not manifesting but concealing this future evill 2. If contrary unto the accustomed mercies of the wise God toward the inquisitive sons of un-advised man Gods predestination concerning Isaac be revealed Tell it not in Beersheba for should the Patriarch know it would bring down his gray haires with sorrow to the grave 3. If to the unhappy ears of the surprised old Father it must come Prepare him a little Give him his full sleep a full meal and due store of wine Place in a readiness about him Lovers and Friends if not to share and divide yet to bewail and bemoan his Woe Then but not untill then give unto him some easy hint some warie fore notice of what will seem sad news at the best 4. If this be not to tempt but to indulge if no company nor Comforters may be admitted Solitary and forlorn as he is let him by himselfe alone recieve the intelligence but let him receive it with a still voice let him not receive it over hastily To bolt upon one over sodainly startleth even then when one bringeth a blessing how much more when one cometh not to befriend but to afflict 5. If sodainly and unexspectedly the newes must affright if in an hour that he is not aware of the aged and trembling parent must hear the tidings of his dear-sons fate Mention it unto him in the day time there is in Day light some light of comfort Mention it not in the night season in all Darkness there is Dread If heretofore there fell upon this faithful Patriarch such a horrour at the going down of the Sun a greater horrour will seise him now in the night in the dark night in the dead time of the dark night 6. If to add to the discomfort there must be a dreadfull horrour upon his mind then when he heareth his Isaac's doom send I pray thee by the man whom thou wilt send by some Cushi or by some Amalekite for How dismall are the Feete of him that bringeth bad errands If Ahimaaz be a good man King David will from Ahimaaz exspect good tidings Such is their Clemency It is by their inferiour Judges that Princes condemn their own lips speake not except pardons If therefore any Enemies Abraham hath let one of them be unto him the black messenger of his Isaac's death but let not the Lord speake unto his servant lest he dye In the last place As the Destinie of Isaac was brought unto Abraham in the horrour of Darknesse and that too not by some Enemie or stranger neither by some neighbour or friend no not by some Man of God no nor yet by some Angel of the Lord but by the dreadfull JEHOVAH himselfe So 1. God who at Sundrie times spake in diverse manners spake in this third age of the World neither by Vrim nor by Thummim but either in Dreames or in Visions Oh not in a Dreame lest that feare not in a Vision lest that terrifie the Patriarch such a Dreame such a Vision as this will make his whole head sick and his whole heart faint 2. Let not the good old man espie an estranged looke from his hitherto benigne Lord rather let him not see the face of God at all for Who can see the face of God and live 3. Suppose that the Lord do indeede un-cloth himselfe of his majestie and terrour Suppose he speak face to face with Abraham as a man speaketh with his friend Neverthelesse as the case now standeth he in so doing Will not as his manner was confirm and comfort this Holy Father but he will as his manner is not deterre and dismay Him For 4. Call thy Daughter Jo-ruhamah and thy Son Lo-ammi Call Na-ommi not Naomi but Marah If a signet on the Lords right hand Jeconiah may not be deal squarely with him name him not Jeconiah but Coniah And if a God come not to blesse but to tempt if he come to un-Abraham the Patriarch say a not Abraham but Abram 5. I have called thee by thy name thou art mine The favouritie as ever awaketh starteth up and with joy answereth unto his name but b Hope disappointed maketh his heart sick For. In v. 2. of Gen. 22. Abraham was tempted 1. IN the b Surprize of which he a never dreamed He a thought to heare not the dire will but the good pleasure of his bountifull Lord He a expecteth not a burden but a blessing not a strict charge but enlarged promises not a billing command but loving kindnesses better then life Me thinks I see me thinketh I hear the overjoyed heart of this surprised Favourite b interrupting his God Take now O blessed possessour of heaven and of earth Thou art alwaies like thy self Thou art alwaies giving Take now thy son Which of the two sons whom the Lord hath graciously given unto mee Him by the Bond-woman or Him by the Free-woman Thine only Isaac The apple of mine eye and of thine eye also O my God Whom thou lovest And O most high God whom Thou lovest And get thee unto the land of Moriah For there the Lord will command his blessings And there for a burnt offering offer Most probably hitherto this Favourite fed his hopes But when it b added for a burnt offering offer Him then was Abraham tempted 1 What had He sinned that among all the inhabitants of Gods earth He alone should be singled out for such a prodigie as this Had he trespassed against a Neighbours Wife reason good then that he should give his first born for his transgression the fruit of his body for the sin of his soul But blessed be his God He had wrought no such follie hee Admit he had Here after the son of Davids adulterie shall dye a natural death and shall the Son of Abrahams integritie be haled like a beast unto the slaughter 2. Offer him up there To whom Satan He was a murderer from the beginning As for the God of all flesh His Delight is not to destroy but to preserve the work of his own hands 3. Of man shall mans blood be required Doth God trapan Abraham If when He shew his brother a mark was set upon Cain should Abraham slay his son would his God hold him guiltless 4. Take now thy Son For what for a burnt offering 1. Behold for a burnt offering some Lamb or Kid is proper such a firstling the righteous Abel offered up and with that sacrifice the Lord was then well pleased Doth he now forget to be gracious And hath he shut up the bowels of his compassions The tender mercies of the wicked are cruell Are the tender mercies of JEHOVAH so too Loe the blood of bullocks or of he goates of Lambs or of Kids he doth not now require the blood of which the preserver of men is now pleased to drink is mans blood 2. As mans blood so not the blood of some murderer rebel or oppressor not the blood of some Cain Lamech or Nimrod but of one harmless and blameless of one
neck Joseph shall please himself in weeping the bowels of Abraham yern upon Isaac's neck he may not weep 4. Abraham was tempted in the No time b given The daughter of Jephthah so God will order it shall go childless among Women a joyful mother of children a happy mother in Israel she shall not be nevertheless this indulgence her tender father may grant he may safely give unto her fâ—ll two months space and therein to bewail and celebrate her Virgin life before she be finally consecrated a Nunn a Vestal a Votarie to her God But as for the Father of Isaac He must seize he must apprehend he must take his Isaac not two months hence but presently Where it is said unto him b Take thy son there it is said unto him b Take thy son now 5. Whither must he take Him 1. Answ Not unto the tent of his abode for there he might have rushed upon have gulped down and irrevocably have executed the unnatural Duty ere ever his more considerate heart had given place unto the recoilings of his fatherly compassions Loving-Kindnesses and affections 2. Answ Neither might that neighbouring grove be the shadow of his sons death for there he might have called in aid But 3. Answ He was to take his son unto a place d afarr off which place mount Moriah by name was above forty miles distant from Beersheba which forty miles were in this winterly season unto the feeble Knees and languishing Spirits of heavie hearted Abraham little less d then three daies journey During a great part of which three daies to speake was to betray his grief to be silent was to breed suspicion to stand still was disobedience to return back was rebellion and to go forward was death 4 Answ Get thee into the land of Moriah unto one of the mountains which b I will tell thee of How shall he get thither The same Vision which a disturbed his first nights rest will these next two nights hold his eyes wakeing or if slumber he doth his very shuntings will affright him How can a dejected crasie aged person travail if he wanteth both sleep and sustenance He can eat no food except bread of affliction and he more heartily feedeth upon his griefes then upon that I dare not say he mingleth his drink with teares for these he suppresseth In the stead of weeping openly he bleedeth inwardly and no marveil seeing every step between Beer-sheba and mount Moriah presseth so heavily upon his drooping Spirits Father said the g secure lad Where is a Lamb for the burnt offering Nigh at hand thought the Father but he durst not say so He was glad to pluck up his Spirits when with a sorrowful heart I wisse he happily replied h God will provide himself a lamb my son Hungry and thirsty his soul fainting in him upon naked mountains in bleak weather slowly and mournfully he laggeth on glad if he might be priviledged to sprinkle the ground with teares and his head with Ashes but he may not thus mitigate his afflictions When after many and many a wearisom step he long at the last d saw the place afarr off much more when he i came quite to it then more then ever he fixed his farewel eye upon his now short-liv'd Isaac And the more he now fixed his eye upon his Isaac the more did his eye now affect his heart But more by many degrees more was his sad and mournfull heart pittifully greived then when he k stretched forth his hand and took the Knife For 6 Abraham was tempted as in the place appropriated to this sacrifice so in the sacrifice to be offered up The sacrifice to be offered up was b a burnt offering and this ye know required f as well fire as a Knife This burnt offering was k first to be slain and then i to be consumed with fire I say again Isaac was 1 as first to be bound and then to be layed over the altar upon the wood so first to be slain with a Knife and then to be burnt A crueltie it will be to cutt the throat of Isaac but the inhumanitie ceaseth not here for when his throat is cutt then must his body his whole body be burned wholy burned to ashes Sirs if this be that death which Isaac is to suffer say I Let me not see the death of the Lad. But to make the catastrophe yet more tragical His Father must see it And yet is this sigh this prodigious Sight but the least of his trialls For 7. Abraham was tempted as in the sacrifice b assigned so in the sacrificer b ordained Isaac the Son He is to be the sacrifice Abraham the father He is to be the sacrificer 1. If Isaac must indeed be offered up for a burnt offering let some un-concerned stranger or other be hired to be the sacrificing Priest 2. If by a strange hand the Son of Abraham may not die Order some meane out Servant to give the deaths wound 3. If no inferiour Servant may let Eleazar the Steward undergoe this servitude 4. If Eleazar may not O let Ishmael be forced upon the Dutie 5 Let any hand whatsoever rather then the hand of Abraham himselfe binde and slay the Son of Abraham But Who may say unto God What doest thou Abraham must b apprehend Abraham must c conduct Abraham must f burden Abraham must i binde Abraham can not k refuse to slay Abraham can not refuse to burn to ashes his Son his onely Son his onely Isaac his onely Isaac whom he loveth Even so much that From v. 2. unto v. 11. of Gen. 22. Abraham was tempted IN the multitude of thoughts within Him 1. While he 1. ariseth so early 2. Sadleth the Asse 3. cleaveth the Wood 4. calleth aside two and but two young men and 5. with them draweth his Isaac out of doores 2. While he c consulteth hast and privacie for why else did he himselfe both Saddle the Asse and cleave the Wood 3. While indisposed and enfeebled as he was he c began and continued his Winterly that I may not say his fatal journey 4. When by some undoubted signall I mean by some cloud testifying Gods presence or rather by some pillar of fire or rather by some new appearing Starr he was c told of and therefore d saw the place afar off 5. While for reasons but too two well know unto himselfe he left his two young men e behind him 6. All the while that his Son was f carrying the Wood and that he himselfe was f carrying the Fire and the Knife 7. While he i 1. built the altar 2. upon it laied the Wood in order 3. bound his Son 4 laied his Son over the altar upon the Wood 5. When he took the Knife and 6. Sretched forth his hand his trembling hand to slay his Isaac his onely Isaac In all which trans-actions unto the unwillingly-willing Father of Isaac every new occurrence could be no lesse then a new conflict 2. Abraham was tempted
greater triall then any of these even the triall of cruell mockings of scoffs which fetched blood like a Sword in the bones Within my Text Isaac a type of the suffering Jesus saw Death although he felt it not And Abraham the Father of the Faithful was more tempted then Isaac himselfe was Unto you I applie this O yee of little faith If as unto these Saints whose Names are here written in this booke of Martyrs it was so unto you it is (r) Phil. 1.29 given to beleeve Is it a marvel unto You if as it likewise was unto them so it is unto You given to suffer It is your comfort that ye are Sons and not Bastards And would ye be treated like Bastards and not like Sons If ye would 2. Since at this instant your chastisement seemeth not joyous but greivous Blesse ye your God for that your afflictions equall not Abrahams They (s) Zech. 12.10 shall mourn as for an onely Son To part with a child and He a child growing tall as well in expectation as in stature One who might hereafter have bin the staff of our old age and was for the present the Desire of our eyes to lose the enjoyment of a Son and Heir then when that onely Son began to rejoyce onely in the Lord this is indeed no ordinarie triall Yet Give God the Glorie as smart as our present chastisement is it is not so greivous as the temptation of Abraham was Who have bin unto God the truer friends We or the Patriarch Whose temptations have bin the greater the Patriarchs or Ours Weigh we in the same ballance the burden the number the sharpenesse of Abraham his trialls with our own we shall then feele our own to be as the Apostle justly esteemeth them light afflictions 3. Since he was a Friend of God who was thus tempted Blesse thou thy God so often as he bestoweth upon thee the favour of a correction They who were fortie yeares humbled in the wildernesse were not Moabites or Amonites but the chosen people of God and when upon their back the plowers plowed long furrows it was that out of that heart which was once fallow ground they might bring forth a plentiful harvect It is not the chaff but the wheate which men take paines to winnow and the better the wheat the more throughly it is sifted We give no such diligence to melt lead or tinn as is used in refineing either Silver or Gold and of Gold the larger the Wedge or ingott the more fierie the trial It is the Vine branch that beareth Fruite which the Husband-man pruneth and the choicer the grape the more industrious is the Hus-bandman When the Lord maketh up his jewells he first fileth and then polisheth them and the dearer his children are unto Him the stricter is their education Cast Daniel into a furnace of fire and you make him the companion of an Angel While God giveth unto you a priviledge to endure temptations he giveth unto you a fellow-ship in the sufferings of Christ. But then 4. See that ye lose not the benefit of your temptations If thou wilt thank thy God for giving thee warning while the warning is hott let not the season of grace coole Thy bitter herbes are physical use them afore they be withered God intendeth our spiritual health as ever we would receive no hurt by this physick let our endeavours second His intentions There are Psalms of Degrees yea and crosses of Degrees too if we be not wanting unto our selves we may by these as upon the rounds of Jacobs ladder climbe the Heavens It was by a whirl-wind that Elijah was taken up If thou art smitten to the ground and astonished as He Act. IX was tremble as He did and with Him say Lord What wilt thou have mee to do That our Sorrow may be turned into Joy let the temptation wherein we are fallen have its perfect work God tried gracelesse Saul and God tempted Faithfull Abraham when Saul was tried Saul spared Agag but when Abraham was tempted Abraham offered up Isaac BE afraid therefore ye sinners who trample under foote the Blood of Jesus and be ye horribly afraid ye Atheists who crucifie unto your selves the Lord of Glorie I * p. 45. line 24. was saying If Faithfull Abraham was tempted and afflicted persons that are ungodly could not in this life expect to continue un-afflicted long Let mee now add 1. If the iniquitie of your heeles do not overtake you and compasse you about before ye Die If there be no Death in your hands If you come not into troubles like other men it is that your prosperitie may destroy you If the patience of the all-seeing God suffer you to fill up the measure of your offences it is that ye may not be able to abide the day of his coming If He that cometh to judg terribly the earth letteth you alone to feede the evil imaginations of your heart in quiet it is that like the Deere in your Parks of pleasure and like the Oxon in your pasture-ground ye may be fatted against the day of slaughter One especiall reason why whole burnt offerings were at the first instituted was to signifie unto us that (t) Hebr. 12.29 our God is a consuming fire viz. everie man that is not seasoned with the Salt of grace shall (u) Mark 9.49 be salted with the fire of Tophet Such as are sanctified by the fire of the Holy Ghost shall like Isaac be unto God (x) Rom. 15.16 an acceptable burnt offering Such as do not by faith purifie their heart and their whole man from dead works to serve the living God shall be not like Isaac but like that Ram which in the stead of Isaac Abraham offered up they shall be (y) Psal 37.20 as the fatt of Lambs they shall everlastingly consume into smoke shall they consume away for ever Neverthelesse 2. How desperately wicked soever thou hast bin in times past for the time to come here is opened unto thee a door of hope for 1. He who spared Isaac and accepted the Ram testifieth even unto thee that His Delight is not in sacrifices but in mercies 2. When this only son was offered upon the Altar he was then a type of that son of God who is made a Propitiation for thy Sins 3. Although Isaac was bound His God released him and although thou art tyed and bound in the cords of thy Sins the same God would release even thee 4. After Isaac was released the Lord blessed Isaac wouldest thou rise and walk God hath for thee store of blessings O taste and see that the LORD is good But 5. What sort of Darling is this Dalilah which thou preferrest before the possessiour of heaven and of earth Answ A seeming and but a seeming pleasure of Sin In this age there is in some Sins no sort of Delight except they be infamous as well as Wicked There is no pleasure in diceing except the Patrimonie
be staked as well as the Guiney Apples of Sodom are no raritie at most Banquets The apparel of some men were not in fashion were it not of more value then a years révenue will pay for Neither are they welcome at a feast except they be so drunk that they need a withdrawing room The covetousness of some Misers is so idolatrous that they set their hearts more upon their riches then upon that God which giveth them a Power to get wealth and such is the Luxurie of others as if riches could not make unto themselves wings were there no Feathers to be found in their caps Tell me now in cool blood Head-aking drunkenness unclean lusts Lusts which make thy bones rotten as well as thy communication unthriftie riots wearisom idleness wide-mouthed Oathes ungodly jestings unblessed vanities Vanities linked together by that Prince of Darkness who with them chaineth thee unto his bottomless Pitt Are these the Isaacs which thou art fond of Wouldest thou rather eternally Sacrifice thy self a burnt offering in hell torments then Sacrificce these needless evils For shame mortifie thou those follies which if thou diest not unto them will be unto thee death eternal Wouldest thou break off that yoke cleave that wood which hath hitherto prepared fewel for hell fire wouldest thou make Jesus Christ thine altar and upon that altar sacrifice thine Isaac even thy whole man wouldest thou Crucifie thy lusts studie self denial and place thine endeavours upon exercising thy self unto Godliness thy Delights upon the pleasantness of new obedience and thine affections upon things Spiritual and heavenly He that can abundantly pardon and is mightie to save would say unto thy soul as he said unto Abraham now Know I that thou fearest God 2. Whereas it is feared that this people of England hath a revolting and a rebellious heart our backslidings will quickly cease if we take out that pattern which is here given unto us by this Father of many nations Blessed be our God we have a gracious King we have excellent Lawes we have Judges which do at every Assize give a charge that these Laws be duly executed unto these Judges we have subordinate Magistrates subordinate unto these Magistrates we have sworn Officers subordinate unto these House Keepers and unto these their Children and Servants It was when Eli hon … his Sons more then God that matters went amiss with Him and His people but when Phinehas stood up and executed Judgement then was the Plague stayed If Parents and Masters offer up their Isaacs their Children and Servants to be duly Catechised so duly Catechised that the fear of the Lord is unto them their treasure this will lay so good a foundation of a prosperous government that Wisdom and Knowledge will be the Stabilitie of our times Parents and Masters will constrain their Familes to submit unto their own happiness that is to learn Catechismes to frequent the publick worship of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and to sanctifie God in their hearts when at every Session and Visitation sworn officers offer up their Isaac as well as their presentments that is when they so denie themselves that they present all such as will not denie ungodliness and when they suffer not Congregations to crumble into Meetings or rather into no Meetings And this Sworn Officers will be glad to do when they are made to fear an Oath And an Oath they will fear when at Sessions and at Visitations our Rulers rule with diligence and offer up their Isaacs And this they will do when making Religion their business they prefer the favour of God before the favour of man Ye therefore beloved seeing ye know these things before beware lest any of you being led away with the errour of the wicked fall from your own Stedfastness Who knoweth whether he is not born in this Kingdom for such a time 〈◊〉 God will do so to him and more also who when he is there unto called doth not offer up his Isaac 3. Let the self denials of Abraham shame every one among us into a greater Watchfulness c. He at the b first intimation arose c early went on diligently persevered d constantly to observe against his own will the will of his God chusing rather to be an unnatural parent then an undutiful servant Whereas some of us have delaied from year to year before we would yeild to take up our daily cross precept upon precept line upon line we have received but what answer have we returned unto him that hath written unto us the honourable things of His law Statutes which if a man would do he might even live in them Thou who conformest thy self unto the licentiousness of an evil world Did this Patriarch at one private Item surrender his only Son and will not all the publick Commandements which thy God hath in loving-kindnes laid upon thee prevail with thy lips to bite in a vain oath with thine appetite to forbeare an un healthy sin with thy memorie to treasure up Heavenly Knowledge or with thine understanding to perform Duties profitable comely and of good report The more easie that yoke is which Christ laieth upon us the more careful should we be to follow the example of this Father of Isaac otherwise the burnt offering which he with-held not will at the last day be offered in judgment against us Be not deceived God is not mocked as a man sacrificeth so is he accepted 4 Since Abraham offered up his Isaac learne thou of him to hold every blessing which thou receivest from God with a minde prepared to resigne it to God Jehovah he is the Lord possessour as of Heaven so of Earth and whatsoever mercie thou receivest from him that thou receivest but during his will and pleasure What thou obtainest by praier is but borrowed and to grudge when thou art to pay what was but borrowed is flatt dishonestie What thou enjoyest from God is neither deserved nor purchased but by the providence and goodness and loving kindnesse of thy liberal Master it is intrusted with thee for thy comfort and conveniences but for His uses service and honour It is favour enough for thee that God hath owned and entertained thee as His steward Wherefore when at any time thy God calleth from thee some child or some other comfort of his own thou givest him murmure not repine not be not in any wise be not thou discontented Professe thou a Good is the word of the Lord Assent thou the will of the Lord be done Say thou He is the Lord whatsoever he pleaseth that let Him doe As well when he taketh as when he giveth blesse thou the Name of the Lord. It is very observable that twenty six yeares since when there was but one night between Sodom and destruction the Father of Isaac then used earnest prayers and arguments to save if it were possible that wicked Citie from perishing for the Men of Sodom he mediated seven times in a
Servants interpose Sarah contradict and Isaac slipp aside but to prevaricate he abhorreth as he abhorreth hypocrisie Such is the sinceritie of his Obedience that until the hour of Sacrifice none are of his counsel Such his prudence that at the hour of Sacrifice if we may believe Josephus he perswadeth even Isaac himself to be of his confederacie He was armed against every temptation with self denial against every exigencie with wisdom and against every natural inclination with grace Without any reluctancie repineing or remisness he c ariseth and ariseth early Hundred of Servants he hath yet c waiteth not for the attendance of any but doth probably with his own hands get the fire and the Knife in a readiness neither disdaineth he c to Saddle the asse yea or to be c his own wood cleaver Had this Knife this fire this Wood bin provided for some solemn Festival Were his Heir now newly anointed with oyl and anon like †Judg. 5.10 Zech. 9.9 John 12.15 after-Princes to ride that Sadled asse in State Were he him-self now to sett a crown of pure gold upon his Isaac's head and that done to espouse unto this Son some Atossa some Quen of Shebah yea or Rebekah her self what could he have done more nay * Gen. 26.67 he had not done so much This pattern may every one of us take out this example may we imitate With humilitie self denial and submission with patience preudnce and stedfastness with a preparedness readiness and chearfulness of mind may we offer up our Isaacs if with Abraham we Sacrifice them unto the Lord and Sacrifice them unto the Lord both in Faith and by Faith 3 Take heed therefore brethren lest there be in any of you †Hebr. 3.12 an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God For 1. although when we should offer up our Isaacs by Faith we have a God to draw neer unto although this God be a living God yet mans heart naturally revolteth from this living God and is therefore a heart a Pro 10.20 little worth an b Gen. 6.5 evil heart a heart c Jerem. 17.9 desperately wicked 2. Vnbelief is an idleness of mind as neglected as hereditarie a lethargie contracted d Psal 51.5 from our mothers womb a e Deut 32.20 Esa 48.8 Pro 22.15 frowardness which our Nurses cherish in our childhood a Defect which in our minoritie few tutors eye an evil which in our full age no magistrates punish a guilt an oversight a f Ephes 5.8 1 John 5.6 John 12.35 darkness which man g 1.5.3.19 20. Gen. 3.8 loveth Of wordly wants we are all of us very sensible but of a want of Faith few very few complain and yet mercy mercy O our God! 1. Except ye believe h Esa 7.9 Col. 2.7 Hebr. 13.9 James 1.8 surely ye shall not be established For 2. although the wages of every sin is death whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin 3. If God be against us who can be for us but so long as unbelief hardneth our heart against God God is against us 4. Upon him that believeth not the wrath of God abideth should he cast upon us the fiercenesse of his wrath who can stand before everlasting burnings 5. For that wretch who forgetteth so blessed a Creatour for that servant who controlleth so wise a Lord for that Subject who provoketh so gracious a Soveraign for that person who believeth not a God so infinitely true c. No Tophet is hell enough no Hell hath torments enough no torments are too durable too everlasting too eternal Wherefore 6. We must even with fear and trembling workout our Salvation but without Faith no Salvation is hoped for by Faith ye are saved 7. Whereas to glorifie Him of whom by whom and for whom are all things is the whole Duty of man without Faith there is no right understanding of this Duty So that 8. Whereas †Luk. 21.34 36. Matt 24.42 44 25.13 2 Tim. 4.5 1 Pet. 4.7 Revel 3.3 peculiar unto every hour of our lives is the Duty of that hour without Faith we order not our Conversation aright no not for the space of one moment At this instant the truth now uttered profiteth not if it be not mixed and received with Faith Add 9. Whereas it is the whole happiness of man to find favour in the sight of the Lord alwaies to find favour in the sight of the Lord without Faith it is impossible to please God Lastly Let the dead bury their dead No marveil if without Faith no favour is obtained from the Lord since without Faith we seek not nay we desire not to please Him if a Psal 10.4.14.2 Rom. 3 11. please him we could Alas there is in us I tremble to speak it there is in us an b 8.7.5.10 Coloss 1.21 enmitie against the great and terrible God! The mind and Conscience of every unbeliever is c Tit. 1.15 Psalm 51.1 2 3 4. defiled his heart is like himself corrupt and abominable How can it be otherwise seeing he is d Jude 11. twice dead dead in sin dead in guilt Alive unto sin he is but dead unto righteousness All his works are e Hebr. 6.1.9 14. dead works therefore dead works because he himself continueth f Tit. 1.16 unto every good work reprobate For as in Heaven unbelief did put Lucifer quite out of the right use of his knowledge love joy c. then when unto himself and his combining angels he g Esa 14.14 said I will be like unto the most High and as in Paradise unbelief did put Adam quite beside the right use of his h Hebr 5.14 Eccles 9.3 Deut 28.28 senses c. Then when he also i Gen 3.5 said unto himself I will be as God So unto the Worlds end the folly and madness of unbelief doth and will k 1 Cor. 2.14 John 3 6. Gal 5.17 distract every unbeliever so long and so farr as he abideth in unbelief from the right and Spiritual use both of his Soul and of his body Without Faith man is unto things heavenly just as a mad man is unto things earthly and sensual rash fearless fool hardie He saith as well in his actions as in his heart l Psal 14 1. There is no God for he doth not m Phil. 2.21 what God pleaseth but what he n 1 Pet. 4 1. lusteth He saith of God o Psal 50.21 that he is such a one as himself one that regardeth p 73.11.94.7 8. not iniquitie one that doth q Esa 41.23 neither good to reward nor evil to avenge He will be r Psal 10.3 his own chuser and consequently ſ Rom. 14.7.8 9. his own God Saith he t Pro 30.9 Exod. 5.2 who is the Lord that I should obey him and deliver up mine Isaac If I cannot draw neer unto God unless I offer up my son that I may not