fearful then this There 's no fear of God before his eyes none in his heart God hath threatned to be a swift witness against such and such may justly fear all things even the tiles of their houses their tools every stile they go over every crow that flies over their heads all creatures from the angels to worms they have cause to fear the bread they eat the hair of their own face lest it choke them yea the thought of their own minde lest it turn to their ruine And though haply they do not fear yet they have cause so to do epecially lest the Devil pursue them in every corner and lest God should give him commission to haunt them and theirs They have cause to fear every thing as Cain doubtless that every thing would kill him a fearful state yet none so bold as blinde Bayard none fear so little as they who should fear most well they that fear Gods judgements least shall feel them most Let them therefore labor to get out of this case and seek to be reconciled to God else they shall fear him in spite of their hearts at the dreadful day when they shall stand quaking like Belshazzar when the Lord shall come from heaven in flaming fire c. when he shall come armed against them Pass the time That is the whole time for he names no part of time he will have all as who made all who is worthy of all if it were more and a great deal better and we owe nothing to any but to him we owe the World Flesh and Devil nothing What fruit and joy shall we have to do that which we must again undo or unsay and vomit up our sweet morsels Is there any service to the Kings service Can we spend our time better then in Gods There is no part of it that God allows to spend in vanity even our youth must be employed for God which is the best time of all when wit is freshest and the memory best yea the whole man every way fittest to serve God 1. This condemns the common sort which though they minde to serve God afterward think their youth too good and too soon for Gods service yea think themselves hardly dealt with if any perswade them to leave their tricks of youth and turn to God nay they think it unseemly so vile is the World grown to be Religious in youth and that its never spent in the kinde except it be in Swaggering Vanity Ruffianlike hair and Fashions Riot company Drinking c. They think its time enough to repent afterward when they have been married a while and they be groan somewhat ancient Thus vile wretches dally with God and their souls giving the wine to the Devil reserving the lees and Cask for God But is thy Youth too good for God thinkest thou and is not too good for the Devil and thy lusts Who is the better Master Who pays the better wages which is the better work the Devils Kennel stuff or Gods service in righteousness and holiness that which thou must afterward unsay and be ashamed of or this that is pleasing to God and Angels Fond Youth that promises to thy self repentance afterward see thy folly knowest thou that thou shalt live canst thou boast of to morrow hath not God cut off many as likely to live as thy self and prevented their Repenrance Nay what if thou knewest thou shouldest live hast thou power to Repent do not many after they are grown ancient finde as great a let of the world as in Youth they did of their pleasures and have become so worldly that they have been as far from Repenâ—ance as before and this is just with God because they will take upon them to be carvers of his gifts at their pleasure And what if thou knewest thou shouldest both live and repent yet were it not better for thee to turn to God now then to follow thy lusts till then and so to be long out of the service of righteousness This were as for one to feed on draff and Hogs meat which might have Angels food And besides thou treasurest up a great deal of sorrow for thy self and it may be fasten some punishment upon thee such as thou shalt never get out of in this life though thy soul be saved Therefore follow the Lords counsel who knows what 's best for thee Begin betimes come into the Lords work with the first before the Devil hath trained thy wit tongue c. so will it be easie to thee and never depart from thee and though there be a divelish proverb A yong Saint an old Devil yet if thou be truly turned to God in thy youth thou shalt never fall off Contrarily they that take liberty to be yong Devils in hope to be old Saints if God snatch them away while they be such they will never prove either yong or old Saints 2. This condemns those that can afford no part of their time to the fear of God but still it s too soon They have spent their time lewdly and vainly as the Prodigal as their middle age in extreme hunting for the world and yet in old age it s too soon till their death-bed How many wicked prophane covetous old men are there of fifty or sixty years and yet as far from God as ever They smell of the Spade but savor not of God nor any goodness these be unreasonable persons and see what truth is in the Devil He makes men believe he will hold them but a while yet when the time is more then come he will hold them still not let them go what a fearful answer have such men to make that should spend all the time of their life in Gods service and spend none when God shall call them to an account for their time how they have spent their youth how their middle and old age and finde that none was for himself all for the Devil then shall they certainly have their wages with whom they have wrought 3. This condemns also those that having come in late into the vineyard yet work lazily do not throughly imploy themselves in this great work 4. This may stir up Gods servants to afford God their whole time for that he requires Alas none of us have done so but spent a great deal in vanity and lewdness grievous to be spoken of some more some less every one of us have come short of that we should have done what then This cannot be called back it must be redeemed and seeing we came not so early to the Lords work as we should we must now work the harder The longer it was ere we came the more painful we must be and employ us the faster and now be as earnest in goodness as we have heretofore in vanity we must now speak as much for God as heretofore for Baal and for goodness against the enemies thereof as herefore in defence of Sin As
times wherein there are none so bad but others will keep company and joyn with them in all kindes of Societies yea oftentimes even Professors will match their children with such especially if they be wealthy but what a woful yoke is it to have an honest or well minded person or one of good towardness to be yoked with one of an ungodly and vile life one that 's both loose in maners and corrupt in judgement whether Atheist Papist or any other So men care not where they dwell nor with what Neighbors if the ground like them and it be for their profit Our yong Gentlemen are scarce compleat if they go not over to Italy to learn some of Machiavels villany A number of our Merchants care not where they buy or trade so it be for gain though they live amongst all Gods enemies and often defile themselves with bowing their knee to Baal Many care not how vile Servants they have so they do their work which yet proves oftentimes the poysoning of their Children Most are for all companies if good so it is they will frame themselves accordingly if bad they are also for them This is the cause of so much overflowing and overspreading evil in the world for one infects another O how many Youths of good towardness falling into vile company have been spoiled How loath are we that our Children should look asquint or be deformed Ill company will quickly make them look quite awry from God therefore saith David Depart from me ye wicked for I will keep the commandments of the Lord. As we love our selves as we would escape the Judgement of God upon us such as Pain Sickness Poverty and such like here with everlasting Torments hereafter keep we our selves far from the wicked depart we from them in whom we see not the lips of knowledge If we be to choose our dwellings do not we dwell in Mesech as we would not cry with the Psalmist Wo is me c. If already we dwell in such places yet be we watchful over the pollutions there lest we be defiled Haply the wicked will hereupon tax us for pride but better it is that they should speak ill of us falsly then that God should hate and punish us justly If one should wallow himself in a mire and term another in new and clean garments proud for not wallowing as he did or rubbing upon his dirty clothes whereby he might be defiled who would not account him a fool Those I say we must not love neither frequent their company but we must love the Brotherhood frequent the company of Gods people David made choyce of such so Cornelius even of such as did fear the Lord We must love to have fellowship with them both publikely in hearing the Word joyning together in Prayer for a blessing thereon and offering up the sweet perfume of Thanksgiving where thousands have found such comfort and refreshing as they would not give for a world and privately conferring one with another Admonishing Exhorting Edifying Comforting and Encouraging one another Thus we shall strengthen and confirm one another for he that walks with the wise shall be wise Thus stir up and provoke one another to good works whereof considering our dulness and weakness we have great need Thus we may open our temptations one to another and accordingly receive both comfort and counsel The wicked meet to strengthen one another in evil hereby making others twofold more the children of the Devil then themselves and should not we be as wise in our generation Oh! How many have cause to thank God highly for good company by whom upon the discovery of their temptations they have received both comfort and strength by whom being formerly much daunted by Reproaches and other harsh measure used against them for their Profession they have been notably heartened yea even the wicked themselves have been the better for good company as Joash whilest Jehoiada lived and the Sodomites whilest Lâ—t was amongst them Two are better then one and as iron sharpeneth iron so good company proveth beneficial unto such as make use of the same 1. This rebuketh the Brownists that separate and rent themselves from us and our both publike and private Societies as if we were no Church but an Antichristian company having neither Sacraments nor Ministers But we have not onely a true but a worthy Church that maintain all Principles of true Religion as soundly as any Church in the world as in our Articles of Religion appeareth We have also Ministers inwardly called of God with competency of gifts and graced of him by the fruit of their labors in the Conversion of thousands of souls which is a good seal of their Ministery from Heaven and if these have any good in them where had they it but from those Ministers and that Church from which they now separate and on which they most unchristianly rail as Antichristian to whom our Church may say indeed Give me that which you have had of me and then go your ways and see what will become of you What an ungracious part were it in a Son if being grown to some years and able to shift for himself he should turn and miscalling his Father spit on his face calling also his Mother Harlot and Whore and then running away from them when he should shew his thankfulness to them No less ungracious are these men 2. It rebuketh those prophane ones that cannot abide the company of Gods people think an hour there as long as a day elswhere account such a Family a prison wherein there 's reading the Word Catechizing Prayer and the like duties yea when they should be in the house of God they will be at home or in some Alehouse or walking abroad in the Fields or loytering in the Church-yard or if they come it s to no purpose as being against their mindes such straglers are in danger of the Devil out of Gods protection and may fall into any evil What blinde beasts be these that count that a prison that is comfort and joy true and sweet liberty Well if they will not walk with them while they live their end shall not be like theirs sever'd in life sever'd in death But what have they no company then Yes to swagger swill swear game and to all maner of disorder as well on the Lords-day as other times There 's a great deal of such fellowship in this Land falsly called good fellowship indeed hellish fellowship whereof not God but the Devil is the Author and Master of the meeting little brotherly fellowship except it be as Simeon and Levi brethren in evil O the drunken fellowship of these times Some are mad and beastly drunkards others to whom there 's also a wo strong to pour in strong drink glorying in making others drunk but their glory is to their shame and their end will be damnation How few Gentlemens houses can you come to wherein
were indeed the mad fools 2. How should this stir up them to be thankful to God that know themselves freed from this woful place and to Christ that hath suffered for them O what cause have they to rejoyce to walk obediently and to bear their few short afflictions patiently and for those that know it not me thinks they should never be quiet nor sleep good sleep till they know they are delivered from this prison 3. This should make us all not onely careful to save our own souls out of this place but to do all our endeavor to save others especially them that be committed to us as Ministers to preach diligently zealously and plainly to save their people out of Hell and pull them out of the fire such as do otherwise are merciless and cruel so Magistrates to punish sin zealously that they might not be condemned hereafter so must Parents towards their children by prayer counsel education correction so must every neighbor do what he can to save his neighbor If thou doest them no good yet shall they wish one day that they had been ruled by thee Which sometimes were disobedient Here 's the cause as well of their bodily punishment by the flood as their eternal judgement in Hell even for that they were disobedient to the Commandments of God and among the rest to the Ministery of Noah This is aggravated from the length of Gods patience shewed towards them though God told them how long he would wait yet did not they hereby become the wiser and by the real sermon which they had which was the building of the Ark They had both time and means to have repented but not repenting their sin was the greater and so was their judgement Q. Were all save those eight here mentioned drowned A. The Text is plain that all were drowned Q. Were all those that were drowned damned A. It is said That the earth was filled with cruelty they are also termed the world of the ungodly and its likely that if any had been openly known to have been good the Lord would have preserved them that they should not have perished in the waters with the rest yet it s possible that even among them that were drowned there might be some good and it were hard if we conclude that all were damned some were youths some infants not capable of sin some not born whereof some might belong to God Again it might be though not very likely that some might repent in truth when they saw the flood come However most no doubt were utterly cast away for ever yet some might be saved eternally though they had part in the bodily punishment as Cain a Reprobate had part in the temporal deliverance and yet perished eternally Hence perceive 1. The exceeding and almighty power of God that was able thus to take vengeance of the impiety of the world even of such an infinite multitude by such a judgement there 's no power nor counsel against him He is the Lord of Hosts and hath all Creatures in Heaven and Earth to use to preserve his and to destroy his Enemies even from the Angel which destroyed Senacharibs host to the very lice and worms fire ayr earth hail blasting mildew lyons bears c. are at his command there 's no Creature so mean which he cannot use to destroy the very proudest Tyrant How should this strike terror into the heart of every wicked man and make him humble himself at the footstool of the Lord and break off his sins by unfained repentance The people of Tyrus and Sidon feared Herod because he could hurt the Land who yet himself was worms meat God can plague and destroy a thousand ways What art thou that rebellest against thy Maker the Lord of the whole world who hath Heaven and Earth and Hell at his command and all Creatures in them He is able to plague thee which way soever he will every hour of the day He is able by the greatest by the meanest also of his Creatures to destroy thee as he can also immediately by himself But if he let all these alone he is able to finde enough in thine own bowels to torment thee some ill humor in thine own body or bowels to vex and weary thee any tooth in thy head may drive thee to extremity of pain thine own thoughts may take away sleep from thee yea drive thee into desperation as it befel Judas Most Princes if a great many be in a transgression or rebellion either cannot resist them or if they could dare not put them all to death for fear of rising or want of Subjects it s not so with the Lord he hath no need of men if they rebel against him he will cut them off if they be never so many he fears not O let none sin with the multitude thinking to be hidden or escape for God hath judgements enough and hath prepared Hell large enough though there be never so many that rebel against him 2. The wonderful justice of God and how he hates sin that thus revenged it upon the whole world This is a part of his name he will not account the wicked innocent He is a God that hateth and abhorreth iniquity and hath shewed it in all ages of the world He hath storehouses of judgements here against the wicked and hath prepared for them a prison and place of torment for them hereafter This should now make them tremble and fear hate sin and repent of it He hath done justice on the whole world and dost thou think to scape The world makes an Idol of him all of mercy such examples as this and that upon the Israelites in the Lamentations and many other shew his justice and this is such a dreadful example of Gods justice as should make all the world to tremble If we should see an hundred men executed together how would it daunt us what will it then to consider that thousands thousands are sent into Hell If any shall think that of those which were drowned there might some be saved eternally because oftentimes Gods servants be taken away in common calamities let them learn 1. To judge charitable of men taken away in such cases 2. Not to promise themselves any certain freedom from outward calamities howsoever we must not voke God hereunto but yet herein to commend our selves to God as which shall not hurt our souls Though we be wrapt among the wicked in some bodily affliction yet le ts be of good comfort we shall not be so at the day of Judgement we shall be delivered from eternal punishment But disobedience is as the forerunner of destruction it s as the sin of Witchcraft he who is the Lord of the whole world and requireth obedience of all cannot endure that men should contemn and disobey the admonitions of his Word whereby they are called to repentance This is mens destruction see 2
Have no league of Amity with them to have common friends and enemies as to help them against their enemies or crave their help against ours There be some that speak minsingly of the Religion of Rome as that there be indeed sundry differences between them and us but that they are petty and mean ones and of no great moment but such as if we would yield a little and they a little there might be a reconciliation made Wo be to such dawbers that would go about to reconcile God and the Devil Light and Darkness c. There are sundry differences which are main ones and against the foundation and such as except they will renounce we neither can nor must ever joyn with them So of the Papists themselves some will speak very favorably O they be good honest men and many good things they do if it were not a little for their Opinions c. Do such speak wisely they be abominable persons for they be Idolaters and those God calls abominable worshipping other Gods and the true in a false maner namely in Images If they were Murtherers and would take away our lives Adulterers and would abuse our wives Thieves and would take away our goods O we would cry out upon them and say They be abominable but we have no feeling of any thing which hurts our souls nor of that which is foully against God and his glory it s an Argument of self love and little grace It should go more to our hearts that its against GOD and his glory then any thing that were against our selves any way We ought to pray to God to convert them or remove them and that they may be curbed and their eyes may fail ere they have their desire of Toleration of their abominable Religion For the Idolatry among our selves Some conceive of God as of a God onely merciful and not just which emboldens them to go on in their sins without fear or care supposing that when they have abused him at their pleasure all their days if in the end they utter but a few good words to him he will be as well pleased as if they had served him all their time This is to conceive an Idol and not God for he is as just as merciful the one no more then the other Sundry also among us make a god of their Belly Profits Pleasures Honor Children Ease c. seeking onely these setting their heart and delight in these trusting in these yea to compass these not caring though they offend God for whatsoever a man loves more then God or trusts in besides God he makes it his god Thus the glutton makes his Belly as the covetous man his Wealth his god O vileness and extreme baseness We that live under the Word preached should learn to know God to be All-sufficient and to labor to make him our portion and inheritance our joy and our castle He that hath God hath all he that wants him in the midst of all hath nothing Blessed is the people so the person whose God is the Lord not who are wealthy have great friends c. and who accordingly love him above all set him up in their hearts trusting in him onely satisfying themselves in him yea him alone and loving all other things in and for and under him Others there are that profess Religion and worship God indeed but in a false maner they pray but depart not from iniquity hear the Word but hate to be reformed are baptized but keep no Covenant receive the Lords Supper but without Knowledge Faith and Repentance but God he is a Spirit and therefore will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth They that worship him as most do they worship an Idol namely Such a God as is content with the outside with Ceremonies but so is not the true God the service of such is abominable against such judgements have been both denounced and inflicted See 1 Sam. 15. 23. Psal. 50. 16. Isa. 1. 11. and 58. 5. Jer. 7. 4. Ezek. 14. 33 27. Mic. 6. 7. Our outward worshipping of God must proceed from our inward Knowledge Love Fear and Trust in God and must be joyned with obedience and Reformation If thou repentest not of thine Hypocritical service thy wages will be according to thy work This makes Gods enemies speak ill of our Religion and hold off even because though indeed we worship God and profess well yet our peoples lives be so far wide we that enjoy the Gospel and the true means of the right knowledge and service of God ought not to worship the true God onely but in a right maner What though we be not Idolaters we cannot almost be so though we would yet we may and without repentance shall certainly perish for our ceremonious and Hypocritical serving of God and so much the rather because we had the means to bring us to the true knowledge of him which is denyed to the common sort of the Papists Assuredly we shall lose all our labor if we use it to no better purpose and our souls too among the Hypocrites Verse 4. Wherein they think it strange that you run not with them to the same excess of ryot speaking evil of you HEre 's the prevention of an Objection If we should now break off might some say and no longer live as we have done but take the course that you prescribe we should be wondred at as an Owl among Birds They would think strangely of us as of fools and mad folks and hate us and speak evil of us that we should not be able to abide it Others also might say We which have followed your counsel have made our selves a gazing stock and pulled all men upon our tops even those that liked us well before speak ill of us and what we shall do we know not The Apostle Answereth I know it is so with some of you and will be so with the rest but be not dismaid for as it s set down in the following Verse they shall answer for this wickedness at the time which God hath appointed when we shall receive the Crown of glory for our well-doing and constant continuance therein In this Verse note 1. The minde of the wicked towards Gods children their course seems strange to them 2. The effect hereof in their words They speak evil of them 3. The ground or reason hereof For that they run not with them into the same excess of riot Wherein they think it strange Hence note that Such as mean to renounce their sins and take an holy course shall finde much opposition undergo the hatred and ill will of most Lot was wondred at in Sodom as doubtless the old world wondred at Noah for making the Ark and Pharaohs Courtiers at Moses his choyce Michol mockt despised David in her heart when he danced before the Ark Nebuchadnezzar wondred that the three children refused to bow to his Image which others did Festus thought Paul mad In