them So that they were not afterwards to be converted to any common use neither might any take of the ointment that the Priest was anointed with and apply it to other matters Now this denoteth both the Dignity and Duty of all true believers The Dignity they are Gods anointed ones therefore touch them not for God will avenge their quarrel by this we are both Kings and Priests Kings spiritually conquering the world as also our owne lusts and sinnes Shalt thou who art a King over thy passions be a slave to them And then we are also Priests because we are to offer up soule and body as a Sacrifice unto God we are not to live to our selves but to him Againe here is our Duty for we being thus Gods anointed ones his consecrated ones we must not apply our selves to lusts and sinnes or defile our selves with the pitch that is in the world Shall a man with this spiritual anointing roll himselfe in the mire and vomit of sinne What pride and curiosity hath been used about ointments for smell and beauty Insomuch that the very Poet could say Male olet qui benè olet May not this shame every godly Christian to think how much vain and proud persons do regard such precious ointments that are for the body only above what thou doest for soul-ointment and the spiritual excellency thereof Secondly Oyle was used to comfort the heart of a man and beautifie the countenance Therefore Psalm 45. it is called The oile of gladnesse Hence it was that in their Feasts and Nuptial banquets they anointed themselves The oyle of gladnesse is opposed to mourning and in this sense the Spirit of God may well be compared to oyle for he is the Comforter as well as the Sanctifier And this is part of the meaning in the Text at least by way of consequent For where the Spirit of God doth witnesse and seale to the true believer that is many times accompanied with great joy and consolation Ointment and perfume rejoyce the heart saith Solomon Prov. 27. 9. How much more will those inward and effectual operations of Gods Spirit It is true joy and reall godlinesse are many times separated from one another The chariots of a godly soule many times goe heavily for want of this oyle in the wheeles Onely we are to know that there is an aptitude and fitnesse in the connexion betweene grace and consolation godlinesse and delight Pray therefore for this anointing of Gods Spirit even to fill thy heart with joy unspeakable For this will make thee like Elijah goe to Heaven in a fiery Chariot Thy duties thy performances these will have more vigour and activity in them Thirdly Oyle was used to refresh those that were weary The Jewes did use it to those who travailed by way of restauration as it were to them Thus Luke 7. 46. that woman anointed Christs feet with ointment This was done for refocillation after lassitude And thus also the Spirit of God with his gracious effects doth wonderfully exhilarate and cheer the heart after many wearisome labours and temptations The body is not so much subject to wearinesse and restlesnesse as the soule is The way to Heaven is a streight and narrow way Hence the Spirit of God is like ointment to refresh us in these laborious exercises arguments taken from the nature of the Gospel from the excellency and usefulnesse of Gods promises these doe administer much spiritual ease and content to the soul Fourthly Oyle was used to those who were wounded as being of special operation to heale their wounds Therefore Luke 10. 34. the good Samaritane tooke oyle and poured it into the wounds of that man of Jericho And now that man was but once wounded whereas the godly man receiveth many wounds several wayes sometimes through his owne carelesnesse and negligence he wounds his owne heart sadly sometimes God for special ends seemeth to wound him with the wounds of an angry one Oh then how blessed is it to have oyle poured into these bleeding wounds Yet of such suppling and mollifying efficacy is the Spirit of God to afflicted consciences for sinne And if you aske What is this oyle that is to be poured into such wounds I answer It is the balme of Gilead the oyle of the Gospel the precious promises that are in Christ The Spirit of God doth anoint the soul with this oyle and thereby the heart recovereth of those sad and deadly wounds which the Law and the guilt of sinne had made upon it Fifthly Oyntment hath its peculiar smell and fragrancy it recreateth the nostrils of others Not onely they that have the ointment but others that are in company partake of the smell thereof Therefore we reade of the Church Cantic 1. 3. Chap. 4. 10. so greatly affected with the smell of Christs ointments What is that but onely the lovelinesse and excellency in the Lord Christ which a gracious soul is so deeply affected with For this it is that the Virgins are said to love him By Virgins are meant sincere and upright persons these follow Christ because of the savour of his ointments It is not any carnal advantage or worldly respect but the meere preciousnesse that is in him as a Mediatour and as the husband of the soule that maketh the godly thus presse after him Now as it is thus with Christ so it ought to be with Christians As a man cannot hide the smell of his ointments but others will be refreshed with it so it ought to be with a Christian all his whole life should be a sweet savour and a precious odour there should be that in his conversation which should make every one that beholdeth him to be in love with him They should love to be in his company in his presence As they say of the Dove when it hath any precious ointment poured on it it maketh all the rest flocke after it Especially this should make all the godly take heed of those things that will make Religion to stinke or their persons to be vile and abominable before others Solomon saith A dead flie falling into a box of ointment will make it to stinke Eccles 10. 1. If a dead flie what then will a dead toad or a piece of a dead dogge Such carrion must needs make a man to be abhorred The very consideration that thou art anointed ought to work upon thee so farre as to do nothing that may make thee to be abhorred Sixthly Oyle was used to mollifie and soften things that were harsh and stiffe So Isaiah 10. 27. the yoke is said to be destroyed because of the anointing Thus the graces of Gods Spirit are to the soule they soften and mollifie the hardnesse of thy heart How often doth it melt thy stubborne soule and make thee kindly relent under all that subbornnesse and disobedience which thou hast shewed to God Seventhly Oyle was used to comfort and strengthen men in their limbs And therefore those who
attributed to the true God only and he alone is here said with Christ to be the Author of that Grace and Peace we have From whence observe That God alone can vouchsafe this grace and peace to his people This is part of Gods Regalia There are many things that the creatures can do as second causes but here God is the alone efficient We remain as it were in so many tormenting Hels till God cause his face to shine upon us Hence you heard God is called the God of peace and as it followeth in the next verse The God of all consolation As therefore God is the fountain of holiness so that there cannot be the least degree of holiness wrought in thee without it come from above thou hast no free-will or power of thy own to procure it So it is in matter of consolation and peace There is not the least drop of comfort can fall into thy heart to refresh it till God pour it into thee I shall briefly mention some grounds of this because it will be more largely handled in the next verse First God alone can give this grace and peace Because he was at first the maker of the heart he is the Father of all flesh and of all spirits Having therefore such an immediate dominion over the heart of man to put into it what he pleaseth to raise up what affections he will no wonder if he alone giveth comfort Elihu speaketh fully to this Job 35. 10. None saith where is God my maker that giveth songs in the night In the night when the soul may be most possessed with sad and dejected thoughts even then he can give songs and that because he is a maker That as he who maketh an instrument of Art the Clock or Watch he can make it strike when and how he pleaseth if there be any hinderance in the motions of it he can presently rectifie it because he made it thus it is with God he knoweth all the workings and turnings of thy heart he made every power and ability of thy soul and so he alone can fill it with joy or bitterness as he pleaseth Though our hearts be not in our power yet they are in Gods power and what he bids it think it thinketh whereas we have not our own thoughts and motions in our own power It is God therefore that made the heart who can make it peaceable and joyfull Secondly God alone must be the fountain of all grace and peace Because he alone is the person offended When we sin it is he that is provoked it 's his honour and his Law that is despised and therefore seeing not the creatures but God himself is chiefly offended till he be reconciled we cannot have any true and certain peace That as it is with a Subject who hath offended the Prince it lieth in the Prince his power only to be gracious and to give a pardon though all men in the Nation should give it him yet if not ratified and confirmed by the Prince whom he hath offended he looketh upon his condition as helpless Thus the foul troubled for sin though all the world give him peace yet that will not satisfie him his thoughts are daily What doth the Lord say Besides these as you see in David though he greatly offended and injured man being guilty of bloud yet he cryeth out to God Against thee thee only have I sinned and earnestly prayeth God would not hide his face from him Psal 51. Use of Direction To all contrite broken hearts who like that woman troubled with the bloudy flux have spent all they had upon Physicians that could do no good Thou hast thus many years been bowed down a stranger to all joy and peace look up to God more know he alone can give thee true joy For this reason we see David and others still making their addresses to God That he would make the bones that were broken to rejoyce that he would make the parched wildernesse to be like a pleasant spring for otherwise they are undone and miserable till he looks upon them Now then if God be the only cause of thy peace take heed how thou provokest him better offend all the world than God For the world though it rage and persecute thee yet cannot deprive thee of this peace but God hideth his face in a moment and then thou must needs be troubled Therefore do not think to get this grace and peace from thy own works and doings but imitate David who said He would hear what the Lord will speak Psal 85. 8. for he will speak peace to his people Thus we are to be attending more to the voice of God in his Word by his promises speaking to our comfort then to our own hearts thou wilt hear what thy own perplexed heart speaks or what the Devil speaks which alwayes suggest matter of terrour and diffidence and doest not hearken to what God by his Spirit through his Word speaketh to thee Only take the caution along with thee the Psalmist giveth If God have spoken peace take heed of returning to folly Sin may in that particular be well called folly for thereby we unsettle our souls we that had the quiet enjoyments of God and his imbracements of grace for some sin that pleaseth or tickleth but for a moment do cast our selves into darkness and misery So that then sin is especially folly when we have once experimentally tasted the good grace of God and then afterwards voluntarily chase it away by our own carelesness Oh how long mayest thou with tears and cries pray for light and comfort again ere thou canst enjoy it In the next place God is here described relatively a Father The word Father is sometimes taken absolutely as it denoteth God the Creatour and Governour of all things sometimes relatively as denoting the first Person in the Trinity Although the Socinian flight this distinction denying the Sonne to be called the Father unless once Isa 9. which they would wrest to another sense and that the holy Ghost is never called Father yea that the Father is never called Father in respect of the first creation of all things but because of his fatherly love and care to the things created yet these things might be cleared against them were it in our way so much Here indeed God the Father is named relatively and not so much from the first creation and making of all things as from the Covenant of grace whereby through Christ we are made his sonnes and what Christ hath by nature we have by grace So that the paternal relation here mentioned is more peculiar and sweet than that general one to all the creatures even wicked men who yet are preserved by him and like Ishmael have many gifts though they have not with Isaac the inheritance Observe That God is a Father in a more peculiar and special manner to those that do truly believe The Poet said We were Gods offspring who knew not
causeth much joy in the heart God therefore is called the God of comfort in this respect that though for just and wise ends he will not deliver his people from sad exercises yet he will in those exercses give them such strong cordials and sweet revivings that they shall not only have patience to bear them but even joy in them So that in the words we may take notice of what he is said to be a God and then the Extent or Universality of it a God of comfort and a God of all comfort The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used sometimes for exhortation and sometimes for comfort for exhortation Act. 13. 15. Rom. 12. 8. and for comfort in many places In 1 Cor. 14. 3. there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exhortation and comfort put together Some say therefore is the same word put for exhortation and comfort because spiritual consolation is hardly received by the afflicted humbled sinner and therefore he must again and again be pressed and exhorted to entertain it for the Devil is the prince of darkness and father of terrors and fears and so immediately opposite to this glorious Attribute in God The God of all comfort The holy Ghost from this word is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Comforter So that although by way of oeconomy it is attributed to him in an appropriated manner yet that doth not exclude the Father For opera ad extra sunt indivisa but as was formerly said this fountain doth not need any stone to be removed from it and therefore we may immediately drink of it Observe That God is a God of all comfort to such as are his The Apostle is not content to call him only the Father of mercies but as a further aggravation of his goodness represents him to us as a God of all consolation For though he be a Father of mercies yet because a Father he doth chasten and correct us it is necessary therefore that under those corrections we should be supported by heavenly consolations from him Rom. 15. 5. Paul doth in that place also style him The God of patience and consolation the God that giveth us to be patient and lowly under his hand For who is not furious and fretting against God under chastisements if God give not a meek and patient spirit But that is not all he is also a God of consolation that is more than patience he giveth songs in the night he turneth our water into wine Though tears may be for a night yet joy cometh in the morning But let us consider how much is comprehended in this expression The God of all consolation wherein every word hath some emphasis As First In that he is said to be a God of comfort a God that intimateth these things to us 1. That he hath a supream power and independent Dominion and Sovereignty over us whereby he distributeth comfort when where and to whom he pleaseth For in being a God of it that supposeth all comfort is at his command he makes it go where he goeth and he taketh it away where he pleaseth Hence we read in Scripture a cup of consolation Jer. 16. 7. and a cup of salvation Psal 116. 3. and Psal 23. 5. David speaketh of his cup running over that is a cup of gladnes and joy Now why is it called a Cup Expositors say It 's an allusion to the master of a feast amongst the Jews whose custome was to assign the Cup of praise and thanks to those who were to drink of it In that then it is called the Cup of gladnesse that supposeth it to be a cup in Gods hand who is the chief governour of the world and that he giveth those to drink whom he approveth of Even as the Scripture speaks also of a Cup of astonishment a cup of anger and fury in his hand which he will make nations to drink off whether they will or no Jer. 25. 28. God then hath a cup of joy in his hand and he giveth his people to drink of it when he pleaseth we cannot have joy and comfort when we please The godly afflicted soul would give a world for comfort in his heart but he cannot procure a drop to his own soul by his own power 2. He is a God of consolation and that supposeth him to be alone the efficient cause of it That if we would have our sad and darkned hearts filled with joy it is God alone that can do it So that as he is called The God of all grace because there is no grace whether outward or inherent that we are made partakers of but it cometh alone and freely from God the fountain So is he also the God of all comfort because it 's he alone that worketh this comfort in us The least affliction the least sinne in its guilt would be enough to overwhelm us did not God come in with comfort David under the sense of Gods wrath for his sins and complaining of his broken bones Psal 51. doth earnestly pray to God To restore joy to him again Alas he was never able to bring joy more into his soul But as when the Sun is set all the men in the world cannot make it rise again it would be perpetual night if God did not make the Sunne to arise So the godly heart humbled for sinne would find continual blackness and horrour would be in a perpetual hell if God did not create light in that soul Hence Gal. 5. Joy is made the fruit of the Spirit because it 's the Spirit of God that can only comfort the heart truly Indeed there is much carnal and worldly joy that men may for a while sport themselves with but this is no true enduring comfort It is but a vapour a dream a blaze like the tickling upon a scratch that leaveth more smart afterwards He is therefore a God of consolation because God only can vouchsafe it 3. He is the God of comfort because whom he will comfort shall be comforted As he makes men drink the cup of his anger whether they will or no so even those humbled souls who with frowardness and unbelief set themselves against comfort they do with Rachel refuse all comfort yet God doth wonderfully bring comfort into their hearts How subtil and resolute are sometimes Gods own servants while in darkness to argue against and resuse the comfort that the Ministers of the Gospel bring to them They will not let the good Samaritans pour oyl into their wounds But when God cometh with comfort then these boisterous winds and waves will presently be silent Hence David Psal 4. acknowledgeth God had put more comfort in his heart then they had in the abundance of all earthly joy God did put it into his heart even with a kind of holy irresistibleness when he comforts neither sinne or the Law or the Devil can discomfort Insomuch that it 's great matter of praise to God when the
That spiritual comfort comes alone from God is plain because the Spirit of God is called the Comforter We cannot have one drop of heavenly consolation till Gods Spirit infuse it into us If the children of God could have comfort when they will would they walk so disconsolately and cry out of their dark troubled souls as they do but then even earthly comfort to take delight in the lawfull contentments God doth allow us to take delight and joy in these corporal mercies this is also from God Eccles 2. 24 26. Eccles 3. 13. Eccles 5. 18. You see the Wiseman affirmeth it often That a man cannot take any joy or delight even in those lawfull things unless it be given him of God All comfort then of all sorts ariseth from him But let us consider the way or manner of Gods comforting For as it is a great and profitable Question to examine How God doth convert and sanctifie so also how he doth comfort And First You must lay this foundation That God doth comfort two wayes either immediately when he doth by himself work upon the soul Or mediately when he comforteth by such means as he hath appointed thereunto Let us then in the next place consider What are those immediate workings of God upon the soul whereby he maketh the heart joyfull For David Psal 4. saith God had put more joy into his heart then any man can have in the abundance of all temporal mercies And First Therefore God doth comfort by illuminating and opening the understanding and opening the understanding to know and see the grounds and reasons of comfort And certainly this is of great conducement to have the heart comforted when the understanding is rightly convinced of the grounds of comfort For as the dark night is apt to beget fears and terrours so darkness in the understanding is a great cause of all that terrour and disconsolateness which Gods own children may many times lie under So that as God in conversion and humiliation for sinne begins with conviction upon the heart so also in consolation and comfort The great impediment to a godly mans comfort is want of spiritual knowledge and conviction about the causes of comfort As it was with Hagar in the wilderness she sate weeping for her child and gave over all as desperate till God opened her eyes and made her see a fountain Thus the broken heart judgeth it self in a wilderness destitute of all comfort seeth nothing but matter of despair and damnation till God enlighten the understanding about comfortgrounds in the Gospel As for example when the Spirit of God enlightens us to receive comfort it giveth us the eye salve 1. To look upon Christ revealed in the Gospel as the full cause and ground of all our comfort as well as on sinne Generally the people of God in the first workings of the soul look upon nothing but their sins behold nothing but sinne but God will not let them alone in this agony he enlightens them further that they shall see Christ as well as sinne the Gospel as well as the Law he giveth them eyes to behold the brazen Serpent when stung Hence the Spirit of God John 16. 9 10. doth not only convince of sinne but of righteousness also The Devil he indeed moveth in those troubled waters of thy soul and would keep thee off from Christ as the Disciples did the blind man but the Spirit of God will not leave the soul in these wounds in these straits but doth carry him up from the mount of cursing to the mount of blessing And certainly the wise men could not more rejoyce to see the starre than the godly heart doth to behold Christ after the storms and tempests in his soul Hence the Apostle Gal. 1. calleth it The revealing of the Sonne in him This then we are inabled to do by God not only to know sinne in the terrour and sting of it but also Christ in his fulness and excellency How was Paul affected with this 2 Cor. 2. 1. I desire to know nothing but Christ crucified This therefore is a special work of God to make us look with both eyes to make thee see sinne as well as Christ and Christ as well as sin 2. As God doth convince the soul of Christ what a full and glorious Saviour he is so also in the second place Of our duty to receive him and to lay hold on him And this is a further step to comfort when God doth so farre open the eyes as to see not only a full and sufficient Christ but also that it 's a duty in particular to apply this Christ and to rest upon him for comfort and salvation This is a further discovery still Paul said Gal. 2. Who gave himself for me and loved me And Thomas said My God and my Lord. It is one of the blessed truths discovered in the Reformation out of Popery That it is not our duty to believe in the general onely that Christ is a Saviour but to rest on him also for the pardon of my sinnes That this is the Faith that justifieth That this is most acceptable and precious unto God That unbelief not only in the general but as it faileth in this particular in not applying in not appropriating Christ to the soul is that which will damn a man Oh then what blessed and comfortable light is that which God bringeth into the soul when he shall make thee see that though a sinner though burdened though unworthy yet it 's thy duty to go to Christ to be eased That he commands thee with that woman not only to touch the hem of his garments but to lay hold on Christ himself This particular faith is that which the soul is hardly convinced of Though others may draw nigh to Christ yet may I But he cometh at last to be perswaded of this truth 3. God comforts by enlightning the mind that a comfortable joyfull life arising from peace with God is a most acceptable thing to God that it brings honour and glory to God and that on the other side to walk heavily and in a dejected manner is to dishonour and reproach God That God doth not only look to our gracious walking but also to our comfortable walking and that we demonstrate the Kingdom of Heaven to be begun in us in joy as well as in mortification Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is righteousnesse and joy in the holy Ghost You see Joy as well as Righteousnesse The children of God they are not quickly perswaded of this they think such as they are may not walk comfortably It 's not for them to rejoyce but at last they come to see that they were sinfully kept up by slavish fears and servile dejections that the Kingdome of God requireth Consolation as well as Sanctification Thus you see the first general way how God comforteth viz. by enlightning the mind Secondly and principally God comforteth By preparing and fashioning the heart by making it
fit and ready to receive comfort For all the while thou art enlightned only and hast not an heart fitted to receive it thou art like Moses that saw the good Land of promise but he could not enter into it And thus indeed it falls out sometimes that when the mind is enlightned enough yet the heart is heavy They cannot delight and rejoyce in the promise they would gladly do it they heartily pray for it but their heart sinketh down like a stone within them Therefore God hath a further degree in comforting and that is by raising up the heart by making it ready to receive consolation For as God can humble the proud heart and soften the hard heart so he can easily comfort and revive the grieved heart Thus as it is in sanctification it 's not enough for God to illuminate the mind unless he also change the heart and make us to will and to do So it 's not enough for God to teach us our duty about comfort but actually to work the heart for it Hence 2 Cor. 7. 6. you have a notable Attribute given to God God that comforteth those that are cast down Isa 51. 11 12. See there with what command God speaketh That they shall have comfort They shall obtain gladnesse and joy So that as God is above the heart in conversion thus he is also in consolation He will comfort and what man or Devil can hinder it As in matter of grace God declareth as Omnipotency and Sovereignty when he saith I will take away the heart of stone and give an heart of flesh so in matter of consolation I will take away the grieved the troubled the despairing heart and give an heart of joy peace and heavenly rest of soul In the third place God doth comfort removendo prohibens by removing whatsoever is obstructive and destructive of comfort As 1. By chaining up the Devil who is not only an enemy to the graces but also the comforts of Gods people As the holy Ghost is a Comforter so the Devil is the prince of darkness a Tempter to unbelief to sad and soul yea and bodymurdering thoughts God therefore doth restrain him in his temptations in his sad suggestions For we see by Job's instance the Devil cannot go any further than he is licensed by God himself 2. God doth subdue not onely the Devil without but also that corruption within which doth vehemently incline to unbelieving vexing and tormenting thoughts For although a man naturally be in security in self-ease and carnal presumption yet when once awakened for sinne and feeling the terrour of the Lord thereby then we are as peevish as froward against the promises as ever formerly we were against the precepts Adam endeavours to hide himself from God upon his sinne We see in Cain and Judas what sad and dreadfull effects the guilt of conscience would work in every one did not God command those winds and tempests to be still Therefore God doth repress these and thereby we are more ready for comfort 3. God doth by his grace prevent and keep us from sinne he daily preserveth us from many sad falls which if plunged into we should presently chase away all our comfort When David was left and fell into those gross sins all his joy was immediately lost therefore he complaineth of his broken bones and prayeth for joy to be restored to him what horrour what hell would quickly be raised in thy soul every day every night upon every temptation Did not the grace of God preserve thee Spira lost all comfort by Apostasie And thus many Christians did in times of persecution in a great measure by their revolt though they recovered again Therefore little doest thou know how much God worketh for thy comfort by preventing such sins which would make horrible wounds and gashes in thy soul Lastly God comforts thee by delivering thee from all such Doctrines though taught by many of great and eminent learning which yet in their own nature tend to make the heart uncomfortable How wonderfully did God work for the comfort of Luther who professed the unspeakable tremblings and fears of soul he was in and being in captivity by the Doctrine of works as then tought in Popery he could have no comfort but often wished he had never been a man till God comforted him by delivering him from those false Doctrines Thus the Doctrine of the Apostasie of true Saints doth utterly dash all comfort from the believer he must necessarily be in miserable tormenting fears all the day long And so have we done with that immediate way of Gods comforting The Mediate way is by those means which he hath appointed to be as Conduits running wine for us And they are 1. The Scriptures David professeth much quickning and comfort he had by them So Rom. 15. 4. The comfort of the Scriptures They are a cordial a tree of life They direct to comfort exhort to comfort all such as are poor in spirit 2. The Ministers They are sons of consolation and comfort The Word they preach is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the joyfull noise Even the very feet of such who bring the glad tidings are said to be blessed They have a tongue of the learned to speak a seasonable word for such as are contrite in spirit They are not to quench the broken reed Though to the obstinate sinner we bring the hammer and fire of the Word yet to the broken heart we bring balm and oil Lastly God comforts by the Sacraments In them he doth peculiarly seal peace and comfort Therefore is the Lords Supper called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a giving of thanks Thus doth the Lord by these means abundantly provide for our consolation SERM. XXXVII That Believers only are the Subjects of the Comforts and Consolations of God 2 COR. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation THe next particular which followeth in order as the Text stands divided is the Subject whom God doth thus comfort and that is said to be Us who comforteth us that is both us believers in a general sense and us Apostles in a particular manner For they being like Uriah in the fore-front of the battel and more assaulted by the Devil within and enemies without they do need the greater comfort But we shall handle it in the most large sense and observe That God is a God of all comfort unto believers only For this Us in the Text is not only determinative to shew who they are into whose wounds God doth thus pour oyl but also restrictive to such and such only Indeed the wicked ones of the world may have comfort in outward mercies They may rejoyce in the good things of this life and this is acknowledged by Solomon To be a gift of God but these worldly joyes do become a sinne and a curse to them The Poet said well O miseri quorum gaudia crimen habet Their very joyes do become like wine to men in a feavor though refreshing
Church and so it must be understood indefinitely not determinately of this or that person It is true indeed there was in the primitive times among other extraordinary gifts that of the discerning of spirits if by Spirit we are not rather to mean Doctrines pretended to be of the Spirit as 1 John 4. 1. rather than the hearts and frames of mens spirits For although absolutely originally and independently it be Gods only prerogative to know the hearts of men yet in some cases as in Elisha with Gehezi God may reveal the thoughts and secret motions of heart to others but this is extraordinary not constant no more than working of miracles So that it is a very absurd opinion of those that are called Quakers who say That light within them discovers what is in other mens hearts abusing that place The spiritual man judgeth all things whereas the Apostle there informeth us 1 Cor. 2. 11. That no man knoweth the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is within him The perswasion then or hope Paul had of these Corinthians was not divine and infallible in which he could not be deceived but of an inferiour nature yet not light and foolish neither for he saith It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firme and stedfast Hesychius renders that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unshaken that is not like the waves of the Sea So that Pauls hope did not fluctuate about him and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 abiding continuing It was not hope at sometimes and fear at another but it did abide and dwell in him Observe That it is a great encouragement to a godly Minister to see good grounds for the hope of true grace and stedfastnesse in Gods wayes in the people committed to his charge This was that which did here refresh Paul that though he was put to many exercises and temptations about them yet his hope was that as it is said of Lazarus his sicknesse was not unto death but that the glory of God might be manifested So those failings and decayes amongst the Corinthians were not for their destruction but by their recovery and repentance to manifest the truth of grace more in them In most of Pauls Epistles you may see this spiritual and publick affection in him where any are decaying or falling off there his heart is wounded within him where any flourish and continue stedfast in holinesse there he rejoyceth and triumpheth How notably doth he speak 1 Thess 3. 7. We were comforted over you in all our afflictions by your faith for now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. Here we see Paul did not so much regard his own afflictions and distresse as the grace of the Thessalonians and because they did not abate in their faith by the afflictions they met with therefore this comforted him in all his distresse Yea he professeth he liveth if they stand fast as if their Apostasie would be worse than all his troubles to him yea would break his heart and be his death The Epistle also to the Galatians who began to decay and to end in the flesh after their beginning in the Spirit doth abundantly declare what agonies he was in about them Galat. 4. 19. Little children of whom I travail again in birth he compareth those troubles and exercises of his mind about them to the pangs and groans of a woman in travail Who hath bewitched you Galat. 3. 1. By this you may gather that the joyes of Paul did ebbe or flow according to the increase or decrease of the graces of these he had spiritual inspection over To discover this truth Let us consider What things made Paul have such hopes about these Corinthians and apply these things to our selves And First Their amendment and repentance by the former Epistle wrote to them in that you may see the body of the Church of Corinth was almost like Jobs or Lazarusses body full of spiritual loathsomnesse corruptions in Doctrine and practice and some of them in a very high nature for which our zealous Apostle as the Lord Christ once did maketh a rod to drive these corruptions out he is both a light shining and burning he keepeth to that rule which he giveth Timothy Rebuke sharply and reprove in all Doctrine He is salt to these Corinthians Now these sharp reproofes do not provoke them to discontent to impatience but it had a savoury and spiritual operation upon them If he said Genus quoddam est Martyrii reprehensionem patienter ferre It 's a kind of Martyrdome to suffer reproof patiently then these Corinthians were Martyrs in this sense for they did not onely take these rebukes well but are thereby put upon a zealous and powerfull repentance So that when this spiritual Physician saw his medicines kindly operate then he began to hope well of them On the other side we se the Prophets complaining of Jerusalem as incurable Because she slighted the Prophets and stoned them so that there remained no more remedy for them The Prophets complained They stretched out their hands all the day long to a rebellious people and that the bellows were consumed yet the drosse was not purged away This then is a very hopefull symptome about a people when we see by the Word preached that their hearts are broken that they are counvinced and ashamed of what they have done and reforme for the future The Apostle speaketh fully to this 2 Cor. 7. 8 9 10 11. This self same thing that you were made sorry after a godly manner what carefulnesse it wrought in you yea what zeal what revenge c. In all things you have approved your selves to be clear in this matter Oh the carefulnesse and zeal that was in the Corinthians after Pauls admonitions to repent and reform So that he had good grounds to say Our hope of you is stedfast Oh then let our Congregations be examined and tried in this very particular What repentance and reformation hath the prophane man shewed after the many admonitions to him What Reformation is there made about the holy and strict observation of the Sabbath What carefull performances of holy duties in thy family concerning which thou hast heard so much Oh that we had cause to say of such persons of such families though once we fear'd for them though once we mourned and grieved for them yet now we rejoyce and our hope of them is very stedfast But may we not cry woe woe and again woe to our Congregations that are like Golgothaes places not of dead mens skuls but dead hearts yea dead men according to that of our Saviour Let the dead bury the dead Have not the Ministers of God been many yeares laying the Axe of the Word to the root of prophanenesse and ignorance which is in most families in most Congregations Yet how greatly doth it abound Surely of such families of such Congregations we may with grief of heart say As yet we have no hope Secondly This is more particularly
you had what gifts and enlargements you had what not what remarkable external duties you have done for God but with what sincerity and singlenesse of heart all this hath been performed Therefore meditate on this lesson as it were every day be studying of it to know all the practical mysteries about it And as the Husbandman before he can sow his ground with corn must cut up the roots and bushes which are in the way so do thou That thou mayest the better set thy self upon this duty of pressing after sure knowledge in this great matter remove first All those impediments and hinderances that keep thee from exercising thy self therein and they are these First A self-fulnesse and presumptuous security that thou art already in a good estate This is the condemnation and eternal ruine of many a mans soul he will not so much as put it to the Question Whether he be in a state of grace and salvation or no he will not so much as entertain one doubt about it No this is the way to bring him in despair by this means he may have trouble and disquietness of conscience he cannot live so jollily and securely as he doth Therefore whatsoever Gods word or the Ministry speaketh though never so terribly about the deceitfulness of mans heart that we delude our selves taking that which is like grace for true grace they matter it not they will perswade themselves that their souls are in a good estate and none in the world shall make them question it Of all the men in the world such secure confident spirits have the most cause to doubt and fear Never to doubt or search into thy heart and to compare thy self with the Rule is a very ill signe To take all for granted thus concerning thy soul and never to commune with thy own heart is a great argument that thou art rotten in the foundation Doth not the Wiseman observe it as a general Rule Prov. 16. 2. The wayes of a man are clean in his own eyes but the Lord pondereth the heart Though thou sayest with the Church of Laodicea Thou art rich cloathed and wantest nothing yet God knoweth thou art poor cursed and miserable God knoweth otherwise by thee then thou doest We charge it upon the Church of Rome that she is incurable because of this principle she holdeth That she cannot erre For if she would yeeld that if she would grant happily for so many years they have been grosly deceived then there would be some principles to proceed upon to reform them So it is if we meet with a man that confesseth his heart is deceitfull his condition may be very miserable though he hath applauded himself thus many years if I may be found out not to have laid a good foundation about the work of grace I would gladly be convinced of it It is the great desire of my soul not to be deceived about the nature of grace in me There are fearfull and sad instances of hypocrites and temporary believers therefore I would gladly be informed Whether I came not too short as yet Whether there be not a more excellent way then I have attained unto This man is not farre from the Kingdom of Heaven this man is in a way to be secured But the self-righteous man that supposeth himself good it is the first principle with him that he will never suffer to be questioned this man is remediless as to humane appearance Such a presumptuous man in practicals is like an Heretick in doctrinals and so after the first and second admonition we may even reject knowing that he doth willingly damne himselfe Be sure then to take heed of this rock at which so many have split themselves A second cause that must be removed is A prophane carelesse spirit whereby men do not at all matter their souls nor in what relation they do stand in towards God If their bodies be well if their worldly affairs prosper then they say Soul take thy ease But as for their spiritual condition whether God be reconciled or an enemy whether yet they have been ever taken off that natural and cursed estate they were born in they never look after it Oh foolish and brutish man If the Spirit of God shall once convince thee of thy sinfull and dangerous estate of the curses of the Law which may fall upon thee every moment then thou maist have no rest day or night till thou obtainest some assurance herein The third cause is The over-greedinesse and importunate minding of our earthly businesses We rise with the world in our heart and go to bed with it in our heart so that we never set time apart seriously to think how it is with us Hence come those constant delayes and procrastinations promising our selves we will after such and such businesses are over set our selves to the examination of our wayes but still the work is not done our dayes passe away our hearts grow more hardned and indisposed every day till at last death unexpectedly seizeth upon us and then we would gladly have oil when it is too late then with Esai we cry out for a blessing with tears and bitterness but we come too late How comfortable on the other side is it for a godly man dying to say his soul hath been set in order long before he hath not his evidences now to seeke The knowing of his heart hath beene all his study in his life time Satan can object no new thing which he hath not already thought upon Lastly There is another cause in the other extream which is to be removed if we would arrive to this certainty and that is To shake off all despairing and discouraging thoughts as so many vipers fastened upon thee This valley must be exalted as well as the other mountains levelled Paper too much wetted as well as foul receiveth no characters So the heart sinfully dejected and disquieted is indisposed for assurance as well as the presumptuous one For this reason we need the Spirit of God to seal us and to confirm us yea we need Gods Spirit more in this work of confirmation then of illumination Darkness and ignorance is sooner removed out of the mind than unbelief and diffidence out of the heart Do ye not see it thus often with the children of God who are very tender in respect of illumination are very quick and Eagle-eyed in respect of conviction are wonderfully ingenuous to find out all the secret pollution and guile of their souls But then for assurance and confirmation in the grace and favour of God towards them they are exceedingly fearfull and very weak Therefore the believer must look upon slavish and disquieting fears as adversaries to his peace as well as presumptuous and secure thoughts These impediments being thus rolled out of the way the next thing he hath to do is to awe his foul with those Commands of God that require us to get a certain knowledge of
Further the place into which they must depart is terrible beyond all expression into fire and everlasting fire Fire Is not that most dreadfulll Do not your hearts ake and tremble Do not your ears tingle at the naming of this punishment But if it be fire it may be quickly over the pain may be presently gone it may quickly consume to ashes No it is everlasting fire after thousands and millions of years it is still the same as hot to burn as at the first moment If God had said thou shalt lie roaring in hell flames till a thousand years are over for such and such a sinne not repented of might not this have prevailed with every man to leave the most pleasant and the most profitable sinne that is How much more when it is everlasting when there is no end Oh the change thou wilt then find upon thy self Then thou wilt cry out saying Was my hours pleasure my moments profit equal to these eternal torments Now say Whether it is better to sinne then to be damned Are thy lusts equivalent to all the torments of hell Lastly That is no little aggravation Prepared for the Devil and his Angels You see what companions you must have As much as you now defie the Devil you and he must lie down in the same flames The Devils will have no worse place than thou hast Now if this be so What a mighty alteration is here made The man that like Dives fared deliciously every day would have a drop of water to cool his tongue and cannot Oh that the Spirit of God would convince and assure you of these things Say now I am merry proud confident Now I follow my lusts my pleasures but will not the day of judgement then make a change Will not there be a sad difference between my present estate and that then Thirdly As to the godly man there will be a most happy and blessed change To see a Lazarus wiping his sores taken up into Ambraham's bosome What a blessed change is here The godly man hath his exercises from many considerations The world derideth and opposeth him afflictions from God crush him and press him down The Devil because he shall not have an hell hereafter laboureth he may have an hell here and from within there are lusts there are molesting motions to sinne which make him cry out Oh miserable man that I am But when this day shall come what man though he had the tongue of Angels is able to declare his happiness This man that was scorned is now blessed and honoured by all the wicked damned ones of the world Now they cry Oh that our case were like his Oh that our souls were as his shall be Now the Devil is trampled under feet and thrown into the Abysse into the deep where he was so unwilling to go to receive the full of his torments Now the spiritual warre within is put to a period and he doth all the good in as perfect and full a manner as he can desire to do his will and his power have the same bounds he can do what he would and he can will all that God would have him to will We read of blessed changes in this world of Joseph from a poor prisoner in the dungeon and in danger of his life to be exalted in the highest place of honour in Aegypt next to Pharaoh himself Of Mordechai who was designed to death and immediately made the man whom God would honour Of David from following the sheep and afterwards driven as a Bird from the mountain to be made a great King Yet none of these come up in the least manner to this great change Hence it is called The day of redemption Matth. 24. The day of refreshing and restoring of all things Act. 3. 19. for we must not limit that time to the destruction of the Iews only as some do Yea the godly are to look for and hasten his coming 2 Pet. 3. 12. as being the marriage time between Christ and his Church Therefore the Spirit and the bride say Come Revel 22. 17. It is for want of a lively meditation about this that the godly at any time sink under any temptations Is there any evil thou art exercised with that this day will not deliver thee from Is it not a day of redemption never to be in bondage any more either to sinne or misery Especially the Church under afflictions and persecutions is to fetch all her comfort from thence God will turn her sackcloth into robes of honour her dungeons into heavenly mansions Should not then the Church sit expecting his victorious coming more affectionately then Sisera's mother Iudg. 5. 28. did his return saying Why is his chariot so long a coming Why tarry the wheels of his chariots Luther speaking of this hopefull expectation that ought to be in the godly of Christs coming endeavoured to affect his hearers from the condition they were in at that time The Popish party did triumph over the Reformed boasting That Caesar was coming with a great Army that he would presently and speedily vanquish all the Lutherans Now saith he as you see they rejoyce and fill themselves with hopes of the Emperours coming so should the Church under all her pressures with the coming of Christ Fourthly There will be a mighty change as to mens judgements and apprehensions over what they have now There is never a wicked man would for an hour go on in his sins if he could have such thoughts as he will have at that day Oh that we could look upon sinne as we will then look upon it when God shall bid us Depart into everlasting fire And certainly if part of that terrour did work so much upon Iudas that he throweth away his silver crieth out He had sinned in betraying of innocent blood No wonder if when all the gall of Gods wrath be poured into a mans conscience he then crieth out of his sins gnasheth the teeth at them remembreth them with horrour which were once so full of sweetness and delight Go on then presumptuously thou prophane wretch believe no Scripture deride at all good counsel Say Give me my sins though I be damned yet remember this perswasion will not hold alwayes there will come a day when thou wilt as much loath and abhorre these lusts as ever once thou didst love them Oh that men could now behold their sins with that horrour and indignation as they will when they shall stand trembling at Gods tribunal Again men will have other thoughts 1. About the wayes of Godlinesse 2. About Godly men And 3. About Christ For false principles and mis-judging about these is that which maketh so many damn themselves To begin with the first about Godlinesse they think it is an hinderance to man if he were not so just and conscionable he might swallow down many a sweet morsel which he lets go Thus men are ready to think they fare the worse for godliness Oh but
Hence it is that the Apostle doth exhort to a full perswasion of minde even in those points that were more controversal and disputeable Rom. 14. 5. How much more then are we to be perswaded fully in our minde concerning those truths that are fundamental and do so immediately concern our Salvation This uncertainty then this Yea and Nay in matters of Faith ariseth from a meer humane faith whereby we are carried out to believe these things upon no better grounds than the Turk doth his Alcoran Education custome and Universality This is the whole reason of our Faith whereas a Divine Faith is wrought by the Spirit of God as the efficient it is that which lifteth up the heart to receive the Word as Gods word Though Men have never such parts and understanding in the sense of the Scripture yet they cannot believe it unless inabled thereunto by the Spirit of God And again Divine Faith hath also a divine Motive the Authority and Testimony of God revealed in the Scripture so that we believe not because man saith so but because it is the Lord that speaketh Thus the Thessalonians chap. 2 13. are commended that they received the Word not as the word of men but as it was indeed the word of God Now then when a mans Faith is wrought by Gods Spirit and established upon Divine Autority then it becomes more immoveable than the Heaven and Earth for as God is alwayes the same his word is alwayes the same so is Divine Faith This then all are to labour for is even a full perswasion in their own minde about the truths of Religion to take heed of inconstancy and instability herein We see the Martyrs could not by any terrible menaces or fair Promises be drawn of from the truths of God they had embraced and was it not because they had a powerfull assurance of the truth of them from Divine Motives such as could not fail 2. In matter of our Conversion and Repentance for our sinnes it is very sad and dreadfull to shew Inconstancy To be Yea and Nay in this respect sometimes to mourn and complain of them and at another time to wallow our selves in the mire again how terrible is this But yet how frequently doth it fall out so what is this but to mock God and dally with our soules In times of afflictions or under quick convictions of Conscience to be then afraid of sin then to bewail sin then to resolve against sin but when this fear is over then to imbrace our Dalilah again There are few sinners but they come under this crime of Inconstancy in this respect for many do not alwayes continue in an obstinate sensless way they finde some thawings and meltings of heart with Pharaoh and therefore cry out that God is righteous and they are sinners and they resolve to let their Lusts go as Pharaoh did the people of Israel but they quickly change their Resolutions again Such therefore as finde these Yeas and Nays these ebbings and flowings let them seriously consider what an high provocation this Inconstancy is of God against their soules This unsteadfastness was often complained of by the Prophets in the people of Israel They were as so many Grashoppers that leap up on high from the ground but then settle on it presently again In their afflictions they cryed out of their Idols they called upon God but then proved like a deceitfull bow and is not this an Epidemical sin What is more ordinary than to be soul-sick to be conscience-smitten under some Sermons or some sad afflictions and fears but in all these things to have Reubens Curse upon their soules unstable like water upon which you make any impression but it receiveth none It s one of Solomons wonderfull things that leave no footsteps to be observed A ship in the Sea none can tell which way it passed Thus it is with many they sin and they repent and they repent and sin insomuch that when you see them overcome with their old lusts and passions would you think they were ever the men that prayed so that resolved so you cannot see the least footsteps of any such Repentance Now that all may be afraid of such lightness and uncertainty it is good to consider these Particulars First If there be reason at any time for thee to look upon thy sinnes as bitter and terrible the same will hold at all times Oh the time hath been when in thy thoughts such sinnes thou hast committed were intolerable the memory of them was as gall and wormewood Thou didst cry out take them away or that the Lord would pardon them Now do but consider Is there not the same reason still to think so Is sin grown any better Is it less damning Is it less sinfull to God then it was formerly Know then sin is not altered that is hath as terrible guilt as ever but thou art changed those convictions those powerfull Operations of the Spirit of God are not happily now upon thee they are witdrawn and thou art left to thy own natural corrupt self Remember then thy self saying The time was no serpent or toad was more odious to me than my sinnes the time was when night and day they were a burden and torment to me but now they grieve me not they trouble me not sin is not changed but I am changed 2. Consider this For thee to sin after such convictions and terrors doth admit of the greater aggravation because it is done against sense and experience of the bitterness thereof it s committed against more experimental and practical knowledg which maketh any sin to be exceeding sinfull Those senseless wicked men who run into all excess of impiety and have no troubles of heart they know not what they do they cannot tell whether it be a bitter and evil thing or no to depart from God They indeed hear the Word of God and the Ministers of God say that though sin be sweet yet at last it will bite like an adder and sting like a serpent they hear them say that the evil of sin is far greater than the evil of any punishment and torment but they think them words only they never had any experience or taste of any sech bitterness But it is otherwise with thee thou hast had wounds in thy heart the terrors of God have fallen upon thee The Law hath appeared in its accusing and condemning power therefore thou art the more inexcusable who wilt run into this fire when thou hast been burnt with it yea with this taste there hath been practical light and experimental knowleg and therefore thy sin is the greater a general knowledg of any thing is but confused and weak in respect of a practical and experimental one Hence wicked men are said not to know God because they have onely a general knowledg they do not practically improve this so as to love God to fear him and obey him If then thou hast been in the
God may forsake gradually that thereby he may not forsake totally and finally Such desertions that are for a season are sometimes mercies and very usefull being a substraction of grace in order to fill us with more grace And the end of such providential administrations is to convince us fully of this truth that we do not settle our selves but it is God that doth it for us Lastly This truth may be demonstrated from the nature of that grace which is habitual and permanent in us For though that there be in us as a principle qualifying of us to work holy things with delight joy and content yet it cannot put us upon working without a further actual efficacious work of grace upon our souls which you heard the Apostle calleth Working in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. So that although there be never so much grace planted in us yet that lieth asleep as it were and worketh not till this efficacious grace actuate it and put it into motion neither ought this to be any wonder to us For we see in natural causes it is not enough to have a principle of life unless God also enable us to move For in him we live and move and have our being much more then must this be in supernatural things where the Actus primus and secundus is of God Not but that in the progresse of grace we act and move but Acti agimus moti movemus It is the grace of God that doth efficaciously incline the sanctified will to spiritual operation then the North-wind and the South doe as it were blow upon the spiccs that they may send forth their fragrant smell It is true at the first work of grace there we are meerly passive but God doth not then force our will he only changeth it as water which naturally descends when made air doth naturally ascend upwards Thus the will of a man which was depressed to earthly things by sinne when sanctified and made heavenly ascendeth up towards God and heavenly objects By these discoveries it is manifest that the best Saint in this world is setled by the grace of God alone Those corruptions within him are treacherous and would betray him into the hands of Satan did not Christ corroborate him And is this any wonder of man fallen seeing Adam fell for want of this confirming grace and the elect Angels do therefore not leave their habitation as the Apostate have because the grace of God doth confirm them So that the good use we are to make of this Doctrine is to be exceeding watchfull and tender about all sinne lest thereby we provoke God to leave us How terrible do such desertions many times prove To whom are woes to whom are wounds and gripes of conscience but many times to those who being left of God have thereby ingaged in sinfull wayes and so having lost an holy frame of heart have thereby deprived themselves likewise of an Evangelical comfortable one Take heed through thy lazinesse negligence pride or some other sinne God forsake thee and thou become worse than Nebuchadnezzar of a godly man made like a beast This will be bitternesse in the latter end As for the second Doctrine I shall not say much to that because it hath been in part already spoken unto it is That in Christ alone we are established That as in the building other stones are strengthened because of the corner stone or the foundation stone or as the branch in the Vine doth therefore live and flourish because in the Vine so it is with us because in Christ we are setled with Christ in Christ we are confirmed with Christ which made Austin say In Christo sumtis Christus extra Christum nihil In Christ we are even like Christ out of Christ we are nothing at all To consider this we are to know First That all the godly through the efficacy of Gods Spirit are united to Christ and so become his mystical and spiritual body By reason of this it is that Christ dwelleth in them and they in Christ Christ actively communicating of his goodnesse and virtue to them and they passively receiving influences of grace from his fulnesse This union is represented in Scripture by many similitudes of a building of a vine and branches of an husband and wife but none so expresly as that in the Sacrament of bread and wine denoting us those elements are naturally turned into our nourishment and made one with us so we are in a spiritual and mystical manner made one with Christ This being laid as a foundation then Secondly From this our establishment and settlement followeth whereby we are sure to persevere and nothing shall be able to dissolve this union whence once made a true member of Christ there cannot be any separation made so as ever such a person should at last be damned in hell for that would redound to the highest dishonour of Christ the Head as could be imagined The reason why Adam fell though without any inherent corruption in him was partly because he was not united to Christ in that manner as the weakest believer is now under the Covenant of Grace And although these things are derided by the Arminian yet this Doctrine of spiritual union with Christ may compell every one to believe the truth thereof so that if we now fall Christ must fall with us we are not to be considered as single persons standing upon our own bottome but as united to Christ Therefore Thirdly Being thus in Christ our stablishment ariseth two wayes from Christ 1. By meritorious impetration Christ as our Mediatour hath deserved this through his propitiatory death that we should alwayes be kept his and therefore when we have a thousand times over deserved that God should leave us yet because Christ hath deserved that God should alwayes love us therefore it is that we stand faster than Mount Zion which yet is said not to be moved The second way is by efficient application for he doth communicate of his power and strength to us whereby when we are ready of our selves to fall yet he doth prevent it So that our being in Christ is the foundation of all strength and all comfort and therefore this discovereth the wretched estate of such who can claim no interest in Christ these are tossed up and down from one lust to another they roll from one iniquity to another the Devil doth what he pleaseth with them he throweth them sometimes in the fire and sometimes in the water and all this is because not in Christ If at any time through the common graces of Gods Spirit they are got up to the pinacle of the Temple they are eminent for gifts and place in the Church of God all the godly have admired them for a while yet at last you find them blasted and cursed in this way you find them like swine wallowing in the mire that were judged to be the sheep of
is thus zealous against in the Corinthians Again great sinnes are to be distinguished whether personal in some few or publick and over-spreading all For when sinne hath infected a multitude though it be a Ministers duty to bring them out of such an epidemical disease and to withstand the torrent of such impiety wherein God many times giveth unexpected and wonderfull successe as appeareth in Luther to whom one said Abi in cellam dic miserere mei Domine thinking it in vain to stirre though God vouchsafed unexpected effects to his labours yet we are with more prudence to endeavour the reformation of a multitude and not to be overhasty lest we hinder that good which otherwise might be done This was Austin's knowne counsell to a Bishop who desired his advice about the sinne of drunkennesse which was general in all he adviseth him to proceed by degrees and Monendo magis quam minando c. But the next Chapter may give occasion to greater enlargement in this point Fourthly Prudence is seene about the order of the meanes which God hath appointed to reclaime others In private or personal sinnes that is a golden ruâ—e full of wisdome which our Saviour prescribeth Matth. 18. 15 16 c. To deale with such an offending brother first alone and as we finde him obstinate so to proceed to a more publick way To give Ellebore or Opium at first is too violent a remedy such that do so are no wise Physicians to mens souls Fifthly It 's a special part of prudence in our reproof of others or other distastfull exercises to flesh and blood to mingle a due praise for what is lovely and good in them To acknowledge any gift that God hath bestowed upon them as Paul doth often joyning himself with other believers sometimes as if they were not inferiour to him he doth not only use loving compellations of brethren and children but also doth with much sympathy take their infirmities and sins as it were upon himself Lastly Holy prudence doth not onely make a Minister looke to the good that may come but the evil also that may probably issue For although our duty is to be done though the world shall fall upon our heads yet we must consider whether when so many evils are in great probability attending the action whether it be a duty then or no. It 's a known passage of one Audas a Bishop who out of great zeale set a Persian Temple on fire wherein they worshipped 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fire as a god which did so enrage the Persian King that he commanded the Bishop to build the Temple againe or else he would put him to death But the Bishop refusing not onely he himself suffered but thereby brought a most cruell persecution upon many Christians Now this fact is justly condemned as a most indiscreet and rash action he did not consider what evil would fall upon it Although Sozomene saith of him That he condemned his indiscretion that he demolished the Temple but admired his zeale and constancy that he would die rather than build it up againe Many good actions seeming full of zeale for want of a due consideration have brought more evil than done good yea have increased that evil the more which they have endeavoured to extinguish Hence our Saviour giveth us wise counsel Matth. 7. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the doggs nor cast ye your pearles before swine lest they trample them under feet and turne againe and rent ye Many times both the pearle and the Minister also at least the exercise of his Ministry is destroyed because he did not consider that some persons are swine and doggs maliciously endeavouring all evil against you if they be provoked The first Use is Of Direction to such who intend the Office of the Ministry not onely to labour after learning and godlinesse but prudence also Even Luther himselfe though raised up by God for so great a worke doth sometimes bewaile his imprudence and folly I many times saith he doe rashly and while I thinke to doe good I doe hurt and then I am troubled beseeching God to forgive me this imprudence If a man have not so much learning yet if he have godlinesse and prudence he may doe more good than more eminent Schollars As it 's noted of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople one of the successours of Chrysostome that he was farre inferiour to Chrysostome for learning and abilities yet did more good in his Office by his prudence being a very wise man than he did For Chrysostome though so excellent a man was very subject to passion and being of a plaine single heart did not discerne of men as he should doe by which meanes his adversaries prevailed over him so to have him ejected from his place at last But Atticus continued many years in that place by his prudence and wisdome yet a godly man also But how shall we have this wisdome We must earnestly pray to God for it as the Apostle directeth James 1. and Solomon practised And withall we must reade and study the Scripture much following that as a starre And lastly It is good to be acquainted with Ecclesiasticall History For both from the godlinesse wisdome and also from the miscarriages of those that are mentioned we may get experience and they may be as so many pillars of salt to season us Lege Historiam ne fias Historia And if those who would get civil prudence be required to reade humane Histories and to observe all occurrences therein how much rather are the Ministers of the Gospel to exercise themselves in Ecclesiastical History not onely to know what was done formerly or to be able to speak about the Ancients when they lived and what their Doctrine was but also to get prudence by observing either their wise deportments or imprudent miscarriages Use 2. Of Instruction Of what consequence it is for a people to be perswaded of the love and faithfull intentions of their Pastors to their souls good not to thinke they seeke themselves they ambiciously affect great things over them For this made Paul take this solemne Oath in the Text which he would not have done had not the occasion been urgent What is it that maketh the ministerial labours either in preaching or establishing good order among their flock be so disgusted and disrelished but because they will not be convinced of the Ministers faithfull aimes and their great love in all this SERM. CXLV Of Ministers power over the People 2 COR. 1. 24. Not for that we have dominion over your faith but are helpers of your joy for by faith ye stand THis Text is brought in by way of correction as the Rhetoricians figure is called For having said That to spare them he did not yet come to Corinth and he that spareth may also punish lest he should seem hereby to assume to himself some absolute dominion and lordly power over them he addeth Not that we have