goodnesse and shal continue in your sinne thereby provoking the eyes of his glory is a terrible and revengefull God who if you still erre in heart and will not walke in his waies hath sworne in his wrath that you shall not enter into his Rest who in his wrath is a consuming fire and is ready and able to destroy body and soule in the eternall vengeance of Hell fire Fistly Consider sinne in the evill effects of it namely it brought a curse upon the whole Creation for mans sake whereby the â—…reatures are become defective â—nd unserviceable nay hurtfull 〈…〉 you from your sinnes come 〈…〉 manner of diseases and crosses â—â—at ever befell you This your â—…ne untill it be repented and â—…rdoned maketh you hatefull 〈…〉 God separateth between you â—…d God causing him to withâ—â—ld good things from you and 〈…〉 inflict evill upon you even in â—is life It defileth the whole â—…an and every renewed act of â—…ne doth strengthen the body 〈…〉 sinne and worketh a decay of â—…ace in you though you be reâ—â—nerate And if it be grosse if it 〈…〉 not benumme and feare your â—â—nscience yet it will wound it â—â—d break the peace thereof if it â—…ender vexing it as motes do â—…ur eye or thornes your feet â—…sing terrors and doubtings of â—…vation God withdrawing his â—our and loving countenance â—…m you And if you be nor in Christ it will in the end bring upon you everlasting damnation Sixtly Consider the ransome 〈…〉 sinne who paid it and what waâ— paid consider Christ Iesus who he was and what he did and suffered to take away your sinne He the onely sonne of God very God did lay downe and veile 〈…〉 glory for â—rime yea came dowâ— and left heaven to dwell in the Tabernacle of humane flesh taking upon him the estate of servant was poore despised 〈…〉 men persecuted from the cratâ— to the crosse made to shed teaâ— abundantly yea so tormenteâ— with the sense of Gods wrath foâ— your sinne that for very anguiâ— he did sweat as it were dropâ— bloud He was accused condemned spit upon mockt buffetteâ— and scourged by wicked meâ— made to beare his owne crosse till oh oppressed and afflicted soule for very faintnes he could beaâ— it no longer Then he was hanged amongst theeves dying the most accursed death And which to him was more then all the rest hee in his humane apprehension was forsaken of God crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now you may be assured that if the iustice of God could have beene satisfied and your sinne expiated and done away by a lesser price Iesus Christ his onely Son should never have beene caused â—o poure out his soule a sacrifice for your sinne This looking by the eyes of your faith upon Christ whom you have pierced will at once shew you the greatnes and hatefulnes of your sin which required such â—n infinite ransome and the infinite love of God and Christ to you-ward euen when you were his enemie in providing for you a sure remedie which will free you from both guilt and power of this sinne The thoughts hereof will if any thing will even melt the heart into godly sorrow for sinne and withall give hope in the use of the means of mercy and forgiuenesse That the former Aggravations may bee more pressing observe these directions You must consider sinne in the particulars one after another for generalls leave no impressions Therefore David cryeth out of his bloudy sinne in particular You must iudge the least sinne to be damnable untill it bee pardoned and repented in particular if knowne unto you at least in generall if not knowne The greater any sinne is the greater you must judge the guilt and punishment to be Sinnes committed long since unrepented and the punishments deserved but deferred are to bee judged to bee as neare lying at the doore dogging you at the heeles as if committed at the present so that you may looke for Gods hand to be upon you this present moment they like the bloud of Abell or sinnes of Sodom cry as loud to God for vengeance now as the first day they were committed nay louder because they are aggravated by * impenitencie and by the abuse of Gods long suffering Your humiliation must in your endevour proportion your guilt of sinne the greater guilt the greater humiliation Know therefore that sinnes against God of the first Table considered in equal comparison are greater than those of the second The more grace hath beene offered by the Gospell and the more meanes any have had to know God and his will the greater is their sinne if they be ignorant and disobedient The number of sinnes according as they are multiplied doe increase the guilt and punishment The more bonds are broken in sinning as committing it against the Law of God of Nature and Nations against Conscience promises and vowes the greater the sinne and punishment All these things knowne and considered now iudge your selfe passe a condemnatorie sentence against your selfe whence will through the grace of God follow affliction of soule Now you will see that you are base and vile and that you may justly feare Gods iudgements Now you will see cause to be grieved ashamed yea even confounded in your selfe and to conceive an holy indignation against your selfe You will now thinke thus Ah that I should be so foolish so brutish so mad to coÌ„mit this to commit these sinnes think of particulars to breake so holy a Law to offend grieve and provoke so good and so great a Maiestie so ill to requite him so little to feare him vile wretch that I am that I should commit not onely sinnes of common frailty but grosse sinnes many and oft against knowledge conscience c. but still minde particulars Iesus Christ my Sauiour shed his precious bloud for me to redeeme mee from my vaine conversation and doe I yet againe and againe transgresse oh miserable man that I am What am I in my selfe at best but a lumpe of sinne and durt not worthy to be loved worthy to be destroyed one that may justly look to have mine heart hardned or my coÌ„science terrified and that if God be not infinitely merciful he should powre upon me all his plagues Wherfore remembring my doings that they are not good but abhominably evill I doe loath my selfe for mine abhominations and doe abhorre my selfe and repent as in sackcloth and ashes Now set upon the worke of Reformation and of Reconciliation Generall if you finde there be neede Particular as you finde there is neede It is not enough to search out and consider your wayes nor yet to lament them if withall you doe not turne againe unto the Lord and turne your feet unto his Testimonies and withall seeke grace and forgivenesse The Gospell openeth a
finite his sinne being the erring act of a creature cannot every way be infinite Wherefore such an act or transgression cannot in it selfe be unpardonable by a Creator a God who is every way infinite SecoÌ„ndly Consider that the price to satisfie GODS justice namely the death of CHRIST even the precious bloud of God the onely begotten Sonne of God doth exceed all sinne in infinitenesse of satisfaction of GODS justice and wrath due for sinne For if Christs death be a sufficient ransome for the sinnes of all Gods Elect in generall then much more of thine in particular whosoever thou be and how great and how many sins soever thou hast committed Thirdly Know that the mercy of God the forgiver of sinnes is absolutely and every way infinite For mercy in God is not a qualitie but is his very nature as is cleare by the description of his Name proclaimed Exod. 34. Which rightly understood and beleeved taketh away all the objections which a fearefull heart can make against himselfe from the consideration of his sinnes First He is mercifull that is he is compassionate and to speake after the manner of man is one that hath bowels of pittie which yerne within him at the beholding of thy miseries not willing to punish and put thee to paine but ready to succor and doe thee good But I am so vile and so ill deserving that there is nothing in mee to move him to pittie mee and doe me good 2. Hee is Gracious whom he loveth hee loveth freely of his owne gracious disposition who saith I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And when God saith hee would sprinkle cleare water upon sinners and that hee would give them a new heart c. hee saith not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God That you should be sensible of your owne misery and then in the sense thereof that God may be enquired after and sought unto for mercy is al which he looketh for in you to move him to pitty and mercy and such is his graciousnes that he will worke this sense and this desire in you that he may have mercy But I have a long time prouoked him 3. He is long-suffering to you-wards nÌ„ot willing that you should perish but that you should come to repentance but waiteth still for your repentance and reformation that you may be saved Yea But I am destitute of all goodnesse and grace to turne unto him or doe any thing that may please him 4. He is abundant in goodnesse and kindnesse he that hath beene abundant towards others heretofore in giving them grace and making them good his store is no whit diminished but he hath all grace and goodnesse to communicate to you also to make you good Yea but I feare though God can yet God will not forgive me and give me grace 5. Hee is abundant in truth not onely the goodnesse of his gracious disposition maketh him willing but the abundance of his truth bindeth him to bee willing and doth give proofe unto you that he is willing He hath made sure promises to take away your sinne and to forgive it and not yours onely but reserveth mercie for thousands Beleeve therefore that God both can and will forgive you Yea but my sinnes are such and such and such bred at the bone â—â—numerable hainous and most â—â—ominable I am guilty of sins 〈…〉 all sorts 6. He forgiveth iniquity transâ—ession and sinne He is the God â—hat will subdue all your iniâ—uities and cast all your sinnes â—â—to the bottome of the Sea Yea but I renew my sins daily 7. I answer out of the Psalm His mercy is an everlasting mercie his mercy endureth for ever He biddeth you to aske forgivenesse of sinne daily therefore hâ— can and will forgive sinne daily yea if you sinne Seventie time seven in a day and shall confess it to God with a penitent heart he will forgive for he that biddeth you be so mercifull to you brother will himselfe forgive much more when you seeke unto him I But I have not onely committed open and grosse sinnes both before since I had knowledge of GOD but I have been a very Hypocrite making profession of GOD and yet daily commit grievous sinnes against him 8. What then Will you say your sinnes are unpardonable God forbid But say I will follow the Counsell which GOD gave to such abominable Hypocrites I will wash mee and make me cleane I will by Gods grace wash my heart from iniquitie and my hands from wickednesse by washing my selfe in the Laver of regeneration bathing myselfe in Christs bloud and in the pure water of the Word of truth applying my selfe to them and them to me by faith Say in this case I will heare what God will speake And know that if you will follow his counsell Isa 1 18. If you wil hearken to his reasoning and embrace his gracious offer made to you in Christ Iesus the issue will be this though your sins have beene most grosse reiterated double dyed even as crimson and sear let they shall be as wooll even as white as snow God will then speak peace unto you as unto other his Saints onely he will forbid you to returne to folly For not onely those which committed grosse sins through ignorance before their conversion as did Abraham in Idolatry and S. Paul in persecuting noâ— yet onely those which committed grosse sinnes through infirmitie after their conversion as did Noah by drunkennesse and Lot by incest also and Peter by denying and forswearing his Master Christ Iesus obtained mercy because they sinned ignorantly and of infirmity But also those that sinned against Knowledge and Conscience both before after conversion sinning with an high hand as Manasses before and in the matter of Vriah David after conversion they obtained like mercy and had all their sinnes forgiven Why are these examples recorded in Scripture but for patterns to sinners yea to most notorious sinners of all sorts Which should in after times beleeve in Christ Iesus unto eternall life Be willing therfore to be beholholding to God for forgivenes beleeve in Christ for forgivenes which when you doe you may be assured that you never yet committed any sin which is not and which shal not be forgiven For was it not the end why Christ came into the world that he might save sinners yea chiefe of sinners as well as others Was he not wounded for transgressions viz. of all sorts Is it not the end of his comming in his Gospell to call sinners to repentance What sinners doth hee meane there but such as you are who are laden and burdened with your sinne Doth hee not say if any man sinne marke if any man we have an advocate
that God will not call you before you dye It were a farre wiser and better course for you that will bee thus hasty in judging your selves to be Reprobates to busie your selves first with other things Acquaint your selves with Gods revealed will in his Word Learne to know what God hath commanded you to doe and do that also what he hath threatned and feare that and what hee hath promised and beleeve and rest on that After you haue done this you may looke into your selves and you shall reade your Election written in golden and great Letters For God never intended that the first lesson which a Christian should learne should be the hardest and highest lesson that can be learned taken out of the book of his eternall counsell decree and so to descend to the A. B. C. of Christianity Which were a course most perplexed and preposterous But his wil is that his schollers children should learn out of his written Word here on earth first that God made all things and that hee made man good and how that man hearkening to Sathan they found out evill devices and so fell from grace and from God and so both they and the whole world that came of their loynes became guilty of eternal dānation Next God would have you to learne that hee in is infinite wisdome goodnesse and mercy thought of and concluded a new covenant of Grace for the effecting whereof hee found out and appointed a way and meanes to pacifie his wrath by satisfying his justice punishing sin in mans nature by which he opened away unto his mercie to shew it to whom he would namely Hee gave his onely Sonne very God to become very man and being made a common person and surety in mans stead dyed and endured the punishment due to the sinne of man and rose againe and was exalted to sit at Gods right hand to raigne having all authority committed vnto him Thus he made the new covenant of grace established in his Sonne Iesus Christ the tenour and condition whereof required on mans part is that man accept of enter into this covenant beleeving in Christ in whom it is established then whosoever beleeveth in him shall not dye but have everlasting life This God did in his wisedome justice mercy and love to man that hee himselfe might be inst and yet a iustifier of him that is of the faith of Iesus And hath therefore given his Word and Sacraments and hath called and hath given gifts to his Ministers thereby to beget and increase faith in men by publishing this good newes and by commanding them as in Christs stead in Gods name to beleeve and to be reconciled to God and to live no longer according to the will of their old Masters the Divell the World and the Flesh under whom they were in cursed bondage but according to the will of him that redeemed them in holinesse and righteousnesse whose service is a perfect blessed freedome Now when you have learned these lessons first and by looking into your selves can finde faith and new obedience then by this your effectuall calling you may as by safe stayres ascend to that high point of your Predestination which will give you comfort through assurance that you shall never fall away When you observe this order in learning your Election to life it will not minister vnto you matter of curious and dangerous dispute either with God or man thereabout but of high admiration thankesgiving and unspeakeable comfort causing you to cry out with the Apostle O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. And Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that wee should bee holy and without blame before him in love having Predestinated us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will to the prayse of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in his well-beloved c. There are yet some who having heard that there is a sinne against the holy Ghost and that it is unpardonable are full of feares that they have committed that sinne thence conclude that they are Reprobates for they say that they have sinned willingly against knowledge conscience since they received the knowledge of the truth and tasted of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God If you who thus object have sinned against knowledge and conscience you have much cause of griefe complaint against your selfe and have much cause of humbling your selfe before God confessing it to him asking pardon of him and grace to beleeve and repent both which you must endevour by all means Yet I see no cause why you should conclude so desperately that you have sinned against the holy Ghost and are a Reprobate For as few in comparison though too many commit this sinne so few know what it is All sinne against knowledge and conscience is not this sinne Nor yet all wilfull sinning It is not any one sinne against the law nor yet the direct breach of the whole law nor every malicious opposing of the Gospell if it be of ignorance neither is it every blasphemie or persecution of the Gospell and of those that professe the truth if these be done out of ignorance or passion Nor yet is it every Apostacie and falling into grosse sinnes of diverssorts though done against knowledge and conscience yet this sinne against the holy Ghost containeth all these and more It is a sinne against the Gospell and free offer and dispensation of grace and salvation by CHRIST through the Spirit Yet it is not any particular sinne against the Gospell nor yet a rejecting of the whole Gospell if in ignorance nor yet every denying of Christ or sudden revolting from the outward profession of the Gospell when it is of infirmitie through feare such like temptation Neither is it called the sinne against the holy Ghost and is unpardonable because it is committed against the Essence or Person of the holy Ghost for the essence of the three persons in Trinitie is all one And the person of the holy Ghost is not more excellent than the person of the Father and the Sonne but it is called the sinne against the holy Ghost and becommeth unpardonable because it is against the Office of the holy Ghost and against the gracious operations of the holy Ghost and therein against the whole blessed Trinitie all whose works out of themselves are consummate and perfected in the worke of the holy Ghost Moreover know that it is unpardonable not in respect of GODS power but in respect of his will Hee having in his holy wisedome determined never to pardon it And good reason why he should will not to pardon it in respect of the
your selfe in Covetous Adulterous Revengefull Ambitious or other wicked thoughts you act that in your minde and phantasie which either for feare or shame you dare not or for want of opportunity or meanes you cannot act otherwise 4. When you are alone be sure that you ordinarily be well and fully exercised about something that is good either in the works of your calling or in reading or in holy meditation or prayer For whensoever Satan doth find you idle and out of imployment in some or other of those works which God hath appointed he will â—ake that as an opportunity to garnish you for himselfe and to imploy you in some of his works But if you keepe alwaies in your place and â—o some or other good worke of your place you are under Gods speciall protection as the Bird in the Law was while she face upon heregs or yong ones keeping her owne nest in which case no man might hurt her I have already shewed how you should behave your selfe as in Gods sight both in prayer and in the works of your calling I wil write some thing for your direction touching reading and Meditation SECTION 2. Of Reading BEsides your set-times of reading the holy Scriptures you shall doe well to gaine some time from you vacant houres that you may read in GODS Booke and in the good bookes of men First when you read any part of the word of God you must put a difference betweene it and the best writings of men preferring it farre before them To this end 1 Consider it in its properties and excellencies No word is of like absolute authority holinesse equity truth wisedome true elegancie power and eternity 2 Consider this Word in its ends and good effects No booke that aimeth at Gods glory and the salvation of mans soule like this none that concerneth you like to this It discovereth your misery by sinne together with the perfect remedie It propoundeth perfect happinesse unto you affordeth means to worke it out in you for you It is mighty through GOD to prepare you for grace It is the immortall seed to beget you unto Christ It is the milke and stronger meate to nourish you up in Christ It is the onely soulephysicke to recover you and to rid you of all spirituall evils By it Christ giveth spiritual sight to the blind hearing to the deafe speech to the dumbe strength to the weake health to the sicke yea by it he doth cast out Divels and raise men from the death of sinne they beleeving it as certainly as he did all those for the bodies of men by the word of his power while he lived on the earth This Book of Goâ— doth containe those many rich Legacies be queathed to you in that last Will and Testament of God sealed with the bloud of Iesus Christ our Lord. It is the Magna Charta and Statute-booke of the Kingdome of heaven It is the booke of Priviledges and Immunities of Gods children It is the word of grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance amongst all them that are sanctified For it will make you wise to salvation through Faith in Christ â—esus making you perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes Wherefore as when you heare this Word preached so when at any time you read it you must receive it not as the word of man but as it is in truth the Word of God then it wil worke effectually in you that beleeve Secondly when you read this Word lift up the heart in prayer to God for the Spirit of understanding wisedome that your minde may be more and more enlightned and your heart more more strengthned with grace by it For this Word is spiritual containing the secrets hidden things of GOD in a mysterie which as the bare letter doth signifie is as a booke sealed up in respect of discovery of the things of God in it to al that have not the helpe of Gods Spirit so that none can know the inward and spirituall meaning thereof powerfully and savingly but by the Spirit of God Thirdly read the Word with an hunger and thirst after knowledge and growth of grace by it with a reverent humble teachable and honest heart beleeving all that you reade trembling at the threats judgements against sinners reioycing in the promises made unto and the favours bestowed upon the penitent and vpon the godly willing and resolving to obey al the Commandements Thus if you read blessed shall you be in your reading and blessed shall you be in your deede The holy Scriptures are thus to be read of all of every sort and condition and of each sex for all are commanded to search the Scriptures as well the Laytie as the Cleargie women as well as men yong as well as old all sorts of all Nations For though the Spirit of GOD is able to worke conversion and holinesse immediately without the Word as he doth in all those infants that are saved yet in men of yeares the holy Ghost will not where the Word may be had worke without it as his instrument using it as the hammer plow seed fire water sword or as any other instrument to pull downe build up plant purge cleanse For it is by the Word both read and preached that Christ doth sanctifie all that are his that he may present them to himselfe and so to his Father without spot or wrinkle a Church most glorious And whereas it is most true that those which are unlearned and unstable doe wrest not onely hard Scriptures but all other also to their destruction Yet let not this as Papists would inferre cause you to forbeare to read no more then because many surfeit and are drunke by the best meats and drinkes you doe forbeare to eate and drinke But to prevent misse-understanding and wresting of Scriptures to your hurt doe thus 1 Get and cherish an humble and honest heart resolved to obey when you know Gods will If any man will doe his will saith Christ he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God 2 Get a cleare knowledge of the first Principles of Christian Religion beleeve them stedfastly And indevor to frame your life according â—nto those more easie known â—criptures where on these prinâ—iples and first Oracles of God â—â—e grounded For these give â—ight even by the first entrance â—nto the very simple This doe â—â—d you shall never be unlearned 〈…〉 the mysteries of Christ nor â—et unstable in his wayes 3 Be â—uch in hearing the Word inâ—â—preted by learned and faithfull â—inisters 4 If you meet with place of Scripture too hard for 〈…〉 presume not to frame a sense it of your owne head but take â—tice of yourignorance admire â—e depth of Gods wisdome susâ—nd your opinion