God is it will vrge to the outward worship of God So that the The true feare of God vrges vs to outward worship of of God Psal 14. 1. neglect of Gods outward worship argues little true feare of God Heere then the grosse neglecters of Gods worship in prayer hearing receiuing the sacraments are condemned for Atheists Psal 14. 1. The foole hath sayd in heart there is no God This Atheisme of their hearts is manifested in their liues in the neglect of Gods worship ver 4. They call not vpon Vers 4. the Lord. This discouers them also which say they may giue outward reuerence to Idols so the heart bee reserued to God but when God is truely feared in the heart he will bee also worshipped with the knee Shew mee thy feare by thine outward worship Doctr. 2 2. That the feare of God is both the fountaine whereout the worship of God proceedes and the The feare of God is the fountaine both of matter and manner manner wherein it must be performed which condemnes most mens prophane irreuerent and ceremoniall seruice of God Secondly Christ interprets this place by adding the word Alone and him alone shalt thou serue For that this is the true sense may appeare by the negatiue in the former verse in that place Deut. 6. Ye shall Deut. 6. not worship other Gods but the Lord your God shall yee serue The case is alike when wee say that by faith onely we are iustified for so much is implied in that negatiue of Paul Not by workes but by faith Now the word onely is to bee referred as well to the first part of the sentence Thou shalt worship the Lord as to the last Thou shalt serue him or else Christ had but played with the Diuell 2. His manner of Application of the text to answer 2. His application Sathans temptation is excellent First Sathan tempted him to outward idolatry perswading him thereto by the benefit he should haue thereby euen the Lordship of the whole world because it was at Sathans dispose Now Christ with this text answers both this argument whereby he tempted and the temptation it selfe The argument of benefit by alleadging a flat place of Scripture against that whereto Sathan promised a blessing As if hee had sayd How can any benefit come by that which Gods prohibition hath cursed This teacheth Doct. that nothing is to bee gotten by offending God Nothing is to be gotten by offending God And indeede in such cases the question is whether we will chuse God or our penny Christ or Barrabas Therefore excellently Ioseph when tempted by his mistresse to folly by hope of gaine How can I doe this and sinne against God Gen. 39. 9. opposing Gen. 39. 9. the losse of Gods fauour to the gaining of his mistresses Againe whereas Sathan the better to draw on Christ and to assure him of this benefit craked of that Lordship hee had in the world Christ notably refutes this vaine bragge by the title of Lord which this text giues to God Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God containing a secret reason why God is onely to be worshipped because hee onely is the Lord of all things And so there lies couched this argument against Sathan None can bee made Lord of the world but by the iust Lord and to him onely is homage to be giuen in that regard But not thou Sathan but God is the Lord of the world And therfore not thou but he to bee worshipped in hope of receiuing this Lordship Doct. This sheweth how we may stay our selues against the wants of any of those outward things by considering The consideration that God is the Lord of all may stay vs against the wants of outward things that God is the Lord of all The earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof And therefore doe wee begge our daily bread at the Lords hands because his is Kingdome Thus Christ answers the argument The temptation it selfe to fall downe and worship is directly and plainely answered by the words of the Text Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God Where the doctrine plaine Doct. That not onely God is to be adored with outward religious worship Such as is the bending of the Onely God is to be adored with outward religious worship knee vttering words of prayer with hands stretcht out and eyes lift vp Though some of these may be done to Princes yet not with that purpose and affection of heatt wherewith we do them to God And it is this purpose of the heart that makes these outward actions religious worship The outward actions may be performed in scorne as they Matth. 26. Matth. 26. bowed to Christ The Papists say that Angels and Saints may be worshipped with religious worship but yet not with the same that God is worshipped Gods worship they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or worshippe The Saints 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or seruice Answ 1. This distinction is a meere mockery as if a woman giuing her body and affection to another man should inuent one name for the giuing of her affections to her husband another for giuing them to another 2. Latreia signifies seruice to men yea cruell and base bondage Deut. 28. 48. Leuit. 23. 7. in the translation of the Septuagints And Douleia signifies seruice to God Matth. 6. 22. Rom. 1. 7. and in many other places 3. Douleia properly signifies an higher and strickter seruice then the other for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comming of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to binde signifies a bond-man and seruus in latin quasi bello seruatus signifies such a seruant as was taken captiue in the warres Latreia signifies the seruice of one hired for money And therefore that place Leuit. 23. 7. Yee shall doe no seruile worke the Leuit. 23. 7. seauenty rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to preuent the fraud of the Iewes that would haue hired others to worke Therefore as wittily our Humphrey speakes worthily doe the Papists take Douleia to themselues quia duriter gratis seruiunt because they haue an hard and a rewardlesse seruice As they were not hired of the Saints to serue them so they are like to receiue no wages of them Yet though this be the proper signification of Latreia we denie not but that very fitly it is applied to diuine seruice because it ought to be voluntary as is the worke of him that is hired and not constrained as is bond-slaues But to leaue this difference of words let vs see what reall difference they put betwixt the worship of God and Saints Bellarmine defines diuine worship that which is giuen to the person worshipped as vnto the first beginning and last end Now saith he so to worship any creature is idolatry and that is heere forbidden Belike then our Sauiour falsely alleadged this place to prooue that he might not worship Sathan For Sathan did not desire to be worshipped as the first beginning
TVVO TREATISES The one Of Repentance The other Of Christs Temptations Both penned By the late faithfull Minister of Gods worde DANIEL DYKE Batchelour in Diuinitie Published since his death by his Brother I D. Minister of Gods word MATTH 3. 2. Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand LONDON Printed by Edward Griffin for Ralph Mab and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1616. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST VERTVOVS LADY the Lady Harrington RIGHT HONOVRABLE THe Lord hath not left himselfe without many witnesses to call vpon vs for the same worke for the which this worke doth call An argument that people are backward and the duty necessary If either the men were more forward or the duty lesse important Quorsum haec profusio To what end were this waste What needed this waste of paper and inke nay of the spirits and lungs of Gods messengers crying earely and late if people were not too late in that duty wherein they cannot bee too earely It was not for nothing that our Sauiour yoakes these two petitions together Giue vs this day c. And forgiue vs our trespasses Surely me thinkes hee teaches vs that so long as wee haue neede to say Giue so long we haue neede to say forgiue and that daily repentance is as necessary for the soule as daily sustenance for the body And yet such is the worlds folly that while they make one to be of an absolute necessity they shuffle off the other as a matter of indifferency at least conceit it not of that present necessity which we vrge Most deale with Repentance as countrey people with Physicians they loue not to haue to doe with them till they feare they are gasping their last breath and conceit as great an efficacie in these fiue words Lord haue mercy vpon me spoken with their last breath for the translation of their soules into heauen as the Papists do of their fiue words of consecration for the transubstantiation of their hoste Nay without question many thinke of their Repentance before their death as diuerse ridiculously doe of making their wils That if they make their wils in their health it is an ominous presage of their death That because many make not their wils but when they die therfore they must needes shortly die if they make their wils The like thinke many of Repenting in their life time that because most make it a death-bed duty therefore to doe this duty will hasten them to their death And so many fearing it in their life are denied it at their death But for the necessity the worth the speede of the practise of this duty I spare to speake ought It is the summe of the following Treatise A Treatise not of mine own but of his whose labours need not feare the light Many and worthy indeede are the labours of others that are extant vpon this argument and indeede so many that amongst such a multitude I should scarce haue aduentured this small Treatise if the generall gracious acceptance of his former works which I published had not made way for it The kinde welcome that it found at the hands of most seemed to promise that these present labors should not be fruitlesse Thereupon I tooke heart both to perfect and to publish this Treatise And being perfected I haue made bolde to commend it to your La. By your patronage the worke may receiue grace from you and by your diligent perusall of it you may receiue encrease of grace from it The Lord grace you with all spiritall blessings till hee bring you to Glory the perfection of Grace Epping in Essex April 18. Your Honours to be commanded IER DYKE A TREATISE OF REPENTANCE CHAP. I. What Repentance is THere is no one point in practicall Diuinity of greater consequence then this of Repentance A naile that all the Sermons both of Prophets and Apostles were continually hammering Christ himselfe as he continually beat vpon it so in his last farwell ascending into heauen in speciall manner he commended the preaching and pressing thereof to his Disciples telling them that it was necessary that Repentance and Remission of sinnes should bee preached in Luk. 24 37. his name among all nations In which words Repentance hath a double commendation 1. That it is ioyned with remission of sinnes and that so that none can feele the sweet of it that feeles not the sowre of this 2. That it is made a doctrine fitting all sorts and conditions Some doctrines are for Gouernours some for Subiects some for Rich some for Poore some for young some for olde some for the wicked some for the godly some for the Court some for the Countrey but Repentance being for sinners I came to call sinners to Repentance Matth. 9. it is for all none can exempt himselfe from the reach thereof vnlesse withall hee can free himselfe from the touch of sinne Therfore it must be preached among all nations Repentance then neuer beeing vnseasonable surely not now when God what by our sinnes what by his iudgements calleth vnto weeping and mourning vnto baldnesse and girding with sacke-cloath Is 22. And yet behold ioy and gladnesse slaying of oxen and sheep Epicure-like eating of flesh and drinking of wine It is high time therefore both for Presse and Pulpit to ring lowde peales of this argument Which though it be much in many mens mouthes yet is it little in their reines being more spoken of then vnderstood and yet better vnderstood then practised better knowen then felt Wherfore for our more happy direction in it let vs first see what it is Now I thinke it may not amisse thus be described Repentance is a supernaturall grace of the sanctifying spirit wherby a beleeuing sinner so humbleth himselfe for sinne that hee turnes from it to the Lord. 1. I call it a Grace Some thinke it onely an action Repentance is a grace But that phrase Ezech. 12. 10. of powring the spirit of grace meaning Repentance on the house of Iudah seemes to argue it to be a quality or infused gift so as faith and charity are So also that phrase of giuing Repentance Acts 5. 31. and 11. 18. for if God giue it we receiue it Now wee cannot properly be sayd to receiue an action which wee doe but the power gift or grace whereby we do it That speech also Matth. 3. 8. Bring forth fruits worthy Repentance shewes that Repentance it selfe is not an outward action as the Papists would make it but an inward grace to bee expressed in outward actions 2. I call it a supernaturall grace not onely in regard Supernaturall of corrupt nature for so euery grace is supernaturall but also of innocent for though Adam before the fall had loue feare temperance c. yet Faith and Repentance had hee not for he needed them not This shewes that Repentance is not a Legall but an Euangelicall grace For all legall graces And therfore
neuer thus yeeld nor relent toward God 6. It is further added so humbleth himselfe for It consisteth of two parts his sinne that he turnes from it to the Lord. In which words I set downe the two maine and essentiall parts of Repentance namely Contrition or Humiliation and Conuersion or Reformation That both these are required to repentance may appeare 1. By the very names which Repentance hath both in Hebrew Greeke and Latine In Hebrew it is called both Nacham and Teshubha the former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying erking the latter turning Answerable in the Greeke Metameleia signifies after-griefe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or anxiety of minde after the doing of somewhat Metanoia after-wit or after-wisdome when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seeing our errour or slip we are better aduised and change our minde So Poenitentia as the word imports the paine of griefe and Resipiscentia the mindes recouering of wisdome or becomming wiser after our folly This harmony of languages as touching the names of Repentance shewes plainely there must bee in it these two things griefe for that which is done amisse and a change of our minde from that it was before 2. By the phrases and manner of speech which the Scripture vseth touching Repentance Sometimes repenting for or of as vncleannesse 2. Cor. 12. 21. for idolatry Reuel 9. 20. which cannot otherwise be vnderstood then of griefe for the committing of such sinnes But sometimes we meet with Repentance from Repent from thy wickednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 22. And Repentance from dead workes Heb. 26. 2. which cannot in any congruity of speech note griefe but onely a change or departure from sinne 3. By the description of it in this sort in the Scripture when it cals men to repentance as Ioel 2. 11. Turne to the Lord with weeping Rend your hearts and turne to the Lord. That is in one word Repent So Iames 4. after that Psal 8. he had sayd Draw neere to God which is the generall or whole of Repentance afterward explaining it in the particulars he addeth first Clense your hearts and purge your hands There is Renouation or Reformation and then Psal 9. 10. Suffer affliction that is bee touched with smarting griefe for your sinnes as if you were in some grieuous outward affliction Let your laughter be turned into weeping humble your selues vnder the mighty hand of God There is the other part Contrition or Humiliation And 2. Chron. 7. 14. God promising mercy to his people vpon condition of their repentance hee thus describes their repentance If they shall humble themselues and turne from their euill wayes making repentance to stand in these two points in humbling themselues for and turning themselues from their sinnes Ob. 2 Cor. 7. 10. Godly sorrow worketh Repentance Heere sorrow is distinguished from repentance as the cause from the effect Answ Repentance as may appeare by that already spoken sometimes signifies onely one part of repentance sometimes onely the change and alteration of minde sometimes onely the touch of the affections An example of the former is the place obiected as also Ier. 18. If they repent it shall repent me of the euill I had thought that is I will alter my mind and repeale my threatnings And Acts 11. 18. where the Iewes hauing heard Peter relate the descents of the holy Ghost vpon the Gentiles in hearing his sermon conclude thereon Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance vnto life There was no mention made of any sorrow or humiliation but onely of the wonderfull descent of the holy Ghost causing them to speake strange tongues and to magnifie the name of God Which strange change of their mindes by the holy Ghost it seemeth they call repentance But there are examples of the latter also where repentance onely signifies sorrow and displeasure with our selues as Gen. 6. It repenteth me I made man Luc. 17. It repenteth me the speech of a trespasser crying him mercy whom hee hath offended And Acts 26. 20. That they should repent and turne to God Where Repentance being so plainely distinguished from Conuersion must needes be restrained to the signification of sorrow and humiliation But as from this place we may not gather that Repentance is not a turning to the Lord no more may we from that other 2. Cor. 7. that it is not a godly sorrow Ob. One part is not a cause of his fellow-part But sorrow is a cause of the change of mind 2. Cor. 7. 10. Therefore sorrow and change of minde are not fellow-parts of Repentance Answ One part may bee a cause of his fellow-part As sanctification of the soule is the cause of the sanctification of the body And yet both are parts of sanctification Ob. Contrition seems to be a part of the change and alteration For what greater change then for a hard heart to turne soft and a stony to become fleshie And this is contrition or humiliation Therefore Humiliation and Alteration are not well distinguished Answ The Apostle plainely distinguisheth them when he saith Godly sorrow causeth Repentance that is the change of minde For though godly sorrow bee a part and peece of that passiue change which is wrought in vs at the first instant of our calling by God yet it is a cause of the actiue change whereby we change and alter the purpose and resolution of our harts before set on sinne and now turne them to the Lord. For were it not that we felt the bitternesse of our sinnes and were truly touched in conscience for them wee would neuer in good sadnesse forsake and abrenounce them Howsoeuer then some late Diuines take the word Repentance more restrainedly some onely for a godly sorrow others only for a turning from sinne to the Lord yet the truth is that Repentance accordingly as it is described in the Scripture is the connexion of them both Vse Heere then is the triall of our Repentance If humiliation and Reformation both meete together then is our Repentance accomplished But either of these single make but a halfe and a halting repentance An vnreformed sorrow is but deformed And a sorrowlesse reformation is but a very sorry one Humiliation without reformation is a foundation without a building And reformation without humiliation is a building without a foundation To lay a foundation and not to build on it is to no purpose but to expose our selues to laughter Luc. 14. This man began but could not finish To build without a foundation is to play the foolish builder Luc. 6. 48. for that building will soone fall and so all our labour will be lost Heere then is discouered a double errour in repentance 1. Of such hypocrites as make much adoe and seem to lay their sins much to heart yet stil continue in them bathing cherishing not drowning choaking them in their tears Such a one was Ahab who crept crouched put on sackcloath being threatned for his cruelty against Naboth
discouered to Laodicea Reuel 3. her miserable estate of pouerty blindnesse nakednesse he bids her repent Now vnto a true sight of sinnne there is required a narrow search after it and serious consideration of it Man suffers for sinne saies the Prophet But how shall we know for what sinnes The next Lam. 3. 39. 40. words shew Let vs search and try our waies and turn to the Lord. The heart is deepe and deceitfull and as in such houses where malefactors are hid many Ierem. 17 9. secret lurking holes are there for sinne vnespied vnlesse a more through search bee vsed There fore the Prophet exhorting to this dutie sayes Gather your selues that is gather your wits together that dispersed and wandred about vanities and intentiuely Hagg. 2. 1. fixe them vpon the consideration of your owne estate Indeed in the examination of a close and cunning companion the Iudge had need haue his eyes in his head In the practise of Repentance wee sit as Iudges vpon our selues and our sinnes and therefore in the examination and triall of them had neede haue our wits about vs. And therefore the Prophet bids vs examine our hearts on our beds in the still silence of the night when there Psal 4. is nothing to distract vs and when after our first sleepe our wits are freshest And this he prescribeth as the only way to true humiliation Tremble and sin not There is humiliation And that ye may do so speake in your selues commune with your own hearts examine your reines This is the first thing noted in that Prodigals Repentance He came to himselfe saith Christ and sayd c. By his sinne as he wandred from God so Luc. 15. 17. from himselfe hee was a stranger at home in his owne soule He was as it were a mad man besides himselfe he had not the vse of his reason to consider his owne estate and therefore now beginning to bethinke himselfe of his doings he is sayd to come to himselfe A phrase of the same nature is that of Salomons concerning the Repentance of the Israelites When they shall turne to their owne hearts and returne 1 King 8. 47. The beginning of returning to God is this turning to or vpon our owne hearts and taking notice how matters goe there The minde hath many motions and turnings about but the best is when in this graue and sad consideration it turns and reflects vpon it selfe Else what is it for her to mount vp into the heauens to compasse about the whole earth to flie ouer the seas to descend downe into the bottome of the Deepe if whiles thus busie abroad she be idle at home knowing other things remaine ignorant of her selfe Dauid though a King and had many things to thinke vpon yet neglected not this I haue considered Psal 119. 59. my wayes saith he And what followed Vpon consideration lamenting them I turned my feet into the wayes of thy testimonies It is impossible the straying traueller should returne into the way that markes not nor mindes not his way that thinkes not with himselfe Am I in the right When God will bring the wandring lost sinner home he puts such thoughts as these into his heart God hath placed thee heere in this world made thee after his image endued thee with reason and vnderstanding surely to doe some thing more then bruite beasts doe who minde onely things present euen to seeke and serue him according to his Word But tell me now ô my soule doest thou answer this end of thy creation doest thou set God before thine eyes nay rather doest thou not the cleane contrary so Ezechiel describes the Repentance of the Israelites Then shall yee remember your owne waies and Ezek. 16. 61. Ezek. 18. 28. courses and be ashamed And againe Because hee considereth and turneth away from his transgressions For this Consideration instructs a man throughly in the knowledge of his estate And after I was thus instructed I repented saith Ephraim We see in nature Ier. 31. 18. 19. there is the same instrument of seeing and weeping to shew that weeping depends vpon seeing Hee that sees well weeps well Hee that sees his sinnes throughly will bewaile them heartily Loe then the cause of that great hardnesse of heart and senslesnesse that raigneth this day in the world Euen that brutish in consideration that men go on walking rashly and minde not what they Leuit. 26. do or in what case they stand to Godward No man repented saith Ieremie but why no man sayd What Ierem. 8. 6. haue I done But as the horse rusheth into the battell so they into their sinnes blessing and flattering themselues therein and putting away all such thoughts as should but once offer to make their courses questionable Bankerouts will not endure the sight of the counting-booke nor fowle faces of the looking glasse Guilty Rahels will bee loath to rise when searching Laban comes Nay Elephants out of the conscience of their owne deformity will be troubling the waters But if indeed we desire to worke our hearts vnto godly sorrow wee must then deale faithfully with them and truly enforme them of their estate And to this purpose an Inquisition must be erected an Audit must bee kept in them Many a man prayes and confesses his sinnes and performes Matth. 6. such like outward exercises of Repentance yet without any inward touch because they doe not as Christ counselleth enter into the closet and secret parlour of their hearts and there behold their many and greeuous sinnes the sight whereof would make them pray with greeued troubled spirits and euen poure out their soules vnto the Lord in the teares of Repentance It were to be wished that we had the fore-wit to consult of that wee doe before hand and to say what am I a doing But if heere we be inconsiderate we must yet at the least haue the after-wit to examine that which is done and to say what is this we haue done In the creation when God reviewed at the end of euery day the worke of the day and at the end of the sixe dayes the whole and all the parts and seeing all to bee good and very good how thinke we was hee cheered The repenting sinner when hee shall recount his dayes past and take a suruay of his seuerall actions therein and finde all naught and very naught how can so ruefull a spectacle but worke much griefe and pensiuenesse of minde A dead carkasse when whole sends foorth a filthy stench much more when it is cut vp and opened Sinne considered in grosse is odious and vgly enough But when by examination it shall bee anatomized and euery particular thereof discouered ô how terrible must such a sight bee and how auaileable to a through humiliation But of the necessity and vse of thy Examination search of hart and life in the practise of true contrition there is no question All the difficulty is
there are that doe ioy to make long and large accounts of their leaudnesse feeding their delights with their liues past as the dogge returneth to smell of his cast gorge and the horse to his doung yea when by Confession they haue disgorged their sinne they presently with the dogge licke vp their vomit againe Others there are that are fully set vpon sinne in confessing As those Israelites that said we haue sinned we will goe vp As much as to say wee haue Deut. 1 41. sinned we will sinne for God forbad them flatly to goe vp Others there are that as the Papists presume to sinne because of confession thinking by it to bee eased as the drunkard by vomiting And though some in their good moodes may seeme in confession verily to purpose amendment yet these are no sound no settled no sincere and honest purposes but sudden flashings conceiued by their deceitfull hearts rather to auoyd the iudgements felt or feared then truely to please God But wee in our confession must imitate that good Shecaniah who in confessing sinne entred into Couenant Ezra 10. 2. 3. with the Lord against the sinne confessed We haue sinned now therefore let vs enter into couenant with the Lord. Otherwise confession the remedy against sin is turned into sin The remedy encreaseth the disease Some of the Heathen in the daies of sacrifice to their Idols for health did riotously banquet to the preiudice of their health So to too many of vs in the very selfe same dayes we confesse our sins wee runne afresh to our sinnes And God in his iust iudgement punishes hypocriticall confession with a further greedinesse of sinning When the heart is not rent with the garments the rending of the garments sowes the sinne faster together when the heart and conscience is not knocked together with the brest that knocking will neuer batter sin but consolidate and compact it more firmely together Tundens pertus non corrigens vitia ea consolidat Aug. it will be as the knocking of a naile which driues it further in In the next place to Confession wee must ioyne 2. In Deprecation Deprecation with strong cries crauing pardon euen as the poore hunger-bitten begger does an almes or as the cast malefactour pleads for his life at the barre before the Iudge Thus did Dauid Haue mercy vpon me ô Lord according to the multitude of thy compassions Psal 51. c. And Daniel O Lord heare ô Lord Dan. 9. forgiue againe and againe repeating his cries In these penitentiall prayers we may note these two things First that they be deepely serious the guilty theefe pleading for his life goes not about to entertaine the Iudges eares with quaint phrases and fine words but he studies to shew the passion and affection of his heart There are some lusty beggars that in begging will keepe a flourishing in their Rhetoricke such as it is A wise man will neuer be moued to compassionate them Hee will thinke they are not throughly hungerbitten they would vse another kind of dialect then and leaue their fooleries and fall to humble and pittiful complaints and groanes As Salomon saies The poore man speaketh supplications so the repenting sinner Prou. 18. beeing poore in spirit speakes supplications The best flowers he can garnish his prayers with are his sighes his sobbes his groanes his cries This is the Rhetoricke of repentance in prayer The affectation of carnall eloquence in prayer shewes there is little repentance in such praiers 2 That oftentimes affection in them is so strong that wordes faile Rom. 8. 26. Dauid when Nathan had wounded him cryed out I haue sinned Why will some say did he not go on and craue pardon his inward griefe was such that hee could not in wordes in desire of heart hee did his heart was full and the seedes of the 51. Psalme were then in his breast So the Publicane said no more but Lord be mercifull to me a sinner yet there was affection Luke 18. meditation enough to haue spent a whole day in prayer and not onely to furnish that one short sentence Lord be mercifull Some haue more words then matter in their prayers but humbled repentants haue more matter then wordes and so are streighted as great throngs of people pressing out at some narrow passage sticke fast and cannot goe forward but very slowly Some are very short in praier for want of matter and affection but repenting sinners are short because of the aboundance of matter and affection being as full vessells that doe not runne presently at the first piercing or as the flesh that in deeper wounds bleeds not presently Thus was it with the repenting prodigall he purposed to speake thus and thus to his Father Luc. 15. Namely Father I haue sinned c. make mee but as one of thy hired seruants Now this last clause he leaues out when he comes to his Father by reason his heart was so surcharged with griefe his passions drunke vp his speech as wee see how Christs teares made his speech broken and imperfect Luk. 19 41. And fit it is indeede there should bee this sweete harmony betwixt the repenting sinners heart and tongue his broken heart and his broken prayers The vse Seeing the practise of true humiliation consisteth in these exercises of Confession and deprecation let vs in Gods feare buckle to the serious practise of them Hast thou sinned Suffer not sinne to lye vpon thy conscience Cast vp thy confession suffer not the impostumation any longer to paine thee with the swelling but giue a vent to the humor and so get ease Dauid professeth that neither in silence nor in roaring hee could finde any ease till he came to confession But I thought I would confesse and then thou forgauest Among men indeede Psal 32 Deo peccatum dicere sufficit et solicitur In hominibus vero contrarium peniâ—us cum peccatores confessi fuerint tunc magis puniuÌ„tur Chrysost ad pop Ant. hom 3. 1. Iohn 1. 2. Sam. 24. in their Courts confession brings no such priuilege there confesse and bee hanged after confession followes condemnation but here confession and iustification goe together If we confesse God is faithfull to forgiue it must needs be some special seruice which God promiseth so great a reward vnto Dauid after his sinne of numbring the people proueth himselfe to be Gods seruant because he confessed it Take away the trespasse of thy seruant yea but how darest thou call thy selfe Gods seruant who hast so lately and so grieuously sinned He answers for I haue done foolishly Though I am not his seruant in playing the foole yet in confessing my folly I am his seruant Iob among many fruits of obedience as Iustice Mercy Chastity whereby hee would proue himselfe Gods seruant reckons also this of Iob 31. confession If I haue hid my sinne as did Adam equalling the confession of his sinnes with the best of his vertues For as hee onely can
and trembles at my word A man whose courage is cooled and naturall spirits wasted and his very heart broken with crosses in this world is soone taken downe A little thing daunts such a poore soule whereas a man of spirit and courage will not be terrified with ones threatnings Before our Repentance oh the stoutnesse and stiffenesse of our hearts against God! Though the Lyon roared neuer so much wee would not tremble but when with the hammer of the Law and happily of some afflictions besides God hath broken these stout hearts of ours then alas what a little thing will make vs stoope An angry word or an angry looke will more humble vs then then angry stroakes and stripes could do before Thus was it with broken heartd Iosiah he heard the book 2. Kin. 22. 10. 11. of the Law onely read in a priuate place by a lay-man and yet his heart melted Alas we heare the same threatnings not read onely but preached at large with an edge set on them in the open Church by Gods Ministers and yet wee tremble and relent no more then the seates wee sit on and the stones we tread on So contrite Hezekiah when Is 39. 8. Isaiah threatned him he bowed hee tooke not the boldnesse and foole-hardinesse of Ahab against Micaiah and which many now take to kicke against the Minister and his doctrine and to say It is not good which thou sayest as Ahab sayd but the word of the Lord saies hee is good Thus was it with Dauid and so is it with all tender hearted Christistians that when God hides his face and looks but a little awry on them then are they sore troubled So was it with humbled Iob Behold sayes he I am Iob 39. 37. 38. vile what shall I answer thee I will lay mine hand vpon my mouth Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more yea twice but I will proceed no further So Ionah testifies his repentance by closing his Prophecy with Ion 4. his silence But many are like those impudent castawayes at the last day that will not sticke to giue God the lie when hee rebukes them by his Ministers Matth. 25. Lord say they when saw we thee an hungry and sed thee not as if they had said why doest thou challenge vs of that wherof we were neuer guilty and so they charge God to charge them falsely 2. Humble patience in all our afflictions I say 2. Humble Patience humble patience for there is a threefold patience 1. Constrained and perforce when a man beares that which he would faine be rid of as the damned in hell 2. Voluntary and cheerefull But now one may suffer cheerefully when hee that afflicts deales vniustly And this patience argues a vertue rather in the sufferer then any iustice in the inflicter of the punishment 3. There is therefore an humble patience when a man acknowledges the righteousnes of his afflictions in regard of his sins when a man frees and iustifies God and blames himselfe altogether So Lam. 3. Wherefore is the Lam. 3. 39. 33. 34. liuing man sorrowfull Man suffereth for his sinnes for God doth not punish willingly nor afflict the children of men In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth This is that which is called in Scripture Humbling our selues vnder the hand of God When we take Gods part against our selues in our crosses and not our owne parts against God as the humbled sinner sits alone and keepes silence and puts his mouth in the dust and giues his cheekes to smiters So the Repenting Lam. 3. 28. 29. 30. theefe wee are indeede heere righteously So the poore woman acknowledged the name of a Luc. 23. 41. dogge at Christs hand Truth Lord yet the dogs eat the crummes that fall vnder the table So the Lord Matth. 15. sayes of the Israelites that their vncircumcised harts Leuit. 26. 41. should bee humbled and they should willingly beare the punishments of their iniquities When then we murmure and like the angry horse stamp and champ the bit in our crosses and doe not with the Prophet say I will beare the wrath of the Lord because I haue sinned against him wee know not as yet what true humilation is Mic 7. 9. 3. Such as respect our brethren and these actions Such as respect our brethren 3. 1. In quiet bearing of iniuries are threefold 1. In meeke and quiet bearing all iniuries vnkindnesses and disgraces whatsoeuer An vnhumbled wretch cannot suspect the least wrong but hee swells presently Whereas if a man bee truely humbled his humility will tell him thou deseruest thus to bee vsed thou art worthy of these wrongs Loe then true humiliation will make vs not only to take Gods part but euen our wicked enemies part against our selues as Dauid tooke Shemeis against himselfe Let him alone Dauid beeing humbled 2. Sam. 16. thought there could come no disgrace to him which his sinnes deserued not So Hezekiah and his people held their peace when Rabsakeh rayled on them For none can thinke or speake so vilely of 2. King 18. 36. an humbled repentant as he himself thinks of himselfe Who could haue said more of Paul then hee himselfe did when he said hee was the chiefe of sinners 1. Tim. 1. 15. The wicked call Gods children hypocrites proud couetous wordly Why alas they call themselues so and accuse themselues with heauy hearts of all these sinnes vnto the Lord. And wheras they vse to bee humbled with the sense of these sinnes they will be so farre from being moued with these clamours of the world that they will reioyce rather that there is matter occasion giuen them to shew and expresse their humiliation It is an ill signe when a man can put vp no iniury Moses being a meeke man humbled with the sence of his owne vnworthinesse with silence passed by the grudgings of Aaron and Miriam And Dauid when he was reuiled was as a deafe man that heard not and Numb 12. Ps 38. 12. 13. as a dumbe man in whose mouth was no answer 2 In not preferring and aduancing our selues aboue our brethren but in making our selues equall 2. In not aduancing our selues aboue our brethren with those of the lower sort and in giuing honour going one before another accounting the lowest place good enough for vs choosing the lowest place at the Rom. 12. Luke 14. feast And so indeed an humbled sinner will thus abase himselfe First of all considering that euen his best part his soule is made of nothing This excellent creature that thus reasons and discourses not long since was nothing Now nothing is lesse then a Feather then a stone then a moate in the ayre But then when hee lookes to his sinnes hee sees himselfe worse then nothing That ambition then which raignes in men whereby they aspire to the highest places and iudge themselues worthier then others shewes plainely that they were
Repentance whereby they shall iudge themselues for that sinne and condemne that for nastinesse which before they accounted neatenesse and that for filthinesse which before they accounted finenesse 3. Property It is yet an vnperfect change Perfect it is in regard of parts as a childe is a perfect 3. It is vnperfect man but imperfect in degrees It is like the change of the ayre from darke to light in the dawning of the day which proceedes by degrees or as the change and turning of water from could to hot which is first luke-warme This I note for the comfort of such poore soules that when they heare repentance is such a change of the minde and feele so little change in themselues but their olde sinnes to be so strong and liuely are driuen to doubts But for their comforte they must know that this is a change that with greefe they feele and complaine euen of those secret infirmities which were wont neuer to trouble them The rising of the heart against sinne the antipathy and secret grudging and murmuring of the spirit against it euen then when it is foyled by it is an argument of a blessed change begunne which shall bee perfected in time CHAP. XIIII Of the practise of Conuersion in foure duties THe third point followes The practise of this 3 The practise of conuersion in 7. dueties Turning Reformation or Conuersion And it is notably set downe by the Apostle Paul 2. Corin. 7. 11. where seuen particular dueties are set downe wherein the practise of this second part of repentance consisteth For behould saith the Apostle 2. Cor. 7. 11. fully handled this thing that yee haue beene godly sorry what great care it hath wrought in you yea what cleering of your selues yea what indignation yea what feare yea how great desire yea what a zeale yea what punishment c He had said before Godly sorrow workes repentance that is this second part of repentance the change of the minde for godly sorrow as wee haue seene is the first part Now heere hee prooues that godly sorrow workes repentance and his reason standeth thus That which workes care and cleering and indignation c. that workes repentance but godly sorrow workes these things therefore it workes repentance So that it is plaine that the Apostle here referreth those things to the practise of this second part To come then vnto the particular duties 1. Duety is Care Now this care is twofold first 1. Care the maine care whereby a sinner takes thought for the remission of his sinnes and life eternall Such was the care of those after they were pricked in their hearts at Peters sermon when they crie out Acts 2 37. Men and brethren what shall wee doe The voice of men in care anxiety as of those that are in great care for this world what shall wee eat or what shall Matth. 6. 31. we drinke or what shall we put on And this is that which is figured in the Parable of the vniust steward who is brought in consulting and taking care what shall I doe digge I cannot and Luke 16. 3. to begge I am ashamed So that the first beginning of our turning to the Lord is a serious and a thoughtfull consultation what course to take for the pardon of our sinnes and the saluation of our soules Now in this carefull consultation there are two things to be considered 1. the ground 2. the end of it For the ground of it It is the sight and certaine knowledge of the errour of our former course of life and the iust censure and condemnation of it As when a man turnes him to the right way first he sees plainely and concludes that he is gone wrong and thereupon bethinks himselfe what to doe that he may recouer the right way againe 2. The end or effect of it it ends alwaies in true repentants in a setled determination and resolute purpose to enter into that good way which the word of God discouers vnto them for good Some indeede deliberate and consult but they remaine houering and do not resolue like faint chap-men that cheapen and hancker about wares but will not come off They are loath to sell all they haue to purchase the pearle to buy heauen with the losse of their sinnes For when Sathan sees a man beginne to mistrust his owne courses and to entertaine thoughts of departing out of Aegypt he vses all the craft he can to detaine him and pursues after him departing as Pharaoh after the Isralites So in the Gospell the dumbe and deafe Diuell when Christ came to dispossesse him raged and tooke on So that euery Christian in the practise of Repentance before he can passe from his consultation to a resolution and determination he shall finde and feele a shrewd bickering and conflict both with Sathan and the flesh that will labour him to continue in his sinnes still as Austin in his confessions shewes it was with him in his conuersion But notwithstanding all the temptations of Sathan the flesh the Christian gets the victory and growes to a resolution This purpose and resolution of the heart is the very hart of Repentance I haue determined to keepe Psal 119. 57. thy word saith Dauid And this is that which Barnabas exhorted the Antiochians that with purpose of heart they would cleaue vnto the Lord. And thus is Acts 11. 23. the Prodigall sonne brought in resoluing with himselfe I will goe to my father and say c. and when he Luc. 15. 18. did but thus resolue his father came foorth to meet him for this serious purpose to turne is turning I thought I will confesse and thou forgauest me So when Psal 32. 5. Zaccheus had but resolued to make restitution when as yet he had not done it Christ said Saluation was Luc. 19. 8. 9. come into his house If wee haue not this constant purpose of heart to forsake all our sinnes and to endeauour our selues to the obedience of Gods commandements we haue not yet set one foot ouer the threshold of Repentance The Prophet Ieremie calling vpon Israel to returne they are brought in answering the Lord Behold wee come Ier. 3. 22. vnto thee when this purpose and will of comming is conceiued there is returning So repenting Ephraim is brought in thus resoluing what haue I to Hos 14. 19. doe any more with idols And Iob Once haue I spoken but I will answer no more It is not enough for vs with Agrippa to be halfe perswaded but we must Acts 26. 28. goe through stitch and so pitch it in a setled purpose that we may say with Dauid I haue chosen the Psal 119. way of thy commandements The Prophet Isaiah bids the Iewes to wash them and to make them cleane to Is 1. 16. cease to doe euill and to learne to doe well c. Now it might bee sayd Alas these are hard matters how shall we be able to doe
more easily feare and tremble at a danger whence comes that opposition betwixt feare and hardnesse of heart as Blessed is that man Prou. 28. 14. that feareth alwayes but hee that hardneth his heart shall fall into euill and that of the Prophet why hast Is 63. 87. thou hardned our hearts from thy feare Now this feare is of excellent vse in the practise of Repentance for it is as a bridle to order guide and keepe vs in the way whereinto Repentance Prou. 28. 14. turnes our feet Blessed is the man that feareth alwaies but he that in desperate boldnesse hardens his heart shall surely fall into euill Therefore by the force of the opposition he implies that he that feares shall be kept from euill and that heerein his blessednesse consisteth which he more plainly auouches elsewhere The feare of the Lord is a well-spring of life to Prou 14. auoyd the snares of death for more particularly it thus keeps thus First it makes vs to quake at the very first risings of euill and sinnefull motions in our hearts and so to dash sinne in the shell Tremble sayes Dauid and sinne not Psal 4 4. Secondly when strong and violent tentations assault vs it strengthens vs and withholds our assent for the repenting sinner being now turned to God he alwayes sees God and knowes that God sees him and therefore the awefull reuerence hee carries to his presence restraines him This vpheld Ioseph How can I saith he doe this and sinne against Gen. 39. 9. God This strengthened him against the powerfull and adulterous follicitations of his Mistresse The times was fit his master was absent and the place fit priuate and remote yet though time and place gaue him leaue Gods feare would not so powerfull was it against her powerfull perswasions to folly So Isaac though naturall affection would haue carried him to haue reuersed Iaakobs blessing specially when he was importuned by the howlings of Esau yet hee did not and what was the bridle that held him backe He feared an exceeding great feare Gen. 27. 33. which is mentioned afterward The feare of my father Isaac sayes Iaakob swearing by God whose feare Gen. 31. 42. opened possessing Isaac his father kept him from passing away the blessing to Esau Thirdly it keepes from such sinnes where the feare of man restraines not euen from secret and vnknowen sinnes to the world Thou shalt not saith Leuit. 19. 14. the Lord curse the deafe why what should hinder he cannot heare vs if we doe Thou shalt not lay a stumbling blocke before the blinde why what should let vs hee cannot see vs if wee doe Marke the words following Thou shalt feare the Lord who both heares thy curses and sees thy stumbling blockes Fourthly In the whole course of our life it makes vs worke out our saluation with fearing and trembling euen reioycing in feare and feasting in feare knowing Phil. 2. Psal 2. Iude 12. that there is then the greatest danger when to our eyes there is the least appearance of it In these and such like respects is this feare so necessary in the practise of repentance for Repentance is a continuall returning towards God and drawing neerer still to him To the which how soeuer that hellish and slauish feare bee a let for it driues a man backe from God and turnes away the face from sinne yet not this louing and filiall feare for it driues from sinne and keepes vs from forsaking God I will put my feare sayes the Lord Ier. 32. 40. in their hearts that they shall not depart from mee Out of this feare arises that notable duety which some Repentants in the more serious exercise of their Repentance in the Scriptures haue practised Namely that entring into Couenant with God binding our selues by solemne oath vnto him This was Dauids practise I haue sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous iudgements Psal 119. 106. The same duty we finde practised in the bookes of Ezra and Nehemiah Now this practise arises out Ezr 10. Neh. 10. of this feare and iealousie which we haue of our deceitfull hearts As when wee feare the faith and honest dealing of men wee will not trust to their bare words but we will haue it vnder their hands and seales The contrary to this feare is bold venturousnesse when we rush desperately into all manner of sinne and in boldnes of face and hardnes of heart worke out our owne damnation Now by this may wee try the truth of our Repentance What doe we feare to sinne when we see sinne following vs doe we runne from it as the chicken seeing the Kite come flies vnder the wings of the hen Art thou now afrayd of an oath Hast thou beene a couetous vsurer a swinish drunkard Eccles 9. 2. an vncleane adulterer a godlesse Sabaoth-breaker And art thou now afrayd of these sinnes tremblest thou at the thoughts of them then hast thou good euidence of the truth of thy Repentance But this giues the most the lie that bragge of their Repentance because as it is sayd of those deceiuers that they feast without all feare feeding themselues So it Iude 12. may be sayd of them that they follow their sinnes with all greedinesse without feare or wit So farre from feare that they doe desire the occasions of sinne and euen harden their hearts against this feare These may well feare that they neuer knew what Repentance meant CHAP. XV. Of three other duties wherein conuersion is practised 5. DVty is Desire That which we feare wee 5. Desire desire to bee freed from and to enioy the contrary So hee that feares death desires life and he that truely feares sinne desires to be freed from sinne and to enioy the presence of God euery day more and more This desire then of Gods grace and his presence to deliuer vs from the cumber and the burden and body of death is another affection of a repentant heart for when by Repentance we are turned to God and see the sweete beauty of his face wee are exceedingly rauished withall and therefore in strong and earnest desires we make towards him faine would we bee at the end of our iourney that we might be with him graspe him with our armes and satiate our selues with his sweetnes Hence it is that the children of God desire death and dissolution with Paul because Phil. 1. 23. till then they cannot be with Christ These desires are so much the stronger because of our infirmity in approaching towards God which is such that we goe but as it were creeping This greeues vs and makes vs desire that wee were rid of these infirmities which so clogge vs and hang as lead at our heeles This makes vs cry with the Church Draw me and we will runne after thee and with Dauid Oh Cant. 1. 3. that my wayes were directed By Repentance indeed Psal 119. 5. we are escaped
out of Satans snare but yet so as the prisoner out of prison with the bolt on his legge and so he can goe but slowly yet in his desire hee flies and wishes euery step twenty Wee are still fettered with many infirmities that presse vs so downeward that we cannot runne vp Gods hill and therefore this encreases the vehemency of our desires This is a great comfort to euery true Repentant heart Thou that hast these desires it is an argument of the truth of thy repentance whereby hauing turned thy face towards God thou hast gotten sight of his face and therfore doest so long after him and desire to draw neerer and neerer vnto him A repenting heart is neuer without these earnest desires Blessed saith our Sauiour are they Matth. 5. 3. 6. which are poore in spirit and then hee addes Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousnesse where-euer there is a poore there is a thirsting spirit and these hungring and thirsting desires are euidences of a repenting hearts 6. Duety is Zeale which is a compounded affection 6. Zeale of Loue and Anger There may bee deceit and often is in our desires Euery one pretends they desire Gods commandements but there is no zeale in their desires they are lazie and sluggish desires therefore is Zeale added next to Desire to shewe what kinde of desires these must bee to wit they should be feruent and zealous desires The Desire of the sloathfull slayes him for his hands refuse to worke Prou. 21. 25. But true desire hath zeale ioyned with it which causes vs eagerly to pursue the thing desired and to ouercome all impediments hindring our desires We see in nature how the irascible faculties backes the concupiscible And as fire hath lightnesse whereby it aspires to the highest place so it hath also heat to consume that which should hinder his ascent In the like manner hath the true desire of a repenting sinner the grace of zeale to second it when one had vttered that affectionate speech Blessed are Luc. 14. 14. they that eate bread in the Kingdome of God see how Christ presently entertaines it with the Parable of the ghuests who being inuited to the supper had euery one their excuses from their farmes oxen and wiues whereby Christ seemes to giue a checke to the counterfet desires of many and seemes to insinuate thus much oh you indeede make as if you had a desire to come but you doe but counterfet you meane it not for when God calles you to this supper yee are ready to shuffle off his inuitation with one worldly excuse or another and so are your desires zeale-lesse desires They are so colde so heartlesse and so heatlesse that they cannot leap ouer the least blocke that lyes in their wayes Thus wee see then how fitly zeale followes desire And indeede a true penitentiary cannot but be zealous Zeale must needes be ioyned with repentance for these reasons 1. Repentance is a turning vnto God and a returning into our way out of which we had wandred by our sinnes Now the more way and time a man hath lost the more earnest and zealous he is in the redemption of both A man that hath rid out of his way when once he perceiues it will spurre the harder and gallop the faster till he hath recouered so farre as he might haue beene if hee had kept his way in a good reasonable pace So when the Repentant considers how much knowledge and experience hee might haue gained if the good time which he hath mispent in his sins had beene spent vpon better things when he considers how much of his life is past in sin and knows not how little he hath to come wherin he may walk in obedience he layes the more zealousty about him that what he wants in time he may redeem with his zeale And this is that which Peter vrges That henceforward we should liue as much time as remaines in the body not after 1. Pet. 4. 2. 3. the lusts of men for it is sufficient for vs that we haue spent the time past after the lusts of the Gentiles The longer wee haue beene stragling the more quicke should be our speed in our returne And the same thing doth Paul vrge the Romanes withall As yee haue giuen your members seruants to Rom. 6. 19. Qui per poenitentiam resurgunt magna charitato resplendent saepe maiori quā illi qui nunquā cecidernut Chry. vncleannesse and iniquitie to commit iniquity so now giue your members seruants vnto righteousnesse in holinesse The Repentant will be no lesse zealous in the wayes of grace then hee was in the wayes of sinne and the more zealous will hee bee in the seruice of righteousnesse because hee spent so much of his time and strength in the seruice of iniquity 2. Before repentance wee are blind and cannot see God nor the sweete beauty of his face for indeed our faces are turned from him but in repentance wee turne our faces to God and then seeing him his bounty our crowne and recompence of reward wee arc so rauished and enamoured vpon him as that with Paul in an holy zeale wee forget that which is behind endeuouring our selues to that Phil. 3. 13. 14. which is before and following hard toward the marke for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Iesus 3. The Repentant considers the vnconceiuable loue of God towards him in the pardon of his sins that howsoeuer hee was running headlong into hell to cast away himselfe and his soule yet the Lord stayd him and was mercifull vnto him in the remission of all his offences The meditation of which sweete goodnesse and loue of God constraines 2. Cor. 5. him to bee zealous for the glory of so gracious a God This loue of God in Christ to him constrains him and inflames and fires his heart with an earnest zeale to glorifie the Lord. That whereas before by his sinnes hee had wounded Gods glory now the loue of God who hath had mercy vppon him in plucking him out of the iawes of Sathan makes him now zelous of his glory and carefully to labour to heale these wounds which before his sins had made This we may see in that repenting woman who because much was forgiuen her therefore Luke 7. she loued much that is zelously She had not beene so zelous before in following her filthy and vnclean loues as now she was zelous in following her holy and spirituall loue Now this zeale in repentance shewes it selfe in these properties 1. Property It ouerlookes all difficulties and ouercomes all impediments Much water cannot Cant. 8. quench loue nay it kindles rather and the more water the more loue Zeale dampes at no bogges quagmires hilles or mountaines it is an affection that will wing a man and mount him ouer all It is not a Lyon in the way no nor yet Legions of Deuils in the way can coole it's courage Michols scoffs
any ship the Nineuites became obedient and humbled themselues at his preaching So then afflictions may come and may abide with vs but shall not consume vs no nor yet much disease vs if we haue once eased our backes of the burdens of our sinnes by Repentance This turnes all curses into a blessing God hath raised vp his sonne Iesus saith Peter and him he hath sent to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities So that turning from sinne is a blessing that turnes all crosses and curses into blessings And thus we see how Repentance remooues euill both of sinne and punishment CHAP. XIX Motiues to Repentance from the good it brings NOw see a little the Good it brings and procures 2. In procuring good And the Good is twofold Spirituall and Temporall The spirituall good which Repentance procures 1. Spirituall is twofold 1. First it brings to the repenting sinner the Holy Ghost Repent saith Peter and be baptized and yee shall receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 38. Now it brings the Holy Ghost both in respect of 1. The Holy Ghost his Comforts and in respect of his Graces 1. For the Comforts of the Holy Ghost then are 1. In the comforts they most bountifully dispensed to vs when we are most vncomfortable and mourne for sinne Blessed are they that mourne for they shall be comforted Repentance Matth. 5. 4. is the preparing the way of the Lord in the desert by it are the rough and filthy wayes of our Isai 40. 3. opened hearts amended and made fayre and then the Lord himselfe sets in his feet and walkes in them by it our hearts being made of a desert a paradise Christ comes presently and makes it the place of his delight and solace By repentance wee gaine sweet fellowship with Chtist and a more liuely and comfortable presence of the Holy Ghost For by preparing away in the wildernes is meant the change of our hearts by Repentance and by the way of the Lord is meant the blessed and comfortable presence of Christs spirit within vs when those crooked wayes of ours are made straight by our repentance and these rough places plained Then shall Isai 40. 5. Luc 3. 5. 6. the glory of the Lord be reuealed and all flesh shall see the saluation of God So true in this regard also is that speech Repent for the kingdome of God is at Matth 3. 2. hand that is Christ is a King at hand ready royally to dispense his bounty in powring the vnspeakable comforts of his spirit vpon you 2. It procures the Holy Ghost in respect of his 2. In the graces of it Graces procuring both the meanes of Grace and Grace it selfe God will neuer be wanting to the repentant sinner in the good meanes of grace O ye disobedient children turne againe saith the Lord c. Ier 3. 14. 15. And I will giue vnto you Pastors according to mine heart which shall feede you with knowledge and vnderstanding Thus Cornelius his serious exercises of prayer and repentance brough vnto him first an Angell then an Apostle and then the Holy Ghost himselfe And as it procures the meanes so also Act 10. 3. 25 44 Grace it selfe And among other the gifts and graces of the spirit procured by Repentance we may instance in Knowledge a mayne one and which is the ground of all the rest Now we shall see how Repentance gaines it Sinnes are as scales to our eyes whence they are called workes of darknesse and the Deuill the prince of darknesse but the violent streame of repenting teares carry and brush away these scales Naturall teares indeed dull our bodily eyes but these teares cleare the soules eyes Proouing saies the Apostle if God at any time will 2. Tim 2. 25. giue them Repentance that they may know the truth The reason of our ignorance of Gods word is the hardnes of our hearts which being remooued by repentance we come then to the knowledge of it Excellent is that of Paul concerning the Iewes that 2. Cor 3. 16. when their heart shall be turned to the Lord the vayle should be taken away That vayle of ignorance which thorough the hardnes of their hearts is drawne ouer their eyes by repentance shall be remooued and taken away The Lord saies Dauid will teach sinners Psalm 25. 8. in the way why Ioh 9. he will not heare sinners and will he then teach them He expounds himselfe in the next verse what sinners he meanes euen such as he will heare also euen humble and repenting sinners Them that be meeke will he guide in iudgment vers 9. and teach the humble his way Humiliation is the way to get vnderstanding From the day saies the Angell to Daniel that thou didst set thine heart to vnderstand and to humble thy selfe before thy God Dan 10. 12. thy words were heard Herevpon it is that the ignorance of the Gentiles and the infidelitie of the Disciples Eph 4. 18. Mark 6. 52. 8. 17. is imputed to the hardnesse of their hearts Is it any maruell then that men are so grossely ignorant that they neuer feele the enlightning and quickning presence of the Spirit so that they may euen say in this regard though not we haue not heard yet we haue not felt whether there bee an holy Ghost or no Is this any maruell when men goe on so wilfully and impenitently in their sinnes Repentance is the best commentary to the Minister on his text and to the priuate man on his Ministers Sermon If any man sayes our Sauiour will doe my will and this is the will of God euen our sanctification Ioh. 7. 17. 1. Thess 4. 3. and this is our sanctification by Repentance to correct our errors to endeuor our selues in obedience then he shall know whether the doctrine I speake be of my selfe or of my father It was a good saying of Bradfords That we must first be in the Grammar-schoole of Repentance before wee goe to the vniuersity of Predestination And Cardinall Poole answered not amisse to him that demanded what course should be taken in reading of the Epistle to the Romans First saith he beginne at the twelfth chapter and reade to the end and practise the precepts of Repentance and mortification and then set vpon the former part of the Epistle where iustification and predestination are handled Secondly Repentance bringeth grace and acceptation to all our good workes Insomuch as 2. Acceptation to our seruices without Repentance they are no good workes in Gods sight This will the better appeare if wee consider how that Repentance must haue a double worke in euery good worke It hath both a worke preparatory and conclusory it must beginne and conclude all our seruices to God 1. It hath a preparatory worke whereby wee are fitted and prepared to doe that good which is to be done For when we are to doe any good
assault 2. His repulse in Christs answer In the assault consider 4. things 1. The assault 1. The sinnes wherto he tempts our Sauiour 2. The arguments whereby he tempts 3. The manner of conueyance 4. The time For the first By our former opening of the temptation it appeared that the words of the deuill The sinnes whereto Sathan tempteth Christ seemed first to vrge Christ to the working of the miracle and then secondly in case he did not to distrust his Fathers voyce But indeed this latter was the mayne thing he looked at in this temptation Therefore I say Sathan tempted him first of all to vnbeleefe not to beleeue his Fathers voyce Thou art my Sonne Secondly to distrust the prouidence of God for releeuing his body in this hunger As in the former he accused Gods truth so in this latter his care As he tempted him to doubt of that particular word spoken onely to him Thou art my Sonne so of that generall word spoken to all Gods children concerning his prouidence and protection ouer them And these two were inward and secret sinnes whereto he tempted to doubt of the truth of Gods word and the care of Gods prouidence And indeed these two necessarily go together for we can neuer trust in Gods prouidence for this life vnlesse we beleeue that word of his spirit telling vs we are his children for when we beleeue him to be our father and our selues his children then will we hange vpon his prouidence and assure our selues of his care Now in the third place out of these two bittter roots he would haue drawne him to a third namely in this distrust of Gods prouidence to haue wrought a preposterous miracle releeuing himselfe by vnlawfull meanes For the first then Doct. We see it is the deuills chiefe endeauour to call into question the truth of Gods word God had It is the diuels chiefe endeuor to call into question the truth of Gods word said Thou art my sonne and now he comes with his If thou be the sonne of God In the word of God there be specially three things 1. Commandements and these he accuseth as vniust and vnreasonable 1. commandements as that first commandement to our first parents 2. Threatnings and these he maketh to be but scar-crowes 2. threatnings and meere bugges as to our first parents that threatning yee shall dye no sayes the deuill but ye shall liue better then euer ye did So Deut Deut 29. 19. 29. 19. ye shall haue peace though ye walke after the stubbornnes of your owne heart neuer feare the curses threatned 3. Promises and them he 3. promises makes to be but vaine words as to Dauid in temptation Ps 77. Hath the Lord forgotten to be mercifull and Psal 77. to Cain Gen. 4. My sinne is greater then can be forgiuen Gen 4. and so to all dispayring persons Now in all these the deuill assaults our faith not as he thinks without reason For faith in the commandements breeds obedience in the threatnings feare in the promises comfort So that by this meanes he would bring it to passe that as God should haue no feare reuerence and obedience at our hands so we should haue no comfort at his hands But yet more He striketh more specially at our faith in the promises specially doth he strike at our faith in the promises not so much at the generall faith in beleeuing the truth of them in generall as at our speciall iustifying faith applying those promises vnto our selues Not so much to doubt at the generall voice of God in the word Euery beleeuer shall be saued but at the particular voyce of God by his spirit applying the generall to vs and saying Thou beleeuest Thou art my sonne For indeede this faith is the ground of all sauing Reu. 1. obedience The loue of Christ apprehended by 2. Cor. 5. faith constraines vs. 2. Cor. 5. And I beleeued therefore Psal 116. I spake Psal 116. We cannot performe any sincere acceptable filiall obedience till by faith wee are assured of Gods loue This perswasion sets vs on worke in our obedience Secondly faith is the very life of our liues and the strength of our soules without which we are but very drudges and droiles in this life The holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. fill you with all ioy in beleeuing Rom. 15. 13. And beleeuing ye reioyced with ioy glorious and vnspeakable 1. Pet. 1. 8. 1. Pet. 1. 8. Therefore the diuell enuying our comfort and our happines would rob vs of our faith that he might rob vs of our ioy Thirdly faith is our cheycest weapon euen our shield and buckler to fight against him whom resist stedfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Therefore as the 1. Pet. 5. 9. Philistins got away the Israelites weapons so doth Sathan in getting away faith from vs disarme vs and make vs naked For this is our victory whereby we ouercome euen our faith 1. Ioh. 5. And in this faith 1. Iohn 5. apprehending Gods strength lies our strengrh as Sampsons in his lockes and therefore the Diuell knowing this labours to do to vs which Delilah did to Sampson euen to cut off our lockes And indeed when he doth this he doth that to vs which Sampson did doe the Philistins hee pluckes downe the pillers of the house and ouerthrowes vs. Vse 1 Vse 1. Aboue all things then fortifie wee our faith and assurance that God is our father and we his sonnes Where the Diuell oppugnes most thither must we bring our greatest strength Now as we haue seen he labors specially to shake our faith Sathan hath desired to winnow you Luk. 22. 31. 32. Luk. 22 31. 32 what would he winnow in them The next words shew but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith faile not Though Sathan then come and accuse God to vs as not louing vs yet let vs bee no more mooued then a good wife would bee to heare a false knaue thus accusing her louing husband If wee must not receiue a false accusation against an ancient vnder two or three witnesses 1. Tim. 5. shall wee then rereceiue 1. Tim. 5. an accusation against the Auncient of dayes the Lord himselfe vpon Sathans word a knowen and detected deceiuer Such as are knowen to doe ill offices on both sides to come to mee with a tale against thee and then presently to goe to thee and say as much of mee such I say being once knowen who will regard them Now we know Sathan to be such an one Hee accuses God to vs and then hee goes and accuses us to God as he accused both Iob Iob 1. 2. to God Iob 1. 2. and afterward God to Iob as not respecting him As wee would bee loath God should beleeue Sathan against vs so let vs take heed that we beleeue not Sathan against God Vse 2 2. We may not then be discouraged when wee feele our selues thus
Take heede of that deceitfulnesse of heart whereby we promise our selues great matters of our selues if wee might but change our estates and callings to our mindes Oh how liberall would the poore man be if he were rich how vpright and iust the priuate man if he were a Magistrate But they consider not that there are temptations in those estates and callings and that more dangerous then in their owne and therefore they know not what they shall doe till they haue triall of themselues And therefore they should rather feare the worst of themselues So much of Sathans temptation Now let vs see Christs answer But Iesus answered and sayd It is written Man liueth not by bread onely but by euery word that proceedeth Christs answer to Sathans temptation out of the mouth of the Lord. The diuels argument was If thou wert the sonne of God thou wouldst turne stones into bread to releeue thine hunger and so preserue thine humanity which otherwise will perish But thou doest not turne stones into bread Therefore c. Our Lords answer now is both to the consequence and the false ground of it To the consequence hee answers by retorting it most excellently whatsoeuer proceedes out of the mouth of God can preserue mans life Therefore it followes not that if I be God I must needes nourish my body by bread oh absurd and senselesse Sathan Nay if I could not nourish my body but by bread then were I not God and therefore need I not turne these stones into bread because I am God and can make what I will to nourish me euen stones without being turned into bread To the ground of the consequence which was that without bread his life could not bee preserued he answers that it was directly false and prooues it by the words of Scripture Deut. 8. Man liueth not by bread c. Deut. 8. 3. And thus we see the scope of this answer Wherin Consider 1. Whence it is taken 2. The answer it selfe Doct. 1 For the first It is taken out of Deut. 8. Where Moses tels the Israelites that God therefore did feed them with Manna from heauen to teach them that man liueth not by bread onely Our Lord could haue confounded the Diuell otherwise but to shew the power of the Scripture and to grace it and to The word of God is the sword of the Spirit wherewith we must wound Satan Ephes 6. giue vs an example of fighting against Sathan hee chuses this way of confuting him by the written word This is that sword of the spirit Eph. 6. wherewith we must wound Sathan We are bidden to resist him by faith but this faith is grounded on Gods word Vse 1 The Vse 1. Against the Papists that take away the weapons from Gods people and so betray them into the hands of their enemies and in steed of the sharpe two edged swords of the spirit giue vs a leaden and a woodden sword of their owne as their holy water their crossings their graines and their durty reliques It is not the signe of the crosse but the word of the crosse that ouerthrowes Sathan For he is that strong man that will not yeeld but to a stronger Now the signe of the crosse and holy water and such bables are humane inuentions and therefore too weake to chase him away But the word of God hath a diuine power in it and so is able to ouercome him And indeed if there were no other argument to prooue the Scripture to be Gods word this were sufficient that it hath power to quaile and to quash Sathans temptations Vse 2 2. Against such of vs as delight in other bookes and not in Gods and this is the fault of many ministers that are mighty in the Fathers Schoole-men and Counsels but not with Apollos in the Scriptures Acts 18. 24. Acts 18. 24. But Ministers with Christ should labour to bee good Textuaries and not Ministers onely but all Christians in their places For Christ heere alledgeth Scripture not as a Minister but as one tempted to defend himselfe Now all Christians are subiect to temptations In the plague time none will goe abroad without some preseruatiue None will goe foorth into the fields but take at least a staffe with them for feare of the worst Those that trauell will not ride without their swords Those that know they haue enemies will neuer goe foorth vnweaponed and Kings alwayes haue their guards Now all of vs hauing Sathans temptations and our enemies ready for vs at euery turne we had neede daily to resort to the armoury of the Scriptures and there to furnish our selues For when this word shal be hid in our hearts and enter into our soules then shall we preuaile both against the violent man and the flattring woman that is against all kinde of temptations whether on the right or on the left hand I haue hid thy word saith Dauid Psal 119. in mine hart Psal 119. that I might not sinne Thus Ioseph preuailed against that temptation to folly by remembring the seauenth commandement The reason why we are so Genes 39. often foiled is for that we read not the Scriptures at all or else carelesly without affection or attention and impression in the heart Let vs now then like good ants hoard vp against the winter of triall of this spirituall graine In that time one sauoury sentence of Scripture shall do vs more seruice then all the pretty and witty sayings sentences of Fathers Philosophers and Poets If Christ as man notwithstanding his vnion with the God-head had vse and comfort of the Scripture how much more then the most holiest men Cast not off the study of the Scriptures onely to the Ministers Though the law bee not thy profession yet thou wilt haue so much skill in it as to hold thine inheritance and to keepe thy land from the cauiller So heere though diuinity bee not thy profession yet get so much skill as to keepe thine heauenly inheritance against Sathans cauils As any is more subiect to Sathans temptations so hath hee greater neede of the Scriptures Therefore Princes and great ones specially haue speciall great neede of them Deut. 17. 18 19. Iosh Deu. 17. 18. 19. Iosh 1. 8. 1. 8. And betimes let vs inure our little ones to them Who knowes but that the alledging of these texts heere might bee the fruit of that institution in the Scriptures in his childhood vnder his parents 2. The answer it selfe followes In which heere are two things 1. First a concession or grant implied 2. The answer it selfe in the word Onely Man liueth not by bread only It implies thus much I grant that ordinarily man liues by bread Where by bread synechdochically is meant all other the creatures made for food As Iob 1. They went to eat bread that is to feast banquet Then secondly a restriction of the grant Yet not onely by bread but by euery word that proceedeth out of the mouth
are you to beleeue Gods word and in the meane time to bee pinched with pouerty and held vnder in obscurity Can you liue vpon words Come hither to me I will surely make you rich great and glorious in the world if ye will be ruled by me Thus Balak enticed Balaam by gifts and told him the Lord kept him from honor Num. 24. 11. Such a Balak is Sathan promising mountains of gold to seduce vs from the Lord. Like Nebuchadnezzar Numb 24. 11. with his alluring promises as it were the melodious harmony of musicall instruments he bewitches vs and makes vs bow to his golden Idoll Like the strumpet inueigling the youth by telling Prou. 7. 16. him shee had deckt her bed with ornaments carpets laces of Aegypt and perfumed it with myrrhe aloes and cynnamon Surely this golden and glittetering bait of the diuell of all other is most alluring and preuailes most Bounty in a master is a great attractiue to his seruice Can any of the sonnes of Ishai 1. Sam. 22. 7. sayd Saul to his seruants fearing their defection to Dauid can they giue you vine-yards houses c. 1. Sam. 22. 7. when the Diuell then once hath possessed vs with a conceit of his bounty that there is assurance of rich rewards in his seruice and contrarily that in Gods nothing to be gotten but beggery and misery pouerty perseeution then he makes to begin to entertain thoughts of casting off Gods liuery to say as they Mal. 3. The proud wicked are aduanced Malac. 3. It is in vaine to serue the Lord. This temptation had almost puzzled Dauid it brought him neer falling downe his feet had almost slipt Heere was Psal 73. 2. that fearful shipwrack of Iudas vpon the rock of the 30. peeces of siluer He saw that the euent answered not his hopes in following of Christ that same temporall kingdome whereof he dreamed went not forward and himselfe disappointed of such honours and offices as vnder him he expected and long gaped for therfore he now forsakes Christ and hopes for greater matters by the Prelates and so turnes traytor to his master and chaplaine to the Prelates or rather the diuell in the Prelates Here was Demas his ouerthrow The diuell set out the world like a painted and trapped strumpet to his eye caught him persently So that he forsook Paul and embraced the present world 2. Tim. 4. 10. In the purer and primitiue Churches how came there at length such 2. Tim. 4. 10. horrible corruptions and Apostasies but the Diuell bleared and blinded their eies with ambition couetousnes perswaded them that in the simplicity of the Gospell there was little either gaine or glory vnles they corrupted it and turned it into another gospell Thus hath the diuell hatched the pestilent monster of popery out of the cockatrice egge of the loue of this world And at this day what is it that keeps men otherwise wise learned in that rotten religiō but that same golden cup which the whore of Babylon holds in her hands Pomp primacie riches fat Bishopricks Cardinalships and these golden cords bind them fast to this See The Centuriatours interpret this All these will I giue thee thus I will make thee Pope What makes many so violent so virulent against the truth the purer professors of religiō but that they look to climb to rise vp to prefermēt vpon their shoulders As Erasmus noted in his time when he said that Pauper Lutherus multos fecit diuites Poore Luther made manyrich That was it that made so many write raile against Luther because it was a step to preferment In the Common-wealth also in all callings therein this is the cause of the many corruptions that abound because the diuell is taken at his word and men doe verily beleeue that in the way of honesty and sincerity the way is stopped vp and hedged against riches and rising and contrarily is opened in the diuels broade way where they may haue elbow roome enough and doe what they will namely in the way of falsehood iniustice flattery prophanenesse swearing Sabboth-breaking dissembling and time-seruing Now the reason why this temptation so takes is Reason the sympathy our corrupt nature hath with it Naturally we loue this earth and rellish the sauour of it exceedingly O we thinke this a fine thing to liue at ease to swimme in pleasures to haue all that our hearts desire to be honoured and admired of others Many say Psal 4. who will shew vs any good that is Psal 4. 6. any lands liuings honours dignities Nay so doat we on this world that we wait not for the diuell to come and offer vs the sight of our supposed good and so to tempt vs but we euen tempt and prouoke the diuell and as though he were too slow in his office we cry out for him who will shew vs any good who will shew vs the way to get the world and the desireable profits thereof As in Iudas who went first to the diuell in his instruments with his what will ye giue me not hauing the patience to stay the Diuels leasure and to heare him offer This will I giue thee Being so sharpe set on these things the diuell beares vs in hand that the most compendious way to get and hold them is to cracke and craze conscience zeale religion and tels vs that so long as wee stand vpon such nice and curious matters wee shall neuer rise or thriue in the world Nothing is more distastefull to flesh and blood then the crosse and therefore no maruell if Christ haue so few disciples who inuites them to the crosse If any will be my disciple he must denie himselfe and take vp his crosse Nothing againe more tickling and delighting our corruption then the glory of the world and therefore no maruell if the diuell haue so many seruants who inuites them to the kingdomes of the world If any man will worship me all these kingdomes and the glory of them will I giue him Vse This being so dangerous and preuailing a temptation that hath wounded so many it must teach vs to strengthen our selues against it Which that wee may doe two maine remedies must bee vsed Remedy 1 The first is the mortification of our fleshly members the eye and the eare of olde Adam If a man Mortification of our fleshly members should come to a dead man and promise him neuer so many kingdomes and shew him neuer so much honour and glory hee is nothing mooued Now mortification make vs dead men to the world as blinde men to this goodly sight of the world and as deafe adders to the charmes of this charmer Neither then will these goodly things any more tickle vs then a iewell or a pretious stone will do a beast This mortification is that which weanes vs from the world and makes vs to be with Dauid Psal 131 Psal 131. to be to the
and last end but as one vnder God that had receiued that he had of him Thus wee see how this text answers Sathans first temptation to outward idolatry It answers also in the latter clause And him onely shalt thou serue the second temptation to inward idolatry in the loue of honour and riches God onely must bee our master not God and riches Matth. 6. Hee must haue all our heart and affections Psal 73. Whom haue I ô Lord in heauen or in earth but thee And thus much of the combate betweene Christ and Sathan the second maine head of this story The third followes The issue It is two-fold The third part the issue of Christs temptation 1. The diuela departure Then the Diuell left him Matth. 4. 11. 2. The Angels ministring For the first Out of it we learne The first issue Doct. 1 1. That God will giue an issue to all the trials of his children so that they shall not alwayes continue God will giue an issue to the trials of his children vpon them 1. Cor. 10. 13. There hath no tentation taken you but such as appertaine to man and God is faithfull which will not suffer you to bee tempted aboue that you be able but will euen giue the issue with the temptation that yee may be able to beare it Doctr. 2 2. Wee see heere in our Sauiours practise how true that of Iames is Iam. 4. 7. Resist the Diuell and Resistance of Sathan puts him to flight he will flie from you A coward inuites him The more we giue place to him the more he encroches The way to bee rid of him is not to yeeld to him The reason is plaine Resisting is more then a mans worke When hee sees a man goe about to resist him he perceiues God is there and therefore flies the presence of God Where no resistance is there he perceiues the spirits absence so conceiues hope of easie victory Let vs then shew our spirits in resisting and fighting with Sathan Heere a word and blow is the best If the Diuell speake but the least word in temptation draw presently vpon him or thou emboldnest him Quest How should I resist him Answ 1. With Gods word as heere our Sauiour The way to resist Sathan did seriously meditating on it and by faith applying it to thy selfe 2. With our owne words in prayer Amalek cannot preuaile so long as Moses his hands are held vp Resistance indeede is by faith whom resist stedfast in the faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. Now faith 1. Pet. 5. 9. vses both the word and prayer In resisting the iniuries offred vs by men if wee reuenge them our selues we complaine not or if wee complaine to superiours wee reuenge them not our selues But heere both must bee done Wee must both resist him with blowes and violence in striking at him with the sword of the Spirit the word of God as also with complaints put against him to the Lord in our prayers S. Luke addes that he departed for a season Luke 4. 13. which implies that though Sathan had receiued this terrible foile and such a foyle as might for euer haue put him out of all hope of victory yet after a while againe such was his malice such his shameles impudent importunity that he would not for all this rest but would yet againe assault our Lord. It teaches vs then Doct. That which before hath also beene noted Sathans inuincible malice and importunity He himselfe was heere ouercome and yet not his malice Sathans malice is inuincible his temptations yet not his impudency Who would haue thought that euer Sathan put to so fowle and shamefull a foyle durst euer haue peept out of his denne againe and haue showen his face any more And yet his malice makes him both blind and restlesse We finde him againe at our Sauiour Matth. 16. 22. 23. where he vsed Peter as his stalking Mat. 16. 22 23. horse If after such an inglorious foile giuen by the sonne of God who had thus trampled him in the mire vnder his feete and so victoriously triumphed ouer him his malice would yet serue him for new aduentures what then will it doe where hee findes his repulse more gentle and his denials more easie Neuer must we hope for any truce with this aduersary Though he haue the worst by neuer so much yet will not his malice endure to heare of a peace no not of a truce As hee neuer slumbers nor sleepes that keepes Israel so neither hee that hates Israel Psal 121. 4. Neuer hope we to be freed from Sathans molestations till wee haue gotten that great gulfe Luk. 16. Luke 16. 26. 26. betweene him and vs. Wee may sometimes haue somewhat more peaceable intermissions hee may for a season forbeare vs but yet neither will those seasons bee long for hee knowing his time to bee short Reuel 12. will bee sure that those seasons Reu 12. shall not be ouerlong And therefore our wisdome will be to redeeme these seasons and if any rest bee giuen vs from his malice to be arming our selues against a new combate Bee not too secure thou mayst as well thinke he will cease to be a Diuell as cease to tempt The second issue is the Angels ministring And loe The second issue the Angels came and ministred vnto him They ministred either food to his hungry body or comfort to his troubled soule wearied with Sathans wicked temptation or else they ministred triumphing at his victory And this is set foorth by way of admiration And behold the Angels c. Him whom the Diuell so vilely vsed The Angels doe seruice vnto Learne first Doct. 1 1. The difference betwixt Christs temptations and ours He had no helpe but his owne The Angels The difference betwixt Christs temptations ours came not to him to minister till after the temptations were ended but to vs they minister in the very act of temptation Doct 2 2. When we haue been abused by Sathans wicked instruments God will send some of his to bee in God raiseth vp comforters vnto his seruants after the abuses of Sathans instruments Luke 16. stead of ministring Angels to vs. So after Shimeis railing and Absaloms treachery the Lord raysed vp many faithfull friends and comforters to Dauid Though the rich man despised Lazarus Luk. 16. yet the Angels despised not to carry his soule into heauen Nay God himselfe oftentimes as I may say ministers vnto his abused and oppressed Saints Witnes those many vnspeakable comforts ministred vnto the harts of the Martyrs in their prisons at the stake and in the fire How may this comfort vs against the railings and scoffings of Michall What though she scoffe yet Dauid shall bee honoured of others euen of those in whose eyes shee desires hee might be despicable 2. Sam. 6. 22. 2. Sam. 6. 22. Doct. 3 3. See how Gods prouidence is neuer wanting to those that make it their portion Nothing is lost Nothing is lost by waiting on Gods prouidence by waiting vpon Gods prouidence If Christ had hearkened to Sathan to haue made bread of stones and so out of a distrust in Gods prouidence had vnlawfully releeued himselfe hee would haue found it indeede bread of stones euen like Salomons bread of deceit full of grauell it would haue beene stony and grauelly stuffe to his conscience If Christ hearkned vnto Sathan and had by that miracle serued himselfe the Angels heere had not serued him Who would not wait vpon Gods prouidence to be thus waited vpon by Gods Angels Trust God in all thy straights make not bread of stones and rather then thou shalt want God will send not onely Rauens to feede thee as they did Eliah 1. King 17. 6. but an 1. King 17. 6. Angell to feede thee also as he did to the same Eliah 1. King 19. 5. 6. when wee are not thorough distrust 1. King 19. 5. 6. ouer-hasty to serue our selues rather then faile the Angels shall serue vs. So well shall he be serued and so assuredly shall hee bee fed that makes Gods prouidence his portion FINIS
of the Lord. Euery word This word Word is not in the Hebrew but only thus by all that proceedeth but the sense is well expressed for Word both in Hebrew Greek signifies as much as thing So that it is all one as if we should read it thus but by euery thing that proceedes out of the mouth of God that is which God appoints and giues power vnto to be nourishment The summe of the answer then is Bread indeede is the ordinary meanes of sustaining life but yet bread hath not this power in it selfe but because it is proceeded out of Gods mouth God hath appointed it for that purpose Now God can as easily appoint any other thing as bread if he will The words then containe the doctrin concerning Gods prouidence for this temporall life In the which doctrine consider two things 1. First the kinds of this prouidence They are two 1. Ordinary By bread 2. Extraordinary By whatsoeuer else besides bread shall be appointed of God Secondly the obiect of both the kindes Man liueth not Man in generall For the first namely the kindes And First the ordinary prouidence of God in maintaining 1. The ordinary prouidence of God in maintaining this present life this present life our Sauiour grants it to be by the meanes of bread yet so that therefore bread is the meanes of life because the decree is gone forth from God concerning bread that it should bee the meanes We learne then Doct. That as Gods prouidence ordinarily workes by vsuall meanes so these means haue all their strength As Gods prouidence ordinarily workes by meanes so these meanes haue all their strength from him from him We see how for the preseruation of euery particular man hee hath appointed foode for the continuance of the whole kinde generation for the restauration of health decayed and the preuenting of sicknesse physicke And in these creatures he hath placed a vertue inherent in themselues for these purposes yet so that the operation successe is guided by his power and gracious blessing For that he that gaue the vertue is able to inhibite and restraine it if he will Hence that speech Hos 2. 21. Hosea 2. 21. I will heare the heauens and the heauens the earth and the earth Izreel The earth is the meanes to bring foorth fruite to vs the heauens to make the earth fruitfull by their influences but yet they must bee petitioners to God before they can exercise that vertue God hath giuen them for the helping of the earth God then at the first gaue power and qualities to his creatures of working this and that and stil in the exercise of this power he sustaines an vnderprops them for in him wee liue mooue and haue our being Acts 17. And by his mighty word hee beares vp Acts 17. Heb. 1. 3. Genes 1. Genes 9. all things Heb. 1. 3. And that word Gen. 1. and againe Gen. 9. for our foode is at this day effectuall for nourishment as that other Encrease and multiply is for propagation of man-kinde Wee may easily see that as the creatures could not make themselus so neither could they bestow these properties and qualities they haue vpon themselues Besides that these properties are such as make them to be in the places of seruants vnto others as the heauens to the earth the elements to plants plants to beasts beasts to men Now euery creature naturally abhorring seruitude and seeking soueraignty would neuer haue bestowed on it selfe such properties as whereby they were thus to be enthralled to the seruice of other creatures And thus other creatures whom they serue they did not thus dispose of them therfore these properties and qualities were giuen them by God Vse 1 1. It makes against the cursed practise and vse of charmes and spels They haue no such vertue in them as is thought They neuer proceeded out of the mouth of God neither are any ordinances of God For then they should either haue vertue inherent in them by nature as bread and hearbes c. which God in their creation blessed to these ends and then endued them with such vertue 1. Tim. 4 3. 1. Tim. 4. 3. which God created to eat So that in nature the reason of this vertue of theirs may be seene Or else they should haue Gods vertue and power assisting them and present with them as in the Word and Sacraments and the reason of this must bee seene in the the Scriptures and Gods ordinances there reuealed But neither of these can be spoken of charmes and therefore it is onely the Diuels mouth out of which they are proceeded And only those meanes are for our vse which proceeded And only those meanes are for our vse which proceede out of Gods mouth Vse 2 2. This must teach vs not to trust to or rest in the outward meanes of our life health comfort safety for they are not absolute in themselues They are lame themselues and need a staffe to leane on namely the staffe of Gods power and gracious blessing Whence that phrase is vsed of breaking the staffe of bread Now if they neede a staffe to leane on they are not fit to bee staues for vs to leane on And therfore that which Prou. 3. 5. Salomon speaks Prou. 3. 5. of one second cause Trust in the Lord and leane not to thy wisdome is to bee applied to all second causes whatsoeuer Leane not on them then but on that they leane on too which is to support both them thee and that is God Without him they are not onely lame but dead hee it is that must quicken them Hence that opposition of the liuing God to riches That they trust not in vncertaine riches but in the liuing God 1. Tim 6. And therefore Luk. 12. the 1. Tim. 6. foole deceiued himselfe promising himselfe long life because of his great riches Though a man haue abundance yet his life consisteth not in his riches Luk. 12. Princes children should in all likeli-hoode bee Luke 12. stronger lustier and heathfuller then poore mens that are glad to leape at a crust the other hauing the purest and most exquisite diet and wanting no tendance and yet for the most part they are not in so good liking nor of such able bodies Daniels pulse by Gods blessing kept him in as good liking as the kings diet did the rest of his fellowes Men and women of weake constitutions haue oftentimes children when others more likely in naturall reason are without Hence that obseruation Psal 37. that a little to the righteous is great riches and goes further then the larger reuenues of the wicked so that the poore godly man with his little can doe good and Psal 37. lend to others whereas the great rich wicked man for all his liuing and rents is faine to borrow and which is worse payes not againe If any say it is for want of wisdome and prouidence and care Dauid tels vs the contrary Psal 127.