lose it shall lose it when he would save it Fear not troubles because he sleeps not that preserves thee but fear sin because he sleeps not that observes thee Account it a greater mercy in all the sinfull agitations of these times that God hath kept thee from being an actor then a misery that God hath made thee a sufferer 3. Obs 3. Psal 37. Psal 91. The people of God are never unsafe If the Lord be the Watchman what though it be an estate a life nay a soul that is the City we should not fear the losse of it The meanest of the people of God stir not out without their life-guard Agnoscit se justè dedisse stultae securitatis poenam est etiam filiis Dei pia securitas Calv. inloc Psal 30.6 1 Pet. 4.19 1 Pet. 2.23 if they wanted there 's not a creature in heaven or earth but would take their part they are the hidden the secret the preserved ones Security is not so great a sin as distrust our Friend being much more able to help then our Foes to hurt What one said sinfully every child of God may say holily I shall never be moved We must commit our selves to God in wel-doing Christ though he committed himself not to man knowing what was in man yet himself living and dying he committed to his Father we do quite contrary Finde out the danger in which God cannot or the time when God did not or the Saint for to him I speak that God hath not kept and then distrust him Say not If worse times yet come what shall I do to be kept Will not he that provided a City of refuge for those that kil'd men finde out a City of refuge for thee when men labour to kil thee for God Hath God so many chambers so many mansions in his house John 14.2 so many hiding places upon the earth his with the fulnesse of it in the earth in heaven and shall his children be shut out Thy work is not to be solicitous how to be kept but how to be fit to be kept labour to be alway in wel-doing then who will harm thee Keep faith and a good conscience keep never a sin allowedly in thy soul do thy part and let God alone with his but this is our busie sinfulnesse we will needs be doing of Gods work and neglect our own 4. Obs 4. A strong engagement lies upon Gods people to endeavour the preservation of Gods honour 'T is true in this case Protection draws allegeance If he be a wall of fire to us our souls and bodies let not us be a rotten hedge when we should defend his Name Servants Ordinances if he be a tower let not us be a tottering wall Let us labour to say Lord he that toucheth thine honour toucheth the apple of mine eye If we look that God should keep us in our we must maintain his cause in its danger 5. Obs 5. The gain-sayers of perseverance are deceived Their doctrine most cleerly as hath been proved opposeth Scripture and most incurably wounds a Christians comfort What joy can we have that our names are written in the book of life if again they may be blotted out The life of our mortall life is the hope of an immortall but how unsteddy a foundation of hope is the stedfastness of our wils nay thus faiths foundation is overturn'd 't is this He that beleeves shall be saved but this opinion saith Some that beleeve shall not be saved for it maintains that some who truly beleeve do not persevere and those which do not persevere shall not be saved it makes the decree of God to depend upon mans most uncertain will Arminians say that beleevers shall persevere if they be not wanting to themselves if they alwayes will persevere But what is this but to say Beleevers shall persevere if they persevere for alwayes to will to persevere and to persevere are all one It s a prodigious errour to hold that God works nothing in us for perseverance the effectuall use whereof depends not upon mans free-will God gives saith an Arminian to persevere if we will but God gives say We †Nobis qui verè Christo insiti sumus talis data est gratia ut non solùm possimus si velimus sed etiam ut velimus in Christo perseverare Aug. de Cor. gra c. 11. 12. Non solùm ut sine isto dono perseverantes esse non possint verum etiam ut per hoc donum non nisi perseverantes sint to will to persevere And how can we pray to God for perseverance the condition wherof depends upon mans will and not upon Gods working Christ promiseth Joh. 14.16 to pray the Father to give his disciples his Spirit which shall abide with them for ever now the cause of the abiding of the Spirit for ever with them is not their will to have the Spirit abide in them but the abiding of the Spirit was the cause of their willingnesse I conclude According to this Arminian errour of falling from grace its possibe that there may not be one elect person for if one finally fall away why may not another and by the same reason why not all and then where 's the Church and to what end is the death of Christ Lastly He that will approve himself a true Obs 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Roh l. 2. c. 21. must shew himself a stedfast Christian All the sanctified are preserved Instability is an argument of insincerity He was never a true friend that ever ceaseth to be a friend What hath levity to do with eternity an inconstant Christian with an eternall reward Not he that cometh first in this race of Christianity is crowned but he that holdeth out to the last All that which is done of any thing is held as nothing as long as any thing remaineth to be done If any one draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10.38 A thatch'd roof sutes not a precious foundation nor a wicked conclusion beautifull beginnings of Christianity Within a while all possibilities of falling will be removed one stile or two more and thou art haply at thy fathers house Difficilius saepiùs inchoare quà m semel perseverare the longer thou continuest the sweeter will be the wayes of God It s harder often to begin then once to persevere Take heed of falling from thy stedfastnesse God preserves us but we our selves must not be negligent Get a sound expecience of the truth thou professest tasting the sweetnesse as well as hearing of its sweetnesse Follow not Religion as some hounds do the game onely for company Love the truth for single not sinister respects Let Christ be sweet for himself Tremble at the very beginnings of sin look upon no sin as light keep a tender conscience as our apparel so our consciences when spotted become neglected Apostacy hath modest beginnings the thickest ice that
This is the mercy of that day crowning mercy 3. For the properties of Gods mercy 1. It s full 2. It s free 1. It s a full and unmeasurable mercy the unmeasurablenesse whereof is set forth 1. More generally when God is said to be plenteous in mercy Psal 86.5 1 Pet. 1.3 Ephes 2.4 Psal 108.4 Psal 51.1 Neh. 9.19 Psal 103.11 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 145.9 Psal 33.5 Matt. 5.15 abundant rich in mercy his mercy great above the heavens his mercies unsearchable high as the heaven is from the earth multitudes of tender mercies 2. More particularly the unmeasurableness of his mercy is set forth 1. In that there is no creature in heaven or earth but tasteth of it His mercies are over all his works the very dumb creatures speak him mercifull The whole earth is full of his goodnesse he preserveth man and beast nay his enemies 2. In that resemblances to set forth his mercy are taken from the most tender-hearted creatures Hos 11.4 he drawes with the cords of a man He pitieth as a father nay more then the most tender-hearted mother doth her sucking-childe he gathereth people as a hen doth her chickens He hath bowels of mercy Isa 49.15 Jer. 31.20 Luke 1.78 and such as sound and therefore his mercy pleaseth him he delights to shew mercy he forgets not his mercy 3. He is the fountain of the mercy and mercifulnesse in all the creatures in the world toward one another the mercies of all parents to their children of every mother to her little ones of every Christian of every tender-hearted person of every beast and foul to their young ones are but drops that come from the sea of Gods mercy he is the Father of mercies 2 Cor. 1.3 4. He can deliver from every misery Bread takes away hunger drink thirst clothes nakedness knowledge ignorance but no creature can take away every misery Phil. 4.19 2 Cor. 1.3 Psal 23.1 Psal 34.10 wheras God is the God of all comfort he supplyes all our wants comforts in every trouble he hath a plaister for every sore is a Physician for every disease inward and outward and so merciful is he that in the very not removing of miseries he is mercifull Were it not for trouble how should corruption be kill'd holinesse encreased 1 Cor. 11.32 Heb. 12.10 heaven be sweet eternal crowns and triumphs be injoyed 4. He is merciful to his enemies ful of patience and forbearance expecting their return many yeers together giving them rain and fruitful seasons Acts 14.17 Mat. 5.15 filling their hearts with gladness notwithstanding they sin and fight against him with all his goodnesse yea so merciful is he that in their greatest enmity to him Rom. 5.10 he hath often done them the greatest good changing their hearts and making them his friends 6. He bestows mercy with greatest frequency and reiteration he hath many manifold mercies Psal 51.1 Psal 40.5 mercies for thousands more than can be exprest innumerable are the sins of one man how innumerable the sins of the whole world how numberless then are those mercies of forbearance expressed every time sin is committed there being so many millions of sinners every one committing so many millions of sins innumerable are the morsels of food drops of drink the motions deliverances provisions received by one man what then are those received by a whole world and every such expression is a mercy 7. The mercy of God is eternall 1 King 8 2◠and therefore immeasurable he keepeth mercy for ever he will not take away his mercy from his servants Psal 89.2 Psal 23. ult Psal 103.17 Psal 136 it shall follow them all the dayes of their life his mercy shall be built up for ever It endureth for ever 't is from everlasting to everlasting He may hide his face for a moment though that is but according to our thinking but with everlasting mercies will he receive us Isa 54.7 10 The hils may be removed and the mountains may depart but Gods covenant of peace shall not be removed God never repented himself of bestowing his best mercies 8. Gods Mercy is so immeasurable that to help us out of our miseries he that was God sustained them himself It had been mercy to have help'd us by speaking comfortably to us more to have help'd us by the bounty of his hand but to help us out of misery by bearing our miseries by coming to man by becoming of man by suffering so much paine hunger ignominy griefs wounds nay death for man Oh immeasurable mercy Oh my soul acknowledge thine insufficiency either to conceive or requite it 2. The Mercy of God is not only full but free without desert on our parts We deserve no healing from his mercy unlesse by being sore and sick no riches from mercy unlesse by our poverty no deliverance from mercy unlesse by being captives no pardon from mercy unlesse by being guilty no preservation from mercy unlesse by being in danger no mercy unlesse by being miserable God is not tyed to one man more than another he hath mercy on whom he will he hath mercy on the beggar as well as the King on the Barbarian as well as the Grecian the bond Eph. 1.5 6 Rom. 11.5 2 Tim. 1.9 Phil. 1.29 Rom. 3.24 Phil. 2.13 Rom. 6.23 〈◊〉 43.25 as well as the free the Jew as well as the Gentile Election is the election of grace Vocatiou is according to grace Faith is said to be given Justification is freely by Gods grace every good motion is of Gods working Life eternal is Gods gift the putting away of every sin is for his own sake God is mercifull because he will be so his arguments of mercy are drawn from his own pleasure What can our works deserve that are not ours but his working that are all due to him if a thousand times more and better that are all maimed and imperfect Luke 17.10 1 Cor. 4.7 Rom. 11.35 Rom. 8.18 that are all vitious and polluted that are all unequall to the recompence This for the explication of the first benefit which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians Mercy 2. The Observations follow 1. Obs 1. How unbeseeming a sin is pride in any that live upon Mercy Mercy our highest happinesse calls loudest for a lowly heart He that lives upon the alms of Mercy must put on humility the cloth of an Alms-man Renounce thy self and thine own worthinesse both in thy receiving and expecting blessings 1. In receiving them If thou hast spiritual blessings Mercy found thee a bundle of miseries a sinner by birth Ephes 2.1 a sinner in life deserving to be a sufferer for both without grace nay against it by thy birth a poor out-cast Ezek. 16.22 in thy blood as naked of grace as of clothes The Apostle therefore speaks of putting on the graces of the Spirit Col. 3.12 Job 1.21 1 Chro. 22.16 Gen. 24.35 Gen. 33.5 11 the spots
salvation 4. 2 Pet. 3. Obs 4. Great is the hainousnesse of sin that can provoke a God of much mercy to expresse much severity That drop of gall must needs be bitter that can imbitter a sea of honey How offensive is sin that can provoke a God to whose ocean of pity the sea is but a drop Ephraim saith the Prophet provoked God to anger most bitterly Hos 12.14 or with bitternesses God afflicts not willingly he gives honey naturally but stings not til provoked Every sufferer coyns his own calamities There is no arrow of judgment which falls down upon us but was first in sinning shot upwards by us no showr of miseries that rains down but was caused by the ascent of the vapours of sin no print of calamity upon the earth but sin was the stamp that made it What a folly is it in our sufferings to be impatient against God and to be patient towards sin to be angry with the medicine and in love with the disease Let us justifie God in all our sufferings and condemn our selves God commands that if a man were found dead the City that by measure was found to be neerest to the place where he was found Deut. 21.2 should offer up a sacrifice In all our deaths and woes would we measure impartially we should finde sin neerest let us sacrifice it 5. Obs 5. It should be our care to obtain the best and choycest of mercies God hath mercies of all sorts wicked men are easily put off with the meanest their enquiry is Who will shew them any good But O Christian let nothing please thee but the light of Gods countenance so receive from God as that thou thy self mayst be received to God Desire not gifts but mercies from God not pibbles but pearls Labour for that which God alwayes gives in love There may be angry smiles in Gods face and wrathful gifts in his hand the best worldly gift may be given in anger Luther having a rich present sent him profess'd with a holy boldnesse to God That such things should not serve his turn A favourite of the King of heaven rather desires his favour than his preferment We use to say when we are buying for the body that the best is best cheap and is the worst good enough for the soul The body is a bold beggar and thou givest it much the soul is a modest beggar asketh but little and thou givest it less O desire from God that thy portion may not he in this life Psal 17.14 that what thou hast in the world may be a pledg of better hereafter that these things may not bewitch thee from but admonish thee what is in Christ The ground of Pauls thanks-giving was Ephes 1.3 that God had blessed the Ephesians with spirituall blessings in Christ. 6. Obs 6. How little should any that have this God of mercy for theirs be dismayd with any misery Blessed are those tears which so merciful a hand wipes off happy twigs that are guided by so indulgent a father Psal 25.10 All his severest wayes are mercy and truth to those in covenant if he smiles 't is in mercy if he smites 't is in mercy he wounds not to kill thee but sin in thee the wounds of mercy are betthan the embraces of anger if sicknesse poverty dishonour be in mercy why dost thou shrink at them Wrath in prosperity is dreadfull but Mercy makes adversity comfortable It s the anger of God which is the misery of every misery Peter at the first was not willing that Christ should wash his feet but when he saw Christs mercifull intent therein feet and hands and head are all offered to be wash'd A child of God when he sees the steps of a father should be willing to bear the stripes of a child God will not consume us but onely try us He afflicts not for his pleasure but for our profit Heb. 12.10 Psal 89. God visits with rods yet not with wrath He takes not away his loving-kindnesse Mercy makes the sufferings of Gods people but notions It would do one good to be in troubles and enjoy God in them to be sick and lye in his bosome God gives a thousand mercies to his people in every trouble and for every trouble He burdens us but it is according to our strength the strokes of his flail are proportioned to the hardnesse of the grain Is◠28.27 and merciful shall be the end of all our miseries There 's no wildernesse but shall end in Canaan no water but shall be turn'd into wine no lions carcass but shall be a hive of honey and produce a swarm of mercies The time we spend in labouring that miseries may not come would be spent more profitably in labouring to have them mixt with mercy nay turned into mercies when they come What a life-recalling cordial is the apprehension of this mercy of God to a fainting soul under the pressure of sin Mercy having provided a satisfaction and accepted it nay which is more it beseeching the sinner to beleeve and apply it That fountain of mercy which is in God having now found a conveyance for it self to the soul even Jesus Christ through whom such overflowing streams are derived unto us as are able to drown the mountains of our sins even as easily as the ocean can swallow up a pibble O fainting soul trust in this mercy Psal 33.18 and 147.11 If the Lord takes pleasure in those that hope in his mercy should not we take pleasure to hope in it Mercy is the onely thing in the world more large than sin It s easie to presume Exod. 34.7 Psal 77.7 but hard to lay hold upon mercy Oh beg that since there is an infinite fulnesse in the gift and a freenesse in the giver there be a forwardnesse in the receiver 7. Obs 7. It s our duty and dignity to imitate God in shewing mercy Obs 7. 1 Pet. 3.8 Matth. 5.45 Luke 6.36 Col. 3.12 Rom. 12.15 Plus est aliquando compati quà m dare nam qui exteriora largitur rem extra se positam tribuit qui compassionem aliquid sui-ipsius dat Gr. Mor. 20. A grace frequently commanded and encouraged in the Scripture Mercy we want and mercy we must impart As long as our fellow-members are pained we must never be at ease When we suffer not from the enemies of Christ by persecution we must suffer from the friends of Christ by compassion When two strings of an instrument are tuned one to the other if the one be struck upon and stirred the other will move and tremble also The people of God should be so harmonious that if one suffer and be struck the other should be moved and sympathize Jer. 9.1 Luke 19.41 2 Cor. 11.29 Holy men have every been tender-hearted Grace not drying up but diverting the streams of our affections Christ was mercy covered over with flesh and blood his words his works
written in heaven alone pacifie the heart This peace is upheld by the promises of God not of men by Scripture not Politick props The Father of Spirits is onely the Physician of Spirits Thus the Jewel of Peace is rare obtained but by a few the faithfull and regarded laid up in the Casket of the heart There 's the subject of it 3. The excellency of this peace appeares in it'â— effects 1 It most disturbes sin when it quiets the soul most A pacified conscience is pure The soule at the same time time tasteth and feareth the goodness of God the Sun of mercy thawes the heart into teares for sin Hos 3.5 Peace with God increaseth feare of transgression as it diminisheth fear of damnation making us who formerly feared because we sinned now to fear lest we should sin If mercy be apprehended sin will be hated spirituall joy causeth godly grief As God is wont to speak peace to the soul that truly mourns for sin so the soul desires most to mourn for sin when God speaks peace unto it The pardoned traytor if he have any ingenuity most grieves for offending a gracious Prince Godly peace doth at the same time bannish slavish horror and cause filial fear Besides the more quietnesse we apprehend in enjoying God the more are we displeased with that trouble-heart sin 2. Another effect of this peace is activenesse and stirring in holy performances When the faithfull are most quiet they should be least idle When David had rest from his enemies he then was carefull how to build God an house when the soul seeth it is redeemed from the hands of his enemies Luke 1.74 75 its most engaged to serve the Redeemer in holinesse and righteousnesse This peace is as oyl to the wheels to make a Christian run the ways of Gods commandments The warmth of the Spring draws out the sap of trees into a sprouting greenness and the peace of God refresheth the soul into a flourishing obedience Jonathan having tasted hony his eys were inlightned and the soul which hath tasted the sweetnesse of inward peace is holily enlarged Some who professe they enjoy an ocean of peace expresse not a drop of obedience Suppose their profession true they defraud God but it being false they delude themselves The joy of Gods people is a joy in harvest as it is large so it is laborious they are joyfull in the house of prayer Isa 56.7 3. This inward peace from God inclines the heart to peaceablenesse toward man A quiet conscience never produced an unquiet conversation 1 Pet. 3.8 9 the nearer lines come to the center the nearer they are one to another the peaceable approaches of God to us will not consist with a proud distance between us and others Pax ista reddit offendentes ad sat is faciendum humiles offensos ad remittendum faciles Dau. in Col. 3.15 This peace of God maketh those who have offered wrong to others willing to make satisfaction and those who have suffered wrong from others ready to afford remission The equity of the former stands thus If the great God speaks peace to man when offended by him should not poor man speak peace to man when offending of him The equity of the later thus If God be pacified toward man upon his free-grace should not man be pacified toward man Mat. 18.24 it being a commanded duty and if God by his peace have sealed to man an acquittance from a debt of ten thousand talents should not man by his peace acquit man from the debt of an hundred pence In a word this peace from God makes us peaceable toward all it keeps us from envying the rich from oppressing the poor it renders us obedient to superiours gentle to equals humble to inferiours it preserves from Sedition in the Common-wealth from Schism in the Church it cools it calms it rules in heart and life 4. Peace from God makes us commiserate those who are under his wrath a pacified soul loves to impart its comforts and is most ready to give a Receit of what eased it it labours to comfort those that are in trouble by the comfort wherewith it is comforted 2 Cor. 1.4 The favourites of the King of heaven envie not his bestowing favour also upon others They pity both those who please themselves with an unsound peace and also those who are pained with the true wounds of conscience 5. This peace from God makes us contented and quiet in every affliction since the Lord hath spoken peace in the first we shall take it well whatsoever he speaketh in the next place what-ever God doth peaceably the soul beareth it patiently The great question of a godly heart when any trouble cometh is that of the Elders of Bethlehem to Samuel Comest thou peaceably and it answering peaceably is entertained with welcome Lord thou hast pardoned my sin saith a pacified soul and now do what thou pleasest with me Men destitute of this peace are like the leaves of a tree or a sea calm for the present moved and tossed with every winde of trouble their peace is nothing else but unpunish'd wickednesse And this for the Explication of the second blessing which the Apostle requesteth for these Christians viz. Peace The Observations to be drawn from it follow 1. Obs 1. They who are strangers to God in Christ are strangers to true peace True peace comes from enjoying the true God A quiet conscience and an angry God are inconsistent A truth deducible as from the preceding exposition of Peace so even from the Apostles very order in requesting peace First he prayeth for Mercy then for Peace 2 King 6.27 If the Lord do not help us how shall we be helped to this blessing out of the barn-floor or the wine-presse The garments that we wear must receive heat from the body before they can return any warmth again unto it and there must be matter of peace within ere any peace can accrue from any thing without If God be against us who can be for us if he disquiets us what can quiet us if He remain unpacified the conscience will do so notwithstanding all other by-endeavours A wicked mans peace is not peace but at the best onely a truce with God The forbearance of God to strike is like a mans who thereby fetcheth his blow with the greater force and advantage or like the intervals of a quartane the distemper whereof remaining the fits are indeed for two days intermitted but return with the greater violence A wicked mans conscience is not pacified but benummed and the wrath of God not a dead but a sleeping Lion Pro. 14.13 A sinners peace is unsound and seeming in the face not in the heart a superficiall sprinkling not a ground-showr he having in laughter his heart sad may truly in it say with Sarah I laughed not he being in his rejoycing Vides convivium laetitiam Interroga conscientiam Amb. Off. l. 1.
Gospel even against the inward operation and supernaturall revelation of the holy Ghost This as I conceive is the unpardonable sin and was the sin of Alexander the copper-smith 2 Tim. 4.14 and of Julian 2. By an open and wilfull apostatizing from the faith and profession of religion haply for fear of persecution and out of too much love of this world This I conceive was the sin of Demas and Spira 2 Tim. 4.10 3. By a politick and terme-serving neutrality a lukewarmenesse and halting between two opinions for fear or shame when a man is oft on either side but truly on neither They on that side think him theirs we on this side think him ours his own conscience thinks him neithers To hold our peace when the honour of Christ is in question is to deny Christ even to a mistaking of the end of our redemption 1 Cor. 6.20 Yee are bought with a price therefore glorifie Christ in your body Joh. 1.20 and spirit Christ is not glorified when his name is concealed John Baptist confessed and denyed not Whosoever doth not openly confesse Christ Pet. 3.15 doth secretly deny Christ Christ is not to be hid as the woman hid the spies in the deep well of our hearts and covered over as she did the mouth of the well with corn for worldly concernments Rom. 10.10 Christum deseserit qui Christianum se non asserit If it be enough to beleeve in the heart why did God give thee a mouth He denyes Christ that doth not professe himselfe a Christian We are bound both consentire and confiteri both to consent to and confesse Christ If it be sufficient for thee to know Christ without acknowledging him for thy Lord it shall be sufficient for Christ to know thee but not to to acknowledg thee for his servant 2 Tim. 2.12 He who refuseth to suffer for dinies Christ He who is not for Christ is against him There may be a sinfull a damnable moderation The following Christ a far off in this life is no sign that thou shalt be near to him in the next No man will be afraid of being too professed a Christian at the day of judgment or will think that he hath lost too much for Christ when he is presently to lose all things by death If the time wherein we live be a night of profanenesse it s our duty the more brightly to shine as lights Phil. 3.15 4. By despairing of salvation offered through the merits of Christ in the promise of the Gospel This is a thrusting from us the hand that would and a casting away the plaister that should cure us 1 John 5.10 This sin makes God a lyar changeth his truth into a lye and Satans falsehood into a truth and justifies the divell more than God He that despairs of mercy what-ever he pretends practically denies the faithfulnesse sufficiency and sincerity of the Lord Jesus and asserts the faithfulnesse of him who is the father of lies 5. Lastly By a loose and profane conversation and this kind of practicall reall denying of Christ I conceive the Apostle particularly chargeth upon these seducers They walked after their own ungodly lusts their lives being full of earthlinesse and epicurism and their mouths of reproaches against holy obedience they encouraging themselves and others herein by perverting the sweet doctrine of the grace of God Ii qui sanguine Christi redempti fuerant diabolo se rursus mancipantes incomparabile illud pretium irritum faciunt Calv. in loc They professed the grace of Christ but led most gracelesse lives Their practice gave their profession the lye If they were not ashamed of Christ yet were they a shame to Christ their Lord who kept such servants they walked not worthy of their Lord. They had the livery of Christ upon their backs and the works of the divell in their hands The merit of his redemption they acknowledged but they denyed the efficacy thereof whereby he fanctifieth and reneweth the heart subdueth sin and quickneth to new obedience They acknowledged Christ a Jesus but denyed him as a Lord Christ they took for their Saviour but Satan for their master They like it well to come to Christ for ease but they will not take his though easie yoke upon them II. 2d Branch of Explicat Wherein appeares the sinfulnesse of this denyall of Christ 1. It plainly comprehends the sinne of Atheism There 's none who denies this only Lord God in his life but first denyed him in his heart and they who serve him not as the word commands apprehend him not as the word discovers They who are corrupt and do abominable works Psal 14.1 have said in their hearts there is no God Life-Atheisme is but the daughter of heart-Atheisme All outward actions are the genuine productions of the inward man they are as I may say the counter-panes of the spirit and so many derivations from that fountain Now think O Christians what an heinous sin it is to deny that being which thine own proves nay to hear to speak of God to plead for God to pray to God so frequently and in appearance feelingly and yet to deny that this God is 2. The denyall of this Lord as clearly contains the sin of unbeleife and distrust They who deny the service of this their Lord truly think what that wicked servant in the Gospel said namely that Christ notwithstanding all his promises Mat. 25.24 is as an hard man that reaps where he did not sow and that there is no profit in serving him Heb. 3.12 'T is this evill heart of unbelief that makes men depart from the living God When men see no excellencie in Christ 't is easie for them to be perswaded to reject him He who beleeves not a jewel is precious will easily part with it He who denyes Christ plainly shews that he hath no trust in him to receive any benefit from him And how great a sin is this unbelief whereby fulnesse it self is esteemed empty Mercy it self is reckoned cruell Gain it self deemed unprofitable and all because faithfulnesse it self is accounted false 3. The denyall of Christ is notorious and unspeakable profanenesse it evidently shews that a man preferrs other things before and loves other things more than Christ No man ever denies and leaves this best of Masters till he be provided of a Master whom he thinks and loves better But how great a disparagement and indignity do they who set up any thing above Christ offer to Him who hath sent and designed Christ Joh. 5.23 and 6.27 the master-piece of all his mercifull and wise contrivements and to Christ himself For there 's nothing which can come in competition with Christ but is infinitely below him All the combined excellencies of creatures put into the balance with Christ bear not so much proportion as doth a feather to a mountain To forsake Christ for the world or a lust is to leave a
calling and not according to the law of charity which binds us to judg the best of others so far forth as may stand with a good conscience and the word of God Judgment may either be of persons or their practices In persons their future or their present estate is to be considered All judgment of mens future estate is to be forborn God may call the worst as well as thee Three things saith Augustiae are exempted from mans judgment the Scriptures the Counsell of God the Condemnation of any mans person For mens present estate if we see men live in whoredom drunkenness swearing we may judg them wicked while continuing in this estate and that they shall be damned if they repent not We may judg the tree by the fruit and this is not rash judgment because it is not ours but the judgment of the word of God Practices are either good bad indifferent or doubtfull Good actions are to be commended if actions be evil judg the facts not the persons yet study withall to excuse the intention if thou canst not the fact Indifferent or doubtfull actions are to be free from censure Christian liberty exempts our neighbour from censure for the former charity allows us not to be censurers of the later If it be doubtful whether a thing were spoken or done or no or being certain to be done whether well or ill in charity judg the best If a man lay with a betrothed damosel in the fields Deu. 22.26 27 the man was only to die because it was in charity supposed that the damosel cryed the best being supposed in a thing doubtfull In matter of opinion if it be uncertain whether an error or no suspend thy judgment till thou know more certainly thy brother may see as much and if he be more learned more than thy self into that which is doubtfull Our ignorance as men though never so knowing should be a strong bar from rash judgment Besides who are we that judg another mans servant this is to reproach God himself for receiving him We are fellow servants with our brethren not fellow Judges with God we must love not judge one another Our Masters house is to be ordered by our Masters will He who by rash judgement destroyes the good name of another is by some termed the worst of theeves in stealing away that which is better then riches and can never be restor'd and the worst of murderers in killing three at once his own Soul in thus sinning his Neighbour whose name he ruines and the Hearer who receiveth his slanders And yet take away this sinfull censuring from many Professors there will nothing remaine to shew them Religious whereas a Just man is a severe Judg only to himself 4. How happy are they who shall be able to stand in the Judgement I know it 's doubted by some Observ 4. Rev. 20.12 Mat. 10.26 Vid. Aquin. q 87. suppl Est in l. 4. sendist 47. Rom. 8.1.33 whether at the last judgement the sins of the Saints shall come into the judgement of Discussion and Discovery Scripture seems to many most to favour the affirmative but that they shall escape the judgement of condemnation 't is not doubted That sun which discovers the sins of the wicked shall scatter those of the godly There 's no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus Who shall lay any thing to their charge The greater their sins are the greater will their deliverance appear The more punishment they deserv'd the more they escape The sins of the Saints will prove as the matter of their songs so the trophees of victorious mercy The wicked shall have judgement with out mercy and the godly shall have mercy in a day of judgement 1 Cor. 11.32 How contentedly may they here undergo that chastisement whereby they escape judgement It 's better to hear the reproofs of a Father then the sentence of a Judge and the correction of a Son is much lighter then the condemnation of a Malefactor It matters not what shall ever be said or done against them to whom Christ shall never say Depart from me Do with me what thou wilt said Luther since thou hast pardoned my sins 5. The greatest enemies of God will be but contemptible creatures at the last judgement What underlings then shall those appear and be who now are principalities and powers Satan who hath had so many followers adorers who now is the Prince of the Aire yea the God of this world shall then openly appear to be a trembling malefactor at the bar of Christ As once Josuahs souldiers set their feet upon the necks of the Canaanitish Kings so the poorest Saint shall at the last judgement trample upon these faln Angels Death speaks the impotency of men but Judgement even that of Angels Legions of Angels shall no more oppose Christ then can a worme all the Angels of heaven Me thinks even all the crowned sceptered adorned adored Monarchs of the world if enermes to Christ should tremble at the approaching of Judgement The greatest safety and honour even of a King will then be to be a subject to Christ and what the Emperor Justinian was wont to call himself the meâ—nest servant of Christ Vltimus Dei servus Robes will then fall off The dimmer light of humane glory will be obscured when the sun of righteousness shal appear Let us neither fear nor admire the greatnesse of any but of Christ much lesse that which is set against Christ How great is the folly of Satans subjects they serve a master who is so far from defending them that he cannot defend himself from Judgement 6. Observ 6. The reason why Satan rageth he knows that his time is but short and after this last judgement his furious and spiteful tentatious shall be ended and he labours to supply the shortnesse of his time with the sharpnesse of his assaults like the besiegers who having often storm'd a Town or a Castle make their last onset the most resolute and terrible A Traveller who desires to go far will go fast if the Sun be neer setting The shortnesse of Satans season occasions his swiftnesse in wickednesse Besides he is in an estate of desperation he knows there 's no possibility of his recovery and as faith is the furtherer of holinesse so is despair of all impiety It was the Logick of despair which argued thus Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die I wonder not that these last are the worst and the most perillous times Satan now strives to add to his number to seduce and pervert souls because after his judgement he shall never be suffered to do so any more At all times holy vigilancy over our hearts and wayes is needfull but in these times wherein Satans judgement draws so neer it should be our care more then ever to keep our hearts with all diligence to beware of seduction and Atheisme and of being led away with the error of
may prove remembrancers of duty Leah and Alphaeus in imposing names on their Children made use of such as might put Parents and Children another day upon holinesse God call'd Abram Abraham to strengthen his faith Hannah gave the name of Samuel to her son 1 Sam. 1.20 because a son of prayers 'T is good to impose such names as expresse our baptismal promise A good name is as a thread tyed about the finger to make us mindfull of the errand we came into the world to do for our Master 4. Obs 4. Ministers especially ought so to carry themselves as that they may not be ashamed to their names that their name prefix'd may be a crown a credit to their Writings that whensoever their names are spoken of the hearer may bless them that their names may be as a sweet perfume to their actions Many Christians names are so odious that what they say or do is blemish'd because it comes from them it had been good if it had been another's He is a dead man among the living that hath a hatefull name It 's a great mercy when our names out-live us it 's a great punishment when we out-live our names They that honour God shall have the spirit of glory rest upon them He that is a Iude a Confessor of Christ shall never want that honour 5. Obs 5. Wee should not do that which we are asham'd or afraid to own or put our names to I deny not but in some cases it may be lawfull to change our names or forbear to mention them either by tongue or pen but then we should not be put upon such straits by the badnesse of our actions as the most are which we are asham'd to own but by the consideration of Gods glory or the Churches good or our own necessary preservation in time of persecution which may be the more advanced by the concealing of our names Thus Bucer in times of trouble for the Gospel call'd himself Aretius Felinus Calvin's Institutions were printed under the name of Alcuinus But these did not conceal themselves for sin but safety nor yet so much for safety as Gods glory I pass from the Name and I proceed to the second thing in the description of the Author of this Epistle and that was his Office A servant of Iesus Christ Of this 1. By way of Explication 2. By way of Observation 1 For Explication Here two Points are to be opened 1. In what respect Jude was the servant of Christ 2. Why he here so stiles himself 1. In what respect Jude was the servant of Christ He was so in four respects Deus est Caussa rebus tam â—ssendi quam siendi Implicat contradictionem ut Deus communicet alicui creaturae nè à se dependeat hoc enim facto communicaret ut non esset creatuâ—a Dau. in Col. 1.17 Servus in Latina linguadictus est à servando quòd hi qui jure belli possent occidi à Victoribus cum servabantur servi fiebant Aug. li. 19. de C.D. c. 15. 1. Of Creation and sustentation as are all creatures Psal 119.91 All are thy servants from the highest Angel to the lowest worm Col. 1.16 17. All things were created by him and for him and by him all things consist The whole world is but his Family altogether at his finding should he shut his hand the house would be famish'd If he withdraw his manu-tenency the world would fall 2. In respect of Redemption from the power of sin and Satan from their condemning and destroying power Heb. 2.15 Rom. 8.1 Luk. 1.74 From their corrupting and defiling power Rom. 6.18 Eph. 6.6 And that this was a redemption deserving to make us servants to the Redeemer appears in that it was not only by Conquest and vindication from our enemies when as the Conqueror might have destroyed us as well as taken us or destroy'd them in which respect according to all usage and equity we ought to be for ever his servants but a redemption also by purchase the Lord JE SUS having paid no less price then his own precious blood 1 Pet. 1.18 19. 1 Cor. 6.20 in which consideration the Apostle strongly argues That wee are not our own but serve for the glorifying of another 3. Isa 49.3 Heb. 3.5 Psal 89.21 Hag. 2.23 This Apostle was the servant of Christ more peculiarly by way of speciall office and function In which respect as Christ himself Moses David Cyrus Zerubbabel c. were called Gods servants so are the Prophets in the Old Jer. 35.15 Amos 3.7 Rom. 1. Phil. 1. Tit. 1. 2 Tim. 2.24 the Apostles and Ministers in the New Testament called servants Although it 's granted the Apostles were servants in a different way from other Ministers both in regard of the manner of their calling which was by immediate mission and appointment from God as also of the extent of their power which was not tyed up or confined to one place Mat. 28.19 Mark 16.15 Matt. 5.13 but granted to them for the planting and governing of Churches in any part of the world In which respect some think they are called the salt of the earth In regard of this function and Office of Apostleship Iude principally calls himself a servant of Christ though not barely and solely in respect of Gods calling him to it but in respect also of his own diligence and faithfulness in endeavouring to discharge his Office to which he was call'd as Peter exhorts 1 Pet. 4.10 and as Paul speaks of himself 1 Cor. 9.16 For Christ keeps no servants only to wear a Livery As he is not a titular Lord so neither are his servants titular servants All their expressions of service reach not the emphasis either of their desires or duty 2 The second thing to be opened is the cause why the Apostle here stileth himself the servant of Christ 1. Some think to shew his humility and modesty in that he who might have us'd the title either of Apostle or Brother of the Lord rather contents himself with this note of duty and service common to every Christian Others better for the confirming and comforting of himself in his work in that his Lord whom he served and who had set him on work would stand by him both in protecting his person and prospering his work Others and those upon cleerest grounds conceive that the Apostle here imbraceth this title of servant in respect of others that his doctrine might with more respect and readinesse be received by those to whom he wrote seeing that he was called to his work and that by such a Master whose service added not more dignity to him then â—t required duty from them This for Explication the Observations follow 1. Obs 1. They who undertake any publick imployment for Christ must receive a calling from him to be his servants if with comfort to themselves or benefit to others they will go about his work Rom. 10.15 Heb. 5.4 5.
should pass by others better accomplish'd Let his free grace have all the glory Who shall speak of God if thou beest silent Let heart and tongue and life advance him Hitherto of the two first parts of the Title viz. 1. The Person who wrote this Epistle And 2. The Persons to whom he wrote it The Third follows The Prayer wherein the person writing salutes the persons to whom he wrote contained in the second Verse in these words VER 2. Mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplyed IN which Prayer we consider 1. The blessings which the Apostle requesteth may be bestowed which are three 1. Mercy 2. Peace 3. Love 2. The measure in which the Apostle desireth they may be bestowed Be multiplyed 3. The persons upon whom he prayeth that these blessings may be in this measure bestowed Vnto you 1. In this Prayer To consider of the Blessings which the Apostle requesteth for And first of the first of them Mercy Concerning which I shall speak by way Of 1. Exposition Of 2. Observation 1. For the expository part Mercy is referr'd either to Man or to God Misericordia est dolor et aegricudo animi ex miseria alterius injuriâ laborantis conceptus Cic. in Tus 4. Misericordia est alienae miseriae in nostro corde compassio quâ utique si possemus subvenire compellimur Aug. de C.D. l. 9. c. 5. Ex eo appellata est misericordia quòd miserum cor faciat condolescent is alieno malo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Nemo parricidae supplicio misericordiâ commovetur Cic. Tusc 4. Mat. 5.7 Luke 6.36 Luc. 10.37 1 Pet. 3.8 Col. 3.12 1. To Man and so mercy is according to some a grief of heart arising from the apprehension of anothers misery according to Scripture Such a holy compassion of heart for the misery of another as inclines us to relieve him in his misery It is a compassion or sympathy because it makes the mercifull heart a partaker of the misery of him who is distressed and therefore say some called misericordia because it translates the misery of another into the heart of the merciful And for this cause it is called the bowels of compassion Col. 3.12 1 John 3.17 Phil. 1.8 and 2.1 So likewise by the LXX Pro. 12.10 And to have compassion is usually set out in Scripture by a Verb that signifieth to have the bowels moved Mark 6.34 Matt. 14.14 and 15.32 Mar. 1.41 Luk. 7.13 c. because mercy expresseth it self in the bowels especially he that is affected vehemently with anothers sufferings having his very intrals and bowels moved and rouled in him Hos 11.8 and is affected as if the bowels of him that is in misery were in his body Nor is this Scripture compassion a foolish pity whereby a man doth unlawfully tender him that is in deserved misery as Ahab pitied Benhadad and Saul Agag against Gods command but such a compassion as God approveth a fruit of the Spirit commanded and commended in the Word In this grace of mercy is also comprehended a forwardness to succour the miserable the bowels of the mercifull not being shut up 1 Joh. 3.17 This grace the Scripture honours with many precepts and promises A merciful man is Gods Almner his conduit-pipe to convey his blessings his resemblance like unto his heavenly Father who is the Father of mercy And that 's the second consideration of mercy as it is referr'd to God and so indeed it is in this place by Jude In which consideration of mercy as referr'd to God there are three things to be explained 1. How mercy can be attributed to God 2. What sorts of mercy are attributed to God 3. What be the properties of the sorts of mercy attributed to God 1. How mercy can be attributed to God Not as it is an affection of grief for the misery of another But 1. As it signifieth a promptitude and forwardness of the will to succour the miserable Not as 't is miseria cordis or as to be mercifull is taken passively for one to be a fellow-sufferer Zanc. de Nat. Dei l. 4. c. 4. q. 1. Misericordem hominem appellare solemus◠non passivè qui miserum habet cor talis enim potius est miser quà m misericors sed activè hoc est illum qui miscro homini ex corde cupit succurrere Si licuit Augustino dicere quod sit cordis miseria ex alterius miseria concepta our non liceat nobis dicere misericordiam dici quia nobis sit cordi alterius miseria Misericordia duo importat unum tanquam essentiale aliud tanquam accidentale Primum est promptitudo voluntatis ad subveniendum miseris alterum est passio tristitiae quae oritur in appetitu ex cognitione miseriae alterius quantum ad primum summè est in Deo non quantum ad secundum Rich. d. 46. a. 2. qu. 1. lib. 4. Zech. 2.8 Acts 9.4 Exod. 34. Psal 100.5 Psal 145.9 but as 't is miseria cordi as learned Zanchy distinguisheth and as to be mercifull is taken actively for one so to be mindfull of the miseries of others that hee desires and is willing from the heart to help them Suffering with the distressed in their miseries is not essential to mercy but only accidental in regard of our nature which is so subject to passions that without a fellow-feeling we cannot look upon the miseries of those whom we love and this is not in God but a propension and inclination of will to relieve the miserable which is the essential part of mercy is most properly and abundantly in God although sympathy or fellow-feeling be often attributed to God improperly and by way of resemblance to humane affections for the relieving of our capacities and strengthening our faith And in respect of this propensenesse and willingnesse in God to help the distressed are we to understand those Scriptures where God calls himself merciful and of great mercy that is of a most forward nature to help us in our distresses 2. Mercy is attributed to God as it signifieth Gods actual helping and relieving us in our distresses as he bestows those blessings upon us spirituall or bodily which proceed from his alone mercy and of this are those places of Scriptures to be understood where God is said to have or shew mercy as Rom. 9.18 He hath mercy on whom he will 1 Tim. 1.13 I found mercy because I did it ignorantly In which places mercy is put for calling to Christ So Psal 136. Rom. 11.31 2 Tim. 1.18 and all graces which follow it These works or effects of mercy being various and innumerable it comes to pass that though mercy be single and one in God the Scripture speaks of it in the plurall number as Gen. 32.10 2 Cor. 1.3 Rom. 12.1 2. For the sorts or kindes of Gods mercy It is either 1. A general mercy extended to all creatures in common as there is no creature in any misery which in some
respect he doth not succour he giving food to the hungry warmth by wool and sundry sorts of skins to the naked medicine by many kindes of herbs the Sun the Clouds the Winds the Rain to refresh the earth severally Psal 147.9 Luke 6.37 Psal 145.15 and thus he is mercifull to the elect and reprobate just and unjust nay men and beasts Or 2. A special mercy bestowed upon the elect alone different from the former both in regard of Gods will to help as also in regard of the effects of that will John 6.39 'T is the will of God that the Elect should be delivered from their sins his wrath Satans power the sting of death and that they should obtain eternal life in Christ Isa 62.4 Mal. 1.10 the wil and pleasure of God is to do them good they are his hephsibah but he hath no pleasure in or speciall love to others The effects likewise of his will to help are different toward the elect from those he expresseth upon the reprobate Rom. 9.15 18. 1 Tim. 1.13 Rom. 11.31 Psal 103.13 Psal 32.10 Psal 86.5 he calling effectually justifying redeeming glorifying the elect The Lord pitieth them that fear him He that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about The Lord is plenteous in mercy to them that call upon him Of others he saith I will deal in fury mine eye shall not spare Ezek. 8.18 neither will I have pitie The elect are vessels of mercy the other of wrath To the former he is mercifull in bestowing upon them an eternall to the later in affording a temporal life These two differing as much as the mercy with which a man regards his beast doth from that wherewith he tenders his son the beast is fed to be slain or to be fit for labour the son to be preserved and out of a paternal care for his good To the wicked God affords a drop to the godly a draught of mercy to the wicked the crumbs under the table to the godly Christ with all his benefits that bread of life which endureth to eternal life This special mercy of God here pray'd for by the Apostle is distinguish'd according to those several miseries of his people in which he succours them Take a taste of the kinds of it God is mercifull 1. With a preventing mercy when he makes us holy of unholy ones he loved us first Hee waited to shew mercy Isa 30.18 he doing good to us when we knew him not Ezek. 16.22 Pitying us when we were in our blood regarding us when we neither regarded him nor our selves keeping us from falling into the sins to which of our selves we were prone So that as in respect of good we are what we are from Gods meer mercy so in respect of evil we are not what we are not from the same mercy 2. He is merciful to his with a forgiving mercy fully freeing them from wrath their sins are as if they never had been blotted out as a cloud Isa 44.22 thrown into the bottom of the sea Mic. 7.19 though sought for yet not to be found Deus vindictae gladium miserationis oleo exacuit Jer. 50.20 In a sea of affliction there 's not a drop of wrath The faithfull are look'd upon as sons not as malefactors their sufferings are not to satisfie God but to sanctifie them Heb. 12.6 7. 3. He is mercifull with accepting mercy taking in good part the desires of the soul whenas it findes not to perform accepting a sigh in stead of a service a cup of cold water a mite a broken reed smoking flax a groan in stead of a duty the stammerings of his childe above the eloquence of a beggar a broken heart as the box of spike-nard 4. Hos 14.4 He is mercifull with re-accepting mercy looking upon a returning Prodigal as a son pitying as a father not punishing as a Judg Isa 55.7 multiplying to pardon receiving back-sliders again 5. He is mercifull with providing mercy supplying all our wants suffering no good thing to be wanting to us Psal 23.2 Pet. 1.3 Psal 84.11 alwayes giving what we need if not what we would either asswaging or answering our desires bestowing temporall blessings in subordination not opposition to eternall blessedness giving us if not riches with godliness contentment with our poverty 6. He is mercifull with directing mercy in our doubts guiding us by his counsels Psal 73.24 Gal. 6.16 shewing us the way wherein we are to walk being eyes to us in our blindness light in our darkness a teacher in our ignorance a pillar and a cloud in every wildernesse giving his Word for a rule his Spirit for a guide 7. Mercifull he is with sustaining mercy upholding us in all our distresses making every affliction fordable and carrying us thorow visiting us in prison feeding us thorow our grate knowing our souls in adversity Psal 94.18 leading us gently proportioning our burdens to our back casting a tree into every Marah shining thorow every showre sending supplyes in every siege 2 Cor. 12. Luke 22.32 making his grace sufficient for us in all our buffetings keeping us from being swallowed up of sin and our grace from being totally obliterated 8. Mercifull with quickning enlivening mercy to any holy duty so that we can do all things Phil. 4.13 making us a willing people oyling the wheels of our souls putting into us delight in his law Psal 119. so that we account it sweeter then our appointed food and run the wayes of his commandments he giving as work and wages so hands 9. Mercifull with a restoring recovering mercy and that not onely from sin and miseries but even by them 1. From them bringing out of every distresse bodily and friritual causing every cloud to blow over making the longest night to end in a morning raising us after the fowlest fall and out of the deepest grave Psal 103.9 Joel 2.13 Lam. 3.22 Hab. 3.2 making faith to work out of the greatest Ecclipse he chides not for ever but repents him of the evil through his mercy he suffers us not to be consumed In wrath he remembers mercy 2. By sin and miseries making our afflictions nay our very sins to work for our good and all the smutchings with both to make us brighter more humble watchful and our fiery tryals to burn in sunder only our bonds 10. Rom. 8.28 Mercifull with crowning mercy when he brings us into heaven 2 Tim. 1.18 there he perfectly freeing us not only from the contagion by but even the company of every sin nay the fear of ever being annoyed again thereby delivering us from impure hearts and imperfect graces from foyles from fighting from all our causes of complaint he then giving for every combat we have had a crown for every tear a pearl for every light affliction a mass of glory for a drop of gall a sea of joy for appearing troubles reall blessednesse 2 Tim. 1.18
upon these clothes are onely thine the garment it self was anothers before it was thine Thou art beholding to mercy for any endowment of minde or body wisdom estate riches honours c. It s hard to be high in place and low in our own esteem Sacrifice not to thine own yarn or net let Mercy have the praise of all thou art and hast Pride is the moth of mercy nay Magnus dives est major divitiis suis qui non ideo magnum sc putat quia dives est Aug. the winde that dryes up the streams both of Gods bounty and thy gratitude That which by mercy was thine by thy pride may become anothers He is truly great in his riches that thinks not himself great by riches The greater our receipts the lesse room for pride the greater cause of thankefulnesse 2. In expecting of blessings only have an eye to mercy Idco Deus meus quia bonorum meorum non in diget Omne bonum nostrum aut ipse est 〈◊〉 ab ipso Aug. de Doc. Ch. l. 5. c. 31. In desires of pardon for sin acceptation of services obtaining of heaven renounce thine own worthinesse either in what thou art or dost How purely unprofitable to God is thy greatest goodnesse it is nothing unto him he is neither the better for thy goodness nor the worse for thy wickedness Is it any benefit to the fountain that thou drinkest of it or to the light that thou seest How full of mixtures of sin are thy holyest services in the sense whereof holy Augustine pray'd Regard O Lord in me not my work but thine own If thou regardest mine thou damnest me if thine own thou crownest me what-ever good I have is from thee and 't is rather thine then mine How full of pride is thy humility thy faith of distrustfulnesse Phil. 3.13 thy zeal of lukewarmnesse of self-seeking thy performances what darknesse is in thy light how unrighteous thy righteousnesse If God should contend with us Job 9.2 3 Qui de perfectione se â—rigit habere se bene vivendi neâ— initium indicat Gr. Mo. l. 9. c. 1. In sola Christi morte te totum contege huic morti te involve si Deus te voluerit judicare dic Do mine mortem Domini mei objicio inter me et te Ans de art Mor. Meritum meum miseratio Domini Bern. Serm. 61. in Cant. Prece post justitiam indiget ut quae succumbere discussa poterat ex sola Judicis pietate convalescat Gr. Mor. l. 9. cap. 14. Etsi ad opus virtutis excrevero ad vitam non ex meritis sed ex venia convalesco Id. Ib. Sordet in districtione Judicis quod in aestimatione fulget operantis Gr. Mor. l. 5. c. 7. James 2.13 2 Tim. 1.16 2 Tim. 4.8 we cannot answer for one of a thousand He that boasteth of the perfection wants the very beginning of holiness That which appears beautifull in thine eyes is foul in Gods The wisest counsell is to cover over thy self and winde up thy soul in Christs death to set that between God and thy soul to acknowledge his mercy thy onely merit Death is a stipend Life is a donative a free gift not a due debt God crowneth with mercy but a swoln head is not fit to have that crown put upon it Who can say he hath cleansed his heart We want a thousand times more grace than we have though sin be cast down in regard of its regency yet it is not cast out in regard of its inherency Thy rectitude compared to thy rule is crookedness 'T is not thy purity but thy pardon that must save thee If there shall be judgment without mercy to those that shewed no mercy then must it be with mercy even to those also which shew mercy It s mercy that must stand Onesiphorus in stead at that day The Crown of righteousnesse Paul speaks of is a crown of mercy too the bestowing it is of justice but the promising it was of mercy 2. Obs 2. The duty of contentation in our greatest wants or smallest receipts If one not engaged to us deny us a courtesie we have no cause of discontentment when God gives it is free mercy when he with-holds he useth his liberty Thy supplyes are without desert and thy wants must be without discontent Wonder not at the blessings thou dost not wonder more at those thou dost enjoy Thy condition is begging and thy part is not choyce Cum aspexeris quot te antecedant cogita quot sequantur Sen. Ep. 15. Repine not if thou canst not reach thy richest neighbour who hast nothing to say against God should the poorest overtake thee Murmur not for what is lost but be thankfull for what is left We must not controll God in the disposing of his alms as if he did not distribute with equality We should bring our hearts to his hand where he stayes his bounty there must we stint our desires 3. I note The impiety and folly of those that abuse mercy that spurn against Gods bowels Obs 3. Sins against mercy are double-dy'd This is the provocation Heb. 3.8 to see Gods works of love and care forty yeers and yet to sin this is to sin against the remedy other sinners may these who thus sin must die These sin at a higher rate than others These in sin cast not off God onely but even the very man Isa 1.3 nay are sham'd by the beasts If to requite good for evill is our duty in reference to man surely to requite evill for good and that to God must needs be impiety This sin renders inexcusable God appeals to the very consciences of mercy-despisers Isa 5.3 4 and offers themselves to judge of the righteousnesse of his proceedings in punishment nay the recollecting of abused mercy will be the most scalding ingredient in that fiery lake when the flaming sufferer remembers he that is now mocking at my calamity once wept over my unkind soul he who is now harder than flint and marble against me was once a tender-hearted God toward me he who now thunders in wrath formerly soundin bowels the way of mercy was once open and plain but now the bridge of mercy is drawn my possibilities are ended I am now in a gulf of woe that heretofore was unprofitably a gulf of mercy How many Kingdoms nay Worlds would I now give for but one drop of that love the sweet and swelling streams whereof I heretofore did but paddle in O Christian sin not against Mercy if that be thine enemy what shall Justice be when Love it self shall be inexorable who shall plead for thee Let mercy make thee blush that justice may not make thee bleed Trifle not away the day of grace The wine of mercy is to refresh the sorrowfull with hope not to intoxicate the sinner into presumption If mercy cannot thaw thee 't will burn thee O let the long-suffering of God be
about a trades-man shop why here poor people must pay for what they have But alas that men do quite contrary in a spirituall respect they throng after the world which makes them pay for what they have dearly and neglect Christ who offers all they want freely Why is it that the Kingdom of heaven suffers not more violence The world is not bread and yet it requires money Christ is bread and requires nothing but a stomack Pity those who for lying vanities forsake their own mercy Call others to partake of this grace with thee Eat not thy morsels alone Say as those lepers did This is a day of good tidings and we hold our peace Hast thou received this grace wish all men were like to thee thy sins only excepted When beggers have fared well at a rich mans door they go away and by telling it send others Tell to others how free an Hous-keeper thy God is so free that he most delights in comers and company This for the kind or nature of the enjoyment which these seducers abused Grace The owner thereof whose grace it was follows call'd here by the Apostle our God In the Explication I shall briefly shew two things 1. What it is for God to be our God or what these words our God import 2. Why the Apostle here mentioning the grace abused by seducers cals it not simply the grace of God but the grace of our God 1. What it is for God to be our God In this three things deserve a large explication which I to avoid tediousnesse shall but touch 1. Wherein the nature of this propriety consists or what kind of propriety it is 2. What there is of God in which the faithfull have an interest and propriety 3. How sutable and beneficiall a good this God is to those who have this interest and propriety in him 1. For the nature of this propriety in God God may be said to be ours and we may be said to have a propriety in him by a threefold right 1. By a right of creation and thus he is the God of heathens of divels of all creatures Acts 14.17 18. Acts 17.28 29 they being all the work of his hands having from him life being and motion 2. By a right of externall profession or federall sanctity and thus God is often called the God of Israel and in respect of this the Jewes are said to be the children of the Kingdom 3. By peculiar grace and saving interest through Christ and thus only believers who are really united to Christ by faith Jer. 31.31 have a propriety in him with whom God hath covenanted that he will be their reconciled friend and father pardoning their sin by Christ putting his law into their inward parts writing it in their hearts that he wil be their God and that they shal be his people 2. For the second The faithfull have a propriety in all of God they can want or wish Particularly 1. In all the three Persons of the Godhead Ephes 1.6 John 17.12 2 Pet. 1.3 The Father accepts them for his in his beloved nay he gave them to Christ and chose them before the foundation of the world The Father of Christ is their Father to provide for pardon and govern them and to afford them all things which pertain to life and godlinesse The Son is their Mediatour their head 1 Tim. 2.5 Col. 1.18 1 Thes 1.10 their brother their husband they are his by the Spirit and he theirs by faith he delivers them from all the evill they fear he obtains for them all the good they desire The Holy Ghost is theirs John 14.16 to direct and teach them to purifie and cleanse them to furnish and adorn them to support and comfort them 1 Thes 1.10 2. They have a propriety in the attributes of God In his omniscience he knowing whatsoever they want or hurts them In his wisdome to teach and guide them In his power to protect and defend them In his love to delight in pity and provide for them In his righteousnesse Psal 4.1 Rom. 8.32 Psal 84.11 Psal 23.1 2 Pet. 1.4 to clear and judge their cause In his al-sufficiency to supply and furnish them with all needfull blessings according to every want One God answers to all exigences 3. They have a propriety in his promises great and precious promises wherein all they want and infinitely more than they can conceive or desire is assured to them grace glory mercies for the throne and the footstool nay God himselfe in whom all blessings are summed up and center'd all being as certain as if already performed and for the accomplishment whereof they have Gods oath wherein he hath as I may say pawn'd his very being and the seal of the bloud of Christ Heb. 6.17 that being the bloud of the Covenant and he the Mediatour of the Covenant Heb. 12.24 2 Cor. 1.20 in whom all the promises are yea and amen 4. They have a propriety in the providences of God whereby whatsoever may hurt them is withheld from them not an hair of their head suffered to perish Mat. 10.30 and they though poor persecuted sick dying yet ever safe nay whereby whatever befals them shall be beneficiall to them every stone thrown at them made a precious stone every twig of every rod sanctified the issue of every dispensation made sweet and beautifull In a word whereby they are enabled to be and do and bear what-ever God either commands or imposeth and they relieved with what-ever may do or make them good 3. For the third how sutable and beneficiall a good God is to those who have a propriety in him John 4.24 1. He is a spirituall good drossie and earthy comforts sute not with a spirituall soul nor are they such food as the soul loveth Thy soul is no fitter for gold to be put into it than are thy bags to have grace put into them 2. He is a living good Jer. 10.5 The creature is a dead liveless lumpish unactive thing it may be said of it as 't is of an Idol it must be born because it cannot goe We rather uphold it than it upholdes us Like Baal it is not able to plead for it selfe It helps us not in distress of conscience the day of wrath Like Absaloms mule it goeth from under us and leaves us in our distresses but God relieves the soul and affords strengthning consolation Heb. 6.18 He is a present help in the needfull time of trouble and ever either preserves us from Psal 50.12 Isa 59.16 or sustains in adversity 3. He is an absolute independent good He is self-suficient If he be hungry he will not tell thee He depends no more upon the creature than the fountain upon the stream He is not hindred from helping us by any deficiencies of the creature he hath somtime complained that he hath had too many never that he hath had too few to
is a God that loveth a pure heart of all sins hee most hates hypocrisie All Murderers sin hainously but none so hainously as those who imploy a mans own hands to kill himself An hypocrite labours to destroy Religion by Religion 2. As it is hypocrisie to cover lasciviousnesse so is it even heightned profanenesse to cover it with the grace of God Will no cheaper stuffe then grace serve to cloath lasciviousnesse The excellency of any thing adds to the fault of abusing it To make a King's Son Lacquey to a beggar to make hay with the Scepter Royall to dig in a dunghill with a golden spade to stop an oven with the Robes of an Emperour are all actions of greatest unworthinesse and wild unsutablenesse but to make Religion a stirrup to profanenesse and the grace of God a credit to lasciviousnesse is a presumption of an higher and far more unsufferable degree This is to make God accounted a patron of impiety and the Judg of all the Earth to seem the greatest malefactor Ezek. 36.20 and to profane his holy Name 4. This turning the grace of God into lasciviousnesse argueth the grossest folly it is a forsaking of our own mercy a receiving the grace of God in vain What is if this be not to neglect great salvation to be prodigall of blessednese to ravell out and to wanton away the offers of Christ himself Who would not heartily chide himself that by toying trifling or unnecessary lingring in the way to the Exchange misseth of a bargain by which he might have gained a thousand pounds Foolish Sinner Lasciviousnesse under grace is the losse of glory and the losse of heaven can never be redeemed with the tears of hell 4. Grace turned into lasciviousnesse is the top of all Ingratitude What greater unkindnesse then to be evill because God is good If it be a sin for thee to have an evill eye against another because God is good to him what is it to have an evill eye against God because he is good to thee If it be a sin to reward a man evil for evil what is it to return to God evil for good To be lascivious because God is gracious is to fight against God with his own weapons to wound God with that arm which he hath cured Hos 7.15 to kill and crucifie him who hath freed us from death In a word to make that a pillow for presumption which God appointed for an antidote against despair 5. by grace to grow lascivious is destruction even to desperate irrecoverablenesse No poyson is so deadly as the poyson extracted out of grace Abused mercy pleads against a sinner most perswasively If that which was appointed for a sinners rising and standing makes him fall how irrecoverable must his falling be If Mercy be his foe how should Justice ever be his friend Lamentable was the death of Zimri who was burnt by the flames of that house which was for his safety Grace is the sweetest friend but the sorest enemy Lead of it self is very cold and cooling but nothing so scalding if it be throughly heated The lowest place in hell is provided for those who have been lifted up neerest to heaven Grace discovered and abused is THE condemnation Out of him who lavishly spends riches of grace God will recover riches of glory God will not lose by any OBSERVATIONS 1. Obs 1. Great is our natural propensenesse to grow wanton against God by his goodnesse Seldome is God provoked so much by any as by those who most deeply partake of his indulgence It 's very hard for God to smile and for us not to be wanton How frequently doth God complain of the unkinde requitals returned for his loves Do ye so reward the Lord O foolish people Deut. 32.6 Jesurum waxed fat and kicked who because laden with fatnesse therefore forsook God that made him And Isa Isa 1.2 1.2 I have nourished children but they have rebelled against me 'T is pity as we say of fair weather that the goodnesse of God should do any hurt but we are commonly not more unsubmissive under corrections then wanton under comforts Gods severity restrains from that impiety which his indulgence draws forth by meeting with a sensuall heart that turns the favours of God into the fuel of lust It 's much easier to walk steddily in a path of deep dirt than of slippery ice How just nay how good is God to abridg us of that comfort either inward or outward which we abuse to turn us like sheep into short pasture if there we thrive best and rather to deny us mercies in mercy then to bestow them in wrath 2. Observ 2. The best and choycest of outward administrations cannot better a bad heart Even grace may be received in vain The best preaching and Preachers in the world have not seldome been sent to a gain-saying people Rom. 10.21 Luk. 16.31 Neither Moses and the Prophets nor one raised from the dead nay nor the preaching of Christ himself can of themselves work upon the heart Morall swasion comes far short of effectuall grace and the word of grace much differs from the grace of the word Warm cloathes and strong waters cannot fetch life into a dead man The plentifullest showers leave the heath unfruitfull Nature after all imaginable improvements is still but Nature till supernaturally renewed How happy were we if men would attribute the unreformednesse of the times under the Gospel of grace more to the strength of their own lusts then the weaknesse of the Ministers labours and if in stead of glorying I had almost said of placing religion in the parts of Ministers they would humbly and ardently seek God for that blessing without which the fattest Ordinances devoured leave but leane souls 3. Observ 3. The most holy and happy enjoyments are not without their snares There 's danger in enjoying the best things even the grace of God Men ordinarily conceive that there is danger in wanting the Ordinances in sinning in being in sinfull company and using worldly comforts but they consider not that even their graces their good works their comforts every Ordinance and dutie have their snares accompanying them Diabolus surgit armis quibus dejicitur Cave non tantùm ab operibus malis sed etiam à bonis Luth. Our very graces may occasion us to be proud and our very comforts to be secure Luther was wont to advise men to take heed of their good works There are no services so holy but Satan creeps into them and when he cannot hinder the externall hee endeavours to spoil the spirituall performance of them He labours to winde himself even into Paradise and loves to stand among the Sons of God How oft doth he shew men the beautiful buildings of their late performances to a worse end than the Disciples did Christ the buildings of the Temple And how rare is it to finde that Christian who by self-debasing leaves not as it were a
Si quis labori ob infirmitatem se subtraheret capitalis noxa judicabatur Philo lib. 1. de vit Mos the Egyptian rigour is continued and the people of God who after all their toyling received no other rewards but stripes and scorns are worse handled then Egyptian beasts So great was this crueltie that as Philo reports if any Israelite through sickness of body abstained from labour it was accounted a crime deserving death Eusebius saith That by reason of their excessive labour and heat many were taken away by the pestilence By this we may gather why the Lord tells them Levit. 26.13 Deut. 4.20 I brought you forth out of the land of Egypt that ye should not be their bondmen and I have broken the bonds of your yoak and made you go upright Servitude is a kinde of death nay by free people accounted worse then death who have often chosen rather to die valiantly than to live slavishly Nor is it any wonder therefore to read of the groaning sighing and crying of the poor Israelites Exod. 2.23 24 Exod. 6.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag yea of their anguish shortnesse and straitnesse of spirit by reason of cruell bondage 2. The second discovery of the crueltie of the Egyptians towards the Israelites Exod. 1.15 was in the bloody commands for the taking away of the lives of the male children This was a blow at the root 'T was out of policie not any tendernesse of conscience that this murderous command took not in the females also The females did not constitute families the taking away of the males would suffice to hinder the multiplying of the people The females could not make war joyn with the enemies of the Egyptians or by force endeavour to depart from Egypt and the sparing of some might make the murders lesse suspected From bondage these Egyptians proceed to blood and from slavery to slaughter Women are suborned to be murderers and those whose office is to help must destroy the birth the Midwives were put upon this bloody work because as they had more opportunitie of doing so would others have less suspicion of them for doing the mischief The male children must be born and die at once and poor babes they must be kill'd for no other fault but for their Stock and their Sex because they are Israelites and males pure and downright bloodiness Needs must the Hebrew women contrary to all others not joy but mourn when they saw men-children born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7.19 This device of imploying the Mid-wives not succeding the tyrant gives commission to all his own people to cast every son that is born into the river Josephus writes This seems to be opposed by Exod. 1.22 that the command was given also to the Hebrews to kill their own children but most barbarous it was although it were only given to the Egyptians Pharaoh's crueltie smoked before now it flames out 1 Obstetricum dolo nisus est c. 2 apertâ persecutione Rupert He practised secretly in his commands to the Mid-wives he now proclaims it openly to all the world No Egyptian now could be obedient unless bloody every man is made an executioner the reins are laid upon the neck of Cruelty Every Egyptian may rifle the houses of the Israelites and search for children as for prohibited commodites How difficultly are these poor babes hid and yet how dangerously found They who had no armour but innocence and tears are exposed to authorised rage How poor a shelter is the arm of an indulgent mother against the command of a King and the fury of his heathen Subjects whose vigilance and violence were so great that as the mother of Moses was unable long to hide him so was she more willing to trust him with the mercy of beasts and waters than of Egyptians And how hard was it for the strongest faith of the best Israelite to bear up against this tentation So long as the Israeltes saw themselves increasing though oppressed their faith in Gods promise of blessing the seed of Abraham might be comfortably relieved but now this cruell Edict of murdering their children by whom the seed of Abraham was to be propagated seems to cut off all hope and to make void all the promises 2. The Egyptians from whom the Israelites were delivered may be considered as heathen Idolaters and so enemies to the Souls of the Israelites Had the outward ease and prosperity of Israel in Egypt been never so great yet eminent had been the mercy of being drawn out of such perill for the soul as was in idolatrous company Joshua thankfully records the mercy of God to Abraham in bringing him out of Vr of the Caldeans where his Ancestors served strange gods And how great this mercy was appears by observing the forwardnesse of the Israelites to be infected by the contagion of Egyptian idolatry The Egyptians were a most idolatrous people Isa 19.1 Jer. 43.12 Jer. 46.25 Exek 20.7 8 whence it is that so often we read of the idols and gods of Egypt No people idolized so many and such vile creatures as did the Egyptians the Mole the Bat the Cat the dung-flie Monkies Birds Crocodiles Pâ—r allia ccpe porros jurant Plin. l. 19. c. 6. Crocodilon adorat Pars haec illa pavet saturam serpentibus ibim Effigies sacri nitet aurea Cercopitheci Porrum et Cope nefas violare et frangere morsu O sanct as animas quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina Juv. Sat. 15. Sanctius in Ezek. 20.7 Nauseas Symmach Inquinamenta Aquila yea Leeks Onions Garlick c. were adored by them as Gods So grosse was their superstition herein that the Heathens deride them for it Pliny saith that they were wont to deifie and swear by their Leeks Onions and Garlick And Juvenal lasheth them for adoring these garden Gods And from the vileness of those creatures Sanctius supposeth that the gods of the Egytians are called abominations It is evident also that the Israelites were too forward to worship the ldols although they were weary of the oppressions of the Egyptians Hence it is that Ezek. 20.7 8. the Prophet complains of their rebelling against the expresse prohibition of God that they should not defile themselves with the idols of Egypt and that they did not forsake those idols And the same Prophet Chap. 23.3 reproving Israel for their early adulteries by which he means their idolatries saith that she committed whoredoms in Egypt in her youth i. e. when the Israelites were but a young and new Nation And vers 8. that she left not her whoredomes brought from the Egyptians for in her youth they lay with her and bruised the brests of her Virginity Clear likewise to this purpose is that command of Joshua to the Israelites Chap. 24.14 Put away the gods which your fathers served in Egypt Nor are there wanting learned men who conceive that the reason why the Israelites in the wildernesse
mercede adiguntur à Deo ut alant ministrum futurum liberationis eorum idque mercedeÌ„ ultro praebentes Dum infantes in ruinam Ebraeae gentis interimunt propriis sumptibus unum in suam ruinam educantes Riv. in 2. Exod. wherein she was as unable as she was willing to hold him For fear of such an one shee puts him into an Ark of bulrushes and hides him among the flaggs of the river God shewed that he knew the place where Moses lay by guiding thither even the daughter of Pharaoh to deliver Moses She soon espies and causeth the ark to be opened the tears and beauty of the child move her compassions which Moses his sister observing offers to procure a nurse for the babe and fetches his mother She who even now would have given all her substance for the life of her child hath now a reward given to her to nurse him How admirably did the wisdome of God deceive the Egyptians The daughter of him whose only plot was to destroy Israel is made the instrument of saving Israel by preserving him who was to be their deliverer and the instrument of Egypts destruction The Egyptians also who compel the Israelites to serve them without paying them wages are compelled by God at the same time to pay for the nursing of him who shortly after overthrowes the Egyptians At length Pharaohs daughter takes Moses home from nurse and gives him as good breeding as the Egyptians Schools and Court can afford him Moses was not in more danger among the flaggs than among the courtiers but God who of late kept him from hurt by Egyptian cruelty keeps him now as wisely from hurt by Egyptian courtesie The honours of Egypt cannot make him either own an heathen for his mother though a kings daughter or forget his Hebrew brethren though the kings bondmen He observes their sufferings and suffers with them He having from God an instinct of Magistracy mortally though secretly as he thought smites an Egyptian unjustly smiting an Hebrew The fact is known and Moses warned thereof by a churlish word which was intended to wound him flies from Pharaoh seeking to slay him In Midian God provides him a shelter Moses hath now changed his place yet neither hath he changed his keeper and acquaintance nor Israel lost their deliverer Quid sibi vult ardere non exuri rubum nempe Israelem Aegyptiis superiorem futurum Theod. in loc In a strange land God appears to Moses and calls him to this honourable imployment of saving Israel God confirms his faith by vision and voice by the vision he taught him that if the tinder of a weak and most combustible bush could overcome a flame of fire that a poor Moses and an oppressed Israel might as easily prevaile over cruell and armed tyranny by the voice which was the comment upon the vision God being moved by Israels afflictions and not hindred by Moses his objections expresseth his resolution that Moses shall bring Israel out of Egypt Whereupon Moses yeilds to undertake the imployment 2. Most wisely did God deliver the people in respect of the time of their deliverance How wisely did God time this deliverance considering the extreme and distressed lownesse of Israel at that time wherein God began to work it The darknesse was very thick immediately before the day-break the tide was at the lowest before it began to turn Moses himself was too faint to beleeve without the double support of a promise and a vision now was Egypts cruelty high Israels strength low all their armes were toyl and tasks tears and sighs and groans weapons which overcame him who overcame the Egyptians For thus it faring with Israel Moses the deliverer comes and serves Pharaoh with a warrant from God himself to let Israel go But Israel is not yet fit that is weak enough to break out of Egypt They must be required to make brick without straw and in effect to make straw and then God creates deliverance The deliverance from their tasks of brick seems as unpossible as was the fulfilling of these tasks and they for very anguish are as unable to hearken beleevingly and patiently to Gods messenger promising deliverance as they were desirous to receivie it Oh how did the desperatenesse of Israels disease commend the skilfulnesse of Israels Physitian 2. How eminent was the wisedome of God in timeing of Israels deliverance so as that they should be compeâ—'d by Pharaoh to depart that very day in which God had promised that they should depart four hundred and thirty years before Pharaohs choice of time for the departure of Israel meets with Gods exactly that very night when the four hundred and thirty years were expired Israel must go God will have it so yea Pharaoh will have it so who neither can nor can will to keep them any longer But secondly God delivered Israel out of Egypt as graciously as he did wisely 1. How tender was he of his Israel when his wrath was hottest against the Egyptians He commands his plagues to distinguish between Egypt and Goshen Israel was now like a man upon an high hill that sees the dreadfully stately spectacle of a bloody battell but is himself out of gun-shoâ— All Israels work is but to behold and beleeve 2. Afterward in their departure how good was God to give them furniture for their journey at the voluntary charges of their late oppressive enemies 3. Further how indulgent vvas God in having such respect to the infirmities of his people as not to choose them the shorter but the safer vvay and to preserve them from vvar vvhose I ate and long condition of slavery had made them unfit for souldiery he intending them no fighting till after more preparation and not suffering evills to be ready for Israel till Israel vvere ready for those evills dealing herein as gently vvith his people as doth the Eagle with her young ones the resemblance used by Moses Deut. 32.11 for the Eagle turns not her young ones presently out of her nest either for flight or prey but first nourisheth them and then by little and little accustomes them to flye by bearing them on her wings 4. Mercy still proceeds it both chuseth a way for Israel and guides Israel in that way In the day God appoints a Pillar of a cloud to guide them and not of fire because the greater light extinguisheth the lesse In the night he errects a pillar of fire because in the night nothing is seen without light The cloud shelters from heat by day the fire digests the rawnesse of the night Day and night God sutes himselfe to Israels exigency 5-Yet more mercy Pharaoh and his formidable army are now within sight of Israel and Israel more fears Egypt than beleeves God They voice Moses in their murmurings not to intend to deliver them from but to betray them to the Egyptians And Josephus reports that the unbeleeving Iraelites were about to stone Moses and to yeeld up themselves again to
in They beleeved God too little and man too much by their unbelief making God as man and man as God Gen. 12.7 13.15 15.18 17.7.8 26.4 Deut. 1.8 Exo. 3.17 and 6.8 2. God had afforded many helps and antidotes against the unbeleef of the Israelites God had given promises first to their Fathers and afterwards to these Israelites their posteritie of his bestowing upon them the land of Canaan for an Inheritance His promises like himself were faithfull and true and impossible it is that he who made them should lie These promises were often repeated to their fore-fathers and themselves and the very land of Canaan is called the Land of Promise Heb. 11.9 1 King 8.56 And afterward Solomon professed There hath not failed one word of all Gods good promise which he promised by the hand of Moses All his promises are yea and Amen The promises of giving to Israel the land of Canaan Gen. 22.16 Gen. 26.3 Psal 105.9 1 Chr. 26.26 Gen. 17.10 God had sundry times confirmed by oath the oath God followed with his seal of Circumcision whereby was confirmed the promise of the earthly and heavenly Canaan To all these God had added the abundant examples of those their holy fore-fathers who openly professed their beleeving of the promise that their Seed should inherit Canaan Heb. 11.9 Act. 7.5 Hence Abraham sojourned contentedly in the land of promise where he had not so much room as to set his foot on without borrowing or buying Hence also he purchased a burying place in that land In terra promissâ sibi emit sepulchrum ut spem suam vel mortuus testaretur Rivet Exerc. 119. in Gen. of which though living he had not possession yet dying nay dead he shewed his expectation How holily solicitous was Jacob and Joseph that their bodies after their deaths should be carried out of Egypt into that Canaan where their hopes and hearts had been while they lived To all these Examples God had given them to prevent unbeliefe their own multiplyed and astostonishing Experiences of his former Power and Love Could not he who by the lifting up of the arms of one Moses destroyed an Armie of Amalekites as easily overthrow the Armies of the Canaanites by the hands of six hundred thousand Israelites Could he who commissionated the very lice and flies to plague Egypt and at whose command are all the hosts of heaven and earth want power to deal with the sons of Anak Could not he who made the weak and unsteady waters of the red Sea to stand up like walls as easily make the strongest walls of the Canaanitish Cities to fall down Psal 78.32.42 But they believed not for his wondrous works they remembred not his hand nor the day when he delivered them from the enemie 3. Their unbelief most of all robb'd God of his though not essentiall yet declarative glory It was a bold sin it rifled his Cabinet and took away his chiefest Jewel Isa 42.8 1 Joh. 5.10 Rom. 4.10 even that which he saith he will not give to another 1. It takes away the glorie of his Truth it no more trusting him then if he were a known Lyer and as we say of such a one No further than we see him It endeavours to make God in that condition of some lost man whose credit is quite gone and whose word none will take now to discredit is to dishonour a man Unbeleevers account it impossible that he should speak true for whom to lye it is impossible After all the promises of giving them Canaan though repeated sworn sealed Israel beleeved not God 2. The Israelites by their unbelief obscured the glory of Gods Goodnesse They did not onely labour to make their miserie greater then Gods Mercy but even his very Mercy to appear Tyranny They often complained that he had brought them into the wilderness to slay them Num. 14.3 Psal 106.24 and they despised that pleasant land which God had promised them yea as some note in regard that the land of Canaan was a type of the heavenly Canaan See M. Perkins on the place they beleeved not that God would bring them to heaven and give them inheritance in that eternall Rest by means of the Messiah So that they rejected at once both the blessings of the foot-stool and the throne the earthly and the heavenly Canaan at the same time 3. Their Unbelief did blemish the glory of his Omnipotency Psal 62.11 They proclaiming by this sin that He to whom power belongs and nothing is too hard who can do all things but what argue impotencie as lying and denying himself who made heaven and earth with a word Isa 40.15 and before whom all the nations of the world are as the drop of the bucket and the small dust of the balance could not crush a few worms nor pull down the height of those Gyants whom by his power he upheld 4. Of all sins the Unbelief of the Israelites most crossed their own Professions They voyced themselves to be and gloryed in being the people of God and they proclaimed it both their dutie and priviledg to take God for their God They sometimes appeared to beleeve him but the unbelief of their hearts gave both God and their own tongues the lye they professed that they beleeved the power of God and remembred that God was their Rock Psal 78.34 35 36 37. but at the news from Canaan they shewed that they beleeved that the Anakims and the walled Cities were stronger They professed that they beleeved the Mercy of God and that the most high God was their Redeemer but at the very supposall of danger they thought that they were brought into the wilderness to be slain They professed that they beleeved the Soveraignty of God They returned and enquired after him and promised obedience to him but upon every proof they shewed themselves but rebells So that by reason of their unbeleef and unstedfastnesse of heart in Gods Covenant they did but flatter God with their mouth and lye unto him with their tongues How hainous a sin is it for Gods professed friends do distrust him How shall a stranger take that mans word whom his most familiar friends yea his own children will not beleeve Thine own Nation said Pilate to Christ have delivered thee unto me Thine own people may heathens say to God wil not trust thee and how should wee 5. Of all the sins of the Israelites unbeliefe was that which properly did reject the mercy by God tendred to them Canaan was by him frequently in his promise offered and though all the sins of the Israelites deserved exclusion from Canaan yet they did not as unbeleef by refusing the offer of it reject the entrance into it As the faith of the Ninivites overthrew a prophesie of judgement Psal 78.32 33 so the unbelief of the Israelites overthrew the promises of mercy The brests of the promises were full of the milk of consolation and
power of all he had said and done Mark 6.6 We are carried unto unbelief both by the tide of our own natures and the winde of tentation Our hearts ever since we left God crave and look for relief from sensible objects and having forsaken the true embrace even any opinionative God or good which hath enough to flatter into expectations though nothing to fill or to yeeld satisfaction And so great is our natural pride that we had rather steal than beg rather rob God of glory by resting upon our own crutches then go out of our selves to depend upon another for happinesse The batteries of Satan are principally placed against faith He would not care for taking away our estates names liberties unlesse he hoped hereby to steal away our faith He fans not out the chaffe but bolts out the flour Luke 22.32 Satan saith Christ to Peter hath desired to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Satans first siege in Paradise was laid against the faith of threatnings He knows that all our strength like Samsons in his Locks is from laying hold upon another If therefore he can make us let go our hold which is our faith he desires no more Faith is the grace that properly refisteth him and therefore he principally opposeth it unbelief befriendeth Satan and therefore he most promotes it in our hearts Oh that we might most fear and oppose that sin which is most difficultly avoided and most dangerously entertained Of all keepings keep thy heart and of all means principally use this of keeping out unbeleef 4. Nothing more displeaseth God Observ 4. than the forsaking of our own mercies In the true loving of our selves we cannot provoke God He is angry with Israel because they refuse that which might make themselves happy God loves to be giving and is pleased with them who are alwayes taking in his goodnesse Unbeleef obstructs mercy and God opposeth unbeleef He delights in them who hope in his mercy He hath such full brests that he is most pained when we will not draw them by beleeving The great complaint of Christ was that people would not come to him for life He was grieved for the hardnesse of their hearts and incensed against those guests that would not come when they were invited to the feast of his Gospel-dainties He is so abundant a good that he wants nothing or if he doth he wanteth only wants If he be angry with us how should we be displeased with our selves for rejecting mercy It s the proud and unbeleving soul which God only sends empty away They who will buy his benefits must leave their mony behind them How inexcusable are they who perish they starve and dye in the midst of fulnesse But alasse wee are the poorest of beggars not onely without bread but without hunger Oh begge that hee who bestowes grace upon the desires would first give us the grace of Desire 5. Observat 5. Nullum genus insipientiae infidelitate insipientius Bern. de Consid None are such enemies to unbeleevers as themselves nor is any folly so great as Infidelity The business and very design of unbelief and all that it hath to do is to stop mercy and hinder happinesse Every step which an unbeleever takes is a departing from goodnesse it self Heb. 3.12 And no wonder if such an one carry a curse along with him Jer. 17.5 and ver 6. if he be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh Unbelief is like the unwary hand of him who being without the door puls it too hard after him locks it and locks himself out Faith is the grace of receiving and unbelief the sin of rejecting all spirituall good How vainly doth the unbeliever expect refreshment by going from the fountain or gain by leaving the true treasure Distrustfull sinner who is the looser by thy incredulity and who would gain by thy beleeving but thy self What harm is it to the cool and refreshing fountain that the weary passenger will not drink and what benefit is it to the fountain though he should What loseth the Sun if men will shut their eyes against its light what gains it though they open them What good comes by distrusting God unlesse the gratifying of Satan in the damning of thy self How foolish is that disobedience that will not wash and be cleansed from a worse leprosie then Naaman's that like a man in a swoun shuts the teeth against a life-recalling cordiall that will not open a beggars hand for the receiving of a Jewell more worth then all the world that beleeves the Father of lyes who cannot speak truth unless it be to deceive and will not trust the God of truth nay Truth it self to whose nature lying is infinitely more opposite than to our good O Unbeliever either thou shalt believe before thou dyest or not if not how scalding will be this ingredient among the rest of those hellish tortures which hereafter shal compleat thy pain to consider that offered sincerely offered mercy was despised that the promise of grace and truth daily desired thy acceptance but had nothing from thee but contempt That thou who art now crying eternally and vainly for one drop hadst lately the offers and intreaties of the fountain to satisfie thy self fully and for ever If thou shouldst beleeve before thou diest how great a trouble to thy heart holily ingenuous will it be that thou hadst so long together such unkind thoughts of Mercy it self that thou didst deem Truth it self to be a Lyer How angry wilt thou be with thy self that thou didst so slowly beleeve and so hardly wert brought to be happie 6. Observat 6. Our greatest dangers and troubles are no plea for unbelief Notwithstanding Israel's tentation their unbelief was a provocation A houling wilderness and dismall tidings excused them not from sin in distrusting of God Even he who hides his face from the house of Jacob is to be waited for When we sit in darkness and see no light we should trust in the Lord and stay our selves upon our God Faith goeth not by feeling and seeing but should go against both It must both beleeve what it sees not and contrary to what it sees Psal 119.49 114. Verbum fidei pabulum Not outward props but the stability of the word of promise should be the stay of our Faith a stud that ever stands though heaven and earth should fail In thy word saith David I do and thou hast caused me to hope The greatness of danger must not lessen Faith Dangers are the element of Faith among them faith lives best because among them it findes most promises When the world is most against us then the word is most for us Faith hath best food in famine and the fullest table in a time of scarcity The very earth which we tread on should teach us this so massy a body hangeth in the midst of the aire and
head the nailes shall tear the skin the teeth shall gnaw the flesh Those who are made to take one anothers parts shall become mutinous like the Midianites who sheath'd their swords in their fellowes bowels A man forsaken of God hath least mercy for himselfe Never let us please our selves or envy the enemies of God in any sinfull quietnesse since God can make men selfe-destroyers To conclude this if ever you would be reconcil'd to your selves 1. Labour to be reconcil'd to God in Christ Never will conscience Gods deputy speak peace if God himselfe speak war Nor will God be at peace but through him who is our peace 2. Let us maintain a constant war with sin Such is the cruelty of sin that it alwayes torments those who loves it and such is its impotency that it cannot hurt those who hate it 3. Let us constantly walk in those ways which Prov. 3.17 are called peace remembring that holinesse troubles nothing but what we should not only trouble but destroy our lusts 7. Observ 7. There 's no liberty to be found in forsaking of Gods service As soon as these angels had thrown off the yoke of obedience they put on the chains of bondage they were in bondage to sin and for sin Every sinner is a captive he cannot stir hand or foot in heavenly imployments A Saint only walks at liberty the service of God alone is freedom Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty and a changing of the chains of flavery for an heavenly activity None but Saints can run the wayes of Gods Commandments and willingly wait upon their Master and hence it is that only they can perform duties either delightful to him or themselves The wayes of obedience which are torments to a sinner are the pleasures of a Saint that which the one counts his yoke the other esteems his priviledge and knows not how to live without the daily performing of them And how comfortable is their condition in having their chains of guilt beaten off by Christ As their services are so their usage is that of sons not of slaves and captives Their duties savour of the Spirit of adoption and a filial ingenuity Their services are without fear whereas others are all their life long subject unto bondage How are sinners mistaken in thinking that liberty is inconsistent with sanctity A Saint loseth nothing but his bonds and fetters by becoming holy nor is holinesse a chain to any but those who know no other freedom then an house of bondage 8. The pleasures of sin bear no proportion to the horrours thereof It 's pleasures are light and momentany its chains are heavy horrid and everlasting The act of sin is instantly ended and the delights of sin soon fall off but its chains are strong and not to be broken there 's no aqua fortis to eat them asunder How happy were it that sinners would be but as wise in preventing as they will he wofull in undergoing the everlasting sorrows which follow their short sinning Oh that when you say you know not how to forbear the breaches of the law you would ask your selfe whether you are able to bear or knock off the chains of the prison Foolish sinner say no more as I have sometimes heard thee in thy sits of passion I must speak and then I have done when chou hast done God hath not done he then begins and should he as thou deservest once chain such a wild offender in that black dungeon of hell he would not have done with thee to eternity Look upon sin with Scripture spectacles Oh view the chain the everlasting chain of guilt and horrour through every tentation Let the meditation of eternity damp and stop thee in thy sinfull heats and fury If thou canst not find a man who to gain the world would be compell'd to lie bound upon a bed of roses a hundred years how shalt thou endure the flames and chains of hell to eternity 9. Observ 9. How eminently is the goodnesse of God manifosted to men more then to angels The fallen angels continue under the chains of eternall guilt helplesse without Aug. and hopelesse of recovery Man who deserved no better is loosed from those chains by a strong Redeemer and by the blood of Jesus Christ they are broken asunder How should so great mercy quicken our hearts to thankfulnesse Wonder O man that God should break in pieces and throw on to the dunghill of hell to eternity those golden vessels the angels beset with the most precious gems of most shining and glorious endowments when they had contracted rust and that he should cleanse the earthen pot poor man in stead of breaking it when the uncleannesse of sin had defil'd and eaten into it I only adde that in one thing the sins of men admit of a greater aggravation then those of divels these never sinn'd against the offers of a Saviour Unbelieving sinner the very divels will condemn thee If all the examples in the world of ingratitude to God and unkindnesse to ones selfe were lost they might be found again in thee Thus far of the first part of the punishment of these fallen angels in the prison viz. their being in everlasting chains They are said secondly to be under darknesse Two things may here needfully be opened 1. What the darknesse is under which they are 2. What is their misery in being under it EXPLICATION 1. Darknesse is in Scripture taken taken two wayes 1. Gen. 1.2 4. Isai 45.7 Isai 45.19 Isai 45.3 1 Cor. 4.5 1 Thess 5.5 2 John 2.8 Rom. 1.21.2.19.1 Thess 5.8 1 John 2.11 1. Properly for the negation defect and privation of light 2. Metaphorically 1. for a secret hidden or private place What I tell you in darknesse that speak you in light Matth. 10.27 so Luke 12.3 2. For errour and ignoorance Acts 26.18 to turn them from darknesse to light Ephes 4.18 having their minds darkned Ephes 5.8 Once were ye darknesse c. In which tespect principally sins are called the works of darknesse Rom. 13.12 Ephes 5.11 3. For great calamities and punishments 1. Externall Job 50.26 When I looked for good Jer. 23.12 evill came unto me and when I waited for light there came darknesse Isai 5.30 If one look unto the land behold darknesse and sorrow Isai 8.22 They shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darknesse Isai 59.9 We wait for brightnesse but we walk in darknesse Isai 47.5 Get thee into darknesse Jer. 13.16 Ezek. 32.8 Mich. 7.8 Psal 143.3 Afflictus vitam tenebris luctuque trahebam Virg. Aeneid 2. O danghter of the Caldeans 2. Internall Thus Heman complains Psal 88.6 That God had laid him in darknesse Isai 50.10 Who is there among you c. that walketh in darknesse and seeth no light 3. Eternall for the uncomfortable condition of the damned in hell by reason of the absence of Gods presence Jude 12. Matth. 8.12 Matth. 22.13 we read of some
life and with that his estate and liberty and all that is dear and desirable granted unto him this his sentence and judgment I say is great and makes the day wherein it passeth deservedly to bee accounted such What are all the losses susteined by or fines imposed on any in comparison of the loss of Gods presence He who loseth God hath nothing besides to lose He who is doom'd to the pains of those fires prepared for the divell and his angels hath nothing left him more to feel The torments of the body are no more comparable to those of the soul then is the scratch of a pin to a stab at the heart nor can there possibly be an addition made to the blessednesse of those who shall be sentenced to enter into the joy of their Lord whose presence not only is in but is even heaven it selfe in a word there 's nothing small in the recompences of that great day great woe or great happinesse and therefore 't is a great day in either respect But of this at large before 3. This day of judgement is great in respect of the properties of it As 1. It s a certaine day were it doubtfull it would not be dreadfull were it fabulous it would be contemptible 1. Naturall conscience is affrighted at the hearing of a judgement day Act. 24.25 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian Sua quemque fraus sua audacia suum facinus suum scelus de sanitate ac mente deturbat hae sunt impiorum furiae haeflammae hae faces Cicer. in Pison Eccl. 1.2 Hab. 1.13 Fâ—lix trenâ—bled when Paul preached of it and though the Athenians mocked when they heard of a Resurrection of the dead yet not at the hearing of the day of judgement The reason why men so much fear at death is because they are terrifyed with the thoughts of judgement after death were it not for that supreme and publick the inward Tribunall of conscience should be in vaine erected 2. The justice of God requires that every one shall receive according to his works In this life the best men are of all men most miserable and sinners oft most happy All things fall alike to all The wicked saith Habbakuk devoureth the man that is more righteous then himselfe There must come a time therefore when the righteous Judge will like Jacob lay his right hand upon the younger the more despised Saint and his left hand upon the elder the now prosperous sinner There is now much righteousnesse and oppression among Magistrates Gen. 18.25 Job 34.10 11 12. Isai 3.16 11. but it would be blasphemy to say that injustice shall take place to eternity Every unrighteous Decree in humane Judicatories must be judged over againe and from the highest Tribunall upon earth the Saints of God may joyfully and successfully appeal to a higher Bar. Jud. 14. Rom. 2.15 Eccl. 11.9 2 Thes 1 6 7. Mat. 7.22.25.41.10.15 2 Cor. 5.10 Rom. 14.10 Luk. 21.34 Luk. 9.26 2 Pet. 3.9 Tit. 2.13 1 Pet. 4.5 Omnia alia quae futura praedixerat Spiritus Sanctus in Scripturis evâ—nerunt ut de primo Christi adventu c. Cum ergo idem Spiritus Sanctus praedixerit secundum Christi adventum utique certo eveniet Aug. Ep. 42. Luk. 21.35 Mat. 25. The day of judgement shall set all things strait and in right order It is a righteous thing with God saith Paul to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you that are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed c. To conclude this The Scripture is in no one point more full and plentifull then in assuring us that this day shall certainly come and if the other predictions in Scripture particularly those concerning the first coming of Christ have truly come to passe why should we doubt of the truth of Christs second appearance and if the mercy of God were so great that he should repent of the evill intended against the wicked yet even that mercy of his would make the judgment so much the more necessary for the good of the Elect 2. The judgement of this great day shall be Sudden Christ will come as a thief in the night who enters the house without knocking at the door The judgement will come upon the secure world as the snare doth upon the bird The greater security is at that day the greater will the day and the terror thereof be to sinners the noise of fire is neither so usuall nor so dreadfull as in the night The approach of the Bridegroom at midnight increased the cry of the foolish and sleeping Virgins Sudden destruction or that which befals them who cry peace is destruction doubled 3. The judgement of this great day shall be Searching exact and accurate There shall be no causes that shall escape without discussion notwithstanding either their multiplicity or secrecy their numerousnesse or closenesse The infinite swarmes of vain thoughts idle words Psal 50.21 Mat. 12.36 Eccl. 12.14 2 Cor. 5.10 and unprofitable actions shall clearly and distinctly be set in order before those who are to be tryed for them God shall bring every work to judgement and every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evill 1 Cor. 4.5 He will bring to light the hidden things of darknesse and make manifest the counsels of the heart But of this before 4. It shall be righteous As every cause shall be judged so rightly judged Christ is a righteous Judge 1 Tim 4.8 Psal 72.2 Act. 17.31 Rom. 2.11 2 Chron. 19.7 Psal 82.2 Job 34.19 In righteousnesse doth he judge Revel 19.11 The scepter of his kingdome is a right scepter he loves righteousnesse Psal 45.6 7 The day of judgement is a day of the revelation of the righteous judgement of God Righteousnesse shall be the girdle of his loyns it shall stick close to him This Judge cannot be byass'd by favour There is no respect of persons with God The enemies of Christ justified him in this particular that he regarded not the persons of men Mat. 22.16 Kindred Friend-ship Greatnesse make him not at all to warp and deviate from righteousnesse He is not mistaken with error he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes Isai 11.3 Joh. 7.24 2 Cor. 10.7 Jer. 17.9 10. Gal. 6.7 neither reprove after the hearing of his ears This Judg shall never be deluded with fair shews and out sides or misled by colourable but false reports as earthly Judges may be because they cannot pierce into mens hearts to discerne their secret intentions as Christ can do whom no specious appearance can deceive he shall never acquit any who is in truth faulty or inwardly unsound nor upon any flying report or forged suggestion proceed to the censure of any He shall never be in danger of being mis-informed through untrue depositions but he shall alwayes proceed upon certain knowledg in passing of his own sentence upon any 5. This judgement shall be open