in at the straight gate that we may finde our selves among the little flocke and joyne with those few that live well And the rather because many will seeke to enter in and shall not be able because it is too late Luke 13.23 like the foolish Virgins who when the Bride-groome had shut rhe doores desired to have them opened but the Lord answered Verily I say unto you I know you not Matth. 25 12. It must be our study to be in this little number We commonly and for the most part sit still as a secure and sencelesse people No easie matter to come to Heaven as though it were the easiest matter in the world to step to Heaven or as if all the world should be saved If multitudes were not of this minde they would not spend all their dayes in vanity in pleasures and pastimes in chambering and wantonnesse in playing in gaming and rioting in eating and drinking in surfeting and drunkennesse and idlenesse which was the life of the Sodomites Ezek. 16.49 as if they were borne to no other end or as if they should continue here for ever or as if this were their vocation and calling or as if there were no other Heaven or as if this were the way to the Kingdome which is the beaten path to Hell or as if divers passing this way were not now already in torments It is commonly thought of these that Heaven is as easily gotten and obtained as for a man to open his mouth and breathe and receive in the common aire their loose practice discovereth their opinion to be no other What then I beseech you is become of the Words and warning of Christ is his counsell and wisedome any way disprooved what is now become of the narrow way where is the straight gate that we have given us in charge to search after is the way now growne at last to be wide and broad when there are a few onely that tread in it Doubtlesse either it is so or else these men glory in themselves that they are wiser then He who is Wisdome it selfe and that they have found a neerer cut and shorter passage to Heaven then He ever knew or commended to men But if he be the wisedome of the Father 1 Cor. 10.30 Col. 2.3 and have all the treasures of wisedome dwelling in him certainely these men are stark fooles and wholly ignorant of the right Way that leadeth to salvation Facilis dâ—scensus Averni at superare gradum superasque evadere ad auras hic labor hoc opus est Aeneid lib. 6. It is an easie matter to goe to Hell we are all by nature in the way unto it and we have many helpes and guides that offer themselves to take us by the hand and to conduct us â—â—d to accompany us thither It is the hardest matter that can bee in the world to come to Heaven All excellent things are hard the more excellent the harder but nothing more excellent then a Kingdome It is a difficult matter and very uneasie to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or a steepe rocke it requireth puffing and blowing and labouring and striving and struggling and sweating contrariwise it is an easie matter to runne downe an hill without any staying and stopping without any hinderance or interruption or intermission So is it the easiest matter in the world to throw our selves downe and to plunge our selves headlong into the pit of Hell as it was to throw ones selfe downe from the pinnacle of the Temple but to get up to the holy Hill of God and to attaine to the Kingdome of Heaven this is a labour this is a worke indeed this cannot be done without taking up of the Crosse without denying of our selves without mortifying of the old man Hebr. 12 1. without laying aside the sinne that doth so easily beset us without using violence to shake off the hinderances that stand in the way so that I may say with the Apostles If the righteous scarcely be saved 1 Pet. 4.18 where shall the ungodly and the sinner appeare 1 Pet. 4.18 Little Flocke Another observation from this limiting and restraining title that the flocke is little is that it is so called because it is little regarded in the world Now observe in this place that the Scripture speaketh of things sometimes as they are in themselves and in their owne nature Tolet. in Luc. 9. pag. 788. and sometimes according to the account and estimation of men A lively example of them both we have 1 Cor. 1. concerning the preaching of the Word For when the Apostle speaketh of it as it is by the ordinance of God 1 Cor. 1.24 23 2â— 25 18 2â— he calleth it the power of God and the wisedome of God Verse 24. but when hee speaketh of it as it is in the corrupt account of the sinfull world he calleth it a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse Verse 23. and the foolishnesse of preaching Verse 21. the foolishnesse of God and the weakenesse of God Verse 25. What then is the publishing of the Gospell in it selfe either a stumbling blocke or foolishnesse or weaknesse No in no wise being mighty to throw downe all strong holds but thus the men of this world account and judge of it Rom. 1.16 To whom then is it the power of God To them that are called Verse 24. to them that beleeve Rom. 1.16 And to whom is it foolishnesse To them that perish 1 Cor. 1.18 So touching the flocke of God in the estimation of God it is great but in the estimation of the world it is as little Thus the faithfull are called by Christ our Saviour Matth. 10.42 18.6 The little ones that beleeve in him Matth. 10.42 18.6 But howsoever they be tendered of God and highly in his favour yet they finde hard entertainment at the hands of the prophane men of the world Doct. 5 This teacheth that the faithfull are hated contemned and little regarded of wicked men Howsoever Zach. 2.8 they that touch them touch the apple of his eye yet the ungodly account basely and vilely of them as if they were the scumme and filth of the world or unworthy to live or to breathe among men or to tread upon the earth Psal 22.6 Thus the Prophet David complaineth concerning himselfe Psal 22. I am as a worme and a wonder among many a reproach of men and despised of the people Thus also speaketh the Prophet Esay Chap. 8. Behold I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signes and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of Hosts which dwelleth in mount Sion So the Prophet Zachary complaineth speaking of the Priests and Levites that were earnest to lay open the sinnes of the people before God Zach. 3.8 Thou and thy fellowes are men wondred at or they are accounted as monsters among men Thus Christ speaketh Ioh. 16.2 They shall put you out of
reconciled I Answer Answ the Scripture speaketh of God two wayes sometimes properly and sometimes unproperly properly it agreeth not to God because in him is no change nor shadow of turning unproperly it may by the figure Anthropopatheja which is an attributing or ascribing unto God the parts properties passions and affections of men the more lively to represent the things spoken off before our eyes So then it is a borrowed speech from men in God it is a change of his worke not of his will as Gen. Gen. 6.6 6. it repented God that he had made man that is he purposed to destroy man whom before he had made From hence we learne where true faith is to apprehend and beleeve the truth and certainty of Gods threatnings Doct. there is a feare of judgements to come Faithworketh a feare of Gods judgments Faith worketh feare and feare often worketh faith This we see in these Ninevites they beleeved God and proclaimed a fast and therefore they feared the dreadfull sentence published and pronounced against them This appeareth in the commendation of the faith of Noah Heb 11.7 Heb. 11.7 He being endued with a justifying and saving faith is also touched with feare and reverence at the consideration of Gods judgements to come So it was with Iehoshaphat he beleeved the Prophets 2 Chro. 20.3 and therefore he feared and set his heart to seeke the Lord 2 Cor. 20. See the further practise of this in Hezekiah Ier. Ier. 26.18.19 26. Micah the Morashite prophesied and spake to all the people of Iudah Thus saith the Lord of hostes Zion shall be plowed like a field and Ierusalem shall become heapes did Hezekiah the king of Iudah and all Iudah put him to death did he not feare the Lord and besought the Lord and the Lord repented him of the evill which he had pronounced against them 2 King 22.19 The like we see in Iosiah 2 King 22. when he heard the plagues and curses that should come upon Ierusalem his heart was tender he trembled himselfe before God and when he heard the wordes against that place he rent his cloathes and wept before him The reasons are evident First God hath coupled both these together Reas 1 and therfore whosoever beleeveth his threatnings cannot but feare the evils threatned He that apprehendeth the wrath of a Prince to be as the roaring of a Lyon cannot but tremble it cannot but worke in him feare Amos. 3. Amos. 3.6 Can a trumpet be blowne in the Citty and the people not be afraid Secondly faith maketh things unseene to be seene Heb. 11.1 Heb. 11 1.1â— For it is the evidence of things me sinneâ—s Moses by faith saw him that is invisible vers 27. and Noah â—aw the worlds destruction as present though it 〈◊〉 an hundred and twenty yeares before it came and 〈◊〉 it But it may be objected Object the faithfull is not afraid of any euill â—idings for his heart is fixed and beleeveth in the Lord Psal 112.7 and therefore faith expelleth all feare I answer the words of the Psalme teach the contrary Answ Blessed is the man that feareth God and therefore to clâ—â—re this seeming-contradiction we must observe a two-fold feare as also care a distrustfull feare and an awefull or reverent feare The distrustfull feare argueth want of faith in God the awefull feare maketh us seeke to God and to fly to his mercy But where the true faith is it expelleth and driveth out distrust Psal 133.18 147.11 and therefore the Prophet ioyneth these two together Psal 133 The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him that trust in his mercy and 147.11 the Lord delighteth in them that feare him that hope in his mercy Behold the true cause Vse 1 why there is so little feare of God in the world and of his judgments though imminent and ready to fall nay present and already fallen We never had more cause to feare generall judgments in regard of the generall corruptions and floods of wickednesse that overflow in all places yet never more security never lesse feare And what is the cause because there is so little faith Math. 24.37 as Christ our Saviour sheweth that iniquity should abound in the last dayes and men mind nothing else but their profits and pleasures as they did when the flood came and swept them all away at once disobedience to the word proceeding from infidelity was the cause of that cause 1 Thess 5. For when they shall say peace peace suddaine destruction shall come upon them as paines upon a woman in travaile and they shall not escape These shall make a mocke of the last judgment and never feare it untill they feele it These may be sent to schoole to Ahab to Iudas the sonne of perdition nay to the Devils themselues for they have not so much faith as Ahab had 1 King 21.27 not so much as Iudas had Luk. 18.8 Math. 27.3.5 not so much as the Devils Iam. 2.19 who beleeve and tremble where as the ungodly beleeve not and therefore tremble not but they would if they beleeved onely so much as the Devils do How then can prophaine persons escape the torments of Hell who come farre short of these that are already in hell and how fearefull an estate is it to be condemned of such as be condemned themselues Secondly see the difference betweene Gods children and carnall or worldly men these are quite contrary the one to the other as light and darknesse and as farre distant as heaven and hell Hic ubiopus est none verentur illic ubt nihil opus est the verentur Terent Andr. act 4. seen 1. When Gods judgements are threatned and men warned to take heed and looke to themselues they do feare least of all who have most cause and whom they most neerely concerne and they on the other side most of all whom they concerne We see this in the old world evidently and expresly for whom did the threatning of the drowning and destruction therof most neerly touch and concerne Doubtlesse the disobedient world of the ungodly But they feared least nay nothing at all they ranne on in their worldly and wicked courses till the flood came and swept them away Whom did the threatning least of all concerne as being in least danger to be drowned Surely Noah and his family for whom the Arke was prepeared but they feared most of all Nay Gods children oftentimes feare for the wicked Psal 119.53.136.158 when they feare not for themselues as Psal 119.53.136.158 as they pray for them when they pray not for themselues and desire their conuersion when they minde nothing lesse The Prophet was greeved for them when they were not greeved for themselues 2 Cor. 12.21 So it is said by the Apostle God will humble me among you and I shall bewaile many which have sinned and have not repented of the sinnes committed the more sorry he was for
of man what is that proverbe that yee have in the Land of Israel saying The dayes are prolonged and every vision faileth Tell them therefore thus saith the Lord God I will make this proverbe to cease they shall use it no more but say to them The daies are at hand the word that I speake shall not be prolonged for in your dayes O rebellious house will I say the word and in your daies I will performe it saith the Lord God Let us therefore stirre up our selves to repentance and amendment of life to prevent his wrath least we rushing on in sinne doe rush into our destruction Thirdly if God threaten and there follow no repentance be well assured that which he hath threatned shall come to passe Gen. 15.16 Gen. 15.16 the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full but when they had filled up the measure then his judgements were to fall upon them O how many examples have we to terrify us and to verify this to our hearts and consciences as the old world Sodome and Gomorrah the falling of the Israelites into the hands of the Cananites the Ammonites and the Amalekites mentioned almost in every place of the booke of Iudges the carrying away of the ten Tribes never restored the captivity of the rest the seven Churches of Asia the destruction of the Iewes by the Romans called the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place Dan. 9.27 Matth. 24.15 and sundry others all which assure us of the truth of this point Let us apply this to our selves and reason as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 11.20.21 If God spared not the naturall branches take heed least he also spare not thee and if the branches were broken off through unbeleefe let not us be high-minded but feare We heare the threatnings of God denounced and his fearefull judgements published and pronounced by his faithfull servants but what repentance what amendment followeth May we not say with the Prophet I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright Ier. 8.6.7 no man repented him of his wickednesse saying what have I done every one turne to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell c. And is it not so in our times nay rather is it not worse We are so farre from repentance and turning to God that the Lord seemeth in his just judgement to have given us over and forsaken us and to have blinded our eyes to have stopped our eares and to have hardned our hearts least we should see with our eyes and heare with our eares and understand with our hearts and should returne and bee saved Sometimes he doth take away his word utterly and hee threatneth it as a grievous judgement unto the Iewes Matth. 21.43 The kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof and we are assured of the accomplishing thereof Rom. 11.12 because the fall of them was the rising of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles Sometimes he will have it to remaine and continue among a people for the farther hardning of their hearts and the increasing of their just judgement and condemnation This is a secret judgement and therefore more sharpe and greevous than the former as Esa 6. Make the heart of this people fat Esay 6.10 as they had fatted and fleshed themselves in sinne and even glutted themselves in iniquity make their eares heavy as they had stopped and stuffed them with vanity that the word could not enter and shut their eyes as they had drowsie and sleepy eyes and had closed the eyes of their bodies so God threatneth to shut the eyes of their minds as men benummed and past feeling least they should see with their eyes and convert and be healed Lastly as it is with the threatnings of God so on the other side it is with his promises We have many worthy and precious promises mentioned in the word some of this life some of the life to come some temporall and some eternall but all sorts are conditionall and all sorts are to us as if they were never made except wee leave our sinfull waies and so turne to the Lord with all our hearts Psal 130.4 Exod. 20.5 Deut. 28.3 4 5. c. Matth. 6.33 We have the promise of mercy and forgivenesse reserved for us under hope but to whom is it made to them that feare him and love him Wee have the promise of earthly blessings to be ministred unto us Deut. 28.3.4 c. but to whom To such as first seeke the kingdome of God and to none others We are ready to lay hold on the promise but we forget the condition like hirelings that regard the wages more than the worke There is a promise to heare our prayers and to save us but to whome is it made Not to the prophane and to unbeleevers Ioh. 9.31 Psal 66.18 for God heareth not sinners and if we regard wickednesse in our hearts the Lord will not heare us as wee shall shew afterward This admonisheth us of two things One that wee despaire not nor distrust the mercies of God toward us in earthly things or in spirituall transitory or eternall in things of this life or the life to come we have comfort and strong consolation when wee are truly and unfainedly turned to God Psal 37.25 Heb. 13.5.6 The other that we blesse not our selves in our wickednesse adding drunkennesse unto thirst as the manner is promising unto our selves peace when wee are at warre and open defiance with God It may bee said to such as Iehu answered unto Iehoram 2 King 9.22 Esa 57.20.21 what hast thou to doe with peace What peace so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are so many and Esa 57. The wicked are like the troubled sea when it can not rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quà m hìc dicitur collego ex cap. 4 2. Io. Drusij Lection in cap. 1. Ioâ—ae there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Nineveh shall be overthrowne That is the City and the Citizens young and old rich and poore one and other This is the summe and effect of Ionahs Sermon We may not imagine that hee cryed nothing else or spake no more than is here expressed Iussus fuit pradicare aliquid amplius quam hic dicitur colligo ex cap. 1.4.2 Io. Drusiij Lection in cap. 1. Iona. Strabo lib. 5. Geograph Dio. Siculus lib. 3. cap. 1. Herod in Euterpe For no doubt the Prophet lifted up his voyce as a Trumpet and shewed them their sinnes and transgressions as the Lord had before shewed unto him that their wickednesse was come before his face Chap. 1.2 This was a great and wealthy citty seated by the river Tygris famous for the compasse of it and the tops and towers where with it florished as sundry histories doe
Ninevites did and what God himselfe did The actions of the Ninevites concerning The people King of Nineveh The actions of the people are Their faith Fruits of faith The actions of the King are set downe His example Verse 6. His proclamation 7.8 His proclamation is published confirmed The publishing and proclaiming thereof instructeth What they must not doe What they must doe The actions of God what he did He saw their workes that they turned Verse 10. He repented of the evill threatned Verse 10. The beginning of their conversion stood in this that they beleeved the word of God And this helped and furthered to stirre up faith in them that they considered they had to doe with God himselfe and not with the Prophet onely Wherein consider 2 King 14.6 that albeit hee was sent to them with heavy tydings as the Prophet said to the wife of Ieroboam Act. 7.27 yet they did not thrust him away from them as the Israelite did Moses Act. 7.27 they did not stretch forth their hand saying lay hold on him as Ieroboam did to the man of God 1 King 13.4 they did not mocke him and misuse him as the lewes did the Prophets 2 Chro. 36.16 they did not account him a mad fellow for his strange message Act. 26.24 as the Captaines did one of the Children of the Prophets 2 King 9.11 they did not waxe wroth and put him in a prison house as men in a rage as Asa dealt with Hanani the Seer 2 Chro 16.10 then bid them feed him with the bread of affliction with the water of affliction as Ahab gave charge to the Governor of the City concerning Micaiah 1 King 22.27 They did not put him to death and stone him with stones as they dealt with Zechariah at the commandement of the King 2 Chro. 24.31 they did not suggest to the King Ionah hath conspired against thee in the middest of the Citie the land is not able to beare all his words or say unto him O thou Seer goe fly thee away into the Land of Iudah and there eate bread and prophecie there but prophecie not any more at Nineveh for it is the house of the kingdom as Amaziah said to Amos Amo. 7.10.12 Neither did they put him in the stockes and smite him on the mouth with the fist as Pashur did Ieremy and the standers by did Paul Ier. 20.2 Act. 23.2 Neither did they apprehend him and throw him into a dungeon or accuse him saying This man is worthy to die for he hath prophecied against this Citie all the words that ye have heard as the Priests and false Prophets pleaded against Ieremy at an other time Ier. 26.11 neither did they drive him out of their coastes and thrust him out of their Citie as the people of Nazareth dealt with Christ Luk. 4.29 and the Gadarens when they had lost their Swine Math. 8.34 Neither did they stop their eares and gnash on him with their teeth and runne upon him with one accord as they served Stephen Act. 7.54.57 Neither did they beat him or charge command him that he should speak no more in the name of the Lord his God and then let him goe as they dealt with Peter and the other Apostles Act. 5.40 but they heard him attentively patiently and readily they accounted him not as a troubler of the state as the filth of the world 1 Cor. 4.13 and as the off-scouring of all things but they received his words as the oracles of God they perswaded themselues that he was sent unto them of God and constantly beleeved that those things would undoubtedly come to passe which he had spoken Of this faith what it was see more afterward vers 9. This threatning for the certainty of it is utttered in the time present for in the originall it is word for word is overthrowne and therefore the destruction being so neere and so certaine it was high time for them to looke about them We learne from hence that the word preached is the ordinary meanes ordained of God to worke in us faith Doct. 4 The word preached is the instrument of faith as Rom. 1.16 1 Cor. 15.1.2 Iam. 1.18 Examples hereof are plentifull to be found in the Acts of the Apostles after the hearing of the word they were pricked in their hearts and said What shall we do Act. 2.37 they received his word gladly and were baptized vers 41. many of them which heard the word beleeved Chap. 4.4 Cornelius is directed to Peter who should tell him words whereby he and all his house should be saved Act. 11.14 The Gentiles were glad when they heard the word and as many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved chap. 13.48 the Lord opened the heart of Lydia that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul chap. 16.14 some beleeved and clave unto him chap. 17.4.12.34 and 18 9.10 The Souldiers the Publicanes and the people that came out to heare the preaching of Iohn were converted and said Master what shall we doe Luk. 3.10.12.14 The reasons Reason 1 First because this is the high ordinance of God which he hath appointed to beginne and worke in us faith and so the conversion of a sinner 1 Cor. 1.21 If he had ordained other means other means should have bin effectuall Secondly faith cannot be without knowledge knowledge cannot be without instruction Mat. 2.7 instruction cannot be without such as instruct us in the faith and therefore we must necessarily heare their voyce and seeke the law at their mouthes Mal. 2.7 Thirdly to this end and purpose God gave gifts to men and called them to beare his word to his people Eph. 4.11.12 so the Prophet teacheth that the Priestslips must preserue knowledge Mal. 2. Lastly our first parents were turned from God and drawne to unbeleefe by hearing the voyce of the old Serpent the devill it is therefore convenient that the elect by hearing the voyce of God should be converted to the faith and returne to him that calleth Obj. 1. If this be so Obiect 1 then it must needes goe hard with deafe men that cannot heare For if faith presuppose knowledge knowledge instruction and instruction hearing which is the sense of learning what shall we thinke of them that are borne deafe How shall they beleeve and be saved Answ Blind men may heare but deafe men cannot I answere albeit God doth ordinarily worke faith by hearing yet he can and doth extraordinarily worke faith without it and of stones raise up children to Abraham as he gave faith to Rahab the harlot by hearing of his workes not of his word Ios 2. For the holy Ghost that teacheth by inspiration supplieth the want of outward meanes by an inward motion in their hearts So that albeit they cannot have knowledge nor salvation by the hearing of faith yet they may have them by an inward worke supplying the defect of the outward senses Secondly Object 2 how shall infants and children
a fast and threatneth that whosoever shall doe any worke at all therein even on that day Levit. 16.31 23.30.31 shall be cut off from among his people Levit. 16. Because it shall be a Sabbath of rest and we ought to resort at such solemne times to the house of God no lesse than we ought to doe on the Sabbath if not rather more in regard of the urging and pressing occasion Iudge 20. Hereby then falleth to the ground the opinion of such as hold it neither needfull nor expedient that the word should be preached at such times as the Church assembleth for fasting and praying These are not ashamed to affirme that they have often heard and read of the exercise of fasting and praying but never of fasting and preaching as if forsooth the time were spent unprofitably that is spent that way These men would gladly say somewhat to maintaine and countenance their owne idlenesse And because the diligence of others maketh their negligence to appeare the greater they open their mouthes against them and their practise who preach the word in season and out of season according to the Commandement of God and man and speake all manner of evill of them The wise Salomon teacheth Pro. 26.16 Pro. 26. That the sluggard is wiser in his owne conceit than seven men that can render a reason We ought to use all meanes whatsoever and all little enough and too little to stirre up our selues to faith and repentance from dead workes but the preaching of the word is the principall and speciall meanes to worke these in vs and what is what is all our fasting without true repentance doubtlesse there is no life in it and therefore at such times the word should be taught to make the rest of the workes more lively Besides we have shewed that it hath the nature of a Sabbath day Whatsoever therefore they were forbidden on the Sabbath was likewise forbidden on the day of fasting and whatsoeven they were then Commanded to do ought likewise to be done and practised on this day But the Apostle teacheth Act. 15.21 that Moses hath in every City them that preach him being read in the Synagogue every Sabbath day So then besides that every day of fasting was a Sabbath day we see that after Moses was read he was also preached but he was read in their assemblies on the daies of their fasting Neh 9.13 there he sheweth how they spent that day one fourth part they reade in the booke of the Lord their God an other fourth part they spent in prayer and confessing their sinnes to God and by all likelihood the other two parts were spent in preaching after they had read the Lecture of the Law which is not expressed because he had so lately and largely spoken thereof in the former chapter And seeing they spent not the residne of the day idly but in some holy exercise together and neither in reading nor in praying how should it be spent but in preaching hearing the word of the Lord Thus Anna serued the Lord in the Temple with prayer fasting where without all question was the preaching of the word as well as praying and reading It is a desperate cause that hath nothing to pretend It is objected that the preaching of the word at such times is never expressed neither urged by Commandement nor Commended by example But we must consider the usuall manner of the Scripture by one part of the worship of God to understand the whole For sometimes there is mention of fasting but not at all of prayer Ester 4. and often elsewhere What then shall we collect and conclude from hence that they praied not to God nor once lifted up their hearts to him The brute beastes may keepe such a fast and therefore more must be understood then is named Esay 56.7 Math. 21.13 So the Temple was called the house of praier we never reade it called the house of preaching and yet it serueth no lesse for the one then for the other But these men conceive and imagine there is some time wherin the preaching of the word is unseasonable Lastly if the preaching of the word were used in times of holy feasting solemne thanksgiving to be rendred unto God for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances receiued as in the Passeover the like why should not the same exercise be much rather takē up when the times of holy fasting are sanctified that as at the one we might be stirred up to praise God for his mercies so at the other we might be moved to fear his judgments ready to fal upōus The second point is the kindes and sorts of fasting This we must learne The severall sorts of fasts to the end we may know of what fast the Prophet speaketh For all fastes are not of one nature neither undertaken for one and the same cause There is a fast prescribed by the Physition to restore health or to procure appetite abstaining from sustenance to consume raw and superfluous humours The cause of this is repletion Hence ariseth this rule of theirs Whatsoever diseases fasting or emptinesse cannot take away cure them by medicine An other is to performe somewhat with haste and expedition when the minde is so set upon some earnest businesse that a man either forgetteth himselfe or else can intend no time to take his sustenance and the refreshing which nature otherwise would require 1 Sam. 14.24 Such was the fast commanded by Saul who had no religious respect therein but aymed at this to spare no time from pursuing his enemies Such was Pauls fast and of the rest that were in the ship with him Act. 27.33 Act. 27. they had no leasure to take meate in time of the storme and tempest every houre fearing shipwracke and standing in jeopardy of their lives There is a fast of Christian sobriety which is nothing else but an using frugality in meates and drinkes or the vertue of temperance and is to be practised of us all the daies of our lives according to the warning of our Saviour Luk. 21.34 Take heed to your selues least at any time your hearts be over-charged with surfetting and drunkennesse Rom. 13.13 and of the Apostle Let us walke honestly as in the day not in riotting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse c. There is an other fast of necessity which is a forced and constrained fast which God often sendeth as a chasticement when he breaketh the staffe of bread Leuit. 26.26 Deut. 28.23 when he maketh the heavens as brasse and the earth as yron when he destroyeth the labours of the husbandmen when the field is wasted the corne blasted the grasse withered the vines dryed and the land mourueth Ioel 2. Because we will not take up a voluntary fast that he would he forceth us to take up a fast which we would not because the earth forbeareth her fruites we must forbeare our food
conceale a thing secret Nay in this many miracles on an heape concurre together Is it not a miracle in the body to open the eyes of the blind Math. 10.8 11.5 Act. 26.18 2 Cor. 7.1 Eph. 2.1.5 to restore hearing to the deafe to raise the dead to clense the Lepers The penitent person hath received all these in his soule his eyes are opened his eares are boared he is clensed from his filthinesse and restored to life for being naturally borne dead in sinnes and trespasses he is quickned O how great a change and alteration is this But here a question may be asked Object whether this be a worke and effect of the Law are the threatnings thereof able to do it Answ or is it a fruit of the Gospell I answer the Law helpeth it forward it cannot worke it or bring it forth It prepareth to repentance but produceth it not so that the law is not excluded or quite shut out Rom. 3.20 Gal. 3.24 It serueth to bring us to the knowledge of our sinnes and miseries and thereby fitteth us to receive grace and mercy like eating salues that make way for curing medicines or like the sharpe needle that maketh way for the threed But it is the Gospell that hath the promise of pardon and forgivenesse and worketh repentance from dead workes and therefore it is a fruit of the Gospel The Law knoweth no remission of sins but is a letter that condemneth it promiseth no mercy but threatneth the curse against the transgressors Gal. 3.13 Vse Vse 1 1. This condemneth such as forsake and forget the ordinary way that God hath left to bring us to saluation and gape after miracles or revelations This is all one as if when the Lord heareth the Heauens and they heare the earth Hos 2.21.22 and the earth heareth the corne and the corne the people they will not feed thereof as base food but looke for Manna and bread from heaven are not such worthy to perish Hence it is that Abraham is brought in Luk. 16.31 answering the rich man that would have the dead sent to his brethren to reclaime them and bring them to repentance If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead How vainely then and idlely doe they prattle who to disgrace the Ministery of the word and the high ordinance of God to teach man by man alledge that they know not whether men speake the truth because all men are lyars and they are not able to try their doctrine but if they should heare the Lord himselfe speake or an Angel from heaven they would beleeve Iudg. 6 2â— 13.22 Gen. 16.2 Esay 6.3 These men neither know their owne weakenesse nor the power of God Not their owne weakenesse that are not able to endure the glory of him that speaketh from heaven nay this was the common voyce of such as heard an Angel We shall surely dy alas because I have seene an Angel of the Lord face to face not the power of God because he is infinite the Angels cover their faces before him the heavens are not cleane in his sight the earth trembleth when he sheweth his glory When the Israelites saw the lightnings and heard the noise of the thunder and sound of the Trumpet waxing lowder and lowder in the mount Exod. 20.18.19 so that Moses himselfe said I exceedingly feare and quake they sayd unto Moses Speake thou unto us and we will heare Heb. 12.21 but let not God speake unto us lest we die Deut. 5.25.26.28.29 If we heare the voyce of the Lord our God any more then we shall die for who is thereof all flesh that hath heard the voyce of the living God and lived This they spake and the Lord said They have well spoken all that they have spoken O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might goe wel with them and with their Children for ever If this were wisedome in them to call for Moses to speake to them and not God what a foolish choise doe they make that call for God to speake to them and not Moses But of this also else where Secondly their case is fearefull and dangerous that are without the word there is no vision and therefore the people must needes perish Pro. 29.18 There the sheepe are without a sheepheard See examples Exod. 32.1 2 King 12.2 and none to have compassion upon them Math. 9.36 Neither is their state any better who albeit they are not without it yet regard it not but despise it in their hearts These are both alike saving that the latter is worser and more fearefull then the former The one are without the ordinary meanes the other without the use of the meanes and therefore without hope to come to repentance It was a fearefull judgement when our Saviour commanded the twelue saying Go not into the way of the Gentiles Math. 10.5 and into any City of the Samaritans enter ye not And when the Apostles went through the Cities to preach the Gospel Act. 16.6.7 they were forbidden by the holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia and afterward when they assaied to goe into Bithynia the Spirit suffered them not Was not this in effect as much as if the Lord had sayd give them no bread let them be famished I will not have these converted and consequently saved He that taketh away the meanes of life it is plaine he would not have that man live Woe then to all such retchlesse and carelesse persons as set light by this high ordinance of God that neither have it nor desire it but doubly wretched are they that despise it and wish in their hearts to be without it Can these perswade themselues they have attained to repentance What without the meanes but such is the necessity of repentance that without it we must perish for ever I may therefore say to such as the Apostle doth to the Iewes Well spake the holy Ghost unto our fathers Esay 6.9 Act. 28.26 Go unto this people and say hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and not perceive for the heart of this people is waxed grosse and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares and understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them Thirdly behold the happy condition of such if they knew their owne happinesse to whomsoever God hath vouchsafed the preaching of the Gospell It is a manifest proofe he hath a people there whom he would have converted For as he shewed the Disciples to whom they should not goe Math. 10.6 Act. 18.9.10 so he sent them to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Thus also he spake to Paul Act. 18. Be not afraid but speake and
or our carnall pleasures if we had followed the calling of God and waited at the postes of his house if we had beene as carefull and eager to heare as we are foolish and madde to follow our vanities we might have obtained and receiued faith and repentance long agoe Shall we then be so Prophane as to bring the Lord to dance our attendance and to give us his grace when we our selues list and to bestow it upon us at our leysure and pleasure In all worldly businesse we know we must take opportunity while it is offered we can say that tide and time tarryeth no man and that happily we may never have the same occasion offered us againe why then are we not as wise for spirituall and heavenly things as we are for earthly and for the life to come as for this present life Remember this if we remember nothing else that Iacob obtained the blessing while Esau was in hunting Gen. 27. So might we happily obtaine faith and repentance while we are hunting after our pleasures or profits and while we sit idle or lye sleeping in our houses or worse occupied than thus and will not vouchsafe to come and hearken unto his word Never therefore wickedly accuse the Lord for not giving to thee the graces of faith and repentance but come home and enter into thy selfe and learne to accuse thine owne wicked and prophane heart who doest not so much as thou hast in thine owne power to wit to come to the house of God and to heare and attend Let us doe these things diligently and we may looke for his blessing Math. 13.12 for whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance Besides God is bound to no man the winde bloweth freely where it list and may he not doe with his owne as pleaseth him or who can complaine against him True it is God is able to convert us and to give us to beleeve without the meanes of his word because he is not tyed thereunto but he hath tyed us and left us no other way Luk. 16.29.31 1 Cor. 1.21 Rom. 10.14 He will by the preaching of the word save them that beleeve 1 Cor. 1.21 and how shall they heare without a Preacher Rom. 10. The Lord fed Israel his people with quailes in the wildernesse and gave them bread from heaven but when he had brought them into Canaan a land flowing with milke and honey where they had corne and haruest in due season the Manna ceased Iosh 5.12 he fed them no longer from heaven So then this is the first point we must marke and practise we must be swft to heare with reverence with Conscience and with diligence use all the meanes we can to attaine to regeneration Touching the second point It is our duty to be slow to speake as we must be swift to heare so we must be slow to speake not slow or backward to speake of the word to conferre one with another and to sit and reason of the wayes of the Lord but slow to speak against it to quarrell with it to gainesay it resist it as the manner of many is who have dul eares but nimble tongues they are slow to heare but quicke to speake and reject what they have heard quite contrary to the Apostles commandement These men will question oftentimes with their companions as carnall as themselues but seldome or never will once conferre with the Minister who is most able to resolve them and most willing to instruct them which argueth they are possessed with a spirit of contradiction have no desire to be instructed The third point is slow to wrath It is our duty to be slow to wrath and to be offended when we heare our speciall sinnes touched and our corruptions ripped up to the quicke These are like the hearers of Stephen Act. 7.54.57.58 Act. 7. when they heard somewhat that pleased them not their hearts brast with anger and they guashed upon him with their teeth they cryed out with a loud voyce stopped their eares and ranne upon him with one accord Our hearers happly will not use these gestures but they will practise worse they will laugh at us and that not closely in their sleeves as we say but openly in our faces an evident argument of the contempt not of our persons so much as of the word of God it selfe Gal. 4.16 But what are we therefore become your enemies because we tell you the truth These never came to any degree of repentance or regenetation Iam. 1.20 for the wrath of man cannot accomplish the righteousnes of God Iā 1. He that will reprove others with fruit must ree his minde from fury and hastinesse so must hearers likewise if they will heare with profit For as surgeons Chrysost advers Gentes that goe about to cut off rotten members do not fill themselues with anger or choler when they goe about their cure but then specially endeavour to quiet their mindes from such unruly passions least happly such distemper might hinder their art so should reproovers be free from wrath least it should hinder them from doing that good which otherwise they might doe In like manner such as are hearers and reprooved that it may be as a precious oyle that shall not breake their head Psal 141.5 when they come into the house of God to heare his word which is able to save their soules must lay aside all filthinesse superfluity of naughtinesse and put on the spirit of meekenesse to receive the word ingrafted in us neiter must be offended at the word it selfe when it speaks not as they would have it Word came to the King he rose from his throne c. All these gestures of the King he rose he layd aside he covered he sate downe in ashes doe declare his forwardnesse and all of them are amplified by the circumstance of time so soone as the word of God preached by Ionah came unto him This teacheth us that repentance must be present speedy Doct. without delay or prolonging of the time from one day to an other Repentance must be speedy For if the King and the rest of the Ninevites had done so they had beene utterly overthrowne for not repenting The Prophet exhorteth to heare the voyce of the Lord while it is called to day Psal Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.13 and 4.7 Esay 55.6 95. and the Apostle exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3. Hereunto tendeth the precept Seeke the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is neere Esay 55. And no marveill For first Reason 1 the deferring and delaying of repentance is an argument of great folly heaping up the greater measure of sinne and drawing a farther degree of judgment Math. 23.32.34.35 Rom. 2.5.6 making our selues two-fold more the children of hell as
neglect the body catch after the shadow they straine at a gnat and swallow a Camell Math. 23 24. Fourthly it behoveth us to looke first of all to the heart and to clense the inside Ier 4.14 Iam. 4.8 that so the outside may be cleane also Math. 23.26 or else it is no zeale but hypocrity Fiftly Math 23.4 We must be more strict and precise to our selues then to others and give more liberty to them then we will take to our selues Let not us be as the Pharises who bound heauy burdens and greeuous to be borne and laid them upon other mens shoulders but themselues will not move them with one of their fingers Math. 23.4 Let us rather follow the example of Abraham Gen. 14.23.24 and of the Apostle Paul 1 Cor. 4.12 1 Thess 2.9 with 1 Cor. 9.6.14 1 Tim. 5.18 Sixtly true zeale condemneth and reproveth sinne without respect of persons in their acquaintance as well as in strangers in their friends as well as in foes in the higher as well as in the lower sort Math. 16.23 Gal. 3. â— Iob. 29.8.9 But many offend and are partiall against this rule and are afraid of the face of the mighty Seventhly we are to be most fervent in Gods causes This was the commendation of Moses though he were as meeke as a lain be in his own cause the meekest upon the face of the earth Numb 12.3 but in case of Idolatry and worshipping the golden calfe his wrath waxed hote he cast the Tables out of his hands he brake them in pieces he burnt the Calfe in the fire he ground it to powder and being strewed upon the water he made the Israelites drinke of it Exod. 32.19.20 This is otherwise in the greatest number who practise the quite contrary They are as hote as fire in their owne private matters but as cold as ice in things pertaining to the honour and glory of God Let a seruant offend his Master in the least trifle and neglect his businesse any way how is he moved and his rage kindled but if he transgresse the Commandement of God and neglect his worship he is never touched or troubled at it Maâ—h 15.6 â— he never reproveth him for it what is this but to make the commandement of God of none effect by their tradition Lastly albeit zeale be requisit and necessiry for all Christians yet it must be alayed and tempered with mercy and compassion considering our selues least we also be tempted Gal. 6.1.2 being humbled in our selues for those sinnes which we espy and censure in others It is noted of Christ our Saviour when the Pharisees murmured because he would heale on the Sabbath day Mark 3.5 that he looked angerly about him and yet he sorrowed for the hardnesse of their hearts Here anger and sorrow meet together and so they ought to doe in us Cry unto God Hitherto of the second point the manner of their prayer they cried mightily now we come to the third point the object of prayer to God that is the true God Ion. 1.5 The Mariners mentioned in the first Chapter cryed every man to his God but none of them to the true God Doct. and therefore they laboured but all in vaine This teacheth us Prayer must be made to God onely that prayer must be directed unto the true God only Gen. 4.26 Psal 50.15 107.6 Math. 6.9 Dan. 9.4 2 Chro. 20.6 Act. 8.22 The reasons are apparently drawne from the nature of God For first he onely is able to heare and to helpe Reason 1 He is infinite in power and nothing is to hard for him nothing unpossible to him Secondly In regard of his knowledge he searcheth the heart who made the heart and understandeth our thoughts and imaginations a farre off Thirdly He only is present in all places Ier. 23.24 Esay 66.1 that none can hide himself in secret places that he shall not see him he filleth heaven and earth the heaven being his throne and the earth his foot stoole Esay 66.1 Fourthly Faith and prayer go together and therefore it is called the prayer of faith Iam. 5.15 We beleeve only in God therefore we must pray onely to him The Apostle therefore having shewed that whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10.13.14 he addeth but how shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved First of all Vse 1 this reproveth the sacriledge of the Church of Rome that robbe God of the honour due to his name and give that to the Saints departed and to Angels which is proper unto him To him all the faithfull Patriarkes Prophets and righteous men have prayed been heard and we have ten thousand places by which we are warranted and willed to doe the like Our Saviour cammandeth us to go to our Father which is in heaven Math. 6. The contrary practise hath neither Precept nor example nor promise nor threatning against any that refuse it nor punishment upon any that hath neglected the performance thereof Thus the Prophet speaketh Thou Esay 63.16 O Lord art our Father though Abraham be ignorant of us David freely confesseth Psal 63.25 that he had none in heaven but God and none upon earth that he desired beside him The Church of Rome hath gotten more knowledge then ever this Prophet had and they are not ashamed to professe that they have â—no in heaven then God other mediators in whom they put their trust besides him Such lye under an heavy curse Ier. 17.5 â— 17. for cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arme and whose heart departeth from the Lord. What do these but forsake God the fountaine of living waters and hew out to themselues broken cisternes that can hold no water Into both these mischeifes the Romish Synagogue falleth by praying to Saints and Angels If the blessed virgin the Apostles and Saints in heaven did know what these Idolaters and Saint-worshippers doe to them on earth doubtlesse they would abhorre this detestable derogation from the glory of God as much as Paul and Barnabas did the peoples offering to doe sacrifice to them Act. 14.14 nay much more as their knowledge being glorified was greater and their zeale of Gods glory more fervent then before in the dayes of their flesh Secondly it reproveth such as neglect wholly or for the most part this duty as not belonging unto them or as not necessary or as if God had never required it or spoken word of it or as if his faithfull servants had never practised it Whereas the Lord presseth no duty more earnestly the Scripture expresseth no duty more commonly and the Godly have performed no duty more constantly But from whence commeth this retchlessenesse in so plaine a matter and the disregarding of so holy an exercise so often commanded and so profitable to our selves Surely it proceedeth either from ignorance to make the best of it which yet excuseth not or
heaven he beholdeth all the sonnes of men from the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth And touching the second branch to wit the approoving of of that which is good Moses declareth when Israel offered their submission to the ordinary ministery being ready to heare from his mouth all the words of the Lord he gave this testimony and commendation of them Devt 5.28.29 I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken they have will said O that there were such an heart in them Math. 8.10 15.28 26.13 that they would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes c. Thus Christ our Saviour commendeth the faith of the Centurion Math. 8. of the Cananitish woman Chap. 15. and of the woman that anoynted his feet with precious oyntment I say unto you wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world there shall this which she hath done be told for a memoriall of her chap. 26. Let us see both these branches confirmed unto us Reasons of the first branch Touching the first it is great brutishnesse and folly not to know that God knoweth all things This is as much as to deny his nature and to make God to be no God He may be said to be all an eye all an eare all an heart but to deny this principle what is it in effect but to turne the true God into an Idoll which hath eyes and feeth not eares and hearth not Psal 115.5.6 94.89.10 and an heart and vnderstandeth not Hereunto came the words of the Prophet Vnderstand ye brutish among the people and ye fooles when will ye be wise he that planted the eare shall he not heare he that formed the eye shall he not see he that teacheth man knowledge shall not he know All things have sight hearing knowledge and understanding from him therefore he must heare perceive and see forasmuch as that which causeth a man to be so is it selfe much more so Secondly nothing can hinder his sight nor want of light nor distance of place nor dimnesse of the eye which are causes of want of seeing in us Therefore the Prophet saith Psal 139.7.8.9 c. Whither shall I go from thy spirit or whither shall I fly from thy presence If I ascend up into heaven or make my bed in the grave or take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea thou art there c. Touching the second Reasons of the second branch he approoveth every good worke for who is it that hath wrought it in us or from whence doth it proceed is it of our selves no doubtlesse every good and perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from the Father of lights And as he must worke it before we can have it Iam. 1.17 so he must strengthen that which he hath wrought in us Secondly to encourage and provoke us to perseverance and continuance in wel-doing It is no lesse vertue to hold fast that which we have gotten then at the first to get it And we have as much need to be exhorted to go on as to beginne seeing we may perish as well by going backe as by not stirring at all or not walking in the wayes of God Heb. 10.35 as also it serueth to draw on others by our example as we also ought by the examples of others The uses follow and first of the first branch And first Vse 1 this directeth us in all our workes to propound to our selues alwayes the presence of God a speciall foundation of Christian religion When thou hast any tentation to sinne or inclination of thy heart thereunto if thou couet to be kept in the feare of God perswade thy selfe of the truth of this principle that whatsoever thou thinkest or speakest or doest Heb. 4.13 all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whrm we have to doe Gen. 39.9 because he searcheth all hearts and say with Ioseph How can I doe this great wickednesse and sinne against God Enoch walked before God and pleased him that he had his power and presence evermore before his eyes Gen. 5.24 in Heb. 11. and Gen. 17.1 On the other side this is a maine cause of all wicked nesse prophanenesse and ungodlinesse among men to be perswaded that God seeeth us not Psal 94. They prate speake heard things Psal 94.4.5.6.7 they smite thy people and spoyle thy heritage flay the widow and murther the fatherlesse what is the cause where is the reason they say the Lord shall not see neither will the God of Iacob regard it It is neere to Atheisme to have such a blasphemous thought as to jmagine that we can hide our counsels deuises from the Lord Esay 29.15 as Esay 29 Woe unto them that seeke deepe to hid our counsel from the Lord their workes are in the dark and they say who seeth us and whoknoweth us True it is men will not speak thus prophanly with the tongue for then all men would condemne them cry shame of them as unworthy to live upon the earth but what should we looke to their words when we may looke upon their deedes or what shall it avail them to hide their counsels when they lay open their conuersations to keepe their mouthes silent when their lives proclaime they thinke there is no God Happy are we if we have the Lord ever before us and have our eyes upon him as we know that his eyes are upon us as the eye of the Master upon the servant to give to every man according to his workes Secondly this offereth much comfort to the afflicted and putteth such as afflict them in mind of their wretched condition wherein they stand 2 Thess 1.6.7 seing it is a righteous thing wâ—th God torecompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest when the Lord Iesas shall be revealed from heaven The Lord seeth the afflictions of his seruants will regard revenge them get glory to his great name in the confusion of their enemies When the children of Israel were oppressed by the Egyptians and afflicted with sore burdens the Lord comforteth them with this I have seene I have seene the affliction of my people Exod. 3.7.9 which is in Egypt and I have heard their groning Act. 7.34 and am come downe to deliver them He considereth the cruelty and injury of the enimy as 2 Chro. 16. 1 Chro. 16.9 the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect toward him It is strange to see the folly of men abusing the essentiall properties of God as were easie to shew in our several state and condition of life sometimes abridging them and cutting them too short and sometimes enlarging them and stretching them too farre See
this in the consideration of the power of God how we erre two waies In time of adversity we contract it and make it to little as if he could not do so much as he had promised and we cannot beleeve more then we see Numb 11.4.13.21.22.23 Psal 78.19 neither can looke beyond the ordinary meanes as Numb 11. with Psal 78. they spake against God saying Can God furnish a table in the wildernesse Yea Moses himselfe spake unadvisedly with his lippes Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people whereunto the Lord answereth by way of reproofe Is the Lords hand waxed short thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe unto thee or not So in the seige of Samaria a noble person on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God who had prophesied of great plenty If the Lord would make windowe in heaven 2 King 7.2 might this thing be but when men live in peace and plenty how many do extend his power too farre and encourage themselues in the excesse of all ungodlinesse and propha esse of life because he is able to pardon their sinnes though they be never so great and there upon harden their hearts and gather that they need not make conscience of any thing Thus upon a firme foundation they build a false conclusion The like we may say of the presence of God When we have all that heart can desire that we prosper in the world and encrease in riches we dreame we must needs be highly in Gods favour and that he is present with us with his grace but when we are plagued and chastened every morning how do we presently conceive that he is departed farr from us that he hath forgotten to here us and will remember us no more Eâ—ccl 9. but no man knoweth either love or hatred by all that is before them and if sinne do not seperate betweene us and our God Esay 59.1.2 his hand is not shortned that he cannot save neither his eare heavy that he cannot heare Lastly touching the second branch hence ariseth a reproofe of such wicked and envious men that will never remember any good thing or any grace of God that appeareth in his faithful servants unlesse it be to lessen them discredit them mock and scoffe at them and to deride them as Ismael did at Isaac Gen. 21.9 as Michal did at David 2 Sam. 6.20 Nay there be some so fowle-mouthed and corrupt hearted if they can find nothing whereby to defame them they will inuent and devise matter out of their owne braine See the partialily of these brainsicke men and the difference betweene God and them for first though they see never so much grace the way to glory shine in the servants of God they passe it over and will take no notice thereof Secondly what blemish defect or infirmity so ever be in them they bruit it and blaze it abroad no time no place no company is free but they ring of them they proclaime and publish them in every place before every person at every meeting and they will be sure to adde something of their own beyond the truth And what marveil is it if being evill theÌ„selues they speake evill of others Thirdly they can readily passe over the foule spottes and prophanesse not onely in themselues Malèdeme loquuntur sed malâ— Sen. but in their owne crue and companions because therein they have oftentimes themselues a great and principall hand and therefore they see the discrediting of them tendeth to their owne reproch Fourthly if there be the least civill vertue breake out of the ungodly that they after a sort stumble upon them accidentally rather then purposely and that but once or if it be onely a shadow of vertue appeare in any of their fellowes O how they praise and applaud them they light up a candle to see them and they blow a trumpet for men to heare of them In all which they shew themselues contrary to God for he passeth over the frailties and infirmities of such as feare him and have given their hearts unto him though sometimes they stumble and fall as we see in Iob. Iob. 42. Iam. 5.11 1 King 15.5 Math. 13.31.8 25.23 12.20 42.8 Iam. 5.11 and in David 1 King 15.5 and wheresoever he seeth any grace to grow though it be as little as agraine of mustardsecd if he encrease but two talentes or bring forth only thirty fold if they be but as the smoking flaxe or as the bruised reed he accepteth it maketh much of it highly commendeth it On the other side he hateth and abhorreth wickednesse as he loveth righteousnesse and albeit the ungodly have the glory and applause of the world because the world will love his owne yet will he bring upon them shame and perpetuall contempt And God repented of the evill that he had said Albeit the threatning against this citie expressed no condition Doct. God is merciful to all pâ—nitent sinners as we have already declared yet we see in this place by the issue and event that it included it As the threatning denounced was very fearefull so the fruit of their repentance was as joyfull This teacheth that God is mercifull and gratious to all penitent sinners he turneth their mourning into mirth and all their heavinesse into laughter All such as truely repent them of their sinnes shall find pardon forgivenesse at his hands as Ezek. 18. Ezek. 18.21 If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes that he hath committed and keepe all my statutes and do that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live and shall not die Thus in sundry places we are cummanded to turne to God and then he promiseth to turnt to us to save us Ioel. 2 12.13 Ier. 31.18 Lam. 5.21 Hereunto come sundry examples of Manasses 2 Chro. 33. of Paul Act. 9. of the Iewes that crucified the Lord of life Act. 2. The like I might say of sundry others The reasons Reas 1 First No penitent person ever perished from the foundation of the world to this present neither shall from this present to the end of the world God which cannot lie hath promised grace to the humble and and contrite heart Repentance is as a table on which we take hold after shipwracke to bring us safe and sound to land Nosinne is unpardonable if the sinner could repent no not the sinne against the holy Ghost Secondly Gods mercy is above all his workes he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust he is slow to anger and of great kindnesse Psal 103. Thirdly he hath shewed some mercy in a temporall deliverance for a temporall repentance 2 King 21.27 as we see in Ahab who obtained the respite of punishent when he had but an outward humiliation 2 King 21. if wicked Ahab who did sell himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight to the Lord repenting with fasting
when it groweth wheat with chaffe againe Therefore when any man hath children of evill disposition he must acknowledge his owne jmage in them and when he hath good children Ioh. 1.13 he ought to admire the worke of God in them to coÌ„fesse their goodnes to be his jmage who are not borne of blood nor of the wil of the flesh nor of the wil of man but of God to whom all Glory and praise is due The Lord Iesus alone was free from this common contagion and corruption who derived not originall sinne from his mother True it is that all men sinned in Adam it is as true that Christ was in Adam as being one of his posterity Neverthelesse that sentence of the Apostle doth not concerne Christ because the person of Christ was not in Adam but onely his humane nature neither was he conceived after the common maner of other men but by overshadowing of the holy Ghost What originall sinne is He therefore is excepted out of the common condition all are borne in Originall sinne which is nothing else but the depravation of mans nature contracted from the very generation it selfe and derived from Adam into all mankind Now herein are two things the want or privation of originall righteousnesse and the inclinablenesse or pronenesse to evill as sicknesse is not onely a privation of health but also an evill affection or disposition of the body arising from the distemper of the humours so this hereditary blot as a sicknesse is not only the want of righteousnesse but likewise a pronenesse to unrighteousnesse from whence ariseth blindnesse in the mind frowardnesse in the will the losse of supernaturall gifts and the corruption of those that are naturall The third rule followeth that all Evill The third rule even the whole body of sinne is in man as we heard before that the whole man is in evill In every man are the seedes and beginnings of all sin by nature Not in one man a pronenesse to some sins an in another to some other sins but a pronenesse to all in all and every one not onely in the worst or most wicked in the unregenerate and carnall men but in the regenerate and best men even to the most odious heinous and abominable sinnes All that know themselues know this to be true and such as know not the truth of it doe not as yet know themselues neither can they truely repent As the matter first made called a Chaos had the seedes of all creatures in it so the masse of sinne that is in us hath the fountaine and roote of all other sinnes Matter of wonderfull hâ—miliation O how should this humble us to thinke what vile and venemed natures we have never was there any grosse sinne or impiety committed in the world by desperate deboshed and develish men albeit we have not committed it already neither intend to commit it hereafter but doe hate and abhorre it yet there lyeth hid in our hearts a fitnesse and forwardnesse a pronenesse and disposition thereunto All ground is not fit to beare and bring forth all kinde of fruit but some yeeldeth one sort and some an other it is not so with our hearts they are Seminaries or seed-plottes of all sinnes We complaine and cry out of the Apostacy of the Angles of the murther of Caine of the filthy lustes of the Sodomites of the hard heart of Pharaoh the murmuring of the Israelites of the conspiracy of Korah of the rebellion of Absolom of the envy of the Pharesees of the horrible treachery of Iudas and such like vices and villanies but let us never accuse or accurse these and cry out against them rather it behooveth us wisely to returne home to our selues and to enter into our owne hearts where we shall see that we carry them all within us every man hath a Caine a Sodomite a Pharaoh a Pharisee an Absalom a Iudas nay a devill nay all these together in his own breast and bosome These are indeed most wicked and wretched men howbeit they serue as glasses to behold our owne faces For as in the water face answereth to face so doth the heart of a man to man Pro. 27.19 their heart answeareth to our hearts and ours to theirs And as there is the same nature of cruell and savage Lyons so there is betweene the heart of Caine of Pharaoh of Iudas of our selues and any other man For as the Apostle speaketh are we better then they Rom. 3.9 No in no wise We complaine against Annas and Caiaphas the high Priests against Herod and Pilat the chiefe Governours against Iudas and the Iewes the cursed instruments that crucified the Lord of life and accuse them as notorious wicked and hard hearted men but do we judge our selues any better by nature or of our selues or shall we say with the proud Pharisees Math. 23.30 if we had been in the daies of our fathers we would never have done as they did we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the Prophets nay had we lived in their times and stood in their places doubtlesse we would have put upon us their persons and by the sway and swing of the same corruption we would have done none otherwise unlesse Gods grace did prevent us and restraine us If he should leave us as he did them to our selues and not stay us up being ready to fall if he did not hold us in the armes of his mercy Exod. 19.4 as a father doth the child and beare us as it were on Eagles winges we should quickly fall downe as deeply as ever they did and plunge our selues headlong into all iniquity The fourth rule to be knowne of every one that would amend his wayes is The fourth rule that every one borne of Adam lyeth under the curse of God Eph. 2.3 is the child of wrath by nature as well as others yea of hell and damnation Have we not then need of repentance As then the Egges of the Aspe are justly broken and Serpents new bred are justly killed albeit they have yet poysoned none so even infants much more others are guilty before him Object and worthily subject to punishments But it may be said the Apostle maketh the Iewes better then the Gentiles Rom. 3.1 and to have many preheminences above them I answer Answ they were preferred in respect of God and his manifold benefits and blessings upon them above the other nations but they were both equall in respect of naturall corruption Rom. 3.9 being alike sinners by nature in regard whereof he saith they were in no sort better then they The Iewes had a preferment of favour to be Gods chosen or peculiar people Deut. 4.34 to have his Law and Prophets the Ceremonies and Sacrifices the Arke and the Covenant but touching grace and justification through grace before God by faith not by workes it was all one to Iew and Gentile because all
his judgments who never once consider the causes thereof not hate their sinnes though heinous and horrible which bring them upon us We deale commonly with our sinnes as the vniust Steward did with his Masters debters and debt for an hundred he sets downe fifty Luk. 15.6 See herein how partiall we are when we censure others we are ready for fifty to set downe an hundred and of every mole-hill to make a mountaine but when we cast up our owne accountes we say to our owne soules Take thy bill and sit downe quickly and write fourscore or fifty or happily foure or five so unequall and unjust are our wayes Againe others acknowledge themselues to be sinners in grosse or in generall as Pharaoh Saul and sundry others but come to the particulars of the law which is the glasse to shew us our sinnes for by the Law commeth the knowledge of sin examine these by it from point topoint Rom. 3.20 who never examined themselues they are not ashamed to pronounce themselues innocent For bring them to their triall as it were to hold up their hand at the barre whether they ever brake the first Commandement Exod. 20 3.4.7.8.13 Thou shall have no other Gods before me they answer readily God forbid I should set up strange gods Or the second To make graven images or the rest To kill To steale To beare false witnesse Math. 19.20 and such like they sticke not to plead not guilty and to say with the young man All these things have I kept from my youth up what lacke I yet These are like to a man that saith he is sicke and being asked where and led a long from the crowne of the head to the Sole of the foot should then say he is well in every particular part Thus they shew they understand not the Law which is spirituall Rom. 7.14 and searcheth into the heart Lastly it is our duty to use all meanes to move us and bring us unto repentance The first may be our present necessity Motives to stirre us up to repentance If there were no other but the distresse and calamity that lyeth upon our Churches it were enough to rouse us up out of the dead sleep of sinne into which we are fallen It is not our fasting and prayer that can call in Gods judgements nay they provoke him the more against us except we repent O let us consider the wofull mortality and the pittifull estate of thousands of our brethren and sisters Psal 80.5 79.8.9 that the Lord feedeth them with the bread of teares and giveth them teares to drinke in great measure and thereby be stirred up our selues and stirre up others to unfained repentance then let us say with the Prophet O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake and he will heare us in the end and send us a gracious deliverance Secondly a man that liveth in this world without amendment of life is farre more uile then the basest creatures that creepe upon the ground it had beene better we had never beene borne or beene brought forth as dogs and swine as wormes of the earth nay as Serpents or a generation of Vipers We are worse then all these lying in the state of impenitency for there is an end of them when this life endeth but our misery shall never have end Thirdly such as ate not truly conuerted are in danger of all the judgments of God which as a suddaine and violent flood may breake in upon them or as a mighty host of men may quickly ouerthrow them and destroy them Happy are they that feare them a farre off and can beware by other mens harmes Let us not tarry till they come upon us Exod. 12.30 as the Egyptians did till one in every house was dead God was neuer more prouoked then at this day Hitherto he hath prevailed little or nothing with us Math. 3.10 now the axe is laid to the root of the trees therefore every one which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewne downe and cast into the fire Fourthly God hath used all meanes to worke in us repentance the greater is our sin if we use them not We are fast a sleep he hath sounded his trumpets to awakeÌ„ us He hath the trumpet of his word and commandeth his Ministers to cry aloud and spare not Esay 58.1 to lift up their voyces like a Trumpet to shew the people their transgressions their sins He hath also the trumpet of his judgements to pierce into our hearts when the word findeth no place in us He hath often sounded the alarme and blowne the trumpet of his Word by the Ministery of his seruants that have spoken unto us early and late in the name of the Lord and warned us of his wrath to come and of our wickednesse present and we would not heare them He is therfore constrained to take in hand an other trumpet and to strike us with the pestilence and mortality Ames 3.6 shall this Trumpet be blowne in the City and the people not be afraid Or shâ—ll there be evill in a City and the Lord hath not done it For as when a trumpet giveth a signe or token out of a watch-tower the people hearkneth and is troubled and prepare themselves this way or that way as the trumpet giveth the token so the Lord cryeth unto us by his judgments as it were by the voyce of a shrill trumpet ought we not then to be attentive and be moved at the sound thereof and according to the warning prepare our selves to repentance and heare his voice while it is called to day Psal 95.8 Heb. 3.7 4.7 lest our hearts be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne It were better for us a thousand times to hearken to the sound of the first trumpet then tarry till be sound the second to heare his word then waite till he take up his sword O how much better had it beene for us to have taken his word which he sends among us and to Obey it then to cause and even constraine him to send his destroying Angel to make havocke of us Lastly he that converteth not is in danger of eternall damnation to be separated from Gods presence at whose right hand is fulnesse of joy and pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 Dan 12.2 to have fellowship with the Devill and his angels to have shame and everlasting contempt powred upon them and to have horrour and anguish of conscience cast upon them arising from a feeling of Gods wrath Then shall the last trumpet blow and waxe lowder that the dead shall heare the sound thereof 1 Cor. 15.52 1 Thes 4.16 when the Lord himselfe shall descend from heaven with a great shout and with thousands
of his Angels Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish We have heard before that the scope of Christ in these words to which the examples one going before the other following after are referred is to perswade men to repentance This we must lay as the foundation of our weekly meeting together to make profession before God before men and Angels of our repentance to renew our Couenant with God and to seale to it with our hearts and to cry unto him to remove his judgements that lye heavy upon us Consider in this threatning farther an other doctrine to wit what danger it is to omit and reject repentance such persons are subject to death and destruction thâ—â— repent not Doct. This teacheth Such as continue in sinne without repentance shall certainly perâ—â— that howsoever God for a time spare and forbeare the Church and do not alway strike upon every occasion as he might do yet it is a sure and certaine thing concluded with him that such as continue to walke and wallow in evill without repentance their end is confusion their reward and wages is to perish See the truth of this in the Prophet remembred in a parable answearable to that which followeth of the Vineyard he had pruned trimmed and hedged about it he had digged and dunged done all that he could Esay 5.4 he looked for grapes but it brought forth wild grapes the conclusion is this I will take away the hedge and it shall be troden downe I will command the clouds and they shall raine upon it I will lay it waste and there shall come up briers and thrones This will farther appeare by sundry examples and by the wofull experience of many desolations made in all ages of the Church through default of repentance When the Lord had heaped his mercies upon the old world Gen. 6.3 and given them 120. yeares the dayes of his patience as the time of their repentance he sent the Patriarkes that called upon them and appointed Noah a Preacher of righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.5 who confirmed his doctrine by building the Arke which was a figure of the destruction of the world of the ungodly yet they continued their evil wayes Luc. 17.27 eating and drinking c they never though of the day of the Lord they never considered the day of their visitation the flood come and destroyed them all a small remnant reserued and a few soules saved The like we might say of the Sodomites Gen. 13.13 19.25 Gen. 19. They were exceeding sinners before the Lord and were overturned with fire from heaven because they repented not And was it any otherwise with the Israelites themselues 2 Chro. 36. he sent to them by his messengers rising up betimes because he had compassion on his people and desireth not the death of a sinner 2 Chro. 36.16 Math. 23.37.38 but that they should turne vnto him but after all this they mocked his messengers and despised his word and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord in the end arose against his people till there was no remedy So then howsoever God sometimes spareth the sonnes of men yet such as continue in sinne and wholly delight in the workes of the flesh the end of them is fearefull they repent not and therefore they must perish Reason 1. Reason 1 He hath pure eyes and cannot like or allow that which is evill For can two walke together Amos. 3.3 except they be agreed but the Lord hath no agreement with evill neither have the evill any agreement with him He is holy in all his wayes but impenitency is contrary to his wayes and hath all sinnes following after it and attending upon it and consequently also all plagues Ier. 5. Secondly he taketh away his mercy and louing kindnesse from such What is it then that turneth away his heavy wrath and displeasure from us Is it any worthinessein our selues we are alas an uncleane thing Doth any deserve life or can he plead with his maker we are all corrupt and abominable The world the Church the Common-wealth our selues our owne Consciences know it and witnesse against us Lam. 3.22 It is his mercy that we are not consumed because his compassions faile not His mercy is not reserved for the impenitent that proceed and goe forward in their sinnes this were to confound heaven earth nay heaven and hell God and the devill Therefore the Prophet Ieremy declareth that God had taken away his mercies from them Ier. 5. If then he will not shew mercy to such as walke in the stubbornnesse of their euill hearts conclude with me this point for a certaine truth that howsoever God forbeare the children yet wearying him by vrging and provoking him by our sinnes destruction is reserued for such impenitent persons Seeing such as have hearts that cannot repent Vse 1 doe heape up wrath as a treasure against the day of wrath and iust declaration of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2.5 let us put farre from us the wayes of the impenitent let them not clea◠〈◊〉 as pitch unto our soules lest if we follow their workes we be partakers of their Plagues Let us be grieved for our former evils and returne to the Lord that be which hath sâ—ricken us may heale us againe But alas while we goe forward in our wicked wayes doe we hold this point that the impenitent are reserved to wrath So many of us as hold and beleeve this truth let us depart from our old courses and labour to heape up mercy upon mercy Iob. 21.30 being assured that the wicked is reserved to the day of wrath and destruction O how many things have we neede to repent of the dayes of our ignorance the sinnes of our youth our presumptuous sinnes If the Lord call us to an account who shall be able to abide Secondly let no man mocke at his judgements or set light by them let no man thinke himselfe safe and secure and no danger to be neere him because he seeth not his judgements at hand or upon him or evermore to fall out O how deepe are his judgements how neere oftentimes when we suppose them to be farthest off how unsearchable are his Counsels and his wayes past finding out Esâ—y 28.15 2 Pâ—t 3 3. Carnal men promise peace and have made a covenant with death and with hell and make a mocke of all judgements They see the wicked prosper and the ungodly florish but they cannot mealure him that is not to be measured there is no measure of that which is infinite God hath more workes to worke then one he will not speake peace for ever Esai 28.24 The husbandman doth not plough al the yeare long neither reap or gather into his barne all the yeare and God hath given to man this wisedome and understanding to observe the times and seasons and shall we not thinke that the Lord also hath his times of his judgements and of
and dissimulation This was the sinne of Eli other wise a good man 1 Sam. 1. Christ our Saviour conversed much with publicans and sinners to the end he might do them good and draw them from the kingdome of sinne and Satan and make them inheriters of the kingdome of heaven a worke in all respectes most holy and righteous yet the Scribes and Pharisees judged him to be a friend and favourer of them and of their sinnes Lue. 7.34 And albeit he castout Devils by the power of his divine Majesty for the confirmation of his doctrine and edification of the weake in faith yet they said he did it by Beelzebuh the Prince of the Devils Math. 12.24 So in our dayes religion and the zealous profession thereof are reputed no better then counterfeit holinesse Let the examples of the faithfull be before us continually whensoever we find the same measure offered untous and comfort our selves with this that it hath no otherwise befallen us then to many Prophets of God and faithfull seruants of Christ Math. 5.12 who must not looke to be greater then there Master neither to finde better entertainment in the world then he did The second kinde of judgment forbidden is when men commit evill things worthy in themselves to be condemned and thereupon are judged not onely dangerous but desperate offenders past hope of repentance and recovery This is to execute indeede a right Lordship over their soules and Salvation and to step up into the seate of God 1 Cor. 4.5 Of this the Apostle speaketh Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come who will lighten things that are hidde in darknesse and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts and then shall every man have prayse of God and we are charged to instruct with meeknesse the contrary minded 2 Tim. 2.25 to bring them to God and not leave them in the snares of the Devill No man therefore ought to passe their doome of the everlasting estate of any man and to pronounce peremptorily and absolutely that they shall perish and cannot be saved as if they were Lords of one anothers life and death salvation and damnation or had power to bring them to heaven or cast them into hell This is beyond our reach and commission and to usurpe the office of Christ to whom all judgment is committed No man dare make himselfe a judge and sit downe in the judgement seate to give sentence of absolution or condemnation in matters of this temporall life without the Princes speciall appointment and shall any dare doe it in things of the life to come to pronounce any to be forlorne reprobates and vessels of wrath For who knoweth what one day may bring forth Pro. 24 1 He runneth farre that never returneth We see many notorious wicked men suddainly and mightily called and changed 2 Chr. 33. Act. 9. Luk. 23. We read of some standing idle all the day long called at the eleventh houre to labour in the vineyard Math. Math. 20. 20. The theefe repented and was converted at the instant of his death Let us remember that we are all brethren one no better then another and therefore we ought not presumptuously to chalenge this superiority to judge and condemne one another Christian love hopeth well of all men and so long as they live there is some hope The third kind is when we doe things which in themselues are indifferent which may be done either well or ill either with a pure or a prophane heart with faith or without faith to judge such an action wicked which indeed is to be accounted good or evill according to the intent purpose and affection of the doer whereof God alone is the discerner because he alone is the searcher of the heart he alone is the Iudge of the heart This corruption we read to have beene in Eliab the brother of David Why camest thou downe hither 1 Sam. 17 2â— and with whom hast thou left those few sheepe in the wildernesse I know thy pride and the haughtinesse of thy heart for thou art come downe to see the battell This the Apostle forbiddeth Rom. 14. Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth judge him that eateth not c. The faithfull servants of God are hardly delt withall in all these respects their good things are not good or at least it is shrunke up and contracted their indifferent things are pronounced to be starke naught and if they fall into evil it is stretched and made a thousand times worse even by those of the worser sort Lastly it standeth us upon to labour to see the grieuousnesse of sinne in our selves and to feele the waight and burden thereof For commonly we are blinde and see not at all or else we are purblind and cannot see them in their right colours we be hold them as motes or strawes not as beames or if we doe ever judge them as beames How we may perceive the neinousnesse and greinousnesse of sinne Luc. 12.48 it is in others not in our selves Now that we may discerne of sinne in the nature thereof we must consider these few particulars First consider how God striveth with us by his manifold mercies and blessings to draw us to a love of Godlinesse and hatred of wickednesse now unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will aske the more Secondly if we compare our sinnes with Adams first sinne considered in the fact doubtlesse we have as great in our hearts yea greater and yet by that one disobedience he brought destruction upon himselfe and all his posterity that is the first and second death Thirdly we may behold the grievousnesse of sinne by proportion with the punishment For what is the wages and reward of sinne a subjection to all woe and misery in this life to death it selfe in the end of this life and to eternall death after this life in hell with the Devill and his Angels Fourthly they were laid upon the person of our Saviour Christ who outwardly endured the torments on the Crosse in his body and inwardly apprehended the wrath of God in his soule due unto us and which we should have suffered This made him to sweat water and blood Lue. 22.44 Math. 27.46 and to cry out in the anguish of his spirit My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. Are such sinnes to be holden as motes no doubtlesse they are great beames are they as little moul-hills no doubtlesse they be huge mountaines able to crush the sonnes of men in pieces under the heavy indignation of God Lastly the law of God is holy and perfect and forbiddeth the first thoughts and motions in the heart that arise against God or our neighbour yea though we never give consent of will to practise them Rom. 7. If then the first motions be sins in themselves deserving damnation Rom. 7.7 because the law saith
patience of God is offered to the children of men that thereby they may be brought to amendment of life Gods patirequireth fruit The end of his patience must lead us to repentance VVhile Noah a preacher of righteousnesse was building an Arke God spared the world an hundred and twenty yeares Gen. 6.3 VVhen Ionah preached to Niniveh sorty dayes were granted to turne every one from his evill wayes Ion. 3.8 and from the violence that was in his hands The purpose therefore of God was to draw them to repentance which when each one of the City practised he turned from his wrath and spared them Neh. 9.30 Dan. 9.6 Esay 5.4 VVe may see this at large Neh. 9.30 Dan. 9.6 So the Prophet Esay chap. 5. What could I have done more for my vineyard then that I have done in it So then Gods forbearance and longsuffâ—rance hath this drift and purpose to try whether we will turne to him and repent or not And no marveil First Reason 1 that men may be conuinced of the righteous judgements of God and say and confesse that nothing on Gods part hath beene omitted which he hath not done and that on our part they have beene justly deserved Hence it is that in the Prophet he maketh the Church it sâ—lfe judge between him and his vineyard Esay 5.3 Esay 5. Iudge I pray you betweene me and my vineyard Secondly God respecteth the clearing and justifying of himselfe in all his actions that he is not as it is in the parable an hard man that reapeth where he hath not sowen and gathereth where he hath not strowed Psal 51.4 for he desireth to receive the fruit of his owne labour as Psal 51. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest He cannot be charged to be severe or unjust or to have dealt too streightly who cryeth out againe and againe Ezek. 18.31.32 Turne ye turne ye why will ye dye and not live O house of Israel therefore let God be true and every man a lyar Rom. 3. So then he taketh this course for these two endes the one to convince us of his righteous judgments the other to give glory to his owne name that he hath not beene of unequall wayes but hath ever tendred our good and benefit Seing patience looketh for amendment of life Vse 1 and that this is the end thereof on Gods part these are certaine conclusions that he desireth not the death of a sinner he is not pleased with their destruction but in the conversion of a sinner we gâ—ieve the spirit of God by our sinnes it is noted of the Angels Luc. 1.5.7.10 that joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth how much more may we say of God as he is described in the faâ—her of the prodigall son when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion on him he ranne and fell on his necke and kissed him even when he had done nothing the Lord only knew his purpose and willingnesse to humble himselfe and to say father I have sinnâ—d against heaven and before thee c. he tarried not untill he came unto him and fell downe before him but prevented him and met him in the way If he were delighted in the destruction of us and to make desolations in the earth and to trample us under his feet how could we escape seeing every soule calleth for justice and judgement and he is provoked every day As the day is renewed so are our sinnes renewed as Ezek. 18. and 33. have I any pleasure at all Ezek. 18.23 33.11 that the wicked should dye sayth the Lord God and not that he should returne from his wayes and live turne ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel Let us waigh and consider the wonderfull kindnesse of the Lord and the difference that is betweene him and us Alas we upon every occasion and every moment how ready are we to worke revenge to take vengeance to the full Alas how soone are we provoked and our anger once kinded is not quickly turned away This is our comfort it is not so with God If he were not of another nature and affection then we are who should be able to beare it and abide it He spake the word in the beginning and we were he can speake the word againe and our breath is soone stopped and our dayes are ended Secondly observe that the Lord is not slacke of his comming as some men count slacknesse Many repine at Gods goodnesse toward others but never I warrant you toward themselves Their eye is evill because his is good They envy others the grace of God They are willing nothing should passe by themselves We see this in Ionah toward the Ninivites when he saw that God repented of the evill that he had threatned Ion. 4.3.9 he was angry even unto death and besought the Lord to take his life from him Thus did the labourers repine and murmure who boasted that they had borne the burden and heate of the day all those that were hired about the eleventh houre Math. 20.11.12 and wrought but one houre that they should be made equall unto them Thus the brother of the prodigall son was angry when his father had received him into his favour againe Luc. 15. Luc. 15.27.28 2 Pet. 3.9 This use the Apostle Peter concludeth God is not slacke of his promise as some men count slacknesse but is patient and long-suffering to us ward not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance Lastly seing this is the end of his patience take heed we doe not despise contemne and abuse it which provoketh the greater judgment and condemnation Shall a father see his lenity and gentlenesâ—e abused and not rise up with greater indignation This use the Apostle maketh of the doctrine Rom. 2. Rom. 2.4.5 Despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance but thou after thy hardnesse c. O that we would diligently enter into the meditation of this use and lay it up in our hearts He hath spoken unto us earely and late but we have provoked him to wrath early and late and have heaped up one evill upon another yet hath the Lord spared us a long time yea and yet spareth us He might justly have begun with us have made us examples to them and who could have said unto him why doest thou thus but we hitherto remaine untouched and he maketh others examples to us and yet where is our repentance have we not cause to feare that his hand will make an end with us Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard Behold these three yeares I come c. Hitherto of the generall scope of the parable Bezae Annotat in hunc locum now we come to the
sanctifieth all Gods creatures unto our use It obtaineth a good right and title to them and a blessing upon them 1 Tim. 4.5 Our callings our labours our actions and the workes of our hands are sanctified by it as Psal 127. Except the Lord keepe the City Psal 127.1.2 the watch-man waketh but in vaine it is in vaine for you to rise up early to sit up late to eate the bread of sorrowes c. Seing these things be thus that these be the fruits of prayer Ezr. 9.6.10.11.13 Neh. 9.32.33 Psal 79.8.9 80.3 Dan. 9.7.8.18.19 let us put it in practise and double our zeale and never cease to follow the example of this Dresser to cry to the Lord for our brethren Lord let them alone this yeare also spare thy people and give them not over into the hands of the destroyer we are ashamed and blush to lift up our faces to thee O our God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasses are growne up unto the heavens And now O our God what shall we say after this for we have forsaken thy Commandements which thou hast commanded and all this evill is come upon us for our evill deedes and for our great trespasses for asmuch as thou our God hast punished us lesse then our iniquities deserue Now therfore O our God the great the mighty and the terrible God who keepest Covenant and mercy let not all the troubles which are most heavy upon us and our chiefe Cities seeme little before thee howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and dealt foolishly and frowardly with thee O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low helpe us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name and deliver us and purge away our sinnes for thy names sake wherefore should the enemies of the Gospel say where is their God turne us againe O God and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved O Lord God of hostes how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people O Lord righteousnesse belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces to our Princes to our fathers to our people incline thine eare and heare open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the City which is called by thy name For we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies O Lord heare O Lord forgiue O Lord hearken and doe deferre not for thine owne sake for the City and thy people are called by thy name Now is the time of this humiliation now God calleth to us to call upon him now is the time of trouble and affliction Let us give him no rest you that are the Lords remembrancers stand in the breach which his right hand hath made Numb 16.48 as it were betweene the living and the dead let us never give over neither let him alone untill we have received a gratious answer that our iniquities be pardoned his present judgments removed and his ancient favours recovered Till I shall digge about it and dung it The labour of the Lord of the Vineyard hath beene before expressed so that the complaint of the Prophet may be renewed Esay 40.4 53.1 65.23 I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vaine and in another place who hath beleeved our report Doct. and againe I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people which walke in a way that is not good We must have hope touching the salvation of others albeit they runne aâ— stray yet the barren fig-tree is not forsaken and given over so long as there is any hope but the Dresser wil still be digging about it and dunging of it This teacheth that we must not despaire of the salvation of any howsoever they have long gone astray We see this in the example of Manasses he built altars for all the host of heaven he caused his children to passe through the fire he used Witch-craft and enchantment he dealt with a familiar spirit and with wizards 2 Chro. 33.5.6 he shed innocent blood very much till he had filled Ierusalem from one end to another and wrought much evill in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger yet the Lord was intreated of him 2 King 21.16 and heard his supplication when he had learned by wofull experience that the Lord was God Act. 2.37 10.11.12.13.14.15 Thus it was with those that crucified the Lord of life they were pricked in their hearts and had Salvation preached vnto them Hereunto commeth the vision of Peter he saw heaven opened and a certaine vessel descending unto him as it had beene a great sheet knit at the foure corners wherein were all manner of foure-footed beasts of the earth wild beasts and creeping things and soules of the aire and there came a voyce to him Rise Peter kill and eate And when he refused because he had never eaten any thing that is common or uncleane the same voyce answered What God hath clensed that call not thou vncleane This was the interpretation of the vision that which is uncleane God is able to cleanse Paul before his conversion was a blasphemer and a persecuter and a great oppressour 1. Tim. 1.13 but he obtained mercy because he did it ignorantly through unbeleefe The Gentiles wandred many yeares even thousands of yeares in superstition and Idolatry yet at length when the time of their conversion was come Gen. 9.27 Ioh. 10.16 God perswaded Iapheth to come and dwell in the tents of Shem Gen. 9. and our Saviour speaking of them saith Other sheepe I have 2 Tim. 2.25 which are not of this fold them also I must bring and they shall heare my voyce and there shall be one fold and one shepheard So the servant of the Lord must not strive but be patient and gentle unto all proving if God will give them repentance The reasons are plaine First Reason 1 because God calleth at all houres of the day who hoth the times and seasons in his owne power Math. 20.3.5 6. some at the third some at the sixt some at the ninth and some at the eleventh houre and we have a notable example thereof in the penitent theefe converted by the powerfull word of Christ upon the Crosse Luc. 23.34 he that was running a pace to hell hath promise to be carried into Paradise whereby the common proverbe is verified if in any thing else that he runneth far which never returneth Secondly God waiteth the time that he may be gracious unto us Esay 30.18 and have mercy upon us for he is a God of judgment and blessed are all they that wait for him Esay 30. ought not we therefore to follow his example and to hearken who will
grace life by Christ be fruitfull effectuall Let us then be warned that we do not coÌ„tent our selves to live in the Church for so false Israelites doe and hypocriticall Christians who professe Christ in word Tit. 1.16 Revel 3.1.2 but deny him in their workes who have a name that they are alive but indeed are dead Let us therefore be watchful strengthen the things which remaine that are ready to dy repent speedily because wee know not what houre hee will come upon us This is the use that the Apostle teacheth having shewed that in a great house are sundry vessels some to honour some to dishonour he addeth 2 Tim. 2.21 Let us purge our selves from these that we may be vessels unto honour sanctified meet for the masters use and prepared to every good worke Math. 3.8 Let us strive to bring forth fruit worthy amendment of life Let us clense our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God and purging our consciences more and more from dead workes that so we may gather comfort and assurance that we are vessels to honour and for our better assurance let every one depart from iniquity that nameth the name of Christ 2 Tim. 2.19 Doct. After that thou shalt cut it downe Here is the finall doome of this fig-tree without any farther repriving or sparing thereof Though the Lord suffer long yet he punisheth at the last if it cannot be made fruitfull From whence I might observe that the Lord howsoever he be very patient and doth forbeare long yet at the last he wil come to visit and punish men for their sinnes Ier. 5.7.9 How shall I pardon thee for this thy children have forsaken me and sworne by them that are no gods when I had fedde them to the full they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troupes in the harlots houses So Esay 42.14.15 1 Sam. Reason 1 5.6 The reasons first in regard of his love and mercy to his children he will not suffer them to live in their sinnes unpunished thus he doth manifest his goodnesse yea that he is goodnesse it selfe and consequently opposite to evill and so will visit them for their sinnes Secondly his justice will not suffer him to let the wicked escape but hee will and must punish He is just nay justice it selfe and therefore cannot but doe justice Rom. 2.6 3.5.6 and give to every one according to his workes as Rom. 3. Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance I speake as a man God forbid for then how shall God judge the world This teacheth the children of God Vse 1 that they have no cause at all to be envious against the wicked for their prosperity and happinesse in this world for let them waite a while and abide but a short time which the Lord in his providence hath appointed they shal behold him comming against them with his drawne sword and visit their iniquities to the full Exod. 34.7 for hee will by no means clearethe guilty Secondly it admonisheth every man to labour to breake off his sinnes whatsoever they be and not to harden himselfe because God spareth him because howsoever God spareth him and maketh as though he did not perceive him yet at the last he payeth home How neere hath Gods hand beene to many in this great visitation in the same house and in the same bed when the one hath beene taken away and the other spared and his life given him for a prey O consider this ye that have already forgotten this mercy of God and labour to appease his wrath before yee come to his judgement-seate for then it will be to late to call and cry for mercy let us labour too repent betimes here that so we may find mercy before the throne of God hereafter Lastly it warneth us of the wofull estate of all such as despise his patience for what doe such but heape up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. Thou shalt cut it downe Dcto The Lord of the Vineyard waited yeare after yeare to receive some fruit Such as grow desperate are neere to destruction and the dresser thereof obtained the continuance of the standing thereof another yeare if nothing will serve none will intreat any farther it must be cut downe This teacheth us that when once we grow desperate without hope of amendment and past recovery God is determined to destroy us and to pull us up by the rootes as trees that are altogether withered dead and rotten Thus it was with the sonnes of Eli the sonnes of Belial 1 Sam. 2.12.25 they knew not the Lord neither would they give eare to the warning of their father but what was the end They hearkned not to the voyce of their father because the Lord would slay them This we see also 2 Chro. 36. the Lord gave his people over into the hand of the Caldeâ—s but when came the wrath of the Lord upon them to the uttermost when there was no remedy He had sent his Prophets continually and successively one after another among them 2 Cor. 36.15 16. but they could do no good with them they grew worse as those that are desperately diseased caÌ„not be healed There was therfore no remedy neither other way with them then to cut them off utterly Thus our Saviour speaketh Math. 23.37.38 I would have gathered you together but ye would not behold your house and habitation is left unto you desolate Esay 6.10 so that it came to passe as the Lord had threatned Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and herewith their eares and understand with their heart and be healed The reasons are first because there is nothing left that can doe them any good Reason 1 All the meanes that the Lord hath used or can use will not profit them but like Dogges and Swine they tread the precious pearles of the Gospel under their feet Ier. 17.6 They are like the heath in the wildernesse which shall not see when any good commeth but shall inhabit the parched places in a salt land and not inhabited The heath hath good meanes comming upon it to make it good the Summer commeth the Sunne shineth the raine falleth the influence of the heavens descendeth yet euermore it remaineth the same a dry and barren heath It is with the barren soule as with the barren soile the word the Ministers the Sabbathes the Sacraments the dayes of grace nay Christ Iesus himselfe can doe them no good no good nay the Word which in it selfe is the savour of life to life becommeth to them the savour of death to death 2 Cor. 2.16 Christ himselfe is a recke of offence and a stone to stumble at and all the rest of the meanes ordained to Salvation turne to their finall destruction 1 Pet. 3.8 Secondy such
that promiseth and provideth the greater can he faile us and not performe the lesse He that maketh us Kings unto his Father and hath promised a Crowne August de verb. Domini Qui dabit regnum non dabit viaticum will he deny us a bit of bread and a cup of drinke These points are more particularly discussed and opened in the ensuing Treatise which I have presumed to dedicate to your Lady-ship and not without good and waighty reasons You heard the publike preaching of them with speciall attention though many yeeres since and therefore I must needs acknowledge you among my best hearers and friends and withall consecrate vnto you some part of my labours which I have bestowed in writing Besides considering your earnest desire to know that God whose goodnesse you have alwaies tried your zeale to glorifie him on whom you have alwaies called your care to walke in his waies whom you have alwaies served and the fruits of a lively faith that have plentifully flowed from you whereof there are so many eye-witnesses among us the hearts of many distressed Ministers and the loynes of many poore people being ready to blesse you and God for you I cannot but beseech your Lady-ship to accept of this small testimony of my unfained observance of your many praises in the Gospell and as a pledge of my thankefulnesse which I leave behind me to the world being now ready to goe out of it The God of eternall glory the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ make you abound yet more and more in all the riches of his saving graces in this life and fill you with the inward comforts of the blessed hope of the appearance of Jesus Christ Your Lady-ships in all Christian duties to command WILLIAM ATTERSOLL PHISICKE AGAINST FAMINE LVKE 12.32 Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give unto you the Kingdome THe occasion of these words is to bee taken from the 15. The occasion of the words verse of this Chapter wherein our Saviour exhorteth to take heed beware of covetousnesse for as much as no mans life standeth in the abundance of those things he possesseth True it is this lesson is short and set downe in few words howbeit it is not so soone learned and easily practised as it is spoken and delivered Wherefore he propoundeth a parable and telleth what hapned to a certaine rich man who in the plentifull encrease of his goods and fruits of his ground blessed himselfe the possessor but not the Lord the giver of all for he said to his soule Luke 12.19 20. Soule thou hast much goods laid up for many yeeres take thine ease eate drinke and be merry But what said the Oracle of God unto him Thou foole this night thy soule shall bee required of thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided This example hee applieth to all Verse 21 so is he a starke foole that layeth up treasure for himselfe but is not rich toward God Then he goeth forward to lay before us the care that God hath over his Children both toward their lives and their bodies Verse 24 who feedeth the Ravens that cry unto him and clotheth the Lillies of the Field that cannot cry unto him Verse 27 so that Salomon in all his royalty was not arayed like one of them But what is all this if we make not use thereof if we doe not apply it unto our selves doubtlesse it is no better then the covetous mans hidden treasure which he heapeth and hoardeth together but doth neither to himselfe nor to other any good Wee have therefore the direction of Christ himselfe who draweth and deducteth sundry conclusions from hence Verse 31 One use is taught in the verse 31. First of all seeke the Kingdome of God and then all these things shall be added unto you Another use is in these words of the text feare not for you have a Kingdome prepared and provided for you Thus we are come to the words that are to be handled The interpretation of the vvords being the use that the best Teacher and Master maketh of his doctrine he had delivered Now let us see the meaning and interpretation thereof Feare not This is to be restrained according to the circumstances aforegoing the generall being put for the speciall We are sometimes commanded to feare Psal 34.9 O feare the Lord yee his Saints and Rom. Psal 34.9 Rom. 11.20 Matth. 10.26 28. 1 Pet. 3.20 Psal 2.11 Luke 1.74 11 Be not high-minded but feare And againe sometimes not to feare Matth. 10.26 28. 1 Pet. 3.20 Sometimes wee are charged to serve the Lord in feare and to rejoyce in trembling Psal 2. Likewise sometimes to serve him without feare Luke 1.74 These phrases may seeme the one contrary to the other But they are easily reconciled if the words going before and following after be diligently marked In this place hee meaneth the feare of want of earthly things as if there were none in Heaven above to provide nor promise made in the Word to strengthen nor example of the godly to direct or as if every one were left to shift and scamble for himselfe So then hee meaneth a corrupt and carnall feare whereby a man feareth lest he lacke such things as are needfull for the maintenance of this life and thereby is so distracted in the service of God that he employeth all his time in the businesse and affaires of this present world Flocke That is my people whom I have undertaken to maintaine nourish keepe preserve and feed as a good Shepheard doth his Flocke for these are as it were the sheepe of his pasture Little Gods heritage is called little in three respects first in regard they are few in number because the multitude of the wicked world is the gnats and replenisheth all palces of the earth Secondly in regard of the small account and estimation wherein they are there is little reckoning made of them Matth. 10.42 1 Cor. 4.13 for in the judgement of the ungodly they are as the filth of the world and the off-scowring of all things unto this day Hence it is that Christ saith Matth. 18.14 Matth. 18.14 It is the will of your heavenly Father that none of these little ones should perish Thirdly they are little in their owne eyes and thinke more lowly of themselves then any other or then of any other 2 Sam. 6.22 1 Chron. 29.14 Fathers That is God the Father of his Church whom he tendreth as the apple of his eye and loveth as a Father doth his Children and therefore cannot see nor suffer them to want any thing that is good Kingdome That is the Kingdome of Heaven the Kingdome of glory for Christs Kingdome is not of this world Iohn 18.36 Touching the good pleasure of God see more afterward In these words observe two points The division of the vvords first the counsell or commandement of Christ which is delivered Secondly
a reason whereby it is enforced In the counsell consider these particulars First an earnest dehortation or disswasion feare not Secondly a loving appellation by way of an Apostrophe or a turning of his speech belonging to those hearers that are called from feare the Flocke of God Thirdly a strict limitation or word of restraint it is a little Flocke that God taketh charge and care of The Shepheard regardeth not the Goates and wild beasts of the field and forrest it is enough for the Shepheard that he feed his Sheepe and his Lambes The second point is a reason and that reason is a promise and that promise is of a Kingdome For so gracious is our good God unto us that he annexeth his promise to our obedience to give us encouragement in doing our duty And herein observe divers branches for the promise containeth the Author the application the ground-worke the manner the object and the subject First the Author of the promise who also is as able to performe it Many men doe make large and faire promises but are not able oftentimes to make them good This promiser is God described unto us by a word of relation he is in nature a Father Secondly the speciall application thereof to our selves he is our Father so that as he is able so likewise he is willing to performe his promise because he loveth us For what Father will forsake his children Thirdly the ground and originall of it his owne good pleasure and not any thing in our selves as of our selves to move him to favour us Fourthly the manner of it he giveth it he doth not sell it or exchange and barter with us to receive the like againe or the worth of his promise in some other commodity at our hands it is his free gift it is not for any merits done or workes and worthinesse foreseene so that we cannot say to God as Abraham did to the Hittites Give it me for so much mony as it is worth Gen. Gen. 23.9 23.9 and if any be so foolish Acts 8.20 we may answer them as Peter doth to Simon Magus Act. 8. Thy mony perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with mony Fiftly the object of the promise to wit the persons to whom it is given to You but to what You not to the wise and prudent of this world but to babes and simple ones not neither to all in generall for hee hath made no such large promise to all the sonnes of men but to You called before the little Flocke Lastly the subject or matter of the promise the Kingdome of Heaven without which all other promises are of no value This is promised and bestowed upon a few onely And thus much touching the occasion the interpretation and the division of the words Now let us come to the particular handling of them in order as they have beene unfolded unto us Feare not The first point that commeth to be considered is the dehortation wherein our Saviour sheweth what wee may not doe This is the ground of all diffidence and distrust a causelesse and needlesse feare This is the root of all doubting and distraction and therefore he laboureth first of all to pull it up by the root and to cut it off with the sword of Gods providence Doct. 1 This teacheth that Gods servants have no cause to feare the want of Gods hand or helpe in temporall things We need not be afraid to be forsaken or forgotten of God as if hee neglected us or had cast us off in time of distresse True it is when we looke upon our present estate with fleshly eyes and can see no end nor issue out of our troubles like a Sea that hath neither banke nor bottome we are oftentimes assaulted with doubting and sometimes with despaire but when we cast up our eyes to Heaven and behold the providence the purpose the promise the protection and preservation of God we have a staffe of comfort put into our hands to stay us up that we fall not to the ground The Israelites being brought out of Egypt lifted up their eyes and beheld the Egyptians marching after them Then they were sore afraid and began to murmure against Moses not without a bitter taunt likewise Exod. 14.10.11 Exod. 14.10 Because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to dye in the wildernesse Wherefore hast thou delt thus with us to carry us forth out of Egypt then Moses said unto them Feare ye not stand still and see the salvation which he will shew to you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seene to day yee shall see them againe no more for ever the Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace Thus the Prophet speaketh Psal 34.9 10. Psal 34. They that feare the Lord shall need to feare no lacke the Lyons lacke and suffer hunger but they that seeke the Lord shall want nothing that is good Where no feare of God is no marvaile if there be feare of all things else but where the feare of his name is there is a counterpoyson to expell all other feare Hereunto accordeth the saying of Christ I say unto you Matth. 6.25 be not carefull for your life what yee shall eat or what yee shall drinke nor for your body what yee shall put on is not the life more worth then meat and the body then raiment It is the manner of the most sort when they begin to feele any want especially in times of famine to cry out Oh we are undone what shall wee doe how shall we live wherewithall shall we maintaine our families and housholds As if there were no God in Israel that looked upon us or cared for us or knew our wants But who is it that gave thee thy life or from whence receivedst thou thy body have wee not our breath and being from God doubtlesse hee will therefore maintaine our lives and cloath our bodies so that we may say with the Apostle Phil 4.6 Bee carefull for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiving let your request bee made knowne unto God This truth receiveth farther strength from the titles given to God Is not he the Husband the Shepheard Reas 1 and Father of the Church It is the duty of the Husband to provide all necessaries for his Wife Ephes 5 31. For no man hateth his owne flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it Ephes 5.31 Will a good Shepheard take charge of a flocke and then starve it God hath taken charge of all that are his when we are once become his Sheepe in that very moment we live under his protection as Psal 23.1 2. The Lord is my Shepheard Psal 23.1 80.1 and he maketh me lye downe in greene pastures he leadeth mee beside the still waters and Psal 80.1 Give eare O thou Shepheard of Israel thou that leadest Ioseph like a Flocke Will not
bee confident What made the Prophet bold to overstride all dangers that he could not be dismaied by them but because his heart was fixed in God to depend upon him and to looke for salvation from him On the other side what doth discomfort and dis-harten many men what maketh them to doubt to murmure and many times to blaspheme but because they imagine the Lords hand is shortned Numb 11.23 and is not able to supply their wants It is an easie matter when we have store and abundance when the Lord blesseth us on every side and our substance is encreased when he washeth our steps with butter Iob 29.6 and the rocke powreth out rivers of oyle upon us to flatter our selves that we have a strong faith and a full perswasion and assurance of his love that we put our whole trust and affiance in him and will never be brought to rapine against him But be not deceived these are not the dayes of triall of our faith these are not the times of the patience of the Saints Before triall Peter was most confident but in the brunt of the battel he was a coward and gave over in the plaine field So doe we triumph before the victory but when wee see persecution famine perill and sword we give over fighting and feare possesseth our hearts When Elisha the man of God was sent with a comfortable message at the siege of Samaria that two measures of barly should bee sold for a shekell and a measure of fine flowre for a shekell to morrow about that time one of the Princes beleeved not the Word of the Lord Behold 2 King 7.1 2. if the Lord would make windowes in Heaven would this thing be the Prophet answered Because thou saist so thou shalt see it with thine eyes but shalt not eate thereof and according to his Word so it came to passe The Disciples being in danger to be drowned when a storme arose they came to Christ their Master for helpe and he saith Why are ye fearefull Maâ—th 8.26 O yee of little faith He accuseth them not to be faithlesse men or to have no faith at all for beleeving and doubting faith and feare may stand together in one subject as they met together in these but he layeth to their charge to have little faith The like wee read touching Peter when he saw the windes blow and the waves arise he was sore afraid and beginning to sinke he cryed out O Master save me Matth. 14.30 31 6.30 Then Christ stretched out his hand caught him and said O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt And in a like case wherein we deale he saith If God so clothe the grasse of the field which to day flourisheth and to morrow is cast into the Oven will he not much more cloathe you O yee of little faith Thus doth Christ evermore upbraid such as are fearefull doubtfull and distrustfull with want or with weaknesse of faith to rest upon him For as the Apostle speaketh of perfect love 1 Ioh. 4.18 so may I say of perfect faith that it casteth out feare Where such feare is there is little faith These testimonies teach us where to seeke and finde the true cause of all our wavering and doubting it springeth from an evill heart and unfaithfull Hebr. 3.12 1 Ioh. 5.4 5. to depart away from the living God this is the ground of all Therefore this shifting for our selves and pensivenesse for worldly things is a strong argument of a weake faith for whatsoever is borne of God overcommeth the world and this is the victory that overcommeth the world even our faith and who is he that overcommeth the world but hee that beleeveth that Jesus is the Sonne of God 1 Iohn 5.4 5. Secondly it is our duty to rely upon Gods providence for earthly things as Children doe upon their Fathers love and care for them in like manner as Abraham speaketh to his Sonne When Isaac said My Father where is the sacrifice he answered with words of faith Gen. 22.8 My Sonne God will provide Doe wee not see how little Children albeit they have nothing and know not to day what they shall have to morrow never disquiet themselves what they shall eate or what they shall drinke or wherewith they shall be clothed And the reason is because they know their Parents provide for them and will not see them want Shall wee rely lesse upon our heavenly Father then these doe upon their earthly or shall we thinke that God hath lesse care of his Children then the sonnes of men have of theirs Nay as great as the difference is betweene that which is infinite and that which is finite so much greater is his love then the love of men Psal 103.11 â—3 and consequently so much greater ought our dependance to bee upon him His love is infinite as himselfe is for the love of God is God and every way as great as himselfe nay it is himselfe it is no quality in him as it is in us To worke this resting upon God as upon a rocke we have sundry exhortations in holy Scripture all of them tending to the same purpose Commit thy way to the Lord Psal 37.5 1 Cor. 10.13 and trust in him and he shall bring it to passe to wit when we can see no end or issue out of our dangers yet hee can we see but before our eyes he seeth the most hidden things of the world And againe Psal 35.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustaine thee Let us not therefore content our selves to depend upon him in light and slight troubles but even then when we have the greatest tentations and afflictions upon us and let us not cry out in anguish of spirit O what an heavy burden doe I beare no man is so troubled as I am No man knoweth what sorrow I sustaine what misery I feele But be it never so tedious and toilsome as waighty and wearisome as a mountaine to carry cast thy care and crosse upon the Lords shoulders he is able to beare it albeit we be not and he hath promised to helpe us to beare it who never faileth of his promise in time of need Thus Salomon speaketh Prov. 16.3 Prov. 16.3 Commit thy waies unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established And 1 Pet. 5.7 Cast all your care on him 1 Pet. 5.7 for he careth for you If a Prince should utter any such gracious words of comfort to any of his poore people and give such a precept accompanied with such a promise O how would they accept of it and rejoyce in it as we see an example in Barzillai 2 Sam. 19. David promising to shew kindnesse to his Sonne I will doe to him whatsoever thou shalt require of me 2 Sam. 19.38 and whatsoever shall seeme good to thee how did his heart rest in the Kings word and how willing was he to trust the King
prayer and humiliation Such a Sheepe was Paul who had beene an oppressor and blasphemer 1 Tim. 1.13 yet he was called and converted to the faith and of a persecuter became a Preacher because he did it ignorantly through unbeleefe Such were the hearers of Peter Act. 3. who denied the holy One and just and desired a murtherer to be granted unto them They killed the Prince of life Act. 3.14 19. when Pilate was determined to let him goe yet when they repented their sinnes albeit most hainous were blotted out when the times of refreshing came from the presence of the Lord. Such Sheepe were the Gentiles Ioh. 10.10 Other Sheepe I have which are not of this fold Iohn 10.10 them also I must bring He runneth farre that never returneth so doth the sinner that never repenteth Such God calleth at all houres Matth. 20. That where sinne aboundeth grace may abound much more Rom. 5.20 Thirdly Sheepe doe heare and know the voice of their owne Shepheard but the voyce of a stranger they will neither know nor heare after they be once thorowly acquainted with the voice of their owne Shepheard so men Elect in the Church when they have had the voice of their Shepheard sounding in their eares rightly circumcised they know it and discerne it Ioh. 10.27 28. and they follow him who before their regeneration were as wild beasts and savage creatures For no man is borne a Sheepe of Christ but a Goat of the Devill When he is become a Sheepe he is by regeneration formed or reformed to be so forasmuch as by nature we are no better then others but the children of wrath as well as others Ephes 2.3 Tit. 3.3 we are rather of our selves wolves living in malice and envy hatefull and hating one another Tit. 3.3 Lastly the resemblance stādeth in meeknesse gentlenesse simplicity innocency harmelesnesse being profitable to many hurtfull to none subject to the injuries of other creatures to be rent and torne in pieces of them but of all other most patient in bearing so the faithfull in the Church are a people innocent 2 Sam. 14.17 and harmelesse 2 Sam. 24. These Sheepe what have they done they profit such as hurt them they doe good to those that doe them evill they forgive their enemies they pray for their persecuters they lie open to open wrongs and yet possesse their soules with patience when they are wronged Hence it is that Christ himselfe is said to bee led as a Sheepe to the slaughter Act. 8.32 Esay 53.8 and like a Lambe dumbe before his shearer not to open his mouth Neverthelesse the Sheepe of Christ must be in such sort simple as Doves that they be also wise and prudent as serpents in taking heed of the wiles of their enemies who can abide neither Shepheard nor Sheepe nor Sheepfold Acknowledge from hence to our great and endlesse comfort Vse 1 that Christ Iesus the great Shepheard will judge all the adversaries of his people It goeth farre better with them then it doth with all other Flockes of Sheepe that are unreasonable creatures True it is the care of such as have the oversight of such Flockes hath beene great day and night Gen. 31.40 Luke 2.8 Gen. 31. Luk. 2. But what is this to the love of Christ the Arch-pastor of his Sheepe who guideth them to eternall life and suffereth no man to doe them harme but often rebuketh Princes and people for their sakes Howsoever therefore no creature lyeth open to more dangers and disadvantages then they doe yet Christ is their guide and governour that will judge betweene the Lambes and the Goates Ezech. 34.17 As the Shepheard seeketh out his Flocke in the day that he is among his Sheepe that are scattered so will I seeke out my Sheepe saith the Lord. The like wee read in the prophesie of Amos Amos 3.12 As a Shepheard taketh out of the mouth of the Lyon two legges or a piece of an eare so shall the Children of Israel bee taken out that dwell in Samaria and so will our Shepheard take his Sheepe out of the jawes of our adversary the Devill who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Indeed it cannot be denied some of them are often in pittifull case some lost Matth. 10. some broken Gal. 6. Matth. 10.6 Gal. 6.1 Rom. 14.1 15.1 some weake Rom. 14.1 some sicke and some driven away Ezek. 34. But here is matter of much comfort he will seeke that which is lost he will binde up that which is broken hee will strengthen that which is weake he will bring againe that which is driven away and he will cure that which is sicke Woe then to all such as are any way injurious to this Flocke The more the servants of God lye open to injuries the more will God bee in the middest of them ready to uphold them This wee see in Paul whiles as a ravening Wolfe he preied upon the poore Sheep the Shepheard cryed out unto him from Heaven Saul Saul Act 9.4 why persecutest thou me All such therefore as are the enemies of this Flocke must understand that they have to doe not onely with the Sheepe that may bee massacred but with the Shepheard himselfe that cannot bee overmastered Be it that they may overcome them yet it is impossible to overcome him The Apostles were sent out as Sheepe in the middest of Wolves Matth. 10.16 Matth 10.16 yet neverthelesse they prospered and prevailed in the worke whereunto they are employed and when the faithfull that beleeved through their word were carryed as Sheepe to the slaughter they multiplied and encreased even under the crosse as the Israelites did in Egypt when they were oppressed Secondly let us all be like unto Sheepe and thereby examine our selves whether wee bee in the number of the Elect of God or not For wee are all of us either Sheepe or Goats This shall be made manifest at the latter day when our Saviour shall sever the Sheepe from the Goats which are here blended and mingled together and set the Sheepe on the right hand and the Goats on the left Wee must know therefore wee are either Elect or Reprobates For as there are but two places Heaven or Hell so there are but two sorts of persons we are either Saints or Devils I speake of them as the Lord doth of Judas Ioh. 6.70 17.12 Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Devill Some of the Disciples were Sheepe were Elect were Saints one of them was a Goat a Reprobate a Devill the sonne of perdition The properties of Christs Sheepe Ioh. 8.47 Now the Sheepe of Christ are knowne by these properties First they heare his voice and follow him This is as it were their eare-marke as Ioh. 8.47 Hee that is of God heareth Gods Word yee therefore heare it not because yee are not of God Every man hath some marke
hand Ioh. 10.28 or who shall fight against his Sheepe and the Flocke of his pasture and prevaile This the Prophet teacheth Ier. 2.3 Israel was holinesse unto the Lord and the first fruits of his increase all that devoure him shall offend evill shall come upon them saith the Lord. Ier. Iob 1.3 2 3. The Sheepe of Job are reckoned in the account of his substance so are Gods Sheepe a part of his substance which he chose to himselfe so great is the kindnesse and mercy of God toward us For why doth hee take them for his Sheepe and let the rest goe as Goats being by nature no better Is it any worthinesse or excellency in them before others Rom. 2.12 19. No we are all gone out of the way there is none that doth good no not one that every mouth might be stopped and that all the world may become guilty before God Is it for their multitude Iohn 14.6 No they are called by Christ in this place a little Flocke and hee is the truth it selfe that speaketh it Thus Moses sheweth that the Lord did not set his love upon Israel neither chuse them because they were moe in number then any people Deut. 7.7 For they were the fewest of all people Deut. 7.7 Is it for their strength might and power they have Ezek. 16.5 6. No he found them weake and wallowing in their blood none eye pittied them to have compassion upon them so that wee may not say in our hearts Deut. 8.17 18. My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth but wee must remember the Lord our God for it is he from whom wee receive all good things What then is it because we are more righteous The Israelites are charged not to speake so in their hearts Deut. 9.4 5. Deut. 9.4 5. because It was not for their righteousnesse or uprightnesse of heart that they entred to possesse the Land but for the wickednesse of those Nations which were driven out before them Who is it among the sonnes of men that will not spend land and limme and life it selfe to defend that which hee hath bought and purchased with a great price and at a deare rate And will not God defend and avenge his Children whom he knew to be his before the foundation of the world was laid though they bee oppressed for a time and he beare long with the vessels of wrath who cry out against them Downe with them downe with them even to the ground 2 Tim. 2.19 Rom. 11.1 2 3 howbeit the foundation remaineth sure and hath this seale The Lord knoweth who are his and hee will not cast off the care of them for ever Fourthly here is matter offered unto us to stirre our hearts to thanksgiving considering the infinite mercy of God toward us who hath vouchsafed to make choise of us to be his Sheepe passing by so many thousands in the world Of this duty the Prophet putteth us in minde arising from this doctrine Psal 100. Psal 100.3 4. It is the Lord that hath made us and not we ourselves for we are his people and the Sheepe of his pasture What followeth he maketh this use thereupon Enter into his Gates with thankesgiving and into his Courts with praise be thankefull unto him and blesse his Name It is no small token of his love toward us to make us to be his Sheep that are by nature Lyons Leopards Beares Bulls Dogs Psal 22.12 13 16 21. Matth. 15.26 Wolves and wild Beasts and what not Is not his love who loved us first worth our love to him againe If it be a great blessing that we are made to bee reasonable men how much greater is it to be received and regarded as his owne inheritance then which nothing is dearer to him nothing ought to be better to us The unfaithfull are the worke of God by naturall generation but they are the new-worke of God by spirituall regeneration It is not our owne free will that can frame and fashion us to be the people of God for then we might say It is we our selves that have made us and not the Lord. Particular branches of thankfulnesse This thankfulnesse consisteth not in words onely but in divers other particular branches noted by the Prophet in that place First let us give to him our hearts that our tongues may bee guided thereby let us first offer him all that is within us and then all that is without us will follow also for other worship God accepteth not In vaine they worship him Matth. 15.8 that draw neere unto him with their mouth and honour him with their lippes when their hearts are farre from him Secondly we must never bee ashamed to praise the Lord and to confesse his wonderfull workes to the children of men We see how men are not ashamed to sinne before the Lord openly publikely proudly presumptuously and prophanely and they blush at nothing but at godlinesse prayer profession hearing the Word and such like workes of Christian piety These men glory in their owne shame Phil. 3.19 Ier. 6.15 but they are ashamed of their glory nay of Gods glory and even of their owne good Thirdly the service which we performe to God wee must yeeld willingly readily joyfully 2 Cor. 9.6 and with a glad heart for hee loveth a cheerefull giver Thankes constrained or wrung and wrested from us are rejected of God Wee must give unto him backe againe as he giveth to us But how is that and in what manner bestoweth he upon us hee giveth us his gifts freely we must therefore returne to him our thankes frankly Lastly he calleth us to the assembly of his Saints which he nameth the Court and presence of God which was the place appointed for his publike service and worship Indeed God is not confined to a certaine place Act. 7.48 Iohn 4.21 neither is there any place wherein he is not to bee worshipped neverthelesse such as are indued with true faith must follow the communion of the Saints as Sheepe that feed not alone but with their fellowes Gods Sheepe and servants must shew themselves in the publike Assemblies being publikely thankefull for publike benefits received at his mercifull hands Psal 84.10 considering that one day in a his Courts is better then a thousandelsewhere Fiftly all that are Pastors and Teachers under Christ are bound to feed the Flocke that dependeth upon them They are Vnder-shepheards as it were Christs Vicars or Curates hee is the great Shepheard of our soules to whom the rest must be subject for the Sheepe are his This use is gathered from the exhortation that Paul giveth to the Elders of Ephesus Act. 20. Take heed unto your selves and to all the Flocke Act. 20.28 over the which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the Church of God which hee hath purchased with his owne blood Where he reasoneth thus It is the Flock of
his Sonnes with the comfortable heate thereof Seventhly 1 Iohn 4.17 we have boldnesse to lift up our heads in the Day of Judgement because as hee is so wee are in this world if we be regenerate we are partakers of the heavenly nature ready to render love for love Lastly if we say we love God as who will not say it and how many ready to sweare it and yet hate our brother 1 Iohn 4.20 5.1 we are lyers and speake not the truth for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seene how can hee love God whom he hath not seene forasmuch as every one which loveth him that begate loveth him also that is begotten of him 1 Joh. 5.1 All these are as so many chaines whereunto I might adde sundry other linkes to couple us together and to hold us close one to another If we breake these bands in sunder that nothing will hold us like the man distempered and distracted in the Gospel How can we have any communion with God that have no fellowship with the brethren Fiftly we all have need of patience seeing wee are assured to finde such as will be sure to exercise it and we must earnestly crave it of the God of patience For how shall we goe thorow-stitch with our profession for which we shall not onely be little esteemed but hated of all men Luke 21.19 Heb. 10.36 except we possesse our soules with patience against the contempt which all for Christs sake are subject unto in this present world We are commonly esteemed as the reffuse and off all of all others but let us keepe faith and a good conscience and then say with the holy man Job whose patience and constancy was many wayes prooved and sundry false imputations charged upon him Behold my witnesse is in Heaven Iohn 16.19 1 Cor. 4.3 and my record is on high And with the Apostle With me it is a very small thing that I should be iudged of you or of mans iudgement yea I iudge not mine owne selfe The Faithfull are Gods hidden Ones deare to him and beloved of him And as they are the members of Christ so he accounteth his body after a sort maimed and unperfect without us for He is the Head over all things to the Church Ephes 1.23 which is his body the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all Eph. 1.23 where the Apostle sheweth that his body is his fulnesse Is it not a blemish and deformity in the naturall body wherein one member onely if it bee but a little finger is wanting so Christ Iesus should be unperfect as a body maimed and disfigured if any of his members should be missing which hee will not suffer to bee taken from him If at any time great men favour and respect us we passe not greatly what inferiour persons thinke of us So should it be with us concerning the matter in hand we ought to digest the disgraces and reproaches of the world more easily and with all patience considering the mighty God and Christ his Sonne and our Saviour have us in such estimation Rom. 8.31 For if God bee on our side who shall be against us Wee commonly affirme A friend in the Court is as good as a penny in the purse and we finde it so If then wee have a friend in the Court of Heaven which is the highest Court and from whence lyeth no appeale we shall not need to feare or be disquieted what man doth or can doe unto us And if we had the greatest friends that can be upon the earth what benefit can we promise to our selves by it when he that is higher then the highest is our enemy Lastly as wee are hated and shall bee hated in the world so we must learne and acknowledge that it is not lawfull to avenge our selves or to recompence and requite like for like Matth 5.44 2 Cor. 2.10 Acts. 7.59 Luke 17.3 Rom. 12.19 but we must love our enemies Matth. 5.44 and forgive them Luke 17.3.2 Cor. 2.10 and pray for them Acts 7.59 Hence it is that the Apostle teacheth Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith the Lord. He is the Iudge of the whole world and to him it belongeth to punish and shall not the Judge of the whole world deale uprightly Gen. 18.15 He judgeth without all passion or perturbation whereas we are partiall and passionate and sometimes peevish in our owne causes It is the office of God that properly belongeth to him Psal 94.1 to revenge all our wrongs whatsoever who will more sharpely and severâ—ly right our causes then any other man can doe whereas if we be avengers of our owne private injuries wee make our selves Iudges of the earth we take upon us the perfect knowledge of all things we make our selves searchers of the heart wee wrest the sword of justice from the Magistrate nay we usurpe the office of God and make our selves to be witnesses parties and punishers in our owne matters which was never allowed in any Court where there was any colour of upright dealing and we cannot expect the Divine revenge which onely keepeth due measure and proportion betweene too much and too little Little flocke The last observation taken from the limitation added to the flocke of Christ that it is little and arising from the former interpretation is that it is said to bee little in respect of the opinion that these poore sheepe have of themselves Their hearts are not hauty neither are their eyes lofty Psal 131.1 2. neither doe they exercise themselves in great matters or in things too high for them but they behave themselves as a child that is weaned from his mother their soule is even as a weaned childe This teacheth us Doct. 6 that the faithfull are little and lowly in their owne eyes This we learne by sundry examples in the Old and New Testament Jacob an holy Patriarke saith of himselfe Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies Gen. 32.10 18.27 and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy servant Thus doth Abraham the Father of the faithfull confesse in his prayer I have taken upon me to speake to my Lord which am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. Ezra the learned Scribe of God was ashamed and blushed to lift up his face to God Ezra 9.6 Iob 1.1 4.3 4. 42.6 Ezra 9.6 Job a just and upright man one that feared God and eschewed evill who had none like to him in the earth answered the Lord and said I am vile what shall I answer I will lay mine hand upon my mouth once have I spoken yea twice but I will proceed no further yea I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Esay 6.6 The Prophet Esay cryeth out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips Chap.
am not worthy as we have noted before On the other side as they take away all worthinesse from themselves Rev. 4.10 11. and east downe their Crownes at the feete of him that sitteth upon the Throne so when they speake of God they give all praise and honour and ascribe all worthinesse to him Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Secondly Rom. 1.30 2 Tim. 3.21 all such as are boasters and proud persons heady high-minded and there are not a few of those whose practices cannot stand with true humility Some are boasters of false liberality like cloudes without raine or bubbles of water that rise up and suddenly vanish away Such were Ananias and Saphira his wife Acts 5.3 8. who kept backe part of the price of the Land they sold and yet boasted of their bounty as if they had brought the whole price and had sold it for so much onely Some are boasters of false obedience as if they had dealt soundly and sincerely with God and yet offer unto him a lame service as it were a blinde and maimed sacrifice which he abhorreth Mal. 1.8 1 Sam. 15.13 20. Such was Sauls oblation which was indeed rebellion yet he gloried that he had done all that the Lord commanded and had left nothing undone This boasting of his sincerity was a notable discovering of his hypocrisie Some are boasters of perfection as if they had gone as farre as God prescribed like such as thinke themselves at their journeis end as soone as they are set forth out of doores Matth. 19.20 Such was the yong man in the Gospell that professed hee had kept the whole Law from his youth Rom. 8.3 which notwithstanding is not possible through the flesh who said to our Saviour All these things have I performed what lacke I yet Such was the Church of Laodicea Revel 3.17 which boasted shee was rich and had need of nothing Revel 3.17 and knew not that she was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked Such also are they that boast of workes of supererogation swelling like a bladder till they be ready to burst againe as if they were able to doe more then God requireth at their hands and had more strength then ever he gave them These make themselves over-iust Eccles 7.16 and are indeed over-unjust Some boast of their sinne and wickednesse in filthinesse and prophanenesse in whoredome in drunkennesse and beastlinesse as if a sicke man should glory in his sicknesse in his wounds and ulcers in his boiles and blaines and blisters in his running and putrifying sores which no man that is sober and well in his wits would doe Sinnes are the ulcers and sores of the soule Psal 38.5 at which we should rather blush then boast and of which there is cause why we should be ashamed rather then any way enamored Some filly soules boast of their ignorance that they know nothing neither God nor themselves neither any thing pertaining to the salvation of their soules as if a man should glory that he liveth in a dungeon or in the darke and thanke God he never had the Sunne shining in his face all the daies of his life or as if a subject should boast he never knew any of the Princes Lawes or a servant that he never regarded to know the will and pleasure of his Master Such are silly fooles and love their owne folly and are to be pittied for their simplicity Some boast of their hypocrisie that they can carry matters so closely and so cunningly as not to be espied Luke 12.2 never considering that there is nothing covered that shall not be discovered and revealed Some boast of their felicity and prosperity some of their riches some of their honour and nobility all which the Apostle esteemed as dung in comparison of the righteousnesse of Christ that hee might win him Phil. 3.8 nay he would not glory in divine revelations lest hee should be exalted but rather in his infirmities 2 Cor. 12.9 that he might be humbled by them and that the power of Christ might be magnified in him Secondly let us not thinke highly of our owne gifts neither yet be high-conceited of our abilities as proud persons that rise early to praise and admire themselves because no man else will doe it or can doe it We have sundry exhortations and admonitions in holy Scriptures to this purpase as Rom. 12.2 16. Rom. 12.3 16 Minde not high things but condescend to men of low estate be not wise in your owne conceits And againe Verse 3. Let every man thinke soberly of himselfe according as God hath dealt to him the measure of faith and let him not think more highly of himselfe then he ought to thinke So likewise Prov. 3.7 Prov. 3.7 Be not wise in thine owne eyes feare the Lord and depart from evill So we are also charged in giving honour Rom. 12.10 to goe one before another Rom. 12.10 for there is little hope of a conceited foole that thinketh better of himselfe then any besides and is so blinde that he cannot see his grossest corruptions that are as beames in the eyes nay is so weake in judgement that he thinketh his blemishes to bee ornaments and his vices to be vertues in himselfe Therefore Salomon saith Prov. 26.12 Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a man wise in his owne conceit there is more hope of a foole then of him Let us examine our selves whether we bee indeed lowly or not Matth. 5.3 and that by these rules First if we be poore in Spirit knowing and evermore meditating upon our infirmities insufficiences weaknesses imperfections defects and faults labouring thereby to understand them better and better and to heale them the sooner this is one signe of humility Secondly if wee despise and disgrace none though never so meane and reject not the opinion and judgement of any though much more unlearned then our selves and farre inferiour to our selves Gen. 21.12 Abraham must sometimes be content to hearkon to the voice of Sarah the higher to the lower the man to the woman the husband to the wife Moses the great Prophet of the Lord and the Church must learne of Jethro his Father in law Exoâ— 18.24 2 King 5.1 4 12. Naaman a Master and great Captaine and honourable thought it no disparagement to himselfe and his high place to follow the aduice first of his poore Maid-servant and afterward of his Men-servants or else that foule leprosie had cleaved unto him for ever David a mighty man of warre and anoynted to be King disdained not the wise counsell of Abigail a woman 1 Sam. 25.33 and therefore kept himselfe from sheading of blood and blessed God for it Apollos was an eloquent man fervent in the Spirit and mighty in the Scriptures who watered where the Apostle planted Acts
18.24 1 Cor. 3.6 yet Aquila and Priscilla tooke him unto them and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly It was an evident signe that Job was humble in his owne eyes Iob 31.13 15. in that he did not despise the cause of his Man-servant or of his Maide when they contended with him but considered with himselfe that he which made him in the wombe fashioned them also and that one formed them all Thirdly if we submit our selves to bee governed by the wisedome of God revealed in his Word This submitting and subjecting of our selves maketh simple men become wise yong men to be wiser then their Elders and such as have beene taught Psal 119.98 99. 19.7 Prov. 1.4 wiser then their Teachers and such as have enemies to goe beyond all their deepe policies and to prevent all their cunning devices On the other side if wee reject the Word and will not bee obedient unto it making it a lampe unto our feet and a light unto our pathes Psal 119.105 Ier. 8.9 2 Tim. 3.15 there is no true wisedome at all in us Jer. 8.9 The Word is able to make us wise to salvation 1 Tim. 3.15 which is the greatest wisedome that can be He that is not wise for his soule is a foole let him be never so wise and wary for the body and let him have never so great reputation for a wise man in the world yet is his wisedome disprooved Fourthly if we deny our selves and our owne naturall and fleshly wisedome It is a very hard matter to deny our selves and our carnall wisedome but it must of necessity bee done if ever wee desire to come to the Kingdome of Heaven Therefore the Apostle saith Let no man deceive himselfe 1 Cor. 8.13 2 Cor. 10.32 If any man among you seeme to be wise let him become a foole that he may be wise For our high thoughts must be cast downe that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God and bee brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Lastly let us study to decke our selves with humility as with a precious robe and to crowne our selves with humblenesse of minde as with a garland And so much the rather because this adorneth all other graces yea without this grace is no grace This is the direction of the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God that hee may exalt you in due time and cloathe yourselves with humility 1 Pet. 5.5 6. And we have sundry motives to stirre us up unto it First no good thing dwelleth in our flesh Rom. 7.18 but evill dwelleth in us abundantly and plentifully All the thoughts of mans heart are onely evill Gen. 6.5 and that continually The water can arise no higher then nature will give it leave so there is an impotency and disability in our nature to ascend above it selfe to that which is good as unpossible as for the streame to climbe up to the top of an high mountaine or for a stone by its owne strength to mount into the aire For that which is of the flesh is onely flesh Our natur is stained and defiled with all manner of sinne and a pronenesse to all sorts of sinnes from our birth Iob 14.4 15.14 Psal 51.5 nay from our conception which hath over-spred us as a filthy leprosie The minde and understanding the will and affections the memory and conscience the whole soule and body are infected Rom. 8.7 so that the naturall man understandeth not the things of God for they are foolishnesse unto him and are spiritually discerned Secondly God resisteth the proud and professeth himfelfe to be an enemy to them Iam. 4.6 Prov. 3.34 1 Pet. 5.5 but hee giveth grace unto the humble Iam. 4.6 Thirdly our best gifts are wonderfully tainted and defiled We know nothing if wee be ignorant hereof What is our faith our repentance our sanctification our love our temperance our patience our hope our knowledge but as it were the foundation or beginning of a great building or the seed of grace sowne in our hearts rather then grace it selfe being compared with perfection We know nothing as we ought to know 1 Cor. 8.2 howsoever wee may thinke wee know all things Our faith is little and soone shaken with many doubtings and with much unbeleefe Lastly Marke 9.24 such onely as are humble shall be exalted and lifted up in due time Luke 1.51 As the proud are scattered in the imagination of their hearts so the humble shall be advanced It is a common saying of Christ oftentimes uttered by him and repeated by the Evangelists Matth. 23.12 Luke 24.11 18.14 Hee that lifteth up himselfe shall be cast downe and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted As pride goeth before destruction and an high minde before the fall Prov. 16. so on the other side humility goeth before exaltation and leadeth the way before it All are desirous to passe into the house of glory but they are unwilling to enter in at the gate of humility By this gate Christ himselfe entred and this way he hath consecrated to all his children For it is your Fathers These words containe the reason which is the promise of a great and wonderfull blessing greater then all the world besides For what is this world without respect and reference to the World to come or what is all the glory of this life without the glory of the next Life or what is an earthly Kingdome without the Kingdome of Heaven Now touching the force and strength of this reason see afterward in the last branch This promise which is a promise of promises or the perfection of all promises as a spring or fountaine hath many streames or chanels issuing out of it as hath beene observed before in the beginning The first is the Author of the promise not Man not Angels not Princes not any creature for this is greater then all the Angels of Heaven and all the Kings and mighty men of the earth are able to promise and performe it is God that hath promised who also will accomplish whatsoever he hath spoken And to the intent this promise might take the deeper root in our hearts Christ Iâ—sus doth not call him the mighty Lord the righteous Iudge the God of revenge or such like but a mercifull Father For as before we shewed that God sheweth himselfe a Shepheard to teach that his Sheepe shall not want so here the Lord Iesus calleth him a Father 2 Cor. 12.14 to shew that as a Father provideth for his Chlldren so God loveth his and will provide for all of them He were a bad Shepheard that would feed himselfe but starve and famish his Sheepe so he were an evill father that would bee carefull for himselfe but carelesse altogether for his children The meaning of the word Father Now touching the meaning this word Father so farre as it is ascribed to God is
subordinate unto him Secondly God hath set his whole delight on his to love them above all other people Deut. 10.15 21. and doth great things for them that hee hath not done for the whole world beside Hee hath given his owne Sonne for them and to them which is the fountaine of all his love Joh. 3.16 For he so loved the world Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life And 1 Joh. 4.9 10. in this was manifested the love of God toward us because God sent his onely begotten Sonne into the world 1 Ioh. 4.9 10. that we might live through him Herein is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his Sonne to be the propitiation for our sinnes From hence flow all spirituall and eternall blessings as reconciliation and atonement sanctification and likewise our justification consisting in the forgivenesse of sinnes and the imputation of his righteousnesse unto us yea hence doe flow temporall blessings to us as they are blessings so that he careth for us as the Eagle for her Birds Deut. 32.11 12. and tendreth us as the apple of his owne eye Zach. 2.5 Thirdly this truth further appeareth unto us by the titles given to the faithfull For as the Names of God set forth his nature toward us so also doe the names that are given to the Godly The names that he giveth are not like names given by men who onely hope or desire to finde them as they are named but they often prove the contrary as we see in Abshalom who had his name of his Fathers peace but hee sought the destruction of his Father It is not so with God he doth not deceive neither can bee deceived in calling his Children by their names They are called sometimes the Lords portion Deut. 32.9 Exod. 19.5 and the lot of his inheritance Deut. 32. Sometimes his chiefe treasure above all people though all the earth be his Exod. 19 5. sometimes his Sonnes and Daughters 1 Ioh. 3.1 begotten of him to a lively hope of an inheritance unspeakable and glorious 1 Joh. 3.1 sometimes the Spouse of Christ Hos 2.19 23. Ioh. 15.24 Hos 2. sometimes his Jewels Mal. 3. and sometimes also his friends labouring to doe whatsoever he commandeth them Joh. 15.14 All these titles and testimonies teach us how dearely hee loveth and accounteth of his people The uses of this point serve Vse 1 partly for information partly for instruction and partly for consolation First for information or bettering of our knowledge we must consider that from hence wee have boldnesse and confidence in prayer to approach neere to the Throne of Grace that he will give us whatsoever we aske according to his will Hence it is that in the Lords prayer we are willed and warranted to begge the sanctifying of his Name the comming of his Kingdome c. and whatsoever serveth for his glory or our owne good and to call him by the name of our Father Matth. 6. â— to stirre up our faith to come with assurance and without doubting to be heard and helped Will a Father deny his Childe any thing that is good for him God is our Father and we his Children he our Shepheard and we his Flocke hee the Creator and we his creatures Hee seeth what wee have need of and hee knoweth better then our selves what is good for us so that we may boldly come in faith and not waver as the Romanists would have us to doe Now to the end we may approach and appeare before him aright and come unto him as to a Father we must come partly with cheerefulnesse and boldnesse and partly with awefulnesse and reverence And these two must be compounded and mingled together boldnesse with reverence and reverence with boldnesse that we may pray and make supplication to him with a reverent boldnesse and with a bold kinde of reverence lest boldnesse severed from reverence breed basenesse and contempt and reverence severed from boldnesse turne into a slavish and superstitious feare To worke in us boldnesse and willingnesse the Scripture layeth before us the promises of God whereupon we must build as upon a sure foundation To strike in us reverence it propoundeth sundry threatnings and admonitions which we ought to call to minde so often as we goe to praier to prepare us thereunto First we must acquaint our selves with the gracious promises of God which he hath made to us in his holy Word that our dull and dead spirits may thereby be quickned and our unbeleeving hearts may be fully perswaded that hee will deliver our soule from death Psal 116.8 our eyes from teares and our feet from falling For as the amiable Word of a Father implieth a readinesse and willingnesse in God to shew mercy so it should stirre up in us a forwardnesse to come unto him and to aske whatsoever wee want The Scripture is full of such heavenly promises Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Psal 50.15 Matth. 7.7 If wee humble our selves in his presence and turne from our sinnes and wicked waies then He will heare in Heaven 2 Chron. 7.14 15.2 Esay 65.24 and be mercifull unto our sins 2 Chron. 7. If we seek him He will be found of us 2 Chron. 15. Before we call he will answer and while we speake he will heare Esay 65. If we which are evill can give good gifts to our children Luke 11.13 how much more will our heavenly Father give the holy Ghost to them that desire him Rom. 10.22 Luke 11 He that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. Draw neere to God and He will draw neere to you Iam. 4.8 Iam. 4. All these are so many encouragements to draw us and to drive us to God who by these and a thousand such other promises inviteth us into his holy presence Againe on the other side we must consider that the Scripture withall giveth us sundry advertisements and threatnings to admonish us to come to him with feare and reverence The name of a Father is a title of familiarity but familiarity many times breedeth too much boldnesse and boldnesse breedeth contempt and contempt a base estimation of God and therefore it must bee seasoned with other considerations lest wee come to him in vaine and to our owne hurt Hence it is that as Christ our Saviour teache thus to call God our Father when we fall down before him so withall he willeth us to remember that he is in Heaven that is of infinite glory power and majesty Let us therefore have before us these and such like meditations If I regard wickednesse in my heart Psal 66.18 26.6 Prov. 1.28 15.8 21.27 the Lord will not heare me Psal 66.18 26.6 and often in the Proverbs They shall call upon me but
ought so much the more to be magnified if we consider what we are by nature to wit the children of wrath the heires of damnation the sonnes of Satan the servants of sinne so that wee may say not onely with Abraham Gen. 18.27 Luke 15.21 I am but dust and ashes but with the Prodigall Sonne I am not worthy to be called thy Sonne For what are we from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot but a very lumpe of sinne and corruption It is by grace and adoption that we are made the Brethren of Christ and fellow-heires with him and not much inferiour to the very Angels in Heaven Psal 8. Secondly in that God professeth himselfe a Father of all the faithfull observe that with him there is no accepting of persons Acts 11.36 Iob 34.19 Gal. 2.6 The poore man hath as great right and interest in Gods Kingdome and in this Title to call him Father as the rich man whose corne and cattell is encreased whose wine and oyle is multiplyed The weake brother may comfort himselfe herein knowing that God is a Father to him as well as he was to Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to David to Peter or to Paul As all the Faithfull have obtained like precious faith 2 Pet. 1.1 so have all of them a like or equall right in this Father-hood the low as well as high the poore as well as rich the simple as well as wise the bond as well as free are allowed and warranted to speak to him as to a Father as we are also taught in the Lords prayer which is a perfect platforme for all to use that come before him For there is neither Jew nor Gentile Gal. 3.28 Col. 3.11 male nor female circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian Scythian but Christ is all and in all and they have interest in him alike who shed his blood as well for the one as for the other and paid the same price for them all And thus it shall be at the last Day when no outward thing shall commend us to God neither birth nor blood neither learning nor riches neither great revenues nor golden crownes nor large Kingdomes none of these shall helpe no not the outward calling of a Christian if there be no more in us Let us therefore comfort our selves in this that the love of God is as great toward us as to those that are greater in the world True it is all men have not neither can have free accesse into the presence of Kings and Princes to stand before them and to heare their voice but all men even of low degree have liberty to come into the presence of Almighty God to heare his Word which is his voice nay they are called and invited unto it All men have not liberty to sit downe at the Table of great Personages howbeit God admitteth all true beleevers and penitent persons though never so poore to sit at his Table and to partake of his Supper yea they are the guests that he inviteth and entertaineth and welcommeth he will suppe with them and they shall suppe with him Thirdly from hence we have assurance that God will accept of our service and obedience albeit it bee maimed and unperfect and many waies defective The father that commandeth his childe to serve him albeit he faile oftentimes in the manner of doing yet when he beholdeth his care and endeavour to please him he praiseth his doing and passeth by his misdoing as if he saw it not so it is with God he requireth at our hands to obey him and albeit we faile and offend many waies in our obedience yet when he seeth a ready and willing minde 2 Cor. 8.12 and an unfained desire in us to doe our duty he accepteth us according to that we have and not according to that we have not Psal 203.13 This the Prophet teacheth He pittieth them that feare him no lesse then a Father doth his Children Doth the Father accept of nothing but that which is on every side perfect and every way absolute Yes he commendeth the heart when the foot halteth so God accepteth of our sincerity even when it is mingled with much infirmity This the Prophet Malachi witnesseth Chap. 3.17 They shall be mine Mal. 3.17 saith the Lord of Hosts in the Day when I make up my Jewels and I will spare them as a man spareth his owne sonne that serveth him This serveth as a great encouragement to us to cause us to serve him and to put forth all our strength and utmost endeavour to doe his will Lastly he will not cast away any of the faithfull finally and for ever neither shall any fall away from his favour True it is they may many waies fall but they shall rise againe Mic. 7.8 he may chastise them with the rods of men but his mercy he will never take away from them neither purposeth hee to cast them away utterly out of his sight He may suffer them to be winnowed Esay 54.8 Luk. 22.31 32. as men winnow wheat but he hath prayed for them that their faith shall not fully nor finally faile as Christ our Saviour speaketh unto Peter Luk. 22.31 32 Your Father The second point in the promise is the application Christ Iesus contenteth not himselfe to say It is the Fathers pleasure but your Fathers as when we pray we are taught to say Our Father Neither doth the reason run in this manner It is my Fathers pleasure as he might have spoken as indeed sometimes hee speaketh and as the Scripture calleth him the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Ioh. 20.17 but to set the better edge upon it and to make it pierce the deeper he saith It is your Fathers good pleasure Ephes 1.3 It is not enough to beleeve that God is the Father of Christ or the Father of the Church but we must further beleeve that he is our Father and every one for his part must say He is my Father It is a matter of knowledge onely to confesse him a Father but it is a matter of faith to confesse him to be our Father Doct. 8 This teacheth that it is a duty belonging to the faithfull to apply the promises of God to themselves particularly as Ier. 3.19 Thou shalt call me Ier. 3.19 My Father and shalt not turne away from me Christ also sendeth Mary to his Brethren to say unto them Ioh. 20.17 28. I ascend unto my Father and to your Father to my God and to your God Ioh. 20. This was the confession and application of Thomas Luke 1.47 Gal. 2.20 My Lord and my God This was the faith of the blessed Virgin My spirit reioyceth in God my Saviour Even so the Apostle Gal. 2.20 The Sonne of God who liveth in me loved me and gave himselfe for me It must bee thus with every soule in particular not onely to say Christ is the beloved Sonne of the Father but as it was with the
owne If wee travell without the Word it will bring us to Hell the kingdome of darknesse but never to the Kingdome of Heaven and of God who dwelleth in the light which no man can approach unto No man by nature knoweth the way to Heaven neither can possibly finde it without his guide there are so many odde lanes and blinde turnings and by-pathes and crosse waies that we are sure to misse the Devill standeth at one corner and telleth us This is the way the World calleth to us at another I will lead thee and sinne sitteth at anoother ready to perswade us to follow it Wee know the way that leadeth to Hell well enough nature is a sufficient guide to instruct us and direct us if we have no other we cannot misse it the way is so broad and the gate so wide that leadeth to destruction and the company so great going before us that thrusteth and throngeth to enter into it Wherefore it standeth us upon to doe nothing without our guide Howbeit this is an hard matter men will not stoope downe when God holds out his Scepter ready to lead them neither will they draw neere when God stretcheth out his arme to receive them The causes why vve follovv not the guidance of the Word but hang backe many wayes And will we understand and learne the causes that stop up our way and hinder us from following the guidance of the Word Ignorance negligence and contempt have so possessed the greatest part that they are a small remnant that make conscience to seeke knowledge to use diligence and to performe obedience These lead us by the hand to the Kingdome the former are the greatest enemies to our soules Ignorance of the Word the first hinderance to the Kingdome Heb. 5.12 Of these three that blocke up the way and stop our passage I will speake in order And touching the first I will say with the Apostle Heb. 5.12 When for the time yee ought to bee teachers yee have need that one teach you againe which be the first principles of the Oracles of God and are become such as have need of milke and not of strong meat After all our hearing and learning after so many yeeres teaching and preaching Heb. 6.1 the greatest part know not the principles of the doctrine of Christian Religion The raine and dew of Heaven hath fallen upon the ground and yet it remaineth dry and barren The Hammer of the Word hath beaten upon our hearts yet they are hardned as the Anvill Many gracious showres have dropped downe upon the grasse of the field and yet alas it is ready to wither away The Sunne hath shined clearely in our eyes and yet alas we remaine in palpable darknesse O what a deepe and secret judgement is this that the raine should make us dry and the Sunne make us blinde that the light should cause darknesse and the sound of the Gospell should make us deafe But thus it is and thus it must bee when we regard not to know the will of our God Certainely such blinde sottish people that remaine willingly nay wilfully blinde in the middest of the meanes of knowledge like those that having meat before them arise empty from the Table cannot assure themselves to bee true members of the Christian Church The Prophet foretelleth touching the Church of Christ that the earth should be full of the knowledge of the Lord Esay 11.9 2.3 Ioel 2.28 as the waters that cover the Sea but these have their hearts as full of ignorance as the Sea is of water True it is a man may be ignorant of many truthes and yet be saved 1 Cor. 13.9.12 And it is true likewise that here wee know in part and wee see as thorow a glasse darkely and so wee shall untill wee come to know even as also wee are knowne Howbeit wee must understand that there is difference betweene truth and truth There are some such truths as are like the heart in the body without which there is no life or like the foundation of an house except it be well laid no building can be reared and erected Or like the Pillers on which Samson leaned if they bee shaken the house falleth and is overthrowne and the fall thereof is great and draweth with it the ruine of others So it is in Religion There are sundry such principles and grounds of the faith that whosoever is ignorant of them all or of any one of them it is impossible he should be saved These are to Christians as the A. B. C. is to Children except the Childe know his letters he can never be able to read yea albeit he be ignorant but of one of them so except they which be rude be well and thorowly grounded in the Rudiments and first Principles 1 Pet. 2.2 as it were the first milke that they sucke from their Mothers brests that they may grow thereby they are not yet in the way to the Kingdome they have not set one step forward to Heaven Notwithstanding if a thorow view and exact examination were taken of the most places I feare the greatest number even of such as are of yeeres of discretion would be found faulty and guilty that they know not so much as every Christian must know that shall be saved and see Christ Iesus his Saviour to his comfort And therefore I may conclude that the greatest number of them yet stand in the state of damnation I will not say they shall bee condemned neither dare I because God hath given to us no such warrant Deut. 29.29 and secret things belong unto him but rather I hope better things of them though I thus speake howbeit this I affirme and dare bee bold to pronounce that such doe as yet stand through their ignorance in the state of condemnation What though many of you be of great age what though yee have beene baptized and beene admitted to the Lords Supper what though yee have beene long hearers of the Word I beseech you by the mercies and patience of God toward you deceive not your selves doe not flatter your owne soules perswade not better things of your selves then there is just cause be not as Children that know not the right hand from the left be not alwaies blinde in your understanding but rather examine your selves and call your selves to an account what yee have heard and learned lest yee be like those that are alwaies learning 2 Tim. 3.7 but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth The Lord complaineth by the Prophet Hos 4.1 6. My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge And againe a little before There is no knowledge of God in the Land and therefore the Inhabitants thereof shall be cut off Thus much of ignorance the mother of errour Neglect of the Word the second hinderance to the Kingdome the second hinderance that stoppeth up the way to the Kingdome is the neglect of the Word a farther degree
of sinne then the former This is the sinne of our time the common sinne of every place yea almost of every person The light is come among us but we love darknesse more then the light and are luke-warme Revel 3.16 as retchlesse men that care not which end goeth forward God will spew out such out of his mouth as evill humours out of the stomacke Salomon teacheth us in the Proverbes that he which is sloathfull in his worke Prov. 18.9 is brother to him that is a great waster so is it with such as are sloathfull in the Lords worke and in their owne duty they are companions and brethren with such as are open and obstinate contemners of the Word and make haste a pace after them they follow them close at the heeles and in short time will overtake them There is such carelesnesse and security every-where in the matters of God among us as if every man were left to doe what he list as if the soule were the least matter of a thousand as if Religion were last of all to be regarded or as if there were no day of account to come hereafter Among those that come to the place of Gods worship many indeed are kept in awe and in order but how and wherefore Is it by any conscience of their duty or by love to the Word Nay nay but for sinister ends some by force of the Law because they feare to be presented some by awe of their Superiours because they would not be thought stubborne some come for custome and fashion sake because it is Sunday some for company of others because they would doe as their honest neighbours doe and love not to be singular some for that they would not be accounted Papists because the State fauoureth them not some lest they should bee esteemed Atheists and so be pointed at with the finger some to please their Parents because they should leave them a better portion some to content their Masters lest they should be thrusted out of their dores or because they hope to gaine by them some to passe away the time because they have nothing else to doe some to meet with their friends and acquaintance because they are loth to spare another day some to meete with their debters because they would demand their money but the fewest number to meet the Lord in his owne Ordinances because they love the habitation of his house and the place where his honour dwelleth Psal 26.8 who hath promised to be in the middest of them that are gathered together in his Name Matth. 18.20 Happy are we if we be in the number of these few If such retchlesse men were left to themselves without any bridle of Law or feare of Superiour and authority of whom we spake before and suffered to doe what they pleased without any checke or controlment we should have our thinne Assemblies a great deale thinner and our streets and fields and houses and Ale-houses fuller-stuffed and thronged then our Churches And this may appeare hereby that notwithstanding we have Lawes and Magistrates and Officers and good examples of the chiefest and principall among us yet they are few a very few in comparison of the rest that are constant and conscionable in their hearing some if their presence and absence were ballanced together the waightier scole would be given to their absence and would waigh downe their presence as being found too light Others albeit they dwell neere enough are starting away at every turne and when they make shew of going to the Churche turne aside another way Others are more carefull to fill the body then to feed the soule who take every even the least occasion to feast with their friends forgetting the feast that God hath prepared in his house and not regarding it though they even starve their owne soules Others are gadding yea madding in a manner after every vanity and doe delight much more in the pleasure of the body then in the profit that commeth to the Spirit Others are weary of the Word as the Israelites that loathed Manna Numb 11.6 Others have hired ground and they must needs goe see it others have bought five yoke of Oxen Luk. 14.18 19. Matth. 22.5 and they must goe to prove them others must visit their Farmes or attend their Marchandise and yet every one must be holden excused though all set light by the Word and runne after their owne wayes like the guests in the Gospell that were bidden to the wedding and to the great Supper God sendeth out his Servants to invite them Come for all things are ready I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my fatlings are killed but they neglect the Lords sending to them and his calling of them But what followeth The Lord pronounceth Luke 14.24 I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper These are they that are araigned as guilty of the neglect of heavenly things who will sometimes seeme to beare some affection to the house of God but partly their profits and partly their pleasures carry them another way of all which the Prophet speaketh Ier. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully All these stand under this heauy curse of the Lord and therefore I counsell them to looke to it betimes to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to meet him by unfained repentance while he is here Lastly Contempt of the Word another hinderance to the Kingdome touching the contempt of the Word who seeth not how common it is which notwithstanding is the top of impiety and that many have filled the measure of their sinnes till it be full that the cry of them is come up to heaven If any aske the cause I answer Our great negligence and generall coldnesse have brought this evill upon us and God doth hereby in his deepe and yet just Iudgement revenge our carelesnesse in his Service by giving us over into all prophanenesse The Word of the Lord by which wee shall all be judged at the last Day is so farre from holding men in awe and from having their lives and hearts in subjection that they reject it from them as a needlesse thing and regard it no longer The Minister may teach what he will and threaten as long as he list but these Gallants like Gallio in the Actes of the Apostles Acts 18.17 care for none of those things The time hath beene when the Word hath beene reverenced even by such as were not converted by it nor transformed into the obedience of it yet it hath held them in some awe but now in these our dayes loosenesse and licenciousnesse have generally prevailed in every place and sinne is growne to such an head and height as if the Word were but a Scare-crow and all Religion but a fable We are come to this passe to mocke at zeale and Religion and to contemne the