Is it that thou maiest have grace or that thou maist follow thy calling and get thy living is it this that thou wouldst have for which thou keepest such a digging and scraping and such a laying up Then thy end is carnall and vain and thy drift and end declareth the truth of thy soul that it is carnall and vain THE JUDGEMENT OF THE WORLD By SAINTS at the last Day DELIVERED And learnedly discovered in a Sermon preached By that vigilant and painfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometime Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Parson of Rochford in Essex London Printed by T.R. and E.M. for J.S. A SERMON OF Mr. WILLIAM FENNERS Upon this ensuing Text. 1 Cor. 6. part of the 2d verse Know yee not that the Saints shall judge the World THE Corinthians thought Paul had converted many poore mean men amongst them Chapter 1.26 27. God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and the weak things of the world to confound the things that are mighty yet the Nobles the Lawyers the Counsellers the chiefe men in the Citie the Apostle had not converted one of them or at the least very few Brethren you see your calling who they are that be converted to the obedience of the Gospel of Christ from the evill of their wayes not many wise men after the flesh not many rich not many noble some few there be here and there one but for the most part they are a company of poor beggerly Christians Now it seems these poor Christians having controversies one with another went to Law among themselves and that before unbeleevers The Apostle condemnes this their going to Law and would have them cease their suits and quarrels one against another before the unjust and unbeleevers and that by four Arguments First by the shamefulnesse of it verse 5. I speak it to your shame as if he should say Are you such fooles that you cannot take up these matters among your selves that you cannot make references of your wrongs to mediate one to another but that you must go to Law before unbeleevers Secondly from the scandalousnesse of it It is a thing so scandalous and offensive to those that are without that I wonder any of you dare be so bold as to go to Law one with another What will the world think What are these the men that professe the Gospel Are these they that have the Wisdome of God in them and that are led by the Spirit of God And have they no more understanding in them then when they have any matter of controversie they cannot end it among themselves but must go to Law before the unjust and unbeleevers as they terme them Thirdly from the unsâ—emingnesse of it in the second verse Do you not know that the Saints shall judge the earth What hath God made you Judges of the world and doe you goe to be judged by the world Or as Ambrose speakes hath God appointed you to be Judges of the men in the world and are you not fit to be Judges of the things of the world Fourthly from the strangenesse of it Dare any of yuu He speakes interrogatively vers 1. It is a strange thing that you should come to that impudencie against the Gospel of Christ one would think that you should tremble and quake at such a thing as this is What is there never a wise Christian amongst you never an understanding professor that is able to take up a controversie or decide and judge between his brethren what a strange thing is this Then hee backs it with foure Arguments 1. Because they wre Brethren vers 6. Brother goes to Law with brother 2. Because it was about the things of this life What hath God made you Judge of heavenly things of Angels and are you unfit to Judge of the things of this life 3. It was abâ—ut small matters ver 2. whereas you shall sit upon men and Angels and the weightiest matters in the world the greatest things of Gods law judging them to the greatest penaltie and punishment even to eternall damnation and are yee unworthy then to judge even of the smallest matters 4. And lastly Because it was about such things as the meanest Christian in the towne might have taken up and have ended Set up them that are least esteemed Doe you not know that the Saints shall judge the world Doct. I need not goe far for a point the word affords it The Doctrine is That the Saints shall judge the world It is an old truth yea as old as the world it selfe you may read it in the fourth verse of Judes Epistle That Enoâ—h the seventh from Adam prophecied saying Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints God will not onely come to judgement himselfe but he will come attended with all his Saints even with all the godâ—y to execute vengeance upon all the world So our Saviour told Saint Peter and not onely him but all that follow him in the regeneration They shall sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mat. 9.18 They shall judge the Nations and have dominion over the people Wisd 3.8 Object And now because doubt is the best way to attaine unto knowledge let me answer a doubt that may creepe in by the way How shall the Saints judge the world Answ Ans Not by pronouncing of judgement upon the world for that Christ alone shall do Then shall the King say to them on his left hand Depart yee cursed Mat. 25. But the Saints shall judge the world these foure wayes 1. They shall judge the world by their consent unto Christs judgement God traines up his children in this world educates them and teaâ—heth them how they may judge the world hereafter he teacheth them in this life how to assent with his proceedings in the world so that they are able to say Righteous art thou O Lord and just are thy judgements Psal 119.137 Now if the Saints be trained in this life to assent unto Gods proceedings with the world much more then will they be able to know and consent unto Christs judgement when he shall come with his Saints to judge the world Now the Law saith that consenters are agents and therefore because the Saints shall consent to the judgement of Christ therefore they are said to judge the world 2. The Saints shall judge the world by their applause of Christs judgement they shall not only give consent unto the judgment of Christ but they shall also applaud it and commend it when God shall say to all drunkards swearers lyers Sabbath-breakers and to all unbeleeving impenitent and graceles sinners Depart yee cursed into hell fire then though it were his owne father that begat him or his mother that bare him though it were his owne brother or sister wife or child that hath been as dear as his own life and soule to him yet they shall clap their hands for joy and applaud
and beseech you in the name of Christ to come home and be reconciled to him and I desire to stand here as Jehoiadah set Porters at the gates of the City and of the house of the Lord to keep off all those that come in their uncleannesse 2 Chron. 23.19 So I stand this day as the Porter of the Lord to keep the Lords watch that no prophane wretch no proud hearted sinner that means not to enter into a new course of life that no such one come unto this holy communion I charge that as you will answer the guilt of Christs bloud before Gods Throne that thou meddle not with it But now if there should be any that would absent himselfe because he will the more freely go on in his sins let him know that such a one excludes himselfe from the benefits and merits of Christs death and shall never have the benefit of a Redeemer at the day of judgement but shall perish in his sins for his carelesse neglect and fearfull contempt of so effectuall and powerfull means of salvation and purging as is the bloud of Christ truly and really offered in the Sacrament Wherefore if thou comest or comest not woe is thee if so be thou livest and continuest in thy sins and goest on in thy unholy courses And now to conclude as the Cherubim stood before Paradise with a naked sword to keep Adam out that he might not enter and so eate of the tree of life so I bring with me the sword of God to run it up to the hilts in the heart and bowels of every ungodly man every rebellious and impenitent sinner this day that dares presume to rush upon this holy Ordinance of God with a polluted and uncleane heart Therefore let me exhort thee that as thou tendrest the eternall good of thy soul so thou be carefull not to eate the body of Christ nor drink his bloud in thy sins lest thou eate thine owne bane and drink thine owne curse Nay so doing thy misery will bee so great as a good man well weighing and considering of it said I professe I had rather have all my veins cut open and my bloud spilt on the ground then deliver the body and bloud of Christ unto a prophane sinner for why should I deliver his own bane and destruction unto him But now my brethren and beloved come out of your sins come and welcome if you part with your lusts and so you shall be sure to have his bloud to wash your heart and cleanse you his righteousnesse to cleare you and cloath you his graces to strengthen you his spirit to heal and to sanctifie your hearts and natures and the Lord Jesus Christ to supply all good that is wanting in you But if yet notwithstanding all this that hath been said you will go on in your sins and live as you did in your swearing whoring lying and drinking and all manner of filthinesse and as you came unto it unclean so you depart away from it more unclean and never make any conscience of any reformation I pronounce this day before God and his elect Angels that thou shalt surely perish and thy soule and body be damned and tormented in the scorching flames of hell for evermore Therefore hearken unto instruction and give eare unto councell now whiles that the Lord offers it to you that so you may not harden your hearts any more but may heare and obey that your souls may live and so coming together to this holy and blessed Communion for the better and not for the worse you may return home with the blessing of children FINIS THE DVTIE OF COMMUNICANTS OR Examination required of every COMMUNICANT In a SERMON Preached By that vigilant and painfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometime Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Parson of Rochford in Essex London Printed by T.R. and E.M. for J.S. EXAMINATION Required in every COMMUNICANT A Sermon preached by Mr. WILLIAM FENNER Minister of Gods Word 2 COR. 11.28 But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. IN the latter part of this Chapter the Apostle treats of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper And first hee reproves the Corinthians for their unworthy comming to it as wee see in verse 18. There were Errors and Schismes contempt of the poore drunkennesse excesse disorder ond unprofitablenesse in the duties of God they waxed worse and worse by the Sacrament All these and sundry other abuses were among them so that they did not eate the Lords Supper aright as they ought Secondly he reduceth them back to the first prime institution of it by Jesus Christ as we see in verse 23. that hereby they might both see how grievously they had abused thy Sacrament and likewise see how they might sanctifiedly use it Thirdly he shewes the danger of unworthy receivers and this he sets out two wayes First by the greivousnesse of the sinne such a person makes himself guilty of the body and blood of the Lord as we see verse 27. Secondly by the dolefull consequence that follows upon it He eats and drinks damnation to himselfe as we see verse 29. Now in this verse that I may not trouble you with speaking of any more matter then what is necessary for the present Theam he shewes how we may prevent escape and avoid this danger how we may take an order that we doe not fall into this greivous sinne that we doe not plunge our selves into this grievous misery Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. A man must examine himselfe sift his owne soule and labour to prepare himselfe before he dare to venture on this sacred businesse In these words before we set upon the particular handling of them we may observe that We must not rush upon the Sacrament There must somewhat be done before we can receive it Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drink of that Cup. There are none of the Ordinances of God that a man may safely rush upon Wouldst thou offer any sacrifice to God but thou must stay first and examine thy self whether there be not somthing yet undone It may be thou hast offended God in something or other It may bee thou art out with thy brother thou must first goe and be reconciled to thy brother and then offer thy gift Matth. 5. So wouldst thou reprove thy neighbour It may be there is somewhat out of order some indisposednesse in thee thou art not yet in case to set on this duty it may bee thou art faulty and guilty thy self it may be thou hast a beam in thine own eye First saith the Text pull the beam out of thine own eye and then thou maist see cleerly to pull the moat out of thy brothers eye Matth. 7.5 So wouldst thou reforme thy outward man But it may bee thy
life and many other outward comforts and supports But thou wilt heare more of these things in the Sermons themselves the wholesome Admonitions and Reproofs wherein contained with the rest of that heavenly provision for thy Soule which thou shalt find here gathered together and laid into thy hand I heartily wish may be sanctified unto thee by the highest hand of the Sanctifier that so thy sins and corruptions may flie seven wayes before that Spirit of power which here pursueth them and thou never presume to return back again unto them more The God whom we serve is able to performe this great petition by Jesus Christ To whose grace the peace of thy soule is faithfully and feelingly recommended by That poor and unworthy servant of Christ and his Church John Goodwin The Contents and Heads of the eight following Sermons The Contents of the first two Sermons from HAG. 1.5 THe Preface showing the usefulnesse of Meditation together with the danger in neglecting it Page 1 The opening of the Tex in severall particulars pag. 4 Doctrine Serious Meditation of our sins by the â—ord is an especiall means for to make us repent 4 The definition of Meditation in four particulars 4 1 It is an exercise of the mind 4 2 A setled exercise of the mind 5 3 It is to make a further enquirie into all the parts of the truth 6 4 It labours to affect the heart 7 Two Reasons 1. Because Meditation presseth â—ll Arguments home to the heart 7 2 Because Meditation fastens sin close upon the â—oul and makes the soul to feel it 9 1 Use For the reproof of severall sorts of men â—hat are loth to put in practise this so necessary a duty 12 Four lets of Meditation 1. Vain company 14 2 Multitude of worldly businesse 14 3 Ignorance 16 4 That naturall aversnesse is in the heart of man unto it 16 This aversnesse of heart consisteth in three things 1 In the carelesnesse of the heart 17 2 In the runnings and rovings of the heart 17 3 In the wearisomnesse of the heart in meditation 17 2 Use For terror unto all those that dare sit down in security never at all regarding this soul searching duty 18 Four means or helps to meditation 1 With all seriousnesse tell the soul that thou hast a message from the Lord unto it 20 2 Observe sitting times for meditation viz. 1 The morning 21 2 The night 22 3 The evening 22 4 When the heart is after some extraordinary manner touched with Gods word or providences 22 3 Call to mind what evill thou hast done ever since thou wast born 23 4 Rouse up thy heart and thoughts as high aâ— heaven 23 3 Use For the reprehension of those that meditate upon their sins and how they may with the more freenesse commit sin 24 Four grounds upon which meditation must be raised 1 Meditate on the goodnesse mercy and patience of God that you have oft abused by your sins 26 2 Meditate on the justice of God that you have so oft provoked 28 3 Meditate on the wrath of God that you have so oft kindled 29 4 Meditate on the constancie of God who is a constant hater of all sin 30 Four directions how to carry Meditation home to the heart 1 Weigh and ponder all the foregoing things in â—hine own heart 33 2 Strip sin and look upon it starknaked and in â—ts own colours 33 3 Dive into thine own soul and search thine â—eart to the quick 34 4 Prevent thine own heart by meditation and â—ell thy soul that it will one day wish that it had not â—eglected this so necessary a duty 36 Four duties to be discharged that we may put life to Meditation 1 Let Meditation haunt and dogge thy heart with the promises and threatnings mercies and judgements of God 38 2 Let Meditation trace thy heart in the same steps and run over all thy duties discharged 41 3 Let Meditation hale thy heart before Gods Throne there to poure out thy complaints before the Almighty p. 43. and let thy complaint be 1 Full of sorrow 44 2 A full complaint of all thy sins 44 3 A complaint aggravating all thy sins by all their circumstances 45 4. A self-condemning complaint wherein the complaint of Ezra is illustrated in eight particulars 46 4 Let Meditation when it hath searched out thy case and made it appear how wofull it is cast thee down before God 49 Four motives to stir up the soul to Meditation 1 Consider it is the part of a fool not to meditate It is a madnesse for a man to walk on in a course and not to consider whither it will tend 50 2 Consider not to meditate is the brand of a Reprobate 52 3 He that meditates not robs God of his honor 52 4 All the service that a man performeth unto the Lord will be abominable if he meditate not before it and after it 53 The reason why we have so many vain thoughts in our holy exercises is because we prepare not our hearts thereunto by meditation 54 The Contents of the third Sermon Proverbs 1.28 1 THe opening of the context in 5 particulars 59 2 The opening of the words of the Text in four particulars 62 1. Doctrine Those that will not heare the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministry of his word and voice of his Spirit the Lord will not hear them when in their misery they call upon him 62 3. Reasons of the point 1. The law of Retaliation of rendring like for like requires it 64 2. Because Gods two Attributes of Mercy and Justice have their season in this life and when Mercy hath acted her part then commeth Justice upon the stage for to act her part 66 3. Because it is Gods manner for to doe so in temporall things and therfore much more in matters of grace and salvation 68 God giveth to men a day and no Man nor Angell knoweth how long this day lasteth or when this season of grace shall have an end 71 73 And as there is a Personall day so there is a Nationall day 74 Object 1. A man may be called at the 11th or 12th houre of the day 75 Ans Those that were called at the first hour came in at the first houre these that came in at the twelfth houre were not the same that were called at the first hour 75 Object 2 The day of grace lasteth as long as the day of life 77 The Objection is cleared under three particulars Ans And it is answered that the day of grace may end to a particular man long before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart 78 2. Because God may sear mens consciences 78 Object 3. Suppose I go on in my sinne and repent upon my death-bed will God hear me Ans The answer is negative 80 Object 4. Suppose I humble my self by fasting and prayer will not God hear that The answer is negative if thou neglect the day of grace
judge the world 155 5 Learn hence also that the Ministers of God by every Sermon they preach shall judge the world 157 Use 2 For to condemn the world who see not an amiablenesse in the faces of the Saints who shall one day be their judges who shall judge both Saints and Angels 157 2 This sheweth the folly of the wicked who prepare not for these Judges 158 Lastly it condemnes all those that do not see glory and majesty in the faces of Gods Saints he that revileth the Saints revileth his judges 159 160 Who shall judge the World 1 God the Father by way of authority all judgement is originally from him 161 2 God the Son by way of dispensation 161 3 God the holy Ghost by way of conviction 161 4 The word of God by way of form it being the platform according to which Christ will judge the whole world 162 5 All the Ministers of God shall sit as Justices in common 164 6 All the Saints from one end of the world to the other shall assist the just Judge of heaven and earth 164 So that the wicked shall not be able to plead 1 Their ignorance 165 2 Nor their poverty 166 3 Neither their sinning at their masters command 170 4 Neither callings nor tradings 167 5 Neither the sinfull times they live in 167 Use 3 First for the just reproof of many of the Saints of God because they are not so circumspect over their wayes as they ought how will they be able to rise up in judgement against the wicked for such sins as they themselves live in 168 2 It may serve to condemne some of the Saints of God in regard of that little difference that is to be found betwixt the wicked of the world and them in their lives and manners that it is hard to tell which is a Saint and which is a reprobate by their conversations 170 3 It may serve to condemn the scandalousnes of many persons in their behaviour and actions 171 The Contents of the Sixth Sermon 1 Cor. 11.30 DOct. 1 from the 18 verse That whosoever will come to the holy Cōmunion they must examine themselves that so they may come worthily 175 The Apostle gives three Reasons of it 1 From the end of the Sacrament 176 2 From the wrong men offer to Christ if they come in their sins 177 3 From the woful wrong that a man doth to his own soul that commeth without preparation 177 The Vses of the point are these 1 For the reproof of those that comming unpreparedly get no spiritual strength thereby 178 2 For terror to unworthy receivers 179 3 To shew they make themselves liable to Gods temporary plagues 180 4 For instruction to examine our selves 180 5 He concludes with an use of exhortation 181 An explanation of the words 2 Doct. God doth most severely punish the unworthy receivers of the Lords Supper 183 4 Reas 1 Because Christ himself instituted it 184 2 Because Christ is the matter of it and therefore the more heynous the defilement 187 3 Because Christ is the form of it wherein confirming grace is sealed to the soul 190 4 Because Christ is the end of the Sacrament 191 Use 1 For instruction shewing whence sicknesse weaknesse c. come 193 2 From whence comes hardnesse of heart c. 194 Use 2 For comfort unto every poor afflicted soul c. 198 Use 3 For terror to those that come unpreparedly 199 Object Do all that come unworthily eat and drink their own damnation Answ A man may eat and drink his own damnation three wayes 1 In regard of guilt and liablenesse to Gods wrath 203 2 In regard of the seal and obligation in the conscience 203 3 In regard of the sigillation in heaven 204 Lastly the conclusion denouncing terror to all those that dare rush upon this holy ordinance 205 But for comfort to all them who with all diligence set upon the preparing of their souls for this great Ordinance 206 The Contents of the Seventh Sermon on 2 Cor. 11.28 The words of the Text explained 210 Doct. 1 We must not rush upon the Sacrament 210 There are none of the Ordinances of God that a man may rush upon without examination 211 Three Reasons Naturally we are no invited guests to the Sacrament 212 2 Though we are invited yet it may be we are not disposed for naturally we are strangers to God and the covenant of God all this indisposition must be wrought off before we can come comfortably to the Sacrament 213 3 This is a solemne Ordinance and therefore an ordinary disposition will not serve the turn 213 Many a reprobate may eat and drink in Christs presence 214 Use To forewarn men lest they unpreparedly rush upon any of Gods Ordinances especially upon the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ 215 The Text divided into Four parts 216 Doct. 2 There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords Supper and receive it often 217 Doct. 3 The manner of performance of duties is to be regarded 218 Five Reasons 1 The Lord commands the manner as well as the matter 219 2 Circumstances overthrow actions if they be not rightly and duly observed 219 It's instanced 1 In prayer 219 2 In preaching 220 3 In receiving the Sacrament 221 4 In brotherly reproofe 221 5 In eating drinking and marrying 221 3 Because only the right manner of doing duties gets the blessing 223 4 Because Christ himself is an example unto us in this he did not only obey his Father in the matter of his commands but in the manner of them 224 5 Because otherwise we canaot glorifie God 225 Use 1 First to condemne that naturall Popery that is in the hearts aef men c. 227 Use 2 For discovery why people are so willing to do duties for the matter and not for the manner 229 The Reasons of it are these 1 Because the matter of duty is easie but the manner is difficult 229 2 Duties for the matter of them may be done with a proud heart 231 3 They may be done with an unholy life 232 4 The matter of duty bringeth not the crosse and many zealous for the matter are persecutors of goodnesse 234 Use 3 To exhort men to labour to perform duties aright 235 Three motives to perswade people to perform duties after a right manner 1 Because no Ordinance at all else can be effectual unto us 236 2 All is but hypocrisie if the manner be not regarded 236 3 It is only the right manner of doing duties that pleaseth God 238 4 Doct. Every man must prepare himself before he come to the Lords Table 239 4 Reas 1 Because the Sacrament is Gods Ordinance 239 2 Because the Lord Christ hath made great preparation in providing it 241 3 Because Christ in this ordinance offers for to come into the soul he looks for good entertainment 24◠4 Because the Sacrament is a part of Christs last wil and Testament therefore when we
know our Lords will we must prepare for the doing of it 243 The Contents of the eighth Sermon upon Proverbs 29 1. 1 A double exposition of the Text. 1 Doct. From the first exposition viz. He that reproveth another and is guilty himself in the same kind or in any other kind and hardeneth his own heart in it that man shall be destroyed without remedy 244 7 Reasons First because the office of a reprover bindeth him to be blamelesse 2 Because such a reprover as is guilty himself can never reprove to a right end 250 3 Neither can he do it in a right manner 251 4 Such a reprover is an hypocrite 252 5 Such a reproving of another mans sinne makes him inexcusable in his own 253 6 It is an absurd thing for a person to reprove another for that whereof he is guilty himself 254 7 Such a reproving is a signe of impenitencie 254 Object Shall not a wicked Magistrate or Minister reprove others c. Ans He is bound to reprove in regard of his office â—ut is bound in conscience to amend himself first 155 Use For instruction first Let every reprover take heed lest he make himself inexcusable 256 2 Let him endeavour to walk unblameable and inoffensive 256 Two Doctrines from the second exposition of the Words viz. Doct. 1. The Lord doth not destroy man willingly but for sinne 261 Doct. 2. It is a great mercy for a man to be reproved for his sin 261 Three Reasons of the Second Doctrine 1 Because reproofs primarily come from love 262 2 They tend to the good of a mans soul 264 3 It is brutish not to take reproofs in good part 265 Use 1 First for information that God is bringing destruction upon a Kingdom when he takes away reprovers from them 267 Use 2 For the reproof of those that despise the reproof of the wise they despise not men but God 269 The grievousnesse of their sin who stand out against reproof is aggravated under severall heads 270 Doct. 3 The Lord proportions punishments to mens sins 271 Reas 1 Because hereby a mans punishment appears to be so much the more equall and worthy 271 2 This stops mens mouths and convinceth their consciences 3 All the standers by may see the equity of it when the punishment is according to the sin 273 Use for instruction First to teach men not to complain of Gods dealing with them if their punishment be for the kind of it according to their sin but rather let them learn to see Gods immediate hand in it 274 2 To teach men to consider how God many timeâ— proportions punishments to sins 1 For kind 275 2 For quantity 275 3 For quality 276 4 For time 277 5 For place 277 The Authors Preface upon these ensuing Sermons THE cause of that little heavenlines which is in the profession of Christianity is the want of Meditation Many can meditate cursorily but that is not enough it must be a sticking Meditation that must affect the heart That place in 2 Pet. 2.8 is marvellous pregnant it was the means why Lot was so touched with the abominations of Sodome That righteous man â—welling amongst them in seeing and hearing their ungodly deeds vexed his righteous soul from day to day Many heard and saw too besides Lot and were not vexed Why Other matters stuck in their thoughts they never throughly meditated on it but he vexed himself that is the meditation of those evils and bringing them home to his soul vexed him The word is a fit word implying two things First the searching and examining of a thing his meditating heart examined their sins how many they were how grievous how damnable how likely to pull down some vengeance or other upon them Secondly the wracking or vexing upon trial so it was with Lot he observed all their evils and weighed them in his soul then he wracked his spirit with the consideration of them The Evangelist useth this very word for tossing this word that is here put for vexing he puts for tossing of a ship in the seas Matt. 14.24 The ship was toss'ed with the waves so meditation did tosse his soul with vexation sometimes down to the deep O miserable wretches that we are or How brutish how beastly and how hellish are our sins Sometimes up O that the Lord would humble us and spare us Sometimes over head and eares in the storme O fool that I was to chuse my dwelling amongst such men These meditations vexed hiâ— soul Many have studied meditations and yet are not acquainted with this cordiall meditation Many Ministerâ— that study Divinity all the day that study the Word all the week that study their Sermons all the year may yet for all this be carnall Ministers Why Because their meditation is but inventing and mentall meditation thiâ— meditation is a practicall meditation the thing meditated feeds the heart that meditation is like a fluttering Pheasant that flutters before their eyes it feeds their eyes indeed but never feeds the stomack as long as they neither catch nor eat it The saving mysteries of God flutter before their eyes and before their understandings they feed their eyes with knowledge but never feed their souls unto everlasting life unlesse they fowle for it dresse and digest it in their hearts There is an apt word Gen. 24.63 Isaac went out to meditate in the field the originall hath it to signifie mutuall conference his mind conferred with the truth and the truth with him a mutuall working he wrought upon the truth by meditating of it and it wrought upon him by leaving an impression upon his soul this is a rare practice in the world and yet as necessary as most it is the art of the soul in being heavenly it is the inuring of thee to every good duty for by meditation a man comes to have his mind and heart fixed upon every thing that he would Would he pray he that hath inured his heart to meditate his mind is fixed in his prayer Would he receive the Sacrament He that hath inured his heart by meditation his mind is fixed in the Ordinance David that was excellent at meditation had a fixed heart Psal 57.7 Psal 112. 1.7 A SERMON OF The use and benefit of Divine Meditation HAGGAI 1.5 Now therfore saith the Lord of Hosts Consider your wayes THe Prophet reproveth the people because they could finde in their hearts to mind their own houses and yet were carelesse of the house of the Lord the Lord had sent a drought and a famine and sundry punishments upon them for this thing and yet they laid it not to heart and therefore he sends Haggai the Prophet unto them to call them to repentance and which is an admirable course and little thought of in the world he begins with holy meditation and consideration Now therefore thus saith the Lord consider your wayes that is both in regard of the course of them your wicked wayes and also in regard
and of thy poor soul let thy meditation run on thy poore soule The heart is untoward unto this duty and as unwilling as a Bear to be brought to the stake the Beare would rather be rambling abroad then be baited so men had rather let their hearts ramble about any thing then bait them for their sinnes yea men scoffe at it saying shall we alwayes be poring on our sins shall wee run mad shall we drive our selves to despaire cannot men keep themselves well while they are well The poore man he hath no time for this tedious duty the rich man he needs it not the wicked they dare not so no man will No man repented him of his wickednesse saying What have I done Ier. 8.6 No man would meditate and thinke with himselfe what is my case how stands my condition before God what evill have I done In the Ark and in the old law if there were any beast that chewed not the cud it was a signe of an unclean beast the word implies the bringing up of their meat into their mouthes again and sitting downe to chew it again But now men like unclean beasts swallow downe the food of their soules unchewed and will not meditate thereof that it may turne to good nutriment but like Cormorants they take it downe by whole-sale and are never the better So the Word is to them as the Quailes to the Israelites while the flesh was yet between their teeth ere it was chewed the wrath of the Lord was kindled against them and smote them with a very great plague Num. 11.33 so the Word of God sticks in their teeth ere they chew it or meditate upon it the wrath of God fals upon them and strikes them with a very great plague of hardnesse of heart and leannesse of soule But the truth is you that will not now see your sinnes nor meditate on them you shall see them and meditate on nothing but on feare Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see but they shall see and be ashamed Esay 26.11 Let. 1 Now the Lets of serious meditation are First vain company When Peter saw the people touched Acts 2.37 he said unto them Save your selves from this untoward generation vers 40. as if he should say If you love your selves God hath touched your hearts suffer not Satan and these wicked instruments to steale away these impressions of terror from your soules If ever you love your soules sort not your selves with this untoward generation See as it humbles you so let meditation follow upon it so that it may still humble you Ill company brings a man to the gallowes as the proverb is and ill company will bring a man to hell say It and meditation cannot be admitted to it David would not have a wicked man to abide in his sight when he was to meditate he wisht that there were never a wicked man in the world much lesse would he keep company with them My meditation of him shall be sweet let the sinners be consumed out of the earth and let the wicked be no more Blesse thou the Lord O my soul Psal 104.35 Let. 2 The second Let is multitude of worldly businesse A dream saith Solomon comes through multitude of businesse Eccles 5. Multitude of businesse causeth the mind so to run on them that they do even dream of them in their sleep as Lucretius Seneca Claudian and many others of the heathens have observed He that over-imployes himself his meditations of heaven are dreaming meditations his thoughts dreaming thoughts he can never seriously meditete on the good of his soul Many ingrosse businesse into their hands never thinking they have enough they are so greedy after the world and so carelesse of heaven So they make their hearts like high-way ground the word sown in their hearts is like seed sown in the high-way where is such a through-fare and a broad Carriers road of earthly affairs that all the word and meditation thereof is troden down as the grass in the high-way which cannot grow so neither meditation in a busie-bodied heart For a good meditating mind Nemo ad illam pervenit occupatus saith Seneca no man ever came to it surfeited with imployments David although he had abundance of State affairs both his hands full yet he would not have his hands to be over-charged but that he might meditate in Gods word My hands also not all downe to businesse onely in the world but also up to thy Law will I lift up to thy commandements which I have loved and I will meditate on thy statutes Psal 119.48 Take not too much upon thee like those grasping worldlings that wil have a finger in a hundred things Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many things but one thing is needfull and Mary hath chosen the better part Luk. 10.41 and what was that one thing Mary was sitting and meditating in and pondering Christs words not as Theophylact expounds it as if he would say Martha Martha thou art cumbred about many dishes but one thing is needfull only one dish though indeed so it be yet he here speaks not only of one dish but of many cares which hinder that one necessary dutie of hearing and meditating on the word of God Thirdly ignorance A man cannot meditate of a thing he knowes not nor thou of thy sinnes if thou be not skilfull in Gods catalogue of thy sinnes nor of mercies and promises if thou beest not verst in them nor of his Precepts if thou be not expert in them The Psalmist proveth that he had more knowledge then all his Teachers Why Because he used to meditate I have more understanding then all my Tutors for thy testimonies are my meditation Psal 119.99 Fourthly aversenesse of the heart The heart is like the swine meditation is like the yoke the Hogge would fain get into forbidden fields for to grub them the yoke that hinders him but he cannot abide it every step he takes he lifts up his foot to strike it off if he could so the heart would faine break through hedges and get into forbidden wayes and if thou wouldest meditate it would every moment lift up its heele to put thee besides it If it cannot put thee besids it it will marre it if it can and therefore David praid to God to settle his heart upon the right and put his yoke upon him or it would never be stedfast else upon meditation Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bee ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my redeemer Psal 19.14 This aversenesse of the heart consists in three things First in the carelesnesse of the heart the heart prizeth not meditation nor the things of grace that are to be meditated on it will not be at the cost and charge nor at the paines for them To what end is a price in the hands of a foole seeing there is no heart to get wisedome Prov. 17. â—6 The
their Dogges their bellies and their backes before they serve God in meditation or prayer unlesse it be the mumbling and roting a few Lord have mercy upon us that pray not till after many other businesses it may be not then neirher David prayed and meditated in the morning In the morning thou washest thy face and thy hands but thy soul hath more need which thou washest not in the morning thou puttest thy cloathes on thy body but thou puttest not on afresh the new man upon thy soule in the morning thou shakest off sleepinesse from thine eyes but thou shakest not off drowsinesse from thy soule Thou lookest into the glasse in the morning to see if thy face be as it should be but thy soule is not composedly looking into the glasse of Gods word In the morning look up in prayer look up in thanksgiving look up in meditation Secondly the night too O Lord I meditate on thee in the night watches Ps 63. not as carnal ones do when they cannot sleepe then their mind runnes on their Cow and their Calfe their markets and vanities this neighbour and that neighbour like Petronius his dogge that was hunting while he lay asleepe in his kennell Thirdly in the evening I prevent the night watches that I might meditate Psal 119.148 he did not as wicked men doe sleepe like a horse in the stable on his litter with his neck tied to the manger they goe to bed with their hearts roped to the world worldly thoughts this thought and that thought and God knowes what Fourthly when the heart is touched at a Sermon or Sacrament or observing of any judgement or mercy or act of Gods providence it is best striking when the Iron is hot David when his heart was touched at the reproaches of the wicked then he meditated Ps 119.23 When the Instrument is in tune then it is good playing upon it when a Churle is in a good mood then it is fittest to deale with him Oft will thy heart be out of tune oft churlish and in an ill mood if thou lettest the good opportunity go thou knowst not when thou shalt have such another When the fish is nibbling at the bait then it is good twitching at the angle rod when the heart is a nibbling at grace then give a pluck at it by meditation See Act. 17.11 now while the tide â—asts see thou maist get into the haven Means 3 Thirdly rub up thy selfe and thy memory call as much to mind as thou canst what evill thou hast done ever since thou wast borne what in the womb what in thy cradle childhood youth age what a servant what a Master what as a servant what as a sonne what as a neighbour what as an inferiour what as a superiour either in thought or word or deed how often thou â—ast omitted good duties or done them by â—alves Item for this and Item for that They shall remember themselves and turne unto the Lord Psal 22.27 First they shall remember themselves and say What have I done O wretch how carelesly have I lived Secondly so meditating they shall turn unto the Lord. Many say Oh! they cannot remember their sinnes They lie in a thousand particulars for they can remember to commit them wel enough See Lam. 3.19 20.21 our Greek translation turnes it I spâ—ke to my selfe and meditated as if they should say O what a rebell have I been how unthankfull how unprofitable under all the means of grace I may thank my sins for all the plagues of the Almighty that are upon me if he had damned me I had been well served What followes The heart bowed and was humbled as it is in the text Means 4 The fourth means Rouze up thy heart As it is with the eye of the body so it is with the eye of the soul when a man would look wishly upon a thing as if he would look through it he sets his eyes on it as Paul set his eyes on Elymas Ah thou child of the Devil thou c. Acts 13.9 Meditation is the setting of the eye of the soul upon a thing set thine eye upon thy selfe and say Ah thou child of the wicked why hath Satan filled thy heart O wretched heart whence hadst thou thy self-love hadst thou not it from the Devil God might do well to send thee to the Devill if thou lovest so to bee his Broker Seâ— thine eyes stedfastly upon thine owne wayes and thou shalt see infinite hellish evils in thy sins Vse 3 The third use is for reprehension What is more usuall then this that men make sleight account of their sins Nay when God tells them in their hearts Thou shalt not do this thou shalt not doe that yet they meditate and think Why may I not Samuel bid Saul stay for directions from him before he sacrificed unto God It seemes that God spake to his heart Stay till Samuel comes to direct thee yet Saul forced himselfe to disobey and to doe sacrifice 1. Sam. 13.12 he was bold as Vatable turnes it hee confirmed himselfe as Pagnin translates it hee thrust himselfe upon the doing of it God forbad him he would doe it God urged him in his conscience not to doe it yet he would doe it God again whispered to him to doe it not yet hee forced himselfe to doe it as if he should say I hope I may doe it I have stayed seven dayes wanting an houre or a piece of an houre and a little piece breakes no squares No God rejected Saul for that venture God would have forced him by meditation O no doe it not by no meanes he made him think Oh it is against Gods commandements I may not doe it No but neverthelesse he forced himselfe to doe it Thus God deals with thousands and millions in the world Be not a drunkard God flings the meditation into the conscience yet a drunkard thou wilt be be not a drunkard again a drunkard notwithstanding thou wilt be Be not again they force themselves they will goe to the Ale-house And so of all other sinnes If men will cast oft this work of meditation darted into their soules they cast off their owne mercy God tells them pray not hear not offer not without directions from me they dread not the commandement they will I trust prayers are good I will say them Thus they will not meditate or if they doe they break it off before it comes to any strength or perfection yea Gods owne servants that desire to look towards Sion is not this your complaint oft I cannot find sinne heavie I confesse the word discovers it to me but I cannot be troubled for it Look as it is with men in the world if five hundred pounds weight bee laid upon the ground if a man never pluck at it he shall never feele the weight of it Your sinnes are not many hundreds but many thousands yea many ten thousands selfe-love security hardnesse of heart base fears c. it is impossible to
break-neck it will be a Devill unto me the more I have been delighted with it the more it will gall me the more I have gotten by it the more it will damne me the sin which I most of all loved will most of all torment me Ecclesiast 11.9 look thus upon sin The third means dive into thine owne soul and heart there is a tough brawn over thy heart that it feels not its sins Now Meditation must look through and come to the heart at the quick and cause the truth to dive into the deep places of the soule When the timber is hard the workman cannot thrust in the nail with the weight of his hand no he must hammer it in Meditation is the hammering of the heart It 's a pertinent phrase Jer. 23.24 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocks in peices There be two similitudes first of a hammer the Word of God is the hammer meditation is the hand that taketh this hammer and knocks the nail into the rocky heart and makes it enter Wilt thou not feele I le make thee feele saith meditation wilt thou not take notice of thy wretched estate Meditation comes with blow after blow and makes it take notice Seeondly of fire the word is like fire Meditation kindles it about the heart A man benummed with cold is senselesse the water frozen with cold though the least peble would have sunk in it before now a great milstone is able to lie upon it and not sink the water is able to beare it so is the heart be it sins never so heavie as the hill of Basan yet it bears it and feels no weight but Meditation thawes the heart and then every sinne pincheth and oppresseth Is not my word like fire as if he should say think of it and muse of it and meditate of it and thou shall feele it as a fire Meditation is the often smiting of the heart with this hammer so did Ephraim smite upon his thigh Jer. 31.19 like a man in a miserable agony he thumps his own breast and in a vexation strikes his hand on his thigh Oh miserable wretch that I am So did Ephraim Oh what an unruly Ox am I how unwilling am I to bear the yoke of the Lord Oh and oh the hardnesse of my heart oh that I could tell how to beat thee black and blue Many men smite their hearts but they smite them not often enough When Elâ—sha bad Joash smite upon the ground he smote thrice and staâ—ed The man of God said to him in anger Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times for then thou hadst smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed them where as now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice 2. Kin. 13.19 So men smite their hearts twice or thrice or so but they will not smite their sins dead it may be they break the head of their sins but they recover again and grow strong upon them as at first Thou must smite five or six times yea fifty times five times till thou hast quite broken the impostume of thy heart Meditate on the mercies of God and with them smite it often and often Meditate on the justice of God and with it smite it again and again Meditate on the wrath of God which is as a consuming fire and with it smite it soundly Meditate on the truth of the Lord this threatning and that threatning this commandement and that commandement this promise and that promise and with all these smite it to powder The forth manner Anticipate and prevent thine owne heart meditate what thy heart will one day wish if it be not humbled and tell thy soule as much thou wilt one day wish Oh that I had been humbled under the reproofes of the Lord Oh that I had been wise to have understood mine owne mercie Cursed bee the day that ever I neglected the means of grace so the Lord brings in a foolish obstinate sinner cursing and banning his owne soule sobbing and howling at the last Oh how have I hated instruction and my heart despised repâ—oofe and have not observed the voyce of my Teachers nor inclined mine care to them that instructed mee Pro. 5.12 13. I had Ministers to preach to me but I would not come at them â—or if I did I cared not for their doctrine I had friends that advised me wel but woe is me damned wretch I heeded them not Thus thou wilt cast the foole into thine owne teeth and fling a thousand curses into thine own face because of thy madnesse I might have learned but I would not I might have been humbled but I would not I was almost in all evill in the midst of the assembly of the congregation vers 14. I lived where the Saints of God were in whole assemblies but I mockt them I hated them I misliked them for being too precise I was not ashamed of my security no not in thy sight Thus thou wilt cry out one day if now thou wilt not yeeld unto meditation which must make this as present with thee Know thou O my soul the time of thy visitation is at hand thou wilt curse thy selfe hereafter if thou doest not now be moved by Gods mercies thou shalt never see mercie more Now be awaked by Gods judgements or else thou shalt feel them for evermore now or for ever thou shalt roare for them Then thou shalt curse thy gains and thy profits that bewitched thee thou shalt curse thy pleasures and delights that besotted thee curse thine own heart and thine own soul and thine own conscience that have damned thee Meditation may tell thee thus it will be with thee unlesse thou obeyest now Hear ye me now oh ye children and depart not from the words of my mouth ver 7. hear the word now and obey it let it not depart out of thy meditation Now be humbled with grace oâ— then thou shalt be humbled with horrour then thou shalt wish Oh that I had been ruled When thou art in hell then thou shalt meditate 〈◊〉 it was good counsell that such and such a â—ster gave me good counsell that such a 〈◊〉 and such a brother gave me but wretch 〈◊〉 I was I had not grace to follow it I had more mind of my pleasures more mind of my vanities then of grace Oh if it were to do again I would not do so for a thousand worlds but alas it is now too late Therefore let Meditation presse this upon thee before-hand Now follows the third thing how to put life to Meditation Foure duties are to be done to this purpose 1. Let Meditation haunt thy heart let meditation dogge thee with the hellish looks of thy sins and follow it with the dreadfull vengeance of God haunt it with promises haunt it with threatnings haunt it with mercies and haunt it with judgements and haunt it with Commandments The heart is like the Beaver when it perceiveth it cannot possibly escape
from the Huntsman it cuts the member for which it is hunted and slings it down and so escapes saith Aesops So pursue thy heart with its sins with the hue and cry of Gods mercies pursue it with the hubbub of Gods judgements let meditation haunt it and let thy soul see it shall never be rid of the haunt at last it will be content to part with its lusts Let meditation say Wilt thou forsake thine own mercies If thou livest thus and thus if thou prayest thus and thus dead-heartedly thou kickest against thine own mercie wilt thou rush upon the pricks This mercie thou maist have if thou wouldst amend that vengeance thou shalt have if thou do not amend Either cut off thy sins or else God will cut off thy soul Return O Shulamite return return it s the voice of Christ to thee Let meditation say Return O my soul return return and thou mayst be saved return or else thou shalt be condemned Now what was the effect of this haunting meditation Or ere I was aware my soul made me like the Chariots of Aminadab vers 12. That is my soul musing and meditating on these and these commandments it so humbled my soul that it made me yeeld yea and made me run as fast as the Chariots of Aminadab freely and willingly to Christ Deal with thy heart as Junius his father dealt with him he seeing his son was Atheisticall he laid a Bible in every room that his son could look in no room but behold a Bible haunted him upbraiding him Wilt thou not read me Atheist Wilt thou not read me And so at last he read it and was converted from his Atheisme So let meditation haunt thy heart hold forth the commandments promises threatnings of the Lord that thy heart may see them let meditation haunt thee in thy luke-warmnesse prayest thou thus luke-warm This prayer will break thy neck one day Repentest thou This luke-warm repentance will cause God to spue thee out of his mouth Hearest thou speakest thou thinkest thou These luke-warm duties will confound thee ere long if thou lookest not to it Let Meditation haunt thee as they haunted Nehemiah with warnings ten times saith the Text they sent to Nehemiah they will be upon thee Nehem. 4.12 Beware of the danger the enemy will be upon thee ten times they warned him never giving over till Nehemiah looked about him vers 13. So do thou haunt thine own heart they will be upon thee this curse this wrath that hardnesse of heart this security will be upon thee Ten times yea a thousand times ten times never give over thine own soul untill thou hast made it to submit Indeed there be some let God send Meditations to haunt them and follow them saying Repent leave this or that sin why wilt thou be damn'd with this sin Oh forsake it presently they will gagge the mouth of Meditation and of conscience and strike them stark dead as Abner when Azahel would haunt him and follow him and turn neither to the right hand nor to the left but follow him at the heels Turn aside saith Abner but he would not turn aside from following him Turn aside from me sayes Abner again or I will kill thee but he would not turn aside he would follow him close Then he up with his Spear and slew him 2 Sam. 2.19 20 21 22 23 So many deal with the meditation of conscience when conscience would dogge them and weary them out of their sins they will not when conscience would haunt them they will not be haunted therewith when conscience would follow them up with their desperate wilfulnesse they gall and wound and murder conscience to be quiet But David haunted his heart and would have it haunted The second duty Let Meditation trace thy heart as it should haunt thee so also let it trace thee in the samesteps So would the Church Let us search and trie our wayes and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3.40 The word in the originall sayes Buxtorf signifies track or steps step by step this step was in the ditch that in the mire that step awry track them all that we may ungo them all again and turn unto the Lord. Never pray but let Meditation track thy prayer this passage was right that passage was amisse Never keep a Sabbath but let Meditation track thy keeping of it this duty was sincere that was rotten Never do any thing but let Meditation track it This thought this word this action was warrantable that was out of the way track thy heart as the Lord tracted Eliah he tract him in the wildernesse he tracted him under the juniper tree he tract him in the cave What dost thou here Eliah go forth 1 King 19. What dost thou here Eliah go return He tract him in the mount Go return what dost thou here Eliah this is not a place for thee So let Meditation wait thee what dost thou here O sinner what dost thou here O drunkard in thy covetousnesse or in thy prophanenesse what dost thou here this is not a place for thee unlesse thou mean to perish It may be thou art now scard out of these sins and art run into civill honesty let Meditation still track thee What dost thou do here O sinner Civilitie is not a case fit for thee unlesse thou wert better thou shalt be torn in peeces It may be thou art driven out of thy civility and art gone further to the profession of Religion though it be without the power of it let meditation still wait thee What dost thou here O sinner this sorry kind of profession is not a race fit for thee unlesse thou be godlier then so thou shalt be devoured with everlasting fire Meditation is like the coursing of a hare in the snow the hare fearing to be taken by the dogs here she stops there she leaps here she interleaps there she goes backward and forward upward and downward and all to deceive the dogs that they may not find her but they go smelling and maundring winding and turning and track her step by step till they find her so meditation in the coursing of the soul the heart hath a thousand fetches a thousand meanders and labyrinths a thousand crosse windings and compassings and deceits and all to puzle Meditation But Meditation must track the heart as God dealt with Job he counted his steps step by step Job 14.16 Meditation is the souls blood-hound it will never leave howling the wrath of God till it hath taken the hearts sin for a prey Meditation haunts it out of one sin and it runs into another Meditation haunts it out of that and it runs into a third Meditation is a good pursevant it prosecutes the sinner and attaches him Now because the heart is most cunning and hardest to be trackt by its sent when the heart hath taken up abundance of good duties and attained unto sundry graces these good duties and common graces drown the sent of the hearts
to hell what wilt thou say then I never thought of this before that so it would be Mot. 2 The second Motive is Thou wouldest be loth to have the brand of a Reprobate Not to meditate is that brand The wicked through the pride of his countenance will not seek after God neither is God in all his thoughts Psal 10.4 He scornes to be so poring upon Bibles to be so wracking his mind with his sins He hath said in his heart God will not require it vers 13. God requires no such scrupulosity nor strictnesse Mot. 3 The third Motive is Thou wouldst be loth to roh God of his honour and the maine part of his service whis is Meditation Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and with all thy soule Matth. 22.38 How can this bee true of them saith Chrysostom who become vain in their imaginations Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart soule and mind And so do I saist thou So dost thou What and not love God with all that is in thy heart Thy thoughts are in thy heart thy meditations are in thy mind If thy thoughts then and meditations be not of God thou dost not love God with all thy heart David did not only pray that the words of his mouth but also that the thoughts of his heart should be ever acceptable to the Lord Psal 19.14 not only that he might be full of heavenly communication in his mouth but also of holy meditation in his heart Behold saith he thou requirest truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 And meditation is one of the duties of truth in the inward parts Mot. 4 The fourth Motive Thou wouldst be loth that all the worship thou givest to God should be abominable so it will be without meditation meditation before it meditation after it First Thou must meditate before thou goest about a duty of Gods worship consider before thou hear the word of God meditate what thou art going about Hearken O daughter and consider incline thine eare Psal 45.10 First consider and meditate and then incline thine eare This is part of those words often in Scripture Be ready be ready Be ready and come up saith God Exod. 34.2 Be ready against the third day Exod. 19. Gather your selves together Zeph. 2.1 that is prepare to meet thy God O Israel Amos 4.12 Secondly meditate after the duty When men part with men they use to give one another a farewell and not bluntly deliver their mind one to another and so turn their backs one upon another Lysias could not write a letter to Felix and break up abruptly but he gave him a farewell Acts 23.30 Neither may a man when a duty is done go away bluntly from God but give him a farewell by holy meditation It 's an unseemly kicking of a duty as most men do when they are come to the end of their prayers to whom with the Father and holy Spirit be ascribed all praise and glory Amen Come is dinner ready or what news do you hear This is unmannerlinesse towards the ordinances of God A man that hath been at a â—ooâ— dinner will sit a while after it or walke a while he will not presently run to his worke that the meat may digest the better So when thou hast been at Gods dainties sit after it a while pawsing and meditating thereof as often as thou well mayest let it have its working a while What is the reason thou hast so many by-thoughts in prayer Because thou dost not meditate before-hand and after Hence it is that thine eyes are not directed to the duty but like a blind Archer thou shootest but by aim when the good Archer shoots he must have the white in his eye still which he must levell at My voyce shalt thou hear betimes in the morning in the morning will I direct my prayer to thee and will look up â—s â— 3 How came that you may look on his meditations vers 1. By meditation he was wont to direct and levell his prayer to God Wicked men know that God is before them as a blinde man may leâ—rne that the But is before him but they see not God before them to direct their prayers unto him they pray at rovers Thou must use then to meditate of God that thy prayers may bee directed if thou prayest not thus thy prayers are like them in the Prophet who drew neer to God with their lippes but their hearts were far from him like an arrow beside the But or far from the mark either wide or short They have not cried unto me with their hearts when they howled upon their beds Hosea 7.14 They prayed but they prayed not to me saith the Lord as the White may say of a bungling Archer hee shoots but not at me when he shooted he shot another way God counts all such prayers no better then howling of Dragons and wild beasts so the word signifies saith Scindler God would as lief and rather too that a Dog or a Wolfe or Dragon should howl in his hearing then hear such a prayer as this is The onely way therefore to performe duties of Gods worship purely is cheifly meditation meditation meditation THE DANGER of deferring REPENTANCE DISCOVERED In a Sermon preached at Maidstone in Kent Septem 25. 1629. By that Reverend and faithfull Minister of the Word WILLIAM FENNER B.D. Sometime Fellow of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge and late Parson of Rochford in Essex London Printed by T.R. and E.M. for J.S. A SERMON OF Mr. WILLIAM FENNERS at Maidstone Septem 25. 1629. PROV 1.28 Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me THere is a good English Proverb amongst us that he that neglects the occasion the occasion will neglect him Solomon wisely begins his Proverbs with it for he bringeth in the Wisdom of his Father in these five particulars first making a generall Proclamation in the 20 verse Wisdome crieth without shee uttereth her vice in the streets He compareth God unto a Crier that goeth up and down the City from street to street and from doore to doore crying his commodity even the richest that ever was which is a Christ a Christ for redemption a Christ for sanctification a Christ to enlighten those that walk in darknesse and in the shadow of death Ho every one that thirsteth here is a Christ for you Secondly here is a mercifull reprehension in the 22. verse O yee foolish how long will yee love foolishnesse and yee scorners take pleasure in scorning Foolish indeed to be without Christ foolish to be without grace foolish to chafer away our souls for sin How long yee scorners will yee take pleasure in scorning will you still persist in your wickednesse and never have done with your sins will you never turn back again but damne your souls for ever O yee foolish how long will you love foolishnesse Thirdly here is a gracious exhortation in
the 23. verse turn you at my correction lo I will poure out my mind unto you and make you to understand my words As if he should say Do you not see how you are going apace to confusion and that the way you take leadeth unto destruction turn ye therefore turn ye back again for there is a Christ behind you O turn ye for if ye go on in your sins you perish for ever Fourthly here is a yearning promise made unto the world in the end of the 23. verse Lo I will poure out my spirit upon you and cause you to understand my words As if he should say return back again with me and you shall have better welcome then you can possibly have if you go on in your sins the Devill will never let you gain so much by your living in your lusts as you shall do by repentance for them and forsaking of them For behold I will poure out my spirit upon you whereby you shall be far greater gainers then you shall be by your sins Fifthly here is a grievous threatning against the world even all those that have loytered out the day of grace As time and tyde stayes for no man no more doth the day of grace Because I have called and you refused I have exhorted but you have not regarded I have denounced judgements against you for your sins but you have harned your hearts now a day of woe and misery shall come upon you a time of vengeance and desolation shall over-take you there will a day come wherein there will be weeping and crying Mercie Lord mercy but I tell you beforehand what you shall trust to let this be your lesson now I call and you will not hear now I stretch out my hands but you will not regard you shall seekâ— me early but you shall not find me and shall crie but you shall not be heard The words are a thunderclap against all those that procrastinate their repentance and returning home unto God wherein note first the parties themselves that do prolong this time of grace they that is they who when God cals on them will not hear when God invites them by his mercies patience and forbearance by his Ministers and servants by his corrections and judgements by all fair means and foul means yet withstand the means of grace they are the men they shall call but God will not answer Secondly here is their seeking after God they shall call upon me Thirdly here is their earnest and diligent seeking unto God they shall not onely call but seek to and not onely seek but seek as to labour to find nay they shall seek me early even strive to goe about it with all haste and flie to repentance but they shall not find me Fourthly here is the unseasonablenesse of the time of their seeking then that is a demonstrative then even a time which the Lord points at as if he should say you shall see then these men will be of another mind then they will be glad to be converted then they will be glad to come out of their sins then they will be glad to get grace and seek reconciliation with God but alas they saw not this then but God foresaw it well enough then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not finde me Lastly here is the frustration of their hope which hath two things in it First in regard of their selves in regard of the slaw of their seeking it being not aright Secondly in regard of the â—ustice of God who rewards every man according to his works But I will not hear them Whence observe this point of Doctrine Dect 1 Those that will not hear God when he calleth them God will not hear them when they call upon him Those that will not hear the Lord when he calleth upon them by the ministery of his Word and voice of his Spirit the Lord will not hear them when in their misery they call upon him Thus the Lord dealt with the people in Ezekiels dayes the Lord called them to repentance and obedience but when they stood out and neglected the opportunity of grace and seasons of conversion see how God deals with them though they cry in mine eares with a loud voice yet I will not hear them saith the Lord. When men have gone beyond the time of Gods mercie and out-rowed the tide of Gods forbearance and will not return the Lord sets it down with himself that his wrath shall return upon them he will no longer forbear they had a time wherein the Lord did pitie them and offered grace and mercie unto them but they neglecting this season and withstanding this proffer of grace God resolves with himself they shall never have it again There was a time wherein God did pitie them but now he will not pitie them any more twenty five yeers he called unto them and sought to bring them home but because they stood out and refused the Lord saith I will love Ephraim no more Beloved there is a double day a white day and a black day there is a day of salvation Isa 49.9 this is the day in the which the Lord said to the prisoners Come forth and to those that lie in their sins repent and beleeve Now if any man will come forth and humble his soul before the Lord let him come and welcome for it is a day of salvation But there is another day of damnation which is a dark day a black and a duskie day wherein the Lord will visit the sins of the world and revenge the quarrell of his Covenant Hos 9.7 The day of visitation is come yea the day of recompence the people shall know it the Prophet is a foole and the spirituall man is mad Beloved we are fools and all the spirituall men under heaven are mad that lay not this day to heart For the day of the Lord is a day of visitation and all the world shall rue it though now men sleepe in security If once mercy be rejected and God turn away his eare from a man then grace shall be no more the doore of life shall for ever be shut up against him and when once this day comes he hath lost his own peace and deprived himself of eternall happinesse Reas 1 Now there are three reasons of this point the first is the law of retaliation of rendring like for like which is the justest law that can be made with man for to give unto every man according to his works to make him take such as he brings as the Heathen call it to give a man quid for quo Now if God call upon thee and thou wilt not hear it is righteousnesse with God yea equity with God that is more that when thou callest on him he should not heare thee For thus runs the tenor of Gods Word Prov. 28.9 He that turns away his eare from hearing the Law even his prayers shall be abominable
confirmes it with an oath Therefore if the Lord sweare thou shalt not how darest thou how canst thou hope or think ever to enter into his rest This was almost fourty yeares before he died that the Lord made this oath against them and God knowes how many thousands of them fel short not only of the land of Canaan but also of the Kingdome of heaven So God took Ismael an hundred and seventeen yeares before he died twenty yeares God offered him grace and repentance but he would not take warning a mocker he was and a mocker he would be for he mocked Isaac when he was a child of six yeares old and no meanes would reclaim him before he heard the voice Cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Out with him saith God for he shall never be heire with my sonne this was an hundred and seventeen years before Ismaels death And so God took Saul five and thirty or six and thirty yeares before he died according to Josephus Chronology if it bee true howsoever hee took him divers yeares before his death for so the Scripture makes it plain 1. Sam. 15.20 The strength of Israel will not lie nor repent for he is not a man that hee should repent Therefore because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord also hath rejected thee from being a King And do not think that thou by thy prayers and crying God mercie canst ever alter him for his councell is immutable and hee is strong in his decree and cannot change Hitherto Grace and Mercie have been offered thee which if thou hadst embraced thou mightst have found mercy from the Lord and the Kingdome should have been established and confirmed unto thee but now it is too late for the strength of Israel cannot lie God took Esau fiftie yeares before his death for so long he lived after he sought the blessing with teares but he was a hunting when God was a calling he was following his prophanenesse when God was wooing him to repentance At last when he called for repentance and sought it earnestly yea his soule was carefull for to get it yet he could never obtaine it though hee sought it earnestly with teares fiftie yeares before he died Now if the Lord so severely punish contempt of temporall blessings O how will he punish the contempt of proffers of grace and salvation I tell you God will be more strict in revenging of this sinne then of any other sinne he will come with Martiall law against all those that contemne his Gospell Joh. 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already Doth Christ preach repentance and salvation and the Kingdome of God and wilt thou not repent and beleeve Martiall Law beloved martiall Law hang him up for he is condemned already Even like a souldier that rebels against his General forsakes his Colours they doe not cast him into prison and stay for the Assizes or Sessions but give him Martiall Law even hang him up So if the Lord sound his Gospell in thine eares and offers thee conditions of peace knocking at the doore of thy heart by his Spirit and thou refuse to open to him thou art condemned already for the Strength of Israel cannot lie nor repent Oh therefore take heed now whiles his word sounds in thine eares while his Spirit secretly whispers in thy heart to thee open to him for else thou art condemned for ever Take notice then that God doth commonly give men a day and no man or Angel doth know how long this day lasteth To some it lasteth to their last gasp to some to their old age and to some it is cut off in their childhood God gave the Angels a day the which because they neglected they are reserved in chains of darknesse untill the great judgement day God gave Cain a day Genes 4. During all the time of this day though Cain sinned again and again and went on in his sinnes a great while yet he heard nothing but a still voice If thou do well Cain shalt thou not be accepted but if thou dost ill sinne lieth at the doore But when no meanes will prevaile but Cain will go on adding sinne to sinne and murder unto all the rest of his sinnes and so let go the season of mercy the Lords tells him from heaven that the day of grace is past the gate of mercy is shut against thee for thou art now accursed from the earth As if the Lord should say Before I gave thee a day of salvation and offered thee mercy but thou wouldst not accept of it but now I have clapt a curse upon thy soul that thou shalt never claw off So God gave Nineveh a day to repent Jona 3. Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be destroyed God gave the Fig-tree a day even three yeares before he would have it cut down God gave the old World a day of an hundred and twenty yeares during this time God sent unto them Noah a Preacher of righteousnes to call upon them to repent and so set it down also that his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man but his time shall be an hundred and twenty yeares yet one writes that the Lord cut off twenty of the hundred and twenty yeares because of their iniquities which were so grievous and provoked him so much that they hasted him to come before he would have done In all this space if they had repented they should have found mercy from the Lord but when this time was gone and the day of grace was out the Deluge came in upon them and God by his judgments overthrew the whole World Object You my ask me when this day or season of grace doth end or cease Answ I answer that neither men nor Angels can tell but this I say it may be yet this day of grace lasteth unto thee now it may bee God speaketh whom to thy soul now it may be God warms thy heart and givs thee good purposes resolutions now it may be the Lord Jesus passeth by thee in a good thought and desire lay hold on it for thy day may cease this very night for ought thou knowest Luke 17.22 The time shall come saith Christ when you shall desire to see one of the dayes of the Sonne of man and shall not see it Now is the day of Christ upon you now is Christ offering and preaching himself to you but if you let this day passe thou mayst desire to have one of the drops of that bloud that hath been offered to thee and yet never have it thou mayst desire to feele one rap of that Spirit that hath knockt at thy heart and yet goe without it thou maist intreat for one dram of that mercy that hath been offered and thou hast rejected but it shall never be granted to thee God may clap that fearfull sentence upon thee Now henceforth never grow fruit more on thee never repentance come into thy heart more If now thou wilt not repent and be
converted the Lord may set it down in his decree from this day forward that thou mayst fumble about thy sinnes but shalt never get victory over them thou mayest ever bee mourning for thy corruptions but never mourne aright for them thou mayest blunder about repentance but never doe the work Ezekiel 24.23 You shall not mourne nor weep but you shall pine away for your iniquities and mourn one towards another There is many a soule for contemning of God and not taking up repentance while they may have it this plague of God is come upon them that they are ever repenting and are never able to repent ever poring upon their sinnes but never able to come out of them they pray and pray against them but their prayers moulder away under them for they shall pine away for their iniquities What is the reason he showeth in the 13. verse Because I would have purged thee and thou wast not purged thou shalt not be purged any more Because I gave thee line upon line precept upon precept motion upon motion Sacrament upon Sacrament Sabbath upon Sabbath and Ordinance upon Ordinance because I used all fair meanes and foul meanes I awaked thy conscience and stirred up the motions of grace in thee but because I would have cleansed thee and thou wast not cleansed thou shalt never be cleansed A fearfull sentence it is if mens hearts were soundly opened to consider rightly of it And as there is a personall day so there is a nationall day if the Nation turne unto God during that time then that nation shall find mercy but if they neglect that day then God will hide those things from their eyes that belong to their peace as Christ saith of Jerusalem Luke 19.42 O Jerusalem if that thou hadst known in this thy day those things that did belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes in this thy day if thou hadst known it during that day it had been happy for thee but now the day of grace is gone the Lord hath concealed it from thee and thou shalt never perceive it any more Some mens day of grace God endeth even in their very childhood therefore if there be any little ones any children here in this congregation that are of age to know what belongs unto an exhortation to them I speak that they take heed how they rebell against the commandment of a father or a mother or master against the teaching of Gods Word for though you be children yet God may inflict judgements upon your heads for not only the day of grace but also the day of life may be cut off from children as 2 Kings 2.24 Four and twenty children were torn in peeces for mocking the Lords Prophet Some mens day of grace is not shut up untill their youth some not untill their old age some not untill they are a dying and if they refuse then they are alike yea sure to perish for ever I know the day of grace may have several returns but at last Gods Exchequer will be finally shut up Object May not a man be called at the eleventh or twelfth hour of the day The day of grace lasteth alwayes and doth not the Apostle call the day of life the day of grace 2 Cor. 6.2 Answ Is it true the Lord calleth men at the eleventh and twelfth hour but yet look and you shall see in the twentieth of Matthew that they were not called at the first houre nor at the second nor third houre nor at the sixth and ninth houre i. he doth not say he found the same men that he found at the first and third sixth and ninth houres but he saw others standing idle No those that were called at the first houre came in at the first houre and they that were called at the third houre came in at the third houre and they that were called at the sixth and ninth houre came in at the sixth and ninth houre Well doth God call thee in thy childhood in thy youth or in thy middle age now at the first or sixth or ninth houre now come in and labour in Gods Vineyard and worke out your salvation with feare and trembling and make use of the season of grace now whiles it is upon you for if thou be called the first houre the sixth is for another and not for thee if thou be called the sixth houre the ninth houre is for others and not for thee if thou be called the ninth houre the eleventh houre is for others and not for thee The Text saith He came and found others standing idle in the market place and said unto them Why stand yee here idle And they say unto him No man hath hired us as if they should say We never had any means of salvation we have had no Ministers to preach unto us but now God calls upon thee to come in this is thy houre look unto it If God call thee see thou come in whether it be at the first or third houre at the six or ninth houre lest the Lord in his wrath clap bardnesse of heart upon thy soul Object But you will say that the day of life and the day of grace are parallel'd and likened one to another and therefore there is hope so long as a man remaines in the Congregation of the living Answ I answer it is true indeed that the day of grace lasteth so long as the day of life 1. In regard of others for others are so to esteeme of it the Minister is to look to his people as to a people to be converted as long as they live 2. In regard of a mans owne selfe he is so bound to beleeve for the commandment of faith standeth in force on a man so long as he liveth and therefore infidelity and despaire cease not to be sins till a man is actually in hell when he is in hell then they are no sins because then he is not commanded to beleeve but are part of the punishment of the damned but whilst a man lives it is a sinne for men are now bound to lay hold upon Christ and to beleeve at what houre of their life soever 3. It may be said to last all a mans life long because it is bounded within the compasse of life for no man hath a day of grace after this life But what is the meaning of all those Scriptures which show how God doth deliver up men unto the Spirit of giddinesse and unto the Spirit of slumber And what means the hardning of mens hearts and searing of mens consciences but only to show that the day of grace may end unto a particular man ten twenty thirty nay forty yeeres before his death 1. Because God may harden a mans heart Jerem. 13.10 and deale with them as with Israel in the Rock so shut up their hearts that they shall never melt at any Sermon never be wrought upon by any judgement God having closed them up in a rocky heart that he
saith of them Can the Blockmore change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may they do good that are accustomed to do evill The blacknesse of the Blackmore is only in the out-side of the skin yet all the Art under the heavens cannot blot it out So if once hardnesse possesse thy soule all the preaching of the Ministers and all the means of grace in the world can never bring it unto that frame and temper as to make it melt under the hand of God I tell thee thou that usest to come unto Sermons day after day and refusest to repent living still in thy sinnes there is no hammer nor beetle in the world more hard then thy heart as those men and women that sit under the preaching of the Word and hear the doctrine of life like raine from above beating and knocking on their consciences and on their hearts to awaken them out of their sinnes and yet notwitstanding will not repent at last they prove to be deafe Adders that stop their eares against the Word charme the Charmer never so wisely 2. God may seare mens consciences Doth thy conscience tell thee that thou art a luke-warmling and wilt thou not be reformed Doth thy conscience tell thee that thy prayers and all thy religion is rotten and unsound and that thy repentance is hypocriticall and naught and that for all thy vaine hopes thou art but a dissembler and yet remainest in thy sinnes and wilt thou not be bettered hereby Take heed for that man that runns on in sinne against the voice of his own conscience that man sinnes the sinne of Saul 1 Sam. 13.8 God bid him stay seven dayes untill Samuel came Saul stayes full seven dayes within one houre at last his lust began to bawl What shall I stay for a Prophet thus long Stay sayes his conscience Why sayes Saul I waited for him so long even seven dayes lacking but one houre Stay saith God to his conscience for the Word of God bids thee stay so long he stayed one day and two dayes and six dayes and seven dayes but one houre Stay saith his conscience no hee would not but I forced my selfe saith the Text as if hee should say I hardened my heart to do it though the word of the Lord my own conscience bid me stay and not do it yet I forced my selfe to do it What was this mans sinne Was it his offering of Sacrifice and calling upon God by prayer No the Lord commands us to call upon him in time of distresse and being commanded it was lawfull Was it his sinne to meddle with the Priests office No for he did but appoint the Sacrifice the Priest offered it What was it the breaking of one houres time No for he had sinned more against God then so but this was his sinne that he went against his own conscience when God stood in the way when conscience stood in the way conscience said stay but he would not stay God bid him stay but he would not stay And this is the sinne of many thousands amongsts us mens consciences tel them that they must not be drunkards mens consciences tell them that they must not be worldlings they must not be swearers they must not be luke-warme professors they must pray better then they do and have other faith then yet they have if ever they meane to be saved wilt thou yet against thy conscience force thy selfe to go on in thy sins from day to day and never be reformed take heed lest the Lord be provoked to set thy sun upon thy head and shut up thy heart and tonclude thy eternall destruction Object Suppose I go on in my sinnes and follow my wicked courses now what if I seek him hereafter and humble my soule before him with fasting and prayer and when I lie upon my death-bed I send a ticket unto my Minister to pray for me will all this do me no good Answ Surely no saith God Jerem. 15.1 Though Moses and Samuel stood before me yet my affections could not be toward this people cast them out of my sight Dost thou lie sick upon thy death-bed were Samuel Job or Daniel the Minister of thy Parish and thou shouldst send thy ticket unto them desiring them to remember thee in their prayers if Noah stood in the Pulpit and Job and Daniel were here before the Lord for to plead for thee yet he would not hear thee Object But suppose I humble my self by fasting and prayer will not God hear that Answ No if thou neglect the day of grace Jer. 14.12 when they fast I will not hear them and when they offer oblations I will not accept their cry but I will consume them by the sword by famine and by pestilence You may set up your fastings prayers and humiliations you may lament and mourne and pine away your selves in your sins but it is not all your prayers and fastings it is not all your lamentation and mourning that will do you good so long as the counsell of the Lord is rejected Because I called and ye would not answer therefore you shall call but I will not hear they thought that the Lords eares would alwayes be open and that when they called the Lord would have answered and that the day of grace would ever remain but God saith I will not hear them they would never have sought if they thought the Lord would not hear them but all their seeking was in vain Object You will say at what time soever a sinner repenteth he shall have mercy Answ It is true if thou repent from the bottome of thy heart but thou maiest come with many a degree of repentance and yet never repent whilest thou livest if thou repent from thy heart and root out thy sins then God will put away thy sins but thou maiest go on in repentance and calling upon God and performing many duties of Religion and yet be hardned look how much Religion will stand with self-love so much thou maiest have after the day of grace is gone Selfe-love may make a man flie to prayer and run after Sermons and go on in many holy duties and give over many sins look how far self-love may drive thee unto holy duties so far thou maist go and yet notwithstanding remaine hardned O therefore let us not delay nor put off the time of grace nor let go salvation while it may be had then shall they call but I will not answer he doth not set down when this time is it may be it is now it may be not this seven yeers it may be not till thy death Doct. 2 Doctr. It may be this very day even this very Sermon this very houre may be thy day that art now in thy sinnes that if thou repent not at this very one Sermon thou neglectest eternall life for ever lose the benefit of this Sermon at this time and thou maiest lose eternall salvation and never have it more The thiefe that robd this day
how doth he know but this one robbery may bring him to the gallows So the man that sins this day how doth he know but that this very dayes work may bring him to hell Deut. 32.35 To God belongs vengeance their feete shall slide in due time Therefore if a man sin against him he may stand to day and to morrow and many dayes but when the due time comes even the time which God hath set then up goes his heels he shall slide and break his neck thy houre-glasse runs in heaven and thou seest not when the sand comes to the bottome but when t is out then down thou goest to hell for ever There was one resolved to kill Julius Caesar such a day the night before a friend sent him a letter to acquaint him with it but being at supper and busie I will not look upon it now saith he to morrow is a new day The next day when he should have read his letter he was stabd Whence this Proverb came in Greece To morrow is a new day God sends thee a letter and a message from heaven to day hear his voice to day repent and come out of your sins or for ever to hell to day be converted and sanctified or for ever be hardned Dost thou refuse to bearken to day and puttest it off untill to morrow it may be to morrow may be a day of Gods wrath and then thou maiest be hardned seared and bound over unto the great day of Gods vengeance to morrow God may set the decree upon thy soul that thou shalt never repent Therefore if thou refuse this thou refusest all for what knowest thou but this very day may be thy day Reas 1 The reason is because Gods patience is in his own brest and who can tell how long it will last Hast thou Momus his glasse-window to look into Gods secret counsell hast thou a key-hole to look into Gods treasurie canst thou stand on tiptoe to look over Gods shoulder to look into Gods decree to see how long his patience will last It may be God hath suffered thee till this day thou art guilty of ten thousand sinnes and yet he is patient towards thee God hath stayed thus long for thee that hast sworne I know not how many oaths God hath born thus long with thee that hast told I know not how many lies prophaned I know not how many Sabbaths contemned I know not how many ordinances and sleighted I know not how many judgements yet Gods patience is in his own brest it is the long sufferance of God Thou mayest say I would fain have it to morrow and this seven yeers but alas it is his long sufferance and not thine and how dost thou know when he will conclude it it may be this day as well as to morrow Joel 2.13 Rent your hearts and not your garments saith the Prophet for the Lord he is gracious and mercifull This word for hath a great deal of force in it First It is a descriptivum for for he is gracious and a mercifull God therefore rent thy heart and let thy soul burst within thee that thou hast sinned against him for he is a mercifull God and it may be he will pardon all thy sins and heal all thy rebellions committed against him Secondly it is an upbraiding for upbraiding thee for thy sins rent thy heart therefore why he is a patient God wilt thou goe on in thy sins against such a patient God and rebel against such a loving Father that hath loved thee with so much compassion Rent thy heart for he is patient Thirdly it is a comforting and incouraging for rent thy heart for there is incouragement for thee to repent give over thy sins and go to the throne of grace For there is much mercie to welcome thee and great patience for to bid thee come home and abundance of grace for to incourage thee therefore rent thy heart and come home unto the Lord for he is patient and long-suffering Fourthly it is a forewarning for rent your hearts for the Lord is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse yet his mercie lasteth yet his patience endureth yet hee hath all his attributes and yet he is pleased to manifest the same still tendring grace and mercie unto thee Oh turn unto him while these endure or else thou shalt perish for ever Fifthly it is a threatning for now he is gracious now he is mercifull but his mercy will end his patience will end and then if thou hast not rent thy heart before it will be too late then Therefore as ever thou lovest thine own soule now rent thy heart and turn unto God It is Gods own proclamation The Lord the Lord slow to anger and of great mercie forgiving iniquity and sin Yea what man soever it be that humbles his soule before him he shall find grace and mercie with him yea abundance of mercie pardoning iniquity transgression and sinne yea any thing Let but a soul come prostrate before him humbling his soule he will pardon his sin But as it followeth in the words He will by no means clear the guiltie if notwithstanding all Gods patience and mercie thou go on in thy sins the Lord will never forgive thee but will visit thy sinnes upon thee unto the third and fourth generations because thou hast withstood the day of grace Beloved men run on in their sins as if so be an Angel from heaven should cry unto them and tell them yet God will be good unto them yet God will show them mercie and forbear them Beloved let your consciences answer if you ever heard the Lord God say to any of you thus long I will forbear you No Gods patience is in his own breast and therefore no man knows how long it will last Reas 2 A second reason is because Gods patience giveth no marks or inklings of it before it ends commonly when God strikes a man with death he giveth some signes of warnings of it before as sicknesse and pains and gray hairs and many sorrowes c. Now because thy life is in Gods hands thou carest not for it but venturest to go on in thy sinnes hoping to have some warning though thousands be cut off without it but the day of grace may come to an end and yet thou never have any inkling or warning of it before-hand commonly when God strikes a man with death he tells him of it before-hand by aches and pains as if the Lord should say Now thou shalt die now will I take thee out of the world But when the Lord taketh away the day of grace from a man though the spirituall man may take some notice of it yet there is no sensible apparition of it but after the day of grace is set upon a man he may be as strong and lustie as before he may come to Church as well after as before performe religious duties and do many good things as well after as
before as Saul went on in duties of Religion as well after Samuel had pronounced the Lords doome upon him how many times was he offering sacrifice unto the Lord after the Prophet told him that he was a man rejected how many good speeches came from him as when Samuel met him he salutes him with these words Blessed be thou of the Lord I pray thee turn again with me that I may worship the Lord. A man would have thought that Saul had been a good convert No no before all this his judgement and doome was set upon him God steals upon him and saies nothing he claps his plague upon their souls and holds his peace Isa 42.14 I have a long time held my peace I have been still and refrained my selfe now will I cry like a travelling woman I will destroy and devoure at once The Lord shews here how he deals with men they go on in their sins but the Lord holds his peace they provoke him every day but the Lord refraines his anger but now all at once his wrath breaketh forth upon them Psal 64.7 God will shoot an arrow at them suddenly their stroke shall be at once The Lord suddenly shoots a swift arrow at thee no sooner it is shot but it enters into thy bowels When the Lord comes upon a man he comes suddenly when he ends the day of grace upon him he doth it suddenly He ended the day of grace on the Scribes and Pharisees even in the very Sermon time while Christ was preaching unto them they were delivered up to hardnesse of heart so many were delivered up to hardnesse of heart in the time of Hosea's prophecie Hos 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone saith God as if he should say Sermon let him alone Preacher let him alone Sirrit let him alone Christ let him alone Beloved if we stand out against God and reject the day of grace the Lord may say Word let such a man alone and never convert him Christ let such a man alone and never redeem him Spirit let such a man alone and never sanctifie him Sacraments let such a man alone and never seal up any comforts unto him a fearfull signe that men are come to this houre do we not see that men come to the Word and the Word lets them alone in their sins do not men come to the Sacrament and the Sacrament leaves them still in their filthinesse men come unto good duties but good duties let them alone and do them no good and this is the condition of many thousands in the world Therefore oh think upon this you that have made a league with your sins and an agreement with hell hear this delivered to you this day that the day of grace may be ended and God may come and clap his curse upon men and never give them any inkling of it at all Reas 3 A third reason is because God reckons upon every houre if God kept not a strict account of time how many Sermons you have had how many mercies you have injoyed how many crosses he hath warned you by if God kept not a true tale and account of every houres time you might rub on many dayes and moneths and yeers and spend much time in fulfilling of your lusts but God keepeth a reckoning of these things yea of every houre and of every minute Acts 17.30 The times of ignorance God regarded not but now he admonisheth all men to repent Alas when men live in their sins through blindnesse and ignorance and know not God the Lord takes no such strict notice of them but lets them go on longer and longer but when the Lord sends them his Word and Gospel and affords them the means of grace he doth the more strictly look unto them and takes the more exact account of them before they had the means of grace the Lord winked at them and did not so narrowly watch them but looked over mens igonrance as the originall hath it but now God sends his Word and Gospel he admonisheth all men to repent he winks at never an houre but sets down how oft thou hast had exhortation from thy Minister how often thou hast had warning by sicknesse and aflictions how often thou hast had checks from thine owne conscience how many admonitions thou hast had from thy friends how many times thou hast had the sound of the Gospel to sound in thy eares to bring thee home unto God John 2.7.11 This is the first beginning of miracles that Jesus did John 4.58 This is the second miracle that Jesus did saith the Text God sets down this is the first this is the second time This is the second Epistle I wrote to you saith Paul Oh this is the third time I wrote unto you 2 Cor. 13. that when I come I will not spare so God sets it downe in his catalogue this is the first time that I have warned this man this is the second time this is the third time that when I come I will not spare the Lord accounts how long he hath sought unto thee and intreated thee by his mercies how long he hath allured thee by his word how long he hath warned thee by his judgements how oft he hath smote thy heart with fears and thy conscience with terrors Now if for all this thou wilt not return just is it with God to cast thee down to hell for ever Reas 4 The fourth Reason and last it is a wonder that the day of grace is not ended already and that thou art not now in hell When a thing in this kind is looked for to be done it is a wonder that it is not done It is a wonderfull mercie of God unto this Kingdome that yet the day of grace is continued amongst us in regard of our long fear and expectation of the contrary For from the highest to the lowest we have highly revolted more and more provoked God to his very face What contempt of Gods word what neglect of Gods Ordinances what prophanation of Gods Sabbaths what scoffing and deriding of Gods servants how doth wickednesse and prophanesse stand up in the highest roome climb up into the highest chambers But as a whore condemned to die being with child is repreived for a time untill her child be brought forth so this Land hath gone a whoring from God yet so long as God hath some children to be brought forth which are not yet come unto the birth he lets his grace and Gospel continue untill these children be brought forth Therefore now beloved if we stick at the birth and come not forth a hundred to one but we shall miscarry When Christ comes first to thy soule he witnesseth grace and mercy to thee if thou wilt repent and amend yea he witnesseth forgivenesse of sins redemption and salvation if thou wilt beleeve but if not he will be a swift witnesse against thee Malachi 3.5 if thou continue and goest on in thy sins Agree with thine adversary
house as you walk abroad in the fields as you are employed in your callings or about any holy duty God seeth all thy thoughts what is going in and what is comming out there is never a thought in thy heart but God sees it how then can thoughts be free God will weigh the thoughts of men Prov. 16.2 Beloved what a fearfull day will that hee when God shall take his Scales and weigh no mans bodies and estates for then it may bee that rich men and fat and grosse men will out-weigh them that are better but he will take mens thoughts and weigh them hee will weigh their soules he will take mens good thoughts and put them into one scale and their bad earthly carnall and unprofitable thoughts into another scale and to try which weighes heaviest Now if thy earthly and sinfull thoughts weigh heaviest then down thou goest into eternall damnation Secondly as thoughts are not free from Gods knowledge so are they not free from Gods Word for Gods word can meet with them for it is lively and mighty in operation and is a descerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Hebr 4.12 Doth the word of God discern the thoughts of mens hearts Then much more doth the God of this Word and therefore how can thoughts be free Thirdly and lastly they are not free from the condemnation of hell and damnation I am hee saith God that searcheth the hearts and reins and I wil give to every one of you according to his works or as some translations have it according to your thoughts Rev. 3.23 Now if God will so severely punish thoughts take heed then how thou tetainest any evill thoughts I should here give you some means in the use that so you might rid your selves from vain thoughts Means 1 First love the word of God if ever thou wilt come out of them prize the truth of God and labour to get thy mind and thoughts to beâ— set on better things and then the thoughts of the world and all vain things will vanish away This course the Prophet David took Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love How came it to passe that he hated vain thoughts namely by loving Gods Law if he had not loved Gods Law and those excellent things therein and set his heart on them hee could never have hated vain thoughts The way then to break of thy league with vain thoughts is to be in league with good thoughts Dost thou complain of vain thoughts in prayer in hearing the word in receiving of the Sacraments and art thou stuffed and filled with them that thou canst not think upon God and holy things thou dost here by bewray thine own rottennesse and corruption And therefore know that if thou lovest the Lord and his Word and didst set thy thoughts upon him thou wouldst never have them so much employed about such base things Secondly if ever thou wouldst rid thy heart of vain thoughts especially when thou art in holy action thou must goe unto God by prayer there is no greater bridle to restrain a man from vain thoughts then this consideration that hee is to goe to God I speak not this to the men of this world Carnall men who can rush into Gods presence hand over head without any fear or reverence they can set upon any duty without any preparation but I speak it to the godly man whose heart dreads and stands in awe of God Wilt thou let thy mind rove and run all the day on worldly things how then wilt thou call upon God Dost thou not know that this is the cause of thy dulnesse thy deadnes and wandrings of thy heart when thou art about any good duty namely because thou sufferest thy heart to be lashing out and roving abroad on the world all day no marvell if it keep his haunt at night and therefore thy heart being vain God will never hear thy prayer Job 35.13 God will never bear vanity Comest thou to God with a vain prayer God will never hear it Comest thou with a vain eare to the hearing of the Word God will never hear it or with a vain heart to the Sacrament God will not regard it Lay this seriously to thy heart if ever thou wouldst have thy heart to the duty thou art about busie thy mind upon good things for if thy heart be accustomed to vain and worldly things all the day it is no marvell if it returne to its haunt again at night Thirdly consider that you have not so learned Christ It is the Apostles argument Ephes 3. consider then what you have learned of Christ hath Christ taught you so hath Christ taught you such a love and given you such a liberty that you should love the world more then him and imploy and bestow all your thoughts wholly in seeking after vain things Hath Christ taught you such a faith as this Hath Christ taught you such a repentance as this to have your thoughts more upon the world then upon Christ to repent of sin and yet never forsake sinne Have ye so learned Christ Hath he not taught you such a faith as purifieth the heart such a sanctification as cleanseth the soul and the minde such an obedience as bringeth every thought into subjection unto himself Therefore if now thou shouldst still retain thy vain dead earthly and carnall thoughts it is not to learn Christ Christ teacheth thee no such doctrine nor giveth thee any such licentious libertie but thou learnest of the Devill and of thine owne heart for all evill and vain thoughts arise from these three heads First from the variety and abundance of the thoughts of the world which our Saviour calls the cares of this world Seconly from the fountaine of corruption in mans heart the heart of man being alwayes like a sink naturally running with filthinesse or like a living quickset alwayes bearing so is it with the heart of man alwayes imagining vain thoughts Thirdly from the damned malice of the Devill and his fearfull suggestions and temptations both within and without the Devill is fitly called a tempter and trier for by these suggestions and temptations he feels and tries mens hearts and thereby knowing to what they are most inclined and which way they are soonest overcome accordingly he fits his temptations for to intrap them Now these thoughts are infinitely variable according to the constitution place quality passions affections and conditions of men as of the poor man in his beggery of the rich man in his abundance of the Minister in his calling of the Magistrate in his and so of all other men Now the whole world is not able to fill the heart how then shall we number the thoughts of it But for the better understanding we will rank them into these four heads to show how thoughts become vain 1. Materially mens thoughts are vain when the matter of them is vain 2. Formally when though for the matter they are never
as if thy own hand in thy own person had been imbrued in his bloud Now we know it is a horrible sin to be guilty of the bloud and murther of an ordinary man yea of a very rogue how much more is it a great and fearfull sin to be guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord Iesus Christ the onely and etrnall Son of God yet comest thou to this holy Communion and bringest no lesse then the guilt of the body and bloud of Christ upon thy soule Reas 3 The third Reason is taken from the wofull wrong and injury that man brings upon his own soule that comes unpreparedly without examination of himself in the 20. verse he eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he maketh him selfe guilty of and liable to the same vengeance that the crucifiers of Christ had inflicted on them Good had it been for that man saith Christ of Judas if that he had never been born So may I say Good had it been for that man and that woman if they had never been born who come unworthily unto rhe Table of the Lord for when they eat of that Bread they eate their owne bane and when they drink of that Cup they drink their own damnation Vse 1 Then cometh he to make some uses of this point and first he condemns those that as they come so they goe away from the Sacrament no more holy no more gracious then before but as they come in their sins so they goe away in their sins they came drunkards and they goe away drunkards they came worldlings and they goe away worldlings they came mockers and they goe away mockers they came in theit wrath anger malice deadnesse hypocrisie and luke-warmnesse and so they go away still never the better but living in them as they did before As in the 17. verse You come together saith the Apostle not for the better but for the worse Whereas if they would have come worthily they should have gone away the better they should have received more grace and holinesse â—o walk with God more power and strength against sin and corruption yea the Lord would have ratified and confirmed his Covenant with them whereas living in contention and not coming with preparation they grow the worse by the Sacrament The Corinthians thought that the Apostle would have praised them for their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament Shall I praise you in this saith the Apostle I praise you not Vse 2 Secondly He makes an use of terror against all those that dare come in their sinnes unto this holy Sacrament of the Lord for that man that commeth in his sinnes unto the Table of the Lord 1. though he may think he receives the communion yet he doth not for this is not the Table of the Lord but the Table of Devils It is true thou receivest the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ hut yet comming in thy sinnes thou receivest not his body and bloud as of a Saviour to save thee from thy sinnes Indeed thou receivest the body and bloud of Christ sacramentally but it is as the Iudge to condemne thee unto the pit of destruction for thy damned Impudency in coming so unworthily unto this holy Sacrament For that man cannot eate the body of Christ that is not a member of Christ therefore thou must be a limbe of Christ if ever thou wilt receive worthily 2. If a man come unto the Sacrament and come in his sinnes he cometh to his own destruction for though it be a sweet banquet for to refresh an humble and weary soule and to make it walk more cheerfully in the wayes of God all the dayes of his life yet he that commeth unto it in his sinnes and receiveth it in his uncleannesse speedeth thereby his own damnation and receiveth it as his viaticum to hell The Apostle compares Baptisme to the red Sea 1. Cor. 10. from which place Chrysostome saith that as the red Sea was a way for the Israelites to passe through to Canaan so it was as a grave to swallow up the Egyptians to their destruction So the Lords Supper is as a grave or open pit whereby many plunge themselves into eternall destruction but as a chariot to the godly to carry them to heaven Vse 3 Thirdly by comming in thy sinnes thou makest thy self liable to Gods temporary plagues and judgements as appeares in my Text For this cause many are sick and weak among you and many are fallen asleep For this cause which is not oneâ—y a note of conclusion but of the cause For this cause namely because they examine not themselves but come in their sinnes and receive it unworthily One man hath a disease in his body that he liveth not out halfe his dayes another sick and weak neer unto death a third is fallen asleep Wherefore why saith the Apostle for this cause of receiving unworthily the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Vse 4 Fourthly for instruction that because the people of God as well as wicked men are guilty of unworthy comming to the Lords Table therefore he exhorts them that if they would not have the Lord judge them that they would judge themselves as in the 31. verse For if wee would judge ourselves we should not be judged of the Lord. If we would sit down and search our own hearts and trie our own spirits and pry into our bosomes and out with our old corruptions and unclean lusts and enter into a new covenant with God of holy walking before him for after time if we would thus judge and condemne our selves and mortifie our sinnes comming with grace unâ—o this holy banquet then we might come with comfort unto this blessed Sacrament assuring our selves that wee shall escape the judgment of the Lord. For those of the Corinthians whom God struck with sicknesse weaknesse and death it was to instruct others that are well and in health that they venture not to enter upon these holy mysteries with unholy hearts and unclean hands Vse 5 Fifthly he concludeth with a use of exhortation in the 33. and 34. verses Wherefore brethren when ye come together to partake of the holy Communion tarry one for another As if he should have said Away with all your disorders and come not with a temporall but with a spiritual appetite provide not thy teeth but thy heart for these dainties for this is not a feast for the body but for the soul therfore away with all your disorders and unseemly coming unto thiâ— blessed Sacrament take heed and repent of this sin among you and of all other sins which you know your own consciences to be guilty of and so come unto this holy communion Now the verse that I have read to you is a part of that use of terror which the Apostle makes against the unworthy receivers of the Sacrament and it contains Gods severe hand and judgment against those that come unworthily wherein note three things First the cause of their
name of God in vain Is there never a drunkard here in this congregation that hath been at the Sacrament Is there never a whoremonger never a covetous worldling Where is the man whosoever hee bee amongst you all that is such a one He is in the state of damnation Is there never a luke-warm and carnall Christian that contents himself with a formall worship and a dead performance of holy duties that hath no zeal for God nor courage for his truth but is carelesse of all Gods commandements whosoever amongst you are guilty of these sins or any other and hath come unto this holy Communion in them they are the persons that how oft soever they have received so oft they have taken this name of the Lord in vain And if I should examine this Congregation from the one end of it unto the other I fear that every pew would yeeld some one If not many that have taken a Cōmunion which is one of Gods names in vain Should I but examine thee that comest unto the Communion this day how by the last Sacrament thou receivedst and the last Sermon thou hast heard thy faith is strengthened thy repentance renewed and thy obedience is increased and thy care doubled for to walk with God whether thou art made by them more zealous for God more forward in his worship and service and every day more holy and heavenly minded if not then thou hast taken this Name of the Lord thy God in vain and the Lord will not hold thee guiltlesse that is the Lord will not take away the guilt from thy conscience but he will let thy sinne lie open and thou shalt not be cleansed from it nor justified by the very blood of Jesus Christ but it shall rest upon thee to thy utter ruine and destruction unlesse thou forsake thy sinnes and so come preparedly unto this holy Table and banquet I know here is a covenant of grace a sweet refreshing for every humbled soul that is hungry broken for his sinnes and for every poore distressed conscience let all such come and lay their sinnes upon Christs crosse and welcome But if there be any that come in their sinnes and will not reforme their live◠but be as they came sinners so they mean for to continue the Lord himselfe will lay this mans sinnes upon his own head and they shall never be taken away from him but Christ shall at the day of judgement pronounce him a guilty person to his eternall condemnation King Belshazzar that abused but the holy vessels of the Temple and the Cups thereof what a dismall plague befell him for it Dan. 5.27.28 God hath numbred thy Kingdome and finished it thou art weighed in the ballance and art found too light thy Kingdome is departed from thee and is given to the Medes and Persians So beloved brethren if any of you shall abuse this Cup of the Lord comming to it with a filthy unclean heart and polluted conscience and earthly affections there is a hand-writing against every soule that thus commeth this day unto the Table of the Lord thou art numbred and weighed and found too light thou O man and woman whosoever thou art that prophanest and contemnest these holy things of God thou shalt be found out and the Lord will keep thee out by his spirituall plagues and thy sinne shall never be done away but be required at thy hands and stand in everlasting record against thee O my brethren that you would but seriously consider of it and look about you it being so weighty a thing that so neerly concernes every one of you But I would not have any poor broken heart and humble soul to mistake me and so-thereby be discouraged but give me leave I pray you for to use the words of the Brophet though spoken in another sense Psal 115. Not unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give the glory So let me apply this doctrine unto the comfort of all poore broken hearted sinners and beat off all carnall prophane wretches that live in their sinnes not unto you O drunkards and swaggerers not unto you whoremasters and unclean persons that wallow in ungodlinesse I say not unto you but unto the poor afflicted soul and contrite spirit that lieth bleeding and gasping under the weight of his sin and that trembles and fears being opprest with the sense of its own unworthinesse panting and breathing after Christ Jesus and suing earnestly unto the Throne of grace for mercie and forgivenesse unto thee only belongs this comfort and therefore take it home to thee and know it for thy selfe Art thou troubled with a hard heart and an unbeleeving soule and art even wearied and tired out with thy many sinnes and infirmities Come thou with comfort unto this holy Communion for thou shalt be sure to finde saying good by it to thee it shall be a spirituall medicine to heale all thy diseases and to cure all thy strong and prevailing corruptions and if thou come unto this holy Table of the Lord it shall make thee as it is recorded of Saint Laurence able to suffer Martyrdome and to get victory over all thy unruly affections yea at last thou shalt tread Satan thy arch-enemy under thy feet Therefore be not dismaied for the Lord Jesus invites thee to come What if thy infirmities be many yet the mercies of God which he tenders to thee in this Communion are many more Samson who was the strongest Souldier and Champion in his time that was in Israel to overcome the Philistims he yet began his strength in weaknesse being at the first overcome by a woman So though the Lord intend to make thee a strong Christian he will make thee to begin in weaknesse to perfect thy power to begin in sinne and misery that he may make thee to end in glory I know Gods children here may receive temporall punishments and bring temporall scourges upon themselves as we may see amongst the Corinthians here but it shall be for their good and amendment namely for their correction and not for their ruine and destruction that so being chastened by the Lord they might not be condemned with the world Therefore if thou comest carelesly and unprofitably God will chastise thee with the rods of men as he did Peter who receiving the Sacrament with his Master over night yet the next day thrice denied him but God whipt his soule and scourged his conscience for it and beat him black and blew so that he went out and wept bitterly Nay he could scarce wipe off that sinne and recover himselfe again whilst he lived Wherefore let us take heed of unprepared coming to the Sacrament for God will not hold such guiltlesse Yea if his own sonnes or daughters transgresse thereby hee will make them to feele the smart of it But now to come to all such as come month by month hand over head without any examination and repentance in their uncleannesse and abomination making no conscience
of their reformation let me tell them that it shall be one of Christs demands of them in the day of judgement How oft hast thou been at my Table How oft hast thou been partakers of that holy Communion which I gave unto thee Hast thou come preparedly or received worthily or no Hast thou eate bread at my Table with me and lift up thy heele against me Did I command and thou woudst not obey Did I send my Ministers to thee to reform but thou wouldst not be reformed Did I check and reprove thee for thy pride blasphemies drunkennesse covetousnesse anger wrath malice fornication hyporcrisie and hrophanesse in the matter of my worship and yet wouldst thou still live in these sinnes Where are all the Sacraments that thou hast received How hast thou behaved thy selfe Where are the sinnes that thou hast forsaken and pleasing corruptions that thou hast abhorred What grace and holinesse hast thou received by the meanes thou hast enjoyed and how hast thou manifested the same through thy whole conversation Oh! woe woe unto thee yea and a world of woes unto thee and unto all such as shall bee silent and speechlesse to those or the like demands of Christ for they cannot say they have come out of their sins and have been reformed by the means of grace and have received spirituall nourishment and refreshing from the heavenly banquet of the Communion of the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ A man will especially regard the last words of a deare friend who is as a mans soul when he is to speak upon his death-bed and will be carefull to remember them and dost thou not more regard the last Will and Testament of our Lord Jesus Christ We count it a horrible sinne to alter the last Will of a man that is dead Beloved the Lord Jesus before he left this world instituted this blessed Sacrament at his last Will and Testament and hath given us a charge that as we would not eate and drink our owne damnation by bringing the guilt of his body and bloud upon our soules so that we should discerne the Lords body and not come unpreparedly in our sinnes and abominations without reverence and respect of such holy and high mysteries as if there were nothing to be received and looked for after then the bare naked element of bread and wine or as if we did come to communicate with unclean Devils O my brethren if you had but faith you would be able to discerne Christ in the Sacrament and therefore when thou commest unto it thou must prepare and sanctifie thy selfe for to communicate with him in those holy Ordinances and heavenly mysteries of his most pretious body and bloud For if so be that thou retainest thy sins and so come unworthily unto this holy Table of the Lord thou art a great covenant-breaker with God For thou never comest unto the Communion but thou makest and renewest thy covenant with God wherein thou promisest thus much or the like in effect Lord I have been formerly a drunkard but now I promise to give it over and never to be a drunkard more I have been a scoffer at Religion and a mocker and derider of thy children but now I faithfully promise Lord that I will never do so any more I have been wicked and sinfull disobeying and rebelling against all thy holy commandements and respected not thy judgements and thy promises and have beene carelesse of thy glory But now Lord as I eate this bread and drink this wine so I covenant unto thee and promise to thee that I will amend all my sinfull wayes and become a reformed Christian And as I ever look that the body and bloud of the Lord Jesus Christ represented in the elements should nourish my soule unto eternall life so I promise to be disobedient to the Devil but faithfull and obedient unto thee I will stop my ears against the alluring inchantments of the world and wicked suggestions of the Devill but I will open them wide to hearken to thy voyce that I may obey thy commands But now as thou hast made ir so if thou hast broken this thy covenant with God returning to thy former courses of sin and disobedience against him know thou that this covenant of thine which thou hast broken shall stand in full force against thee for God will assuredly require it at thy hands and all the Sacraments which thou hast received thou hast received them but as so many seales and pledges of thy just deserved condemnation Object But some man may object and say Do all that come unworthily unto the Sacrament eate and drink their own damnation Then many hundreds yea thousands are damned Are all damned that have eat and drunk unworthily Answ Ans No but a man may eate and drink his own damnation three wayes First in regard of guilt and liablenesse unto Gods wrath and so he that eateth and drinketh his naturall food his dinner supper or breakfast in his sinnes eateth and drinketh his own damnation yea whosoever thou art that commest unto this holy banquet in thy sinnes in thy pride choler malice wrath or revenge covetousnesse hypocrisie and deadnesse in Gods service thou never eatest a bit of bread but thou eatest and drinkest thine own damnation that is thou eatest and drinkest that which will witnesse against thee another day Deut. 28.16 17 18 19 verses c. If thou wilt not hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God to observe and doe all his commandements then all these curses shall come upon thee overtake thee Cursed shalt thou be in the City and cursed in the field cursed shal be thy basket and thy store Now if thy bread be cursed then thou also art cursed that eatest it Secondly in regard of the seale and obligation in the conscience so he that eateth and drinketh the Sacrament in his sins eateth and drinketh his own damnation that is he eates and drinks that which seals up his damnation against the great day of account And thus many amongst us and I feare the most part of this Congregation have eate and drunk their own damnation But this seale may be broken off and God grant it may Thirdly in regard of sigillation in heaven and so he that eats and drinks unworthily and will not be reformed he that receives the Sacrament time after time but still retains his sins and will not be humbled for them not forsake them he setteth a seale in heaven upon his own damnation that all the whole world can never break off but such a one most certainly is a damned creature And now my brethren God forbid there should be any such here but that this seale may bee broken off And O that God would put some strength into this word that it may be broken off by your godly sorrow for your sin and forsaking of them all for if this seale be set on your damnation why do I yet speak unto you and intreat
drink of that Cup. In these words observe First the matter of the duty commanded that is to eat of that bread and to drink of that cup. Secondly the manner of doing the duty not only to eat of that bread but so to eat and not only to drink that cup but so to drink Thirdly the rule of direction how to come in a right manner to partake of it that is by examining of our selves Let a man examine himself and so let him eate of that bread and drink of that cup. Fourthly and lastly the benefit following that direction and that is in this word But But let a man examine himselfe He had said before He that eats and drinks unworthily is made guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord and he discerneth not the Lords body vers 27. But saith he as if he should say if a man would prevent this if a man would take order that he be not guilty of the body and bloud of Christ that he do not come undiscerningly to these heavenly mysteries but with comfort and title to the promises with hope and confidence and speeding there of the benefits of Christ exhibited then let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. Now I will passe over some of these points namely that we are to eate that bread and drink that cup. There is a necessity that we should receive the Lords Supper I need not stand on this you know it is sufficiently proved by the Sacrament of the Law which was the fore-runner of this Sacrament that soul that did not partake of that was to die the death he was to be cut off from Gods people Num. 9.13 If the Lord was so careful of those Sacraments that were inferior to these and yet they were of the same substance as these that the man that neglected to come to them to partake of them was to be cut off to be excommunicated from the people of God and to be rent off from the Congregation of the Saints then how much more for these heavenly and weighty and glorious Ordinances of the Gospel which are far more glorious then them of the Law But I will not stand upon that I might here take notice too of the frequencie of the duty for so it hath dependance on those words formerly As oft as yee eat this bread and drink this cup yee shew the Lords death and so that is as oft as ye eate do it in this manner This is the command of God that we oft receive the Lords Supper In the Primitive times St. Basil observes that they ate it three or foure times in a week on Wednesdayes Fridaies and on the Lords day but that was a time of persecution I will not stand upon that I think it not needfull But it should bee often wee should not trust it only upon Easter and Whitsontide and Christ tide three or four times in the year Again I might observe here from this mystery received in that he cals it Bread I might observe against the Papists Transubstantiation that the bread received is not transubstantiated it is bread And against that of receiving in one kind So let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup he doth not say so let him eat of that bread only but he directs the command in both kinds But I let this passe and come to the seceond thing that is the manner how we should do this duty So let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. It is not first let him examine himself and then let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup But let him examine himselfe and then SO let him eate implying that examining a mans selfe helps or ought to help a man to a right manner and when he hath gotten a right manner then to eat that bread and drink that cup that he may do not only for matter that which the Lord commands but for manner as the Lords commands Beloved the Lord stands on circumstances as well as duties we are all racers wee run but we must so run that we may obtain 2 Cor. 9.26 So pray that we may speed so hear that we may be converted so reprove that we may be edified so behave our selves in our places and callings that we may glorifie God It is not enough for a man to run but he must so run if he mean to obtain Every man will be speaking and doing good things but so speak and so do Jam. 2.12 The Lord calls upon us to have a care of the manner of duties as well as of the matter of duties It is not enough that a man come to eate of that bread and drink of that cup but so to eat and so to drink of it he must partake of the Lords Table and so as the Lord enjoyns Now the Reasons of this are First because the same Lord that commands the matter commands the manner too The Lord he will have his service well done as well as done he will have the work well performed as well as performed It is not only the thing that the Lord stands upon but the right manner and kind of doing it When David perswaded his sonne Solomon to worship the God of his Fathers he bids him not only do the thing but do it in a right manner And thou my sonne Solomon know thou the God of thy fathers and serve him Is that all No but with a perfect heart and a willing mind 2 Chron. 28.9 He commands him to do it not only for the matter of it but in the right manner of it A man may serve God but if it be not with a perfect heart and a willing minde and with a chearfull spirit if he be not ready to every command if he do not open his eares to every rebuke a man doth not serve God at all The manner either makes all or marres all Secondly another Reason is because circumstances overthrow actions if they bee not rightly and duly observed As for example In Scripture prayer is an action commanded of God the Lord commands us to pray that we call upon his name duly every day in all our needs and necessities upon all occasions continually But now if we pray not aright not in that manner that the Lord hath perscribed if we pray either with a guilty defiled conscience with cold affections with a dead spirit or without departing from iniquity or without a pure heart if a man pray without the right manner of prayer he marres all his prayer it is a howling and not a prayer They did not cry to mee saith God when they howled on their beds that is when they prayed but because they did not pray in a right manner the Lord calls it a howling and not a prayer We roare as Beares in Isay 59.12 the Prophet nicknames it speaking in the person
him he did not onely make an Arke but so hee made all the roomes so hee made it in the same forme and figure and in the same similitude just as the Lord set him downe the patterne even so did he So the Lord sets down the patterne of every good word and work of all our prayers and Sermons and hearing and conference and keeping the Sabbath and speaking holily all our actions have their patterne set downe in the word of God Now as wee are to doe the things so wee are to doe them in the same manner as the Lord commands even so must we doe Fiftly and lastly except we doe it in a right manner except as wee come to the duty so wee come to the right manner wee can never glorifie God The glory of God lies in the manner of doing of things So let your light shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven Matth. 5.16 Mark the light must not shine onely in our lives and conversations but so that the duty must be a means to the glorifying of God Now the means must have its proportion and likenesse and nature and mold and frame from the nature of the end Look how the end is that the dutie lookes unto so must the frame and fashion of the duty be Now if the end of all our actions be that God may be glorified that must put a forme and fashion upon every duty that it may be so that he may have glory Suppose a man pray every day in his family and call all his houshold his servants and wife and children and all under his roof about him every morning and evening he may dishonour God by prayer every day on this fashion if a man pray coldly and carelesly for forme and fashion without faith and life he makes all the ordinance of God vile and all the worke of God contemptible his houshold sleeps one snorts it may be another is infinitely prophane it may bee and though there be divers that would fain be quickned and wakened yet his prayer is so cold there is no life nor heat nor warmth in it that God is exceedingly dishonoured and all are thereby rather worse then better So for a mans preaching though it be never so good a duty yet hee must labour to preach so as the Apostle speakes of his preaching and labour in the work of the Ministery how he may edifie others and save his own soule So fight I not as one that beats the â—ire but so as I may get the mastery We must so preach that we may attain the conversion of the people or else we may rather doe as Hophni and Phineas the sonnes of Fli that made the Table of the Lord contemptible and the Sacrifice of the Lord loathsome in the eyes of the people So may we do with the ordinance of God Take any duty of religion if it be not done aright God hath no glory by it Suppose thou wouldest reprove thy brother and tell him of his fault and check him for his backwardnesse or omâ—ssion of some duty and for the commission of some sinne if thou doe not doe it with a spirit of compassion and bowels of Jesus Christ with an humble heart with a feeling and a pure conscience I say thou gettest a blot to thy own selfe and causest God to be ill spoken of and the very way of his name to be dishonored This will be the effect of it and so in every other dutie And so I come to the use Is it so that we must not onely come to the Sacrament but come aright or doe any dutie but we must do it in a right manner This servs to condemne that naturall popery that is in mens hearts that is of opus operatum of the deed done this is the religion of the Church of Rome that so a man doe the duty indeed it is better if it bee done in a right manner but if it be done there is somewhat a man may look for by that If a man come to the Sacrament the very eating of the Host the very partaking of the body of Christ they make it meritorious so the very hearing of so many Sermons the very saying of so many prayers the very performanec of so many duties the very thing it self nakedly considered it is of some validity This is rooted in the hearts of men we see it up and downe people doe the duty and think all is well enough when they consider not how it is done People pray but not with zeale they heare but not with reverence People come to the Sacrament not for the better but for the worse they come not in a right manner and yet every one hopes to speed and builds himselfe on this that God accepts of him But this is the folly of mens hearts it is an evident argument that men goe foolishly to work in the wayes of God It is the brand of a foole not to be able to observe circumstances Aristotle the heathen hee saith it is the part of a wise man to think of and understand the manner of actions as a wise man saith he observes circumstances It is a part of wisdome to observe the right circumstances of every action as it is Ephes 5.15 Walke circumspectly that is accurately as it is in the originall not as fooles but as wise Marke hee perswades them to a right manner of walking not only to walk in a good course in praying and hearing in obedience and sobrietie in temperance faith and diligence in our callings but doe it accurately in a right manner doe it as wise men and not as fooles they doe it in a wrong manner It is the part of a foole I say to doe a thing and to leave the right manner of doing it Now this is nothing with God the Lord doth not esteeme any action though it bee never so frequently done except it bee done with his owne stamp except it have his owne character upon it I remember a story in 2 Kings 17.26 The Assyrians there observed that God sent Lions among them because they did not observe the right manner of the God of Israel they worshipped the God of Israel but because they observed not the right Manner of his word hee sent Lyons among them to teare and devoure them in pieces So though wee pray and heare and read and professe and have a name that wee live and though we be taken for good people heap up duties from day to day and vie performances and though we doe them as many times as the children of God nay though we could do them ten thousands times oftner then they yet if we doe them not in a rightmanner if wee know not the manner of the God of heaven and earth with humble hearts and selfe-denying spirits with holinesse of affection and with puritie of heart if a man doe them not in a right manner the
manner of doing duties that pleaseth God as in 1 Thess 4.1 As yee have received of us How yee ought to walke and to please God Mark there is the manner That yee may know HOW to walke and by that to please God It is not enough for a man to walke in good duties that a man may doe and not please God but saith he yee have received the manner HOW to walke and to please God It is the manner How that pleaseth God A man may walke to hell upon heavens ground he may go to hell in the wayes of God it is possible Suppose a man should go and take if it were possible all the surface of ground between this place and York and lay it between this place and Dover a man might go to Dover upon York ground So many a man laies the Ordinances of God in hell way he walkes in the way to hell and there he layes his prayers and there his hearing and his good duties hee prayes every day and hears every day and doth good duties every day and yet walkes to hell he goes to hell on heavens ground The reason is because hee doth the duty and doth not observe the manner how he doth it The third thing is the rule of direction how wee may come to the right manner of receiving the Sacrament that is by preparing of a mans selfe and the preparation is here set downe by the specification of it namely in examining himselfe Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eate of that Bread and drink of that Cup. The generall scope of these words and the Apostles meaning in them is this That Every man must prepare himself before he come to the Lords Table I cannot stand on this I will only name it As in the sacrament of the Passeover there was preparation to the Passeover In Joh. 19.14 it is said of the Disciples of Christ that they made ready the Passeover In Matth. 26. they made the Lamb ready and the room ready and themselves ready and the Table ready and every thing ready So in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein Christ is the true Pascall Lamb when we come to eate of him wee must make every thing ready faith ready and repentance ready and interest in the promises ready and hunger and thirst after these spirituall dainties ready every thing must be ready or else like a man that comes into the field to battle that hath not gotten his sword or his weapons ready that is the way for himselfe to be killed so it is when we come to the Communion and have not all things ready it is the way to be damned The Reasons of this are First because the Sacrament is an Ordinance of God Now all the Ordinances of God require reparation they are all spirituall and naturally a man is carnall and therefore cannot be prepared As it is with wood there is never a tree in the wood but it is unprepared for building Is there any tree in the wood of the fashion of a Chimney or of a Lintell or a Doore It must first be prepared as it is Prov. 24.27 First prepare thy work without and then build thine house So every ordinance is to build a man up in the feare of God in the grace of God and in Religion Now man is naturally unprepared for it First a man must fell his wood and then cut it and hew it even and carve it and plane it fit and prepare it before he build So a man must hew downe his owne heart he must humble his owne soule and qualifie all within him and so be sanctified before hee be fit As for example In prayer a man must bee prepared to prayer before he pray he must prepare his heart and then Gods eares will hearken to it In Psal 10.17 The Lord will have the heart prepared before he heare the prayer So it is with the word of God a man must bee prepared before he heare it As a man that preacheth must be prepared before he preach as Ezra is said to prepare his heart Ezra 7.10 Hee prepared his heart to doe the Law and to teach it So a Minister cannot preach except he be prepared beforehand with a commission from God with preserving knowledge with a coale from Gods Altar with a spirit of wisedome and understanding with a law of kindnesse in his lips with meditation and with a Theam fitted in his mouth for the people hee must be prepared with a burning and a shining light or else hee shall not edifie the congregation So it is with all other ordinances For humbling of a mans soule a man cannot humble his heart except he be prepared to it Amos 4.12 Prepare to meet thy God he speaks of humiliation If a man would humble himselfe before God if he be not prepared if his heart be not prepared to let go the world his worldly profits and vain pleasures and carnall acquaintance his wonted lusts and former delights If hee bee not prepared to let these goe when he comes to keep a Fast or to afflict his soule and goes along to do the dutie to lay himselfe down before Almighty God some lust or other will stick in his teeth and intercept his heart hee shall never be able to doe it as Samuel said to the people If you will turn to the Lord prepare your hearts to doe it 1 Sam. 7. So it must bee in all the ordinances of God and much more in the Sacrament Secondly another Reason is because the Lord Christ hath made great preparations to provide the Lords Supper therefore wee must be prepared to eate it You know what a great deale of adoe there was before this Supper was made Christ must be incarnate and fulfill all righteousnesse he must conclude it upon his suffering he must tread the wine-presse alone and suffer himselfe to be beaten and rejected of God and men and suffer death the cursed death of the Crosse all these things were concluded upon before this holy and blessed Supper was provided Come saith hee I have prepared my dinner Matth. 22. Mark Christ is fain to prepare his dinner he makes a great Feast there was great preparation for it so there must be great preparation of our soules before we can come to this holy banquet It is true among men there may be great preparation for a feast and little or nothing for the eating of it Sometimes there are two or three dayes preparation for a Feast and it is eaten presently The reason is because man naturally hungers after meat and drink and he alwayes provides twice or thrice in twenty foure houres for eating and drinking But the Lords Supper is a spirituall banquet a man is every day and houre and moment naturally unfit for it and there is much adoe to put an edge upon mens appetites and a keennesse upon mens desires that they may bee fitted and prepared for it
that reproves Nay let a man be unblameable for the present if he have been faulty before if it were seven or ten or twenty yeares before if it be knowne it is a thousand to one but he shall be hit in the teeth with it when he reproves you committed adultery and you did steale at such a time if it were never so long agoe Therefore St. Paul would not consent to take Mark with him in the ministery Acts 15. because he had been offensive to the Church before We had need be marvellous carefull and wary if wee will reprove I had thought to have named other Uses but I leave this Exposition and take it as it is passively interpreted He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy THough it may be expounded the other way yet I rather incline to this The Reason is Because this is the constant current of all Interpreters generally I meet but with one or two that expound it the other way but all passively He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck c. Secondly because the word in the origiall is A man of reproofs that hardeneth his own neck Now though it be indifferent whether it be active or passive yet look in the Scripture and you shall finde it more often passive then active A man of reproofs that is a man often reproved in the passive As in Isay 53.3 Christ is a man of sorrows not making others sorry but made sorry passively And so in Dan. 9.23 It is said Daniel was a man of desires that is not a man desiring other men or other things not actively desiring but passively desired beloved of God exceedingly So it is said of Jeremiah Jerem. 15.10 he was a man of strife not a man striving with others but a man striven with So in 1 King 2.26 A man of death that is not killing others but to be killed himselfe It is taken more frequently in the passive sense so we may more boldly take it so A man of Reproofs that is reproved againe and againe that hath received divers reproofs and yet hardeneth his owne neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy Here I might observe by the way this point of Doctrine That The Lord doth not destroy man willingly He saith not A man shall be destroyed without remedy but a man when he hath sinned against God when he hath committed sinne and not onely so but when he is reproved for his sin and goeth on The Lord doth not destroy a man nakedly but upon consideration of sin Willingly the Lord doth not afflict any Lament 3. Mercy and punishment they flow from God as the hony and the sting from the Bee the Bee yeeldeth hony of her own nature but she doth not sting but when she is provoked so the Lord is gracious and good and favourable and kind and blesseth his people from his own nature but he doth not punish and plague and destroy but being provoked by sin and iniquity I will not stand to follow this point I let it go The text it self contains the great mercie of God in lending a man a reproof And what a great sin it is what a great ill it is for a man to sin against his reproof The greatnesse of the ill is set down two wayes First by the great sinfulnesse of the thing it is called the hardening of a mans own neck Secondly by the greatnesse of the punishment that God inflicts upon this sin and that is he will destroy him and without remedy For the first namely what a great mercie it is for God to let a man be reproved for his sins It may bee proved by many places of Scripture onely I find in Scripture it is brought as an aggravation of sinne when they sinned against reproof Hosea 5.2 saith hee they are profound to commit sinne though I have been a rebuker of them all As if he should say though I have been so mercifull as to shew them the danger of sinne to tell them what would come of their wretched courses though I have called them to repentance and have given them warning what would be the issue of these things yet for all this for all my mercy they have gone on in their sinnes though I have reproved them This Though is a word of aggravation as we see in the speech of Daniel to Belshazzar Thou O King hast not humbled thy selfe though thou knewest this as if he had said though the Lord let thee know the punishment upon thy Father and the plagues of Nebuchadnezzar thy grandfather though the Lord have let thee understand what it is for thee ro exalt thy selfe against him yet thou art not humbled he aggravates his sinne So this aggravates a mans sinne when he goes on notwithstanding he is reproved The reasons are First because when God reproves a man of sinne the reproof primarily comes out of love therefore when he reproved Laodicea and told her she was luke-worm and said I would thou wert either hot or cold And since she was neither he would spue her out of his mouth he tells her whence the reproof flowed because I love I reprove As many as I love I rebuke Rev. 3.19 It is not out of ill will that I tell thee of thy lukewarmnesse and threaten to spue thee out of my mouth I tell thee these things that thou mayst avoid that ill I say Gods reprofes flow primarily from love to men whereby he would have them lay aside their wretched courses and avoid the judgements Nay it is an argument of hatred when a man doth not reprove his brother of sinne If God let a man goe on in sinne and never tell him of his drunkennesse nor never find fault with his pride and security never convince him or wound or touch him nor deal with him about his unsetled estate and his rotten condition it is a signe God hates the man but when God reproves a man from day to day Man thou art a proud creature thou shalt to hell for thy pride and hypocrisie and securitie and harpnesse of heart When the Lord reproves a man from day to day this is an argument of love the other is an effect of hatred not to reprove Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart saith Moses but shalt in any wise reprove him and not suffer sinne to be upon him Levit. 19.17 Thou hatest thy brother when thou seest him sinne and doest not warn him and knowest he is guilty of sinfull courses and doest not reprove him and when thou hast time and place and opportunity and fit circumstances to reprove and yet thou wilt not doe it it is a signe thou hatest thy brother it is the greatest degree of hatred one of them If a man deny food for the body and let a man rather die of hunger then hee will give him meat or let a man fall into a pit rather
that none should reprove them Let none reprove another If they will sinne let them if they will go on in idolatry let them if they will harden their own hearts let them if they will die in sinne let them if they will perish and be damned for ever let them Let no man reprove another It is a lamentable state Generally people are glad when the Land is swept of all the good Ministers and the good servants of God they had rather heare a fine song in a Pulpit of one that preacheth morally or it may be preacheth his own selfe or the like but the time will come when they shall say as Salomon saith It is better to heare the reproofe of the wise then the song of fooles Eccles 7.5 People love alife to hear the song of fooles When a foole comes up and preacheth At what time soevâ—r a sinner shall repent of his sinne And Bee not just over much and what need such adoe Herâ— is more puther then needs and abuse places and wrest Scriptures As for example the thiefe on the Crosse was saved at the last with a word or two and they bring the example of the Publican that cried God be mercifull to me a sinner and went justified to his house rather then the Pharisee that made long prayers And tush what need men be so zealous and precise and puritanicall Whosoever calls upon the name of God shall be saved people love alife such songs of fooles but the time shall come when peoples eyes shall be opened and their consciences awakened and then they will wish O that we had heard the reproofe of the wise The second use makes against those that despise the reproofe of the wise yee despise not men but God yee have despised me Prov. 1.30 You think you despise a poore Minister he is strict harsh with your souls and presseth these things upon your conscience and it may bee more then he hath warrant to doe so you think you do not despise God but one onely Minister Nay saith Christ you have despised my reproofe When you despise them that Christ sends you despise him This is an expresse and an explicite signe of a mans everlasting destruction when he despiseth reproofe as in that speech of the Prophet to Amaziah I know that the Lord hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast not hearkened to my reproofe 2 Chron. 25.16 So I may say I know that God hath determined to destroy a Nation a Citie or a people when they will not take counsell of Gods Messengers when they will not hearken to instruction They have beene called upon nationall sinnes have been ripped up parochiall sinnes have beene spoken of yet when they are told they will not be reproved We that are the Ministers of God know that God will destroy as many as turn not at reproof I let this passe I should now show the grievousnesse of this ill of standing out against reproof it is expressed two wayes First in the sinfulnesse of it to harden a mans heart Secondly in the punishment He shall be destroyed without remedy And in the destruction you may see here First the unexpectednesse of it He shall be destroyed suddenly Secondly the totalnesse of it Hee shall bee destroyed The word signifieth to shatter all in peeces Thirdly the irrecoverablenesse of it without remedy Fourthly the sutablenesse of it his punishment is according to his sin Mark as he hardened his own heart against God so God will harden his heart against him as no remedy would turn him from his sin so no remedy shall turn God from his wrath As his sin was in hardening his heart like a stone so God shall deale with him as a stone is dealt with he shall destroy him The word in the originall signifies broken to peeces as a stone is broken that is the Lord will deale with him just in his own kind Hence I might observe this doctrine that The Lord proportions punishments to mens sin Just as a mans sin is so is the punishment David sinned in numbring the people 2 Sam. 24.15 and God punished him in that Pharaoh sinned in destroying and drowning the males of the Israelites God smote his first-born He drowned their babes and he himself was drowned in the sea I might bring abundance of examples Now the Reasons of this are First because hereby a mans punishment appeare to be so much the more equall and worthy Retaliation is a most equall punishment to the sin there is no inequality in it but this that it is too mercifull An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth hurn for burn wound for wound You know an eye is equall for an eye so when God punisheth a man just in his own kind quid for quo that as there was no remedy would turn him from his sin so there shall be no remedy shall turn God from his wrath Herein Gods punishment appeares to bee most equall Revel 16.5.6 Thou art righteous O Lord in that thou judgest thus for shee hath shed the bloud of thy Saints therefore thou hast given them bloud to drink for they are worthy Thou thirstedst after bloud there it is for thee so this is most equall when men have dealt thus and thus with God when God shall deal so and so with thee thou canst not find fault When a man drinks as hebrews and reaps as he sowes and finds as he brings what inequality is here It shall come to passe that as when I called they would not hear so when they call I will not answer Zach. 7. When God calls upon thee and thou wilt not hear afterwards when thou callest for mercie if he do not hear thee it is just Secondly another reason is because this stops a mans mouth it convinceth a mans conscience when a mans conscience finds that he is served in his own kind that he is paid in his own coin it stops his mouth As Adonibezek he had cut off the thumbs and toes of 70. Kings afterwards hee was served just so as he had dealt with others he had cut off their thumbs and toes and made them gather orts under his table so afterwards his thumbs and toes were cut off Now mark what his conscience saith Judg. 1.7 As I have dealt so God hath dealt with me As if he had said God knowes wherefore the children of Judah have done this they know not why they cut off my thumbs and the reason why they cut off my toes God knowes what they looked at in punishing me thus but Gods just providence hath dealt thus with me in this kind I served others This is so palpable a punishment so equall and just that though the sin were committed twenty yeeres ago yet a mans conscience will find out his sin twenty yeeres after As Iosephs brethren they sold him and after cast him into a pit two and twenty yeeres after when Joseph was harsh with them see
what their conscience saiâ—h Doubtlesse we are guilty of our brothers bloud when we saw the anguish of his soule and he besought us and we would not heare As if they had said What is the matter why the man is thus harsh he never saw us before why should he be so harsh and we be strangers Nay saith conscience you are well served remember you were harsh to your brother if you dealt so with him marvel not if you be dealt so with And after when they came to their Inne and found their mony they wondred What is this that God hath done Their conscience I warrant you hit them in the teeth without doubt they thought the mony that they took for selling of their brother had humbled them as a Ghost did not wee pay the man mony for his corne that we bought Nay saith conscience you are rightly served here is the money you sold your brother for though it were not so without doubt conscience upbraided them Naturally wee are apt to find fault with Gods judgements and quarrel but when conscience sees the equity of them we have nothing to say Thirdly all the standers by may see the equity of it when the punishment is according to the sinne Nay Divinity makes this argument that there is a God to judge the earth because men are punished in their owne kinde I will shew you one example of Abimilech that wretch that slew seventy of his brethren upon one stone Judg. 9.7 afterwards when he came to stand under the tower of Abel a woman flung a peice of a milstone upon his head and killed him This was strange all the standers by might say that Abimilech should be killed with a stone no question the woman thought nothing she flung the stone because she had nothing else to fling it was strange that it should hit him so pat it might have hit another as well as him the stone might have fallen to the ground as well as on him and that it should be by a woman and a milstone too Milstones are not used on the top of a Tower and a milstone broken that a woman could lift it and that he should be killed by a milstone and not with a sword nay might all the standers by say This God hath done he was the sonne of a strange woman and a woman hath killed him he killed his brethren upon one stone and now a stone hath killed him all the world might be able to say This God hath done The use of this is First let no creature in the world complaine of Gods dealing if he punish us according to our kind he that kils with the sword shall bee killed with the sword He that stops his eares from hearing the poore what shall his punishment be He shall cry and not be heard He that shewes no mercy how shall he be punished He shall receive no mercie Iames â— 13 Woe to thee that spoyledst and wast not spoiled when thou ceasest spoyling others shall spoyle thee Isai 33.1 Iudge not saith Christ what if I doe Then thou shalt be judged Thus God recompenceth the fruit of a mans doing Here is no Momus can complain no Aristarchus that can find fault with the justice and judgement of God Secondly it is not amisse to consider and see how God proportions punishments to 〈◊〉 In Kind In Quantity In Quality In Time In Place and other circumstances In kind He shall eate the fruit of his owne wayes that is he shall be punished in kind It is a similitude from a tree every tree brings forth according to its owne kind if it be an Apple-tree it brings forth Apples if a Crab-tree Crabs a Pear-tree Pears So every sinner shall be punished in their kind a Minister shall be punished in his kind wicked Masters in their kind servants in theirs rich in theirs poore in theirs if a man be a drunkard hee shall bee punished in one kind if he be an adulterer in another Every man shall eate the fruit of his own wayes Every sinne brings an homogeniall punishment according to the nature of it I cannot stand to follow this though it be very clear in Scripture Secondly it is in Quantity God proportions the punishment according to the sinne he that sowes sparingly shall reap sparingly but he that sowes bountifully shall reap bountifully Little sinnes little punishments and great sinnes great punishments There are little sins moat sins gnat sins and there are Camel sins so there are little and great punishments some meet with many some with fewer stripes Just according to a mans sinnes so the Lord shapes out the punishment for great sinners great plagues and for every one according to his own measure God hath a pair of Ballance that he means to weigh men in As he weighed Belshazzar so hee will weigh thee and look how much sinne thou puttest in one scale so much punishment God will put in the other he will not abate thee one oath not one idle thought not one breach of the Sabbath not one neglect of hearing the Word or of other duties the Lord will put wrath in one ballance as thou puttest sinne in the other he will make the scales even to a haire as he dealt with Belshazzar He will lay righteousnesse to the line and judgement to the plummet and weigh thee out in the scales and thou shalt have just according to thy sins As the Lord deales with his own people he will not abate so much as a cup of cold water but it shall be rewarded he will reward all from the greatest to the least so he will deale with the wicked there shall no sin passe unpunished Againe â—here is a proportion in the Quality If Adam sin in eating he shall be punished in eating If the women of Judah sin in apparel they shall be punished in apparel Isay 3.24 In Wisd 11.16 a man shall be punished in that that he sinnes in if Absolom sin in his haire he shall be punished in it Nebuchadnezzar might finde his sin in his brutish condition and the Prodigall might find his sin in the Hog-trough So if thou finde thy selfe in want consider if thou hast not wasted thy meanes if thou hast not beene vaine in building and prodigall in spending or gaming or unnecessary bounty and immoderate liberality beyond thy means Art thou punished in thy Trade or Children c. see if thou hast not sinned in them for where there is sin God will proportion the punishment to the sin Fourthly God proportions the punishment to the sin in regard of the time The same houre that Belshazzar was drinking and quaffing in the Temple the same houre the hand of God was upon him if it be not upon thee the same houre it may be to morrow at the same houre It may be thou hast sinned this day at such an houre it may be God may strike thee to morrow at the same time or this day seven-night it may be the next year
Nebuchadnezzar was warned of his pride this yeare and the same time twelve month the Lord drove him from among men So in Acts 13.42 one Sabbath day the Iewes heard Paul preach and went out before the Sermon was quite done they were not able to stand to the blessing the same day seven-night the Lord made the Apostles shake off the dust of their feet against them and leave them to a reprobate sense Fifthly the Lord proportions his punishments to the place It is strange many times that the drunkard should get his death in the same Ale-house where he got his liquor In Judg 7. in that story of Oreb and Zeeb Oreb at the rock Oreb devised against the children of Israel and upon the same rock he was killed And Zeeb another persecuter of the children of God so the Psalmist calls them he at the Wine-presse of Zeeb took victuals from the children of Israel and in the same place his own life was taken away Just as Judges and Magistrates at this day they hang up men where they have done the villany As they doe with Dogs and Cats they carry them to the place to the Cellar or the Buttery where they do the mischeif But the beasts themselves though they have no reason are able to pick out the meaning of it The Lord punisheth sinners in the same place Here where thou hast been deaf to hear the word of God when thy heart riseth against the Preacher in the same place it may be the Lord will deliver thee up to a reprobate sense In the same place at the Lords Table where thou comest unworthily thou shalt eate and drink thine own damnation FINIS Poscript THe same Author hath another Book in the Presse entituled The Sacrifice of the Faithfull OR A Treatise shewing the nature property and efficacy of zealous Prayer Together with some Motives to Prayer and helps against discouragements in Prayer Together with seven Profitable Sermons on divers texts of Scripture Luke 15.17 Psal 77.16 The sum of the text Observe 1. We must not rush upon the sacrament Matth. 5. Matt. 7.5 Mat. 13.26 Reason 1. Naturally we are not invited guests Simile Reason 2 We are indisposed Levit. 7.20 Reason 3 Solemne preparations required to the Sacrament Deut. 16.16 1 King 52. Vse To take heed of rash performance of duties 2 Sam. 15.17 Parts of the Text. Necessity of receiving the Lords Supper Num. 9.13 The Lords Supper to be received often Basill Observ The manner of performance of duties to be regarded 2 Cor. 9.26 â—am 2.12 Reas 1. The Lord commands the manner as well as matter 2 Chron. 28.9 Reas 2. Circumstances overthrow actions as 1. Prayer Isai 59.12 2 Preaching 3 Receiving the Sacrament 4. Brotherly reproof Matt. 7.5 Gal. 5.15 5. Eating and drinking Mat. 24.37 Simile Reas 3. The right manner of doing duties gets the blessing Matt. 24.48 Reason 4. Christs example Jâ—hn 12. John 14.31 Reason 5 From Gods glorie Vse 1. To reprove those that barely doe duties without looking to the manner Vse 2. The reason why men regard the matter and not the manner of duties Reason 1. The matter of duties easie Reas 2. The matter of duties may bee done with a proud heart Acts 20 Reason 3 The matter of duties may be done yet a man be unholy Reas 4. The matter of duties brings not the crosse 2 Tim. 2.10 Act. 15.5 Vse 3. To labour to do duties aright Motives to perform duties in the right manner 1. Motive Numb 11.14 2. Motive Luk. 18.11 3. Motive Mat. 15 6. Simile Observ 3. Every man must prepare himself before he come to the Lords Table Reason It is God ordinance Simile Reason 2 Christ hath made preparation for us in the L. Supper Reason 3 Christ lookes for good entertainment Reason 4. It is part of Christs last Testament Observ 1. A guilty hardned reprover shall be destroyed Reason 1. It is against his office Reason 2 He cannot reprove to a right end Reason 3 Not in a right manner Reason 4. It is hypocrisie Reason 5. It makes inexcusable Reason 6 It is absurd Reason 7. It is impudencie Vse 1. Vse 3. To be unblameable ere we reprove Simile The seceond xposition Doct. The Lord doth not destroy men willingly God destroyes not but for sin Simile Observ A great mercy to be reproved Reason 1. Reproofes come from love Prov. 10.17 Reason 2 They tend to good Reason 3 It is brutish to reprove then Simile Vse 1. The misery to want reprovers * or Angel Vse 2. Against despisers of reproof The grievousnesse of standâ—ng out against reâ—roof Doct. God proportions punishments to sins Reason 1 To shew the eqvity of the punishment Reason 2. â—t stops a mans mouth
He that turns away his eare from Gods Law God wiâ—l turn away his eare from his prayer He that turns it is spoken in the present tense that is he that now turns away his eare his prayer shall be abominable in the future tense that is the Lord marks what master or servant what father or mother what husband or wife what man or woman it is that turns away the eare of his head or the eare of his heart from hearing his will and obeying of his Commandments the Lord takes speciall notice of it and sets it down in his Calender and records it in his Memoriall keeping a strict account thereof as if God should say Well is it so I now call and will not this man or that woman answer Do I now stretch out my hands and will not they take care to obey me Well let them alone saith God there is a day coming that I shall be a hearing of them times of sorrow and misery will take hold of them and then they in their afflictions will cry unto me but I will not hear they will begge for mercy but I will not regard they will seek me early but they shall not find me It was one of the Articles of high Treason brought in against Cardinall Woolsey that he had the pox and a stinking breath and yet durst come into the Kings presence So it will be an Article against thee of high treason before the King of heaven if thou come into his presence with the stinking breath of thy sins living in thy lusts and wallowing in thy silthinesse all thy prayers are but as so many stinking breaths in the nostrils of the Lord and every duty that thou performest unto the Lord shall be as so many Articles of high treason against thee for to condemne thee because thou livest in rebellion and a Traitour against God His prayer shall be abominable he doth not say I will turn away mine eare from hearing his prayer which turns away his eare from hearing my Law that is the true exposition of the words no like for like is sometimes in justice for if a man should strike a Magistrate a box on the eare it were not justice for him to give him another for it is a greater sin to strike a Magistrate then any other common person and therfore a greater punishment the Law requireth So God doth not say he will turn away his eare from hearing his prayer but will serve him in a worse kind he will count it abominable yea abomination in the abstract it shall be loathsome yea loathsomnesse it self in the worst manner Galat. 6. As a man soweth so shall he reap if thou sowe sparingly thou shalt reap sparingly if thou sowe a dull eare to Gods Word thou shalt reap a dull eare from God to thy prayer for God will reward every man according to his works Reas 2 Secondly because of the time of Gods attributes both mercy and justice have their season in this life and when mercie hath acted her part then commeth justice upon the stage and acteth her part so that God will have his attributes manifested to all the sons of men yea to the face of the whole world There is no market nor Fayre day that lasteth alwayes if the countrey will not come in the Tradesmen will put up their wares and be gone but if they come in time they may have a peniworth otherwise if they come too late they will find none For the Merchant will not alwayes dwell in tents but away he goeth and will not stay for them Beloved Gods standing is now open and his shop set wide unto the sons of men if men will not come in cheapen and by without money whiles God offers his wares he will put them up and be gone For the Merchant will not lose his wares which he should do if he should alwayes remain in the open ayre with them if he alwayes continue in the fields expecting customers his wares would spoyl and rot So it is with God how many sweet counsels doth he lose how many sweet exhortations how many blessed Sermons and holy Sacraments and Sabbaths doth he lose how many checks of conscience how many dayes of grace and motions of his spirit have been squandred away in vain do you think that God wil lose all these and let them rot upon the stall with staying for you No no the day of grace and mercie will have an end and grace and mercie will have an end and then the day of wrath and vengeance will step up To day if you will hear his voice then barden not your hearts then they hardened their hearts and would not be led by Gods mercies to forsake their sins Therefore he swaâ—e in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest If it be so with you as it was with Israel in the wildernesse in the day of temptation you do not know but that your sinnes may now begin to pluck vengeance upon you I tell you if you harden your hearts this day you do not know but this very day the Lord may clap an oath upon your heads that you shall never enter into his rest For one and the selfe-same occasion lasts not alwayes as every day is not a Market day nor every week in the yeare a Faire week nor every season in the yeare a time of Spring or harvest so every day of a mans life may not claime to be the day of grace Therefore if a man fore-slow it now he fore-sloweth his own happinesse and putteth off his owne peace for ever Excellent is that annotation of Gregory on Job 27.9 Will God heare his cry when trouble commeth upon him Beloved now Gods patience is troubled wilt not thou repent Now Gods Spirit is troubled wilt not thou obey Now Gods Justice is troubled wilt thou not relent Now Gods Word is troubled wilt thou refuse to hearken Will God heare his cry He speaketh interrogatively as if he should say Art thou so mad so vaine so foolish to promise to thy selfe being an hypocrite that God will hear thy prayer Oh no then justice cometh to take place Reas 3 Thirdly it is Gods use to doe so in other things even upon the contempt of temporall blessings and therefore much more in matters of grace and salvation Thus God promised to give Israel the Land of Canaan Num. 12.22 but the text saith They tempted God ten times that is as some Expositors expound it many times or as others ten severall times But what ever the meaning of the text be certainly it was very many times so long til at last he sware in his wrath that they should never enter into his rest Beloved though there be many a hot swearer that regards not an oath yet certainly if the Lord sweare we may beleeve him the Word of God is as strong as oaths if he say it upon his word wee are bound to beleeve it how much more then when he