and dissimulation This was the sinne of Eli other wise a good man 1 Sam. 1. Christ our Saviour conversed much with publicans and sinners to the end he might do them good and draw them from the kingdome of sinne and Satan and make them inheriters of the kingdome of heaven a worke in all respectes most holy and righteous yet the Scribes and Pharisees judged him to be a friend and favourer of them and of their sinnes Lue. 7.34 And albeit he castout Devils by the power of his divine Majesty for the confirmation of his doctrine and edification of the weake in faith yet they said he did it by Beelzebuh the Prince of the Devils Math. 12.24 So in our dayes religion and the zealous profession thereof are reputed no better then counterfeit holinesse Let the examples of the faithfull be before us continually whensoever we find the same measure offered untous and comfort our selves with this that it hath no otherwise befallen us then to many Prophets of God and faithfull seruants of Christ Math. 5.12 who must not looke to be greater then there Master neither to finde better entertainment in the world then he did The second kinde of judgment forbidden is when men commit evill things worthy in themselves to be condemned and thereupon are judged not onely dangerous but desperate offenders past hope of repentance and recovery This is to execute indeede a right Lordship over their soules and Salvation and to step up into the seate of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Of this the Apostle speaketh Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have prayse of God and we are charged to instruct with meeknesse the contrary minded 2 Tim. 2.25 to bring them to God and not leave them in the snares of the Devill No man therefore ought to passe their doome of the everlasting estate of any man and to pronounce peremptorily and absolutely that they shall perish and cannot be saved as if they were Lords of one anothers life and death salvation and damnation or had power to bring them to heaven or cast them into hell This is beyond our reach and commission and to usurpe the office of Christ to whom all judgment is committed No man dare make himselfe a judge and sit downe in the judgement seate to give sentence of absolution or condemnation in matters of this temporall life without the Princes speciall appointment and shall any dare doe it in things of the life to come to pronounce any to be forlorne reprobates and vessels of wrath For who knoweth what one day may bring forth Pro. 24 1 He runneth farre that never returneth We see many notorious wicked men suddainly and mightily called and changed 2 Chr. 33. Act. 9. Luk. 23. We read of some standing idle all the day long called at the eleventh houre to labour in the vineyard Math. Math. 20. 20. The theefe repented and was converted at the instant of his death Let us remember that we are all brethren one no better then another and therefore we ought not presumptuously to chalenge this superiority to judge and condemne one another Christian love hopeth well of all men and so long as they live there is some hope The third kind is when we doe things which in themselues are indifferent which may be done either well or ill either with a pure or a prophane heart with faith or without faith to judge such an action wicked which indeed is to be accounted good or evill according to the intent purpose and affection of the doer whereof God alone is the discerner because he alone is the searcher of the heart he alone is the Iudge of the heart This corruption we read to have beene in Eliab the brother of David Why camest thou downe hither 1 Sam. 17 2â— and with whom hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the haughtinesse of thy heart for thou art come downe to see the battell This the Apostle forbiddeth Rom. 14. Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth judge him that eateth not c. The faithfull servants of God are hardly delt withall in all these respects their good things are not good or at least it is shrunke up and contracted their indifferent things are pronounced to be starke naught and if they fall into evil it is stretched and made a thousand times worse even by those of the worser sort Lastly it standeth us upon to labour to see the grieuousnesse of sinne in our selves and to feele the waight and burden thereof For commonly we are blinde and see not at all or else we are purblind and cannot see them in their right colours we be hold them as motes or strawes not as beames or if we doe ever judge them as beames How we may perceive the neinousnesse and greinousnesse of sinne Luc. 12.48 it is in others not in our selves Now that we may discerne of sinne in the nature thereof we must consider these few particulars First consider how God striveth with us by his manifold mercies and blessings to draw us to a love of Godlinesse and hatred of wickednesse now unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Secondly if we compare our sinnes with Adams first sinne considered in the fact doubtlesse we have as great in our hearts yea greater and yet by that one disobedience he brought destruction upon himselfe and all his posterity that is the first and second death Thirdly we may behold the grievousnesse of sinne by proportion with the punishment For what is the wages and reward of sinne a subjection to all woe and misery in this life to death it selfe in the end of this life and to eternall death after this life in hell with the Devill and his Angels Fourthly they were laid upon the person of our Saviour Christ who outwardly endured the torments on the Crosse in his body and inwardly apprehended the wrath of God in his soule due unto us and which we should have suffered This made him to sweat water and blood Lue. 22.44 Math. 27.46 and to cry out in the anguish of his spirit My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. Are such sinnes to be holden as motes no doubtlesse they are great beames are they as little moul-hills no doubtlesse they be huge mountaines able to crush the sonnes of men in pieces under the heavy indignation of God Lastly the law of God is holy and perfect and forbiddeth the first thoughts and motions in the heart that arise against God or our neighbour yea though we never give consent of will to practise them Rom. 7. If then the first motions be sins in themselves deserving damnation Rom. 7.7 because the law saith
nothing but in outward abstinence from flesh onely as for humiliation of our selues before our God and afflicting of our spirits as for solemne prayer and amendment of life they are dead and buried as if they were the carcasse of fasting there is deepe silence of them as of things impertinent and utterly from the purpose Thus albeit they retaine the name of fasting yet they have altered the nature of it and albeit they make it meritorious yet was it but a notorious mocking of God a dishonouring of him and a deluding of his people Secondly we receive from hence encouragement in performance of these duties yea comfort and assurance that God will spare us and save us returne to us if we returne to him and turne away his wrath from us Ezr. 8.23 as he did from these Ninevites This we see how the Lord performed Ezr. 8. We fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us Where we see fasting and praying ioyned together and this benefit they found thereby this was the successe they obtained a blessing the Lord was intreated of them If we practise these as we are commanded we have his promise of mercy If he be not intreated it is because we seeke him not aright neither are sufficiently humbled before him but provoke him more by our fasting then we did before and so adde sin unto us O how great are our provocations of the Almighty when his ordinances sanctified to withdraw his wrath shall be meanes to draw it farther upon us and how farre doe our evill workes kindle his indignation against us and encrease his plagues cause him to double his strokes upon us when our best actions performed amisse serve for no other end but to turne us farther out of his favour and to keepe his mercies from us so that we deserue justly a new plague for our fasting if God were not gracious unto us For what are our meetings in many places for the most part but a mocke-fast as if we meant to despite God to his face or as if we met together according to every mans fansie and not warranted by publike authority nor urged by our owne necessity Some are feasting while others are fasting Some keepe it indeed as they doe keepe the Sabbath neither resting from their labours not attending the worship of God and so they make conscience of neither Some come sweating and blowing into the house of God from their owne workes without any preparation of themselves or consideration of the worke of God where about they goe Some are only fore-noone men some againe onely after-noone way Some beginne when others have halfe ended others end when some have halfe begunne Others come to Church betimes but they bring the Devill at their elbowes that lulleth them fast asleepe so as they learne nothing and serue as Cyphers onely to fill up a place for being present they were as good be absent nay better be absent because they should lesse dishonour God shew lesse contempt of the word and give lesse scandal to their brethren Call you this a fasting to the Lord Call you this an afflicting of our selves or of our soules Call you this a solemne repentance Nay where is he almost that once mindeth amendment of life or calleth his sinnes to remembrance or who saith to the eternall God the Lord of heaven and earth the King of Kings as that servant sayd to his Lord and Master an earthly King Gen. 41.9 I call to mind my faultes this day See then the causes why we are not heard We use the meanes but God regardeth us not as Iam. 4. Iam. 4.3 Yee aske and receive not because ye aske amisse and we doe not performe them aright Behold then the true cause why Gods judgments often continue and his hand is stretched out still we remaine still in our sinnes We fast from food but we fast not from our offences We abstaine from the pleasures of the things of this life Heb. 11.25 but we abstaine not from the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season What should it profit to put on sackcloth upon the body and not to put off the pride of heart to abridge out selves of naturall sleepe and to be spiritually asleepe in sinne to put off our best apparell and not to cast off the old man which is corrupt through the deceivable lustes Object It will be objected it hath beene usuall with Moses and the Prophets and the people of God when his hand was heavy upon them by famine or pestilence or the sword they fasted and prayed and the plague ceased why is it not so with us we have fasted but our plague continueth is God changed or is there any alteration in the Almighty Answ I answer there is some difference betweene the old Testament and the new between his administration under the law and under the Gospel For in the time of the law he crowned the obedience thereof more and oftner with temporall blessings as he recompensed the disobedience with temporall judgements whiles the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell were more darkly shadowed whereas now in the sunne-shine of the Gospel we behold Christ Iesus with open face the Kingdome of heaven is set open to all beleevers and the judgment of the great day of the Lord to which the vngodly are reserved is made manifest and therefore his wrath is not now so fully and plentifully revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men neither doth he reward with earthly blessings so commonly such as serve him But to passe this over as not so proper for this place let us enter into our selves let us search and try our own wayes and we shall find the true cause in our owne hearts For how should we thinke or perswade our selves that God should cease his hand presently when we encrease our sins dayly Is it not just with him to multiply his judgments upon us when we multiply sin upon sin or should we looke to have him repent of the evill when we will not repent of our evill We should doubtlesse see an other manner of successe and blessing of God upon our praying and fasting and humiliation if we did as the people of God were wont to doe we should speed as they were wont to do the Lord would deale with us as he dealt with them but forasmuch as we be not like to them in the one no marvaill if we be not like them in the other Lastly seeing the people of God were wont in solemne times of humilâ—ation and professing of their repentance to joyne together prayer and fasting the one giving the right hand of fellowship to the other let us stirre up our selves to call upon his name but how Not as ordinarily we doe but as our fasting is extraordinary so ought our prayers to be also in regard of continuance in regard of zeale in regard of confession of the sinnes of all
promised to heare us Ob. we obey and yet we are not heard I answer God never commanded thee to pray Answ God never commanded a wicked man to pray he never made promise nor halfe a promise nor peece of a promise to a wicked mans prayer so long as he continueth so Search the whole booke of God and tell me where the Commandement or promise is to be found I can produce a thousand curses against the soule of the ungodly and where he expresâ—y threatneth he will not heare them and that his prayer is abominable but I cannot find either Commandement for the ungodly to pray or comfort for them that they shall be heard and helped in their prayer He that bringeth his gift to the Altar and there remembreth his brother hath ought against him Math. 5.23.24 must leave his gift before it and goe his way to be first reconciled to his brother and ought not they when they come to pray before the Lord the searcher of all hearts and remember the Lord hath a controversie against them leave his worship for a time and go first to be reconciled to him and that much more before they presume to call upon him with their wicked hearts How many are there that thinke it enough to come to the house of prayer as if there were some vertue or inherent holinesse in the place but be not deceived when we tread in the Lords Courts if we leave not our sinnes behind us we were better leave our selues behind also forasmuch as he that maketh prayer without repentance is as if he mingled wholesome meat with ranke poyson Secondly it behoveth us to love the righteous and esteeme well of them because such God heareth and they are much beloved of God For though they be little in their owne eyes yet are they highly regarded of him and much in his favour And though they be never so poore in the sight of the world they are in truth and in Gods account greater then any worldling nay one of them the least the lowest the simplest is in more estimation with him then all the world of the ungodly Heb. 11.38 These are such as the Apostle speaketh off Heb. 11. The world was not worthy of them They are the favorites of the king of heaven the King of Kings and have free accesse to him at all times which no man can have to earthly Princes How great an honour is it in Princes Courts to have an easie entrance to come into their presence and to be in their favour that they hold out their golden Septer unto them but how much grearer dignity is it to have recourse to the Almighty and whensoever we will to put up our petitions before him with assurance to be heard As therefore we have benefit by the prayers of the faithfull whom God accepteth so we are bound to love them by whom we have such benefit Lastly from hence comfort and encouragement ariseth to the Godly to pray often and as the Lords remembrancers to give him no rest seeing they have promise of good successe He will not be wanting unto us if we be not wanting to our selues Let us joyne repentance unto our prayer and he will joyne helping to his hearing but if we separate our repentance from our requestes he may well heare us but we may not looke for deliverance or acceptance at his hands If then we turne unto him we may be well assured he will turne unto us Great is the force of true prayer but it must be seasoned and sharpned with repentance if both these go together like a bird that flyeth with both winges they ascend up to heaven and his blessings descend to the earth and fall upon our heads as a shower of raine that falleth upon the ground and maketh it fâ—uitfull Prayer without repentance is like a Dove that flyeth with one wing or like a cripple that halteth with one foote happy are they that joyne them together as it were to draw in one yoke Hence it is that the Apostle knitteth them in one Act. 8. Repent of wickednesse and pray unto God What had his repentance availed him without prayer or his prayer without repentance as therefore both are commanded so both of them must be practised of us Let them turne every one Doct. Marke in the next place the generality of the Commandement Repentance belongeth to the naturall man who must turne to God Repentance is shewed to belong to all of them These men were meere carnall and naturall men such as were not regenerate by the Spirit of God This teacheth us to whom repentance belongeth that the naturall man not yet called must repent and turne unto God True it is the regenerate must repent also because he hath many corruptions remaining in him and he sinneth daily the image of God in which man was created was lost in a little space yet to repaire it againe perfectly requireth the whole time of mans life as houses may be overturned in an instant as the house that fell upon Iobs children Iob. 1.19 which are long in building againe The regenerate man therefore must still exercise repentance howbeit properly this is renewed repentance rather then the first act of repentance and a proceeding in it unto perfection then the first beginning of our conversion The point then to be considered in this example is that the naturall man hath need of repentance Math. 3.2 This Iohn the Baptist preached Act. 2.23.38 Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Thus Peter exhorted the Iewes that with wicked hands had taken and crucified the Lord of life to repent and to be baptized in his name 2 Tim. 2.25 So the man of God is charged to instruct with meekenesse the contrary minded if God peradventure will gâ—ve them repentance The reasons hereof are plaine Reas 1 First the naturall man cannot enter into Gods kingdome Ioh. 3.5 except he be borne again It is as unpossible for a man unregenerate to possesse the joyes of heaven as it is for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle The penitent person hath the gate of the kingdome set wide open to him but no other For such as have not the spirit of God are none of his Secondly such are nothing else but a lumpe of sinne no one part good in them their consciences are impure Tit. 1. Repentance is the life of a sinner without this we are as a dead man that can stirre neither hand nor foot Eph. 2.1 By nature we beare the image of Satan and are more like to him then any child is to his father or can be Let us come to the uses This teacheth us that this present life is the time of our repentance Vse 1 Let us make peace with God and be reconciled unto him while we are yet in the way It had been to late for these Ninevites to think of repentance when desolation had come upon them as a
come Rom. 8. Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.17 The griefe may be great but the glory will be greater For what comparison is there betweene a thing finite and a thing infinite Tell me my brethren how many stripes is heauen worth Nay what is a few drops of blood to the kingdome of heaven how much lesse then can a word or two of reproach be worthy of that glory Lastly from thence we may conclude that certainely the wicked shall not escape in the end howsoever they may for a time True it is the ungodly abuse his patience because sentence is not speedily executed against an evill worke Eccl. 8.11.12 therefore the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set in them to do evill but though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and his daies be prolonged yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that feare God which feare before him Hence it is 1 Pet. 4.17.18 that the Apostle concludeth the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God and if it first begin at us what shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God c. So the Prophet Ieremy fortelleth the destruction of Babylon the rod of his wrath and assureth them thereof because he would chastice and correct his owne people can he then let them alone or shall they escape no doubtlesse for loe saith the Lord I begin to bring evill on the City which is called by my name Ier. 25.29 and calleth upon my name and should ye be utterly unpunished ye shall not goe unpunished c. When we see how God hath delt with his owne servants whom he tendereth as the apple of his eye as we see in the examples of David for his uncleannesse 2 Sam. 12.10.11 Psal 106.33 Luc. 1.20 2 Chro. 32.25 19.2 of Moses Aaron for their disobedience of Zachariah for his unbeleefe of Hezekiah for his unthankfulnesse of Iehoshaphat for his affinity with Ahab may we not be assured that he will visit with grievous plagues the rebellion of such as are strangers to him nay his utter enemies Nay his little finger in the latter end shall be heavier upon the reprobate then his whole loines have beene upon his owne deare children He chastised poore Lazarus in this life with penury and much misery while the rich man was clad in purple and fared deliciously every day but what was the end and issue of them both the poore man was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome and the rich man lay in torments in hell This made Abraham say when he desired to find some ease or release Lu◠16.25 Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Whose blood Pilate had mingled with c. the tower in Siloe fell and slew them The Galileans about their best actions are suddainly taken away by the sword when they thought themselves most in safety For where and when should we judge our selves more in safe-gard then when we are about the service of God and in the house of prayer And the Iewes that lay under the towre were pressed and crushed to death in like manner both examples joyntly shewing both that God hath many wayes and weapons to take away the life of men and to consume them at a suddaine and in a moment even while they perswade thēselves to be safe in a Sanctuary or priviledged place and to be without all feare of death or of danger This teacheth us Doct. God hath many wayes to take away many mans life and can doe it suddenely that the Lord hath variable and infinite wayes to take away mans life and it is offentimes suddainly taken from them even while they say peace and safety suddaine destruction commeth upon them There are two points to be marked in this doctrine and both offered unto us in these examples the first is the variety and manifold meanes the Lord hath in store to cut off our dayes the second is the uncertainty of our life which is soone gone and taken away Touching the variety read Deut. 28. Deut. 28.20.21.22 c. Ezek. 14.13.15.17.19 where the point is handled at large See Ezek. 14. When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously I will stretch out mine hand against it and will breake the staffe of bread and will send famine upon it I will bring a sword upon the land and say sword goe through the land and cut them off I will send the pestilence into the land and poure out my fury upon it to cut them off What should I speake of the overflowing of waters Gen. 7.4 of the violence of fire Gen. 19.24 Psal 106.18 of the opening of the earth Numb 16.31.32 of the stinging of Serpents Numb 21.6 of the eating of Wormes Act. 12.23 of the destroying of the destroying Angel 2 King 19.35 and what not Nay he can make the meanes and instruments ordained to preserve life to be meanes to shorten our life And touching the second point to wit the suddainnesse of death and the uncertainty of our life nothing appeareth more evident though we be active young strong fresh lusty and beautifull and promise to our selves many dayes and yeares yet our life is fraile and speedily gone Iob. 14.1 Psal 49.11.20 1 Pet. 1 24. Luc. 12.20 Act. 5 5.10 Eccl. 9.12 The reasons first for the variety Reas 1 Esay 7.18.19 he is the Lord of hostes and hath every creature as his servants and souldiers even a royall army or campe to employ them if he bid them goe they goe if he bid them come they come if he say doe this they do it We see this in the plagues of Egypt Psal 105.31.34 Psal 105. He spake and there came diverse sorts of flies and Lice in all their coastes he spake and the Locustes came and Caterpillers and that without number c. Secondly for the suddaine fading and vanity of our dayes the Scripture expresseth it by comparisons to shew the shortnesse thereof Hence it is that our life is compared to the swiftnesse of the weavers shittle Psal 103.15.16 Iob. 9.25 7.6 to a wind that passeth away to a swift post that tarrieth not long in one place but soone departeth to an other to a Flower of the field which quickly wasteth and withereth to a shadow which easily vanisheth 1 Chro. 29.15 Iob. 8.9 Psal 90.4.9.109.23 2 Sam 14.14 Iob. 13.28 to a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away Iam. 4.14 The Prophet Dauid compareth it to an hand-breadth and to vanity and what is lighter then vanity to a watch in the night to a tale that is told so that our life is soone gone and we fly away and we are carried away as with a flood to water spilt on the ground which cannot be gathered up againe and to a garment that
these sticketh deeply in us it must be the labour of our whole life to pull it out Fiftly whatsoever a man would do when he is dying and departing out of this world let him doe the same every day while he is living and what he would doe when he sicke let him doe it while he is in health The most wicked Exod. 8.8 1 King 13.4 when he is dying will pray and desire others to pray for him So I haraoh did in his troubles so did Ieroboam that made Israel to sin when his hand was withered and dried up that he could not pull it into him againe Sixtly he that would live when he is dead must die while he is alive namely to his sinnes If we would die the death of the righteous we must have the conversation of the righteous otherwise it shall goe no better with us then it went with Balaam Num. 23.10 he would have his soule dy the death of the righteous but he would not live the life of the righteous A profitable meditation in these dangerous times we know not how soone we may be called to give an account of our stewardship Lastly let us begin our eternall life here upon earth Phil. 3.20 and even now have our conversation in heaven Col. 1.13 and seeke those things that are above where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God So the Apostle describing the estate of the faithfull saith God hath delivered us from the power of darknesse Col. 3.1 and hath translated vs into the kingdome of his deare sonne It behoveth us therefore to be watchfull and in a readinesse like the wise Virgins against the comming of the bridegroome lest we be taken unawares and swept away from his presence as the chaffe which the winde driveth away To this purpose Christ exhorteth Mar. Mar. 13.35.36 13. upon this ground to watch pray to take heed lest he comming suddainly to us or calling us suddainly to come to him doe find us sleeping Of that houre and that day knoweth no man no not the Angels that are in heaven neither the Sonne but the Father onely take ye heed therefore watch and pray for ye know not the time when the master of the house commeth at even or at midnight or at the cocke crowing or in the morning lest comming suddainly he find you sleeping and what I say unto you I say unto all watch thus heteaceh thus to apply generall commandements particularly to our selves and this was never more necessary then in these present daies of affliction Whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices Doct. The vvicked are by nature cruell and bloody See here the violent practise of Pilate behold a matter of great impiety without having respect to persons to time place or action whereabout they went that offered sacrifice He was the governour and judge in Iudea he should have preserved peace and prohibited others from such outrage This teacheth us that wicked and ungodly men are bloody and cruel without mercy or naturall affection See this at large Amos 1. Amos. 1.3 Obad. ver 12.13 describing the enemies of the Church They have threshed Gilead that is the inhabitants of Gilead with threshing instruments of iron they pursued their brethren with the sword and cast off all pitty they have ript up women with child c. This is to be noted in the Edomites against their brother Iacob they rejoyced in the day of his destruction and laid hands on his substance in the day of his calamitie and stood in the crosse way to cut off those of his that did escape c. Behold the truth of this farther confirmed in the examples of Caine of Nimrod of Esau of Pharaoh of Saul of Hazael of Agag of Herod of infinite others whose tender mercies have beene terrible cruelties as Salomon speaketh Pro. 12.10 The reasons are evident for first who ruleth in them Reason 1 and who carrieth them with might and maine and hath the sway and swing of their whole life Doubtlesse they are led by the spirit of Satan Ioh. 8.44 who was a murtherer from the beginning 1 Pet. 5.8 and the great Dragon that persecuted the woman that brought forth the man-child the roring Lyon that walketh after his prey and seeketh whom he may devoure For that which is said of Caine is true of all the company of the ungodly he was of that wicked one and slew his brother because his owne workes were evill and his brothers good This our Saviour also teacheth Revel 2. Behold the devill shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tried not that Satan was incarnate and become a layler in his owne person but he understandeth the instruments of the devill such as obeyed him as the servant his master Secondly by the names given to them in holy Scripture we may see and judge of their natures For they have the names of such beastes given unto them as are given to spoiling and ravening as Lyons Beares Bulls Dogs Leopards Psal 22.12.13.16 Wolves such like of which the Scripture is full in every place that we should not be ignorant of them This serveth to reprove all such as are guilty of violence and cruelty Vse 1 Severall sorts of cruelty of oppression and unmercifulnesse toward others and hereof there are sundry sorts and herein we may offend sundry waies First when we goe beyond the bounds of justice For extremity of justice is injustice or a kind of cruelty so that we offend by exercising heinous tyranny in inflicting punishment even against offenders and malefactours If too much mercy be a kinde of cruelty much more over much rigour of justice There is mercy to be shewed in justice there is justice to be shewed in mercy In the law of Moses the Iudge is charged to iustifie the righteous and to condemne the wicked and if he be worthy to be beaten he shall receive according to his fault Deut. 25.3 fortiâ— stripes he may give him and not excâ—ed So then these are to be punished but not with cruelâ—y Secondly by fighting and quarelling beating or maiming our neighbour in his body reprooved by Moses Levit. 24. Levit. 24.19.20 if a man cause any blemish in his neighbour as he hath done so shall it be done to him c. as he hath caused a blemish in a man so shal it be done to him againe True it is many carnall men of this world know no other valour or vertue then hurting laming quarelling and desire of revenge which breath forth cruelty are often times the forerunners of bloody murther Such as have neither hand nor heart to fight against the enemies of their soules and against spirituall wickednesse in high places to fight the battels of the Lord against sinne Satan and the world but are ready as cowards and dastards to yeeld unto them the field yet are never well but when they are
therewith rest contented Secondly having store of this worlds good if wee doe not set our hearts upon them then we will be content to leave them whensoever God the supreme and soveraigne Owner calleth againe for them and not excessively mourne for them when they leave us And as we will not refuse and reject them when we have them seeing they are the gifts of God so when they betake them to their wings and flee away we will looke after them with a quiet minde as it was with Iob who because hee rejoyced not when his substance was great Iob 31.25 1 21. and when his hand had gotten much therefore he did not much grieve when his wealth was taken away but in his greatest losse praiseth the Lord. So also it was with Paul who because he used this world as not abusing it and esteemed the best things thereof no better then dung in comparison of Christ and his benefits 1 Cor. 7.31 Phil. 3.7 8. 4.11 12 13. it was no great paine to him to take forth a farther lesson in what state soever he was therewithall to be content he could be abased and abound every where in all things he was instructed both to be full and to be hungry to abound and to have want yea hee could say I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Thirdly if worldly riches be wanting we will not seeke them by evil meanes nor glory in them when we have them to make us high minded or to put our trust and confidence in them Lastly it will make us keepe a vigilant eye over them that through our abuse they doc not degenerate from their owne nature and become Satans baits to allure us nor his snares to intangle us nor his thornes to choke us that the seed of the Word cannot prosper neither the graces of God grow in us Hence it is that I goe about to perswade to lay hold on Gods speciall providence watching over his children to succour and relieve them out of hopelesse and remedilesse troubles when they appeare destitute of all succour and in a manner in a desperate estate without all meanes left unto them When the Sonnes of Iacob stood gazing one upon another that is Gen. 42.1 they fared as men amazed and at their wits end that they know not what to doe for themselves their wives and their children then the Lord by his good hand opened a way for their reliefe that there was plenty of Corne in Egypt when there was none in the Land of Canaan verifying his gracious promise Gen. 8.22 So when the poore widdow in time of a great famine was brought to that extremity 1. King 17.12 13. that shee had but an handfull of meale in a barrell and a little oyle in a cruse and was now going purposely to gather a few stickes to dresse it for her selfe and her sonne that they might eate and die when she was in this great perplexity necessity and extremity the Lord that never leaveth his by his good providence directed the Prophet Elijah who immediately before had himselfe beene fed by Ravens that brought him bread and flesh in the morning verse 6. and bread and flesh in the evening to tell her good newes that the barrell of meale should not waste verse 14. neither the cruse of oyle faile until the Day that the Lord sendeth raine upon the earth Thus it was with the widdow of one of the sonnes of the Prophets she was left so farre in debt that her children were to be sold to satisfie the griping and greedinesse of the mercilesse Creditor and she had nothing to discharge it 2 Kings 4.2 but a little pitcher of oyle yet she was provided for by wonderfull meanes all which examples as a cloud of witnesses doe verifie the saying of the Psalmist Psa 33.18 19. and 37.25 Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soule from death and to keepe them alive in famine and Psal 37. I have beene young and now am old yet have I not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread But if there were no other reasons or considerations then such as are handled in this Scripture to be as a preservative or counterpoison against diffidence and distrust touching earthly things which doe more disquiet disturbe not onely the naturall man but even the Regenerate themselves oftentimes then any thing in the world besides herein we may finde matter sufficient to take from us the carnall feare of future wants first because we are his Flocke and he is our Shepheard Will the good Shepheard starve his Sheepe and not make them lye downe in greene pastures This confidence in God doth the Prophet shew and concludeth from this ground the point in hand The Lord is my Shepheard Psal 23.1 therefore I shall not want how then can they assure themselves to be in the number of the Sheep of Christ that doe not rely upon the care of this great Shepheard As then the Prophet saith in another case Esay 40.11 Ezek. 34.2 Should not the Shepheards feed the Flocke So we may be assured that the Shepheard of Israel that leadeth Ioseph like a Flocke will never be wanting to his sheepe that call and cry unto him Secondly because the Title given to God assureth us hereof he is called a Father Psal 80.1 2. Will the father give over the care of his children and forsake or forget the fruite of his owne body nay doth not the Prophet say Esay 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee whom I have graven upon the palmes of my hands And Christ our Saviour speaketh to the same purpose What man is there of you Matth. 7.9.10.11 whom if his sonne aske bread will he give him a stone or if he aske a fish will he give him a Serpent If ye then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him Lastly because we have the promise of a Kingdome and of the glory of heaven which is unspeakeable incomprehensible and everlasting He that hath promised us a Kingdome will he with-hold from us food and raiment nay Rom. 8.32 as the Apostle teacheth us to reason He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things So should we cōclude that seeing he hath called us to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in heaven 1 Pet. 1.4 He will never leave us nor forsake us in this life but if we first seeke the Kingdome of God Matth 33. all other things shall be added unto us He
that promiseth and provideth the greater can he faile us and not performe the lesse He that maketh us Kings unto his Father and hath promised a Crowne August de verb. Domini Qui dabit regnum non dabit viaticum will he deny us a bit of bread and a cup of drinke These points are more particularly discussed and opened in the ensuing Treatise which I have presumed to dedicate to your Lady-ship and not without good and waighty reasons You heard the publike preaching of them with speciall attention though many yeeres since and therefore I must needs acknowledge you among my best hearers and friends and withall consecrate vnto you some part of my labours which I have bestowed in writing Besides considering your earnest desire to know that God whose goodnesse you have alwaies tried your zeale to glorifie him on whom you have alwaies called your care to walke in his waies whom you have alwaies served and the fruits of a lively faith that have plentifully flowed from you whereof there are so many eye-witnesses among us the hearts of many distressed Ministers and the loynes of many poore people being ready to blesse you and God for you I cannot but beseech your Lady-ship to accept of this small testimony of my unfained observance of your many praises in the Gospell and as a pledge of my thankefulnesse which I leave behind me to the world being now ready to goe out of it The God of eternall glory the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ make you abound yet more and more in all the riches of his saving graces in this life and fill you with the inward comforts of the blessed hope of the appearance of Jesus Christ Your Lady-ships in all Christian duties to command WILLIAM ATTERSOLL PHISICKE AGAINST FAMINE LVKE 12.32 Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give unto you the Kingdome THe occasion of these words is to bee taken from the 15. The occasion of the words verse of this Chapter wherein our Saviour exhorteth to take heed beware of covetousnesse for as much as no mans life standeth in the abundance of those things he possesseth True it is this lesson is short and set downe in few words howbeit it is not so soone learned and easily practised as it is spoken and delivered Wherefore he propoundeth a parable and telleth what hapned to a certaine rich man who in the plentifull encrease of his goods and fruits of his ground blessed himselfe the possessor but not the Lord the giver of all for he said to his soule Luke 12.19 20. Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry But what said the Oracle of God unto him Thou foole this night thy soule shall bee required of thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided This example hee applieth to all Verse 21 so is he a starke foole that layeth up treasure for himselfe but is not rich toward God Then he goeth forward to lay before us the care that God hath over his Children both toward their lives and their bodies Verse 24 who feedeth the Ravens that cry unto him and clotheth the Lillies of the Field that cannot cry unto him Verse 27 so that Salomon in all his royalty was not arayed like one of them But what is all this if we make not use thereof if we doe not apply it unto our selves doubtlesse it is no better then the covetous mans hidden treasure which he heapeth and hoardeth together but doth neither to himselfe nor to other any good Wee have therefore the direction of Christ himselfe who draweth and deducteth sundry conclusions from hence Verse 31 One use is taught in the verse 31. First of all seeke the Kingdome of God and then all these things shall be added unto you Another use is in these words of the text feare not for you have a Kingdome prepared and provided for you Thus we are come to the words that are to be handled The interpretation of the vvords being the use that the best Teacher and Master maketh of his doctrine he had delivered Now let us see the meaning and interpretation thereof Feare not This is to be restrained according to the circumstances aforegoing the generall being put for the speciall We are sometimes commanded to feare Psal 34.9 O feare the Lord yee his Saints and Rom. Psal 34.9 Rom. 11.20 Matth. 10.26 28. 1 Pet. 3.20 Psal 2.11 Luke 1.74 11 Be not high-minded but feare And againe sometimes not to feare Matth. 10.26 28. 1 Pet. 3.20 Sometimes wee are charged to serve the Lord in feare and to rejoyce in trembling Psal 2. Likewise sometimes to serve him without feare Luke 1.74 These phrases may seeme the one contrary to the other But they are easily reconciled if the words going before and following after be diligently marked In this place hee meaneth the feare of want of earthly things as if there were none in Heaven above to provide nor promise made in the Word to strengthen nor example of the godly to direct or as if every one were left to shift and scamble for himselfe So then hee meaneth a corrupt and carnall feare whereby a man feareth lest he lacke such things as are needfull for the maintenance of this life and thereby is so distracted in the service of God that he employeth all his time in the businesse and affaires of this present world Flocke That is my people whom I have undertaken to maintaine nourish keepe preserve and feed as a good Shepheard doth his Flocke for these are as it were the sheepe of his pasture Little Gods heritage is called little in three respects first in regard they are few in number because the multitude of the wicked world is the gnats and replenisheth all palces of the earth Secondly in regard of the small account and estimation wherein they are there is little reckoning made of them Matth. 10.42 1 Cor. 4.13 for in the judgement of the ungodly they are as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things unto this day Hence it is that Christ saith Matth. 18.14 Matth. 18.14 It is the will of your heavenly Father that none of these little ones should perish Thirdly they are little in their owne eyes and thinke more lowly of themselves then any other or then of any other 2 Sam. 6.22 1 Chron. 29.14 Fathers That is God the Father of his Church whom he tendreth as the apple of his eye and loveth as a Father doth his Children and therefore cannot see nor suffer them to want any thing that is good Kingdome That is the Kingdome of Heaven the Kingdome of glory for Christs Kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18.36 Touching the good pleasure of God see more afterward In these words observe two points The division of the vvords first the counsell or commandement of Christ which is delivered Secondly
and are called with an holy calling by the voice of their Shepheard and set apart by the power of the Word as the Nazarites were by their vow To this purpose it is said of the Church Loe the people shall dwell alone Numb 23 9. and shall not be reckoned among the Nations If then we joyne our selves with the world we disjoyne our selves from the Church Secondly true holinesse is begun in their nature Wee beleeve this in our hearts and wee must practise it in our lives Tit. 3.5 Tit. 3.5 2 Pet. 1.10 Matth. 5.16 Hereby we make our election and calling sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Matth. 5.16 No sanctification no salvation Thirdly the holinesse of Christ and his righteousnesse is imputed unto them Heb. 10.10 being washed and bathed in his blood Heb. 10.10 These rely wholy upon his merits for their righteousnesse and salvation not upon themselves Fourthly they cleave unto such as feare God and worke righteousnesse with unchangeable affections as the onely people in the world with whom they become one body Rom. Rom. 12.5 12.5 For as they are one in Christ so they are one among themselves and love one another in deed and in truth as fellow servants of the same family as fellow berthren of the same Father and as fellow Citizens of the same City with all meeknesse patience gentlenesse lowlinesse long-suffering love concord and unity As sheepe will not be alone so neither will they sort with Swine or Beares or Lyons or Wolves Let all our delight therefore be in the Saints Psal 16. 2 Cor. 6.16 2 Thes 3.14 Heb. 10.39 On the other side let us avoid the society of the wicked Come out from among them and touch no uncleane thing separate from them and have no familiarity with them Fiftly they strive with might and maine by sanctification and holinesse of life to exceed and outstrip the deeds and practices of Turkes Papists and prophane persons of the world 1 Pet. 2.9 Phil. 2.15 that these may see their good workes and glorifie their Father which is in Heaven For except our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharises Matth. 5.20 wee cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Our workes not our words onely must speake for us and witnesse with us that we are of this one Church And let us take heed lest by our sinfull lives we slander our profession blaspheme the Name of God our Father dishonour Christ our Head and disgrace the Church our Mother Ephes 1.4 Lastly wee must acknowledge our selves to be Pilgrims and strangers in this world Heb. 11.9 10. as the Patriarkes and holy men of God did For albeit we are in the world yet we are none of the world and albeit we live on the earth yet we must not be earthly-minded Phil. 3.20 but have our conversation in Heaven and from thence looke for our Saviour to change our vile bodies and to fashion them like to his glorious body We live here as in a strange Country but we looke for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God We must therefore use this world as though we used it not 1 Cor. 7.31 And thus being members of the Church militant in this life wee shall be parts of the Church triumphant in the life to come there to remaine with Christ Iesus our Head for ever Little flocke The third point of the division followeth which is the limitation it is little Though it be a flocke yet it is but a little flocke It is a company yet but a small company Touching the company or compasse of the Church we are to consider two things First the errors that stand on both sides and the strength of the reason that Christ maketh against all carnall feare of want and famine Touching the errors on both hands as well on the right hand as on the left some goe about to shrinke up the sinewes of this little flocke and so contract it into a lesser roome then Christ himselfe hath folded it into True it is hee hath shut it up into a narrow fold but many have gone about to pin it up and to tye it shorter then he hath done Thus the Iewes that were of the Circumcision offended who went about to gather it into a shorter summe then they ought to have done for they contended with Peter and tooke it grievously Acts 11.2 3. that he went in to men uncircumcised and did eate with them They falsely perswaded themselves that the promises concerning the Messiah pertained to themselves alone because they heard in the Scriptures that they were called the peculiar people to whom pertained the adoption Rom. 9.4 5. the covenants the giving of the Law and the service of God and so they dreamed that the Gentiles were quite excluded from salvation and severed from the Church of God Howbeit this is contrary to the ancient promise and prophesie that God will enlarge Iaphet Gen. 9.27 that hee shall dwell in the Tents of Shem and hereunto doe other Prophets accord Thus also did the Donatists shut up the Church into a corner of the world onely to wit in Africk August De Haeres cap. 69. as if it had beene utterly perished out of the whole earth besides Thus doe the Anabaptists and sundry of the Separation as if there were no true Church upon the earth but among themselves who in truth are the true Donatists of our time as whosoever knoweth the history of them will easily acknowledge For these Sectaries were Separatists who had their Conventicles apart under colour of great corruptions in other places persons and Churches and they imagined contagion and infection to arise by communicating with all others This is a generation that say as it is in the Prophet Esay 65.5 Stand by thy selfe Come not neere to me for I am holier then thou But here good and evill are mingled together as cleane uncleane in the Arke as wheate and chaffe in the floore and must so continue to the end of the World So likewise doe the Romanists abridge it who fasten the Church to the sleeve of the See of Rome and therefore define it to bee a company of men under one Pastor Bellar. lib. 3. De Eccles cap. 2. and subject to the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome so that let men beleeve never so orthodoxally and soundly otherwise yet they hold them out of the account of the Church and brand them to bee no better then damnable Heretikes who doe not acknowledge their lord god the Pope to be the Vicar of Christ the head of the Church and their chiefe nay universall Pastor Thus Catholike and Romane with them generall and particular shall be all one which Church when it was at the best Rom. 1.8 and their faith spred abroad thorowout the whole world was never taken to be the Catholike Church but a part thereof which now is no sound part or
in at the straight gate that we may finde our selves among the little flocke and joyne with those few that live well And the rather because many will seeke to enter in and shall not be able because it is too late Luke 13.23 like the foolish Virgins who when the Bride-groome had shut rhe doores desired to have them opened but the Lord answered Verily I say unto you I know you not Matth. 25 12. It must be our study to be in this little number We commonly and for the most part sit still as a secure and sencelesse people No easie matter to come to Heaven as though it were the easiest matter in the world to step to Heaven or as if all the world should be saved If multitudes were not of this minde they would not spend all their dayes in vanity in pleasures and pastimes in chambering and wantonnesse in playing in gaming and rioting in eating and drinking in surfeting and drunkennesse and idlenesse which was the life of the Sodomites Ezek. 16.49 as if they were borne to no other end or as if they should continue here for ever or as if this were their vocation and calling or as if there were no other Heaven or as if this were the way to the Kingdome which is the beaten path to Hell or as if divers passing this way were not now already in torments It is commonly thought of these that Heaven is as easily gotten and obtained as for a man to open his mouth and breathe and receive in the common aire their loose practice discovereth their opinion to be no other What then I beseech you is become of the Words and warning of Christ is his counsell and wisedome any way disprooved what is now become of the narrow way where is the straight gate that we have given us in charge to search after is the way now growne at last to be wide and broad when there are a few onely that tread in it Doubtlesse either it is so or else these men glory in themselves that they are wiser then He who is Wisdome it selfe and that they have found a neerer cut and shorter passage to Heaven then He ever knew or commended to men But if he be the wisedome of the Father 1 Cor. 10.30 Col. 2.3 and have all the treasures of wisedome dwelling in him certainely these men are stark fooles and wholly ignorant of the right Way that leadeth to salvation Facilis dâ—scensus Averni at superare gradum superasque evadere ad auras hic labor hoc opus est Aeneid lib. 6. It is an easie matter to goe to Hell we are all by nature in the way unto it and we have many helpes and guides that offer themselves to take us by the hand and to conduct us â—â—d to accompany us thither It is the hardest matter that can bee in the world to come to Heaven All excellent things are hard the more excellent the harder but nothing more excellent then a Kingdome It is a difficult matter and very uneasie to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or a steepe rocke it requireth puffing and blowing and labouring and striving and struggling and sweating contrariwise it is an easie matter to runne downe an hill without any staying and stopping without any hinderance or interruption or intermission So is it the easiest matter in the world to throw our selves downe and to plunge our selves headlong into the pit of Hell as it was to throw ones selfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple but to get up to the holy Hill of God and to attaine to the Kingdome of Heaven this is a labour this is a worke indeed this cannot be done without taking up of the Crosse without denying of our selves without mortifying of the old man Hebr. 12 1. without laying aside the sinne that doth so easily beset us without using violence to shake off the hinderances that stand in the way so that I may say with the Apostles If the righteous scarcely be saved 1 Pet. 4.18 where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare 1 Pet. 4.18 Little Flocke Another observation from this limiting and restraining title that the flocke is little is that it is so called because it is little regarded in the world Now observe in this place that the Scripture speaketh of things sometimes as they are in themselves and in their owne nature Tolet. in Luc. 9. pag. 788. and sometimes according to the account and estimation of men A lively example of them both we have 1 Cor. 1. concerning the preaching of the Word For when the Apostle speaketh of it as it is by the ordinance of God 1 Cor. 1.24 23 2â— 25 18 2â— he calleth it the power of God and the wisedome of God Verse 24. but when hee speaketh of it as it is in the corrupt account of the sinfull world he calleth it a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse Verse 23. and the foolishnesse of preaching Verse 21. the foolishnesse of God and the weakenesse of God Verse 25. What then is the publishing of the Gospell in it selfe either a stumbling blocke or foolishnesse or weaknesse No in no wise being mighty to throw downe all strong holds but thus the men of this world account and judge of it Rom. 1.16 To whom then is it the power of God To them that are called Verse 24. to them that beleeve Rom. 1.16 And to whom is it foolishnesse To them that perish 1 Cor. 1.18 So touching the flocke of God in the estimation of God it is great but in the estimation of the world it is as little Thus the faithfull are called by Christ our Saviour Matth. 10.42 18.6 The little ones that beleeve in him Matth. 10.42 18.6 But howsoever they be tendered of God and highly in his favour yet they finde hard entertainment at the hands of the prophane men of the world Doct. 5 This teacheth that the faithfull are hated contemned and little regarded of wicked men Howsoever Zach. 2.8 they that touch them touch the apple of his eye yet the ungodly account basely and vilely of them as if they were the scumme and filth of the world or unworthy to live or to breathe among men or to tread upon the earth Psal 22.6 Thus the Prophet David complaineth concerning himselfe Psal 22. I am as a worme and a wonder among many a reproach of men and despised of the people Thus also speaketh the Prophet Esay Chap. 8. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts which dwelleth in mount Sion So the Prophet Zachary complaineth speaking of the Priests and Levites that were earnest to lay open the sinnes of the people before God Zach. 3.8 Thou and thy fellowes are men wondred at or they are accounted as monsters among men Thus Christ speaketh Ioh. 16.2 They shall put you out of
ought so much the more to be magnified if we consider what we are by nature to wit the children of wrath the heires of damnation the sonnes of Satan the servants of sinne so that wee may say not onely with Abraham Gen. 18.27 Luke 15.21 I am but dust and ashes but with the Prodigall Sonne I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne For what are we from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot but a very lumpe of sinne and corruption It is by grace and adoption that we are made the Brethren of Christ and fellow-heires with him and not much inferiour to the very Angels in Heaven Psal 8. Secondly in that God professeth himselfe a Father of all the faithfull observe that with him there is no accepting of persons Acts 11.36 Iob 34.19 Gal. 2.6 The poore man hath as great right and interest in Gods Kingdome and in this Title to call him Father as the rich man whose corne and cattell is encreased whose wine and oyle is multiplyed The weake brother may comfort himselfe herein knowing that God is a Father to him as well as he was to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to David to Peter or to Paul As all the Faithfull have obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 so have all of them a like or equall right in this Father-hood the low as well as high the poore as well as rich the simple as well as wise the bond as well as free are allowed and warranted to speak to him as to a Father as we are also taught in the Lords prayer which is a perfect platforme for all to use that come before him For there is neither Jew nor Gentile Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 male nor female circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian but Christ is all and in all and they have interest in him alike who shed his blood as well for the one as for the other and paid the same price for them all And thus it shall be at the last Day when no outward thing shall commend us to God neither birth nor blood neither learning nor riches neither great revenues nor golden crownes nor large Kingdomes none of these shall helpe no not the outward calling of a Christian if there be no more in us Let us therefore comfort our selves in this that the love of God is as great toward us as to those that are greater in the world True it is all men have not neither can have free accesse into the presence of Kings and Princes to stand before them and to heare their voice but all men even of low degree have liberty to come into the presence of Almighty God to heare his Word which is his voice nay they are called and invited unto it All men have not liberty to sit downe at the Table of great Personages howbeit God admitteth all true beleevers and penitent persons though never so poore to sit at his Table and to partake of his Supper yea they are the guests that he inviteth and entertaineth and welcommeth he will suppe with them and they shall suppe with him Thirdly from hence we have assurance that God will accept of our service and obedience albeit it bee maimed and unperfect and many waies defective The father that commandeth his childe to serve him albeit he faile oftentimes in the manner of doing yet when he beholdeth his care and endeavour to please him he praiseth his doing and passeth by his misdoing as if he saw it not so it is with God he requireth at our hands to obey him and albeit we faile and offend many waies in our obedience yet when he seeth a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8.12 and an unfained desire in us to doe our duty he accepteth us according to that we have and not according to that we have not Psal 203.13 This the Prophet teacheth He pittieth them that feare him no lesse then a Father doth his Children Doth the Father accept of nothing but that which is on every side perfect and every way absolute Yes he commendeth the heart when the foot halteth so God accepteth of our sincerity even when it is mingled with much infirmity This the Prophet Malachi witnesseth Chap. 3.17 They shall be mine Mal. 3.17 saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him This serveth as a great encouragement to us to cause us to serve him and to put forth all our strength and utmost endeavour to doe his will Lastly he will not cast away any of the faithfull finally and for ever neither shall any fall away from his favour True it is they may many waies fall but they shall rise againe Mic. 7.8 he may chastise them with the rods of men but his mercy he will never take away from them neither purposeth hee to cast them away utterly out of his sight He may suffer them to be winnowed Esay 54.8 Luk. 22.31 32. as men winnow wheat but he hath prayed for them that their faith shall not fully nor finally faile as Christ our Saviour speaketh unto Peter Luk. 22.31 32 Your Father The second point in the promise is the application Christ Iesus contenteth not himselfe to say It is the Fathers pleasure but your Fathers as when we pray we are taught to say Our Father Neither doth the reason run in this manner It is my Fathers pleasure as he might have spoken as indeed sometimes hee speaketh and as the Scripture calleth him the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ioh. 20.17 but to set the better edge upon it and to make it pierce the deeper he saith It is your Fathers good pleasure Ephes 1.3 It is not enough to beleeve that God is the Father of Christ or the Father of the Church but we must further beleeve that he is our Father and every one for his part must say He is my Father It is a matter of knowledge onely to confesse him a Father but it is a matter of faith to confesse him to be our Father Doct. 8 This teacheth that it is a duty belonging to the faithfull to apply the promises of God to themselves particularly as Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me Ier. 3.19 My Father and shalt not turne away from me Christ also sendeth Mary to his Brethren to say unto them Ioh. 20.17 28. I ascend unto my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Ioh. 20. This was the confession and application of Thomas Luke 1.47 Gal. 2.20 My Lord and my God This was the faith of the blessed Virgin My spirit reioyceth in God my Saviour Even so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 The Sonne of God who liveth in me loved me and gave himselfe for me It must bee thus with every soule in particular not onely to say Christ is the beloved Sonne of the Father but as it was with the
receive any new blessings or to retaine the old having justly forfeited them into his hands Vnto you In these words we have a description of the object of the promise You that is the little Flocke mentioned in the words before In the former words we heard of the Donor or Giver of the promise to wit the Father now of the donee or persons to whome the Kingdome promised is given and for whom it is prepared for the Sheepe of Christ Wherein observe that our Saviour saith not The Father will give to all men the Kingdome without any limitation or exception without any difference or distinction This were an happy matter and joyfull newes to heare that all shall inherit the Kingdome that all shall bee made Kings and weare Crownes of gold but such are divellish Teachers and spreaders of false newes who will have this Kingdome equally prepared for all and equally propounded to all For Christ hath made an inclosure and separated it as with an high wall from the world as he did the Garden of Eden from the rest of the earth wherein the beasts abode that it lyeth not open for the uncleane and prophane This reward shall be given to the Sheepe of Christ and to them onely To you it shall be given Doct. 11 This reacheth that the Kingdome of heaven is not given to all persons whatsoever but onely to his owne as Dan. 12. Many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake Dan. 12.2 3. some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt All indeed shall arise but all shall not arise to everlasting life but some onely And Revel 21.27 There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth Revel 21.27 Matth. 19.28 29. Ioh. 10.28 17.22 24. neither whatsoever worketh abomination c. So Christ speaketh John 20.28 My Sheepe heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish and Chap. 17. Christ praying for all that shall beleeve in him saith The glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be one as we are one And afterward Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me And Matth. â—5 46 They which doe not cloath nor feed nor visit poore distressed Christians Matth. 25.46 shall goe into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternall See more 1 John 3.2 Colos 3.3 2 Tim. 2.19 John 3.16 1 Pet. 1.3 4. This will farther appeare by reason Reas 1 First it is given to none but for whom it is prepared But it is prepared onely for the Sheepe of Christ For when the Sheepe shall be set on the right hand of Christ he shall say to them Matth. 25.34 Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world So then such onely as are Elected shall be glorified but all are not Elected because a generall election is no election For he that taketh all doth not make any choyse of any and many are called but few are chosen Hence it is that the Apostle saith Rom. 8. Whome he predestinated Rom. 8.30 them he also called and whom he called them he also justified and whom he justified them he also glorified But all are not glorified because all are not justified all are not justified because all are not called and all are not called because all are not predestinated Secondly such as are Goats shall be set on the left hand and then shall Christ their Iudge say unto them Depart from me ye cursed Matth. 25.45 into everlasting fire prepared for the Devill and his angels Matth. 25. Seeing therefore everlasting destruction is prepared for all the Reprobate it cannot be that the Kingdome of heaven should be given unto all men Thirdly such onely are saved as have faith because that giveth us entrance into the Covenant and openeth the Kingdome of heaven unto us But all men have not the grace of faith 2. Thess 3. He would have the Thessalonians pray that he might be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men 2 Thes 3.2 because all men have not faith And if we cannot please God without it doubtlesse we cannot be saved without it Fourthly onely such are saved as have the mystery of the Kingdome revealed unto them For the Lord will teach the meeke his way and the secret of the Lord is with them that feare him but this mystery is not knowne to any that are without Marke 4.11 but all things are done to them in Parables Mar. 4.11 Conclude from hence the damnable heresie of such as hold That all men shall be saved Vse 1 yea even the Devils themselves These dreame of such a mercy of God overflowing all bankes and bounds as the Scripture alloweth not nor establisheth nay overthroweth utterly Besides this is such a fantasticall mercy as pulleth up his Iustice by the rootes If a man should imagine such a Magistrate and set him up to rule a Kingdome as is whole composed of mercy would he not be laughed to scorne and bring both himselfe and the Common-wealth to ruine We may not therefore so extend the mercy of God at large that wee shrinke up the sinewes and cut short the cordes of his Iustice Heaven is commonly presumed by these to be as a common Inne in which all shall stay and rest that list without difference or exception or as the earth which is a common mother in the wombe whereof all must take up their lodging This is a notable illusion of the Devill who being damned himselfe and deprived of the glory of God seeketh to deceive men and to draw them into that estate into which he himselfe is fallen If he can once bring his disciples and followers to this folly nay impiety nay the top of all impiety to perswade them that they may doe what they will and live as prophanely as they list because forsooth all shall be faved he hath gotten full possession of them they are become his owne hee hath them fast bound to him in chaines and fetters that they cannot breake away from him For who will regard godlinesse of life that is perswaded that all men must be saved as if the punishment of hell so often threatned in the holy Scriptures were old wives fables to make men merry or an idle scare-crow to make them afraid or else a poeticall fiction to delight the reader But while such men dreame of salvation in heaven let them take heed they have not their portion in hell The Apostle Paul laboured more abundantly then the rest yet after all his labours and sufferings and care of all the Churches he gained not all he submitted himselfe to the condition of all both Iewes and Gentiles yea 1 Cor. 9.22 he became all things to all men that he might by
all meanes save not all but some 1 Cor. 9. And what some this is in comparison of the rest the Actes of the Apostles sufficiently declare sometimes one sometimes two Obiect and sometimes none at all But did God create any man to be damned If not then they shall be saved To say he did maketh him unjust I answere Answ He created all for his owne glory yea Prov. 16.4 even the wicked for the day of evill as Salomon teacheth So it is said of Pharaoh Ro. 9. For this same purpose I have raised thee up Rom. 9.17 18 that I might shew my power in thee and that my Name might be declared thorowout all the earth therefore He hath mercy on whom He will have mercy and whom He will Hee hardneth Secondly God doth consider man as fallen and thereby having lost the happinesse wherein he was created This befell him for his owne grievous sinne Gen. 3. The more grievous by how much the goodnesse of God toward him was the greater and the power whereby he was inabled to stand the stronger Besides by the sinne of our first Parents we all were defiled no lesse then if Satan had tempted us in the Garden and we in our persons had harkened to his voyce had tasted of the forbidden fruit actually and had stretched out our hand to receive the same as Rom. 5.12 By one man sinne entred into the world Rom. 5.12 15 17. and death by sinne and so death went over all men for as much as all men have sinned Thus also afterward By the offence of one the fault came on all men to condemnation and by one mans disobedience many were made sinners as by the obedience of One many are made righteous Obiect But it will be further objected that the Apostle saith God hath concluded all in unbeleefe that he might have mercy upon all Rom. 11.32 If upon all then none no Rom. 11.32 not one shall be condemned I answere Answ The purpose of the Apostle is not to teach that it is Gods purpose to save every particular person but some of all sorts some Iewes some Gentiles even all the faithfull of every Nation Tongue and Language Rom. 10.12 13. Gal. 3.22 as appeareth by comparing of other Scriptures as Rom. 10 12 13. He is rich to all that call upon him and Gal. 3. where all is limited and restrained to all beleevers to all the Elect and to them onely Secondly woe to all impenitent persons the whole company of the Reprobate for they shall be shut out of the Kingdome as the foolish Virgins were out of the Bride-chamber As the Kingdome of heaven is the hight of happinesse so to be shut out of it is the greatest misery that can be It had beene better for such that they had never beene borne It is a sore punishment to be banished out of a mans Country Our Country soyle is pleasant and welcome to all men therefore to be exiled from it is worthily accounted a great Iudgement how much more to be cast forth of the City which hath foundations Heb. 11.10 whose builder and maker is God Heb. 11 It is a sore punishment to have judgement to bee burned notwithstanding that the fire quickely consumeth the body to dust and ashes how much more to be cast into the fire that never goeth out Who knoweth not what a fearefull judgement it was to be cast into the Denne of Lions Dan. 6.16 as Daniel was how much more to be cast into the darke Dungeon and Den of the Devils which are Lions alwaies roaring after their prey A sore judgement to be committed to perpetuall imprisonment and to lye there with bolts of iron as many as he can beare and to have none suffered to come to comfort him how much more to be cast into the prison of hell 1 Pet. 3.19 Revel 20.7 in which there is no release out of which there is no recovery nay all these punishments if they could be put together what are they but as painted fires painted dennes painted prisons painted paines in comparison of the everlasting punishment in hell and those unspeakable torments It is a grieuous punishment to be thrust out of the visible Church in this life Gen. 4.14 21.10 as Cain was out of the house of Adam as Hagar with her sonne Ishmael out of the house of Abraham but a thousand times more fearefull to be thrust out of the house of God in heaven from the glorious presence of God and his Angels Alas what benefit or comfort shall these have to know that God hath prepared a Kingdome and an Inheritance immortall and undefiled and that fadeth not Matth. 8.11 12. 1 Cor. 6.9 and to see Abraham Isaak and Iacob and all the Prophets and people of God in the Kingdome of heaven and themselves shut out of dores Math. 8.11 1 Cor. 6.9 This cannot but be a terrour nay a terrour of all terrours to consider that God hath appointed a certaine day Acts 17.31 Rom. 2.5 Iude 15. in which he will iudge the world in righteousnesse Act. 17. He will rebuke the ungodly of all their wicked deedes which they have ungodly committed This terrour will be acknowledged the greater for these causes First they shall heare the dreadfull thunder of Christs fearefull voice summoning them to Iudgement 1 Cor. 15.52 For the Archangell shall blow the Trumpet so shrill that the dead shall heare the sound thereof and hearing it 1 Thes 4.16 shall arise and come to Iudgement Secondly they shall be all compelled though sore against their wills to appeare before the Iudgement Seate of Christ being gathered and assembled from the foure winds of heaven If malefactors bee hardly drawne before Magistrates to receive worthy punishment for their offences how much more will the Reprobate strive and struggle to keep themselves if it might be from the presence of him that sitteth upon the Throne and rather say to the mountaines Fall upon us and to the hills Cover us Thirdly Luke 23.30 they shall stand as poore caitiffes at the left hand of Christ as a signe of miserable disgrace especially when they shall behold the Righteous on his right hand in token of their honour and advancement whom they in their life time have despised For as the right hand hath bin taken for a token of acceptation and receiving into favour 1 King 2.19 So on the other side the left hand hath beene accounted ominous and a token of rejection Psal 50.3 2 Thes 1.8 Exod. 19.18 19 16. 20.18 Fourthly a fire shall devoure before him and it shall bee tempestuous round about him Psal 50. So it was at the giving of the Law in mount Sinai which was altogether on a smoke because the Lord descended upon it in fire and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a Furnace and the whole mount quaked greatly there were thunders and lightnings and the voyce of the Trumpet
exceeding loud and sounding long so that all the people trembled But the fire and the feare shall bee much greater at the last day when the Lord Iesus shall appeare in great glory when the Elements shall melt with fervent heat 2 Pet. 3.10 the earth also and all the workes therein shall be burnt up 2 Pet. 3.10 Fiftly they shall have shame and perpetuall contempt powred upon them so that they shall be shamed for ever before many witnesses before men and Angels even before all the world Dan. 12.2 Forasmuch as there is nothing secret that shall not be evident and come to light This the Lord teacheth by the Prophet These things hast thou done Psal 50.21 and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy selfe but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Lastly they shall have the Sentence of death and damnation pronounced against them the misery whereof standeth in three points First in feeling paines intolerable unspeakable and unsupportable not to be uttered by the tongue of man We see how terrible and tedious many diseases are and what torments they bring to the body in this life but what are they to the torments of hell For as all the comforts and pleasutes of this life are nothing in comparison of the joyes of heaven 1 Cor. 2.9 the eye hath not seene them the care hath not heard them the heart cannot comprehend them So I may say of the punishments of damned soules Neither hath the eye of man seene them neither the eare of man heard them neither can the heart fully conceive of them as they are indeed Onely the Scripture expresseth them by things most bitter and violent that we might in some sort attaine to the knowledge of them and therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 2. Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish shall be upon the soule of every man that doth evill Secondly in a separation from God from Christ from the Angels from all the righteous from all comfort and from eternall glory A paine and punishment no lesse then the former to see the Saints whom they thorowout their whole life have mocked and misused and judged to be fooles and mad men now honoured and advanced to the Kingdome of God and themselves in greatest disgrace for ever The sight doubtlesse of the felicity of others shall aggravate and encrease their owne misery Thirdly in the fellowship that the Reprobate shall have with the Devill and his angels They that now will seeme to shake and tremble at the very naked naming of the Devill and cannot abide to heare of him they that are ready to defie and denie and detest him in words yea to blesse themselves when any mention is made of him alas alas now they must be constrained to abide this as a part of their cursed condition to have the continuall fellowship of the Devill and the rest of the damned crue and of none other but of them David complaineth of it as of a great misery and a woe much to be bewailed and lamented that he did soiourne in Mesech and dwell in the Tents of Kedar but woe woe woe againe and againe to those that must not sojourne for a season but dwell for ever and ever not in Mesech or Kedar but in the house of darkenesse with the Devill the Prince of darkenesse where they shall be cast into utter darkenesse Mitth 8.12 there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth Lastly acknowledge the wonderfull mercy of God toward his Children who hath loved them with a speciall and unspeakable love True it is the Reprobate have many blessings in this life because they live among the godly and for their sakes because God would leave them without excuse and stoppe their mouthes for ever because he would teach his owne servants not to place any happinesse in them but to looke for greater blessings in the other life howbeit they have not such among them all Gen. 25.5 6. as doe accompany salvation For as Abraham gave sundry blessings to the sonnes of the Concubines but he made Isaak the sonne of the free woman to be his heire so God bestoweth common gifts Matth. 5.45 and many temporall blessings upon the Reprobates hee maketh his Sunne to rise on the evill and on the good and sendeth raine upon the just and unjust howbeit he maketh them not his heires for as much as spirituall and eternall graces are communicated to none but to the Elect which shall be inheriters of Salvation and for them he hath prepared the Kingdome Why may wee not therefore cry out with the Prophet Psal 144.3 8.5 3 4.8 9. Lord what is man that thou takest knowledge of him or the sonne of man that thou makest account of him who is like to vanity and his daies are as a shadow that passeth away Psal 144. And else-where O taste and see for the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him O feare the Lord ye his Saints for there is no want to them that feare him If God must have praise for the least of his blessings how much more for this that is the greatest of all wherein the Lord hath enlarged his love towards us and without which our faith had beene in vaine yea Christ Iesus had dyed risen againe and ascended in vaine and all the worke of our Redemption were frustrate so that without consideration of the Kingdome of heaven of which we come now to consider in the last place blessings were no blessings and graces were no graces at all The Kingdome This is the last but not the least branch of the promise which containeth the highest staire and top of our felicity and happines The ungodly thinke faithfull men unworthy to breathe or whom the earth should beare but behold God even the Father vouchsafeth of his grace and good pleasure to account them worthy of heaven The ungodly deeme them not to be worthy to live in the world but the Lord esteemeth not the world worthy of them Heb. 11.38 and therefore he will translate them out of the world that they may enjoy his presence Now as before we heard of the object of the promise the Flocke of Christ so now we come to consider of the subject or principall matter of the promise the Kingdome of heaven And in this word we have the substance of the reason used by Christ our Saviour to keepe us from feare of falling away from him for feare of future wants and therefore we have deferred to consider of the strength thereof to this place The reason may be thus framed and put into forme that we may see the force of it If God will bestow upon us the Kingdome then feare not the lacke of earthly things But God will bestow upon us the Kingdome Therefore Feare not the lacke of earthly things Or more plainely after this manner Whosoever have a Kingdom promised unto them need
not feare the lacke of lesser blessings But the faithfull have a Kingdome promised unto them Therefore the faithfull need not feare the lacke of lesser blessings The power and strength of this reason is good and exceeding great Christ our Saviour doth never argue weakely who ministreth strength to all his that are weake In this reason the giving of heavenly things to us is made an argument to prove the not with-holding of earthly things from us Wee may not feare or faint in our faith and profession as though God would quite forsake us or give us over And wherefore Because he hath promised to us the Kingdome so that there is nothing so great that he will sticke at or doubt to bestow upon us Doct. 12 The force of this reason layeth before us this instruction that the consideration of the Kingdome of Heaven and of the eternall joyes prepared for the faithfull ought to be a strong and sufficient reason to stay us up in all trials and troubles whatsoever True it is the righteous have many troubles and we have likewise many promises fitted to every estate as it were medicines applied to the diseases but among them all there is none more forcible and effectuall then this promise in this place which is the accomplishment of all promises to wit the Kingdome of Heaven Doe we finde our faith at any time weake and faint fearing tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sword or to be separated from the love of God and his Sonne Iesus Christ Rom. 8.35 â— Cor. 11.27 or to be oppressed and overburdened with wearinesse and painfulnesse with hunger and thirst with fastings with cold with watchings with poverty with reproaches with feare of death and such like behold the promise here set before us let us lay fast hold upon it Let us with joy and comfort lift up our eyes or rather our hearts to Heaven and remember that wee have the reversion of a Kingdome promised unto us by him that did never falsify his Word in regard whereof we are more then Conquerers through him that loved us whereby we may easily see an issue out of the former tentations Hence it is that Abraham Moses and all the Prophets in the middest of all their afflictions wherewith they were afflicted did comfort themselves hereby they had respect to the great reward they knew to be laid up for them in the Heavens The Hebrewes tooke joyfully the spoiling of their goods while they were made a gazing-stocke by reproaches and calamities This is no easie thing to beare but hard for flesh and blood to doe For no doubt their goods and good names were as precious unto them as ours to our selves or to any other What then was the cause that made them able to beare all these injuries and indignities Surely this they knew in themselves that they were Heires apparent to a Kingdome and had in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Heb. 10.34 11.9 10 24 35. then they knew that what teares soever they shed he would not onely keepe them in his bottle of remembrance but then he would wipe them away from their eyes that they should shead them no more Revel 7.17 21.4 Here is their time of weeping but then shall be the time of their rejoycing here is their time of sowing but then shall be the time of their reaping as Lazarus while he was here was distressed but after this life he was comforted Luke 16.25 Ioh. 16.20 21 22. 1 Ioh. 3.2 Then there shall be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shall there be any more paine for the former things are passed away Revel 21.4 the sorrow of the Saints shall bee turned into joy and their joy shall no man take from them The reasons follow First Reas 1 the greatest blessings assure the lesser and take away all doubt from us that might any way stay or stagger us in our obedience No man having a promise of a greater benefit from an honest man that he knoweth hath ever beene wont to bee as good as his word can or will make any doubt of his performance of the lesser so ought wee to learne to strengthen our faith against the feare of earthly wants by consideration of the heavenly promises that are found in the Word of God none of which did ever fall to the ground Rom. 8.32 as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8. He that spared not his owne Sonne but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Secondly all the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed Rom. 8.18 Rom. 8. Let the meditation of this glory be once thorowly laid up as a treasure in our hearts and we have thereby a soveraigne preservative against all dangers whatsoever which beset us round about whereas such as are daunted and distressed with every blast or bruit of danger like men that are at their wits end it is plaine they were never well grounded in the Article of everlasting life Thirdly all calamities and troubles how many and great soever are short temporall and momentany they endure but a little season as Christ comforteth the Church Revel 2.10 Psal 30.5 Esay 54.7 8. Yee shall have tribulation ten dayes And the Prophet Psal 30. His anger endureth but a moment in his favour is life weeping may endure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning But the Kingdome of Heaven is not for a night nor for one yeere nor two yeeres nor five yeeres neither ten yeeres nor twenty yeeres nor as a flower that flourisheth for a season and suddenly fadeth away but it is unchangeable incorruptible and everlasting 2 Cor. 4.15 18. as the Apostle sheweth 2 Cor. 4. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh in us a farre more exceeding and eternall waight of glory while we looke not at the things which are seene but at the things which are not seene for the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Lastly this is as a staffe of sufficient force put into our hands to uphold us and stay us up because the Kingdome of Heaven is the end of all sorrowes and miseries whatsoever 1 Cor. 17.54 for then this mortall shall put on immortality and death the last enemy shall bee destroyed and swallowed up in victory The Traveller that hath a great way to goe and to passe thorow many troubles not without much labour and sweating oftentimes comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the end of all his journey Wee are Pilgrims and strangers in this world and we passe our dayes in travelling toward the Kingdome that is everlasting Wee should make this reckoning and account that our life from our birth day to our dying day is nothing else but as a pilgrimage thorow the wildernesse
the very Haven so have we a Kingdome promised of another nature not earthly but heavenly and we have an vnction from the Holy one also 1 Ioh. 2.20 that perswadeth us of the certainty of the promise to be performed neverthelesse Hos 2.6 Acts 14.22 the way to it is hedged with thornes and we must through manifold tribulations enter into the Kingdome of heaven and wait with patience the Lords leisure till we may enioy it in the meane season let us say with the Prophet Why art thou cast downe Psal 42.11 O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God The summe of that which wee have shewed is this Christians have not their perfect estate in this present life This is their property and the voyce whereby they are knowne they say My conversation is in heaven my hope is in the next life I looke for better things For albeit God often blesse them with honour with riches with friends and all that heart can desire yet doe they not place their happinesse in these they looke still for better things then these They cannot find any contentment in the world to rest in their greatest profits and pleasures have their satiety they alwaies ayme at higher things even when they are at the highest The worldly man thinketh he is well enough here hee accounteth a bird in hand better then a thousand in the bush he saith Give me things present let them that list take things to come let us eate and drinke while we may for to morow we shall die I give me to day let him that list take to morrow A most prophane speech of prophane men whereby they may be knowne what they are if there were nothing else Worldly men deride the faithfull and laugh them to scorne for contemning earthly things but on the other side the faithfull which hope for things not seene mourne for these worldly-minded men because they set light by heavenly things Give you the Kingdome Thus much of the strength of the reason the ruth of the words followeth as they are set downe without reference to the point that is argued Doct. 13 Now as they are taken in themselves they teach us this point that God will bestow upon all his Children after all their labours sighs and sorrowes the Kingdome of glory God promiseth not to every one an earthly Crowne and Kingdome nay this befalleth to a very few howbeit that which is better is assured them to wit an heavenly even to all that are his Children Iam. 5.7 Neverthelesse with the Husbandman we must labour before wee can bee partakers of the precious fruits of the earth 2 Tim. 2.3 6 11 12. as good Souldiers we must fight the Lords battels before we can get the victory we must here weare a Crowne of thornes before we can weare a Crowne of glory we must dye with Christ before we can live with him and we must suffer with him before we can raigne with him For as it was with the Head so it must be with the members Luke 24.26 the servant must not be above his Master he first suffered and so he entred into his glory It is an honour unto us to be made conformable unto his image He was made like unto his brethren that he might make them like unto himselfe This truth of doctrine that is here delivered is confirmed unto us by all the testimonies and consents of holy Scripture alleadged before Luke 23.43 Besides which observe the words of Christ to the penitent theefe Luke 23. Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This is the promise made to the Disciples and to all that cleave unto him Rom. 2. Matth. 10.42.32 So Rom. 2. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seeke for glory Ioh. 10.27 28. and honour and immortality eternall life And Christ teacheth the same John 10. My sheepe heare my voyce and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands This is an Article of our Christian faith set downe indeed in the last place because it is last of all to be accomplished that eternall life shall be given to us and to every true member of the Church and is therefore firmely to be holden and beleeved of us without any doubting or wavering Reas 1 For first of all Christ Iesus is ascended and gone up into heaven farre above all Principalities and Powers and hath taken possession of the Kingdome in their names as he saith to his Disciples Ioh. 14. â— In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I goe to prepare a place for you Joh. 14.2 Secondly it is a just thing with God to give deliverance to his Servants peace for their trouble joy for their sorrow and glory for their shame But wee see not this in this present life 2 Thes 1.6 7. for here they are troubled and the ungodly are exalted as 2. Thess 1. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels Thus Abraham answereth the rich glutton Sonne remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Thirdly if our happinesse were in this life we were of all other men the most miserable 1. Cor. 15.19 1 Cor. 15.19 32. For what were our happinesse but a very unhappinesse It were better we joyned with the world and said with the Epicures Let us eate and drinke for to morrow we shall dye And the life of the rich man were rather to be chosen who was clothed in purple and fared deliciously every day then of the begger that lay at his gate full of sores and desired to be fed with the crummes onely that fell from the rich mans table Howbeit the future estate of them both altereth the case for the rich man after all his pompe and glory was cast into torments Luke 16.19 20 22 23. and the poore man after all his want and misery was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosome Luke 16. True it is the Infidels Pagans Epicures and such like that live without Christ are wretched and miserable that have no hope of eternall life howbeit of all others Christians should bee most miserable for whereas the other enjoy the profits and pleasures of this present life and suffer not hatred banishment persecution and martyrdome for Religion but florish in the wealth honour power and estimation of the world these are hated of all men for Christs sake and live in continuall disgrace and affliction wayting patiently for the hope of reward to come
laid up for them Now if this hope should faile them and deceive them were they not doubly miserable being destitute of the happinesse of the present life and of that to come also Lastly God beginneth their salvation in this life He maketh them here Kings and Priests Revel 1.6 1 Pet. 2.5 and therefore he cannot but hereafter give them a Kingdome And he beginneth their salvation and entreth them after a sort into the Kingdome partly by giving them a lively taste and joyfull feeling of that heavenly glory wherewith they are ravished and partly while hee blesseth them with such spirituall blessings in heavenly things as accompany salvation Ephes 1.14 which are as a pawne or earnest-penny to assure them of his true mind and meaning toward them We may learne from hence to reason from the greater to the lesser Vse 1 from the better to the baser from the Heaven to the earth If he have given us a greater blessing we may be assured he can and will much more give us the lesser and lighter If hee can give us the Kingdome of Heaven he will not with-hold from us food or raiment neither any thing which is good for us It is a rule among the Civilians Lib. 2. ff De Iurisdictione To whom the principall is granted to him the accessory that dependeth upon it seemeth to be granted also If a Prince make any of his servants Governour of his Kingdomr hee granteth to him by vertue thereof all rights and priviledges and meanes which are needfull to that office and for the managing of the State So the Lord hath appointed his to be Heires of eternall life he giveth them therefore all things belonging to this present life and things necessary to bring them to his Kingdome If then wee have the more noble assured unto us how can wee without great infidelity and impiety doubt of the performance of the lesser and baser For what are all the blessings of this transitory life better then trifles being valued and prized with immortality Let us therefore evermore have before our eyes this promise It is your Fathers good pleasure to give unto you the Kingdome and certainely being mingled with faith it will give us assurance of his helpe in all time of need how great soever our assaults and afflictions shall be Let us call to remembrance what the Prophet speaketh to Amaziah King of Iudah when he had hired a great Army of Israel to helpe him against the Edomites and given them an hundred talents of silver when he was charged to dismisse them and was in danger to lose the money which they had received for their pay when the King said What shall we doe for the hundred talents the man of God answered 2 Chron. 25.6 7 9. The Lord is able to give thee much more then this Was this spoken for that King alone No it was written even for us also upon whom the ends of the world are come For as when he was in doubt and feared to lose his money the Prophet casteth him upon Gods providence and calleth upon him to wait upon God in an holy obedience to his Commandement to receive a greater blessing at his hands so if we shall rely upon him by faith in all our troubles without murmuring and grudging this heavenly consolation is written for us and to us as well as to the King The Lord is able to give us much more then this If wee suffer any losses or spoiling of our goods he can restore whatsoever hath beene taken away and make us recompence to the full as we see in the example of Iob. For as hee submitted himselfe to His good pleasure in all his crosses Iob 1.21 42 â—0 and said The Lord hath given the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord and sinned not against him with his lips so having tried his faith his patience and obedience the Lord gave him twice as much as he had before And this is his promise which he will performe Marke 10.29 30. Yea what can be more forcible to worke in us patience in troubles and contentment in poverty submitting our selves humbly to God in all losses and wants whatsoever then to consider that God hath laid up for us treasure in Heaven and will bestow upon us a Kingdome If then at any time wee be carried into strange thoughts and cares for the things of this life it is certaine wee were never well grounded in the doctrine of everlasting life For how can wee looke for heavenly things from him when we doubt of earthly How can we looke for the life to come when we feare to lacke for this life or how shall wee depend upon him for our soules when wee dare not trust him with our bodies Whatsoever therefore we may seeme to others or to our selves to doe it is certaine wee deceive both our selves and others also to thinke that we rely upon him wholy for the greater and better things when we rest not upon him for the slightest and smallest matters Secondly use the meanes carefully that may further us in our journey toward this Kingdome All men are willing to bee at their waies end but all men are not willing to know the way or if they know it it is death to them to walke in it But if any say as Thomas did to Christ How can we know the way I answer Ioh. 14.5 Wee are brought in to the Kingdome by the meanes of the Word as the Traveller is to the place of his lodging by his Guide Christ Iesus is the Way the Word of God is our Guide and it is the Rule by which we must walke The Carpenter is no body without his square his worke can never be right if it be not laid unto it so it is with the faithfull he can doe hee will doe nothing without his rule which is so excellent that it is called the rod of Gods mouth and the breath of his lips Esay 11.4 2 Thes 2.8 The Gospell of the Kingdome Esay 11.4 2 Thes 2.8 Matth. 9.35 Marke 1.14 Heb. 1.8 Psal 45.6 Matth. 9.35 and the Scepter of righteousnesse Heb. 1.8 Christ is the King of his Church to rule it and give Lawes unto it howbeit he is not our King except we suffer him to raigne in us outwardly by his Scepter and inwardly by his Spirit All men will seeme desirous to come to Heaven but they will chuse their owne way and their owne guide they will not submit themselves to the wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1.25 as if the foolishnesse of men were wiser then God or the weakenesse of men were stronger then God They would gladly attaine eternall life and with him in the Gospell they account him happy that shall eate bread in the Kingdome of Heaven Luke 14.15 but they regard not the Gospell of the Kingdome These dreame of a Kingdome without the Word but this is an imaginary Kingdome of their
Professors of it And who are they Verily not onely such as are wise in their owne eyes but also such as cannot themselves give the meaning of one Precept of the Law or of one Petition of the Lords Prayer such as cannot render any account of their faith neither an answer to any that asketh them a reason of the hope that is in them through want and contempt of knowledge yet have they knowledge enow to deride such as labour earnestly after knowledge Every base and deboshed fellow full of prophanenesse and impurity hath learned to upbraid such with purity that any way love Religion so that we may see with our eyes and heare with our eares such as are truly religious no lesse scoffed and scorned even at home among their owne brethren neighbours acquaintance and friends then if they lived among the very Savages It is well knowne to those that are but little conversant in History how the Christians are taunted and reviled that live among the Turkes and Sarazins for the Christian Religion and what an heavy burden they beare But is it much better thinke you with many poore Christian soules though they live among their owne people if they be any whit zealous in the Truth and will not runne riot with the multitude if they will not sweare commonly and be drunke for company if they will once fall to reprove sinne in others what is this reckoned but flat or ranke Puritanisme and such are no lesse hated and persecuted no lesse taunted and traduced then if they lived among the Infidels and Barbarians the Paganes and open professed enemies Nay I would this were all For Religion it selfe to set aside mens persons becommeth in very many places a very by-word and a matter of reproach True it is the Iewes sinned with an high hand against God they loved not the Oracles of God neither walked they worthy of his calling and chusing of them before other Nations and therefore worthily deserved to be forsaken of God who had first forsaken him howbeit they never proceeded to this top of sinne to make a mocke of their Religion it selfe they never scorned the Word of the ever-living God But we have learned to sticke at nothing wee are come thus farre to treade under our feete like Dogs and Swine the precious Iewell of the Gospell as if it were a curse rather then a blessing unto a Kingdom O how happy were it for these men that God would give them eyes to see these their sinnes and hearts to bewaile them betimes which now are hidden from them before the time of Iudgement come which doubtlesse cannot bee farre off from every one of them Thirdly let us all account that our happinesse standeth above not beneath in heaven not upon the earth in being partakers of the Kingdome and enjoying the blessed presence of God not in riches or abundance not in honour or worldly dignity Such as will have true comfort in this life must learne to looke beyond this life Heb. 11.27 that he may see him that is invisible as the Scripture speaketh of Moses Heb. 11. For albeit a man flow in wealth so much as heart can wish albeit he abound in honour and glory and estimation that the world esteeme him the onely happy man yet shall he finde in the middest of all sundry discontentments perplexities crosses and vexations and himselfe far from true happinesse so that he must not onely behold the things present and before his feete but must looke further then this life Hee that will not feare death the king of terrour Iob 18.14 as Job calleth it must looke beyond death and see the Land of Canaan before he come into it as Moses did from the mount Death is dreadfull and fearefull to the flesh when we see no more in it but the dissolution of the soule and body but if we have the eyes of faith to looke further and consider both from what evils it freeth us and to what good it bringeth us we have great comfort and consolation in it so that we may triumph over it So he that will have true and sound joy in this world must looke beyond it to the joyes of the World to come He that would have comfort in trouble must cast his eyes beyond trouble and looke up to this Kingdome which Christ Iesus promiseth in this place like the Mariner who being tossed in the Sea comforteth himselfe with the remembrance of the desired Haven where he would be Now this point to wit of esteeming our happinesse to consist in heaven hath many particular branches First we must long earnestly for it If the Saints account them blessed that dwell in the house of Prayer and of his worship how much more to dwell in the house of his glorious presence He that loveth the Kingdome of Heaven will long for it he that loveth it not longeth nor for it The Crowne of righteousnesse is laid vp for such as love the appearance of Christ For whiles we are at home in the body 2 Tim. 4.8 2 Cor. 5.2 we are absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. He that is from home longeth greatly to be at his house This body is but a poore cottage that must shortly be dissolved and laid downe our chiefe mansion and habitation is above in the heavens Secondly we must pray for this Kingdome of glory It is the meaning in part of the second Petition Thy Kingdome come For we pray therein not onely for the Kingdome of grace but for the Kingdome of glory also This is the prayer and request of all the Saints Come Lord Jesus Revel 22.20 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 1.13 Acts 2.35 The Kingdome is as yet come onely in part we see not all things put under his feete sinne and Satan are not yet subdued many oppositions are made against it have we not just cause therefore to crave both the enlarging of the territories and stretching the Curtaines thereof and likewise the finishing of these dayes of sinne Thirdly let us endure with joy all sorts of afflictions whereunto we are called and which it shall please God to lay upon us and to try us withall considering that they are no way comparable to the glory that shall be revealed to the sonnes of God We are all that will be the Disciples of Christ forewarned of troubles and afflictions that abide us and that we shall be hated for his Names sake howbeit the next life will make amends for all we shall have a super-abundant recompence for all our sufferings It is our Fathers pleasure to bestow upon us the Kingdome He that loseth his life for his sake shall finde it Fourthly let us rejoyce and comfort our selves daily in the expectation of our full and finall deliverance and Redemption at the last day Many defects and many sinnes doe yet hang about us many wants and workes of darknesse compasse us on every side all these together with the remnants of sorrowes shall quickly be