and is a thing quite aboue the capacity of our nature so farre it is from being due to vs. 2. A gift must be profitable to the receiuer for else it were a giftlesse gift to giue me that which is not good in it selfe or cannot any way be good to mee But what is so profitable as faith which obtaineth through Christ all things good for vs. Mat. 15.28 Great is thy Faith be it to thee as thou wilt Wherefore let vs keepe Vse 1 this carefully it is a jewell of Gods owne bestowing on vs. Should some great personage bestow some great gift on vs for their sake we would haue it in account keepe it carefully we would not leaue it about loosly nor let it go abroad lightly Let vs looke to our Faith accordingly We see secondly how we Vse 2 are bound to God in thankefulnesse Thankefulnes for grace causeth increase of it Euery one delighteth to sow in that ground which returneth the seede with aduantage We see lastly whither to Vse 3 seeke for increase euen to the first fountaine Heb. 12.2 The second thing to bee obserued is who is the principall worker of Faith viz. The Spirit of God Hence a 2 Cor. 4.13 we are said to receiue the Spirit of Faith that is the holy Ghost in and through this gift of faith which hee worketh and continueth in vs. b Gal. 3.2 We receiue the Spirit of promise through faith For it is not with the Spirit and his gifts as with the body of the sunne and his light the one whereof is absent from the other but where euer the gift is there the Spirit is as well to continue it in being as first to begin it c Eph. 1.19 20. The same power which raised Christ from the dead is said to raise vs vp to beleeue If a man should want a bodily eye or hand from his birth no lesse power could worke it then the almighty power of God Who then but his Spirit can giue vs this hand of faith which reacheth to heauen this eye doth see the things within the veyle that concerne our peace Wee must not thinke that Faith is such a knowledge whereof there are seedes in our nature out of which by meere outward teaching we may be brought to beleefe for then should faith be naturall as all other things are which our nature can attaine to with outward helps If not the word Obiect but Gods almighty power worketh it then either this spirituall almighty power is euerywhere to worke it and then all that heare shal be brought to beleeue or the word is but a dead letter without the Spirit which is preached to such who remaine in vnbeleefe or more briefly that word which hath not with it that power of the Spirit which almightily worketh beleefe that is a dead letter it is not a quickening word but the word of the Gospell preached to such as abide in vnbeleefe hath not with it this power of the Spirit therefore it is a dead letter and therefore it is no quickening Ministery which is sent to them Answ Answ The first part is false and so the conclusion inferred so farre as it concludeth the ministery of the Gospel to be to vnbeleeuers a dead letter For it presupposeth this error that a word cannot be spirituall liuely and of efficacie further then it hath conuerting vertue whereas to conuince the thoughts and to reproue sin are effects of the Spirit and argue a liuing piercing word In regard of the latter thing inferred that it is not a quickning conuerting word to the impenitent and vnbeleeuers it is true For it is said so from the effect it hath in the faithful toward whom this power is alwaies put foorth not that all are quickned by it but because all who are quickened come by force of it to receiue this quickening Wherefore let vs not Vse 1 thinke sleightly of so great a worke as is the bringing vs to beleeue When we read that such a man and such a man borne blinde had their eyes opened O wee thinke of the wonderfull power of God but when the eyes of our minde are opened wee raise not our hearts to any such obseruation Vse 2 Againe To get faith wrought and increased let vs cry to God for his Spirit had we Prophets as good as Gad and Nathan without this we should see no increase Lastly that the word is Gods instrument to beget Faith The a Rom. 1.16 Gospell is the power of God to saluation the powerfull instrument of God b Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeue without hearing the word can doe nothing without Gods Spirit but his Spirit will not ordinarily doe any thing without the word neither is it possible to beleeue without Gods word it being both the meane whereby we beleeue and the subiect matter of our beleefe A man may see without light or colour heare without eare or sound as possibly as beleeue without a word from God For when faith is a perswasion touching the good will of God to vs in Christ how can wee be perswaded touching his gracious pleasure till hee declare the same by his word No man can certainely know that another will doe this or that for him till he haue his word or promise to that effect no more could we euer know that God would forgiue our sinnes and shew vs mercy should he not by his word signifie the same Neitheir is it to be passed ouer that he saith The preaching of the word begetteth faith For though a seede hath a power to bring forth fruite yet it doth not put forth this power till it bee sowne and though a net hath abilitie to take fish yet it doth not this till it bee spread and cast foorth so it is in the Gospell which is the seede and net of God whereby hee begetteth and taketh soules Vse Wherefore such ignorant persons as know nothing of Gods word and yet haue a strong beleefe the truth is they are full of groundlesse presumption Would not all men laugh at one who should perswade himselfe that such a man would giue him twentie pounds a yeer when yet he cannot say that euer he heard any inckling of such a matter from his mouth by himselfe or by any other from him But are not these much worse who beleeue strongly that God will giue them the patrimonie of his heauenly Kingdome though they cannot tell any sillable of his word and promise which soundeth that way Againe we see that those men who care not for the word haue no faith True faith is begotten and continually nourished by the word cannot bee without it it is the aâ—re in which it breatheth What say some shall none be saued but these Sermon-men May vve not pray and read at home as good things vvho are vvorse than these vvho heare most They loue to heare themselues speake but vvho can see any thing they talke of These gruntling Svvine neuer had sparke of
the spirituall man to exercise this grace in keeping a cleare conscience in godlinesse as a Act. 24.16 Heb. 13.18 Paul did Looke as a chast wife from the time shee is married desireth to haue no fruite which company with her Husband doth not beget so a new man from the time he is in Christ married to him desireth to bring foorth no workes or words which Christ by his Spirit doth not worke and speake in him Obiect But we sinne Answ b Rom. 7.17 Not we but sin in vs we sinne not willingly Should an vncleane person allure the wife that lieth in my bosome and get an adulterous brood my selfe not consenting should I be guiltie or accounted as the Parent of them Thus when the Deuill inueigleth the concupiscence vvhich is in vs and bringeth forth sinne while our will as we are spirituall goeth against it the Lord will hold vs innocent and account these sinnes as no fruits begotten by vs. QVEST. IX 9. Q. IS this perfect A. No we beleeue not perfectly and therefore wee cannot loue perfectly but wee must striue to perfection Mar. 9.24 1 Cor. 13.9 Heb. 6.1.3 2 Pet. 3.18 Here are three things to be marked First he answereth the question negatiuely by denying of it Secondly he giueth a reason from the imperfection of faith and loue Thirdly hee by preuention least men should take occasion of sloath doth in the third place set downe our dutie that we must striue forward To the first none can say a Pro. 20.9 my heart is cleane b Iam. 3.2 In many things wee sinne all c 1 Ioh. 1.8 He that saith hee hath no sinne deceiueth himselfe Though we haue such grace as maketh vs endeauour to auoide all sinne and doe all righteousnesse yet is our grace euery way imperfect for the degree of it that looke as an infant though he haue euery member of a man yet hee hath no member which is not imperfect so it is with vs. And looke as the aire in the morning or first rising of the Sunne though it bee euery where light yet it hath euery where darkenesse and therefore receiueth till high noone further and further illumination as we see in daily experience so the Sunne of righteousnesse getting vp in our soules doth so dispell the darkenesse of them that still there is much left in them by his presence to be more and more subdued in vs. Vse 1 Be not then dismaide though thou findest much corruption which is not yet expelled but be thankefull that thou hast any grace which sometime thou wast voide of In persons recouering from some great sicknesse doth health come fully at once O it returneth on foote by ounces as wee say yet it doth them good that their paine is more tolerable that they can doe that they could not haue done though they feele much infirmitie still clogging of them thus should it be with vs. Let vs learne secondly to Vse 2 finde our imperfections few know them which doth make so litle pouerty of Spirit and labouring with God for supply of them till wee feele emptinesse there is no naturall hunger rising in vs till we feele our spirituall defect how should this spirituall hunger get vp without which the soule can hardly take increase Secondly obserue that our faith and loue are both imperfect and so all our conuersation imperfect the fruit cannot haue that which the tree hath not in it to giue If our inherent graces which are the tree be imperfect the fruite must needs bee so also d 1 Cor. 8.2 Wee know nothing as we should of those things which we know and many things wee are ignorant in which we should know We are like the blinde man e Mar. 8.24 whose eyes now opened began to see men like trees Looke as children know not at all many things they come to know afterward so we and looke as they doe not know fully those things which they know but superficially so is it with vs in heauenly matters Hence our confidence cannot bee perfect Those who know God best trust him best otherwise then it is with men f Psal 9.10 Those who know thee will trust in thee those who dimly know him his goodnesse and truth they can but weakely beleeue on him Neither doth it hinder this truth that sometime simple men who can answere you little of God are so strong in faith that they suffer Martyrdome when Schoole Doctors turne tippet for as these haue a more excellent confidence in God so they haue a more worthy knowledge then the greatest Doctors for they doe in cleare light see God to bee vnto them a mercifull faithfull and all-sufficient God in euery season which the other haue not though in speculatiue knowledge they farre out-strippe them Hence likewise loue must needes be imperfect for the appetite as it cannot mooue to that it knoweth not at all so it cannot moue further for degree then it doth know the degree of goodnesse in the thing it moueth to Now vvhen vve knovv not hovv absolute for degree these good things are vve cannot loue them in perfection Againe loue follovveth not only the thing knowne but the euidence of knowledge hence it is that if I know a thing by heare-say I cannot pitty it so as if I did see it so the good of another doth not so affect being reported as if our eyes beheld it for the knowledge of the eye is more euident then of the eare So because our knowledge is an ineuident knowledg by heare-say of beleefe hence it is that wee cannot so loue God as if we did see him as he is knowledge confidence loue being imperfect all our operation is imperfect if the member whereby I moue be lame needes must my pace bee halting likewise Let vs then labour to see our wants in these regards If our bodily eye did see but dimmely we would doe twentie things to helpe it The longer we follow God the better wee should know him the more we haue proued him the better we should trust him and loue him thus it is with men who would thinke it a wrong to them after we haue long knovvne them if our trust and loue to them should not take increase Obserue thirdly That we must all striue to perfection a Math. 5.48 1 Cor. 13.11 Be yee perfect As nature hath made most things imperfect so shee hath put a propertie by which they inlarge themselues and grow out to the perfection which doth agree to their kinde thus plants and liuing Creatures we see what they are in their seede when they are foorth of it we see what little beginnings they haue but yet they neuer cease mouing till they attaine their due perfection thus God hath made all his Babes small and weake in their beginning but yet his grace hath this propertie it will grow b Mat. 1â— 31.32 like a mustard seed this bodily life wee haue receiued wee would be loath but to
it * Par in parem non habet potestatem For equals haue no authority ouer equals much lesse Inferiours ouer Superiours We sinne not though wee stirre not at their command who haue no power ouer vs None is such a Superiour as hath power ouer our Consciences but God onely For Superiors hauing power to command any they can take knowledge when they offend and they can punish those who transgresse with condigne punishment but none beside God can take knowledge of Iam. 4.12 or punish the Conscience Nothing then can be sinne but the breach of Gods law Obiect But doe not the Lawes of men in authoritie binde the Conscience Ans Not by themselues and primarily but secondarily by participation with the Law of God which doth immediately and of it selfe binde the Conscience As water doth make hot and scald sometimes not of it selfe but as it participateth in the heate of fire which immediately from the nature of it maketh hot If they commaund any thing repugnant to Gods word we may diosobey it and not sinne prouided that our deniall of obedience come from conscience of Gods Will and not from want of due subiection in vs. To returne then thither whence wee haue a little digressed Sinne is the breach of Gods Law for looke as to misse our rule and measure is to offend and erre in that which by the rule and measure should haue beene directed so Gods Law being the rule by which our Nature and actions should be ordered wee cannot but erre when we leaue this and we cannot sinne and offend further then we transgresse it For nothing can bee amisse while it doth agree to that measure by which it is to be measured And this sufficeth to shew that sinne is the breach of Gods Law Wherefore in the first Vse 1 place let vs learne to see the fearefulnesse of sin which breaketh his Law who only hath power to saue and destroy If we haue broke the Kings law where it threatens losse of life lim or liberty it is fearefull if we haue broken something that great Persons such on whom wee depend gaue vs in charge how will it disquiet and feare vs but in euery sinne wee breake the Law of the eternall God Vse 2 Secondly let vs labour to know our sinnes by setting before vs this Law of God by which onely commeth the knowledge of sinne Were our faces dirty wee could not know or see them to bee so till some should shew so much vnto vs or our selues should take a glasse and looke our selues in it No more can we know our sinnes as they ought to be knowne till some made wise by the knowledge of the Law doe aduertise vs of them or till our selues get this glasse of the Law and looke into it But the most now loue not to haue the Law sincerely opened but resemble those foolish women who loue not to dresse themselues but by false glasses which make them looke quite otherwise then they are Thirdly seeing sinne is Vse 3 the breach of Gods Law let vs as we would auoide sinne get the knowledge of Gods Law How shall wee in the night auoide mirie sloweâ— and dangerous pits if wee haue not a torch or â—anthorne to discouer the same So in the night of our ignorance we cannot auoide faling into sinne further then this Law as a candle doth giue vs light Men will know penall Statutes and bonds vpon Forfeitures that they may the better keepe themselues from running into them let vs not thinke Ignorance will be a Plea sufficient for excuse If the King once haue proclaimed any thing and the Subiect after sufficient time of notifying his will be ignorant of it at his owne perill be it Further to come to the second point Obser 2 Obser 2. Euery breach of Gods Law is sinne yea and such a sinne as deserueth death and maketh the Offender miserable The least missing of the rule is an error as well as the greatest and both alike for kinde though not for degree So the least swaruing from or breach of Gods law which is our rule is an offence of God and a sinne no lesse for kinde then the greatest though for degree some are greater sinnes then other yea euery breach thereof is sinne deseruing death The wages of sinne is death Rom. 6.23 a Gal. 3.10 Cursed is be that continueth not in all to doe them For indeede the least sinne is contrarie to Charitie as the least droppe of water hath in it contrariety to fire That in the euent it doth not bring death it is from Mercy pardoning not from the nature of sinne not sufficiently demeriting eternall damnation Vse Let vs then take heede of the least breaches of Gods Law Little things neglected doe often doe great hurt little sparkes vnquenched turne to fiers exceeding great So the smallest sinnes deminish the feruour of loue they dispose the soule to great offences As men by little wedges make way for greater so doth the Deuill by lesse sinnes fit vs vnto greater fallings The deuill plaieth no small game but hee meaneth vs much hurt we haue the more need to looke to it For looke as sicke bodies loue to be gratified with some little thing that is beside the rule of diet and doth feede our sicknes So we sicke of sinne loue at least some kinde of liberty which may feed our spirituall sicknesse QVEST. IV. 4. Q. HOw many waies is Gods Law broken A. By doing things forbidden leauing things commaunded and failing in the manner First it is to be noted that the Answer is to be vnderstood of all actuall sinne For omission being a priuation of action the sin thereof must be reduced to the head of actuall sinne How here are set downe three waies of breaking the Law By committing somthing forbidden By omitting And by defectiue performing of something commaunded The Soule in moouing or resting may misse the rule by which it is to be directed First by hauing some obiect diuers from that which the Law of God warranteth Secondly by carrying it selfe otherwise then it ought to that Obiect which in Gods Law is commaunded In sinnes of Commission the soule erreth in the first kinde for it doth mooue it selfe to something which is forbidden vnto it therein and this is the highest kinde of euill For as in a Wife not to loue her Husband is a great leudnesse but not onely to neglect his loue but to turne to the imbracement of Strangers is much more hainous So for the Soule not to cleaue to God in doing righteousnesse is sinnefull but to leaue him and turne to loue and like any kinde of vnrighteousnes this is most sinfull Now the soule carrieth it selfe otherwise then it should to the good commanded when either it doth suspend ceasing to mooue after it as in sinnes of Omission or when it worketh for matter that which is required but in other manner then God hath prescribed either by not working the thing
that wee had in commaund to doe or by so doing it that wee faile in circumstance This last branch is or diuers considerations for the manner of performance sometimes is such as doth change the kinde and make that a sinne to him who so doth it which might haue beene a gratefull obedience Hos 1.4 Thus Iehu in killing Ahab and his Posterity propounding priuate regnancie committed the sin of murther which else had beene an acte of Obedience and Iustice Sometimes it is such as doth not change the kind of it turning it to sinne but hindereth the perfection of it and maketh it sinnefull thus doth the circumstantiall swaruings whereby our best actions are defiled The word in Hebrew which noteth * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sinne is deriued of a word that signifieth the missing of a marke Now a man may misse the marke three waies By shoting ouer it By being short of it By shoting about it but wide either on the right hand or on the left So may we by as many waies swerue from the Law which should be as a marke in our eye either by going beyond that which is commanded in it as in sinnes of Commission or by comming short as in sinne of Omission or by being wide when we are about the thing commanded but so that wee are wide in regard of the circumstance of that straightnesse or integritie that should bee in our actions Vse Let vs therefore take notice how many waies wee breake Gods Law The Law of Sinne sometime carying vs to that which is euill the defect that is in vs making vs to omit good duties and grace and sinne being so intermedled and the one so lusting against the other that wee cannot perfect things as we would Many account it a sin to lye and steale c. but not to repent or not to beleeue or not to giue all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure or not to get Knowledge they cannot see to be sinnes being but the omitting of things commanded To be improfitable in doing nothing this way is not deemed blame-worthy I hope say many I doe no hurt I pray God I neuer doe worse He were an euill Seruant who taking a stoole should sit still and let his worke lie vndone though he had no other fault So many if they should neuer go to Church and serue GOD or say Prayers c. they would thinke it a sinne but to haue their hearts farre from God to doe those things without reuerence they see not this to be sinnefull Nay if the thing they doe be lawfull let them vse it neuer so intemperately they thinke they sinne not nor should not bee rebuked Let them make a trade and vocation of Pastime why they hope God allowes recreation So many if they speake this or that which is true though without wisedome and loue they thinke they may doe it Neuer remembring that good stuffe may bee marred in the making Good things may be so performed that they shall become Sinnes and sinnefull actions QVEST. V. 5. Q. WHat are the punishmentes of Sinne A. All miseries of this life death in the end hell euer after Looke as it is with men if they turne themselues from this aspectable light they are foorthwith inuironed with darkenesse So man turning away by his sinne from God the Father of lights from whence euery good gift commeth he cannot but be forthwith in outward and inward darknesse in all kinde of misery Three kindes or degrees are here set downe The 1. in this life The 2. in death The 3. after death To branch the first would make a Treatise Our soules are dead in ignorance and lust so that they haue in them a seede apt to bring forth euery sinne Our bodies haue mortality as a worme corrupting them Our conditions are exposed to a thousand vanities and wearisome courses and these are but the beginnings of euill In death soule and body being diuorced the soule is kept in chaines of darknes feare and despaire expecting iudgement to come In the day of iudgement our bodies reunited with their soules shall ioyntly be sentenced and feele executed vpon them the full wrath of God which is a consuming fire should wee not by sound faith and repentance preuent those eternall woes Looke as Malefactors are first followed with Hue and cry then taken and committed and kept till the appointed time of Assise and lastly are sentenced and executed So God first in and during this life followes and pursues Sinners with these lighter euils as it were with Hue and Cries ringing in their eares at length by death he apprehends them and keepes them in that darke custodie of damned Spirits the Deuill being as a Iaylor vnto God and in the end when Christ shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead hee shall then take the impenitent and cast them soule and body into inquenchable torment Obiect What are all miseries of this life punishments of Sinne Answ They are being absolutely considered no better but this respect is changed to those that are in Christ They are no more punishments of reuenging Iustice requiring satisfaction but chastisements of fatherly iustice which seeketh this way the exaltation of his children If a Iudge whip a Stripling vnder the age of thirteen and saue him from the gallowes to satisfie the Law for his offence past it is one thing If a Father whip his sonne if hee take him pilfering to keepe him from falling into the like and from comming into danger of the Law this is another thing Two things may be one in nature and differ in respects Two stones may be both alike for the substance of them yet the one may haue a respect to distinguish one mans land from anothers as bound stones doe which the other hath not Thus sicknesse pouerty and disgrace common to the wicked and godly consider them in their being they are alike but the one haue a respect of a iust condemnation inflicted by Gods reuenging iustice for the satisfying of it which the others haue not For Christ hath put himselfe betwixt Gods Iustice and all them that are in him Rom. 8.1 Gal. 3.13 So that there is no condemnation or curse but he hath borne it in their behalfe Obiect Obiect If all miseries in this life belong as punishments to sinne how is it that many Sinners liue so happily exempt from miseries Answ Answ All is not gold that glisters nor is euery estate state happy that seemes happy To be held in dangerous snares is no point of happinesse Psal 69.22 but the Table and by proportion the wealth strength and honour of the wicked are snares Euen as poysons some kill with griping torments some cast into a sleepe and make men laugh till they fall downe dead So the curse of God killeth some with dolorous torment going before in this life some it so affecteth that they go in sweete sleepes laughing till they fall into destruction Whether is