What say you then of pâ—turing God in glasse windowes to worship A. It is one of the abominations in Poperie electely condemned by the Lord Deut. 4. 14. 19. Rom. 1. 23. Q. Why is God said to haue his Being of himselfe A. Because all that wee haue we haue from God but whatsoeuer God hath hee hath of none but of himselfe alone Heb 1. 3. Q. How are wee to conceiue of God A. By his properties That God is a Diuine power First most Mightie Secondly most Wise. Thirdly most Iush Fourthly most Mercifull And fiftly Infinite Q Wherein appeareth the gâ—eas might and power of God A. First in making the world of nothing all the world being not able to make oneâ—â—lly flie Secondly in vpholding it now 5622. yeares Whereas Iron houses that men make will moulder away 〈◊〉 â—any lesse Thirdly in conuerting the soule of a sinner it being a harder matter then to make the world For in creating the world the Lord found no resistance nothing that stood vp against him to hinder his worke but in conuerting the soule of a sinner the Lord findes a resistance â—en labouring to hinder his worke in them and opposing themselues against it Ephes 1. 19. Q What vse may wee make of this Propertie A. First that seeing wee be glad to get the fauour of mightie men wee be more carefull to get the Lords fauour who is mightier then they all Psal. 20. 7. Secondly that wee faint not in any trouble seeing God is most mightie that takes our part For no man is so poore but God by his power can make him rich No man is so sicke but God by his power can make him whole No man is so weake but God by his power can make him strong Heb 13. 6. Thirdly that wee feare to displease him who is able to doe vs more haâ—â—e then all the men in all the world can doe Luk. 12. 5. Q What is the second Propertie of God A Hee is most Wise. Q Wherein appeareth the Wisedome of God A. In two things principally First In framing the world so wisely that men and Angels may wonder at it If the Sunne had been set lower it would haue burnt vs if higher the beames of it with such comfort would not haue reached vnto vs. If all had bin Summer heaâ—e would haue parched vs. If all had beene Winter cold would haue killed vs. If all had beene Day many a â—â—ser would haue killed vp himselfe and his seruants and his cattell with too much working many an angry man would haue killed himselfe with Fretting Secondly In ordering the things of this world with such most excellent wisedome surpassing all admiration For somethings wee may buy as Meate Drinke and cloathes And somethings againe wee cannot buy when wee haue meate wee cannot buy a good stomacke to our meate When wee haue Corne wee cannot buy seasonable weather to soweour corne most wisely God hath layd vp some part of euery blessing with himselfe and retained it as it were in his owne hand that men might bee driuen thereby more often to resort vnto him For if men might haue all things here below They would neuer goe so farre as Heauen to fetch any thing thence Q. What vse may wee make of this Property A. To rest contented with that portion that God giues vs with that weather which God sends vs with those losses and troubles that God brings vpon vs. God is wiser then the wisest of vs and therefore knowes alwayes what is fittest for vs And therefore to thinke when God sends vs sicknesse that health were better when God takes away our children it were better to haue them still It is the folly of our hearts to make our selues wiser then God Q. What is the third Propertie of God A. Hee is most Iust. Q. Wherein appeareth the Iustice of God A. In blessing the godly and punishing the wicked Q. How stands it then with Iustice that the godly are commonly in worst state A. Very well for though they haue but little yet they haue more contentment and more ioy in that little then the wicked haue in all their plenty Psal. 37. 16. Secondly though they haue but little yet God giues them a true and an holy vse of it they spend and vse that little well Esay 23. 18. Thirdly that little they haue is a pledge and a pawne that God hath greater things reserued for them As a man is put in possession of the whole field by receiuing a little Turâ—e in his hand Prou. 13. 9. Fourthly that they want outwardly they haue inwardly Psalme 45. 13. Though they be not rich in the purse yet they are rich in Faith Iames 2. 5. Though they haue not gold yet they haue that which is better then gold Iob 28. 15. 16. 1. Pet. 1. 7. Fiftly that which God is behinde with them in this world shal be paid them with vantage in the world to come Mat. 19. 28. Q. What vse may wee make of this Propertie A. That seeing all our sinnes were punished in Christ they cannot in iustice be punished in our selues againe eternally and therefore all they stand fully discharged before the Iudgement seate of God who by a true a liuely faith haue receiued Christ. For as when the Surety hath answered the debt it cannot in any right be demanded of the debtor againe So seeing Christ hath discharged for our sinnes we ought not in any equitie to be charged with them Esay 53. 5. Q. Why then are the godly punished when they sinne A. They are punished not in Iudgement but in Mercie to weaken the strength of sinne and to keepe vnder the rebellion of their nature which still dwelleth in them Psal. 119. 71. Q. What may wee further learne from this Propertie A. That God will right wrongs of his children 2. Thess. 1. 6. 7. And that the wicked haue good cause to hang downe their heads knowing that God in Iustice for euery sinne will be auenged of them they must pay full sweetly for euery oath they sweare for euery lie they tell for euery Sabboth they mispend and therefore with trembling hearts they may looke euery houre when the fire will fall from Heauen that shall burne them when the great Iudge shall appeare in the cloudes who will condemne them Prou. 11. 21. Q What is the fourth Propertie of God A. Hee is most Mercifull Q. Wherein appeareth the mercie of God A. First in making vs Men when hee might haue made vs Beasts In making vs wise when hee might haue made vs starke fooles In giuing vs limbes when he might haue made vs lame In giuing vs sight when he might haue made vs blinde Scondly in prouiding things needfull for vs. When wee are sicke herbes to heale vs when wee are cold fire to warme vs when wee are hungry meate to feede vs when wee are naked wooll to cloathe vs. And the more to commend his Mercies hee prouides vs of all thesethings when wee are his
first we pray here that we may glorifie the Name of God any way whatsoeuer that hee may haue some glory by vs which must bee three wayes 1 In our hearts 2 With our mouthes 3 In our liues For the former of these see 1 Pet. 3. 15. saith hee But sanctifie the Lord in your hearts for the second we haue Rom. 15. 6. where the Apostle exhorts them with one mind and one mouth to praise God for the other see 1 Cor. 6. vlt. saith hee For yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods First Wee must inwardly acknowledge that all things come from God That we neither haue or can receiue any thing but at the hands of God wee must therefore loue and feare Him trust in Him praise Him and submit our wils to his will and thus we pray that we may glorifie God in our hearts when we acknowledge all the power in the world to be nothing to his all the wisedome and loue in the world to be nothing to his wisedome and loue when we doe labour aboue all things to keepe the Lord to be our friend not regarding whosoeuer be displeased with vs whosoeuer be against vs whosoeuer rageth and stormeth when we see God accepteth of our zeale and Piety towards him which if we pray for truely then are we sure to glorifie God in our hearts Secondly We glorifie God with our mouthes both by speaking reuerently of the Name of God and by confessing the Lords wisedome goodnesse and Iustice in all his workes for although the Shepheards were abashed to find Christ in a manger the King of Kings in so poore an estate yet they returned to their Flockes and Folds and praysed God So must we doe whensoeuer wee haue heard of Gods goodnesse or tasted of his mercy we must returne home to our houses as the shepheards did to the fields acknowledging the Lords kindnesse and mercy in it Yea what euer chance though it bee losse and correction yet wee must say as Job did in the midst of his troubles The Lord hath giuen and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. So then this is that we pray for that of all other things we may giue glory vnto God according to that admonition of the Angell Reuel 14. 7. Feare God and giue glory to him for the houre of his Iudgement is come and worship him And againe Reuel 19. 7. Let vs be glad and reioyce and giue glory to him for the marriage of the Lambe is come So that whatsoeuer is laid vpon vs what change of estate soeuer the Lord sends we must giue the glory to God and confesse with our mouthes that he is worthy of all honour Thirdly We must glorifie God in our liues that we may so liue as the Lord may haue glory and honour by vs and no disgrace for our good life is an honour to the Lord as Christ himselfe saith Math. 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heauen c. So 1 Pet. 2. 12. the Apostle saith And haue your conuersation honest among the Gentiles that they which speake euill of you as of euill doers may by your good workes which they shall see glorifie God So must we pray that we doe not disgrace the Lord by our sinnes but liue so as the Lord may be honoured by vs. It is for this purpose a good meditation which one of the Fathers hath God saith he thus speaks vnto a sinner O man if thou hast no care of thine own credit safety yet haue a care of mine Thinke man that I am dishonoured by thy sinne for if any disgrace or shame thereby rest vpon thy selfe much more vpon me whom thou oughtest to regard but if thou couldest so put it ouer with iollity and carelesnesse yet is God disgraced by it therfore O man thogh thou neglect thy selfe tender my glory deface not my honour Thus it is cleere as our good life honours God so our ill life dishonours him as Rom. 2. 24. saith the Apostle For the Name of God is blaspemed amongst the Gentiles through you O then let vs all take heed of this that we tender the glory of God let vs pray that wee may so liue in this world conuerse here amongst men that the Lord may be honoured by vs and not dishonoured by our grosse and presumptuous sinnes For our helpe herein There be three things which may quicken vs to this duty and care First to consider That all the creatures doe glorifie God in their kinde as the Psalmist speakes The Heauens declare the glory of God c. So in the Reuelation it is written of all Creatures That all they which are in heauen and in earth c. And the foure beasts said Amen when glory was giuen to the Lord. Therefore now seeing that all Creatures not onely most noble as Angels and Spirits but the very lowest and meanest yea the insensible Creatures giue glory to God in their kind oh how great shall our sinnes be and how much our wickednesse aggrauated if we doe not care to bring glory vnto him O with what gladnesse should wee perswade one another to this dutie that seeing there is no creature but in his kinde doth in some measure set out the glory of God how often should man much more meditate then and practise the same Secondly to consider That if we glorifie God he will glorifie vs we cannot be so ready to set out the Lords Name and praises but he is more quicke to requite and exalt vs as it is written 1 Sam. 2. 30. For them that honour me I will honour c. They who despise me shal be despised Vnto which we may vse the words of our Sauiour in that solemne prayer John 17. 4 5. where he thus amongst other arguments prayes for glory I haue glorified thee on earth I haue finished the worke which thou gauest me to doe and now glorifie thou me O Father with thine owne selfe with the glory that I had with thee before the world was So that when we haue glorified God in the time of this life then may we assuredly expect that the Lord will glorifie vs at the day of death but if wee haue no care to glorifie him in this world how can we be perswaded that he will glorifie vs after our departure hence Thirdly to consider That God will seuerely punish the contempt of his glory for there is nothing in this world that he doth more tender then his glory For which he commanded his people thus Thou shalt not giue my glory to another Yea see for neglect of this duty how seuerely he punished his people whose carkasses all perished in the wildernesse because they did not ascribe and giue glory to the Lord. Yea the
ESSEX DOVE PRESENTING THE VVORLD WITH A FEVV OF HER OLIVE BRANCHES OR A taste of the Workes of that Reuerend Faithfull Iudicious Learned and holy Minister of the Word Mr. IOHN SMITH late Preacher of the Word at Clauering in ESSEX Deliuered in three seuerall Treatises viz. 1 His Grounds of Religion 2 An Exposition on the Lords Prayer 3 A Treatise of Repentance VPRIGHTNESSE hath BOLDNESSE 1 TIM 3. 16. And without Controuersie great is the Mystery of godlinesse God manifested in the Flesh Iustified in the Spirit seene of Angels Preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the World receiued vp into Glory LONDON Printed by A. I. for George Edwardes and are to be sold at his house in the Old Baily in Greene Arbor at the figne of the Angell 1629. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THOMAS Lord COVENTRY of ALESBOROVGH Lord KEEPER of the Great Seale of England and one of his Maiesties most honourable Priuy Councell c. And to his Right Honourable and Noble Lady ELIZABETH c. Lady COVENTRY all happinesse Right Honourable AS there is nothing which doth more beautifie and adorne this great admirable frame of Heauen and Earth then the wonderfull variety of those rarities created in and about the same in so many subiiects of diuers kinds of things whereof they subsist So amongst those varieties nothing is so wonderfull as the seuerall gifts proceeding from that All-quickening Spirit of God which as at first It moued vpon the waters cherishing vpholding and quickning that rude vndigested great formelesse lumpe vntill by Diuine power it had animated that and all things therein contained setting them in their most beautifull formes breathing as naturall life in man so at length a more abounding spirituall life which should vent and diffuse it selfe in so many thousand seuerall gifts and excellencies as in a maner there are seuerall Christians especially in the Ministers of the Word whose lippes as they preserue knowledge so haue they their seuerall abilities some to cast downe raise vp intreat perswade conuince instruct threaten insinuate reforme illustrate explaine open divide and conueigh truthes to the seuerall capacities of their hearers In which the Author of this Booke a man well known to your Honours being so excellently sometime adorned with a compound of these and many moe gifts in most whereof hee excelled that the memory of so pious painfull and learned a man of God might not be forgotten I aduentured to shrowd this booke vnder your Honours wings of protection to receiue some lustre and countenance by your fauour clearing the obscurity thereof in place of the curious hand of the most worthy Author now dead who as he was and his Name and Fame I hope yet is and euer will be precious in your sight So I hope the Relation hee sometime had with some of yours and estimation from you would purchase me easily a pardon for this intruding boldnesse whereby I haue assayed to declare my selfe euer Your Honours in all humble duty bound I. HART To the Reader I Know not what Apologie to make for my selfe that now in the copious multiplicity of Treatises of this nature I should yet thrust forth more as though I could be a poore meanes to bring vnto thee any new matter which by some former Worthy had not beene said before And surely this had almost discouraged me vntill I called to mind the speech and counsell of a Right Reuerend Father of the Church yet aliue which was That if a thousand seuerall men had all written on these seuerall subiects yet he could wish them all Printed For said he though all doe agree in the maine yet should we see a different carriage of elegancy and variety of the same spirit in the diuers distributions amplifications and prosecutions of the same subiect Whereby at least this profit would come that the soule might now and then be rauished in the admiration of the rarities of that Wonder-working-spirit which so diffuseth it selfe in choyce of excellent abilities all exquisite and diuers among such multitudes of seuerall men This with the delight I tooke in reading trimming and writing them out with very much adoe together with the desire I had to doe some poore seruice to the Church and perpetuate the memory of the All-deseruing most worthy and learned Author sometime my deare friend imboldened mee to venter them vnto thy view at the request of his somtime deare Wife and Executrix I beseech thee therefore fauourably to censure what is done accepting the same in good part from him who chused rather to present thee with a few Crummes which fell from this Holy mans Preaching then altogether bury in silence with him his Words and Workes True it is he wrote an infinite intricate exceeding small abreuiated hand out of all hope and possibility to be read a fault yet incident to too many good Preachers whereby they robbe Posterity of their Labours by reason whereof these three Treatises mangled as they are were with much adoe by a painfull Writer and other helpes fetcht as it were out of the fire and so brought to this imperfect perfection The former two by him were neuer intended for the publike view onely that of Repentance with his owne Epistle he had appointed for the Presse at our earnest intreaty but left it vnfinished to his mind Therefore if therein thou findest any thing pleasing for thy good and so canst measure Exvngue Leonem iudge if the Eccho of his voyce the traces of his foot-steps be such in scattered vnperfect Notes what were those sweet and Excellent Straines of Learning and Piety wherewith he was most Plentifully indowed and wherewith this Booke had beene more abundantly stored if his exact curious hand had limned it out for this vse Much more I might say of him but why should I seeing it were but to extenuate the worth of such a shining and a burning Lampe by labouring to expresse that which was vnexpressable and which my ignorance was neuer able to reach or search into Onely my request vnto thee now is to forgiue my weakenesse and those mangling mistakings which by my ignorance and want of iudgement to disposâ— aright are found therein assuring thy selfe I meant well though I could not reach the Altitude of the Author as I wished nor amplifie his breuities as not daring to meddle with Apelles vnfinished Picture which great fauour shall bind me yet further to ayme at thy good remaining in the meane time Thy seruant in Christ Iesus I. HART An Alphabeticall Table to this worthy Worke Wherein we would intreat the Reader to take notice of this one thing to wit that this Booke is diuided into three seuerall Treatises and therefore the Table is made accordingly as for instance where you see T. 1. that stands for Treatise 1. T. 2. that stands for Treatise 2. T. 3. for Treatise 3. And P. stands for the Page of that first second or third Treatise A. ADoption How wee are adopted Treatise 1. Page 19.
an honest and godly moderation must be vsed That our gate be not stately and proud That our hayre be not vndecently long That no more ornaments be hanged vpon vs then seemelinesse and that Christian sobrietie which hath beene spoken of will permit Of the gate Isay 3. 16. Of the rest 1. Pet. 3. 3. Q. Is it not lawfull for men to haue long hayre A. The Apostle saith 1. Corinth 12. 14. It is a shame for a man if hee weare long haire And therefore vnlesse it be not lawfull for men to shame themselues it is not lawfull for men to haue long hayre And he giue vs such a reason as being well weighed may mooue them much Doth not nature it selfe teach you saith hee As if he had said Though men haue neither religion nor honesty nor grace nor any conscience in them yet nature it selfe may teach them that when they glorie in their long locks they glory in their shame Q. How may wee vse our recreations moderately and lawfully A. If wee be not excessiue in them if wee spend not too much time vpon them but vse them so sparingly that thereby we may become the more fit and cheerefull in our calling Colos. 4. 5. and redeeme the time which we doe not when our exercises doe not make vs more fit for our duties Secondly if we be not eagerly set vpon them that we fall to swearing chafing fretting quarrelling or hurting our neighbours corne grasse cattell and the like Thirdly if we vse them at lawfull and conuenient times not when we haue fitnesse to better things nor vpon the Sabboth nor in time of priuate or publike mourning Ecles 3. 1. Q. Why may wee not vse them when wee are fit for better things A. Because Recreations are permitted onely to refresh vs and therefore if we play when we are as well able to worke or to pray or to reade or to doe some such better things we abuse our libertie because wee runne to recreations before wee need them Q. Why may wee not vse them on the Sabboth A. Because the whole day is set apart for the seruice of God Isay 58. 13. Qu. Why not in the time of mourning A. Because wee may not laugh when God would haue vs weepe Wee may not be sporting when we had more need bee repenting for our sinnes Isay 22. 12. 13. 14. Qu. How may wee be sober and moderate in resting from our labours A. If no more time be spent in our rest then may well serue to refresh vs Marke 6. 31. Q. How may we alwayes keepe our selues in worke A. If wee consider that the Lord hath stored vs with such varietie of duties that wee need not be idle one houre in a day If wee cannot worke yet wee may reade If wee cannot reade yet we may heare others reade If not that yet wee may pray or meditate or comfort our brethren If wee tyred in one yet wee may recreate and refresh our selues in another Coloss. 4. 5. Qu. How may wee be sober and moderate in our sorrows A. If wee obserue three things First that wee grieue not our selues for euery needlesse thing for the Lord would haue vs liue in some comfort and in some cheere And therefore we must not take euery thing to heart and make our liues wearisome and bitter to vs Phil. 4. 4. Secondly that wee grieue lesse for matters of lesse weight and more for matters of greatest weight More for our sinnes then wee doe for our troubles and more when we lose God then when we part with our dearest friends Zachariah 12. 10. Thirdly that we suffer not our selues to bee swallowed vp of sorrow no though it be for the best things 2. Cor. 2. 7. Qu. How may we be sober and moderate in our mirth A. If wee weigh the matter of our ioy that we neuer reioyce in euill things as in iesting scoffing talking wantonly nor in those things that are transitorie and passe away as in riches fauour honour further then they are pawnes and pledges of the loue of God not in euill things 1. Cor. 5. 6. not in transitory Ier. 9. 23. and the 24. Iob 31. 25. Secondly if we shew not too great lightnesse in our mirth but alwayes it haue some seasoning of Christian grauitie in it Ephes. 5. 4. Thirdly if we be not merry when our owne sinnes or our brethrens miseries giue vs more cause to mourne Hos. 9. 1. Amos 6. 5. 6. Q. Are there no other things wherein sobrietie must bee shewed A. Yes many other things as in our sleepe in our feares and in our cares for the world and the like But by these few which haue beene handled we may measure out all the rest Q. What is the duty which wee owe to men A. To liue righteously that is to giue euery man that which is his due Rom. 13. 7. Q. What is their due A. That we loue them in their persons both in their bodies and in their soules in their goods in their good names and in euery thing that belongs vnto them Rom. 13. 8. Q. How may wee shew loue in their persons A. Three wayes 1. In our Affections 2. In our Words 3. In our Deeds 1. Iohn 3. 18. Q. How in our Affections A. Wee must not rashly be angry with them for loue suffereth long it will put vp many iniuries and passe by many wrongs and therefore they that fall out and suffer their loue to quench for euery offence declare euidently they haue no loue See Solomons Song 8. 7. Q May wee not be angry A. Yes but therein three things must be looked vnto First that the cause be iust and earnest Math. 5. 22. Secondly that our anger be not furious that it breake not out into immoderate heate into cursing banning reuiling and the like Ephes. 4. 31. Thirdly that it hold not long for both should seeke Reconciliation As the father ranne to meet his sonne and the sonne his father And therefore they that being once salne out will neuer be reconciled againe or straine courtesie who shall begin bewray notably their want of loue Eph. 4. 16. 1. Cor. 3. 12. 13. Q. What is the second point of Inward loue A. Wee must not enuy their good It must not grieue vs to see others wealthier wiser and better thought of then ourselues Wee must be as glad of their welfare as of our owne and reioyce as much to heare them praised as we would doe if our selues were commended Rom. 12. 15. Q. What is the third point of Inward loue A. Wee must not take that which may be well meant in euill part wee must not be too iealous and too suspicious of our brethren vpon euery conceite thinking hardly of them Rom. 1. 29. Q. What is the fourth point of Inward loue A. Wee must not disdaine them nor set vp our selues against them For though in some one gift they came behinde vs yet happily in some other
wring them off hurts himselfe more then the Irons doe Luke 21. 19. Q. What is the fourth point of godlinesse A. Wee must be diligent in commending our whole estate by earnest prayer vnto God For therein we doe the Lord this honour that we acknowledge our whole welfare to depend on him and it is he alone that blesseth all things that wee take in hand And therefore we must neuer begin any thing without prayer Wee must not eate vnlesse wee first pray God to blesse that we eate Wee must not giue vnlesse wee pray God to blesse that wee giue 1. Thessalonians 5. 17. Q. What is the Reason A. There is a double vse of the good things of God A lawfull vse An holy vse Q. What be they A. As when a man eateth or refresheth himselfe or sleepeth moderately when he vttereth his Comodities at a reasonable rate then he doth these things lawfully But when he sanctifieth and performeth all these things with holy prayer vnto God Then he vseth them not onely lawfully but holily too So that by this meanes our thoughts are holy and our workes holy our recreations holy yea and our sleepe is holy to the Lord 1. Sam. 3. 5. Q. What thinke you then of giuing thankes before meate A. It is a holy vse sanctified by the example of Christ and much commended by the Scriptures our Sauiour Christ looked to heauen and blessed the loaues and fishes Math. 13. 19. So did Paul Acts 27. 35. And wee reade of the people in the 1. Sam. 9. 13. That they would not eate of the Sacrifice till Samuel had blessed it And therefore their boldnesse is great that dare vse the creatures of God with greater boldnesse then Paul or Samuel yea and the Sonne of God himselfe would vse them Q. Is it not good to haue certaine sette times of Prayer in our houses A. It is very needfull the rather thereby to draw our selues into Gods presence and to bring our selues in remembrance of this great dutie that lyes vpon vs as Daniel 6. 10. Q. What are the fittest times to set apart for Prayer A. The Morning and the Euening In the morning we must pray that the Lord will leade vs throughout the day That hee will shrowd vs and shadow vs vnder the wings of his grace and be with vs in euery thing we take in hand And this may be termed the morning Sacrifice of a Christian Psal. 5. 3. At night againe we must reckon with the Lord for the sinnes of the day that we lye not downe in Gods displeasure but hauing reconciled and as it were made euen for our faults wee may sleepe in the lappe and bosome of the loue of God And this may be termed The euening Sacrifice of a Christian Psal. 141. 2. Q. How is this further declared A. As Noahs Doue hauing wandred all day abroad yet returned in the Euening to the Arke So we hauing toyled and laboured all day in the world yet at night we must bee carefull to returne and take vp our rest as it were with God Q. Are wee to rest our selues in this thing A. Wee must not thinke our selues discharged when these sett times of prayer be performed but many times in the day we must lift vp our hearts to God in the heate of all our businesse bethinke vs of the Lord who alone can prosper and blesse that which we haue in hand Q. What is the fift Point of godlinesse A. Wee must lift vp our hearts with great thankfulnesse vnto God for all his blessings and benefites that are vpon vs. For therefore Moses declareth in the first of Genesis how God made the Heauen and the Earth the Sunne and the Moone and all things here below To shew that if we haue any comfort in any thing in this world God the Creatour is to be blessed and thanked for it 1. Thess 5. 18. Q. Is it enough to thanke God for his mercies A. Surely no but as we are thankfull for his blessings so we must be thankfull for his iudgements too and therefore we must blesse God as well for our pouerty as we doe for our plenty as well for our weakenesse as we doe for our strength as well when we lose our comforts as when we haue them Iob 1. 21. Q. What is the Reason that so few are thankefull for their troubles A. Because men are not able to looke through the present euills that are vpon them into the speciall fauour and loue of God who by this meanes compasseth and procureth their greater good And therefore men thinke it an vnreasonable thing that they should thanke God for the losse of their wealth of their peace of their libertie and the like because they see not into that good which the Lord by this meanes will bring vpon them Rom. 5. 4. Q. How may we prouoke our selues to thankefulnesse A. First if we keepe a faithfull Register of the blessings of God and engraue them as it were vpon the gates of the soule that wee may behold in one sight and in one view all the rich blessings of God that are vpon vs Psalme 103 1. 2. c. Secondly if we consider how vnworthy we are of the least of those blessings which we inioy For we are not worthy the earth should beare vs the heauens should couer vs the Sunne should shine vpon vs. And therefore it is the Lords exceeding fauour that we are blessed in any measure and regarded of him 2. Sam. 7. 18. Thirdly if we consider our preferment in many of our blessings aboue other men and how they are thankfuller for halfe our happinesse then we are for the whole Math. 13. 17. Fourthly if wee consider how the number of Gods blessings groweth daily towards vs. So that if wee had cause to thanke God yesterday we haue greater cause to thanke him to day And if we haue cause to thanke him this yeare wee shall haue greater to thanke him the next yeare the Lords mercy still more and more increasing on vs Ezek. 36. 11. Q. What is the last Point of Godlinesse A. The sanctifying of the Sabboth which is one of the chiefest duties of a Christian as being the very sinnewe and the life of all the rest For though a man be neuer so sicke and diseased yet so long as he lyes at Physicke and vseth good meanes of health there is some hope he may doe well but when he lets his disease runne and will not come vnder the Physitians hands then his case is desperate wee haue little hope that hee will euer mend Euen so though a man be neuer so sicke and diseased in his soule yet so long as he hath care to sanctifie the Sabboth to partake in the holy Prayers and the Ministry of the Church there is some hope that in time these good things may worke vpon him But if he will not come to ioyne in these exercises of the Church if he haue no care to heare to
might be conuinced in their consciences to confesse that the whole Soueraigntie of glorie and renowne is due vnto him Q. Declare this more fully A. Wee pray that the Lord would stand vp for his owne glorie that the Lord would get himselfe glory and praise by blessing and defending the godly and by punishing and afflicting the wicked Q. Doe not many herein pray against themselues A. Wee all pray that if wee bee any lett or hinderance to Gods glory so that the Lord be the worse thought of for our sakes that hee will recouer his glory at our hands yee though it be with the destruction of vs. Q. What is the second thing wee pray for A. That wee may acknowledge with inward feeling of our hearts the excellent and holy things that bee in God that wee may doe the Lord this honour to thinke that he is most Mightie and therefore will defend vs when the whole world is set against vs that hee is most Wise and therefore will doe nothing but it shall be for our good That hee is most pittifull and therefore will pittie vs when no eye else will looke vpon vs that hee is most lust and therefore will stand vp in our iust defence Q. What is the third thing wee pray for A. That wee so liue and so carry our selues in the whole course of our wayes as God may haue glory by vs That as a good seruant doth his Master credite so the Lord may heare well for our honest life Q. What is the fourth thing that wee pray for A. That wee may bee so wholly possessed and taken vp with the care of the Lords praise that wee may neuer speake or doe any thing but with this minde and to this intent to get some honour and some glory to the Lord thereby Q. What are the euills that wee pray against A. First that wee may not bee so blinde but that wee may see the great glorie of God that shineth in the world his Prouidence wise gouernment care for his people and the Iudgements that hee brings vpon wicked men Secondly that wee may not doubt of any of the excellent things that bee in God That hee hath not power enough to protect vs Mercy enough to forgiue vs Wisedome enough to direct vs in the safest course Thirdly that wee may not dishonour the Lord by our vngodly and wicked life That wee may not bee a shame to the Gospell men thinking the worse of it for the loosenesse of our liues that professe it Fourthly that wee may not seeke our owne praise more then the praise of the Lord and so greedily hunt after our owne credite that wee care not in the meane time though the Lords honour lye in the dust Qu. What doe wee pray for in the second Petition A. For the meanes of Gods glory that his kingdome may come among vs. Q. How doth this Petition depend vpon the former A. In the first Petition wee prayed that wee might glorifie God and now we pray that God would rule in our hearts that wee may glorifie him the better For vnlesse God rule vs by his Spirit wee are so set to pursue our owne praise and peace and pleasure that wee shall neuer glorifie him sincerely while wee liue Qu. What is the meaning of this Petition A. Whereas the Deuills kingdome is come already and Sinne holds vp the Scepter in a number of our hearts wee here pray as men weary of it that Gods kingdome may here come into our hearts and the Deuill and sinne may no longer rule among vs. Q. What is the kingdome of God A. Gods kingdome is twofold The kingdome of Grace The kingdome of Glorie Q. What is the kingdome of Grace A. The kingdome of Grace is that whereby God gouerneth the hearts of the faithfull in this world Q. How doth God gouerne vs in this world A. Two wayes Inwardly By his Spirit Outwardly By his Word Q. How by his Spirit A. When by his Spirit and grace conueyed into our hearts hee not onely shews vs the good way wherein we should walk but also leades vs in the way and giues vs strength to continue in it and checks our hearts when we goe amisse Q. How by his Word A. As Princes rule their Subiects by those Lawes and statutes which they make So God rules vs by his Word hauing there taught vs what is right and what is wrong or what is lawfull and vnlawfull for vs. Q. What are the speciall good things that wee pray for A. Wee pray that God would giue his gratious and good spirit into our hearts to the gouerning and guiding of vs in our wayes that wee may so liue as the good Spirit of God would haue vs liue c. and further increase this good worke when it is begun Q. Doe all pray thus with desire to haue it so A. No many say Thy kingdome come that would not for any good Gods kingdome should come vpon vs Many would bee sorry in their hearts to doe no more then God would haue them doe to part with so many sinnes and leaue so many vanities as God would haue them leaue Qu. What is the second good thing that wee pray for A. That God would rule vs by his Word that wee may not be left to wander after our owne hearts but that wee may haue the word of God to a continuall directing of vs in an honest course Qu. What is the third thing A. Wee pray for all the good helpes and meanes that may further Gods kingdome and namely for good Ministers and good Magistrates Q. What doe wee pray for good Ministers A. That God would giue good Ministers to all places faithfull and able men full of Spirit and power who may build vp the decaies and the ruines of the Church and seeke vp the lost soules of their brethren and bring them home to the Fold of Christ. Secondly Wee pray that God would blesse and continue such as wee haue already that they may not be discouraged in their labours nor hindered in the Lords workes but may minister with great grace and cheerefulnesse amongst vs. Thirdly wee pray that God would make their Ministry effectuall to vs for our good that it may worke vpon our hearts to the killing of sinne and the strengthening of Gods graces in vs. Q. What doe wee pray for Magistrates A. First that God would raise vp such as may bee Fathers of the Church such as may tender Religion and wound with the sword of Iustice the head of all vngodlinesse in the land Secondly that God would blesse and continue those that be such especially our gratious King that his dayes may be as the dayes of Heauen and his Throne may be established in prosperitie and peace as long as the Sunne and Moone endure Q. What is the Kingdome of Glory A. It is that whereby God shall more fully raigne in vs in the world to come when all sinne and wickednesse shall be taken from vs.
Q What other proofe is there A. Children that are elected to Saluation are holy before Baptisme 1 Cor. 7. 14. they are within the Couenant Gen. 17. 7. the kingdome of heauen belongs vnto them Mark 10. 14. And therefore vndoubtedly they may be saued Qu. How then doth our Sauiour say Iohn 3. 5. Except a man bee borne of Water and the Spirit hee cannot enter into the kingdome of God A. Wee are to marke the person to whom hee speakes it to Nicodemus who might haue beene baptised if hee would So that our Sauiours speech reacheth no further but to those who may haue Baptisme and will not For if none absolutely might bee saued without Baptisme how could the Theefe bee saued who was conuerted vpon the Crosse Luk. 2. 3. Q. Is it lawfull for a priuate person to Baptise A. No For this is to corrupt the holy Seales For none may meddle in the holy things but they that are warranted thereunto by the Lord But priuate persons men or women haue no warrant from the Lord to Baptise and therefore they may not presume to intermeddle in it Heb. 5. 4. Q. What other Reason is there A. Baptisme is a part of the publike Ministry of the Church Math. 28. 19. But priuate persons and chiefly women may not intermeddle in the Churches Ministry And therefore they may not take vpon them to Baptise 1. Tim 2. 11. 12. Q. Yea but there is a case of necessitie in it A. There is no necessitie to breake the Law of God if we may haue the Sacraments according to the Lords institution we are to accept them with Thankfulnesse if wee cannot wee must not thinke it lawfull to come by them wee care not how Q. Zipporah in case of necessitie did Circumcise her childe A. The reason doth not hold For the Sacraments of the New Testament are tyed to the Ministry And therefore none but the Ministers may intermeddle in them But the Sacraments of the Old Testament were not tyed to the Priesthood as appeareth for that Christ and his Apostles caused kill the Passeouer who were not of the Tribe of Leui Luk. 22. 19 Also in that Ioshua did circumcise Iosh. 5. 3. Q. What is the other Sacrament A. The Sacrament of the Lords Supper Q. Why is the Lords Supper needfull after wee be Baptised A. Because by Baptisme wee doe enter into the household of God and by the Lords Supper wee are fed and nourished in the same So that Baptisme is the Seale of our entrance into Christ and the Lords Supper giues vs our further growth and continuance in him 1. Cor. 12. 13. Q. How is this further declared A. By a similitude For as a Master makes prouision for his Family that they may be the more able to goe through with their worke So the Lord hath appointed this Sacrament for the strengthening of his people that they may bee the better able to hold out in the holy labours and duties required at their hands Q. What learne wee by this A. That they who come seldome to the Sacrament must needs bee very faint and weake in the spirit As a man feeles his strength through long fasting to abate so that he is not able to walke with any cheerefulnesse and comfort in his calling Q. What is the outward signe in the Lords Supper A. Bread and Wine and the Sacramentall Rites that bee vsed about them Q. What doth the Bread signifie A. It signifies the Body of Christ. Q. What resemblance is there betweene the Bread and Christs Body A. First as the body cannot liue without bread no more can our soules liue without Christ. And therefore wee must labour for Christ as wee doe for bread Iohn 6. 51. Secondly as bread strengthens the body makes it the more able and fit to worke so that the eye sees the cleerer the hand mooues the quicker the foot sets the faster for it So Christ receiued by faith strengtheneth the Soule and makes it mighty through God to performe the duties of obedience required of it Phil. 4. 13. Q. What Bread did Christ vse in the Sacrament A. Ordinarie and common Bread such as was vsually at that time eaten with their meates Qu. Why did Christ vse common Bread A. First left men if the food had beene finer should haue left the care of feeding their soules and fallen to filling their bellies Secondly that as Naman learned because the Waters of Iordan were not better then the Waters of Damascus Therefore it was not the water of Iordan but the God of Israell that cleansed his leprosie So because this Bread is but ordinant and common bread wee may therefore know that it is not the bread but Christ signified by the bread that sanctifieth the receiuer Q. Why did Christ take the Bread A. Christ by taking the Bread from the Table shewed that hee would separate it to another vse So that where before it serued but to strengthen the body now it should serue to the strengthening of our Faith Q. How did Christ blesse the Bread A. As the Lord blessed the Seuenth day by appointing that day to an holy vse So Christ blessed the Bread by making 〈◊〉 holy Signe and a Sacrament of himselfe Qu. What doth the breaking of the Bread signifie A. The breaking and 〈◊〉 of Christs body vpon the Crosse. For as it is not the whole loaâ—e but the breed broken that feeds vs So it is not the life of Christ but the death of Christ not Christ walking and working Miracles but Christ Crucified 〈◊〉 and torne with the Nayles and Speare that brings sound peace and comfort to the heart Q. What are wee bidden to take inn this Sacrament A. Two things Bread to the feeding of our bodies and Christ himselfe to the feeding of our soules For as the Bread is offered to our bodies So Christ himselfe is offered to our faith Qu. What learne wee by this A. That hee which comes to this Sacrament must bring two hands with him An hand of the body to receiue the Bread and an hand of Faith to receiue Christ Iohn 1. 12. Qu. Doe not all receiue Christ that come to the Sacraments A. No For then euery one should bee the better for it whereas now many through their owne default are not the better but the worse after God iustly reuenging their irreuerence and contempt 1. Cor. 11. 17. Qu. Who bee they that take no good by this Sacrament A. First they that want Faith which is declared by their euill life For they wanting the hand of Faith must needs defeate themselues of the whole fruite of the Sacrament which is receiued by Faith Secondly such of the godly as doe not quicken and stirre vp their Faith by priuate prayer and meditation when they come to receiue For as a man that hath his arme benummed or asleepe is not able to reach out his hand to receiue the Bagg of gold that is offered him So if our faith bee dead and cold
then hee doth many dayes beside Secondly it meetes with a number that will Saint it and liue very deuoutly that day But the very next day or few dayes after they returne to their olde bent and runne themselues as deepe in the mire as they were before Qu. What is the third thing Answ. Wee must bring our selues often into minde of the Couenants and vowes which wee haue made to God thinking with our selues that such and such a day wee were before the Lord and there wee sware in his hearing and in the hearing of his People that wee would neuer liue as wee haue liued Wee would lye no more curse no more beare no more malice And therefore what a Iudgement shall wee pull vpon our heads if wee shall not bee carefull in some good measure to performe it Qu. What is the fourth thing Answ. Fourthly wee are to marke how the Sacrament workes vpon vs Whether wee finde our selues the better for it the stronger to resist sinne the cheerefuller in Gods seruice the tenderer to our Brethren And if it doe not worke What is the reason of it Whether want of preparation or want of reuerence or want of care afterwards that the next time wee come wee may come to better fruite Q. What is the last thing Answ. Wee must not bee long away but so soone as we feele any deadnesse or coldnesse or weaknesse to grow vpon vs wee are to make recourse hither againe for the recouering of our strength For as a man in a long iourney had need of many Baites So the Christian that hath a long Iourney to goe from Earth to Heauen from man to God from Mortalitie to Immortalitie had need to come oft to the Lords Table to bee refreshed Quest. What is the reason then that some come so seldome Answer Many of the Passengers doe not feele their need no though they bee ready to droppe downe into euery ditch But such as feele the want they are carefull to vse the Lords helpe against it DEO GLORIA FINIS THE SVBSTANCE AND PITH OF PRAYER OR A BRIEFE HOLY AND HEAVENLY EXPOSITION ON THE LORDS PRAYER Being the Summe and Marrow of diuers Sermons written and preached by that Holy Learned Reuerend and Iudicious Diuine Mr. IOHN SMITH late Preacher of the Word at Clauering in Essex And sometime Fellow of St. Iohns Colledge in Oxonford Vprightnesse hath boldnesse EPHES. 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseuerance and supplication for all Saints And for me c. LONDON Printed by G. P. for George Edwards and are to be sold at his house in the Old Baily in Greene Arbor at the signe of the Angell 1629. AN EXPOSITION ON THE LORDS PRAYER MATTH 6. 9. After this manner therefore pray yee Our Father which art in heauen Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Giue vs this day our dayly bread And forgiue vs our debts as we forgiue our debtors And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill For thine is the Kingdome the power and the glory for euer Amen HAuing already spoken of the first part of Christian profession the second followeth and that is Prayer wherein we can haue no better guide to direct vs then the Lord himselfe nor sweeter words then those so effectuall of our Sauiour Christ. There are then two things commended vnto vs in the words of our Sauiour Christ. 1 A Duty which is that we must pray 2 A direction in this Duty how and in what manner we must pray both which are implyed in these first words of Christ. After this manner pray ye 1 Concerning the Duty two things are required 1 What it is to pray 2 Why we must pray For the first Prayer is a lifting vp of the heart vnto God whereby we desire things needfull of him as the welspring and fountaine of all goodnesse Whence it appeares that there are three things remarkeable in Prayer Prayer is an action or motion of the heart It is not a mouing of the mouth or an action of the lips onely but properly an action or moouing of the heart as 1 Sam. 1. 13. Anna prayed in her heart but her mouth spake not So Psal. 20. 4. the Prophet prayes And grant thee according to thy hart c. So Eph. 5. 19. the Apostles words are Speaking to your selues in Psalmes Hymnes and spiritual songs singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. So that Prayer must needs haue the working of the heart for if it come not from thence if that be not moued to pray it is but lip-labour and an idle sound It is no prayer because in prayer there must be a mouing of the heart The Lord by the Prophet complaines of this neglect And they haue not cryed vnto me with their hearts when they howled vpon their beds c. and 1 Kings 8. 39. Salomon prayeth to God that when any man prayeth the Lord would giue vnto him as hee knoweth his heart For the Lord onely knoweth the hearts of the children of men By which it is euident that the Lord accounteth not of that prayer which comes not from the heart Oh that men of this world did well consider this they thinke that if they tumble out words of prayer though their mindes wander and are vnstedfast though their thoughts be vpon other things though their hearts be transported with diuers wanderings yet they pray vnto God But the truth is that as Prayer is an Action and Motion of the Heart so if the Heart doe not ioyne in prayer though a man vse words neuer so oft hee cannot truely say that he doth pray Nay I would this were the fault of the world onely that euen the good seruants of God did not faile in this For surely the best men haue their stragglings and wanderings in prayer Let a man come to prayer and hee shall haue much adoe to hold his heart fast vnto God As the fowles troubled Abraham in his sacrifice So a number of by-thoughts are ready to trouble vs in prayer Wherefore euery good seruant of God must accuse himselfe for this and pray to God for grace strength to amend it As Abraham Gen. 22. 5. vsed his seruants and his Asse to helpe him in his iourney but when hee came to Mount Moriah the place of worship then he discharged them and left them a farre off So worldly thoughts are tollerable and lawfull if we vse them as seruants to carry vs through this our iourney from Earth to Heauen But when we come home to prayer to present our selues before the Maiesty of God then we must dismisse and discharge them So that this is the first thing to be obserued in prayer that Prayer is an action or motion of the heart The second thing in prayer is that Prayer is a motion of the heart as it
worke and rage a long while after So it must be with our thoughts though we haue layed aside our worldly labour earthly desires lusts and such like yet some waues are working still some thoughts cares and cogitations are about vs till wee prepare our selues otherwise So that there must be a a settling of our affections to prayer before hand These be the reasons why it pleased our Lord to vse a Preface to this prayer to teach vs how to prepare our selues to pray before we set about it For as in a Clocke though there be many wheeles yet the motions and agitations of all depend vpon the great wheele So it is in all worldly businesse all these lesser wheeles of our affaires and cares of this world must depend vpon this greater wheele of Prayer Thus our heart being settled and prepared to pray it carries all the rest of the thoughts with it Againe In this Preface we are taught three things 1 To whom we must pray 2 With what affection we must pray 3 What be the duties required of them that pray First we must pray to God onely For Christ he directeth vs to pray vnto our heauenly Father Thus we must pray vnto none but Him seeing by Christs owne Rule we are directed vnto God onely as in the whole Scriptures is euident Phil. 4. 6. In all things let your requests be shewen to God in Prayer c. So Iam. 1. 5. If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske it of God Saint Paul shewes the ground of this Rom. 10. 14. But how shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued Now by the Rules of Christian faith we are bound to beleeue in none but in God onely so our prayers to be directed onely vnto him Of which there be two Reasons why the Lord will haue prayers directed onely to himselfe First That a man might haue an immediate dependance vpon God and not depend vpon any creature or any power of Angels but vpon God onely being carried by immediate relation vnto God as our Sauiour teaches So Saint Augustine shewes There is no intermediate nature betwixt God and man and so concludes that we haue but one God Almighty to pray to Secondly GOD would haue all prayer directed vnto him That hee onely might bee knowne to bee the fountaine of goodnesse and the spring of all good things For howsoeuer by his seruants and other meanes other blessings and benefits are conueyed vnto vs vs yet in prayer the Lord will haue vs goe vnto him as acknowledging him to be the Fountaine and all oother meanes to issue from him For howsoeuer the Lord affoord meanes which must be vsed yet must God blesse the worke or it will turne to nothing Saint Paul sayes 1 Cor. 3. I haue planted Apollo watered but God must giue the increase Very Philosophers can say Secunda causa non operatur nisi in virtute primae Second causes worke not but by vertue of the first moouer as wee see in a Clocke if a man will watch the first motion and bring it into order there is no doing with the Leades or lesser wheeles but he must goe vnto the great wheele to deale with it to order all the rest So because God is the great Wheele of this world vpon whose motion all others doe depend sensible and insensible earthly and heauenly If in our first labour wee make our stay vpon God there will quickely be a stay in any of the creatures that be out of order And so because all efficacy and workings in all effects is from the Lord and all instruments and meanes can worke no further then it shall please him to worke by them our Sauiour would haue vs likewise to goe onely vnto the Lord himselfe who is the principall agent and workeman for our good Use. Now if all prayer by the rule of Christ be to be directed vnto God alone Then it is vtterly vnlawfull to pray to Saints Angels or any other Creature Power c. but to God onely Yet here the Papists confute themselues saying In effect they come before God for all the meanes as they vse as they say doe depend vpon God Bellarmine in the name of all the rest vndertakes to cleare this That they doe neither pray to Angels or Saints for any thing as the giuers and authors of any thing but that they should pray for vs. But we see the words of Christ are directly against it for he sayes plainly when ye pray pray in this manner Sic Orate c. so pray c. not in the Popish manner thus Christ not onely prescribes a rule but also sets downe a speciall direction vnto whom we must pray as well as in what order and with what affection And for this are all the holy Fathers The second thing is With what affection we must pray which may be seene by the two attributes giuen to God First that he is here called Our Father Secondly that he is said to be In heauen Now in that he is called Our Father this may teach vs two things First That we must pray in faith that is with an assured trust and confidence that wee shall be heard for if God be our Father we need neuer doubt but we shall finde louing and fatherly affection in him for there is no father so ready to heare the requests of his children as the Lord is to heare vs in all our desires So he sayes 2 Cor. 6. vlt. I will not onely saith God take the title vpon me and appellation of a Father but I will be a Father you shall find in me all the affections of a Father yea and that more plentifully then any father can haue As the Lord will heare vs so vpon this ground we must pray vnto him in faith that is with a full assurance that we shal be heard when we pray Thus we haue it Iam. 1. 6. If any man aske in faith he shall receiue And Christ himselfe saith Marke 11. 24. Whatsoeuer ye aske in prayer beleeue and yee shall obtaine it Obiect But now here ariseth an obiection how can we aske and pray in faith that is with a sound comfort and assurance that we shall be heard seeing many times the Lord giues not to his dearest children that which they pray for Ans. I answer as Augustine saith Non audit Dominus ad voluntatem nostram c. God doth not alwayes heare according to our will but in that he knowes to be best and meetest for vs. As when a Chirurgion layes a Corrasiue or a burning Iron to a soare the Patient feeling it to smart cryes out and would haue it remoued the Chirurgion heares him but lets it tarry and the Patient lye still He heares him to his health and recouery So saith another Mothers rubbe their children there for their health although they rore and cry againe yet for all
hand of God fel vpon Moses and Aaron because they failed in this duty Because said hee you did not sanctifie me in the eyes of the children of Israel you shall not bring this Congregation into the land that I haue giuen them Thus if God will so seuerely punish the neglect of his glory in his own deare children and seruants how shal they escape that are not so deare vnto him and yet are much more faulty in the same kinde The second part of this Petition is that as wee pray that we our selues may glorifie the Name of God So we pray that others may doe so also That the whole world may know and acknowledge the Goodnesse Mercy Wisedome Power and Greatnesse that is in God So wee are exhorted to doe by the Prophet Giue vnto the Lord the families of the people giue vnto the Lord glory and power c. Giue vnto the Lord the glory of his Name c. Ierem. 23. 16. saith he Giue glory vnto the Lord your God before he bring darkenesse ouer the land c. So that it is cleere we must not onely glorifie God our selues but also be carefull that others especially seruants and children vnder vs doe the like as we reade of Iob that because he was iealous of his childrens actions he offered sacrifice for them and the Lord himselfe saith of Abraham I know that Abraham will command his houshold to serue me Wherefore let vs cast vp this account with our selues that if of duty and conscience we serue God it is likewise our duty to prouide that our children and seruants doe the like Yee shall find many men that put away their seruants because they be idle stubborne carelesse and false vnto them but where is there one that puts a way a seruant because he is a swearer a blaspemer of the Holy Name of God a prophaner of the Sabboth c. This shewes that we haue more care of our owne workes and profit in particulars then of the Lords glory But true Christians should take another course and pray that aboue all things the Name of GOD may be Hallowed all the world ouer being diligent withall that all vnder their charge and gouernment do the like also Againe we pray in this Petition That though both doe faile yet that the Lord would maintaine the cause of his owne glory This shewes a sincere true affect on to the glory of God when we are contented that the Lord should doe that which is for his owne glory howsoeuer the matter light heauy vpon our selues as Christ said Father glorifie thy Name so say we Lord though it be by death though by my extinction abolishing though I suffer all paines though I indure the greatest misery that may be yet glorifie thy Name whether in life or death Thus when one can be contended to be exposed to all the mischiese in the world all the shame and disgrace that may be to set forth the honour of God if hee may be glorified by the same this shewes that such haue a desire of the glory of God and that this sincere affection commeth from the Lords mercy being powred into our hearts by his blessed Spirit whereby we can effectually cry out Hallowed be thy Name 2. PETITION Thy Kingdome come Petition 2 IN the former Petition we are taught to pray for the glory of God which is preferred before the Kingdome of God to shew that all our care must be for Gods glory Now in the next Petition we are taught to pray for the meanes of his glory that the Kingdome of God may come c. for then indeed God shall haue his glory when looking for the Kingdome of God it comes into our hearts to inable vs to performe his commandements and that we be alwayes ready to doe his will for vntill it be so God shall haue little glory or honour amongst vs so that first we pray for the glory of God and then for the meanes of his glory It is the error of the world to desire the End without the meanes The glory of God which is the End they would haue But the meanes of his glory which is the Kingdome of God to come and his will to be done this they care not for The wicked Iewes Isa. 66. 5. could say Let the Lord bee glorified which is spoken of all those who be worshippers of the true God So the Pharises Iohn 9. 24. were contented to say vnto the blindman Giue glory to God but they would not allow of Christ the meanes of their saluation for said they vnto him we know that this man is a sinner whereby it appeares that the common course of the world is to desire the glory of God without the meanes of his glory In this Petition also we may obserue three things First when we pray that the Kingdome of God may come It is in opposition to another Kingdome that is already in the world for the sinnes of men The kingdome of darknesse and of the Diuell which is a great and mighty kingdome and hath a number of proppes and pillars to vphold it as for the Kingdome of Christ there be a very small company to vphold it but the kingdome of darknesse hath a number of great ones to sustaine it whole swarmes of people in euery corner one would wonder at the multitude and at their conditions For howsoeuer men will say I defie the diuell and according to the custome spit at him yet as long as they doe the will of the Diuell practising workes of darkenesse there is no hope that by their indeuours they can aduance the Kingdome of God or labour that it should come vpon them Doth not either ignorance or blindnesse eate vp their soules so that they bee either lyars swearers adulterers fornicators couetous drunkards contentious c. wherein so long as they continue they be the very proppes and pillars to vphold and shouldor vp the kingdome of darkenesse and the Diuell Thus it appeares the Diuell is a great Monarch because the greatest part of the subiects in all Kingdomes serue him be obedient to him and disobedient vnto God they runne as the Apostle speakes Ephes. 2. 2. After the Prince that ruleth in the ayrel euen the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience So 2 Cor. 4 4. It is said That the God of this world hath blinded their mindes c. For as God spake the word and it was done saying Let there be light and there was light So the Diuell cannot so soone speake the word but by and by it is done by worldly men He can no sooner say let there bee an oath lye bribe quarrell fashion or wickednesse but by and by some one or other puts it in practise Thus he rules like a God in this world a great pitty it is that men should so be deceiued for God will pull downe the Kingdome of darkenesse and set
and too heauy for them to beare so the best is but a yoake and many times a heauy yoake too but in the sweet Kingdome of Christ there shall bee nothing offensiue to vs as it is saide of the Angels at that day And they shall gather out of his Kingdome all things that offend saith our Sauiour So it is said There shall bee no more sorrow Bees wee know bee driuen from their Combes and Honey with a little smoake euen so the vexations puthers and smoakes which wee finde on these earthly kingdomes should make vs all long for that happy Kingdome of Christ wherein there shall bee nothing to annoy vs. Thirdly Because earthly Kingdomes they yeeld vs peace and tranquillity but for a time onely for either they end or we end and so all comes to nothing But our happinesse in Christs Kingdome shall be for euer and euer for when we haue liued a hundred thousand thousand yeeres in the full inioyment of it wee haue more and more and more ages without end to possesse it therefore Heb. 12. 28. it is called a kingdome which cannot be shaken good reason then haue wee whose eyes he hath opened to behold this kingdome to pray especially and groane for it Now there be two wayes whereby the kingdome of God may come vnto vs. 1 Generally at the day of Iudgement 2 Particularly at the day of our owne death We pray for both these First that God would bee pleased to sold vp the times make an end of this world hasten the great comming of his deare Sonne Thus the Saints cry vnder the Altar How long Lord Holy and true dost thou not auenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth We know this kingdome of Christ cannot come but first there must bee a dissolution of this world when all the glory thereof must turne to nothing as Peter speakes The Earth and all the workes thereof shall be burnt vp God forbid therefore that the world or any thing in it should make vs loath to come to Heauen rather let vs be contented to suffer the losse of all so we come thither to enioy this happy and blessed kingdome of the Lord Iesus for which we are commanded to pray Which as we pray for so must we be carefull to fit and prepare our selues for it that when it commeth it may come to our comfort we all pray Thy Kingdome come But know O man if thou hast not fitted and prepared thy selfe for it if thou dost liue in thy sinnes if thou hast had no care nor regard of reconciling thy selfe to Christ for thy saluation if thou hast not beene throughly washed ouer and ouer in the blood of the Lambe Oh whensoeuer this kingdome comes I foretell thee in the Name of the Lord it will come to thy cost to thy ruine and vtter desolation in the day of Christ. Therefore consider of this all yee that liue in known sinnes without repentance yea pray I say that the Kingdome of God may come and oh what haue you to doe with the day of the Lord This comming shall be sorrow woe confusion darknesse nay Blackenesse of darknesse and tempest vnto you for euer and reiection from the presence of CHRIST but if you would haue comfort of CHRISTS comming liue well and be prepared for it with the Wise Uirgins hauing Oyle in your Lampes and your Loynes girded Secondly wee pray that though this generall comming be deferred yet that by death as by a close doore we may be let in into this kingdome So that whereas the men of this world desire nothing more then to liue still here hang as it were vpon the pleasures of this life sauour nothing but of earth and earthly contentments the true mortified Christian professeth another thing he desireth to leaue all and goe home to Christ as soone as may be So Iob If a man dye shall he liue againe All the dayes of my appointed time will I waite till my changing shall come c. and Paul Philip. 1. 23. professes I desire to bee loosed and to bee with Christ which is best of all It is true indeed that no man may desire the day of death out of discontentment with life because of the trouble and crosses of this world It was Jonas fault to doe so yet in two respects one may pray for death yea his owne death First That we may make an end of sinning and offending GOD that whereas hee euery day breakes out in the dishonouring of GOD which vexes and grieues him hee may pray the Lord to shorten these dayes of sinne with abatement of our dayes so finishing our offences as Saint Paul does O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee from the body of this death Secondly That wee may enioy the blessed fruition of the presence of God as his holy Angels doe Moses you know desired but to see the backe parts of God on the holy mountaine for hee could not see his face and liue If Moses so desired to see but a glimpse of his glory as it were through a creuice or a chinke how much more excellent will be the shining of his face in full glory therefore because euery day wee liue in this world wee lose a day in Heauen as detained from him who is our true life indeed wee may therefore pray that as soone as may be wee may finish vp our course in this world and cry to be away to goe home to the house of our Father to the possession of a better life the Kingdome of Glory and happinesse prepared for vs for which wee are taught to pray Thy Kingdome come 3. PETITION Thy will be done euen in Earth as it is in Heauen WEe haue heard before that in the first Petition we pray for the glory of God and in the second for the means of his glory that is that the kingdome of God may come into our hearts and rule vs by his Spirit Now in this third Petition we pray that we may be contented to submit vnto it and be alwayes ready to doe the Lords will and not our owne So that whereas in the former Petition we prayed for the inward gouernment of God the worke of grace holy motions striuings in our selues that the Lord would do his part now we pray that we may be willing to doe our part not resist this inward gouernment of God bee ready euer to yeeld obedience vnto it All the Question as one sayes very well betwixt God and vs is whose will shall be done Gods will should but man is vnwilling to haue it so but aspires to haue his own will for the rule of his actions this is that which breeds all the quarrell betwixt God and vs Now our Sauiour Christ he teaches vs in this Petition to giue all the Souerainty to God to take his part against our selues praying to doe his will whatsoeuer may befall vs in this world Thus haue we
vp his hands and eyes vnto heauen intreating that God will may be done and yet haue no care to doe it being vnwilling to repent of sinnes and to lay hold on the promises of Christ to which purpose it was a waighty speech of a learned man Wee may as well spit vpon CHRIST buffet Him beate Him with roddes bow before Him with cursed mocking say Hayle King of the Iewes c. as kneele in His Church in our Pew and say Thy will bee done and yet neuer haue any care to doe it but grieue God with our sinnes adde wickednesse to wickednesse day by day neuer thinking of reconciling our selues and examining our hearts and consciences toreformation and newnesse of life The third generall part of this Petition is In what manner wee must doe the will of God You see wee pray that we may doe it in Earth as they doe it in Heauen that is as the Angels and blessed Spirits doe it which are in the presence of GOD and the reason of this is because as we haue heard before in all duties the manner of a thing in regard of gratefull acceptation is as much as the thing it selfe As if one build a man a house yet if he doe not build it to the minde of the owner if it bee too high or too low too wide flat or such like he thinkes all his charges lost So if one plough a field what is all his labour and paines if it be not to the will of his Master So in holy duties howsoeuer we doe the will of God yet if wee doe it not in such and such manner as God prescribeth he will not accept it Yea Schoolemen say that the ground of this is because The manner of the thing is as well commanded as the thing it selfe So Jeremy Cursed be he who doth the worke of the Lord negligently Though it be the worke of God yet cursed is hee yea so much the more if hee doe it negligently not in such sort as he should It is said of Noah to his praise that hee not onely did all things but also in the very same sort and manner as the Lord had commanded Moses was commanded to doe all things according to the patterne shewed him in the Mount this is that we pray for in the last clause of this Petition In which two things are especially to be considered 1 Why the Lord fetcheth vs a Patterne from Heauen and not rather from good men in this world 2 How and in what manner the Angels doe the will of God Concerning the first There are fowre speciall Reasons of it why the Lord fetches vs a Patterne from heauen rather then from Earth First Because a rare example doth most moue vs. Few examples in this world be rare and those few that be are so darkned and clouded with contrary examples that they hardly moue vs. To this effect Dauid saith The Lord looked from Heauen and saw that none did good no not one So Isa. 64. 6 7. the Prophet brings in the people confessing Wee haue all been as an vncleane thing and our Righteousnesse is as filthy cloutes c. And hee concludes for there is none that stirreth vp himselfe to call vpon thee Yea also of this Saint Paul complaines affirmatiuely Philip. 2. 2. For all seeke their owne and not that which is Iesus Christs So because there is such a rarity of good examples in this world therefore our Sauiour Christ sends vs as farre as Heauen to take our example from thence as Marriners on the Sea who are alwayes guided by the Starres because they want in the Sea firme markes to direct them home to their owne Countrey So must we doe because we want firme and sure examples in this world to raise vp our thoughts by into heauen and mount vs beyond the clouds we must take our patterne from those blessed Spirits and powers that continually doe serue in the presence of God The second is because those fewe examples that are in the world be not pure and perfect but haue their defects Saint Paul as I haue said likeneth the examples of holy men to the cloud that led the people out of Egypt which had two parts one bright another darke somewhat to be followed somewhat to be declined Now because the corruption of our nature is such that wee are more prone to imitate euill then good to follow Dauid in his sinnes rather then in his teares to follow Peter in deniall of Christ rather then in his repentance therefore to helpe this our Sauiour Christ directs vs to the example of holy Angels which be pure and perfect Thirdly Because these earthly examples be but of men terrestriall like vnto our selues But Angels be the most noble spirits of God the glory and beauty of all creatures so that the direction is forcible If Angels eleuated and lifted vp to such a high degree be alwayes ready and willing to doe the will of God then much more we that be men much meaner and lower then they be Saint Paul tels vs that God when he bringeth his first begotten Sonne into the world he saith Let all the Angels of God worship him why giues hee such a charge vnto Angels was there any doubt but that the Angels were ready to stoupe and doe seruice to the Sonne of God The answer must be that it was especially to raise vp men to doe the like that if the most noble spirits of God fall and sinke downe at the feet of Christ then much more we that be but dust and ashes wormes-meat and wretched men must be still ready to fall before him and to doe him seruice Thus our blessed Sauiour in this place shewes how prompt and ready the holy Angels bee to doe the will of God and therefore doth the more incite and stirre vs vp to bee like them Fourthly That we may make our conuersation heauenly while we be vpon earth That though our bodies bee here vpon ground yet that we might conuerse aboue the Starres amongst Angels and Archangels and all the blessed spirits continually attending to doe Gods will According as Saint Paul speakes Phil. 3. 20 But our conuersation is in heauen from whence also we looke for a Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Christ c. And of men thus eleuated he sayes Ephes. 2. 19. Now therefore wee are no more strangers and forraigners but Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Thus as I say though we liue vpon earth yet in affection we must labour to be ioyned to this heauenly troope of Caelestiall and blessed Spirits which attend to doe the will of God The next thing to be considered is How the Angels doe the will of God and in what manner for seeing Christ hath set them for our example it is good for vs to know what altitude and height wee must aspire to and ayme at though we be not able to
Secondly this Petition was so connected to the former to shew That though God giue vs our daily Bread yet if we haue not pardon of our sinnes all the Bread of the world can doe vs no good For it is a sweet and most comfortable thing to the conscience to be perswaded of Gods fauour in the forgiuenesse of sinnes For if one haue all the variety of good things in this world though his meat be Manna from heauen Rayment as precious as Aarons Robes his life as long as that of Methusalem his strength as Sampson Beauty as Absalon Glory Wisedome and Riches like Salomon yet if he haue not this Petition granted him which Christ here speakes of The pardon of his sinnes all is lost all is nothing worth yea in terrour of conscience all is displeasing and vncomfortable For saith Christ Matth. 16. 26. What shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his soule or what ransome shall a man giue for his soule This question Tertullian demaunds What will all thy dainty dishes availe thee if they doe but feed thee to the fire of Hell Therefore remember to say Lord giue me daily Bread but O! Giue me also pardon of my sinnes for vnlesse I haue a feeling sense of thy fauour and hope of heauen all things else are nothing vnto me We know that condemned men in the Tower who haue goodly lodging lie well great attendance yet haue poore or no comfort in all this when they daily expect to be brought forth to execution Euen so it is with all the magnificence and glory of this world there is no comfort in any part thereof without the forgiuenesse of our sinnes one must goe to hell The rich Glutton we read when he was in Hell howsoeuer he possessed all things in this life and was glorious in estimation and riches yet afterwards they profited him nothing nay they were the greater corrasiue vnto him as he had formerly ioyed and flowed therein who found by wofull experience that one drop of Christs blood one Dramme of the forgiuenesse of sinnes had done him more good then all his infinite wealth and store of money Let vs then all pray with Dauid Psal. 50. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me giue me with daily Bread forgiuenesse of sinnes and howsoeuer thou deale with me in the things of this world yet let me haue the comfort of the saluation of my soule Hitherto of the entrance into the Petition and the questions touching the same In the Petition it selfe three things are to be considered 1 A Confession 2 A Request 3 A Condition In the confession three things are to be obserued of vs. 1 That euery sinne is a Debt 2 That we be all fallen into this Debt 3 That we be not able to pay this Debt For then we would neuer pray to haue this debt forgiuen if we were able to pay it First concerning the Confession wee acknowledge sin to be a debt for by debts here are meant sinnes as Christ in another place teacheth his Disciples Luke 11. 4. And forgiue vs our sinnes So the debt we speake of is the debt of sinne which for two causes is compareâ— to a debt First Because it ariseth after the manner of a debt for as a debt as we know ariseth vpon the non-payment of money and not performance of that which is due so because we haue not rendred vnto the Lord that which is his due not payed him that seruice loue honour obedience c. that we owe him being mightily behind with him Hence it is that we come to be mightily indebted vnto the lord being so farre in arrerages vnto him and so sinne ariseth in the first place after the manner of a debt Secondly it is compared to a debt because it bindes vs to a debt for as a debt bindes vs either to payment or to punishment to content the party or to goâ— to prison so doe our sinnes binde vs either to content the Lord in his Iustice or to vndergoe eternal damnation so that there is but one of two wayes to escape â—udgement either to content diuine Iustice or to vndergoe punishment And yet the debt of sinne is a worse debt then any other for it is not a money matter to be imprisoned for but this casts him into Hell for euer and euer Indeed the Law hath beene stricter for a man that made not payment of his debt was to be sold his wife his children and all he had Amongst the Parthians the Lawes were more cruell for if thae debt were not payed euery creditor was to take away so much of his flesh as the debt came vnto but these were courses barbarous and cruell Now by the lawes we see to be cast in prison is the punishment inflicted for a debt But for the debt of sinne we shall not only be cast into prison which is Hel but there suffer paines and torments easelesse and endlesse Another thing is that sinne is not like a debt we owe in this world for many a man though not able to pay his debt or not able to pay the interest for the time yet may deuise some meanes to auoyde and shift it off by a tricke pretend danger in the way or conscience in the businesse or if all faile he may die and then no body can compell him to pay the debt but no man in the world can shift off the debt of sinne First because God is able to proue euery debt that we owe him he hath it in a booke as Iob speakes Chap. 18. 23. Mine iniquitie is sealed vp as in a bagge Secondly wee cannot sue for such a Protection as the power of Princes giue in this world there is nothing able to protect vs from the Lord. There is no flying away that wil not help vs neither for we can flye no where from the Lord though we flie vnto Hell for saith the Prophet Psal. 139. 7. Whither shall I goe from thy spirit or whither shall I flie from thy presence If to heauen thou art there If to Hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the outermost parts of the Sea euen there shall thy hand lead me c. Fourthly Death cannot free vs from the debt of sin for howoseuer by death wee are out of the Vsurers hand yet wee cannot escape out of the hands of God Therefore let vs make this vse of it Feare him saith our Sauiour that when he hath killed the body can cast both soule and body into hell so that of all debt the debt of sinne is the most grieuous wherefore let vs bee carefull aboue all things to auoyde and get out of this debt A man that loues quietnesse and peace cannot abide to runne in debt O how carefull will he be to shunne it he will liue hardly and poorely goe thinne and liue of his
these are in a man nor in a mans will vntill God worke and fulfill them by his mightie power For first a man hath not eyes to see the good things of God Deut. 29. 3. saith hee Yet the Lord hath not giuen you a heare to perceiue and eyes to see and eares to heare vnto this day Secondly man hath neither desire nor appetite till God worke it in him as it is Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you both the will and the deed or to will and to doe of his good pleasure Thirdly though wee had eyes to see good things and will to delight in them yet haue wee no strength and power to performe them vntill God will as Iohn 15. 5. For without mee you can doe nothing So then this is the doctrine of Repentance that if God worke not in a man these motions by his power there is no repentance Nay we see God onely workes man vnto repentance by the power of his Spirit and Grace so that hee is the first Cause of Repentance Of which let this be The Vse Vse 1 That because the Efficient cause of Repentance is God onely wee must say as St. Iames saith If any man lacke wisdome let him aske of God that giueth vnto all men liberally c. So let vs say of Repentance if any man lacke repentance let him aske it of God and hee will giue it him It is said of the Rocke Psal. 78. 20. Behold hee smote the Rocke that the waters gushed out and the streames ouerflowed c. Euen so let vs pray God by the power of his Spirit and grace to smite so hard vpon our rockie hearts that by and by may gush out from vs floods of repentant teares Vse 2 Secondly let vs learne to take God at his offer or else at another time wee may goe without it and hauing it let vs stirre vp our selues to be thankfull to God for it Cause of Repentance 2 The Second Cause of Repentance is called The Instrumentall Cause and that is the preaching of the Word as it is Luk. 24. 27. saith hee And that Repentance and remission of sinnes should bee preached in his Name amongst all Nations so that preaching is the Instrumentall cause thereof for though God giue Repentance it being wrought by him in vs yet hee doth it by meanes wee must not thinke that God will open the Cloudes and come downe from heauen and poure Repentance into our hearts or drop it in vs but hee hath ordained that wee shall get it by the preaching of the Word for thereby wee are made partakers of the graces of his holy Spirit Now consider there are two things to effect this The Preaching of the Law and the preaching of the Gospell the first that a man may see his sinne and the fearefull estate hee is in by the same The second that he may finde there is a remedie and that it is not in himselfe The Law prepares a man for Repentance shewes him all his sinnes and his damnable estate before yea it terrifies the conscience euen to the very flinging of him downe to hell and though this be not an infallible signe of grace to be thus terrified and restrained yet it is the occasion of it because it helpes to prepare vs and make vs willing to lay hold of Repentance as God workes in vs. As a man that makes choice of a tree to build with first he cuts it downe with his axe ere hee lay it flat vpon the ground and when he hath done so then hee applyes his line and tooles vnto lopping the boughes and so hewes it and squares it to make it the fitter for his worke Euen so doth the Lord first hee beates a man flat downe with the sentence of the Law and horrour of his sinne and then hee lifts him vp and restores him with the promises of the Gospell And whereas many thinke that it is a strange worke of God to deale thus with a man and that when God doth deale thus that man is in a wofull and lamentable estate the truth is that then the Law from God is a fitting and working a man to bee fit for eternall life and thus though the Law cannot bring a man to Repentance yet it is a meanes of preparation And then after this commeth the Gospell as a powerfull instrument and workes Faith and other Graces in vs by a diuine assistance The vse is Vse Because then the preaching of the Word is thus a powerfull cause of Repentance that wee make much of it and imbrace it esteeming it a pretious Iewell of Gods Treasurie yea and to seeke and hunger for it by all meanes If a man were grieuously sicke vpon his bed and that it were told him that in such a ground such a herbe did grow which applyed would quickly ridde him of all his paine and griefe if hee had any meanes to come by it sure hee would creepe thither vpon his hands and his feet to haue it no paines would bee irkesome vnto him so hee might recouer his health againe euen so when a man is deadly sicke of sinne as wee should all bee and it shall bee told him that in the preaching of the Gospell there is such a herbe of Grace the Flower of Repentance that will cure him of his sinne and restore him to the life of glorie I hope no man is so desperate and carelesse that will neglect the hearing of it Now what shall wee doe in this case but as it were to creepe on our hands and knees that is to vse all meanes to attaine the same and bee partakers of the benefites of the Gospell that wee may bee saued O! shall wee bee more carefull in such a case of our bodyes then of our soules Now besides these two Causes that may bring vs vnto Repentance there bee other three causes which are called Cause adiuvantes Helping or furthering causes because though they doe not worke Repentance in themselues yet they doe exercise a man to the helping and furthering of this worke in him I declare it by a similitude when one would saw a Tree three things are requisite vnto this worke First there must bee a saw which is the Instrument Secondly there must bee one to pull and mooue the saw to apply it to the Tree which is the Efficient cause Thirdly there must bee a certaine oylie and liquide matter to make the Saw runne which is Causa adiuvans the Helping cause which smoothes the Saw and makes it runne with case So it is in this great worke of Repentance the Saw or Instrument to worke is the preaching of the Gospell which doth sawe and worke vpon the conscience as the Instrument of God and God himselfe is the effectuall puller or workeman to worke Repentance in vs. So that Now the Helping Causes are especially three 1. The Mercie of God 2. The Iudgements of God 3. Our owne Considerations Helping
means yet our comfort shall then be the lesser for ordinarily hee doth more blesse the publike then the priuate meanes vnto vs wherefore of all times the time of death is the most vnable for Repentance and the worst wherefore now O yee my hearers let my counsell this day bee acceptable in your eyes and eares Remember now your Creator in the dayes of your youth health and strength the sooner it is done the better easier and more comfortable will your life and death bee doe therefore in this as Abraham did when hee sacrificed Isaac he rose vp early in the morning so wee should rise vp early in the morning of our age and youth â—o offer vp our selues our soules and bodies vnto God as a liuing sacrifice our Isaac must at one time or other bee sacrificed therefore let vs repent and bewaile our sinnes betimes for it is a speciall point of prudence to doe that betimes which must needs be done Thus of the Generall Now for the Particular Time of Repentance there bee sixe things Considerable The first is When a man hath committed any new sinne then is a speciall time for him to renew his Repentance as hee hath renewed his sinne So Dauid did 2. Sam. 24. 10. where it is recorded that Dauids heart smote him after that hee had numbred the People Thus by and by hee renewed his Repentance after that hee had confessed and seene his sinne So Peter Math. 26. 73. It is written of him that after he had remembred the words of Christ Hee went out and wept bitterly Thus euery new act of sinne must haue a new act of Repentance as I haue said If a man haue an arme or a legge out of ioynt he can neuer be quiet vntill it bee set and put in order againe so should it bee in our committing of sinne for because euery sinne setteth the soule out of ioynt wee should neuer be quiet vntill Repentance haue put all in frame againe Wee see by experience that if a candle be blowne out if a man by and by runne to the fiâ—e with it the sooner he comes the easier it will be lighted againe and the sooner and the longer hee â—arries the longer it will bee ere it take fire euen so when a man falls into any sinne the sooner hee repents of it the more easie and better it will be for him and the longer hee deferres his Repentance the harder it will befor him to bring his heart to the duty Therefore it will be best for vs to take the best courses which may bring vs vnto saluation no sooner to haue sinned but presently thereupon also to renew our Repentance As the wise mans counsell is My sonne if thou hast sinned deferre not thy Repentance Secondly it is a speciall time of Repentance When any iudgement of God either publike or priuate falls vpon vs as the Prophet shewes Isa. 26. 16. Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was vpon them So Lament 3. 40. saith the Church Let vs search and try our wayes and turne vnto the Lord. When God sends sicknesse blindnesse or lamenesse losse in our goods friends reputation preferment or such like then is a speciall tune to repent vs of our sinnes For it is a sure thing that the iudgements of God come by reason of our sinnes and so questionlesse God will renew his iudgements if wee renew our sinnes which cannot be remooued but by Repentance If a mans house be on fire he will carry out his Flaxe and Towe Wood and Straw with euery thing else which is fit and likely to augment the fire and then doth hee cry for helpe and poure on water to quench it euen so because our sinnes doe nourish the fire of Gods wrath and will consume our soules if wee doe not carry them out of sight by repentance therefore we should set about this worke and take away all that matter which may increase the fire of Gods vengeance vpon vs which is to put away our sinnes by repentance as wee see Deut. 9. 20. Moses did for thus he records it And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to haue destroyed him and I prayed for Aaron the same time Here you see how a iudgement was remooued by Aarons repentance and Moyses prayer Wee see if the Kings Writs be out against a man to attach him Bayliffs and Sherifes lying in wait for him in euery corner to arrest him such a man will presently labour to compasse the matter and bring it to agreement for feare of imprisonment So when the Writs of God are out against vs and his Iudgements like Sergeants and Baylifes dogge vs in euery corner what should we doe in this case but labour to compasse the matter betimes to bee wiser for our soules and immortalitie then they are for a little temporall punishment in this life and to make a good vse of Gods iudgements vpon others the omission whereof made the Spirit of God complaine thus Reuel 9. 20. And the remnant of the people which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their hands where the Lord complaineth of them that they had no regard to his iudgements So Amos 4. 6. And I also haue giuen you cleannesse of teeth in all your cities and want of bread in all your places yet haue yee not returned vnto mee saith the Lord. The like we haue Ier. 5. 3. Thou hast striken them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction c. So that by these places you see it is a speciall time for vs to call vpon God when his hand is vpon vs and wee see apparantly that our sinnes doe pull his iudgements neerer and neerer vs. Thirdly When God affoords vs any speciall meanes then hee lookes for speciall actions and affections in turning towards him as at the comming of Iohn Baptist Math. 3. 10. And now also the axe is layed vnto the roote of the tree before the axe of God was layed to the boughes and branches but now to the very roote at which time there is no remedie but that Euery tree which bringeth not forth good fruit must be hewen down and cast into the fire So it is said Act. 17. 30. And the times of this ignorance God winked at but now hee commandeth all men euery where to repent So that when God sends speciall meanes this is a speciall time of Repentance Ships that haue lyen long in the harbour yet as soone as the winde blowes by and by they set forward to their intended iourney as it is said Act. 27. 13. And when the south-winde blew softly supposing that they had obtained their purpose they loosed thence Euen so should we doe when we haue lyen long in the harbour of sinne done little good in Religion or to the Church
as hee keepes the channell cleane pulls vp the weeds and durt and sand from stopping it vp hee is sure it will not annoy him nor ouerflowe his bankes So as long as a man doth daily renew his repentance and pull vp the weedes of his sinnes from his heart hee shall be sure that the riuer of Gods mercy will runne smoothly and currently into his soule thus then you see Repentance is a daily duty and onely in the time of this life to be performed as wee commit daily sinnes so had wee need of daily Repentance Now the next point we are to speake of is of The Practise of Repentance or manner how wee must Repent for it may bee some men will bee readie to except and say seeing Repentance is such a necessarie duty as no man liuing can be saued without it and seeing the time of this life is nothing else but a time left of God to Repent and so I am willing to performe this great worke but alas I know not how nor in what manner I should repent so that as the Disciples said vnto Christ Luk. 11. 1. Lord teach vs to pray so may wee say Lord teach vs to repent wee be willing to repent but know not how nor in what manner Wherefore wee are to know that in the practise of Repentance there must be foure seuerall things that is in the presenting of our selues before the Throne of Gods Maiestie and attempting or performing this our duty of Repentance for the acquisition of our saluation there must be 1. Examination 2. Humiliation 3. Deprecation 4. Resolution Which be the foure things required in the Practise of Repentance First there must be Examination for euery one that will repent must first examine himselfe in the matter of Repentance how to finde out his owne sinnes and offences for how can a man repent him of his sinnes if he doe not know them I so he that â—…d repent must first labour to come to the knowledge of his sinnes and he cannot know his sins but by examining his heart and his owne wayes that he may finde out his owne strayings and wandrings from the Lord by the righteous rule of the Law of God the word of God must be the candle to light the minde and to direct and shew what is good and what is bad what is sin and what is not sin what is pleasing vnto God and what is displeasing vnto him As may be seene Lament 3. 40. saith the Church there Let vs search and trie our wayes and turne againe vnto the Lord. Meaning that vnlesse we will seeke and search into our owne hearts to finde out the things that are amisse and so seeke and search as a man looking diligently for a thing lost who lighteth a candle and searcheth euery corner till he hath found the thing we shall neuer be able to finde out all our sinnes So the Prophet sayes Psal. 119. 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet vnto thy testimonies Seeing then it was the consideration of his owne wayes which made him turne into the wayes of God let vs practise the same The like wee haue in the storie of the Prodigall sonne Luk. 13. 19. And when he came to himselfe he said I will returne to my father c. When he had examined his owne state and condition then it came into his minde to returne vnto his Father so then the Point is That in the Practise of Repentance there must bee examination of our owne wayes which is a thing contrary to the course of the world who are prone to looke into other mens wayes and neglect their owne The beasts Reuel 4. 8. were full of eyes within but the most men haue eyes without to looke into other mens secrets but not into their owne faults at home such men may be likened vnto husbands who because they haue vnquiet wiues at home loue as much as may be to be abroad because they can no sooner put their heads within the doores but by and by their wiues are vpon them euen so it is with him that hath a bad conscience as with him that hath a bad wife no sooner hee can come home into himselfe but by and by his conscience is vpon him ready to raile at him and rebuke him for his sinnes so that he longs as much as may be to be abroad and to deale with other mens sinnes rather then his owne But Paul tells vs 1. Cor. 11. 31. That wee must iudge our selues if wee would haue God not to iudge vs. Therefore euery Christian man should set vp a Tribunall and Iudgement seate in his owneheart and make a solemne arraignement of himselfe that is to say that he so set himselfe before God that he first vndertake the triall of his owne wayes and consider wherein he hath offended and what sinnes he hath committed against him then he must bring the bills of indictment against himselfe make a presentment of his owne faults where hee hath sinned when offended and how displeased so good a God And thus euery man must iudge himselfe that God doe not iudge him for a iudgement must come St. Austen sayes well That so often as a man remembers his sinnes God forgets them If thou examine thy selfe God will vrge no further if thou iudge and condemne thy selfe God will not iudge thee if thou punish thy selfe God will spare thee So then this is the first Point wee must examine our selues how wee haue offended Now in this examination there are two things required 1. There must be a right Rule to examine by 2. There bee certaine Heads vpon which wee must examine First for the Rule There are certaine false Rules which we must remember neuer to take hold of First That a man doe not examine himselfe by himselfe for a man may be in a better case then formerly and yet in no good estate he may haue left grosse sinnes particular sinnes and yet be deceiued infinitly short of true goodnesse So that a man is but a falfe rule vnto himselfe when he wil thinke all to be well because he findes some better times then he was wont To this effect St. Paul sayes 2. Cor. 10. 12. Wherefore let him who thinketh he standeth take heed lest hee fall And againe 2. Cor. 11. 12. hee condemnes this rule saying Wee are not of that number who compare themselues with themselues The second false Rule is when a man will examine himselfe by others because hee sees others subiect to more grosse sinnes or liue openly more licentiously then himselfe As the Pharisee Luk. 18. 11. deceiued himselfe Lord I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners vniust adulterers or euen as this Publicane you see he was better then a number of others no extortioner adulterer oppressor vniust dealer and yet hee could not be iustified of the Lord all this could not excuse him so you see
renewed by repentance but it will the more hardly be done and it will cost much terrour labour and sorrow Wee may then see that in this case recouery is possible and that vpon three grounds The first is taken From the generality of the Promise which in generall is made to pardon of all sinnes except the sinne against the Holy Ghost as Math. 12. Uerily verily I say vnto you that all sinne and blasphemie shall be forgiuen a man except the blasphemie against the Holy Ghost But a man may fall into Relapses through weaknesse which is not the sinne against the Holy Ghost and therefore may be forgiuen The second ground is taken A comparatis From the condition of the Promise Luk. 17. 4. Where Christ hath giuen vs a commandement that wee should forgiue our brother seuentie times seuen times a day so often as hee repenteth and is sorrowfull and Math. 6. Christ threatneth If you doe not forgiue your brother his trespasses no more will your beauenly Father forgiue you your trespasses So then if a man must forgiue his trespasses that his brother trespasseth against him so often all which is not a drop of mercie compared with Gods mercie how much more wil God forgiue them that sinne against him againe and againe if they doe repent seeing hee is the Ocean of mercie and goodnesse The third ground is ab Exemplis from sanctified examples of holy Scripture for wee see in the booke of Iudges when there were any bad Iudges in Israel the people fell away from God vnto Idolatrie and when there came good Iudges the Prophets came and exhorted the people to returne againe vnto God and repent and so they did recouer againe So in the Booke of Kings wee see that when bad Kings came they fell away from God and yet when good Kings came againe the Prophets preached and exhorted them and they repented and were receiued into fauour againe Here therefore we haue to acknowledge the kindnesse and mercy of God It is his mercie to forgiue vs if wee doe sinne but once in our lifetime against him But great and exceeding great is his mercie that when wee haue sinned and sinned so exceeding oft against him that euen then vpon repentance hee will receiue vs. Wee reade the Lord declares this much Ier. 3. If a man put away his wife and she become another mans If shee returne againe to her husband shall not this land bee polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many louers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord. Thus there may bee forgiuenesse euen after many relapses It is the charitie of the Popish Church if a man relapse into Heresie though he doe repent hee cannot bee forgiuen The Pope and his Cardinals will not may not forgiue him but the kindnesse and tendernesse of God is such that though a man doe fall into the same sinne hee hath repented of hee may bee forgiuen and shall vpon Repentance bee forgiuen Oh then shall not the despisers of Gods kindenesse bee iudged of him Answ. 2 But yet I say Though Repentance be possible yet it will bee very hard and difficult and that in two respects First in respect of God 1. God will not bee so easily intreated to forgiue I do not say that he will not forgiue but that hee more hardly remits these sinnes then others 2. In respect of our selues we shall not finde our selues so readie nor our hearts so apt to repent in this Relapse as otherwise wee might haue done This then I say that if wee prouoke the Lord too often with some sinnes wee shall not finde him so readie to forgiue as at other times nor so easie to bee intreated So saith our Sauiour Christ Iohn 5. 14. Behold thou art made whole sinne no more left a worse thing come vnto thee And so if we doe sinne Deterius accidet a worse thing may befall vs. Looke into the tenth of Iudges and there you shall finde how the children of Israel had fallen into Apostasie concerning their Idolatrie which they repented of and so prayed vnto the Lord but the Lord would not heare their prayers but turned them off with scorne deriding them the words are these Yet yee haue for saken mee and serued other gods therefore I will deliuer you no more goe and crie vnto the gods whom yee haue chosen let them deliuer you in the time of your Tribulation So then if wee make no conscience to fall into a sinne often which wee haue repented of let vs not maruell if God doe not heare vs at the first for if wee stand vpon tearmes with God for the hearing and helping of vs by and by take heed hee say not vnto vs goe away I will not helpe you goe vnto your sinnes and the worldly pleasures profites honours that you haue serued let them helpe you It is true indeed that all the Scriptures declare God to be a mercifull God to bee full of compassion and very ready to forgiue but when wee shall therefore imbolden our selues to sinne and desperately come to aske Almighty God how often wee may sinne if it bee but once or twice it is too much but say it bee once or twice and the Lord forbeares vs with patience then let vs beware wee doe not prouoke the Lord by falling backe vnto the same sinnes after wee haue repented for when it comes to Quoties peccavtmus how often haue wee offended in the same sinne the Lord no question will bee much displeased hardly drawne to forgiue and not easily appeased towards such offenders for hee complaines of such Psal. 78. 40. How often did they prouoke him in the wildernesse and grieue him in the Desert And Psal. 95. 8. To day if you will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the Prouocation of the wildernesse when your fathers tempted mee And Iob 40. 5. hee sayes Once haue I spoken but I will speak no more yea twice but I will proceed no further Math. 25. How often saith God would I haue gathered thee together as a henne gathereth her chickens but yee would not Fortie yeares long saith hee of his owne people was I vexed with you in the wildernesse If it had beene but for some few yeares hee could haue borne the matter but it was fortie yeares together God is indeed very readie and mercifull to forgiue but when it is so often committed this makes Gods eares bee heauie and stopt to our cries yea and our selues to bee so much the more vnfit for the businesse I speake not this to cut off any man from the hope of pardon God forbid that wee should take away mercy from the Lord but to shew that men which fall into the Relapse of the same sinnes are in greater danger then before and it makes God the lesse readie to forgiue them and to bee intreated of them Secondly In regard of our selues it workes a difficultie in vs wee being
repentance or confession will serue the turne but we must take heed that we doe not wilfully or willingly forget them in such sinnes wherein a man either in body word or goods does hurt his neighbour hauing no ill intent towards him nor afterward knowing it in this case generalitie will serue But secondly some are such sins as we doe know of and such as in which we well vnderstand and remember that wee haue wronged our neighbour Now if they bee such sins as we doe not know of as I said before or be forgotten or we doe not know to be sinnes then men are not bound to confesse them for else who could be saued for a number of sins were committed against our brethren which we forget and a number of sinnes there are which we doe not know to be sins against them as 2. Sam. 21. 3 Dauid knew not how hee had offended the Gibeonites But if they be such sinnes as one doth know these wee are bound to confesse not onely vnto God but vnto the persons wronged also As Christs counsell is Luke 17. 3. Take heed to your selues if thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him If he repent forgiue him Quest. 2 The second question is whether a man is bound vpon his repentance to make restitution of that which is taken away by vniustice Answ. To this I answer there are in this case two parties offended proportionable to which must be our practise of Repentance 1. God 2. Our neighbour And it being a rule in Iustice that the penalty must stretch as far as the fault therefore it will follow because both God and man is offended in this case that we should not only repent to God but also to men and make satisfaction for the hurt which we haue done to them For It is the Nature of Repentance to bring all things as neere as may be vnto their former estate againe Now wee know that by the sin of iniustice God is offended our neighbour is hurt wherefore by our Repentance we reconcile our selues to God and by our restitution vnto men wee make satisfaction for the hurt wee haue done them so that there must be restitution and satisfaction that wherin we haue indamaged our brother there may be addition vnto his owne For if our brother haue ought against vs God will not heare vs vntill we be reconciled to our brother by restitution and satisfaction as Christs counsell is Math. 7. 23. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee leaue there thine offering before the Altar goe thy way and first bee reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy offering Whereby we may see that God will not accept of any duty which we shall doe vntill wee bee reconciled to our brother Thus Exod. 22. 5. God commands that If a man doe hurt to a field or a vineyard hee shall recompence of the best of the field or of the best of the vineyard So NuÌ„ 5. 7. God sayes in such a case of trespasse And they shall confesse their sinne which they haue done and hee shall recompence his trespasse with the principall thereof and shall adde vnto it a fift part also and giue it vnto him against whom hee hath trespassed Obiect 1 Ob. 1. But what if a man bee not able Soll. Then doe what you can or may 2. Cor. 8. 12. Ob. 2. What if the parties be dead Soll. Then giue it to the next of kinne Numb 5. 8. Ob. 3. What if one know none of the kindred or can finde none Soll. Then giue it to the poore or by aduice of the Minister dispose thereof And thus wee see the sin of iniustice to bee a grieuous sin wherein a man is bound to restitution satisfaction and confession If a man haue spoken ill of his neighbour he must be sorry fo it and speake well of him again If seruants steale or purloyne any thing of their Masters they must make it good confesse their fault and restore it vnto them again if euer God bring them home to himselfe So if a man shall get away his neighbours goods by iniustice or by deceit or fraud or cousening of him God will not accept of such a man vntill hee haue made satisfaction the like may be said in forgerie oppression subornation false witnesses and the rest there must follow repentance and satisfaction or no forgiuenesse of sinnes See then what a great sinne this of Iniustice is and what a grieuous burden a man pulls vpon himselfe when he hath gathered together a great deale of ill gotten goods For when hee comes to die he is in hazard to be either a damned sinner or a starke begger And therefore it is a wofull case when Parents put and aduenture their children vpon any bad courses not caring how so they may inrich them There are a number of Vsurers which say they cannot liue otherwise and therefore they put their stocke to vse to raise some profite to themselues But let them know that these sins be sins of iniustice and therfore they must not onely repent for them but also they must make restitution and satisfaction If a man doe sin against God if hee confesse and repent God will forgiue him But if he doe sinne against men hee must not onely confesse to God but also vnto men and make satisfaction for the offence here also such are to bee reprooued who at their death make Wills committing their soules to God and their ill-gotten goods to their friends and children the high way to bring a curse vpon them let Parents beware of this error And so much for this third case LECT X. IIII. THE CASES OF Repentance The case of Teares IOEL 2. 12. 13. Therefore also now saith the Lord turne yee eâ—en to mee with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And râ—â—t your heart and not your garments c. HItherto wee haue spoken of Repentance with some cases thereof and some yet remaine to bee spoken of The last day wee handled the Case of Confession to men And now in the next place because the want of teares doth so perplexe many in this great work of Repentance The Lord as in this text and many other places of Scripture so exhorting vnto the same sutable vnto which is the Saints practise now and in all ages I haue therefore in the next place chosen to handle The Case of teares in Repentance that is whether euery man or woman who truely repents them of their sinnes must and doe necessarily shed teares for them The answer whereof by your patience I will lay downe in fiue conclusions The first Conclusion shall be this Conclusion 1 A man may weepe for sinne shed teares for it and yet not truely repent teares be not alwayes a true signe of true Repentance The reason whereof is because the very naturall man
say wherein haue wee sinned or if men know sinne to bee sinne yet they mistake they thinke great sinnes are but pettie ones and small ones they esteeme to bee nothing at all not worth the grieuing at because for the present they paine not as a man hauing a bleeding wound hee sees not passes it ouer vntill hee faints it proouing deadly if not stopt and cured Againe another cause is Hardnesse of heart which for all the Regenerate are in part sanctified we are subiect vnto therefore though some in Repentance bring forth teares yet a number for their liues cannot shed any one teare for sinne vntill God by an especiall worke conuert and turne the Heart vnto him by an especiall operation of his blessed Spirit and power of Grace The want of this tendernesse wee see made the Prophet in the name of the Church crie out Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre◠from thy wayes and hardened our hearts from thy feare Yet I must needs say there is great difference betwixt that hardnes of heart in the godly and in the wicked for that of the former is sensible full of paine griefe sorrow mourning yea there is a particular sorrow for that hardnesse felt besides that of other sinnes but that which is in the wicked is insensible they are neuer thorowly touched or affected with a feeling of their sinnes and so neuer weepe or sorrow for them The fourth Conclusion is Conclus 4. That a man may truly repent him of his sinnes though he cannot weepe or shed a teare for them Which I prooue thus They that can mourne for their sinnes and in compunction of soule make vse of the death and passion of Christ may truly repent but a man may mourne for his sinne and do thus and yet neuer shed a teare therefore a man may truly repent without shedding of teares for teares are not alwayes a signe of true repentance As we see Acts 2. 37. where it is sayd those Converts were pricked in their hearts not pricked in their eyes for a mans heart may be pricked and ouerwhelmed with griefe and yet not weepe or shed any teares So wee see the Publican Luke 18. Hee could not weepe but hee was humbled and cast downe in the sense and feeling of his sinnes Lord saith he be mercifull to me a sinner So in like manner we doe not read that the Theefe vpon the Crosse did weepe or shed any teares yet hee confessed his sinnes and was inwardly grieued for them So we see a man may truly repent who sheddeth no teares For as a Wine vessell without vent is readie to burst so the lesse weeping many times the greater is the sorrow and the heart so much the more ouerburthened Teares are as a vent which when they are not and the heart this way allayed and eased the inward griefe is so much the more excessiue and great The fifth Conclusion is Conclus 5. That there is hardly any man liuing that hath truly felt the worke of Grace in himselfe but at one time or other if God let him liue any time hath or shall in some measure shed teares for his sinnes Euer excepting those men whom their naturall hard and drie temper of their eyes disableth perpetually from all teares 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Conclusion I will first open and then in time confirme it yet assure your selues of this That euery one cannot weepe in their repentance and first Calling vntil it please God to infuse more grace and smite the heart Yet though at first they doe not wait a while and in continuance of time or when God sends some great affliction or judgement vpon them you shall see them come to teares and weepe for their sinnes As a man that is stricken with a sword the bloud doth not alwayes by and by follow So it is with the smitten conscience of a wounded sinner there is feare astonishment and amazement many times before weeping and yet afterwards teares may come abundantly as bloud after a wound But to my promise now which was first To open the Conclusion secondly To explaine it First then I say That hardly is there any man liuing but he hath or shall shed teares for sinne if God haue a purpose to saue him Therefore howsoeuer one may goe away at the first rejoycing like Lydia at her first conuersion and like the Eunuch in the Acts yet at one time or other they shall weepe and mourne for their sins though I would haue you remember that I do not exclude any from the hope of Heauen and state of true penitencie that shed no tears for sinne for so I haue shewed the case may be though seldome heard of Dauid sayes Psalme 37. 25. I haue beene young and now am old yet haue I not seene the righteous for saken nor their seed begging bread And yet poore Lazarus died a begger and was carried by the hands of the Angels into Abrahams bosome Now Dauids meaning is not that there was none of the righteous or of their seed that did begge their bread but that it was a rare thing that hee had not seene it in his dayes or in an Age So wee may say of this point It may bee a man may bee truely conuerted and yet neuer shedde a teare in his life but it is a rare case no ordinarie thing it is that which seldome falls out one of a thousand but that at one time or other they are so pressed with their sinnes Againe secondly I say that true teares are not to bee commanded by vs but are an effect of Gods grace wrought in man as Zach. 12. 10. And I will poure vpon the house of Dauid and vpon the Inhabitants of Ierusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication and they shall weepe c. That is they shall mourne and lament as a man that mourneth for his owne sinnes nature may make a man mourne for the losse of his children friends goods wife and such like but it is onely the Spirit of God of Grace that can make a man shed teares for his sinnes so that a man may bee a naturall man an vnregenerate man an vnconuerted man and neuer shed a teare for his sinnes all his life long though hee bee a most wicked liuer But if the Spirit of Grace once worke vpon his heart hardly but at one time or other his heart will melt and lament that hee hath offended God Thirdly I say if God let him liue any time in this world for a man may bee taken away immediatly vpon his conuersion as the cheefe vpon the crosse and then as hee wants time for other Christian duties so for this also but if God let a man continue any time then one occasion or other will bring him backe to the beholding of his sinnes cause him to afflict his thoughts repent throughly and so worke teares out of him yea bitterly to bewaile his sinnes