world haue not the loue of the Father Yea though the world shall passe away the lusts thereof and they onely that doe the will of the Father shall abide for euer For meates cannot make men Euerlasting but there must be an end and perchance the sooner for abusing them and then there must come an account euen for the abuse of them But as these offend in an excesse of quantity so others offend in an excesse of quality and put as much sinne into a little roome as others doe into a great A great summe of money is contracted into a single dish and there is an ambition to make vp a great excesse in as little a forme as they may Thus the shapes of vices are altered but vices are retained and there must bee new fashions in sinnes as in clothes Surely the Nature of these times doth not call for these studies and without study this Art of Excesse cannot mount to this Height When God calleth for pouerty wee should not meete him with prodigalitie when hee calls for humilitie wee should not meete him with pride and when he calls for fasting we should not meete him with excesse of Riot But let vs feare the Consequences of such incongruities and let this feare teach vs to auoide them Surely the Iudgement which God himself hath denounced against them is fearful there wants nothing but faith to beleeue it and then it will appeare as fearefull as it is In that day did the Lord of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning Esay 22. 12. and to baldnesse and to girding with sack-cloth And behold ioy and gladnesse slaying oxen and killing sheepe eating flesh and drinking wine Let vs eate and drinke for to morrow wee shall dye And it was reuealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquitie shall not bee purged from you till yee dye But to those that tremble at the word of God and conforme themselues to his will as in all things so in the right vse of his Creatures the Scripture offereth more grace For the Grace of God which bringeth saluation Tit. 2. 11. hath appeared and teacheth vs That those who deny vngodliness and worldly lusts liuing godly righteously and soberly in this present world they may comfortably looke for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ. For verily there is a reward for the righteous Psal. 58. 11 verily there is a God that iudgeth the earth 17 But to what purpose Not onely particular sins but a generall roote of wickednes is among vs. doe I seeke to cut off the branches of particular sinnes by the sword of the Spirit as long as there remaineth among vs a Roote of gall and wormewood that can bring forth all sinnes at once For if we cure sinnes one by one and while one is curing many spring forth the disease ouergroweth the cure Yea euen that very sinne which we seeke to cure after a little while will breake forth againe because the Roote of it is still aliue This Roote of Bitternesse is a naturall prophanenesse euen a contempt of God and the Truth of Religion I say the truth of Religion for there may bee an eye cast toward Religion out of custome or for company or for some remaining impressions of the first Creation that may make men to feare there is a God But to loue Religion in the true shape of it and because it is true this is it that I find farre banished by this Roote of Prophanenesse And though I much lament it yet I doe not greatly wonder at it for I see a Cause of it and therein I see that while men are nothing but men this will be their fashion For Religion in the Truth of it must needs be Spirituall Ioh. 4. for it is the worship of him who is a Spirit and therefore cannot bee pleased by any worship but of Spirit and Truth Now if Religion bee Spirituall how can it bee but it must needs be contemned yea hated by men that are carnall For the carnall minde is enmity against God Rom. 8. 7. and the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other And from this Contrariety ariseth that Enmity and from that Enmity ariseth Persecution euen from the beginning vnto the end of the world For this two fold seed of the flesh and the spirit hauing the foundations of it laid in Paradise the Enmity then also was enacted between them And as then Cal. 4. 29. I meane as soon as men were borne he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was borne after the spirit so is it now Now doth the flesh despise and oppose spirituall worship and spirituall worshippers which opposition so farre as it doth preuaile so farre doth the generall roote of sinne preuaile and the sins springing from that roote And because the Diuell is the Prince of this Enmity hee fitteth weapons for this warre wherwith the sonnes of the flesh may fight his battells against the sons of the spirit And of all the weapons which he hath prouided in these last Ages I thinke he neuer inuented any Engine made of words more seruiceable to him than one which of late hee hath brought into fashion For it is a sharpe-pointed word directed to runne into the very eye of true Religion it is a Canon mounted to batter the very Kingedome of Christ to lay wast all holinesse of life the fruite and effect of that Kingedome and this word is then shot off when a Saint is called a Puritane K. Iames in his Preface to Baâ—â— Doron And though King IAMES a King higher than the Kings of the earth in Learning and Iudgement tied the propertie of this word to Anabaptists their Sectaries it is now diuerted to Saints euen to those that doe not walke in the broad way of common and sociable vices and especially if they goe somewhat higher than ciuil and naturall Righteousnesse If the spirit doe but shew it selfe in some expression of a clearer light or more heauenly vertue than the darkenesse of the flesh comprehendeth it is to bee beaten down and quenched with the Title of Puritaisme Yet Christ plainely calleth his Disciples to excellent things Mat. 5. 20. 〈◊〉 16 3. New Tran and Dauid calleth the Saints by the Title of Excellent yea and for this very Reason in them is all his delight because they are Excellent and for this very Reason doth the man of flesh hate and persecute them And indeed in this very Excellence wherin the spiritual man exceedes the carnall and naturall man stands the glory of Gods Kingdome of Grace For when men doe those workes which the carnall and naturall men doe not sauour and therfore doe them not then are mens eies turned away from the men that doe them to God the Author of them and so seeing their good workes to shine
in and by how many Prophets yet euen at the last cast when the sword was whetting and readie to strike a Doore was opened to them Amend your wayes Ierem. 26. 13. and your doings and obey the voyce of the Lord your God and the Lord will repent him of the euill that hee hath pronounced against you What could bee more peremptorie than the prophesie of Ionah against the Niniuites A day was prefixed which stood before them and seemed to inclose them that they should neuer goe beyond it Yet their faith had espyed this doore of Mercy as it were by a little Crany Ionah 3. 9. Who can tell if God will turne and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that wee perish not Behold a strange Faith that so much beleeued in Gods mercy that it seemed to doubt of his truth Nay far bee that from so excellent a Faith They beleeued both the Truth and Mercy of God for they so much beleeued and hoped in his Mercy to penitent sinners that they beleeued that the same Mercy had left some secret way of Truth by which it might passe vnto them and they goe forth vnto it And in this point their faith seemed to exceed the faith of the Prophet For the Prophet thought his owne honour would bee lost if so peremptorie a sentence were not peremptorily performed But these men beleeued it stood well with the honour of God that a peremptory sentence vpon penitence might be dissolued And indeede theirs was true faith and his thought was but an errour For the word of God whose Truth is a true ground of Faith is the very foundation of that which they beleeued At what instant Ier. 18. 7. I shall speake of a Nation and concerning a Kingdome to plucke vp and to pull downe and to destroy it if that Nation against whom I haue pronounced turne from their Euill I will repent of the euill that I thought to doe vnto them Thus we see in the denunciation of Gods Iudgements there is an implied Reseruation and this Reseruation is the Doore at which the Nineuites and other beleeuing penitents may finde a way to escape Yea the peremptorinesse of the sentence which seemeth to hedge vs in may be the very meanes to bring vs to the way of escaping For the peremptorinesse of a sentence strikes the sentence strongly as it were a spurre into the sides of resty and dull flesh and bloud and stirs vp mankinde hardly to labour for that Issue which seemes so hard and almost impossible to be found And indeede this finding God vsually proposeth as the scope of his warning He tells vs of Iudgements comming that wee may finde the way to auoid them If he meant to destroy his readiest way were not to forewarne It was Sauls case when he was neere to the period of Ruine The Lord answered him not neither by dreames 1. Sam. 28 6. nor by vrim nor by Prophets Let vs therefore account premonitions to bee Summons vnto Iudgement but yet by a silent and implied Reseruation offering vs Mercie And betweene the time of denunciation and full performance let vs thinke that offer continued to vs. For the Time of warning is commonly a time of Truce betweene God and Man and a time of Respite between Wrath and Punishment Therefore is it called The day of a person or people euen a day of Grace Luke 19. 42 wherin iudgement is suspended and may bee preuented And if in this their day those things are not hid from their eies which may make their peace with God the peace of God will preserue them from the Iudgements of God Wherefore let vs not thinke that euery forewarning is a binding for a prediction ordinarily bindeth no farther than mens impeni tence bindeth it For in it selfe a premonition is an offer of loosing as well as a sentence of binding There is a gate of Mercy in it and man hath a Key wherewith to open it Yea the Iudge himselfe who seemes to inclose vs in prison calls vpon vs to make vse of it and by the hardnesse and difficultie of escaping stirs and spurs vs vp to an earnest seeking of the meanes of our Freedom 4. If any man aske what is the Key by which this gate is opened Spirituall helpes are the true helpes to set vs at liberty from Iudgements 1. Sam. 10. 27. he may plainly see it in the places alledged In euery one of them it is Repenting and Turning from euill waies But flesh and bloud replies in the language of Belial For as the men of Belial said of the King whom God had annointed Shall this man saue vs So flesh and bloud saith of the meanes which God hath sanctified Shal such an ayerie and inuisible thing saue vs Yet most true it is that inuisible things must saue vs or wee cannot bee saued Spirituall things are inuisible and spirituall things must saue vs. And no wonder for spirituall things worke our eternal saluation and if they can worke the greater why should they not be able to worke out the lesser saluation When a question is made concerning the great Saluation Act. 2. 37. 38. Men and Brethren what shall we doe to be saued The first word of the Answer is Repent And why should not the same answer serue for a lesser saluation Againe if wee looke vpon the way wherein wee came to be bound wee shall finde a spirituall way to bee our onely way to loosing If wee looke to heauen we shall finde it is God that bindes vs there and God is a spirit Now Ioh. 4. 24. according to the reason of CHRIST himselfe if God be a Spirit it is a spirituall meanes that can only bee powerfull with a spirit And if wee looke below we shall finde it is sin that prouoketh God to binde man and sinne is a spirituall disease euen a deprauation of the Image of God in the soule and spirit of Man or a fruit of it Now it is plaine that a spirituall remedy can only cure a spirituall disease The soule will not bee fed by the food of the body neither by bodily physicke will it bee cured Wherfore in regard of God who is offended and in regard of thy sinne that hath offended him behold the word of God turning thee from carnall and visible to spirituall and insuisible Remedies Micah 6. 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams or with ten thousands of Riuers of Oyle shall I giue my first-borne for my transgression the fruite of my body for the sinne of my soule Hee hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to doe iustly and to loue mercy and to humble thy selfe in walking with thy God Neither hath God herein giuen meere words but his deeds haue beene as good as his words The Scripture is full of examples that this meanes which the world thinkes to be weaknesse hath beene strong vnto
seruant Nebucadnezzar Ier. 25. 9. 27. 6. 43. 10. And for this very reason when God bids Shimei to curse Dauid 2. Sam. 10. Dauid durst not to meddle with him for he knew he that set him on worke was to be feared and could not be resisted but as long as God pleased to employ Shimei Dauid thought it fitter to submit himselfe vnto God and so to appease him than to fly into the face of his chastisement before he was appeased When a Father corrects his sonne for a fault if the sonne in stead of confessing and amending his fault and thereby acknowledging the iustnesse of his correction doe nothing else but fly vpon the Rod and teare it in pieces doth not this increase his fault and so increase his punishment Wherefore lift vp thy head and looke on thy Chastisements like a man and not like an vnreasonable creature Come down by the Causes to cure the Effects hauing in the Effects beheld the Causes When thou seest the Rod see withall who hath appointed it It is God that sendeth it Amos 3. 6 For is there any Euill of punishment and the Lord hath not done it And why are the Euills of punishment laid vpon vs but because of our sinnes We waite for light but behold obscurity for brightnesse but we walke in darkenesse c. The Cause is annexed Isa. 59. 9. For our Transgressions are multiplied before thee and our sinnes testifie against vs. So to take the right course wee must begin with the first Cause and take notice thereof and that is our Sinne. Therfore it followes verse 12. Our Transgressions are with vs and as for our Iniquities we know them Wee must know our sinnes and by acknowledgement of our sinnes giue glorie to Gods Iustice in the punishing of our sinnes And when by this Confession Gods righteous iudgements are approued and accepted this is a right step and a good degree of Repentance toward the abolition both of sinnes and punishments Another reason of seeing and confessing our sinnes is in regard of our selues For how shall wee come to loath and forsake those sins which we doe not know acknowledge And if wee doe not come to forsake them wee can neuer come to bee cured of them and the euills that attend them Therefore Salomon Pro. 28. 13. maketh his Cure of sinnes to begin in Confession of sinnes and so he goeth on to forsaking and so to the finding of Mercie And surely if we did clearly see them they would appeare most loathsome to vs we should plainely finde that the sight of sinne is the way to the detestation of sinne But sinne being a spirituall defect or spot it must bee spiritually discerned And for lacke of this eie it comes to passe that sinne doth not appeare out of measure sinfull For if a clear spirituall eie did see the spots of sinne in the glasse of Gods Law it would appeare as blacke as an Aethiop and as loathsome as Leprosie Yea the righteousnesse that hath but a tainte of it would shew like filthy cloutes and the soule would hate euen a garment spotted with the flesh But because wee are darkenesse therefore all colours are like to vs for darknesse takes away the difference euen of contraries Therefore Laodicca Reuel 3. 17. when one of her miseries is blindenesse she thinkes her self rich and to haue need of nothing though indeede she be miserable and poore and naked and what is the reason because being blinde she knowes it not Therefore her way to finde her owne misery that so she may be cured of it is to beg of Christ Iesus that eye-salue with which her eyes being anoynted she may see And when she seeth she cannot but see her nakednes and seeing it she cannot but loathe it and loathing it desire to bee clothed with the grace and righteousnesse of God in Christ Iesus 7. But of the true sight of sinne Oyl of Sc. 226. A second part of Repentance Detestation of sinne I haue elsewhere more fully spoken and likewise of the detestation of sinne Yet this I adde That if we cannot detest sinne à priori by loo king it in the face and seeing the vgly and hideous shape of it yet let vs detest it à posteriori by seeing yea by feeling the miserable effects and consequences of it All the torments of a distracted Leuit. 26. soule Deut. 28. the racke of the conscience the terrours of hell in the minde All the diseases of the body feuers pestilences and rottennesse of the bones All the fearefull stormes that light on the things of this life lightning and tempest cold and fire wracke of estates by Sea or Land they are some small resemblances of sinne the euill of doing being a little though not at full represented in the euills of suffering If then there be such a loathing and detestation of such euills being suffered know that the euils are more loathsome for which they are suffered for God doth not goe beyond justice in the punishment of mankinde yea he is yet farre short of it For after all these euils attending sinne here on earth the Lord shall come in flaming fire 2 Thess. 1. 8. taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ who shall bee punished with euerlasting destruction Wherefore as deepe as the loathing and hatred of all paines and torments both on earth and in hell doth enter into thy heart so deepe let the detestation of sin enter yea a little farther as an euill cause deserues some more hatred than that euill which is made by it And indeed thou must take notice that this detestation must goe deepe with thee euen to the bottome of thy heart for it being the needle which makes way for conuersion from sinne that conuersion will not come but where this detestation hath gone before And here should I come to speake of the true expressions of this hatred of sinne in selfe-reuenge by fasting and other exercises of humiliation but of these also I haue already spoken only in some other place I may haue occasion to speake of the excellent vse and power of fasting being ioyned to the substantiall parts of repentance 8. And now come wee to A third part of Repentance the turning from sinne vnto the contrary righteousnesse Turning from sinne vnto the contrary Righteousnesse and I would to God we were indeed come home vnto it For this is the maine worke of repentance that sets the soule yea all things in ioynt againe and makes a full agreement between God and vs for sinne hauing separated vs the wall of this separation being drawne downe there is entercourse between God and vs. The Image of God in vs lookes cheerefully vpon God whose Image it is and God lookes cheerfully on this Image because it is his Likenesse breedes loue and on the loue of God attend all blessings and the
the rootes of the Trees none but the tree that beares good fruite shall escape hewing downe and casting into the fire But the righteousnesse of outward workes is neither true nor lasting without a seed and nature of Righteousnesse Therefore to make the fruite truely and continually good the tree must be made good For the good tree only beareth good fruit and ceaseth not to beare it Wherefore as the roote of sinfulnesse must be pulled vp so a roote of Righteousnesse must bee planted As the old man must be put off the new man must be put on Eph. 4. 22. 23. This New man is borne of the spirit as the old man is borne of the flesh Joh. 3. 6. For that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit And if that which is borne of the spirit be in vs then haue wee in vs a roote of Righteousnesse For the fruite of the spirit is in all goodnesse Eph. 5. 6. and righteousnesse and truth This is the roote of the tree planted by the riuer side Psal. 1. 3. that bringeth forth his fruite in his season his leafe also shall not wither but whatsoeuer he doth shall prosper This is the seed that falls into good ground yea it makes the ground good into which it falls Heb. 6. 7. so that it bringeth forth hearbs meet for them by whom it is dressed and receiueth blessing from God And indeed no wonder if it receiue blessing from God and turn away the curses of God for when the hart of man is thus made good ground fruitfull earth and a good tree by the vertue of Gods spirit the heart of Man is according to the Heart of God And from this harmonie agreement issue all blessings and blessednesse There is friendship betweene God and man when face answereth to face the face of mans soule to the face of God to whose Image it was first created and after the fall it must bee renewed Prov. 27. 19. Then will God delight to dwell among vs hee will walke with vs hee will bee a Father to vs 2 Cor. 6. 17. and wee shall bee his sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Deut. 28. 12. 13. The Lord shall open to thee his good treasure the heauen to giue the raine vnto thy land in his season and to blesse all the worke of thine hand And thou shalt lend vnto many Nations and shalt not borrow And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the taile and thou shalt bee aboue only and not beneath if that thou hearken to the Commandements of the Lord thy God to obserue and doe them Infinite is the blessednesse and infinite are the blessings which follow this new creature and Image of God And places of Scripture are almost endlesse that expresse them Briefly and for a summe Godlinesse is profitable vnto all things 1 Tim. 4. 8. hauing promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come Now what shall I inferre hereupon yea let God himselfe make the inference by his blessed Apostle Hauing therefore these promises 2 Cor. 7. 1. dearely beloued let vs cleanse our selues from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God Let vs put on the New Creature and walke by that rule for as many as walke by that Gal. 6. 1â—â— rule peace shall be vpon them Peace betweene God and vs peace betweene vs and our owne soules and peace betweene vs and the Creatures 10. Hauing thus put on The Crown of repentance is a Couenant with God the glorious and blessed Image of God in our repentance from dead workes and the body of sinne let vs crown and consummate this happy worke with a Couenant For thus did the ancient Conuerts they bound vp their Repentance in a Couenant that entring into a Couenant with God God might enter into a Couenant with them and so the knot of Happinesse Loue might bee knit and made sure betweene God and Man The heart of man is very deceitfull and backsliding and it is not enough to put it into the way of agreement with God but being there it must be bound by strong resolutions yea those resolutions haue beene bound with an oath And thus our will binding it selfe to the will of God by a settled resolution and vow it continues the closer and more vnseparable since as soone as temptation commeth it dasheth it selfe in pieces against the Rocke of this Couenant The heart being as it were hardned and steeled with Resolution is in vaine assaulted and the Billow of temptation flying against it non frangit sed frangitur the Billow is broken but the house or the heart falls not because it is become rocky being firmely built on the Rocke Christ Iesus Yea Sathan seeing the soule settled and resolued to resist him flyes away and remoues his engines to places and persons of lesse resistance But on the other side God seeing the heart bent and resolued and bound to a constant seruice of God hee meetes it with a constant loue and the kisse of perfect peace is betweene them I might bring forth diuers examples of Couenants There was a Couenant vnder Moses Deut. 20. 12. vnder Ioshua vnder Iosiah Iosh. 24. vnder Ezra Ezra 10. but I especially propose the Couenant of 2 King 23. 3. Asa because it was the patterne of a perfect Couenant and a happy successe And because I wish the later I propose the former This Couenant is thus described There came a Prophet and spake vnto Asa 2 Chron. 15 and all Iudah and Beniamin Hee told them of the miseries of those which were without the true God a teaching Priest and without law That forsaking God they were forsaken of God And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in but great vexations were vpon all the Inhabitants of the Countries And Nation was destroyed of Nation and Citie of Citie for God did vexe them with all aduersitie On the other side The Lord is with them while they bee with him and if they seeke him hee will bee found of them Yea being vexed for their sinnes when in their trouble they did turne vnto the Lord God of Israel and sought him hee was found of them Thereupon the Prophet inferreth Bee yee strong therefore and let not your hands bee weake for your worke shall be rewarded And Asa indeed grew strong for the Scripture saith Hee tooke courage and put away the abhominable Idols out of Iudah and Beniamin he renewed the Altar of the Lord and offered a great sacrifice to God And to binde vp this new obedience and to make it sure by setting a seale to it They entred into a Couenant to seeke the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soule This Couenant they binde with a high
The sinne of Achan being one mans sinne brought a iudgement vpon manie and the sinne of some men of Gibeah approued by a Tribe brought a iudgement vpon the Tribe yea almost an vtter destruction Concerning these Iud. 19. 20. whosoeuer haue power of Reformation no doubt God expects it of them but those that haue not this power let them bee sorry for that euill which they cannot amend And so while they turne their hearts from it and against it it may be God will not punish them for that which they disallow yea let them pray to God to reforme it 2. Pet. 2. 7. and in the same praier say with the Mariners We beseech thee O Lord wee beseech thee Ionah 1. 14. let vs not perish for this mans life for the sinne or sinfull life of another There are also Nationall or at lest common sinnes and indeed there is too great a sinke of these sins in this Nation The abundance of these euil humours is that which lies heauie vpon the heart of this Nation and makes it sicke at the very soule of it And though many of these Diseases haue beene discouered by many yet few are cured and some there are which can scarse be beaten into the notice of those that are sicke of them Besides numberlesse others who haue sought the Health of this people by shewing them their Diseases I haue loued if not furthered the word and worke of the great Shepheard I will seeke that which is lost Ezek. 34. 16. and bring againe that which was driuen away and will binde vp that which was broken will strengthen that which was sicke And to this end I haue endeauoured to discouer their Sicknesses and to shew them the Remedies But alas the Diseases liue and the Remedies dye they liue that are our destruction and they dye by which we should liue and what will be the end hereof Therefore mine eye weepeth in secret and my heart is affraid Ier. 6. 10. Because their eare is vncircumcised and they cannot hearken behold the word of the Lord is vnto them a reproach they haue no delight in it Still doe the knowne notorious sinnes call one to another as the wilde beasts of the Ilands cry in desolate houses Esa. 13. 22. Luxurie calleth to Drunkennesse and Drunkennesse calleth to Blasphemie and Blasphemie answers euery sinne that it speakes with And I wish this sinne did not speake to those that speake not to it but abhorre to heare it and that it did not haunt the passenger from one end of the City yea of the Land to another A dry barren and saplesse sinne he that would do any thing for God or for his owne soule would surely leaue such a sinne which hath no tast of profite or pleasure in it but hee that wil not leaue a few needlesse words for God will certainly doe nothing for him yea they take a pride in this madnesse And wheras a man that feares God feares to vse his Name vainely though it were but in the vsuall and vnnecessary formes of admiration these men striue to fill vp their speeches with many repetitions of the Name of God that they may often name him whom they doe not beleeue to bee at all or if they beleeue that there is a God their wickednesse is the greater because they wittingly dishonour him whom they beleeue to be God Let such men walke vnder what name they will the name of Heathen is the least that belongs to them For can they bee other than Heathens that doe not so much as sauour of the Lords Praier and the ten Commandements in one of which there is a Petition that Gods Name may be hallowed and in the other a Precept that his Name should not be prophaned And if there be any oddes between such Christians and Heathens the oddes of goodnesse is on the Heathens side For the Heathen knowes not this Praier nor these Commandements so that if hee offend he offends against that which he knows not But these false Christians no question haue known them at least in their childhood and so doe offend against that which they knew Now since Christ hath pronounced a heauier sentence on these than the other no doubt they are worse than the other for he saith The ignorant Heathens shall bee beaten with few stripes Luke 12. and these with many But against this and many other sinnes there hath sounded out the Word of God so often in vaine that it may euen now truly bee said Esa. 65. 2. All the day long I haue stretched forth my hands vnto a disobedient and gainsaying people Which giues cause to feare lest all the day long GOD also stretch forth his hand vpon a disobedient and gainsaying people And I wish yet at length that though they haue not taken it to heart when his hand is stretched out vnto them yet they may lay it to their heart when his hand is stretched out vpon them 15. The continuing of these and other roaring sins Continuance in sin bindes the sins of the fathers to the children Of which a great one is shedding innocent bloud with a high wilfull and presumptuous hand makes mee to doubt that the stocke of our sinnes euen of the sins of this Nation growes on to a fulnesse and that the sinnes of our Ancestors comming downe vpon vs by a continuall and vnbroken succession the treasure of wrath growes to a fit and full measure for a day of wrath And if these sins should descend vpon vs one of them which I should especially feare is Blood and especially the Blood of the Martyrs For this sinne stucke fast to Israel and followed them euen through the daies of good Iosiah and hath this fearefull Doome set vpon it That God would not pardon it 2 King 24. 4. And I suppose a man may see the blood of the Martyrs worke on some Houses particularly if particularly why not generally especially there being such a bending in many See oile of Scor. Sect. 10. to touch with the whore that is drunken with the blood of the Saints And surely her touch doth defile those that are knit to her with the blood of the Saints The cure of this hereditarie euill But a Remedie against this and other sins of our Forefathers is giuen by God himselfe If he beget a Son that seeth all his Fathers sinnes which hee hath done Ezek. 18. and considereth and doth not such like he shall not dye for the iniquitie of his Father This is the way which God himselfe hath shewed whereby the sonnes may put off the guilt and punishment of their fathers sinnes euen by putting off the sinnes themselues But we must know withall that sinnes are neuer throughly put off vntill sinfulnesse bee put off euen the roote it selfe of sinne But when this sinfulnesse is put off then is there a diuiding and partition between the Sonne and the Father the knife
and comfortable thing when there is a zeale and feruency in this worke of Reconciliation and if it be taken to heart as a thing in earnest and especially by the Priesthood For when God stirreth vp the Priests to weepe between the Porch and the Altar and to say Spare thy people O Lord and giue not thine Heritage to reproach Ioel. 2. 17. 18. he heareth that which is spoken by his owne stirring and motion And so it followes Then will the LORD bee iealous for his Land and pitty his people But if any man withdraw himselfe the sicke soule of an afflicted Church or Common-wealth can haue no pleasure in him nor profit by him He that withdrawes himselfe from sauing his flock by publike indeauours euen in these workes of Humiliation and in his personall sanctity this man seemes to be a trespasser by destroying that which hee ought to haue built And for the late solemnities it is a griefe and losse if any able man should out of coldnesse of zeale or loue of ease performe the seruice of those dayes with that which cost him nothing Euen the obdurate Iewes when they saw Paul and Barnabas in the Sinagogue they called vpon them for a word of exhortation I deny not the Scriptures which allow the publike reading of the Scriptures neither doe I detract from the worth and value of that which Authorie sets forth deriued from Scripture But withall I know that when Christ ascended vp on high he gaue gifts vnto men and the gifts which hee gaue were giuen for the edification of the Church And I doe not know yea I beleeue not that it was the intent of men of higher place and authority by their paines and industry to exclude the indeauours and industrie of those of lower place or that they did labour that these might take their case An able Minister resident on his flocke can apply the present worke of humiliation to the sins and sicknesses of his flock which in euery flocke being somewhat different it is impossible so to comprehend them all in generall exhortations that the particular shepheard may not yet haue something left to say that may particularly concerne the flocke wherof God hath made him ouerseer Surely if preaching in season and out of season be enioyned this time must needs bee one of them and I take it in season For this day should bee a day of zeale of contending and striuing with God a day wherein the hearts of men should bee torne and broken that from broken hearts there may ascend vnto God the sweet and acceptable sacrifice of Inuocation Prayer Now the zeale of the Minister expressed both in his labour for the Word in the Word for which he labours prouoketh enkindleth the zeale of his people And the word of God being applyed to the root of those very sins wherewith a flocke is ouergrowne it is like a plough to turne vp those sinnes by the rootes and to breake vp the fallow ground wherein they lay and so to make broken hearts which onely can offer vp that acceptable sacrifice And now for priuate practice of holinesse and edifiing by conuersation without the word I wish there were no cause for God to say I haue a few things against thee Reu. 2. 14. 20. And I wish they were so few that few words needed to be said But if they bee not so few though speaking may be offensiue yet silence is more dangerous Wounds indeed doe paine when they are touched by the Healer but they kill if they bee not touched And there is no comparison betweene the offence that may bee taken by opening a sore in the cure of it and that which the sore giues when it opens it selfe to the world by visible corruption And then there is on this side also an odds and aduantage of mortall danger For wee know that whereof it is said it cannot long stand without which is ruinous within But if not of this time yet let mee speake of S. Pauls time Phil. 3. 18. There were some in that time of whom he spake weeping And surely if there bee such at this time hee that speakes duely cannot speak without mourning For is it not a lamentable thing to heare a good fellow complaine of good fellowship as if hee were put downe in his owne profession But I am affraid of Gath and Ashkelon Only I wish that such were so knowne that they might not bee knowne and that this Nayle may bee so fastned by the masters of the assemblies that if the children hold their peace the stones doe not speake But to the Aduersary I say What is the chaffe to the wheare Shee which is called barren and seemes to them to haue no husband because her husband is in heauen hath borne more children than shee that hath an husband on earth Psal. 68. 11. God gaue the Word and great was the assemblie of Preachers Preachers Deut. 33. 9. that haue obserued thy word and kept thy Couenant That teach Iacob thy iudgements and Israel thy law And let these holy Leuites and Ministers of the liuing God neuer leaue calling on the Father of mercy and God of all consolation vntill by his mercy they doe binde the hands of his Iustice so that Iustice it selfe be inforced to aske leaue of them to punish and to say Let mee alone Exod. 32. 10. Thus did Moses that excellent Leuite preuaile vpon God for the Israelites when they had committed that horrible sinne of Idolatry in the golden Calfe For vpon the prayer of Moses challenging God for his free goodnesse by which he freely began to bee good vnto them for his Names sake which should bee dishonoured among the Egyptians for his Oaths sake made to their fathers to be mercifull to them Vers. 14. The Lord repented of the euill which hee thought to doe vnto them And so did another Leuite euen blessed Samuel for when Israel had sinned and was therefore in feare of the Philistims 1 Sum. 7. 8. 9. Samuel cryed vnto the Lord for Israel and the Lord heard him And the power of such prayers is so preualent that God himselfe makes it the signe of a desperate estate when a Nation is come to that point Ier. 15. 1. that Moses and Samuel will not be heard Wherfore for Sions sake let them not hold their peace yea for their owne sakes also for besides their owne interest in the common good or euill it is a sinne in them not to pray for the people therefore Samuel saith 1 Sam. 12. 23. God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you 20. But because the same Samuel Thirdly the people must repent if the people wil be saued ver 24. 25. who accounts it a sinne not to pray for the people yet hath little hope of his prayers except the people repent hee addeth Onely feare the Lord and serue him in truth with all your
heart but if yee shall still doe wickedly yee shall be consumed For though prayers of Prophets and Priests be powerfull with God to draw down his mercy yet there is no vsuall course of mercy to bee expected by a sinfull and impenitent Nation Wee reade and heare that though God shew a great mercy euen mercy vnto thousands yet it is on them that loue him Luk. 1. 50. and keep his commandements And the mercy of God is vpon them that feare him from generation to generation Therefore before Samuel vndertakes to offer sacrifice and prayer for Israel hee speakes vnto Israel to put away their sinnes to prepare their hearts vnto the Lord and to serue him only And when they had done so and with fasting acknowledged their sinnes 1 Sam. 7. 3. c. then Samuel prayed and the prayer of Samuel was heard and the Lord sent them a deliuerance from heauen Wherefore let not the people thinke to cast all on the Ministers and imagine that good men in the Ministerie will serue to saue bad men in the Laitie But let them striue to be such by repentance and holines that the prayers of the Ministrie may bee heard for their preseruation For otherwise by their sinnes they binde the hands of the Ministers which they desire should bee lifted vp for them yea they cause God both to stop his owne eares and the mouthes of the Ministers For when they loue to wander and refraine not their feet from euill then comes forth that fearefull command Ier. 7. 16. Pray not for this people neither lift vp cry nor prayer for them neither make intercession to mee for I will not heare thee And for their owne prayer that will not be heard though it come with fasting which also is and hath beene otherwise an aduancer of vndenyable prayer Ier. 14. 11. 12. When they fast I will not heare their crie Wherefore it concernes the people by turning from their sinnes to make themselues capable of the prayers of their Ministers and not to vrge them to speake by intreaties and to stop their mouthes by sinnes Let euery particular man search his particular sinnes according to directions already giuen and especially when hee feeles any griefe or sees any terrour let them feele and behold it as a spurre to repentance So shall lesser iudgements keepe off the greater it being a great mercy of God to chastise with rods to saue punishing with Scorpions and a great wisdome in man to make a right vse of this mercy Wherefore let the Land mourne for their sinnes that it mourne not for an vtter desolation All the families together Zach. 12. 12 13. 1. and euery familie apart and euery man apart And then in that day there shall bee a fountaine opened for sinne and vncleannesse to wash them away and the iudgements that follow them But howsoeuer the multitude doe Num. 11. 4. who most commonly are like the old mixed multitude rather giuen to murmuring when their lusts are vnsatisfied than to turning vnto him that smites them Esay 9. 13. let the mourners that are marked Ezek. 9. 4. doe the office for which they are marked If they reply that they are few and their fewnesse doth discourage them it may be answered The fewer they are the more they should mourne to supply that mourning which is wanting in others yea to mourne for that want Againe thou maist bee the man that may make vp the ten the twenty or thirty euen that set number which may saue a Sodome a sinfull City or Kingdome yea sometimes one man may stand in a gap and bee the repairer of a breach Amos Amos 7. was a man subiect to infirmities as we are and hee was but one yet a Iudgement being denounced when he said O Lord forgiue I beseech thee by whom shall Iacob arise for hee is small Then the Lord repented for this It shall not bee saith the Lord. Lastly though thou seeme to thy self to be alone and with Elias thou knowest no more yet with Elias thou maiest be deceiued 1. King 1. 6 10. 18. and there may bee seuen thousand which thou knowest not that haue not bowed their knee to Baal and thy mourning ioyned to the mourning of that remnant which the Lord hath left Esay 1. 9. may saue vs from being like vnto Sodome and Gomorrha Howsoeuer do thy part let the Souldier of Christ be found in his place euen when iudgements are comming If thou saue not all thou shalt be sure to saue thy selfe perchance temporally Ier. 1. 19. 39. 18. without doubt eternally And now to summe vp all I wish that both Magistrate Minister and people may go so throughly with the truth of repentance that sinnes and sinfulnesse being put off the iudgements that cleaue vnto them may also be put off And because this is not done but by putting on the spirit of Christ Iesus by the power wherof the kingdome of Sathan is put downe and the kingdome of Christ erected I pray that wee may come to this point of putting on the spirit of Christ Iesus All the rest is but the forme of godlinesse but in the spirit of Christ is the life of godlines howsoeuer men may flatter themselues they are not Christians except they bee one spirit with Christ Iesus For CHRIST being called Rom. 8. 9. Christ because he is anointed 1. Cor. 6. 17 aboue his fellowes with the Psal. 45. 7. spirit without measure Cant. 1. 3. wee are truly to bee called Christians by beeing annointed with the same spirit according to our measure But no annointing no true Christianitie But if this ointment dwell in vs 1. Ioh. 2. 27. then haue wee Christ Iesus and with him all the promises of God 2. Cor. 1. 20 21. for in Christ Iesus all the promises of God are Yea and Amen Psal. 78. 49. Then haue wee power to wrestle and ouerthrow the principalities and powers which are often the Inflicters of the iudgements of God and continually the Tempters prouoking vs to those sinnes for which iudgements are inflicted For it is the Spirit of Christ only that settles a Church and makes it a pillar of Truth vnremoueable by Sathan And most commonly where a Church is thus settled the Nation is also settled which containes such a Church and the Diuell is not suffered to preuaile against the later because of the former But when a Church growes spiritually cold turnes from the life and heart of godlinesse to an outside of profession then God growes cold to vs in loue but in wrath hee growes hote against vs. If a Nation turne from the spirit to the flesh though they be as great as the gyants in the old world and as the Anakims in the new yet they are but great pieces of flesh and an ouerflowing floud will destroy the one and a destroying sword will cut off the other When the daies of
the glory in the destruction of their enemies So as God was glorified in raising vp their Lownesse so is hee also glorified while by their Lownesse hee takes downe the Height and Pride of the enemie For the weakness of those who ouercome giues away the glory of ouercomming from themselues vnto God who by weaknesse ouercometh power This God plainely sheweth to bee a way by which hee workes out his glory in that storie of Gideon For as long as Gideons armie had in it the strength of a multitude the multitude was a hinderance to this glorie For so the victorie might haue been taken from God and giuen to men because they were many Therfore he findes fault with his armie as being vnfit for his glorie while there was any such number in it as might possibly take away the glorie of the victorie from God to it selfe Therfore he saith The people that are with thee are too many for me to giue the Midianites into their hands Iudg. 7. lest Israel vaunt themselues against me saying Mine own hand hath saued me Wherefore God pares his armie and makes it fit for his glory by many diminutions neuer leauing vntill hee brought it to so few hundreds that there was left no ground of glorying in it self but that hee who glorieth must needes glorie in the Lord. The Israelites were kept downe by the Egyptians in most cruell slauery and bondage for they made the Israelites to serue with rigour Exod. 7. 13. 2. 23. so that they sighed and cried by reason of their bondage And when they did but speake for libertie their burdens were encreased and that so heauily that they were in meere despaire and deadnesse of heart so that when Moses told them of freedome they hearkned not vnto Moses for Exod. 6. 9. anguish of Spirit and for cruell bondage But for this hopelesse and distressed Nation which had no helpe nor hope in it selfe did God glorifie his power vpon the pride of Pharaoh and the strength of Egypt So that for the victorie which God alone gaineth vpon the Egyptians for Israel but without out Israel Iethro duely glorifies him Exod. 18. 11. Now I know that the Lord is greater than all gods for in the thing wherein they delt proudly he was aboue them God that taketh down the proude when there is no helpe in man to bring them downe getteth to himselfe the glorie of their abasing It were infinite and endlesse to produce the patternes and presidents of this kinde of working by which God workes out his glory When Kingdomes and Empires are at the greatest then GOD takes them downe commonly by low and contemptible meanes And so euen at the height of the Romane Empire that Empire was taken down by the Northren people whom they in contempt did account and call Barbarians And if it please him so can he take down the present pride of the Romane Empire which I especially place in that man of sinne who is the veriest Emperour of Rome surmounting the other in his owne opinion and in the opinion of his Disciples as much as the Sun excelleth the Moone in glorie And therefore most blasphemously this title is ascribed to him The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords But let vs remember that God himselfe saith All the Tyees of the Forrest shal know Ezek. 17. 24. that I the Lord haue brought downe the high Tree haue exalted the low Tree haue dryed vp the greene Tree and haue made the dry Tree to flourish I the Lord haue spoken and haue done it Wherfore let Israel trust and hope in the Lord euen hope against hope that though they bee humbled euen to the earth and Pharaoh mount vp with his pride to heauen and against heauen saying who is the Lord yet the Lord will bring Israel out of Egypt and will triumph ouer Egypt and Pharaoh with a mightie power and out-stretched arme So shall Israel say Thy right hand O Lord is become glorious in power thy right hand O Lord Exod. 15. 6. â— hath dashed in pieces the Enemy And in the greatnesse of thine excellency thou hast ouerthrowne them that rose vp against thee Yea much people in Heauen shall say Alleluia Saluation and Glory and Honour and Power Reu. 19. 1. 2. vnto the Lord our God for true and righteous are his iudgements for he hath iudged the great whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication and hath auenged the blood of his seruants at her hand And surely great glory must needs arise vnto God both from heauen earth when God by his Church being low and little iudgeth the great Whore Little and weake things when they produce great effects it plainely appeares that they haue borrowed power from elsewhere and from whom can the creature borrow power but of the Creator the fountain of power whose weakness that is whose least power being added to the creature 1. Cor. 1. 25 is stronger than men euen than all the strength of men God and three hundred are able to ouercome an Host Iudg. 6. 7. that are like Grashoppers for multitude yea God and Israel onely by walking about a towne and fighting with no other weapons but Trumpets of Rams hornes can make the strength of Iericho to fall before them God and a woman euen Deborah can iudge Israel and deliuer them from a King that hath nine hundred chariots of Iron But when by weakenesse God ouercommeth strength it cannot bee the strength of weakenesse that ouercommeth but the strength of God Therefore all glorying here also is excluded from man and referred vnto God And accordingly Deborah rightly giues God the glory saying Iudg. 5. 13. The Lord made mee haue dominion ouer the Mighty Secondly God suffers his Church to bee low and weake before hee exalt it in regard of Man And first we may take notice that in the lownesse of the Church God hath an eye and leuells as it were at the very enemies of the Church which are indeed his owne enemies For by the lownesse weaknesse of the Church Iudg. 4. 7. hee drawes out these enemies vnto a full and finall ouerthrow Hee encourageth and hardneth them to a full aduenture in a warre against God that God may fully bee auenged of them and fully triumph ouer them The Lord knoweth that the distressed estate of the Church doth engage their enemies in great and full prosecutions of them that so comming forth with their whole forces to ouerthrow the Church their whole forces may bee ouerthrowne The Lord himselfe sheweth vs this his dispensation For hee professeth that therefore hee brought Israel into straites betweene the Mountaines and the Red Sea because Pharaoh will say Exod. 14. they are intangled in the Land the wildernesse hath shut them in And I will harden Pharaohs heart saith the Lord that hee shall follow after them and I will bee honoured vpon Pharaoh and vpon all his host When the