it cannot wrest from us this application What if a franticke man should boast and bragge abroad that all the wares which are landed in such a Port are his wil the right owner be thereby discouraged or brought to thinke that they are none of his and so leave to lay claime unto them If an Vsurper should challenge the Crowne as his owne and belonging unto him must wee therefore beleeve him or should this unjust claime barre the right and lawfull Heires and enforce them to give over their just title Or what if some shall shew false and counterfeit Pearles will the Goldsmith be dismaied by it and begin to doubt whether his owne be good and thinke they are naught so wee may say What though others doe not beleeve or will not apply Christ to themselves or falsely make account of the promises to be theirs which indeed are none of theirs or what if Satan have deluded such with the spirit of error what though dogs and whelpes lay claime to the childrens bread shall we therefore suffer our selves also to be mocked and brought to thinke we are deceived and that wee have no faith or confidence in particular to our selves So then to conclude we affirme that the Devils Iude 6. who are reserved in everlasting chaines under darknesse unto the judgement of the great Day have notwithstanding as much faith as the Romanists for they can say I beleeve there is a God one God remission of sinnes sealed up by Christ to salvation but neither they nor the Romanists ever came to make any paticular application of these or any other promise to themselves But what was it the better for the Prodigall sonne to know there was bread enough in his fathers house whiles in the meane season he had no part of it Luke 15.17 2 King 7.4 but was in danger to perish for hunger or for the foure Lepers to know there was plenty enough in the Host of the Syrians whiles themselves sate at the gate of the City ready to die but when once they came to taste thereof they soone found strength thereby So it shall availe us nothing at all to know there is much good in the Church for the Children of the Church while there is none at all in our owne hearts Secondly it behooveth every man to examine himselfe hereby whether his faith be true or not And how can we better doe this then by trying whether we have a particular application of the promises of God to our selves or not Where this is done truly there is true faith Where it is not men deceive themselves with an opinion or imagination of faith whereas indeed they have nothing lesse Now for as much as we must be brought unto this try all as it were into the field it is to be feared that it will descry and discover a great measure of infidelity to be in the world For how many are there that condemne this doctrine touching the applying of Christ and all the promises that in him are Yea Amen unto the glory of God to be either a doctrine of presumption or the beaten path to desperation and therfore are afraid of it and dare not meddle with it They will hope well as the Romanists doe and thinke well of themselves as civill men doe and thereupon perswade themselves they shall have well But all this while there is no talke of speciall faith nor of particular application Their case must needs be lamentable and they in a damnable condition Such are like to some sicke men who out of an evill humour and distemperature of the braine perswade themselves that they may not eate or drinke and that they are unworthy to touch and taste their meat and by this meanes are the causes of their owne death and destruction yet they thinke they may see it and looke upon it they may heare of it and talke of it and they may reason about it but by no meanes taste it and touch it and eate of it Thus it fareth with common Christians and this is the faith that is commonly to bee found every where a sicke faith God wot they thinke they may heare of the promises by others and talke of them to others but by no meanes they may apply them which is as much as to feed upon them These are in a dangerous and damnable estate like to a man that hath an excellent remedy and receit for his wound but he never applyeth it to the sore or â—o a man that hath meat but never taketh it such a one must needs famish himselfe and perish For as our Saviour saith Hee that eateth me Ioh. 6.57 58. even hee shall live by mee hee that eateth not of this bread that came downe from Heaven shall not live for ever If any of the Israelites being mortally stung with the fiery Serpents should have said I know Numb 21.6 9. God hath appointed a soveraigne remedy to heale me but I am not worthy of it and therefore I dare not be so bold and presume to looke upon the brazen Serpent would we not say he perished justly so may we be bold to say in this case 1 Tim. 1.15 All men among us know that God hath sent his Sonne into the world to save sinners howbeit if we goe no further we have no more benefit by it then a man that barely beholdeth food but never feedeth of it can such food nourish him or such meate strengthen him If we doe not apply Christ and his death and all the promises of mercy and salvation to our selves we are in the high and broad way to destruction his judgements follow us at the heeles and shall overtake us Obiect If any aske how we shall know whether we doe truely apply the promises made by Christ or not because the heart of man is evill and deceitfull above all things and the secret corners of it hard to finde out Answ Jer. 17.10 I answer We shall know it by these few notes How we may know whether we have true faith or not If wee have the true faith first wee shall finde the Devill an open enemy unto us in the matter of this speciall faith Hee will fight with us hand to hand and set foot to foot against us and strive with us in the matter of our assurance as hee did with Michael about the body of Moses Jude 9. Wee are therefore seriously to examine our selves whether we finde any doubts or distrust and whether we have not many questions arising in our hearts which are ready to call our faith into question suggesting unto us that we have no faith at all thereby shaking the very foundation of the house If we finde these wrastlings and struglings in us as Rebecca did of the twinnes that were in her wombe it is an argument wee have a true faith conceived in us This rule is drawne out of Christs Words to his Disciples Luke 22.31 Luke 22. Satan hath
THREE TREATISES Viz. 1. The Conversion of NINEVEH 2. Gods Trumpet sounding the Alarum 3. Physicke against Famine Being plainly and pithily opened and expounded in certaine Sermons By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex IONAH 3.5.10 So the people of Neneveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest of them even to the least of them And God saw their workes that they turned from their evill way and God repented of the evill that he had said that hee would doe unto them and he did it not LONDON Printed at by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Michael Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. THE CONVERSION OF NINEVEH Wherein is declared on the one side the lively power of the Ministerie working Faith and Repentance in the hearers and on the other side the admirable effects of Prayer and Fasting calling backe the judgements of God threatned against sinners By William Attersoll Minister of the Word of God at Isfield in Sussex Mat. 12.41 The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgement with this generation and shall condemne it because they repented at the preaching of Ionas and behold a greater than Ionas is here 2 Cor. 10.4.5 The weapons of our war-fare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds Casting downe imaginations and every c. Printed at London by Tho. Cotes and are to be sold by Mic. Sparke at the blue Bible in Greene Arbor 1632. To the Right Worshipfull Sr. John Rivers Baronet one of his Majesties Iustices of the peace in the County of Kent Encrease of grace in this life and addition of glory in the life to come Right Worshipfull HAving heretofore upon sundry occasions divulged sundry Bookes which are abroad in the world whereby J received much encouragement J resolved notwithstanding being now in yeares and as it were donatus rude Horat. lib. 1. epist 1. preparing for a nune dimittis utterly to give over and to enjoyne my selfe a perpetuall silence touching this kind of writing and to content my selfe with performing the other more necessary duty of teaching Neverthelesse being requested or rather importuned by friends to publish some things which had lyen a long time by mee whereof they doubted not but J had some store J delivered into their hands these two short Treatises both of one nature preached at such time as the heavie hand of God was gone out against us in Towne and Citie For after that he had sent forth his destroying Angel Psal 91.7 and that thousands fell at our side and ten thousands at our right hand and by his Majesties expresse appointment and commandment we were enjoyned weekly to assemble together for the practise of piety in the exercises of humiliation that the Lord at length might say It is enough 2 Sam. 24.16 1 Chro. 21.15 Stay now thy hand J thought J could not bestow the time better than to deliver and insist upon the doctrine of repentance which is the life of all our fasting albeit handled before by many that we repenting of the evill which we had committed he might repent of the evill which he had executed For what is all our praier but lip-labour and a sacrifice abominable in his eares or what is all our outward fasting and abstinence but meere hypocrisie which his soule abhorreth unlesse they be accompanied with faith in his promises and with repentance from dead workes Chrysost ad◠versus Iudaos or atie prima It was well said of Chrysostome long agoe against the Iewes Ne ita dixeris jejunant quin potiùs illud mihi ostendito eos ex Dei sententia jejunare quod ni ita fiat quavis ebrietate sceleratius est jejunium Let no man say to mee they fast rather let them shew that they fast according to the minde and meaning of God or as he hath ordained for unlesse they fast after this manner their fasting is farre worse than any drunkennesse no doubt because they abused the holy name of God and under a pretence of piety they practised all kinde of impiety And immediatly afterward Neque enim solùm considerandum est quid ab istis fiat verùm illud etiam observandum quam ob causam faciant that is we are not onely to consider the action what men doe but the affection is principally to be observed for what cause and intent they doe it It cannot be denied but the Israelites fasted and praied before they went to battell against their brethren the Benjamites Iudg. 20.23 they wept before the Lord untill even yet were they overthrowne and 18000. of them perished with the edge of the sword Some men may justly marvaile that the cause of the Israelites being good and of the Benjamites bad yet that they fell before the men of Benjamin yea albeit they fasted and prayed and consulted with God who should first beginne the warre Rogers upon Iudges pag. 921. But whatsoever men may object or mutter the Lord might dispose of the issue and successe of it without any injury to them that were overcome forasmuch as it is free for him to afflict and chasten his as it pleaseth him who hath alwaies just cause so to doe and among such as are supposed to be most innocent what man shall be able justly to say to him Why hast thou done thus Hee doth all things well neither can evill dwell with the Almighty whereas wee are corrupt and in our best workes defective Besides he would prevent the evils that hang about us and abate the strength of pride or some other sinne whereunto by nature he seeth wee are most prone yea he will make triall what patience faith obedience and thankfulnesse is in us whether such graces be in us or not True it is it is not directly expressed what the cause was why God gave Israel the foile and forsooke them in the day of battell But whether they did trust in their great armies and put confidence in an arme of flesh and therefore doubted not but presumed of the victory and prevailing over their enemies or whether they did it not in truth and sincerity because they did not as well pursue the men of Dan for their Idolatrie and forsaking of God Iudg. 18.30 31. Gen. 49.18 the fact being as horrible every way as the private injurie offered to the Levites Concubine It is most certaine they did not throughly repent as indeed they did afterward and prevailed when they were throughly humbled So then notwithstanding the goodnesse of their cause the greatnesse of their strength the consultation with God the practise of fasting and the duty of prayer yet may we still say as the sonnes of the Prophets in another case 2 King 4.40 There is death in the pot the want of true turning to God defiled and deformed all the rest This is the great and generall fasting not to abstaine from meat and
drinke but to cease from sinne as the Prophet speaketh August super Iohan. Esay 58.6 Chrysost suâ— per Math. Hee that sinneth and yet withall fasteth saith Chrisostome doth not fast to the glory of God but spareth his owne substance onely This is handled at large in these Treatises wherein is noted what the true exercise of fasting is what are the outward and inward parts thereof the one answering to the other together with the severall abuses of the counterfeit fastings True it is the Church of Rome complaine against us and accuse us as enemies to fasting even as the Pharisees sometimes condemned the Disciples of Christ Math. 9.14 whom he excuseth and defendeth but were we worthy of this reproch and reproofe yet are they the unfittest to upbraid us with it who beside the bare name and naked title of fasting have nothing remaining of the true nature and right practise thereof but the end they ayme at is to set up their owne merits and to puffe up them selves with pride as it was with the blind Pharisees their predecessors whom in this and in sundry other points they follow These things thus laid open J presume to offer to your Worship whose good affection to our Tribe so much scorned and scoffed at in the world and carefull frequenting the exercises of religion many wayes appeareth and as a token and testimony of my thankfull remembrance of your love to me in that you disdaine not but upon every occasion of passing by to come under the roofe of my poore cottage remembring the words of our blessed Saviour Mar. 6.4 A Prophet is not without honour save in his owne Countrey and among his owne kinne and in his owne house The God of heaven and earth encrease your zeale to the truth and finish that good worke which he hath begunne in you unto the day of Jesus Christ Your Worships at command William Attersoll THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTISE OF FASTING and PRAYER of FAITH and REPENTANCE IONAH 3.4 And Ionah beganne to enter into the City a dayes iourney and he cryed and said Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrowne THis Prophecie is wholly Historicall as the other prophecies are dogmaticall It containeth the History of Ionah relating what happened to himselfe when he was sent of God to the great Cittie Nineveh Gen. 10.12 to denounce unto the Ninevites their utter overthrow Who this Prophet was and when he prophecied may be gathered sufficiently out of the Scripture where we reade that Ieroboam the second restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Hamath unto the Sea of the Wildernesse according to the word of the Lord 2 King 14.25 which he spake by his servant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet which was in Gath Hepher And it seemeth that he was the first of all the Prophets whose writings are extant and remaine in the Church for the instruction thereof in faith and obedience For he lived before the battell of Ioash King of Israel with the Syrians about the end of the dayes of Elisha 2 King 13.14 and 14.25 Neither let any object the Prophecy of Micah as though he were before in time the same that prophecied in the daies of Ahab 1 King 22. Because these two were not both one but different neither doe their names accord in the Originall as may appeare to every one that readeth True it is this prophet hath this end and yssue of his writing with the rest to set forth the judgements and mercies of God toward mankind but this he hath proper and peculiar that he is not here sent unto the Church and people of Israel but onely unto prophane unbeleevers and uncircumcised persons that we should understand thereby that God hath rule over all nations and is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Rom. 3.29 and an avenger of sinne in whomsoever he findeth it Rom. 2.12 according to the saying of the Apostle As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 For then the Prophets were sent to the Syrians 1 King 17.9 19.15 2 King 8.7 and to them of Damascus and to the Tyrians howbeit extraordinarily at the will and pleasure of God And doubtlesse by his sending of his Prophets to strangers out of the promised land God would reprove and condemne the desperate stubbornnesse of the people of Israel who would not be moved and perswaded by so many of his holy Prophets that were sent and dwelt among them and by so many threatnings as were brought upon them where as these poore infidels and unbeleevers did by and by beleeve and obey the voyce of one Prophet Math. 12.41 Luk. 11.32 that the Lord might say of them as he doth in an other case Matth. 8.10 I have not found so great faith no not in Israel I will not stand to discourse at large the vaine conceit and idle speculation of Epiphanius Epiphan of the life of the Prophets touching this Ionah For he telleth us that Elias gat himsalfe into the Wildernesse by reason of a great famine which hee had called upon the land where being nourished by Ravens he quenched his thirst with the water of the brooke and when the brooke was dryed up hee was an hungred and removed into Sarepta a Citie of Sidonia 1 King 17.9 Luk. 4.26 unto a poore woman a Widdow the mother of Ionah and entred into her house now the woman left nothing undone of that which he commanded her and he did eate and blessed her for he could have no abode with the uncircumcised And when as Ionah the sonne of the woman was deceased God raised him up by Elias and restored him alive unto his mother because of the entertainement which she gave unto him and that when Ionah was come to full age he was sent unto Nineveh to the Assyrians Where we have some truth mingled with much falsehood and therefore he deserveth to be credited no farther then he hath the warrant of Gods word being deceived with the tales of the Iewes that are masters of such lyes I know the common sort are most of all delighted with such new tangled devises that have no substance in them howbeit we should not please such itching eares nor feed them with empty winde in stead of wholesome food but avoid prophane bablings and oppositions of science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the faith 1 Tim. 6.20.21 In this prophecy observe a twofold calling or sending of Ionah the first in the two former chapters which he rejected the second in the two latter which he executed In this third chapter is set forth the execution of his calling together with the fruit and profit thereof in the Ninevites whereby we may see his errour and oversight in flying from his function and supposing that he was sent in vaine when
the cheefe Priestes Math. 21.25 the baptisme of Iohn whence is it From heaven or is it of men Is our ministery of God or is it of men For the hearer must confesse his treacher to be sent of God if his teaching beget faith and repentance in him and praise the name of God for it and acknowledge the blessing of God upon his labours to be an infallible token of his lawfull calling Ier. 23.21.22 Mal. 2.46 2 Cor. 3.1.2 On the other side God doth not convert men to himselfe or establish them in grace by false and Antichristian Ministers and meanes The holy martyrs were members of our Church I would likewise aske the Question of the holy Martyrs of our Church which accounted not their owne lives precious vnto them but laid them downe for the truthes sake are these martyrs of God or of the Devil were they members of a true Church or of a false and were they instructed in the faith by Christian ministers or by Antichristian nay doubtlesse they were not ashamed to professe themselues children of our Churches and reuerenced our ministers as their spiritual fathers and would have accounted it no small blessing if they might have beene suffered to heare them Thirdly they are reproued who thinke that above all other things the preaching of the word may best be spared and that the office of the Ministers is least of all usefull and necessary But is faith necessarie is repentance of any use is saluation out of request If these be giftes absolutely necessary then must the preaching of the truth and the publishing of the Gospel be necessary also without which they cannot be attained of us Christ Iesus is the greatest gift under Heaven after him the ministery of the word is the highest benefit whereby we come to know Christ and him crucified I say it is the greatest benefit which God hath given to the Sonnes of men Eph. 4.12 Eph. 4. for the gathering together of the Saints and the edification of the Church Whosoever therefore despiseth the preaching of the Word 1 Thess 4.8 despiseth not man but God and is guilty of his owne condemnation For as our bodies cannot live without food so our soules prosper not without the word Lastly it reproueth all drowsie and carelesse hearers that are a sleepe when they should heare these exclude and shut out faith that it should not enter But how should God open our hearts when we will not keep open our eares or how should he heare our praiers when we will not heare his Fastours Is it not all one altogether to be absent and to be thus present Secondly it serueth for information First it is a matter of great comfort for the lost sheepe of Christ straying from the sheepefold to understand that there is a way left to recover wandering sinners which is the hearing of the word and thereby to come to saluation Secondly it is a speciall blessing to live in such places and among such people where the word is taught and where they may be partakers of hearing Happy are they that hearken to the saving doctrine of the Gospell with a desire to understand it and care to obey it But wofull and feareful is their estate that live in such barraine places where the dearth of the word pineth away the soule we may say of them in deed and in truth Num. 13.32 They are lands that eate up the inhabitants thereof and in that day shall the faire virgins and young men faint for thirst Thirdly it teacheth that the sense of hearing is a great and necessary blessing of God and therefore fitly called the sense of understanding and of beleeving True it is God can worke without and no doubt he doth true it is also that our other senses are good helpes of many notable things especially the eyes are speciall furtherers of knowledge God hath two bookes whereby he teacheth us and wherein we reade his marueilous wisedome the one Psal 19.1 Rom. 1.19.20 1 Cor. 1.21 the great booke of his Creatures wherein we see his eternall power and godhead and learne to give him the glory the other is his written word inspired of God and iâ— profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction and for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of God may bee perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes 2 Tim. 3.16.17 Fourthly where the word is not taught according to the Ordinance of God there ordinarily sinners are not converted to God For there is no other ordinary meanes under heaven to conuert sinners and to worke faith in us than the Ministery of the word How then can we learne what true faith and true repentance is without the word Without which we must perish and be condemned Hence it is that Salomon saith Where vision failâ—th Pro. 29.18 the people perish Behold therefore the misery of the people who are as sheep dispersed and scattered without a Sheepheard and without such leaders as may shew them the good and right way wherein they should walke and so come to the kingdome of heauen Fiftly all such as through negligence carelesnesse contempt and wilfulnesse refuse the hearing of the word doe cast from them the meanes of their salvation and forsake their owne mercies nay they renounce faith and turning to God and account themselues unworthy of eternall life Such were those Iewes which are spoken of Act. 13. who resisted the word Act. 13.46 railed at it and spake against those things that were spoken contradicting them and blaspheming and therby renouncing their part in Christ Iesus Such are many carelesse and dissolute persons among us little better than Atheists who are never touched with any love of the word or desire of it but cast it behind their backe and set it after all the vanitie and pleasures of this life Lastly Mar. 4.24 Luk. 8.18 it is our duty to take heed how we heare For it standeth us vpon to regard not onely what we heare but how we heare and to looke to the manner as well as to the matter For we may perish as well by not hearing aright as by hearing that which is not right and consider that it is not enough to heare the truth but we must heare truly That we may attaine to this we must performe these seuerall duties to attend unto it to marke it to understand it to hold it fast and lastly to apply it The first point required of us The first duty of hearers is that we attend hearken unto it diligently It is not sufficient to heare It is one thing to heare but hearkning and giuing eare is another thing To heare requireth no more but the eares of the body to hearken requireth the eares of the mind Hence it is that Christ saith Math. 13. He that hath eares to heare Math. 13.9 let him heare Where he sheweth that there is a double hearing outward and inward or else he would never charge
lived in the mountaines and in the tombes crying and cutting himselfe with stones They then wander wide out of the right way and are ignorant what the true revenge is neither let them looke for any reward at the hands of God who bring sorrow upon themselues and are executioners or tormenters of themselues Or what commendation of patience can arise to them that afflict themselues and suffer willingly from their owne hands Secondly let us see wherin this revenge standeth Vse 2 how we may use it aright in what particulars it consisteth First there cannot be a greater revenge than to spoile our adversary of his chiefest delight and to vexe him with the contrary The flesh in every one hath oftentimes some darling sinne at least wherein it most delighteth which most properly we may call our iniquity above all the rest Psal 18.23 and which is as the right eye or the right hand the right eye in respect of pleasure the right hand in respect of profit This right hand and right eye must be cut off and pulled out Thus did Zacheus when hee was conuerted Luk. 19. his gainfull and profitable sinnes of wrong and oppression being his master sinnes he shaketh off and renounceth Luk. 19.8 Behold Lord the halfe of my goods I give to the poore and if I have taken away any thing-from any man by false accusation I restore him foure-fold This taking of revenge was the counsell that Daniel gave to Nebucadnezzar Dan. 4.27 to breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquity by shewing mercy to the poore The maine sinne of Paul was persecution and wasting of the Church but loe how he revenged the flesh after his Conversion as fast as hee had destroyed and plucked downe so fast he builded up againe even with both his hands and laboured more abundantby than all the rest yea he never traveiled so farre to persecute the faithfull but he tooke a thousand times more paines to preach the faith Act. 9. Rom. 15.19 Gal. 1.23 1 Cor. 15.10 The great labours which he tooke in planting Churches in perils in watchings in wearinesse 2 Cor. 11.26.27 in hunger and thirst in cold and nakednesse were nothing else but his revenge upon the flesh for the paines he had taken before in persecuting Secondly this revenge consisteth in converting those very things which have beene the matter or object of sinne and abused by the flesh to sinne to the seruice of God to be the matter of our repentance as the siluer gold that was abused to Idolatry was afterward employed to the worship of the true God David in his adultery defiled the mariage-bed in his repentance he washed his bed with teares Psal 6.6 yea all night long he made it to swim So the Ephesians that had used curious artes when once they beleeued came and confessed and shewed their deedes for they made a sacrifice to the Lord of their Conjuring bookes of exceeding value Act. 19.19 esteemed to be worth fifty thousand pieces of siluer And as the Israelites had sinned greeuously in offering their earings of gold to make therewith a Calfe so repenting of their Idolatry Exod. 35.22 they offered likewise gold and earings to the Tabernacle willingly whose heart made them willing to bring an offering to the Lord untill there was more then enough Exod. 36.5 Thirdly when with the same members and instruments of our bodies which the flesh most of all hath abused to sinne and wickednesse wee in speciall sort seeke and endeauour to glorifie God Zachariah the Priest sinned with his mouth in giving God the lie whiles hee beleeved not the Angell sent unto him that God would give him a sonne but so soone as hee could speake for he was striken dumbe he glorified God with his mouth and praised his name Luk. 1. Luk. 1.64 So the woman which is thought to have abused her eyes her haire his lippes to wantonnesse and uncleannesse for she was a greevous sinner when she repented she revenged her selfe upon the flesh in shewing her love to Christ she ceased not to kisse his feet to wash them with the teares of her eyes and to wipe them with the haires of her head O how happy were it for such as have used their tongues to deceit whose mouthes have beene full of cursing and blasphemy their throate an open sepulcher if they would circumcise their lips and make their tongues their glory to glorifie the name of God! that whereas they have cursed bitterly Eph. 4.29 now they may learne to blesse graciously that our communication may be good to the use of edifying and minister grace unto the hearers And such as have had feet swift to shed blood to carry them to places of vanity and impiety of drunkennesse and uncleannesse happy were it if they would take revenge of themselues and use their feet to carry them into the house of God Psal 122. â— and say to the Lord Our feete shall stand within thy Gates O Ierusalem Psal 122.2 Fourthly we take revenge on the flesh when we oftentimes refraine ourselves and bridle our affections from the use of things otherwise lawfull because we have offended therein As if we have offended in gluttony and drunkennesse we should punish our selues with fasting and abstinence from strong drinke as we take knives from children when they cannot use them without hurting of themselues The last point of this revenge is when we upbraid the flesh and cast it in the teeth with those afflictions which God sendeth as the wages of sinne For though we may not draw punishments upon our selues to mortifie the flesh yet when God imposeth them upon us for our good we should make benefit and advantage thereof and insult over the flesh and triumph over it when God punisheth it rating and checking it as the cause of all our smart Ah thou vile flesh I may thanke thee for all this paines and sorrow I could not turne thee but I hope God will now tame thee I could not convert thee but I trust God will now evert thee and turne thee quite out of dores thou liftedst up thy selfe aloft but God will bring thee under thou rebell Thus we should joyne with God helpe him to whip our sinnes harder and oftner by taking his part justifie him in all his dealings drive his chasticementes home to our hearts as the nailes to the head and impute all the causes of our afflictions to our selues If we would try our repentance by this revenge and our revenge by these few notes alas where shall we find the repentance that is required among the greatest number doe we mortifie our beloved sinnes or are they as bitter as gall and wormewood unto us doe we turne those things times and place which we have abused to sinne to be matters and witnesses of our repentance doe we turne those members of our bodies abused to sinne to be instruments of righteousnesse and
sackcloth God deferred his judgment threatned how much more shall true repentance obtaine the love and favour of God and blot out all our offences out of his sight From hence arise sundry uses Vse 1 First from the nature of contraries we learne that to such as continue in sinne and have hearts that cannot repent there is no mercy to be looked for because they treasure up vnto themselues wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God who will render to every man according to his deeds And therefore the Apostle saith Vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Revel 2.5 tribulation and anguish upon every soule of man that doth evill of the Iew first and also of the Gentile Woe then to all such as lie in sinne and please not God they fill up their sinnes alway and his wrath shall come upon them to the uttermost True it is every unrepentant sinner can say the Lord is mercifull and Christ is the Saviour of the world but to whom is he mercifull and whom will he save Not every one that can say Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of the father which is in heaven To this purpose consider these few rules First God hath made no promise in all the Scripture to impenitent persons Search the Scriptures for in them ye looke to have eternall life but in the whole volume of that booke ye shall not find one line or letter that will minister comfort to the soule that continueth in evill doing Secondly they deceive themselues that looke for mercy that lie under wrath and see not their owne misery Indeed there is promise of mercy yea sundry promises in every Prophet and in the writings of the Apostles but they are made to the penitent The Lord God hath no pleasure at all that the wicked should die but then they must returne from their owne waies Ezek. 18.21.23 that they may live he will put all their wickednesse out of his remembrance but first they must turne from all their sinnes that they have committed and do that which is lawfull and right he hath promised to draw neere unto them Iam. 4.8.10 but then they must draw neere unto him yea they must clense their hands and purifie their hearts he hath said he will lift them up but first they must humble themselues in the sight of the Lord. Thirdly Christ Iesus is a Saviour but he saveth none but such as are his people none are his people but such as beleeve in him and none beleeve in him but those whose hearts are purified by faith Except we be new creatures let us never say we are in Christ or that he is a Saviour unto us he hath wrought the great worke of redemption and paid a deare price to ransome us his own pretious blood but let us remember and never forget that he gave himselfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Tit. 2. Lastly consider that notwithstanding the shield sheiter of the mercy of God to which every man runneth he hath brought sundry both generall and particular judgments upon the children of disobedience and his wrath hath beene revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Rom. 1.18 who no doubt builded with the untempered morter of supposed mercy but were swallowed up with his justice Such were the old world who no doubt set up an Idol all made of mercy but they found him to be a God of justice Such were the Cities of Sodome and Gomorrah with the rest of the plaine Gen. 19. Such were Pharaoh and the Egyptians that pursued Israel to the red Sea and infinite others Nay see how God hath whipped his owne children Pro. 11.31 1 Pet. 4.17.18 and scourged them with greevous chastisements as we see in David and other Saints if judgment have begun at Gods owne house what shall the end of them be that obey not the Gospel of God and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare Secondly hence ariseth matter of much comfort to the humble and contrite spirit that is weary and heavy laden with the waight and burden of his sinnes lying heavy upon his conscience Math. 11.28.29 Nothing indeed can come hereby to the impenitent that is to the obstinate and wilfull offender thaâ— resolveth to continue in his sinne neither can he looke for any thing but judgement that hangeth over his head and lyeth at the dore but to the humble and repentant sinner there are a thousand comforts a treasury of mercies laid up in store for him to keepe preserue him from doubting and despaire Such Christ Iesus calleth unto him embraceti them in the armes of his mere that they should not be dismaied all the multitude or greatnesse of their sinnes but rather lay hold upon the multitude and greatnesse of his mercies which are infinite higher then the heavens broader then the Seas deeper then the earth and surmount all the sinnes which they have committed O what comfort is it to a sicke man lying and languishing upon the bed of sorrow to heare of a certaine and Soveraigne medicine a present and effectuall remedy of his discase and ought it not to find rest in our soules when we are willed to come to Christ the Physitian of the soule ought it not to be as marrow unto our bones and bring peace to our soules forasmuch as his yoke is easie and his burden light Who ever came penitently unto him and weat away heavily or discomfortably Suet. in vita Titirespatâ—c If it were the saying of a great Prince that none should depart from his presence heavy-hearted how much more may we be assured it is the voyce of the King of kings that no penitent person shall ever go from him without grace and favour comfortlesse Repentance is a salve that healeth all the woundes of the soule Search into the examples of all the Saints from the beginning of the word What was it turned Noahs drunkennesse into sobriety Gen. 9.25 19. cum 2 Pet. 2.8 1 Tim. 1.13 2 Chro. 33.12 Esay 11.9 Repentance What changed the unnaturall lust and excesse of Lot into eleannesse and purity repentance What was it that cast Manasseth Paul and many others into a new mould and of oppressors persecuters blasphemers made them meeke and gentle as Lambes repentance No man was ever saved without repentance for finall impenitency bringeth damnation Damnation is a necessary effect of divine justice from the just God brought upon vniust offenders Such sinners and transgressours can have no peace with God without reconcilement there is no reconcilement without remission no remission without Christ no Christ without faith no faith without repentance Woe
1 Cor. 15.55 all things fall out alike to the godly and ungodly to him that sweareth and to him that feareth an oath so that no man knoweth love or hatred by these outward things yet the venome and poyson is pulled out from these Scorpions so that albeit they may hisse at us yet they shall never hurt us Gen. 2.17 Rom. 6.23 Death is of it selfe the wages of sinne Gen. 2. Rom. 6. It came into the world by sinne and is the last enemy that shall bee subdued howbeit it hath already received his deaths-wound and the nature of it is quite changed to the godly Indeed death remaineth as a cup that all must taste off but behold the difference to the ungodly it is the reward of sinne the suburbs of hell the separation of the soule from God and the guide that conducteth them into everlasting torments To the godly it is no punishment of sinne but the abolishing of sinne the path and passage to a better life the haven of our rest the end of all our labours and the way by which we must come into the presence of Christ He is become the death of death so that they are bold in him to looke death in the face because they looke beyond death For he that will not feare it must cast his eye further then it as they feared not the fiery Serpents that lifted up their eyes to the brazen Serpent Thirdly if any meanes to uphold their life be wanting the Lord doth strengthen arme those that are his with patience contentednesse and inward comfort and consolation that he maketh them able to beare them he layeth heavy burdens upon them yet he supporteth theÌ„ with his hand that they sinke not under the waight thereof Albeit famine doe pinch and presse hard upon their bodies hee feedeth their soules with the precious food of his Word to eternall life and they are ready to answer with their Lord and Master Ioh. 4.32 I have meant to eate Iohn 4 32. that yee know not of Albeit they be vexed with warre yet he giveth them peace of conscience that passeth all understanding even peace with himselfe which the world cannot take away from them Albeit they fall into times of perils and dangers yet are they made to dwell in the secret place of the most high Psal 91.1 and to abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91.1 The name of the Lord is a most strong tower and place of refuge the righteous flie unto it and are preserved Albeit they be sometimes enforced to endure nakednesse yet even then hee clotheth them with the precious robes of Christs righteousnesse Psal 45.8 all whose graces smell of Myrrhe Aloes and Cassia whereby they are more adorned then with all the silver and gold in the world Lastly if he take away this temporall life he recompenseth the losse thereof with eternall life and happinesse We learne from hence first of all Vse 1 what need we have all of us of faith to lay hold on the promises of God made in Christ Iesus to such as are in him and have him dwelling in them For what is there can drive us out of this feare 1 Tim. 4.8 6.6 but faith Indeed godlinesse is profitable to all things and hath the promises of this life as well as of the life to come Of this life with condition so far as it shall be good for us of the life to come without any condition This godlinesse is great gaine nay the greatest of all other But what of all this if wee have not the hand of faith to receive them Offer meat never so much to the hungry soule yet if the hand be closed and the mouth stopped hee can receive nothing Powre water upon a Vessell all the day long it remaineth empty if the entrance thereof bee shut up so let us heare of the promises of God to sustaine us in times of famine want losse and necâ—ssity yet it is all one as if you spake to a dead man except wee have faith to quicken us and to put life into the soule For as the Apostle concludeth from the suffring of the Saints Hebr. 10.34 who endured with ioy the spoyling of their goods knowing they had a better inheritance reserved for them in the Heavens that we have all need of patience that after we have done the will of God wee may receive the promise Hebr. 10. So from this consideration that wee are ready every foot to faint and to feare want and beggery or else this dehortation were vaine and needlesse we are to gather that we may not cast away our confidence in God which hath great recompence of reward The just shall live by faith Hebr. 11.1 which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene Take heed therefore and beware of infidelity For as covetousnesse is the root of all evill 1 Tim. 6. 1 Tim. 6.10 so is infidelity the root of covetousnesse What is the cause that we feare the lacking of earthly things which the greatest sort doe more feare then the lacke or losse or lessening of the feeding of the love and favour of God Doubtlesse this is nothing but the want of faith Let them lose but a trifle or the least pinne and profit that commeth to the purse what crying and complaining have wee how much adoe have wee to perswade them to bee contented to bee resolved to submit themselves to the pleasure of Almighty God and to beleeve that hee is able to give them more then that All the armor and furniture that wee can bring out of the Store-house of the Scripture is too little to settle their unbeleeving hearts upon the promises of God But these men can bee content without any scruple or touch of conscience to absent themselves from the house of God to lose many Sermons and much wholesome doctrine which is according to godlinesse many exhortations many instructions many comforts nay they may apparently feele their decaying and declining in knowledge in faith and in obedience yet it troubleth them no more then it did that prophane Esau Gen. 25.34 who when hee had sold his birth-right contemned and despised it The true cause of our carnall and corrupt feare is this want of a true lively faith when we dare not believe him that hath promised who yet is able to performe and is not as man that he should lie or as the sonne of man that hee should deceive Hence proceedeth feare of the losse of life and living that we are afraid to commit our state and standing to the safe garding of God as manifestly appeareth by the contrary Psal 27.1 2. Psal 27. The Lord is my light and salvation whom shall I feare The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host shall encampe against me my heart shall not feare though warre should rise against mee in this will I
bee confident What made the Prophet bold to overstride all dangers that he could not be dismaied by them but because his heart was fixed in God to depend upon him and to looke for salvation from him On the other side what doth discomfort and dis-harten many men what maketh them to doubt to murmure and many times to blaspheme but because they imagine the Lords hand is shortned Numb 11.23 and is not able to supply their wants It is an easie matter when we have store and abundance when the Lord blesseth us on every side and our substance is encreased when he washeth our steps with butter Iob 29.6 and the rocke powreth out rivers of oyle upon us to flatter our selves that we have a strong faith and a full perswasion and assurance of his love that we put our whole trust and affiance in him and will never be brought to rapine against him But be not deceived these are not the dayes of triall of our faith these are not the times of the patience of the Saints Before triall Peter was most confident but in the brunt of the battel he was a coward and gave over in the plaine field So doe we triumph before the victory but when wee see persecution famine perill and sword we give over fighting and feare possesseth our hearts When Elisha the man of God was sent with a comfortable message at the siege of Samaria that two measures of barly should bee sold for a shekell and a measure of fine flowre for a shekell to morrow about that time one of the Princes beleeved not the Word of the Lord Behold 2 King 7.1 2. if the Lord would make windowes in Heaven would this thing be the Prophet answered Because thou saist so thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eate thereof and according to his Word so it came to passe The Disciples being in danger to be drowned when a storme arose they came to Christ their Master for helpe and he saith Why are ye fearefull Maâ—th 8.26 O yee of little faith He accuseth them not to be faithlesse men or to have no faith at all for beleeving and doubting faith and feare may stand together in one subject as they met together in these but he layeth to their charge to have little faith The like wee read touching Peter when he saw the windes blow and the waves arise he was sore afraid and beginning to sinke he cryed out O Master save me Matth. 14.30 31 6.30 Then Christ stretched out his hand caught him and said O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt And in a like case wherein we deale he saith If God so clothe the grasse of the field which to day flourisheth and to morrow is cast into the Oven will he not much more cloathe you O yee of little faith Thus doth Christ evermore upbraid such as are fearefull doubtfull and distrustfull with want or with weaknesse of faith to rest upon him For as the Apostle speaketh of perfect love 1 Ioh. 4.18 so may I say of perfect faith that it casteth out feare Where such feare is there is little faith These testimonies teach us where to seeke and finde the true cause of all our wavering and doubting it springeth from an evill heart and unfaithfull Hebr. 3.12 1 Ioh. 5.4 5. to depart away from the living God this is the ground of all Therefore this shifting for our selves and pensivenesse for worldly things is a strong argument of a weake faith for whatsoever is borne of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith and who is he that overcommeth the world but hee that beleeveth that Jesus is the Sonne of God 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Secondly it is our duty to rely upon Gods providence for earthly things as Children doe upon their Fathers love and care for them in like manner as Abraham speaketh to his Sonne When Isaac said My Father where is the sacrifice he answered with words of faith Gen. 22.8 My Sonne God will provide Doe wee not see how little Children albeit they have nothing and know not to day what they shall have to morrow never disquiet themselves what they shall eate or what they shall drinke or wherewith they shall be clothed And the reason is because they know their Parents provide for them and will not see them want Shall wee rely lesse upon our heavenly Father then these doe upon their earthly or shall we thinke that God hath lesse care of his Children then the sonnes of men have of theirs Nay as great as the difference is betweene that which is infinite and that which is finite so much greater is his love then the love of men Psal 103.11 â—3 and consequently so much greater ought our dependance to bee upon him His love is infinite as himselfe is for the love of God is God and every way as great as himselfe nay it is himselfe it is no quality in him as it is in us To worke this resting upon God as upon a rocke we have sundry exhortations in holy Scripture all of them tending to the same purpose Commit thy way to the Lord Psal 37.5 1 Cor. 10.13 and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe to wit when we can see no end or issue out of our dangers yet hee can we see but before our eyes he seeth the most hidden things of the world And againe Psal 35.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Let us not therefore content our selves to depend upon him in light and slight troubles but even then when we have the greatest tentations and afflictions upon us and let us not cry out in anguish of spirit O what an heavy burden doe I beare no man is so troubled as I am No man knoweth what sorrow I sustaine what misery I feele But be it never so tedious and toilsome as waighty and wearisome as a mountaine to carry cast thy care and crosse upon the Lords shoulders he is able to beare it albeit we be not and he hath promised to helpe us to beare it who never faileth of his promise in time of need Thus Salomon speaketh Prov. 16.3 Prov. 16.3 Commit thy waies unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established And 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 for he careth for you If a Prince should utter any such gracious words of comfort to any of his poore people and give such a precept accompanied with such a promise O how would they accept of it and rejoyce in it as we see an example in Barzillai 2 Sam. 19. David promising to shew kindnesse to his Sonne I will doe to him whatsoever thou shalt require of me 2 Sam. 19.38 and whatsoever shall seeme good to thee how did his heart rest in the Kings word and how willing was he to trust the King
confession For as Christ Iesus at the last Day shall say to the reprobate Inasmuch as they shewed no mercy to his brethren they did it not to him so may I say to these scoffers In as much as they doe it against the Word they doe it against the Lord himselfe whose Word it is To conclude I will speak to them in the words of the Prophet Esay 57.3 4. Draw neere hither ye sonnes of the Sorceresse the seed of the Adulterer and the Whore against whom doe yee sport your selves against whom make yee a wide mouth and draw out the tongue are ye not children of transgression a seed of falsehood Secondly here is peace and comfort against all discouragements that arise in the world from prophane persons and a soveraigne preservative to all those that truely feare God though they see themselves alone like a Pellican in the Wildernesse like an Owle in the Desart and like a Sparrow upon the house top If wee be as a signe and wonder in Israel Esay 8.28 yea as a monster among men yet let us not be discouraged but remember that the Lords portion hath beene but as the tenth that is in comparison of the multitude in all ages the least part as it were an handfull If then we have heretofore run into all excesse of riot with the world of the ungodly and made conscience of nothing that is good or pleasing to God and now have learned better things by the direction of the Word to refraine from every evill way to have respect to all the Commandements of God and to make conscience of all even the least sins albeit we finde our selves left alone as Eliah the Prophet did when they had killed the Prophets of the Lord and digged downe his Altars and walke in a rugged and untrodden path like Jonathan and his Armour-bearer having few to follow us 1 Sam. 14 13. or to accompany us many to disswade and discourage us and some ready to hinder us and to pull us backe yet let us say with Peter Though all men should forsake thee Matth. 26.32 Iohn 6.68 yet will I never leave thee and elsewhere Whither shall wee goe thou hast the Words of eternall life when Iesus said unto the Twelve Will yee also goe away And let this bee our comfort and give us rest that thus it hath gone evermore with the faithfull this hath beene the state of Religion and few in comparison of the rest have found the true path-way that leadeth to life and salvation to their endlesse comfort Thirdly learne that the number of the wicked and reprobate is exceeding great and the way to Hell hath many people and passengers that thrust and throng by heapes that way The way is broad and the gate wide that leadeth to destruction Matth. 7.14 and many there be that enter in thereat Matth. 7. We are ready to follow a multitude to evill but Christ Iesus giveth us counsell to shun that way as a dangerous rocke which the multitude treadeth Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth 1 Cor. 1. Not many wise after the flesh not many mighty 1 Cor. 1.26 27. not many noble are called but the foolish things weake and base and despised and things which are not hath God chosen to confound and bring to nought the glory of the world The worst courses have commonly the most followers and the worst number is for the most part the greatest number forasmuch as the greatest part are left out of the Booke of Life and the Catalogue of Gods election And as in the old world when the flood came 2 Pet. 2.5 Gen. 6.22 Luke 18.8 all flesh had corrupted his wayes upon the earth so at the comming of the Sonne of man shall he finde faith upon the earth The greatest part shall bee given to carnall security and worldly profits without any respect to heavenly things Such as came out of Egypt were for the most part of them murmurers and therefore perished There were foure hundred and fifty false prophets standing to plead Baals cause 1 King 18.19 when one onely Elias stood for the honour and glory of the true God of Israel 1 King 22.6 There were also foure hundred flattering prophets against one plaine Preacher Michaiah that spake the truth from his heart yea even for the good of the King himselfe if he had knowne the things that belonged to his owne peace but they were hidden from him Hereby then we learne the vanity of all such as goe about to excuse themselves because they have many fellowes that are followers of their folly and multitudes of companions in throngs and heapes partakers of their evil courses They say We are not alone We have a world of people in the same case If this be all they can alleadge for themselves and their sinnes and their consorts woe unto them for as they have many joyne with them in evill so they shall have multitudes partake with them in punishment God will judge all the ungodly he regardeth neither might nor multitude What store of carcasses perished in the waters and what heapes went to Hell among them and at the last Day the Lord will give iudgement against all men Iude 15. and rebuke all the ungodly among them of all their wicked deeds which they have ungodlily committed and of all their cruell speaking which wicked sinners have spoken against him Every man shall receive the things which are done in his body 2 Cor. 5.10 according to that he hath done whether it be good or evill 2 Cor. 5.10 Hee hath evermore plagued multitudes as well as a few persons with whom it is easie to doe execution inasmuch as he commeth with thousands of his Saints and Angels Jude 14. The worst waies have evermore found the greatest applause consent and countenance of the world When it was agreed to compasse Lots house they assembled together both young and old Gen 19.4 all the people from every quarter Gen. 19. When the golden calfe was to be made Exod. 32.3 all the people brake off the golden earings which were in their eares Exod. 32. When Pilate demanded what should be done with Christ Matth. 27.22 they all cryed out Let him bee crucified Matth. 27. So in maintenance of Idolatry the zeale was so great Acts 19.34 that all with one voyce cryed out Great is Diana of the Ephesians Every place is full of evill the greatest part ready to backe and bolster it to uphold and countenance it Esay 59.15 and such as never so little oppose against it make themselves a prey Who seeth not what plenty is every where of Atheists unbeleevers ignorant persons disobedient swearers blasphemers prophane breakers of the Sabbath contemners of the Gospell and what not It is not their multitudes that can protect and patronize them but shall rather encrease their sorrow and punishment Lastly it is our duty to seeke nay to strive to enter
18.24 1 Cor. 3.6 yet Aquila and Priscilla tooke him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly It was an evident signe that Job was humble in his owne eyes Iob 31.13 15. in that he did not despise the cause of his Man-servant or of his Maide when they contended with him but considered with himselfe that he which made him in the wombe fashioned them also and that one formed them all Thirdly if we submit our selves to bee governed by the wisedome of God revealed in his Word This submitting and subjecting of our selves maketh simple men become wise yong men to be wiser then their Elders and such as have beene taught Psal 119.98 99. 19.7 Prov. 1.4 wiser then their Teachers and such as have enemies to goe beyond all their deepe policies and to prevent all their cunning devices On the other side if wee reject the Word and will not bee obedient unto it making it a lampe unto our feet and a light unto our pathes Psal 119.105 Ier. 8.9 2 Tim. 3.15 there is no true wisedome at all in us Jer. 8.9 The Word is able to make us wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3.15 which is the greatest wisedome that can be He that is not wise for his soule is a foole let him be never so wise and wary for the body and let him have never so great reputation for a wise man in the world yet is his wisedome disprooved Fourthly if we deny our selves and our owne naturall and fleshly wisedome It is a very hard matter to deny our selves and our carnall wisedome but it must of necessity bee done if ever wee desire to come to the Kingdome of Heaven Therefore the Apostle saith Let no man deceive himselfe 1 Cor. 8.13 2 Cor. 10.32 If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise For our high thoughts must be cast downe that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bee brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Lastly let us study to decke our selves with humility as with a precious robe and to crowne our selves with humblenesse of minde as with a garland And so much the rather because this adorneth all other graces yea without this grace is no grace This is the direction of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time and cloathe yourselves with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 6. And we have sundry motives to stirre us up unto it First no good thing dwelleth in our flesh Rom. 7.18 but evill dwelleth in us abundantly and plentifully All the thoughts of mans heart are onely evill Gen. 6.5 and that continually The water can arise no higher then nature will give it leave so there is an impotency and disability in our nature to ascend above it selfe to that which is good as unpossible as for the streame to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or for a stone by its owne strength to mount into the aire For that which is of the flesh is onely flesh Our natur is stained and defiled with all manner of sinne and a pronenesse to all sorts of sinnes from our birth Iob 14.4 15.14 Psal 51.5 nay from our conception which hath over-spred us as a filthy leprosie The minde and understanding the will and affections the memory and conscience the whole soule and body are infected Rom. 8.7 so that the naturall man understandeth not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him and are spiritually discerned Secondly God resisteth the proud and professeth himfelfe to be an enemy to them Iam. 4.6 Prov. 3.34 1 Pet. 5.5 but hee giveth grace unto the humble Iam. 4.6 Thirdly our best gifts are wonderfully tainted and defiled We know nothing if wee be ignorant hereof What is our faith our repentance our sanctification our love our temperance our patience our hope our knowledge but as it were the foundation or beginning of a great building or the seed of grace sowne in our hearts rather then grace it selfe being compared with perfection We know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 howsoever wee may thinke wee know all things Our faith is little and soone shaken with many doubtings and with much unbeleefe Lastly Marke 9.24 such onely as are humble shall be exalted and lifted up in due time Luke 1.51 As the proud are scattered in the imagination of their hearts so the humble shall be advanced It is a common saying of Christ oftentimes uttered by him and repeated by the Evangelists Matth. 23.12 Luke 24.11 18.14 Hee that lifteth up himselfe shall be cast downe and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted As pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Prov. 16. so on the other side humility goeth before exaltation and leadeth the way before it All are desirous to passe into the house of glory but they are unwilling to enter in at the gate of humility By this gate Christ himselfe entred and this way he hath consecrated to all his children For it is your Fathers These words containe the reason which is the promise of a great and wonderfull blessing greater then all the world besides For what is this world without respect and reference to the World to come or what is all the glory of this life without the glory of the next Life or what is an earthly Kingdome without the Kingdome of Heaven Now touching the force and strength of this reason see afterward in the last branch This promise which is a promise of promises or the perfection of all promises as a spring or fountaine hath many streames or chanels issuing out of it as hath beene observed before in the beginning The first is the Author of the promise not Man not Angels not Princes not any creature for this is greater then all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings and mighty men of the earth are able to promise and performe it is God that hath promised who also will accomplish whatsoever he hath spoken And to the intent this promise might take the deeper root in our hearts Christ Iâ—sus doth not call him the mighty Lord the righteous Iudge the God of revenge or such like but a mercifull Father For as before we shewed that God sheweth himselfe a Shepheard to teach that his Sheepe shall not want so here the Lord Iesus calleth him a Father 2 Cor. 12.14 to shew that as a Father provideth for his Chlldren so God loveth his and will provide for all of them He were a bad Shepheard that would feed himselfe but starve and famish his Sheepe so he were an evill father that would bee carefull for himselfe but carelesse altogether for his children The meaning of the word Father Now touching the meaning this word Father so farre as it is ascribed to God is
desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat If then we finde and feele these assaults these tentations these buffettings it is a plaine proofe that we have received faith which maketh the Devill so earnest and diligent to interrupt us and intercept us Secondly if we have faith applying the promises it will purge the heart and mortifie the corruptions thereof the death of Christ crucifieth the flesh and all worldly lusts our best beloved sinnes our dearest sinnes and most desired and those whereunto we are most enclined and wherewith wee are most infected as most consonant and agreeable to our corrupt natures This is one infallible token that we are true beleevers and this rule is taken out of the words of Peter Acts 15.9 Gal. 5.6 Hee put no difference betweene Jewes and Gentiles purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. which worketh by love Gal. 5. Thirdly Christ giveth himselfe to the beleever so that his holinesse belongeth to him Never any husband could endow his wife with such a dowry to say as Christ Iesus doth Hos 2.19 20. I will betroth them to me for ever in righteousnesse in faithfulnesse in judgement in loving kindnesse and in mercy Thus they are married to him in holinesse and they become to be the members of Christ for Christ cannot be the head of a polluted body or of defiled members As from a corrupt head proceed corrupt things to the members so from a pure and holy head which is Christ must necessarily proceed holinesse to all those that are his members The Vine cannot but communicate of his juyce or sappe to the branches There was never any that did truely apply Christ but Christ truely applyed himselfe to him againe neither was there ever any that embraced him but he likewise by and by tooke hold of him His left hand is under his head Cant. 2.6 8.3 and his right hand doth embrace him The beleever applieth Christ and Christ holdeth the beleever so that as the beleever saith I am Christs and Christ is mine so on the other side Christ saith I am the beleevers and the beleever is mine This application is mutuall and mysticall there is a double worke in it one is of the beleever the other of Christ A man layeth hold upon a staffe that he carrieth in his hand to stay himselfe up from falling but the staffe cannot lay hold upon him againe Or a man claspeth and embraceth the tree with both his armes but the tree cannot embrace him againe but it is not so betweene Christ and the true beleever we hold him fast but he holdeth us faster and giveth unto us of his holinesse even grace for grace even as the childe holdeth the Father fast that leadeth him howbeit the father holdeth him faster and stayeth him up from falling away from him otherwise he were every foot in danger True it is we cannot say that all our blacknesse of sinne is quite gone and removed but that we have still many spots and wrinkles wee have not yet received perfect holinesse from him The Moone receiveth all her light from the Sunne yet is not her body without some spots so it is with us though we be blacke Cant 1.5 yet he accepteth us as comely Lastly we have the true faith if we hold fast the promises and cleave close to him even then when he seemeth to frowne upon us and to be angry with us to hide his face from us and to with-hold his loving countenance as the Sunne that is hid in a cloud out of our sight We must rest upon him in time of affliction We must see hope through despaire and Heaven through Hell we must behold his mercy through his indignation yea life through death and salvation through damnation Iob 13.15 as it was with Job Though he slay me yet will I trust in him though he hide his face for a time frō us yet the bright beames of faith will shine thorow the thickest fogs and mists that arise in us Thus we may by these notes prove our faith and try the truth thereof But if these be not in us but the contrary we cannot assure our selves that we are yet come to a true faith For first of all if we live in quiet and at rest at peace and ease all our dayes without any feares doubtings wrastlings bruisings buffettings and assaults of Satan we have cause to feare we have a false faith This rule is grounded upon the Words of Christ Luke 11.21 Luke 11. When a strong man armed keepeth the Palace his goods are in peace If Satan never assault us to pull downe the buttresse and fortresse of our faith wee are at peace and league with him and hee with us and we have just cause to suspect our selves True it is there may be many doubts and tentations and yet no faith but there can be no faith where are no doubtings or tentations at all If we have faith Wheresoever there is true faith there will be doubts and tentations there will arise doubts yea albeit we have a great and a strong faith for it is not so strong but That strong man armed will try the strength thereof and so much the rather because it is ever mingled with some infidelity Such then as can cry out What a doubt touching my salvation Out upon it O it is a great sinne once to make a doubt I thanke God I never doubted any whit of my salvation since I can remember neither yet of Christ to bee mine I doubt not to pronounce of all such without any doubting at all they never knew what faith meaneth it is an evident demonstration of great and grosse infidelity Againe if sinne be living in us that there be no mortification at all 2 Cor. 7.1 no cleansing of our selves from the filthinesse of the flesh and spirit we can have no true faith It is open impiety to imagine that the death of Christ truely applied to any soule should not bee of force to kill sinne in it and therefore it is great folly to say We can rightly apply Christ and the promises of the Gospell Col. 3.3 4 5. and yet can shew never a sinne mortified in us No man is come to that height of sinne that he dareth either speake or thinke that there wanteth power in the death of Christ to kill sinne in us and therefore we must needs hold him for an unbeleever that talketh of particular application and yet hath sinne as a tyrant raigning in him Besides if Christ have not united us to himselfe in holinesse we are yet faithlesse men For he uniteth himselfe to none but he putteth holinesse in some measure into them This rule is expressed by the Apostle Gal. 5.24 They that are Christs Gal. 5.24 have crucified the flesh 2 Cor. 4.17 with the affections and lusts and are become new creatures Lastly if we rely upon God and upon his love and favour no longer then
not feare the lacke of lesser blessings But the faithfull have a Kingdome promised unto them Therefore the faithfull need not feare the lacke of lesser blessings The power and strength of this reason is good and exceeding great Christ our Saviour doth never argue weakely who ministreth strength to all his that are weake In this reason the giving of heavenly things to us is made an argument to prove the not with-holding of earthly things from us Wee may not feare or faint in our faith and profession as though God would quite forsake us or give us over And wherefore Because he hath promised to us the Kingdome so that there is nothing so great that he will sticke at or doubt to bestow upon us Doct. 12 The force of this reason layeth before us this instruction that the consideration of the Kingdome of Heaven and of the eternall joyes prepared for the faithfull ought to be a strong and sufficient reason to stay us up in all trials and troubles whatsoever True it is the righteous have many troubles and we have likewise many promises fitted to every estate as it were medicines applied to the diseases but among them all there is none more forcible and effectuall then this promise in this place which is the accomplishment of all promises to wit the Kingdome of Heaven Doe we finde our faith at any time weake and faint fearing tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or to be separated from the love of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ Rom. 8.35 â— Cor. 11.27 or to be oppressed and overburdened with wearinesse and painfulnesse with hunger and thirst with fastings with cold with watchings with poverty with reproaches with feare of death and such like behold the promise here set before us let us lay fast hold upon it Let us with joy and comfort lift up our eyes or rather our hearts to Heaven and remember that wee have the reversion of a Kingdome promised unto us by him that did never falsify his Word in regard whereof we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us whereby we may easily see an issue out of the former tentations Hence it is that Abraham Moses and all the Prophets in the middest of all their afflictions wherewith they were afflicted did comfort themselves hereby they had respect to the great reward they knew to be laid up for them in the Heavens The Hebrewes tooke joyfully the spoiling of their goods while they were made a gazing-stocke by reproaches and calamities This is no easie thing to beare but hard for flesh and blood to doe For no doubt their goods and good names were as precious unto them as ours to our selves or to any other What then was the cause that made them able to beare all these injuries and indignities Surely this they knew in themselves that they were Heires apparent to a Kingdome and had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Heb. 10.34 11.9 10 24 35. then they knew that what teares soever they shed he would not onely keepe them in his bottle of remembrance but then he would wipe them away from their eyes that they should shead them no more Revel 7.17 21.4 Here is their time of weeping but then shall be the time of their rejoycing here is their time of sowing but then shall be the time of their reaping as Lazarus while he was here was distressed but after this life he was comforted Luke 16.25 Ioh. 16.20 21 22. 1 Ioh. 3.2 Then there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Revel 21.4 the sorrow of the Saints shall bee turned into joy and their joy shall no man take from them The reasons follow First Reas 1 the greatest blessings assure the lesser and take away all doubt from us that might any way stay or stagger us in our obedience No man having a promise of a greater benefit from an honest man that he knoweth hath ever beene wont to bee as good as his word can or will make any doubt of his performance of the lesser so ought wee to learne to strengthen our faith against the feare of earthly wants by consideration of the heavenly promises that are found in the Word of God none of which did ever fall to the ground Rom. 8.32 as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Secondly all the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8. Let the meditation of this glory be once thorowly laid up as a treasure in our hearts and we have thereby a soveraigne preservative against all dangers whatsoever which beset us round about whereas such as are daunted and distressed with every blast or bruit of danger like men that are at their wits end it is plaine they were never well grounded in the Article of everlasting life Thirdly all calamities and troubles how many and great soever are short temporall and momentany they endure but a little season as Christ comforteth the Church Revel 2.10 Psal 30.5 Esay 54.7 8. Yee shall have tribulation ten dayes And the Prophet Psal 30. His anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning But the Kingdome of Heaven is not for a night nor for one yeere nor two yeeres nor five yeeres neither ten yeeres nor twenty yeeres nor as a flower that flourisheth for a season and suddenly fadeth away but it is unchangeable incorruptible and everlasting 2 Cor. 4.15 18. as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 4. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh in us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory while we looke not at the things which are seene but at the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Lastly this is as a staffe of sufficient force put into our hands to uphold us and stay us up because the Kingdome of Heaven is the end of all sorrowes and miseries whatsoever 1 Cor. 17.54 for then this mortall shall put on immortality and death the last enemy shall bee destroyed and swallowed up in victory The Traveller that hath a great way to goe and to passe thorow many troubles not without much labour and sweating oftentimes comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the end of all his journey Wee are Pilgrims and strangers in this world and we passe our dayes in travelling toward the Kingdome that is everlasting Wee should make this reckoning and account that our life from our birth day to our dying day is nothing else but as a pilgrimage thorow the wildernesse
laid up for them Now if this hope should faile them and deceive them were they not doubly miserable being destitute of the happinesse of the present life and of that to come also Lastly God beginneth their salvation in this life He maketh them here Kings and Priests Revel 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 and therefore he cannot but hereafter give them a Kingdome And he beginneth their salvation and entreth them after a sort into the Kingdome partly by giving them a lively taste and joyfull feeling of that heavenly glory wherewith they are ravished and partly while hee blesseth them with such spirituall blessings in heavenly things as accompany salvation Ephes 1.14 which are as a pawne or earnest-penny to assure them of his true mind and meaning toward them We may learne from hence to reason from the greater to the lesser Vse 1 from the better to the baser from the Heaven to the earth If he have given us a greater blessing we may be assured he can and will much more give us the lesser and lighter If hee can give us the Kingdome of Heaven he will not with-hold from us food or raiment neither any thing which is good for us It is a rule among the Civilians Lib. 2. ff De Iurisdictione To whom the principall is granted to him the accessory that dependeth upon it seemeth to be granted also If a Prince make any of his servants Governour of his Kingdomr hee granteth to him by vertue thereof all rights and priviledges and meanes which are needfull to that office and for the managing of the State So the Lord hath appointed his to be Heires of eternall life he giveth them therefore all things belonging to this present life and things necessary to bring them to his Kingdome If then wee have the more noble assured unto us how can wee without great infidelity and impiety doubt of the performance of the lesser and baser For what are all the blessings of this transitory life better then trifles being valued and prized with immortality Let us therefore evermore have before our eyes this promise It is your Fathers good pleasure to give unto you the Kingdome and certainely being mingled with faith it will give us assurance of his helpe in all time of need how great soever our assaults and afflictions shall be Let us call to remembrance what the Prophet speaketh to Amaziah King of Iudah when he had hired a great Army of Israel to helpe him against the Edomites and given them an hundred talents of silver when he was charged to dismisse them and was in danger to lose the money which they had received for their pay when the King said What shall we doe for the hundred talents the man of God answered 2 Chron. 25.6 7 9. The Lord is able to give thee much more then this Was this spoken for that King alone No it was written even for us also upon whom the ends of the world are come For as when he was in doubt and feared to lose his money the Prophet casteth him upon Gods providence and calleth upon him to wait upon God in an holy obedience to his Commandement to receive a greater blessing at his hands so if we shall rely upon him by faith in all our troubles without murmuring and grudging this heavenly consolation is written for us and to us as well as to the King The Lord is able to give us much more then this If wee suffer any losses or spoiling of our goods he can restore whatsoever hath beene taken away and make us recompence to the full as we see in the example of Iob. For as hee submitted himselfe to His good pleasure in all his crosses Iob 1.21 42 â—0 and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord and sinned not against him with his lips so having tried his faith his patience and obedience the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before And this is his promise which he will performe Marke 10.29 30. Yea what can be more forcible to worke in us patience in troubles and contentment in poverty submitting our selves humbly to God in all losses and wants whatsoever then to consider that God hath laid up for us treasure in Heaven and will bestow upon us a Kingdome If then at any time wee be carried into strange thoughts and cares for the things of this life it is certaine wee were never well grounded in the doctrine of everlasting life For how can wee looke for heavenly things from him when we doubt of earthly How can we looke for the life to come when we feare to lacke for this life or how shall wee depend upon him for our soules when wee dare not trust him with our bodies Whatsoever therefore we may seeme to others or to our selves to doe it is certaine wee deceive both our selves and others also to thinke that we rely upon him wholy for the greater and better things when we rest not upon him for the slightest and smallest matters Secondly use the meanes carefully that may further us in our journey toward this Kingdome All men are willing to bee at their waies end but all men are not willing to know the way or if they know it it is death to them to walke in it But if any say as Thomas did to Christ How can we know the way I answer Ioh. 14.5 Wee are brought in to the Kingdome by the meanes of the Word as the Traveller is to the place of his lodging by his Guide Christ Iesus is the Way the Word of God is our Guide and it is the Rule by which we must walke The Carpenter is no body without his square his worke can never be right if it be not laid unto it so it is with the faithfull he can doe hee will doe nothing without his rule which is so excellent that it is called the rod of Gods mouth and the breath of his lips Esay 11.4 2 Thes 2.8 The Gospell of the Kingdome Esay 11.4 2 Thes 2.8 Matth. 9.35 Marke 1.14 Heb. 1.8 Psal 45.6 Matth. 9.35 and the Scepter of righteousnesse Heb. 1.8 Christ is the King of his Church to rule it and give Lawes unto it howbeit he is not our King except we suffer him to raigne in us outwardly by his Scepter and inwardly by his Spirit All men will seeme desirous to come to Heaven but they will chuse their owne way and their owne guide they will not submit themselves to the wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1.25 as if the foolishnesse of men were wiser then God or the weakenesse of men were stronger then God They would gladly attaine eternall life and with him in the Gospell they account him happy that shall eate bread in the Kingdome of Heaven Luke 14.15 but they regard not the Gospell of the Kingdome These dreame of a Kingdome without the Word but this is an imaginary Kingdome of their
Professors of it And who are they Verily not onely such as are wise in their owne eyes but also such as cannot themselves give the meaning of one Precept of the Law or of one Petition of the Lords Prayer such as cannot render any account of their faith neither an answer to any that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them through want and contempt of knowledge yet have they knowledge enow to deride such as labour earnestly after knowledge Every base and deboshed fellow full of prophanenesse and impurity hath learned to upbraid such with purity that any way love Religion so that we may see with our eyes and heare with our eares such as are truly religious no lesse scoffed and scorned even at home among their owne brethren neighbours acquaintance and friends then if they lived among the very Savages It is well knowne to those that are but little conversant in History how the Christians are taunted and reviled that live among the Turkes and Sarazins for the Christian Religion and what an heavy burden they beare But is it much better thinke you with many poore Christian soules though they live among their owne people if they be any whit zealous in the Truth and will not runne riot with the multitude if they will not sweare commonly and be drunke for company if they will once fall to reprove sinne in others what is this reckoned but flat or ranke Puritanisme and such are no lesse hated and persecuted no lesse taunted and traduced then if they lived among the Infidels and Barbarians the Paganes and open professed enemies Nay I would this were all For Religion it selfe to set aside mens persons becommeth in very many places a very by-word and a matter of reproach True it is the Iewes sinned with an high hand against God they loved not the Oracles of God neither walked they worthy of his calling and chusing of them before other Nations and therefore worthily deserved to be forsaken of God who had first forsaken him howbeit they never proceeded to this top of sinne to make a mocke of their Religion it selfe they never scorned the Word of the ever-living God But we have learned to sticke at nothing wee are come thus farre to treade under our feete like Dogs and Swine the precious Iewell of the Gospell as if it were a curse rather then a blessing unto a Kingdom O how happy were it for these men that God would give them eyes to see these their sinnes and hearts to bewaile them betimes which now are hidden from them before the time of Iudgement come which doubtlesse cannot bee farre off from every one of them Thirdly let us all account that our happinesse standeth above not beneath in heaven not upon the earth in being partakers of the Kingdome and enjoying the blessed presence of God not in riches or abundance not in honour or worldly dignity Such as will have true comfort in this life must learne to looke beyond this life Heb. 11.27 that he may see him that is invisible as the Scripture speaketh of Moses Heb. 11. For albeit a man flow in wealth so much as heart can wish albeit he abound in honour and glory and estimation that the world esteeme him the onely happy man yet shall he finde in the middest of all sundry discontentments perplexities crosses and vexations and himselfe far from true happinesse so that he must not onely behold the things present and before his feete but must looke further then this life Hee that will not feare death the king of terrour Iob 18.14 as Job calleth it must looke beyond death and see the Land of Canaan before he come into it as Moses did from the mount Death is dreadfull and fearefull to the flesh when we see no more in it but the dissolution of the soule and body but if we have the eyes of faith to looke further and consider both from what evils it freeth us and to what good it bringeth us we have great comfort and consolation in it so that we may triumph over it So he that will have true and sound joy in this world must looke beyond it to the joyes of the World to come He that would have comfort in trouble must cast his eyes beyond trouble and looke up to this Kingdome which Christ Iesus promiseth in this place like the Mariner who being tossed in the Sea comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the desired Haven where he would be Now this point to wit of esteeming our happinesse to consist in heaven hath many particular branches First we must long earnestly for it If the Saints account them blessed that dwell in the house of Prayer and of his worship how much more to dwell in the house of his glorious presence He that loveth the Kingdome of Heaven will long for it he that loveth it not longeth nor for it The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp for such as love the appearance of Christ For whiles we are at home in the body 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.2 we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. He that is from home longeth greatly to be at his house This body is but a poore cottage that must shortly be dissolved and laid downe our chiefe mansion and habitation is above in the heavens Secondly we must pray for this Kingdome of glory It is the meaning in part of the second Petition Thy Kingdome come For we pray therein not onely for the Kingdome of grace but for the Kingdome of glory also This is the prayer and request of all the Saints Come Lord Jesus Revel 22.20 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 1.13 Acts 2.35 The Kingdome is as yet come onely in part we see not all things put under his feete sinne and Satan are not yet subdued many oppositions are made against it have we not just cause therefore to crave both the enlarging of the territories and stretching the Curtaines thereof and likewise the finishing of these dayes of sinne Thirdly let us endure with joy all sorts of afflictions whereunto we are called and which it shall please God to lay upon us and to try us withall considering that they are no way comparable to the glory that shall be revealed to the sonnes of God We are all that will be the Disciples of Christ forewarned of troubles and afflictions that abide us and that we shall be hated for his Names sake howbeit the next life will make amends for all we shall have a super-abundant recompence for all our sufferings It is our Fathers pleasure to bestow upon us the Kingdome He that loseth his life for his sake shall finde it Fourthly let us rejoyce and comfort our selves daily in the expectation of our full and finall deliverance and Redemption at the last day Many defects and many sinnes doe yet hang about us many wants and workes of darknesse compasse us on every side all these together with the remnants of sorrowes shall quickly be