have needed to have fallen to his shifts 2. Instance 1 Sam. 15.3 The other instance of Saul is in Chap. 15. There the Lord betrusted him the second time with another close tryall of his loyall heart putting him upon the destruction of Amalek commanding him not to spare any old young high or low fat or leane but to kill all One would have thought that the former triall had been a watchword sufficient but a base heart will be base when all is done therefore in that businesse also he faulters fearfully killing the baser and meaner sort of people the leane and worthlesse cattell but keeping the richer sort of people and the fat cattle alive Now when Samuel comes to him to take an account what doth hee Hee magnifies his obedience at the first but by and by being convinced of his falshood hee falles to dawbing with untempered mortar Doubtlesse the bottome was a covetous heart turning after the spoile but he had colours enow to defend it For why Was not the killing of so many fat cattell in shew a prejudice to mercie since that they might have filled many hungry bellies Yea and to piety also since they might have made many a sacrifice to God But alas to plead mercy or sacrifice against a charge is to bee wiser then God that is a starke foole And so was he The like were his other trickes That the people reserved them And he feared their violence if hee had resisted them a very lye for they feared him extreamly as appeares by the vow which hee bound them in Chap. 14. But could all these shifts profit him No surely Hee was convinced to be hollow and then threatned the second time with the losse of his Kingdome for the breach of the command 1 King 12.26 The second instance is Ieroboam God gave him his charge to keepe his statutes and promised to make him a sure Kingdome What doth he As soone as he had gotten into the saddle what thoughts doth he apprehend Surely leaving the promise of establishing his Kingdome he casts with himselfe what would follow upon the going up of the ten Tribes to Jerusalem to worship hee imagined that it would prove an occasion of stealing away their hearts to the government of Juda and therefore he gives God over warps to himselfe a better way of safety sets up two Calves in Dan and Bethel to keep the people at home And what thinke wee were his pretences Very many For why Was there no other place might serve to worship in save one Did not Abraham Gen. 21.33 Gen. 26.25 Gen. 35.14 Isaac and Iacob set up their Altars and worship God Nay were there not Altars built in Canaan by the command of God and by the two Tribes and an halfe And did not Samuel build an Altar by occasion of the Philistines invasion And besides what Was it not equall that he being a King called by God as well as Rehoboam might ordaine a place for his subjects to worship God as well as he Did God by name forbid this 1 Sam. 7.9 or tye him to the Temple And moreover if God had so delighted in the Temple-worship would he have cut off the Kingdome from the house of David and setled it upon him Besides all this what Could nothing content men but the Temple Hee did not set up his Calves against the Temple but for the worship of the true God If indeed hee had done it for idolatry it were sinfull but he ordained it for God And as for those resemblances of Calves which hee devised why Was not the Temple full of Lyons and Cherubims and ingraven formes And to conclude although a Prophet came to denounce against his Altars yet was he not devoured by a Lyon And his sonne Abijah who would not close with his Idols died hee not an untimely death And did not he survive and prosper by this worship of his Lo what a world of trickes and shifts hee could alledge But nothing could serve his turne against so strict a charge as the second Command wherewith hee stood charged still the wrath of God pursued him and cut him off at length making him a very by-word Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat who made Israel to sinne So that let hypocrites turne themselves into never so many colours and scrue themselves never so subtilly into their distinctions they doe but so much the more incense God against them and provoke him to unmaske and discover them to the world to be such as they are till unavoidable destruction at last come upon them Endlesse were it to speake of all 3. Instance Act. 5.5 Ananias and Sapphira those sacrilegious hypocrites had first consented to bee of the forwardest in zeale to the Churches service And they would sell all and lay it at the Apostles feet After through temptation of Satan they consulted to keepe away a part of the price and yet pretended to give all What thinke we Had they not colours Yes doubtlesse For why Did all sell their estates for the Church Or did many give such a portion as they gave who yet perhaps had as great meanes And was it not well that they did as they did Or did God urge more from them then they could well spare Should they so succour others as to undoe and endanger themselves Or could consequent difficulties at the first so appeare as they did after Or could they well change their tale to the Apostles after it was once given out that they had sold all Would not that have discredited their zeale All these are faire colours But for all these forasmuch as the pinch of the command of God to keepe their vow caused them to play the hypocrites and to câ—st it off the Lord we see used Peter as an instrument both to deâ—â—st convince and sentence them with such a doome as made all the Church to tremble at the like falshood and lying against the Holy Ghost â—cation 〈◊〉 Christ at his second comming will wâ—sh off all the colours of hypocrites with his terrors To apply this terrour also and so to conclude the Use Let all such be affrighted to consider what the end of flatterers and time-servers shall be The 2. Command hath in it a sad and solemne intent and extent to take up the whole man for God in the duties of his worship Not onely urging us to abhor all false worship Popish worship grosse Idoll-worship But to embrace the most pure and exact manner of worship which possibly we can and to reject any such dregs as might in the least sort defile the spirit of the worshipper How dares any man then in this case to come in and stop Gods mouth with distinctions and pretences Thinke we that God will be mocked Although now while they goe with the streame of the time they may seeme pardonable yet when God shall come in vengeance to take a severe and strict surview of the actions of Hypocrites doe we
weapons and tremble at thy wretchednesse Branch 6 Sixtly let this doctrine not onely convince thy judgement of a truth that the case thus standeth Lay downe thy pride and rebellion between God and thy soule but let it proceed to bring thine heart and whole selfe under the authority of this advantage at which God hath thee That is let it worke exceeding humiliation and feare of spirit in thee and cause thee to pull downe thy peacocks fethers and lay downe thy pride rebellion and gainsaying heart and be as one out of himselfe As that jailor when the earthquake had broken the prison doores Act. 16.27 and loosed the prisoners thought himselfe but a dead man Act. 9. and Paul being under the arrest of Gods might and power lay for dead So the thought of this thy wofull disadvantage under the hand of God should cause the jollity of thy spirit to quaile and thy bog and bold heart to be abashed saying if this be thus whence comes my impudent resolute purpose to go on in my course I see I have not mercy at my command nor grace pind to my sleeve when I can but use three or foure good wordes at my death Alas I perceive I my selfe am infinitely under the advantage of Justice and wrath both in Adam and by my owne wicked courses Is this then Oh my soule a season of revelling of casting care away of adding drunkennesse to thirst Is this a time to contest to provoke to increase sinne by wilfulnesse What do I think to scare God by my murmurings and cavills against him Oh no! this is the way to make judgement inexcusable and hell seven times hotter then at first See Esay 28.22 Therefore lay it to heart as those in Act. 2. did when they heard Peter shew them what pickle they were in for murdering the Lord of life Oh! their hearts were gored as with a swords point So let rottennesse enter into thy bones tremble and say What if the Lord should take this advantage of his to destroy me What if his long suffering all this while hath onely spared me as a vessel of wrath that he might with the fuller swinge come upon me and all at once sweep me to hell what a taking are those men in who are at their enemies curtesie as having lost all they have or condemned in as much as they are worth and at the mercy of their adversary who hath got an execution against all their estate surely hee were an odde man for stoutnesse of stomacke who should stand it out and dare his enemy to ceaze upon him Alas Esay 27.4.5 what a poore wretch should he be made So here what rescue hath the dry stubble against the advantage of fire if once kindled in it Oh! if thou canst bring downe thy base and sturdy heart by this meditation how thou standest at the meere curtesie of him who cannot only destroy thy body Luke 12.4.5 but cast body and soule to hell if this will master thy proud heart and make thee crouch and put thy face within thy knees for confusion and sorrow thou hast attained some part of that end which this convincement serves for Seventhly yet rest not in this dejection onely Consider that the soveraignty Branch 7 of God doth not reach only to destroy the creature Soveraignty is free to save aswell as to destroy but sometimes to abase it and save it There is a soveraignty of mercy a free and bountifull grace aswell in that God who hath thee at this advantage as a power to condemne And therefore apply thy selfe to the beholding of those cords which the Gospell puts in and offers thee in this dungeon and of that ladder which is thrust in for thee to come up by as to the meer implodding and sadding thy thoughts with the likelyhood of thy confusion Consider its one step to pardon to lay to heart Gods advantage For who are they who perish who carry a blacke marke of wrath about them Surely those who either acknowledge no such thing live at hearts case and elbow-roome and come leaping forth in their chaines with Agag or else if they heare of it murmur fret and kicke against it 1 Sam. 15. If then thou hast escaped both one thing remaineth escape also an unbeleeving heart Rest not in these suburbes of hell but behold the freedome of mercy in the promise And do not reach first at Election and so fal backe and breake thy necke Election not to be first lookt at but the offer of grace But take this first worke of humiliation in thee as an hansell of hope that more shall follow and as for Gods secrets they must attend faith not goe before it Therefore nakedly and without further dispute convince thy judgement of a possibility of escaping this advantage which God hath thee at Not by thy struggling and fighting against it as Pharaoh against the waters returning but by thy meeke and humble stooping under it And know that this doctrine of Gods soveraignty serves to try the spirit of men of what mettle they are made of and to condemne none save the finally rebellious Those who cease whetting at Gods secrets as not belonging to them and only betake themselves to the softly streames of Siloam beholding with stedfast eye Deut. 29.29 the freedome bottomednesse and unchangeablenesse of the promise have a marke upon them of such as shall be saved the soveraignty of Gods advantage against the poore creature notwithstanding Come then to the Lord and say thou mayst indeed justly damne me yet thou mayst also save mee O Lord doe not destroy thy creature let it please thee to have mercy and desire not the death of a poore wretch with thee the fatherlesse shall find mercy of which I am What boot shall it be for thee to have my bloud Oh spare a little let me recover my selfe if thou must needs be just powre thy wrath upon despisers but spare the penitent and such as lye at thy feet as lost Eightly let this conviction of judgement turne thy soule to make an adventure and where thou seest a breach made there to lay the battery Branch 8 of faith to assay an entrance into the City of grace The Lord having cut off his plea by as strong a remedy Assay to beleeve and redemption yea stronger then ever the former advantage lay calls thee to lay hold of it strongly in the blood and satisfaction of thy Redeemer How dost thou find thy selfe affected in this case Whether chusest thou to curse God and dye or to breake and pull downe thy stomacke and live judge thy selfe herein acording to the rule if ever the advantage of God dranke up thy spirit how wentest thou to worke didst thou recke thy teene upon God and quarrell with him for his forsaking thee or soughtst thou after a way of hope by Gods cutting off his owne advantage in his Sonne Dost thou behold the Lord
our places and callings and be not too indulgent to our backs bellies companies travells and the like sensuall recreations and contentments many men affect such a breâ—th in the uttermost of their liberties and jollitie that their very garbe bewraies them to bee men who savor not much of denying themselves goe to the Lord often with this thorne in thy heele and bemoane thy paine unto him 2 Cor. 12.6 till he ease thee as Paul did and ceased not till the Answ 6 spirit was sufficient for him Beseech the Lord not to leave thee to thine owne findings but to take thee into his own patronage maintaining thee at his cost and charge It is said that Ieconia long after his obedience to the Prophet Ieremy Jerem. 52.31 to yeeld up himselfe to the King of Babel was so honoured by God as to become of a vassall and captive a favorite and to be nourished from the Kings owne dish to have a portion of meate from him daily meditation of the Pearle Matth. 13.44 caused the Merchant to sell all and buy it How doth Paul Phil. 3. heate his heart with the Lord Jesus till hee cast out himselfe as dung Dâ—vid Psal 73. recovers himselfe out of his temptation of distrust and impatience by meditation and then breakes out Whom have I in heaven but thee Luke 2.51 Mary bred Christ in her soule by pondering the message of the Angell against her feare and doubting Nothing a greater nourisher of Selfe then unacqaintance and slothfull neglect of the promise Againe behold the practice of the Saints both in Scripture and experience both living and dying Heb. 13.7 how they have moulded their souls into the truth of God and have been content to hazard their own salvation thereupon saying if I perish I perish Let also as I toucht before the afflictions Answ 8 of God whether in our bodies or soules breake us off from our wilde olive stock and implant us into the naturall and sweet olive Say Lord it is a sweet mercy not to live to my self though it cost me deare to learne this discipline but to be at thine allowance As an idle wench chuseth to live basely and idely at her owne hand rather then under a Mistresse so would Self do if God did not over-rule the soul But when she is corrected and instructed then she smites upon her thigh and repenteth Lastly Answ 9 be not too eager in pursuit of our worldly affairs but quietly let us set our boate upon our streame of providence to crosse our selves in our carnall appetites and though God crosse us not yet deny we our selves inuring our hearts to mercy compassion to such as are in necessity bodily or spirituall Let not Papists the chiefe favorites of Selfe condemne us Protestants in this kinde farre it be it from us to foster a spirit of envy which lusteth in us after uncharitablenesse indignation morosity austerity censoriousnesse anger revenge suspitions contentions Jam. 4.4 discontents either with men or with providence and Gods administrations that please us not for these morall distempers will defile us spiritually if we be not aware of it Seeke not honour repute respect and acknowledgement from men let God alone with these Joh. 5.44 and let us not for such base scurfe yet highly set by in the world destroy the worke of God Oh! beloved consider what I have said of this weighty argument and the Lord give us understanding in all things for mine owne part I have cause to mourn that notwithstanding all I have spoken I have so small hope to prevaile with men because I goe against their edge and speake riddles to men of another metall What are we but signes and spectacles to men and divells in preaching these doctrines What serve we for save to harden their hearts For they will fulfill the doctrine and Selfe is like to quash their hopes when all is done The Lord prevent it in you for his mercies sake And so much also shall suffice for this whole use of exhortation to them that seeke conversion Now concerning the latter branch of Exhortation 2. Branch of Exhortation Gods people must practise selfe-deniall in their conversation to them who through mercy are converted already Let me urge this upon them so much the rather to deny all for Christ and his name by how much they have already obtained favour to count all as drosse in respect of pardon and reconciliation If in the former respect that of our Saviour be true how much more in the latter He that will bee my Disciple must deny all if the case so require take up his crosse and follow me And the truth is such are the times we now live in that I am in a manner forced to adde this point of use to the former For you must know the former is secret from the view of men though one day it shall be knowne to men and Angells so that we should doe men a world of wrong if we should judge them to bee other then selfe-denyers and beleevers Matth. 16. end But indeed there is another selfe-deniall a consequent upon faith and that is an outward renouncing of our selves and selling our selves out of all our profits pleasures ease and liberties for the name the truth of doctrine the profession of Christ in power That rather then we would betray these to the enemies thereof neither liberties nor lives should be deare to us Now herein what doe men Alas they shew that either they never knew what it meant to cast out Selfe to receive Christ or else they have found a narrow distinction between barke and tree to save themselves harmelesse viz. That although they deny themselves inwardly for him never so yet they have a dispensation so that outwardly they will not lose a dramme of wealth credit maintenance ease love of wife child will or appetite for his sake And at this plat the world of our professors now fall off Causes They love Christ with their hearts but they will not lose one straw for him Alas what wonder that it is so with them For why Why most men so little deny themselves for Christ To deny a mans selfe for Christ requires a better bottome then they have any The Lord Jesus never denyed himselfe to the death for the redemption of their soules never gave himselfe as a price to wrath for their pardon and peace The Apostle Rom. tells us Doubtlesse for a good man one would be content to dye Christ hath not been a good Christ to them for if he had they would deny themselves to the death for him They are upon their owne bottome still their owne ease will health pleasures life and liberties are too deare to them they love them as pretiously as a zealous Christian loves Christ therefore they will part with nothing for him If Christ were their Selfe their inner man their joy and content they would cleave to him as their
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 union with him and all his graces Faith in the promise of the ordinance will as well give thee a spirituall savour in Christ sacramentall as ever it did in thy reconciliation Both being planted upon a word of God whereto the Sacrament is an inseperable and sure seale Let carnall reason judge of a Sacrament and what will it make of it A peece of bread a cup of wine She beleeves no more then she sees What wonder A man may draw water out of a deepe well without a bucket as easily as a carnall man can gather sap or savour out of the Sacrament except Christ be his wisdome and righteousnesse Spiritualnesse in the first promise tasted by faith gives a relish to the soule in all other parts of the word And so I might speake of each part of sanctification Faith onely can get a spiritualnesse out of each promise of God to purge the soule of her corruptions To guide her in her way To answer her doubts her feares her objections To support her in her crosses and straits To season her blessings and to preserve her unblameable untill the day of her salvation A carnall man savours no more of these then a dog savours a chip for he wants that whereby such priviledges are spiritually revealed Shee harkens not to the word as the Pilot neglected Paul Act. 27. But Paul had the revealing of the safety of the ship which the Pilot wanted and therefore slighted the Pilots judgement farre more then he could doe Pauls Sixthly I exhort thee to savour spirituall things Savour spirituall things and to be able to prove thou dost so and that thou art made truly wise for spiritualnesse Quest How may I prove it Answ By these few markes First such Sermons Ordinances Ministeries as savour most of spirit and life affect and ensue such as savour of flesh and basenesse forme and carnall reason reject and detest Read and heare the word with seeking out the true scope and true savour thereof prying into it as the Cherubins into the mercy seat not resting in the barke and surface Blesse God for any wisdome to weigh and judge aright of holy things and their difference cleave to a spirituall worship of God and abhorre a carnall serving of God Heare the word with humility faith attention obedience for to the humble and trembling at his word God reveales wisdome Psal 25. Esay 28. Prepare thy selfe reverently to the sacraments with faith repentance love and hunger whatsoever savours of flesh as pride pompe ease self-ends world pampering of the body suspect it not to be from God Learne with Paul 2 Cor. 5. to accept Christ according to spirituall not carnall respects It is death to the spirit to be carnall or the flesh to be spirituall but to the spirit it is life Rom. 8. Secondly love simplicity It is a companion of spiritualnesse 2. Love simplicity get the one and the other will follow Affect not a subtill overreaching close and worldly-wise conversation It will justly cause Gods people to suspect thee Let not a double winding shifting heart and practice be found in thee either to God or man-ward Wisdome I dislike not seasoned with grace and meekenesse but carnall and politique wisdome of the world abhorre we are called Protestants Professors bee not ashamed to be according to our name let us be without welt or gard not bordering upon defence of evill or cavilling against the reproofes of the word Be not simple onely in point of Religion but also among the Religious Be not ashamed of God or of Gods faithfull ones for their meannesse Better is he that walketh in his simplicity then he that perverts his way and is a foole Condescend to meane things Rom. 12. Gods pretious ones come out of cottages yea sometime caves and dens of the earth Thirdly labour for heavenly mindednesse Phil. 3. Col. 3.2 3. Labour for heavenly mindednesse Our conversation is in heaven Let your affections be above where Christ sitteth Resurrection of the soule with Christ and an holy activenesse of spirit with fruitfulnesse is a steppe to the soules ascension with Christ and converse with God This world full of carnall occurrences of profits pleasures companies earthly courses and delights will make the most savoury Christian forget himselfe without great grace Be armed therefore against this temptation Know these things well and behold them aright they are nothing happinesse is not in them they promise but keep not touch use them therefore as if thou usedst them not as wings upward not as clogs let them be as water and grace as oyle which will swimme aloft passe through them as that fresh river is said to goe through the salt sea without taste or brackishnesse If grace bee chiefe shee will be a true moderator betweene these things and the world but if the world be chiefe shee will so bribe and bewitch thee that the best things will lose all savour and welcome in a short time 4. Preferre the words verdit Fourthly heare the word before the judgement of reason in all the promises and governments of God personall or publique Censure not God as unrighteous It came from God that Absolon should preferre the judgement of Hushi that he might overthrow both him and Achitophell Say of carnall reason as he did the judgement of it is not good in case And when Achitophell hath counselled then call for Hushi and say I dare not trust carnall reason Is there never a Prophet of the Lord Baals Priest are too pleasing to be faithfull in this case So much for spiritualnesse 5. Be wise in all thy course Lastly bee wise in thy whole course Quest How shall I try it Answ If first thou have the properties of a man truly wise As first to chuse the one thing necessary To discerne betweene things that differ To be ready for the hardest To make safe thy retreat Secondly true wisdome is planted in Gods feare Eccles last Deut. 4.6 Thirdly shunne the waies of error to discerne betweene the way of the foole and the wise Col. 1.9 Fourthly practise wisdome both in deliberation for God and in determination Psal 119.57 More fully be wise for thy soule and selfe Matth. 6.23 Redeeming the time Ephes 5.18 Project and plot savourly seasonably and wisely for God and his glory and ends Rom. 8. Savour the things of God and be wise for God are all one in the Greeke word Use all watchfulnesse against all enemies especially spirituall Marke 13.34 Meddle with our owne businesse finding still enough to doe at home 1 Thess 4.12 2 Thess 3.10 else we be inordinate and busiebodies as Peter Joh. 21.21 Be sure in all cases of doubt to cleave to things holy pure of good report Phil. 4.8 A comprehensive rule Of two morall evills chuse not the lesse but abhorre both Of two evills the one of sinne the other of sorrow chuse the latter though great rather then the former though lesse Rom.
hee will save and some whom he will not Oh! we may well conceive what wrath and rage it worketh Reason 6 Lastly we know wrath is a short madnesse now mad men put no difference betweene any If a King should come in a mad mans way he would strike him as soone as a beggar So doth Selfe defeated She puts no difference between God and men She will sometime chuse men to whet herself on sometime God himself She curseth her luck and bad fortune the weather if too wet too dry too hot or too cold her ill lot and successe her ill market her enemies any thing that comes in her way what wonder then if she spare not Gods Minister yea God himselfe She lusteth after envy as Saint Iames saith and out of an ill custome and habit growes to be as old with God as with men if hee crosse her she knowes not she is not capable of subjection So much for reasons of the point Amplification The godly themselves so farre as led by Selfe rage if disappointed Nay more that which I have said of hypocrites may be verified in measure and with limitation even of the godly so farre as they are unmortified and led by this Spirit of Selfe though not totally yet in any particular case of error and delusion so farre as they forsake the promise and goe to worke by their owne conjectures and strength as in zeale and prayers wherein a good man may rest too much upon himselfe no doubt the Divell and their corruption feasts them but too much as one said he never seemed so zealous as before God mortified his owne spirit but after he found prayer another gates worke But when the Lord separates the pretious from the vile and shewes them the vanity and wanzingnesse of their owne principle it becomes as the very sting of an adder onely the the ods is an hypocrite is fretted with such a distemper Yet with difference from hypocrites as commonly makes him no better but the regenerate is wholesomely smitten by God to cause him with shame and sorrow to abhorre hmselfe and to crouch and runne under the wings of a better friend who can give him content from a better fountaine and of a more lasting nature Object But here comes an objection to be answered How comes it to passe then there being so many unsound and hollow ones in the world never more then now as appeares by their grosse and foule revolts how is it that we see them so joviall and merry still and heare of so few discontents and troubles in their lives or deaths Answ Selfe doth not rage till defeated To which I answer That the reason thereof is because they have no defeates Selfe in her quietnesse and jollity rages not but when shee meets with affronts either by disappointments or by terrors of the Law convincing and slaying the soul The soule in this case is abased and cast down either wholesomely as by a step to humiliation or else slavishly then she shifts and goes forward in a rotten course But Self rageth neverthelesse Or else recovers her selfe againe by her own subtility Note the difference In such as God will save the discovery of this Selfe and the subtilty thereof shall humble the conscience and worke a kindly change by degrees but yet Selfe and corruption will rage and rebell being loath to give place But as for the rest both Selfe and conscience together may not rage because the Law hath not put an enmity betweene them still they hold in together as body and members incorporate in each other and not divorced This by the way But marke The Lord doth not alway blesse the word to worke a defeat of Selfe in every hypocrite or unregenerate person neither doe all such meete with such defeats Ezek. 14. Rather the Lord suffers such justly to stumble at the blocks laid in their owne way by themselves As they chose error and delusion so the Lord leaves them to Satan to be more deluded 1 King 22. and so they fall as Ahab by his false Prophets because being taught the truth soundly they have preferred their owne ease and liberties to it Selfe may want defeats being given over by God to delusion and hardning Nay more the Lord suffers many such and it is a common thing in these declining dayes to be so farre from meeting with defeats that rather they are habited in their waies erring by necessity seeing no danger They are inchanted so with this cup of Selfe that it hath cast them into a deepe sleepe and they are as one asleepe in the toppe of the mast no buffetings will startle them out of their course And it were well with some that this were all For the uncleane spirit returnes into many Matth. 12. and imbarkes himselfe in them more strongly then before defiling them with such lusts as they lye open unto specially and bringing them into such a confused perplexity some by their uncleannesse some by intemperancy some by their open prophanenesse that they never outgrow it but goe on with wasted and seered consciences to their dying day without remorse Although such as belong to God shall return even by these unwelcome batterings for the Lord saw that else their fusty savour and taste would never have gone out So much for answer to this objection This doctrine falls point blanke upon many of us brethren to shame Vse 1 us for our distempers And first Terror let it bee Terror to all such as walke with this cursed heart of wrath impatience and discontent Wrathfull and discontented persons reproved daily and Branch 1 hourely carrying it as hot coales in their bosome and yet through habit never burnt not marking it in themselves Oh wofull creature Is Naaman here so blameworthy being an heathen and defeated of his will for his rage and distemper What shall become of thee then who art in continuall wrath and vexation Not in a fit as Paul calls it Ephe. 4.29 but as it were in a falling sicknesse Truly brethren Because raging in coole bloud I wrong Naaman to make him the text of such a commentary I tremble to thinke how many present themselves here duly at the worship of God who yet in their usuall course are never quiet neither in themselves nor with others They are as I may say steept in vinegar rarely shall you finde them other then froward waspish envious bitter and distempered and yet no defeat appeares to heat their bloud as here in Naaman they are so in very coole bloud out of the surquedry of their wickednesse they are alway distempered because wicked There is no peace saith my God to the wicked More like Nabals then Naamans Esay 57. ult of whom his owne servants could say he was so wicked that no man might speake to him As the Apostle in Rom. 1. describes those heathen Romans full of all wickednesse as a toad is full of
Judg. 15. lay heapes upon heapes and die of thirst Once get into the right way and undoe somewhat first which God would have you forgoe instead of your doings and this will cause unto you incredible ease and sweetnesse in your proceeding Remember that speech Esay 30. your strength shall be to sit still Sit still and bee quiet therefore in your hypocriticall devotions and bee stirring and working with God under the condition of his promise and your labour shall not be lost in the Lord. 1 Cor. 13. ult Else you shall suffer losse not onely of a part but of the principall you shall sinke in your sweat and the most despised fatherlesse creatures with their poore emptinesse scarce daring to lift up eies to heaven standing afar off shall go away better justified then you with all your supererogations Luke 18.13 And when you are thus defeated your mends shall be in your own hands So much for this second Vse 3 Thirdly this Doctrine reproves sundry sorts And first all such as having enjoyed the liberty of Gods Ordinances all their dayes Reproofe Sundry branches 1. The chiefe season of ease is at first yet never had the wisdome to discerne that spirituall season in which the Lord makes this worke of faith easie and welcome The ease of beleeving in Gods usuall method attends a peculiar opportunity of Gods owne vouchsafing in which he doth more readily worke then at all other times Commonly when the word is first sent to a congregation as a dainty as a rare and desired pearle an object of price Againe when the spirit of the hearer is carried with violence to carry the Kingdome away whatsoever paines and charge it cost them when also the Lord sends the Angel or Minister with a more then common spirit of zeale to stir the muddy poole to the bottome and to unsettle mens hearts frozen upon their dregs I say when as the Lord inspires him with the spirit of Eliah or Iohn Baptist with speciall love to the pretious soules of men with laboriousnesse and the spirit of convincing when as the Gospel drawes all sorts unto it by the fervency of affections and examples of such as make toward it then there is ease in beleeving Not when the Gospel is waxen stale in a Towne and Manna plentifull which commonly causes loathing and fulsomenesse Not when the hearers heart is sunke and dead in his brest indifferent whether he speed or no Not when the spirits of the Ministers of God wax dull as Moses hands with long holding up Not when the Spirit of grace of power melting drawing and perswading begins to flag And as Micah saith is straitned Mica 2.6 Not when the hearts of Ministers faint in them and turne another way Not when they are driven out from their places and are faine to seeke into remote Countries Not when the affections of people wax generally dead and carelesse which end goe forward rather minding their owne world will and ends then the matters of salvation When these markes fall out the shadowes of the mountaines wax long the wild Beasts goe out of their dennes to spoile and the labourers turne their backes upon their worke because the Sunne is downe Not in these seasons not in death deepe sicknesses crosses feares losses is there like to be found this ease I speake of And therefore Oh you my brethen who heare me this day who have long lived here under the meanes above fifty yeares thinke seriously of your estate If yet the worke of beleeving the promise be undone if you have outbidden and survived all these happy seasons wherein your owne soules know you felt such dampings of corruption raisings of heart thawings inclinings and movings of spirit to embrace the offer of salvation and have fallen to the world to pleasures to ease and as Cain did being cast out of Gods presence to goe and build Cities Let my words now pierce you if any tendernesse at roote remaine in you and take heed lest if ever you finde God gracious if he have not quite cast you off for your dallying you be put to toile and travell for it lest it cost you tenne times as much trouble as you might first have had it for The Lord is hardly drawne to returne to a particular man when he hath left a publique place I tell you if you have slighted such meanes and seasons as these it must be the unspeakeable patience of God which can pull you home at last It were strange if a man who hath lost his faire or market should come many daies after and meet with those commodities which hee wants then he might have stored himselfe with ease but after with much hazard and cost You have had your season your accepted time and day of salvation Speciall application to the present people many hundreds have beleeved and set seale to the grace offered and most of them are at rest with God If you bee those unhappy ones who have received it all this while in vaine Hard for long dalliers with God to recover him again at their pleasure or leasure I doubt whether ever any new appetite will be lent you and although it were I doubt whether the doores being shut you shall speed of your desire though you should runne from Barwicke to Dover from old England into new for it or be admitted to beleeve Oh! How shall I speake to this wofull place for the padling out of her season of ease God hath brought salvation to your doores as to the children of the Kingdome pind it on your sleeves I may truly and in a good time speake it The Gospel hath alway brought you more gaine then it hath cost you Pulpits have beene as it were set up in your streets by your houses so neere is the grace of God come unto you and when others have ridden and trotted five ten fifteene miles you have had it at home for stepping in at the doores floods of butter and oile have flowed downe in your brooks and streets and thousands have beene satisfied with your leavings You have been as free borne to the Gospel What in all the world shall you pretend for your selves if you have never had I say not the best portion but any part at all of it Oh! that I could teach you after all my pressing of the promise among you how to dispute for your selves But that exceeds my skill you have had a fee-simple an inheritance of the Gospel you have beene married to the Lord under long constant unwearied plaine and powerfull meanes long ere I came among you All mens gifts have served you Note you of the congregation you have entred into other mens labours I may adde this that you have possessed fields vineyards and orchards which you never knew the price of never bought tilled or planted For my selfe although I have long lived unprofitable yet if ever God lent me any fitnesse to doe you good
upon her so the streame and course of the world doth so inchant them that it is death to them to stirre an inch Men will to conclude run and ride till they tire themselves 7. Partiality to conferre with such as they thinke of their owne judgement such as will smooth and sow pillowes under their elbowes But if they might converse with others at the next doore who are of another judgement they shun them purposely And so to conclude wee all looke to buy by the largest Bushell from God but when we come to sell wee get the most scanty one that we can come by 8. Basenesse Looke among Papists and tell me what cost what extremities will they not endure rather then their Catholicke cause should goe down But among us where is there one of a thousand that cares for the cause of God the sinceriâ—y of truth or such as professe or suffer for it Oh! most unthankfull people Hath God taken all this paines to make his will familiar unto us to reveale himselfe to us in his narrowest truths to make his yoke sweet and his burden light and goe wee about to cast it off more desperately now then when our light was small Doe we thus requite the Lord like an unthankfull Nation Wee who should have been the closest and narrowest toward God and walked most uprightly and closely Deut. 32.13 doe wee kicke up the heele and plucke backe the shoulder Doe wee revolt and play the fugitives with Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 from the Banner and Colours of our Lord and Master Oh! that this day our sinnes might come to our remembrance The Lord shame us for it Brethren especially such of us as have buried our care and closenesse under a clod of carnall wisedome earthly affections feare of men love of our selves custome of the time examples of our betters The Lord I say gaster us off these Idols and teach us to leave off our correspondencies with hypocrites and to bee transformed in the spirits of our minds that we may approve what is that good acceptable and pretious will of his not onely in judgement but in power and life of obedience And so much for this Use Now I hasten to the last Vse 7 And that is Exhortation standing of sundry branches The first whereof is Exhortation Branches of â—t three 1. Mourne for them who have forsaken their closenessâ— of obedience That we mourne unfeignedly for the desperatenesse of others in this kinde Oh! If we be as ready to forgoe our Jewell and Câ—owne of close walking as this world is willing to robbe us thereof we are not like long to hold it Oh then if the world be so resolute to hold her own how should we learne to hold our owne by their example What a shame is it that the children of this world should in their generation be wiser then the children of light Should we then dare to prostitute our consciences to such If wee might have all the glory of this world for our worshipping this Idoll should we not abhor it Is it now a season to flye to stagger to betray Gods Commands No rather let us cleave the closer by their warping and as a chaste Matrone beholding a debauched strumpet closes more with sobernes then ever so let us doe with the obedience of Commands when we come before God in our most speciall devotions and praâ—ers let us not with those hypocrites feel a pleasure of our owne tickling us Esay 58. let not us seem to disavow the declining loosenesse hollownesse of others and in the meane time keepe false weights and measures within our selves let not us have a traitors heart to keepe our breadths in Gods narrow but come to the oath and covenant to come under the authority of God loathing all our slightnesse ease basenesse bondage bringing him so much the more close obedience by how much we seeme to detest the contrary And having so done learne we with David to prise the purity of Truths never the worse because others embase them when he had in the former part of the Psalme mourned for the manners of others he addes Psal 12.6 Gods word is as silver purged by fire from the drosse So should we be so farre from quailing of judgement or weakning in affection towards the commands of God because others vilifie them that rather that should provoke us to adore and admire the purity of them And not onely so but to cry out with him Helpe Lord for the godly men decay and hypocrites encrease Verse 1. Arise therefore quite thy cause deliver thy people set them at liberty that sticke to thy Name and bring forth their light out of darkenesse Psal 37.6 as the morning and their righteousnesse as the noone day Send forth O Lord raine downe grace and goodnesse and let it beare downe this streame of carnall liberty as the sea beares downe a brooke Bring thy Commands againe into honour and make all such as teach dispensations against them as odious as Monkes and Friars This is the first Another branch is 2. Branch Much more for our owne loosenesse in that kinde That all Gods people doe mourne and humble themselves for their owne playing fast and loose with Gods Commands What godly heart is there in the world that could not beteam God whole dayes nights in this lamentation Who should so poorly know his owne spirit in this kinde if he attend it at all but this work should be pretious Either to rid his soule of her base slightnesse or to fasten upon it the cords and chaines of God with more closenesse and delight Say thus to the Lord Oh I feel no power no girding of loines A forme of such a mournfull complaint no awe nor feare to lye upon my soule by thy commands I sit loose to prayer to watching to hearing to meditation I feele this day slipt from me without redeeming it to the best use in all my solitarinesse company liberties duties I have been as one in a dead sleep no vertue hath gone out of me this day either of living by faith in the promises or of compassion to the distressed of love to the Saints mourning for the afflictions of Ioseph I have met with objects of the world of impatience of uncharitablenesse and yet no chaines of thine have been upon my spirit but I have walked as one at his owne tearms Surely the cords of Gods Law have not bound my lusts as a sacrifice to his altar nor the loadstone of his love hath not sweetly drawne my soule to obey him with delight but I have beene mine owne man in all these My will hath not beene subject and as it were bound up in thine Matth. 8. I have not beene my selfe under thy authority as that Centurion was I looke that my will should bee done by all that are under me yea I looke that they should walke in all wel-pleasing toward a
Esa 26.2 Salvation will God appoint for wals and bulwarkes Esay 26.1 2 3. What is that The Church under the Gospel should fasten upon the promise for salvation and this should fence out all her troubles and former enemies as a Wall or a Bulwarke keepes out any affronts and vers 3. Thou wilt keepe him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee As the needle of the Diall set just on the North point settles and shakes not and as the Anchor holds in the Ship from floating up and downe so the promise fastned upon stablisheth the soule from her former wanzings and unsetlednesse And the reason is more fully set downe in vers 4. Trust yee in the Lord for ever for the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength that is he is reall in all his promises and gives a being to them as being strong enough to doe it Hence it is Esa 55.4 That the Lord Jesus in the offer or promise is called a Witnesse Behold I have given him for a Witnesse to the people And in Revel 1. That faithfull and true Witnesse Why because he is Yea and Amen all the promises of God in him become so Now as a Witnesse in the Court who is sworne and without exception decides the Controversie betweene two at oddes so the promise beleeved quits the soule and puts an end to strife So in the Hebrews the promise beleeved is compared to a City of refuge which rescued the poore man-slayer whose heart was full of feare and distresse because of the pursuer but there he was free even so the oath and promise of God received into the soule determines all doubts betweene the Lord and her It is said of Hanna that ere Eli had resolved her from God of a sonne shee was full of trouble in spirit But when once hee had satisfied her lo then shee was cheerefull and look'd no more heavily even so is it with the promise fastning upon the soule it causes the waves and stormes of an unquiet heart to turne to a calme Hezekiah was mightily troubled upon the message of death but no sooner came Esay backe againe with the newes of his recovery and the signe of the Suns going back but Hezekiah's moane was turned to a song So is it here For is there not more in a promise of Christ and preach'd to the soule in his name then in all the promises of speciall deliverances which were more darkly derived from him Yes verily Hence it is that the Prophets never describe the power of Christ in his word but they runne very much upon the description also of this effect of chasing away of all spirituall distempers Upon all the glory shall be a defence and there shall be no more weeping nor mourning upon his mountaine In stead of the Bramble Esay 55. ult shall be the Myrtle and in stead of the Thorne shall come the Firre What 's that all shall bee new the face of things shall be changed Teares shall be wiped from all eyes with many such phrases as come not to mind each chapter is full of them So Job 22.29 When men are cast downe then thou shalt say There is a lifting up and hee shall save the humble man Lo consternation and terrors cease by beleeving So Psal 32.6 For this cause shall every good man pray in a time of finding The flouds of great waters shall not come neare him And examples are as evident as other Scriptures How was Cornelius by Peter the Eunuch by Philip the Jaylor by Paul and Silas freed from their doubts and demurres and set at liberty Reasons are many and weighty First this appeares by proportion Reas 1 if we compare the priviledges of Beleevers together we shall find that there be as many as concerne them in point of freedome from their inward distempers as outward enemies But the beleever is really set free from enemies Devill curse law wrath of God an evill world the gates of hell else whence come those triumphs O death where is thy sting O hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law incensing sinne But thankes be to God c. Now if redemption deliver us from enemies so that they shall not hurt us from all crosses straits tribulations so that they shall not separate us from the love of God shall not then Justification free us from inward horrours feares guilt doubt of conscience rebellion of sinne cavils prejudice and distempers Shall not reconciliation ridde us of our enemy and that shame and confusion which sinne brought upon us Yea much more for both come from faith Secondly the contrariety of estates proves it before and after Reas 2 faith The condition of the wicked is That they can have no peace there is none to them Esay 57. ult because as the winter aire is never temperate by reason of those moist and cold vapors which annoy the aire with winds tempests frost and snow and the like so the coast of their spirits can never be cleare because of the guilt of their consciences they may now and then please themselves with a little truce but still warre returneth the dint of their feares is not broken So on the contrary There is no warre to the soule that beleeves As the aire perfectly clensed in the summer is setled and affords a continuall calme so doth the conscience of a beleever Now and then may be over-castings of clouds but the dint of guilt and wrath is gone Thirdly else we should ascribe more to particular promises Reas 3 and the effect thereof which are weaker then to the maine promise which is the Reuben the first borne of God and the sonne of his strength But we see what particular promises have done to them who have beene under sad distempers by affliction Of Hanna and Hezekiah I have spoken before Adde another The Lord promised the Israelites that upon the sprinkling of their door-posts with the bloud of the Passeover Exod. 12. the Angel of the Lord shall passe over their houses and smite none of them Did they find any distempers possesse them when there was out-cry throughout all Egyt in every family No surely they slept sweetly in their beds Did they doubt of the victory against Ai when as they had received a promise of victory or were they afraid as at first when thirty of them were slaine No. When the promise was made of the fall of the wals of Jericho by the sounding of Rams hornes and compassing the City seven times did the people stagger at it were they not resolved And shall not the maine promise of God remove distempers within as well as afflictions without yes and much more Reas 4 Fourthly the contrariety of corrupt infidelity and the power of the promise doth evince it The strength of infidelity stands in bearing downe the word Whatsoever distemper of heart can be mentioned either selfe carnall reason rebellion
or the like comes from the not suffering the word to enter but holding it out at staves end Now then must not the word of promise beleeved become as contrary to her Why did Micaiah so scare Ahab Because he never spake well to him So why doth the grace of faith so scatter these distempers Because she speakes all against them overthrowes and resists them Contraries have mutually the same respect in their consequencies The distemper of an unbeleeving spirit alway beares downe the word till the word as the stronger man armed with the power of Christ doe foile her and strip her of all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall able to cast downe strong holds of corruption Sinnes weapons are carnall Gods are spirituall Therefore there is no proportion in the contrariety God will divide the spoyles that is cease the distempers The reason appeares from that speech of Jonah Ionah 2.8 They that embrace lying vanities forsake their owne mercy But I will looke toward thy holy Temple and promise and thereby abandon them Each destroy the other Reas 5 Fifthly the promise drownes all former distempers because it performes that really which selfe and corruption beare the soule falsly and erroneously in hand withall These afford the soule a rotten peace a deceitfull content vanishing and ending in sorrow See Esay 50.11 But the word doth it really and surely no more to be infringed No more hungring or thirsting if once satisfied with this bread and water of life The text imports it Naamans servants here tell Naaman That which all thine owne discontents and humours could never minister unto thee that the obeying of the message will really afford thee See Act. 13.38 That from which you could not be justified from by the law of Moses by this Man every beleever is justified All at once set free from outward enemies and inward distempers Reas 6 Sixthly the experience of the Saints proves this who till they have cast anchor upon the word and settled upon this center could never find rest in all the circumference as I may call it of your owne best selfe your goodnesse affections gifts or duties Bellarmine himselfe confessing that in respect of the uncertainty of our good workes or else the perill of vaine-glory issuing from thence it is most safe for us to rely upon the sole and meere mercy of God the bare word of truth and promise How much more then shall Gods people say If it had not beene for thy word I had perished in my affliction This is to a poore soule as the chaire of Saint Peter is to a deluded votary the determining voyce All eternall immutable things comprehend and devoure the fading and changeable but cannot be comprehended by them nor resisted by their opposition Lastly the maine and chiefe reason of all is because the word Reas 7 and promise of God is not the bare letter of words or syllables Many branches but furnish'd with all the power and authority of God so that who so clings and cleaves to it is out of his owne keepe and under the Lords There is as our Saviour speakes spirit and life 105. in all which he speakes This may appeare to us in these foure specials First in the wisdome thereof This way of God crosseth all Branch 1 other wayes and hedges the soule out from all sound comfort by them only fastning it upon this 1 Cor. 1. As Paul cals the Gospel in this respect the wisdome of God casting downe all those devices of mans wit wil works or wayes by which flesh would set up a peace and ease of all distempers to her selfe There is no doubt but the errantest hypocrite living would gladly if he could by his smoothing with his owne false heart come to a kind of setling that he might no more be troubled But it is as the sowing of a new peece to an old garment and the rent becomes the worse Even as a short narrow Map of a Shire makes every petty cottingers lands to vanish and causes him to account himselfe a starke begger lord of a Mole-hill not worth the owning So doth this way of God force him who thought himselfe no meane man in his Religion and hopes to seeme a starke foole in his owne eyes For why hath the Lord revealed the way to life by the reall death and resurrection of his onely Sonne glory being made shame and holinesse sinne and eternity death to satisfie justice and shall I play the Mountebank and thinke to satisfie by mine owne trickes and devices Oh foole oh beast Secondly in the righteousnesse of God As the Sunne is able Branch 2 by his heat to licke up all the dew of the earth and scatter all the mists of the aire and the Sea is able to swallow up and devoure whatsoever is cast into it never to appeare more Even so the merit of Righteousnesse and Sanctification by our Lord Jesus compared oft to both these in Scripture is able to licke up and dispell all the most desperate feares doubts and distempers of the soule So Paul speakes Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes Rom. 3.25 What righteousnesse Surely the equalnesse of pardoning them who are of the faith of Jesus because he hath received a full ransome else saith he if he should not justifie such an one he should not be just So full a content hath Christ given his Father for sinne that if the Father should not acknowledge it sufficient he should doe Christ wrong and if he should not impute it to a poore soule that beleeves he should doe the poore soule wrong nay having freely yeelded his Sonne and received the price for that very end he should doe himselfe infinite wrong by unfaithfulnesse But there is no such feare The Judge of the world will not do unrighteously he will not condemne the righteous and the unbeleever alike For he hath accepted his Sons death as a ful discharge If we should receive a summe of money for the use of an Orphan and when the Orphan comes of age should detain it should he be righteous Mercy then is of free gift and faith is a free gift But justification of a poore soule for Christs merit is an act of righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Be reconciled to God Why Because he hath made him sinne who knew none that we might be Gods righteousnesse Branch 3 Thirdly all other properties of the promiser are included in the promise as the truth faithfulnesse mercy love greater then that of the creation and all the rest scattered in the booke of God his eternity and unchangeablenesse and the like are all in the Word See 1 Tim. 1.15 Psal 25.10 1 Pet. 1.25 with sundry others So that the soules doubts and distempers may easily be cast upon such promises for so the Apostle cals them 1 Cor. 7.1 as are built upon such foundations Branch 4 Fourâ—hly
a mercifull and skilfull Physitian Tell me now what man or woman is there living who having such a cure of such a Physitian would or could or hath the heart to turne away from him like a blocke insensible and â—naffected wâ—th such a favour There is no such man breathing I thinke But this is common if any get such a rare cure all is too little to make recompense though he should sell himselfe to his shirt he hath no power to do other he thinkes the same evill would take him then If he see that no reward will fasten upon the Physitian but he will needs bestow it freely the more his purse is discharged the closer his heart is knit his affections are up in armes his tongue is loosed Oh! what love is this what moved his heart thus to me what a man of men is he what admiration have I him in O how I love him what is there which I would not do for him run ride spend for him suffer for him expose my selfe to any hazard maintaine his quarrell by any weapon O how he commends him in all companies and blazeth his name farre and wide till he have raised up as great fame abroad as reputation at home Aske him why he doth so he will answer That I am I am under God by him I was a dead man worse I could not be he hath restored mee to health and I am better I thinke then ever I was and therefore I must alway count him my preserver I remember in the Roman story I have read of a certaine spectacle upon the Circk or Theatre of Rome where among other sports condemned persons were to fight for their lives with wild beasts it fell out so that a man before time passing through the wildernesse met with a lyon And looking for no other then death fell downe for feare An illustration of the point But the poore Lion approached to him with much moane and held out his foote to the man which foot of his by reason of a thorn or some such like thing sticking deep therein had so rankled and swell'd that it was like to hazard the lyons life The man with all his Art and skill fell to his Surgery and so wrought that he pull'd out the thorne out of the Lyons foote by the rootes The poore beast feeling her aile and danger gone fawnes upon the poore man and makes all the love that a dumbe creature could possibly to him leads him out of the forrest and there leaves him and sets him at liberty It was the lot of this lyon after to be taken and to be sent to Rome for a present and it was the worse lot of the man to commit a great Robbery and being condemned to the Theatre to fight what lyon must be brought forth to fight with this man but this lyon The man all amort and despairing of life this preserved lyon knowes his Surgeon comes to him fawnes upon him again and by no meanes could be pull'd from the mans side and embraces but to bring the man to mind of the cause he puts forth his foot heal'd of the thorne The people defeated of their expectation turn'd their sporting humour into admiration asking the caytiffe the reason of so marvellous an accident The man publiquely opens the history as it were wrought whereupon cruelty being turn'd into astonishment pity they decreed a statue to be set up in the Market place for eternall memory of the fact of a Lyon embracing a man over the Lyons head with this title Behold a Lyon the saviour of a man over the mans head Behold a man the Physitian of a Lyon I have beene too long but the workes of God are not to be neglected I would but shew you the spirit of a cure even in a dumbe creature what then is it in a reasonable But what comparison is there betweene either and the spirit of cure in the spirituall soule and conscience converted Oh! no tongue can utter it onely we may admire it Proofes of the Doctrine 1 In examples Examples in our Saviours story we have many of the spirit of bodily cures How many did our Saviour cure of whom it is said he was faine to charme them from telling it abroad yet they could not but so much the more blazed it to make him famous Others were no sooner healed but arose and ministred unto him others could not so part with him but followed him But one of all others will best serve our turne and that is the blind man Joh. 9. Ioh. 9. who though he had but poore seede sowne in him of any faith as appeares after yet from this spirit of the cure of his blindnesse did strange things magnifyed Christ call'd him a Prophet wondred that those who had their eyes should not know him when the enemies of Christ like hornets came about his eares to deface the miracle and the doer of it yet strong was the spirit of this cure in the man that he could not endure their malice though he knew their spite and rage and the danger of it as well as his parents yet he would not spare them an inch What saith hee 12 13 14 15 16. verses Will ye be his Disciples That were fitter for you then to smother such a miracle From the beginning of the world to this day was it never heard of that any opened the eies of the blind Oh! how it affected him Surely it might have become one of his strongest Apostles thus to have defended him But the spirit of a cure and the love of such is stronger then death at least then Excommunication And when the Lord Jesus met him he added the spirit of a better cure and of conversion These hints I have given you for familiar explication of the nature of that I speake of But to leave these let mee come to the Doctrine it selfe to ground it out of the Word to give you a few Reasons and so come we to Use 2. Grounds of the Scripture Ier. 2.2 3 4. For the first of these read Jerem. 2.2 I remember thee and the kindnesse of thy youth and of thine espousals when thou wentest after mee in the wildernesse c. He speakes of that first marriage love which passed betweene himselfe and his people who tooke it kindly that God had brought them out of Egypt bondage and the red Sea and made a song of his mercies and were found of him so many at least as knew him aright Noting that this first love is as precious to God as early fruits of the spring apples peares plums pease or the like are to the taste of man as being the most pure and dainty of all Zach. 12.10 And that which Zachary in Ch. 12.10 calls the spirit of grace compassions and mourning is sutable hereto by which the grace of God uttered it selfe in those who were converted as we see it fulfilled in the Church Act. 2. who
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