counterfeiting and dissembling one may easily deceive and abuse another having one thing secretly hid in his heart when outwardly he saith and doth the contrary upon that is grounded the saying of the Prophet Jeremy Ierem. 17.9 The heart of man is overthwart and who shall know it but there cannot be such a perversity and dissimulation ascribed unto God but when he worketh hee declareth the quality of his nature in his working so that his workes may be most assured testimonies by which the hearts of the faithfull may bee perswaded of his goodnesse and will Esay 28. and although he seeme sometimes to worke contrary to his custome yet that is done to the intent that it shall come to that end which hee hath appointed This is to worke truly and verily according to the quality of his nature and to declare openly to the world the testimony of his good will or anger by word and deed Now there are five kinds of working One is Five kinds of working when things bee wrought according to the strength of their nature without any governance of understanding or will as in the working of fire water medicinall hearbes precious stones and such other things whose working if it bee guided by any reason or will it is not their owne but by some outward either by Gods or mans directions The second kind is of those things which followeth the drift of nature in their working but not without their owne will though the mastery of reason be lacking in them yet such is their working that sometimes it is forced against their will and so worke the bruit beasts The third kind is of men which doe also worke according to the quality of their nature and joyne theirs unto the governance of reason or will but wrong and corrupt and also subject and under a greater power either of man either of God and under this is also comprised the working of evill spirits The fourth is of good Spirits which wee call Angels they worke also according to their nature and that with understanding and will but without any depravation thereof wherein they differ from men and from evill spirits but they are also subject to a superiour power by whom their doings be directed The fift and last kind of working is also according to the nature of the worker Eccles 42.15 c. 43. with understanding and will and that pure and uncorrupt and is not subject unto the wisdome or will of any superiour but is most free wise mighty good and infinite upon whom all other things dependeth This is the working of one very God the beginning increase keeping repairing the rule and end of all things most good most free willing infinite everlasting perfect needing no other helpe No man is able sufficiently to praise God for he farre exceeds all praise necessary and profitable not to the worker but to the workes whose incomprehensible waies infinite multitude and unsearchable consideration no man may seeke to know whose infinite Goodnesse Wisedome Power Majesty and Glory all Angels and men must have in admiration and worship Though the Multitude Variety Majesty and Excellencie of the Workes of God be infinite and incomprehensible that neither the reason nor number of them can bee comprehended by any mans imagination or industry Eccle. 8.17 even as Ecclesiasticus said Yet among all the Workes of God Among Gods workes the worke of Creation is first wee ought first to understand the workes of the Creation and herein wee must leave the consideration of those workes that are of the Father towards the Sonne and of the Sonne towards the Father and of both of them toward the holy Spirit and of the holy Spirit toward both of them which are unsearchable and not necessary to know nor belonging to Creation But it is even enough if the creature doe acknowledge honour and glorifie the workes of his Creator in that that he is the Creator Encreaser Conserver Repairer Governour and Perfecter of all when we say the Father created all things the Word must not bee excluded neither the holy Spirit because that by the Word and with the Spirit all things were made and created When we say the sunne nourisheth and giveth light unto the earth wee exclude not his heate nor his brightnesse without which he doth not accomplish his worke Againe when we say all things are created of God we must not include those things that be evill in respect they be evill for they be not of God Iohn 8.44 but of satan the father of all evill this is the plaine description of our true and onely God from all false gods and idols To possesse our hearts with greater awe of his Majesty whilest we admire him for his simplenesse and infinitnesse adore him for his unmeasurablenesse unchangeablenesse and eternity seeke wisdome from his understanding and knowledge submit our selves to his blessed will and pleasure love him for his love mercy goodnesse and patience trust to his word because of his truth feare him for his power justice and anger reverence him for his holinesse and praise him for his blessednesse and to depend all our life on his faithfull promises who is the onely Authour of our life being and all the good things we have Eph. 5. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to imitate the divine Spirit in his holy Attributes and to beare in some measure the Image of his wisdome love goodnesse justice mercy truth patience zeale and anger against sinne and strive that wee may bee wise loving just mercifull true patient and zealous as our God is and that wee may in our prayers and meditations conceive aright of his divine Majesty and not according to those grosse and blasphemous imaginations which naturally arise in mens braines Psal 90.2 Rom. 1 23 c. as when they conceive God to be like an old man sitting in a chaire and the blessed Trinity to be like that tripartite idoll which Papists set up in their Church windowes When therefore thou art to pray unto God let thy heart speake unto him Psal 90.2 1 King 8.27 1 Iohn 5.7 as unto that Eternall Infinite Almighty Holy Wise Just Mercifull Spirit and most perfect and individuall Essence of three severall substances Father Sonne and holy Ghost who being present in all places ruleth Heaven and Earth understandeth all mens hearts knoweth all mens miseries and is onely able to bestow on us all graces which we want and to deliver all penitent sinners that with faithfull hearts seeke for Christs sake his helpe out of all their afflictions and troubles whatsoever If therefore thou dost believe that God is Almighty why dost thou feare devils or enemies Confidently trust in God and crave his helpe in all troubles and dangers if thou believest that God is infinite how darest thou provoke him to anger If thou believest that God is simple with what heart canst thou dissemble and play the hypocrite
a free passage in its progresse and that it may take that good effect in mens hearts as is by mee desired to the glory of God for whose sake my soules comfort and the good of my country and Christian brethren I undertooke this worke take it in good worth if it be not as it should be impute it to the want of learning and not to the want of a loving heart to doe my country good For the places of Scripture cited in the margent are right take them on my word but howsoever it be trouble not thy selfe gentle Reader For if it be good that is said and agreeable to Scripture make use of it and be not solicitous to know from whose workes it is drawne The manner is plaine and simple and craveth pardon for what is amisse Thus committing the worke it selfe to thy courteous acceptance and judiciall reading and both it and thee to the Lord desiring him to honour thee with his grace that you may so know him as that you may be knowne of him what remaines but that I pray unto God that both you and I and all them that shall reade this Booke may profit by it by the assistance of his holy Spirit to the furthering of their salvation to the glory of his Name through Christ Iesus our Lord in Christian love I take my leave IOHN WELLES October 22. 1638. The Authors admonition to the Reader I Doe right well understand Christian Reader that many learned men have hertofore written set forth many excellent works touching religion whereupon it may seeme perhaps a matter both vaine and superfluous for mee to travell any further therein for as much as it is beyond all hope that any of my doings can be comparable or neere so good as that which is already done by others but like as I thinke their travell and labour in holy exercises well bestowed which have written therein before mee so shall not I mislike them neither which shall enterprise to doe any thing in the like case after mee the very endeavour it selfe being good is alwaies to be born withall and not to be misliked such is my judgement of the writings of others therefore I stand in this hope that others also may judge the like of mine because they may all turne the diligent Reader unto some profit if it be reverently used and may much profit all faithfull Christians towards the understanding of holy Scriptures and the exercise of godly life it may so fall out that those points which be to seeke and wanting in this worke of mine may be found in others Againe it is possible that some things which be not once touched by any one of my Authors may be found expresly noted down by me that matter by them handled in their workes is somewhat intricate and not in the weake capacity of simple people to comprehend for whose Christian good these paines of mine were principally undertaken which is by me in a briefe and compendious manner expressed and set downe that the weakest capacity may rightly understand the true sence and meaning thereof to the glory of God and to the consolation of their owne soule Againe many people that cannot spare much money to buy many bookes of great volumes of sundry Writers may spare a little to buy this little tractate wherein is comprised the substance of their works tending to my purpose sufficient to salvation wherein thou mayst behold the back-parts of God thy maker and creator and see the glory of Christ thy Saviour and mediatour Psal 34.8 and taste of the sweetnesse and consolation of God the holy Ghost thy Comforter and sanctifier with the duties of Christianity and Humanity civill and morall government with many singular and excellent things of speciall note worthy remembrance The manner is plaine but the matter is holy excellent and heavenly and if it be heedfully read rightly understood and carefully followed and effectually applyed it will conduct thee in thy progresse with alacrity through this vale of teares this worlds miseries in the Scriptures narrow path to heaven the desired Port the celestiall Canaan for this is but our sea but eternity is our haven but have a care that thou doest not croud with the godlesse multitude in the broad way to hell Wisd 5. take heed walke charily for the way is dangerous craggy and irksome full of windings and turnings out and many allurements in the way to hinder thy passage about the midst of thy progresse in the later end of this first part thou shalt finde the meditation of the discription of Hell which if by faith unfained and hearty repentance thou shalt escape the danger prescribed Esay 40.4 all difficulties are then removed Luke 3.5 6. the vallies shall be exalted and every mountaine and hill laid low whatsoever is crooked shall be made straight Baruch 5.7.9 and the rough shall be made plaine goe on with a godly and Christian courage and thou shalt attaine to the end of thy progresse but take heed to the first step of thy youth for the first step thou settest out of the way in thy youth thou steppest into the suburbes of Hell and if thou goest on in thy sins to the next step of thy middle age thou art at the very brinke but if thou perseverest and goe on to the next step of thy old age without the mercy of God and true repentance thou art plunged in the very depth of hell the pit of perdition Matth. 22.13 the bottomelesse gulfe the fiery lake there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth therefore in thy youth have a carefull and heedfull care to thy life and conversation that thou doe not step out of the right way for if thou beest once out it is a hard matter to finde the way in againe without the grace of God assist thee and his providence conduct thee For the soule of man is dearely beloved of God her father yet for her sundry good graces she is often and many waies tempted of the divell by three divers meanes In youth with lechery in manhood or middle age with pride in old age with covetousnesse three pernicious sinnes at three severall ages in this mortall life if she resist and overcome the same she is thereby adopted to the full fruition of eternall happinesse through Christ our Lord which God of his mercy conduct so many as appertaine to his kingdome in the right way to their lives end and in the end bring them to the end of their progresse thy everlasting kingdome the celestiall Canaan the haven of happinesse now the Lord prosper this worke direct our hearts aright and blesse the labours of his servants to the glory of his name through Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen Thine in the Lord JOHN WELLS Psal 40.12 11. I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart but have declared thy righteousnesse to the great congregation Deut. 32.1.3 Heare O yee heavens
like as in the day of resurrection when wee shall be all raised up out of the dust of the earth and the corruptible put on incorruptible and the mortall put on immortality and the vertue of the power of God shall be declared much better than if we had still lived and continued in this life without corruption and death And further whereas by the sinne committed man-kind perished and fell into so great corruption It was not Gods fault that man sinned and lost his innocency depravation and death it is not such that it ought to be imputed unto God but rather such as the justice of God may appeare therein therefore it was meet and needfull that Christ should not be conceived and borne in the wombe of the Virgin of the seed of man lest he should be borne partaker of sin but only by the working of the Holy Ghost Lastly seeing the sinne of Adam by the intisement of the woman did so deface the excellence and innocence of our nature as that the corruption thereof did descend from him to all posterities this ought to abate the pride of man that no man dignifie or exalt himselfe in the pride of his nature for all men are of one and the same nature and all men in one and the same condemnation there being no power in mans nature to raise himselfe to the dignity of Gods favour that being onely in the power of him that first created us holy and innocent who againe will restore us if we faithfully spend our indeavours in holy actions Againe it ought to move all men to beare indifferent favour to all the children of God and not to despise any either for the defect of nature or fortun but to pitty and commiserate the common calamities because there is no judgement or punishment inflicted upon any man How to judge calamities but it is generally caused by all men all men having offended God with Adam and all men for that sin of Adam being subject to all misery for those calamities and greater are due to us though other men indure them and those benefits which some injoy Gods favour is not by desert but by benevolence and others want they have them not of desert but of benevolence from the favour of God who giveth them according to the pleasure of his will without respect of persons Seeing that Adam who had such extraordinary indowments of grace and whose nature God had so adorned with excellence that hee delighted in his company and seeing he was innocent and his nature unstained with corruption or infirmity We farre more easie to be tempted then Adam did notwithstanding run in contempt of Gods Commandement and thereby did purchase Gods indignation Let us therefore be extraordinary carefull to withstand all provocations that may tempt us to any sinne for our nature is much more easie to be tempted than Adams was his being innocent and holy ours in corruption stained he having power in himselfe to withstand his tempter we having no power in our nature to resist but rather an appetite and affectation to evill naturally inclined to neglect that grace which should make us able to resist temptation and to withstand the assaults of the divell The depravednesse of nature and because our nature is thus depraved and that our owne blind directions would but leade us to condemnation let us therefore with humble confidence implore the favour of God How to prevent the power of temptation that by his spirit hee would give us directions and that by his mighty hand hee may support us against the power of all temptations for we know our strength is but weaknesse and if God take his hand of favour from us If we will affy in God we must deny our selves wee shall fall into the hands of our tempters and remaine their spoile for if Adam in his innocence was vanquished we in our sinne cannot bee able to withstand them therefore let us not trust in our owne strength but deny our selves and repose our whole confidence in the strength of his arme for it is thou O God that savest and defendest us from and out of the hands of our enemies and puttest them to confusion that hate us Thus let us practise against our spirituall tempters and thus we shall prevaile Againe seeing God hath not spared Adam nor the Angels that sinned who in their natures were much more excellent then we but for their sinne gave them over to condemnation 2 Pet. 2.4 how much lesse will he spare us if wee continue in the committing of sinne and not endeavour our selves with all diligence in godly exercise Assuredly this should make us fearefull to commit any sinne with consent or knowledge Let us therefore flie all sinne The wages of sin in death as we would death because the earnest of sinne is certainely rewarded with death sinne and death being inseparable in fellowship for the soule that sinneth must die the death and no soule dieth but the sinfull Therefore let us resort our prayers to the holy presence of God Resolution let us earnestly intreat that his providence may direct us in an holy course to an holy end let us avoyd all acquaintance with sinne let us hate it in our selves Charity will pitty misery let us hate it in others pity their misery and pray for their amendment let up prove our selves vowed enemies to sinne and practise in that profession thus let us perswade thus let us resolve Againe seeing Adam and his posterity were not cast into condemnation Man was not condemned without hope as the angels were without hope without mercy as the angels that sinned were but had hope given him to be againe restored to the favour and blessed presence of God by the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God this admirable degree of love and favour of God to mankind should keepe all our actions in awe and make us carefully feare to offend our God who hath so farre exceeded to us in the favours of his love therefore let us not onely feare him because hee hath power to destroy us but let us feare him for the reverence of his love and preferre his love even before our soules our meditations cannot present to our soules a greater Heaven of joy To meditate God and his favours then to understand our selves to be beloved of God neither can wee have more delightfull action then to meditate his love and to love him againe for his love to us for to love him for the safety of our owne soules is most necessary but to love him for his love only is more commendable and declareth a notable degree of Christian zeale Thus did Moses love the Israelits Exod. 32.30.31 32. thus did St. Paul the Iewes and thus will I my God by whom I was created by whom I am restored and in whom I will alwaies trust Amen Of the Divels trecheries and how to
prevent him SEing the Divell is so apt and ready to assault and tempt the faithfull and the elect of God consider therefore thou devout soule in what danger thou art because the divell thine adversary is alwaies lying in wait for thee hee is an enemy for boldnesse most ready for strength most powerfull for subtilty most cunning for engines well stored in sight indefatigable into all shaps changeable he intiseth us into many sinnes and having inticed us hee accuseth us before Gods judgement seate 2 Cor. 2.11 2 Cor. 11.14 hee accuseth God to men and men to God and one man to another hee exactly considereth every ones inclination and then hee layes for them the snares of temptations for the devill when he assaulteth the soule of man first sets upon that part he findes softest and best affected for his purpose for him the easier to worke upon and if hee once be withstood and overcome hee doth not presently remove nor give over but comes againe to tempt with greater force that so hee may by tediousnesse and neglect overcome those whom by violence and force of temptations he could not overcome Against whom will he not be bold to use his subtill trickes when hee was so bold to set upon the Lord of Majesty himselfe with his craft and subtilty Math 4.2 3. when hee had fasted forty daies and forty nights what Christians will he spare when hee sought to winnow Christs Apostles like wheate He deceived Adam in his nature instructed whom then can hee not deceive in his nature corrupted he deceived Judas in the schoole of our Saviour Luke 22.31 and whom will hee not deceive in the world Gen. 3.4 5. the schoole of errours in all states the divels trecheries are to bee feared In prosperity hee lifts us up with pride in adversity he drives us downe to despaire if he sees a man delighted with frugality he intangleth him in the fetters of insatiable covetousnesse if hee sees a man of an heroicall spirit hee sets him on fire with flaming anger if he sees a man somewhat merrier then ordinary hee incites him to burne with lust those whom he sees to be zealous in religion he labours to entangle in vaine superstition those whom he sees exalted to dignities hee prickes them forward with the spurres of ambition when hee allureth man to sinne hee amplifieth Gods mercy and when hee hath cast him headlong into sinne then he shewes and amplifies Gods justice first hee will lead a man to presumption and afterwards he labours to bring him to desperation sometimes he assaults outwardly by persecutions sometimes hee assaults inwardly by fiery tentations sometimes he sets upon us openly and by force sometimes hee sets upon us secretly and by fraud in eating he sets before us gluttony in generating luxury in exercising sluggishnesse in conversing envie in governing covetous extortion in correcting rage in dignity pride he possesses the heart with evill cogitations in the mouth he puts false speakings in the other members wicked actions when wee are awake he moves us to evill workes when we are asleepe he moves us to filthy dreames so then at all times in every place and in every thing we must beware of the divels trecheries wee sleepe but hee watcheth wee are secure but he goes about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devoure 1 Pet. 5.8 Consider therefore thou faithfull soule the trecheries of this most potent enemy and seeke the ayd of spirituall armes to defend thee from his subtilties let thy loynes be girt with the girdle of truth Eph. 6.14 and covered with the brest-plate of righteousnesse put on Christs perfect righteousnes thou shalt bee safe from the divels tentations Iohn 14.30 as Satan hath no power over Christ neither hath he power over the faithfull his members Let thy feet be shod with the preparation of the Gospell of peace so the fiery darts of the divell shall not hurt thee take the shield of faith to defend thee from the assaults of this most wicked enemy Eph. 6.15 Math. 17.20 Faith is that which removes Mountaines which is to be understood the mountaines of doubts persecutions and tentations if thou hast faith neither shall any thing be unpossible unto thee Vers 20. Exod. 12.17.12.13 The Israelites whose doore posts were figured with the blood of the paschall Lambe were not smitten with the destroying Angell so likewise those whose hearts are by faith sprinkled with the blood of Christ shall not be hurt by this destroyer faith relies upon Gods promises in the mercy of the Almighty and Satan cannot overthrow them that believe faith is the light of the soule and hath a bright eye a holy eare a cleane heart and a sure foote shee is the strength of hope the trust of truth the honour of amity and the joy of love and Satan cannot prevaile against it and the tentations of this malignant spirit are easily discerned through this light Mich. 7.19 By faith our sins are throwne into the profound sea of Gods mercy and in that the firy darts of the divell shall be easily quenched we must likewise put on the helmet of salvation that is Ephes 6.17 holy Hope endure tentation and expect an issue thereof by hope and thou shalt find comfort thereby For God is an Assister of them that contend and the crowne of them that overcome Vers 19. wee must also take the sword of the spirit that is the Word of God For the consolations of the Scripture will prevaile against the contradictions of the divell Nazianz. for by the Word Christ overcame all Satans temptations Math. 4.4 c. 11. and still the faithfull shall overcome the divell and all his subtilties To conclude by prayer thou hast great aid against tentations for as often as the little ship of thy soule is ready to be overwhelmed by the waves of tentation awake Christ by thy prayers we overcome visible enemies with striking but wee overcome our invisible enemies by powring forth prayers unfained fight thou O Christ both in us and for us that so through thee we also may overcome our deadly enemy with victory that in thee and through thee we may triumph gloriously Of the Morall Law of God the ten Commandements THe Law of God The morall Law of God and the Law of nature is all one though it was not given to man with solemne promulgation before the time of Moses yet was there a generall sense thereof given to Adam in his creation For when God gave him his nature and endued him with the use of reason and discourse he gave him capacity to understand his duty the which duty is nothing else but the observation of the Law of God and therefore when Adam had transgressed the commandements of God and had eaten the forbidden fruit the reason of his naturall soule could tell him his offence and then his conscience judged him he was afraid
and hid himselfe from Gods presence If therefore wee compare his sin to the Commandements of the Law wee shall find it to be a direct breach of some and a consequent breach of all For Gods first Commandement saith Exod. 20. Thou shalt have no other Gods but mee Adams sin by the eating of the forbidden fruit by the temptation and perswasion of the divell doth contradict the Commandement of God and saith Nay but my wife and I will both be gods Gen. 3.5 Againe Caine the second man he committed murther and thereby directly broke the sixt Commandement which when God and his conscience made him to understand Gen. 4.8 hee made a most desperate acknowledgement of his sin Vers 13. so that the Law being nothing but a reasonable duty which the creature oweth to his Creator there was therefore a generall knowledge of this Law in the reasonable nature of man at his creation and so to the succession of them of the old world unto the time that the Law was given to Moses by the ordinance of Angels Gal. 3.19 the old world then from Adam to Moses were not lawlesse and free from the service of the Law but had the law of nature for their direction which being grounded upon reason was even the very same with the law of the ten Commandements and the law of the ten Commandements before it was given to Moses was in the ages before going commonly transgressed and that law did both judge and condemne them the which law God gave man when he gave him his nature every man having the knowledge of this law in the naturall use of his reason This was the state of the old world before Moses all sinned and all were judged by the law of nature Now when iniquity began to raigne and be strong in the hearts of men and that their conscience became senslesse of sin neither would they admonish and judge their transgressions then God thought convenient to publish to mankinde this law binding the consciences of men to a strict and dutifull observation of every particular statute of the law Baruch 4.1 denouncing the judgement of condemnation to all them that transgresse against the least breach and particular of those Commandements A second reason why God ordained the Law Reason 2 was that men might rightly understand themselves and thereby know in what degree of holinesse they were because that men are often partiall in their owne judgement and willingly blinde themselves in the view of their owne calamities wherefore then serveth the Law Gal. 3.19 it was added because of transgressions that by the Law men might know wherein they have transgressed A third reason of the ordination of the Law is Reason 3 to provoke men to endeavour themselves with all diligence in a holy course to travell in godly exercise and to avoid both evill actions and idlenesse the Law giving every man sufficient matter of imployments wherein he is bound to spend his houres 4. Esd 9.31 his daies nay his life in the carefull service of his God For behold I sow my Law in you that it may bring forth fruit in you and that yee may be honoured by it for ever Fourthly the reason that the Law was given Reason 4 is that by the severity thereof we might be disciplined and made fit for the mercy of the Gospell for the judgement of the Law will humble us make us understand our misery Gal. 3.24 and provoke us to implore mercy for by the documents and directions of the Law wee are led to salvation in Jesus Christ wherefore the Law is our Schoolemaster to teach and bring us to Christ that wee might be made righteous by faith in him Lastly the Law was given for the glory and Majesty of God that all the world might judge of his infinite mercy to mankind In this respect that notwithstanding all men are judged and condemned by the law of nature and by the Law of his Commandements yet in the greatnesse of his love hee is content to forgive the trespasse and the judgement therefore due unto mankind Gods admirable mercy and finally to entertaine these transgressors his enemies into the bosome of his mercy giving them Mercy in stead of Justice and eternall life Rom. 5.20 when they deserved death and damnation 21. Moreover the Law entered thereupon that the offence should abound neverthelesse Where Sinne abounded there Grace abounded much more that as Sinne had raigned unto death so might Grace also raigne by righteousnesse unto eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord and this is an admirable degree of love in God that he will decline or lay by his Majesty and to miserable wretched nay sinfull creatures exercise his Mercy in restoring and advancing us that have so highly offended his Majesty and abounded in transgressions for these causes was the Law given and delivered to man Deut. 27.26 The matter of the Commandements God thereby commanding every mans absolute obedience upon forfeiture of his soule to the paines of everlasting condemnation In the Law of the ten Commandements is to be considered the substance which is the matter of the Law and the circumstance which is the manner of the delivering it The matter is contained in ten Commandements the first foure teacheth us directly our duty to God the six last our duties to our neighbour In the manner of giving the Law we may principally consider these circumstances First the principall giver of the Law God Secondly the servants attending this office the Angels Thirdly to whom it was given to Moses Fourthly for whom it was given for the children of Israel who were then the people of God and by consequence to every people that professe themselves the servants of God these are the maine particulars in the circumstance of giving the Law First Exod. 20.1 Exo. 19.18 c. God was the principall authour of this worke to give it countenance and authority for who dare quarrell his worke and the operation of his hands therefore did God himselfe speake all the words of the Commandements he also spake in a fearefull and terrible manner to gaine the businesse a fearefull estimation Vers 9. he spoke in the hearing of the people that they might know it was Gods owne act and to prevent the distrust they might have in his servant Moses Secondly the Angels attend this holy service to declare the most excellent Majesty of God who in all his occasions is served and attended by an infinite number of that excellent nature Againe the Angels were there because they are most desirous of the good of mankind Heb. 1.14 Luke 15.7 10. and doe willingly attend the service of our salvation having joy among themselves in Heaven at the conversion of a sinner they were also to be witnesses betweene God and his people that the covenants might remaine established for ever therefore S. Paul saith The Law was ordained by the
that as he hath performed the Law in all sincerity and righteousnesse so we should endeavour a strict imitation of his vertuous doings for such faith only hath the benefit of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ as is proved by the testimony of holy life Workes the testimony of faith and hath the witnesse of vertuous living therefore it doth needfully behove all men carefully to endeavour in the exercise of the Law of God for though no man can be justified by the workes of the Law so no man can declare and approve himselfe to be justified but by the workes of the Law for it is God that doth justifie effectually faith doth justifie apprehendingly and good workes doe justifie declaringly Againe By the Law we may judge our selves the knowledge of the Law of God may give every man a true understanding of the state of his life whereby to know in what condition hee standeth whether in the favour or displeasure of Almighty God for the Law is the revealed Will of God to which all men owe conformity upon paine of grievous forfeit and therefore whosoever shall examine the behaviour of his life and compare his severall committings and omittings with the duties of the Law for all ought so to doe shall be well able to understand and judge himselfe The Law a patterne to a Christian life for the Law is the patterne of our lives to which wee ought to square our actions So then when wee find a dissimilitude betwixt the Law and our lives we cannot but judge our selves to be disobedient and rebellious to God and his Lawes and consequently to forfeit our soules to the state of damnation This judgement ought to cause humiliation in all men and so it will in them that God shall make gracious who when they know themselves to be in the disease of sin How the Law doth humble us and that the Law doth wound their consciences with guiltinesse and that themselves have a naturall pronenesse rather to cause then to cure their infirmities this maketh them to deny themselves and their owne power which is but weaknesse and with humblenesse to resort to the mercy and merits of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God and the Physician of our soules Christ the Physician of our soules who only hath beene able to satisfie the justice of the Law and who onely hath beene able to worke the Redemption of mankinde and to repossesse them of Gods favour who had lost it by their transgressions and this our Redeemer hath done by assuming our nature Christ hath fulfilled the Law for us that could not bearing our sins satisfying our contempts and finishing our neglects who in our nature hath fulfilled the Law for us that could not who hath triumphed over sin and made conquest of hell and by his death hath slaine death which but for him had seized our soules into everlasting condemnation Thus will the knowledge of the Law admonish us and thus it will remember us This knowledge presents our soules with matter of serious meditation wherein wee may have a full view of the miserable condition of our life what strength is in our nature what endeavour in our actions for when wee finde an impossibility of our dutifull and strict obedience to the Law wee shall then acknowledge our defects and the corruption of our nature when we examine the particulars of our life and compare them with our duties we shall acknowledge the neglect of our endeavours and that wee have failed not onely in the maine performance of the Law of God which our nature could not performe but in our desires and carefull endeavours to doe well The effects in the Reprobate issuing from the meditation of the Law which our nature might And from this meditation doth necessarily follow one of these two effects in the Reprobate and gracelesse it causeth desperation and a hopelesse distrust of their salvation for when the divell and their consciences expose before them the justice of God the severity of his Law and the infinite measure of their offence the extreme terror and sense of their wickednesse doe so confound their understandings that often they execute upon themselves torment and death despising and despairing of the mercy of Jesus Christ in whom if they had reposed trust The effect of grace in the Regenerate believed and apprehended his righteousnesse their sins had not beene imputed neither had their soules perished But in the children of grace this meditation doth produce a contrary effect for when they by the Law understand the misery whereinto their sins have brought them it causeth in them a wonderfull degree of feare but not desperate for though the divell presents their sinnes in most ugly formes and urge them to a desperate apprehension yet the Spirit of God in thē doth withstand this temptation God supporteth the Elect against temptation and giveth them holy motions to devise the meanes of their salvation presenting them in their spirituall sorrowes with the mercy and merits of Jesus Christ then giving them grace to understand the mysterie of his death and the promise of the imputation of his righteousnesse which when the grieved sinner understandeth he allayeth and mitigateth his sorrow and affieth in the mediation and merits of Jesus Christ his Redeemer The divers effects of the Law Thus the Law produceth contrary effects in contrary spirits it damneth the Reprobate without hope it condemneth the Elect but not damneth them but instructeth and giveth him hope them it judgeth without mercy these it teacheth admonisheth and bringeth them unto Christ therefore though the Law condemne us Resolution let it not condemne our hope for though wee cannot our selves performe the righteousnesse of the Law yet there is one hath done it for us our Lord and our Saviour Jesus Christ in whom let us confidently repose our hope and respire new life The worke of Faith because we know that his righteousnesse is ours by imputation and that our sins were nailed upon his crosse and suffered death with him when he wrought our redemption Let us therefore enlarge our love without limits to this our Saviour who for our salvation hath beene pleased to undergoe so great a travell Let us admire the admirable degree of his love that for our sakes did descend from his Majesty to take and dignifie the basenesse of our nature Christ hath freed us from the judgement of the Law let us with unspeakable joy meditate his most holy sufferings whereby we are released from the condemnation of the Law let us despise our selves and our owne righteousnesse and apprehend him the onely staffe of our confidence let us never despaire because we know our Redeemer liveth the hope of our salvation but in all the extremities of our life and in all the sorrowes of our conscience To whom repentant sinners should resort let us resort to Jesus Christ the Physician of our soules let
this is when men give themselves over to commit sin with affectation and greedy appetite and oppresse their conscience with the multitude of their committings so that such conscience doth not remember us our sins for the outragious conscience in the Reprobate is when the conscience of the Reprobate hath for a time beene silenced and hath given the sinner an unchaste liberty in his ungodlinesse yet so as that once apprehending the knowledge of his sin and knowing the state of condemnation wherein it is it breaketh out into violence which wanting moderation urgeth the sinneâ— to execute upon himselfe some desperate vengeance such was the conscience of Judas the traitor which slept all the time hee was plotting and practising his treason but when his sinne was brought into act then his conscience though evill did upbraid his sin with such violence as made the griefe unsupportable and the traitor not able to indure the torment of his conscience thought as Caine that his sin was greater then the mercy of God and so despairing of mercy he desperately hanged himselfe Mat. 27.3 4 5. such is the conscience of the Reprobate their conscience is sleepy and doth reprove but seldome yet when it doth reprove it is then most terrible and without all comfort and though conscience in this life never afflict for sin but seeme senslesse and dead in its appointed offices yet in the day of judgement Rev. 20.12 when the booke of every mans conscience shall be opened then will their consciences that in this life have beene most silent be most loud and terrible in their accusations denouncing judgement Wisd 17.9 10 11. and inflicting a greater torment on the soule then the damned can have patience to beare this is both the office and end of an evill conscience A good conscience Now the conscience of the childe of grace is in full opposition to the conscience of the Reprobate for when God shall please to call his servants to the knowledge of themselves How God moveth the conscience and to a detestation of their sin the grace of his holy spirit moveth in the hearts of such and first awaketh the conscience and giveth it sense to understand the calamity of the soule and spirit to reprove and admonish it in needfull directions and this grace of God giving the conscience sence to understand sinne and spirit to reprove it is the first degree of our reformation and a preparation to our spirituall conversion God himselfe being the prime and principall author thereof When God doth stirre our conscience it continueth that holy motion to our reformation for when our conscience is once touched with this godly desire to examine the errors of our life God doth not then leave us but giveth us assistance continually to finish that needfull care without despaire without fainting the conscience being once instructed by grace understandeth that the soule is in danger of Gods judgement this knowledge causeth a desire in the soule to examine the particulars of our life then doth it compare our severall actions The manner how a good conscience worketh with the severall duties of the Law and thereby is made manifest the many and great defects and transgressions of our life and that therefore our soules and bodies are guilty and stand in the danger of condemnation From this knowledge doth arise the griefe of a wounded conscience for the statute Law of God condemning us for the trespasse of our lives The cause of the griefe of conscience the conscience then whose office is to excuse or accuse upbraideth our sinne and denouncing the judgement of the Law against us which is eternall damnation neither can we free our soules from these extremities untill God who is the judge of all the world shall please to offer mercy and the benefit of his cleargy which is nothing else but the story of the meritorious sufferings of Jesus Christ the Lambe of God which is in spirituall characters upon the crosse of his death and this booke being the testament and writ with the blood of Christ the most righteous God presents to all the world all the world in respect of themselves being guilty and condemned by the Law doth promise remission of sinnes How to quiet the trouble of â— grieved conscience a generall pardon to all them that with their eyes or faith shall be seene and read in the booke of life and apprehend and apply Jesus Christ the contents thereof to their salvation Thus and but thus it is possible to quiet the trouble of a grieved conscience the conscience being never satisfied for sinne before the justice of God be satisfied by the apprehensive righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 and therefore saith Saint Paul Being then justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ for before we can live to God wee must die to our selves neither is there a spirituall regeneration where there is not first a spirituall mortification and where grace would enter sinne must avoyd for he that would follow Christ must deny himselfe therefore let no man presume to apprehend the mystery of the righteousnesse of the Crosse of Christ before hee hath reformed his actions quieted the clamour of his conscience and utterly denyed the strength of his owne nature for how shall hee beare the Crosse of Christ No man can be able to apprehend Christ before his conscience hath thus prepared him that is laden with his owne infirmities or how shall hee be benefited by the promise of the Gospell that doth not first judge himselfe by the Commandements of the Law for hee that knoweth not his disease seeketh no physicke and Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance This doth admonish all men carefully to watch the behaviour of their lives Revel 20.12 for if the conscience of every man be a book wherein is writ the records of all his actions good and bad and that seeing this booke must be read at the day of judgement in the audience of all the world before God and his Angels and Saints what manner of men ought all to be in godly conversation This ought to move in every one a double care First that they avoyd carefully all ungodlinesse both in thought and action whereby they may suffer disgrace before God and all his creatures at the generall day of judgement when the booke of their conscience shall bee opened to every ones eye Secondly it doth perswade a diligence in all godly exercise and that all men contend with a holy emulation to exceede in godly actions whereby they may receive applause and generall reputation in the generall assembly of God and all creatures for as in earthly affaires men covet most desirously to gaine reputation and a generall good name There is no ambition lawfull but the covetous desire of heaven because it argueth an extraordinary degree of desert in him that hath
it so in contending for this spirituall garland Heaven it cannot but be an extraordinary degree of content and spirituall pleasure to be named in the ranke of best deservers And as malefactors that suffer publique punishment for their offence esteeme the shame more then the paine of their corrections so ought all men to feare the shame they must endure The booke of conscience cannot be defaced but onely by the precious blood of Christ when their conscience disgraceth them before so great a presence as will be at the generall day of judgement For let all men be perswaded that all their faults are so written in the booke of their conscience that there is no meanes to obscure their knowledge and to raze them out neither will the conscience though it bee our owne bee corrupted to connive and dissemble with God but even to our owne faces it will produce all our sinnes whose memory is not blotted out by the righteous blood of Jesus Christ the Sonne of God 1 Pet. 3.21 and seeing the witnesse of our conscience is the evidence whereby wee are all judged either to life or death wee all ought most carefully to avoyd the doing of ought that may offend our consciences Not to offend our conscience but rather to live in feare and awe of conscience because our eternall state dependeth upon the report and accusation of our owne conscience This ought to prevent all unconscionable actions in us and to move a dread in us to have a detestation of every sin because when we have committed sinnes wee have hired so many witnesses against our owne soules to urge our eternall condemnation The silent conscience will be most terrible and loud at the day of judgement Customary sinning duls the sence of conscience Lastly seeing that that conscience which in this life is most silent will notwithstanding at the day of judgement bee most terrible and clamorous it admonisheth all men not to rebell against their conscience and to runne on without checke in the committing of sinne but rather to yeeld themselves to the correction of their conscience left by their customary sinning they dull the sence of conscience and so runne on the race of all unlawfulnesse for though the reproofe of conscience bee very terrible to him that rightly understands it yet ought it to bee carefully apprehended and respected as a moving cause to reformation and repentance and let no man incourage himselfe with common example that because the common sway of mens actions respect greatnesse more then goodnesse and craft more then conscience that this can warrant any ones imitation but rather wheresoever we see unconscionable dealing if in our friends wee ought to admonish them and tell them of their fault if in our enemies we must hate the sin but pity the sinner and labour if it be possible The office of charity his conversion but not his imitation and this direction is both wisedome and charity for he that is wise shall be armed and not harmed by ill example and he that is charitable will doe all the good he can and wish the good he cannot doe Let us therefore constantly endeavour to reduce to memory the severall actions of our life past let us then compare them to the duty of our conscience Good conscience is in hatred with sin and thereby understand in what degree of sinne we are what our conscience shall approve let us continue what it condemneth let us hate be it our pleasure be it our profit be it our neerest or our dearest sin if our conscience call it sin let us despise it let there be nothing shall make us alter or suspend this resolution let us be constant in the love of conscience what we have done amisse let us reforme it by conscience what we have to doe let our conscience judge it lawfull before wee doe it if our conscience presents us profit let us despise it if it be not honest if pleasure and not lawfull let us loath it let us undertake no action nor entertaine no favour but by the direction of conscience in every judgement and in all our actions To consult with conscience let us consult and be led by the rule and voyce of conscience if the world commend a sin and our conscience condemne it let us condemne the world and commend our conscience let us credit our conscience more then common example because our conscience must judge us and not example if our conscience accuseth us secretly of sin wee shall certainly know there is cause let us not silence our conscience from all reproofe let us only avoid the cause of reproofe sin and that carefully when our conscience shall urge us the Law our sins and the condemnation of the Law we have deserved let us not despise our conscience nor despaire mercy but direct our hearts and our eyes of faith to Jesus Christ the strength of our salvation Rom. 5.1 by whose favour wee shall both satisfie the Law and our conscience the hope and comfort we have in his righteousnesse will quiet the trouble of our conscience and hee that hath reconciled God and us will also reconcile us to our conscience Conscience that did accuse will comfort and make it that was our accuser our comforter This direction I propose to my selfe and doe perswade all men as I propose and purpose that in all our actions and consultations we judge nothing convenient that is not lawfull and nothing may be thought lawfull but that which hath the warrant of a good conscience To avoid Security COnsider thou devout soule what a matter it is to be saved and thou shalt easily shake off all security at no time and in no place is there security neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the world Genes 3.17 An Angell fell in the presence of the divinity and Adam fell in the place of pleasure Adam was created after the Image of God and notwithstanding hee was deceived by the trecheries of the divell Solomon was the wisest of men 1 King 3.12 and 11.3 and yet his wives turned away his heart from the Lord. Judas was in the Schoole of our Saviour and did every day heare the saving Word of that chiefe Doctor Luk. 22.3 and yet was hee not safe from the snares of Satan hee was plunged headlong into the pit of covetousnesse and desperation and so into the pit of perpetuall punishment David was a man according to Gods owne heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and was unto the Lord a most deare sonne and by murther and adultery 2 Sam. 12.6 7. hee became the sonne of death Where then and when is there security in this life Relie with an assured confidence of heart upon the promises of God and thou shalt be safe from the invasions of the divell There is no security in this life but in the life to come there is no securiâ—â— in this life but
Seeke the Lord while hee may be found and call upon him while he is nigh and let the ungodly man forsake his owne waies and the unrighteous his own imaginations and turne againe unto the Lord so shall he be mercifull unto him and to our God for he is very ready to forgive The Lord alloweth the righteous Psal 11.6 7. but the ungodly and him that delighteth in wickednesse doth his soule abhorre and upon the ungodly he shall raine snares fire and brimstone storme and tempest and this shall be their portion to drinke But if that people Jerem 18.8 against whom I have thus devised convert from their wickednesse I will repent of the plague that I devised to bring upon them For mercy and wrath is with him Eccles 16 11. hee is both mighty to forgive and to powre out displeasure like as his mercy is great even so is his punishment also and he judgeth a man according to his works Therefore feare the Lord 1 Sam. 12.24 25. and serve him in the truth and with all your hearts and consider what great things hee hath done for you but if yee doe wickedly then shall you perish O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 107.31 43. and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men who so is wise will ponder these things and they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. But who so despiseth wisedome and nurture Wisd 3.11 is unhappy and as for the hope of such it is but vaine their labours unfruitfull and their workes unprofitable Blessed be the Lord God of Israel Psal 106.46 from everlasting and world without end and let all the people say Amen THE SECOND PART OF THE SOVLES PROGRESSE Leading the way to the Celestiall CANAAN or Heavenly JERUSALEM A divine Direction in the way of Life Declaring the Order and Causes of mans happinesse attained by the imputation of the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ our Salvation Of the New Covenant of the Gospell or the Covenant of Grace THe whole Scripture of the Bible is divided into two Testaments The Gospel the Old and the New which Bookes be of divers natures some Legall some Historicall some Sapientiall and some Propheticall The Old teacheth by Figures Shadowes and Ceremonies Exod. 20. that the Law was given terribly in lightning and thundring to induce the people thereby to the observance thereof by feare The New Testament all Mercy or the Covenant of Grace came in more gloriously with the gentle name of the Gospell and good tidings to induce the people to the observation thereof by love The Story of the Bible from the first beginning to the birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ doth for the most part declare the miserable condition of man-kind how hee hath falne from the innocency of his nature which God gave him in his first creation and how he hath continued in sin and the curse of God for sin having no power in himselfe to satisfie the justice of God How to use and apply the Scriptures or to reconcile himselfe to his favour therefore did God give the Law of the ten Commandements the particulars of his revealed Will both to provoke men to endeavour in the exercise of all godlinesse and also that by the knowledge of the Law men might know their owne defects of nature and the frailnesse thereof and by their humiliation might be prepared and made fit for the mercy of the Gospell for though Jesus Christ Gen. 3.15 12 3. Rom. 1.1 2 3 4 5. the substance of the Gospell was in the counsell of God from all beginnings determined to be the Redeemer of man-kinde being also promised to our first Parents and by whom all the faithfull before his incarnation had the pardon of their sins apprehending by faith the promise of his righteousnesse yet was not this grace declared unto them in such plaine and direct evidence as now it is to us in the preaching of the Gospell Hebr. 9. it being then delivered onely in Shadowes Ceremonies Prophesies and in the mysticall sense of Allegories so that few had capacity and grace rightly to understand them all which difficulties are now vanished in the preaching of the Gospell the Gospell presenting us in most familiar and easie demonstrations the Substance without the Shadowes and the Truth without the Figure withall giving directions and infallible rules not onely to know the meanes of our salvation but how to make it ours to apprehend and apply it to our owne particular comfort The great favour and liberty of the Gospel and this grace doth the Gospell give with such favour as that the necessary doctrines exceed not the understanding of men of meanest capacities but that all that will without respect or exception may reach their hands of faith to the crosse of Christ and freely apprehend the meanes of their salvation which is the Lord Jesus triumphing at the conquest of his death over sin hell and damnation This is a blessed alteration in the state of the world for in the time A happy alteration when the grace of the Gospell was hid in the clouds of the Ceremonies the observers of the ceremoniall Law did seldome understand the mysticall sense of the Ceremony which did alwaies allude to some particular grace in the Gospell Therefore The ceremonies of the Law did allude to the grace of the Gospel though God was pleased to accept of their carefull endeavours in the religious observing the Ceremony which indeed was but a Figure of the Truth included in the Ceremony yet they wanted a great part of that spirituall comfort which wee have in the observing the Covenant of grace the Gospell the grace of God appearing to them Tit. 2.11 c. as God himselfe did to the Israelites their fathers at the delivering of the Law in clouds in fire in smoke and thunders Exod. 19.16 but to us he doth appeare more familiarly by Jesus Christ his Sonne the most lively representment of himselfe assuming our nature and conversing with us did wound our sin and healed the wounds sin had made in our soules whose words taught salvation whose actions wrought it This is the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospel What the Law commandeth and what the Gospel the Law commandeth to doe and live if not to die the Gospell all mercy requireth to believe onely and live and this is a wonderfull degree of Gods favour that because wee are not able to keepe the covenants of the Law is pleased therefore to yeeld to our infirmities to alter our obligation and enter new covenant with us the covenant of grace The wonderfull love of God towards us whereby God doth indent with man and binds the justice of the Law in the bonds of his mercy promising salvation to all them that faithfully believe in the merits and mediation of his Sonne Jesus Christ Thus doth
2.7 because he was the true Light which illuminateth the darkenesse of the world hee is laid in a manger because hee is the true Food of our soules hee was borne betwixt an Oxe and an Asse that men which were become as beasts beastly might be restored to their former dignity he is borne in Bethlehem which is the house of bread because he brought with him the most plentifull food of divine benefits hee is the first and onely begotten of his Mother upon earth 2 Cor. 8.9 because he was according to his divine narture the first and only begotten of his Father in heaven he is borne poore and naked yet to purchase for us celestiall riches he is borne in a stable Luk. 2.10 c. yet to bring us to his royall palace which is in heaven the Angels from heaven brought the first message of this great Joy and benefit because no man on earth understood the greatnesse thereof And further it was meet that the messenger of celestiall gifts should be celestiall the armies of the Angels rejoyce because we are by the incarnation of the Sonne of God made partakers of their heavenly happinesse To the Shepherds first is declared this so wondrous and great a miracle because the true Shepherd of our lost soules came to bring backe the lost sheepe into his fold The quire of heaven which became sorrowfull for the sinne of our first father doth now sing and rejoyce the brightnesse and glory of that Lord and King appeareth now in the heavens whose lowlinesse men despised here on earth joy was declared from heaven because the Author and Giver of Joy was borne joy is commanded because the enmity betweene the just God and sinfull man the cause of all sorrow is removed glory in the highest is rendred unto God which our first father Adam by his unlawfull transgressions of Gods Commandements had taken away true peace is obtained by his nativity because before men were enemies unto God and their owne consciences true peace is restored to the earth because he is overcome which held us captive Joh. 8.5 6. Abraham rejoyced when hee saw the Lord in an humame shape assumed for a time and appeared unto him and shall not we rejoyce seeing Christ hath coupled and taken upon himselfe our nature by an everlasting and inviolable covenant Let us here admire the infinite goodnesse of God let us also admire the infinite power of God who of two things most different and distant one from the other I meane the divine and humane nature could make one so neerly that one and the same should be God and man 1 Tim. 3.16 Let us admire the infinite wisedome of God who could find out a meanes to worke our salvation when men nor Angels could find no meanes of reconcilement the infinite goodnesse of God was offended and an infinite satisfaction was required man had offended God and of man was satisfaction required neither could an infinite satiâ—faction be made by man neither could Gods justice be satisfied without an infinite price therefore God was made man that both he which had sinned might satisfie and he which was infinite might be paid an infinite price Let us admire this wonderfull temper of Gods Justice and Mercy which no creature could find out before God did manifest it unto him neither could any fully perceive it after it was manifested let us admire these things and not curiously pry into them let us desire to understand this high and secret mysterie though wee cannot rightly conceive all let us rather confesse our ignorance Luk. 2.10 then to deny Gods Omipotence I bring tidings of great joy unto you saith the Angel at our Saviours Nativity of great joy indeed such as passeth mans understanding It was a very great evill and dangerous that we had incurred the wrath of God and were held captive under the power of the Divell and under eternall damnation but it was yet greater because men knew not it neither could eschew the danger thererof or else did wilfully neglect the meanes of their owne salvation But now great joy is declared unto us because he that delivereth uâ— from all evill is come a Saviour into the world he is come a Physician to the sicke a Redeemeâ— to the captive he is the Way to the wanderer Life to them that were dead in sinne and Salvation to them that were condemned Exod. 3.10 As Moses was sent from the Lord to redeeme the children of Israel which were the select people of the world from the servitude and bondage of Egypt so Christ Jesus was sent from his Father to redeeme all man-kind from the slavery and bondage of the Divell and to preach peace and the reconciliation of man with God therefore we have great cause to rejoyce and conceive great things of the goodnesse and mercy of God for he which loved us so being his enemies that hee did vouchsafe to assume our nature to be united to his divinity what will hee deny us Rom. 5.10 c. being joyned unto him by participation of our flesh An infinite goodnesse was offended and none could intercede but a Mediatour of infinite power and what is infinite but God therefore God himselfe reconciled the world unto himselfe 2 Cor. 5.19 God himselfe redeemed man-kind by his owne blood God himselfe became Mediatour for us who can conceive the greatnesse of this mysterie the chiefe Creatour was offended with sinfull man Acts 20.28 and the creature sought not with diligence to appease God or to reconcile himselfe unto him So hee that was offended assumed the flesh of the creature and becomes reconciliatour man had forsaken God and turned himselfe unto the Divell Heb. 2.14 15. the enemy of God man and he that was forsaken makes diligent inquisition after the forsaken and incites him most bountifully to come againe unto him and when man had departed from that infinite good and falne into that infinite evill then that same infinite good by giving an infinite price of redemption delivered the creature from that infinite evill Is not this infinite mercy of God farre exceeding all the finite understanding and thought of man for our nature is become farre exceeding and more glorious by Christ then it was debased and dishonoured by the sinne and fall of Adam Rom. 5.20 21. we have received more in Christ then we lost in Adam for where sinne did abound Gods grace doth much more abound in Adam we lost our innocency in Christ we have received perfect righteousnesse Eph. 2.4.5 Let us admire Gods power but his divine mercy is yet more to be admired although power and mercy are both equall in God for both are infinite Let us admire our creation but rather let us admire our redemption although creation and redemption are both acts of infinit power in God It is a wondrous great thing to create man having deserved nothing for as yet he had no being but
Thus I wish to all in generall Of the Crosse of Christ and of his holy suffering for our sinnes BEhold thou faithfull soule the griefe of him that suffered Rom. 3.24 25 26. the wounds of him that hanged the torments of him that died on the Crosse that head at which the Angels tremble is crowned with thornes that face which was most beautifull above the sonnes of men is defiled by the spittings of the ungodly those eyes which were more brighter then the Sunne are darkned in death those eares which were wont to heare Angelicall praises did ring with the proud speeches and derision of wicked men Mat. 27 29 c. sinners that mouth which taught the Angels hath no other drinke but Gall and Vinegar those feete which are to bee adored those hands Iob 9.8 which stretcheth forth the Heavens are stretched forth and nayled on the Crosse that body which was the most sacred Temple of the Deity is whipped and wounded with the speare Iohn 19.34 37. neither remaines there any part in him whole save onely a tongue and that to pray for them which crucified him Christ declared himself to be the Sonne of God three manner of waies First by his power or working of miracles Secondly by the holy Ghost appearing in visible signes hee that raigneth with the father in the Heavens is grievously by sinners afflicted on the Crosse God suffers God dies God powreth forth his blood upon the Crosse and all for the redemption of man judge therefore the greatnesse of the danger by the greatnesse of the price judge the danger of the disease by the valew of the remedy Surely those wounds in sinfull man were great and dangerous indeed which could no otherwise be cured but by the wounds of the everliving and quickning flesh of Christ and the disease most dangerous which could not bee câ—red but by the death of the Physitian Consider thou faithfull soule the heavie and fierce displeasure of God against us after the fall of our first Father Adam and his posterity after him that nothing could appease his anger for our sins but the ignominious suffering of his deare and only begotten Sonne upon the corsse Christ his eternall and well beloved Sonne became suter to God his Father for us yet his anger was not turned from us he by whom the world was made Hebr. 1.2 Thirdly by his resurrection from the dead interceded for us became our advocate and tooke the cause of us miserable sinners upon himselfe and yet his anger was not turned from us our Saviour tooke upon him our flesh that by the glory of the divinity communicated unto the humanity hee might expiate and purge our sinfull flesh Eph. 2.13 c. that by the saving vertue of his most perfect righteousnesse communicated unto our nature he might wipe away that venomous quality of our sin which cleaveth so fast unto us and in stead thereof conferre grace upon us Esay 9. 2 Cor. 5.21 and yet the anger of his father was not turned away from us our sins and the punishment due unto them he taketh upon himselfe his body is bound whipped wounded pierced crucified and buried Matth. 27. Luk 22.44 his blood like a dew most copiously distilled downe all his members at his passion his most holy soule is made sorrowfull above measure even unto death hee feeleth the paines of hell the eternall Sonne of God cryeth out that he is forsaken of God so great was his anguish Vers 46. so great was his bloody sweat that he that comforteth the Angels stood in need of an Angel to comfort him hee dyed for us sinners who is the authour and giver of life to every living thing 1 Pet. 3.18 If God be so highly offended with the most just and holy One what shall become of us sinners how will God punish us for our sins who is so wrathfully displeased with his owne Sonne for the sins of others and if his Sonne was so grievously punished for us shall we his servants thinke to escape unpunished what shall the Reprobate suffer if such be the sufferings of his best beloved Surely if our hearts be not harder then the Adamant and more flinty than a stone they must needs be wounded and bleed within us to thinke how Christ was wounded for our sakes For Christ truely tooke our infirmities upon himselfe Esay 53.4 and bare our griefes and healed our sicknesses that which in us merited eternall punishment and condemnation Mat. 8.16.17 thou Lord Jesus tookest upon thy selfe that burthen which would have pressed us downe into hell thou tookest our sins upon thy selfe Rom. 3.24 c. and bestowedst thy righteousnesse upon us death which is due unto us thou undertookest thy selfe and conferredst life upon us we cannot therefore by any meanes doubt of thy grace or despaire by reason of our sinnes therefore if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Rom. 10.9 10. and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved for by faith we apprehend that Christ hath given satisfaction for us he bare the iniquities of those that are his he suffered for the sins of many he interceded for the transgressors Note 4 Esd 4.66 c. for he should have had very few just unlesse in mercy he had received sinners and remitted the sins of the unjust How then shall Christ judge according to severity the sins of the penitent which he hath taken upon himselfe how shall he condemne him that is guilty of sin for whom he dyed Joh. 15.13 will he condemne those whom hee loveth and calleth his friends will he condemne those for whom he hath intreated will he condemne those for whom hee dyed no Lift up thy selfe therefore Psal 42.14 43.5 Ezech. 18.22 O devout soule and forget thy sins for the Lord hath forgotten them hath forgiven them whom then dost thou feare as the punisher of thy sins but the Lord who himselfe hath made satisfaction for thy sins if any other had paid the price of my redemption I might have doubted Esay 53. whether the just Judge would have accepted of that satisfaction if either man or Angel had satisfied for my sins yet still I might have doubted whether the price of my redemption were sufficient but now there is no place for doubt all doubt is taken away and removed from the faithfull and penitent sinner how can it be that hee will not accept of that price which himselfe hath paid Psal 25.9 Psal 43.15 Psal 42.6 how can that but be sufficient which is from God himselfe Why art thou yet troubled O devout soule all the waies of the Lord are mercy and truth just is the Lord and just are his Judgements Why art thou so troubled O my soule let both the Mercy and Justice of God raise thee up if God be just hee will not exact double satisfaction for one
offence for our offences he hath smitten his Sonne how then can he smite his servants for them how can he punish our sinnes in us for which his Sonne hath already given satisfaction Psal 117.2 The truth of the Lord endureth for ever as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner Ezech. 33.11 but much rather that he may turne from his wickednesse and live Come saith our Saviour Mat. 11.28 unto me all you that are heavy laden and I will refresh you shall wee then make God a liar and labour with the weight of our sins to beare downe his mercy to make God a liar and deny his mercy is a greater sinne then all the sins of the whole world Mat. 27.5 Rom. 5.20 therefore Iudas sinned more in despairing of Gods mercy then the Jewes in crucifying Christ but rather where sin hath abounded there grace hath also much more abounded and over-weigheth our sins by infinite degrees Jude 21 c. for sins are but the sins of men but grace is the grace of God sins are but temporall but the grace of God is from eternity to eternity 2 Cor. 5.18 c satisfaction by Christ hath beene made for our sins and the grace of God is repaired in us by the death of Christ and is established in us through him for ever Of Repentance or sorrow of the Soule for sin VVHen Christian men have understanding by the Law of God of their miserable estate in respect of sin Joh. 15.22.24 Repentance what they were in innocency what they are in sin and what they shall be in judgement it bringeth a generall sadnesse on the soules of men dulleth the spirit and delight they have had in their prosperous fortunes for when God giveth grace to any one to examine his life God gives the first grace to repentance and to view his owne deformities consider his neglect in his dutifull and obedient service which hee oweth unto God the first knowledge thereof and apprehension of his miserie is most terrible because his conscience doth forcibly checke the former proceedings of his life and violently hale him against the currant of his owne affections for as rivers are not forced against their ordinary streame but by the tide which is more forcible than the streame it selfe so our sinfull actions The difficulty of repentance being in all men common and naturall motions is not reformed in us but by the spirit of God a power above our nature yet it is done with such contention and strife in our flesh and nature which for the time doth wonderfully distract the soule of the party repenting and needs it must for he that hath wasted and spent his time in the delicacie of fortune The reason glutting himselfe with variety of pleasures and in the hight of his vaine prosperity is admonished that he hath fed on poison and therby run himself into a desperate hazard wil doubtlesse hardly endure the extremity of griefe which sudden feare and amazednesse can lay upon him for so it is with sinfull man who not regarding the danger of their soule before they are warned and admonished by God and their conscience are taken unprovided with sudden griefe which doth alway inflict an unexpressible measure of sorrow The sorrow of a repentant soule and often times death and desperation when being taught by the Law to know our sinnes our miserable condition and the diseases of our soules so the Gospell teacheth us the cure both what and how to administer physicke to our sicke and diseased soules for else the knowledge of our sinnes were extreame misery without profit The sudden griefe is violent if wee should not also know the meanes of our recovery and to know also how to administer and apply them to our soules comfort for vertue hath no vertue but in use and that physicke which the sicke patient receiveth not cannot profit him bee it never so excellent or standeth never so neere him and as in corporall so in spirituall sicknesse the disease must first be knowne the physicke then administred for hee that ministreth before hee knoweth the cause or knoweth onely the cause and administreth not or administreth and taketh not away the cause of the disease can never recover his patient be he never so skilfull or industrious so in repentance and sorrow for sinne which is a sickenesse of the soule What must cure diseased soules must necessarily bee considered these two particulars the cause the cure The cause is either the materiall cause or the moving cause the materiall cause is sinne The cause of repentance that being the matter of our offence for which wee so sorrow and grieve at the time of our repentance This is proved in the examples of all men that have had the grace of true and unfeyned repentance every penitent child of grace having sorrow and affliction in his soule because of his sinne by which hee hath provoked his God and his Creator against him Thus did Iob and thus did David repent them and so doe and will doe all that would profit by their repentance Iob 42.6 2 Sam. 12 13. And here is necessarily to bee considered and observed that though our repentance have respect to the benefits of our owne estate as being a most necessary service in our salvation yet the maine respect we ought to have to God whose glory we must preferre God must be respected before our soules even before the salvation of our soules making him the principall and our selves but secondary respects of our repentance And herein appeareth the difference betweene true and false repentance for the false and Godlesse repentance sorroweth for their sinne onely because God doth punish and afflict them for their sinne Exod. 9.27 1 Sam. 15.24 25 King 21.27 Math. 27.3 4. and therefore their sorrow is chiefly for the punishment and but respectively for their sinne Thus did Pharaoh Saul Ahab and Iudas repent them and so doe all false and feyned repenters that feare God for their owne respects and not themselves for God Note A true and godly repentance sorroweth for sinne because it is sinne and not because it deserveth punishment and here the maine respect is to be had to God and to our selves onely for Gods sake for though the feare and dread of punishment be sufficient to move any mans repentance yet wee must not make that the cause of our spirituall sorrow but much rather because we have offended so gracious a God who hath declared himselfe to us in so many and great demonstrations of his love to mankind this ought to be more sensible to our wounded soules then the horror wee have of our condemnation thus are holy men moved in their griefe and passion of their repentance the maine difference then betweene true and false repentance is this Note true repentance is caused by reverence wee have of the love of
our soule The second thing in the cure of our soules is the soveraigne matter by which the diseased soule is cured the most soveraigne balsome the sacred blood of the Lambe of God of the Sonne of God shed for the redemption of man-kind 1 Pet. 2.24 for so saith his holy Apostle Saint Peter who his owne selfe bare our sins in his body on the tree that we being delivered from sin should live in righteousnesse by whose stripes we were healed our sins are taken from us by his bearing them our wounds are cured by his wounds our eternall death prevented by his temporall death for but the Sonne of God No physicke but the blood of Christ can cure a wounded soule Christ Jesus there is no Empyricke no quintessence no physicke can cure a wounded soule so venomous is sin and so incurable are the wounds that sin hath made onely the blood of the holy Lambe is altogether able to deliver and heale them and that is both so certaine and present in vertuous operation as that one drop rightly applyed is able and sufficient to cure the wounds of a world of soules The last thing in the cure of our soule is the manner of applying this most soveraigne medicine The manner of applying Christ Hebr. 11.6 Christ Jesus and that is by a true and lively faith for without faith it is impossible to please God and without faith it is impossible to apprehend the Sonne of God neither let this seem strange to a Christian judgement that wee should be able by faith to apprehend Christ and to apply him to our repentant soules for hee himselfe hath taught us that whatsoever wee shall aske in prayer Matth. 21.22 if we believe wee shall have it whereby he maketh faith the covenant and condition of prayer and promiseth that such prayer that is directed to him by a living faith shall onely and alwaies prevaile No resistance against a true faith against which there is no resistance therefore to apprehend apply Christ to our wounded soules we must reach with our hands of faith to his Fathers bosome take him from the altar of his crosse and by faith apply his precious blood nay his bloody body to our wounded soules for he that doth it faithfully doth it effectually and shall doubtlesse find assurance in himselfe that the wounds of his soule are cured and that sin is for ever dis-inabled from hurting him that hath Christ fully applyed for where he is in mercy there is assurance and safety of divine protection and this is the order that all Christians should take in repentance and spirituall sorrow First to prepare their soules then to apply Jesus Christ their salvation Note in whom there is safety without whom none To declare the manner and the causes of godlesse sorrow and false repentance wee will avoid them for their number and variety let the true judge the false and let this true forme of repentance here prescribed teach the Christian Reader to avoid all dissimulation and hypocritical sorrow for sin Hypocriticall sorrow is in God hatred 2 Cor. 7.10 11. and remember that godly sorrow causeth repentance not to be repented of but worldly sorrow causeth death But gentle Reader let mee admonish thee that we despise not Christ because upon his crosse he hanged betweene two thieves neither that wee honour thieves Mat. 27.38 39. because they hanged upon the crosse with Christ for that which is but meere truth is no truth and the best vertue is ever placed betweene two extremes This Doctrine of Repentance and spirituall sorrow doth remember all men very needfull admonishments First seeing that sin is the cause for which we repent us and by whose poyson our soules are so grievously infected and so fouly deformed and wounded it ought to move all men to a loathing and detestation of sin by which we are grieved in our selves and brought in hatred and displeasure of Almighty God Note for if wee so carefully avoid all such annoyances as bring any little taste of griefe to our bodies in this temporall life wee ought much more to avoyd sin which causeth such extremity of griefe in our soules and doth both deprive us of Gods favour and bringeth an everlasting destruction upon us Secondly seeing there is no repentance profitable to salvation but that which is caused in us by the moving of Gods holy Spirit it behoveth all men to be serious in their repentance and not to content themselves with a slender examination of their sins and then returne againe to their former remissenesse and disobedience but to be heedfully carefull to repent them of all sinne and to be constant in that care without alteration without interruption and that our repentance respect rather a shame and griefe to have offended so gracious a God then any feare of temporall or eternall punishment Saul and Ahabs repentance lest as did Saul and Ahab by such false and feigned repentance they lose their soules Thirdly seeing the soule cannot be cured but by repentance neither can apply or apprehend Christ Jesus unlesse it be first prepared and made fit by the exercise of these duties and not to satisfie themselves with the exercise of one or two of them but to endevour them all because they are all necessary to repentance for as in the Commandements of the Law he that faileth in one breaketh all so in these duties of repentance he that neglecteth one The danger of presumption profiteth by none but annihilateth the purpose of his spirituall sorrow Let no man therefore flatter himselfe with this presumption that if hee hath beene an extortioner a thiefe or a godlesse person that his repentance will suffice though hee be sorry for his sins and acknowledge them to God though these be very needfull and necessary duties yet they are not all the duties of our soule in our preparation to repentance therefore if hee hath extorted Luk. 19.8 or as Zacheus did taken by forged cavillation from any man that is by indirect or dishonest course or meanes Verse 9. hee must repent as Zacheus did and make restitution as farre as he can otherwise salvation can never come to his house therefore as they are all necessary so are they all joyntly necessary every man being bound to all these as God and grace shall enable him Fourthly seeing Christ Jesus is that Physician and that onely salve which is able to cure a wounded soule and that without him there is no working no cause no meanes of spirituall deliverance from sinne We must sell all to purchase Christ and griefe of a wounded conscience Therefore it most neerely concerneth all men to endeavour all meanes to purchase this Christ their salvation and righteousnesse and to despise all things in respect of him their Saviour and the onely soveraigne salve to heale their wounded conscience And seeing wee have Jesus Christ proposed us to be our salvation The
that wee are the elect of God for they are the fruits of his love and the workes of his spirit and therefore irrefragable testimonies and tokens of election the Sunne by his light shines upon us and by the same light wee view and behold the Sunne againe a man may be elected though for a time he live unconverted Acts 9.1 c. Luk. 23.40 41 42 43. and in his sins as wee may see by the examples of Saint Paul and the thiefe upon the crosse for it is true that whosoever is converted is elected yet whosoever is not converted the same may be elected because the elect may be aliens for a time from God Ephes 2.1 Cor. 6.10.11 Colos 2.13 1 Pet. 4.3 and unregenerated as were the Ephesians Corinthians Colossians yea all men are such by nature so one good and constant motion or resolution of grace is sufficient to prove a mans election unto glory By this we may know that wee belong to God if wee finde the impression of the grace of God constantly in us there is yet matter of true comfort but if all these signes be wanting that a man shall not alwaies finde all these things in himselfe yet must wee not despaire but commend our selves to the grace and mercy of God and use the best meanes of our salvation therefore O devout soule Rom. 4.25 as often as thou dost meditate upon thy predestination behold and thinke on Christ hanging upon the crosse dying for the sinnes of the whole world and rising againe for our justification Begin from Christ lying in a manger Ephes 1.4 5 c. and so thy disputation of predestination shall proceed orderly God the Father elected us in Christ before the foundations of the world were laid if therefore thou art in Christ by faith doe not doubt but that election belongeth unto thee if with a firme confidence of heart thou adherest unto Christ doe not doubt but that thou art in the number of the elect but if thou goest further beyond the limits of the Word of God and wilt search into the profundity of predestination it is greatly to be feared that thou wilt fall into the profundity of desperation God by the voice and severity of the Law accuseth all without Christs satisfaction take heed therefore that thou drawest not the mystery of predestination out of the Law search not into the reasons of Gods secret Counsell lest thy cogitations doe much seduce thee God dwelleth in the light that no man can attaine unto 1 Tim. 6.6 presume not therefore to come unto it rashly but God hath revealed it unto us in the light of the Gospel in this thou mayst safely inquire into the doctrine of this secret Psal 36.9 and in this light thou shalt see true light search not into the profundity of this eternall decree made from eternity but convert thy selfe to the clearenesse of the manifestation of the Gospel which was made in time and in the glasse of Justification thou mayest behold thy election made without time out of the Law take notice of the wrath of God for sins and repent out of the Gospel take notice of the mercy of God through the merits of Christ and apply that unto thy selfe by faith take notice of the nature of faith and shew it by thy godly conversation take notice of Gods fatherly castigation in crosses and endure through patience then at length thou shalt come to the doctrine of predestination Note but in this mysterie there are alwaies three things to be observed the mercy of God loving us the merit of Christ suffering for us and the grace of the holy Ghost by the Gospel sanctifying us Gods mercy is universall because hee loved the world Psal 33.5 6. the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord yea his mercy is greater then heaven and earth for he hath promised Ezech. 33.11 as truely as I live saith the Lord I will not the death of a sinner but much rather that he may turne from his wickednesse and live yea he hath confirmed it with an oath if therefore thou wilt not believe him for his promise yet believe him for his oath The merit of Christ is also universall because hee suffered for the sins of the whole world therefore doubt not of the universality of Christs merits Christ dyed and suffering prayed for them that crucified him and shed his most precious blood for them that persecuted him the promises of the Gospell are universall because Christ saith unto all them that labour and are heavie laden Come unto me and I will refresh you Math. 11.28 God denies his grace unto none but to them that thinke themselves not worthy of it by thinking that their sinnes are greater then the mercy of God is able to pardon forgive so despairing of mercy desperately cast away themselves Consider therefore thou faithfull soule these three props of predestination and rest upon them with a firme confidence of thy heart Consider also the benefits of Gods grace wonderful mercy towards thee that are past and thou wilt not doubt of his finall perseverance towards thee for when as yet thou wast not God created thee Rom. 1.16 when by the fall of Adam thou wast condemned he redeemed thee when thou livedst in the world out of the Church hee called thee by his word when thou wast ignorant of the truth hee instructed thee when thou wentest astray out of the way hee reduced thee home when thou sinnedst he gently corrected thee when thou wast falne hee lifted thee up when thou camest unto him hee most graciously received thee 2 Pet. 3.15 his long suffering appeared in that hee expected thee and his mercy in that he pardoned thee Gods mercy prevented thy destruction hope therefore firmely that his loving kindnesse and mercy will also follow thee Consider thou faithfull soule Psal 23.6 that we were elected of God in Christ by faith faith shews it selfe by love and love hath hope of the promise therefore where there is not love neither is there faith where there is no faith neither is there apprehension of Christ and where there is no apprehension of Christ there is not election and where there is no election there is no hope of salvation Of Mortification HE that is resolved to endeavour his godly repentance and labour the reformation of his sinfull life Note must labour two things principally and of necessity The first is mortification the next is regeneration he must first destroy his sinfull estate before hee can obtaine the estate of grace for God and the gifts of God are so absolutely holy that they cannot admit any mixture or cooperation with sinne and wicked actions For as in curing of bodies infected with poysonous diseases Note the Physitian by severity and strict dyet bringeth downe the body of his patient to extreme poverty and leanenesse and then in that extremity helpeth the weaknesse of
admonishing them that of necessity they must chuse one either to mortifie the flesh and live or pamper the flesh and die there being no meanes no cause of avoydance of this necessity and S. Paul hath admiration at their simplicity that cannot apprehend this mystery who in the Allegory of seed proving the resurrection of the body proveth also the necessary mortifying of the flesh O foole saith hee 1 Cor. 15.36 that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die for as the blade of seed corne cannot appeare before the graine be first rotten in the earth and as there cannot be a resurrection to life before there be first a separation and rottennesse by death so there cannot be a regeneration by grace before there be a mortification to sin for new birth is gotten by the death of sin and mortification is the predecessour and next parent to regeneration they being necessary Relatives for where one is both are and where both are not neither is therefore it is generally necessary all men being bound to mortifie all sin without favour or dispensation of any Lastly it is moved in us by the Spirit of God but it is exercised by our owne reformed spirit Note God first kindling the fire of zeale in our hearts which when it is kindled burneth of it selfe but not without divine assistance for when it shall please the Almighty God by his grace to call us out of the grave of sin by hearty and serious repentance unto newnesse of life by faith in Christ and by the motion of his holy Spirit cause in us a loathing and a detestation of our sins then wee may assure our selves that the gracious goodnesse of God will not give us over but will assist us with his holy Spirit and support us with his divine grace so that we shall never fall away except wee prove voluntary revolters from him for by the promise of God made to his elect in the covenant of grace Ierem. 32.38 39 40 41 42. hee saith They shall be my people and I will be their God And I will give them one hearts and lead them in one way that they may feare mee all the daies of their life I will make an everlasting covenant with them namely that I will never cease to doe them good and that I will put my feare in their heartt so that they shall not depart from me yea I will have a lust and pleasure to doe them good with my whole heart and with my whole soule even so will I also bring upon them all the good that I have promised them and marke our Intercessour and Mediatour Christ Ioh. 17.11.15.20 who hath prayed effectually unto his father for our preservation and conservation in the world because we are his subjects and members who is a most puissant and gracious Prince and Advocate and a most perfect and blessed head and therefore wee may be sure that hee will protect and preserve his subjects profligate and extirpate their sins their enemies and by his Spirit convey spirituall sense and motion into all his members To conclude this calling is an argument of admirable power in God and of his infinite mercy to us for as hee shewed his power in creating and making of things to be that before were not even so he manifests his power in his effectuall calling men that were dead in sin and worse then nothing by their owne deserts to live the life of grace and in breathing into them the breath of new life which was utterly expired by their fall in Adam yea the Lord may seeme to exhibite more power or mercy when he calls men out of their sinnes then when hee did create them For at his creation there was none to hinder him but at his vocation there were many hinderers and great impediments though all inferiour unto God there is the Divell and his suggestions there is the world and her incantations scandalls and allurements and there is our owne flesh the rebellious corruption of the heart all these God must vanquish and overcome 2 Cor. 8.12 and perswade and incline our hearts and wills and of nillers make us willers to come unto him before he perfect and accomplish in us this his glorious and thrice happy worke of grace indeed there is more goodnesse shewed more grace exhibited in restoring of man out of his grievous and intollerable misery and in curing him of his cursed blindnesse then giving him a being Psal 27.1 having none before and in making him to see which before in spirituall things was blinde to raise a dead soule from the death of sinne unto a supernaturall life is a greater worke of mercy than to raise a dead body from bodily death to live a naturall life Joh. 11.43 44. when Christ had cryed to Lazarus being dead and said Lazarus come forth hee forthwith revived and came forth of the grave So when Peter had said to dead Tabitha Acts 9.40 Tabitha arise shee immediately opened her eyes and sate up even so when God shall please to vouchsafe to call a man with his powerfull voyce and shall effectually speake unto the heart and say Arise thou that sleepest in sin come forth of the grave of iniquity stand up and walke in the waies of righteousnesse his voice is so mighty and his Word so powerfull that the man to whom he doth so speake must needs awake arise come forth and walke The voyce of the Lord Psal 29. saith David it mighty in operation the voyce of the Lord breaketh the Cedars it divideth the flames of fire it maketh the wildernesse to tremble The voyce of the Lord is a glorious voyce that maketh the thunder these are the effects of that voyce likewise the voyce which God speaketh to the eare of the soule in his effectuall calling is so mighty and so glorious Heb. 4.12 as that it rendeth the heart and maketh it tremble Ioh 6.20 it discovereth the soule and pierceth into the most secret parts of it and looke as at the sound of the seven trumpets the wall of Iericho fell flat downe and as at that efficacious voyce of Christ saying I am hee Ioh. 18.6 his enemies that came to apprehend him went backward and fell to the ground even so when Gods voyce shall sound in a mans eare and when Christ shall speake effectually unto the heart the walls of hell shall reele and totter the fortresses of iniquity shall be ruinated the castles of sinne shall be cast downe our spirituall enemies shall be driven backeward the strong man Satan shall be fettered and his cursed workes dissolved these are the admirable effects of his glorious voyce Rom. 11.16 these are the worthy and wonderfull workes of Gods effectuall calling wee may therefore justly say The voyce of the Lord is mighty the voyce of the Lord is glorious and bringeth wonderfull things to passe this inward vocation is an infallible pledge of
in the Spirit And if like those good Thessalonians we receive and believe the Gospell and entertaine the word with joyfulnesse notwithstanding all afflictions 1 Thes 1.5 6 9. 1.3 4. if wee turned God from all our false Gods our owne delights and vanities to which wee have wedded our hearts and if our faith increase and our love abound and if we have faith and patience as they had in all our crosses and afflictions then may wee assure our selves that wee are effectually called as they were John 10 c. out of the vastâ— wildernesse of this woefull world unto Christ our Shepheard for our Saviour Christ saith that his sheepe know him heare his voyce and follow him If therefore wee know acknowledge and embrace Christ if we heare and hearken unto his voyce and doe it if we study to resemble imitate and follow him in love meeknesse patience humility justice fidelity truth confidence and compassion then we may confidently assure our selves that wee are his sheepe effectually called home into his fold Mortification being of such necessity in the ordinary meanes of our salvation as that wee cannot be regenerate before wee carefully discharge this office of mortification let us therefore endeavour this duty with all diligence let us denounce a bloody and generall warre against all our sinnes let us entertaine favour and correspondencie with none but let those sins that have beene our delight be in our hatred let us not love them for their profit because transitory Wee must not foster our sins neither for profit nor pleasure neither feare them for their number If sin overcome us we are their slaves let us not favour them for their pleasure because moment any let us not feare them for their number though infinite many nor for their strength though they have conquered a world of people let us have confidence in God because hee is on our side and hath a care of us when sin got the upper hand of us and wee victoried by them we were then their servants their slave when wee overcome and have victoried them let us make them our slaves perpetually let us bind them in chaines cast them in prison and for ever utterly destroy their evill power Let us have no pity no favour Note no compassion on sin because when we were overcome by sin sin was mercilesse against us let us not as did Saul spaire any for their dignity or worth but with David let us mortifie and destory all let us hate the sins of youth and despise the sins of age let us not be partiall in our owne particulars let not prosperity alter us neither let poverty tempt us but having undertaken to warre with sin let us be full in opposition against it let us not end our warre without victory Let us strive to overcome sin with a constant resolution let us not interrupt it by truce but let us be resolute in our purpose and constant in our resolution and at all occasions and in every distresse let us resort to the throne of Gods mercy and crave the assistance of his holy Spirit hee is our Conductor hee is our Commander and the Generall in this spirituall warre let us consult with that Oracle and by it receive direction let us fight with the arme of his might and win the garland of holy victory for having God on our part whom then shall we feare and if he be with us who can be against us his policies cannot be prevented nor his power with victory opposed What wee want of spirituall power in our selves Psal 18.1 c. shall be abundantly supplyed by the infinite power of the holy Ghost for by him wee shall be able to overthrow an host of sin and by the strength of our God Note wee shall overcome all extremities and avoyd all dangers hee is the end of our hope and the maine battell of our power wee are but the reare hee is our Generall Hebr. 12.2 we are his souldiers his holy Crosse is our colours his holy Word our weapons And being thus appointed we dare confront all the enemies of our soule the Divell our sins and all that doth oppose us wee dare undertake their conquest spoyle their power discipline their errors and by the perpetuall death of our sins obtaine a perpetuall quiet of our conscience and the everlasting peace of our soules Of Regeneration VVHen all things was first created every thing was perfectly good no defect no blemish no need of correction Quest. the first defection was sin the first sin was the sin of Angels the next the sinne of man Here may be demanded a question why God did permit Adam to fall from his integrity and suffer him and his sonnes to revolt and fall into sinne and did not hinder the fall which hee could have done if it had pleased him Answ But hee would not hinder it because such was his pleasure for certaine causes best knowne unto himselfe in the meane let no man thinke that God was injurious for he was not indebted to us Job 36 23. to confirme us by his grace and to keepe us from declining but this fall was permitted by God for the greater benefit of his elect for their glory procured by Christ Esa 46.10 11. doth farre exceed and surpasse the glory which was given them in their creation which had never beene if man had never falne by sin great are the evills which we suffer by reason of that first offence but what faithfull man would not endure farre greater rather then to want so great a Redeemer God not bound to let did permit this fall yet it is not to be ascribed unto him as the cause thereof but to mans owne will for hee did not incline Adams heart unto sinne nor did he infuse the least corruption into his soule Jam. 1.13 14 15. neither did he withdraw any grace from him before hee inspired into him but hee fell by his free will through his owne default at the perswasion and suggestion of the Divell man was therefore the cause of his iniquity in his owne proper will and not from Gods predestination As God brought man into the state of life so man brought himselfe into the state of death for if any man decline from piety and justice hee runs headlong of his owne will hee is drawne by his owne concupiscence and is beguiled through his owne perswasions the Father hath no hand in this fall the Sonne is no agent of this sinne Note the holy Ghost is no worker of this wickednesse therefore the fault of mans choosing of that which was forbidden is not by any meanes to be transferred or ascribed unto God for God punished the sin of Angels in their owne particulars only for they were to derive their natures to posterity by generation and naturall descent because they were ordained for the service of God in certaine particular offices assigned them in the
outward formalities and such graces as doe onely bridle and represse sinne may befall the reprobate but Christian vertues and such graces as doe supplant and suppresse sinne in our soules and doe revive and restore Gods Image in us such workes of the Spirit Heb. 2.11 are constantly to be found onely in true believers This new birth of regeneration or sanctification in man is so needfull as that without it we cannot be saved The Kingdome of grace is the suburbes of the Kingdome of glory hee therefore that walkes not through the suburbs shall never enter into the City A man must first walke in the Kingdome of grace or else hee shall never be admitted into the Kingdome of glory no grace no glory no holinesse no happinesse John 3. no heaven no heavenly honour Except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of God neither in this woeld or in the world to come Sanctification is an unresistable act of the Spirit for when the holy Ghost doth intend to sanctifie a man he doth so worke upon him with his power that he shall willingly yeeld to the holy Spirit how unwilling so ever his will be by nature for the body must first rot before grace shall raigne without disturbance Note Titus 3.5 6 7. It is true indeed that the corruption of our nature is abolished in baptisme in respect of guilt and condemnation but not in regard of existence and being of it but in that it shall be no impediment of salvation to them that are baptised with water and the holy Ghost for it is to such no Prince but a rebell onely neither shall it damâ—e them nor dominere within them yet so long as wee live sinne will not die in us nor be utterly abolished Greenham for before there be an universall cleansing there must â—e a dissolution of nature and death must end the conflict betweene the flesh and the Spirit And although those that are regenerated may bee termed just and perfect yet it is onely in comparison of the wicked who are in bondage under sinne and for that they are perfect in respect of imputative righteousnesse because Psal 32.1 2. like infants they have all the parts of a Christian though not the perfection of those parts all the seeds of saving graces are sowne in their hearts but they have not the full growth of them in this life sinne will still remaine within us but it shall not raigne over us and albeit holinesse and sinne be contrary yet may they bee both in one subject as night and darknesse in the ayre at the twilight be remisly there and neither of them predominant or absolute victor but remayning in continuall combate Now why the Lord doth not finish sanctification in man in this life the reasons may be these that wee might seeke diligently after perfection and more earnestly and ardently to covet and desire it more and more that in despising this world and the vanities thereof wee might the more earnestly affect and contemplate our heavenly Country and life as knowing that our perfect sanctification shall not be wrought till wee come in Heaven Vrsine and that thereby wee might be humbled and exercised in faith patience hope and prayers and that contending and skirmishing with the flesh and the lusts thereof we might not wax proud with conceit of our owne perfection but daily pray Psal 143.1 Math. 6 12. Enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord forgive us our trespasses and that we may exercise our selves in repentance all the daies of our life knowing that there is no end of this warfare but in death Thus doth the Lord continue us in his service that wee might exercise our spirituall wisdome Revel 5.6 Christian fortitude and magnanimity in defeating the wiles of sinne and the plots of the divell and like couragious Captaines to contend against all our spirituall adversaries and finally in disdaining to give way and place to the flesh that abominable and filthy wretch The Lord by this doth shew his absolute authority over us that hee is not bound unto us to perfect his graces in us in this life for then were it injustice in him not to doe it Psal 145.17 for God is righteous in all his waies and holy in all his workes and cannot offer the least injustice but God doth this to manifest his mercy to us and to teach us thankfulnesse to him who pardoneth our weake obedience and accepteth of our poore endeavours unperfect holinesse and imperfect righteousnesse and perfection our weake resolutions our imperfect desires motions and meditations if they bee faithfull and intire and directed to the right ends he for his Christs sake doth pardon all our defects which argueth mercy on his part and claymeth gratitude on ours In this the Lord doth demonstrate his wonderfull providence and power in protecting defending and conserving us against so many puissant and pernicious enemies as wee are begirt with notwithstanding our great unworthinesse weaknesses and imperfections Rom. 11.29 This worke of the Spirit is never cleane extinguished and the gifts of God are without repentance The graces of God in his children are not as morning mirts but as well built towers to withstand the assaults of their enemies let us be perswaded in our selves Phil. 1.6 that hee which hath begun this good worke of sanctification in us will continue performe and end it for what should hinder his good will is most constant and his might is over all sinne Satan and all the enemies of our soules must yeeld their power to his obedience his eye is waking and all seeing his wisdome is infinite his Essence every where his power divine without resistance and his mercy endureth for ever What then can what then shall hinder his worke of grace hee hath joyned us to Christ Hos 2.19 who shall dis-joyne us hee hath wedded us unto himselfe what can divorce us hee is with us who can be against us Christ is our King wee are his subjects wee need not therefore doubt of his favour and protection towards us Matth. 16.18 hee hath built us upon a rocke that hell gates shall not prevaile against us by faith wee believe in Christ that faith is a rocke fixed and inviolable 2 Tim. 1.1 it will shine like a star in the night of adversity it maketh the elect joyfull under the shew of sorrow and quickeneth them under the shew of death it healeth them under the shew of sickenesse and enricheth them under the shew of poverty and savours most like Camomel when it is troden upon and hope is the anchor of the soule it will endure both winds and waves Hebr. 6.19 and this worlds stormes and love is as strong as death Know yee not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.16 that yee are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you Know you not that your body is the temple of
and reputed his as if they had beene committed by him he supplying our place as our surety and mediatour even so his righteousnesse is made ours not as though his were infused or translated into us as a thing inherent and inhabiting in us but because it is reputed ours and imputed freely to us as if we our selves Note We are the righteousnesse of God in him as he is sin in us by imputation had wrought it in our owne persons for justification and remission of sins are all one and the same for to justifie is for God not to impute sin unto us but to accept us for righteous and to pardon absolve and pronounce us just for the righteousnesse of Christ imputed unto us For so soone as the elect are absolved from their sins they are forthwith adopted into the right and priviledges of the children of God the effect of justification is peace of conscience that is when wee perceive our selves to bee delivered from our sinnes before Gods Judgement seate and the judgement of our owne consciences Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ and being justified by faith wee have peace with God Even that peace which passeth all understanding whereas there is no true peace to the wicked but they are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up nothing but mud filth and mire Esay 57.20 21. even so the wicked hath no peace saith God Againe our justification makes us have free accesse to God by prayer with confidence to be heard for Christ his sake for sinne was the make-bate and wall of partition betwixt God and us Now our sinnes are done away when wee are justified and therefore with boldnesse wee may approach unto the throne of grace Rom. 8.15 16. For wee have now received the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba Father the Spirit it selfe beareth witnesse to our Spirit that we are the sonnes of God By which wee conceive very great good hope in him to whom we pray like suppliants that hee will in his fatherly affection towards us and in his good time give us those things whereof wee stand in need justification also begets patience in afflictions and maketh a man rejoyce in the midst of his tribulations knowing that tribulation produceth patience Rom. 5.3 4. patience proofe and proofe hope through the perswasion of our reconciliation unto God and our assurance that all things how bitter and grievous soever doe worke for the best unto them that love God Rom. 8.28 and are pleasing unto him in their good actions Now glorification is an inseparable companion and a notable effect of justification being freed from sinne and made the servants of God Rom. 6.22 23. we have our fruit in holinesse and the end is everlasting life for the reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The obedience of Christ by grace imputed to us and by faith received of us Note workes in us a desire care and endeavour to obey God and his death for which our sins are remitted workes in us another death whereby we die to sin and his glorious righteousnesse wherewith wee are invested and made to be reputed righteous doth purchase and merit for us eternall life and glory Remission of sins is a gracious act of God whereby for the merits and satisfaction of Christ hee doth perfectly forgive both the fault and punishment Therefore Saint Paul saith That by him we have redemption through his blood Eph. 1.7 c. even the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace Rom. 8.1 Heb. 1.3 and that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who hath by himselfe purged our sinnes and by whom the father hath reconciled us unto himselfe Therefore it were absurd to thinke that the punishment is retained when the sinne is remitted for if the proper cause be defaced then the effect thereof must needs bee abolished if the body bee removed the shadow thereof remaines not so if sins bee pardoned the punishment is remitted as for the crosses which the faithfull suffer they are not to be reputed as curses or penalties of vengeance inflicted of God as of an irefull and direfull Judge but they are to bee esteemed onely as tryals or as punishments of castigation imposed of God as a loving father desiring the welfare and weldoing of his children Revel 3.19 Heb. 12.6 As many as I love saith the Lord I rebuke and chasten he scourgeth every sonne which he receiveth The Lord tries us by afflictions as gold is tryed with fire in the furnace hee keepes us by the crosse within our limits as water is held in with bankes Note and with the thorny hedge of troubles and vexations hee keepes us within our bounds and walkes being given by nature to breake out and stray therefore David saith Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Psal 119.67 It is the Lord which sendeth crosses to his children to save them that they perish not with the wicked world Augustin Augustine saith that sorrowes before pardon of sinnes are punishments of sinners but after pardon they are tryals and exercises of just men and so for death it selfe the sting and strength thereof which is sin 1 Cor. 15 56 57. is abolished by the death of Christ upon the Crosse and therefore it is to be reputed but as a tryall or chastisement whereby the Lord doth humble us and teach us humility and the flight of sin and doth exercise and prove our faith fortitude and patience Note Justification is a most free act of God and performed freely by God without coaction or the least inducement by any dignity present or foreseene to be in us hereafter for being absolute Lord of all hee may shew mercy on whom he list Eph. 2.3 for we are by nature all the children of wrath and the vessels of the divell destitute of all true grace Rom. 5. and subject to the curse of the Law remember then that it is free in regard of us that did not nor could not no way deserve it and free also in respect of God who did freely devise and dispose the meanes thereof and freely worketh faith within us by which we doe apply it to us and is justly performed in regard of Christ who by his all-sufficient merits did deserve it and by desert did acquire it for us Justification is also one absolute entire and individuall act it is onely acted in this life although it bee divers times renewed and applyed afresh in us as when the person justified doth fall into sin and repent now though it be a most perfect and plenary worke of God yet we come to the full perswasion of it but by degrees and though God at once forgive a man his sins by an
Gen. 20.17 stones dust and water at the prayer of Abraham God healed King Abimelech his wife and his hand-women and they bare children Isaac prayed unto God for his wife because shee was barren Gen. 25.21 and the Lord well heard him and Rebecca his wife conceived and was delivered Gen. 32.11 33. Jacob prayed to God that hee might be delivered from the hand of his brother Esaâ— and the Lord heard him and reconciled him to his favour and imbraced him fell on his necke and kissed him Exod. 8.12 13. Exod. 9.28 29 33. as often as Moses prayed unto God hee was well heard when the frogs at his prayer were taken away from Pharaoh and the flies the hayle and thunder ceased the locusts were rid away Exo. 10.18 19. the Amalechites which were the enemies to the people of Israel were overcome by prayer the Lord Exo. 17.11.13 at the prayer of Moses was appeased with Israel with whom he was angry for their grievous offence in setting up a golden calfe his sister Miriam at his prayer Exod. 32.11 was healed of her leprosie the wrath of God Numb 12.13 Numb 14.19 20. when hee went to destroy the Israelites which murmured and desired to returne into Egypt againe was at the prayer of Moses pardoned by the prayer of Moses Numb 21.7 8. Iudg. 6. the people were cured from the fiery serpents Israel being brought low and distressed by the Midianites cryed unto the Lord and was delivered Manoah the father of Samson Iudg. 13. prayed unto God that the Angel might againe appeare which was granted him Samson being sore athirst Iudg. 15.18 19. prayed unto the Lord and the Lord sent him water out of a tooth and when hee had drunke thereof Iudg. 16.28 29 30. his spirit came againe and hee revived Samson by his prayer made unto the Lord received his old strength and was at once revenged on his enemies 1. Sam. 7.9 c. when he was blind Samuel prayed unto the Lord for to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Philistims and hee was well heard 1 Sam. 12.16 and the Philistims were discomfited at the prayer of Samuel the Lord sent noises raines from heaven to terrifie the people and they feared the Lord. David We may see the effect of Davids prayers every where in the Psalmes where hee saith oftentimes I have cryed unto the Lord with my voyce and hee hath heard mee when I cryed unto the Lord of my righteousnesse he heard mee and in my trouble I called upon the Lord Psal 18. and cryed unto my God and bee heard my voyce from his holy Temple and my cry entered into his eares I will saith hee call upon the Lord which is worthy to be praised so shall I be safe from mine enemies 1 King 2. 2 King 9.13 I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me Salomon prayed unto the Lord God concerning the people of Israel 2 Kin. 4.28 c. and is heard of the Lord and his prayer and intercession is granted Elizeus by prayer raised up the dead childe of the Shunamite 2 King 6.17 againe he prayed unto the Lord and the young mans eyes were opened and he looked and behold he did see aid from heaven 2 King 20. Ezechias by prayer obtained at Gods hand both recovery of his health and also the prolongign of his daies Jobs friends talked amisse before the Lord Job ult and yet their offence was pardoned at the prayer which Job made for them The Apostles prayed unto God and the place was moved where they were assembled together and they were filled with the holy Ghost Acts 4.31 Acts 9.40 41. Acts 10.4 Peter making his prayer unto God raised up Tabitha from death and restored her to life Cornelius prayed unto God and his prayer was had in remembrance before God the Church prayed for Peter when Herod had cast him into prison Act. 12.5 c. and the Lord delivered the Apostle from his bonds and out of prison at the prayer of S. Paul and Silas Acts 16.25 c. the prison was shaken with an earth-quake and all the dores thereof were opened and their bonds loosed Paul prayed for Publius father Acts 28.8 who lay sicke of a fever and of a bloody-flixe and restored him to health these examples out of the Scriptures doe sufficiently declare how attent the Majesty of God is to heare and grant their prayers who doe heartily call upon his holy Name either for themselves either for others whereby we may perceive what the wonderfull efficacy of prayer is before God the prayers of the faithfull be alwaies acceptable unto God and that hee hath a much better regard and consideration of our necessities then we our selves be able to understand although he doe not at all times performe the same which wee doe desire or not after the same manner or so soone as we doe aske it fot as Saint Iames saith Note you doe demand and not receive what you desire Iam. 4.2 3. because you aske â—misse even to consume it upon your lusts and unlawfull desires Therefore hee that desires to pray effectually unto God and be heard must not be violent and wrathfull cruell and unmercifull against his Christian brethren neither proud nor mistrustfull but they must be quite voyd from anger and strife and ready to forgive when they have any quarrell against their neighbours For God is so offended by these faults that in respect of them hee doth abhorre our prayers There be many other hindrâ—nces but these bee the most generall and therefore with the greater circumspection to be eschued Aske in faith and waver not Iam. 1.6 for hee that wavereth is like to the wave of the Sea which is tost and carried about with the wind Therefore let not that man suppose that hee receiveth any thing from the Lord sometimes wee doe pray so coldly without heart or spirit Ecclus. 18 22. that we our selves perceive not what it is that we mumble in our mouth Therefore hee that so prayeth and heareth not himselfe how can hee hope to be heard of God we must not put the fault in God if wee obtaine not what we desire at his hands but in our owne sinnes and wickednesse vices and naughtinesse whereby wee doe hinder his goodnesse grace and mercy from performing those things which wee doe aske for hee is so good and mercifull unto us that he hath a regard of our health and salvation and doth give us such things as doe serve for our necessities but it falleth out oftentimes that he doth not grant us our petitions because if we had them they should be more harmefull then profitable unto us Therefore we must pray with continuall and unfeigned hope and trust in God that in his good time he will heare our prayers and grant our requests Therefore hee that prayeth unto God to
afflictions that wee must abide them not onely patiently but with joy also through faith and hope Whosoever is wretched and afflicted is to be pitied and relieved for that he is distressed and afflicted the Samaritan which is spoken of in the Gospel did pity Luk 10.30 c. relieve and helpe him that was falne into the hands of thieves having no respect of his Country or religion but in consideration that hee was a man himselfe hee had compassion and tooke pitty of the miserable case and perill of the man distressed therefore it is a good and charitable deed and to be used of all men towards their Christian brethren to relieve helpe succour and comfort the needy distressed and afflicted person not onely for that hee is afflicted but for his Saviour Christ his sake who hath commanded it wee ought to doe good to all men as the Apostle saith Gal. 6.10 Especially to them which are of the houshold of faith there must mercy also be shewed unto him that is chastened for his sinnes God is well pleased withall and doth require it as wee may perceive in Esay where he charged the Moabites lovingly to entreat the Israelites whom hee had scourged for their sinnes Hide the chased saith he Esay 16.3 4. and bewray not them that are fled let them that are persecuted dwell with thee and be thou their refuge Therefore seeing that it is a worke of true goodnesse to have pitty and mercy upon the distressed and afflicted wee ought not to enquire after their religion life and occasion of their affliction at what time wee ought to succour them but for compassion sake to bestow our ayd and reliefe upon them in their distresse and miseries as men afflicted for their misery and affliction doth sufficiently declare their wants and necessities but when the afflicted is thus perplexed vexed grieved and in anguish they must patiently suffer and beare them and not despairingly runne to desperation nor to rest dissolute and carelesse what become of them but they must in Christs Name repaire unto God who although he be offended will yet shew mercy for hee doth not cast off upon every offence nor revenge every wrong as the world doth Luke 15.20 but like the Father of that unthrifty sonne receiveth againe him that strayed and lovingly imbraceth him that returneth unto him by true and serious repentance faithfull prayer and holy contemplation and uprightnesse of living with the consideration of Gods purpose in afflicting him for hee may not censure these evils or the least of them to come by chance as the world often and most rashly and unadvisedly affirmeth or that they befall him by reason of the unfortunate Planet Psal 73.5 Esay 47.13 under which he was borne as the starre-gazer fondly maintaineth for the Lord God Almighty that high and incomprehensible Jehovah Revel 1.8 that everlasting Alpha and Omega He which was and is and is to come he is the former framer creator preserver and governour of all things and who but hee made and prepared those famous starres in the Firmament Iob 38. Esay 51.13 Psal 89.13 Arcturus Orion and Pleiades who spread forth the Heavens like a curtaine who limited the North and South climates who made the Sunne and Moone but hee and therefore let all men thinke that his creatures which he hath formed framed and placed for the use and behoofe of man for the distinction of times and seasons and to give light unto the earth and his creatures thereon keepe every of them his Sphere as a walke whereas unto a continuall taske they are tyed by the omnipotent Commander who keepeth them without variation in the first course doing their continuall service and labour for the behoofe of man as other creatures doe and are not as Gods or governours of mans nature neither can they dispose of their inclinations constitutions or affections or make them happy or unhappy but are ruled governed and commanded by God as other inferiour creatures are to stand and move at his pleasure the Sunne stood still in Gibeon and the Moone in the Valley of Aialon Iosh 10.13 2 King 20.10 and that for a whole day so the Sunne at the commandement of the Lord retyred ten degrees in the Firmament as a signe for Hezechias health which proveth that these creatures are as all other even subject to the will of the superiour Governour who needeth not the helpe of such weake meanes to worke the long or short life of man the happy or unhappy estate of man the poore or rich portion of man 1 Sam. 2.6 7 8 or any matter belonging to the soule or body of man but all cometh from his sacred wisedome and divine providence all men are in his hands as the clay in the Potters and he frameth and forgeth of all formes and fashions Rom. 9.21 some to honour some to dishonour some to bee high some to bee low some to bee rich some to be poore some to be reverenced and some to bee despised afflicted and persecuted and every man must rest contented with his portion bee it good or bad sweet or sowre And therefore bee not so hardy and voyd of reason as to dreame that thy constitution inclination good or bad successe in thy proceedings the prosperous or adverse issues of thine endeavours thine estate poore or rich or thy troubles and afflictions proceedeth from the influence dominion rule or power of these creatures but that a divine and supernaturall cause worketh that in thee which the wit of man cannot conceive wherein though the world afford thee no comfort All our afflictions troubles miseries and calamities which happen unto us commeth of our sinnes yet art thou bound by an inward bond of duty to acknowledge all thine infirmities all thine afflictions and all the crosses which happen and fall upon thee to proceed even from thine owne sinnes and filthy corruptions as buffets to rouze thee from the forgetfulnesse of thy duty to his sacred Majesty for thy roving and ranging astray after vaine and foolish things superfluous desires and overmuch negligence of thy calling and in great love and favour doth thy loving father give thee these gentle corrections even of mercy to reclaime thee from the way of sinne unto a more sincere and sacred course of life Heb. 12. So that the troubles and miseries and all the adverse things that can befall us are Gods gentle chastisements to his children to reforme them but to the obstinate and unbeleeving they are messengers of his judgements Numb 14.2 Judg 6. Judg. 10. and utter renunciation who by his punishments waxe worse and worse who doe murmure and grudge at the course he taketh to amend them as did the rebellious Israelites whom he did often visit in mercy before he entred into judgement with them hee calleth us by his punishments from perils to the end wee should not be subject to the dangerous security of a pleasing estate
and obey God in every one of his commandements but if at any time through frailty thou slippest into any sin wallow not in it but speedily rise out of it by unfaigned repentance praying for pardon till thy conscience be pacified thy hatred of sin increased and thy purpose of amendment confirmed God gives many blessings lest through want being his childe thou shouldest despaire and he sendeth thee some crosses lest by too much prosperity playing the foole thou shouldest presume but in all thy will have an eye to Gods Will lest thy selfe action turne to thine owne destruction count therefore Christ thy chiefest joy and sin thy greatest griefe estimate no want to the want of grace nor any losse to the losse of Gods favour and then the discontentment which grows by outward meanes 1 Tim. 6.8 9. shall the lesse perplexe thine inward mind and bestow no more thought of worldly things then thou needes must Col. 3.1 2. for the discharge of thy place and the maintenance of thine estate but still let thy care be greater for heavenly then for earthly things and be more grieved for dishonour done unto God than for an injury offered to thy selfe but if any private injury be offered unto thee Psalm 139.21 c. Eccles 28. Rom. 12.13.20.21 beare it as a Christian with patience Never was an innocent man wronged but if patiently hee bare his crosse he overcame in the end but if thou frettest and vexest at thy wrongs offered the hurt which thou doest to thy selfe is more then that which thine enemies can do unto thee neither canst thou more rejoyce him then to heare that it throughly vexeth thee but if thou canst shew patience on earth Deut. 32.35 36. God will shew himselfe just from heaven but if thine enemy still continueth in his malice and increase in his mischiefe give thou thy selfe unto prayer Jerem. 11.20 committing thy selfe and commending thy case unto the righteous judge of heaven and earth and in the meane while waite with David on the Lord Psal 27.14 be of good courage and he shall comfort thine heart undertake not an evill case for no mans sake for it is not that man but God that shall judge thee doe not therefore preferre the favour of men before the grace and favour of God and esteeme no sinne little For the curse of God is due to the least and the least would have damned thee had not the Sonne of God died for thee Ezek. 9.4 Mark 3.5 bewaile therefore the misery of thine owne estate and as occasion is ministred mourne for the iniquity of the time pray to God to amend it and be not thou one of them that make it worse in thy conversation be thou courteous towards all grievous to none familiar with few live piously to God-ward to thy selfe chastly to thy neighbour justly shew favour to thy friend shew patience to thy enemy let thy good will be towards all and shew thy bounty to them that have need thinke often of the shortnesse of thy life and the certainety of thy death and wish rather a good life then a long die daily to thy selfe and mortifie the vices of the flesh so in death thou shalt live unto God let mercy appeare in thy affection goodnesse in thy action curtesie in thy countenance humility in thy attire modesty in thy neighbourhood and patence in tribulation alwaies thinke upon three things past the evill which thou hast committed the good which thou hast omitted and the time which thou hast pretermitted thinke alwaies upon three things present the brevity of this life the difficulty of being and the paucity of them that shall be saved alwaies thinke upon three things to come death then which nothing is more horrible judgement then which nothing is more terrible and the paines of hell then which nothing is more intolerable Every evening reconcile thy selfe to God by prayer for thy sins past that day and give thankes to God for giving thee time to repent there are three things above thee which never let slip out of thy memory the eye that sees all the eare that heares all and the dreadfull Judge which punisheth all bewaile the evils past remember thy sinnes grieve for them and pray for amendment remember Gods justice that thou maist bee kept in feare remember Gods mercy that thou maist not dispaire as much as thou canst withdraw thy selfe from the world and the vanities therof and addict thy selfe wholly to the service of God study to please none but Christ and feare to displease none but him pray unto God to pardon and forgive thee what is past and to governe and amend in thee what is to come God hath communicated himselfe wholly unto thee therefore communicate thou thy selfe wholly unto thy neighbour that is the best life that is busied in the service of others shew reverence and obedience unto thy superiour instruct and defend thy inferiour give counsell and ayd unto thy equall let thy body be subject to thy minde and thy minde to God for thy workes doe not passe away but are cast as certaine seeds of eternity Gal. 6.8 Therefore if thou sowest in the flesh of the flesh thou shalt reape corruption if thou sowest in the Spirit of the Spirit thou shalt reape life everlasting after death the honour of the world shall not follow thee neither shall thy heape of riches follow thee Revel 14.13 neither shall thy pleasures follow thee neither shall the vanities of the world follow thee but thy workes shall follow after thee Therefore to day appeare to be such in the sight of God as thou desirest to be esteemed at the day of judgement learne to live in this life as thou wouldest obtaine eternall life for in this life is eternall life obtained or lost therefore let holy meditations bring forth in thee knowledge Prov. 15.8 and knowledge compunction and compunction devotion and let thy devotion make earnest intercession unto God by prayer for the silence of the mouth is a great good for the peace of the heart James 1.19 O the shame when a man 's owne tongue shall be produced as a witnesse against himselfe to the confusion of his owne shame Therefore let thy words be few but advised forethinke whether that which thou art to speake be fit to be spoken affirme no more then what thou knowest to bee true and be rather silent then to speake to an ill or no purpose Let thy heart and tongue ever goe together in honesty and truth 1 Pet. 2.1 hate lying and dissembling in an other detest it in thy selfe or God will detest thee for it for he hateth a lyar and his father the divell alike let not thine anger remaine when thou seest the cause removed and ever distinguish twixt him that offendeth of infirmity and against his will Prov. 6.30 Acts 3.17 1 Tim. 1.13 Psal 59.5 and him who offendeth maliciously and of set purpose
thine owne eyes Be truely the same thou seemest to be be therefore the same in the sight of God who beholds thy heart that thou seemest to be in the eyes of men that see thy face content not thy selfe with an outward good name when thy conscience shall tell thee it is undeserved A deserved good name for any thing but for godlinesse lasts little and is lesse worth in all the holy Scriptures wee never reade of an Hypocrites repentance and no wonder for whereas after sin conversion is left as a meanes to cure all other sinners what meanes remaines to recover him who hath converted conversion it selfe into sinne woe therefore unto the soule that seemes religions and is not the same marke the fearefull end of notorious evill men to abhorre their wicked actions Numb 23.10 marke the life of the godly and imitate their life and actions and their blessed end obey thy betters Psal 37.35 36 37. Esay 58.5 6. observe the wise accompany the honest and love the religious And seeing the corrupt nature of man is inclined to hypocrisie beware that thou use not the exercise of religion Mat. 23.27 28. as matter of course and custome without care and conscience and make no more shew of holinesse outwardly to the world then thou hast in the sight of God inwardly in thine heart keepe thy speech cleane from all obscenity and let thy talke be gracious Ephes 4 2â— Prov. 31.26 Psal 139.20 21 22. that hee that heares thee may grow better by thee and be ever more earnest when thou speakest of religion then when thou talkest of worldly matters if thou perceivest that thou hast erred persevere not in thine errour rejoyce to finde the truth and magnifie it study therefore three things especially to understand well to say well and to doe well endeavour to rule those that are under thy charge and authority rather by loâ—e than by feare for to rule by love is easie and safe but tyranny is ever accompanied with care and terrour oppression will force the oppressed to take any advantage to shake off the yoake that they are not able to beare neither will Gods justice suffer the sway that is grounded upon tyranny long to continue rule therefore over Christians being a Christian in love and mercy like Christ thy Master make not an occupation of any recreation the longest use of pleasure is but short but the paines of pleasure abused are eternall use therefore lawfull recreation so farre forth Prov. 21.17 Phil. 4.8 9. as it makes thee fitter in body and minde to doe more cheerefully the service of God and the duties of thy calling be therefore carefull henceforth to make use of thy short time that remaines as a man would of an old lease that were neere expired doe not waste and consume thy time in idlenesse sports playes and toyish vanities for man was not created for sports playes and recreations but zealously to serve God in religion and conscionably to serve and helpe his neighbour in the use of his vocation and by both to ascertaine himselfe of eternall salvation esteeme therefore the losse of time Ephes 5.16 Luk. 16.2 Matth. 25.21 one of the greatest losses redeeme it carefully and spend it wisely that when that time shall come thou mayest be no longer here on earth thy master may welcome thee with an â—uge bone serve and give thee a better in heaven in thy prayer That is well done and welcome good and faithfull servant Matth. 6.6 pray fervently and devoutly for God detests the service of the outward man without the inward heart as hypocrisie so hee counts the inward service without externall reverence to be mere prophanenesse therefore hee requireth both in his worship in prayer therefore bow thy knees in witnesse of thy humiliation lift up thy eyes and thy hands in testimony of thy confidence hang downe thy head and smite thy breast in token of thy contrition but specially call upon God with a sincere heart serve him holily serve him wholly serve him onely for God and the Prince of this world are two contrary Masters and therefore no man can possibly serve both the more thou art separated from the world Prov. 15.8 the more acceptable thou art unto God aske faithfully of God whatsoever thou desirest to have and whatsoever thou hast give thankes unto God for it hee that is not thankefull for that which hee hath already is unworthy to receive more and Gods grace ceases to descend when our thankes cease to ascend whatsoever happeneth unto thee make use of it for good when thou art in prosperity thinke that thou hast just cause to blesse and praise God when thou art in advesirty thinke that thou art put in minde of thy repentance and conversion Prov. 14.25 when the glory of God or good of thy neighbour doth require speake the truth 1 Kings 22. and feare not the face nor frowne of man for sometimes the frowne of a Prince may be the favour of God neither shall flattery still hold in credit nor truth alway continue in disgrace Shew the strength of thy wisedome in instructing shew the strength of thy power in helping and the strength of thy riches in doing good to the poore and needy let not adversity cast thee downe neither let prosperity puffe thee up let Christ be the marke in the imitation of thy life Acts 3.21 follow him in the way that thou mayest overtake him in his country in all things have a speciall care of profound humility 1 Pet. â— 8 and be ardent in charity cleave unto God and lift up thy heart to him by charity let humility keepe downe thy heart that thou beest not proud judge God to be a father for his clemency and a Lord for his discipline a father for his power and gentlenesse and Lord for his severity and justice therefore love him as a father piously Psal 37.5 feare him as a Lord necessarily love him because he willeth mercy feare him because he willeth justice commit thy way unto the Lord and put thy trust in him Phil. 2.13 acknowledge thy sins and proclaime his mercy and thou shalt have ease in thy misery O God thou that hast given us grace to will the good give us also grace to perfect the good which thou hast willed Of Gods Glory VVHatsoever wee doe Colos 3.17 let us doe all things to the glory of God for God created all things by his power but to his owne glory for that was the holy end for which he created them for as waters are derived from the Sea returneth thither againe so all things that are being derived from the mighty power of God returne their duty service and the honour of all their actions to God discharging every one their duty and service in the maine Ocean of Gods glory the which though it receive not augmentation of honour by the supply of any his creatures being
infinite of himselfe yet all creatures being his owne it doth please him to force the obedience of every creature to give some proofe and testimony of his justice or mercy whereby God may receive glory in their acknowledgements God then is glorified in all his workes but in a double manner hee is principally glorified in the workes of his mercy he is also glorified in his judgements but the riches of Gods glory Rom. 9. â—5 Osee 1.10 Deut. 26.18 19 consisteth principally in the vessels of his mercy because thier glory is his glory and hee doth dignifie himselfe in their advancement Therefore did God choose the Israelites for his peculiar people that by his most powerfull delivering them and by their demonstrations of duty and service God might bee honoured in the memory of his greatnesse over all the world and receive glory in the report of his admirable protection God is also glorified in his judgements for though the reprobate and damned in their lives they rather care to dishonour God their Creatour yet will God be honoured in the punishment of their lives and force them to give demonstration of his justice and holinesse for God can turne their ends and purposes to his owne end and glory and make that set forth his glory which was intended to his dishonour and those that will not give him glory for his mercy his justice will in despight of ungodlinesse compell them to give him glory for judgement though God esteeme it the greater honour to be glorified in the witnesses of his mercy because in Gods nature mercy is preheminent and doth triumph yet it is much to the glory of God that the witnesses of his judgements shall be prompted by their lamentable experience to acknowledge that God is infinite both in power and justice therefore we ought both to glorifie God Iob 36.24 and to glory in God for if we glory in any thing but in God godlinesse we are condemned if we glorifie in any thing but God we are likewise condemned of him for he is our strength and light of our countenance he hath ordayned us for an holy end to his glory and if we glorifie him here on earth he will glorifie us with himselfe in Heaven but if we neglect to glorifie him that is our glory hee will glorifie himselfe in our destruction and make us in the feeling torments of our damnation glorifie him with this acknowledgement that he is God of most excellent soveraigne Majesty and that hee is most gracious in his mercy Vers 22 23 Psal 18. but most terrible in his judgements and with this acknowledgement will God bee honoured of the divels and damned creatures whose intollerable and unsufferable torments in their condemnation shall bee arguments of proofe to conclude Gods glory Seeing God hath created all things for his owne glory and seeing that hee will be glorified in the severall executions of his justice and mercy in the salvation or damnation of his creatures Job 37. 38. for in all sensible things there is a speciall nature in which they are obedient whereby they glorifie God in finishing the end of their creation for which they were ordayned God hath commanded the motion of the Heavens The purpose of Gods providence proceedeth without stay to the determinate end and effect which he had before ordained should come to passe the influence of the Starres the nature of the Elements and the severall nature of every severall thing to keepe their course all these continuing their course and nature give most notable demonstrations of Gods glory by whom they were created and thus disposed in nature if these things which are subject to time and must perish doe notwithstanding discharge the duties of their nature and so by consequence approve themselves to be the instruments of Gods glory shall men then whom God hath created for the like end of his glory and to whom hee hath given a soule divine and of most excellent understanding and for whom hee hath created the world the most admirable worke of his owne hands shall these bee carelesse in this high duty and shall the elements and unreasonable creatures be carefull shall men be exceeded of beasts in the execution of their reasonable service God hath not threatned their neglects with hell and the torments thereof nor promised to reward their diligence with Heaven and the joyes thereof but God doth both promise and threaten men yet are men lesse carefull then beasts This may worthily remember those men or rather those beasts who make a God of themselves and their unlawfull pleasures and then dedicate themselves their labours and the glory of their actions to a godlesse prophane and licencious trade of life those that will not glorifie God of choice must not doe it by force for the time will come when God will whip them for their prophane ungodly and licentious living with the roddes of his judgements and make them in despight of ungodlinesse to glorifie God in suffering of the torments of hell and their owne conscience and with horrour without profit or pitty to acknowledge God and the terrible justice of so great a Majesty This should remember all the children of God that in all the cares of this Christian life they have their maine respect to Gods glory and that God have the first place in their hearts even before the desire of their owne salvation and that their salvation be desired rather that God may be glorified thereby then to desire to glorifie God for their owne salvation that so God may bee first in all our cares that wee love him more then owne soules and preferre his honour before our owne salvation Therefore let all men love and honour God for his owne sake love him for his goodnesse love him for his truth love him for his mercy love him for his justice and let this love be so respectlesse of all by considerations as that neither heaven hell nor our owne soules perswade us so much as the reverence and zealous affection we have to the love of God for he that thus loveth God doth glorifie him and shall bee sure to be glorified of him eternally in the Heavens Let us therefore discharge the summe of all our actions into this Ocean of Gods glory let us propose and pursue that end onely let us not respect the vaine shews and purposes of men let us esteeme them light and value them lesse let us remember that they are transitory deceiving and destroying vanities and will leave vs flatter us and will deceive us let us reduce to memory the mighty Monarches of the world the most admirable in naturall enduments and the most fortunate in earthly prosperities Jerem. 2.3 when wee examine their worth wee shall find nothing but a bare remembrance of their names Eccles 9.5 6. and those neglected by the power of time themselves and their regards are vanished their acts are perished and all these