ware be in the shop there is as bad in the Warehouse sure if not worse This we call the inward and outward Covenant marke this you that thinke to smooth it over and carry it away with faire lookes and speake well and doe well outwardly but have durty corners within the heart is stubborne and rebellious against God proud stout malicious covetous These are in the outward Covenant as those whom the Lord complaines of Isa 1.2 Isa 1.2 Heare O Heavens and give eare O Earth for the Lord hath spoken I have nourished and brought up châ—ldren and they have rebelled against me vers 3. The Oxe knoweth his owner and the Asse his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people doth not consider The wicked are in Covenant with the Lord outwardly but not inwardly the heart closes not with God they are not humble The Iewes were Gods people in outward Covenant but were disobedient and stubborne against the Lord. Thirdly there must be an answering the means of Grace with the measure of our uprightnesse and obedience He that hath received more must returne more to God brethren He that hath received more helps from the Almightie must returne more obedience you know how Farmes and Leases goe brethren he that hath a Lease of an hundred pound a yeere must not goe and pay but fiftie pound And he that hath one of fiftie pound goe and pay but twenty pound he that hath one of twenty pound goe and pay but tenne pound the Land-lord will not be put off so for his rent answerable to the Lease so must the rent be you that live in this Congregation sit at a high rate brethren your Leases are at an hundred pound a yeere looke that you pay God his full rent The people that are in a Towne that have a good honest Minister and carefull and painefull but he hath not those abilities that another hath expresse not that diligent power evidence of the Spirit in his Ministery the people that are in such a place sit at a good rate but they that have a faithfull eminent powerfull Minister they sit at marvellous high rents To pray little and doe little in good duties the Lord will not take this of a Dedham Christian that is for those that have small encouragements and a Sermon now and then and that but weake neither and creepe out once in a moneth to a Sermon there is a fiftie pound rent and a ten pound rent for such to pay but you sit at an hundred pound rent keepe touch brethren come off come off currantly Doe you thinke the Lord will lend his mercies for nothing No he prizes the life libertie and paines of his servants and their prayers at an exceeding high rate an hundred pound for a Prayer and an hundred thousand for an Instruction and doe you thinke with a prayer now and then and with a sigh and a wish that you could walke with the Lord to poppe off the Lord so No you sit at heavy rents and the Lord will call for accounts accordingly at the day of reckoning brethren this will breake some of your necks if it breake not your hearts now by repentance for your being behinde hand with the Lord in his rent and make you walke with the Lord better and keepe touch with him for the time to come But what is the reason that the Lord will call his Lawes and Commandements Covenants Reason The reason is this for I would have nothing untouched that you may be wise and understanding Christians because of the likenesse betweene and the resemblance of a Covenant that is made betweene two parties and the Law which is the Covenant which is given us of the Lord In a Covenant first there must be conditions and Articles of agreement betweene the parties offered and consented unto and secondly a binding one another to the performance thereof by Bond perhaps a paire of Indentures are drawne betweene them wherein is declared that they mutually agree he to make good the land and to pay thus much rent the other to let it him thus and thus It is just so here Marke the agreement betweene us and the Lord Deut. 28. Levit. 26. he propounds the Law and saith That if we will keepe the Law he will blesse us abundantly in all things house and land wife children at home and abroad in every thing we put our hand unto Then the people they agree and say Content Lord what ever thou saist we will doe Deut. 5.29 the Law thou hast given us we will keepe it it is holy just and good But then for the binding of one another you will say How shall we know God will performe his part and how shall the Lord know that we will performe our part to him what Bond is there for it The world is naught and one cannot tell who to trust and therefore God must binde us brethren to keepe our Covenant and we are not to think much that he should And we have Bond of him too because of our unbeliefe now the Bond is a corporall Oath passed from the one to the other The Lord takes a corporall Oath that if we will keepe his Commandements he will not be God if he blesse us not And so brethren you sweare too again on the other side to the Lord and did when you were baptized every one of you that you would be his people and obey his Lawes and Commandements The Lords people take a corporall Oath and a Curse upon themselves if they doe not keepe Covenant with the Lord. This belongs to us at this day for we entred into a Curse and desired that all the plagues and curses written in the Booke of God might light upon us if we keepe not the Commandements of the Lord Deut. 29.10 When the Lord had propounded the Covenant marke how he deales with the people Deut. 29.10 You stand this day all of you before the Lord your God your Captaines of your Tribes your Elders and your Officers with all the men of Israel vers 11. Your little ones your wives and the stranger that is in thy Campe from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water vers 12. Deut. 29.12 That thou shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God and into his Oath marke that brethren the Oath of the Lord which the Lord thy God maketh with thee this day marke that with us from Abraham to this day the Oath is taken in our Baptisme we take the Oath of Allegiance as it were in this kinde All you that have given your names to the Lord Jesus and have received grace from him you all stand here this day before the Lord and bring your childreÌ„ before the Lord in the day of a Fast else woe be to you that we may renew our Covenant with him We are to enter into his Oath the Oath of the Covenant betweene the Lord and us that the Lord
enemies your outward appearance of profession is just so brethren A hypocriticall fine smooth coat will not keep off the wrath of the Lord but that will seise upon the soule which hath no other defence but such Revelation 2. Revel 2.2 and the beginning Ephesus a Church that lived gloriously and performed duties comfortably marke what the Lord sayes of them Vers 3. I know thy works and thy labour and how thou canst not beare them which are evill vers 4. Yet I have somewhat against thee Vers 4. because thou hast left thy first love And what of that might some say I may be an honest man I hope and goe to heaven too though I have declined a little and be not so zealous and forward as I have been as long as I am sincere and upright-hearted Aye but what sayes the Lord brethren Vers 5. Remember from whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first works or else I will come unto thee quickly and remove thy Candlesticke out of his place Let no man trust in his own strength depend upon his own priviledges and shadow himselfe under the name of Religion and Gospel 1 Sam. 4 5 6. 1 Sam. 4. When the Philistines came against Israel and Israel was smitten before them the next time they came into the Campe they sent for the Arke that that might save them out of the hand of their enemies and when the Arke came into the Campe Vers 5. all Israel shouted so that the earth rang again Vers 7. And the Philistines were afraid and said Woe unto us for the like was never heard of before the God of Israel is come into the Field Who shall deliver us out of the hands of these mightie Gods Vers 8. these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues that came upon them Vers 9. Be strong and quit your selves like men oh ye Philistines that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews And the Philistines fought Vers 10. and Israel was smitten And the Arke of God was taken Vers 11. They brought the Arke of the Covenant into the Campe but the Arke would not defend them but was taken Brethren the Arke was a type of Christ you bring the name of Christians and the outward profession of Religion into the field and you thinke that this will save you out of the hands of your enemies but you and that will sinke under your enemies if you put confidence in that was any nation greater then Babylon or more glorious then Jerusalem but what is become of them brethren hath not the Lord brought desolation and destruction upon them Luk. 21.5 O say the Disciples when they were at Jerusalem and saw the Temple what goodly buildings are here Matth. 24.1 2. vers 2. Mark 13.1 2. I tell you says our Saviour a stone shall not be left on a stone It skils not what we are brethren in outward profession but what we are in sinceritie and holinesse Depend not on the priviledges which God hath given you but pray for grace to answer him according to the means which he hath bestowed upon you and then this love may be continued and there may be some hope that you shall injoy these blessed priviledges still Now we come to the place where we would be the 25. Vers 25. verse wherein is the reason why God deals so with his own people The Text gives you to understand the ground of it was because they had forsooke the Covenant of their God Meaning of the words This we will fasten upon And first I will open the words and then draw some collections from them for our benefit First I will shew you what is meant by Covenant Secondly what is meant by forsaking of the Covenant Brethren Covenant there is a double Covenant in the frame of Scripture Joh. 3.15 16. and 5.24 and 11.25 26. First a Covenant of being in God which is called the Covenant of faith He that beleeveth shall live Secondly a Covenant of walking before or with God when we have received mercy and grace through the goodnesse of God in acceptation of our persons in and through Christ then the Lord requires that we should walke in new obedience before him answerable to that grace bestowed Brethren marke that and this is the covenant of new obedience or of thankfulnesse which the Lord reveals requires and exacts of all that have given their names unto him I take it that the covenant of the second sense is here meant The other is supposed and included but this is the maine the covenant of his Law whereby we should be obedient unto him that is the minde of the holy man in this place and the scope of the words Secondly to forsake this covenant is this when we keepe not touch with God in sincere exact and holy obedience answerable to the means and mercy he bestows upon us and the care and kindnesse of the Lord towards us When we fleeing away from the command of the Lord breake his bands Psal 2.3 and snap the cords a pieces when we walke after our own wayes are not governed by God and content to be ruled by his holy word in all things then are we said to forsake his covenant Nextly marke here he sayes they forsooke it that is the generall frame of the nation The generall not the naughtie packs only and some few but they forsooke it Now brethren having opened the words unto you I will come unto the points of instruction and first in that he cals his Commandement and Law his Covenant observe a maine point of great use and benefit and that is this That the Commandements of the Lord Doctrine are the Covenant of the Lord with his people the Covenant of new obedience This is the Covenant that God makes with his people Deut. 5.2.6 not of life but of thankfulnesse Deut. 5.2.6 That one place will cast the case cleere enough In the second vers he saith The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in â—oreh then in the sixt vers and so on Vers 6. there is the Covenant it selfe set downe I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the Land of Egypt Vers 7. out of the house of bondage Thou shalt have none other Gods before me Famous is that place Psal 103.18 Psal 103.17 18 There are two Phrases used which serve to one purpose and the one explicates the other vers 17. The goodnesse of the Lord indures for ever and ever But upon whom Vers 18. brethren upon those that keepe his Commandements and thinke upon his Covenants to doe them So that his Covenants and Commandements are all one As in a Covenant there are Articles of agreement betweene party and party so betweene God and his people Here are the Articles of agreement the Ten words which God spake the Ten Commandements This Moses aimes
one part of your time and your lusts another Is this honesty brethren This is the man God esteemes as an honest man not a Protestant at large that hath a good purse and is good in his kinde and will deale honestly with men and pay them their due and at their day but he that will pay God and their soule their due too Exod. 19.5 Exod. 19.5 If you will obey my voyce indeed and keepe my covenant then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me If your debtors keepe day with you you will trade with them rather then with any other man Let it be so in your dealings with men but remember that you do it with God Think not to put off the Lord with faire speeches Good words pay no debts Brethren we come here and give the Minister hearing and God a glosing but we walke not according to Gods commandements You give God good words but you goe home and are as unprofitable as vaine and frothy and idle as ever you were If one owe you money and take this day and that day and promise it and not pay it you would not thinke well of this dealing what may the Lord thinke of your hearts when you have made so many promises to him and had so many resolutions to performe your part of the covenant to him but have not yet kept promise with him Good words are good in their kinde God likes them well as it is in Deut. 5.28 29. This people have said well Deut. 5.28 but these are not sufficient we have enough of this sayes the Lord O that there were such an heart in them Vers 19. to doe as they have said There is the point Brethren If we have a debtor that comes oft to us and promiseth us payment but keeps not day we say you give me good words but I cannot pay debts so and keepe my family so Where is my money So Brethren you come and heare cheerefully and pretend that you will doe that you heare Ah but give God his money O that there were such an heart Know what God cals for Good money will he be payd with counters and shews No but currant money of England when the heart is changed the soule turned and the affections moved to what God cals for and that is good equall and righteous and we desire with all our heart to performe it Brethren when you are gotten home call to minde what you have said this day and this covenant which you have entred into with the Lord and say ô Lord that I had such an heart good words are well but ô a heart a heart Lord is that which thou requirest and I would have And it must be alwayes and in all things you must not picke and chuse and say I will not be a drunkard yet be covetous I wonder that you will not game and be drunke and yet gripe the poore O that there were an heart to keepe the commandements of God alwayes 1 Sam. 13.14 Act. 13.22 This is an honest man with God a man after Gods own heart a man of Gods minde as we may say If ever there were a Saint thou art when the Lord sayes O that they had such an heart the heart answers and sayes O Lord that I had such an heart when the Lord sayes O that thou wouldest keep all my commandements O that I could sayes the soule againe This is upright faire dealing indeed currant money your tongue and outward appearance is nothing that sturdy and peevish heart let it be humbled and your untoward and rebellious heart be brought into subjection Tit. 2.9 And you servants not answer your masters againe And you little ones be not sturdy against your parents and disobedient unto their commands Remember the little ones that mocked Elisha 2 King 2. 23 24. O but you will say we cannot doe what we would No it is pitty you should for then some of you would be without sin which cannot be here But doe you indeavour to doe what you can and are you humbled and grieved for that you cannot doe and doe you strive towards perfection and say with David Thou hast commanded that I should keepe thy statutes Psal 119.4 O that I could Lord Vers 5. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes And doest labour to mend thy pace because thou hast been slow and art cast behind in the way to happinesse and hast lost thy time This is all God requires of thee If one that is in debt to you fall into decay and come to you and say he is not able to pay you your money but he desires you to goe to his house and take whatsoever is there that is worth any thing to satisfie you I appeale to your consciences is he not an honest dealer yes you will not deny it but you will pitty his case and say the Lord may crosse any man and you will be favourable unto him because he shews an honest minde in that he desires every man should have his own to the utmost he can either in money or in money worth So brethren observe what the soul wants in obedience that it may plucke it out in repentance that is the money worth that when the poore sinner finds a dead heart a sluggish indeavour weaknesse in performance and he cannot doe as he should doe yet what he wants in obedience he fetcheth out in repentance step but in at the entry doore or under the wall or under the window and heare how he will breake his heart bewaile his abominations cry out of himselfe and say though much means and grace have been offered me yet good Lord this wretched world that I should dote upon lying vanities Jon. 2.8 so as to forsake mine own mercies Good Lord subdue this earthly mindednesse Good Lord take all away rather then this should take my soule from thee and from happinesse O thus brethren he labours to please the Lord in sorrow and griefe and mourning for the short comings of his payment in obedience He lays load upon himselfe in this case This is an honest heart this is very good pay it is money or money worth he is humbled and ashamed and confounded because he cannot doe what he would In this case he deals squarely he is an honest Christian An honest man if he be cast backe in his estate he will intreat Libertie of his creditors and resolve and promise them too that if ever God make him able his family shall not gaine by it but he will pay them to the utmost farthing so is it with an honest heart brethren I looke not that a man should not have temptations and corruptions and that sometime prevailing over him but this thou must have and thus thou beg earnestly of the Lord godly sorrow and griefe of heart for thy failings and that he would recover thy * Psal 39.13 strength before thou goe from hence and be
no more Though thou loose this weeke that thou maist gather it up the next weeke worke so much the more and the harder The Lord be mercifull to us where are those honest men to be found brethren that desire to doe thus Me thinke I heare you in your souls now saying good Lord what will become of our towne good Lord what will become of our neighbours they talke of honesty and this is honesty but alas their life agrees not to it You complaine of trading in the world almost no trust to be put in any every man almost is turned banckrupt I am sure brethren it is true in Religion He that was a forward Christian a while agoe is a drunkard now or a gamester now And he that was a forward Professour and would goe to a Sermon foure or five mile in a morning and come home againe and to worke hard to get up the time againe But now God hath given him a pretty estate in this world he is turned a very muck-worme become covetous or a loose one Though I doe not know you brethren I am sure brethren there are a number such abroad in this land and I doubt not but you can point at such here in this congregation and say that is such a man and that is such a man he still seeks to hold in with his Minister and would faine be counted a Professour but O there is no life nor heart nor power of godlinesse in him he is grown starke cold since I knew him the world hath a part of his heart his pleasure another his profit another idlenesse and ease another he may even lay the key under the threshold for any found Religion and true grace indeed he is quite downe the winde But you will say haply that I thinke too hardly of you I know you not I hope brethren there are many of you godly the Lord increase your number and his graces that are in you but I am sure if you come to the ballance you shall finde few that are sound and godly Christians indeed that will hold weight Let us search a little Why you will say I hope we are honest men the most of us we pay every man his due It is well you doe so but I will bring in a bill now brethren which if you cannot prove to be cancelled woe be to you This Doctrin casts out aboundance in all places Vse at this doore and at that doore and packs them out and will leave poore thin congregations We will scan the case a little brethren First hence it is cleare that the poore ignorant creature is gone he is quite blown up if he so continue he knows nothing in this kinde he knows not how to count twentie shillings how shall he satisfie a debt of twentie pound that is to say brethren they know not God not understand the prayers that they make they say the Lords Prayer Lords Prayer and it is good to be used in its time but doe you please God in so doing when you understand not what you say one sayes Hallowed be thy Name when he knows not what Gods name is and what it is to hallow it Another sayes Thy Kingdome come when he knows not what it is to have his kingdome come You cannot count your money yet you cannot discerne a six pence from a groat that is to say brethren you know not what it is to pray and to heare the word you know not what it is to take the Name of God reverently into your mouthes And so some will call God Father but they know not how he is their Father nor how they come to be his children These are gone they are carnall they have not pay therefore certainly cannot pay the Lord his due 2. There is another generation worse then these and those are profane ones that set themselves professedly to run to rerages with the Lord scorne all means God hath appointed to bring in his debts by they will be drunke sweare profane the Sabbath scoffe at such as refraine their foot from evill Isa 59.15 Tell them God requires other things of them that they keep not touch with him and he expects other things at their hands and that they run in rerages with the Lord for his rent and that he will arrest them and confound them if they doe not pay him his rent for the time to come They say they purpose no other payment then he hath already at their hands but let God get his own as he can they will take their own course still Is there any such here brethren There are too many such in the world and I feare too some among you though you pretend faire and say not so openly yet you say so by your deeds brethren for you will have this privy haunt and that secret evill way take this and that wicked course you resolve of it and will doe it let the Lord get his own if he can So he will I warrant you Looke to it you that think to brave it with the Lord when you are among your cups and companions and to make your part good with him to out-brave all judgements and who shall arrest you the Lord will plucke the cup out of thy hands and arrest thee with death and a thousand devils shall lay hold on thee and drag thee to hell to torment thee for ever God will have his rent one way or other Thinke of it you that set your mouthes against heaven and what hath the Minister to doe to speake against you you will out face God and Minister and Gospell and all and thinke to goe away scot-free Looke to it God will get his own he will have it of thee as he had it out of Iulian the Apostate I will all edge but one place to you for this purpose and that is Deut. 29.18 the Text sayes Deut. 29.18 That if there be any root of bitternesse among them vers 19. Vers 19. That when he heareth the curse of the Lord shall yet blesse himselfe in his heart saying he shall escape and doe well enough for all that The Text sayes Vers 20. That the wrath of the Lord shall smoake against that man and he shall blot out his name from under heaven Oh that this verse were imprinted upon the palme of the hand of every drunkard and every scoffer and profane one that walks after the stubbornnesse of his own heart and addes drunkennesse to thirst and yet you thinke to goe away with it and so you may for a time and these words breake no bones and all this winde shakes no corne with you you hope to goe to heaven as well as the best you will drinke and whore and yet it shall go well with you in the end and you are proud and stout and stubborn and stiffe-necked against the Lord and the voyce of his word and yet you blesse your selves and promise to your selves peace Marke what
the God of Heaven saith Vers 20. The anger of the Lord shall smoke against that man and all the curses that are written in this Booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven vers 21. Vers 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evill out of all the Tribes of Israel All the vengeance of the Almighty that ever was made knowne shall light upon the head and heart of that drunkard and that contemner of God and the word of his Grace He will separate you from the Tribes of Israel You thinke to run away from your Countrey and to flie from his Judgements as some Bankerupts do escape from men to run to Amsterdam and other places No the Lord will separate that man from all the Tribes of Israel where ever he be in France Germany Amsterdam or where ever he will separate him and set the damned spirits on the backe of him and say Take hold of that man and execute vengeance on him Brethren you may think I deale something harshly with you but I deale for the best for you Is it not better to heare of this now in time then hereafter when the Lord hath arrested you and you are locked up in close prison for ever you should thinke Oh if such a denunciation had beene told me if such an exhortation had beene wrought upon me if such a man had pressed hard upon my conscience with such and such things I had never come here Consider this God will have it out of you as he had it out of Iulian the Apostate that had blasphemed Christ before in the field an arrow came from God and smote him that he died and then he said Thou hast overcome me O thou Galilean You that are mates in this kinde goe home to your fellow drunkards and to your fellow whoremasters and scoffers and those that side with you against God and goodnesse and such as are godly and tell them God will have his debt of them Know it now to your humiliation and amendment lest you know it to your cost when there will be no prevailing with the Lord for mercy The Lord perswade your hearts that there is no way to escape but by coming in and acknowledging your debt and craving pardon though you cannot pay Thirdly the close hearted Hypocrite Vse 3. he comes here to be discarded he thinkes his penny good silver the world esteems of him as a sincere honest upright hearted man Tell him that he keeps not Covenant with the Lord he takes it in great indignation If any be here as this Age begetteth a world of close hypocrites understand and know if you keep back some of the payment have a secret haunt doe as Ananias and Saphira did Acts 5.2 that laid downe a part of the price for which the possession was sold and said Vers 8. It was all Is here all saith Peter to them Yes all saith he so when the Lord saith to you Dost thou pray Yes Lord And dost hate all sinne Yes Lord say you Why dost lye to the Almighty Vers 3. Doe you not know a company of secret haunts and back-dores that you have to this lust and that lust and many secret corruptions you have and yet come into the presence of the Lord as if you were upright with the Lord and there were no such matter O ye hypocrites why hath Satan filled your hearts to lye to the Lord Vers 3. Doe you not know what Elisha said to Gehazi 2 King 5.20.21 when he ran after Naaman for a bribe vers 25. Where hast thou been Gehazi Thy servant hath been no where Vers 25. he thought to wash it away and make it over so with a lye vers 26. Vers 26. Went not mine heart with thee saith Elisha when thou rannest after Naaman for a bribe If any close hypocrite be in the Congregation let him know the Lord will finde him out and will say to him Whither went thy heart all this while Where hast beene dodging Was not my heart with thee vers 26. when thou wentest after such a secret haunt and such a close lust O but you will say it is no such matter you desire to be upright I say be so brethren The Lord goes with thee wither so ever thou goest and he sees all thy Dalilahs and Herodiasses of pride and selfe-love he seeth how thou seekest to him in the pride of thy heart and how thou professest to get a name and to bold in with others These are base abominations cursed hypocrisie this is false-heartednesse before God and shall be plagued by God at the day of account There is not an honest woman that hath but one other man besides her husband He is not an honest man that will not pay one bond of tenne or many A penny is due as well as a pound My hand is on your heart brethren for I feare many of you have some one back-dore which you meane to keepe and you will be proud or covetous a little or uncleane onely and all the rest of that Covenant ye are content to keepe Is this honest to scrape out what you please and leave what you please still there is no honestie in this brethren But you will say Who can lay any thing to my charge I say thou art a Covenant-breaker and the Lord could never get his owne of thee yet Well yet thou wilt put it off as Saul did when Samuel came to meet him as he returned from slaying the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15.13 Come thou blessed of the Lord. But what said Samuel to him Vers 14. Ah saies he vers 14. What meanes the bleating of the sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So you say you make conscience of all the Commandements of the Lord But what meane these secret corners and haunts I mean those which conscience and God heare of not what I heare of for I know nothing but by them What meane all these secret conveyances that you have to make away and hide your lusts with that you may live in them and not be knowne so to doe What meanes your drunkennesse in a corner your adultery in a corner your hypocrisie and covetousnesse lukewarmenesse and coldnesse carelesnesse and earthly mindednesse Yet men will not be out-faced they will beare a man downe still that it is so Then I have no other way but this with you looke what a man doth by a debtor that saith the debt is paid and will face him downe that it is so yet the Booke is not crossed What will this Creditor do now Why then to your Bookes he goes and cals in the servant that takes in the reckonings and saith Doe you remember it No saith the servant you gave me good words divers times when I called on you for it but no money was paid why then I never had it So brethren you say that you are holy we will call
this cary it home with you and examining your selves know the Lord will have sinceritie from you Secondly it is a word of consolation Vse 2. this is a marvellous comfort to those that love and feare the Lord all you whose hearts answer It is thus with you lift up your heads with joy for this will uphold you and make you * Luk. 21.28 lift up your heads with comfort in all your troubles and in the day of the Lord When your redemption draweth nigh Isa 3.10 Isa 3.10 say It shall goe well with the godly I say to that man what ever come it shall goe well with him We use to say without doubt without danger A man that owes nothing he cares not for any Pursevant or Sergeant or Baily he feares them not for he knowes they have nothing to doe with him This is a marvellous comfort to him so it ought to be to a sincere heart that hath paid his debt to God when trouble seises upon him you know what Hezekiah said 2 King 20.3 Good Lord remember how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Isa 38.3 If a man be arrested upon a false ground the Law will baile him there is no Law against him Thinke of that brethren Gal. 5.21 Galat. 5.22 The fruits of the Spirit are love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith * Vers 23. meekenesse temperance against such there is no Law There is no Law to punish or condemne them or accuse them Therefore blessed are your soules that are sincere and upright in heart conversation alwaies to all Gods Commandements in publique in private in ordinarie times and extraordinarie there is no law against you whatsoever Satan or the world say against you there is no law in the Booke of God to condemne you Psal 119.6 Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be confounded when I have respect to all thy Commandements In the times of all dangers and of all miseries which are like to seise upon us soone if the Land should be over-run and friends and means faile here is comfort to every faithfull soule Psal 103.15 All flesh is grasse * Psal 103.15 the winde passeth over it Vers 16. and it is gone Vers 17. ver 17. but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Upon whom brethren Vpon them that feare him and thinke upon his covenants to doe them Marke how he sustaines himselfe life goe friends goe meanes goe all flesh is grasse Vers 15. the winde passeth over it and it is gone meanes are gone how then brethren vers 17. Vers 17. But the goodnesse of the Lord endures for ever and ever Though Libertie be gone the Spirit of the Lord endures though means be gone the mercy of God endures Psal 136. all though friends be gone the favour of the Lord endures The loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Upon whom upon them that feare him and thinke upon his Covenants to doe them Though a poore soule fare meanly and live hardly all helps gone the Winde hath passed over them and libertie is gone honour is gone life is going nothing endures yet lift up thy soule in sicknesse and say My health is gone my strength is gone my life is going but the loving kindnesse of the Lord endures for ever Vers 18. upon every soule that keepes his Commandements and thinks upon his Covenants to doe them Lastly for a word of exhortation Vse 4. Is the Commandement of God his Covenant and is the keeping of that the way to obtaine mercy and happinesse here and for ever then goe away if you will and be dishonest still and breake Covenant with the Lord. The very name of dishonestie me thinks should move you brethren to be faithfull in your Covenant and to set on speedily and to be exceeding watchfull and carefull and to performe what you have promised to the Lord. Reason should move you What not keepe Covenant especially with the Lord What shall we make promises to the Lord and enter into Covenant with him and not keep it Let it for shame never be said of us brethren Marke what David saith Psal 119 11. I have hid thy Commandements in my heart that I might not sinne against thee His minde ran of them and his tongue talked of them continually Amongst men brethren you would not have your credit cracked for any thing and you doe honestly A good name is a Jewell But doe thus with the Lord brethren Hath not the Lord kept touch with you in all his promises Did you ever beg any thing of him and he not heare you Why doe you not keepe touch with the Lord Shame your selves for this I beseech you Men in the world if they breake in their estates they have this love and humanitie in them that if any lose then it shall be they that did deale most hardly with them and that got most by them when they were in trading but this kinde friend that was kinde to him and lent him monie sometime in his need he shall not lose a penny by him O saith he I had a friend of him I could never come to him but he would receive me This is honestie and faire and equall O consider of this brethren we have hard bargains at the hands of the world and of the devill and sinne many knocks of soule and girds of conscience with them But the Lord hath beene ever gracious mercifull loving and kinde to us resolve therefore that the Lord shall never lose by you let the world lose if it will and let carnall friends and sinne and Satan lose if they will Let not the Lord lose but resolve what ever becomes of it I will pray constantly and reade in my family morning and evening and upon every occasion and reforme my waies It is not needfull that I should be rich it is that I be sincere and faithfull to the Lord I will labour for a good conscience and endevour to walke with God FINIS Imprimatur Ja. Cranford