we are chastened of the Lord that we should not bee condemned with the world Yet taketh he no pleasure in correcting them but as hee doth it most unwillingly Psal. 103.8 He is slow to anger Lament 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men so is he most apt to repent him of the evill hee is constrained to bring upon them and to bee troubled with it Therefore it is said of him Ioel 2.13 and in many other places that he repenteth him of the evill Both which properties are most pathetically expressed Hosea 11.8 How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee up Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together And this is the first point in this comparison Secondly the very sight of the misery another is in will move a man that hath the bowells of a man and is tender-hearted to pitty his case and bee willing to helpe without any other respect at all to the person be he friend or foe good or bad onely because he seeth him to bee in misery Mine eye affecteth my heart saith the Church Lamen 3.51 because of all the daughters of my City yea the more the misery is that he seeth any man in the more he will pity him and be ready to helpe him as we see in the example of the Samaritan Luke 10 33 34 When he saw the Iew stripped of his cloathes and wounded and halfe dead he had compassion on him and went to him and bound up his wounds c. And in this respect it is oft mentioned as a duty wee owe to them that are in misery to visit them to go and see them Iam. 1.27 Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visite the fatherlesse and the widow in their affliction But you will say is that enough I answer yes he that doth that if he have a mans heart in him cannot choose but doe what he can to helpe him They have cut off my life in the dungeon saith the Church Lament 3.53 and cast a stone upon me because they would not see my misery and therefore that is noted for the cause why neither the Priest not the Levite helped the poore man they could not abide to looke on him but passed by on the other side Lu. 10.31 32. Even so is it with our most mercifull and tender-hearted Father the very sight of our misery without any other motive in the world is sufficient to move him to pitty and helpe us yea the more our misery is the more ready will he be to succour us Exod. 3.7 See how pathetically the Lord speaketh Surely I have seene the affliction of my people for I know their sorrowes and am come downe to deliver them Ieremy 31.20 My bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Yea the sight of the misery even of wicked men doth worke this upon his tender heart Psal 146.7 8 9. The Lord looseth the prisoners the Lord openeth the eyes of the blind the Lord raiseth them that are bowed downe the Lord preserveth the strangers hee relieveth the fatherlesse and widow So againe Psalme 78.38 He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not yea many a time turned he his anger away and did not stirre up all his wrath and yet these men were but hypocrites they never sought to God but in their affliction verse 34. and 36. They did but flatter him with their mouth and lyed unto him with their tongues And thus have you seene the tender mercies of the Lord. Thirdly In the Lord there is a multitude of tender mercies He is aboundant in goodnesse Exod. â—4 6 Plenteous in mercy Psal. 86.5 Full of compassion Psal 86.15 Rich in mercy Ephe. 2.4 Admire it we may but no man is able to expresse and utter how great the mercy of the Lord is Psal 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindnesse The mercies and kindnesses of all the men in the world compared to it are but as a drop of water to the great Ocean My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord. Esay 55.8 9. For as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts See this difference in three points 1. A man can forgive small wrongs but the wrongs may bee so great as no man can forgive but there is no sin so heinous but the Lord is able to forgive it Exod. 34.7 Forgiving iniquitie transgression and sin Matth. 12.31 All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Hee is able to forgive a debt of ten thousand talents and not be undone nay be never the poorer Matth. 18.27 2. A man can forgive one a great wrong if it were but in one action but the wrongs may be so many and of so many kinds as no man can forgive them but the Lord is able to forgive sins though they were as many yea more then the haires of our head as David complaineth his were Psal 40.12 3. A man is able once to forgive yea to forgive it may be even such wrongs as hee counteth very great and manifold but hee can never forgive or thinke well of him whom hee having forgiven sundry times yet hee still wrongeth him in the same kind but the Lord is able to forgive him that hath relapsed often into the same crime For hee requireth this mercy even in us Matth. 18.22 Thou shalt forgive him I say not unto thee untill seven times but untill seventy times seven times So that Gods children shall have no cause to say to their heavenly Father as Esau said to his father Gen. 27.38 Hast thou but one blessing my father Canst thou forgive but once yes hee is able to forgive the same offence often times if it be truly repented of The use of this Doctrine is first for instruction even to teach and assure you to testifie unto you as the Apostle did to Gods people 1. Pet. 5.12 that this is the true grace of God wherein you stand that the religion and Doctrine that is at this day and hath beene through Gods mercy now many above sixty yeeres without interruption taught and professed in the Church of England the Lord in mercy grant it may continue so to bee and which you have received and found comfort in is the only true ancient Catholique Propheticall and Apostolike faith Because it giveth the whole glory of mans salvation and of every degree and piece of it from the beginning to the end to the free grace and mercy of God and to nothing else Therefore the Apostle in that place I last named 1. Pet. 5.12 calleth the true religion and Doctrine of God for that is it hee meaneth in that place by a Metonimy the true grace of God because the whole
others at least not aggravate it by the circumstances of it as we shall heare it is fit we should doe There is therefore a necessity we should doe it in secret The second motive is from the conveniencie of it For we make confession of our sins in secret unto God much more effectually then any other way wee can doe And that in two respects First We may powre out our hearts more fully and freely unto God in secret then we can doe in the presence of any other man For we are all of us apt to thinke that if we should in a particular manner utter and expresse how vile wretches we are before those that love vs and thinke best of us they would never thinke well of us againe while we live but account vs ranke hypocrites And indeed it may be so they would In which respect we reade Zach. 12.12 that the husband should mourne apart and the wife apart they should not disclose their sins one to another But there is no such thing to stay or hinder us from being free and open hearted in secret For 1. we can say no worse by our selves then the Lord knoweth already better then our selves according to that speech of David Psal. 69.5 O God thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sins are not hid from thee and 139.2 3. O Lord thou understandest my thought afarre off thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art acquainted with all my wayes 2. We may be sure he will not like the worse but the better of us for confessing and opening of our sins unto him if we accuse our selues he will be the readier to absolve us According to that we have heard 1 Iohn 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us and 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judge our selves wee should not bee judged Yee people saith David Psal. 62.8 powre out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us As if he had said ye have no cause to feare or be ashamed to open your hearts to him the more you can lay to your owne charge and accuse your selves of the more ready you shall finde him to bee a refuge and a comfort unto you There is no cause of feare for an humbled soule to goe to him Will hee plead against me with his great power saith Ioh 23.6 no but hee would put strength in mee Iames 1.5 Hee giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not The second respect wherein the conveniency of secret confession may appeare is this That wee may in secret use more helpes of voice and gesture and confesse our sins and make our complaint against our selves with more expressions of griefe then we can doe in the presence of others A man that would be ashamed to shed teares before men in the acknowledgment of his sins may be bold to doe it before the Lord. As Iob speaketh of himselfe Iob 16.20 Mine eye powreth out teares that is weepeth aboundantly unto God Thus did Iacob when he was alone Hos. 12.4 And I tell you even this maketh our confession of sins the more effectuall with God when we can doe it with teares As appeareth by that speech of God to Hezekiah 2 King 20.5 I have heard thy prayer and seene thy teares And this second respect may seeme to have moved David when he fasted and prayed for the child to goe in to doe it 2 Sam. 12.16 and both other of Gods servants and our blessed Saviour himselfe too make choice of a secret place for their devotions So did Elizeus 2 King 4.33 So did Peter Act. 10.9 So did our Saviour Mar. 1.35 They knew they might have more liberty for voice and gesture and teares there then they could have had in the company of men The third and last motive that may provoke us unto this duty is the consideration of the fruits and benefits that are to be received by it And those are two principally First This will give a man farre greater assurance of the truth and uprightnesse of his heart when he can confesse and bewaile his sin in secret unto God then any confession of his sin in the presence of others is able to doe This is one of the arguments wherby Iob proveth himselfe to have bin no hypocrite as his friends charged him because he had not been wont to cover his transgressions from God as Adam did not to hide them in his bosome but had beene wont freely and ingeniously to confesse them unto God Iob 31.33 This argueth there is no guile in the spirit when a man can acknowledge his sins unto God and confesse his transgressions unto him Psal. 32.2 3.5 And our Saviour perswading his disciples to take heed of hypocrisie in performing religious duties prescribeth this for an antidote to preserve them from it to learne to make conscience of doing them in secret Mat. 6.5 6. Be not as the hypocrites for they love to pray in open places where they may be seene of men but thou when 〈◊〉 prayest enter into thy closet For it is strange to see how far an hypocrite may go in performing religious duties in the presence of others as our Saviour there sheweth they love to pray saith he standing in the Synagogues They will seeme to shew great delight and zeale in good duties so long as they have men to be witnesses of it Yea in this very point of making confession of their sins before men hypocrites and gracelesse men have gone very far Pharaoh did this to Moses and Aaron sundry times Exod. 9.27 and 10.16 and Saul unto Samuel 1 Sam. 15 24.30 auricular confession unto a Priest you see a rancke hypocrite may make and Iudas made confession of his sin before the Priests and Elders publikely in the Temple Yea to the party he hath wronged an hypocrite will be able to confes his sin as Saul did to David 1 Sam. 24.17 18. and 26.21 But of none of these you can read that ever they could go to God in secret and powre out their hearts before him So that you see this is one benefit a man shal receive by it it will give him a cōfortable assurance of the sincerity uprightnes of his heart before God Secondly It will give great assurance to a man of mercy from God in the pardon of his sins Gods people have bin wont to find as great ease to their consciences by confessing their sins to God as ever stomack that was sick and oppressed did by casting up the meat that offended it or sore that was impostumated by giving vent to the filthy matter that put it unto paine David professeth of himselfe Ps. 119.25 26. that when his soule cleaved to the dust that it was quite cast downe and dejected as one foyled and wounded by his enemy and ready to give up the Ghost he tooke this course to relieve himselfe and found comfort in it hee declared his wayes unto God and he heard him And in another place
he that doth not heartily desire this did never yet know how to pray aright Now if any of us doe indeed pity the estate of wicked men and desire that they may bee saved let us then pray and procure for them so farre as in us lyeth that they may have the meanes of knowledge For this is the way yea this is the onely way to bring them unto salvation God will have all men saith the Apostle 1 Timothy 2.4 that is some of all sorts of men for that phrase cannot bee properly meant of any that shall perish God will have all men to bee saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth As if hee had said Looke whom God will have to bee saved them hee will bring to the knowledge of the truth So when the Church maketh so fervent a prayer unto God for the conversion of all nations Psalm 67 3 5. shee prefixeth this as the meanes whereby that was to be effected and brought to passe verse 1 2. God be mercifull unto us to the whole catholique Church to the whole number and company of his Elect for so that prayer is to bee understood God bee mercifull unto us and blesse us and cause his face to shine upon us that thy way may bee knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all nations As if shee had said This is the greatest mercy and blessing the greatest fruit of Gods speciall favour unto a people when hee giveth them the meanes whereby they may know his wayes how to serve and please him and his saving health how to attaine unto the eternall salvation of their owne soules and till this mercy bee vouchsafed to them as appeareth by the coherence of the third verse with these two men can never praise God nor worship him aright This is the greatest outward fruit of Gods mercy and goodnesse towards men of all others when hee giveth them able and faithfull teachers to bring them unto knowledge As the Apostle also teacheth us Ephes. 4.8 When Christ ascended up on high and led captivitie captive went up in his triumph after he had conquered Satan upon the crosse he gave gifts unto men And what were those gifts which that great King and conqerour at such a time when hee would expresse his bounty to the full did bestow upon men Surely they are expressed verse 11. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and teachers As if he had said He gave able ministers unto his Church as the greatest outward gift that he had to bestow upon them And as this is the greatest outward worke of mercy and love in God towards man so is it certainly the greatest worke of mercy and charity in man towards man to provide for them the meanes of sound knowledge and instruction The Papists glory much of their good workes and thinke they have therein a great advantage against us And if their religion were indeed more fruitfull in good works then ours is they had a just and great advantage against us for you shall know them by their fruits saith our Saviour Mat. 7.16 But what are the workes whereby they teach men they may merit most at Gods hands Surely to give largely to the Church To what end Was it to provide thereby that the people might bee taught and instructed how to know God and to worship him aright No no the whole endeavour of their Church hath beene to take from men the key of knowledge as our Saviour speaketh Luk. 11.5 2. that is the meanes of knowledge whereby as by a key men are to have their entrance into the kingdome of heaven all that was given to their Church wherein as their fore-fathers the Pharisees did they teach men to put such confidence was to maintaine a sort of idle fellowes to say masses and sing dirges for their soules And what goodnesse I pray you was there in these workes No no blessed bee the Lord our God the Papists have no just cause of glorying against the Gospell in this behalfe For though we have too many amongst us whom the Lord hath greatly blessed with worldly wealth that neither in their life nor at their death doe honour God with their substance as the holy Ghost telleth us Prov. 3.9 they are bound to doe and that even with the first fruits of all their increase As if hee had said God should have the first part of all Though wee have many I say that are too strait-handed and hearted this way that being of great ability give nothing to God or at least nothing proportionable unto their estates that when they make their wills and find they have hundreds and thousands to dispose of yet never thinke of God give nothing to speake of unto pious uses all is too little they thinke for their children and kindred And shall their children and kindred prosper the better for this thinke you when God is robbed of his part No no the sentence of God shall stand which hee pronounceth of the man that is bountifull in the workes of charity Psalm 37.26 Hee is ever mercifull and lendeth and his seed is blessed his children shall bee never the poorer for that Though wee have I say too many such of our profession yet is not this the fault of our religion our religion teacheth the necessity of such good workes as much as Popery doth this is onely the fault of these carnall and worldly minded professours of our religion having a shew of godlinesse but denying the power of it as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 3.5 these are spots in our Church as the Apostle speaketh Iude 12. they blemish and shame our religion But though wee have too many such yet is it thanks bee to God notorious to the world that the Gospell hath beene more fruitfull in all sorts of good workes that have beene good workes indeed then ever popery was More hath bin given in this land within these threescore yeeres to the building and increase of hospitals of Colledges and other schooles of good learning and to such like works as are truly charitable then were in any one hundred yeeres during all the time and reigne of popery But this is a good worke passing all other wherein the Gospell glorieth and triumpheth against popery that the Gospell hath made men carefull and liberall to provide for the soules of Gods people to provide meanes of knowledge and sound instruction for them That there have beene so many good Lectures founded of late That there hath bin such care taken and cost bestowed for the redeeming of Impropriations restoring of them to the Church That even in this last Session of Parliament there was so earnest endeavour used by the state and God be mercifull unto them that were the hinderers of so honourable and pious a worke that out of every impropriation in the land there should bee so much taken as might make a competent maintenance for an able teacher These these
proceed unto the fourth and last of those Motives which I promised to give you to perswade you to seeke without delay to know that you are through Christ justified in Gods sight And that is this That when a man is once justified then he shall be sure to be sanctified and never till then If any man desire to get strength against any lust or corruption that troubleth him most or to obtaine any grace that he standeth most in need of let him first labour to know that he is justified and that his sinnes are forgiven him That is the onely sure way to attaine unto both till a man know himselfe to be justified let him use never so many meanes to attaine either of them he shall but loose his labour I will give you the proofe of this first in the generall by shewing you that all true sanctification proceedeth from justification secondly in both the parts of sanctification that is to say mortification of the old man and vivification of the new For the first Doe any of you desire to have a better heart and to lead a better life which wee all ought and every good heart doe desire more then any thing els in the world then labour to get assurance that Christ is thine that thy sinnes are forgiven thee that thou art through him reconciled unto God this is the onely sure way to amend both thy heart and life This will doe it and nothing but this will ever bee able to do it Two sorts of proofes I will give you for this 1. The inward instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh sanctification in the heart of man the inward principle and root of all grace is faith that justifieth a man and maketh knowne the love of God to him in Christ. 2. The outward instrument whereby the spirit of God worketh sanctification in the heart of man is the preaching of the glad tidings of the Gospell unto him For the first I will give you foure plaine places of Scripture for the proofe of it The first is that speech of our Saviour unto Paul Acts 26.18 where speaking of them that shall inherit eternall life he calleth them such as are sanctified by faith in him As if he had said It is faith in Christ such a faith as assureth a man that Christ is his and that God is through Christ reconciled unto him that sanctifyeth a man and nothing but that The second place is Heb. 9.14 Where the Apostle comparing the bloud of Christ with the bloud of the legall sacrifices and having shewed in the former verse that the sprinkling even of that upon the people did worke a kinde of externall and legall sanctification in them How much more saith he shall the bloud of Christ being sprinkled upon you and applyed to your hearts by the spirit of God purge your consciences from dead workes to serve the living God As if he should say so soone as the bloud of Christ is sprinkled upon the conscience so soone as ever the spirit of God hath by faith assured a man that the pardon which Christ by his bloud hath purchased doth belong unto him this will certainly follow of it his heart and conscience will be purged and cleansed from dead workes from those workes which while he was a naturall man dead in trespasses and sinnes he lived in and he shall be enabled to serve God in newnesse of life The third place for the proofe of this is in 2 Pet. 1.4 Where the Apostle saith that by the knowledge of Christ are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust Two things are to bee observed in these words of the Apostle 1. How come Gods people to escape the corruption that is in the world through lust How come they to forsake and be preserved from those sinnes that both themselves in times past and the whole world still through the strength of our naturall concupiscence liveth in How come they to be partakers of the divine nature How come they to have the Image of God which consisteth in true holinesse and righteousnesse renewed in them Why saith the Apostle we attaine unto all this this change is wrought in us by the exceeding great and precious promises of God which are given unto us not by any thing we were able to doe by any endeavour wee could use by any penance we could put our selves unto no nor by the law or judgements of God but by receiving and beleeving the exceeding great and precious promises that God hath given us of pardon and mercy was this blessed change wrought in us But then 2. How came wee to have interest in these exceeding great and precious promises of God Surely saith the Apostle Verse 3. And in the very first words of this verse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and Vertue that is through the knowledge of Christ. By knowing Christ to be ours In whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 1.20 wee come to have Title to all the exceeding great and precious promises of God The fourth and last place of Scripture which I promised to give you for confirmation of this first point is that speech of the Apostle Eph. 3.19 Where the Apostle praying for the Ephesians that God would make them able to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge which was so infinitely great unto every poore sinner that beleeveth in him as no heart of man is able fully to know and comprehend it he giveth this for the reason of that prayer that he made for them that yee might be filled saith he with all the fulnesse of God As if he had said the more knowledge you shall have of the wonderfull love that Christ hath borne unto you the more that you shall be assured of it the more you look into it and meditate of it the more you shall bee filled with all the fulnesse of God the more shall you abound in sanctification and in every saving grace Now for the second sort of proofes I spake of the outward instrument wherby the spirit of God useth to worke sanctification and holinesse in the heart of man is the preaching of the glad tydings of the Gospell the opening and applying to him the new Testament and covenant of God the covenant of grace the promises of Gods free grace and mercy in Christ. True it is the Lord sometimes by his judgements and plagues but more usually by the Ministery of the law useth to prepare men unto grace and worke a kinde of repentance and change in the heart of man But the meanes whereby he useth to sanctifie a man indeed to mortifie and kill sin in the root to worke a saving change and true grace in his heart is by preaching the Gospell and making knowne to him his mercy in Christ.
morning As many as I love saith Christ Revelat. 2.19 I rebuke and chasten 2. The Lord hath oft dealt very sharpely with his children when hee hath had no purpose therein to take vengeance of them for any of their sinnes nor bin angry with them at all but only to try their faith and obedience and when he hath purposed to do them most good he hath prepared them for it this way as is evident in the case of his wrestling with Iacob and laming of him and in his dealing with the woman of Canaan When Moses speakes of his dealing with Israel in the wildernesse and of all the hardnes they endured there Deut 8.16 he did it saith he that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to doe thee good at thy latter end Fourthly One chiefe cause of Gods so sharply afflicting and seeming so angry with his people is to draw them to seeke unto him for his favour this way and to come oftner to him or at least to come to him in a better manner with more humility and sense of the need they have of him and with more fervency then they have bin wont to do Hos. 5.15 I will go and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seeke me early For as God for his part greatly desires to see his children oft and delights to heare their prayers Cant. 2.14 Let me see thy countenance let mee heare thy voice for sweet is thy voice thy countenance is comely So we for our part are apt like the prodigall Lu. 15.16 17. to neglect our father till extreame need and misery drive us unto him So that to conclude the answer to this first objection No affliction or token of Gods anger how extreame soever should cause us to despaire of help from God or discourage us from seeking comfort from him by prayer but we should resolve with Iob. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Secondly I am in great distresse saith another and I would faire seeke to God for helpe and comfort by prayer but alas I am so vile a sinner and so unworthy that I dare not I know God beareth not sinners Iob. 9.31 And certainely this keepes many from prayer This is a naturall effect of of sin to make men afraid to go to God and to stand before him as appeares in that example of Adam Gen. 3.8 Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord. Conscience of sin will stop our mouthes and make us unapt to speake to God as appeares by Davids prayer heere Psal. 51.15 O Lord open thou my lips It will make us unable to looke up unto God Psal. 40.12 Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to looke up O that men would thinke of this and it would have great force to restraine them from sin Now for answer unto these that are kept from prayer in their distresse by sense of their owne unworthinesse I have foure things to say First others of Gods servants that have beene as deepely touched with sense of their sins as any of us can be have beene much given to prayer for all that This appeares by Davids example in this Psalme and 40.12 My sinnes are more then the haires of mine head therefore my heart faileth me Yet prayeth he for all that verse 13. Be pleased O Lord to deliver me O Lord make hast to helpe me And so did Ezra 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespasse is growne up unto the heavens Paul also had as deepe a sense of his sins and unworthinesse as any man could have For he saith 1 Tim. 1.15 he was the chiefe of all sinners and Ephes. 3.8 he was lesse then the least of all Saints yet he was given much to prayer yea even then when the sense of his sins did most afflict him Act 9 12 Behold he prayeth Secondly the more and more hainous our sins are the more need the more cause have we to seeke to God by prayer for mercy Mat. 9.12 They that be whole need not a Physitian but they that are sicke Thirdly the sense of our sins and unworthinesse if it be sincere and unfained makes us never the lesse but much more capable of mercy and comfort from God by prayer For we go not in our owne name but in Christs That is that that doth give boldnesse Heb. 4.16 None have ever beene so welcome to God nor have found so much mercy with him as they that have come to him in deepest sense of their owne unworthinesse Five notable examples we have for this First In the woman that Christ cured of the bloudy issue that was so humbled in the sense of her unworthinesse that she durst not presume to speake to Christ but Mar. 5.27 came in the preasse behind and touched his garment And when she perceived Christ knew what she had done she came fearing and trembling and fell downe before him verse 33. Secondly In the Centurion Luk. 7.6 7. who thought himselfe not worthy that Christ should enter under his roofe nor that hee should presume to goe to Christ himselfe Thirdly In the Prodigall that thought not himselfe worthy to be called a sonne Luk 15.21 Fourthly In the Publican who thought not himselfe worthy so much as to lift up his eyes to heaven Luk. 18.13 Fiftly in the woman of Canaan that judged her selfe no better then a dog Matth. 15.27 Who cou'd have deeper sense of their owne unworthinesse then these or who did ever receive greater mercy and comfort from God in their prayers then these did So that it is certaine it is not true humility and sense of our unworthinesse that keepes any from prayer They that are truly poore in spirit and do mourne for that will hunger and thirst after righteousnesse and seeke it by all meanes Mat. 5.3 4 6. It is privie pride that keepes men from prayer as it doth that poore wretch that being in extreame want will rather sterve and pine himselfe then he will seeke unto or be beholden to any that is able to succour and relieve him Fourthly whereas thou pretendest that the sense of thy sinne and of thine unworthinesse for sin keepes thee from prayer know thou that thy infidelity that keepes thee from seeking to God for mercy is a farre greater sin then any other yea then all the rest that ever thou committedst as is plaine by that speech of our Saviour Iohn 16.9 He will reprove the world of 〈◊〉 because 〈…〉 not in him Lecture XII On Psalme 51.1 2. Ianuary 10. 1625. THE third Objection followeth that is that they are 〈◊〉 to pray For thus is many a poore soule apt to say I am in great distress and would faine seeke to God by prayer for helpe and 〈◊〉 but alas
that he was in the time of his banishment like a broken vessell that none could make any use of And certainely the poorest servant and drudge that is may have more comfort in his estate then the greatest Gentleman that doth nothing but eat and drink and play nay then the greatest Scholler or Divine in the world that doth no good to others with the knowledge and learning that God hath given him 1 Cor. 12.7 The manifestation of the spirit is given to every man to profit with all And that is the reason why the Apostle preferreth prophesying before all other gifts because it tendeth most to the benefit and profit of others 1 Cor. 14.4 Fiftly Such as are all for themselves and have no care of the common good This is the common sinne of our times 1. In any businesse that concerneth the good of a whole towne how hardly are men drawne to yeeld their helping hand any way 2. In bearing the common burden and charge of a towne how ready are all men to withdraw and exempt themselves 3. Such as are put in trust to deale in businesses of the country or towne they live in are a great deale more carelesse and more lavish in expences then they are wont to be in their owne businesses These men I would have to remember 1. The expresse commandement of God 1 Cor. 10.24 Let no man seeke his owne but every man anothers wealth 2. That the good men have done to others and the care they have had that way will yeeld more comfort to their conscience and give them more assurance that they are now in the state of grace and shall hereafter come to the state of glory then the care they have had and paines they have taken to gather to themselves 1 Tim. 6.18 19. Charge rich men that they do good that they be rich in good workes ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on etrnall life For the more good we doe to others the liker we are to our heavenly father as we have heard now 3. This will get us a good name and esteeme both while we live and when we are gone For this was Iehojada so honoured at his death 2 Chron. 24.16 because he had done good in Israel And a good name is more worth then all our wealth Pro. 22.1 A good name is rather to be chosen then great riches 4. This is the best way to assure us of Gods blessing even in these outward things Ps. 37.3 Trust in the Lord and doe good so shalt thou dwell in the land and verily thou shalt be fed Lecture XXIIII on Psalme 51.1 2. May 2. 1626. NOw it followeth that we proceed unto the second sort of duties that we are to be exhorted unto from the consideration of the infinitenesse of Gods mercy and those are such as we owe unto the Lord himselfe There be then two other duties that from this Doctrine wee are to bee exhorted unto The first of them doth most properly respect our selves and I will propound it unto every one of you in the words that Eliphaz in another case useth unto Iob 5.27 Lo this we have searched it so it is heare thou it and know it for thy selfe Observe this well that you have heard of the marvellous mercy of God towards poore sinners it is a most certaine truth as by diligent searching of the holy Scriptures we have made it evident unto you heare thou it whosoever thou art and know it for thy selfe beleeve it and apply it to thine owne soule Seeing the Lord is abundant in loving kindnesse so plenteous in mercy labour thou to know that he is so unto thee that thou maist be able to say as David doth twice in one Psalme Psal. 59.10.17 He is the God of my mercy As if he had said his mercy is mine it belongeth unto me Rest nor content till thou find that his mercifull kindnesse is for thy comfort as David prayeth Psal. 119.76 I speake not of the common mercy of the Lord. I know you can all even the most wretched creature of you all say you have and doe daily tast of that Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being Lam. 3.22 23 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions faâ—lâ— not they are renewed every morning And so doth every creature the Lord hath made Psal. 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his workes and 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to thâ— yong ravens that cry And this common mercy of God is that which most men content themselves with that they may live and live long and live in health and quietnesse and pleasure though this be no other mercy then the bruit beasts enjoy as well as they But the mercy that I exhort you to make your owne to get assurance that it belongeth to your selves is the speciall mercy of God the mercy of David as Solomon speaketh 2 Chron. 6 4â— Remember the mercies of David thy servant The mercy that David obtained the mercy that David beggeth heere Psal. 51.1 According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions That mercy that reacheth unto the pardon of thy sinnes and salvation of thy soule that is the mercy that thou shouldst labour to know it belongeth unto thee Rest not in nor satisfie thy selfe with any other mercy that thou hast received but seeke carefully to make this thine owne Five notable differences there be betweene this mercy of the Lord and the other which may serve for so many motives to provoke us not to rest in the other but to seeke for this First those are such mercies as God casteth upon his enemies and such as he maketh no reckoning of yea more abundantly then upon his owne As it is said of royalty and kingly state one of the chiefe of them Gen. 36.31 Many Kings reigned in the land of Edom before there reigned any king over the children of Israel But these are peculiar to Gods Elect his dearly beloved ones In which respect Christ calleth those not ours but others goods but these mercies he calleth our owne peculiar unto us Luk. 16.12 If ye have not beene faithfull in that which is another mans who shall give you that which is your owne And wilt thou content thy selfe with these mercies rest in them dote upon them which Cain and Iudas and sundry others that thou art perswaded were abhorred of God and fry now in hell had as great a portion of as thy selfe O do not so but cry as Psal. 106.4 Remember me O Lord with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people ô visit me with thy salvation Secondly Those mercies though God bestow them on his elect also and we could not live without them yet they are in his account but trifles and such
may see verse 3 4 5. I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me So doth he likewise Psal. 25.16 Turne thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted They that seeke to God for mercy must judge themselves unworthy to find mercy as Benhadads servants did when they sued to Ahab for mercy they went with ropes on their heads and sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 The Lord is plentifull in promising his mercy to such miserable humble and dejected soules Psal. 9.12 He forgetteth not the cry of the humble and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Therefore is this title given to the Lord he is called a God that comforteth the abject 2 Cor. 7.6 Thirdly If thou be one that fearest to offend God in any thing thou needst not doubt of his mercy for thou hast his promise Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Fourthly If thou canst trust in his mercy and rely and rest upon it certainly it belongeth to thee That maketh David pray thus Psal. 33.22 Let thy mercy ô Lord be upon us according as we do hope in thee and 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy Fiftly If Christ be the onely ground of thy hope and confidence to find mercy with God if thou trust to obtaine it onely through the merit of his bloud There is no comming before the mercy-seat of God but through him This was notably figured unto Gods people in the ceremoniall law 1. None might goe into the holy of holies where the mercy-seat stood to obtaine mercy for Gods people but the High-priest onely who was a figure of Christ Heb. 9.7 2. He might not upon paine of death presume to come before the mercy-seat to obtaine mercy for Gods people without incense which signifyed the intercession of Christ. Levit. 16.13 The cloud of the incense must cover the mercy-seat that he die not 3. He must not come before the mercy-seat without the bloud of the sacrifice which signified the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.7 Into the second Tabernacle went the High-priest alone not without bloud which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people Levit. 16.14 He shall take of the bloud of the bullocke and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat No hope of comfort at Gods mercy-seat but onely through the merit of Christs bloud who is therefore called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 But having him for our High-priest we may goe boldly to the throne of grace and may obtaine mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.16 And so much shall serve to be spoken of the first dutie which concerneth the Lord himselfe Seeing the Lord is so infinite in mercy labour thou to know that hee is so unto thee Lecture XXV On Psal. 51.1 2. May 16. 1626. NOw for the second duty which concerneth the Lord himselfe it is that which the Prophet exhorteth us unto Psal. 29.2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name that is carry your selves toward him accordingly give him his due If we know and beleeve indeed that God is so gracious and mercifull specially if we know and beleeve he is so unto us how can we choose but love him and feare to offend him and cry shame upon our selves that we are no more willing and desirous to serve and please him Therefore doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.18 19. that God would make them able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and deapth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fullnesse of God as if he should say If once you fully knew this love that God hath borne to you in Christ it would even fill you with all the fullnesse of God that is with all the sanctifying and saving grace of God Many deceive themselves miserably in this point and challenge to themselves an interest in Gods speciall mercy without any ground at all I will therefore shew you five notable effects that the true knowledge of this marvellous mercy and goodnesse of the Lord must needs worke upon them that have it Whereby as by certaine notes you may try your selves whether you do indeed beleeve and know that this speciall mercy of the Lord doth belong unto you First It will make men afraid to offend him Nothing hath that force to work in a man the true feare of God as this hath Psal. 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared and Hos. 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in those daies And that is the right feare of God which the knowledge of Gods mercy doth breed in us Secondly He must needs grieve and be troubled when he hath offended him Nothing hath that force to melt and breake the heart with godly sorrow for sinne as the true knowledge of the Lords marvellous mercy and loving kindnesse towards us Zach. 12.10 I will poure upon them the spirit of grace that is the spirit of adoption which shall perswade them of my fatherly love towards them as it is called Rom. 8.15 and they shall looke on him whom they have pierced and then they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son And what was it that made Mary Magdalen weepe so abundantly for her sinnes Luk 7.38 Our Saviour telleth us verse 47. it was her love that grew from the consideration of Gods marvellous mercy in pardoning her so many foule sinnes Thirdly He must needs take delight in the service and worship of God Nothing hath that force to make the worship of God sweet unto us as the true knowledge and consideration of the mercy and goodnesse of God As for me saith David Psal. 5.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy That is that that shall draw me to thy house and make me love it and Ier. 31.12 They shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodnesse of the Lord. So David giveth this for the cause why he begged so earnestly of God that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life Psal. 27.4 to behold the beauty of the Lord that is how amiable and gracious the Lord is As if he should say I can no where behold and see that so well as in his house and that is the thing that maketh me so farre in love with the house of God O if men knew the sweetnesse and infinitenesse of Gods mercy they would love his house and delight more in it then they doe Fourthly He must needs desire earnestly to know the will of God
to open his griefe and make his moane and powre out his heart unto Nature taught Haman that wretched man when hee was full of heavinesse for the honour that was done to Mordecai to ease his heart that way Est. 6.13 Hee told Zeresh his wife and all his friends euery thing that had befallen him In which respect great Princes have esteemed it a cheife part of their happinesse to have some speciall bosome friend whom they might make use of this way Such a one was Hushai to David 2 Sam. 15.37 and Zabud to Solomon 1 King 4.5 Now there is no such friend in the world for this purpose as the Lord is Trust in him at all times saith David Psal. 62.8 ye people powre out your hearts open your greifes before him God is a refuge for us Thus Anna the mother of Samuel told Ely that shee had done 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and have powred out my soule before the Lord. Thus did Samuel her son seeke to ease his heart when it was full of heavinesse 1. Sam. 8.21 Hee rehearsed all their words in the eares of the Lord hee made his moane to God Thus did Iob My friends scorne mee saith he Iob 16 â—0 counted him an hypocrite Oh heauie affliction for a man in his case to bee so iudged of and censured by such men as they were but mine eye saith he powreth out teares unto God as if hee should say That is all the helpe I have Thus did Hezechiah when he was in that paine and anguish of spirit as the poore mother in trauell whose child is even come to the birth and shee wanteth strength to bring it forth as hee complaineth to the Prophet Psa. 37.3 He taketh Rabshakehs blasphemous letter and goeth up to the house of the Lord and spreadeth it before the Lord ver 14. As if he had said Behold Lord what hee hath written O that wee would acquaint our selues so with the Lord that wee might make him our bosome friend and make this use of him in all our sorrowes Secondly The Lord is able and none but hee to yeeld us helpe in this case and restore us to our comfort He maketh sore saith Eliphaz Iob 5.18 and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole This is the Lords peculiar prerogative to comfort a soule that is any distres He is the father of mercies and God of all comfort as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor 1.3 I even I am he saith the Lord Esa. 51.12 that comforteth you And therefore David when hee had lost his feeling and comfort cryeth oft earnestly to God to restore it to him Psal. 51.8 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse As if he had said though never so much bee delivered to me for my comfort by the skilfullest of all thy servants I shall bee utterly uncapable of it and remaine still deafe of that eare till thou make me able to heare it And vers 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation And 86.4 Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee doe I lift up my soule And thus should every one of us cry unto God for helpe and comfort when we are in the like case Thirdly The Lord as he is able and none but he to revive such a soule so is he most ready to doe it he is very pitifull and of tender mercy as the Apostle speaketh Iames 5.11 specially to his servants who are wounded in spirit yea he hath bound himselfe by promise to helpe such Psal. 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saueth such as bee of a contrite spirit and 147.3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth vp their wounds and Esa. 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him So that wee may boldly go to God and seeke to him for comfort and even challenge him vpon these promises that he hath made unto us and say unto him as Psal. 85.6 Wilt thou not reviâ—e vs againe but let us remaine so dead hearted that thy people may reioyce in thee Fourthly The Lord doth therefore many times withdraw himselfe from his people and deprive them of the sence of his favour of purpose to make them more importunate in seeking to him by prayer I will goe and returne to my place saith the Lord Hos. 5.15 till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face in their affliction they will seeke mee early And this was the cause why our Saviour was so harsh with the woman of Canaan and caryed himselfe so strangely toward her a great while even to try her faith and encrease her fervencie and importunitie in seeking to him by prayer Mat. 15.22.28 Fifthly and lastly Gods servants that have beene in this case have recovered their comfort this way even by fervent prayer when nothing else was able to doe it and have set their Probatum est upon it When David was in that case that hee said in his hast he was cast out of Gods sight Psalme 31.22 Neuerthelesse saith hee Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee as if hee had said By prayer I found comfort and thereupon hee inferreth verse 23. O love the Lord all yee his Saints as if hee should say Who would not love so gracious a God that is so ready to bee found of them that seeke him though it be in so weake a manner as I did So Psal. 77. when he was in that case that he said verse 3. he remembred God and was troubled he complained and his spirit was overwhelmed within him yet even then he found comfort by prayer ver 1. I cryed vnto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave eare vnto me The sixth and last direction that I am to give to them that being afflicted in minde desire to recover their comfort is this Admit thou canst not finde comfort by any of the former meanes yet consider well and bend thy minde to meditate of that mercie and goodnesse of God whereof David speaketh heere and thou hast heard the handling of this Doctrine and thou shalt finde that thou hast no cause to doubt but that hee loveth thee First Consider the goodnesse of the Lord to all his creatures even to the worst men that live and even that may be a great helpe to thy faith in this case Alas thou wilt say that is a poore helpe if God be no otherwise good to me if he love me no otherwise then he loveth them what comfort can that yeeld me O say not so for the holy Ghost in the Word hath oft commended this to us for a helpe to our faith and bids us observe how good the Lord is to all his creatures and even to wicked men for the confirming of our owne hearts in the assurance of his love to vs. So saith
fully and particularly in those three that follow Now in this verse wherein he doth it more generally three things are to bee observed 1. That David doth acknowledge yea he professeth that he doth acknowledge confesse lay open his transgression yea his transgressions he desired not out of favor to them to hide or conceale any of his sins 2. What it was that moved him unto it His sin was ever before him he could not forget it he could not but thinke of it he could not be quiet for it 3. The inference or conclusion he gathereth from hence implyed in this word For which coupleth this verse with those that went before have mercy upon me blot out my transgressions wash me throughly from mine iniquitie and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions As if he had said therefore have mercy upon mee or rather therefore I am emboldned to crave mercy and pardon therefore I am perswaded thou wilt have mercy upon me and blot out my transgressions because I acknowledge my transgressions Now then the first thing we are to observe here is this that David seeking to God for mercy and pardon confesseth freely his sinne amplifieth and aggravateth it before God and men yea maketh this a ground of his hope and assurance in prayer for pardon and mercy that he could so doe From whence this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That he that truly repenteth cannot hide nor cloake his sins but will be ready to confesse and lay them open and this willingnesse and readinesse that he findeth in himselfe to confesse and discover his sins will give a man great hope and assurance to find mercy with God for the pardon of his sins Two branches there be of the Doctrine which I will distinctly confirme unto you First The man that truly repenteth will be ready to confesse and bewaile his sins This will appeare in three notable examples in the new Testament The first is of the Prodigall who so soone as hee came to himselfe and God had wrought a saving change shewed it first of all by this fruit of repentance Lu. 15.17.19 he resolved he would goe to his father and say unto him father I haue sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne The second example is that of the hearers of Iohn Baptist who declared the effectuall worke of Gods grace in their hearts by Iohns ministery this way Matthew 3.6 They were baptized of him in Iordan confessing their sins his ministery powerfully discovered their sins unto them brought them to repentance and they feeling the burden of their sins and repenting could not containe themselves but openly and publikely they must needes discover and lay open their sinnes unto him The manner of it may bee gathered from the resolution they sought and answer they received Luke 3.10 14. The people came and cryed out ô Sir we have beene unmercifull to the poore seeking our selves only without all care of the good of others The Publicans came and cryed ô Sir wee have beene worse then so for wee have beene shamefull extortioners and under colour of Law and pretence of right wee have gotten mens goods unjustly from them The souldiours came and cryed ô Sir wee have beene worse then all these for wee have by violence without all colour of right spoyled many The third and last example is of those that were converrted by Pauls ministery at Ephesus Acts 19.18 where we read that many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds And what kind of persons were they that did so It appeareth verse 19. among others many that were very rich men and very learned men did it and what were the sins they confessed The practise of curious arts they came in this manner to Paul ô Sir we have bin most grievous sinners we have used to cast figures to calculate nativities to practise judiciall Astrology and Necromancy c. And how did they confesse these sins did they it in Pauls eare secretly No no their sins lay so heavy upon their hearts that they stood not upon termes of shame or credit they discovered their sins and burned their bookes before all men Such force there is in the grace of true repentance to draw men and make them willing to confesse their sins So Ionah confessed his sin even to the marriners Ionah 1.10 Now for the second branch of the Doctrine This willingnesse and readines that a man findeth in himselfe to discover and confesse his sins will give a man great hope and assurance to find mercy with God for the pardon of his sins See the proofe of this in five points First The Lord himselfe hath directed his people to seeke comfort and pardon of their sins this way Numb 5.6 7. Where God prescribing a course how sinners should make their atonement it is thus written When a man or a woman shall commit any sinne that men commit to doe a trespasse against the Lord and that person be guilty then they shall confesse their sin which they have done This is the first thing that is to bee done before restitution or the offering of his sacrifice he must confesse his sinne So Ieremy 3.12 13. Returne thou backsliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord. But how must they returne and make themselves capable of Gods mercy That followeth in the next words Only acknowledge thine iniquitie As if hee should say no hope else of finding mercy yea doe it fully and freely confesse that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes to the strangers under every greene tree Yea this is the course God would have us to take when wee are to bee suitors to him for mercy in the behalfe of others even to confesse their sinnes unto God In which respect he commandeth Iames. 5 16. Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another As if hee should say None can bee able to pray for you so effectually to your comfort as those that know your sinnes well and so can confesse them unto God The Lord himselfe hath directed men to take this course to obtaine mercie Secondly The Lord hath bound himselfe by his promise to them that can rightly confesse their sins that they shall find mercy Levit. 26.40.42 If they shall confesse their iniquitie and the iniquity of their fathers with their owne trespasse which they have trespassed against mee and that they have also walked contrary unto me their own personall sins they must stand most upon and bewaile in this their confession then will I remember my covenant with Iacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham the manner of expressing this promise of mercy is very emphaticall As if he should say I will remember how many wayes and how often I have bound my selfe to them
who by the restraining grace of God have bin ever kept from grosse sins is not so sensible but more secret a great deale The most Christians though they bee able to say with the blind man Iohn 9.25 One thing I know whereas I was blind now I see they know well and feele there is a blessed change wrought in their hearts yet when it was wrought or how it was wrought that they know not That which Solomon saith of other of Gods works Ecclesi 11.5 is verified in this especially As thou knowest not what is the way of the spirit nor how the bones doe grow in the wombe of her that is with child even so knowest thou not the workes of God who worketh all And as our Saviour speaketh Marke 4.27 When the seed is sowen in the heart it worketh and springeth and groweth no man knoweth how And yet even in this conversion of such men though the worke of God bee more secret and insensible yet is the almighty power of God to be acknowledged as much in it as in the other As the omnipotency of Christ was as well shewed in the turning of the water into wine Iob. 2.11 and the curing of the woman that had the bloudy issue Mar. 5.29 as in the helping of him that was from his childhood possessed with a dumbe and deafe spirit Marke 9.25 26. O that wee could see and take notice of this admirable power of God in the change that he hath beene pleased to worke in our hearts O that God would bee pleased according to the prayer of the Apostle for the Ephes. 1.18 19. to inlighten the eyes of our understanding that wee may know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us-ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power That we may accordingly admire and magnifie it and give him the glory of it And yet his goodnesse and mercy will appeare to bee no lesse admirable in this worke of our conversion then his power was if wee rightly consider what wee were by nature Observe this I pray you in three degrees First That God should seeke out any of us that like a poore lost sheepe was gone astray from him some of us in one evill way some in another according to that parable Luke 15.4 wee being so farre from seeking him from doing any thing to further our owne conversion that we desired nothing lesse but opposed and resisted it and were in our hearts ready to say with the man that had the uncleane spirit Luke 4 34. Let us alone what have wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth That hee would take no nay at our hands but by his most effectuall grace overcame us as hee saith Revelation 3.9 Behold I will make them that are of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Iewes and are not but doe lye behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feete He made us to turne hee made us to obey and follow his call This gracious favour I say that the Lord hath done us in the worke of our conversion ô it was his admirable mercy unto us Secondly That the Lord should seeke reconciliation with us when we were his enemies as the Apostle speaketh 2 Corinth 5.20 and make love to us when wee were such loathsome creatures that passing by us when wee were in our bloud even when wee were in our bloud as hee saith Ezek. 16.6.8 hee should looke upon us and that that should bee the time of his love as hee there speaketh That hee should never give over making love unto us till hee had wonne our hearts and made us able to affect and love him and to seeke him and his love unfeinedly who were by nature much more alienated from him then hee was from us even hated him in our hearts much more then ever hee did us this was I say his admirable mercy toward us And so the Apostle speaketh of it Colos. 1.21 And you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your minds yet now hath hee reconciled And the Lord by the Prophet Esay 65.1 I am sought of them that asked not for me Even this that such as we were by nature should have the grace to love the Lord and to seeke his favour which we could never have done if he had not bin first reconciled unto us 1 Iohn 4.19 is the admirable goodnesse of God unto us Thirdly That God should thus change and convert our hearts unto him and give us any measure of grace to desire unfeinedly to feare and please him that hee should pull us out of our naturall estate and leave others in it that are farre our betters not onely in birth and wealth and wisedome and learning but even in the unblameablenesse of their conversation also that were never in their lives guilty of so foule sinnes as wee have beene That he should deny this grace to such as the young Noble man was that had lived so civilly and had so many good things in him Mar. 10.20 21. and grant it to such as that infamous harlot was Lu. 7.37 This is certainly the admirable and unspeakeable mercy of God to such a one And as the infinite power and goodnesse of God is to bee acknowledged and admired in the worke of our conversion in generall so is it also in every particular act of Gods grace in us That any of us should bee able to delight in the law of God in the inner man Rom. 7.22 to love the brethren 1 Iohn 3.14 to weepe and shed teares for our sins 2 King 22.19 to make any one prayer Psalme 17.1 to give any almes Matth. 10.42 in truth and uprightnesse of heart considering what we are by nature is to bee ascribed to the marvellous power and goodnesse of God toward us When David and his people had offered toward the building of Gods house it is said 1 Chron. 29.9 They rejoyced with great joy because with a perfect and upright heart they had offered willingly unto the Lord. And David himselfe burst out into words of strange admiration verse 14. But who am I Lord and what is my people that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort For all things come of thee Now let me apply this that hath bin said in three points and so lay it somewhat neerer to our hearts First If this be so Then let no man hearken to those that reach 1. That God hath no such powerfull hand in the worke of mans conversion but that it lyeth in every mans power and will when God hath done all his worke to turne or not to turne 2. That which God doth in the conversion of any man he doth to all men For the spirit speaketh expressely in the Scriptures 1. That the Lord is not onely a perswader but the worker and mighty doer of this worke of our change and conversion It is God that worketh in us both the will and the deed Phil. 2.13
please him that there was no commandement of God so hard so contrary to reason but he made conscience to obey it When God said unto him get thee out of thy countrey and from thy kindred and from thy fathers house unto a land that I will shew thee Gen. 12.1 he durst not breake or neglect such a commandement as this Nay when God bad him goe and sacrifice his owne sonne Gen. 22.1 2. He durst not neglect such a commandement as that was But stood hee alwaies in this estate In this feare to offend God and care to please him No verily for you shall find this resolute man at another time dissembling and concealing for feare that Sarah was his wife and calling her his sister Genesis 12.13 Yea you shall find him slipping againe into that very sinne after he had doubtlesse repented of it Gen. 20.2 2. You shall heare David professing sometimes a strong and firme resolution that way Psal. 26.11 As for mee I will walke in mine integrity And Psal. 119.106 I have sworne and I will performe it that I will keepe thy righteous judgements But for all this we know what slips he had at other times yea what fearfull falls he took also By many more examples it might be made evident that in the holiest of Gods servants there hath beene much variablenesse and shew of changing and falling in all these three degrees In many things they have sinned all as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.2 they have slipped oft and fallen also fearefully And you wil easily conceive it cannot be otherwise if you remember what you heard the last day 1 What a world they live in 2 What a kind of enemy Satan is 3 What a deale of corruption remained in the nature of the best of them still after their regeneration But you will say the Lord is able to uphold and keepe his servants from falling or slipping notwithstanding all this I answer It is true he can doe it and would also certainly do it if he did not see it were for his owne glory and for our good also for these two are inseparably coupled together to let go his hold sometimes in part and to leave us to our selves and so to let us take these slips and falls now and then The Lord doth saith Solomon Pro. 16.4 all things and consequently this for himselfe and his owne glory And all things and consequently this are for your sakes saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.15 How is God glorified hereby will you say I answer 1. He glorifieth his justice hereby and sheweth he cannot abide sinne but must needs correct it in them that he loveth best of all When good Hezekiah waxed cold in his thankfullnesse to God for his great deliverance and his heart began to be lifted up 2 Chron. 32.25 it is said verse 31. God left him a while and let him slip So when the Church grew secure and lazie and neglected her watch her well-beloved to correct her for this withdrew himselfe for a time Cant. 5.2 6. 2. God glorifieth his mighty power in this by making such weake wretches as we oft shew our selves to be able to hold out to the end and stand against such adversaries as we have Gods power is made that is declared to be perfect through our weaknesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 12.9.3 God glorifieth his goodnesse and mercy in continuing so constant in his love to such unconstant ones as we are When the Apostle had said Romanes 5.6 When we were yet without strength in due time Christ died for the ungodly He addeth and inferreth ver 8. God commendeth his love towards us in this But how should it be possible that this should be for our good to be left thus to our selves I answer 1. Hereby we are taught not to trust in our selves but to the Lord alone to depend wholly upon him for our eternall salvation According to that of the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.9 We had the sentence of death in our selues that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead 2. To keepe us from pride As we see in the case of the blessed Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Tho whom lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of revelations there was given to him a thorne in the flesh the messenger of Sathan to buffet him Yet might all this speech may some say that hath beene used touching the slips and falls of holy men have well beene spared for many a carnall man will be ready to snatch at these examples and say Well I see then I may bee Gods child though I slip and fall now and then into the same sinnes I have repented of though I be oft drunken and wanton and sweare and lie and beguile my neighbour c. For the best men have had their slips and falls too To these I answer First That this is very true and cannot be avoided Lewd and ungodly men will be apt to stumble at this and to wrest it as they doe also the other Scriptures unto their owne destruction as the Apostle saith 2 Pet. 3.16 But then I answer Secondly That this is the childrens bread and belongeth not to dogs as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 15.26 This is written not for the encouragement of senslesse and secure worldlings but for the comfort of poore sinners that are humbled in sense of their often failings and dangerous falls they are apt to take To them I may say as the Apostle speaketh in another case 1 Cor. 9.10 This is altogether for your sakes for your sakes no doubt it is written And it were better that reprobates should stumble and breake their necks at these examples then that they should not have beene recorded in the Word for the comfort of the humbled soule Thirdly and lastly The carnall man hath indeed no cause of incouragement from these examples at all For though the godly have had and have daily their slips and falls yet their falls are not like the falls of wicked men but to them it may be said as Deut. 32.5 Their spot is not the spot of his children There are many broad differences betweene them as you shall heare in the second preservative which the Scripture giveth us against this first tentation and that is this Secondly That in none of these slips and falls thou complainest of thou didst ever fall desperately In the greatest falls that ever any of the Elect have taken the spirit of God did never wholly depart from them but even when they have lost the feeling and comfort of it when they could discerne no operation or working of it in themselves yet even then have they had the root and seed and habit of grace remaining in them First If they could but diligently examine themselves and search for it they might find in themselves some truth of grace remaining in them even when they are at the worst if
good part and delighteth in them yet will he take nothing in good part that thou doest What have I to doe saith the Lord Esa. 1.11 with the multitude of your sacrifices As if he had said What care I for them And ver 12. Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts As if he should say What doe you heere Any other place were fitter for you then this Certainely in doing any service to God thou doest but a thankelesse office thou doest but lose thy labour while thou art unconverted Thirdly and lastly Though the Lord will reward and doe good to his children for the poorest and weakest service they doe unto him yet doth he even abhorre such as thou art and the very service that thou dost presume to doe unto him As a Prince would doe him that having a plague sore running upon him should presume to come into his presence and wait at his table The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord saith Solomon Pro. 15.8 Incense is an abomination unto me saith the Lord Esa. 1.13 the new Mosnes and Sabbaths and calling of assemblies I cannot away with You see how small cause wicked men have to presume of Gods mercy or of any good thing they know by themselves O that God would be pleased to awaken them that they could see and consider aright of their wofull estate and labour to get out of it If any man shall object and say Would you not then have wicked men to come to Church Would you not have them to pray and read the Word Would you have no man to doe any good worke but such as are godly I answer Yes verily For first Though in doing this they doe not God any service that will please him yet is there a necessity laid upon them and wo be to them if they do it not These are duties of the morall law that all men stand bound unto The wickedest man in the world is strictly bound by the commandement of God to pray God blameth most wicked men for neglect of this Hos. 7.7 None among them calleth unto me and ver 14. They have not cryed unto me with their heart Yea he condemneth the very Atheist Psal. 14.4 for this because he doth not pray And will poure his wrath upon every family Ier. 10.25 and consequently upon every person that doth not call upon his name So is the wickedest man living bound to heare the Word For hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the law saith Solomon Pro. 28.9 his prayer shall be abominable So God requireth of every man Mic. 6.8 to doe justly and to love mercy and to walke humbly with him So that though he can neither pray nor heare nor give almes but he must needs sinne yet must he pray and heare and give almes for all that An indifferent thing a man is bound to forbeare if he cannot use it without sinne If he cannot use such or such a recreation without chasing or swearing or losing too much time he is bound to forbeare it But duties commanded of God he may not omit because he cannot use them without sin For there are degrees of sinne and he is guilty of a greater sin and sheweth greater contempt to God that doth not pray or heare or give almes at all and so disobeyeth him totally then he doth that doth pray and heare and give almes but not with an honest and good heart and so disobeyeth God but in part only Secondly Though no wicked man can have assurance to receive any reward from God for the best thing he doth because he hath no promise for all the promises of God belong onely to them that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 and to the godly 1 Tim. 4.8 nay though he doe deserve further wrath from God by the best thing he doth yet by being carefull to abstaine from evill and to doe good even after his manner and as he is able hee may receive good three waies For 1. Though he should never find mercy with God unto salvation yet will this lessen his condemnation in hell where every man shall receive torment proportionable to his workes and to that dishonour he hath done to God heere Rom. 2.6 2. This may free him from many temporall judgements and bring upon him many temporall blessings in this life For the Lord out of the infinitenesse of his goodnesse hath oft shewed so much respect unto good things that have beene done even by wicked men though they have beene but the dead carcase and have wanted the life and soule of good workes as to reward them temporally The Lord that is said to feed the young ravens when they cry unto him Iob 38.41 hath oft had respect to the prayer that a man void of grace hath made unto him in his misery As profane a wretch as Ishmael was when he was cast out of his fathers house for his profanesse Gen. 21.9 10. yet when he cried to God in his misery it is twice said in one verse Gen. 21.17 that God heard the voice of the lad and relieved him And we know how much even Ahabs prayer that he made when he was humbled by feare prevailed with God 1 King 21.29 Therefore also Daniel exhorteth Nebuchadnezzar a most wicked man Dan. 4.27 to breake of his sins to cease from oppression and cruelty How By righteousnes that is by making restitution to them that he had wronged And how els By shewing mercy to the poore And why did he counsell a man so void of grace to do so good workes as these Was it not all one as if he should have bidden a dead man to walke Marke the reason and motive the Prophet useth to perswade him to this if it may be saith he a lengthening of thy tranquility As if he should have said It may be these good workes performed even as thou art able to do them will prevent the judgement which God by this dreame that thou hast had doth threaten to bring upon thee and prolong thy peace 3. He may by doing that that lieth in him to do further the eternall salvation of his owne soule For though no wicked nay no naturall man can use the meanes of grace aright nor so as to please God therein yet if the wickedest man that is frequent the ministery of the Word there is hope he may be converted and have grace wrought in him both because it is the meanes ordained of God to breed grace where none is Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and because as wicked men as live have been woon to God by their hearing as appeareth not onely by daily experience but by those two notable examples that are recorded in the Word The one 1 Cor. 14.24 25. of the man that was an ignorant man and an infidell before And the other Iohn 7.45 46. of them that came to heare Christ with a most wicked heart to intrap and apprehend him And so much
his owne salvation He is not so dead but there is enough left in him to make him without excuse as the Apostle plainely teacheth Rom. 1.20 He may doe more then he doth to avoid damnation he may doe more then he doth to further his owne salvation and because he will not doe what he may therefore he is inexcusable therefore he is the cause of his owne destruction Why what can he do will you say I answer First He hath power enough left in him by nature to curbe and restraine himselfe from all grosse sinnes from drunkennesse and whoredome and such like sinnes yea and from haunting of lewd company that may draw him to such sinnes he may forbeare these things if he will he hath enough left in him to make him able to live a civill and unblameable life There is many a man that even by the strength of nature can truly say as he said Luk. 18.11 I thanke God I am no extortioner nor unjust in my dealings with men nor an adulterer Secondly He hath enough left in him to make him able to doe many good workes I meane workes that are materially and morally good He can if he will make restitution of that that he hath gotten unjustly and doe workes of mercy also to the poore Els would not Daniel 4.27 have spoken thus to such a man as Nebuchadnezzar was Breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poore And that which the young man saith of the outward observation of all the commandements of the second table Matth. 19 20. All these things have I kept from my youth up that the Apostle speaketh even of many a Gentile Rom. 2.14 The Gentiles do by nature the things contained in the law And in the Church many a man is even by the strength of nature able to say not of the second table onely but of the three latter commandements of the first table also so farre forth as the letter and externall observation of them all these have I kept Thirdly He can if he will frequent the ministery of the Word the plainest and most powerfull ministery and that constantly When thou wert young saith our Saviour to Peter Iohn 21.18 thou girdest thy selfe and walkedst whither thou wouldest So much freedome of will every man hath by nature so much power even by that generall and common grace and assistance that God communicateth unto all men that he may goe to Church if he will yea he may if he will ride or goe many miles to a Sermon ordinarily as well as he may to an market so farre The Lord speaking of such as were no better then naturall men telleth the Prophet Ezek. 33.31 They come to thee as the people commeth and they sit before thee as my people and they heare thy words Fourthly He may if he will so seriously marke and observe the Word that is preached unto him and the judgements of God which he seeth and feeleth as he may bring himselfe thereby unto legall repentance even to such a sight and sense of his sinne and of the wrath of God as may make his heart to quake and judge himselfe to be in a most miserable estate Of them that were no more then naturall men we do read Esa. 58.3 that they did use in the time of Gods judgements upon them to fast and afflict their owne soules And of Ahab and Felix we read how by hearing the Word and observing what they heard they were wrought upon Ahab 1 King 21.27.29 rent his clothes put sackcloth upon his flesh fasted and humbled himselfe before God And Felix Acts 24.25 trembled exceedingly Fiftly and lastly He may be able out of this sense he hath of his owne miserable estate not onely to desire the prayers of others as Pharaoh did Exod. 10.17 and Ieroboam 1 King 13.6 but even himselfe also to cry importunately and pray to God for mercy So it is said of the mariners Ionah 1. that in the extreame feare they were in through the apprehension of Gods wrath they cried not onely every man unto his God verse 5. but unto the Lord also unto Iehovah verse 14. So it is likewise said of Saul Acts 9.11 Behold hee prayeth When our Saviour exhorteth the hypocriticall Iewes in an allegoricall speech to make their peace with God in time while this life and the day of grace lasteth Luke 12.58 59. he maketh this preface to that exhortation verse 57. Yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right As if he had said You have so much light and judgement in your selves even by nature as to discerne that that is fit and necessary to be done Even by the light of nature a man may be able out of the apprehension and sense of his owne fearefull condition to desire reconciliation with God and to cry earnestly for it Now if any man shall aske me and what is all to the purpose that you say a naturall man is able to doe seeing none of all this is any thing worth in the sight of God or pleasing unto him seeing there is no true goodnesse in any of this that a naturall man doth Without faith it is impossible to please God Hebrewes 11.6 I answer First That though this be so yet I may say to the naturall man that doth these things that doth thus what in him lyeth as our Saviour said to the Scribe Marke 12.34 Thou art not farre from the kingdome of God such a man is nearer to heaven then any other naturall man in the world is Secondly That though by doing all this that lyeth in his power 1 he cannot deserve neither ex condigno nor ex congruo as the Papists speake that God should save him or give him his grace for Gods grace is free he worketh in men both to will and to doe of his owne good pleasure as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 2.13 2 He can have no certaine assurance when he hath done all this that lyeth in him to doe that he shall find mercy with God for there is no promise made to these things All the promises of God are in Christ yea and Amen as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 1.20 till a man be in Christ he hath no promise from God yet may the naturall man be greatly incouraged to doe thus what lyeth in him to flie from the wrath to come and to please God and may conceive hope that by doing these things as well as he is able God will be pleased out of his infinite goodnesse to shew mercy on him And these grounds he hath out of Gods Word for his encouragement therein 1. Because the Lord hath revealed himselfe in his Word to be so infinite in mercy and goodnesse Exod. 34.7 and hath sworne Ezek. 33.11 that hee hath no pleasure in the death of the wicked 2. Because God seeketh to the vilest sinner in the ministery of his word 2 Cor. 5. â—0
are the works which as they be proper and peculiar to the Gospell and such as popery could never skill of so are they of all other the best works most acceptable unto God and most profitable unto men And certainly to conclude this first branch of my exhortation of all good workes of all workes of charity that any man can doe this is the best and that that will yeeld him most comfort when he hath beene the instrument to provide the meanes of knowledge and instruction for a people to settle and establish a sound ministery among them that had none before and to maintaine and so to give incouragement to an able and conscionable minister that is already setled and placed among a people It is said of good Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 7.6 that his heart was lift up in the wayes of the Lord. As if the holy Ghost had said thus of him Hee did most zealously seeke to promote and advance the true religion of God And how did hee most shew his goodnesse and zeale That you shall see in the three next verses Hee provided carefully that all his people might bee well taught and instructed he sent teaching Levites and able ministers into all parts of the land and magistrates also with them to protect and encourage them in their ministery And this is noted for one of the best works that ever Hezechiah did 2 Chron 30.22 He spake comfortably to all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the Lord 1. he encouraged and heartned he spake to the heart saith the originall of all the Levites 2. hee encouraged them because they were able and conscionable teachers because they taught the good knowledge of God to the people And hee did not so himselfe onely but it is said further of him 2 Chron. 31.4 Hee commanded the people to doe the like to give the portion of the Priests and the Levites that they might bee encouraged in the Law of the Lord. Hee knew they could never doe their duty with any heart and encouragement if due maintenance were with-held from them See yet a third example for this in King Iosiah of whom wee read also 2 Chron. 35.2 3. that hee encouraged the Priests and Levites to the service of the house of the Lord. No good worke wee can doe will better argue that wee are truly religious and feare God indeed then the kindnesse and bounty wee shew to Gods faithfull ministers Obadiah feared God greatly 1 Kings 18.34 and marke the reason is given to prove this for when Iezebel cut off the Prophets of the Lord Obadiah tooke an hundred Prophets and hid them and fed them And it is worthy further to be observed in the example of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron 17.7 that hee is said to have sent his princes to teach in the cities of Iudah They were not preachers certainely hee sent them onely to countenance and encourage the Levites and even for that cause they are said to teach in the cities of Iudah And so all you that doe encourage the ministers of God that doe comfort and protect them in their ministery are your selves doers of this blessed worke So saith our Saviour Matth. 10.41 Hee that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receive a Prophets reward A Prophets reward is due to him that doth the worke of a Prophet but every one that doth entertaine and encourage the faithfull ministers of the Gospell any way doth the worke of a Prophet for he shall receive a Prophets reward I know well this is a great paradox to many now a dayes 1. they thinke they may bestow their bounty twenty wayes better then in placing and maintaining of able ministers 2. they thinke there is no want of preaching there are preachers enough and too many too every where 3. they thinke it a great priviledge to give nothing to the maintenance or to increase the maintenance of a preacher 4. they are so farre from encouraging the minister by any free gift for the increase of his maintenance that by spoyling and with-holding from him that which is his due they discourage him in his ministery all that they can But to these men I have foure things to say First That in the judgement of those three worthy Kings nay in the judgement of the holy Ghost who noteth and commendeth them for this to place and maintaine able ministers is a chiefe good worke a principall worke of mercy above all others Secondly That notwithstanding the plenty of teachers they talke of yet there bee still a great number of congregations that want able teachers whose case is extreamely to bee pitied thinke of their case and judge of it by the Prophets words Now for a long season saith he 2 Chron. 15.3 Israel hath beene without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without law Thirdly That the want of sound knowledge and instruction is the chiefe cause of all the wickednes in the land and that so many perish in their sins as appeaâ—reth by that complaint the Lord maketh Hos. 4.6 My people perish for want of knowledge Fourthly and lastly To him that is still resolved notwithstanding all that hath beene said it is no good worke no deed of charity to place and maintaine able ministers it is no sinne at all to shew no kindnesse to give no encouragement that way to his teacher no nor to with-hold from him what hee can I can say no more but what the Angell of God saith Revel 22.11 Hee that is unjust let him bee unjust still But let him withall blot out of his Bible and so his owne name also out of the booke of life that expresse commandement of God Gal. 6.6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate with him that teacheth in all good things And this shall suffice for the first branch of my exhortation that concerneth the duty wee owe unto other men wee are bound to desire and procure so farre as in us lyeth that all men may have the meanes of knowledge Secondly If knowledge bee both the foundation and the seed also of all other graces as wee have heard it is then such of us as have charge of others as all we that are parents and governours of families have are bound to use our best endeavour to bring them to knowledge that are under our charge It is a vaine thing for us to hope that either by correction or example or by any other meanes of civill education they can bee brought to grace till the knowledge of religion bee first wrought in them This is plaine by that direction the Apostle giveth unto parents Ephes. 6.4 and that that he saith to parents of their children may as well bee said to masters of their servants And yee fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the instruction and information of the Lord. To this end 1. We must hold our selves bound to teach them our selves God established a testimony in
experience 1 of Gods marvellous providence in sundry extreamities as Abraham had 2 of Gods gracious presence revealed to us in his house and in the use of his ordinances as Iacob had 3 of the comfortable answer that God hath given to our prayers as hee did to Hannah 4 specially of the fruit happy successe we have found in our fasts the great deliverances we have received by them as Gods people in the daies of Iehosaphat and Mordecai did that we should likewise take heed of forgetting these experiments use all the meanes we can to keepe them in remembrance for ever And that for this very cause because as the Apostle saith Rom. 5.4 Experience worketh hope And that upon this ground because though we be variable the Lord is constant in his love Whom he loveth he loveth to the end Iohn 13.1 In him is no uariablenesse or shadow of turning Iames 1.17 The fourth and last meanes that they must use who desire to obtaine assurance of Gods favour in Christ to preserve it when they have it and to recover it when it is lost is this They must renounce themselves and looke for it onely through the free grace and mercy of God in Iesus Christ. When a man can neither 1 by diligent examination find any goodnesse in himselfe for the present 2 nor call to mind any goodnesse that hath beene in him formerly 3 nor can remember any such speciall mercy or fruit of Gods love that he hath received in times past upon which he can ground any assurance yet if he can then with an humbled soule despairing to get it any other way cast himselfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and cry with Gods people 2 Chron. 20.12 We know not what to doe but our eyes are upon thee he may obtaine assurance and comfort by this meanes when he cannot doe it by any other By this means David looked to receive his comfort and assurance as you may find by that speech he useth to his owne soule Psalme 42.5 which he repeateth againe verse 12. Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance He looked verily to recover the comfortable assurance of Gods favour How looked he to recover it Surely by hoping in God and resting in his mercy So by this meanes the faithfull professe they looked to obtaine the comfortable assurance of Gods love Psal. 33.20 22. Our soule waiteth for the Lord for our heart shall rejoyce in him because we have trusted in his holy name Let thy mercy O Lord be upon us according as we hope in thee Why but you will say can any man hope for mercy from God that can find no goodnesse in himselfe at all The righteous God loveth righteousnesse as we have heard out of Psal. 11.7 Ye that feare the Lord trust in the Lord saith David Psal. 115.11 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting saith David Psal. 103.17 upon them that feare him But on the other side Such as have no goodnesse in them but are wicked men his soule hateth as David teacheth us Psal. 11.5 To this I answer That though no impenitent sinner can expect mercy from God neither would I have any such snatch at any thing that I shall say they have nothing to do with it yet the humbled and penitent sinner may as may appeare by examples Sundry that could find no goodnesse in themselves at all and therefore judged themselves utterly unworthy of mercy have yet relyed upon God trusted and looked to receive mercy from him neverthelesse for that Such a one was the Centurion Matth. 8.8 who though he judged himselfe unworthy that Christ should come under his roofe yet did trust to receive mercy from Christ for all that And the woman of Canaan who though she knew no goodnesse in her selfe but counted her selfe no better than a dog Mat. 15.27 yet trusted confidently in Christ for all that And two plain reasons there be for this First because they knew Gods mercy is free and not grounded upon any goodnesse that is in us I will love them freely saith the Lord Hos. 14.4 I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious saith the Lord Exod. 33.19 and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy Secondly Because they have trusted to receive mercy from God onely through Christ. In him they knew there was goodnesse enough though there were none in them Looke upon the face of thine annointed saith David Psal. 84.9 As if he should have said Though thou canst see no goodnesse in me for which thou shouldst shew me mercy yet thou maist see enough in him to content thee Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate saith Daniel 9.57 for the Lords sake Christ hath deserued that God should be mercifull to all the belieue in him And whatsoever goodnesse is in him is theirs He is made to us of God saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 1.30 wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption So that an humbled sinner may rely upon and expect mercy of God through Christ though he can discerne no goodnesse at all in himselfe Nay I say more that because thou findest in thy selfe no goodnesse at all therefore art thou of all men the fittest to receive mercy from God through Christ. Hâ—e every one that thirsteth saith the Lord Esa. 55.1 come ye to the waters and he that hath no money As if he had said He that hath no goodnesse in him nothing whereby he may hope to purchase and deserve mercy is neverthelesse capable of mercy for that nay he is the more capable of it because of that that he finds himselfe so As the emptier a glasse is the fitter it is to receive any precious liquor that should be put into it Blessed are the poore in spirit saith our Saviour Matth. 5.3 And To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly saith the Apostle Rom. 4.5 To him that hath not any goodnesse not one good work to trust unto but can do God that honour as to believe in him expect and rest upon him for mercy though he know himselfe to be an ungodly man and void of all goodnesse to him his faith is imputed for righteousnesse As if he should say O that is a justifying that is an excellent faith indeed But though a man that feeleth no goodnesse in himselfe may yet expect to receive mercy and assurance of favour from God if he can rest himselfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and trust to receive it that way and that way alone yet how can such a one as I that am so full of feares and doubts and infidelity ever be able to do that my infidelity barreth me from all hope of mercy If Christ could do no mighty worke in Nazareth because of their infidelity
as the Holy Ghost witnesseth Mar. 6 5. how can I ever hope to obtaine mercy and assurance of favour from God this way To this I answer First Thou maist notwithstanding thine infidelity so long as the infidelity that is in thee raigneth not but thou discernest bewailest and strivest against it David had doubting and feare and infidelity in him when he cryed Psal. 13.1 How long wilt thou forget me O Lord For ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me And yet even then he trusted in Gods mercy and hoped to recover assurance of his favour that way as appeareth by his words in the fift verse And when I am afraid saith he Psal. 56 â— when I am disquieted with feares and doubts of any kind I will trust in thee So Psal. 143.7 8. he professeth that when his spirit faâ—led when his spirit was overwhelmed and his heart within him was desolate as he had said before Verse 4. and consequently when he had much infidelity in him yet even then he did trust in God anâ— lifted up his soule unto him And was not the poore woman that had the bloudy issue Luke 8.47 troubled much with doubts and feares and infidelity when yet notwithstanding she did trust and looke to receive mercy and helpe through the free goodnesse of God in Christ. Secondly Though thou feele thy selfe never so unable through thy infidelity to cast thy selfe upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ yet if thou can bewaile and be soundly humbled for thy infidelity God will make thee able to do it For he hath promised to give grace even this as well as any other to the humble Iam. 4.6 He will keep thee from sinking under and being overcome of thy infidelity And Gods people have never found him readier to shew them mercy this way that when they have felt most weakenesse and infidelity in themselves When the Apostle had been pressed out of measure above his strength as he speaketh 2 Cor. 1.8 9 and had the sentence of death in himselfe God sustained and delivered him and that for this very cause as he saith to teach us that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead which causeth him to professe 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weak then am I strong He never felt Gods strength more in supporting him and keeping him from sinking under the burden of any tentation than when he found his own weaknesse and readinesse to sink most of all Now to make some application of this we shall find that many of Gods people do greatly offend in this point For they make that inherent grace which they find in themselves the onely ground of all their comfort and assurance of Gods favour while they discerne that in themselves they are quiet and comfortable when they cannot they are utterly out of hope Two evills they commit in this one against themselves another against the Lord. First resting upon that grace they find in themselves and so trusting in their owne heart they leane upon a bruised reed that may and will deceive them Their owne spirit may faile them and be overwhelmed as we have heard David complained that it was with him Psal. 143.4 7. Though that grace that is in them if ever it were in them in truth do not utterly faile yet their heart and spirit the knowledge and feeling of that grace they have may quite faile them for a time This made David say as he doth Psal. 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Make God himselfe thy rock and portion the onely ground of all thy hope and comfort and he will never faile though thine own flesh and heart do Secondly In doing thus we make an idoll of that inherent grace that is in us and putting that trust in it which we should repose in the Lord alone we commit idolatry we go a whoring after our owne hearts as the Lord speaketh Num. 15.39 For no inherent grace that is in us is God but the gift of God only and therefore cannot be fully trusted in without sinne Let us therefore learne to praise God for any grace he hath wrought in us by his holy Spirit yea let us take comfort in it as in a fruit of his eternall and unchangeable love but let us not so rest upon it as to make it the onely or chiefe ground of our hope and comfort but learne to renounce our selves and all confidence in any goodnesse that is in us and with humbled soules cast our selves wholly upon the free grace and mercy of God in Christ and say with the Apostle Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which rejoyce in the Lord Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh Lecture CXXVII On Psalme 51.7 Septem 1. 1629. NOw the third and last use that this Doctrine serveth unto is as I said for the comfort of such of Gods people as though they feare God unfainedly and are carefull in all their wayes to please him yet complaine greatly of this that they cannot feele that the bloud of Christ is by the Spirit of God sprinkled upon their hearts they cannot attaine unto this sensible assurance of the favour of God in Christ. And though 1 I know well that in this profane and loose age few have need of this use of comfort because most men are confident enough of their salvation they are not troubled at all with any doubts or feares his way and the whole have no need of a Physician Matth. 9.12 Doctrine of humiliation and terrour were fitter for most of our hearers than Doctrine of comfort The fat and strong among Gods sheepe should be fed with judgement as the Lord speaketh Ezek. 34.16 Yea 2 I know well that some will be more likely to receive hurt than good by that which you shall now heare For Christ and the Doctrine of Gods mercy in him is a stumbling stone and rock of offence to disobedient and wicked men as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Pet. 2.8 And 3. though in handling of the meanes whereby true assurance may be obtained I have spoken much already for the comfort of such persons Yet have I two reasons why I dare not omit this use of comfort First Because I doubt not but there are some of you that heare me have present need of it And if there were but two or three such among you all I am bound in my ministery to have more respect unto them then to all the rest For to such principally are we sent to preach Hee hath sent me saith our Saviour Esa. 61 1 2. and that which hee that is the great Shepheard of the sheepe said it becommeth us all that are under him tâ— say likewise hee hath sent mee saith he to bind up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne in Sion Secondly Because though there be many of you that have not present need of
faith that God hath so loved him hee cannot choose but love him againe and serve him out of love and not out of feare onely Faith worketh by love saith the Apostle Galathians 5.6 As if hee had said The first and chiefe fruit that it putteth forth and whereby it sheweth that life and efficacy that is in it is this it breedeth in the heart that hath it an unfained love unto God Yea proportionable to our faith and the assurance wee have of Gods love to us will our love unto God bee Many sinnes are forgiven her saith our Saviour Luke 7.47 for shee loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same loveth but a little Certainely beloved the true cause why the most of us beare no more love to God and goodnesse then wee doe is this that either wee have no faith no assurance of Gods love to us in the pardon of our sinnes or els wee have knowne but few sinnes by our selves and have beene but a little humbled for sinne and therefore we are not much affected with the mercy and love that God hath shewed to us in the pardon of our sinnes Now for the force that is in justifying faith to quicken and enable us unto every good duty which is the second particular that I promised to speake of I might be large in the handling of it There is no good duty either towards God or man that thou findest thy selfe most backward in but if thou hadst faith to assure thee of Gods love to thee in Christ and to beleeve the promises that God hath made unto that duty and if thou wouldst also stirre up and exercise thy faith in meditating of Gods mercy and love and of those particular promises thou shouldst find thy selfe thereby made farre more able to performe that duty and to performe it in a holy and comfortable manner then thou art This is that whereby David was wont to prepare himselfe to Gods publique worship I will goe to thine house saith hee Psalme 5.7 in the multitude of thy mercies But I will instance and that briefly too but in two particular duties that is to say the hearing of the word and prayer For the first No man can heare the Word with any affection and fruit till he have faith and be thereby perswaded of Gods love to him in Christ. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. that you may grow thereby if so bee yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious As if he should say Then and not till then you shall be able to doe it God hath made many promises to such as heare his Word Generall promises 1. Hee will ever assist this ordinance and worke with it Matthew 28.20 Goe teach all nations and loe I am with you to the end of the world 2. That hee will save the soules of his people by this ordinance Iames 1.21 Esa. 55.3 3. That by this ordinance hee will begin grace and convert the soule Psalme 19.7 4. That by this ordinance hee will increase and perfect grace where hee hath begun it Vnto you that heare shall more bee given saith our Saviour Marke 4.24 And Acts 20.32 I commend you to God and to the Word of his grace which is able to build you up And particular promises God hath also made to them that attend upon this ordinance 1. That hee will by this ordinance give them strength to overcome their strongest corruptions Even a young man may cleanse his way thereby Ps. 119.9 2. That he will by this ordinance worke peace in their consciences Esa. 57.19 How falleth it out then that many of us heare constantly and find no such thing Surely the cause is rendred Hebrewes 4.2 The Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it In our hearing wee make not use of our faith to make claime to these promises and expect the performance of them unto us Secondly For prayer Till a man have some assurance by faith of the pardon of his sinnes and of Gods favour hee can never pray aright nor with any heart and affection Romanes 10 14. How shall they call on him in whom they have not beleeved It is the spirit of grace that is the spirit of supplications Zach. 12.10 He that goeth to God must apprehend him and conceive of him as of his father Matthew 6.9 And on the other side hee that is by faith perswaded that God is his gracious father cannot choose but resort much to him in hearty prayer Galathians 4.6 O God thou art my God saith David Psalme 63.1 early will I seeke thee And 86.4 5. Vnto the Lord doe I lift up my soule for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thy name Many are the promises that God hath made unto prayer Generall promises that he will heare and answer us Esa. 30.19 Hee will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when hee shall heare it he will answer thee And Iohn 16.23 Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you And particular promises 1. Deliverance from any trouble and affliction Psalme 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Or strength and patience to beare it Iames 1.5 If any of you lack wisdome let him aske of God and it shall be given him 2. Whatsoever spirituall grace we stand in need of Luke 11.13 Your heavenly father will give his holy spirit to them that aske him 3. Inward joy and peace of conscience Iob 33.26 Hee shall pray to God and hee will bee favourable unto him and hee shall see his face with joy Aske and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Iohn 16.24 Why then have wee no more heart to prayer Why receive wee no more good by it Surely wee doe not make use of our faith in thinking of and trusting to these promises of God when we goe to prayer and that is a maine cause of it And let not that man thinke saith the Apostle Iames 1.7 that hee shall receive any thing from the Lord. And thus have I finished those foure Motives I promised to give for the enforcing of this exhortation Lecture CXLII On Psalme 51.7 March 2. 1629. IT followeth now that we proceed unto those signes and notes that I promised to give you whereby they that have received Christ and are justified by him may be knowne And surely there is great need that we should have signes and notes given us in Gods Word whereby this may be discerned and judged of For we finde by experience of all ages that many doe verily thinke that Christ and all his merits doe belong to them who yet did never receive him nor have any title to him at all Many will say to me in that day saith our Saviour Matth. 7.22 23. Lord Lord have we not prophesied in
Rom. 3.24 And thus runneth the promise Revel 21.6 I will give to him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely To this I answer that though the pardon of our sins and salvation of our souls be in respect of Christ our surety no free gift but a deare purchase neither do we obtaine it till it was dearely bought and purchased for us Ye are bought with a price saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.20 Yea such a price as the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.6 calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fully answerable in worth to the soules of all Gods redeemed ones and to that which God hath given us yet in respect of our selves and of our obtaining of it it is meerly of grace it is the free gift of God It is meerly of mercy and free grace that any of us are saved This will evidently appeare unto us in five points First It was the free grace of God and nothing els that first moved him to find out and appoint this way to save us by and to satisfie his own justice for us He purposed this in himselfe saith the Apostle Eph. 1.9 there was nothing out of himselfe that moved him to it He devised this way how to make satisfaction unto himselfe God was in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.19 and reconciled the world of the elect he meaneth for certainly all are not reconciled unto him to himselfe This was certainly the free grace and meere mercy of God and nothing els that moved him to do this Yea his love and mercy to his elect appeared more in this than if by his absolute prerogative and soveraignty he had forgiven us without exacting any satisfaction for us at all God so loved the world saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Sonne c. Secondly It was the free grace of God and nothing els that moved him to give any of us to Christ and to appoint us in his eternall counsell to be of that small number that should receive mercy by him He predestinated us saith the Apostle Eph. 1.5 unto the adoption of Children by Iesus Christ to himselfe according to the good pleasure of his will As if hee had said The good pleasure of his owne will and nothing els moved him to do this In this respect our Saviour saith of his faithfull Disciples Ioh. 17.6 Thine they were and thou gavest them me And Verse 9. I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given mee for they are thine Thirdly It was the free grace of God and nothing els that moved him to give to any of us that grace to receive Christ by faith being offered unto us in the ministery of the Gospell No man can come to me saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.65 except it were given unto him of my Father Fourthly It is the free grace of God and nothing els that moveth him to accept of that satisfaction which Christ our Surety hath made for us and not to exact it at our own hands And that maketh the Apostle to say Ephes. 1.6 that it is to the praise of the glory of his grace that he hath made us accepted in his beloved nothing hath bound him to do it but his owne free promise and grace onely Fiftly and lastly It is the free grace of God and nothing els that moveth him after we have received Christ by faith and thereby are brought into covenant with him to performe his promise and to keepe covenant with us considering how oft we break our covenant with him how weake and wavering our faith and obedience is And this made Solomon breake forth into those termes of admiration and wonderment 1 King 8.23 O Lord God of Israel there is no god like unto thee who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walke before thee with all their heart As if he should have said It is the marvellous mercy of God that hee keepeth covenant even with the best of his servants considering how many their failings be And thus have I finished my Answer to the Question and shewed you that though our salvation were not free to Christ but hee payed deare for it yet to us it is free we obtaine it onely through the free grace and mercy of God Lecture CXIX On Psalme 51.7 May 26. 1619. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto and those are three principally 1. For instrustion 2. For exhortation 3. For comfort For the first This Doctrine will teach us to judge rightly of sinne and to esteeme of it as it doth deserve Foure points there are to be observed in this Doctrine that do notably set forth the odiousnesse and hainousnesse of sinne First no creature in heaven or earth can cleanse thee from the least of all thy sinnes nor procure thee a pardon for it Christ Iesus onely was able to doe it He is the propitiation for our sinnes saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 2.2 and he alone In Popery men are taught that many will doe it Pardons may be bought of the Pope we know and the larger summ a man is content to disburse for it the larger shall his pardon be They teach also that men may by their almsdeeds and good works specially by doing good to the Church redeem and buy out their iniquities and make satisfaction to the justice of God for the temporall punishment that is due to them for sin so that the more bountifull a man is that way the lesse he shall need to feare the fire of Purgatory or any other temporall punishment whatsoever And this hath certainly been a most profitable and gainfull Doctrine to the Church of Rome But a most blasphemous Doctrine it is and such as mâ—keth the Crosse of Christ of none effect a Doctrine directly contrary to the holy Scriptures and to that which the Apostle Peter whom they make the rock upon which their Church is built did teach Ye know saith he 1 Pet. 1.18 that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold from your vaine conversation received by tradition from your fethers No silver and gold though we had never so many thousands to give unto pious uses can redeeme and buy out the least of our sinnes no not our vaine conversation our unprofitable walking our sinnes of omission or any part of the punishment that is due to us for it And this ye know saith the Apostle this was a truth clearely knowne to all Gods people then The Churches that were planted by the Apostles were fully perswaded of it And if the present Church of Rome had beene of the Apostle Peters founding as they pretend certainly silver and gold could not be of such use and worth there for procuring pardons for sinne as all the world knoweth that now it is But what speak we of silver and gold Not all the Angels or Saints in heaven or earth were ever able by all their holinesse and
good works by all their prayers and intercessions to merit of God for any man the pardon of the least sin And in this also Popery doth miserably and damnably deceive the world We know they teach men to trust and expect mercy from God in the pardon of their sin by the merits and intercession of the Saints specially of the blessed Virgin And it is notorious to the world that their whole Church in their publique Liturgie doe oft beg of God the pardon of sinne and deliverance from his wrath for the merits and intercession of such and such Saints Miserable comforters are they that teach poore soules in this case to leane upon the staffe of this bruised reed Of all the Saints that have beene most rich in grace and good workes that may truly bee said which David speaketh of the worldly rich men Psal. 49.7 8. None of them can by any meanes redeeme his brother nor give unto God a ransome for him for the redemption of the soule is precious No Saint was ever able with all his holinesse and good works to pay a price sufficient to satisfie the justice of God for one soule Nay I say more no Saint or Angel durst ever so farre mediate with God as to intreat him for his sake to pardon any one sin to any soule If one man sin against another saith old Ely to his sons 1 Sam. 2.25 the judge shall judge him satisfaction may bee made for the offence by the authority of the magistrate but if a man sin against the Lord who shall intreat for him As if he had said No Saint or Angel dare presume to be so much as a mediatour of intercession unto God for any that hath sinned against him Call now saith Eliphaz to Iob 5.1 if there be any that will answer or speake for thee and to which of the Saints wilt thou turne No none but Christ onely durst ever doe so much for any poore sinner And this is the first point in this Doctrine that doth discover to us how heavy and heinous a thing sin is Secondly Christ himselfe could not cleanse thee from thy sins nor procure thee the pardon of the least of them any other way but by dying for thee The holinesse of his life and that exact obedience he yeelded to the law of God in all points fulfilling all righteousnesse as himselfe speaketh Matth. 3.15 was doubtlesse of great merit and wee received much benefit by it As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners saith the Apostle Rom. 5.19 so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous We are justified in part even by his active obedience for by it we obtaine the imputation of that perfect righteousnesse that giveth us title to the kingdome of heaven For seeing it was not possible for us to enter into life till wee had kept the commandements of God Matth. 19.17 and wee were not able to keepe them our selves it was necessary our surety should keepe them for us And hee by performing to the full for us not for himselfe for he being God and not man only and his manhood having no personall substistance without the Godhead was not bound to keep the law for himselfe he I say by fulfilling the whole law of God did thereby purchase heaven for us and merit that God should account us righteous and perfect fulfillers of his law By this means he brought in everlasting righteousnesse as the Prophet speaketh Dan. 9.24 In which respect also the Apostle saith Rom. 10.4 that Christ is the end of the law for righteousnesse to every one that beleeveth As if he should say The end of the law is to justifie them that fulfill it and this Christ hath done for every one that beleveth in him and so hath made him righteous before God And for this cause the Apostle saith also Rom. 3.31 Doe we then make void the law through faith God forbid Yea we establish the law As though hee had said The Doctrine of justification by faith in Christ doth no way derogate from the law for it acknowledgeth a necessity not only of satisfaction for the penalty that is due to the transgression of it but also of a full and perfect observation of it in all points by them that would enter into life But though this be so yet Christs active obedience his good works and holy life could never have bin meritorious for us could never have justified us nor brought us to heaven if he had not dyed for us And therefore both our justification and our obtaining of heaven is ascribed to his bloud as if that alone had done both Being justified by his bloud saith the Apostle Rom. 5.9 we shall be saved from wrath through him And we have boldnes to enter into the holiest that is into heaven Heb. 10.19 by the bloud of Iesus So the scripture ascribeth much to the intercession that our Saviour daily maketh for us in heaven much comfort doubtlesse we may receive by this that we have such a friend in the court such an advocate to speake and plead and pray for us unto his father He is able saith the Apostle Heb. 7.25 to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them But his intercession could never have bin meritorious for us it could never have prevailed with God for us to the procuring for us the pardon of the least sin if he had not by his death given full satisfaction to the justice of God for us When Christ is described unto Iohn Rev. 5.8 9. as the only mediatour of intercession for his Church unto whom the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Catholike Church and company of all Gods Saints do bring their golden viols full of odours which are the prayers of the Saints to be presented by him unto his father he is represented to him in the likenes of a lambe that was slaine ver 6.11 And the foure and twenty Elders ver 9. give this for the reason why they bring their prayers unto him and make him their only mediatour of intercession aswell as their only Prophet interpreter of his fathers will Thou art worthy say they to take the booke and to open the seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood Hee could not have beene our Prophet neither could his intercession and prayers have ever beene meritorious for us if hee had not dyed for us It is the death of Christ that giveth vertue and merit to his intercession and prayers for us It is the blood of sprinkliâ—g that speaketh better things then that of Abel saith the Apostle Hebrewes 12. â—4 It is that that speaketh for us and pleadeth with God continually for mercy as the other did for vengeance Thirdly Christ himselfe could not by dying for thee have cleansed thee from thy sins nor procured the pardon of the least of them if he had not dyed