the Kingdome of Grace For when Christ told him hee could not be saved except hee were new borne hee strangely and foolishly replyes How can a man be borne which is old How can he enter into his mothers Wombe againe and be borne Thus you see there can no other meanes be named or thought upon not all humane Knowledge nor worldly Wisedome nor good Meanings nor Will-worship nor the Word it selfe in the Letter which can leade us into the wayes of Righteousnesse or bring us unto Heaven but onely the Light of Gods holy Word holden out unto us by a profitable Ministerie and the power of the Spirit A second Reason of my Doctrine may be this No man can ever see the Kingdome of God except he be borne againe except he be a new creature a new man as is plaine in Christs words unto Nicodemus For our new birth or regeneration is the necessarie passage from Nature to Grace from prophanenesse to sinceritie It is that whereby wee are wholly sanctified and set apart unto God from the sinfnll corruption of our naturall birth and the evill fruits thereof to serve God in our whole man both body soule and spirit Now you must conceive that this new birth must necessarily spring from the immortall Seed of the word of God for so it is called 1 Pet. 1. 23. It is the Seed of our new birth salvation and immortalitie And you may as well looke for Come to grow up in your fields without sowing without casting any Seed into the furrowes as to looke for Grace to grow up in your hearts or to reape the fruit of holinesse everlasting life except this immortall Seed the Word of God be first cast into the furrowes and fallow ground of your hearts and be there received with reverence and attention nourished with prayer and meditation and fructifie in your lives and conversations Hence it is that Gods Word is called The Word of Salvation Act. 13. 26. The Word of Grace Act. 14. 3. The Word of Life Phil. 2. 16. The Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1. 16. For there is no power of Grace or spirituall life to bee had ordinarily upon Earth or salvation and eternall life to be hoped for in Heaven except a man be enlightened with the knowledge and enlived with the power of the holy Word of God There is no entring into the Kingdome of God except a man bee new borne except hee bee first renewed in his spirit soule and body And there is no new birth without the immortall Seed the Word of God And therefore without knowledge and direction in the Word of God no salvation The third Reason of my Doctrine is this The Word of God hath only the power and propertie to search into and to sanctifie the whole man even to the inmost thoughts and the secret cogitations of the heart All the devices and imaginations of mans heart lye without the walke of humane justice and censure no word or writing of man is able to bridle them or bring them within compasse no Law of Nature or Nations can affright or restraine the freedome and wanderings of thoughts onely the Word of God can amaze search and sanctifie them The weapons of our warfare saith Paul are not carnall but mightie through God to cast downe Holds casting downe the imaginations and every thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivitie every thought into the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. The Word of God saith the Apostle to the Hebrewes is lively and mightie in operation and sharper than any two-edged sword and entreth through even to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joints and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. The Word of God may be said to be living or lively in three respects 1 Because whereas we naturally live under the shadow of death and in the darkenesse of sinne it quickens us with a new and spirituall life it cheares and comforts us with heavenly Light 2 The Word may be called Living because it selfe is immortall and lasteth forever as doth the living and eternall God the Author of it 3 But most especially and agreeably to the place in the Hebrewes it is called lively because it enters with great power and secret insinuation into every part and power both of soule and body So that as our life is scattered and dispersed into every little part and least veine in us and we feele it both in paine and pleasure even so the vertue of the Word of God pierceth into every member into the most secret and hidden Closet of the heart either to breake and bruise with terror and astonishment the very bones crush the sinewes of the sinfull soule or to fill them with marrow and fatnesse and to refresh the affections of the truly penitent with joy unspeakable and glorious God tells us in Ieremy that his Word is like fire and therefore it can easily insinuate into all the creekes and corners of our corruptions it can fully and clearely enlighten our Consciences and discover unto us the sinfulnesse of the most lurking and secret thoughts Thus you have this first Doctrine plainely proved and confirmed unto you No man can at first finde the entrance or after hit the way to Heaven except he be enlightened and led along by the saving knowledge of the holy Word of God No other meanes which the power of Nature Wisedome Learning or the whole World can afford will serve the turne in this businesse of Salvation It is the Seed of our new birth as I told you there can be no growing of grace or reaping of glory without it It hath onely power to shake ransacke and search into the inmost secrets of the heart It onely can sanctifie us both inwardly and outwardly both in soule and body both in thoughts and actions without which both inward and outward holinesse no man shall ever see the face of God Now I come unto the Vses of this Doctrine And in the first place it may serve for confutation of the Papists those great employsoners and murtherers of infinite soules of men Is the Word of God as a Lampe and a Light without which wee cannot see the first step or set one foot aright towards Heaven Why then sinfull and pestilent is their practice who hide this blessed Light from the people of God in an unknowne Tongue and by their bloudie Inquisition damme up the holy Fountaines of heavenly Truth which should spring up in every mans heart unto eternall life Whose cruell and craftie Religion for bloud of Princes and cursed Policie are the principall supporters of Poperie teacheth them to blindfold and hood-winke the poore Laitie in forced ignorance lest they should know Gods will or any way to Heaven but
the Word of God to a love and liking of the heavenly knowledge therein contained and to a sound and sincere practice of it in our lives and conversations may be this The Word of God is as it were an Epistle or Letter as one of the Fathers calls it written from God Almightie unto us miserable men published by his owne Sonne sealed by his Spirit witnessed by his Angels conveyed unto us by his Church the Pillar and ground of Truth confirmed with the bloud of millions of Martyrs which hath alreadie brought thousands of soules to Heaven and fills every heart that understands it and is wholly guided by it with Light and Life with Grace and Salvation Now let us imagine a man to have a Letter sent unto him but by an Earthly King or some great Prince in the World wherein hee should have a Pardon granted him for some capitall Crime and high Offence whereby hee were lyable to a terrible kind of death or wherein hee should be fore-warned of some great and imminent danger hanging over his head and readie every houre to fall upon him or wherein hee should have assured and confirmed unto him under the Kings Seale some rich Donation or great Lordship Now I say if a man should receive but a Letter from some high and mightie Potentate upon Earth wherein any of these favours should be conveyed unto him how reverently would he receive it how thankfully would he accept of it how often would he reade it how warily would he keepe it how highly would he esteeme of it Why in this royall and sacred Letter sent from the King and great Commander both of Heaven and Earth all these favours and a thousand more joyes and comforts are conveyed unto every beleever and practiser thereof In that we are fore-warned lest by our ignorance impietie and impenitencie wee fall into the Pit of Hell and everlasting horror In that we have promised and performed unto us the pardon and remission of all our sinnes whereby wee justly stand guiltie of the second death and the endlesse torments of the damned By the vertue of it we are not onely comforted with grace in this World but shall undoubtedly be crowned with peace glory and immortalitie in the World to come Such a Letter as this hath the mightie and terrible God most glorious in all Power and Majestie who is even a consuming and devouring fire sent unto us miserable men by nature wretched and forlorne creatures Dust and Ashes why then with what reverence chearefulnesse and zeale ought wee to receive reade heare marke learne understand and obey it A second Motive may be the precious golden and divine matter which is contained in the Booke of God and that true and ever-during happinesse to which it onely can bring us There is nothing proposed and handled in the Word of God but things of greatest weight and highest excellency As the infinite majesty power and mercy of God the unspeakable love and strange sufferings of the Sonne of God for our sakes the mighty and miraculous working of the holy Spirit upon the soules of men There is nothing in this Treasury but Orient Pearles and rich Iewels as promises of grace spirituall comfort confusion of sinne the triumph of godlines refreshing of wearied soules the beautie of Angels the holinesse of Saints the state of Heaven salvation of sinners everlasting life What Swine are they that neglecting these precious Pearles root only in the Earth wallow in worldly pleasures feede upon vanities transitorie trash and vanishing riches which in their greatest need will take them to their wings like an Eagle and flie into the Heavens Besides the Word of God is only able to prepare us for true happinesse in this world and to possesse us of it in the world to come It only begets in us a true intire and universall holinesse without which none shall ever see the face of God or the glory of Heaven for it is impossible hereafter to live the life of glory blessednes in Heaven if we live not here the life of grace and sincerity in all our waies It is called the immortall Seed because it regenerates and renewes us both in our Spirits Soules and Bodies in our Spirits that is in judgement memory conscience in our Soules that is in our will and affections in our Bodies that is in every member If the Prince of this world hath not blinded the eyes of our minds and that we be not reprobats as concerning salvation it only is able to inlighten our understandings to rectifie our wills to sanctifie our hearts to mortifie our affections to set Davids Doore before our lips that are offend not with our tongues to set Iobs Doore before our eyes that they behold not vanity to manacle our hands feet with the cords and bands of Gods Law that they do not walke or worke wickedly nay and it is able to furnish and supply us with sufficiencie of spirituall strength to continue in all these good things and in a godly course vnto the end And if we be once thus qualified we are rightly fitted and prepared for the glory that is to be revealed As before this holy Word did translate us from the darknesse of sinne into the light of grace it can now much more easily with joy and triumph bring us from the light of grace to the light of immortalitie and everlasting pleasures at Gods right hand A third Motive may be this Wee must be judged by the Word of God at the last Day If any man saith Christ Ioh. 12. 47 48. heare my words and beleeve not I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World He that refuseth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken it shall judge him in the last Day Whensoever wee shall come to judgement and appeare before Gods Tribunall and wee little know how neere it is two Bookes shall be layd open unto us the one of Gods Law another of our owne Conscience The former will tell us what wee should have done for the Lord hath revealed it to the World to be the rule of our faith and of all our actions The other will tell us what wee have done for Conscience is a Register Light and Power in our Vnderstanding which treasures up all our particular actions against the Day of Triall discovers unto us the equitie or iniquitie of them and determines of them either with us or against us Now we must not take any exception against the first that is the Law of God For the Law of God saith David Psal 19. 7. is perfect converting the soule The testimonie of the Lord is sure and giveth wisedome unto the simple Wee cannot against the second that is the Booke of our Conscience for it was ever in our custodie and keeping no man could corrupt it there
upon the hairie scalpe of all such as goe on still in their wickednesse A fifth Let and hinderance of hearing the Word of God is an excessive and immoderate delight and an eager and earnest pursuit of the sinfull pleasures of a mans sweet sinne By a mans sweet sinne I meane that which his corrupt nature hath singled out and made speciall choise of to follow and feed upon with greatest delight and sensuall sweetnesse which by custome and continuance hath taken deepest root and surest hold in his heart upon which all his affections and desires are carried with sharpest edge heat and headlongnesse and to which hee makes all occasions and circumstances friends and acquaintance Religion and Conscience all the powers both of soule and body and outward estate serviceable and contributorie as to that which chiefely rules and reignes in him This sweet sinne in some is Worldlinesse Earthly-mindednesse and Covetousnesse In others it is Voluptuousnesse Lust and Vncleannesse Pride Pleasures Drunkennesse or such like Now certaine it is carnall prophane and unregenerate men doe many times preferre the pleasures of their sweet and most delightfull sinne before the comforts of Gods House the Congregation of the Saints and the preciousnesse of the Word preached And therefore howsoever they may ordinarily come to Sermons though it be rather for fashion and of custome than with heartie and true devotion yet if some speciall gaine and profit be to be layd hold upon at that time if some extraordinarie pleasure feasting pastime and companie be then to be enjoyed they make no Conscience to turne their backes upon the House of God and the Ministerie of the Word even upon the Sabbath day so for a little sinfull pleasure or worldly contentment wretchedly abandoning Gods holy Ordinance and the necessarie meanes of their owne salvation That many men are thus wickedly hindered from hearing the Word of God appeares in Math. 22. and Luke 14. The glorious magnificence and rich comforts of heavenly Cheare in the House of God are notably set out unto us there by divers circumstances in the Parable of the great Feast First it was a Wedding Feast which usually is full of joy comfort and great solemnitie Secondly it was made by a King and therefore like unto himselfe Royall and Princely in plentie and varietie answerable to his State and Greatnesse Thirdly it was made at the Marriage of a Kings sonne which would make it yet farre more sumptuous full of pompe and noble entertainment than if it had beene for a servant friend or ordinarie person By all this is meant the Ministery of the Word and Gospel of Christ Iesus wherewith every faithfull man is feasted made Gods sonne and married to Christ himselfe for ever in righteousnesse and in judgement in mercie and in compassion This Feast being in full readinesse Servants are sent out to invite Guests But for all the glory comfort and magnificence prepared for them in this Wedding and Royall Feast many refuse to come and make excuse One saith he hath bought a Farme and must needes goe to see it another hath bought five Yoke of Oxen and goes to prove them another hath married a Wife and therefore he cannot come another is busied about his Merchandise buying and selling and can hardly spare so much time Thus one sinfull delight or other profit pleasure companie or the like doe many times stay and hinder prophane and worldly men from hearing the Word of God and from this spirituall and heavenly Feast in his House whereby their soules might be satisfied as it were with marrow and fatnesse with the comforts of grace and a taste of the joyes of Heaven It is very strange that any man should be so bloudie and cruell to his owne soule that whereas by the breaking of the Word of Life unto him in such places as this he might have it furnished with spirituall strength towards everlasting life yet for some earthly pelfe and temporall pleasure absenting himselfe he suffers it to starve in ignorance and prophanenesse the immediate and certaine passages to eternal death Let a man imagine with himselfe when he purposes and resolves to absent himselfe from a Sermon that hee layes as it were in the one Scale of the Weights the glorious Majestie presence and honour of God the comfort happinesse and salvation of his owne Soule and in the other a little wretched pleasure or profit and so suffers this miserable Vanitie to weigh downe so infinite a Majestie For first Gods House where his Word is faithfully preached is as it were the Presence-Chamber of the everlasting King of Glory Here he sits in a Chaire of State with more speciall and eminent Power and Majestie as anciently he sate betweene the Cherubins Secondly Christ himselfe is here present For Wheresoever two or three are gathered together in his Name he is in the midst of them And so he is said to walke in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks and with speciall power and providence to direct and guide these holy Exercises Thirdly the holy Spirit of God is present in our Assemblies plentifully shedding into the hearts of the faithfull the rich Treasures of Wisdome and Grace Fourthly the blessed Angels of God are here as appeareth 1 Cor. 11. 10. not onely to doe service unto the Lord unto the Elect and unto his Ministerie but also after a sort to solace and rejoyce themselves in the beautie of Gods House and in the Mysteries published in the Gospel as appeares 1 Pet. 1. 12. Fifthly Gods holy Saints here present themselves in whom all our delight and comfort ought to be for they onely are truly excellent allyed unto Christ and heires of Heaven Lastly here alone ordinarily are to be had Blessings Life and Salvation for the Word preached is the ordinarie meanes to beget the unconverted unto God by inlightening their eyes opening their eares softening their hearts planting faith in their soules and holinesse in their conversations so that of the children of wrath they become the sonnes of God Hence it is that it is called a Ministerie of Reconciliation of Peace a Word of Grace of Salvation and of Life If a man be alreadie converted and in the state of grace he may receive these Blessings by it It is a powerfull meanes of the Spirit To encrease his knowledge in heavenly things and the affaires of the Soule by dayly clearing his judgement from ignorance and error by informing it with spirituall wisedome and all necessarie truths and needfull knowledge To adde strength and vigour and encrease unto his faith that hee may grow and proceed from the infancie and weakenesse in Christianitie to tallnesse and perfection in Christ To preserve him from luke-warmenesse worldlinesse and securitie to recall him from his wandrings and strayings out of the way of sincerity to settle
were sent out into the World as Sheepe amongst Wolves There come after and drinke of the same Cup millions of blessed men and women under the primitive Persecutions Of which some were scalded some burned some broyled some hanged some beheaded some throwne downe from rockes upon stakes some stabbed in with forkes some racked and torne in pieces their tongues cut out their eyes bored out their flesh twitched off with Pinsons womens brests feared off with hot yrons pricked under the nayles with Needles and a thousand more wayes tormented with as great varietie and exquisitenesse as politike malice could devise and prophane crueltie execute If wee passe along from thence even to these Times yea and if our eyes were so enlightened that we could looke upon the state of Gods children and their way to Heaven even to the Worlds end we should ever be able to trace them along by the teares of Brine and bloud which are powred out and spilt for the profession of Gods Truth and practice of holinesse This then is was and ever will be the lot and portion of all those who are fitting and preparing for Heaven They are ever persecuted one way or other If by reason of the milde and peaceable Times they fight not unto bloud and passe the fierie Triall yet they shall have their troubles oppressions and disgraces at least they shall be ever sure to be payd home with the scourge of tongues they shall be loaden with slanders and false reports they shall be made a gazing-stocke a by-word and Table-talke a scorne reproach and derision to them that are round about them as David was Psal 79. 4. Which being so why should not a common case in the cause of God breed a common comfort in true Christians Why should any of them thinke much to drinke of the same Cup that the dearest Saints and soules now blessed with the Lord have begun to them in and of which all that will be saved even to the last day must taste and follow Why should any man that truly loves God or lookes for the joyes of the other World seeke or desire a priviledge above all the children of God that everwere and even above the Sonne of God himselfe Christ Iesus Most unworthy is hee of the glorious comforts of Grace of the inward Peace that passeth all understanding and of that Glory which is to be revealed who for a slanderous tale a lying tongue a reproachfull tearme or the feare and face of any mortall man slinkes back from a bold profession of sinceritie and from the true service of the living God In sufferings and afflictions for Gods cause there is not onely matter of patience but even occasion of glory They are like starres in the forehead honourable maimes conformities to Iesus Christ Liveries of a Christian souldier Fifthly let him consider that his momentanie crosses and afflictions cause an exceeding and everlasting weight of glory Let his vexation be never so grievous his persecutors never so great and mightie neither they nor that can last long For the life of man and all the glory thereof doth passe away like a Ship in the Water whose tract cannot be seene againe like an Arrow through the aire or a Weavers Shuttle through his worke like a fading Flower suddenly plucked up and withered like Grasse like Smoake like a Dreame like a Bubble of the Water Though a Christian therefore be never so deepely plunged into miseries he shall abide but a while under the waters of affliction the day of redemption cannot be farre off Though he should passe through the teeth of wilde Beasts upon the sword of the Tyrant through the flames of fire though his braines should be dasht against the walls his limbes lye scattered in the streets and his bloud runne downe every channell yet shall he ere it be long gloriously rise againe in despight of all the powers of Darkenesse and bloudinesse of cruell men Hee shall entirely be restored by the mightie and immediate hand of God hee shall be clothed with Light and immortalitie his bloud shall be revenged and all teares wiped from his eyes and there shall be set upon his head a Crowne of everlasting joy peace and happinesse Sixtly comfort unspeakable and glorious may spring up in the heart of Gods child amidst his sufferings for the cause of God out of a consideration That in all afflictions without exception Christ suffereth with him Paul was the mirrour and miracle of all Christians for the varietie and gloriousnesse of his sufferings you may see a strange and unmatchable Catalogue of them 2 Cor. 11. 23. c. He was in stripes above measure plenteously in prison in death oft Of the Iewes five times received hee fortie stripes save one he was thrice beaten with Rods he was once stoned he suffered thrice shipwracke night and day was he in the deepe Sea In journeying he was often in perils of Waters in perils of Robbers in perils of his owne Nation in perils among the Gentiles in perils in the Citie in perils in the Wildernesse in perils in the Sea in perils among false Brethren in wearinesse and painefulnesse in watching often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and in nakednesse Yet all these and what other crosses and afflictions befell him he calls and accounts them the sufferings and afflictions of Christ Now saith Paul Col. 1. 24. now rejoyce I in my sufferings for you and fulfill the rest of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his Bodies sake which is the Church And 2 Cor. 1. 5. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. Lazarus in all his povertie contempt sicknesse sores or what other miseries suffered nothing wherein Christ was not partaker of his griefe and sorrow So sweet and blessed a consent and sympathie is there betwixt Christ the Head and all true Christians his members that so long as the great mysterie of that mysticall Vnion stands true and sure which is for ever all holy men and servants of God in all their sufferings for the Name of Christ profession of his Truth and practice of sinceritie shall have Christ himselfe partner and partaker of their miseries which is able to refresh the heaviest heart in the greatest extremities I have stayed long upon this point to wit how Sathan labours might and maine by crosses and slanders to discourage Gods child and to stop his course in the wayes of righteousnesse and in laying downe some comforts against them because thousands at the very first entrance or after some small continuance are wofully turned backe from grace and sinceritie by temptations reproaches and troubles raysed against them by their owne rebellious flesh Sathan and prophane men Now in a ninth place if all this will doe no good if the heat of persecution inflame the zeale of the true Christian if reproaches and afflictions be so
intention and amazement that omnipotent Majesty that wrought such wonders for his chosen For hearts emptied of worldly thoughts and sanctified by heavenly meditation are fit subjects for workes of Heaven and divine impressions How much more ought we to prepare our soules before wee come into the Sanctuary of the Lord sith there they are either to be hardned for the Scepter of destruction and made ready for the flames of Hell if wee doe not prepare our selves hearken and obey or else to be softned and sanctified with saving grace and fitted for a Crowne of Glory if with reverence humility and obedience wee submit our selves to the power of the Word There if wee be unconverted the great and miraculous worke of the new-birth is to bee wrought upon them if wee be new-borne they are to be fed with the spirituall Manna unto everlasting life The same Ioshuah when the excommunicate and execrable thing was to be found out and put from amongst them which was the cause they could not stand against their enemies he commanded them to sanctifie themselves that the Lord might prosper and poure his blessings upon that necessarie and weightie search and inquisition How much more ought wee to prepare our selves before wee step into the House of God sith there is to be discovered and cast out those hatefull sinnes that fearefully incense Gods wrath against us and make us weake in the Lords battailes and not able to stand against our spirituall enemies the corruptions of our owne flesh the enticements of the World and temptations of Sathan Before the sacrifice and anointing of David King of Israel Ishai and his sonnes were sanctified How much more ought wee to be prepared before wee come before the Lords Prophets and Embassadours that there wee may be anointed Kings and Priests unto our God Iosiah before the eating of the Paschall Lambe did bid the people not onely sanctifie themselves but also prepare their brethren How much more ought wee when wee come to the Ministerie of the Word to seede by faith upon that true Bread from Heaven which giveth life unto the World which if wee once soundly taste with beleeving hearts wee shall not hunger wee shall never thirst But the most famous and fittest place for my purpose and preparation in that particular holy businesse of hearing the Word is that in Exod. 19. 10. The people were sanctified and washed their clothes and prepared themselves for two dayes and the third day they were readie to attend what the Lord would say unto them As in that extraordinarie promulgation of the Law the people were to be prepared extraordinarily so from proportion of that practice and precedencie ordinarie preparation is necessarie for the ordinarie preaching of the Word if wee looke that it should powerfully and profitably worke upon our Consciences and affections Their washing of their bodies and clothes their abstinence from their wives and such solemne and ceremonious purifications were typicall significations and representations unto us that wee should weane our hearts from earthly thoughts purge them from secret corruptions and bring them faire and free from sinfull spot and worldly entanglement when wee come to heare the Lord speake unto us by his Ministers Holy men of God were wont addressing themselves to prayer to have their ejaculations lifting up of their hearts certaine short prayers before they entred into that sacred and solemne action Besides Precept and Practice in the Booke of God for Preparation the profit is great the benefits and blessings that redound unto us and fall upon us by it are excellent and precious Looke in the latter end of the eleventh Chapter of Iob. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards him If iniquitie be in thine hand put it farre away and let no wickednesse dwell in thy Tabâ—rnacle Then truly shalt thou lift up thy face without spot and shalt be stable and shalt not feare c. Preparation of the heart is here the foundation and first step unto many glorious blessings The heart must be first prepared before other holy duties can be fitly performed or Gods blessings expected In the first place first prepare thine heart secondly then poure it out in prayer before the Throne of Grace thirdly then purge it from corruption banish farre and barre out all iniquitie fourthly next be sure to reforme instruct and pray with thy family or those that are about thee Let no wickednesse ignorance prophanenesse swearing swaggering drunkennesse or the like dwell in thy Tabernacle harbour in thine house or rowst neere thee And then open thy heart and hands for the Windowes of Heaven shall be set wide open that all manner of spirituall comforts all the blessings of peace and happinesse may in abundance be showred downe upon thee the rich Treasurie of everlasting Glory and Immortalitie shall be unlockt unto thee and thou shalt row and tumble thy selfe for ever after amid mountaines of heavenly pearles and golden pleasures through Rivers nay Seas of endlesse joyes that no heart can comprehend but that which is weaned from all worldly pleasures and set apart and sanctified for holy services and businesses of Heaven Then truly shalt thou lift up thy face without spot Though thou hast lyen among the Pots yet thou shalt be now as the wings of a Dove that is covered with Silver and whose feathers are like yellow Gold Though thou be like the Kedarims which dwell in Tents the black-Moores that is by reason of thy sinne subject to the condemnation of God and deprived of his glory yet shalt thou be in Christ goodly and glorious as those that dwell in exceeding glory under the Curtaines of Salomon Though thou be black with the remnants of originall corruption and present infirmities though the Sunne have looked upon thee and parched thee with the scorching heat of sore affliction and chastisements yet shalt thou now shine like the Sunne in his strength with the royall Robe of Christs righteousnesse with fresh comfort and lasting chearefulnesse Thou shalt be stable and shalt not feare Though the wicked tremble many times at their owne shadowes and the sound of a Leafe shaken doth chase them and strike a faintnesse into their hearts and a trembling into their loynes yet thou shalt never be afraid of any evill tidings whether they be forged by the spightfull and impoysoned tongues of prophane men to defame and disgrace thee or fetched out of the bottome of Hell by Sathans malice to terrifie thee though the messengers of miseries and mischiefes come thicke and three-fold upon thee as they did upon Iob though the Earth be moved and the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea nay though the whole World be on flames about thine eares and the Heavens be rouled together like a Scrowle yet shalt thou be stable and shalt not feare because thy heart is fixed and beleeveth in the
sweet sinne strucke at still and still to have his Conscience grated upon by the Ministerie of the Word and therefore he does what he can to abandon and abolish it When Ieremies Sermon denouncing Gods Iudgement against Iudah and Israel were brought unto the King Ier. 36. 23. Iehudi had not read past three or foure sides before him but the King stamped and raged hee presently tooke the Roule and cut it with a Pen-knife and cast it into the fire that was on the Hearth untill all the Roule was consumed in the fire that was on the Hearth In the 38. of Ieremie when the Princes and Courtiers were nettled and stung with the downe-right dealing and holy severitie of Ieremies Preaching they presently ranne unto the King and traduced the blessed Prophet to be a transgressor of Policie and an enemie to the State Therefore the Princes said unto the King Wee beseech you let this man be put to death for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of Warre that remaine in this Citie and the hands of all the people in speaking such words unto them For this man seeketh not the wealth of this people but the hurt And there you see what was the issue Thus Prophanenesse and Policie doth ever interprete the Doctrine of Life and powerfull application of the word to be the Source and Seeds of Faction and Sedition to be incompatible with the civill State and the very cut-throat of Kingdomes and States imperiall Paul as wee may see in the 24. of the Acts for his upright dealing was nick-named a Seditioner and a troubler of the State Certainely saith Tertullus wee have found this man a pestilent fellow and a mover of Sedition among all the Iewes throughout the World and a chiefe maintainer of the Sect of the Nazarites Thus the Word of Life and newes of salvation from Heaven is many times charged with Noveltie Sedition and Heresie But that which by the construction of carnall conceits may be tearmed Heresie Factious and Precise is the very right way to Heaven I confesse saith Paul that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers c. So may many good Christians and godly Ministers say in these Times to the men of this World After the way which you call Precisenesse Singularitie and Faction doe wee truly serve the living God and save our soules Secondly Or if the authoritie and power of his Preaching doth so astonish and confound him that hee hath no heart to meddle that way or oppose against it yet at least rather than not be malicious hee will discharge his furie against his person Hence it is that a faithfull and conscionable Minister commonly wheresoever hee lives is an eminent marke whereat Prophanenesse and Policie Malice and Crueltie Hell and the World discharge the utmost of their rage and poyson Hee above all others is sure to be wrongfully loaden with slanders disgraces lying imputations and all manner of foule indignities and many times by the baser sort which is more intolerable If hee be but halfe so honestly carefull in providing for his family as the carnall worldling is cursedly carking hee is covetous If powerfull in his Preaching hee is imperious If hee oppose against the sinnes of the Time hee is factious If hee be faithfull in his Ministerie hee is too precise and plaine If hee comes home to mens Consciences hee is too particular and undiscreet In a word if hee were Paul hee should be a pestilent fellow if CHRIST IESVS blessed for ever a horrible thing hee should be Belzebub For so that glorious Lord and blessed Servant was nick-named and branded by the prophane World Hence it is that the generation of the prophane and wicked Crue doe ever furiously band themselves together to transplant and root out a conscionable Minister whensoever God brings him amongst them Like an unquiet and raging Sea they continually foame out spightfull speeches filthie and shamefull slanders and lay things unto his charge hee never knew That so by discouraging him in his Ministerie weakening his hands and breaking his heart they may any wayes be rid of him Or else by picking unnecessarie Quarrels against him they labour by Authoritie and strong hand to throw him out of his place For their malice against a powerfull Minister is endlesse and implacable It is ever the propertie of un-ingenuous prophanenesse to hate and feare a faithfull and conscionable Preacher as ill as the Plague and so to esteeme of him This appeares by Tertullus censure of Paul Certainely saith hee wee have found this man a pestilent fellow When indeed himselfe was a pernicious Orator and abused his cursed Eloquence to the confusion of Goodnesse In the Originall the word signifies the Plague The Plague that great affrighter and terror of the sonnes of men is not halfe so terrible and vexing as is that man to a carnall heart which preaches with power and authoritie and not as the Scribes and formall Doctors and no marvell The Plague threatens but onely the feares and pangs of a temporall death and takes but away the naturall Life but the powerfull Word from the mouth of a conscionable Minister doth strike to the very heart of a carnall man the terrors of Hell-fire and everlasting Vengeance and doth labour to bereave him of his Life of Corruption and Pleasures which as I told you before is more sweet and deare unto him than his Life of Nature And hereupon it is that as you see Townes and Cities busily bestirre themselves watch and ward diligently enquire and examine passengers to keepe out the Plague so it is the policie and practice of those places where Drunkards Swaggerers Worldlings and prophane men swarme joyntly to conspire and band together for the banishing of godly Ministers and driving them out of their Coast CHRIST IESVS himselfe who spake as never any man spake was so used by the Swinish Gadarens as you may reade in the fifth of Luke Paul and Barnabas that glorious paire of worthy Pastors were so used by the rebellious and stiffe-necked Iewes Act. 13. whereupon they told them to their faces That thereby they judged themselves unworthie of everlasting life Then Paul and Barnabas saith the Text spake boldly and said It was necessarie that the Word of God should have first beene spoken unto you But seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe wee turne unto the Gentiles The Booke of God Ecclesiasticall Stories experience of our Times doe plentifully verifie and confirme this Point 5 But if so be this Spirituall Foole whom wee have carried along through so many steps of impietie cannot have his will against the Preaching and the Person of the Minister but that he sees the Power of the Word which he cannot decline is like continually to vexe him to strike through his loynes with feare and trembling still to grate upon his Conscience for his sweet sinne to discerne and discover