As for that part of the service of God which is moral all of that neither is not discoverable by natural light For 1. If you consult the seventh to the Romans you shall find that there were some secret moral wickednesses which Paul did not see which Paul could not have seen by the light of nature no although a Pharisee and by that means very expert in the letter of the Law Rom. 7.7 Rom. 7.7 I had not known lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet 2. If the light of nature be imperfect in us since the fall which I suppose you will grant then there may be many things moral now imperceptible by the light of nature which it might and did see in its state of perfection and therefore it must needs be of dangerous import to make the Law of nature a weak faint shadowing imperfect light the perfect rule and only measure of moral duties to cry up the Law written in our hearts is in this case to cry down the Law written in the Scriptures this is as it were to pull the Sun in its noon-day brightnesse in its greatest lustre and glory out of the firmament and to walk by the light of a Candle a stinking snuffe in the socket almost gone out this is to make the Primmer the Horn-book the A. b. c. of natural light the highest piece of learning in morality The Law of nature to our shame and grief we may speak it is so obliterated and darkened that it cannot show a man the least part of his wickednesse Pelagius was a man of great learning and by his studies and diligence had snuffed the Candle of the Lord and made it burn with a clearer shine yet how little could he see into this matter It was his affection that we are borne as well without vice as vertue tam sine vitio quam sine virtute nascimur and we see all Popery to this very day hold motions to sinne not consented unto to be no sinnes but necessary conditions arising from our constitution and such as Adam had in innocency But I forbeare the issue of this particular is thus much if that which concerns the worship and service of God cannot be found out by the light of nature much lesse that which concerns his essence and subsistence 2. The doctrine of the Gospel is called by the Apostle a mystery and a mystery without controversie great is the mystery of godliness and what greater Gospel-mystery is there than the Trinity which neither men nor Angels can comprehend and both men and Angels must adore Now if this doctrine be discoverable by natural light it is no more a mystery The works of the flesh are manifest Gal. 5.19 20. saith the Apostle Gal. 5.19 20. Now why are they said to be manifest because they stink in the nostrils of nature and are discernable by the dimme eye of conscience Object 1. Possibly some may say man hath as it were the image or likenesse of a Trinity within himself there are three prime faculties understanding will and memory in one and the same reasonable soul Resol 1. A similitude doth not prove a thing to be but only represent a thing to our fancy which at present hath or at least had a being one way or other for instance it is impossible that any Sonne should know his fathers picture unlesse first he hath seen or heard that his father was such a person as the picture doth represent and by that means hath before hand his fathers idea and image presented in his own soul 2. 'T is denyed that these faculties in mans soul bear the image or likenesse of a Trinity neither can any man by a reflex act upon his own soul attain to the knowledge of this great mystery but such notions as these are the luxuriant extravagancies of some curious braines that would advance earth as high as heaven and do indeed rather darken then illustrate this truth as he who would adde any colour unto light doth rather blemish it than adorn it what a piece of folly would it be to undertake to emblazon a sun-beam Object 2. The doctrine of the Trinity was known to several of the Heathens which had not the Scriptures and therefore is discoverable by the light of nature Resol 1. If the Heathen had any notions of the Trinity they might receive them either by tradition from those who had read the Scriptures or out of the Scriptures themselves and not by the improvement of natural light 2. 'T is very probable that these notions of a Trinity which are found in Plato and Trismegistus were not writ by them but foisted into their works by some that lived in after ages my Reasons are these 1. Those writings which go under the name of the Ancient Fathers are not all truly such but a great part of them supposititious and forged as Mr. Dally proves largely in that learned piece of his called A Treatise of the right use of the Fathers where he gives you an account of whole books that were published under the names of the Apostles as Saint Peter Saint Barnabas and others which were not such Now if men durst be thus bold with the Apostles no wonder if they did not stick to deal thus with Heathens This imposture in the Primitive times was very ordinary yea the fathers themselves have used this Artifice to promote their own opinions as you may read largely in the third Chapter of that book 2. Some are apt to believe that there are clearer notions of a Trinity in some of the books of the Heathens than in the books of Moses and so by consequence the Heathens should know more of the Trinity than the Israel of God which is flat contrary to the Scriptures Psal 76.1 Psal 76.1 In Judah is God known his Name is great in Israel He hath not dealt so with any Nation and as for his judgements thy have not known them praise ye the Lord. And thus I have done with the first Assertion in answer to this question whither the mystery of the Trinity may be found out by the light of nature viz. that the light of nature without divine Revelation cannot discover it 2. The light of nature after divine Revelation cannot oppose it For 1. As the judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason so the judgement of reason ought not to be urged against the judgement of faith The judgement of sense ought not to be urged against the judgement of reason for instance sense tells us that some of the Stars are as small as spangles I am apt to believe that some Country men think the Sunne to be no bigger than their Cartwheele here reason interposes corrects sense tells us that there being a vast distance between us and them they must needs be very great bodies or else they could not be visible There are thousands of Stars that cause the white streak in the
5.3 Well may the Prophet conclude They are poor and foolish and know not the Lord oâ— the judgment of their God ver 4. For even iron and steel is soft whil'st in the fire and impenitency under the Rod exposeth unto inevitable ruine they are reprobate from Gods favour who repent not in the time of his fury the saddest symptom of displeasure is to hear God determine You shall be smitten no more Isa 1.5 for ye will revolt still more and more God sealeth up to everlasting vengeance by a spirit of impenitency My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own cuonsels Psal 81.11 12. The proud Pharaoh that is not melted by and repents not under Gods many judgments is raised for this very purpose that God might shew his power and make known his minde unto the ends of the earth by their certain and severe destruction Rom. 9. Whil'st then the sons of men are by nature the children of wrath subjects of sin and liable to sorrows obnoxious to Gods chastising hand and land-destroying judgments provoking Divine displeasure and Repentance the only means to divert or remove the same must they not call one upon another Come let us return unto the Lord though he have wounded he will heal us Hos 6.1 2 3. And for us in this Land and Nation Are we not the subjects of sin and most horrid God-provoking sins which God cannot but punish pride and perfidiousnesse profanesse and perjury blasphemy and base contempt of his Ordinances and what not iniquity unto the very despising the Word of the Lord and mocking his Messengers that his wrath could no longer forbear but hath made us the subjects of shame and sorrow The furious footsteps of an angry God are to be found among us God hath smitten us with pestâ—lence after the manner of Egypt our young men have been slain with the edge of the Sword and yet his wrath is not turned away Our Fouâ—dations are removed Laws violated and Liberties invaded his Name and Truth blasphemed his Church laid waste and his People sadly subjected to a spirit of delusion And what Confusions Commotions sad because sinful Revolutions compasse us about making us a shame among the Nations and a burden to our selves And yet his wrath is not turned away but his anger is stretched out still because we have not returned unto the Lord. How many and heavy judgments hang over our heads threatning the extirpation of the Church eradication of the Gospel and desolation of our Nations And what is our remedy to remove what we feel or prevent what we fear is it not Repentance is not this ENGLANDS Unum Necessarium One thing necessary Should not all the Ministers of God cry Repent ENGLAND Repent Repent Must not all conclude in this respect Repentance is a grace of absolute necessity but Secondly Repentance is necessary to answer the call of the Gospel We are called Christians and do professe subjection to the Gospel of Jesus Christ our care must be in all things to walk as becometh the Gospel Hippocrates took an oath of his followers Phil. 1.27 to keep their profession unstained and their lives unblameable Sure I am that in our Baptisme we are dedicated and engaged to yield obedience to the Gospel and shew forth its holinesse and power by due acts of Repentance renouncing the flesh the world and the Divel for indeed Repentance is the great duty imposed by the Gospel and all such as will conform unto the commands of the Gospel must repent Acts 17.30 Now God commandeth all men everywhere to repent The light of Nature and of the Law did direct men unto Repentance but the light of the Gospel is a loud call unto all men to repent times of past ignorance were times of Divine Indulgence but these Gospel-days are seasons of imperious injunction God now câ—mmandeth all men not pity or patience must now be expected without serious pennance there are many things considerable in the Gospel whereby it calls to Repentance which doth evidence the indispensable necessity thereof and binds all men to answer viz. 1. The positive duty directed in and required by the Gospel is Repentance This is the main matter prescribed in it and preached by it John the Baptist the harbinger of the Messiah and first publisher of the Gospel came preaching Repentance and therefore his whole Doctrine and Administration is called the Baptisme of Repentance Mark 1.4 And the Lord Jesus the great Prophet and Apostle of the Gospel made his first appearance in the world at the imprisonment of John preaching Repentance for that thâ— Kingdome of God was at hand and the great disrespect he chargeth on the Jews was that they repented not either at the preachâ—ng of John or himself though both differently administred to anticipate their caption so that the great work of both appeareth to have been to bring men to Repentance The first Sermon that ever Peter preached after Christ his Ascension was to perswade Repentance this was and is the matter of all Preaching and the main end of all Ministry for the sole errand of the Gospel is to open the blinde eyes Acts 26.18 to turn men from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God and hence Repentance from dead works is reckoned as one of the first and foundation principles of the Gospel Hebr. 6.1 And certainly principles are positively necessary undeniable and indispensable truths Contra principia negantem non est disputandum he is to be declined as mad that denieth principles so that Repentance is the first chief and main lesson taught by the Gospel and its call thereunto then must needs be great 2. The prime priviledge of the Gospel is Repentance This is the royal gift of our Redeemer Jesus Christ he is exalted and made a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance the prime grace conveyed unto us by the Covenant of grace contained in the Gospel is Re entance he taking away the stâ—ny heart and giving us hearts of flesh making us to see the evil of our ways and doings The great Errand for which the Gospel is seâ—t into the world is Repentance they that receive the Gospel and not Repentance by it shall be upbraided as were Bethsaida Matth. 11. Chorazin and Capernaum as unworthy so high a favour nay they shall have their torments aggravated by the enjoyment but non-improvement of so high a favour It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah they never enjoyed a Gospel to call to Repentance this is the end of all the promises of God to make us partakers of the Divine nature escaping the corruptions that arâ— in the world through lust 2 Pet. 7.4 The proposals of glory and happinesse are the principles of purity and holinesse we have these great and precious promises that we may cleanse
shall enforce the necessity of Repentance from these two grounds 1. The Anticipation and removal of Gods wrath and judgments 2. The Answer unto the call of the Gospel First Then Repentance is necessary to anticipate and remove the wrath and judgments of God Repentance is the only fence to be made against feared judgments there is no way to appease Divine fury but by Repentance judgments threatned may be thus diverted and prevented and evil inflicted may be thus removed the Lord threatens before he striketh that the fear of approaching evil might force men to Repentance thus God sent Jonah to cry to Nineveh Yet forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed and so the Lord sent his Prophets Rising up early and sending them to Judah and to Samaria The threatnings of God are but Summons unto Repentance that his hand might be stayed and therefore every threat doth either expresse or imply a promise of escape on the condition of Repentance and an assurance is given by the Lord that Repentance shall appease his anger and anticipate the denounced judgments Behold at what time I shall speak against a Nation or Kingdome if that Nation against whom I have pronounced shall turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto it Jerem. 18.8 Accordingly God 's hand is stayed by the but-seeming Repentance of men Ahabs formal Repentance procureth a reprieve of the judgment though not a remission of sin because Ahab humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days saith thâ— Lord to the Prophet 1 Kings 21.29 And so Nineveh repenting at the preaching of Jonah were spared Jonah 3.10 God saw that they repented and turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he said he would do unto them and he did it not Impenitency is the enforcement of Divine plagues for all denunciations run with an unlesse ye repent ye shall likewise perish Repentance is the main errand of Gods judgments and if it will be effected by reproof and threatning God will never handle the rod or inflict evil the judgments of God thunder not over Jerusalem untill they mocked the messengers of God despised his Word and misused his Prophets and then the wrath of the Lord was kindled and arose against his people untill there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36.16 God is so solicitous of Repentance that like the Lord of the Vineyard he sends his servants one after another to the rebellious husbandmen and at length his Son whom he expects they should reverence to call them to Repentance before he come with force and armes to subdue them Mat. 21.36 37 38 39 40. Gods judgments are never inflicted untill mens impenitency be upbraided he always begins his corrections with an how often would I have gathered you Mat. 23.37 and ye would not and aggravates the affliction with a thy destruction is of thy self and enforceth his utter rejection with an Oh that thou hadct known Luke 19.42 at least in this thy day the things which concern thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes he drowns not the old world without the warnings of an hundred and twenty years he damned not the souls which are now in Prison untill by Noah the Preacher of Righteousnesse he had called them to Repentance and sealed them up under disobedience We are now the Subjects of sin and that stirs up Gods wrath if we will escape that we must return from this Sin kindleth and Repentance quencheth Gods fury Man is not bound to pardon and pretermit an offence but on Repentance of the offender neither Nature nor Scripture doth require it how much lesse is the Lord thereunto obliged therefore agree with thine adversary quickâ—y whil'st th u art in the way with him lest he bring thee before the Judge and the Judge deliver thee over to the Jaylor and thou be cast into Prison How many plagues are there impending over our Nation Families Persons how high are the provocations of our sins have we any heart to escape evil and fear of the judgments impending deserved and ready to fall on our heads Let us humble our selves under Gods hand let the Nation repent every Family repent and every particular soul repent for Repentance is our onely remedy of absolute necessity to divert the denounced judgments and anticipate impending plagues Repentance is not only a means to prevent judgments threatned but to remove them when inflicted Impenitency kindles Gods fury but obduracy maketh it flame Impenitency pulls the judgments of God on us but obduracy sealeth us under them to our ruine it is the very heighth of obduracy not to repent under the Rod they that fear not yet cannot but relent when they feel the smart of Gods anger the proudest Pharaoh that can out-face a threat with a What is the Lord that I should let Israel go is yet apt to cry under his plagues poured out I have sinned against the Lord. Gods wrath is never so severe or his hand so smarting but it will be stayed by sincere Repentance but never without it Repentance is the errand of his Rod as well as of his reproof where this prevaileth not that must walk I will go and return unto my place Hosea 5.15 for in their affliction they will seek me early The least remorse of a repenting Ephraim moves God to pity and Repentance and stayeth his correcting hand but stubbornnesse in sin must meet with bitternesse and severity in God when God takes stubborn hearts to task he addes to the number and nature of his chastisements untill their sturdy stomacks are taken down He walks contrary unto them that walk contrary unto him Lev. 4.26 and comes on them with seven times more plagues untill the uncircumcised heart be humbled and they confesse their iniquities this God will effect or he will break in pieces none must strive against him and prosper they that are hardened under his hands he handleth to their utter ruine Repentance is the natural genuine result of the Rod of heart-rending plagues it is a note of the highest impiety to persist in sin under punishment of all the Kings of Israel Ahaz is marked with this brand of incorrigiblenesse This is that King Ahaz who in his distresse did trespass yet more against the Lord 2 Chron. 28.22 Where there is any ingenuity there will be a repenting under the Rod by them that resisted the Word It is the ordinary note of most obstinate Israel when he slew them then they sought him Psal 78.34 Though they were not good any longer than whil'st they were beaten yet they were indeed exceeding bad when they resisted correction the worst tale that ever was told against Gods children is that by the Prophet Jeremy Thou hast stricken them and they have not grieved Thou hast consumed them but they have refused to receive correction and have made their faces harder than a Rock they have refused to return Jerem.