Repentance and by consequence is incurable To speak against the Son of man that is against the doctrine Disciples ways servants of Christ looking on him only as a man the leader of a Sect as master of a new way which was Pauls notion of Christ and Christian Religion when he persecuted it and for which cause he found mercy for had he done that knowingly which he did ignorantly it had been a sin uncapable of mercy Acts 26.9 1 Tim. 1.13 thus to sin is a blasphemy that may be pardoned but to speake against the Spirit that is to oppose and persecute the doctrine worship ways servants of Christ knowing them and acknowledging in them a spiritual Holiness and eo nomine to do it so that the formal motive of malice against them is the power and lustre of that spirit which appeareth in them and the formal principle of it neither ignorance nor self-ends but very wilfulness and Immediate malignity Woe be to that man whose natural enmity and antipathie against Godliness do ever swel to so great and daring an height It shall not be forgiven him neither in this world nor in the world to come Matth. 12.32 That is say some neither in the time of life nor in the point or moment of death which translates them unto the world to come Others not in this life by Iustification nor in the world to come by consummate Redemption and publick judiciary absolution in the last day which is therefore called the Day of Redemption in which men are said to finde mercy of the Lord Ephes. 4.30 2 Tim. 1.18 For that which is here done in the Conscience by the ministery of the Word and efficacy of the Spirit shall be then publickly and judicially pronounced by Christs own mouth before Angels and men 2 Cor. 5.10 Others Shall not be forgiven that is shall be plagued and punished both in this life and in that to come Give me leave to add what I have conceived of the meaning of this place though no way condemning the Expositions of so great and learned men I take it By This world we may understand the Church which then was of the Iews or the present age which our Saviour Christ then lived in It is not I think insolent in the Scripture for the words Age or World to be sometimes restrained to the Church Now as Israel was God's First-born and the first fruits of his increase Exod. 4.22 Ierem. 31.9 Ier. 2.3 So the Church of Israel is called the Church of the First-born Hebr. 12.23 and the first Tabernacle and a worldly Sanctuary Hebr. 9.1.8 and Ierusalem that now is Gal. 4.25 And then by the World to come we are to understand the Christian Church afterwards to be planted for so frequently in Scripture is the Evangelical Church called the World to come and the last dayes and the ends of the world and the things thereunto belonging Things to come which had been hidden from former ages and generations and were by the ministery of the Apostles made known unto the Church in their time which the Prophets and righteâ—us men of the former ages did not see nor attain unto Thus it is said In these last dayes God hath spoken to us by his Son Heb. 1.1 And Unto Angels he did not put in subjection the world to come Heb. 2.5 and Christ was made an high Priest of good things to come Heb. 9.11 and The Law had a shadow of good things to come Heb. 10.1 and the times of the Gospel are called Ages to come Ephes. 2.7 and the ends of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Thus legal and Evangelical dispensations are usually distinguished by the names of Times past and the last dayes or times to come Hebr. 1.1 Ephes. 3.9 10. Colos. 1.25 26. The one an Earthly and Temporary the other an Heavenly and abiding administration and so the Septuagint render the Originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa. 9.5 Everlasting Father which is one of the Names of Christ by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Father of the world to come The meaning then of the place seems to be this That sinnes of high and desperate presumption committed maliciously against known light and against the evidence of Gods Spirit as they had no Sacrifice or expiation allowed for them in the former world or state of the Iewish Church but they who in that manner despised Moses and his Law though delivered but by Angels died without mercy Numb 15.27 30 31. Hebr. 2.2 3 3. so in the World to come or in the Evangelicall Church though grace should therein be more abundantly discovered and administred unto men yet the same Law should continue stil as we finde it did Hebr. 2.2 3 4 5. Hebr. 6.4 5 6. Hebr. 10.26 27 28. neither the open enemies of Christ in the one nor the false professors of Christ in the other committing this sin should be capable of pardon This doctrine of Apostacy or Back-sliding is worthy of a more large explication but having handled it formerly on Hebr. 3.12 I shall add but two words more First that we should beware above all other sins of this of falling in soul as old Eli did in body backward and so hazarding our salvation if once we have shaken hands with sin never take acquaintance with it any more but say as Israel here What have I to do any more with Idols The Church should be like Mount Sion that cannot be moved It is a sad and sick temper of a Church to tosse from one side to another and then especially when she should be healed to be carried about with every winde Secondly We should not be so terrified by any sin which our soul mourns and labours under and our heart turneth from as thereby to be withheld from going to the Physician for pardon and healing Had he not great power and mercy did he not love freely without respect of persons and pardon freely without respect of sins wee might then be affraid of going to him but when he extendeth forgivenesse to all kindes iniquity transgression sin Exod. 34.6 and hath actually pardoned the greatest sinners Manasses Mary Madalen Paul Publicans harlots backsliders we should though not presume hereupon to turn Gods mercy into poyson and his grace into wantonness for mercy it self will not save those sinners that hold fast sin and will not forsake it yet take heed of despairing or entertaining low thoughts of the love and mercy of God for such examples as these are set forth for the incouragement of all that shall ever beleeve unto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 And the thoughts and wayes which God hath to pardon sin are above our thoughts and wayes whereby we look on them in their guilt and greatnesse many times as unpardonable and therefore are fit matter for our faith even against sense to beleeve and rely upon Isa. 55.57 58. Now followeth the Fountain of this Mercy I will leve them freely Gods love is
squeezed out with anguish and horror but ingenuous and penitent arising from the purpose of a pious heart that cometh like water out of a Spring with a voluntary freenesse not like water out of a Still which is forced with fire The third dutie is Wearinesse and detestation of all sin for we call not to have a thing removed till we be weary of it Thus we are taught in the Scripture to be ashâ—med and confounded to loath and abhor to judge and condemne our selves to throw sin away as a detestable thing though it be a golden or silver sin A Spirituall Judgement looks on all sin as filthy and stinking sheweth a man to himself as a vessell full of Dung Scum Excrements and makes him out of quiet till he be throughly purged For Hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole kinde of that which we hate The fourth dutie is an acknowledgement of our own Impotencie to remove sin from our selves We have no more power then a slave in chains hath to get out of his bondage till another ransome him then a dead body in a grave till Christ raise it Our Iniquitie takes hold on us and keeps us down that we cannot hearken or be subject to the will of God If sin were not removed by a greater strength then our own it would most certainly sink us into Hell The last dutie is an Imploring of Gods mercie and grace that what we cannot do our selves he would be pleased to do for us In works of Art it is hard to build but easie to destroy But in works of sin though our weaknes is able to commit them yet none but Gods power is able to demolish them None but Christ is strong enough to overcome the strong Man His Person onely hath strength enough to â—eare the Curse of sin His Sacrifice onely Merit enough to make expiation for sin His Grace only vertue enough to remove the pollution of sin Though we should take Nitre and much Sope our sin would be marked still but he cometh with Refiners Fire and with Fullers Soape and can wash out all It was his onely businesse of coming into the world To destroy the works of the Devill Now the things which we pray for in this Petition are these three 1. For Remission that God would take away the condemnation of sin from us by not imputing the guilt thereof unto us but would cause it to passeover on Christ on whom he hath laid the Iniquitie of his people Such an expression the Holy Ghost useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Lord hath caused thy sin to passe over from thee to Christ 2 Sam. 12.13 which being obtained all other judgements are ipso facto removed to so far as they import proper and vindictive punishment Secondly for Sanctification That the vertue of Christs death and the grace of his Spirit may subdue the power of sin and cleanse and strengthen our consciences against the commands of it and temptations unto it Thirdly for continued Renovation that as in sanctification begun we have power against all kinds of sin so by the continuall supplies of the holy Spirit we may have further power against all degrees and remainders of sin That Christ would purifie our sin unto death as our sin did him and not give over mortifying it till his blood be revenged of it to the uttermost and our souls delivered from it to the uttermost I shall conclude the first part of the Petition with a short word of Exhortation unto this Honorable Assembly Those things which God worketh in us and bestoweth upon us by his Grace he also requireth of us by his Command Sometimes he promiseth to turn us sometimes he commandeth us to turn to him Sometimes he biddeth us put away sinne and sometimes he promiseth to take it away from us In the one shewing us what is our dutie and in the other where is our help And as this latter consideration calleth upon our Faith to pray so the former upon our obedience to work I shall therfore Right Honourable humbly offer a double Exhortation unto all of you First that every one of you would seriously endeavour to take away all iniquity from his own person And unto this there lyeth upon you a double Obligation one with relation to the safety of your own souls for whatever other honour wealth wisedome learning interest a man hath besides if sin have the predominancy they are but Satans Magazine and that man his servant to imploy them against God that gave them and the more mercies any man hath been trusted withal the heavier judgement will be poured out upon the breach of that trust Better be a wooden vessell to hold Wine then a silver vessell to hold Excrements better be a Beggar with the treasure of Gods grace then a Prince with the load of a mans own sins But there is a further tie upon you with relation unto the successe of that Honourable imployment whereunto you are called Ita nati estis ut bâ—na malaque vestra ad Rempub. pertineant God will be sanctified in all those that draw neâ—r unto him as well in civill as in sacred Administrations It is very hard for a person in whom sin rules to be constantly faithfull to any publique and honorable service For Grace onely establisheth the heart Hebr. 13.9 Achitophel a man of great wisdome fals from David Ionah a man of great valour fals from Solomon And admit he be faithfull yet the sin of his heart sends out a prohibition to the wisdom of his head and the labour of his hand he that will be a fit vessell for his Masters uses must first of all purge himself 2. Tim. 2.21 As we first cleanse a vessâ—ll before we use it When Ioshua was to negotiate a publique Reformation and to administer a publique service his filthy garment must be taken from him and he must be clothed with change of rayment Zach. 3.4 7. Let every one of you make his publique service one argument more then he had before for his necessary reformation and let the piety of your lives bear witnesse to the integrity of your honourable undertakings Secondly As you must take away sin from your selves so make it your principall work to take away iniquitie out of the Land Liberty Property Priviledges are sacred and pretious things not to be in the least manner betrayed yea in some sense we may look upon them as the Jews upon their Mossora tanquam legis pietatis sepem As a fence and mound unto Religion it self Arbitrary government would quickly be tampering in sacred things because corruption in the Church is marvellously subservient and advantagious to corruption in the State But the most Orient Pearl of this Kingdome is our Religion and the bitterest enemies unto that are our sins These are the snuffes that dim our Candlestick and threaten the removall of it these the
in this place under severall considerations for we may consider it I. Ut materiam pacti as the matter of a Covenant or compact which we promise to render unto God in acknowledgment of his great mercy in answering the prayers which we put up unto him for pardon and grace It is observable that most of those Psalmes wherein David imploreth helpe from God are closed with thanksgiving unto him as Psal. 7.17.13 6.56 12 13 57 7 10 c. David thus by an holy craft insinuating into Gods favour and driving a trade between earth heaven receiving and returning importing one commodity transporting another letting God know that his mercies shall not be lost that as he bestows the comforts of them upon him so he would returne the praises of them unto heaven again Those CounCountries that have rich staple commodities to exchange and return unto others have usually th freest and fullest trafick and resort of trade made unto them Now there is no such rich return from earth to heaven as praises This is indeed the onely tribute we can pay unto God to value and to celebrate his goodnesse towards us As in the fluxe and refluxe of the sea the water that in the one comes from the sea unto the shore doth in the other but run back into it self again so praises are as it were the returne of mercies into themselves or into that bosom and fountain of Gods love from whence they flowed And therefore the richer any heart is in praises the more speedy copious are the returnes of mercy unto it God hath so ordered the creatures amongst themselves that there is a kinde of naturall confederacy and mutuall negotiation amongst them each one receiving and returning deriving unto others drawing from others what serves most for the conservation of them all and every thing by various interchanges and vicissitudes flowing backe into the originall from whence it came thereby teaching the souls of men to maintain the like spirituall commerce confederacie with heaven to have all the passages between them and it open and unobstructed that the mercies which they receive from thence may not be kept under and imprisoned in unthankfulnesse but may have a free way in daily praises to return to their fountain again Thus Noah after his deliverance from the flood built an Altar on which to sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving that aâ— his family by the Ark was preserved from perishing so the memory of so great a mercy might in like manner by the Altar be preserved too Gen. 8.20 So Abraham after a weary journey being comforted with Gods gracious appearing and manifestation of himself unto him built an Altar and called on the Name of the Lord Gen. 12.7 and after another journey out of Egypt was not forgetfull to returne unto that place againe Gen. 13.4 Gods presence drawing forth his praises as the returne of the Sun in a spring and summer causeth the earth to thrust forth her fruits and flowers that they may as it were meet do homage to the fountain of their beauty If Hezekiah may be delivered from death Isa. 38.20 If David from guilt Psal. 51.14 they promise to sing aloud of so great mercy and to take others into the consort I will teach transgressours thy way and we will sing upon the stringed instruments Guilt stops the mouth and makes it speechlesse Matth. 22.12 that it cannot answer for one of a thousand sins nor acknowledge one of a thousand mercies When Iacob begged Gods blessing on him in his journy he vowed a vow of obedience and thankfulnesse to the Lord seconding Gods promises of mercy with his promises of praise and answering all the parts thereof If God will be with me and keep me I will be his and he shall be mine If he single out me and my seed to set us up as marks for his Angels to descend unto with protection and mercy and will indeed give this Land to us and returne me unto my fathers house then this stone which I have set up for a pillar monument shall be Gods house for me and my seed to praise him in and accordingly we finde he built an Altar there and changed the name of that place calling it the House of God and God the God of Bethel And lastly if God indeed will not leave nor forsake me but will give so rich a land as this unto me I will surely return a homage back and of his own I will give the tenth unto him againe So punctuall is this holy man to restipulate for each distinct promise a distinct praise and to take the quality of his vows from the quality of Gods mercies Gen. 28. v. 20.22 compared with v. 13.15 Gen. 35.6.7.14 15. Lastly Ionah out of the belly of Hell cries unto God and voweth a vow unto him that he would sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving and tell all ages that salvation is of the Lord Ionah 2.9 Thus we may consider praises as the matter of the Churches Covenant II. Ut fructum poenitentiae as a fruit of true repentance and deliverance from sin When sin is taken away when grace is obtained then indeed is a man in a right disposition to give praises unto God When we are brought out of a wildernesse into Canaan Deut 8.10 out of Babylon unto Sion Jer. 30.18.19 then saith the Prophet Out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry c. When Israel had passed thorow the red Sea and saw the Egyptians dead on the shore the great type of our deliverance from sin death and Satan then they sing that triumphant Song Moses and the men singing the Song and Miriam and the women answering them and repeating over again the burden of the Song Sing to the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the Horse and his rider hath he thrown into the Sea Exod. 15.1.20.21 When a poore soule hath been with Ionah in the midst of the seas compassed with the floods closed in with the depths brought downe to the bottom of the mountaines wrapt about head and heart and all over with the weeds and locked up with the bars of sin and death when it hath felt the weight of a guilty conscience and been terrified with the fearful expectation of an approaching curse lying as it were at the pits brinke within the smoak of hell within the smell of that brimstone and scorchings of that unquenchable fire which is kindled for the divel and his angels and is then by a more bottomles unsearchable mercy brought unto dry land snatched as a brand out of the fire translated unto a glorious condition from a Law to a Gospel from a cuâ—se to a Crown from damnation to an inheritance from a slave to a Sonne then then onely never till then is that soul in a fit disposition to sing praises unto God when God hath forgiven all a mans iniquities and
were much greater The not using of mercies is the being unthankfull for them And it is an heavie account which men must give for abused mercies Deut. 32.6 Amos 2.9.13 Luke 13 7. Heb. 6.7 Sins against mercy and under mercy are the first ripe fruâ—â— when the Sun shines hottest the fruits ripen fastest Amos 8.1.2 Ier. 1.11.12 God doth not beare so long with the provocations of a Church as of those that are not a people the sins of the Amorites were longer in ripening then the sins of Israel When judgement is abroad it will begin at the House of God II. We should be so much the more earnestly pressed unto this by how much it is the greater evidence of our conversion unto God and by how much more apt we are to call for mercies when we want them then with the Leper to returne praises when we do enjoy them Ten cried to be healed but there was but one that returned glory to God Vessels will sound when they are empty fill them and they are presently dumb When we want merâ—cies then with Pharaoh wee cry out for pardon for peace for supplies for deliverances but when prayers are answered and our turne served how few remember the method which God prescribes Call on me in the day of trouble I will hear thee and thâ—n shalt glorifie me Psal. 50.15 yea how many like Swine trample on the meat that feeds them and tread under foot the mercies that preserve them How many are so greedily intent upon the things they desire that they cannot see nor value the things they enjoy Omniâ— festinatio caeca est It is noted even of good King Hezekiah that he did not render according to the benefits which he had received 2 Chron. 32.25 Therefore we should be exhorted in our prayers for pardon and grace to do as the Church here doth to promise the Sacrifices of Thankfulnesse and obediene not as a price to purchase mercy for our good extends not unto God Psal. 16.2 but as a tye and obligation upon our selves to acknowledge and return the praise of mercy to him that gives it And this the Apostle exhorteth us unto that our requests should be made known unto God not onely with prayer and supplication but with Thankesgiving Phil. 4.6 1 Thess. 5. 17.18 1 Tim. 2.1 which we finde to have been his own practice Eph. 3 14.20.21 We should keep a Catalogue of Gods mercies to quicken us unto dutie as well as a Catalogue of our own sins to make us cry for mercy And unto this duty of Thanksgiving we may be excited I. By the consideration of Gods greatnesse Great is the Lord and therefore greatly to be praised Psal. 145.3 The praises of God should be according to his Name Ps. 48.10 Ps. 96.8 All things were made for no other end but to return glory to him that made them Because al things are of him therfore all must be to him Ro. 11.36 And this the very Figure of the world teacheth us For a Circular line ends where it began and returns back into its originall point by that means strengthning and preserving it self For things are usually strongest when nearest their originall and the more remote from that the weaker they grow As a tree is strongest at the root and a branch or bough next the trunk or stock and the further out it grows from thence the smaller and weâ—ker it grows too and the further it is from the originall of its being the nearer it is unto not Being So all creatures are hereby taught both for preservation of that being they have for supply of what perfections they want and in both for the setting forth of the greatnesse of their Maker out of whose infinite Being all finite beings are sustained perfected to run back unto God for whose sake they are and have been created Rivers come from the Sea and therefore run back into the Sea again The trees receive sap from the earth and within a while pay it back in those leaves that fall down to the earth again Now as God hath made all creatures thus to shew forth the glory of his greatnes so he will have them do it by these Principles and in that maner of working which he hath planted in them Inanimate and meere naturall creaâ—ures are bid to praise the Lord Psal. 148.8.9 but this â—hey do blindly and ignorantly like the arrow which flies toward the marke but understandeth not its own motion being directed thither by an understanding without and above it self And thus when every thing by the naturall weight and inclination of its own form moveth to the place where it may be preserved or draweth to it those further degrees of perfection whereby it may be improved and have more of being communicated to it it may truly be said to praise the Lord in that it obeyeth the Law which he planted in it and is by his wise providence carried back towards him to derive its conservation perfection from the same fountain from whence it s Being did proceed But now reasonable creatures being by God enriched with Internall knowledge and that knowledge in his Church exceedingly raised by his manifestation of himself as their utteâ—most blessednesse in the Word unto them He therefore requires that we should worke actively and with intention of the End for which he made us guiding all our aimes and inclinations towards his glory by that internall knowledge of his Excellency which he hath implanted in us and revealed to us And indeed all other creatures are in this sense said to glorifie God because the infinite power wisdom goodnesse and perfection of God which are in their beings and workings so notably relucent do become the object of reasonable creatures to contemplate upon and by that means draw forth admiration and adoration of him II. By the consideration of Gods goodnesse He deserves it at our hands He gives more to us then we are able to render unto him The Sun shines on the Moon with his own glorious light the Moon retâ—rns but a 〈◊〉 spotted light upon the world We can return nothing unto God but that which is his own 1 Chro. 29.16 and it goes not with that purity from us as it came unto us We cannot send forth a thought round about us but it wâ—ll returne with a report of mercy and that mercy calls for a returne of praise But above all the goodnesse of God mentioned in the text Taking away iniquity and receiving graciously this calls for the Calvâ—s of the lips to be offered as in the new Moons with Trumpets and solemnity Num 10.10 The beams of the Sun the more directly they fall on the body of the Moone doe fill it with the more abundant light so the more copious and notable Gods mercies are unto us the more enlarged should our praises be unto him Therefore true Penitents that have more tasted of mercy are more obliged unto thanksgiving Psal.
seems to be expounded Psal. 103.3 and that which is called Healing in one place is called forgivenesse in another if we compare Mat. 13.15 with Mark 4.12 Secondly by a spirituall and effectuall Reformation purging the conscience from dead workes making it strong and able to serve God in new obedience for that which Health is to the body Holinesse is to the soul. Therefore the Sun of righteousnesse is said to aâ—ise with Healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 whereby we are to understand the gracious influence of the Holy Spirit conveying the vertue of the blood of Christ unto the conscience even as the beames of the Sunne doe the heat and influence thereof unto the earth thereby calling out the herbs and flowers and healing those deformities which winter had brought upon it Thirdly by removing and withdrawing of judgements which the sinnes of a people had brought like wounds or sicknesses upon them So Healing is opposed to smiting and wounding Deut. 32.39 Iob 5.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Ier. 33.5 6. Fourthly by comforting against the anguish and distresse which sinne is apt to bring upon the conscience For as in Physick there are Purgatives to cleanse away corrupt humours so there are Cordials likewise to strengthen refresh weak and dejected Patients and this is one of Christs principal workes to binde and heale the broken in heart to restore comforts unto mourners to set at liberty them that are bruised and to have mercy upon those whose bones are vexed Psal. 147 3. Isai. 57.18 19. Luke 4.18 Psal. 6.2 3. I am not willing to shut any of these out of the meaning of the Text. First because it is an answer to that rayer Take away All iniquity The All that is in it The Guilt the staine the power the punishment the anguish whatever evil it is apt to bring upon the conscience Let it not doe us any hurt at all Secondly because Gods works are perfect where he forgives sinne he removes it where he convinceth of righteousnesse unto pardon of sinne he convinceth also of judgement unto the casting out of the prince of this world and bringeth forth that judgement unto victory Matth. 12.20 Their Back-sliding Their praier was against All iniquity and God in his answer thereunto singleth out one kinde of iniquity but one of the greatest by name And that first to teach them and us when we pray against sinne not to content our selves with generalities but to bewaile our great and speciall sinnes by name those specially that have been most comprehensive and the Seminaries of many others Secondly to comfort them for if God pardon by name the greatest sinne then surely none of the rest will stand in the way of his mercy if he pardon the Talents we need not doubt but he will pardon the pence too Paul was guilty of many other sinnes but when he will magnifie the grace of Christ he makes mention of his great sinnes A blasphemer a persecutor injurious and comforts himselfe in the mercy which he had obtained against them 1 Tim. 1.13 Thirdly to intimate the great guilt of Apastacie and rebellion against God After we have known him and tasted of his mercy and given up our selves unto his service and come out of Egypt and Sodome then to looke back againe and to be false in his Covenant this God lookes on not as a single sinne but as a compound of all sinnes When a man turnes from God he doth as it were resume and take home upon his conscience All the sinnes of his life again Fourthly to proportion his answer to their repentance They confesse their Apostasie they had been in Covenant with God they confesse he was their first husband Hos. 2 7. and they forsooke him and sought to Horses to Men to Idols to vanitie and lies this is the sin they chiefly bewaile and therefore this is the sinne which God chiefly singles out to pardon and to heale them of This is the great goodnesse of God toward those that pray in sincerity that he fits his mercy ad Cardinem desiderii answers them in the maine of their desires lets it be unto them even as they will I will love them freely This is set downe as the fountaine of that Remission Sanctification and Comfort which is here promised It comes not from our Conversion unto God but from Gods free love and grace unto us And this is added first to Humble them that they should not ascribe any thing to themselves their Repentance their prayers their covenants and promises as if these had been the means to procure mercie for them or as if there were any objective grounds of lovelines in them to stirre up the love of God towards them It is not for their sake that he doth it but for his own The Lord sets his love upon them because he loved them Deut. 7.7 8. not for your sakes doe I this saith the Lord God be it known unto you Ezek. 36.22.32 He will have mercy because he will have mercy Rom. 9.15 Secondly To support them above the guilt of their greatest sinnes Men think nothing more easie while they live in sinne and are not affected with the weight and hainousnesse of it then to beleeve mercie and pardon But when the soule in conversion unto God feeles the heavie burden of some great sinnes when it considers its rebellion and Apostacie and backesliding from God It will then be very apt to think God will not forgive nor heale so great wickednesse as this There is a naturall Novatianisme in the timerous conscience of convinced sinners to doubt and question pardon for sinnes of Apostacie and falling after repentance Therefore in this case God takes a penitent off from the consideration of himself by his own thoughts unto the height and excellencie of his Thoughts who knowes how to pardon abundantly Isay. 55.7 8 9. Ier. 29.11 Ezek. 37.3 Nothing is too hard for love especially free-love that hath no foundation or inducement from without it self And because we reade before Hos. 8.5 That Gods Anger was kindled against them therefore he here adds that this also should be turned away from them Anger will consist with love we finde God Angrie with Moses and Aaron and Miriam and Asa and he doth sometimes visit with rodds and scourges where he doth not uâ—terly take away his loveing kindenesse from a people Psal. 89.32.33 A man may be angrie with his wife or childe or friend whom he yet dearly loveth And God is said to be thus Angry with his people when the effects of displeasure are discovered towards them Now upon their Repentance and Conversion God promiseth not onely to love them freely but to clear up his Countenance towards them to make them by the Removall of Judgements to see and know the ftuits of his free love and bounty unto them When David called Absolom home from banishment this was an effect of love but when he said let him not see my face this
belong principally to the Ministers of the Word yet God hath given unto all Belevers a Iudgement of discretion to try the spirits and to search the Scriptures whether the things which they heare be so or no 1 Ioh. 4.1 Act. 17.11 1 Thess. 5.21 for no man is to pinne his own soule and salvation by a blinde obedience upon the words of a man who may mislead him nay not upon the words of an Angel if it were possible for an Angel to deceive Gal. 1.8 1 Kings 13.18 21. but onely and immediately upon the Scripture except when the blind lead the blind the leader only should fall into the ditch and the other goe to heaven for his blind obedience in following his guides towards hell whereas our Saviour tels us both shall fall though but one be the leader Matth. 15.14 Matth. 23.15 Secondly Having proved all things to hold fast that which is good with all readinesse to receive the righteous ways of God and submit unto them how meane soever the Instrument be in our eyes how contrary soever his message be to our wills and lusts When God doth manifest his Spirit and Word in the mouths of his Ministers we are not to consider the vessell but the Treasure and to receive it as from Christ who to the end of the world in the dispensation of his Ordinances speaketh from heaven unto the Church 1 Thess. 2.13 â— Cor. 5.20 Heb. 12.25 Matth. 28.20 Fourthly In that it is said That the Iust wâ—ll walk in them we may observe Two things 1. That Obedience and walking in the right wayes of the Lord is the end of the ministry That the Saints might be perfected that the body of Christ might bee edified that men might grow up into Christ in all things Eph. 4.11.15 that their eyes might be opened and they turned from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26.16 17 18. The Prophet concludeth that he hath laboured in vaine if Israel be not gathered Esay 49.4 5. Without this the Law is vaine the pen of the Scribe in vaine Ier. 8.8 better not know the way of Righteousnesse then having known it to turne from the holy Commandement which was delivered unto us 2. Pet. 2.21 We should esteeme it a great misery to be without Preaching without Ordinances and so indeed it is of all famine that of the Word of the Lord is the most dreadfull better be with Gods presence in a wildernesse then in Canaan without him Exod. 33.15 better bread of affliction and water of affliction then a famine of hearing the word to have our teachers removed Amos 8.11 Esay 30.20 this is mischiefe upon mischiefe when the Law perisheth from the Priest and there is no Vision Ezek. 7.26 and yet it is much better bee in this case without a Teaching Priest and without the Law then to enjoy them and not to walk answerably unto them where the Word is not a savour of life it is a savour of death unto death exceedingly multiplying the damnation of those that doe despise it 2 Cor. 2.15 Matt. 11.22 24. First it doth ripen those sinnes that it findes making them much more sinfull then in other men because committed against greater light and more mercy One and the same sinne in an Heathen is not so hainous and hatefull as in a Christian. Those trees on which the Sun constantly shines have their fruit grow riper and greater then those which grow in a shady and cold place The raine will hasten the growth as weell of weeds as of corne and make them ranker then in a dry and barren ground Ioh. 9.41 Ioh. 15.22.24 Secondly it doth superadde many more and greater for the greatest sinnes of all are those which are commited against light and grace Sinnes against the Law and Prophets greater then those which are committed against the glimmerings of nature Ezek. 2.5.3.6 7. and sinnes against Christ and the Gospel greater then those against the Law Heb. 2.2.10.28 29. Such are unbeliefe Impenitency Apostacy despising of salvation preferring death and sinne before Christ and mercy judging our selves unworthy of eternall life c. Thirdly it doth by these meanes both hasten and multiply judgments The sinnes of the Church are much sooner ripe for the fickle then the sinnes of Amorites they are neare unto cursing Heb. 6.8 Summer fruits sooner shaken off then others Amos. 8.1 Ier. 1.11 12. Christ comes quickly to remove his Candlestick from the abusers of it Rev. 2.5 The Word is a rich mercy in it selfe but nothing makes it effectually and in the event a mercy unto us but our walking in it 2. We learne from hence That we never make the Scriptures our Rule to live and walke according unto them till we be first justified and made righteous Our obedience to the Rule of the Law written in the Scriptures proceedeth from those suteable impressions of holinesse wrought in the soule by the Spirit of Regeneration which is called the writing of the Law in our hearts Ier. 31.33 2 Cor. 3.3 or the casting of the soule into the mould of the Word as the phrase of the Apostle seemeth to import Rom. 6.7 we are never fit to receive Gods Truth in the love and obedience of it till we repent and be renewed If God saith the Apostle will give repentance for the acknowledging of the truth 2 Tim. 25. The wise in heart that is those that are truly godly for none but such are the Scriptures wise men these will receive Commandements but a prating foole will fall Prov. 10.8 where by prating I understand cavilling contradicting taking exceptions making objections against the Commandement and so falling and stumbling at it according to that of the Apostle Iam. 1.19 20 21. Let every man bee swift to heare that is ready to learn the will of God and to receive the Commandement but slow to speak slow to wrath that is carefull that he suffer no pride and passion to rise up and speak against the things which are taught according as Iob sayes Teach me and I will hold my peace Iob 6.24 for the only reason why men fret and swell and speak against the truth of God is this because they will not work righteousnesse The wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God therefore men are contentious because they love not to obey the truth Rom. 2.8 disobedience is the mother of gainsaying Rom. 10.21 when we once resolve to lay apart all filthinesse then wee will receive the Word with meeknesse and not before none heare Gods Words but they who are of God Ioh. 8.47 none hear the voyce of Christ but the sheep of Christ Ioh. 10.4 5. Christ preached is the power of God and the wisedome of God but it is onely to them that are called to others a stumbling block and foolishnesse 1 Cor. 1.24 We speak wisedome saith the Apostle but it is amongst them that are perfect 1 Cor. 2.6 He that is
it intrinsecally or in the nature of the thing impossible but accidentally and by reason of naturall corruption which is enmity against it a burthen may be very portable in it selfe which he who is a creeple is not able to beare the defect is not in the Law but in us Rom. 8.3 Secondly that of this Impossibility there may be made a most excellent use that being convinced of impotency in our selves we may have recourse to the perfect obedience and righteousnesse of Christ to pardon all our violations of it Gal. 3.21 24. Thirdly being regenerated and endued with the spirit of Christ the Law becomes Evangelically possible unto us againe yea not onely possibly but sweet and easie Rom. 7.22 1 Ioh. 5.2 Ma. 11.30 Though impossible to the purpose of Iustification and legall Covenant which requireth perfection of obedience under paine of the Curse Gal. 3.10 in which sense it is a yoake which cannot bee born Act. 15.10 A Commandement which cannot be endured Heb. 12.20 yet possible to the purpose of acceptation of our services done in the obedience of it The spirituall part of them being presented by the intercession and the carnall defects covered by the righteousnesse of Christ in whom the father is alwayes well pleased Fourthly if any wicked man presume to harden himselfe in the practice of sinnes under this pretence that it is impossible for him to avoid them because God hardneth whom he will Though the Apostolicall increpation be Answer sufficient Who art thou that replyest against God yet he must further know that he is not onely hardned judicially by the sentence of God but most willingly also by his owne stubborne love of sinne and giving himselfe over unto greedinesse in sinning and thereby doth actively bring upon himselfe those indispositions unto duty so that the Law being impossible to be performed by him is indeed no other then hee would himselfe have it to be as bearing an active enmity and antipathy unto it Sixthly The mercy and Free-grace of God in the promises is unto wicked men an occasion of stumbling while they turn it into lasciviousnesse and continue in sinne that grace may abound Rom. 6.1 Iud. ver 4. and venture to make work for the blood of Christ not being led by the goodnesse of God unto repentance but hardning themselves in impenitency because God is good Rom. 2.4 There is not any thing at which wicked men doe more ordinarily stumble then at mercy as gluttons surfet most upon the greatest dainties venturing upon this ground to goe on in sinne because they cannot out-sinne mercy and to put off repentance from day to day because they are still under the offers of mercy making mercy not a sanctuary unto which to fly from sinne but a sanctuary to protect and countenance sinne and so by profane and desperate presumption turning the very mercy of God into a judgement and savour of death unto themselves Deut. 29.19 20. Num. 15.30 pretending liberty from sinne that they may continue in it and abuse God by his owne gifts Lastly the threatnings of God set forth in his Word and executed in his judgements upon wicked men are great occasions of stumbling unto them when they are not thereby with Manasses humbled under Gods mighty hand but with Pharoah hardned the more in their stubbornnesse against him There is such desperate wickednesse in the hearts of some men that they can even sit down and rest in the resolutions of perishing resolving to enjoy the pleasures of sinne while they may To morrow we shall dye therefore in the meane time let us eat and drink 1 Cor. 5.32 This evill is of the Lord why should we wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kings 6.33 There are three men in the Scripture that have a speciall brand or marke of ignominy set upon them Cain Dathan and Ahaz The Lord set a mark upon Cain Gen. 4.15 This is that Dathan and this is that Ahaz Num. 26.9 2. Chron. 28.22 and if we examine the reasons we shall finde that the sinne of stubbornnesse had a speciall hand in it Cains Offering was not accepted upon this he grew wroth and sullen and stubborn against Gods gentle warning and slew his brother Dathan and his Companions sent for by Moses return a proud and stubborn answer we will not come up we will not come up Ahaz greatly distressed by the King of Syria by the Edomites by the Philistimes by the Assyrian and in the midst of all this distresse stubborn still and trespassing more against the Lord. It is one of the saddest symptomes in the World for a man or a Nation not to be humbled under the correcting hand of God but like an anvile to grow harder under blowes and a most sure argument that God will not give over but goe on to multiply his judgements still for he will overcome when hee judgeth and therefore will judge till he overcome In Musicall Notes there are but eight degrees and then the same returnes againe and Philosophers when they distinguish degrees in qualities doe usually make the eighth degree to be the highest but in the wrath of God against those who impenitently and stubbornly stand out against his judgements wee shall finde no fewer then eight and twenty degrees threatned by God himselfe I will punish seven times more and yet seven times more and againe seven time more and once more seven times more for your sinnes Levit. 26.18 21 24 28. thus wicked men doe not only stumble at the Word by way of scandall but also 2. By way of Ruine because they are sure in the conclusion to be destroyed by it for the rock stands still the ship only is broken that dasheth against it Gods Word is and will be too hard for the pride of men the more they resist it the mightier will it appeare in their condemnation The weak corn which yeelds to the wind is not harmed by it but the proud Oake which resists it is many times broken in pieces The soule which submits to the Word is saved by it the soule which rebels against it is sure to perish Therefore since the Word comes not to any man in vaine but returnes glory to God either in his conversion or in his hardning It greatly concerneth every man to come unto it with meek penitent docile tractable believing obedient resolutions and to consider how vaine and desperate a thing it is for a Potsherd to strive with a rod of Iron for the pride wrath of man to give a chalenge to the justice and power of God for briars and thornes to set themselves in battell against fire As our God is a consuming fire himselfe so his law is a fiery Law Deut. 33.2 his word in the mouths of his Ministers a fire Ier. 5.14.23.29 If we be gold it will purge us if thorns it will devour feed upon us This is the condemnation saith our Saviour That light is come
themselves for a Curse With which prayer I humbly conclude Commending your persons and your weighty affairs to his grace and rest Your most humble Servant in Christ ED REYNOLDS From my Study in Braunston August the 8. 1642. To the Reader CHristian Reader Understanding that my Sermon which was preached three years since before the Honorable House of Commons on the day of their solemn Humiliation was to be reprinted I thought fit to peruse transcribe and enlarge six other Sermons in which I had at mine own charge in the Country on the ensuing Fast days briefly explained and applyed that whole Chapter a portion only whereof was in the first handled and to send them forth together with it unto the publique Which I was the rather induced to do for these two Reasons 1. Because it hath pleased God in his righteous and holy providence to make me by a long infirmity unserviceable to his Church in the principal work of the Ministry the preaching of the Gospel which is no small grief unto me So that there remained no other means whereby my life might in regard of my function be useful to the Church and comfortable to my self then by inverting the words of the Psalmist and as he made His Tongue as the Pen of a ready Writer so to make my Pen the Tongue of an unready Speaker 2. I considered the seasonableness and sutableness of these Meditations unto the condition of the sad and disconsolate times wherein we live very like those which our Prophet threatned the ten Tribes withal throughout this whole Prophecy unto which this last Chapter is a kind of Vse and a most solemn Exhortation pressing upon all wise and prudent men such duties of Humiliation and Repentance as might turn threats into promises and recover again the mercies which by their sins they had forfeited and forsaken Which being restored unto them according to their Petition they are here likewise further instructed in what manner to return unto God the praises due to his great Name And these two duties of Humiliation and Thanksgiving are the most solemn duties which in these times of Judgments and Mercies so variously interwoven together the Lord doth so frequently call us unto Places of Scripture I have for brevity sake for the most part only quoted and referred thee unto without transcribing all the words and have usually put many paralel places together because by that means they do not only strengthen the doctrine whereunto they belong but mutually give light unto one another The Lord make us all in this our day so wise and prudent as to understand the righteous ways of our God towards us That we may not stumble at them but walk in them and be taught by them to wait upon him in the way of his judgments and to fix the desires of our soul upon his Name as our great Refuge and upon his Righteousness as our great Business till he shall be pleased by the dew of his Grace to Revive us as the Corn to make us grow as the Vine and to let the scent of all his Ordinances be over all our Land as the smell and as the wine of Lebanon It will be an abundant return unto my poor and weak endeavors if I may have that room in thy prayers which the Apostle Paul desired to have in the prayers of the Ephesians That utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to preach the mystery of the Gospel The Lord sanctifie all the ways of his Providence towards us that when we are chastened we may be taught and may be greater gainers by the voyce of his Rod then we are sufferers by the stripes The Contents Sermon I. Sect. 1. EPhraims blessings and judgments answerable to his name 2. When judgment purposed against obstinate sinners mercy proclaimed to penitent 3. How good and bad are alike involved in outward judgments Iudgments make no difference but of penitent and impenitent Penitent sinners in all kinds of trouble have a refuge to some promise or other 4. Conversion must be not meerly Philosophical or Political but Spiritual and that full and constant 5. Motives unto conversion mercy and judgment especially interwoven 6. Great preparation due in our addresses unto God The rule matter principle and power of Prayer How sin is taken away 7. When God threatneth judgments we must pray against sins 8. Iudgments may be removed in anger Repentance makes afflictions precious as sin doth corrupt blessings 9. No affliction comes in anger but with respect to sin 10. One sin generally unrepented of may undo a Kingdom we must pray against all and dye unto all 11. Sense of sin The wrath of God beyond the fears of man 12. Confession of sin full and free Our weakness can commit sin none but Gods power can remove it 13. What God worketh in us he also requireth of us Sin most dangerous in great men to themselves and the publick 14. How iniquity is to be taken out of the Land 15. God the author of good the orderer of evil 16. From conversion to salvation free-grace worketh 17. No work truly good but as derived from God 18. Patience in suffering evil in doing duty Humility the companion of Grace pride of emptiness Continual dependance on God Fidelity in services The misery of divisions 19. In temporal judgments pray for spiritual mercies No helps can avail us against Gods anger but his grace 20. Carnal prayers provoke God when men make Religion serve turns Piety the foundation of Prosperity 21. Iudgments are then truly sanctified when they make us more in love with grace Prayer the more heavenly the more prevalent Sermon II. Sect. 1. SPiritual ends of Legal Ceremonies and Sacrifices We return nothing to God but words for mercies 2. A renouncing carnal confidence in the Assyrian Horses Idols How the Church an Orphan 3. Penitents not only pray but covenant Circumcision a Covenant Circumcised in uncircumcision Gentiles converted are called Iews Iews unconverted Gentiles Baptism how the answer of a good conscience The Covenant perpetual 4. God bindeth himself to us by promise by oath We are his by his Soveraign Interest and our own voluntary consent 5. Fickleness of the heart in duty and sluggishness to it 6. Duties in combination strongest 7. Enemies combine Military oaths How Truth a Girdle doctrinally morally 8. Wicked men like Witches in covenant with the Devil doing service for wages 9. Prayer vain without obedience Gods Covenant to us ours to him 10. The material cause of a Covenant our persons our services in matters of necessity Expediency praise 11. The formal and efficient cause Knowledg willingness power of promise and performance 12. Danger of covenanting in the dark only and 13. On the Rack 14. When we promise duty we must pray for grace The final cause 15. The falseness and perfidiousness of the heartâ— how it is unstable as waters 16. Gods faithfulness and mercies Our Baptism
should not win us that judgment should not awaken us that the rod should speak and we not hear Mic. 6.9 That the fire should burn and we not feel Isa. 42.25 That desolation should be threatned and we not instructed Jer. 6.8 That the hand of God should be lifted up and we not see it Isa. 26.11 That darkness should be upon us we not give glory to God Jer. 13.6 This is that should most deject us that in mercies we have been wanton and in judgments sensless Get Repentance by an affliction and then you may look on it as trafick and not as a trouble like a Merchants voyage which hath pain in the way but treasure in the end No afflictions can hurt him that is penitent If thou escape they will make thee the more thankful if not they will bring thee the neerer and the sooner unto God The way to be safe in times of trouble is to get the blood of the Lamb upon our doors All troubles have their Commission and Instructions from God what to do whither to go whom to touch whom to pass over Be gold and though the fire come upon you you shal keep your nature and purity still Godliness saith the Apostle hath the promises of this life amongst those one special one is that we shall not be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 neither are there indeed any distresses against which there is not a refuge and escape for penitent sinners unto some promise or other Against Captivity When they be in the land of their Enemies I will not cast them away nor abhorre them Levit. 26.44 Against famine and pestilence If I shut up heaven that there be no rain or if I command the locust to devoure the Land or if I send pestilence among my people If my people which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked wayes then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and wil heal their Land 2 Chron. 7.13.14 Against sicknes the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing and make all his bed in his sicknes Psa. 41.3 Against poverty When the poor and needy seek water and there is none I the Lord will hear them c. Isa. 41.17 Psal. 68.10 Against want of friends When my father and mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Psal. 27.10 Psal. 72.12 Against oppression and imprisonment He executeth judgement for the oppressed he looseth the prisoners Psal. 146.7 Against whatsoever plague or trouble 1 King 8.37.38 39. He is the God of All consolation how disconsolate soever a mans condition is in any kind there cannot but within the compasse of All consolation be some one or other remedy at hand to comfort and relieve him And so much by the way of the Invitation in generaâ—l In the Invitation we have the Matter of it and the Motives to it The Matter is Conversion without that the hand which is lifted up in threatning will fall down in punishing and where that is God hath a book of Remembrance for his Iewels when his wrath burneth as an Oven against the stubble Mal. 3.16 But this Conversion then must have two conditions in it 1. It must be Ad Dominum To the Lord not meerly philosophicall to some low and generall dictates of Reason such as Aristotle or Plato or Epictetus or Plutarch or the like heathen Moralists could furnish us withall without self-deniall lowlinesse of spirit or faith in Christ. Not meerly politicall to credit or profit or secular ends propter famam non propter Conscientiam as the Orator speaks or as our Prophet hath it for Corn and for wine Hos. 7.16 as good be an empty vine as bring forth fruit onely to our selves Hos. 10.1 But it must be spirituall unto the Lord. If thou wilâ— return O Israel saith the Lord return unto me Ier. 4.1 And not onely Ad Dominum to the Lord for that may be done falsely and flatteringly with a halting and divided heart By the force of Semi-perswasions like that of Agrippa and Orpha complementing with God and then forsaking him By the force of compulsory impressions like that of Pharaoh and Israel in the wildernes Promises on the Rack and pride when there was respite again thawing in the Sun and freezing in the shade melting in the â—urnace and out of it returning unto hardnes again like the Prophets Cake burnt on the one side and dough on the other But it must be Secondly usque ad Dominum so much the originall word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importeth A full through constant continued conversion with a whole a fixed a rooted an united an established heart yeilding up the whole Conscience and Conversation to be ruled by Gods will in all things The motives to this duty are two First his Mercy he is yet thy God no such argument for our turning unto God as his turning unto us Adam looks on him as a Iudge and hides the Prodigall looks on him as a father and returns As the beam of the Sun shining on fire doth discourage the burning of that so the shining of Gods mercies on us should dishearten and extinguish lust in us This is the use we should make of mercy Say not he is my God therefore I may presume upon him but he is mine therefore I must return unto him Because he is God I will be afraid to provoke him and because he is mine I will be afraid to forfeit him He is so great I must not dare to offend him he is so pretious I must not venture to lose him His mercy is a Holy mercy which knows to pardon sin but not to protect it It is a Sanctuary for the penitent not for the presumptuous Secondly his judgement and that expressed rather as our Act then his Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity If mercies do not work upon Love let Iudgements work upon fear Extremities are a warrant unto Importunities Even heathen mariners in a storm wil cry mightily upon God When there is a deluge coming is it not time for Noah to fear and to prepare an ark Hebr. 11.7 what meanest thou O thou sleeper to losâ— the season and benefit of Gods visitations when there is a tempest over the ship heavy distresses and distractions both at home and abroad to be so secure in thy wonted impenitency as if thou hadst had no sins to procure these judgements or no sence to feel them as if there were agreements and sealed covenants between thee and the sword that it should not touch thee If thou be falling is it not high time to consider thy wayes to search and to judge thy self to have thine eyes like the windows of Solomons Temple Broad inwards to find out thine own provocations and as David speaks to keep thy self from Thine owne iniquity
private ends to make it a cloake to policy a varnish to rotten wood silver drosse to a broken Potsheard O then when we weep and seperate our selves let us not think to mock God with empty ceremonies of Repentance let us not assemble our selves only to flatter away the rod from our back and to get peace and security to our owne persons and then let the favour of God the power of his Grace the comforts of his Spirit be as unregarded as before as if we fasted and prayed onely for our backs and bellies not for our Consciences or conversations for be we well assured he who doth not aske the things which he ought shall not obtain the things which he asks such a prayer begs nothing but a deniall We have now many fasts together prayed for making up our breaches for reparing our ruines for composing our distractions for reducing this Kingdom unto an happy constitution for a right understanding between the King and his great Councell These prayers we have not found yet return like Noahs Dove with an Olive branch a gracious answer unto us again What 's the reason Where 's the obstruction Is not he a God that heareth prayers Is it not his Title Doth he not glory in it Certainly mercies stop not at God but at us We are not straitned in him but in our own bowels If there come but a little light into a room the defect is not in the Sun but in the narrowness of the window if a vessell fill but slowly the fault is not any emptiness in the Fountain but the smallness of the pipe If mercies ripen slowly or stop at any time in the way it is not because they are unwilling to come to us but because we are unfit to enjoy them Our prayers doubtless in many of us have not been words taken from him but from our own carnal dictates We would fain have things well in our Country but have we hitherto looked after our consciences The destractions without us have they driven us to consider the distempers within or to desire the things above The unsetledness of peace in the Kingdom hath it awakened us to secure our peace with God We would fain have better times but have we yet laboured for better hearts we would fain have a right understanding between the King and his great Councel but have we yet sadly set about it to have a more clear and sweet Communion between us and our God we long to see more good laws but are we yet come to the care of good lives Every one cries out Who will shew us any good but how few think on the light of Gods countenance Hence hence Beloved is the miscarriage of all our Prayers If we would seek gods Kingdom we are promised other things by way of overplus and Accession as he that buyeth a Treasury of Jewels hath the Cabinet into the Bargain But when we place our Kingdom in outward comforts and let our daily bread shut out all the other five petitions out of our prayers no wonder if the promises of this life which are annexed unto Godliness do not answer those prayers wherein godliness is neglected It were preposterous to begin the building of an house at the Roof and not at the Foundation Piety is the foundation of prosperity If you would have your cheldrin like plants like polished stones your Garners ful your Cattel plenteous no complaining in your streets If you would have the King happy and the Church happy and the State happy and peace and prosperity flourish again Let our chief prayer be Lord make us a happy people by being our God Give us thy self thy grace thy favour give us renewed hearts and reformed lives let not our sins confute and outcry and belie our prayers and pray them back again without an Answer And when we seek thee and thy Christ above all we know that with him thou wilt freely give us all other things The spiritual good things which we beg wil either remove or shelter and defend us from the outward evil things which we suffer Secondly this serveth for an instruction unto us touching a sanctified use of Gods judgments or threatnings when we learn obedience as Christ did by the things which we suffer Hebr. 5.8 when 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that we are chastened and taught together Psal. 94.12 when sufferings do quicken spiritual desires and the more troubles we find in our way the more love we have to our Country when we can say all this is come upon us and yet we have not forgotten thee Psal. 44.17 18. when we can serve God as wel in plowing and breaking the clods as in treading out the Corn Hos. 10.11 When with Ionah we can delight in him even in the Whales belly and suffer not our love of him to be quenched with all the waters of the Sea When we can truly say to him Lord love me and then do what thou wilt unto me let me feel thy râ—d rather then forfeit thine affection when we can look through the Anger of his chastisements unto the Beauty of his Commands and to the sweetness of his loving countenance as by a Rain bow we see the beautiful Image of the Suns-light in the middst of a dark and waterish Cloud when by how much the Flesh is the fuller of pain by so much prayers are fuller of spirit by how much the heavier are our earthly sufferings by so much the stronger are our heavenly desires when God threatneth punishments and we pray for grace this is a sanctified use of Gods judgments And this we should all be exhorted unto in the times of distraction to make it the principal argument of our prayers and study of our lives to obtain spiritual good things and the less comfort we find in the world to be the more importunate for the comforts of God that by them we may incourage our selves as David did in his calamity at Ziglag 1 Sam. 30.6 when the City Shechem was beaten down to the ground then the men and women fled to the strong Tower and shut that upon them Iudg. 9.51 The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the Righteous fly to it and are safe Prov. 18.18 Herein we shall more honour God when we set him up in our hearts as our fear and treasure and mourne more towards him then for the miseries we feel and suspire more after him then all the outward contentment which we want Herein we shall more exercise Repentance for it is worldly sorrow which droopeth under the pain of the flesh but godly sorrow is most of all affected with the Anger of God Herein we shall more prevail with God the more heavenly the matters of our prayer are the more prevalent they must needs be with an Heavenly Father we have five spiritual petitions unto one for bread the more sutable our prayers are to Gods wil the more easie access
his promise If God whose promises are sure binde himselfe to perform them by his oath How much more are we bound to tye our selves by covenant unto God to doe those things which are our dutie to do unto the doing whereof we have such infirme principles as are a mutable will and an unstedfast heart For the latter our relation unto him we are His not onely by a propertie founded in his soveraigne power and dominion over us as our Maker Lord and Saviour Psal. 100.3 1 Cor. 6.19.20 but by a propertie growing out of our own voluntary consent whereby we surrender and yeeld and give up our selves unto God Rom. 6.19 2 Cor. 8.5 we are not onely his people but his willing people by the intervention of our own consent Psal. 110.3 We give him our hand as the expression is 2 Chron. 30.8 which is an allusion to the manner of Covenants or engagements Prov. 6.1.17 18. Ezek. 17.18 We offer up our selves as a free oblation Rom. 15 16. and are thereupon called a kind of first fruits Iam. 1.18 We are His as the wife is her Husbands Hos. 2.19 Ezek. 16.8 Now such an interest as this ever presupposeth a contract As in ancient forms of stipulation there was Asking and Answering Spondes Spondeo Promittis Promitto Dabis Dabo As in contract of Marriage the mutuall consent is asked and given Gen. 24.58 so it is here between God and the soul the covenant is mutuall Gen. 17.2 He promiseth mercie to be our exceeding great reward and we promise obedience to be his willing people and usually according as is the proportion of strength in our faith to beleeve Gods promises of mercy to us such is also the proportion of care in our obedience to perform our promises of duty unto him II. From our selves And here Covenants are needfull in two respects 1. In regard of the falsenes and deceitfulnes of our corrupt hearts in all spirituall duties The more cunning a Sophister is to evade an argument the more close and pressing we frame it The more vigilant a prisoner to make an escape the stronger guard we keep upon him Our hearts are exceeding apt to be false with God One while they melt into promises and Resolutions of obedience as Pharaoh and Israel did Psal. 78.34.37 and presently forget and harden again Lots wife goes out of Sodome for fear of the judgements but quickly looks back again out of love to the place or some other curiosity and distemper of minde Saul relents towards David and quickly after persecutes him again 1 Sam. 24.17.19 This is the true picture of mans Heart under a strong conviction or in a pang of devotion or in time either of sicknesse or some pressing affliction on the Rack in the furnace under the râ—d nothing then but vows of better obedience all which doe oftentimes dry sudenly away like a morning dew and whither away like Ionahs gourd Therefore both to accknowledge and prevent this miserable perfideousnesse of such Revolting Hearts it is very needfull to binde them unto God with renewed Covenants and since they are so apt with Ionah to runne away and start aside to neglect Nineveh and to flee to Tarssish necessary it is to find them out and to bring them home and as David did Psal. 57.7 to fix and fasten them to their businesse that they may not runne away any more 2. In regard of the naturall sluggishnesse which is in us unto dutie We are apt to faint and be weary when we meet with any unexpected difficulties in Gods service to esteeme the wildernesse as bad as Egypt to sit downe as Hagar did and cry to think that half way to heaven is farre enough and Almost a Christian progresse enough that baking on one side will make the cake good enough that God will accept of bankrupt-payment a noble in the pound part of our hearts and duties for all We must sometimes venture to leap the hedge for there is a Lion in the way Now to correct this Torpor this Acedia and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles calls it 1 Thess. 5.14 this pusilanimitie and faint-heartednesse in Gods service we must bind them on our selves with renewed Covenants and put to the more strength because of the bluntnesse of the Iron Eccles 10.10 A Covenant doth as it were twist the cords of the Law and double the precept upon the soul. When it is onely a precept then God alone commands it but when I have made it a promise then I command it and bind it upon my self The more feeble our hands and knees are the more care we should have to bind and strengthen them that we may lift them up speedily keep them straight Hebr. 12.12 13. and the way hereunto is to come to Davids resolution I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse Psal. 17.3 Emptie velleities wishings and wouldings will not keep weak faculties together Broken bones must have strong bands to close them fast again A crazie piece of building must be cramped with Iron barres to keep it from tottering So if we would indeed cleave to the Lord we must bring purposes of Heart and strong resolutions to enable us thereunto Act. 11.23 Cleaving will call for swearing Deut. 10.20 As it should be our prayer so also our purpose to have hearts united to fear Gods Name Psal. 86.11 whence the phrases of preparing fixing confirming establishing rooting grounding and other like so frequently occurring in the Scripture 2 Chron. 30.19 1 Chron. 29.18 Eph. 3.17 Heb. 13.9 Iam. 5.8 III. From our Brethren that by an holy Association and spirituall confederacy in heavenly resolutions every mans example may quicken his brother and so duties be performed with more vigour and fervencie and return with the greater blessings If fire be in an whole pile of wood every stick will burn the brighter the greenest wood that is will take fire in so generall a flame Men usually have more courage in the body of an Armie where concurrent shoutings and encouragements do as it were infuse mutuall spirits into one another then when they are alone by themselves David rejoyced in but recounting the companies and armies of Gods people when they went up to Jerusalem in their solemne feasts Psal. 84.7 And therefore most Covenants in Scripture were generall and publick solemnly entred into by a great body of people as that of Asa Iosiah and Nehemiah the forwardnesse of every man whetting the face of his neighbour Prov. 27.17 IV. From the multitudes strength vigilancie malice assiduous attempts of all our spirituall enemies which call upon us for the stronger and more united Resolutions For common adversaries usually gain more by our faintnesse and divisions then by their own strength Therefore Souldiers use to take an oath of fidelitie towards their Countrey and service And Hannibals Father made him take a solemn oath to maintain perpetuall Hostility with Rome Such an Oath have
know cannot void the Covenant which hee is bound to make and having made to keep but his Covenant doth exceedingly aggravate his ignorance 2 Some make many faire promises of obedience but it is on the Rack and in the furnace or as Schollers under the Rod. O if I might but recover this sicknesse or be eased of this affliction I would then be a new man and redeeme my mis-spent time And yet many of these like Pharaoh when they have any respite find out wayes to shift and elude their owne promises and like melted metall taken out of the furnace returne againe unto their former hardnesse So a good Divine observes of the people of this Land in the time of the great sweate in King Edwards dayes I wish we could find even so much in these dayes of calamitie which wee are fallen into as long as the heat of the plague lasted there was crying out peccavâ— Mercie good Lord mercy mercy Then Lords and Ladies and people of the best sort cried out to the Ministers for Gods sake tell us what shal we do to avoid the wrath of God Take these bags pay so much to such an one whom I deceived so much restore unto another whom in bargaining I over-reached give so much to the poore so much to pious uses c. But after the sicknesse was over they were just the same men as they were before Thus in time of trouble men are apt to make many prayers and Covenants to cry unto God Arise and save us Ier. 2.27 Deliver us this time Judg. 10.15 they iâ—quire early after God and flatter him with their lips and own him as their God and Rock of salvation and presently start aside like a deceitfull bowâ— As Austin notes that in times of calamitie the very Heathen would flock unto the Christian Churches to bee safe amongst them And when the Lord sent Lyons amongst the Samaritanes then they sent to inquire after the manner of his worship 2 King 17.25 26. Thus many mens Covenants are founded onely in Terrours of conscience They throw out their sins as a Merchant at Sea his rich commodities in a Tempest but in a calme wish for them againe Neither doe they throw away the property over them but onely the dangerous pâ—ssession of them This is not a full chearfull and voluntary action but onely a languid and inconstant velleitie Contrary to that largenesse of heart and sixed disposition which Christs own people bring unto his service as David and the Nobles of Israel offered willingly and with joy unto the Lord. 1 Chron. 29.17 3 Since a Covenant presupposeth a power in him that maketh it both over his own will and over the matter thing or Action which he promiseth so far as to be enabled to make the promise And since we of our selves have neither will nor deed no sufficiencie either to think or to perform Rom. 7.18 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 2.12 Wee hence learne in all the Covenants which we make not to do it in any confidence of our own strength or upon any selfe dependance on our own hearts which are false and deceitfull and may after a confident undertaking use us as Peters used him But still to have our eyes on the aid and help of Gods grace to use our Covenants as means the better to stir up Gods graces in us and our prayers unto him for further supplies of it As David I will keep thy statutes but then doe not thou forsake me Psal. 119.8 Our promises of duty must ever be supported by Gods promises of grace when we have undertaken to serve him we must remember to pray as Hezekiah did Lord I am weak do thou undertake for me Isa. 38.14 Our good works cannot come out of us till God do first of all work them in us Isa. 26.12 He must performe his promises of grace to us before we can ours of service unto him Nothing of ours can go to heaven except we first received it from heaven We are able to do nothing but in and by Christ which strengtheneth us Joh. 15.5 Phil. 4.13 So that every religious Covenant which we make hath indeed a double obligation in it An obligation to the duty promised that we may stir up our selves to performe it and an obligation unto prayer and recourse to God that he would furnish us with grace to performe it As hee that hath bound himselfe to pay a debt and hath no money of his own to do it is constrained to betake himselfe unto supplications that he may procure the money of some other friend Lastly the finall cause of a Covenant is to induce an Obligation where was none before or else to double and strengthen it where one was before to be Vinculum conservandae fidei a bond to preserve truth and fidelity Being subject unto many temptations and having backsliding and revolting hearts apt if they be not kept up to service to draw back from it therefore we use our selves as men do cowardly Souldiers set them there where they must fight and shall not be able to run away or fall off from service III. This should serve to Humble us upon a twofold consideration 1 For the falsenesse and unstedfastnesse of our Hearts which want such Covenants to binde them and as it were fasten them to the Altar with cords as men put locks and fetters upon wilde horses whom otherwise no inclosure would shut in Our Hearts as Iacob said of Reuben Gen. 49.4 are unstable as waters Moist bodies as water is non continentur suis terminis doe not set bounds to themselves as solid and compacted bodies do but shed all abroad if left to themselves the way to keepe them united and together is to put them into a close vessell so the heart of man can set it self no bounds but fals all asunder and out of frame 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostles expression is 1 Pet. 4.4 instar Aquae diffluentis Hebr. 2.1 if it be not fastned and bound together by such strong Resolutions Sometimes men either by the power of the word or by the sharpnesse of some affliction are quickned and enflamed unto pious purposes like green wood which blazeth while the bellowes are blowing and now they think they have their hearts sure and shall continue them in a good frame to morrow shall bee as this day But presently like an Instrument in change of weather they are out of tune again and like the Camelion presently change colour and as Chrysostome saith the Preacher of all workmen seldom findes his work as he left it Nothing but the grace of God doth ballance and establish the heart and holy Covenants are an ordinance or means which he hath pleased to sanctifie unto this purpose that by them as Instruments Grace as the principall cause might keep the Heart stedfast in duty If then Isaiah bewail the uncleannesse of his lips and Iob suspect the uncleannesse and wandering of his
after Ier. 30.17 Paul thought low thoughts of the world and the world thought as basely of him The world saith he is crucified unto me and I unto the world Gal. 6.14 Before conversion the world is an Egypt unto us a place of Bondage After Conversion It is a Wildernesse unto us a place of Emptinesse and Temptations Secondly the Backwardnesse of man towards grace we goe not to God till we are brought to extremities and all other Helpes faile us The poore Prodigall never thought of looking after a Father till he found himselfe in a fatherlesse condition and utterly destitute of all reliefe Luke 15.17 18. Thirdly the right disposition and preparation unto mercie which is to be an Orphan destitute of all selfe-confidence and broken off from all other comforts When the poore and needy seeketh water and there is none I the Lord will helpe him Isai. 41.17 God will repent for his people when he seeth that their power is gone Deut. 32.36 when there is dignus vindice nodus an extremity fitt for divine power to interpose Christ is set forth as a Physician which supposeth sicknesse as a fountaine which supposeth uncleanesse as meate which supposeth emptinesse as cloathing which supposeth nakednesse He never finds us till we are lost sheep when we have lost all then we are fit to follow him and not before Fourthly The Roots of true Repentance Nos pupilli Tu misericors The sence of want and emptinesse in our selves the apprehension of favour and mercy in God Conviction of sinne in us and of righteousnesse in him Iohn 16.9 10. Of crookednesse in us and of glory in him Isay. 40.4 5. Hereby roome is made for the entertainment of mercy where sinne abouds grace will more abound and the more the soule findes it selfe exceeding miserable the more will the mercy of God appeare exceeding mercifull Rom. 5.20 and hereby God sheweth his wisedome in the seasonable dispencing of mercy then when we are in greatest extremity As fire is hottest in the coldest weather God delights to be seene in the mount at the grave to have his way in the sea and his paths in the deepe waters Mercies are never so sweet as when they are seasonable and never so seasonable as in the very turning and criticall point when miserie weighs down and nothing but mercie turns the scale This teacheth us how to fit our selves for the mercy of God namely to finde our selves destitute of all inward or outward comfort and to seek for â—tonely there Beggers doe not put on Scarlet but ragges to prevaile with men for reliefe As Benhadad servants put on Ropes when they would beg mercy of the King of Israel In a shipwrack a man will not load him with money chaines treasure rich apparell but commit himselfe to the Sea naked and esteeme it mercy enough to have Tabulam post naufragium one poore plank to carry him to the shore It is not exaltation enough unto Ioseph except hee be taken out of a prison unto honour Secondly we should not be broken with diffidence or distrust in times of trouble but remember it is the condition of the Church to be an Orphâ—n It is the way whereby Moses became to be the son of Pharaohs daughter when his owne Parents durst not owne him the mercy of a Prince found him out to advance him and when he was nearest unto perishing he was nearest unto honour In the civill Law we finde provision made for such as were cast out and exposed to the wide world some Hospitals to entertaine them some liberties to comfort and compensate their trouble And a like care we finde in Christ The Jewes had no sooner cast the man that was borne blinde out whose Parents durst not be seen in his cause for feare of the like usage but the mercy of Christ presently found him and bestowed comfort upon him Iohn 9.35 This is the true David unto whom all helplesse persons that are in distresse in debt in bitternesse of soul may resort and finde entertainment 1 Sam. 22.2 Lastly we should learne to behave our selves as Pupils under such a Guardian to be sensible of our infancy minority disability to order or direct our owne waies and so deny our selves and not leane on our owne wisedom to be sensible how this condition exposeth us to the injuries of strangers for because we are called out of the world therefore the world hateth us and so to be vigilant over our waies and not trust our selves alone in the hands of temptation nor wander from our Guardian but alwaies to yeeld unto his wisdome and guidance Lastly to comfort our selves in this that while we are in our minority we are under the mercy of a father A mercy of Conservation by his providence giving us all good things richly to enjoy even all things necessary unto life and godlinesse A mercy of protection defending us by his power from all evill A mercy of Education and instruction teaching us by his Word and Spirit A mercy of Communion many waies familiarly conversing with us and manifesting himselfe unto us A mercy of guidance and government by the laws of his family A mercy of discipline sitting us by fatherly chastisements for those further honours and imployments he will advance us unto and when our minority is over we once are come to a perfect man we shall then be actually admitted unto that inheritance immortall invisible and that fadeth not away which the same mercy at first purchased and now prepareth and reserveth for us Now it followeth Verse 4. I will heale their back-sliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him In the former words we have considered both Israels Petition in time of trouble and the Promise and Covenant which thereupon they binde themselves in In these and the consequent words unto the end of the 8. verse we have the gracious answer of God to both promising â—oth in his free love to grant their petition and by his frâ—e grace to enable them unto the performance of the Covenant which they had made The Petition consisted of two parts 1. That God would take away all iniquity 2 That he would doe them good or receive them graciously To both these God giveth them a full and a gracious answer 1. That he will take away all iniquitie by Healing their back-sliding 2 That he would doe them good and heape all manner of blâ—ssings upon them which are expressed by the various metaphors of fruitfulnesse opposite to the contrary exprâ—ssions of judgement in former parts of the prophecie I will heale their back sliding This is one of the names by which God is pleased to make himsele knowne unto his people I am the Lord that healeth thee Exod. 15.26 and returne O Back-sliding children and I will heale your back-slidings Jer. 3.22 Now God Healeth sin four manner of waies First By a gratious Pardon burying covering not imputing them unto us So it
prayers of his people as he did the seed of Isaac Gen. 26.12 with an hundred fold encrease As Gods word never returns empty unto him so the prayers of his servants never return empty unto them and usually the câ—op of prayer is greater then the seed out of which it grew as the putting in of a little water into a Pumpe makes way to the drawing out of a great deale more Isaac and Rebecca had lived twentie yeares together without any children and he grew now in yeares for he was forty yeares old before hee married hereupon he solemnly prayes to God in behalfe of his Wife because shee was barren and God gave him more then it is probable hee expected for hee gave him two Sonnes at a birth Gen. 25.21 22. As the cloud which riseth out of the earth many times in thinne and insensible vapours falleth downe in great and abundant showres so our prayers which ascend weak and narrow returne with a full and enlarged answer God deales in this point with his children as Ioseph did with his brethren in Egypt he did not only put corne into their Sacks but returned the money which they brought to purchase it Gen. 42.25 So he dealt with Solomon he did not onely give him wisdome and gifts of government which he asked but further gave him both riches and honour which he asked not 1 King 3.13 The people of Israel when they were distressed by the Ammonites besought the Lord for help he turnes backe their prayers and sends them to their Idols to help them they humble themselves and put away their Idols and pray againe and the highest pitch that their petitions mounted unto was Lord Wee have sinned doe unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee onely deliver us we pray thee this day Iudg. 10.15 and God did answer this prayer beyond the câ—â—tents of it hee did not onely deliver them from the Enemy and so save them but subdued the Enemy under them and delivered him into their hands he did not only give them the relief they desired but a glorious victory beyond their desires Iudg. 11.22 God deales with his servants ar the Prophet did with the woman of Shunem when he bid her ask what she needed and tell him what she would have him doe for the kindnesse she had done to him and she found not any thing to request at his hands he sends for her again and makes her a free promise of that which shee most wanted and desired and tells her that God would give her a sonne 2 Kings 4.16 So many times God is pleased to give his servants such things as they forget to ask or gives them the things which they aske in a fuller measure then their owne desires durst to propose them David in his troubles asked life of God and would have esteemed it a great mercy onely to have beene delivered from the feare of his Enemies and God doth not onely answer him according to the desire of his heart in that particular and above it too for he gave him length of dayes for ever and ever but further setled the Crowne upon his head and added honour and majesty unto his life Psal. 21.2 3 4 5. And the Reasons hereof are principally two 1 We beg of God according to the sense and knowledge which we have of our owne wants and according to the measure of that Love which we beare unto our selves The greater our love is to our selves the more active and importunate will our petitions be for such good things as we need But God answers prayers according to his knowledge of us and according to the Love which hee beareth unto us Now God knowes what things we want much better then we doe our selves and he loves our souls much better then we love them our selves and therefore he gives us more and better things then our own prayers know how to ask of him A little childe will beg none but trifles and meane things of his father because he hath not understanding to looke higher or to value things that are more excellent but his father knowing better what is good for him bestowes on him education traines him unto learning and vertue that he may be fit to manage and enjoy that inheritance which he provides for him so wee know not what to aske as we ought Rem 8.26 and when we do know our spirits are much straitned we have but a finite narrow love unto our selves But Gods knowledge is infinite and his love is infinite and according unto these are the distributions of his mercy Even the Apostle himselfe when he was in affliction and buffetted by the messenger of Satan and vexed with a thorn in his flesh besought the Lord for nothing but that it might depart from him but God had a farre better answer in store to the Apostles prayer and purposed to do more for him then he desired namely to give him a sufficiency of grace to support him and to magnify his strength in the infirmitie of his servant 2 Cor. 12.9 When the Prophet had encouraged men to seek the Lord and to turne unto him and that upon this assurance that he will not only heare petitions for mercy and forgivenesse but will multiply to pardon that is will pardon more sinnes then we can confesse for with him there is not only mercy but Plenteous redemption Psal. 130.7 he further strengthneth our faith and encourageth our obedience unto this duty by the consideration of the thoughts of God to wit his thoughts of love mercy and peace towards us My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are wâ— wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Esa. 55.7.8.9 He can pardon beyond our petitions because his thoughts of mercy towards us are beyond our apprehensions See the like place Ier. 29.10 11 12. 2 God answers prayers not alwayes with respect to the narrow compasse of our weak desires but with respect to his owne honour and to the declaration of his own greatnesse for he promiseth to beare us that wee may glorifie him Psalme 50.15 Therefore he is pleased to exceed our petitions and to do for us abundantly above what we ask or think that our hearts may be more abundantly enlarged and our mouthes wide opened in rendring honour unto him When Perillus a favorite of Alexander begged of him a portion for his daughters the King appointed that fifty Talents should be given unto him he answered that ten would be sufficient the King replied that tenne were enough for Perillus to ask but not enough for Alexander to grant So God is pleased many times to give more then we ask that we may look upon it not only as an Act of mercy but as an act of honour and to teach us in all our prayers to move God as well by his glory as by his mercy So Moses
answers him farre beyond his petition assuring him that the same very day he should be with him in Paradise Luk. 23.42 43. The poore man at the gate of the Temple beg'd for nothing of Peter and Iohn but a small alms but they gave him an answer to his request far more worth then any other alms could be namely such an alms as caused him to stand in need of alms no longer restored him in the name of Christ unto sound strength that he walked and leaped and praised God Act. 3.6 In like manner doth God answer the prayers of his people not alwayes it may be in the kinde and to the expresse will of him that asketh but for the letâ—er and consequently more to his will then himself expressed Secondly This should encourage us in prayer to begge for an answer not according to the defect and narrownesse of our owâ— lowe conceptions but according to the fulnesse of Gods own abundant mercies It would not please one of us if a beggar should ask of us gold or jewels silke or dainties wee would esteeme such a petitioner fuller of pride and impudence then of want But God delights to have his people begge great things of him to implore the performance of exceeding great and precious promises 2 Pet. 1. â— to pâ—â—y for a share in the unsearchable riches of Christ to know things which passe knowledge and to be filled with the â—ulnesse of God Ephes. 3.8 18 16 to ask things which eye hath not seen nor eâ—re heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive 1 Cor. 2.9 to ask not as beggers onely for an Almes but as children for an inheritance Rom. 8.15 17 â—3 Gal. 4.6 7. not to ask some thing or a few things but in every thing to lâ—t our requests be made known unto God Phil. 4.6 because with Christ he giveth us freely all things Rom. 8 3â— even all things richly to enjoy 1 Tim. 6. â—7 As Alexander the Great was well pleased with Anaxarchus the Philosopher when he desired an hundred talents of his Treasurer He doth well sâ—ith he in asking it and understands his friend aright who hath one both able and willing to give him so great a gift God allows his children a spirituall and heavenly ambition to covet earnestly the best gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 to aspire unto a kingdome and accordingly to put up great and honourable requests unto him To think what great things Christ hath purchased what great things God hath promised and proposed to us and to regulate our prayers more by the merits and riches of Christ and by the greatnesse of Gods mercies then by those apprehensions which we cannot but have of our own unworthinesse Now next from the particulars of the Text thoguh many particular observations might be raised yet I shall reduce them unto one generall which may comprehend the particulars namely That whom God loves and pardons upon them he powreth forth the benediction of his grace and spirit as the dew of heaven to quicken them unto an holy and fruitfull conversation The generall promises nakedly set down before I will heale I will love are here further amplified by many excellent metaphors and elegant figures which are nine in number multiplyed into so many particulars partly because of the difficulty of the promise to be believed which is therefore severally inculcated and represented Partly because of the dejectednesse of the people under the variety of their former sufferings who are therefore by variety of mercies to be raised up and revived and partly to represent the perfection and compleatnesse of the blessings intended which should be of all sorts and to all purposes and the foundation of all the rest is this that God promiseth to be as the dew unto Israel For Ephraim having been cursed with much drouth and barrennesse now when God blesseth him again he promiseth to be unto him as dew is to the weary and thirsty ground which so refresheth it that the fruits thereof doe grow and flourish againe Lillies flowers trees vines corne are very apt especially in such hot Countreys as Iudea without much refrewing dew and showres from heaven to dry up and wither away so would Ephraim have been quite consumed by the heavie wrath of God if he should not with the supplies of his grace and holy spirit and with his heavenly refreshments and loving countenance revive them againe Dew in the naturall signification of it importeth a comforting refreshing encouraging and calling forth the fruits of the earth as being of a gentle insinuating vertue which leasurely soaketh into the ground and in that sense is mentioned as a blessing Gen. 28.39 In the mysticall and spirituall sense of it it signifieth Christ Psal. 72.6 who by his holy word and heavenly grace dropping down and distilling upon the souls of men Deut. 32.2 Iob 29.22 23. by his princely favour and loving countenance which is as a cloud of the latter rain Prov. 16.15.19 12. by his heavenly righteousnesse and most spirituall efficacy Isa. 26.19.45.8 doth to quicken vegitate and revive the hearts of men that they like dew from the womb of the morning are borne in great abundance unto him as multitudes of men and believers use to be expressed in the Scripture by drops of dew Psal. 110.3 Mich. 5.7 In one word That which dew is to the fields gâ—rdens vineyards flowers fruits of the earth after an hot and a scorching day That the favour word grace loving countenance holy Spirit of Christ will be to the drooping and afflicted consciences of his people From this metaphor then we learn 1. That we are naturally dry barren fruitlesse and utterly unable to do any good to bring forth any fruit unto God like an heathy and parched lâ—nd subject to the scorching terrors of the wrath of God and to his burning indignation So Christ compares Ierusalem unto a dry withered tree fitted unto judgement Luk. 23.31 And hee assureth us that out of him we can do nothing Iohn 15.4.5 In us of our selves there dwelleth nâ— good thing Rom. 7.18 we are not of our selves as of our selves sufficient unto any thing 2 Cor. 3.5 He is the Sun that healeth us Mal. 4.2 he the rain that disposeth us Psal. 72.6 he the root that deriveth life and nourishment upon us Revel 22.16 As naturall so much more spirituall fruitfulnesse hath its ultimate resolution into him who alone is the father of the raine and begetteth the drops of dew Hos. 2.21.22 Iob. 38.28 2. That the grace of God is like dew to the barren and parched hearts of men to make them fruitfull And there are many things wherein the proportion and resemblance stands First None can give it but God It comes from above it is of a celestiall originall the nativity thereof is from the wombe of the morning Are there any amongst the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause raine or can the heavens give showres Art not thou he
managing the lusts of the eyes unto the ends of gaine sensuall managing the lusts of the flesh unto ends of pleasure and divellish managing the pride of life unto ends of power But such wisedome as this God esteemes very foolishnesse My people are foolish sottish children they have no understanding Why They are wise to do evill but to do good they have no knowledge Ier. 4.22 Wisedome is onely unto that which is good he is the wisest man who is simple and ignorâ—nt in the trade of evill Rom. 16.19 If any man amongst you seemeth to bee wise in this world let him become a foole that hee may be wise 1 Corinth 3.18 On the other side the true and ultimate end of righteous men is Almighty God as most glorious in himselfe and most good unto us or the seeking of his glory that he may be honoured by us and of our own salvation that wee may bee glorified by him The fruition of him as the highest and first in genere veri and the greatest and last in genere boni the chiefest object for the minde to rest in by knowledge and the heart by love this must needs be the best of all ends both in regard of the excellency of it as being infinitely and most absolutely good and in regard of eternitie so that the soul having once the possession of it can never be to seek of that happinesse which floweth from it Ioh. 6.27 28. The proper meanes for the obtaining of this end is the knowledge of God in Christ as in his Word he hath revealed himself to be known worshipped and obeyed for there onely doth he teach us the way unto himself and true wisdome is the pursuing of this meanes in order unto that end For though many approaches may be made towards God by the search and contemplation of the creature yet in his word he hath shewed us a more full and excellent way which onely can make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Iesus 2 Tim. 3.15 Prov. 9.10 Eccles. 12.12 13. Ier. 9.23 24. All the thoughts and wisdome of men is spent upon one of these two heads either the obtaining of the good which we want or the avoiding and declining the evill which we feare And by how much the more excellent and difficult the good is which we want and by how much the more pernicious and imminent the evill is which we feare by so much greater is the wisedome which in both these procures the end at which we ayme Now then what are the most excellent good things which we want food is common to us with other creatures Raiment houses lands possessions common to us with the worst men take the most admired perfections which are not heavenly and we may finde very wicked men excell in them All men will confesse the soule to be more excellent then the body and therefore the good of that to be more excellent then of the other and the chiefe good of it to be that which doth most advance it towards the fountaine of goodnesse where is fulnesse of perfection and perpetuity of fruition The excellency of every thing standeth in two things The perfection of beauty wherein it was made and the perfection of use for which it was made The beauty of man especially in his soule consists in this that he was made like to God after his Image Gen. 1.26 27. and his end and use in this that he was made for God first to serve him and after to enjoy him for the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himselfe Psal. 4.3 This people have I formed for my selfe they shall shew forth my praise Isa. 43.21 Therefore to recoveâ— the Image of God which is in knowledge righteousnesse and true holinesse Colâ—s 3.10 Epâ—es â— 24 to work to the service and glory of God Ioh. 1â— 8 to aspire and to enjoy the possession and fruition of God Exod. 33.18 Phil. 1.23 must needs bee mans greatest good and by consequence to attend on the meanes hereof must needs bee his greatest wisedome What is the most pernicious and destructive evill which a man is in danger of not the losse of any outward good things whatsoever for they are all in their nature perishable we enjoy them upon these conditions to part with them again no wisedome can keep them Meat for the belly and the belly for meats but God shall destroy both it and them 1 Cor. 6.13 Not the suffering of any outward troubles which the best of men have suffered and triumphed over But the greatest losse is the losse of a precious soul which is more worth then all the world Matth. 16.26 and the greatest suffering is the wrath of God upon the conscience Psal. 90.11 Isa. 33.14 Heb. 10.31 Matth. 10.28 Therefore to avoid this danger and to snatch this darling from the paw of the Lion is of all other the greatest wisdome It is wisdome to deliver a City Eccles. 9.15 much more to deliver a soul Prov. 11.30 Angelicall Seraphicall knowledge without this is all worth nothing 1 Cor. 13.1 2. Therefore we should learn to shew our selves wise indeed by attendance on Gods Word If the most glorious creatures for wisdom and knowledge that ever God made the blessed Angels were employed in publishing the Law of God Act. 7.53 Gal. 3.19 and did with great admiration look into the mysteries of the Gospel and stoope down with their faces towards the mercy Seat 1 Pet. 1.12 Eph. 3.10 Exod. 37.9 it cannot but be also our chiefest wisdome to hide the world in our hearts and to make it our companion and Councellor as David did Psal. 119.24 We esteeme him the wisest man who followeth the best and safest Counsell and that which will most preserve and promote his interest his honour and his conscience Herein was Rehoboams weaknesse that by passionate and temeratious Counsels he suffered his honour to be stained his interest to be weakned and his conscience to be defiled with resolutions of violence and injustice Now there is no counsell to that of Gods Word It illightneth the eyes it maketh wise the simple Psal. 19.7 8. It is able to make a man wise for himselfe and unto salvation which no other counsell can do 2 Tim. 3.15 16. there is no case that can be put though of never so great intricacie and perplexity no doubt so difficult no temptation so knotty and involv'd no condition whereinto a man can be brought so desperate no imployment so darke and uncouth no service so arduous or full of discouragements in all which so farre as respecteth conscience and salvation there are not most clear and satisfactory expedients to be drawn out of Gods Word if a man have his judgement and senses after a spirituall manner exercised in the searching of it That we are so often at a stand how to state such a question how to satisfie such a scruple how to cleare and expedite