the worke of the Ministry must be like vnto the housholder which hath a treasury of good prouision in himselfe and bringeth forth of it things both old and new Matth. 13. 52. This I thought needfull to stand vpon because I finde that those Ministers of all others are most vehement and bitter in complaining of their people for going from them who are either vtterly vnable to teach profitably and take vpon them to flye before they haue wings or such as are idle men and make no conscience to stirre vp that gift that God hath bestowed vpon them 3. The last direction I haue to giue to such Pastours is this That if they see cause to iudge that such as leaue them sometimes doe it without contempt of their Ministry in a dutifull manner seeking nothing in it but their profit and growth in grace and that they doe indeede profit by another more than they did by themselues that they are much bettered in knowledge zealous loue to the Word reformation of life conscience of all their waies since they went to heare such a man then take heed thou repine not at it but reioyce heartily that this worke is wrought in them though not by thy selfe Remember the doctrine that thou hast now heard Yea say they were such as left thee with some contempt yet if they profit more by another than by thee thou shouldest be willing to take knowledge of the good things that are euen in thine enemy and to reioyce in them also The Corinthians began to despise Pauls Ministry and to entertaine false Apostles that sought to disgrace him and yet doth he take knowledge of the good things were in them and praiseth God for them also 1 Cor. 1. 4 5. The like example he giueth vs also he reioyceth that Christ was preached euen by them who though they had good gifts and did both for matter and method teach profitably yet had naughty hearts and preached out of enuy and desire to add affliction vnto his bonds Phil. 1. 15 16 18. Lecture the fiftieth ninth Iune 24. 1610. IOHN IIII. XXXII XXXIV FOlloweth the fourth Property of true zeale to bee obserued in this example of our blessed Sauiour Though he had spent much time already in instructing the Woman yet as if he had done nothing hitherto he earnestly desires to do more Yea he professeth it was his meate to finish and perfect his fathers worke He that hath true zeale will not rest in any thing he hath already done but will still endeauour to goe forward and to be better than he hath beene and to finish his worke well Two branches there are you see of this property 1. He that hath any true zeale in him is carefull to grow and goe forward there is no one more essentiall property of true zeale than this desire to grow See a plaine example of this in Paul he had attained to a great measure and done much seruice to God yet heare what he saith Phil. 3. 13 14. I count not my selfe that I haue attained to perfection but one thing I doe as if he should say This is all my perfection I forget that that is behinde and endeauour my selfe to that which is before and follow hard toward the marke There is no certainer a signe that a man hath sauing grace in him than this when he earnestly desireth and endeauoureth to haue more grace They that haue had most store of grace haue euer beene most couetous and greedy to get more as none are so desirous of riches as they that haue most wealth nor any so desirous of knowledge as the best learned It is made a title of the seruants of God to hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Matth. 5. 〈◊〉 See an experiment of this in Dauid how he hungred after the sauing knowledge of Gods will Open thou mine eyes saith he that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Teach me thy statutes make mee to vnderstand the way of thy precepts Psalme 119. 18. 26 27. 2. His chiefe care is to finish his worke well This wee may see in Paul Acts 20. 24. I passe not at all I care not what I endure so I may fulfill my course with ioy And it is noted by the Holy Ghost of the best of Gods seruants that they neuer shewed such zeale and faithfulnesse in the worke of the Lord as when they were neare their end when they saw they were not to continue long Iacob Moses Ioshua Dauid Peter shewed more care of the Church and zeale of Gods glory toward their end than euer they did before Yea our Sauiour was neuer so zealous and painefull in instructing and praying for his Disciples as he was a little before his death See what he saith of this Ioh. 9. 4. I must worke the workes of him that sent me while it is day the night commeth when no man can worke And see what he did also how he doubled his diligence in preaching and praying for his Church immediately before his Passion In the day time euery day he was teaching in the Temple and at night he went out and abode in the Mount of Oliues And all the people came early in the morning to him in the Temple to heare him Luke 21. 37 38. To reprooue such as stand at a stay and thinke they haue done enough It is a certaine signe of a man that is but luke-warme in Religion when he thinketh he hath grace enough when he hath no desire nor vseth any endeauour to get more grace Thus is the luke-warme Laodicean described Apoc. 3. 16 17. he said he was rich and encreased with goods and had neede of nothing It is not possible but he that hath any soundnesse of grace in him must needs haue in him a desire to grow As in the naturall body euery member groweth till it come to full stature so is it in the mysticall body of Christ Col. 2. 19. All the body furnished and knit together by ioynts and bands increaseth with the increasing of God Iohn 15. 2. Euery branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may beare more fruit Therefore though the Thessalonians were grown so farre that the Apostle praiseth God for their effectuall faith and diligent loue and patient hope 1. Thess. 1. 3. and saith of them that their faith grew exceedingly and their loue one toward another abounded 2. Thess. 1. 3. yet he earnestly exhorteth and beseecheth them that they would increase more and more 1. Thess. 4. 1. 10. 2. For conuincing of their errour that seeke to iustifie many corruptions both in manners and religion by this Argument In such and such a mans dayes such things were vsed and I hope he was a learned man and a good man and why may they not then be vsed now To these men I answer First that it hath beene an old tricke of hypocrites to pretend great reuerence and respect to the seruants of God that are dead when their credit might
against the truth You that haue to deale with families and flocks wonder not at that blockishnesse and want of capacity memory and care that you find in them Wonder rather that there be so many that do loue and embrace the truth indeed Certainly they haue more cause to wonder at vs then we at them as the Apostle saith they doe They thinke it strange saith he 1. Pet. 4. 4. that you run not with them to the same excesse of riot for they do but their kind whereas it is contrary to nature that any of vs should desire or loue or obey the Gospell which is an incredible and a great mystery 1. Tim. 3. 16. Yea the conuersion of a sinner is the greatest miracle that euer God wrought This changing of our nature is as great a miracle as the changing of the nature of the Wolfe and Leopard so as to make them lie with the lambe and kid Esa. 11. 6. Or the making of a Camell to go through the eye of a needle as our Sauiour speaketh Luke 18. 25. For a man to liue in the world and to be kept vnspotted of the world is as great a miracle as that the three noble Iewes should be in the fiery fornace and not be consumed by it Dan. 3. 27. 2. Oh pity them and pray for them be not vncharitably affected toward them but doe what thou canst to helpe them Remember the compassion and helpe that God commandeth thee to yeeld to the very beast of thy brother that is in misery and needeth thy helpe Exod. 23. 5. Yea doe it with meeknesse and gentlenesse as the Apostle chargeth thee 2. Tim. 2. 25. 26. and Titus 3. 2. 3. And seeing thou hearest that they are euen by nature so vnable and so vnwilling also to receiue any good this way therefore do thou for them as the friends of him that had the palsie did Mar. 2. 3. 4. Seeing of themselues they cannot come to Christ nor to the meanes of grace vse then that credit thou hast with them to draw them to it The third Vse is for our selues 1. Be perswaded of the necessity of the ministery of the Word which is the meanes whereby God hath ordained to shew his power in the conuersion of man Rom. 1. 16. Yea of a constant and ordinary Ministry of a plaine Ministry forasmuch as there remaineth in the best of vs so much blindnesse and peruersnesse of nature 2. Comfort thy selfe euen in thy desires to the Word and means of grace and in thy weake obedience if it be sincere and praise God for it for thou hast not this by nature but by grace thou hast attained to that that very few in the world nay in the true Church haue attained vnto Lecture the seuenth March 14. 1608. IOHN IIII. XI XII IT followeth now that we consider of those reasons that she brings as they lie in order And first in this that she cannot belieue that which Christ said because she saw no meanes he had to performe that which she spake of We learne That there is this infidelity and corruption in the nature of man as not to giue any further credit to any thing the Lord hath said then he can see likely meanes how it may be performed 1. While God giues him meanes he will seeme full of faith 2. While he may haue the meanes he is so full of faith that he will make no reckoning of the meanes but relie wholly vpon God as Sathan would haue had Christ to do Mat. 4. 6. 3. But when he can see no meanes or no likely meanes then let God say what he will and protest and sweare too yet he cannot belieue him We shall find this true both in the promises that concerne this life and in the promises that concerne a better life also For the first see the experience of this corruption not in those only that we call Infidels but in Gods own people euen in the whole people of Israel whom the Lord cals his son and his first borne Exo. 4. 22. Though they had had so many and so wonderfull demonstrations of Gods truth and power yet still when they saw no meanes of helpe they could neuer belieue Gods promises Insomuch as the Lord complaines of them Num. 14. 11. How long will this people prouoke me how long will it be yer they belieue me for all the signes which I haue shewed amongst them So Psal. 78. 40. How oft did they prouoke him in the wildernes and grieue him in the desart and ver 41. Yea they returned and tempted God and limited the holy One of Israel Yea Moses and Aaron the chiefe Guides and Captaines of them though they went not so farre in infidelity and rebellion as the multitude yet did they also bewray this corruption See this in Moses alone The people among whom I am saith he Num. 11. 21. 22. are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will giue them flesh that they may eat a whole moneth Shall the flocks and the heards be slaine for them to suffice them Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them See it also in Moses and Aaron both The Lord told them he would giue water to suffice all that people and their cattell also out of a rocke this they could not belieue for though they seemed to belieue in yeelding so presently to the Lords commandement herein yet the Lord himselfe chargeth them that they did not belieue Num. 20. 12. Another example we haue for this in Sarah for she hearing the promise God had made to her husband concerning a sonne God would giue to him by her she laughed at it Gen. 18. 12. which was as if she should haue said That is a iest indeed 2. The like we shall see in the promises that concerne a better life The chiefe cause why men haue reiected them hath beene this because the means God hath promised to worke them by are most vnlikely That by Christs death we should come to life by his extreame shame and dishonour we should come to glory that by the warres and combats with Sathan and the wrath of God which he indured we should be brought to peace and quietnes euerlasting that by his stripes and wounds we should be healed as the Prophet speakes Esa. 53. 5. This seemeth vtterly incredible and impossible to the naturall man In which respect the Apostle saith 1. Cor. 1. 23. That the preaching of Christ crucified was to the Iewes a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishnes That the preaching of the Gospell without all shew of humane learning which so few esteemed of that were of any estimation for wisdome and authority in the world the foolishnes of preaching should be the only and ordinary means to bring men to grace that would not downe with them that could they neuer be perswaded of as the Apostle sheweth vs 1. Cor. 1. 18. 23. That such kind of Preachers
especially that want yeares or such other means of learning should do any great good that they cannot belieue See this in Christs country-men Mat. 13. 55. 57. They were offended at him and could not honour him as they ought because they knew the meannesse of his parentage and education This doctrine serueth first generally to exhort euery one of vs to take notice of this vile corruption in our selues and to striue against it Take heed brethren saith the Apostle Heb. 3. 12. least there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe Consider with thy selfe 1. Thou canst haue no comfort in God vnlesse thou haue faith Heb. 11. 6. Without faith it is impossible to please him 2. Though it may seeme an easie thing to belieue while thou art in peace and in abundance of all good means of comfort as Papists say this is too easie a way to be the right way to heauen thou wilt find it hard in the time of extremity when that euill day shall come which the Apostle speaks of Eph. 6. 13. Of all things that God hath commanded vs this most needeth the mighty hand of God and the exceeding greatnesse of his power to make vs able to performe it and so speakes the Apostle of it Eph. 1. 19. 3. Thou hast no true faith vnlesse thou canst belieue whatsoeuer God hath said or if thou do distrust the Lord when the meanes do faile Be not therefore too well perswaded of the strength of thy faith but pray and vse all other meanes to get it increased in thee and to haue the infidelity of thy heart subdued more and more The remedy and means for the subduing of it is the consideration of these three points 1. That which the Scripture hath reuealed touching the omnipotency of God Gen. 18. 14. Shall any thing be hard to the Lord ler. 32. 27. I am the Lord God of all flesh is there any thing too hard for me The Lord can do more then he will doe he can of stones raise vp children vnto Abraham Mat. 3. 9. Christ could by prayer haue obtained of his Father more then twelue legions of Angels to rescue him from his enemies Mat. 26. 53. God could haue kept Christ from drinking the cup of his wrath for vs Mar. 14. 36. Yet may no man build on Gods power nor can haue true comfort in it or say God can do this or that if it please him vnlesse he haue his reuealed will to build vpon as well as his omnipotency The Papists in their doctrine of the reall presence and many carnall Protestants in their contempt of the ordinary means are grossely mistaken in this point Therefore the faithfull professing the comfort they tooke in the faith of Gods power vse to ioyne his power and his truth or faithfulnesse together as Psal. 89. 8. O Lord God of hosts who is a strong God like vnto thee or to thy faithfulnesse round about thee And where we haue his word and promise for any thing we may build vpon it and be fully assured that he will performe it be it neuer so vnlike because he is able to do it Thus is the strong faith of Abraham commended by the Apostle Rom. 4. 21. He was fully perswaded that what God had promised he was able also to performe And thus doth Dauid magnifie and set forth the omnipotency of God Psal. 115. 3. Our God is in the heauens he hath done whatsoeuer he pleased See this proued by sundry plaine experiments for of this truth we may say as Psal. 119. 140. Thy word is proued most pure by good experience therefore thy seruant loueth it And these experiments are to be obserued in three points 1. He hath done mighty things by very weak means By three hundred he ouerthrew the huge host of the Midianites and Amalakites who were like Grashoppers in multitude and their Camels without number Iudg 6. 7. 12. 2. He hath done mighty things without any naturall and ordinary means he ouerthrew the mighty wals of Iericho and deliuered the City into his peoples hands onely by the blowing of trumpets of Rams hornes and the shouting of the people Iosh. 6. 20. which made Asa cry to him 2. Chro. 14. 11. It is nothing for thee to helpe with many or with no power 3. He hath done mighty things when all meanes haue seemed as it were to be armed against him and quite contrary to the nature of ordinary means that he might shew himselfe to be indeed the Lord of Hosts as in the case of Israels passing through the Red Sea Exo. 14. 21. 22. And in the preseruation both of the three noble Iewes in the fiery fornace Dan. 3. 27. and of Daniel in the Lions den Dan. 6. 22. 2. To consider how highly God is prouoked with this sinne Psal. 78. 21. 22. 22. 40. 41. They prouoked and grieued him how by tempting and limiting him when Elisha had said To morrow a measure of fine flower should be sold for a shekell because the Prince did but say Though the Lord would make windowes in heauen could this thing come to passe The Prophet in Gods name threatned he should see it for increase of his miserie but not taste of it and so it came to passe for he died a strange and base death 2. King 7. 19. 20. When Zachary a man iust before God and one of whose tongue God might haue had more vse then of many others did but make a doubt vpon this ground he was smitten dumbe for forty weekes Luke 1. 20. Moses and Aaron for doubting vpon this ground also of Gods promise see how seuerely they were punished for it Num. 20. 12. 3. The consideration of the nature of this sinne for as faith is the root of all other good things in vs It is that that purifieth the heart Act. 15. 9. It is that that setteth loue and euery grace on worke faith worketh by loue saith the Apostle Gal. 5. 6. It is that whereby in our whole conuersation we are enabled to liue a holy life The iust shall liue by his faith saith the Prophet Hab. 2. 4. And there is nothing wherein we so much giue glory to God as by our faith Rom. 4. 20. Num. 20. 12. So on the other side nothing so much corrupteth the heart of man as infidelity doth no sinne that we can commit doth the Lord so great dishonour as when we do thus limit him and cannot trust him further then we see him Ioh. 5. 10. He that belieueth not hath made him a lyer And what greater disgrace can you put vpon any man then to giue him the lie Infidelity as it was the first sinne whereby Satan deceiued and poisoned mankind he called Gods truth in question and sought to bring them into a doubt of it Gen. 3. 4. so is it the root of all other our sinnes whereby we depart from God Heb. 3. 12. Therefore doth our Sauiour mention it as the only sinne that the
which will quite change your nature and disposition when you haue once rightly receiued it Count it not pride in the Minister to reproue the sin of any that liues vnder his charge For 1. He hath authority to do it he is set ouer them in the Lord 1. Thes. 5. 12. and therefore hath authority to admonish them He speaks to them in Gods name and by commission from him And who may think himself too good to receiue a reproof from the Lord Heare ye and giue eare saith the Prophet Ier. 13. 15. Be not proud for the Lord hath spoken The faithfull Minister vnto his hearers in Christs stead 2. Cor. 5. 20. 2. The faithfull Minister takes no pride in it but performs it vnwillingly see how Gods holy Prophets haue bewailed their own condition by reason of this task that God hath laid vpon them Wo is me my mother saith Ieremy Ier. 15. 10. that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth 2. Desire to be acquainted with thy sins and pray as Dauid Psal. 141. 5. Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse let him reproue me it shall be an excellent oyle that shall not break my head And as Iob Iob 13. 23. Make me to know my transgressions and sinnes Lecture the foureteenth May 30. 1609. IT followeth that we proceed to the second of those foure points we obserued in these words The sinne he discouers to her was a secret sinne vnknowne to all men For though it were well enough knowne to her selfe both that she liued in fornication and that fornication was a sinne yet may it well appeare that she had the reputation of an honest woman among her neighbours and consequently that her sinne was vnknowne to them For 1. Vpon her motion they came forth vnto him as vnto the Messiah vers 30. 2. Yea many of them belieued in him for the report that this woman gaue of him vers 39. and from hence we learne That the Lord is priuy to all the sins of men and able to lay them open and charge them with them how secretly soeuer they haue been committed Who knowes not this may you say vnto me Or what needs any proofe of a thing that is so plaine and euident Surely there is no man will seeme to make doubt of this and yet it appeares euidently by the liues of men that there be very few that belieue it indeed But there is this secret Atheisme lurking in the hearts of all more or lesse that they either fancy to themselues such a god as the Epicure did that sits idle in the heauens and knowes not or regards not what is done here below or at least are not fully perswaded of this or neuer think seriously of it that God seeth heareth them The Prophets make this secret Atheisme the root of all other sins that men commit neither were they Heathen and Infidels whom they thus charged but such as liued in the Church of God Psal. 10. 11. He hath said in his heart God hath forgotten he hideth his face he will neuer see it Ezek. 9. 9. The land is full of bloud and the City full of peruersnesse for they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth and the Lord seeth not We haue all of vs therefore need to be confirmed in this truth by the Word of God whereby faith onely is wrought in the hearts of men Obserue therefore the proofe of this Doctrine in sixe points 1. There is neuer a one of vs but the Lord knowes vs perfectly what we are and what we haue beene There is not any creature saith the Apostle Heb. 4. 13. that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of him with whom we haue to do There is nothing that euer any of vs did but the Lord is priuy to it Psal. 119. 168. For all my wayes are before thee 2. We neuer vttered any word but the Lord is priuy to it 2. King 6. 12. The Prophet could tell what the King of Aram spake in his priuy chamber Ps. â—…39 4. There is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it wholly O Lord. 3. We neuer had euill thought in our heart but the Lord is priuy to it Iob 42. 4. I know saith Iob thou canst do all things and that there is no thought hid from thee 4. Yea such of our actions and words and thoughts as haue been most secret most closely and cunningly caried those are not hid from him but those chiefly he hath an eye vnto The Lord is therefore called oft by Christ Our Father which seeth in secret Mat. 6. 4. 6. 18. Psal. 90. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee and our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance saith Moses When Elihu had said Iob 34. 21. His eyes are vpon the wayes of man and he seeth all his goings he adds vers 22. there is no darknesse nor shadow of death that the workers of iniquity may be hid therein 5. He doth not carelesly cast his eyes vpon that we doe but obserues and markes diligently the things we doe yea he ponders and considers whence it proceeds and whereunto it tends Psalme 11 4. The Lords Throne is in heauen his eyes will consider his eye-lids will try the children of men Prouerb 5. 21. The wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his paths Therefore Prouerbs 24. 12. the Lord is called He that pondereth the hearts The Prophet could tell Gehezi not onely what he had gotten of Naaman but also to what vse he meant to imploy it 2. Kings 5. 26. Went not mine heart with thee when the man turned againe from his Chariot to meet thee Is this a time to take money and to receiue garments and oliues and vineyards and sheepe and oxen and men-seruants and maid-seruants Had Gehezi receiued oliues c No but Elisha in the Spirit set his heart vpon that Gehezi did and considered his intent was to raise and make himselfe great by that money he got so 6. He so obserues vs and all our wayes as he can neuer forget them Therefore he is said to write them in a booke Esa. 65. 6. Behold it is written before me and I will render and recompence it into their bosome And as men do their chiefe euidences which they are most carefull to keepe he is said to lay vp these records in store with him and to keepe them sealed vp amongst his treasures Deut. 32. 34. The reason why this must needs be so the Lord must needs be priuy to all the sinnes euen the most secret sinnes of men are two 1. Because he is present euery where This reason is giuen Ier. 23. 24. When he had said in the beginning of the Verse Can any one hide himselfe in the secret places that I shall not see him he adds do not I fill heauen and earth
saith the Lord. Psal. 139 7. Whither shall I go from thy Spirit or whither shall I flie from thy presence Acts 17. 27. Doubtlesse he is not farre from euery one of vs for in him we liue and moue and haue our being 2. Because he is the Iudge of the whole World and is to iudge euery man righteously according to his workes God shall bring euery worke into iudgement saith the Holy Ghost Eccl. 12. 14. with euery secret thing whether it be good or whether it be euill For though he shall not want witnesses at that day yet it is necessary himselfe should haue perfect knowledge of all the actions of men Esa. 11. 3. He shall not reproue after the hearing of the eares Therefore Dauid Psal. 94. confuting the Atheisme of the wicked that said verse 9. The Lord shall not see vseth among other this argument to conuince them ver 10. He that chastiseth the Nations shall not be correct be that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know The vse of this Doctrine is double 1. This Doctrine if the Lord will be pleased to perswade our hearts to belieue it is most effectuall both to moue our hearts to speedy repentance for sinnes past and to restraine vs from sinne in time to come The thing that most emboldeneth to sinne is the hope of secrecy as we may see Gen. 39. 11. It is said of Iosephs Mistresse that he comming into the house when there was no body within but they two verse 12. Therefore she caught him by the garment c. True it is that there be many that are growne to that impudency that they dare speake or doe any thing whosoeuer be by They declare their sinnes as Sodome Esay 3. 9. Such a one was Absolon 2. Sam. 16. 22. Hee went in to his fathers Concubines in the sight of all Israel Such a one was the vniust Iudge Luke 18. 2. who neither feared God nor regarded man Yea that will the rather sweare and speake filthily when such are by as they know they may grieue by it as counting it a disgrace to be restrained by the presence and reuerence of any man but these are farre gone these sinne supernaturally these are in a fit of frenzie and madnesse company and mirth hath made them madd and desperate as indeed it will doe Eccles. 2. 2. For naturally and for the most part the knowledge of men will 1. Restraine them from sinning and 2. Will worke shame and trouble of mind in them when they haue sinned There are many sinnes that men would neuer commit but that they hope to keepe them secret the presence of a godly man would restraine them yea the presence of a little childe would restraine them Darkenesse and hope of secrecy is the principall encourager of men vnto most sinnes they cannot sinne securely vnlesse they may sinne in secret And in this respect amongst others all sinnes are called the workes of darkenesse Ephes. 5. 11. Therefore Iob speaking of sundry kinds of sinners saith Iob 24. 13. These are they that abhorre the light verse 15. The eye of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight and saith none eye shall see me and disguiseth his face and verse 17. If one know them they are in the terrours of death Now if the knowledge and priuitie that men haue of our sinnes bee of such force how much more would the knowledge the Lord hath of them doe it if men were fully perswaded of it For 1. A man may oft sinne so secretly that no man shall know of it but he hath the Lords eye vpon him at all times though no man seeth him God seeth him Yea hee knowes all our waies perfectly obserues them and takes notice of them so as he can neuer forget them 2. No man can possibly dislike or abhorre vs so much for any sinne as the Lord doth Iob 10. 4. Hast thou carnall eyes or dost thou see as man seeth Hab. 1. 12. Thou art of pure eyes and canst not see euill thou canst not behold wickednesse 3. The more cunning any shall vse in concealing his sin and keeping it secret the more the Lord abhorrs him for it Thus is Achans sin aggrauated Ioshua 7. 11. They haue euen taken of the accursed thing and haue also stollen and dissembled also And so is the sin of Israel 2. King 17. 9. The children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the Lord their God 4 As he seeth and disliketh all our sins so he certainely will one day charge vs with them either in this life to our saluation as to this woman here by the ministery of his word as he did that poore man that was before ignorant and vnbelieuing 1. Cor. 14. 24 25. which is indeed the naturall property of the word to do it is a discerner and discouerer of the thoughts and intents of the hart as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 〈◊〉 12. or in the life to come to our confusion as he threatneth wicked men that he will doe at one time or other I will reprooue thee and set thy sins in order before thine eyes saith the Lord Psal. 51. â—…1 and Eccl. 11 9. Know thou that for all these things God will bring thee to iudgement 5. He will also bring the secretest sins of men to light one day and lay them open euen to men Pro 10. 9 He that peruerteth his way shall be knowne 1. Tim. 5. 25. They that are otherwise cannot be hid He doth oft in this life discouer Hypocrites by giuing them vp to the committing of open sins Psal. 125 5. Such as turne aside vnto their crooked wayes the Lord will leade them forth with the workers of iniquity But this shall chiefly be done in the great day of the Lord then will the Lord lighten all things that are now hid in darkenesse and make the counsailes of the hearts manifest 1. Cor. 4. 5. This is the reason our Sauiour vseth to disswade men from hypocrisie Luke 12. 1 〈◊〉 For there is nothing couered that shall not be reuealed neither hid that shall not be knowne The conclusion then of this first Vse is that we would not flatter our selues in the secrecie of our sinnes but seeke the pardon of them and pray with the Prophet Psal. 19. 12. Cleanse thou me from secret faults Seeke to haue them blotted out of the Lords Booke of remembrance that he may neuer charge vs with them And the way to obtaine that is now in the time of grace to lay them open before the Lord and to charge our selues seriously with them with penitent and humbled hearts Pro. 28. 13. He that confesseth and for saketh his sins shall finde mercy For as he to whom sinne is forgiuen shall be sure to haue his sinne couered and hidden with the Lord Psalme 32. 1. So he that by remission and repentance hath them not blotted out shall be sure to haue them laid open and brought to light and though they were
the heauier they will be â—…hen they come the longer he is fetching his blow the deeper will he cut when he smites Rom. 9. 22. The cause why God suffers with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction is that he might shew his wrath and make his power knowne vpon them the more 2. Thou mayst bee plagued of God with a plague that is of all others most grieuous and neuer feele it thou maist be plagued in thy soule and conscience Pro. 6. 32. Hee that doth it destroyeth his owne soule When God would punish Pharaoh so as hee might make his power seene vpon him Rom. 9. 17. Hee punished him with hardnesse of heart Exod. 9. 12. which was a greater plague then all the rest of the plagues of Egypt So this is spoken of as of the most fearefull punishment Rom. 1. 28. When God giues a man vp to a Reprobate minde 3. If thou wert altogether spared in this life and neither punished in thy body nor in thy soule yet is there another place prepared for thee where thou shalt be sure to be punished with farre more fearefull punishments then any can be felt here Thou shalt neuer be able continuing in thy sin to escape the damnation of hell which is in a speciall sort threatned against this sin whoremongers shall be sure to haue their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death Apoc. 21. 8. That makes Salomon say they are as neere to hell as they that haue one foot there already Pro. 5. 5. Her feet goe downe to death her steps take hold on hell And Pro. 9. 18. Her guests are in the depth of hell And as the Lords forbearing wicked men in this life and causing them to prosper is a certaine argument he hath determined to reserue their full punishment for hell it is an euidence token of a righteous iudgement to come saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 Thess. 1. 〈◊〉 6 when wicked men are spared here So is it said that of all sinners the Lord hath chiefly reserued the vncleane persons to be punished there 2. Pet. 1. 9. 10. And by how much the more they haue beene spared here by how much the more patience and bounty the Lord hath shewed them here by so much the more grieuous and fearefull shall their torment be there Luke 16. 25. Sonne remember saith Abraham to Diues That thou in thy life time receiuedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus euill thing but now hee is comforted and thou art tormented And Rom. 2. 4 5. Despisest thâ—…n the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardnesse and impenitent heart treasurest vp vnto thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath and reuelation of the righteous iudgement of God So that if thou wert wise thou wouldst thinke it no aduantage to thee that thou hast so well escaped all the plagues which God hath threatned against thy sinne in this life but desire rather that the Lord would punish thee here where he alwaies vseth in wrath to remember mercy and not reserue thy whole punishment for the life to come where there shall bee iudgement without mercy his punishments there shall haue no mixture of mercy in them Lecture the eighteenth Iune 27. 1609. THe fourth and last error of mind whereby Sathan draweth men to vncleannesse and hardneth them in it is the hope of repentance and so of pardon For there are very many whom hee cannot so farre blind but they know it is a sinne and a hainous sinne and a sinne that they are sure they shall bee damned for if they should not repent of it But such he encourageth to this sinne by perswading them 1. Thou knowest by the Scripture that whensoeuer thou shalt repent thee of it though it be not before thy death God will surely pardon it Ezek. 18. 21. 2. Thou hast no cause to doubt but thou shalt be able to repent and dye in Gods fauour For 1. Thou seest many that haue liued in this sinne that yet haue now left it 2. Many that although they neuer left it before yet on their death beds haue repented and dyed as well as any And thirdly thine owne experience will tell thee what thou art able to doe For hast thou not oft felt that thou hast repented and beene sorry for this sinne after thou hast committed it 3. And if thou mayst but dye well dye in Gods fauour what needest thou care for more No matter how thou liuest so thou mayst dye well Thus seemed he to haue perswaded Balaam Let mee die the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his saith he Num. 23. 10. And with this deceit doubtlesse he perswadeth many and preuailes more with men then by any other of his tentations and subtilties whatsoeuer For what is the cause why you shall finde men much more carefull to conceale this sinne from men then from God Yea they will not sticke to commit periury and murder which are farre more hainous offences against God that they may hide their whoredomes from men Surely they thinke they may be bold with God it is no matter how they prouoke him they can deale well enough with him he is more mercifull and ready to forgiue then man is and if they doe but repent and say they are sorrie for their sin he will forgiue them straight Now the preseruatiue and remedy against this so dangerous a deceit of Sathan consisteth of three points 1. The true knowledge of God and of his disposition toward such sinners 2. The true knowledge of ourselues and of that state we cast our selues into when once we fall into such sinnes 3. The true knowledge of the danger we haue brought the party vnto with whom we haue committed this sin First It cannot be denyed but the Lord to them whom he loueth in Christ is infinitely more mercifull then any man can be to them whom he loueth most dearely That made Dauid say 2. Sam. 24. 14. Let me now fall into the hand of the Lord for his mercies are great and let mee not fall into the hand of man And when the Lord had spoken of his great mercy Hee will haue mercy vpon him our God is very ready to forgiue He amplifieth it verse 8. by comparing his mercy with the mercies of man My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your waies my waies but verse 9. As the heauens are higher then the earth So are my waies higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts But as he is more mercifull then any man so hee hates sinne more then any man can doe Hab. 1. 13. He cannot see hee cannot beheld it Psal. 11. 5. The wicked and him that loueth iniquity doth his soule hate verse 6. Upon the wicked he shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormy tempest this is the portion of their cup. Yea
Christ through whom onely we hope to finde mercy with God hateth sinne with an infinite hatred Exod. 23. 21. Prouoke him not for hee will not spare your misdeeds because my name is in him And it is a farre more fearefull thing for a wicked man though not for such a one as Dauid was to fall into his hands to haue his displeasure then the displeasure of all the men in the world Heb. 10. When the Apostle had said verse 30. Uengeance is mine I will recompence saith the Lord. And againe The Lord shall iudge his people Whereas some desperate sinner might haue said as now many doe if that be all I care not let me shunne the shame and punishment of the world and as for the Lord I shall doe well enough with him he addeth verse 31. It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the liuing God Psal. 75. 7. Thou euen thou art to be feared and who shall stand in thy sight when thou art angry This the Elect haue felt This made Dauid cry out Psal. 51. 4. Against thee thee onely haue I shunned and done this euill in thy sight His worldly punishment and shame neuer troubled him in comparison of this And this shall the wickedest man in the world feele one day when God shall awaken his conscience He shall wish rather hee had to deale with all the men in the world then with the Lord he will make no reckoning of the displeasure and contempt of the whole world in respect of the Lords wrath See an experiment of this in Iudas he cared not for displeasing the chiefe Priests and Elders nor for shaming himselfe so publikely but the wrath of God which he had the sense of was intolerable to him Mat. 27. 4 5. And if the wrath of God be so intollerable in this life to the wicked what shall it be in the day of wrath as the day of iudgement is called Rom. 2. 5. Surely the stoutest and most profane sinners that in this life haue made so small account of Gods displeasure and thought they could doe well enough with him and haue gloried so much in Christ Apoc. 6. 15. 17. Euen Kings and Captaines and euery bond man and euery freeman shall cry to the mountaines and rocks fall on vs and hide vs from the presence of him that sits on the throne from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath is come and who can stand 2. As ready as the Lord is to forgiue sinne and easie to be intreated yet can he not pardon any but vpon their vnfained repentance It is as possible for a woman to be deliuered of a child in her sleepe as for a man to be deliuered from the guilt and punishment of this sin before he haue vnfainedly repented Christ is called a Prince and a Sauiour to giue repentance vnto Israel and remission of sins Acts 5. 31. He can giue remission of sins to none but such as he hath giuen repentance vnto 3. Though the Lord be so mercifull that vpon repentance he giueth pardon to euery sinner yet such a mans sin may be that the Lord will most seuerely and sharpely correct and scourge him for it euen after he hath repented and obtained mercy and pardon For though when God pardoneth sin he remit not onely the guilt of it but the punishment also yet he chastiseth oft times very sharpely such as he hath pardoned See an excellent experiment of this in Dauid when Nathan had dealt particularly with him he repented and God pardoned his sin 2. Sam. 12. 13. But did he heare no more of his sinne after he had repented yes the outward miseries threatned by the Prophet 2. Sam. 12. 10 11. fell all vpon him for all that And he endured such inward anguish of conscience as put him to such paine as if all his bones had beene broken with it Ps. 51. 8. And in comparison whereof all his outward miseries seemed but as flea-bitings to him And if thou belong vnto him be sure he will deale with thee also after this manner Let no man therefore say howsoeuer I haue liued if I repent I shall neuer be damned and so long I care not For though thou may be sure thou shalt neuer be damned if thou can vnfainedly repent yet mayst thou for al thy repentance fall into many great miseries in this life such as may make thy hart to ake and such as if thou couldest beleeue and thinke vpon thou wouldest be loath to buy thy sweetest sins at so deare a rate The Magistrate thou seest hath many punishments for sin besides death he hath the stockes and the gaole and the whip and the pillorie c. and so hath the Lord. Now come I to the second preseruatiue against this tentation which is the true knowledge of our selues and of that estate we come into when once we fall into such sins for euery vncleane person hath iust cause to feare that when once he hath committed this sin he shall neuer be able to repent of it This I prooue by foure reasons 1. No man is able to repent of himselfe but it is a great and supernaturall grace of God whereby any man is made able to repent 2. Tim. 2. 25 26. In meekenesse instruct those that oppose themselues if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth And that they may recouer themselues out of the snare of the diuell who are taken captiue by him at his will Obserue in those words 1. This comes of Gods gift onely 2. That euery sinner is in Satans snare out of which it must needs be hard to get out When once a man hath fallen into any sin against his conscience it is naturall for him to go on in it further and further till his heart be hardened in it Eph. 4. 18 19. The Gentiles walke in the vanity of their mind Hauing their vnderstanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindnesse of their heart who being past feeling haue giuen themselues ouer vnto lasciuiousnesse to worke all vncleannesse with greedinesse It is naturall for sinne to harden the heart and to depriue a man of that sense and trouble he found when he first committed it Heb. 3. 13. Take heed least any of you be hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Yea when a man hath once accustomed himselfe to any sinne he cannot leaue it or repent of it though he would no more then the Leopard can change his spots Ier. 13. 23. 2. God hath threatned to punish such as sinne against the light of their hearts presumptuously by withdrawing his grace from them and hardning their hearts Deut. 29. 19 20. He will not spare that man that blesseth himselfe in his heart Because I haue purged thee saith the Lord Ezek. 24. 13. and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinesse any more till
the time of his death and Passion when so soone as he had said Iohn 19. 30. It is finished He gaue vp the Ghost and presently the vaile of the Temple was rent from the top to the bottome Matth. 27. 51. From that houre there was no more holinesse in the Temple then in any other place 2. By saying the houre commeth and not shall come his meaning is to note It should come presently So Micah 7. 4. The day of thy watchmen and thy visitation commeth So Psal. 37. 13. hee seeth that his day is comming 3. That when hee saith they shall worship God neither in this mount nor at Ierusalem his meaning is not that it should be vnlawfull after his death to worship God in either of those places For the Apostles and the rest of the faithfull did after his death and ascension continue dayly with one accord in the Temple Acts 2. 46. But his meaning is they should not doe it onely there nor be addicted to those places more then to any other 4. That when he saith ye shall neither in this mount nor at Ierusalem c. speaking to one person in the Plurall Number he meaneth all such as desired to serue God aright as this poore woman now did intimating also therein that this woman should become a true Christian a true worshipper of God 5. That by the Father is not meant the first Person in the Trinity as if our worship and prayers were onely to be directed vnto him but the whole God head As 1 Cor. 8. 6. There is but one God which is the Father Ephes. 4. 6. One God and Father of all which is aboue all and through all and in you all And the reasons why God is called the Father are these 1. Because hee is the fountaine of our being and of our whole well-fare As Mal. 2. 10. Haue wee not one Father Hath not one God made vs 2. Because this of all names is fittest to allure vs to worship him and call vpon him so soone as Gods Spirit makes vs able to pray it teacheth vs to cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. And our Sauiour of all the names and attributes of God teacheth vs to call him by that name when we would pray vnto him Matth. 6. 9. 3. In this place specially he calls him the Father rather then God to meet with the superstitious conceit this woman had of her Fathers and to teach her that in the matter of her conscience and Religion one Father onely is to be acknowledged euen the Lord according to that Matth. 23. 9. Call no man your Father vpon earth for one is your Father which is in heauen These words then thus interpreted diuide themselues into two parts 1. The asseueration whereby he confirmes and seekes to perswade this Woman in the Doctrine that he teacheth in these words Woman beleeue mee 2. The Doctrine it selfe which he teacheth and confirmeth to her by this asseueration The houre commeth when ye shall neither in this mountaine nor at Ierusalem worship the father Now that we may receiue instruction from the first part it is to be obserued here that our Sauiour being to teach vnto this woman a great point of Doctrine touching the abrogation of the law of Moses and of the Temple such a point as he had not taught before vnto any as being a Doctrine indeed which the Iewes were not fit to heare he vseth no proofe and authority to confirme it vnto her but his owne bare testimony Woman beleeue mee as if he should haue said rest not thy conscience vpon the example of thy forefathers nor of thy neighbours giue not credit vnto them in this case beleeue me giue credit to mee Whence we learne this Doctrine This honour is due to Christ and to him alone to be beleeued in matter of Doctrine vpon his owne Word None of all the Prophets durst challenge this to themselues but as they that came not in their owne name but were onely messengers from another and interpreters of the will of another they deliuered their Doctrine alwaies vnder this warrant Thus saith the Lord Ier. 2. 2. Ezech. 2. 4. Nor any of the Apostles whatsoeuer Paul taught he was wont to confirme it by authority of the written word Act. 28. 23. Hee preached to them out of the law of Moses and out of the Prophets They did not desire that any thing should be receiued into the Church vpon their credit but they did carefully shun this as an high presumption This was the speech of the Prophets Esay 21. 10. That which I haue heard of the Lord of hoasts the God of Israel haue I shewed vnto you And this was the speech of the Apostle 1. Cor. 11. 23. I haue receiued of the Lord that which I haue deliuered vnto you And on the other side we shall finde our Sauiour taught after another fashion not as an interpreter of the law but as the law-giuer himselfe Luke 4. 32. They were astonied at his doctrine for his Word was with power and Matth. 7. 29 He taught as one hauing authority and not as the Scribes nor as any other teachers were wont to doe Indeed hee oft confirmes his Doctrine by Scripture Iohn 6. 45. Luke 19. 46. and 24. 46. This he did 1. Either in respect of their weakenesse whom he did instruct because they did not so fully know him to be the Sonne of God but the testimony of the Scripture was of more authority with them I receiue not the testimony of man saith he Iohn 5. 34. but these things I say that yee may be saued Therefore he alledging the Scripture calls it their law Iohn 8. 17. and 10. 34. and 15. 25. Or 2. To confirme vnto them the authority of the Scriptures and to giue vs an example But that was more then he was bound to doe or then he was wont vsually to doe Therefore this was the vsuall confirmation hee gaue of his Doctrine Iohn 3. 3. 5. Verily verily I say vnto you And against all the false interpretations of the law of God that had beene deliuered by the antient fathers he opposeth no more but his owne authority ye haue heard that it was said thus and thus to them of old time But I say vnto you thus and thus Matth. 5. 22. The Reasons of the Doctrine are two 1. The Reason why our Sauiour was to bee beleeued on his bare word is because euen as hee was man there was no sinne nor error in him 1. Pet. 2. 22. Hee did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth But he was more then man he was God himselfe He was the Author of the whole Word of God which is therefore called the Word of Christ Col. 3. 16. and therefore hee needed not to confirme any thing by Scripture Euery word he spake was the Word of God and therefore credit was of right due vnto it without any further proofe It was he that said Pro. 8. 8. All the
to vse as a reason of all our petitions Matth. 6. 13. For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for euer And in that of the Apostle Romanes 11. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for euer Therefore saith he 2. Tim. 2. 20. In a great house there are not onely vessells of gold and of siluer but also of wood and of earth some to honour and some to dishonour The lewdest men are Gods vessells and such as he hath necessary vse of 2. The speciall and fatherly affection he beares to his children iâ—… Christ as there is no wise and good Father but how many how great or publike soeuer his affaires be in the midst of them all he will haue a speciall care of his own children haue them in speciall remembrance so is it with our heauenly Father the very haires of your head are numbred Mat. 10. 30. And he is the Sauiour or preseruer of all men specially of those that beleeue 1. Tim. 4. 10. The Vses of this Doctrine are of two sorts 1. More generall 2. More speciall The generall Vse is this Labour to be fully perswaded of this truth Iob 5. 27. Heare thou it and know it for thy good and to see and discerne this prouidence of God in all thy waies and in all things that haue befalne thee in the whole course of thy life in thy wealth and pouertie good and ill successes marriage children dwellings credit discredit health sickenesse life and death This is Salomons counsell Pro. 3. 6. In all thy waies acknowledge him Thus did Dauid Psal. 139. 3. Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies And this will yeeld vnto a man many vnspeakeable comforts Some few of those many I will name vnto you and they shall serue for those more speciall vses I told you this Doctrine serued vnto 1. To perswade vs to the vse of prayer They that are assured God by his prouidence ordereth all things and the good successe of euery thing we take in hand depends vpon his prouidence must needs be carefull to commend the successe of euery thing they take in hand vnto God by prayer Our Sauiour teacheth vs to vse this as a reason why we begge all good things of God because his is the kingdome and the power Matth. 6. 13. When Abrahams seruant was to take a iourney he commends it to God by prayer Gen. 24. 12. When Nehemiah was to make a suit to the King his Master he commends it to God by prayer Neh. 1. 11. and 2. 4. When Christ was to feede the people he commends the creatures to Gods blessing by prayer Matth. 14. 19. Yea the Apostle saith that marriage and euery creature of God is sanctified to vs by the Word and prayer 1. Tim. 4 5. And on the contrary side the chiefe or onely cause why men neglect to pray is that men know not or beleeue not this Doctrine of Gods prouidence when Dauid had said that the foole saith in his heart there is no God Psalme 14. 1. he giue this for one reason to prooue it verse 4. they call not vpon the Lord. 2. It will free the heart from those cares wherewith it is wont to be disquieted and vexed about the successe and euent of things The time and successe of euery thing and action is appointed of God and depends wholly on his prouidence To euery thing there is a season appointed of God he meanes a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen as Salomon sheweth at large Eccles. 3. 1 8. And thereupon he inferreth verse 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth seeing things doe not depend only or principally vpon the labour or endeauour of any man It is therefore a vaine thing for men to disquiet themselues with care of the successe of things a man must do his duty inioyned him of God and with a quiet and cheerefull heart commit the successe vnto him alone Many haue no heart to doe good duties God calls them vnto because they can see no likelihood of good successe many vexe themselues with care and feare of that that may fall out hereafter He that truely is perswaded of Gods prouidence is free from this care when he hath done his duty and commended the matter to God by prayer he casts his care for the successe wholly vpon God to whom onely it belongs Be carefull for nothing saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 6. but in euery thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiuing let your request bee made knowne vnto God Cast all your care vpon him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5. 7. This is able to free our hearts from care concerning our children euen at the houre of death hast thou laboured to bring them them vp in Gods feare giuen them good education commended them to God cast thy care then vpon him 3. It will worke patience in all afflictions I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal. 39. 9. See a notable example for this 2. Sam. 16. 10. Who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so See the vse Iob makes of this in affliction Iob 1. 20. 22. 1. It kept him from charging God foolishly 2. It made him rent his garment shaue his head fall downe to the ground and worship God 3. It made him giue thankes this was much but no more then his duty 1. Thes. 5. 18. In all things giue thankes He knew that sith God the ordering of it it should tend to his good in the end 2. Sam. â—…6 12. It may be the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day 4. It workes security in the heart and quietnesse from all feare of wicked men and of Sathan himselfe And it is not possible that any who considers rightly how infinite dangers his life is subiect to how many witches how many vile men there be should be without continuall feare were it not for this For what is it that preserues vs from danger surely the Lords prouidence 1. He so ouer-rules their hearts for without him neither Sathan nor wicked men can mooue in him all liue and moue and haue their being Act. 17. 28. that they haue not so much as a will or desire to practise any mischiefe against vs Exod. 34. 24. No man shall desire thy Land 2. He watcheth and keepeth vs and our houses Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe The Lord is thy keeper Psal. 121 4 5. He watâ—…heth vs when we are asleepe and protecteth vs from many vnknowne dangers without any care or forecast of ours when Ioseph was asleepe he admonisheth him of the danger they were in Matth. 2. 13. This is that that Iob professeth that in the daies of his youth and prosperity Gods secret for so it is in the originall was vpon his tabernacle that is
haue neglected their worldly estates their profits or ease out of loue to his seruice No man shall desire thy land when thou shalt goe vp to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in the yeare Exod. 34. 24. yet were their houses to be left very weake all that while that all the males aboue 20. yeares old were to continue at Ierusalem in those three feasts and they had many enemies in all their borders So we reade that our Sauiour did twice worke a miracle to feed them that came farre and tarryed long to heare him preach Matth. 14. 15. 21. and Mar. 8. 2 9. And no maruell for Heb. 6. 10. God is not vnrighteous to forget your worke and labour of God And what good Master would suffer his seruant to decay and grow to beggery by doing him seruice So that whosoeuer they bee that are thought by following Sermons to haue decayed their estates bee you assured that either their idlenesse and vnthriftinesse otherwayes hath decayed them or else they haue followed Sermons for some by-respects and not with vprightnesse of heart The second Vse is for reproofe 1. To discouer the vnsoundnesse of most mens hearts who make so great reckoning of earthly things and set their hearts vpon them It is euident they neuer yet found the true treasure they neuer truely tasted of heauenly comforts they affect these things so much for that they know no better This is made a note of the man that shall ascend into the hill of the Lord that he hath not lift vp his soule vnto vanity Psalme 24. 4. If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Iohn 2. 15. Their end is destruction that minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. 2. To reprooue such Christians as so ouercharge themselues with worldly businesse as they can finde no time for Gods seruice Lecture the two and fiftieth May 8. 1610. IOHN IIII. XXIX XXX THe first point wherein this Woman shewed her zealous endeauour to draw her neighbours vnto Christ we finished the last day and now we are to proceed vnto the two last viz. 1. The thing she mooued her neighbours vnto when she was come vnto them 2. The reason she vsed to persuade them to that she mooued them vnto For the first that we may vnderstand her words well and ground our Doctrine vpon them it is to be obserued 1. Though she was her selfe fully perswaded that Iesus was the Christ and did with all her heart desire that they might be also so perswaded of him yet she taketh not vpon her to teach and conuert them her selfe but seeketh onely to bring them to the same meanes whereby her selfe was conuerted 2. Though she were able by a good argument to conuince their consciences that he was the Messiah and seeketh also to doe it yet she thought not that enough she resteth not in that but would needs haue them to come to him themselues 3. She desires no more of them but that they would come and see him Why may one say what good would that doe could they know by seeing him that he was the Messiah Did she thinke that the beholding of him would suffice to bring them to faith No surely for many saw him that neuer could beleeue in him One would thinke she should rather haue said Come and heare him then come and see him for faith commeth by hearing and not by seeing Rom. 10. 17. If the hauing of Christs picture before our eyes that we may behold it when we pray had beene such a helpe to faith and deuotion as the Papists imagine out of doubt the Holy Ghost would haue so described his stature complexion and countenance in the History of the Gospell as that we might haue had some directions to make his picture by Why then desireth she no more of them but that they would come and see him I answer 1. She doubted not but if they would but come to him he would take occasion to instruct and conuert them as he had done to her selfe 2. When she biddeth them come and see shee meaneth come and prooue and make tryall whether he be not the Christ as the same phrase is vsed Psal. 34. 8. Taste ye and see how gracious the Lord is So that this is the Doctrine we are to learne from hence for our owne instruction That this is a chiefe duty whereby euery man must shew his zeale and desire of the saluation of others to draw them to the same meanes whereby themselues were conuerted to vse that credit and power they haue with them to draw them to the Ministry of the Word True it is this is not all that a priuate Christian may and must doe to procure the conuersion of others For 1. Some priuate Christians are able to teach their families and neighbours themselues and may doe great good that way and all should seeke to be able to doe this Aquila and Priscilla expounded the way of the Lord to Apollos Acts 18. 26. Euen women should be able to teach their children Pro. 1. 8. and 6. 20. and their seruants Pro. 31. 26. and their neighbours Tit. 2. 3. 2. There is great force in priuate admonition and exhortation to further the conuersion of others else our Sauiour would not haue prescribed this course for the restoring of a brother that is fallen that before we tell the Church we should deale with him priuately neither would he haue giuen hope of giuing our brother this way as he doth Mat. 18 15 16. Neither would this haue beene noted as a thing so highly pleasing vnto God and in these desperate and prophane times Gods people did vse this meanes to preserue themselues from the common contagion Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought vpon his name 3. A priuate Christian may greatly further the conuersion of others by his holy example Christian women may and ought so to liue as their husbands that obey not the Word may without the Word be won by the conuersation of the wiues 1. Pet. 3. 1. The like may be said of children seruants and neighbours also 4. A priuate Christian may do much for the procuring of the saluation of others by his feruent prayer vnto God for them 1. Iohn 5. 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne that is not vnto death let him aske and hee shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death When the Holy Ghost had mentioned the feruent prayer that Steuen made for his persecutors Acts 7. 60. immediately he addeth Acts 8. 1. And Saul consented to his death As if he should say Saul was one of these he prayed for and on him that prayer did light whatsoeuer it did on the rest But though a man that hath any zeale and desire of the saluation
I vnto you This peace is Christs peace his gift and that no common gift It is another manner of peace than that that is in worldly men 1. It is a sounder and a greater and a more hearty peace than theirs is Psal. 4. 7 8. Thou hast put gladnesse into my heart more than they haue in the time that their corne and wine encreaseth I will lay me downe in peace c. 2. It maketh the heart quiet and secure not only in time of health and prosperity but euen in time of greatest danger and affliction Psal. 112. 7 8. Hee shall not bee affraid of euill tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord his heart is established Yea in the time of tentation and inward affliction of minde 2. Cor. 5. 6. We are alwaies confident He meanes not at all times for this peace may be for a time interrupted but in all estates Matth. 7. 25. The raine descended and the flouds came and the windes blew and beate vpon that house and it fell not for it was founded vpon a rocke 3. It frees the heart from slauish feare not onely of the rage and power of men as it did those three noble Iewes Dan. 3. 16. and the Martyrs but it makes the heart secure and quiet euen against the sense of Gods wrath due to sinne Rom. 5. 1. Being iustified by faith wee haue peace with God 4. The least measure of true Faith workes this peace Indeed according to the measure of our Faith so shall the measure of our peace be but not onely the strong Faith such as was in the Martyrs and other extraordinary men but the least measure of Faith will worke this sound peace in some measure as the least Faith will iustifie vs so will it worke this peace in vs also Rom. 5. 1. See therefore how generall tearmes are vsed in this case Matth. 7. 24. Whosoeuer heares my word and doth it And 1. Iohn 5. 4 5. Whatsoeuer is borne of God ouercommeth the world and this is the victory that ouercometh the world euen our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the world but he that beleeueth that Iesus is the Sonne of God Now the faithfull that know that the Lord is great in power and will not at all acquit the wicked Nah. 1. 3. and that none can be saued that doth not continue to the end Matth. 24. 13. could neuer haue this peace vnlesse they were certaine not onely that they are for the present in Gods fauour but also that they shall so continue according to that speech of Christ Iohn 6. 35. I am the bread of life he that commeth to me shall neuer hunger and hee that beleeueth on mee shall neuer thirst 2. It worketh in them ioy in the Holy Ghost It worketh a sound constant and vnspeakeable ioy in the heart of euery one that hath it Acts 8. 37. Hee went his way reioycing 1. Pet. 1. 8. In whom now though you see him not yet doe you beleeue and reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable and glorious Yea it makes a man able to reioyce euen in the greatest affliction it made Paul and Silas after they had beene shamefully and grieuously scourged sing merily euen at midnight euen in the dungeon euen in the stockes Acts 16. 25. As we haue also seene in the example of the Martyrs no threats no torments could daunt them but they haue expressed a maruellous ioy euen in the midst of all their tortures What was the cause of it The Apostle tels vs 1. Iohn 5. 4. This is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our Faith And though euery one of the faithfull attaine not to that measure of ioy as these yet in euery true beleeuer Faith workes this ioy in some measure It is the same Faith we haue that they had the like precious faith 〈◊〉 Pet. 〈◊〉 1. and the same worke it will haue in euery one Being iustified by faith we haue peace with God and reioyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation also Rom. 5. 1 2 3. Now they could not thus reioyce vnlesse they were certaine not onely for the present that they are in Gods fauour but also for the time to come that they shall so continue For otherwise it were extreme folly in them thus to reioyce as they that triumph before the victory And indeed the Papists doe deride vs for this Doctrine we teach of confidence and glorying and say to vs as Ahab did to Benhadad 1. King 20. 11. Let not him that girdeth on his harnesse boast himselfe as he that putteth it off It is a folly for men say they to be so confident and to glory thus seeing we haue not yet gotten the victory but are in warfare we know not how farre we may fall before we die But to them we answer as Esaâ—… 40. 2. Our warfare is accomplished the victory is already gotten our iniquity is pardoned whatsoeuer we may fall into we haue in our head receiued at the Lordâ—… bands double for our sins and therefore we are so confident 3. It makes a man able to goe to God in prayer 1. At all times euen in times of greatest anguish of heart as we shall see Psal. 88. When he had said verse 7. Thy wrath lyeth hard vpon mee and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues yet euen then he prayed as he saith verse 9. Lord I haue called daily vpon thee 2. In all his occasions Phil. 4. 6. In euery thing let your requests be made knowne vnto God 3. And that not for himselfe onely but for others also If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not vnto death hee shall aske and he shall giue him life for them that sin not vnto death 1. Iohn 5. 16. 4. And that with great assurance to speed and preuaile with God 1. Iohn 5. 14. This is the confidence we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. Yea 5. with a maruellous confidence and boldnesse Ephes. 3. 12. By him we haue boldnesse and entrance with confidence by faith in him It makes vs able as Etiphaz saith Iob 22. 26. to life vp our face to God Heb. 4. 16. Let vs goe boldly vnto the Throne of grace Therefore also we shall oft obserue in the Scriptures a maruellous familiarity betweene the faithfull and God Iob 13. 24 25. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemie c. Psal. 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for euer How long wilt thou hide thy face from me c. Psal. 89. 46 47. How long Lord wilt thou hide thy face for euer Shall thy wrath burne like fire Remember how short my time is wherefore hast thou made all men in vaine Now the faithfull knowing that to be true of all wicked men that liue in their sins which Ioshua speaketh Iosh. â—…4 1â—… Yee cannot serue the Lord for he is an holy
God he is a iealous God he will not forgiue your transgressions nor your sinnes durst neuer speake thus boldly and familiarly vnto God if they were not certaine of his fauour and of the forgiuenesse of their sinnes for that is the onely ground of this boldnesse and familiarity with God Heb. 10. 22. Let vs draw neare with a true heart in assurance of faith sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience 4. The fourth is willingnesse and desire to dye Faith freeth the heart from the feare of death and makes a man willing yea desirous to dye This we shall obserue in sundry of the Martyrs that when death hath come to them in his most ougly shape they haue not feared him but insulted ouer him and as Eliphaz saith Iob 5. 22. They haue laughed at destruction Thus Paul brings in the faithfull defying and insulting ouer death 1. Cor. 15. 55. O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory verse 57. Thankes be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. Yea they haue beene so farre from fearing death that they haue imbraced it when it came and desired it earnestly This we shall see in Simeon so soone as he had seene Christ he bursts out into this prayer vnto God Luk. 2. 29. Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy Word And Paul Phil. 1. 23. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ which is best of all Yea he makes this the disposition of all the faithfull 2. Cor. 5. 〈◊〉 Therefore wee sigh as those that beare a great burden vers 4. desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heauen And indeed there is neuer a faithfull man but though he find in himselfe sometimes a feare of death yet before he goes from hence his Faith will free him from this feare and make him willing and desirous to dye marke the perfect man and behold the vpright for the end of that man is peace Psal. 37. 37. Now it were not possible the faithfull should thus be freed from the feare of death should thus desire to die seeing they know Heb. 2. 14. that Sathan hath the power of death and Heb. 9. 27. After death comes iudgement if they were not fully assured of their saluation and this reason the Apostle giues 2. Cor. 5. 6. 8. therefore we are alwaies confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord wee are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Lecture the seuentie foure December 4. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLII I Haue already proued vnto you that by Faith a man may be assured and certainely perswaded of his saluation both by the confession of the faithfull and by the effects it workes in the heart that hath receiued it Now let vs vs come to the reasons why they that haue Faith may be so certaine and assured of their saluation yea cannot but be certaine of it And the first Reason is because this perswasion is grounded vpon the testimony of Gods Word that cannot deceiue them therefore there is certainty in it May not a man be fully assured of that which he hath Gods Word for There is no such certainty in the knowledge that is gotten by sense obseruation experience or any other way as in that that is grounded vpon Gods Word â—…sal 93. 5. Thy testimonies are very sure saith Dauid Now the true beleeuer doth not build his perswasion vpon any deceiueable fancy but vpon Gods Word onely the Faith of the Elect is therefore called the Faith of truth 2. Thess. 2. 13. and the Word is called the Word of Faith Rom 10. 8. Therefore saith David speaking of the ground of his confidence Psal. â—…0 10. I will reioyce in God because of his Word in the Lord will I reioyce because of his Word And Psal. 130. 5. I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in his Word If a man cannot proue by Gods Word that Christ dyed for him that his sinnes are forgiuen that he is one that shall be saued his perswasion of it is but a fancie it is no Faith he can haue no assurance or certainety of it specially in the time of tentation Saâ—…han will be beaten backe no way but by this sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 17. As Christ resisted him Matth. 4. 4. 7. 10. so must we But if a man can proue by the Word that Christ dyed for him that his sinnes are forgiuen him that he shall be saued then may he be fully assured indeed then shall he haue no cause to doubt of it Now God hath giuen vs his Word to assure vs of this and put vs out of doubt in this matter The Apostle makes this the reason why God made a new Couenant with vs abolished the Couenant of workes and gaue vs the Couenant of grace and promised eternall life vpon condition of Faith and not of workes that the promise might be sure to all the seede of Abraham Rom. 4. 16. Not sure in respect of God for so it was in the old Couenant but sure to the beleeuers And Iohn saith 1. Iohn 5. 13. These things haue I written to you that beleeue that you may know you haue eternall life And 1. Iohn 1. 4. These things write we vnto you that your ioy may be full Why but will you say who can bring any Word to proue that he shall be saued I answer that it is written that whosoeuer beleeues in Christ shall not perish but haue life euerlasting Iohn 3. 16. And verse 36 He that beleeueth in the Sonne hath euerlasting life And therefore he that can say he is sure he doth beleeue in Christ as euery faithfull man can hath Gods expresse Word to assure him that he shall be saued Now a man that hath Faith may by the fruits of it certainely know that he hath it indeed This is euident by 2. Corinthians 13. 5. Proue your selues whether yee are in the Faith examine your selues know you not your owne selues how that Christ Iesus is in you except yee be reprobates The second Reason why they that haue Faith may be so certaine of their saluation is because their Faith is grounded vpon the testimony of Gods Spirit that cannot deceiue them 1. Iohn 2. 27. The annointing which yee haue receiued of him abideth in you and it is truth and is no lye Now the Spirit of God is giuen to the faithfull to assure them of their saluation the spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Rom 8. 16. 1. Iohn 3. 14. We know that we are passed from death to life because we loue the brethren He that hath but that one grace may be sure of his saluation how much more he that hath many and more speciall graces of God Therefore the Spirit of God is called
Law The third and last meane we are to vse to maintaine our honour and estimation in the hearts of Gods people is to make our selues an example and patterne to them in all the duties of holinesse toward God and righteousnesse toward men and to shew care of this not in our selues onely but in all that are of our family also This direction is giuen Tit. 1. 6. Hee must be vnreproueable and not so onely but his children also must be faithfull not scandalous for riot neither disobedient See the great force that this hath to gaine reuerence to our Persons and Ministry in two examples 1. Tim. 4. 12. Let no man despise thy youth but bee vnto them that beleeue an example in word in conuersation in loue in spirit in faith and in purenesse The other is in Iohn Baptist see what honour the holinesse of his life did gaine him with all men Mar. 6. 20. Herod reuerenced Iohn because hee knew him to bee a iust man and an holy Insomuch as though he did hate him for his faithfulnesse and persecuted him to the death yet he did it against his conscience and that was the cause why it was after such a vexation and torment vnto him When he heard of the fame of Iesus he thought straight of Iohn Baptist Mar. 6. 14. Iohn Baptist is risen from the dead And 6. 16. When Herod heard it hee said It is Iohn whom I beheaded As if he should say This will neuer out of my Conscience that he was a good man and a iust and I hated him for his faithfulnesse I troubled and persecuted him On the other side had we all the meanes in the world to make vs great yet if our selues make not conscience of the things we teach others yea if we be not carefull to put all iniquitie farre from our Tabernacles we shall grow contemptible and vile for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it See two plaine proofes of this the one is Esay 43. 27 28. Thy Teachers haue transgressed against me therefore haue I prophaned the Rulers of my Sanctuary The other place for this is 1. Sam. 2. 30. in the example of Eli he was himselfe vnreprouable but because he had not that care he should haue had of his family but suffered his children to runne to riot to the great scandall of the Church the Lord threatneth to bring great contempt vpon him and thereupon giueth this generall Rule Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me mine Ordinances my Word my worship shall be despised A sentence worthy to be oft thought vpon by vs specially that are Ministers and not by vs only but by all men as being spoken by him that is able to make his word good that is able to poure contempt euen vpon Princes 1. Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be despised Lecture the eightie Februarie 12. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLIIII IT remaineth now that we proceed to the second Vse this Doctrine serueth vnto The Vse therefore that the people of God are to make of this Doctrine is this That for as much as 1. Our Sauiour here noteth it for a great sinne in all such as cannot honour a Prophet if he be their owne Country-man and that 2. Christ for this cause refused to teach at Nazareth and that 3. They can receiue no profit by the Doctrine of their Teachers if vpon any pretence they despise their persons and that 4. The chiefe cause why men refuse to giue due respect vnto their owne Prophets are those foure faults which I spake of in the Reason of this Doctrine That therefore all the faithfull would take heede of and labour to arme themselues against these foure corruptions which are in the nature of euery one of vs and which if we take not good heed vnto we shall neuer be able to yeeld that honour that is due to the Ordinance of God in the Ministry of his seruants I will therefore speake of all these foure corruptions particularly and giue you remedies against them out of the Word of God The first of these foure corruptions as we haue heard is Pride We disdaine to be directed and reproued by such as we know to be no better men than our selues specially if we know them to be our inferiours men of baser or meaner estate in the world than our selues For we are apt to thinke that euery Preacher that with any plainenesse and power admonisheth and reprooueth our sins seekes to vsurpe authority and to reigne as a Lord or Pope ouer vs to hold our heads vnder his girdle and that we can by no meanes endure Hereupon it is that you shall seldome heare any fall out with a faithfull Minister but they will be ready to vpbraid him with the meanes of his estate and to charge him with pride that he being no better a man should take so much vpon him though in no other thing he shew himselfe proud but in the plainenesse of his Ministry only Thus did the Sodomites reiect the most humble admonition of Lot Gen. 19. 9. Hee is come alone as a stranger and shall he iudge and rule Thus did Corah with his Company reiect the Ministry of Moses and Aaron though Moses were the meekest man vpon earth Num. 16. 3. Ye take too much vpon you wherefore lift ye your selues aboue the Congregation of the Lord Now there be foure excellent remedies giuen vs in Gods Word against this corruption 1. To consider it is no pride nor presumption in the Minister of Christ how meane a person soeuer he be in worldly respects to vrge all men to yeeld obedience to the Word to reproue the sins of any man yea to do this plainely and boldly as one hauing authority for he hath a commission and calling from God to do this Tit. 2. 15. These things speake and exhort and rebuke with all authority see that no man despise thee Yea we are bound to doe this vpon paine of Gods Curse Ier. 1. 17. Speake vnto them all that I command thee bee not affraid of their faces lest I destroy thee before them Why should any then count it pride in vs to doe that that we haue so good a warrant to doe and that God hath so straightly charged vs to doe 2. The second remedy against this pride is to consider that the message is to be regarded not according to the worth of him that bringeth it but of him from whom it commeth looke not in the ministry of the Word to the meanenesse and basenesse of the messenger but to the Maiesty of him that hath sent him to speake to thee in his Name 2. Cor. 5. 20. Now then we are Embassadours for Christ we pray you we teach you exhort you reproue you in Christs stead When thy heart beginneth to rise at any thing thou hearest taught and vrged vpon thy conscience out of Gods Word say as Ioseph did Gen. 50. 19. Am not
that men shew such contempt to the Word that euery meane man scorneth to be admonished and reproued by it Ior. 13. 15. Heate and giue eare be not proud for the Lord hath spoken it Yea the best of Gods children are extreamely prone to this sinne to thinke too well of themselues if they enioy prosperity but a while When other sins decay in vs this groweth and increaseth and a man will be proud of grace nay proud euen of this because he is more humble than other men It is said of good Hezekiah 2. Chron. 32. 25. that when vpon his repentance and humbling himselfe God had restored him and added fifteene yeares to his life that his heart was lifted vp Many thinke they haue no great neede of affliction for this they are not proud because they are not curious in apparrell nor of their bodies But alas that is but one fruit of pride a man may be a proud man though he be a very slouen this way Now affliction will humble a man and abate this pride of heart and nothing but affliction will doe it Elihu noted this to be one end that God aymeth at in correcting man Iob 33. 17. That he might hide the pride of man For the pride we haue in our beauty and strength of our body a little sicknesse will abate it and cause vs to acknowledge it to be indeede as the Apostle calleth it Phil. 3. 21. Avile body vnworthy of the cost and care and time that we haue bestowed vpon it And what end would there bee of this vanitie if God should not now and then visit his Children with some correction or other But let vs consider more distinctly the benefit and fruit of affliction this way 1. It abateth the pride that is in man toward man It daunteth the spirit of the proudest and cruellest oppressour as we shall see in Iob 31. 13 14. If I did contemne the iudgement of my Man-seruant or of my Maid when they did contend with me what then shall I doe when God standeth vp and when hee shall visit me what shall I answer Dauid in his prosperity cared not what wrong hee did to his faithfull seruant and deare friend Uriah but in his aduersitie hee durst not doe the least harme to his mortall enemie he durst not put forth his hand against Saul 1. Sam. 24. 10. Ye haue seldome seene any that had any minde to wrong others when Gods hand hath beene heauie vpon them On their death bed you shall heare the cruellest Oppressors relent and talke of a desire and purpose they haue to make satisfaction to them that they haue wronged this way But if men should now liue to that age that they did before the floud oh how would the earth be filled with crueltie and violence as the Lord complaineth it was in those daies Gen. 6. 13. 2. It abateth the pride that is in man toward the Lord himselfe If there bee then a Messenger c. saith Elihu Iob 33. 23. as if he should say Then may Gods faithfull seruant finde audience euen with the proudest man And how doth affliction abate thus the pride of man Surely it maketh a man to know himselfe and of how little worth he is how vnable to helpe himselfe 1. Whereas in prosperity we are apt to aduance and thinke highly of our selues It was so euen with good Hezekiah himselfe as we reade 2. Chron. 32. 25. affliction makes a man know himselfe and of how little worth he is how vnable to helpe himselfe Ps. 39 11. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for iniquity thou as a Moth makest his beau ty to consume surely euery man is vanity 2. Whereas in prosperity our sins are neuer wont to trouble vs but we are apt to thinke our state good enough affliction vseth to awaken the Conscience and to bring those sins into their remembrance that were vnknowne or forgotten before It summoneth them to appeare before God and constraines them to thinke of God and of his anger due to sin So saith Elihu Iob 36. 8. When men are tyed in the cords of affliction that is haue some such extreame affliction vpon them as they know not how to get out of it then will he shew them their worke and their sin A notable example we haue of this in Iosephs Brethren The grieuous sin they had committed many yeares before and when they committed it it neuer troubled them Gen 37. 24 25. When they had cast him into a pit they sate downe to eate bread But when grieuous affliction came vpon them and they were taken for spies and cast into prison then their conscience was awakened and their sin came into their remembrance and the iustice of God also which they had prouoked thereby Then they could say one to another Gen. 42. 21. We haue verily sinned against our Brother in that wee saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and we would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. See this also in Dauid Psal. 40 12. when innumerable euils had compassed him about then his iniquities tooke hold vpon him And this is the first Reason why affliction is so profitable and necessary for all Gods children Secondly affliction maketh a man seeke to God it wrought so we see here in this Ruler In prosperity while we can helpe our selues or can finde helpe any where else we seldome or neuer seeke seriously to God we seldome pray or if we doe sometimes we doe it full coldly and drowsily with great vnwillingnesse and tediousnesse This corruption is in euery one of vs. Rom. 3. 11. There is none that seeketh after God This is notably set forth in the Parable of the Prodigall Luke 15. First while his purse was full and he in his iollity he cared not for his Father he cared not though he neuer came at him verse 13. Secondly when he began to be in necessity he claue to a Citizen in that Countrey verse 15. and thought not yet of returning to his Father Thirdly when he came into extreamity then he said verse 18. I will goe to my Father This fruit of affliction is so generall that the Prophet saith Esay 26. 16. as if it wrought so in all men Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they poured out a Prayer when thy chastisement was vpon them So doth Dauid also speake of it then they cried vnto the Lord in their trouble Psal. 107. 6. and repeats it often verse 13. 19. 28. as if it were the ordinary vse of all men to doe so Two notable examples we haue for this the one in Psalme 142. 4 5. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was none that would know me all refuge failed me and none cared for my soule Then cryed I vnto the Lord and said Thou art mine hope As if he should haue said I cryed not to the Lord till all other refuge failed me The other in 2. Chron. 33. 12 13.
voice not for the loudnesse of his voice but for the feruency of his spirit that made him cry so loud Psal. 55. 17. The effectuall seruent prayer of arighteous man auaileth much Iames 5. 16. Lecture the eightie nine Iune 11. 1611. IOHN IIII. XL VIII L. IT followeth now to consider why and for what fault our Sauiour thus rebuketh this Ruler And we shall finde that his sinne that he rebuked him for was his infidelity Except yee see signes and wonders yee will not beleeue As if he should say I can doe thee no good except thou hadst Faith but you neither thou nor thy nation haue any true faith you do not beleeue me to be Christ the Sauiour of the world as the Samaritans of Sychar did nay which is worse you will not beleeue you are obstinate in your infidelity God hath sufficiently by his Word and by the Ministry of Iohn Baptist manifested me to be the Messiah but that will not serue your turne you will not beleeue except you haue miracles to confirme it yea I haue already by many miracles declared my selfe euidently to be the Sonne of God which also you haue heard of but that will not serue your turne neither vnlesse you may see with your own eyes yee will not beleeue Nay you haue at least many of you seene my miracles your selues yet will not that serue neither but vnlesse you may see signes and wonders that is miracles of all sorts many miracles yee will not beleeue So that we haue in this reproofe that our Sauiour giues to this great man foure principall points to be obserued First that the infidelity of the Iewes is the onely sinne that Christ here reproueth in them that alone had power to restraine him from yeelding to this Ruler that helpe that he desired of him when he besought him to come downe and heale his sonne Christ returnes him this answer You beleeue not you haue no faith As if he should say I can doe you no good vnlesse you did beleeue in me Secondly the argument whereby Christ conuinceth the Iewes of infidelity and proues them to haue no true faith which is this because except they might see signes and wonders they could not be lieue Thirdly that Christ aggrauateth the infidelity of the Iewes by their obstinacy in it Except ye see signes and wonders ye will not belieue Fourthly that though this was the sinne not of this Ruler only but of all the Iewes common to him with his whole Nation yet Christ counts that no excuse to his sinne but checks and rebukes him for it neuerthelesse nay he so speakes of it as it may appeare he hated this sinne the more because it was vitium gentis and he dislikes him the more and iudged him the more vnworthy to receiue helpe from him because he and his nation were guilty of this sinne Therefore purposing to check him the more sharply speaking to him alone he speaks in words of the second person plurall Except ye see c. Now of these foure points we will speake in order And first in that Christ speaks here of infidelity as the chiefe sinne of the Iewes as of that that did most prouoke God against them that that did stop the streame of Gods mercy and as it were dis-enable Christ from doing the good that he desired This Doctrine doth arise for our instruction That no sinne offends God so much as infidelity when men will not belieue his Word no sinne is such a barre to all Gods mercies as this See the proofe of this Doctrine both in the examples of wicked men and of Gods deare children For the wicked we haue two famous examples in the Old Testament and two other in the New The first is in the Israelites that perished in the wildernesse Many grieuous sinnes they were guilty of but none prouoked God to wrath so much none were such barres to Gods mercy towards them as their infidelity When the Lord had said he would giue them such abundance of flesh as they should haue enough to eat Num. 11. 18 20. Not one or two dayes or fiue or ten dayes or twenty dayes but for a whole moneth together they said among themselues Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse Can he prepare flesh for his people Psal. 78. 19 20. They did not as it may seeme by the acknowledgement they made Vers. 20. absolutely deny that that God had said as many now adayes will doe but onely made a question and doubt of it but marke what followed Psal. 78 21. Therefore the Lord heard and was angry and the fire was kindled in Iacob and also wrath came vpon Israel Why what was the cause He had told vs before in the beginning of the 21. Verse But because he would haue vs in any case marke this well he repeats it againe in the 22. Uerse because they belieued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And whereas God did sweare vnto their fathers that he would giue the Land of Canaan to them and their seed after them Deut. 1. 8. we shall find that there were but two onely Caleb and Ioshua of all those that came out of the Land of Egypt that entred into it What was the cause Surely they had many sinnes they sinned in Idolatry they sinned in Whoredome and many other wayes but of all other sinnes that that most prouoked God that that barred them out of the promised Land was their Vnbeliefe as the Apostle plainly affirmes Heb. 3. 19. So we see they could not enter in because of Vnbeliefe The other example we haue of this kinde in the Old Testament is of a Prince of Israel a great man vnder Ioram the King of whom we read 2 King 7. when he had heard Elisha whom he knew to be the Lords Prophet and to speake from the mouth of the Lord say in the time of a great famine To morrow this time a measure of fine flowre shall be sold for a sheckle and two measures of barley for a sheckle in the gate of Saâ—…aria 2 King 7. 1. The Prince did not absolutely contradict that which the Prophet had said in the Name of the Lord as many now adayes will do but onely doubted of it and made a question of it Though the Lord said he should make windowes in the heauen could this come to passe 2 Kings 7. 2. But marke what followed The Prophet in Gods Name threatned he should see it for the increase of his misery but he should not eat thereof Verse 2. and so indeed it came to passe for he died a strange and base death for the people trode vpon him in the gate and be died Ver. 20. The examples we haue of this kind in the New Testament are two First the men of Nazaret of whom we read that though Christ desired out of the loue he bare to the place of his education to do good among them yet he could do no great works there Mar. 6. 5.
had an example before in the Galileans Verse 45. So that is to be vnderstood Iohn 2. 23. Many belieued in his Name when they saw the miracles which he did viz. they had receiued some preparations vnto Faith they began to conceiue reuerently of his Doctrine and were willing to heare him and this was all as appeares Verse 24. But Iesus did not commit himselfe to them because he knew them all So the good life that they haue seene Gods seruants to lead hath beene a meanes to draw many a one to the Faith The Apostle vseth this as a reason to perswade Christians to an honest life That the Gentiles by their good works which they should behold might haue cause to glorifie God in the day of their visitation 1 Pet. 2. 12. That they that obeyed not the Word might without the word be wonne by the conuersation of their wiues 1 Pet. 3. 1. So the corrections of God which they haue seene and felt vpon themselues haue been the meane to open many a mans eare and to make him willing to heare Iob 33. 16. So the wonderfull deliuerances that men haue seene God giue to his Church and ouerthrowes to the aduersaries thereof haue wonne many a man to the liking of Religion Hest. 8. 17. Many of the people of the land became Iewes As I nothing doubt but the wonderfull deliuerance God gaue vs from the Powder-Treason hath drawn many a one from Popery to the loue of the Gospell 3 It is certaine also that the Faith of the best Christians may be much confirmed by the workes of God which they see So the Faith of Gods children was greatly confirmed by the miracles of Christ and of his Apostles Iohn 2. 11. This beginning of miracles did Iesus and shewed forth his glory and his Disciples belieued in him So are the faithfull greatly confirmed by Gods corrections on themselues when they are soundly humbled thereby Iob 42. 5. I haue heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but noâ—…ine eye seeth thee So by the sensible experiments they haue had of Gods mercy in themselues they are greatly confirmed in the Faith of Gods promises 2 Corinth 1. 10. Who hath deliuered vs from so great a death and doth deliuer vs in whom we trust that yet hereafter he will deliuer vs yea the beholding of Gods iudgements on wicked men and his mercies towards his faithfull seruants hath greatly confirmed their Faith in the Word of God when they can say As we haue heard so haue we seene Psalme 48. 8. and 58. 10. The righteous shall reioyce when they see the vengeance and why so Verse 11. And men shall say Verily there is a reward for the righteous doubtlesse there is a God that iudgeth the earth And in this respect men ought carefully to marke and obserue the workes of God how God makes good his Word by his workes A principall point this is of Christian wisdome and piety and great good might euery man receiue by it Psal. 107. 43. Who is wise that he may obserue these things for they shall vnderstand the louing kindnesse of the Lord. Yea say a man be neuer so diligent in the reading and hearing of Gods Word yet if he do not likewise obserue the works of God he is guilty of a great sinne Psal. 28. 5. They regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands therefore breake them downe and build them not vp 4 It is not simply vnlawfull or a signe of infidelity for a man euen to desire these sensible helps to confirme his Faith Hezekiah was a true Belieuer yet desired a signe 2 Kings 20. 8. Gedeon was a true Belieuer yet he asked a signe of God Iudges 6. 17. And when God had giuen him one he asked another Verse 38 And when God had giuen him that he asked yet another Verse 39. and God was neuer a whit offended with him When a man that doth in any measure truly belieue and giue credit to the Word shall desire that God would sensibly confirme to him the truth of his promises by deliuering him from any affliction he is in by blessing him in his body in his estate in his children especially by giuing him the inward feeling of his fauour he doth no more than he may well do Psal. 86. 17. Shew a token of thy goodnesse towards me that they which hate me may be ashamed because thou O Lord hast helped me and comforted me And Psal. 90. 16. Let thy works be seene towards thy seruants and thy glory vpon their children Now though all this be so as you haue heard in all these foure points yet remaines the Doctrine firme That true faith is not grounded vpon any thing we see vpon sense and experience but onely vpon the Word of God Whatsoeuer the faithfull man belieues he belieues it because God hath said it in his Word This the Apostle makes the ground of Abrahams faith Rom 4. 18. He belieued that he should be the Father of many Nations according to that that was spoken vnto him This was the ground of the Apostles faith not all the miracles they had seene Iohn 〈◊〉 22. They belieued the Scriptures and the Word which Iesus had said This was the ground of the Ephesians faith Ephes. 1. 1â—… 2 Insomuch as though there be sundry truths in Gods Word as I shewed you which the Lord doth vse to giue vs sensible proofes and demonstrations of in the world yet he that hath true faith belieues those very things not so much for any thing that he seeth as for that he knoweth God in his Word hath said so So that he is able to say I belieue that Goods vniustly gotten will certainly come to nought that Whore-mongers and Adulterers God will iudge that God will smite through the loynes of them that rise against Leui and of them that hate him and that not so much because I see this confirmed in such and such examples indeed I belieue it the more for this but not so much for this as because God in his Word hath said it Rom. 10. 17. Faith comes not by sight but by hearing 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sight He that walks by sight walks not by faith 3 The true belieuer giues credit to the Word though he see nothing to confirme it The bare Word of God is of sufficient credit with him and he belieues as verily those truths which his sense nor reason can discerne any proofe of such as are all the Articles of our Faith onely for the Words sake as he doth those truths that are most confirmed vnto his sense or reason Heb. 11. 1. It is the euidence of things not seene Ioh. 20. 29. Thomas because thou hast seene me thou belieuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue belieued 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom ye haue not seene and yet ye loue him in whom now though you see him not yet do you belieue and reioyce with
Gods deare children when they haue neglected the care of a good conscience and fallen into grosse sinnes great sinnes haue brought them into great sorrowes The sinnes that haue been committed with most iollity and pleasure did of all other bring them to the most sorrow of heart in the end This Iob felt when God caused him to possesse the sinnes of his youth he saith Iob 13. 26. that he did write bitter things against him He found much bitternesse in the remembrance of those sinnes And Dauid though he were of a sanguine constitution 1 Sam. 16. 12. and consequently chearfull naturally though he were likewise an excellent Musitian and a King also that had all outward helps to keep sorrow from his heart yet when he had giuen liberty to himself to commit that sweet sin as the world cals it he lost his chearefulnes and grew to that inward anguish of spirit that he cries out in Psal. 51. 8. Make me to heare ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce And Ps. 31. 10. My life is wasted with heauines and my years with mourning 1 O think vpon this you Belly-gods and Wantons that can find no pleasure but in offending God As pleasant as you be now you will haue the heauiest hearts one day of any people vnder the Sun Woe be to you that laugh now for ye shall mourne and weepe Luke 6. 25. 2 And you Beloued Would you haue a chearfull heart and be comfortable euen in affliction in the time of your sicknesse and at the houre of your death haue care then of a good conscience take heed of knowne sinnes Do you feele your hearts at any time begin to be oppressed with heauinesse Examine your liues find out your chiefe sinnes purge your selues from them by repentance and so shall ye keep your selues from being ouercome with griefe The third preseruatiue and meanes to keep a mans heart from excessiue griefe specially for any worldly occasion is to make the Lord his treasure and not any earthly thing If a man do not ouer-value these earthly comforts husbands wiues friends children health wealth liberty peace c. nor count them his chiefe treasure but esteeme them as they are indeed transitory comforts and count the Lord his fauour and grace his chiefe treasure If a man set not his heart on these things but loue them only in the Lord then shall he not be oppressed with immoderate sorrow for them when God shall take them away What a notable help it is against excessiue sorrow when a man can keep his heart from the ouer-much loue of these things we shall find 1 Cor. 7. â—…0 where when the Apostle had said Let them that weepe be as though they wept not he adds presently And they that reioyce as though they reioyced not as if he should say Wouldst thou keep thy selfe from weeping and mourning too much for these things when thou shalt lose them then reioyce not too much in them when thou doest possesse them And for the other point what force there is in this to stay the heart from immoderate griefe for worldly things when a man can make the Lord his fauour and grace his chiefe treasure you shall find Esa. 33. 6. There shall be stability of thy times strength saluation wisdome and knowledge for the feare of the Lord shall be his treasure As if he should say In all times the man that hath made the feare of the Lord his treasure shall haue stability and strength and saluation wisdome and knowledge And our Sauiour when he dehorts his Disciples from that care for earthly things as will bring griefe and vexation to the heart prescribes this for a remedy against it Mat. 6. 33. But seeke ye first the Kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof c. On the other side the man that makes these worldly things his chief treasure and sets his heart vpon them cannot choose but be oppressed with sorrow when he shall be depriued of them as we see in the example of Ahab 1 King 21. 5 6. When he could not get Naboths Vineyard his spirit was exceeding sad and he could not eat his meat And why so His pleasure was his treasure he loued Naboths vineyard too well and it was a death to him to be kept from it Then may I say to euery one of you that haue no felicity but in earthly things in your wealth your belly-cheere your merry company your pastimes and sports your braue apparell your credit and fauour with men you loue them more than God you affect them and care for them more than for God as our Sauiour in another case said Luke 21. 6. Are these the things that ye looke vpon Haue you no better comforts than these Alas how wofull will your case be when you must part with these things Consider what is said Iob 27. 8. What hope hath the hypocrite when he hath heaped vp riches if God take away his soule Can he hope that God will heare his cry when trouble commeth vpon him Will he set his delight on the Almighty and call vpon God at all times Follow therefore the counsaile of our blessed Sauiour Mat. 6. 19. Lay not vp treasures for your selues vpon earth but lay vp treasure for your selues in heauen And marke well the reason of our Sauiour which he giues Verse 21. For where your treasure is there will your hearts be also q. d. If you make earthly things your treasure you will immoderately ioy in them when you haue them and grieue for them when you shall want them Consider first that these things are not our proper goods but cast more plentifully on reprobates than on Gods children If ye haue not been faithfull in that which is another mans who shall giue you that which is your owne Luke 16. 12. But Gods fauour and grace is our peculiar portion These things are not durable neither can we haue any certaintie in them Trust not in vncertain riches 1 Timothie 6. 17. But Gods fauour and grace is euerlasting The feare of the Lord is cleane enduring for euer Psal. 19. 9. These things are vaine and can yeeld vs no helpe no comfort when we shall most stand in need Riches profit not in the day of wrath Prouerb 11. 4. Whereas the sense of Gods fauour and grace will yeeld vs comfort euen in the greatest affliction it will make vs euen to glory in the greatest tribulation Rom. 5. 3. The fourth and last preseruatiue against immoderate sorrow is for a man to be rightly perswaded of his liberty in the vse of the outward comforts of this life as a good diet and good company and following our worldly callings and recreations and such like Let no man say this preseruatiue might well be spared as beseeming the Physitian much better than the Diuine for first many a good soule haue great need of this preseruatiue and giue great aduantage to Satan
nourish or refresh the body but the substance of them onely Secondly this should greatly comfort all poore penitent sinners and encourage them to goe boldly to Christ for helpe in all their miseries and distresses And in this Doctrine such may finde foure notable grounds of comfort and encouragement First if when he was here in the forme of a seruant he was able though absent in body to see and take notice of the misery of this childe and able to relieue and cure him how much more is he able to doe the like for vs now when he fits at the right hand of his father Secondly if he being on earth had that compassion euen of the bodily wants and paines and miseries of men as to be troubled and grieued to see the people continue with him three dayes and had nothing to eate Mat. 15. 32. and to sigh to see a man to be deafe and to haue an impediment in his speech Marke 7. 34. if he were then so ready to helpe and giue good successe to them in the labours of their callings as he did to Peter and his fellowes when they were fishing Luke 5. 5 6. what should moue thee to doubt but he will now also much more haue compassion on thee and be ready to relieue thee in all thy wants and distresses specially in the anguish and misery of thy soule Thirdly if being on earth he was so ready to offer his helpe to them in misery if in his whole conuersation he was then so meek and gentle towards all men and all his miracles were done so for the profit of men that he might encourage all poore sinners without feare to come vnto him for helpe What should moue thee to thinke that he will reiect thee that commest and seekest and prayest to him for helpe in thy distresse Fourthly if he were so good and gracious to all sorts euen to wicked men yea to his enemies such a one as Malchus was Luk. 22. 51. why wouldest thou doubt that fearest to offend him and studiest in all things to please him but he will be much more ready to doe thee good The third and last vse of this Doctrine is for instruction that seeing one end Christ aimed at in curing and helping the bodies of men was thereby to draw them to seeke to him for helpe of their soules therefore the weale and woe of our bodies should draw vs to a consideration and care of the estate of our soules First If the paine and misery that sin hath brought vpon the body be so grieuous and intolerable thinke what the paine and misery of thy soule will be if thou seeke not helpe for it Pro. 18. 14. A wounded spirit who can beare For thy soule hath beene the fountaine from whence all the sins of thy body haue sprung Mar. 7. 21. From within out of the heart of men proceed adulteries fornications murders thests c. and thy body hath beene but as a seruant and instrument to thy soule in these sins Secondly if thou finde such sweetnesse and comfort in the blessings God hath prouided for thy body thinke how much sweeter and more desirable those dainties and pleasures are that he hath prouided for thy soule what it is to be satisfied with the good things of his house euen of his holy Temple as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 65. 4. what that fulnesse of ioy and pleasures are which God hath prepared for them that loue him in his euerlasting Kingdome in thy presence is fulnesse of ioy at thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore Psal. 16. 11. Thirdly if thou haue such care to prouide for thy body that it may be kept free from all misery and abound in delights of all sorts how much more carefull shouldst thou be to prouide thus for thy soule seeing first if it be well prouided for and saued thy body shall be sure to be saued also Therefore we shall see that both our blessed Sauiour at his death Luke 23. 46. and Steuen also at his Acts 7. 59. commend onely their soules into the hands of God and shew no care nor make any mention at all of their bodies Secondly euen in this life the welfare of thy body depends on the good estate of thy soule ye shall serue the Lord your God and he shall blesse thy bread and thy water and I will take sicknesse away from the midst of thee Exod. 23. 25. My words are life to those that finde them and health to all their flesh Pro. 4. 22. Lecture the ninetie seuenth August 20. 1611. IOHN IIII. L. THe last day we heard that the first words of this verse containe in them the comfort and satisfaction that this Ruler receiued from Christ after he had beene so sharply rebuked by him And that herein the grace and mercy of Christ appeared in two points first that he shewed his diuine power in the cure euen of a bodily infirmity secondly that he did this at the request of a man that was so weake in Faith as this Ruler was The former of these we finished the last day and now it remaines we proceed to the latter namely that the wants and weaknesses of this Ruler notwithstanding Christ granted his request and healed his childe Now that we may the better receiue instruction from this example we must obserue in it these three points First the great ignorance and want of Faith that was in this Ruler at this time when he craued helpe of Christ for his sonne Secondly the great goodnesse and respect that Christ shewed vnto him notwithstanding this Thirdly the reason why Christ did shew this respect to so ignorant and weake a man For the first how ignorant and weake in faith he was you shall discerne in fiue points First by the checke and reproofe that Christ gaue him verse 48. Secondly in that he sought not to Christ for helpe till all other meanes failed him and his childe was euen ready to dye verse 47. Thirdly that he thought Christ could not helpe his sonne vnlesse he went downe to him verse 47. 49. he thought he must needs either pray with him or annoint him or touch him or vse some other ceremony and solemnity about him or else he could do him no good being in this as it seemes of Naamans minde Behold saith he I thought he will surely come out to me and stand and call on the Name of the Lord his God and strike his hand ouer the place and recouer the leper 2. Kings 5. 11. Fourthly in that he thought it would be to no purpose for Christ to go to his son if he were once dead ver 49. Fifthly and lastly being rebuked by Christ for his infidelity he regarded it not nor seemes to be at all affected with it but was more troubled with his affliction than with his sin verse 49. Now for the goodnesse and respect that Christ shewed vnto him notwithstanding we may obserue it in three points First that