when there is a working faith and a labouring love and a patient hope and all in sincerity in the sight of God our Father when People become followers of the Lord though much affliction follow and do receive the word with joy of the holy Ghost this is excellent doings and yet much more might be fetch'd out of that Chapter had I not other things to acquaint you with Therefore to stoop to my poor silly unbred yet populous Auditory I will name some particulars First If you be carefull to amend your ways Secondly Marks of men chosen of God To seek knowledge Thirdly To renounce the World Fourthly To feel and resist temptations Fifthly To fight against thy flesh Sixthly To forsake ill Company Seventhly To mourn and pray against special sins Eighthly To love Gods children that are the pretious ones and Gods Jewels Ninthly To hate Rascals and Athiests with a deadly hatred and not only to shun their society for that may be done for by-ends but to hate the very Garment spotted with the fiesh As Psal 15. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned Psal 26. I have not sate with vain persons c. Psal 139 Lord saith David do not I hate them that hate thee And am I not grieved with them that rise up against thee Yea I hate them as though they were mine own enemies And lastly Learn the folly of the mostdo men of our days O say men every body doth it I say it is an Argument that none but stark buzzards in Religion will use Gods People you see plainly out of this Text are of the number not of those many that are called only but of those few that are chosen O simple objection against Godly men yet common they be like no body Why it must be so it is so in the Text. And it behooveth all to try whether they be of the little number sheep of the little flock and a mighty Motive to labour in this search we have next to handle for a Doctrine it is the third and last to wit Doctr. That they which are not partakers of an effectual Vocation from Election must perish notwithstanding their outward calling to the profession of the Gospel This point ariseth from this word For which sheweth the ground of the condemnation that man lay under that yet was partaker of an outward calling he was not chosen he was not elected therefore it was that he was damned Reason And the Reason is because salvation depends upon Gods election as may be seen Rom 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them he also called c. Rom 9 11.12 For the children being not yet born neither having done any good or evil that the purpose of God according to election might stand not of works but of him that calleth it was said to Rebekah the elder shall serve the younger Rom. 11.7 What then Israel hath not obtained that which he seeks for but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded Vse 1 Now if it be so as you plainly see it is then miserable may a mans condition be notwithstanding he enjoy the outward means of grace If he have not do not one time or another taste of the power of Gods Spirit it is a sign he is not ordained to life But because there is no good use to be made of this matter but to convince and to stir up to labour for assurance it will be necessary for me to answer an objection which is Object That if God hath not chosen a man in Christ to be his it is but in vain to labour for grace for it will not be had by any means Sol. Now I answer That secret things belong to God whose revealed will is Joh. 3.15 That not one that believeth in Christ shall perish It is my duty therefore knowing this to believe by doing whereof I may safely conclude mine election And therefore labor to believe every one of ye shew your faith by your works But to return whence I did digress They erre that think it enough to live under a good Ministry Judas lived under the best Teacher that ever was And we finde Mat. 7.21 22. that many that shall say Lord Lord shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven And further many shal say in the last day Lord Lord we have prophesied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull works to whom yet it shall be said Depart from me ye that work iniquity Vse 2 Secondly then it must needs be bad with them that disclaim Profession Ordinances and the means of grace he that runneth may read their damnation Vse 3 Lastly let us all in earnest fall to enquiry about our Election and make a search for it Methinks every one should be carefull about a business of this concernment We are carefull to preserve our lives temporal much more should we be careful about our life and to be preserved from erernal destruction Quest But how may a man prove his election of God Answ I Answer I shewed before out of 1 Thes 1.3 to the end of the Chapter And further effectual Vocation is an evident signe of Election Rom. 8.30 And the fruits of holiness and righteousness 2 Pet. 1. ver 5. to the 11. Faith love patience sincerity and adhering to Christ a delighting in the excellent ones Consider whom dost thou love whom wouldst thou preserve if it were in thy power O consider this ye that hate Gods people that exclude thē what you can sometimes shamefully though shamelesly out of your Counsels for no other reason but because they make conscience of their ways and the Ordinances of Christ which ye contemn the time will come when ye shall be excluded The ungodly shall not stand in judgement nor sinners in the Congregation of the righteous And let such as have these forementioned graces rejoyce they shall grow and at last come unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ERRATA In the Epist to the Parl. pag. 3. in the Margin insert Mr. I. B. blot it out in the next pag. in the 24. l. of the 3. page for while read untill In the 6. pag. of the same lip for where read whence In the Margin of the 7. for Brerewich read Greenwich p. 8. l. 2. for Sermon 1. Sermons In the book Pag. 1. the title for Tavistook r. Tavistock pag. 6. l. 17. for 7. put 2. pag. 51. l. 23. sor word r. world in the 46. p. l. 20. between the two words business and indeed insert the word Which FINIS
notice of the provider and maker of a marriage Supper A certain King saith our English translation But in the Original A man a King or a man being a King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly who of his house was to be married for whose sake this great wedding was to be held His son The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that was a King that made a marriage for his Son The third particular shews us the Guests invited to this supper to wit First Jews unto the eighth verse Secondly Gentiles unto the end of the Parable But of that particular or any branch of it I have no purpose to speak at this time there being not much left of this hour Therefore of the First the feast-maker I am now to speak And here are two things held out concerning God to be considered First His humbling of himself under his being likened to a man Secondly His dignity though he be compared to a man yet it is to a man that was a King God is not a man but a Spirit and challengeth he that dares or can to liken him to to any thing Isaiah 40.18 To whom then will ye liken God Or what likeness will ye compare him unto And so also ver 25. To whom then will ye liken me or shall I be equal saith the Holy one And in the first of Timothy the 6. and 16. vers He only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see Yet nevertheless it is his pleasure to be set forth for our capacitie sake by Allusions to men Kings and other things that we might come to understand somewhat of this glorious invisible and hidden God Nihil est in Deo quod non eft Deus Every thing is most excellent that is in God in whom all good dwelleth Infinitely Eternally and Essentially For there is nothing in God which is not God I will not trouble you with Schoole Notions and subtilties But come to say first of that excellent frame of his in point of Humility or Humbling himself or condiscention Doct. The Doctrine shall be this The glorious God of Heaven and Earth is very Humble That is he is that exactly which the most Humble men are a little according to the measure of the Spirit proportionated out unto them Or as the man Christ Jesus was who had the Spirit not by measure though yet not above measure as he was man This would be a glorious discovery of God were it in the hands of one that had skill to manage it Reason 1 But we must do as we may In the name of the Lord Jesus therefore know That as it is the property of a gratious humble Soul to condiscend to men of low Estate Rom. 12.16 So God is said to humble himself to behold the things that are in Heaven and in the Earth Psal 113.6 He looketh on his meanest Creatures He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill ver 7. O what a Glory t is to great men to take notice of poor distressed mean ones But consider God must needs stoop very low to consider the best of his creatures for all the Nations in comparison of him are not so much as the drop of a bucket as the Prophet phraseth it Reason 2 Secondly consider what would you say of an eminent man a man of honour that having been abused by a poor scullion whom he is able to crush in a moment doth yet out of the goodness of his Nature and Humble frame of spirit Intreat Beseech send to first to have a reconciliation Would not all the World admire such a man Friends Thus God deals with sinfull men verse 3.4 of this chap. I am now upon And 2 Cor. 5.18 we read of Gods reconciling us to himself by Jesus Christ and of a Ministry of reconciliation And ver 19.20 of stooping so low and honouring man so much as to send Ambassadors or rather Petitioners to beg beseech and pray us to be reconciled to him Stand amazed O ye proud worms that have such proud implacable Stomacks that swell with venome like Toades and are better like mischievous Divels then like men So far are ye from being like Christian men O the wrath of pride as Salomon calls it I le sell my Plow I le do so and so though it cost me mine Estate I le not leave him worth a groat base Fellow Clown Mechanick Priest I le make him know that I am not his Companion Yea but thou art and shalt be the fellow creature of the meanest maugre thy pride Doth God do so or Dost thou think there is less difference between God and thy self then between thy self and the meanest man alive This is the second reason as I call it Reason 3 Thirdly We may argue or demonstrate the Humility of the Lord from the places of his dwelling or frame of spirit that he takes most delight in Isaiah 57.15 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and Holy place With him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the Humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Unto babes doth God reveal himself Mat. 11.25 To the poor separated ones of the world will he be a father and they shall be his Sons and Daughters though he be the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6.18 I tell you if God were to walk abroad in the shape of a man he would sooner visite a poor humble gracious soul a thousand times then the Alaflantara fellows mincing Minions or scrapeing Muck worms of the Earth notwithstanding their Wealth Beauty or Gallantry He putteth down the mighty from their seats and exalteth them of low degree Luk. 52. Reason 4 Fourthly His humility is magnified and made apparent by his great and patient waiting to be gratious What man of fashion would wait upon beggers heels to do them good to fill their hungry bellies and to cloth their naked backs Behold saith the faithfull witness I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me He waits even when his head is filled with dew and his locks with the drops of the night Cant. 5.2 He endures with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction Rom. 6.22 He is long suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance These are glorious beams of that one Glory and excellency able to dazzle our eyes utterly whiles men are doing him all the mischief they can he is then waiting and striving to be gratious A Plaister was made for those Converts Acts the 2. of that very blood which they wickedly shed Vse 1 Then why should his Creatures be proud seeing the Creator is
white still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12.10 Thou fool which art without understanding thou witless fellow as the word in the Original signifies in Luke dost thou think God will cease to be God and deny himself as he must do if he should not avenge himself and vindicate his Gospel from those horrible neglects contempts and abuses which it is even as it were overloaden with by ungodly men No no. Thou shalt find he hath red colours as well as white he will tumble and rowl his garments in blood O consider this ye that cozen deceive oppress that flea off the skin of the necessitous man and chop his flesh and the flesh of his hunger-starved children as pye-mear or hearbs for the pot and are no more moved then the stones of the Wall You that live in pleasures and satisfie your sensual appetites dost thou think God made thee for nothing else but to play the fool to ride or run after a Hound or a Hawk Buzzard that thou art The Lord set home what I say at this time And you that trample the sweet Ordinances of breaking bread c. under the feet of your Superstitious Ignorance Pride Passion or Worldliness know that the Ordinances which we hold forth are the Ordinances of Jesus Christ And though we are earthen vessels yet the Gospel is a treasure And you that creep in among Gods People and yet are strangers to the life of grace and want the wedding garment know for certain that that God that bid me not along ago to woo you and even to compell you to come in hath now bid me tell you that you shall be bound hand and foot and cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth How dare men slight the hot thunderbolts that are now darted out of his word against them I am sent to every blasphemer of God hinderer or slanderer of his word to every adulterer to every one that is in malice and envy to every despiser of Gods Church with heavy tidings Psal 35.4 5.6 They shall be confounded and put to shame they shall be turned back and brought to confusion They shall be as chaffe before the winde the Angel of the Lord shall chase them Their way shall be dark and slippery the Angel of the Lord shall persecute them Of all the judgements that came upon the Jews I find this to be the chiefest that whereas they were once the children of the Kingdom they are now in outer darkness Matthew 8.12 that is whereas in the Church there is light they are now cast out of the Church and others from the East and West are got into their priviledges viz. to sit down in the Kingdom out of which they are banished And a curse of contempt upon them is fallen on them Whereever they come they are a despised People But yet this is their greatest unhappiness that they are the greatest Enemies in the World to the Christian faith through the blindness of their mind for they are in outer darkness even as it were in Hell This makes them to gnash their teeth at Christ and Christians This is the fruit of their rejecting Christ This plague falls many wayes Sometimes he blinds mens minds and hardens their hearts that they cannot profit by them though they live under them Sometimes they shall be so wicked as not to come to the places where the Ordinances are or if they come there they shall like the spider suck out poyson instead of hony And so their table is made a snare unto them and the word which should be the savour of life unto them becoms the savour of death unto death Let my counsel be harkned unto Vse 2 Take heed of abusing the means of Grace any way Causes of this evil I have mentioned many in my former use But now upon this use of advice I shall enquire after some causes of this epidemical evil One would think men should not be so foolish First therefore we shall find deadness of heart Pray therefore for quickning Grace Say which David Quicken me O Lord for thy names sake Psal 143.11 Say to the Lord I have a dead heart I do not consider thy rich offer or thy severe justice keep a groaning and crying to the Lord. But secondly People press exceedingly upon the mercy of God Therefore it is that the worst of People love to hear discourses of Gods mercy T is true we cannot look too much upon Gods mercy Psal 90.11 We may say of it as David doth of Gods anger Who knoweth the power of thine anger c. So who knoweth the highth and dephth length and breadth of Gods mercy it hath sour dimensions in that place Ephes 3.18 We cannot think of it any way answerable to the truth of it Thy mercy O Lord is in the heavens and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds Psal 36.5.6 7. Thy righteousness is like the great Mountains thy judgements are a great deep O Lord thou preservest man and beast How excellent is thy loving kindness O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings And again The Lord is graciand full of compassion 〈…〉 slow to anger and of great mercy The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works But yet for remedy and advice we must know that Gods mercy doth not destroy his justice Where you have a glorious discovery of Jehovahs back-parts Exod. 34.6.7 this is among That will by no means cleer the guilty visiting the iniquitie of the fathers upon the children and upon the childrens children unto the third and to the fourth Generation Hear what is written Deut. 29.19.20 And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to add drunkness to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealouste shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot his name from under heaven O it is a fearfull thing to sin against the riches of Grace Rom. 2.4.5 saith Paul there Despisest thou the riches of his goodness forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God It is a sign such souls are not partakers of mercy which are upon Gods mercy bold to sin O hard-hearted soul thou art telling of Gods mercy why dost thou not tell of his Justice the Apostle tells thee The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord
thee unto me for ever c. Therefore come away marry this Kings son forsake not your mercy do not overstand your Market You will never have such an offer again I mean not of another opportunity for what am I to limit the Holy one of Israel But of another happiness for in this seed of Abraham alone blessedness is to be had I say you cannot possibly speed your selves better There is none so lovely none so able to make you every-way happy none so willing to do every body good These expressions of ours are to your capacity These glorious beams of Christ shine brightly the Lord open your eyes to see them seek by Prayer wait upon Ordinances argue upon promises And the Lord strike hands with you in much mercy Amen Amen It remaineth that something be spoken of the means Ordained by the Lord to attain this assurance of Union with Christ to wit the Preaching of the Gospel signified by these words The Kingdom of Heaven for by it is saving Grace conveyed Gospel preaching is Ordained and appointed of the Lord to that end that men may hear of Christ believe in Christ be saved by Christ and be glorified with Christ So in that the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Gospel Preached is compared to a Marriage-making I observe this last Doctrine The end of the Preaching of the Gospel is to prepare People for a Marriage with Christ the Son of God Reason And the Reason is because it is that very instant of Grace which God who hath appointed a time for every action hath appointed for his Elect to come and joyn hands with Christ in the Act of believing It is the means of faith Rom. 10.17 So then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Lord hath appointed that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached over all the World for a witness unto all Nations That the Elect in every place may be brought in according to Gods eternal purpose of Love to communion with the Church and Union unto Christ Vse 1 We may hereupon conclude in the first place the necessity of the Preaching of the Gospel contrary to their vain conceit that think it needless they see not the end of it to wit a Marriage with Christ Or if they do yet they mean not to be divorced from their wicked Lusts unto which they are already Wedded But yet lodge this truth among the Oracles of God That Gospel Preaching is necessary And that it is the ordinary and usual means to obtain Faith Vse 2 O Therefore what a happiness do those people enjoy if they had eyes to see it that have the Gospel faithfully preached unto them to prepare them for a Marriage with Christ Vse 3 And how shall they escape which neglect so great salvation Which to do is a greater sin then to break the whole Law The punishment shews the greatness of the sin a double curse is pronounced against them that love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 that is against those that neglect Gospel offers and Ordinances in which Christ goeth 〈◊〉 wooing to the children of men If any one therefore here present be an Enemy to the dispensations of the Gospel or a neglector of this gracious offer of Christ therein let him look upon himself as on an execrable thing which God hates and let him see God even stretching out his power to confound him and the Gospel cursing him Vse 4 Be exhorted therefore to improve this appointed imployment This concerns both Preacher and Hearers Motive Motive It is the best preferment a man can come unto to be United and Married to Christ And therefore no small preferment to be imployed in this high work of bringing People to Salvation And to move other People let this be weighed well that to lose all things in the world to gain Christ is the best bargain that ever man made Phil. 3 7. 8. But what things were gain to me these I counted loss for Christ Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Quest But how shall Ministers improve this benefit Answ I answer by Preaching Christ unto the People Plainly Powerfully in the evidence of Gods spirit not in the enticing words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. chap. 2. ver 1. c. Object But if a man do not Preach eloquently he shall lose his repute and the Grace of his pains Sol. I answer No for although some that know not God will be prating yet he is the best schollar that edifies most 1 Cor. 14 v. 12.18.19.21.22 To excell to the edifying of the Church to speak five words with understanding that others may be taught to Prophesie so as men may believe are special Phrases in those verses A man that speaks pithily to the conscience will shew himself a scholler besides his purpose to all judicious hearers Such men shew themselves to have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness not handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 And yet further ver 5. For we Preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake And then note I said not only plainly but powerfully We should have such a spirit as Paul who out of the abundance of his Zeal was stirred in spirit Acts 17.16 And so Philip. 3.18 He told them WEEPING of their faults that were Enemies to the Cross of Christ This proceeded out of the abundance of his Love to Christ and mankind And this was a sign of Lots sincerity that his righteous soul was grieved and vexed c. 2 Pet. 2.7 And to hate the work of the Nicolaitans which God hateth is very commendable Rev. 2.15 To hate them that hate God Psal 139.21 and to be grieved with those that rise up against him Now for Hearers They must improve this benefit and blessing of Gospel Preaching 2. Hearers By striving and labouring hereby to be prepared for a Marriage with Christ By putting off the old man and putting on the new man Ephes 4. ver 16. to the 25. People must forget their own People and their Fathers house and labour to be clothed with clothing of wrought Gold Psal 45. ver 10.13 Labour to get Oyle in your Vessels as well as in your Lamps Mat. 25.4 That ye may enter in with him to the Marriage when the door shall be shut against such as have neglected these opportunities ver 10. You must labour to make your selves ready for the Marriage of the Lamb to put on Christ who is the clean and white and fine Linnen of the Saints Rev. 19.7.8 O that you would know now even now in this your day the things that do belong to your
33.11 Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee c. and cap. 11.8 How should I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Doct. So then this shall be the Doctrine That God in the offer of grace notwithstanding shamefull repulses is wonderfull patient He sends again and again Again he sent forth other servants c. Vse 1 Then certainly we have no cause to complain of Gods impatiency Vse 2 And they that reject grace are without excuse They cannot say it was not offered to them Indeed Gods patience occasions perversness through the wickedness of peoples hearts Psal 78. verses 17. to the 22. and 37 38 39. and 56. 59 60. verses In those places the marvellous untowardness of the Israelites is shewed but yet God tempteth no man but woes and argues and allures And they that do abuse his patience will know one day that they had a fair offer O think upon it Vse 3 Thirdly If God be so gracious and so patient then surely he will not cast away any that desire Grace though by reason of their corruption they come slowly forward Though they be like smoaking flax Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgement into victory If there be any hope of thy recovery the he avenly Physitian will not give thee over To conclude this point The fourth and last Vse shall be to perswade all to take heed that they abuse not Gods patience but thankfully improve it to their own benefit Motive Consider to stir you up a little Laesa patientia fit furor the abuse of Gods patience will at last provoke the Lord to cast down heavy judgements Psal 78.49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger wrath and indignation c. Rom. 2.4 5. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and for bearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God I might give you instances and examples of the Old World of the Sodomites of the Jews But I had rather shew you how you might improve Gods patience and not abuse it For I cannot but think that you see the necessity of the work Means 1 Therefore know first that speedy repentance must prevent wrath and is a way to improve Gods patience to our advantage Joel 2.12 13 14. Isaiah 55.6 7. Friends there is no sin so great no sins so many no abuse of Gods grace so grievous but repentance will help all Secondly and Lastly improve Gods patience by a godly imitation of his example therein Matth 5.44 45. Phil. 4 5. So far of the circumstance of time VVe come next to the instruments other servants Again he sent forth other servants Doct. The Lord is not only patient in the offer of Grace but very diligent in providing means and instruments to draw men That shall be the next Doctrine You see God doth not presently upon their refusal give over but sends other servants Reason And the Reason is as before it hath been said He would have no man to perish but that all should come to repentance Understand by his will his word his approbation and liking of it Voluntas approbationis effectionis but what he willeth from everlasting that he worketh and bringeth to pass and so saith David Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven in earth in the Sea and in all places But to the matter The Lord I say is not only patient to wait but diligent in providing means here is another glorious beam of the Deity shining forth His Spirit strives with men to do them good He giveth gifts to men for the sake of mankinde He exposeth his Ordinances to contempt and his servants to injurious abuses that men may not perish but have life everlasting Vse 1 The first use is for Information and it teacheth us that then the use of means is necessary for this purpose to wit that men may hear of Christ believe in Christ and be saved by Christ That therefore is a vain conceit of many that think Grace will come without the use of the Means And therefore though men will take pains in the use of the means about worldly matters yet they regard not to use means about the gaining of grace And this will be their condemnation as it is written Joh. 3.19 And this is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men loved darkness rather then light because their deeds were evil Many will not so much as give the word a hearing Such we read of 2 Kin. 17.13 14 15. Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all the Prophets and by all the Seers saying Turn you from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my Statutes according to all the Law which I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by my servants the Prophets Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardened their necks like to the necks of their Fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God And they rejected his Statutes and his Covenant that he made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against them and they followed vanity and became vain and went after the heathen that were round about them concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them So Jer. 18.11 The Lord is to his work exhorting menacing using means to make them there spoken of to return from their evil way But in the 12. ver you shall see their behaviour And they said There is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart And chap. 25. ver 4 5 6 7. to the same purpose we may read a large Discourse of the truth of my Doctrine and the untoward spirit and behaviour of the people though to their own hurt as it is there written But I will enlarge no more upon this Use Vse 2 I come to a second Here in this Doctrine of the diligence of God in providing means and instruments to draw People to Christ we have a ground of comfort unto such as truly desire Grace and Mercy at the hands of God They cannot desire it more then the Lord doth to use Scripture expressions and language nor be more willing or diligent to use means for their good then he is And therefore assuredly there will be a concurrence with them in their prayers and endeavours and a condiscention to their desires and requests Vse 3 Take notice of this O all ye people let the Lords kindness
herein be accepted Joyn with the Lord in these actions Let us do it We have many Motives Mot. 1 For first God will hereby be glorified the contrary will be to his great dishonour Secondly the benefit will be our own for it is the only way to get grace Ask and ye shall have seek and ye shall finde knock and it shall be opened unto you Matth. 7.7 Thirdly and Lastly It will be a good example to others our example may draw others as bad examples do spread like a leprosie So much for that We come in the third place to the Message that the Lord wills to be delivered Tell them that are bidden Behold I have prepared my dinner my oxen and my fatlings are killed and all things are ready come unto the Marriage There is not much in these words which hath not been spoken of already Only mark here is an invitation to a Marriage Venite inquit non ad labores aut ad luctum sed ad Nuptias Marlorat He doth not say come to labours or lamentation but to a marriage Per terrena autem adumbrat Christus Coelestia c. Here by earthly things are shadowed out heavenly But that which I shall a little fasten upon and yet I shall not be long neither is the opportunity offered t is supper time all things are ready therefore come and take it whilest it is going as we say whilest it is to be had Doct. This shall be the Doctrine or observation That the opportunity of the season for the gaining of grace ought to be a special Argument to perswade people to come c. Reason It is an Argument that is wont to be of special force with men concerning their worldly affairs Men will go to Market upon the Market-day and make hay whilest the Sun shines cut their Corn when it is ripe much more should it be a prevailing Argument in more weighty matters For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evil net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sons of men snared in an evil time when it falleth suddenly upon them Eccles 9.12 Great use is made by the Spirit of God of this Argument in many places of Scripture I will quote and read some Prov. 9.1 2 3. Wisdom hath builded her house she hath hewen out her seven pillars she hath killed her beasts she hath mingled her wine she hath also furnished her Table She hath sent forth her Maidens c. Isaiah 55.6 7. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near Let the wicked forsake his way c. Matth. 3.2 Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand 2 Cor. 6.2 For he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Heb. 3.13 But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin from all which Places this truth is plainly made good that the opportunity and Seasons of Grace are to be regarded And therefore we will now come to the Uses of the Point Vse 1 And first it lays great blame on them that neglect the pretious opportunities that are put into their hand that do not make hay while the Sun shines that do not repent while it is called to day Remember the foolish Virgines Vse 2 And next here is comfort for wise Virgines such as take Gods Grace when it is offered such as take oyle in their Vessels with their Lamps Mat. 25.4 Such as are faithfull ver 21. They shall enter in with the Bridegroom into the Marriage ver 10. They shall enter into the joy of their Lord ver 21. aforenamed Vse 3 Lastly hearken to this serious admonition that I am about to give you It is through the great mercy of God that you enjoy now a season of Grace Gods dinner is prepared c. O how have I been deceived in you What fair promises were made if the Lord would but let you see the face of a Minister of your own again How did the Lord seem to hide his face from you for a great while Motive 1 Consider more particularly Its Grace and mercy not desert that you are once more invited We are not worthy to be bidden Guests not the best of us all yet we are Secondly This renewed season is uncertain how long it will continue Friends it is like be a catching harvest the base carriage of the great Ones among you the like whereof I have hardly met with wherever I have lived and of the most besides threatens a removal of the means of Grace from you There is such a deal of pride and heart-burning and despight shewed to the People and wayes of God among us as that we may justly fear the season of Grace will not be long Gospel seasons in glory are not usually long Thirdly If you will consent to accept of Christ now while he is going and take him to be your Priest Prophet and King you will do your selves the greatest pleasure that possibly can be imagined Ye shall go in with the Bridegroom into the Marriage The Lord set home what hath been said Amen Amen I proceed ver 5. But they made light of it c. Here begins the second Branch under the second Invitation of the Jews The success or the manner of the entertainment of this gracious offer again renewed Some neglect it as it is in this ver Others maliciously oppose it in the next verse In the vers now in hand two things are to be spoken of First To shew you how the Jews stood affected unto the precious season of Grace vouchsafed them viz. they made light of it Secondly The ground and occasion of their light esteeming of it to wit their overprizing of their worldly profits and Commodities their Farms and Commodities of Merchandizing their shops and their livings For the first They made light of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they had no care as the word signifieth they regarded him not nor his Salvation as a thing of no worth they did set it at naught and despised it You see this Lesson plainly may hence be learned Doct. That the precious seasons and means of Grace are little regarded by worldly-minded People Or Thus. It is the property of Worldly men to slight Christ if they may get Worldly things Covetousness is a great cause of irreligiousness The Lord sends forth his Servants to invite them to come to the Marriage of his Son but they had no great minde to it So their Ancestors long before 2 Kings 17.13.14 So God complains Psalm 81.11 But my People would not harken to my voice and Israel would none of me So Isai 65.2 Till Christ come with the power of his spirit into worldly mens hearts there is nothing but raking
of these are called the hoast of heaven Deut. 17.3 Now Hoast is the same with Army We finde the Lord making use of this hoast Joshuah 10.12 13. And he to wit Joshuah said in the sight of Israel Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sun stood still and the Moon staid c. Thirdly he hath his Armies of men Exod. 12.51 The Lord did bring the children of Israel out of Egypt by their Armies Yea even evil men wicked men are Armies that God sometimes makes use of Isaiah 10.5.6 7. O Assyrian the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation I will send him against an hypocritical Nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prey and to tread them down like the mire of the streets How be it he meaneth not so c. And so Jer. 25.9 Behold I will send and take all the families of the North saith the Lord and Nebuchadnezzar my servant c. Thus ye see the Armies of men good and bad are all the Lords Fourthly The Lord hath his Armies of water Gen. 6.17 The Lord prepares waters to drown the whole World for the wickedness of it And Exod. 14.27 28. The Lordoverthrew the Egyptians in the middst of the Sea And the Waters returned and covered the Charets and horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh c. So Judges 5.21 sings Deborah and Barak The river Kishon swept them away that Ancient River the River Kishon Fifthly The Lord hath an Army of fire Gen. 19.24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorra brimstone and fire from the Lord out of Heaven So 2 Kings 1.10 Eliah is sent for but fire comes down from Heaven and consumes that Captaine and his fifty men that were sent to take him and another in like manner and his fifty ver 11. Sometimes the ayr is imployed as Gods Army to let flie its arrows of the pestilence Numb 16.46 Or of hailstones as Joshua 10. ver 11. Seventhly the Lord hath the Farth also to make use of for the destruction of his Enemies Numb 16 3â— The earth opens her mouth to swallow up Korah Dathan and Abiram Yea even the meanest creatures Lice Frogs Worms the Lord hath to fight against Pharaoh and Herod Exod. 8.6.8.16.17 and Acts 12.23 Lastly the Lord doth sometimes make a mans own Conscience a terrible Army against himself O when God shall fight against a man with terrors of Conscience he will be weary of his life as Judas was Mat. 27.3.4.5 These Armies are all at a minutes Call when God doth but say the word they go Vse 1 Now for the first use learn we hence that God wants not power to punish his adversaries Did folk consider Gods Armies they would not dare to go on in sin Men foolishly think earthly powers are above the powers of the Allmighty This is a great sin against the first Commandment Yet is it common that men fear earthly powers and fear not God who is the Lord of Hoasts and in comparison of whom all the Nations are as the drop of a bucket Vse 2 I will declare in the next place in the name of the Lord of Hoasts a woe to all those that are adversaries to this heavenly King God Allmighty He hath Armies to execute vengeance upon his Adversaries Surely they are not like to escape his wrath There is no sleeing from Gods Armies nor from his presence who is himself a consuming fire Whither shall I go saith David from thy presence Psal 139. Vse 3 Thirdly Stand in awe of the Allmighty be carefull not to displease him he is a great General he hath many Armies as you have heard Men of power are feared how much more ought God Quest But how may a man know whither he fear God or no Answ I answer By his diligent departing from evil and constant cleaving to that which is good Psal 34.11.12.13.14 Come ye children hearken unto me I will teach you the fear of the Lord. What man is he that desireth life and loveth many dayes that he may see good Keep thy tongue from evil and thy lips from speaking guile depart from evil and do good seek peace pursue it Pro. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil pride and arrogancy the evil way the froward mouth do I hate And so I come to shew you the nature of the sin that is here laid to the charge of Gospel opposers and neglectors that you may see the greatness of it and the more abhor it Murder is laid to the charge of the Jews They were guilty of murder many ways First Minister Murther In that they murdered Gods Messengers Now this again is done First By taking away their lives So Stephen was murdered Acts. 7.58.59 So in Queen Maries dayes Cranmer Ridley Latimer Philpot Bradford Saunders Rogers Julius Palmer were cruelly burned because they wit nessed for Christ Secondly Gods Messengers are sometimes Murthered in their good name and in their reputation He that shall say to his brother Raca Mat. 5.22 is in Gods account a Murderer We know our times are in Gods hands and our reputation riseth and falleth even as the Lord will Yet those evil tongues that speak such devouring words of us are murtherous tongues before the Lord. And so also Thirdly When people are causelesly angry with any much more with Ministers and swell in their pride and passion Mat. 5.22 aforenamed the former part of the verse Lastly To detain from them that whereupon they and their families should live It is a sin to withold goods from the owners though there be power in mens hands so to do But blessed be God who hath granted us meat to eat some other way and wherewith to live Yet give me leave to tell you that sit here before me and are guilty of this crying sin that you must answer for it before that God whom we serve The second sort of Murder is Soul-murther Soul murther I mean of their neighbours All that oppose the wayes of God do by consequence make themselves guilty of their blood that perish in their sins They shall perish but their blood shall be required as at the hands of careless Ministers so at your hands that either neglect to do your best to procure Preachers or which is far worse oppose them that God hath sent among you Thirdly Ye are guilty of self-murther Self-murther in regard of your poor souls And for a man to be found in this sence felo de se will procure a sentence not only to be cast out to a dog-like burial in the high way 4. Christ-murder but to be cast into outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth Fourthly Such will be found Murtherers of Christ also Heb. 10.29 They tread underfoot the son of God c. they are guilty of
bring good out of it This consideration is of great use we will a little look into it All the creatuets both in heaven and earth act go and come at Gods command When we see men bold in their opposing the wayes of God we many times are troubled we do not consider that as in wisdom he made all things so in wisdom he ordereth all things excellently Gen 45. ver 5.7.8 saith Joseph there God did send me before you to preserve life c. And Gen. 50.20 but as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much People alive And so for lusts and temptations God suffers them sometimes in his own children either to teach us to observe his rules better or to humble us that we may cleave closer to God and that graces may grow Humility saith one is the Nurse of graces or that we may know God and our selves better or that we may be the more thankfull when victory comes but yet all this while God is bringing good out of it and that Oracle worthy to be remembred that all things shall work together for good to them that fear God c. Rom. 8.28 will be found in the end to be gloriously true Vse 3 Therefore let us learn to take notice of the power wisdom and goodness of God that can and doth thus bring good out of evil good effects out of evil causes Mot. 1 This will confirm us in the truth of Gods goodness and other attributes And Secondly It will teach us in evill times instead of murmuring to bless God for his providences and goodness and power in thus converting of evil to good And Lastly It will make us to walk confidently and to lie down confidently and to put our trust in God and in nothing to be carefull Though we meet with afflictions yet we shall not be much troubled because we shall by taking notice perceive that these are to nurture us Deut. 8.2.5 that we may learn to know him better and to know our selves Therefore it is good I say to take notice of Gods dealing in this kind So much for this point From the word of command Go ye we may learn Doct. That Christians must do warrantable actions They must have a care to do what they have a word of command for at least what is neither directly nor indirectly forbidden in the word of God For there are some actions which are called indifferent as 1 Cor. 7.28.30 If thou marry thou hast not sinned c. and to weep as though we wept not and to rejoyce as though we rejoyced not Such things are not a transgression of a Law for so sin is 1 Jo. 3.4 they are indifferent in themselves Though every particular determined thought word or action be either good or bad a step either to heaven or to hell yet for the actions themselves there are some that are neither good nor bad But to the point I say Christians must do warrantable actions Reas 1 For first they are Gods Servants Servants must attend upon the commands of their Masters And Secondly We have all the ancient practices of the Saints to look upon As first of Noah Gen. 7.14 and cap. 8.1 〈…〉 In both which chapters he had a word 〈…〉 mand both for his making and also for 〈◊〉 entring into the ark and ver the 8. for his taking in accordingly clean and unclean beasts as he was commanded c. 8.12 and 16. he staied other seven dayes that is he would have a warrant for his comming out of the Ark. And Abraham Gen. 12.1 had a command to go out of his country from his kindred and from his fathers house c. And Jacob Gen. 31.3 must be bid to return unto the Land of his fathers and to his kindred And in his old age though he resolve to go to Egypt Gen. 25.28 yet he must have and had a warrant cap. 56. ver 1.2.3 and 4. And Numb 9.18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched c. Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto him to wit of the priesthood but he that is called of God as was Aaron Vse 1 Therefore such as do unwarrantable actions can have no comfort in their doings For they sin though they think not so Sin is not defined to be a thing against the Law only in regard of the actions of sin but even sinfull habits are forbidden in the Law therefore mans nature being out of tune is not so ready to do good nor so knowing what good is God therefore hath given rules to be observed which not to observe is a sin Mot. 1 And indeed well done will be pronounced only to those that have done what they have been bidden and warranted to do Neither will Conscience be so well satisfied with doing naked actions that are destitute of command and example and every thing that might be a ground of comfort to the conscience of the doer Neither will God have any glory from unwarrantable actions it is as if God were not wise enough to give rules or as if we had not a perfect rule to walk by Lastly It is an evil example to walk in this liberty of doing what is right in our own eyes as if we had no Law-giver this brings in boldness among men and makes them fearless But blessed is he that feareth allwayes I omit the School utrums upon this point as not being so usefull to this auditory Go ye therefore into the high wayes From the word of command we come to speak of the place where they they must go Luk. 14.23 hath it thus Go out into the high-wayes and hedges The mind of the spirit is to shew us Doct. That God in the offer of grace is altogether without respect of persons For all mankind are alike to him Reason Job 31.15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him and did not one fashion us in the womb cap. 34.19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands Therefore are the Commissions so large Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.16 All Nations must be taught every creature must be preached unto Acts 10.34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Read Acts 13.46.47 And mark the last words of the latter of those verses I have thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Mat. 11.25.26 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Even so father for so it seemed
And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Here are two Books Gods Book of Science or Prescience he knoweth all things long before The other is the book of conscience this is our own book this will stop every mans mouth that is out of Christ He was speechless saith the Text. The Commission or warrant for his execution which also includes the sentence of condemnation follows in the next verses in which we have the sentence ver 13. The ground or reason ver 14. In the Sentence we have Circumstances and the Substance The Circumstances are three 1. The party commissionating the King 2. The party commissionated the servants 3. The time Then For the better handling of these particulars I crave your prayers And so much for this time The end of the 12. verse The ninth Sermon Matth. 22. ver 13.14 Then the King said to the Servants Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen I Have finished as you may remember the examination and conviction of this unworthy Guest and false-hearted Professour out of the foregoing verses I ended my last Sermon with the division of these two verses now again read unto you I will not repeat what hath been delivered but proceed to that which remains to be spoken out of these verses The party that gives the Commission for the execution of this faulty person is said to be the King that is Almighty God who had vouchsafed the means of Grace to the Gentiles But this poor wretch among others abusing it he gives a Commission of another nature There was a time when this King was all white but now he is all red I have shewed you out of the foregoing verses that God woes the world in the preaching of the Gospel Go tell them that were bidden I have prepared my dinner c. You have heard of Tamberlains colours he was wont to display and his behaviour and dealing with places upon refusall of his offer of mercy Friends the Lord holds out to you the white flag of mercy he hath bid me tell you that his Justice is satisfied his vvrath is appeased in Christ if you will not come in if you will not submit he hath you see in this Text other colours to display Xerxes wept over his Army in consideration of their Mortality O that I could compassionate these hundreds that sit here this day Sirs a thousand to one but some of you will be damned or else you will escape better then ever so many people met together did in this World consider seriously what I say But I come to observe some poins of Doctrine The first is Doct. As God hath power and will to bestow and afford the means of Grace so also to punish the abuse thereof any way Any way I say My meaning is whither by a Swinelike carelesness or which is worse by a doglike barking at the Gospel and biting the Messengers or an Hypocritical closing with the Church God will punish the abuse of the offers of Grace I say any way with severity Gen. 6.7 And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth c. God did strive with the old World 120. years it will not be ruled the People were diobedient When the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah 1 Pet. 3.20 Ye know they were drowned and are now Spirits in prison As the Lord had a time to offer Grace and Mercy by Noah so he had a time to plague the refusers of it The Lord suffered Lot to live a while among the Sodomites and surely he was not idle he was a righteous man they vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds Then saith the Lord because the cry of Sodom and Gomorra is great 2 Pet. 2.8 Gen. 18.20.21 and because their sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whither they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know What 's the conclusion the Lord did destroy them He caused fire and brimstone to come down from Heaven and he overthrew those four Cities of the plain Gen. 19.24.25 Sodom Gomorra Admah and Zeboim So for Jerusalem you may read Luke 13. ver 34.35 Prophets were sent to them and Apostles and Christ himself was among them he would have gathered her children together as a Hen doth gather her brood under her wings they would not They killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent among them What followeth Behold your house is left unto you desolate c. And so cap. 19.43.44 Thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation He that may and will not when he will he shall not O that you would read sometime even this very day Prov. 1. from the 20. verse unto the 32. I am loth to spend so much time now in reading those verses The summ is Wisdom crieth woeth useth many arguments but cannot be heard is disregarded You shall find there what followeth O sad expression I will saith God laugh at your calamitie and mock when your fear cometh God is just as well as mercifull Vse 1 Is it so that God which said erewhile Go ye out and fetch in all go tell them my son is dead and risen again tell them that if they will come away while my white flag is abroad they shall have mercy is now become so severe upon the abuse of his mercy then foolish if not mad are they that do not consider this that do not believe it that do so set and settle themselves daily to abuse the means of Grace Some by taking no notice at all thereof Others by making profession a cloak for their knavery Others by undervaluing it Others by having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons Others by biting at and devouring what in them lies the honourable Professors of Religion and Ministers of the Gospel O where shall I begin and when shall I make an end I have much to say it may be you will be angry t is no matter hear me howsoever Let me speak though ye strike me afterward I will labour to pluck you out by the ears from your miserable condition though ye be angry with me for it It is better fear and so also anger a knave then kill him You think God will go in
We have spoken already of his charge and that both of the matter of it that he came into the marriage without a wedding garment and also of the manner of the Lords dealing with him calling him friend by an Irony As iâ— the King should say Friend what make you here I see you pretend to be one of mine but how is it that you come in hither not having a wedding garment We have also spoken Secondly of his Conviction and he was speechless Thirdly We have begun to speak of his execution out of these verses now again read unto you In which we have noted First The Commission it self in the 13. verse Secondly The ground or reason of it ver 14. Again in the Commission we have observed and fully handled the circumstantial part of it And are now the Lord assisting to proceed and to speak of the substance of the Commission out of these words Bind him hand and foot c. Wherein two things are set forth First The manner of his punishment bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness Secondly The condition of this poor wretch under his punishment sad enough wofull enough in these words There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth We will begin with the manner of his punishment laid forth under a continued Metaphor taken from the manner of dealing used among men with gross and heynous offenders who being found guilty are manacled fettered and separated from the society of men and cast into some dark dungeon there to lie and dye and never to come out thence again Under which words Christ sets forth the future condition of all wicked men and women to wit that they shall be cast into Hell where they shall lie weeping and wayling and gnashing of teeth not only as long as the Sun and the Moon endureth but as long as God shall be God 〈◊〉 three degrees of misery is this punishment of ungodly men here described unto us First Bind him hand and foot that is Tye hiâ— fast chain him up let him not escape by 〈◊〉 means Secondly Take him away that is carry him hence from my gracious presence Let him never see my face more nor come among my servants Let him never sit with my pretious Saints more Separate him from the communion and society of my faithfull ones Depart thou cursed cateiffe saith God thou caredst not for my people or mine Ordinances on Earth and therefore now thou shalt not be troubled with them Take him away and cast him into outer darkness Here is a third degree of misery Let him go like a Castaway as he is as one good for nothing cast him away For men do not use to cast that away which is good for any thing But here is an aggravation of this third degree of misery cast him into outer darkness that is into Hell Into outer darkness that is out from God and out from his Church For with God is light and in his Church is light But out of Gods presence and out of the Church is darkness Note Therefore note by the way That To be cast out of the Church here is a degree of that outer darkness that ungodly men shall be cast into hereafter So some understand 〈◊〉 8.12 Many shall come from the East â—nd from the West Calvin c. But the children oâ— the Kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness that is Gentiles shall become Members of the Church and the Jews called the children of the Kingdom because they were so then shall be exiled and cast into a dark and dead frame of Spirit as usually such are as are justly excommunicated if Gods physick work not with them to their humiliation and repentance Now We will gather some short lessons from these particulars thus opened And the first shall be Doct. That ungodly men shall not escape punishment The Reason is because they are bound as it were hand and foot God hath ordained Bands and Chains to bind wicked men withall They are bound with a threefold Cord which is not quickly broken Besides the Chains and cords which God binds wicked men withal to Hell torments there is a threefold Cord to bind them with in this life First The Cord of Gods Decree Jude's Epistle ver 4. Who were before of old ordained to this condemnation All the men on Earth or Angels in Heaven are not able to break this Cord. There is also a blessed Cord which the Saints are bound with Rom. 8.30 Moreover whom he did predestinate them also he called and whom he called them also he justified and whom he justified them also he glorified The use that we may make of it is to bless God if we sind we are not bound with that chain that the wicked are bound with but with that fore-appointed for the Saints The second Cord to bind men is that Mat. 18.18 Whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven This Church binding is the second with which men are bound And for my part I would not lie under the just censure of a well-ordered Church for the whole World The reason is because the Scriptures being true whom the Church binds on Earth God binds in Heaven There are three acts in this binding God acts first and last and the Church in the middle God acts first in giving rules to his Church to walk by The Church acts by those rules which God hath given and are like Levi which knew not father nor mother And this acting of a Church carrieth more in it then the reproof of one Godly man though a publick Preacher because of the Authority which the Lord hath given to his Church And then thirdly God acts in confirming in Heaven what the Church regularly doth on Earth There is in the Church use of ordinary and common brotherly admonitions and exhortations with this Cord the People of God bind one another to the Lord. So Heb. 3.12 Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God But exhort one another daily while it called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullness of sin And therefore all the People of the Lord should look upon this work as a duty and when it is performed it should be looked upon as a mercy from the Lord to tie us closer to him Besides this sometimes the unruly are to be warned and desired to forbear from communicating with the People of God This is as it were the trial of Leprosie We usually call it suspension from the Lords Supper and it hath its use as a cord to bind men to the good behaviour or to discover their Spirits But in the last place Fulk on 1 Cor. 5. Sect. 3. Rhem. Test there is excommunication which is to be done by the officers of thâ— Church as in the name of Christ so in the name of the Church and People to avoid
confusion I had rather call it a binding then a cutting off Because it is an Ordinance of the Lord to be used for the good of an offending brother 1 Cor. 5.5 That the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus And we find that it was so by Gods blessing to the incestuous Corinthian 2 Cor. 2.6 7. Sufficient to this man is this punishment or censure which was inflicted of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that contrary wise ye ought rather to forgive him comfort him lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with over much sorrow This is a strong Medicine by which a fallen brother grosly and that is hardned in his sin may yet be recovered And if it do not then he is thereby bound over to everlasting burnings T is true in some sence they are said to be cut off from the Church namely in a threefold respect First Perk. Cases of Conscience 3. Quest of the 8. c. They are excluded from Communion with the Church by the censure of the Church Secondly From God for what the Church rightly doth on Earth God doth in Heaven If the Church bind on Earth God binds in Heaven and so for Loosing also Thirdly In regard of themselves for a time they are cut off because they want the power and efficacy of the spirit untill they be throughly touched with repentance and begin as it were to live again Take heed ye that are bound with this Cord of God and his Church and labour to be unbound again There is a third Cord wherewith men are bound even in this life and that is the Cord of Conscience As this unworthy Guest here was bound he had not a word to say for himself He was bound hand and foot he was haltered as it were that he could not stirr So Judas was so haltered with the Cord of his Conscience that he could not chuse but halter his neck too For he went away and hanged himself Mat. 27.5 This is a sad Cord when God is pleased to make use of it O when a mans Conscience shall tell him that he hath no part nor portion in this business that his heart is not right in the sight of God as Peter told Simon Magus Acts 8.21 that he is in the Gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity This will be black News to that poor wretch whosoever he be Friends you are crank and merry but look oâ—â—… this cooling carde ye are farr on to the â—…aâ—ing of this sad story told by your consciences to you that ye are the Enemies of God And note hereupon that men come not to be bound with this Cord by and by they usually come to a high degree of sin first They do the same things and commit the same sins for which they judge others They despise the riches of Gods goodness and forbearance and long suffering They have hard and impenitent hearts in a word they sin with a high hand against Conscience and begin to be careless and fearless and desperately secure And then commeth this â—ord of the Lord this whip of Conscience Judas his Cord I may call it Read 1 Thes 5.3 For when they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape Such fellows come in sometimes among the People of God to make a faction and to do mischief But though hand joyn in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished Prov. 11.21 But they are bound together to be the Servants of sin shall be bound with Cords which shall not be broken It is storied of Julian the Apostate That after all his wicked behaviour against the Christians he was strock in a battle thorow the left arm into the short ribbs with a 〈◊〉 or Javelin in pulling which out and casting it into the air with his blood he uttered these blasphemous words being bound with this Cord of Conscience I am now speaking of Thou hast overcome me O Galilean Zosimus lib. 6. cap. 2. and Theod. lib 3. cap. 25. The second particular is in these words Take him away Hence observe Doctr. That it is a great punishment to be separated from God and from the comfortable society of Gods People It will be a principal part of the punishment of ungodly men hereafter to be turned out to be bid to depart and get packing from God and his People Mat. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Mat. 13 ver 30 aâ—d 41. The tares must be bound in bundles that is as Christ himself expounds it the Angels shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them that work iniquity They must out of Gods Kingdom there is no place for them they must depart And so ver 49. of that same chap. The Angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the justâ—… And Mat. 25.32 And he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth the sheep from the Goats and ver 41. He shall say to them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed c. they must depart upon which place saith one whom I heard many years agone Methinks I hear these Castawayes pleading and begging to this effect O Lord If we shall not sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in thy Kingdom if we shall not sit on thrones yet let us stand in thy sight though but at the door or let us but peep into the presence of thy People No saith God depart ye shall not see my face get out of my sight Ye shall not stand in the congregation of the righteous Ye scorned them once ye shall not be troubled with them now Depart Yet may these poor wretches say if we must needs depart thy presence O God and be thrust out from thy People yet remember we are thy creatures O Lord and bless us before we go No saith God depart ye cursed Away with my curse upon your back Why yet Lord may they say send us to some silent Corner where we may lie only under the paena damni or dissolve us to nothing out of which we were taken No that shall not be granted neither Depart into fire Happy should they be if they might cease to be but they must depart into hell torments Part is this all Heare one imaginary petition more to set forth the truth of the future condition of ungodly men Lord how long Lord how long Let it be but a thousand years may they say or if that cannot be obtained yet but as many years as there be stars in heaven drops in the Sea sands on the shore or under the Seas and let us come out then No It is everlasting fire O rocky heart tremble But yet once more Must we depart and be accursed and be in fire and that eternally Yet Lord may they say let us have a little good company to help wear along that which shall be without end
your fitting your tickets and libells of contentioâ—… and strife to be read on Lords days and usually on such of them as the Church use to receive the Lords supper upon that you may fill up the measure of your sin and God pour on you and yours the Vials of his wrath which most certainly he will do if repentance prevent not Vse 2 Here is in the next place a comfort to Gospel-Preachers God who is able to right them takes notice of their wrongs And this should keep up their Spirits in the middest of all their barbarous usages Vse 3 O take heed all of you that hear me this day and this shall be my last use of this point take heed I say of this sin be not injurious to the Ministers of the Gospel God takes notice of it and will severely punish it which is the second thing in the vers and comes next to be handled The 2. particular He was wroth And without any more ado it affords us this Doctrine Doct. That base usage of the Messengers of God c. is a sin that greatly provokes Gods wrath Read the chap. before this the one and twentieth ver 35. to the 42. You have their sin in all the verses except the last which is the one and fortieth and in that the miserable effects of Gods wrath are foretold He will miserably destroy those wicked men Which came to pass sure enough not long after Reason Now the Reason hereof is because God favours no sin All sin is contrary to his holy nature and righteous Laws and tends to the destruction of his creature but this above any other sin whatsoever is displeasing to God for First It is a crushing of Gods grace so far as a man can It is a God-killing sin And if it be a sin to kill a man what is it to go about to kill God The grace of God is the most glorious thing in the world Was there ever such love heard of That God should not spare his own son but give him to death for us admirable love And here is unparalleld justice too the Son though the Son must die that justice may be satisfied And wisdom able to make all the wise men of the World quite mad so much as once to look upon it And much might be said of the glory of the Gospel the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ And therefore to go about to hinder this design of God for his glory is a provoking sin and brings down great wrath And then Secondly Opposing Gospel-Preachers tends to the destruction of thousands eternally If we call them bloody men which spoyl and kill and have no mercy which cast into Prison as many of our poor neighbours were by cursed Cavaliers into Lidford Castle and the Town hall here where they starved divers of them I say how much more are they bloody butchers among you that go about to hinder your Salvation and to keep you in such a condition as will be for the everlasting destruction both of body and soul Friends I fear the blood of those that starv'd in this Town in the late troubles will be laid to the charge of some of you that did not pitty them nor relieve them but rather rejoyced in their misery as many of you did and helped to make it greater O do not add to body-killing soul-killing do not add to man-killing God-killing Christ-killing Vse 1 But be informed that though a few vain men among you are such Grace-enemies and are countenanced by such of you as should have more wit and should improve your eminencies to better purpose and will when ye have tasted the Lord is gracious yet the righteous God likes it not Vse 2 And secondly wo to the guilty It were better to provoke all the men in the World then God to wrath as all abusers of Ministers do Vse 3 And that I may end this point also let me perswade you do so no more good people you provoke the heavenly King to wrath and this will turn to the shame and confusion of your own faces yea to your utter destruction if you go on O if God should once say and swear forasmuch as I have been stifled and strangled by you so long and my rich offer so trampled on in the dirt of your pride and prophaness passion and worldliness you shall be troubled no more it would be sad news And so I come to the severe punishment of this sin and therein first of the instrument which God makes use of and the means whereby he punisheth ungodly men He sent forth his Armies The nature and quality of the offence and the severity of the punishment it self shall be spoken of God willing afterward But first I say of the Instrument or means I am almost out of doubt that thâ— holy-Ghost here hath an eye to the Roman Armies which came and besieged Jerusalem by Gods appointment and sending even to the utter destruction of that City but yet I will enlarge somewhat upon this Doctrine Doct. That God hath armies to execute vengeance upon his ungodly adversaries that set themselves against his Ordinances and the Ministers and observers of them I add that the observers of them because usually wicked men joyn them together in their opposing them as Saul made havock of the Church Acts 8.2 and haled not only Preachers but other men yea and women to Prison I confess through the mighty power of God Curst Kine have short horns among us but yet what may be done and what the times will permit to be done is extended to the very utmost even against all that are of this way both old and young Now seeing it is â—o let us muster up the Lords Forces that they may be terrible to you that by repentance the coming of them may be prevented Reason That God hath many Armies we may easily demonstrate from the variety of his creatures which are many hosts and from whence it cometh to pass that he is sometimes called the Lord of hosts as Psal 84.1 8 â—2 In all which verses he is so called The several sorts of Hosts or Armies we will shew you First Angels some whereof are good some are bad 2 Sam. 24.16 An Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it to wit by the plague 2 Kings 19.35 An Angel of the Lord smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand These are called a heavenly host Luke 2.13 And suddenly there was with the or that Angel that brought to the shepherds the news of Christs birth a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying c. Acts 12.23 And immediatly the Angel of the Lord smote him that is King Herod because he gave not God the Glory and he was eaten of worms and gave up the Ghost 2. Sometimes the Lord makes use of the Sun Moon and Stars and this is another sort of Army the Lord makes use