to vs to giue vs strength to inable vs to doe the duties he commands vs and to abstaine from the evils he would not haue vs to doe But we must keepe his ordinances and goe by his Rules and if we fayle in either of them that we neglect the meanes or adventure vpon the occasions now the Lord is discharged of his promise as we may so say the Lord now withdraws his power from vs as he did from Sampson If you will needs marry with such a people sayth the Lord they shall turne away your hearts for now I will not keepe you If you will needs touch that tree if you will needs goe into such a company if you will needs gaze vpon such objects or if againe you will neglect prayer and hearing and sanctifying the Sabbath if you will neglect to obserue the Rules that he hath appointed in all these cases the Lord withdrawes his All-sufficiencie And therefore lay the fault where it is That is Vpon your selues Doe not say with thy selfe it is because the Lord is not All-sufficient but rather thinke that he hath power to goe through the worke he hath appointed me to doe but it is because I haue not kept those Rules I haue neglected the meanes I haue ventured vpon such occasions Secondly Consider with thy selfe that the Lord doth this to humble thee It may be he is as willing to be bestow a greater measure of grace but he dispenseth a lesser measure it is that the heart may be kept humble for humilitie is the nurse of graces take away that and grace withers in the heart And therefore when he is willing to bestow a mercy or a grace on vs he doth as he did with Iacob he leaves a lamenesse together with it he will not so bestow it on vs that he will make vs perfect but he leaues some defects some wants that by that humilitie may be preserved and that may cause vs to cleaue to him and depend vpon him that he may keepe vs from an All-sufficiencie in our selues and teach vs to waite on him for without that he doth not communicate and dispense vnto vs that sufficiencie that is in himselfe Moreover Consider with thy selfe that the Lord many times suffereth vs to see changes in our liues conversations that by them we may learne to know him better and our selues also if we were able to doe it by our selues the Lord would spare vs but who is able to doe it It is said in the Psalmes that therefore the wicked feare not God because they haue no changes and truely even the godly men if they had no changes they would feare him lesse so that every change in a mans state and the falling into sinne and the rising againe leades a man to some new knowledge of God and of himselfe also to a new experimentall knowledge and that knowledge leades him to a new degree of feare so that still by their sinnes they get advantage that they shall finde in their spirituall estate for even as we see the Sun when it breakes out of a thicke Cloud of darknesse it shines the brighter so grace when it breakes out of a thicke cloud of sinnes or of temptations it shines the brighter we are still gainers by those changes I say we learne to know God and our selues also the better and for these causes he leaues vs to those changes that we may be gainers by them and so we are Therefore say not with thy selfe because I finde some defects and some unevennesse in my sanctification therefore the Lord is not sufficient for it is for thy advantage it is not for want of sufficiencie in the Lord nor of willingnesse in him to communicate it to thee but it is for thy advātage that thou shouldst finde these changes and this vnevennesse in thy wayes Therefore my Beloved build vpon this that he is All-sufficient It may be when thou goest about a worke thy selfe thou findest it a difficult thing to overcome such a lust but that which is impossible with men is easie with God Those that rowed all night and did no good a word from his mouth brought them to shore presently The spirit that is in vs lusteth after envie Iames 4. but the Scriptures offer more grace That is Grace is able to heale these naturall hereditary diseases there is an All-sufficiencie in him he is able to doe it He that can still the Sea and command the windes that at his word they are quiet can he not still strong lusts He is able to restraine them therefore labour to see his All-sufficiencie in this as well as in all things else Thinke with thy selfe he hath a soveraignty over all thy affections over all thy lusts for what is it that troubles vs and interrupts vs in our way but some temptations of the flesh or the world Is not the Lord the Master of them As Paul sayth 2 Cor. 12. though Sathan were the chiefe Buffetter and the lusts of the flesh the messengers yet the Lord sent that messenger marke it therefore he goes not to Sathan he wrangles not with the messenger but he immediately sought the LORD he beseeches him to recall it So thinke with thy selfe when thou art set on with a strong lust with a temptation that seemes too hard for thee say with thy selfe this is a messenger from God and I must goe to God and beseech him to take it off and rebuke it for he is able to doe it he is All-sufficient they are all at his command as the mastiue is at the Maisters command he is able to rate him but a stranger is not able to doe it and when he hath done that which his master would haue him he cals him in so the Shepheard sets his dogge vpon his Sheepe to bring them in but when they are brought in he rates his dogge And so doth the Lord with lusts and sinne and temptations he sets them on his owne Sheepe his owne Children but for this end to bring them in it is not in their owne power to rate these temptations and lusts nor in the power of a stranger but onely in the Lords who is Maister of them whose messengers they are he is able to rebuke and recall them they are at his command as it is sayd of the diseases of the bodie they are like the Centurions servants if he bid one goe he goeth if he bid another come he commeth so it is true of the diseases of the soule if he say to such a messenger as Paul had to such a lust to such a temptation goe and seaze vpon such a man goe and vexe him for a time it shall goe if againe he call it backe and restraine it shall it not be restrained Labour thus to see Gods All-sufficiencie My Beloved if you looke vpon other men or your selues you shall see experience enough of this Looke vpon David or Paul vpon Salomon Lot
without it selfe So that the motion of the creature is a signe of the imperfection of it Besides whatsoever moues it moveth to get that which it hath not yet it is in possibilitie to haue it and it hath it not for if it had it the creature would rest there it would remaine in that terme it would stand still vpon the Center but because it wants somthing it hath not therefore it moues it selfe and therefore it labours Now when you see this is the condition of every Creature vnder the Sunne we see all things are full of labour and sorrow and man that is the Lord of them you know what is sayd to him that in labour he should eate his bread and all his life should be full of labour it is an argument of the imperfection and of the vanitie indigence of the creature and that what it hath it must haue elsewhere Last of all you shall know it by this that whatsoever the creature hath it hath it but by participation it hath nothing of it selfe as in things that are made hot some things are more hot some things lesse hot it is an argument they haue not hotnes in themselues but there is something else that is perfectly hot for that which hath but a part it presupposeth that there is something else that is the whole of which that is but the part If you looke vpon all the goodnesse excellency and beautie in the Creatures you see some creatures haue it more and some lesse which is an argument that there is something else without the creature that hath a Sea of perfection that is full of goodnesse full of excellency as the Sunne is full of light and as the Sea is full of water and this is not within but without the Creature Now the Creature being thus imperfect in it selfe it hath somthing communicated to it from day to day for if there be a continuall neede there is a daily supply that it must haue and it that fayle or be not so good as it needs the Creature languisheth This is so in every kinde if it be in matter of life if meate or drinke or Physicke or ayre be wanting the creature dayes for it for it hath not in it selfe it is communicated from another And so likewise if it be contentment if it be refreshing if it be joy without which no creature is able to liue if that be wanting if God withhold his hand that there is not an influence into it the Creature languisheth according to the proportion of that defect if it be in matters that belong to eternall life if the Lord withhold his hand if he shut vp his hand they perish eternally And so we may say of all things else So that this is the condition of every creature it is exceeding emptie Man himselfe is emptie and so all other creatures besides are there is no happines to be found in them there is no satisfaction there is no contentment to the soule of a man If I should goe through the particulars you should finde it so If you aske where this happinesse is to be found whether in riches or in matter of estate Surely it is not there for riches are but of two sorts either they are naturall riches such as meat drinke and clothes or else they are artificiall riches things that consist in exchange that are invented by art to be the measure of them for commutation it cannot consist in the naturall for what serue they to but to maintain the body and what doth the body serue for but for the soule and if this were all what should become of the principall part of man that which is indeede the man himselfe Besides it cannot consist in credit in estimation in honour surely it cannot consist in that for that is in the power of another and is not in a mans owne power and the happinesse and blessednesse of any thing the contentment which consists in the power of another and that in the power of the Creature it cannot make a man happie it can giue little contentment to him Besides As we said of riches so we may say of honour and glory it is either emptie glory as the Scripture often cals it That is glory that is gathered from vaine things as apparrell or houses or learning or knowledge for there is nothing that brings true prayse but grace onely as nothing drawes shame after it properly but sinne it is not in this for this is a deceivable thing it is a shadow that hath no substance to answer it or else it is true honour and credit and if it be that that is but the shadow that followes the substance And therefore our blessednes our contentednesse and satisfaction rests rather in the thing from whence this credit is gathered then in the credit it selfe for that is but a shadow that sometimes followes it and somtimes it doth not sometimes it is a larger shadow and sometimes a shorter though the body be the same I might goe through many others but I will rather confirme all this to you that I haue said of the emptines of the Creature by that testimony that is without all exception That is By the testimony of God himselfe even the testimony of the Scriptures in Eccles. 1. 2. where the scope of the Wiseman is to set out this poynt that we are now vpon That is The emptinesse of the Creature First Sayth he vanitie of vanities all is vanitie That is There is in the Creature an excesse of vanitie as you know that is the height of the Hebrew Superlatiue vanitie of vanitiâ—s Besides it signifieth a heape of vanities a nest of vanities a wondrous exceeding great vanitie such as he knew not how to expresse what that vanitie is that is in the Creature Beloved it is a vaine thing we say that cannot profit and therefore we see in the 2. verse What remaines to a man of all his travels or what avayles it or what profits it according to that in the Gospell which is the best expression of it Sayth our Saviour Put the case thou hadst all the good things in the world that all the glory of the world that all the riches in the world were in thy possession yet sayth he when thou shalt loose thy soule what is all this It cannot helpe thee to saue thy soule what wil it profit thee That is It is an unprofitable thing to make vs happie Besides in this the vanitie of the Creature is seene that it is of a mouldring vanishing nature Isa. 40. Rom. 8. those two places expresse it Isa. 40. 6. All flesh is grasse and all the glory of it as the flower of the grasse That is As it is expressed in the next Verse as the grasse is of a fading nature so is the Creature it selfe and as the Flower of the grasse sets out all the excellency all the gifts and beautie of the Creature
would haue it by free grace and not of debt for saith hee If I should giue a Law and rules to men and promise them life vpon it when they had performed the worke they would challenge it of debt no saith the LORD it is an inheritance I doe not vse to deale with my children as men doe with their seruants that I should giue them worke to doe and when they haue done it I should giue them wages then they would come and challenge it a my hands by way of debt no saith the Lord this is an inheritance and you are my sonnes and you shall haue it giuen you freely and giuen you as it becomes a Father to giue it so you shall take it therefore that it might bee of free grace and not of debt therefore it is by faith and not by workes And that is added likewise if it had beene by workes men would haue beene ready to boast and haue said I haue done this I am able to keepe the Law therefore the promise of eternall life shall bee made good to mee I shall receiue it as wages men would boast in themselues No saith the LORD no creature shall boast in it selfe for that puts euery man further from the LORD the more a man reioyceth in himselfe the more he stands vpon his owne bottome the more he is diuorsed from GOD and separated from him but saith he he that reioyceth let him reioyce in the LORD for that fits a man for the LORD and therefore I will haue it by faith it shall not bee by workes So beloued you see now what is the Condition Surely looke how Abraham was made partaker of the Couenant so euery one of vs must bee Abraham was made partaker of it by saith so shall euery man be made partaker of it by faith and no otherwise Abraham beleeued God when hee had a promise and because he beleeued him not that particular act of faith but that grace of faith whereby he beleeued this and the other promises of the Messiah was counted to him for righteousnesse and so for this cause because wee beleeue the promises and the Couenant of Grace therefore the LORD accepts vs and accounts vs righteous and because this seemes strange to the sonnes of men therefore we see with how much adoe Paul labours to make it good what strong obiections were against it in all times I haue shewed the reason Now when you reade Rom. 3. 4. and Gal. 3. 4. you may know the better the meaning of those places Well so you see the Couenant secondly you see the Condition now you heare that there is such a Couenant as this The third thing is the confirmation of the Couenant when a man heares that GOD will vouchsafe so much fauour vnto mankinde a man is ready to say as Gedion did alas my family is poore in Manasses I am the least in all my Fathers house And who am I that I should be raised vp hitherto that such a promise as this should be made to mee that I should goe and saue Israel c. I say after the same manner a man might bee ready to obiect Alas what are wee the sonnes of men that the great GOD of Heauen and Earth should enter into such a Couenant with vs that he should make vs such promises as these that he should make vs heyres of the World that hee should blesse vs in that manner to make vs sonnes to make vs Kings and Priests Saith the LORD I confesse it is a Couenant that needes confirmation therefore the LORD hath confirmed it all these wayes the LORD hath confirmed it first by his promise saith he you haue my sure word for it if that bee not enough I will confirme it by an Oath and because he had no greater to sweare by he saith by my selfe haue I sworne that I will make it good this is not enough but he confirmes it by the blood of Christ himselfe the Mediator shall come and confirme this Testament and when the Testament is confirmed by the death of the Testator there is no more altering of that saith hee Gal. 3. A mans Testament no man changeth after once it is confirmed and when the Testator is dead Heb. 9. then the Testament is confirmed so it is confirmed by the blood by the death of the Testator This is not enough but hee hath added seales vnto it hee hath confirmed it likewise by them saith hee I will adde the seale of Circumcision and of the Passeouer For Circumcision saith the LORD Goe and circumcise your selues and when I see the Circumcision I will remember my Couenant and make it good to you that as hee said of the Bow he set the Bow in the Cloud saith hee I will make my Couenant that I will neuer destroy the Earth againe with raine this Bow shall be the witnesse of the Couenant and when I looke vpon it I will remember my Couenant after this manner are the signes and seales of the Couenant saith he Circumcise your selues and when I see that I will remember my Couenant and will spare you and I will make good to you all the promises of it So likewise the Passeouer saith hee See that â—ou keepe it take the Lambe and sprinkle the blood c. Saith he when I see it I will remember my Couenant Where beloued this is to be obserued that these signes or seales of the Couenant not onely confirme the promises on our part but they signifie that faith that condition which is required on our part for when the LORD comes and lookes into his Church and sees a great company in it sees his House full and he comes and askes What doe you in my House What doe a number of those that professe themselues to be within the compasse of the Couenant there Their answer is LORD we beleeue wee are among those that keepe the Condition If you beleeue where is your Circumcision It may be you haue that outward Circumcision in the flesh but where is the Circumcision of the heart for if you did beleeue indeede it would worke a change in the heart as faith I told you that is indeede a liuely faith workes a chaâ—ge it câ—ts off sinfull lusts it makes a man deny himselfe and cleaue to God and serue him with a perfect heart So againe after that manner doth the second signe of the Couenant which is the Passeouer when the LORD shall aske Doe you beleeue Yes heere is the sprinkling of the blood of the Lambe But where is the true sprinkling vpon the heart and conscience heere is the outward Passeouer the outward profession you come and take the signe and the seale but where is the inward sprinkling Therefore you see what was required in the Passeouer saith hee when you eate the Lambe c. haue you tasted of the sweet of the Lambe haue you euer tasted of the sweetnesse that is in Iesus Christ so that you can loue
euery mans conscience and therefore when the people then desired a Mediator that might speake and that GOD might speake no more another thing was signified by it that no man is able to come to God by yeelding obedience to the Law but he must needs haue a Mediator to goe between GOD and him The other obiection is from the Ceremonies of the Law they were ready to say We haue a Priest we haue Sacrifices we haue diuers washings and Rites c wee were wont to bee saued by them why may we not so still The answer to it is That these were but the oldnesse of the letter for indeed all these did but cloathe the Couenant of Grace the Couenant of Grace was deliuered to the Iewes the Ceremonies did indeede but set it out they were but types and shaddowes by which it was expressed to the Iewes the Iewes by reason of their ignorance were not able to see the body for the clothes they were not able to see the signification of the Spirit for the letter they were not able to see the sword for the sheath the kernell for the shell that is they could not see Christ himselfe the inward promises but stucke in the outward barke and rinde of Ceremonies in the shell of them and so they became vnprofitable but indeed those Rites did nothing but cloathe the Couenant of Grace and set it forth to them So much shall serue for the dispatching of those fiue things Now hence you see how those difficulties may bee answered that I mentioned before For example it is said the promise is made to the seede yet the promise is made to vs and yet againe the Couenant is made with Abraham How can all these stand together The promises that are made to the seede that is to Christ himselfe those are these promises Thou shalt bee a Priest for euer and I will giue thee the Kingdome of Dauid thou shalt sit in that Throne thou shalt be a Prince of peace and the gouernment shall be vpon thy shoulder likewise thou shalt bee a Prophet to my people thou shalt open the prison to the Captiâ—e thou shalt be anoynted c. and then shalt goe and preach to them These are the promises that are made vnto the seede The promises that are made to vs though they bee of the same Couenant yet they differ in this the actiue part is committed to the Messiah to the seede it selfe but the passiue part those are the promises that belong to vs You shall bee taught you shall bee made Prophets likewise you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall haue the effect of his Priesthood made good vnto you you shall be subiect to his gouernment by an inherent righteousnes that he shall worke in you for you shall bee made Kings So the promise is made to vs. How is the promise made to Abraham for it is said In thee all the Nations of the Earth shall bee blessed The meaning of this is they are deriuatiue promises the primitiue and Originall was made to Iesus Christ but why is it said then that in Abraham all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed the meaning of it is this there was none that was euer partaker of these promises but the children of Abraham and therefore they were deriued from Abraham to all the men in the world besides that euer haue beene since Now what is it to be a childe of Abraham not to be borne of Abraham according to the flesh but to be like Abraham you are the children of the Deuill Why You are like him So that all that haue faith are the children of Abraham but more is meant then that I say all that doe partake of this promised Messiah are deriued from Abraham either deriued from him or grafted into him one of these two all that were saued before the comming of Christ were either such as descended from him or were ingrafted into the same Nation But what doe you say of the Gentiles that are now come in How doe they receiue from Abraham How can it be said in Abraham shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed Beloued you know it is said Rom. 11. that the naturall branches were broken off and the wilde Oliue is ingrafted in that is the reason likewise why the Law comes from Sion the Lord will haue the Gentiles to bee ingrafted into the stocke as it were he will haue the Law to proceede from Ierusalem he will haue them put into that Famely as the proselytes and so were all Nations for they receiued it from Ierusalem for they had the Oracles of God committed to them all the Nations in the world receiued them from them they drew that sap of knowledge from them so that they were grafted in thus all the Nations in the world were blessed in Abraham and Abraham was blessed in the seede it selfe But yet one obiection is behinde that is how comes this to passe that to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to walke in the wayes of the LORD in the way of regeneration should be a part of the Couenant on our part you shall repent and beleeue and be renewed and then you shall be forgiuen c. you shall haue the Kingdome and yet for all this you see it is a paâ—t of the Couenant on Gods part saith the LORD I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. I will giue you c. there is an expression of the Couenant and yet it is a condition that is required on our part Beloued to this I answer briefly the condition that is required of vs as part of the Couenant is the doing of this the action the performance of these things it is to repent to serue the LORD in newnesse of life but the ability by which we are able to performe these is a part of the Couenant on the LORDS paâ—t to haue new heaâ—tâ— and new spirits whereby we are able to repeâ—t and to bring forth fruite worthy of amendment of life I say the inward abilâ—ty the change of the heart the renewing of vs in thâ— spirâ—t of our mindes the wrâ—ting of the Law in the inward paâ—ts that is a branch of Gods Couenant but the doing of this the bringing forth the fruite of these inward abilities of these inward habits and graces that are planted in vs by the power of Christ that thing is required in vs. As for example the very habit of faith the very grace and power of beleeuing that God hath promised to giue it belongs to him but to beleeue to take the promises to accept of Iesus Christ and to receiue him and the gift of righteousnesse by him this is required as a condition on our part And so much shall serue for the opening of this and for this point The next question wee had to propound to you was this How a man should know whether he be within
them shall the Apostles in their times be able to perswade them No sayth he They shall all be taught of God As if he should say without his teaching it will be all in vaine but if the Lord teach them once they shall be perswaded effectually they shall not onely know what their dutie is but they shall be readie to performe it The reason of which is First because God onely is the generall and vniversall worker he onely is vniversally wise he onely knowes all things and therefore he onely is able to teach all things men know but in part and therefore they are able to teach but in part now he that is perswaded of a thing but in part though he may acknowledge the thing to be good yet his heart is not wrought to practice it for there is something yet behinde some objections that are not yet answered It is onely God that hath an vniversall light that is a generall worker and therefore he is said to be onely wise for a man is not sayd to be wise except he know all things that belongs to such a busines If there be any part or corner of it hid from him he is not wise that is he is not able to proceede aright he is subject to errour but God who hath abundance of light God that knowes all things is onely wise and therefore his is onely able to perswade Hence it is that men are able to perswade that such graces are good that such wayes are excellent in themselues that it is good to take such courses but yet to answer all the secret objections of the heart to perswade fully to turne all the wheeles of the soule this is that that a man is not able to doe to enlighten all the corners of the heart he is not able to convince fully Secondly God is onely able to doe it because he onely knowes all the windings and turnings of the heart of man It is sayd in Ier. 17. 9. that the heart of man is exceeding deceit full who can know it That is no man in the world can know his owne heart much lesse can any man else know it there are so many windings so many turnings in it there is such a labyrinth in the heart such a depth in it that no man is able to search his owne heart to finde out the bottom of it oh but who is able to doe it Sayth he in the next words it is God that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reynes That is he onely knowes the severall inclinations of the will and therefore he onely is able to perswade You know if a man make a key to vndoe such a locke he must know all the wardes of it or else he may make a key that will not vndoe it he may endevour and not be able to turne the locke So the Lord that onely knowes all the wardes all the secret passages all the windings and turnings of the heart of man he onely is able to sute it and to â—it it with such arguments as shall be effectuall to perswade You see when he would perswade Moses to goe downe into Egypt there was a secret objection that Moses had in his heart if he went thither that he should loose his life God that knew Moses heart knew where that objection lay where it stucke with him he was able to bring arguments to perswade him goe thy way said the Lord for they are dead that sought thy life Last of all God is onely able to doe it because he is able to mend the heart where it is amisse A man perhaps may be able to shew an object and to bring it to light but what if the eye be amisse the man is not able to see and to discerne for all that If a manâ— oye be blind if there be any west in it he is not able to remoue it So a man may propound arguments but to make the heart capable of those arguments he may propound reasons and perswasions but to make the heart apprehensiue of them it is aboue the power of the Creature and therefore it is God onely that reâ—â—â—â— vs in the spirit of our mindes he that hath made the eye and so he that made the will and the vnderstanding he only can heale the breaches of them he onely can elevate them and put a supernaturall light into them and make them fit to apprehend those spirituall reasons of any kinde that he objects and propounds to the hearts of men So that God onely is able to perswade as of all other truths so of this that all things are in his hands that he is All-sufficient We may make this vse of it we see the reason why one man is able to see and to trust to this All-sufficiencie of God and another is not The reason is because Christ hath revealed it to one man and not to another God hath taught it to one man and not to another We see it in common experience A wise learned wittie and able man that can discerne more then many others of the vanity of outward things of the All-sufficiencie and fulnesse that is in God yet when he comes to the practice of it he is able to doe nothing On the other side wee shall finde in experience that many poore Christians that are able to say little yet when they come to practice they are able to part with their libertie with their credit with their goods and with their liues that they may cleauâ—â—o God and keepe a cleare Conscience what is the reason of it because they be taught of God they are perswaded by him therefore they are able to practice it As for the others they are taught by men they are taught by themselues and therefore they are not taught it indeedâ— they are not fully convinced of it and therfore though they know such things though they be floating in their mindes yet they haue not the vse the practice of them Wherein you shall obserue this difference That a man may know a truth and yet not be led into that truth as you see Ioh. 16. 13. when he shall come which is the spirit of truth he shall leade you into all truth Marke it he shall leade you into all truth It is one thing to preach the truth and another thing to be led into the truth The holy Ghost shall lead you into all truth as a man is led by the hand into a place for we are not onely blind but lame too wee are not onely vnable to see spirituall truthes but when we see them we are not able to follow the guidance of the holy Ghost Therefore sayth he the spirit shall not onely shew you such and such things but shall leade you into those truthes he shall leade you into the practice of them Many men they know what temperance what sobrietie and patience are who are not able to practice them that
Lord but not an All-sufficiencie this is the cause why the hearts of men are hollow towards the Lord. Even as when a man lookes towards a great man that is a man ofsome power able to doe him hurt and that hath some abilitie to doe him good this makes him to feare it makes him carefull to please him and to abstaine from what may offend him yet because he thinkes he is not perfect with him that his heart is but hollow towards him he doth it not fully So it is in our walking before God Because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient therefore it is that our hearts are not perfect with him We shall best shew you this in instances for example What is the reason that a man is discouraged in seeking to God in praying to God in depending vpon God in any great case of difficultie where there is more then ordinarie difficultie there is more to be suffred there is more to be done what is the reason of it because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient You know the turning of men away from God commonly it ariseth from this they meete with some rub some crosses some barre Some Lyon in the way which they are not able to grapple with it is too strong for them and then they turne out of the way the reason I say of all sinne and departure from the Lord is because we doe not apprehend him to be All-sufficient for if we did why should not a man in an easie case turne from him as well as in the most difficult As for example David followed the Lord long yet when Saul grew exceeding strong and he very weake then he stepped aside and sayd in his heart I shall perish one day and so he goes out of Gods wayes and flyeth to Achis to the Philistines This was from hence that he did not apprehend the Lord to be All-sufficient and Almightie for the word signifieth both And so likewise Moses Numb 11. what was the reason that he started aside that he did not beleeue as at other times When God sayd to him that he would giue them flesh for a moneth together what sayth Moses againe Shall six hundred thousand men be fed with flesh shall all the Beeues and Sheepe be slaine or shall all the fish in the Sea be gathered together He could not beleeue the Lord here was a difficultie that Moses was not able to reach that there should be so many fed with flesh and that in the wildernes and that for a moneth together he thought it impossible to be done that all the fish in the Sea should be gathered together and all little enough to serue such a turne Now marke the Lords answer there is the Lords hand shortened You may know by the medicine what the disease was Moses sayth he thou thinkest I am not able to doe it thou thinkest my hand is shortened that I cannot doe it And the like was when he came to draw water out of the rocke you shall see Moses there stucke for the case was a case of difficulty If it had beene out of the earth where there had beene probabilitie it had not beene so much but Moses makes two arguments against it you know how great the sinne was for the which he lost going into the Land of Canaan I say he makes these two arguments against it First sayth he the people are rebels and will the Lord giue them water that haue carried themselues in such a manner that was one thing that caused his infidelitie at that time Another was What shall I give you water out of the rocke As if he should say That is a difficult thing So that put these two together out of the rocke and vnto rebels there his fayth fayled for it was difficult and whence came this because he thought the Lord was not All-sufficient And so likewise Martha and Marie when they came to Christ for Lazarus when he was dead they were out of hope the reason was because there was a difficultie now more than before so that I say the cōmon cause of our turning aside from the Lord is because we meete with some difficulties which our faith is not able to grapple with and it ariseth from hence that we forget this that the Lord saith to Abraham I am God All-mightie or All-sufficient I am able to doe whatsoever I will Besides this what is the cause that men seeke after vaine-glory that they are subiect to enuie the spirit that is in vs is subiect to envie for everyman envieth another because he desireth vaine-glory too much to himselfe this ariseth from hence that he reckoneth not God to be All-sufficient That is If we did reckon it enough to haue praise with God if we thought that his knowledge of our vprightnesse were sufficient though no man in the world knew it besides we would be content with that honour that we haue which he hath allotted to vs within our owne compasse but because we thinke him not to be All-sufficient we would haue somthing likewise from the creature we would haue honour loue and respect from men which sinne ariseth hence that we apprehend not him to be All-sufficient so doth that likewise which is contrary to it for sinnes of the same nature they arise both frō the same groūd when men are so sencible of shame and reproach and disgrace and disparagement doth it not arise hence that we reckon mans day too much and Gods day too little We apprehend not God enough in his greatnesse as the Apostle saith I reckon not to be iudged by mans day As if he should say It is but a day it is but a time that man hath to judge there is another day the Lords day that great day If a man did apprehend that which is in God if he did see his All-sufficiency he would not regard to be judged by mans day as long as he were not judged by the Lord he would not care what his fellow-prisoners thought of him as long as the Iudge and the Law cleared him And so likewise what is the reason of the vneven wayes of men which they take to bring their enterprises to passe is it not hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient David when he was in a strait when the Kingdome you know was promised him and many opportunities he had to haue gotten it if he would haue vsed evill meanes when sometimes the Lord put Saul into his hands yet would not touch him but committed it to the Lord for he thought him to be almightie able to bring it to passe as also he did bring it to passe And so likewise Daniell there might haue beene meanes vsed for him to haue escaped you know how he was in danger when he refused to eate of the Kings meate he was in danger againe when they obtained of the King that is any man did make any request to any God or man
but the King for 30. dayes he should be put to death yet he trusted in God he thought him to be All-sufficient able to keepe him and therefore he stepped not out of his way And so Paul when he saw that Festus thought to haue had money give him yet doubtles in those circumstances he thought it not lawfull to doe it therefore he trusted in God though no doubt he might haue made friends to haue gathered the money It is likely Festus thought there was a probailitie for it because he hoped for it but Paul would not doe it because he thought the Lord was able to deliver him But on the other side Ieroboam when he had a businesse to doe you know what course he tooke he joynes them together he addes to Religion he corrupts it that he might keepe his Kingdome And so Saul But I need not giue you Instances I say the cause of all indirect waies we take to bring our enterprises to passe it comes from hence that we trust not in God we thinke him not to be All-sufficient not able to doe it except we helpe him with wyles and tricks and devises of our owne What is the reason of that lying and dissembling that is vsed likwise for the same purpose Is it not from hence that men apprehend not God to be All-sufficient Peter when he denied Christ was it not from feare And from whence was that feare but because he reckoned not God to be a Buckler strong enough and sure enough And so Sarah when shee denied that shee laughed sayth the Text for shee was afraid and therefore shee sayd no I did not laugh when shee did and was charged for doing of it I might giue you many other Instances but I shall not need Goe through all varieties of sinnes and you shall see they arise hence that we reckon not God to be All-sufficient The satisfying of sinfull lusts doth it not arise from hence He that is given to any pleasure to any delight of what kinde soever if he did beleeue those two things that the Lord is able to fulfill him with joy and comfort sufficient that the Lord is able to mortifie those lusts and to heale theÌ„ in him he would keepe close to him would not goe out from him for he need not the Lord is All-sufficient That is He is able to satisfie him he is able to fill him with ioy and peace through beleeving which should be enough to satisfie his heart with contentment he is able likewise to mortifie that lust so that as he is forbidden the satisfying of it so likewise he should haue no such prevailing desire to it And therefore Beloved the way to keepe our hearts perfect with God for that is the thing for which I presse all this for which I bring all these instances it is to come to this to set downe this conclusion with our selues that he is All-suffi-cient No man is ever fit to serue him without this except a man be content to haue God alone for his portion if he will joyne any thing with him if he will joyne God and credit together God and riches together God and pleasures together he will never keepe close to him for one time or other there will fall out a separation between God and these things and whosoever doth not resolue thus with himselfe I will be content with God alone though he strip me of all things in the world I say he will never keepe close to the Lord but his wayes will be vneven towards him The young man in the Gospell would never haue gone away sad if he had thought God had beene All-sufficient but he thought when his riches were taken away that some what was taken from him that belonged to his happpines that he could not haue beene to well without it Againe Abraham on the other side would never haue beene willing to haue offred Isack if he had not thought that God was All-sufficient as we see Heb. 11. 19. It is sayd there that though I sack were the sonne of the promise yet he willingly offred him why sor he thought God was able to raise him from the dead againe from whence he also after a sort received him As he received him from Sarahs dead wombe so he thought he might be raysed againe from the dead ashes What was the reason that Paul served the Lord with a perfect heart You see in 1 Tim. 4. 10. that he trusted in God and therefore saith he we labour and suffer rebuke those are the two parts of new obedience to doe and to suffer and therefore saith he we doe it because we trust in the living God that is We trust in him for all things I beleeue him to be Almightie and All-sufficient every way both to defend me from all evill and also to provide all good things for me and therefore I serue him and labour in his service and suffer rebuke What was the reason on the other side that Demas turned from the Lord was it not because he thought there was not enough in him and therefore saith the Text he imbraced this present world and therefore Beloved the way to keepe our hearts perfect with God is to consider well the great power of God and the great goodnes of God for in these two his All-sufficiencie to wards vs consists consider his mightâ—â— power and say thus with thy selfe he is able to doe all things for me consider withall the greatnesse of his goodnesse and mercy and say he is my father he is willing to doe all things for me Indeed that conclusion we should set downe with our selues if any thing be not done if we want any thing if any crosse lie vpon vs at any time to be readie to say this is not because the Lord cannot doe it for he is Almightie Againe it is not because the Lord will not doe it for he is as infinite in loue to me as he is in power What is the reason of it then because it is not best for me So should every man say if there be any want if there be any crosse it is best for me It is better for thee it may be to be in a low estate than to be in a high it is better for thee to be pinched with povertie than to liue in abundance it is better for thee to lie vnder temptation though it be a great vexation to thee for the present then to be freed from it it is better for thee it may be to haue meane gifts than to haue high gifts it is better for thee to be in a low place than to be in eminent place it is better for thee to be crossed in thy name in thy estate it is better for thee to be sicke in bodie it is better for thee to be troubled sometime in minde than to be freed from it Beloved this we must come to and yet we must thinke the Lord to be All-sufficient
comfort that they haue thought there be comfort yet it is like liquor in a brittle glasse that is not able to hold this comfort In the creature it is but borrowed comfort and therefore we see 1 Tim. 6. 17. where an instance is given of riches Charge those that are rich in this world that they be not high minded that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the living God that giveth all things abundantly to enjoy Marke you shall see there the difference that they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the living God that is riches are but dead things God is the living God they are able to doe but some things for you God giues you all things and giues abundantly And againe if riches doe something yet the enjoying they are not able to giue but the Lord giues vs all things abundantly to enioy Now when we consider that whatsoever is in the creature it is but a borrowed and derived comfort then the sufficiency is wholly in the Lord he is the God of all comfort as the Sunne is the cause of all light whatsoever the ayre hath it is derived from the Sunne so whatsoever is in the creature it is derived from God and therefore this is one ground why wee should perswade our selues that he is All-sufficient The second is this he is All-sufficient because he onely can be the author of good and evill that you know which can doe neither good nor evill there is no sufficiency in it at all Now that is the propertie of the Lord as we see Ier. 10. 5. a place worthy our consideration The Idols stand vp as a palme-tree but they speake not they are borne because they cannot goe feare them not because they can doe neither good nor evill this is the argument whereby the Lord proveth them to be Idols because they can doe neither evill not good as if he should say if they could doe either evill or good they were Gods and not Idols The same we may apply to any creature considered in it selfe without the influence and concourse of God If it were able to doe either good or evill you might worship it as God for God onely can doe good and evill of himselfe My Beloved if we could bring our hearts to this perswasion that it is the Lord onely that can doe good and evill we would then cleaue to him it could not be that we should depart from him vpon any occasion for that which is able to doe neither good nor evill we contemne if your opinions were such of the creature that it were without God neither able to do good nor evill you would never turne from God to any creature vpon any occasion for certainely he is able to doe both good and evill he onely can make every manslife comfortable or vncomfortable it is his prerogatiue royall it belongs to him alone In Mat. 5. it is sayd a man is not able to make one haire white or blacke so small a thing he is not able to doe and in Luke 11. it is sayd more plainely if we be not able to doe the least thing we be not able to doe the greatest That place you know Amos 3. shall there be evill in the Cittie and the Lord hath not done it The Scripture is plentifull in this I should loosetime to vrge places I say there is no creature in heaven or earth that is able to be the author of the least good or the least hurt But you will say to me we finde it otherwise in experience we finde that they are able to doe vs good and to doe vs hurt You haue an answer for that Ioh. 19. 11. when Pilate sayth to our Saviour haue I not power to crucifie thee or to loose thee He answereth no thou hast none at all of thy selfe Indeed thou hast a power but it is given thee from aboue thou hast not a jot more then is distributed to thee if you compare that with Act. 4. 28. you shall see it was so Pilate and Herod joyned together to doe whatsoever God had appointed before they did not the least evill but God had appointed it And so it is with all the creatures the principall creatures that we haue to doe with and that we see before vs even men they doe vs not without his commission the least good not the least hurt When shemei cursed David you know what expression he vsed The Lord hath bid shemei curse as if he should say shemei nor any man else in the world could not moue his tongue if God did not say to such a man goe curse him goe and reproach him It is sayd of Pull and Tiglapellazer Kings of Assyvia that the Lord stirred them vp and they carryed his people away captiue if God had not stirred vp their spirits they had not done the least thing You know oft it is sayd the King of Ashur the stasse in my hand and so Cyrus is sayd to be his servant he stirred him vp he was his Shepheard to doe whatsoever he desired to his sheepe Isa. 44. Now if a man be able to doe nothing but as farre as God sets him on worke then much lesse can other ther things as riches and the like they can doe no more then men can doe for what serue they for but to set men a worke so honour and credit and estimation which men so much esteeme they can doe no more then men can doe for they set men on worke to doe good as reproach sets them on worke to doe hurt Now if there be no man nor no creature in heaven or earth that can doe good or hurt Beloved why should we be servants to men why should we be subiect to carnall delights to carnall feares to carnall hopes and the like surely it is hence we over-value the creature we thinke it is able to doe something we thinke that there is some suffciency in that and not All-sufficiency in God certainely all the Commandements of God are grounded vpon cleare reason if we were able to finde it out But now when the Lord requires at our hands that we worship him altogether Thou shalt haue no other Gods but me thou shalt serue me onely thou shalt bestow thy selfe wholly vpon me thou shalt be perfect with me as you see here surely it is vpon this ground thou shalt haue all from me and therefore thou shalt doe all to me If any creature were able to doe good or hurt without the Lord if they had any part or portion with him in being authors of our good certainly they should haue a portion of our service for there is reason and equitie in it that that which doth vs good in such manner we should seeke vnto it we should serue it and likewise if it could doe vs hurt but now in that the Lord challengeth all to himselfe I say it is vpon this ground I am All-sufficient
all over he is a wall of Brasse as it is expressed in Ier. 1. 18. not so onely but he is said to be a wall of fire about his children That is He is not onely a wall that keepes them safe but a wall of fire to consume all them that come against them for a fire you know doth not onely defend those that are within the compasse of it but it burnes those that come neare it Such a one is God to his children And that is one thing wherein this all-sufficiency consists that God communicates to them The second is in filling them with all comfort which is expressed in Psal. 84. The Lord will be a Sunne and a Shield he will be a Shield to keepe off evill and a Sunne to fill them with all comfort I am sayth he the exceeding great reward That is As if he should say Abraham whatsoever is in me all that I haue all my attributes are thine forthy vse my power my wisedome my counsell my goodnes my riches whatsoever is mine in the whole world I will giue it for thy portion I and all that I haue are thine And might he not well say he was an exceeding great reward Who can vnderâ—tand the height and breadth and length and depth of this reward I am thy exceeding great reward That is Thou shalt haue all kinde of comforts in me and thou shalt haue them in the highest and greatest measure And in these doth Gods All-sufficiencie consist that God communicates and deriues to vs from himselfe Now to shew that he is so you must vnderstand not onely that the Lord is wholly All-sufficient to his children on the one side That is He brings all comforts with him but this must also be vnderstood that in the creature on the other side there is no sufficiency at all It was the poynt I began to touch vpon the last day I will now open it vnto you more fully That in the creature there is no sufficiency at all and in the Lord there is All-sufficiencie We will not dis-joyne them but handle both together for it would be in vaine for me to proue the Lord is All-sufficient but the great deceit which prevailes with the hearts of men is this that they thinke there is somthing to be had in the creature of it selfe And therefore we will spend those Arguments by which we will proue this chiefly and convince you of it that there is nothing in the creature no stabilitie no sufficiencie it can doe you of it selfe neither good nor hurt as we told you the last day All the good and hurt that the creature can be supposed to do it stands in one of these two things Either in making vs happie or miserable Or else secondly in affording vs subsidiarie helpes such as we haue neede of vpon occasion In neither of them the creature of it selfe is able to doe any thing You must remember that which we then delivered that the creature is not able to doe any thing in the matter of our happinesse First Because it is inferior to vs and that which is inferior cannot adde to that which is aboue it Secondly Because the creature is accursed there is a curse lyes vpon the creature there is an emptines and a vanitie in it and that which is emptie in it selfe can giue no fulnes to vs. Thirdly The creature is vnder the Sunne and therefore you haue that phrase so often repeated in Ecclesiastes All things vnder the Sunne are vanitie and vexation of spirit Now the happines that we seeke for is aboue the Sunne which the creature is not able to reach Fourthly The creature is corporall the minde is spirituall it is a spirit and therefore it can receiue no happines from it therefore in Heb. 12. we are sayd to goe to the spirits of perfect men as if that were a sutabl converse for a spirit Fiftly It is temporary whereas the soule is immortall it is not able to run the course with it to its journeyes end but it leaues it in the middle way and therefore it is not able to make it happy Besides As I told you then the creature is finite and therefore is not able to fill the soule God is infinite and therefore is able to doe it That no creature can doe it we see in continuall experience Take any comfort that you finde in the creature and when you haue enioyed it still you want somewhat and you would haue more But when you come vnto the Lord enjoy him when your hearts are filled still there is somewhat beyond in him there is no stop there is no restraint And therefore he onely can make the soule happie Now the ground of it why he is onely able to doe it is because the soule is made for him the soule is fitted for him and therefore there is nothing els answerable there is that constitution of the minde that it will not be filled with any thing besides The Lord might haue put the minde into such a frame he might haue so constituted the soule of man that the creature might haue filled it and satisfied it and haue bin an adaequate obiect to it but he hath not done so for he made it for himselfe and therefore it is not filled but with himselfe So much for that that the creature in the matter of happines is able to doe nothing But you will say to me This is a thing of which we make no doubt But what doe you say for ordinary vses and for the vicissitudes of this life is not the creature in these able to doe good and hurt Beloved as I sayd to you the last day the creature is not able considered without the influence of the first moover to doe you the least good or hurt as the words are Ier. 10. 5. speaking of Idols they can doe neither good nor hurt and therefore feare them not As if he should say If they could doe you either good or hurt you might feare them and it is certaine if any creature were able in manner aforesaid to doe you any good or hurt you might feare the creature for God alters no Law of nature that which is in it selfe to be feared we may feare that which is to be observed and regarded we may regard it Now if any creature were able to doe good or hurt certainely it were to be feared in regard of the hurt it could doe and to be regarded and observed in regard of the good it could doe Then againe the Law of the Lord should be vnequall if the Lord should require all worship that the intentâ—oÌ„ of the mind be wholly taken vp about him and that we should haue no eye to the creature if the creature had any selfe-part with him in doing vs good or hurt for if the creature could doe vs hurt we should not onely looke to God that he should be a
Buckler but we should haue an eye vpon the creature If a man should say I will be a defence to you I will keepe you safe but I cannot doe it wholly such a one stands by that may reach you a blow from which I cannot defend you In nature and reason a man will haue an eye to that man and so we would to the creature if it were able to hurt vs And so likewise for good the Lord restraines not that nor sayth you shall haue a partiall happines you shall haue no more then is in me though there might be something besides in the creature but he suffers our soules to be at full libertie to seeke their happines to the vtmost and therefore if the creature did adde the least drop of happines or if the least beame of happines did spring from the creature certainely you might haue an eye vpon it you might so farre worship it and regard it but it is wholly from the Lord therefore sayth he let your hearts be onely fixed vpon me let your eye be onely towards me let your affections be taken vp about nothing but me you shall spend all the strenght of your soules in obeying me and keeping my Commandements for there is none in the world that is able to doe you good or hurt but my selfe Now to make this good to you I will propound but these two things First That all the creatures are absolutely at his disposing Secondly That when he hath disposed of them when he hath distributed them to vs to afford vs comfort yet they cannot actually comfort vs without a speciall hand of his Those two being fully opened will make this poynt good to you that the creature thus is able to doe you neither good nor hurt First I say the creature is fully at his disposing that is all the creatures in this world let a man cast his eye vpon the whole vniverse they are all but as so many servants which are in the Lords house prepared to waite vpon his children to convey such comforts to them as he hath appointed them so that there is not one creature in heaven or earth stirres it selfe to doe you the least good but when the Lord commands it and sayth Goe comfort such a man goe refresh him doe him good it stirres not without a warrant and without a speciall command from him The bread and meate which you eate nourish you not except he say goe and nourish such a man the fire warmes you not and so of all the creatures else Againe when he doth command them they doe it and they doe it fully So all the goodnesse that we participate of both by good and evill men all is from the Lord either it is from his mercy or from his providence therefore we should learne to sanctifie the Lord both in our hearts and in our speeches not by saying I haue gotten me favour and friendship of such a man but the Scriptures expression is the Lord hath given me favour in such a mans eyes So againe not by saying I haue procured the hatred of such a man against me but say the Lord stirred vp such a mans spirit against me and so not by saying I haue gotten such and such things but as Iacob the Lord of his goodnes hath given me all this not Laban not my owne labour if in any enterprise you haue successe say not I haue done it but say as Abrahams servant sayd the Lord hath prospered my Iourney That is The Lord doth all in all it is he that commands all it is he that disposeth all I say that we should sanctifie the Lord in our speeches this is the language of the Scriptures But chiefly we should sanctifie him in our hearts That is Thus we should conceiue of him and thus we should thinke of every creature Beloved it will not be vnprofitable if we draw this a little neerer into particulars That all the creatures are so at his disposing that they stirre not a iot but at his command you shall see in Eccles. 3. the generall there set downe I know that what soever God shall doe it shall be for euer to it can no man adde nor from it can no man diminish for Cod hath done it that men should feare before him Make I know that what soever God shall doe it shall be for ever That is The creature cannot alter any course that God hath set neither at this time nor at any other time but it shall run in a constant course like a strong streame that cannot be resisted it shall be for ever to it shall no man adde and from it can no man diminish That is The creature cannot onely doe no substantiall action but when the Lord hath done any thing the creature cannot adde the least thing to it and as it cannot adde so it cannot diminish nor take away the least thing from any blessing that he bestoweth nor any evill that he will doe the creature addes not a iot to that evill to that crosse to that affliction nor the creature mitigates not the crosse in the least degree though you thinke it doth But that we shall answer afterward But why is this This sayth he the Lord hath done that men should feare before him As if he should say they would not feare me but they would feare the creature and looke to the creature if it were able to adde any thing or to detract any thing either to or from any blessing or comfort that we haue or to or from any evill or any crosse that lyes vpon vs. Now that it is so that the creature is thus guided and disposed by him that it is able to doe nothing without him we will not instance in the vnreasonable creatures which you all beleeue well enough to be at his command but we will instance in those that seeme to be at the greatest libertie that is the wills and vnderstandings of men certainly if there be any liberty in the creature it is there the will of man is so free a thing the devises of a mans heart his turning of himselfe this way or that way who can set any Rules to it But in this the Lord guides all take it in other mens hearts Pro. 29. Every man seekes the face of the Ruler but his Iudgement is from the Lord. That is Men are deceived in this if they thinke the Ruler as of himselfe can doe any thing though he seeme to haue much power and abilitie to doe some good and hurt to men if any else can therefore sayth he men seeke his face but sayth he you are deceived he is not able to doe any thing but what the Lord dictates to him or permits him what he prescribes to him to doe what he sayth he shall doe iust so farre he goes and no farther for the whole judgement that a man hath it is from him it is from the Lord. That is All the good
and evill that he doth that minde of his from whence it proceedeth is guided and fashioned by the Lord vpon every particular occasion whensoever he hath to doe with vs or we with him but that is for men that are without vs for other men But now for a mans selfe there is the same reason indeed of the one as there is of the other but man thinkes he hath libertie he thinkes he can goe to such a place or not goe he can doe such a thing or not doe it Beloved it is very true and therefore the All-mightie power of God is seene herein which we are not able to comprehend that when there is such a libertie in the soule in the will of man in the devices and thoughts of a mans heart yet that they should be all so guided by him that there is not the least stirring of them this way or that way without his ordering and concurrence even as you see Birds flying they seeme to flie at libertie yet that all should be guided and ordered by an over-ruling hand Such are the wils of men and that you shall see in these particulars when a man thinkes with himselfe he consults with himselfe about a thing that lyes before him that is his owne power to doe or not to doe in this sayth the Text Prov. 19. 21. Many devices are in a mans heart but the counsells of the Lord shall stand That is Though there be such varietie of devices that he is able to cast things this way or that way and to reason to and fro and to thinke with himselfe I can doe this and I can doe the contrary yet sayth he looke what the Lord by his counsell will haue that man to resolue vpon looke what issue he hath put to his deliberations that counsell shall stand and all those devices shall be guided and ruled by it and not goe one step out of it Come now to the counsells of a mans heart when a man hath thought this with himselfe I will speake or vtter this or act that as he hath resolved to doe you would thinke this man hath power to doe it but in Prov. 16. a place that you know There are preparations in a mans heart but the answer of the mouth is from the Lord. That is Even when it is so neere that you thinke there is nothing that can come betweene that a man hath resolved with himselfe and sayth this will I doe or this will I speake sayth the Lord notwithstanding this preparation though you haue made all these readie that now it is vpon the very poynt on the act of execution yet now saith he the answer shall be given as I thinke meete and that which is sayd of answering may be applyed to all kindes of actions when a man hath thought with himselfe and hath made his heart ready that all the wheeles of his soule are guided and turned and compassed to effect such a busines yet the Lord comes betweene the cup and the lip betweene the preparation and the execution and he doth but that which the Lord would haue done My Beloved thus it is in others and this vse you may make of it by the way take a man that is full of good thoughts towards you the Lord can turne it in an instant take a man that is full of evill devices towards you if the Lords counsell be otherwise that shall stand Put the case that the Lord suffer him to goe so farre as to resolue to say I will doe some hurt or I will doe some good to such a man yet this preparation of the heart shall not stand vnlesse it be the same that the Lord hath appointed that shall be spoken and that shall be acted and therefore you shall see what conclusion is gathered vpon it Prov. 20. 24. sayth the wise-man there The steps of a man are ruled by the Lord how can then a man vnderstand his owne way That is A man in the morning when he riseth and thinkes with himselfe this and this will I doe sayth he deceiue not thy selfe thy steppes are ruled by the Lord thou takest not a steppe into any action thou takest not a steppe into any good or evill to thy selfe thou takest not a steppe into prosperitie or adversitie but it is ruled and over-ruled by the Lord so that a man cannot vnderstand his owne way That is He cannot say this and this will I doe but like that in Dan. 5. 23. Him hast thou not feared in whose hands is thy life and all thy wayes That is Every thing that thou doest every steppe that thou takest every thing that befalls thee So my Beloved this shall be enough to shew you that man in his actions is at the disposing of the Lord. As for other creatures if you will haue a proofe for it to make it evident to you that no creature stirres without him consider that in Esa. 40. speaking there of the armies of the Lord they are called the armies of the Lord because every creature is like a Souldier that stands vnder his Generall readie to goe readie to doe and to execnte whatsoever he commands In the 26. Verse Lift vp thine eyes on high and behold who hath created these things he brings out their Armies by number and cals them all by their names by the greatnesse of his power and his mightie strenght nothing â—ayles This is the thing I would haue observed out of this place that they are all Gods armies Now an army consists of many particulars take all the creatures vnder the cope of heaven they are not single you know but there are multitudes of them thore are many Dealls many Fowles many Fishes sayth the Lord hore I call them every one by their name That is He knowes every one of them notwithstanding that infinite number of them he knowes them every one even as a Maister knows every servant in his house and can call them by their names So sayth he every particular creature he knowes by name It is a comfortable consideration when you consider that there is not one of these but the Lord knowes them by name and they are 〈◊〉 Instruments to doe either good or hurt as it pleaseth him the sleepe that you take the meate that you eate the comforts that you haue whatsoever is done by any creature all comforts come from him But this is enough for that But that wherein there seemes to be the greatest liberty the greatest varietie the greatest changablenes the minds of men we see also is disposed by him That is the first thing we are to shew to make this good that the creature can neither doe good nor evill because though it doe both for that there is such a thing experience shewes that the creature doth good and hurt and every creature sometimes comforts and sometimes hurts and grieues but that is at Gods disposing and since it is an Instrument and is in
the hands of the Lord as an Axe or a Sword or a Staffe and is not vsed except it be at his disposing it appeares that it is perfectly and absolutely subiect to the dominion of God But now for the second which is more than this when the Lord I say hath sent such a creature to thee aud thou hast it before thee that is the second thing that it is not able to comfort nor hurt thee without him Put the case the creature be pregnant full of comfort yet it is not able to giue downe that milke of comfort that is in it except the Lord educe and bring it forth except the Lord apply it in particular to thee And the same I may say of any hurtfull creature be it never so pregnant with evill be it never so full of it yet it is not able to exercise it it is not able to act that hurt it hath except the Lord bring it forth except the Lord set it a worke and vse it for such a purpose as an Axe if it be never so sharpe yet if the Carpenter doe not vse it to cut such a Tree to lop such a branch it is not able to doe it Now the ground of it why the creature is not able to doe this is from hence that all the comfort that ariseth from the creature proceeds from that sutablenesse and that agreeablenesse which is betweene the mind and it That is when the blessing and the minde are fitted one to another as the sword to the sheath or as the meare to the palate then the creature comforts but if there be an vnsutablenesse a disagreement a disproportion betweene the creature and the minde now thou receivest no comfort from it for what is it to thee for comfort lyes not simply in any thing but that is comfortable that agreeth with the appetite and the desire of a man Whatsoever it is let the desire be what it will if that which thou hast sute with that desire it is comfortable when a mans heart is sad such actions as are sutable to the disposition are pleasant weeping is pleasant and complaints are plealant musique grieues because that is not sutable to the present disposition And so in every thing else It is no matter what thy condition is but what sutablenesse and agreeablenesse is betweene thy minde and thy condition if thou be in never so good condition yet except God make that and thy mind to agree thou shalt receiue no comfort from it if a man be in meane condition if he be in prison if he be in the lowest estate if he be in bondage if he be in exile wheresoever he is if the Lord make but that condition and his minde to agree it will sute well enough And therefore hence comes the discomfort that is in the creatures when a man hath them and enioyes them it may be those things which thou hast are such as sute not with thee somewhat there is that thou affectest something that thou desirest that thou hast not and that thou canst not get As for instance Haman had an estate full of comfort and of all kinde of blessings yet there was not a sutablenes betweene his mind and that estate one thing came betweene Mordecai sate in the Gate and therefore this avayled him nothing Hest. 5. That is Though there were all this together yet since there was not a coniunction of the facultie and of the obiect this avayled him nothing Why because it was not sutable to his desire there was something that he would haue that his affections and appeâ—ite were set on that if he had he should be well And therefore sayth he all this avayles me nothing that is his expression So Amnon he was the Kings son and had all things that a Kings sonne might haue yet all this was nothing there was something els that his heart was set on that he had not Many the like instances I might giue but I neede not Therefore I say when the Lord puts an vnsuitablenesse betweene thy minde and the comforts that thou hast and sufâ—ers thee to haue an in ordinaâ—e appotite as women that haue good meate to â—ate yet sometime doe long after ashes coales and such things so when God giues a man an estate when he compasseth him about with mercies and blessings on all sides yet if he suffer such an inordinate appetite to take hold of him to desire some odde thing some by-thing that possesseth his soule he may haue the blessing and haue it present with him and yet receiue no comfort from it at all Now my Beloved all this tends to this purpose that you may know that it is the Lord that giues all good and evill both in that the creature is at his disposing that doth it and not so onely but the efficacie of the creature to exercise such an act of good or evill to vs that we should receiue actuall comfort of discomfort from it it is from him and all I say chiefly ariseth from that dominion that the Lord hath over the spirits of men it doth not lye so much in the creature as in framing the apprehension of the minde and therein is seene the truth of this poynt chiefly that we haue now delivered that the Lord onely is the Author of good and hurt and not the creature because he guides the apprehension for if it be true as it is most true Animus cuiusque c. it is the mind and apprehension of every man that maketh his life pleasant or it is the minde of man that maketh him happie and not the thing then the Lord that guides the minde and that fashions the heart he hath the onely hand in making the life pleasant When thou hast gotten all thou wouldst haue yet what is that except thy heart be fashioned to it This you shall see in Psal. 33. The Lord looked downe from his dwelling and from his habitation vpon the men that dwell vpon the earth and fashions their hearts every one of them Make he fashions their hearts That is A man hath such a frame of heart such an apprehension of things as it pleaseth God to giue him So that take any estate or condition that a man is in as you know there is a great varietie of conditions to be rich and to be poore to be in prison and to be at libertie to be in health and to be sicke to be in honour and to be in disgrace these are as it were the severall moulds into which the Lord casts men Now if he will frame the spirit to that mould like soft clay to the seale for that is an expression in Iob I say if he fashion the spirit to it make it pliable to the condition to that mould a man will beare and indure it well enough he shall finde comfort in it it is nothing to him And therefore the Saints the Apostles and Prophets when God was with them to
provide for him he set the creature a-worke to doe that to feede him in an extraordinary way when the ordinary fayled When Paul was shut vp in Prison yet the Lord filled him with joy and comfort you know Sylâ—s and he their feete were fast in the Stoâ—kes yet they sang with joy of heart there was such a flush of joy their hearts were so filled with it that they could not containe If a man be brought to povertie it cannot be beyond that of Iobs was it not enough for Iob to haue God for his portion did he not soone turne it did he not soone take away that and turne the River another way as it were and fill him with abundance Oh but you will say if I were a spirit and consisted onely of an immateriall soule no more I should be content it may be to haue the Lord for my portion but besides that I haue a body I haue a temporall life and therefore I need temporall comforts and therefore though I would haue the Lord I would haue these things added for how should I be without them To this I answer First that though thou be deprived of all these temporall blessings and comforts yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord I say though â—hey were all lost and all scattered though thou wert stript of them all yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord if thou haue him alone You will say how can that be This you must know that all that God hath wrought in the creature all the excellencie all the beautie and delight and comfort he hath put into the creature into meate drinke musicke flowers yea into all creatures of all sorts who is the cause of all this Is not the Lord the cause It is certaine then that whatsoever is in the effect is in the cause and in the cause in a more excellent manner There are some causes that produce but their like as when fire begets fire or when a man begets a man here there is an equalitie betweene the cause and the effect but there are other causes that are vnlike their effects as the Sunne produceth many effects that haue a dissimilitude to it it hardens and softens and heates and dryes and all these are in the Sunne but they are in a more excellent manner then you shall see them in the effect that is but a poore similitude to expresse that I would but yet it is the best we haue Looke now vpon whatsoever thou hast found in the creature whatsoever beautie thou hast â—eene whatsoever delight thou hast taâ—ted of whatsoever excellencie thou hast discovered and be perswaded of this that all this is in the Lord in a more excellent manner than it is in the creature Well you will say I grant this but what followes on that what is this to my comfort Beloved It is this to thy comfort If thou loose all make vse of that in Mark 10. If thou loose father and mother or brethren or sisters or lands and houses and all that you haue you shall finde all these in him for if all these comforts be in him if thou hast him alone thou shalt finde all these comforts communicated to thee That is Thou shalt finde the comfort of them in a greater measure in a more excellent manner than thou shouldst in the things themselues why else should he say You shall haue an hundreth fold with persecution And marke the instance for you shall finde the promise repeated againe and he names them every one I say to you there is no man that forsakes father or mother wife and children brother or sister or lands and houses for my sake and the Gospells but he shall receiue an hundreth fold in this world and in the world to come eternall life That is you shall finde comfort in God alone if thou be shut vp alone and yet conversest with God and hast communion with him and seest no creature in the world besides him thou shalt haue abundance of sweete comfort take all those varieties of comforts that these giue as lands giue one kinde of comfort and Parents another and wiues another thou shalt finde all these varieties of comforts in him he will fill thy soule with all these for they are in him alone Marke that reason that the Lord vsed to Moses when he complained of his tongue that he was not able to speake Send sayth he by whom thou shouldest send sayth the Lord who made the tongue who made the dumbe and the deafe and the hearing and the seeing Is it not I the Lord As if he should say Moses sure I am the maker of all these though I haue not the things in me the Lord hath no tongue he hath no eye yet sayth he thou shalt finde them all in me That is His comfort is this I will be with thee when Moses might haue made this obiection Though thou be with me yet I shall want a tongue to speake what will that helpe Sayth he I who made that I haue a power in me and if I be with thee it shall be sufficient I will finde out a way for thee that shall be as good as if thou hadst the most eloquent tongue in the world The same may I say of all other comforts in the world who made them who made those fathers and mothers who made those brothers and sisters that thou art deprived of in exile or vpon any such occasion in povertie and disgrace Is it not he that made them What if the Lord will be with thee What if he will goe with thee into banishment or into prison as he did with Ioseph What if he will be with thee in disgrace What if he will be with thee in povertie Is there not enough in him who is full of all comfort He can fill thee with all varietie by that immediate communicating of himselfe Beloved what doe you thinke heaven is When you are in heaven doe you thinke your estate shall be worse You see what varieties of comforts we now haue here When we come to heaveÌ„ shall we haue lesse varieties No we shall haue more how shall we haue it for we shall haue none but God alone we shall haue fellowship onely with him If there were not that varietie in him that is in the creature certainely we should be loosers the soule should not be filled nor satisfied And therefore sayth the Text There shall neede no Sunne nor Moone all the creatures that now giue vs comfort shall be taken away why for the Lord shall be Sun and Moone he shall be every thing he shall be all in all things That is Thou shalt finde them all collected in him and doe you thinke that the Lord shall be thus in heaven and will he not be so to his servants vpon earth It is certaine wheresoever he pleaseth to communicate himselfe to any man to reveale himselfe and to take any man into
fellowship with himselfe if he please to come to the soule of a man to dwell with him to suppe with him as he hath promised so to doe doth then when all other comforts fayle at that time God delighteth to come then thou shalt finde varietie of comfort enough And therefore why shouldst thou not be contented to haue God alone for thy portion Thou shalt finde enough in him as in an adaequate obiect This is the first thing I haue to shew you that in your very communion with him you shall finde enough when the Lord hath done it when thou art filled with the joy of the holy Ghost what will all be to thee what doe you thinke all the world was to them if it should haue beene presented to the Apostles if one should haue presented them with a Kingdome with all that ever the sonnes of men could devise Doe you thinke they would haue regarded them much Surely they would not as they did noâ— regard the contrary Imprisonment was nothing death was nothing to them you see with what facilitie they passed through them By the Rule of Contraries outward happinesse had beene nothing for he that grieues much for any outward losse he would much reioyce in the contrary conâ—â—â—â—ments when the Apostles were thus filled with the joy of the holy Ghost in regard of the one certainely they would not haue regarded the other if it had beene represented vnto them what was now the joy in the holy Ghost it was but the Lord communicating himselfe they had but the Lord alone they were but led into a neerer fellowship with him there was but a little crâ—vis opened as it were to see that excellency and fulnesse and that All-sufficiencie in God and it filled them so that they cared for nothing besides But this I say we would worke our hearts to if we did looke vpon God as an adaequate obiect But you will say though this be something to haue my soule filled with comfort thus yet there are many necessities many vses that I haue of other things Therefore I will goe yet further Doe thou consider the Lord what he is goe through all his attributes consider his almightie power consider his great wisedome his counsell and his vnderstanding consider his great goodnesse and his truth and kindnesse consider his patience and his long suffering c. all these are thine My Beloved God is not knowne in the world we consider not aright what he sayth when he sayth I will be thy portion I will be thy God for so he sayth I my selfe am my beloveds and my welbeloved is mine Now to haue the Lord himselfe is more than if he should giue thee all the Kingdomes of the earth consider this the power of God is thine to worke all thy workes for thee to make passage for thee when thou art in a straite to bring thy enterprises to passe to deliver thee out when thou art in any affliction out of which the creature is not able to deliver thee Thinke what it is to haue an interest in Gods almightie power and thinke this is one part of thy portion the Lord himselfe is thine and all his power is thine Consider likewise his wisedome if thou neede counsell in any difficult case if thou wouldst be instructed in things that be obscure if thou wouldst be led into the mysteries that are revealed in the word to see the wonderful things contained in the Law the wisedome of God is thine thou hast interest in it it is thy portion thou shalt haue the vse of it as farre as he sees it meete for thee And so the Iustice of God is thine to deliver thee when thou art oppressed to defend thee in thine innocency and to vindicate thee from the iniuries of men And so we may goe through the rest Now consider what a portion it is to haue the Lord alone if thou hadst nothing but him thou hadst enough When a woman marries with a Tradsman or with an Artist that is excellent but in some one Art or with one that is excellent in learning and knowledge shee is content it may be and thinkes it to be a great portion as good as if shee had many thousands with him for sayth shee this is as good it will bring it in Thinke then if thou hast the Lord alone for thy portion if thou hast nothing else thou hast sufficient Thinke of all these attributes say within thine owne heart all these are mine And therefore why should I not be content to haue him alone But yet this is not enough I will goe yet further with thee if thy heart be not satisfied with this yet consider all things in the world are thine for whatsoever is the Lords is thine When a virgin marries with a man that is rich shee lookes vpon all his possessions and sees so many thousand sheepe so many fayre houses and so much land he hath so much gold and silver and she sayth thus with herselfe now he is my husband all this is mine I shall haue my interest in them I shall haue that that is fit for me So looke now vpon the Lord consider when thou hast chosen him to be thy portion though thou shouldst be content to haue him alone yet all this comes together with him it cannot be separated from him so that even then when thou art deprived of all yet all is thine he hath it readie for thee to bestow on thee as there is occasion You will say these are notions these are hard things to beleeue to see these really is another thing My Beloved will you beleeue your senses I finde that the Scriptures take away arguments from those things that are exposed to the view of men looke on nature and see what the Lord doth there doe but compare a house-keeper on earth with the Lord and see what the difference is betweene them Consider how many there are in this house of the Lord of which he is Maister how many there are at vprising and down-lying from day to day Consider how he provides for them all in Psal. 104. and in Iob. 38. you see the holy Ghost reasoning with the sonnes of men even after this manner Why sayth he doe you doubt him why are you not content to consecrate your selues to him to be to him alone Doe but see how he deales with all creatures in the morning they know not what to doe but they looke vp vnto him he instanceth in the Ravens and other creatures he openeth his hand and giveth them foode he shuts his hand and they perish That is He feeds them all Consider the Treasures in Iob 38. Doest thou sayth the Lord know the treasures of snow and hayle that I haue hid When there is a snow all the Land over thinke what a great treasure the Lord hath from whence it comes in the mightie hayles that be sayth he to Iob
dost thou know the treasures of hayle When you see a mightie raine sayth he who can open the bottles of heaven and who can shut them That is Consider well looke on these outward things and thinke who it is that doth this when the earth is hot and the clods knit together who can open the earth These sensible things would leade vs to see the Lord in his greatnes so sayth he who is the father of the Rayne who hath begotten the drops of the dew Againe as in a great house there must be water to furnish the roomes so sayth he from his chambers he sendeth springs throughout the world My Beloved if the water were all in one place if it were all in one river in one chamber what would become of mankinde What would become of the Beasts But sayth David he sendeth forth his springs to every mountaine and every valley that the Birds and Beasts and mankinde might haue water to refresh them for otherwise sayth he they would perish Thus the Lord hath done So againe sayth he who is it that enlightens the earth Whence comes the light and whâ— drawes the Curtaines of the night Againe who is it that maintaines all the creatures the Lyon when he runs out of his denne in the morning he knowes not where to haue his prey and not he onely but all the creatures besides Consider how he provides for all the Ostridge Iob 39 God hath taken vnderstanding sayth he from her and she leaues her young ones behinde her and provides not for them how comes it then that they grow vp that the species is not extinguished but continues Sayth the Lord I take care for them And so the Hinde that is in the Wildernes as shee calues shee bruseth her young and casts them forth and there she leaues them who should provide for them Is it not I sayth the Lord And so along But I will not enlarge my selfe further in this because I hast to that which remaines Onely this Vse is to be made of it that when you looke vpon the vniverse looke vpon all the parts of it see the worke of God in every kinde and see how he provides for the Ravens that haue neither barnes nor store-house see how he clothes the earth that spinnes not that hath no garments made for it see all that he doth in the worke of nature and by this you may learne to know God by this you may know what he is how you may well be content to haue him alone for your portion But this will be obiected I but we finde it otherwise those that are his children are they not poore are they not forsaken many times Beloved I answer in a word It is true while the children are vnder age they enioy nothing in comparison of that inheritance that is provided for them The servant many times liues in a farre better condition and escapes that correction and that discipline and nurture which the childe is subiect to and he hath money in his purse many times when the Sonne hath none he hath many liberties which the childe is deprived of The reason is because it is the time of his nurture And so sayth the Lord to Israell I could haue brought you into the land of Canaan at the first it was no difficult thing to me but I led you fortie yeares to what purpose Deut. 8. that I might teach thee sayth he that I might nurture thee that thou mightst learne to know me and to know thy selfe that I might humble you that you might learne by that to see the vanitie and emptinesse of the creature So the Lord deales with his children But yet my Beloved why should you not be content to haue him alone for your portion he hath it for you it is not for want of good will towards you it is not for want of power but because it is best for you And therefore likewise that is answered that the children of God want and those that are his enemies haue abundance but they are but land-flouds of comforts that make a great shew and haue some reality in them to comfort for the present but it is but a Pond it is but a land-floud the spring of comfort belongs onely to the Saints it may be they are but little but yet they are springing they are renewed to them from day to day they are such springs as make glad the heart of all the houshold of God And therefore what if his enemies haue abundance it is but as summer flowers though they be set in gawdy places yet they are but slippery places though they flourish for a time it is but the flourishing of a greene tree that lasts not long And therefore be not mistaken in that that Gods children want and others haue it his children haue it in a better manner But I will not stand vpon this any longer If the Lord be All-sufficient then learne hence to haue your eye onely vpon him when you haue any enterprise to doe if there be any crosse that you would haue prevented if there be any blessing that you would obtaine if there be any affliction out of which you would haue deliverance let your eye be to him alone rest on him alone for he is All-sufficienet he is able to bring it to passe as he sayth here to Abraham I am All-sufficient so he will be to all that are within the Covenant as well as to him And therefore I say whatsoever thy case be looke to him onely and thou needest no other helpe and be readie to say thus with thy selfe the greatest meane without his helpe is not able to bring this enterprise to passe it is not able to deliver me it is not able to comfort me it is not able to worke such a worke for me and the weakest with him is able to doe it You see Asa was able to say this in 2 Chron. 14. Lord sayth he it is all one with thee to saue with many or with few And the Lord made it good to him for when he had but a few and a great multitude came against him you see he was saved with those few and afterwards when Asa had a great multitude he was not delivered that he might learne to know the truth of that which then he heard And therefore sayth he we rest vpon thee Oh Lord it is all one with thee to deliver with many or with â—ew I say so it is in all things else Therefore Beloved learne to conceiue thus indeede of things we doe not vsually doe so if we did what is the reason that you provide much for your children all your care is to leaue them portions I would aske you but this question Whether can all that portion make them happy or make your selues so or any one else It cannot make them happie without Gods favour without his blessing Put the case againe they had his
that preferment that riches that credit are but emptie things they are but small things when he is to go into another world there is nothing left for him he is naked and destitute it is but a Penny and therefore he murmurs and complaines That is He sees now that it was but a poore bargaine that he made But sayth the Lord thou wouldst needs bargaine with me for a Penny and thou hast it So I say to those that are not content with the Lords All-sufficiencie but will haue present wages they will bargaine with the Lord He will giue thee this particular thou shalt haue this but remember this that it is sayd in Math. 6. thou hast thy reward If thou wilt haue prayse of men and wile doe it for that thou shalt haue it but that is all thou shalt haue If a man will haue his portion as that Sonne had of his Father Luk. 15. 12. it may be he will giue thee thy portion The Sonne that stayed at home had no portion given him for sayth his Father I and all that I haue is thine But if a man will haue his portion and will not be content with Gods All-sufficiencie he shall find that it is not best for him My Beloved consider whether it be not better to trust in God alone to rest in him alone Consider that Psal. 146. 3. 4. 5. 6. Trust not in Princes nor in the sonnes of men for their breath is in their nostrils and their thoughts perish but happie is he that trusts in the God of Iacob And he giues two reasons for it For he made heaven and earth and the Sea and secondly He keepes Covenant and mercy for ever There are two reasons in that place why we should trust in God One is though the enterprise be never so great and difficult though the blessing thou wouldst obtaine be never so hard to come by yet consider thou hast to doe with him that made heaven and earth As if he should say Lay those two things together dost thou thinke it an easier thing to make heaven and earth then to bring that thing to passe If he made heaven and earth doest thou not thinke he is able to doe that You will say we doubt not of his abilitie Beloved wee doe Wee shewed this at large before we will adde that to it in in Rom. 4. You know Abrahams faith is everyâ—where commended and what was his faith Surely he trusted in God that he was able to doe it he being assured and not weake in faith but strong He gaue glory to God and beleeved that he that promised was able to doe it Beloved though we thinke it not there is the stop that we make in beleeving the promises that is one reason he made heaven and earth The second is he keepes fidelitie for ever And in another place as it is interpreted he keepes covenant and mercy for ever Marke sayth he let Princes doe their best alas what can they doe they are but weake men their breath is in their nostrils but God made heauen and earth Secondly sayth he their thoughts perish but God keepes coâ—enant and mercy for ever there is no change in him Oh but you will say there may be a change in vs all my doubt is of that of keeping covenant on my part thus men are readie to say My Beloved consider for this I will be very briâ—fe in that thou needest not feare that thy disobedience if thou be once within the Covenant if thou be one whose heart is vpright with him shal 〈◊〉 the Lord to depart from thee he will not be unfaithfull to thee though thou be weake in thy carriage to him for he keepes Covenant for ever That is His Covenant is to keepe thy heart in his feaâ—d that thing we forget if the Lord keepe Covenant with vs he doth not suspend his promise of helpe vpon our obedience and leaue vs 〈◊〉 but he promiseth to giue vs a heart and 〈…〉 he hath promised to circumcise 〈…〉 that we shall not depart from him and therefore in Esay 40. the Lord expresseth it thus You shall know me as Sheepe know their Shepheard and I will make a Covenant with you and thus and thus I will deale with you And how is that Why the Covenant is not thus onely As long as you keepe within bounds and keepe within the Fould as long as you goe along the pathes of righteousnesse and walke in them but this is the Covenant that I will make I will driue you according to that you are able to beare if any be great with young I will driue them softly if they be lame that they are not able to goe sayth he I will take them vp in mine armes and carry them in my bosome If you compare this with Ezech. 34. you shall finde there he puts downe all the slips that we are subiect vnto speaking of the time of the Gospell when Christ should be the Shepheard he shewes the Covenant that he will make with those that are his sayth he if any thing be lost if a Sheepe loose it selfe this is my covenant I will finde it if it be driven away by any violence of temptation I will bring it baeke againe if there be a breach made into their hearts by any occasion through finne and lust I will heale them and binde them vp This the Lord will doe this is the Covenant that he makes Now consider these Reasons I made heaven and earth and I keepe Covenant and mercy for ever But you will say though I must trust in the Lord because he made heaven and earth and because he keepes covenant and mercy for ever yet the Lord doth it by meanes he doth it by friends by some mediate instruments My Beloved here is the great deceit of mankinde that we thinke that the Lord dispenseth his comforts according to those means that we haue A man thinkes if he haue a great estate his comforts shall be more if he haue many friends he thinkes he shall be safer sayth the Lord you know that place Psal. 62. if riches increase set not your hearts vpon them for sayth he they are able to doe little good Power and kindnesse belongs to me But then this obiection comes in the Lord dispenseth comforts by such meanes No sayth the holy Ghost there he rewards not men according to their riches but he rewards every man according to his workes And therefore thinke this with thy selfe thou that hast abundance of outward comforts if the Lord did reward thee according to them thou hadst cause to reioice in them but he will reward thee according to thy workes and therefore trust in him learne to reckon him to be All-sufficient learne to be to him alone But may not a man that trusts not in God but lookes a little too much to the creature prosper A man againe that withdrawes his heart from
them and trusts in the Lord may not he wither Beloved I will adde but that in briefe seest thou a man that doth not reckon the Lord to be All-sufficient that doth not rest on him alone but makes flesh his arme and trusts in any creature that hath such thoughts as these I haue the favour of high persons and therefore I am safe or I haue many friends to backe me and to support me and defend me and therefore I am safe I haue a great estate to helpe me against dangers to provide for me against the time of difficultie and therefore it shall goe well enough with me I say be it thine owne case or seest thou any man doing so be assured that such a man shall certainly wither cursed shall that man be that doth this that makes flesh his arme Againe on the other side seest thou a man that is willing to depriue himselfe of all these things when it is to keepe a good conscience when he put to it It is an evidence that he resteth on God that he trusts in him alone be assured howsoever that man may be vnder a cloud and though it may be winter with him for a little while yet he shall spring againe his light shall breake forth and he shall prosper sayth the Text Ier. 17. That is the place I haue reference to and his leafe shall be greene The other man sayth the Text there though God doe come to him and all about him yet he shall not see good he shall haue no part in it but he shall surely wither sooner or later On the other side Though evill doe come vpoÌ„ this man that trusts in God yet he shall not see evill Now my Beloved consider that we may draw to a conclusion whether you doe this or no which you are here exhorted vnto But it may be a man will be readie to say I hope I doe performe this It is well if you doe But I will say but one word to you if you doe thus looke vpon God as All-sufficient if you reckon him your portion doe you walke as one that sees him in his greatnesse and in his almightie power Remember that in Pro. 30. when Agur lookes vpon God and himselfe together sayth he I am worse then a Beast I haue not the vnder standing of a man in me And why sayth he I haue not the knowledge of the holy one he that ascends and he that descends he that holds the winds in his fist he that gathers the waters in his lap as into a garment he that stretcheth forth the ends of the earth and that settles it who knowes him sayth he who can tell his name or his sonnes name The meaning of it is this sayth he when I consider what God is and beginne to thinke how I haue walked with him and how short I am of knowing him as I should sayth he I am as a Beast I am confounded and amazed Now consider that and make it your owne case who walkes with God my Beloved and seeth him that ascends and descends which hath reference to that vision that appeared to Iacob The Lord was on the toppe of the laddâ—r and the Angels descended and ascended That is All the Creatures both in heaven and earth are like messengers that goe to and fro at his Commandement who walkes with God as knowing this providence of his that sets the Angels a-worke all the hoasts all the particulars of them in their kinde to doe this busines and that busines Who walkes with God as seeing him sending a messenger to doe every thing that we see done in the world sending a messenger to take away such a mans life to giue another life and health sending a messenger to remoue such a difficultie from one man And againe stopping vp another mans passage This you call accident when you see a concurrence of two things together the cause whereof you know not but he knowes both who walkes with the Lord as seeing him do this or that through the ends of the earth Againe he holds the windes in his fist who sees him as such a God that is able to hold the windes in his fist Who lookes vpon him as such a God The breath of a man that is lesse then the winde he holds it in his fist as a man holds a thing in his hand and that he keepes there at his pleasure Who lookes vpon God as thus great in power And so againe breathing the holy Ghost who lookes vpon God as one that dispenseth it as it pleaseth him to giue it and withdraw it at his will Who lookes vpon him as one sending forth motions and iniecting them into the minde stirring it this way or that way as the windes and the stormes and the Creatures He hath them all in his hand and holds them all in his fist for by these workes of nature we may learne to know the greatnesse of God and to reflect vpon our selues and see how farre we are short of him And so againe who lookes vpon him as lapping vp the waters as in a garment That is When the Sea is outragious yet he takes it as you would take a little water in your lap sometimes and he containes it and gathers it vp and sometimes he lets it loose againe And so likewise he is able when the people are vnruly even great Nations that sometimes are readie to over-spread his Church and to run over it with proud waters yet he is able to keepe them backe he is able to restraine them and to shut them vp with barres and doores as he doth the waters He that lappes the waters in a garment is he not able to restraine men that are violent against vs in wrath Who can stand before wrath and envie that is like a violent water that overflowes all and that carries all before it Yet he that laps the waters as a garment he is able to restraine them wheresoever he findes them And so againe who walks with him as knowing him that establisheth the ends of the earth That is as the originall shewes more clearely as one that hath founded the great and waightie earth vpon nothing Sayth he that God when a mans spirit hath instabilitie and inconstancy in it naturally he that establisheth the earth vpon nothing making a mightie building where there was no foundation he can establish thy spirit too Suppose there be nothing to support the Church to suppoâ—â— a man when he is falling or that he hath no friend to prop him nothing to vnderlay him yet he that hath set the earth vpon nothing but vpon the thinne ayre that you know is not able to support it but he onely sayth to the earth stand there is he not able to support a man in any case See now the Lord in this greatnesse of his But who walkes as seeing him thus in his greatnesse and in his All-sufficiencie For all these doe but expresse the All-sufficiencie
of God Beloved if we did it why are our hearts discouraged Why doe wee hang downe our heads vpon every occasion when troubles come If we see the Lord in his All-sufficiencie he is able to stay our hearts if we trust in him alone What though he suffer his Church to be over-runne with enemies for a time What though he suffer men to prevayle against it as you see how the Adversaries prevayle against the Church of God by their strength yet if you did see him in his All-sufficiencie your hearts would not fayle you a jot You may either apply it to the Churches or to your own particular cases And to giue you yet an instaÌ„ce of these sensible things When the disease prevayled farre on Hezekiah sayth the Lord thou seest Hezekiah what I can do I will make the shadow to goe backwards Thinke with thy selfe Though the disease be gone thus farre yet I that make the shadow to goe backwards am I not able to make thy disease to returne And so we may say of any trouble or affliction of any temptation or crosse that lyes on yoâ— that you thinke it so farre gone that there is no recalling of it againe yet he that made the shadow to goe backward is he not able to reduce it And so againe when you see the Church in such a case as it is now in we are readie to cast away all hope and to say What shall we doe Beloved consider that which was sayd to Gideon as we are readie to say when we say the Lord is All-sufficient he hath enough if he be with vs we desire no more we make the objection with Gideon thus If the Lord be wish vs why is it thus Why is Israell oppressed Sayth the Lord to Gideon thou shalt see what I am able to doe when the Fleece is dry all the eaâ—th shall be wet and when the earth shall be dry the Fleece shall be wet That is As if he had sayd Though the Church now be overflowne yet I can dry it vp and lay misery vpon them As againe that little Church that little Fleece when that was in peace they were afflicted as they were in peace when that was afflicted The like you see in Gen. 15. where there is another resemblance of the Church when the Sacrifices were cut in peeces and he had divided the Rammes sayth the Text the Fowles come and would haue devoured them There are two similitudes of the troubles of the Church and Gods rescuing them When the Crowes came Abraham droue them away That was one And the other was when there was a very fearefull darkenesse there came a Burning Fornace and a Lampe The meaning is this The Church then was in Egypt for that he hath reference to it was a dead Sheepe exposed to Ravens and you would thinke there was nothing there to helpe it but it must needs be devoured Why yet sayth the Lord though it be thus neere I will driue away the Ravens and I will saue my Church You know what the strength of Pharaoh and of Egypt was Againe sayth he the Church was in fearefull darknesse in the valley of the shadow of death That is They thought they should never be recovered you know what wayes Pharaoh tooke and at how low an ebbe the Church was when he would haue all the males destroyed Who would haue said that this Church should haue recovered Yet sayth he as after this fearefull darkenes the Fornace came and gaue light so sayth he I will scatter this darknes Beloved consider if you beleeue Gods All-sufficiencie and consider if thou dost thus know him in his greatnes what though the motions be exceeding great and strong that come against the Church yet in Esay 40. it is to that purpose brought in What are they to the Lord they are but as the dust of the Ballance or as the drop of a Bucket The Bucket it selfe is no great thing but the droppes that fall from the Bucket when it ariseth out of the Well they are exceeding small Sayth he the Nations are no more to me than the drop of a Bucket or the dust of the Ballance which doth not sway them either way So looke what I doe the Nations are notable to sway me be they never so strong they are not able to turne me but according as I pitch things they shall stand Now my Beloved consider whether you be able to comfort your selues thus out of Gods All-sufficiencie We doe for the most part as Hagar did when the Bottle was spent she falls a crying shee was vndone shee and her childe should dye and there was no more hope till the Lord opened her eyes to see a Fountaine neere her the Fountaine was neere her but she saw it not when she saw it she was well enough Is it not so with vs all because the Bottle is dryed vp because such a meanes is taken away we thinke presently there is no more hope when the Fountaine is neere the Lord himselfe is the fountaine and he is neere if he did open your eyes to see Consider whether you walke thus with God as seeing him in his greatnesse Beloved if we did see him in his greatnesse why should Torches and Candles haue so great a light before vs That is Why should we regard men so much Put the case many Nations were against thee thou wouldst looke vpon all those in comparison of God as a drop of the Bucket or as a little dust on the Ballance Art thou able to doe so to see and know him thus in his greatnesse if thou be not certainly thou art exceeding short of seeing God in his All-sufficiencie So much for this time FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 1. I am God All-sufficient ANother Vse and deduction that we will draw from this poynt that God is All-sufficient is to comfort vs in regard of our imperfect obedience Wee ought not to thinke because we are not exact in keeping all the Commandements of God because we haue much unevennesse in our wayes because we are not able to keepe the Rule so strictly as wee ought that therefore God reiects vs for he is All-sufficient in himselfe he needs not our righteousnesse and therefore he can well beare with the imperfections of our righteousnesse You shall see this vse made of it Act. 17. 24. 25. God that made all things the world and all that is therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth he dwels not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as if he needed any thing Marke he giues to all life and breath and all things Thus the Apostle makes his argument if God sayth he made the world and all things therein if he giueth to all life and breath and all things then when you doe worship him it is not because he hath any neede of your worship or any need of your righteousnesse or of all that you can doe
turne I haue given him nothing he is vncapable of my gift and therefore I looke for no recompence as by merit from him Againe If God be All-sufficient let vs be exhorted to make a Covenant with him for as I told you before these words doe but containe the Covenant betweene God and vs. Now this is the Covenant that God will make with you if you will enter into Covenant with him that he will be All-sufficient to you Now that which is expressed here generally I finde in other places divided into these three particulars where in the All-sufficiencie of God consists as if they were the three parts of this Covenant First He is All-sufficient to justifie and to forgiue vs our sinnes Secondly He is All-sufficient to sanctifie vs and to heale our infirmities Thirdly He is All-sufficient to provide vs whatsoever we neede so that no good thing shall be wanting to vs. These are the three parts of the Covenant which we finde set downe in divers places in Ier. 31. 34. Heb. 8. 9. 10. 16. But most clearely are they set downe in Ezek. 36. Sayth the Lord there I will powre cleane water vpon you you shall be cleane yea from all your filthines and from all your Idols will I clense you There is one part of the Covenant that he will clense vs from all our sinnes That is From the guilt and the punishment of them Secondly A new heart will I giue you also a new spirit will I put into you and I will take away your stonie hearts out of your bodies and I will giue you a heart of flesh There is the second part of the Covenant consisting of Sanctification The third is You shall dwell in the Land that I gaue to your Fathers and I will call for Corne and I will increase it and I will lay no more famine vpon you and I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field that you beare no more the reproach of famine among the Heathen Here are the particulars set downe some are named for the rest I will call for Corne and Wine That is For whatsoever you want That is the third part of the Covenant These are the three parts of the Covenant which I shall spend this time in opening and shewing you that God is sufficient in all and to answer those objections that mens hearts haue against his All-sufficiencie for the heart is readie to object against these three to haue sinnes forgiven to be sanctified and to haue abundance of all good things belonging to this present life in all these he is All-sufficient to fulfill all the desires of mens hearts Now to begin with the first First I say He is All-sufficient to take away all our sinnes My Beloved it may be when you heare this poynt you will say it is an easie thing to beleeue it there is no difficultie in this the Lord is All-sufficient to forgiue sinnes Surely whatsoever we say or pretend wee finde in experience it is exceeding hard Who is able so fully to beleeue the forgiuenes of his sinnes as he ought Who is able to doe it when he is put to it At the day of death at the time of extremitie at that time when the conscience stirres vp all his strength and opposeth it selfe against him when all his sinnes are presented vnto him in their colours who is able then to beleeue it therefore we had neede to finde out the All-sufficiencie of God in this for the greatnesse and exceeding largenesse of his power is shewed in it in nothing more then in forgiving of sinnes Hosea 11. 9. See there how the Lord expresseth it Sayth he I will not execute the fiercenes of my wrath I will not returne to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Marke my Beloved when we haue committed sinne against God we commonly thinke thus with our selues if my sinnes were but as other mens if my sinnes wanted these and these circumstances I would beleeue the forgiuenesse of them but something or other a man hath still to object Now sayth the Lord it is very true If I were as man is it could not be but I should execute the fiercenesse of my wrath vpon Ephraim who hath provoked me so exceedingly for Ephraim was a part of Israell and is put for all Israell and the Prophet wrote this in the time of Ieroboam the sonne of Ioash when Israell abounded in sinnes and in Idolatry but sayth the Lord though their sinnes be exceeding great yet I am able to forgiue them for I am God and not man As if he should say Looke vpon weake man and compare God and man together and see how farre God exceeds man see how much he is stronger then man being infinite and almightie so sayth he his mercy exceeds the mercy of man As if he should say If I were not God it were impossible I should forgiue the sinnes of Ephraim which they haue multiplied against me from time to time So likewise in Esay 55. 7. the Lord cals them in there and vseth this as an argument for sayth he I will forgiue and multiplie my pardons so the word signifieth in the originall when a man makes this objection But it is more then any man can beleeue that my sinnes that I haue thus and thus repeated that the Lord can so easily put them away and multiply his pardons as I haue multiplied my sinnes Sayth he my thoughts are not aâ— your thoughts my wayes are not as your wayes but as high as the heaven is aboue the earth so are my thoughts aboue your thoughts and my wayes aboue your wayes That is As a man lookes to heaven and considers the great distance betweene the earth and it so farre sayth he doe my thoughts exceede your thoughts That is When you thinke with your selues I cannot forgiue because you measure me and draw a scantling of me by your selues when you haue gone to the vtmost of your thoughts my thoughts exceede yours as much as heaven exceeds the earth And therefore sayth he my wayes are not as your wayes That is When you would not forgiue yet I am able to forgiue in so great a disproportion We doe with this as we doe with all the Attributes of God we are able to thinke him powerfull as a man but to thinke him powerfull as God there we come short We are able to thinke him mercifull as a man but to thinke him mercifull as God there our thoughts are at an end we can thinke and see no reason why he should pardon vs. Now sayth the Lord my thoughts goe beyond your thoughts as much as the distance is betweene heaven earth If you say to me who doubts of this that the Lord is able to forgiue My Beloved if we did not doubt of it what is the reason when great sinnes are committed that you fall to questioning of Gods mercy when you can more
the vigor of all carnall joy and sinfull delight So the more you see this All-sufficiencie of God towards you in loue the more you are able to beleeue it and the more it kils sinne in you the more it sanctifies you and the more it drawes you to God Therefore this is to be considered to helpe vs against this objection that there is a double feare the one is that which keepes vs from comming to God The other is a feare that keepes vs from going out from God Wee are very apt to exceede in the first feare And to come short in the second Now the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God is a feare that he is a feare that he is not readie to forgiue that he is not All-sufficient that he hath not power enough of mercy to forgiue our sinnes and to heale our infirmities this makes a man tumorous and fearefull as a man is fearefull to come neere a Iudge to come neere one that is terrible Now the more this feare is taken away the neerer we come the neerer we draw in assurance of faith to him On the other side there is a feare that keepes vs off from going out from Gâ—d and that is the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more we beleeue that happinesse is in him the more we beleeue the riches of his mercy and the abundance of his goodnesse the more we feare to steppe out from him to haue our hearts estranged from him to haue our hearts sit loose Now the more we can beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more it takes away the first feare and increaseth the second it takes away the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God and it increaseth the feare that keepes vs from going out from God So much shall serue for this first the All-sufficiencie of God in forgiuing sinne The second part of the Covenant is his All-sufficiency in healing our sinnes or in sanctisying vs as you haue it in Psal. 103. That forgiues all our sinnes and heales all our infirmities This belongeth also to his All-sufficiencie This my Beloved is a necessary poynt to beleeue It serues likewise to bring vs in to the Lord for a man is readie to make this objection when he lookes vpon Gods wayes the wayes of righteousnesse and then vpon the strength of his lusts he is ready to say with himselfe how shall I be able to leade a holy life as I ought to doe This is the answer to it God is All-sufficient He that is able to bid the light shine out of darknesse sayth the Apostle he is able to kindle a light in thy darke heart where there is not a jot of goodnesse though thy heart be never so averse he is able to change that heart of thine and therefore say not I shall never be able to doe it for he is able to take away all that reluctancy For hence comes the difficultie how shall the strength of my lusts this crooked and perverse heart of mine and the straight wayes of God stand together It is very true Is thy heart continue in that temper it is impossible but the Lord that is All-sufficient is able to take away that reluctancie for he doth in the worke of grace as he doth in the worke of nature he doth not as we doe when we would haue an Arrow goe to the marke when we throw a stone vpward we are not able to change the nature of it but we put it on by force God carries all things to their end by giving them a nature suitable to that end An Archer makes an impression vpon an Arrow but it is a violent impression God carries every thing to that end to which he hath appoynted it but with this difference he makes not a violent impression but a naturall impression therefore he doth it not by an onely immediate hand of his owne as we doe but he causeth the Creature to goe on of it selfe to this or to that purpose to this or that end And so he doth in the worke of grace he doth not carry a man on to the wayes of righteousnesse leaving him in the state of nature taking him as he is but he takes away that heart of his and imprints the habits of grace in it and he changeth a mans heart so that he is carried willingly to the wayes of God as the creature is carried by a naturall instinct to its owne place or to the thing it desires So that thou mayst thinke thus with thy selfe It is true if I haue my old heart my old lusts still there must needs be such a reluctancy as I shall not be able to overcome but if the Lord change this heart of mine and take away these lusts if the Lord put another imprâ—ssion vâ—on on me that is naturall to me which is like that instinct he putteth into the creature then it is easie for me to doe it And this the Lord out of his All-sufficiencie is able to doe But you will be readie to object if the Lord be thus All-sufficient if he be able thus to kindle light in the darke heart to change a mans crooked and perverse spirit to implant and ingraft such naturall habits and instincts into it to carry it on with such facilitie and connaturalnesse to the wayes of his Commandements why am I thus why am I no more able to overcome my sinnes why doe I fall backe so often to the same sinne why doe I come short of the performance of such purposes and desires why doe I finde so many things in my life contrary to the Rules of Sanctification and so contrary to this All-sufficient power of God To this I answer First It may be it is from hence that thou observest not those Rules by which God communicates this All-sufficiency and this power of his What though the Lord be willing to communicate it yet there are some Rules to be observed which himselfe hath given That is Thou must diligently attend vpon his ordinances thou must observe and keepe them thou must be carefull to abstaine from the occasions he bids thee abstaine from if thou sayle in either of these he hath made thee no promise to helpe thee with his All-sufficiencie Sampson as long as the Lord was with him you know had great strength you know the Lord tels him so long as he nourished his hayre so long he would be with him which was but a symboll of Gods presence but it was such a thing as he would haue him to keepe exactly and if he did not keepe that he would withdraw his presence and would not be with him So likewise the Nazarites were commanded to abstaine from drinking wine if they dranke wine the Lord would withdraw himselfe And so it is in this case the Lord hath appointed vs to keepe his ordinances and so long he will be with vs as he was with Sampson to be All-sufficient
and Noah and all the Saints so long as God was with them how strong were they Their strength was like the streÌ„gth of Sampson but when the Lord withdrew himselfe we see what base lusts they fell into what lusts was David given vp vnto Also Salomon and Peter and Lot All this the Lord hath done even for this purpose that they might learne to know that All-sufficiencie is in him and not in them Therefore when thou lookest on any Saint of God that excels in grace and goes beyond thee thinke thus with thy selfe it is not because this man is stronger then I but because the Lord hath done more for him he hath bestowed more grace vpon him he that hath done this to him is he not able to doe it to thee He that is so strong if the Lord withdraw his hand thou feest what he is And therefore comfort thy selfe with this that he is able to strengthen thee Thinke againe with thy selfe how thou hast found him at other times My Beloved there is great strength in this even when thou art at the worst to keepe life in the roote of grace in the Winter time it is a mightie power of God if we looke on the workes of nature to keepe life in the Plants when they seeme to be dead that the hardnesse and coldnesse of Winter take not away the life of them So it is no lesse All-sufficiencie and almightie power of God to keepe the life of grace in our greatest fals and temptations to keepe life in David and Salomon that it should spring againe when the spring time was come Againe who is it that restrained thy lusts before who is it that hath given thee any abilitie to thinke those good thoughts to doe those good things thou hadst not power in thy selfe all was from the Lord. Therefore if he haue an All-sufficiencie in him as he is All-sufficient to forgiue sinnes so likewise he is All-sufficient to sanctifie thee Be not discouraged then Let not a man thinke with himselfe oh I shall never overcome it I shall never be able to be so exact in the wayes of rightcousnesse as I ought to be Remember God is All-sufficient Our endevour must be to make our harts perfect to resolue to serue him with a perfect heart But for the power and performance of it this belongs to God Therefore Beloved hence comes all the difficultie that our hearts are not so perfect for when a man is readie to object I but I finde no experience of this almightie power See that the cause be not in thy selfe he hath made promise vnto those whose hearts are perfect with him it may be thy heart is imperfect it may be there hath beene hypocrisie in thy heart thou hast never beene willing to part with all to serue him with a perfect heart and with a willing minde all thy dayes But when once thy heart is brought to sinceritie doubt not that he will performe that thou lookest for on his part for it belongs to his part to giue thee power and strength to doe that which thou desirest to doe So much likewise for the secoud part of the Covenant The third part of the Covenant is to provide all good things for vs belonging to this present life herein the Loâ—d is All-sufficient to all those that are in Covenant with him I neede not say much to make this good vnto you All â—hings are his whatsoever a man needs Riches are his they are his Creatures in Pro. 23. they come and goe at his command Honour is his I will honour those that honour me he takes it to himselfe to bestow it as he pleaseth Health and life is his the issues of life and death belong to him Friendship is his for he puts our acquaintance farre from vs and drawes them neere to vs. Goe through all the varietie of things that your hearts can desire and they are all his he is governour and the disposer of them as he pleaseth and therefore certainly he is All-sufficient he is able to provide all things for thee that thy heart can desire so that no good thing shall be wanting to thee I will not stand to inlarge this but rather answer the objections for here we are readie to object If the Lord be All-sufficient why is it thus then with me why doe I want so many things which I haue need of and desire to haue If God be All-sufficient why are there so many defects in my estate in my health this way and that way To this I answer Thou must consider with thy selfe if those desires of thine be not unnaturall desires whether they be not sinfull desires the Lord hath promised to be All-sufficient to the naturall desires to the right desires of the soule but not to those that are unnaturall and inordinate There is a double desire in the heart of man as there is a double thirst there is a naturall thirst you know which is easily satisfied with a little there is an unnaturall thirst as the thirst of a dropsie man who desires exceeding much and the more you giue him still the more he desires and is never satisfied So it is with the soule there is a naturall healthful desire which desires so much credit and so much wealth as is needfull there is besides this an vnnaturall desire of the soule when a man doth long after abundance now Beloved doe not looke that the Lord should satisfie this nay the best way in this case is not to satisfie but to take from our desires as we say of the Boulemeia that disease wherein a man eates much that is called Caninus appetitus and likewise in the dropsie the one excessiuely eates and the other excessiuely drinkes and the Rule of Physitians is Opus habent purgatione non impletione such a man hath neede of purging and emptying and not of filling so I may say of all these such men haue neede of purging and emptying which is to be desired in this case that wherein God shewes his All-sufficiencie now is not in supplying thy defects in adding that which thou desirest but in purging the heart and taking away those desires that is the way to heale thee Therefore consider seriovsly what that is that thou desirest if it be an inordinate desire if it be a worke of fancie know that thou canst not looke for this All-sufficiencie of God to satisfie this but to heale it You shall see Ecclesiast 5. 10. He that loueth silver shall not be satisfied with silver and he that loveth riches shall be without the fruit thereof You see what the Lord hath set downe concerning this case now a man may seeke for a competency but when he comes once to riches that he seekes for them the Lord sayth such a man shall not be satisfied or if he be it shall be in wrath for it is in wrath given to such a man It is the destruction
that is found in it The spirit of God blowes vpon it and the grasse withers and the flower fades away so in Rom. 8. the Creature is subiect to vanitie That is It is of no abiding condition it withers and wasts and hath nothing in it to maintaine it Besides it is called vaine because it is not able to bring any enterprise to passe You would thinke the Creature were able to doe much but you see what the Lord sayth A man thinkes he is able to build a house or he thinkes he is able to watch a Cittie No sayth the Lord if I withdraw my selfe thou shalt be able to doe nothing nor any Creature whatsoever What is said of that may be said of any thing else A man thinkes a Horse is a Creature that will stand him in much steade in the day of battayle but a horse is but a vaine thing And so it is of all other Creatures they are not able to bring any enterprise to passe herein is the vanitie of them But now this is but the simple expression of vanitie Let vs consider for what can we doe better since we are vpon this argument what arguments the holy Ghost vseth to perswade vs of this truth that there is nothing but emptinesse in the Creature My Beloved I beseech you harken to it for all of vs thinke there is too much in the Creature we should not seeke it as we doe our thoughts and affections should not be so much stirred about it as they are if wee did not thinke there were something in it I say consider the arguments which the holy Ghost vseth I will but name the places in briefe to you you may reade them in these two Chapters at your leasure it will much helpe to bring them to your memory First sayth the holy Ghost there is nothing but vanitie for sayth the Wiseman when I looke vpon the whole universe vpon the whole frame of things this I finde first a great instabilitie in them one generation commeth and another goeth the Sunne riseth and the Sunne setteth there is nothing constant vnder the Sunne Now the happinesse of a man that which will giue content to a man it must be some stable thing for a man cannot rest but vpon some Center vpon some place where his soule may finde some quiet and therefore an vnstable thing that is in continuall passage is not able to giue it rest Secondly Sayth he there is no new thing under the Sunne Marke it for sayth he if you goe through the whole course of things you shall finde nothing new one generation comes and another generation succeeds like it And so forward that as in the waues of the Sea one followes another till they be all broken vpon the shore so it is in the succession of generations and there is nothing in one generation but what was in another because sayth he the Sunne riseth and sets the winds goe to and fro they goe about by their Circuits And so the waters in the springs and in the Rivers they goe and come and there is no new thing vnder the Sunne What shall wee gather from that Why this that there is no satisfaction to the soule of a man And therefore sayth he the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing Those are the onely disciplinall senses we haue you know all the knowledge you haue is gathered by the eye and the eare Now if there be no new thing vnder the Sunne but all things are the same hence it is that the minde of man when it looks about it can finde nothing to giue it satisfaction for there must be some newnesse some varietie something that we haue not here that the soule seekes after But sayth he you shall find nothing but the same nothing but Identitie But if it be objected there is some thing now that was not before and there were some things before that are not now The Wiseman answers thus those things that were done then they are forgotten they are not had in remembrance And so likewise the things that are now will be forgotten And therefore there is no new thing Indeede in grace there is some thing new there is a new Creature there are all things new within and without there is a new Iudgement a new Conscience new affections every thing is new all things are become new there Let him that hath grace looke about him and there is some thing new he comes into a new Company he is brought into a new world his eye sees things his eare heares things that never entred into any mans heart That is into any naturall mans heart which onely hath to doe with naturall things let him looke into the word of God there is a newnesse for the more you reade it the more you desire still to reade it the more you heare it still you finde some new thing discovered Looke on the depth of those mysteries looke on the consolations of the spirit still there is some thing new in all the wayes of God that belong to the new Creature still thou shalt haue a fresh renewed vigor in every thing that satisfieth the soule of a man and there the eye is satisfied with seeing and the eare with hearing In all the workes of Nature there is some thing new The third and last reason that he vseth to shew the emptinesse of all things under the Sunne is because that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is defectiue can none supply That is There are many things in the Creature that are crosse to vs that fall thwart vpon vs there are many ils that we finde in our selues and in all the things we haue to doe with But sayth he if you looke vpon the Creature there is nothing that is able to make straight that which is crooked the daughter of Abraham that was crooked all the Creatures both in heaven and earth were not able to make her straight A perverse and crooked minde who can make straight Crooked Children who can make them straight Crooked affections inordinate feares and inordinate griefes who can rectifie them And so likewise who can supply that which is wanting When he lookes vpon all this and sees it in the nature of the Creature he concludes vpon all this that all is vanitie When he hath done all this he goes further and confirmes all this by experience of his own and now there were two things wherein Salomon did excell which all men would desire vpō earth That is Greatnesse of Wisedome And secondly Greatnesse of estate And sayth he first before I come to the particulars let me say this to you concerning my experience and see whether the arguments that are taken from thence be not strong arguments to expresse the vanitie of all things under the Sunne Sayth he I was a King in Ierusalem a mightie man and therefore able to haue experience of those things that
againe not to be proud of the friendship of men not to be secure in them not to trust in them not to thinke your selues safe in them for they are but vials through which God powres his mercy and goodnesse towards you Consider whether you be able to doe this Looke on David when Naball sent him a rough answer an vntoward answer he was exceedingly moved at it When Shemei did the same yea and to his face in a farre greater measure he was not moved what was the reason of it but because when he looked to Naball he forgat God he saw not God setting Naball a-worke to giue such an answer he looked not to Naball as a viall but as if he had beene the principall in the action in hand and therefore he was ready to fly vpon him with impatience as you know how angry he was with him but when Shemei did curse him he had reason he thought to be quiet and not in the other case because he looked on Shemei as a viall God sayth he hath bid him doe it and therefore he goes to God and not to Shemei Beloved if you doe beleeue this All-sufficiency in God and this emptines in the Creature why are you not able to doe this not to loue the creature not to terminate I say your affections in them but to vse this world as though you vsed it not That is All the things in the world all the men in the world for indeede you would vse them as if you did not vse them if you did see an emptines in them and a fulnes and an All-sufficiencie in God Secondly If we doe beleeue there is an All-sufficiencie in God why doe we goe out from him to take in present commodities to avoyde present dangers Why doe we not serue him with the losse of all these For if he be All-sufficient it is no matter what thou loosest thou hast enough if thou hast him You may see it in Paul to resemble it to you to shew you what I would haue said sayth he we serue the living God we take much paines in our Ministery we suffer much but haue nothing but imprisonment nothing but fastings and whippings and stonings and why doe we it for we trust in the living God and we thinke him to be All-sufficient when he sayth we trust in him that is implyed I say now looke to thy selfe art thou able to serue him without looking to present commoditie Art thou able to doe as they did when they were sent emptie and yet were willing to doe the worke and were content to haue no wages given them because they trusted in God thought he was sufficient you see our Saviour put them vpon it it is true they lacked nothing but yet that was the tryall Moses when he might haue had present commoditie he left all he left the Court of Pharaoh he left Egypt and went emptie away he did not turne aside to these present Commodities why because he thought the Lord was All-sufficient And so Abraham he left his Fathers house and came into a Land where he had not a foote because he thought God was All-sufficient God speakes to him vpon that occasion feare not Abraham thou art in a strange Countrey where thou hast no body to provide for thee yet I will be All-sufficient Those that wandered vp and downe in sheepes-skinnes and in Goats-skinnes no question they might haue had outward comforts aswell as others if they would haue tooke that course that others did but they were willing to leaue all present commodities because they trusted in God that he was All-sufficient They suffered sayth the Apostle Heb. 11. the spoyling of their goods they lost all and wandered vp and downe and had nothing but dens to lye in in stead of houses and sheepe-skinnes in stead of cloathes This they did because they thought him to be All-sufficient I say Consider whether thou be able to doe this to let goe present wages present comforts and commodities not to turne aside to them for if God be All-sufficient what neede is there of them If there be enough in him why should you step out to them Moreover if God be All-sufficient why doe we sticke so much vpon particular meanes to say if such meanes be not vsed I shall be vndone if he be All-sufficient it is no matter what the meanes be he is able to bring it to passe It is vsuall with men to say if such a thing sayle me I am vndone and if such an evill be not removed What are these but particulars this sticking vpon particulars is a signe we thinke him not All-sufficient Isa. 60. 10. See what an expression there is for matter of meanes He that walkes in darkenesse and sees no light let him trust in the Lord God he that walkes in darknesse and hath no light yet if God be All-sufficient put the case there be no meanes at all put the case there be vtter emptines that there be not a sparke of light but that thou walkest in darknesse and seest nothing to helpe thee if he be All-sufficient trust in him let him that hath no light but walkes in darkenesse trust in the Lord for he is then able to helpe him Againe if we thinke him to be All-sufficient when we loose any particular means it is but the scattering of a beame it is but the breaking of a Bucket when the Sunne and the fountaine is the same Why should we be troubled at it If we did thinke him to be All-sufficient when one meanes is broken cannot he finde out another if he be All-sufficient When he said to Paul that all the soules with him should be safe you see there were divers meanes all were not able to swim to the shore and the Ship was not able to bring them to shore but yet by broken boards and by one meanes and another all got to the shore So the Lord brings things to passe in a strange manner sometimes one way sometimes another he breakes in peeces many times the Ship that we thinke should bring vs to shore but casts vs on such boards as we did not expect so he doth in the meanes both good and evill somewhat comes in and brings vs helpe that we never thought of An enemy comes in and doth vs hurt that we never dreamed of and those that we had our eye fixed vpon it may be doe neither of them And so likewise if God be All-sufficient if he be thus exceeding great consider if thou see thine owne vilenesse thy ignorance thy emptinesse in comparison of him When Agur looked vpon God and saw his greatnes Pro. 30. he cryes out that he had not the vnderstanding of a man in him When Iob saw him in his greatnes he abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes he had spoken once and twice but he would speake no more And so Abraham when God appeared to him sayd I am but dust and ashes whether art thou able to say
as there is a length in this way and a straightnesse in it so there is a breadth in this way there is a latitude or breadth a certaine proportionall breadth The way to some man is broader then to others and to the same man the way in some places is broader in some narrower The Iewes way was narrower then ours there is a Christian liberty that hath inlarged this way and made it somewhat broader to walke in for as the Christian libertie is more so likewise is the way broader We haue more libertie then the Iewes had in many things we are freed from that yoke of bondage that strict observation of Mosaicall Ceremonies And so againe I say one Christian hath a narrower way then another that is as a man is subiect to more temptations to more occasions of sinne so must he make his way narrower he may not walke in so broad a path as another Againe the same man in some part of his way must choose a narrower way in some he needs not As for example a man that is subiect to run out in such a recreation another man may walke in a broader path in the vse of that recreation then he may for to him it is an occasion he is readie to be snared and to be transported with it one man is apt to be carried to drunkennesse if he see but the Wine if he come but neere it he must not looke on the Wine in the Cup one man is quickly set on fire with incentiues of lust with an object he may not come so neere nor be so bold with them as another man may one man is apt if he come to such a company to receiue some hurt to be intangled with them he is apt to learne their wayes to goe along with them such a man may not be so bold to come neere that company as another may that is not subiect to that temptation so that there is a breadth and a narrownes in these wayes Now our care must be not to goe beyond this breadth for it is a narrow way there are few that finde it Math. 7. Therefore I say we had more need looke to it that we step not aside that we loose not our way Beloved it concernes vs much to looke to it because when we goe out of Gods paths we are still exposed to some hazard and to some danger we should looke to it not onely for obedience to God but for our owne sakes let a man be found out of the breadth of this way that is let him take more libertie then he may for it is profitable for vs to know both our libertie and our restraint and he shall finde still some misery or other shall come vpon him take heede therefore least God meete thee out of the way at any time as he said to Eliah What dost thou here What makest thou here Eliah indeed it was his fault when God had beene with him so mightily and had given him rayne at his desire to worke such miracles againe to send fire from heaven to consume the sacrifices and after to slay so many Prophets of Baal for a word of Iezabell that was but a weake Woman to run from her so many miles as farre as his feete could carry him it proceeded from timorousnesse and feare God meetes with him and saith What dost thou here Eliah What makest thou here As if he should say thou art out of the way Though the Lord dealt mercifully with him yet it was his fault he was out of the way as sometimes feare puts vs out of our way and sometimes againe other passions as Hagar went out of her way from he mistris as we see in the Chapter before the text Hagar Sarahs maid whence commest thou And whither goest thou Gen. 16. 18. Where he puts her in minde of that dutie she did owe to Sarah of that particular calling she was in As if he should say Hagar dost thou remember what thou art dost thou remember what particular calling thou art in Art thou not Sarahs maid Thou shouldst be about Sarahs businesse what dost thou here in the Wildernes running from thy mistris If thou be Sarahs maid whence commest thou And whither goest thou As if he should say thou art out of thy calling thou art out of thy way So you must thinke with your selues when any man goes out of his calling when he goes out of his duties of either of his callings if God should meete him if an Angell should meete him and should say What dost thou here thou that art a Minister what dost thou doing the thing that belongs not to such a one to doe Thou that art a Tradesman a Lawyer a Student whatsoever the calling and busines be that God hath set a man in when he is stepping out to by-wayes that are not suteable to such a calling God may say to thee and thou maist say to thy selfe What dost thou here Hagar Sarahs maid He puts her in minde of her calling so must we and so much the rather because we are never out of our way but at that time we are from vnder Gods protection we are from within the pale we haue no promise of safetie it makes vs exposed to some hazard or other and therefore Beloved be carefull of this As the Israelites in the Wildernes went not a step but as farre as they saw the Cloud going before them so I say goe not a steppe but as farre as you haue a warrant as farre as you see God going before you and this shall be for your comfort But you will say it may be God will lead me by these straite rules to prison to losses to crosses to disgrace to losse of preferment to losse of friends Beloved know this that the Cloud as it was a direction to them so it was a protection likewise they never followed the Cloud but they were safe the Cloud was a defence to them wheresoever they went As we see Esay 45. The Lord will create vpon every place of Mount Sion and vpon the assemblies thereof a Cloud of smoke by day and a shining flame of fire by night for vpon all the glory there shall be a defence Before he had said he would lead them by the spirit this leading of the spirit he compares to the leading of Israell in the Wildernes as they were led with the Cloud so shall you and if you follow the Cloud it shall be a defence to you so I say walke with God and he will be a defence to you it is no matter what the wayes are he is able to beare you out for safetie is a part of your wages therefore that belongs to him your businesse is nothing but to finde out what your way is and to walke in it the care of the worke belongs to you and the other is not your care therefore to shut vp this exhortation learne to doe this to pray that God would shew
way Besides As there is this ground of it so there is another cause of it Because the outward occasions both for good and evill I say they are both forcible and yet transitory Evill men haue some outward things some outward helpes which put them on to a good course they are so effectuall and yet God suffers them not alwaies to haue them but takes them away they are but transitory Therefore a man may walke in a good course whose heart is not yet right and yet long he shall not doe it because those outward occasions shall be tooke from him As for example Ioash walked in the wayes of God all the while that Iehoiada lived here was the outward occasion he was drawne with another mans synewes he was heated with another mans heate and when that man was tooke away you see he fell to his owne course and by as againe the outward occasion was strong but it was but for a time and so he returned to his old course The like in the case of Vzziah he was hemmed in for a time with Zachariah the Prophet but sayth the text after his dayes his heart was lifted vp to destruction And so Herod he kept within compasâ—e he was stirred vp to doe many things at the Preaching of Iohn Baptist but he did not alwayes continue for God so disposeth it in his providence he will not suffer evill men alwayes to haue these outward occasions of good As it is as true on the other side good men may haue strong temptations that may transport them for a fit but God will not suffer them alwayes to lye vpon the godly he will not suffer a temptation of affliction he will not suffer the rod of the wicked to lye alwayes vpon him it may for a time and he may for a fit put out his hand to wickednes he may vpon some exigent vpon a sudden when he is put to it vpon some outward trouble or crosâ—e when his heart is shaken and distempered when he is not himselfe but God so disposeth of it in his providence that they shall not alway lye vpon him but they shall be remooved in due season as well as the helpes to good shall be taken from the wicked So you see that may come to passe for a few steppes for part of the Iourney an evill man may goe right and a good man may swarue from the straight way Therefore let vs neither judge our selues nor others by it for if we should we should justifie the wicked and condemne the generation of the just So much shall serue for this and for that point The next and maine point that we intended was this That whosoever hath interest in Gods All-sufficiencie must be a perfect man That is He must be sincere he must haue integritie of heart though he may be subject to many infirmities yet God requires this of him If I be All-sufficient sayth he to any that is the scope of it he must be perfect with me I am All-sufficient therefore be thou perfect otherwise thou hast no interest in this All-sufficiencie of mine The poynt is cleare and it is a poynt well knowne to you I shall not need to confirme it by any other places of Scripture but rather spend the time in giving you the grounds of it And secondly in shewing to you what this intirenesse and perfection and sinceritie of heart is First I will shew the grounds why no man shall be saved he shall never haue part in this All-sufficiencie of God except he be perfect except he haue integritie of heart First Because the new Adam should otherwise not be so effectuall as the old the new Adam should not be so powerfull to communicate grace and life as the old Adam is to instill corruption and sinne for the finne that hath beene conveyed to vs by the first Adam hath an integritie in it it hath gone over the whole soule there is a whole bodie of death that hath possessed vs Now should there not be in those redeeming actions by Christ a contrary integritie and perfection a throughout holines as I may call it The plaister then should be narrower then the sore and the remedy should be inferior to the disease Beloved you know a leprosie is gone all over except the holinesse went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an answerablenesse in the second Adam he should not be able to doe as much good as the first was able to doe hurt Secondly the worke of Redemption should be done but by halues if the Lord should dispense with imperfect holinesse The workes of Creation you know were perfect God looked vpon all his workes and he saw that they were very good Beloved doe you thinke the workes of Redemption should come short of the workes of Creation Are not they likewise perfect when the Lord shall looke on that worke shall he not say likewise it is very good If you doe marke the parts of it hath not Christ redeemed vs from our vaine conversation The holy Ghost doth not he mortifie every sinfull lust The bloud of Christ doth it not wash every sinne The Word and meanes of grace doe they not strike at every rebellion It is certaine they doe and therefore there is an integritie required in all otherwise I say there should be an imperfection If you object notwithstanding this though Christ hath redeemed vs yet you see there are many imperfections left in men and therefore how can you say the workes of Redemption are perfect I answer They are not perfect in degrees for they must haue a time of ripening but that which wants any part of perfectioÌ„ though it be ripened when it wants the roote and principle when the frame and first disposition is not right let it grow vp never so fast it will never be perfect So this is true of the workes of Redemption of the works of God in a mans heart of destroying the workes of Sathan and setting vp a new building which is the worke of Iesus Christ and the end for which he came I say this is true of it it is perfect it wants onely growth As you may say it is a perfect seed when it is ripe it will be a perfect flower or it is a perfect plant when it growes vp it will be a perfect tree it is perfect in all respects Such a perfection is in the workes of Redemption and if the heart of man be not entire if the worke of grace be not throughout if there be a defect in the principle and constitution of it there should be a defect in the workes of Redemption that cannot be Thirdly if there was not a perfectnesse of heart wrought in all those that should be saued the commands of the Gospell should be commands of impossibilitie for the Gospell requires at our hands that we should haue respect to all the Commandements that we should keepe the whole Law in an
be brought to passe yet if the rule will not hold he will not seeke it This you shall finde Gal. 6. Peace on the Israelâ— of God as many as walke by this rule They are the true Israell that keepe the right rule so I will commend this to describe to you a right and straight man when his end is right and his rule is right That is when his heart is not a crooked heart for it hangs all vpon a string crooked ends and crooked wayes and a crooked heart He that hath a right heart that is not a perverse and froward heart as we see Pro. 17. 18. A froward heart as the translation is that is a crooked heart it findes no good A man is then sayd to haue a crooked heart when if you will lay to him any straight rule that is giue him any right precepts tell him this you ought to doe this is the iust course this is the way you ought to hold you shall never bring a crooked heart and a straight lyne together his heart will still be starting aside from it it will not cleaue to it it will not accommodate it selfe to that for his heart is crooked Therefore Beloved when wee giue straight Counsels to them that haue â—rooked hearts we doe but loose our labour If it were a straight heart straight Counsell and it would soone agree such an expression you see Psal. 125. He that seekes himselfe in crooked wayes I will leade him forth with the workers of iniquitie That is when the inward bent of a mans heart is crooked when it will not entertaine straight or right Counsels but iâ— is still jarring and disagreeing with them such a man God rejects Thereâ—ore sayth he he will leade him forth with the workers of Iniquitie that is he will reckon him as a worker of Iniquitie and so will he deale with him The last Expression that I finde in Scripture to set forth this perfection of heart is to doe every thing in Gods sight When thou hast an eye vpon the Lord as well as he hath an eye vpon thee So you shall finde 1 Cor. 2. As of sinceritie in the â—ight oâ— God where the second is an explication oâ— the first and so here Walke before mee and be perfect That is if a man walke before God and approue himselfe to him he is a perfect man for that shewes the difference betweene perfection and soundnesse of heart 〈…〉 the one is truely such as will 〈…〉 tryall such as will endure even the eye of God himselfe when that which is 〈…〉 to the vrmost tryall that is able to say â—o God Lord thou knowest mine Innocency as David did and Lord I beseech thee search mâ— reynes and my heart when one 〈◊〉 say as Hezekiah Lord thou knowest that I haue walked with an vpright heart Now I say when a man is so entire that there is such truth in him that bring him to what touch-stone you will let him be brought to the light he knowes his workes are right he is not afraid let God himselfe looke into his heart that hath pure eyes that can search every craâ—nie of it to whom every thing is naked yet he shall finde him true that is he doth every thing if God looke to the most inward retired thoughts he doth all in Gods fight he approues himselfe to him such a one hath a perfect heaâ—t So much shall serue now for the opening of this to you what it is to be a perfect man Beloved I will apply it very briefly If this be perfection now you haue seene the ground why God requires it and that no man can be saved without it let vs make this vse of it to try our selues let a man examine himselfe whether he be a perfect man or no you will say how shall we doe it Indeede my Beloved I confesse it is a hard thing to doe for men are children in vnderstanding and as children are apt to be deceived with guilded things they see the outside to be fayre they see a fayre peece of gold but they are not able to finde out the base mettall that is hid within So it is our case for the most part we are not able to finde out this truth whether our hearts be imperfect and vnsound and rotten or no Therefore we had neede of helpe I will name one or two And this is one rule I take but such as I finde in Scripture that is a rule that our Saviour giues by which you may try your selues sayth he to the young man when he comes to professe to him that he had done thus and thus from his youth saith he if thou wilt be perfect goe sell all that thou hast As if he should say wouldest thou know now if thou be perfect those are the words that is whether thou haue a sound heart or no goe sell all that thou hast That is thou shalt know it by this that is the meaning of rhe Rule Goe sell c. Let a man looke round about him if there be any thing in the world any evill any calamitie that he is not willing to suffer if againe there be any blessing any comfort that he is not willing to part with I dare boldly affirme it that such a man is an vnsound hearted man for example put the case that such a thing befall him as imprisonment that a man sayth thus with himselfe I will endure other things but for that I haue a crazie bodie that will not beare it I haue a wife and children that must be maintained I haue debts to pay c. that is a thing that I cannot beare and endure let a man haue but such a resolution as this I will not beare this such a man will proue an vnâ—ound hearted man if he be put to tryall And whensoever the heart is not sound God will bring one to it at one time or other or againe put the case a man say thus I will endure any thing else but to be despised but to be contemned to be disgraced to loose my reputation with my neighbours to be a singular man â—o be an Owle for every body to wonder at this is a thing I can never endure let this man be put vpon it at any time to doe any strange thing that is a thing that seemes strange to worldly men that shall bring the censure of them vpon it let him be put to passe through evill report as sometimes he must be let him be put to walke in the wayes of righteousnesse it sometimes seemes strange to them that you doe not thus and thus such a man will deale vnsoundly he will discover himselfe to be rotten hearted So againe a man that saith thus with himselfe I will not loose my practise I will not loose my imployments I will not loose my trade I will not loose my dealing with my Customers this is my Plowe this is it that maintaines both mee and mine
so mannageth his businesse as a Factor that still hath an eye vpon himselfe â—or hee trusts not his Master Another that trusts him that thinkes thus with himselfe my Master is wise to obserue and he is willing and able to recompence mee that seruant lookes not to himselfe and his owne ends but he doth his Masters businesse faithfully and he cares not so it may be for his Masters aduantage for hee loues his Master and he thinkes his owne good and prosperity consists more in his Masters then in his owne this is that that moues him and therefore without respect to himselfe he serues him he doth his businesse faithfully he lookes what may be for his aduantage and not for his owne So much for this second effect A third effect that ariseth from this sincerity or integrity of heart is to serue the Lord to doe his will with all a mans might to doe it exceeding diligently not onely to haue respect to his Commandement but to doe it with all a mans might and strength when a man doth it remissely it is a signe he doth it feynedly when he doth it diligently it is a signe he doth it with a perfect heart A seruant when he slubbers ouer his worke and doth but eye-seruice it is an argument that hee doth it not with his whole heart but feynedly for when he doth it hearâ—tily he doth it painefully he doth it throughly and exactly and with all his strength The ground of it is this because when a man doth any thing truly and in good earnest when he doth it for it selfe he doth it alway exceeding diligently they are neuer disjoyned When a man doth a thing for a respect he doth it so far as that respect requires so much diligence hee vseth and no more you may see it in other things if a man haue money but for his vse he will seeke so much as will serue such a turne and no more but if he doth it for money it selfe if he loue riches hee will doe it with all his might hee sets himselfe to it with all his strength You haue an excellent place for the expression of this in 1 Pet. 1. 22. saith the A postle Seeing your hearts are purified to loue one another without feyning see that you loue one another with a pure heart feruently The meaning is this Let a mans loue be sincere without feyning let it be with a pure heart without respects without dissimulation and this property it will haue you will loue one another feruently Beloued these cannot be disjoyned when one serues the Lord with a perfect heart when his eye is vpon him when he doth trust to him without any other by-respects he will doe it exceeding diligently Therefore that expression you finde so oft in the Scriptures Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy soule with all thy heart and with all thy strength it is not an expression of the degrees of loue that is not the sole scope of that place but it is an expression of the sincerity of a mans loue as if hee should say herein is the sincerity of a mans loue this is an argument that a man loues God truly and not for respects when he loues him with all his heart and with all his might it is so in all things when you doe any thing for it selfe you will doe it with all your might Besides there is this further ground of it you shall finde this that all remissenesse when a man doth a thing remissely and ouerly and perfunctorily itargues alway a diuided intention it is an argument that the whole minde is not set on it but that the intention is distracted and bestowed on other things whence that common saying is He that will be excellent in euery thing is so in nothing because his intentions are diuided So beloued you know this is the property of sincerity to haue a single eye to haue the heart set vpon one obiect to looke to GOD alone If a man doe so the heart is sincere and he that lookes vpon GOD alone he must needs doe it with all diligence whensoeuer a man mindes one thing hee will doe it with all his might because all the faculties the intention the thoughts and affections of the soule they are then concenterate and vnited and drawne together into one point they are still running in one channell and therefore a man that hath a sincere heart that chooseth GOD alone that saith thus with himselfe I haue but one Master to serue I haue but one to feare I haue GOD alone to looke to my businesse is with him in heauen I thinke him to be alsufficient and an exceeding great reward I say this will alway accompany such a heart such a resolution that he serues him with all diligence if there be any worke of his to be done hee will doe it with all his might for that is the disposition of a mans mind when once he is able to say as Daâ—id saith Psal. 27. 4. One thing haue I desired of the Lord and that will I seeke to see the beauty of the Lord to liue in his Temple c. Why one thing I haue desired and that will I seeke with all diligence when a man desires but one thing his minde will be exceeding intent vpon it and therefore if you would finde out now what is a proper effect of sincerity you shall finde this alway to be in those whose hearts are vpright with God that they giue themselues vp to his seruice I say they giue themselues vp to do it with all diligence therefore for a man that saith this I hope my heart is vpright with God and yet you see him exceeding busie with other things the worke of God he doth ouerly he slubbers it ouer he doth it negligently as a seruant that doth eye-seruice but for businesses of his owne he is exceeding intent vpon them hee is ouerwhelmed with them in following pleasures and diuers lusts his minde is exceeding much taken vp in things of that kinde I say hee doth but dissemble when he saith he hath prepared his whole heart to seeke the Lord that hee walkes before him perfectly it cannot bee a man whose heart is vpright hath this disposition in him that his speeches his thoughts and his actions are still busied about things that belong to the Kingdome of God holinesse is the element hee liues in he would still be doing something 〈◊〉 â—ends that way by his good will he would be doing nothing else I say thus he serues the LORD with all his might and that is an argument hee hath a sincere and vpright heart You haue a common saying when a man doth a thing exceeding diligently he doth it for his life now a man whose heart is vpright his opinion is changed of his owne happinesse of his life and safety whereas before hee conceiued it tâ— consist in other things now he knowes it wholâ—ly consists in
see God in his attributes as Moses saw him that was inuisible that is he saw in him more then he could see in Pharoah he saw him in his power to recompence him he saw him in his wrath and fearefulnesse if he had disobeyed him he saw him in his goodnesse and mercy and therefore hee chose him rather then Pharoah or his fauour Againe they are able to see him in his works as Iacob did it is said of him hee was a plaine man and he was able to see the LORD he was able to see him in the workes of his prouidence he was able to see him when he got the goods of Laban saith hee God hath tooke the goods from your Father and hath giuen them to me it is his speech to his wiues hee did see him when he met with Esau saith the Text he saw the face of God when hee saw the face of Esau he saw him in his cattell and in his children that he had gotten these are the cattell and these are the wiues and the children and the bands that God of his goodnesse hath giuen mee hee was able to see God in all these hee saw him in all his workes of prouidence and goodnesse so likewise in all his chastisements Dauid saw God in the cursing of Shimei It is the LORD that hath bid him doe it And so Iob hee saw God it is he that hath giuen and he that hath taken away he ouerlooked those that were the imâ—mediate instruments Thirdly they see him in his guidance and direction they are able to see the fiery cloudy Piller which way they are led by him they are able to see which way he would haue them goe vpon all occasions when others walke in darknesse and they see not the way that God would leade them Lastly they see him in his ordinances they see God in the preaching of the Word they receiue it not as the word of man but as it is indeed the word of God they see him in the Sacraments for they are able to discerne the Lords body that is they able to see Christ crucisied to esteeme him and to set that price vpon him as they ought and so they come prepared this they are able to doe because they are pure but when the heart is yet vnsound and impure they are not able to see God cleerely a sight and a knowledge they haue but it is another kinde of knowledge So much shall serue for that point And I will make my Couenant c. These words containe a further and a greater fauour expressed to Abraham then the former words doe it was a great mercâ— to him to expresse thus much to him I am al-sufficient I am able to helpe thee I am thy exceeding great reward I am able to be a Sunne and a Shield vnto thee to fill thee with all comfort and to deliuer thee from all euill but yet this which is heere added is a mercy of a much higher nature saith the Lord I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee that is I will not onely tell thee what I am able to doe I will not onely expresse to thee in generall that I will deale well with thee that I haue a willingnesse and ability to recompence thee if thou walke before me and serue mee and bee perfect but I am willing to enter into Couenant with thee that is I will binde my selfe I will ingage my selfe I will enter into bond as it were I will not be at liâ—erty any more but I am willing euen to make a Couenant a compact and agreement with thee I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee that is the generall You shall finde it expressed more at large Vers. 7. Moreouer I will establish my Couenant betweene mee and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an euerlasting Couenant to be a GOD to thee and to thy seed after thee that is as if hee should say First I am not onely willing to make it with thee but with thy seed Secondly I will not make a temporary Couenant but an euerlasting Couenant there shall be a mutuall ingagement betweene vs and it shall continue for euer both to thy selfe and to thy posterity in particular it is added I will multiply thee exceedingly that is but a branch of the Couenant I will make thee a Father of many Nations thou shalt haue a Sonne and his children shall grow in number as the starres of heauen and as the dust of the earth that is but a particular whence this is the point that wee haue to obserue that God enters into Couenant with all those that are faithfull For it was not with Abraâ—am as he was Abraham but as hee was a faithfull man and therfore all the faithfull are reckoned to be the seede of Abraham For the opening of this to you which is one of the maine points in Diuinity I will shew you these fiue things First what this Couenant is Secondly with whom it is made Thirdly how we shall know whether we bee in the Couenant or no. Fourthly what the breach of this Couenant is Lastly the reasons why God is willing to make a Couenant with men 1. What this Couenant is You must know that there is a double Couenant there is a Couenant of workes and a Couenant of grace The Couenant of workes runnes in these termes Doe this and thou shalt liue and I will be thy GOD. This is the Couenant that was made with Adam and the Couenant that is expressed by Moses in the Morall Law Doe this and line The second is the Couenant of Grace and thaâ—â—unnes in these termes Thou shalt bâ—leeue thou shalt take my Sonne for thy Lord and thy Sauioar and â—hou shalt likewise receiue the gift of righteousnesse which was wrought by him for an absolution of thy sinues for a reconci liation with me and thereupon thou shalt grow vp into loue and obedience towards me then I will be thy God and thou shalt be my people This is the Couenant of grace Thou shalt beleeue and take my Sonne and accept of the gift of righteousnes and I will be thy God The difference between them you shall find 2 Cor. 3. where you shall see 3. differences to reduce them to those heads I will not trouble you with particular places lest I stay too long vpon them The first Couenant was a Ministration of the Letter that is in the first Couenant there was no more heard nor seene but the naked Commandement it was written in Tables of stone and presented to them there went with it no aptnesse no disposition to keepe it they heard what the Law was they saw what God required but there was no more and those that were declaâ—ers of it were but the Ministeri of the letter and not of the Spirit Secondly this Couenant it brings onely a seruile feare and an enmitie for when a
God writes the Law in their hearts so that there is a Law within answerable to the Law without that is an inward aptnesse answering euery particular of the Law an inward disposition whereby a man is inclined to keepe the Law in all points which Law within is called the law of the mind therefore if you adde to this that Rom. 7. I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde so there is a Law in the mind within answerable to the Law of GOD without it answers it as Lead answers the mould after it is cast into it it answers it as Tallie answers to Tallie as Indenture answers to Indenture so it agrees with it in all things that is there is an aptnesse put into the minde that it is able and willing and disposed in some measure to keepe euery Commandement that answereth to all the particular Commandements of the Law of GOD this is to haue the Law of GOD written in the minde and this is that which is first meant by it there is a Law within answerable to the Law without in all things The 2. thing meant by it is that it is not only put into the mind as acquisite habits are but it is so ingrasted as any naturall disposition is it is so rooted in the heart it is so riuetted in as when letters are ingraued in Marble you know they continue there they are not easily worne out and that is meant by it I will plant my Law in thy heart it shall neuer out againe there I will write it there it shall continue so that is the second thing that is meant by it it shall bee naturall to you for that is meant by this when it is said it shall bee printed it shall be grauen and written in the heart and likewise it shall be perpetuall it shall neuer weare out againe as things that are written in the dust but it shall be written so as it shall neuer againe be obliterated The third thing to be expressed is the manner of the writing of it the Apostle here compares himselfe and all other Ministers to the pen but it is Christ that writes the Epistle the Epistle is his for these workes he doth in it it is he that takes the pen it is he that handles it and vseth it it is he that puts inke into the pen it is he that applyes it so that though the Minister be the immediate writer of these Lawes in the heart yet the inke is the Holy Ghost and it comes originally from Christ and besides they are not left to themselues but the LORD must concurre with them immediately we are but coeworkers with him he holds our hands as it were when we write the Epistle in any mans heart it is hee that guides the penne it is hee that puts inke into it it comes originally from him and therefore the Epistle is his Besides this is further to bee considered in this Metaphor that God will write his Lawes in our hearts that we may see these Lawes wee may reade them and vnderstand them for when a thing is written God may see it and man may see it a man himselfe may see it and others also may reade it God sees it himselfe for he hath written it man sees it for hee is able to see the Law in his minde he is able to see that habituall disposition that is infused into him and others are able to see it for saith he you are our Epistle euident to all men that is they see the fruits and effects of it as you may see letters grauen in stone so they see this Law written in your hearts So beloued you see now what this Couenant of Grace is and how it differs from the Couenant of Workes it is the ministration not of the letter but of the Spirit because it doth not onely present the oâ—tward letter of the Commandement but there is a Law written within and that is done by vertue of the Spirit So that the order is this first it reueales righteousnesse secondly it softens the heart it is the ministration of the Spirit and thirdly it is a ministration of loue it is a ministration of freedome and not of bondage and enmity for when the Law is thus written a man is not haled to it he comes not to it as a bond-slaue to doe his worke but hee comes willingly he finds he hath some ability to doe it he findes a delight in it as Paul saith I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man So you â—ee the difference betweene the Couenant of Grace and the Couenant of Workes Now this Couenant of Grace is twoâ—old it is eyther the Old Testament or the New they both agree in substance they differ onely in the manner of the administration that which is called the New Testament Heb. 7. 8 9. which is opposed to the Old Testament for substance is the same Couenant they are both the Couenant of Grace onely they differ in the manner and you shall finde these 6. differences between them First the New Testament or the New Couenant is larger then the Old it extends to the Gentiles whereas the first was confined onely â—o the Iewes it was only kept within the walles of that people and extended no further Secondly the Old was expressed in types and shaddowes and figures as for example they had the blood of Bulls and Goats they had the washings of the body in cleane water they had offering of Incense c. by which things other things are meant as namely the dâ—aâ—h of Christ and that satisfaction he gaue to his Father by his death and likewise the inward sanctificatioÌ„ of the Spirit signified by the washing of water and also the workes and the prayers of the Saints that are sweet as Incense now saith the Text Gal. 4. these were clements and rudiments that God vsed to them as children that is as children haue their A B C â—heir first elements so GOD did shew to the â—ewâ—s â—hese spirituall mysteries not in themselues but in these types and shaddowes they were able to see theÌ„ from day to day for therin was their weaknesse they were not so able as to conceiue spirituall things without a mediate view they saw the blood shed and againe they saw the washings and the rites these were in their eye whereas now in the time of the Gospell these things are taught to vs these we comprehend in our minds wee serue the Lord in spirit and in truth but there is not that visible sight that was a helpe to their weaknesse so that these differ as the Image and the substance it selfe euen as you see things in prospectiue shewes and in painting that are different from the things themselues when you come to see Countries and Cities and Mountaines and Woods it is another thing And this is the second difference betweene the Testaments the one was expressed but in types and
he that hath entred into Couenant with mee and therefore saith he it shall neuer be said that the King of Sodome hath made Abraham rich I haue receiued all from him and I will restore all to him therefore you see hee paid Tythes to Melchizedeck he gaue him the tenth of all that he had So is it now saith God that Mesiah that promised â—eed is a Priest after the order of Melchizedeck he is a King he shall come and blesse thee after that manner he shall make thee heyre of all things onely thou shalt doe him homage saith hee as thou didst to Melchizedeck What was that homage That thou shalt giue him the tenth of all thou hast that is by that thou shalt shew thine homage thou shalt shew that thou art bound to yeeld him obedience thou shalt shew vpon what tenure thou holdest all that thou hast thou giuest him that as a rent acknowledging him to bee the Lord of whom thou hast receiued all things and to whom thou owest all things therefore Abraham would take nothing of any else hee would take nothing of the King of Sodome nor he would doe nothing for the King of Sodome that is not to him nor any man but as from God as a meanes vnder him Beloued this is the great Couenant that the Lord made with Abraham So you see how the promise is made to the seed for the promise was made thus to the seed God had promised that hee should bee a King a Priest and a Prophet I haue sworne saith he thou art a Priest for euer after the order of Melchizedeck againe I will giue vnto him the Kingdome of Dauid Thus the promises come after in the Old Testament So the promise is made to the seed and againe it is the seede that blesseth him This is the promise Now for the Condition that God required of Abraham it was this Thou shalt beleeue this thou shalt beleeue that such a Mesiah shall be sent into the World Art thou able to beleeue this Abraham He answers Yes Well saith the Lord I will put thee to the tryall I will see whether thou canst beleeue this or no and withall I will giue thee a signe or euidence that I am able to performe it saith he I will giue thee a Sonne It is true thou art as a dead man thou art almost a hundred yeeres old and the wombe of Sarah is dead I will promise thee a Sonne art thou able to beleeue it Againe thou seest the Land of Canaan thou hast not one foot in it I will giue this land from the length and breadth of it for thy possession Art thou able to beleeue this saith the Text Abraham did beleeue and God accounted that faith of his for righteousnesse that is hee accepted him for it for that faith he reckoned him a man fit to make a Couenant with all hee accounted him a righteous person that is hee was willing to enter into Couenant with him because he beleeued him Beloued this was not directly the beleeuing of the Mesiah he did not intend the Mesiah but it was the beleeuing that he should haue a sonne You see the Text is plaine Gen. 15. when God had said to Abraham that hee would bee his exceeding great reward saith Abraham I goe childlesse and the Steward of my house will be my heyre Saith the LORD to him Verse 4. This man shall not be thine heyre but one that shall come out of thine own bowels shall be thine heyre Goe looke vpon the Starres if thou be able to number them then thou shalt number the seed that thou shalt haue Saith the Text Verse 6. Abraham beleeued and hee accounted that to him for righteousnesse So likewise he addes in the Verses following againe hee said I am the Lord that brought thee out of Vr of the Chaldees to giue thee this Land to inherit it So my beloued this was the promise Now when Abraham had beleeued this saith the Lord to him This faith of thine that is not this particular act by which thou beleeuest that thou shalt haue a sonne that shall be thine immediate heyre but that habit that grace of faith that bâ—leeuing disposition in thee whereby thou art able to beleeue this promise saith he with the same faith thou also belieuest the promise of the Messiah that a certaine seedâ— shall be giuen thee in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed Saith he this faith of thiâ—e I take for the condition of the Couenant on thy part I will for this reckon thee as righteous I will account thee as a man fit to be entred into Couenant withall Againe the Lord tryes him afterward when Isaac was growne Verse 22. Goe saith hee and kill thy sonne Abraham was able to keepe it hee went and meant to haue done it in good earnest so there was the same ground for beleeuing now that there was before So saith hee GOD could haue raised him from the dead when I had killed him aswell as make mee when I was dead and Sarahs wombe when that was dead to bring forth a sonne God can aswell raise him from the dead as he could giue him mee from a dead wombe at first Wee see that God vpon this renewes the Couenant againe and renewes it with an Oath sure saith he I will performe my Couenant since I see that thou beleeuest and fearest mee and preferrest me before thine only sonne these are but the concomitants of his faith So my beloued it was this act of Abraham by which hee did beleeue the promise of God that made him partaker of the Couenant And if you aske now what is the condition that makes euery man partaker of this Covenant of grace It is nothing but onely faith ability to beleeue it that GOD would send such a Messiah before the Law and that hee hath exhibited and sent him since for you must know this that all the promises the very giuing of Isaac the giuing of the promised Land all these were but shaddowes as it were of the great promise of the maine Couenant in Christ. So likewise that act of Abrahams faith whereby hee beleeued that he should haue a sonne and beleeued that GOD would giue his children possession of that Land where he had not a foot was but likewise a branch and a shaddow and a pledge as it were of the maine act of faith whereby he beleeued the promised seed should be giuen him in whom himselfe and all the Nations of the Earth should bee blessed So then wee haue found out this what the Condition is that God requires of euery man to bee made partaker of his Couenant it is nothing but to beleeue in God that is God saith I will giue my Sonne to you to vs a Sonne is giuen c. that shall be the promised seede and I will make him a King a Priest and a Prophet to blesse you hee shall giue you remission of sinnes c. he shall
him and delight in him are you clad like those that went out of Egypt with their staues in their hands and their feet shod that is are you ready to goe out of Egypt that is from sinne and wickednesse from the state of vnregeneracie wherein you were before Againe hath your soule tasted of the sowre hearbs of that bondage that now you are weary of all the bondage of sinne and Satan that you desire exceedingly to goe from it that you reckon the contrary condition a condition of freedome wherein you are willing and desirous to continue saith the LORD when I looke vpon these signes I will remember my Couenant onely see that your Circumision be not in the letter as we see Rom. 2. but see that you be circumcised in your hearts that there be not only a Passeouer but see that you keepe the Passeouer with sincerity see that all leauen bee cleansed out of your hearts that is that your hearts be empty of the dominion of euery sinne see that you haue tasted of the sowrenesse of that bondage that you bee willing to be rid of it see that you bee willing to trauell out of Egypt to another to a further Country see that this be reall not in profession and shew but in deede and saith the LORD I will remember my Couenant and these are the confirmations of the Couenant saith the Lord you shall not neede to doubt it I haue sworne it is repeated Heb. 6. besides it is confirmed with blood with the death of the Testator and there is none that alters the Will of the dead when he is dead they adde nothing to it nor taks nothing from it besides I haue confirmed it with seales and therefore it stands vnalterable These three things we haue obserued now in this Couenant FINIS THE TVVELFTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 2. And I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly YOV haue heard what the Couenant is in the generall The fourth thing is What the particular branches and parts or gifts and priuiledges of this Couenant are and those we will reduce vnto three heads Now the three parts of the Couenant are answerable to the three Offices of Christ for we told you it is Christ himselfe to whom the promises are immediately made he is a Priest a King and a Prophet it is hee that makes good all the parts of the Couenant and he doth â—t according to all his three Offices remission of sinnes he giues as a Priest The other Priests were but a shaddow of this Priesthood of Christ he is the great High Priest that is holy and harmlesse and vndefiled that is higher then the heauens the great High Priest that is enâ—red saith the Text into the very heauens themselues hee that sits at the right hand of God and is now present with him he that is not entred in by the blood of Bulls and of Goats but by his owne blood This is such a High Priest as is able indeed to giue remission of sinnes and therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 10. 22. Seeing wee haue such an high Priest doubâ— not but now come with full assurance of faith when you see such an High Priest as this if they were able to beleeue that had but a weake man to bee their Priest before the comming of Christ that offered for his owne sinnes as well as for the sinnes of others that often repeated his Sacrifice that that had but the blood of Bulls and Goats that did but enter into the Tabernacle saith hee when you see Iesus Christ himselfe come that hath no Siâ—ne of his owne that offered one perfect Sacrifice that he needes not to repeate that entred not into the Tabernacle but into the Heauen it selfe that did this with his owne blood and not with the blood of beasts saith hee draw neere now â—with assurance of faith â—hat is Why should you make question now you haue great ground of assuring your selues that your sinnes shall bee forgiuen now you may trust perfectly to the grace reueiled through him This is the first The second is I will teach you knowledge and that he doth as a Prophet you shall no more teach euery man his brother but all shall bee taught of mee Beloued it is another kinde of teaching when the LORD teacheth vs knowledge then that is that wee can haue from the hands of men Christ is another kinde of Prophet you come not to heare him speake to heare him teaching as a man heares other Lectures where his vnderstanding is informed but hee is such a Prophet as enlightens euery man within that comes into the world that is euery man that is enlightned is enlightned by him he is such a Prophet as baptizeth you with the Holy Ghost he is such a Prophet that makes mens hearts to burne within them when he speakes to them such a Prophet as saith to Matthew and Leuy Follow me and they doe it such a Prophet as saith to his Ministers Gâ—e teach all Nations and I will bee with you and I will make you able Ministers not of the letter but of the Spirit there is no man in the world can say this but this great Prophet and this is the Prophet that the Lord hath raised vp the Prophet that he promised hee would raise another like Moses that great Prophet that should teach men after another fashion then all the Prophets before were euer able to doe And that is the second part of the Couenant Beloued we may know many things but it is a hard thing to know as we ought to know It is said of an vnregenerate man 2 Cor. 8. Hee knowes nothing as hee ought to know For example thou mayst know sinne and know it most exactly but if this doe not worke vpon thy heart if the sinne lye not exceeding heauy vpon thee if it breed not in thee godly sorrow for it if it doth not amaze thee as it were with the filthinesse and vilenesse of it it is because thou dost not yet know it as thou oughtest to know it And how shall a man doe then Goe to CHRIST hee is the Prophet that is hee teacheth a man to see things so that his heart his will and affections shall likewise be moued with it You are to consider the Couenant when you goe to the LORD and therefore that man that saith I can looke vpon my sinne with dry eyes I can looke vpon it and neuer be affected with it this is because he is taught but with the teaching of men hee must remember that this is a part of the Couenant and God hath bound himselfe by an Oath to performe it Iesus Christ as he is a Prophet God hath sent him to teach thee all things belonging to saluation and so to teach thee that thou shalt be in a right manner affected with it And so likewise put the case thou know God thou seest him in his attributes thou hearest him often described
and art able to describe him to others but for all this thou findest not thy heart affectioned towards him thou seest not that excellency and beauty that is in him so that thy heart is not enamoured with him thou canst not say thou louest him with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength What wilt thou doe in this case Goe to Christ the Prophet and beseech him that hee would teach thee to know the LORD this is his promise if thou pray to him and he doe not doe it vrge him with this it is a part of his Couenant that hee hath confirmed by Oath and must doe it and beloued be assured of this if wee seeke and be earnest with him he will teach vs to know the Lord and to know him so that wee shall loue him with all our soule and with all our strength The like may I say of any thing else put the case afflictions come vpon thee and thou bee not able to bee patient vnder such afflictions suppose that it be a matter of disgrace and discredit that so wounds thee that thy heart cannot be at rest what is the reason of this thou callest to minde it may bee all the rules of patience that should teach thee to beare afflictions well and yet thou art not able to doe it the cause is because thou dost not yet know these outward temptations these outward euils as thou oughtest to know them if thou diddest they would seeme small to thine eyes sinne would be an exceeding great griefe but these would be but trifles and flea-bitings in comparison of the other goe to Christ now and beseech him to shew thee what is the nature of these outward crosses and losses that thou mayst be taught of him once hee is the great Prophet that teacheth a man so hee so presents things in their owne colours to the vnderstanding that the will and affections follow and apprehend them aright goe to him and beseech him that thou mayst know them as thou oughtest and thou shalt finde that thou shalt be able to beaâ—e the greatest crosse with patience it shall bee nothing then to thee it will appeare to be a small matter when he hath taught thee to iudge aright thou shalt not be deceiued in it So likewise for pleasure when a man finds his heart so wedded to any sinfull lust to any euill haunt wherâ—in his heart is held inordinately that it cannot diuorse it selfe from it goe to Christ hee is the great Prophet Thus we may doe beloued with the rest This is the second part of the Couenant The third part of the Couenant is that which he will performe to vs as he is King and it consists in these 3. things You know the Office of a King is to guide and rule now if thou finde thy heart vnruly if thou finde thy selfe subiect to vnruly affections to sinfull inordinate lusts which thou canst not master it is a part of his Kingdome now to set vp his owne gouernment in thy heart to put his Law into thy minde and to write it in thy inward parts that so thou mayst bee indeed subiect to the Kingdome of Christ in a willing manner When a man sees nothing as wee said before but the outward letter of the Law he will neuer be subiect he will neuer yeeld obedience but Christ comes as a King now and puts an inward disposition into the minde that shall answer the letter without and so he makes a man subiect to his gouernment Beloued that Phrase is to be marked Heb. 2. 10. Saith the Lord I will put my Law into their mindâ— there are Lawes out of mens minds Lawes without that euery man may see but it is another thing to haue the Law put into a mans minde for example this is the Law without Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength To answer which you shall see Deut. 30. 6. I will circumcise thy heart and then thou shalt be able to loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength That is I will put this affection or this grace of loue within thy heart it shal not be without onely but I will put it within that there shall bee a grace within a habit of loue within answerable to the Commandement without this is to put the Law into the minde and so likewise Ier. 32. 40. you know this is the Commandement of the LORD You shall feare the LORD and keepe his Ordinances and his Statutes and his Commandements to doe them Well saith the Lord there I will make a Couenant with you and what will I doe I will put my feare into your hearts I will not onely giue you this precept that thou shalt looke on without Thou shalt feare mee and keepe my Commandements but I will put the affections of feare into thy heart there it shall bee and then thou shalt easily feare mee and keepe my Commandements thou shalt feare to disobey me thou shalt feare and tremble at my Word and take heed how thou doe any thing contrary to my mind and beloued when this is done hee makes indeed Kings as hee makes vs Priests and Prophets for when a man is thus taught he is a Prophet other men need not to teach him for hee is a spirituall man then and is able to iudge of all things I say when this gouernment is set vp and the Law is put into his minde when it is put into his inward parts I say when this is done then he makes vs Kings for when men haue so much strength within themselues that they can guide and rule themselues and walke in the way of righteousnesse now they are made Kings and such Kings the Lord makes all those that come to him This is the first part of this Kingdome The second part is to giue vs abundance of all things to giue vs peace for the Office of a King you know is to keepe his people in peace as it is said of Saul hee cloathed them with scarlet that is he made his people to abound with wealth and peace and quietnesse this the Lord doth likewise and this is a part of his spirituall Kingdome Now his Kingdome is spirituall therefore the maine worke of it is to giue vs inward peace and ioy you may haue troubles in the world but my Kingdome is not of this world and therefore wee are not so much to expect an outward worldly peace though we haue likewise a promise of that but in mee you shall haue inward peace saith hee the Kingdome of God is in righteousnesse that is the first part when God workes righteousnes as I haue named before the second is peace and ioy so that that is a part of the Couenant GOD promised inward peace and ioy beloued when you want it know it is a part of the Couenant you may goe to
GOD and beseech him to fill your hearts with this peace that passeth vnvnderstanding and with this ioy which is vnspeakable and glorious goe and beseech him to enrich your hearts with those spiritual riches that belong to saluation this is a part of his Kingdome and that which hee hath promised to vs now this is not all but likewise an outward peace he promiseth hee hath promised we shall be heyres of all things all things are yours he hath promised outward riches we are heyres of all the world so that it is likewise a part of his Couenant when a man wants any outward comfort any outward helpe any blessings or deliuerance he may goe to Christ that is the King of all Kings as hee is Lord of all things as he himselfe is heyre of all things and beseech him to grant it vnto him for it is a part of his Couenant And the third and last is that we shall ouercome our enemies that is the third branch of this Kingdome And that which was promised to Abraham thou shalt possesse the gates of thine Enemes when hee renewed his Couenant vpon the offering of his sonne and you shall finde it Luke 1. 74. repeated againe this is the great promise that God hath made that being deliuered from the hands of all our enemies wee might serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of our life Now as his Kingdome is spirituall so the chiefe part of this Kingdome stands in ouercoming our spirituall enemies and therefore you may challenge this Couenant at his hands when you are to wrastle with Satan or any temptation and lust LORD hast thou not said that thou wilt deliuer me out of the hands of all mine enemies Is it not a part of thy Couenant But beloued that is not all neither there is a promise and that is a part of the Couenant likewise that wee shall ouercome our outward enemies thou shalt possesse the gate of thine enemies so farre as it is good for vs as farre as God sees it meet he dispenseth these in a different manner but yet it is a part of the Couenant and therefore a man may goe and challenge this at Gods hands LORD if it be good if it be fit and meet for me to haue it thou hast promised it I shall haue victory ouer them also So now you see what the Couenant is But now there is one maine generall that likewise is a branch of this Couenant that is generall to all the three that is the giuing of the Spirit it is a branch of the Couenant as wee see Ioel 2. which is repeated Act. 2. I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh in those dayes and your yong men shall see visions c. Beloued know that this was a part of the Couenant that was made with Abraham It was expressed to Abraham in generall I will blesse thee afterwards there were seuerall branches of it now one thing was expressed as part of the Couenant and then another among the branches this was one I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh which is that which you haue likewise Esay 44. 3. I will powre out my Spirit as water vpon the dry ground and you shall grow as the grasse and as the Willow by the Riuers of water Whereof that this is the meaning Peter makes it good Acts 2. and so likewise our Sauiour Christ the great promise that he made to them was I will bapize you with the Holy Ghost this promise was made before hee departed in the flesh but it was fulfilled after when hee powred forth his Spirit Beloued this is that great part of the Couenant that which comprehends the life of all the other three that which inabled vs to doe all the rest that which makes vs Kings and Priests and Prophets this powring out of the Spirit vpon vs euen as Christ himselfe was anoynted with the Spirit without measure that he might be able to teach vs that he might bee a Prophet a King and a Priest that which enabled him to performe all those Offices was the effusion of the spirit vpon him without measure Beloued that which makes vs able to be partakers of those three parts of the Couenant is likewise the same Spirit wherewith wee are anoynâ—ed according to our measure So much shall serue for this namely what the particular branchâ—s and parts and priuiledges of the Couenant are The fift and last is the obiections that are made against this Couenant There were two great obiections that Paul euery where met with for our scope is that when wee put all this together that we haue deliuered about this Couenant you may reade at leasure Rom. 3. 4. and Gal. 3. 4. and all the promises made to Abraham and when you haue this before you will be able then to vnderstand iâ— I say there are two great obiections that Paul euery where met with The one is from the Law Is it not said euery where Those that obey the Commandement shall liue and euery promise is made still to them that feare the LORD and keepe his Commandements and therefore it is by the Law Nay saith the Apostle Gal. 3. it is impossible that it should be by the Law for the Law was giuen 430. yeeres after the promise and Couenant was established with Abraham long before it it cannot bee now that that which comes after can dissannull that which went before but besides there is another great reason and that is this saith the Apostle you were neuer able to keepe the Law you could neuer be saued if you would haue it by the Law to what end is the Law giuen then By reason of transgression that you might learne to know how impossible it is for you to come to God to be partaker of the Couenant any other way then by faith saith he you might remember that Adam when he was in innocency and perfection was much stronger then you yet did not keepe the Law but because that was easie for people to forget the Law was giuen againe by Moses vpon Mount Sinai that the LORD by that meanes might reminde you of the Commandement and of your sinnes and of the curse belonging to you and therefore saith hee when the Law was deliuered it was so terrible that Moses himselfe did tremble and therefore said the People Lord doe not thou speake to vs any more deliuer not the Law to vs any more but let Moses come and bee as a Mediator betweene vs let him speake for we are not able to see these fires these burnings wee are not able to see this and liue The meaning of it is this the Law if any man looke on it it is so terrible when GOD comes to speake to a man in his Law and in his Commandements that there is nothing to be expected but death that same fearefulnesse at Mount Sinai was but onely an expression of that feare which the Law of God puts vpon
the Couenant or no You shall know it by this How did Abraham know whether he was in the Couenant or how will you know whether Abraham or any other were saith the Text Abraham beleeued God and therefore God reckoned him as a man that was righteous and accepted him to bee a partaker of the Couenant and so if thou beleeue it is certaine then thou art within the Couenant but how shall a man know that Gal. 5. 5. Neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue If thou canst finde this now that thou art able to take Iesus Christ to take him as a LORD and Sauioâ—r thou art able to beleeue all the Couenant of Grace thou art by that put into the Couenant But how shall a man know whether this faith be right or no for you know there is a false dead and counterfeit faith if it be right thou shalt finde it to be of a working and liuely nature but many times we may bee deceiued in that A woman many times thinkes she is with childe but if she finde no motion nor stirring it is an argument she was deceiued So when a man thinkes that hee hath faith in his heart but yet he finds no life no motion no stirring there is no worke proceeding from his faith it is an argument he was mistaken hee was deceiued in it for if it be a right faith it will worke there will be life and motion in it As Abrahams faith you see it enabled him to doe whatsoeuer GOD appointed him to offer his sonne to excommunicate Ismael when GOD bid him cast him out though hee loued Ismael exceeding dearely yet he did it and did it readily so whatsoeuer God bade him doe here was a working faith But yet a little further a man may be yet deceiued in this a mans faith may worke and an Hypocrite may doe many workes if it bee but bare working a man may bee deceiued and therefore this is added further it workes by loue Beloued a man may doe exceeding many duties as you know hee may suffer Martyrdome he may giue all to the poore hee may be a very diligent Preacher of the Gospell for Paul saith I may speake with the tongue of men and Angels I may giue my goods to the poore I may giue my body to be burned and yet if these great workes be done without loue they are nothing But on the other side if you finde this that you doe but the least worke if it be but to giue a cup of cold water and doe it out of loue if you abstaine from one sinne if you ouercome any one lust whatsoeuer that is deare and neare to you because you loue Iesus Christ if you set your selues vpon any worke vpon any imployment and endeauour and thy heart witnesseth this to thee it is because I loue the LORD and desire exceedingly to please him he is one that I would faine haue communion with my delight is in him therefore I doe these workes for it is my meate and drinke to doe his will now thou art on a sure ground now thou maist know thou art within the Couenant for thou beleeuest as Abraham did and therefore thou art within the Couenant as hee was thou maist know it because thy faith workes and then thou maist know that it workes right because it is done by loue Well yet there is another way to know this that is in thy seede saith the Text shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed if a man be then ingrafted into this seede into the Messiah once then he shall bee blessed if once he belong to him Well how shall a man know that If thou haue receiued the Spirit of the Son for whosoeuer is in Christ hath receiued the Spirit of Christ if he haue not receiued the Spirit of Christ he is not in him Consider whether you haue receiued the Spirit of the Sonne the Spirit of the promised seede that is thou art made like Christ by the Spirit for the Spirit will assimulate thee and renew this Image in thee he makes thee such another in some degree as he is yea he will not onely doe this but he will witnesse to thee that he is thy God and that thou art of those that are partakers of the Couenant and therefore that is the way to finde it out that is the thing I intend to insist vpon to finde out whether you haue this Spirit you shall finde it this is the great marke that the Apostle Paul insists vpon still in all his Epistles by which a man may know whether he be within the Couenant or no still it is this we haue receiued the Spirit and the Spirit seales vs to the day of redemption we are established and sealed by the Spirit of promise and wee haue receiued the Spirit which is an earnest c. Now to know whether you haue the Spirit I will commend these two places of Scripture to you to consider one is Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father the same spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of GOD. The other you shall finde 1 Iohn 5. 8. And there are three that beare record in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one If you would finde out whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne or no you shall know it by these three In the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents The Antecedent is the Spirit of bondage beloued that of necessity must goe before so that if thou neuer hadst the spirit of bondage certainely thou hast not yet receiued the spirit of the Sonne for the Apostle speakes of it heere as the common condition to all Christians they doe not receiue the spirit of bondage againe you had it once but now you haue the spirit of Adoption I say euery man must haue this spirit of bondage and the ground of it is this because no man can come to Christ except the Law be a Schoolemaster to bring him to Christ now the Law is not a Schoolemaster it teacheth no man except the spirit of bondage worke feare except the spirit of bondage put an edge vpon the Law put a Sword into the hand of the Law to pricke the heart to wound the heart as it is said Acts 2. this is the spirit of bondage Beloued you may heare the Law and the threatnings and curses applyed to you 10000. times ouer and yet no feare be bred in you except the spirit of bondage ioyne with it that makes it effectuall Now in the Law are included iudgements and afflictions which are but the execution of the Law sometimes it goes with the Law it selfe somtimes with the iudgement and afflictions it is the spirits of bondage that must goe with both as for example when it thundred rained in
this signe and testimony of the blood which shewes that it is true it is a linely hope for he that hath a liuely hope hee purifies himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. But some man may say This testimony of a mans owne spirit may deceiue him I answer it cannot because though it be called the testimony of our owne spirit yet it is a spirit enlightned it is a spirit sanctified with the Spirit of Christ and then that Rule is true 1 Ioh 3. If our owne heart condemne not that is if the heart of a man enlightned if the heart of a man with which the Holy Ghost ioynes if the heart of a man sanctified doe not condemne him if hee haue the testimony of this Spirit he shall be saued he needs not doubt it he hath boldnesse towards GOD then againe hee must consider this worke the testimony of the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one it is not the testimony of the Spirit alone but it is the testimony of the water ioyned with it if it were but the testimony of one indeed the ground were not good but they all agree in one and therefore if thou haue one sure to thee it is enough These are the things which goe before and accompany it Now followes the testimony of Gods spirit which we shall see described besides the places I named to you Eph. 1. Wherein after you beleeued you were sealed with the spirit of promise My beloued when a man hath beleeued and tooke lesus Christ secondly when hee hath washed and purified himselfe that is hee hath gone about this worke and so his owne spirit gathers a testimony hence that he is in a good estate after he hath thus beleeued then saith he comes the Holy Ghost and seales the same things vnto you that is the LORD leaues a man alone a while as it were to champ vpon the bridle as I may say he lets a man alone to some doubts and feares that so hee may purge himselfe the more carefully but after a time when a man hath put to his seale that God is true then the LORD seales him againe with the spirit of promise that is the LORD sends the spirit into his heart and that spirit giues witnesse to him and when he hath put to his seale that GOD is true then the LORD puts to his seale and assures him that hee hath receiued him to mercy You will say What is this seale or witnesse of the Spirit My beloued it is a thing that wee cannot expresse it is a certaine diuine impression of light a certaine vnexpressible assurance that we are the sonnes of God a certaine secret manifestation that God hath receiued vs and put away our sinnes I say it is such a thing that no man knowes but they that haue it you shall finde it expressed by all these places of Scripture Reu. 3. If any man will open to mee I will come in and sup with him that is when the Lord enters into a kinde of familiarity with a man when he vouchsafes him so much fauour as to come and suppe and dine with him as it were and to dwell with him and so Reâ— 2. 17. To him that ouercommeth will I giue of the hidden Mannah I will giue a white stone with a new name written in it tâ—at no man knowes but he that hath it that is there shall bee a secret priuy token as it were of my loue giuen him a secret marke of it that there is no man in the world knowes besides So Ioh. 14. 21. If any man loue mee and keepe my Commandements I will shew my selfe to him that is hee shall haue an extraordinary manifestation of my selfe hee shall haue such an expression of loue and peace that shall fill his heart with peace and ioy such a thing that no man knowes but himselfe Beloued this is the testimony of the Spirit I confesse it is a wondrous thing and if there were not some Christians that did feele it and know it you might beleeue there were no such thing that it were but a fancie or enthusiasme but beloued it is certaine there are a generation of men that know what this seale of the Lord is indeed you must remember this to distinguish it from all fancies and delusions this Spirit comes after you haue the water and the blood after you are beleeuers after you haue purged your selues and therefore if any man haue such flashes of light and ioy that witnesse that hee hath receiued the promise and that he is in the Couenant and for all this he haue not the things that goe before it now thou maist take it for a delusion I will come and sup with him but with whom with him that first openeth to me If thou open thy heart to the Lord whensoeuer hee knocks and comes to thee And so To him that ouercomes I will giue of the hidden Mannah If thou be one that art able to ouercome temptations and vnruly affections sinfull lusts thou maist conclude it is a true testimony that thou arâ— not deceiued but if thou be one that art ouercome with euery base lust with euery temptation thou art deceiued if thou art perswaded thou art in a good estate this is not the witnesse of the Spirit for it is to him that ouercomes So againe to him that loues me and keepes my CommandemeÌ„ts c. Now if thou be one that breaks the CoÌ„mandements of God that find'st not that holy fire in thy brest that find'st not thy heart affectioned to him and yet thou hast tâ—ese great flashes of assurance and tâ—inkst thy state good beloued you deceiue your selues whose case soeuer it is the Lord hath not shewed himselfe to thee bâ—t it is a delusion a fancy and therefore I say consider it and this is the consequent of it that he that hath it is able to pray So I will conclude all he is able to cry Abba Father If thou haue such an assurance of a good estate and yet art not able to pray thou art deceiued likewise for that is the property of the Spirit it makes a man cry to God and call him Father You will say Is this such a matter euery man can pray Beloued it is another thing then the world iâ—agines it to be he that hath this spirit is mighty in prayer he is able to wrestle with God as Iacob did by the spirit of Adoption hee had power with God as it is said there and he is able to preuaile with the Lord and why because he can speake to him as to a Father he can continue in prayer and watch ther euntâ— with all perseuerance he can speake to him as one that he is well acquainted with he can not only speake remissâ—ly but he can cry Abba Father that shewes feruency in his prayer there is no man in the world that is able to doe it besides We see a description of other men
Esay 33. 14. when they are troubled they are not able to pray indeed they may haue formes of prayer that they may vse in times of peace but beloued let any great trouble come vpon them let them be put to it and then you shall finde they are not able to doe it but they runne away from God as fast as they can at that time they are not able to come and say Thou art my Father I beseech thee heare me I beseech thee pitty me and forgiue me no but they tremble at Gods presence as the Thiefe doth at the presence of the Iudge the sinners in Sion are afraid in that day when God comes at the day of visitation the sinners in Sion are afraid c. for who shall dwell with deuâ—ouring fire That is they tremble at such a day when the day of death comes when God begins to shew himselfe to them in the fiercenesse of his wrath when he begins to come neere them in the day of visitation then they fly from him as one would fly from deuouring fire they fly not to him as one would fly to a mercifull Father that is ready to heare them and helpe them but they fly from him as fast as they can as one would fly from euerlasting burniâ—g The like place you haue Iob 27. 8 9 10. For what hope hath the Hypocrite when hee hath heaped vp riches when God shall come and pull away his soule Will God heare his prayer when he cryes c. Will he call vpon God at all times A wicked man may make some shew of prayer to God in time of health and in time of peace but at that time saith he when he hath spent his time in gathering vp riches in heaping vp them and GOD comes vpon him suddenly and shall pull away his soule he teares and rends it from him for so the word signifies in the Originall that is he is not willing to resigne it into Gods haÌ„ds as the righteous man doth but he is busie about his wealth and God surprizeth him and rends his soule from him What will he doe in this case What will he pray saith Iob No hee giues two reasons He hath â—o delight in the Lord he neuerloued the Lord there is no such loue betweene the Lord and him as there is betweene the Father and the Childe betweene the Hâ—sband and the Wife he neuer had the spirit of a son he cannot pray for he delights not in God But he doth pray sometimes Yea for some fit he may be in some extremity he may cry as a Thiefe at the Barre may cry to the Iudge as he doth sometimes exceeding hard not because he loues the Iudge but it is a cry that comes from extremity and it is but in extremity and by that the falsenesse and hypocrisie of them is known So an Hypocrite may cry in the time of extremity but it is a cry it is not a prayer and it is but in the time of extremity it is not at all times that he doth it hee is not able to doe it for the Lord is a stranger to hiâ— he lookes vpon the Lord as vpon a terrible Iudge and therefore if you would know whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne As first thou shalt know it by that which went before and as secondly thou shalt know it by that which goes together with it the testimony of the blood the testimony of the water and of thine owne spirit So thou maist know it thirdly by this by the Consequents it makes thee able to pray and in the time of extremity it makes thee able to goe to God as to a Father when another flyes away from him as from euerlasting burnings So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 2. And Iwill make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly THE point which we were in handling was this How a man may know whether he be in the Couenant or no I told you there are 3. waies to know it Let a man consider how Abraham came into the Couenant Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If thou beleeue then thou art within the Couenant but it must be a faith that workes by loue if it bee a faith which workes not it is but a dead faith and if it doe worke yet if it worke not by loue the Lord regardâ—th it not it is true it is faith that layes hold vpon the Couenant but it works by loue faith is the point of the Compasse that fastens vpon the Couenant but loue is the other part that goes about that doth all the businesse it is that which keepes the Commandements it is that which quickens vs to euery good worke The second way to know whether wee be in the Couenant or no is to consider whether we haue taken the promised seede for in him shall all the nations of the world be blessed How shall wee know that If we haue the Spirit of the Sonne that is knowne by the Spirit it selfe the Spirit beares witnesse the witnesse of the Spirit as I told you it is knowne by that which goes before it by that which accompanies it and that which followes after This is the point that we were in handling and wee were broken off in the middest of it wee will recall it a little and deliuer it somewhat more distinctly to you than wee could doe then for haste First I say whosoeuer hath the Spirit of the Sonne he must haue before it the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but you haue receiued the spirit of Adoption As if hee should say there are none but first they receiue the spirit of bondage for there is no man can come to Christ except the Law be his Schoolemaster and the Law is not effectuall without the spirit of bondage neither the Law in the threatnings nor the iudgements which are the executioners of those threatnings you may heare the Law opened vnto you a hundred and a hundred times that is the particular sinnes of which a man is guilty described yea the particular iudgements yea the LORD may follow you with afflictions and crosses yet except there be a spirit of bondage to worke together with these it will neuer molifie an obdurate heart And therefore my beloâ—ed you must make this account if you haue neuer been affrighted with the terrour of God if you haue neuer bin put into any feare by this spirit of bondage be assuted that you haue not yet the spirit of Adoption If men would haue looked to the brazen Serpent without being stung of the fiery Serpents God would haue spared the spirit of bondage but beloued who doth it who is able to doe it Wee bee all in a dead sleepe and except we be wakned with the terrours of the Almighty there is no man would
the Couenant so likewise you shall sprinckle the doore posts with the blood of the Lambe that when the destroying Angell shall come and see the blood hee may passe you ouer beloued after the same manner for the same end God hath appointed the Sacrament now when you receiue those elements of Bread and Wine Take eate this is my body and drinke this is my blood which was shed for you and for many you may goe to God vpon the same ground and say to him Lord thou hast made a Couenant with me to forgiue me to receiue me to thy mercy Lord these are the seales of thy Couenant that if thou forget them thou hast said that if we doe but shew thee those signes for it is the seale that God himselfe hath put to it thou wilt remember thy Couenant make it good therefore is is an exceeding great confirming to you when you looke vpon them when you may say to the Lord Lord here is thy seale that thy selfe hath put I beseech thee look vpon it and remember thy Couenant that thou hast made And as wee should doe thus for the promises of Iustification so for the promises of Sanctification suppose there be a strong lust hang vpon thee an hereditary disease a lust that is naturall to thee that thou thinkest thou shalt neuer be able to ouercome yet God hath promised to breake the dominion of euery sinne that he will crucifie the flesh with the affections of it that he will sanctifie thee throughout Beloued you must beleeue those promises of Sanctification as well as of Iustification for certainely where the Scripture hath a mouth to speake faith hath an eare to heare and a hand to receiue therefore when you grapple with a strong lust goe to the Lord and say to him I am not able to keepe this Commandement I feele this temptation is too strong for me I find such strong naturall inclinations that I am not able to out-wrestle Lord it is a part of thy Coâ—enant thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart thou hast said thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts thou hast said thou wilt dissolue these lusts I beseech thee to doe it Lord thou art able to doe it as Christ was able to heale hereditary diseases so the Spirit is able to heale the hereditary diseases of the soule those that are most naturall to vs those that are bred and borne with vs and therefore trust him And so likewise for any other blessing go to him whatsoeuer blessing thou needest it is a part of Gods Coâ—enant he saith to Abraham I will blesse thee and I will be thy God that is let a man looke round about and see what blessings he needeth what euill he would be deliuered from and let him goe to the Lord and say Lord it is a part of thy Couenant to giue me such a blessing to guide me to deliuer me from such a crosse and calamity vrge the Lord and tell him it is his Couenant For example if a man bee in some great trouble that hee hath some sore disease some sore affliction as imprisonment or euill â—eport feare of death or whatsoeuer goe to the Lord and say Lord thou hast said that the rod of the wicked shall not rest vpon the lot of the righteous thou wilt affâ—ict but in measuâ—e thou wilâ— not breake my bones as a Father though hee chaâ—ten his childe â—ee will not breake the bones of his childe the â—od of the wicked to some men is the breaking of the bones they know not what to doe thou hast said thou wilt chastise vs according to our strength and thou wilt chastise vs for our good when it is too much thou wilt sâ—ay thy hand As for euill report a man may goe to the LORD and say LORD thou hast said thou wilt blesse the name of the righteous thou wilt honour them that honour thee And so for euery other particular case be it what it will be lay hold on the promise and comfort thy selfe with it it is a great matâ—er beloued when you consider this that God is entred into Couenant with you when you haue promises once therefore if thou finde a promise from GOD beloued build vpon this ground be assured that thou art one within the Couenant secondly if thou finde a prâ—mise in Scripture neuer let thy hold goe but the assured of this that the Lord will surely doe it though he defer long yet he will doe it it cannot bee but hee will performe it c. So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 2. And I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly YOV remember how farre wee are proceeded in this point for my purpose is not to repeate any thing of that which hath beene deliuered onely this wee must call to remembranâ—e that the maine difference which is betweene the Old Testament and the New it stands in this that the Old Testament was hiâ— with shaddowes and types in the New Tâ—â—stament there is a more cleâ—re 〈◊〉 of all things The things that were â—id 〈◊〉 Paul from the beginning of the world are â—ow reuealed vnto vs that is the great difference betweene them it lyes in this that there is a greater abundance of knowledge discouered to the sonnes of men now in the time of the Gospell then there was in the time of the Old Testament and from hence it is that now God makes a Couenant with vs and wee doe not breake it but saith he Heb. 8. I made a Couenant with your Fathers when I tooke them by the hand and led them out of the Land of Egypt but they broke my Couenant And what was the reason Because their knowledge was exceeding slender and therefore their grace and strength were exceeding little and therefore they were not able to keepe the Couenant there is no other reason and ground why the Couenant is better now as it is said to be a better Couenant Heb. 8. 6. stablished vpon better promises I say there is no other ground for it but this the difference of knowledge between the two Ceâ—enants for for substance they are the same onely in the administration of them the glorious Mysteries of the Gospell are more openly and more cleerely reuealed to vs in the New Testament then in the Old Whence wee will onely make this vse that if we would haue the benefit of the New Couenant wee must labour to get the knowledge of it otherwise it is no aduantage to you at all that you are borne in the time of the New Couenant in the time of the Gospell except knowledge abound except you take the benefit of it except you labour to vnderstand the vnsearchable riches of Christ that are vnfoulded to vs in the Couenant of Grace What is the reason why the Apostle Gal. 4. cals the Old Testament those teachings that the people had then
shall not put it out but shall blow that sparke he shall put new fuell to that sparke till it ouercome till hee haue brought forth this beginning of Iudgement or integrity or sanctification to victory that is to get the victory ouer sinfull lusts now this is done by conuincing by dealing with the vnderstanding it is the worke of the Holy Ghost with the minds of men Now beloued the vse you may make of it is this If this bee the way by which the Holy Ghost sanctifies and infuseth and communicates to the hearts of men the graces of his new Couenant if it bee by the altering of the opinions of mens vnderstanding the way then that thou must take to grow excellent to grow strong in grace is to grow much in knowledge to study the Scriptures much and therefore let not this exhortation be in vaine to you make this vse of it still to meditate in the Law of God day and night still to doe somewhat therein to be trading therein to be busied in speaking or reading or in thinking on it Beloued if you doe but take any piece of this word and stay vpon it as the Bee doth vpon the Flower and will not off till you haue got somewhat out of it if you be still digging in this Mine here is enough it is a large it is a deepe Mine this would make you rich in knowledge and if you be rich in knowledge it will make you rich in grace likewise it is the expression that is vsed 1 Cor. 1. Therefore be assured of this we haue many businesses to doe in this world and euery man bestowes himselfe on something he spends his time and placeth his intentions some where now there is nothing in the world that you can bestowe it so profitably on as to get nâ—w light daily get new truths if a man gather knowledge of other things they are but trifles and yet that is a thousand times beyond the gathering of wealth but yet that is nothing to the other knowledge it is beggerly and impotent and poore as the Apostle saith for the things themselues are poore Is there any thing in the world can helpe a man to happinesse to any purpose if the things cannot doe it the knowledge cannot bee better then the thing I say the best naturall thing you can doe is to gather wisdome that will serue for this present life but to get that wisdome that will build you vp in grace that will make you strong in CHRIST that is farre more to bee chosen remember that which Salomon saith that it is aboue Pearles and that is not enough to expresse it but saith hee goe through all the precious things in the world it goes beyond them Why because it exceedingly increaseth grace And what is the profit of it It makes God to set a high esteeme of you it makes the mighty God who is able onely to doe thee good to delight in thee it makes him ready to doe thee much good which I gather out of that Heb. 8. saith the LORD there When I tooke your Fathers by the hand and led them out of Egypt saith hee they broke my Couenant and I regarded them not saith the LORD marke it but I will make another kinde of Couenant with you Now by the rule of contraries these men had little knowledge and by that meanes they had no strength and therefore they broke the Couenant of the LORD and therefore the Lord regarded them not but cast them away as you refuse things on the other side now there is much knowledge that brings men much grace that makes them keepe the Couenant of God in a greater measure if hee regarded not them that brake the Couenant certainely now he will regard them that keepe the Couenant those that are his peculiar people the men of his delight the men whom he loues vpon whom hee meanes to bestowe all his fauours they are fauourites to the Court of heauen this you shall haue if you excell in grace there are many other benefits but still I say remember this if thou wouldest haue much grace reade the Scriptures exceeding much make it thy chiefest study from day to day enquire into them if thou canst liue vnder a good Minister that is liuely and powerfull and enlightning set a higher price vpon him then thou hast done if thou hast an estate spare nothing for thy soules good for if wisdome be better then Gold and Siluer why should you not part with them for it and so by conference be doing something Wee see Psal. 1. what they are that are pronounced blessed that meditate in the Law of God day and night it is vpon this ground when a man meditates that is when he delights in it he will not meditate in it else grace will follow for there is no man bleffed except he hath grace and the proposition should not bee sure except a man doe settle himselfe to meditate day and night it brings ability to keepe the Law and therefore Ios. â— 8. you shall finde it so expressed saith the Lord to Iosuah Let not the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou maist obserue and doe it that so thou maist make thy wayes to prosper then thou shalt haue good successe Marke if a man be still taken vp in doing something in the things that belong to the Kingdome of God that hee make that the element that hee liues in as it were that hee make it his chiefe and principall study that he busie himselfe about it from time to time as much as possibly hee can get leasure that hee preferre it before all things else doing it both day and night by this hee shall bee more ablâ— to keepe the Law he shall be more able to obserue it and when that is obserued it makes way for prosperity then God will blesse thee and giue thee good successe So much shall serue for this The next thing to be considered which wee propounded is When the Couenant is dissolued You must know that the Couenant is then dissolued when that is dissolued that did make the Couenant Looke what it is that puts a man into the Couenant of Grace at the first when that is taken away then the Couenant is disannulled betweene God and vs but till then the Couenant remaines sure Now what is it that makes the Couenant Marke it This is that that makes the Couenant when Iesus Christ offers himselfe to vs and makes knowne his consent he is the promised seede in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed when wee againe come and take this promised seede and giue our consent and make him our LORD and we be subiect to him to be his when we say to the promised seede he shall be my God and my Gouernour and I will be among his people and be subiect to him I say when the heart giues a full consent to this when
long as a man doth not chuse another Husband so long the Couenant is not broken though the failings be exceeding many The vse wee are to make of it is this If there be this comfort that though a mandoe commit many sinnes yet so long as he hath the Lord for his husband as long as he is not willing to chuse another Master still the Couenant is sure Beloued then comfort your selues with these words and make vse of the Couenant and apply the promises of the Couenant say this with thy selfe it is very true I am sinfull I prouoke God from day to day yet for all this I am not out of the Couenant and therefore the promises of the Couenant belong to me and therefore notwithstanding my sinnes I will go boldly to the Throne of Grace and I will lay claime to the promises and to all the parts of the Couenant for they belong to me Beloued this vse you should make of it wheÌ„ you heare the Couenant is not broken Now the promises of the Couenant are of 3. sorts the promises of iustification the promises of sanctification and the promises of blessings of all sorts that belong to this life and to the life to come This threefold vse then thou shouldst make of it First put the case there lies vpon thy heart the conscience of any sinne that thou hast committed that troubles thee thou art afraid that this sinne should make a sâ—paration betweene God and thee thou hast yet no assurance of the forgiuenes of it but the conscience of the sinne lyes vpon thee as that expression you haue Heb. 10. what wilt thou doe in such a case Goe to the Lord and say to him Lord notwithstanding this I know I am in Couenant with thee and Lord this is one part of thy Couenant that thou wilt remember our sinnes no more but when they are sought they shall not be found My beloued as you haue heard before they are the very words of the Couenant I say if thou come to the Lord thus and bring Christ in thine armes for that is the nature of â—aith faith first seizeth vpon the dead body as the Vulâ—ures and as the Eagles doe first seize vpon the body so faith first seizeth vpon Christ I say if thou canst go to him and say Lord I haue thy Sonne he hath offered himselfe to me he is freely offered and I haue tooke him and all thy promises in him are Yea and Amen and this is one of thy promises that thou wilt forgiue me if one plead the Couenant hard with God and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and he must be iust hee cannot be a Couenant-breaker doe you thinke that God will breake his Couenant with thee or any man he cannot deny thee he will put away thy sins strengthen thy selfe with this for this Couenant is continuall the Mediator of this Couenant is Iesus Christ who is such an High Priest that is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him when a man hath commitâ—ed the greatest sinne and sees but the blood of Buls and Goates he might thinke thus with himselfe alas what can this poore and beggerly Ceremony doe to deliuer me from the conscience of my sinne Well saith the Apostle we haue another kind of Sacrifice and another kinde of Priest Heb. 7. We haue such an High Priest as is able perfectly to saue those that come to him And why For saith he he is gone not into the Tabernacle as the other Priests but he is entred into the very heauens Besides saith he he goes not once a yeere as they did but he liues for euer to make intercession for vs hee is not gone with the blood of Buls and Goates but with his owne blood he is a High Priest holy harmlesse vndefiled separated from sinners higher then the heauens and therefore doubt not but hee is able perfectly to saue those that come vnto him Beloued consider this it is the very Vse that the Apostle makes Heb. 10. 22. saith he seeing these things are so since we haue such an High Priest as we haue described since it is the very Sacrifice of his blood it selfe let vs draw neere in the assurance of faith that is if the conscience of any sinne lye vpon vs let vs not goe to God with a quarter wind or wâ—th a halfe wind but with a full assurance of faith let vs make no question but trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed You must thinke so of Iesus Christ hee would haue you thinke so and conceiue of him that he is now in heauen that he is able perfectly to sauâ— you that there is nothing you haue committed that can doe you hurt he is like a friend in the Court if a man were sure that hee had one that were neuer from the King that hath his eare continually that is alway in his presence that is such a Fauourite of such power with him that certainely he can deny him nothing a man would be secure put the case there were some whispering fellows that would be ready to informe against him yet saith hee I haue one there that will be ready to take care for me My beloued this is thy very case Christ Iesus is gone to Heauen it is a thousand times better for thee that he should be there then that he should be here in this world still there he is thy Attorney as it were he takes care of thee hee sees all the accusations that are brought against thee and he is ready to answer for thee saith the Text he makes intercession if there come any thing that tends to make a breach between God and thee he is the Mediator for thee he dwels there for that end if there be any offence any breach comes that he may make it vp betweene God and thee consider this and when thou hast committed a sin go to this high Priest that is able to saue thee perfectly and remember that it is a part of his Couenant and so labour to grow vp in full assurance of faith that no conscience of sinne may lye vpon thee to make a separation betweene God and thee for beloued you ought to trust perfectly to the grace that is reuealed through him And as I say for sinne so in the second place you are to make vse of the Couenant as put the case there bee some strong lust some violent temptation that thou art not able to outwrestle it is too strong for thee thou wouldest faine be rid of it but thou art not able why what shalt thou doe in this case remember that it is a part of the Lords Couenant that he will deliuer thee from all thine enemies that thou maist serue him in righteousnesse and holinesse all the dayes of thy life It is a part of his Couenant to remember it he hath sworne to remember it he hath said he will write his Law in thy heart and that can
neuer be without he obliterate all old writing he hath said he will giue the Holy Ghost he hath promised to giue thee a new heart and a new spirit now consider this it is a part of his Couenant goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant this is the way for thee to ouercome it if thou go about it any other way thou shalt neuer be able to out-wrestle it Beloued for a man to thinke thus with himselfe to say I haue receiued grace I hope I haue some strength therefore I will be bold to venture vpon such a temptation or at least I hope by my promises by my vowes prayers and reading one way one way or other to master it and ouercome it this is not the way thou must goe to GOD and make vse of this Couenant and beseech him to giue thee strength for marke it GOD would not take this vpon him to giue vs new hearts and new spirits to sanctifie vs to make vs new creatures to crucifie the flesh to weaken the dominion of sinne hee would not take this vpon him and make a promise if wee were able to doe it but hee knowes it is in his owne power and he must doe it for vs and therefore in such a case we must goe to him and beseech him to doe it for know this when a man is in CHRIST once when he is in the Couenant he liues by a principle without himselfe and not by one within himselfe as Paul saith I liue by Iesus Christ that is he is without me and it is he still that giues me strength therfore goe to him If you aske the reason why will the LORD haue it so why may not a man haue a sufficient habituall strength in himselfe by which he may be able to out-wrestle lusts and to ouercome temptations The reason is because no flesh shall reioyce in it selfe and therefore Christ is made sanctification that is you deriue it from him from day to day from time to time that you might not reioyce in your selues but in him therfore let no man goe about such a businesse in his own strength for a man to thinke beloued by vertue of that habituall grace hee hath receiued to be able to ouercome sinne and to worke righteousnes it is all one as if a man should say thus with himselfe I see my house is full of light now I will shut vp my doores and windowes I hope to haue light enough when he hath done so you know the light perisheth presently because the Sun is shut out that which giues light I say so it is when a man thinks now I am some body I haue now gotten some strength now I hope I may walke with some confidence more then before this is to shut vp the windowes as it were No thou must haue continuall dependence vpon Christ otherwise if thou goe to ouercome any sin and thinke to doe it with thy owne strength it shall be too strong for thee for you wrestle with spirituall things and without a strength from one without thee they will be too strong for thee goe to the Lord and say Lord I confesse I am able to doe nothing of my selfe but I bring my heart to thee as an empty Caske beseeching thee to fill it with grace Lord I want much grace Iesus Christ is full of grace and hath filled himselfe for that purpose that he might communicate it to vs I say in such a case now if thou goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant tell him thou restest vpon his strength thou goest against sinne as Iosuah went against the Caâ—â—â—ites not because he was able to ouercome them for they were Giants and had cities walled vp to heauen but hee went in the Lords strength I say if a man goe in this manner bee assured that the Lord will not faile thee he will giue thee ability to ouercome The third case is when any outward trouble lyes vpon a man let him goe and remember it is a part of Gods Couenant to blesse him To blesse him with what Withall kind of blessings and to be a Buckler to him there is no euill in the world but God hath promised to bee a Buckler to shield him and to defend him from it put the case thou lye vnder any pressure any calamity any crosse any disease any affliction of minde or of body or estate or of name why goe to God now and tell him it is a part of his Couenant to deliuer thee and labour to find out if thou canst beside the generall Couenant some particular The Lord hath said if thou bee in trouble call vpon mee and I will deliuer thee if thou be in a strait in extremity the Lord hath said he will worke thy workes for thee and so yoâ— may goe to him in particulars But when faitâ— hath once gotten a promise be sure that thou keepe thy hold pleade hard with the Lord and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and it is impossible that he should deny thee doe as the woman of Canaan when thou art on a sure ground take no denyall though the Lord may deferre long yet he will doe it he cannot chuse for it is a part of his Couenant Beloued therefore in this case doe as you see two Metaphors vsed in Scripture they are excellent for this purpose Esay 66. 11. there is a Commandement of the Lord for the children of Israel that they should sucke and be satisfied with the brests of consolation c. the words are obscure as they are read to you but the Originall makes them exceeding cleere there are two Metaphors vsed one is to milke consolation out of the promises the meaning is this that the promises are full of comfort as a dugge is full of milke now if thou be ready to faint goe and milke out consolation out of the promises that will relieue thee that will stay thy heart goe saith he and sucke draw out consolation from the dugges from the promises for that is the meaning which he cals the brests of consolation for hee repeates the promise presently after thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace ouer her like a Flood c. The other Metaphor is to extorâ— to oppresse the promises that as a rich man oppresseth a poore man and gets out of him all that he is worth he leaues him worth nothing he playes the extortioner with him after that manner deale thou with the promises for they are rich there is a price in them be thou as an extortioner to them take out whatsoeuer thou needest or wring it out of the promises as it were Now when a man is poore and needy let him goe to the rich promises and bee as an oppressor to them that is consider the promises to the vtmost see the vtmost riches that is contained in them and they will make thee rich againe draw out the vtmost of
that milke that is in them and it will exceedingly reuiue comfort thee for example that I may a little open it to you Iacob when Esau met him and his heart began to faint for saith the Text he feared exceedingly his heart began to faile him now and what did he he did goe and sucke consolation out of the promises for thus he reasons with the Lord Lord thou hast said thou wilt doe me good now hee stayes himselâ—e vp with this and hee got so much strength with this milke that hee was able to wrestle with the Lord all night and would not let him go without a blessing this promise sustained him from whence he sucked consolation and strength for thou hast said thou wilt doe me good therfore I am resolued I am sure I am vpon good ground I will not let thee go without a blessing And so Abraham when he was to offer his onely sonne what should he doe now here he was dessolate poore and needy certainely his heart could not but be ready to faile what should sustaine him in this case there was a promise you see Heb. 11. he was sure God had made a promise and hae said vnto him this is Isaac and this Isaac I will multiply and with him I will establish my Couenant and his seede shall be as the Stars of heauen saith Abraham God promised it and though I should kill him God can put a new life into him he went you know how farre from his house where hee dwelt surely he sustained himselfe by the promise he rested vpon this promise he drew consolation from it and he drew it to the full there was much milke in that promise and that sustained and comforted him I might giue you many instances So Dauid when hee comforted himselfe at Ziglag what was it that he comforted himselfe in Surely Dauid remembred this the Lord hath annoynted me King ouer Israel he hath said that I shall be King and shall sit in the Throne of Saul it is true I haue lost all that I haue and the Souldiers that should bee my strength are now at this instant ready to stone me yet he remembred this promise and comforted himselfe in the Lord that is in the promise that the Lord had made to him whereof this was the maine that he had to comfort himselfe with Beloued learne to doe this when you are in any strait if there be any thing that you need remember this if thou can but get a promise if faith can but get this footing the LORD hath made it a part of his Couenant and there is his hand and seale to it the Sacrament that thou receiuest from time to time is but a seale of that Couenant and if he seeme to forget it for a time â—e will remember it hee cannot forget it long be assured he will performe it it is impossible but he should let not your hearts faile if thou haue a promise he will doe it in due season although not in thy season yet he will doe it in the best manner though not in that manner and fashion that thou imaginest Beloued one thing more we should haue added that is to exhort men to enter into Couenant this I should haue pressed to you the miserable condition of a man that is without it and the happines of the man that is within it with this weâ—should haue concluded the point Beloued consider this in what a miserable condition men are without the Couenant it is enough that is said Eph. 2. without God in the world and without the Couenant they are put together they are aliens and strangers from the Couenant without the Couenant without God in the world is it a small thing to be without God and without the Couenant when thou conâ—iderest this Booke and the many precious promises in it that we spake of before and thou hast not right to one of these promises if thou be without the Couenant when thou art in a straite if thou be a stranger to God if thou be out of the Couenant with him what wilt thou do whither wilt thou goe we are subiect to 1000. straits you know what a weake creature man is what neede hee hath of assistance What wilt thou doe in the time of extremity thou canst not goe to GOD thou art not in the Couenant with him but thy case is as that of Zedekiahs Micaiah tels him thou shalt goe from chamber to chamber so thou shalt goe from place to place GOD will not receiue thee for thou art not in Couenant with him But is that all that thou shalt want the comfort of God No know if thou be not in Couenant with GOD he is thine enemy if thou come neere to him for refuge and comfort he will be to thee as a deuouring fire and when thou commest to him thou shalt bee as soft wax to the scorching flame as stubble to the fire and not only so but thou shalt come to euerlasting burnings such fire as shall neuer goe out such the Lord shall be to thee if thou be not in the Couenant with him You will say to me this is to come if it may be well for the present I shall beare it the better I will goe one step further therfore If thou be out of Couenant with GOD all the creatures are at enmity with thee there is neuer a creature in heaueÌ„ or earth but it hath liberty to do thee hurt for if thou be out of League with GOD thou art out of the protection of the Law if any creature doe thee mischiefe it shall neuer be required at his hands but there is a liberty giuen them Satan may hurt thee men may hurt thee beasts may hurt thee all the insensible creatures may hurt thee for there is no prohibition Besides thou hast no Shield nor Buckler to defend thee from them for thou art not in Couenant with GOD he is no Buckler to thee all this is the case of euery man that is out of the Couenant and this is not a small thing to be out of the pales of Gods protection to haue euery creatâ—re ready to do a man a shewd turne and he to haue no immunity nothing to deliuer him it is not so with the Saints all the creatures are at peace with them To draw this a little neerer if there bee any thing in the body or out of the body that troubles vs if there be imaginations in the minde that be to the soule as the Gout is to the body if thou be in Couenant with God all these are at peace with thee for all these are at Gods command it is a part of his Couenant when thou art in Couenant and League with him thou art in League with them and therefore they shall neuer doe thee hurt Bee assured of that when thou art within the Couenant there is no creature in heauen or earth can doe thee hurt for thou art at peace with it
long but shall be cast forth FINIS FOVRE SERMONS WHEREIN CERTAINE Objections against the poynt of GODS ALL-SVFFICIENCIE handled in the fiue first Sermons of the former Treatise are Answered ECCLESIASTES 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. I haue surely set my heart to all this to declare this that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of God and no man knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him for all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust as to the wicked and to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacâ—ificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath c. WEE haue purposely chosen this text that we might answer some objectioÌ„s which might be made against the All-sufficiency of God which we spake of lately to you for this might be objected If God be All-sufficient what is the reason of this dispensation of things that we see in the world that there be righteous men to whom it is according to the worke of the wicked and there be wicked men againe to whom it is according to the worke of the righteous Here you haue this answer made That for a time all things come alike to all there is the same condition to the one as to the other the reason of which you shall see when we come to the handling of the words But in briefe to open them to you you shall â—inde that this was the occasion of them In the 16. verse of the former Chapter sayth the Wiseman I haue applyed my heart vnto wisedâ—me and to behold the busines that is done vpon the earth in which I had no rest either day or night I was so intent vpon them Well what is the conclusion Sayth he I found this I was not able to finde out the reason of Gods workes I beheld the workes of God that man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought vnder the Sunne yea though a wise man thinke to know it he cannot finde it That is when I see how God dispenseth things I am not able to finde out the reason and not I onely but no man is able to finde it no saith he though he be a wise man no although he search never so diligently he cannot find out the reason of Gods wayes the reason of his providence of his dispensing of prosperitie to the wicked and adversitie to the godly yet these two Conclusions notwithstanding he found which he expresâ—eth in the first verse First that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of the Lord That is although I see not the reason why God doth it yet this I finde it is the Lord that disposeth all things both to men and all their workes All the events that fall out both good and euill I finde this that they are in the hand of God The second thing he found is That all things come alike to all There is the same condition to the good and to the evill to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not These be the two things that the wiseman professeth he found out from hence he gathereth two Consectaries One is That there is no man able to know loue or hatred by all that is before him That is by all that he seeth done to himselfe or by all that he seeth God doe to other men he is not able to judge by that who it is that God loues or who it is he hates A second Consectarie from it is expressed in the third verse sayth he This is an evill I haue seene vnder the Sunne that there is one condition to all That is the sonnes of men when they haue seene this carriage of things this administration and dispensation of good and evill thus premiscuously to men of all sorts therefore sayth he The hearts of men are full of evill and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue That is therefore they seeke not God but the creature therefore they doe not depend vpon him but seeke to secondaric meanes What is the issue of it therefore they goe downe to the dead That is they perish for ever So much briefly for the meaning of the words Now before he comes to deliver these two conclusions he makes this Preamble I haue given my heart sayth he to all this or I bend my selfe with all my might to this even to declare these two things that all things are in the hand of God c. whence we will gather this in that Salomon sayth that he bent himselfe with all his might to declare both to himselfe to others that all things are in the hands of God that It is a very hard thing to be perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie It is a very hard thing to be perswaded that all things are in the hands of God it is a hard thing to perswade our selues it is a hard thing to perswade others that is I shall not deliver the poynt fully to you except God himselfe teach you except God himselfe declare it it is so hard for a man to see all things in the hands of Gâ—d to know that he is able to doe all that except God teach it to a man he is not able to know it that is he is not able to know it to purpose he is not able to know it so as to haue the vse of it he is not able to know it in a practicall manner except the Lord teach it him The ground of which is because it belongs to the holy Ghost to perswade it belongs to God to perswade not onely to perswade this truth to the hearts of men but also to perswade all saving truths of what nature soever And therefore wee see when Christ sends out his Disciples his Apostles he bids them Goe preach the Word to the Iewes and Gentiles and whereas they might object in that case How shall we be able to perswade men that bring a strange doctrine and strange newes to them a strange thing that was never heard of Christ answers them thus I will send my spirit with you and he shall convince the world of sinne of righteousâ—esse and of ludgement As if he should say I confesle you are not able to doe it that is a worke that onely belongs to the holy Ghost and he shall convince men of their miserable estate out of Christ he shall convince them of that righteousnesse that they are to haue by Christ he shall also convince them of holinesse and sanctification vnder Christs government Thus sayth he the holy Ghost shall doe you are not able to performe it And so when the Lord makes the promise that the people should serue him and feare him The question is how they should be able to doe it shall the Prophets be able to perswade
are not led into the truth of these poynts because that is proper to the holy Ghost it is he onely that leades vs into them it is he onely that enableth vs so to see them as to be fully convinced so as to resolue vpon the practice of them and therefore you shall finde the Apostle S. Paul Ephes. 1. when he revealeth there those spirituall blessings that we haue in Christ when he had declared many of those glorious priviledges in the 18. verse he prayes that the eyes of their vnderstandings might be opened to see the hope of their Calling and the riches of this glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints the exceeding greatnesse of his power towardes them that beleeue The meaning of it is this when Paul had discovered all this sayth he this labour of mine will be but in vaine except the Lord open the eyes of your vnderstanding So it is when we preach to you of the All-sufficiencie of God when wee discover to you those glorious priviledges that we haue by Christ except the Lord open mens eyes except he send the spirit of revelation into mens hearts to discerne those things except he preach to the heart as well as we doe to the eare it is but lost labour sayth the Apostle if he would open your eyes to see the hope of your Calling to see those great hopes that you haue by reason of your Calling to see the riches of that glorious inheritance prepared for the Saints it is not onely rich but abundant riches Againe sayth he to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power A man is able to see some thing that God is able to doe this and to doe that but to see the exceeding greatnesse of his power how farre it reacheth this none is able to doe vnlesse he haue the spirit of revelation to open his eyes to see it That even as Elisha sayd to Gehasiâ— there are more with vs them against vs. But how came Gehasie to know that Elisba prayes the Lord to open his eyes and when his eyes were opened he saw it visibly after this manner the Lord deales with his children when such truths as these are propounded to them that God is All-sufficient yet all this is nothing except God will open their eyes except he will be with them as he was with Iob all that his friends said to him would not perswade him till God himselfe spake to him out of the whirlewinde When God himselfe will say to a man as he did to Abraham I am All-sufficient then he perswades him and not before And this Beloved is the office of the holy Ghost it is he that shewes the Father and the Sonne to the sonnes of men it is he that glorifies the Father and the Sonne And in this sence he is said to fill them with Ioy vpon all occasions for the cause why a man rejoyceth is because he is informed of some good newes something he is perswaded of and when he heareth of it there followes sudden Ioy So when the Apostles were in distresâ—e in prison when they were in danger the holy Ghost brought good newes to them he revealed to them such and such things vpon this revelation vpon this good newes that was brought to them it is oft said they were filled with Ioy which is therefore called the Ioy of the holy Ghost which the holy Ghost workes in men by perswasion by revealing to them the hope of their Calling and the riches of their glorious inheritance and the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeue And therefore this you must coÌ„sider that though we preach to you and you heare all these truths of Gods All-sufficiencie yet you are able to practice nothing till Christ reveale it to you If he come to a man when he is in a strait and say to him as he did to Paul vpon severall occasions feare not Paul I will be with thee I say if he himselfe would come thus and speake to the heart of a man that is if he would reveale it by his spirit wee should be able to practice it we should be able to stay our selues vpon him wee should be able to trust him in his All-sufficiencie and would venture vpon any thing we should be able to doe our dutie wee should be able to suffer persecution as the Apoâ—â—le speakes because we trust in the living God It is a certaine and true rule no man is able to guide his life aright his riches his credit his libertie aright except he be able to neglect them and no man is able to neglect them except he haue some thing that is better in stead of them except he see these two things An emptinesse in them And a fulnesse some where els But now who is able to perswade men of this Surely he that perswaded Salomon that all was vanitie it is he that must perswade vs without him it cannot be done What was the reason else that Peter Andrew Iohn and the rest of the Apostles were able to forsake all things when others were not Doubtlesle because they were perâ—waded they should finde it againe in Christ when others were not so perswaded flesh and bloud did not teach them but the holy Ghost revealed it to them that though they had lost all yet they should find all yea they should finde an hundred fold more What was the Reason that Demas and others when they met with persecution and temporall preferments in the world were not able to keepe on their course but turned aside when Paul who had the same temtations did not The reason was because it was not revealed to Demas but it was to Paul A window was opened to him in heaven as it were to looke into Gods All-sufficiencie to see the treasures there to see Gods power and eternitie and blessednes and when he walked in a continuall sight of this All-sufficiencie Paul cared not whither he went nor what became of him it was nothing then for him ot passe from prison to prison from affliction to affliction So as long as a man walkes in a continuall sight of Gods All-sufficiencie as long as he sees him that is invisible so long he is full of comfort so long he is able to doe any thing but when once his sight is taken from him when once he is left in darkenesse that Torches and Candles begin to appeare great lights vnto him as you know it is in the darke night that is a signe that a man is in darkenesse when the feare of men and the favour of men seeme great vnto him So it will be when God doth but leaue vs a little when he doth but cloud vs when he withdrawes from vs that light of his All-sufficiencie then we are readie to sinke and to fayle in our dutie and to turne aside to balke the wayes of righteousnesse And therefore if you would haue the vse of this All-sufficiencie if you would be perswaded that all
things are in Gods hands beseech him to teach you to depend vpon him Beloved it is certaine that the holiest man that is hath as much loue of himselfe as others they desire their safetie as well as others they desire to haue libertie and life as well as others but here is all the difference they are perswaded that God is All-sufficient to restore all these to them when they loose them for his sake when other men are not so perswaded they haue a new judgement of things they haue another judgement of heavenly things and of earthly they see another vanitie in the Creatures and another All-sufficiencie in God then other men see or then they themselues ever saw before And this is the reason they are able to doe that which other men are not able to doe and therefore the way to haue the vse of all this knowledge is to seeke to God to beseech him to enlighten you that he would declare this to you that he would leade you into this truth and when he hath taught you you shall be able to know all this and to know it to purpose So much for this first poynt As we told you there are here these two Conclusions First That the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hands of God And secondly That all things come alike to all we will take the first as it lyes and deliver to you the same poynt which is this That all things all men all their wayes all the Creatures with the severall workes of them are in the hands of God for it is thus methodically set downe The wise are in the hands of God and their workes and so are the wicked and their workes and so are all the Creatures in his hands with all the effects that proceede from them This then is the poynt That all things are in Gods hands Now how all things are in Gods hands in generall we haue declared to you before but we will now deliver it a little more distinctly that I may adde some thing to that which I haue formerly taught They are all in the hands of God that is originally in the hands of the Father and in the hands of all the persons of the Trinitie as they joyne in the deitie as they are God but yet if you compare this place with some other you shall see more distinctly in what manner they are in the hands of God They are I say originally in the hands of the Father but yet they are more immediatly put into the hands of the Sonne as he is Mediator Therefore compare this place with Math. 11. 27. All things sayth he are given me of my Father and none knowes the Sonne but the Father and so likewise with Ioh. 3. 35. The Father loues the Sonne and hath given all things into his hands and with that 1 Cor. 15. 24. you shall see there this expression sayth the Apostle there shall be an end when Christ shall giue vp the King dome into the hands of the Father The meaning of it is this that though all things be in the hands of God yet they are all put into the hands of Christ as he is Mediator and therefore Psal. 2. it is sayd Aske of me and I will giue thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the vtmost parts of the earth for thy possession That is he will giue them into his hands to doe with them what he pleaseth So that to adde this to that which we haue before delivered it will be a profitable poynt for vs to consider that though God be All-sufficient and hath all things in his hands yet he hath put all this into the hands of his Sonne You willsay what comfort is there in that or to what end is it vsefull for vs to know that they are in the hands of the sonne more then that they are in the hands of the Father It is to this purpose That you may be more confident in comming to God to aske any thing at his hands for therefore hath the Lord done it that you may come with the more boldnesse for Christ hath taken our nature our flesh he is neerer to vs then God the Father who dwels in light inaccessible he is one whom wee haue knowne he dwelt among vs he is of the same kindred as it were we are flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone Now when we shall heare that all things are put into his hands as he is Mediator as he is the Angell of the Covenant we may goe with the more boldnes we may haue the more confidence that as wee haue neede and vse of any thing it shall not be denied vs for we know all is in the hands of him whom we loue whom wee feare When one heareth that his Prince hath put all that hee hath into the handes of a friend with whom hee is well acquainted it must needes glad his heart and fill him with hope of obtaining any thing that is fitting for him As it was with Iacob when Ioseph sayd to him all this I haue in mine handes c. It was a great comfort to Iacob that one whom he knew so well that was flesh of his flesh had all things in his hands Now this is the comfort wee haue by it That the Father hath put all things into the hands of the Sonne into the hands of Christ as he is Mediator and this he hath done for these reasons First That men might glorifie the Sonne that men might honour the Sonne as they honour the Father for therefore was it that he would not keepe all in his owne hands but gaue them vp into the hands of the Sonne Secondly He hath done it that he might dispence that All-sufficiencie that is in himselfe in a way beseeming himselfe with that indulgence and that mercie that is sutable to himselfe and sutable likewise to our frailtie And therefore Exodus 33. 3. The Lord said I will not goe vp with thee for thou art a stiffe-necked people therefore I will not goe vp with thee least I consume thee but I will send before thee the Angell of my presence and he shall goe vp with thee As if he should say I haue pure eyes I am not able to see that which I shall see in thee but I shall be readie to consume thee but he is more indulgent he is more merciful he is more able to beare because he is made the Mediator therefore sayth he he shall goe along with thee even the Angell of my presence Whereby you may see that the Lord hath put all power into the hands of the Mediator that he might dispence it the better to the sonnes of men Thirdly He hath done it that it might be sure to vs for if the Lord had made an immediate Covenant with the sonnes of men there had beâ—ne little hope for vs Wee should haue broken it as Adam did
enough to keep a man from making it his whole dutie to â—eare God and keepe his commandements Another man perhaps neglects this but to gather in an estate to strengthen himselfe that way to bottom himselfe well vpon a good estate this he thinkes is not subject to vanitie as other things and this therefore his heart is set vpon though hee see vanitie in some other things yet this his heart is set on and this is enough to keepe him from making it his whole dutie to feare God and keepe his commandements And thus we might goe through many instances Let every man therefore search his owne heart for when a man makes not this his whole dutie some thing or other deceiues him a vanitie that hee yet seeth not I say the best things be subject to vanitie if which way so euer the wise man turned himselfe they were subject to vanitie it is fit we should learne then to make it our whole dutie to set all our thoughts and affections vpon this how we may grow in grace how wee may feare God and keepe his Commandements Lastly a man may by this trie himselfe whether he hath done it of no. For as Salomon when he grew wise after his repentance he saw a vanitie in all things vnder the Sunne So a man when his heart is once changed he will see a vanitie in all things If there be any thing wherein thou seest not a vanitie it is an argument thou art not yet a new creature Paul sayth now know we no man after the flesh for whosoever is in Christ is a new creature as if he should say when any man is a new creature hee looketh vpon all things vnder the Sunne with an other eye he iudgeth of them with another iudgment and therefore if thou finde it otherwise if thou looke vpon the world or vpon any thing that is in the world as vpon things that are precious that is a signe that Sathan hath bewitched thee You know it was one of the witcheries that he attempted vpon our Sauiour he shewed him the world the kingdomes and glory of it and so he doth to euery man more or lesse he shewes him some thing or other and if a man doe not see the emptines and vanitie of them but sees a glorie in them he hath yeelded to Sathan who hath bewitched him and preuailed ouer him and therefore when you looke on euery thing vnder the Sunne riches credit wisedome skill knowledge if you looke on all as on flowers if you see a vanitie and an emptines in them that is a signe you are now changed that you are now turned to God by vnfained repentance that you see a vanitie in all things vnder the Sunne So much for this first point I returned and saw vnder the Sunne sayth hee that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong nor yet bread to the wise nor riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet favour to men of knowledge but time and chance commeth to all The next point that we are to obserue in these words is this that Men of the greatest abilities men of the greatest sufficiencies are often disappointed of their hopes and ends This is a vanitie vnder the Sun and not so onely but men that are more weake and insufficient doe obtaine their ends and hopes For you must vnderstand it reciprocally the battell is not alwayes to the strong therefore it is some times to the weake riches are not alwayes to men of vnderstanding therefore they are often to men that haue not vnderstanding The opening of this point will be best done in shewing the reasons and grounds of it why it comes to passe that men of the greatest abilities haue not alwayes successe answerable to that sufficiencie that is in them And first one cause of it is because there is no creature that is or euer shall bee strong in his owne strength In his owne strength shall no man bee strong 1. Sam. 2. 9. A creature in it selfe hath not so much abilitie althought it be never so well furnished as to bring any enterprise to passe There is more required then the simple strength of the creature be it never so strong because in euery enterprise there are many wheeles many things that must concure to bring it to passe Now a creature is not able to see all the wheeles that are in every busines or if hee doe see them he is not able to turne euery wheele but this belongs to God And therefore without his concurring with the creature be the creature never so strong hee shall not be able to get the battell be he neuer so swift he shall not be able to winne the race bee hee neuer so great in skill and vnderstanding hee shall not get fauour nor riches This you may see 1. Sam. 2. 3. Where Hanna giues this counsell in her song speake no more presumptuously neither let arroagancy come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge by him enterprises are established As if she had sayd for any man to say hee is able to bring an enterprise to passe hee speakes presumptuously hee takes more to himselfe then hee is able to performe The Lord is onely a God of knowledge that is the reason of it and therefore by him onely and not by any mans strength enterprises are established The Lord is a God of knowledge as if shee had sayd men haue not so much knowledge and wisedome as to looke through a busines to see all the circumstances of it to behold all the ingredients into it all the wheeles that must coÌ„curre to bring it to passe The Lord onely is a God of knowledge and therefore by him enterprises are established And this was that I sayd that the creatures insufficiency was partly because they are not able to see all And partly agiaine it is because though they doe see all the wheeles that goe to make vp an enterprise yet they are not able to turne them As you may see Psal. 33. 16. The King is not saved by the multitude of an host neither is a mightie man delivered by his great strength A Horse is a vaine thing to saue a maÌ„ he shall not deliuer any by his great strength Though a man doe see and though he can say such a wheele is necessary yet it is not in his owne power to vse it An hoast is a great meanes to get a battell yet sayth he be an hoast never so strong that is not enough But what if hee haue valiant men and Souldiers Yet that will not doe it a mightie man is not deliuered by his great strength I but what if hee haue horses and chariots c. Let the instrument be what it will be a horse is a vaine helpe that is except the Lord concurre with that hoast and turne that great wheele except hee bee with those valiant men except he
sufficiencie and abilitie may oâ—ten be disappointed that the battaile is not alwayes to the strong nor the race to the swift This should teach vs then not to be lifted vp but to be thankefulls in our best successe and on the contrary not to be over-much dejected but to beare it patiently when things speed ill If any man haue good successe in any busines and enterprise he is not to attribute it to his owne strength to his own wisedome since that as you see so often failes The Creature hath not power enough in it selfe to bring any enterprise to passe it can neither see all the wheeles that tend to make vp an enterprise or though it see them it is not able to turne them all And therefore if it be done it is the Lord that doth it and the prayse is onely to be given to him Beloved this is a necessary poynt It is vsuall with vs to be very earnest with God when a busines is to be done but we forget to prayse him afterwards And whence proceedes this but from a secret attribution of what is done to our owne wit to our owne strength to our owne policie to other occasions Whereas if he were acknowledged we should be readie to giue him the praise of all that we doe David was a wise man yet you shall finde 1 Sam. 18. he did not therefore carrie himselfe wisely in all his affayres because he had an habituall gift of wisedome but sayth the text because the Lord was with him The Lord was with him to guide him in euery action to direct him what to doe vpon euery particular occasion and thence it was that he carried himselfe wisely in all his affayres Cyrus was a valiant man and a potent yet the Scripture attributes it not to his strength that he prevailed as he did but sayth that he was GODS Shepheard he was his instrument it was God that vsed him it was God that wrought his worke for him Nebuchadnezzar was a mightie potent Prince and prevailed which way soevâ—r he turned himselfe yet God tels him it was he that gaue him dominion and victorie wheresoever he went And as it is true on this hand so it is likewise on the other when a man hath ill successe in any busines let him not say it was because he did not mannage it wisely because he had suâ—h an enemy to oppose him or because such an accident fell out to crosse him no that is not the cause The Reason is here rendred for time and hance happens to every man That is if there he any such accident if there be any crosse event fals out to hinder him in his enterprise at that time it is in Gods disposing it is God that hath done it And therefore you see in the evill events that haue vpon any occasion befallen the Church if you obserue the phrase of Scripture it is not attributed to them but to God When the spirit of Pul and Tiglapellezer were stirred vp against the people of Israell sayth the Text 1 Chron. 5. the Lord stirred them vp against the people it was not they that did it but it was the Lord that stirred them vp So likewise he poured forth his wrath by the hands of Shishak and as David expresseth it in his owne case God hath bidden Shemei curse David So it is in many other places Therefore let not men sit downe discouraged vexing themselues and eating vp their hearts with griefe Let not men say If such an accident had not beene I had prevailed for it is this time and chance that turnes the event of businesses which is from the Lord and not from man Therefore labour to be thankfull to him in the best successe and not to sacrifice to your owne wits or to giue him thankes in a formall manner but heartily to acknowledge him And likewise to be patient in all the crosâ—es and troubles that befall vs. So much for this third vse Fourthly and lastly If men of the greatest abilities be so often disappointed that the battaile is not to the strong nor the race to the swiâ—t c. Then learne we hence not to make flesh our arme not to trust in any strength of our own in any wisedome of our owne or other mens for if this would doe it if the strength of any man if the policie of any man were able to bring any enterprise to pafse it would alwayes doe it If it were the swiftnesse of him that runs that could get the race If it were the strength of him that fighteth that could obtaine the battaile I say it would alwayes doe it And therefore seeing it fals not out so but theevents are turned a contrary way that is a signe it is not in them but in something else Therefore I say take we heede of making flesh our arme of saying thus with our selues because we haue these preparations because we haue these meanes therefore our worke shall succeede for that is not so for we see often in experience when a man comes to a businesse with much confidence out of a reflection vpon his owne abilitie to doe it for the most part it succeeds ill As on the other side when a man comes with feare and diffidence in himselfe for the most part he prospereth best And you haue a rule for it Iere. 17. Cursed is he that makes flesh his arme Cursed is he that is God hath ingaged himselfe when a man will make flesh his arme to blow vpon his enterprises and to cause them to wither Againe blessed is he that trusts in the Lord that is God is tied by his promise to giue successe in such a case Therefore that vse we should make of it not to trust to our owne strength to our owne wisedome nor to other mens For Beloved what is it when we haue other men that are strong and wise and potent to rest vpon Are they able to bring it to passe You shall finde that expression Psal. 31. a place that I touched in the morning vpon another occasion David tels vs there that great men sat and spake against him and consulted together to take away â—is life but sayth he my times are in thy hands As if he should say my times and the disposing of all my affaires good evill successe to me they are not in their hands be they never so potent they are not in the hands of Saul they are not in the hands of Doeg they are not in the hands of all mine enemies but Lord my times are in thy hands So then if we could learne this lesson aright we should not be discouraged when the most potent men are set against vs not be much incouraged when they are for vs. That in Isa. 51. 12. is excellent for this purpose Who art thou sayth he that feâ—rest mortall man whose breath is in his nostrils and who shall be made as the grasse That is if such a
graces of Gods spirit in you and the actions that flow from them whether they be sincere or perfect but likewise we will shew you the ground of this sincerity whence it ariseth and how it is wrought in every mans heart And thus these words containe the Covenant sayth the Lord to Abraham I will be thy God On the other side thou shalt be mine Now he shewes what a kinde of God he will be to him I will be All-sufficient to thee which consists in two things If you compare this with Gen. 15. 1. I will be thy Buckler to preserue thee from all evill And againe I will be thy exceeding great reward that is I will not onely be a shield but I will be a Sunne to thee I will both preserue thee from all evill and I will fill thee with all good things I will â—ompâ—â—ssâ— thee about with mercy and loving kindnesse so that thou shalâ— finde that I will be an exceeding great reward So God expresseth himselfe to Abraham And this is the Covenant on Gods part Now that which is required on Abrahams part is that he be the Lords as the Lord is his for so you see in the words following The question onely is in what manner Abraham shall be the Lords how that shall be declared Sayth he It is not an emptie relation but thou must shew that thou art mine by walking before me And yet it must not be any kinde of walking before the Lord but it must be a perfect walking before him Walke before me and be perfect and therefore it is added I will make my Covenant that is this is the Covenant of which Circumcision was but a Signe for it was instituted presently as we see in the words following There are three especiall poynts that we will gather out of the words The first is from the connexion and we will begin with that because it is a preparation to the other two In that the Lord vseth this as an argument to Abraham I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be thou perfect We may obserue this that The cause of all departure from God of all vnevennesse in our wayes towards God is from hence that we doe not thinke God to be All-sufficient As on the other side the cause of all our sinceritie and perfectnesse ariseth hence that we doe apprehend him to be All-sufficient This you see evidently ariseth from the words for thence is the force of the Argument I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be perfect My Beloved it is evident that the cause of every mans keeping off from God the cause of his vnevennesse after he is come in to him is from hence that men thinke not God to be All-sufficient for if a man had enough in the Lord he would never goe out from him but because he wants something he desires something that is not in him or he feares something that he thinkes he cannot keepe off from him hence it comes to passe that he steppes out from God he goeth out of the wayes of his CoÌ„mandements And therefore I say the cause of every mans departure from God the cause of his keeping off from God or of his vnevennesse in the wayes of God is from hence that he thinkes not God to be All-sufficient and this you shall see in three sorts of men First there is a generation of men that liue as without God in the world and that looke not towards God at all that make conscience of nothing and what is the reason of that but because they thinke they haue sufficient of their owne and therefore they walke in their owne wayes and stand vpon their owne bottom and they loue thernselues and serue themselues altogether and apply not themselues to the Lord at all and therefore whensoever any man is brought vnto God the worke is to take him off from his owne bottom to shew him his owne insufficiency in himselfe and the emptinesse of himselfe and of every creature and the All-sufficiency that is in God and vpon this ground he comes in to him As you know the Prodigall Sonne when he saw that he could not subsist longer but he must perish if he stayed where he was and saw againe if he went home to his Fathers house there was meate enough this was that that moved him to go home this course the Lord takes with all whom he brings home to him as we see in the Iaylor and in those Act. 2. They were pricked in their hearts and in Paul when the light shined about him and he was stricken from his horse Act. 9. It was all but to shew them their vanitie to take them off from their owne bottoms to shew them their owne insufficiency and then he discovered that All-sufficiency that was in himselfe for no man will change but for the better he will not deny himselfe and leaue what he hath till something that is better be propounded vnto him So I say the cause why men come not in is because they haue an opinion of sufficiency in themselues and in the creature and they apprehend not an All-sufficiency in God that is an All-sufficiency to be in him alone A second fort of men are such as doe come in and performe many things and bring forth some fruit and become professors of the feare of God and yet they doe it not throughly But by halues the cause of this is likewise from hence that they doe not apprehend God to be All-sufficient for it they did they would be perfect with him as we see the Second and Third Ground for that Parable doth but shew you the kindes of Professors they were all such as professed the feare of the Lord that are there spoken of for we see they brought forth fruit They received the Word with Ioy. What was the reason the second Ground was not perfect with the Lord Because they thought him not to be a Buckler strong enough to beare off all evills to beare off all persecution What was the reason the Third Ground did it not Because they thought there was something in riches in pleasures in divers lusts that they could not haue in the Lord so they departed from him Onely the Fourth Ground kept close because they did apprehend all to be in the Lord that they desired they did apprehend him to be strong enough to deliver them from all the things they feared The third sort of men are such as are regenerate which yet are subiect to many slips and falls to many turnings aside And the cause of all this is that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient As for example what was the reason that Abraham when he went downe into Egypt being driven thither by reason of Famine saved himselfe with a lye saying that Sarah was his Sister and not his wife but because he thought God was not able to keepe him and defend him If he had thought him to haue beene
All-sufficient he would not haue done it What was the reason that Moses when God sent him on a message into Egypt was so backward to performe it but because he thought that the Lord was not All-sufficientâ— For he hath two reasons why he would not goe One was he wanted speech he wanted abilitie and gifts He was of a stammering tongue And the other was those were aliue that he thought sought his life If he had thought that God was able to haue beene with his tongue to haue stregthned him and to haue improved his gifts and to haue inabled him to that service if he had thought likewise that he had beene able to haue defended him from those That sought his life he would never haue disobeyed the Commandement of God and beene backward to performe it as he was And so likewise Rebeccah What was the reason shee vsed that wyle and shift that inordinate meanes to bring a good thing to passe to obtaine the blessing when Iacob and shee joyned in lying to Isaack but because they thought God was not Sufficient to performe that Promise for the blessing belonged to Iacob and no doubt but he should haue had it in due time And so it is in all the faults of the Saints which are hence because they apprehend not God to be all-sufficient even as it was in the first sinne of Adam and the Angels What was the reason that Adam fell from God at the first It was because he desired something that he thought he could not finde in the Lord he desired to know good and evill which he thought he should not haue in the Lord he thought the Lord had kept it from him and therefore he stepped out from the Lord to eate that Apple vsing that as a meanes to obtaine his desire And this indeed was the cause of his falling away So likewise the cause of the falling of the Angells 1 Tim. 3. 6. the Apostle saith there that a Minister was not to be a young Scâ—oller least he be puffed vp and fall into the condemnation of the Divell that is least he be puffed vp and fall into the same sinne for which the Divell was condemned that is to be puffed vp that is to haue the desires inlarged beyond the bouÌ„ds which God had set them to desire more then they should haue to be exalted aboue measure that measure that God had appointed them that is they desired more they looked after more they thought there was not an All-sufficiency in God for them This was the sinne of the Angels that fell And as it was the cause of their first fall so it is the cause of all the sinnes that haue beene committed since And the reasons of it in briefe are these First it ariseth from the desire of happines that is implanted in every mans nature Happines you know is a compound which consists of all good things so that none must be wanting there is no good thing but it must be an ingredient into it Now the nature of man is made by God to desire happines every man naturally desires happines and may desire it if there be any scantnes in this if there be any evill that lies vpon him that is not removed or if there be any good that he desires and wants that he doth not enioy I say his heart cannot rest for he desires happines therefore if he finde not an All-sufficiency in God so that nothing be wanting that his heart can desire or looke after it is impossible he should cleaue close vnto him but he will be readie to step out from him Secondly this will appeare from the nature of sinne the definition that the Schoole-men giue of sinne which we may receiue is this that it is the conversion of a man from God to the Creature from the immutable God to the mutable creature In every sinne there is such a turning of the soule from God to the Creature Now it is certaine if a man did finde an All-sufficiency in God he would never turne from him nor seeke to the Creature even as the Bee if it did finde honey enough in one flower would not hasten to another but because it doth not it goes from flower to flower And so is the nature of man as Salomon expresseth it saying that He hastened to out ward things that is when he fell vpon one he found not enough in it he made hast to another and to another so the nature of man if it did finde sweetnesse and comfort and contentment enough in God it would not turne from him to the creature but because in his sence the obiect is too narrow there is some what he would haue more he looks over the Pale as it were he seeth something that he desireth and that causeth him to step out whereas if he had enough at home if he had enough in the Lord he would not goe out from him to turne inordinately to the Creature vpon any occasion Thirdly this will appeare likewise from the nature of sinceritie and perfect walking with God for to walke perfectly with God is nothing but this when a man chooseth God so that he cleaues to him alone whereas doublenes of minde stands in this when a man is distracted betweene God and some other obiect I say betweene God and riches betweene God and credit betweene God and pleasure and is sometime applying himselfe to one and sometime to another and so he goes a double way So that when a man hath two principall objects two principall ends vpon which his eye is set when he hath two inward principles within that are the cause of his motion this way and that way such a man is a double minded man he is a single hearted man that chooseth God alone and though he walke imperfectly with him yet he chooseth him Now if a man apprehend Gods All-sufficiency he will choose him alone if he doe not it is impossible he should choose him alone but he will joyne somewhat else with him for if he thinke there is but a partiall sufficiency in God and that there is some sufficiency in any creature besides it must needs be that he must haue an eve vpon both and then his waies will be vneven then his way is vnstable and therefore I say the cause of that instability to which men are subiect is because they doe not apprehend God to be All-sufficient for you must know this by the way that there is a double instabilitie that word is vsed in I am 1. 8. A double minded man is vnstable in all his wayes One is an instabilitie between two objects which makes vp all the sufficiency that he desires so that there is part of that sufficiency in one and part of it in another The second is an instabilitie in following one object that he hath chosen Indeede the second instabilitie all the Saints are subject vnto all regenerate men are vnstable thus in all their
seeke after Iesus Christ wee may preach the Gospell long enough and men for the most part turne the deafe eare to vs till the LORD open their eares by afflictions and especially by the spirit of bondage it cannot bee but there must be some precedent worke wee will not come home to the Lord without it Wee doe all as the Woman that had the bloody issue as long as she had mony in her purse or that there were Physicians to goe to that shee had ability to haue them shee would not come to Christ but when she had spent all when she saw there was no more hope then shee comes to Christ and was healed of her bloody issue so doe we so long as we can liue in sinne wee consider not the greatnesse nor the dearenesse of the disease but if we can but subsist with them wee goe on we come not to Christ but when wee are spoiled of all by the spirit of bondage when wee are put in feare of death that is it that brings vs home to Iesus Christ and therefore we must make an account of it as a generall rule there must be such a spirit of bondage to bring vs home we doe in this case as Ioab did with Absolon when hee liued in the Courâ— in ease and pleasure hee would not come to Absolon hee might send againe and againe but hee would not come at him till his Corne was set on fire and that brought him beloued except there be some such crosse as may make an impression vpon vs such a crosse as hath the spirit of bondage ioyned with it to cause it to wound our spirits as it is said they were pricked in their hearts when they heard Peter I say wee would not come home vnto the LORD wee must haue such an avenger of blood to pursue vs before wee seeke to the Citie of refuge And therefore consider whether thou hast tasted of this spirit and therefore you may obserue this by the way that when God doth write bitter things against a man it is not a iust cause of deiection for this is a signe that God is beginning a good worke in thee seeke not to put it off and to thinke it is a miserable thing to bee vnder such a bondage as this no but make this vse of it let it bring thee home to Iesus Christ. And heere by the way that men may not bee deceiued in this and say Alas I haue not had this spirit of bondage and feare and therefore I feare I am not right My beloued you must know for what end the Lord sends it hee sends it for these two ends and by that you shall know whether you haue it or no for if thou hast the end once if the effect be wrought no doubt but thou hast had the cause that produceth that effect One end is to bring vs home to Christ if thou finde thou hast tooke Iesus Christ it is certaine there hath beene a worke of the spirit of bondage vpon thy heart if thou finde thou art willing to take him vpon any conditions thou art willing to deny thy selfe thou art willing to serue him to loue him and to obey him And a second end is GOD sends this Spirit of bondage that thou mightest know the bitternesse of sinne and learne to abstaine from it that thou mayest learne to tremble at his Word for the time to come I looke to him that is of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my Word that euen so as parents doe with their children they would neuer afflict and correct their children for that which is past but their end is for the time to come that they may not commit the same fault againe otherwise the parent would not lay any affliction vpon the childe and beloued know that the Lord hath this very end in sending the spirit of bondage thou must not thinke it is for thy sinnes past that there may be a kinde of satisfaction made for them that is not the end but the end is that thou mightst know the bitternesse of sinne for the time to come that thou being scorched once with it thou mightst not easily meddle with it againe and therefore if thou findest this to be thy case thou hast so farre tasted of the terrours of the Almighty that thou darest not aduenture vpon sinne thou standest in awe of the LORD that thou darest not bee so bold with sinne as thou hast beene that thou darest not meddle with the occasions of it that thou darest not come neere it I say if thou finde such a tendernesse of conscience in thy selfe if thou finde that that sinne is made terrible to thee that thou diddest despise before for it is the property of a carnall man to despise his waies I say if this be wrought in thee defer not make not dainty of applying the promises because thou hast not receiued the spirit of bondage for thou hast thou hast the effect therefore thou needest not doubt but that thou hast the thing This is it that goes before that which goes together with it I shewed you then is the witnesse of the blood and of the water and of our owne spirit there bee three that beare witnesse in Earth 1 Ioâ— 4. the spirit and the water and the blood by spirit there is meant our owne spirit enlightned by blood is meant Iustification by water is meant sanctification so that that goes together with the witnesse of the spirit The first is the witnesse of the blood that is when a man is humbled when a man is broken with the spirit of bondage then hee beginnes to make out for a pardon when he sees hee is arrested as it were when he is shut vp as that phrase is vsed Gal. 3. and sees what a debt is required of him and he is not able to pay the least farthing now he beginnes to looke out for a surety now he beginnes to hunger and thirst exceedingly after Christ now he is not content onely to watch with him to serue him and to obey him but hee is willing to part with his life and all that he hath vpon that condition Now when a man is in this case then the Lord beginnes to shew him the blood of his Sonne he begins to open a little crevis of light and to shew him the New Testament in his blood that is the New Testament confirmed in his blood shed for many for the remission of sinnes I say he begins then to looke vpon the promises to consider such promises as these Come to mee all yee that are weary c. and If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate and Let whosoeuer will come and take of the waters of life freely and Goe and preach to euery creature vnder heauen and tâ—ll them if they will beleeue and take my Soâ—ne they shall be saued I say these are all promises made in the blood of Iesus Christ. now he begins to consider these