thinke they doe nothing in the getting of them but what they deserve and that they are worthy their labour and paynes To this I answer Let men looke unto this that they be not deceived in them and compare them with the Scriptures for if you judge of things as the Scripture doth it will appeare that the reason is false but if you doe not although they bee vanity yet they will deceive you whatsoever you esteeme of them for the truth is that there is nothing in them but vexation of spirit you shall finde great inticements and much evill in them besides they will fill your hands full of much evill and bloud that is they will give thee no true Joy for what joy hath the murtherer of his murther Now the reason wherefore they cannot give true Joy is because they are under the faculty of joy As the eye is weary quickly with looking on a small print but let the print bee sutable unto it then it will delight in it so it is with the facultie of joy if there were no wearinesse brought to it by them then men would not be weary in the acquiring of them but wee see there is such an awkwardnesse in the mindes of men for the getting of them that it weares the minde but satisfies it not Ier. 9. 23. saith the Prophet Let not the wise man glorie in his wisdome nor the strong man in his strength nor the rich man in his riches that is hee hath no cause to glory in any outward thing because it is the Lord that sheweth judgement and can dissolve any creature to nothing but if he will glory let him glory that hee knowes God for the true knowledge of God bringeth true Comfort and Joy But it is not so with the creatures for there is no creature can bring good or doe good or evill without God I say no creature can bring comfort unto a creature without God for God if hee is the sustainer of all creatures so likewise he is the Author of all But if wee come to spirituall comfort God doth not communicate it unto any creature no creature hath part of it The creature nourisheth us not simply as it is a creature but it becomes nourishable by reason of that which is put unto it as the fire brings light and heat heat is the matter of the fire light is but a thing or quality that depends upon it so the matter of every comfort is God and of all things in the world though the instruments that doe convey this comfort bee a creature therefore you may have the huske when you want the kernell that is you may have these outward things and yet want the sweetnesse of them And this is when God turnes away his face from a man in the creatures then the comfort in the creature is gone and therefore David prayed Turne not thy face away from thy servant that is take not away my comfort All mens comforts stand in Gods face let a man bee never so rich let him have wife and children lands and possessions give him what outward things you will and what joy and comfort is in them if Gods face be turned away Ahab is rich enough and Haman hath a wife and children and yet what comfort and joy had they in them It is not the creature that can yeeld true comfort but it is the All-sufficiencie that is in God and from him derived unto them As for example Take a man that is in despaire tel him of the world make large promises unto him in this kinde none of all these will comfort him they are so farre from ministring comfort that they adde unto his sorrow especially if his griâ—fe be for a matter of sinne but tell him of God and his sufficiencie of Christ and of Justification and Remission of sinnes then hee will beginne to have some joy in God And as the presence of God is now most comfortable so in hell the knowledge of God and his presence shall bee their greatest torments Therefore let my advice be unto you that which the Prophet DAvid gives in the like case Psalm 62. 23. Trust not in oppression and if riches increase set not your hearts upon them that is set them not so upon them as to place your happinesse in them The Use then may serve for the just reproofe of all earthly minded men and for exhortation unto all to leave their earthly mindednesse Let us all therefore labour to deprive our selves of all inordinate desire of them especially it concernes those that abound in them to keepe a strong watch about their hearts lest this viper lay hold upon them for as it is a hard thing to keepe a cup that is full without spilling so it will be a hard worke for those that have their Closets full of earthly things not to have their hearts taken up with them and therefore our Saviour saith It is a hard thing for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God What is the reason of this because it is hard to have abundance of outward things and not to put trust in them and what is said of riches may bee said of any other outward thing whatsoever whether it be pleasure or honour for these all worke the heart of a waxie disposition to evill so as it will take any impression it will be ready to receive into the soule any sinne or imbrace any object and carry the impression of it unto action Now what should move us to morifie these earthly members The first motive is because if wee doe not moritifie them the Divell will ensnare us by these earthly members though we seeme not to be within his power As a dogge that hath broken away from his keeper yet going with his chaine he will the more easily bee taken so these earthly members are as a chaine whereby the devill layes hold on us therefore if you would not be taken by Satan then mortifie these earthly members The second Motive to move us to mortifie these earthly members is because one earthly member or the reigning of one sinne in us tyes us fast from God and biâ—des us fast to the devill now what matters it whether a man bee tyed with one chaine or twenty chaines if he be tyed fast so what matters it whether he be yed with one sinne or many sinnes if one keeps him from God For as one grace truly wrought by the Spirit makes a man righteous so one raging sinne makes a man unrighteous Men thinke that they may retaine some sinne and yet be righteous but I say if thy heart be set upon any earthly thing if it be but an immoderate care for these earthly things or if it bee but feare of such or such a man which may seeme to be but a small thing that tyes thee from God I say if you looke unto such a man if a matter of
alwayes one way Physicke and all other things are inconstant sometimes it helpes sometimesnot yea many times when you have all the meanes then they faile to shew that there is an influence from God and that the creatures are vanishing perishing and inconstant Thirdly it must be so because it is sinfull to looke for comfort from any thing but from God because by this we attribute that to the Creature which only belongs to God which is Idolatrie The Creature steales away the heart in an imperceptible manner As Absalom stole away the peoples hearts from David or as the Adulterer steales away the love of the wife from her husband It makes you serve the Creature It makes you settle your affection upon the creatures if they faile you sorrow if they come ye joy and yee doe this with all joy all delight all pleasure and desire this is a great sinne nay it is the greatest sinne As adulterie is the greatest sinne because it severs and dissolves the marriage so it is the greatest because it severs us from God and makes us cleave to the Creature The maine consectory and use from this is to keepe you from lusting after worldly things Men are never weary of seeking of them but spend their whole time in getting of them and this is the reason why the things that belong to saluation are so much neglected Men spend so much time in a thousand other things and trifles and have no time at all to serue God in They are busie about riches honor credit or the things whereon their fancies doe pitch but if this be digested it will teach you to seeke all from God who disposeth all things and to whom the issues of life and death of good or bad belong Consider with your selves and you shall finde that the reason wherefore you doe seeke for outward content or comfort is because you doe thinke it will do you good if you haue it or hurt if you have it not but herein you erre giving that to the Creature which onely belongs to God Esay 1. 23. If the Idoles bee Gods let them doe good or evill saith the Lord. The scope of this place is to cast off the whorish and adulterish affection of those that have an eager and unwearied desire after earthly things by shewing that they cannot doe us any good or hurt Therefore God punished David exceedingly for numbring of the people because hee thought that they could strengthen him against his enemies without Gods helpe therefore Ierem. 23. 24. Thus saith the Lord. Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome neither let the mighty man glorie in his might nor the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth that I am the Lord that executeth loving kindnesse Iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth As if he should have sayd if these things could doe you good or hurt there were some reason that you might seeke them but there is nothing in them that you should desire them for it is I onely that execute judgement and mercie all good and evill is from mee therefore Psal. 62. wee have this caveat given us If riches increase set not your hearts upon them magnifie not your selues for them and in them for all comfort is from God onely else you might set your hearts on them but now all power and kindnesse is from him therefore your wealth cannot doe it But it may be objected that God doth comfort us and make us happy in this life by meanes and that riches are the meanes wherefore then may we not seeke to them to get this comfort To this I answere that God doth reward every man according to his workes not according to his wealth yea he can comfort us without these for he is the God of all consolation 2. Cor. 1. 3. and that hath inclusive and exclusively all comfort in him and from him none without him If we thinke to have it from honour wealth or friends wee deceive our selves for they are vaine and profit not 1. Sam. 12. 25. Turne yee not aside for then should you goe after vaine things which cannot profit you or deliver you for they are vaine All these things without God will profit you nothing But will not wealth and friends profit us No not at all they are vanity they are empty in themselves they cannot doe it they are in themselves but vanity having the creature you have but the huske without the graine the shell without the kernell the creature is but empty of it selfe except God put into it a fitnesse to comfort you all is vanity and nothing worth and this vanity is nothing but emptinesse And this serves to correct the thoughts of men who thinke that if they had such an estate and all their debts payd If they had such and such friends that then all would be well with them and who is it that thinks not thus But let those that entertaine such thoughts consider the vanity of the creature All our Sinnes proceede from the over-valuing of the creature for Sinne is nothing but an aversion of the Soule from the immutable God to the creature Labour then to conceiue of the creature aright that it is vaine this will keepe you aright and hinder you from going from God and cleaving to the creature To presse this further consider these foure things First if you goe another way to worke all you see and seeke comfort in the creature shall be labour lost for it is not in the power of the creature to yeeld you any comfort If you busie your selves with seeking of comfort from it you will walke in a vaine shadow Psal. 39. 6. Surely every man walketh in a vaine shadow Surely they are disquieted in vaine Hee heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them If wee looke for comfort from riches wee looke it but from a shadow all our labour is in vaine There is a shadow of the Almighty wherein some men walke where they shall be sure to finde this comfort others there are that walke in the shadow of the creatures in the vanity of their minds seeking comfort from it Those who thus walke shall be deceived A shadow though it seeme to be something yet it is nothing yee may seeme to have the lineaments of a man or some other creature yet it is nothing So these outward things may seeme to have something in them but yet indeede they have nothing those that seeke for comfort in them commit two evils Ier. 2. 14. They forsake God the fountaine of living water and digge unto themselves pitts that will hold no water God having all comforts in him comforts never failing because there is a Spring of comfort in him yet wee forsake him and digge pitts which if they have any water it is but borrowed and not continuing and that water which they have is none of the best it is
make choyce of 3. What our obedience is to God 4. What things trouble us most p. 25 Our affection to riches said to be inordinate p. 26. when we seeke them 1. By measure more then we should 3. By meanes that we should not p. 27 3. For wrong ends p. 28 4. In a wrong manner which consists in these particulars when we seeke them 1 Out of love to them 2 To trust to them 3 To be puffed up by them p. 29 4 To glory in them 5 With too much haste and eagernesse In the desire of riches there is a double content p. 30 1 A contentednesse with a dependance on Gods will 2. A contentednesse with a submission to Gods will How farre a man may desire wealth p. 31 A threefold necessity of the creatures 1. Of expedience 2. Of condition and place p. 32 3. Of refreshment A desire of riches for superfluity and excesse sinfull for these reasons 1. Mans life stands not in abundance of excesse 2. It proceeds from an evill root p. 33 3. It may not be prayed for 4. It is dangerous for it chokes the Word p. 34 5. We have an expresse Commandement against it The end of a mans calling is not to gather riches but to serve God p. 35 Riches the wages not end of our calling Rules to direct our care in getting wealth p. 37 1 No going into other mens callings 2 The end must not be riches but Gods glory 3 The care must not be inordinate Signes of inordinate care are 1. Trouble in the acquiring p. 38 2. Feare of not attaining 3. Griefe in being prevented A man is then covetous when he strives not against Covetousnesse Covetousnesse spirituall adultery p. 39. aggravated in that 1. It makes men wicked 2. It does least good 3. Riches are but false treasure 4. They are not our owne > Aâ—tributes given to riches are 1 They are many things 2. They are unnecessary 3. They will be taken from us 4. They are not the best USE 1. To exhort men to mortifie this earthly member Covetousnesse p. 40 Meanes thereto are 1. Prayer to God 2. Humility for sinne 3. Imployment of them to better things THE DOCTRINE OF MORTIFICATION COLOSSIANS 3. 5. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is idolatrie THis Chapter containeth divers exhortations unto heavenly mindednesse by which the Apostle labours to disswade the Colossians from corruptible things unto things not corruptible but everlasting not earthly but heavenly in the which the life of a Christian and true holinesse standeth In the first verse he beginnes with an exhortation to seeke heavenly things If you be risen with Christ seeke those things that are above that is if you be risen with Christ and dead unto the fashions of men then there is an alteration and change in your soules wrought by which you are brought to affect that which is heavenly and basely to esteeme of earthly things therefore If you be risen that is if this heavenly life and disposition and change be in you then let the same appeare by your heavenly mindednesse that is by seeking of heavenly things In the second verse he joynes another exhortation grounded on the first to bee wise and to understand them Set your affections on things above that is let them be specially minded of you let all your faculties bee filled with a knowledge of spirituall things and this is so joyned with the former that there can be no seeking without knowing for how can a man seeke that which he knoweth not and if thou hast no knowledge of heaven and heavenly things how canst thou desire them seeing where there is no desire there is no seeking And therefore if thou wouldest seeke heavenly things as Christ and Grace and Salvation then know them first Afterwards in the third verse he goeth on and presseth this exhortation with divers arguments first because you are dead that is seeing you are dead unto earthly things therefore strive not now to be earthly minded Secondly Your life is hid with Christ that is your happinesse is not seene with the eye of the bodie by looking on these earthly things but your happinesse and joy is by Faith beholding Christ therefore set your heart and eye on him where your life is that is you looke for a perfection of glory with Christ which you cannot have by minding earthly things therefore be heavenly minded In the fourth verse the Apostle answereth unto a demand for they might thus object You tell us that we shall have a perfection of glory and that it is hid with Christ but when shall we have it that is when shall it be made manifest unto us Unto this the Apostle answers When Christ who in our life shall appeare then shall we also appeare with him in glorie And hereupon he groundeth another exhortation in the verse I have read as if he should say Seeing you expect such a perfection of glory to be revealed unto you at Christs second comming then it stands you upon to set upon your corruptions to kill and to slay them that seeke to deprive you of that glory Mortifie therefore your earthlâ—e members that is slay every foule affection inordinate desire of earthly things rid your hearts of them by slaying of them and although it may seeme a hard worke yet fight still or else you shall never attaine unto that life you hope for So that the first generall point hence is this That the height of glorie which we expect by Christ should cause everie man to mortifie sinne This the Apostle makes the ground of our Mortification If you be risen with Christ seeke the things that are above mortifie therefore your earthlie members that is except you slay sinne that hath slaine Christ you cannot get life with Christ Surely then Mortification is not as men thinke it a needlesse worke which matters not much whether it be set upon or no but this is mens sicknesse for as a man that is sicke thinkes Physâ—â—ke is not needfull because hee is not sensible of his disease when as the Physician knowes that it is amatter of necessity and that except hee purge out that Corruption and humour of the body it will grow incurable even so except this corruption of nature be purged out it will-grow incurable that is we cannot be saved therefore we know to mortifie sinne is a worke of necessity whereupon standeth every mans life and salvation The second thing which we note is this That the frame of our hearts ought to suit with those Conditions that wee receive by our union with Christ. And this also the Apostle makes another ground of Mortification if you be risen with Christ seeke heavenly things and therefore labour to mortifie your inordinate affections and sinfull lusts that so the frame of your hearts and disposition thereof may suit with heavenly things as if he should
all these thou shalt bee more than a Conquerour and have a Crowne of glory in the life to come Secondly the world tels thee that if thou wilt not be earthly minded thou shalt lose thy wealth riches thy honour and thy credit nay thy life also but Faith tels thee that if thou beest earthly minded thou shalt lose thy spirituall life and riches and shalt be poore in the graces of the Spirit thou shalt lose honour and credit with God and his children nay thou shalt lose eternall life Thus Faith overcomes our inordinate affections to the world and makes us heavenly minded The second meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this you must labour for Humilitie this is that which the Apostle Iames exhorts us unto Iam. 4. 8. Clense your hands you sinners and purisie your hearts you double minded and then humble your selves cast your selves downe and the Lord wil raise you up Where we may note that before our hearts hands can be clensed we must be cast downe This we may see in the parable of the Sower Luk. 8. 8. two of the sorts of ground were not fit to receive seed because they were not humbled and therfore the Word had not that effect in them as it had in those that were humbled plowed and had the clods broken It is with an humble soule as it is with an hungry and thirsty man tell him of gold and silver hee cares not for it onely give him meat and drinke for that is the thing he most desires and stands most in need of or like a condemned man tel him of lands and possessions hee regards them nothing at all for nothing will satisfie him but a pardon so it is with a Christian that is humbled and cast downe under the sense of the wrarh of God for sinne tell him of any thing in the world in the most learned and excellentest manner that possibly you can yet nothing will satisfie him but the love and favour of God in Christ hee can rellish nothing but heavenly things nothing will quench his thirst but the imputed righteousnesse of Christ. Thus you see that Humilitie is an excellent meanes unto heavenly mindednesse The third meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this thou must labour to get thy judgement rightly informed especially concerning earthly things The reason wherefore men are so besotted with the world is because they doe not conceive of the things in the world so as indeed they are they thinke better of them then they deserve and looke for that from them which they cannot afford them therefore heare what the Preacher saith of them Salomon saith that they are vanitie and vexation of spirit yea he cals all vanity and in another place he compares them to things that are most variable and most uncertaine as to grasse that withereth to a shadow that is suddenly gone this is the esteeme that the Wiseman had of earthly things And thereby we may see that they are not truly good because they are uncertaine things and promise that which they cannot performe unto us for at the best they are but things wherein as through a crevice we have a small glimpse of the true good yet they themselves are not over-good because they are not the cause whereby the chiefe Good is produced neither are wee able to keepe them for at such or such a time they will bee gone so that they are neither true good nor our good and therefore this should weane us and our hearts from them But let us strive to set our affections on things that are durable good and substantiall good which will not deceive us and will promise us nothing but that which it will performe farre beyond our deserts therefore labour for a right informed judgement The fourth meanes if you would get heavenly mindednesse is this Labour to get a sight into the All-sufficiencie of God Remember what the Lord said unto Abraham I am God All-sufficient walke before me and bee upright God is an All-sufficient God for generall good things of this life are at the best but particular good as health is a particular good against sicknesse wealth and riches a particular good against poverty honour and credit a particular good against disgrace but God is a generall good and the fountaine of all goodnesse other things are but created like cisternes that good they have is put in them therefore the Lord complaines of the people Ier. 2. 13. They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and have digged to themselves Cisternes that will hold no water that is they have forsaken God the fountaine of all good and have chosen unto themselves the creatures that have no more good than that which comes from God the fountaine As a man that forsakes a fountaine that continually runnes and betakes himselfe to a crack'd Cisterne that hath no water but that which commeth from the fountaine and is also subject to lose his water so when men set their hearts on earthly things they forsake God who is All-sufficient for them and seeke to his Creatures which are insufficient and unable to helpe themselves therefore you ought to thinke of these things to the end you may be heavenly minded The fifth meanes to get heavenly mindednesse is this To Remember from whence thou art fallen Rev. 2. 5. this is for those that have beene heavenly minded and now are earthly minded It is with many Christians as it is with the shadow on the Diall the Sunne passeth and they know not how or as a man going to Sea first hee loseth a sight of the Townes and houses then the sight of the Churches and Steeples and then hee loseth the sight of the mountaines and hils then at last hee seeth nothing but the motion of the Seas so there are many Christians that make a godly shew of profession at first but by degrees they fall away till at length they become nothing they leave the good profession and take up an outward professing of Christianitie and doe all in hypocrisie it is with these men as it is with a man that hath a Consumption in his bodie first he growes weake secondly he loseth his colour thirdly hee loseth his rellish and taste and this is the most dangerous of all so it is in a spirituall Consumption first they are weake and feeble to performe holy duties secondly they lose their colour that is their cheerefulnesse in the performance of holy duties thirdly which is the worst of all they lose their rellish they cannot taste wholsome Doctrine they delightnot in the pure Word and this is dangerous and hard to be recovered A Consumption at first is more easily cured than discerned and at length it is more easily discovered than cured so it is with the spirituall the sicknesse and the weaknesse of the soule may at the first be more easily cured than discerned but when they
because God takes special notice of all thy actions as for dogs and swine as for the actions of unregenerate men he regards them not because his glory is not engaged upon their conversation he expects nothing from them but as for you he takes a particular notice of all your actions speeches and behaviours and therefore you should be marvellous carefull over your hearts Againe looke unto secret sinnes because hee is the searcher of the heart let the feare of God set in order every faculty of your soules to keepe out every sinne every evill thought because hee takes speciall notice of it And that I may the better prevaile with you I will briefly lay downe some Motives to move you to keepe this diligent watch over your hearts The first Motive to move every Christian to continue and grow in heavenly mindednesse is this because by this meanes hee may bee able to doe every good worke 2 Tim. 3. 21. If a man therefore purge himselfe hee shall be a vessell of honour fit for every good worke that is if hee labour to rid his heart of earthly mindednesse he shall have a new life put into him whereby hee shall bee able to performe holy duties in another manner then before Now what is the reason that there is such complaint among Christians that they cannot pray and are so dull and slaggish in the performance of holy duties but because they have not rid their hearts of earthly mindednesse What is the reason that there is so much Preaching and so little practise and so much hearing and so little edifying but because men are earthly minded If they would purge themselves of this earthly mindednesse it is unpossible but that there would bee more spirituall life in them in the performance of spirituall duties Therefore if it were for no other cause but this that you may be inabled unto every good worke and holy dutie and that you may keepe in you your spirituall life feeling and moving labour to keepe thy heart cleane from sinne The second motive to move Christians to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because that by this God is honoured I say it is a glorie to God if thou keepe thy heart cleane Now what man is there that would not willingly glorifie God who stuck not to give Christ for him It is a glorie unto God when the Professors of the Word live a holy life for what is the nature of the Word but to cleanse now when it worketh not this effect in them or at least when it appeares not in them it doth detract from the excellencie of the Word The Apostle layes downe the nature of a true Christian Iam. 1. 21. Pure Religion is this to keepe ones selfe unspotted of the world that is a spotlesse life is that which best beseemes a Christian man that takes upon him the profession of the Gospel and that which brings much glorie unto God is a blamelesse conversation and to this end the Apostle exhorts Let saith he your Conversation be without covetousnesse Heb. 13. 5. as if hee should say an unsatiable desire doth detract from the glorie of God therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded The third Motive to move every Christian to grow in heavenly mindednesse is because hee may prevaile with God in prayer Iam. 5. 16. the Apostle saith that The prayer of a faithfull man availeth much if it bee fervent that is it hath a great force with God for a blessing Now this should bee a marvellous encouragement to keepe the heart cleane in regard of the great necessitie that the Church hath of our prayers and therefore if we would not for ourselves prevaile with God yet in regard of the great need that the Church stands in at this present we should be moved to doe this duty But you will say that wee are but few or that I am but one and how can we be able to prevaile thus with God To this I answer Grant that you be but a few yet a few may doe much good Ezek. 22. 30. speaking of the destruction of Jerusalem I sought saith the Lord for a man to stand in the gappe and there was none Hee speakes there in the singular number if there had beene but one that is but a few they might have prevailed much with God so I say unto you though we be but a few yet if wee keepe our hearts pure wee may doe much with God nay though thou bee but a particular person thou maist prevaile much with God as Moses did for the Children of Israel when a damme is new broken the casting in of a little dirt will hinder the course of water but if it be not holpen in time it will not easily be stopt â—o in time a few may prevent a Judgement nay such a Jâ—dgement as otherwise may destroy a whole land if the heart bee truly sanctified it hath a great force with God Againe a man that would pray if he doe not speake but many times he is forced to send forth sighes and grones unto God this is of great power with God but if hee powre out his heart in voyce it hath a greater force and therefore the Wise-man saith that the words of the righteous are precious that is of great worth with God and therefore let this move men to be heavenly minded HOW TO MORTIFIE FORNICATION Colossians 3. 1. Mortifie therefore your members which are upon the earth Fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection evill concupiscence and covetousnesse which is Idolatry HAving handled in generall the Doctrine of Mortification according to the Method of the Apostle I am now come to descend to the considering of particulars as they are laid downe in my Text and would speak of them in the order as they are ranked by the holy Spirit but that the affinity and neerenesse betwixt three of these sinnes namely Fornication Uncleannesse and evill Concupiscence makes me to confound them and promiscuously to mingle them together Let us therefore consider first of the nature of every of these sinnes particularly by themselves and afterward make some use and application to our selves of them altogether The Doctrine that arises in generall from these words is That All Vncleannesse is a thing God would have mortified and quite destroyed out of the hearts that hee would dwell in All filthinesse and uncleannesse is a member of the old man now in such as Christ dwels in the old man is crucified he is dead with Christ now hee that is dead with him is freed from him and againe he that is in the second Adam hath power to mortifie the members of the old man All Gods children must be purified and cleansed from all pollution as the Apostle expressely commands us Ephes. 5. 1. Be ye followers of God as deare children that is be ye like unto God your Father as children resemble their naturall fathers now God is
shall see it in its proper filthinesse and native uglinesse No man that is guilty of it can discern its depravity for the very conscience is defiled by it now the Conscience is as it were the very glasse of the soule and if the glasse be defiled how can we see the spots in the soule and if these bee not to be discovered then nothing is left whereby to judge aright of it and therefore we must needs be deceived in the perceiving the filthinesse and haynousnesse thereof Let us therfore betake our selves to the Scripture which will shew it truly in its proper colors then if we use the meanes God wil assuredly send his Spirit to enlighten us When Iudas had but a glimpfe of this light opened unto him how great thinke yee seemed that sinne to him which before he durst commit boldly for thirty peeces of silver yet now it drives him to desperation and present hanging himselfe Wee must pray therefore for the Spirit to enlighten us that so wee may see the filthinesse of this sinne and be no more deceived by it as if it were either but a small sinne or hardly any at all as many men thinke and our carnall reason would perswade us unto The fifth and last Deceit whereby our cunning adversary the Devill labours to beguile us withall is Hope of secrecie Men commit this in private no spectators no secretaries shall be intrusted therewith the innermost closets and most retired roomes are the places destinated for this worke and the time commonly is the most obscure and blackest season the night and indeed not unfitly for it is a deed of darknesse yet let all such as be guilty hereof let them lay to heart these following considerations Consider first though they be never so private and secret in it yet God sees it they cannot shut out his eyes though they may the light of the Sunne hee knowes it and then it shall be revealed that which is said of Almes Mat. 6. 4. may very truly bee said of this Thy Father which seeth in secret himselfe shall reward thee openly so God that seeth thy secret Adultery or Fornication he will reward it he will punish it openly See iâ— for examâ—le in Davids adultery with Bathsheba 2 Sam. 12. 10 11 12. there the Lord saith Because thou hast despised mee and hast taken the wife of Vriah the Hittite to be thy wife Behold I will raise up evill against thee out of thine owne house and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbour and hee shall lye with thy wives in the sight of this Sunne for thou d ddest it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne See the Justice of God in punishing because David did it secretly and used all manner of meanes to conceale it as making Vriah drunke and then sending him to his wife to lye with her that so it might bee hidden yet God with-held him from her and so brought it about that David had no way to cover his sinne therefore also because David laboured to keepe it close and secret from all men hee will make his punishment publike and manifest to all Israell Againe God saith Because thou hast despised me c. whence observe in this secret committing of sin a man doth despise God in a more especiall manner for hee feares more the sight of men than the sight of God in that hee labours to conceale and hide it from the eyes of men but cares not though God looke on as if hee either would say nothing or regarded not at all his sinne But God hath said Them that honour mee I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed that is they shall be despised Consider secondly the divers and manifold wayes God hath to reveale it though men bee never so close and secret and useall possible meanes to hide their sinne as faire outward civility a seeming to hate such 2 filthy notorious wickednesse or any thing else an hypocriticall heart can invent yet God hath suâ—dry wayes to detect their filthinesse and lay open their hypocrisie As first by sensible things when there is no person neere to see it yet the vâ—ry birds and beasts have revealed it secondly hee gives them up to a reprobate sense and then in the end though they have long lyen in it unseene and ansuspected at last they become shâ—melesiâ— and so lye open to every mans discovery thirdly he can make any man living to reveale his owne sinne as we see in Iudas though all the time he was working his wickednesse hee had carried the businesse close enough yet in the conclusion when hee had brought the businesse to passe and in all probability it being now finished should never bee concealed even then he must confesse it he must tell it every body in like manner it will be our case though wee keep our filthinesse never so private yet God can make us in the end on our death-beds confesse it though all our life before we have hidden it Consider thirdly whosoever commits this filthy sinne of Fornication makes himselfe a vile and a base person what ever he was before though never so glorious yet now he is but as a Starre fâ—llen to the earth as it is in the Revelation If a man bee godly come what will come there is nothing can make him base nothing can obscure him though hell it selfe should labour to cast a darkenesse about him yet it shall bee but as a foyle about a Jewell or a cloâ—d about the Sunne make him shine brighter and brighter Wee know a Torch light in a darke night will shiâ—e brighter than if it were at noone-day even so a godly man whatever happens unto him whatever night of affiâ—ctions crosses or other disasters come upon him yet hee will be the more illustrious the moreclearer will hee shine in the midst thereof and the more crosses happen unto him the more will his glory appeare but on the other side let a man be ungodly whatever outward glory or pompe he may have yet he is but a base and vile person and so hee shall ever be esteemed of even at the last doe all the world what they can See this in Paul who before he was converted whilest he was a persecutor was counted a pestilent fellow but now after conversion when he became godly he was highly esteemed as a chosen vessell of the Lord So on the contrary the Scribes and Pharises were the onely men who but they among the Jewes yet now how odious is their names they stinke in all mens nostrils Therefore let us have a care how wee suffer our selves to lye in sinne lest we become in like manner hated of every man and on the other side let us get our selves to be godly and then our names shall be as precious oyntment that sends forth a sweet savour into every
searcher of the heart for it On the other side if a man by diligence in his calling have riches following him he may take them as a blessing of God bestowed on him and as a reward for his calling The diligent hand maketh rich God will so reward it not that we must eye riches and make them our end God makes a man rich and man makes himselfe rich God makes us rich by being diligent in our callings and using them to hâ—s glory and mans good he doth cast riches on us man makes himselfe rich when hee makes riches th' end of his calling and doth not expect them as a reward that comes from God I expresse it by Iacob Iacob he sâ—rved Laban faithfully and God blessed him so that he did grow rich hee went not out of his compasse and Sphere he tooke the wages that was given and because that Gods end was to make him rich God enriched him by his wages as a reward of his service The more diligent a man is in his calling the more sincere upright the more doth God blesse him and increase his riches God makes men rich when hee gives them riches without sorrowes and troubles when as they come in with ease and without expectation and disquiet Man makes himselfe rich when as there is great troble in getting keeping enjoying them when as he useth his calling to get riches or when as he useth unlawful meanes The method God useth to enrich men is this He first bids them Seeke the kingdome of God and the righteousnesse thereof and then all these things shall be administred unto them as wages We must looke to our duty and let God alone to provide and pay us our wages He that takes a servant bids him only looke to his duty and let him alone to provide him meat drinke and wages we are seruants God is our Master let us looke to our duty and leave the wages to him But whether may not a man take care to get wealth is not a man to care for his estate to increase it and to settle it I answere he may lawfully take care of it observing the right Rules in doing it which are these First he muâ—t not go out of his compasse but walke within his owne pale he must not step out of his own calling into other mens and in his owne calling hee must not trouble himselfe with so much businesse as that he cannot attend or that may hinder him in his private service unto God If he doe fill himselfe with too much businesse in his owne calling or step into others callings this is sinnefull and inordinate If a man in his owne calling fill himselfe with so much businesse that he cannot attend the things of salvation that he is so much tired with them that hee hath no leasure or spare time to search his owne heart and to doe the particular duties necessary to salvation he then failes in this and sinnes in his calling Secondly his end must not be amisse he must not ayme at riches Abraham was poore and so was Iacob yet God made them rich and mighty they were diligent in their callings and God brought in wealth God calles not a man to trust in himselfe to make riches his ayme and end to seeke excesse superfluity and aboundance to live deliciously to satisfie our lusts and pleasures our ayme must bee Gods glory and the publique good and then God will cast riches upon us as our wages Thirdly let it be a right care and not an inordinate care there is an inordinate care which checks the word you may know whether your care be such an immoderate care or no by these three signes First if you be troubled in the businesse you goe about consisting either in desire feare or griefe when as we either desire such a blessing exceedingly or feare that we shall not have it or greeve much for the losse of it Secondly when wee feare we shall not bring our enterprise to passe or attaine to that which we desire When wee are troubled at it if it be not accomplished and greeve when wee foresee any thing that may prevent it care being aright sets head and hand on worke but when the affections are just right there is no tumult or turbulencie in them When is a man covetous I answer that then a man is a covetous man when as he hath desires arising in him which are contrary on the former rules and hee resists them not or else resists them so weakely and feebly that hee gets no ground of them Hee sees no reason why he should resist them and therefore gives way unto them A man is not a covetous man nor an ambitious man which hath covetous and ambitious thoughts for these the holiest men have but hee that hath such thoughts and strives not at all against them or else strives but weakely he is a covetous and ambitious man A godly man may have these thoughts and desires but hee strives strongly against them gets ground of them and gives them a deathes wound but the covetous man hee yeelds unto them the godly man he gets the victory over them Now this covetousnesse is evill in it selfe for first of all it is Idolatry and spirituall Adultery and then it is an evill and bitter roote having many stalkes on it he that doth doe any thing to hold correspondencie with it he that doth belong unto it to him it is the root of all evill Luke 16. It keepes men from salvation It chokes the good seedes sowen in mens hearts Secondly it must be mortified for the vanity of the object is not worth the seeking therefore in the 16 Luke 9. It is set downe in a comparison with the true treasure and expressed in these foure circumstances First it is called the Mammon of unrighteousnesse and wicked riches because it makes men wicked opposed to spirituall blessings which are the best Secondly it is least because it doth least good it preserves us not from evill it doth the Soule no good Thirdly it is but false Treasure it hath but the shadowe of the true it shines as if it were true but yet it is but false and counterfet Lastly it is not our owne it is another mans riches are the goods of others not our own Luk. 16. 12. and 10. 41. 42. There are foure attributes given to riches First they are many things and require much labour Martha was troubled about many things Secondly they are unnecessary one thing is necessary Thirdly They will be taken from us Fourthly they are not the best and therefore our desire after them should be mortified From hence bee yee exhorted to mortifie this earthly member covetousnesse which is Idolatry a sinne unto which all men are subject young men though they want experience of riches are notwithstanding subject to this vice but olde men are most subject unto