heavenly father and is able our heavenly father and therefore ingaged by these three a Child of God hath assurance of hope and strong Consolation Now the gift intended here is the holy Spirit Matth. 7. it 's said Your heavenly Father gives every good thing I but most sweetly are our prayers Confin'd here to the begging of Gods Spirit whatsoever a Child of God asks it should be things of necessity superfluity that 's not for Children to ask nor a wise father will give it the Spirit of God is necessary bread is not so necessary for life as grace for salvation all necessaries for life and all superfluities are not so much as this absolute necessity of having the Spirit it 's not necessary I should live but it 's necessary I should be sanctified and saved Secondly a Child should ask that which is useful and profitable and of all other gifts the gift of the holy Ghost is most useful it is a gift of the highest nature First it 's the richest that God can bestow one dram of grace one blessed suggestion from the Spirit of truth one blessed motion darted into the heart by the holy Ghost is more worth than all the world All things in this world may be called good but makes them not good that have them St. Austin saith Riches are good if a man have grace to use them so he may do good with them but grace makes good there 's no man can put virtue to an evil imployment grace is alwayes the â—ountain of good it 's the foundation the pledge the assurance it gives all other blessings Solomon when he ask'd the spirit of wisdom God could not deny him any thing riches honours every thing Thirdly if a Child should ask of a father a sign of his love the greatest manifestation of a fathers love the surest sign and richest evidence of Gods love is the gift of the spirit the love of God when it is shed abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost we feel the taste of it rejoyce in the comfort of it it 's a seal of Gods love as St. Bernard saith a dram of Gods grace is a certain token of a determined Election of the assurance of glorification he that asks Gods Spirit loves God and God love him such prayers as these alwayes prevail forgive us our sins encrease our repentance sanctifie our souls purge our consciences subdue our corruptions overcome our temptations Lord what prayers should prevail with thee if such prayers as these prevail not other prayers may hit or miss but prayers for Gods Spirit never returns empty Now for the third the parties those that ask how can we pray for the spirit without the spirit none can say Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost it was the the Pelagian errour to say that our prayers must prevent Gods grace the Spirit of God is not the fruit of our prayers but our prayers the fruit of Gods Spirit our desires are wrought by Gods Spirit answers our desires in this case how sweetly St. Austin saith indeed his first grace his preventing grace fore-runs all our prayers I am found of them that sought me not but his Concomitant grace that may be the fruit of our prayers yet all supplies of grace are of Gods Spirit St. Bernard saith it 's the surest sign of grace if we desire grace prayer it 's the breathing of Gods Spirit and there must first be a drawing in of Gods grace before there can be ascending out Matth. 44. there the grace of Gods Spirit the Kingdom of heaven is compared to a treasure found in the field not look'd for there 's preventing grace the touch of the spirit that works upon the heart in the first prevention vers 45. The Kingdom of heaven is likened unto a Merchant that sought pearls and found them here 's first the grace of prevention a treasure found in a field not thought on as St. Austin saith faith is given first as the prime grace then the prayer of faith that is the breath it 's prayer that obtaines supplies of grace the matter of our prayer must be for the supplies of grace prayer encreaseth new supplies Secondly prayer may obtain the sealing up of our adoption the kiss of peace and love that seals up assurance of pardon for sins Thirdly besides the first stock of grace look for assisting grace we can not make good use of grace without the help of grace Fourthly prayer will obtain the spirit of strength and fortitude to encounter against temptation ask thy father this and he will grant it Lastly prayer obtains the spirit of perseverance without the which all holy motions and inspirations are like a wind that passeth away and cometh not again Now I come to the Illation drawn from the argument how much more 't is a proportion with advantage indeed it had been well if the Argument had gon and the Conclusion drawn with some abatement one spark of mercy to so unworthy Children the place of a servant nay the bread of a servant had been too good for so unworthy Children Secondly if the argument had held but so much as in Psal 100. Like as a father pitieth his own children or like pity the Lord teacheth to those that fear him David takes comfort in this but this Scripture offers more grace how much more why here 's full measure shaken pressed down it runs over The third expression in this proportion is if earthly Parents have such provident Care for their Childrens welfare how much more in God though earthly parents be never so wise and provident for their Children yet they may be mistaken or wish things unfit and to the hurt of their Children as old Isaac was mistaken in his blessing the mother of Zebedees Children asked she knew not what but the all-wise God hears all our desires and orders all things graciously for our welfare Secondly Ye men that boast of your power if ye are parents and have any portion to bestow upon your Children how much more God your heavenly father all that earthly fathers enjoy is but borrowed the oyl in the Cruze may fail the oyl in the barrell may be spent all ye have is but borrowed c. Thirdly if ye that are parents have tenderness of affection towards your Children how much more your heavenly father God is full of bounty and mercy ye are evil and evil natured God gives liberally and upbraids not to compare with him the goodness of men is not so much as one dust of sand to the glory of the whole earth like a spark to the whole element of fire Parents what do they give to their Children trifles God gives the best things his Spirit his own flesh God fils the world with his goodness Fourthly men are but Stepfathers of the flesh in respect of God he 's father both of soul and body Ezek. 23. he chargeth c. wordly fathers thou hast taken c. God is our being and the preserver of our being Abraham knows us not Jacob hath forgotten us And Christ said Call no man father upon earth as to compare with God Lastly as the nearest father so the dearest affection the affection of the father or mother are cold and dead in regard of the ardent affection of God towards us Parents they first beget Children and then love them God loves first and then begets us to himself a flowing of nature is parents love but an eternal love is Gods love we had a being in him before we had any in our selves he that planteth the ear shall not be hear and he that planteth the tenderness of Parents to Children shall not he have Compassion nay how full must he needs be of Compassion To shut up all the height and improvement of affection in God must require reciprocation on our parts and it 's set on a three fold proportion First if ye that are Children cast care upon your Parents Be not careful what ye eat or drink or what ye put on for your heavenly Father careth for you The proportion of obedience is the second If reverence be due to the Parents of the flesh how much more to the parents of the spirit how much more reverence and obedience to your heavenly Father The third is the proportion of love If ye give love to earthly fathers how much more to your heavenly Father So you see the sum of the Text is Ye that are evil can give good gifts to your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him FINIS LEst Obliquie or Malice should assperse the Candor and Integrity of these four Sermons I was desired by the Seller of them to read and censure them Having seriously perused them I find the true Pourtraicture of the late deceas'd yet never to be forgotten most reverend Bishop Brownrigge My censure can extend no farther than the Printers Errors The principal one whereof I find to be in the first Sermon in the first pages being a transposition of the Title Wherefore in stead of Is the Safety of a Nation True Repentance read True Repentance is the Safety of a Nation In short let me advise your charitable minds not to studie how to carp at literal faults but study the matter and you will soon be a sharer with me in the pleasure and profit of reading them This I thought fit to write as to antidote it against the tongues of maliciious and envious persons R. H. M. A.
Heathen shall be all turned into Hell but the Damnation shall be more easie Socrates lesse punish'd than Cato Lastly a man that lives according to the rules of nature keeps within the compass of these principles though not able to reach at Salvation yet their Conversion is more easie it 's more possible to gain him to grace this stock of nature is fit to graff grace and religion on more kindly yet at the best it cannot fructifie and bring forth fruit to eternal life but grace being graffed it will fructifie to Salvation A man within the sphere of morality that lives peaceable sober just and of an humble mind there is more hope of salvation in that man he is not so far from the Kingdom of God as those that sin against nature evil and wicked men have some principles of knowledge ye are evil and yet ye know some good things The third truth is Ye that are evil among the decayes ruines and rubbish of nature yet this truth is preserved ye are tender affected Parents and seek the good of your Children God hath placed this forcible instinct as the bowels of most unnatural men is natural love to their Children In the first original God did create us all one flesh and one blood men were not created apart as Angels one independant from another but all one blood one root and the sap of all this is natural affection it 's this that glues and holds all the world together it keeps the world in being without which all would fall asunder this tender and kindly affection of parents to Children it 's the Conveyance of all nurture Thus Wisdom in the Proverbs takes upon it the place of a Father O my son keep the instructions of thy father and what my son c. How forcible are these perswasions to piety and vertue Thirdly this is a spur to labour and industry what 's that that keeps the world in action not all for the belly but keep something for the Babes it 's that that quickens industry this is the plummet that turns the great Wheel of all the world that makes perpetual motion of labour to leave something behind for Children Fourthly the sweetness as that it takes off the harshness of all the toyl and care incident to parents the care in bringing forth the care in bringing up they account it no labour or a labour much sweetned by this tender affection St. Austin saith that the labour of loving and tender parents to their Children is either no labour or sweet labour Lastly this tender affection is a provocation to piety Salvin urgeth it Dost thou love thy Children be religious and pious those that are pious claim a blessing to their Children and the want of this affection is a sign of a reprobate mind Want of this natural affection Rom. 1. also Tim. 2. you may see what it is if natural affection be wanting it signifies some great mischief And so much for the first Now I come to the second and that 's the use and improvement that Christ makes of it he cloaths himself with this affection this similitude of a loving Father to Children he useth this language of love to us conveyes these thoughts in the sweetest expressions that we may feel the sweetness of the love of God in the sweetest expressions Take it in three manifestations First as to himself the most careful resemblance compares himself to a watchman he that watcheth over Israel neither sleepeth nor slumbereth Wouldest thou conceive his Care to feed and provide for thee he compares himself to a Sheepherd that feeds his Sheep Wouldest thou conceive his Tenderness he presents himself as a Hen that gathers her chickens under her wings Mat. 23. And as a Hen bears up her wings c. Deut. 32. or as the Eagle St. Bernard saith all of these are sweet resemblances of his tender Care Secondly as he takes to himself the sweetest resemblances so the most loving relations a friend is a sweet relation a brother a sweet relation Abraham believed and he was accounted a friend of God a father is a tender relation I will be thy Father a husband is a sweet relation I have married thee to my self And because all these relations fall short he joyns all together he that doth the will of my Father is my Father my Mother my Brother c. and in the Canticles Open unto me my love my dove my undefiled Thirdly he cloaths himself with the tender affection of love as in St. John Pity that is a tender and melting affection the Lord is exceeding pitiful as in S. James he hath a fellow-feeling of our sorrows as in the Prophet Esay he assumes that he is void of passion nay he hath bowels of Compassion there 's the rowling and turning and yearning of his bowels So we have seen the first main particular of the text Ye that are evil and sinfull I come now to the second the Conclusion drawn from this Argument Your heavenly father knows how to give the holy spirit to them that ask him Fathers upon earth provide gifts and portions for their Children but here 's the gift of the holy spirit Here are three particulars Considerable First the Donor your heavenly Father Secondly the gift the holy Spirit Thirdly the qualification of those that receive it they must ask First your heavenly father he is the Donor look upon it as a hint of incouragement heavenly father here 's but three words in all First a father it 's a word of much kindness and affection it argues his forwardness and propensity to help us Secondly heavenly father it argues his allsufficiency God father of heaven Lord of heaven and earth he 's abundantly able to supply our necessity Thirdly your heavenly father it s a word of ingagement Ye may believe your father this word gives us our right and portion that in humble confidence we may lay Claim to his goodness here 's alinck of love father heavenly father your heavenly father these three put together prevents three doubts that faith may object when a Christian is to pray First the doubt of the poor Leper Matt. 8. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean O never question his willingness for he is a father and what will not a loving father do for his Child The second doubt that faith may object is the doubt of the poor man for his son Lord if thou canst c. He needs not question his power he is a heavenly father he hath al-sufficiency The third doubt is that in Mark 4. Lord dost thou not care if we perish c. never question that for he is your heavenly father this it is that makes up a full comfort without these infidelity would be ready to cast off all hope and give over all prayer to God as thinking God will neither do good nor can or else objects there 's no ingagement Put these three together he 's a father and is willing a
too 't is not the body of sin that 's mortified but the body of nature that is infeebled put not thy conversion then upon hazardous adventures stay not till he come to slay thee by death 't is an infamous 't is an uncertain 't is a suspitious repentance thou maist be mistaken in it Come we to a third defect of their repentance that 's falsenesse and dissembling it was a flattering unsound hypocriticall repentance Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouths and they lyed unto him with their tongues all their conversion and turning unto God 't was but flattery and falsehood and this flattery and falshood will appeare First in their professions Secondly in their promises flattering professions and false promises First Flattery is seen in profession first a flatterer will professe a great esteem of goodnesse and worth in the person whom he applyes himselfe to ready to ascribe much unto him so did these hollow converts in their affliction they acknowledged God was their rock and strength and the high God their redeemer thus the Herodians flattered Christ Mat. 12.16 Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth and regards no mans person Christ discovers them why tempt ye me ye Hypocrites such are the soothings of unsound repentance when afflictions presses us O then we will acknowledge God and his goodness as Benadad did with the King of Israel oh the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings but yet false and trecherous for all their profession Secondly Flattery is seen in profession of great love and affections Judah's his kisse a profession of great love as if Christ were dear to him such professions Hypocriticall repentance will make under affliction such love Ziba shewes to David professed great love and loyalty to him the Jewes had such blandishments to Gods word Esa 29.13 That they drew nere him with their mouth and with their lips did honour him in our extremities who but God and Christ are in our mouthes then we seeme much to affect them Thirdly Flattery is seen in profession of sorrow for any offence a dissembler to escape his due deserts will confesse all and professe great sorrow for former offences thus did railing Shimei to David 2 Sam. 19.18 Oh who so sorry for his offences who so submisse in confessing it and such professions an Hypocrite under the lash will make to God the Israelites when thunder and lightning were about their ears 1 Sam. 12.19 Oh we have sined in asking a King besides all our other sins these are there flattering professions Secondly as they flattered in their professions so they were false in their promises repentance will make vowes and promises and so will this false and counterfeit repentance abound in promises aske Pharaoh if God spare thee this time wilt thou let Israel goe O yes no longer stay an Hypocrite will bribe God with promises spare me this one time yet all false here observe a double falsenesse false in intention say what he never meanes his tongue contradicts his head Secondly false in performances he never makes good what he says David calls it lying fained obedience Psalm 63.3 Through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies yeild fained obedience to these false and counterfeit So then in that these Jews were thus false and fraudulent in their repentance it will discover to us the dangerous condition of this sin of hypocrisie First see the guilt of Hypocrisie rather then faile it will counterfeite and act any duty though never so unacceptable as repentance is no duty in religion goes downe so hard with hypocrisy as repentance repentance is a shameing duty a Penitent must confesse and acknowledge he hath sinned take shame and confession to himselfe cry out with the Leper I am uncleane now Hypocrites are animalia gloriae all for their credit and reputation in matter of opinion they are in no error quod volumus sanctum est Joh. 9.40 what are we ignorant and blind also in matter of conversation they are without spot or wrinckle you are they which justifie your selves before men Luke 16.14 'T is hard to bring them to acknowledge either errour or fault but yet if it stand for their turn they will even act a penitents part and confesse and recant and seem to be sorry for sin so did Simon Magus and King Saul Secondly See the pertinacy and obstinacy of hypocrisie 't will act and counterfeit and never give over no not in the greatest affliction cum occideret when Gods hand is in slaying them yet then they will counterfeit neither mercies not miracles nor chastisements nor plagues will alter or change them Isaiah 26.10 Let favour be shewed to him yet he will not learn righteousnesse nay let Gods hand be lifted up yet they will not see it of all other sins the hypocrite is the most hopelesse and incorrigible afflictions have brought home prophane sinners but an Hypocrite will stand to that too either accuse God for afflicting him or dissemblingly accuse himself like some desperate cutpurse that will steal and pilfer in the Sessions house or at the Gallows Thirdly See the bruitish and stupid sottishnesse of hypocrisie 't will not onely undertake to deceive men but God also think to mock him with flatteries and lies as Ahaz how did he cover his infidelity Oh he would not tempt God what saith Isaiah Chap. 7.13 Is it a small thing to weary men but will you weary my God also an Hypocrite will not onely faulter with men seek to delude the world but they are lying children to God Isaiah 30.9 Thus Peter chargeth Ananias and Saphira that they lyed not to men but to the Holy Ghost Acts 5.4 Thus Isaiah brings in the Hypocrites of his time boasting even to God of their hypocriticall service and devotion Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest it not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge Isaiah 58.3 Indeed â—ypocrites are in truth secret Atheists they turn the glory of God into an Idoll so hoping to put him off with vizards and counterfeits worse then Jacob towards Isaac God can neither see nor feele nor find out their mockeries that 's the third the falsenesse of their repentance Come we to the fourth defect of their repentance and conversion it was momentary and unconstant their hearts were not right with him verse 37. Neither were they stedfast in his covenant and this clause comes in as proofe of the former t is a conviction of their unsound and Hypocriticall repentance and here is a double conviction by which an Hypocrite may judge of himselfe their repentance was false and fained First because t was not hearty true repentance is hearty repentance if the heart be wanting t is counterfeit and hypocriticall their heart was not right with him Secondly Because 't was not lasting and durable they were not stedfast in his covenant First T was hypocriticall because t was not cordiall and hearty how was
intimation on Peters part that is of speciall care and circumspection in case of temptation it is not enough to rest in generall promises the Church of God is sure it is built on a Rock and there we rest our selves but we must make provision for our own safety As in the case of War and invasion men are not content that the Coasts be guarded the Castle fortified that there be publick care to watch over the kingdom but every man provides for himselfe and hath Armour for his owne use So in the case of temptation we are not to entrench our selves with generall promises of the Church that is built on a Rock and it shall stand and the power of Hell shall not prevaile against it It is true Satan in his War against the Church will loose the maine battell and he and his instruments that fight in a damned quarrell they shall be overthrown O but if thou look not to thy selfe thou mayest have a wound and be taken in the battell See this care of personall provision how Paul urgeth it Gal. 6.1 Brethreâ— if any be overtaken by infirmities you that are spirituall restore such an one with the spirit of meeknesse considering thy self least thou be tempted In the exhortation first he begins in the Plurall Brethren you that are spirituall recover you such a one but when he comes to caution consider thy self A man would think it were sollecisme and indeed it seems to be a slip in Grammer Brethren look to thy self and you that are spirituall see that thou be not tempted No it is an elegancy for in compassion all must come in but in cantion every man must look to himself Brethren help one another but let every one look to himself in case of temptation consider thy self least thou be tempted Thus we see the first consideration it is a name of personall compellation Simon Simon Secondly This compellation it is a name more naturall to him then his other name he calls him not Cephas and Peter and by these names after he useth to call him but Christ passeth by these and calls him by the name he brought with him before he was a Disciple Simon especially now in the case of temptation he doth not mind him of his priviledge thou art â— Rock thou art a stone and these shall secure thee and the divine promises but confider what thou art in thy self a weak man divested of all priviledge security by thy own naturall condition and compassed about with many infirmities In case of temptation the safest way is not to consider our strength but our weaknesse NOt what we are by priviledges that comes from without us but what we are in our own weaknesse if we be left to our selves As the Lord speaks in Isaiah to the people of Israel when he tells them of their danger he calls them thou Worm Jacob he puts them not in mind of their excellencies and prerogatives but what they were in themselves poor Worms unable to rescue themselves or to resist any force The best way is to consider what we are in our weaknesse and not in our strength Thoughts of strength breed security and are forerunners of ruine but thoughts of weakness insufficiency awaken diligence to prevent our danger still we see in all the supplies and imployments that the Saints had they speâ— best that were conscientious of their weaknesse What furnished Moses and made him so compleate a man for his service but the urging of his own weaknesse First he pleades his own weaknesse Lord I cannot speak God supplies that And then another I am fearfull and he argues many insufficiencies of himself and the pleading of his insufficiencies gained him abundance of strength from God in temptation remember the best of us as the spirit is willing so the flesh is weak And consider not onely that we are built on a Rock but our old foundation in the dust not to remember that we are Peters and Ceph's and are strengthned by priviledges but Simon Simon compassed with infirmities That is the second it is a naturall name Thirdly This compellation it is a name ingeminated our Saviour is not content once to jogg and awaken him out of his drowziness infirmities but he doubles it and quickens him up with a vehement compellation and that for these reasons First There is some quickning sharpnesse in this ingemination Simon Simon a little before the Apostles were fallen into a strange dispute and debate among themselves who should be the greatest they were at a great dispute they would needs know who should be the supreme they imagined a kind of Popery who should be the leader of all the rest our Saviour sees it and pitches it and calls them off with sharpnes and acrimony are you thus disputing for Mastership and spremacy the common enemy is upon you Satan is at hand ready to swallow you up and you are together by the ears It is the usual condition of the Church of God when they are in the greatest dispute and objecting one against another for supremacy and Mastership they are in the greatest danger the greater severity is on them Thus Jeremiah takes of the ambition of poor Baruch The Lord will bring a captivity upon the land and seekest thou great things for thy self The common enemy is upon us and hath cast in his fire balls of contention and shall we contend who shall be Mistris it is a secret check he shews that while they were disputing about supremacy they were in danger while they think they stand in the height they fall down as Bernard saith Secondly This ingemination that our Saviour useth it carries with it a great strength of warmth and heat of affection he looks on their danger he pitties their security and tenders their welfare therefore he is stirred in all tendernesse of affection to bring them out of the snare O Simon Simon It is the gracious love of our Saviour he hath not onely an eye of inspection on our danger but his bowels are stirred with compassion they are rolled together his heart melts in our afflictions and temptation This form of speaking is used in any extremity of the Church In their sorrow in captivity Exod. 3. See how God speaks I have seen I have seen In the danger of Isaac to be slain by Abraham God posts an Angell out of heaven and the messenger comes upon the wings of the wind and saith Abraham Abraham c. So in the case of desolation and sorrow that the Church was in how comfortably God speaks to his people comfort ye comfort ye my people c. There is no tender hearted Mother that springs forth into passion and tendernesse of affection upon sight of the danger of her child as God is stirred to compassion and his bowels yearn to catch us as firebrand out of the fire to deliver us out of the snare of Satan Thirdly It is a quick speech Simon Simon to