their daies according to your sense and meaning yet they still attended on the written Word of God Surely therefore the meaning of the Text is not according to that Conjecture Some therefore would have the words to be read thus Till the day-star arise on your hearts and so think they are spoken of the Day of Judgment concerning which time Paul saies 1 Cor. 4 5. That Christ will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emphatice solet sumi pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etiam donec et continuitatem significare seu consecutionem non exceptionem vel exclusionem futuri temporis Genebrad in Psal 109. But as ye have heard in the Explication of the Text the word Vntil in Scripture Phrase is not alwaies taken exclusively for Example David saith Ps 57.1 My soul trusteth in thee O God and in the shadow of thy wings will I trust till this Calamity be over-past What would David trust in God no longer Yes but he would do it especially whilst that Calamity continued So Psal 123. he saith Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God till he have mercy upon us What would they wait on God no longer Yes but in their distress especially So Cant. 2.16 17. I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies until the day break What doth Christ feed among the Lillies no longer wil he not feed among the Lillies after the day break Yes But the word Till or Vntil is not alwaies to be taken exclusively And I 'le give you but one Scripture for it amongst many in the New Testament Matth. 12.20 A bruised Reed will he not break and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench until he bring forth Judgment unto Victory What wil Christ break the bruised Reed then and quench the smoaking Flax after he hath brought Judgment to Victory No but the word Vntil in Scripture Phrase is not alwaies to be taken exclusively And so here in this Text Ye do wel that ye take heed to the word of Prophesie until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts Hac enim particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donec Scriptura atque adeo Lingua Hebraica affirmat quod in dubitationem possit incidere Genebrad Ibid. not that then you should cease taking heed to the Word but because you are now in the dark now and now especially ye are to take heed thereunto Quest But why are the Saints and People of God to take heed unto the Scripture and the written Word of God especially in their dark times and seasons Answ Because they are then in most danger of stumbling and falling he that walketh in the dark stumbleth and who is not then apt to fal But by taking heed to this sure Light they shal be kept from the power of their darkness The Scripture tels us of darkness and of the power of darkness A good man may be in the dark but he is kept from the power of it by taking heed unto this great and most sure Light yea though he be in the darkness of some Error for the greatest Errors lie neerest to the sweetest Truths and though he do not see that Truth for the present yet if he do take heed unto the Word the sweetness of that Truth shal ouse through the Error and preserve and keep me from the Power of it But if ye look into 2 Tim. 3. ye shal find the Apostle doth inform Timothy of very sad and dark times that shal be in the latter daies verse 1. In the last daies perillous times shal come 1. He tels him wherein the peril of these times shal consist 2. He tels him the signs thereof 3. He comforts him under it 4. He shews how he and we may be kept from the power of that darkness In the last daies perillous times shal come for saies he Men shal be Lovers of themselves covetous Boasters proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without Natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good having a form of Godliness c. ver 2 3 4 5. It seems then that men may be thus wicked yet may bear up to a form of Godliness 2. He tels Timothy the sign of these perillous times and who these persons are Such as creep into Houses and lead captive silly women laden with divers lusts verse 6. Who also shall resist the Truth in the Ministry as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses ver 8. 3. He comforts him against the evil of these dark Times verse 9. But they shall proceed no further for their folly or madness shall be manifest to all men 4. He directs him and us by him how to stand and hold fast ver 14. and that is two waies First by avoiding and turning away from these corrupt men verse 5. From such turn away speak not to them or with them go not to them but turn away from them Secondly By taking heed to the Word of God preached and written verse 14. But continue thou in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to Salvation So that here the Apostle doth refer him both to the Word preached and written as if he should say the only way to be kept from seducers verse 13. men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith is to take heed unto the Scripture And indeed what is the reason that so many in these daies of ours are deceived but because they do not take heed unto this great and most sure Light This is that great and most excellent Light which we are to take heed unto at al times but especially in our dark times and places and thus we shal be preserved Object But if this be such a preservative against the power of darkness why then are so many men in the dark who doth not run to Scripture What Heretick is there or ever was who did not plead and lay claim to Scripture Answ All Hereticks do not lay claim to Scripture Some deny the Scripture some do not Some as Theodoret observes of the Hereticks in his time wil make use of those Scriptures which seem to make for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si videant petitis è Scripturae demonstrationibus stultitiam suam constringi tum Scripturae recusant et scopum et usum si quando vero putant sibi favere nudum aliquod effatum á genuina recisum orationis serie ad suum propositum accommodant suis confirmandis Tecod opus contra varias Hereses quae sunt in 2. Tom. oper Athanas. but as for those Scriptures which are plainly against them they reject and if close pressed wil deny the very Body of the Scripture as any Rule to them But it 's
but Satan comes and wresteth his staff out of his hand and beats him therewithal then comes Jesus Christ and takes it out of the hands of both O! saith the Child of God but I pray thee Lord give me this Creature-Comfort for it is my Staff true Child saith Christ it is thy Staff but thou hast not strength to weild it against Satan he wil abuse thee with it therefore I wil keep it from thee and in due time thou shalt have it again Doth Christ our Lord and best friend do him any wrong in keeping it from him Object 2 O! but my Afflictions are not ordinary and usual but new and strange Answ You think so but the Apostle saith Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal as if some new thing had befallen you And what if God wil carry you to Heaven by some back way and let you in at some back door hath not he promised to lead us in a way that we have not known Object 3 O! but I do not only want one mercy but I do want another and another Afflictions come thick and I see no end I feel no bottom Answ And was it not so with David the Type of Christ Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined his Ear unto me and heard my cry he brought me out also of an horrible pit or as some read it out of an unbottomed pit out of the miry Clay and set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings Three things here that are most observable 1. David was in such an Affliction wherein he did feel no bottom at the first saw no end 2. Though he felt no bottom at the first yet at the last he did and a Rock which God set his feet upon and established his goings 3. Till he did find this Rock he prayed and waited patiently and he was not discouraged What therefore though our Afflictions be as thick as any mire that therein you do stick so fast as you cannot get out that you feel no bottom see no end yet if in this case you pray and cry and wait patiently on the Lord as David did you shal be set upon a Rock in due time and your goings shall be also established And whereas you say That your Afflictions are thick and long and hard How long man What! is your Bush consumed Do they not make you long more for Heaven When the Apprentiship is hard and tedious the yong man longs for the day of his Freedom O! saith he that I were in my Fathers House O! that the time of my Freedom were come So here Long and hard Afflictions make us long more for Heaven Now will ye count that too long which makes you long more for Heaven And as for your Relational Comforts Did God ever take away the Comfort of an outward Relation and not make it up in the sweetness of Spiritual Relations Object 4 But this is not all my case for I do not only want such and such Comforts I do not barely want the Comforts and the love of my Relations but I feel the anger and the smart of them for my own familiar friends and acquaintance are become mine Enemies they reproach me curse me speak all manner of evil of me without cause and this they do since I set my face towards Heaven Time was heretofore when they did love me dearly but now they hate me they persecute me and do all manner of evil to me and is this nothing is not this a just cause and reason for my Discouragement Answ No For if our worst Enemies be somtimes our best Friends then what reason is there that we should be discouraged although we be much opposed Now so it is many times as our best Friends are our worst Enemies by flattering us so our worst Enemies are our best Friends by making us more watchful So many Enemies so many School-Masters saith one Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said Our Enemies are those of our own house they shall ever revile you and persecute you but blessed are you when they do all this for my Name sake And I pray tell me Whether is it worser to be persecuted or to be a Persecutor Your Friends persecute you speak all manner of evil and do al manner of evil to you even since you have looked towards Christ and for his sake â—hey do it for his sake ye are persecuted opposed maligned but you might have been the Persecutor and they the persecuted Which is worst Will you not say O! it is infinitly better to be opposed for the way of God than to oppose and to be persecuted than to persecute I would chuse rather to be persecuted than to be a Persecutor God might have left you to be a Persecutor and your persecuting Friends might have been persecuted by you but now that God hath so ordered it by his Providence and Grace that you are persecuted and they persecutors have you any reason to complain or to be discouraged Know ye not that the world hateth his own So long as the por stands empty and there is no Honey in it the Bees and stinging Wasps do not gather about it but if once there be Honey in it then they flock about it And so long as you were empty of what is good and walked on with an empty heart no opposition was made unto you But now these stinging Bees and Wasps flock about you what doth this argue but that you have gotten some Honey somwhat that savoreth of good and of Christ which you had not before why should you not therefore rather praise God for what you have than be discouraged under your opposition Object 5 This is not my case For I praise God I do not meet with any opposition or persecution from my friends nor do I need for my very Affliction is an opposition unto what is good my Affliction doth indispose me unto what is good and expose me unto what is evil to temptations and many sins it keeps me from Duty from Ordinances and Opportunities of doing and receiving good and therefore I am thus discouraged under my Affliction have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For it may be that you are mistaken here and think that you are hindred from the Work of God when indeed you are not We read of Paul that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was oft imprisoned and who would not think but that his reproaches and imprisonments should hinder him in the work of his Ministry But he saith That his Sufferings turned to the furtherance of the Gospel Answ 2 When God leads a man into an Affliction then God doth call him to another work So long as a man is well and in health he is bound to go abroad and to hear the Word but when he is sick then his work is not to hear but to be patient
Doctrine Page 325 3 If you do beleeve then see that you walk answerable thereunto ibid. Sermon XIII Means against Discouragements Page 327 DOCT. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Page 328 For your better understanding consider 1 What is Hope ibid. 2 That Faith quiets the heart in sad times ibid. 3 It is the day of all the Saints to trust in God especially at that time ibid. 4 What there is in faith and how faith can do it ibid. Quest 1. What is it to trust in God ib. Answ 1 To trust in God is to rely on God for help c. ibid. 2 He that trusteth in God doth trust unto him for some good thing that lieth out of sight Page 329 Quest 2. How may it appear that Faith will quiet the soul Page 330 Answ It is proved several waies out of Scripture ibid. Faith gives free access to God Page 331 There are three Vails in Scripture 1. Of Obscurity 2. The Vail of covering guilt 3. A Vail of shame Page 332 Quest 3. How may it appear that when discouragements arise Faith must then be exercised and then especially ibid. Answ It was Davids case and the Scripture is express for it ibid. Quest 4. What power hath Faith to allay discouragements what is in faith can do it and how doth faith do it Page 333 Answ 1 Faith gives a man the true prospect of things past present and to come And all Discouragements arise because men do not see things as they are ibid. 2 True saving Faith sees that in God and in Christ which answers all our fears Page 335 3 Faith puts the Soul under Gods Commandements to answer all Objections Page 336 More briefly of saving Faith 1 It is the proper work of Faith to resign our wils unto Gods wil. Page 337 2 It is the proper work of Faith to apply a suitable Promise ibid. 3 True faith will not venture without Gods Call Page 338 4 True faith sees the hand of God in every dispensation ibid. 5 True faith looks on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition ibid. 6 Fath sees one contrary in another ibid. 7 It is the work of true faith to engage God to suffer ibid. Application Then if discouragements arise exercise your faith ibid. Quest Will every faith quiet a mans heart ibid. Answ Negatively For There is a feigned and uneffectual and there is an unfeigned and effectual faith A counterfet faith will not quiet a mans soul c. ibid. Quest How then shal a man exercise his faith that he may bear up against all Discouragements Page 339 Answ 1 You must be humbled for your unbelief c. ibâ—d 2 Go not to God without Christ Page 340 3 Trust in the Lord himself and not in your own duties ibid. 4 Trust in the Lord before you do act in your business ibid. 5 Trust in Jesus Christ before you trust in the Promise Page 341 6 If God give you a Promise never let it go though you see nothing but the contrary ibid. Object I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord ibid. Answ To doubt after so much experience were rather to tempt the Lord Page 342 Quest If God give me a Promise and I see no performance how shall I not be discouraged Page 343 Answ Either it is thy Duty to beleeve on Christ or not if not why dost thou beleeve at all If it be thy Duty why shouldest thou not rely on him ibid. Be of good comfort for 1 If you want assurance in God look on Christ Page 344 2 If you want assurance turn your eyes from those Objections that invade your faith ibid. 3 Beleeve that you do beleeve Helps for Faith Page 344 1 God never leads his People to any great mercy but he puts the sentence of death on all means that tend to it ib. 2 It is a great sin to limit Gods mercy as to limit his power ibid. 3 When God gives a Promise he somtimes trieth whether we will beleeve or not ibid. 4 God often times fulfils one Promise and denieth another ibid. 5 When we see nothing but what is contrary to help then is Christs time to help Page 345 6 Be your Affliction ordinary or extraordinary you must trust to God for mercy ibid. 7 Questions to ask a mans own Soul to encourage us Page 346 8 Consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is to trust in God Page 347 It is reasonable to wait on God For 1 He waited on you for your Repentance ibid. 2 You have waited on men wil you not wait on God ibid. 3 When you give over waiting deliverance may come to your shame Page 348 4 If you give over waiting you lose all your former labor ibid. 5 If you wait on God he will not alwaies forget your work of Faith Page 349 The Sin against the Holy Ghost ON Matth. 12.31 32. THere are two Arguments in the words Page 353 1 The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins to men ib. 2 The unpardonableness of the sin against the Holy Ghost ibid. I had rather speak first to the former but to prevent Objections from some distressed soul I shal fiâ—st speak to the latter Page 354 For opening the words Quest 1. Whether the Jews our Savior spake then to did then sin against the Holy Ghost ib. Answ Some think No But I rather think Yes for the Reasons in the Text. ibid. Quest 2. Is there any so giveness of sins in the world to come ibid. Answ It is an unusual Phrase noting the eternity of misery Page 355 DOCT. The Sin against the Holy Ghost is an unpardonable sin Page 355 The Truth opened by the enquiry into two things 1 What the Sin against the holy Ghost is ibid. 2 How this sin is unpardonable beyond other sins ibid. For to say what this sin is ibid. I answer Negaâ—ively and Affirmaâ—â—vely ibid. 1 Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Deity of the Holy Ghost c. ibid. 2 Nor is it every opposition to the work of the Holy Ghost c. Page 356 3 It is not necessary that every man who sins against the holy Ghost should be an universal Apostate as iâ— is ordinarily thought ibid. There is a two-fold Apostate Either one that declineth from the profession of the Truth Or one that rebels against the Tâ—uth revealed and wil go no further cleered by an example Page 357 4 Final Vnbelief and Impenitency is not the sin against the holy Ghost neither that a man lives and dies in nor that he purposeth to live in to the last for many have so purposed to live yet have been converted ibâ—d 1 The Jews did then commit this sin yet they had not continued in it to their death ibid. 2 Final unbelief is rather sin against God the Son ibid. 3 If final unbelief be this sin then Christ should threaten that he which dieth in his sin should not be forgiven
Gods Love in Christ some return upon you again in the day visibly some return in the night invisibly when you see them not there is a visible and there is an invisible return of Prayer What more usual with Gods People than to say and think thaâ— the Lord doth not hear their Prayer nor make return to them when indeed he doth and that visibly unto others also Luke 1. you read of Zacharias and Elizabeth that they were very righteous verse 6. They were both righteous before God And Zacharias and Elizabeth had no Children but Zacharias prayed for Children for at verse 13. the Angel said unto him Fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy Wife Elizabeth shall bear a Son and thou shalt call his name John The Lord heard his Prayer and sent an Angel to tel him his prayer was heaâ—d but Zachaâ—ias doubted thereof verse 18. Zacharias said unto the Angel Whereby shall I know this for I am an old man and my Wife well stricken in yeers Here he doubts and it was his sin thus to doubt as you may see by verse 20. Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou beleevest not my words Here plainly now was a return of prayer yea here was a visible return of Prayer and yet Zacharias though a Godly and a Holy man doubâ—ed whether the Lord had heard his Prayer or no. So that I say this is no new thing with Gods own People and dearest Children to say and think somtimes That the Lord doth not answer their Pâ—ayer when the Lord indeed doth anâ—wer and thaâ— visibly too But Thirdly If the Lords not hearing granting and answering your Prayers presently be â—omtimes matter of great encouragement then it is not alwaies a matter of discouragement Now the Lords not hearing and granting your prayer preâ—eâ—tly is somtimes matter of great encouragement You have divers â—hildren at your Table some yonger and some elder some Babes and little ones some grown whâ—n you come to carve out your meat unto them you carve first to the little ones and you do noâ— carve first to the greater for say you these little ones will cry and they have not Patience to stay and thereâ—ore they shâ—â—l be first â—erved but those greater have more wiâ— and more patience and they will stay Beloved thus now it is between God and us The Lord hath two sorts of Children that come to him in Prayer and hâ— intends to serve them both but he looks upon those that are weak and serves them first as for thâ—â—â— that are strongâ—â— and have more faith and patience saith the Lord you are able to stay I see your faith and patience and therefore I wil serve the little ones first but as for you I wil serve you last Thus it was with Abraham after the Lord had made Abraham a Promise of a Seed he made him stay a great while Why Because he saw he had faith to stay So now thou hast not presently a return or answer to thy prayer Why Because the Lord it may be sees thou hast strength faith and patience to stay And is not this rather matter of encouragement than discouragement But Fourthly Who ever stayed and waited long upon God but he had more than he prayed for Either God answers your prayers presently or if he do not he will not only pay you the principal but he wil pay you forbearance money and you shal have good Security and a pledg for the principal too The desire is a pledg of the thing desired Prayer is a pledg of the thing prayed for a waiting heart is a pledg of the thing waited for and the longer you stay the more your hearts shal be weaned from the thing prayed for and the more you shal be taught to wait upon God and somtimes a waiting frame of heart is a greater mercy than the thing waited for By this means also you shal be weaned from your prayer so as not to rest on it A Child may so love the Nuâ—se as to forget the Mother and one may possibly so love Duty as to forget Christ but by Gods delaying to answer you are weaned from this Nurse and kept from resting on it Or it may be you came to Duty with too high esteem of your own performance and too low esteem of the Duty it self Hereby God teachech you to come to the Duty with high esteem of it and with low esteem of your own doing it Yea the longer you stay the more you shal be humbled and your self-despising thoughts because you cannot pray may please God more than your best prayer You see that when a man angles he throws his line into the Water and there is the hook and the bait those are heavy then there is the Cork and that is light and when the Fisher or the Angler sees that the light cork is drawn under water now the Fish bites saith he now there is hope now there is somthing coming So you go to prayer and there is somwhat heavy and weighty in your spirit but there is somthing that is of a corky and light Nature in your spirit the longer you stay the more your Cork shall be drawn under water that lightness of Spirit shal be drawn under water and so the more you shall be humble and humbled Thereby you are caught to fan your prayers There is much Chaff amongst the good Wheat of our Duties and Gods delaying time is our fanning time when the Fish doth not bite the Fisher mends his bait it may be saith he my hook is not well baited So should you do when you take nothing by prayer Gods delay cals for your amending Yea by this means you may remember how you delayed the Lord he spake often to you and it was long ere you heard him shal we think it long ere he hear us when it was so long ere we heard him it may be you have forgotten your delayes of God but by this forbearance he doth Graciously mind you thereof Yea by Gods forbearance to answer you the Lord teacheth you to forbear Gods forbearance doth teach us forbearance and is that nothing let al this be considered and you wil say indeed here is more matter of incouragement than discouragement Fiftly If you would be discouraged in case God should alwaies answer your prayer presently then you have no reason to be discouraged because he doth not answer you presently But now if the Lord should alwaies answer thy duty and prayer presently you would be discouraged why because you would say thus I look into the scripture and there I find that God doth not alwayes answer his children presently his children have prayed and then they have waited and this hath been the way that God hath taken with his children now God doth not take this way with me and therefore I fear I am none of Gods children and so you would
hath now brought you into this extraordinary condition then know from the Lord that it is as great a sin for you now not to trust in God for extraordinary mercy as it would have been for you not to have trusted in the Lord for ordinary deliverance in an ordinary case You know how it was with the Children of Israel they sinned greatly in the Wilderness so much that the Lord kept them out of the Land of Canaan and many of their Carkasses fel in the Wilderness what was the reason the Text tels us they did not beleeve Wherein was their Unbelief They did not trust God for meat in the Wilderness why but that had been a miracle to have Meat in the Wilderness true yet this was their Unbelief That they did not trust God for Meat in the Wilderness Again they sinned and did not trust God for Water why but it was a miracle for them to have Water in that place where no Water was naturally true yet because the Lord had led them in a way of miracles before they sinned now in that they did not trust God for miracles and it was as great a sin that they did not trust God for Miracles being led in a way of Miracles as that they did not trust God for ordinary mercies when the Lord led them in waies of ordinary mercies So I say to you If God lead you in a way of ordinaries then must you trust God for ordinaries but if ordinary means cannot be had and God have led you in a way of extraordinaries it is then a sin in you to tie God to ordinaries Are you therefore in an extraordinary case and streit know that it is no sin now to trust God for extraordinary mercy help and relief Seventhly And if after al these things your hearts fail you and you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be then ask thine own soul these Questions First Whether there be any gain by doubting whether there is any Spiritual gain to be made by doubting Faith purifies the heart but doth doubting purifie the heart Secondly Whether there is any thing in all the World more pleasing to God than to trust the Lord in and by Jesus Christ when all Comforts are out of view and when you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Thirdly Whether you must not venture upon Christ at the last and if you must venture upon Christ at the last why not now as wel as at the last When a man comes to go over a River though he ride once and again into the Water and comes out saying I fear it is too deep for me yet considering that there is no other way for him he resolves to venture for saith he the longer I stay the higher the Waters wil rise and there is no other way for me and I must through at the last as good at the first as at the last and so he doth venture through and is safe Thus it is here You must venture upon Christ at the last there is no other way but venturing upon Jesus Christ thou must do it at the last and were it not as good for you to do it at the first as at the last Surely the longer you stay the harder you wil find it to venture and the more difficulties wil arise upon the work of Beleeving You say now O! but my heart is not humbled O! but I am a great sinner and should I venture upon Jesus Christ But wil thy heart be more humbled by keeping from Christ and shalt thou be a less sinner by keeping from him No certainly but the longer you stay from Christ the harder work it wil be to venture upon Christ at the last Wherefore if there be ever a poor drooping doubting fearing trembling heart in al this Congregation know That I do here in the Name of the Lord call out to you and say O soul man or woman Venture venture venture upon Christ now for you must come to this venturing Work at the last and if ever it is true here better at the first than at the last Must you not venture upon Christ at the last and if at last why not now Thus ply and follow your own souls with these three Questions And Eighthly If you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be Then consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is for to wait on God and for God yea what a reasonable thing it is that you should wait for him and on him For He hath waited on you and for your Repentance He waited in the daies of Noah for the Repentance of the old World and he waited long 1 Pet. 3.20 a long while also hath he waited for your repentance if he had not waited long what had become of you Yea and he hath not only waited but he doth stil and wil wait to shew Mercy Esai 30.18 he waiteth to shew mercy on them that wait for his Mercy Now shal God wait for us and for our Repentance and shal not we wait for him and his Grace Ye have waited on others and do stil wait on others who is there in al the World that you deal with but you do wait upon Will ye instance in great men must you not wait long to speak with them yea though it be for their own good It 's recorded of Henry the Emperor of Germany That when he came to speak with the Pope the Pope made him and his Wife and eldest Son stand waiting three daies in the cold Winter season at his Pallace Gates before he would speak with the Emperor Wil ye instance in your Inferiors and such as are beneath you must you not wait even for them that do wait on you your Servants if you bid them do a thing you must wait til it be done and if you bid them come you must wait til they come Or wil ye instance in other Creatures Do you not wait on the Sun for Light on the Water for Coolness on the Fire for heat Now if we wait on the Creatures al the Creatures is it not reasonable that we wait on the Creator Yet further Do ye not somtimes wait on the Lusts of men yea ye have somtimes waited on your own Lusts The Adulterer waiteth for the twy-light saith Job And hâ—w often have you waited for an opportunity of sinning Now wil ye wait on Men your Inferiors other Creatures yea on the Wils and Lusts of Men and wil you not wait on the Grace of God Look when you give over waiting then may deliverance come and if it come then how wil you be filled with shame and confusion 2 Kingâ— 6. last the King said It is a vain thing to wait on God any longer And if ye look into the next Chapter at verse 1. ye shal find that deliverance came in the next words No sooner had the
King said It 's a vain thing to wait on God any longer but the Prophet in the next words saith To morrow about this time shall a measure of sine flower be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel in the Gates of Samaria Chap. 7. verse 1. So that deliverance doth somtimes come when men give over waiting And if deliverance do thus come to you what shame and grief wil this be to you how wil you befool your self and say O! what a fool was I that I could not wait a little longer I have given over waiting and lo now deliverance is come and I have no comfort in it When you give over waiting then you lose al your former labors though you have performed many Duties yet if you do not wait upon God therein you do lose al your prayers It 's said of Saul 1 Sam. 28.6 That he enquired of the Lord who answered him not and so he sought unto a woman that had a Familiar Spirit ver 7. yet 1 Chron. 10.14 it 's said That he enquired not of the Lord He enquired and he enquired not how doth this agree Wel for though he did enquire of the Lord yet because he did not wait upon God therein but gave over waiting his enquiring in Scripture Phrase is said to be no eâ—quiring Prayer without waiâ—ing in Scripture Phrase is no Prayer Look when a man doth give over waiting then d th he lo e al his labor his former Prayer is noâ—hing his former Duty noâ—hing it shal not once be remembred or imputed to him On the other side If you wait on God he wil not alway forget your work of Faith though he may seem to forget you yet the patient abiding of the meek shall not be forgotten for ever Psal 9.18 God wil come and visit you in due time He that doth come wil come and will not tarry yea and your very waiting that I may speak with reverence wil make him come the sooner 'T is not so with men if you expect a friend you do go forth to meet him but 't is not your expecting waiting that wil make him come But so it is with God your very expecting of him and waiting for him wil make him come and therefore the holy men in Scripture use this Argument with God for mercy Let me not be ashamed for I have waited on thee yea and if God do come he wil come with a recompence and pay you al your forbearance-Money Es 35. yea and when he doth come you shal be able to triumph in his appearing and say Lo this is our God we have waited for him if you have not waited you cannot triumph in his appearance but if you wait you shal say when he comes Lo this is my God and I have waited for him yea the Lord wil not only câ—me buâ— he wil come with a blessing for Blessed are all those that wait on him yea he wil not only bless you upon your waiting but he wil strengthen you therein Esai 40. Those that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength O! what a blessed thing is it then for to wait on God who would not hope trust wait on the Lord Is there any thing to be gotten by your sad Discouragements O ye of little Faith Are you able to alter one hair of your Condition by al your thoughtfulness Is it not much better now for to wait on God Why then do you not call your own heart aside and say Come O my soul Why hast thou limited the Holy One of Israel thus long Why hast thou dishonored Christ thus long by thy vain fears Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope trust wait on God for he is the health of my Countenance and my God And thus now I have done with this great Argument ye have had the Patience to hear it Isa 35.4 the Lord give you Grace to practice it I conclude all with the words of my Commission Ye that are of a fearful spirit be strong fear not behold your God will come even God with a recompence he will come and save you OF THE SIN Against the HOLY GHOST Wherein is shewed I. What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is II. How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other Sins the Vnpardonable Sin By William Bridge of Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN Against the HOLY GHOST Matthew 12.31 32. Preached At Stepney Decemb. 29. 1650. VVherefore I say unto you All manner of sin and blasphemy shal be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man shall be forgiven but whosoever speaketh a word against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come HERE are two great Arguments laid before you in these words First The largeness of Gods heart in forgiving sins unto the Children of men Every sin All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men Secondly You have here the unpardonableness of the Sin against the Holy Ghost But the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men I would rather chuse to speak unto the former Argument but if I should do so at the first possibly some poor soul would say Though Gods heart be very large in forgiving sins yet there is one sin that shal never be forgiven the Sin against the Holy Ghost and I fear I have committed that That I may therefore take away this Obstruction and make your way plain and easie to the forgiving mercy of the Lord I shal at this timâ—â—eak unto the last of these two Arguments But the blaspheâ—â—â—â—â—ainst the Holy Ghost shal not be forgiven Whosoever speaâ—â—â— against the Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven him neither in this world neither in the world to come For the opening of which words two Questions must be answered Quest 1 The First is Whether these Jews that our Savior spake these words unto did then sin against the Holy Ghost Answ Some think No. But I rather conceive That these Pharisees did sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost for if you look into the 3d Chapter of Mark ye shal find that our Lord and Savior spake this because of some words that they had spoken against him he had cast out Devils and they said He â—ast out Devils by the Prince of Devils verse 22. Whereupon our Savior reasoned with them and at last he saith 〈◊〉 verse â—8 Verily I say unto you All sins shall be forgiven unto the Sons of men and blasphemies Verse 29. But he that shall blaspheme against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And the reason