good should draw thine affection to be for them True it is servants are not as children in point of naturalnesse and neerenesse for the child abides in the house for ever but the servant only for a time yet during that time he pleades for fatherhood and regard from thee so farre as is meet Quest But wherein stands this duty of Masters toward them Answ Briefly in these things First in a preparation Secondly in a performance 1. Preparation Behold God in thy servants duty Gen. 35.5 First for the former When thou seest that thy servants heart is subject unto thee and that there is a reall awe and Religious feare of spirit put into him by God for thine advantage and that as it is said of the Nations when Iaacob went to Luz the Lord smites a trembling at the ordinance of government Thy duty is to behold God in this worke to see thine owne basenesse and to say who am I that thou shouldest subject the wills of men unto so sinfull a creature as I am It is not my worth authority or carriage which could claime that esteeme and service which my servants tender unto me It is thou O Lord that subduest my people unto me In me there is nothing but might breed disdaine and despising as well as reverence But thou hast covered my uncomely parts by the honour of thine ordinance Oh! that this might draw my soule in subjection and awe under thee Eph. 3.15 who art the father of whom all the families of the earth are called Oh that I could tremble at thy greatnesse Oh! that as thou hidest from my cretaures their owne strength and parts that they might be wholly under mine authority so I might remember that I am under thee far more absolutely then a creature can be under mine Oh! that I might not feele mine owne parts strength wisdome welfare but feele thy feare upon mine heart as a bridle to awe and to restraine me from any boldnesse or loosenesse before thee Lord I never see awe and feare in my inferiours to me-ward but presently I conceive thou art in it to reflect a greater awe of my heart toward thy selfe For every Kingdome and rule in this world from a King to an housholder is under a greater Oh! let not my servant rise up in judgement and condemne me in that hee could behold that in a sinfull peece of flesh which could subdue him but I could never see that lustre and glory that mercy and love in thee which should draw and subdue my heart to thy selfe and set thee up so therein that my selfe might bee as nothing Psal 73.27 that I might say Whom have I in heaven but thee or in earth like thee By this meditation with praier prepare thy selfe first and then the duty will follow the better 2. Performance 1. Yeeld fatherly respect to thy servant Secondly having thus first given up thy selfe to God give thy selfe also to the duty of fatherly and due respect to thy servants and let not thine heart checke thee for any such wilfull neglect of them as might cause the Lord to punish it in thy selfe Even thy very diet lodging and care of the body must be good Thy horse thou wilt sometimes attend busily and carefully because thou wouldest have him serviceable and loath he should faile thee even so looke what thou wouldest have thy servant toward thy selfe that utter by the managing his spirit and framing of him for thy use The Masters eye makes the fat horse and his care the good servant This generall branch out to thy selfe in these particulars First be sure that as thou thy self lookest daily Tender to him his share in spirituall instruction for the bread of the day from God so tender thou as thy servants steward the demensum or portion due to thy servant daily let him share in thine instruction catechising and information in the Lord with correction and reproofe warnings and admonitions encouragements and promises let him not goe up and downe shifting and gracelesse give him such as the Lord hath given thee with praier for blessing daily and know that this is as meete for him as his daily food or wages better unfed then untaught Trust not thine owne wisdome but carry him in thine armes to God and pray the Lord to wash him shave off his locks and pare his nailes to make him faithfull to lay his hands upon him and blesse him that so thou maiest have a servant of the maker purged and made usefull for himselfe and thee When thou hast him tyed to thee by Gods cords he is safe This whet every day will be no let unto thee Secondly feed him not onely by the eare but by the eye Feed him by the eare and eye too pull not down that in practice by an humorous passionate base and ungracious carriage which thou hast set up in him by teaching for this will make him loath thee and despise it But tender unto him an holy grave and pure example walke before him so that Gods authority may appeare in thee Stand not so much upon thy superiority of fatherhood over him as wisdome and respect unto him Above all as Salomon saith over heare not thy servant when he speakes evill of thee that is let him see that thou art a man who can rule thy passions for thy selfe canst tell that thou hast oft offended God in that kinde This convincingnesse of thy carriage will breed invincible reverence and reflection of obedience toward thee againe See that thy servant despise thee not This will command reverence Contrarily the heart of a servant will suggest thus if thou walke basely what is matter how I serve such a Master What if I filch from him neglect his worke speake evill of him and dishonour him runne away from him It is good enough for him God is just But holy walking awes a servant overpowres his heart shames him makes him blush and puts him to silence This is powerfull not by violence but by perswasion both in sight and behinde thy back Thirdly Looke to thy authority 1. In charges bee carefull both of thy authority in commanding and in practising For the former impose nothing upon thy servant which the Lord hath not warranted thee by his word Bee not so vile as to digest any thing so thou maiest have thy worke and thy will done by him Be thou thy selfe also under authority and be a Master in the Lord. Thou hast enough to answer for thy selfe endanger not his soule also to make thine account more grievous Stretch not thy conscience to pervert his urge him not to breake Sabbaths send him not upon errands that day as if it were loose and might be spared fleece not from God presse him not to make a lye for thee to sweare or forsweare for thy sake and the like carry him not with the to base lewd companies pleasures lusts 2. For practise So for practice Ye
in Gods nostrils pag. 396 Conversion hath many steppes and degrees ere it bee fully wrought though the act of it bee at one time and why Sundry instances of the point 443. And reasons why God takes this course ibid. Mâ—rkes by which the soule may know whether conversion shall be perfected ibid. to pag. 452 Censure neither our selves nor others touching our finall estates pag. 454 Cleare and justifie God in his delay of grace pag. 457 Consolation to all who have found God in the worke of conversion pag. 458 Christians of crabbed peevish and stubborne hearts wrong their souls of faith pag. 467 All such as are under the condition of mercy may and ought to beleeve 470. Reasons of it five or six what the condition of faith is viz. no procuring but a signâ—fying thing Why this condition is requisite Who is the worker of it It is a middle thing between meer corruption grace ibid. The steppes of it foure or five ibid. To cast the soule upon the promise what it is and wherein it consists pag. 504 The Commands of God are sad and solemne things 516. explication of it Reasons of it sundry 1. They were first given in a solemne manner 2. They borrow their nature from him and his greatnes whom they come from 3. From the proportion of the Commands of earthly Princes 4. The rewards which God crownes obedience withall are solemne and great 5. Because whatsoever is in God is eminently so and therefore his soveraignty in commanding 6. Else the subjects of God his Kingdome might give him Law rather then take Law from him 7. The Lord hath power to disanull and frustrate the strongest Lawes therefore â—lso to make Lawes sad and solemne ibid. to 521. Christ Iesus the Lord of the Sabbath translated the rest of the creation to the rest of Redemption pag. 527 The cunning and colours of hypocrites to shift off commands 533. Two instances thereof ibid. Christ at his comming will wash off all the colours of hypocrites pag. 536 Close obeyers of God in loose times shall have close comfort in Troubles pag. 549 The command of the Gospel to beleeve in Christ is to bee obeyed above all commands 559 All other commands issue from this pag. 560 Churches judgement must guide us but not principle us in the truths of Scripture pag. 576 Charmes and spells of good Witches what to be thought of pag. 590 Such as charge God for breaking of promises which hee never made very sinfull pag. 610 Claymers of performances of promises and yet want a promise sinfull ibid. How men deceive themselves herein three or foure wayes ibid. 1. By Gods forbearance 2. Their abstinence from open sinnes 3. By outward blessings 4. By their Religion ibid. Christ makes the soile of promises rich pag. 617 Each true Cure hath the spirit of the cure attending upon it 856. What is meant by the Spirit of the cure Explication of it with an illustration historicall Proofes of it and reasons six 1. For the manifestation of Gods worke in the soule 2. For their heartning against all future difficulties 3. To make them objects of observation in the world 4. From the irresistable power of grace in the soule 5. Because God is the God of Order 6. For the future convincement of the soule if she decline pag. 862 Counterfeit cures of soule common in the world but true ones rare pag. 363 Caveats against declining in sundry particulars pag. 874 Some carriages of an unsound heart discovered pag. 883 Consolation to all such as have gotten the spirit of conversion and stand fast therein pag. 891 D. Despised and meanes ones if godly may comfort themselves upon good grounds pag. 73 God Delayes the perfecting of grace in his people for speciall causes 1. To try all which is in their heart 2. To begin with them as he meanes to proceed 3 To teach them the price of his grace 4. To discerne them from such as are not of his number pag. 88. 89. 90. 91 Difficulties which Gods poore Novices meet with to their conversion manifold some eight or ten of them mentioned pag. 92. 93. 95 Degenerate basenesse of our nature discovered pag. 103 Duties of Devotion and Religion how prejudiciall to Christ pag. 116 What Degrees in Religion a man may attaine unto To how small purpose 117. Wherein they faile seaven or eight particulars ibid. Admonition against it ibid. Deniall of Selfe urged 119. Vpon what respects Many dangerous lets to hinder it ibid. and counsels to further it 162. Exhortation to it in two things 1. To doe all for God 2. Suffer all for him ibid. To dispute for God and the promise against seeming objections is great grace pag. 194 Despise carnall reasons double dealing as fast as she despises the simplicity of grace pag. 208 Deny self ease for Gods ease pag. 368 Deserters and dâ—scouragers of such Ministers of God as they are bound to are blameable 389. All partiall lovers passionate lovers indirect lovers vain glorious lovers false-hearted lovers second hand and pinching lovers of the Minister to be taxed ibid. Such as are at defiance and hatred of their Ministers are odious pag. 399 Dalliers with the Gospel or attenders upon it for a season reproved pag. 489 Delight in obeying the sad Commands of God affords solid comfort pag. 550 Dispensation against the power of truths is a great sin of our times 553. Sundry instances mentioned ibid Declining of the temper of our times in zeale to the Gospel justly to bee bewailed pag. 884 E. Earthinesse of our mould and nature one cause why God fills the Scriptures with strange and rare wonders pag. 2 One errour in a weighty businesse being admitted brings on many 248. Reasons and instances to clear the point ibid. One a pritch taken against the minister 2 Vnquietnesse in marriage 3. Neglect of debts at first 4. The not curbing of the tongue Objection against it and answer thereto ibid. Speciall errours to bee avoided pag. 255 The ease of grace how it is wrought and to whom it belongs Vide Obeying the Gospel The Ease of the first mercy ought not to beget slighting of it 370. But rather to binde the heart to God ibid. The Ease of mercy should for ever make Gods yoke seem easie ibid. And teach us experience for time to come pag. 372 Esteeme of Gods Minister ought to bee pretious Reasons of it 1. It is Gods charge 2. Both the message which hee brings and woâ—ke hee performes 3. Because hee is the pledge of publicke peace 379. Wherein this love and esteeme stands ibid. viz. in honour seâ—le of Ministery service Maintenance pag. 383 Examples of such as having long lyen under distresse of conscience yet at last were comforted pag. 459 Evangelicall preparations to faith of two sorts Negative or Positive Both of them treated of pag. 478 Exhortation to obey and consent to the command and promise of God by beleeving ibid. Extent of a command wherein it stands in
unkindly affronts shall end well when thou art weary of hearing God shall revive thy spirit so that thou shalt heare a voice behinde thee saying heare still thou shalt not be able for thy heart to give over the ordinances thy sullen heart shall not be permitted to prevaile in thee against the promise do what thou canst some light or other shall appear to encourage thee to cast out thy prejudice cavills frowardnes when others are left to themselves to sinke in their owne peevish rebellions thou shalt finde pitty thy tender nurse shall use all his wisdome not against thee but for thee and shall not bee provoked to give thee over as thou dost him thou shalt see it and blesse those armes that comprehended thee when thou couldest not containe thy selfe those feet that followed thee those hands that laid hold on thee saying returne O Shulamite returne whither wilt thou goe Out of blessing into the warme Sunne What boot will that bee to thee What an occasion of endlesse repentance and regret will it bee to thee hereafter to leave God in a tetch to forsake cleare evident sure mercies upon a toy and conceit of thine owne against the promise of him that cannot lye Oh! consider better of it lay not the bottome of remedilesse woe betimes Thou shalt wish one day of the Sonne of man hereafter and that it were with thee as it hath beene but then the guilt of thy former contempt and fullennesse shall be a thousand witnesses against thee Thus the Lord shall even revive the spirit of Naamans servants in thy spirit to pull thee backe from the pit and prepare thee for mercy Onely beware thou yeeld not to thy temptations but waite upon the word A caution hereupon Suffer not this grace of God in thee to be slighted as it is by hypocrites or to be damped and eclipsed by wantonnesse wordlinesse and base lusts as it is by prophane wretches for these will rankle in thee and fret into thy bowels a as canker and then feare not but other annoyances shall cease in due time and turne to a sweet calme in thee when suddenly the Lord Jesus awaking out of his sleepe shall rebuke them as he did the storme and waves which threatned the ship wherein he lay for it is as possible that those should have overwhelmed him and his Disciples as these shall ovewhelme thee perhaps thou conflictest with boylings of corruptions and rebellings against the Law of faith and righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus but even these shall humble thee turn to great casting of Self out of thee perhaps thou art cast upon same unwelcome crosses losses sicknesse feare of death before thy peace be made be content the Lord doth not try thee in vaine they are to make sure worke of thy heart and to bring thee to a duer sight of thy selfe they are not to destroy thee although thou maiest thinke them sent to discourage thee God shall put more courage then so into thee hee hath the power of death in his hand and it shall not seize upon thee till the worke of God in thee be past danger The bed of thy sorrow and the racke of thy conscience and the clattering of thy bones and thy loathing of dainty meates and drawing neare to the grave shall not hurt thee for all shall end well Job 33. and turne thee from the pit and when thou art convinced thereof thy loathnesse shall be turned to readinesse as Peters was Joh. 13.9 and thou shalt say Doe what thou wilt Lord if for good I am ready to stoope perhaps thy owne parents wife in bosome best friends and companions turne enemies looke estrangedly lye at thee with threats taunts scornes for thy casting them off and looking another way But be quiet the Lord shall teach thy fingers to fight and thee to thinke that the more pretious for which the Divell so blusters against thee resolve to beare what thou canst but surrender not thy hopes perhaps when the Law hath laid thee open to the sight of thine owne conscience buffeting thee with guilt and horrors exceedingly thine estate seemes worse and worse thy old liberty in a sinfull course bubbles up within thee tempting thee to shake off chaines to returne to it again but God shall teach thee to preferre his chaines to the Divells freedome In a word Satan will disquiet thee with Atheisticall thoughts against God Providence Scriptures the threats the promises as if they were all but fables so the wicked world through error counts them but in all this confusion the Lord shall not leave thee and as I said before through this sea dried up he shall bring his scattered ones rather then they shall perish All shall give place be it never so opposite rather then Gods worke shall be defeated And so much for this point of coherence may serve Another thing there is to be noted here Ground of second point Gods continuing still to buffet and humble Naaman ere I come to the substance of the words And that is that this thirteenth verse wholly aimes at a third buffeting and subduing of Naamans spirit to the obedience of Gods command Twice already you have heard how the Lord crossed him once by the idle carriage of the King who rent his cloathes when hee thought he would have healed him Another time when he waited at Elisha's doore for an answer of reall cure without delay We see these did but incense the froward spirit of Naaman and set him on carping and cavilling and not onely so but upon a will and stomacke of his owne to turne away and give over all Therefore to take downe his high lookes and that the cure which now followed might not light upon so rebellious a peece Lo the Lord tames him this third time not by sending Elisha to shame him but by setting him to schoole to his poore servants and underlings such as commonly were glad to be at his becke Doe this and he doth it goe and he goeth come and he commeth But lo now the case is altered the Lord so honours them that rather hee is under their authority they bid him come backe and he commeth they exhort him to goe to Jorden and he goeth they bid him doe this Wash seven times and he doth it yea and he is a happier man by thus obeying then ever in all his dayes by commanding We know when a Parent will abase a proud sonne he will not vouchsafe to correct him himselfe but put him to his Ostler or to his Groome to be chastened and this takes downe the pride of his sonne So here The Lord keepes Elisha within doores and sets the servants of this great stout Champion to take him to taske so ordering it that they must be conquerors of him who yet had got so many victories Now they can charme and levell his spirit more then any other and now these poore fellowes of farre lesse wit policy and insight must yet be
our selves to trouble and need not We hope we are as honest as others and would be as loth in cold blood to prevaricate as others but being now snared we must provide for our selves as well as we can we must save our selves for better times and not betray our owne safety Our opinion is sound and our practice shall be honest howbeit if any command of men come betweene to try and compell us what would you have us to doe We can dispense so with our people that they shall not stumble at us we can so order it that we can confute that with one breath which we allow with another Oh! thou temporizing hypocrite is thy conscience kept in a box like those witches eyes to pull out and keep in at thy pleasure Doest thou I say not reject the paterne of Gods ancient and moderne Confessors and Martyrs Heb. 11.37 but the expresse charge of commands that thou shouldest dare to please men to dishonour God Exod. 32. Take therefore that famous example of Aaron that it may give thee thy belly full of thine equivocations and distinctions against a Command Moses being gone up into the Mount the people would needs have a Calfe and to that end would needs presse Aaron to make it for them they knew his authority would carry it through better then their owne and so urge him to bee active in it What should Aaron have done Surely abhorred the thought of it and clave to the second Command with many other to that purpose But here feare or flattery or infirmity steps in and makes him a Politician hee bethinkes himselfe of a witty trick to out-shoot the Divell in his owne bow for supposing they would not easily bring their Eare-rings and Jewels to be molten he tells them If they would have a Calfe it must be made of their costliest ornaments bring him them and they should heare more whereas hee should have checkt himselfe and said What if they bring them as indeed they did wil that discharge me No surely therefore I will put my life into Gods hands cease to colour against Command and abhorre their motion What came of this Alas he was taken in his owne snare and so was not able to goe backe but makes them a Calfe Had he not think we infinite many arguments to shift off his sinne Yes verily he feared their violence or was loath to crosse them too farre his conscience was honest in the maine and what should he doe What Should they rend him in peeces He knew Moses would curbe them afterward but he was not able But what of all these Could these shield him from Moses his bitter rebuke and Gods more bitter wrath Shouldest thou mine high Priest betray mine honour to the lust of rebells Was there none but Aaron to make the people naked Should their father their nurse expose them to wrath and vengeance Oh we see what it cost him Nay even Kings themselves have been such fearefull examples for their audaciousnesse Judg. 27.8 2 Chron. 24.17 Gedeon for his Ephod Ioash for hearkning to his Princes and their bribes Saul for sacrificing without Samuel And shall wee venture to violate the Soveraignty of Gods commands Beware lest if we dare to doe it wee pay for it as they When those Princes of Samaria heard Iehu's challenge for the children of Ahab 2 King 10.4 what said they Behold two Kings could not stand before him and shall we venture No doubtlesse we will send in their heads rather So say I let not any feare or favour of man embolden you to try conclusions with God to remove his landmarkes to descant upon his Statutes for if Prophets Priests Kings have not beene able to stand it out how much lesse you Transgresse who dare or will but bring you the heads in baskets to Iehu tender you close obedience to God The more ye are pursued for conscience the more sticke to it Cast not that away to the hunters As they say the Bezor whose stone we prize understands she is hunted for nothing save her stone therefore if the hounds put her hard to it she bites them off and saves her life Doe not you so lest the misery of a lost conscience prove more fearefull then all the gaine of your ease and ends can prove sweet And to adde another item to inferiours 2. Branch Inferiors follow not the example of superiours in the breaking of Gods commands If others will be so base as to betray us to make us naked let us winde our cloake the closer about us trust God and save the darling of our peace entire If our Ministers will defend usury petty oathes jeastings riots abusing of the Sabboth let us be so much the more resolved against them and for the Sabbath to keepe it holy not only as a day of voluntary devotion at our pleasure for so wee may grow to sanctifie one of tenne or twelve aswell as seven but the eight day and Lords day consecrated by himselfe doubtlesse by intimation to his Apostles and by their practice to the honour of his rest from the worke of redemption Note And howsoever so expresse a text for the change and prorogation of the seventh to the eight as we might wish be not found yet were not our sinfull hearts prejudiced against the power of godlinesse wee might rather conclude that by this silence God tries our honesty then provokes our treachery Epecially the command of the Sabbath If the Lord Jesus purposely would defile and abdicate the seventh day Sabbath of the Jew by lying in the grave that whole day and no other else that he might early rise upon the next morrow after the light appeared whereas else he might have lien that day too To this end that as the first Sabbath was devoted to the honour of Gods rest from his creation so this second might much more be deputed to the honor of the finished redemption a far greater worke shall we quarrell with him and call it a wil-worship Christ Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath translated the rest of Creation to the rest of Redemption No verily but rather the more we see Gods Sabbaths and their morality opposed the closer let us cling to them let us know that although the meditation of Gods creation and providence be not abandoned by the eight day yet there is added a more forcible one for us to chew upon To wit the excellency of the Evangelicall Sabbath serving to magnifie the power of the resurrection which as it gave our Saviour a rest from his worke of satisfaction so it gave us the full accomplishment of the merit thereof for what had his death and grave beene worth to us without his victory And what lesse fruit can we reape thereby then the clearenesse of our justification Rom. 4. ult As he shewed himselfe the sonne of man in dying so doth he shew himselfe the Sonne of God by the power of his rising
power of godlinesse wanze and perish Lastly hypocrites corrupt the authority of Gods commands by excepting and cavilling against the strictnesse thereof 7. By cavilling at the strictnesse of them with carnall probabilities reasons of their owne Flesh inclines to liberty and when once that can be establisht each pretence running in the streame of flesh makes it seeme to be reasonable There is no command of God but admits some colour and objection of a carnall heart to gainsay it But of this in the next Branch But to apply this Branch also with Terror consider Oh ye hypocrites who have so many wayes to crosse Gods commands and to nible off here one peece thereof there another till you have quite overthrowne all Application of this second whether I say ever any prevailed against God who contended with him about the soveraignty of his Prerogative Shall he not most righteously condemne all such Esay 54. ult Was there ever any that resisted God and prospered Shall not this be the condemnation of the world John 3.19 that light came but they hid themselves from it and all because their workes are evill Is it not just that those who winke with their eyes and will not see should be left to themselves to be stone blinde Act. 28. That their hearts should bee as hard as brawne so that they should be senselesse of the wrath which hangs over them Doe we thinke all those woes denounced against pharisees and hypocrites shall rot in the skie Such as by their owne traditions have destroyed the Law of God and neither will enter themselves nor suffer them that would to goe to Heaven Who hate with deadly feud all such as resist their inventions and would not only draw bloud from them but even shed their heart bloud and bowells to the earth if they could Shall not all the bloud of them which they have spilt from the bloud of Abel to this day be required of them Shall not the Lord turne backe upon them all those obtruded worships of theirs Matth. 23. ult as fulsome Shall not all their labours be forfeit What a terror should this be to all Popish pharisees that when they looke for deepe thanke from God for the high service they have thought to have done hee shall choke them with their owne morsells and grudge them therewith till they come out at their nostrills What is so fearfull as to lay heaps upon heaps and dye of thirst To hear God answer them say Who requireth these things at your hands Let them who set you on worke pay you your wages To lose the day at Law is some sorrow But to lose the day in the solemne judgement of God and to he sent to those Idolls inventions and devotions which they set up in Gods roome which cannot helpe them how fearefull will it be When the Lord shall say Bring me but the entire obedience of heart to one of my Commands to my Sabbaths to my Sacraments prove but this one thing that you have walked humbly and meekly with God that you have kept your selves unspotted of the world served your time and generation wisely abstained from fleshly lusts abhorred form clave to the power of godlinesse and I will save you But alas not one drop or dram of such obedience can be brought forth Tell me how just and righteous shall ye your selves confesse your condemnation to be Surely you shall be speechlesse Here you confound others with your terrors and make them so but there your selves shall be so confounded that you shall be strucke dumbe and not be able to gainsay nay you shall subscribe to your owne doome But I must remember my selfe and here breake off though abruptly leaving the third ground of Terror and Application of it with other Uses to the next Lecture THE NINETEENTH LECTVRE continued upon the 14. VERSE VERSE XIV Then he went downe and washed himselfe seven times in Iorden and his flesh came againe unto him as the flesh of a little child and he was cleane TO proceed Brethren where we left last 3. Branch The cunning and colours of hypocrites to shift off Commands and to conclude this Use of Terror let us also in the third place observe by what shifts and cunning these hypocrites elude Gods Commands even with Arguments suggested by their carnall reason which is as a spring never drawne dry affoording them still one pretence after another in all parts and points of duty occasioned unto them Take but two or three examples in this kinde First 1 Sam. 13.8 14. 1. Instance those two acts of Saul recorded in the thirteenth and fifteenth Chapters of the first of Samuel Then that other of Ieroboam about the thirteenth of the first of Kings For the former God commands Saul not to meddle with sacrificing or sanctifying the battell till Samuel came For the more deep triall what honesty was in his heart the Lord detaines Samuel longer then the dayes appointed and what doth Saul Surely he falles to offer sacrifice himselfe When Samuel comes hee askes him what hee had done Hee telles him he had given the adventure to breake the charge but he was moved thereto by weighty motives First Samuel came not within the limited space and that seemed to license him to offer sacrifice and to release the charge Then secondly Samuel was but a subject a man unskilfull in the affaires and seasons of warre himselfe was a Martiall man of great wisedome in that kinde and therefore in so doubtfull a case fitter to determine what was to be done Thirdly the Philistines were now come upon him and he was unprepared so that had he not bestir'd him they might in likelihood have suddenly surprized him Fourthly the souldiers that hee had were slipt away from him upon Samuels delay and so hee was in perill to be deserted and to lacke strength Fifthly hee was very religious and devout in that he would not suffer the Sacrifice and Prayer to be neglected notwithstanding the danger Sixthly it seemed to crosse some other commands of God to desist from sacrificing at that instant and not to hasten it For why The staying upon Samuels comming had been to preferre Sacrifice before Mercy to mens lives Seventhly it seemed to crosse Providence when God had offered an opportunity of fight upon better conditions to neglect it and to venture upon more unequall termes afterward These and many more cavils hee pretended But none of them could notwithstanding the colourablenesse thereof prevaile against an expresse command and therefore Samuel denounceth against him that in all these passages of his carnall wisedome he was but afoole and should bee stript of his Kingdome God knew well enough what straits he was in yet knew also that he had experience sufficient of Gods power in all these straits if he had not had a base heart of treachery which could have stood between him and his feares so that he should not
you should sinne But now you that so strained out a Gnat can swallow a Camell Some of you dare grind the faces of such as you are to deale with and no money is sweeter to you then that which you get by an hard bargaine Once if you be remembred you tooke thought how you should subsist from weeke to weeke for lack of the Word Now you can passe weekes and moneths and never come at a powerfull Sermon and which is worse whereas the least offence in this or any other kind would smite you like the sting of an Adder now you are so brawned that it never troubles you awhit The time hath beene wherein the sorrowes and sufferings of Gods servants went so neere you that they made them deerer to you then ever Now no peny no Pater-noster as the Proverb saith and let them sinke or swimme what care you Once you could forfeit your names your states your paines your liberties for the truth of God Heb. 10. and professe that it was better then ten thousand of your lives Now alas the least stirring of a Mouse behind the painted cloth is enough to make you tremble like an aspen leafe Oh! you love to sleep in a whole skinne and the notion of a persecutor an enemy a prison or a fine is hideous unto you Rather had you to spend five pound to quit your selves of such a feare with a crasie conscience to please a timorous and degenerate spirit then five shillings to hold out the Profession the Resolution for that truth which once was dearer then your lives The dayes have bin when Novices and first Converts Zeale of first converts described were very scrupulous of their fashions in attire their companies their liberties games and recreations both for kind and measure both for for feare of sin and also of scandall marvellous loth to incurre the least suspition of a carnall spirit in these or any kind as jarring with the tendernesse of heart which the first sense of mercy wrought in them Now every man fals to his dispensations and swallowes downe all these as if there were nothing either within them to checke or without them to stumble at Once the manner was to enquire after the closest strictest course of worshipping and walking with God as thinking no cost too much for God Now the fashion is to aske what is the least degree of true faith that if they can make themselves beleeve they have that there they may set downe their staffe Now the first question is What liberty may a godly life admit how may we be religious with least adoe how may we save our selves best and goe neere the wind without too much note for precisenesse or trouble for our profession Iudg. 9. The fatnesse of the Olive and sweetnesse of the Vine was wont to be so precious with most of us that wee abhorred to exalt our selves above the trees with the forfeit thereof But alas those dayes are out of date now each Christian thinkes it no bargaine except he may jolly it out in some carnall manner and live with reputation in the world above his fellowes and with note among them that are carnall if they cannot brave it out with great shewes fine cloaths matches for their children raking up heapes that they may bestow upon the pride of life that which they were wont to bestow upon God good persons and causes it savours not in their nostrils Once they troubled them most who suffered them not to bee godly fast enough now these are no eye-sores they can beare them well enough but they trouble them most who will not let them be rich fast enough who mourne to see that money and pleasures and vanities steale away their hearts they could smite such Numb 22.27 as Balaam did his poore Asse who thus trumpe in their way and stop their pace in that which they cannot seeke fast enough Oh poore wretches Went not the spirit of Grace out with you to stop you also What had you laid this sweet babe in the Cradle to sleepe while you thus play your parts Is there thinke you no dinne to awake this sleepy spirit no crosse to sting you as fire in your flesh and so to recover your temper Take heed then you cozen not your selves at last as you have deceived the hope of others for sure if you be or ever were right there must be a way to let out this Pleurisie Brethren I can scarce tell to whom I speake I scarce beleeve mine owne eyes If I may are there not some here who counted it a marke of their true tendernesse to shunne the least appearance of evill 1 Thes 5. But where is this become Shew me the man whose jealous heart can prove that he hath not by nibbling at smaller evils so imbezzeled his peace and gull'd down the Sea-wals of his feare and conscience that now he is waxen hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne What shall we say in these cases Surely either Gods Word and the worke of Grace admits a change with the time or else these are those sadde dayes wherein men have gotten the start of this spirit of Grace and gotten more wit then our Predecessors have had to wit to joyne Religion with the liberty of our owne wils Such dispensations doubtles the Church of God never knew but rather in the loosest times counted it their eare-marke to be closest Christians Those who now nourish tendernesse are made scornes and by-words as fooles who know not their liberties It was once a marke of the true spirit of Grace to make conscience of the Sabbath day as a morall charge although changed by the speciall instinct of the Lord Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the eighth But where shall we come now where every man speakes not his owne words if not prophane yet common and ordinary in all mixt discourses about personall matters or else newes and novelties Who curbs his spirit to the talke of a Sabbath ruling his thoughts affections or converse so as at night he might lie downe in peace Truly Christians shall not have need of enemies to bring in a forme of godlinesse for ought I see themselves even in their distasting it outwardly love it too well inwardly all love a Religion of ease and breadths and owne ends This is that Viper which threatens to eate through the bowels of Religion and to bring it to nought Ah! little doe we thinke that this temper of ours doth lie heavie upon Gods stomach till he spue us out How just is it with the Lord for such a deserting and revolt from the first spirit of our conversion and falling to the mixture of Sardis Ephesus and Laodicea that is a dead a decayed and luke-warme temper to remove the Candlesticke out of his place Revel 2.5 3 18. to take his flight not from the Cherubims to the threshold but from the Temple into a Wildernesse there to gather
to clasp closely with his promises 5. Because the Lord promiseth nothing but what hee first purposed to performe 6. Because hee measures his promises not according to our capacity but his owne bounty from page 595. to 598. Gods performing of promâ—ses to bee understood with limitation What those bee Three in number viz. 1. Hee performes them yet not in that very kinde wherein the soule expects 2. In generall promises to the Church the time of performance must bee left to God 3. God performes to his but then they must live uprightly and keep their covenant not else ibid. The Vses 1. Gods people looke more at the good of a performance then the bare performance it selfe 2. We must not taxe Gods administrations 3. They who breake with God must looke that God break with them pag. 598. 599 God must be left to himselfe for the performing of promises without our mixing of our wits and wills therewith pag. 606 Gods faithfulnesse in keeping promise with us must teach us to bee faithfull to others in keeping promise pag. 607 Gods people ought to bee encouraged thankfull and comforted for the Lords faithfull performing of promises Also humbled for their provoking of God to the contrary pag. 618 H. Heathen stories fall short of those rarities and wonders of the Scriptures pag. 4 Husbands and wives must abhorre câ—rnall reason pag. 220 Humblenesse in Gods way a speciall grace pag. 463 Hypocrites who come with their cost and toyle to God rejected pag. 365 Hypocrites and elect ones differ in the issue of their labours pag. 453 True Humility scornes not to learne of the meanest Teachers pag. 460 Humility alway goes before grace pag. 464 Most Hearers abide in unbeliefe because their hearts were never humbled pag. 466 Humbled soules comforted pag. 469 Hypocrites false grounds in breaking of Gods commands discovered 528. The trickes and wayes whereby they defend it ibid. six or seaven of them The 1. By avoyding their realnesse 2. By avoiding conviction 3. By diminishing the extent 4. By opposing one command to another 5. By false plea of examples 6. By adding of new commands of their owne 7. By cavilling against the strictnesse of Gods ibid to page 531. I. Iewes strangely insensible of God in the middest of all his miracles pag. 4 The truest Iudgement of a mans estate is rather what corruption he wants then gifts which he hath or graces he seemes to have pag. 60 Instances of much folly and indiscretion in the dealings of Christians pag. 213 Irresolution in matter of Religion as dangerous as grosse blindnesse pag. 254 Inferiors if gracious are a great convincement to superiors pag. 288 Inferiors being to deale with superiors must consider what their persons will beare pag. 329 Iudge not rashly of Gods administrations either publicke or personall dispensings of grace with difficulty or ease pag. 376 Iudgement of controversall truths to be ascribed to men of most sincerity who these are pag. 414 Inconstancy and disproportion in mens affections and â—ctions argues falshood pag. 435 Inferiors must not withdraw their service from their superiors if God call them to it 461. Perswasions to it ibid. The Ingredients of a promise serving to inable and improve it 483. five or six of them ibid. Iudgements of God upon carnall and wilfull unbeleevers pag. 494 Intention extension of commands what Vide Extent pag. 521. 522 Inferiors must enquire into the lawfulnesse of their superiors commands and not obey implicitly pag. 524 Inferiors must not follow the commands of superiors to break Gods commands 527. especially the command of the Sabbath ibid. Iudgement of God upon hollow-hearted dispensers with his commands pag. 530 Iordens waters though no Type yet a resemblance of Baptisme pag. 592 Indifferency and neutrality of Spirit worse then open prophanenesse 868. and usually it growes to it ibid. Iesuiticall equivocation to be abhorred and upon what grounds pag. 240 L. Letter of the Scripture not to be wrested against the sense for mens private ends pag. 58 Love and honour of Gods Prophets appeares in this that we obey their voyce Reasons of it pag. 397 Lovers of the Minister in the generall yet concealers of their errors corruptions to be reproved pag. 401 Le ts of faith to bee seriously abhorred five or six of them mentioned pag. 502 Lesser light in faith may yet goe with greater assurance pag. 513 The Law how far it 's strengthened or weakned by the Gospel pag. 523 Le ts of close walking with God to be abhorred 550. eight or nine of them named ibid. Limiters and restrainers of promises are to be reproved 580. Sundry instances ibid. All Le ts of performing the promises of God to be studiously shunned 113. What these are 1. Mistaking of performances 2. Carnality and deadnesse of heart 3. Murmuring 4. Some grosse sinne 5. Limiting of God 6. Errour of the wicked 7. Vnobservance 8. Curiosity or censure with others ibid. M. Miracles serve to convince the soule of the truth of God sealed thereby pag. 5 Miracles how farre ceased uncertaine to us and in Gods hand ibid Ministers must be jealous of the least aspersion to Gods glory to their owne persons or of offence to others by their carriage pag. 58 Man very prone to idolize meanes and to set them up in Gods place pag. 68 Ministers must not abuse their parts to case and pampering of the flesh pag. 75 Markes of fleshly wisedome subdued foure or five See pag. 81. 82. 83. Ministers must bee first in Selfe-deniall It is the true Mortmaine pag. 164. 165. Ministers of all others must abandon carnall reason and that in many things mentioned pag. 215 Magistrates must beware of carnall reason pag. 220 Markes of Selfe defeated to teach us to avoid it 1. Shee is coy and queasie upon reproofe 2. Lazie and slothfull to amend 3. Alway in her extremities 4. Partiall pag. 263 Meane silly persons if godly need not thinke themselves contemptible pag. 289 Masters must chuse their servants by this mark of faithfulnesse pag. 310 Masters must bee Fathers to their Servants 315. Reasons of it 1. They have betaken themselves under their protection 2. They are as children to thee in point of fidelity ibid. Wherein this duty stands 1. In preparation 2. In performance Both in sundry Branches 1. See and adore Providence in ruling thy servant for thee 2. Manage thy servant with thy best skill 3. Give his soule her portion as well as his body 4. Feed his eye by thy example 5. Command in the Lord 6. Impose not violence in lawfull things through excesse 7. Conceale not his painfulnesse 8. Defend him from hurt 9. Carry an equall hand among servants 10. Neglect him not at his departure ibid. 320 Ministers must not count the worke of setling the conscience a slight worke 332. Helpes for the enabling the Minister to it ibid. Exhortation to it both by preparation and practice Rules for it in speciall 1. Discerne mixt sorrow from single and separate them and
to himselfe and make his yoke easie oh then love maintaines the soule in grace with sweet and content Beg then of the Lord that thy pressure may not be remooved till it have left the print of mercy behinde it and brought thee so under graces command that thou maiest wholly be the Lords Princes arrest their subjects for some debts fines forfeits or services due to themselves which being paid the party is at his owne liberty But the Lord doth not so hee arrests not a man to bring him upon his knees to wring from him some tearmes of homage but to subdue the whole man and the principle of the minde will and frame to himselfe Concurre with this end of good and prosper But if it be thus the effects will shew it for then Effects of change will shew it not onely the stoutnesse of the heart and the rebellion of it are held under by strong hand for a time but the subtilty thereof is truly turned to simplicity the ease sloth of it into diligence the indifferency of it into earnestnesse the wearisomnesse of it into restlessenesse and diligence the inconstancy of it into stablenesse the acts and pangs of it into habits and principles the violence into liberty and holy delight to submit it selfe both to the way of beleeving and the fruite of subjection and deniall of it selfe both in legall and evangelicall respects And so much for this doctrine so far as the scope of it will beare I might enter into further matter both to discover the infinite tricks of a false heart to nouzle it selfe in a corrupt estate and the trialls and waies whereby the Lord sets such an heart at liberty But I foresee that the points following will better occasion these things and therefore I onely make this doctrine a preparative to them Now I proceed to the second doctrine out of these words Doct. Whom God meanes to convert them he first prevents by occasions and means That Naaman comes and stands at the doore of Elisha And that is this That whomsoever the Lord intends to bring home and convert to himselfe he will order all meanes most sweetly and agreeingly to that purpose We see Naaman and his retinue brought to the doore of Elisha But how surely by the providence of the same God who had purposed his conversion he is brought to the meanes to waite and expect the season of it And all things we see fall out and concurre aptly to it First Naaman is infected with a loathsome disease that under the hope of curing that hee might make an errand to the Prophet whom he had not else visited Secondly a maide must be taken and the Aramites must fight and take her place her with Naamans wife the maide must know Passages of Gods prevention in Naamans case and be able to report of Elisha to her mistrisse Naaman must ascribe credit to her and all these must concurre that he might hearken after Elisha Thirdly letters must be eroneously sent to Iehoram that Elisha might thereby correct an errour and turne him to himselfe which else had not bin And lastly Naaman hearing of the Prophet must forthwith repaire unto him and not expect till Elisha tend upon him else he had missed of his cure All these occurrents God most wisely orders and rules for the ends he intended so that the one could no more be defeated then the other if any one had failed the effect might have ceased The like may be said of the conversion of Onesimus Proofes of the point Epist to Philem who had plaid the thiefe to his Master Philemon God meant he should bee converted by Pauls Ministery Lo how doth the Lord order the meanes unto it He doth not instill falshood and flight into him but he orders it He over-rules him in his journey that hee might not peake aside into this corner or that but goe to Paul and lighting upon him might by some direct and seasonable speech from him be turned from his falshood to God So in the case of Cornelius Acts 10. The Lord meant to settle him being a good Proselite in the faith of the Lord Jesus The instrument by whom was Peter How should he know of him or where to come by him The Lord in a vision intimates it to Cornelius and he sends to Joppe to Simon But Peter was armed with a minde to reject their errand because he was a Jew and Cornelius a Gentile True But immediately before their comming the Lord rectifies Peter and frames him to goe by a vision of all crawling vermin in a cleane sheet which Peter was bidden to eate and refusing to doe so was commanded not to esteeme that uncleane which the Lord had made cleane No sooner is Peter rectified but they knock and he is prepared to goe with them comes findes all ready and converts Cornelius To conclude thus it is with the Eunuch of Candace He passing by that way Acts 8. where Philip preached the Spirit prompts him to joyne himselfe to that Charet When he comes he findes him reading in Esay a peece of a Prophecie cap. 53. concerning Christs generation and not knowing the sense askes Philip who takes occasion thereby to open to him the whole mystery of Christ and convinces him of the truth whereupon he is converted I heape up no more examples Reade the passages of Acts 9. Acts 9. in Saul Reasons 1 There be many reasons of the point 1. As the Lord is the first mover of the vast frame of this world and the maine changes of whole States Churches and Kingdomes their stablenesse and prosperity their decay and ruine the great affaires of warre peace and government so especially he sits at the sterne of his Church If he meane to punish it he acts and animates the wayes to bring it to passe and the instruments of his wrath Though the King of Ashur Reade Esay 10.7 meant no other but to spoile and make wreck yet God used him onely as his rod of vengeance And as he meant to scatter those ten Tribes for their horrible idolatry 1 King 12.13 so he orders the whole frame of premises tending thereto He divides the Kingdomes of Rehoboam and Ieroboam He suffers that snare of Division to cut off the tenne Tribes from Juda and her worship Temple and sacrifices To devise an idolatrous worship of Calves He plagues them with a succession of 3 or 4 cursed families and their of-spring Ieroboam Baasha Omri Iehu and after them left them to a most desperate government of Usurpers Shallum and the rest till the whole nation was carried away into perpetuall Captivity And when it pleased him to redeeme his Church he also acted the spirits of those instruments of deliverance as after the 70 yeares Captivity 2 Chr. 36.22 Ezra 1.2 Ezra 6.6 he stirred up the spirit of Darius Assuerus Cyrus and others to begin and perfect his project Nay not onely so but there is no
by a weake man to bring our soules under the authoritie of God even as if hee himselfe spake Doe wee feele the power of an Ordinance as farre above man as heaven is above earth to awe and over-rule us It is a signe that God is preparing to worke somewhat more then ordinary in us if we suffer it not to slip from us 5 Mark Fifthly this shall be another signe to us if wee acknowledge a providence of speciall mercie in that the Lord will use poore meanes to convey his greatnesse and goodnesse into us For what proportion is there between the Majesty of God and our basenesse Or how should wee endure either to heare his voyce or the voyce of an Angell Therefore the familiaritie of the instrument and the weaknesse of the Ordinances is a great benefit unto our simplenesse And as those Israelites were not able to beare the terrors of God no nor so much as the face of Moses being armed and honoured with the extraordinary gifts of the spirit were faine to desire that Moses might speake Exod. 20. and that with a veyle upon his face to weaken the shining of his countenance So should wee turne our offence at the basenesse of Christ and the ordinances into admiration and thankes that thereby the excellency of God might bee accommodated the more easily to our weaknesse 6 Marke Sixtly another marke is when the sinfulnesse of the instrument abusing the ordinance by his ignorant rash confused and unprofitable handling of the word yea attempting the Sacraments with profane hands through the scandalousnesse of his life doth not weaken the esteeme of the ordinances themselves in our hearts nor cause us to stumble at them slight them ever the more Rather when our soules tremble at such impudence and boldnesse of man that they should dare with unskilfull or impure spirits to obtrude themselves upon Gods holy matters and looke up to God by prayer that either he would better and change or else cast them out of his Church that they may no longer darken and destroy the excellencie of truth by their sacriledge and audaciousnesse Mean time looking beyond the sin of the person let us behold the glory of that Ordinance in the nature thereof which yet wee see so sullied and eclipsed by the blindnesse and wickednesse of base usurpers Lastly 7 Mark when wee can fasten upon those great things which the Lord offers us by weake meanes and that by faith in a promise taking them out as our owne peculiar portion For as when the Lord cast downe the walls of Jerico by those Rams-hornes the chiefe active instrument of the miracle was the faith of the Church Heb. 11. as the Author of the Hebrewes tells us so the great things of God are conveyed by faith into the heart through the Conduit of a promise Looke what the Lord of the Ordinances Sabbath and Sacraments hath promised to work by them in the soule when there seemes least likelihood to man that the soule may and will expect from him thereby through faith Therefore try our selves in some of these This doctrine aimes not at discoursing of the severall workes of the Word yet so farre as the point will admit let us try our selves by some of them The promise of God assures us that the weapons of the Minister of God are mightie through God to cast downe strong Towers of a prejudicate rebellious stout proud heart and the high thoughts of man 2 Cor. 10.4 which resists the obedience of Christ Can we then speake it in truth that we have found this vertue go out from the Word into us that when wee went to the Word full of our selves yet we have returned thence emptie And as a Souldier out of an hot battell wherein he hath lost an hand a legge or received some deadly wound yea which is more lost his great stomacke so that hee sees himselfe to be a very foole and no body to that he seemed So have wee seen that in the Law which hath cooled our courage and made us affraid to set up our bristles any more Then a weak Ordinance hath wrought a strong worke in us for it hath mastered that which was our strong fort I meane the fervour of our jolly stomacks It was not the work of a poore instrument but the power of God which did it Againe it is the promise of God that the truth shall make us free Have we then felt that it hath unbound our soules from the chaines of our feare bondage and infidelitie Hath it so enlightned us with the glad tidings of Christ that it hath also piercied into our affections deeply to long and hunger after them for our selves Did we finde that after once we heard the truth as it is in Jesus wee could not lin nor give over till it conveyed the merit of his satisfaction and bloud into us to pacifie our conscience and to rid us of that feare of death Heb. 2.15 whereunto before wee were subject And so renew our soules by the efficacie of his death so that we have crucified our old man with the affections and lusts Ephes 4.18 and felt the bloud strength and marrow of the new Adam and quickning Spirit reviving our veines and bones Surely then poore meanes have done great things in us far above all which the power of weake man can reach unto Againe the Gospell serves to breed and beget the soule to the hope of immortality and life in us Doe wee then feele that as poore as the Preacher was 2 Tim. 1. yet the Lord over-ruled him so as by the power of the Spirit breathing in him the carnall savour of the creature the love of the world and a fading life here below is driven out of us and the breath and savour of Grace and Heaven is put into us Hath it cast out our lingring after an earthly Paradise irrecoverable and carried us into a Paradise of glory never to be cast out more Hath it filled us with heavenly desires even while we are upon earth Hath it set us in an estate of content and peace yea as it were in a rich veine of hope wherein wee are restlesse and ever digging deeper till we attaine full satisfaction in the fulnesse of the fountaine Surely if we can say this in any measure we may buy and sell upon it that the promise by faith hath been the mean of uniting us base flesh and sinfull dust and ashes to the Lord himselfe eternall and incomprehensible that is to say corrupt weake wretched man to God blessed for ever Nothing can doe such a worke but a divine ordinance by the power of a Mediator through a promise for what is weaker then a Minister to effect it or what more impossible and incompatible in reason then for a sinfull man to partake it This then bee said of this second thing collected out of this verse to wit the meanes of Naaman his healing the
and feares Selfe opens the doore and betrayes the soule to them But now to discerne the nature the sorts and the markes of this enemy requires some wisedome for the which worke although the wisest is most insufficient and my selfe unfittest of all yet the necessity of the point laying this taske upon mee I shall adventure to say so much as at least may provoke others to consider of the matter more seriously to consult and give sentence Selfe is to say truth nothing else but the very spirit of corruption Selfe what it is in the root viz. the inst nct of old Adam and the instinct of old Adam in an unregenerate heart discovering it selfe in all other kindes but most eminently for slinesse and contrarinesse in resisting the worke of conversion And it may be distinguished into these two branches either selfe of opposition to Christ Selfe of two sorts either opposite selfe to Christ or mixt with him or selfe-mixture with Christ The former whereof hinders the soule from Christ by opposing and tendering to the soule a sufficiency of her owne without Christ the latter seemes to abhorre such prophanenesse and placeth onely sufficiency to make the soule blessed in Christ alone but in the point of applying and receiving thereof to it selfe mixeth her selfe with him and scrues her selfe and her owne wayes into the sufficiency of Christ The former of these is more carnall and grosse the latter more close and spirituall the former impugnes the sole-sufficiency the latter the all sufficiency of Christ the former the soule may sooner be driven from the latter she must be fired out of and as the Fox digged out of her burrow ere she will renounce them All Selfe is the spirit of corruption but this privy selfe is the quintessence of that poyson All selfe sets up it selfe against Christ Note but this is the secret privy-chamber wherein the unregenerate soule imbarkes her selfe For Simil. as it is in the defence of a City against a beleaguering enemy partly there be some out-workes halfe-moones and retrenchments to hold the enemy at larger distance and partly some neerer stronger bulwarkes and forts well manned and furnished with armour and Canons in which the chiefe hopes and force of the City consists it s no such difficulty perhaps to drive the Citizens out of the one but it s a matter of good importance to beat them out of the other So I say of these two branches of Selfe it s not so hard a taske to disswade the soule from the former but when the Soule runnes to her maine Fort and Castle Selfe mixt with Christ it s an hard thing to teach her to discerne it but almost impossible to fetch her out of it The onely wisedome and omnipotency of grace can effect that Though the latter be chiefly aimed at The former of thesâ— two occasionally entred upon Concerning the former of these two my Doctrine lesse aimes at because it takes for granted that a man so qualified as I have already spoken acknowledges himselfe insufficient of himselfe to get blessednesse My chiefe scope is to encounter the latter yet for light and distinction sake I will point at the severall kindes of the former that the Reader may not be unsatisfied about the object of the whole intended discourse For the former then which is more grosse this is of five sorts prophane selfe naturall selfe Five sorts of it 1. Prophane selfe 2. Naturall selfe 3. Carnall selfe 4. Creature selfe 5. Religious selfe carnall selfe selfe in the creature and religious selfe First of the first Fire we know is put out by pulling away the fewell but especially by casting on of water so all selfe opposes Christ but above all selfe-lusts or selfe resolved to live in any sin doth abandon and expell Christ who indeed came to destroy sinne and him that reigned thereby Therefore sinne and Sathan held and maintained doe most punctually destroy Christ True it is sinne alone and nakedly considered serves to magnifie grace for where sinne abounded grace exceeded and where sinne is out of measure sinfull grace is out of measure gracious but where sinne abides in the heart as in her center and element loved and lived in there Christ is quite shut out of doores Sinne is not alike dwelling in all 1. Prophane selfe what but in some men it dwels without a law ignorantly inconvincedly in others it rules against a law rebelliously and so the enmity of it to Christ doth differ in degree howbeit in all such as it dwels in it opposeth Christ in a direct kinde of contrariety Hence the Apostle demandeth what agreement betweene Christ and Beliall 2 Cor. 6.16 the beleever and the infidell light and darkenesse sinne and that grace that pardons and purges it Ioh. 3.19 And our Saviour They loved darknesse rather then light because their workes were evill Alas such come not at Chrst so much as in the remote meanes or Ordinances by their good will or at least for meere fashion much lesse to the promise of Christ to save them They are alive jolly merry well satisfied already give them their drinke their harlot their world and god Mammon their belly ease pleasures or like lusts they are well and for the rest they leave it to such as care for it as for themselves their hell is their heaven and Christ is not so sweet to a needing soule as that which Christ came to destroy is sweet to them till the Lord scare them and bid them goe to their al-sufficient lusts for salvation Either they know no better or love no better If Christ should come in the kingdome which the Divell hath set up and the scepter he swayeth in their soules by their prophanenesse breach of Sabbaths atheisme pride contention disdaine intemperancy incontinency swearing uncleannesse and the like must as that strong man be cast out by the stronger and spoiled And that were as sad and uncouth to them as the comming of those Danites and stealing away Mica's gods was irkesome to him his joy and strong hold al-sufficient treasure was stollen and poore wretch what should it boot one so woe begone to live The last and chiefe rest and content of a sinner being his lusts must needs cause Christ who comes to robbe the soule thereof to be accounted as he who robbes a Beare of her whelpes Sinne and lust to such a man is as the Lambe brought up in the bosome as Nathan saith and being as his darling his son Hence it is that the sufficiency of these lusts ause the sufficiency of Christ which stands in the setling of a soul upon a sufficiency in pardon peace and joy of conscience to be abhorred I would have no man mistake me as if I hereby did establish a doctrine of repentance before faith sundry mistaken Scriptures have deluded the erroneous judgements of some Divines to thinke Repentance goes not before faith that because sinne expels Christ
out of Christs Schoole a true servant of Christ faithfull to him out of love for love for reconciliation for pardon for peace for grace will be faithfull for his sake to a Master be he good be he bad why Because the maine fidelity of heart to God will first bind him to the Lord Jesus in what charge soever he betrust him As if the Lord Jesus say to a Minister I have loved thee made thee faithfull and put thee into my service I now will have thee declare thy faithfulnesse to me in feeding my sheepe and lambes Joh. 21. A Minister will doe it for the love hee beares Christ So a wife for the love shee hath found from Christ will be subject a child will bee dutifull so a servant faithfull The influence which this love hath in it carrieth an instinct into the soule for every service let God appoint the worke the love of Christ shall be the compeller to faithfulnesse whether negative not to filch not to be uncleane not to answer againe not to be untrusty or affirmative viz. to be reverend chaste true painfull trusty I say out of the Schoole of Christ this must proceed Hence it was that Ioseph Gen. 39.9 sollicited to unchastenesse with his Mistresse presently had his hand upon this hilt How shall I doe this and sinne against God His Master was absent he might have abused him and he ignorant who hurt him but Ioseph had another tye he had conscience and peace to forfeit hee had another Masters worke to looke at and better wages to lose and therefore this peace ruled him and he durst not for his soule if all pleasure profit ease and rewards in the world had been offered have attempted such unfaithfulnesse Learne yee Masters in whom your greatest strength with servants lies not in your awe feares rewards or punishments all your succours must come from a deeper tye you must be beholding for all the faithfulnesse of servants to their God and their conscience Tye them there and you have them bound for bursting else a wet eele is as easily held by the tail as such servants when they see their opportunity Hence is that triumph of Paul about Onesimus Oh! faith he I have begotten him in my chaines and now I send him backe to thee Philem. 11. no filcher or fugitive but profitable to mee and thee one that now may be trusted This is the first main thing without this I would wish no Master to trust a servant further then he sees him let his shewes be never so great Secondly 2. Grace adds all qualifications to a servant this will produce sundry other qualifications in a servant tending to faithfulnesse Grace only puts wisdome into a servant and gives him a discerning eye to behold God in each ordinance he acknowledges a divinity a finger of providence in the severall relations of the family 1. Wisdome to consider the Lord as the ordainer of all relations for great and weighty ends A common servant makes wash way of his service lookes at his Master for his owne ends lookes at himselfe his abilities But he lookes not so farre as to see God the ordainer of relations For if he did this would infuse other principles as awe feare humility c. For why It is God who hath so ordered it for the good of a Kingdome Common-wealth Church that there should be superiours inferiours some meane ones to be trained for time to come to beare rule others superiours men of ability worldly employments trades dealings offices who also have need of inferiours to be their hands and instruments to act and manage for them those businesses which they cannot performe themselves And not onely so but also it is from God that the one is set over the other to conveigh infuse such skill art and knowledge of trades and services as the inferiour hath not that so by tradition these skills and gifts may be delivered from one to another and from the same God it is that the inferiour and ignorant should subject himselfe to that end with all dexterity diligence and faithfulnesse When once this is understood that it is God and not man who hath devised this course not onely in the greatest government of Princes or Magistrates for they have their servants and officers as he said to Christ Matth. 8.5.6 I my selfe though a Master of an hundred men am under the authority of the Lord President but even of meaner authority of ordinary Tradesmen whether publicke or private ingenuous or manuall civill or ecclesiasticall spirituall or bodily still the same God is the wise orderer and disposer of all Oh! this thought yokes and subdues the soule to a wise holy and subject esteeme of government and a setting it up in the spirit as an inviolable ordinance of God not to be dallied with or prophaned Rom. 1â— 1.2 Prov. 8.15 Matth. 8 As the Apostle saith All authority lesse or more is from God By him Princes rule and by the same Officers obey Masters command doe goe come servants are subject and at their beck Why Because they discerne a Soveraignty in the ordinance in the superiour awing ruling subduing the spirits of inferiours in the other fearing adoring and reverencing God in man Hence David It is the Lord which maketh the people subject to me They rebelled often but the Lord not Davids armes nor Ioabs sword brought them backe to subjection So that he who disobeyes a Prince a Magistrate Minister Master disobeyeth not man but God and ye ought not to obey for terror and punishment Rom. 13.4.5 but for conscience The very brute creature is subjected to sinfull man by this ordinance and that causes the creature to forget his strength swiftnesse and stomacke and to take bit and bridle and to be subject else who should tame Lions Beares Elephants Horses if they knew their strength Even so this sense of divinenesse in mans government causeth the inferiours will to forget it selfe and to be subject to God in man So that now although both Master and servant be Religious both free men in Christ yet that is no occasion to flesh to withdraw duty and to turne inferiority to equality but to acknowledge God in the most loving familiar and curteous governour and if the Master be lewd and a divell to the servant who is godly yet he beholds in him that sacred hand of God who hath bound his spirit to awe and reverence not to a man for vantage but to God for conscience So much for the second Thirdly this produces a marvellous gift in a servant 3. It produces subjâ—ction of spirit in an inferiour still more procuring faithfulnesse and that is subjection of spirit Divine authority creates subjection in the servants spirit and that consists of these two things First selfe-deniall Secondly serviceablenesse In two things 1. Selfe-deniall 2. Serviceablenesse For the first It is not the state of an inferiour which can
Exhortation but to bee faithfull not to have such and such parts but to have one worth them all subjection and faithfulnesse Learne here of Naamans servants What a shame is it that such poore heathens should come forth so suddenly under the anvile of this one present occasion formed and moulded and thou under all Gods discipline shouldest be no better Oh! you servants remember what a long race of unfaithfulnesse riot falshood stealth stomacke disobedience Bad servants must not think it too late for them to repent rebellion you have runne hitherto Oh! that I could but see one Onesimus here this day one fugitive one lewd and slothfull or wilfull wretch whom this my doctrine might convince and convert to God But truly brethren I see so few broken in peeces for their errors so few penitent and tender for their old pranks that I am afraid to put new wine of Exhortation into such old bottells for fear all should break be spilt I have met with some I thank God I see no cause why the Lord should not take some of ye napping in your service and the sins thereof as others in the way of their bad government marriage or childhood What have ye gone from service to service have ye left your rags behinde you and scattered your scurffe so in the places where yee have become that you think it now too late to repent Are you so sapped soked in your way that you begin to thinke there is no hope Beware of being so desperate Say thus Is it not enough Lord that I have beene so lazy so false fingered so bold so answering againe drunke at times loose in liberties not for my Masters ends but mine owne but now I must fulfill my measure adde drunkennesse to thirst and an hard heart to my other prankes No Lord this were not to bee an unfaithfull servant to a man which is bad but a desperate one and impenitent to thee which is cursed If Onesimus had not robbed his Master he had never met with Paul nor beene converted his perishing was his happinesse Thou hadst grace for him O Lord thou madest him faithfull to thy selfe purgest him of his basenesse as deeply seated in him for ought I know as mine is in me that thou mightest have the honour Thou madest him faithfull puttest him into thine own worke settest thy marke on him sendest him backe of a wretch good for naught good for all thinges Ah Lord This day my sinfull service comes to my remembrance Lord batter me breake and thaw mine heart put me in hope pardon my sin put me in to the Lord Jesus his Schoole cleanse me of all my cheats and prankes and make me a true Onesimus fit for thine use according to thine heart and I doubt not but out of thy forge mine heart shall bee framed and moulded to all subjection and faithfulnesse to man Beg it hard Lord teach me to adore thy wisdome in ordaining servants to their places and Masters to be their governours Lord discover thy soveraignty to me and shine thy selfe with thine authority upon my Master and Mistresse that I may see God in their government either because they are holy or else because they are governours If I see not such a Master as I would let me see mastership from thee and bee awed under it Lord take my will out of my bosome and put in thine Speak Lord thy servant heareth give me a will to be subject and bee as thou wilt and then command and spare not I will doe not onely what thy selfe but what man under thee commandeth And it shall be my heaven and happinesse to be under for conscience sake Give me also faith Lord to create all serviceable qualities in me to lythe to forme and to accommodate my spirit and members to all welpleasing without flattery and obedience Let me under a good Master bee subject and faithfull with thankefulnesse to a bad one for conscience not compulsion as serving the Lord Christ Sundry charges Lord thou givest by thine Apostles Paul and Peter Servants be subject to your Masters in all feare 1 Pet. 2.28 not onely to the good but also to the froward for this is thankeworthy if a man for conscience sake endure griefe wrongfully Coloss 3.22 Servants obey in all things your Masters not with eye-service as men pleasers but with singlenesse of heart fearing God Doing it heartily as unto God not unto men knowing that of him ye shall receive the inheritance for yee serve the Lord Christ And so in other places Lord write this Law of thine in mine inward parts Thou hast also in thy word not onely scattered the examples of vile servants Ziba Gehazi Iudas and others to tremble at and abhorre but also of faithfull ones Lord to follow and imitate Thou hast set forth Eliezers example that old trusty servant Gen. 24.10 1 Sam. 25. Mâ—tth 25. Acts 10.22 Texts alledged above to the good of his Masters sonne Those servants of Abigail to the life of her and her husband that of Ioseph to the chastity of his Mistresse that of Cornelius his servants to the soule of their Master those of the servants that occupied talents to the outward advantage of their Master that of Davids for the succour and reliefe of their Master in straits the Centurions to the content and businesse of their Master Rhode faithfull to Gods Ministers and so of others No one object of faithfulnesse but some patterne of it or other thou hast added to sweeten it to assure me of the possiblenesse of obeying it Oh! give to thy servant somewhat of all these that I may be all in one a cast peece without cracke or flaw in respect of unfaithfulnesse and the rest cover O Lord accept and pardon Be earnest I say with the Lord beg of him an understanding heart put not all over to thy Master say not looke you Master what you command for that concernes not me I must doe all you bid me No examine thy Masters commands ere thou obey them But if they be according to God scruple them not yea although they be not yet if but negatives onely forbeare for a time and provoke not by rebellion say not I will not forgoe such a Sermon such a duty of Gods worship But if it bee positively bad abhorre it Beg also the spirit and life of this faithfulnesse Put thy selfe forth by occasion for a good servant is never tried till he be put to it throughly be in one as another service wholly your Masters watch and bee upon wing for faithfulnesse picke out duties be ready for duties be unwearied Let the honour of thy Master the trust of thy Master absent or present the good of children whether abroad in fields at home working thy selfe overseeing others among fellow-servants at praier in family about a journey and message of weight about thy lawfull liberties Still let this soule of faithfulnesse be wholly in all and each
it is lofty and proud So saith Salomon Prov. 21.24 Proud and hauty is his name c. For the while that a distemper lasteth the veriest underling thinkes himselfe somebody when as in truth he is lesse then himselfe How much more then when state is joyned with it as here Distemper of spirit lookes at no reason arguments carriage for the present Elisha himselfe in a lawfull distemper yet being transported 2 King 3.15 was faine to call for a minstrell by the harmony of whose musicke his sicke spirit was a little brought to it selfe This for the Text. But now for the generall much more may be said for the proofe and explication thereof Proofes Take some Scriptures first and then some Reasons See Act. 9. Paul then Saul was in a deadly distresse of spirit after his casting downe the Lord bids Ananias arise and go to counsell him But what saith Ananias Oh Lord I have heard say of this man hee hath beene such and such a one a persecutor blasphemer q.d. If he now be to be dealt with it exceeds my ability I know not but he may doe me hurt for my love No faith the Lord he is a chosen vessell to beare my name goe and be not afraid Well he went and how doth he encounter him Very mercifully and respectively Even as Naamans servants here doe alleniates his distemper grates not upon his sad heart addes not sorrow to sorrow opposes him not upbraids him not for his former cruelties qualifies his feares eases him of those aggravations of horror which had sunke him brought him to the cleare sight of the promise and mercifully reaches him out the hand Brother Saul receive thy sight both of soule and body Was there not some difficulty in the harping upon the right string if God had not guided his hand So Paul in the case of the excommunicate Corinthian how wisely tenderly and seasonably is he faine to carry himselfe 1 Cor. 6. with 2 Cor 6 7. 2 Cor. 11.29.30 He was at first very violent with him After seeing how he humbled himselfe how wary he is lest he overdrive and so put him into an extremity Oh! saith Paul he hath beene cast downe sufficiently I dare not use mine office to destroy but to save Therefore rather comfort and encourage such a one then adde sorrow to sorrow See Esay 50.4 The Lord Jesus was annointed by God his father as with the oile of gladnesse beyond measure so in speciall of Prophesie The Lord God saith he hath given me the tongue of the learned that I might speake a word in season to him that is weary So saith Iob or rather Elihu Job 33. If an interpreter one of a thousand be sent unto him c. The worke of a man who is one of a thousand is no common work Read also Elihu his breaking in upon Iob an ancient man himselfe being yong he comes in with his preface to avoid envy confesses his youth and unfitnesse of himselfe to deale in the matter But seeing God had set him on what doth he He tells him that he will not be as his three friends had beene an accuser and censurer of him nor yet an excuser of his errors and misbehaviour but he would be to him an equall and impartiall judge and as his owne soule and as in the sight of God hee would wish him to bee No easie matter it is then to bee an Elihu to an afflicted Iob. Paul speaking to Timothy how a Minister of God ought to carry himselfe toward the distempered 2 Tim. 2. saith He must not be prejudicate and rash but patient and long suffering towards sinners waiting if at any time the Lord will give them repentance to life Esay 42.3 It is said of the Lord Jesus that hee was the beloved of God in whom he delighted and whom he qualified for the nonce to preach glad tidings to relieve the poore prisoners and captives c. And what did hee Surely he would not breake the brused reed nor quench the smoking flax His voice was not heard he cried not in the streets he was a lambe dumbe before the shearer That is a most compassionate and tender helper who by his owne afflictions had learned to be full of sympathy and to be afflicted in all the afflictions of the people But I hasten to Reasons The first is this It is no easie thing to carry Reason 1 our selves wisely toward them who are but naturally distempered as with wrath discontent and passion in common and outward respects not onely if the parties be meerely carnall but also although Religious For anger is a madnesse and who should deale with mad men Doe they not thinke that their rage becomes them Doth not the foole cast arrowes and deadly darts and say he is in sport That is doth hee feele or understand himselfe to be as hee is Who should deale with a mad man who is so wise in his owne opinion that for the time present he thinkes he can bee mad with reason Thus was David 1 Sam. 25. in the case of Nabal he was so enraged thinking he had some cause of it that without any more adoe hee would needs command all his men to gird on their swords and to dispatch him and all his house both guilty and innocent And had not the Lord encountred him by a rare person how hardly had he beene disswaded from his attempt Well then if meere naturall distemper of wrath be so hardly cured how much more spirituall distempers which lye farre deeplier seated in the spirit and are of a farre more intricate nature Such was Naamans here with Elisha though the disease were bodily Secondly it appeares to be a difficult worke because it hath posed Reason 2 the wisest men to performe it well Even one part of it is hard and how much more all I meane to discerne of the cause of the distemper We see it in Iobs three friends very wise men and full of very sage and profound divinity yet in Iobs case meerely mistaken and tooke a false cause for a true esteemed him to suffer for his sinne when yet he suffered in his innocency So we see that Peter discerned not the state of Simon Magus but thought him a beleever as others did till afterward he discovered himselfe What shall we say of Pauls not seeing the state of Alexander Demas and others If when the spirit of discerning flourished in the Church it were a thing of such difficulty how hard is it like to be in these times Thirdly this is much more true in spirituall cases of conscience and Reason 3 that in two respects First of the counselling party Secondly the party counselled For the first such as are to counsell others doe rarely exercise themselves in such things as concerne this cure Both in respect of 1. Them who give counsell They doe not judge it an equall object to their endeavours thinking that it is sufficient to study
Nextly here is Terror and Reproofe for all that live under convincing Terror to all proud despisers of sincere Counsell sincere and faithfull counsell yea such as they cannot except against to proceed from unfaigned desire of their salvation conversion and repentance and yet still live in a stout and wilfull obstinacy and resolution to abide in their lusts and liberties without controll This is sure while men can pretend any sinister end in the Minister they thinke themselves to have buckler enough to beare off all blowes But even to you this I say that it shall not serve your turne to cast this blame upon your Minister for the power of the word ought more to convince you and scare you from your base courses then the Ministers insincerity to excuse you But when all this your plea is gone and cut off and you cannot deny but the evidence of the word goeth with the evidence of sincerity and you cannot for your eares deny but that your soules and selves have beene sought with the denying of our owne health gaine nay that you have had some Ministers who have robb'd themselves to teach you denyed many succours for your sake and been at their owne cost to study and preach unto you and yet the day is to come that one of many of you are wonne from your blindenesse Atheisme infidelity hollownesse pride worldlinesse or the like Oh what answer shall you make to the Lord when hee shall load you with this accusation Saul himselfe in a pang relented at Davids simplicity of heart in cutting off the lap when he might have cut his throat 1 Sam. 24.4 but such confession was yet never extorted from some of you I will not make all alike in this kinde God forbid But I wish all to looke about them Some are so cursed as those hearers of Christ who when he by the finger of God cast out Divells Matth. 12.31.32 yet enraged their hearts even against the very Spirit it selfe by which he wrought and preacht in an high degree whom he pronounced unpardonable It were enough to sin against any one doctrine promise or threat or command of the Spirit as thousands doe daily and many of you before me have done Speak before the Lord and answer for your selves what one sound reproofe what truth of Gods Spirit either of Law or Gospel hath pierced many here for their dead hearing tyring out the hearts of Gods Ministers for their drunkennesse uncleannesse base tongues lying and the like But some there are who have set themselves against the Spirit it selfe of truth and sincerity in the Preacher Witnesse this That the more faithfull he is the more they have raged against him and rebelled nay some have studied how to make the sincerity of the Preacher his snare entrapping him in those speeches wherein perhaps not with so much caution yet with as great sincerity as is possible for sinfull flesh he hath expressed himselfe for their good And if not so yet they wilfully have slept and lived in security under it As Nicodemus told Christ Joh. 3.2 that the Pharisees his fellowes knew him to be from God in their conscience but yet smothered their light Oh fearfull sinne How dare any of you provoke the wrath of God thus to smoke against you I remember that example of them who came to Christ and practised this treachery Matth. 16.22 Mark 11.31 Master say they we know thee to be from God and teachest the word sincerely not caring for the person of any Tell us then Is it lawfull to give tribute to Cesar or no As if they should say Thou preachest sincerely therefore wee come to cut thy throat with thine owne words Worse then Herod in this kinde who murthered Iohn halfe against his will Matth. 14.2 and afterward feared that he was risen and could have no peace because he had slaine so sincere a witnesse of God but these would shed the bloud of such and no whit blanke but thinke they doe God good service But say that all are not so vile Joh. 16.2 yet how many of us are there who being guilty in our owne conscience of our sinnes and of the sincerity of the reprover yet hold their owne and will not come in will not discerne a gift of God above any thing which man can reach unto but resist it Partly by their slightnesse partly that they are so full of their owne matters contentions with others covetous courses politicke principles and self-delusions with pride of heart stoutnesse and disdaine techinesse and reliques of some old bitter roote which is bred in the bone or such like evills and the love of them will not be drawne by any sincerity of the Minister to forsake these wayes which long custome hath hardned them in but rather become more pathed in their sinnes by much beâ—ting upon To whom I say will you never bethinke you Will it not be bitternesse in the end What will you deferre all till death And then as others have done cry out for the Minister and empty out your whole heart The misery of contemners and say Oh Sir I knew of a long time that you spoke unto me from God but what for one cause and what for another I contemned the love and compassion wherewith you spake dallyed with God and sinned against my owne soule and that tender honesty of your reproofes and admonitions Oh you have been patient long and borne with my frowardnesse Prov. 1.26 But now if I live I hope I shal see your affection honour your Ministery humble my selfe under your terrors beleeve the promises reforme my wayes Oh doe you delay till now But who can tell whether God will not leave you at such a time to the former hardnesse of your heart Or if not yet whether your humiliation will prove sincere or false as being on the racke Whether God will take you away in your dallyings or no ere that day It is not safe venturing But most wise and safe to yeeld to the sincerity of good counsell while it is given ere it be too late This know that wheresoever God hath a sincere Minister he shall never goe without honour although it be in the destruction and finall conviction of the gainsayers Take heed you be none of them whom this guilt ceazes upon Vse 6 Sixtly this is Instruction and that in two kindes The former this To judge by this rule 1. Brâ—nch Instâ—uction Gods counsells are most sincere Rom. 15.3 Rom. 5.7 what great reason God hath to presse us to obey all his offers counsels exhortations promises To be sure although we should say all men are lyars and seeke themselves yet the Lord is sincere faithfull he cannot seeke his owne ends to our hurt Hee cannot bee benefited by us his are the sheep upon a thousand mountaines Psal 50.10 he needs not our wealth but goodnesse reaches not to him Psal 16.2 Who hath given to him first
the revealing of it for who shall construe it otherwise who heares how many sweet invitations cords of perswasion arguments to enforce terrors against despisers he uses Esay 55.1 and 2. verses Read that Chapter and marke his offer Come all you that thirst drinke freely His contest verse 2. Why lay you out silver for no bread His compellation Incline thine eare hearken unto me and come c. He that concludes not hence that the Lord is willing to communicate his grace nay takes thought lest it should not be accepted and would rejoice if it might must needs call God a notorious dissembler which were hellish sacriledge And this a main point for all who confesse Gods power and are convict yet are not so of his will If thou wilt thou canst heal me Luke 5.12 1 Tim 1.17 Sixtly he is Wisdome it selfe 6. Wisdome When the Apostle had spoken of this mystery he concludes Now to the only wise God be honour c. Why so wise Because of all other waies he thought this the best he would in the best of his counsells finde out no other nay could not finde out any so good as this for then who is only wise would And the like I may say of the manner of publishing of it By men like our selves of like infirmity who might familiarly insinuate themselves By a promise rather then by any waies of old as visions miracles or voice of his immediately as more spirituall and effectuall So that the very Angellâ— looke into it with admiration how much more should we cry out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome of God! Heb. 1.1 To all unbeleevers a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse Rom. 11.33 but to us that beleeve the wisdome and power of God Seventhly his faithfulnesse It is a principle 7 Faithfulnesse 1 Sam. 15. Luke 1. God is not a man that he should lye The strength of Israel cannot lye God will not be mocked therefore neither will he mocke any And therefore hee hath bound it with an oath to Abraham and his seed Surely in blessing I will blesse thee Therefore Simeon saith To performe the covenant which he sware to our father Abraham that he would give us They are called the sure mercies of David and Heb. 6.18 In the covenant and oath adde thereto the seale of his Sacraments which speake to each soule in particular in Baptisme thus I baptise thee in the Supper thus The body of Jesus broken for thee The bloud which was shed for thee And as himselfe is so is his word in each part Heaven and Earth shall passe but not one jot or tittle thereof shall passe Above all his promises cannot which are his first borne and carry with them the birthright of his faithfulnesse and therefore are a maine bottome to rest upon Lastly his unchangeablenesse His nature is so as Iob saith Job 23.13 8. Unchangeablenesse he decreeth and changeth not Farre above all decrees of Medes and Persians Although we read oft in Scripture that it repented God of some things yet of this he saith I have sworne and will not repent Thou shalt be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec If foure thousand yeares could have changed the minde of God Christ had never came And looke how the Lord was in the great promise Gal. 4.4 so is he in all that follow thereupon God willing to shew to the heires of his Promise the immutability of his Counsell and againe that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible God should lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge So that nothing can separate up from his love first nor last Thus in these few particulars I have shewd what bottomes faith may have to cleave to a word and to cast herselfe upon it for pardon and life And so much for the first Question Now I come to the second If any desire further light in this let him consult with my booke of Sacraments in the triall of faith And that is why faith is called Obedience and Consent This question arises from the ground of the Text For Naaman you see being convinced by his servants Quest Why faith is called Obedience and Consent obeyes and consents and doth as he is bidden Esay 1.19 If ye consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land Hence I call faith by these names only observe that one and the same faith in divers relations hath divers names As it relates to a command of the Gospell so its obedience As to a perswasion so it is consent As Naaman then in one act both obeyed the command of the Prophet and consented to the promise or perswasion thereof so doth faith obey God commanding and consent to him promising or perswading This is the Commandement of God that you beleeve in his Sonne whom he hath sent Luke 5. As Peter to his Master so faith saith to this command At thy command Lord I will let downe my net although it seeme never so absurd As Abraham being commanded by God went downe right without looking at the absurdities or objections first he would kill him and then thinke of them and drownd them all in the charge so doth faith nakedly obey against all stops and then casts them upon him who set her on worke So againe shee consents to his promise and perswasions Gen. 24.28 Much like Rebecca having heard and seene Isaacs motion and tokens answered I will goe with the man She saw enough against it but the perswasions of Eliezer were more potent to overpoise her Spirit So doth faith she hath a thousand cavills and disswasives yet she breakes through and consents and then shee heares no more of them Thus Abraham hearing the promise of Isaac is said not to looke at Sara's wombe which was now withered but hee looked simply at the promise and cast them upon God So that this act of faith casting herselfe upon the word doth both obey nakedly the word of command and consents to the promise as Naaman here doth to both these words of the Prophet Goe wash and be cleane So much also for this second question Now it is time to come to the Vse 1 Uses Terror for all such as live prophanely and yet thinke themselves within a condition of mercy And first I will insist upon the condition of the promise First then here is Terror for all such as are so farre from the condition of faith that they utterly reject and cast it off And of these there are two sorts The one prophane the other schismatickes For the former They please themselves with this That God bids all sorts indifferently bee reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 be they never so base and lewd yet Christ came to save them if they can beleeve but as for this preparation they cannot tell what it meanes they will let God alone with that so they can beleeve they shall doe well And that they
the Doore-posts of the Israelites houses with the blood of the Lamb which was to be the Passeover I confesse the Sacrament was for continuance but the sprinkling was but for the present Howbeit had the charge beene broken how sad the effect had been Numb 20.8 all know Moses his striking the Rocke was the obedience onely to an occasionall command in respect of the act done at that time but the neglect of the due manner of doing of it though through infirmity onely cost him the losse of that type of entring into Gods Rest that is the promised Land And lest any perhaps might except against this instance take others of meere occasionall nature That of the young Prophet charg'd to goe and denounce against Bethel 2 Kings 13.3.4 and not to eate or drinke in the place was a thing in it selfe neither good nor bad yet God having positively set it downe for a rule to curb him we see the transgression of it cost him his life whatsoever colour hee might pretend from the old Prophets reasons or person to induce him to it So might I say of all other It was but an occasionall thing that the Lord charged Saul 1 Sam. 13. to stay for Samuel and not to adventure to pray and offer sacrifice himselfe before the battell 1 Sam. 15.2.3 It was but occasionall that he was charged to destroy all Amalek branch and rush man and beast yet what his dispensing and paltring with God in both cost him wee all know Briefly I say of all such incident and occasioned commands whether for the temporarinesse of them or for the indifferency of the things urged they are as sad things for the necessity and penalties for doing or for not doing as the morall Ceremonies in their nature had nothing in them to force obedience Numb 15.32 howbeit hee that transgressed one of them as in gathering of sticks upon the Sabbath offering a beast with any blemish in it staying up the Ark contrary to the charge 2 Sam. 6.7 or the like wee see had fearfull punishments annexed as to be stoned to be stricken dead to be cut off from his people And why Because during Gods pleasure they were in as great force and bound the conscience as much as the morall whereof they were but as shels and whereto they onely served as fences and fortifications So that still the Doctrine holds firme That Gods commands are sad things Doctrine Gods Commands are sad things not to be dispensed with at our pleasure or by our distinctions But indispensable unappealable unavoidable and therefore to be obeyed according to the intent and the extent length and breadth thereof For the prosecution of which point first I will prove it by Scripture secondly I will reason it thirdly shew both what the intent of a command is Proofes of it and what the extent is and so come to Use For Proofes wee may remember what phrases the Lord uses to make good this truth Deut 12.8 He tells us he will not have us to doe that which seemes good in our owne eyes but obey his voice He bids the people to obey the Prophet which he should give them the Lord Jesus the word of the eternall Father and heare his voice for he saith he will not pardon your transgressions Deut. 18.18 Deut. 30.15 if you run after your owne devices Againe he tells us That the obeying of his commands is life or death I set before thee this day life or death Deut. 11.26 a sad point And the Epistle to the Hebrewes tells us Heb. 2.3 That the breaker of Moses Law under two or three witnesses escaped not How oft have we this phrase continued in Deutronomy Deut. ubique they did according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses in every thing done still the rule and the extent of obeying are added Num. 9. According to the command of the Lord they pitched and removed they attended the pillar of fire by night and of cloud by day And againe Do all according to the patterne shewed thee in the Mount Adde not to this Law nor detract from it but doe all that is written turning neither to the right hand nor left to this purpose is that phrase Walke narrowly Eph. 5.15.16 a word taken from them that work by line rule as if the workman cut or saw his timber or boards besides his chalke or marke we know hee spoiles his work but if he hew or saw it even narrowly carrying a steddy eye from going out or in he makes good worke of it So the word of commands must be closely clave unto without warping or swerving Thence it is that we are so oft called to a due beholding of the person commanding us Heb. 4.13 He saith the Apostle whom we have to deale withall beholds all things as open and naked noting that in commands we have not to deale with a man like our selves whose edicts we can pick holes in and picke quarrells against but a sad and solemne Majesty who will not be dallied withall Heb. 12. ult For our God is a consuming fire and so also weare oft pinched with the authority and power of the word The word of God is piercing and sharpe as a two edged sword dividing betweene the joints and the marrow Heb. 4.12 and discerning the thoughts and intents of the heart Men of place dare avow any thing which they command to their inferiours by the place which they are in Smite him saith Absalon to his servanrs concerning Ammon for lo have not I commanded you 2 Sam. 13.28 how much more shall the Lord beare himselfe upon his royall Authority and soveraigne Power in the things which he commands As we read often in Scripture that hee urgeth men to obey by this argument Have not I commanded thee So we see againe that Moses having uttered the song to the children of Israel concludes thus Deut. 32.46 Set your hearts unto all the words which I testifie among you this day which you shall command your children to observe and why Marke For this is not a vaine thing unto you because it is you life and hereby you shall prolong your dayes in the land which you goe to possesse When he tells them it is not a vaine thing hee meanes the greater by the lesse that is It is a sad and weighty thing as much as your soules and salvation come to make not therefore vaine matters of my commands nor strange things of the great things of my Law When Samuel encounters Saul in those two eminent Chapters the 13. and 15. vers 13. and 14. touching his fulfilling the charges which God had enjoyned him marke how he opposes still the commands of God to Sauls slightnesse sweeping downe his cobwebs with the besome of Gods commands Hath the Lord more pleasure in oxen then in hearing his voice Thou hast done foolishly thou hast
not obeyed the commands which the Lord thy God commanded thee So much for Proofes Reason 1 For Reasons of this point they are many First the manner wherein the commands were given by God argued of what nature they were Their first making was solemne all that terror and awfulnesse which he cast upon the camp arraigning six hundred thousand men besides women children at his tribunall and not admitting them to come within the lists set at the foote of the mount besides those fearefull earthquakes thunders lightnings darkenesse and smoke which scared the beholders and made Moses himselfe to quake and rottennesse to enter into the bones of men shewed sufficiently that Gods commands were no nose of wax to be turned which way we list nor trifles to be dallied with but stedfast weighty and solemne things to be observed with sad and serious care of heart with great closenesse and narrownesse And surely if the Lord Jesus in his commands was so full of authority when hee was at such distance and so farre off how much more authority is he of in those commands of his published in the Gospell I meane the command of Faith and those morall commands of the Law which himselfe hath distinctly established and interpreted as we see it was his scope in those Sermons upon the Mount pressing that he came not to breake Matth. 5.17 but to strengthen them If a Princes Lawes made only by lawfully deputed Officers were so great what are they which in person and with his owne mouth he hath uttered And how great is the disobedience of them that resist Heb. 2.3.4 So much for the first Reason 2 Secondly the commands of God borrow their weight from his owne nature whence they proceed The will of God is the Idea of them They borrow their sadnesse from the nature of the Commander and they doe but argue and witnesse what that is Now we know the will of God is most soveraigne powerfull indispencible whether we speake of it as his nature and being or as the effect thereof in that transcendent and secret way and purpose thereof whereby he hath determined of the ends states of all men Now then are not those expressions of his will in his commands answerable thereto And are they not as closely to be observed as the other to be deeply adored Yes surely Men will bow to the chaire of Estate when the King is out of it for neare resemblance How much more shall we fall under the authority of commands wherein the Lord is so present as that he can never be separated And whereunto he hath annexed such sad penalties as no mortall creature can either avoid or undergoe So much for the second Reason 3 Thirdly this appeares by due proportion It is for the honour and Majesty of God to tye the conscience and inner man of his creature with as strong ties and to as narrow obedience as any mortall Prince can tye the outward man to closenesse and punctualnesse of duty The proportion of the lawes of earthly Princes doth prove it But we see Princes count it their chiefe honour to plant themselves in their subjects hearts in the uttermost and deepest awe of soveraigntie Although they be never so distant from their subjects yet they look that the influence of their Royall pleasure shall goe through their whole Kingdome That none should be so daring and presumptuous as once to mute or quetch if they once proclaime their will That must stand for a Law if any man enquire or dispute their prerogative they esteeme them Traytors so sacred and inviolable they looke that their Persons and Edicts should be that they will have them indisputable and unimpeached See it in Saul 1 Sam. 14.24 when it pleased him to enact a Law for the time of battell that no man should touch a bit or taste a drop of meat or drinke till the Philistines were overthrowne how did that Proclamation of his force the wils of his subjects to obey when as yet they were strongly provoked to break it Could an Edict of such rigor scarce just so prevaile and that in secret and shall not the Lords most righteous will much more Is it for the Kings honour to presse the subject not onely for civill homage but for conscience sake to obey him and is it not much more for the glory of our King invisible and immortall Yes sure it makes much for his renowne that all his people doe without all questioning and difficulty freely and nakedly close with his commands for that soveraignty and authority sake which himselfe hath conveyed into them Else we should make the Lord a weake King Fourthly wee must know that the Lord hath marvellous rewards Reason 4 for obeyers of his commands God hath great rewards for obeyers Psal 19.10.11 1 Sam. 22.7 and therefore well may hee require at our hands excellent obedience his pay is not common ordinary slight and generall but close and bountifull In obeying his Commands there is great reward Saul lookt that his servants should bee very close and faithfull to him in a sinfull case because of his rewards Can the sonne of Ishai give you Olives and Vineyards If a Master allow a speciall servant double wages he looks that his service should bee very close and his eye in every corner for his Masters advantage So here None give such wages as he therefore no worke should be done like his no commands ought to be so punctuall as his If a Master should make his servant his childe and give him his lands he gives him no more then he may lose nay then he must forgoe Princes allow some subjects rewards reaching to the halfe of their Kingdome But the Lord makes every servant of his a free borne childe and gives him a never fading inheritance of glory yea a whole an eternall kingdome for the least obedience they performe even for a Cup of cold water yea for every command they obey Matth. 10.42 And shall not they then bee punctuall close and serious in their obeying Fifthly whatsoever is in God is eminently so not onely in respect Reason 5 of influence and causing but of perfection and integrity Whatsoever is in God is eminent Psal 19. Now Gods will is himselfe and his Commands as I have said are the ingraven forme thereof Therefore they must bee eminently such as they are Are they righteous close sound pure Then must they also bee eminently so exceeding pure righteous soveraigne and solemne Nothing in God is common or vulgar therefore nothing of God or comming from such eminency Psal 19. can be otherwise And if the commands of God which are as the Seale are such then ought the stamp in the conscience spirit and practice of men be such which ought to be as the wax to the seale Reason 6 Sixthly if the Lord had not Law and Soveraignty sufficient in his owne hands to rule his subjects and
creatures Else God his subjects might rule him not he them then might they give him law not he them What a poore and titular King were hee who must stand to the good will of his people as being more strong and subsisting in themselves then himselfe What a King would he be who either for lacke of power or because hee hath resigned up his power cannot match them who are under his command How poore was it with David 2 Sam. 3.39 when his owne sonne and his subjects yea Ioab and Abishai were too strong for him A true King must bee furnisht with power policie and influence of authority sufficient to curb over-match and subdue his subjects how much more then the Lord Doubtlesse were not his lawes full of majesty and authority they could not match and equall the corruption of their hearts whom they ought to governe For example The heart of man is very stout lofty and rebellious If then the Word and Law of God were not full of strength able to make it quake and tremble yea to cast downe and breake the rockes and hills Nahum 1.3 and to make Carmell and Lebanon to shake Dan. 5.6 how should he controll it Even Belshazzars knees smote together at his hand-writing The heart of man is base and slavish Slaves watch their season and opportunity when their Masters eyes is off his backe turned to play their parts If then this law of his were not like the soule in the body wholly in all and wholly in every part beholding the creature alway in each corner and at every turne how would hypocrites make bold with him But now his whip is before them and his sword hangs over them perpetually His Sergeant and Keeper is never from their heeles their owne conscience and his Spirit as Elisha's with Gehazi going out with them comming in whither shall they goe from his presence but hee will over-take them If they goe up to Heaven Psal 139.8 or downe to Hell or to the utmost parts of the Earth his eye followes them and they are still naked before him Therefore there is no playing their rex more in one place or one time then another Jer. 17.9 So againe The heart of man is deep and deceitfull who can know it If then the Lord were not more searching narrow and politick then all the cunning of hypocrites and if his commands were not able to hunt them out of all their nooks and corners as Samuel did Saul 1 Sam. 15. 1 King 14. and as Abija did Ieroboams wife how should he keep his state and dignity over it Must he not needs be over-reached by it But now the candle of the Lord searcheth all the bowels of the belly Prov. 20.27 all those secret windings and turnings of a close and false heart are open to him and to his word commands and terrors even as Benhadads plots to Elisha And so may I say of all the rest 2 King 6.12 The word of God is fully able to match and controll whatsoever is in the corrupt heart of man and in that respect is a law meet and fit torule and controll it And therefore how meeke calme how open plaine how loyall faithfull should that obedience be which the soule should performe unto his commands So much for this Seventhly the Lord hath power to repeal Lawes as well as to make Reason 7 them his will maketh that to be Law at one time God hath power to repeate the saddest law therefore to make it Deut. 22.6 which at another is none he can reconcile contraries by his will he that at one time forbids to kill the Damme upon the Egges at another time commands to kill the women and their sucklings at their breasts or in travell or big with childe and yet both lawfull He that forbids the spoiling of so much as the scraps that fall from our Tables or are left after meales at another commands the remainder of the Passeover next morning 1 Sam. 15.3 to be burnt with fire Exod. 12.36 He that forbids to steale a pin or a point from another commands to rob men of their best jewels gold and silver So that from his mouth we must receive Law his will is Law either forbidding or enjoyning Therefore it must needs be that it is soveraigne and not to be controlled by any or all the creatures The Lord commands policie to be used by a Captaine in warre yet if hee will have men play the fooles and fight with Lampes and Rammes-hornes Judg. 20.29 Josh 6.8 it is better then policie yea he will have Saul to wait for Samuel 1 Sam. 13.13 although his Souldiers goe from him and his enemies are ready to surprize him When the Lord commands it is a sinne to suffer an Oxe to perish or a sheep to miscarry in a ditch or the like And againe Luke 14.5 1 Sam. 15.3 when he pleaseth all the fat Oxen and Cattell of a Kingdome must bee slaine downerights and be made dung for the earth yea their owners also must be destroyed So much for reasons Now I come to the second generall viz. to answer those two questions Quest 1 What I mean by the Intension and Extension of Commands By Intension I understand the simplicity uprightnesse Answer Intension Extension of Commands what and integrity which Gods commands require of his people By extension I meane the largenesse and elbow-roome the bredth and reach of them Both these make much to set forth their authority For the former Gods object at which he aimes in commanding which hee bindes by his charges and arraignes at his Barre for breaking them is the conscience of a man hee sets up his Rules in the secretest part of man called in Scripture the Spirit or inner man of the most retired thoughts and affections To this Closet no law of man can pierce save God he is the Lord of the bodies but the soules are Gods peculiar Hee requires indeed outward kissing the Sonne and bowing the knee Jer. 31.31 Rom. 14.11 but he moreover urges the due of the heart There he will have his lawes written even in the heart and thence he will have obedience to flow So Paul Prov. 26. Rom. 7.22.25 I delight in the Law of God in my inner man And whom I serve in my spirit Heb. 4.6 The intents of the heart are pierced by this word and Law-giver he judgeth the uprightnesse tendernesse narrownesse closenesse of our obedience by the heart root If it be planted there even in the bent and streame thereof all is well not else Read Matth. 5.28 You have heard say of old Thou shalt not commit adultery But I say He that lusteth after a woman hath committed that sinne in his heart So that the Lord lookes at a pure principle manner and scope of the heart as well as the curbing of the outward man or members Princes are mounted upon Thrones
of Ivory or Gold But the Lord onely exalts himselfe in the spirit and conscience there he sits as Soveraigne and causes it to become his owne Recorder witnesse and Judge against the person himselfe so that the greatest selfe-love in the world cannot bribe the conscience to side with the sinner against him who is the Lord of conscience and can condemne both the one the other 1 John 3.20 Matth. 10.28 Feare not him who can kill the body onely but him who can cast body and soule into hell fire I say unto you feare him So then the Soveraignty of the commands of God stands much in the intents of God and that meaning of his to rule the spirits of his subjects and in all their obedience either negative or affirmative either in doing or suffering to cast a secret chaine upon the conscience to obey cheerfully equally uprightly wisely constantly For instance in the worship of a Sabbath the abhorring of oppression the suffering for the cause and truth of God the Lord lookes not at the externall act but the intent of the soule and the pure carriage of the heart towards himselfe as with what delight it keepes a Sabbath how cordially it preserves the spirit chaste and cleane for what ends it suffers the crosse whether for Gods or it owne Thus much for the former Quest 2. What is meant by the extent of a command The latter is what is meant by the extent of a command I answer The full reach of the command As for instance First the unlimitednesse of the command The Lord makes not some Lawes for great ones and some for small ones as if the great flye might get through the cobweb but the little ones must be taken but his nets as they are small enough to catch the small fish so they are strong enough to hold Whales and the mightest They reach to all sorts without limit rich and poore noble and simple high and low one and another Secondly their extent stands in their influence to all The Princes law reaches to all his Subjects as well as to his Chamber of London but yet the law-giver reacheth no further then his presence in absence and behinde his backe his Lawes are slighted But this Law-giver is omnipresent and assists his Lawes with immediate influence causing them to convince in secret as well as in publicke and is able to execute his owne Lawes to the uttermost so that for lacke of strength and reach of arme no sinner can goe unpunished Thirdly this breadth reaches in the affirmative command to the negative and in the negative to the affirmative as directly as if they had both been expressed In the narrow Lawes of men the sense and scope of the Law must bee limited to the words of the Statute which as the common speech is have no meaning in them beyond the tearmes thereof But the power of Gods commands stands in their insinuations and imply somewhat by necessity which they expresse not Fourthly their extent stands in the coherence thereof to wit that whatsoever maine good or evill the Lord commands or forbids by the same power hee forbids or commands whatsoever concernes that command the means tending thereto the occasions leading all circumstances attending whatsoever possibly the soule of man can apprehend directly or indirectly to make for that Law or to thwart or crosse that Law Fifthly it reaches to the quantity and measure of the duty urging not only sin to be shunned in the greatest degree but also in the smallest and so duty to be done not only in the main peeces but in the pettiest all proceeding from the same goodnesse and justice Sixthly it reaches to the measure of the principle of obeying urging it to obey not coldly deadly slackly formally but to put forth the uttermost affection strength wisdome will courage zeale reach and largenesse fruitfulnesse and extension of the inward and outward man to concurre with the meaning of the Commander which the Holy Ghost calls all welpleasing Col. 1.7 Seventhly it reacheth to an universality of time place occasions not to be limited straitened and circumscribed at our narrow will and pleasure but tyes us alway yesterday to day and ever to one obedience Heb. 13.8 not to vary with the time with the multitude by occasion of dangers feares losses enmity power of man not to be cast off in private in secret but to be enlarged according to it selfe generally to all circumstances This is a field of matter but I have already elsewhere walked in it in some sort as the reader hereof may perceive by that I have written in my practicall Catechisme part 3. in the article of the directive rule of our obedience the Law of God where I treat fully of the point So much for this second To these two questions a third may be added Object and answered ere we goe any further and that is that it may seem harsh to presse this point under the Gospell since that the liberty thereof takes off this strictnesse and limits commands from the old extent of them to the ease of the Gospell To the which I answer That the Gospell is so farre from that loosenesse that rather it establishes Answ extends and corroborates them then otherwise A great part of our Saviours Sermon upon the Mount is spent in confuting this conceit Matth. 5.6.7 not onely of Pharisaicall but of Antinomian abuse and dissolutenesse Paul also tells us Ro. 2. ult that faith setles the Law stronger upon her bottome then ever So that he is as well accursed now as ever who shall adde or detract Rev. 22. True it is that the terror rigor and the impossiblenesse of the Law is removed by our Lord Jesus The Law how far it s strengthened or weakned by the Gospell 1 Tim. 1.5.6 but looke what is taken off in that kinde is supplied in another for the spiritualnesse and purity of obeying is enlarged now rather then diminished only it is true that even in this enlargement the Lord Jesus hath made his yoke most sweet and easie to them who out of faith love and a good conscience seeke the end of the commandement as Paul speakes of which more shall be occasioned to speake after if God will in the use of Exhortation It s enough here to say That as the Lord Jesus hath removed that burdensomenesse tyranny and irkesome rigor of Lawes which was intollerable so he hath put another yoke upon the soule instead thereof which although love make sweet yet justice will not abate nor cut off Love made Iacobs labour welcome but still the frost was tedious and the heat wearisome Gen. 29.20 and the conditions hard enough to flesh and bloud So much for this and for the ground of the point Now in the third place I come to the use of the Doctrine And Vse 1 first let it be Instruction and Caveat to all superiours and men in dignity and authority as to acknowledge
thinke they shall so easily escape Matth. 12. Could the Lord Iesus in the dayes of his abasement take upon him so severely as to make a three stringed whip scourge out those buyers and sellers in the Temple to overthrow their Tables and to scatter their money about the ground and all for the violation of one Command and shall he not much more take upon him think we when he shall come not as a meeke Lambe not as riding upon an Asse colt but as the Lyon of the Tribe of Iuda triumphantly riding upon the clouds of glory and decking himselfe with strength and revenge as with a garment Shall then these breakers of his commands carry it so smoothly away Shall they not flee from the presence of this terrible Judge Acts 5.5 Could Peter a seely man being armed with the authority of this Judge with one word of his mouth throw downe those two hypocrites Ananias and Sapphira and lay them dead upon the place and shall not the Judge himselfe comming in person much more with one frowne of his irefull face crush all such daring enemies of his glory as have made his solemne Commands idle scare-bugs and have turned them into shadowes Now whiles the consciences of men are inchanted with hopes of preferment with ease with the glistering shewes of pompe and state the examples of their betters and the common streame of carnall worshippers when they see the power of truth to be troden downe and the sincerity of Religion to be discarded it s an easie thing for them to beare downe commands and not to be troubled at it but when as the Lord shall open and enlarge conscience to the uttermost and bid her speake out and not be afraid to beare witnesse against all breakers of his solemne commands shall they then thinke we set up their hornes so high as now they doe Dan. 5.7 Shall not rather their knees knock together as Belshazzars did in the midst of his quaffing in the cups of the Temple When the terrible Judge shall not write onely upon the wall but thunder with his voice against all that have brake his cords Psal 2.5 and cast his chaines from them shall they be able to endure him when all their musters shall be pulled off from their faces and all things shall be naked in the sight of him that judgeth and conscience shall aske them questions without admitting any shuffles or equivocations shall they subsist and hold up their faces Then conscience shall put them to it Heb. 4.13 and say dost thou thinke in thy very soule that the Lords day are dayes to be prophaned with unlawfull games and pastimes with drinkings and dauncings Speake truth now dost thou thinke in conscience that those who walke closely with God maintaining the power of Religion in their lives are the worst men living Or dost thou thinke in thy conscience thou didst well in leaving thy flocke and charge at randon and spending thy time in dependances hopes of promotion ease pleasure and such like Dost thou thinke in thy conscience that any thing can purge out the defilement of Popish Idolatry and superstition Will scraping of the stones of the house fretted with a canker of incurable leprosie serve the turne Can any thing save onely pulling downe the house and making it a heape of rubbish make it cleane Speake as in conscience thou thinkest should man in his opposing Gods commands be obeyed before God himselfe or God before him If thou wert now to beginne againe durst thou breake the least of his commands and teach others to doe so Durst thou lend thine authority presence countenance tongue or pen to defend the breach of any command of mine Oh I say when conscience shall set thee thus upon the rack and stretch every joint of thy soule upon the wheele of Gods strict inquisition will there be any place for trickes and evasions No no. Thinke sadly then of the sadnesse of commands Oh all ye presumptuous hypocrites while there is season for it Now the Divell sets you upon a pinacle and shewes you all the glory of this sensuall and carnall world and offers you the greatest reward for your breaking of the most chiefe and sad commands it s now a merry world if it would last alway to breake commands Who rule the rost or carry matters more boldly or gaster other more terribly then such as cut off commands most desperately But lo there will be bitternesse in the end You shall not alway carry it at your pleasure none to gainsay you This Judge of all flesh one day shall turne your triumphs and scornes and insolencies into a most sad sorrowfull dejectednesse one day your hearts shall melt as water and your countenances shall fall downe as Cains did after God had convinced him of his cruelty and bloudshed Gen. 4.9 Heb. 12. ult Think of it betimes in Gods fear it s not for the honor of our God our consuming fire to suffer every bold breaker of the commands to lurke and lye safe in his den No God shall finde them out to be dissemblers The Lord Jesus shall not then flatter them but set their sinne in order before them therefore let the terrors of God pierce you now let rottennesse enter into your bones and let the voice of a commanding God cause the lips to quiver and your bellies to tremble Hab. 3. feare him that is the great commander of the world who hath chaines for Princes and can binde Kings in fetters of iron Psal 149.8 yea can cast soul and body into hell I say feare him 1 Sam. 15.16 If he were so terrible to Saul in the words of a weake Prophet Samuel if now hee be so potent in the voice of a convincing Preacher What shall hee then be in his owne voice and presence when the mountaines shall rend in sunder and the frame of things be disolved So much for the former Branch of this second Use 2. Branch Terror to all profane ones Psal 2. Psal 12. Iob 21.14 For the latter sort briefly if this point justly terrifie all hypocrites for blanching with God how much more then doth it condemne all profane and professed rebels who doe walke and trade without remorse in the open breaking of Commands Who say to God Depart from us who cast away his cords and breake his bands in sunder who say Our tongues are our owne wee will speake as we will and what Lord shall controll us Who proclaime their sin as Sodom and say If this be to be proud I will bee prouder more uncleane sweare ten to one breake all Sabbaths that evill I doe I will doe it and I care for none of these strict and severe urgers of Commands I will be the worse for them Well goe on you shall have your belly full in hell of your owne will There you shall sweare and curse and blaspheme God and pay for it all the while therefore if
thee The third examples Psal 16.2 Psal 119.4 Thirdly its excellent for us to turn our eyes off from all slighters and paltrers with God abhorring their declinings Psal 101. But to bend the eye of the soule towards them that are singular in grace and close obeying So David tells us That he set such before his eyes till hee was ravisht with them Doubtlesse saith he they goe not astray from any commands As if he should say oh that I were such an one With the base and formall a man should soon learne that trade But the watchfull the wakefull the close the conscionable will soone teach us their practise so that it will be a shame unto us to be otherwise and it will fixe the naile of commands deep into our hearts as with an hammer Eccles ult The fourth prayer Psal 119.27 The fourth is Prayer which is the constant helpe which Gods people have alway used to ease themselves by at this pinch David prayes God to teach him his Law graciously marke graciously that is in the sweetnesse ease delight and reward of it not in the toile and difficulty thereof Psal 119. So againe Oh that mine heart were directed to keepe thy commands They that feele the true weight of them will groane under their owne weaknesse and pray for strength Hence that holy prayer of Saint Augustine Give strength to doe what thou biddest and bid what thou wilt Turne all Gods promises and covenants into prayers for there is no one command urged upon the soule but it hath a promise annexed Oh Lord thou hast said thou wilt encline me to keep thy Law Thou hast promised to write it and engrave it in my fleshly tables to cause me to walke in all thy Statutes Oh doe it Lord Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Lawes their perfection and excellency then take the stone out of my heart and make it tender they may pierce into it with feare and awe Helpe Lord my fruit is come to the birth and there is no strength to bring forth Fifthly get humblenesse of spirit and that will equall Gods righteousnesse Murmure not fret not at the closenesse of them for that satisfies not God But be as a worme before him The fifth rule Humility and tremble at his voice as we see the poore wormes come shaking and trembling out of the earth when they feele the feet of any treading the earth Esay hath this speech in one place You have made me to serve by your rebellions A proud heart makes God serve base flesh An humble heart which knowes it selfe serves God and is glad that it may be accepted In Psal 2.12 we see how base men take upon them But whence is it Oh pride makes them cast away all the cords of God from them Pride makes them to say Our tongues are our owne what Lord shall controll us A swelling proud heart will not endure any pinch of Law more then it selfe likes But the humble wil take Law at Gods hands gladly and concurre with him Hast thou O Lord bidden me deny my selfe Abstaine from fleshly lusts Possesse my soule with patience my vessell in holinesse and honour It s just Lord thy will is a rule I desire not to see beyond it Proud servants love a faire Livery and great wages better then close commands But the humble will take any worke upon them and say it s their object Beware then of a sullen queazy coy and proud heart Sixtly marke closely the threats of God against each rebellion The sixt rule Observe Gods Judgments and the verifying thereof in experience both in Scripture and daily This will cut the combe of presumption For who have offended God and prospered It s a maxime lot upon it whether thou see it so or not be sure it will be so As that old Prophet told his sonnes 1 Kings 13. Bury me in the grave of the man of God for all which hee hath said against this place shall surely come to passe To get a weighty heart under threats giving them a being in the soule through faith is the onely way for Commands to take effect For God hath fortified the one with the other if the fence be broken down the corne lieth open to the stroyance of all beasts Observe closely how God plagues drunkards swearers adulterers Sunday breakers and the like and adde the patternes of the Scripture oft pressed by Peter and Iude that wee may not thinke their damnation sleepes else we will bee Atheists 2 Pet. 3. Epist Jude Psal 50. and frame God like our selves But this will awe us Such and such ventured so and so but they paid sweetly for it if we be content to share with them wee may side with them but not else For Gods wrath will not rot in the sky Eccles 7. Deferring of judgement sets the heart of a sinner yea hardens it to rebellion but beleeving it workes feare and prevention as in Noah Heb. 11. Heb. 11. Seventhly deny thy selfe The seventh rule Selfe-deniall Selfe and God will runne in a stream a while as filthy dung and pure apples in a river till the one be scattered from the other So our own ends and Gods make a poor shift to go together a while till trouble and losses reproach and pursuit divide them but then they sever Sure it is That man who hath no other obedience for God save that which will goe in his owne streame of ease safety content quiet and welfare will abandon God when he is tried Therefore he that meanes to walk closely with God let him shake off such weights as these The like I may say of such Heb. 12. as dare adventure to suffer in Gods cause upon hope to lick themselves whole by carnall supplies No no All such build upon the sands of their owne false hopes the Lord will scatter them I deny not but that God is all-sufficient to all his and hath promised not to faile them yea to give them an hundred fold requitall But this is to them that walke uprightly Mal. 3. Gen. 17.1 not to hirelings who obtrude their service and know no requitals but carnall Such it is just with God to leave to their owne shifts 1. Pet. 3. even to cry a confederacy to feare the feares of the wicked and to put forth their hand unto evill because of their afflictions They will buy out the aire of a prison but their owne aire shall choke them onely they who can trust God in his promise and are content to take his pay in good worth what ever it bee such God will not forsake And such onely are meet persons to obey because they are armed 8. Rewards Lastly digest truly the reward of close obeying not onely in heaven when it shall be knowne to men and Angels who they are though unknowne to the world But even here alas Gods peoples right hand knowes not what