a new body of people not defiled with this scurffe and live among them Ezek. 9. rather then to take these Coleworts of ours to feede upon aad this refuse remnant and scraps of that royall feast which we were wont to make him whiles the savour of his grace continued among us Large I might be in urging particulars but by the Paw judge of the Lion and let this shaâ—p reproofe in Gods feare warne so many of us as in whom every sparke of old spirit is not extinct to looke about us 1 Thes 5.25 that we nourish this marke of Grace in us and quench it not And so I goe on to speake of that Use of Admonition And Use 4 first to warn all in whose hearts any spark of this Spirit of Grace Branch 1 and Zeale to Gods truth hath beene bred Admonit Admonition to the people of God to nourish the spirit of first conversion in themselves that they nourish and nurse it in themselves continually That they waxe not confident in their first beginnings because their edge was quick at the first as if they were past danger or as if this grace would grow up in them without their owne industry and watchfulnesse Alas poore soules you have but saluted Religion with the upper lip Tender spirits and keene edges may be soone damped and dulled you have a great journey to goe a world of worke to doe a wofull heart of secret poyson still to subdue which will not easily yeeld it is not your affections which will beare you out against a sad body of death and a nature of old Adam many crosses feares bad examples and errours of the wicked abide you and early or late will shake your frame and try what metall you are made of Doe not prophecy to your selves a shot-free ease and to walke without feare of bullets and darts in this world The Devill seemes to be sad that he hath lost you but of all other people he watcheth you a mischiefe and would bee gladdest if he could pay you home you are his objects of fury and set in the forefront of his battery if the dint light upon any it is likest to seise first upon you And thousands who have given as great hope of as sound and close a spirit to God and have opposed sinne base formall courses as much as you have yet revolted to Satan and he hath laid seven times as many irons upon them as at first to secure himselfe from a second escape Tremble to thinke of it Matth. 12.45 Seeke to improve this first Grace of yours this zeale and affection to the Gospel and against all enemies of sincerity with a wise steddy and full resolutenesse of heart to undergoe any brunts pursuits discouragements offences by false Hypocrites or other affronts which may come in the way It is not possible but this Age affecting nothing more then a contrariety to power of good and upright walking with God must needs put you to it daily and try you throughly with the infinite many trials which it hath devised to ferret out the good from themselves that they and their hypocrisie might predominate and all soundnesse be abandoned Lie not therefore as two irons on both sides the loadstone let not your soules play booty with God in this weighty businesse stagger not be not now haled by the false flatteries of this painted harlot or scared by the terrours and threats of a frowning tyrant for the world is both but seeke to be insensible of her If she finde that love of Gods truth wanzeth in thee and thou coudst beteame to be at more ease and elbow-roome in the world or that thou fearest trouble or beginst to strew and garnish thy false heart with any other lust she hath enough she is sure of thee Rather set before thine eyes the wofull end of all decliners All that come rolling down the hill faster then they ever got up Caveats against a declining course in sundry particulars They shatter themselves and breake their bones without hope of setting againe their end is commonly worse then their beginning Loath each step of a base heart going this way and allaying this spirit with her owne mixtures If first heate chill it will die a thousand to one if that which should inflame all the whole course be it selfe cold how great is that coldnesse Discerne it in the first approach whether it be by casting on cold water or not laying on more fuell If the love of the world pleasures merry company a loose heart tickle thee of if thou grow scanter in meanes as in prayer hearing meditation or fasting lesse watchfull and timorous suspect thy selfe betimes Stumble Stumble not at the infirmities of the religious but cover and interpret them mercifully take no occasions of offence nourish every thing which might breed in thee a better opinion of holinesse and entertaine no suspitions against it let not her fare the worse for the errours of them that professe no nor for the revolts of time-servers Harbor not in thy spirit any secret distemper of pride selfe-love selfe-conceit fullennesse frowardnesse carnall wisdome earthly mindednesse These will creepe in and tickle as a Viper under colour of some lawfulnesse or other but they will eate out the very bowels and heart-heate of the spirit of grace Nibble at none of the Devils baits Behold not too wisely the errour of the wicked and the streame of evill without feare or checke lest this cause the love of many to waxe cold Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 Daily ply the meanes and lay on fewell arme thy selfe by prayer against the course of decliners as David did Ps 101.3 Pal. 101.3 Nourish humility and simplicity of spirit next to faith above all Inure thy selfe to deny much for God that so he may grow dearer to thee and thou to him Spend not nor waste thy zeale needlessely and rashly upon objects of lesser weight but reserve thy selfe till a better warrant and call a stronger and more weighty object to pull thee forth lest thou faile in the hottest of the attempt as those mostly doe whose zeale is unballanced Be not wedded to thy selfe for the spirit of grace doth not so well befit him who abounds in his owne sense Compare Num. 23. with Exod. 32.19 Moses was a man who in his own matters was very meek and calm and therfore his zeale in breaking the Tables and indignation against that Idolatry became him the better Esteeme and value each sinne by the nature of it not the cry or outside of it The losse of thy spirit perhaps seemes not so hideous to thee as some open sinne which thou seest in others as to oppresse or be drunke but it is worse not onely because it is the seed of thee but because although thou shouldest never breake out so farre yet it is the decay of thy frame and temper of goodnesse A burning Ague is not so dangerous as a
the powers of the soule will affections and conscience which were as her Peers and the Nobles of her Court and above all the members of the body which were as her subjects of lower ranke but both under her authority going comming and doing what she pleased in a most beautifull and comely agreement But now she hath lost her government they rather sway her with their violence and impetuousnesse For why She hath lost her subjection to God her dignity is gone and now in stead of spirituall cleare insight into Gods mysteries shee is left blinde erroneous and perverse Not as a sicke Physitian who hath all his skill still save that he is letted from the exercise of it by accident but bereft both of power will and skill altogether Come hither ye Pelagians and Anabaptists and visit this Iezabel throwne downe by her Eunuchs from her Tower and dasht in peeces so that none can say this is she Behold this widow sitting as Tyrus in the ashes of desolation and yet having no sense of her losse she misses not one of her jewells nor eare-rings she feeles not the losse of her Crowne and Scepter Oh! wofull creature that was wont to bee inriched with such choice pearles and goodly jewells as all the earth had not the like shall all the world all the creatures shall God and the Lord Jesus and his Ministers and servants bewaile and weep over her saying Oh that thou sawest what thou art stript off And shall she be senslesse of her poverty and nakednesse Beloved give me one carnall man or woman in all this assembly that ever was troubled for this their misery and I will recant Even as a poore man cuts his meate with the same rusty knife wherewith he doth his worke so one toole serves for all businesse Carnall men handle Gods matters and their owne with the same tooles looke with what instrument they bargaine and buy and sell in the world the same they go to worke withall in the most curious and holy services of God By it they judge esteeme affect practise and all these they doe perversly mistakingly erroneously and condemne all which sorts not with them Nay besides this cloath hath taken a deeper dye and tincture shee is plagued with other false principles of worldlings which make her brutish prophane Atheisticall so that if we could see such a one Pelagian Papist or Machiavilian in their true colours we would thinke wee saw the Divell in the flesh Who would not tremble to see such a sight Who abhorres not Esau despising his birthright for his red pottage Who loaths not a Papist in his carnall worship And yet carnall reason the roote of both who trembles at Who is moved to see sots and swine to trample these Pearles of Religion under feet at the trough of their owne draffe profits and pleasures Who thinks such wisdome sensuall and divellish Who saith with Christ Get thee behinde mee Satan Thou savourest the things not of God but of men Those savourlesse wretches whose God is their belly and whose glory is their shame Matth. 16.24 Phil. 3.18 whence came they but out of this wombe Nay brethren who thinke themselves such jolly ones as these And yet as wise as they are to heare them talke of regeneration Christ and faith were a spectacle more ridiculous then any Pageant Let therefore I beseech you this terror sinke into all your hearts and carry rottennesse into your bones Application of it who are sicke of this disease you shall not need the fever dropsie or plague to destroy you your bane is in your bosome And will you cover it over with a faire sute not see it Then I wish yee to looke upon that curse of God which commonly haunts such persons How did that wofull Spira by the counsell of the Popes legate and carnall reason deny the truth What made the halter to hang Achitophel Did not carnall reason Oh saith he thy counsell is forsaken David will prevaile prevent death by murther How doth God leave many a civill and morall fellow that stood upon his carnall bottome to reproachfull sinnes To strike and kill in their wrath and so come to shame To commit rapes and unnaturall lust and so come to their ends What examples have we seene of this in our Country As if the Lord from heaven would bee avenged of all despisers of Religion How many of your morall and good natures are daily seduced to uncleannesse and drunkennesse Oh! well may wee say where is the Scribe 1 Cor. 1.16 Where is the wizard of the world that laies up for a rainy day and saith soule take thine ease How suddenly is hee puld downe from all God be fooles carnall reason and dyes like a foole How doth God scatter the imaginations of such as could make themselves merry with disdaine of Religion And what fooles doth he make them How many of your ambitious ones dye beggars How many of your reaching heads engrossers of farmes trades and such as have many irons in the fire come to the state of banquerupts And then Oh! Puritans are wise men for keeping within their bounds But till sad experience come they will either have all or lose all Here some of them are encumbred with sutes at law which ruine them Others defeated of their ambitious hopes and being frowned upon by their betters runne mad or prove beggars having lost a hundred of pounds for moone-shine in waters some hang themselves Sad presidents Others meet with potent opposites who crush them others looking after gallants get harlots into their bosomes small matters are too base for them therefore great things must bane them As Saul falsly of David so may I truly say of this they have chosen her to the confusion of their own face How are Herods crossed and beaten down in magnifying their parts Some Scholars at University losing their wits for their proud aspiring spirits Others thinking to winne the spurres have beene disgraced by God in their Pulpits their acts strucken dumbe their wheeles taken off and they made ridiculous to teach others to be humble and make conscience the foundation of their wisdome and learning As that wofull and cruell King of France in his ruffe would needs force one of his Nobles to take a staffe and runne a tilt with him and so one of the broken splinters running in at his eye pierced his braine and kild him So doth carnall reason put one weapon or other into Gods owne hand by which they runne with him till their owne throat is cut and they destroyed Oh! be all such abased in your selves and become fooles that you may be wise and that in time before God prevent ye by his wrath and so you wish it too late This for Terror I will adde some counsell after Reproofe Another branch therefore may be bitter reproofe to all sorts for their Vse 5 overmuch yeelding to the rule of this wofull mistresse carnall reason
an outward manner Surely hee would declare from heaven who are for him and who against him Carnall reason wishes old waies in stead of a promise His enemies should not flourish and have their wills as they have Goates should not trample upon sheep surely he would judge the world in equity not suffer things to be so darkely carried Indeed we have the word and his promises sounding in our eares and his threats but he followes them not really with blessing the godly nor destroying the wicked Oh! those were happy times when the high Priests Ephod answered cases when God spake with voice and by miracles visions and Prophets This scurfe is lodged in our bosomes and we little ponder that Heb. 1.1 that now God speaketh by his sonne as if he should say this manner of his revealing himselfe exceeds all other to a beleeving soule Faith can make a reall presence though no carnall both in sacrament and in word preached and in crosses and in the most hidden administrations of God in the Church But it is this cursed carnall reason which darkens all and causes every object to be like the glasse through which we behold it To returne therefore if thou have beene a man given to thine appetite put thy knife henceforth to thy throate and stand not to defend or maintaine it against the Lord Bestow no more wit to cavill but fight against thy infidelity Sarah laughed behinde the doore at the message of the Angel but she was ashamed of it Heb. 11. she is said by faith to conceive seed she had cast out carnall reason ere she could breed by the promise If thou see a difficulty in the promise which thou canst not match yet turne thy struggling against thy self and give glory to God in shaming thy self that so thou maiest give him more in beleeving Oh what should it boot me to heare men say I have as morall a people as any are except it may be added as spirituall also what joy can be morall and carnall civility and rationall Religion may well agree truly this taint is deeply festred into most of us You of this congregation looke to it No congregation for this fifty years hath been so beaten and staved off from carnall reason a life of sense and unbeleefe as this and therefore looke to it Satan will more rejoyce in your flesh then in any other if he can rule in you by the scepter of carnall reason as truly he doth in most of us Oh! how will he crow upon his dunghill and exalt himselfe above the truth of God so long preached Give over this strong hold forsake and surrender this castle for God sticke no longer to it say thus If I cannot beleeve as I would yet I will set my marke upon Gods word I will honor such as can Gods truth ceases not to be faithfull because I am unbeleeving God keepe me from being unfaithfull that it may be true to me Alas if God spake never so really from heaven what were it without faith Joh. 21. And when Thomas put his finger into Christs sides what had he gained by it if still unfaithfull God hath made himselfe cleare to me by more expressions then to many I have had more patience deliverances blessings redemptions then many I have touched and tasted the Lord and groped him with hands and yet unbeleefe hath made all unsavoury So that I see it must be faith and not carnall reason which must prevaile For then Israel in the wildernesse had never beene barred from Canaan by unbelefe Oh therefore I am weary of this wofull enemy I could put tenne cavillers to silence ere I could set carnall reason at a non-plus she hath a fountaine within her springing up to death and is never weary But Oh Lord pardon what is past and through mercy for the time to come I shall turne a new leafe Oh! that I could nay the Lord prevaile but thus farre with you I dare not leave you here But Oh! that you who are not come so farre as this might at least attaine this Branch 2 Secondly therefore let me draw ye one steppe further and that is to be a foole in thy selfe Exhortation We must bee Gods fooles ere we be wise to salvation that thou maist be made wise The sunne never riseth but ye shall perceive a dimnesse and blacknesse cast upon the aire though the moone and starres shine never so brightly before So where the light of divine wisdome approacheth it causeth all the wisdome of flesh to vanish as smoke before it And this the Lord of purpose effects in all whom he converts as he rehe did to Naaman He will make all flesh to be as grasse and all the beauty of it as stubble that he may shine onely in the soule and that the Kingdome may be the Lords It is I confesse as ridiculous to us Joh. 3.5 as that a man should enter againe into his mothers wombe But such a change must there be the fruit in the wombe undergoeth not more alteration ere it see the light then carnall reason must doe ere the soule be begotten to God It must be with it as with a scholar that would learne a poore trade he must lay downe all his learning and stoop to be an idiot in that science till he be taught it It must even be as the Jesuits novice is to his superior whatsoever he teaches him or enjoynes him be it never so repugnant hee must submit he must have no understanding cavills or objections against it but freely suffer himselfe to be led into the streame of authority and captivate all feares unlikelyhood dangers to the blinde obedience of governours he must say the Crow is white and the Swan blacke yea even suffer his senses and braines to be knockt out that he may be a true novice a wise Catholicke no Jesuit will else have to doe with him if he say not yea to his assertions and nay to his denialls if he be not ready in all things to assent This I affirme of them as most unnaturall for Religion expells not reason but rectifies the carnality of it but yet in a sort the Lord requires no lesse in point of carnality then they doe in point of reason it selfe The Lord will triumph over it and say where is the Scribe The wise man 1 Cor. 1.15 He will cause this wisdome to become very madnesse ere ever he commit the seed of true wisdome to it and the soul hearing principles of Christ and faith must chaine up cavilling and thrust her eies into Gods bosome professing to know nothing in any mystery of Religion save that which truth reveales and having as Ionathan by his honey received sight Psal 73.15 he must cry out Oh foole that I was Oh beast in thy sight Oh Lord Oh now I appeare a very foole to my selfe and perceive that darkenesse cannot comprehend it selfe till a light of God be held
speakes most directly to his heart As for pleasing himselfe in being in the element of any truth whereof he sees no use it is irkesome to a wise heart although he reverence all And these may serve for a taste of many more lets which differ as men differ and for answer to the first question I come to the second Since it is thus what reason may be given to Quest 2 satisfie men in this way of good for many would thinke it better if God tooke a more short and speedy way But I answer Answ for many causes God permits it To summe them up breefly One is 1. Cause because the Lord herein lookes at some grosse sins which ruled and reigned in the former part of mens life and in youth which are as iron moles and will hardly be worne out of the flesh being bred in the bone save by tozing and searching the heart throughly Secondly that he might breed some restraint in youth and curbe them from such offences as after must cost a great deale of purging plowing and harrowing ere the soule will affoard good mould for the word For sure it is the more rebellion the Lord meets with the more irons he loades the soule with Esay 28. Thirdly that he might exercise each soule in finding out her owne speciall let and not goe to worke in a fulsome generalnesse Fourthly to breed in the soule a solemne and sad thought concerning the way of God and roote out that giddinesse and vanity which puffes up the soule in a vaine presumption and ease Fifthly to occupy the minde of the Minister in right and carefull dividing the word and studying to approve himselfe as a workeman not to be ashamed striving to be faithfull both in the gift of discerning spirits that he may speake to the purpose not at randon as also to be painfull in catechizing which containes the wise and leasurely way of God to scrue and dive into the hearts of men by degrees and to soke the heart in the principles of faith which they that want may be long enough in hearing Sermons ere they conceive the order of the mystery of faith and how the soul comes to claspe with the promise Sixtly the Lord hereby corrects those most wicked evills which have carried the soule in and under the Ministry of the Gospel especially the dallying with the seasons of grace 7. That by this mean the Lord might clense the heart from Selfe in every kinde and twitch up every roote and rinde of selfe-love which would dangerously mix it selfe with the promise Lastly that the Lord as I toucht before might prepare way for himselfe in the honour of the soul when it shall finde by experience that all her salvation is of him and he could bring it out of nothing nay worse then nothing when as the soule lay strugling with herselfe without hope or remedy So much for answer to the second question The third and last question is how the soule may finde by markes Quest 3 that the Lord is following on with the work of grace That so it may be comforted in this that she is no hypocrite and so shall not wanze and moulder away as wax before the Sunne but obtaine the fruit of the promise in Gods due time For answer whereto this I say it may bee knowne by the contrary to those markes which bewray hypocrites Answ Marke 1 The first shall be this A soule truly under the condition of grace is very vigilant stirring and observant of the seasons which affoord grace not only generally to hearken after the word but specially to observe the Angels moving of the water The Lord doth not alway stir alike The Minister is not moved nor the heart of the hearer affected alike It s rare when the Lord and the soule close throughly one with the other when the word is preacht so savourly and lively and carryes the vertue of the speaker with it into the hearer and when the hearer meets it with a discerning of a season from God But when the soule meets with such Oh it abhors to dally and trifle with God to greeve him with slightnesse either for the present or after But confesses it to be a rare occasion presses hard with the Lord for blessing and followes on as Gedeon did those enemies Judg. 7. while the sent was hot lest he should be defeated Thus doth a good heart watch her time alway being upon wing for her prey and loaths carelessenesse of the watchwords of God No sin stings her more then former dallyings with the Lord nothing brings her upon her knees in secret more then this sinne and the sad fruit of it nothing puts her in more feare lest God should forsake her and suffer his Spirit to give over all saving strife with her nothing more is desired then that the Lord would forget her many provokings this way and stir her up with threefold alacrity to redeeme such seasons for time to come Whereas an hypocrite sees not such mercy from God or else vanishes in the fruit of them le ts all goe and nouzles himselfe in a blinde hope all shall be well whiles yet old sinnes and dallyings are upon the score unrepented of and unforgiven and the soule hardning more and more and waxing daily more and more crazy and unfit to be wrought upon Marke 2 Secondly a thriving soule God and promise-ward above all things nourishes life in herselfe not onely in ordinances but in the course and way of conversation Where ever she become the Spirit of life leaves her not wholy but more or lesse accompanies her spirit to preserve it from deadnesse flatnesse remissenes and suffering the worke of God to lye by in her And howsoever she feels a very body of death in this kinde fighting against the law of life in her yet knowing which is the stronger she gives not place No although the more she strives to be lively and savoury upon the promise and by faith the more the death of corruption resists her and discourages her yet even in this darke belly of the whale she casts her eie towards the Temple Jonah 2.8 and dares not yeeld when yet she is almost foiled but discernes a base body of death from the desire of her owne heart and because she feeles a dying she judges herselfe not wholly dead but to have some life under the embers which she makes much of and nourishes as one would hatch up one coale of fire upon dry straw lest it should goe quite out Such a soule abhors a daily deadish and sad heart more then death it selfe labours to revive it selfe by all hot waters from swowning and dying rejoyces when she recovers exercises her selfe with others as well as in secret to whet up that dull and weake edge of life and faith which remaines and is glad to feele that it is not alway alike with her in this kinde Whereas an hypocrite who never attaind to this sweet life