ment and so in the Rev. 3. because Laodicea was neither hot nor cold therefore will I spue them out of my mouth God would endure them no longer and therefore you that thinke your estates the best even you have had a hand in this plague you thinke that other mens sinnes the sinnes of wicked men are the cause of it but God he knoweth that they cannot pray and have no life in them as you have and though-their sinnes also be a cause and a maine cause as appeares by the Amorites whose sinnes when full God punished yet I say they are yours also And therefore when there is an evident signe that God hath a controversie with a Kingdome and the Churches and a signe of his wrath is proclamed from heaven then every man must doe something now feare the Lord be zealous repent and doe your first workes begin now to mend your pace to heaven and yet would onely there were a want of zeale among you yea is it not in disgrace is not a zealous man hooted at as an Owle among us this place the excellency of it is exceedingly abated and eclipsed the zeale of it is withered the Lord is departed from us learne to bee more zealous and God will returne and cause you to flourish againe for when God lookes upon a people it is with them as with the earth in spring time and when hee departs from them they are as withered trees in winter and where now is the zeale of former times the Communion of Saints the heating and whetting of one another by mutuall exhortations where is the boldnesse for the Lord Those holy prayers those former times are gone the light of those times remaine but not the heate as also if wee looke backe upon that Generation of Queene Elizabeth how are we changed they were zealous but here is another generation come in their roome that is dead and cold and yet we have their light but ignis qui in illis calidus in nobis lucidus tantum But I beseech you that you would now begin to stirre up your selves especially in these times of fasting when there must bee an extraordinary renewing of a mans covenant with God that you would not now be so cold and so dilute as you have beene and seeing you have that you would have and have desired long publike dayes of humiliation that you would labour to spend them with all care and diligence and quicknesse of spirit and to consider that the maine is to bee done at home with your selves for the end of these dayes is that you may be humbled which you will never bee till you consider your particular sinnes get up early in the morning for then your spirits are quicke and so you will have a long time before you come to the congregation and get you all that while alone and consider your particular sinnes and the holy duties you neglect and renew your repentance and enter into covenant and then when you come hither you shall finde the word to have another manner of working upon you than it hath ordinarily If God be thus ready to punish his own children and that thus sharpely it shewes the sinne of those that are fearelesse and carelesse which provoketh God exceedingly Zach. 4. 15. I am very sore displeased with the carelesse heathen the heathens had sinnes enow besides to anger the Lord yet this sinne did it above other sinnes and it is not to bee wondred at that it should for it is a rule in Philosophy and most true that of all things that which provoketh a man most is contempt in so much that Aristotle maketh it the onely cause of anger though therein he is deceived yet it is the maine we use to say non respondere pro convitio est it is a signe of contempt not to answer againe as when a man is chidden and stricken non respondere to goe by as if hee tooke no notice of it at Gods hand this is contempt And thus a Father when he is angry with his son or a Master with his servant how hainously doth hee take it And so God who now hath discovered his wrath to the whole Land and to every particular man in it this neglect of him will cause his wrath to wax hot against us but yet for the land in generall wee have cause to hope that his wrath doth not so but that God takes it well at our hands that we are thus publickly assembled but let mee say this though to every particular man though God spare the Kingdome yet if thou neglect him and bee carelesse it will goe the worse with thee however In the 50. Psalme when hee had expressed great threatnings in the former verses hee concludes with this Consider this O all yee that forget God! you that minde him not least hee teare you in peeces and there bee none to deliver you and so in the Prophet Ieremy 5 12 13 14. verses because you say that his words are but winde they shall be as fire and you as drie wood and they shall devoure you This is the great fault of men that they are ready to feare things which they should not feare the creatures poverty and discredit but are backward to feare the Lord. God sayes of the Church Rev. 2. 12. Feare not the things thou shalt suffer what all the world feares that doe not you feare feare not the things you shall suffer those things you ought not to feare but feare those things you should doe and who is afraid of them least hee should provoke God in them And so Christ saith feare not men no not those that have power of life and death if wee should feare any it should be them remember that was the commendation of Moses hee feared not the wrath of Pharaoh when you place your feare thus amisse it becomes a snare to you for it makes your hearts busie upon the creatures when they ought to be set upon the Lord but when your feare is placed upon God it doth exceedingly helpe you nothing more to give you an instance or two you shall finde David exceedingly strucke with the feare of the Lord when Ziglag was burnt no accident ever so amazed him when hee fled before Absolon hee bore it much better yet that feare helped al for it set him a worke to pray so Iehoshaphats feare did also helpe him when he heard of a great Army comming against him it set him on worke to pray and so turned away the Iudgement and therefore things that you so feare when your feare is placed on God seldome come to passe for that sets men on worke to prevent them whereas evill feare brings the thing with it Saul feared the Armies of the Philistines exceedingly that made him seeke to the Witch and this wrought his overthrow which hee feared so Ieroboam feared the losse of his Kingdome and that feare made him set up the Calves which lost him his Kingdome indeed
learne therefore to feare the Lord nothing brings a Iudgement so much as the want of feare security is the next doore to a Iudgement Lâ—â—hish was a secure people and when the Army came against them they and their City fell as Figgs from a tree that are ripe so did they fall in their enemies mouths security is a fore-runner to every mans Iudgement Esay 66. 2. To him that feares mee saith God and trembles at my words to him will I looke to keepe him safe if not I will neglect him as much as hee mee I will have no eye to save him as hee hath no eye to mee to cause him to feare and tremble But you wil say how may I bring my heart to feare the Lord I answer first pray to the Lord to strike your hearts with a feare of him it is the the worke of God to bring the feare of himselfe upon us for it is hee that brings the feare of one man upon another hee brought a feare upon all the Nations of the Land when the people of Israel entered Canaan much more the feare of himselfe for the affections are such things as the Lord onely can meddle with and therefore the Apostle saith You are taught of the Lord to love one another It must be the Lord that must put in such an affection into you for his teaching is planting the affections and so he is said to teach other creatures that is to give this or that inclination and so the Lord is said to fashion the hearts of men and then they cannot chuse but feare him therefore goe to the Lord and say Lord I am not able to feare thee and say Lord thou hast promised to give the Holy Ghost to those that aske it of thee that worketh every grace if you would seeke him so and seeke him importunately though you had the securest hardest heart of any in the world hee would at length teach you to feare him Ier. 40. I will plant my feare in your hearts that they shal not depart from me Thus you see that God takes the doing of this to himselfe it must be of his planting and he hath promised also you see to doe it This is not all but there is something we must doe our selves Therefore secondly observe the Lords dealing with his learne to know him in his wayes and that will be a meanes to cause thee to feare him if any of his children sin he never lets them goe for then should they thrive in evill and prosper in sinne but if they will bee medling they shall be sure to finde some bitternesse in the end When a mans heart is set upon the creatures there being thornes in them all and therefore if hee will graspe too much of them or too hard hee shall finde it Gods children are trained up so to it that God will not let them goe away with a sinne if they bee too adulterously affected they shall finde a crosse in such a thing you may observe this in the 30. Psalme there you may see the circle God goes in with his children David had many afflictions as appeareth by the 5 verse I cryed and then God returned to me and joy came what did David then I said in my heart I shall never bee removed his heart grew wanton but God would not let him goe away so God turned away his face againe and I was troubled At the 7 verse he is you see in trouble againe well David cryes againe at the 8 and 10 verses and then God turned his mourning into joy againe And this to be his dealing you shall finde it in all the Scriptures but because we find this his dealing set so close together in this Psalme therefore I name it Therefore observe the wayes of the Lord to you and they that are not acquainted with these his wayes as yet in themselves see what hee hath done to others in all the world in our neighbour Churches when hee had given a bill of divorce to Israel yet Iudah had not feared now when God hath stricken our neighbour Churches doe you thinke hee will take it well if we be idle spectators therefore when he hath stricken another place learne to feare If hee afflicts his owne children thus sharply let them looke to themselves that are not his whether they be grosse sinners prophane persons of whom there is no question or mere civill men and formal professors in whom there is no power of grace if he bee thus hot against his owne Church his anger will be seventimes hotter against you it may bee longer deferred as his manner is yet when hee strikes hee will strike you in the roote not in the branches and that so as he will not Strike the second time Consider that in the 50 Psalme that hee will teare you in peeces and you that are prophane ones let me say to you as 1 Cor. 10. 22. Doe you provoke the Lord to anger are you stronger than hee Those that lye in open prophanenes and doe fight openly against the Lord and have not so much as a shew of turning yea and those that are meerely civill and yet lye in secret sinnes that yet are in health wealth and credit in the world it is a signe that God meanes them no good hee would not let his owne Garden goe so long unplowed And in the second place for professors that doe not answer their profession in their lives take heed for he that is not with me is against me it may be thou art no enemy not very stirring in any evill way but because thou art not with GOD in good earnest because your hearts are not perfect at the last day you will be found against him CHRIST will come against you in good earnest as an enemy and whereas all your hope lies that GOD is mercifull and CHRIST a Saviour learne to know that this JESUS whome you hope to bee saved by will prove the sharpest enemy against you Kisse the Son lest he bee angry the Son may be angry as he who Rev. 2. hath his eyes like a flame of fire and his feete like fi ne brasse to tread you to powder he shall come against you that are formall and know that JESUS CHRIST is not only a Saviour but a Lord that he came into the world to be a Prince and the government is upon his shoulders you forget that part of his office halfe the end for which CHRIST came into the World and if you would know what kind of Governor he is Ex. 23. 21. I will send my Angel with you saith God that is Christ beware of him and obey his voyce and provoke him not for my name is in him he is of the same spirit and disposition with his father and they are both alike affected to sin beware of him he goes along with you and he will not spare you for the LORD hath put all the
So then to seeke Gods face containes these three things in it First to have his face revealed to you and to see him as a father To seeke him as sequestred from punishments and rewards To seeke him alone in opposition to your selves And that all this ought to be done we will give you one reason and so come to the uses And that reason is drawne from the holinesse of the Lord Esay 6. 3. One Angell cryed to another holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts the whole earth is full of his glory this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the proclamation of Angels and that upon this occasion The Lord sends Esay the Prophet to pronounce a Iudgement to his people and that a great one the rejection of the Iewes and at the same time the Angels are sent to proclame Gods holinesse now holinesse is the appropriation of a thing to the Lords use and a sequestration of it from common use and so the holinesse of God himselfe which is the rule of all other holinesse is an appropriation of his actions to himselfe as his end he is then said to be holy when he doth things for himselfe therefore being about to doe so great a worke peculiarly for himselfe and his glory as when he would destroy his owne people and destroy Kingdomes for his owne best advantage and ends the glory of himselfe then he lets them know this as the only reason because he is holy for if he should not respect himselfe he should not be holy So Rom. 11. 33. to the end The Apostle having spoken of this rejection here prophecied concludes with this His Iudgements are unsearchable and his wayes past finding out c. of him and to him and through him are all things and to him bee glory for ever As if he should have said God hath done all this but I know not the reason of it nor any one else onely God is for himselfe for he being of no cause but himselfe therefore he may doe all for himselfe if he were of another he might doe all for another yea else he were not holy Now if this be Gods holinesse then the holinesse of man is to do all for God which he is therefore to doe because he is of another cause above himselfe and therefore is to seeke another end above himselfe namely the Lord and then he is said to be holy when he hath no eye to himselfe but to God when in his recreations the use of riches c. and in his whole course he hath his eye and ayme at God and not himselfe The nature of holinesse is expressed in two things First in purenesse Secondly sequestration to God so that holinesse purity and chastity are much alike as it were as there is also much affinity between the Greeke words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chastity in a Wife stands in keeping close to her husband and being sequestred from all other and Gods holinesse consists first in the purenesse of his nature and secondly in a sequestration of all things to himselfe Now our holinesse is not so but wee being of another cause wee must doe all for another end our holinesse stands therefore in giving up our selves to the Lord therefore sayes Esay Sanctifie the Lord and make him your dread as if he had said if you make any thing else your dread you doe not sanctifie the Lord. What he says of feare is true of all our affections and actions holinesse dedicates all unto the Lord and some actions are holy for the substance of them as Prayer keeping the Lords day c. and all such immediate duties of his worship some by putting a right end upon them and so all actions may be holy of what kind soever as recreations which are common actions and eating and drinking all which when done to the Lord doe become holy It is the nature of morall actions to take their specification from their circumstances especially their end more then from the substance it selfe and so all such common actions may bee holy to the LORD and so that place of Saint Peter is to be understood bee holy in manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. in all the turnings of your lives even in common actions this being the nature of holinesse in the generall both as in God and in our actions There is a double holinesse required in every man A giving up a mans selfe to the Lord as 2 Cor. 8. 5. They first it is said gave themselves up to the Lord. To give a mans selfe up as a Sacrifice to the Lord that is the holinesse of a man and when any thing is sacrificed it is given up to the use of that Lord to whom it is sacrificed The second is a giving up all things with himselfe his understanding will thoughts affections life liberty credit goods all his power might whereby he is able to doe any thing to resigne all these to the Lord and by this hee sanctifies the Lord and this is the holinesse of a man to doe all for the Lord onely So that the reason is cleare let a man doe what he will keepe the Sabbath pray c. If there be not this holinesse in his heart all his labour is lost as you all grant for without holinesse no man shall see God Now it is not holy except it be given up to the Lord alone excluding himselfe and the creature Is all our labour lost except we seeke Gods face though otherwise a man goe never so farre then there is great reason to examine our selves whether we seeke the Lord for himselfe or no for otherwise all your labour is lost for then you doe not set up God for your God in your hearts but something else namely that which you seeke besides him as in marriage we say when a man marries a woman not out of love to her person but for riches that hee marries not the woman but her wealth so it is here And then secondly you will never hold out in seeking the Lord and if you doe not hold out then all your labour will be lost Ezek. 18. though a man hath beene righteous all his dayes yet if he fall from God all his righteousnesse shall be forgotten and such a man as seekes not the Lord for himselfe will fall away as appeares by that Hos. 7. 16. They returne but not to the most High they are like a deceitfull bowe that is when a man turnes to the LORD but not for himselfe he will returne againe and start aside like a broken bowe for if hee attaine those ends for which he sought the Lord his seeking is at an end See this in Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. he went farre in obedience but yet he did not seeke the Lord in it he was content to lose an hundred talents and to send backe the Israelites he
thy selfe Hos. 7. 16. They returned but not to the most High c. There is a turning made mention of and one would thinke in a speciall manner for they fasted they prayed but this was no turning to God and why because yee have turned but from misery and sought your owne happinesse and ye have forgotten me saith the Lord who am the most High and only able to deliver and save you and therefore their turning was counterfeit not true this will not hold such will start aside like a broken bow Thirdly for the manner of turning as it is exprest in Scripture you must turne to the Lord with all your heart and all your soule though it be not exprest here yet it is to be understood If my people turne from their evill waies with their whole hearts But what is this turning with a mans whole heart A man is then said to turne with his whole heart when hee is fully enlightned and convinced in his understanding of the evill of a thing and thereupon doth take a full resolution to forsake it As if a man bee going out of the way and another man come and tell him he is not in the right way which will leade him to his journeys end if he be fully perswaded of this he will returne and that with all his heart as we use to say when we doe a thing willingly So it is here if a man be fully perswaded that sinne is the cause of all misery and God of happinesse hee turnes to GOD with his whole heart Now unlesse it be with the whole heart this turning is but fained as appeares by that in Ier. 3. 10. And yet for all this her trecherous sister Iudah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord which falls out when men have some motives to move them but not enow they are not fully convinced and so they turne but by halves When therefore the illumination is perfect and full that these wayes wherein he walkes will bring him to misery and the contrary to happines then a man perfectly turnes and with his whole heart and because turning thus with the whole heart followes full conviction therefore the Apostle doth expresse this turning by the phrase of opening the eyes Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turne them c. that is every man goes on in his wayes of sinning till his eyes be opened to see the thing which he saw not before and GOD many times meetes men in the midst of their wayes and gives them some light and meanes as some exhortations and motions to good some checks for their evill wayes and if those admonitions be so farre effectuall as to open their eyes that is to convince and perswade them that the way they goe in leades to eternall misery then doe they turne and are willing to do it And therefore also on the contrary when GOD will not heale and convert a people hee suffers not their eyes to be opened as in Esay 16 10. Make the heart of this people fatt and make their eares heavie and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and heare with their cares and understand with their hearts and convert to be healed Where we see that the first chaine of our conversion is the opening of the eyes the second chaine is the opening of the heart the third is to be converted and healed and the two former will draw on the last and because the Lord is resolved not to heale them therfore their eyes must be shut up But at conversion mens eyes are opened to see sin comming against them even as an enemy with a sword in his hand and to see the riches of the inheritance of the Saints which neither the eys of natural men have seene nor their eares heard nor their hearts understood And then is a man turned from his evill wayes and not before A man goes on in a course of sinning as Balaam did in his way he met an Angell with a drawne sword but saw him not at the first so soone as his eyes were opened there needed no more perswasions to move him to turne So a wicked man goes on in a way wherein hee runnes upon the swords point and he sees it not but when his eyes are opened to see it then hee turnes backe and when they are thus turning back like Gehazi 2 Kings 6. 15 16 17. who seeing an army comming against him and his master Elisha he cries out Alas what shall we doe if we goe on and Elisha answered feare not for they are more that be with us then they that be with them and so Gehazi saw when God opened his eyes So do men when they set upon a new course they meete with many oppositions and dangers in the way which makes them cry alas what shall wee doe then God openeth their eyes and they see also more with them then against them they see the glorious priviledges that they have and the strength that they received from God these things encourage them that they goe on resolutely because that the latter are farre greater than the former Lastly to finde out what this true turning unto God is we must consider the effects of it Now a man is then turned when he finds these three effects wrought in him First he findeth that those evill wayes of sinne and those corruptions which before did dwell in his heart and had the rule there are now put out of possession and the contrary grace is made master of the house so that he can say with the Apostle Rom. 7. It is not I but sinne in mee that is sinne sometimes was the master of the house and that which I now call my selfe as then was not had no existence in mee but now the case is altered the regenerate part that is in me is master and though sinne thrusts in and dwells there also yet it is but an intruder no lust but is thrust out and if it creepes in it is by one of these wayes First either stealing in as a thiefe by night when they doe not watch and see it or secondly it breakes in by violence as rebells taking the advantage of some strange passion so as they are not able to resist it yet sinne dwells not there as master for it is expeld as soone as the rebell is found as soone as strength is recovered so as possession is still kept by grace that as it is said of peace Let the peace of God rule in your hearts that is though you be ready to fall out with your brethren yet let not malice rule but peace Now what is said of one grace is true of all so then examine thy selfe how comes sinne in into thee comes it in by stealth or by violence onely and when it is come in does it continue master then thou art not turned to GOD for
the particulars first The utmost end is as the Rudder to the ship as the bridle to the horse which turnes all going about particulars only is as if one should set his shoulder to the side of the ship when one touch of the Rudder would doe it Therefore Rehoboam 2 Chron. 10. 14. erred because his heart was not prepared to seeke the Lord and his failing in that particular is ascribed to his want in the generall Iob 17. 9. It is said the righteous shall hold on his way and he that is of pure hands shall waxe stronger and stronger he that hath his heart once changed holds on but till that is done all is in vaine to strive with particulars As put the case a Gardener takes paines to dresse a Thorne it may have as much paines taken with it in manuring and pruning it as any plant in the garden yet it remaines a Thorne still for all the mouldes put to it So though thou prayest and fastest and humblest thy selfe yet if thy nature be not changed all will doe no good Cast up a stone a thousand times it comes downe againe because it remaines a stone but if it were turned into a meteor c. or the like it would not Therefore get a generall change of thy heart and then a change in particular would follow Goe to CHRIST and beseech him to worke this chang in thee let this be more in your practise this wee formally confesse that the LORD only can change us yet it is not throughly considered When thy nature is strongly inclined to any evill way so as thou art almost out of hope to overcome yet goe to GOD. That place may encourage us Iames 4 5 6. doe you thinke the Scripture sayes in vaine The spirit that is in us lusteth after envie but he giveth more grace hee had told them vers 1. of lusts fighting in their members they might aske him how they should get the victory true saith the Apostle it is hard to overcome and indeed impossible to nature the spirit that is in us lusteth after envy and will doe so but consider the Scripture offers more grace then nature is able to doe it tells you not in vaine that the grace therein offered is able to heale though the disease be hereditary and is past natures cure yet it is not past the cure of grace Acts 10. 31. It is said of CHRIST Him hath God raised up to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sinnes When lusts are too strong for a man Christ comes as a Prince and overcomes them for he gives repentance and the end of his comming was not onely to give salvation but repentance Though Physitians could not cure Naaman the Prophet could though the Disciples could not cast out Divells yet Christ could And therefore say not it is an hereditary lust and it hung long upon me and I have made many resolutions and yet I cannot overcome it Take a man that is borne blind hee is past all cure by man all Physitians will give him over and say he is borne blind yet remember that Christ did cure those that were borne blinde and lame This course Paul tooke 2 Cor. 1. 2. he had a strange lust which he could not overcome he beseecheth the Lord to remove for this I besought the Lord thrise that it might depart so David also Psal. 51. 10. finding the remainder of his old disease and sinfull dispositions he goes to GOD for a new heart when he could not make cleane his heart he prayes to the Lord Create a cleane heart in me So he in the Gospell I beseech thee helpe my unbeliefe Thinke not that all is done when thou hast taken up a resolution against thy sinne to take up a resolution belongs to thee but to cure it belongs alone to GOD Goe to him therfore for he hath undertaken to circumcise thy heart Ephes. 3. he having prayed v. 16. that they should be strengthened in the inward man c. then vers 20. concludes Now to him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all wee are able to aske or thinke according to the power that worketh in us c. as if he had sayd you may finde many weaknesses in your selves and then doe as I doe for you goe to the Lord to heale them and know that he is able to doe above all thou canst thinke to subdue that lust which thou thoughtest could never have beene overcome But how will he do it According to that mighty power that worketh in us that power is as strong as Christ himselfe for it is the power of his death the power that raised him up from death to glory able to worke out all infirmities and to worke into you all the graces you want Give not over therfore have faith in the promises of Sanctification as well as in those of Iustification Is he not bound by promise to performe these to you that believe as well as the other Where ever God hath a mouth to speake faith hath an eare to heare an hand to lay hold as God sayd to Ioshua I will conquer those Gyants for thee I will pull downe those walls which they say are built up to heaven onely bee thou couragious and doe but trust mee bee not discouraged upon any occasion give not over saying it is a thing will never be done and had not Ioshua trusted the Lord he would quickly have set downe and given over So I say to you concerning your lusts be couragious and so none are but those that put their confidence in the LORD faint not nor be weary doe but believe thou shalt overcome and thou shalt see them all conquered in the end One word of his mouth was enough to still the raging windes and is as able to still thy lusts But here many will be ready to object I have striven long and praied long and taken much paines and I have not gotten the victory this must necessarily be answered for this is the case of many and it is the scope of Sathan to discourage men and therby to give over the combate First consider whether thy striving be right or no for there is a false resistance of sin and the promise is not made to that and then no wonder if they be not performed for example 1 First it may be it is not the sin thou strivest against but the disprofit the discredit in thy name and estate or sicknesse in thy body that followes upon it so as if these were removed thou shouldest be willing enough to keepe the sin This is not a right striving that will be accepted 2 It may be it is but a faint resistance and a faint denyall doth but make the begger the more importunate Balaam gave the messengers a denyall but it was a faint one they perceived his lingring which made them the more importunate It may be thou art content still to parly with
is to put in a graft of another nature which wil change it and by little and little sweeten the constitution of it But you will say what is to be put in I answer goe not about it as a morall man but as a Christian get Iustification and Sanctification It is true it is profitable to bee much humbled for thy sinne and you ought to bee so yet this is not the onely way to heale it but the heart must be strengthened with the assurance of the forgivenesse of it There is a double way to get the heart turned away from sinne the one to see the loathsomnesse of that which we turne from the other the beauty of the contrary object wee turne to Spend not all your paines about the first but do something in the later the more contrition the better But it is not got all at once it is more increased by assurance and hope of pardon when a man begins to have hope he purifies himselfe So it is in all other exercises it is hope quickens our endeavours One that is not neare a kingdome goes not about it but when he comes to have hopes he begins to bestirre himself tolle spem tolle conatum therefore get and encrease the hope of the pardon of your sinnes Hence the Apostle Rom. 15. 13. prayes Now the God of hope fill you with al joy and peace through believing c. By the words following it appeares to bee to strengthen and set them right concerning al their infirmities and he points to this as one meanes to be fild with joy and peace in believing as if he had said if your hearts were full of spirituall joy through faith and assurance your hearts would be purified and therefore faith also is said to purifie the heart and besides when the bloud of Christ is applyed by faith there goes a vertue with it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered up himselfe to God purge your consciences from dead workes And adde to this sanctification set upon that work Ioh. 17. Christ hath prayed that they might be preserved from the evill of the world But how shal that be done Sanctifie them through thy truth thy word is truth that is when they shall passe through this world full of evill and corruption the way to preserve them spotlesse and untainted is to have the heart sanctified When the heart is well oyled with grace the dirt of the world falls off This is an antidote against corruption Though in your passage you meete with much bad aire and infection this will preserve you But then how should wee bee sanctified By truth The more truth you get into your hearts the more grace Grace and Truth goes together 1 Iohn and came by CHRIST who is full of both Therefore 2 Pet. 3. ult these two are joyned grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. By truth but what truth thy word is truth Every truth is not fit to sanctifie as all water will not take sope to scowre the word is that truth that doth it Morall truths may doe many things in the soule they may adorne it but they cannot heale or purifie it Wash in Iordan saith the Prophet to leaprous Naaman There is a speciall vertue in this Iordan to heale thee of thy seprofie that is not in the waters of Damascus You came not to the word as to a lecture of Philosophy but as to that which workes wonders the power of God goes with it For withall marke this that it is not the word of it self that doth it it doth not work as Physicke that hath a vertue in it of its owne but the LORD doth it by the word and therefore CHRIST prayes to his father to sanctifie them by the word As a man writes a letter by a pen so the Lord sanctifies by the word To consecrate the heart to GOD is to sanctifie it and divine truths alone doe consecrate the heart to God and no other Let us therefore get much grace and truth into our hearts assurance of justification and joy in the Holy Ghost that by tasting of better the heart may be taken off from the pleasures of sinfull wayes sound joy will swallow up all other joyes the joyes of sin Stirre up those graces that are in thee for when wee exhort you to goe to God to helpe you our meaning is not that you should leave all the worke some labour is required of thee I speake to those who have some beginnings of grace you must stir up those graces GOD hath given you Hence Saint Paul sayes 1 Tim. 4. 15. neglect not the gift that was given thee as if hee had said Timothy thou maiest doe much if thou consider what ability thou hast received so much spirit so much liberty so much regeneration so much free will to good So he sayes to the Church of Philadelphia Thou hast a little strength it is a Talent therefore use it Therfore also he sayes in Iude 20. build up your selves and cleanse your selves and many the like But you will say how can wee doe this seeing it is the LORD that workes in us the will and the deed and wee can doe nothing without the Spirit Though the Spirit doth it yet we in this worke are to bee agents also Rom. 8. 13. If you through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh as if hee had said though you do it by the Spirit yet do you go about it We may do something to draw the Spirit nigher us as we may doe something to grieve the Spirit and to smoke him out of the house so to please the Spirit as wee intend the flame of the Spiritby pure thoughts so we put him out by foggy thoughts But you will aske what it is to stirre up our graces Stirre up thy light examine thy selfe of thy evill wayes endeavour to see them clearely and confesse them for that is the way to forsake them Prov. 28. 13. and despise none of them with that light thou hast examine every thing what ever thou hast the least doubt search it out to the full This idle speech this jollity and vanity of conversation how little soever it seemes as dalliance in thy thoughts and eyes overly performance of duties Vse that light further to get reason against thy sinne This is to consider a mans wayes as David did to ponder the reasons Let a man take paines with his heart from day to day and consider what reasons there are by which a mans heart may be taken off from his sin as against unlawfull gain to thinke it but as stealing custome whereby a man forfeits all the rest that what is unlawfully gotten is as the coale that was carried in by the Eagle into her nest with a peece of broyled flesh which consumed her nest young and her selfe and all treaties of infirmities that
what is unlawfully gotten is as a coale carried in by the Eagle into her nest and the flesh among the rest to consume all and thy nest Had not Ahab better have beeâ—e without his Vineyard if pleasure consider how it is but for a season and what bitternesse it will bring in the end and lose the joy which by farre exceeds it if matter of vaine-glory that all thy paines taken is lost for it will bee all thy reward When thou hast done this adde a third namely exercise to overcome it as Saint Paul sayes to Timothy exercise thy selfe to godlinesse Thinke of these things 1 Tim. 4. 15. if thy failing bee in good accustome thy selfe to the duty if in bad disuse it and that will exceedingly helpe thee A Child that could not want the teat for an houre or two yet being disused and weaned a while seeks not after it and doe this against your bosome sin that sinne that hangs on thee more then the rest single out and doe thus to it as David Psal. 18. kept himself from his iniquity Lastly observe the manner of their growing upon you and how they fight for themselves The lusts that are in us are warring lusts as I told you out of Rom. 7. and so Saint Iames tells us and so in Saint Peter they have a method in fighting which observing you may learne to resist and prevent them Observe when any affection goes beyond the bounds Christ hath set it that then it begins to war and rebell even as subjects do when they breake their Soveraignes lawes they begin to rebell so when Rachel would needs have children and nothing would content her else it was a warring lust Observe the manner how they fight for themselves the wiles they have in warring they en deavour to possesse the ports the senses suffering no good if they can to be brought in that may oppose them and drawing in by them what may feed and strengthen them such objects as may give supply For when the heart within is full of adultery the eyes is so also They take also away the supply from the contrary side causing us to neglect prayer and reading and such holy duties as the Philistims disarmed the Israelites and would let them have no Smith They draw men out with traines from their forts till they have led them into an Ambush as Ioshua drew the men of Ai from their Towne and as the fishers drive the fishes out of their corners where they are safe and when they are wandring in the river take them in their nets so doe lusts draw out from the rocke of our salvation from our resolutions the ordinances and our callings and then surprize us They leade us into ambush by little and little As Peter was drawne to deny his Master by degrees They will also come upon us at first but with light skirmishes Lust commeth not upon us with inticement and onsets to great sins at first and wee making account of little and so being negligent it comes upon us with the maine battaile David lookes but upon Bathsheba at first and then is drawne to speech with her and then to folly Therefore observe this that you may be skilfull in warre as the Athenians by reason of their neighbour enemies and having observed this to be their manner to deale thus subtilly as Saul said of David looke about thee and take Saint Peters counsell abstaine from them when once an affection growes violent meddle not with it have nothing to doe with it if thou dost thou admittest an enemy into thy soule that will betray it as David when hee had such a desire to the water the Souldiers fetcht him he would not drink it but powred it out upon the ground so if once thy mind be set upon such a sport or company if affections once exceede their measure meddle not with them And then stand upon thy watch also for though thou hast armour on yet if thou watchest not it will doe thee no good as Saul though hee was armed yet being asleep David came and tooke his Speare away therefore be sober and watch and that thou mayest not fall asleepe keepe thy selfe sober and endeavour to weaken that law in thy mem bers that fights against you by doing something A law not execured is antiquated and weakened and weares out and custome strengthens a law the lesse obedience you yield to these lusts the more you weaken them when these lusts would have thee omit such a duty if thou yieldest to it thou strengthenest it if not thou weakenest it And againe a law is weakened when it is not cared for care not for their threats and when the threatnings of a law are contemned they lose their force If sinne tell thee thou wilt lose such a friend incurre such dangers care not and that weakens the force of it And if thou canst not doe it by reason doe it by force by a strong resolution resistenda sunt non subtilitate sed impetu Overcome the desires of sinne by a contrary resolution And I will be mercifull to their sinnes c. THese that follow here are the particular instances wherein hee would especially heare their prayers If they humble themselves and pray whatsoever their sinnes are God will be mercifull unto them Now the reasons why he sayes he will be mercifull to their sinnes for so according to the former translation I rather reade it That the Lord hereby might take away all objections for some might say their sins were exceeding great and many and many times reiterated why but all these are but fit objects for mercy w ch triumphs over them all as a mighty Sea swallowes them up as mole hills To take away that conceit that all their humbling themselves and prayers and new obedience here required is not required as a condigne satisfaction for their sins no saith the Lord I will doe it meerely out of mercy though not without these yet not for these There is a secret popery to thinke something must be given some satisfaction must be made as if God else would not forgive unlesse they satisfie for themselves c. and so ballance their sins No it is meere mercy free forgivenesse To set an high price upon this gift the pardon of sinne I will be mercifull and forgive them As if he had said remember that you are worthy to be destroyed and not able to pay the least farthing But it is of my meere pitty that thou art forgiven So that the matter we have in hand is a gracious promise of mercy and forgivenesse which of all points else I fall most willingly upon which will make men come in if any thing will doe it It is the proclamation of pardon that must bring in pirates when as the proclamation of rebellion drives them away Men are more easily overcome with kindnesse then with threats it is the Gospell melts and maketh men vile in their
as you are should not bee saved Hereby the bloud of Christ is improved that it is sprinkled on many for great sinnes Thinke not therefore that God is backward to pardon Psal. 130. 3 4. There are two arguments more to helpe us in this If hee should marke what is done amisse who should stand none should be saved Now it is not his will that all flesh should perish and therefore hee will not take the advantage to cast men cleane off for their sinnes againe none else would worship him There is mercy with thee that thou mayest bee feared It is his full purpose to have some servants to feare and worship him Yea shall I goe further God is not onely ready to forgive but desirous of it yea hee is glad at the heart when a great sinner doth come in which is noted to us in the Parable of the lost sheepe and the lost groat how did the woman rejoyce for the finding of her groat and the Shepheard for his sheepe And likewise in the Parable of the lost Sonne how glad was hee when he heard that his Sonne was comming home that yet had lived riotously and spent his goods it was to shew that GOD was so affected when a great sinner returnes to him Besides he doth not onely say if you will come I keepe open house I will not shut you out but inviteth them calleth them yea more sends his ministers to fetch them in yea more entreateth beseecheth commandeth threatneth But you will say is it possible that I should bee forgiven that have committed so many sinnes so great so hainous and continued so long in them Yes it is possible for you Marke that place 1 Cor. 6. 9. Hee reckons up as great sinnes as can bee named And such were some of you but now you are washed You see what kind of people there were forgiven whence wee may gather that those that are guilty of those sinnes now may bee forgiven as well as then such were some of you Whosoever thou art it is no matter what thou hast beene all the matter is what thou wilt bee Put case any of the old Prophets should come to thee or any man in particular and say wilt thou bee content now to turne to GOD if thou wilt all thy sinnes shall bee washt away and thou shalt bee made an heire of Heaven it would cause him that hath any ingenuity to relent and say LORD canst thou now bee so mercifull to mee as to forgive mee after all this loe LORD I will come in and turne unto thee I aske thee this question whether art thou content to quit all thy sinnes presently upon assurance of being received if thou dost if thou answerest no art thou not worthy to bee destroyed if yes is not this great comfort But some may say if heaven gate stand thus wide open I may come and bee welcome at any time Thou vile wretch that darest to have such a thought Dost thou not know that every such refusall of such an offer is so dangerous as it may put thee into hazard of never having the like againe If the gate of heaven stood thus alwayes open why then did God sweare in his wrath of some Israelites that they should never enter into his rest and what is the reason that God said of those that were invited to the feast but refused to come that they should never taste of it The reason is there given it is said the master of the feast was full of wrath at the refusall of his offer both because his love and kindnesse was despised that filleth a man with indignation and so the Lord and also because the thing offered was of so much price it being the kingdome of heaven and the precious bloud of Christ. Therefore whensoever such an offer is made and refused God is exceeding angry There goes an axe and a sword with this offer to cut downe every tree that will not bring forth good fruit Say not when you heare of this offer I am glad there is such a thing I will accept of it another time but it comes too soone for mee now Consider this that the end of the comming of the Lord Iesus was not onely to save the soules of men if onely so then indeed this might have beene done at any time even at the last but his end also was Titus 2. 14. That he mtght purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes ' which is a greater end than that which went before in the verse to redeeme us from all iniquity to purchase to himselfe a people that should serve him in their life time and canst thou thinke that thou that hast served thy lusts all thy life time shalt yet bee accepted at death It is a common saying with you that if a man bee called at the eleventh houre hee shall be received 't is true if thou beest called then first and not before as the thiefe who was not call'd afore was then accepted but what if thou hast beene call'd afore and hast not accepted but put off till death thy case then will bee exceeding dangerous Againe I aske thee what is it makes thee resolve to come in at death If love to Christ then it would sooner if to thy selfe how shall such conversion be accepted Come we now to the last words And I will heale their land WE have these three points may be observed out of them 1. That all calamities and troubles proceede from sinne this I note from the order of the words hee first forgives their sinnes then heales their land 2. That if calamities bee removed and sinnes be not forgiven they are removed in judgement not in mercy 3. That if sinne bee once forgiven the calamity will soone be taken away For the first all calamity is from sinne troubles from transgression In the chaine of evills sinne is the first linke that drawes on all the rest as grace is in the chaine of blessings and comforts Consider this in all kinds of judgements which wee may reduce to three heads 1. Temporall calamities about the things of this life they are all from sinne both publike and private What was the reason of Salomons troubles The Lord stirred up an adversary against him because hee departed from the Lord and had set up idolatry so the sword departed not from Davids house because of his sinne with Bathsheba and the murther of Vriah So Asa 2 Chron. 16. the Prophet tels him Hence forth thou shalt have warre because thou hast not rested on the Lord. I could give a hundred instances for this 2. Sort of judgements are spirituall which are much more grievous than the former when a man is given up to his lusts and to hardnesse of heart and this proceedeth from some other sinnes that went before and it is a sure rule that you never see a man given up to worke uncleannesse with greedinesse or to such open