Commandement then that which was written in tables of stone For that exacted an impossibility Rom. 8. 3. by reason of the weaknesse and corruption of our flesh But the New Commandement is written in the fleshly tables of our heart whereby ability is given unto us cherefully and acceptably to performe the same 5. A new way This is also called a living way which Christ by his flesh hath consecrated for us For Christ himselfe having with his own bloud entred into the most holy place hath thereby made full satisfaction for all our sins which causes the way to Heaven to be impassible and made the way easy for us to walke in Thus is he the way the truth and the life the only true way that leadeth us unto life 6. A new heart This is opposed to a mans naturall heart which is stiled an heart of stone in that it is so obdurate that it will sooner like a stone be broken all to pieces and utterly confounded with Gods judgements then yield to him and his word This new heart is not only freed from that obstinacy but also made flexible and pliable to the Word of God and worke of his spirit and thereupon called an heart of flesh 7. A new spirit This also is opposed to a mans naturall spirit which in all things resisteth the good Spirit of God Such a spirit the Jewes of old had of whom Stephen the first Martyr for Christ thus speaketh Ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost as your fathers did so do ye But this new spirit readily and willingly yeeldeth to every good motion of the Spirit of God 8. A new song A song which shall sound forth as the Prophet expounds himselfe Gods praises from the end of the earth by reason of the Gospel whose sound as the sound of the heavens hath gone forth thorow all the earth The sum and substance of this new song was sung out by an heavenly quire at the birth of Christ It was this Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men Finally to insist on no more particulars there is a promise made of making all things new If any shall thinke that this is meant of the world to come let him consider how expressely the Apostle applyes it to the time of the Gospell saying of that time Behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. Thus we see how this promise of Gods doing better for his Church in the later times is evidenced by sundry particulars of better and new things Yet further as if ordinary words and usuall comparisons were not sufficient to set forth the great increase of Gods providence the Prophets use very transcendent and hyperbolicall expressions to set it out the more to the life and that according to our capacity To which purpose this increase of Gods Providence is thus expressed For brasse I will bring gold and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones iron Hereby he sheweth that as wood is better then common stones and iron better then wood and brasse better then iron and silver better then brasse and gold better then silver so much better yea infinitely more are the good things of these later times better then the good things of former times Yet further is this increase thus heightened Isa. 30. 26. The light of the Moone shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes Who knowes not how great a difference there is between the two lights of the Moone and the Sun to make the light of the Moone as great as of the Sun must needs be a wonderfull great increase And because there can be no greater light then the light of the Sun he multiplieth that light to the number of perfection saying The light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes And to shew that no comparisons are sufficient to set out the increase of Gods goodnes to the full it is further said The Sun shall be no more thy light by day neither for brightnes shall the Moone give light unto thee But the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light and thy God thy glory Isa. 60. 19. If we take a view of the increase of Gods good Providence generation after generation even from the beginning of the world to the end thereof it will yet more clearely appeare that as Gods goodnes hath ever increased more and more so the greatest increase thereof hath been in later times and so the better things reserved for us and others who have lived therein For the clearer exemplification hereof we will account the whole continuance of the world together with the world to come as one great week And distinguish the whole course thereof from the creation to the day of judgement into six long dayes the seventh being an eternall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a keeping a Sabbath or rest after the day of judgement The six forementioned dayes may thus be distinguished The first from Adam to Noah Wherein besides Gods goodnes in creating the world was manifested that great evidence of mercy in promising a Redeemer to free man from his miserable bondage under Satan whereinto he had implunged himself the words of the promise are these It shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heele By this relative particle It the seed of the woman the Lord Jesus Christ is meant The words being spoken to Satan under the serpent by thy head is meant Satan and all his power by bruising an utter subduing of the same The next words Thou shalt bruise his heele set forth Satans attempts against the mysticall body of Christ and his annoying of the same in many respects But so as the heele only the externall condition of the foresaid body not the head the soule of it can be crushed This was a very gracious promise and a great good The second day lasted from Noah to Abraham wherein the Church had that memorable type of Gods preserving it out of that common deluge which destroyed the whole world besides This type was the Arke This the Apostle calls in relation to Baptisme a like figure For it did lively set forth to the Church such a preservation and deliverance from sinne and destruction as Baptisme doth In this respect a more expresse evidence of Gods goodnes was given in this day then in the former The third day was from Abraham to David wherein that precious and expresse promise of blessing all Nations in Abrahams seed was made wherein also Israel was brought out of the Egyptian bondage a type of the redemption of the Church from her spiritual bondage under sinne and Satan In this day the Tabernacle with the many other types of Christ his offices and benefits to his Church were first ordained and Israel
remnant of Judah which was left in Judaea They both prophesied the same things for substance though they were far distant in place and so ratified each others prophecies As other Prophets so this our Prophet had to doe with two sorts of people impious and pious The impious were openly prophane and impenitently obstinate or covertly hypocriticall and deceitfull The pious were righteous upright and humble In which respect his prophecies were of a mixed kinde In regard of the former sort he had such a spirit as was given to Boanerges sonnes of thunder to denounce Gods terrible judgements against them in regard of the later he had such a spirit as was given to Barnabas a sonne of consolation to pronounce sweet promises Hereby the obstinate were the more terrified and kept down the humble and penitent were supported The spirit of consolation did sweetly breathe forth in this Chapter out of which I have taken my text It is full of very comfortable promises In the beginning of it he pointeth at the insultations of enemies against the Church of God in their troubles with which weak spirits use much to be perplexed The Lord therefore to keep their spirits from fainting by this his Prophet maketh known before hand the good which he intended unto them Many particular promises are set down both before and after my text but the summe of them all is couched in these words I will doe better unto you then at your beginnings The Hebrew is so excellent in compounding words as it compriseth the ten words of my text in two which are these {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} word for word I will doe good above your beginnings The first word compriseth under it all the blessings which God intended for his Church not of Jews only but of Gentiles also and that from time to time even from their return out of captivity till the comming of Christ not in the flesh only but in glory also The later word noting out a comparison between times and times hath relation to all the former ages of the Church even unto those very times of their great troubles The main scope of all is to set out The Progresse of Divine Providence This is done by five particulars 1. The Authour or fountain He is not expressed in the text but clearly intimated for the verb is of the first person besides the copulative particle and doth intend the same person that is mentioned before thus I will multiply I will settle and will doe that is and I will doe In the seventh verse the person intended is plainly expressed to be the Lord God And in the next clause after my text the Lord Jehovah is expressed For where this word LORD is set down in four Capitall letters it sets out Jehovah 2. The Act whereby the foresaid providence is exercised Doe good The word is in the third active conjugation of the Hebrew tongue called Hiphil which signifieth an efficiency 3. The encrease of that providence in this note of comparison {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} above or more then Our English compriseth the act and the encrease thereof under this word better for better sets out more good or greater good 4. The parties to whom that good is intended Vnto you I must confesse that the parties are not expressed in the Originall but yet implied under this copulative particle And which sheweth that this promise is made to the same parties to whom the former were made and they are thus expressed I will multiply upon you and I will settle you so here I will doe better unto you Besides the affix after the later word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} your sheweth what parties are here intended They are in one word stiled Israel under which is comprised the Church of God 5. The times which are the later times for this promise is made in opposition to former times expressed under this word beginnings These five points afford five usefull instructions 1. The Lord is the fountain of all good I may well say all for the indefinite particle good intendeth as much Besides all the particular good things promised before and after my text are applied to this Authour the LORD So other good things also in other places Pertinently to this purpose saith an Apostle Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth down from the Father of lights 2. God causeth his goodnesse to flow forth He is not only a full fountain but an open and over-flowing fountain David speaking to the Lord of his goodnesse thus saith Thou art good and doest good 3. Gods goodnesse ever increaseth It 's like the waters that came down from the Lords Sanctuary and increased from ankle-deep to knee deep from knee-deep to middle-deep from middle-deep to an impassible river In this respect this word of comparison better useth to be added to the good things which God provideth in later ages I intend to exemplifie this in sundry particulars hereafter 4. The Church is the proper object of Gods goodnesse Israel to whom this promise was made is put for the Church of God This is further evidenced by that great difference which is made between Jacob and Esau thus expressed I loved Jacob and I hated Esau This the Apostle applieth to Gods chosen children on the one side and all the other on the otherside Thus there is an especially put upon Gods mercy in relation to the members of the Church for he is said to be the Saviour of all men especially of those that believe 5. The best things are reserved for the last times The beginnings here mentioned comprising all former ages and times the great encrease of goodnesse here intended must needs be referred to the later times This a Prophet thus expresseth It shall come to passe in the last daies that the mountain of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hils c. Time will not suffer me distinctly and fully to handle all these points neither indeed is it needfull for the last compriseth all the other under it which will the better appear if we do somewhat more largely expresse it thus The Lord hath provided his better things for the later times of his Church Here have we 1. The Person that is the fountain of goodnes expressed the Lord 2. The Act of goodnes flowing from him in this word provided 3. This comparison better things declareth the Increase of his goodnesse 4. The mention of his Church sheweth the proper Object or parties to whom his goodnes is extended 5. The times are here expresly set down in these words later times Thus in handling this Doctrine God hath provided his better things for the later times of his Church all the former will be handled and the proofs alleadged for this will prove all
be accounted a good beginning wherein many rejoyced but no publike reformation was wrought thereupon About an hundred and fifty years after the Lord did better then at that beginning For he stirred up both King and Parliament to goe further in suppressing Popery and advancing the Gospel Witnesse that Act of Parliament in Henry the eight his dayes whereby the Popes usurped authority in England was taken away and liberty given to the King to reform abuses crept into the Church The King by vertue thereof sent out injunctions for removing images reading the holy Scriptures and performing all divine Service in English preaching Gods Word Catechising children and observing other duties of piety so as the Gospel began to shine forth somewhat brightly in England Only it was much obscured by an other Act of Parliament even in that Kings time which established Transubstantiation communion in one kinde private Masses Auricular confession Vowes of chastity and prohibiting Priests marriages 3. About seven yeares after that King being dead and his Sonne King Edward the sixth a childe of nine yeares old yet another Iosiah set on the throne God did better for England then before For the foresaid Act commonly called the scourge with six strings was repealed and a more thorow reformation established But even then many of the peoples hearts so lingred after Romish superstition as the Israelites did after the high places in the raigne of Asa Iehoshaphat and other good Kings so as this goodly reformation continued but six yeares For God tooke away that good young King After whose death a popish bloody Queen utterly defaced the foresaid Reformation and brought in that darke cloud of Popery which overshadowed this whole Land 4. God being mindefull of his goodnes to his Church within five yeares after raised up blessed Queen Elizabeth in whose raigne that darke cloud of Popery was more thorowly dispelled then ever before and Religion in regard of the truth and soundnesse of doctrine was restored to as full an integrity as ever it was in the Christian Church since the Apostles time A grave learned and judicious out-landish Divine giveth this testimony of Queen Elizabeth that under her that was granted to her Kingdome which he knew not whether it were given to any other Kingdome or no namely an intire profession of the pure and sincere doctrine of the Gospel More learned and stout Champions were in her raigne raised up to maintaine the same faith then ever before in this Kingdome 5. There is yet another reformation now begun in this Land which being added to the former evidently demonstrates that God doth intend better things then at our beginnings This is the Reformation of the Discipline and Government of the Church concerning which the foresaid judicious Divine thus saith If to the profession of true Doctrine a full reformation of Ecclesiasticall Discipline be also added surely I see not what England can more desire If any shall object that in many respects the state of our Church hath growne worse and worse I answer that by reason of our sluggishnesse want of zeal and unworthy walking of that light which God graciously afforded clouds of errour and superstition gathered together as by the negligence and wickednesse of the Israelites the Canaanites were not utterly destroyed but proved to be snares and traps unto them and scourges in their sides and thornes in their eyes Yet God did time after time remove those impediments and cause the light of his Gospel more and more brightly to shine forth Why then may not we yet looke for better things then at the beginning of our Reformation and hope that as then the Doctrine of the Gospel was restored to the purity of it so the Government also of the Church be restored to its purity Comfort your selves in these sad times with this hope 6. Gods reserving his better things to the later times ministreth unto us who have been reserved unto these later times much matter of gratulation The least of us which live in this Kingdome of God stiled for the celestiall excellency thereof the Kingdome of Heaven The least of us I say is greater then he of whom it is said Among them that are borne of women there hath not risen a greater Had we lived in the ancient former times and believed the promises of things exhibited in these times how should we have enquired and searched after them The Prophets so did How should we have desired to see them Many Prophets and Kings so did How should we have rejoyced to see this day Abraham so did Now that we are reserved to live in this time to hear see and enjoy these better things should not our hearts be filled with praises and our mouths opened to utter the same God hath made an abundant recompence unto us who live in these later dayes for putting off our time of living in this world so long It is to our unspeakable advantage and benefit and shall not God have the praise thereof True believers now have greater cause then old Zachary had to sing and say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people Yea then old Simeon had to say Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation These old men saw but the Sunne-rising of the Gospel We see it shining forth in the full brightnesse thereof Should not we then be thankfull even for the times wherein we live Well may I from the fore-mentioned Doctrine raise an Exhortation of worthy walking that is of carrying our selves answerably to this good Providence of God in reserving us to the enjoying of better things This worthy walking in generall is much pressed in Scripture We charge you that you would walke worthy of God who hath called you to his Kingdome and Glory We cease not to desire that you might walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing I beseech ye that ye walke worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called This word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} worthy doth not intend any merit but a meer meetnesse no condignity but a congruity and correspondency to that whereunto it is referred This is evident by that phrase which the Baptist useth where he exhorteth to bring forth fruits worthy repentance which our last and best Translators thus turne Fruits meet for repentance And in the margin thus Fruits answerable to amendment of life If in that place {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} worthy should be taken for any matter of desert it might be thus translated Fruits which deserve repentance that is such as are to be repented of And what are those fruits thinke ye surely evil such as those whereof the Apostle thus saith What fruit had you then of those things whereof you are now ashamed For the end of those things is death A catalogue of
THE PROGRESSE OF Divine Providence SET OVT IN A SERMON PREACHED In the Abbey Church of Westminster before the house of PEERS on the 24th of September 1645. being the day of their Monethly FAST By William Gouge one of the MEMBERS of the ASSEMBLY ECCLES. 7. 8. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Inest omni utenti ratione naturaliter appetere potiora Bem de diligendo Deo LONDON Printed by G. M. for Ioshua Kirton next Goldsmiths-hall in Foster-lane MDCXLV Die Veneris 26. Sept. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament assembled That M. Doctour Gouge who preached on Wednesday last before the Lords of Parliament in the Abbey Church Westminster it being the day of the publike Fast is hereby thanked for his great pains he took in his said Sermon and desired to print and publish the same which is to be done only by authority under his hand Iohn Brown Cleric Parliamentorum I Appoint Joshua Kirton to print my Sermon and none else William Gouge TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE House of PEERS Assembled in PARLIAMENT RIGHT HONOURABLE AS in sundry other ages and places so in this age and place wherein we now live hath my Text been verified and that within the compasse of these last five years in every of which God hath done better unto us then at our beginnings and we have great and just cause to hope that he will yet continue to doe better and better It was an especial evidence of Gods good providence that the great Counsel of England was called at that time that it was called The State of Church and Common-wealth was so farre out of order and the disorder in both so backed as without a Parliament it would not it could not in mans apprehensions have been redressed The Reformation that was then intended by that Parliament being by some envious eyes espied a dissolution thereof was procured But that and other former dissolutions of Parliaments necessity forcing another Parliament soon after to be called occasioned an Act to prevent inconveniencies which may happen by the untimely Adjourning Proroguing or dissolving of this present Parliament What better thing rebus sic stantibus ut tunc nunc could have happened to this State The good consequencies that have happened thereupon are evident demonstrations of Gods minde still to do better and better for us It would exceed the proportion of a Dedicatory Epistle to reckon up the particular instances of the Divine Providence encreasing time after time for the better unto us and that by vertue of this present Parliament they are so clear and evident as none but such as take notice of nothing can be ignorant of them and none but envious and malignant spirits can conceal or pervert them When might the good Providence of God have been better discerned in protecting the persons upholding the spirits directing the counsels and prospering the endeavours of such as were assembled in a Parliament then in this When might the like Providence of God have been better discerned in stirring up mens mindes encouraging their spirits enabling their bodies and preserving their persons for maintaining a cause then in this cause that is now maintained by the Parliament Of them who with a single eye behold the footsteps of the Lord in the Counsels of our Parliament it may justly be said They have seen thy goings O God the goings of my God my King Have not our Armies had successe beyond expectation even to admiration What a stop hath been set to Superstition How good a progresse hath been made in Reformation And may we not yet hope that God will doe better unto us then at our beginnings Gods promise is the ground of hope and my Text sheweth that God hath promised as much Goe on Right Honourable and put forth your utmost endeavours for bringing on those better things that yet remain Where their is Hope there endeavours use to be most earnest For Hope stirreth up mens spirits to set upon great things Though the full accomplishment of the remaining better things should be reserved to a future age yet it becomes us to be as earnest in prosecuting them according to the ability and opportunity that God doth give us as if we our selves were sure while we live to have the fruition of them Experience sheweth that to be true which of old was said of the provident husbandman that he planteth trees which may be usefull in an other age But I hope that God will let you see and enjoy the fruit of your Counsels and of our desires This shall be the continuall prayer of Your Honours humble Servant and Oratour William Gouge THE PROGRESSE OF GODS Providence EZEK. 36. 11. I will doe better unto you then at your beginnings AMong other evidences of Gods speciall providence and care over his Church this is an especiall one that he ever afforded unto it sufficient means to instruct it in his will and to direct it in the way to happinesse When at the beginning he made man he did not only write his law in his heart but also revealed means of standing in his happy estate or falling from the same Instance the two Sacraments in Paradise the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil When men encreased into a Family God ordained the first-born both to be a Governour and also an Instructour of the Family When the Church multiplied into a Nation God set apart the twelfth part thereof namely one Tribe of twelve to be ordinary Ministers therein These he distinguished into Priests and Levites When that Politie ended be ordained Pastors and Teachers to be ordinary Ministers in his Church to the end of the world Of old in extraordinary times and upon extraordinary occasions God endued men with an extraordinary spirit who were stiled Prophets such an one was Ezekiel to whom I suppose more extrordinary visions and revelations were made known then to any other He was raised up in most corrupt and said times even when God was forced to doe his work his strange work and to bring to passe his act his strange act He prophesied in Babylon whither he was carried captive when the Babylonians first entred into Jerusalem and took away many of the sacred and precious vessels of the Temple together with a great part of the treasures of that house and of the King and Princes and carried them together with Jehoiakim the King and many of the Princes Priests and people into Babylon There he also continued after that the said Babylonians had again entred into the said City broke down the walls thereof burnt the house of God and all the houses in the City and carried away the remainder of the vessels of the said Temple and of the treasures therein together with Zedekiah another King and the remainder of Princes Priests and people About the same time Jeremiah was raised up to bea Prophet among that
setled in the land of Canaan a type of their heavenly rest Thus did this third day farre exceed the former in glory The fourth was from David to the carrying of Israel into captivity Herein a royall government was given to Gods people a type of Christs royall Kingdome Herein most of the extraordinary Prophets speciall types of Christs propheticall office were raised up and most cleare prophecies made of the better things to come in the Christian Church Herein also Solomons Temple was built and sundry new and more glorious types of Christ were made then in the Tabernacle So much therefore as this Temple of Solomon excelled the Tabernacle of Moses and the Cherubins Tables Altars Pillars and all manner of sacred instruments in the Temple surpassed them that were in the Tabernacle so much more did Gods goodnesse in this day exceed the goodnesse of former dayes The fifth day was from Israels going into captivity to Christs ascension into Heaven This day for the greatest part thereof was indeed a dismall day Yet the delivering of Israel out of the Babylonish captivity was a more cleare and full type of our redemption by Christ then any former deliverance whereupon it is said It shall no more be said The Lord liveth that brought the children of Israel up out of the land of Egypt but the Lord liveth that brought up the children of Israel from the lands of the North and from all the land whither he had driven them The re-edifying of the Temple was also a principall type of Christs resurrection and of this Temple it is said The glory of this later house shall be greater then of the former so as these added much to the glory of this day But in that the Lord Christ was in the evening of this day actually exhibited and the things accomplished which were perfigured by the legall types and fore-told by the ancient Prophets the goodnesse of God manifested in this day farre exceeded that which was in former dayes In this respect it is said of John the Baptist who saw and made known that promised Messiah and was the first that directly pointed him out saying Behold the Lambe of God Of him it is said among them that are borne of women there hath not risen a greater This was the surpassing glory of the fifth day The sixth was from Christs ascension into Heaven to his second comming unto judgement This is the day of the cleare and full revelation of all the glorious mysteries that were hidden from the beginning of the world till then This is the day wherein all the forementioned new things and better things were conferred upon the Christian Church In this day as better things shall not be given so better things cannot be expected while the world lasteth This is the day whereof we may say This is the day which the Lord hath made we will rejoyce and be glad in it Thus from this exemplification of the increase of Gods goodnesse in the severall ages of the world we may well inferre that God hath provided better things for the later times Questionlesse God thus ordereth his good providence upon just and weighty reasons and though his counsell be unsearchable and his waies past finding out in regard of the full latitude of them yet hath he left some footsteps wherein and whereby we may observe some grounds of his wise proceedings therein Among others I suppose these may be some 1. That the extent of his goodnesse may be more distinctly considered more clearly discerned and more transcendently admired Gods governing of his Church in the world by his providence is ordered in such a manner as his prudence in creating the world was manifested In that first great work he still put off the better things to the later daies He could if it had pleased him have created all the things that he did create at once Had he at once said Let there be light firmament waters earth all manner of trees and herbs bearing seed Sunne Moon and Stars fowls fishes beasts and man they had instantly been all but voluntarily and purposely he took up six daies in creating them and in each day made severall and distinct creatures but ever the better for the reason before specified This will evidently appear by an induction of particulars which follow in order 1. The light which he created in the first day was indeed a glorious creature But either it was the element of fire for no where else we read of creating fire or else it was some other light which was of use but for three daies for in the fourth day those lights were made which have hitherto continued and shall continue to the worlds end So as either this light was annihilated when those were made or else it was setled in the body of the Sun 2. In the second day the firmament or air was made and called heaven then also were the seas and earth made If we mark the Text we shall finde that the blessing of the second daies work is not expressed till the seas and earth were made Genes 1. 10. These three air water earth are the three elements of which all bodies are compounded These are more excellent then the fore-said light in regard of their continuall use 3. In the third day all the grasse and herb yeelding seed and the tree yeelding fruit after his kinde were made These being vegitable creatures by reason of that life which is in them excelled the former 4. In the fourth day the host of heaven was made This daies work in the glory and immutability of it and in the constant perpetuall motion running most swiftly round about the world every day without wasting or wearinesse excelled all that went before 5. In the fift day all the fowl of heaven and fish in the sea were created These having life and sense in them and voluntarily moving from place to place surpassed the very host of heaven 6. In the sixth day besides other creatures living on the earth Man was made Man in the image of God This was Gods master-piece and reserved unto the last working day By this distinct encrease of Gods goodnesse God comes the more to be admired and his wisdom power and other excellencies the better discerned The like course therefore God took in his providence 2. God provides better things for the later times to make those better things to be the more earnestly desired and longed for before they come and to be the more highly prized and the better esteemed after they are exhibited It is said That many Prophets and righteous men desired to see and hear the things which were seen and heard in Christs daies which were the last daies It is also said that the Prophets searched diligently what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signifie when it testified before hand the sufferings of
they watch for your soules To shew that this kinde of Government doth not intrench upon the authority of the civill Magistrate let the difference betwixt them be well observed and that in these three particulars 1. Civill Magistrates command in their owne name or in the name of a superiour civill Magistrate thus I charge you in the name of the King But Church-Governours in the name of Christ 2. Civill Magistrates require obedience to themselves Church-Governours to Christ 3. Civill Magistrates presse on their subjects their own Lawes as Statutes and Ordinances made by themselves Church-Governours the Ordinances of Christ 4 The progresse of Gods Providence to the better is a great aggravation of the ungracious and ungratefull disposition of many people if not of most whom God hath reserved to these later times God hath graciously done better for them and they deale worse with God Such are 1. They who remaine blinde and ignorant under the cleare light of the Gospel A wonder it is that there should be so little knowledge where there is so plentifull means of knowledge Note an Apostles doom of such If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost whose eyes the God of the world hath blinded 2. They who are unstable and carryed about with every winde of doctrine notwithstanding the evident demonstration of the truth now made known unto us The Apostle resembles them to children whereas for the time we ought to be as grown strong men 3. Such as are ever weak in faith full of doubts and fears Oft doth Christ check his Disciples for this Such come farre short in strength of faith of those who lived before these better times Witnesse that catalogue of believers which the Apostle maketh Heb. 11. 4. Such as take advantage from the abundance of Gods mercy to exceed in sinne In the Apostles time upon this gracious extent of grace to great sinners Where sin abounded grace did much more abound some made this impious and unjust inference let us continue in sinne that grace may abound These make sinne the proper procuring cause of Gods grace which is every way free only God takes occasion from the misery whereinto sin implungeth man to extend mercy unto him and that abundance of sinne may not hinder the current of his grace he causeth it to abound Besides they who inferre the fore-said unjust consequence apply that to sins future which is spoken of sins past and extend that to obstinate and impenitent sinners which is intended to such as groan under the burden of their sins 5. Such as from the comfortable Doctrine of Election to life inferre that they shall assuredly be saved though they live never so lewdly not considering that they who are ordained to the end are ordained to the means that bring to that end 6. Such as from Gods wisdom in bringing good out of evil take occasion to do evil upon this pretence that good may come The Apostle most justly makes this inference upon theirs whose damnation is just implying thereby that damnation is their due and that most justly 7. Such as upon Gods pardoning a sinner whensoever he repents put off their repentance not considering that men have not power to repent when they will so as such may never repent and never be pardoned 8. Such as from that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free imagine that they are freed from all obedience to the morall Law whereas that liberty is only from the rigour of the Law which bindes to a perfect fullfilling thereof in every part point and degree of it and from the curse thereof 9. Such as deny the morality of the Christian Sabbath and profane it with all manner of sports because the ancient day is changed by vertue of Christs resurrection All these and other like them turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse that is into all kinde of licentious living An Apostle gives this verdict of them They were of old ordained to condemnation 10. All that having escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ are again entangled therein and overcome and willfully sinne after they have received the knowledge of the truth In a word all apostates from the true faith deal most ungraciously and ungratefully with God I may well use Moses his exprobration against them Do yee thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise The fore-mentioned Gospel-sins and others like unto them doe much grieve the good Spirit of God and they that commit them go far in treading under foot the Sonne of God and counting the blood of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing By the means of grace they are exalted unto heaven but by their abuse thereof they are brought down unto hell So as the woe denounced against those among whom Christ much conversed may be applied to these The inference which the Apostle maketh upon Gospel-sinners cannot but terrifie such as heed it it is this He that despised Moses Law died without mercy Of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be thought worthy who hath treden under foot the Sonne of God c. But from these Uses of errour and terrour I proceed to Uses of another kinde 5. Much consolation may be gathered by faithfull ones from the continuall encrease of Gods providence in such sad doubtfull dangerous daies as these our daies are For we may with confidence expect better things The daies wherein the Prophet first uttered this prophecy were worse daies then ours are and to comfort the faithfull that then lived and such others as should from age to age live after them he revealed this promise There are more particular promises concerning a future glory of the Christian Church set down by the Prophets in the old Testament and by Christ and his Apostles in the new especially in the book of the Revelation then we have either heard of or seen in our daies to be accomplished The glorious City described Revel. 21. 10 c. is by many judicious Divines taken for a type of a spirituall glorious estate of the Church of Christ under the Gospel yet to come and that before his last comming to judgement I passe by all conceits of our later Chiliasts or Millenaries whom in English we may call Thousandaries who imagine that Christ shall personally come down from heaven in that nature in which after his resurrection he ascended into heaven and raign here a thousand years with his Saints The certainty of this I leave to be proved by them who are the broachers thereof But this is most certain that there are yet better things to come then have been since the first calling of the Gentiles Among other better things to come the recalling of the Jews is most clearly and plentifully fore told
them is reckoned up Gal. 5. 19 20 21. But the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to poise and the Metaphor is taken from things equally poised there being the like weight in each balance they stand even Thus when mans inward disposition and outward conversation is answerable to Gods gracious dispensation it is in Scripture dialect called a worthy walking Hereby therefore it iâ— intended that we who live in these later times and enjoy the better things which God hath provided for his Church should more abound in knowledge be more strengthened in faith be more established in hope be more enlarged in our hearts with a zeal of Gods glory be more conformable in our lives to his holy will be more charitable to such as stand in need be more diligent and faithfull in imploying and improving our talent more patient under crosses more ready and forward to suffer for the name of Christ and to seale up our holy profession even with our blood if we be called thereunto It is not enough for us to be followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises but we must strive to outstrip them As we have more meanes of grace so we must more abound in the measure of all Christian graces The forementioned worthy walking intends thus much But may some say Is this possible Can the best of us now come neere to Abraham other Patriarks and Prophets in knowledge faith parience and other like graces I answer first that indeed some had the Spirit in such an extraordinary manner and measure bestowed on them as they might excell such as live under the Gospel But the comparison is not so much betwixt person and person as betwixt body and body So as the point intended is that Gods people in these times should excell his people in those times Againe though in some particular extraordinary gifts and revelations some of them excelled yet in a full and distinct knowledge of all the mysteries of the Gospel and in other graces we may and ought to excell them If you be perswaded to the foresaid worthy walking I will make bold to set before you a direction whereby you may be much helped thereunto In generall it is this that in every of the foresaid dayes of the great weeke of the world you observe the most eminent persons recorded in the sacred Scripture and the most excellent graces for which they are commended and thereby be stirred up to an holy emulation This that ye may the better doe I will endeavour to set before you as the Apostle doth Heb. 11. some of the prime paterns in every day 1. In the first day note especially Abel Enosh and Enoch Abel so ordered his offering as his person and offering was accepted His faith occasioned it Enosh gathered assemblies together to worship God and frequented the same Enoch in all that he did had his eye on God to approve himself unto God 2. In the second day observe Noah Japhet Shem Melchisedech Noah shined as a bright light in a dark and wicked world Japhet with his brother Shem covered his Fathers infirmity Melchisedech blessed God for Abrams victory and encouraged his souldiers 3. In the third day very many are set before us as the three great Patriarks who all with much patience passed thorow many trials and long lived and died in the faith of those Promises which after their daies were to be accomplished Joseph in an impious and idolatrous Land kept his integrity Caleb was a man of an invincible spirit in Gods cause Joshua also with his houshold would serve the Lord though none else did it How carefull were the Iudges to draw the people from idolatry and to keep them close to God Ruth after she had been instructed in the true Religion went from her own Countrey with a poore Mother in Law to the true Church 4. In the fourth day we have excellent paterns of singular Governours as David Solomon Iehoshaphat Hezekiah Iosiah and others who made it their main end and put forth their utmost power to advance Gods glory settle and restore true Religion and peace and procure good to their people In that day also there were multitudes of faithfull Prophets who held close to Gods Word and would not falsifie it for fear or favour Such were Elijah Elisha Micaiah Isaiah Ieremiah c. 5. In the fifth day there were worthy restorers and reformers of Religion builders up of the house of God and redressers of grievances in State and preservers of Gods people from pernitious plots of Adversaries Such were Zerobabel Iehoshua Ezra Nehemiah Mordecai Esther c. 6. In the beginning of the sixt day there were painfull and faithfull preachers of the Gospel zealous and pious professours of the true faith mercifull and charitable brethren constant and couragious Martyrs These being reserved to the beginning of the last day wherein the better things were exhibited answerably carried themselves and were in many respects better then such as lived before them Should not we then who live in the later part of the last day to which better things are reserved then in the former part endeavour to be better then all the former What a shame is it to us to be so ignorant so superstitious so doubtfull so fearfull so cold and backward to good so impatient so discontent so worldly so wicked as many of us are If the men of Nineveh and Queen of the South shall rise up in judgement against the Jews who lived in Christs time much more shall such as lived either in the beginning of this last day or in other daies before it rise up in judgement against us I will conclude this point and my Sermon too with that inference which an Apostle makes upon a like ground in these words Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us runne with patience the race that is set before us FINIS Psal. 68 24. Cum aliqua spes subest vehementiores vires apparere assolent Aug. de quant animae c. 22. Spes ad majora audenda sese erigit Greg. M in Iob 4 l. 5 c. 29. Gods care in affording instructors to his Church Sundry kindes of instructors 1. God himself Gen. 2. 9. 2. First-born Gen. 4. 7. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 18. 19. 3 Priests and Levites Num. 3. 12. 4. Pastours and Teachers Ephes 4. 11. 5. Extraordinary Prophets When and where Ezekiel prophesied Isa. 28. 23. Jeremias Ezekiel immimente caprivitate vaticinium exercuerunts sed alter eorum in terra Iuda alter in Babylonia Hier Conm in Jer. Prophet â—…1 With what kinde of persons Prophets had to doe Different spirits of Prophets Mark 3. 17. Act. 4. 36. The summe