiefe care in every part of Gods worship should be to finde that God is with us in it p. 588. The true cause why so little fruit appeares of the ministery of the Word and other ordinances is because the Lord joynes not with us in them and three causes there are of that 1 the sins of the times Ibid. 2 we do not our part but serve God by halves with the body onely 3 because we rest too much upon the meanes p. 589. Lect. 117. They that would serve God aright in any duty of his worship must first seeke to get knowledge Our people generally beleeve not this as appeares in three things pag 589 590. Their great sin and danger that make so light account of knowledge and what is the best way of instruction to breed knowldge p. 590. Both Ministers and peoples chiefe care should be in every part of Gods worship to finde God present with them assiâ—â—ing and blessing his ordinances p. 591. Foure motives to stirre us up to this care Ibid. Foure meanes to make Gods ordinances powerfull and effectuall to us p. 592 593. We must not neglect to frequent and use Gods ordinances though we feele no fruit or comfort we receive by them p. 594. Foure things to bee considered for the comfort of such as complaine and mourne for their unprofitablenesse in the use of Gods ordinances p. 595. Lect. 118. No mercy is to be hoped for from God but onely in and through Christ p. 596. No mercy can be expected from God by Christ but onely through his blood p. 597. For 1 Wee by nature and pracusâ— have made God our enemy and Christ th' onely Mediator to reconcile us p. 598 2 No mercy can be expected from God till his justice be satisfied for us and that 's done by Christ fully and by him onely p. 599. Yet is whole salvation to bee ascribed to the free grace of God p. 600 601. Lect. 119. Foure points to be observed in the passion of Christ that doe notably set forth how odious and heavy a thing sinne is 1 No creature in heaven or earth could have procured us the pardon of the least sinne Christ onely was able to doe this page 601. 2 Christ himselfe could not have done it for us by any other meanes then by dying for us p. 602. 3 Christ himselfe by dying for us could not have done it if he had not dyed the cursed death of the Crosse p. 603. 4 Christ himselfe by dying for us that cursed death could not have done it if hee had not beene God as well as man p. 604. This should perswade us to seâ—ke to rectifie our judgement in this point for 1 till then we can never be affected with our sins as we ought nor performe those five things that are necessary to true repentance p 605. 2 till then Christ can profit us nothing Ibid. Five meanes there are to rectifie our judgement in this point and to cause us to esteeme of sinne as it ought to be esteemed of Ibid. 606. Lect. 120. Every man should labour to know that Christ is hâ—â— and that he is one of the number that he did undertake for p. 607. for 1 till then he cannot be assured that any of his sins is pardoned but hath cause to judge he abides under Gods curse 2 till then though hee bee jocund now in the daies of health and peace yet in distresse he can have no hope of mercy or comfort from God 3 till then he can have no assurance of any blessing p. 608. 4 till then he cannot know he hath any thing from God in
Proleps and notwithstanding he say he cannot beleeve for 1 hee hath foure just causes and encouragements to beleeve 2 He doth indeed truly beleeve though weakely and though hee perceive it not p. 682. Lect. 132. We should all highly esteeme of Christ and hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse labouring above all things to win him and to be found in him p. 683. 1 Motive else our state will bee wofull when extreame affliction and death shall seize upon us Six things to bee distinctly considered in this 1 Motive 1 Certaine it is a change affliction sicknesse and death will come 2 how soone none knowes 3 nor in what kinde and measure p. 684. 4 when it commeth it will awaken the conscience and that being wakened will bring into our remembrance our sins and the judgement wee must goe to 5 If we have not gotten Christ before we are in danger then to bee made uncapable 6 our case will bee most wofull if we be without him then for there 's no hope of mercy or comfort from God without him p. 685. On the other side they that have Christ may be safe and comfortable in any affliction nay never so comfortable as then p. 686. 2 Motive He that hath not Christ can have no sound comfort in his prosperity nor in any of Gods outward blessings for 1 though they be blessings and good things in themselves yet to him they are not He had better be without them they shall doe him no good but much hurt Ibid. For they are none of their owne they have no spirituall sanctified or comfortable title to them p. 687. 2 God hath not given them any thing in love Though these things be fruits of his common love they are no signes of his speciall love And no man can have any sound comfort in the common love of God but in his speciall love onely Ibid. p. 688. On the other side he that is in Christ may have sound comfort even in the outward and common blessings of God for 1 they are his owne and he hath the highest title to them 2 They are good to him and shall doe him good and no hurt p. 688. 3 They are to him pledges of Gods speciall love p. 689. Applic. Great folly and danger of such as preferre worldly things before Christ Ibid. p. 690. Lect. 133. None are fit to receive Christ nor can thirst after him but the poore and such as feele themselves utterly void of all goodnes p. 691. The civill honesty and those morall parts that are in many naturall men are in themselves good things pleasing to God and such as he useth to reward and the reasons of it p. 692 693. Professors should walke honestly and the greatnesse of their sinne that doe not set out in three points p. 694 695. Yet there is no sound comfort to be found in it the Lord is never a whit the better pleased with a man in resepct of salvation for his civill honesty unlesse he be in Christ p. 695 696. Lect. 134. There are sundry good things to be found in many an hypocrite and better things then in any meere naturall man and that in three respects p. 697. There is in many an hypocrite 1 a kinde of love to the Word and the ministery thereof he will heare constantly and with delight hee will commend and professe much love to the teacher so doth not the civill man 2 he will keepe a constant course in praying not ordinary onely but extraordinary so doth not the civill man 3 He is a strict observer of the Sabbath so is not the civill man p. 698. 4 Hee hateth Idolatry and the monuments of it and loveth the sincerity of religion so doth not the civill man 5 He is reformed not only from grosse sinnes but even from the least sins so is not the civill man p. 699. These things are not therefore to bee misliked because they are to bee found in some hypocrites neither may wee despise and scorne any for any of these things for though they be found in many hypocrites yet are they no signes of an hypocrite Ibid. 1 It s a singular good thing to love the Word and he can have no true goodnesse but is in a wofull estate that doth not 2 to keepe a constant course in prayer is a very good thing and such as God will blesse and he can have no true goodnesse in him but is in a wofull state that useth not to pray p. 700. Lect. 135. Though 1 the bodily observation of the Sabbath and such as may bee performed by th' outward mâ—n be nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall 2 The bodily test from our owne workes bee the leaft part even of that the spending of the day in holy duties is a farre greater matter then that p 701 702. yet God is highly pleased with that and hath promised great reward unto it p. 702. and a chiefe cause of common calamities hath beene the neglect even of that p. 703. No man can become poorer by the conscionable keeping of the Sabbath day Ibid. Man receives a greater blessing by the Sabbath then by any other day specially in spirituall things but also in temporall p. 704 705. Lect. 136. We have all cause to praise God for the good lawes have beene made to provide for the better observation of the Sabbath and the hypocrisie and profanesse of the people generally appeares in seeming so zealous for the lawes and neglecting these so much p. 706. Every Minister is bound to reproove sin p. 707. The â— and chiefe thing that belongs to the right observation of the Sabbath is the keeping of the rest and performing the duties of the day cheerefully and spiritually and against this they offend that sleepe ordinarily at Church this sin is worthy of open reproofe p. 708. This is more then a sin of infirmity Foure notes given to discerne a sin of infirmity from a raigning sin p 709. The second duty required in the observation of the Sabbath is to spend the day in religious duties specially publike against this they transgresse that absent themselves from the Church p 710. The third and last thing is that we rest from al our own works on that day against this the profanesse and open contempt of the Sabbath by children and youth is a grosse sin Ibid. God will not endure profannesse and open contempt of religion no not in children yet will he lay this their sin to the charge of Masters and Parents and Governours chiefly p. 711. Lect. 137. It is a good thing and highly pleasing unto God to love the sincerity of Gods worship and to do nothing in that but what he can see warranted by the Word p. 71â— It is also a good thing to â—ate all Idolatry and every thing that belongeth to it and proceeds from it p. 712. It s no signe of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin p 714. Answer to
them that blame professors for their scrupulousnesse in indifferent and lawfull things 1 Oâ—e may see that to bee a sin which another more godly or learned then he cannot see neither should we judge one another for difference in judgement 2 Some good men may be more scrupulous then they ought to be and yet not to be despised 3 No cause we should judge one another for using or not using our liberty in indifferent things p. 715. Though we may hate the sins of professors yet its a dangerous thing to hate them for the goodnesse they professe Many hate professors not for their faults but for their goodnesse and three notes to discerne that by p. 716 717. Lect 138. The state of every hypocrite is most wofull and dangerous neither can he have any sound peace or comfort p. 718. Though in some respects the open profane sinner bee in worse case then he both in this life and in that to come Ibid. yet is the hypocrite also and every thing he does most odious unto God yea in some other respects his case is more wofull both in this life and in that to come then the open profane mans p. 719. It s a good signe in a Christian to doubt and suspect himselfe of hypocrisie Ibid. 1 He that lives in grosse sins and yet maketh a good profession is a grosse and palpable hypocrite p. 720. 2 Much more hee that maketh a good profession for this end chiefly that he may thereby the better hide and cloake his foule sins p 721. 3 He is also an hypocrite that maketh never so good a shew of godlinesse if he deny the power of it if hee obey not and practise what he heares Many of the best professors faile much in this p. 722. Even to our ministery so farre forth as we teach nothing but by good warrant of the Word obedience is due as well as to the ministery of the Prophets and Apostles p. 723 724. Lect. 139. He that lives in any one sinne though hee forsaketh all the rest and whose obedience is not universall is no better then an hypocrite p. 724. Sacriledge is a great sin Ibid. The care to keepe our selves unspotted of every sin is a sure signe of an upright heart p. 726. No hypocrite doth any thing with a good heart but upon some by respect or other p. 727. The true Christian even the poorest and weakest of them doth whatsoever he doth unto the Lord as a service to him his maine intent is to please and approve himselfe to him p. 728. Though he may have some respect to himselfe also in it Ibid. None can please God in any thing he doth unlesse he do it out of love to God neither can any love the Lord aright till hee know Christ is his p. 729. The goodnesse that is in the regenerate doth surpasse that that is in any morall man or hypocrite in three respect Ibid p. 730. Yet can no man have any true comfort in it till he know himselfe to be in Christ p. 730. Lect. 140. No man can be sanctified till he be justified p. 730. The only sure way to get strength against any corruption and obtaine any saving grace is first to get assurance by faith that our sins are pardoned and we reconciled to God in Christ Ibid. 1 faith is th' only inward instrument whereby the Spirit of God sanctifieth the heart p. 731. and th' outward instrument whereby the Spirit worketh sanctification in the heart of man is the preaching not of the law but of the Gospell p. 732. Th' only meanes to worke true mortification of sin is a justifying faith Ibid. Great is the force of faith to subdue and mortifie 1 covetousnesse 2 maliciousnesse 3 slâ—vish feare and 4 hardnesse of heart p. 733 736. Lect. 141. When a man is once by faith assured of Gods love then will he be renewed and become fruitfull in holinesse and righteousnesse and never till then p 737. For 1 faith receiveth Christ and maketh him our owne and they that have Christ must needs have his sanctifying Spirit also 2 Faith exerciseth it selfe in the meditation of Gods love to us in Christ and in apprehending the promises whereby God hath bound himselfe to give us sanctifying grace p. 738 739. Faith is the roâ—te and cause of all true 1 repentance 2 feare of God 3 obedience 4 love to God p. 740 742. It only enables a man 1 to heare well p. 742. 2 to pray well p. 743. Lect. 142. Necessary we should have signes given us in the Word whereby they to whom Christ merits belong may be knowne for many are apt to think they have title to him that have not yea a chiefe thing that keepes many from hungring after Christ is this conceit that he dyed for all men and therefore they shall have benefit by him p. 744. But this is a dangerous delusion for all shall not have benefit by him but few in comparison viz. 1. onely the true Church of Christ and that is but a very little flocke 2 Not all that live within the Church and professe the true religion but a few even of them Ibid. 3 Many that professe the true religion are so far from receiving benefit as they receive much hurt by him p. 745. The reason why so few shall have benefit by Christ is because how sufficient soever Christs death was to save all mankinde yet true beleevers onely shall receive benefit by it all men have not faith but a few onely Ibid. 1 al men by nature unable to beleeve 2 Some for their sins are smitten with a supernaturall inability to beleeve p. 746. It stands us therefore upon to know whether our selves are of that small number Ibid. Christ hath set a marke on his sheepe viz. his holy Spirit whereby themselves may know they are his p. 747. By certaine fruits and effects of the Spirit the faithfull may certainely know they have the spirit of Christ Ibid. Specially if they can finde in themselves true charity Ibid. 748. Lect. 143. Wee must love the persons of all men and expresse it in nine duties p. 748 751. We may pray for the worst even for Idolaters p. 751. We must love our enemies and expresse it in eight duties p. 752 753. This he that hath the Spirit of Christ is able to do Evangelically and that appeares in five things p. 754. We must beare a speciall love to all that feare God though they differ from us in judgement and practise about things indifferent p. 754 766. Lect. 144. He that hath the Spirit of Christ will bee constant in the religion of Christ p. 766. Yet is not all constancy in religion but constancy in the true religion a signe of the Spirit p. 767 True religion is that that 's grounded onely upon the Word Ibid. Every necessary truth in religion is so plainely set downe in the Word as the simplest Christian may clearely understand it p. 768. The testimony God
not againe to drunkennesse in David that sinned never after in adultery in Peter who after he had repented of his Apostacy was the furthest of from falling into that sin againe of any of the Apostles none was more forward resolute and constant ever after then he in professing his love to Christ Acts 1.15 2.14 3.12 4.8.19 tho he had afterward farre stronger tentations to deny Christ then he had at that time when he did it Acts 5.18 40.12.4.6 and now grant this Secondly admit the regenerate cannot fall totally so as he should loose all saving grace to which end are brought usually those places of Scripture as 1 Ioh. 3.9 Whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin that is with the full sway of his soule for his seede remaineth in him Which seed of God and regenerating grace is therefore called immortall 1 Pet. 1.23 and that David when he fell thus fearefully had not lost all grace may seeme to appeare by his prayer Psal. 51.11 Take not thy holy spirit from me Thirdly grant the regenerate cannot fall finally but he shall be restored and renewed againe by repentance so that in this case it might be said of him as David speaketh in another sense Psal. 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand Let all this be granted yet it is possible for the regenerate man for one that unfainedly feareth God to fall fearefully into most grosse sins yea even into the grossest sinnes that can be committed by any man excepting onely the sin against the Holy Ghost See three notable examples and instances of this in three of the most foule sinnes that lightly can be committed 1. Idolatry more grosse idolatry you shall hardly read that ever man was guilty of then that which Solomon fell into 1 King 11 4-8 2. Apostacy Observe all the circumstances of Peters fall into this sinne and you shall finde it was as shamefull as could be Mar. 14.71 3. Persecution And into this Asa fell 2 Chron. 16.10 He was wrath with the Seer and put him in prison for he was in a rage with him because of this thing The reason and ground of this is First in themselves for they have in them the seeds of all sins even of the foulest that can be named They have in them that deadly body the whole body of originall corruption which the Apostle Rom. 7.24 calleth the body of this death And that any of us are kept from any the foulest sin commeth wholly from the free grace of God 2 Cor. 3.5 All our sufficiency is of God Secondly in Satan Who as he hateth the best men most so will he endeavour more to make them fall into grosse sins then any other Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as wheat saith our Saviour of all the Apostles Luk. 22.31 Because he knowes God shall receive more dishonour by the sins of one of them then of many others The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you saith the Apostle Rom. 2.24 Thirdly in the Lord himselfe Who withdraweth his grace from his best children sometimes and leaves them to themselves as he did Hezekiah 2 Chro. 32.31 1. To correct their carelesnesse and carnall security so dealt he with his Church Cant. 5.36 2. To make it evident to themselves and others that the best mans standing in the state of grace is to be ascribed to the mercy and favour of God alone not to any goodnesse that is in themselves It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy saith the Apostle Rom. 9.16 3. To make them examples and grounds of hope to other poore sinners For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suffering for a patterne to them that should hereafter beleeve on him saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.16 4. To keepe them from pride and to worke in them more sound humiliation and so make them more capable of grace and comfort from him Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations there was given to me a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Deut. 8.15 16. Who led thee through that great and terrible wildernesse wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought which were the occasions of their murmurings and rebellions that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end The use of this Doctrine is not to give any man incouragement unto security in any sin or to cause men to thinke thus is it such a matter for a man to slip into sin now and then into adultery or drunkennesse or oppression or revenge in many things we offend all Iames 3.2 the best have had their faults I may be Gods childe for all that For this is to abuse that which the holy Scripture hath reveiled touching the falls of good men All the words of God are wholsome words and the Scripture teacheth no doctrine but that which is according to godlinesse 1 Tim. 6.3 There is nothing written in the Word that gives the least just occasion to incourage or harden a man in sin Nay it is a fearefull signe of reprobation for a man thus to stumble at the Word and to take occasion from thence to fall into any sin as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Pet. 2.8 But the right use of this Doctrine is First to exhort us even the best of us that we would all feare our selves Other mens falls are recorded in Scripture to be examples to us to warne us that we do not the like These things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evill things as they also lusted saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 10.6 and againe verse 11. all these things happened unto them for ensamples and they were written for our admonition which words though they be principally meant of the judgements that fell upon others for sin yet may they also fitly be spoken of the falls of others also that are recorded in the Word that he that thinketh best of his owne standing may take the more heed to himselfe lest he also fall 1 Cor. 10.12 Thus Nehemiah laboured with the Iewes to make them feare themselves Neh. 13.26 Did not Solomon King of Israel sin by these things yet among many nations was there no King like him who was beloved of his God and God made him King over all Israel neverthelesse even him did outlandish women cause to sin If I were a Prophet and could say to any of you thou wilt become a Papist before thou diest and thou an Atheist and thou a scorner and persecutor of all goodnesse you would say to me as Hazael did to the Prophet 2 King 8 1â— But what am I a dog
or am I a divell incarnate that I should prove so vile a wretch But though I be no Prophet to say so yet can I say with as great authority and warrant as though I were a Prophet that there is never a one of us here but may prove such a one before wee die And therefore we have need to feare and suspect our selves If any man shall object this is the manner of all your preaching to disquiet mens mindes with feares and doubts What cause have we thus to feare as long as we are sure we can never fall totally we cannot fall finally Iob. 5.24 He that beleeveth in Christ hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death to life I answer Happy is that soule that upon good ground can say he is sure of this But admit thou wert sure of that is it no cause of feare that thou moist for all this fall into so foule sins as thou hast heard of I tell thee that by falling into such sins First thou shalt greatly dishonour that God whose servant thou professest thy selfe to be and open the mouthes of his enemies to blaspheme his name as Nathan chargeth David to have done 2 Sam. 12.14 Secondly thou shalt greatly grieve thy heavenly father Forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation saith the Lord Psal. 95.10 Thirdly thou shalt make him thine enemy and provoke him to smite and plague thee thou knowest not how deepely They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit therefore was he turned to be their enemy and he sought against them saith the Prophet Esa 63.10 Take David for an instance and example of this The sword shall never depart from thy house because thou hast despised me saith the Lord by Nathan unto him 2 Sam. 12.10 Though thou breake not thy necke with these falls to the losse of thine everlasting life thou maist breake an arme or a leg to thy extreame anguish Fourthly though the seed of God will remaine in thee notwithstanding these sins yet wilt thou loose all the use and comfort of that grace that is in thee Psal. 51.12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation that was gone 1 Thess. 5.19 thus farre forth the spirit may be quenched Fiftly thou maist bring on thyselfe by such fails the intollerable torment of a wounded spirit and who can beare that saith Solomon Pro. 18.14 Sixtly no man can tell thee how long thou maist continue in this uncomfortable and wretched estate Which is a thing that greatly aggravateth thy misery that thou maist say in this case as Psal. 74.9 There is not any that knoweth how long O then we have all great cause to feare these falls and not to be secure but to use all meanes we can to prevent such falls And the principall meanes are these First nourish in thy heart this feare of falling from God feare of sinning against him See how this is oft commended to us as a chiefe meane to keepe us from falling I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me saith the Lord Ier. 32 40. Pro. 28.14 Blessed is the man that feareth alway Phil. 2.12 Worke out your salvation with feare and trembling The want of this even his presumptuous confidence was a chiefe cause of Peters fall Matth. 26.33.35.58 Secondly learne to make conscience even of the least sins Psal. 19.12 13. By the care he had to be cleansed of his secret sins and from every presumptuous sin he was sure he should be free from the great transgression Thirdly neglect no meanes of grace either publique or private but use them conscionably and daily If vision faile either through the Ministers fault or the peoples the people will decay Pro. 29.18 He that would not quench the spirit must not dâ—â—ise prophecyings that is the oft hearing of the Word preached saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.19 20. If we exhort not one another or our selves daily we shall be in danger to be hardned with the deceitfulnesse of sinne as he reacheth 〈◊〉 Heb. 3.13 Fourthly Pray daily to God that he would uphold thee So our Saviour teacheth us to pray daily Mat. 6.13 Lead us not into temptation but pull us by thy mighty arms from the evill one This was Davids prayer Ps. 119.116 11â— â—phold me according to thy word that I may live hold thou me up and I shall be safe The second use is to exhort us to be willing to die whensoever God shall be pleased to call us Sundry other motives there are to perswade us to this as full 2 Cor. 5.6 While we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord we shall never enjoy Christ fully till then Secondly while we live here we shall be subject to many sorrowes and vexations of spirit Every day will bring upon us one evill and occasion of sorrow or another Mat. 6.34 All teares shall never be wiped from our eyes while we live here Rev. 21.4 But this third is a principall that while we live here we are in a continuall possibility and danger of falling from God Till we die we can never be perfectly freed from our corruption nor cease from our owne workes as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.10 As the earthen vessels that were legally polluted could not be purged but by breaking Levit. 11.33 15.12 Till we die we can never be freed from Sathans assaults and tentations The life to come is the onely time of our full redemption Luk. 21.28 And consequently we know not how far we may fall so long as we live Death will free us perfectly from all our sins and corruptions Rom. 6.7 For he that is dead is freed from sin The third use is to exhort us to a care of perseverance to the end and not to content our selves in the good beginnings and proceedings we have hitherto made but to labour to finish our course with joy Act. 20.24 For 1 according to that we are at our end will God judge us When the righteous turneth away from his righteousnesse saith the Lord Ezek. 18.24 and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doth shall he live all his righteousnesse that he hath done shall not be mentioned in his trespasse that he hath trespassed and in his sins that he hath sinned in them shall he die 2. If we fall away we shall be in farre worse case then if we had never begun well 2 Pet. 2 21. It had beene better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnesse then after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them And to that end let us strive to make sure to our selves the truth of our regeneration as the Apostle exhorteth us 2 Pet. 1.10 For they whose hearts are not upright may fall irrecoverably how good shewes soever they make as is evident in those that are compared to the stony ground Mar.
4.16 17. and those of whom the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.4 6. But if thy heart be sound be the measure of grace thou hast received little or much 1 Thou maist be of good comfort For such shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 1.5 Though God visit their transgressions with the rod their iniquities with stripes neverthelesse his loving kindnes he will not utterly take from the nor suffer his faithfulnes to faile his covenant he will not break as he promiseth Ps. 89.32 34. 2. Thou hast great cause to hope thou shalt never fall into scandalous and foule crimes For concerning such falls the faithfull may confidently expostulate with the Lord as David doth Psal. 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soule from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walke before God in the light of the living Thou wilt say But how may a man be sure of this considering that the heart of man is so deceitfull that none can know it as the Prophet speaketh Ier. 17.9 I answer Thou maist be assured of it if the fault be not in thy selfe A man by proving and examining himselfe may know that Christ Iesus is in him except he be one whom God rejecteth and disalloweth as unsound and false hearted as is plaine by that which the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 13.5 And thou maist know this First by making conscience to practise what thou hearest and learnest out of Gods Word He that heareth the Word and practiseth what hee heareth is like to him that buildeth upon a rocke whom no raine nor flouds nor windes can overthrow as our Saviour teacheth us Matth. 7.25 26. Secondly If thou make conscience to do the will of God in one thing aswell as in another If yee do these things saith the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.10 that is seeke for one grace as well as another ye shall never fall Then shall I not be ashamed nor disappointed of my hope saith David Psal. 119.6 when I have respect to all thy commandements The fourth use is to comfort Gods people against their slips and falls This is the childrens bread and belongs not to dogs Mat. 15.26 Say not it is pitty these examples were written for many have stumbled at them I answer that it is better reprobates should stumble at them and perish through presumption then that one of the elect that is dejected in the sense of his sins should have lost the comfort of them and so have perished in despaire When our Saviour was told Matth. 15.12 that the Pharisees were offended at his Doctrine he answereth verse 14. Let them alone as if he should say It is no matter what offence such as they are doe take no truth of God that tends to the edification of his children must bee concealed for their sakes For thy sake that art an humbled sinner were these things written And of these things we may say as the Apostle doth 1 Cor. 9.10 He saith it altogether for our sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written And Rom. 51.4 Whatsoever is written is written for us That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace saith hee Ephes. 2.7 in his kindnesse towards us in Christ Iesus Thy sinnes cannot bee greater then thou hast examples of in Gods elect that found mercy with him Were they before thy calling then hast thou Manasses 2 Chron. 33.9 10. and Mary Magdalen Mar. 16.9 Were they committed after thy calling then hast thou David and Peter So that I may say to every humbled soule as Eliphaz doth unto Iob 15.11 Are the consolations of God small with thee Is it not thy great sin that thou stirrest not up thy heart to take comfort in these examples and presidents of Gods wonderfull mercy that are recorded in the Scripture for thy sake Lecture II. On the Title Psalme 51. October 5. 1625. FOlloweth now to be considered in the Title of this Psalme that David made not this Psalme and repented not of his foule sins but continued in them till Nathan came unto him And when came Nathan unto him It was about a yeare or more after the sin was committed for he came not before David had a childe by Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12.14 and how old the childe then was is not expressed So long he lay like a swine sleeping and snorting in that filthy puddle whereinto he was fallen and could not rise nor recover himselfe by repentance And the Doctrine that we have here to learne is this That no man no not the child of God when he hath sinned is able of himselfe to repent when he is fallen he cannot rise up againe The proofe of this Doctrine you shall see in foure points all to bee observed in this example of David First he continued a great while in his sin and could not leave it till Nathan came to him he repented not When Vriah was dead and his wife had mourned for him did he give over his sin No 2 Sam. 11.27 When a man is once fallen into sinne he can no more rise againe then the least child that is till some body come to helpe him up but is apt to lie still where he fell to continue in his sin he cannot leave it When he is once in he is like the gamster or pot companion he cannot give over nor get out againe It is an easie matter to fall into any sin but to rise againe by repentance and to leave it that is difficult nay impossible for any man by his own strength to do it It is said of Iehu 2 King 10.29 From the sins of Ieroboam that made Israel to sin Iehu departed not And of Menahem another King of Israel 2 King 15.18 He departed not all his dayes from the sins of Ieroboam But these were hypocrites you will say and such as never had any truth of grace in them The case sure is not so hard with Gods child if he through infirmity fall into a sin he will easily recover himself againe No no ye have here in David an example of the contrary And so have ye in Iacobs sons When they had first conspired the death of their brother and then cast him into a pit and then sold him for a slave to the Islamaelites they lay twenty yeares in that sin before we can read any thing of their repentance when they were apprehended for spies in Egipt then came their sin effectually to their remembrance Gen. 42.21 and not before See also the proofe of this in that speech of the Apostle Gal 6.1 Brethren if any man be overtaken in a fault ye which are spirituall restore such a one As if he should say help him up againe he cannot recover himselfe Secondly David after he had fallen into this foule sinne fell in love with it sought to hide and nourish it He would faine have had Vriah to be thought the father of his
bastard 2 Sam. 11.8 David said to Vriah goe downe to thy house and wash thy feet and though no more bee expressed in that verse yet by Vriahs answer verse 11. it appeares well bee said more to him and what his drift was in perswading him to goe home to his house When a man is fallen into any sinne he is so far from repenting of it that he is apt to fall in love with it to nourish and make much of it to hide and cloake it And whence comes that care men have to hide their sin for the most part but from the love they beare to it and unwillingnesse to part with it Iob 20.12 13. Wickednesse is sweet in his mouth he hideth it under his tongue he spareth it and forsaketh it not but keepeth it still in his mouth Thus did Adam and Eve our first parents from whom we have all taken it when they had eaten the forbidden fruit ô how carefull they were to hide and cloake it and maintaine what they had done Gen. 3.12 The man said the woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate and verse 13. And the woman said the serpent beguiled me and I did eate Thirdly David after hee had fallen into this foule sinne grew worse and worse added more sinnes unto it He that before made conscience of the least sinne not onely of presumptuous sinnes but even of secret faults as appeareth by his prayer Psal. 19.12 now he had committed adultery makes no bones of making another man drunke 2 Sam. 11.13 no nor of practising the death of an innocent man and one of his Worthies 2 Sam. 11.15 By sinning especially against our conscience wee make our selves apt to sinne more and more One sinne draweth on another So wee shall see Ier. 41.5 7. When Ishmael had slaine Gedaliah and was flesht with his bloud hee stayed not there but murdered fourescore innocent men that came with offerings and incense to the house of the Lord. Yea Peter after hee had once denied Christ the first deniall brought on a second and the second a third one worse then the other First hee barely denied that hee knew him Matth. 26.70 then hee denied him with an oath Matth. 26.72 after that hee denied him againe both with an oath and fearefull execrations Matth. 26.74 Fourthly David after he had once fallen into this foule sinne became senselesse and impudent in it He that before was so tender hearted that when hee but cut of the skirt of Sauls garment his heart smote him for it 1 Sam. 24.5 now his adultery troubleth him not at all he had no remorse for it till Nathan came unto him nay his heart smote him not at all for murdering of Vriah He was not moved at all neither with the gracious speech nor with the example of Vriah 2 Sam. 11.11 The arke saith he and Israel and Iudah abide in tents and my lord Ioab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields shall I then goe into my house to eate and to drinke and to lie with my wife As thou livest and as thy soule liveth I will not do this thing When report was brought him of Vriahs death his heart smote him not for it he was not moved with it at all 2 Sam. 11.25 Thus shalt thou say unto Ioab let not this thing displease thee for the sword devoureth one as well as another Yea hee grew impudent in his sinne he durst make sundry of his servants privie to his whoredome 2 Sam. 1◠4 He sent messengers and tooke her He was not ashamed to make Ioab a witnesse of his murder 2 Sam. 11.14 He wrote a letter to Ioab about it When a man falls into any grosse sinne he usually groweth senslesse in it and void of shame and remorse for it Three notable examples we have for this The one in Iosephs brethren of whom it is said that after they had committed that heinous crime in conspiring the death of their brother first and then in casting him into a pit they sate downe to eate and drinke Gen. 37.25 The other of the Israelites who when they had committed that grosse Idolatry with the golden calfe they sate downe to eate and to drinke and rose up to play Exod 32.6 The last is of Ionah who when he had fled from the presence of the Lord and the Lord pursued him with a mighty tempest in the sea was altogether senselesse and void of remorse for his sin Ionah 1.5 The mariners were afraid and cryed every man to his God-but Ionah was gone downe to the side of the ship and he lay and was fast a sleepe Yea the Prophet Ieremy speakes of this as the disposition of all that fall into grosse sins Ier. 8.12 Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush The reasons and grounds of this doctrine are principally foure First because repentance is not in any mans power but is a great gift of God Lam. 5.21 Turne thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Secondly it is a naturall effect and fruit of sin to harden the heart Heb. 3.13 Lest any of you saith he be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin and to make men worse and worse Rom. 6.19 As yee have yeelded your members servants to uncleanesse and of iniquity unto iniquity As in any other thing when we are a while practised in it it growes easier unto us and we increase in ability to do so is it in this case Thirdly by committing of sin we give place to the divest Ephes. 4.26.27 and cast our selves into his snare 2 Tim. 2.26 And so give him more power over us then he had before Fourthly God in his just judgement useth to punish sin with hardnes of heart Ioh. 12.40 He hath blinded their eyes and hardned their heart Yea he is wont to punish sin with sin and that not only in the reprobate Rom. 1.24 26 28. but even in his own people Ps. 81.11 12. My people would not hearken unto my voice Israel would none of me so I gave them up unto their owne hearts lusts The use of this Doctrine is first to terrifie us and make us afraid Few are so leud but they count it a miserable thing to die in their sins And so indeed it is spoken of Ioh. 8.24 I said therefore unto you that ye shall di◠in your sinnes if yee beleeve not that I am he ye shall die in your sins The thing that most encourageth men to sinne is this hope that they will repent before they die And indeed if men could be sure of this sin were nothing so much to be feared as it is But this is the mischiefe of it as you have heard in the Doctrine when men are fallen they have no power to rise againe no more then thy staffe that falleth out of thy hand hath Consider therfore for a
and your labour for that which satisfieth not 3. The more we have of them with the more difficulty shall we be saved and goe to heaven Lu. 18.24 How hardly shall they that have righâ—s enter into the kingdome of God Secondly our sins doe not trouble us more then any thing els we count them not our greatest evils or greatest miseries The evill of punishment seemes far more intollerable to us then the evill of sin There be many things that trouble us much more and we can worse beare then our sins A little want a little sicknesse a little trouble in the world disquieteth our hearts much more then ever our sins did And it may be said to every one of us as Elihu speaketh Iob 36.21 Thou hast chosen iniquity rather then affliction Thirdly The greatest part of men count sin no evill no misery at all are never troubled with any of their sins past not afraid to commit any sinne that they are moved unto They can goe away as lightly with their sins as Sampson did with the gates of Gaza Iudges 16.3 Sin is no burden to them at all they are never disquieted in their minds with remembrance of their sins but are fuâ—l of admirable peace peace in life and peace in death Psal. â—3 5 Thou are not in trouble at other men Luke 11.21 The strong man armed keepeth his palace and his goods are in peace Nay none are so merry as they yea their sins make them merry and they are never so jâ—â—and and light hearted as when they have sinned most Ieremy 11.15 When thou dost evill then thou rejoycest Surely the cause of this is worthy to be enquired into these men certainly have diseased and distempered soules and the best way to cure this and every other disease is to find out and remove the cause of it Let mee therefore enquire into the causes of this distemper and to that end demand a question or two of these men First Ioseph was afraid to commit sin though he were strongly tempted unto it and could have done it secretly enough Gen. 39.9 How can I doe this great wicked us and sin against God And it is made a note of a godly man that be feareth an oath Eccles. 9.2 And why art not thou afraid to sin to lye to sweare to be drunke to deceive thy neighbour to commit any sin Secondly Peter was so troubled for his sins that he wept bitterly Mat. 26.75 〈…〉 for 〈◊〉 while that Christ was faine first to appeare to 〈…〉 to take great paines to comfort him Iohnâ—1 â—1 1â— 17. And 〈…〉 here and Psal. 33.4 Minâ— iniquities are as an heavy burden 〈…〉 me to beare And so was the incestuous person 2. Cor. 2.7 ready 〈…〉 up with overmuch sorrow And why art not thou troubled in the mind at all for any of thy sins Why countestâ— thou them no burden at all Thirdly David hath never done crying to God here for the pardon of his sins ver â—â— O Lord blot out my transgessions wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sins and ver 9. Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities And why dost thou never use to cry heartily unto God for the pardon of thy sins nor seeke after it First thou wilt say thou hast no such cause to be troubled as David had thy sins are not so hainous as Davids were thou werr never murderer nor adultery â—â— either thou thankest God This was the cause why the Pharisâ—e when he came to pray made no suit at all for the pardon of his sins they were no trouble to him Lu. 18.11 I thinke thee ô God I am not as other man extertioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican But to this I answer 1. Thou hast cause enough to be troubled for thy sinnes for all that For 1 others of Gods servants have beene greatly troubled for small sins Are thy sins smaller then Iobs were and yet he was marvellously troubled and afflicted in mind for his sins he even abhorred himselfe and repented in dust and ashes as he professeth himselfe Iob 42.6 Are thy sins smaller then those that Paul speaketh of Rom. 7.15 that which I do I allow not for what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I And yet see what a burden even this was to him it made him cry out verse 24. O wretched man that I am Seest thou not daily how heavily many of Gods best servants doe walke how they complaine and cry out some on their death beds some continually almost and what be the sins that trouble them so Are they grosse sins Are they more heinous then thine No no. They are even such as those of Pauls were the very combat betwixt their flesh and spirit they find in themselves puts them to this paine and maketh them to cry as Rebecca Gen. 25.22 If it be so why am I thus In her passion she was ready to say it had beene better for me to have beene barren still And so are many of Gods poore servants in their passion apt to say O it were good for us to observe well this trouble of mind that many of Gods deare ones are subject unto and to be among these mourners Eccl. 7.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning For when we see such examples we should lay them to heart and say to our selves Lord if the sins of such a one be so heavy a burden what will mine be Luk. 23.31 If this be done to the greene tree what shall be done to the dry 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarcely shall be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appeare Secondly as small as thy sinnes seeme to be thou art under the curse of God as well as David was and that is such a burden as no creature can beare Gal. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the booke of the law to doe them And hast not thou then cause to be troubled Hast not thou cause to seeke earnestly for the pardon of thy sinne Wouldst not thou count that malefactor a mad man that being condemned to die should say I have no such need to sue for a pardon as such and such my offence was neither treason nor murder as theirs was I am condemned but for a burglary or for a robbery c. Thirdly thy sins are not smaller thou hast as much nay more cause to be troubled for thy sins then David had For 1. He committed these sins but once the sins that thou standest guilty of thou hast committed oftentimes How oft hast thou blasphemed and beene drunke and uncleane and lyed and deceived thy neighbour I tell thee smaller sinnes being multiplied and oft committed will make as heavy a burden as the heinousest sinne that is but once committed Ier. 5.6 A lion out of the forrest shall slay them because their transgressions are many
throne from the wrath of the Lambe Of the Lambe Why what cause have any to feare the Lambe He is so called in reference to the sacrifice of his body and soule that he offered to his father for the sins of men Iob 1.29 Behold the Lambe of God which taketh away the sins of the world What need men be afraid of the Lambe of God O the more that Christ hath done for sinners the more indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish will be upon every soule that hath despised so great mercy and taken incouragement thereby to sin and hath not been brought unto repentance by it Say thou not then any more my sins shall never trouble me because God is so mercifull and Christ hath died for sinners but rather let the looking upon him whom thou hast pierced cause thee to mourne as one mourneth for his onely sonne and to be in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first-borne as the Prophet saith it shall be with all such as have the spirit and any true knowledge and assurance of Gods mercy Zach. 12.10 There is yet a third cause why men are not troubled for their sinnes noâ— will be disquieted in their minds with the remembrance of them and that is examples they have observed and experience that they have had of Gods mercy in others I have my selfe will many a sinner say knowne many that were worse men then ever I was that never had any trouble of minde for their sinnes in life nor in death in their healths nor in their sicknesse and yet God was mercifull unto them they lived in Gods favour for they lived in credit and were well thought of and well beloved of their neighbours and they dyed in Gods favour for they died most quietly they shewed no feare or unwillingnesse at all to dye and to goe to God but had marvellous peace in their consciences and shewed great comfort in the assurance of their salvation Now for answer to this plea I say in generall as our Saviour doth Mat. 18.7 Woe be to the world because of offences Yea woe be unto the world even because of this offence for thousands have stumbled at it even this that men notoriously wicked have died so peaceably hath hardened infinite numbers in their sins and made them to thinke there is no great danger in them But to answer this plea in particular First This is no good argument such sinners lived in Gods swear because they lived in credit and in the love of their neighbours For 1 the Lord seeth not as man seeth as he telleth Samuel 1 Sam. 16.7 Men are apt to applaud them that live wealthily and merrily whatsoever their life be Psal. 49.18 Men will praise thee when thou dost well to thy selfe But so doth not God For as our Saviour saith Luke 16.15 that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God 2. Men are bound in charity to judge the best 1 Cor. 13.5 Charity thinketh no evill and to be afraid of judging and censuring others Be not many masters controulers or censurers saith the Apostle Iam. 2.3 knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation and to thinke of others according to the profession that they make and that they know by them and not to take upon them to judge their hearts It was no fault in the Apostles that they thought so well of Iudas and suspected themselves as much as him when Christ said one of them should betray him Matth. 26 2â— 3. The man whom wee have knowne to have beene a notorious sinner it may be hath beene foundly humbled for his sinne and shed many a teare for it though we know it not For this may be done in secret Zach. 12.14 Every family apart and their wives apart Secondly this is no good argument such sinners dyed in Gods favour because they died quietly and without all feare and seemed very comfortable and to have great assurance of their salvation For 1. It is possible for most wicked men to die very quietly and without all feare For of most wicked men it is said Psal. 73.4 5. There are no bands in their death they are not in trouble as other men 2. It is possible even for most wicked men to be passing well perswaded of their owne estate and that God is their God Mic. 3.11 Yet will they leane upon the Lord and say is not the Lord among us 3. God doth oft let wicked men scape scot free heere that he may reserve them to greater torment in hell 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto thâ— day of judgement to be punished at that day he will manifest his wrath upon them 4. Though we may not presume to judge of the finall estate of any such man because the worke of God in the conversion of a sinner is oft times secret and wonderfull Ioh. 3.8 The winde bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it commeth and whither it goeth So is every one that is borne of God And God is able to worke saving repentance in them even after they are speechlesse and cannot expresse their repentance unto men Yet is the example fearefull when such as have had many witnesses of their sinnes have had no witnesses of their repentance the example of such is worthy to have a marke set upon it for others to take heed by as in the case of Absoloms death they laid a very great heape of stones upon him 2 Sam. 18.17 For 1 God doth never pardon any mans sins in whom he doth not worke repentance Acts 5.31 Christ gives repentance unto Israel and forgivenesse of sins 2 He first gives men the spirit of bondage before the spirit of adoption Rom. 8.15 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare but the spirit of adoption 3. God useth to worke in those whom he gives repentance unto humiliation proportionable to the measure of their sinnes as we see in the case of Manasses 2 Chron. 33.12 He humbled himselfe greatly And Mary Magdalen wept so that she washed Christs feet with teares Luk 7.38 4 Where sinne hath beene notorious there repentance also should be notorious yea the true penitent will be glad and desirous to have as many witnesses of his repentance as of his sinnes as we see in David heere And in Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercy 5 No judgement of God is so dreadfull as when he punisheth sinners with hardnesse of heart This was the judgement whereby God plagued Pharaoh of whom it is said that God raised him up of purpose that he might shew his power on him Rom. 9.17 Lecture XVIII On Psal. 51.1 2. March 7. 1625. FOlloweth the second use of the former Doctrine and that is for exhortation to perswade and stirre us all up to do as David doth heere even to
go into that dungeon must he be cast whence hee shall never get out till hee have paid the uttermost farthing as our Saviour speaketh in another case Matth. 5.26 With such men hell followed death at the heeles Rev. 6.8 The rich man so soone as he was dead went into the torments of hell Luke 16.22 23. Now how soone or how suddenly death may seaze upon us none of us can tell All men lye not long sicke before they dye nor are sicke at all Eccl. 9.12 Man knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evill net as the birds that are caught in the snare while they are playing and skipping and earing merrily so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly on them In which respect they that have not their sinnes pardoned must needs live in a continuall feare of death whensoever they thinke seriously upon it As the Apostle saith Heb. 2.15 Christ came to deliver them who through feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Whereas the man that hath gotten his pardon need not feare death at all but may die in peace and say with Simeon Luke 2.29 Now Lord lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation Yea may even looke him in the face when he commeth and insult over him as 1 Cor. 15.55 O death where is thy sting Secondly In respect had to the afflictions of this life For 1. Till our sins be pardoned there is no judgement we see or heare of but we have cause to feare it and to live continually in a certaine fearefall expectation of judgement as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 10.27 We have cause to looke for the curse of God in our selves and in our children and in our goods and in our good name in our bodies and in our minds For so hath God threatned by Moses Deut. 28.19 If thou wilt not observe to doe all his commandements and his statutes all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee 2. Till our sins be pardoned every affliction and judgement that doth befall us will be intollerable unto us will vexe and disquiet us so as we can with no patience and comfort beare it Sin is like unto old age that maketh a man so weake as even the grashopper will be a burden unto him as Solomon speaketh Ecclesiast 12.5 Or like a bile upon a mans backe or shoulder that maketh him unable to beare any thing This is the true cause of mens extreame impatience in every affliction not the burden or extreamity of the affliction so much as their owne galled backs the biles and sores that they have upon themselves their owne sins that are unpardoned and unsubdued in them And that which the Apostle speaketh of death 1. Cor. 15.56 the sting of death is sin may be said of every affliction and crosse sin is the only thing that maketh it sting and paine us so much as it doth Whereas on the other side when once we have gotten our pardon 1. We may be secure and void of the slavish feare of Gods judgements before they come As David when he had lifted up the light of his countenance upon him saith Psal. 4.8 I will both lay me downe in peace and sleep and 91.5 6. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terrour by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in darknesse nor for the destruction that wâ—isteth at noone day 2. When judgements and crosses doe come we shall be able to beare them with patience and comfort Prov. 18.14 The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith wee have peace with God And then followeth verse 3. wee glory in tribulations also The third and last motive is from the respect had to the comforts we enjoy and desire to enjoy in this life For 1. Till our sins be pardoned we can have no assurance to obtaine of God any of the good things of this life Esa. 59.2 Your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that he will not heare 2. Till our sins be pardoned we can have no sound comfort in any of these blessings that we doe enjoy for we have them with Gods curse Vnto them that are defiled and unbelieving saith the Apostle Titus 1.15 is nothing pure Pro. 1 32. The prosperitie of fooles shall destroy them 3. Till our sins be pardoned nothing that we doe can please God Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God 4. Till our sins be pardoned there can be no grace nor goodnesse in us Ezek. 36.25 I will sprinkle cleane water upon you and ye shall be cleane from all your filthinesse then followeth verse 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh and verse 27. I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes And these five motives are in themselves effectuall and forcible enough to worke in every one of us a care to seeke and sue for the pardon of our sins and to seeke it earnestly and to seeke it speedily if God shall be pleased to worke with them For that is an undoubted truth confirmed by infinite examples in dayly experience which our Saviour teacheth Iohn 6.44 No man can come to me except my Father draw him And I may say to you as he doth in the next verse 45. Every one therefore that hath heard these things and hath learned of the Father will come to Christ the only purchaser and disposer of Gods pardons to get his pardon And now having finished the motives I come to shew you the meanes how this pardon may be obtained which is the second generall point I propounded for the enforcing of this exhortation And the meanes we must use are principally foure First The man that would obtaine of God the pardon for his sins must first bring his heart to a sense of his sins this is that that prepareth a man and maketh him capable of a pardon Thou that hast lived the civillest life that a man can lead till thou canst bring thy heart to be troubled and pained with feare and heavinesse for thy sins canst have no hope to get thy pardon Christ promiseth refreshing nor indeed calls nor giveth incouragement to any to come to him but onely to such as are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11.28 And he prosesseth that he was sent to proclaime the Lords Iubile and time of generall pardon and release to none but to the broken hearted and mourners Esay 61.1 3. And comparing himselfe to a good shepheard he saith Ezechiel 34.16 his office was to binde up that which is broken and strengthen that which was sicke but to destroy the fat and
all helpe and comfort any way els but only in Christ and so to flye to him to obtaine thy pardon Then mayest thou have good hope that thy sins are pardoned Secondly If a man feele himselfe to be sanctified and changed by the spirit of Christ then may he be sure he is justified and washed from his sins by the bloud of Christ. Where God pardoneth sin there he subdueth and destroyeth the power of it Micah 7.18 19. When he had said Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity he addeth hee will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities Rom. 6.14 Sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under grace When Christ hath once procured for a man the pardon of his sin he turneth the heart quite from it and worketh in him such a change as he becommeth another man Acts 3.26 God hath sent his Sonne to blesse you in turning every one of you from your iniquities See some examples and experiments of this What a marvellous change was wrought in those converts of Ephesus that had used curious arts after God had pardoned their sins they did so hate that sin that they had lived in that they burnt the books that had bin the meanes and instruments of that sin though they came to the value of 15000 pieces of silver which was at the least eight hundred pounds sterling Acts 19.19 So after Peters sin of denying Christ for feare was pardodoned what a change was wrought in him None of all the Apostles so bold in confessing Christ afterwards as he was Acts 2.14.3.12.4.8 So when Pauls sin of hating and persecuting of the Saints was pardoned never did any of Gods servants shew that love to the Saints that hee did See how many hee sends speciall salutations to and in how kind a manner Rom. 16. See in what termes hee expresseth his affections to the Saints oft times Phil. 4.1 My brethren dearely beloved and longed for my joy and Crowne And Philem. 12. He calls Onesimus a poore servant his owne bowells Yea where sinne is pardoned not the outward man onely but the very heart is changed Ezechiel 36.25 27. Then will I sprinckle cleane water upon you and yee shall bee cleane from all your filthinesse A new heart also will I give you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes Thou therefore that art perswaded thy foule sinnes are pardoned try it by this note Is thy heart now quite turned from these sinnes that above all other thou now hatest them most art most afraid of them shunnest the beginnings and occasions of them Yea thou that hast beene the civilest man dost thou find a change wrought in thee a new heart given thee Then thou mayst have a comfortable assurance that thou hast indeed obtained thy pardon Thirdly if a man feele that the knowledge of Gods love in pardoning his sin hath wrought in his heart a true love to God and that the change I told you of proceedeth from his love to God This note thou shalt find given by our Saviour Luke 7.47 Her sinnes which are many are forgiven her for shee loved much This property of a man whose sinnes are pardoned you shall see in David Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplication And what was his supplication Even for pardon of his sinne as you shall see ver 3 4. The sorrowes of death compassed me the paines of bell gat hold on me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord deliver my soule And in Peter whom when Christ would comfort and assure that his sin was pardoned by what note doth he labour to assure him of it Iob. 21 15. Simon thou sonne of Iona lovest thou me more then these For indeed no man can love the Lord and obey him out of love but he that first is perswaded of Gods love to him in the pardon of his sinnes 1 Ioh. 4.10 Herein is love not that we loved God but that hee loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sins Hast thou no love to God to his Word and servants Dost thou all that thou dost in his service out of by-respects Flatter not thy selfe thy sinnes are not pardoned Fourthly If the love that we beare to God for the pardoning of our sinnes can make us unfainedly willing to forgive all men even those that have most wronged us This note is given with great earnestnesse and asseveration by our blessed Saviour not onely in the fift petition Mat. 6.12 but immediately after the end of the whole prayer Mat. 6.14 15. For if yee forgive men your heavenly father will forgive you if ye forgive not men neither will your father forgive you Canst thou not forgive thy greatest enemies Strivest thou not against the motions to revenge and malice Art thou not humbled for them Certainely thy sinnes are not yet pardoned thou art still in thy sinnes An hypocrite can give much and doe many kindnesses to them that never wronged him A man may bestow all his goods to feed the poore and yet not have charity 1 Cor. 13.3 Luke 6.32 33. If you love them that love you and doe good to them that doe good to you what thanke have ye For sinners also do the same But out of love to God to forgive them that have wronged us and love our enemies that argueth a mans sins are pardoned Lecture XIX On Psal. 51.1 2. March 21. 1625. WE have already heard that in these words there were three things principally to be observed 1. That David in the great distresse he was now in flyeth unto God by prayer and seeketh helpe and comfort that way 2. That in this prayer wherein he seeketh helpe and comfort from God he begs nothing but the pardon of his sinnes 3. That the onely ground of his hope to speed well in this prayer and to obtaine the pardon of his sinnes was the knowledge he had of the mercy of God The two first of these wee have already finished it followeth now that we proceed to the third and last of them It is therefore here to be observed 1. That seeking pardon of his sinnes at the hands of God he pleadeth nothing but mercy hopeth to obtaine it no other way maketh that the onely ground of his hope in this suit and cryeth Have mercy on me ô Lord. 2. That the thing that made him hope he should find this mercy with God was nothing he found in himselfe but onely the knowledge he had of the Lords gracious disposition Have mercy upon mee ô God according to thy loving kindnesse according to the multitude of thy tender mercies As if he had said ô Lord there is nothing els to move thee to have mercy upon me but onely thine owne gracious and mercifull disposition 3. Yet had David before his fall done
of the houshold of faith Our heavenly father whom we must follow doth so 1 Tim. 4.10 He is the Saviour the preserver of all men specially of them that beleeve Such of the poore as feare God though they seeke not to us we should seeke out them as Onesiphorus did Paul when he was prisoner at Rome 2 Tim. 1.17 He sought me out diligently and found me For that that is done to the least of these is done to Christ. Matth 25.40 Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it to me And what a comfort may that bee to thee to have releeved Christ And wee may have more assurance of reward in the least kindnesse done to such a one then in all that we doe for other poore Mat. 10.42 The least thing a man giveth to a poore man in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you saith our Saviour he shall in no wise lose his reward And the Apostle saith Heb. 6.9 10. of them that have ministred to the Saints in the name of Saints hee meaneth and yet doe minister that they have better things in them then can be in an hypocrite and such as do accompany salvation Yet though all these things be so the point I propounded remaineth true that the wickednesse of the poore should not cause us to shut up our bowells and be hard-hearted towards them Marke how the Apostle having spoken of sundry faults of the poore 2. Thess. 3. inferreth this exhortation vers 13. But yee brethren be not weary in well doing As if he should have sayd their lewdnesse will weary and dishearten you if you take not heed Let us therefore looke to our pattern Luke 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull How is that verse 35. Hee is mercifull to the unthankefull and to the evill 1. Tim. 4.10 He is the Saviour of all men Their very misery is a sufficient motive to him though there bee no goodnesse in them at all and so should it be unto thee Exod. 23.5 If thou see the Asse of him that hate thee lying under his burden wilt thou cease to helpe him Marke 1. a beast in misery must be relieved much more a man 2. A beast of such a one as hateth Gods people and that must needs be sure a very bad man must be relieved much more the man himselfe Foure things there bee that may perswade thee to it 1. These wretched men are thine owne flesh Esa. 58.7 And it is a foule sin to hide thy selfe from thine owne flesh 2. They may belong to Gods election for ought thou knowest Destroy not him by with-holding thy mercy saith the Apostle Rom. 14.15 for whom Christ dyed 3. Thou respectest not him in thine almes if thou give with a good heart but the Lord. Prov. 19.17 Hee that hath pity on the poore lendeth unto the Lord. 4. Even that thou givest unto these that are most unworthy if thou give it with a good heart shall not loose a reward Eccles. 11.1 Cast thy bread upon the waters be liberall towards all that stand in need for thou shalt find it after many dayes Now for this duty I would I could say to all you as the Apostle did to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 9.12 As touching the ministring to the Saints it is superfluous for me to write unto you for I know the forwardnesse of your mind Certainely it is not superfluous for mee but most needfull to speake unto you of this duty for I know no forwardnesse in any almost unto this duty First it is the sin and shame of our times that many dying in good estate some in very great estate bequeath nothing to the poore though they can then enjoy them no longer These men 1. as they have lived so they dye in open profession of their profane infidelity that they beleeve not that that the Scripture hath spoken of this duty 2. They are spots in our holy profession and cause the Gospel to be evill spoken of as if it were a barren and fruitlesse religion Rom. 2.24 The name of God is blasphemed among the Papists through such men I know they doe better that give in their life time and seldome doe they give well that never give till they dye Yet 1. It is a great increase of sin to give neither living nor dying 2. It becommeth them well that have given most in their life to leave at their death also a testimony behind them of their charity as good Dorcas did Acts 9.39 The widowes that were weeping for her shewed the coates and garments which shee made while she lived and left behind her for the poore Secondly It is the sin and shame of many that live among us that they give nothing to the poore they count it a great priviledge and will plead for it as for their lives to be freed and exempted from this charge And why so forsooth they have it not Looke on their apparell looke on their expences in ale in tobacco in gaming and you shall see no want at all they spend more then two or three of their honest neighbours looke on their proud and stately carriage towards their betters and you would take them to bee gallants and rich men Onely when they should give any thing to the poore then they are bankrupts then they have nothing What shall such as professe themselves to bee Christians and the Children of God count it a priviledge to bee exempted from giving to the poore Certainely a Christian will count it a matter of humbling unto him to have nothing to giue and he will labour hard that he may have something to give according to that Ephe 4.28 Let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Thou workest that thou mayest have to live and to maintaine thy family ô that many of you did so well nay thou workest that thou mayest have to haunt the Ale-house to game to maintaine thy pride and where is the poore man to be found that worketh to that end that hee may have to give unto them that need Thirdly It is the sin and shame of the most that though they give they give not willingly and cheerefully and so lose the comfort and fruit of all that they give Paul biddeth Timothy charge rich men that they would bee ready to distribute willing to communicate 1. Tim. 6.18 and Rom. 12.8 Let him that sheweth mercy doe it with cheerefulnesse 2. Cor. 9 7. God loveth a cheerefull giver For this Paul commended the Macedonians 2. Cor. 8 4. They prayed Paul with much intreaty that he would receive their gift for the poore Saints at Ierusalem Two things there bee that doe discover most men give not willingly 1. It commeth so hardly from them they must bee sessed to so much they are so late and backward in their paiments it
had not knowne sinne effectually for doubtlesse hee did by nature know many sins or to my good and comfort but by the Law The word is a lampe unto our feete and a light unto our pathes as David calleth it Psalme 119.105 It is a glasse that will discover unto us what manner of men wee are Iames 1.23 24. Let us therefore even for this cause desire not onely to live where wee may have this light but to increase also in the knowledge of the Word Let us therfore make this use of the light we live in and use the word as a glasse that we may know our sins better the more light wee have the better we may discerne what is amisse about us It is made the property of a wicked man to hate the Word for this and refuse to come at it because it discovereth to him his sins Iohn 3.20 Every one that doth evill hateth the light neither commeth bee to it lest his deeds should be reproved And on the contrary it is said of every one that hath grace that he loveth the Word the better even for this cause Iohn 3.21 He that doth truth that is practiseth what he knoweth and maketh conscience of his waies commeth to the light that his deeds may be made manifest Secondly He that would be able to confesse his sins unto God aright must observe his own waies well bethink himselfe well before hand or when he doth ought whether it be lawfull or no. He that never mindeth nor regardeth what he doth whether it please God or no how should he ever know his sins or confesse them aright unto God We are therfore oft commanded to set our minds and hearts upon that wee doe Pro. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet Hag. 1.5 Consider your wayes And the godly man is described by this property Pro. 14.15 The prudent looketh well to his going Yea this is spoken of as a speciall mean and help unto repentance Ps. 119.9 Wherwith shall a young man cleanse his way By taking heed thereto according to thy word ver 59. I thought on my wayes and turned my feete unto thy testimonies And on the other side this is made a chiefe cause why men commit many sins and never see them nor are troubled with them that they go rashly on in their waies at all adventures Keri Levit. 26.21 that they never consider what they do Esa. 1.3 that they despise their wayes regard them not as if they should never be called to account for them Pro. 19.16 And yet as light account as thou makest of them know God will reckon with thee for them one day Matt. 12.36 If men would thinke and consider what they do it would either keepe them from doing evill or when they had done amisse they would be able to discerne it and make their peace with God Solomon saith of the wise man Eccl. 2.14 that his eyes are in his head and in your worldly businesses when you buy or sell or do any worke in your calling you will mind that you goe about that you receive no hurt by your carelesnes and want of taking heed O that wee could learne to bee as wise for our soules to mind and set our hearts upon every thing wee doe least wee offend God by it This is required of us not only in our recreations and in the ordinary affaires of our calling but even in the services we doe unto God Take heed how you heare saith our Saviour Luke 8.18 Take heed to thy foote saith Solomon Eccle 5.1 when thou entrest into the house of God As if hee had sayd Marke what thou dost and consider whether thou performe thy service to God as thou shouldest doe and be more ready to heare then to offer the sacrifice of fooles for they consider not that they doe evill As if hee should say this is the cause why most men offer such foolish sacrifices unto God they consider not what they do Thirdly He that would be able to confesse his sins unto God aright must use to take a dayly account of himselfe and of his wayes This examination of our selves wee find oft prescribed in the word as a speciall meanes and helpe to bring us unto true repentance Lamentati 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes and turne againe unto the Lord. Psalme 4.4 Tremble and sinne not examine your owne heart upon your bed And on the other side the neglect of it is mentioned as a chiefe cause and signe of impenitency Ieremy 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done And as this examination of our selves is profitable and necessary so the oftener wee use it the more profitable it will be Three notable benefits wee shall receive by it if wee would accustome our selves to use it every day 1. It would be a good meanes to bridle us and restraine us from sin when wee considered this with our selves this I must account with God and mine owne conscience for before I sleep As the dayly thinking of the generall account wee must one day come to is most effectuall this way as is plaine in that speech of the Apostle 2 Corinth 5.10 11. so would the thought of this particular account wee bring our selves to doe us great good also 2. It would free us from the feare of sudden death which may befall any of us and we would be prepared for it when we suffer no sin to lodge with us all night that we have not repented of Watch yee therefore saith our Saviour Marke 13.35 36. for yee know not when the master of the house commeth lest comming suddenly hee find you sleeping When a man hath made his peace with God he may sleepe quietly he need not feare death Psal. 4 8. I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe 3 By this meanes a man may remember his sins and the circumstances of them much better and so more fully and effectually confesse them unto God Whereas if wee suffer our selves to runne long upon the score wee shall bee apt to forget much and not bee so sensible as when our sins were fresh in memory In this case we may say as Iob. 13.12 though he speaketh it there in another sense our memories are like unto ashes Fourthly Hee that would confesse his sinnes in an effectuall manner unto God must not onely observe and call himselfe to an account for his daily sins which happily will not much affect him but keepe in mind and call oft to remembrance his old sins such as he hath most fouly offended God by in times past that he may renew his repentance for them Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to wrath in the wildernes Thus doth David remember the sins of his youth Psal. 25.7 Fiftly and lastly He that would fully and effectually confesse his sins to God must beg grace and helpe of God to doe it For wee have heard it is a
sin even without words is a more effectuall confession in the sight of God then all the most excellent words in the world without an humble heart Such as was Mary Magdalens of whom it is plaine by Christs answer to her Luke 7.48 He said unto her thy sins are forgiven that she had confessed and complained of her sins yet spake she never a word but wept and sobbed aboundantly verse 38 And on the other side this is that that maketh the confessions the hypocrite doth make of his sins odious unto God yea that maketh the confessions most of us make utterly fruitlesse and uncomfortable unto us that they are verball onely and from the teeth outward our hearts are not at all affected with that we say We declare our iniquities often unto God as David said he would doe Psal. 38.18 but wee leave out the other and I will bee sorry for my sin And what man would not thinke himselfe mocked and scorned by him that had done him wrong and will pretend a desire of reconciliation and confesse the wrong he had done him but without all shew of sorrow for it Fourthly The sincere confession is holy and honest joyned alwayes with an unfeigned hatred of sin and resolution to forsake it The true confessour doth as heartily desire to be disburdened and delivered from the power and dominion of his sins as from the sting and punishment of them Marke this in the confession that good Shecaniah maketh Ezra 10.2 3. Wee have trespassed against our God and taken strange wives now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these strange wives See this also noted by Elihu in the description that he maketh of a true confessour that humbleth himselfe before God Iob 34.31 32. Surely it is meet to bee said unto God I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou mee if I have done iniquity I will doe no more This is also very observable in that antithesis that Solomon maketh Pro. 28.13 The covering of sin and not confessing it is enough he saith to bring Gods curse upon a man he that covereth his sin shall not prosper but the confessing of sin is not enough to obtaine mercy from God hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy And on the other side this doth greatly discover the hypocrisie of most men in the confessions they make of their sins to God 1. They confesse them but they forsake them not they returne with the dog as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2.22 greedily to those very sins which they seemed to loath and cast up Thus did Saul he confesseth his sin against David sundry times and that with teares 1 Sam. 24.16 17. and yet Chap. 26.2 he pursueth him againe as eagerly as ever he did 2. Yea many a man emboldneth himselfe to sin the more freely even by this because he is perswaded that by confessing his sin as the drunkard by his vomiting he shall be eased of all and freed from the burden of his sin This is the confidence that the dissolute Papist putteth in his confession and I would that none did so but they Surely the Lord in his justice doth use to punish an hypocriticall confession of sin this way even by giving men up to sin with more greedinesse after it then they did before See an example of this in Pharaoh Ye read of an ample confession he made of his sin Exod. 9.27 but verse 34. of the same Chapter you shall finde he became worse after that confession then ever he was before he sinned yet more saith the text and hardened his heart he and his servants Fiftly and lastly The sincere confession is filiall and groweth not from slavish feare but from love to God and hope of his mercy He goeth to God in confession of his sin not as the felon to the Iustice who knoweth if he confesse he shall die for it but as the sicke man to the Physitian who by laying open his griefe unto him looketh for health and comfort by it Thus did Daniel in that large confession he maketh Dan. 9.9 To thee O God belongeth mercy and forgivenesse though we have rebelled against thee Thus did Shecaniah Ezr. 10.2 We have transgressed against our God and have taken strange wives yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing So the prodigall though he had so despised and provoked and forsaken his father as he had done yet goeth in this manner and with this affection of heart unto him Luke 15.18 I will arise and goe to my father and will say to him Father I have sinned And indeed it is the spirit of grace onely that maketh us able to supplicate and confesse and humble our selves in a right and kindly manner As you may see Zach. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne On the other side If a man never confesseth his sins but when it is extorted from him by some judgement of God by feare of death and damnation like the traitor that will confesse nothing but upon the racke though he crye never so much out of his sin then as you shall heare some on their death beds doe it is a shrewd signe that it is but counterfeit Thus did Pharaoh as wee have heard Thus did cursed Baalam when he saw the Angell stand before him with a drawne sword Num. 22.34 cry out I have sinned 2. If a man confesse never so much against himselfe and aggravate his sin yet if hee conceive not of God as of his father if he have not hope of mercy his confession is counterfeit So was Cains Gen. 4.13 And so was that of Iudas Mat. 27.4 Lecture XLI On Psalme 51.3 Novemb. 28. 1626. NOw followeth the second part of the verse the thing that moved David thus to confesse his sin to make supplication to God for the pardon of it My sin saith he is ever before me Where we must observe 1. That his sin was ever in his eye hee could not avoid the thinking of it nor put it out of his mind night and day at home and abroad at all times and in all places it was ever before him 2. That it represented it selfe unto him now not as it had done before but in the true proportion in that shape as it troubled disquieted his heart and gave him no rest till he had got further assurance of the pardon of it This he expresseth thus in another place Psal. 38.17 My sorrow is continually before me It was before him as a matter of sorrow And Ps. 38.3 There is no rest in my bones because of my sin And as a thorne in a mans joynt will force him to seeke to some that may get it on t so did his sin here by vexing and disquieting his heart drive him to God to
the truth of this in three degrees First the greatest part of men were never troubled in their mind for any sin in all their lives yea the greatest sinners are of all men least troubled in mind for sin They are not in trouble saith the Psalmist Psal. 73.5 as other men Nay their conscience is so senslesse so fast asleep as nothing will waken it Such thundring Sermons they oft heare as one would think might break the rockiest heart that is and yet they never stirre these men But they are like Iudas who though he heard Christ so speake of his sin as made all his fellowes exceeding sorrowfull Mat. 26.22 though he heard him so particularly apply his speech as he could not choose but understand hee was the man hee meant for our Saviour said Iohn 13.26 Hee it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it and when hee had dipped the sop hee gave it to Iudas And when hee asked Christ as the rest had done Master is it I Christ said unto him Thou hast said Mat. 26.25 Though he had heard Christ with his powerfull voice denounce that fearefull woe against him Mat. 26.24 Woe unto the man by whom the sonne of man is betraied it had beene good for that man if hee had never beene borne Yet did not all this move him one whit but hee became worse and worse after all this Iohn 13 27. After the sop Satan entred into him And alas how many have we that are like to Iudas in this point No sermon will move them nay the Lord oft times layeth such stroakes upon them scourgeth them with such afflictions as one would thinke might pierce the most seared conscience in the world and bring their sins unto remembrance and yet you shall see these men when they are most vexed with paines and diseases in their bodies with troubles and perplexities in their outward estate yet as quiet in their consciences as free from all remorse and trouble of mind for sin yea as confident of Gods love toward them in Christ as the holiest man in the world So God speaketh of Israel Hos. 8.2 3. When they had cast off the thing that is good and for that cause the enemie the Assyrian should pursue them yet even then in that great affliction they should crye unto God My God we know thee Certainely this is the case of many a man no afflictions will awaken their consciences even upon their death beds you shall not be able to perceive that any of their sins doe trouble them but even as Iob speaketh Iob 21.23 they are wholly at ease and quiet that is wonderfully quiet in their conscience The strong armed man keepeth the pallace as our Saviour speaketh Luke 11.21 and all his goods are in peace Secondly Nay many though they can be content in generall to confesse that they and all men are sinners yet can they not discerne any particular sin to charge themselves withall and if any other man should charge them with it they would be ready to justifie themselves as Ephraim did of whom the Prophet speaketh Hos. 12.7 8 who though he were as a false merchant and the ballances of deceit were in his hand he used deceit in his weights and in his measures yet he justifieth himselfe and saith in all my labours and tradiâ—g they shall finde none iniquity in me which is sin As if he had said Though I have done a little wrong sometimes to men in my trading in my weights and measures and shewed my selfe my crafts-master in making my wares seeme better then they were tush that is nothing all of our trade doe so and must doe so or else we could not live tush that is no sin Alas the world is full of such blind wretches as being notorious sinners yet doe secure and blesse themselves in their estate even upon this ground that they know nothing by themselves that deserveth to be counted a sin at least a mortall sin They are Papists in this as in many other point either they have no sin at all or if any none but veniall sins These mens case is notably set forth by the Lord Ier. 2.34 35. In thy skirts is found the bloud of the soules of the poore innocents I have not found it by secret search but upon all these As if he had said Every thing that was about them their garments their houshold-stuffe their faire houses c. were monuments of and carried the print of their oppression see how grosse sinners they were and yet in the next words marke their extreame blindnesse and security yet thou sayest because I am innocent surely his anger shall turne from mee In times of greatest danger they feared nothing out of this conceit that they were so innocent But what followeth Behold I will plead with thee because thou saist I have not sinned Nay thirdly The most men count it a great happinesse to forget their sins and never to thinke of them and therfore they even study the art of oblivion in this point shunning all meanes carefully that might bring their sinnes into their remembrance as Ahab did Micajahs ministery 1 Kings 22.8 and Felix Pauls Acts 24.25 and they greedily hunt after all the meanes they can devise or thinke of that they may put their sinnes out of their thoughts According to that speech of Solomon Ecclesiast 7.4 The heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Now unto these men I have three things to say First If Iob and David and Paul were in a blessed estate then must the case of these men surely be most miserable Their sin as we heard the last day was ever before them came oft into their remembrance troubled their minds much and thou never thinkest of any of thy sins art never troubled with any such matter They counted it a great happinesse to have such friends to heare such ministers as would rouse and waken their sleepy consciences put them in mind of their sins Ps. 141.5 Let the righteous smite me and let him reprove me Yea they prayed to God for this Iob 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin And thou cryest God blesse me from such preachers that should so disquiet my mind Secondly the blindnes and senslesnes of thy conscience is no such benefit as thou imaginest O no it is a fearefull judgement curse of God upon thee for it maketh thee unable to repent it keepeth thee from all comfort and benefit by Christ Ioh. 12.39 40. Therefore they could not beleeve because as Esaias saith he hath blinded their eyes hardned their hearts left they should be converted and I should heale them This is a judgement wherby God punisheth other grievous sins and of all punishments the most fearefull Psal. 81.11 12. My people would not hearken unto my voice Israel would none of mee so I gave them up to the hardnes of their hearts As they did not like to retaine God in their knowledge saith
that is in reputation for wisedome and honour And this must needs be so 1. Because in giving our selves liberty in the least thing that we know God hath forbidden we break the bond cord that should restraine us from any sin namely the conscience of the commandement of the Lord against it If this yoke be once shaken off if once this bond be of no force with us but we grow in the least thing to say as Psal. 2.3 Let us breake their hands asunder and cast their cords from us what can be of force to hold us fast to the Lord or to bind or restraine us from the foulest and grossest sins 2. Because it is the naturall effect of sin specially being wittingly committed to make a man apter to sin to go further in sin Rom. 6.19 You have yeelded your members servants to uncleannes and to iniquity unto iniquity 3. Because God in his just judgement is wont to punish sin by sin to punish mens carelesnes and loosenes and security in smaller sins by leaving them to themselves giving them up to grosser sins 2 Thess. 2.10 11. Because men received not the love of the truth professed it formally but joyed not tooke no comfort in it a common sin God knoweth in these dayes and such as most men count a very small sin if any sin at all for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve a lie For this God giveth men up to popery The surest way then for a man to keepe himselfe from falling into grosse sins is to be afraid of and make conscience of the smallest sins This is plaine in that prayer of David Psal. 19.12 13. Cleanse thou me from secret faults keepe back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me then shall I be upright and I shall be innocent from the great transgression So Iob to preserve himselfe from fornication and adultery made a covenant with his eye and with his thought also bound them to the good abearing Iob 31.1 resolved with himselfe to make conscience of and to abstaine from all wanton lookes and thoughts also and so long as he did so hee was safe enough from falling into those grosse sins On the contrary David giving himselfe liberty in idlenesse and wanton lookes 2. Sam. 11.1 2. was left to himselfe to fall to those foule sins he so much bewaileth and complaineth of in this psalme This is then the first motive to perswade us to make conscience even of the smallest sins because else we shall bee in danger to fall into grosse and most hainous sins The second motive unto it is this that by these small sins we bring our selves into greater danger in some respects then by committing of those that we do account greater For great sins are more easily discerned and felt and repented of and consequently pardoned then these smaller sins are These without great circumspection and watchfulnesse we shall hardly take notice of or be troubled at all for them but go on in them without repentance and consequently without any assurance of the forgivenesse of them In this respect we find that the civill honest and morall man that hath lived unblamably in respct of any grosse sin all his life time is in farre worse case then many a one that hath bin a notorious evil liver as our Saviour telleth the Pharisees Mat. 21.31 Verily I say unto you that the Publicans and the harlots go into the kingdome of God before you The third and last motive is this that hee that giveth liberty to himselfe in the least sin doth not abstaine from the grossest out of conscience towards God because God forbiddeth it and is offended with it but out of some hie respects Thus the Apostle proveth that he that giveth himselfe liberty to offend against any one point of the law though he seeme to keepe all the rest is guilty of all and doth not indeed with any uprightnes of heart keep any one of the commandements of God Iam. 2.10 11. Because he that said do not commit adultery said also do not kill He that said Levit. 24.16 Hee that blasphemeth the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death sweare not great oathes hath said also Matt. 5.34 Sweare not at all He that hath said Levit. 19.17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart hath said also Col. 3.8 Put away anger yeeld not unto please not thy selfe in this that thou art so apt to be angry He that hath said Exo. 20.10 on the Sabbath thou shalt doe no manner of worke hath said also Esay 58.13 Thou mayest not follow thy pleasures on my holy day nor speake thine owne words He that hath said we must use to pray and God will powre out his wrath upon the families that call not on his name Ieremy 10.25 hath said also Iohn 4.24 God is a spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth and Exodus 20.17 The Lord will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine He that hath sayd Esay 1.16 Cease to do evill do nothing that is evill do no hurt to any hath said also in the next verse Esay 1.17 Learne to do well and Matthew 25.30 Cast the unprofitable servant him that hath done no good whose life hath beene no way usefull nor profitable unto others into utter darkenesse and Ephes. 5.16 Redeeme the time make conscience of spending it unfruitfully Lastly He that hath said 1 Pet 1.15 Bee ye holy in all manner of conversation that is in all outward actions and words hath said also Prov. 2.23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence So that if a man make no conscience of his thoughts how vaine wanton malicious worldly they bee that never troubleth him certainly he is not restrained from any wicked speeches or actions out of conscience to Gods commandement but out of some other respects and consequently there is no truth of heart in him One thing there is that our foolsh hearts art apt to object against this exhortation We are apt to thinke that this precisenesse this strictnesse to watch and take heed to our selves that wee offend not in the least thing putteth such a yoke upon a Christians necke as no man is able to beare maketh the life of a Christian a meere drudgery a most painfull and uncomfortable life Wee have an old proverb Qui medicè vivit miserè vivit If a man have so crazy a stomack that if in eating or drinking he swerve never so little from the rules of Physicke or from his ordinary dyet hee will straight be much out of temper surely that mans life must needs be very uncomfortable unto him And so many men thinke it is with them whose consciences are so tender and nice that the least sin will trouble them To this I answer 1. That a Christian life is certainly very painfull to flesh and blood and if we will
Like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that feare him For he knoweth our frame he remembreth that we are dust He will so correct his children as he will not lose the weakest of them either through the continuance or the extreamity of any affliction he layeth upon them Psal. 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest on the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity I will sist the house of Israel saith the Lord Amos 9.9 even as corne is sifted in a sive yet shall not the least graine fall upon the earth Fiftly and lastly The Lord when he hath brought his people into the bryers of affliction leaveth them not there nor forsaketh them but he will be sure to be with them in all their troubles and never sheweth himselfe to be more graciously present with them then when they are in that case I will be with him in trouble saith the Lord Psal 91.15 And how will he be with them 1. To take notice of their wrongs and miseries his eye is then specially upon them to that end Acts 7.34 Psal. 56.8 Psal. 31.7 2. To assist and strengthen them that they may not be overcome of them Psal. 37.24 Esa. 41.10 13 14. 43.2 So as though they may be moved and shaken with their afflictions they shall not greatly be moved Psal. 62.2 2 Cor. 4.9 And though God doe discover their weaknesse to them and they feele themselves ready to faint yet even then he will strengthen them Esa. 40.29 He giveth power to the saint and to them that have no might he increaseth strength Insomuch as they have beene able to say they never felt his strength more in susteining them then when they have felt themselves most weake 2 Cor. 12.10 3. To comfort them in all their distresses and heavinesse Acts 23.11 Mica 7.8 2 Cor. 7.6 Lecture LII On Psal. 51.4 March 20. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the meanes that God in his Word hath directed us to use for the obtaining of this grace to beare the crosse patiently to beare all kinde of affliction patiently and comfortably whensoever God shall be pleased to exercise us by it And those I find to be eight principally First He that would beare trouble and affliction patiently and comfortably when it commeth must oft thinke upon it and expect it and prepare for it before it come Thus did Iob 14.14 All the daies of my warfare for so I render it with Arias Montanus will I wait till my change come He thought of and looked for a change continually Neither did he thus onely in the time of his misery looke for a change and alteration of his estate into the better but when he was in greatest prosperity he lived in continuall expectation of trouble and of a change of his estate as he professeth Iob 3.25 The thing which I greatly feared in come upon me and that which I was afraid of is come unto me Gods people should in the time of their best health thinke oft of death in the time of their greatest peace and prosperity thinke oft of trouble O that they were wise saith the Lord of his people Deut. 32.29 that they would understand this that they would consider their latter end This is an high point of wisdome To this purpose tendeth that counsell of Solomon Eccle. 11.8 If a man live many yeares and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the daies of darknesse the time that he must spend in the grave and in the state of the dead for they shall be many A longer time by farre then he hath spent in this life in which respect we call our grave our long home and therefore it is fit wee should oft thinke of our future estate True it is these thoughts of death and of trouble will breed feare and heavinesse in the hearts of men as you heard they did in Iob 3.25 But the feare and heavinesse that these thoughts breed is very wholsome and profitable for us In which respect Solomon saith Eccl. 7.2 3 4. It is better to go into the house of mourning then to go to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Sorrow is better then laughter this sorrow he meaneth that groweth from the thought of our death for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better And thereupon he inferreth The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning even when his body cannot be with them that mourne for the sicknesse or the death of their friends for the miseries they are subject to through persecution banishment imprisonment warre yet his heart is with them he thinketh oft of them but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Three notable benefits we may receive by thinking oft of our death and of the times of trouble and affliction that we have cause to looke for 1. It would season all our pleasures and earthly contentments so as we should not surfet nor take hurt by them so much as usually we do Our Saviour being at a great feast in Bethany a great feast I say for there was such costly ointment bestowed at it for the anointing of his feet as a pound of it cost above three hundred Romane pence which amounteth to above nine pound seven shillings and sixe pence of our money insomuch as not Iudas onely but the rest of the Disciples were much troubled for to see such wast and superfluity Mat 26.8 Mar. 14.4 5. at this great and sumptuous feast I say our Saviour fell into a meditation and speech of his death and buriall Iob. 12.7 8. to teach us that thoughts of our death thoughts of the troubles and miseries that Christ in his members doth endure thoughts of our owne dangers and of the troubles our selves have cause to looke for are very seasonable even at our greatest feasts In which respect the Prophet noteth this for a great sin in his time Amos 6.6 that at their feasts they drunke wine in bowles and anointed themselves with the chiefe ointments but had no thoughts of the miseries of Gods Church they were not grieved for the affliction of Ioseph This benefit it appeareth Ioseph of Arimathea made of the meditation and remembrance of his death The Sepulcher that our blessed Saviour was buried in was his as you know he had newly made it for himselfe as you may read Matth. 27.60 But where made Ioseph this honourable man his tombe Even in his garden the place of his delight and pleasure and refreshing as you shall find Iohn 19.41 And so had other great men done before him 2 King 21.18 And why in their gardens Surely that when they were taking their pleasure delighting and refreshing themselves they might be put in mind of their death and so kept from exceeding in that kind The second benefit we may receive by thinking oft
of our death and of the change and alteration of our estate that we have cause to looke for is this that it would have great force to restraine from sinne and breed in us a care to please the Lord in all our waies This is plaine in that prayer of Moses Psal. 90.12 Teach us so to number our daies that is to consider how few they are that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome And on the other side Nothing hath more force to corrupt our hearts and lives then the putting out of our mind all thoughts of our death and of the evill day When David discribeth the most wicked man of whom he saith God is not in all his thoughts he is a very Atheist towards God his waies are alwaies grievous he is an oppressour and tyrant towards men Psal. 10.4 5. He giveth this for the reason of it verse 5 6. Thy judgements are farre above out of his sight He never discerneth nor thinketh of any judgements of God that are approaching He hath said in his heart I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity And thus speaketh the Prophet also Amos 6.3 The putting farre away the evill day was the cause why they approached to the seate of violence The third and last benefit we may receive by thinking oft of our change of the evill day and of the troublesome times we have cause to looke for is this that it will make our afflictions and trialls yea death it selfe lesse bitter and terrible unto us it will make us better able with comfort and patience to beare them when they shall come For the suddennesse and unexpectednesse of any judgement maketh it farre more grievous and intollerable then otherwise it would be And so it is oft threatned as a circumstance that doth greatly aggravate Gods judgements upon wicked men Pro. 6.15 His calamity shall come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy And 1 Thess. 5.3 When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them So our Saviour having foretold the destruction of Ierusalem and of the Temple charged his Disciples of whom he did foresee some should live unto that day to take heed Luk. 21.34 that that day came not upon them at unawares Therefore also he so oft foretelleth them of his death and of the heavie times and troubles they were to looke for Matth. 24.25 Behold saith he I have told you before And why did he foretell them Surely that this knowing and thinking of them before might make them the lesse grievous unto them when they should come Iohn 16.4 These things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them And surely this is to be acknowledged as a great mercy of God that he striketh us not suddenly with our deadly stroke but hath given us many warnings he hath threatned us oft and shaken his rod at us fearefully hee hath long given us and doth daily give us so palpable signes of a desolation approaching as every naturall man that hath any braines in his head can take notice of it himselfe and speake of it to others But what is the use that we should make of all these warnings and of all these signes that God giveth us Surely wee should so thinke of the evill times that are at hand that wee may prepare our selves for them and fit our selves to beare them with patience and comfort when they shall come According to the speech of the Holy Ghost Pro. 22.3 A prudent man forseeth the evill and hideth himselfe provideth for his owne safety and comfort in the evill day And how that may be done you shall heare in those seven directions that follow Secondly He that would beare great troubles and afflictions patiently and comfortably when they shall come must before hand labour to weane his heart from the love of all earthly things and inure himselfe to beare patiently those ordinary losses and crosses that he is subject to in them If any man will come after me saith our blessed Saviour Luk. 9.23 and the Text saith he said these words to them all let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow me The denying of our selves and taking up of our daily crosses will make us fit to follow Christ through thick and thin and even to endure the fiery triall for his sake It is good for a man saith the Church in their miserable captivity Lam. 3.27 that he beare the yoke in his youth that he have beene accustomed before great troubles come to beare small crosses to crosse and denie himselfe in his earthly contentments The holy Apostle professeth of himselfe 1 Cor. 15.31 that he did die daily by the daily crosses he did endure and willing forsaking of the comforts of this life he did learne to die and to part with them all willingly And he counselleth Timothy 2 Tim. 2.3 To endure hardnesse as a good souldier of Iesus Christ. Nothing maketh us so unwilling to die or to suffer any thing for Christs sake or to endure any great affliction as the overmuch love that we do beare unto these earthly things Therefore we shall find that our blessed Saviour when hee would prepare his Disciples for those heavie times that should come upon them after his death did beat upon no point so much in all his Sermons as this Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more then me is not worthy of me And Luk. 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also that is love them not lesse then me or carry himselfe not towards them when they prove draw-backs from me as he would doe towards the thing he most hateth he cannot be my Disciple True it is we cannot be without these earthly comforts Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things saith our Saviour Mat. 6.32 The Lord alloweth us the use yea the liberall use of them 1 Tim. 6.17 He giveth us richly all things to enjoy But the love of these things is a deadly enemy to grace specially to this grace of Christian patience The love of money saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 and that which he speaketh of the love of money may be said likewise of the love of any worldly thing as appeareth by comparing with this place that of 1 Iohn 2.15 The love of peace of ease of pleasure of credit of friends of good cheere and good cloathes is the root of all evill which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith fallen quite from religion rather then they would suffer any thing for it If we would therefore make our selves fit either to die willingly or to endure persecution and trouble patiently and comfortably we must take heed of
the Scriptures and bringing the Word unto their remembrance he should be their Comforter 2. And for a conclusion of my speech touching this third meanes of patience let me say to such as are despisers of the Word that have not so much as a Bible in their houses or if they have take no delight in the reading or hearing of it but say unto God in their hearts with the Atheist in Iob 21.14 Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy waies if persecution should come and the sword of the enemy with what patience and comfort will you suffer that have no grounded knowledge out of the Word whether the religion you professe be the truth or no No man can with comfort suffer for the truth that is not certaine it is the truth When Paul prayeth for the Colossians that their hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 he prayeth that God would give them all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledging of the mystery of God He that is fully assured with understanding that that is the truth of God that he suffereth for he may suffer with comfort and none but he Nay I will say more unto you what patience or comfort can such as you that make no more reckoning of the Word have on your death beds whensoever that houre shall come Certainely none at all for as you have heard there is no true patience nor comfort nor hope to be found but in the knowledge of the Scriptures And therefore it is spoken of as the very upshot of the misery of a wicked man Pro. 5.23 He shall die without instruction O they are in a miserable case that die without instruction and alasse how many thousands are miserable this way Let me therefore say to every one of you as Solomon doth Pro. 19.20 Heare counsell and receive instruction that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end If nothing else will cause you to esteeme of the Word yet let this do it that you may die with comfort that you may finish your course with joy Fourthly He that would be able patiently and meekely to beare afflictions and to submit himselfe obediently to the will of God in them must labour to get a true knowledge and sense of his owne sinnes Nothing hath more force to tame the heart of man and to breed patience in it under the crosse then this hath I will beare the indignation of the Lord saith the Church Mic. 7.9 Because I have sinned against him This is also plaine in the order of the three first Beatitudes Mat. 5.3 5. Blessed are the poore in spirit and then blessed are they that mourne and then blessed are the meeke Poverty of spirit sight and sense of sin will cause mourning and humiliation and these two will make us as meek as lambs under the corrections of the Lord. It is the privie pride of our hearts and the having too good a conceit of our selves that is the chiefe cause of all our impatiency and murmuring under the crosses that lye upon us If we knew our sins well and were truly humbled for them we would easily acknowledge that that which we endure is nothing to that that we have deserved at Gods hands we would say with David Psal. 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities And with holy Ezra 10.13 Thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserve It was the sense that David had of his sins that made him thus to cleare the Lord when he so sharply judge and corrected him and to beare it so patiently as we have heard he did Let us all therefore when Gods judgements lie heavie upon us hearken to that counsell which the Church in her extreame affliction from her owne experience doth give us Lam. 3.39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complaine a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our waies and turne againe to the Lord. But some will object This is bad counsell certainely If when the Lord hath cast me downe by any of his judgements I should also cast downe my selfe by calling my sins to remembrance this were the way to bring me to despaire to make me utterly unable to beare any thing to make me to faint and to sinke under mine affliction And from this conceit it groweth that men cannot abide no not upon their death beds that either themselves or their friends should be put in mind of their sins But to these I answer that the sight of sin when it is joyned with true sorrow and humiliation of soule for it is not the way to despaire it is the onely way to bring us unto true comfort He is worthy to be beleeved that said so Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourne for the poverty of their spirits he meaneth for that want of grace and aboundance of corruption they find in themselves for they shall be comforted God that comforteth those that are cast downe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.6 comforted us Let me apply this in a word or two to you al that are now shortly to go to the Lords Table This holy Sacrament is a Feast wherein every Christian soule may receive more sound joy and comfort then by any meanes that God hath given us under heaven besides It is said that at the receiving of the Passeover in Hezekiahs time 2 Chron. 30.25 26. all the congregation rejoyced and there was great joy in Ierusalem And yet that Sacrament was not so effectuall a mean to breed joy and comfort in the hearts of Gods people as ours is It is also said of the noble Eunuch that he found great comfort in the Sacrament of Baptisme Acts 8.39 He went away rejoycing And yet there is not so much comfort to be received by that Sacrament neither as by this This is the Supper of the Lord wherein the Body and Bloud of our blessed Saviour is represented and exhibited by the elements of Bread and Wine creatures that God hath given above all things to strengthen and make glad the heart of man Ps. 104 15. But alasse how few are there that receive any sound comfort by this holy Sacrament or that go away rejoycing from it Would you know the true cause of it Certainely this it is we go not to it with soules humbled and mourning for our sins and how then should we go away comforted from it Christ was anointed and appointed of God to bind up the broken-hearted to comfort such as mourne Esa. 61.2 3. and not such senslesse creatures as we are He biddeth such to come to him as labour and are heavie laden Matth. 11.28 and promiseth to give them rest He never promised to give rest and comfort to such as we are that when we come to him never feele our sinnes to be any burden unto us In time of Popery at this time of the yeare all men held themselves bound in
should be as odious to God as theirs were I answer 1. Many heavy judgments have befallen the infants even of Gods owne people have not many of them bin born naturall fooles or deafe or blind as we see Iohn 9.1 have not many of them beene smitten with many grievous and strange diseases as Davids child was 2 Sam. 12.15 2. The infant of a Christian yea the elect infant is by nature no better then the infant of a Sodomite as we heard out of Ephes. 2.3 3. The sin of those infants that they stood guilty of was the cause why the Lord the righteous judge did thus deale with them Rom. 5.12 And hee hateth sin as much in our infants as in theirs without all respect of persons Psal. 5.5 If any shall say yet these were but temporall judgements that fell upon those infants and doe not prove that any sin that is in infants doth make them odious unto God or doth deserve eternall death Eccle 9.2 I answer 1. That even those temporall judgements are in themselves fruits of the wrath of God and part of that curse that is due to sin Ephe. 5.6 And God even by these judgments upon infants hath reveiled from heaven that his wrath is due unto them Rom. 1.18 2 Vpon infants they are more certaine evidences of his wrath against their sin then upon his people that are in yeares For to them they are sometimes only for triall 1 Pet. 1.6 7. Sometimes onely as chastisements to reforme and better them Ps. 119.67 71. but they cannot be so to infants though I deny not but there may be an evasion for infants out of the cursednes of these judgments 3. It is evident that God hath witnessed his wrath against the sin of infants not only by hating their sin but even their persons also Rom. 9.11.13 And not only by inflicting temporall punishments upon them but even by casting them into hell For of those that perished in Sodom and Gomorrah it is expresly said Iude 7. that they were not onely consumed with fire and brimstone but that they suffered the vengeance of eternall fire And the Apostle proving infants to be sinners by this argument because death raigneth over them Rom 5.14 sheweth plainly he meaneth not a temporall death only but such as he calleth condemnation ver 16. Such as he opposeth to justification verse 16. and to eternall life verse 21. The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are two First Every infant so soone as it is borne standeth guilty of the first sin of Adam in whom saith the Apostle Rom. 5.12 for so is that place to be rendred all have sinned Adam being then not as one particular person but as the common stocke and root of all mankind that that he received by his creation he received not for himselfe alone but for all mankind and that which he lost by his fall he lost not from himselfe alone but from all mankind Therefore is this sin imputed unto all mankind Esa. 43.27 Secondly Every infant hath originally from the very birth and conception a sinfull nature which consisteth in three points 1. They have in them by nature no seeds no inclinations unto any thing that is good indeed I know saith Paul Rom 7.18 that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing 2 Cor. 3.5 We are not sufficient of our selves to thinke any thing as of our selves 2. There is in them a naturall untowardnes unto every thing that is good yea an aversenesse from it and pronesse to shun and dislike it The wicked saith David Ps. 58.3 are estranged from the womb Being alienated saith the Apostle Eph. 4 18. from the life of God 3. and lastly There is in them a naturall pronesse disposition and inclination to every thing that is evill as there is in the youngest whelpe of a Lyon or of a Beare or of a Wolfe unto cruelty or in the very egge of a cockatrice before it bee hatched which is the comparison that the holy Ghost useth Esa. 59.5 And from hence it commeth that the imagination of mans heart as the Lord speaketh Gen. 8.11 is evill from his very youth and that as David speakeh Psal. 58.3 men goe astray so soone as they be borne Now the use that this doctrine serveth unto is First for confutation of the Anabaptist who to maintaine his errour that infants should not bee baptized holdeth with the Pelagians of old 1. that they have no sin 2. that there is no Originall sinne at all 3. that no sinne commeth by nature but it is learneâ— onely by example and imitation of others 4. that all that die in their infancy shall certainely goe to heaven Against these damnable errours you have heard it evidently proved 1 That all infants are sinners and deserve damnation 2. That many infants have bin vessells of wrath and fire-brands of hell 3. That all sin is not learned by example or imitation for what example had Cain to teach him to be an hypocrite in Gods service or to murder his brother but our very nature carrieth us unto it Insomuch as if it were possible to keep children from ever hearing a lye or seeing the practise of any filthinesse or cruelty yet their very nature upon occasion offered would carry them to these sins The second use of this Doctrine is for instruction to teach us what great need there is that infants should be baptized for this maketh greatly for the confirmation of the faith and comfort of their parents for the present and of their owne afterwards that as they are by nature so filthy loathsome in the sight of God so the Lord hath in the blood of Iesus Christ wherof the water in baptisme is a signe and seale provided a laver to wash cleanse them in even the laver of regeneration as the Apostle calleth it Tit. 3.5 yea a fountaine opened as the Prophet calleth it Zac. 13.1 for sin for uncleannes sufficient to clense them from all this filthines and corruption of their nature The third use that this Doctrine serveth unto is both for exhortation humiliation also to perswade us to observe and take notice of the sharpe and heavy judgements that oft light upon little ones yea to take them to heart and to bee much affected with them as with most evident demonstrations of Gods wrath against sin even against the sin of our nature We read of our Saviour that when he was to cure the man that was deafe and had an impediment in his speech Marke 7.34 hee sighed to behold that judgement of God and signe of Gods anger upon man for sinne How much more doth it become us to doe so in this case The Lord in his judgements upon us that are of yeares may have other ends and respects as we heard even now but in those upon infants he can have no other if wee respect the infants themselves and without consideration of Gods covenant but
that contradicteth God and his truth Now if Christians would make use but of these two rules certainely neither Popery nor Pelagianisme would ever deceive them Apply them to the matter we have now in hand and it will bee evident unto us that the doctrine of the Papists touching originall sin is not of God For 1. it giveth too much to man and keepeth him from being so much humbled and dejected in himselfe as hee ought to be 2. It directly opposeth and contradicteth that which the Lord hath expressely spoken in the holy Scriptures See this in three points which they teach touching originall sin First For the nature of originall sin they teach that though we be thereby so fettered and snared yea so wounded and weakened in our nature that wee cannot of our selves without the helpe of Gods grace do any thing that is good yet some ability is left in our nature wee can accept of the helpe of Gods grace when it is offered yea we can desire it also We are say they like the poore man that was travelling towards Iericho Luk 10.30 wee are wounded sore and left halfe dead And though wee have by originall sin lost that righteousnesse and perfection of nature in which man was first created and are now become by nature as prone to sin when occasion is offered and as apt to take hurt by any tentation as tinder or touch-wood is to take fire yet is there not therby any sinfull quality possitively infused into our nature Whereas the spirit of God in the holy Scripture speaketh expressely First That wee are by nature not only wounded and weakened and halfe dead till God quicken us but dead all out even the Elect are so by nature Ephes. 2.1 You hath hee quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins and verse 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath God quickened us Secondly That there is in us by nature no true desire at all to be helped by Gods grace out of this estate Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Iohn 8.44 The last of your father ye will doe And that which our Saviour saith of good wordes may likewise be said of good desires Mitch 12.34 O generation of vipers and certainly such are we all by nature how can yee being evill thinke good things or desire good things Thirdly That there is in us by nature no power nor willingnes to accept of the helpe of Gods grace when it is offered us but an utter aversenesse and unwillingnesse to accept of it yea an hatred unto it That we are apt to say to God even as the poore possessed man for certainly such are wee all by nature also even slaves to the devill 2. Tim. 2.26 Luke 4.34 Let us alone what have wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy us We gain-say and resist the worke of Gods grace in us till God by his mighty power do overcome us Rom. 10.11 All the day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people And Rom. 8.7 The carnall mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Fourthly and lastly That our nature is not onely privatively evill and corrupt deprived of originall righteousnes and apt as tinder is to receive the fire of tentation but possitively evill and hath in it a poisonfull and corrupt quality even the seeds of all sin that cannot choose but worke and bring forth evill thoughts and words and actions Gen 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill not prone onely to bee evill from his youth Yea cap. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill continually Insomuch as wee even the Elect of God are by nature ranke enemies to God and rebells against him You were saith the Apostle Col. 1.21 alienated and enemies in your minds unto him And thus you see how in this first point of their Doctrine concerning originall sin they do plead for man and do directly oppose and contradict the spirit of God But the second and third points are worse then this Secondly They teach that the corruption of our nature the untowardnesse of our heart to that that is good that is no sin no nor the concupiscence and lust that riseth from it the motions unto evill what evill soever it bee that wee feele in our selves are no sins till we consent unto them and obey them till they raigne in us Whereas 1. The spirit of God in the holy Scripture expressely calleth it sin As here in this place Psal. 51.5 I was borne in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive mee And in three chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes that is to say the sixt seventh and eight fourteene times at the least and Heb. 12.1 The sin that doth so easily beset us And shall wee say that that is not properly and indeed a sin which the holy Ghost so often calleth sin Secondly The spirit of God in the holy Scriptures speaketh expressely that our originall corruption is the cause of all actuall sins that the foulest sins that ever men committed come all from this root Every man is tempted saith the Apostle Iames 1.14 when hee is drawne away of his owne lust and entised It is our owne corrupt nature that tempteth us that draweth us away that entiseth us to all sins So also the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 saith all the corruption that is in the world is through lust And may wee not truly and properly call that sin that is the cause of all the foulest sins in the world May wee not well call that an evill tree upon which all this evill fruit doth grow Surely wee may or else our Saviours rule will faile Matth. 12.33 The tree is knowne by his fruit Thirdly The spirit of God in the holy Scripture teacheth us expressely that infants yea infants that are baptized which have no other sin but this originall sin and corruption of nature in them and who never consented to it nor obeyed it in the lusts thereof doe dye Rom. 5 14. Death raigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And therefore it must needs be sin and may be truly and properly so called for sin is the only cause of death and none can dye but those that are sinners either by imputation as Christ was who was made sin for us as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.21 or really and personally as all Adams posterity are Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Fourthly and lastly The spirit of God in the holy Scriptures expressely teacheth us that this concupiscence even in the regenerate these evill motions that rise in us though we consent not unto them though wee resist them are yet a swerving from the
or for any of his judgements then must our originall sin this fountaine of corruption that wee have within us come into our remembrance to further us in our humiliation before God The keeping of fasts is no better then grosse hypocrisie and will but provoke the Lord further against our selves and all wee pray for if our soules bee not humbled and afflicted in us when we fast You know the fearefull sentence of God against such keepers of fasts Levit. 23.29 Whatsoever soule it bee that shall not bee afflicted in that same day hee shall bee cut off from among his people And the more wee can bee humbled in our fasts certainly the more hope we may have to prevaile with God in them He putteth his mouth in the dust saith the Church of an humbled sinner Lam. 3.29 if so bee there may bee hope As if hee had said if any thing will give him hope of mercy that will doe it And because so few keepe fasts with humbled soules even when they make so solemne profession of their humiliation before God and his people therefore see we so little fruit of our fasts now adayes But Gods people have now cause if ever to complaine unto God as they did Psal. 80.4 O Lord God of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people Certainely God seemeth even to bee angry with the prayers of his people Yet must wee not give over our fasts and dayes of humiliation for God calleth us to fasting and prayer now if ever hee did Esay 22.12 But our care must bee to keepe our fasts with more humbled soules then wee have beene heretofore First Wee must be humbled for the tokens of Gods anger that are upon all the Churches and upon our owne land If ones father have spit in his face saith God to Moses Numb 12.14 should he not be ashamed Certainely our heavenly father hath spit upon our faces and disgraced us in the sight of all nations The Lion hath roared saith the Prophet Amos 3.8 who will not feare The Lord threatneth terrible things against this nation such as if we would give our selves leave seriously to think of would make the stoutest heart among us to quake and tremble And surely such as will seeme to keepe fasts and are not in their fasts affected with nor humbled for the judgements of God upon all the Churches especially upon our owne land are no better then gracelesse hipocrites Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction they have made their faces harder then a a rock These are they that the Prophet speaketh of Esa. 29 15 18. Secondly We must be humbled in our fasts for the outragious sinnes that are committed every where specially such as our selves heare and know of When blasphemy was supposed to have beene spoken by Naboth against God and the King a fast was proclaimed in Iezreel for that 1 King 21.9 10. which doubtlesse Iezabel had learned from the example of Gods owne people that had beene wont to do so in such cases And the Apostle blameth the whole Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 5.2 because they had not at all mourned for that foule incest that had beene committed among them What would he have done if so desperate a murder had beene committed there as was here the last weeke Certainely we should all mourne and be humbled for it and be glad we have opportunity to do it with fasting and prayer It is made a note of Gods people whom he will marke for himselfe and take care to provide for in times of common calamity Ezek. 9.4 that they are such as sigh and cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of the place they live in If we cannot be humbled for the sins of the land of the place we live in certainely we can never be humbled aright for any judgements of God that are either presently upon us or threatned against us We read of Nehemiah that when he heard of the great affliction and reproach Gods people were in at Ierusalem Neh. 1.4 He wept and mourned certaine daies and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven But what was the thing that most humbled him in that fast Surely not so much the judgements whereby God shewed himselfe to be angry against Ierusalem as the sins of Ierusalem whereby it had provoked God unto this anger as you may perceive by the confession he maketh of their sins in the sixt and seaventh verses of that Chapter Thirdly We must in our fasts be humbled for our owne sinnes especially Thus is the humiliation of Gods people for sin set forth Ezek 7.16 They shall be on the mountaines as the doves of the valleyes all of them mourning every man for his iniquity And therefore also we ought in our fasts to call back into our remembrance the foulest and grosest of all the sins that ever we committed in our lives though they were done long ago Because the heart will sooner be brought unto remorse and sorrow by the remembrance of these then of smaller sins Remember and forget not saith Moses unto Israel Deut. 9.7 how thou provokest the Lord thy God in the wildernesse He that bringeth not to the fast an heart humbled for his owne sins that hath no sense of the beames that are or have beene in his owne eye as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 7.5 is but an hypocrite in pretending that he is humbled for the sins of the land Fourthly and lastly We must in our fasts be humbled for our originall sinne for the foule corruption of our nature So was David we see heere in this his solemne profession of repentance and humiliation he was humbled not onely for his adultery and murder but for the corruption of his nature also wherein he was conceived and borne yea more for that then for the other for he ascendeth in his confession as we have heard as to an higher step and degree of sin and setteth an Ecce before this Behold I was borne in iniquity c. Thus was Paul humbled even after his regeneration for this corruption of his nature It was no actuall sin no corruption that reigned in him or that he did obey in the lusts thereof that he complaineth so of and prayeth so against 2 Cor. 12.7 8. It was nothing els certainely but the corruption of his nature the motions and strong inclinations he found in himselfe unto some foule evill and this he said put his heart to that paine and anguish as a thorne in the flesh would put a mans body to This was that that made him cry out so of himselfe Rom. 7.24 Owretched man that I am this was that that he calleth his death who shall deliver me from the body of this death And why were David and Paul being in the state of grace and having no actuall sin in them that they had not repented of in whom
spirit of Christ. If any man have not the spirit of Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 8.9 hee is none of his And 1 Iohn 3. 24. hereby wee know hee abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us And this is the second meanes whereby as I told you Paul said hee was delivered from the body of his death and whereby every one of us must seeke to bee delivered from it and from the accusations of our conscience for it by feeling in our selves the worke of Gods spirit subduing the corruption of our nature keeping it from raigning in us mortifying and killing of it in us Rom. 8.2 This is the way to know wee are in Christ and that by his death and the perfect holinesse of our nature in him wee are fully delivered from the guilt and punishment of it if by his spirit wee bee delivered from the dominion of it Hee will subdue our iniquities saith the prophet Micah 7.19 Where God pardoneth sinne hee subdueth it that it shall not raigne any more If thy corruption bee not mortified in thee but have as much strength and vigour in thee as ever it had certainely it is not pardoned thou art not in Christ. This second meanes of our deliverance though it be not so full and perfect as the former yet is it more sensible unto us and wee may better take notice of it then of the former because wee are agents in it our selves They that are Christs saith the Apostle Galat. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts And Rom. 8.13 If yee through the spirit doe mortifie the deeds of the body yee shall live And 1 Iohn 3.3 Hee that hath this hope in him purifieth himselfe And 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit And 1 Pet. 1.22 Yee have purified your soules in obeying the truth through the spirit Wee must cleanse our selves purifie our selves keepe under our corruption that it raigne not in us mortifie and kill it or it will kill and damne us If wee doe not this our selves certainely wee have no part in Christ. Why will you say alas what can we do I answer surely nothing of our selves by nature Rom. 5.6 Yea 2 Cor. 3.5 Nothing till wee bee in Christ. Iohn 15.5 Without me ye can doe nothing Nothing till wee bee acted and led by the spirit of God Wee must through the spirit mortifie the deedes of the body as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 8. â—3 there is no way els to doe it The Popish exercises of mortification consisting in their kind of fastâ—ings and whipping and pilgrimage and wearing of haire cloth next their skin will never worke true mortification in the heart Of them we may say with the Apostle 1 Tim. 48. Bodily exercise profiteth little And Col. 2.23 Though they have a great shew of wisedome and humility and of neglect of the body yet they are of no worth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because they are but will-worship not such exercises of mortification as Gods spirit hath taught us If any man then shall aske what are those meanes and exercises of mortification that Gods spirit hath taught us to use I answer They bee seven principally Lecture LXIIII. On Psalme 51.5 Iuly 17. 1627. FIrst He that desireth to mortifie corruption in himselfe and to keep it from raigning in him must observe and make conscience of the very first stirrings and beginnings of it even in his heart Observe them I say first that so we may know what are the sins we are most inclined unto and then make conscience of them tread upon these eggs of the cockatrice as the Prophet calleth them Esay 59.5 while our heart is hatching of them Keep the heart with all diligence saith the holy Ghost Prov. 4.23 Take heed saith the Apostle Hebr. 3.12 left there bee in any of you an evill heart of unbeliefe to depart from the living God The unbeliefe of the heart the motion and inclination of the heart to depart from God must be taken heed of They that are Christs saith the Apostle Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts The very affections and lusts of the flesh must be crucified This is the way to keep sin from reigning Take heed to your spirit saith the Prophet Mal. 2.15 and let none deale treacherously against the wise of his youth and againe verse 16. Take heed to your spirit that ye deale not treacherously The way for a man to keep himselfe from falling into any actuall sin against God or man is to take heed to his spirit And certainly the man that hath no care to observe his owne evill inclinations and the first workings of corruption in his heart that maketh no conscience of the vanity and wickednesse of his thoughts and affections hath no true desire to mortifie sin in himselfe or to keepe it from reigning in him Secondly He that desireth to mortifie sin in himselfe and to keepe it from reigning must so soone as he spyeth it set himselfe against it as against a mortall enemy that warreth against his soule 1 Pet. 2.11 and be content even to offer violence to himselfe and to his owne nature in it Certainly the corruption of our nature will not be weakened and kept under without putting our selves to much paine without doing violence to our selves This worke of mortification which is the first part of true repentance is compared to the plucking out of our right eye and casting it from us with detestation Matth. 5.29 It is called a sacrificing of our selves Rom. 12.1 And a crucifying of our flesh with the lusts and affections of it Gal. 5.24 All these were most painfull things See this in three particulers First Wee must resist and fight against every corruption wee find not consent not yeeld unto it but maintaine a conflict in our selves against it That I doe I allow not Romans 7.15 The spirit lusteth against the flesh saith the Apostle Galat. 5.17 and thâ—se two bee contrary the one to the other If the spirit bee in us wee shall find him like Iacob in his mothers womb Gen. 25.22 strugling with this Esan And certainly where there is not this resisting of corruption there is no truth of grace and where this conflict is maintained there corruption shall not reigne but will be kept under That which the Apostle saith of Satan himselfe Iam. 4.7 may be also said of this imp of Satan if we can but conscionably resist him we may be sure to overcome him Secondly We must heartily dislike and hate every corruption we discerne in our selves and be angry and displeased with our selves for it What I hate saith Paul Rom. 7.15 that do I. See two notable examples of this holy indignation against themselves The one in Ephraim Ier. 31.19 After I was instructed I smote upon my thigh The other in the Publican Luk. 18.13 who smote himselfe upon his breast As if either of them
directed us unto for the mortifying of our flesh is to take up our crosse that is to beare willingly the afflictions God is pleased to exercise us by A Christian is not bound to desire affliction I have not desired the wofull day thou knowest saith the Prophet Iere. 17.16 But when hee seeth once it is his crosse the crosse that the Lord hath appointed and thinketh fit for him the cup that his father hath given him as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 18.11 then must he even take it up and undergoe it willingly This meanes our Saviour prescribeth Luke 9.23 If any man will come after mee let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse dayly these two goe together There are sundry strange things spoken in the Scripture touching affliction As 1. That Gods people have borne it willingly Lev. 26.41 They shall accept or suffer willingly the punishment of their iniquity 2. That they have professed it was good for them that they were afflicted as David did Psal. 119.71 3. That they should rejoyce when they are abased and made low Iames 1.10 Yea that they should count it all joy exceeding joy when they fall into divers tentations that is afflictions Iames 1.2 4. That they have just cause to doubt their estate if they bee without affliction Hebr. 12.8 If yee bee without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are yee bastards and not sonnes These are strange Paradoxes to flesh and bloud and yet undoubted truths And surely a chiefe reason of all this is because of the great force that affliction hath in Gods children to mortifie their lusts and to subdue sin in them By this shall the iniquity of Iacob bee purged saith the Prophet Esa. 27.9 and this is all the fruit even the taking away of his sinne Hee reapeth no fruit by his affliction profiteth not by it in whom the strength of corruption is not in some measure abated by it Affliction therefore is compared to baptizing and washing that takes away the filth of the soule Marke 10.38 39. to a winnowing that bloweth away the chaffe that is in it Amos 9.9 to fire that refineth and purgeth away the drosse that is in it Zach. 13.9 In a word that which the Apostle speaketh of the shame that is brought upon men by the censures of the Church 1 Cor. 5.5 the same may bee said of that humiliation that God bringeth his servants to by any affliction it is most effectuall to the destruction of the flesh to the mortifying of that sinfulnesse and corruption that is in their hearts If then thou desire to have thy lusts and corruptions mortified thou must bee content to beare afflictions willingly even thine owne crosse When the Apostle had exhorted Gods people to cleanse their hands and purge their hearts that so they might draw neere unto God Iames 4.8 Hee directeth them to this meanes verse 9. suffer affliction mourne and weâ—pe Yea if thou have no afflictions of thine owne it is profitable for thee to communicate in an holy sympathy with the afflictions of others specially of Gods Churches and people and to make them thine owne Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them saith the Apostle Hebr. 13.3 and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body This is that which the holy Ghost teacheth us Eccle. 7.2 It is better to goe into the house of mourning then into the house of feasting Alas wilt thou say I love not to goe to them that are sicke or in any great misery it will make my heart so sad and heavy O but saith the holy Ghost that sadnesse is profitable it is good for thee to have thy heart made heavy sometimes this way Sorrow saith hee verse 3. is better then laughter for by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better Corruption is weakened and destroyed by it And hee that cannot endure any affliction cannot abide to bee sad at any time certainly hath no desire to mortifie sin in himselfe he knoweth not what mortification and consequently not what true repentance meaneth The sixt meanes of Mortification is this He that desireth to have sin mortified in himselfe must be willing to dye and in his heart subscribe to that sentence of the holy Ghost Eccle. 7.1 The day of a mans death is better then the day of his birth No man may impatiently desire death wee may not desire death out of discontentment of mind because wee are weary of the miseries wee are subject unto in this life It was the sin of Moses to pray thus to God Numb 11.15 If thou deals thus with mee kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favour in thy sight and let mee not see my wretchednesse Nay wee may not desire death out of a longing to bee rid of our sins and to bee with Christ absolutely or impatiently but under correction as we say and with a submitting of our wills to the will of God if hee see it good for us Wee like souldiers in the field must bee content to keepe our stations wherein the Lord hath set us till he shall bee pleased to dismisse and call us away Lord now lettest thou thy servant to depart in peace saith good Simeon Luke 2.29 Though Paul knew it were farre better for him to dye then to live as hee professeth Phil. 1.23 yet durst he not desire it absolutly but was in a straight as hee saith and submitteth himselfe wholly to the will of God in it Yet is it not an unlawfull thing for a Christian to desire death in this manner yea it is a good thing and a grace wee should all strive to attaine unto not onely to bee willing to dye when God shall call us but even to desire death also Paul professeth of himselfe that hee did desire to bee dissolved Phil. 1 23. And hee speaketh thus in the name of all the faithfull 2 Cor. 5.2 In this wee grone earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven And verse 6. Knowing that while we are at home in the body wee are absent from the Lord. And though there bee many other reasons which should make Gods people willing to dye which out of my respect to the time I will not now mention yet this is a principall that when death commeth once we shall sinne no more While this life lasteth we shall never give over sinning against God Hee that hath entred into his rest hath ceased from his owne workes saith the Apostle Hebr. 4.10 but till then no man can quite cease from his owne workes but is in continuall danger of falling Nay no man can tell how farre hee may fall and admit that the Elect cannot utterly apostate from God of whom let it bee said that hee hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life Iohn 5.24 Yet may such fall fearefully yea are in continuall danger of falling fearefully
so long as they live How fearefull falls have many of Gods worthies taken in their latter times Davids first wayes are commended 2 Chron 17.3 which implyeth that his last dayes were not so good No no in his latter time hee fell as wee have heard fearefully The like is noted of Solomon 1 Kings 11.4 And of Asa 2 Chron. 16.10.12 And of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.35 For 1. while wee are in this world we are never out of Satans danger For hee is the prince of this world Iohn 14.30 2. That fountaine of corruption that is in our vile natures will never be drawn dry while we live here this root of bitternesse will never be stocked up nor killed there can never be a perfect cure made of that filthy leprosie that is run over our whole nature so long as this life lasteth Therefore are the corruptions of our nature called our members that are upon the earth Col 3 5. and worldly lusts Titus 2.12 because while wee are here upon the earth while wee live in this world we can never be rid of them The Apostle compareth himselfe and the best of Gods servants to earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 And the earthen vessells that were defiled with any legall pollution could not bee sufficiently purged till they were quite broken in pieces as you shall see Levit. 11.33 and 15.12 To teach us that wee can never bee perfectly cleansed from the filthinesse of our nature till we be broken in pieces by death We have a double righteousnes by Christ as we had a double unrighteousnes from Adam the one imputed to our justification and by that wee are already perfectly cleansed from all our sins as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 1.7 the other inherent in our sanctification and that is not yet perfect as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5.49 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners How Not by imputation only for of that hee had spoken verse 18. so by the obedience of one many shall bee made righteous They are not yet but they shall bee When shall they be so Surely after this life is ended As the Apostle calleth the faithfull departed Hebr. 12 2â— The spirits of just men that are made perfect The best mans sanctification is not perfect here the holiest man that is is not perfectly cleansed while hee liveth but hath much filthinesse remaining in him Prov. â—0 9. Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne We may doe much in the worke of mortification by such meanes as I have told you Gâ—â—s spirit in the word hath directed us unto wee may keepe it from reigning in our mortall bodies as the Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 6.12 but so long as these mortall bodies have life in them so long will our sins have life in them Though it raigne not in us as a King so as wee obey it willingly yet it keepeth us in bondage as a tyrant doth his captives and slaves as the Apostle complaineth Rom. 7.23 It brought him into captivity Now when death commeth it and nothing but it will set us free from this bondage Hee that is dead saith the Apostle Rom. 6.7 is freed from sinne Death will free us from all danger and possibility of offending God and falling away from him then may it bee said of our sins as Moses saith of the Aegyptians Exod. 14.13 Yee shall see them againe no more for ever And what child of God is there that would not even in this respect bee willing to dye When Ioseph was in prison though he wanted nothing there but had all at command Gen. 39.22 23. yet see how earnest he was with Pharaohs chiefe Butler to helpe him to his liberty Genes 40.14 Thinke on me when it shall bee well with thee and shew kindnesse I pray thee unto mee and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring mee out of this house I know well there may bee in the dearest of Gods servants an unwillingnesse and feare to dye as there was in Ieremiah Ier 37.20 Our Saviour fore-warning Peter of the manner of his death telleth him Iohn 21.18 he should be carried whither he would not Whereby it appeareth that even in the blessed Martyrs there hath beene some unwillingnesse to dye Though Lots righteous soule was vexed day by day while he lived in Sodom 2 Pet. 2.8 yet ô how he lingred when God would take him from thence Gen. 19.16 Even the Saints of God who while they live in this world this Sodom are dayly vexed and disquieted with their owne corruptions are not so willing to leave this world as they should bee When Cyrus made proclamation for the Iewes that who so would might returne from the land of their captivity it is said Ezra 1.5 none were willing to leave Babylon but those whose spirits God had raised up to goe Though we know this world is as Babylon to us the land of our captivity and bondage yet till God raise up our spirits by his grace we can never be willing to leave it but shall rather be desirous still to serve in this bondage as wee may also see Exodus 14.12 And great reason there is for this 1. Death is a parting of two most deare and inward and ancient friends When David and Ionathan were to depart one from another for a while ô how grievous was their parting 1 Sam. 20 41. But the soule and the body have bin more inward and ancient friends then ever Ionathan and David were no marvell therefore though their parting be painfull and grievous 2. The best of Gods children doe beleeve but in part Though the spirit be ready the flesh is weake as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 26.41 But though there be some unwillingnesse in the best to dye yet they know it is their fault and sin to be so they know they ought to be willing upon this ground even in this their spirit in them lusteth against the flesh as the Apostle speaketh Galat. 5.17 Yea they overcome this unwillingnesse in the end according to that promise Psal. 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace And certainely hee that desireth not that striveth not to be willing to dye even upon this ground because death and nothing but death will perfect the worke of mortification in him hath just cause to suspect that there is no truth of saving grace in him no sense of the vile corruption of his nature it is no bondage unto him Lecture LXVI On Psalme 51.5 August 7. 1629. THe seventh and last Meanes of Mortification is this He that desireth to mortifie and subdue any corruption that is strongest in him must flee to Christ by faith for strength against it he must exercise and make use of his faith for the mortifying of it and he shall find great force in it this way All other meanes we have heard of are in vaine without this and this will do the deed when
knoweth Christ to have dyed for him cannot but cast off and renounce his lusts and corruptions This is that also which the Prophet teacheth Zach. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne aboundantly It is the spirit of grace onely that maketh a man able to know and beleeve aright that his sins pierced Christ that Christ in all that hee suffered had speciall respect unto him nothing but the spirit of grace maketh a man able to looke upon Christ whom he hath pierced to consider it to be moved with admiration and astonishment at this wonderfull love of his But when once the spirit of grace hath made a man to know and beleeve and consider this it must needs affect the heart much and make him mourne for his sins aboundantly it must needs worke in him a loathing of his sins and a resolution to set himselfe against them O that all wee that say wee know and beleeve that Christ loved us and dyed for us would thinke seriously of this Certainely thou that sayest so and findest no force in this assurance to mortifie sin in thee and to strengthen thee against thy corruptions deceivest thine owne soule and hast no true assurance that Christ bare such love to thee as to endure so much for thy sake Hereby wee know that wee know him to bee a propitiation for our sins saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.3 4. if wee keepe his commandements He that saith I know him to bee a propitiation for my sins for that is the knowledge of Christ he speaketh of as appeareth verse 2. and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar and the truth is not in him Hee is a ranke hypocrite and void of all truth of grace how faire a shew soever hee make in the Church of God O fearefull sentence against the most of such as say they have faith And so much shall suffice to have bin spoken of the first reason why true faith must needs mortifie corruption wheresoever it dwelleth it applyeth Christ particularly to every one that hath it The second reason of it is this because true faith joyneth and uniteth us unto Christ. This union that faith maketh betweene us and Christ is indeed mysticall and spirituall Yea this is a great mistery as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 5.32 But though it bee mysticall and supernaturall yet it is most true and reall a most neere and unspeakeable union that faith maketh betweene Christ and every beleeving soule as neere as betweene husband and wife Ephes. 5.23 as betweene the head and the members Ephes. 1.22 23. as betweene the vine and the branches Iohn 15.5 By faith we receive him and make him our owne Iohn 1.12 Nay we feed upon him and make him our owne as the meat we eate which is turned into our substance is made our owne Iohn 6.35 By faith hee dwelleth in us Ephes. 3.17 By faith wee are grafted into him Rom. 11.23 Now if faith do so joyne us unto Christ and make such an union betweene us and him it is not possible but it must needs mortifie and kill sin in us Wee cannot bee thus joyned unto Christ but wee must needs receive vertue and power from him his spirit must needs bee derived from him unto us He that is joyned unto the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.17 is one spirit The law of the spirit of life in Christ Iesus saith the Apostle Rom. 8.2 hath made me free from the law of sin and of death The spirit of Christ must needs free him from the dominion of sinne that is thus by faith united to him And therefore to conclude this second point Certainly that man in whom sin reigneth still in whom the strength of his naturall corruption is not at all abated is not united unto Christ and consequently hath no true faith in him If wee say we have fellowship with him saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 1.6 and walke in darkenes we lye and do not the truth Lecture LXVII on Psalme 51.5 Aug. 14. 1627. THE third and last point which hath beene propounded for the more distinct handling of the last means of mortification is this He that desireth to get strength against any corruption must not content himselfe to have faith but hee must exercise and make use of his faith in this worke The most of us loose much of the benefit and comfort wee might find in our faith because wee doe not make use of it nay the cause why wee find it so weake and feeble to stand us in any stead when wee have most need of it for our comfort is because wee have not beene wont to exercise it and put it into action We have an old proverbe Vse legs and have legs and experience teacheth that the neglect of exercising the body is a great meanes to weaken it much This may every whit as truly bee said of the graces of Gods spirit exercise them by practise and they will increase neglect to exercise them and they will decay in thee To every one that hath saith our Saviour in the parable of the talents Mat. 25.29 that is that by making use of it and imploying it doth shew that hee hath grace more shall bee given and bee shall have aboundance but from him that hath not shall bee taken away even that which hee hath The Apostle commending the Thessalonians saith 1 Thess. 1.3 hee remembred their worke of faith their faith was ever in action ever exercising it selfe And what is the proper worke and act wherein faith exerciseth it selfe Surely in taking hold of the promises that God hath made unto us in Christ in applying them unto our selves and resting upon them Thus must wee exercise our faith if we would have it grow if wee would have the comfort of it The Apostle saith of all the faithfull 2 Cor. 5.7 that they walke by faith In our whole conversation we may and ought to make use of our faith And of himselfe he saith that hee did live by his faith The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God saith he Galat. 2.20 In all the occasions of our life we may and should exercise our faith and we loose a great deale of sweetnesse and comfort because we doe not so But in no occasion of our life can we have more use of our faith then when wee are troubled with any strong corruption which wee would faine overcome and get the mastery of Let us come then to Christ and stirre up our selves to take hold of him and confidently expect and looke for helpe and strength from him against it and wee may bee sure to bee delivered from the dominion of it Through God wee shall doe valiantly saith David Psal. 108.13 for hee it is that shall tread downe our enemies And Phil 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Wee read
words this comfortable sentence verse 18. Wee know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not This wee know and are most certaine of that hee can never fall into that sinne Insomuch as that which the Apostle speaketh of the whole Church of the Iewes Rom. 11.11 may be truly said of every elect child of God Have they stumbled that they should fall that is that they should fall finally and for ever for in the next verse 12. hee granteth they are fallen God forbid saith hee See this also plainly taught us Psal. 15. where the Prophet having described the upright hearted Christian by sundry properties and actions hee concludeth verse 5. Hee that doth these things shall never bee mooved never bee utterly and finally overcome by any tentation And this is that which our Saviour teacheth also Mat. 7.24 25. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock and the raine descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was built upon a rock And that which hee saith of a godly life hee saith Matth. 16.18 of a lively and true faith also Thou art Peter a rocke impregnable whom Satan with all his might shall not be able to overcome though thou shalt fall thou shalt not fall utterly and upon this rocke this faith that thou hast made confession of I will build my Church and the gates of hell all the cunning all the power of Satan shall not prevaile against it If any man shall aske me and why cannot a chosen vessell and true beleever what tentations soever shall assault him perish irrecoverably I answer There bee two pillars that uphold him and make it impossible for him to fall in that manner of which I spake the last day 1. The almighty power of God 2. The unchangeable love of God Both fitly typified by those two pillars we read of 1 Kin 7.21 that were in Solomons Temple which was also it selfe a type of the Church and people of God the one was called Iachin that is to say he will establish the other Boaz in him is strength First Let us begin with Boaz. In the Lord is strength enough to keepe us from falling totally or finally Vpon this pillar our Saviour lyeth this Doctrine Iohn 10.28.29 None of my sheepe shall perish my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand No no man if hee bee once one of Christs sheepe a true beleever no man can plucke him away Vpon this pillar doth Paul ground his confidence 2 Tim. 1.12 I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him against that day Yea upon this pillar hee groundeth the confidence even of the weakest Christian that is having an honest heart Rom. 14. For speaking of one that is weake in the faith verse 1. he saith thus of him verse 4. Yea he shall be held up for God is able to make him stand Now for the second pillar lachin hee will establish The Lord not only hath strength to keepe his people but wee are also sure he will establish them that they shall not perish This pillar God giveth his Church to ground and build upon Esa. 54.10 The mountaines shall depart and the hills bee removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Vpon this pillar doth the Church ground her confidence Esa. 64.5 Behold thou art wroth for wee have sinned in those is continuance and wee shall bee saved And so doth David Psalm 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life And 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Lecture LXXII On Psalme 51.5 Octob. 16. 1627. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the fourth and last point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God is set forth by the Doctrine of originall sin and that is this That the sinfulnesse and corruption of our nature being so great as it is it should doe us no more hurt then it doth And surely this is a thing that wee can never sufficiently admire that wee not onely slipping and falling oft into many actuall sins but having also still in us so vile a nature such a fountaine of corruption that maketh us wee cannot cease from sin any one moment and like the troubled sea that cannot rest it is the Prophets comparison though in another sense Esa. 57.20 is ever casting up some filthy myre and dirt or other to defile our best actions by that wee being such I say the Lord should not loath and abhorre both our selves and every thing that proceedeth from us That the Lord should notwithstanding all this have so gracious respect unto us and to our poore service as he hath this doth notably set forth his admirable goodnesse and mercy towards us This will the better appeare unto us if wee shall distinctly consider these three things 1. What wee and our best actions and performances are 2. What the Lord is in the holinesse of his owne nature 3. What the respect is that the Lord notwithstanding doth shew to us and to the service we do unto him For the first Our flesh and corrupt nature is such as it will not suffer us to doe any one duty in that manner as wee ought This blessed Paul complained of Rom. 7.18 To will is present with mee this was doubtlesse the speech of a regenerate man but how to performe that which is good I find not And that that hee saith of himselfe there hee saith of all the faithfull Galat. 5.17 Yee cannot doe the thing that yee would Nay it doth so palpably corrupt and defile every good thing wee desire to doe as our selves cannot choose if there bee any truth of grace in us but discerne and bee ashamed of it and complaine of it also as the Church doth Esa. 64.6 Wee are all as the uncleane man the leper and all our righteousnesses not one but all are as filthy rags So that when wee have done the best service that ever wee did to God wee have cause to cry God mercy for it and to pray with good Nehemiah 13.22 Lord pardon mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy And if we as blind and senselesse and full of selfe-love as we are can discerne so much filth our selves in them what can the Lord doe Who is greater then our heart as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 3.20 and knoweth all things For the second point The Lord wee know is so infinitely holy that hee cannot abide to looke upon hee cannot but detest all filthinesse and sin Thou art of purer eyes saith the Prophet Hab. 1.13
The seven yeeres wherein Iacob did service to Laban a very hard master seemed to him but a very few dâ—yes saith Moses Genes 29.20 because hee loved Rachel And surely our love to God is no lesse forcible this way if it be true it will make us willing to obey him even in his hardest commandements Of this her love to God it is that the Church speaketh when shee saith Cant. 8.6 Love is strong and irresistable as death And this is that which the Apostle meaneth 1 Iohn 5.3 4. This is the love of God that we keepe his commandements and his commandements are not grievous As if hee had said the love of God will make us carefull to keepe Gods commandements yea it will make those commandements easie to us that are most crosse to our nature they will bee nothing grievous to us if we love the Lord. And thus have I finished the first point I propounded Nothing but faith can so assure us of Gods love to us as may kindle in our hearts a true love to God The second followeth A lively faith is able to do this Faith assureth us of such a love that God hath borne to us so speciall so marvellous a love above that that hee hath done to the greatest part of the world as wee cannot choose but love him againe and love him unfeinedly that is love him for himselfe love him better then any thing else love him so as wee can bee content to goe through thicke and thin to please him Observe the proofe of this in three degrees First There is a marvellous love of God that far surpasseth all other of his loves If you aske me wherin God hath declared this his speciall and marvellous love to his people I answer in giving them his only Son to ransome them from hell and to purchase heaven for them Herein is love saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.10 that God loved us and sent his sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes And Rom. 5.8 God commendeth his love towards us in this that while wee were yet sinners Christ dyed for us This was a marvellous love of God all the fruits of Gods favour that worldlings doe enjoy are but shels and husks in comparison of this Secondly Whereas this love of God is not alike to all men but peculiar to a few in comparison Feare not little flocke saith our Saviour Luke 12.32 Wheras God in sending his son had not such respect to the greatest part of the world I pray not for the world saith Christ. Iohn 17.9 Faith assureth every true beleever that this wonderfull love of God belongeth to him That God in speciall love to him sent his Sonne to doe and endure all that hee did It maketh him able to say with the Apostle Galat. 2.20 Hee loved me and gave himselfe for me And with David Ps. 31.21 Blessed bee the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindnesse He hath made me able to see that this marvellous love of his belongeth to me Thirdly and lastly When the heart of a man is once by faith assured that God hath so loved him as to send his Sonne to dye for him this must needs breed in him a love unfeined unto God and care to please him and proportionable to the assurance wee have of this love of God shall our love to God bee Mary Magdalene because shee knew by faith that Gods love to her had beene so aboundant as to forgive her so many sinnes therefore did shee love Christ aboundantly Luk 7.47 Thus David professeth of himselfe Psal. 116.1 I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications And what was the prayer that he had made for hearing of which hee did so love the Lord He telleth us ver 3.4 The sorrowes of death compassed me and the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the name of the Lord. Hee was in anguish of conscience and feare of damnation and God upon his prayer spake peace to his heart and assured him of his favour in Christ therefore did hee so love the Lord. Therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians 3.17 19. that they might bee rooted and grounded in love to God he meaneth and to men for his sake hee desireth to that end that God would make them able fully to comprehend and know in all the dimensions of it the love of Christ that passeth knowledge As if hee should say If men did well know this love of God to us in Christ they could not choose but be so settled and rooted in love to God as nothing could bee able to draw their hearts from him Lecture LXXXI On Psalme 51.6 Febru 19. 1627. LET us now apply this that wee have heard to our selves And that that I will say for the application of this point shall bee by way of exhortation onely even to stirre up and perswade my selfe and every one of you not to rest contented with the fruits of Gods common and generall love bee not satisfied in thy selfe till thou be assured by faith that God loveth thee with his speciall and particular love that thou art one of the world of Gods Elect whom God so loved that hee gave his onely begotten sonne for thee that thou beleeving in him mightest not perish but have life everlasting as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 3.16 That God so loveth thee that hee spared not his owne sonne but delivered him up for thee as Rom. 8.32 Till thou canst say with Paul Gal. 2.20 Christ Iesus the Sonne of God loved mee and gave himselfe for mee And with Iohn Revel 1.5 Hee loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood Till thou bee assured that God loveth thee with this more then common with this marvellous love nothing should content thee but thou shouldst still cry with David Psal. 17.7 Shew me thy marvellous loving kindnesse make mee able to see and know that thou lovest me with this marvellous love And 106.4 Remember me ô Lord with the favour that thou bearest to thy people ò visit mee with thy salvation To bee beloved of God with that love that hee beareth to strangers or to his hired servants should not content us but that love onely that hee beareth to his owne people to his deare children None of his gifts should satisfie us without his salvation those good things that accompany salvation but wee should still cry ô visit mee with thy salvation as if hee had sayd give mee a comfortable sense and assurance of that It is said of the faithfull Bereans Acts 17.11 that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better borne and bred more noble then others And as those that are nobly borne aspire after higher estates and conditions of life then other men doe they scorne to live upon a base and mechanicall trade So saith our Saviour Matth. 6.31 33. that all wee that are his Disciples should doe After all these things saith hee
us saith Paul Rom. 8.31 who can bee against us To hurt us hee meaneth The Lord is my light and my salvation saith David Psalme 27.1 whom shall I feare And 49.5 Wherefore should I feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquitie of my heeles shall compasse mee about Why David what maketh thee so secure in the midst of danger Hee telleth you verse 15. God will redeeme my soule from the power of the grave for hee shall receive mee On the other side hee that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ must needes bee vexed with continuall feares feare of death and feare of troubles It is Christ only saith the Apostle Heb. 2.15 that delivereth them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Thirdly This bringeth with it unto us all good things Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse saith our Saviour Matth. 6.33 As if he had said Make your salvation sure make this sure unto your selves that God is reconciled unto you that you are in his favour and all these things shall be added unto you O that men could beleeve Christ in this that this is the best way to be certaine of all earthly comforts so farre as they shall bee good for us He that spared not his own son saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Yea this sweetneth all Gods blessings to us and giveth a pleasant relish unto them when we can tast in them Gods love unto us in Christ. When Iob speaketh Iob 29.1 7. of the comfort he tooke in all Gods blessings in the time of his prosperity in his children and riches in that honour and esteeme God gave him among all men he giveth this for the reason of it verse 3. His candle his light the comfortable assurance of his savour shined upon my head Yea this will not onely susteine and keepe us from fainting in times of common trouble and calamity as Iob saith there Iob 29.3 By his light I walked through darknesse While the light of his countenance shined upon me I could walke cheerefully in the darkest and saddest times But it will also sweeten the bitterest afflictions that can befall our selves in particular when we know they are but the chastisements of our father that loveth us dearely though hee thus correct us The cup which my father hath given me saith our Saviour Iohn 18.11 shall I not drinke it All hope of deliverance and comfort in danger and distresse groweth from the assurance of Gods favour Vpon this David grounded his hope Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule c. Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance To this he ascribeth all the deliverances the Church had received from the Lords right hand Psalme 44.3 They got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them The sting of death saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 and if of death then of all other afflictions sure is sin and if the sting of them be once gone certainely there can be no deadly paine in them And thus Christ comforteth a poore man that was sicke of a dead palsy a disease that dulleth the spirits and maketh the heart as heavie as any disease can Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee On the other side he that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ what comfort can hee have in life or in death in prosperity or in adversity specially if God shall be pleased to awaken his conscience What sweetnesse can a man find in all his wealth or pleasure or good cheere when it hath this bitter tang and loose with it that his heart shall say to him I may be a vessell of wrath for all that Alas Cain had as much as all this commeth to and Esau and Dives who are all now firebrands in hell Must not the joy that all such men seeme to take in their prosperity be such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 5.12 in the face onely and not in the heart And if this be their condition in their greatest prosperity then what comfort can they have in their affliction and in their death thinke you What is the hope of the hypocrite saith Iob 27.8 though he hath gained when God taketh away his soule Fourthly If we were once assured of Gods speciall love to us in Christ this would make us yeeld obedience unto God and do his service not grudgingly or as of necessity but as out of love and willingly and cheerefully For a good man a bountifull a kind man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to die And if the goodnesse and bounty of a man have such force with us that we thinke we can never do too much for him will not the assurance of this marvellous bounty and goodnesse of God to us in Christ make us to say with David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me what might I doe to please and honour him that hath so dearely loved me This will make us pray with boldnesse and zeale O God thou art my God saith David Psal. 63.1 early will I seeke thee When our Saviour taught his Disciples and in them us all to pray Matth. 6.9 he biddeth us begin thus Our father which art in heaven Till our hearts doe thus conceive of God that he is our father that he loveth us with a fatherly love we can never pray aright We may say a prayer and that is all that the most of us doe but we can never pray with our hearts till then Therefore also the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8.15 16. that the spirit that maketh us able to cry in our prayers unto God that is to pray fervently and earnestly is the spirit of adoption that spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that wee are the sonnes and daughters of God that assureth us God is our father and maketh us able to call him father yea to cry to him Abba father And as this will make us able to pray with comfort so will this also make us able to heare and reade and meditate in the Word with cheerefullnesse and a good appetite As new borne babes saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. desire the sincere milke of the Word if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious This will make us keepe the Sabbaths even whole Sabbaths without wearisomenesse Yee shall keepe every man my Sabbaths saith the Lord Levit. 19.3 Why so What may move us to doe this willingly and cheerefully I am the Lord your God saith he In a word this will make us walke cheerefully in every duty of obedience in every way of
then dead men Such a one was Paul who though before his conversion he had lived most civilly and his life touching the righteousnesse which is in the law had beene blamelesse as himselfe speaketh Phil. 3.6 yet was he before his conversion but a dead man For you shall find hee putteth himselfe in that number Even when we were dead in sinnes saith he Ephes. 2.5 Of all men you see it is said that they are by nature not onely halfe dead as the man that went from Ierusalem to Iericho and fell among theeves as Luk 10.30 but stark dead And therefore the worke of our conversion is called by the Holy Ghost not the healing of a wounded man or the curing of a sicke man but the giving of life unto and raising up of a dead man God when wee were dead in sinnes hath quickned us and hath raised us up saith the Apostle Ephes. 2.5 6. It was certainely a mighty worke of Christ when upon his saying to the Leper Matth. 8.3 Bee thou cleane immediatly his Leprosie was cleansed But it was a farre mightier worke of Christ when upon his saying unto Iairus daughter Matth. 5.41 42. Damsell I say unto thee arise straightway the damsell arose and walked And such a mighty worke of Christ as this is the conversion of every man To every soule before it can be converted the Lord by his mighty voice saith as you read Ephes. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest that is to say the sleepe of death Psalme 13.3 and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God saith our Saviour Iohn 5.25 and they that heare shall live Certainely we are all by nature dead in trespasses and sins and our conversion is a reviving and raising up of one that was dead and if a dead man hath any power at all to further his owne resurrection then may it bee granted that there is in a man by nature some power to further the worke of his owne conversion but not els I know well what is objected against this reason that there can bee no strength in it 1. Because it is taken from such sayings of the Holy Ghost as are not proper but similitudes onely figurative and borrowed speeches and that from similitudes nothing can bee taught or concluded demonstratively 2. That the meaning of the Holy Ghost in these speeches cannot be to teach that the naturall man is in all respects like unto a dead man because it is evident every naturall man hath some life left in him But unto this I answer First That the similitudes and borrowed speeches that the Holy Ghost useth in the holy Scriptures are profitable to teach and to convince also As the Apostle speaketh of the whole Scripture 2 Tim. 3.16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for convincing too Yea and doctrine may be as substantially confirmed and any errour as strongly improved and convinced by those places of holy Scripture as are set downe in similitudes and borrowed speeches as by any other so that those similitudes be not strained beyond the scope and intent of the Holy Ghost in using and applying of them yea the doctrine of salvation is more clearely and convincingly taught unto the faithfull in sundry of the Scripture similitudes and parables then in any other place Therefore the Lord speaketh of this as of a great favour and mercy vouchsafed unto his Church that he hath in his Word taught us by similitudes I have also spoken by the Prophets saith hee Hos. 12.10 and I have multiplied visions and used similitudes by the ministery of the Prophets He taught them many things by parables and said unto them in his doctrine saith the Evangelist of our Saviour Mar. 4.2 He used similitudes and parables much in his ministery and hee taught them doctrine by parables And when he had taught Nicodemus this very doctrine that we have now in hand Ioh. 3.3 the doctrine of the conversion of a man the necessity of it and the manner of it by a similitude and figurative speech borrowed from our naturall generation a similitude which men now a daies can as ill abide should be pressed in the handling of this doctrine as they can this of a naturall mans being dead in trespasses and sins hee sharply reproveth him ver 12. for his blockishnesse and frowardnesse in not understanding and beleeving this truth that was taught him in so plaine a manner and by so familiar a similitude If I have told you earthly things that is this heavenly and necessary Doctrine in an earthly manner by an earthly similitude and ye beleeve not how shall ye beleeve if I tell of heavenly things If I should teach you in a more heavenly manner And surely I am afraid Christ will bee as angry with many now a daies as he was then with Nicodemus that will not beleeve man is by nature utterly void of freedome of will to further the work of God in his conversion though the Lord have so often taught it us in his Word in this earthly manner by these plaine and sensible comparisons and said that we were all by nature dead in trespasses and sinnes that our conversion is a regeneration a new creation a resurrection from the dead yet they will not beleeve it Secondly Whereas they say that the naturall man is not in all respects like unto the dead man for it is evident there is some life left in him I answer That he hath indeed some life The very light of nature which every man hath is a kind of life And so the Evangelist speaketh Iohn 1.4 In him was life and that life was the light of men The Ability that the naturall man hath to doe sundry things that are morally good the Gentiles doe by nature the things contained in the law saith the Apostle Romanes 2.14 argueth there is some life in him A naturall life I confesse he hath as well in his soule as in his body whereby he is able to live unto himselfe and unto men but spirituall life whereby he might live unto God he hath none at all In respect of any ability is in him to further his owne conversion of any ability to do or think or desire any thing that is truly good and pleasing unto God of any freedome of will to accept of Gods grace in Christ when it is offered to him in the Gospell in respect of this spirituall life I say he is starke dead Hee is utterly alienated from the life of God as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.18 For every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill continually as the Lord speaketh Gen. 6.5 No man hath any jot of spirituall life in him till he be regenerated till Christ dwell in his heart by faith The life which I now live in the flesh saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 I live by the
mercy of God towards thy selfe That the dew of Gods grace should fall upon thy heart as the materiall dew did upon Gideons fleece Iudges 6.37 and the ground that is round about thee should be dry not one drop of this dew upon it is not this a wonderfull mercy O consider it and admire it and say with the Apostle Iude Iohn 14.22 Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy selfe to us and not to the world Lord how is it that thou shouldst give thy grace unto me and deny it unto so many that were every whit as good as I nay better farre then I better in state and calling better in capacity and understanding nay better in life more unblameable more civill free from sundry grosse sinnes that I was given unto Take notice of this mercy of God thou that hast received it and rejoyce in it and be thankefull for it But take heed thou be not puft up by it so to thinke better to thy selfe for it as to despise others to whom God hath not yet bin so mercifull this way as he hath bin to thee But say oft to thy soule as the Apostle doth to them 1 Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why gloriest thou Remember what use David made of the difference God had made betweene him and Saul 2 Sam. 6.22 I will be more vile then thus and will be base in mine owne sight And we shall see great reason for it if we consider well what our Saviour saith Luke 12 48. Vnto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required Lecture CVII On Psalme 51.6 Ianuary 6. 1628. WEE have already heard that these words doe containe the fourth and last argument whereby David doth aggravate and set forth the hainousnesse of his foule sinnes taken from the consideration of that truth of grace and saving knowledge God had wrought in him before he fell thus fearefully And that there are three principall things to be observed in them 1. The description that David maketh here of his owne true conversion and regeneration In the hidden part hee had knowne wisedome 2. The author and worker of this his conversion that is to say The Lord himselfe In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. Lastly The end and purpose that David had in mentioning here his conversion that truth of grace and saving knowledge that was in him before his fall that is to say To aggravate and increase his sin by the consideration of it The two former of these points wee have already finished it followeth now that we proceed unto the third and last of them From this then that David doth here aggravate his sins from this consideration that he was a reâ—enerate man he had truth of grace and saving knowledge in him before he fell into these sins we learne That the sinnes that a man committeth that is truly regenerate are in sundry respects much more hainous and dangerous then the same sinnes committed by another man In sundry respects I say but not in all respects This Caution I must needes give you for the opening and explaination of the Doctrine before I come to the confirmation of it And in handling this Caution I must bee something large both because it is a point that may bee of great use unto you and because I have not handled it before nor know when I may have hereafter so fit opportunity to speake of it as in the handling of this Doctrine that cannot be well understood without it You must therefore know that the sins of a regenerate man are not in all respects nor indeed can be either so hainous in themselves or so dangerous to him that committeth them as the sins of the unregenerate are or may be First They are not so hainous in themselves and that in these two respects First There is one hainous sin that no regenerate Elect child of God can possibly fall into He cannot commit the sin against the holy Ghost as hee that is unregenerate may doe There is a sin unto death saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.16 by which he meaneth not that there is a sin that deserveth death for so every sinne doth but a sin which whosoever falleth into and committeth he must needs dye and perish everlastingly and he addeth verse 18. We know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not that is doth never commit that sin the sin unto death Secondly Those hainous sins that it is possible for a man that is truly regenerate to fall into yet even in them it is not possible for him to sin so hainously as many an unregenerate man doth and as every unregenerate man may doe He may indeed fall into such sins as are for the matter and substance of the fact every whit as hainous as any other mans sin can be Davids and Peters examples prove that to be too true But he cannot commit them so hainously that is in so hainous a manner as the other doth Their spot saith Moses speaking of the rebellious Iewes Deut. 32.5 is not the spot of his children As if he had said They may both have their spots yea and great and foule spots too but there is a great difference betweene the spots of the lewd and unregenerate men and the spots of Gods children And as the Lord gave to the Priest under the law direction how he might distinguish and put a difference betweene the spots of the leprous persons Levit. 13.24 27. and ver 38.39 So hath he also given him in his word direction how we may distinguish and discerne the spots of lewd and wicked men from the spots of his children Of the one it is said Iude 15. that their ungodly deeds are ungodly committed Of the other it is said Psal. 18.21 that they have not wickedly departed from their God As if he should say even then when they have forsaken and departed from their God yet they did iâ— not wickedly in that wicked manner with so wicked a mind and disposition of heart as the other doe The adultery that David committed was doubtlesse great filthinesse and yet there is certainly a great deale more wickednes in the whoredomes of many other men then there was in his In thy filthinesse is lewdnesse saith the Lord to the wicked Iew Eze. 24.13 Was there not so you will say in Davids in every other mans whoredome Surely the fact is most filthy and abominable whosoever committeth it but yet in the heart of many a man that committeth it there is much more lewdnes then there was in Davids So the Apostacy of Peter was out of doubt a most hainous sin yet was it not committed so hainously with so bad an heart as the Apostacy of many a one hath beene that yet did never deny Christ with such oathes and execrations as Peter did Bee not mercifull unto all that
not wont to winke at in them he is wont to correct them sharply for such sins Shall I instance in some few examples for this And indeed how should I spend the time more profitably in so secure an age as this First I will not stand upon the example of David how sharply God scourged him for those sins which he bewaileth in this Psalme with what changes and armies of sorrowes and plagues as Iob speaketh cap. 10.17 he followed him ever after all the dayes of his life For you may say his were most presumptuous and notorious sins such as few that were ever truly regenerate have fallen into I will therefore come to the second example wherein I will couple him and good Hezechiah together What say you to that foolish pride they shewed the one in numbring the people the other in shewing all his treasures to the Embassadours of the King of Babell O how severe was God in his judgments against them both even for this sin Of David it is said 1 Chron 21.14 that God slew of his subjects for that seventy thousand men And of Hezechiah it is said â— Chron 32.25 that for that sinne there was wrath upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem But you will say also that this was a presumptuous sin O that we would learne yet from this example how unable God is to brooke or beare with presumptuous sinne though it be but in heart in his deerest children But let us come to a third example What say you then to the sin of Aaron and Moses when they being bidden to speake onely to the rocke and promised that it should yeeld water enough for all the campe did but doubt a little and stagger at that promise and instead of speaking onely to the rocke smote it twice you shall see the story Numb 20.8 1â— and Moses in a passion spake unadvisedly with his lips as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme 106.33 Certainly this was but a frailtie in them no presumptuous sin and therefore you shall find the Prophet there Psalme 136.32 33. layeth that fault on the people rather then on them and so doth Moses himselfe also Deut 1.37 And yet see how angry the Lord was with them even for this sin Because of this he would by no meanes be intreated to let them goe into the land of promise though Moses earnestly besought him he would not heare him The Lord was wroth with mee saith he Deut. 3.26 and would not heare me but charged him to speake no more unto him of that matter O but you will say though this was but a sin of frailtie yet it was a scandalous sin True it was so indeed And the Lord alledgeth that for the cause why he was so provoked by it because it was done openly to the scandall of the people Numb 20.12 Then learne by this example how severe God will be in his judgements upon his people for scandalous sins But what say you then to Moses his delaying of the circumcision of his sonne to old Elyes bearing too much with his lewd sonnes and the faithfull Corinthians going to the Communion without care to prepare and examine themselves before Certainly these were but sins of carelesnesse and negligence And yet see how severe God was in his judgements against them even for these sins The Lord met Moses in the Inne and sought to kill him saith the text Exod. 4.24 The Lord did not only bring old Ely to a violent and strange death he brake his necke 1 Sam. 4 18. but he plagued his whole house and posteritie for ever for that sin in a most fearefull manner 1 Sam. 2.31 33 and cap. 3.11.14 The Lord sent a pestilence and mortality among the faithfull Corinthians even for this sin For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30 Behold how God hateth and will punish his owne people even for their negligences and carelesnesse if they judge not themselves for it and make conscience of it But yet there is a third degree that sheweth much more how odious the sins of his owne people are unto the Lord. For of the regenerate of Gods owne people it is said that they may so sin as they may make their very persons odious and hatefull unto God they may make their God their enemy They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit saith the Prophet Esa. 6â— 10 speaking of the Church of God in the wildernesse therefore hee was turned to bee their enemy When God heard this that is when he understood this that they fell into idolatry for that was the sin that so provoked him then as you may see vers 58. hee was wroth saith the Psalmist Psalme 78.59 and greatly abhorred Israel Though the Lord can beare with many sins in his people or though he beare not with them yet can correct them only for them and love them never the worse as you know parents oft-times doe yet may Gods children fall into such sins as will even make them odious unto their father These are things which defile a man and will make him loathsome saith our Saviour Mat. 15.20 What are those things That he telleth us verse 19. Murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies How can that be will you say Whom the Lord once loveth in Christ he loveth for ever I have loved thee saith the Lord to his people Ier. 31.3 with an everlasting love I answer That is most true Yet may his children so provoke him that though he doe not quite disinherite them or cease to be a father to them yet will he shew them no countenance or fatherly affection at all As David so loathed Absalom for murthering his brother that though he continued a fatherly affection towards him still yea and after that too when he had done far worse yet he could not abide to see him Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face saith he 2 Sam. 14 â—4 A Christian may by his sin cause his father so to loath him as it may be he shall never have good countenance of him againe he shall never see his face with comfort while he liveth His adoption the right and title he hath thereby to the word and Sacraments to Christ and vnto heaven the comfort I say of all these and of all the priviledges the 〈◊〉 he might make of them he shall loose As Vzzia when he fell into a leprosie lost not his kingdome the right title he had unto it therby but he lost the use and execution of his regall authoritie to the very day of his death as we read â— Chron. 26.21 Of Asa we read that though he dyed the child of God as appeareth both by that which is said of him in his life time 1 Kin. 15.14 that his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes and also by the testimonie is given of him twice after his death 2 Chron. 20.32 and 21.12
though he continued in the state of grace to his very death yet by his sinnes hee lost the use and operation the vigour power and comfort of his adoption and of that grace that was in him and recovered it not even to his dying day as may appeare by that report the holy Ghost maketh of his last dayes 2 Chron. 16.10 12. A fearefull yet most profitable example for all secure Christians to read and meditate of And thus you have heard the first testimony which the Lord hath given in this case he hateth sin every whit as much in the regenerate man as he doth in any other person in the world Lecture CIX On Psalme 51.6 Ianu. 27. 1628. THE second testimony that I told you the Lord himselfe hath given in this case is this That he sheweth in this life more hatred to the sins of his owne people then hee doth to the sins of any other men in the world And this hee hath in all ages and doth still declare foure wayes 1. Hee afflicteth in this life all his owne people for sin so doth he not all wicked men 2. When he doth intend to bring generall judgements on the world or upon a nation he useth to begin with his owne people 3. When he will make any an example unto others of his anger against sin he useth to make choise of his owne people for this purpose rather then of lewd and wicked men 4. His judgements are wont to be more heavy and sharpe upon his owne people then those are which he useth to inflict upon wicked men For the first of these It is wonderfull to observe what difference God putteth betweene many lewd men and his dearest children that way 1. The Lord useth admirable patience and forbearance towards many lewd men He reserveth them to the day of judgement to bee punished saith the Apostle 2. Pet. 2.9 2. In this life many a wicked man goeth scot-free he tasteth of no affliction They are not in trouble as other men saith he Psalmist Psal. â—3 â— neither are they plagued like other men 3. Nay though their sins bee outragious yet God plagueth them not Iob speaketh of some Iob. 24.12 that were cruell oppressours and playd the tyrants and yet saith he God layed not folly unto them As if he had said He no way layeth it to their charge 4. The Lord letteth them runne riot and doe what they list and never stoppeth them in their course Hee suffereth them to walke in their owne wayes as the Apostle speaketh Acts 14.16 5. He holdeth his peace and doth not so much as by his word rebuke them These things hast thou done and I kept silence saith the Lord Psalme 50.21 6. Nay he seemeth not to see them but to winke at them The times of ignorance God winked at saith Paul Acts 17.30 7. So that you see many lewd men are in this life priviledged persons they goe under a protection as we read Gen. 4 15. that Cain did no man might touch Cain On the other side Looke upon the estate of Gods children in this life and you shall find it is farre otherwise with them they have no such priviledge For 1. Every godly man shall bee sure to bee afflicted in this life in one degree or other Whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth saith the Apostle Heb. 12.6 hee scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth And verse 8. If ye bee without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes 2. The Lord useth not to winke at his childrens faults but hee observeth them strictly and if they fall into presumptious and scandalous sinnes yea or into sinnes of secure carelesnesse and negligence they shall bee sure to heare of him and to tast of his rods If I sin saith Iob 10.14 thou markest mee and wilt not acquit mee from mine iniquity His fire is in Zion saith the Prophet Esa. 31.9 and his furnace in Ierusalem As if he had said They that sinne there cannot escape the furnace of affliction as the same Prophet speaketh and interpreteth himselfe Esay 48.10 3 Lastly God useth not nor may any child of God expect that he should shew such patience and forbearance towards him when hee hath sinned as hee useth to doe towards many a lewd man See this in that speech of Phinehas and the Princes unto the two tribes and the halfe Iosh. 22.18 It will be saith hee seeing yee rebell to day against the Lord that to morrow hee will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel That wise and holy man you see expected present judgement would fall upon Gods people for their sinne hee had no hope that God would forbeare them for any time if ye rebell to day to morrow Gods vengeance will come Secondly When the Lord hath purposed to bring upon the world or upon any nation any common calamity or desolation any overflowing scourge that shall passe through a nation or place as the Lord calleth it Esa. 28.18 his manner hath beene to begin with his owne Church and people Iudgement must beginne at the house of God saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.17 Begin at my sanctuary saith the Lord to the destroying Angell Ezek 9.6 Hee is wont first to scourge his owne people for their sinnes before hee beginne with the world and to make their misery and trouble a fore-runner of the common and generall destruction I tooke the cup at the Lords hand the cup of Gods fury saith the Prophet Ieremy 25.17 and made all the nations to drinke that is prophesied that they should certainely drinke of it unto whom the Lord had sent me But who were to drinke first of this cup He telleth us verse 18. Ierusalem and the cities of Iuda and the Kings thereof and the Princes thereof They were to begin in this cup to Egypt and the Philistines to Edom and Moab and the Ammonites and to all other nations as he sheweth in the verses following So when our Saviour had prophesied Luke 21.10 11. that before the destruction of Ierusalem Nation should rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome and great earthquakes should bee in divers places and famines and pestilences he addeth verse 12. but before all these they shall lay their hands on you speaking to his Apostles and Disciples and persecute you As if he should say The judgement shall begin at my house Thirdly The Lord hath beene wont to make his owne people examples and spectacles of his wrath against sin unto other men Thus the Prophet spake of his times Esa. 8.18 Behold I and the children the Lord hath given me are for signes and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts which dwelleth in mount Sion As if hee had said This is of the Lord he maketh us so And thus speaketh the Apostle of his times 1 Cor. 4.9 We are made a spectacle unto the world So the Lord made Vzzah an example to the whole congregation of Israel of his wrath against them all
it is said verse 4 that as the people lift up their voices and wept The second example is that which is mentioned 2 Sam. 1.11 12. When David heard how the Philistines had prevailed and what an overthrow they had given unto Gods people As alas we have heard of a great many overthrowes that within these few yeares Gods people have received from as bad people as ever the Philistines were it is said there that David and all the men that were with him all his souldiers though many of them hated Saul mortally and one would have thought that the cutting off of that wretched man in that battell should have mitigated much their sorrow for the losse of all the rest yet it is said there that David and all the men that were with him rent their clothes and they mourned and wept and fasted for it The third example for this is that of Nehemiah when Hanani and the rest had told him Neh. 1.3 that the remnant that were left of the captivity in the province of Iudaea were in great affliction and reproach and that the walls of Ierusalem were broken downe and the gates thereof were burnt with fire no worse newes then we have often heard of late of many of the Churches of Christ When I heard these words saith he verse 4. I sat downe and wept and mourned certaine daies The fourth and last example is that of the Levites the holy Musicians mentioned Ps. 137. who as they were Church-officers ordained of God for the service of the Temple so did they receive such gifts from God for the discharge of that function as that they did excell in skill all the musicians that have beene in the world Of them we read five remarkable things in that Psalme 1. Verse 1. By the rivers of Babylon they sat downe and wept when they remembred Zion The pleasantnesse of the countrey could not make them forget Zion nor keepe them from griefe nor from weeping when they remembred Zion 2. Verse 2. They hanged up their harps As if the Psalmist had said As great as their skill was they had no mind of musick all that while that they remembred Zion and the miseries she was in 3. Verse 3 4. Though they that carried them captives and were now their masters that had power and authority over them and had heard doubtlesse of their excellent skill that way required mirth of them were earnest with them to use their skill in singing and playing upon their instruments to make them and themselves merry yet could they not get them to sing so much as one of the songs of Zion 4. Verse 5 6. The reason that they give for this If I forget thee ô Ierusalem if I doe not remember thee Marke 1 the change of the number they had spoken all the while before in the plurall number and expressed so the joint affection of them all in this case now they speake in the singular number every man in his owne person so say I and so say I. 2 Marke the reason why they would not obey their masters in this alas saith every one if I should now give my selfe to mirth and musicke it would be an evident signe I remembred not what case Ierusalem is in I had quite forgotten the miseries of Gods Church 5. Lastly Observe in the same verses 4. 5. the imprecation they make against themselves whereby as by an oath and vow they bind themselves from mirth and jollity during the time of Ierusalems misery If I forget thee ô Ierusalem if I doe not remember thee As if they had said one by one If any thing make me forget Ierusalem and her distresses nay if as well as I love mirth and musicke specially this or this kind of mirth or recreation and delight as ill as I could live without it yet if I cannot be content to abridge my selfe of it for Ierusalems sake let some strange curse of God fall upon me And these are certainely two strange judgements that they wish against themselves in this their imprecation 1. Let my right hand forget her cunning 2. Let my tongue cleave to the roofe of my mouth For a Minister whom God hath endued with excellent gifts for his service to have his gifts blasted and taken from him to be strucken dumbe and loose the use of his tongue as Zachary did for a time these are certainely great and strange judgements In all these examples we see beloved how the holy servants of God have beene affected with the afflictions of Ioseph and how they have mourned for them And I doubt not also but you see that we all ought to bee so affected likewise and that we could not choose but be so in some measure if the same spirit were in us that was in them And that you may see they did in this no worke of supererogation I will shew you now which is the second proofe I promised to give you that they did no more the◠they were commanded to do When the Lord had executed a strange judgement but upon two of his servants Nadab and Abihu though the cause why he did it the sinne whereby he was provoked to it was apparant and notorious to all the people yet see what a commandement is given concerning this Levit. 10.6 Let your brethren the whole house of Israel bewaile the burning which the Lord hath kindled That fire was quenched and ended in the death of those two men But the Lord hath now kindled a burning which hath lasted many yeares and burneth still outragiously and hath consumed not two of Gods servants onely but many whole Churches of Christ and ought not then the whole house of Israel all Gods people much more to bewaile such a burning as this which the Lord hath kindled But let us see the reason why this ought to be which is the third proofe of the point which I promised to give you And that is this they that can thus take to heart the miseries of the Church though themselves be in peace may have great comfort in their estate and none but they For first this is a signe that they are true living members of Christs mysticall body If one member suffer saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.26 all the members suffer with it he meaneth if they be true living members for a woodden leg or an artificiall eye cānot Say not thou art a member of the Church of England thou art not a member of the Church of France or of Germany or of Bohemiah for all the Churches of the world that professe the same faith and religion are but one body There is one body and on◠spirit saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.4 It is not the distance of place nor the difference of language that can fever us There is neither Iew nor Greek bond nor free saith he Gal 3.28 but we are all one in Christ Iesus I believe one Catholique and Apostolique Church saith the Nicene creed The true Catholique
enjoy the blessings of this life specially that we enjoy them with any comfort as those that have just title and right unto them Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth saith Solomon Eccl. 5.19 and hath given him power a mind to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour this is the gift of God But this mercy also the faithfull obtaine onely though Christ. Worthy is the lamb that was staine say the holy Angels Revel 5.12 to receive power and riches and wisedome As if they had said All riches as well as all power and wisedome are his and his onely Him God hath made heire of all things as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.2 All things are yours and ye are Christs saith he 1 Cor. 3.22 23. As though hee had said Nothing is ours wee have not a spirituall and comfortable title to any thing till we be Christs Fiftly The love and good will of God towards us which is the onely root and fountaine of all blessings and good things we receive from him is woon and procured to us onely by Christ. God cannot love or beare good will to any of us but onely through him and for his sake And therefore the Angels sing thus at his comming into the world Luke 2.14 Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if they should have said God could beare no good will towards men but only through Christ. Sixtly and lastly No man can have any true boldnesse to goe to God or to looke for any good or mercy from him but onely through Christ. No man commeth unto the father but by me saith our Saviour Ioh. 14 6. In him wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence saith the Apostle Ephes 3.12 and in him onely Whatsoever good thing we want and would beg of God by prayer we must aske it in his name and looke to obtaine it onely through him and and for his sake Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you saith our Saviour Iohn 16.23 And whatsoever good thing we have received from God and would be truly thankfull to God for we must ascribe it onely to Christ and acknowledge we have received it for his sake alone Giving thankes to God and the father by him as the Apostle teacheth us Col. 3.17 And thus we have seene the first proofe of the Doctrine No mercy can be expected from God but through Christ alone The second followeth No mercy can bee expected from God by Christ but onely through his bloud if hee had not suffered and endured that for us which hee did both in his soule and body wee could never have found any mercy from God at all See the proofe of this also in three particulars First All the mercies of God that concerne our justification the acquitting us of our sinnes and setting us in Gods favour are obtained to us by the passions and sufferings of Christ. Being justified by his bloud saith the Apostle Rom. 5.9 wee shall bee saved from wrath through him In Christ we have redemption though his bloud saith he Ephes. 1.7 the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace As if he had said It is of the riches of Gods free grace that any of us obtaine the forgivenesse of our sins but the riches of Gods grace are procured to us by the bloud of Christ and by no other meanes Him hath God set forth saith he Rom. 3.25 to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Three things are to be observed in these words 1. God hath made Christ the mercy-seat The mercy-seat under the law was but a type and figure of him They that would obtaine any mercy from God must seeke it in and through him onely 2. Whereas the mercy-seat under the law stood in the holy of holyes within the vaile and was hiden not onely from the people but from the priests also the High-Priest onely had accesse unto it and that but once a yeare the Lord hath now by the ministery of the Gospell set forth this mercy-seat openly to the view of all men all men may have accesse unto it 3. As the Hhigh-Priest who was a type of Christ came not to the mercy-seat could find no mercy with God nor make atonement betweene him and his people without the bloud of a sacrifice Levit. 16.14 so may no man come to the true mercy-seat nor hope to find mercy with God through Christ but onely by faith in his bloud Secondly All the mercies of God that concerne our sanctification the subduing of our corruptions and the renewing of our hearts are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. Therefore doth the Apostle Rom. 6.6 ascribe our mortification to the death of Christ. Our old man saith he is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that hence forth wee should not serve sinne So that ability that is given us of God to lead a new life and to walke in his wayes is ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. It is the bloud of Christ saith the Apostle Heb. 9.14 who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God that purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God And that strength that any child of God hath to resist tentation is to bee ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. By Christ crucified saith the Apostle Gal. 6.14 the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Thirdly and lastly All the mercies of God that concerne our glorification and the consummation of our happinesse in the kingdome of heaven are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. We have boldnesse saith the Apostle Heb. 10.19 to enter into the Holyest into heaven whereof the holy of holyes in the temple was a figure by the bloud of Iesus As if hee should say There is nothing that can make a man die and goe to God with true boldnesse and expectation of a better life but onely faith in the bloud of Christ. And in this respect it is that the Apostle calleth his whole ministery the preaching of the crosse of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 and we preach Christ crucified saith he verse 23. that was the whole matter and scope of his ministery to teach men to looke for all mercy and comfort from God onely through the passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ. Yea he telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor 2.2 that when he was among them where learning and eloquence did abound hee determined not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified he resolved with himselfe to shew no other learning but this to set forth to them in the best manner he could the sufferings of Christ and the benefit and fruit that commeth to Gods people by them Nay he professeth of himselfe Gal. 6.14 that the crosse of Christ his passion and sufferings
sin The Lord speaking of a small sin in comparison even of eating of meat that hee had in his ceremoniall law forbidden Levit. 11.10 saith that it should bee an abomination unto them And verse 43. hee giveth a good reason for it for hee telleth them that even a small sinne being wittingly committed would make them abominable unto him And have not we just cause to abhorre that that will cause the Lord to abhorre us 3. Wee must grieve and bee more troubled in our selves for offending God then for any worldly losse or affliction whatsoever Thâ—y shall mourne for him saith the Prophet Zach. 1â— 10 as one mourneth for his onely sonne and shall bee in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne 4. Wee must cry to him more earnestly and hearrily for pardon of our sinne then for the averting of any judgement or obtaining any other blessing whatsoever As David doth in this Psalme after Nathan had beene with him and threatned such heavy judgements against him and his house And Elihu reproveth Ioh. 36. â—1 For choosing iniquity rather then affliction A man that is wise and well advised will choose rather to endure any affliction then to commit any iniquity whatsoever 5. Lastly We must be more afraid of sin of offending God in the least thing then of any danger or evill in the world that can befall us Feare not their feare saith the Prophet Esa. 8.12 33. nor be afraid but let the Lord be you-feare and let him â—e your dread And who can possibly thus repent him of his sin that is not in his judgement fully perswaded how hainous and odious a thing every sin is Secondly Consider that till we can rightly judge of our sins Christ can profit us nothing He came to call none but sinners yea such as so know and can judge of their owne sins as that they are sicke at the heart with sorrow and trouble of mind for them Mat. 9.12 13. But of this point I shall have occasion to speake more in the next use Now the meanes whereby we may come to a right judgement of sin are five principally First Consider with thy selfe seriously that every sin is an offence and a contempt done against the infinite Majesty of the eternall God Against thee thee only have I sinned saith David here verse 4. And therefore it must needs bee a thing infinitely evill and dangerous Secondly Consider the onely punishment that the Lord in his righteous judgement hath appointed after this life for every sin is everlasting death in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore The wages of sinne of every sin is death saith the Apostle Rom. 6 2â— even eternall death Indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish saith hee Rom. 2.8 9. shall bee on every soule that doth evill And how great must that offence needes bee that the righteous God hath appointed such a punishment unto as no tongue can expresse no heart can conceive how great and how extreame it is Thirdly Thinke seriously of this that all the miseries of this life all the bitternesse we tast of in all our bodily paines and diseases in all the anguish and trouble of our minds in all our outward wants and distresses in the unseasonablenesse of the weather in all publique calamities come all from sinne Let no man deceive you with vaine words saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.6 or tell you it is nothing to be merry and wanton a little I would none did worse then so or it is nothing to use a little craft and fraud in buying and selling alas they that will live in the world must doe as the world doth let no man deceive you with such vaine words saith he for because of these things commeth the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience All our woe and misery commeth from our sinne so that there is no day passeth over our heads wherein the Lord doth not really teach us how to judge of sinne The Lords voice cryeth unto the city saith the Prophet Mic. 6.9 and the man of wisdome shall see thy name heare the red and who hath appointed it As if he had said By his rods and corrections the Lords voice cryeth unto men And though in some rare and extraordinary judgements God doth lift up his voice and cry lowder unto men then in others yet in every one of his judgements and corrections that do befall us the Lord cryeth thus to every one of us Tast and see in this what it is to sinne what it is to offend God Fourthly Consider of this that you have heard now in this Doctrine what a price was paid by thy Saviour to redeeme thee from thy sins even from the least of them Never did God so fully declare his hatred of sinne and how heinous a thing it is in his sight by all the judgements that he ever executed upon men or Angels as he did in the crosse of Christ and in that extreame abasement and humiliation that he did endure for us No if it were possible for us to see and feele the torments that the damned in hell doe endure yet could not that be so effectuall a meanes to perswade us what the true desert of sin is as the meditation of the crosse of Christ if God would please to give us hearts to behold it and meditate of it as we ought to doe They shall looke upon me whom they have pierced saith our Saviour Zach. 12.10 and then they shall mourne abundantly O if we could looke well upon Christ crucified but that can we never doe till the spirit of grace be powred upon us as the Prophet there speaketh it would not be possible for us to esteeme lightly of any sinne we could not choose but bee deepely affected with our owne iniquities Fiftly and lastly Because by reason of our naturall blindnesse and the marvellous cunning and power that the world and Satan have to bewitch us in this thing all these considerations and meanes can never prevaile with us till God open our eyes it must be the mighty worke of God specially in so profane an age as this is that must perswade us to judge rightly of sin Who hath beleeved our report say the Ministers of the Gospell Esa. 53.1 which may be applyed to this as well as to any other Doctrine that we teach in our ministery and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed As if they had said Why do so few beleeve any thing we teach out of Gods Word touching the hainousnesse and danger of sin Surely because there be few upon whom the Lord is pleased to shew his mighty power in the opening of their eyes Therfore in the use of these or any other meanes for the rectifying of our judgement in this case we must cry unto God as Iob did Iob 13.23 Make me to know my transgression and my sin It is meet to be said unto God
unfruitfull in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 1.8 They say they know him to be their Lord and Saviour but this knowledge is no way effectuall in them to the reformation either of their hearts or lives Nay this their assurance hath wrought in them quite contrary effects unto those that I have proved unto you to be the kindly fruits of that assurance which the spirit of God worketh in the heart of any man Nothing doth so evidently discover the falshood of this their assurance as the fruits that it doth produce in them In which respects a man may fitly say of them as our Saviour doth of the false Prophets Matth. 7.20 By their fruits yee shall know them This will the better appeare if the confidence of these men be examined particularly according to those six severall effects of true assurance which we have heard of First Though they say they are assured that Christ so dearely loved them as that he shed his most precious bloud for their sinnes yet the knowledge of this love of God to them never made them to mourne or bee troubled in themselves ever a whit the more for their sinnes Nay this very thing maketh them go merrily away with them all and keepeth them from being grieved or troubled for any sinne that ever they committed because they say they know that Christ shed his bloud for their sins hath made their peace with God Seeing Christs soule was heavy Mat. 26.38 to the death for my sins saith he what need I be heavy for them my selfe Thus turning the grace of God into lasciviousnes as the Apostle speaketh Iude 4. As if he should say The very knowledge of this marvellous grace and mercy of God maketh them so lascivious as they are maketh them so joviall in their sins so void of all remorse and sorrow for sin as they are Secondly They are not the more fearefull to offend God in any thing because of his goodnesse towards them which they say they are so sure of nay this very thing maketh them bold to commit any sinne because the devill hath perswaded them as he would faine have perswaded our blessed Saviour Mat. 4.6 that though they do cast themselves headlong into any sin yet Gods mercy and love to them is such as hee will never suffer them to perish by it Tush saith hee I know God will give mee grace to repent of it before I dye and therefore what need I be so scrupulous or fearefull to enjoy the pleasure or profit of this sinne Hee besseth himselfe in his owne heart as Moses speaketh Deut. 29.19 saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart Thirdly They say they have tasted that the Lord is gracious and that they would not loose the sweetnesse and comfort of the assurance they have of Gods love and of their salvation for all the world and yet they love the word never the better for this Nay this is the very cause why they care not for the word have no desire to it no delight in it because they are sure enough already of their salvation and that Christ dyed for their sins They are like unto that faction in Corinth of whom the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 1.12 that gloried they were neither followers of Paul nor of Apollo nor of Cephas but of Christ onely They did so depend upon Christ that they cared for never a preacher in the world nor regarded to heare them Fourthly Though they speake and glory much of the Lords mercy and loving kindnes and though they be such as seeme to beare some love to his word to heare it gladly yet they practise nothing that they heare the assurance they have of Gods love maketh them never a whit the more carefull to walke in his truth Yea this very thing maketh them carelesse of doing or practising any thing they heare because they know that they are not under the law but under grace as Paul bringeth in wicked men objecting Rom. 6.15 Because they know Christ dyed for their sins and that we must not be saved by our works but by faith in him onely therefore they thinke it folly in them to be precise in their practise or to doe any good works at all Fiftly They say they are the Lords and have received his spirit which witnesseth with their spirits that they are his children that the Lord hath set his seale and marke upon them though there is no such thing to be seene upon their foreheads which is the place we have heard God setteth his seale upon None that live by them behold them daily converse with them can discerne any grace in them at all Nay men hold it now a dayes an high point of wisedome to conceale their love to religion to shun carefully every thing that may cause them to be noted for it They had rather bee counted any thing then a strict Christian they hold it no advantage no honour at all to have Gods seale on their foreheads but a matter of disgrace rather And yet these men are confident for all that that Christs bloud was shed for them that Gods spirit hath sprinkled it upon them though he have not set Gods marke upon their foreheads yet he hath set it upon their hearts certainly But if no man be so unwise as to light a candle and set it under a bushell as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 5.15 shall we thinke that the most wise God will set the light of his grace so in any mans heart as that none that are in the house with him are able to discerne it Sixtly and lastly They say confidently the Lord is their father and they are his children yet have they no care at all to honour God or to advance his glory any way If I be your father saith the Lord Malachi 1.6 where is mine honour Such as are by the spirit of adoption assured indeed that God is their father cannot but desire with all their hearts to honour him what they may Ye are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And they that know indeed that they are not their own as the Apostle there saith but bought with such a price cannot choose but endeavour to do so Whether we live saith he Rom. 14.8 we live unto the Lord or whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords He that liveth so as God hath honour by his life and he that dyeth so as that God hath honour by his death may be sure he is the Lords and none but he And surely this proveth demonstratively that most men whatsoever they pretend have no true assurance that they are the Lords because it is neither any trouble at all to them to see God dishonoured by others neither have they any care at all to gaine any
it be not so plausible and delightsome to you in hearing as the other And even unto that I confesse we must have respect in our preaching that both the matter we teach and our manner of handling it be such as you may heare with delight and affection The preacher sought and studied saith Salomon Eccles. 12.10 to fiâ—d out acceptable words words of delight as your margin readeth in that Place yet of the handling of them I may say to you as the Apostle doth to the Philippians Phil. 3.1 of his teaching them the same things that he had taught them before To me it is not grievous though I could with more delight to my selfe speake of other things than of matters in controversie and for you it is safe It is very profitable and necessary for you to have your judgements well informed and setled in the truth For First Knowledge is the ground and foundation of all true piety and you can never constantly hold and professe nor conscionably practise nor find sound comfort in any point of religion till your judgements bee well grounded and established in it This I pray saith the Apostle Philip. 1.9 that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement Secondly The most of you though you have good affections you love the present truth that is professed amongst us and hate Popery yet you do it not out of knowledge and judgement If you were well examined you could give no good reason out of Gods Word for any thing that you hold and professe with such shew of zeale and affection but it may be said of you as the Apostle speaketh of the Hebrewes Hebrewes 5.12 Whereas for the time and meanes you have enjoyed ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God O the need that most of you have notwithstanding all the time you have spent in hearing and in the profession of the true Religion of Christ to be soundly and substantially catechised in the grounds of Religion Thirdly and lastly The controversie I am to handle is no idle and intricate speculation of the Schooles none of those foolish and unlearned questions that the Apostle forbids Timothy 1 Tim. 1.4 and 2 Tim. 2.23 to meddle with but about a matter that tendeth to godly edifying which is by faith as the Apostle there speaketh About a truth that is most usefull and profitable that toucheth as we say the free hold of every one of you about the Doctrine of your justification before God about the way and means how you may be discharged of all your sinnes and become righteous in his sight To begin therefore with the use of Confutation which I will handle with asmuch plainnesse and brevity as I can the Doctrine which I taught you the last day doth evidently convince the Papists of three fowle and dangerous errours The first is against the first branch of the Doctrine the other two against the second branch of it The first is against the first part of our justification which consisteth in making of us cleane in the remission of our sinnes by the merit of Christs bloud the other two against the second part of our justification which consisteth in the making of us whiter than the snow in the imputing of Christs perfect righteousnesse unto us First They deny that Christ by his bloud hath made any believer so cleane hath purchased for him so full and absolute a pardon of his sinnes as we hold he did He hath indeed answered for and so obtained for us the remission and pardon of the fault say they and of the eternall punishment that is due to us for any sinne that ever we committed but he hath not answerd for nor obtained for us the remission of the whole punishment not of the temporall punishment that is due to us for sinne but that we must answer and satisfie Gods justice for our selves either in this life or in Purgatory after we are dead For convincing of this errour I will 1 give you evident testimonies and grounds of Scripture against it 2 I will answer some of the chiefe reasons that are alledged for the defence of it Foure arguments the Lord in his Word hath given us against this errour which though they will not stop the mouth of an obstinate Papist for there be some men that will never be convinced but as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so they will still resist the truth being reprobate concerning the faith as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.8 that is such as can never bee brought to beleeve the truth yet are these arguments such as may make the wilfull folly of any Papist in maintaining this errour manifest unto all men and fully satisfie the conscience of any Christian in the falshood of it First The Apostle expresly teacheth Rom. 8.1 that there is no condemnation no kind of condemnation eternall nor temporall to them that are in Christ Iesus that is to the true beleever or as the vulgar Latin which the Papist most absurdly holdeth to bee more authenticall then the sacred originall is readeth it Nihil damnationis not one jot of condemnation And if there bee no condemnation reserved for the true beleever then is the whole punishment due to his sinne remitted For what is condemnation but the adjudging of a man to punishment And so is the word used every where in the Scripture Mat. 20.18 They shall condemne him to death Mar. 14.64 They all condemned him to be guilty of death So that if no condemnation at all belong to them or is due to them that are in Christ and have their sinne forgiven then no manner of punishment belongeth to them or is to be endured by them neither eternall nor temporall neither Secondly Christ hath redeemed the faithfull from the whole curse of the law that was due to them for their sin Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 from the curse of the law and he giveth this for the reason of it because he was made a curse for us that is he bare it for us himselfe and so fully answered and satisfied the justice of God for it Surely saith the Prophet Esay 53.4 he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes Now the temporall punishments that are due to us for sinne are part of the curse of the law as it is plaine by Deuâ— 28.16 22. where among the curses that the law threatneth against sin a number of temporall judgements are threatned And our Saviour did beare and endure for us not that part onely of the curse and punishment due to our sins that should have bin eternall but that part also of the curse punishment due to our sin which is temporall As 1. Poverty he for our sakeâ— became poore saith the Apostle 2 Corinthi 8.9 that wee through his poverty might bee rich And 2. reproch and contempt such as no man ever
endured I gave my backe to the smiters saith he Esay 50.6 and my cheekes to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my face from shame and spitting 3. Hee endured all sorts of temptations that any of the faithfull can be subject unto He was in all points saith the Apostle Heb. 4.15 tempted like as wee are yet without sinne And why did hee beare these tempâ—rall curses and punishments Certainely to deliver us from them that nâ—ne of these things might become curses and punishments unto us And therefore it is evident that Christ hath redeemed us not only from the eternall but even from all the temporall judgements also that were due to us for sin Thirdly Whose sins soever the Lord doth for Christs sake forgive he forgiveth them so fully as he will never remember them any more I even I am hee saith the Lord Esa. 43.25 that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And I will forgive their iniquity saith he againe Ier. 31.34 and I will remember their sin no more And if he will never remember them then will he certainly never punish them for them For in the Scripture phrase to remember mens sinnes signifieth nothing else but to punish them He will now remember their iniquity saith the Prophet Iere. 1â— 10 and visit their sinne And againe Now will hee remember their iniquity saith the Prophet Hosea 8.13 and visit their sins they shall returne into Egypt Fourthly and lastly The Lord doth so and much more fully forgive the sins of the faithfull as he would have them to forgive one another and maketh that the very patterne we should worke by so to forgive one another as hee forgiveth us Forgiving one another saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.32 even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you But he requireth of us that in forgiving one another we should remit not the fault onely but the punishment also not in rendring evill for evill nor railing for railing saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.9 but contrariwise blessing And thus you see how cleare the holy Scripture is against this first errour of the Papists how full and absolute the pardon is that Christ hath purchased for any soule it dischargeth and acquitteth him fully not only from all his sins but from the whole punishment that is due unto them Two maine objections there be which every mans heart is apt to make against this truth touching the fulâ—es of that pardon which Christ hath purchased by his bloud for every one that truly beleeve in him First If this be so may you say how falleth it out that God inflicteth so many punishments in this life upon the faithfull What are all the miseries that the best of Gods servants are subject unto but punishments for their sins Wherefore doth a living man complaine saith the Prophet Lam. 3.39 a man for the punishment of his sinnes Of many of Gods people that dyed in the wildernesse David expressly saith Psalme 99.8 Thou wast a God that forgavest them though thou didst take vengeance of their inventions Though Moses and Aaron did doubtlesse obtaine of God the pardon of that unbeliefe they shewed at the waters of Meribah yet they dyed for it in the wildernesse and for that very sinne God would not suffer them to enter into the promised land as wee may see plainely Numbers 27.13.14 And though God did pardon Davids foule sinnes upon his repentance and gave him assurance of it also by the Prophet 2 Samuel 12.13 yet did all those plagues neverthelesse light upon him which God threatned against him for those sinnes before hee had his pardon His pardon it seemeth exempted him not from the temporall punishments that were due to his sinnes To all this I answer That though all the miseries and afflictions of this life be in their owne nature punishments for sin because they are all fruits of sin sin first brought them into the world and therefore also be oft in the Scripture called punishments Levit. 26.41 43. Amos 3.2 yet are they not punishments to all men Two evident demonstrations there be for this First God inflicteth no punishment upon any man but for sinne But there bee many great judgements and afflictions that the Lord hath laid upon the faithfull wherein he hath had no respect at all to their sins as to the cause of it he did not therein intend as a judge in a vindictive manner to correct them for any sin The disciples seeing the man that was borne blind Iohn 9.2.3 thought it to bee a punishment of some sinne that either himselfe or his parents had beene guilty of but our Saviour disalloweth their judgement in that point and saith neither hath this man sinned nor his father As if hee should say Neither this mans sinnes nor his parents were the cause why the Lord smote this man with blindnesse But that the works of God might bee made manifest in him So Iobs friends judged his grievous afflictions to have beene punishments of some grievous sinnes hee had beene guiltie of but the Lord sharpely reprooveth them for this rash censure Iob 42.7 Yea hee telleth Satan Iob 2.3 that hee had mooved him to destroy him without cause Why may you say had not Iob in him sin enough to deserve asmuch as he endured Yes verily for the wages and due desert of every sin is death as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 6.23 And Iob was not without sin as himselfe confesseth Iob. 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do ô thou preserver of men Yea he imputeth all his afflictions to his sins thought them to be the cause of them all Thou writest bitter things against me saith he Iob 13.26 and makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth He thought the sins of his youth had brought all this upon him Therefore also he fâ—ll to a diligent search and examination of his owne heart and wayes as the best of Gods servants should do in the like case that he might find out the speciall sin that moved God thus to afflict him Yea he craveth Gods helpe in this Shew me saith hee Iob 10.2 wherefore thou contendest with me And 13.23 How many are minâ— iniquities and sins Make me to know my transgression and my sin As if hee should say I know I have many wayes offended thee but shew me the speciall sin that hath thus provoked thee to afflict me Why then doth the Lord say that Satan moved him to afflict Iob without cause Surely his meaning is that there was nothing in him that was the cause whereby God was mooved thus to afflict him he did not therein punish his sin there were other causes of it even that by this tryall of his hee might make him a patterne and example of faith and patience to his Church for ever So when our Saviour telleth his Apostles of the manifold miseries that they should endure They shall put you out of the Synagogues saith he
Iohn 16.2 and whosoever killeth you will thinke he doth God service And unto Peter he saith Iohn 21.18 When thou shalt bee old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not Shall wee thinke his meaning was this Thus and thus will God correct and punish you for your sins Or were any sinnes that ever they committed the cause whereby God was moved to bring them to these afflictions No verily for hee telleth them all Matth. 10. â—2 that these things should befall them not for their sins but for his names sake And in speaking so to Peter hee signified to him by what dâ—ath hee should glorifie God as the Evangelist saith Iohn 21.19 The cause why Peter dyed so violent and shamefull a death was not any sinne of his but that hee might so glorifie God Secondly Neither are those afflictions that God inflicteth upon the faithfull for their sins properly to be accounted and called punishments but fatherly chastisements and corrections onely For all punishments to speake properly that God inâ—licteth upon any for sinne are curses and fruits of his wrath wherein hee seeketh not the good of the party that is punished but the glorifying of his owne justice upon him and satisfying his most righteous law as the judge doth in condemning and executing of malefactors In which respect also all Gods punishments are called evill things I make peace and create evill saith the Lord Esay 45.7 And shall there be evill in a city saith the Prophet Amos 3.6 and the Lord hath not done it But 1. all the afflictions of the faithfull are unto them blessings and not curses Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest ô Lord saith the Prophet Psalme 94 1â— and Iames 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth tentation Blessed are yee when men shall revile you and persecute you rejoyce and be exceeding glad saith our Saviour Mat. 5.11 12. 2. They are fruits of his speciall love to them and not oâ— his wrath Whom the Lord loveth saith the Apostle Heb. 12.6 he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth As many as I love I rebuke chasten saith our Saviour Rev. 3 â—9 3 He seeketh their good in it and not their destruction or the satisfying of his law and glorifying of his justice upon them We know saith the Apostle Rom. 8.28 speaking there specially and purposely of the afflictions of the faithfull that all things worke together for good to them that love God When wee are judged saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 11.32 wee are chastened of the Lord that wee should not be condemned with the world Every father usually in correcting his child seeketh nothing but his good in it Thou shalt beat him with the rod saith Salomon Proverbes 23.14 and shalt deliver his soule from hell He would not beate him but to doe him good But howsoever mortall parents faile oft in this they correct their children sometimes in a rage without respect to their good our heavenly father never doth The fathers of our flesh saith the Apostle Hebrewes 12.10 chastened us after their owne pleasure but hee for our profit that wee might bee partakers of his holinesse Yea if hee could procure their good their repentance their holinesse their keeping of them in awe and so from perishing any other way so well he would never scourge nor afflict them at all Behold I will melt them and try them saith the Lord Ieremy 9.7 for how shall I doe for the daughter of my people As if he had said How should I else keepe them from perishing how should I bring them to heaven if I should not deale thus with them And many of Gods people have beene able to say with David Psalme 119.71 from their owne experience It is good for me that I have beene afflicted Perijssem nisi perijssem I have received more good by my affliction then by any other thing in the world And thus have I answered this first objection that notwithstanding all the afflictions the faithfull endure in this life yet the pardon that Christ hath purchased for them by his bloud is most full and absolute they are perfectly discharged by it not onely from all their sins but also from the whole punishment that was due to them for sin But then it may be objected secondly If so soone as ever we be purged with hysope so soone as ever the bloud of Christ is applied to us by the spirit of God we be made perfectly cleane from all our sins as we have beene taught what need we and why are we commanded to pray daily unto God for the forgivenesse of oâ—r sinnes as our Saviour teacheth us to do Mat. 6.12 Have wee so full and absolute a pardon and yet must we sue and seeke for it all the daies of our life To this I answer Yes verily though Christ hath by his bloud purchased for us a most full and generall pardon yet must we sue to God for the forgivenesse of our sins every day First In respect of our sinnes formerly committed Remember not the sinnes of my youth nor my transgressions saith David Psalme 25.7 And ô remember not against us cryeth the Church Psalme 79.8 out former iniquities Which though the Lord hath forgiven and wee doe in some measure beleeve that they are forgiven yet our faith is so weake that wee have need to pray daily for increase of assurance of the forgivenesse of them David upon his repentance obtained a full and generall pardon from God of all his sinnes and hee did doubtlesse beleeve it to bee so for it had beene strange infidelity for him not to beleeve that which the Prophet of the Lord in the Lords name did so expressely and directly pronounce unto him 2 Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not die and yet because this faith of his concerning his pardon was but very weak he prayeth oft in this Psalme for pardon most earnestly ver 2 9 14. So that in this first respect our daily prayer for forgivenesse is no other in effect then that which the Apostles make Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith our assurance of pardon Secondly In respect of our present and daily sins For the best man that is falleth every day and oft every day into new sins And in respect of them yea even of the least of them we have need to renew our suit unto God for pardon every day As David doth Psal. 19.12 Clense thou me from secret faults What needs that will you say seeing the bloud of Christ once applyed by faith cleanseth us from all our sinnes as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 1.7 past and present and future too and when God pardoneth sin he pardoneth all at once To this I answer That though in respect of God and of the merit of Christs bloud so generall a pardon be purchased and given yet in respect of us in respect of the benefit
onely cause of all the evills and miserie that can befall a man In them all it may bee said as the Church speaketh Lamentations 3.39 Man suffereth for his sinne 2. Sinne is the onely thing that maketh all miserie to bee miserie indeed all crosses and afflictions so intolerable to us as they be Ieremy 8.14 The Lord our God hath put us to silence and given us water of gall to drinke because wee have sinned against the Lord. The sting of death is sin saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.5 6. Neither poverty nor sicknesse nor death it selfe could sting and paine us as they doe if our sinnes were pardoned 3. If all the crosses and miseries of the world should fall upon us the burden and bitternesse of them could not bee so intolerable unto us nor torment us so much as our sinne will doe when God shall charge it upon us O that will bite like a serpent saith Salomon who spake this from experience too Prov. 23.32 and sting like an adder A wounded spirit saith he Proverbs 18.14 who can beare 4. Lastly Sinne and nothing but sinne separateth betweene God and us Your iniquities saith the Prophet Esay 59.2 have separated betweene you and your God and your sinnes have hid his face from you that hee will not heare You see then how sound a ground of true comfort this is and how just cause every humbled soule hath to rejoyce in Christ in respect of this first benefit wee receive by him that through him our sinnes are pardoned that the bloud of Iesus Christ hath cleansed us from all our sins As the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 1.7 And for the second of those benefits which every true beleever receiveth by Christ see also how just a cause of comfort it is to every afflicted soule Esay 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord saith the true beelever my soule shall bee joyfull in my God for hee hath cloathed mee with the garments of salvation hee hath imputed and given unto mee the perfect holinesse and obedience of my blessed Saviour and made it mine hee hath covered mee all over from top to toe with the robe of righteousnesse as a bridegrome decketh himselfe with ornaments and as a bride adorneth her selfe with her jewells Great is the comfort that the soule of a Christian findeth in that inherent righteousnesse which God by his spirit hath wrought in him though it bee so poore and unperfect and maimed and slained as it is When he can find that he hath been able to pray or to confesse and mourne for his sinne or to do any other service to God with an honest and upright heart O what a comfort it is unto him And certainly if Christians did thinke well of this it would make them looke better to their hearts when they performe good duties and take heed of slubbering them over it would make them carefull to performe spirituall duties spiritually The people rejoyced saith the Holy Ghost 1 Chronicl 29.9 for that they had offered toward the building of Gods house willingly because with a perfect heart they had offered willingly to the Lord. And our rejoycing is this saith the Apopostle 2 Cor. 1.12 even the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not in fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world And it is joy saith Salomon Proverb 21.15 unto the just man to doe judgement As if he had thus said He joyeth not so much in all the gaine that he getteth by his trading his buying and selling and dealings with men as he doth in this that his conscience beareth witnesse with him that he hath dealt justly with all men he hath gotten it justly whatsoever he hath But if this poore and imperfect righteousnesse that is in us will yeeld us such comfort how just cause of comfort and rejoycing hath every true believer in this that he hath another manner of righteousnesse than this is the perfect righteousnesse of Christ Iesus is his Iob saith of his inherent righteousnesse whereby hee had beene so rich in good workes so abundant in the workes of mercy to all that stood in need of him Iob 29.14 that he put on his righteousnesse and it cloathed him my judgement saith he this care I had to deale justly and uprightly with all men was as a robe and a diademe unto me And a goodly garment and robe doubtlesse that was As comely apparell is knowne to set forth much and adorne the person of a man O that men and women specially knew not this too well O that by their pride in this by their over-much care to adorne and decke their bodies this way they did not make both their bodies and soules loathsome unto God as comely apparell I say if it be used in sobriety and moderation doth much set forth and adorne the body in the eye of man so doe those graces of the Spirit that Iob speaketh of even our inherent righteousnesse much more beautifie and adorne us in the eye both of God and man Be ye cloathed with humility saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 5.5 to all Christians As if he had said That is a goodly garment a goodly robe for any Christian to weare And speaking of Christian women he saith 1 Pet. 3.3 4. their adorning should not be that outward adorning of plaiting the haire no nor of cutting and shearing it would he have said if he had lived to see the fashions of these dayes nor in wearing of gold or jewels saith he nor in putting on of any apparell Why how then should a Christian woman dresse and decke her selfe will you say Surely with the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit saith he which is in the sight of God of great price Grace is a goodly garment certainely But if this garment of inherent righteousnesse that hath so many spots and rents in it will adorne us so much if that be so much to be joyed in what a beauty and glory is that which the Lord our God hath put upon us wretched sinners in cloathing us with the robe of Christs righteousnesse In that he hath not onely taken from us our owne filthy garments as he did from Iehoshua Zachary 3.4 but cloathed us with change of raiment with a righteousnesse sufficient and more than sufficient to make us comely and beautifull in his eyes In graunting to us that wee should bee arrayed in that fine linnen cleane and white as wee heard the last day out of Revelation 19.8 This robe the Lord hath put upon thee beloved I speake to the poorest to the weakest of all Gods servants that heareth me this day this perfect righteousnesse of Christ is thine O that thou hadst eyes to see thy happinesse in this O that thou hadst an heart to be affected with it and rejoyce in it as thou oughtest to doe Great was the glory of man in his first creation and in that righteousnesse wherewith hee was cloathed
then God created him in his owne image saith Moses Genesis 1.27 and hee repeateth it againe in the same Verse In the image of God created he him saith he And this is expounded by Salomon Eccles. 7.29 God made him righteous And by Paul this image of God saith he Ephes. 4.24 was righteousnesse and true holinesse And great was our losse doubtlesse in being stripped by his fall of this garment But wee have recovered more by Christ than wee lost by Adam the robe of righteousnesse which wee have gotten by Christ the second Adam is farre more glorious than that which wee were deprived of by the fall of the first Adam Every true believer is in a more blessed estate by Christ more white and beautifull in Gods eye than Adam was in his innocencie before hee had ever sinned And that in these three respects First That righteousnesse that Adam had was uncertaine and such as it was possible for him to lose yea he did lose it and that in a very short time God gave him power and freedome of will to hold and keepe it to stand in that blessed estate if he would himselfe and he gave him also power and freedome of will to part with it and lose it if he would to fall into sinne yea even into that sinne which is unto death But the righteousnesse that we have by Christ is made more sure unto us it is that good part yea the best portion of that good part which Mary had chosen of which our Saviour saith Luk. 10.42 that it should never be taken away from her And indeed how is it possible we should be spoiled of it Who should take this robe from us or spoile us of it Who shall separate us saith the Apostle Rom. 8.35 from the love of Christ And he concludeth verse 39. I am perswaded that neither height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. 1. Not all the policies of the world how strong soever they be It is not possible saith our Saviour Mat. 24.24 that false Christs and false Prophets with all their great signes and wonders should be able to deceive the elect of God 2. Not Satan with all his strength and subtilty he that is built upon this rocke saith our Saviour Matth. 16.18 he that hath gotten Christ and his righteousnesse the gates of hell shall not prevaile against him 3. Lastly Not the corruption of our owne heart He that is borne of God saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.9 cannot sinne he meaneth the sinne unto death It is not possible for an elect child of God so to sinne as that he should utterly lose Christ and this robe of righteousnesse which he hath received from him Secondly the righteousnesse that Adam had was in his owne keeping the spring and root of it was founded in himselfe and that was the cause why he lost it so soone He like the Prodigall Luke 15.12 13. had all his portion his blessednesse and righteousnesse in his owne hands and so made it quickely all away as he did But the righteousnesse we have by Christ is in our Fathers keeping Our life is hid with Christ in God saith the Apostle Colos. 3.3 The cause why it is not possible for any of our ghostly enemies to spoile us of it is not any inherent strength that is in us to keepe and hold it fast but the faithfulnesse and power of God whereby he watcheth over us and keepeth us from sinning that sinne which is unto death whereby we should lose Christ. The Lord is thy keeper saith David to his own soule Psal. 121.5 We are kept by the power of God unto salvation saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.5 My sheepe shall never perish saith our Saviour Ioh. 10.28 29. neither shall any pluck them out of my hand my father that gave them me is greater than all and none is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand Thirdly and lastly Admit the righteousnesse that Adam had in his creation had beene unchangeable and that he could never have lost it yet had it been but the righteousnesse of a man But the righteousnesse that we have by Christ is the righteousnesse of such a person as was God aswell as man And therefore as the second Adam was a farre more excellent person than the first Adam was The first was of the earth earthy as the Apostle speaketh 1 Corinth 15.47 The second was the Lord from heaven So his righteousnesse also must needs bee farre more absolute and sufficient to satisfie the infinite justice of God and the exact perfection of his holy law than Adams righteousnesse could possibly have done That righteousnesse that we have by faith in Christ is the righteousnesse of God saith the Apostle Roman 3.22 He made him to be sinne for us saith he 2 Corinth 5.21 who knew no sinne that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Now to make some application of all this that you have heard You see how just and sound a ground of true comfort this Doctrine is unto all true believers Let us then stirre up and provoke our selves to take comfort in it to rejoyce in Christ as we have just cause to doe Are the consolations of God small with thee saith Eliphaz to Iob 15.11 and so should every one of us say to our soules We should checke and chide our selves for this as David oft doth even thrice in two short Psalmes Psalme 43.5 11. and 43.5 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Why takest thou no more comfort in Christ why dost thou not rejoyce in him As every breach of Gods commandement is a sinne so it is certainly a sinne and a just cause of humbling to every true believer that he doth not rejoyce in Christ. For this is also a breach of Gods expresse commandement Rejoyce in the Lord that is rejoyce in Christ alway saith the Apostle Phil. 4.4 and againe I say rejoyce Nay in some respect it is a greater sinne than the breach of any of the commandements of the morall law for it is a breach of the commandement of the gospell which is greater than the law as is plaine by that comparison the Apostle maketh betweene them Hebr. 2.2 3. 8.6.10.28 29. It is a sinne that carryeth in it a contempt and light esteeme of Christ thy Saviour and wherein canst thou sinne more hainously than in this Charge therefore this sinne upon thine owne heart be humbled for it and strive against it Labour to find out in thy selfe the cause of it and purge thy heart of it strengthen thy selfe against it For certainly it is some dangerous humour and corruption or other that distempereth thy soule so as thou canst relish no more sweetnesse in Christ than thou dost Three things there are principally that Gods poore servants that Christ hath done all this for object and alledge
righteousnesse And this is that that I desire to exhort and perswade both my selfe and every one of you that you would be of the same mind that blessed Paul was of account of Christ as he did account of him labour as he did to win Christ and make him our own strive that we may be found in him covered and clothed in the robe of his righteousnesse And for the better enforcing of this so necessary an exhortation I will 1. Give you some Motives that may be forcible and effectuall to provoke and quicken your appetite unto Christ and to move you to hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse 2. Because nothing doth so much dull and deaden mens appetite unto Christ and keepe them from hungring and thirsting after him as doth this perswasion that they have him already sure enough they have already fed sufficiently upon him I will therefore shew you some Signes and notes out of Gods Word how this may be knowne 3. Lastly I will direct such as would faine win Christ as doe indeed hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse what Meanes they should use to get him and make him their own And for the Motives I will give you they are foure principally First Consider how wofull thy case will be when extreame affliction or death shall seize upon thee if thou be not in Christ if thou have not gotten this robe of righteousnesse before that time come Consider I say distinctly of this point First Certaine it is we shall not alwaies live in health and peace and prosperity as we now doe but a change will come affliction will come and cannot be avoided Man is borne unto trouble saith Eliphaz Iob 5.7 as the sparks flie upward Yea death will come certainely and cannot be avoided It is appointed saith the Apostle Heb. 9.27 decreed unto men unto all men that they shall once die Secondly How soone affliction and death will come or how suddenly no man can tell Man knoweth not his time saith Salomon Eccl. 9.12 as the fishes that are taken in an evill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare while they think least of it and are skipping and eating their meat securely so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly upon them Thirdly In what kind or measure any of us shall bee afflicted or by what kind of disease or death any of us shall end our daies is also most uncertaine to any of us and knowne onely to the Lord. The cup of affliction is in the hand of the Lord saith David Psalme 75.8 and it is he that mixeth and tempereth and poureth it out also as seemeth good unto him Fourthly The naturall and ordinary effect of extreame affliction is to awaken the conscience how sleepy or dead soever it had beene before And it will then bring a mans sins into his remembrance and the judgement that he is to goe unto When men are bound in setters saith Elihu Iob 36.8 9. and holden in the cords of affliction then hee showeth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded in As if hee should say Then his manner is to set their sins in order before them and all the foule circumstances whereby they may bee aggravated See an example of this in Gods owne people When Iosephs brethren saw themselves taken for spies in Egypt and so in present danger of death Genesis 42.21 the sinne that they had committed against their brother many yeeres before came as fresh into their remembrance and lay heavy upon their conscience as if it had beene but newly done See also an example of this even in an heathen man When Adonibezek was in extreame paine and misery and saw he must dye then commeth his sinnes into his remembrance Iudges 2.7 Threescore and ten Kings having their thumbs and their great toes cut off saith hee gathered their meate under my table as I have done so God hath requited mee I know well that affliction nor sicknesse nor the grisly visage of death it selfe doth use to awaken the conscience of every man some through the fearefull judgement of God goe to hell in a sleepe The Lord hath powred upon them as the Prophet speaketh Esay 29.10 the spirit of dead sleepe and hath closed their eyes But yet this is the ordinary effect of extreame affliction and that that every one of us must looke for when the evill day shall come upon us our consciences will put us in mind of our sinnes as you see yea it will put us also in mind of the judgement we must goe unto and ever be ringing that in our eares that Salomon speaketh Ecclesi 11.9 Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgement Fiftly If a man have not gotten faith and comfort in Christ before then he is in danger through extreamity of anguish and feare to be made utterly uncapable and unfit to receive comfort by him then though the best of Gods servants use their uttermost skill and endeavour to offer Christ and his merits unto them and to give them comfort in him When Moses came from God to the children of Israel with a most comfortable message it is said Exodus 6.9 they could not hearken unto him for anguish of spirit and for crueâ—l bondage Sixtly and lastly The man that is then without Christ without any assurance that hee is his must needs be in a most wofull estate For hee can have no hope of mercy from God For Christ is our onely hope as the Apostle calleth him 1 Tim. 1.1 And they that are without Christ have no hope saith hee Ephes. 2.12 O then let us count it our wisedome to seeke without delay to make Christ our owne before the evill day before death do seaze upon us This Motive the holy Ghost oft useth to rouze wicked men out of their carnall security And what will yee doe saith he Esay 10.3 in the day of visitation To whom will yee flye for helpe And Ieremy 13.21 What wilt thou say when hee shall punish thee Shall not sorrowes take thee as a woman in travaile And so may I say to you all beloved though you can be quiet and comfortable enough now in the dayes of your health and peace without Christ without all assurance that he is yours how will you do for comfort when affliction and death shall come What comfort can you have then without you have him made sure unto you Psal. 2.12 Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are all they that put their trust in him On the other side The man that is in Christ and hath through him gotten his pardon and made his peace with God and that is cloathed with the robes of his righteousnesse may bee comfortable in the greatest affliction and even in the houre of death The raine descended saith our Saviour Matth
you will be apt to say Is that such a matter for a man an ancient man especially to bee a little sleepy and drowsy some times And that it is not well done of me thus openly to disgrace men for their weaknesses and infirmities But to such I answer First I doe not publish or lay open any mans secret or private faults I speake of a sinne that is publique and open to the Congregation Of a sinne of which it may be said as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 3.9 They declare their sinne as Sodom they hide it not And it is the Apostles rule 1 Tim. 5.20 Them that sinne thus rebuke openly Secondly I speake of a sin that is so growne into fashion heere in so common and generall use that no man seemeth to count it any shame at all to him to doe it Were they ashamed saith the Prophet Ier. 8.12 nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Thirdly I speak of a sinne that together with the profanenesse of the children in laughing out and sporting and fighting in the Church ordinarily every Sabbath day is a great blemish to our Church assemblies and such as may provoke the Lord to say of them as he doth of those Esa. 1.13 The Sabbaths the calling of assemblies I cannot away with it is iniquity even the solemne meetings 4. To bee overtaken with drowsinesse and sleepinesse sometimes even in the Church even at a Sermon may well be an infirmity specially in an aged man And I were much to blame if I should censure any man for this rigorously I know well the Apostles rule Gal. 6.1 If any man bee overtaken with a fault a frailty and infirmity hee meaneth yee that are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe least thou also be tempted And what man is there that is not subject to naturall infirmities But if thy sleeping were onely an infirmity thou wouldest not be so pleased with thy selfe in it it would trouble thee more thou wouldest by standing up and rowzing thy selfe strive against it thou wouldst count it a kindnesse in thy neighbour that sitteth next thee to jogge thee and waken thee yea thou wouldst pray to God for helpe and strength against it I know it is the ordinary plea that is made for many foule sinnes the drunkard will say so too It is but my infirmity Callest thou these infirmities I tell thee there is a damnable weakenesse and infirmity The Lord speaking to Hierusalem who was now become an imperious whorish Woman saith Ezek. 16.30 How weake is thy heart It was a damnable weakenesse There is a spirituall spirit of infirmity Luke 13.11 The Devill hath made thee so weake that thou canst resist no temptation that thou art as unable to stand against temptation as the chaffe is to withstand the power of the winde Psal. 14. It is a cursed infirmity when thou art so weake as that thou canst not cease from sinne as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 2.14 But the Apostle speaking of the frailties and infirmities that were in himselfe and the rest of the faithfull Rom. 7. and 8. Giveth us foure notes whereby a sinne of infirmity may be knowne from a raigning sinne The first is in the fifteenth Verse of the seaventh Chapter What I hate saith he that doe I. He was is convinced in his judgement that it was a sinne and therefore hated it so canst not thou say of thy sinne The second is Verse 19. The evill which I would not that I doe His will the purpose and resolution of his heart was against it Knowing his weakenesse he armed himselfe aforehand against it by purposing with himselfe to take heed to himselfe that he might not fall into it as David did Psal. 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth as with a bridle He strove against it by prayer and all other good meanes so canst not thou say of thy sinne The third is Verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Hee was much troubled and grieved when he was overtaken with it it was a great burden to his soule so canst not thou say of thy sinne The fourth and last is Rom. 8.1 They that are in Christ Iesus walke not after the flesh It is not their custome and ordinary practice to doe so so canst not thou say of thy sinne No no I assure thee to sleepe ordinarily a great part of the Sermon while as many of you use to doe nay to sleepe at all in the Church without shame without feare without stirring up your selves and striving against it is more then an infirmity it is certainely a grosse sinne And God will judge thee a prophaner of his Sabbaths that doest so though thou come to Church never so diligently Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary saith the Lord twice to his people Levit. 19.30.26.2 God will never account thee a keeper of his Sabbaths that shewest no more reverent respect unto his Sanctuary I tell thee there is a reverence due from the greatest man in the world unto the Lords Sanctuary in three respects 1. In respect of the people and servants of God that are met there to worship him Despise yee the Church of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.22 2. In respect of the holy Angels who are then chiefly present with Gods people and have a charge to attend them when they are assembled together to worship God both to bee as a guard unto them as also to bee witnesses and observers of their behaviour then This was tipified by the figures of the Cherubins that were carved round about upon the walls of Salomons Temple as we reade 1 King 6.29 And more plainly taught us by the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.10 For this cause saith he in the congregation ought the woman to have power on her head that is her vaile which is a signe of her husbands power and superiority over her because of the Angels 3. In respect of the Lord himselfe who is in a speciall sort present there where his people are assembled to worship him Where two or three are gathered together in my Name saith our Saviour Matth. 18.20 There am I in the midst of them And canst thou then call it thine infirmity to shew no more reverence in such a presence to sleepe at a Sermon ordinarily without feare without shame when thou knowest that all these eyes are upon thee When the people of God and the holy Angels of God yea the Lord Himselfe doe all looke upon thee and behold thee And so much shall serve to be said in reproofe of that fault which is committed against the first branch of the commandement The second branch of the fourth commandement requireth us to spend the day so farre as our bodily necessities will permit in holy and religious duties both publike and private but
yeeld universall obedience to the will of God in one thing as well as in another as there is no doubt but there is many a one that thinketh so of himselfe that is perswaded hee liveth in no knowne sinne his life is in all respects such as it ought to bee There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes saith Salomon Proverbes 30.12 In all my labours saith Ephraim Hosea 12.8 they shall find no iniquity admit I say that this were so yet is there this defect in the goodnesse of the best hypocrite in the world hee doth nothing with a good heart Every way of man saith Salomon Proverbes 21.2 is right in his owne eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts As if hee should say Man is apt to flatter himselfe and to thinke passing well of every thing hee doth but the Lord in weighing and valuing the actions of men hath an eye alwaies to this with what heart every thing is done When the counsels of the hearts shall bee made manifest saith the Apostle 1 Cor 4.5 As if he had said With what intent and purpose of heart men have done that which they did then and not before shall every man have praise with God Now no hypocrite did ever any good thing with a good heart hee abstaineth from no sinne nor performeth any good thing hee doth out of obedience and love to God but out of some by respect or other Take a proofe for this in the example of those Iewes that we read of Zachary 7. for seventy yeares together during the whole time of the captivity they kept a solemne fast foure times in the yeare Was not this a singular good thing And yet the Lord plainely telleth them that the most of them in doing of this were no better then hypocrites And why so will you say What defect was there in this goodnesse of theirs What was it that did discover the falshood and hypocrisy of their hearts in this holy and good action Certainely no outward thing nothing that the eye of man was able to discover as in the foure former sorts that I have spoken of the Lord that pondereth the hearts hee found that they had not done this with a good heart As he telleth them verse 5. When yee fasted and mourned saith he in the fift and seventh moneth even these seventy yeares did yee at all fast unto me even unto me Which interrogation hath the force of a vehement denyall As if hee had said Ye did not at all fast unto me And hee enforceth this deniall with a most emphaticall repetition appealing withall to their owne conscience Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me No you did not and that your owne consciences doe know full well To whom then did they keepe these fasts Surely to themselves as it appeareth in the next verse They kept them not to please the Lord to shew their love and obedience unto him to testifie their obedient submission unto his correcting hand and their griefe for offending and provoking him their unfained desire to recover his favour But they kept them meerely out of selfe-love to please and give contentment to themselves They grieved for the destruction and burning of the Temple and City which was in the fift moneth as you may read Ier. 52 12 13. and for the slaughter of Gedaliah which was in the seventh moneth as you may read Ier. 41.1 2. upon whose death followed the utter dispersion of the remainder of the Iewes they mourned and tooke on for the ruine of their state and sighed under the burden of their present misery they thought their fasting to bee a satisfactory worke that would merit Gods favour But for offending God by their sinnes they mourned not they did not in their fasts by unfeigned repentance and reformation of their lives seeke attonement and reconciliation with God and therefore the Lord saith they did not at all fast unto him but unto themselves onely Heere then you see is another note of difference betweene that goodnesse that seemeth to be in the best and most glorious hypocrite and that which is in the weakest and poorest Christian under heaven The hypocrite in the best duties that he performeth serveth not the Lord at all but himselfe only in seeming to serve the Lord hee still seeketh himselfe onely and not the Lord. Thus God taxeth the hypocrisy of Israel Hos 10.1 Israel is as an empty vine hee bringeth forth fruit to himselfe As if he had said All good things that he doth hee doth them out of selfe-love hee seeketh himselfe onely in them In doing of any good he seeketh 1 Either the good opinion of men and the advantage that may grow to him thereby as the hypocriticall Pharisies did All their workes they doe to be seene of men saith our Saviour Matth. 23.5 Or 2 out of hope to merit somewhat of God and to bind him thereby the rather to beare with him in some other things as those hypocrites did Esa 58.3 Wherefore have wee fasted say they and thou seest it not Or 3 at the best hee doth it to avoid Gods wrath which hee knoweth is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men as those did which the Prophet speaketh of Psal. 78. â—4 When hee slew them then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God On the other side the true hearted Christian even the weakest and poorest soule amongst them though in eschewing evill and doing good he have some respect to himselfe the feare of hell and of the wrath of God due to sinne and the desire he hath to escape damnation hath great force to restraine him from sinne Knowing the terrours of the Lord saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 5.11 we perswade men and the hope and desire of the reward that God hath promised to a godly life hath great force to perswade him unto godlinesse Moses had respect unto the recompense of reward as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 11.26 Yet the chiefe thing that moveth him to hate sinne and to love goodnesse is the desire hee hath to please and honour the Lord. Every good thing he doth he doth it to the Lord he serveth God in that he doth the maine intent of his heart in doing it is that hee may be accepted of God and please him It is said of Iosiah 2 Chron. 35.1 that hee kept a passover unto the Lord As if he had said his care was that it might be so administred and received as God might bee pleased in it And the Apostle professeth of himselfe 1 Thess. 3.4 that in preaching his care was so to speake not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts His maine care in preaching was not to doe his taske to get the credit and reputation of a diligent preacher or to obtaine a good applause among men but to preach so as hee might please God and approve his heart unto him Yea hee telleth us that even in
thy Name Many that are such as of whom Christ himselfe will professe that he never knew them yet are confidently perswaded that they have good title unto him And there is no one thing that doth more dull and deaden mens appetite unto Christ and keepe them from hungring and thirsting after him and his righteousnesse then doth this perswasion that they have him already sure enough or at least they may have him when they list Christ dyed for all men say they and therefore I were a very beast if I should make any doubt of this that Christ died for me Know therfore beloved which is I assure you a matter of great importance for you all to know that it is a most dangerous delusion of Satan whereby men are perswaded that all men shall have benefit by Christ. No no the spirit of God teacheth us expresly the contrary in the holy Scriptures that all men shall not be the better for him but only a certaine choice and peculiar people Yee are a chosen generation saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.9 a peculiar people Nay the Scripture teacheth us that there be but a few in comparison that shall have any benefit by him And there are three evident reasons to prove this First the pardon that Christ hath purchased for men by his death all men shall not have their part in nor receive benefit by He was in the world saith the Evangelist Ioh. 1.10 and the world knew him not No this is appropriated to the Church of Christ only The people that dwell therein saith the Prophet Esa. 33.24 shalâ— be forgiven their iniquity And the Angell giveth this for the reason why he should be called Iesus Matth. 1.21 Thou shalt call his name Iesus saith he for he shall save his people from their sinnes Hee is the Saviour of his body of his Church saith the Apostle Eph. 5.23 Now alas the Church of Christ is but a little flocke as himselfe calleth it Luk. 12 32. If the whole world were divided into thirty equall parts there would not bee found above five of them that doe so much as professe the name of Christ. And of those five the Papists and Protestants taken all together will not make three And of those three the number of the Papists whose persons I will not judge but their doctrines are damnable doth farre exceed the number of the Protestants So that you see if none but the Church of Christ shall have benefit by Christ the number of them that shall have benefit by Christ is but very small in comparison of them that shall have no benefit by him at all Secondly Not all that live in Christs Church and professe his true Religion shall have benefit by Christ. He came unto his owne saith the Evangelist Iohn 1.11 and his owne received him not There be but a few of them neither that shall have any benefit by him So that looke what the Apostle saith of Israel Rom. 9.27 may truly be said likewise of the whole Church of Christ and of such as professe the true Religion Though the number of them be as the sand of the sea yet but a remnant of them shall be saved And it is worth the observing how often and how plainly and how earnestly our Saviour himselfe was wont to presse this point in his preaching He taught his hearers in the parable of the sower Matth. 13. that this field of Christ where he is pleased to sow the seed of his word and Gospell hath foure sorts of ground in it and of those foure but one that is good Hee taught them in his Sermon on the Mount Mat. 7.14 That the way that leadeth unto life is a narrow way and that there be few that find it He taught them in the parable of them that were bidden to the Kings marriage feast Mat. 22.14 that even of them that were called to the profession of the truth by his owne gracious and powerfull Ministery there were but a few that were chosen And in the parable of the labourers that were hired to work in the Vineyard Matth. 20.16 he affirmeth the like of the state of his Church in time to come Many shall be called but few chosen As if hee had said Though the number of them that by any outward calling are brought to a profession of the truth may seeme to be great as indeed it is yet there be but a few even of them that make so good a profession that are chosen of God and consequently that are inwardly and effectually called and that shall bee saved and receive benefit by Christ. The Lord discribeth to us the course he is wont to take in calling his elect inwardly and effectually Ier. 3.14 I will take you one of a City and two of a family or tribe Thinke not beloved nor looke for it that every one that giveth his name to Christ and joyneth himselfe to Gods people and professeth the truth with much forwardnesse and zeale is inwardly and effectually called of God or shall have benefit by Christ. No no remember and forget not but thinke oft and seriously of that saying of Christ Many are called but few are chosen Thirdly Nay many that live in the Church of Christ and professe the true Religion are so farre from receiving benefit by Christ that they shall receive much hurt by him and shall have one day just cause to wish that he had never beene borne that hee had never dyed for sinners that they had never heard of him Behold saith old Simeon to the blessed Virgin Luk. 2.34 When hee had Christ in his armes Behold saith he as if he should have said It is a strange thing but yet a most certaine thing that I will tell thee Mary this child is set and appointed of God by an unchangeable decree as well for the fall as for the rising againe of many in Israel Hee is unto many in Israel to many that live in the true Church of God a stone of stumbling as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2.8 and a rocke of offence though not a cause yet an occasion of their utter ruine and perdition They would not have beene so lewd men as they are nor continued with that quietnesse and contentment of mind in many foule sinnes had it not beene for that that they have heard of Christ and for that confidence that they have in him that hee will pay all their scores and answere the justice of God for whatsoever they have done amisse But how can this bee will you say that there should be but a few that shall have benefit by Christ Seeing the Scripture saith expresly 1 Tim. 2.6 That he gave himselfe a ransome for all And Heb. 2.9 That he tasted death for every man and 1 Iohn 2.2 He is the propitiation not for our sinnes only but also for the sinnes of the whole world I answer That not to enter into the controversie of universall redemptino it is agreed on by all divines
see What for all men May we pray for professed idolaters and enemies to the religion of God Yes even for idolaters and enemies to the Gospell and for worse than them too if worse can be We may pray for any wicked man excepting him onely that hath committed the sinne against the Holy Ghost There is a sinne unto death saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.16 I do not say that any man shall pray for it that is for the pardon of that sinne But that sinne no blinde idolater certainely specially none that hath beene borne and bred in idolatry can possibly have committed Moses being required so to do prayed even for Pharaoh yea he prayed oft for him as we may read Exodus 8.12.30 9.33 10.18 So did the man of God also for Ieroboam a grosse idolater 1 Kings 13.6 And Stephen of his owne accord though he were not required to doe it prayed for them that stoned him Acts 7.60 Said I we may pray for idolaters Nay we must pray for them specially if they be such as God hath placed in any degree of preheminence over us we sinne if we doe it not See two expresse commandements of God for this one in the Old Testament another in the New What more grosse idolaters were there ever in the world both for Prince and subjects than the Babylonians were at that time when Gods people lived in captivity under them Yet were they expresly commanded to pray even for them Ier. 29.7 Seeke the peace of the city saith the Lord whither I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it And were there ever more foule idolaters than the Roman Emperours were in the dayes of the Apostles And yet God giveth an expresse commandement 1 Timothy 2.1 that in all Church-meetings there should be first and principall care taken for this that supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes might bee made as for all other men so specially for kings and all that are in authority Three things are to be observed in this commandement First That whereas the former commandement seemeth to reach no further than unto temporall blessings that Gods people were to begge of God for Babylon as did also Moses his prayer for Pharaoh and that of the man of God for Ieroboam in this wee are charged to pray for the conversion of idolatrous Princes and for the salvation of them Secondly That this is given for a reason why we should pray for them That wee may live a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty As if hee had said If Gods people can by their prayers prevaile for the conversion of such as are in authority these three benefits will bee obtained by it First The Church shall enjoy more peace by this meanes Secondly Honesty that is justice and equity and fidelity in the civill conversation of men wil be the better preserved Thirdly Godlinesse true piety and religion will prosper the better by this means When Kings and Queens are converted they will become nursing fathers and nursing mothers to the Church as the Lord promiseth Esa. 49.23 And therefore we are bound first of all and above all others to pray heartily to God for their conversion Thirdly Lastly Another reason is to be observed which the Apostle giveth for this Vers. 3 4. For this is good and acceptable saith he in the sight of God our Saviour who will have all men that is of all sorts of men Gentiles as well as Iewes Kings and Princes as well as men of meaner condition though this may seeme never so unlikely a thing unto you because ye see none such converted hitherto yet be not out of hope of it God will have of them also some to be saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if he should say These Princes as bad as they be now may belong to Gods election for ought you know and certainly some such as they are heathen and idolatrous Princes are in Gods eternall counsell ordained to salvation And who knoweth whether you prayers be not also ordained to be the meanes whereby it shall be procured Therefore pray for them saith he And out of doubt there is great cause to hope that our superiours who are yet in errour might be sooner reclaimâ—d and such of them also that do professe the truth might become more religious and zealous than they are if Gods people could according to their bounden duty pray more fervently unto God for them than they do And thus must we try the truth of our charity by the love we beare unto all men If we beare not such a love as this is unto all men certainly our charity is not such as it ought to be Secondly We must make tryall of our charity by the love we beare unto them that have wronged us and are our enemies Know this therefore beloved that thou art bound to love thine enemy yea every enemy of thiâ—e how much soever or in what kind soever he hath wronged thee thou art bound to love him and if thou canst not doe this thou hast no true charity and consequently thou hast not the Spirit of Christ in thee I say unto you saith our Saviour speaking of and describing true love Mat. 5.44 45. love your enemies that you may be that is that you may know your selves to be the children of your father which is in heaven As if he had said you can never be assured that you are Gods children till you can do this Now that we may the better understand and be affected with this point I will shew you more particularly what a manner of love God requireth of us towards our enemies in these eight degrees First We may not revenge nor so much as purpose with our selves or desire to be revenged of any enemy we have for any wrong that he hath done unto us Dearely beloved saith the Apostle Rom. 12.19 avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath As if he had said Let God alone with that for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. Say not saith Salomon Prov. 24.29 that is purpose not nor resolve with thy selfe thus I will do so to him as he hath done unto me As if he should say I will do him no wrong and so long as I do him no wrong I hope I cannot be blamed I will render to the man according to his worke Why what wrong is there in that Is not this a most just and equall thing to render to every man according to his worke I answer That in the Lord himselfe it is indeed so and in the Magistrate which is Gods deputy it is so too but in a private man it is not so it is a wrong it is wickednesse for him to doe it because he usurpeth Gods office Nay it were unjustice even in a Magistrate to revenge his owne private wrong Feare not saith Ioseph to his brethren Genes
and wonders that they doe yet might they bee false Prophets for all that false Prophets saith our Saviour shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elâ—ct If it were possible saith hee It is not possible for any of Gods elect to bee so deceived by any false teachers as that they should fall into those errours that are fundamentall and persist in them The foundation of God saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 2.19 this decree of God which is the maine foundation of our whole salvation that standeth sure and can never bee mooved or altered And secondly wee are kept saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.5 by the power of God through faith unto salvation And by our faith wee have in these things and in other the promises of God we stand as the Apostle saith 2 Corith 1.24 and not by any thing that is in our selves But though this bee so yet hath the Lord appointed some things for us to doe to preserve our selves from falling away from the truth And though he at the first made us without our selves not of our first creation only but of the first forming of the new creature principally is that to be understood which the Church speaketh Psalme 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves as appeares by the words that follow We are his people and the sheepe of his pasture we were meere patients in both those first workes of God yet will he not save us without our selves he will not preserve us in the state of grace nor bring us unto glory without our owne endeavour he will have us to be agents in this work our selves and co-workers with him Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 and Iude 20 â—1 Build up your selves in your most holy faith and keep your selves in the love of God And whomsoever God hath elected and decreed to preserve so as they shall never bee deceived and drawne from the truth in them he will worke a care and endeavour to use all meanes to preserve themselves Yea he will make them to be diligent and painfull in working for themselves this way in doing their endeavour and using of the meanes whereby they may be kept from falling away from the truth The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes that had done much already to make sure to themselves their owne election and calling And wee desire saith hee Hebrewes 6.11 12. that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That yee bee not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises No man can have full assurance of hope to bee preserved from falling away unlesse even to the end of his dayes hee bee diligent in using the meanes to preserve himselfe No man may looke to inherit Gods promises that is a sloathfull man that relyeth wholly upon Gods mercy and power and gracious promises and will use no endeavour take no paines to keepe himselfe from falling from God On the other side hee that will diligently endeavour himselfe to doe that that God hath directed him to doe and to use Gods meanes shall not need to doubt but that God will uphold him though the times were farre more dangerous than they are Hee that upheld Noah Genesis 6.9 and Obadiah 1 Kings 18.3 in such times as these were can certainely uphold us in these times God is able to make him stand saith the Apostle Romans 14.4 Yea and hee will cetainely doe it if wee bee not wanting to our selves Arise and bee doing saith David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will bee with thee Do thy endeavour in the use of Gods meanes conscionably and thou shalt not need to doubt of successe In all labour there is profit saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 14.23 which is to bee understood as well of the paines wee are to take for our soules and for heaven as for that wee take for our bodies in our worldly callings Yea the Lord to shew the necessity of our own endeavour to encourage us unto this and to honour the use of his meanes is pleased to ascribe our preservation from falling and standing in the state of grace which is indeed his owne worke onely unto this our care of keeping of our selves Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.18 A regenerate man may by a conscionable use of the meanes yet not hee saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.10 but the grace of God that is with him and with all others also that faithfully doe their endeavour keepe himselfe so as that Satan nor any of his agents shall ever bee able to touch him mortally to draw him to that sinne that is unto death Yea hee that will carefully doe what lyeth in him I speake still of the regenerate man may preserve himselfe though not from all sinne from all humane frailties and infirmities yet certainely from all grosse and scandalous sinnes even from such as hee hath beene by nature or custome most strongly inclined unto And I kept my selfe from mine iniquity saith David Psalme 18.23 You will aske me then what is it that God would have vs to doe to preserve our selves from falling into errour and to keepe our selves constant in his holy truth I answer they bee two things principally some things wee must avoid and some things wee must doe 1. We must carefully beware of and shun those things whereby we are in danger to be corrupted in our judgement and drawne away from the truth 2. Wee must diligently use the meanes whereby wee may bee established and preserved in it Of the first kind there are two wholsome and necessary directions given us in Gods Booke First Hee that would be constant in the truth of religion and not fall from it must shun and avoid them by whom he may be in danger to be seduced and drawne into errour Shun the hearing of them the conferring with them the reading of their bookes desire not to heare what they can say for their errours and against the truth This direction wee shall find often given unto Gods people Cease my sonne to heare saith the Holy Ghost Proverbes 19.27 the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge As if hee should have said Thou hast received the knowledge of the truth from the Word of God the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the words of knowledge and these men would instruct thee and by great probability of reason perswade thee another way Give over hearing of such men saith the Holy Ghost This direction the Apostle gives Romanes 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren saith hee observe his earnestnesse in this matter marke them which cause divisions and offences are authors of new sects contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And this note our blessed Saviour
they could stirre and blow away the ashes that cover it they should find some sparke of grace abiding in them still This course David tooke when he was in that case Psal. 77.6 I communed with mine owne heart and my spirit made diligent search Heere is a notable priviledge that Gods child hath above all hypocrites and wicked men in the world the more narrowly he prieth into himselfe the more diligently he searcheth into his own heart and waies the more comfort he hath in his estate Nothing hindreth our comfort so much as the neglect of this examination of our selves Let every man prove his owne worke saith the Apostle Gal. 6.4 and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another Secondly Admit that by examining themselves they could find none yet may another experienced Christian that observeth them well and whose judgement is not over-clouded with passion discerne grace in them when they cannot discerne any in themselves According to our proverbe a stander by may see that which the gamester himselfe seeth not And as daily experience sheweth in them that by fevers or otherwaies have their braines distempered they that visit them may discerne much goodnesse in them when themselves know not what they say or do This helpe the Church used when she had lost her beloved Can. 3.2 3. She went about the city to private Christians she went unto the Watchmen the Ministers of the Word that they might helpe her to recover her comfort to raise her up againe when she was fallen And even in this respect it may truly be said as Eccle. 4.10 Wo to him that is alone when he falleth for he hath not another to helpe him up Thirdly and lastly Admit that no truth of grace could be discerned to be in them when they are thus fallen either by themselves or by any other yet we may be sure it is in them and that no elect child of God called according to his purpose can so fall as utterly to lose all grace because God in his Word hath said so and there is more credit to be given to Gods Word then to the sense and reason of all the men in the world We must walke by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5.7 If any man shall aske me where hath God in his Word said so I answer 1. God in his Word hath said Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeveth on the sonne hath everlasting life What life meaneth he there Surely the life of grace which is the beginning of the life of glory The life of grace it is an everlasting life 2. God in his Word hath said 2 Ioh. 2. The truth dwelleth in us not in himselfe onely but in all the faithfull and shall be with us for ever Whether we understand by the truth saving knowledge or sincerity of heart the proofe is pregnant that where once it is it is of a lasting nature 3. God in his Word hath said 1 Ioh. 3.9 He that is borne of God doth not commit sinne that is doth not sin as the wicked man doth of whom he had spoken verse 8. with the full sway of his soule for his seed saith he the seed of God the seed of grace and regeneration that incorruptible seed as the Apostle Peter calleth it 1 Pet. 1.23 remaineth in him and he cannot sinne he cannot so fall as apostates because he is borne of God This were easie to be shewed in all the three degrees I mentioned before of the spirituall decayes and falls that the regenerate subject unto which when thou findest in thy selfe thou maist take comfort 1. When they have lost that cheerefullnesse and vigour of spirit wherewith they were wont to performe spirituall duties the delight they were wont to take in the Word and prayer yet they dare not give over these duties but in obedience unto God and with a labour of love they performe them still and grieve that they can performe them no better Behold the seed of God remaineth in them So was it with David Psal. 119.25 When his soule cleaved to the dust yet he cryed still to God 2. When they have lost their assurance of Gods favour in the greatest fits of infidelity that ever they have they dare not then doe any thing that might offend him they seeke and cry to God still thirst after nothing more then his favour mourne for no losse so much Their soule lamenteth after the Lord as his people did 1 Sam. 7.2 Behold the seed of God remaineth in them See this also in David Psal. 22.1 When hee was even ready to sinke in despaire and to conclude God had forsaken him yet then hee could cry and weepe and take on for the want of Gods favour And Psal. 31.22 I said in mine hast I am cut off from before thine eyes neverthelesse thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee 3. And lastly When they have slipped and fallen most foully either through their owne security or by the violence of any tentation they doe not onely feele inward checks for their fall in themselves the spirit lusting against the flesh as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 5.17 but a greater aptnesse to rise againe when God shall be pleased to give them the meanes of recovery and to reach out his hand unto them then is in any other men Behold in this also the seed of God remaining in them See this in the Church Cant. 5.2 I sleepe but my heart waketh it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh 1. She was not in a dead sleepe not quite overcome with security 2. So soone as she heard the voice of Christ she certainely knew it to be his voice and it wrought upon her and made her rise though not so soone as she should have done And so much may suffice for the strengthning and comfort of Gods people against the first of those two tentations that I mentioned unto you I now proceed unto the second O but saith many a good soule though I be for the present I praise God in the state of grace yet God knoweth how long I shall so continue I may fall away from God irrecoverably yea I find my selfe so weake now so unable now to resist any tentation that when the fiery triall shall come when the houre of death shall come and that last and sharpest skirmish that I must looke to have with Satan I feare I shall then be unable to stand and this feare disquieteth and tormenteth my heart Now for the comfort of Gods people against this tentation I say that though thou mayest in the houre of tentation shew much weakenesse yet if there bee the fruit of Gods eternall love and Election in any truth of grace in thee thou shalt never be so overcome of any tentation as to fall finally but certainly thou shalt recover thy selfe before thou dyest When the Apostle had spoken 1 Iohn 5.17 of the sin unto death hee addeth in the next