Selected quad for the lemma: grace_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
grace_n	lust_n	teach_v	ungodliness_n	3,273	5	11.6124	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12071	Reasons most humbly offered to the honourable House of Commons in Parliament, by Sr Robert Sharpeigh, Knight, and Alexander Haitley, Esquire patentees for survey of sea-coales at Newcastle, &c. by nomination of the late Duke of Richmond and Lennox, proving the grant and patent thereof to be necessary and profitable to the common-wealth, the fee to be but competent and proportionable to the charge, and no imposition but a meere wages, or quid pro quo, voluntarily, offered to be payd for the service.	Sharpeigh, Robert, Sir.; Haitley, Alexander.	1624 (1624)	STC 22379.5; ESTC S2878	274,966	3

when he was to ascend triumphantly to Heaven the greatest Gift he could give was some to be Prophets some Apostles some Teachers for the building up of the Bodie of Christ till we all meet a perfect man in Christ. I will send them Pastours according to my owne heart sayth God Ier. 3. It is a Gift of all Gifts the Ordinance of Preaching God esteemes it so Christ esteemes it so and so should wee esteeme it And to adde this further to cleare it from whatsoever may rise up in any mans mind doe but consider in experience where Gods sets up his Ordinance how many soules are converted some are savingly cast downe and then raysed up againe their lives are reformed they walke in the light they know whither they goe they can give an account of what they hold the state of those that live under the Ordinance of God is incomparably more lightsome and comfortable and glorious then those that are in the darke that want it If we had no other argument experience is a good argument Where doth Poperie and prophanenesse reigne most In those places where this Ordinance of God is not set up for Poperie cannot endure the breath of the Gospel Thus we see the necessitie and benefit of Preaching But then in the next place this Preaching it must be of Christ Christ must be preached But must nothing be preached but Christ I answer nothing but Christ or that that tends to Christ if we preach threatnings it is to cast men downe that we may build them up if a Physician purge it is that he may give Cordials whatsoever is done in preaching to humble men it is to rayse them up againe in Christ all makes way for Christ. When men are dejected by the Law we must not leave them there but raise them up againe what ever we preach it is reductive to Christ that men may walke worthy of Christ. When men have beene taught Christ they must be taught to walke worthy of Christ and of their calling that they may carry themselves fruitfully and holily and constantly every way sutable for so glorious a profession as the profession of Christian Religion is The foundation of all these duties must be from Christ the graces for these duties must be fetched from Christ and the reasons and motives of a Christians conversation must be from Christ and from the state that Christ hath advanced us unto the prevailing reasons of an holy life are fetched from Christ. The grace of God hath appeared sayth S. Paul it hath shined gloriously teaching us to denie all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live soberly and righteously and holily in this present evill world So that Christ is the maine object of preaching This made S. Paul when he was among the Corinthians to professe no knowledge of any thing but of Christ and him crucified to esteeme and value nothing else he had Arts and Tongues and parts he was a man excellently qualified but he made shew of nothing in his preaching and in his value and esteeme but of Christ and the good things we have by Christ. Now Christ must be preached wholly and onely we must not take any thing from Christ nor joyne any thing to Christ. The Galatians did but beleeve the necessitie of Ceremonies with Christ and the Apostle tells them Yee are fallen from Christ. It is a destructive addition to adde any thing to Christ Away with other satisfaction the satisfaction of Christ is enough away with merits the merits of Christ are all-sufficient away with merit of works in matter of salvation Christs righteousnesse is that that we must labour to be found in and not in our owne all is but dung and drosse in comparison of the excellent righteousnesse we have in Jesus Christ. You must heare and we must preach all Christ and onely Christ. S. Paul sayth he was jealous with a holy jealousie over those he taught why Lest Satan should beguile them and draw them from Christ to any other thing Why is the Church of Rome so erroneous but because she leaves Christ and cleaves to other things Therefore we must labour to keepe chaste soules to Christ and those that are true Preachers and Ambassadours and Messengers they must be jealous with a holy jealousie over the people of God that they looke to nothing but Christ. Christ must be preached But to whom To the Gentiles Here lyes the Mysterie that Christ who was manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit c. should be preached to the Gentiles What were the Gentiles Before Christs time they were Dogges in our Saviour Christs censure Shall I give the Childrens Bread to Dogges Before Christs time they sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death Before Christs time they were the halt and the lame that He the great Feast-maker sent to bid come in they were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel without Christ without God in the world without God because they were without Christ. It is not to be imagined in what misery the poore Gentiles were before the comming of Christ except some few Proselytes that joyned themselves to the Iewish Church for the Gentiles worshipped Devils What were all their gods but Devils They were under the Kingdome of Satan when the Gospel came to be preached among them they were translated out of the Kingdome of Satan into the blessed and glorious Kingdome of Christ Coloss. 1. Yet we see here notwithstanding they were such kind of people the Mysterie of the Gospel is preached to these to the Gentiles It was such a Mysterie as that S. Peter himselfe although he were acquainted with it oft times by Christ and he might reade of it in the Prophets yet notwithstanding he was to be put in mind of it Act. 10. when he was to goe to Cornelius he saw a Vision full of Beasts and a Voice saying Kill and eate and indeed the Gentiles were little better then Beasts they were esteemed so before they had the Gospel and the preaching of it to them you see it was a Mysterie to S. Peter himselfe But why did God suffer the Gentiles to walke in their owne wayes as the Apostle saith Act. 14.16 Why did he neglect and over-looke the Gentiles and suffer them to goe on in their owne wayes so many thousand yeeres before Christ came were they not Gods creatures as well as the Iewes I answer this is a Mysterie that God should suffer those wittie people that were of excellent parts to goe on in their owne wayes But there was matter enough in themselves we need not call God to our Barre to answer for himselfe they were malicious against the Light they knew they imprisoned the light of nature that they had as it is Rom. 1. they were unfaithfull in that they had therefore besides that it is a Mysterie God may well be excused Doe but looke to the judgement that

cannot see the nature of God in any thing in the world so much as in Christ in Christ we see as in a glasse his infinitie sweet Wisedome his Justice and Holinesse in hating and loathing of sinne But the maine of all is his Mercy and Goodnesse which set him on worke to contrive this great worke of Redemption by the Incarnation and death of Christ the infinite rich glorious aboundant mercy that is the maine thing wherein God is glorious now in Christ therefore every where you have these and the like titles put to his goodnesse and mercy The bounty of God appeared and the riches of his mercy and the exceeding great height and breadth and depth of his love There are no words large enough to set out the goodnesse and mercy of God in Iesus Christ. Therefore I will onely speake of this Attribute because this beares the mastery among all the other Attributes though God be equally powerfull and just and yet he expresseth his mercy and grace most of all in Iesus Christ towards poore wretched man For after the fall man being miserable and sinfull what Attribute can exalt it selfe but Mercy to misery and grace to sinfull man in pardoning his sinne considering in what termes man stood there was no other Attribute could exalt it selfe but grace and mercy to triumph over misery and sinne As it is in a City those that are otherwise equall in honour yet sometimes one beares rule above another and he that is now Magistrate and chiefe take him at another time he is inferiour to others so since the fall the mercy of God beares office and is chiefe Governour and Commander over all the Attributes of God For as I said what moved God to set his Wisedome on worke to contrive such a thing as the salvation of man-kinde to reconcile God and man in one person his Mercy moved him What moved him to satisfie his Justice It was that an excellent way might be made without prejudice to any other of his Attributes for his free grace and Mercy that is it that set all the other on worke that is the maine triumphing Attribute considering man now standing in that exigence of Mercy therefore Glory to God in the highest heavens especially for his free grace and Mercy in Christ. Now that you may understand this sweet point which is very comfortable and indeed the grand comfort to a Christian doe but compare the glory of God that is the excellency and eminency of Gods mercy and goodnesse and greatnesse of this work of Redemption by Christ with other things God is glorious in the worke of Creation The heavens declare the glory of God and the earth manifests the glory of God every creature indeed hath a beame of the glory of God especially those celestiall bodies in the heavens they praise God in their kinds but with our mouthes they give us matter of praise and if we have gracious hearts we take notice of it and magnifie him for his goodnesse his goodnesse appeares in the use of the creatures and his greatnesse in the bulke of the creatures his wisedome in ordering and ranking of them so that his mercy shines in all things in heaven and earth marvelously oh but beloved heaven and earth shall come to nothing ere long and what is all this glory of the goodnesse and greatnesse of God to us if we be sent to hell after this short life is ended what comfort is it that we goe on the earth and enjoy the comforts that God gives us in this world and then to perish for ever therefore the glory and goodnesse of God doth not so gloriously appeare in the creation of the world Nay the glory of Gods love and mercy shined not to us so when we were in Adam not to Adam for there God did good to a good man he created him good and shewed goodnesse to him that was not so much wonder but for God to shew mercy to an enemy to a creature that was in opposition to him that was in a state of rebellion against him it is a greater wonder and more glory It was a marvelous mercy for God to make man out of the earth but here God was made man he became man himselfe there all was done with one word Let us make man it was easily done But in this for Christ to become man for us and to suffer many things to be made a curse for us it was not so easie a matter therefore herein there is a great manifestation of the glory of Gods goodnesse and mercy to us for God hath set himselfe to bee glorious in his mercy and goodnesse and grace in Christ hee hath set himselfe to triumph over the greatest ill in man which is sinne in the glorious worke of Redemption So that you see here is the greatest glory and mercy of God appeares in our Redemption by Iesus Christ the foundation of which is his incarnation In Exod. 34.6 God doth make an answer to Moses who desired to see the glory of God that he might have it manifested to him not out of curiosity but that he might love God the more how doth God manifest his glory to him Iehovah strong mercifull glorious pardoning sinne and Iniquity when God would set himselfe to shew his glory in answering Moses petition he doth it in setting out his glorious mercy and grace and loving kindnesse in pardoning sin and iniquity to shew that he will now have his glory most appeare in the sweet Attribute of mercy and compassion in the forgivenesse of sinnes c. In Titus 2. 12. The grace of God hath appeared teaching us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts c. The grace of God hath appeared Grace hath not a body to appeare visibly I but Christ appeared and when he appeared it was as if grace and love had beene incarnate and tooke a body so that grace and mercy most of all shines in the Incarnation of Christ. I need not cleere the point further but onely make a little use of it and so end Doth the grace and love and mercy of God those sweet Attributes now appeare and shew themselves in Iesus Christ. I beseech you let us remember it there is no point of Divinitie of more use and comfort especially in the greatest plunges and extremities for it answereth all objections the greatest and strongest that can be made The sinner will object my sinnes are great of long continuance and standing they are of a deepe dye Looke then upon God in Christ and consider his end in the Incarnation of Christ it was that his mercy and goodnesse and grace should be exalted and triumph over all mans unworthinesse the greater thy sinnes are the greater will be the glory of his mercy and that is it God seekes for now to be glorious in his mercy Againe thy heart tells thee that if there be any mercy shewed to such a wretch as thou art

that have dispositions like them will study how this blessed truth may be promoted and propagated and spread even over the world therefore wee should labour every one to spread the glorious Gospell of Christ especially those that are Ministers whose office it is to unfold and open the unsearchable riches of Christ. Againe we glorifie God in Christ when wee see such glory and mercy of Christ as it doth transforme us and change us and from an inward change we have alway a blessed disposition to glorifie God as I shewed out of 1 Cor. 3. This is the difference betweene the glasse of the Gospell and the glasse of the Law and of the creatures In the Law we see the beames of the Justice of God Cursed is every one that continueth not in all c. and the beames of his power and goodnesse in the creature but it doth not change and transforme us to be good and gracious but when wee see the glory of God of his goodnesse and infinite mercy shining in the face of Iesus Christ for wee dare not looke upon God immediatly it changeth the soule to be gracious like unto Christ therefore if wee find that the knowledge of God in Christ hath changed our dispositions it is a signe then we give glory to God indeed for to glorifie God is an action that cannot proceed but from a disposition of nature that is altered and changed the instrument must be set in tune before it can yeeld this excellent Musicke to glorifie God as the Angels doe that is all the powers of the soule must be set in order with grace by the Spirit of God if the meditations and thoughts of the Gospell have altered our dispositions to love God and that that pleaseth God to doe good to men to delight in goodnesse it is a signe we are instruments in tune to glorifie God and that we have an apprehension of the love and mercy of God in Christ as we should for it hath a transforming power to worke this The grace of God will teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily When the grace of God that is the free love of God in Christ in the forgiving our sinnes and advancing us to heaven hath this effect in our soules it is a signe wee have a true notion and apprehension of the excellency and eminency of Gods grace otherwise if we turne the grace of God into wantonnesse to make the benefits by Christ a pretence and covering for our wicked and loose lives we know not what it is to glorifie God but though in words we say Glory be to God yet in our lives we denie it as the Apostle saith The Hypocrites in Isay 66.5 they had good speeches in their mouthes saith God heare the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my name sake said Let the Lord be glorified so you shall find those that are opposers and persecutors and haters of sinceritie will sing Gloria Patri God be glorified but what good will this doe them if they have diabolicall satanicall dispositions if they be like the Devill in opposing the truth and hating that that is good The Devils in the Gospell could glorifie God for their owne ends We know that thou art the Sonne of God so Devils incarnate can come to Church and receive the Sacraments and seeme to praise God oh but there must be a change for to glorifie God is a work of the whole man especially of the Spirit All that is within me praise his holy name It came from the heart roote of a sanctified judgement out of grounds why we doe it The wish of the Angels here Glory to God on high it came from a good ground because they knew God is to be glorified in Christ for judicious phrases are founded upon truths so there must be a sanctified judgement to be the ground of it and the affections must be in tune answerable to those truths then we are sit to glorifie God and all this is by the power of the Gospell transforming us Againe we glorifie God when we take to heart any thing that may hinder or stoppe or eclipse Gods truth and obscure it when it workes zeale in us in our places as farre as we can when it affects us deepely to see the cause of Religion hindred any way if there be any desire of glorifying God there will be zeale the heart will move with a kind of indignation when God is dishonoured and his truth eclipsed with false doctrine or by ill practice it cannot be otherwise it is out of the nature of the thing it selfe therefore those that either are instruments of stopping or obscuring the truth or causing it to be reproached by their wicked lives or if they be not instruments yet they doe not take it to heart when they see God dishonoured surely they can speake little comfort to themselves they have neither Angelicall nor Evangelicall dispositions for if they had the knowledge of the Gospell it would worke this is in them Againe if we apprehend this glorious Mysterie of Christ in the Gospel aright it will work in us a glorious joy for joy is a disposition especially that fits us to glorifie God then we are fit to glorifie God when our hearts are enlarged with joy when we thinke of God in Christ when we thinke of the Day of Judgement when we thinke of heaven when we can thinke of hell with joy as being subdued and blesse God for Christ when we can thinke of all that is opposite as conquered in Christ so that our joy is enlarged in the apprehension of our owne blessed condition it is a good signe we are in a disposition to glorifie God but I will not enlarge my selfe further in this point This being so excellent a duty to which wee are stirred by the Angels Glory to God on high c. what are the maine hindrances of it that we give not God more Glory The maine hindrances are a double vayle of Ignorance and Unbeleefe that we doe not see the glorious light of God shining in Iesus Christ or else if we doe know it we doe not beleeve it and thereupon instead of that blessed disposition that should be in the soule there comes an admiration of carnall excellencies a delighting in base things This Ignorance is partly from the darknesse of our owne hearts being overcast sometimes that such great things are too good to be true our hearts have a hell of unbeleefe in them And sometimes the policy of Satan who casts dust in our eyes and labours that wee may not see the glory of God in the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. The God of this world hath blinded their eyes c. Ignorance arising from within or without is a great cause why we do not see the excellencies of God therefore no wonder if where the Gospell is not

like unto Christ it hath a force to stirre us up to that that is good Tit. 2.11.12 The Apostle enforceth selfe-denial a hard lesson and holinesse to God justice to others and sobriety to our selves What is the argument he useth The grace of God hath appeared The grace of God hath shined as the word signifieth He meanes Christ appeared but hee saith The grace of God hath appeared when Christ appeared grace appeared Christ is nothing but pure grace clothed with our nature What doth this appearing of grace teach us To deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily and righteously and soberly c. Holily and religiously in regard of God justly in regard of men and not only justly but bountifully for bounty is justice It is justice to give to the poore With hold not good from the owners they have right to that we have Grace when it appeares in any soule it is a teacher it teacheth to deny all that is naught and it teacheth to practise all that is good it teacheth to live holily and righteously in this present evill world Many men like the Text thus farre The grace of God bringeth salvation Oh it is a sweet Text I but what followes what doth that grace teach thee It teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts it doth not teach men to follow and set themselves upon the workes of the Devill but to live soberly and justly and righteously in this present evill world It is said of the Woman in the Gospell She loved much because much was forgiven her what made that blessed woman so inlarged in her affection and love to Christ She had experience of the pardon of many sins and having felt the love of Christ she loved him againe And what is the reason that those that are converted from dangerous courses of life do often prove the most fruitfull Christians Because they have felt most love and mercy Who was more zealous then the blessed Apostle S. Paul Oh he found rich and abundant love How large is he in fetting forth the mercy of God Oh the height and breadth and depth Nothing contents him no expressions when he speakes of Gods mercy because he had beene a wretched man and found mercy Let no man be discouraged if he have beene never so sinfull if he come in The more need he hath of mercy the more aboundant God is as the Apostle saith here You know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. And those that have felt most grace will bee most wrought on to shew the fruits of that grace in all good workes in duties towards God and men And if we finde not our hearts wrought on by the confideration of the grace of Christ apprehended and knowne to this end We turne the grace of God into wantonnesse it is a sign of an ill condition the Scripture speakes nothing but discomfort to such that take occasion from the free grace and infinite and boundlesse mercy of God to be loose and carelesse in their lives and conversations that think it is a time of liberty and we may doe what we list though the tongues of men say not so nor they dare not for shame yet their lives speak it would men else live in swearing and other debaucht carriage that is offensive to God and men Do they know that there is a God a Christ and mercy Doth mercy and grace teach them that lesson No it teacheh us to deny such base lives and lusts and to live holily and soberly and justly in this world Therefore such men are Atheists either they must not beleeve the Scriptures or else exclude themselves from interest in mercy for as yet they are not in the state of grace in whom the consideration of mercy and grace doth not worke better effects then these The Gospell hath as strong encouragements and stronger to be good and gracious then the Law Grace inforceth strictnesse of life more sweetly and strongly then the Law The Law saith We must not take the name of God in vaine and we must be subject to our superiours and to live chastly c. under a curse Doth not the grace of God teach this as well as the Law and from a higher ground It teacheth the same thing by arguments taken from love and grace A man perisheth by the Law in such sins but then there is a pardon offered if men will come under the government of Christ and lead new lives but if men refuse there is a superadded guilt not only justice condemnes such wretches but mercy it selfe because they refuse mercy upon these termes rather then they will leave their sinfull courses mercy and justice both meet to condemne such persons Let us take heed therefore of abusing the mercy and love of God for then we quite overthrow Gods end in the Gospell for why doth he conveigh all to us by love and mercy and grace but that it may worke the same disposition againe in us to him or else we overturne the end of the Gospell Let us take heed of this as ever we will finde interest in this grace without which we are the miserablest wretches that live it were better for us that we had never heard of Christ and the Gospell then to live in sins against conscience under the manifestation and publication of grace Now together with the grace of Ch●ist the Apostle brings the example of Christ that both may stirre them up to the duties of mercy and bounty and fruitfulnesse Indeed the grace of Christ makes his example more sweet Men willingly looke upon examples The examples of great and excellent Persons The example of loving and bountifull Persons The example of such as are loving and bountifull to us in particular The example of such as we have interest in that are neere and deere to us and we to them These foure things commend examples Now is there any greater or more excellent person then Christ Is there any fuller of love and mercy and grace then he that hath made himselfe poore to make us rich And all of us if we be Christians indeed we have interest in this our hearts and consciences by the Spirit of God have some perswasion of this And then againe he is deare and neere unto us he is our Head and Husband he is all in all unto as Therefore the example of Christ joyned with his grace it is a wondrous forcible example How shall we make this example of Christ profitable to us First of all let us looke often into the grace of Christ the grace and free mercy of God in giving Christ consider how God hath laid forth all his riches in Christ and consider how miserable we had beene without Christ even next unto Divels in misery A man is the most miserable creature under Heaven if he have not interest in Christ he is a lost creature Let us dwell upon the meditation and

I rather speak of positive truths to see Gods grace and favour and blesse God for it in every thing we have Doth all that we have in Christ come from grace the grace in us and comforts and outward things meerely from grace Then esteeme them more from the spring from whence they come then for themselves The necessaries of this life food and raiment they are but meane things in themselves but if we consider what spring they come from from the blood of Christ that hath purchased them and from the grace and love of Christ grace will adde value to them grace will make all sweet that we have when we can say I have this from the grace of God as Iacob said These are the children that God hath given me of his bounty and grace This is the provision the helpe and comfort that I have from the grace of Christ for the same grace that gives Heaven gives necessaries and daily bread Let us look on every thing and put the respect of grace upon every thing It is grace that we meet with afflictions wherby we are corrected God might have let us goe on in the hardnesse of our hearts looke upon every thing as a fruit of Gods grace and favour What is the reason that we are no more thankful for common benefits Because we looke not on them as issuing from grace Take away grace the free favour of God extract this quintessence take the love of God out of things what are they Let a man be rich if he have it not from the love and mercy of God what will all be in time but snares Let a man be great in the world if it be not from the grace of God what is it As God saith I will curse you in your blessings without grace we are cursed in those things that else are blessings take grace from Adam in Paradise and Adam is afraid in Paradise and hides his head Take the favour of the King from Haman and nothing will do him good take the favour of the King from Absalom and all other liberties that he had are nothing worth when he must not go to the Court so take the grace and favour of God away that sweetens all they will prove snares and we shall finde by experience that God will curse us in all our blessings Let us labour therefore to have a sensible feeling of this free grace and mercy of God in Christ. And to adde this further the grace of Christ it is a fruitfull grace it is a rich grace as the Apostle saith here you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who became poore to make us rich by his poverty The favour of God and Christ it is no empty favour it is not like the Winter Sunne that casts a goodly countenance when it shines but gives little comfort and heat Many men give sweet and comfortable words but there is nothing followes it is but a barren favour It is not so with Gods favour to give only a shining countenance but no warmth no saith the Apostle you know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich he became poore It was a grace that made him empty himselfe of himselfe to make us full it made him poore to make us rich he abased himselfe to make us glorious As is the man so is his strength saith the Proverbe so as is the person such is the favour and good will we expect from him Now Christ being so potent a person being God and man his grace must needs be wondrous rich suitable to his greatnesse If God will free a man he will free him from all miseries if he advance a man he will advance him to Heaven if he will punish a man he will punish him to hell his wrath shall seise on him for ever what hee doth he will do like a God the grace of Christ it is a powerfull rich grace Therefore let us examine our selves am I in the favour of God and of Christ if I be surely it is a rich favour it tends to the best riches he became poore to make me rich Where is my faith my love my hope my contentation my patience and victory over temptations and lusts Is it a dead favour Am I in the favour of Christ and finde no fruits of it Certainly it is but an illusion therefore as yet I am not in the compasse of Christs favour Therefore I must wait in the use of meanes and humbling my selfe he gives grace to the humble And with a sense of our spirituall poverty let us pray to God to shine on us in Christ that wee may finde the fruit of his love inriching us with grace Oh that my faith and hope and grace were more Oh let this evidence that I am in thy favour by the fruits of it that I may finde those riches that thou hast procured by thy poverty And let us not rest till we finde the fruits of this grace though not alway in the comfort yet in the strength and ability that wee may performe in some measure what is required Though we have not much of the comfort that we desire yet if we have strength we have that that is better It is better to have grace then comfort here God reserves that for another world But let us alwayes looke for one of them either sensible peace and joy o● if not that yet strength against our corruptions and ability to doe God service in some measure to do something above nature holy desires and ability and strength they come not from nature but from the favour of Christ therefore having these I know I am in the love of Christ these are favours that hee bestowes onely upon his owne favours of the left hand he gives to castawayes but his speciall favours the riches of grace he gives only to his children Therefore let us labour to finde somewhat wrought in our natures that may evidence to us that we are in this rich favour of God Lastly this grace of Christ being free that we neither desired it nor deserved it why may not Manasses take hope as well as David if he submit himselfe though hee were so horrible a sinner as he was Why may not Paul a persecutor finde mercy as well as Timothy that was brought up to goodnesse from his youth It is free therefore let no man despaire that hath beene a wicked liver in former time The best stand in need of grace and it is of grace that they are what they are as S. Paul saith By grace I am that I am and the worst if they come in and submit themselves and take Christ for their Lord and submit to his government and will be ruled by his word and Spirit and not continue to live in rebellious courses they may partake of this grace But againe let none presume for though it be free grace yet we must confesse our sinns and forsake

afflictions as to grace and glory God hath set us apart to beare such a share and portion of troubles in this world to suffer as well as to do From my youth up saith the Church they have afflicted me the plowers have plowed upon my backe and made long ●urrowes that is from the infancy of the Church in all the growth of it this hath beene the state of the Church for the most part to be afflicted and poore And indeed if we looke to our selves by reason of the remainder of our corruptions it is needfull it should be so God in wisdome sees it fit it should be so that wee should bee afflicted and poore because he sees that we can hardly digest any flourishing condition in this world It is as strong waters to a wea●e stomacke how ever strong waters intoxicate them not to make them drunke yet they weaken the braine so how ever a good condition in the world doth not altogether besot men yet it weakens them without a grea● measure of faith and makes them forget God and the condition of worldly things how empty and vaine they are and forget themselves and their owne mortality and forget others what respect is due to them as if the world were made only for them to tosse and tumble in at their pleasure to have all at their will as if other men were scarce men to them You see when men are trusted with great matters they deale with other men as if they were not men as if all were made for their pleasure This is the nature of man in great eminency it sets up its owne desire for a god as if all other were beasts and base and nothing It is a pi●ifull thing to consider what our nature is in this kind Nay take the best Hezekiah in his prosperitie he would needs shew his treasures to the king of Babylon a faire bootie for him you know what it cost him afterward Naturally we are prone to outward carnall excellency too too much God knowes it well enough David would be numb●ing the people that he might be conceited what a goodly number he had to fight against his enemies God punished him you see in that kinde he tooke away that people that he made his confidence God deales thus with his children in this world because he sees a disposition in them that cannot digest and mannage and overcome prosperity they cannot command it as they should do but are slaves to their own lusts though they have a good measure of grace We are prone to surfeit of the things of this life and God is forced as it is in Psal. 119. of very faithfulnesse thou hast corrected me God of very faithfulnesse because he will be true to our souls and save them he is forced to diet us and to keep us short of the things of this life to take away matter of pride and matter of conceitednesse in carnall excellencies to make us know our selves and him and the world what it is the vanity of the world and worldly things You see then God hath some cause to do it And we may justifie God when he any way abaseth us in this world he knowes what hee hath to do with us let us leave that to him so he save our soules and sanctifie them and delight in us to heaven and happinesse if his pleasure be to diet us in this world in regard of riches and greatnesse that he do not answer our desires but keepe us under hatches let us leave it to his will he knowes what to do with us as the Physitian knowes better what concernes the sicke than the sick doth Therefore let us take in good part the wise dispensation of God But why doth he joyne afflicted and poore together Because poverty is affliction and because affliction goes with poverty poverty brings affliction it brings abasement with it and it is an affliction it selfe For the poore man is trod on at all hands men go over the hedge where it is lowest it is an affliction and it goes with affliction Therefore the Apostle S. Paul Philip. 4. he joynes them together I have learned to want and to be abased Why Because a man that is in want in the world is usually abased every man scornes him that is in want they looke haughty and high over a man that hath any use of them so that affliction and poverty usually go together Those that God doth abase in this kinde let them consider that it is no otherwise with them than it hath beene with Gods people before and let them labour for true riches take advantage from their outward estate to be rich in a better way In the next place we may observe hence that God sanctifies outward affliction and poverty to helpe inward poverty of spirit Poverty in outward condition helpes poverty in the inward disposition In their state and condition is implyed their disposition poore for condition and likewise in inward disposition for that is implied here The Prophet doth not meane he will leave poore people that shall onely be poore for we see a world of poore and proud A man as he goes along in the streets shall heare a company of poore that are the greatest rebels in the world against God that blaspheme and sweare that raile against Magistrates and Governou●s they are the most unbroken people in the world the poorest and beggerliest the refuse of mankinde as they are in condition so they are in disposition The Scripture speakes here of Gods poore not of the divels poore such as are poore every way outwardly inwardly and have their poverty as a just punishment of their wicked lives and continue in that wicked life having it not sanctified to them to make them desire better riches Doth God esteeme such poore No but such poore and afflicted as together with the meanenesse of their outward condition have it sanctified to them so as they grow to be low and poore in their owne esteeme of themselves they grow to inward poverty of spirit and so to seeke to God to seeke for better riches to be rich in faith as the Scripture speakes especially such and only such are here meant So then marke the point here that God sanctifies affliction and poverty for the inward good of the soules of his children This is the reason of it outward poverty and affliction takes away the fuell that feeds pride that is an opposite to spirituall poverty and humility and sight of our wants that which pride feedes upon it is some outward thing some outward excellency that the flesh takes occasion by to swell to over-weene it selfe and to over-looke all others now when the fuell is taken away the fire goes out when the fodder and nourishment is taken away those wanton steeds you know that grew fierce with pampering they grow more tractable so it is with the nature of man take away