celebrated upon the fourteenth day of the first moneth Numb 9.3 he was content to be singular and to differ in his judgement and practise from the whole Church rather then he would swerve from Gods commandement even in so small a matter And for this cause though the whole Church did put of the passeover that yeare from the fourteenth to the sixteenth day of the first moneth because that was the Sabbath and by a tradition of the Elders they were forbidden to keepe two such festivities so neere together yet durst not our Saviour doe so but kept his passeover two dayes before them as appeareth Ioh. 19.14 the day that hee was crucified on which was you know the day after his passeover was the day before theirs the day of the preparation of the passeover The last example is Mordecayes of whom we read that he durst not do the smallest thing no not so much as yeeld a formall complementall curtesie to Haman being forbidden of God no not to prevent the destruction of the whole Church that was likely to have ensued upon it as you may see Ester 3.2.6 The precepts and rules we have in Gods word to guide us in this case are likewise three 1. We may not commit the least sin for the preventing of the greatest danger that may possibly ensue if we doe it not We may not do evill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 2. We may not wittingly commit or consent to the least sin no not for the preventing of a farre greater and fouler sin Neither can Lot be excused who to keepe the Sodomites from committing the sin against nature offered them his two daughters to commit adultery withall Genes 19.8 There can bee no such necessitie layd upon Gods child at any time that hee must needs doe either the smaller sins or the greater But in these two cases of exigency when there seemeth a necessity of sinning for the preventing of danger or for the preventing of greater sin we must follow the counsell of the Prophet Psal. 37.5 Commit thy way to the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to passe Rest upon the power and promises of God who can deliver us out of these perplexities without the helpe of any of our sins As Peter perswading Christian women from vanity and pride in their attire answereth a secret objection they might make against this Alas our husbands being infidels will hate us and misuse us yea and bee ready to fall to a liking of other women if we do not platt our haire and make our selves as brave as we can and paint us and follow every fashion to this he answereth by propounding to them the example of holy women of old time and telleth them how they armed themselves against this they trusted in God and were not afraid of any amazement and so doe you 1 Pet. 3.5 6. Thirdly and lastly Wee may not dare to doe any thing that we see cause to doubt that God hath forbidden it to be done Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eate As if the Apostle had said even this is sufficient to condemne a man if he repent not of it that he hath given liberty to himselfe to doe that that he doubted was unlawfull and forbidden of God The third and last thing I have to say unto these men is to advise and warne them to take heed how they hate and scorne any whom otherwise they can take no exception unto for their precisenesse in such things as themselves account trifles and toves But first enquire into their grounds and reasons why they doe so And if you find they have good warrant in the word to doe as they doe commend them encourage them imitate them and say with David Psal. 119.63 I am a companion of all them that feare thee and of them that keepe thy precepts But if you shall find that through their weakenesse and ignorance they mistake their grounds and have no good warrant for that they doe but are more scupulous and doubtfull in these things then they have just cause to be yet pity them instruct them with meeknesse and shew them their errour persecute them not nor hate them for the errour of their judgement but beare with them till they may be better informed We that are strong saith the Apostle Rom. 15.1 ought to beare with the infirmities of the weake and not to pleâ—se our selves And though they be in errour yet love them for this that they dare not do anything that they doubt would offend God Certainly this is a thing not to be derided and scorned but to bee beloved and commended whersoever we see it For this the Apostle loved the Iewes in his time and professeth Rom. 10.1 2. that his hearts desire and prayer to God for them was that they might be saved because he saw and hare them record that they had the zeale of God though it wâ—re not according to knowledge Take heed of hating any for this for this is a part of the image of God and worke of his spirit and therefore to hate this in any though I dare not say it is the sin against the holy Ghost yet do I confidently affirme that it is a neere neighbour unto it and though it be not impossible yet will certainly be found a very difficult and rare thing for any to be renewed by repentance that shall fall so farre Lecture XLVIII On Psalme 51.4 Febru 6. 1626. NOw followeth the reason why David professing his repentance and suing to God for mercy in the pardon of his sins doth make confession of his sin and accuse himselfe before God for it not only in generall termes but in particular and the reason is contained in these words That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be cleare when thou judgest For these words have reference not to those that go immediatly before them in this verse as if his meaning should be I have therefore sinned against thee and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest c. But these words have reference to the third verse and his meaning is this I acknowledge my transgressions and accuse my selfe in this manner that I may justifie thee and give glory unto thee and acknowledge thy righteousnesse both in that which thou hast spoken and threatned against me by thy servant Nathan and in those judgements also which thou hast already executed upon me in taking away my child and which thou shalt also hereafter be pleased to lay upon me for my sinne So that you see there be two parts of this reason why David doth thus confesse his sinne 1 That God might be justified in whatsoever he had spoken 2 That God might be cleared in the judgements he had already or should further execute upon him So that the first thing we have heere to observe is this that though the message the Lord had sent unto him that which he
that contradicteth God and his truth Now if Christians would make use but of these two rules certainely neither Popery nor Pelagianisme would ever deceive them Apply them to the matter we have now in hand and it will bee evident unto us that the doctrine of the Papists touching originall sin is not of God For 1. it giveth too much to man and keepeth him from being so much humbled and dejected in himselfe as hee ought to be 2. It directly opposeth and contradicteth that which the Lord hath expressely spoken in the holy Scriptures See this in three points which they teach touching originall sin First For the nature of originall sin they teach that though we be thereby so fettered and snared yea so wounded and weakened in our nature that wee cannot of our selves without the helpe of Gods grace do any thing that is good yet some ability is left in our nature wee can accept of the helpe of Gods grace when it is offered yea we can desire it also We are say they like the poore man that was travelling towards Iericho Luk 10.30 wee are wounded sore and left halfe dead And though wee have by originall sin lost that righteousnesse and perfection of nature in which man was first created and are now become by nature as prone to sin when occasion is offered and as apt to take hurt by any tentation as tinder or touch-wood is to take fire yet is there not therby any sinfull quality possitively infused into our nature Whereas the spirit of God in the holy Scripture speaketh expressely First That wee are by nature not only wounded and weakened and halfe dead till God quicken us but dead all out even the Elect are so by nature Ephes. 2.1 You hath hee quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins and verse 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath God quickened us Secondly That there is in us by nature no true desire at all to be helped by Gods grace out of this estate Phil. 2.13 It is God that worketh in you both to will and to doe of his good pleasure Iohn 8.44 The last of your father ye will doe And that which our Saviour saith of good wordes may likewise be said of good desires Mitch 12.34 O generation of vipers and certainly such are we all by nature how can yee being evill thinke good things or desire good things Thirdly That there is in us by nature no power nor willingnes to accept of the helpe of Gods grace when it is offered us but an utter aversenesse and unwillingnesse to accept of it yea an hatred unto it That we are apt to say to God even as the poore possessed man for certainly such are wee all by nature also even slaves to the devill 2. Tim. 2.26 Luke 4.34 Let us alone what have wee to doe with thee thou Iesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy us We gain-say and resist the worke of Gods grace in us till God by his mighty power do overcome us Rom. 10.11 All the day long have I stretched out my hands unto a disobedient and gaine-saying people And Rom. 8.7 The carnall mind is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can be Fourthly and lastly That our nature is not onely privatively evill and corrupt deprived of originall righteousnes and apt as tinder is to receive the fire of tentation but possitively evill and hath in it a poisonfull and corrupt quality even the seeds of all sin that cannot choose but worke and bring forth evill thoughts and words and actions Gen 8.21 The imagination of mans heart is evill not prone onely to bee evill from his youth Yea cap. 6.5 Every imagination of the thoughts of his heart is onely evill continually Insomuch as wee even the Elect of God are by nature ranke enemies to God and rebells against him You were saith the Apostle Col. 1.21 alienated and enemies in your minds unto him And thus you see how in this first point of their Doctrine concerning originall sin they do plead for man and do directly oppose and contradict the spirit of God But the second and third points are worse then this Secondly They teach that the corruption of our nature the untowardnesse of our heart to that that is good that is no sin no nor the concupiscence and lust that riseth from it the motions unto evill what evill soever it bee that wee feele in our selves are no sins till we consent unto them and obey them till they raigne in us Whereas 1. The spirit of God in the holy Scripture expressely calleth it sin As here in this place Psal. 51.5 I was borne in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive mee And in three chapters of the Epistle to the Romanes that is to say the sixt seventh and eight fourteene times at the least and Heb. 12.1 The sin that doth so easily beset us And shall wee say that that is not properly and indeed a sin which the holy Ghost so often calleth sin Secondly The spirit of God in the holy Scriptures speaketh expressely that our originall corruption is the cause of all actuall sins that the foulest sins that ever men committed come all from this root Every man is tempted saith the Apostle Iames 1.14 when hee is drawne away of his owne lust and entised It is our owne corrupt nature that tempteth us that draweth us away that entiseth us to all sins So also the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 saith all the corruption that is in the world is through lust And may wee not truly and properly call that sin that is the cause of all the foulest sins in the world May wee not well call that an evill tree upon which all this evill fruit doth grow Surely wee may or else our Saviours rule will faile Matth. 12.33 The tree is knowne by his fruit Thirdly The spirit of God in the holy Scripture teacheth us expressely that infants yea infants that are baptized which have no other sin but this originall sin and corruption of nature in them and who never consented to it nor obeyed it in the lusts thereof doe dye Rom. 5 14. Death raigned from Adam to Moses even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression And therefore it must needs be sin and may be truly and properly so called for sin is the only cause of death and none can dye but those that are sinners either by imputation as Christ was who was made sin for us as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.21 or really and personally as all Adams posterity are Rom. 5.12 By one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Fourthly and lastly The spirit of God in the holy Scriptures expressely teacheth us that this concupiscence even in the regenerate these evill motions that rise in us though we consent not unto them though wee resist them are yet a swerving from the
assured Peter before his fearefull fall Luke 22 32. not to make him lesse fearefull of falling but that it might be an helpe to his repentance after hee was fallen and as it were a cord for him to catch at and take hold of to keepe him from sinking in the guise of despaire and to draw him out of it hee I say that did then give assurance unto him that his faith should not faile nor utterly dye in him but he should certainely find mercy with God to rise againe by repentance for so his words plainely import When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren hee hath given the same assurance to every elect and beleeving man that his faith shall never utterly faile but he shall certainly find mercy with God to rise againe by repentance For he prayed so for every beleever as well as for Peter as is plaine Iohn 17.15.20 And he hath said of every true beleever Iohn 5 24. Verily verily I say unto you he that heareth my word and beleeveth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death into life The fourth and last difference betweene the falls of the wicked and of the regenerate man in respect of the danger of them is this That whereas wickked men being the people of Gods curse as the Lord calleth them Esay 34.5 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the children of the curse as the Apostle speaketh 2. Pet. 2 14. every thing that belongeth unto them but specially every sinne they commit is accursed unto them and tendeth to make their state worse and worse and to make them more and more apt to sinne more and more unable to repent They yeeld themselves servants to iniquity unto iniquitie as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6.19 As if hee had said this is all the good they shall get by their service of sin that by committing one sin they shall become more apt to commit another and so by filling up a great measure of sin which is said to have beene the cause why the Amorites were spared so long Gen. 15.16 they might heape up wrath as Elihu speaketh Iob 36.12 against the day of wrath It is quite contrary with the regenerate For as they are called to be heires of blessing as the Apostle speaketh 1 Peter 3.9 so all things shall worke together for their good Rom. 8.28 Every thing that befalleth them yea even their foulest sins that God permitteth them to fall into shall by the grace of repentance make for their good they shall tend to the bettering of them and making of them more happy men then otherwise they would have beene Insomuch as that which David saith of his affliction Psal. 119 7◠It is good for me that I have beene afflicted that both David and all the faithfull have cause to say of their grievous falls Gods grace turning them to matter of greater repentance it is good for me that God did leave me to my selfe This is an incredible thing and dangerous also to bee taught you will say for this seemeth to give great encouragement unto the committing of any sinne and what need men bee afraid of sinne their sinnes shall doe them good that they shall become by them the better and more happy men But to this I answer That their damnation is just that make such inferences and conclusions from this Doctrine as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 3.8 that say let us therefore doe evill that good may come of it And who will therefore desire and runne into any affliction or misery because hee hath heard that it shall bee good for Gods children that they have beene afflicted It is no naturall effect of sinne to doe any man good that committeth it nay nothing is more contrary to the nature of sinne then this is sinne is a most deadly poison and the most naturall effect of it is to destroy him that committeth it and to make him miserable everlastingly The good that commeth to the faithfull this way is to bee imputed not unto their sinnes but to the infinite power of God that was able to make the light to rise out of darkenesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 4 6. And to the wisedome and goodnesse of our heavenly Physitian that maketh a soveraigne medicine of this deadly poison This he is able to doe and this he doth to al his children he sanctifieth unto them their falls and maketh them meanes of their good and that sundry wayes First By this meanes hee humbleth them more soundly and so maketh them more capable of comfort and of every other grace For as none doe ever attaine to any comfortable communion with Christ or great measure of any other saving grace that have not first beene humbled in sense of their owne sinnes I dwell with him saith the Lord Esa. 47.15 that is of a contrite and humble spirit And God giveth grace to the humble Iames 4.6 So the Lord knoweth that many would never bee soundly humbled if hee should not leave them sometimes to themselves and let them take such falls Thus was Hezeckiahs fall sanctified unto him For when God had left him as wee read hee did 2 Chron. 32.31 and he fell in that height of pride that provoked God highly not onely against himselfe but against all his kindome as wee read verse 25. this fall of his had more force to humble him and did him more good that way then that great affliction hee had had a little before either through the extreame feare hee was in of the host of Senacherib verse 1.2 20. or through that mortall sicknesse wherby the Lord had visited him verse 24. was able to do and so the holy Ghost saith verse 26. Hezechiah humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart And so was it also with David heere Hee was more soundly and deeply humbled by this when God left him to himselfe to fall into these fearefull sins then by all the afflictions hee had endured under Saul He was never able to offer unto God the sacrifice of so broken and contrite an heart which he speaketh of verse 17. untill now Secondly By this meanes God maketh his servants more fearefull to offend him more watchfull over their wayes more carefull to please him to love him and to cleave close unto him then otherwise they would have beene if they had never so fallen The burnt child we say will dread the fire And as Paul saith of Onesimus Phil. 15. Perhaps hee therefore departed for a season that thou shouldest receive him for ever As if he should say It may bee God in his providence so disposed of his sinne in running away from thee and absenting himselfe from thee for a time that even this sinne of his his former unfaithfullnesse will be a meane to make him a better servant unto thee and so thou shalt have more cause to love him and take comfort in him while hee liveth So may it bee truly said of
reward them oft that serve his providence in his justice for the ruine and destruction of men though they have no goodnesse in them at all it is no marvell though he reward them much more who by some goodnesse that is in them doe serve his providence in the preservation and welfare of men Secondly These civill vertues must needs be good things and such as God doth love and will reward because they are such things as God hath in his law commanded The Gentiles saith the Apostle Romanes 2.14 15. doe by nature the things contained in the law and shew the worke of the law written in their hearts As if hee should say These things doe evidently shew and declare that the law of God is written in their hearts You see then Beloved wee doe not discommend civill honesty wee doe not discourage naturall men from doing good workes wee doe not condemne all the workes of naturall men nor say that whatsoever they doe that are not religious is abominable and naught Nay wee heartily wish there were much more civill honesty in the world then there is Hee that is truly religious would bee ashamed that any naturall man should bee more honest then hee True religion is no enemy to civill and morall honesty nay it is a great nourisher and increaser of it It is a dangerous errour that most men are growne now unto to thinke it indiscretion and want of learning and judgement in a Minister to stand much in pressing of points of morality in his Sermon or in particular reproofe of such faults as are committed by men in their buying and selling and such like passages of their ordinary conversation and dealings one with another It is thought now adayes there is no divinity in this they goe besides their Text when they deale in these things No no beloved bee not deceived Those points that God in his Word standeth most upon wee must presse most in our ministery and those are these matters of your common practise It is a strange thing to observe how plentifull and particular and precise the Holy Ghost is in pressing men to deale justly in all their dealings with men even in weights and measures of all sorts You shall doe no unrighteousnesse in judgement saith the Lord Levit. 19.35 36 in mâ—â—eyard in weight or in measure Iust ballances just weight a just Ephah and a just Hiâ— shall ye have I am the Lord your God that brought you out of the land of Egypt And againe Deut. 25.13 16. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights of one kind hee meaneth a great and a small Thou shalt not have in thine house diverse measures a great and a small one to buy by another to sell by But thou shalt have a perfect and a just weight a perfect and just measure shalt thou have that thy daies may bee lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee For all that doe such things and all that doe unrighteously marke it I pray you all that doe unrighteously in what kind soever are an abomination unto the Lord thy God Marke also I pray you how much the Apostles in the New Testament doe presse upon Gods people in their exhortations that they would bee carefull to walke honestly Walke honestly towards them that are without saith the Apostle Paul 1 Thess. 4.12 And the Apostle Peter 1 Pet. 2.12 Have your conversation honest among the Gentiles And the Apostle Paul againe Phil. 4.8 Whatsoever things are honest think on these things As if he had said Be not forgetfull or carelesse of such things And Rom. 13.13 Let us walke honestly as in the day And in the following words he instanceth in some speciall points of dishonesty he would have them to take heed of It is dishonesty to be drunke yea to use rioting idle-company-keeping haunting and sitting at the ale-house to drinke or to game though a man bee never drunke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he It is dishonesty to use chambering and wantonnesse secret familiarity and dalliance with a woman lascivious speeches and gestures though a man never commit whordome Yea it is dishonesty saith the Apostle for a man to live in strife and envying to be a contentious person unpeaceable unquiet though he never oppresse or defraud or wrong his neighbour any other way Provide things honest saith he againe Rom. 12.17 In the sight of all men The word he useth there is worth the observing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if he had said Cast for this before hand take care of this that you do nothing that is dishonest that you faile not in any point of honesty by no meanes And he professeth Heb. 13.18 that this was a thing himselfe tooke much comfort in that he had a good conscience in all things willing to live honestly And what meaneth he by honesty Surely such duties of the second table which the light of nature teacheth men to make conscience of And why I pray you doe the Apostles stand so much upon commending honesty unto Gods people Surely for two causes First Because they knew that nothing would grace religion so much and win it credit in the eyes of all men as this would doe when they see that they that professe it are of honest conversation just men and faithfull and courteous and meeke and patient and humble and kind and mercifull men This reason the Apostle giveth 1 Pet 2.12 Having your conversation saith he honest among the Gentiles that where as they speake against you as evill doers they may by your good workes which they shall behold that is by your honesty such workes as they by the light of nature know to be good workes glorifie God in the day of visitation Secondly Because they knew that on the other side nothing doth make religion so odious and contemptible in the world nor so much harden the hearts of men against it as the want of honesty in such as doe professe it that they are guilty of such things as even by the light of nature all men may discerne to bee grosse and vile When the Canaanites and Perizzites had seene what the sonnes of Iacob had done to the Shechemites how they had broken their promise and covenant with them how cruelly and barbarously they had used them and all under a colour of zeale for their owne religion this made Iacob and his religion though alas he was farre from approving or consenting to this that they had done stink among the inhabitants of the land as himselfe saith Gen. 34. â—0 You see beloved what moved the Apostles to commend honesty so much unto Gods people in their times and surely the same reasons have moved mee to speake so much in the commendation of it unto you at this time Never was it more neglected by some professours of religion then now it is never did the Gospell receive more dishonour and reproach through the neglect of it then now it doth I beseech you
of this exhortation will appeare to us in three things First There is never a one of us can assure our selves for any one day that we shall be exempted from crosses and afflictions in one kinde or other in one degree or other God judgeth the righteous saith the Prophet Psal. 7.11 and is angry with the wicked every day And our Saviour Mat. 6.34 Sufficient for the day is the evill thereof Every day for the most part bringeth with it some evill and affliction some crosse and occasion of griefe or other Specially this falleth out to be so with them that live in the Church of God and professe his truth The just God saith the Prophet Zeph. 3.5 is in the midst thereof every morning doth he bring his judgement to light he faileth not Yea the better proceedings that any of us have made in Christs Schoole the more grace is in us the more sure shall we be to meet with crosses every day All the day long saith David Psal. 73.14 have I beene plagued and chastened every morning So that in this respect you see this exhortation unto patience and submitting our selves humbly to the will of God in all his corrections is of daily use for every one of us Secondly Admit we were for the present never so free from troubles and crosses yet have we all cause to looke for troublesome and evill times We I say even we in this land if ever people in the world had cause so to doe We have enjoyed a long summers day of light of peace and prosperity but if we consider our great sinnes to us may now be applyed that speech of the Prophet Ier. 6.4 Wo unto us for the day goeth away for the shadowes of the evening are stretched out Many signes there be that our day will not last long that our night approacheth apace In the morning saith our Saviour Mat. 16.3 ye say it will be soule weather for the skie is red and louring O ye hypocrites ye can discerne the face of the skie but can ye not discerne the signes of the times Certainly our skie is now red and louring and he is a senslesse and secure hypocrite that doth not expect some great storme and tempest In this respect therefore wee have also need of this exhortation every one of us It is wisdome in summer to provide for winter as the Lord teacheth us by the example of the Pismire Pro. 6.8 She provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest and to get our weapons in a readinesse and skill also to use them well before the time of warre do come as the Apostle teacheth Ephes. 6.13 Take unto you the whole armour of God that ye may bee able to withstand in the evill day Thirdly and lastly The necessity of this exhortation will appeare if wee consider well how hard a lesson this is to learne how prone the best of us all are to impatiency and murmuring against the corrections of God Affliction is in its owne nature as bitter as any gall to flesh and bloud our nature abhorreth nothing more No chastening saith the Apostle Heb. 12.1 for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous It is no easie thing when we shall feele Gods stripes to smart indeed to keepe downe our unruly passions and to beare them without some repining and murmuring against God Our afflictions are called our infirmities 2 Cor. 11.30 the best are apt to bewray weakenesse in them Even where the spirit is most ready the flesh will shew it â—elfe to be weake as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 26.41 Specially it will be hard for such as we are that have enjoyed so long peace and ease and prosperity to endure any sharpe affliction such as our poore brethren in the Palatinate Bohemia Germany and France have done This made the crosse a great deale heavier to the Church then otherwise it would have beene as she complaineth unto God Psal. 102.10 Thou hast lifted me up and cast me downe As if she had said If thou hadst not lifted me up so high with many favours and blessings of thine that I did enjoy my fall would not have beene halfe so painefull unto me as now it is We have therefore all need of this exhortation to patience under Gods corrections of what kind soever they shall be in these three respects as you have heard yea we have need to have it pressed upon us in the most forcible and effectuall manner that may be And to this end I will endeavour to force it upon my selfe and you all 1. By shewing the notes and properties of true patience whereby it may be discerned from that that is counterfait 2. By giving you certaine motives that may stirre us up and perswade us to seeke for this grace 3. By directing you to the meanes that are to be used for the attaining to it For the first then I must give you seven notes whereby we may know what true patience is and whether we have yet obtained this grace First True patience is a fruit and effect of repentance and humiliation for sinne So it was heere in David If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled saith the Lord Levit. 26.41 and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity It is not a signe of true patience to be unsensible under Gods judgements though many please themselves greatly in this they have had such and such crosses and they never murmured they thanke God nor were disquieted with them This is a great sinne not to take notice of Gods judgements when they light upon us Esa. 42.25 He hath poured upon Iacob the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart When God sheweth himselfe to be angry with us by smiting and correcting us shall we thinke this a vertue in us not to be affected with it Oh no this is a grievous sinne Ier. 5.3 Thou hast stricken them but they have not grieved If our mortall parents should shew themselves displeased and angry with us would it not trouble and humble us Num. 12.14 how much more when God sheweth himselfe so This is an extreame height of rebellion to despise Gods judgements Esa. 22.12 14. The man that is truly patient is very sensible of Gods strokes and of his sinnes that made God to strike him and yet he beareth them patiently and therefore he beareth them patiently because he knoweth his sin is the cause of them See an example of this in the mirrour of true patience blessed Iob even when he shewed his patience most and could say Iob 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers wombe and naked shall I returne thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord Yet was hee deepely humbled with the strange judgements of God verse 20. He rent his mantle and shaved his head
must carefull to give good example unto your children cause it to appeare unto them in your whole conversation that your selves doe unfainedly feare God and love good things See three notable presidents and examples of this care 1. In Abraham of whom God giveth this testimony Gene. 18.19 that hee knew him that he would command his sons and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord hee would goe before them himselfe in that way 2. In Ioshua I and my house saith he Iosh. 24.15 will serve the Lord. 3. In David Ps. 101.2 I will walke in the uprightnesse of mine heart in the midst of mine house Without this neither your commandements nor correction nor instruction will doe them any good Therefore Paul requireth this even of Timothy and Titus men of such rare and extraordinary gifts to see they gave good example as well as teach well 1 Timothy 4.12 Bee thou the example of the beleevers And Titus 2 7. In all things shew thy selfe a patterne of good workes As if hee had said you shall hardly doe good upon the people by your doctrine if they shall not discerne in your lives that your selves do beleeve and make conscience of that which you teach and perswade them unto On the otherside there is great force in example to draw others either to good or evill See the force of a good example even in an inferiour specially such a one as we love They that obey not the word saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.1 may without the word be wonne by the good conversation of the wives And the example of a superiour of one whom we not only love but reverence in our hearts is of more force then any inferiours can be The Apostle saith Galat. 2.14 that Peter by his example compelled the Gentiles to doe as the Iewes did But domesticall examples specially the example of parents is of more force with their children to do them either good or hurt then all other examples are See the force it hath to draw our children to goodnesse at least in outward conformity in three notable examples It is said of Amazia King of Iuda 2 Kin 14.3 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet not like David his father he did according to all things as Ioash his father did And of Azaria or Vzziah his son â— Kin. 15 3. Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that Amaziah his father had done And of Iotham his son 2 Kings 15.34 Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord he did according to all that his father Vzziah had done And on the other side see the force that the parents example hath to corrupt their children in three other examples The first of Zacharia the King of Israel of whom it is said 2 Kings 15.9 Hee did evill in the sight of the Lord as his fathers had done he departed not from the sins of Ieroboam hee would be of his fathers religion The second is of the Samaritans of whom it is said 2 King 17 41. These nations feared the Lord made some kind of profession of the true religion as the ten tribes had done and served their graven Images too both their children and their childrens children did thus as did their fathers so doe they unto this day The example of their fathers drew them unto that idolatry and rooted them in it The third is of the kingdome and Church of Iudah of which wee read Iere. 17.1 2. that the maine reason why they were so setled in their idolatry that there was no hope of reclaiming them it was graven upon the table of their heart as with a pen of Iron or with the point of a Diamond the reason of it I say is rendered to bee this that their children remembred their altars and their groves by the greene trees upon the high hills And certainly so it is also in these dayes A chiefe cause why profanesse and impiety doth so cleave to the hearts of most men that no meanes are powerfull enough to reclaime them is the evill example of parents O thinke of this you that are parents and if nothing els will reclaime you from lewdnesse and make you carefull to take heed to your wayes yet let your love to your children doe it that you may not corrupt them by your evill example Is it not wrong enough that you have done unto them in conveying into them so corrupt and cursed a nature but will you also by your evill example make them two-fold more the children of hell then they were by nature The fourth meanes parents must use for the saving of their childrens soules is this They must take heed how they dispose of them when they place them abroad from them And as every true Christian will bee carefull of placing of himselfe that however he do for other commodities and conveniences he will not live where hee shall want the meanes of grace but resolveth with David Psal. 23.6 I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life So will hee in placing of his children be carefull that they may doe so too They must take heed what schoole-masters and tutors they send them to what services and what marriages they place them in 1. The Apostle Paul reporteth Act. 22 3 that he was sent by his parents to Ierusalem the best schoole the best Vniversity the best colledge to Gamaliel the best teacher the best tutour there where he was was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and learned to bee to zealous towards God 2. As for services it is threatned as a great curse to Gods people that their children should serve the greatest Noble man yea the greatest Prince in the world if he be a wicked man and enemy to God yea though they serve him in the highest offices that may be Thy sons that shall issue from thee saith the Lord to Hezechiah Esa. 39.7 shall be Eunuches in the palace of the King of Babylon 3. For marriages we see the care of Abraham first Gen. 24.3 4. and of Rebecca after Gen. 27 46. that their children might by no meanes match with the Canaanites Certainly in this point most parents do evidently bewray they have no care at all of their childrens soules In placing of their children any of these three wayes they aime at nothing but this that they may get that that may make them able to live and to live in credit but as for living under the meanes of grace for living so as they may live eternally that they have no respect at all unto Whereby they shew themselves to be wholy sensuall not having the spirit as the Apostle speaketh Iude 19. The fift and last meanes without which all the former are to no purpose is prayer Parents must be earnest with God in prayer for their children Solomons mother calleth
him the son of her vowes Pro. 31.2 she had beene wont to pray much for him They should not onely use these meanes but pray earnestly to God to give them wisdome to know what they may do to destroy corruption and breed grace in their children They should pray as Manoah did Iudg. 13.8 Lord teach me what I shall do to the child that thou hast given me We should do as the woman of Canaan did complaine to God of the corruption that is in our childrens natures and desire him to heale it Have mercy on me O Lord saith she Mat. 15.22 my child is miserably vexed with a divell And as Iob did Iob 1.5 offer sacrifice daily for them pray daily for them that God would forgive them their sins Now to conclude all this that I have said touching the Meanes that parents are to use for the restraining and weakning of that corruption in their children which they have infected them with and to breed grace in them Though I cannot assure you that if you use these meanes you shall see the effect and fruit of them in every one of your children but you may justly object that many parents that have been as carefull as is possible in the use of these means have had as ungracious children as any others for the Lord is the God of all grace and the onely author of it 1 Pet. 5.10 and he giveth successe and fruit to all meanes thereof 1 Cor. 3.6 and he worketh herein most freely according to the good purpose of his owne will as the wind bloweth where it listeth Ioh 3.8 he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth Rom. 9.18 Yet have I two things to say for your incouragement and comfort that are Christian parents 1 None have more cause to expect and with patience to wait for a blessing from God in the use of the meanes of grace towards any then you have towards your children because of the promises God hath made to you concerning your children Gen. 17.7 Psal. 22.29 30. Esa. 44.3 And the fruit of your labour may appeare hereafter though it do not yet as experience hath proved in many good mens children that for a long time lived most ungraciously 2. Admit God be never pleased to vouchsafe a blessing to your labours in your children yet shall your labours and the fruit of them rebound into your own bosome Psal. 35.13 For 1 you highly please God in doing your duty and he accepteth your worke neverthelesse Esa. 49.4 2 Cor. 8.12 which will yeeld you unspeakable comfort 2 Cor. 1.12 2 You have hereby delivered your owne soules so as the sins and damnation of your ungracious children shall never be imputed unto you Ezek. 3.19 Lecture LVII On Psalme 51.5 May 15. 1627. WE have already heard that from these words being opened and cleared from the cavills of the Anabaptists these three doctrines do naturally arise 1. That every infant so soone as it is borne and conceived standeth guilty of sinne before God and is by nature the child of wrath 2. That this sinne that every infant standeth guilty of by nature and whereby it doth deserve eternall damnation is derived to it from Adam by the parents 3. That this sin which every infant is guilty of and which is derived to it from Adam by the parents is the chiefe sin and that which above all others may make us odious and abominable unto God The two former of these doctrines we have already finished it followeth now that we proceed unto the third and last of them We must therefore observe that David doth not mention heere the sinfullnesse and corruption of his nature wherein he was borne and conceived to lessen or extenuate the murder and adultery that he had committed as if his meaning had beene to say unto God Lord there is cause thou shouldst pitie me and have mercy on me and not lay these sinnes to my charge seeing I could do no otherwise I did but my kind the corruption of my nature which I received from my parents was the cause of it No no he hath no purpose at all heere to minse or lessen his sin to excuse or defend himselfe before God but for his further humiliation and abasing himselfe before God he aggravateth his sinne and ascendeth in his confession to an higher step and degree of it As if he had said I have not onely sinned against thee and done this evill of adultery and murder in thy sight but I have done it out of the corruption of my vile nature I was not drawne to it through the violence of any sudden tentation but mine owne filthy nature drew me to it I am not onely guilty of this adultery and murder but I am more vile then so for I have in me and had so soone as I had any being a fountaine of all sinne for which thou maiest justly abhorre me and I loath my selfe much more then for my other sinnes For when they are repented of and I am delivered from the guilt and power of them yet this cursed root of all sinne that is in me will never be destroied till I be destroied my selfe This is the meaning of David here And therefore 1. He doubleth the words of this complaint which he maketh here unto God of his originall sin the corruption of his nature I was brought forth in iniquity and in sinne my mother conceived mee 2. He setteth before this his complaint of the corruption of his nature this word of attention behold as if hee should say this this is it that humbleth me most of all And from these words then wherein David doth in this manner complaine unto God of the corruption of his nature we have this doctrine to learne for our owne instruction That our originall sinne that corruption of nature wherein wee were borne and conceived is the sinne of all others fro which the Lord may most justly abhorre us and for which we should be most humbled and abased in our selves See the proofe of both the branches of this doctrine distinctly First That this is the sinne for which the Lord may most justly abhorre us Man saith Eliphaz Iob 15.16 that is every man which must needs be understood in respect of his nature is filthy and abominable in his sight And the Apostle Ephes. 2.3 We are even by nature the children of wrath As if he had said If we had no other sinne but that the very sinfullnesse of our nature maketh us worthy of Gods wrath and odious unto him This truth the Lord shaddowed out to his people under the law by sundry ceremonies For whereas you shall find few or no lawes made for the shutting men out from the tabernacle which was a type of heaven for actuall sinnes there are many against them that were defiled with such impurities as did typify the corruption of our nature by originall sinne The leper though he were a King might not be
onely evill continually When we have by faith and repentance mortified one sin and cleansed our selves of it another will rise out of the ashes of it this vile nature of ours will cast up some other mire and dirt some wretched motion or other to defile us withall 3. And what are the motions and lusts it will stirre up in us Surely there is no sin so foule and unnaturall but we shall find it will be ready to stirre up motions and incliâ—ations unto it even in the best of Gods children motions of atheisme and blasphemy motions of desparation and of every other foule sin Sin wrought in me saith the Apostle Rom. 7 â— all mannâ—r of concupiscence Thirdly It is an universall corruption and leprosie that goeth over the whole man the understanding and conscience and memory and will and affections all are corrupted by it It is a leaven that sowreth the whole lump as the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 5.6 Fourthly and lastly We can never be rid of it while we live It dwelleth in us as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 7.17 It is an inmate that will never be gotten out till the house be pulled downe It is an hereditary disease as we have heard which no Physician can cure that that is bred in the bone will never out of the flesh Lecture LXI On Psalme 51.5 Iune 19. 1627. THe uses that this doctrine serveth unto are foure principally 1 To informe and settle our judgements 2 To humble and abate the pride of our hearts 3 To exhort us to seeke the cure of this dangerous leprosy 4 and lastly To breed thankfullnesse in our hearts towards God and admiration of his goodnes to such vile wretches as we are For the first This Doctrine serveth notably to confirme us against popery by discovering to us the grosse errour of the Papists in their doctrine of originall sin And yet would I according to my custome content my selfe to ground and confirme you in the truth and not trouble you with confuting their errours were it not for three reasons that move me to it 1. That by confirming you against the errour of the Papists in this point I shall also preserve you from the errour of the Semi-Pelagians who as in sundry other maine articles of our Christian religion so in this agree to well with the Papists 2. That the errour of the Papists in the Doctrine of originall sin is maintained by them as a prop and stay to many other of their damnable doctrines which doe depend upon this Take away their errour in the doctrine of originall sin and then their doctrines of 1 freewill of 2 preparatory works of 3 the regenerate mans ability to keepe the whole law of 4 justification by works of 5 merit cannot stand but must needs fall to the ground 3. Because I discerne strong inclinations in many now adayes to thinke better of Popery then they were wont to do And yet was popery never worse then it is now neither was there ever Church or nation that had more cause to detest it then our Church and nation hath neither had our Church and nation ever more cause to detest it then at this time Now for our entrance into this use of confutation two generall rules I will give you whereby you may try all doctrines in religion whether they bee of God or no. First That Doctrine and religion that ascribeth any thing to man in the matter of his salvation that giveth unto man any the least cause of boasting or confidence in himselfe that doth not give all the glory to God and ascribe the whole praise of mans salvation to the free grace of God alone that doctrine certainely is not of God For the maine drift of the holy Scripture is to abase and pull downe the pride of man to make him even to despaire of himselfe and to advance and set up the glory of Gods free grace 1 Cor. 1.29 That no flâ—sh may rejoyce in his presence and verse 31. He that rejoyceth let him rejoyce in the Lord. And Rom. 3.27 Where is boasting then It is excluded By what law or doctrine Of works Nay but by the law or doctrine of faith Where we see the Doctrine of justification by works proved a false doctrine and the Doctrine of Iustification by faith onely proved a true Doctrine by this argument because the one leaveth unto man some matter of boasting the other doth not So Eph. 2.8 9. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should rejoyce This note our Saviour giveth of a true teacher Iohn 7.18 He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his owne glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousnes is in him The true teacher doth in his Doctrine and ministery ascribe all glory unto God And this note Paul giveth of the true Church and religion Phil. 3.3 We are the circumcision which rejoyce in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the flesh And this is the first rule I said I would give you to try all doctrines and religions by The true religion giveth all glory to God and none at all to man The second rule is this That doctrine and religion that is most agreeable to naturall reason and groundeth it selfe upon it and not upon the holy Scripture onely that doctrine and religion certainely is not of God This rule we find given us Esa. 8.20 To the law and to the testimony if they speake not according to this word it is because there it no light in them And Iam. 3.15 This wisdome descendeth not from above but is earthly naturall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and divellish That wisdome that is naturall agreeable unto grounded upon naturall reason is not from above but it is earthly and divelish For naturall reason is blind as a beetle in these matters 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very same word that Iames useth receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Whereas on the other side the holy Scriptures are a perfect direction able as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 3.15 to make a man wise unto salvation and a sure direction therefore can never deceive us Thy testimonies saith the Prophet Psal. 93.5 are very sure For they were all given by divine inspiration of God 2 Tim. 3.16 It is Gods Word 2 Pet. 1.21 The prophesy of the Scripture came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake and wrote too as they were moved by the Holy Ghost So that he that contradicteth the Scripture in any point contradicteth God himselfe And therefore when the great Antichrist is discribed 2 Thess. 2.4 this is one chiefe note that is given us to know him by hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that opposeth himselfe unto
law of God and a breach of it For the law of God requireth of us that wee should love the Lord with all our heart and with all our soule and with all our strength and with all our mind Luke 10.27 And so can we not doe if there be in our heart or soules or mind at any time an evill thought or an evill motion Yet the Scripture teacheth us that this concupiscence or corruption of our nature even in the regenerate◠doth not onely swerve from the law of God but that it doth oppose and resist the spirit of God I see saith the Apostle Rom. 7.23 another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other And therefore it must needs be sin For so the Apostle defineth sin 1 Iohn 3.4 Sinne is the transgression of the law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word this is to teach us that every swerving from the Law is sin This was the argument that convinced Pauls conscience Rom 7.7 I had not knowne lust to be a sin except the Law in the tenth commandement had sayd thou shalt not covet And what kind of lust and concupiscence meaneth hee That which we delight in or consent unto No verily for by the light of nature hee might have knowne that to be a sin heathen men have acknowledged that to be sin hee must needs meane that concupiscence those motions unto evill which the heart doth not delight in nor consent unto Wee have heard how directly the Papists oppose the spirit of God in these two points of their Doctrine of Orignall sin and all to advance the nature of man but I will shew you yet a greater abomination in their Doctrine then these two Their third errour is farre worse then the former two For they teach that the corruption of nature that remaineth in the regenerate the concupiscence and evill motions that they have and consent not to but resist are so farre from defiling their good workes that they make them more meritorious before God then otherwise they could bee because they are done notwithstanding such a combat and resistance as they find in themselves against them I will not trouble you with many words in the confutation of so palpable an errour as this Two reasons only I will give you against it First If this should be true then should the obedience and good workes that mortall and fraile and sinfull men men who have while they carry this flesh about them many infirmities and imperfections bee better and deserve to be more acceptable and pleasing unto God then the good workes of such as have had no imperfection no infirmity in them I grant that God doth indeed in the riches of his grace and mercy in Christ accept of our poore services never the worse for this untowardnesse of our corrupt natures that wee are faine to combate and struggle with in the performance of them according to that of the Apostle Hebr. 6.10 God is not unrighteous that hee should forget your worke and labour of love But to say that this corruption and untowardnesse of our nature the evill thoughts and motions of infidelity blasphemy worldlinesse that trouble us in our best duties are no sins doe not at all defile them but make them the better and more meritorious in the sight of God is little better then grosse blasphemy For then should our poore unperfect and maimed obedience bee better and deserve to bee more acceptable unto God not only then Adams was before his fall and then that is which the Saints in heaven doe now yeeld unto God but even then the obedience of Christ himselfe for he found in himselfe no corruption of nature to struggle with nor to hinder him in it as we doe My second reason against this their last errour is this That if the corruption of nature the regenerate are faine to strive withall doth not at all defile their good workes but maketh them the more meritorious before God then certainely would not the choicest of Gods servants that wee read of in the Scripture have beene so humbled for it cryed out and complained of it unto God counted themselves so vile and wretched creatures by reason of it as they did Would David have so complained unto God here and beene humbled for his naturall corruption even more then for his adultery and murder and would hee have so cryed out of himselfe Behold I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne did my mother conceive mee And Iob 40.4 Behold I am vile And Esay the Prophet Esa. 6.5 Woe is mee for I am undone And the Church Esa. 64.6 We are all as an uncleane man and all our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs And the blessed Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the body of this death As if hee had said this is a death to mee and nothing so much as this Would all the Saints of God I say have so complained of the corruption of nature that was in them though it did not reigne in them though they obeyed it not in the lusts thereof if they had beleeved as the Church of Rome beleeveth If they had esteemed so lightly of it as Papists do If they had thought it had beene no sinne If they had beene perswaded it was so farre from defiling their good workes that it made them the better even more meritorious before God But I have beene too long in this use of confutation which yet I hope hath not beene altogether unusefull and unprofitable unto you Lecture LXII on Psalme 51.5 Iune 26. 1627. THE second use of this Doctrine is to humble us to abate the pride of our hearts and to cause us to thinke basely of our selves This is one maine end the Lord hath respect unto in not perfecting the worke of regeneration in any of his servants in this life but suffering much corruption of nature to remaine still in them even that hee might humble them and keepe them from pride thereby This is plaine in the Apostles case 2 Cor. 12.7 A thorne in the flesh was given him some lust or other stirred in him and put him to paine left hee should bee exalted Hee dealeth with his people in this case now whom hee bringeth into the Kingdome of heaven into the state of grace as hee did with them of old when hee brought them into the land of Canaan the type of the Kingdome of heaven hee driveth not out all these Canaanites that they might bee scourges in our sides and thornes in our eyes to vex and humble us as Ioshuah speaketh Iosh. 23.13 Great force there is in this to humble the heart of a man that hath grace in him to consider how vile his nature is and what aboundance of corruption doth still remaine in him The naturall man indeed is never the humbler for this because hee hath no
sight nor sense of it but the godly man is The proudest man that is if he should bee smitten with a leprosie or some such loathsome disease from top to toe would bee much humbled with it And how can Gods child choose but bee much humbled when hee seriously doth thinke of this leprosie of his soule that as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 1.6 From the sole of the foot even to the top of the head in understanding conscience memory will affections there is no soundnesse in him but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores The proudest man that is would bee much dejected and abased in himselfe if from an high and wealthy estate God should cast him into extreame poverty and beggery And the Lord speaketh of this as of a fruit of such judgements Esa. 13.11 that hee will thereby cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and will lay low the haughtinesse of the terrible And so must Gods child needs whose eyes God hath opened when hee discerneth and considereth seriously what state he was once in by creation and what he is now how wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked as Christ speaketh to the Laodiceans Rev. 3.17 This knowledge and sense of our spirituall poverty will certainly make us humble in our selves and humble towards others also As our Saviour plainly teacheth Matth. 5.3 5. in the connexion of the three first beatitudes Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that mourne blessed are the meeke They that are poore in spirit cannot choose but mourne and bee humbled in themselves for it and they that are truly humbled in themselves for it cannot choose but bee meeke in spirit towards others they cannot bee insolent nor censorious nor harsh in their disposition and carriage towards others O how apt are wee all to be puffed up with a little knowledge and grace that wee have attained unto above others How apt to despise others because of this If wee knew our owne hearts well certainly wee could not bee so The consideration of what wee were before our calling hath great force to keepe us from despising and censuring others so sharpely as wee are wont Titus 3.2 3. Speake evill of no man but shew all meekenesse to all men for wee our selves were sometimes foolish c. As if hee had said as bad as any other But if wee would consider well what bad hearts wee have since our calling and conversion how untoward to any thing that is good how weake and prone to that that is evill how pregnant and full of vile motions and inclinations continually this would have more force to humble us this way then the former Brethren saith the Apostle Gal. 6.1 if a man bee overtaken in a fault you that are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meekenesse considering thy selfe lest thou also be tempted If we would consider our selves well and what we were like to prove if we had the same tentation that others have had this would make us meeke and humble this would keepe us from despising others for their infirmities This was that that made blessed Paul so humble and lowly in his owne eyes that he doth professe that he was not onely in respect of his estate before his calling of all sinners the chiefe 1 Tim. â— 15 but even after his calling Ephes. 3.8 lesse then the least of all Saints How could he speake this in truth may you say Doubtlesse he knew many of the Saints that had more slips and falls then ever he had he knew many of the Saints that had not received that measure of grace from God nor done him that service that he had done yea he professeth of himselfe 2 Cor. 12.11 that he was in nothing behind the very chiefest Apostles And 1 Cor. 15.10 that he had laboured more abundantly then they all How could he then say that he was lesse then the least of all Saints Certainely his meaning is he knew more evill more corruption in his owne heart then he thought was in any Christian in the world besides And this conceit of our selves he requireth to be in all Christians Phil. 2.3 Let each esteeme others better then themselves That pronesse that we find in our owne nature to evill even after our regeneration yea after many yeares spent in the profession of Christianity should be matter of continuall humbling unto us And we have cause even in that respect to complaine as David did Psal. 38.17 I am ready to halt and my sorrow is continually before me Let us now apply this second use of the doctrine unto three particular cases wherein we may have occasion to practise it First Let this humble us in the performing of our best duties and keepe us from priding our selves in them as alas we are all too apt to do See this in the Pharisee Luk. 18.12 We are all by nature Papists and Pharisees in this point apt to conceit we have merited somewhat of God when we have done any thing well If we would but consider and take notice of this when we have done any good duty how our originall sin our corrupt hearts have stained and defiled it and made all our righteousnesse as filthy rags Esa. 64.6 we should find even in our best duties just matter not of pride but of humbling in them and to say of our selves as our Saviour biddeth us in another sense Luk. 17.10 when we have done all we can do we are but unprofitable servants We read of Rebecca Gen. 25.22 that when she had conceived though she knew she bare in her body the promised and blessed seed yet the struggling and combat she felt within her betweene the two twins was so painefull and grievous to her that she cryed out Why am I thus And certainely that combat that Gods child findeth in himselfe in the performing of any good duty that his flesh doth resist and oppose Gods grace and holy spirit in it that it is so crosse and contrary to it that he cannot do the things that he would must needs be a just cause of griefe and humbling unto him as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 5.17 By reason of this every child of God when he hath performed any duty to God in the best manner he can hath cause to pray with good Nehemiah 13.22 O my God pardon me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Yea without this sense of corruption mixing it selfe with our best duties and sorrow for it we can never performe any good duty acceptably Whatsoever ye do in word or deed saith the Apostle Col. 3.17 do all in the name of the Lord Iesus As if he should say feele the need ye have of Christ in it looke not that God should accept of it but only through him Secondly Let this humble us at all times when we prepare our selves to appeare before God in prayer We cannot be too humble when we are to go to God The greatest persons under heaven should not
now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 The master of the house hath not yet shut his doore upon thee but how soone it may bee shut thou knowest not Thirdly If this be so then let every one of us that feele any truth of grace wrought in our hearts rejoyce in our estate and magnifie the power and goodnesse of God towards us Indeed it behoveth us to try well whether we have it in truth 2 Cor. 13.5 and how that may be done you shall heare out of the next verse But if thou hast but the least measure of grace in truth thou hast just cause to rejoyce in this more then if God had made thee the greatest prince in the world Let the heart of them rejoyce that seeke the Lord Psal. 105.3 And the Apostle Iames 1.9 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted Whatsoever men thinke of thee or thou art apt to thinke of thy selfe he that cannot deceive thee hath pronounced of thee that if thou have but any one grace in truth thou art a blessed man happy art thou that ever thou wert borne If thou canst beleeve in Christ heare what he saith Mat. 16.17 Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven As if he had said Thou hast more in thee then flesh and bloud If thou dost feare to displease God hearken what the Holy ghost saith of thee Psal. 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Nay if thou canst but unfeignedly desire to beleeve and to feare God remember this was all that Nehemiah could say of himselfe Neh. 1.11 that he desired to feare Gods name Remember what Christ pronounceth of thee Matth. 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled Nay if thou have but so much grace as to feele the want of grace and unfeignedly to bewaile it hearken what thy blessed Saviour saith of thy estate Matth. 5.3 4. Blessed are the poore in spirit Blessed are they that mourne for that poverty Make thy calling and conversion sure and thou hast made thine election sure as the Apostle speaketh 2 Pet. 1.10 If thou have but the least grace in thee in truth thou hast Gods seale upon thee whereby hee hath marked and will owne thee for himselfe by the print and stampe of that seale According to that speech of the Apostle Ephes. 4.30 Grieve not the holy spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Wherefore let me say againe unto thee as I began in the words of David Psal. 32.11 Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all yee that are upright in heart And 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord ô ye righteous for praise is comely for the upright O it is a seemely sight to see an upright hearted Christian cheerefull and comfortable Say not ô but I have so much corruption in me that I cannot take notice of nor rejoyce in any goodnesse that I have For 1 I bid thee not rejoyce in any corruption but dislike and bewaile it still but rejoyce in the Lord Phil. 4.4 In the very same action thou maist have just matter of mourning in respect of the worke of thine owne corruption in it and of joy in respect of the worke of Gods grace in it Rejoyce in trembling Psal. 2.11 Regard not so much thine owne corruption as to neglect altogether the grace of God in thee 2. By how much the more corruption thou findest in thy selfe by so much the more cause hast thou to rejoyce in and to admire Gods mercy that to such a wretch as thou art he should give the grace to make conscience of any sin to do any duty in truth of desire to please God Wicked men thinke it strange as the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 4.4 that we do not as they doe that we run not with them into the same excesse of riot They thinke it strange yea impossible that any man should be in deed and truth so changed in heart as Gods people in their outward conversation would seeme to be they esteeme all profession of holinesse to be no better then hypocrisy and therefore speake evill of us But we that know our owne hearts have more cause to wonder at this our selves and to praise God for it Lecture LXXI On Psalme 51.5 October 2. 1627. THE third point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God appeareth unto us who are even by nature so vile as wee all are is in the worke of his confirming grace If wee could rightly weigh what our nature is and what a strength and power of corruption there remaineth still in the best of us we would see cause to wonder that any of us after we are converted and have some measure of saving grace begun in us should stand for any time We read in Scripture of a three-fold standing and in every one of these kinds every Christian hath cause to admire Gods power and goodnesse towards his soule 1. There is a standing in the faith and in the profession of the truth Of this the Apostle speaketh 1 Cor. 15.1 I declare unto you the Gospell which I preached unto you which also you have received and wherein yee stand 2 There is a standing in the state of grace and in a comfortable assurance and feeling of Gods favour Rom. 5.2 By Christ we have accesse by faith into the grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God 3. There is a standing in a Christian course of life and conscionable practise of godlines This Epaphras begd of God for the Colossians Col. 4.12 That they might stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Now that any of us should bee able to stand stedfast and persevere any of these wayes that is to say either in foundnesse of judgement and profession of the truth or in the comfortable assurance of our salvation and of the favour of God or in a conscionable care to please God in our whole conversation is certainely a matter of greater wonder and admiration then the most of us doe conceive of This we would all easily discerne and acknowledge if we would but seriously consider of these foure points First what a world what an age and time we live in wherein by reason of the continuall discouragements goodnesse doth find every where and the manifold allurements and tentations unto evill by examples and other wayes wee have unto sinne it is as strange any of us should continue in the state of grace as it is for a man to keepe his health that liveth in a Towne where every house and every person and the very ayre it selfe is infected with the plague That which David saith of wicked men that live in the greatest prosperity Psalm 73.18 may truly bee said of all Gods children even of those whose soules
can do it no better wil be ready to helpe us and make that easie to us by his helpe which was full of difficulty and impossibility before Arise and be doing saith David to Solomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will be with thee If we draw neare to God do our best endeavour God will draw neare unto us as the Apostle speaketh Iames 4.8 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6. Lecture LXXIV On Psalme LI. 6. Novemb. 6. MDCXXVII Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts and in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WEE have already heard out of the former verses of this Psalme that David in seeking to God for mercy in the pardon of his grievous sins doth make confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God and that not only in grosse and generall verse 3. but more fully in these three verses following For 1. Hee acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan charged him with verse 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. The fountaine and root from whence this his sin did grow even his vile and cursed nature verse 5 Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that uprightnesse and truth of heart which the Lord so much desireth and which he found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of this soule sin For oh what a deale of fraud and cunning did he use in this matter to hide and cloake his sin 1. Hee sent for Vriah home and perswaded him to goe and lodge at his owne house 2. Sam. 11.6 2. When perswasion would not serve hee made him drunke in hope that that would provoke him to lust verse 13. 3. When all this would not serve nor hee could get Vriah to father the child hee procureth him to bee made away that so by marrying of his wife he might cloke his sin the better ver 15. in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. From the consideration of that measure of saving knowledge and grace which hee had received from God before hee fell into this sin in the last words of this verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me for so I read it and not thou shalt make me to know wisedome And thus you see the scope and drift of this verse and what coherence and dependance it hath on that which went before The words divide themselves naturally into two parts as they doe containe two arguments and considerations whereby David doth amplifie and aggravate his sin 1. What a one God would have David and all his children to bee that is to say Vpright in heart 2. What a one David was before hee fell into these foule sins that is God had wrought soundnesse of grace in his heart In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome In the former part three points are to bee observed 1. The thing the grace that God desired that God would have to bee in David and all his children Truth thou desirest truth that is sincerity and uprightnesse which is opposed to guile and hypocrisie So is truth taken Iosh. 24.14 Feare the Lord and serve him insincerity and in truth And 1 Cor. 5.8 Let us keepe the feast with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth And Iohn 1.47 Behold saith our Saviour of Nathanael an Israelite in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in whom is no guile 2. The subject the place where God would have this grace to be in the inward parts that is in the heart For so wee find this place interpreted by Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart And by our Saviour Marke 7.21 From within out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts And by the Apostle Ephes. 3. who when hee had prayed for them verse 16. that they might be strengthened by Gods spirit in the inner man He expoundeth himselfe thus verse 17. that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith The heart is the proper seat of this truth and sincerity For then a thing is said to be spoken or done in truth 1. When that which is said or done agreeth with the heart and proceedeth from it As a good man is said Psal. 15.2 To speake the truth in his heart He speaketh the truth in his heart because he speaketh as hee thinketh 2. When the purpose and intent of the heart is upright in that which a man speaketh or doth My father saith Solomon in his prayer 1 Kings 3.6 walked before thee in truth and uprightnesse of heart therefore in truth because in uprightnesse of heart Therfore also is this sincerity called singlenesse of heart Acts 2.46 When a man in that which he saith and doth hath but one heart not a heart and a heart a double heart Psalm 12.2 one heart for that which hee pretendeth and another for that which he intendeth It is said that the Zebulonites that came to make David King 1 Chron. 12.33 were not of a double heart And that is expounded verse 38 that they came with a perfect or an upright heart A true heart is called a whole heart also Psal. 119.10 a false heart is called a divided heart Hosea 10.2 3. and lastly The note of observation that David prefixeth before this Behold As if he should say this this is that which I cannot but take notice of and thinke much upon that whereas I am by nature so filthy and corrupt and have so much falshood and hypocrisie in my heart which hath beene the maine cause of this my fearefull fall thou art a God that lookest for and requirest yea desirest above all things and delightest in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart and where that is wanting all that a man can doe is nothing in thy sight Now all this cunning and falshood he had used doth greatly augment his griefe and shame when he considereth how much the Lord delighteth in truth and abhorreth hypocrisie Then the Doctrine that wee are to learne from the first part of the verse is this That truth and uprightnesse of heart is that which God highly esteemeth of and desireth and delighteth in above all things Observe the proofe of this Doctrine in five points and degrees First The Lord would have all his servants upright in heart hee would have that obedience and service that is done unto him to bee done in truth and sincerity that is that that hee looketh for at our hands which hee greatly desireth and longeth for Hee cannot abide hypocrisie that wee should counterfeit and halt with him My son saith the Lord Prov. 23.26 give me thine heart that is it that I looke for So Ioshua 24.14 calleth upon the people Now therefore feare the Lord and serve him in sincerity and truth Are not thine eyes upon the truth saith Iere. 5.3 As if he should say Is
in our hearts is because we observe it no more nor take our selves with it we feele it no burden nor trouble to us we complaine not more to God of it nor cry more earnestly to him for helpe against it We have not because we aske not as the Apostle speaketh in another case Iam. 4.2 LECTVRES ON PSAL. LI. 6 Lecture XCV On Psalme LI. 6. August XIX MDCXXVIII And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome WE have already heard that David suing unto God for mercy in the pardon of those heinous sinnes hee had falne into doth make humble confession of his sinne and accuse himselfe before God for it not onely in grosse and generall ver 3. but more fully in the three verses following For 1. He acknowledgeth his sin in particular that very sin that Nathan had charged him with ver 4. I have done this evill in thy sight 2. He aggravateth his sinne by foure arguments that is to say 1. From the consideration of the person against whom hee had sinned verse 4. Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight 2. From the consideration of the fountaine and root from whence this his sin did spring even his vile and cursed nature ver 5. Behold I was borne in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me 3. From the consideration of that delight the Lord taketh in the truth and uprightnesse of the heart which hee found his corrupt heart so farre from specially in the committing of these foule sinnes in the beginning of this sixt verse Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts 4. Lastly From the consideration of that truth of saving grace which God had wrought in him before he fell into these sinnes in these last words of the sixt verse And in the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome For so I read the words 1. Because the originall will beare this sense as well as the other as might be shewed by many other places of Scripture where words of the future tense are put for the preter-perfect tense and as appeareth by the judgement of the most and best interpreters that is to say the Septuagint the vulgar latine Pagin Vatablus Tremellius Calvin Bucer the Geneva translatours who all understand the words to be meant of the time past not of the present or future time 2. Because this sense doth best agree with the scope of the place for David doth yet continue in the aggravation of his sinne and in professing his humiliation and sorrow for it The summe then of these words is an aggravation of his foule sinnes from the consideration of that sound conversion and truth of grace that God had wrought in him before hee did thus fall And in the words there are these three principall things to bee observed 1. The description David maketh of his owne true conversion and regeneration In the hidden part he had knowne wisedome 2. The author and worker of this his conversion In the hidden part thou hadst made me to know wisedome 3. The end and purpose David had in mentioning the truth of his conversion in this place that is to say to aggravate and increase his sinne by the consideration of it And for the first of these three points before we can receive that instruction which the Holy Ghost intendeth to give us in them three questions must first be moved and answered for the opening of the words First What meaneth he here by Wisedome I answer By wisedome he meaneth true religion and piety the knowledge of the right way how to serve God and to save our owne soules This onely the Holy Ghost calleth true wisedome Vnto man he said saith Iob 28.28 the feare of the Lord that is wisdome Teach us so to number our daies to be so perswaded of and to thinke of the uncertainty of our lives saith Moses in his prayer Psal. 90 1â— as we may apply our hearts unto wisedome As if hee had said As we may seriously study and endeavour to please thee and provide for the salvation of our owne soules But wisedome is justified of her children saith our Saviour Matth. 11.19 As though he should say Though the right way of salvation which Iohn Baptist and I doe teach be despised and rejected by the world yet by all those that God hath appointed unto salvation it is approved of and received Secondly What meaneth he here by the hidden part I answer By it he meaneth the heart which he called before the inward parts Thus the Lord himselfe expoundeth it Iob 38.36 Who hath put wisedome in the inward parts or who hath given understanding to the heart So the Apostle calleth the regenerate part the hidden man of the heart 1 Pet. 3.4 because it is hidden and concealed from all men Who can know it Ier. 17.9 Thou even thou onely saith Solomon 1 King 8.39 knowest the hearts of all the children of men Thirdly And how is hee then said here to have knowne wisedome in the hidden part I answer He did not onely see and discerne in his judgement the right way of salvation but God had made him able also with his heart and in affection to approve and like of it to know it feelingly experimentally effectually And indeed this is the onely right and saving knowledge This was the knowledge of Christ that the Apostle made so high account of Doubtlesse saith he Phil. 3.8.10 I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus Christ that I mâ—y know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings that is experimentally and effectually And they that know not God and his waies thus in their heart but in their braine onely know him not aright As it is said of the Priests Elyes sonnes 1 Sam. 2.12 and may be too truly of many a Minister now even of such as can preach well that they knew not the Lord. The words then being thus opened we see this Doctrine doth naturally arise from them for our instruction That true and saving knowledge is the principall worke of Gods grace in the conversion of a man See the proofe of this Doctrine in three points First In every one whom God doth convert and regenerate hee worketh saving knowledge spirituall understanding This is the tenour of the new covenant Ier. 31 3â— 34. I will put my law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my people And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord For I will forgive their iniquity and I will remember their sinne no more Every one whom God receiveth into covenant and to favour whose sinnes he forgiveth even the least the weakest of them all
few of the most important passages of the story are And why hath the Lord done this Surely because he saw it was necessary for poore humbled sinners that it should be so surely because he saw how apt his poore children would be partly through the corruption of their owne heart and partly through the subtilty of Satan when they had fallen into grosse sinnes to despaire of mercy to thinke their sinne is greater then can be pardoned that there is no hope of finding mercy with God if they should turne unto him and repent that there was never child of God that sinned as they have done For their sakes it is to keepe them from despaire to encourage them to rise out of their sinnes and to turne to God by repentance the Lord would needs have these foule sinnes of his dearest servants recorded who though they sinned as grossely as any humbled sinner can possibly now doe yet upon their rising againe by repentance and turning unto God did find mercy with him And that this was a maine end God respected in this the Apostle plainely telleth us 1 Tim. 1.16 He fell so grievously and yet obtained mercy that God might make him a patterne to all his poore servants that should come after him of his readinesse to receive the foulest sinners unto mercy upon their unfeigned repentance This then is a second end God had in permitting his servants to fall and in letting thee to know of their falls that thou when thou art fallen and humbled for thy fall mightest be encouraged to rise againe and dost thou pervert it to a quite contrary end even to embolden and incourage thy selfe to fall These examples which the Lord intended onely for the helpe of the humbled sinner as a cord to pulâ— him out of the water thou that art a presumptuous sinner and hast therefore nothing to doe with them dost let Satan use them as a cord to pull thee into the water and to keepe thee there to thine owne perdition And this is the first thing I have to say unto these men Secondly Thou hast no cause at all to comfort thy selfe in thy sins by the falls of any of Gods people thou readest of in the Scripture or observest in thine own experience For none of all their sinnes are like unto thine If thou wert such a sinner as they were thou wert an happy man They committed more hâ—inous sinnes then ever thou didst it may be yet were they not so heinous sinners in Gods sight as thou art Thou canst not find in all the Scriptures an example of any one child of God that sinned as thou dost Three maine differences are to be observed betweene them and thee First Thou readest of no child of God that sinned but thou readest also that he repented and was humbled for his sinne yea that the measure of his humiliation was proportionable to the measure of his sinne David was deepely humbled for his sinne as appeareth in the 8. verse of this Psalme Hee watered his bed with his teares Psal. 6 6. Manasses humbled himselfe greatly before the Lord 2 Chron. 33.12 Peter wept bitterly Matth 2â— 7â— If thou couldst do so thou mightest take comfort in the examples of their falls but thou knowest it is farre otherwise with thee Secondly None of them after their repentance did ever fall into those foule sinnes againe Noah was never drunke but once David turned not aside from any thing that God commanded him saith the Holy Ghost 1 King 15.5 that is to say not in any grosse and scandalous crime all the daies of his life save onely in the matter of Vria the Hirtite The like may be said of Peter and all the rest And therefore what comfort can the common drunkard and adulterer and blasphemer take in their examples who though he hath fiâ—s of remorse for his siâ—s yet cannot leave them possibly Thirdly and lastly There was never any child of God that fell into any foule sinne but it was against the purpose of his heart I have said that I would keepe thy words saith David Psalme 119.57 this was his resolution and the setled purpose of his heart A wise mâ—n feareth saith Solomon Pro. 14.16 and departeth from evill hee purposeth not to fall into sinne And therefore the Apostle calleth the falls of Gods child an over-taking in a fault Gal. 6 1. when he falleth into sin it is through the malice and eager pursuit of his corrupt nature or of the divell whereby he is suddenly taken and as it were circumvented and overcome contrary to his purpose and resolutions But on the other side thou never purposest or resolvest to keepe Gods commandements and to resist tentations or if thou do yet thou hast no care to performe thy vowes and promises of obedience thou dost sleight and despise the waies thou shouldst walk in as Solomon speaketh Pro. 19.16 The third and last thing I have to say to these men is this That admit thy case were in all respects such as theirs was yet shalt thou find no cause to imbolden thy selfe to sinne by their example if thou wouldst consider well how they smarted for their sinnes It is true indeed Gods owne people many of them have sinned shamefully but it is as true which thou hast heard proved at large in the Doctrine that the Lord did never so sharply scourge any other in this life for their sinnes as he hath done them And if thou couldst well weigh with thy selfe how dearely they paid for their sinnes thou wouldest bee loath to purchase the pleasure or profit that any sinne can yeeld thee at so deare a rate And therefore it is to bee observed that as the sinnes of Gods people are recorded in the Word so are the fearefull judgements also recorded that followed them for these sinnes Noahs drunkennesse is recorded and so is the fearfull curse also that by occasion of that sinne fell upon his sonne Ham and all his posterity Gen. 9.25 Lotâ— incest is mentioned and so is the judgement also that followed it Gen. 19.37 38. the cursed posterity that came of that sinne were a scourge to Gods people for many generations as you may see Psal. 83.8 Solomons fall is mentioned and so is the judgement that fell on his posterity for it 1 King 11.31.33 I shall not need to speak of David of Hezekiah of Manasses or of Peter all whose sinnes are recorded indeed in the Word but it is as well and as carefully recorded how they smarted for them And to conclude of every sinne of theirs I may say to thee as Abner spake to Ioab in another case 2 Sam. 2.26 Knowest thou not that it was bitternesse in the latter end Lecture CXII On Psalme 51.6 March 3. 1628. THe second sort of uses that this Doctrine serveth unto hath relation unto the judgements of God executed upon others specially upon his owne Church and people The Doctrine which we have heard teacheth us how to judge and how to
it and thou shalt utterly abhorre it for it is a cursed thing As if he should say any idoll set up by idolaters we must utterly detest and abhorre it for it is a cursed thing and if any of Gods people receive it it will make him a cursed thing like unto it as the Lord speaketh in that place Ye see what a strange precisenesse this way God requireth of his people he would not have us so much as to name an idoll without expressing our detestation to it Make no mention of the name of other gods saith the Lord Exodus 23.13 neither let it be heard out of thy mouth He would have us doe what lieth in us that the very names the termes and phrases that idolaters have used might bee utterly abolished and remembred no more Thou shalt destroy the names of them out of that place saith the Lord Deut. 12.3 And the Lord promiseth this as a great mercy to his Church Hos. 2.17 I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth and they shall be no more remembred by their names And according to this commandement we read that when the children of Reuben came to take possession of certaine cities of the Amorites that had borne the names of their idols it is twice said of them in one verse Numb 32.38 that they changed the names of those cities and gave other names unto them Thirdly Wee shall find this oft noted by the Holy Ghost for a property of one that is truly converted and woone unto God that hee hateth idolatry Yea this is mentioned for one of the first and chiefe signes wherein the truth of his conversion hath manifested it selfe Through thy precepts saith David Psalme 119.104 I have gotten understanding therefore I hate every false way As if hee should say So soone as ever Gods people have gotten any saving knowledge of the truth they grow to a dislike and hatred of Idolatry and false worship presently Two places onely I will name for this though I might do many The first is that Esa. 30.22 Where after the Lord had spoken of the effectuall calling and conversion of his people in the two former verses he mentioneth this as the first fruit and worke whereby it should shew and declare it selfe Ye shall defile also saith the Lord the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornament of thy molten images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it get thee hence As if he had said Thou shalt loath them and shew utter detestation unto them The other place is Ezek. 11.18 where when the Lord had promised that hee would gather his people againe into Israel and give them a new spirit and a new heart And they shall come thither saith he And what is the first thing they shall doe when they come thither They shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence And what meaneth he by these detestable things and abominations the abolishing whereof should be the first thing they would doe after their second conversion Surely their idols as you shall find the same Prophet interpreteth himselfe Chap. 7.20 37.23 Fourthly and lastly This hatred of Idolatry doth so please the Lord wheresoever he seeth it as he hath been wont to reward it even in such as have beene no better then hypocrites And for this we have a notable example in Iehu unto whom the Lord promised 2 King 10.30 that his children should sit upon the throne of Israel to the fourth generation because of that zealous detestation hee had shewed unto the Idolatry of Ahab And yet it is evident both by the next verse 31. and by Hos. 1.4 that therein his heart was not upright in him You see then beloved that no man is to bee blamed for the hatred hee beareth unto popery and to all kind of idolatry no no our generall coldnesse and luke-warmenesse this way is much to bee blamed rather And if wee did zealously love the Lord and his Gospell indeed we could not choose but hate all popery more then wee doe And the world is fouly deceived in judging the precisenesse or strictnesse of any man in this kind to be a certaine signe of hypocrisy in him We come now unto the fift and last of those good things that may be found in some that are hypocrites that is to say to that measure and degree of reformation of life that some of them have attained unto not only to leave grosse and open sins but even the smallest also and such as most men account to be no sins at all Wee must therefore know beloved that though you have observed great precisenesse and strictnesse this way in some that have discovered themselves to be no better then hypocrites they would not sweare the least oath they would not give that liberty to themselves for company and recreations that they might lawfully doe c yet are they not hypocrites because of this nay this is no fault in them neither oughtest thou to blame them or hate them for this For 1 it is a good thing and highly pleasing unto God to make conscience even of the least sin and a man cannot be too precise in that case In all things that I have said unto you saith the Lord Exodus 23.13 bee circumspect and wary And I say unto you sweare not at all saith our Saviour Matth. 5.34 Yea it is a good thing for a man to make conscience of that that hath but the appearance of evill Abstaine from all appearance of evill saith the Apostle 1 Thess. 5.22 2 Hee that maketh not conscience of the least thing that hee knoweth to be a sinne and forbidden of God maketh not conscience of any sinne beause it is sinne and forbidden of God This is the Apostles reason Iames 2.10 11. Whosoever shall keepe the whole law and yet offend in one point that is wittingly and willingly give himselfe liberty to do so he is guilty of all For he that said doe not commit adultery said also Do not kill That is true will you say every man must make conscience of the least thing that hee knoweth to be a sinne neither would any man blame them for doing so But this is their odious hypocrisy that they make more sinnes then God hath made they must be so precise and scrupulous forsooth in indifferent and lawfull things in such things as wiser men and godlier men then they make no scruple of at all This singularity of theirs this judging and condemning by their example the practise of other men is the thing that proveth them to bee hypocrites and maketh them so odious to all men as they be To this I have three things to answer First The things that they are so scrupulous in and which they dare not doe may bee in their owne nature not indifferent but unlawfull and sinfull yea well knowne unto them to bee so
for this very cause because he professeth goodnes I know every man will say hee hateth no professour for his profession nor for any good thing that is in him but onely for such faults as I named which they find to bee in them And so the cursed Iewes could say for themselves Iohn 10.33 For thy good workes wee stone thee not but for thy blasphemy Whereas indeed they hated him only for his good workes And so it is certaine there have beene alwaies many in the world yea in the Church too that have hated a disciple even in the name of a disciple Cain hated Abel because saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.12 his owne workes were evill and his brothers righteous And David saith of himselfe Psal. 38.20 that he had many adversaries for this very cause because he followed the thing that was good And our Saviour telleth his Disciples Iohn 15.19 that the world should hate them for this very cause because they are not of the world but hee hath chosen them out of the world Whereby it is plaine that the most that hate the professours of religion hate them not for any of their faults but onely for the goodnesse that they make profession of O take heed beloved that thou bee none of those And I will give thee three notes to discerne this by First If thou didst hate and dislike them onely for their faults and not for their goodnesse thou wouldst be sure those faults were in them indeed which thou so hatest them for Wheras thou art apt to beleeve any slander against them and to imagine and charge them to bee guilty of such things as thou canst not prove but they are most free from They cast iniquity upon me saith David Psal. 55.3 and in wrath they hate me This casting of iniquity upon professours and aptnesse that is in men to surmise and report evill of them without cause argueth a deadly hatred not to their faults but to their persons and profession Secondly If thou didst dislike or hate them for their faults onely then thou wouldst hate other men also in whom the same and greater faults doe abound more then in them But that thou dost not thou likest other men never the worse for these and grosser sins thou hatest sin in none but in them only that professe goodnesse Thou hatest them that are good and lovest them well enough that are naught as the Prophet speaketh of lewd men in his time Mic. 3.2 And therfore it is evident thou hatest them not for their faults but for their goodnesse only Thirdly and lastly If thou didst hate them only for their faults thou wouldst not rejoice to heare or speake evill of them but it would grieve thee to heare and see that such as professe so well should live so ill that occasion should be given to wicked men to blaspheme and speake evill of religion through their sins This is the nature of true zeale and hatred of sin I beheld the transgressours and was grieved saith David Ps. 119.158 because they kept not thy word But thou hast no greater joy then to heare and speake of the faults of professours and to blaze them abroad as far as thou canst yea thou art apt to glory in the advantage thou hast gotten against religion by it Like those that David complained of Ps. 38.16 When my foot slippeth then they magnifie themselves against me And therfore it is evident thou hatest them not for their faults but for the goodnesse that is in them And thus have I finished the first branch of that point that I instanced in touching the good things that may be found in many an hypocrite I have shewed you that though all these five things may bee found in some that are no better then hypocrites yet are they all very good things for all that and such as God is highly pleased with Lecture CXXXVIII On Psalme 51.7 Ianuary 19. 1629. IT followeth now that wee proceed unto the second branch of the point which is indeed the maine thing I aimed at in propounding it unto you to shew you that though all these bee very good things in themselves yet can no man that hath them find any sound comfort in them till hee bee in Christ. For a man may have these good things in him and yet be in a most wofull case he may perish everlastingly for all that Further proofe I need not bring for this then that which you have already heard that every one of these five good things have beene found in some that have beene no better then hypocrites And every hypocrite certainely is in a most wofull case he can have no sound joy nor comfort in him The joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment saith the Holy Ghost Iob 20.5 and 8.13 14. The hypocrites hope shall perish his hope shall be cut off and his trust shall be a spiders web As if he should say He may for a time blesse himselfe in his estate by reason of these good things he findeth in himselfe he may have some hope and confidence in himselfe that hee shall goe to heaven and in this hope hee may find some comfort and joy but if hee bee an hypocrite if his heart bee unsound this hope and joy of his will not last it will faile him when he shall have most need of it When the houre of tentation shall come fearefullnesse will surprise the hypocrite as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 33.14 And though in some respect the case of the open profane man be worse then his he dishonoureth God more and sinneth with a higher hand and with more contempt of God and doth also more hurt to men by his example then the hypocrite doth in which respect God useth in a more exemplary manner to plague him in this life then hee doth the hypocrite and hath also prepared for him in hell a greater measure of confusion and torment then for the hypocrite She set her bloud and murders saith the Lord Ezekiel 24.7 8. and that that is said of murder may bee said of beastly filthinesse also and of all other sinnes that are committed impudently and with a high hand shee set her bloud saith the Lord upon the top of a rocke and cared not how many were eye-witnesses of it shee poured it not upon the ground to cover it with dust shee did not desire to have it concealed and hidden from any that it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance As if hee should say The sinnes of profane men so desperately and impudently committed doe use to provoke God unto furious vengeance even in this life And for their portion in hell the Prophet speaking of such men Esa. 5.11 12. saith verse 14. that for them hell will enlarge her selfe and opâ—n her mouth without measure Although I say that in these respects the case of the profane man bee worse then the hypocrites yet is the hypocrite also and every thing that he doth most odious
may seem out of obedience to the Word which he bare a most reverent and religious respect unto as you may see in sundry passages of his story 2 King 9.25 26 36 37. 10.13 17. 4 He did it so as God himself saith of him 2 King 10.30 that he had done well in executing that that was right in his eyes Thou hast done to the house of Ahab saith the Lord there according to all that was in mine heart Yea the Lord promiseth there to reward him for it Because of this saith he thy children of the fourth generation shall sit upon the throne of Israel And yet of this man that went thus farre the Holy Ghost saith expresly 2 King 10.31 that he did not take heed to walke in the law of the Lord with all his heart that is he was no better than an hypocrite How did that appeare What was it that did discover the falshood and hypocrisie of his heart Surely this there was one sinne that he could not leave as zealous as he was against idolatry there was one kind of idolatry he could not leave He hated the idolatry of Ahab but not the idolatry of Ieroboam He departed not from the sinnes of Ieroboam saith the text 2 King 10.31 which made Israel to sinne Ieroboams idolatry was but a small sinne in comparison of Ahabs so saith the Holy Ghost expresly in the story of Iehoram 2 Kings 3.2 3. Hee wrought evill in the sight of the Lord but not like his father and his mother for he put away the image of Baal which his father had made neverthelesse he cleaved to the sinnes of Ieroboam Ahab worshipped Baal a false God Ieroboam the true God in a false manner And yet for continuing in this one sinne though it were nothing so great a sinne as that which he had with so great zeale and detestation forsaken and abolished for it may appeare by many passages in the story that in the dayes of Ahab his master hee had beene a worshipper of Baal too the Holy Ghost you see hath branded him for an hypocrite Learne therefore beloved by these three examples that as you can have no more sure and sensible a signe of the uprightnesse of your hearts than this when you can finde you make conscience of every commandement of God of one as well as of another you make conscience of every sinne of one as well as of another you make conscience of every duty God requireth of you of one as well as of another there was never hypocrite in the world that went thus farre Then shall I not be ashamed saith David Psalme 119.6 when I have respect unto all thy commandements So is this also certainely a note of a false and hypocriticall heart when a man in matters that God hath in his Word commanded or forbidden will take and leave at his owne pleasure some commandements and doctrines of God seeme to have divine authority in his heart but others none at all some sinnes hee hateth and dares not commit them others hee cannot leave but saith of some one sinne as Naaman did in another sense 2 Kings 5.18 In this thing the Lord pardon thy servant some duties God requireth of him hee will constantly performe and practise but some other hee doth wholly neglect This man certainely cannot have an upright and sound heart Nay that man that doth not make conscience of every knowne sinne and of every duty that hee knoweth God requireth of him did never abstaine from any one sinne nor performe any one duty of conscience towards God Whosoever shall keepe the whole law saith the Apostle Iames 2.10 and yet offend in one point he is guilty of all He hath not kept any one commandement he hath not done any duty with an honest heart and so as God accepteth of if he wittingly give himselfe liberty to offend in any one point be it never so small a point of Gods law So saith the Lord when he had reckoned up many sinnes Ezek. 18.10 He that doth the like to any of these things that man saith he Vers. 11. doth not any of these duties As if he had said He doth not any duty that God hath commanded of conscience towards God that giveth himselfe liberty to live in any one sinne Lay this to your own hearts beloved every one of you and labour to find this one note that there is more in you than can be in any hypocrite I do not say he is an hypocrite that committeth any one sinne or that faileth in any one duty that God hath commanded For Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 20.9 and In many things wee offend all saith the Apostle Iames 3.2 But if thou wittingly give thy selfe liberty to live in any one sinne be it great or be it small certainly thy heart is not upright within thee When David had said Psalme 119.1 Blessed are those that are upright in their way hee addeth Verse 3. Surely they worke no iniquity As if hee had said They commit no sinne wittingly and willingly If thou wouldst know that thou art upright in the way and so in a blessed and comfortable estate try thy selfe by this Is there no sinne that thou allowest thy selfe in that thou art a worker of If thou bee afraid to live in any sinne and canst desire of God as David did Psalme 139.24 Lord see if there be any wicked way and lead me in the way As if hee should say If I doe any thing to offend thee if I live in any sinne Lord discover it unto me that I may leave it If thou canst say of every sinne that thou knowest to bee a sinne as David doth Psalme 119.101 I have refrained my feet from every evill way As if hee had said I strive and endeavour to eschue every knowne sinne If thou canst say specially of that sinne which by nature or custome thou hast beene most inclined to as hee doth likewise Psal. 18.23 I kept my selfe from mine iniquity As if he should have said I am most watchfull over my selfe against that sinne specially I complaine most unto God and beg strength of him against that sinne as I doubt not but many a soule here can say all this of himselfe then I dare boldly say unto thee for thy comfort thou art farre enough from hypocrisy And though thou hast heard that many an hypocrite hath had much goodnesse in him thou hast that in thee that never hypocrite had and thou maist say as David said there Psalme 18.23 I am upright before him And so much shall suffice to have been said of this fourth note of hypocrisy of this fourth defect that is to be found in the goodnesse that hath beene in the best hypocrite his obedience is not universall The fift and last is this Admit that some hypocrite might bee found that giveth not liberty to himselfe in any knowne sinne but seemeth to
our faith 5. Lastly thou wilt now when thou renewest thy covenant with God at his Table vow and binde thy selfe by promise unto God that though thou hast beene heretofore malicious and given to revenge thou wilt be so no more but thou wilt through his grace strive thus to forgive and love all men even them that have done thee most wrong Wee reade 2 Cron. 34.31 32. compared with 35.1 that Iosiah and his people before they celebrated the passeover bound themselves unto the Lord by solemne covenant that they would keepe his Commandements and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart And it is said Chap 35.18 that that was such a Passeover as was never kept in Israel from the dayes of Samuel to that time And certainely if we would also thus prepare our selves to the Sacrament afer our examination of our selves by binding our selves to God in solemne vowes and promises to forsake our speciall corruptions and walke more circumspectly we might finde much more comfort in the Sacrament then we are wont to doe And thus much shall serve for the triall of our charity by that love we beare to our enemyes The third and last way to try it is by the love we beare to them that feare God especially To them we are bound to beare speciall love above all other men Above all things saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.8 have fervent charity among your selves No love that we beare to any man will give us that assurance that we are in the state of grace that the spirit of Christ dwelleth in us as when we can finde that we love a godly man more for the Image of God we discerne in him then either a wordly friend for our commodity sake or a kinsman for the nearenesse of bloud that is betweene us For this we have Christs owne example Matth. 12.50 Whosoever shall doe the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man and for no other respect saith he Matth. 10.41 shall receive a righteous mans reward that is shall be undoubtedly saved Wee know that wee have passed from death to life saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.14 because wee love the brethren And on the other side there is no more certaine signe of a man that is void of all grace and abideth in the state of death and damnation then this is when hee cannot love such as feare God Hee that loveth not his brother saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.14 abideth in death For their can be no love of God in that man that loveth not such as feare God Every one saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.1 That loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him But how may we that have so false and deceitfull hearts in us know that we doe indeed love a Christian in the name of a Christian I answer that the surest proofe of that is this when we can finde that though wee love them most in whom we see most grace yet we doe unfeignedly love all in whom we see the true feare of God howsoever they differ in judgement from us in some things yea what weakenesses soever we discerne in them other wayes By this note the Apostle oft describeth that love to the brethren which is true and unfeigned Eph. 1.15 Col. 1.4 Philem. 5. that is to say that it extendeth it selfe to all the Saints to all the brethren And Rom. 14.1 6. he giveth a particular example for this by directing the faithfull how they should stand affected towards those brethren that were weake in faith that is in judgement and in the knowledge of the truth It was certainely a weakenesse in judgement that made any Christian to thinke those things to be unlawfull that were indeed in their owne nature indifferent and lawfull as those which hee instanceth in Verse 2. And so it was a weakenesse in judgement on the other side that made any to thinke those things necessary and fit to be observed which indeed were not so as those he instanceth in Verse 5. But how should the faithfull stand affected towards them that were thus weake in faith and did so differ from them in judgement about these things First he telleth them Verse 3,4 they should not judge nor despise one another for this they should not esteeme one another to be void of true and saving grace because of this Secondly Verse 1. They should receive him that is thus weake in faith that is esteeme well of him love him bee not strange to him keepe him company for all this For God hath received him saith he Verse 3. And how darest thou despise or judge or thinke hardly of or be strange unto him whom God hath received Let me make some application of this beloved unto you all And I am sorry that the time enforceth mee to bee so briefe as I must bee in applying of it It is utterly a fault amongst you that the difference in judgement and practice about the ceremonies of our Church hath caused such strangenesse and allienation of minde and affection betweene such as doe truly feare God both Ministers and people We are so farre from receiving esteeming loving and maintaining society one with another neverthelesse for this difference in judgment about these things that we are apt to despise and judge one another for it and to doubt whither there be any truth of grace in them that differ from us in these things Surely saith the one side the differency and lawfulnesse of these things is now so cleerely manifested as these men must needs bee wilfully blind that doe not see it Nay certainely they cannot choose but see it well enough and were it not for a carnall respect to their credit with the people among whom they have gotten a great name and applause for their standing out so long they would doubtlesse conforme themselves And surely saith the other side the utter unlawfulnesse of these ceremonyes is now so clearely reveiled that these men must needs be wilfully blinde that see it not Nay they doe see it well enough and were it not for a carnall respect they have unto their worldly peace and estate they would neve use them certainly they sinne against their conscience in observing of them And what truth of grace can there be in them that are wilfully blind and for carnall respects doe thus sinne against their owne conscience And thus doe both sides grossely and dangerously erre and sinne against their brethren And when yee sin so against the brethren saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 8.12 yea sinne against Christ. For the experience of all times and of this present age proveth evidently that there be of both sides that feare God unfeignedly and in the whole tenour and course of whose conversation the life and power of true godlinesse doth manifestly appeare And if thou doe not see this whosoever
though both thy selfe and others that are no whit inferiour unto them but farre beyond them in knowledge and grace doe think otherwise of them There may be difference in judgement even betweene godly and good men and one may see that to be a sinne which another man every whit as good as he cannot be perswaded to be so The Apostle Paul and those that joined with him Galathians 2.12 13. knew it was a sinfull and unlawfull thing to withdraw and separate themselves from eating and conversing with the beleeving Gentiles in the presence of the Iewes and for feare of offending them though neither Barnabas nor Peter men no whit inferiour to them in knowledge and grace could discerne it to be so Christians may not condemne or judge one another to be hypocrites for their difference in judgement in these smaller matters Who art thou saith the Apostle Rom. 14.4 that judgest another mans servant To his owne master hee standeth or falleth Secondly It may well bee that some men even some good men are through want of knowledge and weaknesse of judgement righteous over much and make scruple of those things which no law of God bindeth them to make scruple of Els Salomon would never have said Eccl. 7.16 Bee not righteous over much neither make thy selfe over wise Such a one was he of whom the Apostle speaketh Rom. 14.2 Another that is weake eateth herbs As if he should say It was his ignorance and weaknesse of judgement that made him so scrupulous and fearefull to eate any thing which by the ceremoniall law which was now abrogated had beene forbidden But no man must be despised or judged to be an hypocrite because of this For that is directly against the Apostles rule Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not Thirdly There is no just cause why wee should judge or thinke the worse one of another either for using or not using our liberty in this case Because the thing that is in it owne nature lawfull and lawfully also used by one man it may be in another man a damnable sin to do it And that upon these two grounds First Because the one knoweth and is perswaded of the lawfullnesse of it which the other is not but doubteth it to be a sin I know and am perswaded by the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle Romanes 14.14 that there is nothing no creature of God uncleane of it selfe But to him that esteemeth any thing to bee uncleane to him it is uncleane Why will you say Can the opinion of man make any thing cleane or uncleane lawfull or unlawfull No not in it owne nature but to himselfe it may For a man to doe any thing that hee doubteth to bee unlawfull is a damnable thing Hee that doubteth saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 is damned if he eat because hee eateth not of faith For whatsoever is not of faith is sinne The conscience of a man though it bee deceived though it bee erroneous yet hath a binding power and it is a matter of great danger for any man to goe against it All men must seeke to informe their conscience aright by the Word of God which is the onely true rule to guide our conscience by Let every man bee fully perswaded in his owne mind saith the Apostle Romanes 14.5 But though it be a sin for a man not to seeke to have his conscience rightly informed and instructed by the Word yet is it a double sin in him to do any thing against his conscience If thou therefore see a man who is otherwise conscionable in all his waies scrupulous and fearefull to doe that which thou knowest and art fully perswaded hee may lawfully and ought to doe pity him informe him instruct him and labour to bring him out of his errour but scorne him not hate him not maligne him not for it Secondly The one is able to use or doe the thing that hee knoweth to bee lawfull lawfully and take no hurt by it the other though he know the thing to be lawfull yet findeth that through his weaknesse he is not able to use it but he shall receive hurt by it All things are lawfull for me saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient all things are lawfull for mee but I will not bee brought under the power of any And certainely this is the thing that restraineth many a good man from the use of sundry recreations which he doth not doubt to be lawfull in themselves because he findeth his owne weakenesse to bee such as he cannot use them without receiving much hurt by them And this would restraine many more from them if they had that care of their owne soules as they ought to have To conclude therefore this first branch of the point we have in hand If thou seest any man that loveth the word that useth constantly prayer in his family that seemeth to bee a strict observer of the Sabbath day that hateth popery that is strict and precise even in the smallest things If thou seest I say any such a one to bee a drunkard or an uncleane person or unjust in his dealings or carelesse of his Word or a busie body or negligent in his calling hate these things in him in Gods name nay hate them in him more then in another man because hee maketh so good a profession and because his sinne bringeth more reproach upon the Gospell then another mans would doe But take heed thou hate him not because of his profession because of any of those good things thou discernest in him For if thou dost thou wilt be found to be a hater of God and of his grace and neere unto that sinne that can never bee pardoned which the Apostle calleth Hebrewes 10.29 A doing of despite to the spirit of grace And what comfort canst thou have either in life or death if thou bee a hater of God if thou doe despite unto the spirit of grace What remaineth for thee when God shall open thine eyes and cause thee to see thine owne estate but a certaine fearfull looking for of judgement as the Apostle speaketh there ver 27. and of fiery indignation which shall devoure the adversaries the adversaries of God the haters of God O it is a fearefull thing to hate any man for his goodnesse take heed of it I beseech you As we have no surer note that we are translated from death to life that we are in the state of grace then this if we love the brethren as the Apostle teacheth us 1 Iohn 3.14 If we can love a disciple in the name of a disciple as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 10.42 so can we have no certainer a signe that there is no grace in us but we are in the very gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity as the the Apostle speaketh Acts 8.23 then this when we hate the brethren when we hate a disciple a professour in the name of a disciple and professour even