long but shall be cast forth FINIS FOVRE SERMONS WHEREIN CERTAINE Objections against the poynt of GODS ALL-SVFFICIENCIE handled in the fiue first Sermons of the former Treatise are Answered ECCLESIASTES 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. I haue surely set my heart to all this to declare this that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of God and no man knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him for all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust as to the wicked and to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacâ—ificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath c. WEE haue purposely chosen this text that we might answer some objectioÌ„s which might be made against the All-sufficiency of God which we spake of lately to you for this might be objected If God be All-sufficient what is the reason of this dispensation of things that we see in the world that there be righteous men to whom it is according to the worke of the wicked and there be wicked men againe to whom it is according to the worke of the righteous Here you haue this answer made That for a time all things come alike to all there is the same condition to the one as to the other the reason of which you shall see when we come to the handling of the words But in briefe to open them to you you shall â—inde that this was the occasion of them In the 16. verse of the former Chapter sayth the Wiseman I haue applyed my heart vnto wisedâ—me and to behold the busines that is done vpon the earth in which I had no rest either day or night I was so intent vpon them Well what is the conclusion Sayth he I found this I was not able to finde out the reason of Gods workes I beheld the workes of God that man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought vnder the Sunne yea though a wise man thinke to know it he cannot finde it That is when I see how God dispenseth things I am not able to finde out the reason and not I onely but no man is able to finde it no saith he though he be a wise man no although he search never so diligently he cannot find out the reason of Gods wayes the reason of his providence of his dispensing of prosperitie to the wicked and adversitie to the godly yet these two Conclusions notwithstanding he found which he expresâ—eth in the first verse First that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of the Lord That is although I see not the reason why God doth it yet this I finde it is the Lord that disposeth all things both to men and all their workes All the events that fall out both good and euill I finde this that they are in the hand of God The second thing he found is That all things come alike to all There is the same condition to the good and to the evill to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not These be the two things that the wiseman professeth he found out from hence he gathereth two Consectaries One is That there is no man able to know loue or hatred by all that is before him That is by all that he seeth done to himselfe or by all that he seeth God doe to other men he is not able to judge by that who it is that God loues or who it is he hates A second Consectarie from it is expressed in the third verse sayth he This is an evill I haue seene vnder the Sunne that there is one condition to all That is the sonnes of men when they haue seene this carriage of things this administration and dispensation of good and evill thus premiscuously to men of all sorts therefore sayth he The hearts of men are full of evill and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue That is therefore they seeke not God but the creature therefore they doe not depend vpon him but seeke to secondaric meanes What is the issue of it therefore they goe downe to the dead That is they perish for ever So much briefly for the meaning of the words Now before he comes to deliver these two conclusions he makes this Preamble I haue given my heart sayth he to all this or I bend my selfe with all my might to this even to declare these two things that all things are in the hand of God c. whence we will gather this in that Salomon sayth that he bent himselfe with all his might to declare both to himselfe to others that all things are in the hands of God that It is a very hard thing to be perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie It is a very hard thing to be perswaded that all things are in the hands of God it is a hard thing to perswade our selues it is a hard thing to perswade others that is I shall not deliver the poynt fully to you except God himselfe teach you except God himselfe declare it it is so hard for a man to see all things in the hands of Gâ—d to know that he is able to doe all that except God teach it to a man he is not able to know it that is he is not able to know it to purpose he is not able to know it so as to haue the vse of it he is not able to know it in a practicall manner except the Lord teach it him The ground of which is because it belongs to the holy Ghost to perswade it belongs to God to perswade not onely to perswade this truth to the hearts of men but also to perswade all saving truths of what nature soever And therefore wee see when Christ sends out his Disciples his Apostles he bids them Goe preach the Word to the Iewes and Gentiles and whereas they might object in that case How shall we be able to perswade men that bring a strange doctrine and strange newes to them a strange thing that was never heard of Christ answers them thus I will send my spirit with you and he shall convince the world of sinne of righteousâ—esse and of ludgement As if he should say I confesle you are not able to doe it that is a worke that onely belongs to the holy Ghost and he shall convince men of their miserable estate out of Christ he shall convince them of that righteousnesse that they are to haue by Christ he shall also convince them of holinesse and sanctification vnder Christs government Thus sayth he the holy Ghost shall doe you are not able to performe it And so when the Lord makes the promise that the people should serue him and feare him The question is how they should be able to doe it shall the Prophets be able to perswade
the Raigne of David to the latter end and most part of Sauls Raigne And so the sinne of Shemei the sinne was committed long before yet all the time of Davids Raigne after his restoring though the sentence went out against him for he was an accursed man the Lord brought that curse vpon him which he had pronounced against David yet it was notexecuted till a fit â—eason So I say it is with sinne the execution is deferred though the sentence be not deferred Therefore sayth Salomon certainely the wicked shall not prolong his dayes Beloved it is a place worth considering Eccles. 8. 13. Though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and prolong his dayes yet I know it shall goe well with them that feare the Lord and doe reverence before him but it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes he shall be like a shadow because he feares not before God This Conclusion he comes to Although sayth he the Lord deferre execution yet it shall not be well with the wicked he shall not prolong his dayes But it will be objected That many evill men doe prolong their dayes they liue long they liue till they be olde and they liue in peace To this I answer That though they doe liue long yet indeede properly they are not said to prolong their dayes because that all that while they are vnripe they are not fit for death So that they are taken before they are fitted to goe hence so they are cut off for substance indeede in the midst of their dayes As an Apple though it hang on the tree long yet if it be taken before it be full ripe it may be said not to hang long on the tree that is it hangs not so long as to ripen it it is taken away in an vntimely manner it is taken away before the season of it So it is here though a wicked man doe prolong his dayes yet still he is taken away before he be ripe before the time of gathering As it is true on the other side that holy men though they be taken away betimes yet they are taken away when they haue finished their dayes he doth prolong his dayes though he die when he is young because he is ripe before he is taken from the tree he is now in a fit season And this is the meaning of that when he sayth certainely it shall be ill with him that feares not God though he doe prolong his dayes though execution should be deferred I should adde more as this for another but I will but name it Doth one condition fall to all both good and bad Then you may gather hence that all the good things and all the evill things that befall vs in this life they are neither truely good nor truely evill they are but shadowes of both for if the Lord send adversitie vpon good men if he send prosperitie to evill men If there were true evill in adversitie God would never doe it if there were any true goodnesse in prosperitie he would never doe it but when he dispenceth these things so promiscuously it is an argument they are not such as men account them they are but shadowes of good things and of evill Larvae et spectra c. that is they are not the substance of good things neither of good nor evill Let not righteous men therefore say they are miserable when they fall into any kinde of outward miserie whatsoever the condition be it is not evill if it were it should never befall thee Agâ—ine let not a wicked man say he is happie because of his outward condition for if it were truely good thou shouldest never inioy it When God dispenceth those things so promiscuously it is an argument that they are neither good nor evill that is that there is no substance of true good or evill in them And so againe if they fall out so promiscuously then you can judge neither of loue nor of hatred by them that is a man is not to thinke that because the Lord afflicts him therefore he withdrawes himselfe from him or because he giues outward prosperitie to another that therefore his hand and his favour is with him for you see he dispenceth these things diversly he dispenceth them to all in such a promiscuous manner that you cannot say this is proper to the one or to the other An Hoast may entertaine a stranger with better foode then he giues his children with the daintiest of that he hath yet he keepes the best portion for his children and God may doe much for those that are strangers to him but he giues better prosperitie to his children though they fare hard here though they tast no good thing a long time yet the portion he reserveth for them which portion and blessed inheritance he of his great mercy reserue for every one of vs and conferre vpon vs for the mediation of his deare SONNE IESVS CHRIST the righteous So much for this time FINIS THE THIRD SERMON ECCLESIASTES 9. 11. 12. I returned and sawe vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly vpon them THE last time wee spake to you we handled the first and second verses of this Chapter whence there may be this Objection made against Gods All-sufficiencie All things come alike to all to the iust and to the wicked c. And indeed when â—en see this Conclusion that it is to the wicked according to the worke of the iust and to the iust according to the worke of the wicked it must needes stand as a strong objection against the doctrine of Gods All-sufficiencie How that objection is answered hath beene fully declared to you Now there comes another objection like the former Because all things come alike to all sayth the Wiseman but there he names onely the good and the bad the holy and the vnholy men will be readie to say as every man is howsoever holinesse and vnholinesse make not this difference in the event of things yet the naturall strength of men their naturall weaknesse their naturall abilitie or their vnabilitie their wisedome or their folly that disposeth or indisposeth men in the event of things And therefore the Wiseman when he had finished that former conclusion whereof we spake that there is one event to the good and bad he fals vpon the second vanitie that he saw vnder the Sun that not onely as he sayth All things come alike to all that is to the holy and vnholy but likewise to those that haue naturall
THE NEVV COVENANT OR THE SAINTS PORTION A Treatise Vnfolding the All-sufficiencie of GOD and Mans vprightnes and the Covenant of grace delivered In fourteene Sermons vpon Gen. 17. 1. 2. Wherevnto are adioyned Foure Sermons vpon Eccles. 9. 1. 2. 11. 12. By the late faithfull and worthie Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinitie Chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiestie Maister of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes Inne PSAL. 111. 5. He hath given a portion to them that feare him he will ever be mindfull of his Covenant LONDON Printed by I. D. for Nicolas Bourne and are to be sold at the South entrance of the Royall Exchange 1629. ILLVSTRISSIMIS ET HONORATISSIMIS VIRIS THEOPHILO COMITI LINCOLNIENSI ET GVLIELMO VICE-COMITI SAY ET SELE DOMINISSVIS SVBMISISSIMÈ COLENDIS HAS IOHANNIS PRESTONI SS THEOL DOCT. ET COLLEGII IMMANVELIS MAGISTRI PRIMITIAS DEVOTISSIMI TAM AVTHORIS DVM VIVERET QVAM IPSORVM QVI SVPERSVNT OBSEQVII TESTIMONIVM L.M.D.D.D. RICHARDVS SIBS IOHANNES DAVENPORT ¶ To the Reader IT had beene much to haue beene desired if it had so pleased the Father of Spirits that this worthy man had survived the publishing of these and other his Lectures for then no doubt they would haue come forth more refined and digested For though there was very little or no mistake in taking them from his mouth yet preaching and writing haue their severall graces Things liuened by the expression of the speaker sometimes take well which after vpon a mature review seeme eyther superfluous or flat And we oft see men very able to render their conceipts in writing yet not the happiest speakers Yet we considering not so much what might haue beene as what now may be for the service of the Church thought good rather to communicate them thus then that they should die with the Author He was a man of an exact judgement and quicke apprehension an acute Reasoner actiue in good choyse in his notions one who made it his chiefe ayme to promote the cause of Christ and the good of the Church which moved him to single out arguments answerable on which he spent his best thoughts He was honoured of God to be an instrument of much good wherevnto he had advantage by those eminent places he was called vnto As he had a short race to run so he made speed and did much in a little time Though he was of an higher elevation and straine of spirit then ordinarie yet out of loue to doe good he could frame his conceits so as might sute with ordinary vnderstandings A little before his death as we were informed by the Right Honourable the Lord Viscount Say and Seale in whose pietie wisedome and fidelittie he put great repose he was desirous that we should pervse what of his was fit for publique vsâ— We are not Ignorant that it is a thing subject to censure to seeme bold and wittie in another mans worke and therefore as little is altered as may be And we desire the Reader rather to take in good part that which is intended for publique good than to catch at imperfections considering they were but taken as they fell from him speaking And we intreate those that haue any thing of his in their hands that they would not be hastie for private respects to publish them till we whom the Author put in trust haue pervsed them We purpose by Gods helpe that what shall be judged fit shall come forth We send forth these Sermons of Gods All-Sufficiencie and Mans Vprightnes and the Covenant of Grace first as being first prepared by him that had the Coppies and because the right vnderstanding of these points hath a chiefe influence into a Christian life The LORD giue a blessing answerable and continue still to send forth such faithfull Labourers into his Harvest RICHARD SIRS IOHN DAVENPORT OF GODS ALL-SVFFICIENCY GENESIS 17. 1. When Abraham was ninetie yeares olde and nine the Lord appeared vnto Abraham and sayd vnto him I am GOD All-sufficient walke before me and be thou vpright or perfect BEcause in the performance of all the Duties of Sanctification Sinceritie is all in all therefore I haue chosen this Text that you may not be deceived It is true many things are very excellent if they be right There is no question but the Diamond is very precious if it be a true Diamond but if it be false it is nothing worth If you take a precious Balme you make no question of the thing and of the excellency of it in generall all the question is whether it be right or no And so in the graces of Gods spirit especially seeing they concerne our salvation It much concernes vs to know whether they be right or counterfeit and therefore you see the condition that God requires here of Abraham is that he be vpright and perfect without hypocrisie so the word signifieth walke before me without hypocrisie Now we haue rather chosen this Text than another because sets forth the ground of all sinceritie and perfect walking with God which is even this apprehension well setled in the heart that God is All-sufficient for this is the Lords precept Walke before me and be thou perfect or vpright or sincere let it not be in hypocrisie and this is the motiue that he vsâ—th to perswade him to it I am All-sufficient as if he should say if there were any defect in me if thou didst neede or couldest desire any thing that were not to be had in me and thou mightest haue it elsewhere perhaps thy heart might be imperfect in walking towards me thou mightest then step out from me to take in advantages elsewhere but seeing I am All-sufficient since I haue enough in me to fulfill all thy desires since I am every way an adaequate obiect that if thou lookest about and considerest all that thy soule can wish for thou maiest haue it in me why then shouldest thou not consecrate thy selfe to me alone Why then shouldest thou be vneven in thy wayes serving me sometimes by fits and sometimes the creature for there is nothing in the creature but thou maiest finde it in me I am All-sufficient I am All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be perfect Yet these words containe somewhat more which you may see by that which followes I will make my Covenant betweene me and thee and I will multiplie thee exceedingly The ground of all our sinceritie is the Covenant that is betweene God and vs. Now these words doe the most briefly that I finde of any in the Scriptures expresse the Covenant betweene God and vs on both sides for they are but the summe of the Covenant which in other places of Scripture is explicated and set forth more at large so that the opening of the Covenant on both sides is the ground of all the sinceritie of all that obedience that we yeeld to God And therefore I say you shall not onely haue occasion from this Text to examine the
For if it be so thou oughtest to say thus with thy selfe it is best for me to be so You wil say how shall we do to be perswaded of it Beloved there are many instances where in we are in such a condition which we thinke worst for our selues which many times is the best nay alwayes it is best for every man that is in covenant with God For this rule must be kept he is All-sufficient to his children and they finde him so he hath performed it and made it good to their experience and therefore whensoever they finde any want it is best for them to be so It is not either defect in the power of God or in the loue of God for example Abraham thought it a hard thing a great crosse that he was put to expell Ishmaell his sonne whom he loved Was it not better for Abraham had he not another sonne that was fitter for him borne of his owne Wife And so Moses thought it a hard thing to be barred from comming into the land of Canaan but what lost he by it was he not led into a better Canaan into Paradise into a more glorious condition So likewise when he went downe into Egypt if he had had a tongue of eloquence given him to his will that would haue satisfied him but was it not better for Moses to haue a stammering tongue and yet to haue the worke done as well Aaron and he being joyned together For by that meanes Moses was kept humble and his loue likewise was increased For that mutuall indigence knits men together when they haue need one of another In like manner David had an exceeding great desire to build the Temple when it was not the Lords will that he should doe it was he a looser by it David was at that time not fit to haue done it he was not able to haue done it as circumstances were but was he a looser by it had not he a house built him as well as if he had built the house of God had not he as great a reward as if he had performed it So likewise in the losse of his childe it was exceeding grievous to him yet was it not better that that childe should be taken away and that another ther should be given him that was legitimate Did not the Lord recompence it abundantly to him when Salomon was given to him in his stead And so Paul he was exceeding desirous to be freed from that temptation which no doubt was very grievous to him that did gall and vexe his minde continually even as a pricking of the flesh doth yet it was much better for Paul it was not because God was not All-sufficient either in power or in loue to him but he was an exceeding great gainer by that meanes he was emptied of himselfe for that is the scope of God in the wayes of his providence towards his children even to magnifie himselfe towards them which cannot be without emptying them of themselues by discovering to them their owne insufficiencie and that is done partly by affliction and partly by sinne but chiesly by sinne because that workes more immediately vpon man it makes him to see how little excellencie and how little worth there is in him it makes him againe to see the glorie and the power and the purenesse of God to magnifie him and to humble himselfe this Paul got by it and it was better for him he was in a better condition by it Therefore I say this conclusion must be set downe that the Lord is All-sufficient and when we fall short of any thing that we desire lay it not vpon God that the Lord is short of his performance of any promise that he compasseth vs not about with mercie on every side as much as we need that he delivers vs not from every evill for he will make that good alway that no good thing shall be wanting to them that lead a godly life He is a Sunne and a shield to them And whensoever it is otherwise it is because it is not best for them but this is a digression the thing we haue to doe for all this is but a preparation is to perswade you now that the Lord is All-sufficient as we told you we handle this poynt first because it is a preparatiue to the rest It shewes you of what moment it will be so to be perswaded and of what evill consequence it is not to be so perswaded Now I will adde a word of the second poynt that God is All-sufficient To proue that he is so I will propound to you but these two reasons First consider that all that is in the creature all the comforts all the excellencie all the beautie that is to be found in them it is but borrowed and derived God is the primitiue he is the originall he is the first the vniversall cause the generall cause of all hence we gather this that there is an All-sufficiencie in him and in him onely he is All-sufficient exclusiuely so that no creature hath any sufficiencie at all in it selfe for Beloved you must know that the creature addes nothing at all to his sufficiencie but all sufficiency is comprehended in him for if they be all derived and borrowed things then they are in the creature but as farre as it pleaseth him to communicate the same to them now that it is so see Ier. 2. 13. My people sayth the Lord haue committed two evils they haue for saken me the fountaine of living waters and secondly haue digged to themselues pits that hold no water Where we may briefly obserue First that God is the spring from whom all comforts come originally the pits you know haue the water but borrowed and derived from the fountaine secondly there is something in this that he calleth them pits that is the comfort in the creature is a mixed comfort it is like water in a pit it is muddie and not pure and cleare like the water in the fountaine That is the comfort that comes meerely from the creature if you receiue any comfort in the creature and Gods hand be not in it it is alway mixed with some sorrow with some evill but if it come from the Lord it is a pure comfort he giues riches and no sorrow with them Thirdly the comfort that is in the creature it is but a dead comfort cōpared to that which is in the Lord and therefore he is sayd to be a fountaine of living water that is running water The comfort that is in the creature it is able to doe little it is quickly spent and when it is spent there is no more in it but the comfort that is in God it is like water that commeth out of the spring which is still renewed from day to day and therefore it is called living water there is no end of it but still it flowes more and more Last of all they are broken pits that cannot hold the
as you haue it in Math. 7. 16. 17. that is a man then is said to be a good man when there is a good sap in him when there is some thing in him that is good when there are some supernaturall graces wrought in him he that is not emptie of these he is a good man as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and how was that proved he was full of faith and the holy Ghost See then whether thou hast an emptie heart or no. You say a thing is good for nothing when it is emptie of that excellencie that should be in it when Wine hath not that in it that belongs to wine you say it is naught and so we say of all things else When a man therefore hath not that in him that belongs to a man that is to a man as he was created in innocency he is wicked and naught a sonne of Beliall but when he hath a blessing in him as grapes haue wine in them when he hath supernaturall grace wrought in his heart when he hath the new Adam putting into his heart the sap of grace life then he is good Therefore see whether there be somewhat put into thee more then is in thee by nature see whether thou finde the new Adam effectually to cōmunicate new sap to thee new grace and new light to thee as the old Adam hath communicated corruption See whether thou be made a good tree or no for it is the tree that makes the fruit good and not the fruit that makes the tree good So it is the man that justifieth his worke and not the worke that justifieth the man and therefore thou must first see whether thou be in the Covenant whether thou hast this seale that thou seest some thing put into thee which thou hast not by nature Every man by nature is emptie when grace is put into him then he is said to be good As it is good wine when it is full of spirit when it hath that in it that belongs to wine So he is a good man that hath that in him which belongs to him in his regenerate estate Secondly Consider whether thou bring forth good fruit that is not onely whether thou doest good actions but whether they flow from thee whether they grow in thine heart as naturally as fruit growes on the tree that flowes from the sap within When a man not onely doth good works but when he is zealous of them it is his meate and drinke to doe them when they flow from him as water from the fountaine then he is a good man for if the tree be good that is if the heart be good a man will be as readie and will as naturally bring forth good fruit as the tree the Vine or the Fig-tree bring forth their fruit The third thing you shall see in the 2 Tim. 2. vessels are said to be good to be vessels of honour when they are prepared to every good worke So when a man is good and brings forth good fruit and not onely brings it forth but if there be any occasions to put forth the goodnesse that is in him he is parepared for it as a vessell is prepared for such a turne for such a service The word in the originall signifieth when a man is fashioned as a vessell is fashioned and the meaning of the holy Ghost is therefore to shew that then a man is good when his heart is fitted to good workes when he knowes how to goe about them whereas another bungles at them and knowes not how to doe them he is prepared for them and therefore there needs no more but to put him and the good worke together and he is readie to performe it The last is When there is not onely a readines but practice vpon all occasions when a man doth good as it is sayd that Iesus Christ went about doing good And therefore he is a good man that is a vsefull man such a man that every one fares the better for such a man as is serviceable to God profitable to men Before regeneration when a man is a stranger to this goodnesse he onely serues himselfe he is full of self-selfe-loue all his ends are to looke to himselfe that he may be kept safe he cares not what becomes of any thing els so it be well with him but when once goodnesse comes into his heart it hath this fruit he goes about doing good because grace brings that principle into the heart that never grew there before that it the loue of God and man whereas before there was nothing but selfe-loue in him which plant growes naturally in the garden of nature when grace comes it brings loue with it and that loue makes vs vsefull and serviceable both to God and man So that whatsoever a man hath what gifts what knowledge what authoritie he hath he is readie to vse it for the good of others As the Apostle saith of One simus in the Epistle to Philemon Now he is profitable to thee and mee whereas before he was vnprofitable So it may be said of all Saints when once this goodnesse is put into them now they are profitable to God and man they doe serue God and man with their fatnesse and with their sweetnesse before they were vnprofitable to others but now they are profitable both to themselues and others This is the first note by which you may know your selues Art thou a good and vsefull man dost thou goe about doing good doe those fare the better for thee with whom thou hast to doe dost thou spend the fatnesse and the sweetnesse that God hath given thee to serue God and man with it then conclude thou art in the ranke of those that are the Lords portion otherwise thou art yet without the Covenant thou art yet in the gall of bitternes The other three I must deferre till the afternoone So much for this time THE SECOND SERMON ECCLESIASTES 9. 1. 2. 3. I haue sarely given my heart to all this c. WEE will now proceede to the second difference which remaineth and that is this Consider whether thou bee cleane and pure in heart or polluted There is the same condition to the pure and to the polluted Now what it is to be cleane or to be washed you shall see 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you That is you were polluted with those sins there named but now sayth he you are washed And wherein stands this washing He tels vs it stands in these two things Now you are iustified now you are sanctified You are iustified through the name of Christ and sanctified through the spirit of our God So then he is a pure man or a cleane man that is first washed from the guilt of his sinnes that is that hath no sinne lying vpon his Conscience that hath not a polluted Conscience which is a phrase vsed Titus 1. whose mindes and consciences are defiled
Now defilement or pollution is in the Conscience as Divines say as a thing that is knowne is in the facultie or vnderstanding that knowes it and therefore the man that hath committed any sinne which yet continues vpon his owne score which his Conscience is yet guiltie of for which he hath not yet gotten an acquittance from Almightie God he is an impure man he is yet vncleane for he is not yet washed from his filthinesse A man againe that hath gotten any assurance of forgiuenesse so that all his sinnes are put vpon the reckoning of Iesus Christ and there are none that lye vpon his owne score a man who hath made all his reckonings even with God and hath some assurance therof such a man is washed from his filthinesse Such a phrase you haue likewise in Ezech. 36. 25. I will cleanse you or wash you from all your Idols That is from all your Idolatrie from all the sinnes that you haue coÌ„mitted I will wash you that is with imputation or sprinkling of the bloud of Christ. The second cleannesse is when a man is not onely washed with the imputation of the bloud of Christ and the assurance of pardon but also when he is washed from the staine of sinne when he is sanctified through the spirit when sinne is mortified in him when it is as well healed as forgiven And therefore if thou wouldest know whether thou art a cleane man or polluted consider also this whether thou hast a cleane heart or no that is whether thou hast such an habituall disposition of puritie and cleannesse that thou canst not indure to looke vpon any sinne no more then a man that is of a neate and cleane disposition can indure to see filthines whether thou hast such a disposition as that although thou be sprinkled with sinne from day to day though thou be fowled and spotted with it yet thou sufferest it not to abide in thy heart thy heart workes it out as we sayd to you before So that this you are to obserue to finde out the cleannesse of a mans disposition whether he can looke vpon sinne as an vncleane thing as a thing from which his soule hath an aversion as a thing that he abhorres that is although there be some thing in him that loues it that delights in it that likes it yet the prevailing part of the soule abhorres it Both the cleane and polluted may forsake sinne and may turne away from sinne and therfore in that the difference is not seene but the difference is in this that thou art able to hate and abhorre sinne to looke on it as a thing that is filthy and vncleane A Marchant you know will cast out his goods when he is in danger of his life but he hates not his goods So a man may cast away sinne when it puts him in danger of â—inking into hell or of the judgements of men It is one thing to part with sinne and another thing to hate sinne A man may withdraw himselfe from sinne he may giue it over he may seeme to be divorced from it and yet he may haue a monthes mind after it he may doe with it still as the husband of Michall when shee was taken from him yet sayth the Text he came weeping after her a far off he longed after her still and loved her still So a man may part with his sinne after such a manner that still he goes weeping after it he would haue it againe he would faine inioy it if it were not for some greater danger or some greater trouble that he exposeth himselfe vnto as you see in Phaltiel it was not for want of loue to his wife that he parted with her but it was out of a desire he had to saue himselfe to escape the danger of the Kings wrath imprisonment and death that would haue followed vpon it Therefore consider what hatred you haue of sinne and by that you must judge whether you haue a cleane disposition or no. You must not thinke any man is perfectly cleane and pure but he is a cleane man that suffers not any impuritie to take quiet possession of his heart although he haue vncleane thoughts and vncleane affections as all sinfull thoughts and affections are though sinne may passe through his heart as they passed through the Temple yet he suffereth it not to set vp Tables in the Temple to set vp an Idoll in his heart he suffereth it not to make any breach of Covenant with God to be adulterous against him though there may be many glances some adulterous and vncleane actions that is not the thing that breakes the Covenant when the heart is still wedded to God and chooseth God and no other And therefore I say in that it is not seene but consider what thy disposition is whether thou hate that sinne all the while A man that is of an impure spirit of an impure heart when he is with impure company when he delights himselfe with impure thoughts then he is where he would be he is then in his owne element and when he is otherwise he is where he would not be On the other side he that hath an habituall disposition of purenesse and cleannesse though he may be transported to those acts of sinne and pollution yet his heart hates it he is not where he would be all the while he is not vpon his owne center his heart still fights against it and resists it therefore consider with thy selfe what thy heart is in this case whether thou haue a heart that hates vncleannesse or whether thou hast yet a swinish disposition that thou lyest in the mud and delightest to lye in it A man may fall into the mud but he delighteth not to be there no more will a cleane disposition delight in sinne And you may know it by this effect where the disposition is vncleane there sinne abides till it staine the heart till it make a man spotted of the world that is it causeth him to keepe a tract in sinne that a man may say this is the path he walketh in it causeth him to weare the livery of sinne that he may be knowne by it from day to day it causeth the spot so to sinke into the soule that a man may see he is such a man This is to haue an vncleane disposition when vncleannesse so cleaues to his soule that they agree together whereas in a man that hath a pure disposition it is not so as 1 Ioh. 3. 3. he that hath this hope purifieth himselfe The meaning is this there is a double hope there is the hope of the hypocrite that is a dead hope that doth not set a man on worke to cleanse himselfe from filâ—hinesse There is againe a liuely hope spoken of in 1 Pet. 1. 3. that sets a man on worke to clense himselfe that is when a man hath a true hope a reall hope to haue that vndefiled inheritance he considers this with