and that houre of our life which fall's out to be soe neere death that a man cā neither serue himself nor the world nor Satan because of extreme imbecility of body is reserved for God to serue him in though it be but in saying Lord have mercy vpon me And this they dreame to be enough to bring them to heaven that or their Pater noster if they can but have time to say it will make them happy enough they care for no more and soe poore sooles they goe like oxen to the slaughter conceiting that two or three words speaking will purchase Gods glorious kingdome and posesse them of it without any more a doe Which jmagination is more blasphemous then ever came into a Papists apprehension for as grosse as they are in the matter of merit yet they are not soe foule as to say that glory may be gotten with soe slight desert nay they exhort men to doe good works betime and abundantly I never read any of them that helde heaven might be had for a few bare words especially proceeding from a minde and soule more sicke then at the pangs of death the body can be And this pestilent conceit of prorogeuing time with God is a vniversall disease and hath slayne many that are gone and infected desperately millions of men that yet liue in the christian worlde Every one throwe's off the day of this duty breake 's that commandement in the substance which they were bound to obserue in the shaddow Exod. 22.29.20 where God saith Thou shalt not delay to offer thy first fruits whether of oxen cattell of liquor or any other thing Delay is a thing that the Lord still detested in any thing that he had for vs to doe he would never endure protraction of time he hath ever pleaded with his people for haste and expedition and for priority before all things yea to be put in the first place before all things as well he doth deserue to be in the conscience of the corruptest man among christians And albeit that both these be soe that the Lord hath soe loved to be first served and loathed in his soule to be set behinde yet as if prolonging and poasting off the piactise of piety were a thing that would rather make vs acceptable to the Lord then detestable in his sight the divill who is both Gods and our avowed adversary herin doth not only perswade jmpious persōs to stay rejourne whatsoever is required of them in true religiō but also he puts into their mindes and mouthes what to plead against God their owne best good but they litle know it in the truth of this point which we now vrge arme's them to opē their mouth with strange insolency against heaven to defend their double jmpiety in devising damnable shifts to support them therin that they may be still and for ever holden fast in the cordes of their jniquity and linger soe long in their sinfull courses and accursed carriage till time shal be no more and it be too late to wish for the day of grace the day of Gods patience and our repentance which being now past gone we are to beare for ever the righteous vengeance of the wretched neglect of that happy opportunity It is a sure thing that Satan never helpe's man to a jmpious hart to doe an evill but he also help 's him to an jmpudent mouth to defend the sin he doth Pretences for putting of Gods service and because his pretences are such and doe seeme soe plausible as that they doe misleade the most part of men in the worlde let vs looke into them a litle and try whether they be currant or counterfeit pure or hase by the truest touch-stone even the word of God which is truth it self But before we come to any particulers let vs premise a few words in generall to all such as doe plead any thing in this particuler to the end and purpose afore sayd let them therefore know and receive for a memorandum thus much That all that they speake is against God and their owne eternall good and that it is for the Devill and his advantage to their owne everlasting evill In all this plea what are they Adversaryes to God and themselves and Advocates for the Divell against themselves But let vs heare them speake although all they speake be not worth the hearing They say though God say the contrary and themselves confesse it too that though men should begin betime and it were well if they would yet there is no such necessity lying vpon it that we should be soe nice vpon it And why Plea 1 1. Because as they cursedly conceit a man may make too much haste too much a doe and what neede one be soe curious precise at present there is time enough for these matters heareafter This is their first Plea Wherin I must be bolde to aske these men first whether they speake when they thus speake as they thinke or not If not what hellish hypocrisy is it in any man to belye his owne minde with his owne mouth what wofull impiety is it to vtter that in others hearing which a man 's owne hart doth contradict within himself If they doe thinke as they say which I thinke every man would be well advised before he would doe if he knew all then let vs see if we can shew them what blasphemy is wrapped vp in this speach inasmuch as the scope therof is guilty of the fearfullest fellony that almost may be committed Note God is robbed by them of his right in the duty of their owne and the first dayes of such other as they doe thus delude They are robbed by Satan but with their owne consent for they plead for the theife of that right which Christ Iesus hath purchased for such as are obedient to his truth Others also are robbed of the same good by vttering these vngodly sayings to seduce them sinfully to sett off the time of their turning to the Lord. And I thinke the man that knew this would not be so free of these words which are soe wofull as we see were there noe more to be sayd against them But let vs come neerer The evill of it and pry more narrowly into this plea and the further we goe the more foule abhomination shall we finde and detect therin and that in divers respects a few wherof we will notify before you Evill 1 1. This plea supposeth an absolute cearteinety of more time yet to come and to be remayning vnto our lives why should any man in common sence say it is time enough heareafter if he were not as he thinks assured of more time to come after-warde Now thus to surmize is grosse sin inasmuch as the Lord hath taught vs to know that we cannot expect much lesse warrant one instant of time or a moment more to breath in then we doe already enjoy Tro. 27.1 Iam. 4.14 Doth not the wise
two things to be true 1. that God may be served too long 2. that the Divell may be served too litle Both which doe as naturally flow from their foule and jmpure mouthes as water from a fountayne for wherto els can their sayings tende seing as we sayd before either God or the Divell must be served of vs at all times and vntill we have sacrificed our selves to the Lord the Divell hath all our dayes And may we thinke that heaven can or will heare and beare the hydeous blasphemy of both these or either of them what may we serve the Lord too soone and too soone give over the service of Satan is the divell become the better master and God the worse that our last time may serve his turne and all the rest litle enough for the other who hath heard such things among the heathens or such speeches as doe as directly and plainely inferre and conclude them as if they did speake them How vnreasonable how irreligious are both nay how excecrable is either of the two by it self the one applaude's the Divell aboue God the other abases the Lord below the divell will either can both be sufered were not the patience of the almighty infinite these sinners would sink into hell yea into the nethermost hell but let them know forbearance is no acquittance he that doth endure this soe long will in the end avenge it with the heaviest justice and wrath that is revealed from heaven or reserved in hell as against all other soe especially against this mighty vngodlines of men then which what can be more monstrous or provoking to draw swift damnation vpon their soules that thus speake for what can be spoken to the greatest disgrace of him that is most glorious if this be not and can we once surmize that the Lord will suffer such indignity and disparagemet at our hands not power out his indignation vpon vs Especially if withall we well consider our owne jujury we doe our selves besides this jmpiety against the Lord because the lesse service we doe the Lord and the more we doe the divell the more wofull is it for vs in both respects for that litle we would give God is rejected and all that we doe for Satan is plagued and so by both we are wrapt vnder the eternall wrath of his dreadfull majesty Thus and no better then we have sayd but much worse then we can say is the sequell of this first pernicious apologie which men make against God and their owne soules in the procrastination of the power and practise of this truth Now if a man should summe vp all these together would not the totall be terrible thinke you to the soule that is guilty in the Items to assure our selves of more time of life to presume that some of that shal be time of grace to take vpon vs to dispose of that time what we will doe therin to jmagine God may have too much and the divell too litle of our service Is any one of these answerable before God much lesse are they all excusable noe noe every of them is high treason against his honour who order's all time his favour who gives all time of grace his excellency and worthines who deserues the duty of all our dayes These words must be eaten and recalled and that with more then ordinary humiliation greife and detestation or nothing can remayne but his just vengeance vpon the transgressors it is most true of this plea 1. King 1.23 which Solomō spake of Adoniahs desire that he had spoken this word against his owne life and was thervpon instantly slayne and soe might they be who have spoken these words against their owne eternall life and if the Lord should now seize vpō them to everlasting death how righteous were it vpon these vngodly wretches against whome the Apostle Iude saith the Lord will come in great glory and dreadfull power even among other things for their hard and cursed speakings of which number who can jmagine that these are not what neede such hast there is time enough heareafter for these matters wofull man that vtterest these words is there soe litle neede that God should have his glory that thou shouldst by giving it be truly happy if thy whole time were given to God were it enough nay can any time be enough for his duty suppose one man might live from one end of the world to the other from the first day to the last of all time to see both the creation and consummation of all things yea and admit that man could live without sin too and not miscarry one moment but be evermore doing that which might honour God could this man say he had given God enough I trow not for what time can be in equity enough for him whose least glory to his saints shal be infinite and eternall beyond all time and yet these accursed mouthes dare stint the Lord to the last and least and worst time of their life and thinke it enough to The Lord deliver vs saith the apostle from vnreasonable and wicked men which if these be not who are or can be Oh then let vs revoke recant and cancell presently what we have spoken wickedly byte that tongue that vttered them smite that hart that thought them accurse and excecrate that divell that suggested them least our not revoking of them rende vs from God send vs to Satan the author of them Let vs lay our hands vpou our mouthes and resolve never to open them againe to such jmpious purpose wherin the Lord of heaven is damnifyed the soules of men are damned the divell only is advantaged God is dishonoured we are vndone the divell goe's away with all the gaynes from both which he could never doe if he could not thus line the lips and tip the tongues of some prophane persons to become his trumpets to gather men to damnation by such delusions This is the first infernal plea that is devised and vrged to deceive the Lord of his first fruits of our time but have they done when they have sayd thus noe they have yet a second pretence and a third too to come Let vs exanime the former Preten ∣ ce 2 2. They plead that in age this worke may be done well enough and time enough then men are stayed and know what they doe is it not fit for young giddy heads to meddle with such matters Then there wil be more leasure when those dayes come wherin men have given over the proffits pleasures and vanityes of the world and have nothing to doe but to goe to church and serve God This they pretend The Evills of it Well but though in the former there was much in this latter there is much more presumption we will try it then we shall see it in the particulers which are the apparant consequents of this pretence which vpon due search we shall finde not to be soe seemingly plausible as they are
really pernicious damnable Evill 1 1. It doth directly contradict the Lord in that which he saith for he will have the first of our dayes as we have heard these say noe it is not fit for young heads to intermeddle Is not this to give God the lye yea to make him a lyar who will therefore have the first because they are fittest for him is not this to charge folly vpon him that is only wise as if he had not wisdome enough to chuse that part of our dayes for his duty wherin we are most meete to doe it but we will take it vpon vs to be wiser then he and assigne him a season better suiting this busines He saith he will have our first we will give the last time to him doth not this inferre that he is farre wyde of the marke and wonderfully over-seene and that we only are in the right So then these two to make the most true and wise God I tremble to vtter it a foole and a lyar these two I say doe make vp the first jmpiety of this second plea the vengeance justice due to either of which much more to both is beyond myne or any creatures ability to expresse Evill 2 2. This presumeth vpon olde age and make's no question to live to see those dayes and yeares wherin men are soe accounted And this thwarteth all Gods truth touching the vnceartaniety and shortnes of mans life soe often taught vs every where noe the lives of these men must be no vanityes dreames or vapours nor compared to windes to smoake to nothings they are during and permanent for 60.70 or more yeares Howbeit how many have not lived so many houres as they dreamed yeares nor soe many dayes as they accounted scores the sun hath shyned clearely vpon some in the morning who were become carcases er'e the evening and others have seene it set in the evening whose eyes were sunke er'e morning and yet they thought themselves as likely to live as long lyved as any that thus speake Even moments have swept away millions of other men yet these must live many yeares at least to be olde how or when should God have them els and as if God himselfe were bounde and had bounde all his creatures to their good behaviour that they must be saved harmelesse from any meanes of short life or suddaine death either they must be aged or God must not have them and sure I am perswaded he is most willing to lose them But of this presumption we sayd something before therefore the lesse shall serve here Evill 3 3. Admit you might live to age and were sure not to dye till you were very olde are you sure either to have a hart to giue your self to God then or that God hath a hart to take you then Assuredly if it be well look't into there is no reason for either but very much against both for why consider first for our owne harts what aptnes what ability nay what possibility will or can there be in vs vnto good who have beene soak't and steep't many yeares In all sin and jmpiety what holynes what purity in those parts of our bodyes and powers of our soules which hell hath poysoned and envenomed all our dayes are now full of deadly poyson the hart hardened the conscience vnconvinced the judgment blinded the affections earthly the will rebellious all benummed and vtterly voyd of any sparke of that quickening spirit which must turne a man to God wherwith will ye come to the Lord if you pray it must be with a mouth furr'd with blasphemy with a minde fraught with all other jmpiety whereto you have beene affected what will yee giue him but a soule and a body that have both combyned to be rebells your whole life against him and is there any power in these to be given to the Lord who have solde themselves like Ahab to sin and whome the Divell the true owner now will come clayme as his owne long since due vnto him therefore will not ēdure they should be givē to any other from him It is against all humane reason and common sence that a man soe jnvred to sin soe accustomed and habituated to corruption who hath consumed his dayes in nothing but in dishonouring disobeying the Lord and never knew what belonged to the savour of saving grace or to the beginning of any god worke should now be able to begin and finish that great worke of giving himself vp to God and that at and in his owne set time Noe there goe's more to it then soe it is no such short worke no mā can be soe quick at it especially those that have beene so slow all their dayes before it will aske longer time and more a doe before it be wel begun then these sotts doe conceit doth belong to the middle and both ends of it God sayth that no man can come to him except he he be drawne these men it seemes will come to God whether he will or noe as if it were in their power to draw God to themselves but as he will not have his goodnes and power soe much abused as to be drawne to them soe neither wil he endure to have their rebellious and debauched life so much honoured as now at last cast to draw them to him but even let him alone with them who hath had their childehood and youth to take their age too and soe to have all to himself Customary sin is not soe lightly cast off it is bred in the bone it will not be easy to get it out of the flesh and that soe as Gods spirit may instantly enter as these doe most idlely apprehend Againe consider the second what hart can God have to accept of the divells reversion or the leavings of our lives the doteage the dog-dayes as it were of all the time we live Let olde age be well considered and the state therof pondered in our selves and all other creatures that serve vs is it not the only time wherin we cast off our servants or cattell to baser vses as being vnfit for ours An olde servingman now overworne and decrepite and not fitt to attend his Lord any longer ha's a license to keepe an ale-house or become's some tapster and soe is made servile to every base pot-companion An olde horse of good pace of great price before for the saddle the coach now to the myll to the harrow to any meane drudgery and at last to the dogs And can this age wherin one man is not fit for anothers service nor any beast for mans vse be the meetest time for the most high to be served in of vs what shall we then thinke to become his when we are a burden to the world 2. Sam. 19 35. and to our selves and both weary of one another as Barzillai spake to David of himself What man would be soe vsed by his beast as these men more vnreasonable then beasts herin
as come from that hell originally whervnto they that persist in them must goe eternally And to preserve soe many of them as is possible now they have done pleading for sin against the honour of God and the good of their owne soules we will begin to plead both for God and for them and the happines they may have by this blessed truth of his if they have such harts as may yet be mooved perswaded to embrace the same Vse To which end we now come to our third vse wherin we shall make tender vnto them of such motiues and considerations as may jnduce any hart that is not wholy hardened and sealed vp or seared by Satan to a starke senclesse condition to yeeld both acknowledgment obedience to that which in this behalfe the Lord requireth of them The thing the Lord expecteth is the first fruits of our liues to be his that assoone as we can vndertake any thing we should betake our selves to his service and can we conceit he doth this without right or reason Farre be such jmpious jmmaginations from our harts Let vs pervse seriously some few particulers that may be powerfull and perswaaing with vs herein And first we will begin with those grounds whervpon legally the Lord required them which if we ponder and paralell according to their morall we shall see enough to moue men to doe as God would have them Note then that the first fruits were to be given to these ensuing ends 1. That the Lord might be honoured in this favour and power wherby he gave Isarell that goodly land by giving him his right in the first of every thing The first of all was the Lords right and appropriated to himself by his owne ordinance and decree he that gave it not rob'd God of his due and was guilty of the higest sacriledge that could be committed Yea the Lord was soe absolute herein that all the first should be entyre to himself that if it were not given him Exod. 34.20 yet they might not reserve it to their owne vse as is evident in that instance of the asse which being an vncleane beast it was to be redeemed by a lambe but if the owner aid not redeeme it he might not let it live but must breake the neck of it Now then who seeth not through this shaddow that our first time is the Lords absolute right and that we are theiues to our God if we giue not our selves to him and this fellony we may not jmagine to be easily answered it is no slight matter to be false to the almighty to be a robber of the most high it is not our booke will save vs yet his booke if we wil be ruled by it will shew vs the meanes how to be saved The reproach of being a theife and a robber is great but the punishment is greater he that repent's not sincerely of it will assuredly rue it 2. God will have the first from vs that we might have right to the rest from him Till he have his nothing of all we have is ours when we have given him his right in the first then and not till then he gives vs right to the rest and this is as plaine as the former in the law of Moses in the places forealedged Wherin as we see the great most gracious goodnes of God in providing and caering for our interest that what we have we might holde it from him in a lawfull and comfortable tenure Soe the greater and more heavy is the morall and meaning of this heavenly truth to them who denying the Lord his right doe thereby spoyle their owne by the jmpious neglect of giving the Lord his doe proclaime to all men that nothing they have is theirs Every vngodly man that honours not the Lord with his first is a theife and a vsurper of all he doth posesse and lives vnder the just reproach of a fellon before God and in the danger of that justice due to this offence he is in perpetuall perill every moment hath heavens indignatiō hanging over his head ready at all times to be arrested arraigned cōdemned excecuted by the high posessor of heaven earth the great Lord and owner of all that every man hath who give 's no man title to any thing he hath vnlesse he himselfe first have his due A wicked mans foode rayment riches his whole estate is stolen goods wheresoever he goe's whatsoever he doe's how long or litle soe ever he live's every instant of his life is perilous and may prove the very moment of his eternall death his life is not his owne himself is not his owne he hath no right to the breath he drawe's to the earth he treads on to any thing appertayning to his being all is for feit to the Lord of all for none-payment of these first fruits And herof may we be well assured if we well consider that the Lord would not be soe vnwise as to give vs any thing to serve Satan withall noe he ever gave vs that we might enjoy it to his honour and to our owne advantage Now if he please to give vs harts to give him the first he will graciously continue the same hart in vs to give him the rest also wheras if Satan set in first it is great wonder if he have not the last too for he vseth to holde hard for that which he once hath 3. the Lord will have the first that the rest may be not only ours but sanctifyed to vs also that the right we have in it and the vse we have of it may both be seasoned and sweetened to vs when we have first given God that which is Gods And without a vse sanctifyed what is or can any thing be to vs Beasts that want reason have a naturall vse of earthly comforts Pagans that want religion have a civill vse of that which they have now there is no difference betweene their tenure and ours but this wherin we exceede them that we have both the naturall and civill sanctifyed vnto vs. It is theirs in that state wherin sin left it with the whole curse of sin vpon it It is ours as Christ Iesus hath purifyed it and made it holy to vs. So all is poysoned to him that is in Gods debt for this due and to him that hath discharged it to his best ability all is blessed If the first fruits be holy saith the apostle soe is the lumpe if they be not Ro. 11.16 the lumpe cannot be Tye these two motives together and see how strong they are to binde vs to the obedience of this instruction if we have no right at all then we steale all we have if no sanctifyed vse all we steale is envenomed to vs soe that first we are theives to God in vsing what we have no right in and next we are murderers of our selves in the vnsanctifyed estate of that we vse Now what mighty and vnmatchable misery is it for
him in this his service and duty Did he not most graciously regard him and his offering hath he not put it here into his owne booke to his perpetuall prayse Heb. 11.4 1. Joh. 3. and not only here but else-where in the new testament once and againe that from the beginning to the end of the world he might be famous wheresoever either this text or those should be preached that which he hath done should not be forgotten Did he not most deeply avenge his innocent blood vpon his jmpious brother and made him the first and most fearfull spectacle of his justice and malediction to the terror of all succeding generations And which is more then all this hath not the Lord crowned him with glory and immortality in the heavens with himself as well as renouned him for holynes and piety here on earth He is the first whose soule every saw the face of God noe man ever went from earth to heaven before him among the innumerable spirits of just and perfect men who now and for ever live there with the Lord in glory He was the first martyr had the first crowne none every dyed for the Lord before him none could liue with the Lord before him he was the Lords first witnes among all the Lords worthyes this righteous Abel as Christ call's him stood in the fore-frunt of the battell shed the first blood for the faith testimony of Iesus before there was any to back or abett him And as the Lord tooke great notice of this first soe also hath he done in like manner of the rest who have began betime to be acquainted with him in his service How came Samuell to be soe rare a man and to be numbred among the most speciall favourites of God Moses Iob Daniell Noah c Why doe you not remember what we have sayd of his mother how she gave him to God in resolution before she had him and was as good as her word assoone as he was weaned doe you not remember what is sayd of himself the childe Samuell ministred before the Lord the childe Samuell this was worthy to be acounted wonderfull that a childe should minister before the Lord especially being so yong that as yet he knew not the voyce or call of God from Elyes but ranne to Ely once and againe when the Lord called vpon him about the first busines he had to doe for him What may be the cause that Iosiah is soe mightily cōmended that as if he were matchlesse it is sayd of him that there was none like before him nor any to succeede that should be such a one as this peerelesse prince was true it is that never any king either of Jsraell or Iudah no not among the good kings before or after him went soe farre in the worke of Godfor the purgatiō purifying of his worship as he did this king did surmount them all but how is it that he came to doe what none had done more then they all why he begun to worke the worke of God betime that may be a mayne reason why he did so much at eight yeare olde saith the scripture he sought the Lorde 2. King 23.1 and that is but in childe-hood all men know What should I tell you of Solomon of Timothie and such others as I might mention to this purpose nothing is more sure then this that they have beene the rarest and most excellent men in piety and religion and the most able instruments of Gods honour who in the beginning of their dayes have begun to doe good they must needes be neerest heaven who set out on their way soonest continue going on thither-warde Only it is seldome that we see any enter vpon religion soe early now a dayes they are very few that begin to be soe soone faith full Note The more are they to be admired of godly men and the more to be comforted of God who are founde sucklings in grace assoone as they are weanelings in nature and hang vpon Gods breasts when they have given over they mothers So that by all that hath beene sayd it appeareth to be a happy thing and they to be most happy men who have learned this lesson of the Lord and walked according to the light therof which leade's on directly in the way of life wherin howsoever a man may possibly meete with some molestation and misery yet the end of it will vndoubtedly be endles infinite glory with him who wil make those most glorious beyond all time who betooke themselves to glorify him betime Much might be spoken to enlarge their consolation who have harts to doe according to this instruction But of this more hereafter we now passe to our 2. Vse Vse 2 And that concerneth all vngodly persons who howsoever they will because they must and cannot for starke shame say otherwise after a sort acknowledg this our doctrine to be true yet walke most wickedly in a course farre wyde of it nay cleane contrary to it their mouthes cannot be soe monstruously finfull but they must confesse it to be a truth howbeit their hellish harts and lives doe deny it in their most jmpious practise all the dayes of their life yea they have taught their tongues to lye herin notoriously and that not to men alone but to the Lord of whome and of whose service they vse to say it is not yet time it may be time enough heareafter O yee impious children of the father of lyes can you say it is true that every one shoulde begin betime and it were not amisse if it were soe and yet tell God and men to their faces that any time is time enought hereby you shew your selves to be the very jmps of the devill who hath taught you such a language as one part of your speech confutes nay confound's another and such a practise as overturnes Gods truth which you dare not deny and confirmes that falshood which none ought to affirme Miserable soules how are yee given over of God into the hands nay into the bands of Satan who if you speake or breath out but one true word can make your life both to bely and abolish that and to ratify every jot and tittle of those infernall falshoodes that he suggests into your soules Doe yee not sin presumptuously and against the light of your owne knowledg and conscience that can thus speake and dare thus doe and is such a sin a light matter or easy to answer to the judge of the whole worlde know you will not finde it soe in the day of the great and vniversall assize when all flesh shall at once stand before him to give account and receive recompence according to what they have done Notwithstanding the world hath beene ever full hell wil be one day full of soe many of them as repent not of such as either turne God out of all time or bring him in the tayle of all the time they live