specially in such as are publike Therefore wee shall finde that the Lord calleth the Sabbath Levit. 23.2 a holy convocation as if it were nothing else as if the whole day were to be spent at Church and in keeping of holy assemblies And indeed that place proveth well that as much time should be spent on that day in Gods publike worship as the conveniency and edification of the Church will well permit And for this we have the example of our blessed Saviour who though he was able to spend the day in private duties of piety a thousand times better then ever any other man was and though also the Church assemblies that he had then to goe to were never a whit better but worse a great deale then ours are yet it is said Luk. 4 16. His custome was to goe to the Synagogue to the Church every Sabbath day And yet though as I said before our Church assemblies be as well frequented in this Towne by many as in any other place and though there be never a Popish recusant amongst us yet shall you hardly finde in any place more Atheist recusants more that doe seldome or never come to Church that doe so ordinarily and constantly serve the Devill in the Ale-house when we are serving God here in his house then are to be found in this Towne And for the third and last branch of the commandement that injoyneth us to rest from all our owne workes upon the Lords day you shall hardly finde I beleeve such open profession of profanesse and contempt of the Sabbath in children and youth in all the country as in this Towne You teach them to keep the Lords holy day just as your selves use to keepe these holy dayes with more misrule and riot then you use at any time of the yeare besides and as all the Israelites did keepe holy day to the golden calfe Of them it is said Exod. 32.6 That they sat downe to eate and to drinke and rose up to play and Verse 17. It is said that in their sporting and playing they kept such a shouting and noise as Moses when hee heard it wondred what it should meane And surely amongst our youth such a shouting and hollowing may be heard as a man would thinke there were some Bull or Beare baited in our streets every Sabbath day Hath God threatned to burne that Towne with unquenchable fire where men are allowed to doe the worke of their callings upon the Sabbath day as you have heard out of Ier. 17.27 and doe you thinke he can endure to see his Sabbath or any part of his Sabbath spent in ryoting and disorder Specially so openly and with so high a hand No no be not deceived God will not be mocked he hateth ryoting on the Sabbath much more then he doth working on the Sabbath As is plaine by Esa. 58.13 Where in one verse he nameth and forbiddeth twice the following of our pleasures as the chiefe profanation of the Sabbath day I know some of you will thinke this to be great indiscretion in me to preach thus against childrens faults But to these I have two things to answer First that God maketh not so light account of childrens faults specially not of their profanesse and contempt of Religion as you doe And if you did believe the Scriptures and were not Atheists in heart when you read in 2 Kings 2.23 24. what befell the children of Bethel you would be of my mind Secondly In speaking of these faults in the youth I doe not so much reproove them as the profanenesse of their parents and governours that keepe them not in but suffer them to do so yea of the Officers also that have power and authority to redresse these things and doe nothing in it If the names of these children and servants were taken as it is fit they should bee many of them would bee found to bee the children of such parents servants of such masters as would bee thought to bee very honest men and good Christians too It is the hypocrisie and profanenesse of these parents and masters that is the cause why their children and servants doe so The fourth commandement though it do concerne and bind all men yet is it given in charge chiefly to parents and masters of families as is plaine by the words of it Exodus 20.10 I tell thee thou art to answer for the breach of the Sabbath that is committed by any stranger thou receivest into thy house and much more then for that that is done by thine owne child and servant When Nehemiah saw how the Sabbath was profaned in Ierusalem by buying and selling of victuals it is said Nehemiah 13.17 hee contended with the Nobles and Governours of Iudah and blamed them for it And bee yee sure God will one day contend with you whosoever you be that have authority and power to redresse these things and doe it not he will charge you with all this Wee have heard of a ruler of the Synagogue Luke 13.14 that could not see the people doe that which hee thought to bee a profanation of the Sabbath without great indignation O that our Magistrates and inferiour officers that our parents and masters of families had but some of his zeale for the Lords Sabbath that they could not without indignation see or heare of the prophanation of it Then should we doubtlesse have no such buying and selling such loading and travelling no such disorder and hooting in our streets no such ordinary absenting from the Church-assemblies no such sleeping and snorting in our Church on the Sabbath Day as we ordinarily have Lecture CXXXVII On Psalme 51.7 Ian. 5. 1629. IT followeth now that we proceed to prove that the two last points of goodnesse that I told you are to be found in some hypocrites are likewise in themselves very good things and never a whit the more to be misliked because they are found in some such men And for the fourth of them To love the sincerity and purity of Gods holy religion and worship and to hate idolatry with all false worship is certainly a good thing and highly pleasing unto God For the first of these No man is to be blamed for desiring to see warrant in the Word for whatsoever hee doth as a worship and service of God especially or for being afraid to do that which hee can see no warrant for in the Word of God In nothing are wee so precisely tied to the direction of the Word as in the matters of the worship of God The charge that is given us Deut. 12.32 What thing soever I command you observe to doe it thou shalt not adde thereto nor diminish from it that is neither doe more nor lesse than I have commanded that charge I say concerneth the matters of Gods worship principally And how highly this pleaseth God when we doe nothing to worship him by but that onely that he hath given us direction for in his Word is evident by the reason of the
strength in the soule as ever there was in any corporall food to strengthen the body My flesh is meat indeed saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.55 57 and my bloud is drink indeed he that eateth me even be shall live by me Wilt thou say then thou hast fed on Christ that hast received no strength by this food to resist tentation that hast not bin able to go in the strength of that meat forty dayes nor forty houres No no trust not to such a faith as this this will never abide the fornace of affliction nor beare thee up in it Secondly Let me apply this to the comfort of the weakest soule among you even to thy comfort that because of the weaknesse of thy faith tremblest when thou hearest of the troublesome times we are to looke for tremblest when thou thinkest of death ô sayest thou I shall never be able to endure in the evill day Yet hast thou truth of faith in thee though in great weaknes For 1. thou mournest unfeinedly for the weakenes of thy faith and desirest to beleeve all the promises of God and neglectest no meanes wherby thy faith may grow like to that poore man Mar. 9.24 2. This weake faith of thine hath drawne vertue from Christ whereby the issue and fountaine of thy corruption beginneth to be dryed up and is not so strong as once it was and wherby also thou hast received some strength even to resist tentation as Ioseph did Gen. 39.9 Be thou of good comfort certainly if thou hast the least measure and degree of true faith in thee thou shalt be able to beare troubles when they come much more patiently and comfortably then thou thinkest For be thou assured 1. That Christ will not so overcharge thee with tryals and afflictions as to smother and put out those weak beginnings of grace that he hath wrought in thee but will tender nourish them Mat. 12.20 2. The strength wherby any of Gods people are enabled to stand in the day of tryal is not their own but the Lords only Be strong in the Lord in the power of his might Ephe. 6.10 In the deepest sense of thine own weaknes learn to flie out of thy selfe to rely wholly upon the Lord on the power of his might Know his grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 Yea thou shalt be holden up for God is able to make thee to stand Rom. 14.3.3 Remēber the promises God hath made unto his people in this case Ps. 29.11 The Lord will give strength to his people The Lord delighteth to shew his might most in them that are weakest in their owne sense 2 Cor. 12.9 Gods power is made perfect in weaknes So it is said of the holy Martyrs in the dayes of the Maccabees Heb. 11.34 that by faith out of weaknes they were made strong And that made the Apostle say from his owne experience 2 Cor. 12.10 When I am weake then am I strong And if Peter had bin weaker in his owne sense before-hand he had had more strength in the day of triall then he had Mar. 14.31 Lecture LIIII On Psalme 51.4 Aprill 17. 1627. THe sixt meanes to attaine unto true patience is Hope He that would with patience comfort stand in the evill day must get assurance before-hand that when he dyeth he shall go to heaven He that knoweth not what shall become of this soule when he dieth whether it shall go to heaven or to hell can never endure any great afflictions and troubles with patience and comfort Such men must needs be through feare of death as the Apostle speaketh Hebr. 2.15 all their life time but specially when any great troubles shall come upon them subject unto bondage miserable slavery But on the other side he that knoweth death is the worst that can befall him in the most troublesome times and that death will make him a happy man he that can say to his soule as Pro. 23.18 Surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off that man must needs be patient and comfortable in any affliction that can befall him We rejoyce even in tribulations saith the Apostle Rom. 5.23 in hope of the glory of God And 12.12 Rejoycing in hope patient in tribulation What maketh Gods people not onely so patient but even so comfortable and full of joy in all tribulations Surely the hope they have of the glory that is prepared for them they know the end will pay for all This made Moses to choose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season and to esteeme the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures of Egypt For saith the Apostle Hebrewes 11.25 26. hee had respect to the recompense of the reward Heaven was ever in his eye and that made him to endure the reproach of Christ so comfortably And of the faithfull Hebrewes hee saith 10.34 that they tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves inwardly assuredly feelingly that they had in heaven a better and an enduring substance In which respect this hope of heaven is compared to an helmet Ephe. 6.17 that defendeth the head and keepeth us from the most Capitall tentations and dangers Heb. 6.19 The Apostle calleth it the anker of the soule both sure and stedfast It will stay the soule and make it steady against all waves and tempests And in the same chapter verse 18. he compareth it to a place of refuge Wee have strong consolation saith he who have fled for refuge to take hold upon the hope that is set before us If a poore man that had all his wealth about him should fall into the hands of theeves and be robbed and rifled by them he must needs cry and take on pitifully for alas he is cleane undone he hath nothing left at home to succour him and his family withall But a rich man that hath store of money at home safe lockt up in his chest unlesse he be a base and miserable wretch will never complaine much nor be disquieted when he hath twenty or forty shillings taken from him For worldlings to rage and take on when they must loose their life or their peace or their wealth it is no marvell for alas when these things are gone they have nothing left they are quite undone But a Christian that knoweth and considereth what hee is borne unto and what hee shall enjoy when hee comes home so soone as he dyeth hee cannot doe so O then to apply this in a word as wee desire to endure with patience and comfort the troublesome times that are at hand let us in time make this sure to our selves that when we shall dye we shall go to heaven I know most men will say they hope well to do so but it standeth us upon to examine our hope whether it be such as will abide the tryall when we shall come into the fornace of affliction The hypocrites hope
hath given to them that cleave constantly to his truth p. 769. The faithfull themselves have found much comfort in this p. 770. Lect. 145. The Spirit of God wheresoever he dwellâ— will teach and effectually perswade the heart in the truth of religion p. 771. No man can grow to certainty in matters of religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the Spirit and proportionable to the measure of the Spirit of sanctification that a man hath shall his certainty be p. 773 774 Yet is not this to be accounted every mans private Spirit p. 775. The Spirits teaching to be judged by the Word Ibid. The ministery of the Word is the meanes whereby the Spirit useth to teach men p. 776 They whom the Spirit hath once taught and perswaded will certainely persevere in the truth Ibid. Lect. 146. Th'exhortation to constancy in the truth is very needfull and that even in these daies p. 777. by reason 1 that Papists increase 2 the multitude of other erroneous spirits 3 the generall decay of the zealous love of religion and of the life power of it p. 778. 1 Motive to constancy Corruption in judgement is the most dangerous corruption of all other p. 779 780. 2 Motive He that falls from the truth and embraceth errour was never taught of the Spirit p. 780. Though in some things of smaller moment the faithfull may be subject to errour and errors of that nature should not alienate Christians one from another yea in fundamentall points for a time Ibid. 781. Lect. 147. Though our perseverance in the truth be to be ascribed to the Lord alone yet he worketh it by meanes and will have us to bee agents in this work our selves p. 782 783. 1 We must carefully shâ—n all things whereby we may be in danger to be corrupted and drawne from the truth viz. 1. We must shun the hearing and conferring with them that are hereticks and seducers and the reading of their books We should not long to heare what they can say for their errors or against the truth p. 784. 2 Wee must take heed of affecting the knowledge of intricate curious and unprofitable points p. 785. There is a desire of knowledge which is commendable and no Minister should mislike in his hearers p. 786. Yet is there a desire of knowledge that is most dangerous Ibid. 1 When wee desire to know more of Gods matters then hee hath pleased to reveale in his Word Ibid. 2 When neglecting other things we seeke the knowledge of those high points onely that are above our capacity to understand and busie our selves in matters of controversie p. 787. 3 When wee desire knowledge onely for knowledge saâ—e without respect to the use and profit we may make of it for our edification in faith and holinesse p 788. Lect. 148. He that desires to hold fast his profession must use the meanes whereby hee may bee established in the truth and preserved from falling away from it foure directions are given us in Gods booke for this p. 788. 1 Hee must ground himselfe well in the knowledge of the truth and labour to bee assured upon good grounds that it is indeed the truth he holdeth Ibid. 1 Hee must acquâ—â—nt himselfe with the maine principles of religion and seeke to be perfect in them p. 789. 2 examine by Scripture what ever hee heareth or readeth and labour to get good proofes of Scripture for whatsoever he holdeth p. 790. 2 He must labour to take to heart that which he knoweth love it and make conscience to practise it He that by reading or hearing seeketh knowledge with an honest and good heart shall hold fast that which he professeth and none but he p. 792 793. Lect. 149. 3 He must take heed of declining from or forsaking the least truth his conscience hath beene convinced in Two things there bee that deceive men in this case p. 793 794. Though some truths be of greater moment then others yet it s a dangerous sin to be willfully ignorant of any truth God hath revealed or forsake it when we know it upon conceit that it is but a trisâ—e for 1 nothing that God hath revealed is of small moment or lightly to be accounted of 2 a man may make himselfe abominable to God by forsaking wittingly the least truth or receiving the least errour p. 794. 3 the best way to keepe us from falling from the truth in the maine points is to make conscience of falling from the least truth p. 795. 4 He must be constant in a conscionable use of all Gods ordinances 1 the ministery of the Word p. 796. 2 the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 3 prayer p. 797 798. Lect. 150. Every one that hath the Spirit of Christ will take to heart the cause of God and his holy religion p. 798. 1 No man can have the Spirit of Christs unlesse he love God unfeignedly above all things els Ibid. 2 He that doth thus love God must needs be zealous for God grieved and troubled to see him dishonoured 3 He that hath any true zeale to God in him will shew and expresse it principally towards the house and worship of God p. 799. More particularly 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ must needs rejoyce to see or heare that the true religion of God doth prosper and that the purity of it is restored or set up any where p. 800. 2 He that hath the Spirit of Christ will rejoyce in the frequencie and fullnesse of Church-assemblies 3 In the plentifull and free preaching of the Word p. 801. 4 Hee will rejoyce to see and heare that the ministery of the Word is fruitfull among them that enjoy it and powerfull to reforme their hearts and lives p. 802 803. Lect. 151. Three Reasons and grounds of the former doctrine 1 He that hath the Spirit of Christ cannot but love the persons of all men and we love no man unlesse wee love his soule and unfeignedly desire his salvation grieve to see his soule in danger of perishing p. 803. He that desires the salvation of all will joy in the plentifull and sound preaching of the Word p. 804. Though God can save men without preaching yet he doth not ordinarily without it and its a fearefull signe hee meaneth not to save them he denieth preaching unto Ibid. 805. Though all bee not saved that have preaching yet it s a cause of comfort to see sound preachers abound p. 805. A man that hath no truth of grace in himselfe may yet be a meanes of conversion to others Ibid. 2 The respect wee have to the state and Church wherein we live which we are bound to love p. 806. 1 Nothing will make the state and Church so honourable as the liberty of the Gospell 2 nor so strong and peaceable 3 nor so prosperous and plenteous in blessings p. 806 807. On the other side nothing will sooner deprive it of all blessings then the neglect and opposing of religion p.
4â— The Lord 〈…〉 the Church daily such as should be saved And as Maâ—th 11 12. The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violent tooke it by force In those cases 〈…〉 have beene said of us as Esa. 32.20 Blessed are yee that sow beside all waters that send forth thither the feet of the Oxe and the Asse Men might have called us blessed and happy men in the fruitfulnesse of our ministery the ground God gave us to till and husband was a most fruitfull soile But those daies are gone no such thing is to be seene now we now plow and sow in stony and thorny and barren ground you heare still but with no such affection love and delight as once you did you feele no such power in the Word to reforme you and draw you unto the practise of that you learne as once you did So that I may say to many of you as the Apostle doth Heb. 10.32 Call to remembrance the former daies Thirdly consider well what may be the causes of this that though there bee as much preaching and hearing as ever there was yet men profit now adaies nothng so much in the life and power of godlinesse as once they did First it cannot be denied but that one cause why the ministery of the Word is so weake and unprofitable is the want of that due inspection that Christ hath lest to his Church to make it fruitfull and effectuall The Minister is by Gods ordinance not onely to teach but to oversee his slocke Act. 20.28 Take heede to the slocke over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers Heb. 13.17 Remember them which have the rule over you who have spoken unto you in the name of the Lord. They have authority from God not only to teach you his will but to oversee all your waies at home and abroad to observe how you profit by that which you heare to require at your hands the practise of that they teach you Matth. 21.34 The Lord sends his servants to demand fruit of them that occupie his ground The Guides of Gods Church have also authority from God not onely to admonish and reprove you if you be unfruitfull but also to correct you by executing the censures of Christs Church upon you Paul speakes of a rod that God hath committed to his servants to that end 1 Cor. 4.21 Shall I come to you with a rod Certainely Gods vineyard and garden hath need not onely of such as plant and water it but of such as take continuall care of it to looke unto it to dresse and husband it Luk. 13.7 8. If it be not pruned nor digged no marvell though it beare briers and thornes rather then any thing that is good Marke that curse Esa. 5.6 I will lay it wast it shall not be pruned nor digged but there shall come up briers and thornes And surely this is a great cause why the ministery of the Word doth so little good 1. That Ministers take so little care of their people how they live whether they profit or no by that they heare but thinke if they preach constantly unto them they have done asmuch as God requireth of them Whereas it is a chiefe part as I have told you of the Ministers office to oversee the flocke 1 Pet. 5.2 Taking the over-sight thereof and to take care of them 1 Tim. 3.5 If a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take care of the Church of God 2. That the people generally are sonnes of Belial will not beare Christs yoke but conspire together against it and say Psal. 2.3 Let us breake their bands asunder and cast their cords from us They will be content to heare us now and then in our publique ministery but if we offer to deale with them in private and come in our Masters name to demand fruit of them they will be ready to offer all violence and despite unto us as they did Matth. 21.35 Secondly another cause of the unfruitfullnesse of the ministery is this that the Lord for the contempt men have shewed unto the Word doth denie to give his blessing unto it in their hearts Even as if he should say of many places as Esa. 5.6 I will command the clouds that they raine no raine upon it And as Matth. 13.14 By hearing ye shall heare and shall not understand and seeing yee shall see and shall not perceive Many aone there is and would to God there were none such among you that seemed once to be fruitfull and to profit much by that they heard that are now growne so senselesse so sottish so hardened in their evill courses as if for their apostacy God had pronounced of them in his decree as once he did of the figtree Mat. 21.19 Let no fruit grow on thee hence forward for ever Thirdly but the chiefe cause sure why we profit no more by the Word is in our selves Esa. 59.1 2. The Lords hand is not shortned that it cannot save but your iniquities have seperated betweene you and your God And as the Apostle saith of praying Iames 4.3 Ye aske and receive not because ye aske amisse so may I say of hearing ye heare and heare often but receive no profit at all because you heare amisse It is therefore necessary for you all to be directed how you may heare to profit by your hearing how you may heare so as your hearts may feele the divine power of God in this his ordinance This direction then consisteth of three parts For such as would profit by their hearing must do something before they come to heare something during the time that they are in hearing and something after they have heard the Word For the first As Physicians before physicke use to give somewhat to prepare the body that their physick may worke the more kindly so must the soule be prepared for the receiving of this heavenly physicke or it will never worke kindly upon it But you will object There is no such need of this The Word hath wrought mightily to the conversion of some that never prepared their hearts to receive it as in that convert mentioned 1 Cor. 14.24 25. Yea in some that came with that in their hearts as might utterly have hindred the saving operation of it even with hatefull hearts and with full purpose to cavill and oppose it As in the case of the pursevants that were sent to apprehend Christ Ioh. 7.32 46. And in those Iewes that immediatly before Peters sermon mocked him and the rest of the Apostles and said they were full of new wine Act. 2.13.37 And in those Athenians who when they came to beare Paul esteemed him no better then a babler Act. 17.18 34. To this I answer 1. That I speake not now to the unconverted for such I know can do nothing to prepare their owne hearts seeing they are dead in their sins Ephes. 2.1 but to Gods people and such as are regenerate 2. I speake of the
this that I shall teach by turning the Grace of God into lasciviousnesse as many did in the Apostles dayes Iude 4. To such Christ and the Doctrine of Gods mercy is a stone of stumbling and a rocke of offence as Peter speaketh 1. Peter 2.8 2. I know well that not onely such men but the most of you that professe the feare of God have no need of comfort but of humbling rather As our Saviour speaketh Matthew 9.12 the whole have no neede of a Physician but they that are sicke And you have just cause to desire rather that Doctrine that may search and pierce and wound your hearts then that that should comfort them and to pray with David Psalme 141.5 Let the righteous smite me that is let him reproove mee that shall bee a benefite and a kindnesse unto me The fat and the strong among Gods sheepe and such are the most of you should be fed with judgement as the Lord speaketh Ezek. 34.16 3. I know well that many of you that truly feare God do not stand in present need of comfort you are for the present in no trouble of mind your hearts are chearefull and comfortable through the assurance and feeling you have of Gods love His Candle shineth upon your head as Iob speaketh 29.3 You know the joyfull scund and can take comfort in his word and promises you walke in the light of Gods countenance and of you I may say as Ethan doth Psalm 89.15 Blessed is the people that know the joyfull sound they shall walke O Lord in the light of thy countenance But though I know all this concerning three sorts of you that heare mee now yet dare I not passe over this use of comfort First Because I am sure that some of you that heare me now have present need of it Nay it cannot be presumed but that in so great a congregation specially of voluntaries whom no law of man as on the Sabbaths but their owne inclination and love to the word draweth together there are many tender hearts that have had experience of this trouble of mind This we may learne from the tēder care the Apostle had in writing to particular Churches to prevent the grieving troubling of the hearts of such people which argueth he doubted not but there were such among them Rom. 8. when he had spoken of the dangerous state of the naturall man ver 8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God he addeth verse 9. But yee are not in the flesh but in the spirit And writing to the Church of Corinth which was a congregation very loose and disordered very sharply and namely 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shal not inherit the kingdome of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor Idolaters nor wantons nor theeves nor drunkards nor revilers shall inherite the kingdome of God Hee addeth by way of prevention because he knew that even in that congregation there could not choose but bee some humbled sinners verse 11. And such were some of you but yee are washed but yee are sanctified but yee are justified c. Sundry other such places I could alleadge for this purpose Secondly there is none of you that heare me this day but though you be for the present whole sound in your spirits cheerfull and comfortable and that upon good ground too the Lord in mercy continue you in that estate yet you must looke for a change you must not thinke this cheerfulnes comfort will last alwaies you must looke to drinke of the cup of inward trouble and affliction of minde which the rest of your brethren and sisters have begun to you in sooner or later in one measure or other it may be ye shall not pledge them in the same glasse that Iob or David began to you in the Lord it may bee out of respect to your weaknesse will call for a lesser glasse for you but pledge them you must and pledge them in the same wine in one measure or other ye know not what your measure will be and you must not choose your glasse your selves the cup is in the Lords hand and he mixeth it and he powreth it out as Asaph speaketh for I have not taken this comparison and allegory from the wretched fashion of your drunkards in drinking of healths but from the sacred Word of God Psal. 75.8 Certainely we must looke for an evill day as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6.13 And we have no reason to thinke or hope we may avoid it if we consider 1. That this hath beene the case not of some or of a few good men but of the whole Church the mother of us all who is in that short booke of the Canticles reported twice to have beene in that case Cant. 3.1 and 5.6 Her welbeloved had withdrawne himselfe and was gone 2. That our blessed Saviour had experience of this tentation and affliction that in his owne sense for the present his father had forsaken him Mat. 27 40. and we are all predestinated to be conformed unto his image in affliction Rom. 8.29 3. We all have the same adversary that other of Gods people have had that will buckle and wrestle with us one day This reason the Apostle giveth the Ephesians why they must looke for an evill day Ephes. 6.12 For we wrestle not against flesh and bloud but against principalities against powers c. And if ever hee assault us these are the tentations he is most likely to assault us by and if thou be free from them thou art not of God thou art an hypocrite thou hast no part in Christ Gods mercy belongeth not unto thee For these are his chiefe his fiery darts as the Apostle calleth them Ephes. 6.16 4. That we all give the Lord as just cause daily by our carnall security and neglect of our watch to humble and afflict us as ever any other of his people have done Insomuch as I may say to every one of you as the Prophet Oded did to the Israelites 2 Chron. 28.10 Are there not with you even with you sinners against the Lord our God And this is a chiefe scourge that the Lord useth to afflict his people for their security by even by withdrawing and hiding himselfe from them As Christ served his Church when she grew lazy and was loath to rise and put on her clothes and defile her feet to open unto him he withdrew himselfe and went away Cant. 5.3 6. So that you that have the most cheerefull and comfortable hearts have cause to hearken to this that I shall say for the comfort of Gods afflicted servants because your selves may have use of it hereafter We have the wit now in summer to provide for winter and oft to traine our souldiers and to try their armour aforehand let us learne to be wise for our soules and to get our armour in a readinesse against the day of conflict we are like to have with Satan In which respect
that ever they desired that ever it came into their thought to doe us any hurt Shall wee impute this to any goodnesse of nature that is in them No no this is to be ascribed to the powerfull restraining grace of that God who made this promise to his servants that were compassed about with most wicked people on every side Exod. 34.24 No man shall desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in a yeere Secondly Whereas we know there be many lewd men amongst us not Papists onely but others to whom we are an extreame eye-sore that do with all their hearts desire to do us a mischiefe and have even in their words oft bewraied as much Of whom we may say with David Psal. 57.4 My soule is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire How commeth it to passe that they have yet done us no hurt nor so much as attempted any thing against us Surely that God that restrained Laban from hurting Iacob though hee had pursued him sixe dayes journey with a great power and full purpose to bee revenged on him and continued in this purpose till the very night before hee overtooke him as you shall find Gen. 31.23.29 that God I say is he that hath kept all these lewd men from doing us that hurt that they have desired and purposed to doe Hee that when the Sunne ariseth Psal. 104.22 23. maketh the Lyons to gather themselves together and lay them downe in their dens that man may goe forth to his worke and to his labour untill the evening Hee that shut the mouthes of the Lyons from hurting Daniel 6.22 doth curbe and muzzle these men from hurting us and let him have the glory of all that safety wee live in Thirdly and lastly Whereas every wicked man doth naturally hate us according to that sentence of God Genes 3.15 I will put enmity betweene thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed How commeth it to passe that many wicked men we live by are not onely harmelesse and void of malice towards us but neighbourly and courteous and kind unto us Surely of this wee may say as the Prophet doth in another case Psalme 118.23 This is the Lords doing and it should seeme marvellous in our eyes Hee that made Esau run to meet Iacob and to embrace him and fall on his necke and kisse him Gen. 23 4. Hee that gave his people such favour in the sight of the Egyptians Exod. 11.3 that they thought nothing too good for them is the only cause of all this And certainely if the Lord should not thus restraine wicked men if hee should set their hearts at liberty and let loose all that wickednesse that is in them wee might with much more safety live among Lyons and Beares then among them When our Saviour had told his disciples Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheepe into the midst of wolves hee addeth presently verse 17. but beware of men As if he had said What speake I of wolves you have more cause to feare danger from men then from wolves or from any other creature whatsoever Let us therefore beloved 1. Among other mercies of God take notice of this and bee thankefull for it that in so wicked a world wee live in such peace and safety as wee doe 2. Let us in these dangerous times wherein wee see cause of so great feare on every side by reason of the multitude and cruelty and strength of our enemies both at home and abroad learne to secure and quiet our hearts in the providence of this mighty God that can thus command and rule the hearts of the vilest men upon earth yea though they were the mightiest Princes that can turne them whether soever he will as Solomon speaketh Prov. 21.1 Let us seriously meditate of that which the Prophet speaketh Psal. 76.10 Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise the remnant of the rage thou wilt restraine 1. God can and will in his time restraine the remnant of the rage that the bloudy enemies of his Gospel are apt to shew still against his people 2. And surely the rage that they have already shewed shall in the end tend to his praise or else it should not have proceeded so farre as it hath done That wee may bee able thus to quiet and secure our hearts in the providence of this mighty God 1. Let us never give our selves rest till wee be able through a lively faith to say with Gods people Psal. 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide and shepheard even unto death 2. Let us live in his feare and labour to please him in all our wayes For when a mans wayes please the Lord as the holy Ghost saith Prov. 16.7 hee maketh even his enemies to bee at peace with him Then may wee bee secure and void of feare though the times were much worse and our enemies many more and stronger then they are then may we say as David doth when his heart was made glad with the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.8 I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe also for thou Lord only makest mee to dwell in safety And so much shall suffice to bee spoken of the benefit wee receive by the worke of Gods restraining grace in the hearts of other men But yet in the worke of Gods restraining grace in our owne selves we have much more cause to admire the goodnes of God towards us By the former he hath provided for our outward security and safety in the world but by this hee doth procure and maintain the inward peace tranquilitie of our consciences For seeing as wee have heard wee are all of us by nature as bad as any other Wee are all by nature the children of wrath even as others as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 2.3 Wee have all of us still even after our regeneration the whole body of sin not one member of it wanting in us the seeds of all sins as appeareth plainly by that complaint of the Apostle Rom. 7 24. Who shall deliver me from the body of this death How commeth it to passe that wee are not in our lives as well as in our natures as bad as any others Surely the Lord by his restraining grace suffereth not all the corruption that is in our nature to breake forth in us as hee said to Abimelech Genesis 20.6 so may hee-say to every one of us I have kept thee that thou shouldst not sin against mee in these and these kinds Why but will you say this is true indeed of heathens and naturall men they are kept from sin by restraining grace but there is more in us that are regenerate then so we have sanctifying grace also I answere This is true and of that I shall speake in the next place but yet the best of Gods servants are much bound to him also
words this comfortable sentence verse 18. Wee know that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not This wee know and are most certaine of that hee can never fall into that sinne Insomuch as that which the Apostle speaketh of the whole Church of the Iewes Rom. 11.11 may be truly said of every elect child of God Have they stumbled that they should fall that is that they should fall finally and for ever for in the next verse 12. hee granteth they are fallen God forbid saith hee See this also plainly taught us Psal. 15. where the Prophet having described the upright hearted Christian by sundry properties and actions hee concludeth verse 5. Hee that doth these things shall never bee mooved never bee utterly and finally overcome by any tentation And this is that which our Saviour teacheth also Mat. 7.24 25. Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doth them I will liken him unto a wise man that built his house upon a rock and the raine descended and the flouds came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell not because it was built upon a rock And that which hee saith of a godly life hee saith Matth. 16.18 of a lively and true faith also Thou art Peter a rocke impregnable whom Satan with all his might shall not be able to overcome though thou shalt fall thou shalt not fall utterly and upon this rocke this faith that thou hast made confession of I will build my Church and the gates of hell all the cunning all the power of Satan shall not prevaile against it If any man shall aske me and why cannot a chosen vessell and true beleever what tentations soever shall assault him perish irrecoverably I answer There bee two pillars that uphold him and make it impossible for him to fall in that manner of which I spake the last day 1. The almighty power of God 2. The unchangeable love of God Both fitly typified by those two pillars we read of 1 Kin 7.21 that were in Solomons Temple which was also it selfe a type of the Church and people of God the one was called Iachin that is to say he will establish the other Boaz in him is strength First Let us begin with Boaz. In the Lord is strength enough to keepe us from falling totally or finally Vpon this pillar our Saviour lyeth this Doctrine Iohn 10.28.29 None of my sheepe shall perish my father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of my fathers hand No no man if hee bee once one of Christs sheepe a true beleever no man can plucke him away Vpon this pillar doth Paul ground his confidence 2 Tim. 1.12 I am not ashamed for I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him against that day Yea upon this pillar hee groundeth the confidence even of the weakest Christian that is having an honest heart Rom. 14. For speaking of one that is weake in the faith verse 1. he saith thus of him verse 4. Yea he shall be held up for God is able to make him stand Now for the second pillar lachin hee will establish The Lord not only hath strength to keepe his people but wee are also sure he will establish them that they shall not perish This pillar God giveth his Church to ground and build upon Esa. 54.10 The mountaines shall depart and the hills bee removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace bee removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Vpon this pillar doth the Church ground her confidence Esa. 64.5 Behold thou art wroth for wee have sinned in those is continuance and wee shall bee saved And so doth David Psalm 23.6 Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow mee all the dayes of my life And 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Lecture LXXII On Psalme 51.5 Octob. 16. 1627. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the fourth and last point wherein the admirable goodnesse of God is set forth by the Doctrine of originall sin and that is this That the sinfulnesse and corruption of our nature being so great as it is it should doe us no more hurt then it doth And surely this is a thing that wee can never sufficiently admire that wee not onely slipping and falling oft into many actuall sins but having also still in us so vile a nature such a fountaine of corruption that maketh us wee cannot cease from sin any one moment and like the troubled sea that cannot rest it is the Prophets comparison though in another sense Esa. 57.20 is ever casting up some filthy myre and dirt or other to defile our best actions by that wee being such I say the Lord should not loath and abhorre both our selves and every thing that proceedeth from us That the Lord should notwithstanding all this have so gracious respect unto us and to our poore service as he hath this doth notably set forth his admirable goodnesse and mercy towards us This will the better appeare unto us if wee shall distinctly consider these three things 1. What wee and our best actions and performances are 2. What the Lord is in the holinesse of his owne nature 3. What the respect is that the Lord notwithstanding doth shew to us and to the service we do unto him For the first Our flesh and corrupt nature is such as it will not suffer us to doe any one duty in that manner as wee ought This blessed Paul complained of Rom. 7.18 To will is present with mee this was doubtlesse the speech of a regenerate man but how to performe that which is good I find not And that that hee saith of himselfe there hee saith of all the faithfull Galat. 5.17 Yee cannot doe the thing that yee would Nay it doth so palpably corrupt and defile every good thing wee desire to doe as our selves cannot choose if there bee any truth of grace in us but discerne and bee ashamed of it and complaine of it also as the Church doth Esa. 64.6 Wee are all as the uncleane man the leper and all our righteousnesses not one but all are as filthy rags So that when wee have done the best service that ever wee did to God wee have cause to cry God mercy for it and to pray with good Nehemiah 13.22 Lord pardon mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy And if we as blind and senselesse and full of selfe-love as we are can discerne so much filth our selves in them what can the Lord doe Who is greater then our heart as the Apostle speaketh 1 Ioh. 3.20 and knoweth all things For the second point The Lord wee know is so infinitely holy that hee cannot abide to looke upon hee cannot but detest all filthinesse and sin Thou art of purer eyes saith the Prophet Hab. 1.13
us saith Paul Rom. 8.31 who can bee against us To hurt us hee meaneth The Lord is my light and my salvation saith David Psalme 27.1 whom shall I feare And 49.5 Wherefore should I feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquitie of my heeles shall compasse mee about Why David what maketh thee so secure in the midst of danger Hee telleth you verse 15. God will redeeme my soule from the power of the grave for hee shall receive mee On the other side hee that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ must needes bee vexed with continuall feares feare of death and feare of troubles It is Christ only saith the Apostle Heb. 2.15 that delivereth them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Thirdly This bringeth with it unto us all good things Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse saith our Saviour Matth. 6.33 As if he had said Make your salvation sure make this sure unto your selves that God is reconciled unto you that you are in his favour and all these things shall be added unto you O that men could beleeve Christ in this that this is the best way to be certaine of all earthly comforts so farre as they shall bee good for us He that spared not his own son saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Yea this sweetneth all Gods blessings to us and giveth a pleasant relish unto them when we can tast in them Gods love unto us in Christ. When Iob speaketh Iob 29.1 7. of the comfort he tooke in all Gods blessings in the time of his prosperity in his children and riches in that honour and esteeme God gave him among all men he giveth this for the reason of it verse 3. His candle his light the comfortable assurance of his savour shined upon my head Yea this will not onely susteine and keepe us from fainting in times of common trouble and calamity as Iob saith there Iob 29.3 By his light I walked through darknesse While the light of his countenance shined upon me I could walke cheerefully in the darkest and saddest times But it will also sweeten the bitterest afflictions that can befall our selves in particular when we know they are but the chastisements of our father that loveth us dearely though hee thus correct us The cup which my father hath given me saith our Saviour Iohn 18.11 shall I not drinke it All hope of deliverance and comfort in danger and distresse groweth from the assurance of Gods favour Vpon this David grounded his hope Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule c. Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance To this he ascribeth all the deliverances the Church had received from the Lords right hand Psalme 44.3 They got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them The sting of death saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 and if of death then of all other afflictions sure is sin and if the sting of them be once gone certainely there can be no deadly paine in them And thus Christ comforteth a poore man that was sicke of a dead palsy a disease that dulleth the spirits and maketh the heart as heavie as any disease can Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee On the other side he that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ what comfort can hee have in life or in death in prosperity or in adversity specially if God shall be pleased to awaken his conscience What sweetnesse can a man find in all his wealth or pleasure or good cheere when it hath this bitter tang and loose with it that his heart shall say to him I may be a vessell of wrath for all that Alas Cain had as much as all this commeth to and Esau and Dives who are all now firebrands in hell Must not the joy that all such men seeme to take in their prosperity be such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 5.12 in the face onely and not in the heart And if this be their condition in their greatest prosperity then what comfort can they have in their affliction and in their death thinke you What is the hope of the hypocrite saith Iob 27.8 though he hath gained when God taketh away his soule Fourthly If we were once assured of Gods speciall love to us in Christ this would make us yeeld obedience unto God and do his service not grudgingly or as of necessity but as out of love and willingly and cheerefully For a good man a bountifull a kind man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to die And if the goodnesse and bounty of a man have such force with us that we thinke we can never do too much for him will not the assurance of this marvellous bounty and goodnesse of God to us in Christ make us to say with David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me what might I doe to please and honour him that hath so dearely loved me This will make us pray with boldnesse and zeale O God thou art my God saith David Psal. 63.1 early will I seeke thee When our Saviour taught his Disciples and in them us all to pray Matth. 6.9 he biddeth us begin thus Our father which art in heaven Till our hearts doe thus conceive of God that he is our father that he loveth us with a fatherly love we can never pray aright We may say a prayer and that is all that the most of us doe but we can never pray with our hearts till then Therefore also the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8.15 16. that the spirit that maketh us able to cry in our prayers unto God that is to pray fervently and earnestly is the spirit of adoption that spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that wee are the sonnes and daughters of God that assureth us God is our father and maketh us able to call him father yea to cry to him Abba father And as this will make us able to pray with comfort so will this also make us able to heare and reade and meditate in the Word with cheerefullnesse and a good appetite As new borne babes saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. desire the sincere milke of the Word if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious This will make us keepe the Sabbaths even whole Sabbaths without wearisomenesse Yee shall keepe every man my Sabbaths saith the Lord Levit. 19.3 Why so What may move us to doe this willingly and cheerefully I am the Lord your God saith he In a word this will make us walke cheerefully in every duty of obedience in every way of
is not wont to winke at in them he is wont to correct them sharply for such sins Shall I instance in some few examples for this And indeed how should I spend the time more profitably in so secure an age as this First I will not stand upon the example of David how sharply God scourged him for those sins which he bewaileth in this Psalme with what changes and armies of sorrowes and plagues as Iob speaketh cap. 10.17 he followed him ever after all the dayes of his life For you may say his were most presumptuous and notorious sins such as few that were ever truly regenerate have fallen into I will therefore come to the second example wherein I will couple him and good Hezechiah together What say you to that foolish pride they shewed the one in numbring the people the other in shewing all his treasures to the Embassadours of the King of Babell O how severe was God in his judgments against them both even for this sin Of David it is said 1 Chron 21.14 that God slew of his subjects for that seventy thousand men And of Hezechiah it is said â— Chron 32.25 that for that sinne there was wrath upon him and upon Iudah and Ierusalem But you will say also that this was a presumptuous sin O that we would learne yet from this example how unable God is to brooke or beare with presumptuous sinne though it be but in heart in his deerest children But let us come to a third example What say you then to the sin of Aaron and Moses when they being bidden to speake onely to the rocke and promised that it should yeeld water enough for all the campe did but doubt a little and stagger at that promise and instead of speaking onely to the rocke smote it twice you shall see the story Numb 20.8 1â— and Moses in a passion spake unadvisedly with his lips as the Psalmist speaketh Psalme 106.33 Certainly this was but a frailtie in them no presumptuous sin and therefore you shall find the Prophet there Psalme 136.32 33. layeth that fault on the people rather then on them and so doth Moses himselfe also Deut 1.37 And yet see how angry the Lord was with them even for this sin Because of this he would by no meanes be intreated to let them goe into the land of promise though Moses earnestly besought him he would not heare him The Lord was wroth with mee saith he Deut. 3.26 and would not heare me but charged him to speake no more unto him of that matter O but you will say though this was but a sin of frailtie yet it was a scandalous sin True it was so indeed And the Lord alledgeth that for the cause why he was so provoked by it because it was done openly to the scandall of the people Numb 20.12 Then learne by this example how severe God will be in his judgements upon his people for scandalous sins But what say you then to Moses his delaying of the circumcision of his sonne to old Elyes bearing too much with his lewd sonnes and the faithfull Corinthians going to the Communion without care to prepare and examine themselves before Certainly these were but sins of carelesnesse and negligence And yet see how severe God was in his judgements against them even for these sins The Lord met Moses in the Inne and sought to kill him saith the text Exod. 4.24 The Lord did not only bring old Ely to a violent and strange death he brake his necke 1 Sam. 4 18. but he plagued his whole house and posteritie for ever for that sin in a most fearefull manner 1 Sam. 2.31 33 and cap. 3.11.14 The Lord sent a pestilence and mortality among the faithfull Corinthians even for this sin For this cause many are weake and sickly among you and many sleepe saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.30 Behold how God hateth and will punish his owne people even for their negligences and carelesnesse if they judge not themselves for it and make conscience of it But yet there is a third degree that sheweth much more how odious the sins of his owne people are unto the Lord. For of the regenerate of Gods owne people it is said that they may so sin as they may make their very persons odious and hatefull unto God they may make their God their enemy They rebelled and vexed his holy spirit saith the Prophet Esa. 6â— 10 speaking of the Church of God in the wildernesse therefore hee was turned to bee their enemy When God heard this that is when he understood this that they fell into idolatry for that was the sin that so provoked him then as you may see vers 58. hee was wroth saith the Psalmist Psalme 78.59 and greatly abhorred Israel Though the Lord can beare with many sins in his people or though he beare not with them yet can correct them only for them and love them never the worse as you know parents oft-times doe yet may Gods children fall into such sins as will even make them odious unto their father These are things which defile a man and will make him loathsome saith our Saviour Mat. 15.20 What are those things That he telleth us verse 19. Murders adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemies How can that be will you say Whom the Lord once loveth in Christ he loveth for ever I have loved thee saith the Lord to his people Ier. 31.3 with an everlasting love I answer That is most true Yet may his children so provoke him that though he doe not quite disinherite them or cease to be a father to them yet will he shew them no countenance or fatherly affection at all As David so loathed Absalom for murthering his brother that though he continued a fatherly affection towards him still yea and after that too when he had done far worse yet he could not abide to see him Let him turne to his owne house and let him not see my face saith he 2 Sam. 14 â—4 A Christian may by his sin cause his father so to loath him as it may be he shall never have good countenance of him againe he shall never see his face with comfort while he liveth His adoption the right and title he hath thereby to the word and Sacraments to Christ and vnto heaven the comfort I say of all these and of all the priviledges the 〈◊〉 he might make of them he shall loose As Vzzia when he fell into a leprosie lost not his kingdome the right title he had unto it therby but he lost the use and execution of his regall authoritie to the very day of his death as we read â— Chron. 26.21 Of Asa we read that though he dyed the child of God as appeareth both by that which is said of him in his life time 1 Kin. 15.14 that his heart was perfect with the Lord all his dayes and also by the testimonie is given of him twice after his death 2 Chron. 20.32 and 21.12
of that which my brother spake the last day touching their estate But to you beloved I am to direct my speech at this time that have more then a forme of godlinesse that have felt the life and power of it in your owne hearts to every one of you that can say with David here unto the Lord out of the feeling and experience of his owne soule In the hidden part thou hast made mâ—e to know wisedome To every one that is such I have two words of exhortation to speake from the Doctrine that you have heard 1. Be thou above all men most afraid to fall into any sin for the time to come 2. Be thou above all men most humbled for the sins that since thou wert in this estate thou hast fallen into For the first No man hath so great cause to bee afraid to sin as the child of God as the regenerate man hath O feare the Lord ye his Saints saith David Psalme 34.9 As if he had said Though you be his Saints in the state of grace and in his favour yea because yee are his Saints in his favour and in the state of grace therefore you must feare him none have more cause to feare him then yee But to speake distinctly of this point I will shew you 1. How farre forth this feare of sinning must extend 2. Reasons why the regenerate the child of God hath more cause to feare sin then any other man For the first The extent of this feare is to be observed 1. In the object of it the kinds and degrees of sin that we must be afraid of 2. In the continuance and durablenesse of it For the first of these for the helpe of your understanding and memory you shall see it in seven degrees First The child of God hath cause to be afraid of falling into grosse and scandalous sins As Ioseph was when he was strongly tempted to adultery and might have committed it most secretly and securely yet he durst not doe it How can I doe this great wickednesse saith he Genesis 39 â— and sin against God And David when hee was as strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortall enemy and had such opportunitie also as flesh and bloud would never have let slip insomuch as Saul himselfe wondred at it 1. Samuel 24 18 19. yet hee durst not doe it And why durst he not doe it Was it out of basenesse of mind because he was a coward No no he was as valiant a man as ever drew sword Why then durst hee not doe it Surely hee durst not sinne nor doe that that would so offend God Who can stretch foorth his hand or offer to doe such a thing saith he 1 Sam. 26 9. against the Lords annointed and be guiltlesse These were grosse sins you will say and he can be no better then an hypocrite that is not afraid to doe such things I say therefore secondly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do the least thing that might offend God Daniel was afraid of the Kings meat Dan. 1.8 Because it was such as God in the ceremoniall law had forbidden he knew it would have defiled his conscience Nay thirdly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest cause to doubt thou shalt sin and offend God in doing it He that doubteth is damned if he eat saith the Apostle Rom. 14.23 Nay fourthly If thou be in the state of grace thou hast cause to be afraid not only to speake amisse but even to thinke evill to offend God in the very thoughts of thy heart Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart saith the Lord Deut. 15.9 saying the seventh yeere the yeere of release is at hand Fiftly If thou be a Christian thou hast cause to be afraid of doing good duties loosely perfunctorily carelesly Serve the Lord with feare saith David Ps. 2.11 Yea sixtly Thou hast cause to be afraid even of standing at a stay and not growing better under the means of grace Worke out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 with feare and trembling As if he should say If the worke go not forward if it be not forwarder then it was many yeares since you have cause of feare and trembling even for that Nay seventhly and lastly If thou be Gods child be thou afraid to do any thing that thou seest is of evill report and will cause thy religion and profession to be evill spoken of though thou know never so assuredly that the thing in it selfe is not sin but lawfull enough Dare any of you having a matter against another saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.1 goe to law before the unjust and not before the Saints Yea why not I pray you might some of them have said What sin what unlawfulnes is there in that Hast thou not taught us Rom. 13.1.4 that the law and magistracy is ordained of God for our use and benefit whatsoever the man be that executeth it And didst not thou thy selfe seeke the benefit of law before an unbeleever when thou didst appeale unto Caesar Act. 25.11 Yes might the Apostle say But though the thing in it selfe be never so lawfull yet because it exposeth your religion to the scorne and reproach of the unbeleevers you that feare God may not dare to do it saith he All things all such kind of things as he there speaketh of are lawfull saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6.12 but all things are not expedient Though the thing be never so lawfull yet if thou see cause to think that hurt will come of it thou must be afraid to do it You see in these seven degrees how tender hearted how cautelous and precise the child of God had need to be The Prophet calleth them Esa. 35.4 such as are of a fearefull heart and you see they have just cause to be so But how long must they be so will you say which is the second thing I told you was to be observed in the extent of this feare Surely so long as we live we have cause to nourish this feare in our selves My son saith Solomon Prov. 23.15.17 let thy heart be in the feare of the Lord all the day long And the Apostle 1 Pet. 1.17 Passe the time of your sojourning here all the time of your life in feare If any man shall object How can this be Seeing the Apostle saith of the faithfull 2 Tim 1.7 God hath not given us the spirit of feare And Rom. 8.15 We have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father As if he had said Before we beleeved in Christ we were indeed subject to much feare but now wee have received another spirit and are freed from those feares And the life of a Christian is the greatest bondage and slavery in the world if he must be alwayes of so fearefull an heart To this I answer That to live continually in
oxe nor thy asse nor any of thy cattell shall doe any worke upon that Day Of thee that art a man and a Christian man God requireth more than so Hee will have thee not onely to rest from thine owne labours but to spend the Day so farre as thy bodily necessitie will permit in such religious duties as may make thee a more holy and a better man The Hebrew word Sabbat from whence the Sabbath Day received the name signifieth not such a rest as wherein one sitteth still and doth nothing as the word Noach doth but onely a resting and ceasing from that which hee did before So God is said Genesis 2.2 to have rested the seventh Day not that hee rested from all workes For My Father worketh hitherto and I worke saith our Saviour Iohn 5.17 but because he rested from all the worke that hee had made as Moses saith there As if hee had said Hee rested from creating any thing more And so wee likewise are expresly commanded to rest upon the Sabbath not from all workes but from such workes as we did and might doe upon the six dayes God never allowed us any day to spend in idlenesse and doing of nothing specially not that day But hee hath appointed us workes and duties for that Day which hee would have us as carefull to goe about them as we are upon any other day to goe about the workes of our calling and when wee are at them to performe them with every whit as much diligence and care to doe them well as wee doe any worke wee take in hand upon the six dayes Let no man say what would you have us to doe if we may do no businesse upon the Sabbath Would you have us spend the time in sleeping or talking or sitting at our doores or walking abroad How would you have us passe the time for the whole day To such a one I answer Thou hast so much worke to doe as if thou wert as thou shouldst bee thou wouldst complaine that thou wantest time to doe it And yet this worke that God hath enjoyned us to spend this day in hath such interchange and variety in it as no good hearth hath cause with those carnall professours Malachy 1.13 to snuffe at it and to cry behold what a wearinesse it is how â—edious and toylesome a thing it is to keepe the Sabbath as these men would have us to doe But the true Christian findeth just cause to call the Sabbath a delight as the Prophet speaketh Esa 58.13 for all this worke and labour that God hath enjoyned us in it Wee have publike duties to performe on that day in Gods house And both the family-duties and secret duties which wee are bound to performe every day are by the equity of that law Numbers 28.9 10. to bee doubled upon the Sabbath Day And in very deed the Lord hath for that very cause chiefly commanded us to rest from all our owne worke upon the Sabbath Day that wee might the better attend upon and profit by these holy workes these duties of piety and religion which are the proper workes of that Day For that is the chiefe end that the Sabbath was ordained for Remember the Sabbath Day to keepe it holy saith the Lord in the fourth commandement Exodus 20.8 And Deuteroâ—omie 5.12 Keepe the Sabbath Day to sanctifie it And I gave them my Sabbaths saith the Lord Ezekiel 20.12 to be a signe betwixt mee and them that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctifie them As if hee had said Hee remembreth not nor keepeth the Sabbath he regardeth it not nor careth for it how strict soever he be in resting from his owne labours that keepeth it not holy that spendeth in not in such religious duties as wherein we may know and feele by experience that it is the Lord who by his ordinances doth sanctifie him who doth both begin and increase grace in his soule And yet though this be so though the bodily observation of the Sabbath and that that is performed by the outward man onely bee nothing in Gods account in comparison of the spirituall observation of it with the heart and inward man and though our resting from our owne labours in that Day bee the least part even of the outward and bodily observation of it Yet see what account the Lord maketh even of that and how highly he is pleased with it This will sufficiently appeare unto you in that promise the Lord hath made unto it Ier. 17.24 26. wherein he plainly declareth that the flourishing estate both of Church and Common-wealth dependeth greatly even upon this even upon the strict observing of the bodily rest from our owne workes upon the Lords holy Day Two things are to be observed in this promise 1. The duty unto which the promise is made ver 24. If ye diligently hearken unto me saith the Lord to bring in no burden through the gates of the City on the Sabbath Day but hallow the Sabbath Day to doe no worke therein As if hee should say If ye carefully looke to this that no burdens no carriages goe in and out at the gates of Ierusalem on the Sabbath Day that the Sabbath may be but so farre hallowed that no worke be suffred to be done upon that Day You see the promise is made even unto the bodily rest even unto so much as an hypocrite and carnall man may performe and which every Magistrate and Master and Father hath power to compell such unto as are under their government Even to this I say the promise is made Then secondly observe the blessing and reward that is promised even unto this and that is twofold The first concerneth the common-wealth and civill state Verse 25. Then shall there enter into the gates of this City Kings and Princes sitting upon the Throne of David riding in chariots and upon horses they and their Princes the men of Iudah and the inhabitants of Ierusalem and this City shall remaine for ever As if he should say I will maintaine the honour and dignity the wealth and strength the peace and safety of this State and Kingdome The second blessing that is promised concerneth the Church and State of Religion Verse 26. And they shall come from the Cities of Iuda and from the places about Ierusalem c. As if he should say My solemne assemblies shall be duly frequented there shall be no sects and heresies no schisme or separation I will continue mine owne worship and the purity of my holy Religion among you You see beloved by this one place how much God is pleased even with the outward rest from our owne works upon the Sabbath Day and what a happinesse it would bring both to the Church and Common-wealth if even that were observed On the other side it is worth the noting how all publike judgements and common calamities that ever befell Gods people are imputed by the Holy Ghost to no one sinne more than to the profanation of
by promise to them that keepe his Sabbath not onely to worke sanctification increase of holinesse and power over their corruptions which hee professeth in that former place of Ezekiel was the very end hee gave his Sabbath for but also by his spirit of adoption to increase in their hearts a lively sense of his favour assurance that he heareth and accepteth their prayers peace of conscience joy in the Holy Ghost which are blessings the Christian soule prizeth above all things in the world Why may you say may not a man receive increase of grace and spirituall comfort in the use of Gods ordinances on any other day but onely on the Sabbath I answer Yes verily but these promises may give him assurance to receive them more richly and plentifully upon the Sabbath then on any other day The second sort of blessings that the conscionable observers of the Sabbath receive by it are temporall For concerning them also wee have a promise Esa. 58.14 that he that heartily and spiritually keepeth the Sabbath God will cause him to ride upon the high places of the earth he shall have honour and esteeme in the world so farre as it shall be good for him and he will feed him with the heritage of Iacob that is he shall continue and abide safely in the land of Canaan which God promised to Iacob for his inheritance Gen. 28.13.48.4 Yea the Lord will nourish and feed them he shall eat the good things of the land as the Lord promiseth Esa. 1.19 to all that yeeld willing obedience unto him Lecture CXXXVI On Psalme 51.7 December 29. 1629. IT followeth now that we make some application of that which wee have heard touching the Sabbath and so proceed unto the two last particulars of those five which I have proved to be in many a man that is no better then an hypocrite And that which I have to say by way of application is first of all more generall and concerneth all other persons and places as well as this secondly more speciall and concerneth this place principally Of all I may say ô that God would give us hearts to beleeve that which wee have heard taught us concerning the observation of the Sabbath day out of the Word of God by which wee must bee all judged at the great and dreadfull day as our Saviour assureth us Iohn 12.48 O that wee could beleeve that the surest way to make our Church and State to flourish to secure us from enemies abroad and Papists at home to maintaine Gods Gospell and the purity of his religion amongst us that the surest way to make our Townes and families and persons to prosper and do well were to keepe the Lords rest upon his holy day If we could beleeve this then would wee bee the more carefull to keepe the Sabbath better our selves and then would wee doe what lieth in us that it might bee better kept by others also I know our corrupt hearts are apt to have in them many reasonings against the strict observation of the Sabbath day And these imaginations and reasonings that wee have in us against the truth of God the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.4 5. calleth strong holds and high things that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God But of all these strong holds and high things I may say as our Saviour saith in another case and another sense speaking of the faith of miracles Matth. 17.20 If wee had but as much faith as a graine of musterd seed but a little faith to beleeve the promises and threatnings that we have heard concerning the observation or neglect of the Sabbath we might easily remove all these mountaines out of our way Diverse notable good lawes we have had made of late yeares for the better observation of the Sabbath day Some to restraine men from doing their owne workes some other to compell men to doe the Lords worke by frequenting diligently the Church assemblies upon that day And blessed be God that hath given that heart to our King and State to make such lawes In respect whereof it may be fitly said of them as Deborah speaketh in another case Iudg. â— 9 My heart is towards the governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people Blesse ye the Lord. The hearts of all Gods people should be towards the governours of Israel for shewing themselves so willing to provide for the sanctifying of the Lords Sabbath we should all blesse the Lord for them The whole land I nothing doubt fareth the better and hath had the tranquility thereof lengthened the rather even by the zeale that our governours have shewed in this point towards God and towards his house But that which is said of the daies of King Iehosâ—phat 2 Chron. 20.32 33. may fitly be applied to our times Iehosaphat did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Howbeit the high places were not taken away for as yet the people did not prepare their hearts unto the God of their fathers Our gracious King in Parliament hath done that which is right in the sight of the Lord in making these good lawes Howbeit the Sabbath is still in most places shamefully profaned these good lawes are not executed for the people do not prepare their hearts unto God they have no heart to his honour or service at all And indeed in nothing doth it better appeare that the hearts of the people generally are not prepared unto God but utterly alienated and estranged from him then in this that when they have but the least colour and semblance of law to justifie any of their unwarantable practises whereby they may trouble any of their brethren and devise deceitfull matters against them that are quiet in the land as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 35.20 there they will seeme wondrous zealous for the lawes and presse them hotly they frame their mischiefe by a law as the Prophet speaketh Psal. 94.20 they pretend nothing so much for their deadly hatred against others that are innocent as that they doe not obey the law This was Hamans outcry against Gods people in his time Est. 3.8 These keepe not the kings lawes And of Daniels adversaries against him Dan. 6.13 He regardeth not thee ô king nor the decree that thou hast signed And of those lewd fellowes of the baser sort which we read of Acts 17.5 7. against Paul and the brethren with him These all say they doe contrary to the decrees of Caesar. Whereas I say to colour their malice against God and his people they seeme zealous for the law for the Magistrate Let the Magistrate make lawes that tend most directly to the honour of God that concerne the weightiest matters of Gods law as our gracious Iehosaphat hath done for the observation of the Sabbath for the punishment of swearing for the suppressing of the multitude and disorders of ale-houses the very chiefe nurseries of all profanesse and impiety these lawes you shall find they have no zeale
hee hath offended him As the thing that made the servants of Benhadad seeke unto Ahab 1 Kings 20.31 with sackcloth upon their loines and ropes about their necks whereby they professed their sorrow for offending him and that they were worthy to die for it was this onely thing that they had heard the kings of Israel were mercifull kings This is the Motive that good Hezekiah used to perswade Israel unto repentance 2 Chron. 30.6 Turne againe unto the Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel hee putteth them in mind of the covenant God had made with their fathers and hee will returne unto you And that also which the Prophet useth to the same purpose Esa. 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man the man of iniquity the worst man that is his thoughts and returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for hee will abundantly pardon Thus doth the Apostle likewise Iames 4.8 perswade unto repentance Draw nigh to God and hee will draw nigh unto you And to conclude this was the maine thing that drew the prodigall unto repentance even the consideration of the fatherly affection that hee knew remained in his father towards him though he had so hainously offended him as we may perceive by his words Luke 15.18 I will arise saith he and go to my father and say to him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne And certainely if the vilest sinner among you all could thus be perswaded of Gods mercifull disposition and readinesse to forgive you upon your repentance you would come in and not stand out in rebellion against him as you doe The second grace wherein the force of faith appeareth is the true feare of God What is it that hath most force to make Gods child when he is once reconciled to God affraid to offend him againe I know well that the consideration of Gods severity and power hath and ought to have great force and power in the heart to restraine a man from sin For so our Saviour teacheth Luk. 12.5 Feâ—re him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell yea I say unto you feare him But the apprehension and perswasion a man hath of Gods mercy and goodnesse toward him in Christ is much more effectuall to make a man afraid to offend God and all feare that is wrought without this is but a slavish tormenting feare Feare hath torment saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.18 It is not a child-like and saving feare There is forgivenesse with thee saith David Ps. 130.4 that thou maist be feared And Hos. 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes And certainely beloved if you were any of you by a lively faith assured of the forgivenes of your sins and of Gods marvellous goodnesse towards you in Christ you would be much more fearefull to offend him then the most of you are Thirdly The third grace wherein this power of faith appeareth is Obedience Nothing is able to make a man willing and ready to be ruled by God in all things to yeeld hearty and constant obedience unto him till he by faith be assured of Gods love to him in Christ. The terrours of the law may like that hedge of thornes that the Prophet speaketh of Hos. 2.6 be able to stop a man from going on in an evill way but a willing obedience shall a man never bee able to yeeld unto God till he have faith When David Psal. 26.1 2. maketh profession of his integrity even unto God and comforteth himselfe against the malice of his enemies by that testimony that his conscience gave him that hee had walked in his integrity hee had walked in Gods truth his honest and good meaning hee knew would have yeelded him small comfort 〈◊〉 had not guided his saith by the direction of Gods Word nay he 〈◊〉 God to examine and try him whether it were not so he giveth verse 3. this for the reason and cause of this care hee had to walke uprightly and to follow the direction of the Word in all things For thy loving kindnesse saith hee is before mine eyes Nothing hath that force to make a man upright and constant in a Christian course as the knowledge and consideration of the mercy and loving kindnesse of God towards him in Iesus Christ. I delight to doe thy will ô my God saith David Psalme 40.8 and thy law is within my heart Till a man know God to bee his God reconciled unto him in Christ hee will never delight to doe his will his law will not bee in his heart hee will never heartily affect it It was the love of Christ that constrained Paul to doe him so diligent and faithfull service in his ministery as hee did 2 Corinthinas 5.14 the assurance hee had of Christs marvellous love to him in dying for him made him force himselfe to doe him the uttermost service hee was able and to thinke hee could never doe him service enough And where the Apostle speaketh of the marvellous obedience of Abraham to every thing that God commanded when God bad him get him out of his owne countrey and from his kindred and come into a land which hee would shew him hee left all presently when God â—ad him circumcise himselfe and every male that was in his family hee did presently upon the selfe-same day though himselfe were then ninety nine yeeres old Gen. 17.23 24. and hee had in his house three hundred and eighteene valiant men at that time Gen. 14.14 when God bad him cast out him sonne Ishmael out of his house though hee loved him dearely yet hee did immediately Gen. 21.14 Nay when God bad him sacrifice with his owne hands his sonne Isaac of whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seed bee called as the Apostle speaketh Hebrewes 11.18 yet hee was ready to doe it and that presently too as you may see Gen 22.3 But what was it that made Abraham so obedient to God in all things even in such hard commandements as these were Surely saith the Apostle Hebrewes 11.8 17. he did all these by faith He knew God was his God and his exceeding great reward as hee promised to bee Gen. 15.1 Hee was strong in faith as the Apostle saith Romanes 4.20 and therefore was so ready and cheerefull in his obedience unto God Certainely it is our want of faith beloved that maketh every commandement of God so grievous unto us if we had more faith and assurance of Gods favour in Christ we could not be so slack and backward in our obedience as we are The fourth and last grace that I will instance in is our love unto God No man can truly love the Lord till hee bee first by faith assured of Gods love to him in Christ. Wee love him saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.19 because hee first love us And when once a man is assured by
himselfe to be for the Gospell and against Popery may give us great hope of the continuance of this blessing and may seeme to free us from feare of any alteration of Religion in our dayes Yet are there three things that make this exhortation every whit as needefull for our times and for us as it was for the people of God in the Apostles dayes First The great danger wee are in that popery may prevaile and steale in upon us and with it a fiery tryall before we be aware not withstanding all that hath beene said of the hopes we have Surely the great increase of Papists that we daily heare of together with the marvellous declining of many declared by the ready receiving of such Doctrines as any seducing Spirit will offer to them may give us just cause of this feare Secondly admit that wee were in no danger at all of a fiery tryall through popery yet are there a number of other new and strange opinions lately sprung up in our Church that do make this exhortation as needfull now as ever it was They are so many that I cannot name them all unto you though I would and they are some of them so fantasticall some so blasphemous and dangerous that I would not offend your Christian eares with rehearsing of them though I could Every yeare almost yeelds us some new conceit in Religion When the servants in the parable of the tares Matth. 13.27 28 spied their Masters field so full of tares they said unto him Sir didst not thou sow good seed in thy field from whence then are these tares They doe not lay the fault upon the seed their Master did sow The Papists and Atheists when they heare either of Heresies that spring in the Church or of hypocrites and scandalous sinners that break out amongst such as professe Religion are apt still to impute all to our Masters seed This comes of following Sermons a goodly Gospell say they this is that brings forth such fruits And the servants of God themselves that know how good the seed was that their Master did sow in this field how sound and pure the Doctrine hath beene which our state and Church hath professed and which hath beene preached in it above 70. yeares without interruption and see what a number of strange opinions are now risen in it are apt to wonder and cry Lord whence come all these tares But marke what answere the Lord of the field gives unto his servants The enemy hath done this saith he Satan the enemy of God and mankinde is the sower of all these tares the authour of all the heresyes and scandalls too that rise in Gods Church And the men that broach these errours how learned or good soever they may seeme to be as Satan himselfe saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 11.14 is of transformed into an Angel of light are set on work by him his agents his seeds-men they are Our Saviour foretelling the destruction of Ierusalem and of the whole state and the judgements whereby God would plague that nation for the contempt of the Gospell and which should bee signes and forerunners of his taking it away from them and bestowing it upon some other nation that would bring forth better fruits of it names this for one Matth. 24.11 Many false Prophets saith he shall arise and shall deceive many Certainly the many sects and errours that arise in our Church as it is to be esteemed a most just judgement of God upon this nation for the contempt of the Gospell so is it a fearefull signe of a more grievous judgement approching and namely of the removing of our candlesticke and taking away the Gospell from us And surely these false teachers increasing as they doe will steale away the truth of Religion from us before we be aware as the Lord speaketh of the false Prophets in Ieremies time Ier. 23.30 unlesse wee stirre up our selves to hold it fast and to cleave so much the more stedfastly unto it because wee see it so many wayes questioned and contradicted by fantasticall spirits Thirdly and lastly The generall decay of the love of Religion in all places and among all sorts of men and the strange increase of irreligiousnesse and profanesse every where will as an epidemicall disease and common contagion infect us all and by little and little steale our hearts away from all care of Religion and respect unto it if we doe not carefully take heed and stirre up our selves to hold fast both the knowledge and practice of the truth which we have received Our long enjoying of the Gospell of Christ together with our long peace and plenty makes us to esteeme lightly and to grow weary of it as Israel of old was of Mannah though it were both the most wholesome and the most delicate foode also that ever man tasted of In which respect the Prophet Psal. 78.25 calls it Angels foode such a foode as if they had needed meate the very Angels might have fed upon Yet grew they so weary of it that they preferred the cucumbers and onyons and garlicke of Aegypt before it Num. 11.5 6. any thing rather then Mannah then that food that came downe from heaven And so doth the Apostle prophesie 2 Tim. 4.4 of a time that should come and we have just cause to judge that this is the very time hee prophesieth of wherein such as had professed the Gospell should turne away their eares from the truth be turned unto fables No doctrine can be so fabulous and fantasticall but men will be ready to turne unto it and to embrace it rather then the present truth as the Apostle calls it 2 Pet. 1.12 Any thing that will oppose and contradict the present truth this Mannah that is before our eyes as the Iewes speake there Num. 11.6 shall be welcome unto them This is not the disposition of a few of here and there one but it is the humour of the very age and time we live in that strongly inclineth unto epicurisme and irreligiousnesse Therefore the Apostle in another prophesie of his 2 Tim. 3.1 wherein he sets downe the generall sinnes of those perilous times that shall come in the last dayes whereinto we are fallen notes this as a chiefe one Verse 5. Having a forme of godlinesse an outward profession of the true Religion but denying the power thereof that the Gospell should have such a commanding power over them as to restraine them from any sinne they were inclined unto especially if it be in fashion this they should not abide this being the generall disease of the time we shal all be in danger to be carryed away with the streame and sway of it if we discerne it not to be a forerunner of the removall of our candlesticke the Gospell and in time take heed and repent and doe our first workes Rev. 2.5 and if the generall inclination unto profanesse that we discerne in all men cause us not to love the truth and cleave to it
and wonders that they doe yet might they bee false Prophets for all that false Prophets saith our Saviour shall shew great signes and wonders in so much that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elâ—ct If it were possible saith hee It is not possible for any of Gods elect to bee so deceived by any false teachers as that they should fall into those errours that are fundamentall and persist in them The foundation of God saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 2.19 this decree of God which is the maine foundation of our whole salvation that standeth sure and can never bee mooved or altered And secondly wee are kept saith the Apostle 1 Peter 1.5 by the power of God through faith unto salvation And by our faith wee have in these things and in other the promises of God we stand as the Apostle saith 2 Corith 1.24 and not by any thing that is in our selves But though this bee so yet hath the Lord appointed some things for us to doe to preserve our selves from falling away from the truth And though he at the first made us without our selves not of our first creation only but of the first forming of the new creature principally is that to be understood which the Church speaketh Psalme 100.3 It is he that made us and not we our selves as appeares by the words that follow We are his people and the sheepe of his pasture we were meere patients in both those first workes of God yet will he not save us without our selves he will not preserve us in the state of grace nor bring us unto glory without our owne endeavour he will have us to be agents in this work our selves and co-workers with him Work out your own salvation saith the Apostle Phil. 2.12 and Iude 20 â—1 Build up your selves in your most holy faith and keep your selves in the love of God And whomsoever God hath elected and decreed to preserve so as they shall never bee deceived and drawne from the truth in them he will worke a care and endeavour to use all meanes to preserve themselves Yea he will make them to be diligent and painfull in working for themselves this way in doing their endeavour and using of the meanes whereby they may be kept from falling away from the truth The Apostle writing to the Hebrewes that had done much already to make sure to themselves their owne election and calling And wee desire saith hee Hebrewes 6.11 12. that every one of you doe shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end That yee bee not slothfull but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises No man can have full assurance of hope to bee preserved from falling away unlesse even to the end of his dayes hee bee diligent in using the meanes to preserve himselfe No man may looke to inherit Gods promises that is a sloathfull man that relyeth wholly upon Gods mercy and power and gracious promises and will use no endeavour take no paines to keepe himselfe from falling from God On the other side hee that will diligently endeavour himselfe to doe that that God hath directed him to doe and to use Gods meanes shall not need to doubt but that God will uphold him though the times were farre more dangerous than they are Hee that upheld Noah Genesis 6.9 and Obadiah 1 Kings 18.3 in such times as these were can certainely uphold us in these times God is able to make him stand saith the Apostle Romans 14.4 Yea and hee will cetainely doe it if wee bee not wanting to our selves Arise and bee doing saith David to Salomon 1 Chron. 22.16 and the Lord will bee with thee Do thy endeavour in the use of Gods meanes conscionably and thou shalt not need to doubt of successe In all labour there is profit saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 14.23 which is to bee understood as well of the paines wee are to take for our soules and for heaven as for that wee take for our bodies in our worldly callings Yea the Lord to shew the necessity of our own endeavour to encourage us unto this and to honour the use of his meanes is pleased to ascribe our preservation from falling and standing in the state of grace which is indeed his owne worke onely unto this our care of keeping of our selves Hee that is begotten of God keepeth himselfe and that wicked one toucheth him not saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.18 A regenerate man may by a conscionable use of the meanes yet not hee saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 15.10 but the grace of God that is with him and with all others also that faithfully doe their endeavour keepe himselfe so as that Satan nor any of his agents shall ever bee able to touch him mortally to draw him to that sinne that is unto death Yea hee that will carefully doe what lyeth in him I speake still of the regenerate man may preserve himselfe though not from all sinne from all humane frailties and infirmities yet certainely from all grosse and scandalous sinnes even from such as hee hath beene by nature or custome most strongly inclined unto And I kept my selfe from mine iniquity saith David Psalme 18.23 You will aske me then what is it that God would have vs to doe to preserve our selves from falling into errour and to keepe our selves constant in his holy truth I answer they bee two things principally some things wee must avoid and some things wee must doe 1. We must carefully beware of and shun those things whereby we are in danger to be corrupted in our judgement and drawne away from the truth 2. Wee must diligently use the meanes whereby wee may bee established and preserved in it Of the first kind there are two wholsome and necessary directions given us in Gods Booke First Hee that would be constant in the truth of religion and not fall from it must shun and avoid them by whom he may be in danger to be seduced and drawne into errour Shun the hearing of them the conferring with them the reading of their bookes desire not to heare what they can say for their errours and against the truth This direction wee shall find often given unto Gods people Cease my sonne to heare saith the Holy Ghost Proverbes 19.27 the instruction that causeth to erre from the words of knowledge As if hee should have said Thou hast received the knowledge of the truth from the Word of God the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the words of knowledge and these men would instruct thee and by great probability of reason perswade thee another way Give over hearing of such men saith the Holy Ghost This direction the Apostle gives Romanes 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren saith hee observe his earnestnesse in this matter marke them which cause divisions and offences are authors of new sects contrary to the doctrine which yee have learned and avoid them And this note our blessed Saviour
though he continued in the state of grace to his very death yet by his sinnes hee lost the use and operation the vigour power and comfort of his adoption and of that grace that was in him and recovered it not even to his dying day as may appeare by that report the holy Ghost maketh of his last dayes 2 Chron. 16.10 12. A fearefull yet most profitable example for all secure Christians to read and meditate of And thus you have heard the first testimony which the Lord hath given in this case he hateth sin every whit as much in the regenerate man as he doth in any other person in the world Lecture CIX On Psalme 51.6 Ianu. 27. 1628. THE second testimony that I told you the Lord himselfe hath given in this case is this That he sheweth in this life more hatred to the sins of his owne people then hee doth to the sins of any other men in the world And this hee hath in all ages and doth still declare foure wayes 1. Hee afflicteth in this life all his owne people for sin so doth he not all wicked men 2. When he doth intend to bring generall judgements on the world or upon a nation he useth to begin with his owne people 3. When he will make any an example unto others of his anger against sin he useth to make choise of his owne people for this purpose rather then of lewd and wicked men 4. His judgements are wont to be more heavy and sharpe upon his owne people then those are which he useth to inflict upon wicked men For the first of these It is wonderfull to observe what difference God putteth betweene many lewd men and his dearest children that way 1. The Lord useth admirable patience and forbearance towards many lewd men He reserveth them to the day of judgement to bee punished saith the Apostle 2. Pet. 2.9 2. In this life many a wicked man goeth scot-free he tasteth of no affliction They are not in trouble as other men saith he Psalmist Psal. â—3 â— neither are they plagued like other men 3. Nay though their sins bee outragious yet God plagueth them not Iob speaketh of some Iob. 24.12 that were cruell oppressours and playd the tyrants and yet saith he God layed not folly unto them As if he had said He no way layeth it to their charge 4. The Lord letteth them runne riot and doe what they list and never stoppeth them in their course Hee suffereth them to walke in their owne wayes as the Apostle speaketh Acts 14.16 5. He holdeth his peace and doth not so much as by his word rebuke them These things hast thou done and I kept silence saith the Lord Psalme 50.21 6. Nay he seemeth not to see them but to winke at them The times of ignorance God winked at saith Paul Acts 17.30 7. So that you see many lewd men are in this life priviledged persons they goe under a protection as we read Gen. 4 15. that Cain did no man might touch Cain On the other side Looke upon the estate of Gods children in this life and you shall find it is farre otherwise with them they have no such priviledge For 1. Every godly man shall bee sure to bee afflicted in this life in one degree or other Whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth saith the Apostle Heb. 12.6 hee scourgeth every sonne whom hee receiveth And verse 8. If ye bee without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sonnes 2. The Lord useth not to winke at his childrens faults but hee observeth them strictly and if they fall into presumptious and scandalous sinnes yea or into sinnes of secure carelesnesse and negligence they shall bee sure to heare of him and to tast of his rods If I sin saith Iob 10.14 thou markest mee and wilt not acquit mee from mine iniquity His fire is in Zion saith the Prophet Esa. 31.9 and his furnace in Ierusalem As if he had said They that sinne there cannot escape the furnace of affliction as the same Prophet speaketh and interpreteth himselfe Esay 48.10 3 Lastly God useth not nor may any child of God expect that he should shew such patience and forbearance towards him when hee hath sinned as hee useth to doe towards many a lewd man See this in that speech of Phinehas and the Princes unto the two tribes and the halfe Iosh. 22.18 It will be saith hee seeing yee rebell to day against the Lord that to morrow hee will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel That wise and holy man you see expected present judgement would fall upon Gods people for their sinne hee had no hope that God would forbeare them for any time if ye rebell to day to morrow Gods vengeance will come Secondly When the Lord hath purposed to bring upon the world or upon any nation any common calamity or desolation any overflowing scourge that shall passe through a nation or place as the Lord calleth it Esa. 28.18 his manner hath beene to begin with his owne Church and people Iudgement must beginne at the house of God saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4.17 Begin at my sanctuary saith the Lord to the destroying Angell Ezek 9.6 Hee is wont first to scourge his owne people for their sinnes before hee beginne with the world and to make their misery and trouble a fore-runner of the common and generall destruction I tooke the cup at the Lords hand the cup of Gods fury saith the Prophet Ieremy 25.17 and made all the nations to drinke that is prophesied that they should certainely drinke of it unto whom the Lord had sent me But who were to drinke first of this cup He telleth us verse 18. Ierusalem and the cities of Iuda and the Kings thereof and the Princes thereof They were to begin in this cup to Egypt and the Philistines to Edom and Moab and the Ammonites and to all other nations as he sheweth in the verses following So when our Saviour had prophesied Luke 21.10 11. that before the destruction of Ierusalem Nation should rise against nation and kingdome against kingdome and great earthquakes should bee in divers places and famines and pestilences he addeth verse 12. but before all these they shall lay their hands on you speaking to his Apostles and Disciples and persecute you As if he should say The judgement shall begin at my house Thirdly The Lord hath beene wont to make his owne people examples and spectacles of his wrath against sin unto other men Thus the Prophet spake of his times Esa. 8.18 Behold I and the children the Lord hath given me are for signes and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts which dwelleth in mount Sion As if hee had said This is of the Lord he maketh us so And thus speaketh the Apostle of his times 1 Cor. 4.9 We are made a spectacle unto the world So the Lord made Vzzah an example to the whole congregation of Israel of his wrath against them