you will say I doe many things in secret out of Conscience and I hope it is not so much corrupted I will adde this then to that I said before you must know it is not a good Conscience which only suppresseth and restraineth from evill The matter is in what termes it stands with God If it looke on God as a chast loving wife lookes on her husband or a son on the father that out of reverent loving respects feares to offend him because they prize their favour more than any mans favour in the world and after this manner restraines it is a good Conscience but if it restraine us as a servant is restrained under an hard master or as a theefe under the Iudge trembling at his word at his Iudgement this is not a good Conscience Your Conscience may restraine you from many things nay you may doe many things in secret between you and God alone and yet for all this have no good but an evill Conscience So you see the corruption of man in the Vnderstanding Will Memory and Conscience I will adde another and that is the sensuall Appetite And this you shall finde exceedingly out of order above all these faculties I have named it is ready to run over and beyond all measure By this I understand that appetite in a man by which he taketh pleasure in sensible things such as are conveyed by the eyes the eares or the taste set any object before it it is ready to run out quickly by inordinate affections as to women to meat and drinke to any kinde of sport or recreation or sensible thing How corrupt is this sensuall Appetite How prone to evill How ready to run out to breake over the Pale to goe aside the rule If any delightfull object be propounded how ready is it to embrace it But you will say and indeed it is Bellarmines quarrelling The rebellion of the sensuall Appetite is but naturall the same that is in beasts because before originall sin was committed he was in the same constitution there was such rebellion between the sensual appetite and reason as there is now and therefore being naturall it is not sinfull But this is his Errour though every man be hereby ready to excuse himselfe thinking the rebellion of the sensuall Appetite not to be so great a matter But to take his owne words he saith the same as it is in Beasts It is true if it were with us as it is with beasts it were no sin and so not a thing which gives us cause to be so much humbled for in beasts the sensual Appetite hath no superiour governour but is supreme To expresse it to you Take an horse in a pasture that is loose and free if he run up and downe and play we finde no fault with him for he is loose but if he doth this under the bridle when the rider is on his back will you not now reckon him a stiffe-necked horse and count it a fault in him for there is a rider on his backe So for this sensuall Appetite in beasts where there is liberty and no superiour command to keepe them in order the beasts are not to be blamed But take a man where God hath set reason above the sensuall Appetite and grace above reason to guide it in him this sensuall Appetite rebels against reason which it should obey and this shewes it to be a great sinne in men considering that reason should be the rule to guide and keepe in the sensuall Appetite for God hath givâ—n it for that purpose Indeed some desires are naturall Christ desired life which was lawful and a right object of desire but take this withall it was perfectly subjugated and brought under and made obedient to the will of God as his will was holy and sanctified So we may desire meat and drinke but many times the Law of God may forbid it as in many cases it doth for it may differ from the will of God as it is holy and yet in it selfe it may be right Here is no more but subordination required But when this runnes out amisse affecting of things inordinately though you doe suppresse it yet that affection is sinfull and you must be humbled for it God sees it in you and it is hatefull and abominable to him These things I should make use of But I am lesse carefull of that because all these points are immediately usefull Why It is to make you know your selves and to be acquainted with the corruption of your nature And doe not you thinke it to be enough that this be as an hand in the margent pointing to the corruption of your hearts or that you may content your selves with the contemplative knowledge of these things so to cause a new light to shine in your understanding Our end is to make you examine the corruption of your natures your disobedience your rebellions to see how you have behaved your selves to be acquainted with your owne particular sins your owne particular failings and to labour to bee humbled for them Otherwise you may have a knowledge of these Truths but not a saving knowledge and such as wil be profitable But this you shal see when I come to make use of them And now for the Sacrament these things be of speciall use because as you heard before out of Levit. 23. On the day of reconciliation when an atonement was to be made he that afflicted not his soule was to be cut off from his people When we come to the Sacrament there is a reconciliation an atonement to be made in a speciall manner What must you do then Afflict your soules consider your sins see what debts you have run into see what corrupt natures you have and likewise know what you have in Christ and rejoyce therein for those must goe together an humbling of the soule for sin and rejoycing in CHRIST for your Deliverance from it The end of the Second Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The third SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse THe last faculty is The Affections and here you shall find exceeding great cause to say that they are full of unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse for they come like a mightie Tempest like a turbulent wind that carries us away even then when we are well set The disorder of them exceeds the disorder of all the rest for they are quickly moved nothing sooner and when they are moved they are exceeding apt to exceed to transcend their limits for such is the fullennesse the awkednesse and waywardnesse of our affections either they are not active not placed where they should be or if they be placed as they ought to be they are ready to run over to over-love and over-grieve and over-joy I say where we may love lawfully and rejoyce lawfully they are readie to exceed If I should come
tels us this must be done and this must not be done so there is a Treasure first of speculative then of practicall Truth But besides them there is in the third place another thing issuing from both these which shoots it selfe into the wil and affections And that is it which the Schoole-men call Synteresis that is a certaine Inclination to that which is good and a reluctance to the contraâ—y There is in naturall men not onely a light to know that this is good or not good and a Conscience to dictate this you must doe or not doe but there is even an Inclination in the will and affections whereby men are provoked to doe good and to oppose the Evill And therefore the proposition is true that naturall men have some truths because they have this Inclination remaining even in the worst of them As the aire though it be darke in the night yet there is a little light though it be very little by which we can discerne something So that thus farre men may go to know the Truths of God to have a practicall knowledge of them to have an inclination to that which is good and a dislike to that which is evill Secondly whence comes this knowledge It comes from IESUS CHRIST the second Person in the Trinity Ioh. 1. Iohn was not the Light but he was the true Light which enlightâ—neth every man that comes into the world It is he that infuses light into the heart of every man as he is the true good that makes good and as it is true fire that begets fire so it is true light that enlightens Iohn was not that Light neither is any Minister of the Gospell for they enlighten onely by way of propounding the object but Christ opens the understanding and puts light within therefore he is the true Light Now thirdly for the Extent of this to know how farre it reaches It enlightens every man that comes into the world none is excepted every man hath a part in this Light And if that be questioned hath every man such light such Truths revealed to him by which he knowes what he ought to doe in a great measure and what he ought not to doe the Apostle proves it by foure Arguments in this Epistle to goe no further for proofe First they must needs know much for they have meanes to know it The invisible things of God are made knowne by the things they see The heavens are the worke of his hands and they declare it and every man understands their language If we should preach in Greeke or Latine every man haply could not understand us but their language every man understands Secondly Every man hath thoughts excusing or accusing him saith the Apostle Rom. 2.14 which shewes that he hath this Light for that proceeds from Conscience and light shewing what is evill and what is good there is a secret remorse of Conscience in the worst Thirdly They doe the things contained in the Law therefore they shew the effect of the Law written in their hearts they doe many morall things which shewes that they have the Morall Law And last of all they judge other men they are able to finde fault with the best to spie out what is amisse in the most holy man and be ready to blame him for it Rom. 2.1 Thou which judgest another doest not thou condemne thy selfe All this makes the point evident that every man is enlightned And so you see what this Truth is where it is placed whence it comes and how farre it extends And now we come to the second particular to shew how it is with-holden It is with-holden saith the Apostle out of unrighteousnesse that is after this manner When men know that such things are true and that they ought to doe them yet out of their love to and delight in their unrighteous lusts they practice not according to knowledge they have some light in them but their darknesse will not suffer that light to shoot forth it selfe into their actions into their whole Conversation As it is excellently expressed in Iohn 5. a place worth your considering The light shone in darknesse but the darknesse comprehended it not or the darknesse received it not The meaning is this When Christ shines in the hearts and Consciences of men there the light stayes it goes no further it is shut up within the wals of their Consciences within the compasse of that one faculty it doth not shed it selfe into all the rest of the soule therfore it doth not enlighten the soule though there be some light yet it doth not turne the darknesse to light and thence it is that it is imprisoned for it is shut up and cannot put it selfe forth Thus the light in a naturall man is shut up As for example Take the light of a Starre in a darke night and compare it with the light of the Sunne the Starre will shew it selfe and no more it cannot turne the darknesse to light but the light of the Sunne though never so little look in what measure it appeares it scatters the darknesse from East to West So there is light in the mindes of men which is but as a Starre in a darke night which doth not take away the darknesse but if it be a sanctifying light it is like the light of the Sunne not shut within a narrow compasse but spreading it selfe into all the parts of the soule Or as if a candle be brought into a roome it lightens all the house but if it be a sparke of fire it shewes it selfe and glowes and does no more it doth not enlighten the house It is so in carnall men before Regeneration all the light they have doth but glow in their brest shewing it selfe there and making it evident that they have such knowledge but it is not a Candle that enlightens all the roome that enlightens all the corners of the soule Therefore in Matth. 6. Christ speakes of a single eye when the eye is right it makes the whole body full of light that is when the knowledge is right indeed when the knowledge a man hath is sanctifying and powerfull then it enlightens a man round about that he may see which way to goe but if it be a common light which he termes a double eye it will not sufficiently direct Like those holy men that the Apostle speakes of Philip. 2.15 that shine as lights in the world that is men see them they looke on them but they doe not change their darknesse into light or like that light spoken of by Peter 2 Pet. 1.19 that shineth in a darke place If you will know what is the reason that there should be a light in the Conscience and the minde of a man which neverthelesse worketh not on the will and affections but is shut up there I answer There is a double reason The first is that spoken of in 2 Thess. 2.10 They received the Truth but not the love of
of this you shall not finde in all the Scriptures any thing that angers him so much with them that were invited and would not come hee was angry and commanded them to be slaine So Psalm 2. ult Kisse the Sonne lest he be angrie The contemning of this condemnes a man most of all to wrath Last of all consider that when you neglect IESUS CHRIST and sinne against the Gospell and are not ready to receive it you take his Name in vaine in the highest degree and he will not hold him guiltlesse that taketh his Name in vaine at all Now Gods Name being in his Sonne most revealed take heed of taking it in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 I beseech you take not the Grace of God in vaine It is a greater matter than you thinke it to be that when God shall offer Christ shall profound to marry his Sonne to you you should refuse him consider the sinne and be humbled And by this is seene the corruption of our nature and this should humble us more than any sinne committed against the Law And thus much shall serve to make plaine the point in all the parts of it that the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Now to make use of it And first if this be the Condition of all men by nature then hee that sees not this he that is not perswaded of it he is deceived he is an unskilfull an ignorant man he hath not yet his wit exercised to discerne betweene good and evill And let him so reckon of himselfe If this be the Condition of every man by nature and yet God hath not opened the window for him to see it and to stand amazed at it he is I say an unskilfull man he is not yet enlightned the true light hath not yet shined into him For when God enlightens a man truely it workes such an alteration as was in them in Act. 2. that were pricked at their hearts and were amazed at that which before being as other men they saw not So that you may observe a double disposition in men one is a complaining a selfe-accusing disposition when a man is apt to complaine of himselfe and can never find too much fault with himselfe delights in the exactnesse of other mens conversations loves that doctrine which is selfe-separating wonders at his owne corruption so that no man can say so much against him but he can say much more against himselfe This is a good signe and such a Condition was in Iesiah when his heart melted and in Paul Rom. 7. where you may see how he complaines of the abundance of his Corruption But there is another excusing disposition when a man sees nothing amisse in himselfe that will not have any such doubts made betweene man and man and that for his owne part he will not be shut out of the number but answereth for his owne righteousnesse that he is rich and increased in goods when indeed he is naked and poore and miserable I say this is an ill signe that thou hast not yet received the Holy Ghost that thou art not yet partaker of the righteousnesse of CHRIST for the Holy Ghost will first convince thee of sinne and if thou art not so convinced it is a signe thou hast not yet received that righteousnesse and know this that in all the Saints in all to whom God hath revealed himselfe you shall finde this disposition to complaine of themselves How abundant was it in David He was ever complaining that his sinnes were more than the haires of his head As in Psal. 19. who can understand his faults And my sinnes are too heavie for me and they are gone over my head hee is still complaining of himselfe And what is the reason It was because a veine of cleare light shone into his heart Others have but a common Illumination and there is great difference betweene a bright beame that shewes the smallest mote and common light Another may have light to see great deformities but not to see motes thou mayest have a common light and mayest carry it to hell for it is no better than darknesse Therefore know that if thou hast not in some measure beene perswaded of all these Truthes the righteousnesse of Christ is not yet revealed to thee for this is Gods method first hee reveales his wrath against unrighteousnesse of men and then discovers the righteousnesse of Christ by faith And if this be not done if thou art not throughly humbled so that God hath opened a crevise of light to see this corruption of Nature so as to abhorre it in thy selfe and to be vile in thine owne eyes to be much humbled for it not to hang downe thine head for a day but to take it to heart in another manner I conclude thou art not a man enlightned thou art an unskilfull an ignorant man and you know what condition that puts a man into Secondly if mens natures bee thus full of Corruption even the Saints themselves then godly men may make this use of it to learne to prise Iesus Christ Doe you make this use of the Table wee have drawne for you to looke into and to see the multitude of your sinnes and the Corruptions of your natures to learne to prise IESUS CHRIST For you must take this for a rule no man will ever know the length and breadth and depth of GODS mercy in IESUS CHRIST and his love therein unlesse hee first know the length and breadth and depth of his sinne and this use you must make of all these explications To see the greatnesse of sinne is of much use to the Saints that they may know how much they are beholden to GOD you will never see how GODS Grace hath abounded towards you if you doe not see how your sinnes hath abounded towards GOD Labour to see it that you may love much because much is forgiven you that you may prise CHRIST much and bee brought much more into love with him That use the Saints should make of it and it will be profitable And they that receive the Sacrament should specially consider of it When they came to the Passeover one of the chiefe things they were directed to doe in that Ceremony was to remember their bondage Againe looke on the Concomitants of the Passeover their sowre hearbes their going in haste their staffe in their hand Againe the Passeover it selfe their sprinkling of bloud on the doore-postes all was to put them in minde of their misery and their deliverance which was the onely way to magnifie his mercie So in this spirituall freedome remember your bondage the Sinnes you have committed your Condition by nature that you may learne to magnifie your freedome by Christ and give God the praise of it to magnifie and love him with all your heart and strength The more you doe this the more it will enlarge your hearts to know the love of CHRIST which passeth knowledge Of many wayes to know which this
and no way to scape it then goe to Christ for these two things we must doe First Wee must have our mouthes stopped that so all men may bee culpable before him Secondly Wee must bee shut up in prison hee shuts up all under sinne that the promise might bee to them that beleeve when a man is shut up under the wrath of GOD so that there is no evasion this will bring him in Indeed if the minde of a man can finde any way to get out hee will never come in to CHRIST But when hee shall not tell how to scape the wrath of GOD if hee sinne against man man shall judge him but who shall when hee sinnes against GOD If hee consider the Terrour of GODS wrath if hee shut up and his mouth stopped and hee left inexcusable and shall see himselfe a miserable man I say this will make him goe home to CHRIST And that is the use you should make of it and bee sure hee will receive you if you goe to him Sinne is like the firy Serpent and the Wrath of GOD like the Sting when you are wounded therewith then know there is no way to bee healed but to looke up unto IESUS CHRIST the Brazen Serpent and if a man bee not wounded hee will not looke up GODS promises are generall he hath bound himselfe in his Word Goe and preach the Gospell to every Creature none excepted and let him that is a thirst come and take the waters of life freely Let these drive thee to the LORD CHRIST and thou shalt certainly be accepted And so much shall serve for that point The end of the Fourth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fifth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND now wee have almost gone thorow these words the last part of them remains that is which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Wherein after the Apostle had declared the corruption of mans Nature in generall he now pitches on one particular especially that is such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse against whom the wrath of God is revealed In these words marke these three things First that there is a truth which God hath written in the hearts of naturall men Secondly that this truth is with-holden by them The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies keeping it in Prison it is kept downe not suffered to rise up and shew it selfe in practice and action Thirdly the cause of it is out of love to unrighteousnesse or delight therein that is of unrighteous lusts But we will put all these into this one Proposition It is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That is the point Paul speakes not of the condition of some few but of the condition of men in generall And these be the men against whom the wrath of God is chiefely revealed these be the men that of all other thinke themselves the free civill men that carry themselves soberly deale justly with men that doe well in many things that indeed know much but practise not according to knowledge these I say be the men against whom the wrath c. It may bee you will object here That is strange that the more truth is revealed to men the more knowledge they have the more morall vertues they practise the worser it shall be with them For answer to this you must know that the having of this Truth the bestowing of any of these common graces puts no man into a better condition It is Gods worke and put upon his reckoning only Indeed the using or abusing of them is his owne worke and put upon his owne reckoning And therefore in regard hee may abuse them they may doe him hurt And those that have much of these Truthes but use them not or that if they doe use some of them yet doe it for their owne Ends and not simply for Gods glory are as abominable to God as those that run into the greatest outrages Men that are more civill are like Wolves tyed up others are like Wolves at liberty It is true other men do more mischiefe that is they commit more sinfull actions and consequently run into more guilt and their Condemnation shall be greater but those that are tyed up that by civility have their lusts restrained are no lesse abominable in Gods sight than others a wolfe tied up is as hatefull to a sheepe as one that is at large and so it is with these men for it is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Now in this point wee will handle three things First what this truth is Secondly how it is with-holden Thirdly the greatnesse of the sinne of with-holding the Truth c. For the first what this Truth is you must know there is a three-fold kinde of Truth First a naturall Truth written in the hearts of men to whom the Scripture was never revealed Secondly a common Truth or common knowledge such as they have that live in the Church but are not sanctified Thirdly a spirituall knowledge which sanctifies the heart of them in whom it is the two first whereof natural knowledge and common knowledge naturall men may have Now the thing we have to doe is to shew you what this knowledge here meant is because the difference is not very apparant Now as to understand what an accident is you consider the subject the author and efficient and the extent thereof so consider you these three things and then you shall know what this Truth is First where this Truth is now there is a Truth placed in the speculative part of the mind or understanding which is that by which we know and judge aright concerning God and morall vertues what is good and what is bad what is just and what is unjust whereby many men can discourse learnedly and clearely as Seneca and Tully and others of the Heathen in whom we finde many glimmerings and sparkles of true light As wee may finde Flowers in the waste though the proper place be the Garden The Church is the Garden of God as in Canticles My Sister my Spouse is as a Garden inclosed and it is true these Flowers properly grow there and if you will have them you must seeke them in the Scriptures in the Church of God but we may likewise finde them abroad Secondly this Truth is placed in the practicall part of the understanding and that is when we judge of good things to be done and of ill things not to be done and that as having reference to God that judges or rewards And this is it Divines call Conscience and it differs from the other in this that that judgeth simply whether it be good or bad but this gives lawes and rules and edicts of life it
let it goe at liberty if it may pacifie and purifie thy heart if thou be much in contemplating thy priviledges in Christ thou shalt finde the sweet of it And so I may say of love and patience and every grace Knowledge of things is like Wâ—ne or Cordials standing on the table thou canst view them and looke on them then and have them presented to thee but if thou feed on them by practise how doe they warme thy spirits and quicken thee and put life into thee if they be digested and distributed into all the parts into all the faculties for that is digesture till they turne to flesh and bloud and spirits as it were then thou shalt finde their sweetnesse even more than any man can expresse who himselfe hath not felt it But now all the question is how shall a man be able to doe this It may be many will be ready to say I could be content to doe it but I am not able I have many good purposes and desires and am willing to practice what I know but I am weake in performance I will onely point to the heads by these meanes thou shalt doe it First thou must seeke to God beseech him to set this Truth at liberty be convinced of thine owne disability in thy selfe that if thou goe about it by thine owne strength thou shalt lose thy labour In his owne strength no man shall be strong it is Gods power must doe it Psal. 119.22 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart David had this Truth but it was not in his power to set it at liberty therefore he goes to God acknowledgâ—s his owne insufficiencie desires God to enlarge his heart and when he hath set it at liberty the harshnesse will be taken off and thou wilt run freely the way of Gods Commandements The like is in 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty but how Through God to bring downe the strong holds in our hearts these be strong holds in men certaine reasons in the understanding certaine lusts in the will and affections and these cannot be beaten downe by all the wit in the world and all understanding that thou canst learne out of any Morall Writer or the Scriptures themselves but there is a power through God to doe it to bring downe these strong holds to bring all into subjection therefore goe to God beg it earnestly and let him give thee no deniall Secondly as thou must goe to him so thou must do something thy selfe thou must practise thy selfe and the more thou dost so the more thou shalt be set at liberty the more thou settest thy selfe to worke the more ground thou shalt get the more Truth will be enlarged as it is in marble the more you rub it the more it will shine so the more this Truth is used the brighter it will be in our actions the more thou puttest it in practice the more power shalt thou have in thy life as Christ sayes If ye beleeve my sayings yee shall understand my words Therefore if you will have this power be doing have a good Conscience for that is the seale of this Truth How did Paul doe to give this Truth liberty to rule in his life Why saith he I exercise my selfe to keepe a good Conscience that is If I knew any thing that was to be done I set my selfe about it and as the Musitian by often practising his lesson or as one that writes by practising his hand doth increase his skill So in these Truths the more thou dost the more thou mayest doe letting them lye still extinguishes them and for that God often gives men up to a reprobate sense On the other side if thou dost use them doubt not but God will delight to enlarge them As in other Talents labouring to improve them is the way to encrease them Againe adde this to it The Communion of Saints you shall finde a great meanes to enlarge this Truth and to set it at liberty by walking with the wise you will be more wise and what is said of Wisdome may be said of Truth for they are the same Saul when he was among the Prophets had a sparke of the Spirit of Prophecie which though it was but a common action in a wicked man yet this sparke of a naturall and common gift of the Spirit Saul had when he came among the Prophets It is the Apostles direction Provoke one another to love and good workes As one souldier encourageth another and a fast goer stirres up one that is slow so good Company whets Graces On the other side ill Company imprisons the Truth If thou wilt keepe company with them that are not good thou must correspond with them and this will cause thee to choake this Truth for many times thou canst not doe duties without shame because thou canst not hold in with them and with dutie too It is not for nothing that David uses that phrase Psal. 119.115 Away from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God As if he had said When I goe about to keepe the Commandements of God if I have Company about mee that is not good they will be a barre unto me and as fetters to my soule so that it is true both wayes the company of Saints enlarges Truth the other straitens it Saint Paul and others were good men yet when they were mistaken in that you shall see what a fetter it was When Saint Paul was to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell of CHRIST they at Cesarea wept and wailed desiring to stay him But sayes he What doe you breaking mine heart You may see by that speech they were a great Impediment to him And as CHRIST said to Saint Peter Get thee behind me Satan And as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah 2 Sam. 16.10 What have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah when they advised him to take off Shemei his head So if you would have the Truth to have liberty take heed of ill company As Iames saith of refraining the Tongue I am 1.26 He that refraineth not his tongue his Religion is in vaine So we may say of Company Hee that lookes not to his Company his Religion is in vaine hee shall finde it so for this Truth will never be at libertie except it be among them among whom it will have its libertie The end of the Sixth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Seventh SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse WE have purposed still to goe on in this point of Humiliation and then God willing we will proceed
ought to pray fervently and frequently I ought to sanctifie the Lords Sabbath but out of an unlistinesse to it out of love to ease and pleasure that carries him another way he neglects it and so the dutie lyes undone This is the Commission of a knowne sinne So againe I know I ought not to remember an injury I ought to forgive mine Enemy yet thou invitest him to doe thee a new injury when this is knowne and not practised in this case men commit a knowne sinne so againe dost thou not know that thou oughtest not to use any dalliance any touch of uncleannesse any chambering or wantonnesse if a man know this and yet will commit it because his lusts intend his minde to such a sinne and it is a thing to which he is strongly inclined this is a knowne sinne so in many other things in cases of election or in doing of businesses this man ought to be chosen and businesses ought to be carried thus but yet out of some by-respects a man will have it carried otherwise this is committing of a knowne sinne so in case of Envie this mans preferment may be profitable but because his eminencie may be hurtfull to me I cannot affect him this is a knowne sinne so in Case of the Sacrament doe you not know you ought to receive often and not to neglect it in the Congregation where you are Are you not bound to that You thinke it a sinne not to heare the Word and is it not so not to receive the Sacrament If he shall be cut off that came not to the Passeover shall not he be cut off that comes not to the Sacrament So you know you must renew your repentance are not these Truthes knowne and yet will you commit these sins Goe thorow any knowne sin and in this Case you doe with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse But what is it to commit a knowne sin because it may be I am not convinced sufficiently of that By this thou mayest know it if thou finde thy Conscience to give a secret intimation that it is naught it is a signe it is a knowne sin though thou hast got many Arguments for it and canst dispute for it for thy Conscience shall witnesse against thee as in case of Vsury and inordinate gaine and matters of the Sabbath many of which things be in question see what thy Conscience saith and take heed of disobeying the secret intimations of thy Conscience whatsoever thou hast to say for thy sin before men Men think a sin not to be a knowne sin because they are not willing to search it out Now if thou finde this to be thy Case that thou art not willing to search it out to see all that can be said for it or against it thou shalt finde it a knowne sin And this is a notable difference betweene the faithfull and others A godly man whose heart is set to serve God with a perfect heart in all things there is nothing that comes under the name of a sin nothing that hath the shadow of a sin but he is willing to search it out to examine it to the full he is willing to let all say what they can against it and when all is done he desires God to try him Another is not willing to search because he is willing to lye in some sin or because he will not have his Conscience troubled with it This is a signe of a false heart though they doe not know that this is a sin yet it having the shadow of a sin and they being unwilling to examine it to the full it shewes it is no lesse Secondly the second Case wherein a man with-holds this knowledge and detaines this Truth which God hath made manifest is when he is not willing to enlarge it a man that hath already some knowledge as every man hath some and is not willing to adde to this knowledge to encrease it that man properly with-holds the Truth in unrighteousnesse For he that with-holds fewell puts out the fire as wel as he that casts water on it and he that takes away food from a living Creature kils it as well as he that takes away its life with violence so if thou dost not feed this with fewell with that which may make it grow and encrease if thou dost not labour to inlarge it thou dost extinguish it And of these men there be two sorts First such as doe not care for any knowledge at all or if they doe come to heare yet they recall it not meditate not upon it and so as good never a whit as never the better some things they must doe for fashion sake but if they doe heare they doe it in a negligent manner they be ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth These be the first sort of men But there is a second sort and that is those which have knowne much have heard much have gone very farre in the knowledge of this Truth yet will not goe to the uttermost I may resemble them by Felix he went not farre but I use it as a resemblance when Paul preached and began to know some measure of this Truth when some of these sparks began to be revived and stirred up in him he bade him goe away and said he would call for him another time but he was not so good as his word so when a man is loth to be brought to that strictnesse and exactnesse that is required as our duty when he is not willing to be strait laced that lives at liberty and thinkes he will doe it before he dies but puts it off this man imprisons the Truth when the Truth is brought to their doores to such an high degreee that it is almost loose yet they let it lye there still when they shall come to Agrippa's Case to be almost a Christian this is to with-hold it the uttermost end and finishing of the worke is all and that is the reason men are so shie of it So when we care not for admonition to live exactly and perfectly in all things when there shall be little reservation when we wil have a little liberty in this or that I say the not admitting of this the not going through with the work is an imprisoning of the Truth When men shall come to be unwilling to be called on it is as if a man shut the doore and draw the curtens about him it showes that he delights to sleepe that he meanes to sleepe and to continue so when a man puts off the Truth and will not be brought to the uttermost this is the second way of imprisoning the Truth when he is not willing to adde fewell to give that which may strengthen and encrease it Thirdly I will name but the third and that is when a man is past this degree and is come to be willing to know all Truths doth not desire to have any concealed from him doth not say to
men to carry themselves towards an Almightie God maker of heaven and earth But secondly the second pretence is but God requires more of mee than that if that were enough to know God that there is an invisible God to acknowledge the Deity and eternall Power it were well but God requires more To this I answer God requires no more of any man than either he doth know or might have knowne goe thorow the whole Vniverse all men of the world that are or have beene and I say God requires of no man more than either he doth know or might have knowne I put that in because there be many men that might know more than they doe spoken of 2 Pet. 3.5 Some there are that are willingly ignorant He meaneth men that are willingly ignorant of some things but it is all one as if they knew them And this makes men of this Nation inexcusable as your ignorant Countrey-people who though they know nothing yet because they might have knowne they are as inexcusable as if they had knowne as much as any for though every Parish have not a preaching Minister which is a thing much to be wished yet there is no Countrey but some light is set up in it whither they may resort if they will and this will make them inexcusable So they that live under much meanes that are ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the Truth and so have brought a sottishnesse on themselves they are inexcusable because themselves are the cause of their not profiting as a man that is drunke though he is not able to understand the commands of his Master yet because he was the first Author of the drunkennesse which caused such sottishnesse he is inexcusable so they that neglect the Word or when the Word enters not into the heart because men delight not in it as you shall finde these put together Prov. 2.10 When wisdome enters into thy soule and knowledge delights thee when the cause that men profit not is because they delight in other things the streame runnes another way and so as the Sunne puts out fire and the outward heat extinguisheth the inward heat so they doe drive out the Word by divers lusts when they might have abstained from those other delights and have attended to the Word with more diligence they are inexcusable So that God requires no more of any man than either he doth know or might have knowne The third pretence is and that is greater than the other two I but wee have no ability to performe the things wee doe know That every man is ready to say Who is able to practice according to his knowledge To this I answer It is false there is ability in every man to do according to that he knows for so farre as light goes so farre there is ability in the will and affections to follow that light there is a common light in men that are in state of unregeneration indeed sanctifying light they have not and they are able to goe as farre as their light goes and I will appeale to any mans experience let him looke backe to the course of his life and examine himselfe was there ever any particular action in all thy life from which thou wast so hindered that thou canst say thou couldest not doe it was there ever any particular sinne of which thou couldst say this sinne I could not abstaine from And howsoever we may make it a matter of dispute in the Schools yet the worst man one in whom we may thinke corruption of nature to be most strong when he comes to die he doth not excuse himselfe but acknowledge he is guilty If you consider the nature of liberty there a spontaneity in beasts by which they are carried to that which their appetite desires but that is not Liberum though Spontaneum But when a reasonable creature lookes on a thing as Elegibile or non Elegibile and not only so but is able to reason on both sides is able to see arguments for both that makes it differ from Spontaneity when there is no outer impediment when you may take or refuse it when you have Arguments to reason and see the commodity and discommodity of it your will is now free so that I may truly affirme every man hath a free-will to doe that for the not doing of which he is condemned marke it But you will object I but a man is condemned for not beleeving for not turning to God for not having his heart changed for not being a new Creature but these no man hath power to doe therefore a man is condemned for something which he is not able to doe To this I answer It is true a man hath not power to performe these but yet withall I say he hath power to doe those things upon the neglect of which God denyes him ability to beleeve and repent So that it is true though a man cannot beleeve and repent and neverthelesse for this is condemned yet withall take this with you there be many precedent Acts which a man hath in his liberty to doe or not to doe by which he tyes God and deserves this Iustly that God should leave him to himselfe and deny him ability of beleeving and repenting which as a necessary duty lyes on him So that though a man hath no ability to doe this yet he hath ability to abstaine from the things by the which he provoks God to anger and by which he deserves this at his hands not to be able to beleeve c. For proofe goe to this Chapter They knew God but they glorified him not as God therefore they having not done the precedent Acts which they should have done saith the Text God gave them up to their lusts He tooke away all ability to repent he deprived them of all the sparkles of common grace and knowledge which before they had but this is a thing which they themselves deserved first So much for the Third when we come to the use we will be more large Fourthly men excuse themselves from this their natures are corrupt and they have strong inclinations strong lusts inclining them to this or that sinne which they cannot resist therefore are excusable To this I answer It is not so none hath so strong an inclination to any sin but he is able to resist it This is the Argument Let a man have hell and death set before him nay let some temporall shame or punishment be set before him which hee shall immediately undergoe when such a sin is committed and see if this will not restraine him when the lust is most impetuous Therfore it is not because he cannot restraine it but because he will not Secondly hast not thou brought on thy selfe that strong Inclination that strange power of sinne Art not thou the cause of it For though there be originall sin in us yet we may intend that originall
men see it not that keepes them in their old condition if we could hit on it And it is either Inconsideration men consider not what they have to doe they look not about them according to that in Deut. 29. You have seene all what the Lord did to Pharaoh but the Lord hath not given you hearts to consider it to this day Now if you aske what Consideration is I answer Consideration is nothing else but an Act superadded to Knowledge when a man not only knowes but returnes and reflects on what he knowes when he stayes and abides on it when he lookes round about a businesse not on a corner of it but fully and weighes every circumstance Therefore we are said to ponder our wayes when wee doe not onely looke to that which is present but to the time past and to come when all things are taken in Now when a man shall lay all together when he shall consider that is thinke seriously and remember that he hath but a little time to live here and that there is another place where he shall live for all eternity that he hath an immortall soule and that his state is dangerous that his sins are great and the wrath of God is as a consuming fire when these are laid together when he considers them and stayes on them by these means he comes to see with his eyes and understand with his heart and to be converted and healed but because men doe consider thence it is that they grow on their roote still and are not brought to this inexcusablenesse nor have all Arguments taken away Or another reason is some Lust there is world credit riches pleasures or something which they are loath to part with the rich man will not part with his possessions they in the twelfth of Iohn will not part with their credit with the Pharisees Ieroboam will not part with his Kingdome till these Arguments shall be answered and God shall cut off those snares for so they are termed 2 Tim. 2.25 Waiting if God will give them repentance to know the truth and to come out of the snare of the Devill who taketh them at his will The meaning is every man before he be regenerate is holden by some snare the snare is some lust the root of it is some false reasoning now when men come to know the truth and to be delivered out of the snare of the Devill when God convinceth a man and opens that truth undoes that false reasoning on which that lust is founded he cuts the snare asunder and then they are set at liberty Every man saith I cannot live without credit without my state without my kingdome as every man hath a kingdom of his owne when God teacheth that this is vanity and if we will be happy the best way is to serve God with a perfect heart when God teacheth the contrary Truth then he is out of the snare of the Devill when he hath awaked his conscience that he is sicke of sin that he feeles his rebellions then the thing he magnified before is nothing now As when a man is sicke the houses and orchards he magnified before are now not regarded his dainty fare and gorgeous apparell he hath no pleasure in them for he is sicke So it is with the Soule when God chargeth sin on the Conscience Againe when God shewes better things than these as Heb. 10.34 They had in heaven a better and an enduring substance and therefore cared for nothing They cared not for parting with their goods when they had another righteousnesse to trust to So when God opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to Paul He reckons all as dung and drosse he doth not magnifie what he did before And thus are men freed from the snare of the Devill Therefore when a man shall deferre and thinke I am ready to come but I will not yet I say these must be taken away for they are false reasonings by which we are built on our root Now when a man shall be perswaded of the danger of putting the evill day farre from him when the Holy Ghost shall give him wisdome to number his dayes then he will take to himselfe new thoughts Every man naturally feares death but because it is farre off no man regards it and so because we put the evill day farre from us we turne not to God now when God shall convince a man of the Truth and teach him to number his dayes Wel thou art now in healtâ— and strength but when thou commest to numâ—ber the dayes that remain they are very small Put case a man had an hundred dishes of meat before him if one come and sayes Take heed what you doe for one of these dishes is poison he will not taste of any of them except he have taken an Antidote before So when the Holy Ghost teacheth it is true In one of these dayes is death thou shalt finde poison that shall take away thy life whether first or last it is uncertaine if thou were wise to consider thy latter end that is if thou hadst the wisdome which God must teach thou wouldst see little reason why to venture thy soule on one of these daies if thou hast not made thy Election sure for this is as to eat of one of those dishes when there is poison in it Therefore consider beloved what uncertainty of life there is what it is to venture the soule and what eternity is When God shall each this and stirre up present affections of feare and apprehension of wrath it will teach a man not to deferre but to come home speedily Againe when this place of Scripture and the like shall be seriously considered That if the Good-man of the house knew at what time the Theefe would come he would have an eye to him That Christ hath threatned all before hand that doe not watch And I will come at a time thou thinkest not of me If thou didst consider this when thou art most secure and furthest off from God in the midst of thy jollity and fast asleepe I will come at a time when thou lookest not for me And didst thou thinke this threatning in vaine Didst thou beleeve this Scripture and lay it to heart thou wouldest not deferre thy Turning to God Againe consider put case thou hast liberty if sicknesse come and give thee warning alas how farre art thou from being able to repent Are the times in thine hand Must not the Holy Ghost change thine heart If thou dost now take resolution to amend hast not thou cause to suspect that it proceeds from selfe-love For if it had beene not of love to God wouldest thou not have turned sooner And if it be out of selfe-love God accepts it not All this while wee have spent in shewing the Disease and now wee must shew the Remedy FINIS A SERMON PREACHED AT A GENERALL FAST BEFORE THE COMmons-House of Parliament the second of Iuly 1625. In the time of
heart but fainedly As if he should say If it be not done with the whole heart it is fained it is a signe there is no life there if a man abound in duties never so much let him be excellent in prayer excellent in almes-deeds in doing justice let him come to Church let him doe what he will if there be any thing old yet it is a signe he wants life for where there is life there is augmentation of parts a man that is living encreaseth in all If thou find some part of thy soule of thy life to be augmented and not the rest thou art dead a dead thing may be capable of it you may encrease one part of Wheat or of Silver or Gold but the other part continues as it was but all increase in living Creatures it is a generall encrease there is nothing stands at a stay if thou finde a reservation in some things wherein thou takest liberty and standest at a stay thou art not yet a New Creature Thirdly thou shalt know if thou be new by this thou lookest upon every thing with a new eye every thing is presented to thee in a new manner this I take from this very Chapter the Apostle saith We know no man after the flesh therefore whosoever is in Christ let him bee a New Creature As if he should say I am a New Creature or else I could not be in Christ as I so every man else must be for that instance he gives of living to the Lord of being a New Creature he knew no man after the flesh Look to thy selfe in this dost thou looke upon every thing in the world with a new eye that is upon all the particulars thou lookest upon sinne in another fashion than thou did'st before thou seest more in it than ever thou did'st Thou lookest upon spirituall Grace in another mâ—nner thou seest more excellencie in it than thou diddest thou look'st upon the world in another manner than when thou didst magnifie it and the things of it the dignity the honour and the wealth thou art now able to say as Paul They are as drosse as a withering flower thou lookest upon good and ill men after another manner a vile person will be despised in thine eyes let him have all outward excellencies and hee that feares the Lord thou wilt honour him let him be never so base thou lookest on thy selfe after another manner thou doest no more behold thy selfe as thou didst to thinke thy selfe perfected by adding to thy outward condition to thy outward comforts and conveniences though that be a thing that is not to be despised yet a mans selfe lyes not in that but himselfe is the inward man the Regenerate man thou wilt not care to have thy outward man perish thou wilt not care what loser thou be in any thing else thou wilt reckon that thy selfe therefore thou wilt deny those things because thou reckonest not them thy selfe for it is impossible that a man should deny that which is himselfe but thy judgement is altered thou lookest with another eye upon another selfe than thou didst before and therefore thou deniest that which before thou tookest for thy selfe and nourished'st for thy selfe Now a man lookes upon God with another eye now hee sees his beauty and his excellency he sees there iâ— nothing in the world to be desired in compaâ—â—son of him before hee was shie of him and ranne away from him as Adam did It is the state of every carnall man he presents God terrible he hath no delight in God he lookes upon him as upon a Iudge as one he serves of necessity but I say then you will know the Lord Ier. 31. when you are taught of mee then you shall know the Lord when you are made New Creatures then you shall know me that is yoâ— shall see mee in another fashion than ever you did you shall looke on me with another eye you shall know me then as to love me to desire me to long after nothing so much as Communion with mee I might run thorow more instances but the time calls mee away Thou wilt looke upon every thing with another eye they will be presented with another shape for there will be a new Heaven and a new Earth to thee I say all will be new to thee for marke the newnesse of any sense or of any facultie when it is renewed by any infused quality it is not so much discerned by it selfe as by the object as if a man have a new taste and a new savour a new taste in health How shall hee know it Give him meat and drinke and what you will in all the objects of the taste you shall finde a new rellish So if you would know of your heart if it be new goe to the objects that thy heart is conversant about see if thou lookest upon them in another fashion if thou have a new taste and a new rellish in thee for if there be a new heart in thee thou mayest see it outwardly thou wilt say as Paul said I know no man or any thing after the flesh after the outward condition this note will try it if you apply it to your selves after once the change is wrought that you are made New Creatures there is nothing that is presented to you after the same manner as it was every thing is changed with you as if you were brought into a new world you will see them to be other things than you did before but I cannot stand to presse this further Againe if you would know whether this bee in you or no then consider whether your workes be altered for we have a rule in Philosophy and a true one and we will apply it here As a thing is in being so it is in working If there be a new disposition in thee if there bee another Nature there will be a new kind of work for all things in the world worke according to their being and there is nothing that hath an essence and a being but the operations and acts of it are sutable to it therefore if thou wouldest know looke to what thou doest It is not therefore thy good purposes or thy good meanings but thy doing therefore examine thy selfe Hast thou left any old courses Hast thou given over thy drinking thy gaming thy sinne of uncleannesse thy breaking of the Sabbath Wilt thou say that thou hast a new heart and yet keepest thy old company still That thou hast a new heart and yet usest thy old speeches still That thou hast a new heart and yet ploddest in the same old tract that thou didst Looke what thou wast wont to doe thou doest still thou wast wont to spend the Sabbath thus and thus and thou doest so still thou wast wont to neglect prayer to performe it in a remisse manner thou wast wont to be a negligent hearer without recalling it and working it upon thine owne heart without growing in knowledge and