of fasting he that hath restrained sonne and daughter man seruant maid seruant and the stranger that is within the gates from labour on the Sabbath hath also forbbidden to every one all manner of worke whether it be one of your owne Country or a stranger that soiourneth among you Finally he that hath called the seventh day a Sabbath hath also entituled the day of Fast a Sabbath of rest by a statute for ever If then we be ashamed to follow the workes of our hands and the course of our ordinary businesse upon the Lords day we ought also to be afraid to give up our selues to the labours of our callings upon our fast-day which ought with no lesse religion to be obserued then the other But hereof more afterward These are common abstinences belonging to all there is one proper to the married couple that they abstaine from the otherwise lawfull company one of an other Heb. 13.4 and the bed otherwise pronounced to be undefiled The Prophet enioyneth the bridegroome to goe forth of his Chamber Ioel. 2.16 and the bride out of her closet who notwithstanding might iustly if there were any chalenge the greatest priviledge The wise man teaching that to every thing there is a season Eccl. 3.5 and a time to every purpose under the heaven mentioneth a time to imbrace and a time to refraine from imbracing And the Apostle prescribeth that they withdraw themselues with mutuall consent for a time 1 Cor. 7.5 that they may give themselues to fasting and prayer True it is Salomon saith Eccl. 4.9 that two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labour but all this holy time of separation one is better then two and he hath a better reward for his labour It is the Apostles Precept not to defraud one an other Piaefraudes licita but now defrauding is both lawfull and laudable This and all the other outward obseruations howsoever they may seeme childish or at least of small importance to the naturall and carnall man because the Lord is a Spirit Ioh. 4.24 and will be worshipped in spirit and truth and being in their owne nature indifferent neither good nor evill they can make us neither better nor worse Neverthelesse The use and benefit of the outward parts these outward parts have their singular use and benefit that in three respectes for first they are the ordinances of God who hath commanded them and therefore they are not lightly to be esteemed by the judgement of the senses or outward man that can go no farther then to the ceremony it selfe but according to the Scripture and institution of God which teacheth that God will blesse his own ordinances and thereby worke his owne will being undertaken in a lively faith and in his holy feare What may seeme more simple and unsufficient to throw down the strong walles of Iericho then the trumpets of Rammes hornes Iosh 6.4 5. and the shout of the people with a loud voice yet because this was Gods owne ordinance it prevailed What may seeme more weake then the washing of Naaman in the waters of Iordan 2 Ring 5.12 to clense his Leprosie were not Abana and Pharphar the rivers of Damascus as good Yet was it Gods appointment to heale him thereby Iohn 9.6 Exod. 15.25 2 King 2.21 Christ our Saviour made spittle and clay to annoynt the eyes of the blinde and bad him goe to wash in the poole of Siloam a man might have thought this would rather have put out his eyes then restored his sight Yet he went and washed and received sight God oftentimes worketh by weake meanes and sometimes by contrary that the glory may not be of men 2 Cor. 4.7 Exod. 14.28.31 Iosh 6.21 Iudg. 7.4 Dan. 3. Ion. 2. as he conveieth heavenly treasures in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God So then it is the manner of God to work sometimes without meanes sometimes by weake meanes sometimes against meanes and sometimes above meanes as pleaseth him This we see evidently in the Sacraments Secondly they that come to runne and wrestle for a game were wont to abstaine from all such lettes as hinder their exercise 1 Cor. 9.25 and every one that striveth for mastery though it be to obtaine a corruptible Crowne is temperate in all things that may disable them to performe the same with praise and commendation and shall we thinke that the children of God by abstaining from such things as he hath interdicted them shall not have a singular fruit and benefit toward the obtaining of an incorruptible crowne Lastly the mouthes of the enemies are hereby stopped if there were no other profit For they chalenge the Gospell to be a doctrine of liberty licentiousnesse in eating and drinking and that it cannot stand with the practise of fasting why then should we not strive to stoppe the mouthes of such as watch for our halting and take away all occasions from such as seeke occasions to speake evill of our doctrine and profession Hitherto of the outward parts the inward follow Rom. 14.17 For the kingdome of God standeth not in these outward things it is not meate and drinke but righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy Ghost and therefore except we bring with us more then the externall exercises before mentioned our fasting may be matched with the fasting of the beastes of Nineveh for both they did eate nothing and they were covered with sackcloth and if we doe no more what priviledge have we above them Wherefore we must consider the inward vertues helped forward and furthered by the outward and bodily exercises as it is in the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper Ioel. 1.13 2.17 Math. 9.15 1 Sam. 7.6 The inward parts and manner of fasting consisteth in foure things humiliation repentance prayer and confidence The first is humiliation never more necessary then at such times which consisteth in the sight of our sinnes in the feeling of our misery in a bewayling of our vile estate and an humble and particular confession of all knowne sinnes without any reseruation of any one 2 Sam. 12.22 Gen 21.17 Psal 147.9 109.27.28 145.15.16 We must poure out the inward mourning of the heart witnessed and signified by the outward teares of the eyes If this be wailing and lamentation be found in us certainely he which heard the moane and mourning wrung from Ismael and Hagar in their extremity he which heareth the cry of the young Ravens the roaring of the Lyons that call upon him will much rather heare the sorrowfull lamentation of his owne deare children which they make unto him in their misery This humiliation answereth with good proportion and agreement to the outward parts for thereby we confesse our selues unworthy of food of rest of apparell of life it selfe or of any helpe comfort of this life The second part is
holinesse or doe we bridle and restraine our selves from such things wherein wee have offended No doubtlesse these are farre from us and therefore we from repentance A fast and put on sackcloth Thus much generally is to be obserued from the practise of the Ninevites that revenged themselues of their excesse and superfluity by fasting and sackcloth now we are to speake of fasting in particular But first of all let us set downe the doctrine We learne Doct. that publike fasting was alwayes wont to be sanctified and appointed among Gods people in times of dangers either present or imminent Publike faster were alwayes called and sanctified in times of danger This is confirmed by sundry precepts as Levit. 16.29 This shall be a statute for ever unto you in the seventh mouth on the tenth day of the moneth ye shall afflict your soules by a statute for ever So the Prophet Ioel chap. 2.15.16 Blow the Trumpet in Zion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assembly gather the people sanctifie the Congregation assemble the Elders gather the Children and those that sucke the breast c. see how he heapeth sundry commandements together binding the Priests the people the Congregation the Elders the children the married that is all sortes high and low young and old one and other The truth of this farther appeareth by sundry examples of such as have gone before us in this practise Ezra the good Scribe of the Lord and Nehemiah the religious governour of the people fasted and all that were under their charge Ezr. 8.21 Neh. 9.1 2 Chron. 20.3 So Iehoshaphat ordained a fast throughout all Iudah when the enemies upon a suddaine had broken into the borders of his kingdome hee knew no way better how to resist them and drive them backe than this which he found stronger than the sword of the mighty and so shall we find praying and fasting stronger to withstand the infection and to call the heauy hand of God gone out against us and striking downe many thousands of us than all the rules and receites the meanes and medicines which the wisest Physitions can prescribe if we performe it aright Exod. 17.11 1 Sam. 7.9.10 as Exod. 17. the sword of Ioshua was not so forcible as the praier of Moses for while he held up his hands Israel prevailed and when he let downe his hands Amalek prevailed True it is good meanes are neither to be despised nor neglected for that were to tempt God and to strengthen the enemy howbeit of themselues they profit little the greatest power and strength lyeth in prayer which sanctifieth our fasting Now that we may understand the doctrine of fasting aright What we must do to understand the doctrine of fasting aright what a fast is and so be directed the better in the practise thereof let us consider these fiue points what it is what be the kindes thereof the parts the reasons and lastly the uses The first point is what it is Fasting is an abstinence from all meates and drinkes from euen to even commanded of God to testifie our solemne repentance and to make our praiers more effectuall I call this an abstinence from all meates and drinkes as appeareth plainely in this Chap. Let neither man nor beast taste any thing let them not feed nor drinke water 2 Sam. 3.35 vers 7. The same speakth David when he fasted for the murthering of Abner who was slaine by the sword of Ioab God doe so to me and more also if I taste bread or ought else til the sunne be down Many there are that pretend a solemne fasting when indeed they doe nothing lesse such dissimulation there is with God man Better it were never to keepe a fasting than to obserue such a mocke fast for their fasting is eating and drinking Let us not fast in shew and feed in secret neither make profession of one thing and practise another I adde in the description from even to even that is for an whole day This we saw in the example of David before who fasted till the Sunne went downe And 1 Sam. 14.24 they must not eate bread untill evening So the Israelites having received two great losses doe humble themselues and gather themselues together into the house of the Lord. They wept and sate downe before the Lord Iudg. 20.16 and fasted that day untill the evening and the next day they prevailed against their enemies Thus for the death of Saul and Ionathan and the slaughter of the people 2 Sam. 1.12 they likewise wept and fasted untill the evening 2 Sam. 1. because they were fallen with the sword And Ioshua after the discomfiture of Israel by the men of Ai rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the Arke of the Lord Iosh 7.6 untill the eventide he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads Thus we see the time how long we are restrained to keepe as in a meane between too much and too little The next point is that it is commanded of God This we saw before and this maketh a difference betweene humane fastes of which we shall speake in the next point and this that is a Divine institution So then fasting is not a will-worship nor devise of man but an Ordinance of God The next point is that it serueth to make profession of our repentance and so to be a meanes to worke in us the greater humiliation Hence it is that it is called the humbling of the soule or an afflicting thereof Levit. 23.27 Numb 29.7 to seeke of him a right way for us Ezr. 8.21 and it was evermore joyned with praier 1 Sam. 7.6 Numb 29.7 they fasted on that day and said there Luk. 2.37 We have sinned against the Lord and Luk. 2. it is said of Anna the Prophetesse she departed not from the Temple but serued God with fasting and prayers night and day This is the life of our fasting when we make it as the wing of prayer wherby more swiftly we make it fly up to heaven and pierce the cloudes and enter into the presence of God Therefore the last part of the description is that it serueth to maks our prayers more earnest and effectuall as verse 7. Let neither man nor beast feed nor drinke water but cry mightily unto God For as fulnesse maketh us more unfit dul heavy sleepy and consequently untoward to every good worke so this abstinence quickneth our zeale feeling faith and every good worke So then touching the nature of Fasting Fasting hath the nature of a Sabbath from all these points joyntly considered we learne that it hath the nature of a Sabbath because at such time seasons we are bound to abstaine not onely from meates and drinkes but no lesse from our ordinary labours profits and pleasures even such as at other times are lawfull become now unlawfull Wherefore as the Lord commandeth to sanctifie the Sabbath so he commandeth to sanctifie
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
or our carnall pleasures if we had followed the calling of God and waited at the postes of his house if we had beene as carefull and eager to heare as we are foolish and madde to follow our vanities we might have obtained and receiued faith and repentance long agoe Shall we then be so Prophane as to bring the Lord to dance our attendance and to give us his grace when we our selues list and to bestow it upon us at our leysure and pleasure In all worldly businesse we know we must take opportunity while it is offered we can say that tide and time tarryeth no man and that happily we may never have the same occasion offered us againe why then are we not as wise for spirituall and heavenly things as we are for earthly and for the life to come as for this present life Remember this if we remember nothing else that Iacob obtained the blessing while Esau was in hunting Gen. 27. So might we happily obtaine faith and repentance while we are hunting after our pleasures or profits and while we sit idle or lye sleeping in our houses or worse occupied than thus and will not vouchsafe to come and hearken unto his word Never therefore wickedly accuse the Lord for not giving to thee the graces of faith and repentance but come home and enter into thy selfe and learne to accuse thine owne wicked and prophane heart who doest not so much as thou hast in thine owne power to wit to come to the house of God and to heare and attend Let us doe these things diligently and we may looke for his blessing Math. 13.12 for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance Besides God is bound to no man the winde bloweth freely where it list and may he not doe with his owne as pleaseth him or who can complaine against him True it is God is able to convert us and to give us to beleeve without the meanes of his word because he is not tyed thereunto but he hath tyed us and left us no other way Luk. 16.29.31 1 Cor. 1.21 Rom. 10.14 He will by the preaching of the word save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1.21 and how shall they heare without a Preacher Rom. 10. The Lord fed Israel his people with quailes in the wildernesse and gave them bread from heaven but when he had brought them into Canaan a land flowing with milke and honey where they had corne and haruest in due season the Manna ceased Iosh 5.12 he fed them no longer from heaven So then this is the first point we must marke and practise we must be swft to heare with reverence with Conscience and with diligence use all the meanes we can to attaine to regeneration Touching the second point It is our duty to be slow to speake as we must be swift to heare so we must be slow to speake not slow or backward to speake of the word to conferre one with another and to sit and reason of the wayes of the Lord but slow to speak against it to quarrell with it to gainesay it resist it as the manner of many is who have dul eares but nimble tongues they are slow to heare but quicke to speake and reject what they have heard quite contrary to the Apostles commandement These men will question oftentimes with their companions as carnall as themselues but seldome or never will once conferre with the Minister who is most able to resolve them and most willing to instruct them which argueth they are possessed with a spirit of contradiction have no desire to be instructed The third point is slow to wrath It is our duty to be slow to wrath and to be offended when we heare our speciall sinnes touched and our corruptions ripped up to the quicke These are like the hearers of Stephen Act. 7.54.57.58 Act. 7. when they heard somewhat that pleased them not their hearts brast with anger and they guashed upon him with their teeth they cryed out with a loud voyce stopped their eares and ranne upon him with one accord Our hearers happly will not use these gestures but they will practise worse they will laugh at us and that not closely in their sleeves as we say but openly in our faces an evident argument of the contempt not of our persons so much as of the word of God it selfe Gal. 4.16 But what are we therefore become your enemies because we tell you the truth These never came to any degree of repentance or regenetation Iam. 1.20 for the wrath of man cannot accomplish the righteousnes of God Iā 1. He that will reprove others with fruit must ree his minde from fury and hastinesse so must hearers likewise if they will heare with profit For as surgeons Chrysost advers Gentes that goe about to cut off rotten members do not fill themselues with anger or choler when they goe about their cure but then specially endeavour to quiet their mindes from such unruly passions least happly such distemper might hinder their art so should reproovers be free from wrath least it should hinder them from doing that good which otherwise they might doe In like manner such as are hearers and reprooved that it may be as a precious oyle that shall not breake their head Psal 141.5 when they come into the house of God to heare his word which is able to save their soules must lay aside all filthinesse superfluity of naughtinesse and put on the spirit of meekenesse to receive the word ingrafted in us neiter must be offended at the word it selfe when it speaks not as they would have it Word came to the King he rose from his throne c. All these gestures of the King he rose he layd aside he covered he sate downe in ashes doe declare his forwardnesse and all of them are amplified by the circumstance of time so soone as the word of God preached by Ionah came unto him This teacheth us that repentance must be present speedy Doct. without delay or prolonging of the time from one day to an other Repentance must be speedy For if the King and the rest of the Ninevites had done so they had beene utterly overthrowne for not repenting The Prophet exhorteth to heare the voyce of the Lord while it is called to day Psal Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.13 and 4.7 Esay 55.6 95. and the Apostle exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. Hereunto tendeth the precept Seeke the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is neere Esay 55. And no marveill For first Reason 1 the deferring and delaying of repentance is an argument of great folly heaping up the greater measure of sinne and drawing a farther degree of judgment Math. 23.32.34.35 Rom. 2.5.6 making our selues two-fold more the children of hell as
whirlewind as it fell out with the old world and the men of Soâ—ome We are here travailers when once our journey is at an end by death there is no place of turning from our evill wayes While it is day we may worke Ioh. 9. There is no working in the night when death taketh us away The day of judgement is called the day of the Lord because then he taketh an account Rom. 2.6 2 Cor. 5.10 and payeth men their wages Rom. 2.6 and giveth them their reward according to their workes for we must all appeare before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 Hence it is that the Apostle exhorteth us to heare his voyce to day not at our owne leysure or pleasure To day is Gods voyce to morrow is the Devils language to day is Gods perswasion to morrow is the Devils perswasion We know that Manna was gathered upon the sixe dayes but none the Sabbath the day of rest from our labours so upon the sixe dayes of our life the heavenly Manna of faith in Christ and of repentance from dead workes may be gathered but when the day commeth that we must rest from our labours faith and repentance are ceased True it is some went out to seeke Manna upon the Sabboth but they found none so the foolish virgins sought oyle for their lampes but they found none Math. 25. The life to come is the time of recompence not of repentance of wages not of working of judgment not of judging of our selues Secondly they are reprooved that thinke either of themselues or of others that they need no repentance at alâ— because they liue unblamably civilly and uprightly For what will it availe all their civill cariage that they love the Church formally frequent the word and Sacraments live in peace with their neighbours defraud no man oppresse no man pay every man his due all this outward honesty is farre from inward piety and being without faith and repentance it is no better before God then a beautifull sinne Luk. 16.15 Math. 5.20 and albeit it be highly esteemed among men it is abominable in the sight of God And therefore to such our Saviour saith Except your righteousnesse shall exceede the righteousnesse of the Scrâ—bes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdome of heaven Ob. Math. 5. But it may be objected upon the words of the Evangelist Luk. 15.7 There shall be more joy in heaven over one sinner that converteth then over ninety and nine just persons that need no amendment of life where our Saviour speaketh as though some were so righteous that it was needlesse and superfluous for them to repent Answ I answer the Scripture vseth to speake two wayes sometimes simply sometimes comparatively or respectively As the faithfull sometimes are said to be a great company and sometimes a little flocke many considered in themselves few compared with the rest So there are none in themselves so just that they need not repent for there is none righteous no not one but if we respect men already called and understand the words spoken comparatively in respect of sinners uncalled that never repented it is certaine they need not so much repentance as other as an house well repaired will not need so much repairing as that which hath beene let runne to decay and was never repaired For our Saviour having expressed the joy conceived by finding of the lost groate and the stray sheepe he enlargeth it by an unequall comparison wherein it is compared with the joy which is conceived for them that are now righteous and already converted as it were the greater with the losse True it is some understand the words as spoken of the Angels who need no returning to God because they never turned from him others of the Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites Luk. 18.9 who thought themselues righteous men and despised others of whom our Saviour saith Math. 9.12.13 The whole need not a Physitian but they that are sicke and againe I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Howbeit the first interpretation seemeth to me to be most proper and naturall according best with the words of our Saviour in other places Lastly it is the duty of naturall men to use the meanes appointed of God to bring them to repentance Happy are all such as have repented they are entred into the way of Salvation and have one foot in heaven On the other side they lye in the state of damnation that have not wrought in them a true conversion It behoveth them therefore to learne and consider how God hath ordained to bring us to repentance The Apostle teacheth that we are borne againe not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.23 by the word of God which liveth and abideth for ever It is a common thing for every one to boast of repentance but how came they to attaine unto it for they regard not the word the law they account too bitter a Pill to swallow and the Gospel or grace of God they turne into wantonnesse It is the voyce of our Saviour Except ye repent Luk. 13.3.5 ye shall all likewise perish but if the repentance of every one ware measured by their conscience to the word I feare we should not have much repentance found among us When the Prophet had threatned Nebuchad-nezzar Dan. 4.25.27 that he should be driven from men and have his dwelling with the beastes of the field he counselled him to breake off his sinnes by righteousnesse and his iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore as the meanes and ready way to lengthen his tranquillity so may I say to all naturall men that have their dwelling shall I say with the beasts nay with the Devill and his Angels who rule in them let my counsel be acceptable to you hearken to the word be swift to heare it let it dwell plentifully in you and be doers and practisers of it that ye may feele the power of it being conuerted by it and so glorifie God in the day of your visitation Turne every one from his evill wayes Here is the substance of the Kings Proclamation wherein one thing is expressed and under it an other is comprehended For it is â—o onely required of us to turne from evill Doct. but to returne to the Lord and to do good Repentance stands in turning from our euill wayes to God This teacheth the nature of true repentance that it standeth in turning from our evill wayes to God For the better understanding of this point we must obserue why it is called a turning and what manner of turning repentance is The Metaphor of turning is drawne from a traveiler in the way who missing the path and going astray hath no remedy but he must come backe againe and returne into the right way if
of his Angels Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish We have heard before that the scope of Christ in these words to which the examples one going before the other following after are referred is to perswade men to repentance This we must lay as the foundation of our weekly meeting together to make profession before God before men and Angels of our repentance to renew our Couenant with God and to seale to it with our hearts and to cry unto him to remove his judgements that lye heavy upon us Consider in this threatning farther an other doctrine to wit what danger it is to omit and reject repentance such persons are subject to death and destruction thâ—â— repent not Doct. This teacheth Such as continue in sinne without repentance shall certainly perâ—â— that howsoever God for a time spare and forbeare the Church and do not alway strike upon every occasion as he might do yet it is a sure and certaine thing concluded with him that such as continue to walke and wallow in evill without repentance their end is confusion their reward and wages is to perish See the truth of this in the Prophet remembred in a parable answearable to that which followeth of the Vineyard he had pruned trimmed and hedged about it he had digged and dunged done all that he could Esay 5.4 he looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes the conclusion is this I will take away the hedge and it shall be troden downe I will command the clouds and they shall raine upon it I will lay it waste and there shall come up briers and thrones This will farther appeare by sundry examples and by the wofull experience of many desolations made in all ages of the Church through default of repentance When the Lord had heaped his mercies upon the old world Gen. 6.3 and given them 120. yeares the dayes of his patience as the time of their repentance he sent the Patriarkes that called upon them and appointed Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 who confirmed his doctrine by building the Arke which was a figure of the destruction of the world of the ungodly yet they continued their evil wayes Luc. 17.27 eating and drinking c they never though of the day of the Lord they never considered the day of their visitation the flood come and destroyed them all a small remnant reserued and a few soules saved The like we might say of the Sodomites Gen. 13.13 19.25 Gen. 19. They were exceeding sinners before the Lord and were overturned with fire from heaven because they repented not And was it any otherwise with the Israelites themselues 2 Chro. 36. he sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes because he had compassion on his people and desireth not the death of a sinner 2 Chro. 36.16 Math. 23.37.38 but that they should turne vnto him but after all this they mocked his messengers and despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord in the end arose against his people till there was no remedy So then howsoever God sometimes spareth the sonnes of men yet such as continue in sinne and wholly delight in the workes of the flesh the end of them is fearefull they repent not and therefore they must perish Reason 1. Reason 1 He hath pure eyes and cannot like or allow that which is evill For can two walke together Amos. 3.3 except they be agreed but the Lord hath no agreement with evill neither have the evill any agreement with him He is holy in all his wayes but impenitency is contrary to his wayes and hath all sinnes following after it and attending upon it and consequently also all plagues Ier. 5. Secondly he taketh away his mercy and louing kindnesse from such What is it then that turneth away his heavy wrath and displeasure from us Is it any worthinessein our selues we are alas an uncleane thing Doth any deserve life or can he plead with his maker we are all corrupt and abominable The world the Church the Common-wealth our selues our owne Consciences know it and witnesse against us Lam. 3.22 It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not His mercy is not reserved for the impenitent that proceed and goe forward in their sinnes this were to confound heaven earth nay heaven and hell God and the devill Therefore the Prophet Ieremy declareth that God had taken away his mercies from them Ier. 5. If then he will not shew mercy to such as walke in the stubbornnesse of their euill hearts conclude with me this point for a certaine truth that howsoever God forbeare the children yet wearying him by vrging and provoking him by our sinnes destruction is reserued for such impenitent persons Seeing such as have hearts that cannot repent Vse 1 doe heape up wrath as a treasure against the day of wrath and iust declaration of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 let us put farre from us the wayes of the impenitent let them not clea◠〈◊〉 as pitch unto our soules lest if we follow their workes we be partakers of their Plagues Let us be grieved for our former evils and returne to the Lord that be which hath sâ—ricken us may heale us againe But alas while we goe forward in our wicked wayes doe we hold this point that the impenitent are reserved to wrath So many of us as hold and beleeve this truth let us depart from our old courses and labour to heape up mercy upon mercy Iob. 21.30 being assured that the wicked is reserved to the day of wrath and destruction O how many things have we neede to repent of the dayes of our ignorance the sinnes of our youth our presumptuous sinnes If the Lord call us to an account who shall be able to abide Secondly let no man mocke at his judgements or set light by them let no man thinke himselfe safe and secure and no danger to be neere him because he seeth not his judgements at hand or upon him or evermore to fall out O how deepe are his judgements how neere oftentimes when we suppose them to be farthest off how unsearchable are his Counsels and his wayes past finding out Esâ—y 28.15 2 Pâ—t 3 3. Carnal men promise peace and have made a covenant with death and with hell and make a mocke of all judgements They see the wicked prosper and the ungodly florish but they cannot mealure him that is not to be measured there is no measure of that which is infinite God hath more workes to worke then one he will not speake peace for ever Esai 28.24 The husbandman doth not plough al the yeare long neither reap or gather into his barne all the yeare and God hath given to man this wisedome and understanding to observe the times and seasons and shall we not thinke that the Lord also hath his times of his judgements and of
his mercies Hee hath preached unto us by his mercies a long time and the dayes of his patience have long continued among us How neere hath Gods hand bin unto many of us in the great plague When it hath beene in the same house one hath bin taken away and another hath bin spared Nay in the same bed one hath bin smitten another hath had his life granted him for a pray Consider this yee that have forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before his judgement falleth upon us He commeth with a leaden foote but he striketh with a rod of iron and dasheth his enemies in pieces as a potters vessel The Lord complaineth in the Prophet Ier. 8.7 that the storke in the Heaven knoweth her appointed times and the turtle and the crane and the Swallow obserue the time of their comming but my people know not the judgement of the Lord they have rejected the word of the Lord c. Every man even by the light of nature obserueth his times for his several workeâ— Skilfull Physitians have their times of the yeare and of the Moone for their purges and potions The Mariner stayeth not when the tide is come the Husbandman soweth while it is winter the Smith striketh while the iron is hote the Merchant buyeth while the market lasteth thus doe these take their time while the time tarrieth onely men in the matters of God and their owne Saluation know not or will not know the time of their returning Eph. 5.14 They will not awake from their deepe sleepe in sinne they will not stand up from the dead that Christ may give them light and life They will not heare his voyce while it is called to day but suffer themselves to be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne The Lord speaketh in the time present behold now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation but we will take a further day with God as desperate debters doe with men they can abide no present reckonings Thus doth Satan beguile carelesse sinners he promiseth them time enough hereafter like to biting Vsurers as one saith who are wont to give day to young heires from yeare to yeare untill at last they wind and wring their inheritance from them So the Prince of darknesse August Confâ—s lib. 8. cap. 5 the God of this world suggesteth to the children of disobedience that they may let repentance alone a little and it will be soone enough to come anone to repent heereafter Remember that Esau losing the opportunity of the blessing sought it afterward with teares Heb. 12.17 and yet found no place for repentance Remember that the rich man cryed for mercy but it was too late Lne 16.24 Remember the foolish Virgins that cryed Lord Lord open unto us Math. 25.11.12 7.22.23 but the doore of mercy was shut and they received their answer verily I say vnto you I know you not Remember that many shall say in that day Lord have we not Prophecied in thy name and in thy name have cast out Devils and in thy name done many wonderfull workes but it shall be said to them Depart from me yee that worke iniquity Let us therefore beginne betimes to turne to God while the day of grace endureth let us cease to doe evill learne to doe well eschew evill and doe good Lastly let no man flatter himselfe with the enioying of earthly blessings health wealth peace plenty and prosperity nor with the bare continuance of the Gospel among us as though it must therefore goe well with us and that we must needes be highly in Gods fauour This was the folly of Micah Iudg. 17.13 Now I know that the Lord will doe me good seing I have a Levite to my priest This was the vaine flattery of the Iewes who because they had Abraham to their father together with the law and the Oracles the Arke and the Covenant thought themselves in a good case and that they must needes be Gods people they cryed the Temple of the Lord this is the Temple of the Lord. But Iohn the Baptist putteth them from this foolish confidence in the flesh Math. 3. Math. 3.9 thinke not to say within your selves we have Abraham to our father for I say vnto you that God is able of these stones to raise vp children vnto Abraham And the Prophet Ieremy chap. 7. Ier. 7.8.9 Behold ye trust in lying words that shall not profit will ye steale murther and commit adultery c. and then come and stand in this house before me which is called by my name and say we are delivered to doe all these abominations behold I see it sayth the Lord. O let it not be so with us to prophane the house house of God to continue in our sinnes farre be it from us to bring them to the place of Gods worship for this will cause him to curse all our meetings and assemblies that they shall be for the worse not for the better to encrease our plagues not decrease them and to double his judgements not diminish them Let us therefore leave them behind us and cast them from us never to returne to them againe 2 Pet. 2.22 lest we be like the Dog that returneth to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Otherwise let us not boast of the Gospel and flatter our selves because we have the Gospel as the Iewes did glory in the Temple but seeke to bring forth the fruit of the Gospel For our sinnes are the causes of all plagues and judgements neither can we looke that he should stay his hand or say to the destroying Angel 2 Sam. 24.16 It is enough stay now thy hand as he did in the dayes of David And doubtlesse then we have begun to profit vnder the correcting hand of God when we seeke the cause of his judgments within us and acknowledge out sinnes to be the cause of all For what is the true cause of this plague and pestilence Our sinnes And what is the cause of the continuance of his heavy judgement Rom. 1.18 doubtlesse the continuance in our sinnes We must confesse that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all vngodlinesse and vnrighteousnesse of men When Israel had received an overthorw and turned and their backes to their enimes Iosh 7.10.11 When we are chastened we must looke to our sinnes 1 Cor. 11.30 Esay 64.5.7 Lam. 3.39.40 Levit. 26. the Lord said unto Ioshua Get thee up wherefore lyest thou thus upon thy face Israel hath sinned and they have also trespassed my Covenant which I coÌ„manded them for they have even taken of the accursed thing and have also stollen and dissembled also Nay as we encrease our sinnes in number and measure he will not onely continue his judgements but encrease them also and if we will not for all this hearken vnto him but walke contrary unto him he will walke
met with him in the end for he perished and no man lamented for him saying The fourth reproofe Ah my brother Fourthly such are convinced who breath nothing but threatnings as it were fire and flames out of their mouthes and thinke upon nothing but revenge against their enemies never considering the shortnesse of their owne lives and that vengeance may first meet them in the way and fall upon their owne heads Such never marke nor meditate with themselves Psal 7.16 9.15 Eccl. 10.8 what danger may lye at their owne doores and hang over their heads as they that dig a pit for others and fal into it first themselves or spread a nett to ensnare others and their owne foote is taken therein We see an example hereof in Haman Ester Est 7.10 7. He builded a paire of Gallous for an other more righteous then himselfe and himselfe was hanged thereon as also the adversaries of Daniel cast him into the denne of Lyons to be devoured Dan. 6.24 but themselves were destroyed for the Lyons had the mastery of them and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottome of the denne Lastly The fift reproofe this meditation reproveth such as are unmercifull toward those that are in misery and necessity and will part with nothing never regarding what mischiefe may hang over their owne heads and in what wonderfull uncertainty they hold their lives their estates their goods and all that they have For what store and plenty soever we have present we do not know what want and penury we may suffer Many that have had abundance and superfluity of all things have also had lamentable experience of great misery before their last end Eccl. 11.1.2 This doth Salomon teach Eccl. 11. Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many dayes give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evill shall be upon the earth Where he exhorteth to liberality and bountifulnesse toward the poore and not thinke we have done enough when we have given to one or two yea he stirreth up thereunto from the uncertainty of things which we dreame to be certaine All earthly things are uncertaine in sundry respectes and not to measure things by our present fruition and possession of them All earthly things as life it selfe are uncertaine and that in divers respects For first it is uncertaine whether we shall prolong our dayes to shew our bounty toward other as Eccl. 9. Whatsoever thy hand shall find to doe doe it with thy might Eccl. 9.10 for there is no worke in the grave whither thou goest VVe must walke in the light while we have it Gal. 6.10 the darkenesse commeth wherein no man can worke as we have therefore opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the household of faith Gal. 6.10 Secondly whether our substance which we have in present shall continue and abide with us or not It is not with the world and worldly things as with spirituall and heavenly things Math. 6.19 For the moth and rust may corrupt the former and theeues breake through and steale them away but they cannot deprive us of the latter Therefore Salomon warneth us that riches are deceitfull that we should not lay up our treasure upon earth but in heaven Pro. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves winges and fly away as an Eagle doth toward heaven So the rich in this world are charged not to be high-minded 1 Tim. 6.17 nor to trust in uncertaine riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enioy Thirdly we know not whether our selves or at least some of ours how surely soever we may thinke we have feathered our nestes may be driven to pouerty and misery and compelled even to begge our bread and crave an almes of others and happily of those whom we have despised and derided as much as now we have and as rich as now we seeme to be and how setled soever we suppose our estate to remaine when happily we may finde others as hard-hearted and streight-laced toward our selves as we have beene toward them And it is the just judgement of God that they find no mercy who have shewed no mercy Besides among all uncertainties this is not the least of all whether our heire sonne or daughter or other shall waste consume all that we have gotten and gathered and whatsoever we have heaped and hoarded together or a stranger possesse all or if we were sure to leave our substance to the heire of our bodies Eccl. 2.19 Who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a Fools that shall have rule over all our labour Let us therefore follow the counsell of our Saviour Luc. 16. Luc. 16.9 I say unto you make you friends of this earthly Mammon that when ye faile they may receive you into everlasting habitations he meaneth that our good workes will give a friendly testimony to our consciences that we are the elect of God and have not beleeved in vaine To conclude let us remember the saying of the Prophet after that he hath brought in the counterfeit fasting of the hypocrites of his time complaining that they had fasted God regarded it not and pleasing themselves in the outward worke Esay 58. saying Is this such a fast as I have chosen a day for a man to afflict his soule to how downe his head as a bulrush and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him wilt thou call this a fast an acceptable day to the Lord He proccedeth to teacheth them and us by them what to doe Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to deale thy bread to the hungry lo bring the poore to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh Hereby we make our fast acceptable to God otherwise covetous and miserable persons may like of it thereby to save somewhat both to pinch their servants at home and to defraud their owne bellies but if it be performed aright then shall our righteousnesse goe before us and the glory of the Lord shall be our reward Secondly glory not of the time to come Pro. 27.1 neither ascribe any power to our selves let us not resolve and appoint what we will doe we know not what God hath decreed and determined concerning us The Apostle Iames concludeth this Iam. 4.13 chap. 4. Goe to now ye that say To day or to morrow we will goe into such a city and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine whereas ye know not what shal be on the morrow for what is your life it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away for that ye ought to say If
patience of God is offered to the children of men that thereby they may be brought to amendment of life Gods patirequireth fruit The end of his patience must lead us to repentance VVhile Noah a preacher of righteousnesse was building an Arke God spared the world an hundred and twenty yeares Gen. 6.3 VVhen Ionah preached to Niniveh sorty dayes were granted to turne every one from his evill wayes Ion. 3.8 and from the violence that was in his hands The purpose therefore of God was to draw them to repentance which when each one of the City practised he turned from his wrath and spared them Neh. 9.30 Dan. 9.6 Esay 5.4 VVe may see this at large Neh. 9.30 Dan. 9.6 So the Prophet Esay chap. 5. What could I have done more for my vineyard then that I have done in it So then Gods forbearance and longsuffâ—rance hath this drift and purpose to try whether we will turne to him and repent or not And no marveil First Reason 1 that men may be conuinced of the righteous judgements of God and say and confesse that nothing on Gods part hath beene omitted which he hath not done and that on our part they have beene justly deserved Hence it is that in the Prophet he maketh the Church it sâ—lfe judge between him and his vineyard Esay 5.3 Esay 5. Iudge I pray you betweene me and my vineyard Secondly God respecteth the clearing and justifying of himselfe in all his actions that he is not as it is in the parable an hard man that reapeth where he hath not sowen and gathereth where he hath not strowed Psal 51.4 for he desireth to receive the fruit of his owne labour as Psal 51. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest He cannot be charged to be severe or unjust or to have dealt too streightly who cryeth out againe and againe Ezek. 18.31.32 Turne ye turne ye why will ye dye and not live O house of Israel therefore let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. So then he taketh this course for these two endes the one to convince us of his righteous judgments the other to give glory to his owne name that he hath not beene of unequall wayes but hath ever tendred our good and benefit Seing patience looketh for amendment of life Vse 1 and that this is the end thereof on Gods part these are certaine conclusions that he desireth not the death of a sinner he is not pleased with their destruction but in the conversion of a sinner we gâ—ieve the spirit of God by our sinnes it is noted of the Angels Luc. 1.5.7.10 that joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth how much more may we say of God as he is described in the faâ—her of the prodigall son when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion on him he ranne and fell on his necke and kissed him even when he had done nothing the Lord only knew his purpose and willingnesse to humble himselfe and to say father I have sinnâ—d against heaven and before thee c. he tarried not untill he came unto him and fell downe before him but prevented him and met him in the way If he were delighted in the destruction of us and to make desolations in the earth and to trample us under his feet how could we escape seeing every soule calleth for justice and judgement and he is provoked every day As the day is renewed so are our sinnes renewed as Ezek. 18. and 33. have I any pleasure at all Ezek. 18.23 33.11 that the wicked should dye sayth the Lord God and not that he should returne from his wayes and live turne ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel Let us waigh and consider the wonderfull kindnesse of the Lord and the difference that is betweene him and us Alas we upon every occasion and every moment how ready are we to worke revenge to take vengeance to the full Alas how soone are we provoked and our anger once kinded is not quickly turned away This is our comfort it is not so with God If he were not of another nature and affection then we are who should be able to beare it and abide it He spake the word in the beginning and we were he can speake the word againe and our breath is soone stopped and our dayes are ended Secondly observe that the Lord is not slacke of his comming as some men count slacknesse Many repine at Gods goodnesse toward others but never I warrant you toward themselves Their eye is evill because his is good They envy others the grace of God They are willing nothing should passe by themselves We see this in Ionah toward the Ninivites when he saw that God repented of the evill that he had threatned Ion. 4.3.9 he was angry even unto death and besought the Lord to take his life from him Thus did the labourers repine and murmure who boasted that they had borne the burden and heate of the day all those that were hired about the eleventh houre Math. 20.11.12 and wrought but one houre that they should be made equall unto them Thus the brother of the prodigall son was angry when his father had received him into his favour againe Luc. 15. Luc. 15.27.28 2 Pet. 3.9 This use the Apostle Peter concludeth God is not slacke of his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient and long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Lastly seing this is the end of his patience take heed we doe not despise contemne and abuse it which provoketh the greater judgment and condemnation Shall a father see his lenity and gentlenesâ—e abused and not rise up with greater indignation This use the Apostle maketh of the doctrine Rom. 2. Rom. 2.4.5 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after thy hardnesse c. O that we would diligently enter into the meditation of this use and lay it up in our hearts He hath spoken unto us earely and late but we have provoked him to wrath early and late and have heaped up one evill upon another yet hath the Lord spared us a long time yea and yet spareth us He might justly have begun with us have made us examples to them and who could have said unto him why doest thou thus but we hitherto remaine untouched and he maketh others examples to us and yet where is our repentance have we not cause to feare that his hand will make an end with us Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard Behold these three yeares I come c. Hitherto of the generall scope of the parable Bezae Annotat in hunc locum now we come to the
life It is not so with the ungodly who are in bondage to sinne to Satan to their owne lusts and corruptions which bringeth all that they possesse into bondage with them True it is they may shew their warrant from men and bring forth their evidences or leases their writings and seales their bonds and indentures but what is all this to their right and claime from God and to a sound sanctified use of them before him For the bondage of their persons bringeth with it the bondage of their possessions All therefore that they have and hold is a bad and a bond hold They can fetch their title no further then from men and from their courts and customes Howsoever such are ready to cry out with the Iewes Iohn 8.33 Wee were never in bondage to any yet while they take themselves to bee the freest men upon the earth and to have liberty to make others free 2 Pet. 2.19 they are themselves the servants nay slaves to their owne corruption for of whom a man is overcome of the same is he brought into bondage Flocke Another observation arising from the number here used Another observation fitly ariseth from the name and number here used as the former did from the borrowed speech and title ascribed to the faithfull For hee calleth not his people flockes as speaking of many but he singleth them out in the singular number as speaking of one onely by the name of a flocke my little flocke one flocke not many or severall flockes True it is there are many sheepe yet they make but one flocke or sheepfold This teacheth us Doct. 3 that the Church of Christ is onely one and not divers So wee professe in the Articles of our faith to beleeve one holy and Catholike Church not many Catholike Churches This Christ himselfe sheweth plainely Ioh. 10. there is one Shepheard and one Sheepfold Iohn 10.16 The Shepheard is but one so the flockes are not many Thus also the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 12. 1 Cor. 12.12 Ephes 1.10 2.16 There be many members yet but one body This we finde often repeated in him in many places he purposed to gather together in one all things both which are in Heaven and in earth Ephes 1.10 we being many are one body in Christ Rom. Rom. 12.5 Gal. 3.28 1 Cor. 10.17 Iohn 17.21 12.5 Ye are all one in Christ Jesus Gal. 3.28 Wee being many are on bread and one body 1 Cor. 10.17 This is the effect of our Saviours prayer That they all may bee one as thou O Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us This also Salomon setteth downe Cant. 6. My Dove my undefiled is but one Cant. 6.9 she is the onely one of her Mother she is the chiefe one of her that bare her The trâ—th hereof better appeareth Reas 1 if wee consider the titles given to the Church Psal 87.2 48.2 Cant. 4.9 12. 5.2 Esay 2.2 5.7 1 Cor. 6.19 Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.2 Ephes 3.15 Gâ—l 4.26 1 Tim. 3.15 It is called the City of God Psal 87.2 The City of the great King and the joy of the whole world Psal 48 2. The body of Christ Ephes 1.22 23. 5.23 1 Cor. 12.27 Col. 1.18 The spouse of Christ Cant. 4.9 The Mountaine of the Lord Esay 2.2 The Temple of God 1 Cor. 6.19 The house of God Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.2 The piller and ground of the Truth 1 Tim. 3.15 The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts Esay 5.7 The whole family in Heaven and Earth Eph. 3.15 A garden inclosed Cant. 4.12 as Christ also oftentimes in that Booke calleth it his Sister his Love his Dove his Vndefiled chap. 5.2 The heavenly Jerusalem the mother of us all Gal. 4.26 and many other such like titles all singular signifying one none plurall as pointing out many Againe the priviledges of the Church are one and the same for albeit there bee many Citizens in this City many subjects in this Kingdome many members in this Body many dwellers in this House many plants in this Vineyard many Sonnes and Daughters in this Family many trees in this Garden and many children of this Mother yet the milke they sucke the meat they eate the garments they put on are one and the same as Ephes Eph. 4.4 5 6. 4.4 There is one God one Head one Saviour one Redeemer one Sanctifier one Husband one Hope one Heaven one Way one Doore one Lord one Baptisme one Supper one Faith and one Father of all who is above all and through all and in you all Here are many unities which make the Church fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectuall working in the measure of every part c. But it may be objected Obiect How is it then that we read of sundry Churches 1 Cor. 11.16 Likewise of the seven Churches of Asia Revel 1.4 13. as also of the Churches of the Romanes Corinthians Galatians c. I answer Answ These are onely severall parts of the Church militant which is the company of Elect or faithfull living under the Crosse desiring to be dissolved and removed hence to be with Christ Now as the Ocean Sea which is but one is notwithstanding divided into sundry parts according to the Countries and Kingdomes by which it runneth so the Church dispersed over the whole earth is divided into many particular Churches according as the regions are several in which it is seated Or as the body of man is one but in this body there are many severall members that make all of them but one body so it is with the body of the Church it selfe Psal 122.3 as the Prophet teacheth that Jerusalem is builded as a City that is compact together in it selfe Psal 122.3 Acknowledge from hence a difference betweene the true Church Vse 1 and all other false conventicles and synagogues of Satan not worthy to bee called by the names of Churches The true Church is onely one as God is one that calleth it as Christ is one that redeemeth it as the Spirit one that sanctifieth and preserveth it But the false churches have Satan and his angels for their head and king and as hee is called the god of this world so he may be called the god of disorder and confusion the god of hatred and malice these are at enmity with God with the truth with the true Church and one with another Iudg. 7.22 as the swords of the Midianites were drawne out against the Midianites their owne fellowes This use is concluded in the song of Salomon chap. 6. There are threescore Queenes Cant. 6.8 9. and fourescore Concubines and Virgins without number yet my Dove my Vndefiled is but one the onely one of her Mother Here is an objection and an answer to it As if it were said There are indeed multitudes of other assemblies in the world which seeme to bee in
owne If wee travell without the Word it will bring us to Hell the kingdome of darknesse but never to the Kingdome of Heaven and of God who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto No man by nature knoweth the way to Heaven neither can possibly finde it without his guide there are so many odde lanes and blinde turnings and by-pathes and crosse waies that we are sure to misse the Devill standeth at one corner and telleth us This is the way the World calleth to us at another I will lead thee and sinne sitteth at anoother ready to perswade us to follow it Wee know the way that leadeth to Hell well enough nature is a sufficient guide to instruct us and direct us if we have no other we cannot misse it the way is so broad and the gate so wide that leadeth to destruction and the company so great going before us that thrusteth and throngeth to enter into it Wherefore it standeth us upon to doe nothing without our guide Howbeit this is an hard matter men will not stoope downe when God holds out his Scepter ready to lead them neither will they draw neere when God stretcheth out his arme to receive them The causes why vve follovv not the guidance of the Word but hang backe many wayes And will we understand and learne the causes that stop up our way and hinder us from following the guidance of the Word Ignorance negligence and contempt have so possessed the greatest part that they are a small remnant that make conscience to seeke knowledge to use diligence and to performe obedience These lead us by the hand to the Kingdome the former are the greatest enemies to our soules Ignorance of the Word the first hinderance to the Kingdome Heb. 5.12 Of these three that blocke up the way and stop our passage I will speake in order And touching the first I will say with the Apostle Heb. 5.12 When for the time yee ought to bee teachers yee have need that one teach you againe which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milke and not of strong meat After all our hearing and learning after so many yeeres teaching and preaching Heb. 6.1 the greatest part know not the principles of the doctrine of Christian Religion The raine and dew of Heaven hath fallen upon the ground and yet it remaineth dry and barren The Hammer of the Word hath beaten upon our hearts yet they are hardned as the Anvill Many gracious showres have dropped downe upon the grasse of the field and yet alas it is ready to wither away The Sunne hath shined clearely in our eyes and yet alas we remaine in palpable darknesse O what a deepe and secret judgement is this that the raine should make us dry and the Sunne make us blinde that the light should cause darknesse and the sound of the Gospell should make us deafe But thus it is and thus it must bee when we regard not to know the will of our God Certainely such blinde sottish people that remaine willingly nay wilfully blinde in the middest of the meanes of knowledge like those that having meat before them arise empty from the Table cannot assure themselves to bee true members of the Christian Church The Prophet foretelleth touching the Church of Christ that the earth should be full of the knowledge of the Lord Esay 11.9 2.3 Ioel 2.28 as the waters that cover the Sea but these have their hearts as full of ignorance as the Sea is of water True it is a man may be ignorant of many truthes and yet be saved 1 Cor. 13.9.12 And it is true likewise that here wee know in part and wee see as thorow a glasse darkely and so wee shall untill wee come to know even as also wee are knowne Howbeit wee must understand that there is difference betweene truth and truth There are some such truths as are like the heart in the body without which there is no life or like the foundation of an house except it be well laid no building can be reared and erected Or like the Pillers on which Samson leaned if they bee shaken the house falleth and is overthrowne and the fall thereof is great and draweth with it the ruine of others So it is in Religion There are sundry such principles and grounds of the faith that whosoever is ignorant of them all or of any one of them it is impossible he should be saved These are to Christians as the A. B. C. is to Children except the Childe know his letters he can never be able to read yea albeit he be ignorant but of one of them so except they which be rude be well and thorowly grounded in the Rudiments and first Principles 1 Pet. 2.2 as it were the first milke that they sucke from their Mothers brests that they may grow thereby they are not yet in the way to the Kingdome they have not set one step forward to Heaven Notwithstanding if a thorow view and exact examination were taken of the most places I feare the greatest number even of such as are of yeeres of discretion would be found faulty and guilty that they know not so much as every Christian must know that shall be saved and see Christ Iesus his Saviour to his comfort And therefore I may conclude that the greatest number of them yet stand in the state of damnation I will not say they shall bee condemned neither dare I because God hath given to us no such warrant Deut. 29.29 and secret things belong unto him but rather I hope better things of them though I thus speake howbeit this I affirme and dare bee bold to pronounce that such doe as yet stand through their ignorance in the state of condemnation What though many of you be of great age what though yee have beene baptized and beene admitted to the Lords Supper what though yee have beene long hearers of the Word I beseech you by the mercies and patience of God toward you deceive not your selves doe not flatter your owne soules perswade not better things of your selves then there is just cause be not as Children that know not the right hand from the left be not alwaies blinde in your understanding but rather examine your selves and call your selves to an account what yee have heard and learned lest yee be like those that are alwaies learning 2 Tim. 3.7 but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth The Lord complaineth by the Prophet Hos 4.1 6. My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And againe a little before There is no knowledge of God in the Land and therefore the Inhabitants thereof shall be cut off Thus much of ignorance the mother of errour Neglect of the Word the second hinderance to the Kingdome the second hinderance that stoppeth up the way to the Kingdome is the neglect of the Word a farther degree
as afterward he beheld with his owne eyes so worthy and glorious an effect of his preaching 1 Thess 2.19.20 as might rejoyce his heart and be his crowne and glory before the Lord and in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ aâ— his comming who as a fisher of men cast his net into the sea and inclosed a great multitude of fish of all sorts But yet for all this it did not sufficiently content the Prophet through a carnall misdeeming and misjudging of the successe of his labours as if by Gods shewing of mercy his ministery were contemned his credit empaired and his person scorned and exposed to contempt because the Citie was spared and not destroyed as appeareth in the next Chapter In the 4. Verse and the rest that follow to the end of the Chapter we are to consider two things First the preaching of Ionah Verse 4. A Sermon consisting of judgement he singeth a mournfull song foretelling them of their full and final destruction Secondly the effect of his preaching in the residue of the Chap. The preaching of Ionah is a fearfull threatning of a fearful overthrow to come upon them for their wickednesse Circumstances in the threatning which was come up before the Lord did cry for vengeance to heaven Chap. 1 2. In this denunciation we may observe sundry circumstances to passe over the beginning of the verse first the circumstance of the time to come forty dayes are limited for their repentance as the dayes of Gods patience which once expired they must looke for suddaine destruction Secondly the circumstance of time already past implied in the word Yet putting them in remembrance that he had already spared them a long time not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance As if the Lord should have said by his Prophet I have spared you long enough already that I might justly poure upon you all my wrath yet neverthelesse I will spare you a little longer Thirdly the subject of the judgement Nineveh a great a mightie a populous and proud Citie whereby also are understood the inhabitants thereof from the greatest to the least and lowest of them Lastly the measure or quantitie of the judgement an utter overthrow not of one person or one family but of the whole Citty now whether it were by sword or famine or pestilence or by fire from heaven as God overthrew Sâ—dome and Gâ—morrha and the Cities of the plaine or otherwise is not expressed Now let us come to the words And Ionah began to enter c. Albeit the Lord might forthwith have destroyed the Ninevites yet he giveth them some time of repentance and sendeth his holy Prophet unto them which declareth the infinite and endlesse patience of God even toward these Infidels that knew him not neither called upon his name Rom. 2.4 First let us observe the generall doctrine out of the whole threatning and afterward come to the particulars Before the Lord would utterly destroy the City he raised up Ionah the Prophet to foretell their destruction Doct. 1 This teacheth Before the Lord destroyeth he warneth by his ministers that the Lord for the most part never bringeth any judgement upon any people or person but hee first foretelleth of it and maketh it knowne unto them hee warneth them and threatneth it by his Ministers This truth is to be seene every where in the Scripture Amos 3.6.7 Luk. 13.7 We reade that the world was once destroyed by water and it shall bee destroyed againe by fire Of the first destruction we finde that be foretold it unto Noah and by Noah to the world before ever the flood came And touching the second destruction which shall bee by fire 2 Pet. 3.10 when the Elements shall melt with fervent heate the earth also and the workes that are therein shall bee burnt up God hath not left us ignorant but in diverse places hath plainely set it downe unto us The reasons of this course and order of Gods dealing who warneth before he smiteth are eyther in respect of God or in respect of the godly or in respect of the ungodly In respect of God to justifie his proceedings and judgements with men even before the sonnes of men to stop the mouth of iniquitie that it might have nothing to object or plead against him 2 Chro. 36.15 Ier. 25.3 and 35.15 Secondly in respect of the godly because hee would not take his people at unwares who is friendly unto them and loveth them as his owne children Now it were the part of an enemy and not of a friend to come upon them surprise them at unwares as they doe that come to assault a Citty and therefore God to shew his favour and friendship to them that are his doth foretell and give them warning before hand that so they might happily prevent it by their repentance 2 Pet. 3.9 and thereby have judgements kept from them Thirdly in respect of the ungodly themselves because God would have those that are none of his to be left without excuse that they might not be able to accuse God of any unjust dealing or murmure against him for as much as they had warning but would not bee warned they heard of his judgements but they would not judge themselves neither labour to prevent them Matth. 24.14 therefore the damnation of such is just Vse 1. Vse 1 Behold from hence the wonderfull mercy goodnesse and patience of our good God whose manner is alwaies to give warning before hee proceede in judgement He seeketh not to take any at advantage neither desireth hee the death of a sinner And therefore the Prophet saith Lam. 3.33.36 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth to subvert a man in his cause the Lord approveth not Lam. 3.33.36 He would have none to perish that are his but all to repent and to be saved He instructeth that he may not threaten he threatneth that he may not smite he smiteth that he may not destroy 1 Cor. 11.32 yea and sometime he destroyeth temporally that he may not destroy eternally This is the course which he neede not observe because upon our owne perill the perill of our soules wee are bound to take heed of judgements to come that wee should prevent them before they come He would have us to send out our Embassadours which are our prayers to treate of conditions of peace betweene God and us Such as intend revenge and the execution of their wrath are not wont to give warning but to watch their opportunity as we see in Absolom 2 Sam. 13.22 who spake neither good nor evill to his brother Amnon because he hated him and then suddenly when his heart was merry with wine commanded him to be smitten If God had a purpose to destroy us as his enemies and to come upon us at unwares hee would never threaten us and give us
Aquinat jeiunium jeiunij and therefore it is not unfitly called a fast of a fast Howbeit even in this God in judgement remembreth mercy We have heard many complaine and cry out in their necessities What shall we eate or what shall we drinke Math. 6.31 and wherewithall shall we be clothed Neverthelesse we have rather heard what famine is then felt it in truth we know not what this judgement meaneth neither have tryed what the sharpe weapon of necessity bringeth with it The Lord hath rather threatned than executed it and touched us with his little finger than laid his whole hand upon us and smitten us with the backe of the sword rather than turned the edge toward us For what I pray you have we ever suffered in comparison of the judgements of God upon his owne people Israel as in the daies of Ahab when it rained not on the earth by the spaâ—e of three yeeres and sixe monethes 1 King 17.1 Iam. 5.17 and in the siege of Samaria when an Asses head was sold for fourescore pieces of siluer and the fourth part of a Kab of Doves doung for five pieces of siluer 2 King 6.25 nay more than all this when the fruit of the field failed Levit. 26.29 Deut. 28.53 c. they did eate the fruit of their own bodies even the flesh of their sons of their daughters in the straightnesse wherwith their enimies did distresse them yea oftentimes fell out in the shifting and dividing of that lothsome meat as Ieremy noteth in the Lament Lam. 4.10 2 King 6.28.29 Ioseph debello Iudeor The hands of the pitifull women have sodden their owne children they were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people O how gracious and mercifull hath God beene to us that we know none of all these things Nay we have beene so farre from having a wofull and wretched experience of these things that moe among us have destroyed themselues through surfetting and drunkennesse wantonnesse than have dyed through want moe have perished by riot excesse and superfluity than through penury and necessity This commeth to passe through the abuse of our long peace and the contempt of the Gospell The Gospell bringeth peace peace bringeth plenty plenty breadeth prodigality prodigality bringeth penury and therfore Moses chargeth the Israelites when they should enter into goodly cities which they builded not Deut. 6.10.11.12 houses full of all good things which they filled not welles digged which they digged not vineyards and Olive trees which they planted not then they must beware least they forget the Lord their God For if ever we forget God it is when we are full that is when we have greatest cause to remember him Besides the former kindes there is likewise a fast from sinne this is a spiritual abstinence a sacrifice which especially pleaseth God consisting in the holinesse of our lives which we must keepe all the dayes of our lives Of this the Prophet speaketh Is not this the fast that I have chosen to loose the bands of wickednesse to undoe the heavy burdens Esay 58.6 7. Zach. 7.5.6 c. to let the oppressed goe free to deale thy breed to the hungry and that thou hide not thy selfe from thine owne flesh This fast we must all keepe and that at all times There is also a miraculous fast above nature Of this we have three examples in holy Scripture one of Moses at the publication of the Law one of Elias at the restitution of the Law another of Christ Iesus our Saviour at his inauguration and entrance into his office This the Church of Rome after an apish imitation hath taken up and that which he did once only in all his life as if they meant to go beyond him they make annuall or yearely Hee abstained from all meates and drinkes they celebrate a counterfeit fasting which may better be called a feasting The last sort is a religious and Christian fast when we unfainedly humble our selues before the Lord and judge our selues that we may escape his judgement Of this we speake in this place and this we have before described This fasting hath two parts one outward The parts of fasting both outward and inward the other inward helped forward by the outward The outward is called a bodily exercise which is an abstinence for a time from the profits and pleasures of this life thereby to make us apter and fitter to the inward vertues These are either generall belonging to all as abstinence from food both meate and drinke so farre as humane infirmity suffereth provided if we cannot that we doe it sparingly privately without giving offence and without pretending a necessity where there is none Be not deceived God will not be mocked If he inable us to abstaine and we doe disable our selues if we make shew of fasting and doe nothing lesse he will find us out and we shall beare our condemnation whosoever we be For better it were not to fast at all then thus to dissemble and play the notable hypocrites with God and man I leave such therefore to the judgement of God and the checke of their owne conscience But as we say commonly necessity hath no law where God inableth not to beare out this hard exercise let them in the feare of God take some short refreshing For these outward exercises were instituted to make us fitter to better duties not to make us unfitter that the flesh should be tamed not killed Dometur caro sed non interimatur Hierony above ordinary custome but not beyond the nature of man But besides this abstinence from food it is as necessary that we abstaine from bravery in apparell Exod. 33.4 Ester 5.1 4.1 and from the workes and labours of our daily callings much more therefore from pleasures and pastimes and from excessive measure of sleeping 2 Sam. 12.16 Ioel. 1.13 that we may have no occasions or allurements to reioyce in the flesh and so to withdraw and withhold us from the solemne worship of God We have such among us as will seeme willing more forward then many of their fellowes and would account themselues wronged to be accounted contemners of holy things who notwithstanding when they should make preparation to so high and holy a worke are busie about their owne workes or which is all one about their masters and when they should use meditation after praying and preaching ended they runne every one after the lustes of his owne heart I can learne no otherwise out of the Law of God but these may as lawfully follow their labours upon the Sabbath as upon the day of fasting let these looke in what Schoole they have learned farther liberty Ezod 20.8 Ioel. 2.15 Levit. 16.29.30.31 For the same Lord that saith Sanctifie the Lords day saith also Sanctifie a fast he that chargeth not to doe any worke on the Sabbath chargeth likewise to do no worke at all on the day
not to delay the time seing we know not what shall be on the morrow Iam. 4.14 First it is a just thing with God to contemne that man dying that despised him living He that calleth not upon God in his prosperity will God heare his cry Iob. 27.9 when trouble commeth upon him The best way to kil a Serpent is to bruise his head and when it is young so the safest and surest way to withstand sinne and Satan will be in the beginning not the latter and of our dayes in health not in sicknesse in life not in death betimes not when it is too late See this in the foolish Virgins that lingred their time of repentance but when the season was past they cryed againe and againe Lord Math. 25.11.12 Lord open unto us And what answer did they receive Verily I say unto you I know you not Luk. 13.24 verifying the saying of our Saviour Many I say unto you will strive to enter in and shall not be able because doubtlesse they strive when it is too late Secondly we must looke for a time when there will be judgement without mercy now is the time of mercy without iudgment Now are the dayes of grace now is the time of turning and repenting when this time is gone and past there will come a day of blacknesse and utter darknesse when there is no place nor time of turning For as the day of death taketh us the day fo judgment shal find us as we see in Caine Esau Iudas the rich man in the Gospell and such like Thirdly the houre of death to which the greatest sort post over their repentance hath many hindrances accompanying it that the sicke man cannot freely thinke of the state of his soule neither call to remembrance his sinnes that he hath committed Lastly beware of all lettes and impediments which as so many stumbling blockes lye in the way and keepe us from repentance Never was there good worke to be done but it hath found many oppositions Satan standeth at our right hand ready to catch hold of us The manifold impediments of true repentance when he seeth us sliding from him and resolued to leave sinne As then they that were bidden and called to the feast had all of them their excuses so such as are stirred up to repentance make not that hast which they ought but are wise to their own hurt and become the greatest enemies to their owne soules Let us therefore see their reasons or rather pretences which they use to hinder their returne into the right way First they alledge that repentance is full of difficulty a way hedged with thornes hard and painfull Be it so the harder the worke is the more excellent it is But what is the hardnesse of the worke in respect of the greatnesse of the wages and reward Besides this yoke of Christ is easie and this burden is light because the often practise thereof will make it so familiar unto us that we shall take pleasure and delight in it because we shall have God to put under his hand and assist us in the practise thereof because such vertue proceedeth from the death of Christ Rom. 6.6 that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serue sinne and we have him after a sort to draw in the yoke with us and because God powreth sweet and secret consolation into the hearts of such as resolve to turne to him whereby they find that peace of Conscience which passeth all understanding Another impediment is presumption of Gods mercy and a foolish and ungrounded perswasion that God will accept of them whensoever they returne to him True it is we have many precious promises of grace and mercy in holy Scripture Ezek. 18.32 33.11 Psal 103. 1 Tim. 2.4 But these men do abuse them and build upon a weake foundation they dreame of a God made all of mercy and forget his justice which is to set up an Idoll in their hearts they dwell so much upon the promises of the Gospell that they cast from them the curses of the law These are like to the Spider that gathereth poyson out of the sweetest flowers The goodnesse of God is published and Proclaimed so often for the comfort of the weake not for the encouragement of the wicked to raise up the penitent not to hearten or harden the obstinate it is bread for the Children to eate not for dogges to devoure To conclude Nah. 1.3 let us remember that as the Lord is slow to anger so he is great in power and wil not surely cleere the wicked The third impediment is contrary to the former and that is despaire of Gods mercy The former hoped too much this sort hopeth too little and both of them without cause This possessed the heart of Caine despairing of Gods goodnesse as if it were lesse than his sinnes Thus also Iudas perished who saw his sinne in the glasse of the Law but could not lay hold on Gods mercy and therefore died without hope Sathan hath two deceitfull glasses and brast asunder through despaire Thus doth Satan shew forth two false glasses to deceive the sight of sinners before sinne is committed he sheweth them his mercies greater than they are and his justice lesse than it is but after the committing thereof he maketh his mercies to appeare lesser and his justice greater than indeed it is But he is a lyar from the beginning and the father of lies trust him not beleeve him not the contrary to that which he speaketh is commonly true God hath mercy in store for all that doe repent from the bottome of their hearts Ezek. 18.21.22 and hath promised to put all their sinnes out of his remembrance To deny the infinitenesse of his mercy is to deny him to be God Remember the examples of old how he hath dealt with penitent sinners with Rahab the harlot with Manasses the King with Peter that denyed him with Paul that persecuted him with such as crucified the Son of God and delivered him into the hands of murtherers Luk. 7.38 with that woman which washed the feete of Christ with teares and wiped them with the haires of her head To conclude let us call to minde the description of the name and nature of God The Lord the Lord strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in truth Exod. 33.6.7 reserving mercy for thousands for giving iniquity transgression and sinnes The next impediment is the cares of this life and the deceitfulnesse of riches the pleasures of this world These are dangerous snares and baites of Satan wherewith he hunteth after the soules of men and catcheth them as fishes are with an hooke Luk. 14.17 Math. 13.22 Luk. 12.19 2 Tim. 4.10 and as corne is choked with thornes Luk. 8. For as full hands are able to hold and receive nothing no not the purest gold when they are
nothing but in outward abstinence from flesh onely as for humiliation of our selues before our God and afflicting of our spirits as for solemne prayer and amendment of life they are dead and buried as if they were the carcasse of fasting there is deepe silence of them as of things impertinent and utterly from the purpose Thus albeit they retaine the name of fasting yet they have altered the nature of it and albeit they make it meritorious yet was it but a notorious mocking of God a dishonouring of him and a deluding of his people Secondly we receive from hence encouragement in performance of these duties yea comfort and assurance that God will spare us and save us returne to us if we returne to him and turne away his wrath from us Ezr. 8.23 as he did from these Ninevites This we see how the Lord performed Ezr. 8. We fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us Where we see fasting and praying ioyned together and this benefit they found thereby this was the successe they obtained a blessing the Lord was intreated of them If we practise these as we are commanded we have his promise of mercy If he be not intreated it is because we seeke him not aright neither are sufficiently humbled before him but provoke him more by our fasting then we did before and so adde sin unto us O how great are our provocations of the Almighty when his ordinances sanctified to withdraw his wrath shall be meanes to draw it farther upon us and how farre doe our evill workes kindle his indignation against us and encrease his plagues cause him to double his strokes upon us when our best actions performed amisse serve for no other end but to turne us farther out of his favour and to keepe his mercies from us so that we deserue justly a new plague for our fasting if God were not gracious unto us For what are our meetings in many places for the most part but a mocke-fast as if we meant to despite God to his face or as if we met together according to every mans fansie and not warranted by publike authority nor urged by our owne necessity Some are feasting while others are fasting Some keepe it indeed as they doe keepe the Sabbath neither resting from their labours not attending the worship of God and so they make conscience of neither Some come sweating and blowing into the house of God from their owne workes without any preparation of themselves or consideration of the worke of God where about they goe Some are only fore-noone men some againe onely after-noone way Some beginne when others have halfe ended others end when some have halfe begunne Others come to Church betimes but they bring the Devill at their elbowes that lulleth them fast asleepe so as they learne nothing and serue as Cyphers onely to fill up a place for being present they were as good be absent nay better be absent because they should lesse dishonour God shew lesse contempt of the word and give lesse scandal to their brethren Call you this a fasting to the Lord Call you this an afflicting of our selves or of our soules Call you this a solemne repentance Nay where is he almost that once mindeth amendment of life or calleth his sinnes to remembrance or who saith to the eternall God the Lord of heaven and earth the King of Kings as that servant sayd to his Lord and Master an earthly King Gen. 41.9 I call to mind my faultes this day See then the causes why we are not heard We use the meanes but God regardeth us not as Iam. 4. Iam. 4.3 Yee aske and receive not because ye aske amisse and we doe not performe them aright Behold then the true cause why Gods judgments often continue and his hand is stretched out still we remaine still in our sinnes We fast from food but we fast not from our offences We abstaine from the pleasures of the things of this life Heb. 11.25 but we abstaine not from the pleasures of sinne which are but for a season What should it profit to put on sackcloth upon the body and not to put off the pride of heart to abridge out selves of naturall sleepe and to be spiritually asleepe in sinne to put off our best apparell and not to cast off the old man which is corrupt through the deceivable lustes Object It will be objected it hath beene usuall with Moses and the Prophets and the people of God when his hand was heavy upon them by famine or pestilence or the sword they fasted and prayed and the plague ceased why is it not so with us we have fasted but our plague continueth is God changed or is there any alteration in the Almighty Answ I answer there is some difference betweene the old Testament and the new between his administration under the law and under the Gospel For in the time of the law he crowned the obedience thereof more and oftner with temporall blessings as he recompensed the disobedience with temporall judgements whiles the joyes of heaven and the torments of hell were more darkly shadowed whereas now in the sunne-shine of the Gospel we behold Christ Iesus with open face the Kingdome of heaven is set open to all beleevers and the judgment of the great day of the Lord to which the vngodly are reserved is made manifest and therefore his wrath is not now so fully and plentifully revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men neither doth he reward with earthly blessings so commonly such as serve him But to passe this over as not so proper for this place let us enter into our selves let us search and try our own wayes and we shall find the true cause in our owne hearts For how should we thinke or perswade our selves that God should cease his hand presently when we encrease our sins dayly Is it not just with him to multiply his judgments upon us when we multiply sin upon sin or should we looke to have him repent of the evill when we will not repent of our evill We should doubtlesse see an other manner of successe and blessing of God upon our praying and fasting and humiliation if we did as the people of God were wont to doe we should speed as they were wont to do the Lord would deale with us as he dealt with them but forasmuch as we be not like to them in the one no marvaill if we be not like them in the other Lastly seeing the people of God were wont in solemne times of humilâ—ation and professing of their repentance to joyne together prayer and fasting the one giving the right hand of fellowship to the other let us stirre up our selves to call upon his name but how Not as ordinarily we doe but as our fasting is extraordinary so ought our prayers to be also in regard of continuance in regard of zeale in regard of confession of the sinnes of all
sorts of the Ministery of our selves of our families Dan. 9.3.7.8 of our fathers of our Princes of our people and of our whole land For all our fasting is nothing worth without this Fasting is no part of Gods worship but onely joyned to prayer to be an helpe unto it or as a wing to mount is up toward heaven and make it ascend into the presence of God Prayer is avaylable without fasting because it is a lifting up of the heart to him but fasting never without prayer because it goeth not beyond the outward man Prayer is a spirituall exercise of our faith wherein as in an acceptable sacrifice God delighteth but fasting is a bodily exercise which in it selfe pleaseth not God who is a Spirit Ioh. 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall service and agreeable to his nature And cry mightily vnto God This is the life and the very quintessence of all the great abstinence before commanded For what had it availed to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes and to abstaine from food had they not used prayer to God to crave mercy and forgivenesse at his hands Yea this is the end of private or publike fastes that we should call upon God the more fervently and effectually They are not prescribed as hath beene shewed as parts of Gods seruice for whether we eate we are never the worse or whether we abstaine we are not at all the better in respect of any religion or holinesse that consisteth in them but onely as they are meanes to further us in his seruice Now in these words we must observe three things the matter the manner and the object that is their prayer their zeale and the person to whom they prayed their prayer is noted by their crying their zeale by doing it mightily the person to whom they prayed unto God Let us consider these in order The first is the matter they prayed they cryed the end is that thereby God might turne away from his fierce wrath Doct. This teacheth us that prayer is a principall meanes appointed and sanctified of God to remove his judgements Prayer is a meanes to remove Gods judgments This is as it were the tongue or voyce of repentance The prayer of this people was more worth a thousand times than the crying of the beasts and the loud noyse of men women and children They cryed they cryed mightily they cryed to God This the heathen by the light of nature have confessed The Marriners acknowledged this to be the only meanes to obtaine mercy at the hands of God Ion. 1.6 and to remoove his judgement when they were like to perish So did Pharaoh he was glad to fly to it in his misery and calamity Exod. 8.28 Pray for me and for my people to the Lord that this plague may depart So it was with Ieroboam little better than the former 1 King 13.6 1 King 13. So it was with Simon the forcerer they all thought it was the readiest way to remove his judgments from falling upon them Behold sundry examples of this truth in traveilers in captives in sicke men in sea-men and sundry other troubles of which the Prophet saith They cryed unto the Lord in their troubles Psal 107.6.13 19.28 Amos. 7.2.3 4.5.6 and he delivered them out of their distresses We see this oftentimes in Moses the servant of the Lord when he praied for the Israelites Exod. 32. Numb 14. Yea so forcible were his prayers with God that they after a sort tyed up his hands that he could not smite but said Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that I may destroy them So Gen. 19. he said to Let I can doe nothing till thou art gone and Exod. 17. Gen. 19.22 the prayer of Moses prevailed more for the overthrow and destruction of the Amalekites than the sword of Ioshua and the people The reasons are Reas 1 first it hath a promise of blessing to such as use it a right Math. 7. Psal 50. We do not beat the aire nor build upon the sand our labour in the fire Psal 50.15 when we pray unto him but we lay a sure foundatiō upon the certaine rocke of his promise Math. 7.7 which shall never faile us who hath said Aske and ye shall receive Secondly our sinnes cry up to heaven pierce the cloudes Gen. 18.20 4.10 come into Gods presence and call for vengance Gen. 18. Our prayers cry to God for mercy and drowne the noise of our sinnes that the cry of them cannot be heard though they cry never so loud Thirdly we obtaine not because we aske not aright Iam. 4. We aske and receive not Iam. 4.3 we seeke and find not but the cause is not in God the fault is in our selves Vse 1. This reproveth such as pray not at all Vse 1 nor desire to have conference with God as if they stood in no need of him as if they enjoyed all things by their owne labour as if they did not live and move by his blessing as if it were not in his power to stoppe our breath when we must goe hence and be no more and as if any thing could do us good without a sanctifying of the creature to our use Psal 14.4 whereas he can take away the staffe of bread whensoever it pleaseth him All these should be motives to move us to paryer Rom. 10.13 The Prophet maketh this the note of Atheistes they call not upon the Lord. If a man should be waighed in this ballance alas how many would be found to light and if whosoever would be saved must call upon the name of the Lord how many are there that stand not in the state of salvation because they know not what prayer meaneth it is a stranger to them and they unto it Secondly it is our duty to practise this duty to call upon his holy name But it may be said what needeth prayer God hath foreappointed what to do and our prayer cannot altar Gods purpose decree which is unchangable I answer we do not pray to chage Gods decree but to shew our obedience faith toward God It pleaseth him to try them this way whether as his children they will depend upon him or not Again it may be said He knoweth what we need what need we then to put him in mind as if he had forgotten to shew mercy I answer we do not pray to teach God any thing that he knoweth not neither to bring to his remēbrance what he hath forgotten yet this ought to be farre from discouraging of us in prayer and from stopping our mouthes Math 6.8 9. that it rather openeth them wider for asmuch as therefore we ought to be encouraged in prayer because our heavenly father knoweth whereof we have need and thus our Saviour reasoneth your father knoweth your necessities after this manner therefore pray ye
neglect the body catch after the shadow they straine at a gnat and swallow a Camell Math. 23 24. Fourthly it behoveth us to looke first of all to the heart and to clense the inside Ier 4.14 Iam. 4.8 that so the outside may be cleane also Math. 23.26 or else it is no zeale but hypocrity Fiftly Math 23.4 We must be more strict and precise to our selues then to others and give more liberty to them then we will take to our selues Let not us be as the Pharises who bound heauy burdens and greeuous to be borne and laid them upon other mens shoulders but themselues will not move them with one of their fingers Math. 23.4 Let us rather follow the example of Abraham Gen. 14.23.24 and of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 4.12 1 Thess 2.9 with 1 Cor. 9.6.14 1 Tim. 5.18 Sixtly true zeale condemneth and reproveth sinne without respect of persons in their acquaintance as well as in strangers in their friends as well as in foes in the higher as well as in the lower sort Math. 16.23 Gal. 3. â— Iob. 29.8.9 But many offend and are partiall against this rule and are afraid of the face of the mighty Seventhly we are to be most fervent in Gods causes This was the commendation of Moses though he were as meeke as a lain be in his own cause the meekest upon the face of the earth Numb 12.3 but in case of Idolatry and worshipping the golden calfe his wrath waxed hote he cast the Tables out of his hands he brake them in pieces he burnt the Calfe in the fire he ground it to powder and being strewed upon the water he made the Israelites drinke of it Exod. 32.19.20 This is otherwise in the greatest number who practise the quite contrary They are as hote as fire in their owne private matters but as cold as ice in things pertaining to the honour and glory of God Let a seruant offend his Master in the least trifle and neglect his businesse any way how is he moved and his rage kindled but if he transgresse the Commandement of God and neglect his worship he is never touched or troubled at it Maâ—h 15.6 â— he never reproveth him for it what is this but to make the commandement of God of none effect by their tradition Lastly albeit zeale be requisit and necessiry for all Christians yet it must be alayed and tempered with mercy and compassion considering our selues least we also be tempted Gal. 6.1.2 being humbled in our selues for those sinnes which we espy and censure in others It is noted of Christ our Saviour when the Pharisees murmured because he would heale on the Sabbath day Mark 3.5 that he looked angerly about him and yet he sorrowed for the hardnesse of their hearts Here anger and sorrow meet together and so they ought to doe in us Cry unto God Hitherto of the second point the manner of their prayer they cried mightily now we come to the third point the object of prayer to God that is the true God Ion. 1.5 The Mariners mentioned in the first Chapter cryed every man to his God but none of them to the true God Doct. and therefore they laboured but all in vaine This teacheth us Prayer must be made to God onely that prayer must be directed unto the true God only Gen. 4.26 Psal 50.15 107.6 Math. 6.9 Dan. 9.4 2 Chro. 20.6 Act. 8.22 The reasons are apparently drawne from the nature of God For first he onely is able to heare and to helpe Reason 1 He is infinite in power and nothing is to hard for him nothing unpossible to him Secondly In regard of his knowledge he searcheth the heart who made the heart and understandeth our thoughts and imaginations a farre off Thirdly He only is present in all places Ier. 23.24 Esay 66.1 that none can hide himself in secret places that he shall not see him he filleth heaven and earth the heaven being his throne and the earth his foot stoole Esay 66.1 Fourthly Faith and prayer go together and therefore it is called the prayer of faith Iam. 5.15 We beleeve only in God therefore we must pray onely to him The Apostle therefore having shewed that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13.14 he addeth but how shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved First of all Vse 1 this reproveth the sacriledge of the Church of Rome that robbe God of the honour due to his name and give that to the Saints departed and to Angels which is proper unto him To him all the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets and righteous men have prayed been heard and we have ten thousand places by which we are warranted and willed to doe the like Our Saviour cammandeth us to go to our Father which is in heaven Math. 6. The contrary practise hath neither Precept nor example nor promise nor threatning against any that refuse it nor punishment upon any that hath neglected the performance thereof Thus the Prophet speaketh Thou Esay 63.16 O Lord art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us David freely confesseth Psal 63.25 that he had none in heaven but God and none upon earth that he desired beside him The Church of Rome hath gotten more knowledge then ever this Prophet had and they are not ashamed to professe that they have â—no in heaven then God other mediators in whom they put their trust besides him Such lye under an heavy curse Ier. 17.5 â— 17. for cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. What do these but forsake God the fountaine of living waters and hew out to themselues broken cisternes that can hold no water Into both these mischeifes the Romish Synagogue falleth by praying to Saints and Angels If the blessed virgin the Apostles and Saints in heaven did know what these Idolaters and Saint-worshippers doe to them on earth doubtlesse they would abhorre this detestable derogation from the glory of God as much as Paul and Barnabas did the peoples offering to doe sacrifice to them Act. 14.14 nay much more as their knowledge being glorified was greater and their zeale of Gods glory more fervent then before in the dayes of their flesh Secondly it reproveth such as neglect wholly or for the most part this duty as not belonging unto them or as not necessary or as if God had never required it or spoken word of it or as if his faithfull servants had never practised it Whereas the Lord presseth no duty more earnestly the Scripture expresseth no duty more commonly and the Godly have performed no duty more constantly But from whence commeth this retchlessenesse in so plaine a matter and the disregarding of so holy an exercise so often commanded and so profitable to our selves Surely it proceedeth either from ignorance to make the best of it which yet excuseth not or
promised to heare us Ob. we obey and yet we are not heard I answer God never commanded thee to pray Answ God never commanded a wicked man to pray he never made promise nor halfe a promise nor peece of a promise to a wicked mans prayer so long as he continueth so Search the whole booke of God and tell me where the Commandement or promise is to be found I can produce a thousand curses against the soule of the ungodly and where he expresâ—y threatneth he will not heare them and that his prayer is abominable but I cannot find either Commandement for the ungodly to pray or comfort for them that they shall be heard and helped in their prayer He that bringeth his gift to the Altar and there remembreth his brother hath ought against him Math. 5.23.24 must leave his gift before it and goe his way to be first reconciled to his brother and ought not they when they come to pray before the Lord the searcher of all hearts and remember the Lord hath a controversie against them leave his worship for a time and go first to be reconciled to him and that much more before they presume to call upon him with their wicked hearts How many are there that thinke it enough to come to the house of prayer as if there were some vertue or inherent holinesse in the place but be not deceived when we tread in the Lords Courts if we leave not our sinnes behind us we were better leave our selues behind also forasmuch as he that maketh prayer without repentance is as if he mingled wholesome meat with ranke poyson Secondly it behoveth us to love the righteous and esteeme well of them because such God heareth and they are much beloved of God For though they be little in their owne eyes yet are they highly regarded of him and much in his favour And though they be never so poore in the sight of the world they are in truth and in Gods account greater then any worldling nay one of them the least the lowest the simplest is in more estimation with him then all the world of the ungodly Heb. 11.38 These are such as the Apostle speaketh off Heb. 11. The world was not worthy of them They are the favorites of the king of heaven the King of Kings and have free accesse to him at all times which no man can have to earthly Princes How great an honour is it in Princes Courts to have an easie entrance to come into their presence and to be in their favour that they hold out their golden Septer unto them but how much grearer dignity is it to have recourse to the Almighty and whensoever we will to put up our petitions before him with assurance to be heard As therefore we have benefit by the prayers of the faithfull whom God accepteth so we are bound to love them by whom we have such benefit Lastly from hence comfort and encouragement ariseth to the Godly to pray often and as the Lords remembrancers to give him no rest seeing they have promise of good successe He will not be wanting unto us if we be not wanting to our selues Let us joyne repentance unto our prayer and he will joyne helping to his hearing but if we separate our repentance from our requestes he may well heare us but we may not looke for deliverance or acceptance at his hands If then we turne unto him we may be well assured he will turne unto us Great is the force of true prayer but it must be seasoned and sharpned with repentance if both these go together like a bird that flyeth with both winges they ascend up to heaven and his blessings descend to the earth and fall upon our heads as a shower of raine that falleth upon the ground and maketh it fâ—uitfull Prayer without repentance is like a Dove that flyeth with one wing or like a cripple that halteth with one foote happy are they that joyne them together as it were to draw in one yoke Hence it is that the Apostle knitteth them in one Act. 8. Repent of wickednesse and pray unto God What had his repentance availed him without prayer or his prayer without repentance as therefore both are commanded so both of them must be practised of us Let them turne every one Doct. Marke in the next place the generality of the Commandement Repentance belongeth to the naturall man who must turne to God Repentance is shewed to belong to all of them These men were meere carnall and naturall men such as were not regenerate by the Spirit of God This teacheth us to whom repentance belongeth that the naturall man not yet called must repent and turne unto God True it is the regenerate must repent also because he hath many corruptions remaining in him and he sinneth daily the image of God in which man was created was lost in a little space yet to repaire it againe perfectly requireth the whole time of mans life as houses may be overturned in an instant as the house that fell upon Iobs children Iob. 1.19 which are long in building againe The regenerate man therefore must still exercise repentance howbeit properly this is renewed repentance rather then the first act of repentance and a proceeding in it unto perfection then the first beginning of our conversion The point then to be considered in this example is that the naturall man hath need of repentance Math. 3.2 This Iohn the Baptist preached Act. 2.23.38 Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Thus Peter exhorted the Iewes that with wicked hands had taken and crucified the Lord of life to repent and to be baptized in his name 2 Tim. 2.25 So the man of God is charged to instruct with meekenesse the contrary minded if God peradventure will gâ—ve them repentance The reasons hereof are plaine Reas 1 First the naturall man cannot enter into Gods kingdome Ioh. 3.5 except he be borne again It is as unpossible for a man unregenerate to possesse the joyes of heaven as it is for a Camell to goe through the eye of a needle The penitent person hath the gate of the kingdome set wide open to him but no other For such as have not the spirit of God are none of his Secondly such are nothing else but a lumpe of sinne no one part good in them their consciences are impure Tit. 1. Repentance is the life of a sinner without this we are as a dead man that can stirre neither hand nor foot Eph. 2.1 By nature we beare the image of Satan and are more like to him then any child is to his father or can be Let us come to the uses This teacheth us that this present life is the time of our repentance Vse 1 Let us make peace with God and be reconciled unto him while we are yet in the way It had been to late for these Ninevites to think of repentance when desolation had come upon them as a
ever he intend to attaine the end of his journey This unproper speech is very proper to expresse the nature of repentance because we are all traveylers toward heaven we are all gone farre out of the way like sheepe going a stray from the fold therefore we must turne backe againe and as we were going to hell so we must turne our feet toward heaven and as we have turned our backes to God so we must set our faces toward him This is repentance And touching the manner of turning we must obserue there are foure sortes of substance of quantity of place of quality Change of substance is when one substance is changed into an other as Lots wife was turned into a Piller of salt Gen. 19. Gen. 19.26 Exod. 4.3 Ioh. 2.9 The rod into a Serpent and the Serpent into a rodde Exod. 4.3.4 And water into wine at the feast in Canna of Galilee Ioh. 2. But repentance is not such a change because before and after repentance our substance is the same we have the same bodies and the same soules Change of quantity is either by encreasing or diminishing as when Christ fed five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes Math. 14.15 and 15.32 and foure thousand with seven loaves and a few little fishes but repentance is not such a change by encreasing from few sinnes to moe or from lesser to greater neither contrary wise a diminishing from moe to few or from greater to lesser but rather this is a turning from one sinne to another whereas true repentance is a turning from all sinne to God in our whole life Change of place or local mutation when we passe out of one place into another as Peter out of prison into a place of liberty Act. 12. But repentance is not such a change because a sinner may change his soile and not his soule he may go from place to place yea from Countrey to Countrey and change ayre yet not let go one of his sinnes as a sicke man doth he may change his chaire and his Chamber and be carried from bed to bed but this cannot free him from his sicknesse and restore him to his former health so it is with sinne Change in quality is when things change from once condition to another as when the leper was clensed or the dead raised Such a change is repentance when new qualities or properties or put into the soul and body when they are altered from unrighteousnesse to righteousnesse from all sinne to the living God In this the nature of true repentance consisteth as Hos 6.1 14.2 Ezek. 18.30.32 36.26 Ier. 4.1 Luk. 1. Act. 26.20 in which places repentance is expounded to be a turning to God a doing of workes meete for amendment of life In this turning obserue these particulars first it is a turning of the whole man both of soule and body both of the outward man and the inward Iam. 4. Secondly it must be constant and continued not flitting or starting backe like a deceitfull bow or vanishing like the morning dew Hos 6.4 Thirdly It must be a turning from all sin to God for one knowne sinne wherein we live without resistance separateth from God as well as many Devâ— 30.2 Ier. 4.4 This appeareth first because the word here used importeth that we are gone out of our way Reas 1 we would travail toward heaven and we take the right course that leadeth to hell we would seeme desirous of Salvation but we go in the broad way that bringeth to destruction Math. 7.13 we make as though we would go to God and we follow after the Devill Math. 7. Secondly we were made according to the image of God in holinesse and true righteousnesse Eph. 4. and had fellowship with God man delighting in his Creator the Creator in his creature but sin hath turned all upside down man had no sooner fallen transgressed Gen. 3.8.10 but he fled from the presence of God as an evill servant from his Master or a malefactor from the judge for feare of punishment and was afraid of his comming into the Garden Thus we became the children of wrath Eph. Eph. 2.3 4.18 2.3 But when once we have grace to repent then we begin to repaire and recover the image of God and to be reconciled to him againe Repentance therefore is as a miracle of the Gospel the quickning of a dead man and the raising of him up from death to life or as the reedifying and repayring of a royall Pallace that was fairely builded but foully battered and decayed The image of God is as a faire Pallace the transgression of man is as the ruine thereof repentance is nothing else but a raising again of that image which is to be done all the dayes of our life This is in a manner a miraculous worke in regard of the greatnesse of our fall that in regard of our spirituall estate which we recover we may say as Math. 11.5 Math. 11.5 The blind receive their sight the lame walke the leaprs are clensed the deafe heare and the dead are raised up to life Happy are we if this spirituall miracle be wrought upon us Let us apply these things to our selues First Vse 1 hereby it appeareth The first reproofe that many men are greatly deceived both in the doctrine and practise of repentance in the doctrine because they thinke that to be which is not repentance and in the practise because they perswade themselues that they have it when indeed they want it Some are so silly and sotish that they presume they need it not and that it belongeth not at all to them no more then physicke to a whole or sonnd man or a plaister to him that hath neither wound nor hurt like the young man in the Gospel Math. 19.20 All this have I done from my youth up what lacke I yet or like such as suppose Christ came not to call them but other notorious sinners Others slight and slubber over this matter with a little sorrow and sighing with Esau Ahab and Iudas and if they live and have leisure to say Lord have mercy upon us like those that in the end of the world shall say Lord Lord open unto us they thinke they shall undoubtedly be saved never remembring the words of our Saviour Not every one that sayth unto me Lord Math. 7.21 Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Secondly The second reproofe it condemneth all wretched and prophane persons that lie wallowing and weltering in their sinnes like Swine in the mire or dogges in their vomit who as they were once so they are still They were horrible swearers and common blasphemers so they are still They were scoffers and scorners mockers and deriders of all good things and all good men so they are still they are no changelings They were contemners of Gods word and prophaners of his
no fruit then thou maiest cut it downe This is the summe of this Parable the application whereof is So God hath placed you of Iudea in a fertile place hath bestowed many blessings upon you and hath looked for good fruit from you but behold ye bring forth none I tell you therefore except ye repent that speedily ye shall all likewise perish Now for our better proceeding in the orderly handling of these words Observe herein 2. things An exhortation to repentance or a threatning of destruction to the impenitent vers 3. 5. An amplification or enlargement thereof in the residue The amplification or illustration is By examples By a parable The examples are of the Galileans Eighteene upon whom the tower fell and slew them The second amplification which is by parable we will relerue to the proper place handle the same particularly For all these things belong vnto us as well as unto those to whom they were spoken by our Saviour and may be applied to us as well as unto them The doctrine of repentance was never more needfull to be preached and the threatning also as fully concerneth us Except we repent we shall likewise perish as Marke 13. least we passe by the exhortation uttered to the Disciples by our Saviour as impertinent to us he addeth What I say unto you Mark 13.37 I say unto all Waâ—ch So it is in this place as if he had said what I say unto these I say unto all Repent Wherefore Doct. the generall point that Christ laboureth to presse and perswade is to worke in them and in all others repentance The way to prevent Gods judgments is to amend our lives This teacheth that the onely way to prevent and escape the judgments of God is to amend our lives and turne unto him with all our hearts and to repent from dead workes We live in the dayes of many judgments some lying heavy upon us others hanging over our heads so that we may say with the Prophet Psal 1â—0 1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee O Lord and 42.7 deepe calleth unto deepe at the noyse of thy water spoutes all thy waves and thy billowes are gone over me The meanes ordained of God to revoke his heavy hand gone out against us is to turne from our evill wayes See this Deut. 4. Deut. 4.29 30 31. after that God punisheth his people for their sinnes he saith When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter dayes if thou turne to the Lord thy God and shall be obedient unto his voyce hee will not forsake thee nor destroy thee 2 Chro. 17.13.14 if thou seeke him with all thine heart and with all thy soule Thus the Lord said to Salomon 2 Chro. 7. If I shut up heaven that there be no raine or if I command the Locustes to devoure the land or if I send postilence among my people if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselues and pray and seeke my face and turne from their wicked wayes then will I heare from heaven and will forgive their sinne Ier. 3 22. and will heale their land And the Prophet Ieremy bringeth in the Lord speaking Math. 3.7.8.10 Returne ye back-sliding children I will heale your backsliding So doth Iohn the Baptist reprove the Pharisees O generation of vipers who hath warned you to sly from the wrath to come bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance and now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire So then the onely way to stay Gods hand and to stop his judgments now that his arrowes fly through the land is to returne from all our evill wayes and to cause others to returne The reasons follow Reas 1 First because untill we repent all judgements hang over our heads and shall overtake us as they did the old world as they did Sodome and Gomorrha as they did Pharaoh and infinite others We may be destroyed by fiery Serpents burned in the fire drowned in the waters swallowed up in the earth as Dathan and Abiram and may looke every day for some plague or other to find us out and seaze upon us Secondly when we truly repent forgivenesse of sinnes and other blessings do follow For repentance and remission go together We see this in the Ninevites Ionah 3.10 God saw their workes that they turned from their evill wayes and he repented of the evill he had said he would do unto them and he did it not If then we would prevent Gods judgments Vse 1 first we must beware of all false counterfeite turnings and by-pathes of our owne invention and walke in the Kings high way Some make confession of our selues to have sinned and to say I am a sinner to be true repentance but thus every civill man should repent Some make all kind of sorrow and greefe and sheding of teares to be turning to God but so should Esau repent Some content themselues with a little humbling and an outware casting downe of themselues to hang downe their heads for a day like a Bulrush but so should Ahab repent Some thinke every good word Lord Lord to be repentance and if they can but say Lord have mercy upon me they have truly repented but so should every sicke man repent Others turne not from sinne untill sinne turne from them and they leave it not till they can follow it no longer but thus every old man repenteth Others turne from one sinne to an other as many from one disease into another and from evill to worse as it were from a fever into a frenzy Lastly others turne from some sinne but not from all they will keepe some beloved sinne still but thus Herod and Iudas repented but this must be the Covenant that we make with God to keepe us from all sinne remembring that he which faileth in one point is guilty of all Iam. 2.10 All these blind wayes wherein the greatest sort doe walke must be avoyded of us True it is wicked men may walke in all these pathes they may confesse their sinnes and desire others to pray for them but this is an enforced repentance this is compulsion not conversion and thus Pharaoh repented whereas true repentance must be voluntary and as a free-will offering They may confesse some heinous and capitall sinne knowne to others as well as to themselues whereby they have brought shame and confusion upon themselues howbeit they will not confesse all but thus Iudus repented saying I have sinned Math. 27.4 in that I have betrayed innocent blood but he acknowledged not his covetousnesse that he was a theefe and kept the bagge They have often some remorse and touch of conscience but it is a great deale more for the punishment threatned or inflicted then for the sinne committed if they might any way escape
his judgments who never once consider the causes thereof not hate their sinnes though heinous and horrible which bring them upon us We deale commonly with our sinnes as the vniust Steward did with his Masters debters and debt for an hundred he sets downe fifty Luk. 15.6 See herein how partiall we are when we censure others we are ready for fifty to set downe an hundred and of every mole-hill to make a mountaine but when we cast up our owne accountes we say to our owne soules Take thy bill and sit downe quickly and write fourscore or fifty or happily foure or five so unequall and unjust are our wayes Againe others acknowledge themselues to be sinners in grosse or in generall as Pharaoh Saul and sundry others but come to the particulars of the law which is the glasse to shew us our sinnes for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sin examine these by it from point topoint Rom. 3.20 who never examined themselues they are not ashamed to pronounce themselues innocent For bring them to their triall as it were to hold up their hand at the barre whether they ever brake the first Commandement Exod. 20 3.4.7.8.13 Thou shall have no other Gods before me they answer readily God forbid I should set up strange gods Or the second To make graven images or the rest To kill To steale To beare false witnesse Math. 19.20 and such like they sticke not to plead not guilty and to say with the young man All these things have I kept from my youth up what lacke I yet These are like to a man that saith he is sicke and being asked where and led a long from the crowne of the head to the Sole of the foot should then say he is well in every particular part Thus they shew they understand not the Law which is spirituall Rom. 7.14 and searcheth into the heart Lastly it is our duty to use all meanes to move us and bring us unto repentance The first may be our present necessity Motives to stirre us up to repentance If there were no other but the distresse and calamity that lyeth upon our Churches it were enough to rouse us up out of the dead sleep of sinne into which we are fallen It is not our fasting and prayer that can call in Gods judgements nay they provoke him the more against us except we repent O let us consider the wofull mortality and the pittifull estate of thousands of our brethren and sisters Psal 80.5 79.8.9 that the Lord feedeth them with the bread of teares and giveth them teares to drinke in great measure and thereby be stirred up our selues and stirre up others to unfained repentance then let us say with the Prophet O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake and he will heare us in the end and send us a gracious deliverance Secondly a man that liveth in this world without amendment of life is farre more uile then the basest creatures that creepe upon the ground it had beene better we had never beene borne or beene brought forth as dogs and swine as wormes of the earth nay as Serpents or a generation of Vipers We are worse then all these lying in the state of impenitency for there is an end of them when this life endeth but our misery shall never have end Thirdly such as ate not truly conuerted are in danger of all the judgments of God which as a suddaine and violent flood may breake in upon them or as a mighty host of men may quickly ouerthrow them and destroy them Happy are they that feare them a farre off and can beware by other mens harmes Let us not tarry till they come upon us Exod. 12.30 as the Egyptians did till one in every house was dead God was neuer more prouoked then at this day Hitherto he hath prevailed little or nothing with us Math. 3.10 now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every one which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire Fourthly God hath used all meanes to worke in us repentance the greater is our sin if we use them not We are fast a sleep he hath sounded his trumpets to awakeÌ„ us He hath the trumpet of his word and commandeth his Ministers to cry aloud and spare not Esay 58.1 to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to shew the people their transgressions their sins He hath also the trumpet of his judgements to pierce into our hearts when the word findeth no place in us He hath often sounded the alarme and blowne the trumpet of his Word by the Ministery of his seruants that have spoken unto us early and late in the name of the Lord and warned us of his wrath to come and of our wickednesse present and we would not heare them He is therfore constrained to take in hand an other trumpet and to strike us with the pestilence and mortality Ames 3.6 shall this Trumpet be blowne in the City and the people not be afraid Or shâ—ll there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it For as when a trumpet giveth a signe or token out of a watch-tower the people hearkneth and is troubled and prepare themselves this way or that way as the trumpet giveth the token so the Lord cryeth unto us by his judgments as it were by the voyce of a shrill trumpet ought we not then to be attentive and be moved at the sound thereof and according to the warning prepare our selves to repentance and heare his voice while it is called to day Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 4.7 lest our hearts be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It were better for us a thousand times to hearken to the sound of the first trumpet then tarry till be sound the second to heare his word then waite till he take up his sword O how much better had it beene for us to have taken his word which he sends among us and to Obey it then to cause and even constraine him to send his destroying Angel to make havocke of us Lastly he that converteth not is in danger of eternall damnation to be separated from Gods presence at whose right hand is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Dan 12.2 to have fellowship with the Devill and his angels to have shame and everlasting contempt powred upon them and to have horrour and anguish of conscience cast upon them arising from a feeling of Gods wrath Then shall the last trumpet blow and waxe lowder that the dead shall heare the sound thereof 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 when the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a great shout and with thousands
is moth-eaten We have spent our dayes as a thought they are but in a maner begun and yet in a maner they are already done For what are forty or fifty yeares when they are past Nay a thousand yeares are but as yesterday when they are past Psal 90.4 This doctrine is not hard to conceave Vse 1 neither obscure to the understand we all know it and confesse it but not one of an hundred maketh right use of it we passe by it as an ordinary and common thing it must be aspeciall worke of God to say it to our hearts as Psal 90. So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisedome Psal 90.12 But some will say nothing is more easie then to number our dayes and to reckon the yeares of our life thus indeed we may doe and yet never gather any profit by it to say with the Prophet Psal 39.4 The first reproofe Lord make me to know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is that I may know how fraile I am First this serveth for reproofe and that of sundry sorts who never consider the uncertainty and ininstability of future things and are unmindful of the frailty and inconstancy of our life and of all humane affaires For how many are there which thinke wholly and onely of heaping up riches and getting gaine yet cannot tell who shall possesse them Such a one was the rich man in the Gospel Lue. 12. Alas who knoweth what one day or one night may bring forth good or evill prosperity or adversity life or death One night or one day altereth and changeth many things and turneth them quite upside downe Many men alive merry and pleasant over night and dead in the morning in good health in the morning and dead before night Nay many in one houre alive and dead the same houre is it not thus at this time Many at night rich and goe to bedde wealthy men able to helpe relieve others but the next way impoverished and beggered and utterly undone for ever Many houses and buildings standing to day which before to morrow may be destroyed and burnt sticke and stake to the ground The sonnes and daughters of Iob were making merry together and feasting together in their elder brothers house Iob. 1.18 but in one day even in a moment they were oppressed and slaine by the fall of the house upon their heads wherein they were and not one of them escaped Secondly The second reproofe it reprooveth such as delay and deferre the time of their repentance and put it off from day to day nay from yeare to yeare and from time to time till there be no more time remaining for them never remembring that the present day may be the last We dreame oftentimes of a time to come heereafter and in the meane season death cutteth short our dayes We ought evermore to gird up our loynes ready to take our iourney from hence we should watch and prepare our selves Math. 25.8 and learne wisedome by the example of the Foolish Virgins Math. 25. This was never more necessary then now it is when God summoneth us by his judgments round about us and yet we labour not to have oyle in our Lampes The third reproofe Thirdly they are condemned that reioyce at other mens evils albeit they hold life all with the greatest uncertainty and such as insult over the misery of others so adde affliction unto affliction Doubtlesse if we were wel grounded established in the present truth that we know not how soone and suddainly our selves may end our dayes we would not triumph at the miseries of our brethren Hence it is that Salomon calleth us homeward Pro. 17.5 24.17.18 Pro. 17.5 He that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished and chap 24. Rejoyce not when thine enemie falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth lest the Lord see it and he turne away his wrath from him to wit upon thy selfe as the stone that rolleth upon him that moved it We ought rather as fellow-members one of an other to be grieved and inwardly touched at the calamities of our brethren and these are the dayes if ever that call for this affection from us No man can be ignorant under what afflictions they lye Amos. 6.6 Esay 57.1 yet who is sorry for the affliction of Ioseph and albeit the righteous perish and mercifull men are taken away yet no man layeth is to his heart This is it that Iob complaineth of chap. 19. all mine inward friends abhorred me they whom I loved are turned against me then he cryeth out Iob. 19.21 Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me Oye my friends for the hand of God hath touched me The Apostle chargeth us to remember them that are in bonds Heb. 13.3 as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body First being your selves subject to the same afflictions and lying open to the same dangers Miseries and calamities sicknesses and diseases are common whatsoever happeneth to others may befall to our selves we know not how soone they are chastened to day we may be corrected nay consumed to morrow Iob. 31.29 Let us be like minded and tender hearted with Iob chap. 31. I rejoyced not at the destruction of him that hated me neither have I suffered my mouth to sinne by wishing a curse to his soule This is the note and nature of a godly man to be grieved at the evill of others as we see in Davids example 2 Sam. 1. He and his men mourned fasted 2 Sam. 1.12 and wept till even for Saul and for Ionathan the one the head and gouernour of the people the other his sonne albeit Saul had persecuted him and hunted him up and downe as a Partridge in the Mountaines and sought to take away his life and albeit he were to succeed after him in the kingdome and Psal 35. Psal 35.13.14 They rewarded me evill for good to the spoile of my soule but as for me when they were sicke my clothing was sack-cloth I humbled my selfe with fasting I behaved my selfe as though they had beene my friend or brother I bowed downe heaâ—ily as one that mourneth for his mother On the other side would we know a wicked man he is not onely without naturall affections but insulteth and grinneth his teeth at the miseries of others especially of the faithful Thus doth the Prophet describe the malice of his enemies Vers 15 in mine adversity they reioyced and gathered themselves to gether against mee yea the abjects gathered themselves together they did teare me and ceased not 2 Sam. 16.5 1 King 2.8 O how did Shemei laugh and leape for joy in Davids misery he cursed him with an horrible curse but what was the end the curse causelesse shall not come saith the wise man Pro. 26.2 but was that all no the Lord
sanctifieth all Gods creatures unto our use It obtaineth a good right and title to them and a blessing upon them 1 Tim. 4.5 Our callings our labours our actions and the workes of our hands are sanctified by it as Psal 127. Except the Lord keepe the City Psal 127.1.2 the watch-man waketh but in vaine it is in vaine for you to rise up early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrowes c. Seing these things be thus that these be the fruits of prayer Ezr. 9.6.10.11.13 Neh. 9.32.33 Psal 79.8.9 80.3 Dan. 9.7.8.18.19 let us put it in practise and double our zeale and never cease to follow the example of this Dresser to cry to the Lord for our brethren Lord let them alone this yeare also spare thy people and give them not over into the hands of the destroyer we are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces to thee O our God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasses are growne up unto the heavens And now O our God what shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandements which thou hast commanded and all this evill is come upon us for our evill deedes and for our great trespasses for asmuch as thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserue Now therfore O our God the great the mighty and the terrible God who keepest Covenant and mercy let not all the troubles which are most heavy upon us and our chiefe Cities seeme little before thee howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and dealt foolishly and frowardly with thee O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake wherefore should the enemies of the Gospel say where is their God turne us againe O God and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved O Lord God of hostes how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces to our Princes to our fathers to our people incline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name For we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine owne sake for the City and thy people are called by thy name Now is the time of this humiliation now God calleth to us to call upon him now is the time of trouble and affliction Let us give him no rest you that are the Lords remembrancers stand in the breach which his right hand hath made Numb 16.48 as it were betweene the living and the dead let us never give over neither let him alone untill we have received a gratious answer that our iniquities be pardoned his present judgments removed and his ancient favours recovered Till I shall digge about it and dung it The labour of the Lord of the Vineyard hath beene before expressed so that the complaint of the Prophet may be renewed Esay 40.4 53.1 65.23 I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine and in another place who hath beleeved our report Doct. and againe I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walke in a way that is not good We must have hope touching the salvation of others albeit they runne aâ— stray yet the barren fig-tree is not forsaken and given over so long as there is any hope but the Dresser wil still be digging about it and dunging of it This teacheth that we must not despaire of the salvation of any howsoever they have long gone astray We see this in the example of Manasses he built altars for all the host of heaven he caused his children to passe through the fire he used Witch-craft and enchantment he dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards 2 Chro. 33.5.6 he shed innocent blood very much till he had filled Ierusalem from one end to another and wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger yet the Lord was intreated of him 2 King 21.16 and heard his supplication when he had learned by wofull experience that the Lord was God Act. 2.37 10.11.12.13.14.15 Thus it was with those that crucified the Lord of life they were pricked in their hearts and had Salvation preached vnto them Hereunto commeth the vision of Peter he saw heaven opened and a certaine vessel descending unto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts of the earth wild beasts and creeping things and soules of the aire and there came a voyce to him Rise Peter kill and eate And when he refused because he had never eaten any thing that is common or uncleane the same voyce answered What God hath clensed that call not thou vncleane This was the interpretation of the vision that which is uncleane God is able to cleanse Paul before his conversion was a blasphemer and a persecuter and a great oppressour 1. Tim. 1.13 but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly through unbeleefe The Gentiles wandred many yeares even thousands of yeares in superstition and Idolatry yet at length when the time of their conversion was come Gen. 9.27 Ioh. 10.16 God perswaded Iapheth to come and dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9. and our Saviour speaking of them saith Other sheepe I have 2 Tim. 2.25 which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one fold and one shepheard So the servant of the Lord must not strive but be patient and gentle unto all proving if God will give them repentance The reasons are plaine First Reason 1 because God calleth at all houres of the day who hoth the times and seasons in his owne power Math. 20.3.5 6. some at the third some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleventh houre and we have a notable example thereof in the penitent theefe converted by the powerfull word of Christ upon the Crosse Luc. 23.34 he that was running a pace to hell hath promise to be carried into Paradise whereby the common proverbe is verified if in any thing else that he runneth far which never returneth Secondly God waiteth the time that he may be gracious unto us Esay 30.18 and have mercy upon us for he is a God of judgment and blessed are all they that wait for him Esay 30. ought not we therefore to follow his example and to hearken who will
threatnings of judgments and punishments are conditionall and to be understood with limitation See this 1 King 8. Now O Lord God of Israel keepe with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him saying There shall not faile thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel so that their children take heed to their way that they walke before me as thou hast walked before me Of this did David himselfe put his sonne Salomon in mind 1 Chro. 28.9 Know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts c. if thou seeke him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever So doth our Saviour threaten the Church of Ephesus to remove the Candlesticke out of his place except it did repent Revel 2.5 The reason is plaine both of the one and of the other He promiseth mercy with condition that we should be stirred up to obedience that no defect might be on Gods behalfe and againe he threatneth judgement that he might not enter into judgement and denounceth punishment that he might not punish but that we should repent and amend our lives and remember from whence we are fallen Revel 2.5 This appeareth evidently in his threatning against Nineveh who can tell Ionah 3.9 if God will turne and repent from his fierce wrath that we perish not When we repent he repenteth we of the evill of sinne he of the evill of punishment but if we repent not of our sinne he will never repent him of the punishment that he hath threatned to bring upon us It reproveth all such as remember what God hath promised to us but forget what he requireth of us Vse 1 God hath made a Covenant with us as he did with Abraham Gen. 17.7.1.2.6 and we binde our selves interchangably one to another He said unto Abraham I will be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee but how on this condition Thou shalt keepe my Covenant and what was that Obedience whereof circumcision was a signe walke before me and be upright If Abraham had called unto God to performe his part to blesse him as his God and in the meane season had never performed his owne part of the Covenant to walke before him in the uprightnesse of his heart had he not dallied with God and deceived himselfe But thus the case standeth with us we are ready to cōplaine murmur if the Lord do not blesse us when in the meane season we forget what promise we have made to him If we should deale so with men like unto our selves would not all accuse us of folly Secondly let us not flatter our selves and beare our selves bold and presume because we have many precious promises of grace and helpe in time of neede These promises howsoever they be in themselves surer then the heavens and more stable then the earth yea be ratified confirmed by an oath that by two unchangable things wherin it is unpossible that he should lye Heb. 6.18 we might have strong consolation I say these promises are no promises to us if we doe not keepe the Covenant it is all one as if they had never beene made Mat. 6.25.33 Our Saviour willeth us to take no thought what to eate or what to drinke or wherewith to be clothed he promiseth that he will never leave us nor forsake us but it is with condition first seeke the kingdome of God and then all these things shall be ministred unto us then he saith my mercy will I keepe for them for evermore my promise shall stand with them my covenant will I not breake Psal 89.28.34 neither alter the thing that is gone out of my lippes Lastly let us serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind seeke to know his will and serve him when we do know it Let us not be discouraged in his threatnings seing they also are conditionall as well as his promises Let us breake off the course of our sinnes and amend our lives then we may be well assured he will turne from all his wrath and remember our sins and iniquities no more For he is faithfull he never forsaketh us untill we forsake him This is it that the Prophet is sent to tell Asa and all Iudah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him 2 Chr. 15.2 and if ye seeke him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you And is it not just with God to deale with us as we deale with him and to measure to us againe as we have measured to him Let us therefore seeke him while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let us forsake our evill wayes and returne unto the Lord then he will have mercy upon us and he will abundantly pardon all our sinnes If it beare fruit well Doct. The barren estate is very dangerous neare to bee burnt up The fig-tree in this place is not said expresly to be dead but to be barren and to bring forth no fruit at all which is all one This teacheth that the barren condition hath no life nor comfort in it but is full of danger even neere to burning This Iohn the Baptist teacheth Every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen downe and cast into the fire Math 3.10 Math. 3.10 So the Apostle Heb. 6.6 The earth which beareth thornes and briers is rejected and is nigh unto cursing Heb. 6.7.8 whose end is to be burned A man may say of such as the Disciples of the fig-tree Math. 21.29 against which the curse was passed by the mouth of Christ How soone is the figge-tree withered away Such then doe lye under an heavy curse We thinke we have said much in praise and commendation of many and indeed of many it is too much to say they are harmelesse men they doe no man any hurt you may live long among them and you shall receive no wrong nor jniury from them but is this enough no doubtlesse for what shall this profit if we bring forth no good fruit Ier. 17.8 Ezek. 47.12 The reasons are plaine for first Reason 1 the law of God is not onely negative but also affirmative it commandeth good as well as forbiddeth evill The negative part is but halfe the Commandement and he that performeth so much hath done but halfe his duty like a Dove that flyeth with one wing or like a lame man that hoppeth upon one legge The Commandement which saith thou shalt not kill saith also inclusively Thou shalt preserue thy neighbours life Secondly to omit the duties which a man ought to performe is a kind of contempt against God For not to honour or obey is to contemne A servant which will not doe what his Master commandeth Mal. 3.6 because a servant honoureth his
name of good workes which neuerthelesse are neither the onely good workes nor the chiefest good workes For we looke upon our selves in the glasse of the law and try our selves thereby These workes are of two sorts some generall and others speciall The generall are such as concerne all among which the workes of the first Table being the first and great Commandements Math. 22.38 must have the first place to love God above our selves to feare him to beleeve in him to trust in him to pray unto him to serve and worship him to reverence his name and to sanctifie his Sabbath and the workes of the second Table are like Gal. 5.22.23 for the fruits of the spirit are manifest love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse faith meekenesse temperance and such like These belong to all and must be practised of all persons high and low rich and poore none may excuse themselves The speciall workes are such as belong to every man in his particular calling For as we have all a generall calling as we are Christians so we are set in severall callings such as are superiors and inferiors as the Magistrate and subject the husband and wife father and sonne master and servant we must labour to be found faithfull in these how low so ever our place be if we be found carefull and conscionable even the meanest servant that drudgeth in the Kitchin if his calling be nothing but to scoure spittes Eph. 6.6.7 or to wipe shooes yet if he be obedient to his Master as unto Christ not with eye-service as men pleasers but as the servant of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men he is no lesse accepted of God in his place then he that preacheth the word or he that ruleth a kingdome Well or thou shalt let it alone These words are expresly mentioned but they or some such like must necessarily be understood as if it were said let it stand and continue in the Vineyard that it may bring forth more fruit as Ioh. Ioh. 15.2 15. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Doct. This teacheth us that the fruits of repentance obtaine the pardon and forgivenesse of all sinnes and offences Repentance obtaineth forgivenesse of sinnes and the favour of God and prevent Gods wrath and judgements and procure his love and favour He hath made a sure promise of remission of former offences to all such as truly turne unto him Thus the Prophet hath Wash you make you cleane take away the evill of your workes from before mine eyes c. then though your sinnes were as crimsin Esay 1.16.18 55.6.7 they shall be as wooll and though they were as scarlet they shall be as white as snow and chap 55. Seeke the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is neere let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous his owne imaginations c. let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him Ezek. 18.23 And the Prophet Ezekiel chap. 18. I will not the death of a sinner but rather that he repent and live where he coupleth these two together The truth of this point is farther confirmed by sundry examples as 2 Sam. 2 Sam. 12.13 12.13 When David had acknowledged his sinne against the Lord the Prophet said for his comfort The Lord also put away thy sinne The like we see in Manasseth when he was carried away captive and clapt up in prison being in great tribulation prayed unto the Lord 2 Chr. 33.12 and humbled himselfe greatly be fore the Lord God of his fathers and God was intreated of him and heard his prayer and brought him backe againe to Ierusalem and set him upon the throne of his fathers The Publican smote his brest saying Lord Luk. 18.13.14 be mercifull to me a sinner I tell you this man went downe to his house justified rather then the proud Pharisee The like I might say of Paul 1 Tim. 1.13 he obtained mercy and forgivenesse when he was converted so the penitent theefe upon the Crosse said to the Lord Iesus Lord Luk. 23.42.43 remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome and Iesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Mar. 1.4 Hence it is that the Evangelist witnesseth that Iohn did baptise in the wildernesse and preach the baptisme of repentance for the remission of sinnes where we see he knitieth repentance and forgivenesse of sinnes together The reasons first Reason 1 all penitent persons shall have the blood of Christ Iesus to wash clense their soules from all their sinnes a singular benefit This reason the Prophet vrgeth Esay 1.17.17.18 For to speake properly nothing can clense us but Christs blood so foule and filthy we are and therefore it is called cleane water Ezek. 36.25 1 Ioh. 1.7.9 I will powre cleane water upon him and thus the Apostle Iohn saith If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes and the blood of Iesus Christ his Sonne clenseth us from all sinne Secondly such shall have right to carthly blessings and to a right use of them to their everlasting comfort as Esay 1. Ye shall eate the good things of the land Esay 1.19.20 but if they refused and rebelled they should be destroyed for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Let us apply these things First conclude Vse 1 that all impenitent persons are out of Gods favour and protection and lye under all the plagues and punishments that God denourceth against sinners This is a fearefull estate and condition Deut. 28.16 to be cursed in the whole course of our life at home and abroad in the City and in the field in all that we put our hand unto Deut. 28. The curse of God bringeth with it all miseries of this life and of the life to come If then we repent not we die Secondly they that are truly penitent are truly happy for that man is blessed Psal 32.1.2 38.4 whose transgressions are for given and whose sinne is covered Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity There cannot be a greater blessing befall us in this world then to get pardon of our finnes for all the burdens that we can beare are not to be compared to the burden of sin and therefore to be lighted of it is one of the greatest blessings of all the spottes staines that can sticke unto us Iam. 1.21 sinne is the filthiest and therefore to be clensed and washed from it maketh us cleane in his sight Lastly hence ariseth matter of comfort to all such as earnestly endeavour this worke of clensing and purging of themselves The vvay and the meanes to attaine
hand Ioh. 10.28 or who shall fight against his Sheepe and the Flocke of his pasture and prevaile This the Prophet teacheth Ier. 2.3 Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devoure him shall offend evill shall come upon them saith the Lord. Ier. Iob 1.3 2 3. The Sheepe of Job are reckoned in the account of his substance so are Gods Sheepe a part of his substance which he chose to himselfe so great is the kindnesse and mercy of God toward us For why doth hee take them for his Sheepe and let the rest goe as Goats being by nature no better Is it any worthinesse or excellency in them before others Rom. 2.12 19. No we are all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God Is it for their multitude Iohn 14.6 No they are called by Christ in this place a little Flocke and hee is the truth it selfe that speaketh it Thus Moses sheweth that the Lord did not set his love upon Israel neither chuse them because they were moe in number then any people Deut. 7.7 For they were the fewest of all people Deut. 7.7 Is it for their strength might and power they have Ezek. 16.5 6. No he found them weake and wallowing in their blood none eye pittied them to have compassion upon them so that wee may not say in our hearts Deut. 8.17 18. My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth but wee must remember the Lord our God for it is he from whom wee receive all good things What then is it because we are more righteous The Israelites are charged not to speake so in their hearts Deut. 9.4 5. Deut. 9.4 5. because It was not for their righteousnesse or uprightnesse of heart that they entred to possesse the Land but for the wickednesse of those Nations which were driven out before them Who is it among the sonnes of men that will not spend land and limme and life it selfe to defend that which hee hath bought and purchased with a great price and at a deare rate And will not God defend and avenge his Children whom he knew to be his before the foundation of the world was laid though they bee oppressed for a time and he beare long with the vessels of wrath who cry out against them Downe with them downe with them even to the ground 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.1 2 3 howbeit the foundation remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and hee will not cast off the care of them for ever Fourthly here is matter offered unto us to stirre our hearts to thanksgiving considering the infinite mercy of God toward us who hath vouchsafed to make choise of us to be his Sheepe passing by so many thousands in the world Of this duty the Prophet putteth us in minde arising from this doctrine Psal 100. Psal 100.3 4. It is the Lord that hath made us and not we ourselves for we are his people and the Sheepe of his pasture What followeth he maketh this use thereupon Enter into his Gates with thankesgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankefull unto him and blesse his Name It is no small token of his love toward us to make us to be his Sheep that are by nature Lyons Leopards Beares Bulls Dogs Psal 22.12 13 16 21. Matth. 15.26 Wolves and wild Beasts and what not Is not his love who loved us first worth our love to him againe If it be a great blessing that we are made to bee reasonable men how much greater is it to be received and regarded as his owne inheritance then which nothing is dearer to him nothing ought to be better to us The unfaithfull are the worke of God by naturall generation but they are the new-worke of God by spirituall regeneration It is not our owne free will that can frame and fashion us to be the people of God for then we might say It is we our selves that have made us and not the Lord. Particular branches of thankfulnesse This thankfulnesse consisteth not in words onely but in divers other particular branches noted by the Prophet in that place First let us give to him our hearts that our tongues may bee guided thereby let us first offer him all that is within us and then all that is without us will follow also for other worship God accepteth not In vaine they worship him Matth. 15.8 that draw neere unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lippes when their hearts are farre from him Secondly we must never bee ashamed to praise the Lord and to confesse his wonderfull workes to the children of men We see how men are not ashamed to sinne before the Lord openly publikely proudly presumptuously and prophanely and they blush at nothing but at godlinesse prayer profession hearing the Word and such like workes of Christian piety These men glory in their owne shame Phil. 3.19 Ier. 6.15 but they are ashamed of their glory nay of Gods glory and even of their owne good Thirdly the service which we performe to God wee must yeeld willingly readily joyfully 2 Cor. 9.6 and with a glad heart for hee loveth a cheerefull giver Thankes constrained or wrung and wrested from us are rejected of God Wee must give unto him backe againe as he giveth to us But how is that and in what manner bestoweth he upon us hee giveth us his gifts freely we must therefore returne to him our thankes frankly Lastly he calleth us to the assembly of his Saints which he nameth the Court and presence of God which was the place appointed for his publike service and worship Indeed God is not confined to a certaine place Act. 7.48 Iohn 4.21 neither is there any place wherein he is not to bee worshipped neverthelesse such as are indued with true faith must follow the communion of the Saints as Sheepe that feed not alone but with their fellowes Gods Sheepe and servants must shew themselves in the publike Assemblies being publikely thankefull for publike benefits received at his mercifull hands Psal 84.10 considering that one day in a his Courts is better then a thousandelsewhere Fiftly all that are Pastors and Teachers under Christ are bound to feed the Flocke that dependeth upon them They are Vnder-shepheards as it were Christs Vicars or Curates hee is the great Shepheard of our soules to whom the rest must be subject for the Sheepe are his This use is gathered from the exhortation that Paul giveth to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flocke Act. 20.28 over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Where he reasoneth thus It is the Flock of
6.6 The like we might say of Moses Exod. 4.10 13 Ier. 1.6 Dan. 9 8. I hn 1.27 Matth. 11.11 Exod. 4.10 13. of Jeremy chap. 1.6 and of Daniel chap. 9.8 John Baptist maketh it knowne that he was not worthy to unloose the shooes latchet of Christ that came after him albeit among them that were borne of women there hath not risen a greater then he The Prodigall Sonne being come to himselfe Luke 13.21 18.13 and to his Father confesseth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight I am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne The Publican being come up to the Temple to pray stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his brest saying O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner So Paul testifieth that he was as one borne out of due time 1 Cor. 15.8 9. not worthy to be called an Apostle not onely the least of the Apostles Ephes 3.8 1 Tim. 1.15 1 Cor. 15.8 but the least of all the Saints Ephes 3.8 and the greatest of all sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 The reasons are many and waighty Reas 1 For first what have we to be proud of or wherefore should we advance our selves 2 Cor. 3.5 we are not able of our selves to thinke any thing that is good and without the helpe and assistance of Christ we can doe nothing at all Joh. 6. so that to be proud of our selves is to be proud of nothing Secondly they know their sinnes to be moe in number then the haires of their head that they provoke him every day and are not able to answer him one of a thousand their iniquities are increased over their heads Ezra 9.6 Lam. 3.22 and their transgressions are gone up to the Heavens Ezra 9.6 so that it is his mercy that they are not utterly consumed The more the Lord vouchsafeth his grace unto them the more they behold their owne waies and are privy to their owne wants They know they have many knowne and open sinnes They know they stand in need to pray to God to clense them from their secret faults They know they must begge of him Psal 19.12 13. to keepe his servants from presumptuous sinnes that they may not have dominion over them They know they are daily to crave pardon for their errors ignorances and negligences for omitting good for committing evill They know their owne hearts smite them 1 Ioh. 3.20 and if their owne hearts condemne them God is greater then their hearts and knoweth all things And have they not therefore cause in all these respects to hang downe their heads and to humble themselves in the sight of God As for the ungodly it is not so with them they are blinde and can see nothing they are deafe and will learne nothing they are sencelesse and can feele nothing be it never so palpable Thirdly Christ Iesus hath left himselfe as a patterne and president unto us for he is meeke and lowly in heart Matth. 11.29 Matth. 11.29 who being in the forme of God and thinking it no robbery to bee equall with God tooke upon him the shape of a servant Phil. 2.6 7. and made himselfe of no reputation Thus he humbled himselfe and became obedient unto the death even the death of the Crosse Yea he disdained not to wash the feet of his Disciples Ioh. 13.5 15. and gave them an example what they should doe even as he had done to them Thus he that was both God and Man the Lord of Heaven and earth the eternall Sonne of the Father the brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1.3 the expresse Image of his person the Heire of all things upholding them by the Word of his power the King and Priest of his Church did stoope downe and abase himselfe for us even to the death and that also the cursed death of the Crosse Luke 21. 27. and was in the world as he that serveth Luke 22.27 Ought not we therefore to set evermore his example before our eyes as a glasse to looke upon and in lowlinesse of minde each one of us to esteeme of others better then of our selves that the same minde might be in us which was in him Fourthly wee are but dust and ashes whether we consider our rising or our falling our beginning or our ending Gen. 3.19 Iob 1.21 1 Tim. 6.7 our first or our last for dust we are and to dust shall we returne Gen. 3. We brought nothing with us in this world and it is certaine we can carry nothing out Is not the basenesse of the matter out of which we were formed and into which wee shall bee resolved argument waighty enough to pull downe every high conceit of our selves and to preach humility unto us Lastly God giveth all men somewhat to humble themselves in soule or in body or in name or in some that are neere unto them or in all these combined together at least if they know themselves It is an hard matter to know our selves aright for few doe it Wee are for the most part ignorant of our selves and strangers at home how quick-sighted soever we are abroad Wee cannot looke upon our selves or cast our eyes about us but we have causes and occasions of humiliation as Jacob after he had wrastled with God had his thigh out of joynt Gen. 32.25 31. 2 Cor. 12.7 8 9. and he halted of it all the dayes of his life afterward Gen. 32. So had the holy and blessed Apostle Paul asplinter in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet him lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations that were given unto him And albeit he besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from him yet he obtained in not but received this gracious answer My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse The best servants of God therefore have had something to cast them downe even to the ground and if wee have not eyes to see this which every where offereth it selfe before us we are blinde and can see nothing at all First of all this serveth for reproofe Vse 1 and that of sundry sorts of persons It giveth a checke to all Iusticiaries and Merit-mungers who like Pharises being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse Rom. 10.3 and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God Such men swelling very bigge with the winde of their owne workes are farre from the humility and humblenesse of minde which we read to have beene in all the Saints of God from the beginning The continuall song and saying that hath beene evermore in the mouthes of all the godly of the Patriarkes of the Princes of the Kings of the Captaines of the Priests of the Prophets of the Apostles and of all true Converts and penitent persons when they speake of themselves hath beene this I
18.24 1 Cor. 3.6 yet Aquila and Priscilla tooke him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly It was an evident signe that Job was humble in his owne eyes Iob 31.13 15. in that he did not despise the cause of his Man-servant or of his Maide when they contended with him but considered with himselfe that he which made him in the wombe fashioned them also and that one formed them all Thirdly if we submit our selves to bee governed by the wisedome of God revealed in his Word This submitting and subjecting of our selves maketh simple men become wise yong men to be wiser then their Elders and such as have beene taught Psal 119.98 99. 19.7 Prov. 1.4 wiser then their Teachers and such as have enemies to goe beyond all their deepe policies and to prevent all their cunning devices On the other side if wee reject the Word and will not bee obedient unto it making it a lampe unto our feet and a light unto our pathes Psal 119.105 Ier. 8.9 2 Tim. 3.15 there is no true wisedome at all in us Jer. 8.9 The Word is able to make us wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3.15 which is the greatest wisedome that can be He that is not wise for his soule is a foole let him be never so wise and wary for the body and let him have never so great reputation for a wise man in the world yet is his wisedome disprooved Fourthly if we deny our selves and our owne naturall and fleshly wisedome It is a very hard matter to deny our selves and our carnall wisedome but it must of necessity bee done if ever wee desire to come to the Kingdome of Heaven Therefore the Apostle saith Let no man deceive himselfe 1 Cor. 8.13 2 Cor. 10.32 If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise For our high thoughts must be cast downe that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bee brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Lastly let us study to decke our selves with humility as with a precious robe and to crowne our selves with humblenesse of minde as with a garland And so much the rather because this adorneth all other graces yea without this grace is no grace This is the direction of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time and cloathe yourselves with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 6. And we have sundry motives to stirre us up unto it First no good thing dwelleth in our flesh Rom. 7.18 but evill dwelleth in us abundantly and plentifully All the thoughts of mans heart are onely evill Gen. 6.5 and that continually The water can arise no higher then nature will give it leave so there is an impotency and disability in our nature to ascend above it selfe to that which is good as unpossible as for the streame to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or for a stone by its owne strength to mount into the aire For that which is of the flesh is onely flesh Our natur is stained and defiled with all manner of sinne and a pronenesse to all sorts of sinnes from our birth Iob 14.4 15.14 Psal 51.5 nay from our conception which hath over-spred us as a filthy leprosie The minde and understanding the will and affections the memory and conscience the whole soule and body are infected Rom. 8.7 so that the naturall man understandeth not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him and are spiritually discerned Secondly God resisteth the proud and professeth himfelfe to be an enemy to them Iam. 4.6 Prov. 3.34 1 Pet. 5.5 but hee giveth grace unto the humble Iam. 4.6 Thirdly our best gifts are wonderfully tainted and defiled We know nothing if wee be ignorant hereof What is our faith our repentance our sanctification our love our temperance our patience our hope our knowledge but as it were the foundation or beginning of a great building or the seed of grace sowne in our hearts rather then grace it selfe being compared with perfection We know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 howsoever wee may thinke wee know all things Our faith is little and soone shaken with many doubtings and with much unbeleefe Lastly Marke 9.24 such onely as are humble shall be exalted and lifted up in due time Luke 1.51 As the proud are scattered in the imagination of their hearts so the humble shall be advanced It is a common saying of Christ oftentimes uttered by him and repeated by the Evangelists Matth. 23.12 Luke 24.11 18.14 Hee that lifteth up himselfe shall be cast downe and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted As pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Prov. 16. so on the other side humility goeth before exaltation and leadeth the way before it All are desirous to passe into the house of glory but they are unwilling to enter in at the gate of humility By this gate Christ himselfe entred and this way he hath consecrated to all his children For it is your Fathers These words containe the reason which is the promise of a great and wonderfull blessing greater then all the world besides For what is this world without respect and reference to the World to come or what is all the glory of this life without the glory of the next Life or what is an earthly Kingdome without the Kingdome of Heaven Now touching the force and strength of this reason see afterward in the last branch This promise which is a promise of promises or the perfection of all promises as a spring or fountaine hath many streames or chanels issuing out of it as hath beene observed before in the beginning The first is the Author of the promise not Man not Angels not Princes not any creature for this is greater then all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings and mighty men of the earth are able to promise and performe it is God that hath promised who also will accomplish whatsoever he hath spoken And to the intent this promise might take the deeper root in our hearts Christ Iâ—sus doth not call him the mighty Lord the righteous Iudge the God of revenge or such like but a mercifull Father For as before we shewed that God sheweth himselfe a Shepheard to teach that his Sheepe shall not want so here the Lord Iesus calleth him a Father 2 Cor. 12.14 to shew that as a Father provideth for his Chlldren so God loveth his and will provide for all of them He were a bad Shepheard that would feed himselfe but starve and famish his Sheepe so he were an evill father that would bee carefull for himselfe but carelesse altogether for his children The meaning of the word Father Now touching the meaning this word Father so farre as it is ascribed to God is
taken sometimes personally and sometimes essentially Personally when it is restrained to one of the Persons as to the first Person in the holy and blessed Trinity Matth. 28.19 Ephes 2.3 2 Cor. 13.13 to wit God the Father begetting the Sonne and sending forth the holy Ghost whensoever mention is made of any of the other Persons also Thus likewise it is taken when it is limited to the second Person in Trinity to wit God the Sonne begotten of the Father before all worlds â—say 9.6 as Esay 9.6 Vnto us a Childe is borne unto us a Sonne is given his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counseller the mighty God the everlasting Father And in this sence the holy Ghost the third Person proceeding from the Father and the Sonne may also be called Father because he together with the Father and the Sonne giveth being to all things Sometimes the Word is taken essentially without consideration of any personall relation and then it is referred simply to God and is extended to all the three Persons Deut. 32.6 as Deut. 32.6 Doe yee so reward the Lord Mal. 2.10 Iam. 1.27 O yee foolish people is not he thy Father that hath bought thee and Mal. 2.10 Have yee not all one Father and thus it is taken in this place for the whole God-head the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who have a Soveraigne Father-hood over the Church loving it defending it delighting in it caring for it bestowing all blessings upon it and withholding nothing that is good from it Doct. 7 This title teacheth us that God is the Father of his Church and Children As a Father loveth his Children to whom hee hath given breath and being as he feedeth and clotheth them nourisheth and layeth up for them so God loveth his Children to whom he hath given their first life their second life and to whom he will give a third life The first life is in the flesh the second in grace the third in glory The first is a naturall life the second a spirituall life the third an eternall life The first is their generation the second their regeneration the third shall be their glorification and therefore he loveth them with a love infinitely above the love of all Parents toward their Children whose love must needs be as finite as themselves when it is at the highest What the love of Parents is toward their Children the Scripture setteth downe by sundry examples 1 King 3.26 2 Sam. 18.23 1 King 3.26 Esay 66.13 Zach. 12.10 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 49.1 1 King 14.2 Esay 49.15 Psal 103.13 17. 68.5 Esay 63.16 69.8 2 Thes 2.6 2 Sam. 18 23. they rejoice at their good Prov. 101. they moutne for their trouble and evill that befalleth them Zach. 12.10 they comfort them in sorrow and anguish Esay 66.13 they procure them what good and preferment they can 2 Sam. 19.37 Gen. 17.18 they provide for the time present and to come Gen. 49.1 they tender them in sicknesse and in health 1 King 14.2 they prevent dangers that doe hang over their heads and may befall them Gen. 27.43 28.2 they regard them in prosperity and adversity in wealth and in poverty so that they cannot leave them nor forget them nor forsake them Esay 49.15 All these being onely in part and unperfectly in men are fully infinitely and perfectly in God as his nature and essence and therefore he commendeth his love to us above all this Esay 49. Matth. 7. of which places before The Prophets and Apostles are full of such testimonies as Psal 103. As a Father pittieth his Children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him and as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy toward them that feare him And 68.5 A Father of the Fatherlesse and a Judge of the Widdowes is God in his holy habitation So Esay 63.16 Doubtlesse thou art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting And 64.8 Thou O Lord art our Father we are the clay and thou our Potter and wee all are the worke of thine hand Thus the Apostle 2 Thes 2.6 The Lord Iesus and God even the Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation comfort your hearts This title is indeed proper to God alone Reas 1 that albeit there be that are called Fathers as indeed there be many upon the earth Magistrates Ministers Masters naturall Parents Exod. 20.12 and all Superiours Exod. 20.12 Yet to us as there is but one God and one Lord so there is but one Father as we heard before out of the Prophet to whom this name is properly and peculiarly belonging Matth. 23.9 This Christ himselfe teacheth Matth. 23.9 Call no man Father upon the earth for one is your Father which is in Heaven neither be yee called Masters for one is your Master Obiect even Christ But is it unlawfull to call any Father the Apostle calleth himselfe the Father of the Corinthians 1 Cor. 9.15 1 Cor. 9. Though yee have ten thousand Instructours yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospell Answ I answer He doth not simply forbid the appellation but restraine them from ambition neither condemneth he properly the title but absolutely the affecting of the title We may not therefore imagine that Christ would utterly abolish from among Christians the name of Father or Master or Teacher as if it were unlawfull for Children to call those their Fathers of whom they received their beeing or for Servants to call any their Masters to whom they owe their service forasmuch as the Scripture willeth Children to honour their Fathers and Servants to be obedient to their bodily Masters but his purpose is to forbid these names in such sort as the Pharises were called by them who loved or desired to be called Rabbies Fathers and Masters and challenged the names as proper and peculiar to themselves It is not therefore the bare title but their vaine glory that is condemned Againe so to be called Rabbi Father or Master that the people of the Lord should wholly and absolutely depend upon their mouthes 1 Cor. 7.23 to become servants of men and rest slavishly in their opinions and traditions as the onely true Teachers and Fathers of the Church as the Iesuits would be accounted in these dayes may not be admitted in any case or that their doctrines were not subject to triall and examination by the Scripture is wholly to be rejected forasmuch as the spirits of the Prophets are subiect to the Prophets 1 Cor. 14.32 Thus to be called Father or Master agreeth to no mortall man but God is the onely true Father and Christ Iesus the onely true Master as the onely Law-giver that is able to save and to destroy Jam. 4. whose Precepts we must receive and are bound to obey though all the world should teach otherwise God then must be held to be supreme others are
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but
mell with Christians as it was in the Apostles times for we are all Christians we have beene all baptized we meet in the House of prayer Answ we come freely to the Lords Table and wee looke for salvation in Christ Iesus True it is wee are all Christians by outward profession but wee doe not all shew it as we ought to doe by an holy conversation For doe we not practise the quite contrary What profit is it to beare the name of Christ in words and to deny him in our workes Tit. 1.16 to be washed with water and not to bee clensed from our wickednesse to come to the Lords Supper and yet to cleave to our sinnes to looke for salvation from Christ and never labour for true sanctification of the Spirit For if he be made to us justification he must also be made to us sanctification and if he be our righteousnesse it cannot bee but he worketh also righteousnesse in us The Iewes were a separate people from the Nations yet if there were not a further separation among them even Iew from Iew the holy from the prophane the cleane from the uncleane and one of Abrahams seed from another they could not be the people of God Rom. 9.6 7. They were not all the Israel of God that were of Israel according to the flesh because even among the Iewes themselves were many found that did iustifie the Gentiles Ezek. 16.51 52. and lived more prophanely and abominably then they So must it in like manner be with us the Word if once it bee sincerely embraced and received will fanne away the chaffe from the wheat and sever Christian from Christian yea neighbour from neighbour acquaintance from acquaintance Gen. 21.10 Gal. 4.30 and friend from friend so that the Bond-woman and her sonne shall be thrust out of the house of Abraham and finde no more place in it Thus much touching our duty respecting God Our duty tovvard our selves learned out of this Title the next concerning our selves For hence also we must learne to beware of excessive cares for earthly things and to have our conversation without covetousnesse which is the maine scope of Christ our Sauiour in all these words that we should not feare want because God is our Father And doubtlesse if we had hearts to beleeve and could haue this comfortable assurance that he is indeed our Father and we his children we need no more we could not but rest in his care and providence over us and provision for us We cannot be ignorant that in the family the father provideth for all If then we be of his family we shall be assured to have him our Father and to spread the wings of his protection over us Will the father suffer his children to starve when he hath store in his owne hand and can give the staffe of bread Matth. 6.25 When Christ our Sauiour sheweth that our heauenly Father feedeth the Ravens and clotheth the Lillies of the field which is the doctrine here deliuered he draweth this exhortation from thence Be not carefull for your life what ye shall eate or drinke or put on Math. 6. O the folly therefore of such as haue their hearts oppressed and ouer-charged with the cares of this life and so forget the Kingdome here promised by our heauenly Father The danger of covetous persons may be considered in these particular points First it is a sinne alive when other seeme mortified as appeareth in the example of Judas and by lamentable experience of many Professours wholly addicted to the world For when other sinnes have left them this sticketh fast unto them as a disease bred in the bones Secondly it is a sinne seldome repented of because it is so close and secret that it is hardly discerned and therefore Christ himselfe saith Matth. 19.23 A rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of heauen Many there are that follow after it but few confesse it For where shall you have a rich man though covetous in the highest degree that will acknowledge himselfe to be covetous The rich man that had many possessions came to Christ and seemed no doubt to himselfe and to others very religious and a diligent obseruer of the Commandements yet when he detected him of his couetousnesse he went away sorrowfull and repented of nothing but happely that he had gone so farre We haue particular examples of many grieuous sinners that haue turned to God and not beene ashamed to lay open their sinne to their owne shame * Gen. 19.33 with 2 Pet. 2.8 2 Sam. 12.13 2 Cor. 2.7 Acts 3.15 Gen 9.21 2 Chron. 33.6 12. Numb 12.1 Matth. 26.75 1 Tim. 1.13 Luke 23.40 Matth. 21.29 Philem. 18. some adulterers and incestuous Gen. 19. 2 Sam. 12. 2 Cor. 2. some murtherers 2 Sam. 12.9 Act. 3.13.19 some drunkards Gen 9.21 Some Idolaters sorcerers enchanters witches and wizards 2 Chron. 33.6 12. Some envious and murmurers Numb 12.1 Some cursers swearers and denyers of Christ Math. 26.75 Some persecuters blasphemers and oppressours 1 Tim. 1.13 Some stubborne and disobedient to Parents Matth. 21.29 Some theeves and injurious persons that robbe other men of their goods Luke 23.40 Philem. 14. but among all these very few that are covetous enter into the Kingdome of God who blesse themselves when God abhorreth them Some examples indeed we may finde of Gods mercy vpon them that none should despaire but they are very few that none should presume For when or where almost shall you haue a covetous person repent and confesse with his owne mouth I haue beene covetous And how can they repent of their sinne who doe acknowledge themselves to be sinners we may therefore say of such as Christ speaketh of the High-priests and the Elders Matth. 21.31 Verily I say unto you that the Harlots goe before you into the Kingdome of heauen Math. 21.31 They heare the Scriptures againe and againe threatning and thundring against this sinne to beware and take heed of covetousnesse and the Ministers laying it open but they have neither eares to heare nor hearts to beleeve and therefore they regard them as the Pharises did Christ himselfe who being couetous heard all these things Luke 16.14 and they derided him Thirdly these men so much as lyeth in them doe cancell the whole Law and abrogate it and therefore it worthily may be called the roote of all evill Let us briefely runne ouer the Commandements Covetousnesse the breach of the whole Law They breake the first Commandement because they make their Mammon to be their Master they love their money above God and put their trust in their treasure and so make to themselues a strange God and commit Idolatry unto it worshipping it as an Image Marke 10.24 Ephes 5.5 Psal 62.10 Marke 10.24 Ephes 5.5 Touching the second it keepeth the heart so inthralled to the World that they have no leisure to intend the worship of God What a deformity were it in
ought so much the more to be magnified if we consider what we are by nature to wit the children of wrath the heires of damnation the sonnes of Satan the servants of sinne so that wee may say not onely with Abraham Gen. 18.27 Luke 15.21 I am but dust and ashes but with the Prodigall Sonne I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne For what are we from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot but a very lumpe of sinne and corruption It is by grace and adoption that we are made the Brethren of Christ and fellow-heires with him and not much inferiour to the very Angels in Heaven Psal 8. Secondly in that God professeth himselfe a Father of all the faithfull observe that with him there is no accepting of persons Acts 11.36 Iob 34.19 Gal. 2.6 The poore man hath as great right and interest in Gods Kingdome and in this Title to call him Father as the rich man whose corne and cattell is encreased whose wine and oyle is multiplyed The weake brother may comfort himselfe herein knowing that God is a Father to him as well as he was to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to David to Peter or to Paul As all the Faithfull have obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 so have all of them a like or equall right in this Father-hood the low as well as high the poore as well as rich the simple as well as wise the bond as well as free are allowed and warranted to speak to him as to a Father as we are also taught in the Lords prayer which is a perfect platforme for all to use that come before him For there is neither Jew nor Gentile Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 male nor female circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian but Christ is all and in all and they have interest in him alike who shed his blood as well for the one as for the other and paid the same price for them all And thus it shall be at the last Day when no outward thing shall commend us to God neither birth nor blood neither learning nor riches neither great revenues nor golden crownes nor large Kingdomes none of these shall helpe no not the outward calling of a Christian if there be no more in us Let us therefore comfort our selves in this that the love of God is as great toward us as to those that are greater in the world True it is all men have not neither can have free accesse into the presence of Kings and Princes to stand before them and to heare their voice but all men even of low degree have liberty to come into the presence of Almighty God to heare his Word which is his voice nay they are called and invited unto it All men have not liberty to sit downe at the Table of great Personages howbeit God admitteth all true beleevers and penitent persons though never so poore to sit at his Table and to partake of his Supper yea they are the guests that he inviteth and entertaineth and welcommeth he will suppe with them and they shall suppe with him Thirdly from hence we have assurance that God will accept of our service and obedience albeit it bee maimed and unperfect and many waies defective The father that commandeth his childe to serve him albeit he faile oftentimes in the manner of doing yet when he beholdeth his care and endeavour to please him he praiseth his doing and passeth by his misdoing as if he saw it not so it is with God he requireth at our hands to obey him and albeit we faile and offend many waies in our obedience yet when he seeth a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8.12 and an unfained desire in us to doe our duty he accepteth us according to that we have and not according to that we have not Psal 203.13 This the Prophet teacheth He pittieth them that feare him no lesse then a Father doth his Children Doth the Father accept of nothing but that which is on every side perfect and every way absolute Yes he commendeth the heart when the foot halteth so God accepteth of our sincerity even when it is mingled with much infirmity This the Prophet Malachi witnesseth Chap. 3.17 They shall be mine Mal. 3.17 saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him This serveth as a great encouragement to us to cause us to serve him and to put forth all our strength and utmost endeavour to doe his will Lastly he will not cast away any of the faithfull finally and for ever neither shall any fall away from his favour True it is they may many waies fall but they shall rise againe Mic. 7.8 he may chastise them with the rods of men but his mercy he will never take away from them neither purposeth hee to cast them away utterly out of his sight He may suffer them to be winnowed Esay 54.8 Luk. 22.31 32. as men winnow wheat but he hath prayed for them that their faith shall not fully nor finally faile as Christ our Saviour speaketh unto Peter Luk. 22.31 32 Your Father The second point in the promise is the application Christ Iesus contenteth not himselfe to say It is the Fathers pleasure but your Fathers as when we pray we are taught to say Our Father Neither doth the reason run in this manner It is my Fathers pleasure as he might have spoken as indeed sometimes hee speaketh and as the Scripture calleth him the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ioh. 20.17 but to set the better edge upon it and to make it pierce the deeper he saith It is your Fathers good pleasure Ephes 1.3 It is not enough to beleeve that God is the Father of Christ or the Father of the Church but we must further beleeve that he is our Father and every one for his part must say He is my Father It is a matter of knowledge onely to confesse him a Father but it is a matter of faith to confesse him to be our Father Doct. 8 This teacheth that it is a duty belonging to the faithfull to apply the promises of God to themselves particularly as Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me Ier. 3.19 My Father and shalt not turne away from me Christ also sendeth Mary to his Brethren to say unto them Ioh. 20.17 28. I ascend unto my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Ioh. 20. This was the confession and application of Thomas Luke 1.47 Gal. 2.20 My Lord and my God This was the faith of the blessed Virgin My spirit reioyceth in God my Saviour Even so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 The Sonne of God who liveth in me loved me and gave himselfe for me It must bee thus with every soule in particular not onely to say Christ is the beloved Sonne of the Father but as it was with the
of sinne then the former This is the sinne of our time the common sinne of every place yea almost of every person The light is come among us but we love darknesse more then the light and are luke-warme Revel 3.16 as retchlesse men that care not which end goeth forward God will spew out such out of his mouth as evill humours out of the stomacke Salomon teacheth us in the Proverbes that he which is sloathfull in his worke Prov. 18.9 is brother to him that is a great waster so is it with such as are sloathfull in the Lords worke and in their owne duty they are companions and brethren with such as are open and obstinate contemners of the Word and make haste a pace after them they follow them close at the heeles and in short time will overtake them There is such carelesnesse and security every-where in the matters of God among us as if every man were left to doe what he list as if the soule were the least matter of a thousand as if Religion were last of all to be regarded or as if there were no day of account to come hereafter Among those that come to the place of Gods worship many indeed are kept in awe and in order but how and wherefore Is it by any conscience of their duty or by love to the Word Nay nay but for sinister ends some by force of the Law because they feare to be presented some by awe of their Superiours because they would not be thought stubborne some come for custome and fashion sake because it is Sunday some for company of others because they would doe as their honest neighbours doe and love not to be singular some for that they would not be accounted Papists because the State fauoureth them not some lest they should bee esteemed Atheists and so be pointed at with the finger some to please their Parents because they should leave them a better portion some to content their Masters lest they should be thrusted out of their dores or because they hope to gaine by them some to passe away the time because they have nothing else to doe some to meet with their friends and acquaintance because they are loth to spare another day some to meete with their debters because they would demand their money but the fewest number to meet the Lord in his owne Ordinances because they love the habitation of his house and the place where his honour dwelleth Psal 26.8 who hath promised to be in the middest of them that are gathered together in his Name Matth. 18.20 Happy are we if we be in the number of these few If such retchlesse men were left to themselves without any bridle of Law or feare of Superiour and authority of whom we spake before and suffered to doe what they pleased without any checke or controlment we should have our thinne Assemblies a great deale thinner and our streets and fields and houses and Ale-houses fuller-stuffed and thronged then our Churches And this may appeare hereby that notwithstanding we have Lawes and Magistrates and Officers and good examples of the chiefest and principall among us yet they are few a very few in comparison of the rest that are constant and conscionable in their hearing some if their presence and absence were ballanced together the waightier scole would be given to their absence and would waigh downe their presence as being found too light Others albeit they dwell neere enough are starting away at every turne and when they make shew of going to the Churche turne aside another way Others are more carefull to fill the body then to feed the soule who take every even the least occasion to feast with their friends forgetting the feast that God hath prepared in his house and not regarding it though they even starve their owne soules Others are gadding yea madding in a manner after every vanity and doe delight much more in the pleasure of the body then in the profit that commeth to the Spirit Others are weary of the Word as the Israelites that loathed Manna Numb 11.6 Others have hired ground and they must needs goe see it others have bought five yoke of Oxen Luk. 14.18 19. Matth. 22.5 and they must goe to prove them others must visit their Farmes or attend their Marchandise and yet every one must be holden excused though all set light by the Word and runne after their owne wayes like the guests in the Gospell that were bidden to the wedding and to the great Supper God sendeth out his Servants to invite them Come for all things are ready I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my fatlings are killed but they neglect the Lords sending to them and his calling of them But what followeth The Lord pronounceth Luke 14.24 I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper These are they that are araigned as guilty of the neglect of heavenly things who will sometimes seeme to beare some affection to the house of God but partly their profits and partly their pleasures carry them another way of all which the Prophet speaketh Ier. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully All these stand under this heauy curse of the Lord and therefore I counsell them to looke to it betimes to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to meet him by unfained repentance while he is here Lastly Contempt of the Word another hinderance to the Kingdome touching the contempt of the Word who seeth not how common it is which notwithstanding is the top of impiety and that many have filled the measure of their sinnes till it be full that the cry of them is come up to heaven If any aske the cause I answer Our great negligence and generall coldnesse have brought this evill upon us and God doth hereby in his deepe and yet just Iudgement revenge our carelesnesse in his Service by giving us over into all prophanenesse The Word of the Lord by which wee shall all be judged at the last Day is so farre from holding men in awe and from having their lives and hearts in subjection that they reject it from them as a needlesse thing and regard it no longer The Minister may teach what he will and threaten as long as he list but these Gallants like Gallio in the Actes of the Apostles Acts 18.17 care for none of those things The time hath beene when the Word hath beene reverenced even by such as were not converted by it nor transformed into the obedience of it yet it hath held them in some awe but now in these our dayes loosenesse and licenciousnesse have generally prevailed in every place and sinne is growne to such an head and height as if the Word were but a Scare-crow and all Religion but a fable We are come to this passe to mocke at zeale and Religion and to contemne the