at in all his counsels and workes is the glory of his mercy Hee delighteth in mercy saith the Prophet Mic. 7.18 Hee hath predestinated us to the adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himselfe saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.5 6. according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace So even in his denying of the meanes of conversion and the grace of conversion to many people hee hath had respect to this even to glorifie his mercy the more towards his owne people The Apostle telleth us 2 Thess. 1.10 that at the day of judgement God shall bee made marvellous in all them that beleeve As if hee had said His mercy toward the faithfull in electing them to life in redeeming them in calling them effectually in justifying and sanctifying them shall bee admired and wondred at by men and Angels at that day When they shall see how many God hath denied this mercy unto yea to how many that were in many respects farre better then themselves then will this mercy of God towards them seeme as it is indeed admirable in their eyes If this mercy had beene universall to all men God could not have beene so glorified in it in this world if the Lord should have given this grace or meanes alike to all men the glory of his speciall mercy and free grace had not beene so manifested as in this it is Thus the Apostle speaking Romanes 9.22 23. of the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction and of the ends that the Lord aimed at and had respect unto in it hee doth not say that hee did it onely to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne upon them but that the Lord even thereby might make knowne the riches of his glory upon the vessels of mercy The reprobates are fitted to destruction effectuall grace is denied unto them that the riches of Gods grace and mercy towards his elect to whom hee vouchsafeth both might be set forth the better by this comparison and glorified the more And this was the true cause of that joy our Saviour expressed Luke 10.21 In that houre saith the Evangelist Iesus rejoyced in spirit and said I thanke thee ô father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Did hee rejoyce in the judgement of God upon the wise and prudent No verily but so farre forth onely as it served to set forth the mercy of God towards those babes This made him to admire and magnifie the mercy of God towards those babes so much the more when he considered what manner of persons that mercy was denied unto when he considered that it was no common but a rare mercy that God had vouchsafed unto them Lecture CV On Psalme 51.6 December 9. 1628. IT followeth now that wee proceed unto the uses that this Doctrine serveth unto And they are principally two First For instruction to establish our judgements in the truth and confirme us against those errours which in this great worke of mans conversion do derogate from the glory of Gods free grace and give too much unto man himselfe Secondly For exhortation to worke upon our affections and stirre us up unto sundry duties For the first This doctrine serveth notably to establish our hearts in the truth of that holy religion which wee doe professe and to assure us that it is the onely true Doctrine and religion of Christ. Yea it may serve for a touchstone to try all other Doctrines in religion by and to discover to us the falshood and vanity of all other Doctrines and religions whatsoever how faire a shew soever of truth and holinesse they doe beare or whatsoever the persons be that doe hold and professe them That Doctrine and religion that doth derogate never so little from the honour of God that doth not give the whole honour and glory of mans salvation unto him alone but giveth some cause of boasting and glorying unto man himselfe certainely that cannot bee the true Doctrine and religion of Christ. It is not that wisedome that Doctrine and religion that descendeth from above as the Apostle speaketh Iames 3.15 See this distinctly proved unto you in these three points 1. All the glory of mans salvation is due to God alone and no part of it unto man 2. All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God and not unto any thing in man himselfe that might move God to it 3. The ascribing of the whole glory of mans salvation to the Lord alone and to his free grace is the chiefe rule whereby the true Doctrine and religion of God is to be tryed and judged of For the first This hath ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and servants to give all glory to God alone specially in this great worke of the salvation of man This was the song of that heavenly host the blessed Angels that came to bring the glad tidings of the birth of Christ Luke 2.14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if hee had said It is enough for men that through Christ their peace is to bee made Gods good will and free favour is to bee purchased for them though they have no part of the glory of this worke ascribed unto them that is wholly due unto the Lord alone Glory to God in the highest This was the profession of the whole Catholike Church Revel 4.9 11. When those foure beasts representing the whole Church under the New Testament gave glory and honour and thankes to him that sat upon the throne the foure and twenty Elders representing the whole Church under the Old Testament fell downe before him that sat on the throne and cast their crownes before the throne saying thou art worthy ô Lord to receive glory As if he should say Though they had crownes and Christ had made them Kings and Priests unto God to reigne evâ—n on the earth that is to vanquish and overcome their owne corruptions and the tentations of Satan and of the world as themselves say Rev. 5.10 yet they cast downe their crownes they disclaime all honour that may seeme to be due unto themselves they ascribe all the honour and glory of whatsoever goodnesse was in them unto him that sat upon the throne unto the Lord alone Al the glory of mans salvation you see is due to the Lord alone Secondly All the glory of mans salvation is to be ascribed onely to the free grace and mercy of God This hath also ever beene the profession of Gods true Church and people Thus the blessed Apostle though hee had doubtlesse as great helpe from nature as ever man had If any other man thinketh saith he Phil. 4. â— that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more yet professeth 1 Cor. 15.10 By the grace of God I am what I am So the Prophet
Gods children in deed and not in shew and profession only will strive to be profitable and to doe good to the places they live in and the more good they doe the liker they are to their heavenly Father That which God saith of Abraham Genesis 12.2 Thou shalt bee a blessing belongeth to all the true children of Abraham they are a blessing to the places they live in Not onely 1. by their prayers as Elias was to Israel Iames 5.18 At whose prayer the heavens gave raine and the earth brought forth her fruit And Amos likewise Amos 7.3 6. The Lord repented for this at his prayer It shall not bee saith the Lord. 2. Not onely because the Lord for their sakes useth to doe good to the places where they live Gene. 39.5 The Lord bessed the Aegyptians house for Iosephs sake But even 3. In this respect also because they seeke and endeavour to doe good to them with whom they live and that not in spirituall things only but even in the things of this life yea he doth this diligently Prov. 11.27 He diligently seeketh good A good Christian is not onely Bonus vir a good man but Bonus civis a good Common-wealths-man a good Townes-man also It is said to the commendation of Mordecai Esd. 10.3 that he was accepted of the multitude of his brethren seeking the wealth of his people This gained him love and honour in the hearts of all the people he sought the publike good And of Iehojada it is said he was greatly honored after his death for this 2. Chron. 24.16 Because he had done good in Israel But you will say these were publike persons and great men it became them well to be such I answer it is true they were so and indeed of such men this is chiefly required For the thing that God aimed at in advancing of any was only this that they might be Patres patriae do more good to the Countrey places where they live then men in meaner degree can doe Rom. 13 4. He is the minister of God to thee for good and verse 6. For this cause pay you tribute also for they are Gods ministers And surely this is the onely thing that will gaine true honour and esteeme and authority unto Gentlemen and great men in the hearts of all that know them not their birth nor their lands nor their offices nor their power but their goodnesse I meane the readinesse that is in them to doe good to the places where they live Luk 32.25 The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was it that gained them such authority in the hearts even of Gentiles that they sought not themselves in these great places but the good of the people But this belongeth not to publike persons and great men only the poorest Christian that is must not live to himselfe alone but strive to bee profitable and to doe good to them he liveth with See the commandement of God for this Galat. 6.10 As wee have opportunity let us doe good unto all men A notable direction wee have for this Ieremy 29.7 Seeke the peace of the city whether I have caused you to be carried away captives and pray unto the Lord for it For in the peace therof shall ye have peace Though that City were a most wicked place yet seeing God by his providence had brought them to dwell there they were bound not only to pray for it but to seeke the good of it the Wealth and Peace and Prosperity of it by all meanes Such as truly feare God will not bee backward in any worke that tendeth to the publike good of the place they live in Titus 3.14 Let ours also learne to maintaine good workes for necessary uses that they bee not unfruitfull Now if wee apply this that wee have heard of this last point that hath beene observed for our imitation in the goodnesse and bounty of the Lord wee shall finde there are very many that are so unlike to our heavenly Father in this point that wee have no cause to judge them to bee his children First The Papists who are notoriously knowne to be so farre from seeking the peace and prosperity of their country that they have for many yeares uncessantly sought the utter ruine and subversion of it and the betraying of it into the hands of strangers yea such strangers as are the worst nation Ezek. 7.24 most bloudy enemies And this is not the fault so much of the men that professe popery this is the fault of the religion it selfe Their chiefe teachers the Iesuites the common incendiaries of the world teach them they ought to doe so they shall merit heaven by doing so Certainly this religion cannot be of God nor they that professe it And was there ever such a religion before in the world as this is Other heresies and religions there have bin perhaps that were as pernicious to the soules of men as Popery that is of the Gnosticks and Arrians of old of the Anabaptists and Antitrinitarians of late But a religion so pernicious to states and Common-wealths as popery is was there never heard of in all the world They have another father mentioned Iohn 8 44. Ye are of your father the devill and the lusts of your father ye will doe he was a murtherer from the beginning He whose name is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon the destroyer mentioned Rev. 9.11 is the father of that religion that teacheth men to practise the ruine and destruction of their owne countrey Three things they pretend for all their practises against the state and Kingdome 1. The wrongs and oppressions they endure among us But to this I say admit all their clamors and complaints of this were most true yet can this make it lawfull for them to doe as they do The true ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith teacheth men thus Rom. 12.19 Avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written vengeance is mine I will repay saith Lord. And Mat. 5.44 I say unto you love your enemies blesse them that curse you doe good to them that hate you pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you And can this then be any other religion then Antichrists that teacheth them to revenge themselves yea to revenge themselves as cursed Haman did Est. 3.6 But 2. they pretend zeale for Christ and his religion in this we are not onely their enemies but we are enemies to Christ and his religion they say and therefore it were a meritorious deed to destroy us all So did Iames and Iohn when they would have had fire to come downe from heaven to consume those Samaritans Lu. 9.54 But did Christ approve of that zeale Looke the next verse 55. He turned and rebuked them for this zeale yee know not what manner spirit ye are of So may we say to these
good part and delighteth in them yet will he take nothing in good part that thou doest What have I to doe saith the Lord Esa. 1.11 with the multitude of your sacrifices As if he had said What care I for them And ver 12. Who required this at your hands to tread in my courts As if he should say What doe you heere Any other place were fitter for you then this Certainely in doing any service to God thou doest but a thankelesse office thou doest but lose thy labour while thou art unconverted Thirdly and lastly Though the Lord will reward and doe good to his children for the poorest and weakest service they doe unto him yet doth he even abhorre such as thou art and the very service that thou dost presume to doe unto him As a Prince would doe him that having a plague sore running upon him should presume to come into his presence and wait at his table The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination unto the Lord saith Solomon Pro. 15.8 Incense is an abomination unto me saith the Lord Esa. 1.13 the new Mosnes and Sabbaths and calling of assemblies I cannot away with You see how small cause wicked men have to presume of Gods mercy or of any good thing they know by themselves O that God would be pleased to awaken them that they could see and consider aright of their wofull estate and labour to get out of it If any man shall object and say Would you not then have wicked men to come to Church Would you not have them to pray and read the Word Would you have no man to doe any good worke but such as are godly I answer Yes verily For first Though in doing this they doe not God any service that will please him yet is there a necessity laid upon them and wo be to them if they do it not These are duties of the morall law that all men stand bound unto The wickedest man in the world is strictly bound by the commandement of God to pray God blameth most wicked men for neglect of this Hos. 7.7 None among them calleth unto me and ver 14. They have not cryed unto me with their heart Yea he condemneth the very Atheist Psal. 14.4 for this because he doth not pray And will poure his wrath upon every family Ier. 10.25 and consequently upon every person that doth not call upon his name So is the wickedest man living bound to heare the Word For hee that turneth away his eare from hearing the law saith Solomon Pro. 28.9 his prayer shall be abominable So God requireth of every man Mic. 6.8 to doe justly and to love mercy and to walke humbly with him So that though he can neither pray nor heare nor give almes but he must needs sinne yet must he pray and heare and give almes for all that An indifferent thing a man is bound to forbeare if he cannot use it without sinne If he cannot use such or such a recreation without chasing or swearing or losing too much time he is bound to forbeare it But duties commanded of God he may not omit because he cannot use them without sin For there are degrees of sinne and he is guilty of a greater sin and sheweth greater contempt to God that doth not pray or heare or give almes at all and so disobeyeth him totally then he doth that doth pray and heare and give almes but not with an honest and good heart and so disobeyeth God but in part only Secondly Though no wicked man can have assurance to receive any reward from God for the best thing he doth because he hath no promise for all the promises of God belong onely to them that are in Christ 2 Cor. 1.20 and to the godly 1 Tim. 4.8 nay though he doe deserve further wrath from God by the best thing he doth yet by being carefull to abstaine from evill and to doe good even after his manner and as he is able hee may receive good three waies For 1. Though he should never find mercy with God unto salvation yet will this lessen his condemnation in hell where every man shall receive torment proportionable to his workes and to that dishonour he hath done to God heere Rom. 2.6 2. This may free him from many temporall judgements and bring upon him many temporall blessings in this life For the Lord out of the infinitenesse of his goodnesse hath oft shewed so much respect unto good things that have beene done even by wicked men though they have beene but the dead carcase and have wanted the life and soule of good workes as to reward them temporally The Lord that is said to feed the young ravens when they cry unto him Iob 38.41 hath oft had respect to the prayer that a man void of grace hath made unto him in his misery As profane a wretch as Ishmael was when he was cast out of his fathers house for his profanesse Gen. 21.9 10. yet when he cried to God in his misery it is twice said in one verse Gen. 21.17 that God heard the voice of the lad and relieved him And we know how much even Ahabs prayer that he made when he was humbled by feare prevailed with God 1 King 21.29 Therefore also Daniel exhorteth Nebuchadnezzar a most wicked man Dan. 4.27 to breake of his sins to cease from oppression and cruelty How By righteousnes that is by making restitution to them that he had wronged And how els By shewing mercy to the poore And why did he counsell a man so void of grace to do so good workes as these Was it not all one as if he should have bidden a dead man to walke Marke the reason and motive the Prophet useth to perswade him to this if it may be saith he a lengthening of thy tranquility As if he should have said It may be these good workes performed even as thou art able to do them will prevent the judgement which God by this dreame that thou hast had doth threaten to bring upon thee and prolong thy peace 3. He may by doing that that lieth in him to do further the eternall salvation of his owne soule For though no wicked nay no naturall man can use the meanes of grace aright nor so as to please God therein yet if the wickedest man that is frequent the ministery of the Word there is hope he may be converted and have grace wrought in him both because it is the meanes ordained of God to breed grace where none is Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and because as wicked men as live have been woon to God by their hearing as appeareth not onely by daily experience but by those two notable examples that are recorded in the Word The one 1 Cor. 14.24 25. of the man that was an ignorant man and an infidell before And the other Iohn 7.45 46. of them that came to heare Christ with a most wicked heart to intrap and apprehend him And so much
that is meat and drinke and clothes doe the Gentiles that are borne to no better hope seeke that is onely or chiefely but seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse And certainely if wee bee borne of God wee shall not bee so base minded as other men are but find in our selves such high and generous spirits as nothing but the reward of the inheritance as the Apostle calleth it Colos. 3.24 nothing but the kingdome of heaven will content us And thus are all they that shall bee saved described Rom. 2.7 They seeke for glory and honour and immortality And this is that Holy ambition that I desire to stirre up in my selfe and in every one of you that wee would strive to bring our hearts to this that wee may bee able to say life is sweete and a good blessing of God and so is health and so is peace and so is a plentifull estate and so is credite and so is mirth but all these things are nothing unto mee without the assurance of Gods speciall love unto mee in Christ. Rejoyce not in this that the spirits are subject unto you saith our Saviour to his Disciples Luke 10.20 and yet that was a great and a rare gift of God but rather rejoyce because your names are written in heaven That even as Absalom 2 Sam. 14.32 thought it nothing to bee restored from his banishment and to bee admitted to live in Ierusalem unlesse hee might see the Kings face so should we esteeme all other comforts and contentments whatsoever as nothing unlesse wee may see the light of Gods countenance see him looke cheerefully upon us and shew himselfe to bee reconciled unto us This is that that David preferred before all the World Psalm 4.6 Many say who will shew us any good who will shew us how wee may get wealth and credite and pleasure and such things but As if hee should say but I am not of their mind Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us upon mee and upon thy people this is all in all unto mee This this is that I desire to perswade you unto to get assurance that God loveth you with this speciall love Get assurance of it I say unto your selves Make your casting and election sure saith the Apostle 2 Peter 1.10 Content not your selves with an uncertaine hope in this case but seeke to bee sure of this Yea hee that is most sure of this let him seeke to bee more sure still as the Church doth Canticles 1.2 Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth as if shee had sayd Let him still give mee more evidences of his love for thy love is better then wine Now for the better enforcing of this exhortation 1. I will give you some motives that may provoke you to seeke this assurance of the speciall love of God 2. I will shew you the meanes how you may attaine unto it Wee have all need of motives yea of strong motives to perswade us a strange thing to consider of to seeke Gods favour to seeke assurance that hee loveth us For 1. The most men are like the prodigall of whom wee read Luke 15.16 17. who so long as hee could have enough to fill his belly though it were but the huskes that the swine fed on never thought of his father nor sought for his favour And like profane Esau that despised his birthright Genesis 25.34 If God will but love them so farre as to let them live in wealth and peace and credit and mirth heere his speciall love that reacheth to the forgivenesse of their sinnes and life everlasting they care not for they seeke not after 2. Many that are possessed with the spirit of bondage and often vexed with terrible doubts and feares about this matter yet never seeke for this certainty 3. Many that thinke they have faith content themselves with an uncertaine opinion and wavering hope of Gods favour and never seeke to make this certaine unto themselves Hearken therefore unto sixe Motives I will give you out of Gods word to stirre you up to this First This love of God is an everlasting love I have loved thee saith God to his people to his elect in Christ Ier. 31.3 with an everlasting love And of Christs love the Evangelist saith Ioh. 13.1 Having loved his owne that is such as his father gave him such as beleeved in him unto the end he loved them I am perswaded saith the Apostle Rom. 8.38 39. that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. Then get once the assurance of this love of God in Christ and thou maist bee certaine thou shalt never loose it Thy assurance of it I grant thou mayest loose for a time through thy owne folly but this love of God canst thou never loose if ever thou hadst it The Moone is subject to change and so are all things that are under it but the Sunne though through the interposition of somewhat betweene it and us it doe not alwayes shine upon us yet doth it never change So though our sinnes may raise up a thicke cloud as the Prophet speaketh Esay 44 22. betweene the Lord and us that keepeth the light of his countenance from shining upon us yet is there in this father of lights as the Apostle saith Iames 1.17 no variablenesse at all nor so much as a shadow of turning or changing his affection towards us This is a love therefore worth the having worth the seeking even the seeking to bee sure of it This property of Gods love hath made Gods people highly to esteeme of it O give thanks to the Lord saith David Psalm 118.1 for he is good because his mercy endureth for ever Yea see how the Prophet followeth this and insisteth upon it verse 2.4 This speciall love of God to us in Christ is called Esa. 55.3 The sure mercies of David All the other mercies of God and fruits of his love without Christ which yet men so much dote upon are transitory and such as wee can have no certainty of these only are sure mercies this only is an everlasting and unchangeable love Secondly This would free the heart from those feares that doe so vex and torment us if wee were once sure of this speciall love of God to us That even as when Christ was come into the ship where his Disciples were Marke 6 5â— the wind ceased presently and there was a â—alme so will it bee with thy heart get Christ once into it and it will bee quiet So David professeth that when he had seene the light of Gods countenance and rejoyced in it Psalme 4 8. I will both lay mee downe in peace and sleepe saith he And indeed what need wee to feare if wee have Gods favour If God bee for
The Harpe and the viole the Tabret and the Pipe and wine are in our feasts but we regard not the worke of the Lord in this his marvellous severity towards his people neither doe we consider the operation of his hands While wee enjoy our delights in all fulnesse wee care not a rush what becommeth of the Church of God But marke how wee provoke God against us by our profane stupidity Because they regard not the workes of the Lord saith David Psalme 28.5 nor the operation of his hands hee shall destroy them and not build them up We cannot take a readier way for the hastning of our owne ruine then to be thus carelesse and senslesse of the judgements of God upon his people Lecture CXIII On Psalme 51.6 March 17. 1628. THE second duty which we owe unto them that are in misery is this We are bound to take to heart the miseries of the Churches abroad to work our hearts unto unfeined griefe and sorrow for them Certainly none of us can have any comfort in our estate till wee can heartily grieve for the miseries of our brethren It is our dutie we know to condole any man that we see to be in miserie Iob tooke great comfort in his greatest affliction in this that he had done so Did not I weepe saith he Iob. 30.25 for him that was in trouble Was not my soule grieved for the poore And if we must be thus affected with the miseries of all men then much more with the miseries of Gods people Three sorts of proofes I will give you for this 1. Examples 2. A precept 3. The reasons and grounds both of the examples and of the precept also And the examples that I will give you shall be of two sorts First When the holy servants of God did but fore-see by the spirit of prophesie the troubles and afflictions that should befall the Church they have bin wont to be exceedingly affected and grieved for it though they were not to happen untill many yeares after themselves were dead and gone Three notable examples we have for this The first is of Elisha of whom we read 2 Kings 8.11 12. that when he looked stedfastly upon Hazaâ—l the man of God wept And when he asked him why he did so Because I know saith he the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child And this was certainly no more nor so much neither as the bloudy Papists have done to many of Gods people where they have come The second example is of the Prophet Esay I will weepe bitterly saith he Esay 22.4 5 labour not to comfort me because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people Why There was no such spoile made of Gods people in all his time in the dayes of Vzzia Iotham Ahaz and Hezechia in whose times he prophesied as you may see Esa. 1.1 No but he did foresee by the spirit of prophesie a day of trouble and of treading downe as he saith verse 5. and of perplexity by the Lord God of hoasts in the valley of vision breaking downe the walls a day of crying in the mountaines The thinking upon the miseries that the valley of vision the true Church of God should endure from the Caldeans which was to be above an hundred yeares after his owne death and considering that this was to be done by the Lord God of hosts it was to bee the Lords doing and a fruit of his wrath I say the consideration of this made the holy man to weepe bitterly and refuse to be comforted The third example is of Daniel Dan. 8. who when he did fore-see the miseries that Gods people were to endure under Antiochus Epiphanes which was not to be before above two hundred yeares after his owne death how Antiochus should take away the daily sacrifice verse 11 12. and by reason of the transgression of Gods people should cast downe the truth to the ground how both the sanctuary of God and the host and armies of Gods people should bee given unto him to be troden under foot as it is verse 13. how hee should destroy wonderfully the holy people and prosper in it as it is verse 24. When I say he did by the spirit of prophesie fore-see these miseries that should befall Gods people it is said verse 27 that he even fainted and was sicke of griefe for it certaine dayes What would these holy men have done how would they have mourned if they had lived in the times wherein all this had beene fulfilled which they did prophesie and fore-tell If all these evills had fallen upon the Church in their dayes as they have done in ours Alas we have seene a day a long day of trouble and of treading downe and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision We have seene and knowne the daily sacrifice the true worship of God taken away from many Churches We have seene the truth of God cast downe to the ground in many places and abominable heresies and false doctrine set up in the roome of it We have seene and known both the sanctuaries of God and the hosts and armies of his people given of God to the enemie to be troden under foot and trampled upon We have seene the dayes wherein the proud enemy hath destroyed and made havocke of the holy people wonderfully and prospered in it Certainly those holy men that were so affected with the evills they did foresee would befall the people of God would have beene much more grieved for them if they had fallen out in their daies And it is therefore promised as a great favour and mercy to Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.28 that he should be gathered to his grave in peace neither should his eyes see all the evill that God would bring upon Iudah and Ierusalem The Lord knew well how much it would have affected good Iosiahs heart if he should have lived to see though hee had beene out of the gun-shot himselfe all the evills and miseries that Gods people did endure in the captivitie of Babylon Let me give you also foure famous examples of this how the servants of God that have lived in such times as these are have beene affected with them The first is that of the men of Gibeah mentioned 1 Sam. 11.2.4 when tidings was brought them of the misery of one poore city Iabesh Gilead how Nahash the Ammonite that besieged them would admit of no covenant of peace with them but upon this condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel And wee know that the Papists have to the poore Christians in the Palatinate and other places offered farre worse and more reproachfull articles and conditions of peace then this was When this tidings I say was told them of Gibeah
principall was the ministery of the word as appeares verse 18. God sent unto him Seers and Prophets that â—ake to him in the name of the Lord. So it was Peters ministry that pricked the hearts of those three thousand mentioned Acts 2.37 and brought them to a saving sense and remorse for that horrible sinne Yea this is the meanes that God hath sanctified in his word and appointed to that end Ier. 23. â—9 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces Secondly This is Gods meane whereby he is wont to bring men to Christ and to worke in them a comfortable assurance of the pardon of their sins and of their reconciliation with God By this meanes the Corinthians were brought to faith 1. Cor. 4 1â— In Christ Iesus I have begotten you And the Ephesians 1 13. In whom also ye trusted after that ye had heard the word of truth Yea this is the meane that God hath in his Word sanctified and put apart to do this worke by namely to bring men unto Christ and to faith in him This we may see plentifully confirmed unto us in the holy Scripture Esay 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neare saith the Lord and I will heale him Peace peace that is aboundance of peace and the healing of those wounds that God hath made in the soule is called the fruit of the lips that is of the lively voice in the ministry of the Word This is also plaine by the speech of our Saviour Iohn 6.45 Every one that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth unto me Hearing is the meanes to bring men unto Christ. But what hearing may you say Is it hearing of the word privatly read or the hearing of my friend privatly instructing or admonishing No rather it is the hearing of the Word publikely preached as is plaine Rom. 10 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not hâ—ard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Private men that publish to their families oâ— neighbours and speake of that which themselves have learned may be said to preach to them as the Lâ—per that was cured did Mark 1.45 and the deafe man with his friends that brought him to Christ Mark 7.36 and the Daemmiack Luke 8.39 of all these it is said in the text that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to cry proclaime or preach and is the very same word that is used to expresse the preaching of Christ and his Apostles But is this the preaching that the Apostle meanes when hee saith Rom. 10.14 How can they heare without a Preacher No verily he meaneth it of publike ministeriall preaching of the preaching of such men as are called and sent of God and endued with speciall gifts to that purpose as is plaine by the next words verse 15. How shall they 〈◊〉 except they be sent And this is further confirmed 2. Cor. 5.18 God hath given to us the ministery of reconciliation And againe verse 19. Hee hath committed to us the word of reconciliation And for the third degree in mans conversion 1. This is the meane wherby he hath ever beene wont to change and renew the hearts and lives of men and to worke all saving grace in them How came Gods people of whose conversion the holy Ghost gives testimonie to saving grace but by the ministery of the word So Paul saith of the Galatians that were Gentiles Gal. 2.2 that they received the spirit by the hearing of saith So Peter saith of the faithfull he wrote unto that were Iewes that they were borne againe not of corruptible seed but of uncorruptible by the word of God 1. Pet. 1.22 Yea by the word preached as he expresseth himselfe verse 25. 2. This is the meane God hath sanctified in his word and appointed unto this worke of changing renewing and breeding Grace in the soule Therefore Paul calls the ministry of the Gospel the ministration of the spirit and the ministration of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 9. And the Apostle Iames 1.21 calls it the engrafted word To teach us that as the science of a good apple grafted into a crab-tree-stocke hath vertue to change the nature of it so hath the word preached for of that he speaketh as appeareth verse 19.22 23. vertue to change the heart of man Now if we will enquire into the reasons and grounds of this Doctrine wee shall find three given unto us in the holy Scripture First the Lord is wont to accompany this ordinance of his with the mighty power and operation of his holy Spirit Matth. 18.20 I am with you unto the end of the World It is therefore called the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 It is not in the power of the best minister be his gifts and graces never so good to convert a soule Neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth saith the Apostle 1. Cor. â— 7 This is the onely worke of Almighty God yea such a worke as wherein he sheweth his omnipotent power as much as in any worke that ever he wrought The Apostle prayeth for the Ephâ—sians Chap. 1.18 19. That the eyes of their understanding being inlightned they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power to â—â—-ward that beleeve acâ—ording to the working of his mighty power O that those men who thinke they can repent when they will and easily convert and turne to God would think seriously of this place and see their errour It is a strange thing to consider how wonderfull a change the ministry of the word hath wrought in men how it hath tamed and subdued such sinners as have seemed most desperate as have beene most hard-hearted and unlikely ever to come to grace Publicates and harlots were wonne to God by Iohns ministry Matth. 21 3. Many of those Priests that had a chiefe hand in crucifying Christ by it were made obedieâ—t unto the faith Acts 6.7 Ignorant and gracelesse men have felt themselves rebuked and judged and the very secrets of their hearts discovered unto them by it 1. Cor. 14.25 It hath pulled downe their strong holds and cast downe their imaginations and every high thing that exalted it selfe in them against the knowledge of God stopt their mouthes quite and made them past reasoning against it and brought into captivity every one of their thoughts into the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.4 5. yea so quite changed their natures that the Wolfe could dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe with the young Lyon Esa. 11.6 How was this change wrought Onely by the word of God which is called the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips Esa. 11.4 Yea some that at that very instant when they have come to heare it have hardened their hearts against it and come with hatefull minds
face and I was troubled This consideration is forcible to quiet the heart that hath grace in any affliction and to keep us from murmuring and till we can humbly acknowledge this soveraignty of the Lord and stoupe unto it our heart can never find rest in any specially not in this inward affliction till we can say with Ely 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Why dost thou strive against him saith Elihu to Iob 33.13 for he giveth not account of any of his matters God is not bound to give thee a reason of his proceeding why hee dealeth thus with thee rather then with such and such but thou art bound to submit thy selfe to his will because hee can doe thee no wrong and may doe with his owne what pleaseth him Who hath enjoyned him his way saith Elihu Iob 36.23 or who can say thou hast wrought iniquity thou hast done wrong If therefore the Lord should bee pleased all the dayes of our life to hide from any of us the light of his countenance though this were indeed a most heavy affliction nay if hee should indeed not in our feeling only cast us away for ever yet doth it become us to beare it patiently and not to murmure against him for it but to put on Davids resolution and to say as hee doth 2 Samuel 15.26 If he doe thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him doe to me as seemeth good to him Fourthly Thou must consider that the Lord in hiding his face from thee in with-holding for a time the comforter from thee intendeth to doe thee good by this meanes He chastiseth us for our profit saith the Apostle Heb. 12.10 And of thy infirmity I may say as our Saviour did of Lazarus his disease Ioh. 11.4 This sicknesse is not unto death But even as thou seest the wise and carefull Physitian maketh his patient by some vomits and potions much more sick in his own apprehension then he was before and the surgeon lanceth and maketh deep wounds of purpose to cure him of the mortall disease and sore he seeth him in danger of So doth thy heavenly Physician and Surgeon deale with thee he maketh thy heart sicke and woundeth thee thus of purpose that he may save thy soule and work a perfect cure upon it and make it more sound and healthfull then ever it was before Sundry are the benefits that God procureth to his children by this kind of affliction six of them I will shew you which may serve for so many reasons why he doth deale thus with them First by this meanes he correcteth them and maketh them to repent for their drowsinesse and carnall security Christ doth not use to withdraw himselfe from his people but when they grow drowsy and sleepy and neglect their watch This you shall see Cant. 3.1 5.2 3. Secondly he giveth them these thornes in their flesh these messengers of Satan to buffet them that by humbling them thus he may prevent and keepe them from sin that he seeth them in danger to fall into and thus did he deale with the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.7 Thirdly by this meanes the Lord prepareth his people for comfort and maketh them more capable of it and none have ever attained to that abundance of spirituall comfort as those that have most deeply tasted of this cup of spirituall affliction As the sufferings of Christ abound in us saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.5 so our consolations also abound in Christ. For the Lord our God delighteth for to work by contraries As in the worke of creation he caused light to shine out of darknesse as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 4.6 and in the worke of redemption by Christs death he brought us to life by his extreame shame and ignominy he bringeth us to glory by his stripes he healeth us as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 53.5 and in that miracle that Christ wrought by anointing the blind mans eyes with clay he restored him to sight Ioh. 9.6 So in the work of grace he useth to bring his servants by hell to heaven by doubting to faith by much inward anguish and terror to abundance of peace and consolation in Christ. By what meanes did the Lord bring Mr. Bradford Mr. Glover and sundry other of the blessed Martyrs to that strength of faith inward comfort as even quenched the violence of the fire as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 11.34 for though the Apostles words be there happily to be understood literally yet may the phrase be fitly applyed to this also surely they were men that had bin much exercised with inward affliction of mind as we may read in their story And how did the Lord make Iacob so strong in faith that whereas before he was afraid of his brother Esau as he complaineth in his prayer to God Gen. 32.11 I feare him lest he will come and smite me and the mother with the children now he became bold as a lion and met him without feare going on to meet him before the rest Gen. 33.3 Nay he was so full of confidence and comfort in God that he gloried and boasted he had seene God face to face and therefore called the name of the place Penuel the face of God Gen. 32.30 Surely before he came to this comfort God had wrestled with him as an enemy Gen. 32.24 and made him out of the sense he had of Gods displeasure to pray and weep bitterly he wept and made supplication to him saith the Prophet Hos. 12.4 And few there be that ever came to see God face to face to behold the light of his countenance cleerely and manifestly as Iacob did with whom God hath not beene wont to wrestle sometimes as he did with Iacob Lecture XXVIII On Psal. 51.1 2. Iune 13. 1626. FOurthly By this meanes God weaneth his children from the love of this world and maketh them thinke of home and of their fathers house As you know affliction and nothing but affliction made the prodigall to do Luke 15.16 17. If we should alwaies possesse that outward peace those sweet joyes and comforts which the light of the Lords countenance and sense of his favour worketh in our hearts we should have our heaven upon earth and be too ready to say and thinke as Peter did when he was ravished with joy in beholding the light of Christs countenance shining as the sun Mat. 17.4 Lord it is good for us to be heere and to abide heere still These vicissitudes and changes these interruptions of our peace and spirituall desertions we meet with heere are a most effectuall meane to make us thinke of home where we shall be out of the reach of Satan and all his tentations where we shall never weepe more nor be troubled with these terrours and sorrowes that so much disquiet us where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and there shall be no more sorrow nor crying nor paine as Iohn speaketh Revel 21.4 These
unworthy to stoope downe and unloose Paul thought so of himselfe 1 Cor. 15.9 I am not worthy to be called an Apostle Secondly It is worthy of all reverence in respect of the necessity of it there is a saying Honour the Physitian because of necessity or because of the use you may have of him and surely there is no calling under heauen so usefull so necessary as the Ministery is All the good you receive by any other calling in the world is but in humane and carnall things for the welfare of your body but the good you receive by this calling is in spirituall and divine things for the salvation of your soules Heb. 5.1 We are ordained for men in the things pertaining to God 1. From us you receiue the meanes whereby God hath ordained to bring you to salvation To us is committed the word of reconciliation and wee are his ambassadours sent with commission and authority about the weightiest businesse that ever was taken in hand even the concluding of a peace betweene God and your soules as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 5.19 20. To us is committed the administration of the Sacraments and we are the keepers of Gods seales so as you cannot have them but from our hands 1 Cor. 4.1 Let a man so account of us as of the stewards of the mysteries of God yea to us are committed the keyes of the kingdome of heaven Mat. 16.19 We have that authority from God to assure you in his name upon your faith and repentance of the pardon of those sinnes that doe trouble your consciences as no man in the world hath besides Yea 2. This is not all the good you receive by vs though these bee great things for you doe not onely receiue the outward meanes of your salvation from us but that which is a great deale more by us God giveth you his spirit and saving grace also and conveyeth it into your hearts God hath made us able Ministers saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 3.6 of the new Testament not of the letter but of the spirit insomuch as I may confidently say unto every one of you that if you be regenerate If you be converted if there be any truth of grace any faith any repentance in you some minister or other was the spirituall father to beget it in you Observe what grounds I have to be so confident One is in that speech of the Apostle to the Galathians 3.2 This onely would I learne of you saith he how came you by the spirit Was it by any other meanes then by the hearing of faith The other is in that strange speech of the same Apostle Rom. 10.14 How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher And this is the first of those things I told you I would exhort you unto In any case esteeme reverently of our calling take heed yee despise it not The other two I will bee briefer in because I will hasten unto the reproofe The second thing then that you are to bee exhorted unto is this that you would every one of you resolve with your selves that you will never live without the benefit and comfort of a faithfull ministery which is so vsefull so necessary It was Davids resolution Psal. 23.6 that he would dwell in the house of the Lord for ever and 27.4 that it should be his onely sute to God in which he would have no nay that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of his life And what was it that made the house of the Lord so amiable unto him and other of Gods servants Surely we shall finde in that speech of Abiam against Ieroboam 2 Chron. 13.10 12. it was the sound and faithfull ministry that was to be enjoyed there Resolve with thy selfe therefore that what other comforts soever thou want thou wilt not live without a faithfull Minister whom thou mayest depend upon whom as thy spirituall father thou mayest reverence and obey whom thou mayest boldly acquaint with the secrets of thy soule If thou have such a one count it a singular blessing and be thankefull for it For certainely he liveth without God in this world that hath not such a Minister to depend upon as Azariah the Prophet saith unto Asa 2 Chro. 15.3 Now for a long season hath Israel beene without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without the Law Thirdly and lastly You are to be exhorted that so many of you as doe enjoy this benefit of a sound ministery would make your full use of it not onely by resorting to us in publike by hearing us for so doth many a one that hath no such relation to us as to count us their fathers in Christ but 1. In receiving and admitting that spirituall authority that God hath given him over thee without which it is impossible thou shouldst receive all that benefite by him that thou oughtest Receive us saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 7.2 hee hath authority to deale particularly with thee either by admonition or reproofe receive him in this Hebrewes 13 2â— I beseech you suffer the word of exhortation Hee hath authority to examine and enquire into your sprituall estate receive him in this See how willing Hezekiah the King was to be examined by the Prophet Esay 39.3 4. 2. Make use of thy faithfull ministers gifts in private aswell as in publike by moving the doubts of thy conscience unto him as conveniently thou mayest It is said of the Queene of Sheba and our Saviour commendeth her for it Matt. 12.42 that hearing of the knowledge and wisedome that was in Solomon shee came a great way to make use of it and when shee was come saith the text 1 Kings 10.2 shee communed with him of all that was in her heart 3. In approoving thy repentance and thy spirituall estate unto him Gods people are bound to live as their ministers may discerne their obedience and the fruits of their labours in them and bee encouraged thereby Hebr. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your soules that they may doe it with joy And it is noted for a sin in Zedekiah the King 2 Chronicles 6.12 that hee did not humble himselfe before the Prophet Ieremy who as hee was a witnesse of his sin so should hee have approved his repentance to him especially 4. and lastly In resting upon and receiving satisfaction from that which hee shall in Gods name and by warrant of his word deliver unto thee as Anna did in the testimony of Ely 1 Sam. 1.18 Whosoever saith the Lord Deut. 18.19 will not hearken to my words which the Prophet shall speake in my name I will require it of him How little the testimony that Gods faithfull ministers do give of our wayes is regarded may appeare in many particulars which by evidence of Gods word they declare to be sins And seemeth it nothing to you
admit of no duty to be enjoyned us but that which is easie we must never looke to come to heaven Wee know who it was that said Matth. 7.14 Strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde it And though it be an evill temper and constitution of the body to be too tender yet cannot the conscience be too tender the best temper and constitution of the conscience is to be sensible of the least sin Keepe my law saith the Lord Proverbs 7.2 as the apple of thine eye The conscience of Gods child towards Gods commandements is as tender a thing as the apple of the eye the least thing will offend it 2. This precisenes in making conscience of the least sin will not make a Christian life wearisome and uncomfortable unto him nay it is the onely way to make our lives comfortable unto us indeed if we could bring our hearts to this to make conscience of the least sin It is a certaine truth which Solomon speaketh of all the wayes of true piety Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all her pathes are peace Certainly every yoke of Christ is easie and every burden that he layeth upon us is light as he telleth us that cannot deceive us Matth. 11.30 His commandements are not grievous saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.3 The strictnesse and precisenesse of obedience that the Lord requireth of us in this case is not a legall strictnesse and precisenesse of obedience but an Evangelicall 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted God requireth no more of us but that we wittingly give not our selves liberty in the least sin but that we doe our unfeined endeavour to keepe our selves from the least sin and not to suffer the least of our corruptions to passe without a censure no not a thought no not a dreame that favoureth of corruption as it appeareth by the equitie of that law which wee find Deuteron 23.10 11. This precisenesse and nothing without this will give us assurance of the uprightnesse of our hearts and this assurance will breed that peace and soundnesse of joy in us as nothing in the world besides is able to doe So it is said of the people in Davids time 1 Chron. 29.9 The people rejoyced for that they had offered willingly because with a perfect heart they had offered willingly This is that that worketh true confidence and security in the conscience of a Christian as David speaketh Psal. 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements Such need not feare their sins nor the curse of the law due to sin For against such there is no law as the Apostle speaketh Gal. 5.23 The fourth and last use that this doctrine serveth unto is for reproofe of such as blame many of Gods servāts for nothing more then this that they are so precise in trifles in matters of very small moment This they taxe them for as for a very foule fault They love say they to be singular and to shew themselves more holy then all other men in matters of nothing Forsooth they will not do as other men do Nay they will not speake as other men speake O they may not sweare no not by faith troth This ridiculous precisenes in toyes trifles say they we cannot abide And this is certainly one chiefe ground of all the contempt hatred that most men do beare unto the servants of God they esteem us all to be no better then hypocrites because of this Now unto these men I have three things to say 1. That there is a kind of precisenes in smal matters that is indeed to be blamed as a certain note of hypocrisie 2 That all precisenes is not so 3. How men should carry themselves towards such as they so much mislike And for the first I will give you two notes to try it by 1. Why men are strict and precise and place religion and holinesse in such things as God hath given no such commandement nor direction for in his word The strictnesse and precisenesse of the Pharisees in observing their purifications our Saviour calleth hypocrisie because they had no ground for their conscience therein but onely the commandement and traditions of men Matth. 7.6 7. The precisenesse of the Papists in keeping their Lent and abstaining from meat upon opinion of holinesse the Apostle calleth hypocrisie because there is no warrant for it in the Word For every creature of God is sanctified and the use of it allowed unto us by the Word 1 Timothy 4.2.5 And certainly there are a world of such Popish hypocrites that are exceedingly scrupulous and precise and zealous in observing the traditions of men that doe observe sundry rites and customes of the Church not onely out of obedience to the authority whereby they are enjoyned but even out of conscience to the things themselves and perswasion that neither of the Sacraments would doe them or their children good if they should be received without those ceremonies that the Church hath enjoyned their feare towards God is taught by the precepts of men as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 29.13 that will urge and presse their ministers much more for the observation of these things then either for preaching or any other dutie of his ministery that God hath enjoyned him These precisians are grosse hypocrites certainely 2. Admit we have a commandement of God against these things that we are so scrupulous and precise in yet if we make more conscience of the commandements of God touching these smaller things then we doe of the greatest and weightiest of them this is also a certaine note of an hypocrite For so our Saviour proveth the Pharisees to be hypocrites because they were so precise in tithing of Mint and Annise and Cummin which yet they had a commandement from God to doe and yet omitted the weightier matters of the law as judgement and mercy and fidelity they strained at a gnat and swallowed a camell Mat. 23.23 24. And this is the first thing I have to say unto these men there is a kind of precisenesse in small matters that is no better then hypocrisie Secondly I say that all precisenes even in small matters is not hypocrisie It is no folly nor fault in a Christian to be precise in avoiding and making conscience of the least thing that God hath forbidden us Nay it is certainly the fault of the best of us that we are not so strict and precise that way as we ought to be This I will make plaine unto you both by examples and by precepts The examples are three Daniel was precise even in a matter of ceremony Dan. 1.8 H◠purposed in his heart that he would not defile himselfe with the portion of the Kings meate Our Saviour was so precise even in a matter of circumstance in Gods worship as that because God had commanded the passeover should bee
setting our hearts upon any earthly comfort of admiring and affecting it much and labour to bring our hearts to a more meane conceit of these things to bee more indifferently affected towards them If riches increase set not your heart upon them saith David Psal. 62.10 And describing the man that shall go to heauen he saith Ps. 24.4 he is such a one as hath not lift up his soule to vanity No man that warreth saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 2.4 entangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life And 1 Cor. 7.31 They that use this world must take heed of over-using it they must not be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the fashion of this world passeth away We must part with all these things and the faster our hearts do cleave and are glued to them the more painefull will it be unto us to part with them In which respect certainely as it may be said of our whole land that if the Lord should bring these miseries upon us which the Palatinate and Bohemia and Germany have long endured we should be farre worse able to beare them then they or any other nation under heaven because we are so tender and delicate by the long peace and aboundance of all things we have enjoyed So may I say to every one of you that are rich and to you that are given to ease and to pleasure that the crosse and persecution the troubles and afflictions we have cause to looke for will be more heavie and intollerable to you then to others of Gods people If Moses had not learned to make light account of riches and of pleasures hee could never have so willingly and patiently endured to suffer affliction with the people of God as the Apostle observeth Heb. 11.25 26. Thirdly He that would be able patiently and Christianly to endure troubles and afflictions of what kind soever they be must before hand acquaint himselfe well with the Word of God he must be well seene and exercised in it And indeed this is one principall cause why the Lord hath given us his holy Word in wriâ—ing that by it he might prepare us for affliction and breed true patience and comfort in us Whatsoever things were written asore time saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning what learning may you say What is it that God would have us learne by them that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Many of the Philosophers have given in their writings excellent rules and grounds of patience but that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and patience that was wrought in men by their precepts and rules was stupidity and senslessenesse rather then true patience the patience and comfort of the holy Scripture is the onely true and Christian patience In which respect our Saviour giveth this title to his holy Word he calleth it the Word of his patience because saith he Rev. 3.10 thou hast kept the Word of my patience I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation The holy Scriptures are fitly resembled and typified by that tower of David mentioned Cant. 4.4 builded for an armoury wherein there hang a thousand bucklers under which a man may without feare and with great safety encounter with the strongest and fiercest temptation and affliction that can assault him all shields of mighty men all armour of proofe such as all the Lords Worthies Iob and David and Paul and the rest have had good proofe and triall of in all their afflictions Heare what Iob saith of this armour Iob 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food As if he should say No food no not my necessary food did ever so susteine and strengthen me so refresh and revive my fainting body as the Word of God hath my soule in all my afflictions Heare what David saith of this who was also a man of sorrowes one that was much exercised with afflictions of all kinds Psal. 119.50 This that is to say the Word of God of which he had spoken in the former verse is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickned me And verse 92. Vnlesse thy law had beene my delights he speaketh in the plurall number As if he had said instar omnium in stead of all manner of delights unto me I should then have perished in mine affliction And verse 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy commandements are my delights As if he should say In my greatest trouble in the extreamest anguish of my soule thy Word yeelded comfort unto me Therefore also you shall find he cryeth for nothing so earnestly in all his affliction as for understanding and knowledge in the Word Psal. 119. When hee had spoken verse 143. of the trouble and anguish he was in he cryeth in the next verse Give me understanding in thy testimonies he meaneth and I shall live And verse 169. Let my cry come neere before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word And verse 171. My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes See also the proofe that Paul had of this armour of the patience and comfort of the Scriptures in all his afflictions For speaking 2 Cor. 6.4 5. that he and all the rest of the Apostles did in all things approve themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in stripes in imprisonments in tumules he telleth how and by what meanes he attained unto this grace to endure so much misery with so great patience he reckoneth verse 6 and 7. this for a principall by knowledge saith he and by the word of truth And surely 1 if there were nothing els to breed in our hearts an high esteeme of the Word of God to cause us to seeke the knowledge of it to exercise our selves with delight in the reading and hearing and meditation of it this were sufficient to do it even the patience comfort it will yeeld us in all our afflictions The remembrance of one sentence of holy Scripture will be more effectuall to yeeld us comfort in the evill day in the houre of temptation will have more force to repell Satan in his fiercest assaults then is in all the wisdome of the world in all the counsell of our friends that shall be then about us For it is the sword of Gods spirit as the Apostle calleth it Ephes. 6.17 It is the onely weapon whereby Christ our Saviour the Captaine of our Salvation did overcome the divell and drive him away as you may see in the story of his temptations Matth. 4.4 7 10. Therefore also our Saviour when he promiseth his Disciples to send them the Comforter after his departure from them he telleth them how and by what meanes he should comfort them Iohn 14.26 He shall teach you all things and bring all things unto your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you By giving them understanding in
endure for us Iohn 18.11 The cup which my father hath given me shall I not drinke When we are once assured God is our father wee shall be made well content to take the bitterest potion from his hand And thus doth the holy Apostle reason Rom. 5. for when he had said that being justified by saith wee are able even to glory in tribulations hee giveth this for the reason of it verse 5. Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost that is given unto us As if hee had said When once the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts and soaketh into them so as we have a comfortable sense and feeling of it how can we choose but beare tribulations patiently and even glory in them Thirdly and lastly Faith maketh the heart that hath it undoubtedly certaine of those promises God hath made to his people in their afflictions of which we heard when I spake of the motives unto this duty as namely 1. That they shall tend to our good in the end Heb. 12.10 Hee correcteth us for our profit And 2. that in the meane time he will not forsake us in them but assist and support us Psal. 91.15 I will be with him in trouble I will deliver and honour him These promises I say faith maketh the heart certaine of Heb. 11.1 Faith is the evidence of things not seene And he that is sure of these promises how can he choose but beare affliction patiently And say with David Psal. 56.4 In God will I praise his word as if he should say I will praise God for his word and promise And what followeth in the same verse In God have I put my trust I will not feare what flesh can doe unto me Let me apply this briefly 1. By way of exhortation 2. By way of comfort First Seeing faith will stand us in that stead in the evill day and yeeld us that strength and comfort in all afflictions it standeth us upon to get it in time and to looke well to our selves that that faith we thinke we have be such as will abide the tryall in the fornace of affliction such as will not deceive us in the evill day It is the exhortation of the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your owne selves For alas if we have no true faith no sound assurance that we are in Christ when death shall come when the troublesome time of persecution when the sword of the bloody enemy shall come what shall we doe How shall we be able to beare it What patience what comfort can wee looke to have in that day 1. Extreame affliction is wont to awaken the conscience and set it on worke to bring a mans sins to his remembrance that he never thought of nor was troubled with before As you have heard from the example of Iosephs brethren Gen. 42.21 And what will quiet the conscience when it falleth on brawling and exclaiming upon a man Certainly nothing but faith that sprinkleth the bloud of Christ upon it as the Apostle teacheth us Heb 9.13 14. 2. In the evill day Satan will be apt to cast into mens soules his darts of desperation his fiery darts as the Apostle calleth them And what is it that will quench these darts Surely nothing but faith as the Apostle teacheth Ephe. 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith whereby yee shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of that wicked one Let us therfore looke well to our faith sith our patience and comfort in affliction dependeth so much upon it Two notes I will give you to try it by First By the meanes and manner how it was wrought in thee How camest thou by it Did the Lord worke it in thee by the ministery of his word Did thy saith come by hearing Rom. 10.17 Canst thou say that before ever Christ came into thy heart Iohn Baptist came before him to prepare his way Mark 1.2 That the ministery of the law that effectually discovered thy sins and miserable condition unto thee was thy schoolemaster to bring thee to Christ Gal. 3.24 That before the Lord spake peace to thy heart by the still soft and sweete voice of his Gospel he prepared thy heart to receive it as he did Eliahs 1 Kin. 19.11 12. by great terrour This is certainly the ordinary way whereby God bringeth his elect to faith If thou came not to thy faith this way but in some other more extraordinary manner as I doe not deny but it is possible thou mightest for who can limit the holy one of Israel Psal. 78 41. or tye him to certaine rules thou hast the more cause to suspect it and to try it the more diligently by the second note and that is this Secondly Try it by the effects of it in thy selfe How hath thy faith thou sayest thou hast in Iesus Christ wrought with thee What change hath it made in thee Wee have all of us very lately renewed our faith and made solemne profession of it and confirmed it in the holy Sacrament In it we have by faith fed upon the Lord Iesus or els that bread we did eate at the Lords Table will be as gravell betweene our teeth one day as Solomon speaketh in another case Prov. 20.17 that cup we drunke of there will be as a cup of deadly poison unto us As therefore I exhorted you the last day to examine your selves well before you went to the Lords table so do I now exhort you to an after examination of your selves Hast thou Indeed by faith fed upon the Lord Iesus so lately Then certainly 1. Thou shalt find some abatement of the strength of thy corruptions and lusts Where Christ is by faith received he will purifie the heart Act. 15.9 The woman that had the bloody issue when she had by faith touched but the border of his garment she felt such vertue comming from him as dryed up stanched the issue of blood as you shall find Luke 8.44 And is it possible that wee should have by faith not only touched his garment but eaten and drunke his very body and bloud and yet feele no vertue at all come from him to dry up the fountaine of our corruption but it runneth as fresh and freely as ever it did 2. If thou hast by faith fed upon the Lord Iesus some increase of spirituall strength to resist tentation and to walke in Gods wayes is wrought in thy foule by it Didst thou ever with a good appetite eate thy corporall food but thou receivedst some refreshing and strength by it Arise and eate saith God to Eliah the second time 1 Kin. 19.7 8. for thou hast a great journey to goe and he arose and did eate and drinke and went in the strength of that meat fourty dayes and forty nights And is there not as much vertue in the body blood of Christ being fed upon by faith to give and increase
this originall corruption of nature did not reigne neither why were they so humbled for that neverthelesse And why must we in the daies of our humiliation when we are to renew our repentance remember and bewaile our originall sin Surely because First That was the cause of all the foule sins that ever we committed and consequently of all the sorrowes and miseries that ever we felt or stood in feare of Iam. 1.14 Every man is tempted when he is drawne away of his owne lust and enticed And Mar 7.21.23 from within out of the heart of men proceed evill thoughts adulteries fornications murders c. all these things come from within and these defile a man Secondly Because though all other sins that we have committed be repented of and done away yet this root of bitternesse remaineth still in us and is ever sprouting and putting us in danger to do as badly againe as ever we did And may fitly be resembled by that comparison of a tree that Iob useth Iob 14.8 9. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth and the stocke thereof die in the ground yet through the sent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant He therefore to conclude that bringeth unto God in the fast an heart humbled onely for some grosse actuall sins that he hath committed but was never humbled for the vile corruption of his nature could never feelingly confesse that unto God nor bewaile it before him hath just cause to suspect the truth of his repentance and humiliation for sin Shall Iob and David and Esay and Paul cry out so much of themselves for this and dost thou thinke thou art in a good case that art never troubled for that untowardnesse thou findest in thy heart to any thing that is good for those vile motions and inclinations thou findest in thy selfe unto all evill This God complaineth of as of a thing that did much provoke him against his people Ezek. 16.22 In all thine abominations and thy whordomes thou hast not remembred the dayes of thy youth when thou wast naked and bare and wast polluted in thy bloud Lecture LXIII On Psalme 51.5 Iuly 10. 1627. THe third use that this Doctrine serveth unto is for exhortation to stirre up in every one of us a care to be cured of this loathsome leprosy to be delivered from the danger of this poison this fountaine of all sin this root of all bitternesse that is in the nature of every one of us This use the blessed Apostle did make of this Doctrine Rom. 7.24 For having bewailed greatly this corruption he felt in his nature and professed that he was deepely humbled in himselfe for it which made him cry out O wretched man that I am As if he had said O what a wretch am I that have such a deale of corruption remaining in me which was the former use that I told you this Doctrine serveth unto and handled by me the last day immediately he bursteth forth into these words Who shall deliver me from the body of this death As if he should have said O how may I be rid of it and delivered from the danger of it Now for the better enforcing of this exhortation 1 I will give you certaine motives to provoke you unto this care to seeke to be freed from the danger of this sin 2 I will shew you the meanes whereby deliverance from the danger of this sin is to be obtained And for motives I shall not need to give you any other then such as you have already heard in the proofes and reasons of the Doctrine 1. This is the fountaine and cause of all other our sins and consequently of all our woe and misery as wee have heard out of Iames 1.14 And it is a point of wisedome in this case to lay the axe unto the root of the tree Matth. 3.10 2. This is an universall leprosie that is gone over the whole man the whole spirit and soule and body and is therefore called the old man Rom. 6.6 3. This is such a cursed root and fountain of all evill as will never cease sprouting boyling and bubling up one corruption or other Fitly resembled Esa. 57.20 to the troubled Sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dirt continually So as when we have repented and made our peace with God for our actuall sins that wee know by our selves yet this is still apt to defile us againe and cast filthy dirt upon our best actions yea to bring us into danger of falling againe into the same or fouler evils and so apt ever and anon to interrupt our peace with God and to minister unto us matter of new doubts and feares continually It therefore standeth us upon to enquire how and by what meanes wee may bee delivered from the danger of this sinne especially And this is the second thing I propounded for the inforcing of this exhortation to shew you the means how wee might bee delivered from it And those we may best learne of the blessed Apostle who when hee had professed this desire that I now exhort you to Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver mee c. In the words following hee answereth himselfe and giveth full satisfaction to his owne conscience in this weightie question which is the answer also that I must give to every one of you in whom the Lord hath wrought that care and desire that was in Paul as doubtlesse hee hath in every good heart here that knoweth the viâ—enesse of his owne nature and doth remember and beleeve that which I have taught you at large touching originall sin he answereth himselfe I say by telling us who delivered him from the body of this death how hee was freed from the checks and accusations of his owne conscience for it 1. By Iesus Christ who delivered him from the guilt of it that it should never bee imputed to him unto condemnation verse 25. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. And 8.1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus 2. By the spirit of God who freed him from the power and dominion of his corruption and did mortifie it in him Rom. 8.12 They that are in Christ walke not after the flesh but after the spirit for the law the commanding power of the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed me from the law the commanding power of sin and death The same answer he also giveth 1 Corinth 6.11 Yee are washed yee are sanctified yee are justified in the name of the Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God Here are therefore beloved you see two wayes and other way then these two there is none whereby wee may bee delivered from all the hurt and danger that may come to us by the Originall corruption of our nature 1. By Iesus Christ that hath justified us and delivered us from the guilt and punishment of it 2. By the spirit of Christ which
to this may that speech of our Saviour be applied Matth. 9.29 According to thy faith so be it unto thee Fiftly and lastly That soule that can seeke to Christ for helpe against any corruption and confidently expect to receive it and wait upon him for it shall be sure not to be overcome of it Esa. 40.31 They that waite upon the Lord shall renew their strength And 30.18 Blessed are all they that waite for him Lecture LXVIII On Psalme 51.5 Septemb 11. 1627. THe fourth and last use that the third and last Doctrine that we have learned out of these words touching the heinousnesse and danger of originall sinne serveth unto is To breed thankfullnesse in us and so to comfort us in the acknowledgement and admiration of the goodnesse and mercy of God For the Doctrine of originall sinne and the true consideration of this how vile and corrupt we are even by nature doth notably set forth the goodnesse of God towards us and hath great force to make us thankfull for it and cause us to admire and take comfort in it This use we find the Apostle made of this Doctrine Rom. 7. For having meditated seriously of the strength of corruption that was still in his nature and being deepely affected and humbled with it as appeareth by that exclamation of his verse 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Presently hee bursteth forth into this voice of joy and thanksgiving verse 25. I thanke God through Iesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say O how much am I bound to God for his mercy towards me in Iesus Christ. Certainely we can never be truly thankfull to God for his mercies we cannot value them aright nor relish the sweetnesse of them till we do apprehend and can feelingly acknowledge how unworthy we are that God should shew any respect unto us and can say with Iacob Gen. 32.10 I am unworthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant The blessed Virgin in her song Luk. 1.48 giveth this for the reason why her soule did magnifie the Lord and her spirit did rejoyce in God her Saviour because the Lord had regarded the low estate of his handmaid had so farre regarded one that was in so low and base an estate as shee was And surely if we knew our owne vilenesse well as it hath beene discovered to us by this Doctrine of originall sinne and could also have grace seriously to thinke of it our soules would also magnifie the Lord and our spirits would rejoyce in God our Saviour Gods mercies would be sweeter to us then they are we could not choose but wonder that the Lord should be so gracious and good to us that are even by nature so alienated from him and enemies in our minds unto him as the Apostle speaketh Col. 1.21 Every imagination of the thoughts of whose hearts are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 That he I say should neverthelesse be so good and gracious unto us as he is It would make every one of us say oft unto the Lord as Mephibosheth once did to David 2 Sam. 9.8 What is thy servant that thou shouldst looke upon such a dead dog as I am But to speake more distinctly of this point there be foure things especially wherein the knowledge of the vilenesse and corruption of our nature may cause us to admire the mercy and goodnesse of God 1. That there being such a world of wickednesse in every mans nature as there is the Lord is pleased so farre forth to keepe it under by his restraining grace that it breaketh forth no more then it doth 2. That the nature of man being in all the parts of it so extreamely corrupted any of Gods people should have any goodnesse at all in them 3. That there being so strong corruptions remaining in the very best of us any of us should be able to hold out in a Christian course 4 and lastly That the corruption of our nature being so great as it is it should do us no more hart but that we should bee so fully and perfectly freed from the danger of it And for the first of these Certainely when we rightly consider what the nature of man is we shall see just cause to admire the mercy of God towards us even in his restraining grace and to blame our selves that we have not taken better notice of it and beene more thankfull unto God for it hitherto Let us consider the worke and power of it first in others secondly in our selves and wee shall see that wee receive great benefit by it both waies And first for the worke of it in other men It must needs be acknowledged as a great favour of God that any of us live in such safety and peace as we doe when we go abroad when we are at home by night or by day if we did rightly consider what times these are what kind of people they be that wee live by even such as are by nature strongly inclined not to malice onely but to all kind of mischiefe besides Such as whose naturall disposition the Apostle describeth Rom. 3.14 17. Their mouth is full of cursing and bitternesse their feet are swift to shed bloud destruction and misery are in their waies that is to say a desire to bring others to misery and destruction and the way of peace how to live peaceably they have not knowne This being so how commeth it to passe that wee receive no hurt at all by such kind of persons as these are Sanctifying grace they have none to change their natures For as the Apostle saith of them in the next words verse 18. There is no feare of God before their eyes Besides wee heare daily of other lewd men that in such and such places have committed strange outrages upon men in the high waies as they have beene travelling and in their houses while they have beene asleepe on their beds How falleth it out then that wee have lived in such safety hitherto You will say because the Lord hath beene our keeper Psal. 121.5 he hath kept watch and ward about us He hath made a hedge about us and our houses as Satan said of Iob 1.10 This is true indeed but a principall meanes whereby the Lord hath so kept us is this restraining grace of his in the hearts even of the most wicked men Observe I pray you the worke of it and the benefit we receive by it in three degrees First Whereas there is no corruption that a naturall man is more strongly inclined unto then to hate all such as feare God according to that of Pro. 29.27 He that is upright in his waies be he otherwise never so harmelesse or peaceable is an abomination to the wicked How commeth it to passe that in many naturall yea otherwise lewd men wee live by we could never yet discerne the least malice against us
of his will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding that yee may walke worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke and increasing in the knowledge of God Strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse Marke 1 how earnestly he prayeth for increase of knowledge in them that had already greatly profited in it 2 that he desireth this as the meanes whereby all other graces that were in them were to receive their strength specially the grace of patience to beare the crosse of Christ with comfort As if he had said thus I know it is not possible for you to be strengthened in patience nor to hold out in the fiery triall with comfort unlesse you be filled with the knowledge of Gods Word in all wisdome spirituall understanding This the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime by the holy Prophets were written for our learning to teach us to breed knowledge in us that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope As if he should have said All true patience and comfort and hope in the time of affliction is grounded upon that which we have learned in the holy Scriptures This David confirmeth to us by his owne experience in many passages of the 119. Psalme That Psalme appeareth plainely to have beene made in the time of great affliction both outward and inward that David was exercised with and we shall find that in all his affliction he cryeth there unto God for nothing so much for nothing so earnestly as he doth for knowledge in the Word of God See this in verse 124 125 143 144 169. And why doth hee thus cry for knowledge Certainely he knew nothing was able to support and stablish his faith and hope his patience and comfort in his affliction but onely this If any man shall object against this That many of the Martyrs were most constant in their profession and shewed marvellous patience and comfort in their sufferings that yet had very little knowledge we read in the book of Martyrs of some that suffered who were so ignorant as they could not tell how many Sacraments there were or what a Sacrament is nay one of them answered she had heard there was one Sacrament but what it was she knew not Page 2091. of another we read that was so simple as he was commonly reputed litle better then an idiot Pag 2232. of another who in a letter of his doth admire this himselfe that knowing himselfe to be so unlearned and ignorant as he was yet he found such strength and assistance from God in his sufferings as he did Page 2080. To this I answer 1. That all these had full and certaine knowledge out of Gods Word of those truthes that they did suffer for though they were very ignorant of many other 2. They were filled with the knowledge of Gods will according to their measure their knowledge was fully proportionable to the measure of the meanes and capacity that God had given them and the least pot may bee as full as the greatest vessell that is 3. That little knowledge that they had was saving and spirituall they were taught it of God in the hidden part God had made them to know wisdome or els they could never have held out in such sufferings with such constancy and patience as they did And this is the first reason why the Holy Ghost in the Scripture doth ascribe so much unto knowledge it is the foundation of all other graces and that that giveth strength and stability unto them Secondly Knowledge is the seed from whence all other graces doe grow it is the meanes whereby they are bred and begotten in us This point is evident even in nature for the will and affections are moved by the understanding that sitteth at the sterne in the soule of man A man can neither love nor hate desire nor feare rejoyce norâ— mourne for any thing but according to the apprehension hee hath of it first in his understanding But see the proofe of this out of the holy Scripture in these two points 1. God doth never ordinarily worke any saving grace in any that hath no knowledge 2. Where knowledge is once truly wrought by the spirit of God all other saving graces will follow For the first See what the holy Apostle saith 2 Pet. 1.2 3. Grace and peace bee multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Iesus our Lord. Knowledge is the meanes to bring us to the sense of Gods free grace and to that sweet peace that is the fruit of it yea to have them multiplied in us But he goeth further in the next words According as his divine power hath given us all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue Knowledge is the meanes whereby God giveth and worketh in us every other grace also No man can attaine to true saith till hee have knowledge How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard Rom. 10.14 And Esa. 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many No man can pray aright or do any other service unto God till hee have knowledge Know thou the God of thy father and serve him with a perfect heart saith David to Solomon 1 Chron. 28.9 My lips shall utter praise when thou hast taught me thy statutes saith David Psalme 119.171 As if hee had said Till then I can never doe it Bee more ready to heare saith Solomon Eccles. 5.1 then to give the sacrifice of fooles Till by hearing of the Word wee have gotten knowledge all our prayers and services we doe unto God are but the sacrifice of fooles they are not the fruits of Gods grace and spirit nor acceptable unto him To conclude this first proofe God will have all men his elect of all sorts saith Paul 1 Tim. 2.4 to bee saved and to come unto the knowledge of the truth This knowledge of the truth is the meanes whereby all those shall bee saved whom God will save Secondly Where knowledge is once truly wrought all other graces must needs follow 1. Sound knowledge will breed holy affections and desires If thou knewest that gift of God saith our Saviour to the woman Iohn 4 10. and who it is that saith unto thee give me to drinke thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water If a man knew Christ aright he could not choose but thirst after him and prize him above all the world If a man did rightly know and were perswaded of the comfort that is to bee found in godlinesse and the reward thereof it were not possible for him not to desire and be in love with it And if men did rightly know the torments that are prepared for wicked men they must needs tremble and be afraid of them 2. It will
tryall before his judgement-seat such as may fitly satisfie his justice and make our peace with him and consequently such as whereby the Law of God is fulfilled Therefore it is called the righteousnesse of God Rom. 10.3 such a righteousnesse as he requireth as will stand before him and satisfie his justice So the Apostle saith the righteousnesse of the law must be fulfilled in us before we can be justified Rom. 8.4 Now by no other righteousnesse but Christs alone the law of God was ever perfectly fulfilled none but his righteousnesse was ever able to abide the tryall at Gods judgement seate and fully to satisfie his justice And therefore the Apostle calleth the righteousnesse which is by the faith of Iesus Christ Romanes 3.22 the righteousnesse of God that is the righteousnesse of God and none but that Of Christ and none but him the Lord hath said Matthew 17.5 In him I am well pleased Hee is our peace as the Apostle calleth him Ephesians 2.14 and none but hee No righteousnesse can make our peace with God or bring peace to our owne hearts but only his Three maine objections are made against this most cleare and comfortable truth which I will briefly answer First It is against all reason and sense that a righteousnesse which is without us and none of our owne but another mans should justifie us And with what comfort and peace of conscience can any man rely upon such a righteousnesse I answer 1. It standeth with reason that that satisfaction should bee imputed unto mee which my surety hath made for my debt And Christ was our surety as the Apostle calleth him Hebrewes 7 22. 2. Adams first sinne was justly imputed by God to all his posterity though it were not their owne inherently nor actually as the Apostle teacheth Rom. 5.14 And the sinnes of all Gods Elect were imputed unto Christ though they were not his owne inherently and actually He made him to be sin for us who knew no sinne saith the Apostle 2 Corinth 5.21 And to prefigure this all the iniquities of Gods people were imputed to their sacrifice though they were not inherently his owne as wee read Leviticus 16. â—1 22. Aaron shall put all the iniquities of all the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinnes upon the head of the Goat and the Goat shall beare upon him all their iniquities And why then should it seeme strange that the perfect righteousnesse of our sacrifice and surety though it be not our owne inherently should be imputed to us by the Lord and made ours Secondly It is objected How can it stand with the infinite knowledge and wisedome of God to account and esteeme them to be righteous that are inherently and indeed impious and wicked men Them that are like those painted sepulchers that our Saviour speaketh of Mat. 23.27 covered outwardly with the white robe of Christs righteousnesse but void of all inherent righteousnesse in themselves To this I answer No true beleever is void of all inherent righteousnesse though it be not so perfect as is able to justifie him in Gods sight Christ cannot be the head of an impious body But the Lord sanctifieth all such and maketh them inherently righteous by his holy spirit whom hee doth justifie and esteeme righteous by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unto them as you have heard Thirdly and lastly It is objected But how can it stand with the justice of God of whom it is said Exod 34.7 that hee will by no meanes cleare the guilty to pronounce and account them to be perfectly righteous who doe indeed still remaine full of corruption I answer Because all their sins were imputed unto Christ their surety and he hath fully satisfied the justice of God for them The Lord saith the Prophet Esa. 53.6 hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all And thus have I finished this first use of the Doctrine and maintained it against these three foule errours that the Papists doe hold against it Now from this that you have heard these two points for conclusion of all doe necessarily follow First That every Papist that holdeth and beleeveth these errours as every one of them professeth that hee doth for they are expressly decreed in the Councell of Trent which is the rule of every Papists faith especially if hee holds them practically and with reference to his owne workes is in a most lamentable and damnable estate Because the Apostle directly affirmeth Gal. 3.10 As many as are of the workes of the law and looke to bee justified by their works and inherent righteousnesse are under the curse And 5.4 Christ is become of no effect to you whosoever of you are justified hope to bee justified by the workes of the law yee are fallen from grace ye can have no benefit at all by Christ. Secondly That the present Church of Rome cannot bee the true Church of Christ as they boast of themselves but of it may bee said as Revelat. 2 9. It is the Synagogue of Satan because it holdeth not this foundation that is to say the Doctrine of justification by Christ. And other foundation of Gods Church can no man lay saith the Apostle 1 Cor 3.11 1. They deny justification by the imputation of Christs righteousnesse yea they scorne it and call it a putative righteousnesse 2. They hold justification by inherent righteousnesse that is by the workes of the law 3. They make justification and sanctification all one and so indeed deny and shut out of Gods Church the Doctrine of justification altogether Lecture CXXXI On Psalme 51.7 Octob. 27. 1629. IT followeth now that wee doe proceed unto the second sort of uses that I told you this Doctrine serveth unto and shew you how it should worke upon our affections And there be two uses of this sort principally The first is for comfort and the second is for exhortation For the first It is not possible for any man to understand and receive and meditate seriously of this Doctrine that hee that is once purged and washed by the blood of Christ that is hee that truly beleeveth in him is not onely perfectly cleane in Gods sight from all filth and spot of sinne but whiter also then snow perfectly just and righteous before God I say it is not possible for any man to know and thinke of this but if himselfe be a true beleever he must needs take comfort in it it must needs warme and revive and glad his heart And certainely no man doth truly beleeve in Christ that taketh not comfort in this Doctrine We find in Luk. 2.25 that our Saviour is called and was ever so accounted by Gods people the consolation of Israel that is the onely ground of comfort to the Israel of God And the Angell when hee telleth the shepheards of the birth of Christ saith Luke 2.10 hee brought them glad tidings of great joy that should be to all people As if he should
speech of the Apostles unto Christ Luk. 17.5 where when they had heard our Saviour teach if a brother trespasse against us seven times in one day and what hope will you say can a man have of such a one yet upon profession of his repentance wee must forgive him and when they heard him presse this with such earnestnesse as Verse 3. he did take heed to your selves As if he should say I know well how heard and difficult a thing it is to flesh and bloud that I shall now require of you but take heed you doe so your case is wofull if you doe not this the Apostles all of them with one voice cry unto Christ Lord increase our faith As if they had said he had need have a great deale of faith that should be able to doe this and yet Lord if thou wilt be pleased to increase our faith we shall be able to doe it Why How can a mans faith helpe him in this case Surely two wayes First if a man would stirre up and exercise his faith by considering what the Lord for Christs sake hath done for him how he hath forgiven him a debt of tenne thousand talents and how apt he is still upon his repentance to forgive him though he trespasse against him more then seven times every day this will make a man able and willing to forgive his brother upon his repentance any wrongs whatsoever which are but as a debt of an hundred pence in comparison of that which God hath forgiven him and make him say to his owne heart as wee reade Matth. 18.33 the wicked servant should have said Should not I have compassion of my fellow servant even as the Lord hath had pitty on me Therefore the consideration of that which God for Christs sake hath done for us is also used by the Apostle Col. 3.13 as the strongest motive to make us willing to forgive wrongs Secondly if a man would make claime to that promise that hee being in Christ hath just title to which we finde made Esa. 11.6 9. to all the subjects of Christs kingdome The Wolfe shall dwell with the Lambe c. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountaine The effect of which promise is this that all that belong to Christs kingdome shall have the spirit of meekenesse given unto them and though they were by nature like Wolves and Leopards and Lions and Beares and Aspes and Cockatrices that is fierce and cruell apt to doe hurt and mischiefe when once they beleeve in Christ their natures shall be quite changed all bitternesse of spirit shall be taken from them they shall have no desire to hurt to be revenged of any that have done them wrong If I say a Christian that findeth himselfe troubled with maliciousnesse and bitternesse of spirit would in humble and faithfull prayer make claime to this promise and challeng it at Gods hands doubtlesse hee might have more power over that corruption then he hath A third corruption that troubleth much the people of God is slavish feare which is indeed one of the greatest tormenters of the heart that can be Feare hath torment saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.18 And there is scarce any one corruption that the dearest of Gods servants are more subject to then to this slavish and distrustfull feare In which respect the Lord Esa. 35.4 calleth them such as are of a fearefull heart And upbraideth them with this as with a great sinne Esa. 51.13 Thou hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressour as if hee were even ready to destroy If they heare of any troubles approaching of any practises of the enemy either at home or abroad their hearts are surprised with strange feares continually every day as if the enemy were already entred into their houses and ready to cut their throates Alas my weakenesse is such saith this poore soule as I shall never bee able to abide such a triall I shall be apt to deny God or doe any thing when such a day commeth This is too true and this is my very case will many a one of you say and I know it is my great sinne to be so fearefull as I am but how should I helpe it How may I bee able to mortifie and subdue this corruption I answer get assurance by faith that thou art reconciled to God in Christ that thy sinnes are forgiven thee and that will free thee from thy feares and make thee strong against them See an experiment of this in them that endured as great tryalls as thou shalt ever indure and felt themselves before their tryall as fearefull and weake every whit as thou art I meane them that the Apostle speaketh of Hebr. 11.33 37. Observe these foure things distinctly in that example First How great their tryals were Verse 37. They were stoned sawne asunder tempted they were slaine with the sword they wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented Is it possible that thou canst ever be brought to greater tryals than they were Secondly How strong and resolute how void of feare they were even in this fiery tryall Vers. 35. not accepting deliverance they had deliverance and peace and freedome from all these miseries offred them upon condition that they would yeeld a little and forsake their Religion but they would not accept of it Thirdly Consider how weake and fearefull they had beene before the very time that they came to this tryall Vers. 34. Out of weakenesse they were made strong Fourthly Lastly What it was that made them thus strong Vers. 33. Through faith they attained to this strength The assurance they had of their reconciliation with God in Christ and of the forgivenesse of their sinnes was that that made them overcome their fearefulnesse and become so strong And no marvell for all the faithfull in this case have these promises of God to rest upon 1. That God will certainly have an eye to them and a care of them in the worst times that can come When he maketh inquisition for bloud saith David Psal. 9.12 when he commeth to visit a land for the murders and other horrible sinnes committed in it he remembreth them And 116.15 Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints He maketh precious account of them The haires of their head are numbred as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 10.30 and therefore much more their lives They shall not lose their lives unlesse God shall see that will be most for his glory and their good 2. The Lord will certainly proportion their tryals to their strength and as their tryals shall increase so shall their strength increase to beare and get through with them The Lord will give strength unto his people saith the Prophet Psal. 29.11 Feare thou not for I am with thee saith the Lord Esa. 41.10 be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will helpe thee yea I will uphold thee with the