fishes and plants all these stand and proceede in the service of their Creatour and all these have a voice by which they continually cry Hallelujah Praise yee the Lord Psal. 148. All these being created and given for our use call us unto constant thankfulnesse to uphold his glory who made them for us as all they doe in their kinde If thou lookest â—â—thin thy selfe thou hast three things which â—ondlâ— call for this duty 1. The joy of the holy Ghost which is unspeakable and glorious Psal 97.11 Light ariseth to the just in darknesse and joy to the upright of heart If Gods Spirit by thy increase of grace be gladded and cheared he will make thee a glad man but if he be grieved or quenched thou shalt smart for it yea suppose thou be the Lords 2. The testimony of thy conscience this is the sweete Paradise in which God is familiar with man and that hony which as Augustine saith is sweete in it selfe and makes all other things sweete let them be never so tart or sowre in themselves Paul in great affliction had a sweete relish 2 Cor. 1.12 For this is our rejoycing euen the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly purenesse wee haue walked 3. Gods approbation and acceptance who would not be allowed of God but hence thou shalt be allowed that thou art made a Disciple of Christ if thou beare much fruite Iohn 15.8 as a Schoole-master commends them for good schollers who stand not at a stay but goe on in learning with diligence climbing to the highest formes And if God worke in the hearts of his children a delight in those that excell in vertue how much more will himselfe delight in them who the longer they live the more they excell Lastly if thou lookest as low as hell there thou shalt see the Divells and wicked Angels as busie as bees to promote their kingdome and to pull all men yea even thy selfe into their corruption and condemnation And should not this adde courage to thee to set up the kindome of God with all thy power every where but especially in thy selfe II. Motive Consider why God hath elected called justified us whereas he might have left us in our common masse and passed by us as well as a great part of the world as good every way as our selves First he hath elected us that wee might be holy and that not in a small measure but also unblameable before him in love Eph. 1.4 and Rom. 8.29 God hath predestinate us to be made like the image of his Sonne How and wherein Answ. Partly in humility partly in holinesse that as hee by an humble and holy life went on to his glorie so must we Secondly why or to what hath God called us but unto holinesse 1 Thess. 4.7 God hath not called us to uncleannesse but unto holinesse yea unto full holinesse that as obedient children we should resemble our heavenly Father who is holinesse it selfe 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye also in all manner of holy conversation because it is written Be yee holy as I am holy Levit. 26.6 Now the word as signifies not an equality in measure which we can as little attaine as a spoon can containe the Ocean but onely a conformity or resemblance in our nature renewed and made obedient to the rule 1. He is throughly holy without want or sinne so must thou strive to be 2. He is holy at all times in the day and in the night so thou must never lay aside thy holinesse neither on the Saboth nor on the weeke day or night 3. He is holy in all places in earth and in heaven so must thou as well in earth as in heaven as well in the market as in the Church 4. He is holy in his word in his workes in all his wayes so must thou in thy words workes and whole conversation Heare this thou that hearest the Gospell which is Gods voice calling thee to holinesse Leade henceforth a profane life at thy perill He that calls thee is holy the calling is to holinesse yea to conformity in his owne holinesse aime at it else thou shalt never partake of it hereafter Thirdly thy justification tells thee that Christ dwells in thee by faith and that thy heart is built up to be an habitation of God by the Spirit Eph. 2. ult Now the blessed Spirit cannot dwell any where but in a Temple dedicated unto him where the olde man is daily put off and the new man put on daily where the power of sinne is daily weakened and the grace of holinesse daily getteth power and strength for Gods Spirit will not dwell any where but as the Master of an house as a ruler and commander Neither can any attaine the comfort or sense of his justification but by the undivided companion of it which is sanctification and as this growes so ariseth the measure of sense and comfort of this present happinesse for he that doth righteousnesse is righteous saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.7 III. Motive Consider what thou art namely a Christian in the very name thou professest communion with Christ and consequently to walke in the light as hee is in the light A Christian must adorne Christian profession by Christian life and conversation A Christian called so of Christ must shew in his whole course that hee is partaker of Christs annoynting 1 Ioh. 2.20 1. Shew thy selfe a Christian Prophet by profiting in the knowledge of God and instructing others in the same 2. Shew thy selfe a Christian Priest who hast received the annoynting by offering thy selfe an holy acceptable living and reasonable sacrifice Offer thy prayers and the sacrifices of prayses those calves of thy lippes Offer the sacrifices of almes and mercy for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Heb. 13.16 Offer thy life and dearest blood a sweete sacrifice for the chiefe and high Priest of our profession if God call thee unto the same 3. Shew thy selfe a Christian King by raising all thy power against thine enemies and aduersaries of salvation by defending and maintaining thy Christian liberty in which thou art set by ruling over thy selfe and keeping a strait hand and authority over thy lusts and affections make them subjects by carrying thy selfe as a King with clemency meeknesse liberality measuring and judging every thing according to the Lawes of Christ enacted in the Parliament of heaven What a Christian and an epicure a Christian swearer a Christian adulterer a Christian gamester lyer c. quà m malè conveniunt how harsh is this to the eare of men of God much more IV. Motive Consider that hee that is once truly good growes from good to better and so is best at last Our Saviour plainly prooves that he who hath the least measure of sound fruite his fruite shall increase Ioh. 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruite the Father purgeth it that it may beare more
and so still as that a man cannot alwayes set downe the precise time of his comming 2. For the second Whether a man once called alwayes know his calling Answ. In ordinary course a Christian knowes But in anomolons and extraordinary cases and times a good Christian may hardly or not know it at all as First in a strong fit or pang of temptation which is to the soule as a swooning to the body wherein a man lives but knowes not that he is aliue nay he will seeme to himselfe and others as quite dead So a Christian disguised by temptation may implead his owne calling and yet recover well and come to himselfe againe Secondly after some grosse or grievous sinne God leaves his owne with terrours of heart to call great things into question sinne as a boysterous storme shakes the foundations and leaves the sinner as a man in a trance or extacie stunned and senselesse for the time by some great fall Now may the Christian doubt of his calling and of Gods favour till he have made up his peace againe by repentance But yet by the cherishing of faith and graces a man may ordinarily retaine the comfortable assurance of his good estate in grace The efficient of this calling is God Hee who calleth 1. Effectuall calling depends upon his purpose and is called a calling according to purpose Rom. 8.28 for as he purposed the end so also the meanes tending to the end 2. The power is his and argues the worke onely to be his It is a worke of new creation who can create a new heart but he he calleth things that are not as if they were Who can set light in the middest of darknesse but hee that said Let there be light and it was so But effectuall calling is a translating us out of the power of darknesse into his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2.9 and the Apostle ascribes it to this power 2 Corinth 4.6 Who can fashion man to his owne image and repaire that image decayed but hee that made it at the first Surely hee onely can inspire a new life into the face of the soule by effectuall calling that quickeneth the dead Ephes. 2.1 3. The meanes is his even the voice of God in the mouth of his servants Wisdome cryeth in the streetes Prov. 28. Hee that â—eareth you heareth mee Luke 10.17 4. The answer to the meanes is his and by the worke of his mighty power Who can make a dead man heare a voice but he Iohn 5.28 The houre is that the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and live 5. The estate whence and whither we are called declares it to be from God alone To free us from the servitude of sinne death the Divell the world hell and condemnation implies a more mighty power than all these put together even that divine and mighty power that bindes the strong man and casts him out of his hold And whither are wee called even to the grace of the Gospell Galat. 1.6 to fellowshippe with Iesus Christ 1 Cor. 1.9 to an holinesse above the first Adam in innocency and to the happinesse of the second Adam in the kingdome of glory and this can onely be the worke of God 1 Pet. 1.10 The God of all grace who hath called us to his eternall glorie an excellent worke where is such a workman Hence 1. See what is effectuall calling It is a powerfull worke of God calling persons to bee what they were not of sinners to become Saints of enemies to become sonnes as Saul being called to bee a Kingâ— was changed into another man and another Spirit was put upon him So the Lord puts forth upon every convert another spirit agreeing with the condition to which he is called And hence it followes that if the Lord call so powerfully hee leaves it not in our power whether wee will come or no as the late refined Pelagianisme would perswade us Who can resist an almighty power which is put forth in effectuall calling can the creature resist the Creatour of it selfe can the dead resist and not come forth of the grave at the voice of the Sonne of God 2. We must labour to feele this power of God working in our effectuall calling not conceiting our calling to be a matter of opinion or imagination of things absent but labour to finde the same power in our selves which raised Christ from the dead First by acknowledging the voice of Christ in the Ministery Cant. 2.8 It is the voice of my beloved Secondly by answering the call as Samuel Speake Lord thy servant heareth Acts 9. Lord what wouldest thou have mee to doe Acts 26.19 I was not disobedient to the voice Thirdly by daily separation from the corrupt and profane of the world thou hopest for heaven but hast no calling to it that cannot be got out of earth that traducest men and cannot away with this strict company Fourthly by conjunction with the body of Christ not as wennes or wooden legges but as quickened members 3. Despaire not of others though farre runne on in their evill their conversion is but a call of God it is as easie for him to create new hearts and regenerate them as for us to call a man by his name he can quickly call that which is not as if it were which the Apostle applieth to the conversion of the whole body of the Gentiles who lay in a wofull ruinous condition 4. For our selves be thankfull that the Lord hath vouchsafed to call us out of our naturall estate to an estate of grace and glory For a man to give an hand to the maimed an eye to the blind were thank-worthy but to give the hand and eye of faith to a sinner yea to give life to the dead is another manner of worke See how the Apostle Peter 1.1.4 breakes out into the praise of God for this blessing above all other All rivers runne into the sea and all blessing to the full sea of blessing if wee must blesse him for the least temporall blessing much more for spirituall and eternall blessings for blessing us in our soules blessing us in his Sonne and in the blessings of the Gospell here is a rich grace on Gods part an undeserved grace on our part who were found when we sought him not a durable grace seeing his gifts and calling is without repentance the same power upholdes the worke that set it up Rom. 11.29 From effectuall calling a Christian may certainly conclude his owne salvation Rom. 8.29 Whom hee calleth he justifieth and whom hee justifieth he glorifieth And from calling we may rise to election as the Apostle implies 1 Cor. 1.26 27. and here in the text He hath called you and he will doe it And why 1. Because of the nature of this calling What is it but a drawing of men out of the state of sinne and death into the state of grace and eternall life Coloss. 1.13 Who hath delivered us from the power
beleeves remission of sinnes now the law of workes and the law of faith are as contrary as fire and water in matter of justification for faith leaneth onely upon Christ. 3. Romish Doctrine teacheth a man to doubt of his salvation and that no man can be assured of it without speciall revelation it were presumption We holde the cleane contrary A man may be assured by a speciall faith Bring it now to the Canon Our Creed teacheth us to beleeve remission of sinnes to beleeve our selves to be true members of the Church and life everlasting to belong unto us for else we beleeve no more than the Divells doe so as every one must give all diligence to make his election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 and to know that Christ is in him 2 Cor. 13.5 This is the first Rule Secondly all sound Doctrine tyeth the two Tables together for as the two Tables stand in relation one to the other so that Doctrine must needes be unsound which combineth not justice with piety and with faith charity This Rule is taken out of Levit. 6.5 If a man have wronged his neighbour either by open robbery or secret defrauding of him hee must come and offer to the Lord for his trespasse and he shall be forgiven but on this condition that he bring the whole summe which he hath defrauded and adde a fifth part more unto it and restore it to the owner the same day that he offereth for his trespasse According unto which our Saviour wisheth to leave the gift at the Altar and goe and be first reconciled to our brother Matth. 5.23 The Lord rejects all sacrifices abstract from mercy Esay 1.12 What have I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices while your hands are full of blood and Ierem. 7.9 10. Will ye steale and murder and commit adultery and yet come and stand before me in this house wherein my name is called upon And our Saviour reprooveth the grosse conceit of the Pharisies who taught the people that if they did give oblations to the Church though they releeved not their poore parents yet God was well pleased with them This Doctrine tryed by this touch-stone was found counterfeit Matth. 15.5 Hence we inferre if any Doctrine be prejudiciall to men it is false and unsound As for example First the Church of Rome maintaineth a Monkish life wherein their cloystred persons must leave the societies of men and sequester themselves from all companie to give themselves to fasting and prayer Bring this Doctrine to this tryall and we shall finde it most unsound because God is served not onely in the duties of the first Table but also of the second and this kinde of life is against the light of nature and the good of all societies both in Church and Common-wealth and family all which claime part in every man and is a thrusting of men out of their callings in which they are commanded to abide 1 Cor. 7.20 Luther de votis Monasticis prooveth It is against the whole first Table As placeing confidence in it As setting up a will-worship As taking Gods name in vaine by an unlawfull vowe c. So against the whole second Table 1. Impeaching the honour of parents and exempting themselves from civill authority so against the fifth Commandement 2. They eate not their owne bread against the sixth Commandement 3. They raise Sodome and Gomorrah from their ashes against the seventh Commandement 4. They live in idlenesse and are unprofitable burdens of the earth contrary to the eighth Commandement 4. They beare false witnesse of the merit of single life against chastity and holy wedlocke contrary to the ninth Commandement 6. They teach that burning is no sinne as Pigius But a condition under which divina bonitas et sapientia that is Gods goodnesse and wisdome hath put us as under hunger and thirst cleane contrary to the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 7. who saith It is better to marry than to burne 2. In cases of trespasse the same Church appoints auricular confession and canonicall satisfaction in which they must give oblations and satisfie the Church But if it were sound Doctrine it would appoint reconciliation and restitution to the parties wronged which is the least part of their thoughts 3. The same Church appoints a great number of fasts and penances for offences But so long as they fast to strife and debate and smite with the fist of wickednesse anathematizing and cursing Prince and people excommunicating all such as walke not in their rules yea patronizing and pardoning cut-throat villaines sent from them to murder Christian Kings and blow up Parliament houses all the world sees these are not the fasts which God hath chosen This Rule condemnes all Iesuitisme which is the rebells Catechisme But we must distinguish Popish Sinonimaes between excommunicating out of Churches and excommunicating out of Kingdomes betweene keyes of the kingdome of heaven and keyes of the kingdomes of the earth betweene absolving sinners from sinnes and absolving of subjects from duties betweene fishing of men and fishing for kingdomes betweene teaching of soules and killing of bodies betweene power directive and power coactive betweene ministration and domination betweene the sword spirituall and civill This Iesuiticall confusion of phrases hath beene the confusion of the world 4. The same Church hath a long time challenged a power of the keyes of binding and loosing over all other persons but wickedly changed the Ecclesiasticall power into a meere Civill power to the great mischiefe of the world for thereby they doe unjustly and tyrannically take upon them to depose Kings and Queenes from their regency to deprive them of their Crownes and Scepters to free subjects from all oathes of allegiance and binde them to become their executioners where ever they can take them at advantage And all this by the power of the keyes 5. The same Church hath ratified by decree that the vowes of children undertaking their religious orders shall be in force and that close and clandestine marriages made betweene children without all consent of wise and carefull parents are allowable and indissoluble Which Doctrine brought to this Rule is proved most prejudiciall to the power of parents given them in the fifth Commandement which injoynes children to honour their Parents especially in matters of moment such as are their marriage and choyce of their callings 6. Some Divines have undertaken the defence of some kinde of usurie especially to the rich and so have animated some in that course But this Doctrine brought to this tryall will not holde seeing it is such a consumer of mens estates and so uncharitable as the Lord would not admit of it in Israel but among his enemies whom he would have quite consumed Besides men deceive themselves in their distinction for God in the case of usurie distinguisheth not betweene the rich and poore of Israel but betweene the Israelites and Canaanites betweene strangers and brethren The poore indeede are mentioned but onely
a good honest man but a Christian so at this day hee is a right honest man but a Puritan Come to a Papist and tell him of a profane man that walkes after the flesh how odious his wayes are this doth not much trouble him hee may be a good Catholicke for all that hee will thinke very charitably of such a one Like one in Queene MARIES time taken in adultery in Red-crosse-streete said yet I thanke God I am a good Catholicke Tell him of a man that professeth enmity to his religion in many Articles of faith yet if he be not too precise there is hope of him there may be a reconcilement at least hee is a wise moderate man hee will not out-runne himselfe But tell him of a man that will cleave to the Scripture in all things both greater and lesse and will not bee beaten an hayre-breadth out of it and doth so flie from BABEL according to the commandement that hee will touch nothing that seemes uncleane Hee hates all appearance of evill Oh these curious fellowes saith hee are not to be suffered or endured they trouble the Church and Common-wealth Nay wee may wish some of our owne had not learned the Gileaditish language to preferre the Papists as better men and better subjects than the faithfull servants of God and their Soveraigne onely because they desire to avoide the least appearance of evill But whence should this bee but out of the hatred of goodnesse that they whose hands are yearely almost in some monstrous conspiracie should bee preferred before such as whose innocency was neuer yet touched Well let such as feare God buckle to this precept of the Apostle because First God lookes on such as bowe not their knee to Baal upon such as touch no uncleane thing 2 Corinth 6 and couenanteth to bee their Father Secondly wee cannot touch pitch and not bee defiled with it Thirdly it argues soundnesse of heart in our hatred of sinne when wee hate not onely capitall crimes which shame us before men but lesser euills and such as wicked men cannot hate Fourthly sweete shall be the comfort when wee suffer the word to binde us in least things not suffering us to cast downe our countenance but couenanting with our eyes neither to whisper evill of others much lesse to reproach them or haue our mouth full of cursing repressing also even unchaste thoughts and mentall sinnes before they come to appearances VERSE 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and J pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE Apostle here proceedeth to the conclusion of the Epistle and annexeth a fervent and heavenly prayer to the former precepts For the Thessalonians might say you have heaped up a number of excellent precepts together but how should we that are but flesh and blood and weake to any thing that is good performe them You command much more than we can attaine You have given us not onely many precepts but of such nature and strictnesse as are rather fit for Angels and Saints in heaven than flesh and blood weake and fraile creatures on earth wee must Try all things hold all and onely that which is good and abstaine from not evill onely but all appearance of evill which seeme to us impossible commandements All which and the like allegations our Apostle meetes withall and tells them it is his meaning indeede First that they should ayme at full holinesse which is conversant in every good duty and shunneth the least sinfull defilement Secondly he sends them out of themselues to God who can sanctifie them throughout Thirdly seeing he onely can teach them their duties but cannot goe further to give them grace and enable them to performe it he goes to God with them that by their joynt prayers they might be established in them and to sanctifie them throughout for if God sanctifie you throughout you shall be able to performe the former duties Whence note that it is the duty of godly Ministers not onely to preach exhort and admonish men in their duty but earnestly to pray for them and with them for the obtaining of good things which they have commended unto them It was the usuall manner of the Apostles to pray to God for the obtaining of those graces they had exhorted unto In this Text having chap. 4.3 shewed that this is the will of God even their sanctification and hauing laid downe the parts of sanctification in the particulars till this verse now prayes that according to the precepts they may be wholly sanctified So Rom. 12.16 hauing exhorted to like mindednesse in the 15.6 prayeth that they may be like minded Ephes. 3.14 15. having exhorted the Ephesians not to faint at his troubles he prayes for strength For this cause saith hee I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man And chap. 1.8 hauing shewed how abundant God was toward us in wisdome and understanding and in opening the mystery of his will he ceaseth not to pray verse 17. that God would giue to them the spirit of wisdome and reuelation that their eyes might be opened And in the 1 Pet. 5.10 Resist stedfastly in the faith c. then prayes the God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you And this doubtlesse the Apostle learned of the Lord Iesus himsele whose custome was to teach and instruct in the day-time and to goe out in the night to pray for a blessing upon his Ministery Luke 21.35 1. God is hereby glorified and acknowledged the father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift is Iames 1.17 for now wee depend on him for wisdome and draw somewhat from his fulnesse 2. It is not in man to make his doctrine effectual he cannot reach the heart much lesse renew it Man may hold forth the light but God must giue eyes to see it man may speake to the eare but God onely can speake to the heart Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase 1 Cor. 3. It is his priuiledge to write his law in the hearts of his people Ierem. 31. Lydia heard the word from Paul but not hee but God opened her heart Acts 16.14 3. As in all other labours and workes so much more here we must doe that which is our part and leaue God his The husbandman must plow and sowe and plant and water but hee must leaue all the successe to God hee cannot command raine nor blessing So in this spirituall husbandry Gods seeds-men must doe their worke cheerefully being co-workers with him but commend the successe to God in which sense the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.7 saith He that plants is nothing neither he that waters that is if hee be compared with that divine action which is all in all or nothing without him Hereby wee see
Then are wicked men most unhappy who being estranged from the God of peace can have no true peace Esay 57.21 The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dyrt there is no peace to the wicked man saith my God Object Who have more peace than they they have outward prosperity and abundance even what their hearts can wish and their consciences within are quiet and they die like lambes c. Answ. 1. Their outward prosperity deserves not the name of peace it is at the best but a truce with God 2. They be not inwardly so quiet as they seeme there is a conscience within that sometime tells them unpleasant tales and tidings 3. When it is quiet it is not at peace but benummed slumbring or feared and shall one day be wakened and as a wilde beast fly in the face of his master 4. All this seeming peace being not in God but against God must needes be 1. uncertaine as a dreame Iob 20.5.7 or as the crackling of thornes under a pot Eccles. 7.6 2. Vnsound in the face not in the heart In laughter the heart is heavy Pro. 14.13 or at least hath cause so to be 3. Miserable in the end Their Sun must fall at noon Amos 8.9 their end is woful yea fulnes of wo and therefore let us never affect nor extoll this peace This reprooves such as content themselves with a kinde of peace but contemne God the Authour of true and lasting peace Many affect peace but not that which is an effect of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ whereas the foundation of all true peace is our peace with God through the Prince of peace Iesus Christ. Many content themselves to be counted peaceable men quiet neighbours who never tooke the course to attaine this true peace which is gotten by sorrow strife and warre against sinne by stirring up the heart to embrace the promâ—ses of the Gospell and to beleeve the truth of Gods word by going to God in frequent and fervent prayer by hungring after reconciliation and mercy above all things in the world Againe if thou hast attained this peace of conscience be thankfull and blesse the God of peace for since that old Serpent had disturbed the peace of heaven from which hee was cast downe with his Angels his next worke was to dissolve the peace on earâ—h by plucking man from his God whereby Satan the Authour of all enmity hath corrupted the whole nature of man and ever since hath watered these seedes and brought them forward so as all the sonnes of Adam are children of wrath turned naked into the fury of God and ly under the same as vessels filled with wrath and the fruites of it in his soule minde conscience will and all his motions being at enmiâ—y with God with his owne happy estate with all the creatures And this is our estate of nature till it pleased God by his Sonne Iesus Christ called the Lord of peace to lay the foundations of our peace in his blood and to bestow the blessed Spirit in the hearts of beleevers witnessing peace betweene God and us by the which Spirit now renewing their hearts they become sonnes of peace united againe unto God at agreement in themselves and in all their faculties and knit and joynted together among themselves in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace Quest. My conscience I thanke God is quiet and still but how may I know it to be true and sound peace that I may rest in it and be thankfull for it Answ. 1. The question is the more necessary because every quiet conscience is not a good conscience and every peace in the conscience is not from the God of peace A dead peece of flesh pricke it with a needle it feeles nothing So that is a dead conscience which feeles no sinne nothing at all but that is a pacified conscience which is alive and indeed feeles sinne but forgiven and apprehendeth God not onely offended but now againe pacified 2. A dead man is quiet enough makes no noyse or motion So a dead conscience may be still but sound peace of conscience is comfortable and hath joy and refreshing in it as a man at a feast it rejoyceth that it hath gotten a sweete glimpse of light and favour from God it rejoyceth in that it hath got a sight of Iesus Christ and in that happy present condition it hath by him obtained These are sound causes of peace and quietnesse 3. Sound peace from the God of peace hath sound fruites and effects as well as sound causes A conscience may be quiet because for the present it hath no enemy disturbing it and no molestation because the strong man hath carried all away But a good conscience is therefore peaceable because it is strong and stirring in temptation it outstandeth and hath prevailed against temptations 4. A bad conscience may be quiet because of the darknesse or senslesnesse of it for it neither sees nor feares any danger it sees not the offence of God by sinne nor feares his wrath and damnation though never so justly deserved But sound peace of conscience sees the offence of a Father and feareth now transgression more than damnation 5. A sleepy conscience may be so much the more quiet because it can secure it selfe from the worlds enmity which hateth nothing but the light It can avoid persecution and sleepe secure as we say on both sides But sound peace of conscience sheweth it selfe most in greatest afflictions and persecutions and makes the Saints sing in sorrow and rejoyce in suffering for the name of Christ as Paul and Silas in prison and the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Iesus Acts 5.41 Here is the peace of Christ himselfe which when the world by all meanes of persecution and indignities seeke to interrupt it as in our head himselfe yet none can take it away whereas light persecution sends packing the peace of hypocrites who are soone unsettled 3. If the God of peace have possessed thee with this sweete peace make much of it preserve it do nothing to disturb or forfeit this happy peace or to provoke God to withdraw it Rules of furtherance herein 1. Beware of security peace is maintained by an expectation and preparation for warre Many are the examples of them who by a secure peace have lost peace and all Therfore preserve in thee a feare of not offending God 2. Beware of falling into any grosse actuall sinne How did David and Peter disturbe their peace by foule sinnes And daily experience shewes that the godly are often by Gods just correction for sinne sometimes inwardly sometimes outwardly as men set on a racke or in an hell of horrours and sorrowe till they undoe by repentance some foule offence witnesse the 32 and 51 Psalmes especially presumptuous sinnes prevaile against our peace 3. Prepare and arme we our selves against temptation for
his full harvest in perfect sanctification Paul himselfe being justified presently attained not perfection but laboured hard towards it Phil. 3.12 And an inseparable note of a justified person is that he longeth waiteth and sigheth to put off all corruption and misery and to put on fulnesse of grace and glory Rom. 8.23 We that have received the first fruites of the Spirit doe sigh waiting for the adoption even the redemption of our body 2 Cor. 5.4 Wee desire to he cloaâ—hed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life and verse 8. Wee love rather to remoove out of the body and dwell with the Lord. This Doctrine thus prooved unto us serves for the reproofe of sundry sorts of people First those are reprooved who content themselves with some illumination as if it were sanctification For 1. A man may be enlightened may come to a great measure of knowledge in the mysteries of the Gospell and make a profession among the Saints as Iudas and Simon Magus yet his heart and life remaine foule and uncleane 2. Through sanctification is indeede no such thing it is entire as the blood in all veines of the body so is it in all the powers of the soule and every part and member of the body 3. It is not enough to praise a Sermon or speake well of points in Divinity for wee heare the Divell speake well sometime of Christ Marke 1.28 4. Knowledge is either literall without reformation onely enlightening or spirituall enlightening and changing 2 Cor. 3.18 Therefore deceive not thy selfe sanctification begins in the understanding and minde but goes on to renew the thoughts the desires affections speeches and whole life Secondly such are reprooved as thinke civill life to be holinesse and content themselves with it as sanctification the world generally embraceth this shadow for the body and this image and livelesse carkasse for the life and being of sanctification betweene which there is as great difference as betweene a man and an ape 1. Sanctification orders the whole way and every steppe of it by the light of the word for the image of God is renewed in knowledge Col. 3.10 Civility goes not so high for the rule but depends on the reputation of men and estimation in the world he would neither be too forward nor yet of no religion It is too strict to take the word with us to guide every word every fashion of apparrell every thought than which what is more free 2. Sanctification is most conversant and chiefly carefull in religious duties which concerne God and his worship and his owne salvation this is the one thing necessary Luke 10. and the good part yet will it not be negligent in the workes of his speciall calling Civility is most in things for the naturall and civill life there is his spirit his soule his body and all and yet he must not be an Atheist he must sometimes doe religious duties but how seldome or how coldly tediously and of custome 3. Sanctification labours against the roote of sinne kills it in the birth blasts it in the budde draines the fountaine and renewes the spirit of the minde the eye of it spares no sinne but avoides the sinnes of the time of the trade his naturall and darling sinnes pluckes out eyes and cuts off hands Civility makes no great matter of the rooted and originall sinne it would stoppe some foule issues but it is loath to meddle with the fountaine it would not be noted for great sinnes foule adultery manifest theft noted lying drunkennesse c. but some gainfull or pleasurable sinne it cannot be without and as for smaller sinnes as idlenesse vaine talking evill speaking gaming lesser oathes and the like hee takes no notice of them nor is ever humbled for them 4. Civility may cover sinne but cures it not it may wrappe a clout on a wound but layes no plaister on it But sanctification is healing as well as cleansing as was shadowed in the Law concerning leprosie which was then pronounced to be cured when the uncleannesse was confessed and went no further 5. Sanctification is busie both to stocke up sin and enlarge the stocke of grace to get more strength against corruption more power to obey God in all things it markes the increase of grace and is thankfull for it it conscionably useth meanes of repairing graces decayed it renewes daily warre against the reigne of sinne and riseth to full sanctification in a most glorious victory and conquest over it Civility lets sinne alone to see if it will die it selfe it is too pittifull to kill it It is afraid of too great a stocke of grace because it is afraid of mortification it knowes a man cannot dye without paine no more can the olde man it observes as little increase as it cares for it holds it no conquest to get victory over secret lusts and so continues a willing slave unto them 6. Sanctification in all the good it doth in all the evill it abstaines hath a pure end and aymeth to please God with the displeasure of men and deniall of his owne corrupt heart will and affections Civility cares more for the offence of such men as in whose favour he would live than the offence of God is more strict in mans lawes than Gods must not displease or deny himselfe hath more care to be thought good than to bee good And thus wee see how civill men who seeme to themselves to outrunne others to heaven are quite out of the way and never set foote in the path of holinesse that leades to happinesse A civill man seemes a sheepe of Christ by his fleece but his liver is rotten Thirdly those are here reprooved who thinke this Doctrine needlesse perhaps impossible they meane not to be Saints till they be dead and never looke after full sanctification till they come to heaven and so they frame their lives as if it were absurd to thinke we could be Saints upon earth But no Saint on earth none in heaven such as shall attaine perfect sanctification in heaven are described to be such as must be written among the living in Ierusalem Esay 4.4 Thou must be such a one as must feele the power of the Spirit renewing thy soule body and spirit by which if thou findest not a mastery of all coruptions yet thou shalt finde a weakening of them all and a desire and indeavour to subdue them all with some successe so as this full sanctification shall be thy ayme and so as it shall come forward every day more than other Lastly those are reprooved who seeme to come to some measure of sanctification but either fall backe or rest in these beginnings caring for no increase in spirituall things There is no comfort at all in such standing for 1. Saving grace is alway growing 2. As covetous men never think they have golde enough so Gods children must and doe thinke they have never grace enough Therefore let us stirre up our selves
Rev. 21.6 A tast of that which is delicate makes a man long after his fill 2. By a diligent and constant using the meanes of increase A worldly man because hee loves wealth and money will take great paines for it and be laborious in the meanes Now faith purifieth Acts 15.9 therefore a godly man labours still for the increase of faith the word sanctifieth Iohn 17.17 a property of Saints is they are humbled at his feet to heare his word Deut. 33.3 see Exod. 19.5 6. 3. When we envie not grace to another but rejoyce in it and love it because it is Gods image Iohn 3.30 Hee must increase but I must decrease Moses the more grace himselfe had the more hee wished to others Num. 11.29 Enviest thou for my sake yea I would all Gods people were Prophets 4. True love of holinesse longeth and wayteth and sigheth to put off all the corruption of sinne and attaine that perfect happinesse wherein is perfection of holinesse Rom. 8.23 Wee that have received the first fruites of the Spirit sigh in our selves waiting for the adoption of sons Find in thee this affection to the first fruits here and full fruits hereafter to receive daily strength and increase and thy holinesse increaseth with thy hunger and thirst after it Never was there so happy an hunger the more hungry the more full The fourth Marke is Detestation or dislike of opposites of holinesse which as it increaseth so doth holinesse also Now this is manifest 1. In carefull avoiding things which quench shake or hinder grace and holinesse 1 Iohn 5.18 Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and the evill one toucheth him not 2. By rising into greater dislike of corruption without seeking base extenuations as to say this is a little sinne or a small sinne no every sinne will swell as a toade in his eyes 3. By crying out on the law of the members rebelling against the law of the minde Rom. 7.23 4. By complaining of secret and lesser evills which were never wont to trouble him 5. By ceasing from particular and beloved sinnes as Ephraim said to his idols Get you hence what have I to doe with you Hosea 14.8 my house is taken up already here is no roome for you 6. By the spirit of judgement and burning Esay 4.4 judging and condemning sinne The Spirit keepes an Assize in the soule pronounceth sentence against corruption and kindles a fire to burne up those bewitching evills and a fire of zeale and indignation against them Thou growest not in holinesse who growest not in the measure of hatred of evills answerable to thy former love and liking of them The fifth Marke is Disposition to good duties this is an argument of soundnesse of sanctification 1. When thou canst ever set the Lord before thee walking with God contented and glad to have him witnesse and judge of all both inward sincerity and outward innocency 2. When in all the workes of thy calling thou seekest not so much thine owne things as the things of Christ Phil. 2.21 3. When in the sober use of all Gods creatures thou art led to the contemplation of the Creatour Psal. 8.1 4. If when thou hast performed any good duty in any good measure thou rest not therein but labour more earnestly to doe it better 5. If when thou hast either omitted or slightly performed any good dutie thou be humbled and so bewailest that which is past as thou makest it up in duties behinde Now if these be the markes of proceeding in sanctification how rare is this duty 1. Where is the man that takes up this order of God that begins this worke at the spirit of the minde notwithstanding that God being a Spirit begins his chiefe worke in the Spirit and the law the rule of holinesse being spirituall especially requireth inward sanctity Ier. 4.14 O Ierusalem wash thine heart first loathe sinne inwardly and then outwardly Many will mend their lives but let their hearts alone which is all one as to cut off a waste bough and not to strike at the roote to seeke to draine a streame but not meddle with the fountaine 2. Where is the man that having changed his understanding from errour to truth changeth also his will from evill to good Here many faile who see what is good and approove it but themselves are as bad as ever they were 3. How few refine every part of their life and bring all the members within the whole rule who can say I hate all the evill which I loved and all the good which like a swine I trampled under feete offered in the meanes I now in some measure imbrace and practise I was intemperate now sober wanton and foule now chaste and pure a great swearer now I tremble at an oath and so in the rest One that is a foule monster still may reforme some things yea many things yea most but to come to through sanctification casts off many some are just not mercifull some have care of honesty not of godlinesse some are better in some company than in other few have respect to all the commandements 4. How many be there who have made some faire offers of beginning in the Spirit but have ended in the flesh They made men beleeve they had the substance of holinesse and would goe through the businesse but end in meere ceremony nay scarce that but are haters of holinesse Better it had beene for them that they had never beene inlightened never washed never purged than forget they were cleansed Now let him that filthy be filthy still and let him that is holy be holy still Rev. 22.11 The third generall thing proposed is Motives to grow up unto full sanctification I. Motive Consider that whatsoever thou castest thine eyes upon it calls upon thee to proceede in thy sanctification If thou lookest upward to God the further thou proceedest and the greater measure of sanctification thou attainest the more thou art like him and the more is he glorified Iohn 15.8 In this my Father is glorified that ye bring forth much fruite If to the Angels these holy and ministring spirits incessantly expect his charges and unweariably execute the same besides they are joyfull witnesses of thy profiting in grace and holinesse for if they rejoyce at the first peeping of holinesse in thy conversation how joyfull will they bee when it proceedeth to perfection in conversation If thou lookest round about thee to thy brethren thou must bee so farre from offending or scandalizing them that thou must be ready by all good offices to helpe them to edifie them especially by a godly and zealous example these must behold the shine of thy light both for the glorifying of God and their owne direction and encouragement at least thou must be blamelesse in the midst of a naughty generation holding out the word of life Phil. 2.14 15. If to the creatures even the whole world heaven and earth Sunne Moone and stars beasts
must delight thy selfe in the Lord which goes beyond love Psal. 37.4 delight thy selfe in the Lord make him thy chiefe seeke God himselfe the peace of God the favour of God the glory of God with most fervent affections Secondly love and affect all things in God and for God and God onely for himselfe thou must love nothing like him much lesse above him and least of all against him in all his creatures in all his actions in all his gifts labour to taste his sweetnesse Psal. 34.8 true love of the word is to love God in his word the true love of our neighbour is to love God in our neighbour c. Thirdly get your affections more to heaven than earth as an higher and more noble object Col. 3.2 it is not enough to affect heavenly things unlesse thou doest it with the chiefest of thy affections Set your affections on things above and not on things below that is comparatively for two Masters cannot be served with like affection we must seeke spirituall and heavenly things simply and absolutely as being simply good and to be affected and asked whatsoever become of other things but temporall and earthly with condition and limitation as being but conditionally good at the best IIII. Hate the worst things most The worst thing of all is sinne it is simply evill and so is nothing else wee must then hate sinne more than punishment sinne simply and directly resisteth Gods glory so doth not punishment makes for it it in the manifestation of his justice A wise man should rather chuse hell than Gods offence Sorrow for nothing so much as thy owne sinne count nothing so shamefull as that and thy selfe for it feare the evill of sinne more than the evill of torment because evill of sinne is more evill V. Rejoyce in nothing so much as in the pardon of sinne the righteousnesse of Christ the favour of God and that thy name is written in the booke of life Luk. 10.20 Get Gods image into thy affections frame thy affections to God for matter manner and measure to love or hate most where God loveth and hateth for so doth the man after Gods owne heart First God loveth his Sonne Iesus Christ above all men and Angels so must then the Christian esteeme Iesus Christ above ten thousand Secondly God loveth his word dearely as himselfe being a resemblance of himselfe in all his Attributes so must thou love the word as God himselfe nothing so dearely nothing in comparison Psal. 119. Oh how love I thy word all the day long it is my delight Thirdly God loveth the congregation and assemblies of his people the places of his worship he layeth the gates of Zion above all the habitations of Iacob Psal. 87.2 so must thou dearely love his house and the place where his honour dwelleth esteeming one day there better than a thousand elsewhere Fourthly God loveth his Saints so dearely that he will not dwell in heaven without them so must thou love the Saints dearely for the image and in imitation of God On the contrary the Lord hateth every sinne with an infinite hatred yea his soule abhorres it so must thou avoid and hate every evill way even all the wayes of falshood yea the appearance of evill and the very garment spotted by the flesh 2. He hateth the society and congregations of wicked men they shall not come into his presence so must we hate the company and society of wicked men Psal. 26.5 3. Hee hates wicked and false doctrine Revel 2. Thou hatest the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which I also hate 4. Hee hates the wicked manners and fashions of men though never so much approved and applauded amongst men so must thou hate the works of them that fall away they must not cleave to thee Psal. 101.3 Thou that lovest the Lord must hate all that is evill Psal. 97.10 VI. Bring thy affections often before God appeale to God and his word for the right carriage of them Ioh. 21.15 Lord thou knowest I love thee thou knowest I love thy word thy servants thy house thy glory So Lord thou knowest I feare thee as Ioseph feared to sinne against God and Nehemiah I feare God Lord thou knowest I hate sinne and sorrow for nothing so much as sinne and then bring them often to the rule of the word to confine and bound them The word teacheth that the measure of our love to God is without measure but the measure of all our love to other things is so farre as it may stand with the love of God in summo that is above all it teacheth that all earthly joy is with reference to God our chiefe joy The word will measure our anger and confine it to a small time the Sunne must not goe downe on our wrath it alloweth us to be angry but not to mingle our sinfull corruption with it Doe this the rather because our affections must be presented before God one day Now let us examine our selves and try our affections by these rules before named First Aske we our selves what it is wee love or hate whether our affections are set on the right objects and carried towards God or against evill as they ought to be 1. Hath the Spirit carried us not to a dislike but to an utter hatred of all sinne none is so bad but hateth some sinnes The prodigall hates covetousnesse The Iew can hate a Samaritane and mixt worship The Pharise can say I thanke God I am no extortioner no adulterer But just hatred excited by the Spirit is generall of whole kindes against all that is called sinne as the lambe hates all wolves and we hate all serpents none excepted The Law bound the Iew to hate all uncleannesse to touch none but that defiled onely the body the least of this uncleannesse impureth the most precious soule of man 2. The Spirit never raiseth hatred of evill but out of the love of good to which it is contrary Aske we our selves then whether doe we love or hate that which we may lawfully love or hate because God loveth or hateth it for many can dislike many foule evills and yet be farre from good Many can forbeare evill because the law of nature proclaimes against it the law of men condemne it rulers punish it shame attends it a gracelesse man can doe it So to love religion love the truth because the law favours it the kingdome embraceth it and for the present it is the safest all this is but pollicie an Atheist can doe it But grace embraceth truth because it is so because the Truth himselfe honoureth promoteth and prospereth it and commendeth it to our love and trust 3. For the manner doe wee love and hate as God loveth and hateth as he loves not vices for persons sake so hee hates not persons but vices Wee know what workes are hatefull to God but not whose persons belong unto him therefore wee must hate the workes of them that fall away but
curse but blesse and pray nor walke in their way for as wilde beasts cannot hurt him that keepes out of their walke so wicked men cannot seize on us to wrong us if we enter not into their way and walke Consider the praise the comfort of all religious duties Yea First that the practise of all religion it selfe stands in affection and desire Christian perfection is in affection not in action much lesse speculation and contemplation and hence receives his denomination Iob 28.28 The feare of the Lord is wisdome All wise and religious walking is included under the affections of the feare of the Lord to the duties of the whole law are all comprized under the affection of Iob. Secondly the comfort of these duties riseth out of the affection rather than action Art thou a Minister whether is thy comfort more to speake of good things than to affect them what if thou hast Angelicall abilities to discourse of faith love zeale hatred of evill and thy selfe scorne and hate these things when and where thou seest them If I had all gifts and want love saith Paul I were nothing knowledge puffeth up but it is love that edifieth Art thou a hearer and wouldest have comfort of hearing what doest thou affect in hearing to censure the Preacher curiously to feede thy judgement or to enable thy discourse this will not doe it But to heare with pure intentions of feeding the soule of doing duties to get our hearts sanctified our affections whetted our obedience bettered and to get the power of godlinesse and the power of the life to come within us all which the Lord knowes is the intent of a very few Thirdly the acceptance of these duties is more by the affection than the action and the action without the affection is as a body without a soule yea where the action was gloriously performed the Lord still wanted some proportion of affection as in many of the Kings of Israel Such a one did such and such good things but not with all his heart and affection and then all the labour is lost the reward perisheth and thy expectation is frustrate And in the feeblest actions of his children the Lord sees a good compensation made of the defect by the sincerity of the affection Consider the fruite of this care worth all our labour in it for First As one disordered affection drawes on another pride begets anger anger begets envie and envie begets hatred and so murther So one good affection begets another love begets feare feare begets humility and humility is a fruitfull mother of many vertues So good affections beget good actions good actions good habits good habits a good unblamable life Secondly this care settles and fastens the affections upon solid objects and comforts if the matter of our joy love feare desire and delight be God the fruite is internall and eternall this joy none shall take away But the wicked mans heart in laughter is sorrowfull and for continuance is as of thornes crackling under the pot and so are all affections displaced on wrong objects so they lose both affections and objects Thirdly looke what way we will the well guiding of our affections seasons our lives with much sweetnesse 1. Looke at God it holds Gods affection to us how well is the Lord pleased when our desires and affections are conformable to his How acceptable is our obedience to him when wee are holy as hee is holy mercifull as hee is mercifull when we walke in love as he hath loved us when his affections are the rule of ours and so are framed to his will for all his affections flow from his righteous will 2. It holds Gods presence with us in his ordinances Rev. 2. the Church of Ephesus had fallen from her first love and yet a little sparke was left shee hated the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which he hated and therefore the Lord will not remove the Candlesticke at least if shee recover her affection And this is our case the Church of England is wonderfully fallen from her first love and why doth the Lord spare our Candlesticke and holde up our light and peace and the Gospell above all Countries about us surely though wee are fallen from our first love and zeale yet a little sparke of love is left in some poore despised ones which holds life and soule in us and some hatred of Romish Nicholaitans for by the blessing of God the body of the kingdome the lawes and doctrine of the kingdome hates the doctrine and workes of the Nicholaitans and for this weake affection yet God spares our Candlesticke But let us quicken our hatred more for as our first love is in great part gone so if our hatred of evill goe to all is gone God shall see nothing to spare our Candlesticke 3. It holds us with God in the sweete fruition of his ordinances it kindles and keepes in us love feare zeale in his service which is the life of our service and soules and in all these the affection is more respected than the action It holds us fast to the truth What is it but zealous affection that will make us buy the truth at any rate what is the truths keeper but love what else but love makes us labour for it suffer for it die for it 4. Strong and earnest affections to God make us profitable to men provokes us to mercy compassion beneficence helpefull to all that neede us 5. It makes us enjoy our selves by patience wee possesse our soules love holds God in possession charity makes us possesse our brethren and patience puts us in possession of our selves Sanctified affections uphold the heart with joy unspeakable and glorious and leade a man happily to an happy estate 6. The well guiding of affections begins the life of heaven upon earth for the life of heaven is when the soule so cleaves unto God as to become like him when wee shall never love any thing but what he loveth nor hate but what hee hateth and this perfection wee must begin even here upon earth III. Now after the spirit and soule we are to consider these directions by which the body and outward man may be kept blamelesse All of them may bee reduced to that precept in the 1 Tim. 4.12 Be examples unto others in conversation and in communication the outward man must exercise inward grace First for conversation that is either private or publicke and in both a Christian must set himselfe a patterne of godlinesse 1 Pet. 1.15 Be holy in all manner of conversation in Gods house thine owne house in thine owne closet and privacy Psal. 101.2 David walked wisely in the midst of his house Isaac in the field alone meditates and prayeth Gen. 24.63 yea the women must be in such behaviour as becommeth holinesse 2 Tit. 2.3 Rules for conversation are 1. Generall 2. Particular The generall rules are five Glorifie God in your bodies and spirits for they are his 1 Cor. 6.20
we have a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God Heb. 2.17 who faithfully performes all his office both in expiating of our sinnes by one perfect sacrifice in earth and now interceding before God in heaven In the great worke of our justification we behold him just and faithfull to forgive our sinnes if wee acknowledge them 1 Iohn 19. for God is so faithfull that he cannot but justifie beleevers having said that hee that confesseth his sinnes and forsaketh them shall finde mercie Prov. 28. In the great worke of protection and preservation of his Church in earth He is faithfull and true that judgeth and fighteth righteously Revel 19.11 Yea and in heaven his faithfulnesse upholds their eternall happinesse 2 Tim. 1.12 I know whom I have beleeved and hee is able to keepe what I have committed to him against that day 4. Hee is faithfull in all his words and speeches because 1. They be the issue of a most faithfull and righteous will void of all insincerity and unfaithfulnesse 2. Never was word uttered by him but it declared both the thing in it self and as it was in the minde of him the speaker 3. Every word of his resembles his faithfulnesse As first his commandements are all just holy true and pure as hee is yea the rule of truth and faithfulnesse to us Psal. 19.9 Secondly his predictions all of them are faithfully accomplished many thousand yeares after as Christs incarnation in the fulnesse of time The Scepter departing from Iudah thousands of yeeres after the prediction Gen. 49.10 Thirdly his menaces and threatnings are most faithfull and true The olde world found them so after an hundred and twenty yeares warning Ierusalem overthrowne 40. yeares after our Saviour foretolde that not a stone should be left on a stone Fourthly his promises are most sure of accomplishment and his faithfulnesse shines in them all Abraham had a sonne promised in his youth God accomplished it in his age Israel had a promise of departing out of Egypt after 400 yeares and the same night went out with all his armies Exod. 12.41 Hebr. 10.23 Hee is faithfull that hath promised God is most faithfull and true 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithfull by whom ye are called 2 Cor. 1.18 God is true and his word is not yea and nay Revel 19.11 He that sits upon the white horse is called faithfull and true First because of his most just and righteous nature whose most righteous will is the rule of all his wayes Psal 145.17 And because himselfe is absolutely holy yea holinesse it selfe hee must be holy in all his workes as a light in whom is no darknesse from which image of God so soone as the Angels themselves fell they delighted in lies falshood and all unfaithfulnesse Secondly because hee is most perfect and unchangeable in perfection a nature most simple in which can be no composition much lesse contrariety Now if the Lord should be unfaithfull he must be changed from himselfe and so denie himselfe which the Apostle saith he cannot doe and be God Thirdly his most pure and holy affection makes him most faithfull his love to his children suffers him not to disappoint them in any of his promises his just conceived displeasure against sinne and sinners suffers not one word of threatning to fall to the ground his zeale to his owne glory makes him magnifie his truth and faithfulnesse above all things Fourthly all imperfection is removed from him which makes the creature often faile in his purposes and promises as 1. Want of wisedome to foresee something which if it come to passe doth disappoint us lay all our plots in the dust But he is wisdome it selfe foreseeing all things and forecasting all things and ordering them so as nothing shall crosse his purpose or promise 2. Weaknesse or impotency may hinder us in effecting that wee verily purposed or promised But strength is his nothing can resist him Is any thing impossible to God Luke 1.47 no though he say a Virgin shall conceive and beare a childe it must be so if all created nature say contrary 3. Distance of place may make us faile of our purpose and promise wee cannot be present alwayes where we would and have purposed But hee is omnipotent fills both heaven and earth Whither shall I flie from thy presence If I ascend into heaven thou art there if I goe downe into hell thou art there c. 4. Discontinuance in time may hinder our projects and purposes wee may die before wee can performe our promises But hee is for ever and of his yeares there is no end his owne eternall being gives an everlasting being and truth to his promises Is God faithfull 1. Imitate our heavenly Father herein in all our words workes and wayes expresse faithfulnesse and truth seeing wee professe our selves children of him who is faithfull and just in all his wayes Let not us by contrary courses disclaime and disgrace him But First see that all our words be faithfull as his are agreeing with the truth of the thing whereof we speake and with the truth in our mindes Beware of all lies and falshood in earnest or in jest Consider 1. It is a property of Satans broode to love lies whereof he is the authour whose first sinne was not to stand in the truth if wee would be like unto God wee must hate the Divells qualities especially wherein hee is most contrary to God 2. God hates lying so as hee rangeth it among most monstrous sinnes that wee also should so hate it Revel 21.8 and 22.11 and fly it as a most hatefull and enormious offence 3. The stile of a Christian is to be of the truth being sanctified by the spirit of truth And a marke of the remnant of Israel that they speake no lies Eph. 3.13 4. The danger God will destroy all them that speake lies Psal. 5.6 and not onely keepes them out of the gates of the great Citty but provides a lake of fire and brimstone for them for being most unlike God of all men they shall be cast furthest from him Secondly bâ—ware of slipperinesse in our promises and covenants All the promises of God are in Christ yea and amen 2 Cor. 1.20 our promises also must be yea and amen firme and faithfull Alas that in the dayes of such light men should be so light and false in promises so unfaithfull in contracts and covenants that words and bands almost are but winde as if mens honest words should be as sure as bands onely in dayes of darknesse and superstition or as if the word of truth had chased away true and faithfull dealing among the professours of it or as if Christian faith and fidelity could not live together in the same world nor in the same age Doth nature teach a man to be ashamed of a verball lie and doth not grace much more of an actuall Thirdly we must be faithfull in our actions and wayes and in both
our callings both generall and speciall Be faithfull in thy profession of godlinesse lurke not as an hypocrite among the Saints carry no treacherous purpose to save thy selfe by denying or betraying the truth give it thy heart hand and tongue and life if it require it beware of a politique profession never let thy practise disagree from thy profession Consider Christ professed a good profession before Pilate and sealed it with his life and death 1 Tim. 5.13 and wilt thou so nourish any secret fraud in thy heart contrary to thy profession and Paul telleth Timothy hee had made a good profession and a faithfull before many witnesses And this is a most necessary doctrine we know not how soone we may be called to it therefore learne it betimes that we may be like our heavenly Father in faithfulnesse not onely in times of prosperity but in times of tryall for a Christian man is that indeede which he is in tryall let us shew our selves to bee that wee seeme to be Then in thy speciall calling be faithfull Christ was a faithfull high Priest in things concerning God Heb. 2.17 and Moses was faithfull in all the house of God as a servant Heb. 3.5 So it is required of every Minister or dispenser of the secrets of God that hee be faithfull 1 Cor. 4.1 the steward of Gods house must be faithfull to his Lord and to his family It is not great pompous titles that commends a Minister but his faithfulnesse Prov. 13.17 A faithfull Messenger is health And in thy private calling deale faithfully with all men and in all things both great and small so doth God who is not the rule onely but the witnesse and judge 1 Thess. 4.6 Let no man defraud his brother God is the avenger of all such things 4. In friendship be faithfull God is most faithfull to his friends in prosperity in adversity in life in death Be faithfull especially in the fellowship of the Gospell specially aiming at holinesse as the Lord doth and to draw thy friend along to heaven with thee and helpe him out of sinne else a sorry friend art thou But how farre we from this among whom it is so hard to finde a faithfull friend who in civill things will sticke to a man in adversity Where is to be found the friendship of David and Ionathan Among Heathens we reade of a Daman and Pithias of a Pylades and Orestes of an Euryalus and Nysus of an Achates who was a faithfull friend to Aeneas and would not leave him in danger But few such are to be found among Christians among whom faithfull friendship is degenerated into pollicy and flattery The Heathens could say that they used not fire or water oftner than friendship would Christians could say so of faithfull friendship and yet they seeme to pull the Sunne out of heaven who would take faithfulnes from friendship in the lives of men Would to God that Christians had not forgotten these naturall principles We all professe our selves to be of the family of Christ would it were with us as in that that but one of twelve were unfaithfull to God and their friend But wee see the contrary too too often 5. In communicating to thy brethren be faithfull lay out thy Lords talent faithfully as a wife and faithfull servant whom the Lord may make ruler over his house Luk. 12.42 Hast thou much many talents be faithfull in much and thou shalt finde much faithfulnesse in the Lord. Hast thou little be faithfull in that little and thy Lord shall make thee ruler over much when it shall be said Well done good and faithfull servant c. Matth. 25.23 Oh that men would remember the doome against the evill servant Matth. 25.30 Cast the unprofitable servant into utter darknesse Why was he judged so severely 1. Because an hypocrite comes among the good servants and receives some talents 2. Having his talent hee hideth it in the earth earth eates him up and buries him alive 3. He is unprofitable hinders his Lord and makes him a loser and doth no good to others all which makes the sentence as just as severe and certaine 2. This faithfulnesse of God is the ground of all true religion and hereupon must the whole frame and all parts of it be laid This appeares in five instances 1. In all the doctrine of faith 2. In all the practise of faith 3. In all the prayers of faith 4. In all profession of faith 5. In all perseverance in faith First we must ground all the doctrine of faith all the articles of faith all our judgement and opinion in matters of faith upon this faithfulnesse of God and this by holding fast in them all the faithfull word Titus 1.9 for that onely is the true religion which is wholly grounded upon his word who is unchangeable in truth and faithfulnesse How could we beleeve all the Articles of faith which are unconceivable and impossible to reason if we ground them not upon Gods faithfulnesse in his word How should we conceive that the heavens and earth were created of nothing that the Sonne of God should become man should be borne of a Virgin should by dying overcome death by descending into hell should deliver from hell How should wee beleeve that our bodies cloathed with corruption and wrapped in deaths garments should rise againe to eternall life which Article the Sadduces mocke at if wee should not apprehend them as the word of him that is faithfull and true Contrary hereto the maine pillars of Popery are set upon the unfaithfull words of men of Fathers Councels Traditions Popes Whereas Rom. 3.4 Let God be true and every man a lyer Be he Father or holy Father further than hee speakes according to the faithfull word Nay if an Angel from heaven speake otherwise let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 Nay the Popish Church is so farre from acknowledging this faithfulnesse of God in the Scripture as it never found a greater resister or opposite among the sects and opposite heresies in the world For bring in either Iewes or Turkes or any kinde of heretickes more vilifying Gods faithfulnesse in the Scripture and Papists shall not be the worst But did ever any of them accuse the Scripture to be a nose of waxe the authority of it to be no better than Esops Fables without the Churches determination to be a leaden and a Lesbian rule to be a seed-plot of heresies and they to be heretickes that stand to the voice of the Scriptures Doe not they call the Bible the booke of heretickes doe they not burne the Scriptures as sometime did wicked Asa Antiochus Maximinus Have they not burned Christian men for having them Let any such furious heretickes against Gods faithfull word be brought in if they can But certainly Papists must carry the bell above all other in the world for standing opposite to the faithfulnesse of God in the Scripture and be the most hereticall as who shut the doore against the