in the fire and the hammer vpon it it may bee wrought to some fashion till it be cold againe so Pharaoh sometime will confesse his sinne and acknowledge Gods righteousnesse and begge Prayers of Moses but onely so long as the plague is vpon him Sometime some naturall motion or some spirituall motion may stirre them and for a flash they are earnestly resolued for Heauen so the yong man comes hastily and heares gladly but not purposing to doe all that is required goes away heauily The hypocrite in all these motions is like Ephraim whose goodnesse was as the morning dew suddenly dried vp Hos. 6.4 The Word comes into a bottomlesse heart wherein is a bottomlesse gulfe of guile and deceit and all is lost at length But the godly man by the Words dwelling plentifully in his heart attaines the commendation pronounced vpon the Church of Thyatria Reuel 2.19 I knowe thy works thy faith c. that they be more at last than at first He hath on him a marke of one that is planted by the Lord in the House of the Lord he is more fruitfull in his age more fat and fresh dayly and exceeds his former times in feracity and fruitfulnesse in good works and graces In a word whereas all other things are common to all the Heauens the Earth the Creatures yea the Ministery of the Word Sacraments Prayer and many common graces wrought by them this alone is the speciall right of Beleeuers incommunicable with hypocrites to haue the Word of God euerlastingly fixed in their hearts Esa. 8.16 Seale vp the Law among my Disciples now a seale is a meanes of secrecy from them whom the matter concernes not and of assurance to them whom the businesse concernes This is the second reason 3. The best of Gods Word is after the hearing Our Parable compares hearing of the Word to sowing now the best of sowing is long after in the reaping Elsewhere it is compared to food and the best of eating is after eating in the nourishment and strength For let men eate and drinke with great appetite good taste and much pleasure yet if after the eating bad humors in the stomake suffer it not to stay or not to digest if it doe stay it doth much hurt in stead of nourishing So in the state of the Soule where many wicked humors resist the worke of the Word heard But to shew in speciall that the Word is best after the hearing consider 1. That it frameth a man to the life of faith and vpholdeth that life It is a means to make a man good and continue his goodnesse Because it both storeth a man with graces and preserues him from vngracious courses through all his life which those that make no vse of the Word beyond the hearing are wrapped in Prou. 2.10 When wisdome enters into thy heart then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee that is both in the good way and from the euill way so Psalm 119.11 I haue hid thy Word in my heart that I might not sinne against thee 2. The Word kept in the heart makes a man a notable patterne of piety to others and a fruitfull Christian vpholding him in a readinesse to euery good word and worke If the heart keepe knowledge the mouth will speake of wisdome Psalm 49.3 He is fit and ready to counsell exhort rebuke and comfort others For the Word of God which is able to make the man of God ready and absolute to euery good worke is much more able to fitte priuate Christians thereunto 3. Our greatest businesse is behinde to which the Word kept in the soule can onely fit vs as namely to fit our accounts to store our lampes with oyle to hold on our repentance and finish the good worke begunne with perseuerance 4. Our greatest sufferings and trials are behinde dayes of sicknesse the day of temptation the day of death wherein Sathan will bee most furious and raging and the day of Iudgement Now as Dauid said of himselfe If thy Word had not been my comfort I had perished in my trouble so if the Word be not thy sword in the day of temptation if it be not thy health in sicknesse thy life in death if it pleade not for thee in iudgement thou art euerlastingly lost because thou hast wilfully lost thy part and portion of that blessed Word 5. Our marke is still before vs euen that euerlasting happinesse and great saluation which the Word of God faithfully retained in the heart not onely reuealeth but putteth vs in possession of Thus as the pillar of the cloud and of the fire neuer left Israel till they came into Canaan no more doth the Word of God cease to be our constant direction for our motion or station till it hath set vs into that heauenly Canaan no nor then it being a surer pillar then that of the cloude for as the Prophet saith O Lord thy Word endureth for euer in Heauen Psalm 119.89 that is although neuer so many things in earth seeme to cloude and crosse the gracious promises that thou hast made to thy children yet in Heauen shall they taste the sweetnesse of thy Word more then euer they did in earth when they shall enioy all the fruits of that eternall loue and decree which they beleeued in this world Besides that the same Word of God which now the Saints lay vp in their hearts is the Law and Charter of heauen by which being fully conformed to the obedience of it we shall walke eternally before God in the perfection of that obedience which is heere begun And thus it is our eternall direction in heauen also Vse 1. To reproue many Hearers who are affected in the act and time of hearing or while the Doctrine is deliuering but presently lose the matter the motion affection and all Some come as our Sauiours Hearers Math. 22.22 When they heard they maruelled and left him and went their way we heare no more of them Many heare desirously as with open and erect eares but both being open it goes in at one and out at the other it stayes not for after-vse but a little present admiration as in those Hearers of our Sauiour Others heare and the Word smites them workes a little on their conscience wounds them and tells them as Nathan did Dauid Thou art the man Now were a fit season to worke with God but they goe away other distractions meet them at home the motion dies and they are as men sea-sicke while the Word tumbles them and makes their conscience wamble within them but are all well againe so soone as euer they come to land Others heare with soft hearts and the Word comming home they begin to melt can resolue into teares so mellow seemes the ground they see their vnworthinesse of the promises and how lyable they be to all the threatnings which they conceiue their owne portion But as the metals are onely soft and pliable while they are
grace farthest from a good heart These are the Notes of a good an honest hart of which I will say to you as the Lord himselfe sometime said of the Israelites Deut. chap. 5. vers 29. Oh that there were such an heart in you to feare your God and keepe his Commandements alwayes that it might bee well with you and with your children for euer Now hauing spoken 1. of the Meanes whereby the heart becomes good 2. of the Marks whereby it is knowne so to be we come in the third place to the Motiues which is the last thing in the description of this last soyle I. Onely such an heart keepes the Word to saluation Fusty vessels are not fit for the precious liquor of sound and sauing knowledge and the graces of the Spirit The Law is spirituall and the place where the Lord layes it is in the spirit and heart of his Elect in whom onely he hath wrought a care to keepe it Psal. 119.11 I haue hid thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against thee The Lord hauing written his Law in Tables made choyce of y e Arke to lay vp the same safe Exo. 25.16 Thou shalt lay in the Arke the Testimony that I shal giue thee Now this Arke must be ouerlaid with pure gold both within and without signifying that the godly heart which must keepe the Word must be sincere within and without and euery other heart but the good and honest will shake the Word out one time or other hence Dauid prayeth Psal. 119.80 Let my heart bee vpright in thy statutes that I be not ashamed II. God esteemeth the goodnesse of our works by the goodnesse of the heart Ier. 17.11 I the Lord try the hearts to giue to euery man according to his work Hence many workes of ciuill men glorious and beautifull to the eyes of men are hatefull to God because they flow from the filthy puddle of a corrupt heart For as an euill action for matter can neuer bee made good by a good intention of the heart so a good action for matter can neuer be good in acceptance from an euill and deceitfull heart If the spring be corrupt so are all the streames Hence also God esteemeth good duties perfect when the heart is sincere because what is wanting in the manner and measure of obedience is supplyed by soundnesse and made vp by the goodnesse of the â—â—art and therefore in Scripture vprightnesse and perfection are put one for another The widowes mite was in it selfe very light but putting her heart to it made it ponderous Adde thy heart to thy mite and it shall be accepted as a Talent Hence the Scripture saith God iudgeth not as man we iudge from without God from within we proceed from the effect to the cause hee from the cause to the effect wee iudge the heart by the worke hee the worke by the heart we looke first to the sacrifice and then to Abel hee first hath respect to Abel and then to his sacrifice Hence we see a mite in sincerity accepted and a Talent from hypocrisie reiected III. Without this good and honest heart thou losest all thy labour all thy graces all thy hopes all thy expectation If they come not from a pure heart he that is pure looks with pure eyes reiects them all If thou beleeue not from the heart Rom. 10.10 it is vanishing and temporary If thou liftest not vp pure hands in prayer that is the prayer of a pure heart suppose thou diddest weare thy tongue to the stumps and thy knees horne-hard thou losest all thy labour therefore Paul describeth true worshippers 2. Tim. 2.22 to be such as call on the Lord with a pure heart If thy loue be in word and tongue and not in truth thy heart cannot assure thee that thou art of the truth 1. Ioh. 3.18 19. If thou doest not from the heart obey the forme of doctrine deliuered Rom. 6.17 all thy obedience is lost without recompence without acceptation yea abominable Finally whatsoeuer we doe doe it heartily vnto the Lord and not vnto men Col. 3.23 The kernell of all duties lyeth within in the true disposition of the heart without which all is as an empty shell which when it comes to cracking and opening the hypocrites hope faileth See we not in the Day of Iudgement many shall pretend great matters done in preaching or prophecying in the Name of Christ and casting out diuels in the same frequenting Christs presence Wee saw and heard thee in our strâ—ets and so expecting some great reward for so great and glorious workes But not being sound at heart all these things are no better esteemed then working of iniquity and recompenced as hatefull sinnes Depart from mee ye workers of iniquity for all the sacrifices of an hypocrite are abominable his very prayers abominable Esa. 1. Bring no more sacrifices but wash you clense you and then come let vs reason together Esa. 58.3 The Iewes vrge God with their fasting and yet are sent away empty IV. A good heart is the essentiall difference or distinction betweene a godly man and an hypocrite whosoeuer wants it shall receiue his portion with hypocrites The Pharises make cleane the out-side A good Christian heares his Master say Thou hypocrite first make the in-side cleane As the hypocrites religion is made but a couer or cloke so he vseth it as a cloke to cast on and off as hee list And as men make their clothes so doth hee his religion so it be some fine stuffe without they care not what base lining they put in But the sound Christian is as the Kings daughter Psal. 45.13 all glorious within like a late fashion of great men lining russet or base Clokes with Taffatie or Veluet cleane thorow or like the hangings of the Sanctuary without course Badgers skinnes within fine linnen embroydered Exod. 26.1 14. The hypocrite desires to seeme either onely or principally the sound Christian desires to be acceptable Saul when hee knew Gods minde in reiecting him yet honour me saith he before the people 1. Sam. 15.30 the sound Christian knowing the minde of God in electing iustifying and sanctifying him endeuours both liuing and dying to be indeed acceptable vnto him An vnfaithfull and euill heart that departs from God hath faire showes goodly greene leaues a kinde of faith ioy profession and will giue God euery thing but a good heart which gift he only calls for which because hee with-holds hee shall neuer speed so well as a sound Christian who can giue nothing but true desires of a changed and sincere heart V. The whole comfort of a Christian vnder God is in a sound honest and good heart As first all inward comfort 2. Cor. 1.12 This is our reioycing euen the testimonie of a good conscience that in all simplicity and godly purenesse we haue had our conuersation This ioy is the ioy of Gods people which the stranger enters not
into and of it our Sauiour saith None shall take it from you It is like a little veine or spring which euer runneth whereas the ioy of an hypocrite which makes a greater show and noise then the other is like a great pond cleare at top muddy at bottome dried vp in Summer when is most need of the waters of comfort Secondly in outward opposition when men who cannot abide sincerity obiect to vs that all is hypocrisie and scorne vs for the things we doe when Ismaels scoffe vs for the blessings sake that from the world we haue small comfort and encouragement in our godly way now wee may finde comfort and peace in the sound constitution of our hearts 2. Sam. 6.21 Dauid being scorned by Michol for dancing before the Arke and called foole for his paines contemned that contempt for he did it in the vprightnes of his heart and would be yet more vile Paul teaching the strictnesse of Christian Religion to bring Christ into the hearts and liues of men was counted an heretike but professed After the way which ye call heresie doe I worship the God of my fathers Apply wee this to our selues A good conscience as a brazen wall feares not the arrowes of scorners and aduersaries Iobs innocencie will beare his aduersaries booke of accusations on his shoulder Thirdly in personall affliction this good heart ministreth great comfort 1. In inward temptation when Satan shall obiect as against Iob that thou art an hypocrite then which no temptation more assaulteth or infesteth the poore Christian looke what way thou canst not hearing not praying not fasting reading or almes can answere it but onely the sincere and inward disposition of an honest heart in all these He is molested with hypocrisie but not subdued by it So when Satan shall obiect the weaknesse of thy faith or the defects of thy obedience and that God cannot accept so broken and sinfull performances nothing can answere this dart but sincerity of heart manifest in true desires and endeuours which God accepteth beholding mercifully what a man hath not what he hath not Sincerity makes light things massie and ponderous where hypocrisie makes talents lighter then feathers So if he obiect thy heauinesse and vntowardnesse in prayer that thou prayest coldly and distractedly the only answere is God regards not the tune of the voyce the phrase of speach the sound of words or eloquence of tongue but the affection of the heart as in Moses Exod. 14.15 and Hanna 1. Sam. 1.17 2. In outward affliction onely a good and honest heart beares a man vp Iob in all his troubles had no other comfort Chap. 27.5 Vntill I dye I will neuer take away mine innocencie from my selfe When Abimelech was threatned for taking Sarah it was happy and comfortable to him that hee could say With a good and an vpright heart I did this Gen. 20.5 What a strength is it when afflictions take a man in his way and while with a good heart he goes about his businesse But if crosses come while a man is wandring or his heart rouing after vanity this disposition adds a sting to the affliction when the heart shall smite it selfe that it suffers as an euill doer Fourthly in respect of perseuerance in good a good heart onely ministreth comfort For as an Apple rotten at core must faile and perish seeme it neuer so beautifull so all graces shall wither that are not soundly fixed in a good and honest heart It is not leaues and showes without but soundnesse of sap and iuice within that makes the tree continue in fruitfulnesse One time or other the Word of God blasts the hypocrite as the fruitlesse Figge-tree and then how soone is it withered Inquire after his graces his zeale forwardnesse diligence ioy faith loue his place cannot be found his place in the profession shall be as empty as Dauids when Saul asked after him He that builds on the sand and in soundnesse of heart settles not himselfe on Christ the corner stone as our Sauiour said of the stately buildings of the Temple so may wee say of this man who held a beautifull place in the Church and shined in many graces See you all these things the time comes when a stone shall not be left on a stone the fall of his house shall be great and of the ruines of his graces wee may say as the Merchants of the riches of Rome Reuel 18.17 In one houre shall so great riches come to desolation But the vpright of heart shall neuer be ashamed Fiftly in the life time the Lord will doe them good that are true of heart Psal. 125.4 Hee will be mercifull to his defects that prepares his heart to seeke him though hee be not clensed according to the purification of the Sanctuary 2. Chron. 30.19 Hee will shew himselfe strong with the vpright heart chap. 16.9 Let them be neuer so weake in themselues Gods strength shall perfect all their weaknesses Let all the world condemne them yet he will iustifie them as true Nathaniels in whom is no guile In a word prosperity is their portion in this life 2. Chron. 31.21 Hezekiah in his workes sought the Lord and prospered Sixtly in his death this comfort shall neuer be shaken out of his heart when death shall sunder his soule and body it shal neuer seuer his heart from the soundnesse of it Hezekiah when sentence of death was passed against him the conscience of his honest and sincere heart comforted him Esa. 38.3 O Lord thou knowest I haue walked with an vpright heart c. At this time it will not comfort a man to haue done neuer so excellent workes but the manner of doing and his true endeuour shall comfort him Lastly in the day of Iudgement onely the good and honest heart shall lift vp the head before the Iudge of the world As a faithfull companion it will goe with vs before the Iudge and plead where no other Proctor can be admitted no other friend can appeare for vs. But how dare an hypocrite who hath nothing but chaffe and straw and stubble stand before the fire of that great Day which nothing but golden soundnesse and sincerity can abide No matter how thou canst gild thy selfe if thou beest not golden the fire shall consume thee But be thou the meanest creature that the whole earth can present before the Iudge with an honest heart that hast been faithfull and sincere in a little in the basest calling and estate that euer was any that Day shall preferre thee aboue hollow-hearted professours Preachers yea Princes For then it shall be better to vse Augustines comparison to be a little small finger that can doe no such seruice in the body if sound than to bee an eye of admirable quicknesse and vse for the guiding of the body if vnsound darke or ready to fall out of the head HAuing thus largely shewed the nature of this soyle of
men for Nazarites Amos 2.11 milke-white Lam. 4.7 for purity both of doctrine and life excellent Teachers and Ministers enriched with farre more excellent gifts and graces of knowledge wisedome vtterance zeale piety than the ordinary Teachers of the Iewes the least of them greater in Office than Iohn Baptist. These cry for fruits beseeming the Gospell which carries abundance of spirit life and grace in it Where are the abundant fruits of our abundant hearing Shall Wisdome send forth her maids still inuiting vs to her preparations and meanes of strength and refreshing that wee might walke more strongly in the way of vnderstanding Prou. 9.3.6 and shall we be weaklings still Shall we feede daily at the table of Wisedome where is so full prouision and neuer grow in strength and stature Is not this to frustrate the Lords expectation to let his seruants lose all their labour 5. Hee hath giuen vs raines and fruitfull seasons such a season for increase as neuer had any people nor all our forefathers before vs Witnesse the warme sun-shine of the prosperity of the Gospell with a largesse of peace and plenty For the Gospell hath not come beggerly and niggardly but with a full horne of blessing peace plenty renowne aboue the Iewes and all other nations round about vs. who while they are wasted with mutinies or inuasions we sit euery one vnder his Fig-tree enioying God his Gospell our peace our goods our earthly happinesse Witnesse the Wall and Hedge of his gracious protection vnder a peaceable sweet and Honourable Gouernment which preserues to vs with the Gospell our wealth honesty liberty and liues and hammers downe the Popish Dagon Antichrist himselfe and all his banded vassals against vs and keeps vs without walls Witnesse the remouing of stones obstacles and lets which might hinder our fruits working for vs in turning off many monstrous mischiefes and plots against the Church in corrupt doctrines and errours of false and libertine Teachers and as many mischieuous deuices against the Land from Furies without and Vipers within Now what could he doe more for his Vineyard What can he expect lesse than abundance of sweet Grapes Iudge now betweene the Lord and his Vineyard whether if it deceiue his expectation he may not lay it to waste For this place the sauour of it in respect of the meanes might be like the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed Gen. 27.27 Take heed it be not like the Heath in the Wildernesse Ier. 17. which knoweth not when good commeth but notwithstanding Sunne raine and gracious seasons abides an Heath still Or like that ground which after raine often falling on it bringeth thornes and briers and is neere a curse Heb. 6.8 Surely if God gather no better fruits of all his labour from many then his seruants and Ministers doe the cause is on all hands pitifull Oh that we could say as Isaac Gen. 26.12 that wee did reape an hundreth fold in our people nay where is our thirty fold nay many of vs would bee glad to see our seed againe Quest. How may I know I am proceeding in the degrees of grace Answ. By these notes 1. The highest pitch of perfection is full and finall separation from all sinne Thou art daily proceeding to that measure when all sorts of sinne secret or open gainfull or profitable are forsaken resisted and in part conquered 2. The highest pitch of perfection is similitude and conformity with Christ not parity or equality in degree but to be a perfectly-holy member of so holy an Head Then thou proceedest in degrees of grace when as the fulnes of Deity dwelt bodily in Christ so thou art daily made partaker of the Diuine nature 2. Pet. 1.4 that is by the inhabitation of the Spirit of God vnited vnto Christ thou growest daily like him in spirituall life sense and motion in the graces of faith loue humility obedience patience in the powerfull and constant resisting of tentation in dying to sinne in rising from sinne in ascending after him and walking as he walked 1. Ioh. 2.6 3. Earnest strife purposes and indeuours to perfection as when first thou aimest at full conformity with the Word in euery thing both which abides within thee and comes without thee for it bindes the thoughts words and actions secondly when thou fixest thy will in resolution to hate all the wayes of sinne and to loue all righteousnesse thirdly when thou nourishest hearty purposes and indeuours to bee found continually fruitfull and acceptable as Dauid Psal. 119.5 Oh that my wayes were directed in thy statutes and Paul 2. Cor. 5.9 4. When thou findest the worke of the Word still fashioning thee as the hammer of the Lord to make thee part with thy roughnesse and fit thee for his owne vse And seeing God hath erected his Ordinances as Conduit-pipes to fill vp vessels of grace to the brim set thy selfe vnder these spouts and neuer come to the Ministery but with intent to bee fuller than thou wast before If the Word raise thee daily out of the world and make thee more heauenly-minded richer in good works more louing to Gods people more gracious in speech more diligent in priuate duties more watchfull to preuent sinne with the occasions now thou art increasing else art at a dangerous stand if the Word cannot mooue and preuaile with thee With patience Here wee haue another difference of the good ground from all the bad Hearers that are in the Church The first receiued not the seed this receiues and retaines it The second chokes the seed as so many thornes this cherisheth it in a good heart The third comes vp faire as seed in a grauell or neere a rocke but withers when the heat of the Sun riseth but this continues fruitfull and perseueres in goodnesse brings much fruit euen an hundreth fold 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as Beza obserues out of one Greeke Copie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 much patience Doctr. For producing of ripe fruits of Christianity we haue need of much patience For as after the seed is sowne into the ground it endures many violent stormes and cold blasts the pinching frosts and snowes of Winter the parching burning heat and droughts of Summer exposed to all casualties so as the Husbandman cannot looke for a present Haruest of his sowing but must waite for the precious fruit of the earth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hath long patience for it Euen so the hearers and receiuers of the Word into good hearts ordinarily endure great and violent afflictions and all the stormes which Satan and his instruments can raise vp against them before they can bring forth fruits And therefore Iam. 5.8 be patient and settle your hearts to the comming of the Lord. Heb. 10.36 Ye haue neede of patience and that the Apostle speakes to this very purpose there he opposeth to this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in vers 38. If any withdraw himselfe my soule shall haue no pleasure in him Heb.
tandem aspiremus Non excedam epistolae modum nec indiget prudentia vestra monitione nostra Accipite quaeso libellum hunc eo quo venit in manus vestras animo amico scilicet candido Vtinam in eo omnia essent adeò ex voto composita vt nulla ex parte doctorum iudicia reformidem Praeiudicia non moror omnes indignitates tacito moerore paratior deuorare quà m vt Ecclesiae pro mensu modulo meo non prosim Non vno gradu incedunt omnes boni sed vna via si non cursum eundem eundem tamen cum optimis portum tenere me confido Dominus Iesus vos nouis Spiritus sui incrementis cumulet pios vestros conatus vbertim benedicat vos benedictionibus augere pergat vt in specula vestra ad finem vsque fructuosè perstetis donec Iustitiae illa Coronain coelis reposita capitibus vestris sit imposita à Iudice illo iusto in die illo Amen Conseruus vester THO. TAYLOR THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND OF THE SEED LVKE 8.4 c. 4 Now as much people were gathered together and were come to him out of all Cities â—e spake by a Parable 5 A sower went out to sowe his seede and as he sowed some fell by the way-side and it was troden vnder feet and the fowles of heauen deuoured it vp 6 And some fell on the stones and when it was sprung vp it withered away because it lacked moisture 7 And some fell among thornes and the thornes sprang vp with it and choked it 8 And some fell on good ground and sprang vp and bare fruit an hundreth fold GReat is the similitude betweene the spirituall Manna of Gods Word and that corporall of the Israelites in the wildernesse That refreshed hungry and famished bodies this hungry soules That was small both in substance and shew but great in vertue and power so this seemes weake when it is most powerfull That came from heauen and fell with the dew so this is heauenly and with it commeth the dew of grace That was white as snow and sweet as honey so this is pure and reioyceth the heart That fell euery day and all both good and bad gathered it but not all to the same end so all must daily gather of this Manna Euery one heares the Word but not all alike some it feeds to some it putrifies as Manna that was kept against Gods Commandement That ceased so soone as they came into Canaan so in our heauenly Canaan shall be no gathering by the Word and Sacraments the fruits of the good Land shall feed vs. He that was the true Manna and the Bread from heauen our Lord Iesus in this Parable shewes the nature quality vse and diuers sorts of gathering and gatherers of this little white and sweet seed of Gods Word affoorded to feed and strengthen vs through the barren wildernesse of this world In the words consider 1. A Preface vers 4.2 A Parable 5 6 7 8. In the Preface 1. The Ocasion as much people were gathered c. 2. The kind of Doctrine he spake by a Parable The occasion was the gathering of much people together and comming vnto Christ out of all Cities Christ had powerfully taught them and with authority not as the Scribes He preached a strange Doctrine to them who had been set so fast in the Rudiments of the Law He had wrought many great and potent miracles mightily declaring himselfe the Sonne of God The course of his life was most innocent in himselfe most charitable and helpfull to others Great was the fame of Christ in all the countrey so as people came flocking and thronging vpon him out of all the Cities by sea and by land Multitudes came all in the same action but not with like affection some to see his Person some to heare his Doctrine some to admire his Miracles some perhaps to picke or catch matter of accusation But what euer their intent was our Lord who neuer slipped any opportunity of doing good apprehendeth the Occasion and beginneth to teach them Here something is to bee learned both from the example of this people and of our Lord himselfe By example of the people learne two things I. To prease with diligence to heare the voice of Christ. He is the welbeloued Sonne in whom the Father is well-pleased Math. 3.17 therefore heare him chap. 17.5 Reasons 1. He speaketh the words of life Ioh. 6.66 and without them we abide in death He is the truth and the life chap. 14.6 not the Author onely but the publisher of it 2. Consider the recompence Where Christ seeth multitudes of men ready to heare hee will present himselfe ready to teach as here he saw the willingnesse and diligence of the people out of all Cities and hee spake vnto them 3. It is a sound testimony to the truth in good and holy manner with zeale and delight to heare the Word of God Hee that is of God heareth Gods Word And not to frequent the voice of Christ is to withdraw ones selfe vnto perdition And such though they bee in the Church yet are not of the Church 4. All other seruice and deuotions are lost and vnfruitfull if thou beest not a diligent and reuerent hearer Prou. 28.9 He that turneth his eare from hearing the Law his prayer is abominable 5. Consider the future danger If so many sorts of hearers be condemned as three of foure for want of a right and good manner of hearing how great damnation abides such as will not heare Math. 10.14 If any will not heare your words shake off the dust of your feet against that person Verily I say vnto you it shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorra than for that City or person Act. 3.23 Euery one that will not heare that Prophet shall bee cut off Vse See that ye despise not him who speaketh from heauen for if they escaped not which refused him that spake on earth much more shall wee not escape if wee turne away from him that speaketh from heauen Heb. 12.25 Obiect If Christ would speake from heauen we would come and heare and flocke together as these multitudes did But now we cannot heare Christs voice Answ. Himselfe hath said He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me Math. 10.40 Ioh. 13.20 Malice against the seruant proceeds from malice against the Master and so the Lord accounts it Act. 7.51 52. The holy Ghost is resisted when his messengers are resisted Obiect But we haue other businesse to doe our Trades to follow c. Answ. 1. One thing is necessary godlinesse is the greatest trade and the greatest reuenue 2. This people left their trades and businesses and flocked after Christ. Obiect Then should we incurre slander reproch disgrace Answ. 1. Thy praise shall be of God if thou be a good hearer 2. These feared not the breath of men or the Magistrates censure or sentence as
against Innouation though after a most vnusuall manner they flocked by multitudes out of all the Cities Obiect But they be but a few poore meane men that flocke to Sermons Answ. 1. Here is Christs word true The poore receiue the Gospell Math. 11.5 2. Neither Christ nor his Word accepteth persons but gladly teacheth and encourageth such II. In that the people came flocking together with zeale and forwardnesse we learne thus much that we ought cheerfully and diligently to come together to heare the Word and bee ready before-hand when Christ is to speake These were present before he began to speake Reasons 1. This was prophecied of Beleeuers Esa. 2.3 Many shall goe vp to the Mountaine of the Lord and shall say Come let vs goe vp Psal. 122.1 I reioyced when they said Let vs goe vp to the house of the Lord. Esa. 60.8 Who are these that fly like a cloud and as Doues to the windowes 2. God lookes not onely that the substance and matter of an action be good but the manner must be sutable Hee cares for no carelesse seruice 3. A good heart findes nothing so sweet as God and his presence and this is promised to true seekers Dauid in many wants desires but one thing and that is to dwell in the house of God all his dayes to see the beauty of his face and Oh how amiable are thy Tabernacles my soule longeth after the liuing God when shall I appeare before him 4. These Iewes perceiuing some temporall good from Christ who filled their bellies healed their bodies raised their dead c. did thus flocke after him sea and land could not separate them But he that findes the sweetnesse of the Sonne of God bringing downe the bread and water of life to eternall life healing all diseases of the soule which no herbe or plaister could doe but one made of his owne heart-blood raising the dead and rotten in their sinnes stinking in the graue to a new and eternall life must needs flocke after him and follow him as cheerfully as euer did this people Vse Let this shame our dulnesse who are so slacke and heauie in the seruice of our God If Christ will waite vpon vs and our leisure wee will sometimes heare him a piece of an houre It is an vnconscionable sin of this place that though you come at length you come not flocking or together as this people nor goe out together Cornelius a great man and his company were ready against the time of Peters comming We are all now here before God saith he to heare the things that are commanded thee of God Not that this attendance is due to the persons of your Ministers but to their worke and office But you cannot say when your Preacher comes We are all here present nay scarce a few of so great a Congregation Take heed if you do any thing for God do it cheerfully doe it freely Let your prayers and praises and obedience waite vpon God in Sion A reuerent heart affected with loue of the things of God will preuent the watches in Gods worship that is no watch shall quicken it but it will bee before-hand And as the two Disciples hauing a desire to see Christ did out-run one another toward the graue and striue who might come first so the true followers of Christ creepe not like snailes to Church or striue not who shall come last in as many slip in in the middle of Sermon some almost at the end most after the beginning but run and striue who shall come formost Oh that the warme affection of our Congregation would affoord vs this cheerfull expectance Now out of the example of our Sauiour Christ who seeing the diligence and confluence of the people tooke occasion by that their thirst and desire to heare the Word to teach them we learne a speciall Christian duty namely to take all occasions of doing good within the compasse of our callings especially where we may receiue or impart the greatest good If the Minister see his people about him ready to heare the Word of God let him imitate his Lord and Master Now he hath a large field and thereby strong hopes not to lose all his seed Now hee hath before him an obiect of pity and compassion What pity to see a flocke without a shepheard to feede and fold them This Christ mourned for Math. 9.36 What pity to see a whole field of corne white for the haruest but rotting on the earth for want of a man to gather it So if the Word of God be to be heard beware of slipping that opportunity Thou canst not absent thy selfe from the Word preached no not once but to thine owne great losse and damage Ioh. 20.24 Thomas was absent from the Disciples when Christ came and shewed himselfe to the rest He was absent but once and perhaps vpon some waighty cause It may be he lurked and kept himselfe close for feare of danger by the malice of the Iewes or it may be he might be prouiding and settling his owne priuate affaires now his Master was apprehended and slaine and taken from him But what-euer the cause was the effect was grieuous for he was not onely depriued of the comfortable presence of his Lord nor only of that grace which the rest met together had and were confirmed in but when his fellow-Disciples were willing to communicate vnto him the grace of their Lords Resurrection he not onely beleeued not their report and made slight of such a cloud of most faithfull and eye-witnesses but resolues not to beleeue them To incredulity he ioynes a wilfulnesse and obstinacy Nay he is so farre from beleeuing them that if Christ himselfe should shew himselfe in person vnto him and would not suffer him to see the prints of the nailes and to put his finger into the prints of his wounds hee would not beleeue So how-euer men make it not a rush-matter to absent themselues from the Word preached once and againe yet be assured thou slippest such an opportunity of thine owne good as perhaps thou shalt neuer haue offered againe If thou absentest thy selfe of negligence thou depriuest thy selfe of some grace and comfort which the presence of the Lord amongst his people maketh offer of If of worldlinesse and to gather a little profit in that time all thy gaine will not counteruaile thy losse But if of wilfulnesse and contempt as many thou not onely thrustest away grace and comfort offered but pullest on thy selfe the wrath of God for contemning his gracious Ordinances and the blessed meanes of thy Saluation We see the occasion of our Sauiours Sermon Now of the kinde of his Doctrine He spake by a Parable A Parable in Scripture signifieth two things 1. Some serious matter and of great moment Psal. 49.4 I will incline mine eare to a Parable and vtter my graue matter vpon my Harpe Thus the graue and wise speeches of Salomon are called the Parables
of Salomon Prou. 1.1 or prouerbiall sentences of Salomon 2. Some darke or obscure speech when a truth is wrapped vp either in some similitude and comparison or in some hard and obscure words Iohn 16.29 Now speakest thou in plaine words and no Parable Ezek. 24.3 Therefore speake a Parable to the rebellious house and say Prepare a pot and powre water into it c. in which obscure type is largely declared both the sinne and the iudgement of the citie Ierusalem And thus it is taken here for an obscure manner of propounding the truth vnder a continued similitude or allegorie And this is the most proper acceptation of the word Parable taken from the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assimilare and most frequently vsed in the New Testament as Luke 21.29 And he said a Parable Behold the fig-tree and all trees that is he propounded to them a similitude And a number of Parables begin in these words The Kingdome of Heauen is like a treasure leauen a Marchant man c. Matth. 13.24 31 33 44 45 47. Quest. Why doth our Sauiour Christ speake in Parables and darke comparisons It seemes neither so fitted for the profit of his hearers nor to his own office and function who came from the bosome of his Father to reueale the mysteries of the Kingdome Answ. 1. This he did for the accomplishment of Prophecies of Scripture for Christ did nothing which was not foretold Esa. 6.9 Matth. 13.13 14 34. Therefore doe I speake to them in Parables for in them is fulfilled the prophecie of Esaias who saith By hearing ye shall heare but not vnderstand 2. In respect of the manner of teaching which being once vnderstood doth delight the vnderstanding helpe the memorie mooue and strike the will by collating spirituall things with sensible and winde themselues secretly into the heart to conuince modestly but strongly and to draw confession from euill-dooers against themselues as Dauid was conuinced by Nathan in that Parable 2. Sam. 12. And Matth. 21.40 our Sauiour askes what the Lord of the vineyard will doe to the vngracious husbandmen they say He will cruelly destroy them and let out the vineyard to others then he infers in the 43. verse Therefore I say vnto you The Kingdome of God shall be taken from you 3. In respect of the Elect 1. To stirre vp in them humility for they seeing how Parables containe many difficulties aboue their vnderstanding are forced to conceiue lowly and submissely of themselues 2. To worke in them diligence in the meanes of knowledge and profiting and to goe both to God in prayer and to others whom God hath made more skilfull then themselues to get the vnderstanding of it For the kernell is in the reddition of a Parable which lyeth hid till it bee explained Therefore the Disciples euer came to Christ and questioned and asked him the meaning of the Parables as verse 9. the Disciples asked him demaunding what Parable that was 3. To worke in them care of keeping that which by so much study and labour they haue attained Hardly come by highly set by 4. In respect of wicked men that the Pearle of the Kingdome should not be cast to Swine nor the Childrens bread to dogges for they must not partake in the chiefe prerogatiue of the godly which is to knowe the mysteries of the Kingdome Matth. 13.10 When Christ had vttered this Parable the Disciples asked Master why speakest thou in Parables and our Lord giues this answere Because to you it is giuen to know the mysteries to them it is not giuen And why to them not to others Answ. To them out of diuine grace and loue especially who were disposed by that grace to giue assent and affection to the truth yea with hungring soules and thirsty desires dranke in those holy and mysticall Doctrines Not to others not because God doth not truly offer the same grace but because of their owne incredulity and indisposition who resist and oppose the grace offered and wilfully put from themselues and leaue to others the Doctrine of eternall saluation Vse 1. Note a manifest difference betweene a godly man and the vngodly The former will search out the truth of Gods Word and will profit by any kinde of teaching The Spirit of God wheresoeuer hee is is heroike Obscurity and darkenesse in some poynts tyres him not but only awakes drowsinesse and whets diligence Something he will get out of the darkest kinde of teaching The latter bewray their negligence will be at no paines in beating out holy mysteries that all may see they haue no part in them And yet are they made without all excuse in that they may see as others doe but shut their eyes and will not and by contemning this kinde of teaching make themselues vnworthy of any other 2. Note what a price God sets on his Word he thinkes it too good for a wicked man to vnderstand or know For will God giue such a pearle to him that wants desire of it endeuor after it a right vse of it if he had it and a care of increase yea or of keeping it whose sloth and idlenesse would only extinguish the sparke and neuer blow it vp to be comforted or directed by it Was it fit Christ should speake otherwise to Scribes Pharises Sadduces who came only to carpe 3. Note who it is that onely can open the mysteries of Scripture the Disciples euer had recourse to Christ he is the onely Maister and chiefe Doctor of his Church Matth. 23.8 he is that true light that lightneth euery man Iohn 1.9 Reu. 5.5 6. No man was found worthy to open and reade the booke saue only the Lyon of the tribe of Iudah Therefore come to Christ as the two blinde men and say O Lord we desire our eyes may bee opened Come to the word to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taught of the Lord Esa. 54.13 Neuer rest in the teaching of man Come not without prayer that God would open thine eyes 4. Note a brand of Gods iudgement vpon that man who heareth plaine Doctrines as Parables If our Gospell be now hid saith Paul it is hid to them that perish 2. Cor. 4.3 If in such a light a man be ignorant of the principles and mysteries of Religion If old men bee as yet babes in knowledge and vnderstanding of the things of God their case is lamentable A more fearefull sentence cannot be vttered in this life against a man then to bee said as Christ said of some Omnia ipsis in Parabolis fieri All is spoken to them in Parables He that seeth not the light of the sunne when it shineth is a blinde man and so is he who sees not the shining brightnesse of Christ in such glorious meanes See more fully the miserie of this man who sits as a sott vnder the Word 1. He reiects and despiseth the goodnesse of God in the gracious offer of meanes of Saluation He is an vnhappie condemned man that
their fathers table c. but he applies all to some speciall vse of edification in grace Vse 1. Wee must not content our selues with the naturall vse of the creatures without the spirituall for then the beasts enioy as much of them as we But by them all behold the Creators wisedome power goodnesse and mercy 2. Let vs take occasion to further our saluation by them and not hinder it nor hasten our perdition as many doe by drunkennesse riot or couetous holding them in our hearts and hands 3. No man can excuse his ignorance of God seeing no man wanteth teachers The rudest husband-man hath his seed his earth his seasons as bookes to teach him Euen these bookes of the creatures leaue not God without witnesse euen these bookes leaue men without excuse Euery creature should leade vs and further vs in the honouring of God And therefore the Gentiles that honoured not God according to that naturall knowledge gotten by the booke of the creatures were giuen vp to vile sinnes and grieuous punishments How excuselesse then must ignorant Christians be to whom Gods wisedome power and goodnesse shineth seuen-fold brighter in the worke of Redemption than of Creation to whom God is more cleerly reuealed in the Booke of the Scriptures than of the creatures seeing the more excellent meanes of knowledge we haue of him the greater is our sinne and punishment to be carelesly ignorant of him Now in the Parable are two things considerable in generall 1. The sowing 2. The successe according to the seuerall grounds on which the seed fell These grounds according to their condition were either fruitlesse or fruitfull The bad and fruitlesse grounds were of three kinds 1. Callosa padled and high-way ground 2. Lapidosa stony and rocky ground 3. Spinosa thorny and choaky ground The good ground was the fertile and fruitfull ground The sowing is in the first words A Sower went out to sowe his seed And here be three things to be considered 1. The Agent A Sower 2. His Action he went forth 3. His Intention or end to sowe his seed I. The Sower is Christ himselfe vers 37. He that sowes the good seed is the Sonne of man He is that good Husband-man without whose labour the field of the whole world had layne in perpetuall barrennes The labour of this second Adam was notably typified in the first Adam dressing the garden resembling the Church of God dressed and brought to fruitfulnes by the infinite labour of Iesus Christ. This husbandry of Christ was alse resembled in Noah the builder of the Arke who was an Husband-man Quest. Are not Ministers Sowers Answ. Christ is the principall Sower and properly the Sower Ministers are rather the sowers basket than the Sower but yet they are taken in as co-workers with Christ and for their honour and encouragement called Sowers as 1. Cor. 9.11 If wee haue sowne vnto you spirituall things c. But with these differences 1. Christ sowes his owne field which he hath dearely purchased with his precious blood they sowe not their owne fields but his not being Lords of the heritage of God 1. Pet. 5.3 2. Hee sowes his owne seed so in the Text the Sower sowed his seed they haue no seede of their owne but fetched out of his Garner Pastors and Teachers of the Church sowe not their owne seed but his Nay the Apostles themselues haue it in their Apostolike Commission to teach men to obserue no other things but whatsoeuer Christ himselfe commanded them Mat. 28.20 Hence Christ vsed to say Verily verily I say vnto you but all other whether Prophets or Apostles or Pastors Thus saith the Lord. 3. They differ in the manner of sowing Hee was the most skilfull Sower that euer was he knew exactly what graine euery ground was fitted for with him were treasures of wisedome Wee that haue but drops from his fulnesse are vnskilfull in comparison Hee could speake to mens priuate and personall sinnes as the woman at the Wel. He could answere to mens thoughts and reasonings We not so 4. Wee differ in efficacy We may sowe and plant this is all suppose it be Paul or Apollos himselfe we can giue no increase nor make any thing to grow But hee can sowe and giue increase at his pleasure This Sower can giue the first and latter raine on his field Ioel. 2.23 Hee can warme it with the beames of grace streaming from his owne brightnesse Mal. 4.2 He is the Sunne of righteousnesse He can blow vpon his field with the prosperous winds of his gracious and quickening Spirit Esa. 3.8 Cant. 4.16 He can fatten and fill it with all abundance of blessing Psal. 65.10 Thou blessest the bud of the earth thou crownest the yeere with goodnesse and thy steps drop fatnesse II. The Action This Sower goeth forth Christ goeth forth to sowe three wayes in Spirit Person Ministery 1. In Spirit by inward inspirations and heauenly motions And thus he sowed in the heart of Adam Noah Abraham and the Prophets who were with other holy men immediately inspired and acted by the holy Ghost 1. Pet. 1.21 So with the Pen-men of Scriptures and the Apostles 2. In Person according to his Humanity hee commeth out from the bosome of his Father and comes into the field of the World by his happy Incarnation by which he was neerer vnto vs than before and in our owne flesh reuealed vnto vs the counsell of his Father vnweariably preaching in Ierusalem Nazareth Iudea Galile in Cities fields sea and euery where 3. In the Ministery of his seruants he goeth forth both the Prophets and Teachers before him 1. Pet. 3.19 by which Spirit hee preached in Noahs time namely in Noah himselfe to the spirits now in prison He saith to Prophets as vnto Ieremy chap. 1.10 Behold this day haue I set thee ouer the Nations to plucke vp and root out to destroy and throw downe to build and to plant And Ezek. 3.17 Sonne of man I haue made thee a watchman to the house of Israel therefore heare the Word at my mouth and warne them from me And since his owne Ascension hee went forth in the Ministery of his Apostles and still goeth forth in the Ministery of Pastors and Teachers to the end of the world Math. 28. vlt. Behold I am with you to the end of the world and He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10.16 But this Parable seemeth to haue speciall eye and reference to his owne appearance and labour in the dayes of his flesh in the publishing of his holy Doctrine through Iudea and Ierusalem Yet so as looke what successe his own sowing found the same might his seruants expect euen to the end For the seruant is not greater then his Master and if the Word in the mouth of his Ministers proue fruitlesse it is no maruell seeing the same befell our Lord himselfe III. The Intention is to sow his seed To sow that is to preach for preaching resembleth
hath sowne and husbanded these wicked seeds vvhich hauing found a fit and friendly soyle come vp so fast But the end of this blessed seede sowne amongst vs is that vve might be set and grow vp in that blessed seede that vve should become the seed of Abraham and the seed of the blessed of the Lord. 4. As a small seede encreaseth of small becomes great of a little becomes more the season cherisheth it time dilates it and it growes stronger firmer and whiter to the haruest so must Hearers labour that the Word rooted and quickened in their hearts may prosper and ripen and by the gracious season may receiue daily encrease and strength as the yeere and the haruest drawes on that is they must grow higher toward heauen euery day than other Vse 3. See hereby the necessity of the Word and Ministery as of seed and husbandry for the haruest 1. A madnesse it is to looke for an haruest without a seed-time so it is as great a folly to expect saluation without the Ministery As well maiest thou expect an haruest without labourers as a Church without Preachers No seed no haruest For the haruest is potentially in the seed so is eternall life potentially in the Word of God preached Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God to saluation 2. No care of seed no care of haruest so no care of Gods Word no care of saluation except thou wilt be so mad as thinke to reape where thou hast not sowne 3. Hee that sparingly sowes his seed must expect a sparing haruest so slacke thou thy hand and care in the vse of the meanes thou shalt come short in the comfort and fruition of saluation 4. He that refuseth to be sowed vpon refuseth to be found fruitfull in the haruest and seeing the heart yeelds no good fruits of it selfe needs must that heart bee an accursed ground that refuseth the seed of grace faith and goodnesse to bee cast into it An euill man out of the euill treasure of his heart bringeth forth euill things 5. He that hinders the Word or resists it either in himselfe or others withstands the Lords Husbandry in his owne saluation and in the saluation of his people as those that hinder sowing must needs hinder reaping and haruest And as he sowed some fell by the way-side and it was troden vnder foot and the fowles of heauen deuoured it vp Here begins the euent following the former action Where first note that hee saith not The Sower sowed by the way-side for no Sower would doe so because he knowes it were but lost labour and seed but in sowing some seed fell by the way-side beside the intentiō of the Sower who desires to lose none of his seed Secondly the same seed in it selfe as good as any fals by the way side in it selfe as fit for fruitfulnesse as any but altogether fruitlesse by the hardnesse of the soyle it fals into As the heart is into which the Word comes so is the fruit Suppose Christ the Seeds-man and his owne Word from his gracious lips the seed yet in many Hearers it shall not profit and yet neither the Sower nor seed is to be blamed but the indisposition or bad disposition of the heart Let vs therefore enquire 1. What is the nature of this ground 2. The reason of vnfruitfulnesse twofold one inward the seed was troden vnder foot the other outward the fowles came and deuoured it vp For the kinde of soyle it is the high-way side Our Sauiour plainly interprets it vers 12. They that are besides the way are they that heare but the diuell comes and takes it away out of their hearts and Math. 13.19 When a man heareth the Word and vnderstandeth it not This first sort of Hearers is compared to an high-way for these reasons 1. As an high-way lieth carelesse neglected vnbounded common not seuerall but is trodden and beaten with the feet of all sorts of passengers so these Hearers hearts are not inclosed and made seuerall for the seed of Gods Word for heauenly things but lie common and open to all tentations and suggestions of Satan to the couetous and carnall desires of earthly things which eate vp heauenly to vaine wandring idle cogitations and thoughts all which make a thorow-fare and beaten path in the heart 2. As in an high-way if any seed fall no man lookes to couer it no man respects it as looking for no good at all of it but leaue it to be trodden of beasts and eaten vp of birds so with these Hearers when the Word is preached they heare it carelesly without all attention or affection they care not to vnderstand it neuer couer it by meditation nor receiue it further than by giuing it the hearing they expect no good from it let errours and lusts come and tread it downe let the diuell by suggestions and tentations deuoure it vp they care neither to vnderstand nor receiue nor remember it 3. As high-way ground can neither receiue nor couer the seed or if it should it is so hard and padded that it cannot affoord it the least rooting at least to come vnto fruit the crop will neuer fill a mans hand Euen so these Hearers like hard and paued earth continually trodden and trampled with wandring thoughts and fruitlesse cogitations and tentations of the diuell heare the Word sometimes but without heart minde affection A little seed may lie on the superficies or top of their braine or tongue or may make a little shew on the outside but nothing of it gets within them nor takes any root and consequently yeelds no fruit of faith of Gods feare of piety or Christian conuersation Now for the causes of this vnfruitfulnesse The former is in their owne disposition they tread the seed vnder foote that is despise and vnderualue it It is the carelesse hearer who vnderstands not nor attends Doct. The carelesse hearer is the worst hearer of all as this first ground is the worst ground of all The other two are bad both yet they giue the seed some couer and receiue it in but these hold it out and leaue it where they found it Both the other giue some regard and bestow some affection vpon the Word but this treads it vnder as a most despised and dis-affected thing Both the other while in some sort they affect the Word are drawne aside by some profit pleasure feare or persecution but these by the immediate worke and malice of the diuell at whose will they are giuen vp to be ruled are so robbed of the Word and meanes of grace as they will neither make nor meddle with it further than the hearing Lastly the other bad grounds are farre from saluation in the end but the diuell suffers not these so much as set foot in the way and therefore their case is most hopelesse This carelesse Hearer is he that not only doth not vnderstand but he that doth not attend or apply his minde to
were enemies to Magistracy to Iudgement-seats to lawfull warres and that Christianity let in all confusion into the world that their Religion was against common sense and cut the sinewes of all humane society and it was not fit they should liue whose calumnies Athanasius and Cyrill answered But all these were as winde when God takes him in hand none nor all of these carry any waight in his owne conscience but he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that fought against God and as Basill speakes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a resister of Christ. Vse 2. If carelesse Hearers be the worst Hearers then beware of carelesse and negligent hearing without attention affection or vnderstanding The Apostle Iames chap. 1. vers 23. describes many of our Hearers to be like a man that lookes his naturall face in a glasse but goes away and forgets immediately what a one hee was The Word is Gods looking-glasse held before men in the Ministery this lets them see their faces their blemishes and spots but they like fooles looke vpon the glasse to see themselues onely not to reforme any thing Others fitly compare many of our Hearers to Idols that haue eyes and see not eares and heare not for they want the seeing eye and the hearing eare no more profiting than the very Images on the walls as vnmoueable by the promises or terrours of God as the pillars in the Church as senslesse as the seats they sit on meere Idols haue their bodies present not their soules neither is the breath of the Spirit in thē Let such be requested to consider a little these ensuing Motiues 1. What a great deceiuing of mens selues this is Iam. 1.22 Be ye doers of the Word and not hearers onely deceiuing your owne selues What delusion is it to thinke it enough to see a Sermon or bee at a Sermon without attending or marking any matter deliuered or to heare words but no more conceiue the sence and meaning then children that are brought in their laps Thou deceiuest thy selfe in a vaine perswasion that thou doest an acceptable seruice when indeed thou further enthrallest thy selfe to Satan and procurest a more iust and fearefull condemnation 2. It is a marke of a Disciple of Christ to vnderstand the Word Luk. 8.10 To you it is giuen to vnderstand the mysteries of the Kingdome to others in Parables Call thy selfe a Christian while thou wilt thou art indeed no Disciple that attendest not the Word but a stranger to the Word a stranger to the life of God through the ignorance that is in thee Ephes. 4.18 3. It is one of the seuerest plagues to heare and not vnderstand Mat. 13.15 For the Lord vsually giues vp such 1. To strong delusions in matter of doctrine and iudgement to receiue any thing but truth 2. Thes. 2.10 2. To vile affections and outragious lusts in conuersation Rom. 1.26 3. To a iust damnation for receiuing the grace of God in vaine and for neglecting so great saluation Heb. 2.3 4. Consider wee what it is wee are called vnto namely to heare and vnderstand as our Sauiour exhorts Mat. 15.10 Vnderstand what is the good and acceptable will of God Rom. 12.2 Else all our and your labour is lost as Nehem. 8.8 It had been in vaine for Nehemiah to reade in the Booke of the Law distinctly and giue the sence vnlesse he make the people vnderstand the reading Obiect 1. But I am a simple man and want that capacity that other men haue I am not booke-learned but I meane well and haue a good heart and I hope God will accept my good meaning Answ. 1. This is certaine that without vnderstanding the minde is not good Prou. 19.2 God accounts not the man or minde good that cares not to vnderstand his Word 2. Simplicity giues no dispensation to be the worst Hearer or destitute of desire after knowledge And remember one thing that if thou be too simple in some good measure to know and vnderstand the Word of God thou art too simple to get to heauen the God of light cannot accept an ignorant and blind meaning for a good minde and meaning 3. See whether thou beest not more heedlesse than simple and so thy simplicity bee wilfull None so blinde as he that will not see Doest thou shut thine eyes and then say thou canst not see or stop thine eares and say thou canst not heare with vnderstanding Doest thou indeed attend as thou wouldst to thy learned Counsell when thy free-hold is called into question 4. Try thy selfe whether thy conceit faile thee not more in the things of God than in the matters of the world Perhaps thou shalt finde thy wit quicke and nimble enough at a good and safe bargaine Thou hast reach enough to fetch in the profits of the world art subtill enough to circumuent thy brother and wise enough to doe euill Now must thou blame thy selfe for want of attention and affection not for want of capacity 5. Suppose thou be very simple behold God hath giuen his Word to the end that simple men might vnderstand Psal. 119.13 And if thou beest not booke-learned lo hee hath giuen store of learned men and teachers and appointed them to teach thee and the more simple thou art the more art thou bound to follow the meanes and not to flatter thy selfe in thy negligence Obiect 2. But I haue an ill memory and cannot bring things away as many men can Answ. This is the common plea of our common Gospellers they are most carelesse Hearers without all attention and all is presently forgotten and then they accuse God for giuing them an ill memory But 1. Consider O Man how thou doest affect that thou hearest Many come to heare because they dare not open their Shops Others because they haue nothing else to doe will goe to Church with their neighbours but haue no affection to that heauenly businesse And now I say thou wouldest remember if thou affectedst the Word Thy memory is sure enough at a Play In any worldly matter thou canst carry away and repeate long discourses from poynt to poynt onely here is a short memory because of short affection 2. Consider how thou bendest thy wits and attendest to that which thou sayest thou canst not remember Doest thou not thinke these are matters not so neerely concerning thee to know Worldly matters which concerne thy calling thou canst remember for thou thinkest them neerly belonging vnto thee and art content to bee taken vp wholly in them 3. How dost thou attend Thou sittest downe sometimes hearest sometimes sleepest sometimes talkest sometimes readest and now while thou doest euery thing but the one thing necessary doest thou complaine of an ill memory No it is an ill heart and disposition a sure note of a carnall man who yet thinkes himselfe sure to be saued 4. How doest thou prepare thy ground Doest thou pray to God to open thine eyes that thou maiest see the mysteries of his Law Thou
sayest thou lackest wisedome doest thou aske it of God Doest thou mingle the Word with faith without which it cannot profit Doest thou attend thy thoughts in hearing that thy mind bee not taken vp with other matters and by-thoughts Alas How canst thou keepe that in thy memory which neuer comes in thy head Lastly doest thou meditate on that thou hast heard How canst thou that neglectest these meanes complaine for want of memory and not of conscience Quest. But how shall I know that I vnderstand the Word and am not the worst ground Answ. 1. In true vnderstanding many good motions are stirred vp as 1. Cor. 14.23 when the secrets of his heart are discouered hee falls on his face and saith God is in you indeed This is one fruit of vnderstanding 2. A reioycing that we haue heard and vnderstood Neh. 8.12 All the people reioyced when they vnderstood things taught And this ioy is ioyned with an enquirie after that which we vnderstand not our selues as in the Disciples Matth. 15.15 3. A more cheerefull assembling to the place of Gods worship Act. 13.34 The next Sabbath all the people came to heare the Word 4. A good vnderstanding haue all they that doe thereafter Psal. 111.10 and this doing of that we know is a speciall meane to increase good knowledge and vnderstanding Ioh. 7.17 If any man will doe the will of my Father he shal know the doctrine whether it be from God or no. And the fowles of heauen deuoured it vp Here is the second the outward cause of fruitlesnesse in this high-way ground arising out of the malice of the diuell so vers 12. Then comes the diuell and takes the Word out of their hearts lest they should beleeue and be saued Where are three things to be considered 1. The description of this malicious person both by his name and by a similitude 2. The exercise of his malice he commeth 3. The end of his comming threefold 1. to steale the Word 2. to hinder faith 3. to bereaue men of saluation In the person so malicious we haue 1. his names 2. the similitude His names are three in the three Euangelists Matthew calls him the euill one chap. 13.19 Marke calls him Satan or the enemy chap. 4.15 and our Euangelist calls him a diuell that is an accuser of the brethren Lay these together and then obserue 1. That being an euill one he is full of euill in himselfe the author of much euill in others and one that delights himselfe in the euill both of sinne and punishment in others 2. In that hee is an enemy to vs hee must needs intercept all the meanes of our good and tempt vs to fruitlesse hearing by which he hinders vs of the greatest good that God offereth vnto vs. 3. In that he is a diuell that when he hath preuailed against vs and made vs carelesse hearers he will then accuse vs for such hearing A iust recompence of him who while he pretendeth a seruice to God yet performeth it to the diuell The similitude whereby hee is described will acquaint vs yet further with our danger being called the fowles of heauen that is of the aire the lowest of the three heauens In these respects 1. They are many and seeke to ouerthrow vs by multitude there be not so many birds flying in the aire as wicked spirits the Prince that beareth rule in the aire Ephes. 2.2 hath his troupes and legions to command into one man if God permit him as in that example Mark 5.9 Luk. 8.30 2. They be fowles of heauen that is of the aire aboue vs haue aduantage of the place Ephes. 6.12 spirituall wickednesses in high places We can no more hinder them from vs then wee can the birds from flying in the heauens aboue vs. 3. As the fowles or birds are swift and nimble and naturally in their element lighter and of more agilitie then other creatures So the wicked spirits are most quicke and most swift and speedy in their mischieuous motions against vs they flye swifter then Eagles from place to place to preuent vs euery where in the meanes of our good Their subtill slie and inuisible natures can easily ouer-match our grosse heauy and earthly mold who can no way make party good against them but by incessant watch against them 4. They be as the birds greedie and deuouring that look as hungry birds sometimes by whole flights follow the Seedsman and except great care be taken will picke vp and deuoure his seed well-neere so fast as he can sow it euen so a whole flight of diuels follow Gods Seedsman and frequent the Ministery that where the Word is sowne it shall presently be pickt vp if present care be not had to couer it Not a seed shall lye vncouered but one of these hellish birds or other presently deuoures it We haue descried the malicious person Now for the exercise of his malice it is said he commeth which is obserued by all the Euangelists and therefore by vs. In this comming of Satan consider 1. Whither 2. When 3. How he comes 1. Whither comes hee Answ. Hee comes to Church he is no Recusant himselfe though he make a number He comes to Church diligently He feares not the holinesse of the place He feares not the consecration of it to the worship of God He feares no ringing of Bels no Holy-water no kinde of Crosses in the place or in the face Nay he feares not the consecrated Hoast nor Crucifix no nor if Christs owne blessed presence were there He presumes into the holy City He glides into Paradise Nay while our Sauiour is now preaching this Parable to this multitude hee comes with his whole traine and flight of diuels Let vs therefore expect and prepare to meete with foulest spirits in the holiest places Fowles flocke not so fast after the Sower as Satan to the place of the Ministery 2. When comes he Answ. Whensoeuer any man heareth the Word of the Kingdom Mat. 13.19 1. When any man Hee feares no person nor spares him Hee comes to Adam and Eue in innocencie when they had heard the Word of the Lord. Hee comes and stands among the children of God that is the holy Angels None so good but Satan may hope to win him to heare vnprofitably None so bad but Satan thinks him good enough to waite on for if he come to the Word hee feares hee may lose him for hee knowes that as bad haue been wonne by it 2. Hee comes then when the word of the Kingdome is preached that is such Doctrines as tend to bring men to the Kingdome of God Oh this toucheth his freehold and makes him bestirre himselfe where Gods Word is soundly and sincerely preached Let a man deliuer corrupt erronious or friuolous doctrine the diuell makes no such haste vnlesse to make way for it But come to a conscionable and fruitfull Ministery be sure to finde him there or he will be sure to finde thee 3. Satan
the Apostles ayme 1. Pet. 5.7 8. He cares for you but watch for the diuell who as a roring Lion seeketh to deuoure Vse 1. In that the diuell comes learne not to content thy selfe with comming to Church but see thy ende bee better than his yea contrary to his Hee comes with a purpose to hinder the power of the Word in thy heart to hinder thy faith and saluation Come thou with a purpose to set forward the power of the Word in thy heart to set forward thy faith and saluation Quest. How may I know that the worke of faith and saluation is set forward in mee by the Word Answ. 1. If it haue brought thee to the sight of thy sinne and the sence of thy danger by it This is the first effectuall worke of the Word as Christ first conuinced the woman of Samaria of her adultery Peter tels the Iewes Act. 2. that they had slaine Iesus Christ. 2. If the Law being a Schoolemaster to Christ haue sent thee out of thy selfe to apprehend the remedy of the Gospell as the Iaylor being cast downe said Oh what shall I doe to be saued Beleeue in the Lord Iesus said the Apostle and thou shalt bee saued Act. 16.30 31. This is the method of sound Ministery first truly to humble then to raise againe 3. If thou findest it a Ministery of the Spirit conueying the Spirit into thy heart for the consumption of corruption and repairing thee to a new life of grace Gal. 3.2 Receiued ye the Spirit by the workes of the Law or by the hearing of faith preached 4. If thou carriest it into thy soule as a light into a darke place 2. Pet. 1.19 to follow the directions of it and to guide thy wayes according to euery precept of it If now thou intendest when thou commest to bee led further into the sight of thy sinne led neerer vnto Iesus Christ to draw of his fulnesse led further into the sanctification of the Spirit and led as a blind man by the guidance of the Word certainely the Word is of power to set forward thy faith and saluation notwithstanding all Satans malice Vse 2. The diuell knowes that faith is by heareing and saluation by faith 1. I would our Popish Recusants knew so much so they would make a better vse of this knowledge than to withstand both faith and hearing 2. I wish our formall Protestants knew it who will scarce step out of dores to heare but in policy will heare so much as they may bee counted no Atheists or Papists but indifferent men as they be too indifferent whether they heare or no. 3. I wish they knew it who by reading at home will beleeue and bee saued by their eyes which are vnsufficient to breed faith For God hath giuen the sence of hearing this preeminence Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeue vnlesse they heare The sight is a sence of discipline but hearing the sence of faith 4. I wish our Atheisticall scorners who think they know so much as they contemne the Ministery that they knew as much as the diuell then would they not barre and excommunicate themselues so wilfully from the meanes of faith and saluation they would not turne away the eare if they knew that faith were dropt in by the eare 5. I would our carelesse and sleepy hearers knew it who shut the dore of faith lest they should bee saued Neuer will God open their hearts as Lydias by the Word who shut their eares 6. I wish they also would learne a lesson from the diuell who content themselues to liue in dry and barren places destitute of the meanes of faith and saluation as Lot who chose Sodom for the fruitfulnesse of the ground before Canaan and delight in the hills of Samaria among idolatrous Papists rather than in Sion Hill among true worshippers I am sure thou wouldest chuse to dwell with the Lord hereafter then chuse to dwell now where the Lord dwelleth In a word Let vs all perswade our selues of that whereof the diuell himselfe doubts not 1. That God hath appointed hearing for the engendring of faith For as by hearing the diuels voice we lost our faith and happinesse so the Lord hath appointed by hearing his voice againe as the most conuenient meanes to recouer our faith and saluation 1. Cor. 1.21 It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching to saue them that beleeue And he hath tyed faith and saluation to preaching both by precept and promise and tyed vs to them though himselfe be free We haue no other ordinary meanes 2. We would rate our selues if we should carelesly or wilfully lose our money or gold or slip the meanes of getting and encreasing them But behold faith is much more precious than gold 1. Pet. 1.7 and saluation far more precious than faith If it were a small thing to lose faith yet it is something to lose saluation more to lose it so wilfully Vse 3. Seeing Satan comes to Church to steale the Word know that thou neuer commest to Church but Satan an enemy a theefe comes with thee to rob thee of the Word of the treasure of faith and bereaue thee of life euerlasting Therfore deale with him as with a theefe 1. Suspect him trust him not onely a watchfull eye preuents an vntrusty fellow 2. Locke that thou hearest from him keepe the Word in a safe place vnder locke and key hide it in the middest of thy heart Psal. 119.11 couer this heauenly seed Motiues 1. Thus wee doe for our money wee are carefull of our Euidences Iewels Plate and things of worth let vs also esteeme the Word as Dauid aboue thousands of gold and siluer 2. Naturall wisedome teacheth a man if hee haue some speciall Iewels and knowes he hath theeues about him not to leaue them abroad or lay them in the way of a cunning theefe from whom he can scarce by all his care keepe them 3. Satan cannot steale if thou leaue not thy wealth abroad Therefore doe for the Word as for thy seed in thy field the Husbandman so soone as he hath cast it couers it with the Plough or Harrow and so preuents the picking vp of birds so must thou couer the seed of the Word in the furrowes of thy affections lay it deepe in the ground of thy heart by serious attention meditation conference practice Else if the seed lie on the ground vncouered vncared for these birds presently picke vp all to thy losse and sinne 3. If thou perceiue that this theefe hath stolne away the Word from thee follow him with Hue and cry repent thy sinne lament thy losse complaine to God pray thou maist recouer the losse and preuent the like for time to come Quest. How may I know the diuell hath robbed me of the Word Answ. 1. If after much plaine and powerfull preaching and hearing thou hast learned little Many will commend Sermons where the diuell gets all from them Many commend the Preacher
and seed-time and is it not commendable in Christianity to know the day of visitation Or how can he expect a crop in haruest that sleepes and trifles away his seed-time And surely we cannot but commend such as esteeme the Word worthy of present entertainment and in comparison of it vndervalue inferiour things and occasions which would put off the present receiuing of it Where note by the way that bad Hearers may thinke the Word a matter of haste and waight and importance 3. These bad Hearers and stony ground receiue it with ioy They are no scorners or railers on their Preachers but giue their Ministers great reuerence as Herod did Iohn Baptist. They hate neither Micah nor his message but heare gladly but giue the Word good words and good welcome they reioyce in the Word and receiue it with good hearts conferre of it willingly reioyce in their trauell and paines to heare the Word conceiue great ioy in the remembrance of seuerall poynts as distinctly as they heare them are exceeding glad and desirous of meanes of sound instruction Alas that all this while these should be bad Hearers and neuer a whit neerer their saluation but in the state of damnation 4. This stony ground brings vp the seede sowne it sprung vp saith our Text. This seed of the Word riseth vp and appeareth and seemeth to tend toward heauen shooting vp from earth 1. It riseth to externall obedience and reformation of many perhaps most things as Herod did many things for Iohn Iudas receiued this seede it sprung vp in him that he not onely vnderstood and preached the mysterie of the Gospell but carried himselfe in an honest and reformed conuersation a long time so as the other Disciples could not detect him 2. The seed springeth vp to an outward profession as those that hope to be saued by it and so to an outward fellowship and Communion with the Saints in the Word Sacraments and many other godly exercises both publike and priuate 3. It springeth vp in this stony ground to a kind of faith which hath in it not an enlightning only but a taste of the heauenly gift and the powers of the world to come by which they are partakers of the holy Ghost that is something they haue so like true sanctification that both themselues others may think them truly sanctified And yet these so bad Hearers as they may and somtimes doe fall into that irrecouerable sin against the holy Ghost Heb. 6.4 5. and as our Text yet they withered away as some of the Israelites tasted of the fruits of the Land of Canaan and did thereby perceiue what a good Land it was and desired part in it conceiued good hope of enioying possessing it yet neuer enioied it but perished in the wildernes Learne hence how farre a bad Hearer may goe in Christianity A man may heare the Word with diligence receiue it with ioy beleeue with some assurance grow vp to high place in the profession of Religion bring forth fruits of commendable obedience and all this while be bad ground and in damnable estate See it more distinctly in these foure degrees 1. Reprobates may be forward Hearers hungry and desirous Hearers so glad to heare as if they haue not the Word at home they will with zeale and forwardnesse seeke it abroad Ioh. 6.34 The Iewes hearing Christ speake of bread from heauen and such as giueth life to the world flocked after him euery where and with earnest desire say Lord giue vs euermore this bread and yet many of them fell away from him vers 66. 2. They may be ioyfull Hearers receiue the Word with ioy as our Text hath it Act. 26.28 Agrippa hauing heard Paul deliuering the summe of the Gospell and of the strange manner both of his owne conuersion and of mans saluation by Christs humility and glory rauished with the excellency of it cries Almost thou perswadest me to be a Christian. And of Iohns Hearers our Sauiour saith Ye reioyced in his light for a season Ioh. 5.35 3. They may be beleeuing Hearers for a time so saith the Text which for a while beleeue and according to Matthew endure as beleeuers for a time They are verily perswaded of the truth of the whole doctrine of saluation that euery word shall be accomplished in the saluation of Beleeuers and iust condemnation of vnbeleeuers They beleeue it alone teacheth the right way to heauen Of Simon Magus it is said Act. 8.13 that he beleeued and was baptized not that he had true faith for euen then Peter saw him in the gall of bitternesse and band of iniquity but he yeelded to the doctrine of Christ which Philip taught and behaued himselfe as if hee had beleeued indeed and had been a Disciple of Christ. 4. They may bee growing Hearers 1. To a great measure of illumination Balaam a wretched sorcerer was enlightned so farre as to see the blessed estate of Gods people and desirous to partake of their happinesse he cried out in great passion Oh that my soule might die the death of the righteous Iudas a wretched Traytor and sonne of perdition could neuer haue preached the Gospell without a great measure of the illumination in himselfe 2. They may grow to a great place in the profession as Iudas to follow Christ himselfe at the heeles and call him Master 3. To a great measure of reformation of life and obedience to the Gospell being in the same pastures with the sheepe of Christ hee is taken for a sheepe when indeed he is a goat for a time in the same fold with the sheepe Reasons 1. Men may be drawne to heare gladly where faith is not for illumination sake or enlightening sake It is a pleasant thing saith Salomon to behold the light of the Sunne There is a great force and power in the light to draw all mens eyes after it So is there power and force in the Word soundly taught to draw mens affections of ioy and delight at least for a time And euen naturall men also who are of quicke apprehension can reioyce to heare deepe poynts learnedly and soundly opened and cases of Conscience or questions of Religion soundly discussed Math. 12.37 When our Sauiour disputed with the Scribes and Pharises and put them to silence it is said much people heard him gladly No maruell then is it if supernaturall illumination although a common gift bring men with much ioy to heare the Word For is it not a ioyfull thing to heare of the way of saluation and of so many promises and an eternall happinesse after this life Who would not come running as gladly as the young man to heare he should bee saued who not liking the conditions went away as heauily So who will not throng and thrust after a pleasing Preacher or so long as he dwels in Promises If a Preacher pipe the profanest will dance But if he come to the Law oh they cannot abide to heare of damnation and
pauement They are not terrified by denunciation of all the iudgements of God which are their owne portion not comforted with promises though they falsly conceiue them their owne but as the froward Iewes Math. 11.17 are like froward children whether they be piped or mourned vnto they be all one moued with neither 4. See we in our Text a great many who grow vp by the Word and by their delight and diligence are furnished with a great measure of knowledge that they can fruitfully conferre of the Scriptures they can try Doctrines by Scripture and iudge betweene truth and falsehood yea they are growne vp to a glorious profession with much zeale and forwardnesse and not onely so but to such a reformation as they seeme throughly sanctified make much of Ministers and be at cost to any good purpose and as forward as any and yet with more than all this be bad ground and reprobate Alas what then shall become of a multitude of our carelesse and forgetfull Hearers of our brutish and senslesse Hearers who are resolued to remaine so What of those barren hearts whose fallow grounds the Lord hath plowed vp sowed on them the seeds of eternall life watered them with continuall dewes of heauen and lookes for the fruits of obedience but reapes onely tares and cursed fruits of ignorance wilfulnesse opposition of sincerity scorne of his faithfull Ministers and contemning of his grace offered vnto them Oh my brethren if euer you were serious in any thing concerning your good thinke seriously of this one poynt And if God euer made me able to speake to your hearts Oh that I could carry this poynt in and reach the hearts of you all Or rather let the Lord who made your hearts take this his owne honour and speake so as they may heare That numbers of you come short of these bad Hearers and that multitudes of Reprobates in the Day of the Lord shall rise vp in iudgement to condemne many of vs who neuer receiue the Word so readily so hungrily so painfully so ioyfully so fruitfully as they haue done That numbers of cursed caitiffes shall be able to say more for their owne saluation then numbers of vs They shall be able to say Lord wee haue stept many a mile to heare thy Word wee haue carefully attended marked remembred meditated conferred and applyed it It was our ioy and delight to gaine the knowledge of holy things and to our knowledge we ioyned zeale forwardnesse and reformation We professed thy Name suffered many things for our profession loued thy House reuerenced thy Ministers and would haue parted with our eyes to haue done them good Also we were liberall to the poore Saints and to other good purposes Canst thou say thus much for thy selfe If thou canst not thou commest behinde a Cast-away If thou canst thou art not yet before a Reprobate And if hee that cannot say more shall neuer come to heauen how shall he come there that cannot say halfe so much Why should we not hence shame our selues that Reprobates and such as heauen shall be shut against are so far before vs Can we haue comfort or hope in such an estate as is outstripped by hopelesse and damned hypocrites Obiect What doe you meane to driue vs all to despaire Is this the way to reach vs the assurance of our saluation to which you so often call vs Can we be assured by such a desperate and vncomfortable Doctrine Answ. 1. This Doctrine seemes harsh and vncomfortable to such as faine would presume of a good estate but haue no good cause or ground Such as would hang like Meteors in the aire betweene hope and doubt leauing the assurance and good euidence to such as care for it are by this Doctrine discarded and disappointed And yet not driuen to despaire by it because God hath appointed a meanes to draw them out of the danger and despaire of their present estate by Iesus Christ and the sincere embracing of the meanes of saluation and assurance 2. This Doctrine directly intends the most assured comfort and consolation of Gods children which will hold out in the day of triall because it enforceth the Christian to soundnesse in his course and to run his race of Christianity not as at vncertaintie 1. Cor. 9.26 which is indeed most vncomfortable It forceth him to diligence in prouing himselfe and suffers him not to stay where bad Hearers doe but to goe further euen so farre as they cannot come Vse 2. Seeing many shall seeke so diligently to enter and shall not be able Luk. 13.24 let vs seriously examine our selues and proue whether wee goe beyond the scantling of Reprobates in hearing Wee see how many great things they attaine vnto who by them neuer attaine to eternall life and many hope to attaine eternall life who neuer attained such gifts as many wicked men haue But for our assurance of saluation let vs sift our hearts to the bottome and gage these hollow vessels and not content ourselues in any of these gifts till we can say in truth Heerein I goe beyond a Reprobate neuer could hypocrite attaine this Here for our better furtherance in so waighty a businesse I will enter into a more speciall examination of these foure things 1. Of desires 2. Of illumination 3. Of ioy 4. Of growth by the Word In the triall whereof wee shall the better iudge of our owne soundnesse I. Examine thy desires after God and his Word in these particulars 1. In the ground of them Then onely are they gracious and acceptable first when thou hast proued and discerned that the doctrine is of God and yeeldest not to it in any other respect but as to the authority of God And secondly when thou hast prized the thing desired aboue all that may be compared with it and so taking thy heart from all other things bestowed it onely on it as the chiefe good This an hypocrite cannot doe He may attaine a desire but it is altogether vngrounded This stony ground desires and receiues the seed immediately indeed too hastily the desire being an heritage hastily gotten Either out of simplenesse and leuity and lightnesse in beleeuing as Prou. 14.15 The foole beleeues euery thing and they yeeld presently without any good warrant Or out of policy and warinesse for indirect and present respects they so consent to the truth as that they are as ready to consent to errour if it be deliuered with any shew or vrged on them by superiours The winde driues not the clouds about more vsually then are these windy Professors with winds of doctrine This therefore thou must doe in the first place Looke that thy desire bee thus soundly grounded It was the commendation of the Bereans that they receiued the Word with all readines but so as they searched the Scriptures and knew them to be so And let vs doe in our way to heauen as Peter in his way to Macedonia Act. 16.10 After he saw a vision
is necessarily required moisture of grace as to the fruits of earth moisture in the earth But what moisture is in a stone A stone indeed may be moyst on the outside in moyst weather The walls and Marbles seeme to weepe and drops stand on them in rainy seasons not because moisture is in them but moisture offers it selfe vnto them but they hold it not so as they remaine as hard and dry within as euer before So with this stony heart where hardnes of heart raigneth no moisture of Grace no relenting or giuing within Indeed in foule weather when the storme of God is risen an inuincible hard heart as hard as a Marble may seeme soft Pharaoh yeelds and giues againe on the outside You may see drops of water standing in Esaus eyes who wept when the blessing was gone Iudas seemes moystened with repentance Balaam melts a little and wisheth to die well Foelix moulders a little and trembles But we must distinguish this from sound moysture of grace 1. These be flashes and sudden motions and as seldome as the weeping of walls 2. This moysture comes not from an heart softened but from slauish feare or present smart euen from the present disposition of the weather from without 3. So soone as faire weather comes againe the stones are as dry as euer they were so these returne to their former lusts so soone as the foule weather is ouer as Pharaoh Foelix c. Vse 1. Doest thou heare the Word preached without any great fruit Then lay the blame where indeed it is Some impute it to the difficulty of the Word Others to the fault of the Minister who pleaseth them not either in the matter or manner But it were far more commendable for thee to impute thy vnprofitablenesse to the hardnesse of thine owne heart and so take thy sinne home to thy selfe so did the Apostle Paul Rom. 7.14 when he perceiued that the Law of God was not so efficacious to him as he desired he accused not the Law but maintayned it to be spirituall but himselfe as sold vnder sinne He condemned himselfe not the Word so doe thou for the Gospell is the power of God to saluation it is spirit and life and mighty in operation If it worke not so mightily on thy hart then see thy hardnesse bewaile it let godly sorrow and griefe daily dropping make this stone hollow till it haue broken it Vse 2. That of the Apostle Hebr. 3.7 To day if ye will heare his voyce harden not your hearts All the seed cast vpon an hard heart is lost as if a man should sowe on a rocke where is no place for root or moysture Beware of an hard heart there is no curse to that almost no sinne to that Better that all thy field were couered ouer with stones than thy hart should Nay it were better for thee to be a dead stone than a liuing stone Now the markes to know an hard heart are these 1. When Gods Word makes no impression or gets not within the heart to renew or reforme the man though sometimes it may scratch the outside and restraine him When the Law is threatened hee either blesseth himselfe or turneth his eare from it or applies it to others not himselfe And the Gospell enters not because the Law hath not pierced nor been as a needle to make way Let all the mercies of the Gospell be shewed to the wicked he will not repent nor learne to doe well 2. Neglect or light ouer-passing the workes of Gods Mercy or Iustice vpon himselfe or others For mercies when the goodnesse of God leades him not to repentance Rom. 2.4 5. Our Lord makes this a cause euen in his owne Disciples in whom the sin raigned not that they forgat the matter of the loaues because their hearts were hardened Mark 6.52 For the Iudgements of God his workes of Iustice doe moue somewhat more than Mercies but nothing to amendment Pharaoh when iudgement puts him to a plunge could say I haue sinned here is a little scratch on his heart as on a Stethy but the hardnes recoyles the stroke that should breake the heart to pieces so as after all the strokes of God there is no reformation 3. Vnfeelingnesse of hardnesse and vnwillingnes to feele it no mislike of it no desire to vnderstand the danger of it When men desire to sit quiet in sin and nothing so offends them as to heare their sinne disgraced when they turne their backes and stop their eares Zech. 7.11 Being as loth to bee drawne to a Sermon powerfull against sinne as Israel to come neere the Mountaine Whereas a soft heart is most sensible of much hardnesse in it and counts no burthen comparable thereto 4. For the maintaining their estate credit and fauour in the world or their lusts and pleasures to oppose and dislike such Doctrines courses and persons as haue the Word on their sides Pharaoh must not seeme to be ouercome by such meane people and therefore seeing euidently the Lord stand for them he obdured himselfe The Scribes and Pharises conuinced in their conscience of the truth of Christs Doctrine and the innocency of his person did out of hardnesse of heart euer oppose both his Doctrine and Person because they must maintaine their credit in the world and vphold their pompe and glory against him though hee had truth and equity and innocency on his side The like of all hardened persecutors of the poore Saints 5. Out of resolution of following a mans owne present course whatsoeuer perswasions or Doctrines he heareth to the contrary to fly occasions and companies which might touch or worke vpon his conscience Some cannot abide to heare strict Preachers that allow them no vnlawfull liberty no not affoord them a looke on the forbidden fruit Others cannot endure the society of a faithfull friend that will truly tell them of thēselues No such string must be touched This argues a soule or soyle settled in hardnesse 6. Habits and customable sins which make the heart as a path-way A soft heart smites it selfe for once sinning and for small sinning Dauids heart smote him for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment How would it haue smote him for cutting off his head But custome of sinne hardeneth exceedingly Heb. 3.13 Take heede lest any be hardened through the deceitfulnes of sin And by hindring repentance it holds men in the trade of sinne Hardnesse and the heart that cannot repent are ioyned together Rom. 2.5 Vse 3. As euer thou wouldest heare the Word to saluation labour for a soft and melting heart such as good Iosias had whose soule melted to heare the words of the Law read The greatest blessing heere below is an heart flexible and bowed to the obedience of God And hereunto consider these Motiues 1. That it is a note of a child of God to haue his natiue hardnesse mollified and his naturall stubbornnesse corrected and altered by the Spirit of sanctification 2. Thes. 2.13
off as an old ragge the superfluity of maliciousnesse and filthinesse that is the abundance of carnall affections loosenesse of life pride disdaine wrath contention earthly pleasures vanity euill speaking of diuine doctrine c. and in the next verse shews that with these lusts men may be Hearers of the Word but neuer doers till they be weeded out they will at length ouergrow it See this in the examples of wicked men Herod let his lust and inordinate affection to his brothers wife grow with the Word therefore notwithstanding hee reuerenced Iohn and did many things gladly yet this lust choaked the Word and it came to nothing Iudas heard the Word from the mouth of Iesus Christ and by it grew to a great reformation but suffering the lust of couetousnesse to grow vp with it it soone ouergrew the Word and hee betrayed his Master Simon Magus heard the Word beleeued walked with Philip as a Disciple no grosse thing appeared in him a man would haue thought the Word wondrously powerfull in him but he suffered the lust of pride or couetousnesse to spring vp with the Word and when occasion was offered it ouertopt the Word and bewrayed it selfe in seeking to buy the gifts of the holy Ghost with money See it also in the examples of good men Rom. 7.19 20 21. Paul professeth of himselfe that he cannot doe the good he would because euill is present with him and generally of all Beleeuers Gal. 5.17 the flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh so that ye cannot doe the things ye would Asa a good King being reprooued by Hanani the Seer for his vaine confidence in the King of Syria was wroth with him and put him in a prison-house for saith the text he was in a rage with him because of this thing And so was Ionah with the Lord himselfe Reason 1. Ill weeds we say spring apace good seeds or herbes not halfe so fast Wee shall see a Bramble grow more in seuen moneths than an Oke in seuen yeeres So our text the thornes grow vp with the seed but choake it by ouergrowing 2. Our grounds are fit and prepared to produce thornes rather than bring vp the good seed Our hearts are the naturall mother to lusts but a stepmother to seedes of Grace For there lies in our nature a sea of euill lusts lurking our owne originall lust is a fountaine and an inordinate disposition to all euill From which fountaine issue innumerable streames of actuall lusts which are the innumerable motions of the soule contrary to euery Commaundement of God All which in their seuerall armies and bands issue out against God and his Word as the Philistims still warred against Israel Now our ground being so apt to weeds they will soone ouergrow the Word if but a little neglected 3. A part of the curse on mans sin is that the earth should bring forth thornes and thistles The earth should haue brought them forth if man had not sinned but they should not haue bin so noysome and hurtfull to man and the fruits of the earth Euen so it is a part of the curse of our sinne that there should grow vp such noysome lusts as thornes in the ground of our hearts as doe farre more hinder the growth of grace in our hearts and choke the Seed of the Word sowne in our soules than all the weedes and thornes in the world can choke the seeds and fruits of the earth Lusts are still remaining in the best but not now as a curse but only as the Canaanites to keepe them humble 4. The raigne of lust cannot but thrust downe the raigne of the Word for first that the Word may raigne it must be vnderstood but thornes hinder the light of the Sunne from the seed How can a man see obiects that hath a thorne run into his eye So one thorne is enough to darken the eye of the vnderstanding And therefore 1. Pet. 2.1 The Apostle wisheth vs to lay aside all euill affections not some not a little not the waste boughes but the root and stumpe Secondly that the Word may raigne it must first renew But there can be no new creature till the old man be put off with his lusts Ephes. 4.22 23. Till this bee the truth of Christ cannot bee learned as in Christ. Impossible it is to answere the heauenly Seed or be answerable to the meanes of diuine regeneration vnlesse we put away the former prauity of nature As a man can neuer set vp a new frame till hee haue remoued the old rubbish Thirdly that the Word may raigne it must be obeyed when it commands and be expressed in the fruits of holinesse But lusts vnsubdued oppose themselues and hinder the motions when they should come into practice and the Lords Plant becomes fruitfull onely on that condition that the Father purge it Ioh. 15.2 How can a man walke on cheerfully in his way that hath a thorne sticking in his foote No lesse doe these thornes cast men backe in their way of obedience these superfluities of lusts and inordinate desires are as dead branches that must be lopped off before fruit can bee expected Vse 1. See hereby the reason why numbers haue either growne so slowly or not at all after much labour of the Lords husbandmen namely because their hearts are as thorny ground Some came with minds stuffed with couetous desires some with fleshly imaginations or filthy cogitations others with proud conceits of their owne knowledge and wisedome others alienated with contempt and hatred of the Word which crosseth their lusts Partial Hearers heare with respect of persons or degrees Popish Hearers neuer profit that come with obstinacy and preiudice of our doctrine Where these or the like lusts sway expect no profit No planting no watering can make seed prosper where these thornes grow with it Obiect One lust can doe no great harme in other things we are honest enough but onely in vsurie or gaming or a little Oth or Lye now and then Answ. One thiefe is enough to betray an house one diuell suffered to enter brings seuen worse than himselfe and let any come with purpose to continue in any one sinne nothing shall moue him nothing shall conuert him One Swine spoyles a whole garden One dead Fly the whole oyntment One hole in a ship the whole vessell Vse 2. If we desire the Word should prosper in vs doe as the good Husbandman who would keepe his ground in good kilter on which his seed is cast or to be cast First hee will bring in the Plough to prepare it and lay it fallow both to rot and vnroot the weeds that would choke the seed For it is a shame and part of negligence in an Husbandman to haue his fallowes lie full of weeds So must thou see that thou bring into thy heart the grace of mortification which is a generall vnrooting of these thornes and weeds Good husbandry contents not
it selfe with some good seed springing vp vnlesse it kill the weeds No more content thou thy selfe with the rising and mouing of some good affections vnlesse thou mortifie the bad and noysome Ierem. 4.4 Plough vp the fallow ground of you hearts and sowe not among thornes Secondly the Husbandman ploughes it againe that if any weeds peepe out he may roote them vp so carefull he is for his earthly commodity No lesse carefull should wee be if after grace receiued lusts will be still stirring to root them out Heb. 12.15 Take heed that no root of bitternesse spring vp and trouble you according to that in Deut. 29.18 Let there bee no root among you that bringeth gall and wormewood If there be any lust be it neuer so secret and hidden as a root or neuer so fixed and fastened as a root is spare it not nip it not off but plucke it vp by the roots be not content to bridle lusts but kill them satisfie not thy selfe with an absence of fleshly operation as if it were sanctification but onely with a slaying of it for if there be a liuing root within it will shew it selfe when the seed springs and soone ouertake it too Thirdly if after all this there be any weeds growing vp with the seed the Husbandman will bring in his weeding hooke into the field hee will not see a weed or thorne peepe but he will weede it out 1. Because he would haue his corne grow alone Wouldest thou haue the Word to thriue in thy soule Let it grow alone How speedily should a man rise towards heauen if the Word had the onely roome in his heart But 2. Because that is impossible either in the earth or our hearts he will bee sure by his hooke to set the seed aboue the weeds labour thou also to set the Word aboue thy lusts and contrary motions Quest. How shall I doe that Answ. 1. By daily exercise in the Word reading and meditating this discouers the weeds thornes 2. By daily prayer and confession of knowne sinnes this is a getting of the weeding hooke into our hands 3. By Christian humility and fasting this is the cutting off of lusts by which they daily wither and dry away this crucifies the affections and lusts 4. By auoiding occasions of sinne and sinners especially watching narrowly our owne inclinations 5. Keepe vnder the lusts of the flesh by the lusts of the Spirit Gal. 5.17 The Spirit lusteth against the flesh that is both in curbing and restraining euill motions and ingendring good cogitations motions and desires agreeable to the will of God Rom. 13. vlt. By putting on the Lord Iesus represse the lusts of the flesh Prou. 12.5 A godly man is said to haue right thoughts and chap. 11.23 His desires are onely good not that he is without euill desires sometime but he resists and fights against them and God imputes not that which he hates and repents of We see the soyle Now let vs see the hopefull successe of the seede in it The thornes grow with it Though there be a further growth of the seed in this ground then in the former yet at length it is as fruitlesse 1. Here are soft and tender hearts brought to the Word better prepared for the seed than the former 2. Here is a deeper rooting a further measure of vnderstanding a more vehement carriage of the affection vnto it in motions of ioy loue and delight a more settled purpose to follow the Word 3. Here is a further shew of fruits a standing in a glorious profession an hopefull sprouting and springing in the fruits of good workes and a longer hope thereby than before Yet these so softned so rooted so farre growne aboue many zealous Professors are ranged in the ranke of bad and fruitlesse Hearers for as it is in vers 14. Afterward they are choaked Doctr. The fruitfull and commendable Hearer is he that heareth for afterward Esa. 42.23 A bad Hearer can heare well for the present but afterward all is lost Prou. 4.18 The way of the righteous shineth as light that shineth more and more vntill perfect day They adde vnto their knowledge as men doe to their stocke and saue what they get and so grow abundantly rich in grace whereas he that spends as fast as he gets and onely maintaines the present with his gettings must dye a begger Many are the exhortations to lay fast hold on the Word and to lay it vp safe in the midst of the heart and to keepe it as a mans life Prou. 4.4 As a man that hath a Iewell will bee carefull to locke it vp in the safest chest he hath 1. Tim. 3.9 Keepe the mysterie of faith Reu. 3.11 Hold that thou hast hold that thou hearest As many are the dehortations that we negligently lose not the Word Heb. 2.1 We ought diligently to giue heed to the things we haue heard lest at any time we let them slip a Metaphore taken from riuen vessels that let all the liquor run out But here the more precious the liquor is the more must be the care of the vessels soundnesse 2. Pet. 2.21 Better not to haue knowne the way of truth then after the knowledge to depart from the holy Commandement Many are the commendations of them that were Hearers for after-times as of Dauid Psalm 119.11 I haue hid thy Word in my heart and of Mary who pondered Christs sayings and hid them in her heart Luk. 2.51 And as many are the dispraises of such leaking vessels who like the women 2. Tim. 3.7 are alwaies learning yet neuer come to knowledge and those Iewes Heb. 5.12 who for the time might haue bin teachers yet needed to be catechized in the very Principles Reason 1. From the nature of the Word which is in it selfe a perpetuall truth an euerlasting Gospell Heauen and Earth are most stable and firmely founded by God but not so stable as the least iot of Gods Word which shall not fayle or fall to the ground for euer And to vs it is a certaine rule a constant law and binder not for the present only but for all time future yea and for all eternity 2. This is a mayne difference betweene a godly man and an hypocrite Many things may affect an euill man for the present hearing of the Word Sometime he may heare a noueltie with great affection but as children delight in a new toy for an houre but presently contemne and lose it Sometimes the power of the Word makes an hypocrite tremble as Felix and grow to some promise with himselfe and perhaps to some purpose and resolution of amendment So Israel hearing the Lord speake in so terrible a voyce promise faire All that the Lord our God saith by thee if he will no more speake by himselfe we will heare it and doe it But the Lord saw there was no such heart in them Deut. 5.27 29. Sometime some affliction prepares them to heare and now while the iron is
hidden man of the heart but lightnesse vanity wantonnesse and slauishnesse to euery new-fangled fashion for which the Lord threatned to visit the Kings children Zeph. 1.8 3. For the measure while they passe all bounds of sobriety and waste more on their backes most prodigally than would clothe a number of the poore seruants of Iesus Christ And all out of this conceit that they may weare what they list and how they list not considering that the Lord hath tyed them as straitly to the rules of piety sobriety and charity in the wearing as to the necessity of wearing it selfe besides the waste of time and thoughts c. which should bee better occupyed 3. What is more lawfull yea more necessary than recreation But how doe men out of the lawfull liberty that God hath allowed them breake out most vnlawfully and most insensibly 1. In respect of the matter when with the foole Prou. 26.18 they make a pastime of sinne as of Dice condemned by the Lawes of the Land and Cards and lasciuious Dancing Playes Enterludes and all merriments wherein is no praise vertue or good report 2. In respect of the manner when they turne their vocation into a recreation when they powre out their hearts vnto pleasure as louers of pleasure more than of God when they waste their time and ingrosse it for sports to the hinderance of better duties in the publike and priuate calling when the publike or priuate duties of Gods holy Sabbaths are interrupted or omitted when to the dishonour of God his sacred Name by Othes and cursings is blasphemed or his holy Word iested vpon or his faithfull seruants the Preachers and Professors of Religion are reuiled reproched by Playes songs or scornes Lastly when other men are hurt by sports games as by winning their money to their impouerishment and hinderance or a mans owne estate as Salomon saith He that loueth pastime shall be a poore man both in grace and goods Yet what Gamester of a thousand sees himselfe tumbling in these sinnes Or where is one of a thousand that will be reclaimed from them 4. What is more lawfull and necessary than Marriage for the comfort of man for the continuance of the world and the Church by an holy seed But how many make vp a great heape of sinne by the abuse of this holy Ordinance Some conceit they may marry where they list the sonnes of God to the daughters of men not remembring the Apostles Canon alwayes in the Lord but ioyne with Infidels and enemies to Religion as Salomon to the turning away of his heart from the Lord. Others vse it rather to stirre vp naturall corruptions than to beate them downe Some rather to helpe one another to hell than to heauen or in earth while the Husband loseth his authority by vnthriftinesse bitternesse or lightnesse and the Wife shakes off his authority by sullennesse and contempt both of his person and commandements Others sinne against it more directly as when the Husband leaues the Wife of his youth to imbrace the bosome of a stranger or the Wife forsakes the guide of her youth and loues a stranger better Thus was the sinne of Dauid heightened that hauing wiues of his owne he must needs haue Vriahs also 2. Sam. 12. For this is to sin against the remedie 5. How lawfull is it and necessary to imploy a mans selfe in his calling But besides that many liue in vnlawfull callings or in none where is the man that sanctifies the particular passages of it by the Word and prayer Where is hee that retaines an heauenly minde in following his earthly businesse How many sticke not to gather Manna on the Sabbath day which shall rot betweene their teeth How many all the weeke long gather goods and driue their Trades with as many Othes lyes and glozings almost as words How many turne their Trades into Crafts getting as much by craft deceit and iniustice as by faire and lawfull following of their calling Where is the man that chokes not his generall calling with his speciall and incrocheth all the time of the weeke that scarce any can be allotted to the seruice of God either in Gods House or his owne How is it that men thrust themselues as busi-bodies into other mens matters and faile in their owne 6. What is more lawfull or necessary than to prouide for a mans owne Is not hee that prouideth not for his household worse than an Infidell 1. Tim. 5.8 But hence how doe numbers confound Christian and carking care not seeking first the Kingdome of God for themselues and theirs but becomming Drudges to the world and to their children prouiding no otherwise for them than the beasts for their young ones present food and harbour forgetting the words of the Apostle Ephes. 6.4 Bring them vp in the nurture and instruction of the Lord As if a Christian who takes care of the body and baser part of such as belong to him can forget or neglect the soule which is the farre more noble part of man Or as if he which performes it to his family which the very Law of Nature calls for at his hands should vtterly forget that which Gods Word euery where chargeth him withall 7. What is more sweet and necessary vpon earth than company and society with men whence the Philosopher calls man A sociable creature as the beasts be not But how many mischiefes creepe into the life and sinnes into the soule by the abuse euen of lawfull society as when men chuse or fall into swearing drinking or idle company when they runne promiscuously into all companies and fall to such exercises as they finde as Peter in Caiaphas his Hall when hee should haue been better employed or when they frequent societies where God and Christ is not but Satan and his Agents and a whole troupe of tentations And what hurt comes by mens communication which naturally is profane vnsauory vncharitable Besides euen good men in bad companies acquit not Gods glory nor themselues as they ought and in good company either doe not or receiue not the good they should This is the first reason 2. In things lawfull men are most secure and thinke themselues safest and there Satan is most where he is least suspected As the Serpent lyeth in the greenest grasse so Satan lyeth in ambush against vs in our most lawfull liberties As he laid his traine against our Sauiour Christ himselfe in the matter of meate and drinke when he was hungry so also against vs chiefly in things wherein God hath giuen vs allowance Wherein was it that Satan ouercame Lot was it first Incest with his two daughters No that was hainous but first hee foyled him in that which was lawfull he first abused himselfe in wine and then his daughters in Incest 3. Whereas our nature spider-like turnes our best and sweetest things to poyson Satan to our corruption adds his waight putting vs forward to abuse good
gather these worldly things together let him bee sure these distrustfull cares haue stuffed his heart Ordinary and warrantable care rests on good and allowable meanes But he that by lying swearing fraud iniustice deceit in measures or waights by vsurie or the like meanes can helpe himselfe his care and course is wicked and damnable 5. It is a choking care if a man neglect the seruice of God prosper not in grace profit not by Gods Word thrust the worship of God out of dores or seldome or slightly or coldly or formally performe these duties or if a man fall backe from good motions good purposes good beginnings he may iustly suspect himselfe that inordinate and inferiour cares haue seazed on his heart and waged warre and preuailed against the cares of heauen and a better life In a word when a man more imployes himselfe about them than will stand with keeping his heart vnto God now they are chokers These are the cares heere called thornes The effect of them is to choke the seed of the Word Where consider two things 1. How they choke the Word 2. The vse that is to bee made thereof For the first They choke the Word 1. Before 2. In 3. After hearing Before hearing two wayes 1. In that they hold men away and keepe them from the preaching of Gods Word Luk. 10.40 While Mary was set at the feet of Christ hearing his gracious words Martha incumbred her selfe about many things c. Her care and loue in entertaining our Lord Iesus himselfe was excessiue and immoderate and hindred her from hearing his Word out of his owne mouth The same was the cause why those vnthankfull ghests inuited to the Kings Supper Luk. 14.18 they all made excuses their inordinate care about Farmes Oxen and Families suffered them not to come when they were called So now especially on a weeke-day numbers keepe away from this Exercise because the desires after the world haue eaten out the desires and care of Gods Word They cannot let their businesse and seruants would bee idle and I know not what Whereas a man might name some places of idle resort where they let ten times so much in a weeke 2. If they doe come yet these cares hinder their prayers and preparation and therefore their profitable hearing They that cannot pray well cannot heare well Now prayer is a lifting vp of the hart vnto God but these presse it downe and are as so many heauie stones hanged on the wings of our prayers In hearing they hinder two wayes also 1. When men bring their businesse in their brests with them they are casting and tossing with themselues and plotting their owne imployments and this hinders both attention and vnderstanding and affection without all which the Word heard is vnprofitable 2. These inordinate cares keepe out and barre out the chiefe duties of a Christian that there can hardly bee entrance for them or at least very shallow rooting As we shall see in some instances 1. The Word in the daily preaching of it labours to confirme and increase faith and confidence in God it bids vs beleeue and trust in the Lord for all supplyes Psalm 37.3 5 7. But these cares lodged in the heart choke all these precepts will not suffer vs to trust God with our selues but will take his care into our owne hands and will beleeue and trust him no further than wee see him or haue a pawne from him 2. The vse of Gods Word as it is from heauen so it is to draw vs to heauen and lift vp the minde to heauenly things when it vrgeth vs to seeke things aboue where Christ is and perswades vs to pull our thoughts from things below and set them on things within the Vaile But these cares nourished in the heart choke all such exhortations for they wedge downe and stake downe the soule into earth and earthly things they will care for heauen when they come there but for earth while they are here 3. Gods Word in the powerfull preaching of it opposeth and beateth downe the vnlawfull and vnconscionable seeking and meanes of getting the things of this life It condemnes to hell all vniustice and fraudulent dealing and all heaping and holding the least piece of wicked Mammon But where these thornes are nourished all these denunciations are choked they will set the tongue on lying and swearing the hands on coozening and deceiuing the whole course on vsurie oppression and all is fish that comes to net Thus where the world is taken in the Word is shut out or choked After hearing also these thornes choke the Word so the Text saith and afterward or after they are gone the cares of the world enter in againe and as a wedge driues out all before it Many come from their earthly businesse and heare with affection and may hold it for a while but at last the throng of their businesse and cares of the world conquer the Word and driueth it both out of their memory and practice For the memory see Exo. 16.3 When Israel was without food in the Wildernesse and knew not how they should sustain thēselues their wiues children they begin to scorne and take on against Moses and Aaron Oh that we had dyed by the hand of the Lord in Egypt Why What was the reason Had they not many promises from the Lord of his care and prouidence for them Nay did they not see the hand of the Lord for them in that mighty deliuerance thorow the sea in the pillar of a cloud by day and of fire by night in that extraordinary sweetening of the waters of Marah not many dayes before chap. 15.25 Did not that promise yet sound in their eares vers 26 But these distrustfull and distracting cares choked presently the remembrance of Gods promises and of his great blessings bestowed on them For the practice we see it euidently in the young man who presently lost Christ and all because he had great possessions both in his hand and heart Vse Seeing these worldly cares doe thus choke the Word in vs let vs alwayes remember the counsell of our Sauiour Luk. 21.34 Take heed lest your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and the cares of this life and that Day take you vnawares Then the cares oppresse vs when they dul the mind and make it heauie and vntoward to the loue and consideration of heauenly things We must striue in casting off these cares which our naturall loue of the world inuites and pulls vpon vs. Motiues to rid our selues of them 1. Because they are the cares of the world that is of worldly things and worldly men and Christians must haue another care This is our Sauiours reason Math 6.32 After all these things doe the Gentiles seeke Now there ought to be a great difference betweene the cares studies indeuours and delights of Christians and Heathens For we haue not receiued the spirit of the world but of God
riches to the soule or the soyle where the seed of Gods Word hath been cast As corne can hardly prosper where the one growes as hardly can the Word where the other growes vp with it 1. Tim. 6.17 Timothy must charge rich men concerning the dangers of riches so vehement a charge needed not if they were without danger Math. 19.23 Verily I say vnto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdome of God which our Sauiour would not haue so asseuered if the way to heauen had layne so open and smooth for riches as their Masters thinke And he obserued in his preaching that the poore receiued the Gospell Math. 11.6 Rich men had other matters to doe and greater things in their eyes 1. Cor. 1.26 Brethren you see your calling Not many mighty not many rich are called but God hath chosen the poore and base things c. Quest. Cannot a man be rich and godly or may not riches sort with saluation If a rich man cannot enter into the Kingdome of heauen who then can be saued say the Disciples Answ. 1. Riches are good blessings in themselues and of themselues hinder not For the promises of them are made to those that feare God Psal. 112.2 Riches and treasure shall be in their house And as simplicity basenesse pouerty saues none so wealth power wisdome condemne none in themselues 2. The prophesie is that the rich shall come to the people of God and ioyne with the Church Esa. 60.11 Psal. 22.29 3. The Lord acknowledgeth of many rich men that their riches are a crowne on their heads by the many good workes they doe thereby Prou. 14.24 Some there are whose wealth lifts them not vp in pride but exalts them in workes of mercy As a crowne is an ornament to the head so riches commend the wisedome and piety and faith and charity of a godly man They cannot make a man good or euill wise or foolish but onely manifest a wise man or a foole So in Eccles. 7.11 Wisedome is good with an inheritance it is good without it but more eminent with it more conspicuous more vsefull Therefore for resolution of the doubt note 1. That our Sauiour saith not It is impossible for a rich man to bee saued but very hard And the Apostle saith not Not any but Not many 2. Christ speakes not so in respect of the possession or vse of riches but only of the abuse as it is expounded Mark 10.24 when a man trusteth in riches 3. With God saith our Sauiour this is possible who made Iob exceeding rich and fenced all about him that hee had yet so godly withall that there was not another so godly vpon earth as he chap. 1.8 10. And it is Augustines obseruation Seruatur pauper Lazarus sed in sinu Abrahami diuitis Poore Lazarus was saued in the bosome of rich Abraham 4. Riches choke not and condemne not as a cause but as an occasion The cause is not in them that wee are choked by them but in our selues in our corruption and weaknesse who abuse a good thing by which wee might further our saluation not watching against the neglect or contempt of the doctrine of saluation which vsually attends them Now they are as a sword in a mad mans hand and must not be reiected themselues but onely their abuse Quest. How doe riches choke the Word Answ. Three waies Before hearing In hearing After hearing I. Before hearing they choke and hinder from receiuing the Word three wayes 1. Great men haue great employments in their hands and cannot bee at leisure for preaching they may not let their businesse one houre in a weeke Felix hath no leisure now to heare Paul but will take another time And Martha cannot let the time to heare Christ himselfe And hence are those many obiections against weekes Lectures as altogether vnseasonable and indeed needlesse But was not Martha reproued for so slighting the preaching of Christ And what Is not this losse of time as some call it the best redeeming of time When Paul preached to the Gentiles at Antioch the Gentiles desired him to preach the same words the next Sabbath betweene Act. 13.42 Was this commendable in them and is it reproouable in vs Christians 2. Great men haue great spirits What great men and rich men stoupe to so base a thing as preaching and to so base persons as Preachers all whose power is in their tongue Therefore the Apostle will haue rich men charged that they bee not high-minded Riches commonly breede pride and high mindes Pride in a mans selfe breeds contempt of God and his Word as Pharaoh Who is the Lord and the Prophet saith Heare and giue eare and bee not proud Ier. 13.15 3. Great men haue a great happinesse in their hands already and hardly see any want in their condition And as he comes not to the Physician that feeles not himselfe sicke so hee desires no supply of good that feeles not in himselfe the want of it Abundance of outward wealth suffers not the heart to see his want of inward And the good things of Gods Kingdome are not giuen but to them that want them and can prize them To the thirsty Esa. 55.1 II. Riches choke the Word in hearing As thornes spread themselues and occupy the roome where the seed should grow So the inordinate loue of the world stuffes the heart with worldly desires and motions and takes vp the roome from all spirituall Iudas his heart once taken vp for couetousnesse there is no roome left for the gracious admonitions of Christ himselfe The Lord obserues and forewarnes Ezekiel of this choke-weed in his Hearers chap. 33.31 They shall come as people vse to come and sit before thee and heare thy words but they will not doe them nay they will make iests with their mouthes because their hearts goe after couetousnesse Can your thoughts bee carried to heauen and earth at one time When you bring your businesse to Church and suffer your thoughts to range vpon your worke and worke-men wares and returnes Farmes and profits can you carry away any good lesson While you come with a purpose to hold your vsurie iniustice or deceit in word or trading doe you not make a iest of Gods Word condemning these things and you for them Doe wee not reade in the Gospell that whereas Christ was often opposed in his Doctrine he was not mocked but of the couetous Luk. 16.14 III. Riches taken into the heart choke the Word after hearing both in the profession and in the practice of it 1. They hinder the Word in the profession and confession of it It is thought good policy for him to follow Christ that hath nothing to lose for him But take heed none of the Rulers beleeue in him or if they doe with him well let them come with Nicodemus in the night Let the poore receiue the Gospell and be forward Professors but you are a rich
man soone espyed and if you come once to be noted you may be no small loser by it So rich men wil say Your doctrine is good and I would the times would beare it and wee might bee allowed to follow it but I haue many eyes vpon me c. 2. They hinder the practice and obedience of the Word as we shall see in some instances 1. The Word perswades to humility and lowe conceit of our selues But riches doe swell vp the heart with lothsome pride and make a man thinke of himselfe so much better than of another as he hath gotten wealth perhaps by wicked meanes aboue others wheras wealth well gotten makes no man better but ill gotten farre worse How contumeliously did Nabal vse Dauid 1. Sam. 25 Because hee was wealthy he was proud and haughty 2. Gods Word perswades to trust and confidence in God who is our life and the length of our dayes onely of power to doe vs good But wealth easily perswades the heart to make gold the hope Holy Iob disclaimes this practice of a wicked man Chap. 31.24 If I said to the wedge of gold Thou art my confidence If I reioyced because my substance was great or because my hand had gotten much c. it had been iniquity for I had denyed God aboue The rich mans riches is his strong Tower in his conceit hee thinkes himselfe well-walled and intrenched within his wealth and rests vnder the shadow of the wing of his wealth which hee is not content to haue vnlesse it haue him his heart and trust 3. Gods Word perswades to workes of charity and mercy and to be rich in good workes But loue of riches choketh this Word shuts vp the bowels of compassion against his brother shrinkes vp the hand that should open and stretch it selfe to the necessity of the Saints suffers not to honour God with our riches nor to prouide for our selues any other wealth but that in earth Thus the miserable man hath riches while he liues and when he dies they are goods neuer doe good before 4. Gods Word teacheth to leaue our riches for Christ and that naked Christ is wealth enough But loue of the world chokes that Word and makes vs for an handfull of the world to forsake Christ and the holy profession as we see in the young man who went away heauily because hee had great possessions Iudas must haue thirty pieces more than hee could gaine by his Master The like of Demas 5. Gods Word teacheth to restore ill-gotten goods as by vsury deceit oppression lies c. Zacheus so soone as he was conuerted restored foure-fold But the loue of the world choketh this Word and hindreth obedience worldly men part with vnlawfull profits as with their ioynts nay will rather part with their soules 6. Gods Word teacheth that euery man should maintaine himselfe and his family in a lawfull and honest course of life and not to esteeme that penny his for which he may not praise God as the giuer But this Word is choked in a number both Ministers of iustice and Ministers of the Gospell and Trades-men that receiue a great deale of wealth from the diuell and not from God in a number of vnconscionable courses And especially they that liue by wicked and vnlawful Trades Dicing-houses filthy houses Play-houses and such places of idle and hellish resort which one not vnfitly calls The diuels house of Office And such Victuallers Vintners and Ale-sellers as suffer brutish creatures to wash away their reason and discretion so they may licke away their money as if it were not a foule sinne to liue on the foule sinnes of others Thus riches choke the obedience of the Word and suffer not a man to serue God or obey his Word further than serues his owne commodity Vse 1. Take notice of that vanity with Salomon Eccles. 5.13 who obserued riches reserued to the hurt of the owners Men haue giuen them the name of goods as if there were no danger in them or euill to the possessor by them who yet we see may easily dispossesse himselfe of Christ and saluation by them How many haue we seene while they were in lowe estate in the world humble gentle meeke forward and zealous who now in prosperity are growne fat proud disdainfull and slothfull in spirituall things How many in their lowe estate were diligent Hearers profitable conferrers of the Word carefull obseruers in sanctifying the Sabbath fruitfull instructers of their families But now the world is come in vpon them and the businesse of it thrusts in and the poore man that cannot serue two Masters at once is gone backe and growne lazie yea and at length lothing that good Word the sweetnesse of which he hath tasted and decreased in the Spirit as fast as he increased in the flesh As the Moone neuer suffers Eclypse but in the full So these in their fulnesse suffer the earth to come betweene them and their Sunne who in their wane were safe enough Heere for our further instruction we will consider two things 1. The Markes of a man in whom the world choketh the Word 2. The Remedies I. The Markes are fiue 1. In his whole desires hee is more earnest after goods than after grace Psalm 4.6 Who will shew vs any good This is the speech of many But a few say Lord lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs. The blessing of Esau the fat of the earth most men desire most But the blessed dewes of heauen and sauing grace in the meanes are as refuse wares not asked after Tell a man of a good bargaine or a good purchase he will giue you both his eares he will bestirre himselfe and his onely feare is to bee preuented Tell him of the bargaine of heauen and of the purchase of that inheritance among the sanctified yea saith he God send vs that inheritance aboue all but if God send it not he will neither bee at paines nor cost for it If God should put many of vs to our choyce whether we would haue wisdome or wealth or long life or power ouer enemies wee would scarce with Salomon chuse wisedome in the first place but would either haue wisedome vvith an inheritance or an inheritance vvithout vvisedome 2. His speeches vvill bevvray him in vvhom the vvorld choketh the Word For as he chiefly sauours the things of the vvorld and affects them so out of the abundance of the heart his tongue runnes chiefly on them 1. Ioh. 4.5 They are of the world therefore speake they of the world Follovv this man from a Sermon you shall marke that presently being out of the Church he falls into discourse of vvorldly matters and earthly things as if the Word heard vvere not vvorth speaking of his earthly heart is carried naturally to his center Follovv him from a Play or from the Market you shall heare him tell the vvhole story accurately and articulately from poynt to poynt or discourse as he comes
home of his penny-vvorths of the chiefe commodities and prizes But alasse vvhen God sets open his Market that all might buy vvithout money or money-vvorth things of such high price no man speakes of them or for them because they see no need of any such commodities 3. In his calling knovv him by clogging himselfe vvith too much businesse an euident signe of an earthly heart in vvhich the Word cannot thriue Martha troubles and distracts her selfe vvith many things and so slippes the opportunity of hearing Christ so when men surcharge themselues and in hope of gaine grapple in so much businesse as they leaue from their affaires no conuenient time and leisure for the seruice of God in publike or priuate but God offers the meanes of saluation in publike they cannot intend it hauing mo irons in the fire the instruction and prayers of the family are interrupted and no time is left for Gods Worship in the family or the world affoords no time to meditate on what they haue heard all the thoughts put into their hearts by a good Sermon dye as a sparke for want of blowing Heere is a sure note of the Word choked Choke the worship of God at home it is choked also in Gods House and in publike 4. Vniust getting or sparing of riches argue the choking of the Word when men can dig downe to hell or fall downe before the diuell for wealth For had the Word any place in mens hearts they would not vse iniustice or any vnlawfull meanes to get riches knowing that the Lord will auenge all such things So are they as wickedly couetous in sauing and sparing when iust and reasonable causes in the Common-wealth or God and good causes call for it as numbers are prodigall enough when the diuell or their lusts call for pounds that grudge at a penny parting for God or any good purpose 5. When a man by reason of his wealth growes either secure in his course or licentious in his sinne or scornefull of admonition or hatefull of reproofe or puts off duties wherein the Word is cleare euen to his conscience that either hee will not vndertake all or not yet or not at all This cleares to such a mā that many thornes lye on his heart and haue beset him to hinder obedience Put a drop of honey into a bottle of vineger it is as sharpe as before So drop in the sweet Word of God into such an heart sowred with the world the taste is not changed the Word is ouer-mastered II. Now follow the Remedies against these choking thornes 1. Consideration that aboue all men rich men should embrace the Word and goe on cheerfully to heauen For to whom God hath been more bountifull they are bound to bee more dutifull To whom much is giuen of them much is required and expected Besides they are more free to good duties not so straitly tyed to bodily labour for their present maintenance are not burthened with so many distractions how to liue as poorer men And further they must giue account for more time more opportunities of well-doing more ability to further the duties of piety and workes of mercy than others How then will they answere it if they seldomer heare know lesse obey lesse and sinne more than others Therefore in the first place consider seriously of the large reckoning thou art to make for all thy large both receits and expences 2. Circumspection is another helpe If riches increase set not thy heart on them Thou mayest haue riches in thy hand not in thy heart In thy hand as a Steward in trusted to distribute not in thy heart as a Treasurer to hoord vp In thy hand to saue by disposing what thou losest by reposing in thy heart In thy hand and power so as the world be thine not in thy heart whereby thou becommest his and yet the world so in thy hand thine as still the euill of it bee his owne Account it thine to dispose of others to partake of 3. Moderation of minde in hauing and inioying the profits of this life 1. Cor. 7.30 They that possesse as if they possessed not and they that vse this world as if they vsed it not Motiues hereunto 1. Consider how much of all thou hast thou hast deserued or art worthy of Iacob confessed O Lord I am lesse than the least of thy mercies and thou art lesse than Iacob 2. Consider how little will serue nature if a mans minde were not more crauing than his backe or belly And yet grace is content with lesse 3. He that desires but a little cannot want much and hee that wants not is wealthy enough as he is great enough that is his owne master and can command his owne desires Consider Agurs request Prou. 30.8 4. If God giue thee not much but scant thee in the things of this life and it make it precious and comfortable it is all one A little box of Diamonds is more precious than a Mountaine of lead Better is a dry morsell with peace that is of mind and conscience than a stalled Oxe with contention And if hee haue giuen this little as a pledge of a better inheritance bee contented yea thankfull that thou art an heire in right though not in possession 5. Consider that it is an high poynt of Christian wisdome if the estate and condition be not to a mans minde to bring his minde to his estate as Paul had learned in all estates to be content 4. Christian couetousnesse is a forcible meanes to draw out these thornes out of the heart and hath these properties 1. It makes God the portion and accounts not him happy that hath wealth enough but as Dauid Psalm 144. vlt. Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord. 2. It couets that which he may haue both heere and hereafter It is best coueting of that which a man may haue heere and carry away with him 3. Because it knowes it must leaue these things behinde and cannot carry them away it will bee sure to carry the comfort of them out of the world by wise and prouident disposing of them to God his Church and seruants 4. It is assured it shall be countable for all and therfore is more carefull to giue a good account of a little than to make it more There is greater praise in managing a little well than in getting much together though neuer so well Vse 2. To checke the foolish conceit of carnall rich men who thinke themselues the onely happy men because of their wealth To whom I say yet not I but the Lord If thy conscience can charge thee of deceitfull getting thy wealth God is greater than thy conscience and as Iudas now thinkes his thirty pieces dearely earned so shalt thou one day which will marre all thy mirth But if thou hast gotten them neuer so fairely if thou hast stucke thy selfe fast in this thicke clay and hast laid for thy selfe of them a log
in the way to heauen goe and boast of thy happinesse which hath made thee most vnhappy proud secure licentious and choked the good Word in thy heart I say to thee it had beene good for thee thou hadst neuer seene penny of thy wealth and that thou haddest liued in beggery all thy dayes For that might haue drawne thee neere God at least not haue driuen thee so farre from him Thou shalt curse the day that euer thou haddest a penny in thy hand or heart that euer thou dotedst vpon so base pelfe to make thee forget thy selfe and thy God so farre that euer thou didst so ouerload thy selfe with wealth and wrath For all thy present ioy in thy wealth because it keepes the Word out of thy heart will be as bitter to thee as wormewood when thou shalt see the same wealth keepe thy soule out of heauen which in earth kept the Word out of thy soule and thou shalt bewaile thy lost estate euerlastingly when thou shalt see that had it not been for thy wealth thou mightest haue been saued Vse 3. Obserue carefully these few rules against these thornes 1. If we must seeke them doe it not for themselues but to stop a gap 2. If we must meddle with them be afraid in touching them as Agur. 3. If we must hold them gripe them not nor clutch them hard for then they wound Thornes slightly held or laid in the open hand are harmelesse 4. Fence we our selues from them with loue of God feare of God loue of his Word and watchfulnesse ouer our corrupt desires 5. If wee bee beset with them let vs warily get out of this thicket and lighten our selues of them by glad and cheerfull imparting them when godly vses offer themselues 6. Let vs of these thornes gather figs by doing good with them and distributing for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Or rather turne them into sweet flowres of which make emplasters to supply the wants of the needy and delight the neighbours with the sweet smell of them We see how riches are chokers Now see how they are deceiuers Doct. The danger of riches is not more in choking goodnesse than in deceiuing and bewitching the heart that addicteth it selfe vnto them And therfore the Prophet calls them deceitfull vanities Psalm 31.6 For indeed they neuer choke till they haue first deceiued vs. This will better appeare by considering 1. Whereof they deceiue vs. 2. Whereby or how I. They are such deceiuers as pilfer not trifles or base things but without grace in the heart the best things we haue and might least spare 1. They deceiue vs of Gods Word this is in the Text and was proued before So in Ier. 2.31 O generation take heed to the Word of the Lord but the people say We are Lords we will come no more to thee And Chap. 22.21 I spake vnto thee when thou wast in prosperity but thou saidst I will not heare And in the Parable Math. 22.5 the Farme and the Oxen and Merchandise made the ghests make light of the inuitation to the Kings supper And is it a small thing to be robbed of this heauenly wisedome to which no treasure is comparable Prou. 3.14 which is more precious than all Pearles and all thou canst desire is not to be compared to her Yet prosperity makes men grow first lazy then lothers of the wisedome of God 2. Riches deceiue vs of our Religion 1. To erre from the faith 1. Tim. 6.10 2. To forget God Deut. 8.10 Beware when thou art full lest thou forget the Lord thy God Hos. 13.6 As in their pastures so were they filled and their heart was exalted therefore haue they forgotten me 3. To forsake God Deut. 32.15 He that should haue been vpright when he waxed fat spurned with his heele Thou art fat thou art grosse therefore he forsooke God that made him 4. They easily vnfit men for the seruice of God Heere many doe fondly delude themselues saying in their hearts Thus much wealth I will attaine vnto and when I haue done that I will addict my selfe to the seruice of God For commonly the effect of affluence and abundance is to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord As in Ierem. 5.7 When I fed them to the full they rose vp like fed horses euery one neighed after his neighbours wife and committed most brutish sinnes 3. Riches deceiue vs of our hearts as great a deceit as any of the former while they draw our trust loue ioy and principall affections from God to them The rich man Luk. 12.16 is not charged that he got his goods wickedly but of trusting in them and putting too much hope in them Whence the charge is If riches increase set not your hearts vpon them Psalm 62.10 And thus with our hearts they deceiue vs of our time our labour our thoughts and indeuours all which they engrosse from God and from our selues 4. Riches deceiue vs of sound iudgement in three respects 1. In regard of themselues to thinke of them better than they bee yea to thinke basely of grace and the things of heauen in respect of the profits of this life This was a brand of profanenesse in Esau Gen. 25.32 What is this birth-right in comparison of the pottage So of all profane men who despise the blessing for the backe and belly and things of this present life and set more by an Oxe or two than by the Kings Supper A generall disease of most men esteeming riches the greatest blessing that is to be attained on earth and finding the sweetest contentment in them 2. In regard of our selues and our owne estate They commonly make a man thinke himselfe better than he is Hee can perswade himselfe he is highly in Gods fauour because hee is rich and hold himselfe contented with a false felicity which hinders him from seeking to better his estate Whereas not being of themselues good in their nature they cannot make him better that hath them and Salomon tels vs that these outward things befall alike to all Eccles. 9.2 How many delude themselues while they say If I were not a good man God would not blesse my labours so blessing themselues in their riches And many thinke they haue receiued their wealth of God and thanke God for all when God gaue them little or none of them but a great part of it is the diuels wages or the worlds wages for some seruice of iniquity And were not his iudgement blinded hee could not looke on his wealth but withall on his sinne and wretchednesse in getting and holding it and so indeed esteeme himselfe so much the worse by his wealth as he is indeed but not any whit the better 3. In regard of others they deceiue vs of true iudgement and discerning They make vs thinke such as inioy most wealth to be the happyest men and they most miserable that most want it Whereas wee cannot giue instance of more
well as any Ephes. 2.2 But as stiffe and bad ground becomes good by good husbandry and manuring so do our harts by the husbandry of the good Husband-man He alone changeth the heart He takes away the stones and stifnesse of it and makes it a soft heart So the Apostle Paul speaking of himselfe conuerted saith By the grace of God I am that I am 1. Cor. 15.10 He onely can create a cleane heart and renew a right spirit in a man Psal. 51.10 and put his feare into his heart that he shall neuer depart from him Ier. 32.40 Doctr. Some seed falls on good ground Though there be but a small parcell of good ground in comparison of the bad yet some there is where the seed is cast It is true that where the Word is preached it is to most in vaine as here three to one lose their parts in it But yet some good there bee the seed falls into some good ground in some though very few it is successefull When the whole world was a field of brambles fit for the fire of Gods wrath yet of Noah he saith Thee haue I found righteous and he being a Preacher of righteousnesse shall make an Arke if it be but for eight soules Gen. 7. When all Sodome was as a cursed Heath and a dry Wildernesse yet Lots family was as a little pikle exempt in which the Word became fruitfull Gen. 19. In the Ministery of the Prophets much of their labour was lost as themselues lamentably complaine Esa. 49.4 and 53.1 Who will beleeue our report or to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed shewing that very few will beleeue the doctrine of Christs humiliation and abasement to which that place leades vs in Ioh. 12.38 and yet there was one of a City and two of a Tribe and still a small remnant whom the Lord would saue Our Lord Iesus while himselfe preached the doctrine of the Gospell most cleerly and confirmed it powerfully by many miracles yet but one heere and there receiued it scarce one of a thousand so as himselfe laments their hardnesse of heart and weepes ouer Ierusalem and saith plainly that few shall be saued and that the way which leads to life is narrow and the gate straite and few finde it But yet he hath a little flocke Feare not little flocke Luk. 12.32 When many tooke offence at his doctrine concerning the eating of his flesh Ioh. 6. yet his Disciples acknowledged that hee had the words of eternall life Ioh. 10.20 When some said he was mad and had a diuell others said These are not the words of him that hath a diuell nor yet the workes for can the diuell open the eyes of him that is borne blinde When the multitude decreed to excommunicate whosoeuer should confesse him yet the blinde man will iustifie him in the Synagogue Ioh. 9. When the whole Councell and body of Iewes assemble against him there is a Simeon a Zachary Hanna and Elizabeth which adore him yea at his Crosse his mother his Disciple Iohn and many other good women The Disciples of our Lord when they preached after him some raised vp persecution but some beleeued sometimes one of a City as Lydia Act. 16.14 And sometimes a few more as at Athens Act. 17.32 some mocked at the Resurrection but some claue vnto Paul as Dionysius the Areopagite and Damaris and some other see Rom. 10.16 And euer since the smallest number receiue the Gospell yet some doe who are as the gleanings to the haruest and as the Grapes to the vintage and but an handfull to the rest Reasons 1. From the similitude in our Parable such is the wisedome and care of the Husbandman that he will not bestow his seed where is no hope but that all the seed and labour will be lost though there be many stones and many thornes in a field he will sowe because all is not so but if it were all so hee would not lose his seed so the Lord the wise Husbandman of his Church will much lesse bestow his labour and husbandry on a soyle altogether hopelesse and fruitlesse but hee will see some good ground intermingled for whose sake he doth bestow his seed Againe doth the seed belong to any but good ground or doth the Word properly belong to any but the true Beleeuers No it hath an effect in others but it is the portion onely of these 2. The proper end vse of the seed is to gather in an haruest and the proper end of the Word is to gather and preserue a Church vnto Christ. God hath sanctified a Ministery for the gathering of the Saints Ephes. 4.11 Christs owne Ministery in Ierusalem was to gather them to life and safety as the Hen gathers her chickens Math. 23.37 and to worke faith in so many as are ordained to eternall life Act. 13.48 And therefore where God sends and continues his Word faithfully preached there are some to gather some to bee brought to the faith one time or other The grace of God hath appeared bringing saluation Tit. 2.11 And therefore ordinarily where God affoords this grace it brings saluation to some though neuer so few ordinarily the Word attaines euen this end in some 3. As the Lord when hee will prosper a people and maintaine their naturall liues blesseth the seed sowne to increase and thereof giues them an haruest but on the contrary when hee will send a famine to consume hee affoords them no seed or no haruest Euen so where hee hath a good purpose to preserue any to eternall life hee sends the Word to this purpose Paul must goe to Corinth and stay there a yeere and sixe moneths because the Lord had much people in that City Act. 18.10 11. For their sakes it is sent and for their sakes continued insomuch as the Apostle 1. Thes. 1.4 5. doubts not to make it a note of the election of some where God sendeth a powerfull Ministery And contrarily where God hath no delight in a people and none to call by the ordinary meanes he sends a famine of the Word Amos 8.11 When the Nation of the Iewes proues so barren as the labour is not worth the while then the Kingdome shall be taken from them and giuen to a better people Math. 21.43 As in the times of ignorance and darknesse of Popery for many hundred yeeres together when was no preaching no ordinary meanes which times God hath now ouer-passed and now admonisheth all to repentance So as wee doubt not but where Christ vttereth his voice he hath some sheepe to heare him Ioh. 10.27 see Act. 22.18 4. Those many epithites and titles giuen to the Scripture shew the same The Word is called The ministery of the Spirit of life of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 because it ordinarily findes out some in whom it is effectuall and vpon whom it bestoweth the Spirit and life and righteousnesse It is a Word of wisedome subiectiuè effectiuè it will finde
A contrite and an humble spirit such as Hannahs A woman of a bruised spirit for in such sacrifices God delighteth Because this hath griefe for want of grace and present corruption and a thirsting after God and the Well-springs of grace to which the promise of acceptance is made 2. It must be a ready and cheerfull spirit Exod. 25.2 and 35.5 The Lord will haue none to offer toward the Tabernacle but whose heart was free and whose spirit made him willing Gods Spirit being a free Spirit makes the spirit of a Beleeuer free also Hee loues a cheerfull giuer a free will-offering 2. Cor. 9. 3. It must be a sincere and innocent spirit voyd of guile and hypocrisie voyd of raigning sinne offering his worship not for shew and ostentation not couering deceit and hollownesse with a shew of holinesse For well it knowes that God requires pure hands to be lifted vp euery where and that one sinne suffered in the soule ingrosseth and eateth vp all the inward worship due to God as the seuen leane Kine did eate vp the fat 4. It must be a feruent and zealous spirit not worshipping coldly nor perfunctorily Our tongues naturally are tyed or frozen and cleaue to the roofe of our mouth but the Spirit makes vs speake with new tongues with fiery tongues with heat and feruency in prayer praises and all the parts of Gods worship Thus is God onely and truly worshipped from a good and honest heart which onely is the Temple of the holy Ghost In this Temple the Arke of the soule keepes the Manna the Word of God In this Temple the sweet Incense of praises is daily offered vpon the Altar of a pure heart In this prayers are preferred which are the breathing of the Spirit not onely for vs but in vs crying Abba Father In this the candle of faith euer burneth before God and neuer goeth out In this lastly wee haue the Oracle of God counselling vs and his Mercy-seate couering vs. But an euill heart cannot performe spirituall worship cannot pray or praise or confesse because it wants the Spirit It neuer thinkes it needs helpe to pray or serue God which is the hardest worke of a Christian neuer done without helpe from heauen It can sometimes easily speake of God hardly vnto him or to him can vse many words of prayer but wants the sighâ—s and grones excited by the Spirit Any language is readier to it than the language of the Spirit It can content it selfe with the deed done and neuer care for the Mouer or manner whereas no sacrifice did euer please God without fire from heauen kindling it It can performe bodily worship offer a thousand Rammes and ten thousand riuers of Oyle yea and the first borne of his body but cannot offer his heart nor part with his deare sinnes It is vncheerfull and heauie in such parts of Gods seruice because there wants an internall mouer he is driuen from without not drawne or led by the Spirit within and is as a Fish out of his element Prayer and Sermons are too long too many and euery thing too much this way It can pretend zeale and forwardnesse but it is in some superstitious and formall deuotions and in the meane time bee most zealous against the power and sincere practice of true piety In a word Of all the seruice and sacrifice of wicked men Salomon saith Prou. 15.8 It is an abomination to the Lord. For 1. The sacrifice is an vncleane beast and hatefull Tit. 1.15 To the vncleane all is vncleane 2. They lay it not on the Altar that is tender it not in Christs mediation 3. They want fire and feruency zeale and affection to put to it 4. They lay not their hands on the head of the Calfe confessing in the sense of sinne their owne vnworthinesse and guiltinesse How can God accept a seruice wanting these foure things The third sort of Rules concerning the Spirit of God is for Spirituall Graces These in soundnesse are a sure signe of a good heart I will instance in fiue The first is humiliation and sound inward sorrow as there is cause what way soeuer it lookes 1. If it looke to God it sees him infinitely prouoked who yet is great yea infinite in power and iustice therefore falls downe lower and oftner than Iacob before Esau to procure compassion Againe it sees that a broken and contrite heart is a sacrifice of Gods delight Psalm 51.17 It sees Gods eye euer vpon it and hath an awfull sence of his presence It sees the method of the Lord who first smites and then heales who neuer comforts such as neuer mourned nor promised a ioyfull haruest but to a sorrowfull seed-time It sees the Lord ready to dwell in a contrite soule Esa. 57.15 to grace it 1. Pet. 5.5 and to glorifie it for humilitie goes as an Vsher before honour And therfore it humbleth it selfe vnder the mighty hand of God 2. If it looke into it selfe it sees iust cause of humiliation it hath sight of his vnworthinesse sence of temptation a slauish subiection vnder a law of euill and in daily sinnes matter of daily humiliation It sees a gulfe of corruption lie so deepe as it is still in examination of the sinnes and debts and can neuer finde out the broken estate But for those it findeth it confesseth freely and yeelds it selfe into the Creditors hand and beholding his insufficiency to pay and discharge craues pardon and remission as for life and death 3. If it looke on any other thing all increaseth his humiliation It abaseth it selfe vnder all creatures sees no Toad so vile as it selfe is lesse then the least mercy but exalts Christ and his merits aboue all that heart can thinke and thinkes it happy if as a dogge it might gather crummes vnder the Lords Table It is thankfull for small things and content with any thing And the soundnesse of this grace bewrayeth it selfe 1. In that it mournes not so much for offending God a terrible Iudge as a mercifull Father not so much for feare of hell as for loue of God and Heauen 2. There will be smitings of heart for all sins small sinnes as well as great Dauids heart will smite him for cutting Sauls lappe as if he had cut his flesh and for numbring the people as if he had murdred them It will startle at vaine oathes as at periury at adulterous words as actions for secret sinnes as open because all are open to him whom we deale withall yea for faylings in good duties as well as for open and foule euils 3. Seeing tendernesse of heart is a notable meanes to preserue the goodnesse of it the good heart is soone awakened after sinne committed Iosiahs heart melted at hearing the Law read One word of Nathan to Dauid brought him to confession And it is no sooner awakened than humbled and not raised but by serious repentance But is an euill heart thus humble or rather is
without which nothing can please God Heb. 11.6 No action speech almes prayer hearing preaching all without it is defiled and sinne and the labour lost 4. Faith is the comfort and strength of Christian life no loue no ioy in Christ before he bee beleeued and apprehended 1. Pet. 1.8 No hope for hereafter if faith beleeueth not no peace with God till wee bee iustified by faith Rom. 5.1 No boldnesse in prayer till by faith wee can call God Father no strength in tentation no ioy in affliction no comfort in death till faith haue gotten Christ his victory his strength his life then the bands of tentations afflictions and deadly things dismay him not 5. Faith opens heauen and makes way to see things within the Vayle to obtaine by the prayer of faith the wealth of heauen yea and the glory of heauen for the end of faith is saluation Whereas an vnbeleeuer shuts heauen against himselfe Reuel 21.8 Without shall bee vnbeleeuers If weaknesse of faith shut Moses out of earthly Canaan much more must want of faith shut men out of heauenly Canaan Therefore a good heart labours for soundnesse of faith and the rather because much faith is counterfeit and many things are taken for it and there is no better argument of a good heart than to cast out deceit from faith lest it be mistaken in so great a commodity 1. It hungers and thirsts after righteousnes aboue all things in the world sighes and grones vnder his â—owne wants feeles a want of Christ who onely can giue a perfect righteousnesse couer his imperfect 2. It is in some measure satisfied according to the promise For clasping fast the promises it comes to a true perswasion of Gods fatherly affection beleeues the remission of sinnes and comes confidently into his presence as a father appeased as the poore Prodigall Luk. 15.18 comes to his father with shame in his face and sorrow in his soule for sinne but yet with confidence in his heart that hee should not bee cast off and so was satisfied aboue his desire he would haue been but as a seruant but lo he is accepted as a sonne 3. This good heart not only beleeues the Word but rests on it to bee happy as the onely good tydings and most thankfully accepting the promises bindes it selfe as fast to God in duty as God hath bound himselfe to it in mercy 4. It will haue a faith to liue by such as shall bring in a new life into the whole man For faith being an instrument to vnite vs vnto Christ by it as by the bond of our vnion we receiue life and motion from Christ that now the heart is purified the conscience pacified the spirit of our minde renewed the will changed the affections altered the whole man moued and quickened to all good duties So in all occasions it will expresse the life of faith which shall now gouerne the whole life First in our labour and actions it makes vs diligent in the worke but leaue the successe to God Secondly in suffering for well-doing it vpholds it selfe with a patient expectance of a good issue and waiting the Lords leisure makes not haste Thirdly in prosperity and the middest oâ— blessings it vseth them with blessing but swells not by them trusts not in them but furthers his reckoning Fourthly in aduersity and temporall wants it saith with Abraham God will prouide it will vse no vnlawfull courses to helpe it selfe and lookes more for the staffe of bread than bread it selfe Fifthly in tentation it will rest on the naked promise it will goe against sence and feeling and apprehending nothing but wrath will reare vp it selfe to trust in Gods mercy Iob will trust still if the Lord should kill him Thus in euery thing the good heart may say I liue not now but Christ liueth in me Galat. 2.20 5. As euery life must bee maintained in naturall things so also must this life of faith Therefore a good heart will bee very diligent in the meanes of preseruing and increasing faith It will bee much in hearing the Word by which it is begotten and fed much in meditation and conference by which it is excited stirred vp much in prayer Lord I beleeue helpe my vnbeliefe and as the Disciples Luk. 17.5 Lord increase our faith 6. It desires to come to the end of it and wisheth for the comming of Christ Reuel 22.17 The Spouse saith Come It waites for the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 But an euill heart cares not for this faith vnfained 1. It contents it selfe with a name and supposition of faith not the thing or rests on knowledge hope or presumption of Gods mercy in stead of faith 2. It prizeth not remission of sinnes at a due rate thinkes it selfe neuer the richer for it holds it impossible to get assurance of it so neuer attempts it nay it sees the want of euery thing but faith 3. It cannot bee brought to labour seriously in the application of Christs merits and righteousnesse thinkes not application to be of the nature of faith or onely applies it for saluation not sanctification or change of the heart and life 4. It can talke of faith not liue by it cannot beleeue for lesser things as meate and drink but vseth vnwarrantable meanes much lesse for greater higher things caÌ„ thank God for prosperity but makes too much haste in aduersity 5. It dares make no profession of faith for feare of men like Nicodemus will doe nothing nor suffer nothing for Christ because it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is no substance in it 6. It can boast of sound faith with the best but it was neuer begot by the Word nor founded in repentance nor cherished with the meanes nor conflicted with sence of vnbeliefe nor workes any change nor cares for any but feares to come to the end of it it loues not the Lords appearance c. Therefore all this is a fancy not faith a dead carcase not the body of sauing faith by which the good heart liueth The fourth spirituall grace which is a marke of a good heart is sound pacification or peace in the holy Ghost 1. with God 2. with it selfe 3. with others 1. Peace with God is next to iustification by faith Rom. 5.1 And this is first through absolution that is sence of remission of sinnes for sinne onely breeds enmity and separation from God who is neuer pacified till sinne be forgiuen and then they can walke friendly together Secondly through acceptation by meanes of Christ apprehended the Prince of our peace and our Peace-maker Esa. 9.6 Ephes. 2.21 Now a good heart knowing that all happinesse stands in peace with God in whose fauour is life and that the wrath of this King is the messenger of death and what an vncomfortable thing it is for a Tenant at will to liue in the displeasure of his Landlord is most carefull to make vp his
Dauid hid the Word in his heart Psalm 119.11 2. In sence of it owne want and the worth of the Word it preserues an appetite and hunger after the preaching of it As the babe sucks greedily the milke so it will feed heartily on this Bread of life It will be at paines for it as a babe will cry after the brest It will heare diligently without omission intermission or delay It will waite at the gates of wisdome as Cornelius for Peter Act. 10.33 We are all heere ready to heare whatsoeuer is commaunded thee of God 3. Because God speakes not to the eare onely but to the heart this heart will heare as well as the eare If God say Seeke my face the heart will make eccho and answere Thy face Lord will I seeke Psal. 27.8 4. This heart makes the whole man heare and receiue the Word first the inner man shall delight in the law Rom. 7.22 The iudgement shall esteeme it aboue thousands of gold and siluer the minde shall attend it the heart shall beleeue it the memory shall keepe and treasure it the affections shall cleaue to it and the conscience submit to it secondly the outward man shall be as conformable The eare shall heare it with reuerence the mouth shall speake and professe it the hand shall practise it and the whole man be submitted to the obedience of it as in sound health the nourishment is carried to all parts 5. This heart embraceth the whole Word saying of all as the Prophet Mic. 2.7 Is not my Word good to him that walketh vprightly First it loues the Word which reuealeth sinne accuseth and condemneth it both because it discouers sinne to be repented of and forsaken as also because it leades the sinner to Christ and sets him faster to him Secondly it applies the whole Word to it selfe as well for conuiction as consolation You shall euer see a good heart more smitten with the sharpe threatnings of the Word than they to whom they belong Meate that must nourish must goe into the stomake and bowels so must the Word that must profit vs passe thorow our affections either to humble or direct or comfort vs. By this triall many that bragge of the goodnesse of their hearts may see themselues farre off For first an euill heart cares not how farre it bee estranged from God As it flies his presence and eye so his Word also which passeth sentence on him and iudgeth him afore-hand desires no acquaintance either with God or his Word Many say as the people to Ieremy The Word of the Lord in thy mouth we will not heare The Popish Recusant stops his eare and will heare no voyce The Atheist as hee denies God in his heart so hee denies his presence to the meanes Both of them refuse fellowship with God barre out the Spirit of God and his sauing graces and wilfully debarre themselues of faith which is dropt into the heart by the eare and of the life of grace and glory Secondly an euill heart can come to heare but brings not an hearing eare But it brings 1. an heauie eare or deafe rather as many who cast themselues asleepe who would be ashamed to sleepe if a man but a little better than themselues should speake vnto them An argument of a sleepy and dull heart And can we thinke God will open that mans heart who will not open his owne eare Or 2. it brings an itching eare that cannot abide wholesome doctrine Hardly can any Minister please them hee is either too Legall in his threats or too Euangelicall in generall promises or his life too austere or too remisse Iohn fasts and hath a diuell Christ eates and is a glutton Or if the doctrine be quicke and powerfull then inquire if he bee not a Puritan for if impure wretches once so stile him then may hee be aduised better than to trouble himselfe with such a mans doctrine Or 3. it brings a stopped eare when in hearing the heart goeth after lusts or is stopped with ignorant conceits as that no such good is to bee gotten in Sermons or it were pitty all should bee true that the Preacher saith or the world was better when was lesse preaching or few great men loue preaching or frequent it much or it is no great wisedome to bee so forward as some and none are worse than such as runne after Sermons Cares also and lusts and pleasures choke and stop the passage of the Word into mens hearts that they heare it as a story or a tale but are no more moued with it than if they were stockes and stones the most dreadfull threats of vengeance pricke them not at heart Thirdly an euill heart can heare sometime with diligence and delight but will heare to know not to practise delights in contemplation but hates reformation delights in the promises of the Gospell not in the precepts of the Law or if it doe yet not in an vniuersall practice inward and outward For it is an vnfailing rule An euill heart cannot delight in the Law of God touching the inner man Oh how hard it is to binde the thoughts to conformity with Gods Law Nay a loose heart cries out of too much precisenesse Fourthly an euill heart can heare sometimes carefully but neuer truly apply For the promises and comforts of God it is readyest to apply them to it selfe which belong not to it for God feeds the impenitent with iudgement this is the part of such an heart but it lets that alone As for rebukes it heares or abides none it is loth to bee drawne to a Sermon that rebukes his darling sinnes as the people of Israel was to come neere the Mount Heb. 12.19 While it heares it is filled with wrath and enuie Luk. 4.24 saying Physician cure thy selfe yea it is ready to burst for anger as Stephens aduersaries Act. 7.54 And for afterwards they hate him to the dâ—ath that rebukes sinne in the gate and abhorre him that speaketh vprightly Amos 5.10 Hee is their enemy that tells them the truth as Ahab said of Micaiah I told you he neuer prophesied good but euill and to Eliah Hast thou found me O mine enemie And if Christ himselfe should neuer so wisely rebuke them they would lay hands on him or runne to the Rulers as Ioshua to Moses Master forbid them to prophesie In one word An euill heart pretending sound loue to preaching is an vtter enemy to sound preaching To whom I say Is Gods Word an aduersary to thee So is God himselfe Doth the Word iudge and condemne thee So shall the Lord for euer condemne thee except thou timely repent And thou that canst not endure the threatning of iudgement goe on in thy sinnes thou shalt indure the iudgement threatned eternally stop thine eare against the cries of Gods Word against thy sinnes this Word shall take hold on thee and thou shalt cry out for euer against thy sinnes and selfe and thy cry shall not
bee heard pitied nor ended Lastly an euill heart can heare but not pray before-hand and so loseth all the power of the Word and the blessing which depends on prayer for Paul planteth Apollos watereth but God giueth the increase 1. Cor. 3.6 And Pauls preaching was fruitfull to Lydia because the Lord opened her heart Act. 16.14 The second meanes whereby true Religion is maintained are the Sabbaths and assemblies In respect whereof a good heart hath many markes and qualities 1. It knowes God hath appoynted both a certaine time and place for the publike exercise of Religion both for the preseruation of his worship which else would speedily run to ruine as also that the Church might be knowne and discerned as a City on the top of a Mountaine by the meeting of his people and that such as forsake it might iustly and inexcusably be damned it being so visible and sensible among them Now this being a morall and perpetuall Commandement written in Tables of stone a good heart dares not bring the guilt of violating it vpon it selfe by forgetting what God would haue vs remember or profaning what hee commands to keepe holy or vnhallowing the time or place which he hath blessed to holy vses Leuit. 19.30 Yee shall keepe my Sabbaths and reuerence my Sanctuary I am the Lord. 2. It knowes that the strict keeping of the Sabbath is a fashioning of vs to Gods Image who did all his worke in the six dayes and rested the seuenth To the Image of Adams holinesse in his innocency who obserued the seuenth day holy vnto God And to the image of the second Adam The Lord of the Sabbath who most absolutely kept the Sabbath fulfilling all righteousnesse And the good hart though it cannot attaine this perfection yet striues to recouer this Image 3. It knowes that as it is the Pale and preseruatiue of Religion and the heart of the Commandements as it is placed betweene the two Tables so it is the triall of Religion Whence it is vsuall in Scripture to put keeping of the Sabbath for the whole worship of God and the Prophets mentioning the decay of all Religion say the Sabbaths are polluted Lam. 1.7 and that hee that is an ordinary Sabbath-breaker is a man of no religion without God in the world The Iewes could say If this man were of God he would keepe the Sabbath Ioh. 9.16 And enemies and hinderers of sanctifying the Sabbath are called vnbeleeuers vagabonds and wicked fellowes Act. 17.2 5. 4. It knowes that fearfull iudgements linger and waite vpon that person or people that negligently or wilfully profane Gods holy Sabbath Neh. 13.18 Did not your fathers thus and our God brought all this plague vpon vs Yet ye increase the wrath in breaking the Sabbath Ezek. 20.13 God thinkes on such to powre out indignation vpon them Which is a fire that cannot be quenched Ier. 17. vlt. The bodily death for the breach of the Ceremoniall part did figure the death of the soule for the breach of the Morall part See Exod. 31.14 and 35.2 5. It knowes that God showres downe blessings spirituall and temporall of this life and a better on the heads of conscionable obseruers of the Sabbath Esa. 56.2 5. Blessed is the man that doth this that keepeth the Sabbath and pollutes it not Chap. 58.13 14. If thou make the Sabbath a delight thou shalt delight in the Lord that is in the sweetnesse of his Word and Ordinances thou shalt mount on the high places of the earth that is be exalted aboue all people in true honour and be fed with the heritage of Iacob that is enioy all the good things of the promised Land of heauenly Canaan Here are blessings internall externall eternall 6. It knowes that the carefull sanctifying of a Sabbath heere is the beginning of that euerlasting Sabbath hereafter when we shall be gathered vnto the Congregation of the first borne written in heauen and enter into that eternall Rest of which this is a shadow which who so begins not here God hath sworne he shall neuer enter into his rest Hence a good heart first remembers the Sabbath day to sanctifie it It will all the weeke prepare for the Sabbath and doe all his owne worke in the sixe dayes as God did his that hee may rest on the seuenth It will remoue all things that may hinder the sanctifying of it either in himselfe or in his family that all worldly businesse may bee buried for that day as Iacob buried his Idols before he went to Bethel the House of God It will remember it is a day of rest from all bodily labour which necessity or holinesse command not for Adam himselfe in innocency could not both keepe the Sabbath and walke in his vocation And that it is a Day of holy rest not of idlenesse a Sabbath of the Lord. If God had liked idlenesse saith Athanasius he would not haue commanded so many things to be done nor all the parts of his worship to bee doubled on the Sabbath as Numb 28.9 10. nor so many duties of it as the longest day is short enough for them Therefore euery good heart will rest from all his speciall calling and waite on the generall Master or seruant young or old the buyer and seller Neh. 10.31 All Carryers and Porters Ier. 17.21 Beare no burthen on the Sabbath day no not the Husband-man in haruest Exod. 34.21 Yea the Prince himselfe is not exempted but must be among them Ezek. 46.9 Secondly a good heart will keepe the whole Sabbath day which is the seuenth in respect of the sixe following namely the first day of the weeke as the Iewish was the seuenth in respect of the sixe going before namely the last of the weeke If thou hirest a seruant or labourer to worke a day doest thou not meane a whole day When God allowes thee sixe dayes are they not whole and is not the seuenth so too When God rested the seuenth day was it not the whole Therefore a good heart thinks not it hath sufficiently kept a Sabbath to heare Seruice or a Sermon in the fore-noone or after-noone and all day else doe what hee list No it will giue him the morning and giue him the euening too Psal. 92.2 It selfe would not accept of another the labour of one or two houres for a dayes worke and dares not offer it to God but will keepe the whole Sabbath either in Gods House or it owne in duties publike or priuate Ier. 17.22 Ye shall doe no worke but sanctifie my Sabbath Thirdly a good heart will make the whole man keepe the Sabbath For as man stands of two parts body and soule so the sanctifying of the Sabbath is twofold inward and outward which a godly heart is carefull not to diuorce and therefore 1. Preserues the outward man from seruile workes of the calling but specially from committing sinne which is the most seruile worke and most contrary to the sanctification of the
vnsuspected filthines lyes within see Mark 7.21 22. But first this is a beleeuing heart and so comes to be cleane both by imputation of Christs purity apprehended by faith and by incoation of actuall purity in part The former is by the Lauer of Christs blood the latter by the waters of the Spirit of sanctification The former clenseth the guilt of sinne the latter the filth and corruption of it Both wayes faith is said to purifie the heart Act. 15.9 Secondly this heart when it doth foule it selfe by sinne 1. purposeth and resolueth not to defile it selfe but sinnes against his purpose 2. lyeth not moyling it selfe still but is troubled and strucke as Dauid for numbring the people and Peter for denying his Master 3. hath speedy recourse to the Lauer of Christs blood renewing his faith and to the tearâ—s of godly sorrow renewing his repentance and so returnes to his cleannesse But an euill heart is an vncleane heart because vnbeleeuing departing from the liuing God Heb. 3.12 It can desire yea purpose sinne as Absalom Can commit it habitually hungrily greedily Can reioyce in sinne and foulenesse and sometimes glory in it And so is held vnder neuer riseth froÌ„ vnder vncleannes The fourth property of a good heart is singlenesse or sincerity which is knowne thus 1. It is plaine simple open not crafty to contriue or conceale sin not cunning in the methods of sinne but simple concerning euill Rom. 16.19 It is good seeing we must sinne yet to bungle in sinne not as traded and expert in it Of all vertues Satan would beguile vs of this simplicity in Christ 2. Cor. 11.3 The world also scorneth it as sillinesse and sheepishnesse to be so simple as to sticke onely to the reuealed will of God A wicked heart can be witty to plot and deuise to excuse and defend his sinne The hasty furious man told of his cursing swearing blaspheming will tell you it is his nature he is of a cholerike constitution euery man hath his fault I cannot mend it Heere he hath deuised a strong argument to strengthen his grossest corruption But beate him out of his plea tell him hee must resist corrupt nature and where grace is there would be no such outragious behauiour Oh then he tells you hee was prouoked and vrged or it would haue angred a Saint or made an Angell sweare to be so prouoked or else we cannot be Saints or so strict c. Tell a drunkard of his swinish sinne how disguised and scornfull hee made himselfe to very boyes Oh it is his infirmity too his braine is weake or hee was in company and vrged by company or customers whom he must respect he cannot doe withall and presse him hard by Gods Word his last answere will bee with the Vine in Iothams parable I cannot leaue my wine nor my good liquor leaue my drink leaue to liue 2. A sincere heart is a whole heart Loue the Lord with all thy heart not double not diuided the Lord abides not an heart and an heart but reiects double-minded men Iam. 4.8 A manifest note hereof is to frame it selfe to the whole Word of God as knowing not onely that God is a Soueraigne Commander as well in one thing as another but that there is no part of his Word which is not worthy both to be knowne and brought into vse all the Commandements for direction of the whole man all the threats for humiliation all the precious promises for incitation and consolation all examples of vertue for imitation of vices for caution and preuention of punishments for terrour Thus shall a good heart hold the whole Word not onely to teach and reproue others but it selfe and as a Lanthorne the light of which directs others but himselfe most and that for euery step 3. A sincere heart is secretly religious cares not for seeming but being not for talking but doing had rather be good than seeme so had rather haue grace than an empty shew of it and desires the power of godlinesse rather than the forme It will bee inwardly cleane for a Pharise can wash the outside Mat. 23. a sluttish Christian like a sluttish maide can sweep the floore but leaue many dusty nasty corners vnswept vnlookt to Pilate can wash his hands not his heart A Pharise can pray in the Temple an hypocrite if he can stumble into a Church but the good heart in his chamber in his closet An euill heart can be sorry for externall notorious foule sinnes as murther shedding of innocent blood as Saul Ahab Iudas but when was he heard confessing his mother-sinne in which he was borne as Dauid or saying Who knoweth his secret sinnes as a good heart will An euill heart may forbeare or abstaine from some outward act of euill and dares not venture on it but inwardly cannot hate that euill much lesse abhorre it as hee is commanded Rom. 12.9 whereas to a good heart the sinnes which hee most loued once he now most hates as the stomake most lothes the meate it once surfeted on 4. A sincere heart will be religious though alone as Ioshua chap. 24.15 Mary if she cannot get Martha will sit downe alone at Christs feet It will bee good in a bad age and shine as a light in the middest of a crooked generation so Lot Elijah A good note of soundnesse at heart is to abide vncorrupt in times of generall corruption The light of grace where sincere is like a Lampe shining brightest in the darkest roome and as fire hotest in the coldest and sharpest weather Heb. 11.7 the commendation of Noah is that he was most carefull of himselfe and for and Arke in the most carelesse age But an euill heart lookes and stayes for company for rulers rich men c. 5. A sincere heart willingly examines it selfe and yeelds it selfe to be examined Often sets it selfe before God and his Iudgement-seat is contentedly iudged by the Word Holds it a benefit to be smitten by the righteous Can abide to bee gaged to haue his conscience rubd and ransackt Master is it I is it I Master Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts But an euill heart hath some hand or foot not cut off some eye for which it falls out both with the Minister and his owne conscience It runnes from God as Adam from his Word and triall and trembles with Felix at the mention of Iudgement but refusing ordinary tryall shall be prest to death ineuitably Oh labour for this sincerity of heart consider 1. the whole life of a Christian is a continuall Passeouer and the whole feast must be kept with the vnleauened bread of sincerity 1. Cor. 5.8 2. If seruants of men must serue with singlenesse of heart Ephes. 6.5 much more must Gods 3. This onely is the heart which God takes pleasure in 1. Chron. 29.17 this ground is his pleasant walke The first property of
and sweet fruits Let God and man gather them and taste them For what comfort is in a fruitlesse condition by which a man must know first that the Word of God for all his hearing was neuer rooted in his soule for then it had beene fruitfull in grace It is no barren seed where suffered to root Secondly that he is an vnbeleeuer while he professeth all the Articles of Christian faith and liues among Christians For faith worketh by loue and is fruitfull Thirdly that hee is destitute of the loue of God which affection if it swayed the heart it would vnite it to the thing loued in all duties of piety If it loued God it would keepe his Commandements Ioh. 14.15 It would constraine him to fruitfulnesse 2. Cor. 5.14 Fourthly that hee is lyable to that deadly and irrecouerable fall that hypocrites come vnto whose foundation being in the sand the fall of that house is great such are the fruitlesse Hearers who heare and doe not Math. 7.24 Lastly that hee is euer vnder that heauie curse which is neuer farre off him Heb. 6.8 The earth that drinkes in raine and brings bryers and thornes is neere vnto cursing and the end is to be burned Obiect But we are fruitfull Christians We come to Church and delight to heare good Sermons We commend our Preachers loue some good men speake against common abuses pray in our families repeat Sermons reforme some euils in our selues and ours Answ. But beware you deceiue not your selues with leaues for fruits as all this is in many It is with many Christians as the Fig-tree cursed by Christ so flourishing as it deceiued Christs owne expectation whereupon it receiued sentence Neuer fruit grow on thee henceforth Therefore looke to thy selfe and to thy fruits 1. See thou bee a branch of the Vine 2. Know the truth as the truth is in Christ to cast off all sinne to resist all lusts to forsake all knowne euils 3. Walke as Christ walked 1. Ioh. 2.6 Is thy life thy actions speaches yea and thoughts squared to the Word Endeuourest thou to know further and practise the whole will of God reuealed Doest thou all duties in true purpose and constitution of heart bringing euen thoughts which are thought so free into conformity with the Word This is to be a fruitfull Christian. All other blazes and showes will but bring thee to the end of an hypocrite An hundreth fold From the fruits of the ground which is good wee come to the measure Our Lord following his comparison noteth the profiting and prosperity of the Word in a good heart by the increase of seed cast into good ground which increaseth sometimes an hundreth fold Neither speaketh our Sauiour by Hyperbole or excessiue speach but according to the maner of the best ground in Canaan which brought an hundreth fold increase Not to speake of other stories of Herodotus who writes of the Countrey of thy Cynipians that it brings three hundreth fold nor of Plinie writing of Blazacium a Countrey in Africa where the people for euery bushell of seed receiued 150. fold increase the Scripture Gen. 26.12 sheweth that Isaac sowed in Gerar a barren Countrey in comparison of Canaan and receiued an hundreth fold increase Quest. Doth euery good ground bring increase an hundreth fold Answ. No as this Euangelist shewes that there were three sorts of vnfruitfull Hearers so the other compared with this shew that there are also three sorts of fruitfull Hearers for Matthew and Marke say that the good ground bringeth fruit some an hundreth some sixty and some thirty fold Therefore all bring not an hundreth fold Quest. Why doth our Sauiour mention three degrees of fruitfull ground Answ. 1. Some of the Fathers as Augustine and Ierome say it was to note a difference betweene virgins widowes and married persons some as Theophylact apply it to Anchorites Monkes and Laickes An idle conceit as if any outward estate cōmended a man to God more then other who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no respecter of persons or as if Abraham Isaac Iacob Lot Moses Peter Iohn both married and some of them secular men did not as well bring forth an hundreth fold as any of their Vestall Virgins 2. The Rhemists in their Annotations on Math. 13 haue a brainlesse deuice applying it to the difference of merits in this life and of rewards in the life to come that virgins merit here and shall obtaine there an hundreth fold widowes sixty married persons thirty As if any estate or person could merit at all Or as if our Sauiours intent had beene to shew the difference of the Saints glory in heauen and not of Hearers in earth But 3. Our Sauiour of purpose in the other Euangelists mentioneth the 3. degrees of fruitfull Hearers for 3. reasons First to note the free disposition of Gods grace and powerfull working who euen in such as in whom the Word is fruitfull tyes not himself to a certain measure but distributes to euery one according to his good plesure For as in the same field the soile the Sun the ayre the seed the seasons are the same yet in y e fruitfull seeds some bring more tilloes some fewer some but ten graines some 40. some 60. according to the blessing of God So in this spirituall husbandry wherein the Lord is as in all other things a most free Agent bound to no lawes or obseruations Secondly to comfort encourage himselfe his Disciples Ministers who though they lose much labor in the 3. bad grounds yet y e good ground makes amends in which none are fruitlesse but if they bring not an hundreth fold yet they may 60. or 30. and if there be but a few that bring an hundreth fold they shall abundantly recompence the barrennes of many grains Thirdly to comfort strengthen such as haue not nor can attaine this hundreth fold though their endeuours be true and earnest Those that haue not attained the highest measure of grace but are in the middle sort of Christians nay suppose them in the lowest formes who bring thirty fold fruits are not to bee despised Christ neuer quenched smoking flaxe Himselfe here honours them with the name of good ground as well as those of the hundreth fold And as the Husbandman if hee see a graine bring an eare that hath neuer so few cornes in it farre vnder 100. or 60. or 30. hee reiects not nor scornes it but is glad of it and carries it into the barne So the inferiour Christian who hath soundnes with the smallest measure is esteemed of Christ and much set by Hee that had but two talents and gained but two heard as well Euge bone serue Well done good and faithfull seruant as hee that had gayned ten Math. 25.23 Quest. But why doth our Sauiour here speake only of the hundreth fold the highest degree of fruits Answ. To set before vs the ayme and scope of euery good Hearer teaching vs that A Christian man must not content himselfe
to be a fruitfull Hearer but must striue to the greatest measure of grace rising if it be possible from thirty to sixty from sixtie to an hundreth fold Phil. 1.9 the Apostle prayes they might be filled with the fruits of righteousnesse as a vessel that cannot hold a drop more which though we cannot attaine yet euery godly man must ayme at it None will denie but that we should doe righteously and doe good workes in this present world But that is not enough vnlesse we be filled with fruits of righteousnesse and be rich in good workes Col. 1.9 the same Apostle for another Church prayes not onely that they may be fruitfull Christians but fruitfull in all good workes and increasing in the knowledge of God yea fulfilled in all knowledge wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding that as a full vessell hath no emptinesse or vacuity in it so no part of a Christians life or conuersation be barren or empty of good fruits 2. Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ comparing Christians to trees which flourish to a goodly stature but herein vnlike them Ordinary trees haue their seasons to grow but these trees of righteousnesse must euer grow euery time and age is their season and most in their age when other decay And againe whereas they may grow to bring a great measure of fruits euery one of one kinde these must not onely bring abundant fruits in measure but in variety euery one tree must be abundant in all the fruits of the Spirit described Gal. 5.22 23. as might be shewed in the particulars Reasons 1. A great measure of grace makes greatly for the glory of God Ioh. 15.8 Herein is the Father glorified that ye bring much fruit Papists thinke there is no vse of good workes vnlesse we say they merit iustifie and saue vs. But they set out of sight Gods glory the mayn end of them to aduance themselues For as it is the praise of the Husbandman when his field Orchard or Garden is fruitfull aboue other mens Euen so we being his husbandry a part of his Garden and Paradise branches of his Vine planted tilled sowne and set by his hand care Word and Spirit doe then commend his husbandry when we are laden with fruits of the Spirit which are to the praise of God 2. Thess. 1.12 The Lord fulfill the worke of faith with power that the Name of God may be glorified 2. The striuing to a great measure of grace conformeth vs 1. to the image of God who is an vnbounded Ocean and an immense Sea of grace and goodnesse and the more fruitfull and full of grace the creature is the liker it is to God and the neerer to his nature 2. to the image of his Word both the Law which requireth perfection of grace and the Gospell which is the wisedome from aboue full of good fruits Iam. 3.17 3. To the image of Iesus Christ making the members like the Head who was full of grace and truth Ioh. 1.14 4. To the image of our first estate in innocencie where was no defect and 5. of that blessed expectation which wee are to frame and aspire vnto in which the Saints already gathered to God haue put off all defects and being full of the glory of Christ doe see him as he is and see him to be like him 3. The being of a Christian stands in truth of grace but the well-being in strength of grace His acceptation is for truth of grace neuer so small but his commendation is in strength and further measure of grace Christ quencheth not but accepteth a small measure of grace but commends grace in great measure Nay where sometime he reproues a small measure of faith O ye of little faith hee magnifies a greater measure O woman great is thy faith and of the Centurion I haue not found so great faith no not in Israel Not loue but louing much is commended Luk. 7.47 Many sinnes were forgiuen her for she loued much It was the great commendation of Stephen that he was full of faith and power Act. 6.8 and of Dorcas that shee was full of good workes and almes which she did Act. 9.36 4. The abundant measure of grace is the maine strength and comfort of a Christian First in tentation for Satan assailes the weakest when and where the weakest so doe seducers and deceiuers Now a strong faith is a strong shield great knowledge as a strong wall and trench great loue of God a strong binder Secondly in persecution or affliction for well-doing strength of faith and patience will make them grow as the Palme and Camomile vnder that burthen which sinketh and oppresseth weaklings Iacob persecuted by Esau flyes to God and by strength of faith and prayer wrestles with God and preuailed with God and men The Canaanitish woman ouercame Christ himselfe by strength of faith Thirdly in death he can be bold fearelesse and ioyfull the conscience testifying of his fruitfull life Faith clasping Christ fast to the soule maketh him depart in peace Fourthly in iudgement it shall hold vp his head when he can bring in an increase of fiue or ten Talents at what time according to the measure of fruits in grace shall bee the measure of glory fiue Talents fiue Cities ten Talents ten Cities 5. A Christian must striue to an hundreth fold measure because he that labours not in addition to his fruits is on the losing hand and at last shall lose them all To sit downe and not perseuere is to lose all his labor He that continueth to the end shall be saued A sound Christian therfore expects not his Sabbath or rest here nor to cease from his labour till he come into heauen which makes him with Paul forget things behinde and presse still forward Phil. 3.13 And the commandement is to finish our saluation with feare and trembling Phil. 2.12 And the end wee say crowneth all Vse 1. To reproue such as stand at a stay in Religion as hauing grace and Religion enough and they need no more Who are to know that they may suspect the truth of that grace which flatters it selfe and conclude those beginnings to bee deceitfull which are not followed with constant increase Againe they mistake true grace which is not so soone attained as they thinke being as a graine of Mustard-seed which neither roots nor growes nor spreads to a tree suddenly but by degrees and is dead further than growing and the Lords Talent which thou must occupie to increase till he come Luk. 19.13 And giue vp thy Trade once thou must needs proue bankerupt and beggerly Lastly euery man would conclude thus in naturall things If he see his corne in the field stand at a stay and neuer shoot forward he will soone conclude hee shall neuer receiue a comfortable haruest of it And if he see his childe stand still at a stature and neuer increase nor grow stronger and bigger hee
dayes Now patience alone keepes the soule at peace and quietnesse waiting for God vnto succour or issue It holds the heart in expectation of the accomplishment of Gods promises and our happinesse in Christ. Though the vision tarrie yet it waites for the appearing of Gods face and the healing of the soule and is not disappointed Fourthly there are enemies without which hazard our fruits How easily and suddenly are wee ouercome of euill and drawne to returne iniurie with iniurie being prouoked follow our owne reuenges But now Christian patience steps in holds the bridle and turnes the course Now the Christian can blesse being cursed and do good for euill and ouercome euill with goodnes which is a singular fruit of grace Fifthly infirmities of brethren with whom wee conuerse were a great meanes to shake off our fruits as Barnabas lost his sincerity for a time by Peters dissimulation if patience did not vphold to discerne and beare the infirmities of the weake Rom. 15.1 2. and not please our selues But this will put an hand to helpe them vnder their burden and from vnder it as 2. Tim. 2.24 The seruant of God must be gentle to all suffering euill men patiently prouing if at any time God will giue them repentance And much more it endures and if it can couers and cures the infirmities of brethren That is the fift reason 6. Patience is necessary in respect of the Haruest of fruits the gathering and full reaping of all the seed sowne And thus the good ground brings forth with patience that is with patient expectation of the full fruits the first fruits whereof are already attained Rom. 8.25 It patiently abides for that it seeth not And in this respect the Apostle saith Wee haue neede of patience Heb. 10.36 that after we haue done the will of God we may receiue the promise And thus we now inherit the promises as did the Saints namely through faith and patience Heb. 6.12 How strong the expecting of the recompence of reward is to vphold the heart vnto fruitfulnesse see in Abraham Heb. 11.10 and in Moses vers 26. And that this Haruest is only promised to patient enduring our Sauiour noteth Mat. 10.22 He that continueth to the end shall be saued And the Crowne is giuen only to the Conquerour not to him that forsakes the field III. The Vse of all now followeth 1. This serues to reprooue the delicacie of our times For generally men professe a faith seuered from patience For what Haue they suffered for Christ or good conscience any thing all their life long Nay they resolue to suffer nothing not a word of disgrace not a frowne of a Superiour not the least trifling losse or inconuenience for Christ but rather farewell Christ and his profession Let these men know 1. that sound grace neuer comes without a sound burden of crosses to bee taken vp dayly 2. Refuse to suffer with Christ refuse to raigne with Christ Reu. 1.9 Iohn a companion in the Kingdome and patience of Iesus Christ neuer expect to be a companion in the Kingdome if not in the patience of Iesus Christ He need no such companions as flie away when hee hath most need of them 3. Refusest thou to suffer a Flea-biting in comparison a blast of words a frowne of bad times now in dayes of the peace of the Gospell what wouldst thou doe in the stings of Scorpions and the fiery trials of former times but shame both thy Lord and thy selfe 4. Didst thou euer look so high as the hope of the high calling Phil. 3.14 or euer poyze the eternall weight of glory 2. Cor. 4.17 that thou wouldst forgo them by auoyding a light moment any affliction not worthy the glory y t shall be reuealed Lastly shal Christ suffer so much for thee wilt thou suffer nothing for him 2. Let this stirre vs vp to get vnto vs so needfull and vsefull a grace as patience is so great a preseruer and continuer of fruitfulnesse and furtherer of saluation And consider some Motiues hereunto 1. The act of suffering for Christ is an higher degree of Christian excellency then beleeuing onely Phil. 1.29 First because it aduanceth the glory of God whose power can make Christians as Salamanders not onely liue but thriue and be glorious in the fire of persecution and suffering The same power is dayly put forth in his seruants by which the three children walked in the midst of the fire and onely their bands were loosed Secondly because it conformeth vs vnto God our Father who in his admirable patience endureth wrongs at mens hands which men and Angels could not put vp vnto Christ our Head while we follow him in his sufferings and by bearing his crosse goe on to the Crowne and to the blessed Spirit of God who for his meekenesse and patience is resembled by the Doue 2. It is a maruailous great strength to a Christian first for the setting and ripening of his fruits for how comes it that sinne wastes in him and corruption abates yea consumes which still raignes and swayes the most or that grace thriues and prospers in him which is scorned and trampled by the most but because he is patient to haue his lusts mortified so are not they he is patient to endure the labour of faith and loue so will not they An heauie Christian when he is to goe about duties of mortification or sanctification is soone discomfited as were the ten spyes there were so many enemies so high walls to scale so many Lions in the way But where patience preuailes it comes in like the two hearty spyes Caleb and Ioshua Tush it is nothing to ouercome these Canaanites why they be but men in Gods displeasure the Land is ours already and what if we abide a brunt or two or endure some difficulty the good Land is worth it Secondly what great strength doth it fortifie our faith withall then which no one nor all graces are more assayled Patience as a shield steps in and beares off such thrusts and blowes and shot as otherwise would foyle Faith vtterly It is a preseruing vertue and is for the conseruation of the soule Heb. 10. vlt. Cyprian in his booke de bono perseuerantiae saith that as Faith is the foundation of Christianity so patience is the roofe and couer that keepes the whole worke whole and dry and therefore is said to hold our soules fast to our selues as Faith holds them to Christ. Hence it is called the Anchor of the soule without which Faith and all graces in the soule as in a ship doe totter and reele as a ship without an anchor Thirdly what great stability affords it to a Christian when it makes him and holds him constant and himselfe in all the changes of his outward condition and externall occurrences Let what stormes can bluster abroad he possesseth his minde at home His heart is settled by patience which frameth his minde to his estate when
not 2. Christs prayer was heard which was not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not that his Faith should not faile in part but not vtterly and altogether vanish So Chrysostome non dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For by Christs care and fauour it was that Peters Faith did not altogether vanish He failed in confession not in affection His Faith was not ficta fayned therefore not fracta broken It was concussa non excussa shaken but not shaken off Corde tenuit illum quem voce denegauit saith Gregory He denied Christ with his mouth but held him still in his heart Wee graunt Peters Faith wounded not dead his confession oppressed with feare not wilfully reiected his sinne miserable not mortall or deadly in Thompsons sense 6. Ground taken from Gods continuall being with the Elect their in-being in Christ and the Spirits in-being in them First the presence and ayde of God in trials will not suffer them to bee tempted aboue that they are able 1. Cor. 10.13 God is continually present with his Esa. 46.4 in sixe troubles and in seuen in their passage thorow fire and water and to this end that they be not drowned and ouercome but to supply both strength and euasion Obiect In that place God promiseth say they sufficient strength to ouercome all temptations but onely to them that are waking yet God abides faithfull in forsaking them that forsake him Answ. 1. But the question is Whether is God faithfull in this promise of preseruing them in Faith and in not suffering any tentation to befall aboue their strength or whereof he will not giue a good issue And if he be whether they shall forsake him whom hee forsaketh not 2. The whole Word is giuen not to them that sleepe but them that wake But who is it that makes vs awake and keepes vs waking but the Lord Psal. 121.4 Or who calls vs out of our beds but he Cant. 5.2 Secondly their in-being in Christ preserues them as liuing members of a liuing Head who therefore is called the sauiour of his body Eph. 5.23 Obiect This is true of his members so long as they be liuing louing dutifull obedient members Answ. 1. There is no elect person and regenerate but is a liuing member for the Head preserueth life in euery member 2. He that made him a member being no member can and doth restore and recouer him though sicke vnsound and hurt dealing with his members as wee doe with ours who tender and wrap and make much of sore and weake members not considering them as full of corruption but as members Ioh. 6.37 Whatsoeuer the Father giueth me commeth to me and he that commeth to mee I cast not out Obiect True if hee alway come to Christ but hee may depart and goe away of himselfe Answ. No Christ shewes in the 40. verse what he meanes by not casting out namely hee shall euer abide in my fellowship and family for I will effect that hee shall haue eternall life Againe Ioh. 17.12 Whom thou hast giuen mee I haue kept that not one of them is perished and Iude 1. Such as are called and sanctified are also preserued of Iesus Christ. But how is he preserued that departs and goes away Thirdly in whomsoeuer the Spirit dwelleth hee must needs perseuere in grace so long as hee dwels there but the Spirit dwels alway in the Elect after conuersion Ioh. 14.16 17. I will pray the Father and he shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer Which cuts off their thred-bare answere of So long as the Spirit dwels and also their distinction of abiding for a time and for euer Whosoeuer hath the Spirit of God is borne of God and whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not that is so as sinne recouer his raigne and power The reason is because the seed of God abideth in him 1. Ioh. 3.9 that is either the Spirit of God whose vertue is a principall efficient or the Word whereby as an instrument we are regenerate and begotten to God Obiect True so long as they are borne of God and so long as the seed abideth in them they sinne not Answ. So Bellarmine answereth Non potest lethaliter peccare quamdiu perseuerat filius Dei changing the casuall particle of the Apostle quia into a conditionall quamdiu So Thompson also cha 20. But the Apostle is expresse against their absurd euasion He is alwayes borne of God because the seed of God abideth in him and is in him for euer Nay his natiuity of God keepes him that he cannot fall from God finally and returne into the Kingdome of Satan againe so chap. 5.18 Hee that is borne of God sinneth not but preserues himselfe and the wicked toucheth him not that is hath power giuen him of God whereby to preserue himselfe that Satan touch him not in his Free-hold or snatch him backe againe to death and destruction These are some of the grounds by which this comfortable Doctrine is confirmed with which to auoyd prolixity I will content my selfe Now for the manifold Obiections which are made against it I will endeuour to preuent them all in some fewe Conclusions The first is this No precept to beware of falling away no promise to perseuerance no commination or threatning against Apostates doth proue that a true Beleeuer can fall away wholy or finally For the former where we are exhorted to beware of falling away from the grace of God Heb. 3.12 and to take heed that standing we fall not 1. Cor. 10.12 and where blessednesse is promised to him that feareth alwaies Pro. 28.14 none of these exhortations to so great diligence and feare and watchfulnesse argue such an absolute defect in all them to whom they are giuen and in whom they are found but agree with certaine perseuerance as meanes with the end the cause with the effect Because 1. They are deliuered to hypocrites as that in 1. Cor. 10.12 Let him that thinks he stands take heed lest hee fall because they wanting Faith deceiue themselues with a vaine presumption and opinion of Faith and fall away But what is this to the sound Beleeuer 2. If they be deliuered to the godly who may also grieuously fall from Faith and other graces they proue not they can fall from true sauing grace at least in the habit and gift but onely in the measure degree and parts all which they ought to maintaine and preserue But one thing it is to fall another to fall away One thing to fall from the first loue another from all loue 3. No feare of falling impeacheth the certainty of not falling away Our Lord Iesus himselfe feared and fasted and prayed forty dayes and forty nights before his temptations that in his example we might see that our feare is not then frustrate when perseuerance is certaine 4. Meanes of perseuerance and not falling away cannot be certaine proofes of falling away but rather against
3. It excites them to much thankfulnesse when being acquainted with their owne weaknesse and Satans daily assaults they see themselues set into so firme an estate of happinesse as they are armed against the dread of vtter foyling or forsaking Whence Bucer on Ioh. 6. saith Nothing is more profitable than to preach to Beleeuers that it is impossible for them euer to fall from grace Vse 1. Let all this moue vs to the earnest desire of so permanent a condition and so to labour for truth of grace which onely shall continue Content and please thy selfe with no seeming or vnsound grace which shall leaue thee in thy greatest need In earthly things men desire such as are most durable and lay about them for long estates of life or liues or fee-simples And why not heere in so great necessaries and expectations 2. Let this prouoke vs to perseuerance in the state and measure of grace receiued And hereunto let vs consider 1. The end of Redemption to serue the Lord in righteousnesse and holinesse all our dayes Luk. 1.75 2. That righteousnesse departed from is vaine and forgotten Ezek. 18.24 All labour prayers hearing yea all sufferings are lost as the Galatians suffered many things in vaine Chap. 3.4 3. Thou shalt bee iudged as thou art found when the Lord comes the question shall not bee what thou wast once but what thou art As the tree falls so it lies If of straight it bee growne crooked so it shall bee iudged 4. This makes Election sure and is a note of the saued of the Lord to continue to the end Math. 24.13 Glory and immortality is the part onely of such as by continuance in well-doing seeke it Rom. 2.7 And our Sauiour is expresse Luk. 22.28 To you which haue continued with me in tentations haue I appoynted a Kingdome as my Father hath appoynted me a Kingdome The Lord make vs vpright that by continuing in his Word wee may manifest our selues Disciples so following our Lord with patience and perseuerance in holinesse vntill he bring vs vnto an vn-discontinued happinesse purchased by his owne blood Amen Prima perit perit altera altera quarta perennis FINIS THE ALPHABETICAL TABLE OF THE MOST REmarkable poynts inlarged in this Treatise ABuse of things lawfull is damnable as well as the pursuite of things vnlawfull Reasons 3. 164 Abundant measure of grace is the strength of a Christian in a foure-fold afflicted estate 395 Sound Affection to the truth vpholds men from withering 107 Of Affections renewed foure instances 347 Apparell abused how 166 Apostates in dangerous estate three reasons 397 Not to be Ashamed of the afflictions of the Gospell sixe reasons 417 The ayme of euery good hearer must be to bring forth an hundreth fold 392 B Behold what it noteth 16 Booke of nature to be translated into the vse of grace 18 Brutish ignorance after long hearing three reasons 61 C Callings abused how 168 Calling of God without repentance 430 Care of the family abused 169 Cares of the world are great chokers of Gods Word 1. Before hearing two wayes 180 Word 2. In hearing two wayes 181 Word 3. After hearing 182 Foure true Causes of the worlds hatred of God and his truth among many false pretensed ones 134 Church not to be defined by multitude 259 Christ the Author and matter of true wisedome 292 Christians must aspire to the highest pitch and measure of grace for fiue reasons 393 Circumstances necessary to doe good duties well seuen 359 Cleannesse of heart wherein it is 349 Comming to Church Satan euer comes with thee 58 Comforts in persecution three 135 Companions of holy desires sixe 78 Companions of true Illumination foure 82 Companions of sound Ioy 1. Holy affections three 86 Companions of sound Ioy 2. Holy graces fiue 87 Company and society abused 169 Comforts for a Minister who seemeth to lose much labour among a rude people foure 258 Conscience if sound hath 1. Sincerity 2. Tendernes 108 D Dangers in enioying earthly pleasures foure 227 Deceitfulnesse of heart in the matter of repentance in seuen particulars 370 Defects of an euill heart in the matter of his Religion in sixe things 319 Delicacy in Christianity condemned by fiue reasons 411 Holy Desires examined in their 1. ground 2. matter 3. ends 4. companions 76 Sound Desire of the Word tryed by three things 77 Differences between sound knowledge and hypocriticall three 81 Differences betweene Christs sowing and his Ministers 4.19 Despisers of Gods Word in fearfull case two reasons 36 E Earnest of the Spirit what 283 Effects of true Religion fiue 316 Effects of sauing knowledge three 123 Elect how farre they may fall in fiue conclusions 422 Ends to aime at in our pleasures 3. 250 Examination whether we are gotten beyond hypocrites in foure things 75 F Faith especially impugned by Satan many reasons 54 Tēporary Faith is raised on tēporary causes which they be 69 Iustifying Faith necessary to a good heart for 5. reasons 294 Faith gouerneth the whole life fiue instances 296 Forwardnesse to heare the Word of God vrged by 4. reas 5 To Fruitfulnesse in grace foure things required 20 Fruitfulnesse necessary to Christians fiue reasons 388 For our Fruitfulnesse the Lord hath done fiue things 399 Sweet Fruits of patience foure 414 The better the Fruits the more need of patience 415 G God glorified by ioyning of the Crosse to Christian profession foure wayes 129 Gods glory is the ayme of a good heart in all his parts and in all his actions 276 Godly men are most peaceable and yet none more troubled than they foure reasons 299 Godly man keepeth the whole Sabbath with the whole man 332 God esteemeth the goodnesse of our workes by the goodnesse of our hearts 372 Goodnesse of heart is a full Sea of comfort in all afflictions 1. Inward 2. Outward 375 Good ground bringeth forth fruits answerable in kinde to the seed 386 The thing hated in Good men is goodnesse 134 Goodnesse of hearers esteemed by goodnesse of heart for foure reasons 264 Grace if sound groweth still fiue reasons 307 Graces of the Spirit compared to water in 4. things 120 Graces speciall and sauing are wrought by the Word preached fiue 323 Sound Grace is blessed with perseuerance 418 Grounds of perseuerance in grace 6. cleered frō exceptions 424 Growth in Grace tryed in the 1. Root 2. Fruits 3. Measure 4. Affection 5. Continuance 88 In naturall Growth persons are higher but in spirituall they grow lower 91 Growth of hypocrites deceitfull in sundry things 98 Some Ground on which the seed of the Word falleth is good ground fiue reasons 252 True Growth is in all graces sixe instances 307 The good heart onely Growes 311 H Heart called good in two respects 261 An Heart qualified by grace is beyond an euill heart in sixe things 262 The Heart is softened by a threefold moysture 270 A good Heart hath fiue properties in regard of God 272 Hath fiue excellent properties in
great enemies of the VVord and hinderances of saluation seuen reasons 220 Best Pleasures vnderualued fiue wayes 231 Phrases of Scripture seeming to impugne the perseuerance of Saints explaned 441 No Prayer against falling away implyeth that the Saints can fall away 440 Price of Gods VVord 12 Many goodly Professors fall short of saluation and why 119 Profiting in degrees of grace knowne by foure notes 402 Properties of Christian couetousnesse foure 204 Prosperity a Popish but a false note of the true Church 132 Properties of a good heart about the Sabbath fiue 331 Prouocations to good duties foure 358 Q Questions whether no worldly cares be allowed to Christians 176 How far worldly cares may be lawfull 177 Whether a man cannot be rich and godly 192 Question of perseuerance in grace handled at large 424 R Raigne of lusts thrusts downe the VVord three waies 151 Recusancy a dangerous sinne 6. reasons 35 Remedies against the choaking of riches foure 202 True Religion described at large in the true causes and effects of it 314 Religion truly imbraced by foure inward affections of a good heart 317 Receauing of Gods ministers is in foure things 340 Repentance stands in foure things 366 Riches compared to thornes in foure things 191 Riches are commonly great enemies to Religion and hinderers of saluation 192 Riches choake the VVord 1. Before hearing three wayes 194 Riches choake the VVord 2. In hearing 195 Riches choake the VVord 3. After hearing two waies 196 Riches full of deceytfulnesse 206 Riches deceiue men of fiue of the best things they haue or can haue 206 Riches how they deceiue men of saluation 209 Riches deceiue by sixe false promises 210 Riches falsely called profits being so vnprofitable in the most needfull things and times foure instances 213 Riches giuen by God for foure good ends 214 Riches are receits and so to be held three reasons 215 Riches true and vndeceiuable to be procured and of them foure instances 216 Riches in themselues the good blessings of God 3. reasons 192 Rooting in grace is in three things 124 Rules to try whether we continue to grow in grace foure 91 Rules of moderation in naturall and lawfull desires fiue 174 Rules how to carry our selues toward riches that they proue not thornes sixe 205 Rules to preserue vs from the deceytfulnesse of riches 5. 212 Rules in generall how to carry our selues through our pleasures fiue 238 Rules concerning perseuerance in grace foure 422 S Sabbath profaned by wicked men fiue wayes 335 Sacrifice of wicked men abominable foure reasons 288 Satan comes with men to the hearing of the word 3. reasons 47 Satan commeth to steale the word away 1. Inwardly three wayes 48 Satan commeth to steale the word away 2. Outwardly three wayes 51 Satannicall suggestions against the word fiue 50 Satan hath three ends in stealing away the word 52 Satan aymeth especially to steale the word out of the heart two reasons 53 Satan is a deadly enemy to mans saluation three reasons 55 Satan is there most where he is least suspected 170 Seed a resemblance of the word in sixe things 23 Seed of the Spirit what 282 Seed springeth vp in stony ground to three degrees 65 Selfe respects may make a man diligent in the meanes of saluation three instances 69 Seeking of God wherein it stâ—ndeth 272 Signes of sound humiliation three 290 Sinne thrusts vs vnder wofull misery fiue reasns 364 Singlenesse of heart is in fiue things 350 Softnesse of heart in three things 348 Soundnesse of heart comforteth 1. in life 2. in death 3. in day of Iudgement 378 The Sower is Christ who goeth forth to sow three waies 20 Spirituall worship is from Gods Spirit 1. inspiring 2. directing 3. assisting 285 Spirituall worship must be also from mans spirit qualified with sundry spirituall graces 286 The Spirits indwelling in the Saints assureth them of perseuerance 437 Sports many wayes abused 167 Supplication necessary to a good heart foure reasons 301 Suspect most danger in most lawfull things 171 Symplicity a bad excuse for bad hearing fiue reasons 41 Syncerity of heart how discerned 351 T Thorny Ground and bad hearers resembled in three things 148 Triall of sound prayer by 1. the mouer 2. the matter 3. the manner 302 Triall of sound fruits of grace by foure rules 385 Times vnseasonable for pleasure foure 247 V W Of true Vnderstanding of Gods word foure notes 43 In the Vse of naturall things euer ioyne a spirituall 174 Watchfulnesse of heart looketh to fiue things 355 True Watch against sinne in eight things 369 Men Wither in race foure wayes 95 Withering in grace dangerous in foure respects 100 To Wise vsing of pleasures foure rules 245 Wicked men are without peace 300 Wicked men loathing the liquor of the word hate the vessels and Ministers 342 Wicked men cannot pray many reasons 340 c. Witnesse of the spirit what 282 The Word diligently to be heard fiue reasons 3 Word as necessary to saluation as seed to the haruest 31 Word knowne to be fruitefull by foure notes 56 Word of God best after hearing fiue reasons 159 Word applied is the pruning knife of our pleasures as in the foure parts of it 230 Worldly cares argue impiety and folly 184 Z Zeale renewed knowne by foure notes 348 FINIS Be diligent to heare the Word Reas. 5. Ioh. 8.47 Heb. 10. Luk. 10.42 Be forward in hearing the Word Reas. 1. 2 3 Psal. 27.4 Psal. 84.1 4 Act. 10 33. Psal. 119.147 Apprehend all good opportunities within thy calling Christ spake in Parables for foure reasons Difficilis in Scripturis magna ingenia exercent Aug. in Psal. 140. The misery of a sencelesse hearers in fiue things Act. 13.46 2. Cor. 2. â—6 Non impertiendo malitiam sed non impertiendo gratiam Aug. The scope of this Parable Act. 16.14 Translate the booke of nature into the booke of grace Rom. 1.28 The Agent or Sower Difference betweene Christ his sowing and the sowing of his Ministers foure 4. Things make to fruitfulnes raine â—unbeames winds application of all to sâ—t ripen the seed All from Christ. 2. His action Christ goeth forth to sowe three waies 3 His intention The Word preached resembled to seed in sixe things Act. 26.29 Seede of Gods Word more excellent then all other seede in foure respects Reu. 14.6 The dignity of the Ministry The duâ—y and charge in foure things 1. They must goe foorth to sow 2 Not any but their Lords seed 3. All his seed 1. King 22 14. 4. To his aduantage Mat. 6.2 5. Prepare thy ground for this seed Receiue and retaine it Col. 3.16 Luk. 10.42 Bring answerable fruits to the seed Looke to the daily growth of it The Word preached as necessary to saluation as seed to an haruest 2. Cor. 9.6 Some harts and hearers compared to the high-way for 3. reasons Carelesse Hearers the worst Hearers Heb. 6.8 Against Recusants Ioh. 8.47 Ioh. 3.20 Against dispisers of the Word Against persecuters of the Word Motiues
sowing as wee shall see through the Parable His seede the seed is the Word of God contained in the writings of the Prophets Apostles vers 11. which by Christ and his Ministers is cast into the furrowes of the heart as seed into the furrowes of the earth by the Husbandman It is true that he cast some seed among the Heathens For the law of nature written in their hearts the summe of which is that what wee would not another should do to vs we should not do to thē euen this was the seed of this Sower for he enlightneth euen with naturall light whosoeuer commeth into the world Ioh. 1.9 But here is meant that seed which he casts into the field of the Church which is partly the Law Morall written with the finger of God and deliuered to the Church by Moses who was faithfull in all his house as a seruant but especially the Doctrine of the Gospell sowed in the hearts of Beleeuers both by himselfe and his seruants His seed This Seedsman sowed no fables no traditions no vnwritten verities no Canons of Councels or Decretals of Popes which are but chaffe nay he often condemned the decrees of the Elders and traditions of Pharises and all seede fetched out of mens Granaries Ioh. 7.16 My doctrine is not mine but his that sent me and chap. 8.26 The things that I haue heard of him those speake I to the world Doct. Gods word preached is the sowing of Gods seed into the earth of mens hearts For sixe reasons or resemblances 1. As seed is a small and contemptible thing altogether vnlikely to bring such a returne and encrease so the Word preached seemes a weake and contemptible thing 1. Cor. 1.23 We preach Christ crucified a scandall to the Iewes and foolishnesse to the Gentiles Yet by the foolishnesse of preaching God hath ordained to saue his and not without it as without seed without haruest 2. As the seede in the barne or garner fructifies not vnlesse it be cast into the earth so the Word vnlesse cast into the eares and hearts of men is fruitlesse regenerateth not produceth no fruits of faith Keepe the Word in thy Bible or thy Bible in thy chest and not in thy heart couering and hiding it thou abidest fruitlesse and barren Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeue vnlesse they heare or how can they heare without a Preacher 3. As the sower prickes not in his seede nor sets it but casts it all abroad and knowes not which of his seede will come vp to encrease and which will rot and dye vnder the clods or comming vp into the blade and eare will wither away so the Minister Gods Seedsman speakes not to one or two but casts the seede abroad to all in generall neither knowes he which and where the Word shall thriue to encrease and where not but where it doth encrease it riseth with great beautie and glory as the graine of Mustard-seed becomes a tree in which the birds of heauen may build their nests 4. As seed hath a naturall heat life and vertue in it by which it increaseth and begetteth more seeds like vnto it selfe so the Word cast into the good ground of a beleeuing heart hath a supernaturall heat in it being as fire Iere. 5.14 and a liuely power to frame men like it selfe to make them of fleshly spirituall of blinde quicksighted of dead in sinne aliue in grace And as one graine quickned brings sundry tillowes and many graines in each so one Christian conuerted and receiuing this power in himselfe gaineth many vnto God desiring that euery one were as he is except his bands and sins Philip being called findes Nathaniel and brings him to Christ. And the woman at the well calls all the Citie Ioh. 4. 5. As seed cast into the ground liues not vnlesse it dye first 1. Cor. 15.36 so the Word preached brings no fruite or life vnlesse it kill first and worke mortification yea and by continuall sense of frailty and acquaintāce with the crosse it keeps vnder such naturall pride and corruption as resist the worke of it Ioh. 4. Christ brings the woman at the well to know him by bringing her to the knowledge of her selfe And the Conuerts Act. 2.37 then bewrayed heauenly life when being pricked at heart they cried out Men and brethren what may wee doe to bee saued 6. As seed cast neuer so skilfully into the earth is not fruitful vnlesse God giue it a body 1. Cor. 15.38 so neither is y e Word vnlesse God adde his blessing 1. Cor. 3.6 I haue planted and Apollos watered but God giues the increase verse 7. Neither is he that planteth any thing nor he that watereth but God that giueth increase What would plowing sowing harrowing or any husbandry on the earth auaile if God should not by the raines windes and warmth from heauen prosper and cherish the seed Thus haue wee compared the Word of God to seed and preaching to sowing But still remember that this seed of the Word is farre more excellent then all other seed in foure respects 1. That is from earth this from heauen My doctrine saith Christ is from aboue 2. That serues to preserue naturall life receiued of God this both to begin and maintaine spirituall life 3. That is mortall and corruptible seede this immortall 1. Pet. 1.23 an eternall Gospell Heauen and earth shall perish but the Word of God abides for euer 4. The fruit is like the seede All corruptible seede brings fruit corruptible like it selfe but this brings Immortality and life it is a seed sowne for continuance and eternitie so is not other Vse 1. This concernes Ministers in whose function there is both honos and onus Dignitie and Dutie For the first The Ministerie though despised in the world is a most glorious office and an honourable function which Christ came from the glory of heauen to vndertake The Sonne of God himselfe vndertooke to be a sower of the Word and shall great Clerkes and Diuines thinke it too base a thing to be diligent Preachers Or shall that which honoured Christ be a barre to preferment namely to be diligent sowers Or shall any man thinke his sonne too good and of too high birth for that office which the Sonne of God himselfe despised not For the second the burthen or charge We reade not that Christ said Masses or anoyled or sprinkled holy water but was all in sowing Popish Priests are quite contrary all in these and seldome or neuer doe preach As if our saluation consisted in ceremonies or an haruest could be brought in by gestures without sowing But our charge stands in foure things 1. Learne wee of our Lord Iesus Christ to goe foorth to sow Christ went foorth to labour and hee that goes into the Lords field to loyter or stand idle gets no thanke from his Lord. What need is there of a loyterer in seed-time or in haruest And Ministers must consider 1. That
hee immediatly prepared to goe into Macedonia being assured the Lord had called vs vnto them 2. Examine thy desires in the matter of them which is twofold 1. In respect of God the chiefe Good 2. In respect of the Word the meanes to it For the first An hypocrite may desire happinesse as Balaam for selfe-loue but properly desires not the loue of God for it selfe See therefore that thy desire be rather of reconciliation then saluation rather to glorifie God then be glorified of him esteeming the light of his countenance better then life it selfe This is a pure and holy desire after grace and fauour aboue all things For the second 1. Thou must desire not the Word so much as God in his Word seeke after the liuing God in his Ordinances loue him in the Word who there shewes he loued thee first Many professe loue to the Word who loue not God 2. Desire the Word of the Kingdome for the Kingdomes sake For an hypocrite may desire the Word of the Kingdome for feare of hell 3. Desire the whole Word An hypocrite may desire some part of it the promises affect and rauish him but the conditions are distastfull Gods indulgences and recompenses please him wonderfully but restraints and impositions are burdensome and tedious Therefore see thou desire the conditions as well as the promises and loue the worke of the Word as well as the wages yea if there were no wages So cannot he 3. Examine thy desires in the end of them thus 1. An hypocrite may desire the Word for science sake not for conscience to puffe himselfe vp not to humble himselfe for discourse not for direction If thou desirest the Word to learne selfe-deniall to yeeld conscionable obedience in all things and to take the constant direction of it as Israel by the pillars in all their iournies thou art beyond any hypocrite 2. Hypocrites may desire the Word to bee like the children of God in happinesse but not in sincere obedience to meet them at the end and be saued but not to ioyne with them in the meanes or if they doe ioyne in the meanes it is by starts and fits for most part and vnconstantly See thy desire be to keepe the way as well as the end of it though it be all strawed with crosses and be as desirous of the means as of the end Especially desire the Word as a constant light direction comfort and strength For such are the grones and desires of the Spirit An hypocrite likes Heauen well but not the way to Heauen 4. Examine thy desires in the companions and qualities of them One is sence of want They proceed from a bruised heart as in the Conuerts Acts 2.37 and the Iaylor chap. 16.30 True desires are the breathings of a broken heart Another vndiuided companion of them is the Word they alwaies set a man forward to the Word of the Apostles to be instructed by them as in the former examples whereas an hypocrite will comfort himselfe and rest satisfied without the Word in blinde vngrounded hopes A third is vehemencie and feruencie they must not bee light or slight desires but a vehement thirst as Samsons almost ready to die as the Hart chased pants for water an hunger that would breake stone walls and contemne fire and water euen the vtmost perils more eager then any worldling can desire siluer and gold Hypocrites haue desires but faint not so earnest within as they seeme to be A fourth is the good affections that attend it as an earnest desire to repent to reforme both the heart and life to abstaine from lusts to keepe a good conscience before God and man in all things A fifth is constancy as a thirsty man desires drink till his thirst be quenched as Hannahs for a child till she had one so is the Christians till Christ bee formed in him and then to be still knit neerer vnto him An hypocrite may desire by starts and moods as Pilate desires to know what is truth Ioh. 18. but stayed not to know it He desires the good things of the Kingdome but they are held at such a rate as deads his desires as the young man They are cooled and quenched before he attaines the thing he seemed so earnestly to desire Doe thou see that thy desire bee not satisfied before thou get the thing desired euen Christ and his merits The more true taste thou gettest the more earnestly thou wilt desire him no rate will be too deare all things will be drosse and dung in comparison of him The sixth or last is growth in desires and endeuours Spirituall life stayes not in beginnings but riseth to a great measure of liuelinesse as a graine of mustard-seed 2. Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. 13.11 Be perfect desire perfection But an hypocrite faints in his desires the labour of vsing meanes is soone if not quite giuen ouer yet lessened and abated Get these desires of the Word thus qualified for the ground matter end and companions of them and then know to thy comfort that no Reprobate euer came so farre no bad ground attaines such desires II. Doe we heare that hypocrites who shall neuer be saued attaine a great measure of illumination and the knowledge of the mystery of Christ whereby they discerne and approue of the truth in Iesus Christ refuse and reprooue errours both in iudgement and practice and hauing escaped such as were wrapped in errours yet are entangled againe and ouercome whose latter end is worse than the beginning Then be carefull to try thy knowledge and illumination whether it be got beyond the illumination of hypocrites or no In foure particulars 1. In the matter of it thus 1. An hypocrite may know the story of Christs death and resurrection and the merits of them but neuer did any hypocrite know the vertue and power of his death and resurrection as the Apostle Paul desired Philip. 3.10 Obiect Why did he not know it and preach it before that time Answ. Yes he knew well the death and resurrection of Christ as also the vertue and power of them but he would feele in himselfe that power more and more standing in the death of sin and the life of righteousnesse This experimentall knowledge farre passeth the theorie and is the knowledge but of a few 2. An hypocrite may know in generall that Christ is a Redeemer and discourse excellently of the manner meanes and end and this swimmes in the braine But there is a particular knowledge with application to say with Iob I know my Redeemer liueth and Paul who gaue himselfe for me To this neuer Reprobate came If hee could speake it he knew not what he spoke he knowes and speakes onely in grosse Therefore see thy knowledge be distinct 3. An hypocrite may know Christ as God hath described him in the Scripture but not as he is made of God vnto vs wisedome
it not hard senslesse proud as Pharaoh Who is the Lord 1. It suffereth not it selfe to be scratched or pricked much lesse beaten to pieces for it hates the meanes to be pulled out of sinne as he did Moses and Aaron Prou. 1.21 They hate knowledge they chuse not the feare of the Lord. Yea they resist the holy Ghost in the Ministery as the Iewes Act. 7.51 2. It cannot abide to looke into his debts because it knowes his estate not good or will not be at the trouble to hunt out all sinne nor at leasure to seeke out small sinnes what God will not be so strict nor wee need so to be 3. It counts sorrow and mourning for sinne a womanly and impotent passion not fit for men of courage 4. It is so farre from sorrow for fayling in good duties that it is vnmoouable as a pillar and can scorne iudgements denounced against his open and monstrous sinnes And therefore an euill heart is noted that being smitten it seekes not after God Ierem. 5.2 The second spirituall grace is illumination by sauing and fruitfull knowledge attained in the means It knoweth 1. That there is a dungeon of darkenesse within further than the beames of heauenly light dart in thorow the narrow chinkes of it and that without knowledge the minde is not good Pro. 19.2 and that the day is not more necessary for worke than knowledge is for saluation Rom. 13.12 2. That it cannot offer to an vnknowne God but knowledge must direct holy worship and further holy life 3. That onely true knowledge is able to discerne things that differ and enables a Christian to hold the grounds of faith and holy life against all deceiuers and carnall counsellers 4. That the knowledge of the good things giuen vs of God ministreth the comfort of them for there is no comfort of grace that we know not whether we haue or no. 5. That by it is attained a store and riches of grace whence it is called a rich knowledge Col. 2.2 Yea and of glory euen for the present whence our Sauiour calls it a part of eternall life Ioh. 17.3 Now a good heart knowing all this doth search for knowledge as men doe for siluer and gold and prizeth the knowledge of holy things most highly But because it discerneth that an vnholy heart may attaine a great measure of knowledge in holy things and be not onely it selfe enlightened but be able to instruct others in deepe poynts of Religion therefore it is most diligent for sauing and sanctifying knowledge without which all is but darknesse 1. It contents not it selfe to know â—he Rule but will be ruled by it it searcheth to vndâ—â—stand and vnderstandeth to be guided Psalm 119.33 34. according to that of our Sauiour If ye 〈…〉 blessed are ye if ye doe them 2. It esteemes 〈…〉 wisedome neither from humane writings 〈◊〉 from Gods Booke till Christ bee made 〈…〉 1. Cor. 1.30 that is first the Author of wisedome teaching vs inwardly by piercing the eare and vnlocking the heart which he onely by his Spirit 〈◊〉 doe Luk. 24. Secondly the matter of our wisedome wherby we vnderstand him not onely in generall as he is in himselfe for so the diuels know him but in special as he is to vs by faith appropriating Christ and his benefits to our selues By this knowledge the righteous seruant of God iustifies many Esa. 53 1â— And thus to know Christ and God in Christ is â—ternall life Ioh. 17.1 Now this good heart esteemes it hath true knowledge when it knowes a certaine and safe way to saue his owne soule 3. It is not content that the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ shine into it vnlesse himselfe grow like him and be changed into that he know 2. Cor. 3.18 iust as a Pearle by the beames of the Sunne and celestiall bodies continually beating on it is made light and shining as they This knowledge will make thee resemble the light and holinesse of Christ and grow both in the knowledge and in the image of Christ. 4. This good heart not onely knowes the things of the Spirit but sauours them not onely feeles his motions within it but cherisheth and obeyeth them not onely heares his stil voyce within but is led by him Therefore in his course you shall see him ioyne with knowledge and iudgement in matter of faith wisedome and discretion in practice of life in which not a forme onely but the power of godlinesse appeares 2. Pet. 1.10 5. It busieth it selfe in getting distinct knowledge of his owne particular happinesse being reuealed by God without which all other knowledge is folly And as in a Furnace the metall or Glasse when it most glistereth is nighest melting so all other knowledge in ciuill and Diuine things let it be neuer so shining or glistering without this shall melt away and come to nothing 6. It contents not it selfe to haue the light within it vnlesse it giue witnesse to the light so did Christ Ioh. 8.18 It will witnesse it by word by countenance by practice by suffering as a cleere lanthorne will shine out at all sides from the light within All the children of wisedome will iustifie their mother and testifie vnto her This cleere light will not be thrust vnder a Bushell or any way hid but will euer shine out being both sauing to a mans selfe and fruitfull to others Now as Salomon saith this knowledge resteth not in the heart of fooles it is too high a knowledge for them An euill heart cannot prize true knowledge it soone knowes enough without searching Gods Booke or viewing his workes it is too wise to heare reade meditate or pray for knowledge and saith What needs all this knowledge and preaching It neuer saw the riches of wisedome and knowledge and saith that running to Sermons and studying the Scriptures will make men beggers It runnes at randome and walkes by any rule but the Word that is an intolerable yoke It heares many spiritual things but sauours none It least busies it selfe in the knowledge of his owne happinesse as most vnseasonable vnprofitable impossible It saith it knowes God but keepes not his Commandements 1. Ioh. 2.4 or heares not his Ministers chap. 4.6 or walkes not in the light or professeth not yea professeth against it and persecuteth the bringers of it Ioh. 16.3 The third spirituall grace is iustification or the grace of iustifying faith which a good heart cannot want Because it knowes 1. That only faith espouseth vnto Christ and the assurance of marriage is in the contract Hos. 2.19 2. That it is the condition of the new Couenant and God is no further bound to a man than he is a Beleeuer Ioh. 3.16 Eternall life is intailed vnto faith Nay God is disabled from doing vs good without it Christ could doe nothing in Capernaum because of their vnbeliefe 3. Faith is the soule of obedience as