as an acceptable service to him as wee find it Cant. 5. 2 5 6. when Christ had knockt and cry'd unto his spouse to open and to let him in and shee neglected afterwards when shee arose and opened the dore shee could not find him Christ had withdrawn himselfe v. 6. yet those indeavours of the spouse were very pleasing unto Christ and full of comfort to her selfe I rose up saith she to open to my beloved and my hands dropped with myrrhe and my fingers with sweete smelling myrrhe upon the handles of the locke If God should thus withdraw himselfe from us and for a season dash our hopes it would be just for our delayes but your indeavours with such zeale and forwardnesse to let in Christ amongst us will be very sweet to Christ and sweet to you your hands drop myrrhe Isa 49. 4. and your fingers sweet smelling myrrhe upon the handles of the locke Though England be not saved yet shall you be glorious in the eyes of the Lord your judgement is with the Lord and your reward with your God Therefore I say this is well this should be done but leave not the maine undone the making of your peace with God Oh take some care and paines about that worke this day that left undone by you may possibly undoe us all thinke upon the Israelites condition God is resolv'd upon it hee will have the Locusts purg'd the land I meane so as they shall not hurt his people as he resolved here how Benjamine should smart for what he did now what was Israels case had they made their peace with God at first hee might have trusted them in doing of that work without delayes and out of love and zeale to God they had done that which afterwards from passion and desire of revenge in some respect they over did which peace when they neglected God was put upon it to let Israel be beaten that so the people being thus incensed might doe full execution upon Benjamine their brother Thus if you make your peace with God this day hee then may trust you in this worke so as you may prevaile at first without the spilling of much blood if not then least it should be done to halves God will be put upon some such device whereby to make you thorow in his worke and how sad and heavy that may prove who knows Moreover doe ye not consider how God deales with people many times according as their carriage is upon such dayes as these see what hee said to Israel once upon a like occasion Exodus 33. 5. put off thine ornaments sayes God that is humble your selves by fasting and prayer that I may know what to doe to thee he speakes it after the manner of man as if the Lord were at a stand in point of executing judgement till he saw their carriage in that duty and who knowes but God may be at such a stand with us and that his sentence shall goe forth against or for us as your carriage is this very day in turning from your evill wayes and making of your peace Now if it be demanded what is to be done the Israelites example is before us let that be your patterne 1. They humble themselves 2. They flee to Christ for pardon 3. They give up themselves in covenant with God The first thing therefore is humiliation and you must be active in your own abasements If my people humble themselves c. sayes God I will forgive their sinne and heale their Land Now be perswaded 2 Chron 7. 14. therefore and set all your strength on worke to lay your selves low before the Lord this day be not satisfied with out-sides with shadowes or with ceremonies of repentance Israel did not only fast but weepe and so must you Turne to mee saith God with fasting and with weeping and with mâ—urning and for this pâ—rpose call up to remembrance all your sins make them to appeare before you both in their number and their greatnesse and make swords and spears of them to wound your hearts call to mind your sins of youth of elder years of all sorts and take to your selvs such words in your confessions such thoughts and meditations as may cause your soules now in the presence of your God to melt and bleed I will not name particulars it would be too long I need not I will only name some few considerations in the generall which if the Lord shall throughly set home and cause to take impression though they are but two or three like Ionathan and his Armour-bearer midst an army of corruptions and sinnes yet many more things of the like importance towards this humbling of our selves will come in also and doe their part upon our soules Consider therefore sinne 1. In the Root 2. In the Fruit. 3. In the Cure 4. In the Object against whom it is committed 1. Consider it in the Root and so we find it is our nature we brought it with us when we came into the world Borne in sinne conceived in iniquity Ps 51. If any thing will breake our hearts the thought of this will doe it this originall corruption of our natures Ps 51. David when he set himselfe to humble his soule in that his penitentiall Psalme hee brings in many things whereby to doe it as that his sinne was against his God Against thee sayes hee have I sinned against his knowledge even that hidden wisdome which the Lord had given him but in a speciall manner doth hee mention his Originall corruption that he brings in with an Ecce Behold sayes he I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me And the Apostle Paul what bitter moane he makes for this hee suffered great afflictions in his time In stripes above measure in prisons frequent in deaths oft much more hee sayes but never doth hee so complaine 2 Cor 11. 23 24 25. as at the mention of Originall sinne Rom. 7. 24. having first discoursed how hee found a Law that when he would doe well evill was present with him and a law in his members warring against the Law of his mind and bringing him into captivity to the law of sinne See how he cryes out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver mee from the bodie of this death And there is reason for it why the thought of this should wound so deepe a three-fold mischief comes upon it that our natures are thus sinnefull and corrupt 1. It makes our persons odious and loathsome unto God that is it which makes a Toade a loathsome thing because poyson is the nature of a Toade poyson in a Dogge makes him an object of our pitty because 't is his disease so also sinne in Gods people is their disease therefore God pitties them the more because of sinne Psal 103 13. As a Father pittieth his children so the Lord pittieth them that feare him but where sinne is nature to a man which is the case of all
men unregenerate there is no Toad or Serpent so odious in the eye of man as such a man is in the eyes of God and this is every mans condition as he comes into the world as the Prophet saies no eye pitties us but wee are throwne out into the open field to the loathing of our Ezek. â—6 5 persons in the day that we are borne We are not objects of compassion but of detestation thinke upon it well and let it humble us is this a small thing in our eyes that we by nature are a lumpe of filthinesse and that the God of Heaven and Earth the righteous Iudge abhorrs our persons Secondly sinne being nature to us this also followes that it works exceeding powerfully in us so as we are the slaves of sinne it leades us captive what workes by nature workes with power therefore is it said that we are captivated to the Law of sinne that Rom. 7. 1. v. 23. is to the naturall working of it in us and that we find a Law that when we would doe well evill is present with us that is vve find an irresistible course of nature in us that way tending The courses of nature in Scripture are call'd a Law the naturall motions of the heavenly bodies are called Ordinances of Heaven Ier. 31. 36. The nature of every creature is the Law of it's creation therefore the new nature is expressed by that phrase The Law of God vvritten upon the heart Ier. 31. 33. and it is called the Law of the Spirit of life vvhich is in Christ Rom. 8. 2. So as this is our misery by nature we can as well forbeare to eate and and drinke or any duty that we owe to nature as forbeare to sinne shall not the thought of this abase and humble us What more unworthy of a man than slavery No slavery to that of sinne it sets us to the basest drudgery in the vvorld it keepes us alwayes at it and it gives us nothing for our paines What fruit had you in those things whereof yee are Rom. 6. 21 now ashamed It puts us to an endlesse toyle about a base imployment and the wages that it gives is shame and death Thirdly since it is our nature allbeit the misery be such it brings upon us farre beyond vvhat we are able to expresse yet we by nature are secure and feel no burthen nature is no burthen Wee may stand amaz'd to see how men indued with admirable gifts of reason able for to judge of matters in the world when they have heard how sinne vvill utterly destroy them soules and bodies how it vvill be bitternesse at last and sinke them into hell yet can goe on in vvickednes vvithout remorse or trouble nay can give up themselves to such notorious vvayes of sinne as they can see apparantly vvill ruine bodies and estates without an a king conscience I say vve may be well amaz'd at this but here is the reason sinne is our nature and vvhat ever nature gives us is no burthen to us of all mischiefes is not this one of the greatest to be most miserable and not to feele it this keepes a man in that his misery all the meanes of grace are fruitlesse by it to his soule and that which made our Saviour bleed upon the Crosse and brought him to his agony and sweat of blood cannot obtaine a teare from us but is despis'd and sleighted in our hearts and thus it 's vvith us all so farre as vvee are unregenerate and sinne prevailes O let the thought of this at least in this our day of Fast doe something towards the humbling of our selves before the Lord 2. Consider sinne in it's effects and Fruits it threw the Angels out of Heaven Angels of light they were Iob â—8 7. Iude v. 7. sinne entring once upon them made them heapes of everlasting darkenesse and confusion as for man it cast him out of Paradise stript him of his beauty bereav'd him of the right use of his reason and fills his heart Eccl 9. 3. with madnesse whilst he lives the wisdome of God is foolishnesse unto him it destroyes the tendernesse of 1 Cor. 2 7 14 Heb. 3. 12 Ro. 1. 31 Ioh. 3. 36. his heart and by degrees extinguisheth his naturall affection and eats out all good nature in him it layes him for ever naked to the wrath and curse of God and sinkes him downe to hell that which is worst of all it makes a man despise a pardon and to trample under foot the sonne of God how oft would I have gathered you saith Christ as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Who would nourish such a viper in his bosome this do we but shall it not afflict our soules whilst we consider how 't is with us and what miseries we have brought upon our selves thereby if all this will not make our hearts relent let us a little turne our thoughts upon the temporall afflictions that it brings there we have an object of affinity with sense which is a great advantage unto teares Looke upon the miseries of Ireland the blood which there is spilt by cruell blood-thirsty and deceitfull men the dolefull miseries we feare in this our Land from warre me thinks I heare the little children the infants now unborne to call for teares this day from parents trying if possibly the Lord will be intreated by us and such woe and misery may be prevented but what ever is already or hereafter comes upon us in that kind should it be which God forbid the ruine of our Cities destruction of the people corruption of Religion losse of all that 's dearest to us and the overthrow of Kingdomes all is the fruit of sinne Looke upon it therefore in the miseries and desolations it has caus'd in all the world and let it so provoke your soules to mourne before the Lord this day 3. Let sinne also be considered in the cure The pretious blood of Christ that surely will make our hearts to yeeld the blood of Abel cry'd against the wicked Cain much more the blood of Christ against our sinnes such is the vilenesse of it as no other sacrifice but Christ could pacifie the wrath of God all the creatures in the world Angells and men could not make up the price of mans redemption Psal 49. 7 8. None of them can by any meanes redeeme Rom. 5. 9 10. Gal. 3. 13 his brother nor give unto God a ransome for him for the redemption of the soule is precious but was not the holy life of Christ enough No he must dye and it must be a cursed death nor will his body's death suffice his soule must dye Isa 53. 10. His soule Mat. 26 38. was made an offering for sinne and v 12. He powred out his soule to death nor had all this been sufficient had not the blood of Christ been the blood of God Act. 20. 28. God purchased his Church by his
18. that heaven from whence he is expel'd and because it is against the nature of lightning to go downward is he in his fall compar'd to that therfore also when he Mat 8. 29 Mat. 12. 43. was cast out he said himself he was tormented and our Saviour saith that being dispossest he walks in dry places seeking rest and finding none not but that the dry and wet are both alike to him but it is a phrase fitted to our apprehensions signifying that discontent and restlesse state wherein he is at such a time so the same is used Ier. 17. 5. Cursed be he that maketh flesh his arme he shall inherit the parched places of the wildernesse that is he shall have no content or satisfaction thus it is with Satan therfore it followeth seeking rest and finding none Therfore I say if any man be set on work for God all the power and subtilty of Satan and his wicked instruments are set against him Secondly He that is employed for God shall have the sin of his own heart against him sin hath reason for it because the works of God are ' its destruction where his work prospers woe to sin it fades and dyes The work of God is the advancement of Jesus Christ in the world and is not he the bane of sinne Christ is the light of the world sin is the darknesse of it the flesh therfore fights and strives for life against him because as he prevailes that is â—â—stroy'd Therfore is it said that when he comes into his Temple men will not abide his comming Mal. 3. 2. no even those that seek it and delight in Christ so farre as sinfull flesh prevailes will not abide it v. 1. The Lord whom yee seek shall come to his Temple that is to his Church and to the souls of men in his Gospell for they are his Temples also even the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in but who can abide the day of his comming be it his comming into a Kingdom or into a Congregation or into our own souls we Rom. 7. 22. must say as the Apostle sayes in a like case I delight in the law of God after the inward man but I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind so wee delight in Christ after the inward man the spirit indeed is willing the spirit Rev. 22. 17. and the bride say come yea come Lord Iesus come quickly but the flesh or that sinfull nature the remainders whereof are in the best will not indure the thing Even those that seek for reformation will be shie of entertaining Christ afraid of being reformed too farre thence are those pretences that are made against it that carriage of the Church to Christ Cant. 5. 2. seems to be ours at this day He knocks at the dore and cryes open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled for my head is filled with dew c. No she had put off her coat and how should she put it on she had washed her feet and how should she defile them so say we how shall we doe this and how shall we doe that and what distractions will this reformation cause c. Now whence is this is it indeed a truth that reformation of Religion will endamage common wealths was it ever known that strictnesse in Goâ—s service the most powerfull preaching of the word the truth and purity of worship ever hurt a nation what saith Christ By me Kings raigne and Princes degree justice No no beloved Pro. 8. 15. these are but excuses arising from the sin of the hearts of men what ever you would doe for God ye shall be sure to have all the strength of the sin of your own hearts against you in it You will say suppose all this be true that sin and Satan will oppose yet how is this a reason of the point in hand I answer yes because in both these cases such persons only who are pardoned and reconciled to God are able to withstand this opposition First for Satan 't is not every man can deale with him ther 's no resisting him without an holy heart there is no getting that without a pardon the selfe same faith that justifies the person purifies the heart Act. 15. 9. and makes it holy therfore the grace of Christ is said to reigne through righteousnesse unto life Rom. 5. 21. Where there is no righteousnesse that is no pardon the grace of Christ beares no sway in that soule and then that man who still is in the gall of bitternesse Act. 8. 23. and in the bond of iniquity however for the present he may in a manner be ingag'd for God what ever is that way pretended hee will be found at last to be of Satans party and though he goe exceeding farre in a good cause he 'l not be through in the work and when it comes up to the main and principall he 'l faile and that 's as much as Satan wishes or desires therfore is he said to stand at Iosuahs right hand to resist him though no doubt he wrought with both hands because his opposition principally lyes against the main and principall of the work he passes not if you heare Sermons so you come not neare to God in hearing which is the main thing in the duty or if ye pray and draw not near to God in prayer or if the Kingdome be reformed so Religion may be still corrupt he passes not so much now I say when once ye come unto the main in any kind that man will faile you there The Prince of this world commeth says Christ and he hath nothing in me Joh. 14. 30. If a man be unregenerate and hath no hold upon the covenant of grace Satan then hath something in him nay all that 's in him is his own and what ever the mans design is now Satan knows the man is his and that in time it will be seen yea that such a man shall doe him better service than another can and so much the more by how much he seemed at the first to be against him We see what use the Divell makes of mens apostasies whereby men sin away their consciences the tendernesse of their hearts the goodnesse of their natures blemishing themselvs in the eyes of God and men till they grow desperate in sin and all perfidiousnesse losing that very ingenuity which once they had And besides all this through their experience of the wayes of God becomming skilfull to doe mischiefe more than any as we reade of Iulian the apostate how he did more hurt to the Church of God then all the persecuting Emperours that were before him And there is no way for a preventing this but by building upon the Mat 7. 24. rock the house built upon the sand will surely fall and the fall thereof is great Let a man get into Christ get pardon get peace with God and as for Satan he shall