I may use to you the words of the Prophet Esa. 42.23 Who among you will give eare to this who will hearken and heare for the time to come Thirdly and lastly Admit there were but one or two among you that had present need of comfort and none of the rest of you either needed it now or were like to stand in need of it hereafter yet stand I more bound to respect the two poore afflicted soules then al the rest of you though you were as many more as you are and rather let you all go without that portion that belongeth to you then those two And I have three reasons to move me to it First the example of the Prophet Elisha 2 King 4.27 who had tender respect to the Shunamite when her soule was vexed within her Yea of Christ who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefe shepheard and pastour who professeth this to be his chiefe care Ezek. 34.16 I will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that that was sicke And that this was the chiefe worke God appointed him to when he sent him to preach Esa. 61.1 2. He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Zion And gave an experiment of this in Peter and Mary whom because they were afflicted in conscience he shewed more care of after his resurrection then of all the rest of the Disciples Mar 16 9. 1 Cor. 15.5 Ioh. 21.15 Secondly the charge and commandement of Christ which he hath given all his Ministers concerning these as appeareth Esa. 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem And in that charge to Peter Ioh. 21.15 Feed my lambes Thirdly as these poore soules have need to be comforted and have this evill usually accompanying their other misery that it is a hard thing to fasten any comfort upon them their soulâ— usually refuseth comfort when they are in this case as David speaketh Psal 77.2 So the ministery of the Word being ordained to this very end 1 Cor. 4.3 hath more force and God sheweth his power more in it this way then in any private meanes According to that Esa 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him Now therefore hearken unto me so many of you as feare the Lord and yet are much subject to trouble of mind and heavinesse of heart and to use the words of the Evangelicall Prophet Esa. 51.1 hearkâ—n unto me ye that folow aâ—â—â—r righteousnesse ye that seeke the Lord. Stirre up your hearts to admit of the word of consolation Foure things I have to say to you for your comfort First It is the will of God that such as you are should be cheerefull and comfortable in your spirits He hath oft charged you in his Word to be so yea as oft and as earnestly as ever he charged you to feare him and to lead a godly life Psal. 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous so I would wilt thou say if I were so but marke what followeth and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Yea Psalme 105.3 Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord. Yea Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord alway and againe I say rejoyce To omit many other places as Psalme 2.11.33.1.48.11.68.4.97.12.149.2.5 Matth. 5.12 Luke 10.20 Rom. 12.13 Phil. 3.1 1 Thess. 5.26 By all which you may perceive this that God greatly delighteth to see you cheerefull and comfortable Secondly I must intreat you to consider the mischiefe that commeth by your giving so much way to your heavinesse and feares 1. You give occasion to wicked men to blaspheme and speake evill of the good waies of God as if this preaching and profession made men mad or mopish that follow it and so yee alienate their hearts from religion and make them hate preaching As the spies that brought an evill report of the land of promise and said Numb 1â— 32 It was a land that devoured the inhabitants of it alienated the hearts of the people from it and made them murmur against Moses and Aaron Numb 14.2 It is said Acts 9.31 that while the faithfull walked in the feare of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost they multiplied That is the way to add to the Church and gaine others to it when Christians walke cheerefully and comfortably and so the contrary is a stumbling blocke to keepe men from it 2. By yeelding to this heavinesse you give advantage to Sathan and make your selves lesse able to resist his tentations Neh. 8.10 Be not so sorrowfull for the joy of the Lord is your strength 3. By yeelding to this heavinesse and feare ye make the duties and services ye do to God lesse acceptable unto him For as God loveth a cheerefull giver 2 Cor. 9.7 so doth he a cheerefull worshipper Psalme 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladnesse The Lord would have us call the Sabbath a delight Esa. 58.13 And threatneth captivity even for this Deut. 28.47 Because they served him not with joyfullnesse and with gladnesse of heart Thirdly I must desire you to consider how just cause such as you are have to be comfortable and cheerfull in the Lord what cause soever you have of humbling in your selves For certainly yeare in a blessed state Psal. 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. 1. You are the people to whom the kingdome of heaven doth belong Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven And all things that befall you shall certainely tend to the fitting of you for it and therefore you have just cause of joy Feare not little flock saith our Saviour Luk. 12 3â— it is your fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Rom. 8.28 All things worke together for good to them that feare God Rom. 5.2 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God Yea we glory in tribulation also verse 3..2 You are the people whose sins are forgiven and for whom Christ hath fully satisfyed the justice of his father so as though you may be chastised sharply for them punished you shall never be In that day there shall be a fountaine opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Zach. 13.1 In what day See that Zach. 12.10 when God shall poure upon them the spirit of grace and supplications so as they should looke upon him whom they had pierced and mourne for him And therefore thou hast just cause of joy Esa. 40.2 Speake ye comfortably to Ierusalem and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished the battell is fought and victory obtained against all her enemies that her iniquity is pardoned for she hath received of the Lords hand double for all her sinnes 3. You are the people that how ever men esteeme you or you thinke of
him to heare him And our Saviour was so farre from blaming them as if they neglected their worldly businesse this way that hee defendeth and praiseth Mary for doing this Luk. 10 4â— though happily she had some whatelse to do at that time Thirdly few or none are thankefull to God for this ordinance of his nor do in their hearts esteeme it any such blessing to the land or towne that enjoy it as for which they should thinke themselves much bound to praise God They can be thankefull for peace and for health and for seasonable times but for a goâ—d ministery few or none can be thankefull to God whereas we should account it our chiefe blessing from God for so the Lord speaketh of this as his chiefe blessing bestowed upon a people Iere 3 15. I will give you Pastors according to mine owne heart that shall feed you with knowledge and understanding And Amos 2.11 I raised up of your sonnes for Prophets and of your young men for Nazarites And Mic. 6.4 I sent before thee and Moses Aaron Miriam Yea such a blessing it is as should abundantly content us and assure us of Gods favour even in the want of all other blessings For so speaketh the Lord of it Esay 30.20 Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more but thine eyes shall see thy teachers 2. We should account a faithful ministery the very glory and strength of our land When the Arke of God was gone the glory was departed from Israel 1. Sam. 4.31 And the true ministery of the Lords Levits is said to be that that strengthened the kingdome of Iudah 2. Chron. 11.17 And Abijah makes this a maine ground of his confidence and hope of successe in his battell against Ieroboam that he in his kingdome had a true and faithfull ministery which the other had not 2 Chron. 13.9 10. Have not ye cast out the Priests of the Lord the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites and have made you priests after the manner of the nations But as for us the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which minister unto the Lord are the sonnes of Aaron and the Levites waite upon their businesses Now to this first sort of persons that this Doctrine reproveth I have no more to say but this that I would have them to thinke seriously of two things First That they have cause to suspect whatsoever grace or goodnes seemes to be in them while their heart tells them they make no more reckoning of the ministery of the Word but despise it rather Two good things such men use to put most confidence in 1. They find some devotion in themselves they love prayers well and can say their owne prayers sometimes 2. They beleeve in Christ. Foolish man let not Satan deceive thee certainly while thou makest no reckning of the ministery of the Word they faith is nothing worth thy prayers will do thee no good For thy prayers know all the service thou seemest to doe unto God is no better then the sacrifice of fooles till thou be more ready to heare Eccles. 5.1 To hearken is better then the fat of Rammes 1. Sam. 15.22 And for both thy praying and thy beleeving in Christ marke well that knowne place well knowne indeed ô that it were aswell beleeved Rom. 10.14 How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved and how shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher How canst thou pray that hast no faith how canst thou have faith that camest not to it by hearing the Word preached that art no hearer But me thinks I heare many of you say this toucheth not me for I am a hearer I have heard many a Sermon O but marke what followeth in the next verse verse 15. and thou shalt find thou art no such hearer as Paul speakes of the hearers that Paul speaketh of are such as can cry O how beautifull are the feete of them that doe preach the Gospell of peace But thou seest no beauty in their feete thou hearest them but thou joyest not in them thou countest them no blessing nor art thankfull to God for them thou seest no great need of hearing of them thou art weary of them and how shouldest thou have any true faith how shouldest thou be able to pray aright The second thing I would have these men to consider is this that the holy Ghost speaketh of this as of a fearefull sinne and signe of a most gracelesse heart to be unwilling to heare the word to have no mind unto it 1. Such a one hath no care of his soule what becomes of it whether it sinke or swimme as we say whether it be saved or damned Pro 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soule Nay 2. more then that such a one careth not for God or the things of God regardeth him not feareth him not is in his heart a very Athiest they that desire not the knowledge of his wayes say in their hearts unto God depart from us Iob 21.14 My people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me saith the Lord Psal. 81.11 Nay 3. to refuse to heare the word preached when wee may and God offereth it unto us to have no mind to it no love to it is a greater sin if Christ be to be beleeved then the sinne of Sodome and Gomorrah Mat. 10.14 15. When all is done and the time of reckoning shall come this will be found to be thy chiefest sinne The second sort that are to bee reproved by this Doctrine are they which heare often seeme also to delight in the best ministry yet profit not at al by it but remaine as ignorant unreformed profane as they that never heard Sermon If tryall were taken of the most hearers they would be found such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Tim. 3.7 ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth Such hearers I desire to consider and weigh well with themselves these sixe points First That it is no great matter of comfort to a man nor thing wherein any should blesse himselfe that he is a hearer a constant hearer a hearer of the best teachers and that with delight also This testimony the Lord gives of notorious hypocrites Esa. 58.2 They seeke me daily and delight to know my wayes and Ezech 33 3â— 32. They come to thee a faithfull Prophet as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words with their mouth they show much love praising the faithfull minister greatly and loe thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument No musicke did ever delight them more then a good Sermon Yea of Herod himselfe it is said
outward meanes that God hath revealed in his Word and appointed us to use to make this his ordinance effectuall in our hearts no way limiting Gods power but leaving his secret working to himselfe According to that Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong to the Lord our God but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever 3. Though many have felt this ordinance effectuall in themselves that never thus prepared their hearts unto it yet can none such have any assurance or hope that they shall profit by it that are not carefull to prepare their hearts before hand because they have no promise of God for it Now this preparation consisteth in eight things which I will distinctly deliver unto you and run over them with all the speed I can First you must come in repentance that is before you come to heare you must by unfeined repentance cast of every knowne sin Mar 1.15 Repent and beleeve the Gospell saith our Saviour Men must repent with legall repentance before they can beleeve And the Word can profit no man unlesse it bee mixed with faith Heb 4.2 This preparative the Apostle prescribeth 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisyes and envies and evill speakings as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby Is it therefore any wonder though they that are usually drunke on the Saterday night or spend it in gaming and then come hither on the Lords day to heare or that immediatly before they come to the Sermon have beene scoulding or acting some other foule sins should go away from the Ministery of the Word never a whit better then they came Did you ever know any salve so soveraigne that could cure a wound that had a splint or an arrow head remaining in it Surely so will every knowne sin unrepented of hinder the saving operation of the word in any mans heart yea it will make the Word a savour of death unto a man See how God threatneth such Ezek. 14.7 8. For every one of the house of Israel or of the strangers that sojourneth in Israel which separateth himselfe from me and setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquity before his face and commeth to a Prophet to enquire of him concerning me I the Lord will answer him by my selfe And I will set my face against that man and will make him a signe and a proverbe and I will cut him off from the midst of my people and ye shall know that I am the Lord. Secondly you must come with an empty and free heart lay aside and cast of all worldly cares and thoughts which will distract and draw away thy heart That is one chiefe reason of that rest that is enjoyned upon the Lords day and of the commandement the Lord gives to remember and thinke of it before hand and to do all our businesse in the sixe daies that we may have nothing to doe on that day Exod. 28.8 10. This is that that God intended to teach by that ceremony he commanded Moses to use Exod. 3.5 Put of thy shooes from of thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground to lay aside all their worldly thoughts and affections They that in this ordinance of God seeke for wisdome that is to be made wise unto salvation must first separate themselves from all other matters to this businesse as Solomon speaketh Pro. 18.1 1 Tim. 4.15 Give thy selfe wholy to them that thy profiting may appeare to all And how should they then profit by the Word that jumpe out of their worldly businesse from busying their heads and tongues about such matters into the house of God and will never take the paines to put of their shoes and to sequester their thoughts from such things Whereby it comes to passe that though they draw neare to God with their eares and lips yet their hearts are farre removed from him Esa. 29.13 Their heart goeth after their covetousnesse Ezek. 33.31 Thirdly you must come with an appetite and earnest desire to learne and profit by the Word without which as meat taken into a full stomacke the Word will profit us little With this heart came David to the Word Psal. 119.131 I opened my mouth and panted for I longed for thy commandements This preparative also the Apostle prescribeth 1 Pet. 2.2 As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that ye may grow thereby To such God hath ever beene wont to blesse his Word He filleth the hungry with good things Luk. 1.53 This maketh the Word sweet and wholsome to us Pro. 27.7 To the hungry soule every bitter thing is sweet But the most of our hearers come to the Word without all appetite or desire after it as may appeare by the heavinesse of their countenance while they are hearing Of whom it may be said as Esa. 3.9 The shew of their countenance doth witnesse against them Fourthly you must come with an humble heart affected with the sense of the need you have of this ordinance of God in respect of the ignorance hardnes of heart infidelity and other corruptions you find in your selves Psal. 25.9 God will teach the humble his way He giveth grace to the humble 1 Pet. 5.5 All conceit of our own knowledge must be cast of if we would profit by the word We must first become fooles in sense of our owne ignorance before ever we can be made wise unto salvation by the Lord in this his ordinance 1 Cor. 3.18 No man can hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and grace till he be first poore in spirit Matth. 5. â— â— And what marvell is it then that our hearers profit so little 1. Many come onely to heare for novelty sake that they may try and passe their sentence and censure on the preachers gifts Luke 23.8 9. Herod had heard a great fame of Christ and therefore was exceeding glad both to see him and to heare him too that he might try whether he were such a one as he had heard him to be 2. The most are Laodicean hearers too well conceited of themselves as it is said of them Revel 3.17 void of all sense of ignorance or any other corruption in themselves Fiftly come with an open heart ready to receive every truth that God shall teach thee in this his ordinance what God shall teach you I say not what any man shall teach thee be he never so good For as for the best teacher in the world you have a rule to try before you trust as 1 Thess. 5.21 Prove all things hold fast that which is good and nothing els As the noble Bereans did Act. 17.11 Even in these daies Gods people have need of that caveat Mar. 4.24 Take heed what you heare But this I say you shall never profit by the Word unlesse you come to it with open hearts ready to
to prepare and fit your selves to the hearing of the word so will I now shew you what your labour must be while you are in hearing of it and lastly what you must do after you have heard it if you desire to profite by it And that which is your part to doe while you are hearing consisteth in five points First you must set your selves as in Gods presence while you are hearing of his word 1. Remember and thinke with your selves you have to deale with God in this businesse it is Gods word and not mans that you heare 1. Thess. 2.13 It is God himselfe that speaketh to you from heaven by us Heb. 12.25 How shall we escape if we turne away from him that speaketh from heaven Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me Iohn was the voice of him that cryed in the wildernesse Iohn 1.23 It is the Lord himselfe that speaketh and cryeth to you in our ministery we are but his voice Therefore Moses maketh this preface to his Doctrine Deut. 32.3 Because I will publish the name of the Lord ascribe ye greatnesse unto our God And as it is God that speaketh to you in our ministery So 2. is he alwayes in a speciall sort present where his word is preached to observe and marke how it is delivered and received and either to blesse or curse the hearers accordingly Of this and such like places it may be said as Iacob said of Bethel Gen. 28.16 17. Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Though you knew it not before know it now surely the Lord is in this place this is none other but the house of God and this is the gate of heaven Not that God dwells more here then there though he did so in the temple of Ierusalem but I speake it in reference to his majesty and in respect of the assemblies and meeting of Gods people to joyne together in the use of his ordinances Matth. 18.20 Where two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them Remember and thinke on these two things whensoever you heare that you may set your selves as in Gods presence when you are about this worke So did good Cornelius though a souldier and a great man too Acts 10.33 We are all hâ—re present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God This is profitable for us to doe in our whole course of life David did so Psal. 16.8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me This will greatly further our profiting by hearing for it cannot choose but breed in our hearts an awfull feare of God When Iacob had said Genes 28.16 Surely the Lord is in this place verse 17. Hee was afraid and said how dreadfull is this place And without our hearts bee stricken with this awfull feare and reverence of God we can do no service unto him â—n an acceptable manner Psal. 2.11 Serve the Lord with feare Hebr. 12.28 â—9 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly feare for our God is a consuming fire This feare will keepe us in that behaviour and disposition of body and mind as is meete 1. It will keepe our bodies from sleepinesse and all other unreverent behaviour For so will the presence of any man do whom we reverence and feare Proverbs 23.1 2. When thou sittest to eate with a ruler consider diligently what is before thee and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite 2. It will keepe our thoughts from roving without which we can never relish the Word Psal. 1.9.113 If we doe not hate vaine thoughts wee cannot love Gods Word 3. It will make us carefull to receive and obey that that shall be taught for so hath God bin wont to prepare his people to receive his Word yea he said of them when they were thus affected Deut. 5.29 O that there were such a heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my commandements alwayes No marvell then though we profite so little by the Word we performe this service with little or no reverence and feare The Apostle noteth it for a signe of an ungracious heart Iude 12. to eate without feare how much more to heare without feare witnesse the liberty men take to sleepe at Sermons not once striving against their owne corruption by stirring up rowsing themselves or desiring them that sit next them to awake them none resisting Satan who certainely helps forward this corruption in it Luke 8.12 and who if they would resist him would flye from them Iames 4.7 Three notable contempts and wants of reverence these men doe shew 1. To the congregation It is a signe of a gracelesse heart to beare no reverence to men Luke â—8 2 worse not to reverence any godly man or care for grieving or offending him or regarding what he thinks of us Mat. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones worst of all not to reverence the congregation of Gods people when they are assembled to worship God 1. Cor. 11.22 despisâ— yee the Church of God I tell you it becomes the greatest Prince that is in his comming in and going out and his whole behaviour to shew reverence to the Congregation 2. They shew contempt to the holy Angels who are present and have a speciall charge given them to attend the holy assemblies of Gods people both to be as a guard unto them and as witnesses to observe their behaviour 1. Cor. 11. â—0 3. But chiefly they shew contempt to God who as we have heard is in a speciall sort present here Levit. 6.2 Reverence my sanctuary I am the Lord. Secondly while the word is preached unto us wee must attend diligently to what we heare as they that would be loath to loose a word that should be delivered Vnto me mâ—n gave care saith Iob. 29.21 23. and waited and kept silence at my counsell And they waited for me as for the raine and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter raine And it is said Luke 19.48 That the people hanged upon Christ. This Gods people are oft called upon for Mar. 4.23 Christ was wont to say to the people in the beginning of his Doctrine hearken and againe at the end of his Sermons vers 9. And 7.14 Hearken every one of you Esa. 55.23 Hearken diligently unto me encline your eare and come unto me heare and your soule shall live Pro. 22.17 Bow downe thine eare and heare No hope the ministery of Christ himselfe should draw us and make us to come unto him and cause our soules to live unlesse we thus heare hearken diligently encline and bend our eares to heare Put these things into your eares saith our Saviour Luk. 9.44 For 1 the Word is so precious as it is worth the hearkning unto Psal. 19.10 It is more
unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established 3. They that pray not though they might be never so sure of these temporall blessings yet have they no just cause of comfort in them For they have them not with the blessing and favour of God 1. They come not rightly by them but like robbers breake into Gods storehouse and steale away his goods The richest man that is is bound to seeke even his bread of God every day Matth. 6.11 Give us this day our daily bread He hath no comfortable title to his food to his wealth that doth it not but is in Gods account a spirituall usurper and thiefe 2. Besides he can have no comfort in that he hath because it is not sanctified unto him it shall do him no good it shall do him much hurt rather A man may have these outward things without Gods blessing Hos. 13.11 I gave thee a king in mine anger and then they will be his bane it had beene much better for him to have beene without them Was not Goliahs strength 1 Sam. 17.9 Ahitophels wisdome 2 Sam. 17.23 and Herods eloquence Act. 12.23 so and yet all excellent gifts of God but they had them not with his blessing they were not sanctifyed unto them O that we had not too much experience of this daily in many that men may have abundance of these earthly blessings from God and have them with his curse as if God should have said as Pro. 1.32 The prosperity of fooles shall destroy them On the other side they that pray have just cause of comfort in these outward things be it little or much that they enjoy For 1. They have a blessed title to that they have they come honestly by it it is their owne they breake not into Gods treasury but by the key that God gave them they opened the doore and hold them by his gift 1 Cor. 3.22 All things are yours 2. That that they have is blessed and sanctified unto them 1 Tim. 4.4 5. Every creature of God is good to them that beleeve and know the truth for it is sanctifyed by the Word of God and prayer And thus have I answered the first reason Now to the second reason that it is needlesse to pray Because the good successe of all things depends upon and is to be ascribed not to prayer but to second causes and meanes God useth to work by and unto the reason will and endeavour of man The Lord say they hath set a constant course in nature and given a naturall force to sundry meanes and second causes to doe us good There is a covenant of God for the day and night mentioned Ier. 33.20 that they shall continue their courses which cannot faile So is therefore other ordinary meanes God hath given a naturall force to our meate to nourish us and to our cloathes to keepe us warme A good diet a good aire and exercise we see will keepe men in health though they never pray And as for wealth if men take paines in their calling and have also wisedome to order their affaires there is not one of a hundred but they prosper well enough In all labour saith Solomon Pro. 14.23 there is profit And Pro. 16.20 He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good Shall we thinke say some that the fasts that were kept so long and the prayers that were made were the cause why the plague ceased No no there is a naturall cause say they to be given of it till the aire was purged by the coldnesse of the season all your fasting and praying could do no good This reason and perswasion of the sufficiency that is in the meanes and in our owne endeavours hath in all ages marvellously prevailed to draw men from depending upon God and seeking unto him for helpe and comfort by prayer and doth certainly at this day And that not only with such as have beene infidells and openly wicked By the strength of mine hand have I done it saith the King of Assyria Esa. 10.13 and by my wisedome for I am prudent and Habac. 1.16 They sacrifice to their net and burne incense to their drag because by them their portion is fat and their meat plenteous But even such as have lived in Gods Church as we may see at large Esay 22.8 11 Yea Gods owne deare children have received much hurt by it as we may see in the example of Asa. 2. Chron. 16.12 In his disease he sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians For answer therefore unto it some things are first of all to be granted that is 1. That God useth not to helpe men without means as Iosh. 5.12 He fed them no longer with Manna from heaven when they came to Canaan where they might get corne So when God would deliver Peter out of the hand of Herod he caused the yron gate that lead unto the City to open of his owne accord and so he went out Acts 12.10 2. That God doth usually worke with and blesse the ordinary meanes Acts 9.19 When Paul had received meat he was strengthened And so are the places to be understood Prov. 14.23 In all labour there is profite and 16 20. He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good 3. That it is folly and sin for us to expect that God should helpe us when we neglect the ordinary meanes Matth. 4.7 Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Exod. 14 15. The Lord said to Moses why cryest thou to mee Speake unto the children of Israel that they goe forward He blameth him for resting upon prayer with the neglect of the meanes Gods blessing may be confidently expected upon our endeavours in the use of lawfull meanes 1. Chr. 22.16 Arise and be doing saith David to his sonne and the Lord will be with thee But all this is no sufficient cause to keepe us from prayer For 1. God is the authour and giver of all meanes when he intends to helpe us and doe us good he will give us the ordinary meanes to receive good by when he intends the contrary he will withold the meanes Iob 38.28 29. Hath the raine a father or who hath begotten the drops of the dew Out of whose wombe came the Ice and the hoary frost who hath gendered it and Psal. 104.3 He walketh upon the wings of the wind It was he only that sent that goodly season in the beginning of winter which these men say was the cause why the plague ceased 2. The vertue that is in any meanes to doe us good commeth wholly from God He is the Lord of nature Though he have given to man the faculty of reason and freedome of will in civill and morall actions and to our food and other creatures a naturall vertue to do us good yet that we are able to use this faculty that we have or the creature to put forth that vertue that is in it to the good of man comes wholly of God He keepeth the raines
by the house of Israel to doe it for them Yea this is made a certaine signe God hath determined to doe us some great good when he stirreth up our hearts to be earnest with him in prayer Ier. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplications will I lead them and 29.12 13. Then shall ye call upon me and ye shall goe and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you and ye shall seeke me and find me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts How earnest was Daniel with God in prayer for this immediatly before the returne from the captivity Dan. 9. Thirdly this doth nothing derogate from the glory of Gods goodnesse and graciousnesse that he will not doe us good till we seeke to him for it by prayer as may appeare in these three things 1. It is a sufficient demonstration of his goodnesse that he will give us all good things upon our asking when he saith to us Matth. 7.7 Ask and have Deut 4 7. What nation is so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Esa. 30.19 He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall heare it he will answer thee 2. It is he alone that stirres us up to pray to that end that he may doe us good Psal. 1â— 17 Thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare 3. The reason why he will have us pray first before he gives argues his exceeding love to us For it is 1. out of the delight he hath to heare this worke of his owne spirit in us which makes us thus to speake and cry unto him Cant. 2.14 Let me heare thy voice for it is sweet Even you that are parents delight much to heare your little ones speake but nothing so much as God doth to heare his children 2. Because he knowes his blessings will be sweeter to us when we have got them by prayer So we see how David joyed in the deliverances and favours hee had received because he had obtained them by prayer Psal. 30.1 2. I will extell thee ô Lord for thou hast lifted me up c. O Lord my God I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me and 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because he hath inclined his eare unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live The fourth last reason whereby Satan laboreth to perswade men that it is to no purpose to pray is from the experience themselves have had of the fruitlesnesse of their owne prayers That themselves have long used to pray and have found no comfort no benefit by it This reason hath greatly prevailed with wicked men they cannot abide to attend long upon God but though their prayers be indeed nothing worth yet are they apt to quarrell with God if they have not a present answer as Esa. 58.3 Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest it not Wherefore have we afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge of it And thereupon they resolve to leave praying Malac. 3.14 It is in vaine to serve God and what profite is it unto us and 2. King 6 3â— What should I wait on the Lord any longer Yea this hath also greatly troubled many of Gods dearest ones they have oft complained that they got no good by their praying Iob 30 20. I cry unto thee but thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not Habac. 1.1 O Lord how long shall I cry and thou wilt not heare Yea they have thought that they were the worse for praying Ps. 80.4 O Lord how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people And thereupon they have even growne weary of praying and ready to resolve to give it over as you may perceive Psal. 69.3 I am weary of my crying Now for my answer to this reason it shall consist of two parts 1. I will shew you how we are to judge of this case when we pray and pray often and â—â—nd our selves never the better for it 2. What a Christian is to do in this case And for judging aright of this case two things you must understand First That it is no argument that God neglects us regards not us nor our prayers because we obtaine not presently nor of a long time that that we have begged of him It may be the Lord may do this out of his love First It may be he seeth it is better for thee to want it then to have it we are apt like children and sick-men to desire that that is hurtfull for us And the promise runs thus Psal. 34.10 They that seeke the Lord shall not want any good thing and Matth. 7.11 How much more shall your father which is in heaven give good things to them that aske him Secondly It may be he seeth it is not good for us to have it yet The Lord hath made every thing beautifull in his time Eccl. 3.11 He best knoweth which is the fittest time to doe any thing for us When he may have most honour by that which he doth for us Zachary had prayed for a child while he and his wife were young but God granted not his request till they were both old Luke 1.7.13 because he might have more glory by it then Christ would not comfort Martha and Mary by helping their brother Lazarus while he was sicke though he loved them dearely but delayed to helpe them of purpose Iohn 11.5 6. Why that he might have the more glory by that worke verse 15. I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that ye might believe And verse 4â— Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest beleeve thou shouldest see the glory of God He best knoweth also when that he doth for us will doe us most good he watcheth the time and will not delay us one moment longer Esa. 30.18 The Lord will waite that he may be gracious unto you He seeth it good for us to be delayed a while and how long he only best doth know Acts 1.7 It is not for us to know the times or seasons the father hath put them in his owne power 1. to humble us further Let patience have her perfect worke saith the Apostle Iames 1.4 He meant to heale Miriam at Moses request but not so soone as he would have had it she must be better humbled first under the hand of God Numb 12.14 And the Lord said unto Moses If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven daies Let her be shut out from the campe seven daies and after that let her be received in againe As if the Lord had said it is too soone for her to be healed yet So he meant to take from Paul that messenger of Satan that buffetted him but not so
soone as he would have had it he was not yet sufficiently humbled but in danger to have bin pussed up with the revelations he had received 2 Cor. 12.7 8. As if he had said It is too soone for thee Paul to be rid of that thorne 2. To make us more fervent and importunate with him It troubles great men to have suiters importunate ever following them with petitions and crying at their gates Luke 18.5 The widow troubled the unjust judge with her importunity But this is a thing that the Lord is highly pleased and delighted with Christ meant to grant the woman of Canaans suit but he put her off and 〈…〉 strangely of purpose to make her more importunate and earnest 〈◊〉 him Mat. 15.25 28. 3. To cause us to esteeme better of the good things we beg of him when we have obtained them The good things that are easily and readily come by are usually lightly esteemed The diseases that are easily cured men doe not greatly feare nor are very carefull to preserve themselves from them as experience teacheth us in that filthy French disease And surely this is one cause why God hideth his face so long from many of his deare ones even that they might learne thereby to prize the sense of his favour the better When the Spouse had lost her welbeloved long it is sayd Canticles 3 4. when shee found him whom her soule loved shee held him and would not let him goe 4. To keepe us from conceiting that our prayer how fervent soever meriteth ought Daniel 9.17 18 19. Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies deferre not for thine owne sake O my God The second thing we must understand that we may judge rightly of this case is this That God doth oft graciously heare the prayers of his servants and give answer to them also before they perceive it Dan. 10.12 13. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to chasten thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the kingdome of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes And though they perceive it not 1. Sometime their heedlesnesse and negligence is the cause they perceive it not they put up their petitions and never enquire after Gods answer whereas we should hearken after it as Benhadads servants comming to sue for mercy did 1. Kin. 20.33 They did diligently observe whither any thing would come from him and did hastily catch it Psal. 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speak peace to his people And 2. sometimes anguish and trouble of mind is the cause of it They pray to God and he heareth them and they cannot believe it as Iob speakes of himselfe in the extreamity of his anguish Iob 9.16 If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voice Davids sin was pardoned so soone as ever he repented and the Prophet Nathan in the name of God assured him of so much also 2. Sam. 12.13 and yet it is evident by his earnest suit he makes in these two first and diverse other verses of this psalme that he did not perceive nor feele it to be so Gods people in Egypt prayed and cryed to the Lord and he heard their cry and sent them a gracious answer by Moses Exod. 6.5 But it is said ver 9. they hearkned not unto Moses they could not receive Gods answer for anguish of spirit So it is certainly wth many of Gods best servants he heareth them graciously and answereth their prayers also and they through anguish of spirit cannot perceive it Now for the better understanding of this you must know there be divers wayes whereby God useth to give answer to the prayers of his people First When he granteth them the thing they have begged of him in prayer As he did to Hannah she begged a child of God and he gave her one 1. Samuel 1.27 For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him And as he did to Abraham he prayed for Abimelech and God healed him Genes 20.17 Manoah prayed that the man of God might come againe and God hearkened to the voyce of Manoah and the Angel of the Lord came againe Iudges 13.8 9. Solomon prayed for an understanding heart and God gave it him 1. Kin. 3.9 12. He asked life of thee and thou gavest it him Psal. 21.4 Secondly when he doth not grant them what they have asked but denyeth them that and gives them a better thing Abraham beggeth of God that Ishmael might live before God Gen. 17 18. he denieth him that but granteth him a better thing verse 19. that he should have a sonne by his owne wife with whom he woâ—ld establish an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him David prayed that his childe begotten in adultery might live 2. Sam. 12.22 God denies him that but granteth him a better thing he lost not his prayer for 1 He saved the soule of that child as appeares by Davids words of him 2 Sam. 12.23 I shalâ— goe to him And 2 he gave him another sonne by Bathsheba and such a one as of whom he assured him by the Prophet that he was beloved of the Lord verse 24 25. Thirdly when though he neither grant us the thing we have begged nor a better thing in the same kind yet he supporteth us by his grace and gives us strength to beare the want of it Of this answer David speaketh Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soule So of our blessed Saviour it is said Heb. 5.7 that hee was heard in that prayer which he offred up with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death Yet did not God save him from death but the divine power supported him and made him able to beare the burden of that cursed death which otherwise had beene intollerable So though God did not take of the messenger of Sathan that buffeted Paul according to his request 2 Cor. 12.8 yet did he answer his prayer graciously for he gave to him strength to beare it verse 9. My grace is sufficient to thee So long as God supporteth thee by his grace and maketh thee able to beare the want of that that thou hast prayed for though thou hast thought thou art undone if thou have it not though he set thee feele thine own weaknesse so farre as thou art even ready to sink and faint say not that thou hast lost thy labour in praying Fourthly when though thou canst not find that thou hast by thy prayer obtained that particular blessing thou didst beg of God yet thou feelest thy heart after thy prayer cheered much and thy
in him I will go no further for the setting of this forth unto you then to those three things which David heere in my Text speaketh of and which he observed in the Lords gracious disposition and on which he grounded his hope 1. There is in the Lord loving kindnesse 2. There are in the Lord tender mercies 3. There is in the Lord a multitude of tender mercies For the first The Lord is of a gracious and kind and liberall disposition Ioel 2.13 The Lord is gracious and of great kindnesse The love he sheweth the good he doth to any of his people is most free and hath no cause no ground at all but in himselfe alone The love we beare to any useth to have some ground in the party that we do love we see somewhat in the party that moveth us to it at first But the love the Lord beareth to us had no ground at all in us but in his owne goodnesse and loving kindnesse alone The Apostle therefore calleth it 2 Thess. 1.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good pleasure of his goodnesse He set his love upon us as Moses saith Deut 7 7 8 because he loved us He even resteth in his owne love as the Prophet speaketh Zeph. 3.1 and seeketh no further So speaketh the Lord Exod. 3 â—â— I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Nothing moved him to be gracious and mercifull unto us but onely his owne good will and pleasure So Esa. 43.25 I even I am he that blâ—â—â—eth ouâ— thy transgressions for mine owne sake So 2 Sam. 7. â—1 For thy words sake and according to thine owne heart thou hast done all these great things True it is that after the Lord hath set his love upon us he worketh that in us by his grace that maketh us amiable and beautifull in his sight and so causeth him to love us the more This is excellently set forth Ezek. 16.9 14. He anointed his beloved one with oyle cloathed her with broidered work covered her with silke deâ—ked her with ornaments put bracelets upon her hands and a chaine about her necke decked her with gold and silver made her exceeding beautifull marke how grace and piety doth beautifie the soule in Gods eye But when he first set his love upon us he saw nothing in us that did move him to love us as is also notably set forth in that 16. of Ezek. When the Lord first passed by his beloved as it is said verse 8 and looked upon her and her time was the time of love when he first loved her what was there in her to move him to it See that verse 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine owne bloud I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy bloud live Marke how earnest the Lord is to perswade us of the freenesse of his love to us and how it grew not at all from any respect he had to any goodnesse was or should be in us but from his owne loving kindnesse and goodnesse alone And this is the first thing that Daviâ— here considered in the mercy and goodnesse of the Lord that made him to hope he should find mercy with him for the pardon of his sin Secondly In the Lord there are tender mercies bowels of mercy as the word racham which is heere used doth properly signifie For thus it hath pleased the Lord to condescend unto our capacity and to make knowne unto us in his Word his gracious disposition by comparing himselfe unto a most tender hearted man or woman and attributing bowells unto himselfe Esay 63.15 Where is the multitude of thy bowells and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Luke 1.78 Through the bowells of the mercies of our God whereby the day spring from an high hath visited us And this comparison standeth in two points 1. As a tender-hearted man or woman when they see any to bee in misery cannot choose but pitty them and grieve for them and feele their bowells within moved and pained with it and this is the very nature of man humanity and not the corruption of nature As it is sayd of our Saviour Mat. 9.36 When he saw the multitude fainting and scattered abroad as shâ—epe having no shepheard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his bowells yearned or were moved towards them ô that the beholding of men in that misery could move us so and Hebr. 4.15 that hee is touched with the feeling of all our infirmities hee doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condole and grieve and suffer with us when we do grieve and suffer So the Lord when hee seeth any of his people to bee in misery hee cannot but pitty them and be moved with it and grieve with them Iam. 5.11 He is pitifull and of tender mercy Exod. 22.27 When he cryeth unto me I will heare for I am gracious So it is said Iudg. 10.16 His soule was grieved for the misery of Israel And Esa. 63.9 In all their affliction he was afflicted How can that bee will you say seing himselfe was the author of all their affliction Amos 3.6 Shall there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it How is it possible that the Lord would so sharpely correct his people and bring them to that misery if it did so grieve him to see them in misery I answer 1. that this is possible enough Did you never heare of a Iudge that did shed teares even in giving of sentence of death upon a malefactor and shewed a fatherly affection towards the poore wretch even at that time like Ioshua to Achan Iosh. 7.19 My sonne I pray thee give glory to the Lord God of Israel Did you never know any father so tender-hearted as when he hath whipped his child hee hath done it with teares in his eyes yea he could not containe but must needs let his teares fall hee hath smitten and wept and beene as apt to cry even as the child it selfe Surely so it is with the Lord. Psalm 103.13 As a father pitieth his children so doth the Lord pitie them that feare him Even when he correcteth us he pitieth and his bowells yearne towards us 2. He never afflicteth us nor bringeth us unto misery but when his love constraineth him to doe it hee must needs doe it unlesse he would see us perish and that his love to us will not suffer him to doe The Lords love to his children is not fondnesse like the love of many foolish parents his pitie is not like the pitty that is in many men of which wee have a proverb foolish pitty marrs the City that may be called well Crudelis misericordia But the Lords love is guided by his infinite wisedome and judgement hee will correct the dearest of his children and that sharply too rather then hee will see them spoiled 1. Cor. 11.32 When wee are judged
our Saviour to his elect disciples Mat. 6.26 Behold the foules of the aire and ver 18. Consider the lillies of the field Yea one chiefe cause of that patience and goodnes that God sheweth to all his creatures and to the vilest men is that his owne people might have visible and palpable demonstrations of his speciall love and goodnes toward themselves 2 Cor. 4.15 all things are for your sakes And therefore David thus concludeth that 107. Psalme wherein he had at large discoursed of the goodnesse of God towards all sorts of men that are in distresse verse 43. Whoso is wise and observeth these things even they shall vnderstand the loving kindnes of the Lord. And from thence Gods child that is in distrest of conscience may confidently conclude thus If God be so good to them then sure he will bee much more good to mee and respect me that through his mercy have obtained grace to feare him and to desire to please him Thus our Saviour teacheth his Disciples to reason Matth. 6.26.30 Are not ye much better then they Shall he not much more cloath you ô ye of litle faith And 10.31 Feare ye not therefore ye are of more value then many sparrowes So when David had spoken of the generall goodnesse of the Lord extended to all men Psal. 145.14 16. The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all that bee bowed downe the eyes of all wait upon thee thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing Hee inferreeth from thence verse 18.20 The Lord is nigh to all that cast upon him he will fulfill the desire of them that feare him the Lord preserveth all them that love him Secondly consider the goodnesse of God towards thy selfe in thy first conversion when there was no goodnesse in thee at all nothing but ignorance and profanesse when thou wert in thy blood the Lord said unto thee live as hee speaketh Ezek. 16.6 When thou hadst no mind at all to looke towards God but carriedst thy selfe toward him as an enemy hee cast a gracious eye upon thee and changed thy heart as he did upon Peter when hee was renouncing and forswearing him Luke 22.61 when thou soughtest not to him at all nor hadst any care of thy salvation hee did seeke thee with great earnestnesse and patience as he speaketh Rom. 10.21 All the day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people Yea when thou wert running away from God in the broad way that leadeth unto destruction he ranne after thee and cryed to thee with great affection and love as Cant. 6.13 Returne returne ô Shulamite returne returne And from this consideration thou mayest thus reason with thine owne soule did the Lord so love mee when there was no goodnesse in me and shall I thinke hee hateth me now that by his grace hee hath wrought some desires in me to feare him and to make conscience of my wayes That cannot bee for certainely the righteous Lord loveth righteousnesse Psalme 11.7 Did the Lord so seeke after me when I ran as fast as I could from him and was he found of me when I sought him not as he speaketh Esa. 65.1 and will he now reject me and not bee found of me when he hath given me a heart to seek him That cannot be For for that I had promise but for this I have 2. Chron. 15.2 If ye seeke him he will be found of you Thirdly and lastly Observe and marke well the testimonies of Gods speciall love and goodnesse towards thee even now in this thy grievous affliction of mind and spirituall disertion and thou shalt find that now hee seemeth to bee most angry with thee he loveth thee dearely in his wrath he remembreth mercy toward thee For how falleth it out that thou art not overcome of this so dangerous a tentation thou still seekest to God and art afraid to offend him thou hast bin oft brought to the very brinke of desperation yet thou art not fallen into the gulfe Thou art perplexed but not in despaire cast downe but not destroyed as the Apostle speaketh 2. Corinth 4.8 9. Thou hast beene as the bush that Moses saw Exod. 3.2 3. that burned with fire and yet was not consumed What hath kept thee from falling into that gulfe from being overcome of Satan from sinking utterly under this intollerable burden of a wounded spirit Certainely certainely thou art kept by the power of God as the Apostle speaketh 1 Peter 1.5 the Lord doth uphold thee This is that that David saith speaking of such a one as thou art Psalme 37.24 Though he fall he shall not be utterly cast downe for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand And as Moses speaketh Deut. 3◠27 The everlasting armes have beene under thee Certainely God never shewed more love to thee in all thy life then thee doth now Hee letteth thee see and feele thine owne weakenesse and readinesse to sin that thou mightest have the better proofe of his marvellous power and love in upholding thee Thus dealt hee with blessed Paul 2 Corinth 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse As wee see sometimes a tender father that perceiving his child loveth to bee too neere the fire or water will make as though hee would fling him in but then taketh hee fast hold on him least he should fall in indeed even so dealeth the Lord oft with his dearest children hee never holdeth them faster then when hee seemeth even ready to cast them into hell and into the gulfe of desperation So as to conclude if thou couldest observe the Lords dealing with thee now thou wouldest find cause to cry unto him with David Psalme 73.22 23. O how foolish have I bin and ignorant to doubt so of thy love to hearken so much unto Satan I have beene as a beast before thee neverthelesse though I am apt to thinke thou hast quite forsaken me yet I find I am continually with thee thou hast holden mee by my right hand LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 3 Lecture XXXI on Psalme LI. 3 Iuly XI MDCXXVI For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sinne is ever before mee WEE have already heard that in the first part of Davids prayer in this Psalme which is for the pardon of his sins two principall things were to be observed 1. The manner of expressing this his suit and request 2. The arguments whereby hee doth confirme his faith and upon which hee doth ground his hope to speed well and obtaine this his suit at the hands of God And the first of these grounds and arguments we have heard was the knowledge he had of the Lords mercy and goodnesse in the two former verses It followeth now that wee proceed unto the second and that is the grace that God had wrought in him that he was able to confesse and acknowledge his sin and this is set downe 1. more generally in this verse that I have now read and 2. more
on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should bee plagued And see how long and how heavily the wrong that he had done lay upon Pauls conscience he could never forget it 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a persecutor and injurious And so it will do upon every one of our consciences one day if we have bin injurious to any man howsoever we sleight it now and make nothing of it upon pretence either of the basenes or of the badnes of the parties we have done wrong unto Remember what I told you of the Gibeonites and how Davids heart smote him for wronging Saul as bad a man as could live 1 Sam. 24.5 But of all the hurts and wrongs we have done unto men by our sins the hurt that we have done them in their soules if we have bin any way the cause of their eternall perdition that may be to us a just cause of sorrow and trouble of mind for our sins O the bloud of soules which wee have destroyed by our sins will lye heavy and give an intollerable weight to our sins when God shall charge us with it And that we may and many doe make themselves guilty of diverse wayes Not only 1. by drawing and forcing others to sin by our authority as David did here both the messengers he sent to bring Bathsheba unto him 2 Sam 11,4 and Ioab whom he commanded to make away Vriah 2 Sam. 11.15 and as Absalom did his servants to murder Amnon 2 Sam. 13.28 and as Paul had done upon whose conscience this lay a long time that he had compelled many to blaspheme Act. 26.11 And 2. by drawing others unto sin either by our example or perswasion as David and his messengers did Bathsheba here 2 Sam. 11.4 and as full many a one dayly doth by being the authors beginning of sin unto others as the Prophet speaketh Mica 1.13 But even 3. by with-holding from any the helpe and meanes that God hath charged us to afford them for the preserving of their soules from perdition As you all will account that nurse that famisheth the child by with-holding the breast and food from it to have bin a murderer of it as much as if she had poisoned or cut the throat of it And surely many of us have just cause to feare God will one day say to us concerning the soules of any that have perished in our flocks that are ministers or in our families that are parents or masters as he doth to the Prophet Ezek. 3.18 His bloud will I require at thy hand Now for the second branch of the Doctrine Though our sins may justly trouble us in all these respects yet the chiefe thing above all others that should move us to hate sin and to mourne for it is the consideration of that offence we have committed by our sins against the Lord our God Observe the proofe of this in three points First This is that that hath had chiefe force in keeping Gods people from sin when they have bin tempted unto it As we see in the example of Ioseph Genes 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God He considered not so much the wrong he should do his maister though that he knew was very great as the offence he should cōmit against God So David professeth Ps. 19.11 I have hid thy word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee The cause why he loved Gods word so much and tooke such paines by meditation prayer to make it his owne was that he might bee kept from sinning against God Secondly This is that that hath broken the hearts of Gods people and caused them to melt in sorrow for sin after they have committed it that they have done the thing that God is displeased with that hee is grieved and dishonoured by This was Davids maine griefe here And so in the confession he maketh to Nathan 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. And Psal. 41.4 Lord be mercifull unto me heale my soule for I have sinned against thee This was the maine thing that troubled the prodigal child that he had displeased his father Lu. 15.18 I will go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Against thee thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Thirdly and lastly this is the principall thing that distinguisheth the obedience repentance and sorrow for sin which is sincere from that that is counterfeit An hypocrite we know may make great shew of obedience of doing the will of God 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart The main thing that approveth the truth sincerity of our obedience is this when in doing the good things we do we respect the Lord himselfe we doe that that we doe because we would not offend him because we desire to please and honour him When we live not to our selves but to the Lord Rom. 14.7 8. Thus the Apostle proveth the sincerity of heart that was in those weak Christians that did make conscience both of using not using the meats prohibited by the law of Moses that both of them did it to the Lord Rom. 14.6 So an hypocrite may be able to mourn deeply for sin and wish with all his heart it were undone in respect of the mischiefe punishment of sin that either he feeleth or feareth As we see in the examples of Cain Saul and Ahab Iudas But this is a certaine note of Gods child when the chiefe thing that maketh us mourne for sin is that we have displeased grieved our father by it Therfore is true repentance called by the Apostle Act. 20.21 Repentance toward God Such a repentance as the respect we have unto God hath wrought in us And the sorrow for sin that causeth repentance unto salvation is called 2 Cor. 7.10 A sorrow that is according to God So it is said of Gods people that they lamented after the Lord. 1 Sam. 7.2 This sorrow proceedeth not from selfe love as the other doth but from love to God when though a man know himselfe to be reconciled to God and delivered from the wrath to come yea because he doth so and hath the spirit of grace that assureth him of Gods favour therfore he mourneth is troubled in heart that he hath by his sins offended grieved so good a father This is that sincere sorrow that God promiseth to worke in the hearts of his people Zac. 12.10 I will powre upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him not for themselves as one mourneth for his only sonne Lecture XLIIII On Psalme 51.4 Decemb. 26. 1626. IT Followeth now that wee proceed unto the grounds and reasons of the
with shame sorrow when he considered that he had done so lewdly the Lord being by the Lord looking upon him And surely so will this work upon every one of us also when God shall be pleased to awaken touch our hearts as he did his It is a matter of extreame shame and trouble of mind even to most wicked men to know that any man hath seene them and bin privy to that which they have done If one know them saith Iob 24.17 they are in the terrors of the shadow of death How much more must it trouble the heart of Gods child when he considereth the Lord saw was an eye-witnes of all the foulest sins that ever he committed All men by nature would be much restrained from many sins if they knew of any body though it were but a child that were by them to see what they did And thus the murderer and adulterer are brought in by Iob 24 5. emboldening themselves No eye shall see me As if he had said If they knew there were any eye to see them they durst not do it And they are noted for men grown to an extraordinary height in sin that feare not at all nor are restrained from sinning by the eye of man that are so impudent as they care not who see or know what lewdnes they do Esa. 3.9 Such as declare their sin as Sodom that hide it not Such as are like Absalom who spread his tent upon the top of the house and went in to his fathers concubines in the sight of all Israel 2. Sam. 16.22 And will not this appeare to the child of God when God shall open his eyes a far greater impudency height of sin that he in sinning regarded not nor feared the Lords eye that he durst do such such things when the Lord looked upon him Surely to David it did here O Lord I have done this evill in thy sight And so it will do to every one of us when God shall be pleased to give us such hearts as he did unto David For thus doth the Lord oft aggravate the sins of men Esa. 65.12 Therfore wil I number you to the sword you shal al bow down to the slaughter because when I called ye did not answer when I spake ye did not heare but did evill before mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not The second attribute of God the consideration wherof setteth forth the hainousnes of sin is his infinite holines and the dislike he beareth unto sin This is a chiefe attribute of his that wherein his glory doth principally consist This is plain by that song of the blessed Angels Esa. 6.3 Holy holy holy is the Lord of hosts the whole earth is full of his glory And in the first petitiō of the Lords praier where when our Saviour would have us to pray that Gods name may be glorified he teacheth us to expresse it in these termes Hallowed be thy name let holines be ascribed unto thee Now the Lord being thus infinitely holy 1. He hateth and disliketh sin there is nothing so contrary and opposite to his nature as sin is No man doth hate any thing in the world no mans heart doth so much loath or rise against any thing as the Lords doth against sin Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes then to behold evill canst not looke on iniquity He cannot abide to looke upon it Ier. 44.4 I sent unto you all my servants the Prophets rising early sending them saying do not this abominable thing that I hate The Lord in the ministery of all us his servants doth in the most patheticall manner he can perswade and entreat you to be afraid to sin to repent of your sin even for the Lords sake even for this cause because his soule doth so much hate and loath sin Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate 2. Because the Lord is infinitly holy he must needs be grieved with sin Nothing grieveth the Lord so much as sin doth It is a great griefe to any ingenuous mind and a thing that of all others we can worst brooke to see our selves despised and contemned by any David complaineth oft of it and prayeth against it Ps. 119.22 Remove from me reproach contempt But never was man so much grieved to see himselfe despised as the Lord is to see men despise and sleight him as I told you we all do when we sin against him Grieve not the holy spirit of God by your corrupt communication saith the Apostle Eph. 4.30 As if he had said Because he is holy sin must needs grieve him 3. Because the Lord is infinitly holy sin must needs anger disquiet and vexe his spirit Nothing in the world can so much provoke a man unto anger nothing can so cut him to the heart so vexe disquiet his mind as the Lord is provoked cut to the heart vexed with our sins Esa. 63.10 They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit Eze. 16.43 Thou hast fretted me in all these things Now when Gods child doth consider well of this his sin must needs trouble him more in this respect that he hath done that that God so loatheth hateth that he hath grieved and vexed him so much by it then in respect of any evill or punishment he hath brought upon himselfe by it So did it David here Against thee thee only have I sinned And so wil it the senslessest heart here when God shal touch him as he did David here O that we could consider how God may complaine of us as Ps. 95.10 Forty yeeres long was I grieved with this generation How long have we grieved the Lord some of us by living in one sin some in another O that we could say to our own hearts as the Prophet doth to Ahaz Esa. 7.13 ô my soule is it a small thing for thee to grieve men by thy sins that thou wilt also grieve my God The third attribute of God that setteth forth the hainousnes of our sins is the infinite greatnes majesty of the Lord Great is the Lord saith David Ps. 145.3 greatly to be praised his greatnes is incomprehensible And indeede this is the beginning and foundation of all religion and piety to esteme the Lord to be higher then the highest Eccl. 5.8 and to acknowledge in our hearts this infinite greatnes and majesty of the Lord Ascribe ye greatnes to our God saith Moses Deut. 32.3 And thus did the blessed Virgin Lu. 1.46 My soule doth magnifie the Lord. Every transgression even among men is more or lesse hainous according as the person is against whom it is cōmitted He that doth smite his father or his mother or but curse revile them shall surely be put to death saith the Lord in his Law Exo. 21.15 17. Whereas the reviling yea or wounding or maiming of another man was not so great a sin nor to be punished in so severe a manner as you may
are to be made of this point And those are foure principally 1. For instruction 2. For the triall and examination of our selves 3. For exhortation 4 For reproofe And first for instruction To teach us how to judge of the hainousnesse of sin that no sin is small or light to be accounted of every sin even that that we thinke to be the least is a dead worke as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 6.1 deserveth eternall death This is a point of great use 1. To worke in us more feare of sin and to arme us against a conceit that usually emboldneth us to many sins and hardeneth us in them because wee thinke that they are but small ones 2. To confirme us against the error of the Papists who to maintaine many other of their false doctrines the better their doctrine of possibility to keepe the whole Law their doctrine of merit their doctrine of Purgatory and such like doe teach that all sins are not in their owne nature mortall nor doe deserve eternall death but that some transgressions of the Law of God are onely veniall sins Foure things there bee that will make the truth that wee maintaine against them in this point evident unto you First Consider the father that begetteth and engendreth it in us and that is the devill who is the father of every lye not of the pernicious lye onely but of every lye Ioh. 8.44 and of every vaine and petry oath Mat. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then these that is then yea in affirming any thing and nay in denying cometh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the wicked one that is from the devill as the same phrase is used 1 Iohn 3.12 Secondly Consider the punishment that the righteous God hath inflicted upon men even for the smallest sins And that not onely upon such as wee have no cause to doubt but that they were reprobates as upon Saul who for sparing of Agag and saving the fattest of the oxen and of the sheepe for sacrifice was utterly rejected of God 1 Sam. 15.23 and upon Ananias and Saphira who for dissembling in a small matter were suddenly strucken dead Acts 5.3 But even upon such as we have no cause to doubt but they were his elect children as upon Lots wife who for looking backe out of a loathnesse to leave the profits and pleasures of Sodom was turned into a pillar of salt Gen. 19.26 2. Vpon fifty thousand men of Bethshemesh who were slaine for looking into the Arke 1 Sam. 6.19 3. Vpon Vzzah for touching and staying the Arke when it was in danger to have fallen 2 Sam. 6.7.5 4. Vpon the young Prophet who being deceived by the old Prophet did but eate and drinke in Bethel which God had forbidden him to do 1 King 13.24 5. Vpon the man that was slaine by a lyon for refusing to smite a Prophet of the Lord when God had commanded him 1 King 20.36 6. Vpon Moses himselfe whom God would have slaine in the Inn for delaying the circumcision of his child Exod. 4.24 7. Vpon many of the elect Corinthians that for this very cause were smitten with death because they came unpreparedly unto the Lords table 1 Cor. 11.30 If any man shall object that these examples of Gods marvellous severity upon men for small sins prove not that every small sin deserveth eternall death For we are not to thinke that any of these seven sorts that have beene brought for examples died eternally I answer It is true But these corporall deaths that the Lord smote them with in this manner were evident documents and demonstrations that every one of them were worthy of eternall death for these sins For so the Apostle proveth that infants that never committed actuall sin are worthy of condemnation because they also doe die Rom. 15.14 16. And indeed this is the due desert of all sin Rom. 6.23 The wages of sin is death What death That appeareth by the other member of the verse But the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. And thus runneth the sentence of the most righteous law of God Galat. 3.10 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the booke of the law to doe them The least breach of the Law the least omission of any duty commanded in it maketh men liable to the curse of God And to all that are under the curse of God eternall death belongeth according to that Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devill and his Angels Thirdly Consider the price whereby we are redeemed from the punishment that is due unto us for the least offence that ever we committed against the Law of God and it will appeare that the least sin deserveth no lesse then eternall death If it were true that a man might be cleansed from the guilt of the least transgression of Gods Law by the sprinkling of a little holy water or by entring into an hallowed Church or by a knocke upon the brest or by a Bishops blessing as the Papists teach then it might well be granted that some sins are veniall and doe not deserve eternall death But the Scripture teacheth that it is the blood of Christ that cleanseth us from all sin 1 Iohn 17. from the least aswell as from the greatest And therefore Gods people under the Law that had committed any sin against any of Gods commandements though they had done it ignorantly must bring their sacrifice unto the Priest or else there could be no atonement made betweene God and them Levi. 5.17 18. Fourthly and lastly Consider the reason of this which hath beene at large delivered in the handling of the doctrine namely that neither our obedience nor our sin is to be valued according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the thing that is commanded or forbidden nor according to the greatnesse or smallnesse of the good or hurt that is done to man by it but according to the greatnesse and authority of the person that doth command or forbid the thing So when Saul thought that that hee had done if it were any fault was but a very small one Samuel telleth him 1 Sam. 15.23 Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornesse is as iniquity and idolatry As if he should say Thou wilt acknowledge witchcraft and idolatry to bee very hainous sins and I tell thee Saul thy rebellion and stubbornesse against Gods Law is no lesse a sin then that Why but Saul might have said alas I did not this out of a rebellious and stubborne minde wilfully to offend God I did it out of a good intent and the people perswaded me to it and I thought it a shame for me to be lesse forward and zealous to provide for Gods worship then they Yea but saith Samuel thou hadst the commandement of God to the contrary thou hast sleighted and set light by Gods commandement and the Lord accounteth this neglect of his commandement no
and fell downe upon the ground and worshipped God Secondly True patience is a fruit of faith 2 Thess. 1.4 Paul gloried of the Thessalonians in the Churches of God for their patience and faith in all their persecutions and tribulations that they did endure And he desireth the Hebrewes Heb. 6.12 that they would be followers of them that through faith and patience inherit the promises And Iam. 1.3 The trying of your faith worketh patience True patience riseth out of this perswasion that the crosse that befalleth us is from God that he hath a speciall hand and providence in it This was the root of Davids patience 2 Sam. 16.10 The Lord hath said to him curse David Yea that this God that sendeth the crosse is our God and loving father in Christ and that maketh the child of God beare it patiently Iohn 18.11 The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drinke The man that wanteth this faith though he be never so quiet under any crosse yet if his quietnesse grow from this conceit it is but his ill fortune and destiny as the Philistines said 1 Sam. 6.9 It was a chance that happened to us hee cannot bee said to bee truly patient Thirdly True patience is a fruit of our obedience unto God and of an heart subdued and made able to yeeld unto God in all things yea it is indeed a chiefe part of our obedience unto him So speaketh the Apostle of the patience our blessed Saviour shewed in all his sufferings Phil. 2.8 He humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death Because he knew it was the will of God he should suffer those things though he were deepely sensible of them how grievous and intollerable they were therefore he did so patiently endure them His patience was a willing subjecting of his owne will to the will of his father Mat. 26.39 O my father if it be possible let this cup passe from me neverthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt So then that quietnesse and temper that many shew in great afflictions which riseth onely out of a naturall courage and stoutnesse of heart and out of this manly resolution I see no way to avoid this crosse sorrowing and fretting at it is but a childish and womanish thing and will do no good at all and therfore I must and will endure it as the Iewes are said to speake Ier. 10.19 Truly this is a griefe and I must beare it this hardning of a mans selfe in sorrow as Iob speaketh Iob 6.10 this patience perforce as we use to call it without all reference to the will of God and respect of their obedience unto him deserveth not the name of true patience Fourthly True patience consisteth not in bearing of some crosses and afflictions but of those that the will of God is to exercise us by whatsoever they be We have a proverbe that beggers must be no choosers If we be truly patient we must learne to beare our owne crosse If any man will come after me saith our Saviour Luk. 9.23 let him denie himselfe and take up his crosse daily I have learned saith the Apostle Phil. 4.11 in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content They therefore that will be their owne carvers and can say if my crosse were but as such or such a ones is I could well beare it but alas no man is in my case none could endure that that I do are farre from true patience He that is truly patient will do the Lord that honour as to judge that the fittest and best crosse for him which he thinketh good to lay upon him And resolve with Moses Deut 32 4. His worke is perfect it could not have beene better done for all his waies are judgement Fiftly True patience will make a man more desirous to profit by his affliction then to be rid of it it will keepe a man from desiring to shake it of till God have finished his worke that he intended to do upon him by it Let patience have her perfect worke saith the Apostle Iam. 1.4 We should be of Iacobs mind Gen. 32.26 we should be unwilling that God when he hath beene wrestling and striving with us by his corrections should depart from us till he have left a blessing behind him No wise man will desire to get from under the Surgeons hand till he be cured of his wound or past all danger That which the Prophet saith Esa. 28.16 He that beleeveth shall not make hast may fitly be applyed even unto this case This was Asas sinne 2 Chron. 16.12 he sought to the Physicians to be cured of his disease but not to the Lord to be cured of his sinne which was the cause for which that disease was laid upon him Sixtly True patience will make a man able so to depend upon the will of God in all his afflictions as he dares not ease himselfe of his crosse by any unlawfull meanes by any other way then such as the Lord hath appointed or permitted him to use The Apostle speaking of the faithfull that endured most grievous persecution under Antiochus in the daies of the Maccabees saith of them Heb. 11.35 that they would not accept of deliverance he meaneth upon unlawfull conditions that they might obtaine a better resurrection And we have a notable example of this in David 1 Sam 26.8 11. who when God had delivered Saul his enemy into his hand and Abishai offred him with one blow to have eased him of him and all the extreame miseries he endured by his meanes would by no meanes accept of it but answereth him thus verse 10 11. As the Lord liveth the Lord shall smite him or his day shall come to die or hee shall descend into battell and perish the Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords anointed And what patience is there then in those men that how quiet soever they seeme in their afflictions will neglect no meanes that either themselves can thinke of or others shall suggest unto them though it be by a witch or wizard that is by the devill himselfe to helpe themselves by as Saul did who in the height of his impiety as the greatest sin that ever hee committed sought to the witch of Endors devill and familiar spirit for helpe and comfort 1 Sam. 28.7 Seventhly and lastly True patience whereby wee obediently submit our selves to the will of God in our afflictions will moderate our passions and make us more meeke spirited even towards men yea towards such men as have had any hand or beene any instrument in our afflictions This property of Christian patience is commended to us in the example of our blessed Saviour 1 Peter 2.23 Who when he was reviled reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously The Apostle perswading unto patience hath these words Iam. 5.9 Grudge not one against another brethren he saith not rage not raile not revenge not
lest ye be condemned behold the Iudge standeth before the doore See two notable examples of this in David The one Psalm 38.12 13 14. When they that sought after his life laid snares for him and they that sought his hurt spake mischievous things and imagined deceits all the day long yet was hee as a deafe man that heard not and as a dumb man that opened not his mouth hee was as a man that heard not and in whose month there was no reproofes The other example of his is that in Shemeies case 2 Sam. 16.10 11. O how meeke was hee towards that wretched man hee would not be revenged of him hee would not suffer him to be chidden or reproved for that hee did And what was the cause of this his mildnesse of spirit towards such enemies Certainly his patience and humble submission of heart to the will of God in these judgements was the only cause of it They therefore that pretend they acknowledge God to be righteous in all their afflictions and patiently submit themselves to his hand in them but they can beare nothing at the hands of men they are apt to breake out into choler and wrath into rage and fury against men that shall doe them the least wrong they give themselves liberty to nourish in themselves desire of revenge and implacable hatred towards them these men I say doe miserably deceive their owne soules if their hearts did indeed patiently submit themselves to the will of God in any of the crosses that are upon them they would then bee more patient towards men who are but the Lords instruments and rods whereby hee afflicteth them Thus spake David of the worst enemies he had Psal. 17.13 14. Deliver my soule from the wicked which is thy sword from men which are thy hand O Lord. Certainely it is the rebelliousnesse of our hearts towards God that wee cannot stoupe to him nor humble our selves under his mighty hand in his judgements that are upon us that maketh us so froward and impatient towards men so desirous to bee revenged of them that have done us any wrong And these are the properties whereby true patience may be knowne and discerned these are the notes whereby we may try whether wee have yet obtained this grace whether wee have yet learned to cleare the Lord when hee judgeth us Lecture LI. On Psalme 51.4 March 6. 1626. NOw for motives that may perswade us to submit our selves patiently to the will of God in all things that may befall us there be very many but I will insist but upon these three considerations onely 1. The unavoidablenesse of affliction 2. The hurt we doe our selves by impatiency and the good that commeth to us by patience 3. The hand that God hath in all our afflictions For the first Every child of God must looke for affliction even for much affliction it should not seeme strange to us when it commeth upon us it should rather seeme strange to any of us that wee have beene so long free from any great affliction This motive the Apostle Peter useth 1 Pet. 4.12 Beloved thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall as though some strange thing happened unto you It cannot be avoided but if we belong to God we must endure affliction at one time or other in one degree or other This was the Doctrine that Barnabas and Paul taught in all Churches and whereby it is said they did confirme the disciples soules that is prepare them for trouble and arme them with patience to beare it when it should come Acts 14.22 that wee must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of God 1. The way to heaven is through tribulation 2. Yea through much tribulation 3. Yea wee must a necessity is laid upon us either that way wee must goe to heaven or wee shall never come thither And why must wee doe so 1. Because it is the immutable decree of God it should be so 1 Thess. 3.3 No man should be moved by these afflictions for your selves know that wee are appointed thereunto 2. Because it is the way that all Gods people have gone to heaven by 1 Peter 5.9 Knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world Yea the best and choisest of them and those that have bin most deare to God have gone to heaven through many tribulations Take my brethren saith the Apostle Iames 5.10 the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience So that indeed we have so small cause to be dismayed with our afflictions which be they what they can be are but flea-bitings in comparison of those that the choicest of Gods servants have endured that on the contrary side we should have just cause to doubt and suspect our owne estate if we were not subject to them If ye bee without chastisement saith the Apostle Heb. 12.8 whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes As they that desire to find Christ in this life where hee seedeth where hee lyeth at noone must goe their way forth by the footsteps of the flocke as our Saviour directeth his spouse Cant. 1.8 So they that would goe to heaven must goe also by the footsteps of the flocke they must goe in that way that Christs faithfull flocke and people have troden and beaten before them or certainely they shall never come there 3. and lastly Because this is the way whereby Christ himselfe our head and Saviour went to heaven even the Captaine of our salvation as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 2.10 was made perfect that is brought unto glory through sufferings And God hath decreed that all his members should be conformed and made like unto him in this point as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 8.29 Whom he did sore-know he also did predestinate to bee conformed to the image of his sonne So that in these three respects it must needs bee that through much tribulation wee must enter into the kingdome of God The second motive is the consideration of this that we can no way ease or help our selves in any crosse by impatiency and fretting the way to make our crosse easie is to beare it quietly and patiently First Impatiency will not ease us at all but make our crosse more grievous unto us as striving and strugling doth with the foule that is in the snare and with the beast that is in the yoke There is no father but if he see his child shew stubburnesse and rebellion while he is in correcting him he will beate him the more and not give him over till he see him humbled And even so is it with our heavenly father No sin will provoke him more then our murmuring against his corrections When the people complained saith Moses Numb 11.1 it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them And ver 10. Moses heard the people
of our death and of the change and alteration of our estate that we have cause to looke for is this that it would have great force to restraine from sinne and breed in us a care to please the Lord in all our waies This is plaine in that prayer of Moses Psal. 90.12 Teach us so to number our daies that is to consider how few they are that we may apply our hearts unto wisdome And on the other side Nothing hath more force to corrupt our hearts and lives then the putting out of our mind all thoughts of our death and of the evill day When David discribeth the most wicked man of whom he saith God is not in all his thoughts he is a very Atheist towards God his waies are alwaies grievous he is an oppressour and tyrant towards men Psal. 10.4 5. He giveth this for the reason of it verse 5 6. Thy judgements are farre above out of his sight He never discerneth nor thinketh of any judgements of God that are approaching He hath said in his heart I shall never be moved I shall never be in adversity And thus speaketh the Prophet also Amos 6.3 The putting farre away the evill day was the cause why they approached to the seate of violence The third and last benefit we may receive by thinking oft of our change of the evill day and of the troublesome times we have cause to looke for is this that it will make our afflictions and trialls yea death it selfe lesse bitter and terrible unto us it will make us better able with comfort and patience to beare them when they shall come For the suddennesse and unexpectednesse of any judgement maketh it farre more grievous and intollerable then otherwise it would be And so it is oft threatned as a circumstance that doth greatly aggravate Gods judgements upon wicked men Pro. 6.15 His calamity shall come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy And 1 Thess. 5.3 When they shall say peace and safety then sudden destruction commeth upon them So our Saviour having foretold the destruction of Ierusalem and of the Temple charged his Disciples of whom he did foresee some should live unto that day to take heed Luk. 21.34 that that day came not upon them at unawares Therefore also he so oft foretelleth them of his death and of the heavie times and troubles they were to looke for Matth. 24.25 Behold saith he I have told you before And why did he foretell them Surely that this knowing and thinking of them before might make them the lesse grievous unto them when they should come Iohn 16.4 These things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them And surely this is to be acknowledged as a great mercy of God that he striketh us not suddenly with our deadly stroke but hath given us many warnings he hath threatned us oft and shaken his rod at us fearefully hee hath long given us and doth daily give us so palpable signes of a desolation approaching as every naturall man that hath any braines in his head can take notice of it himselfe and speake of it to others But what is the use that we should make of all these warnings and of all these signes that God giveth us Surely wee should so thinke of the evill times that are at hand that wee may prepare our selves for them and fit our selves to beare them with patience and comfort when they shall come According to the speech of the Holy Ghost Pro. 22.3 A prudent man forseeth the evill and hideth himselfe provideth for his owne safety and comfort in the evill day And how that may be done you shall heare in those seven directions that follow Secondly He that would beare great troubles and afflictions patiently and comfortably when they shall come must before hand labour to weane his heart from the love of all earthly things and inure himselfe to beare patiently those ordinary losses and crosses that he is subject to in them If any man will come after me saith our blessed Saviour Luk. 9.23 and the Text saith he said these words to them all let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse daily and follow me The denying of our selves and taking up of our daily crosses will make us fit to follow Christ through thick and thin and even to endure the fiery triall for his sake It is good for a man saith the Church in their miserable captivity Lam. 3.27 that he beare the yoke in his youth that he have beene accustomed before great troubles come to beare small crosses to crosse and denie himselfe in his earthly contentments The holy Apostle professeth of himselfe 1 Cor. 15.31 that he did die daily by the daily crosses he did endure and willing forsaking of the comforts of this life he did learne to die and to part with them all willingly And he counselleth Timothy 2 Tim. 2.3 To endure hardnesse as a good souldier of Iesus Christ. Nothing maketh us so unwilling to die or to suffer any thing for Christs sake or to endure any great affliction as the overmuch love that we do beare unto these earthly things Therefore we shall find that our blessed Saviour when hee would prepare his Disciples for those heavie times that should come upon them after his death did beat upon no point so much in all his Sermons as this Mat. 10.37 He that loveth father or mother more then me is not worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more then me is not worthy of me And Luk. 14.26 If any man come to me and hate not his father and mother and wife children and brethren and sisters yea and his own life also that is love them not lesse then me or carry himselfe not towards them when they prove draw-backs from me as he would doe towards the thing he most hateth he cannot be my Disciple True it is we cannot be without these earthly comforts Your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things saith our Saviour Mat. 6.32 The Lord alloweth us the use yea the liberall use of them 1 Tim. 6.17 He giveth us richly all things to enjoy But the love of these things is a deadly enemy to grace specially to this grace of Christian patience The love of money saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.10 and that which he speaketh of the love of money may be said likewise of the love of any worldly thing as appeareth by comparing with this place that of 1 Iohn 2.15 The love of peace of ease of pleasure of credit of friends of good cheere and good cloathes is the root of all evill which while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith fallen quite from religion rather then they would suffer any thing for it If we would therefore make our selves fit either to die willingly or to endure persecution and trouble patiently and comfortably we must take heed of
Psal. 37.25 I have not seene the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging their bread But even to those that are spirituall and eternall And that not onely in this respect that by this meanes thou wert borne in the Church of God which is no small priviledge Psal. 87.4 5. and didst enjoy the meanes of saving grace the Word and Sacraments a high priviledge certainely Rom. 3.2 hadst the benefit of a religious education of the prayers and good example of thy Christian parents a meanes of great efficacy and power Pro. 31.1 2. but in this respect principally that by this meanes thou maist have more hope to obtaine saving grace and eternall life if the fault be not in thy selfe and if thou apply thy selfe to the meanes of grace then any other even for this cause because thou art the child of such parents as feare God For thou hast the promise and covenant of God for this Gen. 17.7 I will bee thy God and the God of thy seed And Esa. 44.3 I will poure my spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thin off-spring So as thou maist in thy prayers put the Lord in mind of the promise made to thy parents and even make claime unto it as Moses did Deut. 9.27 Remember thy servants Abraham Isaac and Iacob and looke not to the stubbornesse of this people And Solomon 2 Chron. 6.16 O Lord God of Israel keepe with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him And this is the benefit thou hast received from thy parents if they be godly But admit thy parents be not religious yet doest thou receive that benefit by them as thou canst never requite with al the duty thou art able to do unto them I speak not of their care and charge in nursing thee and giving thee thy breeding and education for it may be some parents have either beene unwilling or unable to do much that way And yet I must tell you to such children as have received this from their parents even this is a great bond unto duty as appeareth plainely by that complaint the Lord maketh Esa. 1.2 I have nourished and brought up children and they have rebelled against me but this I say 1. Thou hadst thy life and being from them in this world without which thou couldst never have come to eternall life in the world to come according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.46 that was not first which is spirituall but that which is naturall and afterward that which is spirituall That is the end that God aimed at in giving us life and breath and all things saith the Apostle Acts 17.25 27. that we might seeke the Lord. 2. Thou hast from thy parents thy well being in this life For as the blessing of well being and living comfortably in this world is promised to them especially that are dutifull to their parents according to that Ephes. 6.2 3. Honour thy father and mother that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest live long on the earth So hath God given power and authority to thy parents how poore soever they be yea though they have no grace nor can pray for themselves to blesse thee that is to pronounce and bestow this blessing upon thee And the blessing that they from the comfort they receive by thy dutifull carriage towards them shall give thee God will ratifie in heaven For so are the words of the fift commandement to be read Exod. 20.12 Honour thy father and thy mother that they may prolong thy daies in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Now having thus prevented the abuse of this Doctrine let us come to shew the right uses that it serveth unto And those are two 1. For humiliation 2. For exhortation And the use of humiliation concerneth 1 all of us in generall 2 such of us as are parents For the first This Doctrine teacheth us that none of us have cause to glory in or to be proud of our parentage and birth we have much more cause of humiliation in it before God then we have cause of boasting of it before men For 1. whatsoever we have received from our parents be it precedency and esteeme in the world or beauty and strength and a good constitution of body or wit and courage and a generous mind all that is but momentany and of no continuance 1 Pet. 1.24 All flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof sadeth away 2. We have received as wee have heard in this Doctrine that contagion and corruption of nature from our parents how noble soever they were as maketh us base and vile in Gods eyes and will make us miserable for ever if we be not borne againe verily verily saith Christ to Nicodemus Iohn 3.3 and that which he saith to Nicodemus he saith to every soule that is heere I say unto you except a man be borne againe he can never see the kingdome of God If we get not a better birth then we had from our parents it may be said of us as it is said of Iudas Matth. 26.24 It had beene good for us if we had never beene borne 3. and lastly The greatnesse of thy birth and parentage through thy corruption maketh thee more uncapable of grace and salvation then other men are that are not so nobly borne as thou art You see your calling brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.26 and surely so may we now how that not many great men not many noble are called Even greatnesse of birth and nobility is a bar oft-times to keepe men from salvation and life eternall though blessed be God some great men are called yet they are but few O then the madnesse of them that rest and glory in their first birth in this that they were borne of such parents and never seeke to be borne againe to be borne of God That receive honour one of another as our Saviour speaketh Ioh. 5.44 glory in the titles of Gentlemen and Squires c. and seeke not the honour that commeth from God alone Why what is that honour that commeth from God Whom doth he account to be honourable I answer 1. 1 Sam. 2.30 They that honour God them will God honour 2. They that are Gods favourites Esa. 43.4 Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast beene honourable 3. They that love the Word and obey it Acts 17 11. They of Berea were more noble then they of Thessalonica in that they received the Word with all readinesse of mind Secondly This Doctrine serveth for the humiliation of us that are parents surely our childrens sins and the corruptions that break forth in their lives their pride and stubbornesse their profanesse and aversnesse from God their drunkennesse and uncleannesse ought to be a cause of sorrow and humbling unto every one of us that are parents A foolish son saith Solomon Pro. 10.1 is the heavinesse of
suffered to come into the house of the Lord as you shall find 2 Chron. 26.21 Nor the woman that had borne a child for a good space after her child-birth Levit. 12.4 Nor he that had touched the dead body of a man Num. 9.7 19.11 Nor he that had the running of the reines Levit. 15.14 Yea see what the Lord saith to Moses Numb 5.2 3. Command the children of Israel that they put out of the campe every Leper and every one that hath an issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead both male and female shall ye put out without the Campe yee shall put them that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell Certainely by all these ceremonies God meant to teach his people this that no sinne maketh us more odious unto God no sin deserveth more that we should be forever seperated from God and his kingdome then the very corruption of our nature doth Now for the second branch of the doctrine that our originall sinne the corruption of our nature is the sinne for which wee should bee most humbled and abased in our selves see the proofe of it in foure notable examples besides this of Davids which we have in the Text examples I say of such of Gods people as being not guilty of any actuall sinne that did reigne in them yet have complained exceedingly and cryed out of themselves even for this The first is of Iob who though in respect of his conversation he was a perfect man and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evill Chap. 1.1 yet Chap. 40.4 he cryeth out thus unto God Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee As if he had said How shall I appeare or stand before thee The second is the Prophet Esay who so soone as he had seene the glory of the Lord in a vision and by that meanes discerned what himselfe was better then ever he did before breaketh forth into this complaint Esa. 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone The third example is the Apostle Paul of whom you shall not find that ever he complained so bitterly of any of the foulest sinnes that he had committed before he knew Christ as he doth of this Rom 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death this was a death to him and nothing so much as this The fourth and last example is that of the whole Church Esa. 64.6 We are all as an uncleane man using the very words that the Leper was commanded to use and to cry Levit. 13.45 I am uncleane I am uncleane worthy to bee separated for ever from God and from his people Now for the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine why the Lord hath so just cause to abhorre us for this corruption of our nature and why we have so just cause likewise to be humbled in our selves for it they may be taken from the properties and effects of it For as Adam by that first sinne of his which excepting onely the sinne against the Holy Ghost was in sundry respects the most heinous sinne that ever mortall man did commit and which sinne of his as we have heard in the first doctrine of this verse is most justly imputed unto every one of us as he I say by that first sinne of his did loose from himselfe and all his posterity that glorious image of God in which he was created and whereby he did wholly resemble the Lord in wisdome and holinesse so did he thereby also receive for himselfe and his whole posterity the image of Satan and was transformed into it Whereby it is come to passe that we do all by nature a fearefull thing to heare and yet a certaine truth most lively in our disposition resemble Satan Let us therefore consider our nature and the corruption of it in the properties and effects of it and it shall evidently appeare unto us that there is no creature upon earth that hath so venimous and poisonfull a nature as every one of us have Neither will I speake of such properties and effects of originall sin as are to be found in the naturall man onely and him that is void of all saving grace but of those that every one of us and the best of Gods children such as David and Iob and Esay and Paul were shall find in themselves And those are foure principally First This corruption of our nature depriveth us of the comfort of our best actions and maketh the dearest of Gods children heavie and uncheerefull even in those duties wherein they have most cause to bee comfortable and cheerfull according to that commandement of God Psal. 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladnesse For this flesh of ours this corruption of our nature 1. Disableth us unto spirituall duties maketh us unwilling untoward dull and cold and faint in them so as we performe them with no lust no life no servency of spirit This the Apostle complaineth of Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me through grace he meaneth but how to performe that which is good I find not Heb. 12.1 It easily besetteth us on every side to hinder us from running in any way of Gods commandements 2. It will shew and intermingle it selfe and will not be kept out of doors no not for a moment when we purpose and go about the best duties but it will be medling and have a finger even in them When I would do good saith the Apostle Rom. 7.21 evill is present with me 3. It will crosse 3. It will crosse and oppose the spirit and interrupt the worke of it stirring up such thoughts and motions as are quite contrary and opposite unto it I see saith blessed Paul Rom. 7.23 another law in my members warring against the law of my mind And Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Yea 4. by these and such like meanes it defileth our best duties and maketh them not onely unworthy of all reward with God but worthy to be rejected and loathed by him as the Church complaineth Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Secondly It draweth the best of us to offend God oft 1. Even to doe that that we do not onely know to be evill but that also that our hearts do hate In many things saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 we offend all And Paul Rom. 7.15 What I hate that I doe and verse 23. It bringeth me into captivity to the law of sinne 2. Yea it is restlesse and never giveth over working this way Like thtroubled sea as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 57.20 which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt This root and fountaine is ever springing and putting forth one corruption or other Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearâ— saith the Lord Gen. 6.5 is
thee to have my best services washed and cleansed from their filthines and seekest thou to mee for such poore services as I am able to doe Fourthly and lastly Hee doth also reward every service wee doe unto him notwithstanding all the imperfections and staines of it Whatsoever good thing any man doth saith the Apostle Ephes. 6.8 the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Not onely great services and such as much glory redoundeth to his name by but even the meanest and poorest and such as may seeme to bee of least use unto him See what Christ saith of the poore widdowes two mites Luke 21.3 of a cup of cold water given to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10.42 and what the Apostle saith Colos. 3 24. of the conscionable service that a poore drudge that had an infidell to his master did Know that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance Therefore when Christ speaketh Matth. 25. of the good workes that shall bee rewarded in heaven hee speaketh not of Martyrdome nor of building of Colledges nor fighting the Lords battell nor redeeming of impropriations and such like great and excellent workes but of such as the meanest Christian almost may bee able to performe The poore mans sacrifice who was able to bring but a turtle Dove or a young Pigeon was an offering of as sweet a savour unto the Lord as you shall find Levit. 1.17 as the rich mans was that brought never so many sheepe or oxen either Yea those very services that have beene apparantly polluted with mixture of corruption have beene rewarded by him neverthelesse Because the mid-wives feared God saith Moses Exodus 1.20 21. and saved the childrens lives therefore God dealt well with the mid-wives and made them houses though they in doing this service had excused themselves by a lye as yee may see verse 19. Yea those services that we do unto God with sensible untowardnesse unwillingnesse and reluctancy of our flesh against them those God will bee most sure to reward God is not unrighteous saith the Apostle Heb. 6.10 to forget your worke and labour of love Now if wee will search the Scriptures and enquire into the reason of this admirable goodnesse of God and demand how it commeth to passe that so perfect and pure and righteous a God should so farre respect so imperfect and impure services as we are able to doe unto him we shall find three reasons given of it in the holy Scriptures First In these poore services that the faithfull doe unto God their heart is set to please him that is the end they aime at They would faine doe them in faith and love to God with fervency and vigour of spirit To will is present with them as Paul speaketh Rom. 7.18 They would faine doe better They would faine serve God even in that exact manner that hee requireth Their spirit is willing as our Saviour saith Matth. 26.41 though the flesh be weake And they oft-times pray unto God as David doth Psal. 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes And can say as Esa. 26.8 The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee They that are after the spirit saith the Apostle Rom. 8.5 doe mind the things of the spirit The poore servants will was to pay his master even the ten thousand talents that he required of him Matth. 18.24 16. The faithfull doe not please themselves in any of their failings but are troubled with them and mourne for them As the poore man in the Gospell was that hee could beleeve no better Mar. 9.24 In all their coldnesse in prayer in all their wandrings and evill thoughts they find then they can say with the spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh And this is a thing that highly pleaseth God hee will beare with much when hee findeth this If there be a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 a man is accepted according to that that a man hath The good Lord pardon every one saith good Hezechiah in his prayer 2 Chron. 38.18 19. and the Lord hearkened to him verse 20. that prepareth his heart to seeke God though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary The Lord will pardon and passe by much where he seeth the heart is thus set to please him Secondly These poore services that we doe are for the substance of them the fruits the thoughts and desires the words and actions of his owne spirit in us It is God worketh in us both to will and to doe as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 2.13 In those poore prayers that the faithfull soule maketh when his spirit is overwhelmed so that hee knoweth not what to pray as hee ought the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot bee uttered as the Apostle speaketh Rom 8.26 And though God dislike never so much that that is ours the corruptions and staines that cleave to our best works yet that that is his owne the worke of his owne spirit hee cannot but like and delight in This reason wee shall find given by David Psal. 37.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Therefore hee delighteth in the good mans way because hee by his spirit doth order and direct it And thus the Church reasoneth Esay 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Thirdly and lastly The faithfull are in Christ and God beholdeth them in him and because hee is in Christ well pleased with and loveth them therefore doth he take in good part their poore services He hath made us accepted saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.6 in the beloved And when we our selves are once reconciled unto God and in favour with him it is no marvell though he take our poore services in so good part The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering saith Moses Genes 4.4 Wee that are evill ye know can beare with much in them that wee love dearely Yea the services that the faithfull doe unto God they doe not present them to him in their owne name but in Christs onely they doe not looke to have them accepted for their owne but for the Lords sake as Daniel speaketh Dan. 9.17 18. And Christ hath borne all these our blemishes and defects and fully satisfied for them As it is said of Aaron the high Priest Exod. 28 38. that he did beare the iniquity of the holy things that Gods people did offer in all their holy gifts Our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2 5. For he presenteth them to his father in the merit of his sacrifice and in presenting them casteth of these his sweete odours and incense into them as you shall read Rev. 8.3 And being so perfumed it is no marvell though our
6.25 It shall be our righteousnesse if we observe to doe all these commandements before the Lord our God as hee hath commanded us When Gods materiall house was to bee built God gave to Moses for the Tabernacle Exod. 25.9 and to David for the Temple 1 Chron. 28.12 a patterne according to which hee would have every thing made and done And of this patterne that God gave to David for the Temple it is expressely said 1 Chron. 28.19 that God gave it him in writing Nothing might bee done either by Moses or by Solomon though they were two of the wisest men that ever lived about the Tabernacle or Temple nor about the whole service of God that was used in them but according to that patterne that God had given them And this charge the Lord did repeate unto Moses to shew the importance and necessity of observing it foure severall times Exodus 25.9.40.26.30.27.8 And so the Apostle also mentioneth it Hebrews 8.5 See saith hee that thou make all things according to the patterne that was shewed thee in the mount And even thus hath the Lord done in the building of his spirituall house hee hath given us a patterne according to which hee would have all our good workes done and he hath given it us in writing in the holy Scriptures and he hath given it us with this charge that whatsoever wee do we doe it according to this patterne See this charge expressely given Deut. 5.32 You shall observe to doe as the Lord your God hath commanded you yee shall not turne aside to the right hand nor to the left As if hee should say ye shall neither doe more nor lesse then that When one asked our Saviour this question Master what shall I doe to inherit eternall life He answereth him thus Luke 10.25 26. How is it written in the law How readest thou As if he had said In the written law of God and there only thou shalt find what those good workes are that God will reward in heaven And that you may the better see what a perfect and absolute patterne and rule this is that God hath given us in his written Word and what necessity there is that we should follow the direction of it in every thing wherein wee desire to please God I will manifest it unto you in six points which I must desire you to attend unto First There is no good worke any man can doe no good thing at all that any man can take in hand to please God with whether it concerne the worship of God or his conversation with men or the carriage of himselfe any manner of way no duty either of holinesse towards God or righteousnesse towards men or sobriety towards himself but he may have cleere direction for it in the Word of God I grant that this cleere direction in every thing is not easily found in the Word much diligence in reading and studying of the Word in attending upon Gods ordinance in the Ministery of his servants and in humble and fervent prayer is required hereunto yet may we certainely if the fault be not in our selves find cleare and certaine direction in the Word for all these things As there was nothing to be done about the Tabernacle not so much as the snuffers or curtaines or rings or pins that were to be used about it but they were all set downe in the patterne that God gave to Moses in the mount See this plainely proved Pro. 2.1.9 My son if thou wilt receive my words saith the wisedome of God and hide my commandements with thee then shalt thou understand righteousnesse and judgement equity yea every good path And indeed how els could the holy Scripture be â—o profitable and sufficient not only to teach and convince in all matters of Doctrine but also to correct and instruct in righteousnes that by it the man of God may become perfect throughly furnished unto every good work as the Apostle saith it is 2 Tim. 3.16 17. if there were any one good duty which the Minister of God might not be able out of the holy Scripture to give Gods people cleere direction in Therefore the Lord giveth this testimony of David 1 King 14.8 that he kept his commandements and followed him with all his heart to do that only that was right in Gods eyes As we do that which is right in Gods eyes then only when we keepe his commandements and follow the direction of his Word so then only do we follow the Lord with all our hearts we serve him with honest upright hearts when we do that only that is right in his eyes that only that we have the direction of his Word for Secondly Nothing that God hath commanded or approved in his Word can be a sin but must needs be lawfull and good how unreasonable or inconvenient or void of good successe soever it may seeme unto flesh and bloud Every creature of God is good saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 4.4 5. for it is sanctified by the Word and prayer As if he should say Whatsoever God hath allowed and sanctified in his Word that must needs bee good Nay to account any thing evill or to make scruple of doing any thing that God in his Word hath approved is doubtlesse a great errour and sinne Be not righteous overmuch saith the Holy Ghost Eccl. 7.16 neither make thy selfe over wise As if he had said Be not holier then God make no more sins then God hath made Our Saviour calleth the Ruler of the Synagogue hypocrite Luke 13.14 15. for holding it unlawfull to doe workes of mercy on the Sabbath day Why Was it not a good thing in him to be so zealous for the observation of the Sabbath or was it a good thing to doe such cures upon the Sabbath Yes verily because God had not in his Word forbidden but allowed and commanded works of mercy to be done then at all times this man in being so hot zealous against it shewed himselfe to be no better then an hypocrite See in a notable example what the danger of this is 1 King 20.35 36. A Prophet said to his neighbour in the word of the Lord and his neighbour knew him to be a Prophet and that it was the word and commandement of the Lord which hee spake smite mee I pray thee and the man refused to smite him hee made scruple to doe it because hee thought it unjust and unreasonable to doe it But what saith the Prophet to him Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the Lord but wilt be more righteous and mercifull then God would have thee as soone as thou art departed from mee a lion shall slay thee And so it fell out Hee had not sinned in smiting and wounding the Prophet as verse 37. you shall find another upon the same warrant and commandement did yea hee sinned in not doing it in making a scruple of it when he had Gods Word and commandement for it So it
religion are called by the holy Ghost and wee may not teach him to speake righteous men and beleevers though there bee no true righteousnesse or faith in them at all So it is said Iohn 2.23 24. Many beleeved in Christs name when they saw the miracles that he did Had these men true and saving faith No verely as appeareth plainly by the next words But Iesus did not commit himselfe unto them because hee knew all men As though the Evangelist had said Hee knew there was no truth of faith in their hearts though they made such a profession of it So it is said of Simon Magus Actes 8.13 that hee beleeved Why had hee ever a true justifying faith in him No verely for hee was even then though neither Philip nor Peter perceived it till a little after in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquitie as Peter testifieth of him verse 23. yet all that are baptized are said to be regenerated and borne anew yea all the infants of the faithfull are said by the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.14 to bee holy Are all infants holy indeed and truly sanctified Are all men that are baptized regenerated indeed No verily But by profession and sacramentally they are so all But why are they then by the holy Ghost called so not being so indeed Surely because the Church and people of God are bound to judge them beleevers and righteous persons that outwardly professe themselves to bee such till God shall bee pleased to reveile and discover them to bee otherwise The secret things belong to the Lord our God saith Moses Deutero 29.29 but those things which are reveiled belong to us and to our children for ever And therefore Simon Magus as bad a man as hee was inwardly and in heart was without all scruple admitted by Philip the Evangelist unto baptisme and so accounted a true beleever Acts 8.13 even for this cause because hee professed the true faith So then the beleevers the righteous and regenerate persons that are such only by profession and in the judgement of the Church may quite fall away and loose all that goodnes that seemed to be in them Secondly It cannot bee denyed but that a man may have in him in truth sundry common gifts of the spirit of God that are very like unto saving and true grace and yet loose them againe and fall quite from them The hearer that is compared to the stony ground that receiveth the word and beleeveth it and findeth joy and comfort in it yet may fall away as is plaine Luke 8.13 A man that hath beene enlightned and hath tasted of the heavenly gift of Christ and hath beene made partaker of the holy Ghost may so fall away saith the Apostle Heb. 6 4.6 as it is impossible for him to bee renewed againe unto repentance A man that hath escaped the pollutions of the world forsaken all foule grosse sins may be yet so intangled againe and overcome by them as the Apostle teacheth 2 Peter 2.20 that his latter end may become worse with him then ever his beginning was And what shall wee say of these men and of the good things that are spoken of them Were they such in shew and profession onely No verily They were indeed enlightned they did indeed beleeve they did indeed rejoyce and found comfort in the word they did indeed forsake the pollutions of the world Yea these good things in them were the workes and effects of the word and spirit of God and not of nature onely that that sprung up in them came from the seed of the word that was sowen in their hearts Luke 8.6.13 It was the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Peter 2.20 and the sweetnesse that they found in that that made them to forsake all foule and grosse sins How then Had these men ever any truth of saving or sanctifying grace in them No verily For our Saviour saith 1. Of these Luke 8.13 that they had no root in themselves the goodnes worke of the spirit that was in them was overly it never went low enough deep enough to the giving of them a root to the reforming of the inward man 2. Of the hearer that is compared to the good ground Luk. 8.15 that he he only of all the foure sorts of hearers had on honest and a good heart there was no goodnes of heart no truth of grace in any of the other three Thirdly and lastly A man that hath had in him truth of saving grace may seeme to others and to himselfe also to have lost it utterly and even to have quite quenched the spirit in himselfe For 1. he may loose the comfortable sense and feeling of it and not perceive in himselfe that he hath any grace in him at all Lord why castest thou off my soule saith the Prophet Ps. 88.14 15 while I suffer thy terrours I am distracted 2. He may loose the vigor and powerfull operation of it it may like a sparke of fire be so covered and hidden in an heap of ashes that neither himselfe nor any other can by any light or heat that commeth from it discerne any other but that it is quite dead and gone If Nathan himselfe had come to David when after the committing of his shamefull adultery he was practising with all the cunning he had the murther of Vriah or if any of the Apostles had bin with Peter when he denied Christ so oft with such bitter oathes and execrations against himselfe Mat. 26.74 what sparke of grace could they have discerned in them In these three points then you see how farre foorth it may be granted that men may fall from grace And yet is this that I have taught you a certaine truth that true sanctifying and saving grace is of a lasting permanent and continuing nature See this confirmed 1. By that which the holy Ghost expresly affirmeth of sundry particular graces and fruits of the spirit of sanctification I will instance but in three 1. The feare of the Lord is cleane saith David Psal. 19.9 enduring for ever 2. So speaking of the upright man Psal. 112.2 3. he saith his righteousnesse endureth for ever 3. And the Apostle speaking of that meekenes of spirit which Gods sanctifying grace worketh in the faithfull he calleth it Pet. 3 4. a thing that is not corruptible it can never dye See this also confirmed 2. By that which the holy Ghost expresly affirmeth of the whole habit and quality of renewed holinesse created and infused by the spirit of God into our soules at our first conversion The grace of regeneration is called by the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.23 an incorruptible seed which he amplifieth by this comparison verse 24.25 All flesh is as grasse and all the glory of man is as the flower of the grasse the grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away but the word of the Lord endureth for ever As if he should say Whatsoever excellency we
Tim. 1.6 Secondly Every regenerate man is of himselfe exceeding prone thus to quench the spirit and to fall from grace and it is the wonderfull mercy and power of God onely that doth keepe us from falling quite away if hee should let goe his hand never so little we could be no more able to stand then the little infant which the nurse dadeth can doe if she let goe her hold she hath of it or then your staffe can doe when you take off your hand It is God alone that keepeth the feet of his Saints 1 Sam 2. â— And this is a just cause why wee should bee continually in feare of falling away Worke out your salvation saith the Apostle Philippians 2.12 13 with feare and trembling because it is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Thirdly As God hath made an everlasting covenant with us that hee will never forsake us and that wee shall not depart from him Ieremy 32. so the meanes whereby he in his goodnesse doth preserve us from falling away from him is by working in us by his spirit this feare of falling away this care to persevere and hold out and grow in grace And so he expressely speaketh Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me So that he that findeth not in himselfe this feare of falling away this care to nourish grace in himselfe and to finish his course with joy hath just cause to judge that God never received him into this covenant of grace this everlasting covenant that you have heard of Fourthly and lastly Constancy in well-doing and an uniformity in a Christian course is an inseperable property of true grace It is nothing for any of you to be devout in your prayers and in hearing of the Word in the morning and in your buying and selling afterward to play the cut-throats and cheatours of your neighbours thus much an hypocrite can doe but this is that that may give thee comfort when thou keepest thy heart in the feare of the Lord all the day long as Solomon speaketh Pro. 23.17 When thou canst say with Paul Acts 24.10 Herein doe I exercise my selfe to have alwaies a conscience void of offence towards God and towards men too It is a small signe of grace for any of you to have some fits of remorse for sinne and of good motions and desires when you have beene dangerously sick or the morning before you received the Communion Pharaoh and Saul had such fits and good moods But this is that that will give you comfort when you find your selves constant in the hatred of sin and in performing good duties Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies to offend God saith Solomon Pro. 28.14 And Psal. 106.3 Blessed are they that keepe judgement and doe righteousnesse at all times When we can say with David Psal. 119.117 I will have respect to thy statutes continually Lecture LXXXVIII On Psalme 51.6 April 29. 1628. THe fourth and last property of true obedience of true righteousnesse and goodnesse which will give us a comfortable assurance of the uprightnesse of our hearts is the manner how it is performed with what affection we doe it what ends we aime at in it He that would approve the uprightnesse of his heart by the unblameablenesse and godlinesse of his life must not content himselfe with this that he escheweth evill and doth good he abstaineth from all knowne sinnes that God hath forbidden and performeth all good duties that God hath commanded him to doe unlesse he be carefull also to doe this in that manner as God requireth This I will 1 confirme unto you and then 2 I will give you some directions how to performe good duties in a good and right manner And for the first We shall find that the Lord in requiring obedience of us standeth not so much upon this that we doe good duties as that we doe them in the right manner It shall be our righteousnesse saith Moses Deut. 6.25 if we observe to doe all these commandements before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us As if he had said Say we should doe all he hath commanded us yet if wee doe it not as hee hath commanded us it is no righteousnesse in Gods account You shall see this also confirmed more particularly by instancing in duties of all sorts 1 In those that are to bee performed to men 2 In those that are done directly and immediatly unto God No good thing we doe is of any account with God unlesse it be done in a good manner In the duty of servants toward their masters this is the chiefe thing God requireth he standeth not so much upon what they doe as how and in what manner they doe it that is to say with feare and trembling as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6.5 6. in singlenesse of heart as unto Christ not with eye-service as men-pleasers but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart So in other duties of governement and care of others duties the Apostle standeth upon this principally Rom. 12.8 he that giveth let him do it with simplicity he that ruleth with diligence he that sheweth mercy with cheerefullnesse So though it were an excellent worke of mercy of bounty and kindnesse that Gajus shewed to the godly of whom the Apostle saith Rom. 16.23 that he was not his host onely but the host of the whole Church Yet the thing that graced this excellent good worke of his so much in the sight of God was this that he did it in so good a manner and with so good an heart Beloved saith the Apostle to him 3 Iohn 5. thou dost faithfully whatsoever thou dost both to the brethren and to strangers See this also confirmed in the duties of Gods owne worship which are greater then the other Even in them also the manner of doing them is all in all 1. For prayer if a man pray never so constantly it is to no purpose unlesse he pray in the right manner Iames. 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse 2. Neither will the receiving of the Sacraments do us any good unlesse we receive them in that manner as we ought to doe The Apostle speaking of the hypocrites that perished in the wildernesse saith of them 1 Cor. 10. 4. They were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea and did all eate the same spirituall meate that wee doe in the Lords Supper and did drinke the same spirituall drinke yet with many of them God was not well pleased 3. Of hearing the Word ye know what our Saviour saith Luke 8.18 Take heed how you heare not onely that you heare and what you heare but even how and in what manner you heare also 4 Lastly Tâ—e preaching of the Word though it be the greatest worke of all other in respect whereof the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 2.15 We are unto
weakenesse that cost mee so deare yet my heart was for God I did it not with the full sway of my soule This you see every true hearted Christian can to his comfort say of every evill that through infirmity hee hath slipt into this I ought not to have done it was against the purpose of my heart against my will that I have done so and of every good thing that hee hath failed in either for matter or manner thus I should doe and thus with all my heart I desire to doe Now for the third degree of proofes for this point See what high account the Lord himselfe maketh of this when our mind and the purpose and desire of our hearts is set to please him though there be much wanting in our performance See this in three points First Hee accepteth the will for the deed Even as hee accounteth every wicked man guiltie of that sinne which hee purposed and desired to doe though he commit it not Hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her saith the Lord. Matth. 5.28 hath committed adultery with her already in his heart And 1 Iohn 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer And as Solomon saith Prov. 23.7 As hee thinketh in his heart so is he in Gods account So on the other side the Lord accounteth euery good thing as done yea as perfectly performed by any of his servants which hee seeth them purpose and endeavour and unfeinedly desire to doe If there bee first a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8 12. it is accepted So the Lord saith of Abraham that he did offer up his son in sacrifice Heb. 11.17 because he was willing and purposed to do it So because David had a purpose and desire to build God an house he commendeth him for this purpose 1 Kin. 8.18 Thou didst well that it was in thine heart Yea he rewardeth him for it as if he had done it and telleth him 2 Sam. 7.27 that for that he would build him an house So when the servant that ought his Lord ten thousand talents had shewed himselfe willing to pay all and said Mat 18. â—6 Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all a thing utterly impossible for him to do yet was he desirous and willing to do it as every true Christian is willing and desirous to keepe all Gods commandements compleatly though it be impossible for him to do it it is said in the next words ver 27. that his Lord had compassion on him and loosed him and fargave him the debt hee tooke this for full paiment he accepted of the will for the deed So when Zacheus had unfeinedly professed his willingnes to make restitution Christ saith of him Lu. 19.9 This day is salvation come to thy house So the Lord accounteth that soule a true beleever that doth unfeinedly desire to beleeve For Christ saith they are blessed that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Mat. 5.6 And him a trve penitent sinner that doth unfeinedly purpose and desire to repent and turne unto God When the Prodigall did but purpose to returne humble himselfe to his father When he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him Lu. 15.20 And the Lord accounteth him a godly man and an observer of all his holy commandements that doth unfeinedly desire to obey him in all things If ye be willing and obedient saith the Lord Esa. 1 â—9 ye shall eate the good of the land Thus you see how God accepteth the will for the deed But secondly hee doth more then so For in the best services wee can doe unto him hee esteemeth more of our wills then of our deeds The Lord regarded nothing so much the benevolence that the Corinthians bestowed on the Saints in Iudea as hee did the willingnesse of their minde in bestowing You have begunne saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.10 not only to doe but also to be willing a yeere agoe Neither did God so much esteeme of Pauls preaching though that were excellent as hee did this that he preached with so willing a mind If I do this thing willingly saith he 1 Cor. 9 17. I have a reward And this God maketh high account of in every Minister when hee feedeth the flocke of God not by constraint but willingly 1 Peter 5.2 And when the Lord biddeth Moses speake unto the children of Israel that they should bring an offering for the making of the Tabernacle hee saith Exodus 25.2 Of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart yee shall take my offering hee esteemeth more of the willingnesse of the heart in offering then of the offering it selfe And this reason Paul giveth to Philemon verse 14. why he would not retaine Onesimus without his minde that thy benefite saith hee should not bee as it were of necessity but willingly he knew God did most esteeme of that Thirdly and lastly When God hath once wrought an unfeined purpose and desire of heart to please him for it is hee onely that worketh in us to will as well as to doe Phil. 2.13 hee will reward it with an increase of strength and ability to doe well and a chiefe cause why wee have no more ability to doe well is because wee no more desire to doe well For the Lord hath promised to fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psalme 145 19. to fill thy mouth if thou open it wide Psalme 8â— 10 to fill the hungry with good things Luke 1.53 And thus you have heard this truth confirmed unto you that a Christian may gather more comfortable assurance of the uprightnesse of his heart from the goodnesse of his will and desire then from the goodnesse of his life or of any actions he is able to performe Let us now come to answer that which may bee objected against this truth which is the third thing that in my methode I propounded and promised to doe For this doctrine may seeme to bee too broad a way and too open a doore of hope and comfort to the most lewd men Oh will they say this doctrine we like well this giveth us assurance that our hearts are as upright as the precisest of them all for wee also have good desires we would faine doe well we desire to beleeve in Christ we desire to repent and leave our sins And so we shall find in the word of sundry cast-awayes that have not onely had desires to be saved as Baalam Numbers 23.10 Let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his and those foolish virgins that cryed Mat. 25.11 Lord Lord open unto us but have had desires also to go in the way that leadeth unto life desires to doe well Many I say unto you saith our Saviour Luke 13.24 will seeke to enter in at the strait gate and shall not bee able Now my answer unto this objection shall consist of two parts First
elect Apostles themselves were able to beare Now if a Papist who holdeth and beleeveth that this is not only possible but very easie also for every regenerate man to keepe all the commandements of God so perfectly as he may bee justified thereby in Gods sight and merit also eternall life if such a one I say shall object against this proofe that the Apostle speaketh not there of the morrall but of circumcision and of the ceremoniall law I answer Hee calleth circumcision and the ceremoniall law an intollerable yoke not in respect of it selfe for the ceremoniall law was much more easie to bee kept then the morall was but because by urging the observation of the ceremoniall law then when it was abrogated by Christ they did deprive men of all benefit by Christ and bound them to the observation of the whole morall law and to seeke salvation by it This the Apostle plainely teacheth us Galat. 5.2.3 Behold I Paul say unto you that if yee be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing For I testifie againe to every one that is circumcised that he is a debtor to doe the whole law The observation therefore of the morall law in that manner that the law required that is exactly in all points and perfectly was such a yoke as no Prophet nor Apostle was ever able to beare This the Lord taught his people by delivering the law unto them in so terrible a manner as he did The sight was so terrible saith the Apostle Hebr. 12 â—1 that Moses said I exceedingly feare and quake and all Gods people were in that terrible feare that they intreated as the Apostle saith verse 19. that the word might not bee spoken to them any more that they might heare no more of it in that manner and the reason is given verse 20. why they were in this horrible feare For they could not endure that which was commanded saith the Apostle The commandements of God in that manner that the law enjoyneth them have nothing but terrour in them the perfect observation of them is so intollerable a yoke as Moses himselfe was not able to beare Thirdly and lastly To observe the commandements of God even in such a manner as the Gospell requireth that is to say in truth and sincerity of heart is a very difficult and painefull thing to the best of Gods servants in respect of those reliques of naturall corruption that doe remaine in them besides the manifold and strong pull-backs and oppositions they shall bee sure to receive from Satan and the world This the faithfull find to bee too true by daily experience The same combate and warre that they find oft in themselves in every good duty and service they would doe unto God betweene the flesh and the spirit the law of their mind and the law in their members the regegenerate and unregenerate part of which the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.23 Galat. 5.17 certainely putteth them to no lesse paine then Rebecca was in when the two children strugled together within her Genesis 25.22 and as the paine she was in then made her cry out in a sudden fit of impatiency If it bee so why I am thus would I had never conceived would I had never married So doth the paine that this intestine warre putteth them in make the best of Gods servants often times not onely to sigh and grone and cry out with Paul Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am but even to entertaine such motions as Rebecca did If it bee so why am I thus If it bee so hard and painefull a thing to serve God would I had never entred into his service but contented my selfe to live as other men doe This tentation we know the Prophet himselfe was subject unto when he cryed Ps. 73.13 Verily I have clensed my heart in vaine and washed mine hands in innocency Let papists say what they will how easie a thing it is for a regenerate man to keepe all the commandements of God and to keepe them perfectly it is certainely a painfull thing for such as the best of us are that have so much flesh and corruption remaining in us to doe any service unto God even in that manner as the Gospell requireth of us without labour and paine no service can bee done to God acceptably That which the Apostle saith of prayer Strive together with me in prayer saith hee Rom 15.30 faithfull prayer can never bee well made without striving and labour the same our Saviour saith of all the wayes of God that leade to life faith repentance love keeping of the Sabbath every other good duty and service Lu. 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate As though he should say every way of God is strait and uneasie to our flesh and therefore without striving and labour there is no possibility of walking in it All this notwithstanding to come now unto the second part of my answer the commandements of God are not so hard the service he requireth of us is not so difficult and paineful as need to discourage any of us or make us afraid of it For First Though the commandements of God bee impossible to the naturall and wicked man to the regenerate and true beleever they are possible enough All things are possible saith Christ Mar 9.23 to him that beleeveth Nay as it hath beene truly said of the wicked man hee cannot possibly keepe them he cannot but breake them so may it bee as truly said of the regenerate man he cannot but keepe them he cannot breake them as the other doth How can I saith Ioseph Gen. 39.9 do this great wickednesse and sinne against God Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.9 and he cannot sin because he is borne of God Secondly Though the commandements of God and the observation of them as Moses enjoyned them be an intollerable yoke even to the regenerate themselves yet as Christ enjoyneth them they are not so Though that perfect and strict obedience which the law requireth be utterly impossible for the strongest Christian under heaven to performe yet Evangelicall obedience to the commandements of God an unfeined love to them all and endeavour to keep them which is all that the Gospell requireth is no more then the weakest Christian is able to performe For so saith our Saviour to the poore Christian that is most wearied and over-burdened and broken-hearted Matth. 11.30 My yoke is easie and my burden light Thirdly and lastly Though to the best of the regenerate the coÌ„mandements of God even as Christ enjoyneth them be difficult cannot be performed without labour and paine in respect of the flesh and the remnants of corruption that are in them yet are they unto them in respect of the inward man and the regenerate part most easie and sweet I delight in the law of God saith the Apostle Rom. 7.22 after the inward man And for this wee have not only the expresse testimony of the holy Ghost 1
in our hearts is because we observe it no more nor take our selves with it we feele it no burden nor trouble to us we complaine not more to God of it nor cry more earnestly to him for helpe against it We have not because we aske not as the Apostle speaketh in another case Iam. 4.2 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6 Lecture XCV On Psalme LI. 6. August XIX MDCXXVIII And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WE have already heard that David suing unto God for mercy in the pardon of those heinous sinnes hee had falne into doth make humble confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God for it not onely in grosse and generall ver 3. but more fully in the three verses following For 1. He acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan had charged him with ver 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. He aggravateth his sinne by foure arguments that is to say 1. From the consideration of the person against whom hee had sinned verse 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 2. From the consideration of the fountaine and root from whence this his sin did spring even his vile and cursed nature ver 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that delight the Lord taketh in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart which hee found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of these foule sinnes in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. Lastly From the consideration of that truth of saving grace which God had wrought in him before he fell into these sinnes in these last words of the sixt verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome For so I read the words 1. Because the originall will beare this sense as well as the other as might be shewed by many other places of Scripture where words of the future tense are put for the preter-perfect tense and as appeareth by the judgement of the most and best interpreters that is to say the Septuagint the vulgar latine Pagin Vatablus Tremellius Calvin Bucer the Geneva translatours who all understand the words to be meant of the time past not of the present or future time 2. Because this sense doth best agree with the scope of the place for David doth yet continue in the aggravation of his sinne and in professing his humiliation and sorrow for it The summe then of these words is an aggravation of his foule sinnes from the consideration of that sound conversion and truth of grace that God had wrought in him before hee did thus fall And in the words there are these three principall things to bee observed 1. The description David maketh of his owne true conversion and regeneration In the hidden part he had knowne wisedome 2. The author and worker of this his conversion In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. The end and purpose David had in mentioning the truth of his conversion in this place that is to say to aggravate and increase his sinne by the consideration of it And for the first of these three points before we can receive that instruction which the Holy Ghost intendeth to give us in them three questions must first be moved and answered for the opening of the words First What meaneth he here by Wisedome I answer By wisedome he meaneth true religion and piety the knowledge of the right way how to serve God and to save our owne soules This onely the Holy Ghost calleth true wisedome Vnto man he said saith Iob 28.28 the feare of the Lord that is wisdome Teach us so to number our daies to be so perswaded of and to thinke of the uncertainty of our lives saith Moses in his prayer Psal. 90 1â— as we may apply our hearts unto wisedome As if hee had said As we may seriously study and endeavour to please thee and provide for the salvation of our owne soules But wisedome is justified of her children saith our Saviour Matth. 11.19 As though he should say Though the right way of salvation which Iohn Baptist and I doe teach be despised and rejected by the world yet by all those that God hath appointed unto salvation it is approved of and received Secondly What meaneth he here by the hidden part I answer By it he meaneth the heart which he called before the inward parts Thus the Lord himselfe expoundeth it Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart So the Apostle calleth the regenerate part the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 because it is hidden and concealed from all men Who can know it Ier. 17.9 Thou even thou onely saith Solomon 1 King 8.39 knowest the hearts of all the children of men Thirdly And how is hee then said here to have knowne wisedome in the hidden part I answer He did not onely see and discerne in his judgement the right way of salvation but God had made him able also with his heart and in affection to approve and like of it to know it feelingly experimentally effectually And indeed this is the onely right and saving knowledge This was the knowledge of Christ that the Apostle made so high account of Doubtlesse saith he Phil. 3.8.10 I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ that I mâ—y know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings that is experimentally and effectually And they that know not God and his waies thus in their heart but in their braine onely know him not aright As it is said of the Priests Elyes sonnes 1 Sam. 2.12 and may be too truly of many a Minister now even of such as can preach well that they knew not the Lord. The words then being thus opened we see this Doctrine doth naturally arise from them for our instruction That true and saving knowledge is the principall worke of Gods grace in the conversion of a man See the proofe of this Doctrine in three points First In every one whom God doth convert and regenerate hee worketh saving knowledge spirituall understanding This is the tenour of the new covenant Ier. 31 3â— 34. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more Every one whom God receiveth into covenant and to favour whose sinnes he forgiveth even the least the weakest of them all
shall have an understanding heart given unto him he shall not be onely taught by men God himselfe will be his teacher God will write his law in his heart Secondly This is the first worke of Gods grace in the regeneration and conversion of man As in the first creation this worldly and naturall light was the first worke that God made Genesis 1.3 so in the regeneration of man which is a second creation this spirituall and supernaturall light is his first work After two daies will he revive us saith the Church Hos. 6.2 3. speaking of their true conversion and turning unto God in the third day he will raise us up and wee shall live in his sight then shall wee have knowledge and endeavour our selves to know the Lord. As if she had said So soone as ever hee hath begun to revive us we shall have knowledge So when God sendeth Paul to convert the Gentiles he mentioneth this as the first worke and fruit of his ministery Acts 26.18 he saith he sent him to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse unto light As if he had said To deliver them from their blindnesse and ignorance and to breed knowledge in them So speaketh the Apostle of the Iewes 2 Corinthians 3.16 Neverthelesse As if hee had said Though there bee now a vaile upon their heart when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken away As though hee should say So soone as ever they shall be converted they shall be able to understand what Moses hath written concerning Christ. Thirdly and lastly The change and conversion of a sinner is said to consist in this Bee yee transformed or changed saith the Apostle Romanes 12.2 by the renewing of your mind When the mind is once renewed a man is transformed the saving change and conversion of his heart is wrought Ye have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge saith the Apostle Col. 3.10 after the image of him that created him As if he should say The man that hath this knowledge is certainely renewed become a new creature hath Gods image stamped upon him After ye were illuminated that is after ye were effectually called and converted saith he to the Hebrewes 10.32 ye endured a great fight of afflictions To be inlightned with this knowledge and to bee converted and effectually called he maketh all one thing And as the state wee were in by nature and all the misery we were subject unto in that estate is called darknesse and consisted chiefly in the blindnesse and ignorance we then lived in so the estate of grace and all the comfort and happinesse we enjoy in it is called light and consisteth chiefly in the spirituall knowledge and understanding that we doe enjoy in it Ye were once darknesse saith the Apostle Ephes. 5.8 but now are ye light in the Lord. So speaketh the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.9 Shew forth the praises of him that hath called you out of darknesse into his marvellous light Gods saving grace in the heart of man his effectuall calling and conversion is seene in nothing more then in delivering him out of that darknesse that blindnesse and blockishnesse and ignorance that was in him by nature then in opening of his eyes and renewing his mind then in causing him in his hidden part to know wisedome as the Prophet here speaketh Now if we shall inquire into the ground and reason of this why the Holy Ghost ascribeth so much unto knowledge we shall find two reasons of it principally First Because knowledge is the foundation and that that giveth strength and stability to all other graces If the good profession we make if our faith our love our zeale our repentance bee grounded upon sound knowledge then they will last and abide as the house that is built upon a rock But if these graces or any other holy affections seeme to bee in us in never so great a measure certainely they will bee of no continuance unlesse they bee grounded upon knowledge See this instanced in three particular graces First Our zeale and love to God and goodnesse will never hold out unlesse it be grounded upon sound knowledge This I pray saith the Apostle Phil. 1.9 that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement As if he had said I know to my great comfort that you are now full of love to God and to his truth and to his servants and I pray God yee may continue and increase in this grace but that can ye never doe unlesse your love your holy and good affections be supported and grounded upon knowledge and sound judgement Secondly We shall never be able to abide constant in the profession of the truth unlesse we be well grounded in the knowledge of it The Apostle telleth us Ephes. 4.12 14. that the function of the ministery was ordained by Christ to bring us to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Sonne of God that wee might bee no more children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by sleight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lie in wait to deceive As if hee had said 1 The Church of God will never want seducers and false teachers and 2 they are very cunning and will bee ready to cheat us with their false dice and wee 3 are naturally like little children easily cousened or like ships upon the sea that have no anker 4 wee shall never bee able to hold the truth and keepe our selves from being deceived and seduced by them unlesse by living under a sound and constant ministery wee ground our selves well in the knowledge of the truth So the Apostle speaking of some that perverted the writings of Paul 2 Pet. 3.16 saith they were such as were unlearned and unstable men Vnlearned men and such as want knowledge must needs be unstable men they cannot continue constant and steady in the profession of the truth So our Saviour giving the reason why those hearers whom he compareth to stony ground proved temporaries indured but for a time saith of them Mar. 4.16 17. 1 that they had no root in themselves they were never well grounded in the truth 2 that they did receive the Word immediatly with gladnesse they were somewhat too hasty in receiving the truth if they had first taken paines to examine well the grounds of it as those Bereans did Actes 17.11 before they had received it they would not so soone have fallen from it Certainely no constancy in religion can bee expected from those men that are not well grounded in the knowledge of the truth Thirdly and lastly Patience and comfort in affliction will never hold out nor continue when the fiery triall shall come unlesse it be well grounded upon knowledge This is plaine by that prayer which the Apostle maketh for the Colossians Col. 1.9 11. I cease not to pray for you and to desire that you may bee filled with the
is not wont to winke at in them he is wont to correct them sharply for such sins Shall I instance in some few examples for this And indeed how should I spend the time more profitably in so secure an age as this First I will not stand upon the example of David how sharply God scourged him for those sins which he bewaileth in this Psalme with what changes and armies of sorrowes and plagues as Iob speaketh cap. 10.17 he followed him ever after all the dayes of his life For you may say his were most presumptuous and notorious sins such as few that were ever truly regenerate have fallen into I will therefore come to the second example wherein I will couple him and good Hezechiah together What say you to that foolish pride they shewed the one in numbring the people the other in shewing all his treasures to the Embassadours of the King of Babell O how severe was God in his judgments against them both even for this sin Of David it is said 1 Chron 21.14 that God slew of his subjects for that seventy thousand men And of Hezechiah it is said â— Chron 32.25 that for that sinne there was wrath upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem But you will say also that this was a presumptuous sin O that we would learne yet from this example how unable God is to brooke or beare with presumptuous sinne though it be but in heart in his deerest children But let us come to a third example What say you then to the sin of Aaron and Moses when they being bidden to speake onely to the rocke and promised that it should yeeld water enough for all the campe did but doubt a little and stagger at that promise and instead of speaking onely to the rocke smote it twice you shall see the story Numb 20.8 1â— and Moses in a passion spake unadvisedly with his lips as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme 106.33 Certainly this was but a frailtie in them no presumptuous sin and therefore you shall find the Prophet there Psalme 136.32 33. layeth that fault on the people rather then on them and so doth Moses himselfe also Deut 1.37 And yet see how angry the Lord was with them even for this sin Because of this he would by no meanes be intreated to let them goe into the land of promise though Moses earnestly besought him he would not heare him The Lord was wroth with mee saith he Deut. 3.26 and would not heare me but charged him to speake no more unto him of that matter O but you will say though this was but a sin of frailtie yet it was a scandalous sin True it was so indeed And the Lord alledgeth that for the cause why he was so provoked by it because it was done openly to the scandall of the people Numb 20.12 Then learne by this example how severe God will be in his judgements upon his people for scandalous sins But what say you then to Moses his delaying of the circumcision of his sonne to old Elyes bearing too much with his lewd sonnes and the faithfull Corinthians going to the Communion without care to prepare and examine themselves before Certainly these were but sins of carelesnesse and negligence And yet see how severe God was in his judgements against them even for these sins The Lord met Moses in the Inne and sought to kill him saith the text Exod. 4.24 The Lord did not only bring old Ely to a violent and strange death he brake his necke 1 Sam. 4 18. but he plagued his whole house and posteritie for ever for that sin in a most fearefull manner 1 Sam. 2.31 33 and cap. 3.11.14 The Lord sent a pestilence and mortality among the faithfull Corinthians even for this sin For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30 Behold how God hateth and will punish his owne people even for their negligences and carelesnesse if they judge not themselves for it and make conscience of it But yet there is a third degree that sheweth much more how odious the sins of his owne people are unto the Lord. For of the regenerate of Gods owne people it is said that they may so sin as they may make their very persons odious and hatefull unto God they may make their God their enemy They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit saith the Prophet Esa. 6â— 10 speaking of the Church of God in the wildernesse therefore hee was turned to bee their enemy When God heard this that is when he understood this that they fell into idolatry for that was the sin that so provoked him then as you may see vers 58. hee was wroth saith the Psalmist Psalme 78.59 and greatly abhorred Israel Though the Lord can beare with many sins in his people or though he beare not with them yet can correct them only for them and love them never the worse as you know parents oft-times doe yet may Gods children fall into such sins as will even make them odious unto their father These are things which defile a man and will make him loathsome saith our Saviour Mat. 15.20 What are those things That he telleth us verse 19. Murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies How can that be will you say Whom the Lord once loveth in Christ he loveth for ever I have loved thee saith the Lord to his people Ier. 31.3 with an everlasting love I answer That is most true Yet may his children so provoke him that though he doe not quite disinherite them or cease to be a father to them yet will he shew them no countenance or fatherly affection at all As David so loathed Absalom for murthering his brother that though he continued a fatherly affection towards him still yea and after that too when he had done far worse yet he could not abide to see him Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face saith he 2 Sam. 14 â—4 A Christian may by his sin cause his father so to loath him as it may be he shall never have good countenance of him againe he shall never see his face with comfort while he liveth His adoption the right and title he hath thereby to the word and Sacraments to Christ and vnto heaven the comfort I say of all these and of all the priviledges the 〈◊〉 he might make of them he shall loose As Vzzia when he fell into a leprosie lost not his kingdome the right title he had unto it therby but he lost the use and execution of his regall authoritie to the very day of his death as we read â— Chron. 26.21 Of Asa we read that though he dyed the child of God as appeareth both by that which is said of him in his life time 1 Kin. 15.14 that his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes and also by the testimonie is given of him twice after his death 2 Chron. 20.32 and 21.12
a slavish feare of Gods wrath is indeed a great bondage Feare hath torment saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.18 That which the Apostle saith of worldly and carnall sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 may bee said also of worldly and carnall feare The feare of the world worketh death And from this feare the faithfull are freed But it is no bondage no enemy to the comfort of a mans life to live in a continuall feare of sinning of offending and angring our heavenly father The Churches walking in the feare of the Lord Actes 9.31 and in the comfort of the holy Ghost were multiplied As if the Evangelist had said This feare is no opposite but a great helpe and furtherance unto true comfort Happy is the man that feareth alwayes saith the holy Ghost Prov. 28.14 As if he should say It is an happines to a man to feare thus But what reason can be given will you say why the child of God should be more afraid to sin then any other man Which is the second generall point I propounded to handle in this first exhortation To this I answer There be two principall reasons of it First Because God will beare lesse with them when they sin and deale more severely and sharply with them then with any other in this life Beware of him saith the Lord of the Angel of his Covenant whom he sent to conduct his people to the land of promise Exod. 23.21 and obey his voice provoke him not for hee will not pardon nor winke at your transgressions Such sins as carnall men go cleare away withall in this life and never sinart for if Gods child commit them he may not hope to do so You only have I knowne that is chosen to be mine owne and loved with a speciall love saith the Lord to his people Amos 3.2 of all the families of the earth therefore will I punish you for all your iniquities Them whom he knoweth best and loveth best can have least hope of all other men to escape his correcting hand when they sin against him The Lord thy God is a jealous God among you saith Moses Deut. 6.15 And a small thing you know will much offend a jealous husband he cannot abide the least shew of neglect from his wife A sharp and heavy judgement we know fell upon the faithfull Corinthians even for going carelesly and unpreparedly to the Communion For this cause saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30 many are sicke and weake among you and many sleepe O how often shall I put you in mind of this place before you will beleeve it and be moved by it And as the Lord is sooner provoked to anger by the sins of his owne children then of any other men so is his anger wont to be hotter and his corrections sharper on them then on any other When the Lord saw it saith Moses Deut. 32.19 that is to say that his own people fell to idolatry and other their grosse sins he abhorred them because of the provoking of his sons and of his daughters As who would not take the contempt and indignities that are done to him by his owne children a great deale worse then from any other man Secondly The child of God hath more cause to be afraid of sinning then any other because as we know the more any man hath the more fearefull he is to runne into the danger of the law so the child of God having more to loose then any man in the world hath besides hath even in this respect more cause to bee afraid of offending God then any other man hath Why will you say unto me what meane you by this What hath he to loose more then any other man I answer Every child of God hath received above all other men three inestimable jewels from God which by sinning against God he is in danger to loose First He hath the spirit of adoption which assureth him of his peace with God and that he hath his favour which maketh him able to call God father to go to him with boldnes in all his necessities We have received the spirit of adoption saith the Apostle Rom. 8.15 wherby we cry Abba father In Christ we have â—oldnes and accesse with confidence saith he Eph. 3.12 Now this is such a jewell as he would not loose for al the world Thy loving kindnes is better then life saith David Psal. 63.3 And this he knoweth he is in danger to loose if he give himself liberty to sin Indeed his adoption and son-ship and birth-right is of a stronger tenure The servant saith our Saviour Ioh. 8.35 abideth not in the house for ever but the son abideth ever Yet may he by his sin utterly loose this fruit and operation of the spirit of adoption he may loose the assurance of his fathers love his peace his joy his accesse with boldnesse and that not only by grosse and scandalous sins but even by his carelesnesse and negligence and carnall security as we see in that example of the Church My well-beloved had with-drawne himselfe and was gone saith she Cant. 5.6 And of this uncomparable losse the Church hath ever had many wofull examples Secondly He hath received the spirit of sanctification whereby there is an holy change wrought in his whole spirit and soule and body as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thess. 5.23 whereby he is made a vessell unto honour sanctified and meet as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 2.21 for his masters use and prepared unto every good work Now he setteth as much store by this jewell as his life Psal. 51.11 Cast me not away from thy presence take not thy holy spirit from me and he may loose the comfortable sense and the vigour and operation of it and bee strucken with such a dead palsy in his soule as he shall have little or no use of that life of grace that is in him And this losse he may come to not onely by giving liberty to himselfe in grosse and scandalous sins but even by his carnall security and carelesse neglect of the meanes whereby he might grow and increase in grace Quench not the spirit saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.19 despise not prophesyings even by despising of prophesyings the spirit may be quenched Thirdly and lastly He hath received a greater Iewell then either of these he beareth Gods owne name And as it is said of the Apostle Act. 9.15 that God had appointed him to beare his name before the Gentiles So it is said of all the faithfull also Phil. 2.16 that they hold forth unto men by their profession and example the word of life The Lord hath committed unto us that are his children his holy name and religion to keepe and that with a charge that we should so hold it out to the world by our holy example that we may gaine honour to it And that charge which the Apostle giveth to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.14 though it be chiefly given to us Ministers yet it is given of God
neglect any one of the rites and ceremonies of it Yea the Lord had said Numb 9.13 that he that observed not the just time that God had set for it should bee cut off from his people So dangerous a thing it is to swerve from the direction God hath given us in his Word even in the least circumstance of his worship The reasons and grounds of this Doctrine are principally two First The respect wee owe to the commandement and ordinance of God The least thing in Gods worship that hee hath appointed must not bee neglected even because hee hath ordained it Circumcision is nothing saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.19 and uncircumcision is nothing but the keeping of the commandements of God Though wee could see no other reason for them at all nor had any hope to receive good by them yet this is sufficient reason to move us to observe them because God in his Word hath given us direction so to doe In observing of them wee doe our homage to God and shew our obedience unto him This reason prevailed with our blessed Saviour 1. Hee received the Sacrament of circumcision in his infancy Luke 2.21 and afterward the Sacrament of baptisme too Luke 3.21 2. He submitted himselfe to the law of purification Luke 2 2â— 3. He received the Sacrament of the passeover Luke 22.15 4. He frequented the Church assemblies constantly upon the Sabbath Luke 4.16 and all upon this ground that these were Gods ordinances and hee must shew his obedience to God in all things Thus it becommeth us saith hee to Iohn Matth. 2.15 to fullfill all righteousnesse There were other purifications that were in use in that Church and much stood upon in those daies which hee made no such reckoning of though in themselves a man would have thought they had beene every whit as good as these that hee made conscience of upon this ground that they were not of Gods ordaining they were but the precepts of men Mat. 15.9 Secondly These things are ordained of God and enjoined us to observe for our owne good Keepe the commandements of the Lord and his statutes saith Moses Deut. 10.13 which I command thee this day for thy good That which is said of the Sabbath Marke 2.27 The Sabbath was made for man for mans great benefit and helpe hee could not have beene without it the same may bee said of every thing in Gods worship that hee hath ordained hee hath ordained it for our good even to further and increase the worke of his grace in our hearts And wee may confidently expect a blessing from God in observing the least thing that hee hath appointed us to use in his worship that God will give it vertue and make it effectuall to doe our soules good if wee use it aright See in three examples what vertue and force there was even in very small things that were of Gods ordaining 1. Numb 21.9 The very looking up to the brasen serpent cured all that were stung with fiery serpents 2 Iosh. 6.20 At the blowing of the trumpets of rammes hornes and shouting of the people the walls of Iericho fell downe flat to the ground 3. 2 Kings 5.14 By dipping himselfe seven times in Iordan Naaman was perfectly cured of his Leprosy See what force there was in small things that are of Gods ordaining and how undoubted a truth that is which the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1.25 The weakenesse of God is stronger then man The ceremonies and religious observations that are of mens devising as crucifixes to pray before crossing of our selves observing of popish fasts and superstitious holydayes sprinkling with popish holy water and such like though they carry great shew of helping us in devotion yet of them all it may bee said as our Saviour said of the Iewish purifyings Matth. 15.9 they are a vaine worship there is no force nor vertue in them to further the soule one jot in true piety and devotion Yea those very things that were once Gods owne ordinances as these washings and sprinkling with hysope that David alludeth to here and such like when they grew out of date and ceased any longer to bee commanded of God even they then lost that vertue and strength that once they had and became weake and beggerly elements as the Apostle calleth them Gal. 4.9 The uses that this Doctrine serveth unto are two principally 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation For the first Two things we are to learne from this Doctrine First That wee are bound to follow the direction that God hath either by precept or example given us in his Word even in the least circumstance of his worship wee may not say that in matters of substance wee must follow precisely the direction but in matters of circumstance wee are not bound so to doe The direction that God hath given us in his Word for the least thing that is to bee done in any part of his worship may not bee neglected without great sinne and danger Admit it were but a matter of circumstance what day wee keepe our Sabbath on so we keepe one in seven as some have conceited it to bee yet because God hath given us expresse direction in his Word by the example and practise of the Apostle and of those Churches that were planted by him Acts 20.7 1 Corinthians 16.2 to keepe it on the first day of the weeke the Church may never keepe it on any other day then that See thou make all things saith the Lord to Moses as you shall find it Hebrewes 8.5 according to the patterne shewed unto thee in the mount The written Word is unto us in stead of that patterne that was shewed unto Moses in the mount In every thing wee doe about Gods tabernacle and worship wee must precisely looke unto and follow that patterne observe what hee commands Secondly This teacheth us how to judge of that imputation that is put upon many of Gods faithfull servants and that maketh them as odious in the world as any other thing doth that they are held to bee more precise then wise that they are too strict and singular in matters of small moment And surely such as are indeed more precise and singular then they ought to hee doe justly deserve to bee blamed for it And I will tell you who they bee that are so 1. Such as are strict and zealously superstitious in the observing of their owne fancies and the customes and traditions of men Such a one was Paul before his conversion exceedingly zealous of the traditions of his fathers as hee saith Galathians 1.14 Such were the Iewes that pressed with great heate and contention both Christs Disciples Marke 7 2 3. and Iohns Iohn 3.25 to observe their purifyings 2. Such as seeme to bee very precise in smaller things as in matters of ceremony and some outward observations which indeed God requireth them to make conscience of but make no conscience of the weightier points of Gods law This precisenesse our
preaching where Gods power appeareth wherein God preacheth aswell as man God teacheth the heart inwardly aswell as man doth teach the outward man And that that he saith of preaching may bee said of every other ordinance of God That is only true compleate baptisme wherein God hath baptized the party aswell as man that a true and compleate communion which God hath administred aswell as man that a true and compleat prayer when the spirit of God hath joyned with mee and prayed aswell as I. 1. Then and then onely shall wee have comfort in our baptisme when wee can find that wee have beene baptized of God Hee shall baptize you saith Iohn baptist speaking to the faithfull Matthew 3.11 with the holy Ghost and with fire Happy is that soule that can find hee hath beene baptized by that hand that can say thus As by Gods minister I had water sprinkled upon mee by the ordinance of God in mine infancy when I knew it not so now I doe verily know and feele that the Lord himselfe hath by his spirit sprinkled upon my soule the bloud of his deare Sonne that blood of sprinkling as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 12.24 hath assured mee that it was shed for mee and I doe verily know and feele that he hath saved me as the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3.5 by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost 2. Then and then only shall we have comfort in the Lords supper when we can find that as Gods minister hath by his appointment given us the bread and wine so the Lord himselfe hath given us the body and bloud of his owne son and commanded us to feed upon him Moses gave you not that bread from heaven saith our Saviour Iohn 6.32 but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven and he sheweth what hee meaneth by that verse 35. I am the bread of life No minister can give thee that true bread from heaven the body and bloud of Christ to feed upon the Lord onely can give thee that And as when thou goest to the sacrament at any time thou must seeke and expect to receive this from him thou must cry to God as they did there ver 34. Lord evermore give us this bread So if thou canst find that thou hast in the Sacrament by the eye of thy faith discerned God giving thee this bread and by the hand of thy faith received it of him ô happy thou it was the comfortablest supper that ever thou wert at in thy life 3. Then and then only can wee have comfort in our preaching and you in your hearing when we and you can find that the Lord is with us worketh with us in this ordinance of his When we that are preachers can find that our ministery is not in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thess. 1.5 when we see God worketh with us and blesseth our ministery and it may be said of us as of them Actes 11.21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. And when you that are hearers can find that in your hearing the Lord openeth your hearts to attend with diligence and delight to that that you heare as hee did Lydias Actes 16.14 when ye can find that in the hearing of the word ye are taught of God drawne and effectually perswaded to beleeve and obey the truth that you heare as our Saviour saith all the Elect shall bee Iohn 6.44 45. when in the hearing of the truth of God delivered by any of his servants you heare withall that word behind you that is spoken of Esay 30 21. saying this is the way walke ye in it when in the ministery of the Word you can feele that mighty power of God that the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 10 5. casting downe your imaginations and every high thing in you that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every one of your thoughts to the obedience of Christ finally when we can say of your teachers as that man did 1 Cor. 14.25 Of a truth God is in you certainly God worketh with you then I say and then onely can you have comfort in your hearing 4. Lastly Then and then onely can wee have comfort in our prayers when we can find the Lord hath bin with us in prayer And when is that 1. When wee find the Lord hath prepared our hearts to pray Lord saith David Ps. 10.17 thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare When the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us quickneth our prayers prompteth us in them How may we know that will you say Surely by two notes 1. When in our prayers we can cry Abba father for this is made a certain note of the spirits helping us in prayer Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 2. When even then when we know not what to pray we can say nothing almost but grone sigh it out yet even the requests that we make are according to the will of God we desire nothing so much as mercy and grace this second note also of the spirits helping us in prayer the Apostle giveth Rom. 8.26.27 From hence now the foorth and last point will necessarily follow for you had the Reason of it already That a Christians chiefe care should be in every duty of Gods worship to find that God is with him in it that God worketh with him Purge thou mee with hysope saith David here wash thou mee And as Moses did in another case Exodus 33 15 16. so should wee all importune and expostulate with the Lord in this case If thy presence goe not with us saith hee carry us not up hence for wherein shall it bee knowne that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight Is it not in that thou goest with us So may we say Lord if thou accompany not thine ordinances and worke not with us in them to what purpose should we performe them How shall it appeare that we have found grace in thy sight The uses that this Doctrine serveth unto are two principally 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation And first this teacheth us the true cause why in this time of so long continuall use of all Gods ordinances there is so little fruit to be seene This is the generall complaint of these times 1. Gods faithfull ministers complaine of this and cry as Esa. 49.4 that they have laboured in vaine they have spent their strength for nought and in vaine they see no fruit of their labours And 2. the carnall man and enemy to the Gospell every where casteth this in our teeth Woe be to the world because of offences saith our Saviour Mat. 18 7. and surely this is a chiefe offence that many do miserably stumble at These that heare so much say they and read so much pray so much what
are they the better for it Wherein are they better then other men And alas what shall we say to these men How can wee deny but that this is most true that they say Onely let our selves take notice of the true cause of this surely the Lord doth not his worke in these exercises of religion that men doe use the Lord with-draweth himselfe from his ordinances and then all is in vaine that man is able to doe The Lords glorious presence which was wount to dwell in his sanctuary to accompany his owne ordinances and to worke with them is now departed not from his sanctuary onely but from the City too as once the Prophet in a vision saw it doe Ezekiel 11.23 This reason the Prophet rendereth Esa. 53.1 Who hath beleeved our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord revealed Few or none doe profit by the ministery of the word because the Lord sheweth not his power in it he worketh not with it And why doth not the Lord his worke in his owne ordinance Surely as for other our sins so for these among the rest First Because of the sin that aboundeth in these times and even among them that enjoy Gods ordinances and frequent them most This was that that caused the Lord of old to leave his Sanctuary Sonne of man saith the Lord to his Prophet Exekiel 8.6 seest thou what they doe even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here that I should goe farre from my sanctuary If hee see any fi lt by thing in thee hee will turne away from thee saith Moses Deut. 23.14 Can two walke together saith the Prophet Amos 3.3 unlesse they be agreed Is it any wonder that God joyneth not with many of you in any of his ordinances worketh not with you in them blesseth them not unto you while you live as you doe Nay is it any wonder if God withdraw himselfe from the Sanctuary it selfe from our whole engregregations for the whoredoms and drunkennesse and oathes that breake out amongst us and of which we every one stand much more guilty in his sight then the whole congregation of Israel was of the sinne of one Achan Ioshua 7.11 12. Secondly The second cause why the Lord with-draweth himselfe from his owne ordinances and doth not his part in them is because we doe not ours Wee use to serve him by the halves Whereas hee requireth in every part of his worship the service of our soule and spirit as much yea much more then of our bodies and that as David doth in the duty of thankesgiving call upon his soule Psalme 103.1 2. Blesse the Lord ô my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name and againe Blesse the Lord ô my soule so wee should doe in every ordinance of God wee use to give to the Lord the service of our lip or eare or knee or body onely And is it any wonder if the Lord withdraw himselfe from us and refuse to joyne with us in these services wherein as our Saviour complained of the hypocrites of his time Matth. 15.8 we draw nigh to him with our mouth and honour him with our lips but our heart is farre from him A third and last cause may be this that we rest too much upon and blesse our selves in the excellency of the meanes that wee doe enjoy and make an idol of them as they of Lystra you know did of Paul and Barnabas Actes 14 11 13. and never seeke to God that hee would inwardly worke with his ordinances in us we care not for that And even to this that may bee applyed which the Apostle speaketh of every naturall man Rom. 3.11 There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh after God And that this will much provoke God to see his glory given to his instrument that ascribed to the meanes which belongeth to him you may perceive by that feare and indignation that Paul and Barnabas did expresse when they saw them of Lystra offend this way Acts 14.14 Lecture CXVI On Psalme 51.6 Aprill 28. 1628. FOlloweth the second use of the Doctrine namely the use of exhortation and that is double according to the two severall branches of the Doctrine For first If no duty we performe to God in his worship can please him nor doe us any good unlesse it bee done with understanding therefore wee must bee exhorted that if wee desire to bee saved wee would make this our first care and endeavour to get knowledge With all thy getting saith the wisedome of God Prov 4 7. with all thy possessions whatsoever it cost thee get understanding And that for this cause chiefly because till a man by catechising and preaching of the word be brought unto knowledge all his prayers and other services he doth to God are in Gods account no better then the sacrifice of a foole as you heard the last day out of Eccl. 5.1 He that said to his people even under the law Hosea 6.6 I desire knowledge more then your burnt offerings As if he had said I was ever of that mind even when I did most straitly command the offring of sacrifices and seemed most pleased and delighted with them he will much more say to us that live under the Gospel I desire knowledge more then your prayers more then your comming to the Communion or any other service you can doe unto me Certainely most men do not beleeve this And that appeareth in three things that may be observed in the dispositions and humours of men First All men hold themselves bound to serve God all men thinke they sin that doe not use to pray but few or none hold themselves bound to use the meanes to get knowledge they are grossely ignorant and desire to continue so Of the most people in our congregations the Lord may justly take up that complaint which hee made of Israell a little before the captivitie Ieremy 4.22 My people for so they professe and hold themselves to be is foolish they have not knowne me they are sottish children and they have no understanding they are wise to doe evill but to do good they have no knowledge Secondly For other of Gods ordinances they will seeke to Gods ministers and crave their helpe If they have a child borne they will seeke to the minister to have it baptized but they will never seeke to the minister nor crave his helpe for the catechising and instructing of their children when they come to yeares of capacity they make no hast they shew no forwardnesse in that at all So they seeme to make great conscience of comming to the Communion and thinke they were undone if they should not receive it once a yeare but for hearing of the word they care not at all it would be no trouble at all unto them to want that Ye fooles and blind saith our Saviour to the ignorant and superstitious Pharisees Mat. 23 19. whether is greater the gift or the altar that
ordinarily diligently and shall not understand as if hee had said you shall bee never the better for it and seeing yee shall see you shall have all the helpe your eye can yeeld you to bring you to grace as you know that not onely in the workes of God but in the sacrament also the Lord hath appointed our eye to bee a great helpe to our faith but you shall not perceive The like is also said of a prayer Esay 1.15 When yee make many prayers I will not heare you Secondly As in all other the meanes of our comfort in this life this is the maine ground of our joy to find that the Lord is with us in them David behaved himselfe wisely in all his wayes saith the holy Ghost 1 Sam. 18.14 and the Lord was with him So it is said of Ioseph Gen. 39 20.21 that he was cast into prison but the Lord was with Ioseph As if hee had said Ioseph was a happy and a comfortable man even in prison because the Lord was with him So it is specially a maine ground of comfort to us when we can find God is with us in his worship prospering and blessing that unto us when we can say of every service we have done unto God of every part of his worship that we have performed as the Church doth Esa. 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Thirdly If we profit not by Gods ordinances we make our selves guilty of an hainous sin even of taking Gods name in vaine For what is it to take Gods name in vaine if this be not when we ordinarily read and heare his word and receive his sacraments and use to pray and all in vaine receive no profit are never the better for it And certainly God will not hold them guiltlesse that take his name in vaine Exod. 20.7 Fourthly and lastly If God be not present if he worke not with his ordinances in us in mercy he will bee present and worke with them in us in judgement If we be not the better for them certainly wee shall be the worse for them where Gods ordinances prove not a savour of life they will prove a savour of death 2 Cor. 2.16 See an experience of this in Iohn 13.27 After the sop and that was after hee had communicated with Christ in the passeover Satan entred into Iudas And would to God wee had not dayly examples of this every where In which respect the Apostle biddeth the Corinthians take heed 1 Cor. 11.34 that when they came to receive the Communion they came not together unto condemnation Now if you would know the meanes how wee may obtaine this that God may be with us and worke with us in all his ordinances making them effectuall in us to those ends hee hath ordained them for they are foure principally First Wee must performe every duty of Gods worship with feare least we should by our loose and carelesse performance of it offend God and loose that we come for misse of his blessing in it Serve the Lord with feare saith the Prophet Psalme 2.11 That which our Saviour saith of one of Gods ordinances Luke 8.18 Take heed how yee heare may bee said to us likewise of every other duty in Gods worship take heed how ye receive and how you pray and how you read the word also You have heard in the motives just cause we have to doe so Let us have grace whereby wee may serve God acceptably saith the Apostle Heb. 12.28 29. And how is that with reverence and godly feare For our God is a consuming fire saith he As if he had said We can never serve God acceptably unlesse we doe it in an high reverence of his glorious greatnesse and of his ordinances and with feare of offending him by our loose and carelesse performance of it Secondly If we would have God to joyne with us in his ordinances and to doe his worke in our hearts by them we must strive to come to them in more humilitie and sense of our owne unworthinesse The Lord is â—igh to them that are of a broken heart saith David Psalme 34.18 This is said to be one of the maine duties that God requireth of all his people Micah 6.8 To walke humbly with thy God There is no hope that he will walke with us converse with us joyne and worke with us in his service unlesse we walke humbly with him See an example of this in Paul he was a man that God did marvellously assist and worke with in his ministery see the reason of it Act. 20.19 He served the Lord with all humility of mind and with many teares Thirdly If we would have God to worke with us and blesse his ordinances unto us we must come to them in repentance casting of every known sin before we approach unto God with a full resolution never to take it up againe The necessity of this the Lord taught his people under the law by this ceremony Exod. 30.20 When Aaron and his sons goe into the tabernacle of the congregation they shall wash with water that they dye not And as the Lord intended by that ceremony to teach us that are his ministers how dangerous a thing it is for us to meddle with the service of God till wee have sanctified and cleansed our selves from all our filthinesse both of flesh and spirit so hath hee taught all his people that it is no lesse dangerous for them to come before him in any part of his worship being yet in our sinnes See this in the extraordinary worship of God Sanctifie a fast sanctifie the Congregation saith the Prophet Ioel 2.15 16. The people of God are not fit to keepe a fast we cannot expect that the day of our fast will proove a day of atonement betweene God and us unlesse wee bee carefull before our fast to sanctifie our selves to search out and purge our selves from all our knowne sins See this also in ordinary duties of Gods worship 1. For the Sacrament It is evident by Hezechiahs prayer 2 Chron. 30.19 1. that God commanded all his people to cleanse themselves according to the purification of the sanctuary before they did presume to receive the passeover 2. That God was offended with the people there that neglected this for he prayeth that God would not lay that sin to their charge and upon his prayer God healed them And in obedience to that law it is said Iohn 11 55. that in Christs time many went out of the country up to Ierusalem before the passeover to purifie themselves And our Saviour after the passeover before he celebrated the Sacrament of his body and bloud with his disciples washed their feete as wee read Iohn 13.5 And those bodily purifications and washings did signifie certainly the purging and cleansing of the soule from sinne by the bloud and spirit of Christ. No man may hope to receive any good by
Holy Ghost intendeth to teach us in it wee must call to mind that which wee heard in the opening of the words the hysop had no other use in the purging of them that were legally uncleane but onely to sprinkle the bloud of the sacrifices and of the water of expiation upon them In which respect scarlet wooll also was used with the hysop to take up the more of the bloud and water which by the bunch of hysop was to bee sprinkled upon them Moses tooke the blood of calves and of goats saith the Apostle Hebrewes 9.19 with water and scarlet wooll and hysop and sprinkled both the booke and all the people And by this sacramentall rite of sprinkling the bloud and water upon the people with a bunch of hysop the Lords meaning was to apply the bloud of the covenant particularly unto them and to teach them sensibly that it did belong unto them This appeareth by the words that Moses used to the people when he sprinkled the bloud of their sacrifices upon them Behold saith he Exod. 24.8 the bloud of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you As if he had said the covenant is made with you this bloud whereby the Lords covenant is ratified belongeth to you So that Davids meaning here is to beg this of God that he would sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon him and as with a bunch of hysop apply it particularly unto him assure him it was shed for him and so purge him from his sins by it This was the onely way by which he hoped to receive benefit by the bloud of Christ and whereby hee looked to obtaine comfortable assurance of the pardon of his sins if the Lord would please as with a bunch of hysope to sprinkle the bloud of that sacrifice upon his heart The Doctrine then that we are to receive from hence for our instruction is this That no man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ till it be sprinkled upon his heart and applyed to him by the spirit of God till God by his spirit do assure him that it is his that it was shed for him Two branches there bee of the Doctrine you see 1. No man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ but hee that hath it sprinkled upon his heart and applyed unto him 2. None but the Lord himselfe by his holy spirit can apply and sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon the heart of any man and assure him that it doth belong to him For the first branch of the Doctrine I will give you three sorts and degrees of proofes First That the Lord in his word ascribeth the vertue and benefit that Gods people have by the bloud of Christ to the sprinkling of it upon them As it was in the type that David here alludeth too the Leper could not bee cleansed by the bloud of his sacrifice till it was sprinkled upon him Levit. 14.7 nor hee that had touched a dead body by the water of expiation till it was sprinkled upon him Num. 19.18 19. So speaketh the Scripture likewise of the bloud of Christ which was signified by those types it ascribeth the vertue of it and the benefit Gods people receive by it to the sprinkling of it upon them I will not trouble you with many proofes I will give you two only out of the old Testament and two out of the new The Prophet fore-telling Esa. 52.15 the benefit that the Gentiles aswell as the Iewes should receive by Christ saith he should sprinkle many nations As though he had said he should by his Gospel apply himselfe and his merits unto them and perswade them that they aswell as the Iewes had interest in them And I will sprinkle cleane water upon you Eze. 36.25 that is I will by my spirit apply unto you the bloud of my son and you shall be cleane from all your filthines and from all your idols I will cleanse you Then we shall be cleane from all our filthinesse when this bloud is once sprinkled upon us and not before And in the new Testament the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.2 that we are elected to be saved through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and through the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ. As if hee had said None are elected unto glory but they must come to it this way they must bee sanctified by the spirit of God and made obedient to the will of God in all things and they must bee justified by the blood of Christ from all their sinnes And this our justification is thus expressed by the Apostle it is said to consist in the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ in the applying of it unto our selves and making it our owne And the bloud of Christ which is said to speake better things then the bloud of Abel that is to plead and cry for mercy unto God for us is called by the Apostle Heb. 12.24 the bloud of sprinkling that is that bloud which is sprinkled and applyed to us It is the purging of us with hysope you see the sprinkling and applying of the bloud of Christ to our owne hearts that yeeldeth us all the comfort that we have by it Secondly Christ and his bloud are oft compared in Scripture to such things as though they bee profitable and necessary yet can doe us no good unlesse they bee applyed as to a garment that must bee put on Rom. 13.14 to a healing and soveraigne salve Esa. 53.5 that must be laid to the very part that is sore to meat and drinke Iohn 6.53 that must be eaten and digested unto every part before it can nourish us Thirdly and lastly This is the maine thing that the Lord aimeth at both in his word and sacraments to apply Christ particularly unto his people As this was the forme of Gods covenant with Abraham and all his seed all the faithfull Genes 17.7 I am thy God and the God of thy seed So hath he commanded his servants in the ministery of his Gospel to make particular application of Christ and his merits to his people Speake to the heart of Ierusalem saith the Lord to his servants Esa. 40.2 and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned And so our Saviour chargeth the Apostles Mark 16.15 to preach thâ— Gospel to every creature to every man that he should send them unto And what is it to preach the Gospel unto a man but to say unto him as the Angels did unto the shepheards Luke 2.11 Vnto you is borne this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And as for both the Sacraments the chiefe use they were ordained for is to apply Christ particularly to every worthy receiver and to assure him of his owne speciall interest hee hath in all his merits Thus speaketh the Apostle of baptisme Galat. 3.27 As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Thus speaketh he also of the
it be not so plausible and delightsome to you in hearing as the other And even unto that I confesse we must have respect in our preaching that both the matter we teach and our manner of handling it be such as you may heare with delight and affection The preacher sought and studied saith Salomon Eccles. 12.10 to fiâ—d out acceptable words words of delight as your margin readeth in that Place yet of the handling of them I may say to you as the Apostle doth to the Philippians Phil. 3.1 of his teaching them the same things that he had taught them before To me it is not grievous though I could with more delight to my selfe speake of other things than of matters in controversie and for you it is safe It is very profitable and necessary for you to have your judgements well informed and setled in the truth For First Knowledge is the ground and foundation of all true piety and you can never constantly hold and professe nor conscionably practise nor find sound comfort in any point of religion till your judgements bee well grounded and established in it This I pray saith the Apostle Philip. 1.9 that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgement Secondly The most of you though you have good affections you love the present truth that is professed amongst us and hate Popery yet you do it not out of knowledge and judgement If you were well examined you could give no good reason out of Gods Word for any thing that you hold and professe with such shew of zeale and affection but it may be said of you as the Apostle speaketh of the Hebrewes Hebrewes 5.12 Whereas for the time and meanes you have enjoyed ye ought to be teachers ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God O the need that most of you have notwithstanding all the time you have spent in hearing and in the profession of the true Religion of Christ to be soundly and substantially catechised in the grounds of Religion Thirdly and lastly The controversie I am to handle is no idle and intricate speculation of the Schooles none of those foolish and unlearned questions that the Apostle forbids Timothy 1 Tim. 1.4 and 2 Tim. 2.23 to meddle with but about a matter that tendeth to godly edifying which is by faith as the Apostle there speaketh About a truth that is most usefull and profitable that toucheth as we say the free hold of every one of you about the Doctrine of your justification before God about the way and means how you may be discharged of all your sinnes and become righteous in his sight To begin therefore with the use of Confutation which I will handle with asmuch plainnesse and brevity as I can the Doctrine which I taught you the last day doth evidently convince the Papists of three fowle and dangerous errours The first is against the first branch of the Doctrine the other two against the second branch of it The first is against the first part of our justification which consisteth in making of us cleane in the remission of our sinnes by the merit of Christs bloud the other two against the second part of our justification which consisteth in the making of us whiter than the snow in the imputing of Christs perfect righteousnesse unto us First They deny that Christ by his bloud hath made any believer so cleane hath purchased for him so full and absolute a pardon of his sinnes as we hold he did He hath indeed answered for and so obtained for us the remission and pardon of the fault say they and of the eternall punishment that is due to us for any sinne that ever we committed but he hath not answerd for nor obtained for us the remission of the whole punishment not of the temporall punishment that is due to us for sinne but that we must answer and satisfie Gods justice for our selves either in this life or in Purgatory after we are dead For convincing of this errour I will 1 give you evident testimonies and grounds of Scripture against it 2 I will answer some of the chiefe reasons that are alledged for the defence of it Foure arguments the Lord in his Word hath given us against this errour which though they will not stop the mouth of an obstinate Papist for there be some men that will never be convinced but as Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so they will still resist the truth being reprobate concerning the faith as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.8 that is such as can never bee brought to beleeve the truth yet are these arguments such as may make the wilfull folly of any Papist in maintaining this errour manifest unto all men and fully satisfie the conscience of any Christian in the falshood of it First The Apostle expresly teacheth Rom. 8.1 that there is no condemnation no kind of condemnation eternall nor temporall to them that are in Christ Iesus that is to the true beleever or as the vulgar Latin which the Papist most absurdly holdeth to bee more authenticall then the sacred originall is readeth it Nihil damnationis not one jot of condemnation And if there bee no condemnation reserved for the true beleever then is the whole punishment due to his sinne remitted For what is condemnation but the adjudging of a man to punishment And so is the word used every where in the Scripture Mat. 20.18 They shall condemne him to death Mar. 14.64 They all condemned him to be guilty of death So that if no condemnation at all belong to them or is due to them that are in Christ and have their sinne forgiven then no manner of punishment belongeth to them or is to be endured by them neither eternall nor temporall neither Secondly Christ hath redeemed the faithfull from the whole curse of the law that was due to them for their sin Christ hath redeemed us saith the Apostle Gal. 3.13 from the curse of the law and he giveth this for the reason of it because he was made a curse for us that is he bare it for us himselfe and so fully answered and satisfied the justice of God for it Surely saith the Prophet Esay 53.4 he hath borne our griefes and carried our sorrowes Now the temporall punishments that are due to us for sinne are part of the curse of the law as it is plaine by Deuâ— 28.16 22. where among the curses that the law threatneth against sin a number of temporall judgements are threatned And our Saviour did beare and endure for us not that part onely of the curse and punishment due to our sins that should have bin eternall but that part also of the curse punishment due to our sin which is temporall As 1. Poverty he for our sakeâ— became poore saith the Apostle 2 Corinthi 8.9 that wee through his poverty might bee rich And 2. reproch and contempt such as no man ever
yeeld universall obedience to the will of God in one thing as well as in another as there is no doubt but there is many a one that thinketh so of himselfe that is perswaded hee liveth in no knowne sinne his life is in all respects such as it ought to bee There is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes saith Salomon Proverbes 30.12 In all my labours saith Ephraim Hosea 12.8 they shall find no iniquity admit I say that this were so yet is there this defect in the goodnesse of the best hypocrite in the world hee doth nothing with a good heart Every way of man saith Salomon Proverbes 21.2 is right in his owne eyes but the Lord pondereth the hearts As if hee should say Man is apt to flatter himselfe and to thinke passing well of every thing hee doth but the Lord in weighing and valuing the actions of men hath an eye alwaies to this with what heart every thing is done When the counsels of the hearts shall bee made manifest saith the Apostle 1 Cor 4.5 As if he had said With what intent and purpose of heart men have done that which they did then and not before shall every man have praise with God Now no hypocrite did ever any good thing with a good heart hee abstaineth from no sinne nor performeth any good thing hee doth out of obedience and love to God but out of some by respect or other Take a proofe for this in the example of those Iewes that we read of Zachary 7. for seventy yeares together during the whole time of the captivity they kept a solemne fast foure times in the yeare Was not this a singular good thing And yet the Lord plainely telleth them that the most of them in doing of this were no better then hypocrites And why so will you say What defect was there in this goodnesse of theirs What was it that did discover the falshood and hypocrisy of their hearts in this holy and good action Certainely no outward thing nothing that the eye of man was able to discover as in the foure former sorts that I have spoken of the Lord that pondereth the hearts hee found that they had not done this with a good heart As he telleth them verse 5. When yee fasted and mourned saith he in the fift and seventh moneth even these seventy yeares did yee at all fast unto me even unto me Which interrogation hath the force of a vehement denyall As if hee had said Ye did not at all fast unto me And hee enforceth this deniall with a most emphaticall repetition appealing withall to their owne conscience Did ye at all fast unto me even unto me No you did not and that your owne consciences doe know full well To whom then did they keepe these fasts Surely to themselves as it appeareth in the next verse They kept them not to please the Lord to shew their love and obedience unto him to testifie their obedient submission unto his correcting hand and their griefe for offending and provoking him their unfained desire to recover his favour But they kept them meerely out of selfe-love to please and give contentment to themselves They grieved for the destruction and burning of the Temple and City which was in the fift moneth as you may read Ier. 52 12 13. and for the slaughter of Gedaliah which was in the seventh moneth as you may read Ier. 41.1 2. upon whose death followed the utter dispersion of the remainder of the Iewes they mourned and tooke on for the ruine of their state and sighed under the burden of their present misery they thought their fasting to bee a satisfactory worke that would merit Gods favour But for offending God by their sinnes they mourned not they did not in their fasts by unfeigned repentance and reformation of their lives seeke attonement and reconciliation with God and therefore the Lord saith they did not at all fast unto him but unto themselves onely Heere then you see is another note of difference betweene that goodnesse that seemeth to be in the best and most glorious hypocrite and that which is in the weakest and poorest Christian under heaven The hypocrite in the best duties that he performeth serveth not the Lord at all but himselfe only in seeming to serve the Lord hee still seeketh himselfe onely and not the Lord. Thus God taxeth the hypocrisy of Israel Hos 10.1 Israel is as an empty vine hee bringeth forth fruit to himselfe As if he had said All good things that he doth hee doth them out of selfe-love hee seeketh himselfe onely in them In doing of any good he seeketh 1 Either the good opinion of men and the advantage that may grow to him thereby as the hypocriticall Pharisies did All their workes they doe to be seene of men saith our Saviour Matth. 23.5 Or 2 out of hope to merit somewhat of God and to bind him thereby the rather to beare with him in some other things as those hypocrites did Esa 58.3 Wherefore have wee fasted say they and thou seest it not Or 3 at the best hee doth it to avoid Gods wrath which hee knoweth is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men as those did which the Prophet speaketh of Psal. 78. â—4 When hee slew them then they sought him and they returned and inquired early after God On the other side the true hearted Christian even the weakest and poorest soule amongst them though in eschewing evill and doing good he have some respect to himselfe the feare of hell and of the wrath of God due to sinne and the desire he hath to escape damnation hath great force to restraine him from sinne Knowing the terrours of the Lord saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 5.11 we perswade men and the hope and desire of the reward that God hath promised to a godly life hath great force to perswade him unto godlinesse Moses had respect unto the recompense of reward as the Apostle teacheth us Heb. 11.26 Yet the chiefe thing that moveth him to hate sinne and to love goodnesse is the desire hee hath to please and honour the Lord. Every good thing he doth he doth it to the Lord he serveth God in that he doth the maine intent of his heart in doing it is that hee may be accepted of God and please him It is said of Iosiah 2 Chron. 35.1 that hee kept a passover unto the Lord As if he had said his care was that it might be so administred and received as God might bee pleased in it And the Apostle professeth of himselfe 1 Thess. 3.4 that in preaching his care was so to speake not as pleasing men but God which trieth our hearts His maine care in preaching was not to doe his taske to get the credit and reputation of a diligent preacher or to obtaine a good applause among men but to preach so as hee might please God and approve his heart unto him Yea hee telleth us that even
in singing of Psalmes we must looke to this wee must sing unto the Lord Ephesians 5.19 Wee must make a melody in our hearts to the Lord. As if hee had said Wee seeke in that duty not to please our selves or others but the Lord. And that which hath beene said of the Sacrament and of preaching and of singing of Psalmes must bee understood likewise of hearing the Word and of prayer and of every other good duty wee performe either of the first or second table if our hearts bee upright wee must doe it as unto the Lord the maine intent and purpose of our heart in doing of it must bee to please the Lord and approve our selves unto him So the Apostle telleth servants that in doing their service unto their masters Ephesians 6.5 7. they must doe it as to Christ as unto the Lord. And verse 9. hee telleth masters they must doe the same things unto their servants a strange speech but the meaning is that they also in their carriage towards their servants in doing the duties of masters must doe it as unto the Lord that is both the servants and masters care in their mutuall duties one to another must chiefly bee this to please and approve themselves unto God In a word The Apostle speaking of himselfe and of all the faithfull 2 Corinthians 5.9 Wherefore wee labour saith he that whether present or absent wee may bee accepted of him As if hee should say This is our maine study and endeavour that while wee live and when wee die wee may please and bee accepted of him Hee that can find this in himselfe may bee certaine that hee is no hypocrite that his heart is upright within him This is the reason the Apostle giveth Romanes 14.6 why the faithfull should not judge one another for indifferent things Hee that regardeth a day regardeth it unto the Lord and hee that regardeth not a day to the Lord hee doth not regard it As if hee should say Both hee that observeth the ceremoniall law in that point and hee that observeth it not doth it not out of any carnall or worldly respect but out of a care hee hath to please God and feare to offend him therefore you may not judge him to bee an hypocrite therefore hee hath an upright heart Hee that findeth this in himselfe may have comfort in his owne estate and none but hee Neither can any man find this in himselfe that the maine end hee aimeth at in every good thing hee doth is to please God unlesse he doth that which hee doth out of love unto God If any man love God saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 8.3 the same is knowne of him As if hee had said The Lord approveth and highly esteemeth of that man No good thing that we doe can please God unlesse it proceed from the love wee doe beare in our hearts unto him He keepeth covenant and mercy saith Moses Deut. 7.9 with them that love him and keepe his commandements First wee must love him before wee can keepe any of his commandements so as wee may please him therein Neither can any man truly love the Lord nor doe any good thing out of love to him till hee first know that God loveth him in Christ. Herein is love saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.10 not that wee loved God but that hee loved us and sent his sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes And thus you have heard it sufficiently confirmed unto you that though there bee many good things in some hypocrites yet because they are not in Christ they have no assurance of their reconciliation with God through his bloud therefore they can have no true comfort in them Let us now come to the third part I instanced in that is to say the regenerate themselves In every regenerate man there is true goodnesse indeed and that that farre surpasseth any goodnesse that ever was found in any morall man or in an hypocrite Three notable differences you may observe betweene them First Though they may do many good things in themselves yet of them it could never be said that they were good men But of the regenerate though they themselves be apt to think they are no better then hypocrites and meere naturall men nor so good neither as some of them yet the Holy Ghost giveth testimony of them that they are good men Of Barnabas it is said Act. 11.24 that he was a good man Do good saith David Ps. 125.4 ô Lord unto them that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts As if he had said Every upright hearted man is a good man Secondly Though the other two may do such things as are good in themselves and such as God is pleased with and oft rewardeth them for yet is he never a whit the better pleased with them for them But the Lord is not onely well pleased with the goodnesse that is in the regenerate but he is pleased with them and loveth them the better for it The Lord taketh pleasure in them that feare him Psal. 147.11 Such as are upright in their way are his delight saith Solomon Pro. 11.20 Thirdly Whereas the other two though they may doe many good things yet can take no sound comfort in any of them as wee have heard the regenerate may take much comfort in that goodnesse that truth of grace that they find in themselves So did Paul in his greatest afflictions Our rejoycing is this saith he 2 Cor. 1.12 even the testimony of our conscience So did Hezekiah even then when he thought he should die Esa. 38.3 Remember now ô Lord God I beseech thee saith he how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight But though all this be so Yet could not the best of Gods servants take any comfort at all in any goodnesse that is in them were it not for this that they know themselves to bee in Christ and reconciled unto God by his bloud God forbid saith the Apostle Gal. 6.14 that I should glory save in the crosse of the Lord Iesus Christ. Make this sure to thy selfe beloved that Christ is thine and then maist thou find sound comfort in that goodnesse that God hath wrought in thee But it is but cold comfort thou canst have in any good thing that is in thee or done by thee till thou know thy selfe to bee reconciled unto God by Christ rest not in it trust not to it For alas all our righteousnesses are as filthy ragge as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 64.6 And if our high-priest did not beare the iniquity of our holy things as Aaron did Exodus 28.38 our holyest duties could never bee accepted of God but would be most loathsome unto him All our most spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2.5 and through him alone Lecture CXL On Psalme 51.7 February 16. 1629. IT followeth now that we
Apostle Galat. 2.20 The life that I now live As if hee had said The reformed religious and holy life that I now live since my conversion and calling I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God that faith I have in Christ who loved me and gave himselfe for me As if he had said This faith that assureth me of that speciall interest that I have in Christ of that speciall love that Christ hath borne to mee is the onely cause of whatsoever goodnesse is in me And for the second that nothing but faith will breed true goodnesse and grace in the heart we have as plaine a proofe Hebrewes 11.5 6. Enoch had this testimony given of him that he pleased God but without faith it is impossible to please God As if he should have said A man cannot please God in any thing that he doth till he have faith till he be justified by faith and reconciled unto God through Christ. Though the habit of faith and all sanctifying graces which the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.9 calleth the seed of God be by the Spirit of God infused into the heart of man altogether and at one time yet the act and exercise of faith is the first of all and that that setteth every other grace on worke As the earth though it be made soft by those showers that fall upon it in the winter-time and bring forth some blade of the seed that is cast into it yet is it not thereby made fruitfull unto man it never yeeldeth any good and perfect fruit till it have received the sweet heat of the Sun into the bowels of it in the spring time even so is it with the heart of man It may bee and is oft softened by the judgements of God and terrours of the Law God maketh my heart soft saith Iob 23.16 and the Almighty troubleth mee Even by the trouble of his mind and terrours that God disquieted him with his heart was softened And some beginnings also of reformation and goodnesse have beene thereby wrought in it such was that confession of sinne and goodly words that God oft wrung from Pharaoh by his judgements Exodus 9.27 I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked and 10.16 Hee cryeth unto Moses to this effect Good Moses forgive me and pray to the Lord for me Such was that repentance and reformation of the wicked Israelites that the Prophet speaketh on Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And such is the repentance and goodly words that many a wretched man in his sicknesse is wont to utter thus farre forth the winter-showers and stormes of Gods judgements and terrours may work upon mans heart But till Christ Iesus the Sun of righteousnesse as the Prophet calleth him Mal. 4.2 like the comfortable and quickning heat of the Sunne in the spring doe shine upon a man and bee by faith received into his heart it can never bring forth any fruit that is good indeed and acceptable unto God And the true cause why some are fruitfull in grace and goodnesse and some other though they enjoy the same or greater meanes yet no grace will grow in their hearts nor come unto any perfection is this which the Apostle giveth 2 Thes. 3.2 All men have not faith But though the Lord let this visible Sunne shine upon all men indifferently upon the reprobate as well as upon the elect he maketh his Sunne saith our Saviour Matth. 5.45 to rise on the evill and on the good yet doth he not let the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine into every heart but to his elect and peculiar people onely The Lord God is a Sunne and shield saith David Psal. 84.11 but to whom To them that walke uprightly Vnto you that feare my name saith the Lord Mal. 4.2 shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Not that their walking uprightly and fearing of his name was the cause that moved God to be as the Sun unto them but because it was a marke and note of them whom God would vouchsafe this mercy unto Now if any man shall aske me how faith commeth to be the breeder and worker and increaser of all true goodnesse in a man I answer you two wayes First By receiving Christ into his heart by making Christ his by uniting him unto Christ as nearely and as truely as the members of the body are united unto the head and as the branch is unto the vine By faith we receive Christ and make him our owne as the Evangelist teacheth us Iohn 1.12 By faith hee dwelleth in our hearts as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 3.17 And as it is not possible but that heart in which Christ dwelleth must needs be renewed and have saving grace bred in it He that abideth in me and I in him saith our Saviour Iohn 15.5 the same bringeth forth much fruit If any man bee in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 5.17 hee is a new creature As the living members must needs receive sense and motion from the head and the scion sap from the slocke it is ingrafted into And this is that which the Apostle teacheth 1 Corinthians 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit As if he had said No man can by faith receive Christ and be united unto him but he must needs together with Christ receive the Spirit of Christ also So till we be thus united unto Christ it is not possible for us to have any true goodnesse in us As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe saith our Saviour Iohn 15.4 except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me And 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye have no life in you I know well that this union that faith maketh betweene Christ and the soule is mysticall and such as the reason of man is not able to comprehend And so the Apostle speaketh of it This is a great mystery saith he Ephesians 5.32 But yet you see this is clearely taught us in the holy Scripture and this every faithfull soule doth in some measure feele to be true in his owne experience So soone as ever thou dost truely believe in Christ and renouncing all other confidence dost wholly rest and put thine affiance in him thou hast received Christ and made him thine owne and so soone as thou hast received him thou hast also with him received into thine heart his holy Spirit the Spirit of grace and sanctification whereby thou art made a new man Hee that hath the Sonne saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.12 hath life that is the life of grace here which is the beginning and pledge of that life of glory which he shall be sure to have in heaven and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Secondly The faithfull soule by exercising and making use of his
negligently this should not discontent us neither so long as they keepe themselves within the bounds of modesty and sobriety but wee should rather all say as Moses did Num. 11.29 would to God that all the Lords people were Prophets would to God that all our hearers were so understanding a people But though this bee so yet is there a kind of desire of knowledge that is a most dangerous thing and which all that desire to keepe themselves steadfast in the purity of Gods religion must bee admonished to take heed of The bait whereby the Divell caught our first parents and whereby we were all undone was the desire of knowledge God doth know saith he Gen. 3.5 that so soone as ye shall eat of the fruit of this tree your eyes shall be opened and ye shall bee as Gods for knowledge And you shall find verse 6. that this was the maine thing that prevailed with them that it was a tree to be desired to get knowledge And this hurtfull and dangerous desire of knowledge may bee descryed three waies First When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath beene pleased to reveale in his Word When neglecting the knowledge of such things concerning God and his will as hee hath revealed wee will bee prying into Gods secrets and either know such things as God hath said nothing of in his holy Word or know more of those things that he hath taught us in his holy Word then hee hath revealed The Lord hath clearely revealed to us in his holy Word that in the Vnity of the Godhead there is a Trinity of persons so hath he also in part clearely in his Word revealed to us his will touching his decree of predestination touching the incarnation and conception of our Lord and all other the great mysteries of our faith Now when in these things men cannot content themselves with that that God hath clearely revealed but would know more They cannot bee content to know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that these things are so but they would also know 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why they are so they would know them exactly and see the reason of every thing in these high mysteries this is a desire of knowledge that is evill and dangerous When the Lord revealed himselfe to Moses in the bush Exod. 3.5 hee charged him not to come too nigh him draw not nigh hither saith hee And when hee was pleased to reveale his glory unto his people upon mount Sinai hee set bounds unto them and charged them upon paine of death Exodus 19.12 21. not to passe those bounds to gaze and pry too farte The Lord hath set bounds for our knowledge in these heavenly mysteryes and those are the holy Scriptures Remember what a plague came upon the men of Bethshemesh 1 Sam. 6 19. because they looked into the Arke they would see and know more in the matters of God then hee would have them to doe And see how God was offended with Zachary the father of Iohn Baptist for this God had told him by his Angell that hee should have a blessed sonne by his wife Elizabeth Zachary said to the Angel Luke 1.18 Whereby shall I know this Gods Word could not suffice him for his knowledge in this matter but he would have it made evident unto him by reason how such a thing could be In all matters of faith it becomes a Christian to enquire and seeke to know what God hath in his Word revealed yea hee may enquire even into the reason of any divine mystery so farre forth as God hath in his Word revealed it What hath the Lord answered and what hath the Lord spoken must Gods people say Ier. 23.25 and there they must rest That which wee cannot conceive the reason of wee must reverently adore and cry out with the Apostle Rom. 11.33 ô altitudo O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements and his waies past finding out There is a kind of holy ignorance and simplicity a desire not to see too much nor to pry too farre into the things of God that is much commended to us in the Word of God The Lord preserveth the simple saith David Psalme 116.6 When we can mortifie our wit and reason and bring it into captivity into the obedience of Christ as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 10.5 When we can bring our selves unto the obedience of faith as the Apostle calls it Rom. 16.26 When we make our reason subject unto faith And on the other side as the gazing upon the sunne in his brightnesse will make a man blind so this seeking to make the matters of faith subject to our reason and giving our selves liberty to question and dispute too much of the mysteries of God is the readiest way to loose all sound judgement in heavenly things Where is the disputer of this world saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.20 hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse The second way whereby that desire of knowledge which is dangerous and hurtfull may be described is this when neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of these high points only as are above our capacity to understand Those points of religion that are necessary unto the salvation of Gods people for them to know are so plainely taught in the holy Scripture as the simplest of them may be able to understand them In which respect the Apostle compareth them to milk which the youngest and weakest child may feed upon and receive nourishment by Heb. 5.12 There are some other points of religion which though they be also taught in the Word and in their order profitable to be knowne yet are they not so plainely taught in the Word as every one of Gods people can understand them in which respect the Apostle compareth them to strong meate which belongs onely to them that are of yeares Heb. 5.14 And as the feeding of a little child strong meat is the way to overthrow the stomack of it and so to kill it even so is this the utter overthrow of many Christians that being children in understanding before they have beene well fed and nourished with milk they will feed upon nothing but this strong meat they busy themselves in seeking the knowledge of nothing in religion but of those high points that are matters of controversy even among the most learned men Wee read of our blessed Saviour that in teaching of the people he had respect alwaies unto this to give them that food that their stomackes would beare and so might be wholesome and fit to nourish them Hee spake the word unto them as they were able to heare it saith the Evangelist Mar. 4.33 and Ioh. 16.12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot beare them now As if he had said they would doe you more hurt then good as that food will doe a man which his stomacke is not able to beare and
or abroad could do what they list how could Gods people have any quietnesse in their minds But blessed be God they can do nothing without our heavenly father hee sitteth at the sterne he hath both their hands and their hearts in his power This is that glad tidings that God hath commanded us his servants to publish to his people Esa. 52.7 Say unto Zion thy God reigneth when all is done Wicked tyrants may threaten us and brag of their power what they can do unto us as Pilate did to our blessed Saviour Iob. 19.10 Speakest thou not to me makest thou no more reckoning of me Knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and I have power to release thee They may threaten I say and brag what they can doe but they can do nothing of themselves And so our Saviour answered Pilate there Iohn 19.11 Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Thus doth our Saviour teach his disciples to arme themselves against the feare of trouble that might come to them through the malice of men Mat. 10 29.31 Not one sparrow falleth to the ground without your father but the very haires of your head are all numbred feare ye not therefore for ye are of more worth then many sparrowes And as this knowledge of Gods speciall hand and providence in all the troubles that can befall them hath quieted Gods peoples hearts from feare of troubles before they come so secondly It hath kept them from dejectednesse of spirit and impatiency when they have come Nothing hath more force to quiet the heart in affliction then this This was that that quieted Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord. And Iob 1.21 The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away And David 2 Sam. 16.10 The Lord hath said to him curse David And Ps. 39.9 I was dumbe and opened not my mouth because thou didst it Will you see the ground of this I will not mention now neither 1. his soveraigne power he hath over us to do with us what pleaseth him nor 2. his justice whereby it is impossible he should do us any wrong nor 3. his wisedome whereby every thing that he doth must needs be so well done that it cannot be bettered these points you have heard of in the handling of the doctrine I will give you but this one ground why the knowledge of Gods providence and the hand that he hath in all our afflictions should quiet our hearts and cause us to beare them patiently because though to our feeling it doth not alwayes appeare so yet to our faith it doth that whatsoever he doth to any of his children he doth it in love unto them All the pathes of the Lord saith David Psal. 25.10 are mercy and truth unto such as keepe his Covenant and his testimonies In which respect David professeth this as a maine ground of his patience in all his afflictions Psal. 119.75 I know ô Lord that thy judgements are right and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me This will appeare to us in five points principally First He doth not afflict any of his people willingly he taketh no pleasure in it hee never doth it but when need requireth it but when he is even forced unto it Hee will not afflict saith Elihu Iob 37.23 hee hath no will to it Hee doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lamenta 3.33 He of his owne disposition delighteth in mercy as the Prophet speaketh Mic. 7.18 It is not with him as with earthly parents they oft correct their children for their pleasure but so doth not our heavenly father at any time as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12.10 he hath no such pleasure his pleasure and delight is rather to be shewing mercy then to execute judgements upon them How can that be will you say If he be not willing to afflict us how can it bee with us as it is Who can compell him to it Surely the need he seeth we have of it and his love to us compelleth him to afflict us Now for a season saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.6 if need be yee are in heavinesse through many tentations As if he should say you should never be in heavinesse no not for the shortest season if need did not require it Vnlesse hee would see us perish everlastingly hee must needs a flict us When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that wee should not he condemned with the world saith the holy Apostle 1 Corinth 11.32 See this unwillingnesse of the Lord to afflict his but only that the need he seeth we have of it and his love to us compelleth him to it notably expressed Iere. 9 7. Thus saith the Lord of hosts behold I will melt them and try them for how shall I doe for the daughter of my people As if he should have said how shall I save them how should I keep them from perishing everlastingly if I should not correct them and this is the first point wherein his love in afflicting us doth appeare And who would not beare patiently the stripes of such a father that is so unwilling to beate us that never beateth us but with teares in his eyes according to that Esay 63.9 In all their affliction he was afflicted Secondly The end he aimeth at in afflicting us is to do us good yea some speciall good that could not be done so well any other way Time will not permit me to handle this point distinctly particularly shew you how many wayes the Lord useth to do his people good by affliction This in generall is certain 1. that God doth by al outward crosses sorrowes intend to make us partakers of some spirituall blessings comforts Heb. 12.10 He chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holines 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment in comparison worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glory Every crosse will bring with it some blessing or other if the fault be not in our selves yea the greatest crosse will bring the greatest blessing And experience hath proved this to be true that such of Gods servants as have beene most exercised with afflictions have usually abounded in more holines and comfort then any other As the sufferings of Christ abound in us saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 1.5 so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. 2. True it is indeed that this fruit of affliction doth not presently appeare alwayes in Gods children while the crosse is upon them though in hypocrites all the good that affliction doth them appeareth presently and vanisheth as soone as the crosse is gone as you may see Psal. 78.34 neverthelesse afterward saith the Apostle Heb. 12.11 it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnes unto them that are exercised therby The Lords manner is to leave a blessing behind him as the Prophet speaketh Ioel 2.14 He humbleth us to do
us good at our latter end as Moses speaketh Deut. 8.16 In which respect it may be said by the Lord to every child of his whom he doth correct as it was said by Christ unto Peter when he would wash his feet Ioh. 13.7 What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Let the Lord alone till he have done his worke upon thee and thou shalt know it will be for thy good that he doth thus afflict thee 3. Admit thou couldst never bee able to discerne how thy afflictions have done thee any good yet is it enough for thee that the holy Ghost so oft hath said that the afflictions of the faithfull shall certainly do them good Iob. 5.17 Behold happy is the man whom the Lord correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastening of the almighty And Psal. 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord. And Iam. 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth tentation And 5.11 Behold wee count them happy that endure Object not thou then that thou canst perceive no such thing learne thou to walke by faith and not by sense 2 Cor. 5.7 And know assuredly the Lord by afflicting thee intendeth to do thee good if thou be his and will do thee good in the end certainly This way of teaching us and bringing us to grace glory is of such necessity as few or none ever attained to it any other way Who teacheth like him saith Eliphaz Iob 36.22 There can be no good expected when there are no rods walking This is noted to be a cause of the ungraciousnes of many that they have had no affliction Ps. 55.19 Because they have no changes therfore they feare not God And on the other side of the faithfull it is said Esa. 43.10 I have chosen thee that is approved declared thee to be one of my chosen in the fornace of affliction And of David himselfe it is said that though he had bin well taught from his youth Ps 71.17 O God thou hast taught me from my youth yet had even he need of affliction and learned by it much better to know God and himselfe then he could have done without it as he professeth Ps. 119.71 It is good for me that I have bin afflicted that I might learne thy statutes And this is the second point wherin the Lords love in afflicting us doth appeare he afflicteth us for our own good And who would not willingly endure some paine for his owne good The third point wherin the love of God in afflicting his people doth appeare is this that whatsoever losse they have sustained by the afflictioÌ„ he hath laid upon them he useth to recompense it unto them so as in the end they shall no way be loosers by it This the Lord doth principally performe in those losses that his servants have sustained for his sake and the Gospels but not in that case only See the promise that God doth make unto his people upon their repentance Ioel 2.25 I will restore unto you the yeeres that the locust hath eaten Hereupon the Church grounded that prayer Psal 90.15 Make us glad according to the dayes wherein thou hast afflicted us and the yeares wherein we have seene evill And so speaketh David 2. Sam. 16.12 It may bee the Lord will looke on mine affliction and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day God hath beene wont in this kind of restitution to keepe a just proportion to pay them againe in good measure Luke 6.38 Insomuch as he hath used to recompense extraordinary afflictions with extraordinary comforts and blessings in the end See two examples of this in the case of the people of Israel Great was their oppression in Aegypt but observe the manner of their deliverance and you shall find it was recompensed to the full 1. They went out like conquerours in a triumphant manner Exod. 14.8 and 13.18 2. They went away with the â—poiles of their enemies laden with their silver and gold and principall jewells Exod. 12.35 36. 3. Their oppressors sued to them requested and urged them to be gone Exod 12.33 4. They grew to be in great credit and high favour with their enemies before they went Exod. 11.3 5. They saw all their enemies lie dead upon the sea shore Exod. 14.30 31. whereas there was not one sicke or feeble person in all their tribes Psal. 105.37 So likewise great was the feare and perplexity that all Gods people were brought â—nto by the decree that Haman had procured against them but marke their deliverance and you will say that the Lord made them full restitution and satisfaction for it 1. By the strange honour and advancement that Mordecai was raised up unto Est. 6.11 8.2.15 2. In the shamfull end God brought Haman their proud enemy unto Est. 7.10 3. In the hand they had over all the rest of their enemies Est 9.2 3. 4. In the abundant joy and comfort that God gave to all his people Est 9.18 19. Yea the Lord hath beene wont to restore with great advantage all such losses as they have sustained by the afflictions that he hath laid upon them For your shame you shall have double saith the Lord to his people Esa. 61.7 And thus dealt he with Iob 42.10 The Lord gave Iob twice as much as he had before And upon this promise did David ground his prayer Psal. 71.20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken mee againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth thou shalt increase my greatnesse and comfort me on every side And this is the third point wherein Gods love in afflicting his people doth appeare And who would not be willing to endure the losse of any comfort from the hand of such a God as is both able and willing so abundantly to recompense whatsoever losse wee sustaine from his hand as the Prophet told Amaziah the King of Iudah which took thought how he should do for the hundred talents he had disbursed upon the Israelites 2 Chron. 25.9 The Lord is able to give thee much more then this The fourth point wherein God sheweth his love in afflicting his people is this that he doth moderate all their troubles both for the time how long they shall endure Ye shall have tribulation ten daies Rev. 2.10 Yea he hath set the very houre both for the beginning and ending of them Iohn 7.30 His houre was not yet come As also for the measure and quantity of them The cup is in the Lords hand Psal. 75.8 He correcteth them not in his anger but in judgement and discretion Ier. 10.24 Proportioning his corrections by the strength of the party that he doth correct laying greatest tryals upon them whom he hath made strongest to beare them 1 Cor. 10.13 For he knoweth the weakenesse of any of his servants Psal. 78.38 39. He did not stirre up all his wrath for hee remembred that they were but flesh And 103.13 14.
even for his restraining grace See three notable benefits we doe receive even by that First Though wee have in our nature the seeds of all sinne yet there are many foule sinnes wee never felt in our selves the least inclination unto The Lord hath so kept them under as they never yet shewed themselves to bee in us but as it is said of Saul and other of Davids enemies that were with Saul 1 Samuel 26.12 so it may bee said of many noisome lusts that are in our nature the Lord hath sent a dead sleepe upon them that they never stirre in us Thinke not thinke not beloved that thou art made of a better mould that thou art better by nature I say not then Lot or David or Peter but even then the Sodomites or Cain was or then any of the most monstrous sinners that ever thou hast knowne or heard of because thou hast not felt thy selfe inclined to such foule sinnes as they fell into thinke not that thou hast not any inclinations in thine heart to such sinnes because thou hast not felt them stirring in thee at any time but ascribe that to this grace of God and consider who it is that hath made thee to differ from another from any other man as the Apostle speaketh in another case 1 Cor. 4.7 that thou mayest be humbled in thy selfe and give the glory of it unto God Learne thou to be thankfull unto God as well for keeping thee from these sins that thou never feltest thy selfe given unto as for the pardon of those that thou hast most offended in Secondly Many of us have felt in our selves some motions and inclinations unto many foule sinnes that others have fallen into but they have not put forth themselves in us in their full strength nor set upon us with that force and violence as they have upon others they have not bin furthered in us with such tentations as they have bin in others if they had we certainly had fallen as shamefully as others have done And what hath beene the cause that wee have not hatched these cockatrice eggs as the Prophet calleth them Esa. 59.5 It may bee thou wilt say that by the sactifying spirit of God thou hast resisted thy corruption when thou didst feele it arise thou hast prayed against it and so by the spirit hast mortified it And this I doubt not but every child of God may truly say of many a corruption they have found in themselves But that is not all If these sins that we have beene preserved from had set upon us with that strength and violence as they have done upon others or as many other of our sins have done upon our selves if they had beene set forward by the like tentations we had doubtlesse beene overcome by them as well as others And whereunto is this to bee ascribed that they have not done so surely to this mighty power of Gods restraining grace in us That whereas in other men yea in some of his owne people as wee may see Psalm 81.12 the Lord le ts goe his hand and suffereth their lusts to have the sway giveth them up to their owne hearts lusts and saith to their corruptions as hee did to the deceiving spirits 1 Kings 22.22 Goe and prevaile Hee hath dealt more graciously with us and though to humble us hee hath let us see what monsters wee lodge in our breasts what abominable corruptions we have in our hearts yet he holdeth them in a chaine and letteth them not loose upon us but pulleth them in againe that they may not prevaile against us He that hath set barres and doores to the raging sea as hee speaketh Iob 38.10 11. and said hitherto shalt thou come and no further and here shall thy proud waves be stayed is hee only that stinteth and gageth the corruptions of our hearts that sets such limits and bounds unto them Let us also beloved take notice of this mercy of God and be thankfull for it When thou seest or hearest of the outragious sins that many fall into drunkenesse adultery murder blasphemy and such like sins pity thou their case and lift up thy heart in thankfulnesse unto God that hath kept thee from being thy selfe as bad as they are That speech of the Pharisee Luke 18.11 if it had come from an humbled heart had beene a good speech and such as beseemeth every one of us to use unto God Lord I thanke thee I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers Consider thus with thy selfe I am by nature as bad as the worst man I know yea I find my selfe sometimes enclined and ready even to fall into those very sinnes that have brought others to so much shame And then thinke upon and blesse that hand that hath kept thee from falling and say in thankefulnesse of heart with the Prophet Psal. 94.18 When I sayd my foot slippeth thy mercy ô Lord did hold me up The third and last benefit we receive by this restraining grace of God in our selves is this that the Lord letteth us not know all the vilenesse and wickednesse that is in us but concealeth and hideth a great part of it from us But you will say to mee Is it a benefit to bee kept from the knowledge of our sinnes I answer No not from all knowledge of our sins For it is a great benefit to have our sins discovered to us 1. So farre forth as is necessary to drive us unto Christ to shew us how wretched wee are without him For this maketh us capable of benefit by Christ. 1 Timothy 1.15 this maketh us able to prize him and thirst after him Numbers 21.9 this maketh us able to relish and find sweetnesse in him Matth. 11.28 2. So farre forth as is necessary to bring us unto repentance for them and to keepe us from living and continuing in them Iere. 8.6 No man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done So farre forth we should labour to find out our sins by diligent search Psal. 4.4 and should be content that others should acquaint us with them Psal. 141.5 3. So farre forth as is necessary for the pacifying of Gods wrath in any speciall judgements that are upon us For in this case as the Lord restifieth by his judgements that hee hath matter against us Ruth 1.21 so it is our duty and the way for us to appease the Lords anger by a diligent search and examination of our selves to find out the speciall sin whereby we have thus provoked God Lam. 3.39.40 Yea in this case we are bound to beg of God that he would discover those speciall sins unto us as Iob did Iob 13.23 4. So farre forth as it is necessary to keepe us from pride and to humble us For to this end God commanded his people to remember and oft to call to their minds their old sinne and the most hainous of them all Deut 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord
thy God to wrath in the wildernesse And to this end Moses spendeth a whole chapter Deut. 9. in calling to the peoples minds and bringing into their remembrance their old sins which he would never have done if he had not knowne this profitable and needfull for them that their repentance for them might bee oft renewed But further then the knowledge of our sins serveth for one of these foure ends it is no benefit it is a judgement and correction of God upon us Therefore it is threatned as a judgement to wicked men Psal. 50.21 I will reproove thee and set thy sins in order before thee Therefore Iob complaineth of it as of a judgement Iob 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possesse the sins of my youth And Paul prayeth against it 2 Cor. 12.8 I grant indeed it is such a judgement and correction as God useth most to exercise them by that are dearest to him and seeth it to bee most necessary for them as is plaine by the example of Iob 13.26 and of Paul 2 Cor. 12.7 But herein his mercy appeareth that as it is said of all other corrections upon his Church Esa 27.8 In measure thou wilt debate with it so it is in this 1. The Lord doth not let any of us see all our sins but so many of them as he seeth will be sufficicient for us to see for our saving humiliation and repentance Dealing with us in this case as Balak did with Balaam Num. 23.13 Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them thou shalt not see them all And 2. those that he is pleased to discover to us he doth not let us feele the full weight of them nor let us fully see the loathsomnesse of them Oh if the Lord should breake up the sinke that is in every one of our hearts and let us fully discerne and feele how much filth is in them we were never able to abide our selves but should every one of us become a Magormissahib as Ieremy calleth Pashur Ier. 20.3 4. a terrour to our selves If the Lord should let us feele the full weight of our sins certainely we were never able to beare it but should be overwhelmed by it See this not only in the sin of Cain and Iudas that were castawayes Gen. 4.13 Mat. 27.5 but in the sins also of Gods own people Heare what David saith of his sin Ps. 38.4 It is a heavy burden too heavy for me to beare And heare what Paul saith of the incestuous person 2 Cor 2.7 he was in danger to bee swallowed up with overmuch sorrow 1. Thinke of this thou wretched man to whom many foule sins seeme as light as a feather drunkennesse swearing whoring c. when the Lord shall but let thee throughly to see what thou hast done when he shall lay but any one of these sins unto thy charge and cause thee to feele the full weight of it hee shall need to inflict no other punishment upon thee but even to let thee see feele what thou hast done Ier. 2 19. Thine owne wickednes shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee Wickednes will burne like the fire Esa. 9.18 Hell it selfe hath no greater torment then that And this thou hast cause to looke for and knowest not how soone Num. 32.23 Thou hast sinned against the Lord and be thou sure thy sin will find thee out 2. Let us therfore beloved acknowledge it for a mercy of God that he doth give us the sight and sense of our sins so farre forth as is necessary to our saving humiliation and repentance but let us acknowledge it for as great a mercy that hee doth not let us see and feele our sins to the full so as we should be overwhelmed by it Lecture LXIX On Psalme 51.5 Septemb 18. 1627. THe second thing wherein the admirable goodnes of God appeareth unto us is this If we could rightly weigh what we were by nature we would see just cause to wonder at the power and goodnesse of God in this that there should bee any truth of grace in any of us Let us consider this first in generall in the whole worke of our conversion and of that change that is wrought in our hearts by the grace and spirit of God Secondly In every particular act of grace that we do discerne in our selves And for the first wee shall find the Apostle maketh this use of the Doctrine of originall sinne Ephes. 2.4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith hee loved us even when wee were dead in sinnes hath quickened us together with Christ by grace yee are saved As if hee had said this was nothing but meere grace this argued the riches of Gods mercy the greatnesse of his love to doe this When the people beheld the mighty workes that Christ wrought in giving sight to the blind and hearing to the deafe and speech to the dumbe and life to the dead it is said they were all amazed at the mighty power of God Luke 9.43 and as it is said Matth. 9.8 they marvelled and glorified God And the party himselfe whom Christ had restored to sight admired the worke of God upon himselfe and said Iohn 9.32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind But the worke that God hath wrought upon our hearts whom he hath converted and begun saving grace in is though not so sensible yet a farre greater demonstration of his power and goodnesse then any of those was and such as wee have much more cause to admire and glorifie God for Certainely it is as possible for a blackmore to change his skinne or a leopard his spots as the Prophet speaketh Ieremy 13.23 for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle as our Saviour saith Luke 18.25 as for us to have a change wrought in our hearts But blessed bee God that the thing which is impossible with men hath beene possible with God as our Saviour there speaketh Luke 18.27 This admirable power of God is sensible and apparant in the conversion of some men of such I meane as have beene prepared for their conversion with legall terrours such as having beene notorious sinners before have beene by some strong hand of God changed suddenly In the conversion of such as Paul was that of a bloudy persecutour was of a sudden made not onely a disciple but a zealous preacher also Where hee that was even now a Wolfe and a Leopard was so chaunged that hee dwelt with the Lambes and lay downe with the Kids as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 11.6 All men will bee apt to take notice of and to admire the power of God in the conversion of such a man as Paul saith of himselfe Galathians 1.24 that the Churches glorified God in him But the worke of Gods power in the conversion of most men of such as have beene bred in the Church and
gives to know his Elect by Iohn 10.5 a stranger one that brings new and strange Doctrine other Doctrine then such as their shepheard doth teach they will not follow but will flee from him Lest they should follow him and bee mislead by him they will flee from him if they should not flee from him they feare they might bee seduced by him Yea though Timothy was himselfe a preacher and a man of rare and excellent gifts too yet the Apostle forbids him to reason much with wrangling spirits and such as would use their wits to dispute against the truth Perverse disputings saith hee 1 Timothy 6.5 of men of corrupt mindes and destitute of the truth From such withdraw thy selfe And if such a man might not bee allowed to reason much with heretickes nor to delight to heare what they could say against the truth and for their errours how much lesse may a private Christian bee allowed to doe thus Say not I shall by hearing and reading what they say discerne the absurdity of their opinions the better and bee confirmed in the truth For first This is not the meane that God hath sanctified to confirme his people in the truth but expressely forbidden it as you have heard heare them not saith hee avoid them flee from them Secondly The way that God hath sanctified to confirme thee in the truth sufficiently and abundantly is the sound ministery of his Word Paul and Barnabas by their preaching confirmed the soules of the Disciples Act. 14 21 22. And Paul sent Timothy by his ministery and preaching to establish the Thessalonians 1 Thess. 3.2 Thirdly This will be a meane to weaken thee rather and breed doubts in thee and pervert thee then to confirme thee in the truth Remember what Eve got by giving her selfe liberty to conferre and reason with the Serpent specially when she was alone yet was she then in the state of innocency Gen. 3.1 2. If thou wilt needs heare and read what such men can say bee sure thou have some with thee that is able to detect and confirme thee against their errours Neither say secondly But I know my selfe to bee so setled in the truth that nothing they can say against it shall bee able to move mee but I shall bee rather able to convince them For first Many that oppose the truth and teach errour are full of sleight and cunning craftinesse as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.14 and will speake with farre greater probability and shew of reason then thou art aware of Secondly Heresies are workes of the flesh as the Apostle teacheth us Galathians 5.20 and therefore wee are all by nature much more apt and enclined to receive any heresy then the truth No tow no tinder is apter to take the fire then wee are to receive errour Thirdly Of the Minister of God it is indeed required that hee should bee able by sound Doctrine to convince the gainesayers Titus 1.9 hee hath a calling unto it and therefore hee may safely so farre as the necessity of the Church shall require it heare and read what they can say for themselves For while we walke in any of our waies that God hath appointed us to walke in wee have a promise of protection from God Psalme 91.11 Hee will give his Angels charge over us to keepe us in all our waies But of every private Christian God requireth not this that hee should bee able to convince the gaine-sayer and answer all his cavills they have no calling unto it and therefore cannot expect the like protection from God to bee kept from taking hurt by it Fourthly and lastly Thou hast just cause to feare that because thou presuming upon thine owne strength dost willfully disobey his commandement who hath forbidden thee to heare them commanded thee to avoid them to flee from them God will leave thee and suffer thee either to bee corrupted or unsetled in thy judgement by them Take Salomon for an example of this who because hee did contrary to the commandement of God presume upon his owne understanding and strength hee was so forsaken of God that every one of his strange wives corrupted him in his judgement and drew him to approve of and practise their severall idolatries 1 Kings 11.8 And certainely many now adaies are daily either altogether corrupted or made unsetled in religion by their voluntary and needlesse reasoning with and reading the bookes of Papists and other hereticks To conclude therefore this first direction Bee not so desirous to heare what such men can say but rather as our Saviour Matth. 10.16 commands us to be wise as Serpents learne that wisedome of the Serpent which the Prophet speaketh of Psalme 58.4 5. Stop thine eare and hearken not to the voice of these charmers charme they never so wisely The second direction of the first kind is this If thou do desire to be constant in thy religiō to keep thy self from being corrupted in thy judgemēt that way take heed of affecting in religiō the knowledge of intricate curious unprofitable things There is a desire of knowledg that is most necessary such as al Gods people are to be exhorted unto and there is a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous and which we must warne you all to beware of Concerning the former First It is certaine that whatsoever God hath hath revealed in his Word as it doth concerne all so all Gods people may and should desire to attaine unto the knowledge of it Nay there is not a Chapter not a verse in all the holy Bible but every one of Gods people might make a profitable use of it if the fault or defect were not in himselfe The things revealed saith Moses Deut. 29.29 belong unto us and to our children for ever that we may doe all the words of this law There is no part of Gods revealed will but it would further us in our obedience to God if we understood it as we ought to doe Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime in the Old Testament and then much more in the New were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort in the Scriptures might have hope Whatsoever is written in the holy Scriptures would further us in our faith and increase our patience and comfort and hope in all our afflictions if we did understand it aright Secondly No man ought to envy unto the people of God any measure or degree of knowledge in the holy Scriptures that they are able to attaine unto but desire and rejoyce in it rather Wee doe not cease to pray for you saith the Apostle Col. 1.9 and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will Nay though any of our people should equall our selves who are their teachers in the knowledge of the Word and be able to discerne when any of us teach unsoundly or mistake the meaning of the Scripture or play the trevants study not for our Sermons but doe the worke of the Lord