the Plague By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns INNE LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICHOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. A SERMON PREACHED AT A Generall Fast before the Commmons-house of Parliament Iuly 2. 1625. NUMBERS 25.10 11. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousie WE are met together you know to sanctifie a Fast to the Lord. I will therefore speake a word or two of that Dutie before I come to the Text which I have read to you But I will doe it briefly the Common place thereof being too large a subject at this time to enter into And first wee will say thus much to you That this duty is a necessary not an arbitrary thing which wee may doe or leave undone at our pleasures You know there be many examples of it many commands for it in Scripture but of them wee will onely repeate two The first is that in Ioel 2.15 a place you wel know Sanctifie to me a Fast call a solemne Assembly When the Lord began to send Iudgement on the Land he straitly enjoyned the performance of this dutie which showes that it may not be left undone at pleasure To which I will adde that in Esay 22.12 13 14. The Lord called in that day to weeping and mourning but because at that time they fell to rejoycing It was revealed by the Lord of hoasts that that sinne should not be purged away till their death When there is a time for Fasting and when there are Iust occasions for mourning and humiliation the Lord doth then so require it that if you doe it not but will doe the contrary the Lord will never forgive it it is a sinne that shall not be purged away till you die You will say then What is a Fast In a word a Fast is nothing else but the sanctifying or setting apart of a day for humiliation reconciliation and reformation I say it is to sanctifie a Day because the day of a Fast must be equall to the Sabbath the very word used in that place of Ioel Sanctifie to me a Fast shewes as much In that day you may doe no servile worke but must keepe it holy to the Lord. That you have to doe in that day is first to humble your selves as in that place of Ioel Turne to me with fasting mourning and weeping Secondly it is for Reconciliation Lev. 23.27 it is called a day of Atonement Lastly it is for Reformation and therefore in the day of fasting the whole people entred into covenant with God as in Nehem the ninth chapter and the beginning of the tenth verse you shall see the Princes and people came altogether and seale a Covenant to the Lord to reforme their sinne of taking strange wives and entered into a curse and an oath to walke in Gods law I will say no more of that but will onely tell you what are the failings which we are most subject to in this businesse for wee may know the disease by the medicine if God takes great care to prevent our falling into a sinne it argues that we are apt to fall into it And first we are very ready to rest in the worke done in opere operato to thinke that the very action will please GOD. Therefore it is carefully added in Ioel 2. Rend not your clothes but your hearts that is when you come to sanctifie a Fast doe not thinke that the very outward performance of the duty moves mee It is the heart that I looke to therefore you must take care that at this time your greatest businesse be with your hearts Lev. 23.29 He who in that day meaning the day of the annuall Fast which was then instituted doth not afflict his soule for so the word is to be translated shall be cut off from his people The outward performance is not the thing that God respects or accepts he doth not regard that for hee is a Spirit and beholds the behaviour of the spirit he considers how we are affected in secret before him A second thing werein we are apt to faile is to thinke that One day is enough and when that is done there is an end of the businesse but it is not so that is but the beginning of it Esay 58.5 Is this a Fast to hang downe your head for a day Is it to bow it downe as a Bulrush Bulrushes you know in a storme hang downe their heads but when faire weather comes they lift them up againe So when affliction is upon us we are apt to humble our soules for a time for a fit but when a little peace or prosperity comes we forget to be longer humbled whereas the end of a Fast is so to begin the worke of Humiliation that we may the better continue it afterwards A third defect is this we are perhaps content to doe the duty and with some affection too but there followes no reformation of life Therefore in the same Chapter see how carefully that is put in Is this an acceptable day to the Lord Will I accept such a Fast as this When you finde pleasure and continue in strife and debate That is the Lord regards not the bare performance of the duty unlesse the end of it be attaynd now the end of it is nothing else but that every man in particular reforme the evils he is subject to yea his particular weaknesses and personall infirmities the mending of which is carefully to bee endeavoured when we sanctifie a Fast to the Lord else we assemble together for Wine and for Oile Hos. 7.14 As if hee should say you have not sought Mee when you howled upon your beds but your Wine and your Oile That is men are affected with the Iudgements of the Lord they desire to have them removed they wish for ease and prosperity and for that they assemble themselves but to Me saith he ye returne not A beast will doe as much when it feeles any evill oppressing it and therefore God cals it howling on their beds an action proper to beasts but the Lord lookes that you seeke him in sincerity and that you labour to make your hearts perfect in him In a word to conclude this remember That there is a double performance of every holy duty one is when we doe the worke as a taske and are glad when it is over when we doe it as servants that doe eye-service to their masters another is when not onely the thing is done but your hearts also are wrought upon for that is the end of the outward performance and
not of it every houre of that day that you spend in common speeches and actions you rob the Lord of that houre for all the day is his And doe not thinke that men were tied to this observance onely under the Old Testament but know that it continues still for doe but consider with your selves if the Lord should have left it meerely in the power of the Church to appoint a Sabbath day it might have been brought from a week to a moneth and from a moneth to a yeare and so if of meeting together had bin no necessity put upon us by God himseâ—fe where would religion have bin And do you think God would not have provided for his Church better than so Besides why should it be questioned when it is transmitted to us from the most ancient times Iustin Martyr sayes that on the day which we call Sunday the Christians met together to worship God and the people came out of the Countrey for that end and it was a Solemne day Tertullian in his Apologie saith as much and therefore because they spent that day in worshiping God all the Heathen called it Sunday And in all ancient times it was never controverted never called into question Againe doe we not need such a day Therefore the Lord saith Sabbath was made for man as if hee had said I could have spared the Sabbath It is not for my owne sake and for my worship sake but for mans sake that is lest he should forget God and bee a stranger to him which would redound to our own hurt And therefore shall not wee be willing to keepe it when it was for our owne sakes that the Lord appointed it What gainers might wee be in grace and holinesse if wee would sanctifie every Sabbath as we should Should we be losers by it but this is a digression and I speake it by the way But marke it I say if you keepe the Commandements of God What meanes this bleating of the sheepe These acts of disobedience on his owne Day We will goe on in the examination If indeed we thinke that it is the Lord that doth good and evill why are we so inobservant and negligent of him why do we reckon it a wearinesse to serve him why turne wee Religion into formalitie posting over holy duties in a carelesse and negligent maner when we should be carefull and fervent in the same Why is there so little growth in religion so much barrennesse in good workes the price whereof is more than gold and silver In a word Why doe we turne the maine into the by and the by into the maine That is why goe we about all other businesse as our maine and chiefe scope and take in holy duties by the way more to stop the mouth of naturall Conscience as carnall men may doe than for any delight weâ— have in them If we thinke God to be the Author of good and evill why are these things so Every man is ready to professe his faith in the Truth hereof but if wee did beleeve it wee should be more carefull to please the LORD in all things Againe if we thinke that God only doth good and evill why have not wee our eyes on him altogether why doe wee not feare him and nothing els trust in him and in nothing besides depend on him and upon no other In all our calamities and dangers why doe not wee seeke to him as to one that onely can helpe us and heale us You will say we doe depend on God wee trust in God and none but him It is very well if you doe but consider that to trust in God is to part with all for his sake and to have an eye only unto the recompence of reward to be willing to deny our selves in our profits and credits and pleasures to be content to have him alone Thus Saint Paul expresses it 2 Tim. 1.13 Therefore saith he have we suffered these things for we know whom wee have trusted As if he had said we have parted with all we are content to be led from prison to prison we are content with God alone for wee know the power and faithfulnesse of him whom we have trusted Againe to trust in God is then to rest on him when the case is such marke it that if we faile we are undone then to build on him as a sure rocke that is the nature of true holinesse and exact walking when God puts us into an exigent removes from us friends takes away worldly helpes yet in this case to trust him Thus Hester trusted God when she undertooke that dangerous enterprize If I perish I perish when if the Lord had failed her shee had lost her life So Daniel trusted God when he would put himselfe upon him being in such danger for the open profession of his Religion which by death they would have forced him to deny Thus Asa trusted God when hee went with a small number against a great multitude the Text saith of him That he trusted in God Now doe we thus trust him Surely we doe not but when faith and sense come into competition when they meet together on a narrow bridge we are readie to byas our conscience the wrong way to goe aside and decline the blow that is we are ready in such a case though with breach of a good conscience so to trust in God that withall we will keepe a sure foot on some outward probable sensible meanes that if God failes us yet wee may know what to trust to The truth is we doe not leane to the Lord. For what â—â— it to leane to him You know a man is then â—â—id to leane when hee stands not on his ownâ—â—eet but so rests the buâ—ke of his body on a raâ—â—e or staffe or the like that if it faile him he fals downe To rest on God in this manner is to leane to him and did wee thinke that hee had all power to doe good and hurt to the Creature we should thus trust in him but in that we doe it so little and so seldome it it an argument that whatsoever wee professe we doe not indeed beleeve it Last of all to make an end of this examination if we think indeed that the Lord only is able to doe good and evill why do we not that which is a necessary consequent thâ—râ—of which you shall finde in Gen. 17.1 it is Gods speech to Abraham I am God all-sufficient therefore walke before mee and bee perfect Marke that when any man thinkes God to be Al-sufficient that he hath all power in his hands that he is Almighty for so the word signifies that which will necessarily follow on this beliefe is this he will be perfect with the Lord. You will say I hope we are perfect with God But if we be why are our actions so dissonant why doe wee serve God so by halfes and by fits why are we
is altogether a stranger from the life of God Therefore first let this humble you labour to see how your mindes are full of wickednesse and unrighteousnesse Secondly let us come to the will and you shall finde that to be no lesse corrupt than the understanding for the will takes every thing as the understanding presents it and if the understanding the minde of a man be thus corrupted the will must needs be corrupted As a man that lookes thorow a coloured glasse every thing he sees is coloured or as a man that hath his Pallate possest with a vicious humour every thing seemes bitter according to the humour so the will of man sees every thing thorow the understanding as we see thorow a glasse but Seeing is not so proper a word to expresse it the understanding tastes things it is as the pallate is to the stomacke when it is out of order it perverts the wayes of God it sees no such beautie nor excellencie in them and the will disposes of it selfe accordingly Now you shall finde that the understanding reckons the wayes of God both Enmity and folly and godly men to be partly fooles and partly Enemies and contrary to them Therefore you shall finde a disposition an affection a frame of the will to answer that mingled partly of hatred and partly of contempt and a man partly hates and partly contemnes and thinks light of holinesse And this is the disposition of the will of every man before Regeneration I say the holinesse described in the pure Word of God and expressed in the lives of the Saints he partly hates as a thing contrary to him and partly contemns it as folly But we will shew you the particulars of the will as we did of the understanding Therefore first consider the Contrariety of the will it is contrary to God in all things looke what Gods will is in any thing you shall finde your will contradicting it and going a contrary way It is said of the Iewes as a thing that exceedingly aggravated their sin and the miserable Condition they were in they were contrary to all men and if it be so much to be contrary to men what is it to be contrary to God to resist him to goe against him and yet what hee will have done that we will not doe and what he will not have done that we doe that is the disposition of our will Secondly consider the Pride of the will how ready it is to exalt it selfe above its measure for the will of man should be a dependant will a subject will waiting on God as the servant waits on the master or as the hand-maid waits on her mistresse that is a mans will should be disposed in every thing as God pleases If hee will have him to be poore in disgrace or in a lower place and condition the will should be subject for we must remember GOD is the Creator we are creatures and must be subject to the will of the Creator but our Will will not stoope to Gods Will As Adam would be in another condition than God had placed him in so we exalt our selves aboue measure we are not content to be disposed of to be carried from condition to condition to have our affaires ordered as God pleases wee will have plots and projects of our owne we will shape out our owne Condition else we murmure and are discontent and that is the pride of the will Thirdly consider the Inconstancie of the will the weaknesse of it in good things and its peremptorinesse in evill in good things our resolutions are weake and inconstant and as bubles come to nothing but in evill things we are stiffe and peremptory and will doe what we list Our tongues are our owne we will use them Who is Lord over us This is the nature of men they sweare and breake the Sabbath they doe it and will doe it though they say it not in words yet God lookes on it and sees it many purposes they have they will change their courses but what come they to It is but by accident when the wind is in that corner when the weather-cocke stands that way so that there is no constancie in our wils Againe marke the Disobedience of our will and that is not a small thing that is the great and proper fault of the will that it is disobedient to God that is when God commands a thing and sayes this I will have done for the will to be disobedient to it negligent of it is a great and fearefull sin the eating of the forbidden fruit was unlawfull because God commanded Adam the contrary If Gods command be on the least thing the neglect of it makes it a disobedience when God came to Adam saith he Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I have said thou shalt not eat of it That is hast thou beene disobedient Hast thou broken my Commandement You see what followed on it So Saul when God bade him destroy the Amalekites you would not reckon it a great sinne to save a few Cattell alive but because God commanded the contrary the fault was great So the Prophet 1 King 13. One would not thinke it to be a great matter for him to goe that way or the other yet because he went that way God sent a Lion that devoured him The sin of Disobedience you may thinke a small thing no man thinks it so grosse a sin as Idolatry Adultery and Murther but see how God judgeth of it 1 Sam. 15. 23. Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubbornenesse is as Iniquity and Idolatry that is thou thinkest it no great matter to save as few cattell and to keep the King alive though thou destroyest all the rest thou thinkest it a small thing but it is not so looke what thou thinkest of the sinne of Witchcraft and Idolatry such is Disobedience Now let men apply this to themselves looke what is revealed to you to be a sin I know this is a sin I know it is Gods command not to commit it if thou fall into it it is now a Disobedience as Adams was and as Sauls was and as the Prophets was and consider how God will take it you see how he dealt with them Come to particulars doe you not know it is his Command you should not sweare not only greater but lesser oaths To keepe the Sabbath to keepe your vessels pure your bodies cleane for they are the Temples of God and therefore that you ought not to defile them with any uncleannesse Drunkennesse or Gluttony Doe not you know he commands that you should be constant in prayer that you performe it constantly and earnestly and fervently Now consider what Disobedience is Remember that speech Hast thou eaten of the Tree concerning which I commanded saying Thou shalt not eat of it This is the Disobedience of mans will labour to see this how apt thy will is to breake the Commandements of God and
suddenly which is enough to awake a man out of his sleepe of security for let him thus reason If GOD meant to save mee hee would give mee no rest in sinne for whom he intends to save hee afflicts before-hand that they may not perish with the world but those that will goe with the world he suffers to goe That is a terrible saying in the first Booke of Samuel the third Chapter and eleventh verse speaking of Hophni and Phinees saith GOD When I begin I will make an end and this is the sentence of all the wicked It is small comfort that you are free it being with you as with them that be seldome sicke that when they be sicke for the most part die for it When all things goe well with the wicked then the wrath of GOD comes like an Earth-quake which by reason of the winds being inclosed in the bowels of the earth hath a calme preceding it and so there is a calme in mens spirits before the Earth-quake of Gods wrath comes and then it is as a theefe in the night who comes when they be in a dead sleepe and least looke for him After this manner comes the wrath of God on the wicked as it is threatned Prov. 1.27 There shall come on them sudden desolation and destruction shall over-take them as a whirlewind it shall surprize them on a sudden and this may make men to tremble when they consider that sinne is attended with destruction when they sinne either GOD punishes them presently and then there is small cause of joy for the bitternesse is more then the pleasure or else he lets them alone and there is nothing in the world worse than to thrive in sin for then destruction will come suddenly The use then you are to make of it is First to teach you to see what sinne is in that it hath the wrath of God for its Concomitant Wee are apt to make a mocke of sinne we are ready to slight sin and to lay it in the light ballance of Common opinion and not in the ballance of the Sanctuary and so we come to be deceived Therefore this word Revealed must bee marked it intimates that we are backward to take notice of it except the LORD reveales his wrath from heaven and take us in hand to convince us of sin to shew us our corruption in its owne colours for we look on these things by a false light Thinke with your selves therefore what that must be which God punishes with eternall punishment See what it is in the punishment of CHRIT our Surety thinke what that is that brought CHRIST from heaven what that is that cast those Angels into hell to bee bound in chaines of everlasting darknesse Againe see it as you use to see it in the day of Death for then men are commonly awake see how it is then presented if it be not then terrible Againe judge of sin as men enlightned doe look to holy men how they judge of sin And which is without exception see how the Scripture presents sinne with this Concomitant the wrath of God as an evill and bitter thing See the Prophet Ieremie the second Chapter and it is certaine that the judgement of the Scripture is right And let all this humble you Secondly make this use of it learne to adde this to your humiliation As you must labour to see your state to have that corruption of nature which is in you discovered So you must labour for a sense of the wrath of God which if you get not you will never be humbled Labour to see God himselfe in his wrath looke not nakedly on an affliction but see God in it If a man hath a sight of him the Creator it will wholly amaze and humble the Creature Eliah was not moved with the wind that tare the rockes nor with the Earthquake though terrible but when God came though in a soft voice yet the presence of GOD humbled him that made him cover his face with his Mantle There be two kindes of Affliction one is that which the Creature is able to beare the other sort is when GODS hand is in it when they are mingled with his wrath These bee like Arrowes dipped in venome that make a deeper wound and such an one as is incurable when you feele the wrath God in any affliction let it be but a light apprehension in it selfe yet when the LORD shall set it on and mingle it with his wrath it will grow insupportable Iudas before his Treason thought thirtie peeces of silver to be a great matter and that he had got much by it but when God did manifest himselfe and revealed his wrath a little so that he saw God and had a feeling of him as every man shall have sooner or later you see what a condition he was in So it was with Belshazzer It was his feare of GOD when hee saw the Hand it was not the hand but the apprehension of GODS wrath that raised his thoughts and loosed his loynes and made his knees knocke one against the other So Paul when he heard the Word of GOD by false Samuel it cast him on his face he cared not for any thing that men did to him you know how David described his valour but when GOD comes to him that humbles him Consider what it is to have the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth to be thine Enemie who hath all things at his Command and if hee bee thine Enemie all things shall worke together for thine hurt as every thing shall be for thy good if thou be in favour and covenant with him If thou say But I feele nothing for the present Remember though thou feelest it not for the present yet there is wrath laid up for thee God hath it in store Remember Gods dealing with them that sinned against him Shimei had committed a sinne that in Gods sight deserved Death so did Adonijah so did Saul and his seven sonnes that were hanged for breaking their oath with the Gibeonites You see how long these lay as if God had forgotten them but at length he brings them all to death Hee doth not powre out his wrath on the sudden perhaps thou shalt feele nothing of a long time but thou art condemned and when the Gaole-delivery comes thou shalt be executed for God remembers thy sins Cains sin lay at his doore though he saw it not it was not taken away but continued and it not onely continued and kept awake but it cried day and night unto him untill the crie entered into the eares of the Lord. The crie of sinne is like the crie of an Hireling to whom the just Master when the day is finished payes such wages as hee deserves So a sinner when his time comes is remembred before God though wrath hath beene restrained for a time yet now it shall seize on him Wee should learne by this to humble our selves And lastly if wee finde the wrath of God
the Truth and therefore they hate it Now what a man hates he keeps off as much as he can it must not come neare him for he counts it his enemy and therefore will not suffer it to diffuse it selfe into the rest of the faculties of the soule Another reason which goes hand in hand with this is they love darknesse rather than light and therefore they are not every way enlightned for what a man loves he desires to preserve to hedge about and to keepe safe thus men cannot abide to have darknesse taken away by any Information or Admonition for they desire to preserve it Rom. 1.21 Their foolish heart was full of darknesse they knew God but they glorified him not as God Though there was light yet their heart was ful of darknesse and because they loved this darknesse therefore they would not have it expelled As a man commits a filthy act or unseemly thing he desires to have the light put out because it is contrary to that which should cover and cloake his action thus men imprison and shut up the light not suffering it to disperse it selfe into their soule But in this imprisoning of this light you must know all goe not the same way to worke for there be these foure different wayes of doing it First some there are which imprison this light meerely by laying it aside meerely by forgetting it by suffering it to lye still and not awaking it when men remember not what they have to doe they are so busied about other things so transported with pleasures and lusts so occupied in cares and things of the world that this comes not into their mindes they consider it not Secondly Others with-hold it out of perversnesse of opinion their judgements are not right they doe not think that such things ought to be done they are not perswaded that such an exact strictnesse of holinesse is required they thinke men may live after another manner and thus they doe imprison the light so doe all heretikes that beleeve lyes and so with-hold the Truth Thirdly There be some that faile in neither of these they remember the Truth wel enough and they have no false opinions concerning it but they resist the Truth as Stephen Act. 7.51 speakes of some that resisted the Holy Ghost that is when their opinion's right and they remembred it too but they suppresse it they keepe it downe they suffer it not to come forth out of their love to unrighteousnesse to some lust wherein they are resolved to please themselves Lastly there bee some that imprison the Truth not out of any of these three respects but because they mis-apply it men that know it that have no perverse hereticall opinions that likewise doe not resist it that make not warre against it that doe not rise in rebellion against it but yet when they come to the point out of false distinctions and evasions which they have iuvented they wrest the rule of Truth they bend it too much to their owne particular affections and practise though they know the Truth in generall yet in particulars they seeke to evade it and faile in applying it As for example Men doe not thinke Sabbath-breaking good but now the question is whether the action I doe at such a time be Sabbath-breaking or no here they finde a distinction to put it off so vaine Company I know is to be avoided but whether this be ill Company is all the question All these wayes men are said to imprison the Truth And so much for the second particular The third thing we propounded was to shew how great a sin it is to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse and that will appeare from hence It is that which brings the greatest Condemnation of any thing else This is the condemnation Ioh. 3. that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light As if he had said there be other things for which God will punish men but this above all the rest deserves condemnation it brings great and swift Condemnation that light is come into the world but men c. that is when men shall be informed when God shall reveale his Truth so that his light glares in their eyes and they cannot but see it and yet they love darknesse more than light this puts men into farre worse condition than if they were altogether ignorant of the Truth Else why should Peter say It had beene better they had never knowne the way of righteousnesse They shall perish that be ignorant of these Truths and of the degree of them but at the day of Iudgement it shall be a great deale harder with them that know and do not practise them As Ier. 5.4 Surely sayes the Prophet they are a poore and foolish people they know not the wayes of the Lord nor the Iudgement of their God They shall therefore perish but then there is another Generation that know God I will get me to the great men that have knowne the wayes of God but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds That is these be the men with whom God is most angry upon whom this condemnation shall fall heavie that know the Iudgement of their God and yet breake his bonds that know and doe not practice Secondly to go no further than this place The wrath of God is revealed from heaven but against whom against them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That for which God is angry for which his wrath is revealed against men in a speciall manner must be a sinne It is true he will punish other sins but these words are not here used in vaine for they that doe thus sin out of contempt and amongst men a sin out of contempt kindles wrath so they that know Gods will but practise not according to knowledge provoke Gods wrath against them An excellent place for this is Heb. 3. you shall finde this the case of the people when they knew not God at all or but a little number of them God blessed them all that time but when he had revealed himselfe fully to them and had endured them forty yeares when they tempted him proved him and saw his workes then he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest His wrath was then kindled and that in such a measure that he entred into such an oath Now when God takes an oath the decree is peremptory and never to be reversed and that is the Condition of them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse The wrath of God abides on them Ioh. 3. ult God may be angry with his owne children as a father is with his sonne but his wrath abides not on them he takes them to favour againe but they are in a miserable Condition on whom the wrath of God remaines And consider what his wrath is The violence of a Lion is terrible the wrath of a King is great but who knowes the power of Gods wrath And
ought to pray fervently and frequently I ought to sanctifie the Lords Sabbath but out of an unlistinesse to it out of love to ease and pleasure that carries him another way he neglects it and so the dutie lyes undone This is the Commission of a knowne sinne So againe I know I ought not to remember an injury I ought to forgive mine Enemy yet thou invitest him to doe thee a new injury when this is knowne and not practised in this case men commit a knowne sinne so againe dost thou not know that thou oughtest not to use any dalliance any touch of uncleannesse any chambering or wantonnesse if a man know this and yet will commit it because his lusts intend his minde to such a sinne and it is a thing to which he is strongly inclined this is a knowne sinne so in many other things in cases of election or in doing of businesses this man ought to be chosen and businesses ought to be carried thus but yet out of some by-respects a man will have it carried otherwise this is committing of a knowne sinne so in case of Envie this mans preferment may be profitable but because his eminencie may be hurtfull to me I cannot affect him this is a knowne sinne so in Case of the Sacrament doe you not know you ought to receive often and not to neglect it in the Congregation where you are Are you not bound to that You thinke it a sinne not to heare the Word and is it not so not to receive the Sacrament If he shall be cut off that came not to the Passeover shall not he be cut off that comes not to the Sacrament So you know you must renew your repentance are not these Truthes knowne and yet will you commit these sins Goe thorow any knowne sin and in this Case you doe with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse But what is it to commit a knowne sin because it may be I am not convinced sufficiently of that By this thou mayest know it if thou finde thy Conscience to give a secret intimation that it is naught it is a signe it is a knowne sin though thou hast got many Arguments for it and canst dispute for it for thy Conscience shall witnesse against thee as in case of Vsury and inordinate gaine and matters of the Sabbath many of which things be in question see what thy Conscience saith and take heed of disobeying the secret intimations of thy Conscience whatsoever thou hast to say for thy sin before men Men think a sin not to be a knowne sin because they are not willing to search it out Now if thou finde this to be thy Case that thou art not willing to search it out to see all that can be said for it or against it thou shalt finde it a knowne sin And this is a notable difference betweene the faithfull and others A godly man whose heart is set to serve God with a perfect heart in all things there is nothing that comes under the name of a sin nothing that hath the shadow of a sin but he is willing to search it out to examine it to the full he is willing to let all say what they can against it and when all is done he desires God to try him Another is not willing to search because he is willing to lye in some sin or because he will not have his Conscience troubled with it This is a signe of a false heart though they doe not know that this is a sin yet it having the shadow of a sin and they being unwilling to examine it to the full it shewes it is no lesse Secondly the second Case wherein a man with-holds this knowledge and detaines this Truth which God hath made manifest is when he is not willing to enlarge it a man that hath already some knowledge as every man hath some and is not willing to adde to this knowledge to encrease it that man properly with-holds the Truth in unrighteousnesse For he that with-holds fewell puts out the fire as wel as he that casts water on it and he that takes away food from a living Creature kils it as well as he that takes away its life with violence so if thou dost not feed this with fewell with that which may make it grow and encrease if thou dost not labour to inlarge it thou dost extinguish it And of these men there be two sorts First such as doe not care for any knowledge at all or if they doe come to heare yet they recall it not meditate not upon it and so as good never a whit as never the better some things they must doe for fashion sake but if they doe heare they doe it in a negligent manner they be ever learning and never come to the knowledge of the truth These be the first sort of men But there is a second sort and that is those which have knowne much have heard much have gone very farre in the knowledge of this Truth yet will not goe to the uttermost I may resemble them by Felix he went not farre but I use it as a resemblance when Paul preached and began to know some measure of this Truth when some of these sparks began to be revived and stirred up in him he bade him goe away and said he would call for him another time but he was not so good as his word so when a man is loth to be brought to that strictnesse and exactnesse that is required as our duty when he is not willing to be strait laced that lives at liberty and thinkes he will doe it before he dies but puts it off this man imprisons the Truth when the Truth is brought to their doores to such an high degreee that it is almost loose yet they let it lye there still when they shall come to Agrippa's Case to be almost a Christian this is to with-hold it the uttermost end and finishing of the worke is all and that is the reason men are so shie of it So when we care not for admonition to live exactly and perfectly in all things when there shall be little reservation when we wil have a little liberty in this or that I say the not admitting of this the not going through with the work is an imprisoning of the Truth When men shall come to be unwilling to be called on it is as if a man shut the doore and draw the curtens about him it showes that he delights to sleepe that he meanes to sleepe and to continue so when a man puts off the Truth and will not be brought to the uttermost this is the second way of imprisoning the Truth when he is not willing to adde fewell to give that which may strengthen and encrease it Thirdly I will name but the third and that is when a man is past this degree and is come to be willing to know all Truths doth not desire to have any concealed from him doth not say to
impossible he should deny you having made you a sure promise and confirmed it with a oath What the Lord sweares to he is sure to performe In all the Booke of God you shall not finde that he sware unto the first Covenant but there is an oath put to both parts of the second Heb. 6.13 Because he could not sweare by a greater he sware by himselfe that wee might have strong consolation and assurance of forgivenesse of sinnes And so the first part is confirmed And for the second Luke 1.73 The oath which he sware unto our Fathers that he would give us that we being delivered from our Enemies should walke before him in holinesse all the dayes of our life Why then will you not beleeve it Why will not you urge the Lord with this and by prayer desire the accomplishment of it As indeed though he gives holinesse of life yet you must pray for it as well as you must pray for the forgivenesse of sinnes It was Ananias his speech to Paul Act. 22.13 Rise Paul and wash away thy sinnes calling on the name of the LORD though his sinnes were forgiven yet hee could not have assurance of it without calling upon the Name of the LROD Christ promised to baptize us with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is to sanctifie us in greater measure yet wee must call and call againe So Luke 11.5 6 7 8. You must knock as at a mans doore that is a sleepe with his children and loath to rise but if you knocke long and weary the Lord out and not suffer him to rest then he will give the Holy Ghost Therefore have you prayed and yet finde not your selves New Creatures You have your old hearts and old lusts prevailing yet you must at length wash away your sinnes by calling on the Name of the Lord. And hereto you may be stirred by the Sacrament which is not onely to give assurance that your sinnes are forgiven but likewise to draw more vertue from Christ to make up the breaches of our hearts and to get more grace and to be made New Creatures in a greater measure So that when a man comes hither he must consider wherein he is faultie what breaches there are in his heart and life what imperfection there is in grace and then hee must goe to Christ to repaire them And as you bring more faith with you so you shall carry more strength and comfort from the Sacrament So that thus much I can assure you of let any man come with a strong desire to receive Christ and to be a New Creature and let him bring faith in the promises of Sanctification and it cannot bee but hee shall be filled The LORD will send his Spirit into his heart and make him a New Creature Wheresoever God hath a mouth to speake Faith hath an eare to heare and an hâ—nd to take Men forgot this they thinke that Faith is onely occupied about promises of pardon and forgivenesse but it is not so you must set your faith on worke on the promises of Sanctification and when you come to receive the Sacrament you must know that you come to a table where you have fatlings where you have new Wines And thus you must feed on CHRIST not onely taking to your selves the promises of pardon but likewise of Sanctification that you may be filled with the Spirit which is as wine to quicken you and to strengthen you in the Inner man as well as the outward Elements of Bread and Wine strengthen thine outward man So that thou mayest not thinke thou receivest the Sacrament as thou oughtest when thou goest away as weake as when thou commest when there is no strength no vigour in the Inner man And so in all thy daily services when thou commest to Christ thou must eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud as the Israelites did every day feed on the Mannah You must remember his Covenant not only to pardon but to sanctifie you and then you shall live thereby and every day grow stronger and stronger The end of the first Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature THE Woman of Canaan though shee had no countetenance from Christ though he seemed not to heare her a long time though hee gave her crosse answers yet hee commends her faith in an extraordinary manner at the last She had never had that commendations if shee had not beene put to that difficulty a little therefore when you presse God when you doe stand it out and are not discouraged in the end you shall have it in a greater measure and it will be a greater commendations of your faith And so it was with Iacob if he had not wrestled as hee did hee had never had that great reward which he had he never had a greater reward for any thing that ever he did in his life than for his contending with God when God refused as it were when he strove with him when he would not doe it when he seemed to be of a contrary mind yet when he held out and did not give over till he had gotten it hee never got so much at Gods hands And so I say to every one of you if you finde it an hard taske to get this change to bee made New Creatures you pray and have sought and yet you have not gotten it yet be encouraged doe it still never give over you shall have a greater measure as your prayers are stronger for this you must know that when you make requests to God according to Gods will that then it is the voice of his Spirit therefore when you desire to be made New Creatures doe you thinke it is possible for God to deny you No because this desire comes from his Spirit Now it is true a man may desire to be made a New Creature he may desire grace and yet doe it in a carnall manner that is hee may desire it because he sees that he cannot be saved without it he may desire it as a thing of necessity that will make him safe and whole as a thing without which he shall perish Nature may goe thus far but to desire to be made a New Creature out of the beauty and taste of it out of a desire to please God and to glorifie him whose Name is called upon you out of a desire to please the Spirit that dwels in you this is proper to the Saints it is the voyce of the Spirit and therefore goe on boldly God hath promised to heare you hee cannot deny you See how Christ did when he was upon the earth those that were lame and blinde when they came and cried after him and would not give him over he did not refuse to heale every one there was not a man that was importunate with him but howsoever his Disciples slighted them Christ respected them Now do
off but if it be the changing of a Black-moores skin how wilt thou doe that Can the Black-moore change his skinne Therefore seeing it is a change of Nature bee not too secure Thinke not thus for it is the onely thing that keepes men from comming to God I will come in but it shall be hereafter I will goe yet a little further this is a very dangerous case because it is a changing of Nature that is required and no Creature in Heaven and Earth is able to doe this Therefore when thou commest to die or when any crosse comes thou mayest be willing to change and thou mayest take purposes to thy selfe but doe we not see by experience in such cases the Nature is not altered doe not all returne to their byas there is not one of a thousand but doth it because it is a forced action Now a stone forced upward returnes againe so there be many forced actions in times of Temptation and the houre of death but still the nature is the same therefore men returne againe Therefore know this very heart of thine the very nature of it must bee altered it must bee changed into a light ayrie vapour that may ascend else it will not hold out and thou shalt have no comfort from it and when it is turned into an ayrie vapour it must be done by a light and heat that comes from heaven So must thy heart it is the Holy Ghost that must doe it it is onely the Author of Nature that can change Nature hee that made it can renue it And as only fire begets fire so onely the Spirit begets the qualities called the Spirit the Holy Ghost must breathe this breath of life in thee This is a thing not considered therefore you are bold to put it off if the Holy Ghost were at thy command if hee would breathe when thou listest it were another case but hee breathes when and where he listeth nothing is so free as the wil of the Spirit he breathes where he lists That it is no more in thee to alter him than the winds when they blow to the East canst thou cause it to blow to the West no more canst thou alter the will of the Spirit Therefore take heed of refusing the offer when the Lord will offer it is a dangerous thing to refuse What the Lord bade them in the Gospell to doe he is ready to doe himselfe When you come into a Citie offer peace if they will receive it so it 〈◊〉 let it come on them but if they will not stay not there let them goe shake off the dust off your feet against them such a people shall perish Consider that and see if the Lord be not ready to doe it himselfe If hee make an offer as hee did when hee gave his Disciples this command take heed that he goe not away in anger he knocks at thy heart againe and againe take heed that hee goe not away in wrath It is the Lords manner no man knowes the time of his offer sometimes at the third sometimes at the fifth and sometimes at the last houre the time is not in thy hand but whensoever he offers take heed off refusing for if he growes angry he returnes no more When he shall sweare in his wrath c. Psal. 95. ult that is a place worth considering The Apostle perswades them not to deferre Repentance but to come while it is to day put it not off and he gives them two reasons Lest you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that is you will not be able to come in sin will harden you againe lest the Lord sweare in his wrath as he did to the Israelites Now you must marke they offended him once twice and thrice still the Lord bore with them they were rebellious at the Red-sea and presently after yet this the Lord bore with but there was a time when the Lord will beare with them no longer yet they lived many yeares after then he sware in his wrath and then they were destroyed It is true the Lord is not so angry for every refusing and sin which thou committest but when he comes to sweare there is no retracting of it then wheresoever you finde an oath in the Scripture there is no reservation when he sware he never returned againe Therefore take heed of angring the Lord Iesus though he be the Saviour of the world yet kisse the Son lest hee bee angry Take heed of deferring for a change of Nature is required which is a thing that thou canst not doe but the LORD must doe it Againe if it be a change of Nature I will but urge this a little Then we may learne hence to know that all the desires that come from Nature are nothing for that is not to have another Nature they are Flowers that have a beautie in them but they are the Flowers of the grasse subject to corruption as well as the stalke on which they grow therefore GOD accepts them not Againe it is not Morall Vertues for that is not changing of Nature for they may bee got and lost againe Againe it is not the Transient acts of Holinesse which the Holy Ghost workes in the heart when hee comes as a Passenger for a night or as a Sojourner for a moneth or two but he must come to be an Inhabitant and so as the Soule is in the body to make the Nature another Nature Last of all it is not any good Intentions any good Desires any good Purposes but another Nature Therefore take heed that you doe not deceive your selves and that is a thing we are exceeding apt to be deceived in because we have other purposes wee thinke all is well this wee must looke to for there be many times when men are very prodigall of good purposes as when they come to receive the Sacrament or in time of apprehension of death or it may bee you will purpose to leave sinne when you have smarted for some sinne you have committed you then meane to alter all and you thinke you are well because you have other desires and purposes in you but it is not so there must bee another Nature that is these purposes God regards as nothing for indeed they are worth nothing when there are new purposes and the old Nature continues still they come to the birth and when they have done so There is no strength to bring forth that is when the purposes are new and the nature old they are not able to dwell there but it is like a new peece in an old garment that is old nature is not able to sute with new purposes but the peece breaks forth and the rent is greater than it was So usually it is when we have the old nature and take new purposes there is not a sutablenesse and the rent is made greater than it was A man returnes againe to sin and is worse than hee was but when there
crosse that is upon us when conscience is troubled I say in these cases to doe it the Lord regards it not This therefore is the Condition that is required to be done out of love it is a rule in the Civill-law Contractus qui fit per minas nullus est The contracts that are gotten by threatnings are no contracts at all but if a Virgin consent when she is free when it is done without compulsion that makes the match So it is betweene Christ and us for us to take him and keepe his Commandements and to doe it out of feare and other respects this Christ regards not it is love that makes the match If we take him out of love if all we doe be done out of love then there is a match betweene us otherwise not And there is good reason for that because feare is of a fleeting nature it soone passes and vanishes away but when it is rooted and grounded in love when that which we doe comes from this principle then we hold out and cleave to Christ without separating againe when that proceeds from feare we doe it not with delight we doe it not with propensenesse with proclivity of minde with an inward willingnesse Now the Lord so loves a chearefull giver a chearefull servant and a chearefull performer that he loves no other And therefore that Condition is required to Delight in the Law in the inward man that we doe not only keepe his Commandements but that they be not grievous to us that what we doe be done out of love and therefore it is required when we doe this that we love the Lord Iesus Christ I will be bold to say a man may pray day and night as earnestly as Hannah did he may keep the Commandements of God without reproofe as Zachary and Elizabeth did for the outward act he may abound in the worke of the Lord but whatsoever he doth if he doe it not out of love God looks upon such workes as upon a dead carkase so they are called Hebr. 9. Dead workes that is workes that are good for substance and for circumstance too but yet they are dead because they come not from love there is no life in them Therefore in 1 Cor. 16.22 Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle let him be accursed Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus that is whatsoever a man doth besides let him professe what he will and performe what he will if he love not the Lord Iesus he is accursed And that I speake not this without ground looke 1 Cor. 13. Take the most glorious actions that a man can performe if a man give his body to be burnt that is to be a Martyr if he gives his goods to the poore which is an high action for a man to part with all he hath if he doe that which Christ required of the young man to deny himselfe If a man were able to preach the Gospell if he had gifts as an Angell as the Apostle speakes If he were able to speake with the tongue of men and Angels and if it were without love God regards it not Love is a distinguishing Character an Hypocrite may goe very far but love he cannot it is love therefore that sets an high price upon all that we doe And therefore you shall finde from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation the Promise is made still to the Affection and it is the Affection that makes a man a good man he that feares the Lord and he that loves the Lord and he that delights in the Commandements of God c. And therefore it is not enough that we take Christ and that we beleeve in him that we doe the workes that he commands us but that we doe them out of love And this is the Condition that is required on our part So you see now what the Gospell is what the summe of it is that is sealed in the holy Sacrament it is this Covenant on Gods part that he is ready to forgive us wherein you must strengthen your faith when you draw neare to him And againe this condition on your part Faith and obedience out of love as you have heard This is the first use that you are to make I should proceed The end of the First Sermon THE CUPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN THREE Sermons upon 1 Cor. 10.16 The Second SERMON 1 CORINTH 10.16 The Cup of blessing that we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ c. SEEING we have the same occasion for which I tooke this Text being to receive the Sacrament againe the next Sabbath and so along I thought it better to continue it than to divert to another When we handled it the last time we told you there were these three parts in the words First there is a true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Secondly the meanes by which it is conveyed to us the bread and wine the outward elements which God hath Sanctified to that purpose The third is the adopting or fitting these elements for such an end and that is by sanctifying them by blessing them by setting them apart The Cup of Blessing which we blesse c. The point we delivered was this â—hat in the Sacrament there is a reall and true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ to every Receiver We told you the difference betweene the Papists and us we both agree that Christ is really in the Sacrament they say it is corporally we say it is only done by faith But to use an expression of Augustine which he hath upon the very Text saith he Iohn Baptist said he was not Elias and yet Christ saith Iohn was Elias Why saith hee how shall wee reconcile these two they are thus reconciled Iohn speakes properly and Christ spake figuratively and therefore they crosse not one another he gives this very instance so saith he when Christ saith This is my body and we say it is not his body but bread they are Augustines owne words saith he the meaning is this It is the body if we take it figuratively and it is not his body if we speake properly so that as it was with the Temple of his body when he spake of it I will destroy this Temple and build it in three dayes they understood it of the materiall Temple and saith the Text They were reckoned as false witnesses against Christ So when Christ speaks thus of his body This is my body when they understood it materially and corporally when it is a thing so frequent and usuall with him to speake Metaphorically I say they shall be found false witnesses against him in applying this to his materiall and corporall body that he understands of his mysticall body which is received by faith I will not stand to repeat more of that I delivered then lest the time prevent us in that which remaines Onely one thing which I then omitted and that is a great objection of
the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealouâ— should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with fâ—ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee