Eyes what reason have we to be humbled for this unstedfastnesse of our Hearts from whence the diffluence and loosenesse of every other faculty proceeds 2 If we must bewail the falsenes of our Hearts that stand in need of Covenants how much more should we bewail their perfidiousnesse in the violation of Covenants That they take occasion even by Restraint like a River that is stopped in his course to grow more unruly Or as a man after an Agâ—e which took away his stomack to return with stronger appetite unto sin again To crucifie our sins and in repentance to put them as it were to shame and then to take them down from the Crosse again and fetch them to life and repent of Repentance To vow and after vows to make inquirie Prov. 20.25 This is a very ill requitall unto Christ. He came from glory to suffer for us and here met with many discouragements not onely from enemies but from friends and Disciples Iudas betrayes him Peter denies him his Disciples sleep his kinsfolks stand afarre off yet he doth not look back from a Crosse to a Crown and though he be tempted to come down from the Crosse yet he stayes it out that he might love and save us to the uttermost but wee no sooner out of Egypt and Sodome but we have hankering affections to return at the least to looke backwards again Engage our selves to be ruled by the Word of the Lord as the Jews did Ier. 42.5 6. and with them Ier. 43.2 When wee know his Word cavill against it and shrinke away from our owne resolutions O how should this humble us and make us vile in our own eyes God is exceeding angry with the breach of but Hâ—mane Covenants Ier. 34. 18. Ezek. 17.18 How much more with the breach of Holy Covennants between himself and us and threatneth severely to revenge the quarrell of his Covenant Levit. 26.25 and so doubtlesse he now doth and will do still except we take a penitent Revenge upon our selves for it And therefore Lastly having entred into Covenant we should use double diligence in our performance of it Quickning and stirring up our selves thereunto 1 By the consideration of the stability of his Covenant with us even the sure mercies of David Isa. 54.8 9.55.3 To break faith with a false person were a fault but to deceive him that never fails nor forsakes us increaseth both the guilt and the unkindnesse 2 By consideration of his continued and renewed mercies If he were a wildernesse unto us there might be some colour to repent us of our bargain and to look out for a better service But it is not onely unthankfulnesse but follie to make a forfeiture of mercies and to put God by our breach of Covenant with him to break his with us too Ier. 2.5 6 7.31 Numb 14.34 Ion. 2.8 3 By consideration of our Baptisme and the tenor thereof wherein we solemnly promise to keepe a good conscience and to observe All things whatsoever Christ commandeth us 1 Pet. 3.21 Mat. 28.19 20. From which engagement wee cannot recede without the note and infamie of greater perfidiousnesse To take Christs pay and do sin service to be a subject unto Michael and a pensioner unto the Dragon to weare the Liverie of one Master and do the work of another to be an Israelite in title and a Samaritan in truth this is either to forget or to deride our Baptisme 2 Pet. 1.9 for therein wee did as it were sâ—bscribe our names and list our selves in the Register of Sion and as it is an high honour to be enrolled in the genealogies of the Church so is a great dishonour to be expunged from thence and to be written in the Earth and have our names with our bodies putrifie into perpetuall oblivion Ierem. 17.13 Nehem. 7.64 65. 4 Consider the seale and witnesses whereby this Covenant hath been confirmed Sealed in our own consciences by the seale of faith beleeving the Holâ—nesse of Gods wayes and the excellencie of his Rewards for he that beleeveth hath set to his seale Joh. 3.33 mutually attested by our spirits feeling the sweetnesse of dutie and by Gods spirit revealing the certainty of Reward Rom. 8.16 and this in the presence of Angels and Saints into whose communion wee are admitted 1 Corinth 11.10 Hebr. 12.22 so that wee cannot depart from this Covenant without shaming our selves to God to Angels to men and to our own consciences Yea the Font where we were baptized and the Table where we have sacramentally eaten and drank the body and blood of Christ the very seats where we have sate attending unto his voice like Ioshua his stone cap. 24.22 27. will be witnesses against us if we deny our Covenant though there be no need of witnesses against those who have to do with the searcher of hearts and the Judge of consciences that consuming fire whom no lead no drosse no reprobate silver no false metall can endure or deceive no Ananias or Saphira lie unto without their own undoing Lastly let us consider the estate which these Covenants do referre unto and our Tenure whereunto these services are annexed which is eternall life After we have had patience to keep our short Promises of doing Gods will he will performe his eternall promises of giving himself unto us And who would forfeit an inheritance for not payment of a small homage or quitrent reserved upon it If we expect eternall life from him there is great reason we should dedicate a mortall life unto him Let us not pay our service in drosse when we expect our wages in gold THE THIRD SERMON HOSEAH 14. VER 2.3 2. So will we render the calves of our lips 3. Ashur shall not save us we will not ride upon Horses neither will we say any more to the works of our hands ye are our Gods for in thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy HAving handled the generall doctrine of our entring into Covenant with God I shall now proceed unto the particulars which they here engage themselves unto whereof the first is a solemne Thanksgiving We will render the calves of our lips All the sacrifices of the Jewes were of two sorts Some were Ilasticall propitiatory or expiatory for pardon of sin or impetration of favour others were Eucharisticall sacrifices of praise as the peace-offerings Levit. 7.12 for mercies obtained Psal. 107.22 With relation unto these the Church here having prayed for forgivenesse of sin and for the obtaining of blessings doth hereupon for the farther enforcement of those petitions promise to offer the peace-offerings of praise not in the naked and empty ceremony but with the spirituall life and substance viz. the Calves of their lips which are moved by the inward principles of hearty sincerity and thanksgiving From hence we learn that sound conversion and repentance enlargeth the heart in thankfulnesse towards God and disposeth it to offer up the sacrifice of praise And this duty here promised cometh
his promise If God whose promises are sure binde himselfe to perform them by his oath How much more are we bound to tye our selves by covenant unto God to doe those things which are our dutie to do unto the doing whereof we have such infirme principles as are a mutable will and an unstedfast heart For the latter our relation unto him we are His not onely by a propertie founded in his soveraigne power and dominion over us as our Maker Lord and Saviour Psal. 100.3 1 Cor. 6.19.20 but by a propertie growing out of our own voluntary consent whereby we surrender and yeeld and give up our selves unto God Rom. 6.19 2 Cor. 8.5 we are not onely his people but his willing people by the intervention of our own consent Psal. 110.3 We give him our hand as the expression is 2 Chron. 30.8 which is an allusion to the manner of Covenants or engagements Prov. 6.1.17 18. Ezek. 17.18 We offer up our selves as a free oblation Rom. 15 16. and are thereupon called a kind of first fruits Iam. 1.18 We are His as the wife is her Husbands Hos. 2.19 Ezek. 16.8 Now such an interest as this ever presupposeth a contract As in ancient forms of stipulation there was Asking and Answering Spondes Spondeo Promittis Promitto Dabis Dabo As in contract of Marriage the mutuall consent is asked and given Gen. 24.58 so it is here between God and the soul the covenant is mutuall Gen. 17.2 He promiseth mercie to be our exceeding great reward and we promise obedience to be his willing people and usually according as is the proportion of strength in our faith to beleeve Gods promises of mercy to us such is also the proportion of care in our obedience to perform our promises of duty unto him II. From our selves And here Covenants are needfull in two respects 1. In regard of the falsenes and deceitfulnes of our corrupt hearts in all spirituall duties The more cunning a Sophister is to evade an argument the more close and pressing we frame it The more vigilant a prisoner to make an escape the stronger guard we keep upon him Our hearts are exceeding apt to be false with God One while they melt into promises and Resolutions of obedience as Pharaoh and Israel did Psal. 78.34.37 and presently forget and harden again Lots wife goes out of Sodome for fear of the judgements but quickly looks back again out of love to the place or some other curiosity and distemper of minde Saul relents towards David and quickly after persecutes him again 1 Sam. 24.17.19 This is the true picture of mans Heart under a strong conviction or in a pang of devotion or in time either of sicknesse or some pressing affliction on the Rack in the furnace under the râ—d nothing then but vows of better obedience all which doe oftentimes dry sudenly away like a morning dew and whither away like Ionahs gourd Therefore both to accknowledge and prevent this miserable perfideousnesse of such Revolting Hearts it is very needfull to binde them unto God with renewed Covenants and since they are so apt with Ionah to runne away and start aside to neglect Nineveh and to flee to Tarssish necessary it is to find them out and to bring them home and as David did Psal. 57.7 to fix and fasten them to their businesse that they may not runne away any more 2. In regard of the naturall sluggishnesse which is in us unto dutie We are apt to faint and be weary when we meet with any unexpected difficulties in Gods service to esteeme the wildernesse as bad as Egypt to sit downe as Hagar did and cry to think that half way to heaven is farre enough and Almost a Christian progresse enough that baking on one side will make the cake good enough that God will accept of bankrupt-payment a noble in the pound part of our hearts and duties for all We must sometimes venture to leap the hedge for there is a Lion in the way Now to correct this Torpor this Acedia and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles calls it 1 Thess. 5.14 this pusilanimitie and faint-heartednesse in Gods service we must bind them on our selves with renewed Covenants and put to the more strength because of the bluntnesse of the Iron Eccles 10.10 A Covenant doth as it were twist the cords of the Law and double the precept upon the soul. When it is onely a precept then God alone commands it but when I have made it a promise then I command it and bind it upon my self The more feeble our hands and knees are the more care we should have to bind and strengthen them that we may lift them up speedily keep them straight Hebr. 12.12 13. and the way hereunto is to come to Davids resolution I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal. 17.3 Emptie velleities wishings and wouldings will not keep weak faculties together Broken bones must have strong bands to close them fast again A crazie piece of building must be cramped with Iron barres to keep it from tottering So if we would indeed cleave to the Lord we must bring purposes of Heart and strong resolutions to enable us thereunto Act. 11.23 Cleaving will call for swearing Deut. 10.20 As it should be our prayer so also our purpose to have hearts united to fear Gods Name Psal. 86.11 whence the phrases of preparing fixing confirming establishing rooting grounding and other like so frequently occurring in the Scripture 2 Chron. 30.19 1 Chron. 29.18 Eph. 3.17 Heb. 13.9 Iam. 5.8 III. From our Brethren that by an holy Association and spirituall confederacy in heavenly resolutions every mans example may quicken his brother and so duties be performed with more vigour and fervencie and return with the greater blessings If fire be in an whole pile of wood every stick will burn the brighter the greenest wood that is will take fire in so generall a flame Men usually have more courage in the body of an Armie where concurrent shoutings and encouragements do as it were infuse mutuall spirits into one another then when they are alone by themselves David rejoyced in but recounting the companies and armies of Gods people when they went up to Jerusalem in their solemne feasts Psal. 84.7 And therefore most Covenants in Scripture were generall and publick solemnly entred into by a great body of people as that of Asa Iosiah and Nehemiah the forwardnesse of every man whetting the face of his neighbour Prov. 27.17 IV. From the multitudes strength vigilancie malice assiduous attempts of all our spirituall enemies which call upon us for the stronger and more united Resolutions For common adversaries usually gain more by our faintnesse and divisions then by their own strength Therefore Souldiers use to take an oath of fidelitie towards their Countrey and service And Hannibals Father made him take a solemn oath to maintain perpetuall Hostility with Rome Such an Oath have
such a purchase which will make it at the last but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet Bitter like Iohns Roll which was sweet in the mouth but bitter in the belly like Claudius his mushrome pleasant but poison that will blast all the pleasures of sin and turn all the wages of iniquity in Aurum tholosanum into such gold as ever brought destruction to the owners of it It is said of Cm Seius that he had a goodly horse which had all the perfections that could be named for stature feature colour strength limmes comelinesse belonging to a horse but withall this miserie ever went along with him that whosoever became owner of him was sure to die an unhappy death This is the misery that alwayes accompanies the bargain of sin How pleasant how profitable how advantageous soever it may seem to be unto flesh and blood it hath alwayes calamity in the end it ever expires in a miserable death Honey is very sweet but it turns into the bitterest choler The valley of Sodom was one of the most delightfull places in the world but is now become a dead and a standing lake Let the life of a wicked man run on never so fluently it hath a mare mortuum at the dead end of it O then when thou art making a Covenant with sin say to thy soul as Boaz said to his kinsman Ruth 4. â— 5. At what time thou buyest it thou must have Ruth the Moabitesse with it If thou wilt have the pleasureâ— the rewards the wages of iniquitie thou must also have the curse and damnation that is entaild upon it and let thy soul answer which he there doth No I may not do it I shall marre and spoil a better Inheritance II. This may serve for an Instruction unto us touching the duties of solemne Humiliation and Repentance which is the scope of the Prophets direction in this place We must not think we have done enough when we have made generall Acknowledgements and confessions of sin and begg'd pardon and grace from God but we must withall further binde our selves fast unto God by engagements of new obedience as holy men in the Scripture have done in their more solemne addresses unto God Nehem. 9.38 Psal. 51.12 13 14 15. for without amendment of life prayers are but howlings and abominations Hose 7.14 Prov. 28.9 Quantum a praeceptis tantum ab auribus Dei longe sumus No obedience no audience A beast will roar when he is beaten but men when God punisheth should not onely cry but covenant Unto the performance whereof that we may the better apply our selves let us a little consider the nature of a Religious Covenant A Covenant is a mutuall stipulation or a giving and receiving of faith between two parties whereby they do unanimously agree in one inviolable sentence or resolution Such a covenant there is between God and true beleevers He giving himself as a Reward unto them and they giving themselves as servants unto him He willing and requiring the service and they â—illing and consenting to the Reward He promising to be their God and they to be His people Heb. 8.10 A notable expression of with joynt and mutuall stipulation we have Deut. 26.17 18. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgements and to hearken unto his voice and the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee and that thou shouldest keep all his Commandments And to make thee high above all Nations which hee hath made in praise and in name and in honour and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as hee hath spoken Where wee have both the mutuall expressions of intimate relation one to another and the mutuall engagements unto universall obedience on the one side and unto high and precious benefits on the other growing out of that Relation For because God is mine I am bound to serve him and because I am his He hath bound himselfe to provide for me We are not now to consider that part of the Covenant which standeth in Gods promise to be our God which in generall importeth thus much Gods giving himself in Christ unto us and together with Christ All other goods things Benefits relative in justification from sin and Adoption unto sons Benefits Habituall A new nature by Regeneration A new heart and life by sanctification A quiet conscience by peace and comfort Benefits Temporall in the promises of this life Benefits eternall in the glory of the next Thus is Christ made of God unto us wisdom in our vocation converting us unto faith in him Righteousnes in our justification reconciling us unto his Father Sanctification in our conformity unto him in grace and Redemption from all evils or enemies which might hate us here and unto All Glory which may fill and everlastingly satisfie us hereafter 1 Cor. 1.30 But wee are now to consider of the other part of the Covenant which concerneth our engagement unto God wherein we promise both our selves and our abilities unto him to be His people and to do him service The materiall cause of this Covenant is whatsoever may be promised unto God and that is first our persons Secondly our service Our persons We are thine Isa. 63.19 Giving our own selves to the Lord. 2 Cor. 8.5 not esteeming our selves our own but his that boughâ— us 1 Cor. 6.19 and being willing that he which bought us should have the property in us and the possession of us and the dominion over us and the liberty to do what he pleaseth with us Being contented to be lost to our selves that wee may bee found in him Phil. 3.9 If sin or Satan call for our tongue or heart or hand or eye to answer these are not mine own Christ hath bought them the Lord hath set them apart for himselfe Psal. 4.3 They are vessels for the Masters use 2 Tim. 2.21 I am but the steward of my self and may not dispose of my Masters goods without much lesse against his own will and commands Our services which are matters of necessity matters of Expediencie and matters of praise All which may be made the materials of a Covenant 1 Matter of Dutie and necessitie As David by an oath bindes himselfe to keepe Gods righteous judgements Psal. 119.106 And the people in Nehemiah's time enter into a curse and an oath to walk in Gods Law and to observe and do all his commandments Nehem. 10.29 2 Matter of circumstantiall expediency which in Christian wisdome may be conducent unto the main end of a mans life or may fit him for any speciall condition which God calleth him unto So the Rechabites promised their Father Ionadab and held that promise obligatory in the sight of God not to drink wine nor to build houses c. Ier. 35.6 7. because by that
voluntary hardship of life they should bee the better fitted to beare that captivity which was to come upon them Or because thereby they should the better expres the condition of strangers amongst Gods people upon whose outward comforts they would not seem too much to inâ—roach that it might appear that they did not incorporate with them for meer secular but for spirituall benefits It was lawfull for Paul to have received wages and rewards for his work in the Gospel as well of the Churches of Achaia as of Macedonia and others as he proveth 1 Cor. 9.4.14 yet hee seemeth upon the case of expediencie that hee might cut off occasion from them that desired occasion and might the better promote the Gospel to bind himself by an oath for so much those words The truth of Christ is in me do import as the Learned have observed never to bee burdensome in that kind unto those Churches 2 Cor. 11.7 12. Lawfull thingâ— when inexpedient and gravaminous may bee forborn by the bond of a Covenant 3. Matter of thanksgiving and praises unto God in which case it was usuall to make and to pay vowes What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards me saith David I will take the cup of salvation as the use of the Jewes was in their feasts and sacrifices of thanksgiving Luk. 22.17 I will pay my vows unto the Lord. Whereby it appears that godly men when they prayed for mercies did likewise by vâ—ws and Covenants bind themselves to return tribute of praise in some particular kinde or other upon the hearing of their prayers Psal. 116.12 13 14. Psal. 123.2 3. so Iacob did Gen. 28.22 and so Iepthah Judg. 11.30 31. and so Hanna 1 Sam. 1.11 27 28. and so Hezekiah Isa. 38.20 and so Ionah cap. 1.9 so Zacheus to testifie his thankfulnesse unto Christ for his conversion and to testifie his through mortification of covetousnesse which had been his masterâ—sin did not onely out of duty make restitution where he had done wrong but out of bountie did engage himselfe to give the half of his goods to the poor Luke 19.8 The formal cause of a Covenant is the Plighting of our fidelitie and engaging of our Truth unto God in that particular which is the matter of our Covenant Which is done two wayes Either by a simple promise and stipulation as that of Zacheus or in a more solemn way by the Intervention of an oath or curse or subscription as that of Nehemiah and the people there The efficient cause is the person entring into the Covenant In whom these things are to concurre 1 A clear knowledge and deliberate weighing of the matter promised because error deception or ignorance are contrary to the formall notion of that consent which in every Covenant is intrinsecall and necessary thereunto Non vidâ—tur consentire qui errat 2 A free and willing concurrence In omni pacto intercedit actio spontanea and so in every promise Not but that Authoritie may impose oaths and those as well promissory as Assertorie Genes 24.3 1 Kings 2.42 Ezra 10.3.5 as Iosiah made a Covenant and caused the people to stand unto it 2 Chron. 34.31 32. But that the matter of it though imposed should bee such in the nature of the thing as that it may be taken in Iudgement and Righteousnesse that so the person may not be hamper'd in any such hesitancie of conscience as will not consist with a pious spontaneous and voluntarie concurrence thereunto 3 A power to make the promise and binde ones self by it For a man may have power to make a promise which is not finally obligatorie buâ— upon supposition As a woman might for her own part vow and by that vow was bound up as to her self but this bond was but conditionall as to efficacy and influence upon the effect to wit if her husband hear it and held his peace Num. 30.3.14 4 A power having made the promise to perform it and this depends upon the nature of the thing Which must be first possible for Impossibilium nulla est obligatio No man can bind himselfe to things impossible And next lawfull in regard either of the necessity or expediencie or some other allowablenesse in the thing For Turpe est jure impossibile we can do nothing but that which we can do rightfully Sinfull things are in construction of Law impossible and so can induce no Obligation A servant can make no promise to the dishonour or disservice of his Master nor a childe or Pupill contrary to the will of his Parent or Guardian nor a Christian to the dishonour or against the will of Christ whom he serves In every such sinfull engagement there is intrinsecally dolus error deceptio the heart is blinded by the deceitfulnesse of lust Ephes. 4.18.22 Hebr. 3.13 2 Pet. 1.9 2 Cor. 11.3 And these things are destructive to the nature of such an action as must â—e deliberate and spontaneous Promises of this kinde binde to nothing but Repentance From these considerations we may learn what to judge of thâ— promises which many men make of doing service unto God 1 Some joyn in Covenants as the greatest part of that tumultuous concourse of people who made an uproar against the Apostle were gathered together They knew not wherefore Acts 19.32 do not understand the things they promise As if a man should set his hand and seale to an Obligation and not know the contents or condition of it Such are all ignorant Christians who have often renewed their Covenant of new obedience and faith in Christ and yet know not what the faith of Christ is or what is the puritie spiritualnesse and widenesse of that Law which they have sworne unto As the Apostle saith of the Jews If they had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory wee may say of many of these if they knew the purity holinesse of those things which they have vowed to keep they either would not have entred into Covenant with God at all or would bee more conscientious and vigilant in their observation of it It is a signe of a man desperately carelesse to run daily into debt and never so much as remember or consider what hee owes If there were no other obligation to tye men unto the knowledge of Gods will this alone were sufficient that they have undertaken to serve him and therefore by their own Covenants are bound to know him For surely many men who have promised repentance from dead works if they did indeed consider what that Repentance is and unto what a strict and narrow way of walking it doth confine them would go nigh if they durst to plead an Error in the Contract and to professe that they had not thought their Obligation had engaged them unto so severe and rigid a service and so repent of their repentance But in this case Ignorance of what a man ought to
was the continuation of Anger but at last when he admitted him into his presence and kissed him here that Anger was turned away from him too 2 Sam. 14.21.24.33 These words then containe Gods mercifull answer to the first part of Israels prayer for the Taking away of all Iniquity which had beene the fountaine of those sad Judgements under which they languished and pined away Wherin there are two parts 1. The Ground of Gods answer His free love 2. A double fruit of that love 1. In Healing their Backsliding In removing his Anger and heavie Iudgements from them We will breifly handle them in the order of the Text. I will Heale their Backsliding When Gods people do returne unto him and pray against sin then God out of his free love doth heale them of it First he teacheth them what to aske and then he tells them what he will give Thus we finde Conversion and Healing joyned together Isai. 6.10 They shall returne even to the Lord and he shall be intreated of them and shall heale them Isai. 19.22 Return Backsliding children I will Heal your Backslidings Ier. 3.22 Men if they be injured and provoked by those whom they have in their power to undoe though they returne and cry peccavi and are ready to aske forgivenesse yet many times out of pride and revenge will take their time and opportunity to repay the wrong But God doth not so His Pardons as all his other Gifts are without exprobratâ—on as soon as ever his servants come back unto him with teares and confession he looks not upon them with scorn but with joy his mercy makes more haste to embrace them then their repentance to returne unto him Luke 15.20 then out comes the wine the oyle the balme the cordials then the wounds of a Saviour doe as it were bleed afresh to drop in mercy into the sores of such a Penitent O though he be not a dutifull not a pleasant childe yet he is a childe though I spake against him yet I remember him still my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him Jer. 31.20 The Lord greatly complaines of the inclination of his people to backsliding and yet he cannot finde in his heart to destroy them but expresseth a kinde of Conflict betweene Iustice and Mercy and at last resolves I am God and not man I can as well heale their backsliding by my Love as revenge it by my justice therefore I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger but I will cause them to walk after the Lord Hos. 11.7.10 Yea so mercifull he is that even upon an hypocriticall conversion when his people did but flatter and lie unto him and their heart was not right towards him nor they stedfast in his covenant yet the Text saith he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity not as to the justification of their persons for that is never without faith unfained but so farre as to the mitigation of their punishment that he destroyed them not nor stirred up all his wrath against them Psal. 78.34.35 for so that place is to be expounded as appeareth by the like parallel place Ezek. 20 17. Neverthelesse mine eye spared them from destroying them neither did I make an end of them in the wildernesse Now the Metaphoricall word both here and so often elsewhere used in this argument leadeth us to looke upon sinners as Patients and upon God as a Physician By which two considerations we shall finde the exceeding mercy of God in the pardon and purging away of sinne set forth unto us Healing then is a Relative word and leades us first to the consideration of a Patient who is to be healed and that is here a grievous sinner fallen into a Relapse Healing is of two sorts The healing of a sicnesse by a Physician the healing of a wound by a Chirurgian And Sinne is both a sicknesse and a wound The whole head sick the whole Heart faint from the soale of the foot even unto the Head there is no soundnesse in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isai. 1.5.6 A sicknesse that wants healing a wound that wants binding Ezek. 34.4 A sick sinner that wants a Physician to call to repentance Matth. 9.12 13. A wounded sinner that wants a Samaritan so the Iewes called Christ Iohn 8.48 to binde up and poure in wine and oyle Luek 10.34 Diseases are of severall sorts but those of all other most dangerous that are in the vitall parts as all the diseases of sinne are and from thence spread themselves over the whole man Ignorance pride carnall principles corrupt judgement diseases of the Head Hardnesse stubbornesse Atheisme Rebellion diseases of the Heart Lust a dart in the Liver Corrupt communication the effect of putrified lungs Gluttony and drunkennesse the swellings and dropsies of the belly despaire and horrour the griefe of the bowels Apostacie a Recidivation or Relapse into all An Eare that cannot heare God speake Ier. 6.10 An Eye quite dawbed up that cannot see him strike Ier. 44.18 Isai. 26.11 A palate out of taste that cannot savour nor relish heavenly things Rom. 8.5 Lips poisoned Rom. 3.13 A Tongue set on fire Iam. 3.6 Flesh consumed bones sticking out sore vexed and broken to pieces Iob 33.21 Psal. 6.2 51.8 Some diseases are dull others acute some â—â—upifying others tormenting Sinne is All. A stupifying palsie that takes away feeling Ephes 4.19 A plâ—guâ— in the Heart which sets all on fire 1 King 8.38 Hos. 7.4 Let us consider a little the proper passions and effects of most diseases and see how they suite to sinne First Paine and distemper This first or last is in All sinne for it begets in wicked and impenitent men the pain of guilt horrour trembling of heart anguish of conscience fear of wrath expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as in Cain Pharaoh Ahab Felix and divers others Gen. 4.13.14 Exod. 9.27.28 1 King 21.27 Acts 24.25 Isai. 33.14 Hebr. 2.15 Rom. 8 15. Hebr. 10.27 And in Penitent men it begets the pain of shame and sorrow and inquietude oâ— spirit a wound in the spirit a prick in the very heart Rom. 6.21 Ezek. 16.61 2 Cor. 7.10 Prov. 18.14 Acts 2.37 Penitency and Paine are words of one derivation and are very neare of kin unto one another Never was any wound cured without paine never any sinne healed without sorrow Secondly c weaknesse and Indisposednesse to the Actions of life Sinne is like an unruly spleen or a greedy wenne in the body that sucks all nourishment converts all supplies into its own growth and so exhausts the strength and vigor of the soul making it unfit and unable to do any good When ever it sets about any duty till sinne be cured it goes about it like an arm out of ioynt which when you would move it one way doth fall back another It faints and flaggs and is not able to put sorth any skill or any
they be not quenched 2 Tim. 1.6 So to rejoyce in the Lord as withall to work out our salvation with fear and trâ—mbling Psal 2.11 Phil. 2.12 13. never to let the grace of God puffe us up or make us forgetfull of our own weaknesse but as the Apostle sâ—ith of himself in regard of Gods grace When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12.10 so to say of our selves in regard of our own naturall corruption when I am strong then I am weak Secondly This must not so humble us as to deject and dismay us or make us give over the hope of holding out to the end when our nature is so weak our enemies so strong our temptations so many but we must withall be quickned by these considerations with prayer to implore and with faith to rely on and draw strength from the word and grace of God to have alwayes the window of the soule open towards the Sunne of righteousnesse whereby the supplies of his grace to prevent exciâ—e assist follow establish us and carry on every good thing which he hath begun for us may be continually admitted This is one of the most necessary duties for a Christian to hold constant and fixed purposes in godlinesse the Scripture frequently calls upon us for them that with purpose of heart wee would cleave unto God Act. 11.23 That we would continue in the grace of God Act. 13.43 that we would bee rooted and grounded in love Ephes. 3.17 that we would hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering Hebr. 10.23 thâ—t we would be stedfast and unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord 1 Cor. 15.58 that we would look to our selves that wee may not lose the things which wee have wrought 2 Ioh. ver 8. that we would hold fast and keep the works of Christ unto the end Revel 2.25 26. and it is that which godly men are most earnestly solicitous about and do strive unto with greatest importunity I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal. 17.3 Vnite my heart to feare thy name Psal. 86.11 My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Psal. â—7 7 Therefore in this case it is necessarie for us to draw nigh unto God who onely can ratifie all our pious resolutions who giveth power to the faint and to them that have no power encreaseth strength Isa. 40.29 who onely câ—n settle and stablish the â—earts of men 1 Pet. 5.10 The conscience of our duty the sense of our frailtie the power malice and cunning of our Enemies the obligation of our Covenant should direct the souâ—e perpetually unto God for the supply of his grace that that may in all our weaknesses be sufficient for us and hold us up that we may be safe as the Psalmist speaks Psal. 119.117 and may never through infirmitie or unstablenesse of spirit violate our own resolutions Thirdly This is matter of great comfort unto the godly that in the midst of so many temptations snares impediments amongst which we walk not onely the sâ—fetie of our souls and securitie of our eternall salvation but even our present condition in this life our conversion our obedience all our pious purposes of heart all the progresse we make in an holy conversation do not depend upon the weaknesse and uncertainty of an humane will but upon the infallible truth the constant pâ—omise the immutable purpose the invincible power the free love the absâ—lute grate the omnipotent wisdome and working of God who doth whatsoever he pleaseth both in heaven and earth and worketh all things by the counsell of his own will I the Lord change not therefore you sonnes of Jacob are not consumed Mal. 3.6 We poore and weak men change with every winde strong to day and weak to morrow fixed and resolute to day shâ—ken and staggering to morrow running forward to day and revolting as fast to morrow no hold to be taken of our promises no trust to bee given to our Covenants Like Peter on the water we walk one step and we sink another All our comfort is this our strength and standing is not founded in our selves but in the rock whereon we are built and in the power of God by which we are kept through faith unto salvation out of whose hands none are able to pluck us our verie actions are wrought in us and carried on unto their end by the power of Christ who hath mercy wisedome and strength enough to rescue us as from the power of hell and death so from the danger of our own fickle and froward hearts To see a man when hee is halfe a mile from his enemie draw a sword to encounter him or take up a stone to hit him would be but a ridiculous spectacle for what could he do with such weapons by his own strength at such a distance But if he mount a canon and point that levell against the enemie this we do not wonder at though the distance be so great because though the action be originally his yet the effect of it proceedeth from the force of the materials and instruments which he useth to wit the powder the bullet the fire the canon It seemed absurd in the eye of the enemy for little David with a Shepheards bagge and a sling to go against Goliah an armed Gyant and it produced in his proud heart much disdaine and insultation 1 Sam. 17.41 42 43. But when we heare David mention the name of God in the strength and confidence whereof he came against so proud an enemy this makes us conclude weake David strong enough to encounter with great Goliah It is not our own strength but the love of God which is the foundation of our triumph over all enemies Rom. 8.38 39. But some will then say then we may be secure If Gods grace and power be our alone strength then let us commit our selves and our salvation unto him and in the meane time give over all thoughts and care of it our selves and live as wee list no act of ours can frustrate the counsell or the love of God To this we answer with the Apostle God forbid Though the enemies of Free Grace do thus argue yet they who indeed have the grace of God in their hearts have better learned Christ For it is against the formall nature of the grace and Spirit of Christ to suffer those in whom it dwelleth to give over themselves unto securitie and neglect of God for grace is a vitall and active principle and doth so work in us as that it doth withall dispose and direct us unto working to The propertie of grace is to fight against and to kill sinne as being most extremely contrary unto it and therefore it is a most irrationall wâ—y of arguing to argue from the being of grace to the life of sinne How shall wee that are dead to sinne live any longer therein Rom. 6.2 If we be dead to sinne this is argument