be prepare flesh for his people Howsoeuer this people were guiltie of many sinnes yet this this sinne of Infidelitie was that sinne that in so speciall a manner prouoked the Lord to wrath against them for so saith the Text Psa 78.21 Therefore the Lord heard and was angry and the fire was kindled in Iacob and also wrath came vpon Israel But what might be the reason thereof Because they beleeued not in God Vers 22. and trusted not in his helpe And albeit the Lord sware vnto their Fathers that he would giue vnto them the Land of Canaan Deut. 1.8 yet of all those that came out of the land of Egypt and had seene his miracles vpon Pharaoh and his people there did not one of them aboue the age of twenty yeares come into that good Land What might be the cause Surely they stood guiltie before the Lord of many sinnes such as were their idolatry whoredome c. but aboue all other that which the Lord was most of all displeased at was their Infidelity for so saith the holy Ghost Heb. 3.19 They could not enter in because of vnbeleefe This appeares likewise in the example of that Prince in Samaria that would not beleeue the Prophet touching the great plentie which he prophesied should be in Samaria 2. Kin. 7.1 that a measure of fine floore should be sold for a shekel in the gate of Samaria His infidelitie did not onely depriue him of the fruition of the plenty but was punished with the losse of his life For the people trode him in the the gate and he dyed 2. King 7.20 Another memorable example hereof we haue recorded by the Euangelist Mark 6.5 That when our Sauiour came to the City of Nazareth there to preach and to shew his power the Text saith Hee could do no great works there Vers 6. and what might be the reason Mat. 13.58 Because of their vnbeleefe The Infidelity and vnbeleefe that was amongst them did after a sort binde the hands of our blessed Sauiour that he could not do the good he desired amongst them This doctrine might bee further insisted vpon by the examples of Gods iudgements vpon his owne children as the Israelites who for this sinne were broken off Of Zachary that doubting of the Lords promise by his Angell Rom. 11.20 that Elizabeth his wife should beare him a Sonne Luk. 1.20 was for this sinne of his smitten dumbe By all which testimonies and examples it is most cleare how hainous this sinne of Infidelity is And it must needs be so Reas 1 First because after a sort it puts the lye vpon God his word and promises and so likewise vpon all those excellent attributes of his such as are his power wisedome truth goodnesse and mercy an heart fraught with infidelity credits none of these 1. Ioh. 5.10 He that beleeueth not God hath made him a liar Then the which what greater disgrace can be put vpon any then to giue him the lye Secondly the sinne of Infidelity Reas 2 is a mother sinne and is the cause of many other euils and enormities in the hearts and liues of men And hence is it that the Apostle ioynes these two together an euill heart Heb. 3.12 and an heart of vnbeleefe as the cause and the effect for as Faith is a mother grace and produceth feare loue obedience c. So where infidelitie beares sway there must needs all manner of impietie raigne and abound This serues first of all to let vs Vse 1 see in what a cursed and miserable estate and condition all wicked and vngodly men are in that are void of faith and full of infidelity Such men can neuer please God in any thing they take in hand For Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne And without faith it is impossible to please God Their hearing of the Word receiuing of the Sacraments prayer and the like holy duties are all abhomination to the Lord when they are not done by a beleeuer To an vnbeleeuing heart neither the power of Christs merits nor the infinitenesse of Gods mercy Word Sacraments can neuer profit but all tend to the destruction and the increase of the condemnation of an vnbeleeuer Vse 2 Secondly seeing that this sinne of Infidelitie aboue all other sins is such a stumbling blocke in our way strikes at God and all his attributes and seemes to put the lye vpon them all makes the Word Sacraments prayer and all other the ordinances of God vnprofitable vnto a man O how should this prouoke euery man euen as he tendereth the saluation of his owne soule to take heed of this sinne O vnhappie If was this vnto this poore man that shut vp heauen gates against him Take we heed of that thought at any time that shall seeme to question the truth of Gods word But rather let vs labour daily more and more to haue our hearts confirmed against all diffidence and distrust of God Saue thy selfe and vs. Text. These words were spoken in an ironicall and taunting manner 2 Scoffingly desiring deliuerāce after the manner of the chiefe Priests and people who mocked our Sauiour likewise at this time saying Mat. 15.29 If thou be the King of Israel come downe from the Crosse And againe He saued others Mat. 27.39 himselfe he cannot saue This impenitent thiefe trades in their steps and followes their example and mocketh Christ likewise Whence we may note Doct. 1 Euill examples dangerous First how powerfull examples are with men either to the imitation of that which is good or euil As men meete together vsually they traffique together by their interchange of words and manners whether they be godly or wicked But especially of great men and men in authoritie their examples being euill hurt many As the Chiefe Priests and Elders here they giuing such an euill example in mocking Christ no maruell though the common people do the same likewise We may see this in Herod in this Chapter when he began to offer indignity to our Sauiour the Men of warre yea all his traine were ready to do the same 1. Kin. 22.24 Let Ahab but declare himselfe no friend to Micha the Lords Prophet and Zidkijah the Kings Chaplaine will dare to smite him on the face So true is that of Solomon Pro. 29.12 If a Prince hearken to lyes all his seruants are wicked We may see this by daily experience that they that associate themselues with those that are vile and sinfull sauour of their manners and are made worse by them Pro. 13.20 He that walketh with the wise shall be the wiser But he that vseth the company of fools shall be the worse Yea Gods people themselues when they haue liued in sinfull places and haue had to do with wicked persons they haue receiued some blurs and blots of their filthinesse and haue not escaped free from their sinne but haue made good
the hands of Moses were held vp and he besought the Lord in the behalfe of the people Yea Ioash doth acknowledge that the prayers of Elisha 2. King 13.14 an holy Prophet of God stood his kingdome in more stead then all the chariots and horsemen of Israel could do Neither is this to be wondred at that the prayers of the faithfull are of this force with God to preuaile with him For Reas 1 First God giueth vnto his chosen ones the Spirit of supplication and prayer Zach. 12. Which doth so enable the faithfull vnto this duty that they will haue no nay or receiue no repulse at Gods hand according to that of the Apostle 1. Ioh. 5.14.15 This is the assurance we haue in God that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we shall haue the petitions we desire of him Secondly to comfort the Reas 2 hearts of his seruants and to minister vnto them a comfortable expectation to be heard in praier he is pleased to passe his promise out of his owne mouth and to assure vs by his owne word that we shall obtaine our desires saying Aske and ye shall haue seeke Mat. 7.7 and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For euery one that asketh receiueth c. This is indeed the very ground-worke and foundation of the Christian prayer namely Gods promise which is as true and vnchangeable as himselfe is without which wee could neuer so confidently come vnto him Obiect But many of the godly haue praied much and often vnto God and yet the Lord seemeth not to heare nor to answer Answ God doth not forget his seruants though for a time he defer to answer God made Abraham a promise of a sonne by Sarah this Abraham expected ten twentie yea almost thirtie yeares who would haue thought all this while that God had forgot his promise but yet we know at last in a seasonable time God remembred the couenant and promise that he made with Abraham and Sarah had a sonne The Lord promised the posteritie of Abraham the Land of Canaan yet in what a miserable bondage were they in in Egypt vnder Pharaoh and that for the space of foure hundred and thirtie yeares who would not haue thought that surely God had not remembred his promise to Abraham yet at last the Lord brought them out with a mightie hand and stretched out arme But what might be the reason of the Lords dealing with his people after this manner Quest Doubtlesse God delayeth to answer the requests of his seruants till a more seasonable time Ans like a skilfull Physitian whom when his Patient being sicke of a burning Feauer shall aske wine will not giue it him knowing indeed that that is no time to drink wine The Lord in whose hands are times and seasons chuseth euer a fit time to answer the requests of his seruants Secondly the Lord will haue many times the case of his seruants desperate and they themselues past all hope of deliuerie in respect of any humane helpe to the end his owne power loue goodnesse and mercy should bee acknowledged in sending vnto them vnexpected deliuerance How could the Iews but acknowledge Gods goodnesse towards them in the time of Hester when they were all appointed vnto death when besides all hope the Lord sent them deliuerance How could Israel but acknowledge his mightie power and stretched out arme when they came out of the land of Egypt when the Sea was before them the Egyptians behinde them the mountaines on each hand of them and they left voide of all humane helpe and meanes to escape Exod. 15. Now was it a seasonable time for the Lord to steppe in that his owne power and stretched-out arme might be seene At what a low ebbe did the Lord bring Daniel Dan. 3. and those three worthies when one in the Lyons den the other in the fierie fornace when all hope of deliuerance was past and humane help failed then was his power most seene and then was deliuerance most seasonable Thirdly in Gods delayes then is there a seasonable time for the exercise of all those graces that hee hath betrusted his seruants withall such as are patience faith hope c. For it is the storme that proues the Mariner and the battell the Souldier whose experience and valour till then cannot be knowne Vse 1 If the prayers of Gods seruants be thus powerfull and effectuall with him This may be a notable incouragement for all Gods people to be frequent in this dutie and to be incessant in their prayers and not to giue him ouer though wee be not answered at first No doubt Hanna and Zachary had often prayed for children yet obtained not Notwithstanding they prayed still and at last the Lord heard them So Daniel he was in heauinesse three weekes of dayes Dan. 10.12 and to his thinking God heard him not yet the Lord heard him indeed from the first day as hee said to Daniel From the first day that he had set his heart to vnderstand Paul when the pricke of the flesh was giuen vnto him the messenger of Sathan was sent to buffet him hee therefore besought the Lord that it might depart from him But he receiued this answer My grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.7.8.9 my power is made perfect in thy weaknesse Paul was heard though not at the first and therefore when wee shall pray for some blessing of the Lord which we stand in need of or when we shall craue power of the Lord ouer some vnruly affection of ours though we haue not answer by and by yet wee are not to leaue off This Christ teacheth vs when he saith Shall not God auenge the elect that cry day and night vnto him Luk. 18. Marke there Christs sweet application of that vnrighteous Iudge to teach vs to continue our suites and to hold out and then we shall not misse in the end Secondly this shewes the happie Vse 2 priuiledge of Gods Church and people that no man should say Mal. 3.14 It is in vaine to serue the Lord and what profit is it that we haue kept the commandements and haue walked humbly before him It is sure to go well with them they are in great credit esteeme in the Court of heauen they are all Fauourites to the great King of heauen and earth and he hath commanded such at all times to haue free accesse vnto him and to inlarge their desires with a promise of a gracious answer Ioh. 16.24 Aske saith our Sauiour and ye shall receiue that your ioy may bee full What though for a time they lie vnder troubles and sorrowes miseries and afflictions Rom. 8.37 Are they not herein more then conquerours through him that hath loued them The present miseries of the faithfull cannot hinder their happinesse but through the Lords
that of Solomon He that toucheth pitch shall be defiled We may see this in Ioseph Eccl. 33. who liuing a while in the Court of Pharaoh how quickly had he learned to sweare By the life of Pharaoh And we know that it was in the high Priests Hall and amongst the high Priests seruants that Peter had learned to curse and to sweare And for this cause the Lord giues that straight charge vnto his seruants concerning Babylon Come out of her my people Reu. 18.4 that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues And so likewise when the people of Israel were to come into the Land of Canaan amongst an idolatrous people the Lord chargeth them after this manner Thou shalt make no couenant with them Exod. 23.32 nor with their gods neither shall they dwell in thy land lest they make thee sinne against me And againe Deut. 7.2 Thou shalt make no marriages with them Thou shalt not giue thy daughter to his sonne nor take his sonne to thy daughter And the reason is giuen For they will cause thy sonne to fall away from mee And how true the word of the Lord herein was the euent made it manifest for they neglecting the Lords commandement the Psalmist saith Were mingled amongst the heathen Psa 106.35 and learned their works And hence is it that when the Prophet Dauid would approue himselfe vnto God faithfully to serue him he declareth the same by this Psal 11.63 that he was A companion of all them that feared him and kept his precepts And againe Psal 119.115 Away from me ye wicked I will keepe the commandements of my God Intimating thereby as it may easily be gathered that Dauid could not set himselfe as he should to the performance of any good duty so long as any wicked men were about him So that it is a most cleare truth that the examples of wicked men are very powerfull to draw men into sinne and by being companions of such to bring them to partake of their euill wayes And the Reasons I take to be these Reas 1 First that naturall disposition that is betwixt this nature of ours and sinne there is no two things in nature wherein there is a more neare coniunction as betwixt fire and gunpowder then this sinfull and corrupt nature of ours and sinne Visa movent maxime it is ready to take fire with the least sparke the least occasion or prouocation especially the examples of others are dangerous excitements vnto euill Reas 2 Secondly there is a disposition in wicked men to make others like themselues yea they count it their master-peece to corrupt all that haue fellowship with them that their owne sinnes may not appeare so exceedingly sinfull vnto others And this our Sauiour obserueth to be that height of wickednesse in the Pharisees that They would compasse sea and land to make one Proselyte Mat. 23.15 and when he was made they would make him twofold more the childe of hell then themselues Thirdly there is a kinde of infectious Reas 3 nature in the words and actions of wicked men which as the Apostle saith Fret like a gangrene And indeed the soules of men are more subiect to the contagion of sinne then their bodies can to any manner of disease This serues then in the first Vse 1 place iustly to blame and condemne such as are carelesse of their company that can be as familiar and merry in the company of Atheists Papists yea be they as prophane as Esau all is one to them as if there were no danger at all to bee corrupted by such and indeed such men need not Sathan to tempt them for they will tempt themselues Which they do whilest without a calling they remaine in the company of wicked men Such men proclaime to the world that they make no conscience of sinne for did they would they not then make conscience of the occasions of sinne Vse 2 Secondly let this serue to admonish euery man in the feare of God to decline as much as possible they may the company of wicked men Pro. 1.15 My sonne saith Solomon walke not in the way with them refraine thy foot from their path Yea if it lye in our power to remoue them and to banish them our presence Psal 101. So Dauid I will not suffer any euill person to abide in my house He that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight Many wise men by such haue beene seduced many strong men by them haue fallen and many who began to walke in the wayes of godlinesse haue by this meanes fallen backe againe when they haue beene daily conuersant with those who haue beene enemies to godlinesse But may we not somtimes Quest and vpon some occasion bee in the company of such Yes Ans these cautions being considered First that we rush not into their company without a calling for it is lawfull to hold commerce with them in the affaires of this life for otherwise wee must out of the world Secondly that we be not silent at sinne but by one meanes or other at the least by a frown in our browes shew our dislike at their wayes Thirdly that we get our hearts to be grieued within vs for their sinnes as Lot was with the Sodomites Whose righteous soule was vexed with their abhominations Text. If thou be Christ saue thy selfe and vs. Secondly we may note further in this Impenitent Thiefe thus scoffingly desiring deliuerance by Christ Doct. 2 That it is a note of a wicked and gracelesse man to be giuen to mocking Propertie of a wicked man to be giuen to mocking and that such a one is come to a wonderfull height of sinne And surely this is such a kinde of sinne that is found for the most part in the most dangerous and desperate wicked men Cain was a mocker Gen. 9.22 Ismael was a mocker notorious wicked men The Athenians mocked Paul Act. 17. What will this babler say The Scribes and Pharisees notorious wicked men these mocked Christ Hayle King of the Iewes Mat. 26. â—8 The Iewes mocked the Apostle Peter when he had preached the word of life vnto them saying These men are full of new wine Act. 2.12 When the wicked man commeth saith Solomon then commeth reproach Prou. 18.3 Psal 25.15 None scoffed more at Dauid then the Abiects and the Drunkards made songs of him The children of Bethel mocked the Prophet saying 2. King 2.22 Go vp thou bald head This was the complaint of the Prophet Ieremy Ier. 20.7 O Lord saith he I am in derision daily euery one mocketh me And this was the complaint of that holy man Iob Iob 30.1.9.10 speaking of the most notoriously wicked of his time saith that he was their songs their daily talke yea they spared him not to spit him in the face And when the Prophet Dauid comes to speake of that growth in
3 The time when As this Penitent Theefe at this time acknowledgeth Christs Deity that hee was Lord and King and desireth as we haue heard before principally mercy for his soule that it might goe well with it in death or after death So now he comes to the time wherein especially he desired to bee remembred of Christ â— when Christ should come into his kingdome Q.d. O Lord now is the time of thy humiliation wherein thou art pleased to vndergoe the punishment for the sinnes of all the elect and to beare the burthen of thy Fathers wrath and all to free thine from the wrath to come I know this price will be payd and this misery thou now sufferest for sinne will be ouer and thou thy selfe againe restored into thy glorious kingdome there to liue and raigne for euer I beseech thee now heare mee against that time Doct. 1 and remember mee in mercy The happinesse of a Christian not to be looked for here but hereafter when thou commest thither Note we hence That the happinesse of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter The fruit of repentance of righteousnesse and of holinesse is not to bee looked for here but hereafter The Christian hath not his happinesse in present possession but in reuersion In hope and expectation are they kept here liuing by faith as the Heyre being not of ripe yeares is not possest of the inheritance but after death they come then to bee possest of that glorious inheritance layd vp for the Saints This doth this Penitent Theefe acknowledge here in this his request to Christ as if he should say O Lord it is not life for a time which cannot be long that I so much stand vpon since death I haue deserued I am willing to dye but it is this I specially desire aboue al the world besides that when this life shall haue an end I may haue a resting place in thy kingdome If in this life onely wee haue hope in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 wee are of all men most miserable And this the holy Ghost obserueth as an admirable fruit of the admirable faith of the Primitiue Fathers Heb. 11.13 14. who albeit they receiued not the promises but saw them a farre off were perswaded of them and imbraced them and confessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on earth declaring plainely that they seeke a Country 1 Ioh. 3.2 Now we are the Sonnes of God saith the Apostle But it doth not appeare what we shall be It is true the Lord giues vs now the first fruits of the spirit the earnest of our inheritance which is peace with God and peace in our owne consciences and ioy in the holy Ghost to comfort the hearts of his seruants and to cheare them vp in their pilgrimage But the full fruition of their happinesse is not to be expected here but in heauen This made the Apostle Paul to say â—hil 3.3 â—3 14 I forgat that which was behinde and reaching forth vnto those things which are before I presse toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus as knowing that the happy recompence of reward was not to bee looked for here but hereafter And the reason is Reas 1 First we know but in part and therefore can beleeue but in part can be sanctified but in part and so cannot be capable of the perfection of our happinesse till all our imperfections be done away â— Cor. 13.9 and our sanctification shall bee perfected Reas 2 Secondly this is the time in this life of a Christians warfare where wee are to combate with sinne Sathan and the world Now as it was said Let not him that putteth on his Armour reioyce but him that putteth it off for this battell endeth not vntill death come when then we shal be out of the Gun-shot of Sathans temptations and set free from all the enemies of our peace Besides the Lord will haue Reas 3 the graces in the hearts of his seruants first exercised and made manifest to the praise of his owne Name and that in this life before he crowne them with glory hereafter Seeing then that the happinesse Vse 1 of a Christian is not to be looked for here but hereafter in the kingdome of heauen This may teach vs in the first place to vse the world as if we vsed it not and not to pitch our Tabernacle here but rather to resolue that heauen is our portion and our inheritance Heb. 11.13 and therefore as Strangers and Pilgrims we should seek and prouide for an abiding City Vse 2 Secondly seeing our chiefest happinesse and comfort is not to be looked for here nor in any sublunary thing vnder the Sunne but reserued for vs in Gods kingdome This should teach vs to lift vp our hearts thither Col. 3.2 and to set our affections on heauenly things and not on things below nothing can more dishonour a Christian then this to make the world his chiefest study and care whereas the Lord hath reserued vs for a more durable and lasting inheritance Text. When thou commest into thy kingdome This Penitent Thiefe albeit truely humbled for his sinnes and obtayning mercy at Christs hands in the pardon of them as we shall see hereafter yet is not freed from his temporall punishment but suffereth with Christ And herein will teach vs That release from temporall Doct. 2 afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentance Release from temporall afflictions doth not alwayes follow true repentaÌ„ce but many are punished temporally that are not condemned eternally Wee may see this in that manner of the Lords dealing with Adam and Eue after they had sinned God made with them a couenant that The Seed of the woman should bruse the Serpents head Gen. 3.15 which was a cleare promise and prophecie of Christ by whom he was againe to bee restored into fauour Yet notwithstanding Cursed bee the earth for thy sake And In sorrow shalt thou bring forth c. This we may see in Moses Deu 34.5.10 an excellent seruant of God and so often stiled in Scripture a man highly in Gods fauour to whom God spake face to face a Ruler and Sauiour vnto his people Israel Yet for his sinne the Lord would not suffer him to go into the land of Canaan I do not doubt of the saluation of Miriam the sister of Moses that repined against Moses because she was no Prophetesse or at least in that authoritie as Moses himselfe was yet God stroke her with the Leprosie Though the Lord pardoned the sinne of Dauid vpon his true repentance 2. Sam. 12.10.11 yet the sword is sent against his house and his owne wiues are defiled We may see this in the Israelites in their iourneying towards the Land of Canaan for whose sinne of murmuring against Moses and Aaron Psal 90. the Lord brought heauie iudgements vpon them vntill they were almost wasted and consumed