good part and delighteth in them yet will he take nothing in good part that thou doest What have I to doe saith the Lord Esa. 1.11 with the multitude of your sacrifices As if he had said What care I for them And ver 12. Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts As if he should say What doe you heere Any other place were fitter for you then this Certainely in doing any service to God thou doest but a thankelesse office thou doest but lose thy labour while thou art unconverted Thirdly and lastly Though the Lord will reward and doe good to his children for the poorest and weakest service they doe unto him yet doth he even abhorre such as thou art and the very service that thou dost presume to doe unto him As a Prince would doe him that having a plague sore running upon him should presume to come into his presence and wait at his table The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord saith Solomon Pro. 15.8 Incense is an abomination unto me saith the Lord Esa. 1.13 the new Mosnes and Sabbaths and calling of assemblies I cannot away with You see how small cause wicked men have to presume of Gods mercy or of any good thing they know by themselves O that God would be pleased to awaken them that they could see and consider aright of their wofull estate and labour to get out of it If any man shall object and say Would you not then have wicked men to come to Church Would you not have them to pray and read the Word Would you have no man to doe any good worke but such as are godly I answer Yes verily For first Though in doing this they doe not God any service that will please him yet is there a necessity laid upon them and wo be to them if they do it not These are duties of the morall law that all men stand bound unto The wickedest man in the world is strictly bound by the commandement of God to pray God blameth most wicked men for neglect of this Hos. 7.7 None among them calleth unto me and ver 14. They have not cryed unto me with their heart Yea he condemneth the very Atheist Psal. 14.4 for this because he doth not pray And will poure his wrath upon every family Ier. 10.25 and consequently upon every person that doth not call upon his name So is the wickedest man living bound to heare the Word For hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the law saith Solomon Pro. 28.9 his prayer shall be abominable So God requireth of every man Mic. 6.8 to doe justly and to love mercy and to walke humbly with him So that though he can neither pray nor heare nor give almes but he must needs sinne yet must he pray and heare and give almes for all that An indifferent thing a man is bound to forbeare if he cannot use it without sinne If he cannot use such or such a recreation without chasing or swearing or losing too much time he is bound to forbeare it But duties commanded of God he may not omit because he cannot use them without sin For there are degrees of sinne and he is guilty of a greater sin and sheweth greater contempt to God that doth not pray or heare or give almes at all and so disobeyeth him totally then he doth that doth pray and heare and give almes but not with an honest and good heart and so disobeyeth God but in part only Secondly Though no wicked man can have assurance to receive any reward from God for the best thing he doth because he hath no promise for all the promises of God belong onely to them that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 and to the godly 1 Tim. 4.8 nay though he doe deserve further wrath from God by the best thing he doth yet by being carefull to abstaine from evill and to doe good even after his manner and as he is able hee may receive good three waies For 1. Though he should never find mercy with God unto salvation yet will this lessen his condemnation in hell where every man shall receive torment proportionable to his workes and to that dishonour he hath done to God heere Rom. 2.6 2. This may free him from many temporall judgements and bring upon him many temporall blessings in this life For the Lord out of the infinitenesse of his goodnesse hath oft shewed so much respect unto good things that have beene done even by wicked men though they have beene but the dead carcase and have wanted the life and soule of good workes as to reward them temporally The Lord that is said to feed the young ravens when they cry unto him Iob 38.41 hath oft had respect to the prayer that a man void of grace hath made unto him in his misery As profane a wretch as Ishmael was when he was cast out of his fathers house for his profanesse Gen. 21.9 10. yet when he cried to God in his misery it is twice said in one verse Gen. 21.17 that God heard the voice of the lad and relieved him And we know how much even Ahabs prayer that he made when he was humbled by feare prevailed with God 1 King 21.29 Therefore also Daniel exhorteth Nebuchadnezzar a most wicked man Dan. 4.27 to breake of his sins to cease from oppression and cruelty How By righteousnes that is by making restitution to them that he had wronged And how els By shewing mercy to the poore And why did he counsell a man so void of grace to do so good workes as these Was it not all one as if he should have bidden a dead man to walke Marke the reason and motive the Prophet useth to perswade him to this if it may be saith he a lengthening of thy tranquility As if he should have said It may be these good workes performed even as thou art able to do them will prevent the judgement which God by this dreame that thou hast had doth threaten to bring upon thee and prolong thy peace 3. He may by doing that that lieth in him to do further the eternall salvation of his owne soule For though no wicked nay no naturall man can use the meanes of grace aright nor so as to please God therein yet if the wickedest man that is frequent the ministery of the Word there is hope he may be converted and have grace wrought in him both because it is the meanes ordained of God to breed grace where none is Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and because as wicked men as live have been woon to God by their hearing as appeareth not onely by daily experience but by those two notable examples that are recorded in the Word The one 1 Cor. 14.24 25. of the man that was an ignorant man and an infidell before And the other Iohn 7.45 46. of them that came to heare Christ with a most wicked heart to intrap and apprehend him And so much
Proleps and notwithstanding he say he cannot beleeve for 1 hee hath foure just causes and encouragements to beleeve 2 He doth indeed truly beleeve though weakely and though hee perceive it not p. 682. Lect. 132. We should all highly esteeme of Christ and hunger and thirst after him and his righteousnesse labouring above all things to win him and to be found in him p. 683. 1 Motive else our state will bee wofull when extreame affliction and death shall seize upon us Six things to bee distinctly considered in this 1 Motive 1 Certaine it is a change affliction sicknesse and death will come 2 how soone none knowes 3 nor in what kinde and measure p. 684. 4 when it commeth it will awaken the conscience and that being wakened will bring into our remembrance our sins and the judgement wee must goe to 5 If we have not gotten Christ before we are in danger then to bee made uncapable 6 our case will bee most wofull if we be without him then for there 's no hope of mercy or comfort from God without him p. 685. On the other side they that have Christ may be safe and comfortable in any affliction nay never so comfortable as then p. 686. 2 Motive He that hath not Christ can have no sound comfort in his prosperity nor in any of Gods outward blessings for 1 though they be blessings and good things in themselves yet to him they are not He had better be without them they shall doe him no good but much hurt Ibid. For they are none of their owne they have no spirituall sanctified or comfortable title to them p. 687. 2 God hath not given them any thing in love Though these things be fruits of his common love they are no signes of his speciall love And no man can have any sound comfort in the common love of God but in his speciall love onely Ibid. p. 688. On the other side he that is in Christ may have sound comfort even in the outward and common blessings of God for 1 they are his owne and he hath the highest title to them 2 They are good to him and shall doe him good and no hurt p. 688. 3 They are to him pledges of Gods speciall love p. 689. Applic. Great folly and danger of such as preferre worldly things before Christ Ibid. p. 690. Lect. 133. None are fit to receive Christ nor can thirst after him but the poore and such as feele themselves utterly void of all goodnes p. 691. The civill honesty and those morall parts that are in many naturall men are in themselves good things pleasing to God and such as he useth to reward and the reasons of it p. 692 693. Professors should walke honestly and the greatnesse of their sinne that doe not set out in three points p. 694 695. Yet there is no sound comfort to be found in it the Lord is never a whit the better pleased with a man in resepct of salvation for his civill honesty unlesse he be in Christ p. 695 696. Lect. 134. There are sundry good things to be found in many an hypocrite and better things then in any meere naturall man and that in three respects p. 697. There is in many an hypocrite 1 a kinde of love to the Word and the ministery thereof he will heare constantly and with delight hee will commend and professe much love to the teacher so doth not the civill man 2 he will keepe a constant course in praying not ordinary onely but extraordinary so doth not the civill man 3 He is a strict observer of the Sabbath so is not the civill man p. 698. 4 Hee hateth Idolatry and the monuments of it and loveth the sincerity of religion so doth not the civill man 5 He is reformed not only from grosse sinnes but even from the least sins so is not the civill man p. 699. These things are not therefore to bee misliked because they are to bee found in some hypocrites neither may wee despise and scorne any for any of these things for though they be found in many hypocrites yet are they no signes of an hypocrite Ibid. 1 It s a singular good thing to love the Word and he can have no true goodnesse but is in a wofull estate that doth not 2 to keepe a constant course in prayer is a very good thing and such as God will blesse and he can have no true goodnesse in him but is in a wofull state that useth not to pray p. 700. Lect. 135. Though 1 the bodily observation of the Sabbath and such as may bee performed by th' outward mâ—n be nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall 2 The bodily test from our owne workes bee the leaft part even of that the spending of the day in holy duties is a farre greater matter then that p 701 702. yet God is highly pleased with that and hath promised great reward unto it p. 702. and a chiefe cause of common calamities hath beene the neglect even of that p. 703. No man can become poorer by the conscionable keeping of the Sabbath day Ibid. Man receives a greater blessing by the Sabbath then by any other day specially in spirituall things but also in temporall p. 704 705. Lect. 136. We have all cause to praise God for the good lawes have beene made to provide for the better observation of the Sabbath and the hypocrisie and profanesse of the people generally appeares in seeming so zealous for the lawes and neglecting these so much p. 706. Every Minister is bound to reproove sin p. 707. The â— and chiefe thing that belongs to the right observation of the Sabbath is the keeping of the rest and performing the duties of the day cheerefully and spiritually and against this they offend that sleepe ordinarily at Church this sin is worthy of open reproofe p. 708. This is more then a sin of infirmity Foure notes given to discerne a sin of infirmity from a raigning sin p 709. The second duty required in the observation of the Sabbath is to spend the day in religious duties specially publike against this they transgresse that absent themselves from the Church p 710. The third and last thing is that we rest from al our own works on that day against this the profanesse and open contempt of the Sabbath by children and youth is a grosse sin Ibid. God will not endure profannesse and open contempt of religion no not in children yet will he lay this their sin to the charge of Masters and Parents and Governours chiefly p. 711. Lect. 137. It is a good thing and highly pleasing unto God to love the sincerity of Gods worship and to do nothing in that but what he can see warranted by the Word p. 71â— It is also a good thing to â—ate all Idolatry and every thing that belongeth to it and proceeds from it p. 712. It s no signe of an hypocrite to make conscience of the least sin p 714. Answer to
the Lord Hos. 8.12 speaking of Ephraim the whole Church of Israel as of one man the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing As if he had said The whole Scripture is as a letter or Epistle sent from God to every man and woman that is a member of his Church and it is an high contempt done to God by any man that refuseth to receive it or counteth it as a strange thing that thinketh there is any thing in it that concerneth not him Nay there is nothing that a Christian man is more interested in which a man may say it belongeth to him and is his owne wherein he may challenge a propriety to himselfe then the holy Scriptures It is therefore called his inheritance Moses commanded us a law say Gods people Deut. 33.4 even the inheritance of the congregation of Iacob And so David speaketh of it Psal. 119.111 Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever And what may be said more properly to be a mans owne then his inheritance is Or who would not be desirous to know his owne inheritance yea and every parcell every foot of land that doth belong unto it The second sort of Motives to perswade us to seeke knowledge is taken from the consideration of the necessity and benefit of knowledge compared with the danger and mischiefe of ignorance This wee shall see in foure points First Knowledge is a duty commanded us of God and that in the first and greatest commandement of his law Every man is bound to know God and his will revealed in his Word as well as he is bound to feare God or to love him or to beleeve in him or to performe any other duty of service or worship unto him And thou Solomon my sonne saith David not as a father onely but as a Prophet too 1 Chron. 28.9 know thou the God of thy father Be ye not unwise saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.17 but understanding what the will of the Lord is Yea you are all bound to increase in knowledge as God giveth you meanes and to seeke to abound in it The words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 14.20 Brethren be not children in understanding but in understanding be perfect men and Col. 3.6 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly are plaine and direct commandements of God given unto every man On the other side Ignorance in these matters is a sin that grieveth God much and highly provoketh him See how God complaineth of this Ier. 4.22 My people are foolish they have not knowne me they are sortish children and have no understanding Yea see how angry Christ was for this even with elect Disciples Are ye also yet without understanding saith he to them Matth. 15.16 when they understood not the meaning of that he had said touching that which defileth a man And at another time Mar. 8.17 Perceive yee not yet neither understand Have ye your hearts yet hardned And how doth the Apostle Heb. 5.11.12 rebuke them for being such dullards under the meanes of knowledge that they had so long enjoyed Yea he threatneth them Heb. 6.1 4. that if they did not stirre up themselves and endeavour to grow to greater ripenesse and perfection in knowledge they would bee in danger to fall quite away from God even into the unpardonable sin Certainely God will be angry even with you that are his owne people if you profit not in knowledge according to the meanes he giveth you What will hee then bee with them that have no spirituall knowledge in them at all nor any desire of knowledge Let no man thinke it an advantage to him to be ignorant of the will of God when he may have the meanes of knowledge or that such ignorance will be any excuse to his sin To such the Lord will say as Abiah the King of Iuda said to Israel 2 Chron. 13 5. Ought ye not to know whether thou knowest my will or no that is nether here nor there but oughtest thou not to have knowne is it not thy sin that thou art so ignorant of it Say not thou before the Angel before Christ the Angell of the covenant saith Solomon Eccle. 5.6 it was an errour it was out of mine ignorance that I made such a vow wherefore should God be angry at thy voice and destroy the worke of thine hands As if he had said That will not excuse thy rash vow but rather such an excuse will anger the Lord and provoke him to accurse thee in whatsoever thou takest in hand Be not deceived beloved certainely God will be highly offended with you even for your ignorance The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against men for their ignorance many waies 1. In corporall judgements My people are gone into captivity saith the Lord Esa. 5.13 because they have no knowledge This is the cause of many judgements of God that have fallen upon the state and upon many of your owne families and persons that there is so much ignorance so little desire of knowledge among men 2. In spirituall judgements The people that doth not understand shall fall Hos. 4.14 Certainely God punisheth the wilfull ignorance of many men and their contempt of knowledge by giving them up unto many foule sins As they regarded not to know God saith the Apostle Rom. 1.28 even so God delivered them up unto a reprobate mind to doe those things which are not convenient 3. With eternall judgements It is a people that doe err in their heart saith the Lord Psal. 95.10 11. and they have not knowne my waies unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest As if he had said Even for this cause they shall never come to heaven for that is meant by Gods rest there and not the land of Canaan onely as is plaine by that application the Apostle maketh of this place Heb. 3. 4. because they have not knowne my waies saith the Lord. Certainely men shall be damned not onely though they sinned ignorantly their ignorance shall be no excuse unto them but even because of their ignorance When Christ shall come at the last day inflaming fire as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thess. 1.8 he will take vengeance on them that know not God It is a people of no understanding saith the Lord Esa. 27.11 therefore he that made them will not have mercy upon them and he that formed them will shew them no favour Let no man plead for his ignorance that yet his punishment in hell shall not bee so great as theirs that have had much knowledge and yet have done as bad as hee His ignorance will bee some priviledge unto him For so saith our Saviour Luke 12. â—8 Hee that knew not his masters will and did commit things worthy of stripes shall bee beaten with few stripes For 1. No heart can conceive how great and intolerable his misery shall bee that shall have the fewest stripes that shall have the least portion
we are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Yet taketh he no pleasure in correcting them but as hee doth it most unwillingly Psal. 103.8 He is slow to anger Lament 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men so is he most apt to repent him of the evill hee is constrained to bring upon them and to bee troubled with it Therefore it is said of him Ioel 2.13 and in many other places that he repenteth him of the evill Both which properties are most pathetically expressed Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And this is the first point in this comparison Secondly the very sight of the misery another is in will move a man that hath the bowells of a man and is tender-hearted to pitty his case and bee willing to helpe without any other respect at all to the person be he friend or foe good or bad onely because he seeth him to bee in misery Mine eye affecteth my heart saith the Church Lamen 3.51 because of all the daughters of my City yea the more the misery is that he seeth any man in the more he will pity him and be ready to helpe him as we see in the example of the Samaritan Luke 10 33 34 When he saw the Iew stripped of his cloathes and wounded and halfe dead he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds c. And in this respect it is oft mentioned as a duty wee owe to them that are in misery to visit them to go and see them Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse and the widow in their affliction But you will say is that enough I answer yes he that doth that if he have a mans heart in him cannot choose but doe what he can to helpe him They have cut off my life in the dungeon saith the Church Lament 3.53 and cast a stone upon me because they would not see my misery and therefore that is noted for the cause why neither the Priest not the Levite helped the poore man they could not abide to looke on him but passed by on the other side Lu. 10.31 32. Even so is it with our most mercifull and tender-hearted Father the very sight of our misery without any other motive in the world is sufficient to move him to pitty and helpe us yea the more our misery is the more ready will he be to succour us Exod. 3.7 See how pathetically the Lord speaketh Surely I have seene the affliction of my people for I know their sorrowes and am come downe to deliver them Ieremy 31.20 My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Yea the sight of the misery even of wicked men doth worke this upon his tender heart Psal 146.7 8 9. The Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe the Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow So againe Psalme 78.38 He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath and yet these men were but hypocrites they never sought to God but in their affliction verse 34. and 36. They did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues And thus have you seene the tender mercies of the Lord. Thirdly In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies He is aboundant in goodnesse Exod. â—4 6 Plenteous in mercy Psal. 86.5 Full of compassion Psal 86.15 Rich in mercy Ephe. 2.4 Admire it we may but no man is able to expresse and utter how great the mercy of the Lord is Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindnesse The mercies and kindnesses of all the men in the world compared to it are but as a drop of water to the great Ocean My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. Esay 55.8 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts See this difference in three points 1. A man can forgive small wrongs but the wrongs may bee so great as no man can forgive but there is no sin so heinous but the Lord is able to forgive it Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Matth. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Hee is able to forgive a debt of ten thousand talents and not be undone nay be never the poorer Matth. 18.27 2. A man can forgive one a great wrong if it were but in one action but the wrongs may be so many and of so many kinds as no man can forgive them but the Lord is able to forgive sins though they were as many yea more then the haires of our head as David complaineth his were Psal 40.12 3. A man is able once to forgive yea to forgive it may be even such wrongs as hee counteth very great and manifold but hee can never forgive or thinke well of him whom hee having forgiven sundry times yet hee still wrongeth him in the same kind but the Lord is able to forgive him that hath relapsed often into the same crime For hee requireth this mercy even in us Matth. 18.22 Thou shalt forgive him I say not unto thee untill seven times but untill seventy times seven times So that Gods children shall have no cause to say to their heavenly Father as Esau said to his father Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father Canst thou forgive but once yes hee is able to forgive the same offence often times if it be truly repented of The use of this Doctrine is first for instruction even to teach and assure you to testifie unto you as the Apostle did to Gods people 1. Pet. 5.12 that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand that the religion and Doctrine that is at this day and hath beene through Gods mercy now many above sixty yeeres without interruption taught and professed in the Church of England the Lord in mercy grant it may continue so to bee and which you have received and found comfort in is the only true ancient Catholique Propheticall and Apostolike faith Because it giveth the whole glory of mans salvation and of every degree and piece of it from the beginning to the end to the free grace and mercy of God and to nothing else Therefore the Apostle in that place I last named 1. Pet. 5.12 calleth the true religion and Doctrine of God for that is it hee meaneth in that place by a Metonimy the true grace of God because the whole
flesh is flesh And that is Iobs meaning Iob 14.4 No man can beget a child that is cleane from sin himselfe being uncleane Secondly Though many parents be themselves holy and have their hearts purified by faith yet do they also infect their children and derive unto them this corruption of nature as Isaac was borne with his fore-skin though his father were circumcised when he begat him and as the corne that groweth from the cleanest and purest seed riseth not without straw and chaffe Because we can derive nothing to our children in their naturall birth but that that was our owne and was naturall unto us as we heard of Adam Gen. 5.3 Hee begat a son in his own likenesse after his image Now that grace that is in us is not our owne not naturall unto us but wholly from God and supernaturall Iam. 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the father of lights Now before I come to the use that this doctrine serveth for I must first prevent the abuse that may be made of it For from this Doctrine it may seeme to follow 1. That such as are children of what age soever they bee are not much to bee blamed for any of their sins seeing their parents have bin the first authours of them 2. That they have no great cause to reverence and respect their parents that have done them so much wrong as to poison and infect them with so corrupt a nature But they that gather such conclusions from the Doctrine do not make a right use of it but abuse it rather For first Wicked children may not extenuate their sins nor lay all the blame of their lewdnesse and damnation upon their parents because they did receive from them this corruption of nature or say as Ezek. 18.2 The fathers have eaten soure grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge nor say to their parents when they reprove them for any of their sins I pray whence had I this corruption of my nature may I not thanke you for it Woe be to him â—aith the Lord Esa. 45.10 that saith unto his father what begettest thou or to the woman what hast thou brought sorth For 1. they are themselves the authors of their owne destruction Hosea 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe And Ezekiel 18.20 The soule that sinneth it shall dye the father shall not beare the iniquitie of the son The sins for which they perish and are plagued of God are their own nothing is so properly their own as their sins are Pro. 1.31 They shall eat the fruit of their owne way Yea this very originall sin and corruption of nature that is in them though they received it from their parents is their owne Iam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his owne lust 2 They have by their actuall sins made themselves much worse then they were when they came from their parents Mat. 23.15 Secondly Children may not take occasion hereby to despise their parents because they received from them this corruption of nature which is the cause of all their misery but they are bound to honour and reverence them in their hearts and to be every way dutifull unto them for all this Foure examples I will give you for this 1. Solomon shewed a great deale of duty and reverence to his mother 1 King 2.19 1. He rose up to meet her 2. He bowed himselfe unto her 3. He set her upon his right hand And yet he knew well what she had done when she was Vriahs wife It is no disparagement to the greatest that is to shew reverence to their parents though they be never so much inferiours in estate and degree unto themselves 2. Sem and Iaphet are blessed for this because they would not behold the nakednesse of their father when he lay like a drunken beast uncovered in his tent and Ham their brother is cursed of God because he did otherwise Gen. 9.22 23. A child is bound upon paine of Gods curse to be unwilling to heare or see or know any thing by his parents that may diminish that reverent opinion he ought to beare them in his heart 3. Iudah was extreamely importunate to have his brother Benjamin back againe out of Egypt upon this ground especially Gen. 44.31 that else he should bring his fathers gray haires with sorrow to the grave which he protesteth verse 34. he could not endure to see It should trouble a child to do any thing that might grieve his parents and he is bound in conscience to doe what he can to keepe his parents from sorrow and griefe 4 Though David complaine here of the corruption of nature he received from his parents yet yet did not that minish at all his dutifull respect unto them but in the time of his owne greatest distresses he had alwaies a great care to relieve and provide for them as we shall see 1 Sam. 22.3 Let my father and my mother I pray thee saith he to the King of Moab come forth and be with you till I know what God will do for me Every child is bound to relieve and provide for his parents if they stand in need and to account them worthy of double honour even that way also And no marvell for children have received such benefits from their parents as by all the duty they can performe to them they are never able to requite Let children saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 5.4 learne first to shew piety at home and to requite their parents for that is good and acceptable before God Marke 1 kindnesse and bounty is to be shewed to our parents first before all others 2 Hee calleth this piety religion a service done to God 3. This is a chiefe good worke that God delighteth in 4 This is but a requitall of the good we have received from them Yea certainely it is a requitall farre short of the benefits we have received from them Let me shew you in a word or two the benefits that every one of you have received from your parents even you whose parents have beene never so poore First If thy parents be godly and religious as through their meanes by nature thou didst inherit corruption and wert made the child of wrath so by their meanes through grace thou shalt be sure to inherit a blessing if the fault be not in thy selfe it is thy patrimony thou art borne to it thou maist challenge it at the Lords hands for thou hast his promise for it Psal. 112.2 The generation of the upright shall be blessed And Pro. 20.7 The just man walketh in his integrity his children are blessed after him Psal. 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him and his righteousnesse unto childrens children And this blessing that thou art borne to by being the child of Godly parents reacheth not onely to temporall and outward things according to that speech of David
The Harpe and the viole the Tabret and the Pipe and wine are in our feasts but we regard not the worke of the Lord in this his marvellous severity towards his people neither doe we consider the operation of his hands While wee enjoy our delights in all fulnesse wee care not a rush what becommeth of the Church of God But marke how wee provoke God against us by our profane stupidity Because they regard not the workes of the Lord saith David Psalme 28.5 nor the operation of his hands hee shall destroy them and not build them up We cannot take a readier way for the hastning of our owne ruine then to be thus carelesse and senslesse of the judgements of God upon his people Lecture CXIII On Psalme 51.6 March 17. 1628. THE second duty which we owe unto them that are in misery is this We are bound to take to heart the miseries of the Churches abroad to work our hearts unto unfeined griefe and sorrow for them Certainly none of us can have any comfort in our estate till wee can heartily grieve for the miseries of our brethren It is our dutie we know to condole any man that we see to be in miserie Iob tooke great comfort in his greatest affliction in this that he had done so Did not I weepe saith he Iob. 30.25 for him that was in trouble Was not my soule grieved for the poore And if we must be thus affected with the miseries of all men then much more with the miseries of Gods people Three sorts of proofes I will give you for this 1. Examples 2. A precept 3. The reasons and grounds both of the examples and of the precept also And the examples that I will give you shall be of two sorts First When the holy servants of God did but fore-see by the spirit of prophesie the troubles and afflictions that should befall the Church they have bin wont to be exceedingly affected and grieved for it though they were not to happen untill many yeares after themselves were dead and gone Three notable examples we have for this The first is of Elisha of whom we read 2 Kings 8.11 12. that when he looked stedfastly upon Hazaâ—l the man of God wept And when he asked him why he did so Because I know saith he the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child And this was certainly no more nor so much neither as the bloudy Papists have done to many of Gods people where they have come The second example is of the Prophet Esay I will weepe bitterly saith he Esay 22.4 5 labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Why There was no such spoile made of Gods people in all his time in the dayes of Vzzia Iotham Ahaz and Hezechia in whose times he prophesied as you may see Esa. 1.1 No but he did foresee by the spirit of prophesie a day of trouble and of treading downe as he saith verse 5. and of perplexity by the Lord God of hoasts in the valley of vision breaking downe the walls a day of crying in the mountaines The thinking upon the miseries that the valley of vision the true Church of God should endure from the Caldeans which was to be above an hundred yeares after his owne death and considering that this was to be done by the Lord God of hosts it was to bee the Lords doing and a fruit of his wrath I say the consideration of this made the holy man to weepe bitterly and refuse to be comforted The third example is of Daniel Dan. 8. who when he did fore-see the miseries that Gods people were to endure under Antiochus Epiphanes which was not to be before above two hundred yeares after his owne death how Antiochus should take away the daily sacrifice verse 11 12. and by reason of the transgression of Gods people should cast downe the truth to the ground how both the sanctuary of God and the host and armies of Gods people should bee given unto him to be troden under foot as it is verse 13. how hee should destroy wonderfully the holy people and prosper in it as it is verse 24. When I say he did by the spirit of prophesie fore-see these miseries that should befall Gods people it is said verse 27 that he even fainted and was sicke of griefe for it certaine dayes What would these holy men have done how would they have mourned if they had lived in the times wherein all this had beene fulfilled which they did prophesie and fore-tell If all these evills had fallen upon the Church in their dayes as they have done in ours Alas we have seene a day a long day of trouble and of treading downe and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision We have seene and knowne the daily sacrifice the true worship of God taken away from many Churches We have seene the truth of God cast downe to the ground in many places and abominable heresies and false doctrine set up in the roome of it We have seene and known both the sanctuaries of God and the hosts and armies of his people given of God to the enemie to be troden under foot and trampled upon We have seene the dayes wherein the proud enemy hath destroyed and made havocke of the holy people wonderfully and prospered in it Certainly those holy men that were so affected with the evills they did foresee would befall the people of God would have beene much more grieved for them if they had fallen out in their daies And it is therefore promised as a great favour and mercy to Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.28 that he should be gathered to his grave in peace neither should his eyes see all the evill that God would bring upon Iudah and Ierusalem The Lord knew well how much it would have affected good Iosiahs heart if he should have lived to see though hee had beene out of the gun-shot himselfe all the evills and miseries that Gods people did endure in the captivitie of Babylon Let me give you also foure famous examples of this how the servants of God that have lived in such times as these are have beene affected with them The first is that of the men of Gibeah mentioned 1 Sam. 11.2.4 when tidings was brought them of the misery of one poore city Iabesh Gilead how Nahash the Ammonite that besieged them would admit of no covenant of peace with them but upon this condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel And wee know that the Papists have to the poore Christians in the Palatinate and other places offered farre worse and more reproachfull articles and conditions of peace then this was When this tidings I say was told them of Gibeah