when he lingered in Sodome least thou be destroyed so say I to thee flie for thy life make all possible speed to come out of thy sins linger not in Sodome nor about the borders of it least thou be consumed with the fire of Gods wrath Consider of the former reasons and let them moue thee hereunto And remember the longer thou delaiest the more matter thou preparest for thy owne sorrow and griefe If the best doth happen that thou hopest for if euer thou doest truly repent which if thou goest on still is much to be feared for the greater sinne the greater sorrow euery sinne will fetch a grone from thy soule and teares from thy eyes if euer God doe giue thee grace to turne vnto him and therefore breake off thy sinnes betimes and heape not vp more matter of griefe to thy own soule let euery one of vs be warned to amend you yong men Eccles 12.1 who are now lustie and strong Remember you your creator now in the dayes of your youth You shall not see my face said Ioseph to his brethren except you bring your younger brother with you how canst thou behold the face of the Lord Iesus if thou dedicatest to the Deuill thy louely younger yeares and giuest him nothing but thy loathed old age How long sayth a Father speaking to all yong men in his owne person shall I say to morrow to morrow why doe I not now Quamdin cras cras quare non modo quare non hac hora finis turpitudiniâ— meae August why doe I not this houre make an end of sinning So why doest thou not now at this very instant cast away thy filthinesse thou knowest not what may happen before to morrow while thou hast time turne Challenge not to thy selfe thirtie or fortie yeares hereafter for thou art not sure of one day or houre As for you that haue neglected your youth and slept that out now awake if euer you will awake Awake for it is high time and as the Israelites gathered twice as much Manna the day before the Sabboth as they did at any other time Exod. 16.22 because on the Sabboth they might gather none So thou that art aged who lookest euery day for thy last Sabboth shouldst redeeme thy time by double diligence that thou hast formerly lost by sloath negligence heare twice as much pray twice as much doe twice as much good as any young man doth It stands thee much vpon for thou hast a great iourney to goe and but a short time allotted In a word to you all Repent and that while it is called to day deferre no longer thou hast deferred too long be now more wise and doe that in time which all the world would doe out of time and cannot All men seeke the Lord at last Esay 55. but wise men seeke him while hee may be found what wretch so prophane that vpon his death-bed doth not make the Lord his refuge Then the eye the hand is lifted vp vnto him then will they call for mercy desire others to pray to God for them But oh that there were such an heart in thee that thou wouldst doe thus now while time is and the gate of Gods mercy is set open for thee The old world had a time for repentance while Noah preached Sodome had her time while Lot visited Ierusalem had a time while Christ conuersed in her So had Diues his time and Esau his time the fiue foolish virgines their time and Iesabell her time for Repentance which being neglected they had no more time offered If the filthy Sodomites if prophane Esau if the foolish virgines if the rich Glutton if whorish Iesabell were now aliue what would they doe or rather what would they not doe to obtaine saluation Nothing would be so much esteemed as a trice of time which heretofore by dayes weekes moneths yeares was lauishly mispent Oh that thou knewest what treasure time offers to thy soule thou wouldst then looke with a iealous eye on the hour-glasse and sigh at the dropping of euery sand that falls Be not so foolish as to hazard thy soule to the last houre Remember the reasons that were formerly brought and well consider them thou hast no lease for thy life this night may thy soule be taken from thee and say thou doest liue till thy hayres be gray what likelihood is there that God will then giue thee grace to repent who hast obstinately refused grace all the dayes of thy life Hath not God shewed his visible iudgements on such putters off Some dying suddenly others sottishly others desperately as that wretch who was wont to boast that he could repent if he had time to say but three words Domine miserere mei Lord haue mercie on me which time he had and did speake three words but they were not those he did intend but three other more fearefull for riding ouer a water vpon a broken bridge his horse stumbled and both fell in and were drowned yet before his drowning Capiat omnia Daemon he had leisure to vse these three words The Deuill take all and thus he perished This and many other like examples are for warning vnto thee that thou shouldest not deferre as they haue done by their harmes learne thou to beware and venture not the saluation of thy soule vpon vncertaintie There is no hurt comes by timely Repentance but much dammage by delaying and deferring Neuer did I know any repent of their timely Repentance but I haue heard many lament for their turning no sooner Paenitentia serae raro vera Iam te peccata dimittunt non tâ—â—lla And indeed there is great cause to suspect that Repentance which is thus put off till the last houre and which many thousands frame vnto themselues at the last gasp for it is many times more forced and feined then safe and sound sinne then rather leauing man then man his sinne deferre not therefore but presently fall about this worke make not any tarrying to turne vnto the Lord but with Dauid make hast to keepe Gods commaundements Psal 119.60 Amb. ad paenitent agend exhort Remember the words of Ambrose with which I will end this vse and doctrine He that repenteth at the last houre and is reconciled and so departeth out of this life whether he be secure and safe from condemnation I am not certaine Doe I say he shall be damned I say not so neyther do I say he shall be saued But wouldst thou my brother be out of doubt concerning thy saluation And wouldst thou be deliuered from vncertaintie Repent then while thou art in health for if thou doest truely repent in thy health and the last day so finde thee then thou art safe because thou hast repented whilest yet thou mightest haue sinned And thus we haue seene what he did Now we are in the next place to heare what he sayth according to my proposed method Text. Verse 21. VERSE 21.
THE TRVE CONVERT OR AN EXPOSITION VPON THE WHOLE Parable of the Prodigall LVKE 15.11.12 c. Wherein is manifestly shewed 1. Mans miserable estate by forsaking of God 2. Mans happie estate by returning to God Deliuered in sundry Sermons by Nehemiah Rogers Preacher of Gods Word at St Margarets Fish-street And now by him published intending the farther benefit of so many as then heard it And the profit of so many as shall please to read it ACTS 3.19 Repent you therefore and be conuerted that your sinnes may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Edward Brewster and are to be sold at his Shop at the West gate of Pauls at the signe of the Starre 1620. TO THE WORSHIPFVL Mr. THOMAS WOOD Rector of St. MARGARETS Fish-street with the two Church-wardens and the rest of the Parishioners his louing Friends and well-willers All health and happinesse Worshipfull and welboloued in the Lord WHen that Master in the Gospell deliuered his goods vnto his seruants hee gaue them withall a straight charge that they should Occupie vntill hee came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 19.13 And put forth those talents which they had receiued that so vpon his returne hee might receiue some answerable encrease This charge doth binde mee as well as any other for what though my receipts bee small and little yet for this little I shall bee called to account for so was hee that had receiued but one talent as well as hee that had receiued fiue and how soone I know not Math. 25.24 I haue beene and daily am summoned to make readie Deaths darts haue lighted round about me and since my comming amongst you two piercing Arrowes haue beene shot at mee the one of them lighted in my bed the other by my bed-side a Wife so gracious so dutifull a Childe so apt so forward haue beene taken from mee The falling of these shafts besides much sickenesse weakenesse and other bodily infirmities for all which I blesse Gods name doe call vpon mee to prepare and make my reckonings euen Psal 4. But alas casting vp my accounts and communing with my owne soule vpon my bed concerning my receipts and gaines I found my selfe to bee much behinde hand with my Master which caused mee to cast about how I might redeeme part of that time which formerly I had so idly so wretchedly misspent At last hauing with all other speciall reasons moouing mee thereunto I resolued vpon this course And as by preaching so by publishing some part of what I had taught in Print to seeke Gods glory his Churches good and my owne comfort and reioycing in the day of the Lord Iesus I doe confesse I haue euer thought it and still doe thinke it to be safer for me to follow Market nigher home then to traffique abroad into other coasts and countries with my Little To spend my time in preaching rather then in printing such common stuffe as this But forasmuch as ability of body though not of minde is wanting so that I cannot doe what otherwise I would I am enforced to doe what I am able And thus like a venturous young Merchant I launch forth into the deepe aduenturing this my Ship vpon the dangerous and crosse Seas of mens different opinions I know I shall be tossed with some stormie winds of euill censure though many would perswade me I shall haue a faire gale and a good voyage of it But here is my comfort my Ship is sound and my tackling good Hope is my Anchor and Faith my Cable Loue my Sailes and Christ my Pilot. I doubt not then but I shall saue my Vessell and bring it safe vnto the Hauen What though I be somewhat sea-sicke in this my first voyage I trust it will be but as Physicke for mee happily it will cause me to giue an eternall fare-well to all such voyages and make me resolue neuer to thrust my selfe into any more such rash aduentures In the meane time my worshipfull good Friends this is yours and so is the Author of it who by many your respectiue fauours towards him doth acknowledge himselfe to bee much obliged to you And forasmuch as this is a time wherin euery gratefull person doth by some gift or other shew some signe and token of their louing and kinde affection In this I conforme my selfe to custome and send this Paper-gift vnto you for your New-yeares gift giuing it not after the olde custome of the Heathen who consecrated them after an Idolatrous and cursed manner in the names of Ianus and of Saturne Suet. in Tiber. cap. 34. Tertul. lib. de Idol cap. 14. which custome Tiberius as Suetonius doth report did by an edict forbid and was after condemned and abolished by the Church as Heathenish yea diuelish but as a testimoniall of my thankefull heart and as a pledge to all posterity of my affection towards you desiring onely to be esteemed gratefull and no otherwise to bee recompenced then with your conscionable perusing of what is here presented And so nothing doubting of your acceptance I take my leaue Not ceasing to pray for you that your loue may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all iudgement and that you may discerne things that differ and may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ Resting Your seruant in Christ NEHEMIAH ROGERS THE AVTHOR to the Reader AND IN SPECIALL to the Parishioners of St MARY ABCHVRCH London sometime his Christian Auditors Grace and Peace from the Prince of Peace HOw vnwilling I was to bring these vnpollished Collections to light there are many that can witnesse with my conscience For first I knew the great difference that is betwixt preaching and reading of one and the same matter Liuely voice hauing a kinde of secret force Habet nescio quid latentis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viua vox Hier. and more liuely energie in it then writing or reading hath Secondly I well remembred how censorious the world is growne so that no mans workes how godly soeuer lacketh some enuious calumniator and reproacher and can I look to speed better then my betters haue sped before me Thirdly I considered how many aged Worthies haue refrained and do yet refraine from labouring in this kinde Now for me to speake when they are silent doth argue intolerable boldnes and presumption Fourthly Quam sit mihi curta supellex I know my owne insufficiencie and am priuie to my owne weaknes ingeniously confessing I haue more neede to sit at home mending my nets then thus to launch forth into the Ocean These many and weighty discouragements did cause me for a time to with-hold the publishing of these Notes and resolutely to withstand the earnest requests of some of my louing freinds for the printing of them But at length what through importunacie of some the common excuse for the Presse in this pâ—inting age and my owne
choice and libertie of his owne will he being assayled by Sathans temptation abused this his free will and receiued a down-fall whereby he left all power to God and brought on himselfe a necessitie of sinning in which estate all his posteritie now lie so that man is not now able to sustaine or beare vp himselfe in any good course he hath not now power left not to fall but lieth vnder a necessitie of sinning Secondly as we are weake so the Deuill he is strong Reason 2 and craftie in tempting fitting his temptations to euery mans humour diligently obseruing whereto we are enclined what we loue what we hate what we feare what we want and when he hath found vs he fitts vs thus dealing like a cunning fowler hauing his nettes and his call and euery thing in a readinesse if once he becomes acquainted with the birds note and dyet he makes no question of the game thus his poyson meeting our nature is easily deuoured considering then howe readie we are to runne hard how forward the Deuill to driue it is no wonder that except God keepe vs we make no more stay Vse 1 Vse This first reprooueth such as trust too much to their owne strength For reproofe and relie too much on their owne power these of all other are in greatest danger for pride goeth before destruction Pro. 16.8 and a high mind before a fall looke vpon Peter he was neuer more weake then when hee thought himselfe most strong how cowardly did he behaue himselfe in denying of his master euen then when he made that couragious profession Alas how secure doe men grow thrusting themselues wilfully into daungerous places exposing themselues to dangerous temptations yea tempting the Deuill to tempt them as if Sathan dorst not set vpon them or if he did as if they by their owne strength were able to withstand al his encounters and hence it is that through this their carelesnesse God doth leaue them to themselues and so they runne on headlong into all vngodlinesse committing such sinnes as the sunne doth blush to see and the verie earth doth groane to beare Vse 2 In the second place let this admonish vs to despaire of our owne power Rom. 11.20 1. Cor. 10.12 and of all strength of the flesh Bee not high minded but feare and thou that now standest take heed thou mayst fall Art thou as stronges Sampsoâ— as righteous as Lot as holy as Dauid yet thou canst not long stand without Gods grace Mat. 14.30 Peter would needs walke on the sea he thought he could haue done as his Master did but assoone as he sets his foot on the waters hee is ready to sinke had not Christ caught him by the hand and held him vp he had beene gone So is it with thee and me vnlesse the Lord reach out the hand of his grace to support vs we cannot but fall A staffe stands while the hand stayes it but when the hand is with-drawne it falls immediately to the ground Wee are to the Lord as the sicke man to his keeper who cries take me vp and I will rise hold mee and I will stand helpe mee and I will goe c. Let vs then learne to renounce our selues and relye wholly vpon the Lord and the power of his might for by that shall wee bee strengthened Esay 6 10. Esâ—y 1.11 without that our strength is weakenesse Doctor Pembletons storie shewes this of whom we reade in the Booke of Martirs Phil. 2.12 Worke out therefore thy saluation with feare and trembling True it is in respect of God thou hast no cause to feare 2 Tim. 2.19 for his foundation remaineth sure but in respect of thy selfe and owne frailty thou hast great cause to feare least by falling into sinne thou doest displease the Lord and cause him to hide away his face and should not the Lord strengthen thee by his power thou wouldst hazard thy saluation euery day forfeit heauen It is not with vs as wiâ—h a childe who after two or three yeares may be let goe alone God must still leade vs if hee hold vs not by the hand we shall soone haue a knocke Nay more 2 Sam. 44. as Mephibosheth Ionathans sonne wee shall catch such a fall as that thereby we shall become lame vntill the day of our death Conclude therefore with Dauid Psal 73.28 It is good for mee to hold fast vnto the Lord. Trust not to thy own strength 2 Cor. 12.10 feare thy owne weaknes then shalt thou be most strong when thou art most weake When thou art most weake in thy owne apprehension and acknowledgement then shalt thou bee most strengthened by a gratious supply from a higherhand In the Third place this doctrine may serue to humble Vse 3 vs yea the best of vs. We are still ready to stand in our owne light and to be highly conceited of our owne strength and power as if we were able to goe through fire and water if need should require alas thou art ignorant of thy owne weakenesse thou canst not patiently beare an ague nor the touthach nor the collicke nor the gout much lesse greater torments should God withdraw his hand what Apostates should we proue what sinnes would we not commit we deceiue our selues if any of vs thinke that it proceedes from vs or that it is out of our strength that we liue so blamelesse a life commit not such nor such grosse euils as others do blesse God for it no thankes to nature thine is as bad as others Let this be well considered of it will helpe thee to that iewell which is so much set by of the Lord. Namely a humbled and a thankfull soule He tooke his iourney into a farre country we haue seene when he went now let vs see whether he went the text saith Regio longinqua suit obliuio ori Aug. quaest â— euang 33. into a farre country where we must consider what is meant by this farre country Secondly how he went into this farre country for the first the farre country here spoken of is the region of sinne As Austine doth expound it the country is farre not in regard of the distance of place for euery part of the world is a like neere vnto the Lord Esay 46.12 Psal 139.7 as Ionas found when he tooke his iourney from Ioppe to Tarsus but in regard of distance of affection then is a man farthest from God when he is most vnlike vnto God Ier 2 5. so the Lord himselfe expounds it What iniquities haue your fathers found in mee that they are gone away farre from me so the Ephesians are said to be farre of Eph 2.17 while they were in the estate of nature And thus we may see the Second point also cleared which is Non pedibus sed affectibus how he went into this farre country he went not by the feet of the bodie but by the affections of the soule he
withdrawed his hart from the Lord and set it vpon vanitie Non interuallo locorum deuâ— relinquiter sed pranitate morum Amb. in psa 119. he departed far from him in regard of the opposit and differing disposition God his volo being his nolo and his nolo being Gods volo Secondly he went far in regard of the great and many sinnes he did commit for multiplication of sins is like multiplication of steps which at length carry a man farre away from the place where he was Both these wayes may this prodigall be sayd to take his iourney into this faire country Thus hauing seene the meaning of the words let vs now come to the instructions the first shall be this It is the nature of sinners to fly from Gods presence Doctr. Sinners cannot endure Gods presence Iob 21.14 Gen 3.8 and get farre away out of his sight This is there desire and indeuoure See this prooued in the 21. of Iob. 14. so Ionah 1.3 also confirmed by examples Adam who hid himselfe in the bushes These fled from God in their affections and by their sinnes manifested it by a foolish desire to conuey their bodily presence out of his sight Reasons First the remembrance of his presence doth Reason 1 crosse them in there sinns and that they would not be Therefore they purposing to sinne get out of his sight as they foolishly imagine that so they may haue the more libertie Secondly there is as great contrariety betwixt God Reason 2 sinners as there is betweene light and darknesse how then is it possible for them to agree therefore doth the sinner fly from his face and by no meanes can abide his presence Thirdly sinne maketh a man Gods debter for the law Reason 3 tyes him to obedience if he faile in it it binds him ouer to the curse and the more a man sinneth the further he runneth into arerages with God Now experience teacheth debtors care not for the sight of their creditors especially if the bonds be forfet and debt due but so is it with euery sinner and therefore no maruell if they fly from him Let vs therefore examine our selues whether we be Vse 1 still in our sinnes for hereby may we know it dost thou loue Gods presence and delight in it dost thou set the Lord alwaies before thee walking as in his sight with that kingly Prophet dost thou loue his house and the place where his honour dwelleth Psal 16.8 Psa 26.8 Caâ—t 3.1 dost thou bewaile his absence as the bitterest crosse and neuer restest seeking with the spouse vntill thou hast found him and canst thou long and looke for his appearing in glory 2 Cor. 5.8 destring to be absent from the body that thou maist be present with the Lord are these things in thee in truth dost thou find thy heart and soule thus affected is it thus with thee art thou sure of it why then without question thy sinns are pardoned debts discharged and thou at peace with God But if it be otherwise and if the contrary be in thee if thou puttest God out of thy remembrance and canst not endure to haue him in all thy thoughts Psal 10.4 if thou respectest not his house but esteemest it as a iayle being neuer well while thou art vnder his roofe and neuer better then when he is lost and if thou desirest that he might neuer appeare or thou neuer by death or iudgement might be brought vnto him Let me then tell thee to thy face thou art still in thy sinnes thou art infinitely indebted to the eternall God thou mayst euery day expect a capias corpus to be fetcht from hence and throwne into the iayle Math 5. from whence thou shalt not depart till the vttermost Vse 2 farthing be paied which will neuer be In the next place let this serue to admonish such as would be able to endure Gods powerfull presence especially at that great and terrible day to breake of their sinnes by vnfeined repentance and labor to haue their debts discharged by Christ for otherwise thou shalt call to the mountaines and hilles Reuel 6 to hide thee from his presence that sitteth on the throne Doct. 2. The following of sinne is a forsaking of the Lord. In the Second place wee may obserue this doctrine The following of sinne is a forsaking of God and the further in sinne the further from God The Scripture is plentifull in proofes as Deut. 32.15 Iud. 2.11.12 1. King 11.33 Isa 1.4 Ier. 2.5 5.7 Obiect Psal 1 39.2.3.4 5. c. Answere But doth not the Prophet affirme that it is impossible to fly from the presence of God Psal 139. wonderfull are the testimonies the prophet there bringeth to amplifie Gods illimited presence how then can this be true In a word for answere know that out of Gods reach no man can fly but out of his fauour he may and from his awe by his rebellious will Thus doe sinners fly from God and forsake him as I formerly shewed euen now in the opening of these words And therefore it is now needlesse to stay your eares with a commemoration of what I so lately said now for the vses First this setteth forth the miserable estate of all impenitents Vse 1 there whole life is nothing else but a wandring from the eternall God in whose presence there is fullnes of ioy and at whose right hand there is pleasures for euermore like lost sheepe they stray out of Gods pastures into Satans inclosures destruction and calamity must needes be in their waies Rom 3. horror and shame will ceaze on them in the end For loe they that are farr from thee shall perish they shal be destroied that goe a whoring from thee He that leaues the light must needes walke in darknesse Psal 73.27 and he that forsakes the God of life whether is he posting but to eternall death when Cain went away from God there was no more account made of him then of a vagrant Gen. 4.14 and vagabond is their estate any better who by commiting of sinne depart from the Lord what are they but Cains Outlawes Rebels Runnagates trauelling as it were without a passe whose fairest end will be to be sent to the house of correction but greatly to be feared of most to the place of execution Vse 2. Admonition to such as are yet in their sinnes Vse 2 and keepe a constant course in commiting of them speedily to turne backe vnto the Lord and looke vpon him Isay 45.22 as Esay exhorteth as you haue gone from him by sinning turne to him againe by daily repenting that it may be spoken of thee as Paul speaketh of the Ephesians You who were once farre off are now made neere Ephes 2. Psal 119.28 Conclude with Dauid Psal 119.28 It is good for me to draw neere vnto the Lord. Oh consider aduisedly consider the estate thou now liuest in make a stop and call to mind whether
Soule nor conferre any true content vnto the minde They are but huskes a frothy substance they may puffe vp but not nourish All things are full of labour saith Solomon man cannot vtter it the eye is not satisfied with seeing Eccles. 1.8 nor the eare filled with hearing heare a wiser then Salomon speake Christ Iesus who is wisedome it selfe Iohn 4.13 Who soeuer drinketh of this water shall thirst againe There is a defect in the water of Iacobs well and so in euery other earthly thing whatsoeuer it cannot quench this inward thirst but causeth a greater thirst then was before The reasons of this point may be many Reason The First is this because God is the proper obiect and center of the hart now wee know if a man had all the musicke and melody in the world before him he could not heare it with his eyes because it is the proper obiect of the eare if neuer so gorgious shewes he could not see them with his eares because it is the proper obiect of the eye and againe take a stone and fling it out of a sling it neuer rests vntill it comes vnto his center no more will our hearts vntill it rest vpon the Lord Fecisli nos Domine propter te semper inquietū est cor nostrum donee requiescat in te August 1. who is the proper obiect center of the soule excellently therefore sayd a father Thou madest vs ô Lord for thy selfe and our hart is euer vnquiet till it rest in thy selfe A Second Reason may be this because euery thing in this world is transitory now where there is no assurance Reason 2 of perpetuity there is no content Prou. 23.5 therefore not in riches honours nor the like these fly away like an Eagle as Sol speaketh not like a tame bird that may againe be caught by running after nor like a Hawke that may be called to the lure but like an Eagle strong of wing swift in flight whose wings thou canst not clip nor pinion Reason 3 Thirdly this is vnnaturall food for the soule which will not satisfie but increase the hunger of it these things to the soule are as flesh to the horsse grasse to the Lyon preposterous food the food that it must haue must be of like substance vnto it selfe spirituall not earthly and corporall it is as impossible to replenish a spirituall emptinesse with a corporall substance the mind of man with earthly treasures as it is to fil a corporall emptinesse with a spirituall substance as a house with virtues or the stomach with wisedome Reason 4 Fourthly and lastly our appetites are vnsatiable by reason of corruption left in mans heart since his fall so that now his carnall thirst cannot be satisfied All honours riches pleasures preferments they are but as oyle cast into the fire which serueth but to encrease the flame were it possible that one man should haue in his owne possession Eccles 5.9 all the treasures riches pleasures delights that are in the world yet he would still be seekeing and thirsting after more Thus we see the reasons of this truth now we will come to apply this doctrine to our selues Vse 1 And first I must beginne to reprooue the folly of many with the words of Isay Wherefore do you lay out money and not for bread why spend you your labour for that which satisfieth not Why do you so earnestly so eagerly pursue the vanityes of this world Isay 55.2 foolishly imagining to fill and satisfie your harts with them which cannot be for what though by your eager pursuing of these earthly things you get as much as possibly can be had yet shall you be as farre from content nay farther then euer you were before Esay 29.8 much like vnto the hungry man of whom the Prophet speaketh who dreameth that he eateth but when he awakes he hath still an empty stomach Or like those vncleane spirits who seeke for rest but finde none Mat. 12. you will in the end be deceiued of your hope and not only so but finde that you sought not namely vanity and vexation of soule Secondly let this admonish vs not to seeke for content Vse 2 in these outward things which affoord it not but seeke for it wher it may be had the doue that Noah sent forth of the Arke went flying vp and downe finding no rest for the sole of her foot Gen. 8.9 till she returned againe to Noah so is it with thy soule no place of rest will it or can it finde nor any creature to content it till it returne vnto the Lord from whence it came He only must content thy soule all other things may vex the soule of man Caeteris rebus occupari potest repleri non potest Bernard but cannot fill it but he will fully fill it and throughly satisfie it and though it should inlarge the desires of it selfe beyond the heauens yet shall no part thereof be empty or vnreplenished Set therefore thy hart vpon the Lord and not on things below Remember how in the creation God rested not his worke vntill he had made man he wrought the 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Gen. 2.2 dayes and saw his workes in their seuerall kinds that they were all good yet no sight of these creatures could content the Lord till man was made all the thoughts of that diuine mind aymed at him and when he was made then is it sayd that God rested and not before Wherewith wilt thou oh man requite this kindnesse of the Lord surely in this do thou labor to shew this thankfulnesse that as the Lord would not rest till he had made thee so do not thou rest till thou hast found him but chuse him for thy portion with the Prophet Dauid Psal 73.25 haue none in heauen but him desire none vpon the earth besides him Thus much for the former exposition of these words now for the latter i. e. by huskes we vnderstand the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisies which was stuffed and mingled with their own traditions deliuering for doctrine as Mathew sheweth mens precepts Mat. 15. Then this may be the point Doctr. Mans doctrine is but a frothie doctrine Mans doctrine is but a frothie doctrine such doctrines as are of mans inuention eyther contrary or besides the written word of God are but frothie no better then huskes without kernels that will not cannot nourish the soule to saluation Ieremie 23. Verse 16. This doctrine is notablie confirmed in the 23. of Ieremiah in many places of that Chapter in the 16. verse he sayth thus Hearken not vnto the words of the Prophets that prophecie vnto you they make you vaine they speake a vision of their owne heart and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Where we see that their doctrines are farre from feeding of the soule they oppresse the soule and make the people vaine and not better Againe Verse 21.22 verse
bodie Answer We receiue not Christs body in the Sacrament as he lay in the manger or as he is in heauen but as he was nayled on the Crosse and his bloud not as it is in the veines but dropping from his heart and therefore in the Institution it is said This is my bodie broken for you and this is my bloud shed for you And further if this reason be good why doe they then drinke for what reason can they bring why they may not receiue the bloud in the veines as well as the people Secondly they say the Wine is in danger of spilling but there is lesse danger of the bread If this be not a silly reason what is or can be for shall Reason 2 we breake the Institution of Christ because such an inconuenience may follow Answere Christs institution may not be broken for some inconuenience that may follow Ob. The Wine that is spilt is no part of the Sacrament Sol. 1. Cor. 10.4 And admit that some were spilt it were no such heynous crime True it is that it is a fault against that holy comelinesse which ought to be regarded but no such fearefull sinne as they make it But is not the Wine that is spilt a part of the Sacrament how then can this be so small a sinne as you make it I answer Onely so much is consecrated as we receiue and no more is the Sacramentall signe for to proue this That water that the people of Irael drunke was sacramentall water And that only and no more I hope none will say that that which the cattle drunke was such also Reason 3 A third reason they bring is this Christ gaue it only to his Disciples and so doe they vnto the Ministers after his example Answ By this reason they may depriue the people of both for the bread was giuen to them Answ The people may aswell be denied the bread as the wine Marke 14.24 and onely vnto them but I would they would consider better of Christs words then would the controuersie soone bee ended This is my bloud c. which is shed for you and many Now who were those many Were they not such as should euer after belieue in him From whence wee reason To those for whom the bloud of Christ was shed the Cup must be administred But the bloud of Christ was shed for the people aswell as for the Minister and therefore it ought to be administred to the one as well as to the other In the fourth place they say there ought to be a difference Reason 4 betwixt the Cleargie and the Laity therefore the Ministers receiue both signes and the people but one as is fitting that difference might be made I graunt the Ministers calling is aboue the peoples Answ The Laity haue as great a part in Christs Passion as the Clergie Gal. 3.28 and so there is difference But if we regard their persons the people haue as great a part in Christ and his Passion as any of the Clergie Outward differences there are but in Christ there are none as our Apostle teacheth vs There is neither Iew nor Greeke there is neither bond nor free there is neither male nor female for you are all one in Christ Iesus And thus haue we seene their wicked and sacriledgious dealing with the Church of God in keeping from Gods houshold that large portion which God hath afforded for which they must one day giue a fearefull account vnlesse the Lord please to open their eyes and giue them repentance But now to our selues For are there not many amongst vs also who being set in the place of Stewards allowe to Gods houshold a thinner dyet then God himselfe doth affoord Oh that there were not such amongst vs who feede their sheepe in short pastures and lead their flockes by the still waters I speake it in another sence then Dauid did feeding them quarterly or monthly Psal 25. but scarce weekely can their voyce be heard cleane forgetting the rule of the Apostle 2 Tim. 3.2 preach in season and out of season Hence it commeth to passe that the sheepe belonging to their charge are like Pharaohs Kine so leane and euill fauoured and so weake as euery bush is able to entangle euery ditch ready to drowne euery blast of vaine doctrine able to blow away Oh that wee did consider that charge the Apostle giueth to him 2 Tim. 3. in him to vs that we would remember that woe that belongeth vnto vs for not preaching the Gospell Art thou a Steward art thou an Ambassadour why then doest thou not deliuer thy message why doest thou not distribute Gods food vnto his people how wilt thou be able to looke him in the face at whose barre one day all flesh must stand There be good iniunctions for the comely ceremonies of the Church saith one so likewise many good orders for the reuerent administring of the Sacraments Doct. â—oys and diligent preaching of the word let not the one bee true Canons while the other are made onely pot-guns And thus much for the first sort that come vnder the reprehension of this vse 2. Sort reprooued Now for the second and they are such as will not feed on Gods delicates It is Gods good pleasure to haue them well fed but they can be content with a sparer dyet they are affraid of growing too fat at the heart quarterly preaching is well and monthly preaching very sufficient but if it be once a day it is more then needes they can heare more in an houre then they can practise all their liues and I belieue them And as for the Sacrament to receiue that at Easter or at euery good time is enough in conscience But consider you vnwise amongst the people and you fooles when will you bee wise doth the Lord deale thus gratiously with thee and art thou so vnthankefull Doth the Lord prouide such plentie and darest thou call it wast Oh times Oh manners how heart-sicke are wee growne of peace and plentie What a surfet haue we taken of Gods good blessings a happie and a blessed cure were it to restore vs to our former daies of health but alas our disease is grown so desperate that Gods physitians know not which way to turne their hands or heads to helpe vs. It iâ— therefore to be feared that God himselfe will take the cure into his hand and as physitians prescribe abstinence when a surfet's taken so the Lord will dyet vs and bring vs againe to our former appetite by with-holding of the meanes as he long since threatned to his people Amo. 8 11 12.13 Be you therefore warned esteeme more highly of the Lords fauours lest you be depriued of them and those dayes come wherein you say for loe they will come without repentance surely there hath beene a Prophet amongst vs. EZâ—k 33.33 And now for a second vse is this so that God prouideth Vse 2 so liberally for his
from thence there is no redemption Verse 26. thou parent thou canst not there help thy child nor the child thee nor thou husband redeeme thy wife nor thou wife thy husband there is no sucker nor helpe to be had by any Let these and such like considerations be euer in thy minde and pondered on then wilt thou haue sounder resolutions in thy heart and better performances in thy life Now to come to the particulars and first we are to consider what he resolues to doe A three-fold resurrection of a Christian I will saith he arise and goe c. There is a threefold Resurrection of a Christian The first is Sacramentall and thus we rise againe in Baptisme the second is Corporall and so we shall rise againe in the day of the Lord Iesus in our bodies from the graue the third is Spirituall which is his Resurrection in this life in soule from the death of sinne thus did this Prodigall arise and thus doth euery true penitent arise while he here liueth on the earth The point may be this Doctr. Repentance from sinne is the first Resurrection Ephe. 5.14 Reuel 20.6 That repentance from sin is as a Resurrection from death this is plaine by the Apostles words awake thou that sleepest stand vp from the dead and Christ shall giue thee light And the holy Ghost doth thus call it in the twentieth of the Reuelation verse 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first Resurrection on such the second death hath no power Vse 1 Is this so then Repentance is no such easie a matter as the world takes it to be the worke of repentance is no lesse miraculous then the raising of the dead it is a work that cannot be wrought by the power of nature but such a worke as must be wrought by the mightie power of God Much might be spoken of this subiect but I shall haue fitter occasion to prosecute the point when I come to speake of the reason of the Fathers kinde entertaining of his sonne Verse 24. to which place I referre the farther handling of it a word therefore for a second vse and so to proceede Vse 2 And that shall be to stirre vs all vp thus to arise for if the soule while it is in the bodie arise not out of the graue of sin sure it is the bodie shall neuer rise out of the earth but to shame and confusion vse all good meanes therefore that thou maiest haue thy part in this that so the second death may haue no power on thee for otherwise it is impossible to escape the power of it by no meanes canst thou escape the paines of hell torments if thou dost not here awake stand vp from the dead and with Lazarus come forth the meanes that are to be vsed for this end I refer with the farther handling of this point to the place before named And goe It was a good and holy motion Text. which he had of arising this he doth not quench but cherisheth and nourisheth it he addes more fewell to this fire begun though but a sparke to the good motion of arising hee addes the second of going I will arise and goe First then learne The good motions of Gods blessed spirit at any time Doctr. Good motions are not to be quenched but cherished in any measure though neuer so weake begun are not to be choaked but to be cherished When the Lord shall put any good motion into our hearts we are to nourish cherish the same to one good motion we must adde a second and to that a third and to them a many and so fall to blowing giue not ouer vntill at length they breake forth into a comfortable flame of godly practise 1. Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit saith the Apostle that is quell not choake not the gifts and motions of the holy Ghost He vseth a metaphor borrowed from fire whose heate and light when it is put out is said to be quenched 2. Tim. 1.6 Thus also he exhorts Timothie to stirre vp the graces of God which be in him And writing to the Ephesians hee sayth thus Grieue not the holy spirit of God Ephe. 4.30 He permits them not so much as to giue it any occasion of withdrawing the vigour of his operation in them He brings a forcible reason Whereby you are sealed Reason 1 vnto the day of redemption This is the onely euidence we haue of freedome from condemnation this is Gods marke and character set on vs and seizing vs for his owne This is like the bloud that was stricken vpon the doore-posts which shall make the Lord to passe ouer vs Exod. 12.22 and not to suffer the destroyer to come neare vs when he goeth to smite the Egyptians By this we are assured that the day of Iudgement shall be to vs no day of wrath but a day of redemption So then thus wee may take the Apostles meaning As you desire to retaine assurance of your deliuerance from the wrath to come and that the Lord should take notice of you for his in the day of that dreadfull separation so see that by all meanes you cherish in you the gifts and operations of Gods holy spirit grieue it not by strangling choaking of those holy motions suggested by him but giue all endeuour that all his holy motions and operations be cherished and preserued in their fullest feruour without any the least abatement Thus we haue seene the poynt prooued Now it remaines to apply it And first this serueth to condemne such as nippe the bud so soone as euer it peeps forth and quench euery sparke that at any time appeareth yea wilfully set themselues to repell all good motions hasting to their cursed company to chase away those which they call prophanely qualmes of deuotion sweete inspirements of Gods holy spirit Oh the cursed vnthankefulnesse of these men What vnkind ingratefull discourteous dealing is here with the spirit of grace Thus shutting him out so soone as euer he begins to enter Wouldest thou deale so vnkindly with thy friend who commeth to thy doore Why dealest thou then so vncourteously with Christ Iesus Reuel 3.20 and his holy spirit who stands at the dore and daily knocks but can get no entertainement Beware Act. 7.51 beware of this resisting of the holy Ghost the sin is fearefull and discomfortable for hereby thy heart may grow more obdurate and thy life more brutish and abominable Vse 2 And therefore in the next place let it serue for admonition to thee and me and to vs all that we beware how we suffer that blessed heat to slake which by Gods grace beginnes to be enkindled in our hearts suffer not that coale that holy motion which the Lord hath cast into thy bosome to die within thee but blowe it vp lay on more fuell adde daily more and more matter to it and tremble to lose the least measure of
grow more strong by thy daily feeding it in the vsing of the meanes If thou bearest any fruit God like a carefull hus-bandman will prune thee Iohn 15.2 that thou mayst bring forth more fruit other trees at last decay though formerly they haue bore fruit but trees of Righteousnesse the more they yeild the more they shall be replenished and the elder they grow the more shall they flourish and the better shall they prosper Keepe then thy grace in an honest heart and it will encrease though yet it be small like the widdowes oile in the cruise and meale in the barrell when great graces in an vnsound heart shall vanish away and come to nothing Text. To my Father Not to my brother or fathers seruants or to my harlots But to my father Hence learne Doctr. The bosome of the Lord is the only best refuge in the day of calamity Releife is to bee sought for only at Gods hands in time of misery and distresse To him are wee to betake our selues and to none but him This hath Gods Church and children shewed by their practise Dauid being in misery euer flyeth to the Lord this was his ordinarie course as might be made plaine by many particular instances fetched out of the Psalmes Where we may often reade of these and the like sayings I called vpon the Lord in my trouble and againe In my distresse I cried to the Lord Psal 3.4 Psal 120.1 Psa 142.4 Psa 116 4.3 Psal 107.4.5.6 and againe When all refuge failed mee I cried to the Lord. Such sayings are frequent This course did the Church take in time of trouble For when they wandered in the wildernesse in a solitary way and found no citie to dwell in being hungry and thirsty their soule fainting in them Then they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he deliuered them out of their distresse Vers 12.13 When their heart was brought downe with labour and they fell there being none to helpe them tâ—ere also they cryed to the Lord in their trouble and he saued them out of their distresse Verse 17.18 When they were afflicted because of their transgressions and iniquities then they cryed to the Lord and hee saued them out of their distresses yea Vers 27 2â— when they were at their wits end by reason of their afflictions they cryed to the Lord out of this their trouble and hee brought them ought of their distresses It were endlesse to bring what might be brought for the confirming of this truth Psa 99.6 I could tell you of Moses and Aaron amongst his priests and Samuell amongst them that call vpon his name how these called vpon the Lord and were answered But what shall I need to vnderprop so knowne a truth let mee giue you the reason and then I will shew you the vse All power to helpe is in his hands alone Reason 2 Chron. 20. as Iehoshaphat doth confesse when he saith thus O Lord God of our Fathers art not thou God in heauen and rulest not thou ouer all the kingdomes of the heathen and in thine hand is there not power and might so that none is able to withstand thee Iob. 5.6 Afflictions come not out of the dust neither spring they from the earth but from the most high God do they proceed Hos 6.1 Now who shall bind vp the wound but he that made it who shall heale but he that hath smitten to him therefore must we turne to him must we seeke for helpe Let this serue then to reproue such as betake themselues Vse 1 to other helpes in time of misery seekeing to bee releiued either by Saints or Angells in heauen or by Coniurers Witches or such like vnlawfull meanes heere vpon the earth This was King Ahaziahs sinne 2 King 1.2 who being sicke sent messengers and sayd vnto them Goe enquire of Baalzebub the God of Ekron whether I shall recouer of this disease contrary to that charge which God doth giue his people Regard not them that haue familiar spirits Leuit. 19 31. neither seeke after Wizards to be defiled by them I am the Lord your God Of this I haue formerly spoke more and therefore a word or two here shall suffice Secondly let this te ch vs to betake our selues vnto Vse 2 the Lord when sorrowes and griefes assaile vs. Seeke helpe from him and that by meanes yet onely by such lawfull meanes as he hath warranted in his Word And beware of trusting in the meanes that God hath warranted It is lawfull to seeke to the Physitian and vse of his helpe yet to trust in the helpe of the Physitian more then in the helpe of God and to seeke first and rather to the Physitian then vnto God 2. Chro. 16.12 is sinnefull This was Asa his sinne and remaines as a blemish vpon his name to this day and will doe for euer Trust not then in the meanes but in God who must giue a blessing vpon the means Let them haue their place set them not aboue their place for by one blast of God they may become vnprofitable and vnsuccessefull See therefore thou bee more desirous of a blessing then of the meanes let this bee the chiefe meanes that thou doest vse to flye vnto the Lord and powre forth thy soule before him and then be thou assured at length to haue redresse and helpe What we say of some speciall medicine that hath oft beene tryed we may say of this probatum est Gods children neuer tooke this course in vaine Text. Verba sunt poenitentiam meditantis in confessione peccati nondum tamen agentis August And say vnto him Father He doth here fore-thinke what he should speake when as he comes into his Fathers presence for as yet he was not From his practise learne Not to come into Gods presence without preparation but consider what to say and what to seeke before you speake Doctr. Preparation needfull before we speake to God Eccles 5.1 Hos 14.2 Reason Be not rash saith the Wiseman with thy mouth and let not thine heart bee hastie to vtter any thing before God Wee must conferre with our owne hearts and prepare them before we come into the Lords presence To this doth the Prophet Hosea seeme to exhort Israel Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him The reason of this Solomon giues in the place before cited For God saith he is in heauen and thou art vpon the earth as if he should say God is full of Maiestie and wisedome but thou an infirme and wretched creature He is both Lord and Iudge but thou a miserable and sinnefull worme And therefore it concernes thee to consider aduisedly what to speake This serues to reproue many Vse who rashly come into Gods presence without any preparation or due meditation of what they are to say or craue Small is the number indeed of such as doe pray but smaller is the
labour to come to perfection We may not euermore stand at one stay nor alwaies be as children who needs leading by the hand but we must grow more and more in knowledge and in iudgement And thus much may be spoken of this poynt we are now to speake of the words themselues Text. which he deuised to speake Father I haue sinned c. In these words of his acknowledgement wee may see what it was especially that touched him to the quicke namely this that he had abused and wronged the loue and kindnesse of so good a Father This was that which made him so much to insist vpon the name of Father I will goe to my Father I will say Father The misery that he was in as his want of bread and other necessaries no doubt was grieuous yet all this troubled him not so much as this that he had carryed himselfe so vndutifully towards so gratious a parent Let this then be noted Doctr. To the godly sinne is the greatest sorrow Ps 51.4 That nothing is so grieuous to a true penitent as this that by committing of sinne he hath offended God This was that which most troubled Dauid and went nighest to his soule that he had sinned against the Lord and offended his Maiestie by his committing of euill Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned and done euill in thy sight It is not hi meaning to lessen his offence the words may not so be taken but his speech sheweth what went nighest to hiâ— heart and lay heauiest on his soule His trespasse agâ—inst Vriah in taking away his life was grieuous to him His trespasse against Bathsheba in drawing her to vnchastitie did also trouble him but that by both of these he had offended God this did most of all perplex him Against thee against thee haue I sinned Nothing touched him so neere as this no not shame of the world nor feare of hell Thus is it also said of the house of Dauid that the spirit beeing powred vpon them they shall mourne for him Zach. 12.10 That is when the godly shall come to see what euils and miseries their sinnes brought vpon Christ and how odious their offences haue beene towards him this should pierce their hearts and nothing more Thus was it also with the people of God who are said in the day of their fast to draw water 1. Sam. 7.6 namely out of their hearts and to powre it out before the Lord. By all which is meant they wept bitterly and aboundantly for that they had offended the Lord by their many sinnes Ioseph being tempted to folly by his laciuious Mistresse said How shall I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God The wrong that he should haue done his Master was nothing in his eye to the offence against the Lord. The reason of this the Apostle Saint Paul giueth Reason Rom. 8.15 They haue not receyued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but they haue receyued the spirit of adoption Which Spirit doth make them loue the Lord and feare to offend and exceedingly grieue when he is offended As it is with a true louer towards his beloued Now for the vses and first wee may see here a difference Vse 1 betweene the sorrow of the Godly and of the wicked both greiue both mourne Ahab as well as Dauid Differences betwixt the sorrow of the godly and wicked 2. Cor. 7.1 Iudas as well as Peter Yet the sorrow of the one is godly and bringeth life the sorrow of the other worldly and bringeth death For heare is the difference The sorrow of him that is truly penitent Malum peccati is most conuersant about the euill of his sinne and is more for Gods cause then for his owne more that God is offended then for any manner of respect vnto himselfe Were there no shame no danger no punishment neither here nor hereafter in this life or in the next yet this would wound their soules and grieue them at the heart that by sinne God was offended Thus is the godly sorrow This is that which causeth repentance neuer to be repented of Now the sorrow of him whose repentance is vnsound is of another nature and is principally occupied about the euill of punishment Being more for there owne sakes then for Gods Malum paenae There sinne hath no place in their sorrow nor God offended It is shame and punishment that causeth them to grieue Cain grieues but why his punishment is greater then hee can beare Gen. 4.13.14 Exod 9.27 1 Sam. 15 24 25 1 King 21.21 27. Gen. 27 38. Heb. 12.17 Pharaoh howles and takes on but it is the thunder and haile that causeth it his sorrow is gone ouer with the storme Saule mournes but it is because God had cast him away from being King Ahab puts on sack-cloth but it was the euill that was to come vpon his house with the taking away of his posterity that caused it Esau wepes but he more respects his owne losse then Gods dishonour the blessing is lost Thus selfe-loue is the moouer of it were there no shame iudgement hell there should be no sorrowing for sinne This is the sorrow of the wicked which bringeth repentance to be repented of and is a sorrow to be euer sorrowed for We see then how each of these differ in the obiect that either of them is exercised about Vse 2 Secondly this may teach vs to try our selues and our repentance For is it so that nothing is more grieuous to a true penitent then this that by sinne he hath offended God Examine then thy heart deale truly with thy selfe what is it that most troubles thee I do not doubt but thou hast had some manner of remorse At some time or other thy heart hath bine smitten for thy sinnes thou hast committed But deale now truly with thy selfe and ransacke thy owne conscience what was it that did most perplexe thee what was it that lay heauiest on thy soule what did most trouble thee was it thought of shame and feare of hell was it caused by some such by respects rest not then in it for a reprobate may thus sometimes greiue and therefore I say rest not in it I do not simply discommend this sorrow For I confesse it is a good preparation to repentance and as the needle which makes way for the thread so doth wordly sorrow for godly sorrow the spirit of bondage for the spirit of à â—option But I wish thee to goe further for this sorrow as yet is but worldly and bringeth death being rested in But is it otherwise with thee is this the maine cause of thy greife that God is offended and if there were no hell nor punishment neither heare nor here after yet dost thou finde in thy selfe an inclineablenesse to mourne for thy sinnes thou hast committed art thou grieued that by thee God hath bine dishonored canst thou greeâ—â— for sinne as it is an offence against God
knowne vnto thee I say and certified to thy soule that though thou doest mourne and grieue and art sorrie thou hast done amisse and also couldst wish that many things could againe bee recalled which thou hast committed yet thy sorrow is vnsound it is but a heauie and comfortlesse sorrow and the beginning of sorrowes euerlasting And therefore content not thy selfe with it as if it were godly sorrow for it is not and it will turne to bitternesse in the end Vse 4 A forth vse may be for admonition to euery one of vs that would haue sound comfort of their repentance and conuersion to vse all good meanes that they may finde their hearts thus to bee affected Neuer rest satisfied till thou canst mourne for sinne because it is sinne and make thy sinne to be thy greatest griefe Rest not contented vntill thou finde thy heart humbled for thy close corruptions and hidden sinnes yea for euery sinne aswell as for any sinne for the sinnes of others aswell as for thy owne Meanes to be vsed for attaining to true sorrow Know nothing by thy selfe whereby God is offended that thou doest not as heartily desire to leaue as to haue the eternall God forgiue Till it bee thus with thee thou canst haue no hope that thy repentance is sound and good Vse all good meanes for the attaining to this grace And amongst others these Often meditate on those cords of loue First meditate of Gods loue Gods workes of mercy towards thee both in things temporall concerning this life present as health life libertie peace prosperity and the like as also in things spirituall that concerne a better wherewith the Lord doth compasse thee Ephes 1.7 And amongst all others forget not that rich grace and mercie in giuing of his Sonne to bee a reconciliation for thee when thou wert a slaue to Sathan and a fire-brand of hell that he should send his Sonne and giue him vp to death yea to that shamefull death of the crosse to redeeme thee from all iniquitie Psal 86.13 O great is thy mercy towards mee saith that kingly Prophet for thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest hell Great it is indeed what mercie greater In this one mercy a world of mercy is comprehended Consider then of this one mercey this free mercie this full mercie and thou canst not but needes must grieue to offend so good a God Secondly Pray for Gods spirit 2. Prayer Zach. 12.10 for that worketh true compunction and contrition in the heart I will powre vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and they shall looke vpon mee whom they haue pierced and they shall lament for him as one that mourneth for his onely Sonne and be sorrie for him as one is sorry for his first borne In which words we haue both these meanes layd downe that I haue now named Let these be especially vsed and we shall finde them very auaileable for the obtaining of this grace Let me intreate thee for the Lords sake and for thy owne soules sake to put them then in practise and that daily It is a matter of speciall behoofe and very important it concernes the eternall saluation or damnation of thy soule and therefore looke about thee Vse 5 In the last place it may comfort such as doe thus grieue for sinne more regarding God then themselues looking more vpon him whom they haue offended then vpon what they haue deserued by offending Not so much grieuing for shame of men or feare of hell as that by their sinning they haue offended God Let not such be discouraged for this sorrow is a blessed sorrow and shall end in ioy this sorrow will bring to life and happinesse Oh let all such mourners of Sion comfort themselues therefore with these words And before thee That is in thy sight as afterwards verse 21. This did adde much vnto his sorrow and did very much aggrauate his fault Two points are here to be obserued The first is this that Gods eye is on all mens actions The second is this the forgetting of Gods all-seeing eye in the committing of euill doth aggrauate the sinne and encrease the same Doctr. All men sinne God looking on Heb 4.13 Psal 139.2 For the first of these viz. That Gods eye is on all mens actions he is an eye-witnes of euery worke done and sinne committed All things are naked and open vnto the eyes of him with-whom we haue to doe saith the authour to the Hebrewes And excellently Dauid Thou knowest my downe-fitting and vp-rising thou vnderstandest my thought a farre off Verse 3. Thou compassest my path and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes Verse 4. For there is not a word in my tongue but loe thou knowest it altogether Thou hast beset me behinde and before Verse 5. And againe If I say surely the darknes shall couer me euen the night shall be light about me yea the darkenesse hideth not from thee Verse 11. Verse 12. but the night shineth as the day the darkenesse and the night are both alike to thee That whole Psalme may be a proofe for this truth And in another Psalme hee saith Psal 90.8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sinnes in the light of thy countenance The Lord himselfe doth testifie this by his Prophet Ieremiah Ier. 7.9 Will you steale murder and commit adulterie and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other Gods whom you know not Verse 10. and come stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say wee are deliuered to doe all these abhominations Behold euen I haue seene it Verse 11. saith the Lord. So in another place Am I a God at hand Ier. 23.23.24 saith the Lord and not a farre off Can any hide himselfe in secret places that I shall not see him saith the Lord and doe not I fill Heauen and earth I will not bee too prodigall in spending time in vnderpropping so knowne a point which all confesse for truth and for which Scirpture is so strong To come then to the reasons First God is euery where present he can be shut out Reason 1 of no place as man can or as the Sunne can because he is infinite in nature Doe not I fill heauen and earth Ier. 23.24 sayth the Lord Am I a God at hand and not a farre off And therefore it cannot otherwise be but he must needs behold our doings and our actions Secondly It is he that made the eye and shall not he see Reason 2 it is he that made the eare and shall not he heare Psal 94.9.10 God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he giueth knowledge and shall not he know Can any thing bee hid from him from whom they haue their being The worke is knowne vnto the worker the art vnto the artificer the pot vnto the potter
wants nothing but a diligent examination to tell vs whether we haue this humble heart yea or no consequently whether as yet we haue soundly repented The Lord giue vs hearts to examine our selues and grant vs his grace for the better performance of this dutie that wee may not deceiue our selues as we are too too prone but that wee may haue a certaine knowledge of the estate of our soules But in the Second place I must fall from exhorting to Vse 2 lamenting for certainely there is but small store of true repentance vpon the earth there is so little humilitie the signes we haue giuen doth apparently shew it Where is this trembling at Gods worde that formerly we spake of this quaking at his threatnings at his promises at his precepts how ordinarily are these things heard of without trembling do not men euen make a mocke at the threatnings 2 Pet. 3.4 saying the vision is as winde and where is the promise of his comming are not the promises of the Gospell abused and made matter of licentiousnesse and is not the grace of God turned into wantonnesse Rom. 2. by men of the world And as for his commaunds who stands in awe of them who doth yeild to that which God requires Psal 85.8 Psal 2.2 Ier. 5.5 Psal 50.17 or hearkens to that which the Lord will say alas men breake the bands and cast away the yoake hating to be reformed And againe what trusting to mens owne works what boasting of our owne goodnesse is to be found amongst vs and how little relying on Gods fauour and mercy Further what horrible ingratitude doth reigne amongst vs what deuouring vp Gods blessings and how little acknowledgement of Gods goodnesse Isa 1.3 The Oxe knowes his owner and the Asse his masters crib But England doth not know this people doth not consider Great blessings are vnderprized but smaller mercies altogether despised the Gospell and the fruites of it as peace plentie c. these are vndervallewed and slightly regarded and as the Israelites of there Mannah Num. 11.6 we thinke basely of it our peace we grudge our selues neuer better times then when more warr say many Is this our thankfulnesse to God for this his goodnesse oh wretches that we are to be so vnthankfull for so great a blessing And as for common mercies how commonly are they neglected as food rayment lodging preseruation how few are thankfull for these things We swallow these vp as the Swine the acornes not looking vp to the tree Scarce blessing our meate we eate And why oh these are but ordinary and are they ordinary the more haue we to answere for our vnthankfulnesse For Gods goodnesse is the greater in that he continues these vnto vs albeit we daily make forfeiture of them by our sinning And so for other blessings both priuatiue as keepeing vs from diseases sauing vs from dangers keepeing vs ours euery night from fyer from robbers from ruin as also positiue in giuing of vs life health strength of body vse of the sences in feeding vs leading vs in our going in and out refreshing vs with sleepe euery night our great vnthankfullnesse for these good blessings plainly sheweth that humility is wanting Besides how wonderfull impatient are we vnder Gods correcting hand what murmuring complaining repining against God and his proceedings when any losse befalls vs or other crosse lies on vs We are content to receiue good from him but euill by no meanes can we endure In the day of trouble our spirits are as short as Iehorams was 2 Kin. 6.33 Behold this euill commeth from the Lord wherefore should I attend on the Lord any longer Oh our impatience our impatience I say when gods hand is on vs our murmuring and grudging against Gods proceedings our freting in the day of our tribulation as if some iniurie or wrong was done vs doth euidently testifie wee are farre from this humility of spirit Moreouer how impatient are wee of admonition How doe we swell when we are told of our faults What a disgrace doe we hold it to be told of our duties though in neuer so humble and submissiue a manner Yea though it be by the mouth of God or Nathan Yet what a spirit of contradiction do we manifestly shew returning reproofe for reproofe rebuke for rebuke If wee should see one that is dangerously sicke instead of taking a potion prescribed fling it in the Physitians face Ostendo illi latū aspergit me luto Ostendo illi speculum allidit parieti we would pittie his estate and thinke it desperate The case of such is little better that doe cast a reproofe into his face againe that giues it Doth not this shew our hearts are haughty voyd of all true humility and meekenes And lastly in a word doth not our carriage and behauiour towards others condemne vs What condemning of others and iustifying of our selues What censuring and iudging of our brethrens infirmities Doe not these argue haughtinesse of spirit And doe not our proude speaches countenances goings and apparell signifie a vaine and proude heart If all these testifie against vs where is then repentance the counterfeit of it may euery where be had but the true grace indeede is rare to be found Oh! what cause haue Gods children to runne to the gap what need haue we all to fly vnto the Lord for there is aboundance of sinne in euery place and corner but little repentance the Lord hee knoweth You therefore that feare the Lord call vpon him you that haue any interest in the Lord pray vnto him downe at morning downe at euening giue him no rest vntill hee haue sheathed vp his sword which hee hath drawne out and is now a furbushing and making ready for the battell with which hee will shortly strike if the prayers of Gods children doe not hold his hands Vse 3 Thirdly this may serue for terrour to all such who as yet haue not this meane and base estimation of themselues Let all such know they are voide of grace I haue God Hab. 2. 4. word for my warrant Behold saith the Prophet his soule which is lifted vp is not vpright within him All those that are voide of humility are far from vprightnes The higher the Sunne is the shorter is the shadowe the more grace the lesse conceit The emptiest vessell euer sounds lowdest and the fuller the baser Wood that in burning yeeldes the greatest smoake doth commonly giue the smallest heate Altitudo non est valida Chrysost Hom. 20. in Epi. ad Rom. Those bowes which are most laden with fruite those eares which are fullest of Corne doe euer bend downeward when the barren bowe and emptie eare stands vpright So those that are emptiest of grace euermore make the greatest ostentation and cracke most of their owne goodnesse But of this I shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter Vse 4 Lastly this may comfort such as are thus meane and base in their owne
eyes who cry out with that holy Patriarch They are lesse then the least of Gods mercies and fauours And with blessed S. Paul They are the worst of all sinners who vpon diligent search find in them the former markes and signes of true humilitie let such comfort themselues This is a great argument of sound grace It is an euident testimonie of sound repentance and of Gods fauour and certaine it is and therefore hold it for a truth the viler and baser thou art in thy owne esteeme the more deare and pretious thou art in the eyes of the Lord. Make me as one of thy hyred Seruants As if he should haue said I dare not I doe not make sute to be as before I was a sonne I am vnworthy of such fauour yet vouchsafe me that fauour that I may belong vnto thee and although I am not worthy to be called a Sonne yet vouchsafe me to be a hanger on let mee haue a roome and seruice in thy house though it be amongst the companie of thy hyred seruants Here wee see the case is altered while hee was in the house no place was good enough for him but now that he hath been a while in a farre Countrey and wanted of that bread which his Fathers seruants had he doth desire to be in the basest office This teacheth vs this lesson Doctr. Gods blessings are better discerned by their want then by their enioyment 1 Sam. 3.1 Isay 4.2 Gods blessings are better knowne and more esteemed by the wanting of them then by their enioying The worth and value of Gods good blessings are not knowne till we be without them This vision was precious in the daies of Ely when that was wanting And the Prophet Isay telleth the people of Israel that the blessings of the Lord should be excellent and pleasant to them after they had beene pinched with the want thereof in their captiuitie yea the bud shall then be beautifull c. The vse of this in a word is to teach vs to esteeme more of the good blessings wee receiue from God Vse and beware of vnder-valuing them least wee giue the Lord occasion to depriue vs of them These common blessings of the shining of the Sunne breathing in the ayre meat drinke preseruation in our going out in our comming in vse of the sences strength of body and the like let them be more esteemed of thee alas consider how miserable thou art without these The Lord is fâ—ine so great is his mercy and our corruption to depriue his children of many of these good blessings till they know the price and worth of them and in their restraint make them enioy the smallest blessing more thankefully and comfortably Hunger is good sauce and giueth good rellish and taste to course meates and homely fare when for want hereof daintie dishes are but contemned Should the Lord depriue thee of thy health strength sence sleepe then wouldst thou see what a benefit thou hast enioyed Bewaile therefore thy owne corruption in this kinde and pray for this wisedome that thou mayst rather know the worth of Gods blessings by the enioying then by the wanting of them And he arose and came to his Father c. This Prodigall now puts in practise what formerly hee had resolued to doe As resolued to arise So he arose In this his practise wee must consider First what he did Secondly what he said For the first the Text saith Hee arose and came vnto his Father Where we haue first the parts of his repentance which are two Auersion from his sinne He arose Secondly Conuersion to his God And came vnto his Father Secondly We haue to consider the circumstance of time when he did it which is implied in this word And or So that is immediately hee deferred no time but presently put in execution what was before but in purpose and resolution Something in generall from the dependance before I come to the specials Doctr. Where there is true repentance there is not onely a purpose in heart but an endeauour in life Psal 32.5 In the former verse we heard his purpose in this verse we see his practise Hence learne Where there is true repentence there is not onely a purpose in the heart but a holy endeauour and practise in the life The true penitent doth not onely purpose to leaue sinne but also doth put in practise what formerly he hath purposed This may bee confirmed by many examples in Scripture Dauid resolued to confesse his sinne and he was as good in practise as he was in purpose Then I acknowledged my sinne vnto thee neither hid I my iniquitie For I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne So also in another place Psal 119.59 he thus saith I haue considered my waies and turned my feete into thy testimonies He did not onely consider and determine but performe and doe Because they haue the same arguments for the one Reason 1 which they haue for the other What stronger argument can bee brought for resolution in heart then can bee brought for action in life Surely the same reasons that we haue to mooue vs to resolue well the same if not better we haue to moouâ— vs to doe well Secondly The sâ—â—e spirit which worketh in vs the Reason 2 will worketh in vs thâ— deed also Phil. 2. and it is as well able to worke the one as it is to worke the other First Let this serue to reprooue the folly of such as Vse 1 rest themselues contented with their faint purposes perswading themselues they haue truely repented and would haue others also to bee so perswaded though no reformation follow hereupon Many there are who while they are hearing of the word seeme very much to be mooued with the promises or threatnings insomuch that their sins which they heare to be reprooued for the present they purpose to forsake the duties they heare commanded they haue some desire to performe and with Agrippa they are almost perswaded to be Christians Act 26.28 They are almost perswaded to take better courses But there they rest Many there are also who when the hand of God is vpon them by losses or sicknesse or such like visitation they purpose and promise great reformation but when Gods rod is remooued and his hand taken away they are as bad as euer they were so that wee may say of them as the wise man by shearing his Hogs Here is a great deale of cry but a little wooll Here is a great deale of purpose but a little practise aboundance of resolution but small store of action And herein they deale with the Lord as the people of Israel did who when God brought any calamity vpon them Psal 78.33.34.35.36.37 they presently returned and sought God earely But as the Text saith they flattered him with their mouth and dissembled with him with their tongue Thus many there
and doe works meete for repentance Many more places might be brought to confirme this but what need I By the mouth of two or three witnesses shall euery word be established The reason is this As by faith we are ingrafted into Reason 1 Christ Iesus and so made partakers of his death and the power of it which causeth vs to die vnto sinne so also by the same faith we are made partakers of his resurrection which causeth vs to walke in newnesse of life Rom. 6.4.11 and liue vnto the Lord. Secondly the same spirit that doth cause Reason 2 vs to leaue sinne doth bring vs to the Lord enabling vs to cry Abba-Father as the Apostle speaketh Vse To reproue many who will indeed confesse Rom. 8.15 there Vse 1 must be a turning and will also practise a change but it shall be from bad to worse from one sinne to another As for example how many doe turne from prodigalitie to couetousnesse from swearing to cousening Stuliidum vitant vitia in contraria currunt Rom. 2.22 from atheisme to popery from prophanenesse to hypocrisie now alas what is this but to turne out the Deuill at the porch and let him in at the posterne As for turning from all sinne to God that is no ordinary thing to bee found in these dayes And therefore assuredly repentance is not so common as the world takes it to be And if these are to be reproued then much more are Vse 2 such to be condemned who turne from God to sinne from a Protestant to a Papist from a professor to an Atheist How farre are these from true repentance What hope can they haue who come short of those that come short of heauen Take good notice of this you that haue beene forward and zealous but now are become Apostates and backesliders and hearken to the counsell giuen to the Church of Ephesus Reuel 2.5 Remember whence thou art fallen and repent and doe thy first workes or else I will come against thee quickly except thou repent In the last place let this admonish vs to looke that our turning be a true turning And as by sinne we haue departed with this Prodigall from our Fathers house so let vs also arise with him and set forwards towards heauen fixe thy eye vpon the Lord make towards him with thy foote Let the maine current of thy affection be on things aboue Colos 3.2 and thy hart be vpon thy God And thus turning from the one vnto the other thou mayst haue comfortable assurance that thy repentance is true and sound Now I come to the circumstance of time when he repented implyed in this word Text. Doctr. Repentance is not to be deferred but presently to be set vpon So or And. After this Prodigall had resolued to goe and humble himselfe vnto his Father he did not debate any longer about the matter but forthwith rose vp and went his away Repentance is not to be deferred but presently to be set vpon so soone as God shall put the motion into our hearts There may not be deferring nor procrastinating but a speedie practise and execution To day sayth the Prophet Dauid if you will heare his voyce Psal 95.7.8 Esay 55.6 Gal. 6.10 Heb. 3.7.13 Iocl 2.12 harden not your hearts Seeke the Lord while he may be found call vpon him while he is neare sayth the Prophet Esay While we haue opportunitie let vs doe good saith the Apostle And againe Exhort one another daily while it is called to day many prooffes might be brought and as many reasons Reason 1 First God is to be serued before all God euer required in his seruice the first fruits God is to be first serued Deut. 15.21 Pro. 3.9 Exod. 13.1 Mal. 1.8 and the first borne The firstlings are his darlings the fattest Lambes are fittest for his sacrifice Now hath the Lord respect to beastes Nay surely but hereby hee sheweth vs our dutie the maine he aymes at in all those types was to teach vs to giue him the first and best Reason 2 Secondly we ought not to deferre in respect of the shortnesse Because mans life is short and vncertaine and vncertaintie of life Our liues they are compared to a pilgrimage to the flower of grasse to wind to smoake to a vapour to a dreame and the like all which sheweth the shortnesse of our time and therefore our whole life is little enough to spend in Gods seruice But farther as it is short so also it is vncertaine Nihil câ—rtius morte hora mortis nihil incertius Wee haue no assurance to liue one houre wee are here but Tennants at will and know not how soone our great Land-lord will turne vs out of this earthly tabernacle We may be cropt off like an eare of corne Iob 24.24 for what is this life but as a nest of straw and clay soone shaken a peeces Many haue seene a faire bright morning who neuer beheld the euening as the Sodomites Gen. 19.24 And vpon many the Sunne hath set in the euening to whom it neuer appeared rising in the morning So was it with the rich Glutton in the Gospell Seeing this is so Luke 12.20 wee haue great cause speedily to repent Thirdly the longer we liue in sinne the harder will Reason 3 our repentance be for first Qui non est hodiè cras minus aptus erit Sicut non potest aliquis dediscâ—rematernam linguam sic vix longam peccati consuetudinem Basil Ier. 13.23 our sinnes will grow more strong And secondly wee our selues shall grow more weake By continuall sinning we get a custome and habit of sinning and it is not easily left a man may as soon forget his mother-tongue as leaue it Can a Black-more change his skinne or a Leopard his spots then may you also doe good that are accustomed to doe euill saith the Prophet Where he seemeth to make it a thing impossible for one that hath continued long in sinne to leaue and forsake it And indeede with man it is impossible though with God it is not for with him are all things possible Art thou not able to plucke vp a plant when it is new set how then wilt thou be able to doe it when it is often yeers growth And as repentance will be the harder in respect of sinnes strength so it will bee the harder also in respect of thine owne weaknesse for the longer thou liuest in sinne the weaker wilt thou grow in all the powers and faculties both of soule and body Experience sheweth that the longer a sicknesse doth continue the more is the body weakned and made vnfit for labour so the longer sinne which is the soules sicknesse remaines vnrepented the more weake and vnable will we be to shake it off Our vnderstandings will bee more darkned our wills more peruerted our affections more corrupted our hearts more hardned our consciences more feared and all the powers and faculties both of body
and soule more and more disabled And therefore wee haue great reason to make hast and no longer to deferre and put off repentance Reason 4 Fourthly because for the present thy estate is fearefull Is the great danger that the sinner is in for the present the wrath of God hangs ouer thy head by a twined thred if thou hadst eyes to see it thou eatest in danger of thy life thou drinkest in danger walkest in danger sleepest in danger lying betweene death and the Diuell as Peter did betweene the two souldiers Acts 12.6 bound with two chaines Now who would bee in such a danger one houre for the gaining of a world euery creature is vp in armes against thee they wait but for a watch word would God bid them strike they would soone dispatch thee and Hell that gapes for thee longing to deuoure thee You haue little cause then to deferre one day one houre or one minute Thus you see some reasons many more might be brought but wee hasten to the vses Vse 1 And first This reprooueth that wonderfull madnes and exceeding great folly of such as procrastinate and deferre their conuersion to the Lord and put off their repentance though the Lord call them thereunto and offer them neuer so fit an opportunity Men indeede confesse repentance is needfull they will say there is no hope of Heauen except they doe repent they purpose to repent But here is the mischeefe of it they will not doe it in time but deferre and fore-slow it till heereafter and that through the Deuils delusion perswading them that they haue time enough to repent in they may yet enioy the pleasures of sinne and turne to God heereafter who will assuredly receiue them to his mercy For God saith he is mercifull and hath faithfully promised that whensoeuer a sinner repenteth him of his sin hee will blot out all his wickednesse out of his remembrance As he dealt by the theefe who was receiued to mercy at the last houre though his whole life was spent in wickednesse so will hee deale with thee What needest thou then as yet thinke of repentance seeing thou mayest enioy both the pleasures of this life and of that which is to come also And thus hee carries thousands blindefold to hell who know not they are nigh it vntill they they fall in it gulling them most shamefully teaching them to reason against their owne saluation how often doe you heare these reasons brought Thirdly many lets of timely repentance First hope of long life I haue time enough to repent in What tell you me of Repentance as yet Is not God mercifull Did hee not shew mercy to the theefe at the last gaspe I doubt not but to bee saued as well as the precisest of you all But thou who thus goest on head-long to damnation come hither and let me shew thee thy monstrous folly that if it be possible thou maiest be recouered out of the snare of the Deuill 2 Tim. 2.26 who art thus taken by him at his will First It is a folly to deferre repentance vpon hope of long life thou blessest thy selfe with hope of long life thou wilt repent when thou art old but how knowest thou that thou shalt liue till thou commest to bee old Doest not thou see how vpon the stage of this world some haue longer Reason 1 parts and some haue shorter Because many die before Matth. 20.1.2 And as wee enter into the Lords vineyard doe we not so goe out that is in such a manner and at such an houre some in the morning some at noone some at night some die in the dawning of their liues passing from one graue vnto another being no sooner come out of the wombe of one mother but another mother receiues them into hers Some die in youth as in the third houre others die at thirty forty or fifty as in the sixt and ninth houre and other some very old as in the last houre of the day Now tell mee how many die before fifty for one that liue till they be past that age What hope hast thou to liue till thou beest so olde Doest not thou daily see and heare of many that goe well to bed at night and are found dead in the morning of many other that are suddenly slaine or come to some vntimely death why may it not be thus with thee how vaine then and false is thy hope of long life seeing no man can tell what a day what an houre may bring forth Reason 2 But in the second place Say thou doest liue vntill thou art old Because olde age is no fit time for it 2 Sam. 19.35 yet consider how vnseasonable a time this is for repentance Behold saith Barzillai to Dauid I am this day fourescore yeeres old and can I discerne betweene good or euill hath thy seruant any taste in that I eat or drink Can I heare any more the voyce of singing-men and women wherefore then should thy seruant be any more a burden vnto my Lord the King Heere see how he confesseth that by reason of his age he was vnfit to attend vpon the King or doe him seruice and therefore much more shall a man be disabled in olde age for this worke of repentance Salomon calls the daies of old age euill dayes and withall Eccles 12.1 wils the young man to remember his Creator before they come They are termed euill not because they are so in themselues but because of the many-fold miseries that doe accompany them and so the Philosopher called old age Diog. Laert. in vita Dion The Hauen of all euill because of the innumerable maladies and aches and paines that do flock thither as into a common receptacle For then shall the keepers of the house by which Salomon meaneth the hands which are the protectors of the body tremble and shake Eccles 12.1 And the strong men that is the legs that should carry the body bowe themselues and wax faint and feeble and the grinders by which he meaneth the teeth the mouth being as the mill and the two rowes of teeth like the vpper and nether mil-stones shall cease because they are few and those that looke out of the windowes shall bee darkned that is his eyes shall wax dim and his sight shall faile him â— then shall the dore be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low The mouth and the iawes shall hang downe and not be fast neither shall they eat as young men vse to doe Hee shall rise vp at the voyce of the bird his sleepe shall not be found but it shall be taken away yea with euery little chirping of a bird hee shall bee awaked and all the daughters of musike shall bee brought low their cares shall wax deafe they shall not delight in musike they shall also bee afrayd of that which is high they shall then goe hanging downe the head and shoulders as they
it A sincere heart will not stand vpon termes of priuate reputation much lesse will dare to giue the price of a Harlot for a sacrifice for his sinne seeke not by money to buy out thy confession thou canst haue small peace in it If thy offence hath beene priuate goe to God in priuate and humble thy selfe giue not ouer confessing vntill God hath spoken peace to thy soule and giuen thee some assurance that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Motiues And to stirre you vp to the performance of this duty consider of these three motiues besides what hath beene already sayd First it brings glory to God Iosh 7.19 Bis Deum landamus vbi pie nos accusamus First by thy confession thou bringest glory to God his Name is honoured when thy sinnes are confessed Thus saith Iosua to Achan My sonne giue I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession to him and tell mee now what thou hast done hide it not from mee Where we see he ioyneth giuing glory to God and confession of sinne together Quest Answ How God is glorified by our confession But how is God glorified when sinne is confessed Many wayes for in our confessions wee giue him First the glory and praise of his truth in acknowledging that to be true which his word chargeth on vs. Secondly the glory of his Iustice by acknowledging that if he should punish vs Psal 51.4 and throw vs into hell wee had but our desert he should doe vs no wrong Thirdly the glory of his Wisedome in that we acknowledge no secret thing can be hid from him but that our secret'st sinnes are naked and open before him Heb. 4. Fourthly the glory of his Patience in acknowledging his long-suffering forbearing of vs Lament 3.22 whereas he might haue executed Martiall Law upon vs and speedily haue consumed vs. Fiftly the glory of his Power in that we acknowledge there is no way to flie from him Psal 139.7 but that the onely way for pardon is by flying vnto him And lastly the glory of his Mercie in that we haue hope that he will pardon and forgiue vs Psal 32.2 and not impute our sinnes vnto vs. And thus we see how the true and sincere confession of sinne doth serue notably to the setting forth of the gloâ—y of Gods name How should this yea how would this preuaile with vs if there were any sparke of grace in our hearts Thou that hast a long time dishonoured God by sinne make some part of amends this way by thy humble and heartie confession of it Doest thou looke for glory from God then see that this way thou doest giue glory to God honour him by heartie confession whom thou hast hitherto dishonoured by thy presumption Secondly consider Second motiue it bringeth confusion to Sathan Reuel Confession of sinne brings confusion to Sathan Sathan is confounded when sin is confessed His labour is to accuse vs night and day and therefore is he called The accuser of the brethren Now when we preuent him and be the first accusers of our selues oh the foyle that we giue him then do we stop his mouth that he hath nothing to say against vs nor wherewith to charge vs. And lastly consider it â—â—â—gs peace to thy own soule Third motiue it brings peace to the soule Psal 3â— 3 Verse 4. and quietnesse to thy heart See this in Dauid so long as he kept close his sinne and held his tongue his bones consumed and his moysture was turned into the drought of summer He was night and day as it were in Little-ease he could haue no rest nor quietnesse Verse 5. till he did acknowledge his sinne and confesse against himselfe his wickednesse to the Lord and so he had the punishment of his sin forgiuen Looke then as a sicke stomach is eased by vomiting Quicquid conscientiae stomachum grauat totum vemitu purae confessionis â—uomere ne differas Bern. so is a guiltie conscience eased by confession and not before deferre not therefore to take this vomit if thou wouldst haue ease Vse 3 And so I passe from this to a third vse which is for our direction for must confession goe before remission then let euery one looke that as they confesse so they make an vpright confession Many haue confessed yet found small comfort as Pharoah Saul and Iudas with many more if therefore we would speed better then they did we must looke that our confession be better then theirs was See then that you obserue diligently the true properties of it and they are these Properties of true confession first it must be in particular not by whole sale Ezra 9. Neh. 9. Psal 51.4 1. Tim. 1.13 First it must be Particular and of speciall sinnes and not by lump or whole sale There must be a particularizing of thy faults and a culling out of thy chiefe transgressions and not content thy selfe with termes of generall acknowledgment This hath beene the practise of Gods children continually Ezra and Nehemiah when they make confession what specialties doe they rip vp into what particulars doe they descend So did Dauid this euill haue I done Thus did Paul reckon vp his speciall sinnes I was a blasphemer c. It is not then sufficient to say I am a sinner God forgiue me but there must be an acknowledgment of particulars if we would haue God forgiue To the Physitian thou wilt tell thy particular paines in what part in what manner thou wert taken and nothing shal be concealed but see thy folly here Thou wilt confesse that thou art sicke that thou art a sinner but there is all as for thy speciall sins God must find them out Dan. 2. thou wilt confesse none dealing with him as Nabucadnezer with his inchaunters about his dreame he had dreamed but they must find what so we are sinners but God must find wherein But who knoweth the errors of his life who can remember all his former faults Obiect Remember what thou canst Answ reckon vp thy speciall euills thou knowest that thou hast committed and the Lord will be pleased to accept of a generall repentance for the rest as he did of Dauid Psal 19.12 A Second property it must bee with the heart A Second property of true confession is that it be made with the Whole heart Such a confession as is fetched no furrher then from the mouth will neuer be respected This lip-labour God hateth as a lame offering and maimed sacrifice Thus did Ephraim confesse and the poore Publican â—r 31.18 Luke 18.13 who smote vpon his breast and said Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Far from the heart are those drowsie confessions which many make but let such know that their cold confession will bring but a cold effect and fruit of consolation in the end Thirdly it must be freely and willingly The Third property It must be free Confessio vt
deuide that betwixt two Voluntas humanâ—s non libertate gratiaÌ„ sed gratia libertatem consequitur August God and man which of right belongeth onely vnto God God onely say they perswades the will as a man his friend to take a iourney whereto he is vnwilling but in the accomplishing of any worke God is onely an assistant for man by his owne power worketh together with him This is little better then blasphemie thus to hold that the will of man doth worke with Gods grace in any thing that is good True it is as they are workes and actions so they proceede from the will of man but as they are good workes so onely are they workes of grace For all actions of man may be distinguished into three sorts some are naturall as to eate drinke walke sleepe c. Now most true it is that in these and the like actions man hath freedome of will but yet so as that he hath onely power to the doing but not to the well-doing hee is not able to doe any of these things to any good or godly end he may vse the meanes to obtaine faith and repentance he may goe from place to place he may enter into the house of God or not enter heare the Word or not heare it for this is left to man and put as it were into our hands but it is to make vs without excuse for so to heare as that thereby our conuersion might be wrought is not in our power It is the Lord that must first boare the care Other kind of actions are morall as all oeconomicall and Politicall duties In these man hath no free will of himselfe to chuse the good or refuse the euill to embrace the vertue or decline the vice but as he is wholly directed and gouerned by Gods spirit Lastly other actions are spirituall wherein we are to consider man with a three-fold difference First as he is before his conuersion where his will is altogether corrupt inclining onely to that which is euill Secondly as he is in the very act of conuersion where in respect of the grace which outwardly preuents him his will is meerely passiue and hee is in the hands of God Rom. 9.21 euen as the clay in the hands of the potter but yet in respect of the time wherein his conuersion is wrought he is not like a stocke but while he is healed by the holy Ghost he is also actiue In the very act of conuersion the will of man is not idle nor without all motion and sence but it followeth Acti agimus the spirit of God that draweth it far more and the same moment God mooueth and boweth the will and causeth vs to be willing indeed but yet so as all the efficacie of the worke is from the spirit of God who of vnwilling maketh vs willing and maketh vs runne who were before slow and dull Thirdly man is to be considered as he is after his conuersion where because the grace of God beareth rule there is a readinesse to obey as the Apostle sheweth to the Phillippians I am able to doe all things through Christ Phil. 4.13 who strengtheneth me So then we see the truth of this doctrine how we haue no abilitie to cooperate as they falsly teach with the grace of God freedome of the will to turne to God and to worke with him is no power of nature but the worke of grace For of our selues we are not sufficient as of our selues to thinke much lesse to speake lest of all to doe any good Indeed we will but it is God that worketh in vs to will we worke but it is God that worketh in vs to worke according to his good pleasure The second Vse is for our humiliation There is no Vse 2 goodnesse nor aptnesse in thee to that which is good Why then shouldest thou be lift vp with any conceit of thy selfe Oh beware of this boasting for whereof hast thou to boast Surely of nothing but sinne and miserie Come not to God as proud Dames to their Husbands bragging and boasting of the goods they brought as the Papists would haue vs no doe not the one is odious to man the other more hatefull vnto God vndoubtedly he that knoweth well his owne vntowardnesse to that which is good will neuer dare to thinke there is any thanke due vnto himselfe for the furtherance of his owne conuersion in the least degree Vse 3 Thirdly Let it be for exhortation to all such as haue any tokens and signes of their true conuersion to ascribe all the prayse and glorie thereof vnto the Lord. Say with Dauid 115. Ps 1. Not vnto vs O Lord not vnto vs but to thy name be the glorie For it is of his mercie not of thy deseruing Is there any difference now betwixt thee and a Rebrobate God found it not in thee but did put it into thee Thou art of the same nature with them thou hadst no more abilitie to worke out thy owne saluation then they had Thou seest many commit lewd prankes some murder others whoredome c. Thou leauest yea hatest these things What is the cause surely Gods grace and only Gods grace Giue glorie therefore vnto God Psal 103.1 prayse his name yea let all that is within thee prayse him Vse 4 Lastly this may serue for our direction desire we to be saued What shall we then doe but looke vp vnto him from whom saluation commeth earnestly desire the assistance of his grace for the effecting of the worke of our conuersion say and confesse with the Prophet Ieremiah Ier. 10.23 Ier. 31.18 Lumen 5.21 Isay 5.1 Da Domine quod iubes iube quod vis Aug. Soliloq cap. 18. O Lord I know the way of man is not in himselfe neyther is it in man to direct his steps Pray also with Ephraim Conuert then mee and I shall be conuerted And with the Church Turne vs vnto thee O Lord and we shall be turned for it is God that must loose the bands of thy necke Oh captiue daughter of Syon it is euen hee that must conuert thy soule Pray pray with that ancient Father Lord giue grace to doe what thou commandest and then command what thou pleasest otherwise there can be no good looked for in any of vs. Other of our expositors expound these words according to the method here propounded And refer them to the after-times and so make them as the fruit and effect He did no sooner begin to turne homewards but his father lookes on him with the eyes of pitty and compassion yea and while he was yet a great way off before he could confesse his fault he runneth to meete him and louingly imbraceth him Taking the words thus they will afford vs these good Lessons first that True repentance is the readie way to obtaine Gods fauor Doctr. 1 where he beginneth to turne True repentance the ready way to obtaine Gods fauour 2. Cro. 7.14 the father will
hardly are we reconciled nay though they sue and seeke vnto vs yet how hardly are we brought euer to receiue him to loue and fauour againe within our hearts so close doth wrong and iniurie sticke vnto vs. But as for God behold his goodnesse who albeit he be daily prouoked by our sinnes is readie to forgiue and doth seeke vnto vs to be reconciled beeing more readie to pardon then we to begge it Oh that we were followers of God herein like good children Ephes 5.1 Secondly let this serue to increase our boldnesse in Vse 2 comming to the Lord thou canst not be so forward to come as God is to meet so readie to craue pardon as he is to forgiue This poynt had need to be vrged for howsoeuer this be common in the mouthes of many God is mercifull and the like yet in time of Spirituall distresse to seeke to God for mercie is no easie matter it is nothing saith one in the day of sencelessenesse to presume but when once the heart is touched with a sence of sinne it is a hard matter not to despaire Oh what a hard taske is it then to seeke for mercie and lay hold of it Consider well what hath been said and store it vp against time of need But now happily some will obiect against this truth Obiect and say I haue often sought to God for mercie with many a teare and groane and yet I haue not found yea and other of Gods children as Moses Dauid Paul c. haue prayed and not beene heard To this I answer It may be thou hast sought for such Answ 1 things as God knoweth to be vnfit for thee tending rather to thy hurt then good If so then God is found in mercie in withholding from thee that which thou derest and is more ready to shew mercy then thou to seek it for thou seekest not mercie but thine owne miserie God therefore giueth mercie beyond thy desire Secondly God may for a time delay to giue thee Answ 2 what thou seekest that it may be a mercie for hadst thou what thou desirest at the very instant it might tend to thy hurt or else not be respected as it should Did God see thee fit to receiue thou shouldest not want thy desire one houre In this also is God more readie to shew mercie then thou to seeke Answ 3 Or thirdly Thou art heard in a better kind and so was Paul and Moses and the rest of Gods seruants with whom God dealt by way of exchange keeping from them what they begged and giuing vnto them a better blessing If then God giue not that particular thou askest but some thing better then it for it whether it bee Patience Strength Exercise or increase of Grace thou canst not say but God is found and is as readie nay more readie to shew mercie then thou to sue for it at his hands Let vs then beleeue remember and apply this poynt for our endlesse and euerlasting comfort And beware of sucking poyson out of this sweet and blessed floure Text. He fell on his necke and kissed him Here is a ioyfull meeting betwixt so good a father and so badde a sonne Mercie and Truth are met and each of them kisse the other here is truth in the Prodigall for he dissembled not and mercie in the father By these circumstances the heat and fire of his affections is declared and his intire loue vnto his sonne expressed for a kisse hath euer beene as a pledge and pawne of kindnesse which is professed by it and by this ceremonie or rite they did expresse their loue in the time of the primatiue Church one to another Iustin Mart. Apolog. 2. which ceremonie continued till the daies of Iustine Martyr in customarie vse before their approaching to the Lords Table thereby to testifie their heartie reconcilement each to other 1. Thes 5.26 this was called a holy kisse It is a ceremonie also of ciuilitie and hath beene and is still in vse Thus Ioseph blessed his brethren Gen. 45. Ruth 1.9 and fell vpon their necks and kissed them c. When Iudas the traytor studied with himselfe what course might be the best to bring Christ to his death hee could deuise not a more subtile shift then vnder a kisse a pretence of kindnesse to couer his villenie Cant. 1. When the Church in the Canticles saith to her Spouse to shew his loue vnto her she intreateth him to kisse her with the kisses of his mouth viz. that he would manifest his loue and affection vnto her by manifest and good tokens Thus the father kisseth his penitent child thereby to seale and confirme his loue and good will towards him that he might make no doubt thereof So then in that the father doth thus manifest and declare his loue and good will to this sonne after his comming into his presence hence let vs learne this Lesson God will manifest and make knowne his loue vnto his children Doctr. God doth not onely loue his children but he will make it manifest by signes and tokens that hee loueth them Rom. 5.5 by euident signes and tokens vpon their conuersion and turning to him God doth not onely inwardly affect and loue his elected children that belong vnto him but hee will also haue them resolued of this his loue and kindnesse and will in due time make manifest the same by euident signes and tokens that they may not doubt of it The loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts saith the Apostle that is the sense and feeling of it is shedde and powred forth into vs that wee might not doubt of it but be fully perswaded and assured thereof And a little after he saith God commendeth Verse 8. that it maketh knowne his loue towards vs in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for vs. And were it not so how could we be affected with it Reason what is it for a blinde man to know that the Sunne is a most glorious bright creature when hee himselfe doth not see it so what is it for a man to know there is much loue hid in God except he haue some sence and feeling of it That precious oyntment Math. 26.7 which the woman poured vpon Christs head gaue no sauour while it was shut vp in the box but being shed and powred out it did then yeeld a most sweet sent vnto all that were in the roome so the loue of God while it is as it were shut vp in Gods decree and not felt of the Elect hath not that fauour with it but when they once come to haue a taste of it then it is as an oyntment powred forth which doth exceedingly and plentifully refresh their hearts and soules Quest Whether Gods Elect as yet vncalled are within the compasse of Gods loue Answ Vpon this that hath beene sayd some may demand whether Gods Elect being yet vncalled are within the compasse of Gods loue for
his petitions is bounded in this narrow compasse If the Lord will giue me meate to eat Gen. 32.9.10 and raiment to put on his desires are not extended farre only he seekes for food rayment But God was more gracious vnto him then so as he himselfe confesseth for God gaue him two bands abundance of goods and chattels Thus Salomon repuireth but an vnderstanding heart for gouernement God giueth it to him with an ouerplus of riches and of honour such as none should be like vnto him 1 Kings 3.9.13 Ezekias requested but life at Gods hand God did not onely giue him life but a long life and certaine gratiously adding fifteene yeeres vnto his daies Isay 38.15.6 2 Kings 41. The Widdow woman that was greatly indebted hauing nothing to satisfie her cruell creditor who was so importunate that her two sonnes must become his bondmen according to the law there being nothing els to discharge the summe required the prophets helpe vnto the Lord in her behalfe So Psal 21.4 who gaue her oyle sufficient to pay her debt and also to supply future wants which was more then she desired It is no hard matter to produce many more examples for the further enlarging of this comfortable poynt It is no wonder then the Apostle termeth God 2 Cor. 1. to be the Father of mercy And not content heerewith addeth to his stile this iust title The God of all consolation A kind of absolute and ouer-flowing mercy he giueth vnto him and that deseruedly If any demand a reason of Gods so doing Reason then this may be giuen That we may be made the more readie and willing to obey him as also That none might thinke it tedious or troublesome to come vnto him making knowne their requests by prayer and supplication The vses of this poynt may be these Vse First Let vs learne to put a difference betwixt God and man My waies are not your waies neither are my thoughts as your thoughts saith the Lord and is it not so indeed Man is liberall in promising but sparing in performing hardly the one halfe is performed of what is promised if that but it is otherwise with God True it is he promiseth much and as true it is that he performeth more Neuer was promise by him made but it was performed to the very vttermost Secondly let this serue for the confirmation of our faith Vse 2 in those promises which God hath made for doth God giue more then assuredly he will giue that he hath promised Is God better then must thou assure thy selfe he will be as good as his word How canst thou doubt it What promise soeuer God hath made doe thou beleeue neuer feare excesse in faith his fauour doth and will goe beyond it Psal 33.4 Hath God made thee any promise that he will be with thee in sixe troubles and in seuen Hath he promised that hee will turne all things to the best to thee that louest him Hath he promised that no good thing shall bee wanting to thee that fearest him why beleeue thou these things God will not falsifie the word that is gone out of his mouth but faithfully fulfill it Thirdly Is God thus mercifull aboue our hope let this incourage vs to call vpon him in the day of trouble Heb. 4.16 Psal 145.18 19. and to come with boldnesse to the Throne of Grace not doubting to obtayne fauour in time of neede For hee will fulfill the desires of them that feare him hee will heare their crye and saue them Men in suing to their betters commonly aske more then they doe expect but in suing to the Lord we may looke for more then we doe aske Should a Prince be knowne to be thus gracious to giue more out of his princely bountie then his peticioners desired of him surely he should want no suters but men would resort vnto him in flockes and troupes There is no Prince to be compared with the Lord none so liberall none so bountifull Why then are wee so backward in our suits and requests Are wee in want would we haue supply flie then vnto him he is more readie to heare then thou to speake his eare is often open when thy mouth is shut Desire mercie at his hands he is readie to grant it nay Phil. 4.6 two for one Follow then the aduice of the Apostle Paul Bee carefull for nothing but in euerie thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made knowne vnto the Lord. Text. Best Robes Whatsoeuer is needfull the father here bestowes hee clothes him with rayment he puts on shooes vpon his feet and refresheth him with pleasant and comfortable meat Hence wee gather this instruction Doctr. Nothing that is needfull shall be wanting when Gods fauour is not Psal 23.1.6 Nothing that is needfull shall be wanting to those that are in the fauour of the Lord. Such as haue his fauour shall haue all good blessings flowing to them following of them Dauid doth notably confirme this in many of his Psalmes As in the 23. Psalme where professing God to be his Shepheard maketh this inference thereupon therefore I shall not want but doubtlesse kindnesse and mercie shall follow mee all the dayes of my life Psal 34.9 10. So Psal 34.9 10. verses The Lyons doe lacke and suffer hunger but they which seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Psal 84.11 Also in the 84. Psal 11. notably The Lord God is a Sunne and Shield vnto vs the Lord will giue grace and glorie and no good thing will hee withhold from them that walke vprightly And is not this the blessing that is promised to such as feare the Lord that all good things should flow vnto them from heauen and earth that they should be blessed In the house in the field in their basket in their store Deut. 28.3 4. in the fruit of their bodies in the increase of their cattle and in the aboundance of all things The reasons that may be giuen will serue for the further clearing of this truth For first Reason they are his adopted children and how then can hee suffer them to be in need euen wicked men will be tender ouer their children Lament 4.3 and Beares and Dragons will be carefull of their young ones And shall the God of all goodnesse withdraw his hand from helping his sonnes and daughters It cannot be Secondly consider God is Omnipotent and able to Reason 2 doe whatsoeuer he will True it is earthly parents are often willing to helpe their children yet cannot but God is both willing and able And therefore those that are his cannot be in want Thirdly Gods eyes are euer open to see their needs Reason 3 his eares euer open to here their prayers he is euer present and nigh at hand to relieue their necessitie It may and oftentimes doth so fall out Psal 145.18 that mortall man though he be willing to helpe
property it euer seekes it owne preseruation It will euer seeke it owne preseruation The new borne babe by crying begs helpe presently so soone as it is borne And the young ones of bruites run to the teat of their dames Thus it is with such as liue this life of grace they hunger and thirst for the food of their soules 1. Pet. 2.2 and as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby as S. Peter teacheth vs. Their desire is to be feeding that they may be growing and they are much grieued when this food is wanting because the growth of grace must needs be hindered Examine thy selfe is it thus with thee doest thou desire after the food of thy soule and follow hard the market to prouide for the preseruation of the same If it be so it is well it is a great signe of grace but if it be otherwise that thou hast no care hereof despising or neglecting the ordinances of God which he hath ordained for the good of thy soule it is a sure signe thou wantest this life we speake of A third propertie is constantly to seeke it Thirdly as it seeketh it so it constantly seekes it Life doth not onely seeke it owne preseruation but it seeks it daily constantly continually so long as it hath any being The yong infant doth almost nothing else but suck and sleepe then cry for the breast againe and so any other creature doth daily seeke for foode The young lyons roare after their prey Psal 104.21 Ver. 27. and all other creatures waite vpon the Lord that he may giue them their meat in due season Thus is it with them that liue this life of grace there is a daily seeking after foode for the preseruing of it a daily vsing of the meanes as prayer reading meditation and the like Thus it is said of the blessed man In Gods law he doth exercise himselfe both day and night Psal 1.2 Many examples might be brought for proofe of this Iob rose vp early to offer sacrifice Job 1.5 this did Iob continually It was Daniels practise to pray three times a day Dan. 6.10 Psal 55.17 Psal 119.164 And Dauids Euening morning and at noone-tide will I pray vnto thee yea we may heare him speaking of seauen times a day praising of the Lord. And indeed there are but few duties of Religion for which we haue not the example of some Saint for the daily performance thereof Let this be well considered of such as heare and read and pray by fitts and starts now and then as it were vpon raynie dayes Alas thousands there are in the world who read not pray not from Sabboth to Sabboth nay nor then neither Haue these any life of grace in them Sure I am naturall life must be daily fed and shall be too and is there not as much neede for the spirituall Be it therefore knowne vnto thee and certified to thy soule that thou deceiuest thy selfe in thinking thou liuest the life of a Christian when there is no care had to a daily performance of the exercises belonging to a Christian Fourthly it is sensible of whatsoeuer is an enemie vnto it A fourth propertie of life is this it is sensible of whatsoeuer is an enemie vnto it doth resist it The more life the greater sense and the greater sense the more resistance Thus is it with such as liue this life of grace corruptions are felt and fought against the spirit lusts against the flesh Galat. 5.17 and the flesh against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other Thus was it with Paul he felt his corruptions which caused him to sigh and groane vnder the weight of them I haue saith he a law in my members warring against the law of my minde Rom. 7.23 and bringing mee into captiuitie to the law of sinne now this sense of sinne caused him to breake forth into this complaint O wretched man that I am vers 24. who shall deliuer me from the bodie of this death Thus was he sensible of the opposition which was made by sinne against that life and power of grace which was in him and as he felt it so did he warre and combat against it he did resist those rebellious lusts and set himselfe against them with all his force Examine then thy selfe by this Doest thou feele thy corruptions and striue against them Art thou sensible of the working of sinne in thy selfe and how it opposeth the life of grace that is in thee Doest thou feele vnbeleefe opposing thy faith Dulnesse and deadnesse thy delight in Gods seruice And doest thou struggle and striue against each of these as the powers of life naturall doth against a disease Why then this is an euident signe of spirituall life a sure testimonie of the Spirit of Grace But is it otherwise with thee hast thou no sense nor feeling of the power of sinne makest thou no complaints against thy sinfull corruptions Is there no resisting nor opposing of thy rebellious lusts Why then assure thy selfe there is no life of grace in thee the strong man hath gone away with all thou art still in thy naturall blindnes and deadnes By these signes may you certainely know if you will deale truely in examining your selues whether you as yet liue the life of Grace Deale faithfully then with thy selfe in this businesse which doth so neerely concerne thee For if thou liuest not the life of Grace here neuer hope to liue the life of glory hereafter As desirous therefore as thou art to know the one so be as diligent to finde out the other A second Vse is for our Instruction Seeke to liue this Vse 2 life of Grace which onely deserues to be esteemed a life A man may eat and drinke and walke and sleepe and speake and haue the vse of all his sences and yet not worthy to be said to liue because he wants Gods Holy Spirit to quicken his soule Aboue all things in the world then seeke after this because without it thy breath sence soule are nothing worth and not onely so but are accursed to thee Quest But what may I do or what meanes must I vse that I may liue this life of Grace Answ Meanes to liue the life of Grace I answer As to liue a naturall life there must be a generation according to the flesh so if thou wouldest attaine to liue this life of the Spirit thou must of necessitie be brought to a second birth Not to be turned into our mothers womb againe as Nicodemus thought but as Christ saith Ioh. 3.1 we must be borne of the will of his Father 1. Pet. 1.23 And as Peter saith of a seede not mortall but immortall the word of God Faith that commeth by hearing Rom. 10. hearing by the word Regeneration is a fruit of Faith Faith an effect of the word the word is preached
Lord after the example of Zacheus Luk. 19 6 7 8. who vpon the day of his conuersion made a great feast for gladnesse and gaue gifts to the poore with all alacritie Acts 16.32 33. And of the Iaylor who the same time he was conuerted tooke Paul and Silas and washed their wounds and set meat before them and reioyced greatly with all his houshold Thus should Christians doe for they haue greater cause to keepe this birth-day then the former For the first birth is vnto death the second vnto life the first to condemnation the second to saluation By the first we are made vessels of wrath but by the second vessels of glory The first birth indeede giueth vs a being but it is the second that giueth vs our well-being By the first birth wee may say to corruption thou art my father and to the wormes yee are my brethren and sisters But by the second we haue God for our Father and Christ Iesus with the holy Angels for our brethren Oh what cause haue we to reioyce in this time aboue all other times and to say with the Psalmist This is the day which the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in it He was lost Heare we see what in part hath beene before shewen viz. Text. That wicked men are Strayes They goe astray Doctr. Wicked are Strayes Psal 119.176 Hoc prophetae post peccatum omni humanae naturae dicere conuenit Basil in Psal 119. Vse and wander out of the way to Heauen I haue gone astray like a lost sheep saith Dauid And this not onely the Prophet but the whole nature of man after the transgression is bound to confesse And therefore we are well taught in our Lyturgie to say we haue gone astray like lost sheepe This is confirmed further in the two fore-going parables of the lost sheepe and lost groat I would wicked men would take notice of it yea euery one of vs well consider it How doe men vse to deale with Strayes doe they not take them and pound them and if the Owner finde them not doth not the Lord of the soyle seaze vpon them and take them for his owne This is thy condition So will it bee with thee if thou continuest still in thy sinnes and wanderest from the Lord and wilt not be found of him At last thou shalt be taken vp and pounded and the God of this world shall seaze on thee and lay claime to thee as to his own proper goods and chattels But of this I haue spoken more before in the thirteenth verse where you may find the vse and application set downe more largely to which if you please you may adde this that hath beene now sayd And is found Yea but who findes him Text. had not his father first found him hee had beene lost for euer So then we see that other poynt confirmed viz. Doctr. Our conuersion and calling is from Gods mercy and grace That our conuersion and calling is from Gods free grace It is not from our owne wisdome or labour but from the mercy of God In the two former parables wee see this cleared and strengthened for the groat seekes not the woman nor the sheepe the shepheard no more doe we seeke Christ if he seekes vs not we shall wander for euer more Vse 1 Art thou then found see thou prayse God for finding thee giue him all the glory For if thou doest well remember thy selfe thou wert a following of sinne and hunting after vanities when God called thee Thou hadst no heart either to seeke him or be found of him With what vnwillingnesse didst thou come vnto his house how wert thou drawne thither like a Beare to the stake how vnpleasant was it to thee to heare talke of good matters how many excuses and pretences hadst thou for thy sinnes with what fig-leaues didst thou couer thy shame Thus with thy great Grandfather Adam thou didst runne from God when he came to seek thee and he was faine to drag thee from behinde the bushes Oh the mercy of God towards thee and mee I had not he dealt thus graciously with vs wee had beene wanderers to this houre If thou art not blinde thou seest this and if thou art not blockish thou wilt bee thankfull for this Vse 2 Secondly did God finde thee of hâ—â— meere mercy and was he found of thee when thou foughtest him not Esay 65.1 as the Prophet speaketh Then now seeke him and thou shalt be sure to finde him Psal 105.3 Let the heart of them reioyce that seeke the Lord saith the Psalmist The meaning is the heart of them shall reioyce that seeke the Lord yea they shall haue great cause to reioyce for they shall find and not misse if they seeke aright Now marke what followes Oh seeke the Lord and his strength seeke his strength euermore Seeing those that seeke the Lord shall haue such cause to reioyce then seeke the Lord. Again and againe I say seeke him I will end this with recommending to thee a sweet meditation of a father for thy imitation Seeke mee saith hee O Lord Quâ— aere me quia te requiro Potes inuenire quem tu requiris Dignare suscipere quem inueneris Impone humeris quem susceperis Non est tibi pium onus fastidio Amb. for I seeke thee Thou mayst finde him whom thou seekest vouchsafe to receiue him whom thou hast found and lay him vpon thy shoulders whom thou hast receiued It is no weary burthen vnto thee to beare thine owne and bring them home againe vnto thy selfe Thus say thou And they began to bee merry Not onely his father friends and houshold-seruants but the Prodigall himselfe hath his part in this ioy Heere then we euidently see Text. that Regeneration doth not abolish ioy Doctr. nor any other naturall affection but onely orders it Grace destroyes not nature Regeneration doth not abolish ioy or any other naturall affection but onely orders it but onely rectifies it When the Spirit of God doth regenerate the heart it doth not take away any naturall affection of the soule as Loue Hatred Feare Ioy Griefe c. but onely mooues them to a right obiect And therefore we shall finde in Scriptures that wee are often willed to manifest and shew them Psal 31.23 Psal 97.10 Loue the Lord all his Saints Yee that loue the Lord hate that which is euill Feare the Lord yee his Saints My sonne Prou. 24.21 Psal 32.11 feare the Lord and the King Be glad you righteous and ioyfull all yee that are vpright in heart 1 Cor. 12.26 Mourne you therefore with them that mourne reioyce with them that doe reioyce c. And many the like places where the vse of affections are allowed yea commanded This then serues to condemne First the Stoickes Vse Reproofe of two sorts 1. Stoickes who condemn all vse of affections Heb. 7.26 who allow not any vse
with and accusing of his Father which accusation is amplified per 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He had beene obedient Loe these many yeares doe I serue thee neither at any time transgressed I thy commandement verse 29. But his Brother had beene disobedient Assoone as this thy Sonne was come which hath deuoured thy liuing with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted Calfe verse 30. Thirdly How this is anger is qualified and that is done two waies First by his Fathers kinde entreaty of him verse 28. Secondly by an Apollogie which his Father makes vnto him vers 31.32 Wherein we haue a Proposition verse 31. which hath in it a Concession of the former particulars For the Father would not now exasperate him but seemeth thus to reason Graunt is bee so as thou doest say of thy selfe yet thou doest not well to bee offended for all that I haue is thine And secondly a Confirmation verse 32. where hee doth both iustifie his owne proceedings ab aequo for what he did was equity and right And also secretly defend his younger Sonne against his elder Brothers former accusation For though he were dead yet he is now aliue though he were lost he is new found He is not what he hath been the case is altered And thus wee see the limbes of this latter part My purpose is onely to obserue some generall poynt from each of these specialls and so draw to a conclusion And first in that this elder Sonne vpon the vnderstanding of his Fathers loue and gracious dealing with his younger Brother who came home humbled and penitent doth thus repine and grudge waxe angry and d scontent This giueth vs to vnderstand that Doctr. The wicked repine at the preferments of others in Gods fauours Math 20.1 verse 2. verse 3.4 verse 5.6 The blessings of God vpon others are great eye-sores vnto the wicked They grudge and repine at the preferments of others in the fauours of God This our Sauiour teacheth vs by another parable A certaine housholder went our early in the morning to hyre labourers into his vineyard And when hee had agreed with them for a pennie a day bee sent them into his vineyard to worke And he went out about the third houre and seeing others idle sent them in also Thus did he also about the sixt ninth and eleauenth houre Now when Euen was come verse 8.9 the Lord called the labourers to giue them their hyre and gaue euery man his pennâ—e to them that came in last he gaue as much as to theÌ„ that came in first vers 11.12 Therfore the labourers murmured against the Master of the vineyard saying these last haue wrought but one houre thou hast made them equall vnto vs which haue borne the burden and heate of it Thus did they enuie the seruants and repine against the Masters dealing Many are the examples that might bee alleaged for confirmation of this truth But take one for all God hee hath respect to Abel Gen 4.45 and to his offering but vnto Kain and to his offering he had no regard Wherefore Kain was exceeding wrath and his countenance fell downe And afterwards hee slew his Brother and why was this 1 Iohn 3 12. but because his owne workes were euill and his Brothers good God regarded Abels sacrifice and had respect vnto it for this cause doth his brother enuie him and at last doth murder him The reason is because they are of that same euill one 1 Iohn 3.12 as S. Iohn speaketh They are a hellish brood and are transformed into the image of the deuil who enuied the happinesse of our first Parents in the Garden Gen. 3.5 of his nature doe they participate his workes they doe and cannot otherwise chuse Secondly as the tree is such must be the fruit they Reason 2 are flesh and therefore must needs bring forth the fruits of the flesh whereof this is one as the Apostle doth manifestly declare Gal. 5.21 This then serueth to reprooue many who Caine-like Vse 1 fret at the preferments of others in the fauours of the Lord And inwardly repine at the good estate and happie condition of their brethren the knowledge zeale and obedience of others and the fruits of these and such like graces viz. a good name and estimation doe inwardly vexe and torment them and are as daggers at their hearts The hearing seeing or thinking of any other to haue more or so much as they themselues haue is as a quotidian ague to their bones it paines them day and night Psal 112.10 it causeth them to gnash their teeth and melt away So that as Iosephs brethren could not endure that their Father should loue him better then he loued them And as the Princes of Babell could not abide that Daniell should be fauoured of the King aboue themselues so cannot these men endure that the God of heauen should respect any before themselues though they continually blaspheme his holy name and no day will giue obedience vnto him Oh the cursed nature of this same monster Enuie which filleth men to the eyes and there it sitteth and wheresoeuer through those windowes it espies a blessing it is sicknesse and death vnto it Honor wealth prosperitie and whatsoeuer is good in any it repineth at Men are not well if they see others better and in a manner Parum est si ipse sit felix nisi alter fuerit in faelix 1. Cor. 15.42 they doe hate to be happie with any company Should God send these to heauen how would they brooke it for there one starre excels another in glory as the Apostle speakes surely hell is the fittest place for such without repentance for there they shall see no matter of enuie but all obiects of extreame misery And yet there also so enuious are they it may be they will desire to sit in the chayre and haue superiority though they receiue the more torments Vse 2 Secondly let this serue for our instruction to fence and fortifie our selues against this diueilish enuie Who is there that had not need be watchfull are not the best and most sanctified amongst Gods children apt to enuie and repine at others excelling in the graces of God doth not this cursed weed sprout forth of the best ground oftentimes to our shame Hath not this euill had a hand in those many broyles and contentions which haue bin amongst the faithfull from time to time This cannot be denyed it is too too apparent striue therefore against this sinne let all carnall emulation be restrained by euery one of vs Motiues to shun enuie First it is the vnprofitablest of all vices we need not want for Reasons to mooue vs hereunto for First consider of all vices this is most vnprofitable hauing in it neither profit nor yet pleasure insomuch that one saith and that truly an enuious man hath a great deale of lesse wit in his malice then a very bruite for whereas neither foule nor fish
sometimes a Philosopher gaue to one that asked him how he might auoide it neither to doe nor say any thing that is good Thou mayst indeede saue thy selfe from the Lyar by not speaking with him from the Proud by not accompanying with him and from the Glutton by not eating with him and from the Contentious by not disputing with him but from the Enuious it is not sufficient though thou flie or flatter him he cannot be well if thou beest well thy rising is litle lesse grieuous to him then his owne falling This the Heathen themselues haue obserued Diog. â—ion and therefore when they saw an Enuious man sad they would demand whether harme had hapned vnto him or good vnto his neighbour And indeed it may be questionable for both these alike vex him Hast thou then any gift or grace wherein thou excellest or wherein thou doest equall others then looke for some that will maligne thee praemoniti praemuniti fore-warn'd fore-arm'd the streame ran euer so and euer will And thus much be spoken of this first branch which is the occasion or ground from whence this elder brothers discontent arose Now for the second and that is the manner how he expresseth it Vers 29.30 laid downe in these words And he answering said to his Father Loe these many yeares doe I serue thee neither transgressed I at any time thy commandement and yet thou neuer gauest me a Kid that I might make merry with my freinds But assoone at this thy son was come which hath deuoured thy liuing with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted Calfe Here we may see how he expresseth this his discontent by his expostulating the matter with his Father accusing him for hard and vnthankfull dealing but iustifying of himselfe for his continuall and constant obedience The point wee may hence learne is this It is a propertie of the wicked to expostulate the cause with God Doctr. It is the propertie of the wicked to expostulate the cause with God and to complaine against his dealings as too hard and vniust How common a thing was this with the carnall Israelites how ordinarily did they obiect against Gods proceedings Insomuch that the Lord was oftentimes faine to put his course vnto scanning and to call the people to a pleading as by his prophet Esay Isay 1.18 Come let vs reason togither saith the Lord. And so in another place Wherefore I will plead with you saith the Lord. Ier. 2.9 vers 35. And againe Behold I will plead with thee because thou sayest I haue not sinned And in diuers other places we haue the like speeche This was the cause why he did so often instruct his Prophets how to answer the people when they began to reason with them about his wayes as Ier 5.19 And it shall come to passe when yee shall say Ier. 5.19 wherefore doth the Lord all these things vnto vs then shalt thou answer them like as yee haue forsaken me c. So againe And it shall come to passe Ier. 16.10 when thou hast shewed this people all these words and they shall say vnto thee wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this euill against vs or what is our iniquitie or what is our sinne that we haue committed against the Lord our God vers 11. Then shalt than say vnto them because your fathers haue forsaken me c. In the 58. of Esay in the beginning of it you may see their practise discouered for there we may finde them challenging God for hard measure Wherfore haue we fasted Isay 58.3 say they and thou seest it not wherefore haue we afflicted our soules and thou takest no knowledge As if God did them great wrong in nor harkning and attending on their suites Thus did they in Ezechiels dayes calumniate Gods proceedings of inequalitie Ezech. 18.2 The fathers had eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth were set on edge The fathers had sinned and they must beare the punishment what equalitie was in this therefore they cry out The way of the Lord is not equall vers 25. Ezech. 33.20 Thus also in the time of Malachie when they were reproued for any fault how would they turne againe and in a manner challenge God to his face Malac. 1.6 You haue despised my name saith the Lord Wherein haue we despised thy name saith the people Mal. 2.17 Yee haue wearied me with your words saith the Lord wherein haue we wearied thee say the people Mal. 3.7 Returne vnto me saith the Lord. But wherein shall we returne vers 8. said they Yee haue robbed me saith God Wherein say they Your words haue bin stout against me saith the Lord vers 13. What haue we spoken so much against thee say they Thus you see how ready they are to contest with the Lord in euery particular holding themselues innocent thinking themselues more harder vsed then they had deserued And as this euer hath bin the propertie of the wicked to plead against Gods proceedings so it euer will be For at the last day when the master of the house is risen vp Luk. 13.25 26. and hath shut to the dore c. then shall some begin to say we haue eaten and drunke in thy presence and thou hast taught in our streets and other some shall say Haue we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name haue cast out Deuils Math. 7.12 and in thy name done many wonderfull workes challenging Christ for vniust dealing in condemning them Yea and when they are as it were going to execution and at the last cast after that fearefull sentence of Depart from me yee cursed into euerlasting fire prepared for the Diuell and his Angels is denounced against them Math. 25.41 yet then they will plead also for themselues against the Lord vers 44. when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister vnto thee Thus challenging God for vniust sentence holding themselues to be innocent and guiltles and to haue committed no such fault as could deserue so heauy a doome And thus we haue seene this point viz. That it is the propertie of the wicked to expostulate the matter with God and complaine against his proceedings as vniust and vnequall sufficiently cleared and confirmed If any demand to know the reason then take it in a word and this it is They are ignorant and proud Reason They are ignorant of their owne estate and condition they know not that they haue done euill neither will they know it and therefore they think they haue deserued no such things as God inflicteth on them Hence commeth that reasoning and expostulating that censuring of and pleading against Gods proceeding Heare now the Vses And first behold a difference betwixt Gods children Vse 1 and wicked ones The wicked as we haue seene are euermore obiecting against God and his proceedings and
still complaining against his dealings as vnequall and vniust But of how contrary a disposition is the childe of God who is euermore content to submit himselfe to Gods seuerest courses alwaies acknowledging and confessing that God is righteous in his proceedings and pure in his actions Neh. 9.33 Ezra 9.10 So much did Nehemiah confesse when he thus said Surely thou art iust in all that is come vpon vs for thou hast dealt truly but we haue done wickedly And so did Daniel Dan. 9.7 Righteousnes belongeth vnto thee and vnto vs open shame c. Thus doth the Church acquit the Lord from all iniustice in his dealings I will beare the wrath of the Lord Mic. 7.9 because I haue sinned against him The like affection was in Dauid as doth appeare by these and the like sayings Psal 51.4 Iust art thou when thou speakest and pure when thou iudgest And againe I know oh Lord that thy iudgements are right Psal 119.75 and that thou hast afflicted me iustly And else-where he thus speaketh vers 137. Righteous art thou O Lord and iust are thy iudgements This might be further shewed by diuers other instances as by that of Ely who hearing of the iudgement intended by the Lord vpon him and his house said thus It is the Lord 1. Sam. 3.18 let him doe what seemeth him good as also by that of Hezekiah who being reproued and seuerely threatned for his folly in shewing his treasure vnto the Embassadors of the King of Babel vsed these words The word of the Lord is good which thou hast spoken All these sayings manifestly shew their their readinesse to submit themselues to Gods good pleasure without repining The like example wee haue in Iob Job 1.22 who charged not God with any vniust dealing as the Text sheweth but in the midst of his affliction blest and praised Gods name Vse 2 And as this shewes a difference betweene the one and the other so may it also serue for triall of our selues Hath God afflicted thee any way in body or in goods and hath his hand lyen heauie on thee and that all the day long as Dauid speaketh Psal 32. Well how hast thou bin now affected and disposed hast thou yeelded thy selfe with all submission to Gods proceedings hast thou acknowledged the Lord to be iust and vpright in all his dealings and hast thou quietly and without repining submitted thy selfe to Gods seuerest courses if so it is a good signe of a sanctified heart But if otherwise thou hast murmured and repined and expostulated the cause with God complaining of wrong and iniury esteeming thy selfe to bee hardly dealt withall to bee so vsed and withall doest please thy selfe in this gaine-saying humor Then let mee tell thee it is an euident signe of a graceless soule vnsanctified spirit And if this be a true note of a wicked one to expostulate with God and murmure against his proceedings as we haue seene it is then it will discouer many to be such For how ordinary a thing is it in the day of trouble to heare men murmure and repine yea it may be curse and banne against the Lord what more vsuall then to dispute how this can stand with iustice thus and thus to punish How are Gods dealings censured and called into question by the sonnes of men And how doe men as it were challenge God to his face of vnequall and vniust proceedings I doe indeed confesse that through extreamity of anguish Gods dearest children may forget themselues somtimes and so did Iob and Dauid Psal 73.13.14 whose feet were almost gone but in their cooler bloud they will recall their errour and smite vpon their thighes and lay their hands vpon their mouthes though they speak once yet they wil answer no more as Iob speaketh And as Dauid saith Iob 39.38 Psal 62.1 his soule shall keepe silence vnto the Lord. They will not please themselues in that gaine-saying humor but labour to represse all such repining thoughts and distempered passions Thirdly Seeing it is a property of the wicked thus to Vse 3 expostulate with God and complaine of his proceedings as vniust and vnequall then let this disposition be farre from all such as feare the Lord let not the godly walke in the way of sinners Psal 11. Prou. 1.15 but refraine their feet from this path Let vs learne to iustirie God in all his waies to acknowledge him to be righteous in all his workes and actions Hath the Lord layd on thee sicknesse pouerty imprisonment or any other grieuous crosse see then thou vndergoe it wihout murmuring or repining Charge not God with any hard or vniust dealing for shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Gen. 18.25 said Abraham yea our God cannot but doe right for righteousnesse is essentiall vnto him it is himselfe and hee may assoone denie himselfe as deale vniustly His will is the rule of Iustice and therefore it must bee iust because hee willeth it Let this then be enough for thee and me the Lord will haue it so Psal 39.9 Learne thou with Dauid to bee dumbe and silent because God hath done it Doe not dare to entertaine such a thought within thy heart as that there should be any iniustice with him learne effectually that golden saying of that kingly Prophet Righteous art thou O Lord Psal 119.137 and iust are thy iudgements Which verse Mauritius the Emperour vttered when he saw his wife and children put to death before his eyes and when he was fitting himselfe to lay his owne necke vpon the blocke because when he might haue redeemed the life of his Souldiers taken by the enemy for a small summe of money would not but suffered them all to be put vnto the sword I confesse this is sooner said theâ— done and sooner taught then learned for it is no easiâ— thing to curbe and keepe vnder our owne vnruly passions yet let vs striue and labour by all good meanes to subdue them Ier. 18.2 and represse them Arise and goe downe to the potters house and there I will cause thee to heare my words said God to Ieremiah So let vs arise and goe downe to the potters house and his clay and wheele shall teach vs many good instructions The clay in fashioning vpon the wheele is plyable and readily receiueth any forme or fashion God is the Potter and we as clay vnto him how comes it then we grow discontented with his proceedings Some are poore others base and some are sickly and othersome deformed these looking vpon others who are more noble rich strong proportionable c. say vsually with discontentment God might haue made me thus Rom. 9.20 or thus as these But who art thou that disputest with thy maker shall the thing formed say to him that formed it verse 21. why hast thou made me thus Hath not the potter power ouer the clay of the same lumpe to make one
vessell to honour Ieâ— 18.6 Jsay 45.9 and another vnto dishonour Behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are you in mine O house of Israel saith the Lord. Be thou content then with Gods dealing for Woe be vnto him that striueth with his Maker Let the potsheard striue with the potsheards of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou If thou wilt needes contest contest with man with a potsheard like thy selfe but beware of contending with the Lord thy maker Lay thou thy hand vpon thy mouth and be content though thou were assured which thou canst not be that God hath made thee a vessell of dishonour and ordained thee to damnation When then thou feelest corruption to arise and beginne to plead against Gods proceedings remember the Potters house and check thy selfe His dealings are alwaies iust and equall and if thou canst not see it condemne thy owne blindnesse and not them nor him for them Vse 4 And lastly this may serue for comfort to all such as finde themselues to haue a yeelding spirit quietly without murmuring or repining submitting themselues to Gods seuerest courses And though the Lord lay on them many a sore affliction and heauy crosse yet they still iustifie him and condemne themselues confessing that God is righteous but it is they who haue done wickedly And withall acknowledge it is his mercy that he sends no greater and layes no sorer iudgements on them And if at sometimes they feele for indeede who at sometimes shall not their owne rebellious passions to arise and the flesh begin to repine and murmur they will straight checke it and controll it not daring to harbour a thought or conceit of Gods hard dealing Let such as these know they haue a notable euidence of a sanctified soule and let them make much of it for this may comfort them in the midst of trouble For assuredly a great measure of grace hast thou attained vnto who art come thus farre Now further marke what a goodly colour this elder sonne hath for this his doing VERS 22. Loe these many yeeres doe I serue thee Text. neither transgressed I at any time thy commandement and yet thou neuer gauest mee a kid that I might make merry with my friends 30. But assoone as this thy sonne was come which hath deuoured thy liuing with harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted calfe GOodly paint vpon a rotten post Heere is a glorious varnish vpon a bad action Hee was indeede discontent and angry and would not come in but hoe giues the reason and doth alledge the cause Hence learne What sinne soeuer wicked men commit Doctr. Wicked men haue faire pretences for foule sinnes they haue some colour for it They haue faire pretences for their foule sinnes Saul when hee offered sacrifice contrary to Gods will being reprooued for it hee straight alledgeth a reason Because I saw that the peole were scattered from mee 1 Sam. 13.11 12. Cap. 15.15 and that thou camest not within the dayes appoynted c. I forced my selfe therefore and offered a burnt offering So for his sparing the sheepe and oxen and the best of the spoyle which with the Amalekites should haue beene destroyed he hath some colour 1 King 21.13 It was to sacrifice vnto the Lord. Thus Ahab and Iezabel couer the murther of Naboth with iustice against blasphemy Hee did blasphâ—me God and the King said those men of Belial which witnessed against him So Iudas pretended the poore and his great care of them when hee grudged his Master a little vnction Ioh. 12.6 when as indeede This hee sayd not that he cared for the poore but because he was a theefe and had the bag and bare what was put therein The like wee see in the cheefe Priests who taking counsell together for the putting of Christ to death haue for their couer the safety of the people Iob. 11.48 If we let him alone the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation And therfore it is expedient sayd Cayphus that one man should dye for the people Verse 50. and that the whole nation perish not Many other examples might be brought to prooue this Gen. 34.31 as that of Simeon and Leui against the Sichemites who had a pretence to couer that their cruell murther Exod. 32.1 Should hee deale with our sister as with an harlot So the Israelites touching their Idolatry Matth. 2.8 And Herod whose cruell intention wanted not a couer But these that haue been brought doe sufficiently prooue the poynt that hath beene deliuered Heare now the Reasons Reason 1 Wicked men would not be thought to be a indeed they are corrupt abominable neither would they haue their actions that proceede from them to bee esteemed as wicked and vniust Hence is it that they seeke for pretences and excuses as Adam for fig-leaues to hide their sinne and shame Reason 2 Secondly Reason is one of the principall faculties in man and therefore though oftentimes hee denies the rule of reason yet neuer will he absolutely deny reason without he will deny himselfe Hence it is that men will haue some reason though false reason before they will haue none for euery thing they doe bee it neuer so vile or wicked The vses follow First this serueth the reprooue many Vse Reproofe of two sorts who set godly shewes vpon their euill doings and varnish their sinnes with false colours As first the Papists First the Papist who set deceitfull colours vpon their superstitious practices As for their sacrilegious dealing in with-holding the Cup from the people they haue this colour The wine is in danger to be spilt and what needes the peâ—â—le to haue the cup is not his bloud in the veines say they and doe not the people receiue whole Christ body and bloud and all when they receiue the bread And so for their Idolatry in worshipping of Images thus they colour it we worship not the Image but God in the Image and Images are Lay-mens bookes very needefull say they for their encrease in knowledge The like colours haue they for their praying to Saints and Angels they honour them they say but as the friends of God and goe vnto them but as vnto Mediatours for it were great presumption for them to come to God themselues considering their owne vnworthinesse and therefore in humility they goe to these that they may entreat God and make intercession for them And these faire pretences haue they to couer their abhominable Idolatry And hence it is that the dregs of that religion are so settled in the hearts of many so that by no meanes they can bee rooted out and all because of this deceitfull varnish But to our selues Secondly the prophane Protestant D. Sclater 1 Thess 2.5 for who seeth not in what request this Art of colouring is Complexion makers wee haue as one saith well not onely for withered faces of ouerworne
Strumpets but also for the vgliest and most deformed sins What vice so odious that hath not found a couer What sinne so grosse which once committed hath not some faire pretence Gods Sabboths are broken his name blasphemed Diuers sorts of complexion-makers for sin reprooued First such as plead necessitie of liuing in their callings his seruice neglected our brethren defrauded the poore oppressed and all vnder pretence of necessitie of liuing in the world and maintaining wife and children with the rest of our familie Thus many I say not all of you Shop-keepers perswade yourselues as your practise testifieth that you could not liue if you should not lie and deceiue for by this craft Acts 17. you get your gaine So other Tradesmen as Taylors Shoomakers Vintners Butchers Chandlers and the like thinke they may be dispensed with though they labour in the workes of their callings on the Sabboth day because otherwise they should loose their custome together with their gaine by which they are enabled to maintaine themselues and theirs Yea and vnder this pretence many liue in vnlawfull callings as Vsurers Players Gamsters and the like but what better pretence haue these then Harlots Theeues and Pick-purses who vse those courses because they haue no other meanes to liue and maintaine themselues If this be a sufficient cloake for sinne then Tiburne hath the more cause to complaine where many a one haue ended their dayes for their robbing and taking mens purses by the high way side though they haue pretended that they had no other means to liue by and if they had not done this they knew not which way to haue maintained themselues Away then with this sottish excuse and fond pretence for better were it for thee not to liue at all then to liue in sinne to the dishonour of God and hurt of thy brethren and farre better were it that thy bodie should pine and famish in this world then that thy bodie and soule should for euer fry in hell torments Secondly such as plead pouertie and therefore haue no time for good duties and religious exercises So other-some being reproued for their neglect of good duties and holy exercises which God enioynes pretend their pouertie and meane estate our whole time say they is little enough to prouide for necessaries wee haue no leisure to heare Sermons read the Word pray with our familie as other haue and if we should do this we may beg our bread except we should vse fraud and deceit to supply our need But let such know this is no sufficient excuse for the neglect of holy duties For one thing is necessary as our Sauiour telleth Martha and we must rid our selues of worldly encumbrances to choose the better part If we would first seeke the Kingdome of heauen and the righteousnesse thereof all these things should be giuen vnto vs. We haue Gods gracious promise for earthly necessaries Sundry other pretences doe many bring to defend their sinne Thirdly such as pretend preuention of further mischiefe as that they doe it to preuent a further mischiefe Thus doe the Papists excuse the maintaining of their Stewes we doe it say they to preuent a further inconuenience Others pretend they doe this Fourthly such as pretend triall or this euill onely for this end that by their owne experience they may see the vanitie and vilenesse of it So doe many of our Cittizens goe to see masse for trials sake and that againe againe yea and for a need can bow their knee to Baal tell them of this they colour it with this pretence they goe indeed to see it but it is with a good intent Such reproued as refuse diligent hearing of the word vnder pretence of hearing more in an houre then they can practise all their liues And so others who refuse comming to the Lords table because they are not in charitie or not prepared that they might learne the more to loath it I might instance in sundry other particulars as for the hearing of the word some will heare once a moneth or at most once a day but no oftner for say they we can heare more then then we can practise all our dayes And the like for their comming to the Lords table they cannot come because they are not in charitie or they are not prepared as they ought to be Thus are we growne skilfull in varnishing of sin thus doe we blaunch our vile blemishes and putrified sores which euidently shewes that we are ranke hypocrites and exceeding sinners against the Lord. Secondly let this admonish vs that we colour not our actions when we know they be euill neither set a faire glosse on them as the wicked doe alwayes remembring that albeit colouring may serue vs for aduantage Vse 2 amongst men yet to his eyes with whom we haue to doe Heb. 4. all things are naked and vncouered Hee cannot be deceiued by any pretence though neuer so cunningly contriued though man may be 1. Cor. 4.5 It is not pretence will stead vs at that day when God shall enlighten things that are hidden in darkenesse then shall all things appeare as they are and all coulourable pretences shall vanish away as smoake then shall the very secret parts of thy heart bee discouered and thy very thoughts shall be made manifest And thus much be spoken of the second branch wherin we haue seene how this elder brother expressed this his discontent viz. by his reasoning with and accusing of his Father for vnkindnesse which accusation he doth amplifie by an Antithesis He had beene obedient and his younger brother disobedient Now we come to the third and last branch wherein we are to see how this his anger is quallified And that is done two wayes First by his Fathers kind intreatie of him ver 28. And secondly by the Apollogie which his Father made conteined in the two last verses For the first and from the first of these we may learne thus much Doctr. God dealeth with sinners in a mild manner with quiet and peaceable termes When God hath to deale with sinners he dealeth with them in a milde and meeke manner and not in furie and rage The Father we see doth deale with him in a peaceable manner he commeth and intreats him to come in and doth not in a furie will him to be packing and come no more within his doores Instead of chiding he fals to intreating and in peaceable termes debates the matter with him By whose practise Gods gracious dealing with sinners is set forth For the further proofe of this truth doe but remember Gods manner of proceeding with our Grandfather Adam after he had eaten of the forbidden fruit and had hid himselfe amongst the bushes Adam saith he where art thou Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I told thee thou shouldst not eate Gen. 3.9 Thus in quiet and peaceable termes did God reason the matter with him and did not with furie and
violence come vpon him And after the same maner did he deale with Cain Gen. 4.9.10 Where is Abel thy brother What hast thou done The voyce of thy brothers bloud cryeth vnto me from the ground Such likewise was his dealing with the rebellious Israelites continually from time to time as is manifest in Scripture and cannot be vnknowne to such as are exercised though but meanely in the reading of Scripture The reasons of Gods so dealing may be these First Reason 1 that the sinner might be brought to a sight of his sinne the better and so either conuinced or conuerted For this milde and gentle kind of dealing doth much sooner cause the offender to see his fault then a hasty and passionate proceeding doth or can And a second reason may be this Wicked ones if Reason 2 they belong not vnto God must be let goe on to the height of impietie and extremitie of prophanenesse and therefore they are suffered to goe on without checke or controll hauing no bands almost either in life or death that they might fill vp the measure of their sinnes to the very brim and afterwards be filled with wrath they being vessels of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Now for the vses And first seeing this is so that God Vse 1 himselfe when he hath to deale with sinners doth deale so mildly and in so peaceable a manner this then serueth for the iust reproofe of such as hauing to deale either with friend or foe grow hot boysterous if they be a little mooued or prouoked Of so fiery and furious a disposition are they as if you mooue them but a little by a word or the least neglect that may be they will be readie to reuenge it with a blow or with a stab too many such hastie and turbulent spirits are amongst vs the Lord amend vs. But let such take notice of Gods peaceable dealing and proceeding euen with the vessels of his wrath who commeth not vpon them with such fury and rage but reasons with them in milde and quiet termes How farre are these from imitating God as good children ought to doe Obiect But I am crossed and prouoked so that I cannot forbeare let me alone prouoke me not and I am meeke enough Answ A worthy commendation The bruit beast will scarce stirre vnprouoked and the Deuill himselfe according to the Prouerbe is good so long as he is pleased And art thou good no longer Why then let this be thy commendations thou art as meeke as a Beare or as a Lyon or as a Tyger and of as milde a disposition as the Deuill is for these are quiet if they be not crossed and so by thy owne confession art thou but not else for if thou beest stirred then thou must needs speake there is no remedie Coloss 3. Is this that Christian meeknesse which thou art commaunded to put on and called vpon to learne of Christ Mat. 11.28 He dealt not roughly with his enemies no not with Iudas when he came to apprehend him and betray him into the hands of sinners Mat. 26.50 but called him friend Christ Iesus neuer taught thee to be so hot and hastie in dealing with thy enemie much lesse in dealing with thy friend and brother know then thy meekenesse is no Christian meekenesse but a brutish meekenesse such a meeknesse as is to be found in the Beare and Tyger as formerly I haue sayd Vse 2 Secondly is God thus meeke and milde euen when he hath to deale with sinners This then commendeth vnto vs the grace of meekenesse towards our brethren much more 1. Pet. 3.4 A vertue which is acceptable to the Lord and much respected of him A vertue oft commended to all estates and degrees and commanded both by precept Meekenesse must be shewed by all and by practise As to the Magistrate the Minister the Master the Wife the Seruant and the like The Magistrate must shew it euen when iustice is to be executed and punishment inflicted on malefactors as Iosua did who when Achan was apprehended and his sinne discouered whereby he had offended God and troubled Israel dealt after this milde and gentle manner My sonne Iosu 7.19 I beseech thee giue glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession vnto him and shew me now what thou hast done hide not from mee Thus in a milde and peaceable manner must they bee dealt withall Mercy and loue is to be shewed to offenders even in punishing of offenders The Minister also must remember it Paul enioynes Timothy to vse it towards opposites 2 Tim. 2.25 In meeknesse instructing those that oppose themselues if God peraduenture will giue them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth That hasty hot-spurre humor of many Ministers because they see not present successe of their labours and endeauours sorts not with that Christian meekenesse that Gods word requires Masters also are enioined the same taske by the Apostle Paul Ephes 6.9 when as he saith Ye Masters doe the same things vnto them viz. your seruants forbearing threatning The like charge is giuen vnto Wiues by the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 3.4 that they put on the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price How doth that tetchy peeuishnesse which is too too apparant in many wiues agree with this iniunction and if not that then much lesse those bitter words and reproachfull termes which many vse 1 Pet. 2.20 Seruants likewise are charged with it For what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when you doe well and suffer for it you take it patiently this is acceptable with God as the Apostle speaketh Motiues to meeknesse and mildnesse 1. It is the pathway to blessednesse Math. 5.5 Thus all degrees and conditions whatsoeuer must put it on We want no motiues to induce vs hereunto For first this is the path-way to blessednesse Blessed are the meeke saith our Sauiour for they shall inherite the earth Would wee then be happy and enioy all good blessings needfull for vs then let vs get the spirit of meekenesse and mildnesse into our hearts 2. It doth cause vs to heare the word profitably Iames 1.2 and expresse the power of it in our liues Secondly It will much auaile vs in the profit and power of the word and therefore the Apostle S. Iames willeth vs to heare and receiue the Word with meekenesse which is able to saue our soules without this wee cannot heare the Word with comfort it will become vtterly vnprofitable vnto vs. 3. Such are vnder Gods protection in a special manner Zeph. 2 3. Thirdly The meeke are in a speciall manner vnder Gods protection Seeke ye the Lord all ye meeke of the earth which haue wrought his iudgement seeke righteousnes seeke meekenesse it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger These shall be hid
in the day of the Lords wrath when it shall bee woe with others it shall bee well with these reade Psalme 147.5.6 and 149.4 4. It is an excellent peece of armour against incensed wrath Pro. 15.1 Iudg. 8.2 1 Sam. 25. Fourthly A milde spirit pacifieth wrath Such is the effect of this vertue that it doth not onely keepe wrath from breaking out but it also quencheth it being once enkindled This was Gideons armour against the rage of the Ephranites and this was Abigails armour for her selfe her husband and her houshold when Dauid being incensed by Nabals churlish dealing was comming with a purpose to slay them all 5. It is a fruit of the spirit Gal. 5.23 Fiftly It is a fruit of the spirit and the contrary is a fruit of corrupted nature If then we would haue a testimony that we are of God and that wee haue his spirit in vs let vs manifest the same by our mildnesse and meeknesse in dealing with others and in bearing wrongs 6. The example of the Saints and of Christ himselfe who haue gone before vs. Math. 11.29 Ioh. 13.5.15 1 Pet. 2.23 Lastly The examples of the Saints are many that haue gone before vs. And Christ himselfe setteth forth himselfe as a patterne of this vertue leauing himselfe an example of it by washing the feet of his Disciples and by bearing the reproaches of the vngodly Thus haue we seene how many and how forcible motiues wee haue to cause vs to exercise this grace of meekenesse and mildnesse towards such as we haue to deale withall yea euen towards our very enemies for so doth the Lord deale with his as we haue seene Obiect 1 But if we be thus meeke and milde when we are iniured and wronged we shall be laughed at and counted milksops dastards cowards and the like Loue not thou the praise of men Answ more then the praise of God The praise of God is true praise indeede seeke after it as for the estimation of man without the estimation of the Lord it is but a shadow of glory if it be so much In this and such like cases say with the Apostle With me it is a very small thing 1 Cor. 4.3 Verse 4. that I should be iudged of you or of mans iudgement he that iudgeth mee is the Lord. But if I be so milde and meeke they will neuer haue Obiect 2 done they will raile and reuile the more the more they are suffered The more milde thou art Answ the sooner will they desist and end If a dog barkes at thee thy best course is to passe away for if thou turnest againe and flingest stones hee wiâ—l neuer haue done The strongest resistance is by opposition of contraries as fire is soonest quenched by water and a soft woll-packe is lesse penetrable at a Canon shot then a hard stone wall But it is hard for flesh blood so quietly to sit downe Obiect 3 by iniuries and so easily to digest wronges that are offered True it is hard indeede nay more Answ it is impossible for flesh and blood to doe it but let me tell thee if thou art no more then a lumpe of flesh 1 Cor. 15.5 Ioh. 3. there is no possibility of obteining heauen If thou beest Gods thou hast spirit as well as flesh what is wanting in the flesh let grace make a supply off And thus much shall serue for a second vse of the poynt Now we come vnto a third and that serues for Consolation Vse 3 will the Lord deale so mildly euen with the wicked and vngodly with such as are children of wrath and firebrands of hell then may Gods children assure themselues that he will vse meekenesse and mildnesse towards them he is not hasty or passionate in his proceedings with drunkards swearers and the like rabble of reprobates but he doth deale with them in quiet and peaceable tearmes and will he then be hasty and violent towards his owne children This cannot be certainely if vngodly ones fare so well Gods children may looke to fare far better To them he will abound in all riches of grace and consolation And thus much of the Fathers kind intreaty of this his elder sonne now for the apologie which he makes vnto him and that is conteyned in these words VERSE 31. And he said vnto him Sonne thou art euer with me and all that I haue is thine 32. It was meete that wee should make merry be glad for this thy brother was dead and is aliue againe and was lost and is found IN it we haue First a Proposition which hath in it a Concession of what the elder brother said verse 31. Secondly a Confirmation wherein the Father doth iustifie his owne proceedings ab aequo It was meete that we should reioyce and be glad He did nothing but what was equity and right and therefore there was no cause of discontentment And Secondly he doth defend his younger sonnes cause for though he were dead yet he is now aliue q. d. true it is my sonne thy brother was lewd and disobedient dead in sinnes and trespasses but he is now become a new man he is aliue againe all his former courses are left and forsaken and he is now returned home And therefore it is fit I should giue him entertainement and ioyfully receiue him Now we come breifely to some Instructions And first in that the Father doth not exasperate his sonne and further incense him he being already moued by denying what he had before said viz. that he was dutifull and obedient neuer breaking any of his commands c. which indeed was otherwise but yeeldeth to this his saying This may teach vs this point of wisdome Doctr. Not to exasperate the wicked when they are incensed but rather to yeeld vnto them so much as possible we may The wicked may not be exasperated wheÌ„ they are incensed and decline their furie This point may seeme to haue some affinitie with the former and therefore I shall not need to stand long vpon it In a word then let the Vse be first for Reprehension Vse 1 of such as are zealous but not according vnto knowledge Rom. 10.2 as the Apostle speaketh not passing by nor winking at the least blemish in any of their brethren Zeale if it be well ordered is most beautifull in a Christian but if not it is a thing of exceeding great danger as fire in moderation is most comfortable but in extremitie most fearefull In all ages it hath bin found lesse dangerous to the Church when men haue come short of the due proportion of Zeale then when they haue exceeded Auda Bishop in Persia in an excesse of zeale throwing downe a Temple of the Pagans was a cause that the King thereby incensed threw downe all the Temples of the Christians as Stories do report Theod. lib. 5. Sometimes then to reproue what we see amisse is to put fire into gunpowder at such times it is
many are heerein much to blame who put vp many an vntrue report that is raised of them and neuer goe about to cleere themselues nor defend their owne credit They are too too carelesse of what is spoken of them although it bee neuer so falsely and slanderously spoken yet they sit downe by it Hence it commeth to passe Hominum est dissolutorum ad iniurias diuini nominis securè conniuentium c. Apolog. Iewel part 1. cap. 3. Diuis 5. that the profession is discredited and the Lord dishonoured For men to be carelesse saith one what is spoken by them and their owne matter be it neuer so falsely spoken especially when it is such that the Maiesty of God and the cause of Religion may thereby be damaged is the part doubtlesse of dissolute and retchlesse persons and of them which wickedly winke at the iniuries done vnto the name of God But must a man for euery slander Quest goe about to send and proue when then shall he be at quiet if this be so Such indignities and wrongs as are of the least sort Answ In what case we are to passe by a slander in what not Prou. 19.11 and touch onely our priuate persons may bee borne withall and winked at And so saith Salomon The discretion of a man deferreth his anger and it is his glory to passe ouer a transgression But if the wrong bee of another nature if the slanders which are layd vpon our persons redound to the discredit of our profession and to the hurting and hindering of the cause of the Gospell in this case we may not be silent lest through our sides the Church of God receiue a blow Iohn 8.49 An example hereof we haue in our Sauiour Christ who when the Iewes obiected against him two crimes Melanct. in loc Luther one that hee was a Samaritane another that hee had a Deuill neglected that crime which concerned his person and passed it ouer as being of the least sort of wrongs stands vpō that other especially which touched his doctrine I haue not a Deuill A better patterne we cannot haue for our imitation And as this concernes all Christians in generall so in speciall vs Ministers for our good life is more respected then our learning Common people more regard what they heare of vs then what they heare from vs such is the corruption of our times It stands vs therfore in hand to keepe a good name and estimation amongst Gods people and to defend our owne innocency when we are falsely slandered and accused We are to perswade others Now what can hinder this more then a bad perswasion of vs in the hearts of those with whom wee are to deale wee therefore aboue all others ought to free our selues from all false imputations for a good perswasion of the Teacher bringeth a ready entertainment of the thing that is taught but a bad conceit doth much preiudice the truth And thus much bee spoken of this poynt now wee come to the next and last viz. Doctr. God will maintaine the righteous cause of his children against the wicked God will make the innocency of his seruants knowne hee will vphold and maintaine their righteous cause against all opposers This poynt though it bee not manifestly expressed yet it is inclusiuely implyed in the text Hee was dead saith the Father but he is now aliue he was lost but is found We heard before what the sonne obiected against his father First that hee had beene dutifull and obedient Secondly that his brother had beene vndutifull and dissolute and therfore his father did deale vniustly Now the father heere cleeres his iustice and answereth both his obiections The first in the 31 verse and the other in this last so then without doubt this did the father intend as to cleere himselfe so to defend his sonne The poynt then is truely gathered now let vs heare it further pooued Dauid perswading Gods people to patience and confidence in the Lord vseth this as an argument Psal 37.6 Hee shall bring forth thy righteousnesse as the light and thy iudgements as the noone day as if hee should haue sayd Temple in loc Howsoeuer thy innocency be at somtimes couered as it were with a thick and darke mist of slander and oppression yet the Lord will in his good time scatter and dissolue this mist and so make thy innocency apparent and cleere to the world yea he shall make thy righteous cause to be so euident as the Sunne when it riseth nay which is more as at noon-day when it is at the highest shineth brightest I could further shew you the truth of this Gen. 39.10 by many examples Ioseph being accused by his Mistresse and vpon that false accusation being imprisoned by his Master Psal 105.18 where his feet were held in the stocks and hee laid in Irons found this to be true for how did God make his innocency knowne vnto the world and in his good time scatter those mists of slanders cast vpon him causing his Sun to shine with a glorious lustre Thus the Lord dealt with Iob Iob 42.7 howsoeuer he was falsely accused had many slanderous imputations laid vnto his charge yet the Lord at length made his innocency knowne and did mainetaine and vphold his righteous cause as his story sheweth at large This also was Gods dealing with Ieremiah he was accused to be a conspirator and to weaken the hands of the people for which he was cast into prison Ierem. 37.15 yea into a loathsome dungeon but heare him now speake of himselfe and of Gods dealing towards him Rament 3.55.56.57.58 I called vpon thy name O Lord out of the low dungeon thou hast heard my voyce c. Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee thou saydst Feare not O Lord thou hast maintained the cause of my soule and redeemed my life God did maintaine his cause against all opposers As this hath beene prooued by Scripture so it may bee further cleered by Reasons For first It is his place and office so to doe he is the Reason 1 Iudge of all the world as Abraham sayth Gen. 18.25 and shall not he doe right It belongeth vnto him to render to euery one according to his workes and therefore at last hee will come forth and bring the righteousnesse of his seruants into open light Secondly he hath promised to relieue his seruants Reason 2 Psal 146.7.10 Rom. 3.4 when they are oppressed and will he goe backe from his word or say and vnsay as man doth It cannot be let God be true and euery man a lyar Seeing then that this is so Let this serue to encourage Vse 1 vs in all well-doing seeing God is with vs and in our righteous cause will neuer leaue vs let the wicked traduce vs and slaunder vs yet God will at length plead our cause and make our innocency knowne to our glory and
our enemies shame It is the lot of Gods children to be euill spoken of by the men of this world to be persecuted and reuiled for righteousnesse sake and to bee condemned of wicked men vniustly Daniell shall be charged with disobedience Amos of conspiracie Eliah for troubling Israell Paul for raising vp of tumults And all Christs Disciples for moouers of sedition amongst the people But these clouds shall soone be dispersed and all these darke mists shall suddenly be scattered Let not these things then too much trouble vs nor any whit discourage vs in the practise of Christianitie our righteousnesse shall not alwayes lie hâ—d in the darke but it shall one day shine as the Sunne and be brought into the open light Commit then thy wayes and workes vnto the Lord and wait thou vpon him When thou art slandered and falsely accused resigne thy selfe to him that ruleth all things and so with patience possesse thy soule Vse 2 Secondly doth the Lord defend our cause then let vs defend his let vs plead his cause that pleadeth ours Let vs not see God to be dishonored his name blasphemed his Sabboths prophaned his seruants reuiled c. and hold our peace Oh! where is our courage for the truth Magistrates where is yours Ministers where is yours Masters where is yours Parents where is your while drunkennesse reeles to and fro about our streetes while oaths flie about in euery towne in euery street in euery market in euery house in euery shop like a flocke of dismall Rauens crooking and crying for vengeance to fall vpon our heads Woe vnto vs for seeing and hearing God to be so dishonored and yet will neither heare nor see it nor plead his cause against opposers But though Israell sinne Hos 4.15 yet let not Iudah transgresse though men of this world doe thus yet you that feare the Lord doe not yee doe so God hath taken vpon him to plead thy cause and defend thy innocencie and wilt not thou plead his Wilt thou suffer his name to bee trodden vnder foote and neuer seeke to vphold it Shall wicked men speake against Gods truth and thou speake nothing for it Oh beware of this for feare thou wantest one to plead for thee at that same great Assizes when thou shalt stand in greatest need Thirdly doth God take vpon him to plead the cause Vse 3 of his children then let none take vpon them to reuenge their owne quarrells Vengeance is mine Rom. 12.19 I will repay it saith the Lord. This is an office which is proper vnto God to him it belongeth peculiarly to take vengeance Now what doe such but sit downe in Gods seat and turne him out of his throne and rob him of his honour and intrude vpon his Prerogatiue Royall Mat. 5. The Pharisies glosse vpon the law pleaseth vs well Eye for eye tooth for tooth c. This seemeth reasonable To render euill for euill like for like one euill word for another one euill deed for another and no more is counted good Religion But let vs remember God will plead the cause of his and therefore let all such as are his commit their cause vnto him True it is and cannot be denied we may seeke for helpe of the Magistrate either for the preuenting of wrong or punishing of the doer of wrong for it is not our mouths which God shuts vp from iust complaint but it is our hands he tyeth vp from vniust reuenge When the Magistrate doth reuenge then doth God himselfe reuenge whose minister he is Rom. 13.4 All priuate reuenge is that which must be forborne Let no prouocation then of any Aduersary make vs vsurpers of the Lords authoritie Let vs waite his leisure and not preoccupate his executions Remember the bloud of Christ and of the Martyrs is not yet reuenged and wouldst thou haue thy turne serued first Waite then a while he that shall come in the end will come and he will not tarry In the meane time waite with patience for his appearing Say with the Spirit Come And with the Bride say Come for He which testifieth these things sayth Surely I come quickly Amen Euen so come Lord Iesus FINIS Errata PAge 2. line 19 nere for now p 9 l. 27. condemne for contemne p. 11. l 23. it for that and l. 24. with for which and worshippers for worship p. 14. in the margent ligurea for lignea p. 16. l. 19 consisted for consisteth p. 29 l. 16. affection for Assertion p. 32. l. 15. there wants yeares p. 37. l 8. and for vnder p 39. l. 4. conferre for confirme 45 l. vlt. two causes for second causes p. 46. l. 3. third for second p. 47. l. 2. put case many so be for in such a case they may be p. 48. in the margent speciall sinnes doth cause for speciall sinnes that doe cause this fault is in some coppies amended p. 49. l. 11. sonne for spirit p. 51. l 24. leading for lading p. 69. l. 19. right for weight p. 72 l. 22. plunged for plagued this is in some coppies corrected p. 109. l. 7. feare for heare p. 93. l 28. this for thy p. 98. lin 11. there wants the text and therefore put out And so I passe from c els it goeth harsh p. 181. in the marg Thirdly many for three maine p. 225. l. 11 for more r. for in one this in some coppies is amended pag. 239. l. vlt. fauour for sauour p. 265. in the marg God for food Christian Reader I feare there are many other materiall faults besides these for my time will not suffer me to examine the Book so thorowly as I desire I desire thee therefore to correct these and beare with the rest Farewell An Alphabeticall Index or Table for the more readie finding out of any materiall poynt contained in this Booke A HOw God may be sayd to be an Actor in that which is euill pag. 44 Wicked men betake themselues to vaine helpes in time of Affliction 83. 137 Afflictions are excellent meanes to make vs looke home 105 Afflictions open the eare to heare instruction 106 Wicked men are worse for their Afflictions 106 Such as are not bettered by their Afflictions are in a worfull estate 108 Afflictions are wholesome medicines to Gods children 109 Grace doth not abolish naturall Affections 303 A true penitent will Aggrauate his sinne and not extenuate it 211 God is not the Author of sinne 44 A man may lawfully make Apollogie for himselfe being wronged 336 B Many possessed with a Bashfull Deuill page 199. Men without grace are no better then Beasts without reason 86 The beginnings of Repentance if true are highly pleasing to God 229 The day of our new-Birth to be remembred and kept 300 Differences betwixt the first and second Birth ibid. Gods Blessings are esteemed by the wicked but as due debts 38 We may not be so earnest in praying for Blessings as in praying for a sanctified vse of them 52 Euery Blessing ought
it is impossible to recouer yet as Christs omnipotent voyce brought him forth bound hand and foote and brake his bands asunder and set him at libertie So is it able to bring thee forth out of the graue of thy sins and to knocke off those gyues and fetters of Satan wherewith thou art so fast bound and to restore thee to the liberty of the sonnes of God Be not then discouraged from following the meanes for though thou hast a long time lyen a rotting in thy sinnes yet in Gods good time thou maist be raised to newnesse of life by his powerful voice vttered in the ministery of the Gospel A third vse of this poynt is for Exhortation to all such Vse 3 as do liue this life of grace that they would make much of it and cherish it striue to confirme it and strengthen it in themselues I confesse indeed it is true which Christ saith Hee that hath tasted of this life shall neuer see death but yet let vs know hee may feele sicknesse and such sicknesse as is nigh vnto death and be so sicke as that he may thinke there is no way but death and all for want of nourishing this new life which is begotten in him See then you preserue your life and that you grow vp in soundnesse of grace and spirituall strength be content to vse all good meanes for this end and purpose Fiue helpes for the preseruation of life spirituall and in speciall thâ—se fiue First Food Secondly Recreation Thirdly Exercise Fourthly Sleepe Fiftly Physicke You all know what great good helpes these are and how needfull for the preseruation of life corporalle assuredly they are as good for the preseruation of life spirituall 1 Meanes is Food and as necessarie As for Food wee all know if it be wanting the bodie cannot long be strong nor last it must needes famish So is it with the soule if it want it sustenance and due meales it must needs pine away It is requisite therefore that wee bee frequent in hearing of the word read 1. Pet. 2.2 and preached as formerly I haue said As also in comming to the Sacrament there to eat and drinke the flesh and bloud of Christ spiritually by faith Iohn 6.35.48 50 51 53 54 55. for Hee is that bread of life and whosoeuer eateth of this bread shall liue for euer his flesh is meate indeed his bloud is drinke indeed 2 Helpe is Recreation The second helpe is Recreation How auaileable this is for the health of the bodie we are not ignorant of It is a great meanes for the preseruation of life it maketh the bodie more able and the mind more cheerefull for any worke of our callings Thus spirituall Recreation is a notable preseruer of the life of grace and therefore must be vsed of euery Christian Recreate thy selfe then in singing of Psalmes Iam. 5.13 to which St Iames doth exhort vs And when thou art a wearie of some one exercise thou art about as that we shall soone bee such is our corruption then betake thy selfe vnto another Fall from reading to singing from singing to praying let this be thy recreation and vse it often 3 Meanes is Exercise The third is Exercise Without this the body grows diseased full of aches and paines as experience proues And so doth the soule grow diseased and weake yea many times deadly sicke for want of it Exercise thy selfe therefore daily in holy dueties as in Prayer mortification Good workes And with the godly man Psal 1.2 exercise thy selfe continually in the Law of God The fourth is Sleepe 4 Helpe is Sleepe Ros naturae which is most necessarie for the entertainment of bodily health It is the dew of nature and as necessarie for the bodie as meat and drinke is To this is meditation of Gods word compared it is as sleepe and rest to a Christian soule which doth refresh and reuiue it euen as sleepe doth the bodie Thou maist not forget to giue thy soule this rest Fiftly 5 Meanes or helpe is Physicke Physicke is an excellent helpe as to keepe the bodie in good order so to keepe the soule likewise in good temper With the potion of Repentance we must daily purge our hearts and with the vomit of confession rid sin from off our consciences And bee content withall to accept of that physicke which God himselfe shall prepare for vs His crosses are his medicines afflictions are good proper recuring recouering physick for diseased affections Admit then without grudging of this potion which is prepared for thee by the hand of thy maker It may happily be vnpleasant what then wilt thou be displeased with the relish when thy sicke heart is thereby eased of her paines hee is worthie to dye who will rather chuse a wilfull sicknesse then a harsh remedie And yet here is not all for good dyet is also necessarie vnto physicke In vaine doth the potion worke our recouerie if our euill behauiour afterwards bring a relapse See therefore that after you haue purged your hearts by repentance you obserue the strict dyet of obedience Refraine from those corrupt meats whereon your soules haue formerly surfetted Let all sinne be carefully auoyded Come not in euill company follow no euill example hearken to no euill counsell and then your soules shall liue Isay 55.3 And these are the meanes which whosoeuer would grow strong in grace and preserue the health of his soule must vse If then thou desire to haue thy soule thriue and be in good liking see thou practise them and that constantly and conscionably as in Gods presence So shalt thou find the benefit of it in the end to be exceeding great Vse 4 Lastly is this so that he onely liues which liues the life of grace Then here is matter of exceeding great ioy and reioycing to all such as vpon examination of themselues by the former notes haue some assurance that they liue this life Better saith Solomon is a liuing dogge then a dead Lyon Better it is to be a liuing soule though neuer so poore then to be a dead corpâ— though neuer so well be-stucke with flowres What though many in the world haue thousands of pounds great lands large reuenewes yet if they haue not grace they are but stinking carkases Farre better is thy estate though thou hast neuer a groat for thou art a liuing soule borne anew and an heyre of heauen Blesse God then more for this then if be had giuen thee a kingdome reioyce in thy new estate and happie condition It hath beene an ancient custome for men to celebrate their birth-day Math. 14.6 as wee see in Herod who vpon that day that hee was borne made a banquet to his Princes and Captains and chiefe estates of Galylee How much more ought a Christian to remember if he can the day of his new birth and make that a day of ioy and gladnesse a day of feasting and reioycing to the