I would not have them to look to their own and let Gods House lye waste What as the Tribes said concerning their Brother Benjamin I say with sorrow for these separating Brethren O Lord how comes it to passe that one Tribe this day is wanting in Israel How comes it to passe that one Tribe one Family one Person is this day wanting in thy Temple It was David's joy and let it be ours to go up to the Temple of the Lord but admit we come to the Sanctuary Satan hath yet more baits to catch simple souls into his drag-net Abraham he prepares to sacrifice but Fowles lights upon it we prepare to sacrifice but Satan hath Fowles ready to fall upon it when the heart is unprepared when the affections are indisposed suspect a Fowl upon the sacrifice God commands Nehemiah to build up the wall that there may be no breaches but Satan wants not a Sanballet to send an errand to obstruct the work Come let us meet together let the work alone Nehem. 6.3 Nehemiah knew it to be a temptation replyes like a Prophet I am doing of a great work I cannot come down why shall I leave the work and let it cease whilst I come down to you It is the observation of an ancient Writer that Satan doth especially busie himself at these times In principio bonae actionis ne sit Hugo Car. In medio ut obsit In fine bonae actionis ne prosit That this is Divinity Christ his temptations will attest it and I think our own experience will confirm it What Saint Paul sayes of Afflictions Christ and Christians may say of Temptations me manent They wait for me Christ though formerly in the world is but entered into the work of our Redemption publickly appearing to the world for our welfares newly baptized into obedience and acting what God had sent him for David had a security in the sheep-coats though his flocks yet himself was not assaulted but when he was sent by his father to visit his brethren he meets with the insolencies of a great Goliah he is in the publick Court entertains the Challenge hearing the promise made That whosoever killeth the Philistine the King will enrich him will give him his Daughter and make his Fathers house free in Israel 1 Sam. 17.25 He is now not only tempted but his weakness is contemned a youth a stripling our better David in his privacy and retirement we find not to be tempted but now that he is sent out to gather his lost bâ—ethren now that he appears openly and hath received an assurance that he that overcomes the spiritual Goliah the King will enrich him giving him his Daughter the Church making his Kindred free which noteth our freedome through Christ our Conquerour â—he is unprovidedly assaulted by a strong Phiâ—â—stine and in the beginning of his work when want is upon him is tempted by him whose weapons threaten ruine and promise victory to the owner Thus came the Tempter c. Secondly Though he be disappointed in the first design he mâ—y withdraw but he will not wholly desist the enterprise he leaves him for a season Luke 4.13 he set upon him without meat and he will endeavour to find him without ministration to come upon him when the Angel is gone from him and this ut obsit Christs life was said and truly to be continuata passio as well it may be templatio for in the midst of this work his Disciple Peter sâ—â—oâ—â—eth of Satan and would withdraw his Master from his business had the Son of God gone ten degrees backward he had spo led all had he stood still Non progredi est regredi he had hindered the work of our restoration but he rejoyced to run his course and therefore speaks a defiance to all delay rebukes Peter Get thee behind me Satan Thirdâ—â— To câ—â—th him in his words was the Pharisees design and at last to catch him in their hands in the end of his work Ne prosit At his end how strongly is he tempted betrayed by his Disciple apprehended by the multitude forsaken by his followers arraigned accused exclaimed against mocked struck blindfolded and derided in the Tempters language If thou be the Christ prophesie who is this that smote thee either must he chuse to submit to their temptation or it must passe pro confessâ— he was not the chosen of God Miracles he did in the time of his trouble his enemies fall backward and yet can these blinded Jews go forward to condemn him he heals Malchus his eat and yet they kill their Physitian Nay his temptation is yet stronger one of the Malefactors in the same condemnation with him raileth on him with an If the language of the Tempter If thou be Christ save thy self and us O blessed Jesu if thou at the instance of thy Tempters hadst saved thy self from temporal how hadst thou saved us from eternal death We must not forget his Agony where those grumae sanguinis that bloody sweat that exceeding fear that parching thirst but that bitter cup that sense of his Fathers desertion was upon him which made him with his precious blood to pour out cryes and prayers and all this doth not express a tythe of his temptations whilst this work was a finishing Thus in the beginning progress and perfecting the work of our reconcilement the Tempter came unto him If Satan be thus busie at our holy works we must likewise expect him on Gods holy Day set apart for performance of holy duties The last Lords day afforded us a sad example whilst we were tendering of an Evening-sacrifice our sacrifice was mingled with blood The Word of God read and the work of Satan under the same roof our eyes and ears were witnesses and when the occasion of this dismal act was required what return could we expect Was it blood that might have required blood Was it the murdering of another which provoked â—â—m to his own murder No but it was a due denyed to God the breach of his Sabbath turning his Grace into lewdness the day of prayer and devotion into playing and drunkenness this he did against God on his day and this doth the Devil against him on the Lords day this was the day when he should have drawn near to God but withdrawing himself from God Satan draws near to him into him and he that could not keep a Sabbath cannot have a rest but must attempt to be his own mâ—rderer This example should serve to imprint the first line of this Commandement in all our hearts Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day And in the performance of the duties relating to the Sabbath let not thy services be cold coldness and luke warmness are not relishing be zealous is Gods expectance yet let thy â—eal have knowledge otherwise it will but be madness and let thy knowledge have zeal otherwise it will be deadness let thy service be entire God loves not a half service
temptation behind him and having the fear of God before his eyes he fasted but answers for that sin in fasting which was committed by eating This Tempter like a cunning Broaker will not that his Customer shall want any Commodity his store-house must furnish at the leâ—st promise him what he most desireth he wants not his Factors and active Agents to drive on his design and bring the deceâ—â—ful heart within his books if thou art low he hath a way to promise riches and wants not a Ballade to promote thee unto â—â—noâ—r if poor he will tender thee a supply and though he can challenge nothing but torments as his due yet Omnia haâ— dubitibi is as ready with him to offer as with our depraved natures to accept God tells thee Thou shalt have no other Gods if thou beest weary of thy subjection unto him Satan hâ—â— a Serpent can â—â—ll thee how to be exempted from thy obedience instead of thy submission to his Commands Eritis sicâ—t dâ—i you shall be as gods Gâ—d sayes Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image but the Tempter tells thee of a greater liberty If God from abâ—ve do not condescend to thy desires attend thy expectations if Moses stâ—y but in the Mount Satan hath his season in the Valley Vp let us make our selves Gods which shall go before us we know not what is become of Moses Exod. 32. let us make gâ—ds will go with us Thus Satan frames gods according to their minds and their minds according to their gods God sayes Exod. 5.2 Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord thy God in vain but Satan can afford thee a release of this severity the Tempter wanteth not his Pharaohs Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and what is his Name that I should reverence it He wants not his Rabâ—hakeh to belch out ugly language What is the Lord Isai 36.4 or what is this confidence wheâ—â—in thou trustest This Tempter will suggest unto thee to take his Name in thy mouth so do those servants who draw near to God with their lips but their hearts are far from him and Satan hath other servants who have his Name toâ—â—â—ten in their mouths because it is to make up their vanity his Name is used not to call upon him for a blessing but is used in cursing such Oaths as the horridness thereof commands me to rebuke though modesty forbids me to mention madness of men nay monsters rather Was it Thomas his weakness that he must have his fingers in his Wounds and must it be the sinful wickedness of these wretches that they must have his Wounds in their mouths let them beware that Fountain which was opened for uncleanness may that upon their filthiness God sayes Swear not at all let your communication be yea yea and nay nay that is make not an use of Oathes in your discourse mingle not your conference with them swear not unless where and when controversies are to be decided and right to be evidenced and vindicated by your solemn Oaths but Satan will not have his gallants to be thus tongue-tyed their Tongues are their own who shall controul them yea and nay are syllables which serve not their turns such morsel of words will not fit their mouths tearing of his Heart renewing of his Wounds piercing of his Soul pâ—ophâ—â—ing of his Majesty engaging of confusion calling dawn damanâ—â—â—n and it Gods Justice were ready to answer our desires and deserts confirming it are only such terms as do them service their curses must be like their clothes Alamode and east in the latest mold this temptation hath been too taking under which the Land mourneth every parish nay this place where I forbear to personate any but should I forbear to rebuke all the stones would speak doth grievously lye under this temptation the Lord reform them and cast out these Devils of drunkenness and swearing by fasting and by prayer for Hoc genus Damomi c. these kind of Devils is not otherwise to be ejected God commands thee to remember the Sabbath in keeping it holy but the Tempter will release thee from the severity of this Precept some he tempts them to so much superstition that they will not do good nor have good done on that day if Christ cure on that day the people murmure and that which is the perfection of the Gospel must be accounted the breach of the Law It is not lawfull to beal on the Sabbath-day nay such superstitious observers may be very well observed to be derived from the family of Salomon that Anglo Judamy who falling into a ditch on the Sabbath refused to 〈◊〉 taken out Sabbata nostra colo de â—â—er â—re surgere nolo which occasioned the Christian that came by on the Sunday to answer him in his own kind Sabbata nostra quidem Salâ—â—on celibrabis ibidem Thus some will not heal others nâ—â— be healed on the Sabbath so let the superstitious perish In our times we are more under the temptation of prophaness then superstitious observation God commands holy Duties and commends them Satan inâ—inuates what doth it avail to walk mournfully all the day long and what profit have ye that ye have served the Lord thus 〈◊〉 the Tempter God requires that yoâ— shall account his Sabbath a delight Satan tempts you to repuâ—e it a burden God requires that in it you will call for a blessing on your weeks-work Satan he tempts you to account this work a weâ—riness this service a hinderance When will the Sabbath be gone that we may set fâ—rth â—heat God would have you to observe it as a rest from your laâ—our from your sin Satan he tells you it is a ceasing from you lucre and in it tempts you to sin This is noâ— all God would have you to his Church the Devil would keep you in his Chappel because it is a day of rest from the labour of the body he must have it a rest from the service of the soul Thou shalt keep my Sabbaths and reverence my Sanctuary A holy time the Sabbath Levit. 26.2 and a holy place the Sanctuary and holy duties reverence to be used Satan tempts thee against the time Every day is a Sabbath but never a day is kept holy against the place he wants not Factors of Jeroboam's family It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem to the publick place of worship behold nearer gods 1 King 12.28 and he set the one in Dan and the other in Bethel Why should we go to Gods place let God come to our place What Corah said of the persons Satan sayes of the places You take too much upon you seeing all the places are holy I speak not against private duties prayer in families but I would not have Martha to justle out Mary many cumbers and troubles and inventions to take place of the one thing which David desired of that better part which Mary chose
evil report to our father then though a youngling he wears the only livery of our fathers favour as if we were not his children or it so that we were cast off next the lad makes bad use of that favour it makes him insolent the dearness of our father doth distract him pride swells him and makes him burst out into disdainful and undutiful language He dreams and not only so but sayes it waking that be shall have dominion over us A son to rule over his father where is nature where is grace is this the requital hath Jacob bestowed a coat upon Joseph to go naked himself a brother and a younger brother to rule over us his elder brethren where is nature where 's affection Though he come to see us it is but to be ray us though he hath taken this journy it is but to return our evil report Come therefore and let us kill him and let his blood be charged in the salvage beasts wilâ—e creatures bruits and without understanding though Satan hath informed you his subâ—ilty hath tempted you yet Joseph doth live Joseph must reign over you your eyes shall see it and your hearts shall enforce your tongues to confess your bloody act your guilt Gen. 4. and his innocency Thus did the â—empter move the Jews to kill our better Joseph but in despight of his and their malice it is our joy Joseph Jesus is yet alive and triumphs But though this was of old and the Tempter might prevesrie in those times yet can it be that any such temptation should take place in our century whose eyes do not drop a tear nay whose hearts do not bleed to hear our Rachels weeping for their children and cannot be comforted because they are not War hath of late been as a pastime we have lately lived as if Abner and Joab had been among us Come let the young men play before us 2 Sam. 2.14.16 Each caught his fellow by the head thrust him thorow with his sword they fell together this Tragick play deserves a memory and the field is called Helkath hazzurim The field of strong men surely the strength of our transgression hath slain the strength of our Nation Quis legit haec who reads these red lines running so lately and drawn amongst us and receives temptations to bloudshed This crafty Serpent can yet skin over these wounds and mitigate the sting of these complaints the commonnesse and seeming advantages the present satisfactions are not the least and meanest of the baits Abimilech forgets the murder of his brethren for a Kingdome he hath so much thought of what he would have that he forgets what he doth to obtain it the end makes him forget the act O Abimelech thou layest the sixty nine brethrens blood upon a stone to gain a Crown which though upon thy head is not armour enough against one stone by a weak Woman but from the powerful hand of Heaven Rebellious Absalon thou forgettest thy duty towards David envies him as King for a Crown forgoes thy Father suffers thy self to be tempted and tempts others to the excess of sinfulness goes up to thy Fathers Concubines makes thy self odious in the sight of Heaven and Earth all this for a Crown whilst that giddy head shall only live for thy shame and punishment and lives to learn thee that a Tree is fitter then a Crown for thy treachery Sull n Ahab can the sight and the unwarranted desire of thy Neighbours Vineyard make thee forget his murder Who hath tempted thee Is not thy subjects blood â—earer then his field Is not the welfare of his person more to thee then his possession Hast thou not learned to know that a good Kings heart cannot but bleed in the losse and slaughter of a subject He cannot but bleed with them that bleed suffer with them that sâ—â—â—er Thou and the Tempters Minion shall know that you shall not be priviledged from your shares in this destruction Let us come further Blind-folded Jews who hath tempted and bewitched you to kill the Lord of life Can you forget his Miracles the blind see the deaf hear the dumb speak the Lepers are cleansed the dead are raised and will not yet your souls be subject to his Scepter what profit can you propose to your selves and your posterities by his death what evil do you find in him for which of his works of wonder do you kill him Satan hath seared their consciences Let us kill him not one check but an encouragement the inheritance will be ours Deluded Herod how hath the Devil tempted thee to the murder 〈◊〉 a Man who endeavoured thy salvation Art thou become his enemy because he hath told the truth must he be exposed to the sword because he hath opened his mouth against thy sin shall the Devil first tempt thee to act filthiness with thy brothers wife then draw a rash and unadvised oath from thee to grant whatsoever the Strumper requires and must thou now to make good thy bad oath murder a good man Matth. 14.9 can the Tempter make thee mindful of thy oath and forgetful of thy murther Much better hadst thou broâ—k thy promise then have slain thy Prophet must thy birth needs be his dying day is this the glory thou givest to Christ for being born to murder him who was the fore-runner of Christ born Consider how the Tempter deals with them with you where there is murder he pretends Justice where there is murder he pleads advantage Here for the killing John he pleads the necessity of performing his promise he is prompted to it for the companies sake where he ought to have forborn it for conscience sake Yet a little further the Devil doth skin ever this wound let us launce it to the bottome God sayes Thou shalt not kill Satan sayes for in plain truth it is he it is against thy honour to passe by an injury unrevenged Grant that thou worst injured shall God forgive sins and thou not forgive errors What a thing is this bâ—â—ble oâ— honour that cannot be maintained but by dishonouring God defacing his Image wounding thy soul and without Gods great mercy destroying and damning boâ—y and soul But all this is against killing of another does he then passe by or priviledge the killing of thy self â—very temptation thou entertainest is a wound Peceata sunt tâ—tidem vulnera sins are so many wounds to Christ to thy soul makes him bleed afresh kills thy soul without found repentance â—very man in acting wickedness layes violent hands upon himself like Baal's Priests cuts launces and wounds himself Think not then he that is angry if thy hand be lifted up against others will not be offended if thou liftest thy hand against thy self It was a bad sign Achitophel had not ordered his house aright when he hanged himself We must have care to dispose domum intertorum and domum exteriorum thy inward and outward stare Achitophel might distribute his goods I doubt he did