Presumption is Presumption this also I shall branch out in five things 1. The Presumption of a Preposterous Confidence in Gods mercy this hath begotten carnall security and strengthened the hands of wickednesse Dreames of mercy have been the bane of duty Patrons of loosenesse and soft pillowes for delicate wantons to sleep on God is good God is mercifull and therefore the old man dares be sinfull as if God were not a prudent and pure dispenser but carelesse prodigall of his rich mercies he is beleeved to wast them on the Devills service and to rain down their Heavenly showers upon a barren wildernesse an unfruitfull Profession But where have we a word in sacred Writ that the servant of sin must first be confident of Gods mercy Did Bone Deus misericors Deus faciam quod mihi liber Aug. eyer mercy priviledge and owne a lost sinner but on its owne termes T is true mercy is to be found to the praise of the glory not the infamy of mercy as a cordiall to the fainting a plaister to the wounded sinner a spur to service not a Feast to riot on when loose Libertines take not mercy the childrens bread by Gods allowance but like Dogs endeavour to get it from his Table and are cudgelled off from it did they seriously consider the way of obtaining mercy the Lessons mercy teacheth the evidence of mercies possession the Distinction mercy maketh the reputation mercy must have in the world they would soon be convinced they are at as infinite a distance from mercy as they are from innocency and duty O that all loose Libertines that feast their lusts at mercies Table and that commit this spirituall Burglary of breaking into Gods house to snatch away his mercy would lay to heart five things 1. They are not yet in the way of obtaining mercy they understand not the method of mercy As that 1. Christ is the mercy seat the Throne of mercy a mercifull High Priest the great High Steward that gives out Almes of mercy and gives it to Subjects fit to receive it 2. That none enjoy it bit themthat are deeply sencible of their misery by sin despaire of mercy by any but Jesus Christ 3. That the obtainers of mercy are stil knockingat the beautifullgate of mercy get Heaven by violence wrastle for a Coelum tundimus Deum tangimus misericordiam extor â—uemus Tertul. Apol. c. 40. smile a word a Dole of mercy as the Christians did in Tertullians time We strike at Heaven sayd hee with our desires We are close suiters to God we pull down mercy from him as Jacob did that wrought hard in prayer for mercy as the importunate Woman was Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me speeders for mercy are not cold carelesse indifferent Suiters 4. That mercy receivers are humble selfe-abasing condemning Soliciters wonder they are not in Hell past mercy and the asking of it like the Servants of Benhadad that came with ropes about their necks at once confessing their deserts wooing the favours of a mercifull King 5. That the priviledged owners of mercy in an holy importunity will hear no â—ay but still lay prostrate before the Father of mercies untill he shew mercy Psa 123. 2. A sweet warme looke of mercy beaming upon a cold fainting soule the ordinary invaders of Gods mercy who are not so much the Almes-men as the Theeves of mercy ascend not to the Mount of mercie by mercies staires but feed on a presumptuous fancy of mercy wantonize with it and have no saving part in it 1. They learn not the Lessons mercy teacheth in speciall two Resignation and Subjection 1. Resignation the giving upthe whole person in a reall gratitude to Gods service who instead of a wonder of mercy might have made the provoking sinner a Monument of vengeance I beseech you by the mercies of God give up your bodies c. Pom. 12. 1. 2. Subjection As many as walke according to this rule mercy be on them Gal. 6. 16. Every mercy saith be dutifull but choice saving mercy calls for regular walking Those licencious daring ones that challenge mercy say with those in Jeremiah We are Lords we will not come to thee are their own Masters live as they list know no Law but their Lusts were never Schollars well trained up in the School of mercy 3. They have no evidence of mercies possession the fear of God is this great evidence The mercy of God is from everlasting to everlasting on them that fear him psal 103. 17. Gods feare stands between two happy Eternities of mercy as the faire mark of both the decree of mercy from Eternity the enjoyment of mercy to Eternity is the sure Felicity of all that fear God O falshood folly madnesse Too many that neither feare God nor sin conclude a part in the mercy of the Booke of life and looke for the endlesse mercy of the other world and by the prefamed license of mercy live wickedly 4. They study not the distinction mercy maketh surely all designed for mercy are vessells of mercy all that are and shall be without it are vessells of wrath an unchanged heart and unreformed life under mercy maketh no difference between the persons of mercy and wrath If vessells of mercy may be Libertines they vessells of wrath both wil be carnall walkers mercy duty wrath sin wil be an everlasting distinction between the heirs of Heaven and the purchasers of Hell Vessells of wrath will be Libertines if vessells of mercy are so too the one is as good as the other 5. They bring not Gods mercy in Reputation in the world what honour hath God in pretenders to mercy that abuse his Grace They who are designed to mercy are vessells of honour 2 Tim. 2. 21. Not only to import they are called to honourable priviledges but honourable services As God honours them in holding out his golden Scepter of mercy to them so they are to honour God in being glorious within and wearing without the golden apparrel of an heavenly shining conversation ps 45. 13. paul obtained saving mercy he was an high eminent vessell of Honour and he honourably used his mercy to the praise of its Author I obtained mercy and the Grace of God was abundant in me through Faith and Love 1 Tim. 1. 13. 14. The garment of mercy God bestowed on him was honourably and richly adorned by sanctifying grace Licentious Professors do not honour but cast dirt upon the Robe of mercy were it not for presumptions of mercy false Christians would not so play the wantons under Gospell Profession Did they think and speak the truth in our unregenerate hypocriticall and profane Estates that there is no mercy for us we are children of Wrath if we live and dye so we perish this would damp the pleasing merry fits of sin if this do not turn them Heavenwards it will force upon them inward gripes and conscience pangs in the way to Hell The same
positi in religione peccamus Salv. de gub Dei l. 3. in fine name When this most sacred name doth load our guilt for therefore under the stile of Religion we mock God because we sin under its holy profession Thus we see the loose carriages of former times hath sadded the hearts and sharpned the stile of Pious Zealous Judicious Writers Well were it if this prodigious sin perverting the grace of God had been confined to former ages The same impure corrupt Spring of dissoluteness that of old hath sent forth muddy streams of polluting opinions and conversations hath run in our own times in too offensive and plentiful a Current No side or denomination of Protestants as Lutheran or Calvinist Episcopal Presbyterian or Independent but in something or other either in greater or lesser spots they have defiled their Garments Gods chastising hand hath been very heavy upon the party of the Prelatical perswasion among whom I hope some have risen by their falls been inriched by their impoverishments and endeavored to secure the certainties of blessed Eternity by seeing the brittle glassen Pomp and glory of Dum splende scit frangitur the World glittering and broken and such a glorious fruit of the Crosse I wish to all complaining losers that they may see they have as well faln in their sins as their Estates But alas are not many of you wantons both under and against Gods Judgments and Mercies in your Principles Fancies Fashions sensual Pleasures Visits vain Education of your Children and Servants Family Irreligion mis-spending precious time Do you not throw the old scoff of Puritans upon all that dissent Doctor Potter once Provost of Qu. Colledge in Oxford from you Read with patience what a learned Doctor spake in an Holy Day Court-Sermon Our Profession is Christianity but not our practice We resemble Paganism We are so far from emulating gracious examples that of all things we cannot endure to be suspected of too much Holiness therefore we choose to swear swagger riot quaff with prophane company rather then to be defamed with the imputation of purity If your own experience Eccho with this loosnesse blame not what you read but be humbled zealous and repent And Reader if thou be such a one as hast sought for a strict Government Order and Worship of God in his Church thou hast even cause to resent it with grief tears and blushing that there want not proofs that endeavored Reformation hath been too impotent to prevent the wanton Abuses of Gods grace Have not some loose opinions been Preached Printed Dispersed Believed Tolerated yea infected Consciences and Lives Do those that cry out against the men spirit and ways of the world stand at such distance from the World in Lusts Affections Conversation as they do in Language Doth their outward garb shew they are not fashioned to the world Are not the Pleasures gaudy Fashions Estates Pomps of the World too grateful Tertullian hath taught us Thou art delicate O Christian If Delicatuses Christiane si in saeculo voluptatem concupiscis Quid lucundius quā Dei patris demini reconciliatio quam virtutis revelatio quam errorum recognitio quae major voluptas quam fastidium voluptatis Hae voluptates haec spectacula Christ anorū Tertul. de spectaculis thou desirest worldly pleasure Thou art a fool if thou accountest this pleasure What is more delightful then Gods Reconciliation Truths Revelation Errors acknowledgement Sins Pardon What greater pleasure then the contempt of Pleasure What greater liberty then an upright conscience a contented life and a fearless death These are the pleasures these are the spectacles the merriments of Christians How will standers by be convinced that that Reformation is of such a sublimate Heavenly extraction which should better appear by shining Graces then glittering out-sides I know Christian liberty as it is now stretched doth not onely allow monstrous long Hair but glorious apparel glittering in gold and silver lace and other sumptuous Gaudery which in the Judgement of Scripture Conscience and the last Tribunal were better bestowed upon the bellies and backs of the poor That speech might here be properly applyed Ad quid perditio haec I could wish Christians would learn of Proba an heavenly Christian descended of Roman Consuls brought up in Royal Delights yet was such an humble servant of God that she forgat her high birth and breeding contemned the delights on the body relieved the hungry by her abstemious fasting and was clad in Suam famem satiandis deservire corporibus vilibus tecta indumentis vestiendis pauperibus curam impendit Fulg. de statu viduali ad Gal. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato Tom. 1. pag. 416. g Prov. 10. 20 mean apparrel that she might the better cloath the poor O ye rich professing Christians follow Proba and abatements of your pompous glory on your backs and tables will speak you less worldly and fit you to be more mercifull 'T is a ground of sad conjecture that you are little taken with inward glory when you lay out so much in outward Plato held it a notorious crime for a Magistrate to touch gold and silver to wear it in garments to drink out of it because said he they have divine gold and silver in their minds and need none of mans deeming it irreligion to prophane the divine with humane O professed Christians who if really such doe out-worth the gold of Ophir and the Spanish Silver Fleets if you can study value get and improve the choice silver of Righteous Tongues g and the richly wrought cloth of gold h visible shining Good Works you wil be very little taken with outward splendid glory He humbled you are such worldly gaudy fashion-followers Besides doe not your ungoverned passions and tongues want of Pitty courtesie equity external reverence in the Worship of God over-greedy covetous purchases selfishness slight formal keeping the Sabbath divisions contentions crying up and down the Ministry of the Gospel according to your fancy and humour not your reason not grace speak you Wantons and in these things too much carnal Psal 45. 13. and walkers as men i 1 Cor. 3 3. Think of this O all ye Reforming party that decry abuses in Prelatical Government and spend much breath heat and time in declaiming against them though I excuse none of their faults study bewail amend your own visible miscarriadges We can never confute nor reform others faults by our own Le ts take heed when we cry out against others that we doe not as Diogenes did of Plato trample upon their Pride with greater Pride O that all parties would lay to heart their sad unanswerableness to Costel-grace and by the wisdom that is from above without partiality think themselves concerned in the Annon fere omnes in foedissimo abusu denorum Dei vivimus Luth. in Gen. following Tractate No Christian unlesse he be drunk and spiritually mad by the Quakers cup of Error the intoxicating fume or
neverthelesse mine eyes spared them from destroying them notwithstanding they rebelled against me and walked not in my statutes Ezek. 20. 16 17 21. I have spread out my hands all the day long unto a rebellious people Isa 65. 2. God is angry with the wicked every day Psal 7. 11. Sin is an abomination to him Psal 53. 1. He can in Martial Law soon arraign condemne and execute the sinner The sword is whet it is drawn is near the bold Transgressour yet it strikes not Psal 7. 12. The how is bent made ready Psal 7. 13. The arrow is on the string The divine strong hand of vengeance could every minute draw it up to the head let fly pierce ungodly men through and through shoot them into hell yee God spares the sinner and this is the unworthy and ungratefull return he spares his sinne but forsakes it not Job 20. 13. Is like the Felon that is spared burning and hanging and he grows more insolent and violent in his old wickednesse like the truantly boy that is spared whipping and he grows malepart saucy lazy stubborn in his Masters presence The Lord spares the Lyar Swearer Tipler Whoremonger Adulterer Defrauder Oppressour that Riots with the bread of deceit Prov. 20. 17. and the wine of violence Prov. 4. 17. The subtle yet foolish Hypocrite whose craft and wisdome of the flesh is to undoe his soul and yet these in a frolick dalliance and loosenesse of spirit wallow in their old wickednesse and pleasingly dance over Non dubitamus esse donum dei ut quis in see ere aliquandiu toleretur Pet. Matt. the mouth of Hell They abuse that Grace which was never offered to the faln Angels God spared them not no not a moment but cast them down to hell 2 Pet. 2. 4. Justice would spare the sinner not a moment its free Grace that spares It is an undoubted gift of God that any man in his wickednesse is spared a minute How full is the world of daring wantons that sinne securely before and against sparing Grace The interceeding kindnesse of the Lord Jesus is abused Such as are Gods provoking Rebels who are spared under the time and means of Gospel grace are beholding to the prevalent pleadings of Jesus Christ who hath dayly grants of his Father to spare carnall Gospellers ad put them to the triall whether they will repent and be fruitfull in obedience The vine dresser pleaded for the unfruitfull vineyard Let it alone this yeare till I shall digg about it and dung it and if it hear fruit well and if not then after that thou shalt cut it downe Luke 13. 8 9. This Vinedresser says one is Iesus Christ the Colonus hic est filius Dei Iesus Christus quem suae vineae sacerdotem Deus Constituit Fit Christi intercessione quod non semper illico excidunt qui hoc jampeidem suis sceleribus meruerunt Gualterus in Loc. Son of God whom he hath Constituted the Priest of his Vineyard Were it not for the intercession of Christ barren Vineyards fruiteless Churches would soon be destroyed Professed Christian Congregations Private families would by the axe of death be cut downe as fit fewell for hell fire Sect. 3. 3. LOng-suffering grace is Turned into Wantonness Because 3. Long suffering grace is turned into wantonnesse judgment is not executed speedily therefore the hearts of wicked ones are set in them to doe evil Eccles 8. 11. My Lord delays his comming and then the evil servant is tempted to smite his fellow servant and to be drunk c. Mat. 24. 28 29. How often would Christ have gathered the Jewes under his saving wings as the Hen the Chicken under hers Mat. 23. 37. But they proudly rejected subjection to him salvation from him God endures with much long suffering Vessels of wrath and they abusively and foolishly are still fillng up sin and wrath Rom. 19. 22. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Deus pro sua lenitate expectabat poenitentiam atque emendationem eorum Piscat gracious long-suffering of God waited for the Repentance and Amendment of the disobedient old world 1. Pet. 3. 20. and yet the holy wooing Spirit of God speaking by Noah solliciting and striving in gracious motions to reformation was rejected Gen. 6. 3. The whole earth was corrupt and filled with violence v. 11. I gave Iezabel space to repent of her fornication and she repented not Rev. 2. 21. As a Creditor gives his Debtor long time to pay his debts and yet forbearing kindnes is abused by a profuse lavishing intemperate life and running more in debt and as a gracious Kings act of favour that gives a Condemned Traytor a long time to sue out a pardon is slighted and despised when he spends it in whoring drinking and gaming so the mercyfull and liberall allowances of large seasons of grace the Lord grants out to deeply debted and Treasonable sinners are signally wronged when the more mercy forbeares and God is slow to wrath the more sin abounds Ah daring folly is there not difference between Long suffering and Eternall suffering are there not many sad monuments of divine justice because Patience is lasting will it be everlasting Long accounts are at length stated The longest summer day of Gods sufferance will have an end and goe downe in an endles night of unappeased fury Provoking slight gospellers are every day hastning to the period of Gods reprieves Writts of execution will be opened and served upon incorrigible sinners the worse for mercys warnings and Judgments delay The Lord Christ his pleading that barren Figg-trees may stand a yeere or yeeres longer neither Non nequitiae impreborum hominum qui incurabili malitiâ peccant Christus Patronus est Gualther Deus non perpetuo parcit sterilibus in suavinea arboribus Gualth speaks him the Patron of uncurable wickednes not assures their perpetuall security they were at length cut down as withered trees and God will likewise cut down withered Professors God doth not always spare barren trees in his vineyard Those Christians that are the shame of Gods Husbandry The abusers of Christs Intercession The contemners of the Gospel they boast of that bear the name of Believers bear up in the repute of Christs domestick Family that cumber the ground where they stand useless to the purposes of holiness and righteousness in the World as dead twice dead at best but flourishing in the leaves of a worthless profession shall at length be pluckt up by the roots be cast into hell fire as the worst of men reproachers of God and his Gospel destroyers of their bodies and souls for ever The Devil the Father of lies keeps his children fast bound in the chains of destroying lies Amongst the rest this is a main one and a common damning cheat Poor deluded sinners that have numbred 40 50 years forbearance in their sins at once collect Gods allowance of them and their own Necesse est ut ipsa prorogatae pietatis
outward Passeover Jews without and not within wicked in hearts and lives These rest on Baptismal Water Bread and Wine in the Lords Supper Christians without and not within unconverted unsanctified in hearts and lives These doe prophane offered Sacramental grace utterly voyd of Sacramental graces and lives These by their own confessions are dedicated and devoted to Jesus Christ to forsake the flesh the devill the pomp and vanities of this wicked world and they doe nothing less These by taking the Bread and Wine the lively representations of the shed blood and broken body of Jesus Christ are supposed and obliged to have grace and grow in it but they neither have the beeing nor growth of grace prophanely take the bread of the Lord with unbeleeving impenitent hearts but not the bread the Lord with faith repentance Panem Domini non panem Dominum August and other graces It will not be the least aggravation of Christians wantonnizing with the grace of God The wicked abuse of the Sacraments will prove them undeniable Libertines What affinity is there between the cleansing water of Baptisme and Baptized persons wallowing in the filthiness of flesh and spirit lying and delighting like swine in the mire in the pollutions of the world What agreement is there between a pretended feeding on the pure immortal food Jesus Christ and feeding on Satans provisions the delicious lusts and sweet pleasures of sin Is not this to turn the Table of the Lord into the Table of Devils an holy into a prophane feast as if the holy Supper were instituted to pamper and quicken not starve and mortifie corruption How epidemicall and spreading is this abuse They are the words of an holy affectionate Writer Introspicite in omnes Christini orbis partes non negabitis passim apud mulios solutarem usum Sacramentorum frigore Otho Casmannus Look into all the parts of the Christian world and you will not deny many Christians are remiss and cold concerning the saving use of the Sacraments Be they used or abused there is rarely enquiring after their efficacy or contempt what good is got by them or what defaming contradictions and wrongs there are against them 5. Good Books are abused means By them their holy Authors 5. Good Books are means abused though dead speak to the living We have in them the lasting Monuments of pious Labors the breathings of the Spirits the experiences of Satans Wiles and Methods the goings of God in his Sanctuary the shewing forth of his Power and Glory in his living Temples well-digested and heavenly directions to walk holily safely joyfully in the way to Heaven frequent and passionate woings to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in spiritual Espousals The necessity and excellency of Regeneration and the issue of it the new Creature The unbottoming and discovery of the hearts deceits kinde and affectionate warnings in time to get out of the state of sin and damnation and be delivered from the wrath to come yea further serious heart-aking and wounding discourses of the woful Eternity of Hells Torments for the loose and ungodly World and ravishing Discoveries of the blessed Eternity of Heavens Joys for exact and Religious persons with much more that may be said of the drawing excellencies of holy Writings of old and the present age Now what is the use indeed abuse of these glorious gifts of the Spirits the Births not onely of understanding Brains but holy Hearts the wasters of Blood and Spirits precious time and labor in the Lords Workmen Are not these things the sad testimonies of their dishonor some never read Vtiles pii libri quam raro pervoluuntur them others very rarely some rather judge and condemn strict truths too unpleasing Prisons and Chains for their loose hearts then fall down before the power of their truth and holiness they rather come with Satans Index Expurgatorius and by the spirit of error boldly blot out Heavenly Truths and neither suffer them to come into their Creed nor Practice then rejoyce at their Imprimatur that the helps and methods of godly lives printed in Paper might be printed in their hearts Others do with the Books they read as with the Sermons they hear lend them an eye an ear a few slighty careless thoughts but do never with Mary ponder saving Counsels in their hearts Some when they read Divine Treatises labor to pick what errors they can and like Spiders suck poyson out of the sweetest hearbs wherefore they intermix worldly Lusts the saving of their Diana and Palladium the corrupt Idols of their hearts Their darling Peccata in delici is Benjamins their sweet feasting and feasted sins and these must comment on the Text they read If precious heart-purifying life-reforming sin-reproving and conscience-smiting discourses cross error and loosness then away with the Book it is stark naught Others would read Books but valued onely by the standard of a foolish Wit accounting of Books by lofty Strains fine gaudy Phrases not the golden massy worth of the matter the Heavenly Treasures set forth in a grave and sober significant Language plain yet eloquent expression I shall enlarge this point with an hearty advice to them that have a minde and time to read Books let them take heed what they read Satan I fear hath the liberty of the Press as well as Jesus Christ There are Books of Libertinism abroad It had been well for some had they never been published in the world whose mindes are dangerously infected without infinite mercy to their destruction In the other World what if undone souls by wicked Books should wish the eyes of their flesh had been blinde and ears deaf that they could have neither read nor heard of Printed Error and Loosness to their destruction The Devil hath his market and merchants foolish Chapmen are deceived and take the bad ware of darkness for light flesh for spirit O ye simple gulled People of this Nation cheated almost of your Christianity and Civility unless ye will be foolish and proud take the advice of your learned godly Ministers of settled sollid experienced Christians and ask them what Books you should read A few words of counsel I have to you that are jocund merry ones boon Companions if you read this Section I beseech you in the bowels of Jesus Christ as you tender your Salvation and the glory of God spend your time better It will never repent you when you die you have left your covetous passionate Gaming the too frequent delights of the flesh you drench almost drown your souls in for the choosing reading meditating on Books of Mortification Heavenly-mindedness and preparation for Death and Eternity I am sure you cannot deny it now rationally I am most sure your awakened mindes cannot deny it on your death-beds that your diligent reading of Dike of the deceitfulness of the heart Baxters everlasting rest Greenham Bolton Preston Perkins c. and such Books as those were incomparably better to be
are not worthy of the name of men false to the Law of natural gratitude that serve not their deliverer and are not they as unworthy of the name of Christians false to the Law of supernatural thankfulness that serve not their professed infinite Redeemer Pretended favorites of Heaven are like those selfish Courtiers who abuse their Princes ear Smiles Grace Honors and Bounty to Chambering and Wantonness to the greatning of themselves and families but improve not their Soveraigns Grace to his Honor the glory of his Crown the increasing of his Treasure the establishment of his Dominions the lively Pictures of them that go for the Spiritual Darlings of Gods Court who live not to the glorious interest of their Heavenly King but bias all his gracious dealings according to the motions of worldly and corrupt 6. The Grace of God is turned into wantonness when the heart carryeth wickedly as to Christ Thesaurus omnium Christus donorum Marlorat selfishness SECT 6. 3. THe Grace of God is turned into wantonness When the heart carries wickedly as to Christ in three things 1. When the profuse riotous sinner runs in Gods Debt because Christ is his surety Indeed upon this truth and rocky foundation that Christ is the faithful surety of his people Heb. 7. 22. is built the eternal salvation of his Church It is the richest right orient Pearl in the Gospels Cabinet A Believer would not be without this everlasting prop and succor to faith this assured conveyance of eternal happiness for the world It is dross and dung to this excellent knowledge Christ is a surety But to whom and for what To refusers and despisers of him to loose the reins on the neck of lusts to priviledge the liberties and power of Satan to sin without controll and remorse Surely Christ as our surety on the Cross sustained our person and Christus ut sponsor personam nostram gerebat ut vetus noster homo in nobis necaretur Diks in Rom. 6. Faedus gratiae habet Christum sponsorem ut tanquam Dei amici ambularemus Diks in Heb. 7. made to his Father an engagement for us that our old man in time should die Rom. 6. 6. Yea in the great agreement of the holy and everlasting Covenant of Grace there was this part of suretiship that â—e should walk in holy fellowship with God and Christ by the Spirit as the friends of God and therefore it is an intolerable indignity to our heavenly surety at once to believe him an undertaker that corruption should die and to live in sin This maketh him a surety and no surety A surety in the professed Faith and owning of this suretiship no surety in the Preservation and not Mortification of wanton Lusts Consider this all ye that sin against the grace of your professed surety but without his leave or the least allowance of his Gospel was a gracious pardon-office dearly purchased by the infinite price of the blood of the Son of God that it should lavish out forgiveness of sins to dissolute livers Did God decree and Christ accept of a weighty costly and suffering suretiship that profuse Iewd Debtors might spend more freely merrily and daringly on the stock of their sureties satisfactions Such indignity carnal profession imposeth upon Christs saving undertaking The Lord invites the humbled burthened sinner to accept of Deus nos invitat ad veniam nos quoâ—idie cumulamus offensam his pardoning mercy and proud Libertines heap up sin These spots and dishonors in Christian Assemblies are like to a young riotous Gallant that spends largely in Gaming Feasting Whoring and comfortably stayeth upon this he shall not be Arrested not Imprisoned because he hath a rich surety will pay all So expensive Libertines give large vent to their corruptions in their sinful creature-excesses in their abominable hypocrisies in their unrighteous dealings in their idolized sensualities in their carnal securities and yet they chear and fully stay themselves in this Indemnity the Law shall not arrest them nor cast them into the eternal prison of utter darkness because they have a rich surety Jesus Christ who as they presume will pay all 2. When the faith of redemption by Christ worketh not Redemptio nos obstrictos tenet ac sub obedientiae fraeno cohibet Carnis nostrae lasciviam Calvin in 1 Cor. 6. Qui redemptus est alter us beneficio non est sui juris Calvin in Jer. 2. 20. subjection to him the grace of God is turned into wantonness Eternal Redemption is an eternal obligation to service a bridle to curb our lascivious flesh not a Feast to feed it God hath on purpose decreed Christ a Redeemer that he might be soveraign Lord over all his purchase as we have dominion over that we pay dear for Now where redemption by Jesus Christ is preached in common that the price of his blood was a sufficient ransome to redeem the whole world there are very few but believe Christ died for them But how is the mystery and mercy of Redemption abused the Faith of Redemption worketh not subjection in most professed Christians They would be saved in their sins not from their sins Christ hath redeemed his people out of the hands of their enemies but they are content to be in them still He died to rescue them from their vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. but they are vain Jam. 2. 20. Walk after vanity Jer. 2. 5. and shall finde vanity their recompence Job 15. 31. He was crucified to deliver from the power of Satan Heb. 2. 14 15. but they are still his possession Eph. 2. 2. as taken Beasts are the Hunters prey as Prisoners are the Conquerors spoil to be carried up and down dealt with at their pleasure 2 Tim. 2. 25. O that such as are by profession Subjects and by disposition and conversation Rebels against Christ would seriously ponder these things 1. Both the Scriptures and experience of loyal Subjects to Christ do clearly evidence that effectual beneficial Redemption is proved by subjection that he died not to redeem us to the life but death of sin not that we should live and die in sin but Non ut nos vivendo pecca tis immorarmur tandem immoreremur Otho Casmannus live and die in the state and power of Grace 2. They that believe themselves the redeemed of Christ and yet are the slaves of their lusts the vassals of Satan have either not considered at all or very slightly That the proper intention of Redemption was Dominion Ye are bought with a price are not your own your Body and Spirits are Gods 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. To this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might Nullus fidelium juris sui sed alieni Dicksonus Vtinam hoc altissimis radicibus in mente figatur Pet. Martyr in Rom. 14. be the Lord both of the dead and living Rom. 14. 9. Surely no Believer is of his own right but anothers His
debauching Those that seemed to make hast heaven-wards and think they have travelled almost enough in the way everlasting that have dreamed either of their possible or actuall perfection in this life need no better discovery of their nakedness than themselves they are their own sufficient confutation How far are the generation of Popish and Quaking Perfectists from the prize they seem to run after further off were their eyes opened than those they un-saint from Gospel-attainments This sottish supercilious opinion of enoughs in the knowledge and practice of Religion hath begotten monstrous libertines in the present age Such as have been filled with windy swelling conceits not the real fruits of the Spirit like some of the high-flown puffed up Corinthians reigned as Kings 1 Cor. 4. 8. blessed themselves in their high attainments viz. Knowledge Faith Love Mortification Communion with God Joyes of the Spirit and noy as if rich enough they had nothing else to doe but to contemplate their eâ—â—ate and gaze upon their glory their lazy contemplative life hath swallowed up the active they lay by trading in heavenly commodities religious attendances and exercises Their name is up with their deluded fraternitie yea in their own foolish brains and now they may lay abed till noon yea sleep in carnall securitie in and before the light of their high-noon attainments As some men that have gotten vast estates look over their rich Lordships with much contentment are knighted trade no more have goods layd up for many years so many rich Laodiceans that think they abound in spiritual goods and want nothing and have nothing no more than an empty sounding barrel and are sainted in Satans Kalender these trade no more in heavenly negotiation as if they could too much increase their Lords Talent and give fearfull symptomes that for all the puffs of their spirituall estates they are but bankrupts That generation is well known who have already decried and voted down Gods standing Ordinance the Ministry of the Gospel as needlesse who load them with no better honours than the stile of Baals Priests Deceivers of the people the Locusts of the bottomless pit the fewel for the fierie furnace of Hell and so bind up all Preachers in the same bundle of death as well the most industrious circumspect and conscientious as the most lazy loose and unconscionable Hath not this wanton daring Age brought forth such proud pittifull poor it is to be feared but nominal christians that have had the boldness to call mourning for sin a low attainment dayly prayer a poor sapless businesse all private solemn as well as publick vanities carnall things too low for their spiritual seraphical spirits as if they were not in the body nor had no body of sin as if they were so Angelical in their high Revelations and maintained so constant blazing divine fire of love to God as that it needed no further fewell nor bellows of Ordinances nor the Spirits hands to use them for holy and heavenly heart inflammations Now behold with fear and trembling the spirituall Judgement of spiritual Pride spiritual Blindness spiritual Wickedness spiritual yea visible gross Apostasie 'T is just with God that they which will not keep in the safe plain the secure beaten valley but they will be mounting up to the narrow tops of hills perilous pinacles they should fall and that deadly Some men and women have not contented themselves yea to their shame it must be spoken some Ministers with the safe plain the Ordinances of Grace the Doctrines of Faith Repentance Mortification and New obebedience nor keep in the secure valley of walking humbly with God but mounting up in their lofty minds to the tops of Hils Doctrines too high for them injudicious unscriptural Altitudes the perillous Pinacles of conceited Perfection a stupid and sensless assertion of a kind of Adam-like Innocence before the Fall That they that are born of God sin not at all I say some are the spiritual black marks of Gods vengeance from these perillous heights The visible and fearfull falls of haughty adventurous wantons are legible demonstrations to the observing world written in broad characters that without infinite mercy they are very deadly How have some in their scandalous falls from pretended spiritual eminencies betrayed a double fearfull loss both of Christianity and civility of Christianity either with Arrians denying the Deitie of Christ or blasphemously and sacrilegiously getting into the Throne of his God-head using these wicked Phrases they are Godded with God Christed with Christ yea that there is no difference of the God-head dwelling in the flesh of Christ and the flesh of the Saints as if their flesh did as equally subsist in the Infinite person the Son of God as the flesh of Christ did whence it would follow that the fulnesse of the God-head did dwell corporally in them as it did in Christ of consequence speak them sinless perfectly holy and contradict the preheminence of Christs Mediatorly anointing who was anointed with the oyl of gladness the Holy Ghost above his fellows the highest measures and graces in Saints and Angels How unchristianly doe some of those fearfull children of errour set up a Christ within them in opposition in abolishment of a Christ without them who poring upon their spiritual transcendencies have either quite put-out of their Creeds the imputed Righteousness of Christ without them or else forgot it As little honour it is to be feared hath Christ from some of these monuments of delusion as to the faith of the bodily resurrection whereof hee was the First fruits and as if his Ordinances were dead and buried they have no more Communion with them than wee with the dead and lastly as for his visible Image living Christians they are boldly stiled the Devils children As sad a fall is there from pretended perfection even to the abolishment of civilitie as if externall Morallities contained and required in the Second Table were no Ipsa est perfectio hominis invenisse se non esse perfectum Aug. Indefessum proficiendi studium jugis conatus ad perfectionem perfectio repuâ—adar Bern no part of of Gods will How farre are they from growing to the full stature of Christian practicall Religion whose errors in opinions and practises have made sad breeches upon all civill and naturall callings and relations It had been well if these sad objects of pitty praiers and tears had learned of Augustine a truth which would have kept them safe humble diligent and zealous after true perfection 'T is mans perfection to finde that he is not perfect and of Bernard The unwearied study of proficiency and constant eâ—deavour after perfection is perfection and of Paul I count not my self to allain but I persson to the mark and of Peter 〈◊〉 que hic viaee imas Taantum cunque hâ—c proficerimus nemo dicat sufficit mihi c. August Inter profectum defectum nihil medium Nolle proficere non nisi deficere
est Bern. Grow in the grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ It is a true saying of Augustine Let no man say though the longest liver and highest proficient in Religion I have enough I am righteous sufficiently He that sayes so he stayes in the way he shall never reach his journeys end Happy had it been for these wondring falling Stars had they considered there is no middle state between Proficiencie and Deficiencie going forward and going backward if they had considered it must be with Christians as it was with the Angels on Jacobs Ladder as to perpetual motion The Patriarch saw them ascending and descending but no standing still The stands of religious sufficiencie have been and are fatall to Imaginary Perfectists O the rare artifice of Satan to ruin soules where he doth it not as a Prince of darkness he speeds as an Angel of light He puts the vaile of imaginary perfection of holiness over almost perfection of sin votes a nothingness an emptyness in Religion a sufficient attainment tels real carnalists they are high spiritualists cheat them with dreams they are the darlings of heaven when they are like to prove firebrands in hell while in the pleasing folly of spiritual pride vain self-lovers admire themselves as the none such of the world and cannot judge in their coldness yea death of Charity that they are reall Saints vessels of mercy it is to be feared without extraordinary repentance these not fixed stars but blazing comets will goe out in darkness vanish in a stink and appear in the great day in the left hand as vessels of wrath SECT 12. 3. THe Frror a very sottish one of Opinion That what 12 A gross error to the the abuse of grac is this that what pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God Insipientes credunt does amare quicquid it si concupiscunt Lact. l. 3. 0. 6. pleaseth the loose sinner pleaseth God These things hast thou done thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Psal 50. 21. an erroneous and impious parallel and the cause of much looseness These things hast thou done What these sins are charged on the wicked Libertine an hypocritical owning of Gods Statutes and Covenant ver 16. His hating instruction and casting Gods word behind him v. 17. His consent to the every and partnership with adultery v. 18. His evil unbridled tongue v. 19. His slander even of a natural brother v. 20. All these are put down as the sid fruits of this cursed error and reall blasphemy God the sinner are alike Thou thoughtest I was such a one as thy self I was as well pleased with thy basenesse as thy self This is a tyring wearisom error to the pure God Ye have wearied the Lord with your words yet ye say wherein when ye say every one that doth evill is good in the sight of the Lord and be delighteth in him or where is the God of judgement Mal. 2. 17 There are not a few grosse carnal Gospellers who when their unwasht heart impure and wicked lives are covered over with a white and beautifull vaile of professed Christianity do as heartily write themselves in their absurd flattering injudicious minds the children of God the dearly beloved of his soul as if they were the exactest walkers Certainly those grosly intemperate incontinent covetous malicious unnaturall prophane ones that would rage at a Minister or private Christian that should but so much as tel them they fear and suspect their persons hearts and lives are abominable to God doe not so much as scruple it but they are the objects of divine loves and delights What doth this amount to else but this virtual and interpretative perswasion the holy God and the vile sinner are alike O that such wretches would consider as the holy Scriptures in multitudes of places so Gods angry avenging Providences are the vindicating Patrons and infallible maintainers of Gods purity and after death the great day and to all eternity he will prove by sadly convincing fierie arguments the infinite distance between the holy blessed God and the lewd cursed sinner Did either gross or close hypocrites under Gospel-profession seriously consider and deliberately reason their own wickedness and Gods holyness what likes them and what pleaseth God search Scripture Records what the Lord hates and what he is ravished with so ingeniously and faithfully conclude these and these things according to the word of truth are detested with a perfect abhorrence of the pure heavenly Majesty and we are guilty of them and are as loathsome in his sight as Toad a Carrion are in ours it were impossible there should be such liberall and large allowances of carnal liberty as there are too much under the favour of a divine approbation and delight 'T is too common an error that prospering Providences are encouragers of wicked designs and practises The Devil is a Devil still lying and unclean though his temptations prosper SECT 13. 4. The Error that false evidences of Grace are true An erronious rest on these hath begotten too much Libertinism 12. Another Error that buseth grace is That false evidences are true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non beat inanis theoria in the Church of God As 1. Bare knowledge of Divine things is too weak a proof of goodness The Devils know but are unclean full of wickedness In their inlightned intelligent natures there are the spiraul things of wickedness The Apostles expression Eph. 6. 12 The light of the Sun speaks not a Thief honest nor the Adulterer chaste who are both lewd by the beams of it Bare Illumination speaks no man holy nor happy to infer a good heart from a knowing head is not a more common then a foolish and pernicious inference Ah foolish impudent Christian hath God laid thee in with a stock of knowledge to licentiate thee to sin by the light of it Will the aggravation of your sin be the evidence of your good estate A stock of Knowledge is one thing of Grace another The Gnosticks that vaunted much of their knowledge were a beastly Sect The bare light of Gospel propositions will not fit for the Inheritance of the Saints in Light Surely light is never gracious and saving unless it Transform its receivers They are children of light 1 Thess 5. 5. and they do not onely see it but walk in it as children of light Eph. 5. 8. 2. An Orthodox Judgement is no conclusive ground of grace 'T is gross error from Doctrinal soundness to argue Cordial and Practical A man may be sound in the Faith Tit. 1. 13. but Metuo magnoque tremore constringer ne qui Orthodoxam sidem habere videmur eam vacuam honestarum actionum conjugio oberrare permiserimus Sophronius Hierosalymitanus Orat. in Natal Christ not by the Faith His light is sound that speaks against Theft and Adultery but he is not found by his true light that is a Thief and Adulterer Rom. 2. 21 22. A form of
will charge those that are guilty I hope there are a few of you the successors as well of others religious Liberalitie as Patrimony As for you that are not you may be ashamed by what name soever you are called Presbyterians Independents or Anabaptists that are covetously scraping sordidly tenacious linked yea chained to your money fear and tremble in your perilous Prosperities Dominion and Riches are slippery places you that stand in Englands high ground take heed lest you fall Let not your wanton dissolutenesse give you the denomination of Kine Amos the plain country Prophet called the great wantons of Israel Kine of Bashan Amos 4. 1. for lusty fat feeding â—â—ine for rich Pastures Kine of Bashan a very fertile mountain Is this your all to graze and fill and luxuriate in the plentiful pastures of rich estates Are you Jesurun-like waxen fat better fed than taught kicking against your soveraign maintainer lightly esteeming and forgetful of the God of your salvation be sure of it the jealous God can soon pull you down from your Principalities and cause your abused Riches to take wings and fly to other owners God is no respecter of persons what is sinne in one he counts not innocence in another As the Wisdom so the Justice that is from above is without partiality God hath made many persons of sublime Honours and great Estates his angry rods to chastize others sins Successors in sinnes have reason to fear they shall be fellows in punishments White providence hath lifted you up O tremble lest black providence pull you down Do you abuse divine Protections Exaltations vast provisions for your selves and families to Pride Luxury Coverousnesse Impiety Vnrighteousnesie Are you wanton Libertines in opinion and Practise doe you fear black reckoning dayes are coming upon you lest you that have abused Providences and the grace of God drink the dregs of the cup of Trembling So I leave you and passe to another Generation of men persons of Honour and huge Estates that look upon themselves as the suffering party egregious abusers also of the grace of God in eminent worldlyness We have in this Nation a vast number of great ones who have and ought to have the civil titles of Worship and Honour that own Baptismal grace enjoy and use time and means of grace and hope to be saved by grace as well as others that give tokens of eminent earthly-mindednesse They keep not houses in their respective Country-Lordships get into Cities and Townes Corporate and either there they liberally riot in their Families Game Feast Drink away that Estate their poor naked hungry neighbours want or else if Parsimonious lay up every year vast summes for greedy Purchases and spend little or nothing in works of Mercy Though I knoâ—v not the dimensions of your yearly layings up yet it is twenty to one I may speak that which your consciences know to be true as to the secret methods and waies of your worldly increase One it may be at the years end hath layd up an hundred pound another two another five another a thousand pound another two another more And wherefore this Bank I beseech you hath the Lord Jesus for Religious uses acts of Pietie and Mercy the Tenth part the Twentieth part the Fortieth part the Hundreth part Have you honoured God with your substance your annual increase hath he had in nothing or next to nothing a thin inconsiderable charity a real-gratitude from you and will you appear good Stewards in the Accounting day When you shall be asked what you have done with Gods Money and Land and all the Items you will bring in will be Items of Pride Luxury costly fancies Coverousness c. Will he be put off with such returnes Learne Wisdom and holy Policie against the great day O all you thriving old and new Gentry rich thriving Merchants and Tradesmen wealthy Lawyers and Pulpit men and for the time to come abhorre the baseness of self-hatred which it may be you count self-love To greaten your Families and undoe your selves to make rich heirs and dis-inherit your selves to expose your selves to eteâ—nal penury that your successors may live in luxury 'T is without peradventure The grace of God that brings salvation teacheth to deny worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11. You have been bad Scholars in Christs School that fulfill them O doe no more in an hot greedy chase hunt after the Profits and Pleasures of this world Hearken to the words of one who hath spoken the true experience of present worldlings Is it not a crime that many now adaies who professe the name of Christ glue their hearts to the Mammon of Iniqurtie and the Treasures of Wickednesse 'T is a very base thing that Christians should enslave bodies and soules to the getting keeping increasing of treacherous perilous and uncertaine riches and are so captivated by them that they cannot serve the living God Take Augustines judgement of this vaine Saeculi hujus fallax suavitâ—â— perpetuus timor infructuosus labor periculosa sublimitas August world The sweetnesse of this world is deceitfull feare perpetuall labour unprofitable height perillous Why doe you set your hearts on vanitie and vexations Eccles 1. 14. Broken Cisterns Jer. 2. Lying vanities Jonah 2. 8. Shadows Psal 102. 11. Non-entitres that which is not Be ashamed O Christian Gospellers that stand on the worlds higher ground have best wages and yet doe your great Master least service to give up the strength of your soules your time your estates in the bruitish service of worldly and carnal pleasures contemning in mean time the sweet peace and joy of the Holy Ghost Such of you as serve pleasures Tit. 2. 3. Live in them 1 Tim. 5. 6. are voluptuous wantons as if you came into the world to bee as the Leviathan to take your Pastime onely to sport and feast your soules in your sensualities Seneca had a farre braver spirit than you have Hee thought it was true pleasure to contemne pleasures and is it your heaven to enjoy them you live not like men The delights of reason far excels those of sense You live not like Saints The delights of Grace transcend them both O come and see come and taste feed on the Marrow and Fatness the luscious sweet soul provisions of Gods House and the Heavenly dainties of grace will soon make you dis-rellish the perilous unsatisfying delights of this life SECT 10. THey may with little study run and read their gross abuse 10. They abuse grace who are sensless stupid lethargick Libertines of Gods grace 10. Who are senseless stupid Lethargick Libertines Are these the Darlings of Grace the Favorites of Heaven who in a dead cursed insensibility blunt the goads of Conscience are strangers to the fear of God are deaf to the Canon shot the dreadful volleys of the Laws curses who startle not when they hear Boanerges Pulpit Sons of Thunder but slight pious admonitions and grievous comminations as if they were vain Bugbears to fright