so much doth he joyn in opposing resisting quenching and grieving of the Spirit Thus I have done with the double conflict between the flesh and the Spirit and the double cause of this conflict These are contrary the one to the other Sermon XX. At Lawrence Jewry London Januar. 19. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Am now come to make entrance to the double consequent of this double conflict which carries also a double reference The flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the good ye would and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh so that ye cannot do the evill ye would The words they are not much difficult and therefore I shall not say much in their explication Augustine understands these words so you cannot do the things you would that is you cannot do the good you would Musculus understands it of both joyntly you cannot do the things you would As if he should say The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and so you cannot do the good you would and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh so that you cannot do the evill you would The Doctrine is this from the first part of the consequent The flesh lusteth against the Spirit so that ye cannot do the good you would Doctr. That the corruption of the flesh even in regenerate men doth oftentimes divert them from and disturb and interrupt them in their holy performances To confirm this point you have not only the testimony of the Apostle that it was so with other men but also his own experience Rom. 8 18. Rom. 7.21 you have him complaining that to will was present but how to perform that which is good I finde not that when he would do good evill was present with him I shall branch out this Doctrine into two parts and shall shew that this corruption of nature in reference to good hath a double mischievous consequence or effect First it hinders a man from the doing of good Secondly it hinders a man in the doing of good These are the particulars I shall insist upon and shall now begin with the first That corrupt nature hinders a man from the doing of good To illustrate this there is a fit embleme in that History mentioned in Gen. 38. concerning Tamar Gen. 38.27,28 who had twins in her womb Pharez and Zarah now the History mentions that Zarah did first put out the hand and the Midwife tied a scarlet thred about his finger but Pharez strugled with Zarah and so got out first Divines accommodate this History to this purpose that a godly man may like Zarnh set on for the doing of duty but corrupt nature like Pharez hinders the birth of Zarah Corrupt nature hinders regenerate men from doing of good That which I shall now do shall be to shew you what are those politick devices of mans nature that hinder him from the doing of good and there are these twelve stratagems which corrupt nature uses to this end 1. The flesh hinders us from doing of good by perswading a man that he is above the use of duty this is a suggestion which comes from proud fantastical nature Duties saith the foolish Familist they are but fleshly formes and but for the inferiour rank of Christians not for those that are growne up to a tall stature and are people of a higher dispensation Corruption doth often make this plea for the neglect of the use of duty and this was seen to work in the dayes of the Apostles as the Apostle Paul speaks Are there not contentions among you 1 Cor. 1.12 sayes he whilest every one of you say I am of Paul and I of Apollo I of Cephas and I am of Christ here the Apostle doth not only blame them that cried up parties among the Apostles but condemnes a fourth sort also which said they were of Christ and why should the Apostle condemne such why the meaning is this the Apostle condemnes Enthusiasme these were so farre from crying up Paul or other of the Apostles that they were all for Christ that is they were for Revelations and Inspirations now the Apostle condemnes those that so cry up Christ as to decry an ordinary Ministery And to antidote you against this infection of corrupt nature I shall give you these three particulars 1. That in the most glorious times of the Church the Word hath promised that duties and Ordinances shall be of use among Believers Thus S. John speaks Rev. 11.15 Revel 11.15 compared with verse 19. The seventh Angel sounded and there were great voices in heaven saying The Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever and in the nineteenth verse it followes The Temple of God was opened in heaven and there was sate in his Temple the Ark of his Testament That is there was to be Gospel-Ordinances even in the purest times of Gods Church after Antichrist should be destroyed yet then there should be a Temple and within it the Ark of Gods Testament meaning Gospel-Ordinances 2. The Scripture tells you that the strongest Christians are to be conversant in the duties of Religion and thus the Apostle Paul to the Romanes Rom. 15.14,15 he tells them that he was perswaded that they were full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able also to admonish one another neverthelesse sayes he I am bold to put you in minde as if he should say though you are full of knowledge and goodnesse yet I must put you in minde of your duty The strong had need to be exercised in duties and Ordinancs 1. To have their judgements confirmed in knowledge and belief of the truth 1 John 2.21 I have not written to you because you know not but because you know the truth 2. To have their memories strengthened in the remembrance of the truth Jude 3. I will put you in remembrance though you once knew this 3. To have their affections more excited to the love of the truth 2 Pet. 1.12 3. Untill you come to heaven you must be conversant in the use of duty You read of the Israelites that all the while they were in the wildernes the Lord sent them Manna from heaven but when once they came to Canaan then Manna ceased so whilest you are in the wildernesse of this world you must be fed with the Manna of Ordinances but when you come to heaven then and not till then will Ordinances cease only the heavenly Jerusalem had no Temple Rev. 21.22,23 Rev. 21.22,23 And therefore the more abominably unthankful are all they who make no other use of their so long living under Ordinances but proudly to professe themselves above Ordinances 2. Another stratagem which corrupt nature hath is a pretence of urgent and extraordinary affaires and occasions
things to say First something by way of Counsel Secondly something by way of comfort 1. By way of Counsel I would have you first to look about you and seriously to consider whether your povertie be not of your own procuring whether it be not your own fault that you do not grow rich and thrive in the world Beloved there are many wayes wherein men may follow a Calling and yet not get riches As 1. Doth not your poverty proceed from your own indiscretion in managing your Calling In Psal 112.5 A wise man will guide his affairs with discretion so in Ezek. 28 4. with thy wisdom and with thy understanding thou hast gotten thee riches there is a great deal of wisdom and judgement required in the managing a Trade which it may be thou wantest and so by thy indiscretion in buying and selling and trusting out thy COmmodities thou keepest thy self behind hand in the world 2. It may be though you follow your Calling yet you are idle and sloathfull do not follow your Trade closely Now saies Solomon Prov. 6.9 To a sloathfull man poverty comes as one that travelleth and want as an armed man 3. It may be you are a Company-keeper and what you get by your Trade you spend in the Ale-house what you get one way you spend another Prov. 28.19 He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough It may be you spend your Estate in riot and excess Prov. 23.21 The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall cloath a man with rags 4. It may be thou dost follow a Calling and get a great deal of money and yet arâ— a niggard and a close Fisted man that wilt not pitty and relieve the necessities of the poor and this is the way to make thee a begger In Prov. 11.24 saies Solomon There is that scattereth and yet increaseth that man that gives when no eye sees him or ear hears him he that distributes to the poor shall increase his store but saies he there is that withholdeth that is withholdeth from the poor and that tends to poverty when God sees that thou doest improve thy talent and imploy what thou hast to his glory he will give thee more but if not he will take away what thou hast and give it to others that shall make better use of it 2. You that buy and sell and yet get nothing take this advice do not grudge at nor envie the wealth and prosperity that other men have and enjoy in the world Psal 37.7 saies David Fret not thy self because of him that prospereth in his way David himself slipt into this fault almost Psal 73.2.3 and Jeremy reasons with God about it Jerem. 12.1 The riches and possessions of wicked men it is their portion and all they are like to have and therefore do not envie them but rather pitty them because their riches will be their ruine and they are but like unto Oxen fatted for the slaughter Will it grieve thee that thou goest on foot when another rides to the place of execution 3. You that can get nothing here below do you labour to lay up a treasure in Heaven if you cannot get riches here labour to get grace here If you cannot get gold yet buy the Gold that Christ speaks of in Rev. 3.18 I counsel thee saies he to buy of me gold tried in the fire that thou maist be rich If you cannot get goods get grace if you cannot get wealth get Christ if you cannot get earth get Heaven And thus much by way of counsel to you that buy and sell and get nothing but now I have a word or two by way of comfort to you 1. Rest contentedly satisfied with thy condition and know that if God denies thee possessions and increase by thy trading in the world he sees it is for thy good In Psal 84.11 The Lord will give grace and glory no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Eccles 5.13 Now it may be the Lord sees that if he should give thee wealth and great possessions in the world it would be for thy hurt thy riches would be thy ruine and thy wealth thy woe and thy prosperitie a snare to thee and therefore he keeps it from thee in a great deal of mercy We should look upon all the comforts that God keeps from us as so many mercies because God keeps that from us that would ruine us 2. God in his dispensations of outward blessings in the world doth in his wisdom think it best to let good men have the least share in these worldly possessions and wicked men to have the greatest In Psal 73.3 The wicked are not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued as other men but their eyes stand out with fatness and they have more then heart can wish they spend their dayes in jollity and mirth But now on the other side James 2.5 God hath chosen the poor of the world to be rich in faith and heirs of a Kingdom the wisdom of God is very much discovered in thus dispensing his blessings God doth herein like to a Noble-man that will not suffer his Son to go from house to house to gather in his yearly Rents but imployes his Servant in so mean a work and many times the Servant hath mony enough when the Son hath none In Eccles 9.11 I returned and saw under the Sun that the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of understanding Wicked men shall have riches when men of wisdom and understanding shall have none God in his wisdom sees it meet that wise men shall scarce have bread to eat when fools have abundance that men of understanding shall want when wicked men have more then their hearts can wish Now will you murmur and complain when God sees it meet to be thus 3. Consider for thy comfort that God gives thee better riches then they have and though he give wicked men the possession of these outward comforts yet you have the true right and title to these possessions now who would be so foolish as to count the Steward happier then the Heire the Steward only hath it in possession but the Heir in propriety And consider that if thou art one that belongs to the election of grace though thou be never so poor here yet thou hast the only true and durable riches Rev. 2.9 thou art inriched with those treasures of wisdom and knowledge and grace and happiness that are at Gods right hand And though God doth not trust thee with Pebbles yet if he gives thee Pearls thou hast no reason to complain though God doth not trust thee with riches yet if he gives thee grace and Christ and heaven and glory thou hast no reason to murmur against him Acorns are good enough for Hogs but bread is for the Children 4. Consider that the poorer you are in
the poole of Bethesda before he was healed so an elect vessell of God may lie twenty thirty or fourty yeers in a state of unregeneracy before he is converted Nay after conversion the Spirit of God may be withheld from the Ministery of the Word which Gods own people attend upon and that in these two wayes 1. In its Comforting work and thus it was with David Lord saies he take not thy holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and stablish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51.11.12 thus was the Spirit withdrawn from David in its comforting work I do not tell you the graces of Gods children can be taken away but the comfort of their graces and of the Spirit of God may be taken away from them 2. God may withhold his Spirit in its quickening work thou mayest come to an Ordinance with a hard heart and it may not soften thee though the presence of God is never utterly taken away from a godly man yet the influences and quickenings of Gods Spirit may be withdrawn the Spirit may be withdrawn in a quickening way so as in grace thou mayest decay and in duty thou mayest grow cold and dull but yet the presence of God shall never be taken away from a godly man There is the same Sun in the firmament in winter as in summer but not the warme working and quickening influence 7. And lastly The Spirit of God may be given to men waiting on a publike Ministery in its common workings and yet it may be withheld from them in its saving and effectuall operations and thus it was with the Corinthians many of them had the Spirit to attend Pauls Ministery in the common workings of it but yet not in its saving effects and therefore saies Paul Though you come behinde in no gifts yet I must speak unto you as carnal look to your selves therefore the Spirit in its common workings may attend the Ministery to fill you with notions yet it may be withheld in regard of its saving operations SERMON III. At Lawrence Jury London Novemb. 3. 1650. GEN. 6. verse 3. And the Lord said My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man c. HAving shewed that it is a grievous judgement to have the Spirit withheld from the Ministery of the Word and laid down several Cautions and Positions concerning this judgement I come now to answer an objection Objection You may say This is a very sad judgement indeed but what demonstration may be given thereof or how may it be known that this judgement is in any part of the world Answ For answer hereunto you must know that this is a very dark point and hardly determined and therefore many of the particulars I shall give in answer to it they shall be but probable conjectures rather then infallible Demonstrations There are many things that give me to fear that in part the saving operations of the Spirit are withheld from the Ministery of the Word 1. And first we have cause to fear that in part the Spirit is withdrawn from the Ministery of the Word amongst us because there are fewer which are converted by the Ministery of the Word now then there were in former times now the Spirit ceases to back the Ministery of the Word with numerous numbers of Converts it is an argument that the Spirit is in part withdrawn When the Disciples did first preach the Gospel how did Satan fall down like lightening before the Word there were three thousand converted in one day by Peters Sermon and how may we preach three thousand times and yet not convert one Acts 2.41 Multitudes were brought in and converted in the morning of the Gospel according to that Gospel-promise Psal 110.3 From the womb of the morning thou hast the dew of thy youth that is multitudes of people should be converted upon the first preaching of the Gospel which should overspread the earth even as the morning dew but in the age wherein God hath cast us the number of converts are greatly lessend and not only lessened to what they were in former time but to what they have been in our time what numbers of the younger sort of people did come in upon the preaching of the Word within these few yeers but now how is the work of conversion at a great stand heretofore Ministers fished as with a net many were brought in but now we fish as it were with an angle now one comes in and then another this may be one probable demonstration that in part the Spirit of God is withdrawn from the Ministery of the Word 2. Another conjecture is this when men that live under the Ministery of the Word grow worse and worse and not better for men to remaine many yeeres under the Ministery of the Word and yet to be more blinde and more blockish and more perversel and more profane this argues that certainly the Spirit of God is withheld from such and that their destruction is nigh the ground which hath the raine often falling upon it and yet is unfruitful Heb. 6.7.8 is nigh unto cursing whose end is to be burned as the Apostle speaks The Spirit being withheld the raine of the Gospel is a curse to them and the end of such shall be burning 3. You may feare the Spirit is withdrawn from the Ministery of the Word because there are more perverted by Errour then converted by the Truth for these last years especially since erroneous men have had liberty and countenance What multitudes have beene perverted and led away by the Errours of ungodly men this is an argument of a judiciall hardnesse upon the Land How are we fallen into those times of which the Apostle Peter speaks wherein shall be false teachers and such who shall bring in damnable Heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction and many shall follow their pernicious wayes 2 Pet. 2.1,2 How many in these our dayes have been perverted following the pernicious wayes of false teachers which surely is an argument of the Spirits suspension from the Ministery Demonstr 4 4. Because the Word of truth is so adulterated with Error this may be a reason why the Word prevailes so little upon the hearts of men As in a field where there are many weeds the seed will never grow there so where there are many Errours sprung up in a Church the seed of Gods Word will not thrive there The increase of damnable Heresies suspends the working of Gods Spirit in the hearts of men Christ it is said of him Mark 7.13 that he taught the people with authority and not as did the Scribes and why not as did the Scribes you have the reason given by Christ in the Evangelist Saint Marke sayes he You make the Word of God of none effect through your traditions which ye have delivered It was of no force upon the consciences of their followers their erroneous traditions made
the Word of God of none effect even as those erroneous opinions in our dayes how do they ecclipse the glory and splendor of the Word of God and hinder the Spirits working Is not this the language of many How shall we beleeve Ministers if we go to one Congregation we shall hear one thing preached if we go to another 2 Cor. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 4.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall hear the same thing contradicted How doth â—his stagger people and greatly hinder the working of the Spirit upon them The Apostle Paul when he tels you of the force of his Ministery saies he we do not handle the Word of God deceitfully that is we do not mixe nor adulterate the Word as Vintners do their wine but saies he by manifestation of the truth commend our selves to every mans conscience in the sight of God the word in their mouths it was truly and powerfully preached it reached even the consciences of men Demonstr 5 Because men deny the calling of the Ministery this may he another reason why God suspends his Spirits operation in it God will not pursue the Ministery to such with efficacy who contemn and deny the Ministery There are multitudes of men which do not onely despise our persons but the very Ministery it self who deny the Calling and would beat down the Office and therefore it is just with God that those who will not believe the Office of the Ministery that they shall not finde the efficacy of the Spirit in it Hence the Apostle Paul to the Thessalonians saies Our Gospel came not unto you in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sakes 1 Thes 1.5 as if he should say you know our Office and Calling and our manner of living you believe it and therefore the Gospel comes to you not in word but in power and in the holy Ghost It is observable of John the Baptist that the reason why he wrought so much on the people insomuch that all Judah and the Regions round about came out unto him the reason was this Matth. 14.5 because they did all hold John for a Prophet the people did believe his Office They all held that the Baptisme of John was of Heaven and not of man and therefore for men to cry down the Office of the Ministery Matt. 21.26,25 and to deny it this may render it ineffectual and may provoke God to withhold his Spirit from accompanying of it Demonstr 6 Another Reason why God withdrawes his Spirit from the Ministery because multitudes runne upon the Office of the Ministery without a call and those who runne when God sends them not he will not blesse the Word in their mouths for the good of people Thus you see clearly from that of the Prophet Jeremiah Jer. 23.21 where the Lord saies he sent not those Prophets yet they ran he spoke not to them yet they prophesied but what good shall they do to the people to whom they prophesied you finde in the 32. verse Vers 32. therefore they shall not profit this people at all saith the Lord such shall be the effect of their preaching who runne upon the Office without a Call Demonstr 7 7. And lastly another reason why the Spirit of God backs not the Ministery of the Word as in former time it may be this because the judgement of the sword is upon the Land it may be you may think this a strange reason but I may evidence it thus other judgements as sicknesse upon a mans body the plague famine or such like they concurre with the Word and set the Word preached home upon the hearts of people but the sword it is a judgement which makes men savage and brutish one towards another Inter arma silent leges Dei hominumque whereas in other judgements men will look at Gods hand in them before these warres how many Converts were brought in since the sword came among us how hath it made neighbut bour cruell to neighbour that amiablenesse and sweetnesse for which the English Nation had a commendation how is it now turned into barbarousnesse Thus I have done with the first particular wherein I have shewed you this great spiritual judgement when the Spirit is withdrawn from the publike Ministery and likewise the demonstrations and causes of such a jugement I now come to the second part to shew you the wofulnesse of that judgement when the Spirit is withheld from men in its inward motions upon the conscience in their ordinary walkings in the handling whereof I shall proceeed after this method The Spirit of God may be withheld from men in its inward motions upon the conscience two wayes 1. In regard of sinne 2. In regard of duty 1. In regard of sinne the Spirit may be withheld two wayes 1. Before the commission thereof that it shall not check nor disswade thee from it 2. After the commission of sinne that it shall not rebuke and convince for it 1. I shall shew you how it appears to be a misery to have the Spirit withheld from you both before and after the commission of sin 2. Why or for what reason it is that the Spirit of God is withheld both these wayes 3. How farre a childe of God may be thus left of the Spirit First Now to make it appear that it is a grievous judgment to have the Spirit withheld from a man before the commission of sin it may be thus Demonstrated 1. Because if the Spirit do not disswade thee thou wilt be ready and apt to yeeld to any sin thou art tempted unto Men under the temptations of sin without the contrary disswasions of Gods Spirit are like a City whose walls are broken down and so are liable to every incursion of an enemy Prov. 4.23 the disswasions of the Spirit they are as fortresses to preserve the strong hold of mans heart they fence and keep the heart when the Devill by his temptations perswades to sinne the Spirit by his motions graciously disswades from it Oh do not break Gods Law do not wound and hurt thine owne conscience by these disswasions there is a curb laid upon the heart but when these are away how venturous will a man be to do evill It is said of Paul and Timothy that they assayed to go into Bithynia but the Spirit suffereâ— them not Acts 6.7 so may it be said of many a man in respect of sin he hath through the corruption of his heart assayed to commit such and such a sinne but the Spirit hath not suffered him As a godly man he cannot do all the good he would because of the flesh so sometimes he shall not do all the evill he would because of the Spirit When the winde blows with a fresh gale the vessell may saile against the streame which otherwise was to be carried
that if any man had been free and liberal in giving towards pious uses he should be free from those duties which he owed to his father and mother therefore say they Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother It is 〈◊〉 gift by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me and honour not his father or his mother he shall be free Mat. 15.5,6 This the Scripture condemnes for hypocrisie when men out of a pretence of duty to God shall neglect their duty to men therefore it comes from the Divel The Spirit of God when it moves men to duty it moves them with an equal motion as wel duties to man Mich. 6.7 as duties to God duties of the second as wel as of the first table unto duties of charity equity as wel as of pity towards God if a man be never so pious towards God and yet is neglective of his duty to man this man is not led by the Spirit of God for that leads a man to one duty as well as the other A boat that 's made onely by one oare on one side will not go right no more will a man go right to Heaven that is partial in his obedience 7. When the Devil moves you to do good he so moves you to be eager in the doing of it Gal. 5.4 compared with Verse 8. that you may depend on the good you do To this purpose saith the Apostle Paul Whosoever of you are justified by workes ye are faln from grace whosoever shal depend upon the works he doth for justification is not led thereunto by the Spirit of God and therfore it followeth saith he This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you it cometh not from God for the Spirit of God it quells and keeps down the thought of merit In former times though I could not contemne works of mercy but wish there were more of them in this iron age of the world when most men are guilty of hard-hearted uncharitableness What was the reason that men Popishly affected have left such monuments of their liberality behinde them doing many notable works of mercy but only hope of merit by them a worke of mercy it is good in it self but to be moved to it upon a hope of merit this comes from the Devil not from God 8. When the Devil shall put thee upon the doing of good at that time which is not thy own time As suppose the life of any neer in relation unto tâ—…e is in danger and thou out of love to the Word of God wilt go and hear it and neglect thy sick friend in this case the Lord would have thee rather shew mercy then sacrifice every thing is most beautiful in its season Again for servants when they are about their Masters business when the welfare of thy Master lies upon thy diligence and thou shalt then have a motion to pray or a motion to hear and so fall upon the exercise of Religious duties so as to neglect thy Masters business this is a sin and comes from the Devil And the reason is this because God looks upon servants their persons and their time as none of their own and thou shalt at such time please God more in the doing of thy Masters business then if thou wert on thyknees at thy prayers Now I do not mention this to make men severe towards their servants as to allow them more time for God and their souls nor to quench any good motions which shall be in them to good as many wretched and worldly Masters do to their godly servants but this is that I could advise them that they should not take time for holy duties from their necessary business whereby their Masters may be prejudiced but rather from their sleep and those vacant houres which are allowed them 9. when you shall be moved to do a good thing which is above your growth ann too high and too hard for you this motion comes not from the Spirit of God When women and young men whose educations do not require it shall dive into questions and darke controversies in Religion God requires not this at their hands but rather that they should study and follow plain sundamental points Christ he would not put his young disciples upon duties above their strength and growth Mat. 9.16,17 and young and weak Christians they should not put themselves upon the doing of those things which are too hard for them and which God never commanded them you have an excellent rule for this in Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not hauâ—hty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters nor in things that are too high for me 10. The Devil will put men upon the doing of that which is good that so he may the sooner tire and weary them out in the wayes of Religion and this is a great policy of the Divel and hereupon the Divel will make a young convert at first conversion pray more in one day then in a moneth of after-time and though there is much of God in these young affections yet there is much sin mingled with them too The divel hath a twofold end to make young converts do good First either to make them the sooner weary of Religion or else secondly to make wicked men think the more hardly of Religion I do not mention this to quench and stifle good motions in any I know where there is one man over-does there are ten thousand which do too little But we must take heed lest like the Church of Corinth we be not too severe for as they by too much austerity had like to have swallowed up the penitent excommunicate person with too much grief so the rigorous and over-much strictness will discourage them from the wayes of Christ 11. Motions to good come from the Divel in case thou art moved to those things which are subservien and introductory to duty rather then to the duties of Religion themselves This is a great subtilty of the Devil if he can keep men in the porch they shall never come into the Temple As consideration it is apreparatory duty to prayer meditation to hearing and examination to the duty of receiving the Lords Supper now if the Divel can keep thee so long in these preparitory duties that thou canst take no time for the maine duties themselves herein the Divel hath his end Christians are oftentimes very inconsiderate in this case Simile 1 it is just as if a man should have an houres time allotted him to play a melodious lesson to a company and he spends all his time in tuning his instrument Thus it is with many Christians the preparation for duty is only in order to the furtherance of us in holy duty he that is so long in preparation as he neglects duty destroyes the very end of preparation I know there are some which never use preparation to duty and others there are who by the subtilty of the Divel in
be we were not to have any lusts of the flesh in us But secondly that if you walk after the Spirits motions you shall not yield to the motions of sinne with so strong an inclination and bent of the will as wicked and unregenerate men do so you shall nor fulfill the lusts of the flesh Before I come to handle the Doctrine I shall premise these particulars 1. This benefit here annexed may be understood either preceptively or promissively either as a precept what you should do or as a promise what you shall do And the Translators of the Bible it seemes were at a stand how to render these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza renders them ne perficite preceptively fulfill not the vulgar ne perficietis you shall not fulfill Which our translatours followed but as you may perceive put also the other rendering and reading in the Margin But it is not material which way you take it 2. This promise for so it seems to be taken it is not to be taken absolutely but conditionally my meaning is this God doth not promise this absolutely but upon this condition If you walk in the Spirit on this condition you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 3. It is not said you shall not have the lusts of the flesh for what man is there which hath them noâ— but you shall not fulfil them 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We read in our translation the lusts of the flesh but it is in the Greek The lust of the flesh in the singular number Now what may be the reason that though the Word be in the singular number yet it is read in the plural For this reason because the sinne of nature though it be but one Masse of sin yet it hath many sinsin the womb of it and there may be this use made of the translation That though the sinne of nature be but one yet seminally there are all the sinnes in the world contained in it 5. Touching the benefit annexed there is no cause of doubting to be left in your mindes that this benefit shall not be yours if you perform the condition Do you walk in the Spirit and God will keep you that you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh and this I draw from the Apostles Assertion in these words This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh This I say as if the Apostle should say This is that which I have to speak unto you in the name of the Lord that if you walk in the Spirit you shall not fulfill c. Now having premised these particulars the Doctrine is this Doct. That Walking after the guidance or motions of the Spirit is an especiall means to keep men that they shall not yeeld to the lusts of the flesh with so strong and full a bent of the will as wicked and ungodly men when they sin against God This is a very fruitfull point the promise is not to be taken absolutely you shall not fulfill them at all but comparatively you shall not sin as wicked men do you may sin but you shall not regard iniquity in your heart as the phrase is Psal 66.18 you shall not commit sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh. 3.9 as wicked men do who make a trade of sin In the handling of this point I shall onely dispatch this one thing to shew you how the wicked do sin and fulfill the lusts of the flesh that all godly men which walk after the guidance of the Spirit shall not so sin 1. They who walk after the Spirit they shall not sin so wilfully Heb. 10 26. nor so voluntarily as wicked men do If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin Godly men they do not sin with so strong a bent of will as wicked men do sin they do and they sin with their wils too but there is much resistenice in the will against the will it is not a full consent of the will nor a full bent and tendencie of the heart and therefore sayes the Apostle Paul The evil that I would not that I do Rom. 7.19 Paul he tels you he did evil but he tels you also that he did not will the evil he did A godly man he sometimes yeelds to sin as to an usurping Tyrant but never as to his naturall Lord. Wicked men they will the evil they do but godly men will the good they do not Wicked men they sin with all their will because there is no part of their will regenerated Psal 50.19 Impii delectontar impiâ—tate bellâ—m inâ—…cunt perspectâ—e veritati uti sccit Saul Abab Julianus Apestata Arrius alii quorum exceranda est memoria Beza Rom. 7.14 1 King 21,25 and therefore sayes the Psalmist speaking of a wicked man Thou givest thy self to speak evil It is remarkable that variation of expression concerning Ahab and Paul Ahab it is said of him that he sold himself to work wickednesse but of Paul it is said that he was sold under sin They were both sold but there is this difference Ahab he sold himself but Paul was sold he did not sell himself Ahabs act was a voluntary act he sold himself but Paul was sold under sin it was not voluntary but against his will 2. Those who walk after the Spirit they do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh so impudently as wicked men do Wicked men they commit wickednesse before the Sun and are not ashamed therefore sayes the Lord by his Prophet Jer 6.15 Chap. 8.12 Were they ashamed when they had câ—mmitted abominations nay they were not at all ashamed neither could they blush Thou hast a whores forehead sayes the same Prophet thou refusedst to be ashamed Jer. 3.3 The wicked they have cast off shame and therefore sayes the Prophet Zephaniah The unjust knoweth no shams Zeph. 3.5 they will not be ashamed when they have done wickedly as that whore she findes a young man Pro 7.13,14 and she caught him and kissed him and with an impudent face said unto him I have peace-offerings with me this day have I payed my vows Thus wicked men they sin impudently and are not ashamed when they have committed abomination but the godly they do not so sin Rom. 6.21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle And Ezra Oh God our iniquities are increased I blush and am ashamed to look up Ezra 9.6 The godly they do not sin so impudently as wicked men do 3. Neither so boastingly as wicked men ungodly men they boast in their ungodly deeds and therefore sayes the Psalmist to Doeg Why boastest thou thy self in mischief oh mighty man Psal 52 1. It seems Doeg did not onely kill those innocent Priests but boasted of his villany and wickednesse Hence it is said
insomuch that he was sick And how sick was Ahab for Naboths vineyard they were so intently bent upon their lusts But good men though they sinne yet they do not sinne so eagerly and therefore the Apostle he makes this a difference between godly and wicked men the wicked they commit all iniquity Eph. 4.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ezekiel 11.21 and all iniquity with greedinesse It is said of the wicked that their heart walketh after their detestable things 8. Godly men they do not sin so resolvedly as wicked men do wicked men are so resolved upon their lusts that there is no taking of them off When God bids the people leave their Idolatry they say No we have loved strangers and after them we will go Jer. 2.25 as if they should say we have done evil and we will do evil still Thus at another time when they had burned incense to the Queen of heaven and the Lord had commanded them to leave their Idolatry Jer. 44.16 and threatened to punish them yet say they As for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee They were resolved to follow their wickednesse A wicked man is so set upon his sinne Prov. 4.16 that it takes away his sleep He sleeps not unlesse he hath done some mischief and his sleep is taken away unlesse he cause some to fall but godly men they do not sin so resolvedly It is true a godly man may have a purpose to act a sinne though he may know it to be a sinne but a little good counsel will take him off That of David is very remarkable how resolved was he to kill Nabal and all his family and what a bloody resolution was it nay he had bound himself under an oath and was going up to execute his bloody resolution but at last Abigail meets him and by her good counsel how soone was he brought off from his resolution And blessed be the Lord God of Israel 1 Sam. 15.32,33 sayes he which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood Godly men they are not so resolved upon wickednesse a little good advice will bring them off and they will blesse God for such preventing counsel and you for giving it them 9. They do not sinne so contentedly as wicked men Wicked men they sinne contentedly because they are in their proper element when they are sinning Nil gravitat in suo centro Now Philosophers say of the elements that the earth is not heavy in its proper place Wicked men they are as swine in the myre it pleases them to be there but for a sheep to be in the myre how doth it trouble it 't is their delight to be in the green Pastures Wicked men they not only walk and stand but sit down in sinne Psal 1.1 which argues their contentednesse therein But it is not so with the godly there is that difference between sinne in a good man and in a wicked man as there is between poyson being in a man and a toade poyson in the toade contents it because it is natural but poyson in a man how doth it offend him thus it is between sinne in the godly and the wicked Sinne in the wicked it contents him because it 's natural to him but sinne in the godly it is like poyson in a mans body it tortures and torments him 10. A godly man he doth not sinne so customarily as wicked men do A wicked man he makes it his custome to sinne it is his way wherein he walks and therefore sayes David Search me O God and know my heart and my thoughts And see if there be any wicked way in me Psal 139.23,24 There may be a work of wickednesse in a godly man but there is not a way of wickednesse in him The wicked are accustomed to a way of wickednesse and as the Prophet speaks If the Leopard can cleanse his spots or the blackmore his skin then may they also who are accustomed to do evil Sinne in a wicked man it is like water in a river you saw it there yesterday and you may see it to day alwayes it is there when they are in a way of sinne they are in their proper course but sinne in a godly man it is like the water of a land-flood you see it to day but to morrow it is gone sin it is not a customary thing to them 11. They who walk after the Spirit they yield not to sinne so indulgently as wicked men the Prophet he brands wicked men with this Psal 58.2 that in heart they work wickednesse they sinne with their hearts and in another place he saith Psal 5.9 Their inward part is very wickednesse that is their sinne it comes from their hearts Hence also they are described to be such Jer. 11.21 Whose heart walketh after detestable things they sinne affectionately but a good mans heart it is not so taken up with sinne The wicked are said to hide sinne under their tongues as a sweet morsel but the godly though they may have sin in their mouths yet it is there as a bitter morsel it is unpleasant to them A wicked man is as indulgent to his sinne though he know it will be his ruine as David was to Absolom and he deals gently with it but it 's otherwise with the godly for though he be overtaken with a sinne yet he takes revenge of it 2 Cor. 7.11 Rom. 7.21,22 and therefore sayes Paul I finde a law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the law of God after the inward man My inward man is changed Vers 25. and therefore sayes be With the minde I my self serve the law of God but with the flesh the law of sinne Godly men they do not delight in a course of sinne 12. And lastly they do not sinne so maliciously as wicked men The Psalmist hath a prophetical prayer against such Lord sayes he be not merciful to them that sinne of malicious wickednesse good men who walk after the Spirit they never sinne so as to despight the Spirit of grace they sinne inconsiderately but they never sinne maliciously Now summe up all these particulars and you will see the text is true that if ye walk in the Spirit ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh that is you shall not sinne after that manner and after that rate as wicked men sin Vse 1 You who have the Spirit of God blesse God that you have such a preservative to keep you from sinning so as wicked men sinne Why is it that the wicked sin so as they do but because they have not the Spirit of God Hast thou not the same sinful inclinations with the worst that are other mens abominable actions are but commentaries upon thy heart
righteous then he and that he had done wickedly in pursuing his life and yet notwithstanding all this Sauls unruly affections did overmaster Sauls unquiet conscience his ambition of the kingdom caused him yet to go on further in the pursuit of David So Pilate his conscience told him that Jesus Christ whom he was to judge was an innocent person and therefore he washed his hands and told the people that he found no cause of death in him this was his conscience but his ambitious affections did overpower it fearing lest he should hereby lose Cesars favour Luke 19.12 If thou let this man go say the people thou art not Cesars friend he feared this saying of the people and therefore went against his conscience And so also Pharaoh his conscience told him that he did wickedly in disobeying Gods command for letting the children of Israel go and he confesseth that he had sinned and done wickedly in the Lords sight and begged Moses to pray for him but observe Pharaohs ambitious affections did over-master his conscience and therefore when the plage was over he would continue in sinne still But when the Spirit of God comes to conflict with the lusts of the flesh though the affections be unbridled and unruly yet in time the Spirit of God will check and curb them and overcome though the Spirit cannot throw them out yet it will throw them down as the Apostle Paul speaks I keep under my body and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.27 A godly man thus deals with sinne though he cannot give it an utter extirpation yet he will indeavour to bring it into subjection 2. Natural conscience in opposing sin it rests contented with a bare restraint of the Act though there be no mortification of the vicious inclination As it was with Pharaoh when the plagues were upon him then conscience wrought but yet his sin was not at all subdued but onely restrained and therefore sayes the Text Exod. 8.15 When Pharaoh saw that there was respite he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said And so Haman when he saw that Mordecai his mortal enemy was preferred by the King when he saw that he was taken into royal favour it is said that he refrained himselfe that is he would not now attempt to destroy him Esth 5.10 and though he refrained himself yet his revengefull disposition remained still unmortified Thus a drunkard may be outwardly restrained and yet his drunken inclination remain But the Spirit of God in its conflict it doth not only restrain the act but also weakens Rom. 8.12,13 and suppresses the inclination If ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the flesh ye shall live there is the mortifying of the act of sin and thus also we are commanded to mortify our members which are upon the earth as fornication uncleannesse inordinate affections evill concupiscence and covetousnesse Col. 3.5 and again to crucify the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 that is not onely to restrain the act of sinne but to kill and mortify the sinful inclination 4. And lastly natural conscience conflicting with sin it works not more watchfulness in a man against the assaults of sin for the time to come but the Spirit of God when that conflicts with a sin this day it makes him watchful against all sinne the next day and all his dayes and thus you have the third Quere dispatched touching the difference that is between the conflict of the flesh and the Spirit and that combate which is onely between the naturall conscience of an unregenerate man and his lusts Quere 4 What rules may be given seeing the Spirit doth conflict against the flesh in us that by the following of them we may be able to prevail against the motions of the flesh to sinne Answ This is a practicall and an usefull question and for answer thereto I shall give you five directions 1. Listen to what conscience shall say to you when you are tempted to any sin conscience it is Gods spie mans overseer and the Spirits officer and in hearkening to its checks you take a ready way to imbrace the Spirits motions and deaf your ear to the motions of sin it is the Spirits office not only to witnesse with our Spirits but also to check and rebuke us for sin with our spirits therefore hearken to what your own conscience shall speak whether it will solicite thee after this manner saying Why wilt thou dishonour so good a God hazzard thy precious soul and break a good Law As sin gives a wound to conscience so conscience awakened enlightened and sanctified gives a great check to sinne that it shall not reign in a cihlde of God 2. If you would have the Spirit prevail over the flesh then be sure you minister no occasion of sin unto the flesh lest from vicious motions there come sinful actions This rule the Apostle gives to the Galatians Gal. 5.13 exhorting them not to use their liberty for an occasion to the flesh that is do nothing which may administer an occasion to the flesh to take hold on you It is true the flesh can sinne without an occasion and a man may be an adulterer though he never saw a woman and a man may be a thief though he never stole and a murtherer though he never spilt blood but occasions to sin they do the more strengthen corrupt nature as the Philosophers tells us that acts do strengthen habits so the more thou acts sin the more strength it gathers and hence it was Numb 6.9 that the Nazarites who were forbidden to drink wine were also forbidden to eat any thing that came of the Vine-tree they were not to eat the raisin nor the husk of the grape that an occasion of sinne might not be admitted to them And the wise man shewing the mischief of whoredome Prov. 5.8 exhorts not to come near the dore of her house it is no sinne in it selfe to come nigh any ones dore but because being nigh the dore of an harlot may occasion and stirre up unclean thoughts and lustful desires therefore we are commanded not to come near her dore It is observable that God would not be called Baali but Ishi there was no harm in the word Baali for it signified in the common use of the word my Husband Hosea 2.16 Isai 54.5 as Isai 54.5 Thy Maker is thy husband It is in the Hebrew thy Baal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dominus mariâ—us i. e. thy Lord or husband but this is forbidden that so the name of an Idol continued amongst them for they usually called their Idols Baalim might be no allurement to idolatry To this purpose Divines make much use of that place in Deuteron Deut. 25.13 25.13 where it is said Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights a great and a small the having of these weights in the bag you would think to be no sinne
but Judaisme and what is it to be of a tender conscience but to have a needlesse scrupulosity By this meanes men allowing their corrupt hearts to argue thus carnally they are hindred from much good and therefore if thou wouldest be taken off from this deceit thou must labour to see the native lustre and beauty that is in holinesse and the filthinesse of sin 5. Another way whereby the heart of man deceives him is by pretence to do some lesser good and thereby neglect the doing of a greater and thus the devil and a mans own heart diverts him many a time It is an observation of Mr. Greenham that in many families every trisling businesse shall hinder prayer and this is the nature of a mans heart to make every slight businesse to divert him from duty and the exercises of religion Thus it was with the Pharisees Matth. 23. They would tithe Mint Annise and Cummin and so neglect righteousnesse and the more serious and weighty things of the Law Many men will content themselves to read a Chapter at home and neglect the Ministery of the Word and prayer in publick this is meerly the sly deceit of a mans own heart even as the ancient hereticks called Euchitae they were so intent on prayer as that they neglected all other service of God To this I would only say that those who make one duty to justle out another let such remember that duties are not contrary but subordinate and subservient one to another I may say of the duties of religion as the Scripture speaks of the Lamps of the Sanctuary they were so seated that one lamp should kindle another so duties they are so ordered by God that one duty shall help another and fit for another prayer fits for hearing hearing fits a man for meditation and meditation fits for prayer and so of all other duties and therefore they which make one duty to hinder another they make those things contrariant which the Lord hath made concordant 6. Another stratagem which the flesh useth is this that if it cannot perswade men wholly to neglect duty yet it will endeavour to make them abate in duty It may be thy corrupt heart cannot prevaile with thee to cast off prayer and hearing the Word so as never to perform these duties yet will it labour to gain thus much upon thee that thou shalt pray more seldome then thou hast done and hear not so often as formerly thou hast done As it is a deceit of the heart to bring us from small sins to great sins so also is it the policy of the flesh from the doing of duty seldom at last to bring us not to do it at all And to antidote you against this infection of nature I shall lay down these following considerations 1. It is the policy of thy heart not to make thee cast off duty wholly and at once but to make thee abate gradually Revel 2.4 The Church at Ephesus did gradually decay first left off her first love and afterwards her first works and the reason is because hereby thy heart and the devil knowes that abatements when they are gradual they are lesse sensible but neglects when they are total they fall under the cognizance of a natural conscience You must pray sometimes and hear sometimes else conscience will check a man but gradual decayes they are not so sensibly perceived and therefore the devill and thy own heart will let thee pray and will let thee hear but not so much as formerly thou hast done this is a snar which many of Gods people have been taken in 2. Consider that the soule is in as much danger by gradual decayes and abatements as by total omissions A leake in a ship though but small will at last as certainly and more dangerously because more insensibly and unperceivingly cause the ship to miscarry as a violent storme Lingring consumptions do kill men as surely as violent burning fevers it is true a fever or the plague may kill a man in three dayes but a consumption will as certainly bring a man to his end and to his grave 7. Corrupt nature will suggest to thee that thou shouldest leave off duty because of the unalterable decree of God Corrupt nature will tell thee that if thou art ordained to damnation all thy praying and all thy hearing will never save thee and if thou art ordained to salvation though thou doest not hear so much and pray so much it shall not procure thy eternal damnation this deceit is rooted in the hearts of all the sonnes of men and in answer thereto I have onely these three things to lay before you 1. As to duty you are not to consult with Gods secret decrees but with his revealed Word Secret things belong to the Lord our God but revealed things to us and our children for ever that we may do all the words of this law Deut. 29.29 We are not to look to the decrees of God and upon them either do or not do our duty but we are to look to his revealed will which bids us be conversant in holy duties of religion and godlinesse we are not to search the secret records of heaven but the Scriptures It was a good saying of holy Mr. Bradford A man should not go to the University of Predestination untill he be well grounded in the Grammar-School of obedience and repentance 2. Consider that the same decree which determines the end of a man Qui destinat ad finem destinat ad media determines also the means to bring about that end If thou art decreed to be damned the same God decrees that thou shalt be left to walk in such wayes which lead to damnation and if thou art decreed to be saved God hath also decreed that thou shouldest walke in those wayes which lead to everlasting life and this the Apostle tells you Ephes 2.10 We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them not onely our happinesse but our holinesse is decreed by God 3. You which yield to this plea of nature you will not yield to this plea in other things you will not reason thus in matters of the world should a man reason thus God hath decreed from all eternity how long I shall live in the world and therefore because the decree is irrevocable I will neither eat meat nor wear clothes you would accompt this man rather a mad man then one in his wits He that refuseth meat Gods Ordinance to continue life is a self-murderer and he that omitteth duties of Religion out of any pretence of Gods decree is a soul-murderer as it is thus in nature so also is it in grace as God hath decreed the end so also hath he decreed the means conducing thereunto 8. You will say through the suggestion of a selfe-deceiving heart you are unable to perform any good this is the plea of many they will say
labour to hold thy heart fast but thy slippery heart breaks away from thee do what thou canst and whence comes this but by reason of the pravity of thy nature 3. The flesh makes thee perform duty confiding in duty so to perform duty as to rest in duty and if the devil cannot disturb you by injecting wandring thoughts he will labour to disturb you by casting in vain tonfiding thoughts this is an evill which you are to watch against We are they sayes the Apostle speaking to the Philippians who worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.3 that is we do not depend upon our performances Trust not in lying words sayes the Prophet ye who say The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord This was the devils policy Jer. 7.4 if he could not make them slight the Temple he would endeavour to carry them to the other extreame to rely upon the Temple and the worship there and therefore the Lord calls them lying words Thus it was with the children of Israel 1 Sam. 4.2 The story mentions a battel fought by the Philistines against Israel wherein there fell of Israel 4000 men and when they had received this great losse the residue went to inquire the reason of this hand of God against them and they concluded that it was because the Ark of God was not among them well say they Let us fetch the Ark of the Covenant of God from Shiloh that when it cometh it may save us out of our enemies hands they do so but when they had got the ark among them 1 Sam. 4.10 the story tells us that in a second battel they lost 30000. men 1 Sam. 4.10 Now what was the reason why they had worse successe when they had the Ark among them then they had before the reason was because they depended upon the Ark that outward badge and testimony of Gods presence and therefore God would punish their carnal confidence this being the policy of the devill if he cannot distract you in duty yet he will labour to make you rely upon it Sermon XXIII At Lawrence Jewry London Februar 2. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would IN the last Sermon I shewed you three wayes by which the devill and your own hearts laboured to distract and hinder you in duty I proceed now to adde some more and the fourth in order is this 4. The flesh will labour to make you perform duties distrustfully Faith it is that shield by which we resist the devil Eph. 6.16 and the Scripture presseth us Above all things to take to us the shield of faith that we might be able to quench the fiery darts of the devill Corrupt nature labours above all things to weaken your faith Luke 24.25 O fooles and slow of heart to believe says our Saviour Christ he layes the blame upon your hearts this being the work of the flesh to make you slow of heart to believe and rely upon Jesus Christ Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him without faith you cannot perform ally acceptable duty to God and therefore also this is a main designe of the devill to rob you of your faith Christ he tells Peter that Satan had desired to winnow him as wheat Luke 22.31,32 but sayes he I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Satan singled out Peters faith above all his other graces and therefore the care of Christ was most seen in the preservation of Peters faith from failing and as this is the work of the devill so also is it of our own hearts to rob us of our faith but Christ hath prayed for us and true faith shall never faile 5. Another designe of the flesh is to make thee perform duty constrainedly and not voluntarily the flesh puts a man into that posture that he is rather carried then led to duty Nil nisi jussus agit he is driven to duty as a childe to School or as a Bear to the stake with much regret whereas he goes from a duty as a bird from the snare with much delight 6. The flesh it will labour to make you perform duty uncomfortably without delight of heart And this is the great policy of the flesh though it cannot make you disuse duty yet it will make you that you shall never have delight in the use of them Thus I have shewed what those interruptions of the flesh are in regard of the manner of our duties 2. The interruptions of the flesh in duty they are not onely seen in the manner how you do duty but also in the end why you do duty And herein I shall shew you how the flesh casts in sinister aimes and ends when you do duty if it cannot interrupt you in the manner it will in the end I shall give a short survey how the flesh interrupts men in doing duty in reference to their ends And there are seven sinister ends that the flesh casts in when you are about duty 1. The flesh will cast in this sinfull end to make you perform good duties rather for vain glory then for Gods glory It is observable what you read in Gal. 5. The Apostle concludes that Chapter with this exhortation Be not desirous of vain glory after he had been shewing them what were the fruits of the Spirit and had exhorted them to walk in the Spirit he gives in this counsel that they should not be desirous of vain glory intimating that there is a pronenesse in mans nature to make him vain-glorious in the doing of good Hence the Apostle James hath an expression Jam. 4.5 sayes he Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy envy it is a fruit of vain glory a desire to have another mans abilities eclipsed that so our candle may shine brighter Phil. 1.15 and hence some among the Philippians are said to preach Christ out of envy that is they would discover their parts to gain applause that they might carry away the bell from Paul it was their vain glory which made them seek to out-vie Paul not that they aimed at Christs glory but their own seeking not the things of Christ but their own things 2. Another sinister end of the flesh will be this to make you do duty more for outward and secular advantage then for any inward and saving benefit and thus the Lord complaines of his people Hosea 7.14 That they assembled themselves for corn and for wine they did not cry for grace but for corne and wine their doing duty was for their secular advantage And so the Lord by the same
have a seed of grace remaining in them 3. Wicked men they do not so clearly discerne and sensibly bewaile the interruptions of the flesh as those who are godly do 4. The wicked they shall never be rid of the evil workings of the flesh neither in this world nor in that which is to come Sinne in this life shall hinder duty and in the world to come they will cast off duty But the godly though pestered with the flesh yet they shall one day be rid of the flesh And thus I have finished the first part of the double consequent Sermon XXV At Lawrence Jewry London Februar 9. 1650. GAL. 5. verse 17. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would I Am now to proceed to the second reference of these words and that is the Spirits conflicts against the flesh so that men cannot do the evil they would And the observation is this Doct. That the Spirit of God keeps regenerate men oftentimes that they shall not do the evil they would In the handling of which Point there are three particulars in the doctrinal part that I shall insist on 1. I shall shew you how the Spirit doth keep a man from doing the evil he would do 2. Wherein consists this work of the Spirit 3. How you may know the difference between the restraining grace of the Spirit in keeping a wicked man from sinne and the renewing grace of the Spirit in keeping regenerate men from evil 1. How doth the Spirit keep a man from doing the evil that he would do To this question I shall give you five particulars by way of answer 1. The Spirit keeps a man from doing the evil he would by enlightening his judgement and making him to see the evil of sinne in its nature and the danger of sinne in its event Thus you read in Job 36.9 Job 36.9 He sheweth them their worke and their transgressions that they have exceeded here is the inlightening of their judgements and then it followes in the tenth verse He openeth also their eare to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity verse 10. vers 12. and in the twelfth verse If they obey not they shall perish by the sword and shall die without knowledge The sinne of nature it is described by a state of ignorance to note that a man without the Spirit is blinde and cannot see those evils which he commits the Spirit therefore enlightens a man and hence you read Acts 26.18 that the Apostle Paul was sent to open mens eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God See 2 King 6.15 intimating that there must be first the opening of the eyes and the enlightening of the judgement before there can be a rescuing from sinne 2. The Spirit keeps a man from sinne by setting conscience on work to check and rebuke a man when he is tempted thereunto Conscience is Gods Officer and mans Overseer and were it not for a natural conscience a wicked man would commit all imaginable evills every wicked man would commit every sinne that he had opportunity to act Now as sinne wounds the conscience after commission so conscience checks for sinne before commission It is conscience which is as an iron gate and as a brazen wall to keep thee from many evills which otherwise thou wouldst run into And therefore Ioseph consults with his conscience How can I do this great wickednesse and this kept him from committing folly with his Mistresse 3. Another way whereby the Spirit keeps a man from sinne is by infusing into a man a principle of grace and holinesse repugnant to that principle of sinne which is in the nature and thus the Apostle John tells you that Whosoever iâ— born of God doth not commit sinne for the seed of God remaineth in him and he cannot sinne because he is born of God 1 Joh. 3.9 1 Joh. 5.18 He that is born of God hath a renewed nature and a new principle put into him contrary to the sin of his nature 4. The Spirit keeps a man from evil by calling to his remembrance some particular passage out of Sctipture against that sinne unto which he is tempted To this purpose David speakes that he had hid the Word of the Lord in his heart Psal 119.11 that he might not sinne against him This is the way whereby the Spirit fortifies the heart against sin you have it often mentioned in particular cases Solomon gives this counsel to his sonne that he should keep his words Prov. 7.1,5 and lay up his commandments and that to this end that they may keep thee from the strange woman and thus David Psal 17.4 saies he By the Word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer Thus Augustine reports of a young man who was given to wantonnesse and it pleased God by bringing this passage to his remembrance Not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambring and wantonnesse it pleased God to make this a meanes whereby he left off his dalliance and wantonnesse ever after 5. The Spirit keeps a man from doing the evil he would by possessing the heart with an awe and dread of the presence of God when he is tempted to evil Fear the Lord and depart from evil Prov. 37. the wise man joynes them both together to let you know that when the heart is possessed with the fear of God it keeps a man from evil And thus Solomon in a parallell place speaks to the same purpose Prov. 16.6 Prov. 14.16 that By the fear of the Lord men depart from evil An awefull fear of the great God is a good preservative gainst sin Quest 2 The next question is Wherein this worke of the Spirit in keeping a man from sinne consists And for answer hereto in the general it consists in three things 1. In regard of the kindes of sinne 2. In regard of the time and place where sinne would be committed 3. In regard of the manner of sin 1. In regard of the kindes of sinne so the Spirit keeps a regenerate man that he shall never commit the sinne against the Holy Ghost not but that there is the seed of that sinne in the godly as well as others this you have fully proved by John in 1 Joh. 5.18 1 Joh. 5.18 After he had been telling that there was a sinne unto death and saies he I do not say ye shall pray for it he tells you after in the eighteenth verse We know saith he that whosoever is born of God sinneth not but he that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not That is shall not prevaile over a godly man to sinne this sinne unto death grace in the hearr will keep a man that the wicked one shall not so touch
mariage though it be intensive also to all sorts and conditions of people in the world yet he thinks it carries a nearer relation to men in a conjugall condition A man in a maried estate must look to meet with cares and crosses and troubles as the Apostle intimates in the next verse but one to my Text Vers 3. and therefore he gives this advice you that are in a maried estate and do meet with troubles and afflictions in the same why you must weep as if you wept not you must mourn regularly and moderately suppose you meet with troubles and afflictions as a froward wife or if you have a good wife yet no Children by her or if you have they are bad Children or if they be good they die God takes them away from you or if they live they take pernitious courses and are a grief and sorrow and vexation to you why in all these or the like conditions you should so moderate your sorrows as to weep as if you wept not And truly beloved the scope of the Chapter caries the sence this way and from hence I might note to you Doct. 1 1. That a maried life exposeth a man to a great many crosses and troubles either unsutableness of temper and constitution between man and wife the having of bad Children or no Children or Children or wife die these and many more afflictions do sometimes happen in a maried estate 2. From hence I note that people ought to take heed what ever troubles they meet with in this condition that they be not cast down with over much sorrow and grief but I only hint these things by the way And though I believe this Text caries a great reference to people in a conjugall estate yet because the Scripture is large and speaks in generall terms that he that weeps should be as if he wept not c. therefore I shall rather chuse to handle it in this sence that whatsoever crosses troubles losses or afflictions befalls any men here below they should mourn and wâ—ep as if they wept not that is so regulate and moderate their sorrows that they should not be inordinate or excessive in the same and the Doctrine I shall observe from hence is this Doct. That Christians should take a great deal of heed that they be not immoderate or excessive in worldly sorrows either for the meeting with any crosses undergoing any troubles or the losing of any comforts here in the world Whatsoever afflictions you meet with or whatsoever comforts you part with you should take care your sorrows be not immoderate and inordinate In the handling of this it may be I may come near the bosoms of many of you some of you it may be are troubled for want of trading that you are not able to buy bread to put in your mouths others troubled for losses some for crosses and afflictions some for outward others for inward troubles why in all these conditions you must weep as if you wept not you must have a care of immoderateness and excessiveness in all your sorrows Before I shall discuss those quaeries I intend about this Doctrine I shall first lay down three conclusions concerning it Con. 1 That this Doctrine doth not deny a naturall sensibleness of any crosses or afflictions you meet with Beloved God would not have you stupid and insensible under his hand this Doctrine of weeping as if you wept not doth allow of naturall sensibleness of any crosse or affliction that befalls us God would have none to be stoically insensible of heart Con. 2 2. Take this Conclusion that the people of God are more able to bear afflictions and crosses at one time then they are at another It was the case of David at one time when Absalom was dead he cryed out with great impatiency in the 2 Sam. 18.33 Oh Absalom my Son my Son oh Absalom would to God I had died for thee my Son my Son And yet at another time when his Child was dead in the 2 Sam. 12.20 He riseth up and anoints his face and eats bread and takes patiently the hand of God upon him the people of God are more able to bear afflictions at one time then at another Con. 3 3. Inordinate and immoderate sorrow for any affliction doth many times provoke God to lay on greater and heavier afflictions upon a people it is the way to provoke the Lord to double his stroaks upon you to make your burdens heavier and your bondage greater God deals with us as a Father deals with his Child if the Father sees that the Child beares his corrections kindly he will give him the lesse but if he be stubborn and frets and takes on it will not make the Father lessen his stroaks but to give him more and more so if we do patiently bear the indignation of the Lord in these afflictions he layes upon us it is the way to have them alleviated but if we repine and murmure against God and are immoderate in our sorrows this is the way to have them increased Queries I come now to the Queries which I promised to handle and they are these three 1. When peoples sorrows are immoderate and excessive for worldly afflictions 2. Why a Christian should take heed that his sorrows be not so 3. I shall give you some considerations to allay excessiveness and immoderateness in sorrowing what ever befalls you here in this world For the first Quest 1 First When may a Christians sorrow either for the meeting with any crosses or afflictions Signes of immoderate sorrowing for worldly afflictions or the losing of any comforts here in this world be said to be immoderate Answ I shall lay it down to you in these five particulars 1. Then is your sorrow inordinate and excessive when it laies you under great indisposition of heart to the performance of religious duties when it makes you unfit and indisposed to holy duties and especially these two hearing the word and private prayer First When it indisposeth you for hearing the word of God as in Exod. 6.9 Moses spake unto the Children of Israel but they hearkened not unto him for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage The people were so grieved and over-pressed with sorrow that what Moses spake to them from the Lord they did not regard it because of their afflictions and great bondage Now if ever any sorrow or crosse went so near thy heart as to disturb thee and indispose thee to the hearing of Gods word that hath been an immoderate sorrow And therefore it is a great sin and greatly to be reproved in those that when any of their nearest relations are dead they are so dejected with sorrow as not to come to Church in 3. or 4. Sabbath-dayes afterward which is very usuall with a great many In Levit. the 21.1,2,3,4 The Lord commanded there that there should none be defiled for the dead amongst his people There was a custom amongst the Heathen when any of
their friends were dead in token of lamentation and sorrow they would make their heads bald and shave the corners of their beards cut their flesh and the like but God prohibits his people the doing of these things as shaving their heads cutting the corners of their beards and the like When the duties of Religion as hearing the word is interrupted by your sorrows for any worldly cross then look upon it as an irregular sorrow Secondly When your sorrow indisposeth and keeps you from private prayer then it is inordinate as in Psal 77.3,4 my spirit saith Asaph is over-whelmed within me and I am so troubled that I cannot speak When troubles do so stop mens mouths that they cannot pray or make known their wants to God then it is an inordinate sorrow and you women especially that are naturally more tender and apt to grieve then men do you look to it if your sorrows have been never so small yet if they have interrupted and kept you from hearing the word of God and from private duties they have been excessive and immoderate So Mal. 2.13.14 We read of women that covered the Altar of the Lord with tears with weeping and with crying out c. 't is not meant of godly but of worldly sorrow women so grieved for the churlishness and unkindness of their Husbands to them that they covered the Altar with teares c. Now God regarded not such services because when sorrow is excessive for affliction there is then little or no sorrow for sin 2. Your sorrows are then inordinate when they swallow up your comforts in the present mercies of God which you do injoy Thus it was with Ahabs sorrow in the 1. Kings 21.4 you read there that Ahab was grieved and sore displeased because he could not have Naboths Vineyard and the Text saith he went home and laid him down upon his bed turned away his face and would eat no bread though Ahab was a King had a goodly Palace and had Vineyards enough of his own yet because he could not enjoy Naboths he could take no pleasure nor comfort in those he had Thus good old Jacob did so excessively mourn for Joseph who in his thoughts was dead that though all his Sonnes and Daughters came to comfort him yet he refused to be comforted but said he would go mourning to his grave The losse of one Child did swallow up the comfort of all the other eleven Sonnes Gen. 37.35 If the sense of the present sorrows and afflictions you lie under be so great that they swallow up all the mercies and present comforts you injoy then are your sorrows inordinate Some people are so over-whelmed with a few light afflictions that they forget the many great mercies they injoy many men that are worth ten thousand pound if they should lose but one thousand pound it would so trouble them that they would take no comfort in all the rest 3. When your sorrows for worldly losses or crosses put you upon sinfull shifts and wicked courses to make up and repair your losse again then look upon it as an immoderate sorrow 1 Sam. 28.6,7,8 Thus Saul when he was in great trouble and perplexity of mind and could not tell what to do then he went to the witch at Endor for help which did declare his sorrow to be immoderate Look to it you that have met with great losses in the world and undergone great afflictions and crosses if these have made you run to sinfull courses to repair your losses or lighten your afflictions then your sorrow hath been excessive as it may be you are in debt and not able to maintain your self and Family by your Trade and therefore you will betake your self to sinfull shifts and deceits as false weights false lights false measures or the like to repair your losses if it be so your sorrows are immoderate 4. Then your sorrows are immoderate when you do so grieve for your own trouble and afflictions as to carry no compassion in your breast towards the afflictions of others when thy Family losses do so afflict thee that all the publick losses of Church and State do not at all affect thee when thy own private and personall afflictions do so trouble thee that come what will to the Church or Kingdom wherein thou livest thou carest not when thou canst shed a flood of tears for thine own misery but not a drop for the misery of the Church of God then are thy sorrows inordinate and irregular 5. When you are so sensible of your own afflictions as to think no bodies afflictions are so great as yours then are your sorrows irregular When you are like these in Lament 1.12 that say come and see if there be any sorrow any affliction like unto mine wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me When you shall say never did any man lose such an Estate as I have done or such a loving Husband or Wife or Children as I have done never did any undergoe such troubles and crosses as I have done then are your sorrows immoderate But I shall shew you hereafter that there are others that have lost more and suffered more and undergone greater afflictions and have greater cause to complain then you but thus much shall serve for the first Query Quest 2 I come now to the 2d why Christians should take heed of this distemper of being immoderate and excessive in their sorrows for any affliction Answ 1. Because immoderate sorrow for the things of the world does proceed from evill causes And 2dly does produce evill effects First It proceeds from evill causes and those are 1. From an immoderate love to the things of the world that in the want and for the losse whereof you do too much grieve it is a sign you did too much love in the enjoyment of it Gen. 37.35 When Jacob supposed that his Joseph was slain he so exceedingly mourned for him that though all his Sonnes and Daughters rose up to comfort him yet he refused to be comforted and said I will go down into the grave unto my Sonne mourning And why did Jacob thus mourn for him but because he loved him more then all the rest it was his immoderate love to him that made him sorrow so immoderately If your hearts be glued to the things of the world you cannot part with them but with a great deal of vexation and sorrow If thy sorrow be excessive for the loss of any thing thy love was immoderate towards it in the injoyment of it John 11.35.36 when Christ came to Lazarus and he being dead Christ wept then said the Jews behold how he loved him his weeping for him did manifest the greatness of his love to him not that his love was excessive I do not say so yet this we may see from hence that grief in the want of mercies proceeds from love in the enjoyment of them 2. This immoderate sorrow proceeds from a murmuring discontent at the dealing of Gods providence towards
in this particular I shall handle this case of conscience concerning it wherein appeares the difference between a man that hath only a naturall sensiblenesse of Gods hand upon him and one that mournes and grieves immoderately and excessively betwixt a kindly grieving and a passionate venation of spirit and this I shall doe in these six following particulars Answ 1. Where there is only a naturall sensiblenesse a kindely grieving for worldly crosses it will rather animate and quicken the soule to religious duties then any way indispose and interrupt them and therefore it is that you so often finde weeping joyned with prayer and supplication in Scripture thus it is said Iacob wept and made supplication and in Jer. 3.21 Hos 12.4 A voyce was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel so in Ier. 31.9 They shall come with weeping and with supplication will I lead them So in Judg. 2.5,6 it is said the children of Israel at Bochim lift up their voyce and wept and sacrificed to the Lord. All which places shew that that sorrow which is onely a naturall sensiblenesse of Gods hand will quicken and encourage the soule to duty rather then indispose him but now on the other side excessive sorrow renders a man unfit for prayer reading hearing the word or any other holy duty As in Psal 77.4 Asaph was so overwhelmed with sorrow that he could not speak And Exod. 6.9 then is thy sorrow immoderate when it interrupts thee in the performance of holy duties 2. Where there is onely a kindly grieving and a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there is kindled in that mans heart a sympathizing and fellow-feeling of other mens troubles that man will carry compassionate bowels towards other men that are in trouble as well as themselves Job 30.25 saies Job did not I weep for him that was in trouble was not my soule grieved for the poor but now where sorrow is immoderate you will so think upon your own troubles that you will not pity any that are in the like condition with you 3. Where there is only a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there is retained in that soule a fence of those many mercies you doe enjoy as well as of the afflictions and sufferings you doe endure naturall sensiblenesse of afflictions does not take away the comfort and enjoyment of present mercies there is a sense of mercies enjoyed as well as of afflictions endured But now in immoderate sorrow the very sense of your trouble and crosses doth take away and imbitter all your former or present mercies As in Numb 16.12,13 Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us out of a Land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wildernesse Pray marke for there is much of Gods mind in this place the Land that these men speak of here is the land of Aegypt where they were under bondage and slavery and yet when they met with afflictions in the wildernesse they forgot the bondage they were delivered from in Egypt but said it was a Land flowing with milke and honey immoderate sorrow for afflictions doth quite take away all sense of the mercies you doe enjoy 4. Where there is onely a naturall sensiblenesse of worldly crosses there prayer to God or a promise from God will quiet the heart This you may see verified in Hannah in 1 Sam. 1.18,19 she was grieved for a child but what then She prayed and said Let thine handmaid finde grace in thy sight so the woman went away and did eate and her countenance was no more sad After she had poured forth her heart in prayer to God she was comforted she went her way and was no more sad Then is your sorrow right when going to God upon your knees will quiet your heart Or 2. When a promise from God will comfort you thus it was with David in Psal 119.50 saies he This is my comfort in affliction for thy word hath quickned me that is the word of a promise So in Vers 92. Vnlesse thy law had been my delight I should then have perished in my affliction And in Verse 107. I am afflicted very much quicken me O Lord according to thy word Then is your sorrow moderate when either a prayer to God or a promise from God will quiet your hearts and then are your sorrows immoderate when under any affliction all the promises in the Bible cannot quiet you nor any prayer to God comfort you And thus it was with Job in Job 9.16 saies he If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not believe that he had hearkned unto my voyce And therefore beloved look to it you that have met with many worldly crosses and troubles and never a prayer could comfort you nor promise quiet you it is an argument that your sorrows were immoderate 5. Where there is only a naturall sensibleness of worldly crosses there that soule does notwithstanding all his afflictions justifie God and condemn himself acknowledging his own sin to be the cause of all crosses This you have an instance of in Lamen 1.18 In all the evill that is come upon us the Lord is righteous and in Dan. 9.14 the Lord is righteous in all that is come upon us for we have rebelled and done evill in his sight So David Psal 51.3 I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me then is your sorrow right when you can justifie God and take shame to your selves But now where sorrow is vexatious and excessive there a sinner flies out against God and rather justifies himself there the finner accounts God very severe and cruel in his dispensations and murmures against him thinks ill of him and of his wayes and in this condition was Job once Job 16.17 He breaketh me with a tempest and multiplieth my wounds without a cause he blamed God and justified himself which declared his sorrow to be immoderate and excessive You have a notable passage for this in Esay 8.21 it is said that when God shall bring afflictions and trouble upon the Land then they shall curse their King and their God and look upward they shall be so overcome with sorrow as that they shall curse God and justifie themselves so in Prov. 19.3 saies Solomon the foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretieth against the Lord. 6. Where there is only a naturall sensibleness under the hand of God there will be an aptness to hearken to comfortable counsel from the word of God to bear up the heart under afflictions and therefore it is said Job 33. when God laid afflictions upon him he opened his ears to counsel when you are so tamed by afflictions that you will hear the voice of the rod and the voice of the word and hearken to any counsel that is tendered to you to bear up and support your spirits then is your sorrow regular and such as God allows of but now where sorrow
inward gripes grief of spirit then the worldly joy of a godly man is As in Prov. 13,14 In the midst of laughter the heart is sorrowfull 2 Cor. 5.12 the Apostle there speaks of some that did glory in appearance but not in heart The joy of the wicked is but in appearance but not in reality When they are in their greatest jollity and mirth even then they have some inward gripes and anguish of conscience that galls troubles them a man may have a neat shooe on his foot yet no man knows where it pincheth but he that wears it A wicked mans joy is like a godly mans sorrow the formers joy is but in appearance not in truth and a godly man hath something like sorrow but it is not so indeed they are but as sorrowing yet alwayes rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 The blessing of the Lord maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it Prov. 10.22 Conclu 4 4. A smaller matter will interrupt the worldly joy of a wicked man then will interrupt the joy of a godly man I mean that outward worldly joy that he hath here in this world Esth 5.13 How soon was Hamans joy interrupted though he had so much cause of ioy in the glory of his riches and the multitude of his Children and his promotion in the Court above all the Princes and Servants of the King And yet because poor Mordecai did not bow to him and reverence him he was sore displeased and could take no joy in all that he had So it was with Ahab though he had a whole Kingdom yet he could take no content in it for want of Naboths Vineyard a little thing diverts the joy of a wicked man and therefore their joy is compared to the crackling of thorns under the pot Eccles 7.6 they make a noyse and a blaze for a little while but are soon put out Belshazzer when he was quaffing in his golden Bowles and in the midst of all his jollity yet a hand-writing upon the wall quickly dasht all his joyes and made him hang down his head Conclu 5 5. Though it be lawfull and allowed by God for you to rejoyce in worldly comforts yet there are some things that you are not to rejoyce in I shall give them you in five or six particulars 1. You must not rejoyce in your own sins the sins you do commit must never be matter of rejoycing to you but thus wicked men do many times as in Jer. 11.15 when thou doest evill then thou rejoycest so in Prov. 2.14 Solomon speaks of some who did rejoyce to do evill so in Psal 52.1 it is said of Doeg why boastest thou thy self in mischief oh mighty man and thou lovest evill more then good Gaudia panitenda God does not allow us to boast and rejoyce in sin Such rejoycings as one saith are joyes to be wept for these go merrily to Hell 2. Neither are you to rejoyce in the sins of other men they are never permitted by God to be matter of your joy 1 Cor. 13.6 it is said of love that it rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth that is love to any man does not make us to rejoyce in that mans sin but in his well-doing In Rom. 1. last those are not only condemned by God that do the same things with wicked men but those also that have pleasure in them that do them not only Covenant-breakers uninercifull men backbiters haters of God despitefull proud boasters inventers of evill things c. not onely those that commit these things but they also that delight in those men that do commit them are condemned This is rather matter of grief then joy Psal 119.136 Rivers of water run down mine eyes because men keep not they Law and 2 Pet. 2.8 't is said Lot vexed his righteous soul with the ungodly conversation of wicked men and upon this ground learned Mr. Perkins condemns the use of Stage-playes they being for the most part representations of mens villany and wickedness to provoke the spectators to joy and laughter and therefore are unlawfull and not to be used 3. You are not to rejoyce at all for the punishment of sin in the unreasonable Creatures And upon this ground the same Authour condemns the use of Bull or Bear-baiting or Cock-fighting because it is a rejoycing in that which is the product of sin for it was sin that first put an enmity between the Bear and the Dog and between Creature and Creature sin was the cause of all discords and antipathies between Creatures and therefore it is not allowable for us to rejoyce in that which is the effect of our own sin Indeed for Bull-baiting more may be said it may make the Bull the more serviceable for mans food but meerly to bait a Bull for recreation is unlawfull So likewise hawking and hunting are allowable because those Creatures cannot be taken without it But all you that delight in Stage-playes and make other mens sin the matter of your joy And you that frequent Bear-beatings and Cock-fightings and the like are to be reproved and let me perswade you to leave it off in time to come And upon this ground likewise the same Authour condemns Noble-men that keep fools in their Houses to be matter of sport and pleasure to them This is not allowed by God because it is a rejoycing in that which is a punishment for sin in another Creature 4. You must not rejoyce in goods ill gotten goods ill gotten the Lord never allows you to rejoyce in Psal 62.10 Rejoyce not in robberies neither in goods ill gotten so in Habakkuk 1.13,14,15 The Lord is of purer eyes then to behold evill wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treackerously and holdest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he and makest men as fishes of the Sea as the creeping things that have no Ruler over them They take up all of them with the angle they catch them into their Net and gather them in their drag that is the poor and what followes therefore they rejoyce and are glad The Lord condemns the rich men because they got their Estates by wronging the poor and by usury and the like therefore you had more need make restitution for what you have injured men and fraudulâ—ntly taken from them then to rejoyce in it or to build Hospitalls and make a great flourish in the world to advance thy pride and vain glory Levit. 6.4 You may rejoyce in your lawfull negotiations in buying and selling and getting gain honestly these you may rejoyce in But you are not to rejoyce in goods illgotten If thou canst in buying or selling over-reach or circuÌ„vent a man when thou hast got a good penyworth then to laugh in thy sleeve that 's an evill Prov. 20.14 it is naught it is naught saies the buyer but when he is gone his way then he boasteth In Deut. 23.18 I hate saies God the hire
profane the Christian Sabbath but ought now to be kept as strictly as it was then And therefore beloved I cannot see but it is a sin for men to buy either wine or pepper or mustard or any other such like trifle that they may well be without it must needs be unlawfull and sinfull to buy any thing that you may well be without in that case you sin if you buy upon the Lords day and therefore let me intreat you rather to want such triviall things then to transgress Scripture Rules in buying of them upon this day Rule 9 9. Do not in buying of a Commodity work upon the necessities of a poor man that hath need of money to make him sell it at such low tearms as he cannot live by it this is a very great sin and oppression Many times rich men do work upon the necessities of the poor for they must sell of their Commodities it may be to buy bread or more materialls to set themselves at work upon now they will not buy their Commodities unless they may have it cheaper then they can afford it this is a great oppression therefore in Levit. 25.14 it is said if thou sellest ought to thy Neighbour or buyest ought of thy Neighbour ye shall not oppress one another There is an oppression in buying as well as in selling when a man does work upon the poverty of a poor man and will make him sell cheaper then he can afford it or else will not buy of him at all O beloved how few are there in the world that are consciencious in their buying in these regards 10. If you would not transgress Scripture Rules in baying then take heed that ye do not buy those things that are not fit and allowable to be bought and sold as first do not buy spirituall things as the gifts of the Holy Ghost Church-livings c. for these are not things to be bought This is call'd Simony Act. 8.20 When Simon Magus would have bought the gift of the Holy Ghost thy mony perish with thee said Peter because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money 2. Do not buy stolen goods they are not meet to be bought If thou knowest that the goods which are to be sold are stolen goods they are not to be bought but rather to be restored I am afraid that this is a sin that many men do not make conscience of in this City as we use to say the receiver is as bad as the Thief so let me tell you the buyer is as bad as the Thief likewise 3. Do not buy Monuments nor reliques of Idolatry as Crosses Beads Crucifixes Images and the like these ought not to be bought 4. Do not buy men for slaves this is that which is reproved Amos 8.6 That we may buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of shooes So in Deut. 27.7 If a man be found stealing of any of his Brethren of the Children of Israel and maketh merchandize of him or selleth him then that thief shall die thou must not steal a man and sell him And thus you see I have gone over very briefly these ten particulars And oh beloved let me tell you the fear of my heart is that there are few of you that keep within bounds in these particulars but in one or other of them you have transgressed in your buyings I shall only now make a short use of what hath been said Use 1 and so have done First then by way of exhortation in the fear of God all you that buy and sell and trade in the world take heed of these Rocks split not your souls upon them I shall shew you in the afternoon what you get by unjust practices Prov. 23.23 Rev. 3.18 and therefore avoid such courses and let me exhort you in buying Commodities amongst all your buyings in the world let me intreat you to buy that which Solomon bids you buy namely to buy the truth and sell it not and that which Christ counsels you to buy come buy of me gold that ye may be rich and white Rayment that you may be cloathed and buy that which the good Merchant sold all that he had to purchase Mat. 13.44 namely the Pearl in the field So do you sell all you have to buy this Pearl of great price the Lord Jesus but do not mistake me when I bid you buy spirituall things do not think they are to be purchased with money but I would have you labour and endeavour after them Esay 5.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price these are not to be bought with money but by labours and endeavours and earnest prayers unto God for them you must give the rags of your sin and corruption for this white raiment of Christs righteousness Oh let not the Market-dayes of your soules slip over without buying something for your soules good buy the truth and sel it not buy the Pearl of grace look after spirituall things do not think the things of the world to be worth so much and grace and Christ Heaven and happiness and glory worth nothing There is nothing here below but we may give too much for we may buy gold too dear but we can never buy Christ and grace too dear we can never give too much for them one houres enjoyment of Christ will infinitely recompence all the troubles and miseries and losses we undergoe for him here and therefore beloved do not spend so much time and take so much pains for these transitory things here below these complementall and circumstantiall peeces of felicity and spend so little time and take so little pains after those perfections and essentiall points of happiness the getting an interest in Christ in his righteousness merits and satisfaction Diogenes taxed the folly of men in his time quod res praetiosas minimo emerent venderentque vilissimas plurimo they valued the most precious things little and the most vile at a great rate Woe to those that stop Religions Trade Luke 11.52 That take away the key of knowledg neither entring in themselves nor suffering those that would 2. If this be so that we ought not to transgress Scripture Rules in buying Commodities then let this be matter of humiliation to any of you that the word of God hath met with this day O beloved go home and humble your soules before God and bless his name that the word hath found out your transgressions beloved go home and do no more so wickedly if you have in any of these particulars transgressed Scripture Rules go home and acknowledge your sins unto the Lord and reform your lives lest the Lord breath a curse upon what you have gotten and say of your tradings as he did of those in Ezek. 28.18 Thou hast defiled thy sanctuariâ—s by the multitude of thine
and over hastily fall into temptations and a snare Conject 2 2. You may guess that man to have gotten his Estate by dishim is rich as well as he When a man shall follow a Trade honest gain when no man of the same Calling Trade with get a great Estate by it another man of the same Profession cannot live half so well though his pains and diligence be as much and his returns as great as his 'T is a sign that there is some mystery of iniquity that he hath in driving his trade compare Prov. 22.2 with Prov. 29.13 The poor and rich and the poor and the deceitfull And this is a Rule that Seneca hath saies he a man that is rich singly it is very probable he is rich dishonestly and unjustly Conject 3 3. When a man hath gotten an Estate by those wayes that God disallowes of as selling false wares by false waights false measures and false lights or by a false tongue he that useth any of these wayes in trading Cautelary directions to such as have goâ—…ten Estates unjustly which God disallowes of gets his Estate dishonestly And thus much shall serve for the first particular I come now to the second what cautelary Rules and directions may be given to such men as have gotten riches and possessions unjustly I shall give you three of them 1. Take this Rule let it not satisfie your Conscience nor do you think it will bear you out in your unjust gains that what you have gotten unjustly and irreligiously in your life-time you will imploy religiously charitably at your death Many men are apt to think that when they have been unjust and deceitfull dealers all their life-time if they imploy what they have unjustly gotten to good uses when they die to give Legacies build Hospitalls or Churches that they are well enough and do therein give God satisfaction for all their injustice but it is not so God will not be satisfied with such offerings God doth not love a sacrifice that is gotten by rapine and violence Esay 61.8 saies God there I love judgement and hate robberies for burnt offerings And it is very observable that in Deut. 23.18 the Lord gave an expresse charge that they should not bring to the Altar the hire of a whore to offer it unto God the Lord could not abide that the money that was the hire of a whore or the price of a Dog should be offered up to him in a sacrifice And therefore consider you that imploy to good uses the mony gotten by oppression violence and deceit the Lord will not be well pleased with it this is the first direction Direct 2 2. Think speedily of making a restitution if you expect salvation make a restitution to those whom you have wronged God had rather you should make restitution to those you have injured then that you should build Hospitalls with it or convert it to any other pious or charitable use saith Zacheus if I have taken away any thing from any man by any false wayes I will restore him fourfold Sultan Selymus when his Counsellour Pyrrbus perswaded him to bestow the great wealth he had taken from the Persian Merchants upon some notable Hospital for the Relief of the poor the dying Turk commanded it rather to be restored to the right owners When Henry the third of England sent the Frier Minors a load of Freeze to cloath them they returned it back with this Message that he ought not to give Alms of what he had taken from the poor unjustly neither would they accept of that abominable gift See Levit. 6.4 3. Do not justifie your self in a course of dishonest gain when your conscience tells you that you have dealt unjustly This was the great sin of Ephraim in Hosea 12.7 Ephraim is a Merchant the ballances of deceit are in his hand he loveth to oppress And Ephraim said yet I am become rich I have found me out substance in all my labours they shall find none iniquity in me that were sin He justified himself though the ballances of deceit were in his band but do not you do so for though you do yet God will not justifie you In Mica 6.11 saies God there shall I count them pure that have a deceitfull ballance or shall I count them honest that have a bag of deceitfull waights no I will not do it saies God I now come to lay down some terrifying and astonishing Considerations Six terrible considerations for those that have gotten their Estates dishonestly All you that have gotten your Estates unjustly and dishonestly let these six terrible considerations lie near your hearts 1. Confider that an Estate ill gotten is in the sight of God no better then robbery though it be gotten in a way of commerce and trading in the world God looks upon it as robbery as if you had plaid the thief and stole it out of a mans house or pickt his pocket In Psal 62.10 Trust not in oppressiou become not vain in robberies oppression and Robbery is all one So in Prov. 21.6.7 The getting of Treasures by a lying Tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement An Estate gotten by a lying tongue is called by God robbery or a stealing with the tongue and though we do not account it so yet it is no other in Gods account then if you did rob a man or pick his pocket And therefore beloved it is very observable that what God required as a restitution for things that were stolen in Exod. 22.1,2,3 was given by Zacheus for those things which he had got unjustly though he did not steal them Exod. 21.1 If a man did steal a sheep the law was that he should restore four fold so David judges 2 Sam. 12.6 and Zacheus though he was not a thief yet saies he If I have taken any thing from any man unjustly I will restore him four fold which notes to us that things gotten by a deceitfull tongue and riches gotten by oppression is in the sight of God no better then robbery beloved none of you would be willing to have the brand of a thief upon you when indeed you are so no better in Gods account if you get an Estate dishonestly Consid 2 2. Take in this terrible consideration that the guilt which you contract in your Trades by dishonest gains on the week-day come up in remembrance before the Lord on the Sabbath day You bring the curse of all your week dayes sins along with you on the Lords day In Ezek. 28.18 Thou hast defiled thy Sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities by the iniquity of thy traffick said God to Tyrus Beloved the sins of your Trades of your traffick defiles your addresses to God your approaches into his presence when you come to worship before him the sins of your shops defiles your prayers and
pollute the Ordinances of God to you the Lord looks upon all your unjust gains as if you did defile his Sanctuary Ezek. 14.3.4 The word of the Lord came unto Ezekiel saying Son of man these men have set up their Idolls in their heart and put â—he stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be enquired of at all by them therefore speak unto them and say thus saith the Lord God every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his Idolls in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face and cometh to the prophet I the Lord will answer him according to the multitude of his Idolls Oh beloved when you approach in to the solemn Assemblies to make your addresses to God he knows what unjust gain is your Idoll and he himself will answer you according to your iniquities and will not hear your prayers O let this Consideration terrifie you the sin of your Shops will defile your Sanctuary and blast all the benefit of your prayers and services 3. Consider that if ever God awaken your Conscience you cannot look upon your unjust gains but with abundance of disquietness and horrour and perplexity of spirit it may be now stolen waters are sweet and the bread of deceitfulness is pleasant to you but when God comes to awaken your Conscience oh what horrour and terrour and consternation will seaze upon your spirits Job 20.15.18.20 He hath swallowed down riches and he shall vomit them up again the riches that a man hath gotten unjustly shall be like meat that lies undigested in a mans stomach and forceth him to vomit up again and in verse 18. That which he laboured for shall he restore and shall not swallow it down surely he shall not feel quietnesse in his belly that is in his Conscience Those that are the great Cormorants of the world that swallow down riches by oppression they shall not feel quietness in their Consciences so Prov. 6.7 the getting of Treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of those that seek death the robbery of the wicked shall destroy them The word here translated destroy in the originall signifies to sawe which intimates that goods gotten by deceit oppression shall so trouble perplex those that get them as a sawe will trouble torment a man to have his arm or Leg sawed of with it When a man cometh to die shal consider all this wealth that I have labored for in my life must leave me at my death that your riches are the price of your souls and that they have been gotten by defrauding and over-reaching your Neighbour by lying and cheating and oppression How can such a man look God in the face Esay 33.14 who shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall dwell with the everlasting burnings he that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly and despiseth the gain of oppression None of those that use dishonest gain and defraud their Brethren can look God in the face what horrour and terrour of Conscience will it be to you when you come to die to consider that all your riches are purchased with your souls blood Thus it was with Judas Mat. 27.3 4 Consider that sometimes those that have goten great Estates unjustly God doth so punish them that he makes them to be objects of shame and reproach amongst the people where they dwell As in Habbak 2.9,10 Wo to him that coveteth an evill covetousness to his house that he may set his nest on high thou hast consulted shame to thy house When men do add house to house and squeeze the poor by oppression they do consult shame to their own house that is not intentionally but equentually though they do not intend it so yet it falls out so and we see it by experience that many times your great Cormorants and oppressors bring shame upon their own heads in the places where they live 5. Consider that sometimes God in his just judgements does blast those Estates that are gotten dishonestly even in this life the oppressors Estate dies before he dies some times it is so In Prov. 13.11 saies Solomon wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished Ill gotten goods are called the treasures of snow now the property of snow is if you hold a ball of it in your hand it will melt away presently so many times God makes riches unjustly gotten to melt away as Treasures of Snow there is a notable expression in Prov. 20.21 An Inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning but the end thereof shall not be blessed It is a very good observation that one hath who takes notice that of all the Tribes of Israel the Tribe of Gad Ruben and half the Tribe of Menasseth were most hasty to get possession of the promised Land And those that were most eager to take their possessions first the Lord was pleased to make them lose their possessions a great while before any of the other lost theirs as you may see a King 10.33 I only mention this to let you see that though you be never so hasty in getting an Estate yet God may quickly take it from you You have another notable Text for this purpose Jer. 17.11 As the Partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcketh them not so he that getteth riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his dayes and at his end shall be a fool Oh think of this beloved that the curse of God waits upon wealth ill gotten and he will blast it it may be before you die Ezek. 22.12,13 thou hast taken usury and increase and thou hast greedily gained of thy Neighbours by extortion and hast forgotten me saith the Lord behold therefore I have smitten my hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made God will smite with his hand and blast all dishonest gain Obj. Object But methinks I hear some rich men say surely this is not so as you say for I have gotten by dishonest gains and have dealt thus and thus and have gotten a great Estate and am a rich man still I have left all my Children so much a year and have thus much still left in the whole and therefore I do not see that this that you say is true Answ I answer that it is true men may sometimes get wealth dishonestly and yet die rich men and leave their wealth to their Children as in Jer. 5.27 As a Cage is full of Birds so are their houses full of deceit therefore they are become great and waxen rich God may suffer men that do live and trade by deceit to become great and wax rich 2. Consider this that you can have no true comfort or quietness of conscience in the wealth that you have ill gotten though you have gotten it unjustly yet you cannot keep it quietly The riches that you have swallowed down you shall vomit them up again Job 20.15.18 and surely you shall find no rest