the true Sanctuary but is entred into the very Heaven Heb. 9. to appeare now in the sight of God for you The Apostle saith 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sinne for you that knew no sinne that you might be made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Gal 3.13 Christ was made a curse for you that he might redeeme you from the curse of the Law Oh therefore how happy art thou that hast such a Mediatour and high Priest Rest therefore wholly upon him and upon that perfect eternall and propitiatory Sacrifice which he hath once offered Apply Christ apply his merits apply the promises to your selfe and to your owne conscience so shall they doe you good and bring great comfort to your soule For put case you had a most excellent and soveraigne salve which would cure any wound if it were laid to yet if you should locke it up in your chest and never apply it to your wound what good could it doe you Even so the righteousnesse and merits of Christ are a spirituall salve which will cure any wound of the soule but if wee doe not apply them to our soules by faith they can doe us no good You must therefore apply Christ and all the promises of the Gospel to your selfe by faith and stand fully perswaded that whatsoever hee hath done upon the Crosse hee hath done for you particularly For what is justifying faith but a full perswasion of Gods particular love to us in Christ The generall and confused knowledge of Christ and his Gospel availes not to eternall life Labour therefore to have the true use of all these great and precious promises and sticke fast to Christ for through him onely wee have remission of sins and eternall life Acts 10.45 To him all the Prophets give witnesse saith Saint Peter that through his Name all that beleeve shall receive remission of their sins Where the Apostle tells us that if a great Iury of Prophets were pannelled to testifie of the way and meanes to eternall life they would all with one consent bring in a verdict that remission of sins and eternall life are onely in Christ Let us heare the Fore-man speake and one or two of the rest for in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word stand The Prophet Esay saith Esay 54.5 He was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed This great Prophet we see plainly affirmes that Christ suffered for our sins and by his suffering we are saved The Prophet Jeremy testifies the same thing Jer. 23 5. saying Behold the day is come saith the Lord that I will raise to David a righteous branch and a King shall reigne and prosper and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely and this is the name whereby they shall call him The Lord our righteousnesse This Prophet jumps with the other For he saith that Christ is the righteous branch and that he is our righteousnesse which is all one as if hee had said our sinnes are pardoned onely through him and through him we are made righteous Moreover hee affirmes that Juda and Israel that is the Church shall be saved by him The Prophet Zachary that I may speake it with reverence telleth the same tale word for word He avoucheth the same thing with the other two Prophets for hee saith In that day a fountaine shall be opened to the house of David Zach. 13.1 and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse The meaning of the Prophet is that in the dayes of Christs Kingdome the fountaine of Gods mercy in Christ should be opened and let-out to wash away the sinnes and uncleannesse of the Church So then we see that these three great witnesses doe all agree in this that through Christ onely we are washed from our sinnes and through him onely wee are made righteous Seeing then that eternall life is onely in the Sonne therefore he that hath the Sonne hath life Be of good courage therefore O Asunetus for no doubt you have the Sonne and therefore eternall life Feare not your sinnes for they cannot hurt you for as all the righteousnesse of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the most righteous men that ever lived on the face of the earth if it were yours could doe you no good without Christ so all the sinne in the world can doe you no hurt being in Christ Rom. 8.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Plucke up a good heart therefore be no more heavie and sad for if you be found in Christ clothed with his perfect righteousnesse being made yours through faith what can the Divell say to you what can the Law doe They may well hisse at you but they cannot sting you they may grin at you but they cannot hurt you For who shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifies Rom. â— 33 who shall condemne It is Christ which is dead or rather which is risen againe who also sitteth at the right hand of God and makes request for us Phil. 4.4 Rejoyce in the Lord therefore againe I say Rejoice for greater is hee that is in you then hee that is in the world Our Lord Iesus is stronger then all None can pluck you out of his hands hee is a strong Mediator hee hath conquered all our spirituall enemies hee hath overcome hell death and damnation hee hath led captivity captive Col. 1.15 hee hath spoyled principalities and powers and hath made an open shew of them and triumphed over them on his crosse Hee hath most triumphantly said O death Hos 13.14 I will be thy death O grave I will be thy destruction O death where is thy sting 1 Cor. 15.55 O hell where is thy victory Seeing then you have such a Mediator and high Priest as hath conquered the hellish army and subdued all infernall power what need you to doubt what need you to feare any more Moreover you are to understand and to be perswaded that Gods mercy is exceeding great towards penitent sinners and all such as mourne for their transgressions according as hee saith At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sinnes from the bottome of his heart hee will put them all out of his remembrance The Prophet David doth most lively and fully describe unto us the mercifull nature of God in the 103. Psalme where hee saith The Lord is full of compassion and mercy slow to anger and of great kindnesse hee will not alwaies chide neither keepeth his anger for ever hee hath not dealt with us after our sinnes nor rewarded us according to our iniquities For as high as the heaven is above the earth so great is his mercy towards those that feare him
and the master-pock of the soule Phil. Shew mee out of the Scriptures that pride is so grievous and lothsome Theol. Solomon saith Prov. 16.5 Every one that is proud in heart is abomination to the Lord which plainly sheweth that God doth detest and abhorre proud men And is it not a fearfull thing think you to be abhorred of God And in the same Chap. Ver. 18. he saith Pride goeth before destruction and an high mind before the fall Wherein he sheweth that pride is the for-runner of some deadly downfall either by disgracing or displacing For it is an old and true Proverb Pride wil have a fall And oftentimes when men are most lifted up then are they neerest unto it as the examples of Haman Nebuchadnezzar and Herod doe plainly declare When the milt swelleth the rest of the body pineth away even so when the heart is puft up with pride the whole man is in danger of destruction Moreover the holy Ghost saith Prov. 15.24 The Lord will destroy the house of the proud Job 11.5.25 Job 28.26 Job saith of such kind of men The spark of his fire shall not shine fear shall dwell in his house and brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation And in another place hee saith Job 23.13 The fire which is not blowne shall devoure him Mee thinkes therefore if there were any spark of grace in us these terrible speeches of the holy Ghost might serve to humble us and pull down our pride especially sith the Scriptures doe affirme that God resisteth the proud and setteth himself ex professe against them and therefore wo unto them for if God take against a man who can reclaime him for he doth whatsoever he will Phil. But tell me I pray you when you speak against pride what pride is it that you mean Theol. I mean all pride both that which is inward in the heart and that also which breaketh out in mens foreheads I mean that which apparently sheweth it selfe in mens words and works Phil. Do you mean pride also of mens gifts Theol. Yes surely for there is no pride worse or more dangerous then that Beware saith one of spirituall pride as to be proud of our learning wit knowledge reading writings sermons praiers godliness policy valour strength riches honour birth beauty authority For God hath not given such gifts unto men to the end they should make sale-ware of them and set them a sun-shining to behold seeking only themselves with their gifts the vain praise of the multitude and applause of the people so robbing God of his honour and proudly arrogating to themselves that which is due unto God which is the praise of his gifts but he hath given his gifts to another end namely that wee should use them to his glory and the good of others either in Church or Common-wealth especially of those which doe most concern us Phil. Yet wee see commonly men of greatest gifts are most proud Theol. True indeed for the finest cloth is soonest stained And as worms ingender sooner in soft tender wood then in that which is more hard and knotty and as moths do breed sooner in fine wooll then in course flocks even so pride and vain glory do sooner assault an excellent and rare man in all kind of knowledge and vertue then another of meaner gifts and therefore pride is said to spring out of the ashes of all vertues For men will be proud because they are wise learned godly patient humble c. Pride therefore may very fitly bee compared to the crab-stock spines which grow out of the root of the very best Apple-tree Therefore to say the truth this is one of the last engines and weapons which the Divell useth for the overthrowing of Gods own children even to blow them up with pride as it were with gun-powder For as we see it come to passe in the siege of strong holds when no battery or force of shot will prevaile the last remedy and policy is to undermine it and blow it up with traines of gun-powder so when Sathan can no way prevail against some excellent servants of God his last device is to blow them up with pride as it were with gun-powder Phil. I see it is a speciall grace of God for men of great gifts to bee humble minded and hee is an odd man of a thousand which excelling in gifts excelleth in humility and the more gifts he hath the more humbly he walks not contemning others but esteeming them better than himselfe For commonly wee are the worse for Gods gifts because we have not the right use of them and againe because they engender so much proud flesh in us that we had need daily to be coâ—zied Therefore God sheweth great favour and mercy to that man whom he humbleth and taketh downe by any afflictions or infirmities whatsoever For otherwise it is sure proud flesh would altogether over-grow us Theol. 2 Cor. 12. You have spoken the truth for the Apostle himselfe confesseth that hee was tempted troubled this way had like to have been puffed up out of measure with the abundance of his revelations but that God in great mercy sent him a cooler and a rebater to wit a prick in the flesh which hee calleth the messenger of Satan whereby the Lord cured him of his pride And even so doth hee cure many of us of our pride by throwing us to Sathan leaving us to our selves and giving us over to commit some grosse evill even to fall downe and break our neckes and all to the end hee may humble us tame us and pull downe our pride which hee seeth wee are heart-sick of It is good for us therefore to be humble in the abundance of grace that wee bee not proud of that which wee have or that which we have done For humility in sin is better then pride in well-doing Phil. Herein surely appeareth the great wisdome and mercy of God that hee so graciously bringeth go d out of evil and turneth our afflictions infirmities falls and down-falls to his glory and our good Theol. It is most true For even as of the flesh of a Viper is made a soveraigne medicine to cure those which are stung of a Viper and as Physicians expell poyson with poyson so God according to his marvellous wisedome doth of the infirmities which remaine in us after regeneration cure other more dangerous diseases as pride vain-glory and presumption O blessed therefore be his name for ever which thus mercifully causeth all things to work together for the good of his owne people of whom these things are specially to be understood Phil. Is there no cause why men of great gifts should glory in their gifts Theol. No surely none at all For the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 4. Who separateth thee And what hast thou that thou hast not received If thou hast received it why boastest thou as though thou haddest not received it Where the Apostle plainly sheweth that
he is heavie-hearted and troubled in his mind How doe you Asunetus how doe you feele your selfe Me thinkes you are very sad Asun I am the better for you Sir I thanke God I never knew what sinne meant till this day It hath pleased God now to give mee some sight and feeling thereof I am greatly distressed in my conscience to thinke what I have been The remembrance of my former sinnes doe strike an horrour into mee When I consider how ignorantly and profanely and how farre off from GOD I have lived all my life it stings and gripes mee to the heart I doe now see that which I never saw and feele that which I never felt I doe plainly see that if I had died in that state wherein I have lived all my life I should certainly have been condemned and should have perished for ever in my sinne and ignorance Theol. I am very glad that God hath opened your eyes and given you the sight and feeling of your misery which indeed is the very first step to eternall life It is a great favour and speciall mercy of God towards you that hee hath so touched your heart you can never be thankfull enough for it It is more then if you had a million of gold given you It is the onely rare priviledge of Gods elect to have the eyes of their soules opened that they may see into heavenly and spirituall things As for the world it is just with God to leave them in their blindnesse Asun I doe feele the burthen of my sinnes I am greatly grieved for them I am weary of them I am sorry that ever I sinned against God or that I should be such a wretch as to incurre his displeasure and provoke his Majestie against mee But I pray you good Master Theologus such you are a spirituall Physician and I am sick of sinne that you would minister unto me out of Gods Word some spirituall physicke and comfort Theol. Truly I must needs thinke that the promises of mercy and forgivenesse of sinne made in the Gospel doe belong unto you and that Iesus Christ is yours that you are truly interessed in him and have a proper right unto him For hee came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance You doe now feele your selfe to be a sinner you are grieved for your sins you are weary of them therefore Iesus Christ is for you all the benefits of his passion belong to you Mat. 9.12 Againe he saith The whole need not the Physician but they that are sicke But you doe acknowledge your selfe to be sick of sinne therefore Iesus Christ will be your Physician he will swaddle you he will lap you hee will bind up all your sores hee will heale all your wounds hee will anoint them with the oyle of his mercy hee will smile upon you and shew you a joyfull countenance hee will say unto you Your sins are forgiven In him you shall have rest and peace to your soule Through him you shall have ease and comfort For hee takes pitie of all such as mourne for their sinnes as you doe Hee biddeth you and all that are in your case to come unto him Mat. 11.28 and hee will helpe you Come unto me saith hee all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you You are one of them that are bidden to come for you are weary of your sinnes you feele the burthen of them Christ is altogether for such as you are Hee regardeth not the world that is the profane and unregenerate men Hee bids not them come hee prayeth not for them Joh. 18. â— I pray not for the world saith hee They have no part nor interest in him They have nothing to doe with him or with his merits and righteousnesse Hee is onely for the penitent sinner and such as mourne for their sinnes He is a Pillow of Down to all aking heads and aking consciences Be of good comfort therefore feare nothing for assuredly Christ and all his righteousnesse is yours He will clothe you with it Hee will never impute your sins unto you or lay any of them to your charge though they be never so many or so great hee will forget them and forgive them as hee saith by the Prophet Esay â—â—ay 1 1â— Though your sins were as crâ—mson they shall be made as white as snow though they were red like scarlet they shall be as wooll And againe he saith by the same Prophet â—â—ay 4 2â— I have put away thy transgressions as thicke as clouds and thy sinnes as a mist By another Prophet he saith Micah 7.19 Hee will lay aside our iniquities and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Againe he saith by the Prophet Esay Esay 43.25 I even I am he that put away thine iniquities for my owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes And yet more sweetly hee speakes to us by the Prophet Jeremy Jer. 3 12. saying Turne againe unto mee and I will not let my wrath fall upon you For I am mercifull and will not alway keep mine anger And againe by the Prophet Hosea hee saith Hos 11.6 I will not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am GOD and not man Be of good cheere therefore comfort your selfe with these promises you have cause to rejoyce seeing GOD hath wrought in you a dislike and a griefe for your sins which is a certaine token that your sins shall never hurt you for sinnes past cannot hurt us if sinnes present doe not like us You are growne to an hatred and dislike of your sins you mourne under the burthen of them therefore you are blessed For blessed are they that mourne Why therefore should you be so heavie and sad Remember what Saint John saith If any man sinne 1 Joh 1. we have an Advocate Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the reconciliation for our sinnes Saint Paul saith Rom. 3.13 that Jesus Christ is set forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud Againe the holy Ghost saith Heb. â— 1â— Hee is perfectly able to save all those that come unto God by him seeing hee ever liveth to make intercession for us The Apostle saith Hee is made of GOD for us 1 Cor 1 3â— wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Marke that hee saith All is for us all his for his Church for every member of his Church and therefore for you Christ is made of God righteousnesse sanctification and redemption for you Christ is your Mediator and your high Priest and hath offered up the everlasting sacrifice even for you that he might pay your ransome and redeem you from all iniquity Heb. 9 1â— By his owne bloud hath hee entred once into the holy place and obtained eternall redemption for you Christ is not entred into the holy places which are made with hands which are similitudes of
As farre as is the East from the West so farre hath hee removed our sinnes from us As a Father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For he knowes whereof wee be made he remembreth that wee are but dust The History of the lost sonne doth most notably set forth the wonderfull mercy of God towards penitent sinners There is shewed how the Lord doth embrace tender Luke 1â— 20 and made much of such poore sinners as have broken and contrite hearts for their sinnes for it is said that when the Father saw his repenting Sonne a great way off hee had compassion on him and ranne and fell on his neck and kissed him and cloathed him with the best robe put it on him put a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet and caused the fat calfe to be killed for him Even so the everlasting Father doth rejoyce at the conversion of any of his lost sonnes Yea there is joy in the presence of the Angels of God for one sinner that converteth Moreover the Lord most lively expresseth his mercifull nature and disposition in this That he is very loth we should perish and willingly cast away our selves Therefore often in the holy Scriptures he mournes for us bewailes our wretchednesse and takes up many pitifull complaints and lamentations for us Psal â—1 13 saying O that my people had hearkened unto mee and Israel had walked in my waies Psa 48.18 And againe O that thou hadst hearkened unto my commandements then had thy prosperity been as the floud and thy righteousnesse as the waters of the sea Againe hee mourningly complaines by his Prophet Hosea saying O Ephraim what shall I doe to thee O Judah how shall I intreat thee And in another place Isa 5. What could I doe more to my Vineyard that I have not done Marke here how compassionately the Almighty God doth yerne over us and even as it were blood upon our wounds The Apostle also notes the rich mercy and marvellous love of GOD to mankind in this that hee doth beseech us and pray us by the Ministers of the Gospel that wee would be reconciled unto him The words are these Now then are wee Embassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you through us wee pray you in Christs stead that you be reconciled unto God Is it not a strange thing that the omnipotent God should fall to entreating of us poore wretches It is all one as if a King should intreat a begger whom hee may will and command But the abundant mercy of God towards mankind doth most of all consist in this That hee hath given his onely Sonne for us when wee were his enemies as it is written God so loved the world that hee hath given his onely begotten Sonne John â— that whosoever beleeves in him should not perish but have everlasting life Againe Gods sets out his love towards us seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us much more then being now justified by his bloud wee shall be saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.1 For if when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life In all this then wee may cleerely behold the infinite mercy of God towards us poore sinners For is it not a great matter that the Son of God should take our nature upon him should be so abased as he was and should humble himselfe to death Phil. 2. â— even to the death of the crosse For as the shadow of the Diall went backe ten degrees that Ezechias might receive length of dayes and much happinesse so Christ the Sonne of righteousnesse hath gone backe many degrees that we might have eternall life His humiliation therefore is our exaltation his sufferings our joy his death our life For wee have no other remedy or refuge but only his merits and righteousnes He is our City of refuge whither we must flie and where wee must take sanctuary Jer. 9. He is the balme of Gilead whereby our soules are cured He is that poole of Bethesda John â— 2 where every man may be cured of what disease soever he hath 2 Kin. 5. He is the river of Jordan where Naaman may wash away all his leprosie He is that Pelican who by pecking a hole in his owne breast doth restore his young to life againe by his bloud Yet one thing wee must note by the way which hath been partly touched before That all the mercies of God and merits of Christ are to be restrained only to the Elect only to the true members of the Church as plainly appeareth in Psal 103. where the mercies of God which are there largely described are restrained onely to them that feare him keep his Covenant and thinke upon his Commandements to doe them And touching Christ it is said that hee is a Prince and a Saviour unto Israel and that he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Againe it is written Psal 130. that Christ being consecrate was made the Authour of eternall salvation to them that obey him Heb. 5.6 None doe or can obey him but only the Elect therefore hee is the Authour of salvation onely to the Elect. And consequently the profane world whatsoever they say whatsoever they brag and boast have no true title or interest in him This thing was figured in the Law in this that the Mercy-seat which was a type of Gods mercy in Christ and the Arke which was a figure of the Church were by the expresse commandement of GOD fitted each to other Exod. 25.10 both in length and breadth For as the Arke was two cubits and a halfe long and a cubit and a halfe broad just so was the Mercy-seat Noting thereby that the mercy of God in Christ should onely be fitted to his Church and belong onely to the Church so as not one without the Church should be saved For hee that hath not the Church for his Mother cannot have God for his Father Lastly we are to observe that as God is infinite in mercy and of great compassion toward penitent sinners so also is hee most constant in the course of his mercies towards his children And therefore one of the Psalmes carries this foot Psal 156. His mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever his mercie endureth for ever Noting thereby both the constancie and eternitie of Gods mercy To the same purpose it is thus written Lam. 3 2â— It is the Lords mercie that wee are not consumed it is because his compassions faile not Let us know therefore that God as touching his mercy to his children is of a most constant and unchangeable nature As hee saith I am the Lord I change not For if GOD were of a changeable nature as we are and subject to passions then were wee in a most miserable case then must hee
Gospel and strengthen us from above to walk and abound in all the true and sound fruits of faith Let us walke not after the flesh but after the spirit Let us feele the power of thy Sonnes death killing sin in our mortall bodies and the power of his resurrection raising us up to newnesse of life Let us grow daily in the sanctification of the Spirit and the mortification of the flesh Let us live holily justly and soberly in this present evill world shewing forth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions that wee may adorne our most holy profession and shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and froward generation amongst whom wee live being gainfull to all by our lives and conversation and offensive to none To this end wee pray thee fill us with thy Spirit and all spirituall graces as love wisdome patience contentment meeknesse humility temperance chastitie kindnesse and affability and stirre us up to use prayer and watchfulnesse reading and meditation in thy Law and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heavenly vertues Blesse us in the use of the meanes from day to day make us such as thou wouldest have us to be and such as wee desire to be worke in us both will and deed purpose and power For thou O Lord art all in all thou wilt have mercie upon whom thou wilt have mercie and whom thou wilt thou hardenest Have mercy upon us therefore deare Father and never leave us to our selves nor to our owne wills lusts and desires but assist us with thy good Spirit that we may continue to the end in a righteous course that so at length wee may be received into glory and be partakers of that immortall Crowne which thou hast laid up for all that love thee and truly call upon thee Further wee intreat thee O heavenly Father to give us all things necessary for this life as food raiment health peace liberty and such freedome from those manifold miseries which we lie open unto every day as thou seest meet Blesse unto us all the meanes which thou hast put into our hands for the sustenance of this fraile life Blesse our flocke and store corne and cattell trades and occupations and all workes of our hands for thy blessing onely makes rich and it bringeth no sorrowes with it Give us therefore such a competencie and sufficiencie of these outward blessings as thou in thy heavenly wisdome seest most needfull for us Moreover wee humbly beseech thee most loving Father in great mercie looke downe from Heaven upon thy whole Church and every member of it Be favourable unto Sion and build up the walls of Jerusalem Behold with the eye of pitie the great ruines and desolation of thy Church Heale up the wounds and make up the breaches thereof in all Nations Regard it as thine own flocke tender it as thine own family dresse it as thine owne Vineyard love it as thine owne Spouse Thinke thoughts of peace to it and alwayes looke upon it in deep compassion Blesse it with thy grace guide it with thy Spirit and defend it still with thy mighty power scatter the devices consound the counsels and overthrow the forces of all that fight against it Specially wee intreat thee deare Father to set thy selfe against that Antichrist of Rome that man of perdition which setteth himselfe against thee and against all thy people In thine appointed time wee pray thee give him a deadly downfall Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more give free passage to thy Gospel in all Kingdomes that Babylon may fall and never rise up againe The more the favourites and adherents of Rome labour to uphold their Idolatrous Kingdome the more let it fall downe even as Dagon before the presence of thine Arke Poure downe the Vials of the fulnesse of thy wrath upon the Kingdomes of the Beast and let their riches wealth credit and authority dry up every day more and more as the river Euphrates Let it pitie thee O Father to see thine owne Spouse sit as a deformed and forlorne woman here below weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke having lost all her beauty and comelinesse Cheere her up deare Father glad her with the joy of thy countenance and so decke her and trim her up that thou maist delight in her as a Bridegroome in his Bride Specially wee intreat thee have mercie upon thy Church in this Land intend good unto us and not evill Give us not over into the hands of our cruell enemies as our sinnes have deserved Scatter we pray thee O Lord the devices and breake the plots of all such as have plotted the overthrow and utter subversion of this Church and Common-wealth Blesse this Church more and more with the continuance of true Religion amongst us for thy great Names sake and infinite mercies sake deale graciously and favourably with us and our posterity Turne from us that vengeance which is due unto us for our sinnes For thou seest how iniquity prevaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale Atheisme over-spreadeth every where and Popery seemeth to get a head againe Now therefore deare Father we most humbly beseech thee to take order speedily for the remedying and repressing of these manifold disorders and grievous enormities that are amongst us Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this English Nation Heare the cries of thine Elect heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the sins of the Land and be reconciled unto us in the multitude of thy compassions that so thou maist still continue a most mercifull protectour of this thine English Vineyard Wee pray thee good Father shew speciall mercy to our most Noble and gracious King Charles thine anointed Servant blesse him and keep him in all his wayes blesse his government unto us Let thine Angels encamp about him and let thy holy hand be alwayes over him keep him from treasons and deliver him from the treacheries of his enemies give him to see what belongs to his peace and give 〈◊〉 a heart earnestly bent to set upon the practice of the same give him all graces necessary for his place and necessary for his salvation continue his government peaceable and prosperous amongst us and as thou hast made him the breath of our nostrils and a gracious instrument for the saving of many thousand soules so let his owne soule be saved in the day of thy Sonne Christ Blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellours and give such good successe unto all their counsels and policies in matters of State that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Blesse all the Nobility worke in them a care to glorifie thy Name in their places make them faithfull to thee and faithfull to the Land Direct with thy good Spirit all such as beare the sword of Justice
glory and the great peace and comfort of our owne consciences Strengthen us good Father by thy grace and holy Spirit against the common corruptions of the world as pride whoredome covetousnesse contempt of thy Gospel swearing lying dissembling and deceiving O deare Father let us not be overcome of these filthy vices nor any other sinfull pleasures fond delights wherewith thousands are carried head-long to destruction Arme our soules against all the temptations of this world the flesh and the Divell that wee may overcome them all through thy help and keep on the right way to life that wee may live in thy feare and dye in thy favour that our last dayes may be our best dayes and that wee may end in great peace of conscience Furthermore deare Father we intreat thee not onely for our selves but for all our good brethren thy deare children scattered over the face of the whole earth most humbly beseeching thee to blesse all them to cheere them up and glad them with the joy of thy countenance both now and alwayes Guide them all in thy feare and keep them from evill that they may praise thy Name In these dangerous dayes and declining times wee pray thee O Lord raise up nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto thy Church Raise up also faithfull Pastours that thy cause may be carried forward Truth may prevaile Religion may prosper thy Name onely may be set up in the earth thy Sons Kingdome advanced and thy will accomplished Set thy selfe against all adversary power especially that of Rome Antichrist Idolatry and Atheisme curse and crosse all their counsels frustrate their devices scatter their forces overthrow their armies When they are most wise let them be most foolish when they are most strong let them be most weake Let them know that there is no wisdome nor counsell power nor policie against thee the Lord of hosts Let them know that Israel hath a God and that thou which art called Jehovah art the onely Ruler over all the world Arise therefore O most mighty God and maintain thine owne cause against all thine enemies smite thorow all their loines and bow downe their backes yea let them all be confounded and turned backward that beare ill will unto Sion Let the patient abiding of the righteous be joy and let the wicked be disappointed of their hope But of all favour wee intreat thee O Lord to shew speciall mercie to thy Church in this Land wherein wee live Continue thy Gospel amongst us yet with greater successe purge thy House daily more and more take away all things that offend Let this Nation still be a place where thy Name may be called upon and an harbour for thy Saints Shew mercy to our posterity deare Father and have care of them that thy Gospel may be left unto them as a most holy inheritance Defend us against forraigne invasion keep out Idolatry and Popery from amongst us Turne from us those plagues which our sins cry for For the sins of this Land are exceeding great horrible and outrageous and give thee just cause to make us spectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations that by how much the more thou hast lifted us up in great mercy and long peace by so much the more thou shouldest presse us downe in great wrath and long warre Therefore deare Father woe most humbly intreat thee for thy great Names sake and for thy infinite mercies sake that thou wouldest be reconciled to this Land and discharge it of all the horrible sins thereof Drown them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Christ as it were in a bottomlesse gulfe that they may never rise up in judgement against us For although our sins be exceeding many and fearfull yet thy mercie is farre greater For thou art infinite in mercy but wee cannot be infinite in sinning Give us not over into the hands of the Idolaters lest they should blaspheme thy Name and say Where is their God in whom they trusted But rather deare Father take us into thine owne hands and correct us according to thy wisdome for with thee is mercie and deep compassion Moreover wee most heartily beseech thy good Majestie to blesse our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles Queene Mary Prince Charles and the rest of the Royall Progenie We beseech thee also to blesse his Majesties most honourable privie Counsellors counsell them from above let them take advice of thee in all things that they may both consult and resolve of such courses as may be most for thy glory the good of the Church and peace of this our Common-wealth Blesse the Nobility and all the Magistrates of the Land giving them all grace to execute judgement and justice and to maintaine truth and equitie Blesse all the faithfull Ministers of the Gospel increase the number of them increase thy gifts in them and so blesse all their labours in their severall places and congregations that they all may be instruments of thy hand to enlarge thy Sons Kingdome and to win many unto thee Comfort the comfortlesse with all needfull comforts Forget none of thine that are in trouble but as their afflictions are so let the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit be unto them and so sanctifie unto all thine their afflictions and troubles that they may tend to thy glory and their owne good Give us thankfull hearts for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall for thou art very mercifull unto us in the things of this life and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life Let us deeply ponder and weigh all thy particular favours toward us that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be gained yet neerer unto thee and that therefore we may both love and obey thee because thou art so kind and loving unto us that even thy love towards us may draw our love towards thee and that because mercy is with thee thou maist be feared Grant these things good Father and all other needfull graces for our soules or bodies or any of thine throughout the whole world for Jesus Christs sake in whose Name wee further call upon thee as he hath taught us in his Gospel saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer to be used at any time by one alone privately O Lord my God and heavenly Father I thy most unworthy childe do here in thy sight freely confesse that I am a most sinfull creature and damnable transgressour of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements that as I was born and bred in sin and stained in the womb so have I continually brought forth the corrupt and ugly fruits of that infection and contagion wherein I was first conceived both in thoughts words and workes If I should goe about to reckon up my particular offences I knew not where to begin or where to make an end For they are more then the haires of my head yea far more then I can possibly feele or know For who knoweth the height and depth
of his corruption Who knoweth how oft he offendeth Thou only O Lord knowest my sins who knowest my heart nothing is hid from thee thou knowest what I have been and what I am yea my conscience doth accuse mee of many and grievous evils and I doe daily feele by wofull experience how fraile I am how prone to evill and how untoward unto all goodnesse My mind is full of vanity my heart full of profanenesse mine affections full of deadnesse dulnesse drowsinesse in matters of thy worship and service Yea my whole soule is full of spirituall blindnesse hardnesse unprofitablenesse coldnesse and security And in very deed I am altogether a lump of sin and a masse of all misery and therefore I have forfeited thy favour incurred thy high displeasure and have given thee just cause to frowne upon me to give me over and leave me to mine own corrupt will and affections But O my deare Father I have learned from thy mouth that thou art a God full of mercy slow to wrath of great compassion and kindnesse towards all such as groane under the burthen of their sins Therefore extend thy great mercy towards me poor sinner and give me a generall pardon for all mine offences whatsoever seale it in the bloud of thy Son and seale it to my conscience by thy Spirit assuring me more and more of thy love and favour towards me and that thou art a reconciled Father unto me Grant that I may all time to come love thee much because much is given and of very love feare thee and obey thee O Lord increase my faith that I may stedfastly beleeve all the promises of the Gospel made in thy Son Christ and rest upon them altogether Enable me to bring forth the sound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions Fill my soule full of joy and peace in beleeving Fill me full of inward comfort and spirituall strength against all temptations give me yet a greater feeling of thy love and manifold mercies towards me work in my soule a love of thy Majesty a zeale of thy glory and hatred of evill and a desire of all good things Give mee victory over those sinnes which thou knowest are strongest in me Act me once at last make a conquest of the world and the flesh Mortifie in mee whatsoever is carnall sanctifie mee throughout by thy Spirit knit my heart to thee for ever that I may feare thy Name renue in mee the Image of thy Son Christ daily more and more Give mee a delight in the reading and meditation of thy Word Let me rejoyce in the publike Ministery thereof Let me love and reverence all the faithfull Ministers of thy Gospel Sanctifie their doctrines to my conscience seale them in my soule write them in my heart give me a soft and melting heart that I may tremble at thy words and be alwayes much affected with godly Sermons Let not my sins hold back thy mercies from me nor mine unworthinesse stop the passage of thy grace Open mine eyes to see the great wonders of thy Law Reveale thy secrets unto me be open-hearted toward mee thy unworthy servant Hide nothing from me that may make for thy glory and the good of my soule Blesse all meanes unto me which thou usest for my good Blesse all holy instructions unto my soule Blesse me at all times both in hearing and reading thy Word Give me the right use of all thy merciâ— and corrections that I may be the better for them Let me abound in love to thy children Let my heart be very neerly knit unto them that where thou lovest most there I may love most also Let me watch and pray that I enter not into temptation give mee patience and contentment in all things Let me love thee more and more and the worldlesse and lesse So draw my mind upward that I may despise all transitory things Let mee be so rapt and ravished with the sight and feeling of Heavenly things that I may make a base reckoning of all earthly things Let me use this world as though I used it not Let me use it but for necessity as meat and drinke Let me not be carried away with the vaine pleasures and fond delights thereof Good Father worke the good worke in me and never leave mee nor forsake mee till thou hast brought mee to true happinesse Oh deare Father make mee faithfull in my calling that I may serve thee in it and be alwayes carefull to doe what good I may in any thing Blesse me in my outward estate Blesse my soule body goods and name Blesse all that belong unto mee Blesse my goings out and comings in Let thy countenance be lifted up upon mee now and alwayes cheere me up with the joyes and comforts of thy Spirit make me thankfull for all thy mercies For I must needs confesse that thou art very kind to mee in all things For in thee I live move and have my being of thee I have my welfare and good being thou art a daily friend and speciall good benefactour unto mee I live at thy cost and charges I hold all of thee in chiefe and I find that thou art never weary of doing me good thy goodnesse towards me is unchangeable Oh I can never be thankfull enough unto thee for all thy mercies both spirituall and corporall But in such measure as I am able I praise thy Name for all beseeching thee to accept of my thanksgiving in thy Son Christ and to give me a profitable use of all thy favours that thereby my heart may be fully drawne unto thee give me O Father to be of such a good nature and disposition that I may be won by gentlenesâ— and faire meanes as much as if thou gavest me many lashes Pardon all mine unthankfulnesse unkindnesse and great abusing of thy mercies and give me grace to use them more to thy glory in all time to come Strengthen me deare Father thus to continue praising and glorifying thy Name here upon earth that after this life I may be crowned of thee for ever in thy Kingdome Grant these petitions most mercifull God not onely to mee but to all thy deare children throughout the whole world for Iesus Christs sake in whose name I doe further call upon thee saying as he hath taught mee O our Father which art in Heaven c. FINIS
all mirth and jollity bearing it out as wee say at the breast yet inwardly are they pinched with terrours and most horrible convulsions of conscience Antil You have spoken many things very sharply against covetousnesse but in my mind so long as a man covets nothing but his own hee cannot be said to be covetous Theol. Yes that he may For not onely is hee covetous which greedily desireth other mens goods but even hee also which over-niggardly and pinchingly holdeth fast his owne and is such a miser that hee will part with nothing Wee see the world is full of such pinch-pennies that will let nothing goe except it be wrung from them perforce as a key out of Hercules hand The gripple muck-rabers had as leeve part with their bloud as their goods They will pinch their owne backs and bellies to get their god into their chests And when they have once got him there will they easily part with him trow yee No no a man will part with his god for no mans pleasure Hee will eat peasebread and drinke small drink rather then he will diminish his god Therefore the Scripture saith Prov. 31. â— Eat not the meat of him that hath an evill eye and desire not his dainty dishes For as hee grudgeth his owne soule so will hee say unto thee Eat and drink when his heart is not with thee Thou shalt vomit thy morsels which thou hast eaten and lose thy pleasant speeches The old saying is The covetous man wanteth as well that which he hath as that which he hath not because he hath no use of that which hee hath So then you see there is a great strength of covetousnesse in the niggardly keeping of our own Antil Yet for all this men must follow their worldy businesse and lay up to live For it is an hard world and goods are not easie to come by Therefore men must ply their businesse or else they may go beg and starve Theol. I deny not but that you may follow the works of your calling diligently so it be in the fear of God and with a good conscience as I told you before but this greedinesse and gripplenesse God doth condemne and also this excessive love of money Antil Beleeve mee I know no body that hates it I cannot see but that all men love gold and silver Theol. It is one thing to use these things and another thing to love them and set our hearts upon thens For the Scripture saith 1 John 2. If riches increase set not your hearts upon them Saint John also saith Love not this world nor the things that are in this world Hee saith not Use not this world but Love not this world For use it wee may love it wee may not 1 Cor. 7. Therefore the Apostle saith that They which use this world should bee as though they used it not Where hee alloweth a sober and moderate use of the things of this life in the fear of God Wee must use this world for necessities sake as wee use meat and drink taking no more of this world then needs must for fear of surfeiting The holy Ghost saith Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousnesse and be content with things present Happy is that man therefore that is well content with his present estate whatsoever and carrieth himselfe moderately and comfortably therein For the Spirit saith Eccl. 2.24 There is no profit to a man under the Sun but that he eat and drink and delight his soul with the profit of his labours I saw also this that this is the hand of God In which words the prudent King saith thus much in effect That this is all the good wee can attain unto in this world even to take a sober and comfortable â—sâ— of the things of this life which God bestoweth upon us And further hee avoucheth Eccl. 18.19 That thus to use them aright and with sound comfort is a very rare gift of God For as one saith Greg. N 1. He is a wise man that is not grieved for the things which hee hath not but doth rejoyce in the things that hee hath using them to Gods glory and his owne comfort So then I conclude this point and return to you an answer thus That wee may in sober and godly manner use gold silver and the things of this life but at no hand to over-love them or give our hearts unto them Antil Well Yet for all this I cannot see but that these Preachers and Professors these learned men and precise fellowes are even as eager of the world and as covetous as any other Theol. Now you shew your venemous spirit against better men then your selfe And I have a foure-fold answer for you First I answer that although godly men may be somewhat overtaken this way and over-spirt a little yet they break not out so grossely as others Secondly if God leave them sometimes to be overcome of the world yet hee in his great wisedome and mercy turneth it to their good For thereby hee first humbleth them and afterwards raiseth them up againe Rom. 8. And so all things work together for good to them that love God Thirdly I answer wee must live by rules and not by examples For even the best of Gods people have had their wants and weaknesses Therefore wee may not frame rules to live by out of the infirmi ies of the most excellent servants of God Wicked therefore and impious is their allegation who alledge Davids adultery Lots drunkennesse Peters fall Abrahams slips Solomons weaknesse c. for a shelter and defence of themselves in the like sins Lastly I answer that you greatly wound your self in your own speech so far off are you from mending your market any whit thereby For if Preachers and other godly men after many prayers teares and much meanes used cannot escape scot-free but sometimes are wounded and almost overthrowne by the world and the Divell what then shall become of you which use no meanes at all nor any gain-striving but willingly give place to the Divell If the Divell did over-master David Lot Samson Solomon and other such excellent worthies alas what shall become of meer worldlings and Atheists If the most valiant men and chiefe Captaines in a battell goe downe what shall become of the faint-hearted souldiers And as S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 4.18 If the righteous scarce be saved where shall the wicked and ungodly appeare So then I take you at the rebound and returne your owne weapon upon your selfe That sith godly men cannot escape through this world without blowes what shall become of them that know not what godlinesse meaneth Antil Yet I say once again that men must live men must lay up for this world we cannot live by the Scriptures And as for that which you call covetousnesse it is but good husbandry Theol. I thought wee should have it at last Now you have paid it home you are come to
promise that as long as wee live we shall never want Let us therefore rejoyce and be merry For heaven is ours earth is ours God is ours Christ is ours All is ours As the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 3.21 All is yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods The world clap their hands and crow long before it be day saying All is theirs but the children of God may say and say truly All is ours For they have a true title and proper interest through Christ in all the creatures Many are their priviledges great are their prerogatives They are free of heaven and free of earth They are the onely free Denizens of the world Christ hath purchased them their freedome Christ hath made them free and therefore they are free indeed They are free from sinne free from hell free from damnation They are at peace with God Men and Angels They are at peace with themselves They are at peace with all creatures They are young Princes Angels fellowes descended of the highest house of the bloud royall of Heaven States of Paradise and heires apparent to the immortall Crowne Therefore God hath commanded his Angels to guard them being such young Princes as they are yea hee hath given a very strait charge to all his creatures to looke to them to see to them that they want nothing that they take no hurt so jealous so chary so tender is he of them Gen. 3.2 Jonah 2. 1 King 17. Jos 10. The Angels must comfort Jacob The Whale must rescue Jonas The Raven must feed Elias The Sun and Moone must stay for Joshua Exod. 14. The Sea must divide it selfe that Moses and his people may passe thorow The fire must not burne the three Children The Lions may not devoure Daniel Dan. 3. 6. All the creatures must change their nature rather then Gods children should not be holpen and delivered Oh therefore how great is the happinesse of Gods chosen Who can expresse it who can utter it They know not their owne happinesse it is hid from them Afflictions doe cloud it troubles doe over-shadow it crosses doe dim it and there is an interposition of the earth betwixt their sight and it But this is most certaine and sure that the best is behind with the children of God all the sweet is to come Their happinesse doth not appeare in this world 1 John â— 2â— Their life is hid with Christ in God When Christ shall appeare then shall they also appeare with him in glory It doth not yet appeare what they shall be but when he cometh they shall be made like unto him Col. 3.3 4. Their names are already taken and entred into the booke of life and one day they shall be crowned One day it shall be said unto them Come yee blessed c. One day they shall enjoy his presence where is fulnesse of joy Psal 16. and at whose right hand there is pleasure for evermore Therefore let all Gods secret ones rejoyce sing and be merry For howsoever in this world they be contemned troden under the foot made no-bodies walk as shadowes being counted as the very rags of the earth and the objects of the world yet the time will come when their happinesse and felicity shall be such as never entred into the heart of man it is endlesse unspeakable and unconceivable Phil. I doe now plainly see that there is no cause why Gods people should be too heavie and dumpish in their afflictions I see that though they be not free from all afflictions yet are they free from all hurtfull afflictions For no rod no crosse no chastisement is hurtfull unto them but all in the conclusion cometh to a blessed issue Theol. You have uttered a great and a most certain truth For there is no affection or triall which God imposeth upon his children but if they endure it quietly trust in his mercy firmly and tarry his good pleasure obediently it hath a blessed and a comfortable end Therefore the people of God may well be merry in the midst of their sorrowes They may with patience and comfort submit themselves to their Fathers corrections taking them patiently and even kissing his holy rod and saying in themselves Sith my Father will have it so I am content seeing it is his mind I am willing withall As old Eli said It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 let him do what he will And as David in like submission said in a certaine case Behold here am I let him doe to mee as it seemeth good in his owne eyes 2 Sam. 15.16 And againe hee saith I was dumb Psal 29. and opened not my mouth because thou Lord hast done it Behold here then the patience of Gods Saints and their humble submission unto his most holy will They know all shall end well and that maketh them glad to thinke of it I conclude then that the children of God are happie in what state soever they are happie in trouble Deut. 28. happie out of trouble happie in poverty happie in plenty blessed in sicknesse blessed in health blessed at home likewise and abroad and every way blessed But on the contrary the wicked are cursed in what state soever they are cursed in sicknesse cursed in health cursed in plenty cursed in poverty cursed in prosperity cursed in adversity cursed in honour cursed in dishonour For all things work together for their destruction Nothing doth them any good They are not any thing the better either for Gods mercies or judgements All weathers are alike unto them They are alwayes the same in prosperity and adversity they are no changelings And as we say A good yeer doth not mend them nor an ill yeer pair them Phil. You have long insisted upon this point Now proceed to the fourth sign of a mans damnation which is the contempt of the Gospel and lay open both the greatnesse of the sin and the danger of it Theol. This sinne is of another nature then the former It is a sinne against the first Table It toucheth the person of God himselfe For to contemne the Gospel it is to contemne God himselfe whose Gospel it is If to contemne the Ministers of the Gospel hee to condemne God and Christ as our Lord Iesus avoucheth how much more then Luke 10.10 to contemne the Gospel it selfe Therefore it is dangerous meddling with this sinne It is to meddle with edged tooles to meddle with Princes matters to touch the Ark to come neer the holy Mountaine which all were things full of great perill and danger Yea it is to spill the Sacrament It is Noli me tangere It is to raile at a King It is to spet God in the face It is high treason against the King of glory Therefore this sinne of all other can never be endured and may at no hand be borne withall For can a mortall King endure the contempt of his lawes Can he put up the contempt of his
accept you have mercy upon you receive you to favour grant you a generall pardon for all your rebellions and admit you into the number of his faithfull and loyall subjects Phil. I conceive by divers speeches which you have alledged that goods got by oppression and cruelty will never prosper long For oppressors coine their money upon their neighbours skins How then can it be blessed Theol. You have spoken a truth For as it hath been shewed before that those goods which are got by swearing and lying are cursed so all these that are got by oppression and violence are more cursed Therefore the Lord saith by his Prophet Jeremy As the Partridge gathers the young which she hath not brought forth Jer. 17.11 so hee that gathers riches and not by right shall leave them in the midst of his daies and at his end shall be a foole and his name shall be written in the earth Phil. Would to God our Magistrates and Governours would take speedy order for the remedying of these things and for the redressing of such grievous enormities as are among us or that they themselves would step in and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressour Theol. Job was an excellent man for such matters For it is said of him Job 29.27 that He brake the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluck't the prey out of his teeth Where we see how Job was a meanes to deliver the innocent and to pull the Lambe out of the Lions clawes Moreover Job 29.25 it is written of him in the same Chapter that the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon him and that hee caused the widowes heart to rejoyce that he was the eye to the blind the feet to the lame and the father to the poore and when he knew not the cause he sought it out diligently O what a notable man was this O that we had many Jobs in these daies Wise Solomon doth most gravely advise us all to follow Jobs example in this behalfe Pro. â—4 12 Deliver saith he them that are oppressed and drawne to death for shouldest thou withdraw thy selfe from them which goe downe to the slaughter Would to God this counsell were well weighed and practised amongst us Phil. I marvell much with what face these cruell oppressors can come before God in his holy Temple to pray and offer up their sacrifices unto him For we see many of them though they have such fowle hands and fowle hearts as wee have heard yet for all that will most impudently presume to come to the Church and pray or at least when they are laid in their beds at nights and halfe sleep then will they mumble over their praiers or be pattering some Pater-nosters Theol. Alas alas poore soules all that they do in matters of Gods worship is but hypocrisie and dissimulation For in truth they are not for God they love him but from the teeth outward their mouths are with him but their heart goes after covetousnesse and their hands are full of bloud And therefore God doth both abhorre them and their prayers For saith he Isa 1.15 Though they stretch out their hands yet will I hide mine eyes from them and though they make many praiers yet will I not heare them For their hands are full of bloud Moreover the holy Ghost saith Pro. 28.9 He that turnes away his eare from hearing the Law even his praier is abominable Psal 66.18 David saith If I regard wickednesse in my heart God will not heare my praier Our Lord Iesus also affirmeth Joh. 9.31 that God heares not sinners that is stubborne and carelesse sinners So then we may cleerly sâ—e by all these testimonies of holy Writ what â—ccount God makes of the praiers of oppressors and all other profane and ungodly men namely that he doth hate them and abhorre them as loathsome and odious in his sight Phil. Now in conclusion shew us the causes of oppression Theol. The causes are these Causes of oppresâ—ion Cruelty Covetousnesse Hard heartednesse An evill conscience The Divell Phil. Let us heare also the remedies Theol. The remedies be these Remedies of oppression Pity Contentation Tender affections A good conscience Much prayer Phil. Now Sir you have at large uttered your mind concerning these grosse corruptions of the world and have plainly and evidently proved them to be the deadly poyson of the soule so also I pray you satisfie us in this whether they be not hurtfull also to the body goods and name Theol. I have dwelt the longer in these common vices of the world because almost all sorts of men are stained with one or other of them and therefore they can never be enough spoken against For the whole world lyeth in them 1 John 5. as Saint John testifieth If men therefore could be recovered of these diseases no doubt there would be a ready passage made for the abundance of grace and wee should have a most flourishing Church and Common-wealth but as long as these doe lye in the way there is small hope of greater mercies and blessings to be poured upon us or that ever we shall come to have an inward conversation with God For these vices blind our eyes burthen our hearts Jer. 5. â—5 and as the Prophet Jeremy saith hinder good things from us But touching your petition I must needs grant that as these vices are the very bane of the soule and most certaine signes of condemnation so are they very dangerous to the body goods and name yea and to the whole land both Church and Common-wealth Phil. Shew us out of the Scriptures what danger they bring to the body Theol. The Lord our God saith that if wee will not obey him nor keep his commandements but break his covenant hee will appoint over us hastie plagues consumptions Levi. 26.16 and the burning ague to consume the eyes and to make the heart heavie So also hee saith that if wee will not obey his voice to observe all his commandements and ordinances that then hee will make the pestilence cleave unto us Levit. 28.21 untill hee have consumed us that hee will smite us with the Feaver with the botch of Egypt with the Emrods with the Scab and with the Itch that also hee will smite us with madnesse and with blindnesse and with astonishment of heart So then you see what great evills the Lord threatens to inflict upon our bodies in this life for these and such like sinnes But on the contrary the holy Ghost saith Pro. 5 7. Feare God and depart from evill so health shall be to thy navell and moisture to thy bones Phil. What evill do these forenamed sins bring upon us in our goods and outward estate Theol. They cause God to curse us in all that wee set hand unto as plentifully appeareth in the forenamed chapter where the Lord saith thus If thou wilt not obey the commandements of the Lord
Therefore the children of God may very fitly bee compared to a great piece of corke which though it be cast into the sea having many nailes fastned in it yet it beareth them all up from sinking which otherwise would sink of themselves What shall we say then or what shall wee conclude but that the ungodly are more beholden to the righteous than they are aware of Phil. I do thinke if it were not for Gods children it would goe hard with the wicked For if they were sorted and shoaled out from amongst them and placed by themselves what could they looke for but wrath upon wrath and plague upon plague till the Lord had made a finall consumption and swept them like dung from the face of the caâ—â—â— Theol. Sure it is all creatures would frowne upon them The Sun would unwillingly shine upon them or the Moone give them any light The starres would not be seene of them and the Planets would hide themselves The beasts would devoure them The fowles would pick out their eyes The fishes would make warre against them and all creatures in heaven and earth would rise up in armes against them Yea the Lord himselfe from heaven would raine downe fire and brimstone upon them Phil. Yet for all this it is a wonder to consider how deadly the wicked hate the righteous and almost in every thing oppose themselves against them and that in most vivulent and spitefull manner They ruile and slander seoffe and scorne mock and mow at them as though they were not worthy to live upon the earth They esteeme every pelting rascall and preferre every vile varlet before them And though they have their lives and liberty their breath and safety and all that they have else by them yet for all that they could be content to eat their heart with garlick so great so fiery so burning and hissing hot is their fury and malice against them Theol. They may very fitly be compared to a Moth that fretteth in pieces the same cloth wherein she is bred or to a certaine worme or canker that corrodeth and eateth thorow the heart of the tree that nourisheth her or unto a man that standeth upon a bough in the top of a tree where there is no more and yet with an axe choppeth to off and therewithall falleth down with it and breaketh his neck Even so the fooles of this world doe what they can to chop asunder the bough that upholds them but they may know easily what will follow Phil. I see plainly they be much their owne foes and stand in their owne light and indeed know not what they doe For the benefit which they receive by such is exceeding great and therefore by their maligning of them they doe but hold the stirrup to their owne destruction Theol. Now to apply these things to our selves and to returne to the first question of this argument may we not marvell that our Nation is so long spared considering that the sins thereof are so horrible and outrageous as they be Phil. We may justly marvell at the wonderfull patience of God and wee may well thinke that there be some in the land which stand in the breach being in no small favour with his Highnesse sith they doe much prevaile Theol. The mercifull preservation of our most gratious King who is the breath of our nostrils the long continuance of our peace and of the Gospell the keeping back of the sword out of the land which our sins pull upon us the frustrating of many plots and subtill devices which have beene often invented against our State yea and the life of his Majesties most royall person make me to thinke that there be some strong pleaders with God for the publike good of us all Phil. You may well thinke so indeed for by our sins wee have forfeited and daily doe forfeit into Gods hands both our King our Country our Peace our Gospell our lives our goods our lands our livings our wives our children and all that we have but only the righteous which are so neere about the King and in so high favour doe step in and earnestly intreat for us that the forfeitures may be released and that we may have lease in parley of them all againe or at least a grant of further time But I pray you Sir are not wee to attribute something concerning our good estate to the policie of the Land the Lawes established and the wisdome and counsell of our prudent Governours Theol. Yes assuredly very much as the ordinary and outward meanes which God useth for our safety For though the Apostle Paul had a grant from God for the safety of his owne life and all that were with him in the ship yet he said Acts 28.31 Except the Mariners abide in the ship wee cannot be safe Shewing thereby that unto faith and prayers the best and wisest meanes must be joyned We are therefore upon our knees every day to give thankes unto God for such good meanes of our safety as hee hath given us Phil. Well then as the prayers of the righteous have been hitherto great meanes both for the hindering and turning away of wrath and the continuance of favour so shew I pray you what is the best course to be taken and what in sound wisdome is to be done both to prevent future dangers and to continue Gods favours and mercies still upon us Theol. The best and surest course that I can consider or conceive of is to repent heartily for sins past and to reforme our lives in time to come to seek the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is neer to forsake our owne wayes and our owne imaginations and to turn unto him with all our hearts with weeping with fasting and with mourning as the Prophet Joel chap. â— adviseth For our God is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill All the Prophets doe counsell us to follow this course and doe plainly teach that if we all from the highest to the lowest doe meet the Lord with unfeigned repentance and offer him the sacrifice of a contrite spirit undoubtedly hee will be pacified towards us and be mercifull to our transgressions This is most plainly set downe in the seventh Chapter of Jeremy where the Lord saith thus to his people â—er 7. If you amend and redresse your wayes and your workes If you execute judgement betwixt a man and his neighbour and oppresse not the stranger the fatherlesse and the widow and shed no innocent bloud in this place neither walke after other gods to your destruction then will I let you dwell in this place even in the Land which I gave unto your fathers for ever and ever So likewise he saith by the same Prophet Jer. 22.5 Execute yee judgement and righteousnesse and deliver the oppressed from the hand of the oppressor and vexe not the fatherlesse the widow or the strangers doe
My Father which gave them mee is greater then all and none is able to take them out of my Fathers hand We ought therefore to be as sure of our salvation as of any other thing which God hath promised or which we are bound to beleeve For to doubt thereof in respect of Gods truth is blasphemous against the immutability of his truth Phil. But are there not some doubts at some times even in the very elect and in those which are growne to the greatest perswasion Theol. Yes verily For he that never doubted never beleeved For whosoever beleeveth in truth feeleth sometimes doubtings and waverings Even as the sound body feeleth many grudgings of diseases which if hee had not health hee could not feele so the sound soule feeleth some doubtings which if it were not sound it could not so easily feele For we feele not corruption by corruption but we foole corruption by grace And the more grace we have the more quicke we are in the feeling of corruption Some men of tender skins and quick feeling will easily feele the lightest feather in softest maner laid upon the ball of their heads which others of more slow feeling and hard flesh cannot so easily discerne So then it is certaine that although the children of God feele some doubtings at some times yet the same doe no whit impeach the certainty of their salvation but rather argue a perfect soundnesse and health of their soules For when such little grudgings are felt in the soule the children of God oppose against them the certainty of Gods truth and promises and so do easily overcome them For the Lords people need no more to feare them then he that rides through the streets upon a lusty Gelding with his sword by his side needs to feare the barking and bawling of a few little curs and whappets Phil. Shew yet more plainly how or in what respect the child of God may both have doubtings and yet be fully assured Theol. Even as a man set on the top of the highest steeple in the world and so fast bound unto it that hee cannot fall though hee would yet when he looketh downward he feareth because mans nature is not acquainted nor accustomed to mount so high in the aire and to behold the earth so far beneath but when hee looketh upward and perceiveth himselfe fast bound and out of all danger then he casteth away all care Even so when we looke downward to our selves we have doubts and feares but when we look upward to Christ and the truth of his promises we feele our selves cock-sure and cease to doubt any more Phil. Declare unto us what is the originall of these doubts and feares and from whence they spring in the children of God Theol. They spring from the imperfection of our regeneration and from that strife which is in the very mind of the elect between faith and infidelity For these two doe mightily fight together in the most regenerate and strive to over-master and over-shadow one another By reason whereof sometimes it cometh to passe through the prevailing of unbeliefe that the most excellent servants of God may fall into fits and pangs of despaire as Job and David in their temptations did And even in these dayes also some of Gods children at some times are shrewdly hindled this way and brought very low even unto deaths doore but yet the Lord in great mercy doth recover them both from totall and finall despaire Onely they are humbled and tried by these sharp fits for a time and that for their great good For as we use to say that an ague in a young man is a signe of health so these burning fits of temptations in the elect for the most part are signes of Gods grace and favour For if they were not of God the Divell would never be so busie with them Phil. Is it not meere presumption and an over-much trusting to our selves to be perswaded of our salvation Theol. Nothing lesse For the ground of this perswasion is not laid in our selves or any thing within us or without us but onely in the righteousnesse of Christ and the mercifull promises of God For is it any presumption for us to beleeve that which God hath promised Christ hath purchased and the holy Ghost hath sealed No verily it is not any presumption but a thing which wee all stand bound unto as we will answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement As for our selves wee doe freely confesse that in Gods sight we are but lumps of sinne and masses of misery and cannot of our selves move hand or foot to the furtherance of our salvation But being justified by faith we are at peace with God and fully perswaded of his love and favour towards us in Christ Phil. Cannot the reprobates and ungodly be assured of their salvation Theol. No. For the Prophet saith There is no peace to the wicked Esay 57.22 Then I reason thus They which have not the inward peace cannot be assured But the wicked have not the inward peace Therefore they cannot be assured Stedfast faith in the promises doth assure But the wicked have not stedfast faith in the promises Therefore they cannot be assured The Spirit of adoption doth assure But the wicked have not the Spirit of adoption Therefore they cannot be assured To conclude When a man feeleth in himselfe an evill conscience blindnesse profanenesse and disobedience he shall in despight of his heart sing this dolefull song I know not whether I shall be saved or damned Phil. Is not the doctrine of the assurance of salvation a most comfortable doctrine Theol. Yes doubtlesse For except a man be perswaded of the favour of God and the forgivenesse of sins and consequently of his salvation what comfort can hee have in any thing Besides this the perswasion of Gods love towards us is the root of all our love and cheerfull obedience towards him For therefore wee love him and obey him because we know hee hath loved us first and written our names in the Booke of life But on the contrary that generall doctrine of the Papists which would have men alwayes doubt and feare in a servile sort is most hellish and uncomfortable For so long as a man hoâ—ds that what encouragement can he have to serve God what love to his Majesty what hope in the promises what comfort in trouble what patience in adversity Antil Touching this point I am flat of your mind For I thinke verily a man ought to be perswaded of his saluation and for mine owne part I make no question of it I hope to be saved as well as the best of them all I am out of feare for that For I have such a stedfast faith in God that if there should be but two in the world saved I hope I should be one of them Theol. You are very confident indeed You are perswaded before you know I would your ground were as good as your vaine confidence But who is
stirre up in us a greater care of our salvation Phil. 2.12 that we may be in the number of Christs little flock which make an end of their salvation in feare and trembling Phil. Some make light of all these matters Others say As for the life to come that is the least matter of an hundred to be cared for As for that matter they will leave it to God even as pleaseth him they will not meddle with it For they say God that made them must save them They hope they shall doe as well as others and make as good shift as their neighbours Theol. It is lamentable that men should be so carelesse and make so light of that which of all other things is most weighty and important For what shall it profit a man though hee should win the whole world if hee lose his soule as the Author of all wisedome testifieth Mar. 16.26 Asun I pray you Sir under correction give mee leave to speake my mind in this point I am an ignorant man pardon mee if I speake amisse for a fooles bolt is soon shot Theol. Say on Asun I doe verily thinke that God is stronger then the Divell Therefore I cannot beleeve that he will suffer the Divell to have more then himselfe He will not take it at his hands He loveth mankind better then so Theol. You doe carnally imagine that God will wrestle and strive with the Divell about the â—â—â—ter â—s for Gods power it doth never crosse his will for God can doe nothing against his will and decree because he will not Asun Yea but the Scripture saith God will have all men saved Theol. That is not meant of every particular man but of all sorts some some Iewes some Gentiles some rich some poore some high some low c. Asun Christ died for all therefore all shall be saved Theol. Christ died for all in sufficiencie of his death but not in efficacie unto life For onely the Elect shall be saved by his drath as it is written This is my bloud in the New Testament which is given for you Luke 22.26 meaning his Disciples and chosen children And againe Christ being consecrated is made the Author of salvation to all that obey him Asun God in mercifull and therefore I hope hee will save the greatest part for his mercy sake Theol. The greatest part shall perish but all that shall be saved shall be saved by his mercy as it is written Hee will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy Rom. 9. and whom he will he hardneth And againe It is not in him that willeth or him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore though God be infinite in mercy and Christ infinite in merit yet none shall have mercy but only the vessels of mercy Antil Can you tell who shall be saved and who shall be damned Doe you know Gods secrets When were you in heaven When spake you with God I am of the mind that all men shall be saved For Gods mercy is above all his worke Say you what you will and what you can God did not make us to condemne us Theol. You are very peremptory indeed you are more bold then wise for Christ saith Few shall be saved you say All shall be saved Whether then shall we beleeve Christ or you Antil If there should come two soules one from heaven and another from hell and bring us certain newes how the case stood then I would beleeve it indeed Theol. Put case two soules of the dead should come the one from heaven the other from hell I can tell you afore-hand certainly what they would say and what newes they would bring Antil What I pray Theol. They would say there be few in heaven and many in hell heaven is empty and hell is full Antil How know you that how know you they would say so Theol. I am sure if they speak the truth they must needs say so Antil Must they needs Why I pray you must they needs Theol. Because the Word of God saith so Because Moses and the Prophets say so If you will not beleeve Moses and the Prophets neither will you beleeve though one though two though an hundred should rise from the dead Antil Yes but I would Theol. I pray you let me aske you a question Whether doe you thinke that God and his Word or the soules of dead men are more to be credited Antil If I were sure that God said so then I would beleeve it Theol. If his Word say so doth not he say so Is not he and his Word all one Antil Yet for all that if I might heare God himselfe speake it it would move me much Theol. You shew your selfe to be a notable Infidell You will not beleeve Gods word without signes and miracles and wonders from the dead Antil You speak as though you knew certainly that Hell is full you doe but speake at randome you cannot tell you were never there to see But for mine owne part I beleeve there is no Hell at all but onely the bell of a mans conscience Theol. Now you shew your selfe in kind what you are You say you beleeve no Hell at all And I thinke if you were well examined you beleeve no Heaven at all neither God nor Divell Antil Yes I beleeve there is a Heaven because I see it with mine eyes Theol. You will beleeve no more belike then you see Job 20.28 but Blessed is he that beleeveth and seeth not You are one of the rankest Atheists that ever I talked withall Antil You ought not to judge you know not mens hearts Theol. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 You have sufficiently bewrayed your heart by your words For the tongue is the key of the mind As for judging I judge you onely by your fruits which is lawfull For we may justly say It is a bad tree which bringeth forth bad fruit and hee that doth wickedly is a wicked man But it is you and such as you are that will take upon you to judge mens hearts For though a mans outward actions be religious and honest yet you will condemne him And if a man give himselfe to the Word and Praier reforme his family and abstaine from the grosse sins of the world you will by and by say Hee is an Hypocrite And thus you take upon you to judge mens hearts as though you knew with what affection these things are done Antil I confesse I am a sinner and so are all other for ought I know There is no man but hee may be amended I pray God send us all of his grace that we may please him and get to Heaven at last Theol. Now you would shuffle up all together as though you were as good as the best and as though there were no difference of sinners but you must learne to know that there is a great difference of sinners For there is the penitent and the
your humour You will forsooth be all pure But by God there be a company of pure knaves of you Theol. Now you do manifestly shew of what spirit you are For you both sweare and raile with one breath Antil God forgive mee Why did hee anger mee then There be a company of such controllers as he in the world that no body can be quiet for them Theol. I perceive a little thing will anger you sith you will be angry with him for speaking the truth Antil What hath he to doe with mee He is more busie then needs Why doth hee say I am in a bad case I will not come to him to learne my duty If I have faults he shall not answer for them I shall answer for mine owne faults and every Fat shall stand on his owne bottome Let him meddle with that hee hath to do withall Theol. You are too impatient you take matters at the worst We ought friendly and in love to admonish one another for we must have a care one of anothers salvation I dare say for him that he speakes both out of love and compassion towards you Antil I care not for such love Let him keep it to himselfe What doth he thinke of mee doth hee suppose that I have not a soule to save as well as hee or that I have no care of my salvation I would hee should know that I have as great care of my salvation as hee though I make not such outward shewes For all is not gold that glisters I have as good a meaning as hee though I cannot utter it Theol. These words might well be spared I hope you will be pacified and amend your life and draw neere to God hereafter Antil Truly Sir you may thinke of mee what you please but I assure you I have more care that way then all the world wonders at I thanke God for it I say my prayers every night when I am in my bed And if good prayers will doe us no good God help us I have alwaies served God duly and truly and had him in my mind I doe as I would be done to I keepe my Church and tend my prayers while I am there and I hope I am not so bad as this fellow would make mee I am sure if I be bad I am not the worst in the world there be as bad as I. If I goe to hell I shall have fellowes and make as good shift as others Theol. You think you have spoken wisely but I like not your answer For your words smell strongly both of ignorance pride and unbeliefe For first you justifie your selfe in your faithlesse and ignorant worship of God And secondly you justifie your selfe by comparison with others because others are as had as you and you are not the worst in the world Antil Now I know you speake of ill will for you never had a good opinion of mee Theol. I would I could have as good an opinion of you as I doe desire and that I might see that wrought in you which might draw my love and liking towards you And as for ill will the Lord knoweth I beare you none I desire your conversion and salvation with my whole heart and I would thinke my selfe happy if I might save your soule with the losse of my right arme Antil I hope I may repent For the Scripture saith At what time s eâ—er a sinner doth repent God will have mercy on him Therefore if I may have space and grace and time to repent before death and aske God forgivenesse and say my prayers and cry God mercy I hope I shall do well enough Theol. You speake as though repentance were in your power and at your commandement and that you can put it into your owne heart when you list and that makes you and many others presume of it three houres before death But you must know that repentance is the rare gift of God and it is given but to a few For God will know him well that hee bestoweth repentance upon sith it is proper onely to the Elect. It is no worldly matter It is not attained without many and frequent prayers and much hearing reading and meditating in the word of God It is not so easie a matter to come by as the world judgeth It is not found but of of them that seeke it diligently and beg it earnestly It is no ordinary three houres matter Cry God mercy a little for fashion will not do it Cursory saying of a few prayers a little before death availeth not For though true repentance be never too late yet late repentance is seldome true Hereâ—n delayes are dangerous for the longer wit deferre it the worse is our case The farther a naile is driven in with a hammer the harder it is to get out againe The longer a disease is let run the harder it is to cure The deeper a tree is rooted the harder it is to plucke up againe The longer wee deferre the time of our repentance the harder it will be to repent And therefore it is dangerous driving it off to the last cast For an ancient Father saith Augustine Wee reade but of one that repented at the last that no man should presume and yet of one that none might despaire Well then to conclude this point I would have you to know that the present time is alwaies the time of repentance For time past cannot be recovered and time to come is uncertaine Antil Sir in mine opinion you have â—ttered some very dangerous things and such as were enough to drive a man to despaire Theol. What be they I pray you Antil There be diverse things But one thing doth most of all sticke in my stomack and that is the small number that shall be saved as you say But I can hardly be perswaded that God made so many thousands to cast them away when hee had done Doe you thinke that God hath made us to condemne us Will you make him to be the Author of condemnation Theol. Nothing lesse For God is not the cause of 〈◊〉 condemnation but themselves For every mans destruction cometh of himselfe as it is written Hoâ—â—â—3 â— O Israel thy destruction is of thy selfe As for God he doth in great mercy use all possible meanes to save soules as hee â—ith by the Prophet What could I have done more to my Vineyard that I have not done unto it Esay 5.4 But to come neere to your question I deny that God hath created the most part of men onely and solely unto pardition as the proper end which he did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 them but hee hath created all things for the praise of his glory as it is written Hee hath created all things for himselfe Prov. 1â— 4 and the wicked also for the evill day Then it followeth that the cause and end why the wicked were created neither was nor is the onely destruction of his creature but his owne praise and glory that
Booke of life For whom hee hath predestinate them hee hath called Rom. 8.30 and whom hee hath called them hee hath justified and whom he hath justified them he hath glorified Now therefore till wee feele these markes of election wrought in us we can be at no certainty in this point neither are wee to take any notice of it or meddle in it but we must strive according to that power and faculty wee have to live honestly and civilly waiting when God will have mercy on us and give us the true touch As for them that are carelesse and dissolute letting all at six and seven there is small hope that they are elected or ever shall be called Antil I thinke the preaching and publishing of this doctrine of predestination hath done much hurt and it had been good it had never been knowne to the people but utterly concealed For some it driveth to despaire and others it maketh more secure and carelesse Theol. You are in a great errour for this doctrine is part of Gods revealed Truth which hee would have knowne to his people And in good sooth it is of very great and comfortable use to the Children of God against all the assaults of the Divell and temptations of desperation whatsoever For when a man hath once in truth felt by the effects that God hath chosen him to life then though the Divell lye sore at him and the conscience of sinne and his owne frailties doe vehemently assault him yet he knoweth certainly that the eternall purpose and counsell of God is immutable and that because his salvation is not grounded upon himselfe or his owne strength but upon the unchangeable decree of GOD which is a foundation immoveable and alwayes standing sure and firme therefore doe the Divell and sin what they can yet he shall be upheld in righteousnesse and truth and even as it were borne up in the armes of God even to the end For whom God loveth to the end he loveth them Moreover when once the Lords people perceive by their sanctification and new birth both that the Lord hath rejected and reprobated so many thousand thousands and made choice of them to be heires of his most glorious Kingdome being in themselves of the same mould and making that others are and that he hath done all this of his free grace and undeserved mercy towards them oh how doth it ravish their hearts with the love of him Againe how frankly and cheerfully doe they serve him how willingly and faithfully doe they obey him Yea how are they wholly rapt and inflamed with the desire of him For it is the perswasion and feeling of Gods love towards us that draweth up our love to him againe as St. John saith 1. John 4. We love him because he hath love us first Moreover it is said of Mary Magdalen Luke 7. that she loved much because much was forgiven For after shee felt her many great sins freely pardoned her affections were kindled with the love and obedience of Christ So likewise the Church in the Canticles Cant. â— 5 after shee had beene in the banquetting house of all spirituall grace and felt the banner of Christs love displayed upon her forthwith shee was rape therewith and cryed out as it were in a swoun that shee was sicke of love So againe Cant. 5.5 when Christ put in his hand by the hole of the doore that is touched the very inward parts of her heart by his spirit then her heart yearned and her bowels were affectioned towards him This is it which St. Paul prayeth for upon his knees Eph. 18 19 that it may be granted to the Ephesians that they may bee able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breadth and length height and depth of Gods love towards us and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge and to be filled with all fulnesse of God Thus then you see the great and comfortable use of this doctrine of election both in that it ministreth strength comfort against all temptations as also because it constraineth us to love God and of very love to feare him and obey him Phil. Well Sir I think now you have spent time enough in answering the objections and cavils of Antilegon In all which I doe observe one thing that there is no end of cavilling and objecting against the truth and that a man may object more in an houre then a learned man can well answer in a day Theol. You say truth And the reason hereof is because men have sin in them out of measure and the Spirit of God but in measure Therefore they can by the one object and conceive more against the truth then by the other they shall be able to answer and say for it Phil. It appeareth indeed that errours be infinite and objections innumerable and that there is no end of mens cavilling against Gods sacred truth It is good for us therefore to be thorowly settled in the truth that we be not entangled or snared with any cavils or sophistications whatsoever And I doe verily thinke notwithstanding all his objections and exceptions that he doth in his conscience desire with Balaam to dye the death of the righteous and to be as one of them whom he seemeth to despise Theol. I am so perswaded too For this is the triumph that vertue hath over vice that where she is most hated there she is often desired and wished for And this is the great punishment that God bringeth upon the wicked Virtutem ut videant intabescantque relicta as saith the Poet That they shall see vertue and pine away having no power to follow it Phil. But now let us returne to the point wee were in hand with before wee fell into these objections and cavils which was concerning the small number of them which shall be saved and as you have shewed us many reasons thereof so proceed to speak yet more unto that point Theol. As I have shewed you of sundry lets both within us and without us which doe keep us backe from God and hold us fast in our sinnes so now unto all that hath been said before I will adde nine great hinderances unto eternall life which may not unfitly be termed nine bars out of Heaven and nine gates into Hell Phil. Which be they Theol. They be these Infidelity Nine gates into Hell Presumption of Gods mercy Examples of the multitude Long custome of sin Long escaping of punishment Hope of long life Conceitednesse Ill company Evill examples of Ministers Phil. These indeed be strong bars out of heaven and wide gates into hell I pray you therefore prove them of the Scriptures and lay them forth somewhat more largely Theol. The first which is Infidelity is proved out of the fourth chapter to the Hebrewes verse 2. where it is written Unto us was the Gospel preached as unto them but the word which they heard profited them not because it was not mixed
The answers of ignorant men to the grounds of religion pag. 334 The meanes to get out of ignorance pag. 346 347 Ignorance a most dangerous thing pag. 348 The charge of Ministers exceeding weighty and most carefully to be looked unto pag. 353 What is the best course for Ministers to take to bring the people out of ignorance pag. 357 What is the best course for the people to take that they may be brought out of the bondage of sinne and captivity of Sathan pag. 358 359 Preaching a matter of absolute necessity unto eternall life pag. 363 Without preaching the people are in great danger of losing their souls pag. 364 Satans cunning in frustrating the hearing of the Word and making all preaching utterly unprofitable pag. 365 The Preachers counsell to the ignorant man pag. 367 Six great dangers of sin pag. 368 Six most fearfull events of sin pag. 369 God in all ages hath severely punished the transgressors of his Law pag. 370 371 Every sin though never so little in our eyes is hainous and capitall because it is against a person of infinite Majesty pag. 371 Nine profitable considerations pag. 372 If men would leave words and fall to doing great good would come of it pag. 374 Nine things much to be thought upon pag. 376 The description of Christs comming to judgment pag. 376 377 The terror the suddennesse the end the manner and the use of Christs second coming described pag. 378 379 The torments of hell with the extremity perpetuity and remedilesnesse thereof described pag. 389 The ignorant man upon the hearing of the day of judgement and hell fire laid open is pricked in his conscience bewailes his former life repents earnestly for his sin and ignorance and desires spirituall physicke and comfort of the Preacher pag. 398 The Preacher ministers unto him much spirituall comfort and doth in ample manner lay open unto him all the sweet promises of the Gospel and the infinite mercy of God in Christ to all true penitent and broken-hearted sinners pag. 402 403 The ignorant man being afflicted in his conscience is exceedingly comforted with the hearing of Gods abundant mercy preached unto him and thereupon gathers great inward peace converts unto God with all his heart and exceedingly blesseth God for the Preachers counsell pag. 422 FINIS A Morning Prayer to be used in private Families O Lord our God and heavenly Father we thy unworthy children do here come into thy most holy and heavenly presence to give thee praise and glory for all thy great mercies and manifold blessings toward us especially for that thou hast preserved us this night past from all the dangers and fears thereof hast given us quiet rest to our bodies and brought us now safely to the beginning of this day and dost now afresh renew all thy mercies upon us as the Eagle reneweth her bill giving us all things abundantly to enjoy as food raiment health peace liberty and freedome from many miseries diseases casualties and calamities which we are subject to in this life every minute of an houre and not onely so but also for vouchsafing unto us many good things not onely for necessity but even for delight also But above all dear Father wee praise thy name for the blessings of a better life especially for thy most holy Word and Sacraments and all the good wee enjoy thereby for the continuance of the Gospel amongst us for the death of thy Sonne and all that happinesse which wee have thereby also because thou hast chosen us to life before wee were and that of thy meere goodnesse and undeserved favour toward us and hast called us in thine appointed time justified us by thy grace and sanctified us by thy Spirit and adopted us to be thine owne children and heires apparent to the great Crowne O Lord open our eyes every day more and more to see and consider of thy great and marvellous love to us in all these things that by the due consideration thereof our hearts may be drawne yet neerer unto thee even more to love thee feare thee and obey thee that as thou art enlarged towards us in mercy so we may be enlarged towards thee in thanksgiving and as thou dost abound towards us in goodnesse so we may abound towards thee in obedience and love And sith deare Father thou art never weary of doing us good notwithstanding all our unworthinesse and naughtinesse therefore let the consideration of thy great mercy and fatherly kindnesse towards us even as it were force our hearts and compell us to come into thy most glorious presence with new songs of thanksgiving in our mouthes Wee pray thee O most mercifull God to forgive all our unthankfulnesse unkindnesse profanenesse and great abusing of all thy mercies and especially our abuse and contempt of thy Gospel together with all other the sinnes of our life which we confesse are innumerable and more then can be reckoned up both in omission of good things and commission of evill We most humbly entreat thee to set them all over to the reckoning which thy Son Christ hath made up for them upon his Crosse and never to lay any of them to our charge but freely forget all and forgive all Naile down all our sinnes and iniquities to the Crosse of Christ bury them in his death bathe them in his bloud hide them in his wounds let them never rise up in judgement against us Set us free of the miseries that are upon us for sin and keep back the judgements to come both of soule body goods and good name Be reconciled unto us in thy deare Sonne concerning all matters past not once remembring or repeating unto us our old and abominable iniquities but accept us as righteous in him imputing his righteousnesse to us and our sins to him Let his righteousnesse satisfie thy justice for all our unrighteousnesse his obedience for our disobedience his perfection for our imperfection Moreover wee humbly beseech thy good Majesty to give us the true sight and feeling of our manifold sins that we may not be blinded in them through delight or hardened in them through custome as the reprobates are but that we may be even weary of them and much grieved for them labouring and striving by all possible meanes to get out of them Good Father touch our hearts with true repentance for all sinne Let not us take any delight or pleasure in any sinne but howsoever we fall through frailty as wee fall often let us never fall finally let us never lye downe in sin nor continue in sin but let us get up on our feet againe and turne to thee with all our hearts and seek thee whilest thou maist be found and whilest thou dost offer grace and mercy unto us O Lord increase in us that true and lively faith whereby wee may lay sure hold on thy Sonne Christ and rest upon his merits altogether Give us faith assuredly to beleeve all thy great and precious promises made in the
bed they lye upon They know well enough the poore men are not able to wage law with them and therefore they may doe what wrong they will and shâ—w what cruelty they list Hence come the teares of the oppressed henâ—e câ—mmeth the weeping and wailing of the poore But alas poore soules they may well weep to ease their hearts a little but there is none to comfort them remedy they can have none But yet assuredly the everlasting God doth looke upon them and will be revenged For the cries of the poore the fatherlesse and the widowes have entred into the cares of the Lord of Hosts who is an avenger of all such things yea a strong revenger as Solomon saith Pro 23.14 Enter not into the field of the fatherlesse for their revenger is strong hee himselfâ— will plead their cause against thee And againe he saith Rob not the poore Pro. 22.6 because hee is poore neither tread downe the afflâ—cted in the gate for the Lord pleadeth their cause and will spoile their soule that spoile them We see then that the most just God will â—e revenged of these unmerciful tyrants He will not alwayes put up these wrongs and injuries done to the poore In the eighth Chapter of the Prophet Amos he sweares by the excellencie of Jacob that he will never forget any of their works And againe he saith by his Prophet Jeremy Shall I not be avenged on such a nation as this Surely he will set his face against them to root them out of the earth For indeed they are not worthy to crawle upon the face of the earth or to draw breath among the sons of men It is written in the booke of Psalmes that God will set these fellowes opposite against him as a But to shoot at Psal 21.12 that hee will put them apart and the strings of his bow shall hee make ready against their faces Be astonished at this O ye heavens and tremble O thou earth Heare this O ye cruell Land-lords unmercifull oppressors and bloud-suckers of the earth You may well be called bloud-suckers for you sucke the bloud of many poore men women and children you eat it you drink it you have it served in at your sumptuous tables every day Job 24.5 you swallow it up and live by it And as Job saith The wildernesse gives you and your children food that is you live by robbing and murdering But woe woe unto you that ever you were borne For the bloud of the oppressed which ye have eaten and drunken shall one day cry for speedy vengeance against you as the bloud of Abel cryed against Cain Their bloud shall witnesse against you in the day of judgement and the teares of many poore starved children orphans and widowes shall cry out against you 1 Kin. 21. Was the Lord revenged of Ahab for his cruell and unjust dealing with poore Naboth and shall hee not be revenged of you Did the Dogs lap the bloud of Ahab and shall you escape No no you shall not escape The Lord will be a swift witnesse against you as he saith in Malachie Mal. 3. Was the Lord angry with the rich of the people for oppressing the poore so as the cry of the people and of their wives Neh. 5. against their oppressours was heard of the Almighty and do you thinke you shall escape scot-free Doth not the like cause bring forth the like effect the like sin the like punishment Know therefore for certainty that the Lord hath costers full of vengeance against you and one day he will unlocke them and bring them forth into the sight of all men Know also that the timber of your houses and the stones of your walls which you have built by oppression and bloud shall cry against you in the day of the Lords wrath as the Prophet Habakkuk telleth you Hab. 2. The stone saith hee shall cry out of the wall and the bâ—ame out of the timber shall answer it Where the Prophet telleth you that the walls of your houses built in bloud shall cry out loud and shrill and play the Choristers in that behalfe so as they shall answer one another on either side The one side singeth Behold bloud the other Behoâ—d murder The one side Behold deceit the other Behold cruelty The one Behold pilling and polling the other Behold covetousnesse The one Behold robbery the other Behold perjury And thus you see how the stones and timber of your houses shall descant upon you And howsoever you put on your brâ—zen browes and harden your hearts against these threatnings of the most terrible God and Lord of Hosts yet one day you shall spice of your hearts will ye nill yee be brought forthâ—nes judgement you shall once come to your reckoning you shall at last be apprehended convented and arraigned at the barre of Gods Tribunall seat before the great Iudge of all the world Then sentence shall passe against you even that most dreadfull sentence Goe yee cursed into hell fire Mat. 25. there to be tormented with the Divell and his Angels for ever O then woe woe unto you Mat. 16. For what shall it profit a man to winne the whole world and lose his owne soule saith our Lord Iesus Surely even as much as it one should winne a farthing and lose an hundred thousand pound For if he shall be cast into hell fire which hath not given of his owne goods righteously gotten as our Saviour avoucheth where then shall he be cast that hath stollen other mens goods And if hee shall be damned that hath not clothed the naked what shall become of him that hath made naked them that were clothed Oh therefore repent in time O yee cruell oppressors seeke the Lord while hee may be found call upon him while hee is neere lay aside your savage cruelty visit the fatherlesse and widow in their distresse deaâ—e your bread to the hungry help them to their right which suffer wrong deale mercifully with your Tenants Rack not your rents any more pinch not the poore soules for whom Christ di d pity them I say but pinch them not deale kindly and friendly with them remember your great acâ—oâ—nâ—s consider the shortnesse of your dayes and the vanity of your life rent your hearts and not your clothes Turne unto the Lord with all your heart with weeping fasting and mourning prevent Gods wrath with a sacrifice of teares pacifie his anger with the calves of your lips and with a contrite spirit be grieved for that which is past and amend that which is to come stand it out no more at the swords point against God for it will not boot you to strive he is too strong for you Your onely wisedome is to come-in Come-in therefore come-in yee rebellious generation submit your selves to the great King humble your selves under his mighty hand cast downe your swords and targets yeeld unto our God So shall you escape the vengeance to come so shall God