times as they are good or evil to the soule is beyond their skill to discerne of the vice of the times any farther then it makes to the hindring of their outward commodities or their corporall affaires is more than they are able this our Saviour noteth of them Luke 12. 54 55 56. they cannot discerne the times saies he that is the danger of them in respect of the soule but they rather sing peace peace to themselves being the servants of corruption till sudden destruction comes upon them 1 Thes. 5. 3. For indeed evill times are most sutable to the humours and tasts of evill men they relish them best sinne is sweet to the sinner and sinfull times are sweetest to sinfull men they thinke them the best times for they call evill good and good evill bitter sweet and sweet bitter Es. 5. 20. although there is a woe belonging unto them for their so doing nor are they indued with the spirit of discerning as the godly are for these things and times in this sense are spiritually discerned and to this purpose God bestowes his Spirit upon his owne 1 Cor. 12. 10. there is mention made of the gift of discerning which the Lord bestowes and then further they are taught of God John 6. 45. It is written in the Prophets and they shall be taught of God and James 1. 6. God gives them wisdome and prudence and Ephes. 1. 8. he abounds towards them in all wisdome and prudence so that their spirits can discerne perverse things Job 6. 30. their eares are open to heare and their hearts to beleeve what is threatned by Gods Prophets against sinne and if sinne goes before they know that without repentance judgement will follow Whereas other men that are not godly promise liberty and peace to themselves and others although they be the servants of corruption 2 Pet. 2. 19. and cannot abide to heare of judgements or that the times are evill when at any time they so be you may remember to this purpose the story of the old world when Noah no doubt did preach of the insuing evill time that would come upon them but they beleeved it not And the story of Sodome when Lot preached of the same point and to as little purpose you may remember also the times wherein Jeremy lived and into what troubles he came for his fore-telling and speaking of the dangerous times that were to come upon the people see Jer. 20. 1. and chap. 26. 8 9. and chap. 38. 4. Thus you see that some men though wise enough in other matters yet not to discerne ill times nor can they abide to heare of them they will not beleeve although they bee told but hate them that speake of them and indeed what was it they had to lay to Stephens charge when they put him to death why see Act. 6. 17. they pretended that he spake blasphemous words against the holy place and the Law and what blasphemy doe you thinke it was why I warrant you he said that for their sinnes God would bring judgements upon that place and take away the Law from them and give it to others according to our Saviours doctrine in the Parable of the husbandmen Matth. 21. 41 43. which at that time also was very ill taken by them whom it did concerne as yee may see vers 45. 46. of that chap. But now with the godly and wise it is not so they like Mary lay up what they see and heare to that purpose in their hearts and wisely provide and fit themselves against those evill and dangerous times some one way and some another as it pleaseth the spirit of wisdome for to guide them Jonadab the sonne of Rechab wisely weighing the sinnes of the times and the judgements threatned by the Prophets and beleeving them to be true that they should be carried away captive into a strange country where they were like to have but course fare small drinke and hard lodging therefore doth traine up his children accordingly before-hand and sets them downe rules to live by which they observed they must drinke no Wine dwell in no Cities but lodge in Tents c. that so they might be fitted for the hardship which they and their posterity in succeeding evill times were like to indure so we reade in the booke of Martyrs of two women that hearing of Boners cruelty in Queene Maries dayes how little food in the prison was allowed to the poore prifoners of Jesus Christ and expecting that ere long themselves should be in that place did before-hand against that evill time accustome themselves to eate and drinke but the value of three farthings a day whereby they did afterward indure his hard usage So we read Rev. 12. 14. the Church foreseeing the evill times did wisely apprehend the occasion having a way made for her safety and security in the Wildernesse to Pella in the dayes of Jerusalems sacking and as some will have it upon a like foresight many doe flie to New-England now so the Spirit taught Noah to provide an Arke for his owne safety against the evill time that was comming upon the world and some by the same Spirit are inabled with faith and patience to beare the brunt Luke 21. 19. speaking of evill times they were bid to possesse their soules with patience inferring that by it as by a safe armour they might be secured and kept safe for as in dangerous times the safety of some may consist in flying so the safety of others may consist in sitting still Es. 30. 7. their strength is to sit still speaking of some and vers 15. of that chap. In rest shall yee be saved in quietnesse and confidence shall be your strength that is in a silent waiting upon God if God cals upon some to goe yet no doubt but he commands others to stay Esa. 26. 20. and as we judge not but some may beleeve that make haste to be gone so let none censure but some may beleeve that make not such haste for surely this is Scripture phrase He that beleeveth maketh not haste Es. 28. 16. A beleever may with quietnesse sit still were the times farre worse then now thâ—y be and with confidence expect better dayes he is well armed with faith patience and prudence for his owne safety and security and so we come to the Use. If the godly and wise are able to distinguish of evill times inabled of God therunto then we should not slight their judgements concerning these matters we may repent us of it afterward if we do see Acts 27. 10 11. compared with v. 21. where was an evill time toward a great tempest and Paul warned them of it but the Centurion beleeved the owner of the Ship rather then Paul for commonly indeed of all men Gods Ministers are least beleeved least credit is given to what they say for feare of making them too proud forsooth but they had as good have heeded what Paul said for I beleeve they repented
that suted not with the end of his comming and therefore our Saviour rejects it as naught so when Peter beganne to move and stirre with his sword our Saviour bade him put it up into its place for he came not to move that way not to fight against but to fight for his enemies not to kill them but to save them And so now adayes we see the world is full of motions and almost of commotions many active stirring spirits this age hath brought forth if their motions and stirrings doe tend to the destruction and hurt of others and not to the good of men if they looke not the way Christ looked if they sute not with his end they are naught and sinfull But in very deed as in our Saviours time men were much mistaken in the end of Christs comming they thought hee came to destroy his enemies and to restore againe the kingdome to Israel and to advance his servants to temporall honours and therefore as you heard hee had motions made to him tending to that purpose so in these our dayes men are much mistaken in the same at least they doe not remember it as they ought to doe whereas it is a matter of the greatest consequence to bee knowne and thought upon as appeares by those many inculcations thereof in Scripture I shall therefore for the better remembrance thereof and comfort therein a little inlarge my selfe in the discovery of it from the Word of God The end of Christs comming saies the text was not to destroy mens lives but to save them and saies the spirit in another place God sent his Sonne not to condemne the world but that the world by him might be saved and againe The Sonne of man came to seeke and save that which was lost and the Apostle It is a saying most faithfull and true and worthy of all acceptance thâ—t Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. that was the end of his comming that he aimed at And indeed there was nothing of Christ or that Christ did but did teach the same His name Jesus that signifies a Saviour his relative names of Shepheard Husband and the like doe speake him a Helper and a Defender the similitudes used to expresse him by are of harmlesse and helpfull creatures He is called a Lamb not a Wolfe that devoures a Hen not a bird of prey a Vine not a Bramble out of which came fire to consume the trees of the Forrest Judg. 9. 15. The manner of his comming did also teach the end of it he came not in thunder and lightning as the Law did causing feare and trembling but as raine on a fleece of wooll or on the mowen grasse Psal. 72. 6. that is gently and with out noyse and Matth. 12. 19. it is said He neither strived nor cryed nor was his voyce heard in the streets at his Baptisme the holy Ghost sate on him like a Dove to shew that he should be a Dove-like Mediator and of Dove-like conditions In the execution of all his offices he onely aimed to further the comfort and salvation of men By his propheticall office hee taught us in the way and doth so still by his word and spirit he dictated a forme of prayer for us he put words into our mouths and his spirit into our hearts and still himselfe intercedes for us and with us by his Priestly office he died for us to heale our soules with a plaister of his bloud and to save us from that death which our selves had procured and by his Kingly office he defends and fights for his people as a meeke King he admits mourners to his presence he hath both beames of Majesty and bowels of mercy he is the Prince of peace yea all his actions from first to last doth prove that he came only to doe good How sweet and helpfull and affable he was in all his carriages How willing to acquaint himselfe with these churlish Samaritans to the end that he might have occasion to doe them good He vouchafed to discourse with a meane woman of that Countrey to the admiration of his Disciples John 4. 7. and sent his servants to buy meat of them as it is shewne in that Chapter and here he would have taken up his lodging amongst them and after this discourtesie was offered to him he cured a Samaritan of his leprosie Luke 17. 16. and was so courteous to that Nation that the Jewes call'd him Samaritan for his labour And how lovingly did he cure Malchus ear that came to apprehend him and how fervently did he pray for them that put him to death he came with blessings in his mouth at his first publike appearance and manifestation Matt. 5. 1 2 c. and he departed the world with prayers in his mouth Mat. 27. Father forgive them In a word Christ never did hurt or mischief to any man he never revenged himselfe on any though he had more power then any and was more wronged and abused then any but he was alwayes and to all meek gentle courteous helpfull a man might even drown himselfe in Divine pleasures by thinking and speaking of Christs conditions and of the comfortable end of his comming But I come to the Use which shall bee to advise all men to acquaint themselves well with the end of Christs comming it is worthy of all acceptance saies the Apostle i. e. of all mens knowledge to be acquainted with this that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners to doe good to unworthy and undeserving persons it is a matter of the greatest consequence that is to know it for thereby we shall come to know Christs spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and we shall come to know other mens spirits 1. We shall know Christs spirit which else we shall not doe as appeares in the Disciples here for had they knowne and remembred the end of Christs comming they would also have considered that he had had a spirit onely driving thereunto and so would never have made such an unsutable motion as here they did they might easily have concluded that Christ would never so farre have allowed of Elias spirit as to doe or to countenance to be done that which did contradict the end of his owne comming they would never have begg'd of the Prince of meeknesse a licence to be cruell for had he given way to this he should have seemed to come rather to destroy then to save Now this our knowledge of Christs spirit of the nature and temper of it may be usefull to us for consolation and for instruction 1. For consolation we being all men and women of a sinfull dye when we be apprehensive of our danger by sinne and how unkindly we have carried our selves towards good Christ how we have many a time denied him a lodging in our hearts as the Samaritans here did in their Village when by his motions he hath sent unto us I
say when with griefe and sorrow we thinke of these miscarriages we cannot but be comforted to remember withall that Christs spirit is cleane contrary to the spirits of angry and revengefull men as hath appeared by the end of his comming and this passage with his Disciples It was a great comfort to the Syrian King and his Nobles when they were in the King of Israels danger to remember that the Kings of Israel were mercifull Kings so may it be to us being in Christs danger to consider that he is a Prince of a mercifull spirit onely let us be carefull not to abuse his goodnesse in after times and doubt not but we shall taste of the sweetnesse of his spirit not withstanding what is past 2. For instruction and information that we doe not henceforth molest and grieve the spirit of Christ with such unsutable motions as the Disciples here did and as we sometimes use to doe you know it is the condition of many a man if he be but crossed in his way and vext by an enemy especially unjustly presently he is ready to desire that ruine and destruction might fall upon him and perhaps by prayer or imprecations is bold to request Christs aide in the businesse nay such is the weaknesse of some that if any man or creature dogge or horse or hawke offends them they will curse the same and call upon the name of God and Christ to send some judgement from Heaven upon it to joyne with them in doing a mischiefe well I say we should never doe thus never should we make any revengefull motions to Christ to grieve his sweet spirit did we well know Christs spirit and the end of his comming therefore I say note well the nature and temper of Christs spirit 2. By being well acquainted with the end of Christs comming and with the nature of his spirit we shall come to know our owne spirits and whether the motions that come from them be good or no the Disciples here were ignorant of the evill of that motion that came from themselves because they considered not the end of Christs comming It is a matter of great concernment for a man to know himselfe Nosce teâ—psum is a necessary lesson and a mans spirit is the best part of himselfe as is the spirit such is the man and we know the spirit to bee right and straight if it concords with the rule Christs spirit must be the rule to ours and to what end Christs spirit tended to the same must ours the aimes and indeavours of our spirits must bee to save and to helpe men no man doth sufficiently know Christs spirit and the end of his comming but he that hath a spirit tending the same way for this knowledge is influentiall into the soule or subject and makes it sutable to the object or thing known so that when such a one is moved or tempted unto any thing he bethinkes himselfe Is it sutable to the end of Christs comming doth it tend to the welfare of others would Jesus Christs spirit allow of it would he if he were here and in my case doe it and even as he thinkes Christ would doe in such a case so doth he doe and no otherwise but more of this in the next point 3. We shall know the spirits of others by being acquainted with the end of Christs comming and the nature of his spirit which naturally we desire to doe more then to know our owne nor indeed is it unlawfull to desire and indeavour to discerne them we are bidden to try the spirits whether they be of God oâ— no 1 John 4. 1. and no safer or quicker way to this then by knowing the end of Christs comming and then by considering whether mens spirits tend the same way if they doe we may conclude of them to be good and of God if otherwise not Christs spirit is diffused into all his true members and they all reckon themselves to be sent into the world for the same end as Christ was as Christ came not to hurt or mischiese any but to doe good to all so they and they have received vertue and power to that very end and purpose from Christ as the Apostle ingenuously confesseth 2 Cor. 13. 10. The Lord saies he hath given us power to edification and not to destruction and therfore in another place I became all things to all men that I might winne some in a word the spirit of the Gospel is in all the children of the Gospel and they account it their duty to doe nothing but what is sutable to the spirit of the Gospel which also is a matter that concernes all that live under the Gospel and that is our last point 5. It is the duty of them that live in the times of the Gospel to minde speake and doe onely that which sutes with the spirit of the Gospel This also is manifest from the text by our Saviours dislike and confutation of his Disciples motion because it did not savour of a Gospel-like spirit what doe you tell me saies he of Elias his spirit now the Sonne of man is come Now to informe you somewhat of the nature of the times of the Gospel and of the spirit thereof I must tell you that there is a great difference betweene the former times and these not in respect of time it selfe for that is alwayes the same but in respect of a new spirit which Christ by his comming brought with him we have a phrase of speech the Genius of the times or the spirit of the times some times are turbulent and then we say a turbulent spirit is in the times some times are more placable and then we say a more peaceable spirit ruleth in some times the vulgar sort of men generally are more bold and impudent with their betters and superiours then is decent and comely and then some will say the Genius of the times is a sawcy fellow sometime the world travels with perversnesse sometime with envie and hatred sometime with one domineering sinne and sometime with another and men in their language will attribute it to the spirit of the times But indeed such as the spirits and conditions of men are such are the times for men denominate times to be good or bad plenty of good men make good times and abundance of wicked men doe make the times abundantly wicked But concerning the difference between the former times and these The times before Christ were times of ignorance and darknesse men were bad and did not know it but when Christ came he brought with him a spirit of light and knowledge to discover sinne and to convince the world thereof and so the times were changed to be times of light and knowledge and Christ himselfe in this respect was called A light to lighten the Gentiles and those that sate in darknesse Againe before Christ came the times were times of terrour of the Law which was called fiery the ministration
of death caused trembling Elias lived in those times and had a spirit sutable unto them a fiery and a destructive spirit which haply then was not amisse but by the comming of Christ the times were altered into times of comfort of the Gospel which is the ministration of life and peace it was prophesied long before his birth that in his time abundance of peace should flourish and at his birth the Angels sang peace with heaven and God that before with earthly men had warres and difference And further yet the times before Christ were times of Justice and revenge Adam sinned and he was presently cast out of Paradise Sodome and Gomorrah sinned and they were suddainely consumed with fire Corah and his companions sinned and vengeance speedily laid hold upon them and so forth in oâ—hers for Gods name by which he was knowne in those dayes was Deus ultionum the God of Revenge and as such a one he was pleased often to approve himselfe but by Christs comming the times were turned to be times of mercy and favour times of grace of patience and forbearance acceptable times dayes of Salvation for the Samaritans sinned here yet they were spared Paul then Saul went breathing out threatnings against Gods Saints yet mercy reached him before Judgement overtooke him Mary Magdalen and the thiefe on the crosse were great sinners yet vengeance did not overwhelme them yea many of them that crucifyed Christ were not taken away in that their sinne as they deserved but were afterward taken into savour and tasted mercy being converted by Peters Sermon Act. 2. for by Christs comming God was pleased to leave his old name and be called by another not usuall before namely Pater misericordiarum the father of mercies then Deus ultionum a revenging God but now Deus consolationum the God of Consolation 2 Cor. 1. 3. And thus you see Christs comming made a great difference in the times and so ought it to doe in men in their thoughts words and carriages in all which they must conformeto the times Are the times of the Gospell times of light then men in them must walk as children of the light Ye were once darknesse but now are light in the Lord walke therefore as children of the light Are they times of peace then men must be men of peace Rom. 12. 18. If it be possible have peace wâ—th all men Are they times of mercy patience and forbearance then men that live in them must be mercifull and patient not rendring evill for evill unto any man 1 Thess. 5. 15. Doth God in these times discover himselfe to be a friend and a Father even to such as were his enemies then men must shew themselves to be his children right bred by manifesting his spirit Love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you that you may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven that is that you may approve your selves to be his children Mat. 5. 44 45. Men that live under the Gospel must beleeve that many of those things that were tolerable before are insufferable now the revenger of blood was permitted to pursue and kill the man-slayer if he found him out of the City of refuge but now the date of that permission is expired So the Prophets of old as may seeme might pray for revenge O God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy selfe And O Lord God that tryest the reines let me see thy vengeance upon them and might curse them that abused them as Elisha did the children that mocked him and might call for fiâ—e from heaven to fall on them that intended their hurt as Elias did but now they must doe the cleane contrary the times are altered and the spirits of Gods Ministers must be sutable to the times We must pray for our Enemies as Stephen did we must beseech them to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5. 20. and we must instruct them with meeknesse so long as they are contrary-minded unto us 2 Tim. 2. 25. Paul that lived under the Gospell did not doe as Elias did that lived under the Law pray against Israel but his hearts desire to God for Israel was that they might be saved Rom. 10. 1. Yea though they sought to take away his life yet he could have wished to have beene accursed himselfe for their sakes to have done them good Rom. 9. 3. David was a right good man in his time and had this title from the Lord himselfe that he was a man after Gods owne heart but he lived in those dayes when God was called Deus ultionum and therefore David is no fit patterne for us now to imitate in some of his wayes wee must never deale so cruelly with our enemies if we have them under our power as he did with the Ammonites 2 Sam. 13-31 He put them under Sawes and Harrowes of Iron and made them passe through the Brickekill No the Spirit of the Gospell is a Noble Spirit and scornes to set a foote upon the necke of a falne foe it takes advantage of his downfall to discover it selfe to have proceeded from Christ and indevours at such a time to cause an enemy to distaste and dis-relish his owne spirit by giving him to taste of its sweetnesse it labours to gaine an adversary by unexpected compassion even as God and Christ did to gaine us when we were in our blood cast out to the loathing of our persons we must be people of Christs spirit and not of Davids It is worth our noting by the way nor is it from the purpose the difference betweene Davids manner of dying and Christs David dyed as we may say with revenge in his mouth not onely against Shimei that had abused him but also against Joab that had faithfully served him Let not his hoary head sayes he goe downe to the grave in peace but Christ dyed with mercy and pardon in his moâ—th and prayer for his enemies Father forgive them sayes he His Fatheâ— was now the Father of mercies and he well approved himselfe his Sonne and after the same sort must we approve our selves his servants Concerning David I doe confesse his manneâ— of dying might well have scandalized us in that he commands to take away mens lives when as it had beene fitter for him to have beene begging pardon for his owne sinnes but it is to be thought he had consulted with God about the businesse and God was then Deus ultiâ—num as I said before and David was a good Magistrate and so just like God as well as a good man but I am sure Christs manner of dying can scandalize or offend none in this kinde his death spake better things than the death of David as it is said his blood spake better things then the blood of Abel Abel dyed in old time and