into kisses Gen. 33.4 and when Saul hath compassed David and his men round about and is most likely to take them he can even then take him off by a necessary diversion 1 Sam. 23.26 27 28. This is the comfort of Gods people That what ever men say except God say it too it shall come all to nothing He can restraine the wrath of men whensoever it pleaseth him and he will doe it when it hath proceeded so farre as to glorifie his power and to make way for the more notable manifestation of his goodnesse to his people Psal. 76.10 And thus farre of Gods answer to the Covenant of Ephraim They promised to renounce Idols and here God promiseth that they should renounce them Now there are two things more to be observed from this expression What have I to doe any more with Idols 1. That in true Conversion God maketh our speciall sinne to be the object of our greatest detestation which point hath beene opened before 2. From those words any more That the nature of true repentance is To break sin off as the expression is Dan. 4.27 and not to suffer a man to continue any longer in it Rom. 6.1 â— It makes a man esteeme the time past sufficient to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.2 3. and is exceeding thrifty of the time to come so to redeeme it as that God may have all doth not linger nor delay nor make objections or stick at inconveniences or raise doubts whether it be seasonable to goe out of Egypt and Sodome or no Is not at the sluggards language modo modo a little more sleepe a little more slumber nor at Agrippas language almost thou perswadest me nor at Felix his language when I have a convenient season I will send for thee but immediately resolves with Paul not to conferre with flesh and bloud Gal. 1.16 and makes haste to flie from the wrath to come while it is yet to come before it overtake us Luk. 3.7 doth not make anxious or cavilling questions What shall I doe for the hundred talents How shall I maintaine my life my credit my family how shall I keep my friends how shall I preserve mine Interests or support mine estate but ventures the losse of all for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Matth. 13.46 Phil. 3.7 8. is contented to part with a skie-full of Starrs for one Sunne of Righteousnesse The Converts that returne to Christ come like Dromedaries like Doves like Ships no wings no sailes can carry them fast enough from their former courses unto him Esa. 60.6 7 8 9. Abraham is up betimes in the morning though it be to the sacrificing of a Son Gen. 22.3 David makes haste and delayes not when he is to keepe Gods Commandements Psal. 119.60 when Christ called his Diciples immediately they left their nets their Ship their Father and followed him Matth. 4.20 22. This is the mighty power of Repentance It doth not give dilatory answers It doth not say to Christ goe away now and come to morow then I will heare thee I am not yet old enough or rich enough I have not gotten yet pleasure or honour or profit or perferment enough by my sinnes but presently it heares and entertaines him I have sinned enough already to condemn to shame to slay me I have spent time and strength enough already upon it for such miserable wages as shame and death come to Therefore I will never any more have to doe with it This is the sweet and most ingenuous voyce of Repentance The thing which I see not Teach me and if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Iob 34.32 There is no sinne more contrary to repentance then Apostacie for godly sorrow worketh Repentance unto salvation which the soule never findes reason to repent of 2 Cor. 7.10 11 Let us therefore take heed of an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God Heb. 3.12 and of drawing back unto perdition Heb. 10.39 of dismissing our sinnes as the Jewes did their servants Ier. 34.16 and calling them back again for Satan usually returnes with seven more wicked spirits and maketh the last state of such a man worse then the first Luk. 11.26 Ground which hath been a long time laid downe from tillage unto pasture if afterwards it bee new broken will bring a much greater crop of corne then it did formerly when it was a common field And so the heart which hath been taken off from sinne if it returne to it againe will bee much more fruitfull then before As lean bodies have many times the strongest appeâ—iâ—e so lust when it hath beene kept leane returnes with greater hunger unto those objects that seed it A streame which hath beene stopped will runne more violently being once opened againe Therefore in Repentance wee must shake hands with sinne for ever and resolve never more to tamper with it Now in that the Lord saith I have heard him and observed him we learne hence First That God heareth and answereth the prayers only of penitents When a man resolves I will have no more to do with sinne then not till then doth his prayer finde way to God Impenitencie clogs the wing of devotion and stops its passage unto Heaven The person must be accepted before the petition Christ Iesus is the Priest that offereth and the Altar which sanctifieth all our services 1 Pet. 2.5 Esay 56.7 And Christ will not be their Advocate in Heaven who refuse to have him their King on earth The Scripture is in no point more expresse then in this If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare me Psal. 66.18 Prayer is a powring out of the heart if iniquity be harboured there prayer is obstructed and if it doe break out it will have the sent and savour of that iniquity upon it The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord Prov. 15.8 both because it is impure in it selfe and hath no Altar to sanctifie it He that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayer shall be an abomination Prov. 28.9 Great reason that God should refuse to heare him who refuseth to heare God that hee who will not let God beseech him as hee doth in his word 2 Cor. 5.20 should not be allowed to beseech God Prov. 1.24.28 Esay 1.15 His eare is not heavie that it cannot heare but iniquitie separates between us and him and hides his face that he will not heare Esay 59.1 2. Ezek. 8.18 God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9.31 the prevalency of prayer is this that it is the prayer of a righteous man Iam. 5.16 And indeed no wicked man can pray in the true and proper notion of prayer It is true there is a kinde of prayer of nature when men cry in their distresses unto the God and Author of nature for such good things as nature feeleth the want of which God in the way of his generall providence
proposed against sinners that are obstinate God doth reserve and proclaim Mercy unto sinners that are penitent When a Consumption is decreed yet a Remnant iâ— reserved to return Isa. 10.22 23. The Lord will keep his Vineyard when he will burn up the thorns and the bryars together Isai. 27.3 4. When a day of fierce anger is determined the meek of the earth are called upon to seek the Lord Zeph. 2.3 When the Lord is coming out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity he calls upon his people to hide themselves in their chambers until the indignation be overpast Isai. 26.20 21. The Angel which was sent to destroy Sodom had withall a Commission to deliver Lot Genes 19.15 God made full provision for those who mourned for publick abominations before he gave order to destroy the rest Ezek. 9.4 6. Men in their wrath will many times rather strike a friend then spare a foe But Gods proceedings are without disorder he will rather spare his foes then strike his servants as he shewed himself willing to have done in the case of Sodom Gen. 18.26 Moses stood in the gap and diverted Judgments from Israel Psa. 106.23 Yea God seeks for such Ezek. 22.30 and complains when they cannot be found Ezek. 13 5. And if he deliver others for them certainly he will not destroy them for others How ever it go with the world and with wicked men it shall go well with the righteous there shall be a Sanctuary for them when others stumble and they shall pass through the fire when others are consumed by it Isa. 3.10 11. Isai. 8.14 15 16. Zech. 13.8 9. Reasons hereof are Gods Iustice he will not punish the righteous with the wicked he will have it appear that there is a difference between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not Gen. 18.23 Mal. 3.18 Gods love unto his people He hath a book of Remembrance written before him for them that fear him and think upon his Name And they shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my jewels and I wil spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3.16 17. Here is a climax gradation of arguments drawn from Love In a great fire and devouring trouble such as is threatened there Chap. 4.1 property alone is a ground of care a man would willingly save and secure that which is his own and of any use unto him but if you add unto this preciousness that increaseth the care A man will make hard shift to deliver a rich Cabinet of Jewels though all his ordinary goods and utensils should perish But of all Jewels those which come out of the body are much more precious then those which onely adorn it Who would not snatch rather his childe then his casket or purse out of a flame Relation works not onely upon the affection but upon the bowels Ier. 3â— 20 And lastly the same excellency that the word jewel doth add unto the word mine the same excellency doth service add unto the word sonne A man hath much conflict in himself to take off his heart from an undutiful sonne Never a worse son then Absalom and yet how doth David give a charge to the Commanders to have him spared How inquisitive after his safety How passionately and unseasonably mournful upon the news of his death But if any child be more a jewel then another certainly it is a dutiful childe who hath not onely an interest in our love by Nature but by obedience All these grounds of care and protection for Gods people in trouble are here expressed property they are mine preciousness they are jewels treasures ornaments unto me Relation they are sons usefulness they are sons that serve none could look on a thing so many ways lovely with the same eye as upon a professed and provoking Enemy Lastly Gods name and glory He hath spared his people even in the midst of their provocations for his Names sake Deut. 33.26 27. Iosh. 7.9 How much more when they repent and seek his face He will never let it be said that any seek the Lord in vain Isa. 45.19 But it may be objected Doth not Solomon say that all things happen alike unto all and that no man can know love or hatred by that which is before him Eccles. 9.1 2. And is it not certain and common that in publick desolations good as well as bad do perish Doth not the Sword devour as well one as another It is true God doth not always difference his servants from wicked men by temporal deliverances Troubles commonly and promiscuously involve all sorts But there are these two things considerable in it 1. That many times the good suffer with the bad because they are together corrupted with them and when they joyn in the common provocations no wonder if they suffer in the common judgments Revel 18.4 Nay the sins of Gods people do especially in this case more provoke him unto outward judgments then the sins of his professed enemies Because they expose his name to the more contempt 2 Sam. 12.14 and are committed against the greater love Amos 3.2 and he hath future judgment for the wicked and therefore usually beginneth here at his own sanctuary Ezek. 9.6 1 Pet. 4.17 2. When good men who have preserved themselves from publick sins do yet fall by publick judgments yet there is a great difference in this seeming equality the same affliction having like the Pillar that went before Israel a light side towards Gods people and a dark side toward the Egyptians God usually recompencing the outward evils of his people with more plentiful evidences of inward and spiritual joy A good man may be in great darkness as well as a wicked man but in that case he hath the name of God to stay himself upon which no wicked man in the world hath Isa. 50 10. The metal and the dross go both into the fire together but the drosse is consumed the metal refined So is it with godly and wicked in their sufferings Zach. 13 9 Eccles. 8.12 13. This reproveth the folly of those who in time of trouble rely upon vain things which cannot help them and continue their sins still For Iudgments make no difference of any but penitent and impenitent Sickness doth not complement with an honorable person but useth him as coursely as the base Death knocks as well at a Princes palace as a poor mans cottage wise men dye as well as fools Yea poyson usually works more violently when tempered with wine then with some duller and baser material In times of trouble usually the greater the persons the closer the judgments When Ierusalem was taken the Nobles were slain but the poor of the Land had vineyards and fields given them Ier. 39.6 10. Therefore in troubles we should be more humbled for our sins then our sufferings because sin is the sting of suffering That mercies
his Title is so good that he will never yeeld to a Composition hee will have all the heart or none 4. We should therefore be exhorted in time of trouble especially to set about this great worke to fall foule upon our sinnes to complaine against them to God as the Achans that trouble Israel as the corrupters and betrayers of our peace to set our selves in Gods eye and not to dare to lie unto his holy Spirit by falsenesse or hypocrisie as if wee could reserve any one sin unmortified which he should not know of But being in his sight to whom all things are naked and open to deale in all sincerity and to hate sin even as he hates it There are five notable duties which these three words Omnem tolle iniquitatem do lead us unto 1. Sense of sin as of an heavie burden as the Prophet David calls it Psal. 38.5 Such sense our Saviour requires in true penitents Come unto me all yee that are weary and heavy laden Mat. 11.28 To conceive them heavier then a Milstone Luke 17.2 Then the weight of a Mountain Luk. 23.30 O what apprehension had S. Peters converts of sin when they felt the nails wherewith they had crucified Christ sticking fast in their own hearts and piercing their spirits with torment and horror Acts 2.37 Oh what apprehensions had the poor Iaylor of his sins when he came as a prisoner before his owne prisoners springing in with monstrous amazement consternation of spirit beseeching them to tell him What he should do Acts 16.23.30 Consider it in its Nature an universall bruise and sicknesse like those diseases which Physicians say are Corruptio totius substantiae from head to foot Isa. 1.5 6. And who doth not feel such an Universall languor to be an heavie burden for a man that must needs labour to have weights hung at his hands that must needs walk to have clogs fastened to his feet how can he choose but cry out with the Apostle O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7.24 Consider it in the Curse that belongs unto it· A Roll written within and without with curses Look outward and behold a curse in the Creature Vanitie Emptinesse Vexation Disappointment every creature armed with a sting to revenge its Makers quarrell Look inward behold a curse in the conscience accusing witnessing condemning haling to the tribunall of vengeance first defiling with the allowance after terrifying with the remembrance of sin Look upward and behold a curse in the heavens the wrath of God revealed from thence upon all unrighteousnesse Looke downward and behold a curse in the earth Death ready to put a period to all the pleasures of sinne and like a trap-doore to let downe into Hell where nothing of sinne will remaine but the worm and the fire Look into the Scripture and see the curse there described an everlasting banishment from the glory of Gods presence an everlasting destruction by the glory of his power 2 Thes. 1.9 The Lord shewing the jealousie of his Iustice the unsearchablenesse of his severity the unconceiveablenesse of his strength the bottomless guilt and malignity of sin in the everlasting destruction of ungodly men and in the everlasting preserving of them to feele that destruction Who knoweth the power of thy anger saith Moses Even according to thy feare so is thy wrath It is impossible for the most trembling consciences or the most jealous fears of a guilty heart to looke beyond the wrath of God or to conceive more of it then indeed it is As in peace of conscience the mercy of God is revealed unto beleevers from faith to faith so in anguish of conscience the wrath of God is revealed from fear to fear A timorous man can fancy vast and terrible fears fire sword tempests wracks furnaces scalding lead boyling pitch running bell metall and being kept alive in all these to feele their torment But these come farre short of the wrath of God for first there are bounds set to the hurting power of a creature the fire can burn but it cannot drown the Serpent can sting but he cannot teare in pieces 2. The fears of the heart are bounded within those narrow apprehensions which it self can frame of the hurts which may be done But the wrath of God proceeds from an Infinite Justice and is executed by an omnipotent and unbounded power comprising all the terror of all other Creatures as the Sun doth all other light eminently and excessively in it It burns and drowns and tears and stings and bruises and consumes and can make nature feel much more then reason is able to comprehend O if we could lay these things seriously to heart and yet these are but lowe expressions of that which cannot be expressed and cometh as short of the truth it self as the picture of the Sun in a table doth of the greatnesse and brightnesse of it in its own Orbe should we not finde it necessary to cry out Take away all iniquitie this sicknesse out of my soul this sword this nayle this poysoned arrow out of my heart this Dagger of Ehud out of my belly this milstone this mountain from off my back these stings and terrors these flames and Furies out of my Conscience Lord my wounds stinke my lips quiver my knees tremble my belly rots I am feeble and broken and roar and languish thy wrath lyes hard upon me and thy waves go over my head O if we had but a view of sin as it is in its native foulnesse and did feel but a touch of that fury that God is readie to powre out upon it this would stain all the pride of man and soure all the pleasures of sin and make a man as fearfull to meddle with it as a guilty woman with the bitter water which caused the Curse Most true was that which Luther spake in this point If a man could perfectly see his own evils the sight thereof would be a perfect hell unto him and this God will bring wicked men unto Reprove them and set their sins in order before them Psal. 50.21 Make them take a view of their own hearts and lives fuller of sins then the Firmament of stars or a furnace of sparks O Consider this you that forget me saith the Lord lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you The second dutie is Confession for he that cries to have sin taken away acknowledgeth that it lyes upon him A full Confession not of many but of All sins either actually committed or habitually comprised in our body of sin As he in the Comoedian said that he had invited two guests to dinner Philocrates and Philocrates a single Man but a double Eater So in examination of our selves we shall every one finde sins enough in himself to denominate him a double and a â—â—eble sinner A free Confession not as Pharaohs extorted upon the wrack nor as that of Iudas
squeezed out with anguish and horror but ingenuous and penitent arising from the purpose of a pious heart that cometh like water out of a Spring with a voluntary freenesse not like water out of a Still which is forced with fire The third dutie is Wearinesse and detestation of all sin for we call not to have a thing removed till we be weary of it Thus we are taught in the Scripture to be ashâ—med and confounded to loath and abhor to judge and condemne our selves to throw sin away as a detestable thing though it be a golden or silver sin A Spirituall Judgement looks on all sin as filthy and stinking sheweth a man to himself as a vessell full of Dung Scum Excrements and makes him out of quiet till he be throughly purged For Hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole kinde of that which we hate The fourth dutie is an acknowledgement of our own Impotencie to remove sin from our selves We have no more power then a slave in chains hath to get out of his bondage till another ransome him then a dead body in a grave till Christ raise it Our Iniquitie takes hold on us and keeps us down that we cannot hearken or be subject to the will of God If sin were not removed by a greater strength then our own it would most certainly sink us into Hell The last dutie is an Imploring of Gods mercie and grace that what we cannot do our selves he would be pleased to do for us In works of Art it is hard to build but easie to destroy But in works of sin though our weaknes is able to commit them yet none but Gods power is able to demolish them None but Christ is strong enough to overcome the strong Man His Person onely hath strength enough to â—eare the Curse of sin His Sacrifice onely Merit enough to make expiation for sin His Grace only vertue enough to remove the pollution of sin Though we should take Nitre and much Sope our sin would be marked still but he cometh with Refiners Fire and with Fullers Soape and can wash out all It was his onely businesse of coming into the world To destroy the works of the Devill Now the things which we pray for in this Petition are these three 1. For Remission that God would take away the condemnation of sin from us by not imputing the guilt thereof unto us but would cause it to passeover on Christ on whom he hath laid the Iniquitie of his people Such an expression the Holy Ghost useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord hath caused thy sin to passe over from thee to Christ 2 Sam. 12.13 which being obtained all other judgements are ipso facto removed to so far as they import proper and vindictive punishment Secondly for Sanctification That the vertue of Christs death and the grace of his Spirit may subdue the power of sin and cleanse and strengthen our consciences against the commands of it and temptations unto it Thirdly for continued Renovation that as in sanctification begun we have power against all kinds of sin so by the continuall supplies of the holy Spirit we may have further power against all degrees and remainders of sin That Christ would purifie our sin unto death as our sin did him and not give over mortifying it till his blood be revenged of it to the uttermost and our souls delivered from it to the uttermost I shall conclude the first part of the Petition with a short word of Exhortation unto this Honorable Assembly Those things which God worketh in us and bestoweth upon us by his Grace he also requireth of us by his Command Sometimes he promiseth to turn us sometimes he commandeth us to turn to him Sometimes he biddeth us put away sinne and sometimes he promiseth to take it away from us In the one shewing us what is our dutie and in the other where is our help And as this latter consideration calleth upon our Faith to pray so the former upon our obedience to work I shall therfore Right Honourable humbly offer a double Exhortation unto all of you First that every one of you would seriously endeavour to take away all iniquity from his own person And unto this there lyeth upon you a double Obligation one with relation to the safety of your own souls for whatever other honour wealth wisedome learning interest a man hath besides if sin have the predominancy they are but Satans Magazine and that man his servant to imploy them against God that gave them and the more mercies any man hath been trusted withal the heavier judgement will be poured out upon the breach of that trust Better be a wooden vessell to hold Wine then a silver vessell to hold Excrements better be a Beggar with the treasure of Gods grace then a Prince with the load of a mans own sins But there is a further tie upon you with relation unto the successe of that Honourable imployment whereunto you are called Ita nati estis ut bâ—na malaque vestra ad Rempub. pertineant God will be sanctified in all those that draw neâ—r unto him as well in civill as in sacred Administrations It is very hard for a person in whom sin rules to be constantly faithfull to any publique and honorable service For Grace onely establisheth the heart Hebr. 13.9 Achitophel a man of great wisdome fals from David Ionah a man of great valour fals from Solomon And admit he be faithfull yet the sin of his heart sends out a prohibition to the wisdom of his head and the labour of his hand he that will be a fit vessell for his Masters uses must first of all purge himself 2. Tim. 2.21 As we first cleanse a vessâ—ll before we use it When Ioshua was to negotiate a publique Reformation and to administer a publique service his filthy garment must be taken from him and he must be clothed with change of rayment Zach. 3.4 7. Let every one of you make his publique service one argument more then he had before for his necessary reformation and let the piety of your lives bear witnesse to the integrity of your honourable undertakings Secondly As you must take away sin from your selves so make it your principall work to take away iniquitie out of the Land Liberty Property Priviledges are sacred and pretious things not to be in the least manner betrayed yea in some sense we may look upon them as the Jews upon their Mossora tanquam legis pietatis sepem As a fence and mound unto Religion it self Arbitrary government would quickly be tampering in sacred things because corruption in the Church is marvellously subservient and advantagious to corruption in the State But the most Orient Pearl of this Kingdome is our Religion and the bitterest enemies unto that are our sins These are the snuffes that dim our Candlestick and threaten the removall of it these the
good one while and evill another but goodnesse is his proper and native operation he is not the author of sin that entred by the devil he is not the author of death that entred by sin but our destruction is of our selves And therefore though the Prophet say Is there any evil in the City which the Lord hath not done Yet he doth it not but onely as it is bonum justitiae good in order to his glory For it is just with God that they who run from the order of his Commands should fall under the order of his Providence and doing willingly what hee forbids should unwillingly suffer what he threatneth In one word God is the Author of All good by his grace working it the Permitter of all evill by his patience enduring it the Orderer and disposer of both by his mercy rewarding the one by his justice revenging the other and by his wisedome directing both to the ends of his eternal glory This serveth to discover the free and â—â—le working of Grace in our first conversion and the continued working of grace in our further sanctification whatsoever is good in us habitually as Grace inhering or actually as Grace working is from him alone as the Author of it For though it be certain that when we will and do our selves are agents yet it is still under and from him Certum est nos facere cum faciamus sed ille facit ut faciamus as the great champion of Grace speaketh by Grace we are that we are we do what we do in Gods service Vessels have no wine bags have no money in them but what the Merchant putteth in the bowls of the Candlesticks had no oyl but that which dropped from the Olive branches Other things which seek no higher perfection then is to be found within the compasse of their own nature may by the guidance and activity of the same nature attain thereunto but man aspiring to a divine happinesse can never attain thereunto but by a divine strength impossible it is for any man to enjoy God without God The truth of this point sheweth it in five gradations 1. By Grace our mindes are enlightened to know and beleeve him for Spirituall things are spiritually discerned 2. By Grace our hearts are inclined to love and obey him for spirituall things are spiritually approved He onely by his Almighty and ineffable operation worketh in us Et veras Revelationes et bonas voluntates 3. By Grace our lives are enabled to work what our hearts do love without which though we should will yet we cannot perform no more then the knife which hath a good edge is able actually to cut till moved by the hand 4. By Grace our good works are carried on unto perfection Adam wanting the Grace of perseverance fell from innocency it self It is not sufficient for us that he prevent and excite us to will that he co-operate assist us to work except he continually follow and supply us with a residue of spirit to perfect and finish what we set about All our works are begun continued and ended in him Lastly By Grace our perseverance is crowned for our best works could not endure the triall of justice if God should enter into judgement with us Grace enableth us to work and Grace rewardeth us for working Grace beginneth and Grace finisheth both our faith and salvation The work of holinesse is nothing but Grace and the reward of holinesse is nothing but Grace for Grace Secondly this teacheth us how to know Good from Evil in our selves what we look on as good we must see how we have derived it from God the more recourse we have had unto God by prayer and faith and study of his will in the procurement of it the more goodnesse we shall find in it A thing done may be good in the substance of the work and yet evill in the manner of doing it as the substance of a vessell may be silver but the use sordid Iehu his â—eal was rewarded as an act of Iustice quoad substantiam operis and it was punished too as an act of policy quoad mâ—dum for the perverse end A thing which I see in the night may shine and that shining proceed from nothing but rottennesse We must not measure our selves by the matter of things done for there may be Malum opus in bona materia Doeg prayes and Herod hears and Hypocrites fast and Pharisees preach but when wee would know the goodness of our works look to the fountain whether they proceed from the Father of lights by the spirit of love the grace of Christ from humble penitent filiall heavenly dispositions nothing will carry the soul unto God but that which cometh from him Our Communion with the Father and the Sonne is the triall and foundation of all our goodnesse Thirdly Thiâ— should exceedingly abase us in our own eyes and stain all the pride and cast down all the Plumes of flesh and blood when we seriously consider that in us as now degenerated from our originall there is no good to be found our wine become water our Silver dresse as our Saviour saith of the devil when he lies he speaks de suo of his own so when we do evil we work de nostro of our own and secundum hominem as the Apostle speaks According unto man 1 Cor. 3.3 Lusts are g our own our very members to that body of sin which the Apostle calleth the old man with which it is as impossible to do any good as for a Toad to spit Cordiâ—ls Men are apt to glory of their good hearts and intentions only because they cannot search them Ier. 17.11 And being carnal themselves to entertain none but carnal notions of Gods service But if they knew the purity and jealousie of God their own impotency to answer so holy a wil they would lay their hands upon their mouthes and with Iob abhor themselves and with Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of their lips and with Moses fear and quake as not being able to endure the things that are commanded and with Ioshua acknowledge that they cannot serve God because he is holy they would then remember that the Law of God is a Law of fire Deut. 33.2 and the Tribunall of God a Tribunall of fire Ezek. 1.27 that the pleading of God with sinners are in flames of fire Isa. 66.15 16. that the triall of all our works shall be by fire 1 Cor. 3.13 that the God before whom we must appear is a consuming fire Hebr. 12.29 Goe now and bring thy straw and stubble thy drowsie and sluggish devotion thy fickle and flattering repentance thy formall and demure services into the fire to the Law to measure them to the Iudge to censure them nay now carry them to thine own conscience and tell me whether that wil not passe the
such a purchase which will make it at the last but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet Bitter like Iohns Roll which was sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly like Claudius his mushrome pleasant but poison that will blast all the pleasures of sin and turn all the wages of iniquity in Aurum tholosanum into such gold as ever brought destruction to the owners of it It is said of Cm Seius that he had a goodly horse which had all the perfections that could be named for stature feature colour strength limmes comelinesse belonging to a horse but withall this miserie ever went along with him that whosoever became owner of him was sure to die an unhappy death This is the misery that alwayes accompanies the bargain of sin How pleasant how profitable how advantageous soever it may seem to be unto flesh and blood it hath alwayes calamity in the end it ever expires in a miserable death Honey is very sweet but it turns into the bitterest choler The valley of Sodom was one of the most delightfull places in the world but is now become a dead and a standing lake Let the life of a wicked man run on never so fluently it hath a mare mortuum at the dead end of it O then when thou art making a Covenant with sin say to thy soul as Boaz said to his kinsman Ruth 4. â— 5. At what time thou buyest it thou must have Ruth the Moabitesse with it If thou wilt have the pleasureâ— the rewards the wages of iniquitie thou must also have the curse and damnation that is entaild upon it and let thy soul answer which he there doth No I may not do it I shall marre and spoil a better Inheritance II. This may serve for an Instruction unto us touching the duties of solemne Humiliation and Repentance which is the scope of the Prophets direction in this place We must not think we have done enough when we have made generall Acknowledgements and confessions of sin and begg'd pardon and grace from God but we must withall further binde our selves fast unto God by engagements of new obedience as holy men in the Scripture have done in their more solemne addresses unto God Nehem. 9.38 Psal. 51.12 13 14 15. for without amendment of life prayers are but howlings and abominations Hose 7.14 Prov. 28.9 Quantum a praeceptis tantum ab auribus Dei longe sumus No obedience no audience A beast will roar when he is beaten but men when God punisheth should not onely cry but covenant Unto the performance whereof that we may the better apply our selves let us a little consider the nature of a Religious Covenant A Covenant is a mutuall stipulation or a giving and receiving of faith between two parties whereby they do unanimously agree in one inviolable sentence or resolution Such a covenant there is between God and true beleevers He giving himself as a Reward unto them and they giving themselves as servants unto him He willing and requiring the service and they â—illing and consenting to the Reward He promising to be their God and they to be His people Heb. 8.10 A notable expression of with joynt and mutuall stipulation we have Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgements and to hearken unto his voice and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments And to make thee high above all Nations which hee hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as hee hath spoken Where wee have both the mutuall expressions of intimate relation one to another and the mutuall engagements unto universall obedience on the one side and unto high and precious benefits on the other growing out of that Relation For because God is mine I am bound to serve him and because I am his He hath bound himselfe to provide for me We are not now to consider that part of the Covenant which standeth in Gods promise to be our God which in generall importeth thus much Gods giving himself in Christ unto us and together with Christ All other goods things Benefits relative in justification from sin and Adoption unto sons Benefits Habituall A new nature by Regeneration A new heart and life by sanctification A quiet conscience by peace and comfort Benefits Temporall in the promises of this life Benefits eternall in the glory of the next Thus is Christ made of God unto us wisdom in our vocation converting us unto faith in him Righteousnes in our justification reconciling us unto his Father Sanctification in our conformity unto him in grace and Redemption from all evils or enemies which might hate us here and unto All Glory which may fill and everlastingly satisfie us hereafter 1 Cor. 1.30 But wee are now to consider of the other part of the Covenant which concerneth our engagement unto God wherein we promise both our selves and our abilities unto him to be His people and to do him service The materiall cause of this Covenant is whatsoever may be promised unto God and that is first our persons Secondly our service Our persons We are thine Isa. 63.19 Giving our own selves to the Lord. 2 Cor. 8.5 not esteeming our selves our own but his that boughâ— us 1 Cor. 6.19 and being willing that he which bought us should have the property in us and the possession of us and the dominion over us and the liberty to do what he pleaseth with us Being contented to be lost to our selves that wee may bee found in him Phil. 3.9 If sin or Satan call for our tongue or heart or hand or eye to answer these are not mine own Christ hath bought them the Lord hath set them apart for himselfe Psal. 4.3 They are vessels for the Masters use 2 Tim. 2.21 I am but the steward of my self and may not dispose of my Masters goods without much lesse against his own will and commands Our services which are matters of necessity matters of Expediencie and matters of praise All which may be made the materials of a Covenant 1 Matter of Dutie and necessitie As David by an oath bindes himselfe to keepe Gods righteous judgements Psal. 119.106 And the people in Nehemiah's time enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law and to observe and do all his commandments Nehem. 10.29 2 Matter of circumstantiall expediency which in Christian wisdome may be conducent unto the main end of a mans life or may fit him for any speciall condition which God calleth him unto So the Rechabites promised their Father Ionadab and held that promise obligatory in the sight of God not to drink wine nor to build houses c. Ier. 35.6 7. because by that
in this place under severall considerations for we may consider it I. Ut materiam pacti as the matter of a Covenant or compact which we promise to render unto God in acknowledgment of his great mercy in answering the prayers which we put up unto him for pardon and grace It is observable that most of those Psalmes wherein David imploreth helpe from God are closed with thanksgiving unto him as Psal. 7.17.13 6.56 12 13 57 7 10 c. David thus by an holy craft insinuating into Gods favour and driving a trade between earth heaven receiving and returning importing one commodity transporting another letting God know that his mercies shall not be lost that as he bestows the comforts of them upon him so he would returne the praises of them unto heaven again Those CounCountries that have rich staple commodities to exchange and return unto others have usually th freest and fullest trafick and resort of trade made unto them Now there is no such rich return from earth to heaven as praises This is indeed the onely tribute we can pay unto God to value and to celebrate his goodnesse towards us As in the fluxe and refluxe of the sea the water that in the one comes from the sea unto the shore doth in the other but run back into it self again so praises are as it were the returne of mercies into themselves or into that bosom and fountain of Gods love from whence they flowed And therefore the richer any heart is in praises the more speedy copious are the returnes of mercy unto it God hath so ordered the creatures amongst themselves that there is a kinde of naturall confederacy and mutuall negotiation amongst them each one receiving and returning deriving unto others drawing from others what serves most for the conservation of them all and every thing by various interchanges and vicissitudes flowing backe into the originall from whence it came thereby teaching the souls of men to maintain the like spirituall commerce confederacie with heaven to have all the passages between them and it open and unobstructed that the mercies which they receive from thence may not be kept under and imprisoned in unthankfulnesse but may have a free way in daily praises to return to their fountain again Thus Noah after his deliverance from the flood built an Altar on which to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving that aâ— his family by the Ark was preserved from perishing so the memory of so great a mercy might in like manner by the Altar be preserved too Gen. 8.20 So Abraham after a weary journey being comforted with Gods gracious appearing and manifestation of himself unto him built an Altar and called on the Name of the Lord Gen. 12.7 and after another journey out of Egypt was not forgetfull to returne unto that place againe Gen. 13.4 Gods presence drawing forth his praises as the returne of the Sun in a spring and summer causeth the earth to thrust forth her fruits and flowers that they may as it were meet do homage to the fountain of their beauty If Hezekiah may be delivered from death Isa. 38.20 If David from guilt Psal. 51.14 they promise to sing aloud of so great mercy and to take others into the consort I will teach transgressours thy way and we will sing upon the stringed instruments Guilt stops the mouth and makes it speechlesse Matth. 22.12 that it cannot answer for one of a thousand sins nor acknowledge one of a thousand mercies When Iacob begged Gods blessing on him in his journy he vowed a vow of obedience and thankfulnesse to the Lord seconding Gods promises of mercy with his promises of praise and answering all the parts thereof If God will be with me and keep me I will be his and he shall be mine If he single out me and my seed to set us up as marks for his Angels to descend unto with protection and mercy and will indeed give this Land to us and returne me unto my fathers house then this stone which I have set up for a pillar monument shall be Gods house for me and my seed to praise him in and accordingly we finde he built an Altar there and changed the name of that place calling it the House of God and God the God of Bethel And lastly if God indeed will not leave nor forsake me but will give so rich a land as this unto me I will surely return a homage back and of his own I will give the tenth unto him againe So punctuall is this holy man to restipulate for each distinct promise a distinct praise and to take the quality of his vows from the quality of Gods mercies Gen. 28. v. 20.22 compared with v. 13.15 Gen. 35.6.7.14 15. Lastly Ionah out of the belly of Hell cries unto God and voweth a vow unto him that he would sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving and tell all ages that salvation is of the Lord Ionah 2.9 Thus we may consider praises as the matter of the Churches Covenant II. Ut fructum poenitentiae as a fruit of true repentance and deliverance from sin When sin is taken away when grace is obtained then indeed is a man in a right disposition to give praises unto God When we are brought out of a wildernesse into Canaan Deut 8.10 out of Babylon unto Sion Jer. 30.18.19 then saith the Prophet Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry c. When Israel had passed thorow the red Sea and saw the Egyptians dead on the shore the great type of our deliverance from sin death and Satan then they sing that triumphant Song Moses and the men singing the Song and Miriam and the women answering them and repeating over again the burden of the Song Sing to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his rider hath he thrown into the Sea Exod. 15.1.20.21 When a poore soule hath been with Ionah in the midst of the seas compassed with the floods closed in with the depths brought downe to the bottom of the mountaines wrapt about head and heart and all over with the weeds and locked up with the bars of sin and death when it hath felt the weight of a guilty conscience and been terrified with the fearful expectation of an approaching curse lying as it were at the pits brinke within the smoak of hell within the smell of that brimstone and scorchings of that unquenchable fire which is kindled for the divel and his angels and is then by a more bottomles unsearchable mercy brought unto dry land snatched as a brand out of the fire translated unto a glorious condition from a Law to a Gospel from a cuâ—se to a Crown from damnation to an inheritance from a slave to a Sonne then then onely never till then is that soul in a fit disposition to sing praises unto God when God hath forgiven all a mans iniquities and
goodnes of God in forgiving giving saving honouring us is one of the principall foundations of sincere obedience Then the Soule will thinke nothing too good for God that hath shewed himselfe so good unto it What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits saith the Prophet David Psal. 116.12 and a little after it followes O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the Son of thine Handmaide that is an Home-borne servant thine from my mothers wombe It is an allusion to those who were borne of Servants in the House of their Masters and so were in a condition of Servants Paâ—tus sequitur ventâ—em If the mother be an Handmaide the childe is a Servant too and so the Scripture calleth them filios domus children of the house Gen. 14. 14 15 3 17 12. Lev. 22 11. Ecclesi 2.7 His heart being enlarged in thankfulnesse presently minded him of the deep ingagements that did bind him unto Service even from the wombe True filiall and Evangelicall obedience ariseth from faith and love Faith shewes us Gods love to us and therby worketh in us a Reciprocal love unto him We love him because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 This is the only thing wherein a Servant of God may answer him and may de simili mutuam rependere vicem as Bernaâ—d speakes returne back unto God what he gives unto him If he be angry with me I must not be angry again with him but feare and tremble and begge for pardon If he reprove me I must not reprove but justifie him If he judge me I must not judge but adore him But if he love me I must take the boldnes to love him againe for therefore he loves that he may be loved And this love of ours unto Christ makes us ready to do every thing which he requires of us because we know that he hath done much more for us then he requireth of us The love of Christ saith the Apostle constraineth us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead that is either dead in and with him in regard of the guilt and punishment of sin so as to be freed from the damnation of it or dead by way of conformity unto his death in dying unto sinne and crucifying the old man so as to shake off the power and strength of it And the fruite of all both his dying and our loving is this That we should not live unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us and rose again Thus love argues from the greater to the lesser from the greatnes of his work for us to the smalnes of ours unto him If he died to give us life then we must live to doe him Service Feare produceth onely servile unwilling performances as those fruites which grow in Winter or in cold Countries are sowre unsavoury and unconcocted but those which grow in Summer or in hotter Countries by the warmth and influence of the Sun are sweet and wholesome such is the difference between those fruits of obedience which feare and which love produceth The most formall principle of obedience is love and the first beginings of love in us unto God arise from his mercies unto us being thankfully remembred this teacheth the soule thus to argue God hath given deliverances unto me and should I breake his Commandements Ezra 13.14 Christ gave himselfe to redeeme me from all iniquity and to make me in a speciall manner his owne therefore I must be zealous of good workes Tit. 2.14 therefore I must shew forth the vertues of him that called me out of darkenes into his marvellous Light 1 Pet. 2.9 No more frequent more copious common place in all the Scriptures then this to call for obedience and to aggravate disobedience by the consideration of the great things that God hath done for us Deut. 13.20 21 11 7 8 29 32 6 7. Iosh. 24.2 14. 1 Sam. 12.24 Isay. 1 2. Ier. 2.5 6. Hos. 2.8 Mic. 6.3 5. In the Law a Ransomed man became the Servant of him that bought and delivered him and upon this argument the Apostle calls for obedience Ye are not your owne but you are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirits whâ—ch are Gods 1 Cor. 6.19 20. We have but the use of our selves the property is his and we may do nothing to violate that V. Ut instrumentum divinae gloriae As a meanes and instrument of publishing Gods praises There is an Emphasis in the word Lips Sometimes it is a diminutive word taking away from the duty performed as Matth. 15.8 This people honour me with their lips but their heart is far from me But here it is an Augmentative word that enlargeth the duty and makes it wider I will sacrifice unto thee saith Ionah with the voice of thanksgiving Jonah 2.9 God regardeth not the sacrifice if this be not the use that is made of it to publish and celebrate the glory of his name The outward ceremony is nothing without the thankfulnes of the heart and the thankfulnes of the heart is too little except it have a voice to proclaime it abroad that other may learn to glorifie and admire the works of the Lord too It is not enough to Sacrifice not enough to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving except withal we declare his works with rejoycing psal 107.22 There is a private thankfulnes of the Soul within it self when meditating on the goodnesse of God it doth in secret returne the tribute of an humble and obedient heart back again unto him which is to praise God on the Bed and there is publick thanksgiving when men tell of the wondrous works of God in the great Congregation of his Saints Psal. 149.1.5 Psal. 26.7.12 Now here the Church promiseth this publick thanksgiving it shal not be the thankfulnesse of the heart onely but of the lips too As it is noted of the thankfull Leper that with a loud voice he glorified God Luke 17.15 The living the living shall praise thee saith Hezekiah but how should they doe it The fathers to the children shall make known thy truth Isay 38.19 There are some affections and motions of the heart that do stop the mouth are of a cold stupefactive and constringent nature as the sap staies and hides it selfe in the root while it is winter Such is fear and extremity of griefe Come saith the Prophet Let us enter into our defenced cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence Jer. 8.14 Isai. 10.14 Other affections open the mouth are of an expansive dilating nature know not how to be straitned or suppressed and of all these joy and sense of Gods mercy can least contain it self in the compasse of our narrow breast but will spread and communicate it selfe to others A godly Heart is in this like unto those flowers which shut when the Sun sets
extolling the great Name of God ascribing in our hearts and mouths all blessednesse unto him acknowledging his infinite Majesty in himselfe and his Soveraignty over us his poore creatures Exod. 15.11 Mic. 7.18 and so covering our faces and abhorring our selves in his sight Isaiah 6. Ioh 42.5.6 not daring to question any of his deep absoluâ—e and most unsearchable Counsels but because all things are of him to acknowledge that all things oughâ— to be for and to him and are to be reduced to the Ends of his glory by the counsell of his own will Rom. 9.20.21 Rom. 11.33.36 Matth. 11.25 26. Psal. 135.5 6. Iob 9.12 Ephes. 1.11 In the latter respect as hee is the God in whom we live and mâ—â—e and have our being and hope for our blessednesse So it importeth first a glorying and rejoycing in him as our alone felicity Psal. 33.1 Habac. 3.18 Phil. 4.4 Secondly a choosing and preferring him above all other good things making him our end and aym in life in death in doing in suffering Rom. 4 7.8 Thirdly a thankfull acknowledgement of all his mercies as most beneficiall unto us and most gratuitous and free in regard of him 2 Sam. 7.18 Lam. 3.22.23 Lastly a constant endeavour of a holy life so to bring forth fruiâ— to doe the will of God and to finish his work which he hath set us so to order our conversation aright before him as that hee may have ascribed unto him the glory of his authority over the consciences of men and of the power of his Love shed abroad in their hearts and that all that see our conversation may say doubtlesse the God whom these men serve after so holy a manner for whom they despise all outward sinfull pleasures is a holy and blessed God infinitely able to comfort satisfie and reward all those that so conscionably and constantly give up themselves unto him Iohn 15.8 and 17.4 Psal. 50.23 Deut. 4.6 7. Mat. 5.16 2 Cor. 9.13 1 Pet. 2 1â— The second particular in their Covenant is amendmen of life and a more speciall care against those sins of carnall confidence and spirituall adultery whereby they had formerly dishonoured and provoked God From whence there are two observations which offer themselves 1. That true repentance and sound conversion as it makes a man thankfull for the pardon of sin past so it makes him carefull against the practise of sin for the time to come especially those particular sinnes whereby he had formerly most dishonoured God and defiled his own conscience This doctrine consisteth of two parts which we will consider asunder And first of this care and purpose of amendment in generall When the poore Converts who had been guilty of the most precious and innocent bloud that ever was shed began to be convinced of that horrible sin and found those nailes wherewith they had fastned the Lord of glory to a Crosse pricking and piercing of their owne hearts with what bleeding and relenting affections did they mourne over him with what earnest importunities did they inquire after the way of salvation wherein they might serve and enjoy him never were their hands more cruell in shedding that bloud then their hearts were now sollicitous to be bathed in it to be cleansed by it Acts 2.37 The poore Prodigall who is the Embleme of a penitent sinner when hee came to himselfe againe or bethought himself as the phrase is 1 King 8.47 for we doe never depart from God but we doe withall forsake and lose our selves and are transported with a spirituall madnesse from our right mindes immediately grew to a resolution of arising out of that base and brutish condition and of going home to his Father and by that meanes to his wit and senses againe So when by Iohns preaching of repentance men were turned to the Wisdome of the just for all unrighteousnesse is folly and madnes and were prepared for the Lord wee immediately finde what a speciall care they had to be informed in the wayes of duty earnestly inquiring after that new course of obedience which they were now to walk Luke 3.10.12 14. All true penitents are of the minde of these in the Text wee will not say any more and what have I to doe any more with Idols ver 8. as Ezra in his penitent prayer Should we now againe breake thy Commandements Chap. 9.13 When Christ rose from the dead he died no more and when wee repent of sinne it must bee with a repentance that must never any more bee repented of Rom. 6.9 12. 2 Cor. 7.10 The time past of our life must suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles 1 Pet. 4.3 This care ariseth from the nature of true repentance which hath two names usually given it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change of the mind the heart is framed to have other and truer notions of sinne of grace of heaven of hell of conscience of salvation then it it had before for the minde of wicked men being defiled they can frame to themselves none but impure apprehensions of spirituall things as a yellow eye sees every thing yellow and a bitter palate tastes every thing bitter 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change of the cares and indeavours of life That whereas before a man made provision for the flesh and his study and care was how to satisfie the lusts of his own heart Rom. 13.14 what he should eate what he should drink wherewith he should be cloathed Now his care is how he may be saved how he may honour and enjoy God Acts 2.37 and 16.30 The first question in Repentance is What have I done Ier. 8.6 and the next question is What shall I doe Acts 9.6 And this care repentance worketh 1. By a godly sorrow for sinne past It brings into a mans remembrance the history of his former life makes him with heavinesse of spirit recount the guilt of so many innumerable sinnes wherewith he had bound himselfe as with chaines of darknesse the losse of so much precious time mis-spent in the service of such a Master as had no other wages to give but shame and death The horrible indignities thereby offered to the â—ajestie and Justice of God the odious contempt of his holy Will and soveraigne Authority the daring neglect of his threatnings and undervaluing of his rewards the high provocation of his jealousie and displeasure the base corrivalty and contesting of filthy lusts with the grace of the Gospell and the precious bloud of the Sonne of God the gainsaying and wrestling and stubborne antipathie of a carnall heart to the pure motions of the Spirit and Word of Christ the presumptuous repulses of him that standeth at the doore and knocks waiting that he may be gracious the long turning of his back and thrusting away from him the word of Reconciliation wherein Christ by his Ambassadours had so often beseeched him to be reconciled unto God The remembrance of these things makes a man
belong principally to the Ministers of the Word yet God hath given unto all Belevers a Iudgement of discretion to try the spirits and to search the Scriptures whether the things which they heare be so or no 1 Ioh. 4.1 Act. 17.11 1 Thess. 5.21 for no man is to pinne his own soule and salvation by a blinde obedience upon the words of a man who may mislead him nay not upon the words of an Angel if it were possible for an Angel to deceive Gal. 1.8 1 Kings 13.18 21. but onely and immediately upon the Scripture except when the blind lead the blind the leader only should fall into the ditch and the other goe to heaven for his blind obedience in following his guides towards hell whereas our Saviour tels us both shall fall though but one be the leader Matth. 15.14 Matth. 23.15 Secondly Having proved all things to hold fast that which is good with all readinesse to receive the righteous ways of God and submit unto them how meane soever the Instrument be in our eyes how contrary soever his message be to our wills and lusts When God doth manifest his Spirit and Word in the mouths of his Ministers we are not to consider the vessell but the Treasure and to receive it as from Christ who to the end of the world in the dispensation of his Ordinances speaketh from heaven unto the Church 1 Thess. 2.13 â— Cor. 5.20 Heb. 12.25 Matth. 28.20 Fourthly In that it is said That the Iust wâ—ll walk in them we may observe Two things 1. That Obedience and walking in the right wayes of the Lord is the end of the ministry That the Saints might be perfected that the body of Christ might bee edified that men might grow up into Christ in all things Eph. 4.11.15 that their eyes might be opened and they turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.16 17 18. The Prophet concludeth that he hath laboured in vaine if Israel be not gathered Esay 49.4 5. Without this the Law is vaine the pen of the Scribe in vaine Ier. 8.8 better not know the way of Righteousnesse then having known it to turne from the holy Commandement which was delivered unto us 2. Pet. 2.21 We should esteeme it a great misery to be without Preaching without Ordinances and so indeed it is of all famine that of the Word of the Lord is the most dreadfull better be with Gods presence in a wildernesse then in Canaan without him Exod. 33.15 better bread of affliction and water of affliction then a famine of hearing the word to have our teachers removed Amos 8.11 Esay 30.20 this is mischiefe upon mischiefe when the Law perisheth from the Priest and there is no Vision Ezek. 7.26 and yet it is much better bee in this case without a Teaching Priest and without the Law then to enjoy them and not to walk answerably unto them where the Word is not a savour of life it is a savour of death unto death exceedingly multiplying the damnation of those that doe despise it 2 Cor. 2.15 Matt. 11.22 24. First it doth ripen those sinnes that it findes making them much more sinfull then in other men because committed against greater light and more mercy One and the same sinne in an Heathen is not so hainous and hatefull as in a Christian. Those trees on which the Sun constantly shines have their fruit grow riper and greater then those which grow in a shady and cold place The raine will hasten the growth as weell of weeds as of corne and make them ranker then in a dry and barren ground Ioh. 9.41 Ioh. 15.22.24 Secondly it doth superadde many more and greater for the greatest sinnes of all are those which are commited against light and grace Sinnes against the Law and Prophets greater then those which are committed against the glimmerings of nature Ezek. 2.5.3.6 7. and sinnes against Christ and the Gospel greater then those against the Law Heb. 2.2.10.28 29. Such are unbeliefe Impenitency Apostacy despising of salvation preferring death and sinne before Christ and mercy judging our selves unworthy of eternall life c. Thirdly it doth by these meanes both hasten and multiply judgments The sinnes of the Church are much sooner ripe for the fickle then the sinnes of Amorites they are neare unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Summer fruits sooner shaken off then others Amos. 8.1 Ier. 1.11 12. Christ comes quickly to remove his Candlestick from the abusers of it Rev. 2.5 The Word is a rich mercy in it selfe but nothing makes it effectually and in the event a mercy unto us but our walking in it 2. We learne from hence That we never make the Scriptures our Rule to live and walke according unto them till we be first justified and made righteous Our obedience to the Rule of the Law written in the Scriptures proceedeth from those suteable impressions of holinesse wrought in the soule by the Spirit of Regeneration which is called the writing of the Law in our hearts Ier. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 or the casting of the soule into the mould of the Word as the phrase of the Apostle seemeth to import Rom. 6.7 we are never fit to receive Gods Truth in the love and obedience of it till we repent and be renewed If God saith the Apostle will give repentance for the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 25. The wise in heart that is those that are truly godly for none but such are the Scriptures wise men these will receive Commandements but a prating foole will fall Prov. 10.8 where by prating I understand cavilling contradicting taking exceptions making objections against the Commandement and so falling and stumbling at it according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1.19 20 21. Let every man bee swift to heare that is ready to learn the will of God and to receive the Commandement but slow to speak slow to wrath that is carefull that he suffer no pride and passion to rise up and speak against the things which are taught according as Iob sayes Teach me and I will hold my peace Iob 6.24 for the only reason why men fret and swell and speak against the truth of God is this because they will not work righteousnesse The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God therefore men are contentious because they love not to obey the truth Rom. 2.8 disobedience is the mother of gainsaying Rom. 10.21 when we once resolve to lay apart all filthinesse then wee will receive the Word with meeknesse and not before none heare Gods Words but they who are of God Ioh. 8.47 none hear the voyce of Christ but the sheep of Christ Ioh. 10.4 5. Christ preached is the power of God and the wisedome of God but it is onely to them that are called to others a stumbling block and foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.24 We speak wisedome saith the Apostle but it is amongst them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 He that is
it intrinsecally or in the nature of the thing impossible but accidentally and by reason of naturall corruption which is enmity against it a burthen may be very portable in it selfe which he who is a creeple is not able to beare the defect is not in the Law but in us Rom. 8.3 Secondly that of this Impossibility there may be made a most excellent use that being convinced of impotency in our selves we may have recourse to the perfect obedience and righteousnesse of Christ to pardon all our violations of it Gal. 3.21 24. Thirdly being regenerated and endued with the spirit of Christ the Law becomes Evangelically possible unto us againe yea not onely possibly but sweet and easie Rom. 7.22 1 Ioh. 5.2 Ma. 11.30 Though impossible to the purpose of Iustification and legall Covenant which requireth perfection of obedience under paine of the Curse Gal. 3.10 in which sense it is a yoake which cannot bee born Act. 15.10 A Commandement which cannot be endured Heb. 12.20 yet possible to the purpose of acceptation of our services done in the obedience of it The spirituall part of them being presented by the intercession and the carnall defects covered by the righteousnesse of Christ in whom the father is alwayes well pleased Fourthly if any wicked man presume to harden himselfe in the practice of sinnes under this pretence that it is impossible for him to avoid them because God hardneth whom he will Though the Apostolicall increpation be Answer sufficient Who art thou that replyest against God yet he must further know that he is not onely hardned judicially by the sentence of God but most willingly also by his owne stubborne love of sinne and giving himselfe over unto greedinesse in sinning and thereby doth actively bring upon himselfe those indispositions unto duty so that the Law being impossible to be performed by him is indeed no other then hee would himselfe have it to be as bearing an active enmity and antipathy unto it Sixthly The mercy and Free-grace of God in the promises is unto wicked men an occasion of stumbling while they turn it into lasciviousnesse and continue in sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Iud. ver 4. and venture to make work for the blood of Christ not being led by the goodnesse of God unto repentance but hardning themselves in impenitency because God is good Rom. 2.4 There is not any thing at which wicked men doe more ordinarily stumble then at mercy as gluttons surfet most upon the greatest dainties venturing upon this ground to goe on in sinne because they cannot out-sinne mercy and to put off repentance from day to day because they are still under the offers of mercy making mercy not a sanctuary unto which to fly from sinne but a sanctuary to protect and countenance sinne and so by profane and desperate presumption turning the very mercy of God into a judgement and savour of death unto themselves Deut. 29.19 20. Num. 15.30 pretending liberty from sinne that they may continue in it and abuse God by his owne gifts Lastly the threatnings of God set forth in his Word and executed in his judgements upon wicked men are great occasions of stumbling unto them when they are not thereby with Manasses humbled under Gods mighty hand but with Pharoah hardned the more in their stubbornnesse against him There is such desperate wickednesse in the hearts of some men that they can even sit down and rest in the resolutions of perishing resolving to enjoy the pleasures of sinne while they may To morrow we shall dye therefore in the meane time let us eat and drink 1 Cor. 5.32 This evill is of the Lord why should we wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 There are three men in the Scripture that have a speciall brand or marke of ignominy set upon them Cain Dathan and Ahaz The Lord set a mark upon Cain Gen. 4.15 This is that Dathan and this is that Ahaz Num. 26.9 2. Chron. 28.22 and if we examine the reasons we shall finde that the sinne of stubbornnesse had a speciall hand in it Cains Offering was not accepted upon this he grew wroth and sullen and stubborn against Gods gentle warning and slew his brother Dathan and his Companions sent for by Moses return a proud and stubborn answer we will not come up we will not come up Ahaz greatly distressed by the King of Syria by the Edomites by the Philistimes by the Assyrian and in the midst of all this distresse stubborn still and trespassing more against the Lord. It is one of the saddest symptomes in the World for a man or a Nation not to be humbled under the correcting hand of God but like an anvile to grow harder under blowes and a most sure argument that God will not give over but goe on to multiply his judgements still for he will overcome when hee judgeth and therefore will judge till he overcome In Musicall Notes there are but eight degrees and then the same returnes againe and Philosophers when they distinguish degrees in qualities doe usually make the eighth degree to be the highest but in the wrath of God against those who impenitently and stubbornly stand out against his judgements wee shall finde no fewer then eight and twenty degrees threatned by God himselfe I will punish seven times more and yet seven times more and againe seven time more and once more seven times more for your sinnes Levit. 26.18 21 24 28. thus wicked men doe not only stumble at the Word by way of scandall but also 2. By way of Ruine because they are sure in the conclusion to be destroyed by it for the rock stands still the ship only is broken that dasheth against it Gods Word is and will be too hard for the pride of men the more they resist it the mightier will it appeare in their condemnation The weak corn which yeelds to the wind is not harmed by it but the proud Oake which resists it is many times broken in pieces The soule which submits to the Word is saved by it the soule which rebels against it is sure to perish Therefore since the Word comes not to any man in vaine but returnes glory to God either in his conversion or in his hardning It greatly concerneth every man to come unto it with meek penitent docile tractable believing obedient resolutions and to consider how vaine and desperate a thing it is for a Potsherd to strive with a rod of Iron for the pride wrath of man to give a chalenge to the justice and power of God for briars and thornes to set themselves in battell against fire As our God is a consuming fire himselfe so his law is a fiery Law Deut. 33.2 his word in the mouths of his Ministers a fire Ier. 5.14.23.29 If we be gold it will purge us if thorns it will devour feed upon us This is the condemnation saith our Saviour That light is come