and that houre of our life which fall's out to be soe neere death that a man cā neither serue himself nor the world nor Satan because of extreme imbecility of body is reserved for God to serue him in though it be but in saying Lord have mercy vpon me And this they dreame to be enough to bring them to heaven that or their Pater noster if they can but have time to say it will make them happy enough they care for no more and soe poore sooles they goe like oxen to the slaughter conceiting that two or three words speaking will purchase Gods glorious kingdome and posesse them of it without any more a doe Which jmagination is more blasphemous then ever came into a Papists apprehension for as grosse as they are in the matter of merit yet they are not soe foule as to say that glory may be gotten with soe slight desert nay they exhort men to doe good works betime and abundantly I never read any of them that helde heaven might be had for a few bare words especially proceeding from a minde and soule more sicke then at the pangs of death the body can be And this pestilent conceit of prorogeuing time with God is a vniversall disease and hath slayne many that are gone and infected desperately millions of men that yet liue in the christian worlde Every one throwe's off the day of this duty breake 's that commandement in the substance which they were bound to obserue in the shaddow Exod. 22.29.20 where God saith Thou shalt not delay to offer thy first fruits whether of oxen cattell of liquor or any other thing Delay is a thing that the Lord still detested in any thing that he had for vs to doe he would never endure protraction of time he hath ever pleaded with his people for haste and expedition and for priority before all things yea to be put in the first place before all things as well he doth deserue to be in the conscience of the corruptest man among christians And albeit that both these be soe that the Lord hath soe loved to be first served and loathed in his soule to be set behinde yet as if prolonging and poasting off the piactise of piety were a thing that would rather make vs acceptable to the Lord then detestable in his sight the divill who is both Gods and our avowed adversary herin doth not only perswade jmpious persōs to stay rejourne whatsoever is required of them in true religiō but also he puts into their mindes and mouthes what to plead against God their owne best good but they litle know it in the truth of this point which we now vrge arme's them to opē their mouth with strange insolency against heaven to defend their double jmpiety in devising damnable shifts to support them therin that they may be still and for ever holden fast in the cordes of their jniquity and linger soe long in their sinfull courses and accursed carriage till time shal be no more and it be too late to wish for the day of grace the day of Gods patience and our repentance which being now past gone we are to beare for ever the righteous vengeance of the wretched neglect of that happy opportunity It is a sure thing that Satan never helpe's man to a jmpious hart to doe an evill but he also help 's him to an jmpudent mouth to defend the sin he doth Pretences for putting of Gods service and because his pretences are such and doe seeme soe plausible as that they doe misleade the most part of men in the worlde let vs looke into them a litle and try whether they be currant or counterfeit pure or hase by the truest touch-stone even the word of God which is truth it self But before we come to any particulers let vs premise a few words in generall to all such as doe plead any thing in this particuler to the end and purpose afore sayd let them therefore know and receive for a memorandum thus much That all that they speake is against God and their owne eternall good and that it is for the Devill and his advantage to their owne everlasting evill In all this plea what are they Adversaryes to God and themselves and Advocates for the Divell against themselves But let vs heare them speake although all they speake be not worth the hearing They say though God say the contrary and themselves confesse it too that though men should begin betime and it were well if they would yet there is no such necessity lying vpon it that we should be soe nice vpon it And why Plea 1 1. Because as they cursedly conceit a man may make too much haste too much a doe and what neede one be soe curious precise at present there is time enough for these matters heareafter This is their first Plea Wherin I must be bolde to aske these men first whether they speake when they thus speake as they thinke or not If not what hellish hypocrisy is it in any man to belye his owne minde with his owne mouth what wofull impiety is it to vtter that in others hearing which a man 's owne hart doth contradict within himself If they doe thinke as they say which I thinke every man would be well advised before he would doe if he knew all then let vs see if we can shew them what blasphemy is wrapped vp in this speach inasmuch as the scope therof is guilty of the fearfullest fellony that almost may be committed Note God is robbed by them of his right in the duty of their owne and the first dayes of such other as they doe thus delude They are robbed by Satan but with their owne consent for they plead for the theife of that right which Christ Iesus hath purchased for such as are obedient to his truth Others also are robbed of the same good by vttering these vngodly sayings to seduce them sinfully to sett off the time of their turning to the Lord. And I thinke the man that knew this would not be so free of these words which are soe wofull as we see were there noe more to be sayd against them But let vs come neerer The evill of it and pry more narrowly into this plea and the further we goe the more foule abhomination shall we finde and detect therin and that in divers respects a few wherof we will notify before you Evill 1 1. This plea supposeth an absolute cearteinety of more time yet to come and to be remayning vnto our lives why should any man in common sence say it is time enough heareafter if he were not as he thinks assured of more time to come after-warde Now thus to surmize is grosse sin inasmuch as the Lord hath taught vs to know that we cannot expect much lesse warrant one instant of time or a moment more to breath in then we doe already enjoy Tro. 27.1 Iam. 4.14 Doth not the wise
a man to live by stealing all he eate's and to dye in eating all he steale's Let vs thinke on these motives which are the substance of those jnducements which the ceremoniall law did but shaddow We now proceede to presse a few other which may yet more move vs if we ponder them as we ought either in the benefit that come's by the obedience of this truth or the evill that issue 's from the neglect thereof I pray you note bath 1. First if we did give the Lord our first doe but thinke what a world of sin we might save which is committed and continued in by millions till we doe give our selves to God Did we throughly know the danger of one sin even the least we can be guilty of we would doe much to prevent it seing that everlasting pordition is due to it but here is a course that would spare a multitude nay all our trangressions for from the time we are the Lords he reckon's no sin to vs but account's vs righteous and accept's vs blamelesse in his beloved Now to avoyd sin with the dishonor it brings to God with the damnation it brings to vs yea to others too by our example who would not rēder the Lord his right most freely let him have his owne frō vs that Satā might never have us as his owne frō God Assuredly he that coulde ever conceive the Lords damage his owne disadvantage by sin what glory God wants what greife it is to his spirit what provocation it is to his patience how jniurious to his goodnes and favour how abusiue to his long suffering loving kindenes would never deny himself to the Lord from the first day he did vnderstand how he might acceptablely yeeld himself vnto him what a siranger should Satan be in vs what a familiar would God be to vs if we begin betimes with him 2. Consider that as we might save much sin soe this were also the only way to have much grace The more early any thing begins to be good the more goodnes is hoped from it the sooner any man sett's himself towards beaven the more heavenly must he needes be Oh what a most happy thing is it when grace begins to grow betimes in vs then is the Lord much honoured by vs then are men much bettered by vs then are we fitter for all duty then are we more safe from sin the cōtagion of sinners then are we more able to worke out our salvation and more sure to posesse the same A mans life is a heaven vpon earth when his graces are well growne in him his affection his conversation cannot but be in heaven such a man may be bolde with his God at all times and Satan can have no hope to prevaile against him whē it cometh soe to passe with a man in good as it did with him in evill in whome the divell had beene from a childe he was the more hardly cast out soe the more easily is he kept out and hardly nay never shall he possibly enter to posesse that person who of a childe and from the first hath beene gracious What have we in this worlde to doe or to busy our selves most about but to get that grace that may further vs to glory and what better way to get much then to fall to worke assoone as is possible 3. Consider that the Lord never gave any man a time of grace that would dare to set God a time to come for it The man that shal be soe jmpious and jmpudent as to prescribe and lymit the Lord at what time he will come never hath hart to come at all Is it not good reason that when we neglect yea and despise too so great salvation as is tendered nay commanded to vs in our tender yeares that he whome we have denyed in his time of grace should deny vs in our time of sin especially considering that he hath power to confine vs to the instant of his call but it is intollerable jmpiety in vs to bounde him to ours Shall God waite vpon the diuell and accept vs at that houre when our sin will let vs come we having cast of his day houre of mercy before How reade we in the scriptures for this what finde we nothing but thunder and lightening from heaven to peale these wicked wretches to perdition They that were bidaē were not worthy saith Christ And againe The dore was shut against them that were not prepared for the bridegrome at the instant of his comming and though at their owne time they came afterwarde with much jntreaty yet it could not be opened but they were banished thence and abandoned to hell Pre. 1.24.25.26 Zach. 7.13 And yet againe by the prophets Because I have called and you have refused therefore shall yee cry and not be heard So that you see God sett's noe time to him that setts God any nothing remayne's to such but disdayne from heaven damnation in hell 4. Consider that what extraordinary honour God ever intended to himself by any man or men whome he would make instruments of the same he meant to make all such persons gracious betime Doe but ponder it well in the first Adam in the second In the first all mankinde might have beene happy and God mightily honoured through all generations now to bring this about Adam shal be righteous from his first being and honour the Lord from the time of his creation In the second Adam all the elect shal be happy through him the glory of Gods infinite favour shall shyne vpon them to furnish him for this wonderfull worke he sanctifyed himself before he was borne and after in our infancy and soe throughout all ages of our life during the dayes he lived Indeede he attayned not our olde age I will not take vpon me peremptorily to determine why but it may be it was to shew that olde age doth not easily attayne him that soe these presumptuous olde fooles might be the more terrefyed and daunted from dareing to be so audacious as they have beene Did the Lord ever glorify himself in that man or glorify that man with himself that refusing to come when God called came when himself would name one instance if it be possible Noe he will sanctify all such as shal be glorious to him in earth or glorious with him in heaven I say he will sanctify all such in his purpose before time and in his practise in such time as wherin they shall come when he shall call be it more early as Ieremiah Iosiah John Baptist or more late as Abraham and such other as we have named before He gave them harts to attend his time not one of them ever dared to reject that and to cause the Lord to attend theirs These few inducements I hope shall draw and enforce vs to the Lord whose we are and whose all our dayes are and all our abilityes both of body and soule from him we have them in mercy if he have them not from vs againe in duty it had beene better for vs we had never beene borne Lay these holy considerations to hart offer not to presume vpon grace in thine owne time it is presumptuous sin to doe soe that man is extraordinarily gracelesse that dare's presume of grace in extraordinary time They that come to crave more then common kindnes of vs must be more then common freinds vnto vs litle reason hath God to be more then vsually good to them who have beene grossly evill to him as all they are who render him not his right in their first dayes If we would be the Lords for ever let vs ever resolve to be soe at the first Dearely beloved take these things into deliberatiō let them lodge in our harts rest and rooste in our myndes that soe the Lord our God may take vs into his favour and compassion Olde yonge middle-age all ages have this in good remembrance for it is a truth that make's vs happy if we hearken to it miserable if we doe not To the aged I say yet not I but the Lord looke backward see how much of your glasse is out and forward how litle remayneth to run and run apace to the living God to be received before all be gone and no hope be left thinke that voyce of God spoken to you 1. Pet. 4.2.3 It is sufficient that we have spent the time past after the lusts of the flesh c therevpon hasten towards heaven with all expedition it may be the Lord may take that litle time that is left and receiue you into everlasting habitations To the younge I say also Remember thy Creator thy redeemer too in the dayes of thy youth and jmagine that other voyce of heaven spokē to you for it is now time to a wake Ro. 13.11 c it is great reason that the flowre of your abilityes should be the Lords from whome you had them and to whome your account must be made for them In a word I say to you all and to every one of you Doe but thinke 1. how farre it is to heaven seing we must goe from sin to grace that we may goe thence to glory 2. how hard it is to finde the way because flesh blood cānot shew it then 3 how hard to enter goe on because the gate is so straight the enemy soe strong we soe weake wearied out with sin cōtinually clogging vs. And soe I end with that speech in Iob If thou wilt seeke vnto God early Job 8.3.6.7 and make thy supplication to the almighty if thou be pure and vpright surely he would now awake vnto thee and make the habitation of thy righteousnes prosperous and though thy begining be but small yet thy latter end should greatly encrease And that thus we may be and thus doe Let all sorts vncessantly seeke his face for ever Glory be to God on high
the children of God for consolation the vngodly for reprehension all men for instruction Vse 1 And first for the saints the sons and daughters of God it cannot be but exceeding happy comfortable to them who have harts convinced of this truth and lives that have expressed it since the first day it was revealed to them from the Lord before whome they have sincerely endeavoured to give him the first fruits of their knowledge of this lesson though either through their owne personall ignorance therof or through the error of parents in their education they have not given him the first fruits of their practise while they were in their non-age It is a most happy thing to be rightly convicted of a divine truth because many are superficially perswaded an will give a slight consent lesse the Divell if he be put to it wil not doe to many holy truthes of God but they whome the Lord convinceth a right as he doth all his owne he cōforteth in giving them a harts resolution setled in their very soules to say within themselves this is the vndoubted truth of the euerliving God thus we must doe endeavour to stire vp others to doe the same and if it be a truth which we should haue practised before we must repent for neglect past be vpright with God for the time remayning and goe the faster because we began soe late and doe our best to draw others after vs to that way which both they and we should have gone long before He that is thus convicted shall not goe long vncomforted It is a simple impossibility that men called at their ripe yeares or in their age should give their first fruits to the Lord those dayes are gone and past but to give the Lord at what time it pleaseth him to call vs the glory of this truth in our sounde perswasion that it is thus and singleharted humiliation because it had not place in our practise before now most carefull provocation to our vtmost possibility that it may be thus in ours and all others with whome by any good meanes we can prevayle this is to be truly happy and in a most comfortable condition we are accepted of God thus doing as if we had done it our selves from the first day of our life How famous is Abraham few men soe much renowned in religion as he none more yet from his childe hood he had not done service but to Satan in jdolatry and such other jmpiety as vsually accompanieth that jniquity But at the first call he came and assoone as he heard he did obey and perceiving that the Lord had lost such duty by him as in his former dayes he should have received from him he is cōvinced hereof and resolved that his children shall give it though his owne childe-hood was given to sin And the discerning of this in him was that that gave the Lord content and Abraham comfort Is not Moses a man abundantly magnified and that of God himself as if he had beene as indeede he was some extraordinary servant of his yet for forty yeares of his life what was he so farre as we finde but such as others were that lived in the court of that Pagan Prince who was the oppressor and adversary of Gods people it may be he might be lesse grosse then some of his fellow courtiers who were inclined to egregious jmpiety but that he was good or savoured of any saving grace is more then appeareth to me Howbeit inasmuch as he freely and resolutely cast off all the creddit and profsit of his high dignity preheminence in court when the Lord would summon him to serve him it was well taken that from that age and time he wayted on the worke of God though neither his childe-hood nor youth were the Lords in time past What should I multiply more as I might of many other most worthy saints who in the same case have had the same comfort what is over-past and cannot be actually recovered and performed if it be rightly repented of in our selues and reformed in others to our best power it is all one as if we had done it in our owne person Let vs bewayle our owne want of duty and Gods want of glory by vs and doe as Hannah did for such as may come within our possibility to dispose off or perswade namely give them to the Lord from the first instant that we have any interest in them and it shal be well with vs. And this I doe of purpose insert here because Satan is malicious and hungry to gnaw vpon the very harts of Gods saints when once he gett's a truth by the end wherin their time for performance is past then doth he come with his pearceing temptations to wounde and rende the soules of such as are single harted and to lay it in their dish that this and that they should have done long since God should have had their whole lives for his service now many yeares be gone and there can be noe recalling of them and can they thinke which way to make all well when it is an vtter jmpossibility to recover one moment much lesse many yeares with these and the like spight full and greivous suggestions he doth teaze and torture their gracious mindes to breede despayre in them But now we are armed I hope to answer him and that we may doe and pay him double both for himself to whome we may say with joy and scorne better once then never for thy part thy first dayes were as due to God as mine but he will never call but ever accurse thee Note and for our selves but for my part though I have lost my first dayes my God will not lose me ever seing he call's once and be that come's then comes time enough for mercy though he should have came sooner in duty and moreover know the Lord hath made many a happy man for his best service among those who in their first dayes have beene fouly misled I greive that I gave him not my childe-hood or youth but if he please to accept of my age I joy and will joy and doe my best to offer all that I can prevaile withall assoone as I should haue offered my self These and the like answers will confound his cavills and make him weary of vs and he being thus resisted our God and we may be the more intimate and familiar in the sweetest passages of his singuler favour And see we see there is sounde comfort for such as are perswaded herof and would have done it and are humbled because God hath beene robbed of his right in their minority Againe for such as have offered their first fruits to the Lord there comfort cannot be behinde if it exceede not theirs that went before Our A bell here who was soe carefull to give the Lord the first of his flocke and I cannot easily doubt but that he gave the first of himself also how doth the Lord magnify
man tell vs we know not what a day shall bring forth Doth not the Apostle say as much for to morrow you know not what shal be to morrow Was it not the fooles saying in the Gospell soule take thy ease eate drinke and be merry then hast enough in store for many yeares loe he dreamed of many dayes nay yeares yea he presumed vpon both when he had not one day more to live out of hell fulfilling that of the Prophet Destruction shall come vpon the wicked and he shall not know the morning therof yet will these vngodly persons be presumeing of more time and of time enough heareafter Noe noe we have not spent our time past soe well as that we may vndertake for more to come had any man dealt with vs as we have dealt with God I assure my self he should not live a day to an end if we had power to hang him vp the more wickedly doe they carry themselves against the Lord who having long since deserved to hang in hell fire for not honoring him heretofore dare yet say there is time for that hearcafter as if we were Gods to fore-see had foreknowledg of future things the which to arrogate is extreame jmpiety This is the first but not the worst of this plea Let vs survey a second Evill 2 2. This plea supposeth nay presumeth not only that there wil be more time simply but which is more more time of grace more and better opportunity of repentance turning to God then the present is And this is worse then the former and much more egregious in the sight of God for howsoever every dayes experience doth witnesse in the course of nature and all things naturall that have life doe testify that the Lord is pleased to bestow life being vpon creatures and that amonge men as well vpon the vnjust as the just the infidell as the faithfull Yet that together with this time of grace should be presumed vpon and taken for granted by any mortall man that is willingly gracelesse and thrusts off the call of God and his heavenly proffer of the same is a thing soe vnreasonable and sencelesse soe sinfull and presumptuous and an act of such arrogancy against the Lord as he will severely punish and noe way cherish in the hart of man What doth the naturall sunne in the firmament the sunne of righteousnes keepe both one course every day and houre are the holy and precious things of God that pertaine to our best being the common benefits of the earth both at one rate and to be had alike at all times The sunne in the firmament hath beene rarely interrupted in her course but the sunne of righteousnes hath many a time beene darkened in divers places nay quite remooved from some places The former is for all times and seasons the latter is for seasons only not tyed to all times Therefore is the Lord still lying at vs and calling eagerly vpon vs touching our awaking out of sin and betaking ourselves to holynes vpon this ground And that considering the season For now the season is come This is the day of salvation this is the acceptable season To day if yee will heare while it is called to day with many more of the like every day in the yeare is not the day of grace every time not the season fit for this purpose The Lord is not tyed or bound in duty to give vs one day or season but if in mercy he please to offer some few no men may looke for many this gate is not ever open to every one it is often shutt nay Mat. 25.10 it is ever shut to all such as were not ready to goe in when it was open Gods calender and ours differ much our dayes are constant we can ceartainely foresee a yeare or more before vs when such a time will come it is not soe here the Lords almanacke gives noe such light or foresight his happy times are hid from their eyes who were shewed them long since but would not then and shall not now see them Well may a sinfull wretch finde some saints dayes there that is to his confusion he may looke vpon the blessed seasons they have made vse of to give themselves to the Lord but his owne dayes he can finde none but such as be past and all written in red letters in letters of blood for his blood is vpon himself who hath neglected soe great saluation in the season therof and let the worke of God alone till it be too late to goe about it But let vs yet see something further what more will follow hence Evill 3 3. This plea is yet more foule in this third then in both the former for why it doth not only presume vpon time and vpon time of grace and both without God but more it presumeth to dispose this time and to order it to repentance at our pleasure And herein what doe we surely we are not well advised in it is not this to vsurpe Gods place and prerogative We make our selves masters of the time and of that which is to be done therin as if we might not only take the time when we will but also doe therin what we will and as if it were now in our power and at our pleasure to give our selves to God when we thinke good Which apprehensions are most proud in vs and most vnpleasing to him being apparantly prejudiciall to his wisdome and providence wherby all our dayes and all our wayes are ordered In his goodnes we live and move naturally in his mercy we live and move spiritually in his power assistance we doe any thing we ought that is heavenly and shall we arrogate all three to our selves without any colour of ground or reason and take these things soe highly or rather soe hellishly vpon vs as if we were equall with God yea aboue him rather to dispose that time to our selves and in that time to dispose our selves to that service which for our owne former contempt the Lord doth and wil deny vs in both that neither we shall have time to breath or if we have that yet no breath of spirituall life shal be in vs to move towards any thing that is acceptable in his sight Our betters have had better mindes who have confessed that without him we could be nothing without him we could have nothing without him we could doe nothing and vpon these thoughts have cast all good things vpon his wisdome to dispose his power to bring to passe his loving kindnes and favour to encrease and encourage in vs acknowledging both themselves and their times to be in his hands It would well become these that thus plead to practise the same which because they doe not we see what jmpiety they incurre herin yet is not this all more remayneth Evill 4 4. This plea of time enough heareafter of making too much hast yet argueth that these persons doe thinke these
two things to be true 1. that God may be served too long 2. that the Divell may be served too litle Both which doe as naturally flow from their foule and jmpure mouthes as water from a fountayne for wherto els can their sayings tende seing as we sayd before either God or the Divell must be served of vs at all times and vntill we have sacrificed our selves to the Lord the Divell hath all our dayes And may we thinke that heaven can or will heare and beare the hydeous blasphemy of both these or either of them what may we serve the Lord too soone and too soone give over the service of Satan is the divell become the better master and God the worse that our last time may serve his turne and all the rest litle enough for the other who hath heard such things among the heathens or such speeches as doe as directly and plainely inferre and conclude them as if they did speake them How vnreasonable how irreligious are both nay how excecrable is either of the two by it self the one applaude's the Divell aboue God the other abases the Lord below the divell will either can both be sufered were not the patience of the almighty infinite these sinners would sink into hell yea into the nethermost hell but let them know forbearance is no acquittance he that doth endure this soe long will in the end avenge it with the heaviest justice and wrath that is revealed from heaven or reserved in hell as against all other soe especially against this mighty vngodlines of men then which what can be more monstrous or provoking to draw swift damnation vpon their soules that thus speake for what can be spoken to the greatest disgrace of him that is most glorious if this be not and can we once surmize that the Lord will suffer such indignity and disparagemet at our hands not power out his indignation vpon vs Especially if withall we well consider our owne jujury we doe our selves besides this jmpiety against the Lord because the lesse service we doe the Lord and the more we doe the divell the more wofull is it for vs in both respects for that litle we would give God is rejected and all that we doe for Satan is plagued and so by both we are wrapt vnder the eternall wrath of his dreadfull majesty Thus and no better then we have sayd but much worse then we can say is the sequell of this first pernicious apologie which men make against God and their owne soules in the procrastination of the power and practise of this truth Now if a man should summe vp all these together would not the totall be terrible thinke you to the soule that is guilty in the Items to assure our selves of more time of life to presume that some of that shal be time of grace to take vpon vs to dispose of that time what we will doe therin to jmagine God may have too much and the divell too litle of our service Is any one of these answerable before God much lesse are they all excusable noe noe every of them is high treason against his honour who order's all time his favour who gives all time of grace his excellency and worthines who deserues the duty of all our dayes These words must be eaten and recalled and that with more then ordinary humiliation greife and detestation or nothing can remayne but his just vengeance vpon the transgressors it is most true of this plea 1. King 1.23 which Solomō spake of Adoniahs desire that he had spoken this word against his owne life and was thervpon instantly slayne and soe might they be who have spoken these words against their owne eternall life and if the Lord should now seize vpō them to everlasting death how righteous were it vpon these vngodly wretches against whome the Apostle Iude saith the Lord will come in great glory and dreadfull power even among other things for their hard and cursed speakings of which number who can jmagine that these are not what neede such hast there is time enough heareafter for these matters wofull man that vtterest these words is there soe litle neede that God should have his glory that thou shouldst by giving it be truly happy if thy whole time were given to God were it enough nay can any time be enough for his duty suppose one man might live from one end of the world to the other from the first day to the last of all time to see both the creation and consummation of all things yea and admit that man could live without sin too and not miscarry one moment but be evermore doing that which might honour God could this man say he had given God enough I trow not for what time can be in equity enough for him whose least glory to his saints shal be infinite and eternall beyond all time and yet these accursed mouthes dare stint the Lord to the last and least and worst time of their life and thinke it enough to The Lord deliver vs saith the apostle from vnreasonable and wicked men which if these be not who are or can be Oh then let vs revoke recant and cancell presently what we have spoken wickedly byte that tongue that vttered them smite that hart that thought them accurse and excecrate that divell that suggested them least our not revoking of them rende vs from God send vs to Satan the author of them Let vs lay our hands vpou our mouthes and resolve never to open them againe to such jmpious purpose wherin the Lord of heaven is damnifyed the soules of men are damned the divell only is advantaged God is dishonoured we are vndone the divell goe's away with all the gaynes from both which he could never doe if he could not thus line the lips and tip the tongues of some prophane persons to become his trumpets to gather men to damnation by such delusions This is the first infernal plea that is devised and vrged to deceive the Lord of his first fruits of our time but have they done when they have sayd thus noe they have yet a second pretence and a third too to come Let vs exanime the former Preten ∣ ce 2 2. They plead that in age this worke may be done well enough and time enough then men are stayed and know what they doe is it not fit for young giddy heads to meddle with such matters Then there wil be more leasure when those dayes come wherin men have given over the proffits pleasures and vanityes of the world and have nothing to doe but to goe to church and serve God This they pretend The Evills of it Well but though in the former there was much in this latter there is much more presumption we will try it then we shall see it in the particulers which are the apparant consequents of this pretence which vpon due search we shall finde not to be soe seemingly plausible as they are
ABELS OFFERING OR THE EARELY and most ACCEPTED Sacrifice of a Christian Shewing how soone every soule is bounde to begin betake himself not only to the true but also to the timely service of God A SERMON Preached at Hamburg in November 1617 and now published at the instant entreaty of A Godly Christian. BY IOHN WING then Pastor to the English church there Hosea 10.20 It is now time to seeke the Lord till he rayne righteousnes vpon you AT FLVSHING Printed by Martin Abraham vander Nolck dwelling at the signe of the Printing 〈…〉 TO THE Right Honorable THE OPHILVS Lord Clinton EARLE of Lincolne And to the vertuous and Right Honorable the Lady BRIDGET his wife AND TO The Right Honorable WILLIAM Lord Say and Seale with the Vertuous and Right Honorable the Lady ELISABETH his wife IOHN WING A poore vnworthy Minister of Iesus Christ wisheth all increase of all true honour and happines with God and men RIght honorable Lords and Ladyes I hope it shall not be any way distastefull or vnpleasing to your honours that a stranger is bolde to salute you from beyonde the seas and to publish your names there where your persons may be as vnknowne to others as myne is to your selves I have not presumed on this double dedication without all reason for why it is famously knowne that you are the worthy examples of this subject wherof I here treat And I cannot but thinke that they are the fittest Patrones of divine bookes whome God hath made the faithfull Patternes of the doctrine contayned in them It is long since I have heard of your early and happy proceedings in piety Having now this opportunity I could not longer contayne in silence but resolved to place you in the beginning of this litle booke that they which reade seeing such gracious and noble presidents of the practise herein pressed might have the more powerfull jnducements to draw them to doe the same The Lord of heaven keepe you all in your most holy course bring you to the end of this happy race that every of you may after all honorable falicityes enjoyed on earth posesse those infinite and endles glories prepared for all that love his name in whome I rest FLVSHING the 30. of October 1621. Yours Honours in all service for the honour of God IOHN WING Pastor to the English church at Flushing in ZEELANT Pag. 18. lin 23. put in and gaue Pag 43. lin 33. put out he Pag. 49. lin 24. for albe read able ABELS OFFERING OR THE Earely and most acceptable sacrifice of a Christian Shewing how soone every soule is bounde to begin to betake himself not only to the true but also to the timely service of God Gen. 4.4 And Abel he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and the fatt therof THE three former chapters of this holy History being spent in the discovery of the worldes creation and of the most wonderfull and glorious workemanship of God as in every other creature soe especially in Man whose happy estate while he stood and miserable condition when he fell and most gracious recovery from his fall with divers other divine occurrents next and jmmediately following being at large related vnto vs. It now pleaseth the holy Ghost to goe further in this sacred narration and in the beginning of this fourth chapter to acquaint vs with the multiplication of man-kinde And here we have the story of the first two that were ever borne into the world to wit the two first sons of their and our first parents I dispute not whether they were twinnes the text seemeth to contradict it though some doe weakely conceit it neither doth it carry or conclude any materiall consequence whether they were or noe concerning whome we have a threefolde description 1. of their birth and naturall being ver 1.2 2. of their busines and civill being ver 2. 3. of their religion and spirituall condition ver 3.4 They were both borne into the world of their parents by them also were they both employed in the world and these two are only named or mentioned without any further discourse But the third thing to wit that which concerneth the matter of religion is that which the Lord doth intend to treat off and insist vpon In the world and affaires of the earth men may lawfully be of divers professions trades occupations and it is needfull they should be soe But in religion it cannot be thus piety cannot admitt a diversity the blessed worship of God will beare no variety at all it must be vniforme as that one God is who is worshipped And soe was this of these two bretheren so farre as the same appeared visiblely to men in the externall act of sacrificing which practise they had doubtles learned of their parents who were without question taught of God how to excercise this duty though the letter of the scripture be silent in both as it is in divers other excellent truthes which yet we stand bound to acknowledg by vertue of such evident and vndeniable consequence as doth clearely conclude the same without litterall testimony in any expresse tearmes to avouch it Now concerning the sacrifice of the sons of Adam Cain and Abell there is a double difference noted 1. of the sacrifices they offred 2. of the effect they found with God to whome they were offred That which is observable in their sacrifices is this that wheras Cain carelesly and without choise offred of the fruit of the grounde not regarding what he offred soe he brought some what contrary to the law of those offrings which required the first of all fruits It is reported of Abell commended in him that he was very regard-full and respective to sacrifice to his God of the first of his flock and among the first the best he could pick and chuse And according to the difference of these acts the effect was also different with the Lord who seemeth to suite and fit his justice to Cain that as he had no respect what offering he brought soe had God no respect to him or that he offered and his favour to Abell vnto whose person and sacrifice the Lord had gracious regard as he was most heedefull to present the choyse and cheife of all he had to the Lord. And in this particuler doth Moses the man of God and pen-man of this part of Gods word insist speaketh much of the things that issued herevpon both on Ahells part and Cains But here it may be some will move a question how Moses who was borne many hundred and some thousands of yeares after the creation could come to know these things and to set them downe in such exact order vnto vs. To moue this question is to make question of Gods truth and to bring into doubt all that he hath recorded in this whole booke of Genesis and all such other things as fell out before his birth and ripe yeares in Exodus for in his infancy we cannot conceive
him to be any way one of Gods principall secretaryes or meete to be entrusted with this rare jmployment of penning any part of scripture especially considering that he was brought vp in Pharaohs court as a Pagan for the first forty yeares of his life But for the cleare manifestation of this matter and for the justification of the authority of this sacred booke against all accursed cavills we answer and doe acknowledge that howsoever every thing reported therein by Moses were acted long before his birth yet neverthelesse all things written therin are as absolutely true as if Moses had beene borne had seene and heard each passage in his owne person The Lord made choyse of a man living so long after these things were done that he might honour himself and this his sacred historie aboue all humane histories vnder heaven For wheras no profane writer is able infaillibly to report any thing for matter of fact but what was done in his owne dayes and came to passe in his owne ceartayne knowledge the Lord is able to instruct such as he will set a worke to report the proceedings of his churches in all ages in the incontroleable truth of all things that came to passe though they that recorde it were vnborne when they were acted And who knoweth whether the Lord hath not done this and of purpose made vse of such persons who had not a being in the world till long after the time wherin the things themselves which they relate had their being that soe he might shew himself an alsufficient instructor of his servants in those things which were done long before their time and declared long after It is not my purpose to digresse into any generall discourse of those evidences that doe authorise and warrant the whole scripture which are discovered at large by many worthy judicious and learned Divines only that it may manifestly appeare that this booke is no lesse scripture then any other let vs take into our harts the due consideration of those things which may as vnreproveably argue God to be the author as Moses to be the penner of the same and they are among a multitude that might be produced these few that follow 1. Moses doth tell vs of some passages concerning God before the creation which no creature could heare or vnderstand as that of the first creature all the rest when he sayd of every of them Let there be light c. who could tell what God spake touching every of these seing as yet they were not when they were yet till man was created all other were voyd of vnderstanding 2. Hee relates to vs touching the creation of man what God sayd of his making to wit the matter and forme of his body and the infusion of his soule as also of the manner of the making of the woman when the man was in a deepe sleepe and perceived it not and what the man sayd of the woman when the Lord brought her to him 3. After the creation he report's the passages of mans fall and discover's the subtiltyes of Satan in seducing the first man and the first woman which relations must needes be of God for we cannot conceit that the divell would soe detect himself in the evill both of his grosse sin and great punishment 4. After mans fall he tell 's vs of divers secret passages as of Adams knowing his wife of Cains anger conceived inwardly and vnjustly against Abel his brother before it brake out of Noahs drunckenes and nakednes of Lots fayling and the manner therof how he was abused by his daughters with their close carriage of the matter how he knew not what was done when he had slept with them both of the close conveyance which Rebecca vsed to obtayne the blessing for Iacob with the most private circumstances therof and a multitude more of the like to these things soe secret that no flesh could know or relate but they must needes be recorded by the Lord himself 5. He make's narration of the sins of the most holy men and women either that which was common in those times to most of them as the Polygamie of the Patriarchs or such offences as any one of them particulerly fell into not sparing Abraham the freind of God nor any of the sincerest of his servants which a good man would have done had he beene guided but by his owne spirit Nay which doth absolutely seale the truth and authority of his writings to be of God Moses spare's not himself in his owne sins but make's a manifest discovery of his owne infidelity and vnadvised anger and the just punishment of God vpon him for them both This impartiality argue's a supernaturall spirit to guide it when a man cannot spare his freind nor himself but will leave both vpon everlasting record to be blamed and blemished to all posterity A thing not vsuall if at all vsed in humane history wherin men speake and write the best they can and many times more then they should of themselves those whome they favour It must be God that must make men thus to doe therefore this is one of the prerogatives royall of his writings 6. And lastly he tell 's vs of the most secret things that can be imagined nothing can be conceived soe close as the counsell of heaven what God speaketh there who can heare especially when he speaketh not in any such sort or soe openly where Angell's may heare but in his owne private closet nay which is yet more in his owne breast or bosome yet Moses can tell the world not only what God sayd in heaven but what he sayd in his hart how he was jnwardly affected Soe we finde in one chapter of this booke where Moses make's knowne how God repented and was greived at his hart at mans wickednes and in another how he was graciously disposed for the continnance of the constant course and succession of all the affaires of this inferiour world saying And the Lord sayd in his hart I will not againe curse the earth c. See Moses is privy to Gods hart and can make vs know what were his most jnwarde resolutions And who could give him the least light or acquaintāce of these things but God himself who made him his secretary and so made these secrets knowne to him And thus by all these evidences which are common to all other scripture as well as this but coummunicable to no bookes but the booke of God we see that there is no reason of doubting or debateing any thing in this parte of holy writ or any parcell of it because it was penned by Moses and he borne so long after all things written and recorded in the same were gone and past He had a singuler and all sufficient tutor even the most wise God and he himself did endite all that he taught and enabled Moses to write so that every jot and tittle of this booke of Genesis must be of absolute
and infaillible truth And soe having now by the way cleared this scruple we should proceede vnto our discovery of Abels sacrifice as we have it here layd downe in the words of the text which make report vnto vs what kinde of sacrifice it was and wherof it consisted But we must first take away another doubt which may be made by some how Abell could know the minde of God for these matters and soe readily offer a sacrifice of this kinde and doe it soe suitably to Gods prescription considering that as yet the law of the offering of first fruits nor any other part of the morall or ceremoniall was not given We answer it was giuen but not written as we have it now it was given in those dayes by divine tradition originaly from God to man and successively from man to man Then did the father informe the childe acquaint him with the dutyes that pertayned to piety and the children they received it from their parents obeyed it as from God And this course and manner of revealing the will of God by this kinde of traditioÌ„ endured all the dayes of the holy Patriarches and such as lived after them till Moses and also during all the dayes of Moses till that part of his life wherin the Lord employd him about the penning of this booke and that is diversly conjectured of some suppose it to be written before he went into Egypt within the compasse of these fourty yeares wherin he kept sheepe in Madian others imagine he did it immediately after his departing out of Egypt even in the first yeare therof Howbeit this as the former is no point of such importance as that we must of necessity have an exact knowledge of the same But that Gods law was delivered by this kinde of tradition till the time we speake off we nothing doubt and therefore the more foule is that slander layd vpoÌ„ vs by the papist that we acknowledg not nor endure any traditions judeede those that are popish and vnwritten we cannot abide but doe abhorre them all because none of them can be defended but by blasphemy and some of them in particular are apparantly blasphemous But that there were traditions â—â—ce to wit such as the Lord by himself or by his Angells made knowne to man man beleeved related to his posterity we doe no more deny then we doe that Moses penned this part of holy scripture which till his time was a tradition and vnwritten but can be none from that time forward And if the Lord have ceased his owne hath any man power to erect more that are none of his especially now that his holy will is sufficiently revealed in the writings of the Law and Prophets the Gospell That there were some traditions we freely confesse that any are of God now we dirictly deny those that are being not of God we detest because they are the fruit of the Popes braine who hath a very crazy head in heavenly things though he be applauded to be the head of the church and able to distill spirituall influence into it But to returne to Abel it is probable that he received the light and knowledge he had to offer sacrifice from his father who from God did instruct him how and what to doe in such duties as were to be required of him And vpon this did he embrace and obey the Lord in his ordinances which course of his and his forwardnes thus to doe in those times wherin no scripture was penned nor every man that spake of the things of God traditionally so infalliblely inspired as were all they by whome the Lord hath left his truth written to vs shall rise vp against vs to condemne our vntowardnes who refuse to be taught of God and to be obedient to him though he hath left vs a more happy way to learne then they had who had but a part of his good pleasure manifested and that not written wheras we have the whole and written vpon such records as can never be razed The saints of those times were most willing to take knowledge of the wayes of God and yeeld their obedience to them by that meanes which in comparison of ours are but meane and were but weake yet enough to bring them to God who lived by faith in the truth thus revealed The sinners of our dayes to whome the Lord hath dispenced a more absolute and most sufficient course of comming neere to him are farre from the Lord and will not give him neither such nor soe much duty as these did whose knowledg and practise is not soe much magnifyed as ours shal be manifested plagued of the Lord who looke's they should be the best schollers who have the best teaching Note Miserable will it be with those men to whome the Lord shall say these knew litle of my minde in respect of you yet have done much I made it all knowne to you yet have you done litle or nothing Let not this consideration be in vaine but thinke we how cheerefully Abel learned how conscionably he performed the worship of his God having but litle helpe to further him that we by due ponderation herof may be both ashamed for our faylings past and enforce our selves as it were by a holy violence for time to come to be more faithfull and industrious both to know and to doe what on our part we owe vnto the Lord what vnsepakeable shame is it that we should lye behinde them that have gone before vs in those dutyes wherin many of them had but few to follow nor any scripture to learne them but we have both Gods whole booke to giude vs and all his blessed saints are gone before vs yet are we exceeding short of those holy ones who lived graciously in that age which may truly be called the infancy both of the world and of the church But I will not dwell here we see the holy Ghoste beare's record of Abels offering let vs now come to the words of the text which tell vs what manner of sacrifice it was And Abel he also brought of the firstlings or first borne of his flock Exod. 22.29.30 cap. 34.19 26. Levit. 23.10.12 Num. 15.20.21 Deut. 12.17 cap. 18.4 cap. 26.1.2.11 and of the fate of them Of the first-lings or first borne that is the first encrease of cattell that the Lord gave him The Lord made a most exact law for the offeriÌ„g of the first borne both of man and beast and of all fruits vnto him and this law of his we finde to be very frequently repeated in divers places of the foure bookes of Moses Exodus Leviticus Numbers and Deuteronomie And as it was often itterated by God to Jsraell soe was it faithfully obeyed by Israell before the Lord both before the captivity in Hezekiah dayes 2. Chron. 31.1.51 Neh. 10.3.32.35 and after in the dayes of Nehemiah as appeareth in the storie of their lives nay from the begining before this law
which is soe commended in him both here in other places of scripture Doctri ∣ ne And that is that morall of this practise ceremoniall which concerneth vs christians to wit That it is the vndeniable duty of every one to giue vnto God the glory of his first abilityes both of soule body to bestow their first powers in the seruice of his maiesty This lesson Abell needed not to have learned of the first borne of his beasts had not his father Adam fallen and deprived him and vs all of those first best fruits of created grace which the Lord gave him when he filled him the first day of his life with the perfection of all knowledge holynes and righteousnes and made him as holy and as happy as a creature might be on this earth Had not these first fruits of this grace perished in the first Adam soe as that never man but he might taste them they would have taught vs what to doe assoone as we could have done any thing that grace c would quickly have carried vs to the fountaine of grace from whence as it came but lately it would have returned naturally as the rivers into the sea For Adams graces were as naturall as his breath it was all one to him to doe any duty to God and to himself both were alike easy vnto him But now the case is altred it is nothing soe but cleane contrary altogether his first best lesson must be taught Abel yea and Adam too by his first best beast which he must now give to that God to whome he should have given himself from his first being this beast must be sacrifised to shame him who being once wholy Gods hath now made himself worse then the beast that perisheth now must man have dumbe schoolemasters that cannot speake and vnreasonable yea sencelesse also which cannot vnderstand or heare his speech and somewhat must be done to them assoone as they are in the world to shew man what we once when time was could have done and what for ever he ought to doe from the time of his owne first being The first of our flock the first of our fruit must teach vs to whome the first of our selves doth of right appertaine even to the Lord to whome a beast must be givē ceremonially in stead of a man morally And this being one morall and meaning of this ceremonie it most needes be our duty thus to doe Even this shaddow shewe's vs that as a substance and a shaddow doe from the first instant goe together inseparably and for ever soe should we ha ve beene to our God ever from our beginning to have followed him wheresoever he had gone before vs and to have cleaved continually to him in the obedience we owe him all the dayes of our life both first and last And this truth of God of the early offering of our selves vnto the Lord is not only typed out and signified here by these first beastes and fruits that must be sacrificed but it is substantially confirmed in other scriptures wherein the Lord doth more expresly manifest his minde in this matter I will not for I neede not heape vp many evidences let vs consider only to what end it may be if this be not Gods truth that the Lord doth soe often call vpon parents touching their duty to their children on this behalfe to nurture to tutor instruct them in all holy informations even in their childe-hood nonage and minerity so soone as they can be discerned to be capable and vnderstanding in any thing Teach a childe saith Salom on Fathers bring vp your children in the feare and information of the Lord saith Paul with moe that might be added In any of which dare any man jmagine that the Lord calls for any thing more then his due and if he doe not then doth the duty of our first dayes belong to the Lord our first powers abilities are his in all right and he must have our service soe soone as we can doe any Againe why are many commended in scripture for being carefull herin and their examples recorded for our jmitation is it not because we should trace them in this truth which some of them have learned more then we with much lesse teaching then we have For instance Josh 24.2.13 Gen. 18. Abraham who in his owne first times was trayned vp in jdolatry with Terah his father and soe he gave not the first fruits of his owne life yet for his posterity God prefumeth on his fidelity this way and saith he knew his minde soe well for this matter that he was fure he would teach his children and command them in the things of God and therevpon acquaints him with his secret purpose concerning Sodome We see Abraham did know this our doctrine to be his duty yet he had neither his fathers example nor his owne practise in his first yeares nor Salomon nor Paul to call vpon him but the Lord himself taught him this truth him a hart to doe it And have you not also read what is recorded of Hannah ◠Sam. 1. the happy mother of Samuell and what her resolution was when she went to pray for a childe before she had ever a one namely this to give him to God and that soe as the Lord might have the first fruits of him even from the day of his birth to the day of his death and when the Lord saw her soe well resolved he quickly graunted what she desired It were as easy to instance many moe as these two who have hearkened to God herin honoured him with the first of these fruits of their body which he had given them as of olde these did with the fruits of their beasts But we will cease examples and vrge the reasons of the point which are these that follow Reason 1 First God is the best master we can serve and therefore we have reason to goe about his service the first thing we doe when once we can doe any thing at all That he is our best master appeareth not only in his nature he being every way infinitely good but also in his infinite favour which sheweth it self both in that he gives vs the best worke and the best wages in the world Our worke is to worship and obey him and to doe only those things which are best for our selves whereby we may be most happy in our soules and bodyes both being at peace with him and enjoying all things in a sanctified and sweete estate Our wages besides his manifolde mercyes here is all inconceivable blessednes that heaven can afford vs the glory of that kingdome wherein we shal be glorious kings with himself for ever and ever Now what would any man doe first that were guided but by naturall reason even that which he might benefit most by Beholde then here is the best master that can be desired the best service that can be performed the best wages that can be
him in this his service and duty Did he not most graciously regard him and his offering hath he not put it here into his owne booke to his perpetuall prayse Heb. 11.4 1. Joh. 3. and not only here but else-where in the new testament once and againe that from the beginning to the end of the world he might be famous wheresoever either this text or those should be preached that which he hath done should not be forgotten Did he not most deeply avenge his innocent blood vpon his jmpious brother and made him the first and most fearfull spectacle of his justice and malediction to the terror of all succeding generations And which is more then all this hath not the Lord crowned him with glory and immortality in the heavens with himself as well as renouned him for holynes and piety here on earth He is the first whose soule every saw the face of God noe man ever went from earth to heaven before him among the innumerable spirits of just and perfect men who now and for ever live there with the Lord in glory He was the first martyr had the first crowne none every dyed for the Lord before him none could liue with the Lord before him he was the Lords first witnes among all the Lords worthyes this righteous Abel as Christ call's him stood in the fore-frunt of the battell shed the first blood for the faith testimony of Iesus before there was any to back or abett him And as the Lord tooke great notice of this first soe also hath he done in like manner of the rest who have began betime to be acquainted with him in his service How came Samuell to be soe rare a man and to be numbred among the most speciall favourites of God Moses Iob Daniell Noah c Why doe you not remember what we have sayd of his mother how she gave him to God in resolution before she had him and was as good as her word assoone as he was weaned doe you not remember what is sayd of himself the childe Samuell ministred before the Lord the childe Samuell this was worthy to be acounted wonderfull that a childe should minister before the Lord especially being so yong that as yet he knew not the voyce or call of God from Elyes but ranne to Ely once and againe when the Lord called vpon him about the first busines he had to doe for him What may be the cause that Iosiah is soe mightily cōmended that as if he were matchlesse it is sayd of him that there was none like before him nor any to succeede that should be such a one as this peerelesse prince was true it is that never any king either of Jsraell or Iudah no not among the good kings before or after him went soe farre in the worke of Godfor the purgatiō purifying of his worship as he did this king did surmount them all but how is it that he came to doe what none had done more then they all why he begun to worke the worke of God betime that may be a mayne reason why he did so much at eight yeare olde saith the scripture he sought the Lorde 2. King 23.1 and that is but in childe-hood all men know What should I tell you of Solomon of Timothie and such others as I might mention to this purpose nothing is more sure then this that they have beene the rarest and most excellent men in piety and religion and the most able instruments of Gods honour who in the beginning of their dayes have begun to doe good they must needes be neerest heaven who set out on their way soonest continue going on thither-warde Only it is seldome that we see any enter vpon religion soe early now a dayes they are very few that begin to be soe soone faith full Note The more are they to be admired of godly men and the more to be comforted of God who are founde sucklings in grace assoone as they are weanelings in nature and hang vpon Gods breasts when they have given over they mothers So that by all that hath beene sayd it appeareth to be a happy thing and they to be most happy men who have learned this lesson of the Lord and walked according to the light therof which leade's on directly in the way of life wherin howsoever a man may possibly meete with some molestation and misery yet the end of it will vndoubtedly be endles infinite glory with him who wil make those most glorious beyond all time who betooke themselves to glorify him betime Much might be spoken to enlarge their consolation who have harts to doe according to this instruction But of this more hereafter we now passe to our 2. Vse Vse 2 And that concerneth all vngodly persons who howsoever they will because they must and cannot for starke shame say otherwise after a sort acknowledg this our doctrine to be true yet walke most wickedly in a course farre wyde of it nay cleane contrary to it their mouthes cannot be soe monstruously finfull but they must confesse it to be a truth howbeit their hellish harts and lives doe deny it in their most jmpious practise all the dayes of their life yea they have taught their tongues to lye herin notoriously and that not to men alone but to the Lord of whome and of whose service they vse to say it is not yet time it may be time enough heareafter O yee impious children of the father of lyes can you say it is true that every one shoulde begin betime and it were not amisse if it were soe and yet tell God and men to their faces that any time is time enought hereby you shew your selves to be the very jmps of the devill who hath taught you such a language as one part of your speech confutes nay confound's another and such a practise as overturnes Gods truth which you dare not deny and confirmes that falshood which none ought to affirme Miserable soules how are yee given over of God into the hands nay into the bands of Satan who if you speake or breath out but one true word can make your life both to bely and abolish that and to ratify every jot and tittle of those infernall falshoodes that he suggests into your soules Doe yee not sin presumptuously and against the light of your owne knowledg and conscience that can thus speake and dare thus doe and is such a sin a light matter or easy to answer to the judge of the whole worlde know you will not finde it soe in the day of the great and vniversall assize when all flesh shall at once stand before him to give account and receive recompence according to what they have done Notwithstanding the world hath beene ever full hell wil be one day full of soe many of them as repent not of such as either turne God out of all time or bring him in the tayle of all the time they live
really pernicious damnable Evill 1 1. It doth directly contradict the Lord in that which he saith for he will have the first of our dayes as we have heard these say noe it is not fit for young heads to intermeddle Is not this to give God the lye yea to make him a lyar who will therefore have the first because they are fittest for him is not this to charge folly vpon him that is only wise as if he had not wisdome enough to chuse that part of our dayes for his duty wherin we are most meete to doe it but we will take it vpon vs to be wiser then he and assigne him a season better suiting this busines He saith he will have our first we will give the last time to him doth not this inferre that he is farre wyde of the marke and wonderfully over-seene and that we only are in the right So then these two to make the most true and wise God I tremble to vtter it a foole and a lyar these two I say doe make vp the first jmpiety of this second plea the vengeance justice due to either of which much more to both is beyond myne or any creatures ability to expresse Evill 2 2. This presumeth vpon olde age and make's no question to live to see those dayes and yeares wherin men are soe accounted And this thwarteth all Gods truth touching the vnceartaniety and shortnes of mans life soe often taught vs every where noe the lives of these men must be no vanityes dreames or vapours nor compared to windes to smoake to nothings they are during and permanent for 60.70 or more yeares Howbeit how many have not lived so many houres as they dreamed yeares nor soe many dayes as they accounted scores the sun hath shyned clearely vpon some in the morning who were become carcases er'e the evening and others have seene it set in the evening whose eyes were sunke er'e morning and yet they thought themselves as likely to live as long lyved as any that thus speake Even moments have swept away millions of other men yet these must live many yeares at least to be olde how or when should God have them els and as if God himselfe were bounde and had bounde all his creatures to their good behaviour that they must be saved harmelesse from any meanes of short life or suddaine death either they must be aged or God must not have them and sure I am perswaded he is most willing to lose them But of this presumption we sayd something before therefore the lesse shall serve here Evill 3 3. Admit you might live to age and were sure not to dye till you were very olde are you sure either to have a hart to giue your self to God then or that God hath a hart to take you then Assuredly if it be well look't into there is no reason for either but very much against both for why consider first for our owne harts what aptnes what ability nay what possibility will or can there be in vs vnto good who have beene soak't and steep't many yeares In all sin and jmpiety what holynes what purity in those parts of our bodyes and powers of our soules which hell hath poysoned and envenomed all our dayes are now full of deadly poyson the hart hardened the conscience vnconvinced the judgment blinded the affections earthly the will rebellious all benummed and vtterly voyd of any sparke of that quickening spirit which must turne a man to God wherwith will ye come to the Lord if you pray it must be with a mouth furr'd with blasphemy with a minde fraught with all other jmpiety whereto you have beene affected what will yee giue him but a soule and a body that have both combyned to be rebells your whole life against him and is there any power in these to be given to the Lord who have solde themselves like Ahab to sin and whome the Divell the true owner now will come clayme as his owne long since due vnto him therefore will not ēdure they should be givē to any other from him It is against all humane reason and common sence that a man soe jnvred to sin soe accustomed and habituated to corruption who hath consumed his dayes in nothing but in dishonouring disobeying the Lord and never knew what belonged to the savour of saving grace or to the beginning of any god worke should now be able to begin and finish that great worke of giving himself vp to God and that at and in his owne set time Noe there goe's more to it then soe it is no such short worke no mā can be soe quick at it especially those that have beene so slow all their dayes before it will aske longer time and more a doe before it be wel begun then these sotts doe conceit doth belong to the middle and both ends of it God sayth that no man can come to him except he he be drawne these men it seemes will come to God whether he will or noe as if it were in their power to draw God to themselves but as he will not have his goodnes and power soe much abused as to be drawne to them soe neither wil he endure to have their rebellious and debauched life so much honoured as now at last cast to draw them to him but even let him alone with them who hath had their childehood and youth to take their age too and soe to have all to himself Customary sin is not soe lightly cast off it is bred in the bone it will not be easy to get it out of the flesh and that soe as Gods spirit may instantly enter as these doe most idlely apprehend Againe consider the second what hart can God have to accept of the divells reversion or the leavings of our lives the doteage the dog-dayes as it were of all the time we live Let olde age be well considered and the state therof pondered in our selves and all other creatures that serve vs is it not the only time wherin we cast off our servants or cattell to baser vses as being vnfit for ours An olde servingman now overworne and decrepite and not fitt to attend his Lord any longer ha's a license to keepe an ale-house or become's some tapster and soe is made servile to every base pot-companion An olde horse of good pace of great price before for the saddle the coach now to the myll to the harrow to any meane drudgery and at last to the dogs And can this age wherin one man is not fit for anothers service nor any beast for mans vse be the meetest time for the most high to be served in of vs what shall we then thinke to become his when we are a burden to the world 2. Sam. 19 35. and to our selves and both weary of one another as Barzillai spake to David of himself What man would be soe vsed by his beast as these men more vnreasonable then beasts herin
attention to open in particuler the heavy and hydeous evills that are committed when this instance of Gods grace is soe aledged Evill 1 1. This is to make that common and ordinary which God hath made peculiar and extraordinary Is it not thus observe and you shall see what the Lord did at one time only and never before nor since that we read off to one man only not to any other but he for a second example of such favour is not to be found in all the revealed will of God and vpon a cause and consideration which shall never be seene againe Christ being but once offred for vs. This doth every man vrge as his owne at all times and in all cases without all consideration of these perticulers before mentioned Is not this to eclipse nay to cancell the glory of the living God and to cast this most precious pearle before all swyne and trample this most holy thing vnder the feete of every prophane person that the greatest riches of his grace should be reached out to the veryest wretches in the world who build nothing but contempt vpon this loving kindnes of the Lord If it be such a wofull thing to darken the counsell of God by words without knowledge as it is sayd in Iob must it not needes be a thing more damnable to darken the kindnes of God with words against knowledge as these cannot but be to every one of those that thus abuse them Note Againe what an absurd senselesse sinfull collection were this or the like Once Balaams asse did speake therefore every asse should expect to doe the same Once the sea went back and the water stood vpright as a wall on either hand to Israell therefore every man might looke for the like passage I thinke they that presumed vpon it and followed after them found it not soe Once God sent manna and Quayles from heaven and water out of a rock why should any man care to get meate or drinke he may hope to have the same meanes to feede him Once Naaman washed in Iorden and was cleane Once men were throwne into a fiery oven and not burnt Once a bush did burne and not consume Once Christ smote all his enemyes downe with a word or two Why doe's not all the world depeÌ„d vpon these perticulers and resolve to be releived in the same miseryes by the same meanes It were a thing soone done to deliver a multitude more of the like instances wherin and from every of which we might argue as warrantably as from this of the theife But the world is wise enough not to be soe befooled in these things that belong to the body they can see and say these were all extraordinary miraculous not to be looked for againe And are ye not blinded by the prince of darknes yee sinfull soules that yee should not more clearely see the same in this that concern's soule and body too and the eternall state of both Is there absurdity in those sence in this doe those instances seeme extraordinary and may this seeme soe common cannot you hope to have the benefit of those being miraculous and must this be for all men which is matchlesse Vndoubtedly either you must looke on them all alike with a single eye and discerne them to be equally impossible or acknowledge that eye to be sinfull which can see odd's in things of the same kinde and nature especially such odd's as shall give God the honour of his favour and power in the one and rob him of both in the other But the spectacles wherwith they thus see are Satans he make's them and putts them on and teache's them to looke thus asquint on the things of God If for foode for physike for passage over sea for victory over enemyes or any such things we should thus reason the world would â—â—sse at vs as most witles fooles nay our owne bellyes our bodyes our dangers would teach vs to doe better he must famish that gapes for quailes out of the cloudes and he must perish that looke's for Naamans cure he have his throat cut that waites to have all his enemyes layd flat with a word men will say there is no proportioÌ„ of reason in these things the same doth the Lord and the truth of his religion say in this instance if thou hadst an eare opened a minde sanctifyed to heare and see it as litle reason would appeare in this one as in all the other thou wouldst as plainely see the jnevitable perdition of thy self in soule and body here as in any of those things named there Doe but consider well whither this doe not spoyle vtterly make voyd the verry marrow and pith the sap and juyce of Gods sacred word I meane the true application of the same wherin consisteth the life and vertue of all that God reveale's and he that shall dare either to abridge or to enlarge this that it either fall short of Gods boundes or doe exceede them shall finde heavy yet just measure at Gods hands The everlasting rule Act. 10.15 and expresse canon of the scripture is this That which God hath sanctifyed doe not then make common this is Gods mynde that things be not made otherwise then he meant them that every thing be let alone as he left it and not once meddled withall to any other ende Who is he that shall now against the clearest light of knowledg and conscience violate this absolute law of the eternall God But doth not every soule doe soe that vrge's this word of God and suffers Satan to be his interpreter vpon it receiving his glosse and embracing the divells commentary vpon Gods text He it is that make's this pearle even this peerelesse and pricelesse pearle as ordinary as any pibble stone that lyes in the high way I call it a pearle and I acount it no lesse then peerelesse because it cannot be paraleled in any place but was a president of wonderfull peculiarity in all respects as namely to the party by whome to the partys before whome to the party to whome it was done For the first to wit the party by whome it was peculiar to Iesus Christ who was God so could give grace and forgive sin and convert a man in one moment fully and extraordinarily I thinke it would trouble the whole world to finde an jufallible instance that ever ordinary minister or any meere man hath done as much For the second it was peculiar to the partyes before whome that the adversaryes and excecutioners of the Lord Iesus might see the power of his diety shyning at this time through all the reproach and misery of his humanity and soe be convinced as some of them were that he was the true messiah and son of God able to goe himself at that time to heaven and carry aneiher with him by the vertue that was in him For the third it was peculiar to the party to whome it was done
one peice of scripture by another to overthrow Gods worde by Gods worke and soe to divide God against God as Satan against Satan to make the Lord say a thing in one place and in another to vnsay it and finally to draw from the Lord himself a dispensation and liberty of sining that soe what he requires in soe many places of his law he shoule release and cancell in one part of his Gospell Let any man whome God hath endued with any measure of sound vnderstanding judge whether this be not to make a rent in the Lords revealed wil and if soe it be it is time for vs to judg our selues for soe doing for before the Lord will endure this the soule that doth it shal be rent from him throwne among reprobates the judgment and damnation of these disgracers of God and depravers of his holy word sleepeth not and there is noe way to shun or escape it but by a through judging of your selves in respect of this impiety which if they doe not whose mouthes have spoken it and whose myndes have thought it vengeance shall surely overtake them even that vengeance which is due to such as doe this insufferable indignity to God and his word This is the 2. step they tread who follow this way we see it sink's deeper then the former toward that dreadfull confusion which cannot be avoyed if this fearfull evill be not abandoned Let vs yet see further to the third 3. the producing and aleadging of this president of the theife thus that we may play the theiues with God and rob him of his first fruits doth breede and ingender many foule falshoods and vile blasphemyes in our harts He that proposeth this president for his apologie against the manifest light of truth we have proved maketh this scripture the patrone of such atheisticall principles as are to be abhorred in the thought of every man and not to be once vttered of any Let vs see some few of those many monstrous vntruths which we might mention Evill 3 1. it doth posesse vs with a perswasion that by authority of scripture we may rejourne the obedience that long since we owed vnto the Lord. Wheras the holy ghost is clearely opposite herevnto God calleth for nothing more as we have heard then the first and condemneth nothing more then putting off what he command's His servants such as he hath effectually called have made all the haste and expedition that was possible So saith David I will run the way of thy commandements and againe I made haste and delayed not to keepe thy righteous judgments So saith Cornelius to Peter Then I sent for thee jmmediately and Paul saith the same of himself jmmediately I consulted not with flesh and blood c. The evidence of God Psal 119.32.60 Act. 10.33 Gal. 1.16 to hasten our duty is vndeniable the sin of not doing soe is in excusable yet by these mens argumēts the same God that is soe eager for expedition doth warrāt our delay And can any thing be more false thē that God should abet these two contraries Evill 4 2. it doth patronage not only delay but presumptuous delay such as men are guilty of by presuming against all good ground they shall finde the same measure of mercy that this theife did Now to presume of pardon for a sin of presumption is to presume of more favour then the theife found for for ought we know his sin was not of presumption but either of meere ignorance if he were a Romane as some suppose him his fellow to bee or of grosse ignorance if he were a Iew. Sure it is he knew not Christ for he reviled him at the first as well as the other And must you by his example presume of delay in Gods dutyes which he never meant and of mercy for presumptuous delay which this theife never found shall God become the prop of our presumtion when it is a sin that his soule hate's and he is soe farre from having any mercy in store for it that he hath not greater store of justice heaped vp scarce against any vngodlynes they that befaulty are sayd to store or treasure vp wrath against the day of wrath that is Ro. 2.5 every day to augment enlarge and adde vnto their owne damnation This jmpiety is next neighbour to that which is vnpardonable if once a man be soe jmpudent that he dares offend presumptuously he had neede bethinke himself where he is and what he doe's the next leape may be into the bottomlesse pit especially if he shall adde this vnto all that he will father such offences vpon the Lords allowance soe turne his extraordinary mercy into extraordinary jmpiety Note David had another spirit when he prayed against presumptuous sin that he might be free from the great transgression did not the spirit of the divell posesse these wofull men Psa 19.13 they would surely doe the same But Satan ha's enough even all that he would have to make them build their presumption vpon God because he knowe's that by soe doing he shall provoke God against them to abhorre them for ever But let vs looke yet a litle further Evill 5 3. The vrging of this example thus doth loose vs bynde God we are enlarged for all our life till the last his hands are tyed that with double bands Is not this vndeniably true and a cleare consequent of this allegation doe we not presse it to put off that wherevnto we are bound not to give the Lord first of our lives but to be free to come when we will though at the last day or houre or instant doe we not take it for graunted that till we doe come we must have health peace foode and all other favours from God and that we must be accepted also So we are free God is bound we are free from duty during our pleasure and a great deale of kindnes we must have for many yeares and doe him no service but he is bound to mayntaine vs till we come and entertayne vs when we come And is it not fearfull and hydeous jmpiety for vs to seeke to enslave the Lord to our sinfull lives and to set our selves at liberty in them against him But perhaps you will say God hath bound himself saying At what time soever a sinner shall repent him and that Christ hath done the same saying he that commeth to me I cast not away Well if touching the former we graunt the truth of those words though they are not litterally expressed in any text that the Lord will refuse none but is tyed to take them when they come yet I hope it is with condition of their comming as they ought to come that is with warrant from him at his call with abilitye of grace from him to repent without both these it is an jmpossibility to come and if we come not thus as we are bounde to doe God is free to refuse vs. Note