Apostle Looke as an ague that is pretty well over-past it lies in the bones and if he that hath it drinke cold water it growes extream and hot by force of opposition So that man that lay lurking before the Word comes and it layes a man flat and it slayes him utterly vers 13. Sinne by the command became out of measure sinfull Looke as it is with a damme the damme stops and the streame swels by force of opposition so the Law stops the streame of sinne and corruption and now it growes exceeding violent Therefore they that have been under good meanes and breake are out of measure shamelesse in their sinfull proceedings this damme that stops makes this sin greater thus the Law of GOD is a Law to a proud heart The Law is not to blame but the heart Secondly the LORD will not suffer the soul to have the power and assistance of the Spirit which formerly he hath had but le ts sin and it grapple till he breake sinne all to peeces Many a time the LORD leaves the soule and will not let it have that power that formerlie it had What can a soul fall Quest No. GOD takes not away his hand Answ but yet he shall not feele it as a man if he stirre not the wheele it will not goe his hand is on it all the while but doth not stirre it therefore it goes not So GOD leaves a man to himselfe though for the while he doth not give him that force whereby he may gaine-say a temptation This befell David LORD Psal 57. take not thy holy Spirit from me that is when God would not helpe David but let him make his part good with the temptations I doubted not but David had grace enough if GOD would have quickened it in him Hezekiah had wisdome enough but GOD left him Thus the LORD is said justly to leade a man into temptation Now wee pray that he would take away all snares that he would not suffer the Word to provoke us but to direct us that we may not be left to our owne strength and that wee may overcome all our spirituall enemies But deliver us from evill HEre observe that though GOD would doe nothing against us yet we are not able to deliver our selves from our owne corrupt hearts What is meant by evill Quest Not so much trouble Answ or punishment but sinne Now in sin are three things First the breach of the Law Secondly the guilt a man gets by this breach and so is liable to this punishment Thirdly the vigour of sinne whereby it rules over the soule Now the former we pray against in the fifth Petition because we stand guilty of the breach of the Law therefore wee pray that God would not enter into Judgement with us And thirdly wee pray here against the power of sinne and that is in three particulars not only in regard of the guilt of it but that the Lord would keep us from the power of it First sinne would be a commander over the soule It is the King Satan is the Gaoler it hath a Kingly Soveraigne Authority and would rule over us sinne is often compared to a King his servants are they to whom they obey Sinne is a Master at least it would be and is so in every naturall soule and it would bee so in the godly The law of life saith the Apostle hath freed mee from the law of death Rom. 8.2 Sinne gives Parliament-Lawes to the Soule and Edicts and as the Centurion bade one servant goe and hee went and another come and he comes so doth sinne say Pride saith it is my pleasure you should be proud therefore I will have you proud and snappish c. Sayes anger I will have you spleniticke and rage Sayes the soule then I will and it shall be done Thus sinne sets up it selfe as a supreame Soveraigne in the soule Hence a proud heart saith I will that I will let GOD say what hee will tell not mee of Lawes it is my minde It is your proud heart sets you Lawes and you yeeld to them Now we pray that GOD however sinne bee in the Soule yet that he would snub and curb it that it may bee an underling in the Soule and daily subdued Secondly as sinne doth and desires to set up a master-like rule and a supreame Soveraign Lord like dominion So sinne carries the soule and sometimes separates the soule from GOD whereas the command of GOD should be a guide to us and take place in our hearts this Rebell it takes up Armes resists stands in defiance against the rule of the Spirit Hence come all these phrases they forsook God resisted GOD and turned their backes to his commands What saith pride shall I bee a slave that the Word should awe mee and snub mee I will never yeeld it while I live I will dye first This is a Devill that drawes you from GOD and will carry you to Hell Rom. 7.23 that is the meaning of this place Sinne carries a man captive that when the soule sees it selfe so ruled by him a gracious heart would teare it selfe off if it could but a naturall man is a slave to sinne sinne gets head and so the soule dares not affect any good in another nor labour for it in it selfe Thirdly sinne leaves a kinde of blemish and staine upon the soule after the commission of it There is a kinde of jeering to the heart and a cunning wrong of the soule hence the Scripture calls it the excrement of naughtinesse c. though the act of sinne be gone yet there is a blemish on the Soule Peter after his denyall of CHRIST was averted from CHRIST So a man after sinne shall finde himselfe dull to any good and prone to any evill This is the staine of sinne when a mans arme is put out of joynt besides the fall there is a bruise So after a man hath broken the Commandements of the LORD the LORD unjoynts him hee is more awake to any good then ever Galath 6. If any man bee unjoynted by sinne So that of the Romanes they wound their owne soules This sinne doth now these wee pray against partly against the power of sinne partly against the authority of sinne partly against the staine of sinne But deliver us from evill To deliver from evil implyes three things First wee pray that the LORD would prevent all those occasions and struglings and distempers of sinne that trouble us these wee pray against to wit that hee would take off these distempers whereby sinne would lay siege against the Soule that hee would remove those things that would remove us from him This is that wisdome promiseth Prov. 6.21 Shee will keepe and walke with them that walke with her and shee will keepe him from the way of the wicked woman Sinne is like a Harlot therefore the LORD is pleased to expresse it after that manner Now it is the mercie of the LORD that he will
turne our eyes from beholding of vanity That there may not bee in us the violence of sinne assaulting us Wee pray also that wee may not come into the Battaile if it bee possible and that sinne or pollution may not come in against us Secondly that the LORD would assist us in the temptation that the temptation may not prevaile It is a mercie not to bee tempted but if we must bee it is a great mercie not to bee overcome by temptation If hee will not wholly prevent us by his Grace yet that hee will assist us graciously in it It is a mercie not to be assaulted and though assaulted yet that we may be assisted Now this assistance of GOD is two-fold either extraordinary or mediate by the meanes wee speake not so much of the first though that be true but we crave both at the hand of the Lord. First sometimes wee crave for the extraordinary help and assistance of the LORD to assist us either above meanes or in the meanes Wee know the Lord in the time of the Martyrs sufferings did helpe wonderfully their temptations were grievous and afflictions great and yet the Lord did helpe them extraordiarily God did let in abundance of sweetnesse But we passe this and come to the other Secondly we pray especially for such meanes as may helpe us and that appeares in foure particulars First that the Lord would discover the enemie before hee comes that hee would make knowne unto us the engines and wiles and depth of Satan and the subtilty of our owne corrupt hearts which are ready on every hand to surprize us for to be surprized before wee are aware is great danger therefore we pray that the Lord would give us the Spirit of Revelation that wee may take notice of the engines of Satan that hee may be discovered to us the discovery wee know of an evill is to prevent an evill and not foreseeing we cannot prevent He that sees not an evill before it comes will bee overthrowne by it when it comes Many a man perisheth by pride and knowes not what hurts him Thus corruption blowes up the soule This the Lord promiseth Isay 30.21 Thou shalt heare a word behinde thee saying This is the way That GOD may keep a man from sinne hee sends the Spirit of CHRIST to say this is the way walke in it The Text saith 2 Cor. 2. there speaking of the incestuous man Wee are not ignorant of the methods of Satan to us Mat. 20. When the great skirmish was to come our Saviour forewarned Peter and saith I will smite the Shepherd c. and saith Watch and pray for the houre is come c. Hee gives him this warning-peece We pray then that God would make knowne to us the engines of sinne and Satan before they come Wee know it is a great helpe in warre to know the quarters and orders of enemies that so a man may order his actions according thereunto So wee must know where the Devill and our corruptions lye quartered and what be the haunts of our wretched hearts and so to order the help God hath put into our hands for the resisting of them Secondly that the Lord as it were would intrench about us If hee will not foretell us of the enemy that seeing sinne wee may prevent it yet that hee would lay some heavie impediment upon us c. and build some trench about us that wee may not commit those evils wee are tempted unto That though hee doe not reveale the policie of Satan yet that hee would lay some snares that wee may not commit that sinne which otherwise wee would doe And this is a marvellous mercie Gen. 20.7 Abimelech tooke Sarah as though shee had beene Abrahams sister as hee himselfe told him and no question hee had a purpose to take her to be his wife but the Lord laid an impediment the Lord kept Abimelech from Sarah hee took off the edge of his desire and laid a barre betweene them Hos 2.6 7. The Church was running after her abominations now how did the Lord prevent her the Text saith I will hedge thy wayes with thornes and build a wall about thee The Lovers were corruptions and the following of them is the eager pursuit of them Now hee hedges the wayes with Thornes that is hee layes desperate afflictions on them that shee had no liberty to sinne so that shee hath enough to doe to minde her owne miseries Sometimes a man is addicted to base company and then the Lord layes sicknesse to imprison him and to keep him from sinne This is mercy Thirdly the Lord puts armour and weapons on them to fight against their enemies that are opposite to his grace and children Ephes 6. from the 10. to the 19. Be yee strengthened in all might putting on all spirituall abilities 1 Cor. 2. to bee strengthned in every good worke God saith hee covers the heads of his 1 Pet. 1.5 God keepes them by the power of his grace God gives his the whole armour the shield of faith the breast-plate of righteousnesse c. to quench the fiery darts of Satan and to resist him Fourthly God gives a dominion over and conquest against all our enemies and over all our victorious corruptions hee gives a happy issue and successe With the fight hee gives the issue with the victory Revel 1.6 Hee hath made us Kings that is hee hath given us a Kingly authority over all our corruptions Rom. 6 14. Sinne shall not have dominion over you Psal 119.133 so David prayeth Let no iniquity have dominion over mee Thus the Lord assists his in trouble Thirdly as wee pray that the Lord would prevent the occasions of evill and if they come to assist us in them so lastly if wee be foiled and brought under by the temptations of Satan and our own corruptions that the LORD would rescue us from them that have had too much power over us and too too much prevailed against us This wee know was the request and desire of the Prophet David Psal 39. Restore mee to my former health before I goe away from hence and be no more seene As who should say my base lusts are too strong for mee these hands were stout but now feeble therefore LORD give me that former strength His sinnes were as sicknesse Davids case was as when a man hath been sicke and after comes to get up his crummes as though hee had said I knew the time when I had a broken heart for my sinne but now hardened therefore O God spare mee a little while before I goe hence and bee no more seene that I may recover my former courage zeale and strength before I goe hence Rom. 8.2 The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ hath made mee free from the Law of sinne and death Sinne makes Lawes Wee then intreat the Lord that hee would prevent corruption that hee would assist us in temptation ordinarily and extraordinarily that hee would discover the enemy before hee
none knowes but the Spirit of God and as it is not made known so we have nothing to doe with it in this place What is the revealed will of God Quest It is the purpose of God that hee hath made known to us by his Word Answ and revealed to us in his workes whatever is done in heaven or earth is the will of God I did not know God would destroy Bohemia and the Palatinate before I saw it this is the will here meant I did not know of such a friends death before he dyed and then we must say Thy will be done What ever God hath made known either by workes or words that we pray to have done What is this doing of the will of God Quest It consists in Answ and implyes two things First that whatever God makes known to be his will to bring upon us we should willingly submit and yeeld unto it If God would have me poore when it is done we should approve of the accomplishment of Gods will It is the breach of many commandements that when God thwarts our desire we are unwilling it should be done The wife is unwilling her husband should dye and the husband that the wife should dye never lost a man such a wife as I this is professedly against this petition We must imitate that of the good Prophet David Psal 39. I held my tongue and said nothing Will the Lord have it not a word more then his spirit yeelds presently takes the stroke doth not thwart the good will of the Lord this is the practice of David Eli Hezekiah It is the Lord let him doe what he will Nay our blessed Saviour himselfe saith Not my will but thy will be done But this is the folly of our hearts we take up Armes against Gods will God would have us to be poore and we will be rich This is not to doe the will of God Though God force us to doe it yet that is no thankes to us Thus we sinne desperately Secondly the heart is not only content with what God will have us suffer whether losse of life friends liberty and the like but there is another will must be done by us what God reveales to be a duty must be discharged by us If there be a truth to be made known to us we must acquaint our selves with the will of the Lord and then with all diligence practice it Make my heart one with thine that I may ever feare thy Name Let thy will be mine Oh saith the soule that I might ever feare thy Name this is to do the will of God We doe not say let it be spoken of and considered of by me but let it be done let it be accomplished by me Wee must not lift at it and give God good words and talke and leave it undone but labour to doe it It is not enough for the childe to say I know what my father commands but I must doe what I list Such hearts cannot pray to expect any thing at the hand of the Lord now and then to look at a duty c. and to say I would it were so will not serve the turne Away with that sluggishnesse to wish the will of God were done and yet you will have your own wills To this precept belongs that we should set on others to doe Gods pleasure In vaine doe we wish it to be done and yet doe not provoke on others to doe it Paul when Agrippa and he was grapling together saith Agrippa thou hast perswaded me almost to be a Christian not almost saith Paul but I would have thee altogether as I am except these bonds I would not have thee fettered as I am but inlarged in heart to doe Gods will So that of Joshua I and my house will serve the Lord he that not onely neglects Gods will himselfe but hinders others that man doth not pray this petition aright he that saith Thy will be done and in the mean time withdrawes others by his secret allurements and saith what should I be such a foole to be at other mens bow and beck to sit howling in a corner as thou dost No no well be it known to thee thou that wilt not do Gods will here the Lord will have his will done on thee one day to thy cost He that will not doe Gods will here God will send him packing to Hell and there he will execute his will upon him whether he will or no How must we doe the will of God we doe now and then stumble at a duty and now and then take up a service Quest and we are neither whores nor theeves but yet we are now and then peevish and wayward c. is not this enough No Answ no you must doe it in earth as it is in Heaven not now to be something and then to be nothing now a Saint and then a Devill but you must doe the will of God as it is in Heaven But can a man doe the will of God on earth as the blessed Angels doe it in Heaven Quest A man cannot doe it in that measure the Angels doe it Answ but we may doe it as they doe and performe equall obedience with them though not in quantity yet in quality A childe followes the father though it cannot run so fast as the father A Scholler may imitate the copie and write after it though not write so fast and well So the servants of the Lord cannot doe the will of God here so in that measure that the Angels doe it in Heaven but in quality like them Let their obedience be our pattern not in the measure but in the manner of it In what things must it be done Quest and how can wee expresse any action like theirs This resemblance is in foure particulars Answ First they doe it readily they are prest and ready at hand to doe the good will of the Lord upon all occasions they doe not withdraw themselves but presently upon every occasion doe what the Lord requires We read Job 1. that the sonnes of God appeared before him they are ever in his sight to give attendance upon him as the handmaid is ever at the hand of her Mistris So that of Isaiah the Text saith they cover their faces before the Mercy Seat they cover their faces in token of awfulnesse and reverence and cry Holy Holy They are ever before him as a dutifull servant is ever at his Masters beck They are at hand in this readines of theirs to doe the will of the Lord we should imitate them to be ever prepared and at hand to doe the will of God not to have our affections stragling but with Ananias we must say Here Lord with Abraham Behold thy servant is at hand Thus it should be with the soule the Lord saith you must not have this sinne and that corruption we must reply Thy will be done LORD we must not say as Moses when