of reformation then men are ripe for desolation wee will first raise a ground of instruction and then make way for an use of examination and learne this point of instruction that this of all plagues under heaven is one of the heaviest of all judgements it is the sorest that a wicked man should prosper and thrive in his ungodly courses that hee should bee able to breake through the net and come off clearely whatsoever comes to the countrary he hath what hee will and doth what hee please and no word reformes him no meanes hinder him thinke of this when the Lord pulls up the stake and gives him the reine and lets him goe post-haste and hurry headlong downe to destruction that is the onely way to pull the soule of a sinner into the bottomlesse pit It is said Hosea 2. that when the Lord doth please to bring any of his people home this is Gods speciall care in the sixt Verse the Lord prickes his fingers and stops him and makes a hedge about a covetous deceitfull wretch that he cannot breake through but hee hath now a knocke of conscience now a judgement of God now a terrour of the Almighty This is the onely way to bring a soule home to God then shee will say I will returne unto my first husband but this is one of the heaviest judgements and sorest plagues that can befall a sinfull creature that the Lord should pull downe the hedge and breake open the wall and let them runne ryot take thy course and follow thy vanities I will hinder thee no more till I have thee in hell and then thou shalt be plagued for all together Ier. 12.3 it is a fine phrase when Jeremie was perplexed with the prosperity of the wicked he was marvelously troubled because of the excellency of ungodly men at last hee quits himselfe with this they were as Sheepe fatted for the slaughter What will become of you that have all meanes of reformation the Lords mercies and Ministers and judgements have striven with you what will become of you when such a creature comes to hell the divell will make bonefires of him but they shall make holy day in hell their plagues shall be nothing to theirs that have had all meanes and resisted all meanes of grace and salvation the divells will rejoyce to meete a drunkard in hell and say what art thou come to hell after all meanes vouchsafed and all helpes bestowed the divells will make bonefires and stand on tip-toes and crow over such persons What you that enjoyed the meanes of grace and salvation what you come to hell too all the whole route of them will outbrave such an opposer of God and his ordinances hee shall bee a head blocke in hell I will conclude the point and say no more if there be any such here present as there is too many that can bragge of their loose courses and glory of their villanie I drunke him under the table no counsell shall prevaile with him no meanes shall take place in him dost boast of thy villanie in this kinde dost glory because thou thrivest in thy wickednesse woe woe to thy soule thou art ready for the slaughter and the Lord shall bring thee downe into everlasting destruction know it God hath sayd when the harvest is ripe he will put in the Sickle and thou that art ripe shalt bee sure of desolation Looke as it is with a sicke man when meate cannot nourish him when phisicke workes not and Phisitians are at a stand and all leave him then wee say hee is but a dead man the Phisitians have left him thinke of it the Lord of heaven comes to visit thee thy sicke soule is like the sicke man many mercies he powreth into thy soule to humble thee many judgements to eate out thy proud flesh he comes to launce thee on one side and binde thee upon the other side but if all these will doe thee no good it is a fearefull symptome nay it is certaine there was never any man so sure to dye when all meanes left him as thy soule shall bee damned when all meanes prevaile not The second use is a use of examination Is this true then when sinne growes ripe then the Lord will not succour and relieve any more then wee may have a shrowd guesse and gather a soare argument of the ruine and desolation of any person towne or countrey when a Nation is as it were giving up the ghost and drawing on to everlasting destruction the former doctrine will be a mervelous helpe and great succour unto us for direction in this caâ—e The Phisitians one part of their skill is this they call it a foretelling signe whereby they have a soare guesse when the body is dying and nature growing on to dissolution when they see such and such signes in a man they say he is dying why the truth saith the Text saith and the Scriptures professe it where ever there is a full encrease a full strength of sinne an universall kind of incorrigiblenesse in a sinfull course it is a deadly signe that that state kingdome or person is breathing out his last and drawing to desolation as neare as may be THE DECEITFVLnesse of sinne PSAL. 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant mee thy Law gratiously TO presse on to the words and not to make any long Preface either with the commendation of this booke of Psalmes in generall or this Psalme in particular onely thus much Interpreters observe this Psalme as a Diamond among Pearles or as the Gold among other mettalls or as Saul higher then his brethren there is a kinde of excellencie which Interpreters conceive to bee in this Psalme partly in regard of the largenesse of the matter partly in regard of the spirit and life and strength that appeareth in every line therein Not to trouble you with these tinglings which come onely to the care but are not sappy to nourish and affect the heart onely a little consider that the Lord by the Penman of this Psalme doth strive after a spirituall kinde of exquisitnesse dividing it into 22. Parts according to the Hebrew Alphabet and every part having two verses beginning with the same Letter Secondly it is observeable that among 176. verses there is not above one or two but mentioneth the Law of God either Law or Precepts or Commandements or Word or Statutes Testimonies or the like as if the Prophet David had bestowed himselfe wholly and had beene eaten up with the Law of God The ayme of the Text is to discover the great desire that the holy Psalmist hath and expresseth to God for the removall of the body of sinne that was upon him and for the supply of that grace he stood in neede of and craved at the hands of the Lord and the two parts of David prayer are the two parts of the Text the first is the evill that hee would have removed from him first take from mee the way of lying
them privately then much lesse publikely may wee communicate with them It Answ is no good reason because I have more authority to refuse the company of a man in my owne house then I have to refuse him in the open Congregation I can keepe a man out of my house but I cannot fling him out of the open congregation that belongs onely to those that are in place and authority Constant communion is that when there lyeth such a bond upon a bondman that hee cannot breake this communion such is the communion betweene the husband and the wife so having hired a servant nor the servant from the master when he please untill the covenants be fulfilled this is constant communion The question now is how farre a man may turne unto the wicked such as are openly wicked The rules of the question are three First for a faithfull man when he hath his liberty then to enter into communion with the wicked is unlawfull as for a free servant to make choise of an ungratious master and so for a holy master to make choise of a wicked servant so for a good woman being single to make choise of a wicked man or for a holy man to chuse a wicked wife If Rule 2 a servant bee entred into covenant with an unrighteous master or a wife to a wicked husband they are bound as long as those bonds last submissively and humbly to subject themselves to all services that are required of persons in their place and condition As Rule 3 God affords libertie and opportunity in a good way and a good conscience every man is bound to sever himselfe from such as are wicked and scandalously naught now for a servant thy yeare being out fly the house thou that art a prentise when thy yeares are expired lose thy selfe and deliver thy heart from this communion Now we come to mutable or voluntary private communion Voluntary communion is a closure with such in common company and inward familiarity so as when occasion serves they may all alter and change againe In the mutable communion observe these three things 1. It is a closing and fastning together a meeting and concurring of men together so farre as occasion drives them one to another or else as affection drawes them one to another and therefore Psal 119 63 the word translated a friend signifieth a companion that is the first passage 2. We have the propriety or quality of this communion in the next words it is a closure in common company and familiarity when they close one with another in common conversation Prov. 28.7 so wicked company one with another in drinking swearing c. They are joyned together in inward familiarity when there is a closure and combining one with another when the soules of sundry men are Cabbins to keepe the counsailes and secrets one of another Iob. 19.14 the word there translated a familiar is a man of secrets so we may see it in the example of Ionathan and David the Text saith that the soule of Ionathan was knit to the soule of David Lastly they so close in common company and inward familiarity that yet notwithstanding it is in a mans power as occasion serves to change eyther this company or familiarity therefore wee call it mutable communion because there is no bond nor tie lyeth upon a man to ingage himselfe to his company but as occasion is offered a man may turne the backe to a base fellow that hath cozoned him this I take to be the communion mainely here intended though the other are included but this voluntary society I thinke is that the Apostle here specially aimes at Hence It is the duty of all the Saints of God not to close in communion and unnecessary company and inward familiarity with those that are the deniers of the power of godlinesse I say meetely observe the Saints must not close in common and unnecessary communion with the wicked I call it unnecessary because a man may bee forced sometimes to keepe company with profane men as for example these three bonds force him 1 Bond. Sometimes the bond of a mans calling will force him to keepe company with the wicked as the Magistrate must bee ordinarily in the company of the wicked to reforme them the Phisitian among his patients the Minister among his people the Lawyer among his clients so Inkeepers the Law will force them to entertaine a stranger and to give him that which is reasonable 2 Bond. The bond of humanity and civilitie that binds a man sometimes to keepe company with the wicked as the bond of neighbourhood for example people that live in the same place or towne they are forced to consult about the affaires of the towne and other occasions one with another The bonds of Religion and naturall mercy binds sometimes to keepe company with such 3 Bond. for the soules of all men should labour to doe good unto all so farre as necessity requires and opportunity is offered thereunto for wee are bound to preserve the honour life goods good name of any man what ever he be be the company never so wicked yet the duty is good and holy Therefore I say wee must not close with men in unnecessary communion so farre wee must turne away from them 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thes 3.6 withdraw your selves from them it is a comparison taken from full Sailes when the Sailes of a shippe are drawne and it hath full saile it goeth very swiftly So saith the Apostle doe not strike saile doe not freely expresse your selves in familiarity with him but withdraw your selves Psal 56.8 shut the dore against them so you see the point is cleare For our better direction observe these three particulars first something by way of explication how far the limits of turning from the wicked doth goe secondly the reasons why wee must turne away thirdly the use and application Where may wee set the bounds and compasse of our familiarity with the wicked for this wee must remember these two passages some that deny godlinesse make it their trade and practise secondly others onely deny it upon occasion and though they have grace yet from both these wee must turne away But Object first touching the former that are knowne to be wicked men such as are openly naught how farre shall wee carry our selves familiar to wards these In these particulars first Answ partly in regard of the disposition of the heart secondly of the outward behaviour of our lives In both these particulars we must turne away First how farre must the heart of a good man bee restrained from the company and familiaritie of those that are scandalously wicked I answer the rules are two 1. The Saints Rule 1 of God are bound to have a vile esteeme and a base account of those that are such vile and base persons Let the Word of God rule us in this and let us bee commanded by it Psal 15 4. Observe two passages first every wicked
willing to be informed he will not cast off counsell and reproofe with matter of scorne and say I know as well as you let every tubbe stand upon his owne bottome meddle you with your owne matters and doe not you come in another mans Diocesse no a gracious heart will not doe this but what I know not teach thou me if I have done iniquitie I will doe it no more a gracious heart when he cannot see himselfe will be suspicious what courses are unlawfull and will seeke direction from God that he may clearely perceive it and reforme it and avoid it the heart of man is deceitfull above all things therefore a good man when he hath searched what he can if hee heare of any tricke and device that a carnall hypocrite may have he searcheth and seekes am I such a one and hee lookes up to heaven and saith Lord thou knowest the heart let mee know it thou knowest the windings of this soule of mine let me understand it that I may not be couzened The second is this when the sound heart is informed of the sinne with evidence of reason it yeelds quietly and sits downe convinced and submit it selfe to the authority of the power of the truth this is another thing a gracious heart as it will not when there is no reason to gainsay a truth so it will not invent trickes to defeate the power of the truth when it is evident and plainely brought home to the judgement this is certaine though a man out of a carnall minde because flesh will have his bouts although a gracious heart sometimes when it is informed and Reasons are sound and Scriptures undeniable it will a little quarrell and wrangle for the while yet when it seeth it cannot answer the argument it will be content to embrace the reason and be framed thereby and submit to the rule thereof Iob 40.4 when the Lord came to schoole Iob and had informed him of his owne exellencie and his basenesse he yeelds up the bucklers presently once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further as who should say I have spoken foolishly and said unadvisedly but I will say it no more and famous is that of the Cananitish woman when Christ was hot upon her and called her dogge truth Lord saith shee yet the dogges may eate of the crummes that fall from their masters table as who should say I confesse I am as bad as thou speakest I deny not what I am I am a dog I yeeld it yet the dogges lye under the table that is all I crave and aske that I may lye under the table and waile for crummes of mercy you know how it was with Peter when he had denied our Saviour he doth not wrangle it out colour it over but the very looke of our Saviour was enough to make him got out and weepe bitterly if the arguments be plaine and reason good it will not cast them behinde his backe and winke with his eyes and will not see the truth but a gratious heart yeelds easily and comes on comfortably to receive the truth I confesse this and experience hath taught as much in this nature in point of conscience it is possible for the soule partly out of weakenesse of judgement not being able to perceive the truth or else out of a selfe wild distemper which blinds the judgement it will wrangle against the truth but in my experience I have observed this is the issue it will never leave inquiring and disputing about the businesse till it fall that way the bias of the soule will runne directly towards the truth it is with a good heart though a weake one as with a sound stomack though distempered take hot water into a windy stomacke the winde will stirre on one side and the water on another side and distemper the stomacke but let the party take a little Methridate the Methridate closing with the stomacke will ease a man and refresh a man in this kinde so a good man hath a weake judgement in this kinde and sometimes a distempered heart but when the good word of the Lord the Cordiall water the Methridate when that comes into his minde and is taken into his soule a man will quarrell with profit and ease and carnall reason but yet the soule will bee the better and will close with it for its everlasting good Thirdly when a sound heart hath taken notice and is informed and upon that information sits downe convinced then in the third place it will set it selfe immediatly to the duty whereof it is informed and convinced when the judgement stands cleare and the heart yeelds the floodgate is set open and the water will flow if there were any evill before committed the soule sets upon the reformation of it if any duty not before performed it now sets upon the performance thereof consider of it it is true I doe not say that when a man is informed and convinced what is the course God requires and what is the duty God commands a man can then doe the duty as hee ought but hee will doe what he can and labour for ability to doe that which for the present he cannot Gen. 22 3 it was a hard taske that God enjoyned Abraham to sacrifice his beloved and darling sonne Isaack now when the thing was plaine though it was never so hard Abraham set about it he got up betimes in the morning and he and the child went and the servants and all and he addresseth himselfe to the performance of the duty and hee prevents all occasions that might hinder him his wife was not acquainted with it his servants knew nothing of the matter so if a man be the sonne of faithfull Abraham if thē Lord commands it though it bee the killing of a darling secure tender beloved lust if the Lord say it must bee done this sinne must bee abandoned this corruption must bee reformed though it bee never so profitable and bring never so much contentment hee will rise betimes in the morning that is hee will use all meanes and imploy all helpes for the accomplishing of it A gracious heart if his minde be informed and his conscience convinced of a duty he will set upon the duty it is a thing I would have you remember it is a marvelous distemper of Spirit when people speake thus I confesse it is a thing that ought to bee avoyded the word forbids it the Lord condemnes it and my conscience goes against it but what would you have me doe I cannot set into the worke I cannot goe on in the worke why then lay all aside lay sincerity aside for it cannot stand with sinceritie that I should be informed and convinced of a duty which the Lord requires at my hands and I not set upon it I doe not say a found heart will not doe it as he ought but he will strive to get abilitie to performe that God requires Alas
and to master a malicious vaine spirit Lord doe this for the soule of thy servant take away these distempers and in thy faithfullnesse answer the desires of the soule of thy servant helpe me Lord against the rage of these sinnefull distempers and when the truth of Christ layes battery against a mans heart and that it brings and sets up another frame and disposition of heart the soule lies under the blow and closeth with that truth more of that Lord oh there againe Lord. A man that is troubled with the toothach if the Tooth-drawer apply his instrument and hee find hee hath hold of it hee saith that is it pull it out leave nothing behind So when the soule is under the stroake of strong distemper if hee make conscience of these things when the word comes home to his soule and meetes with that distemper he saith Lord plucke out all of it that I may never see that pride more that I may never see that malice more leave not a stumpe behinde Lord that I may be freed from that cursed distemper of spirit this is the difference betweene a varnished hypocrite and a sound heart a wretched unsound heart it feares least the Word should come home to it it feares the blow when hee seeth it comming hee wisheth he were ridde of the place or the Minister ridde of that point but a sound heart feares least the Word should not come close enough it is conscious to it selfe and knowes and sees I have heard such Sermons and such terrors and such mercies revealed and I am still to this day stubborne to this day rebellious so that I feare nothing will prevaile with mee nothing will get ground against this rebellious spirit of mine I feare the Word will not touch me nor master this rebellious spirit this is somewhat you meane in good earnest that you and your sinne will part it is a fine passage Zach. 13.6 One meetes him and askes him where hadst thou this wound I was wounded in the house of my friend a gracious heart counts the Minister a friendly Minister and a friendly Word that cuts his heart to the quicke and goeth to the coare of his corruptions oh the wound was the wound of a friend it was a friendly reproofe the Minister spake friendly to mee that wounded my corruptions I saw the coare comming why this is somewhat when the soule can wellcome such truths as are for the a wakening of it Secondly as the soule wisheth and wellcomes those particular truths that may awaken and overpower a distemper and leave a contrary grace so it is restlesse before God be pleased for to worke this before it see every corruption mastered and the frame of sinne tottered at a restlesly looking to God and restlesly waiting upon God why when will it once be such a mans heart is broken and such a mans conscience awakened and such a mans spirit brought low and Lord shall nothing prevaile with me He is restlesse in seeking unto the Lord till he see every sinne mastered and every corruption overpowred so that though it be inherent yet it is not regnant The Irish man being malitious and fearefull he never thinkes his enemy killed till he hath cut off his head hee will be sure to make him past recovery so a gracious heart never thinkes his sinnes are slaine till hee see the strength and power thereof subdued in every particular more or lesse till hee see the very bloud and life of his corruptions removed this is that a gracious heart is restlesse and intreats at Gods hand from day to day therefore it is a fine passage Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death marke the weight of his complaint hee doth not say deliver mee from the stroake of sinne or the action of sinne but from the body of sinne there is a body of pride there is a body of malice a body of anger a body of the cursed distempers of a mans soule now a gracious heart is not content to be freed onely from the tongue of pride that hee may not speake proudly but Lord deliver mee from the body of pride from the body of malice from the inward frame of my distempers in a word looke what Haman said concerning Mordecay when hee had all the cappes in the country and all knees bowing to him What availeth this saith he so long as I see Mordecay sit in the Kings gate So saith a gracious heart what availes it me that I am not a theefe or a drunkard or an adulterer if yet this proud heart prevailes this proud heart and carnall confidence of mine will bring my soule into everlasting destruction the soule is restlesse till the Lord looke upon him and deliver him from his corruptions The third thing is this that the soule is content that God shall doe what hee will with his corruptions take them away after what manner hee please though it bee upon the hardest tearmes in the world as it welcomes those truths that may worke as it is restlesse till they doe worke so it is contented that the Lord should worke upon sinne and subdue it upon the hardest tearmes in the world A covetous man if nothing but beggery will loosen his heart from the world then hee will pray the Lord to make him give away all and leave himselfe a beggar so hee may have a liberall heart So if a man bee notable to subdue the pride of his heart a man hath great parts and abilities and hee prankes up himselfe therein if there bee nothing will cure this timpany if nothing will doe the deede unlesse God knock off the wheels and leave him in the dust and make him the off-scouring of the world yet a gratious heart though this be hard saith Lord let mee have an humble heart whatever it costs me this man now is in good earnest content to part with his corruptions For the use of the point wee have first here a matter of lamentation and I know not whether wee are to condemne the evill of the world or mourne for the evill that appeares in the hearts and lives of men but this is sure that if this be the behaviour of a sound heart then there is little soundnesse and uprightnesse in the world not to hover in generall but to pitch upon particulars which is the life of application let me make it appeare in these three particulars this is a bill of inditement and falls heavy and foule upon these three sorts the first is the prophane person the second is the indulgent hypocrite he is very loath to part with his corruptions if this be true if this bee the frame of heart which David expresseth and is in the soule of every good man then judge you I will say nothing but judge you set downe the sentence what doe you thinke of those that are content rather to part with their blood and with their hearts then with their
anguish that is the first ground that seeke unseasonably secondly they seek upon a false ground it is not out of hatred of sin that they seeke for mercy but out of horror of conscience it is not out of loathsomnesse of corruption but by reason of the burthensomnesse that lieth upon their hearts it is not for holinesse they labour but for quiet ease and contentednesse that they might not be troubled and vexed Psal 78.36 The Text saith those that did seeke the Lord when hee plagued them dissembled in their hearts they pretended to seeke the Lord and worship the Lord but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne ease and dissembled fearefully and abused the Lords mercy and patience that he had vouchsafed unto them looke as it is with the dogge hee doth not cast up his vomit because he loathes it but hee is weary of it hee loves it still therefore lickes it up again presently he did not cast it up out of loathsomnesse of it but because it did trouble his stomacke so it is with a carnall hypocrite in the horrour of heart and anguish of spirit it is not for love of holinesse but of quiet that he renteth himselfe and saith I have hated Gods people profaned the Sabboth and committed adultery secretly he would vomit and confesse his sinnes and crave mercie not because hee loaths his sinne but he loathes anguish and horrour of heart and when that is taken away he falls to his vomit and base practice Thirdly they seeke to a false end hee doth not seeke grace for a Christs sake and Christ for the love of a Christ to have union with him but hee seekes grace not to have have sinne removed but to have a kind of safenesse in his sinne a wretch in the desperate anguish of spirit seekes unto a Saviour as to a Surgeon not that hee may remove sinne but that he may be the more quiet in sinne hee would have Christ pardon sinne that hee may commit sinne with quietnesse not to have him take away his corruptions and convert his soule but to heale the wound and to take away the bitternesse of sorrow Esay 58 34. A company of wicked wretches seemed to seeke the Lord by fasting but they did not seeke the Lord but their owne lusts they fasted that they might continue in their base courses with more quietnesse without destraction or suspition as a malefactor after hee is attached and condemned hee will seeke a pardon and sue for it not that hee might become better afterwards but for quiet and libertie that hee may not be hanged so a cunning chapman is content to attend and pray that he may couzen and cheate by fasting and praying so much the more so then gather up the Point if they seeke out of season out of false grounds and to a wrong end no marvell then though they call earnestly and seeke vehemently and yet God answers not nor is found of them according to their desires The first Vse is for terrour Is it so that a man may seeke earnestly and yet never obtaine mercy then this is able to shake and sinke a company of soules of carnall wretches Oh the lamentable condition of a company of poore creatures that live in the bosome of the Church and therefore it falls sore upon those creatures that make a scoffe at praying and hearing all ignorant and deluded persons that know not how to pray and seeke to the Lord for grace and mercie me thinkes the former truth were sufficient to dash all the carnall hope that can creepe into the minde of such creatures therefore take notice of the desperate condition wherein they lie Reason thus Is it so that those that seeke the Lord shall never finde him then what shall become of me that never cried at all nay that loath prayer and reject the use of Gods ordinances and dispise the meanes of grace and salvation whereby I must seeke and obtaine mercy if ever I have it if they that doe seeke attaine not then I that never seeke my condition is desperately lamentable fearefully irrecoverable why Why my heart riseth at such persons I have tanted this praying and mocked this fasting good Lord what shall become of my soule desperate is my condition and fearefull is my estate the Lord be mercifull unto me I am gone for ever I grace will the Lord vouchsafe grace to me doe I count of mercy and pardon for my sinnes no let me set my heart at ease those dayes are gone I mercie no I have loathed and scorned mercie the day will come when the Lord will say you have hated mercy therefore you shall be condemned and never partake thereof nay what will become of a companie of carnall wretches that set themselves with desperate indignation to hinder and crush and oppose the improvement of all holy meanes if there be any servant in their family that riseth early to pray to the Lord if there be any child that is godly and a wife that lookes towards Sion there is an uproare in the family the master he flieth about and saith I cannot maintaine my family by poaring on a booke how then dost thou get thy living if not by praying and reading thou gottest thy living but a curse with it if thou get without these meanes thou mayst get wealth but God will curse thee with it and thou shalt goe downe to hell and thy wealth with thee why reason thus with your selves I cannot so much as buy cattle but I must seeke in the Fayres I cannot provide foode for my family but I must goe to the market and what a wretched heart have I that thinke to get mercy and grace and salvation and yet he in my base lusts and never stirre a foote to seeke the Lord and call upon his name how is my judgement blinded and my soule couzened â—hinke of it if those that offered faire for mercy and grace by many prayers and desires and endeavours if they in the meane time fell short and never came to heaven what will become of mee that never looke after the things of grace and salvation surely if the Lord be in heaven I shall never come there The last use is this you will say what shall we doe if seeking will not get it at the hands of the Lord then wee had as good cast away all and doe nothing as get nothing by what wee doe therefore the last use is a word of exhortation wee are to be intreated in the name of the Lord Iesus to doe not onely what these seekers doe but goe further and doe more This is no argument because they obtaine not mercy by seeking therefore wee should not seeke therefore seeke after another manner so seeke and pray that you may finde benefit thereby and comfort therein unto your soules in the 13. of Luke 24. this is the use Christ makes many shall seeke to enter in and shall not be able what shall wee therefore cast care
away no therefore strive you to enter seeke after another manner then they doe that so thou mayst obtaine that which they shall never obtaine many deale in this case as Gentlewomen at a Sermon if they may have a seat at their ease they will sit downe and heare but if they must crowd for it then they returne and get no good so many seeke but they strive not with their seeking they are not able to crowd thorough all occasions and take up armes against the distempers of their soules that so they may obtaine that mercy they stand in neede of But you will say if earnestnesse and vehemency will not doe the deede what then will doe the deede the rules therefore for our direction in seeking are three first labour to seeke seasonably while the day of grace lasts and the Sunne shines take the season and goe on cheerefully and arrive at the end of your hopes call upon the Lord while hee may bee found it was the direction God gave to Ierusalem and the mone he makes for her neglect therefore Luk 19.41 O that thou hadst knowne in this thy day c. hee ceaseth praying and falls to weeping he had preached often and prayed often but nothing would prevaile hee falls a weeping over it O that thou hadst knowne at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace as who should say now this is thy day now the word is brought home unto thee now my Disciples are preaching and the Sonne of man himselfe is come to wooe you Oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things that c. but they are hidden from thine eyes take notice every man hath a day and a season which is the harvest of salvation doe you not take notice of this that at some Sermon God opens the eye and prickes the conscience and sometimes lovingly perswades a man and the soule is yeelding and walking after the Lord the soule melts lovingly under the hand of God this is thy day take heede how thou neglectest it and as thou goest home intreat the Lord to make profitable that which thou hast heard and say this is my day I am now in the fire Lord melt me I am now under the power of thy ordinance make it effectuall to my soule and take notice of it if the spirit of God call and you regard it not and let all goe and all commodities are plucked up and gone you may come and call and cry but it is too late that Spirit which thou hast resisted shall never worke more thanke thy selfe the day is gone now they are hidden from thine eyes the day is over and therefore thou maiest crie Oh for a Minister oh for a Sabboth no no if all the Angells in heaven should speake and all the Ministers on earth should preach themselves hoarse thou wouldest not be affected therewith therefore take the season and the golden opportunitie of grace and when Christ comes to your soules entertaine him if Christ knocks open the doore if hee awaken thy conscience doe not snubbe it labour now to see thy sinne that thou mayest finde mercy at the hand of the Lord. Secondly as wee must seeke seasonably so wee must seeke with our whole heart now the whole heart makes knowne it selfe in two particulars the first is this when all the good things of this world be they what they will be cannot withdraw us from Christ this is one part of the whole heart when profits and pleasures of this world stand in competition and opposition betweene God and our duty to cast off all and say whether I have honour and libertie or no I care not so I have God my God I will have this is a happy seeking away therefore with that lazie heart I thinke it should be so and ought to be so and it is good sanctifying the Sabbath and praying it is mervellous reasonable I ought to doe it but if I doe it ease and honour will be gone and disgrace will be cast upon mee thou now seekest thy ease and honour and the Lord of heaven will curse thee and thy seeking but if thou diddest seeke with thy whole heart thou wouldest goe thorough the worke and say what regard friends and honours let ease and friends looke to themselves let friends bee displeased I had rather friends should be displeased then God it is not necessary to be rich or honorable but it is necessary to finde mercy and to have sinnes pardoned Secondly as no good thing must withdraw us from God so no misery must be a stoppe to let us from comming to the Lord but we must breake through all miseries that lie betweene God and us this is that Saint Paul resolved Acts 20.24 as who should say come what can come though heaven and earth meete together I am resolved to doe what God requires hee that seekes God with his whole heart if hee were to runne thorough hell he would runne thorough it to goe to God now away with that dawbing and hagling with the Lord O saith the poore soule I confesse the course is honorable God requires it and I should doe it but if I doe it trouble and persecution will befall me what shall become of me and mine will you have my wife and children undone if thou thus seeke the Lord thy seeking is accursed thou dost not seeke with thy whole heart they that seeke with their whole heart are like a mayd that sets her affections strong upon a man happily her friends will be reasoning about the portion and there is a cavill on the one side and an objection on the other povertie on one side and maintenance on the other side but if the woman love the man for the mans sake shee will say let me have him though I beg and die with him so it is with the soule of a poore Christian that seeke Christ with his whole heart when Christ and grace and duty bee propounded and the match offered and Christ tendered to the soule and the Lord saith I will bee thy Saviour and Redeemer but thou must looke for disgrace and misery and persecution but there is a better life a comming now if you stand for a portion with Christ that you must have ease and quiet and will not have misery and prison with Christ then you are never like to make a match but he that loves Christ for Christs sake the soule saith let the Lord Iesus be a Saviour to mee though I beg and die and never enjoy good day it is enough my soule shall bee saved if I should rot in prison and bee banished into the utmost coasts of the earth yet let mee have my Saviour let him take possession of me let his Spirit rule me whatsoever come of it this is to seeke God with our whole heart and now you are like to finde him Thirdly you must seeke the Lord constantly you must persevere in the use of all meanes looke as it is with a man that is resolved to finde another and not to leave seeking till hee hath found him he goeth first to his house he is not there he was gone to such a place an houre before well hee pursues him thither hee is not there but is gone to the Market hee followes him thither when hee comes thither hee is gone home againe well then backe againe hee goes to his house and never leaves hunting and pursuing of him till he findes him so it is with a soule that truly and constantly seekes after the Lord hee is to be found in his ordinances haply thou commest to the Word and findest him not here the Word saith hee went from hence to fasting and prayer then thou findest him not there neither then thou goest from fasting and prayer to holy conference then hee is not to be found there but is gone to the publike ordinance in the Congregation then thither thou goest and wilt not be content till thou findest him but goest backward and forward from the Word to prayer and fasting from them to conference from thence to the Word againe this to seeke the Lord constantly and hee that thus seekes is like to obtaine Psalme 122.1 The Prophet David saith Hee will waite untill the Lord sheweth mercy let this be thy resolution seeke unto God till he doe worke effectually upon thy heart thou hast fasted and prayed yet God hath not heard why fast and pray still untill hee supply what is wanting and pardon what is amisse thus never leave endeavouring and doing untill the Lord sheweth mercie unto thy soule and give the assurance of the pardon of thy sinnes thus seeke the Lord seasonably thus seeke thee Lord with all thy heart thus seeke him constantly thus seeke him with your whole heart and hee will be found of you in mercie and compassion FINIS