of regeneration which he hath receiued of me can neuer be dried vp or wasted but will still in all temptations and afflictions yeeld him comfort and satisfaction and peace of conscience and neuer leaue him till it haue brought him vnto eternall life The words then containe in them a commendation of the water of life the spirit of grace and regeneration 1. From the efficacy and sufficiency of it it is able to quench the thirst of the soule 2. From the durablenesse and perpetuity of it where once it is receiued it will neuer be wasted or dried vp First then from this that our Sauiour saith that he that drinketh of the water that he shall giue him yea whosoeuer how thirsty soeuer his soule were before drinks of the water he shall giue him shall neuer be more a thirst we learne That the Spirit of grace and regeneration wheresoeuer it is receiued quencheth the thirst of the soule satisfieth and quieteth the conscience against the sense of Gods wrath Before I confirme this Doctrine I will cleare it and make it plaine by answering two obiections that may be made against it Such as haue the Spirit of God doe yet still thirst after grace and haue an incredible desire to increase it as both the Scripture and daily experience doth prooue yea there was neuer any that truely tasted of the sweetnesse of Gods Word and grace but they will still long after it and thinke they can neuer haue enough of it in this life 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new borne babes they desire the sincere milke of the Word that they may grow thereby See an experiment of this in Dauid his affection to the Word and desire to learne it was euery whit as vehement as if he had scarce learned the first Principles of it Psal. 119. 12. 19. 33 34. and verse 10. My soule breaketh for the longing it hath to thy iudgements at all times How is it then said heere that they that haue drunk of this water shall neuer thirst againe I answer The thirst which our Sauiour saith he shall neuer feele againe that drinketh of the water of life is extreame and painefull hurtfull and such as causeth death as the thirst of the body will if it be extreame but the thirst of the godly is wholesome and a sure signe of a sound and healthfull soule as in the body it is a signe of health when one hath an appetite to his meate and drinke And Physitions obserue it for a signe that their Physicke hath wrought well and that the body is sufficiently purged when the patient groweth thirsty 2. It is not extreame and painefull but they finde a swetnesse and pleasure and satisfaction in it So Dauid that Psal. 63. 1. professed his longing after the publike worship of God doth yet ver 3. 4. acknowledge that he was not without great satisfaction euen in the want of those publike ordinances of God Because thy louing kindnesse is better then life saith he my lips shall praise thee Thus will I blesse thee while I liue I will lift vp my hands in thy name Secondly it may be obiected that many of the godly are subiect euen to that kind of thirst that is painefull are troubled and disquieted in their mind and conscience with the sense of Gods indignation The Prophet complaineth of this Psal. 88. 7. Thine indignation lyeth vpon me and thou hast vexed mee with all thy waies How is it then true that our Sauiour saith here Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him shall neuer thirst I answer that their thirst is not deadly nor extreame though in their own sense it seemes so to be but euen as it is with the wicked that they thinke their state better then indeed it is Esa 29. 8. As the thirsty man that dreameth he is drinking and when he awaketh behold his soule is faint for thirst So in the time of tentation the godly as one in a dreame thinketh himselfe much drier then indeed he is For the Spirit of God and that grace that is in him sustaineth him so as he fainteth not nor perisheth in this thirst When he knoweth not what to pray the Spirit helpeth him Rom. 8. 26. Euen then when he seemeth so tormented with the sense of Gods wrath he is assured of Gods fauour though he feele it not See a plaine proofe of this in Dauid Psal. 22. 1. Though to his sense God had forsaken him yet he had the spirit of prayer euen then euen the spirit of adoption that made him able to pray and euen to cry My God my God So that now you see the meaning of the doctrine that euery one that hath the Spirit of God can neuer haue in his soule that thirst that is painefull and extreame that is hurtfull and deadly but the grace of regeneration wheresoeuer it is satisfieth and quieteth the conscience worketh in it that peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding Phil. 4. 7. and that ioy which is glorious and vnspeakeable 1 Pet. 1. 8. So that though the reward and comfort that accompanieth godlinesse in this life be nothing in comparison of that that is prepared for it in heauen when it shall be said vnto vs Mat. 25. 23. Enter into thy masters ioy for 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him There onely we shall be perfectly freed from all thirst then shall wee neither hunger nor thirst any more Apoc. 7. 16. then shall we be satisfied with the likenesse of God Psal 17. 15. yet euen in this life it yeeldeth marueilous comfort and peace to the conscience See the proofe of it in three points 1. There is not any one duty of piety that is performed with a good heart but it vseth to yeeld presently a sweet satisfaction and contentment to the conscience that maketh it say I am glad I haue done this Our Sauiour saith after verse 34. that it was his meat to do the will of God 1 Chron. 29. 9. The people reioyced when they offered willingly for they offered with a perfect heart This we shall finde in our prayers euen in those we haue powred out in greatest bitternesse of soule See the comfort Dauid found in that prayer which he began in great heauinesse of spirit Psal. 6. 8. Depart from me saith he all yee workers of iniquity for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receiue my prayer 2. True godlinesse and vprightnesse of heart doth not onely yeeld comfort for the present but it maketh the heart truely ioyfull and comfortable at all times that though most men iudge that the life of a Christian is the most tedious and vncomfortable life in the world the entring into this profession is a bidding adue to all mirth and ioy yet as our Sauiour said to
him must worship him thus Now for the right vnderstanding of this Doctrine sixe questions must be mooued and resolued 1. What our Sauiour meaneth here by worshipping God in spirit The answer is that to worship God in spirit is to worship him without such ceremonies as were vnder the Law This appeareth by this note of diuersity which our Saulour here vseth but as if he should say the worship the Iewes now vse which chiefely consisteth in their sacrifices oblations purifications and such like ceremonies is good because it is done vpon knowledge of Gods will reuealed in his Word but now such as worship God aright shall worship him in another manner namely not in such ceremonies but in spirit and truth So that to worship God in spirit is opposed to the ceremoniall worship because that was not a spirituall but a carnall worship See this in that opposition Paul makes Gal. 3. 3. Are yee so foolish hauing begun in the spirit are yee now made perfect by the flesh So the ceremoniall Law is called a carnall commandement Heb. 7. 16. and all the ceremonies are called carnall rites Heb. 9. 10. A strange terme to be giuen to the worship that God himselfe ordained But the ceremonies are so called Because 1. They were all outward and bodily actions Yea if we looke ouer all the ceremoniall Law we shall finde nothing inioyned either to the Priests or people but externall and bodily things the seruice of the spirit and conscience is seldome or neuer mentioned Heb. 9. 9 10. The first Tabernacle was a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the seruice perfect as pertaining to the conscience which stood onely in meates and drinkes and diuers washings and carnall ordinances imposed on them vntill the time of reformation Whereas the seruice God requires vnder the Gospell is in a manner wholly inward and spirituall For thus the Lord speaketh of the daies of the Gospell wherein he will make a new Couenant with his people Iere. 31. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them saith the Lord. And verseâ—…3 â—…3 I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Now the Lord still calls for the seruice of the spirit and heart at our hands Our preaching pleaseth not God vnlesse it be the action of our spirit Paul serued God with his spirit in the Gospell of his Son Rom. 1. 9. Our hearing pleaseth him not vnlesse it be the action of our heart and spirit the Holy Ghost opened the heart of Lydia to attend Acts 16. 14. Our prayers please not God vnlesse they be the seruice of the heart and spirit pray with all prayer and supplication in the spirit Ephes. 6. 18. Our singing making melody in your hearts to the Lord Ephes. 5. 19. Our communicating in the Sacrament pleaseth not God vnlesse it be the seruice of our spirit no man receiueth worthily vnlesse he examine himselfe before and be able to discerne the body of the Lord in that ordinance 1. Corinthians 11. 29. 2. They are called carnall because they were all transitorie and to inindure but for a time To this reason the Apostle hath respect Heb. 7. 16. 18. When he calls the Law of the Leuiticall Priest-hood a carnall commandement because it was to bee disanulled Whereas our worship shall continue and neuer be altered and in this respect the Apostle preferres the state of the Church now before that of the Old Testament Heb. 1. 1 2. that whereas the Lord deliuered his will to his Church not all at once but at sandry times by the Prophets he hath by his Sonne fully made his minde knowne vnto vs in these last daies not at sundry times but at once And therefore also the Apostle Iude calls it the faith that was once for all deliuered vnto the Saints Iude 3. In which respect the whole time since Christs Ascension is called also the end of the world 1. Cor. 10. 11. And the last times 2. Tim. 3. 1. Acts 2. 17. 1. Pet. 1. 20. 1. Ioh. 2. 18. 3. Because the effect and fruit of them reacheth no further then to the body and outward man they could not make holy concerning the conscience him that did the seruice Heb. 9. 9. and 10. 1. they could not make the commers thereunto perfect but sanctified onely as touching the purifying of the flesh Heb. 9. 13. Therefore they are called Gal. 4. 9. Weake and beggarly elements Whereas the seruice of God vnder the Gospell worketh wholly in a manner vpon the conscience and inward man the Kingdome of God the true Religion and the sincere profession of it is not in word but in power 1. Cor. 4. 20. If the Word be preached and heard the Sacraments administred and receiued prayer vsed as they ought they will worke vpon the conscience not vpon the outward man onely Therefore it is called 2. Cor. 3. 8. the ministration of the Spirit 4. It is called a carnall worship because it is very pleasing to the naturall and carnall man hee makes great conscience of it and delights much in it In which respect also the Apostle saith Gal. 4. 3. it was a seruice fit for Gods people when they were children Our Sauiour obserues the Pharisees to haue beene very precise in the obseruation of the ceremoniall Law and to haue made much more conscience of it then of the morall they paid tithe of mint and annise and commin and omitted the weightier matters of the Law Iudgement Mercy and Fidelity Matth. 23. 23. And the Lord by his Prophet speaking of such as for their wickednesse he calls Princes of Sodome and people of Gomorrah saith they offered a multitude of Sacrifices brought many oblations to God and much incense obserued diligently the new Moones and Sabbaths and solemne dayes Esay 1. 11. 13. Yea all heathen men and pagans haue had their sacrifices and ceremonies Balaam and Balak vsed them Numb 23. 1 4. Whereas the seruice that God requires of vs vnder the Gospell is such as no naturall man can relish or finde any sauour in Nay none but such as haue the spirit can make any account of our worship can heare receiue pray with conscience and delight 1. Iohn 4. 6. Hee that is of God heareth vs hee that is not of God heareth vs not So 1. Cor. 2. 14. The naturall man receiueth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him neither can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned Thus wee see what our Sauiour here meaneth by worshipping God in spirit Lecture the fortieth Ianuary 30. 1609. WHat meanes he by worshipping God in truth The answer is to worship God in truth is to worship him without such ceremonies as were vnder the Law This appeareth by that note of diuersity here vsed but which I obserued before Truth then is not
heart is thus to respect the Lord in euery thing he grieues and striues against his corruption and this with God is accepted for the deed if there be first a willing minde it is accepted 2. Cor. 8. 12. Lecture the hundred and fourth October 8. 1611. IOHN IIII. L. LEt vs now come to the second note of difference that is to be obserued in the manner of doing good duties The regenerate man performes the good duties he doth with his heart This we shall finde made a property of true obedience and the note of a sound conuersion Rom. 6. 17. God bee thanked that yee haue beene the seruants of sin but yee haue obeyed from the heart the forme of Doctrine whereinto yee haue beene deliuered He is the same inwardly and in his heart which he maketh shew of yea he hath more goodnesse within him than he can make shew of out of the good treasure of his heart he bringeth forth good things Matth. 12. 35. For the chiefe and most proper seate of grace is the heart and therefore the regenerate part is called the inner man Rom. 7. 22. In his dealings with men a man may know the soundnesse of his regeneration by this note Psalme 15. 2. He walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth from his heart Colos. 3. 23. Whatsoeuer ye doe doe it from the heart as to the Lord and not to men as if he should say Else ye serue not God in any thing ye doe So in the workes of mercy Esay 58. 18. If thou draw out thy soule to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soule then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkenesse be as the noone day But specially in the duties of Gods worship a man may know the soundnesse of his regeneration by this note when he hath a care to doe that which he doth from the heart he makes outward profession of good things but his chiefe care is to be religious within He makes conscience also of 〈◊〉 thoughts cleanse me from my secret faults Psalme 19. 14. He is most troubled with his inward corruptions as Paul was O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Rom. 7. 24. Psal. 84. 5. Blessed is the man in whose heart are thy waies He knowes well that if the heart be reformed it will be easie to reforme the words and workes Matthew 23. 26. Thou blinde Pharisee cleanse first the inside of the cup and platter that the outside of them may bee cleane also Mal. 2. 16. Keepe your selues in your spirit and transgresse not So also in the particular duties of Gods worship it may giue a man assurance of his regeneration when a mans care is to performe them with his heart Euery one of vs in preaching must be able to say with Paul Romanes 1. 9. I serue God in my spirit in the Gospell of his Sonne And euery one of you in hearing must feele that in you that Lidia did Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened her heart that shee attended to the things that Paul speake And wee all when wee pray must bee able to pray as Paul speakes Ephesians 6. 18. With all manner of prayer and supplication in the spirit And when wee sing Psalmes Wee must make mâ—…lody to the Lord in our hearts Colossians 3. 16. As if hee should say The Lord regards no melody but that True it is there is many a regenerate man that findes much want of this inward truth of heart in the profession and practice of Religion and there is much hypocrisie in the heart of the best man that liues That which the Apostle speakes of Christ 1. Peter 2. 22. Who did no sinne neither was there guile found in his mouth is proper to Christ and could neuer truely be spoken of any meere man Let God bee true and euery man a lyar Romanes 3. 4. But yet this euery regenerate man shall finde in himselfe and may comfort himselfe in it First that this is a matter of griefe and humbling to him when at any time he hath felt this hypocrisie in himselfe and hath had his heart away in any outward seruice he hath done vnto God Secondly that ordinarily his care and vnfained desire hath beene in euery duty he hath done to God to doe it with his heart and so could neuer hypocrite nor naturall man say No hypocrite or naturall man hath his care to serue God with his heart eyther first in duties to men they doe as the Prophet speakes with flattering lips and with a double heart doe they speake Psalme 12. 2. secondly and in duties to God they are as they are described thou art neere in their mouth but farre from their reines Ieremie 12. 2. they draw neere to God with their mouth and with their lips they doe honour him but haue remoued their hearts far from him Esay 29. 13. The third note of difference is this That the regenerate man performes the duties that he doth out of loue to God yea out of such a loue as growes from Faith euen from the assurance he hath of Gods loue to him in Christ. True it is he feareth Gods iudgements passe the time of your soiourning heere with feare 1. Pet. 1. 17. and hee is partly mooued vnto obedience by the feare of Gods iudgements and ought so to be Eccles. 12. 13. Feare God and keepe his commandements And we finde by experience that many a good heart is subiect euen to this feare Psal. 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for feare of thee and I am affraid of thy iudgements Yea the Lord sees it very profitable and necessary for them that they should thus bee made acquainted with his terrours the flesh and vnregenerate part would hardly bee kept in any obedience without this curbe nor would bee forward to any good duties without this spurre 2. Corinthians 7. 1. Finish your sanctification in the feare of God Yet is this a sure note of difference betweene euery hypocrite or naturall man and him that is truely regenerate The regenerate mans obedience growes chiefly from a loue to God yea from such a loue as growes from Faith You shall see cleare proofe for both these branches Euery regenerate man loues the Lord. This is oft made the title of Gods seruants they are called such as loue him Psalme 5. 11. Let them that loue thy Name reioyce in thee and 69. 32. The seede of his seruants shall inherit Zion and they that loue his Name shall dwell therein And 119. 132. Looke vpon me and bee mercifull vnto me as thou vsest to doe to them that loue thy Name Rom. 8. 28. All things worke together for good to them that loue him 1. Corinthians 2. 9. Eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him Iames 1. 12. When hee is tryed hee shall receiue the Crowne of life which the Lord
Moses speaking of Gods maruellous goodnesse to his Church expresseth it thus Deut. 4. 7. What nation is so great vnto whom the gods came so neare vnto them as the Lord our God is neare vnto vs in all things that we call vnto him for So Dauid setteth forth the plenteousnesse of Gods goodnesse and mercy by this Psal. 86. 5. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgiue and plenteous in mercy vnto all them that call vpon thee And Paul speaking of Gods bounty saith Rom. 10. 12. He that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him The Reasons why none can looke for grace and mercy from God but those that aske for it why he will be sought vnto for it are three The first of them respecteth the Lord himselfe and his glory for God counteth himselfe greatly honoured when his people pray vnto him and depend vpon him as it is an honour to a man on earth to be much sought vnto and to haue men rely wholly vpon him This the faithfull knew well and haue by this consideration beene prouoked to this duty Therefore Dauid saith Psal. 63. 4. I will magnifie thee all my life and lift vp my hands in thy name when he lifted vp his hands vnto God he magnified him and Psal. 66. 17. I called vnto him with my mouth and he was exalted with my tongue He esteemed doubtlesse meanely enough of his owne prayers though he thus spake but he knew that God accounteth himselfe to be highly exalted and honoured by this when his seruants thus seeke vnto him In which respect also the Church voweth this to God as a duty whereby she knew God accounted himselfe to be much honoured Psal. 80. 18. Quicken vs and we will call vpon thy name The second respecteth the benefit we receiue by it for by praying our faith repentance loue and zeale is exercised and as the strength and vigour of our bodies is by exercise maintained and increased so is grace also increased by exercise Iude 20. But ye beloued edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost By exercising our faith and repentance and loue in prayer we shall edifie our selues The third respects the nature of grace for he that once hath but the least measure of a true taste of it will esteeme it aboue all things in the world and therefore cannot chuse but earnestly desire more of it and he that doth not desire it contemneth it He that hath found the true treasure and ioyeth in it will sell all that he hath to purchase it Mat. 13. 44. 2. Euery blessing is the sweeter to the godly and certainer token of Gods loue if they can feele they haue obtained it by prayer Dauid giues this for the reason of his thankfulnesse and why Gods mercy in his deliuerance was so sweet vnto him why he would extoll the Lord for it Psal. 30. 2. because he obtained it by his prayer O Lord my God saith he I cryed vnto thee and thou hast healed me 3. Yea though they obtaine it not they can beare the want of it the better if they know they haue prayed for it Phil. 4. 6. 7. In euery thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiuing let your requests be made knowne vnto God and the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe your hearts and minds through Christ Iesus The Vse of this Doctrine is first to exhort euery man to foure duties 1. Labour for an vnfained desire of grace for till this thou canst neuer haue any assurance of thy saluation nor receiue any grace from God Luke 1. 53. He filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he sendeth empty away 2. Labour for the Spirit of prayer and supplication for without this thou canst receiue no good thing from God specially no grace Iames 4. 7. Ye haue not because ye aske not 3. In the best meanes cry and pray to God for grace else shall they not profit thee Thus did David though he enioyed excellent meanes of grace Psal. 25. 4. 5. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me and 119. 12. 33. Teach me thy statutes teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes 4. If thou euer hadst this desire this Spirit of supplication and feelest it decayed in thee oh stirre it vp againe and striue to recouer it and herein I may say to thee as the Apostle to them Heb. 10. 32. Call to remembrance the former dayes and as our Sauiour to the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Reu. 2. 5. Remember euen in this from whence thou art fallen and repent For as your desire of grace decayeth so doth your assurance and comfort decay Secondly this doctrine serueth to reproue the wicked and shew the fearefull estate of such as are void of all desire of saluation Psal. 119. 154. Saluation is farre from the wicked for they seeke not thy statutes Certainely thou art yet in thy sinnes in the state of a child of wrath If thou say well if God haue decreed to saue me I shall do well enough I answer thou presumptuous foole what hast thou to do with Gods secrets Deutr. 29. 29. while thou continuest withâ—…t all desire of grace thou hast cause to feare thou art a reprobate But we shall make the better vse of this Doctrine when we haue learned the doctrine that followeth We are therefore further to obserue that as Christ telleth her what she should haue done to obtaine this water of life she should haue asked so he telleth her also what he would haue done if she had asked he would haue giuen it her though she were a Samaritan and a most wicked woman also Whence we learne That all such as can vnfainedly desire and aske grace of God shall be sure to obtaine it See the expresse promises of God for this Mat. 〈◊〉 6. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse for they shall be filled Mat. 7. 8. Euery one that asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Rom. 10. 13. Whosoeuer shall call vpon the name of the Lord shall be saued Reu. 22. 17. Let him that is a thirst come And whosoeuer will let him take the water of life freely The reasons of this are three 1. The infinite goodnesse of the Lord and the earnest desire he hath of the saluation and conuersion of men See this here in Christ he laboureth to worke this desire of the water of life in this wretched woman So Esay 65. 1. Behold me behold c. and so ver 2. I haue spread out my hands all the day vnto a disobedient people Can he then reiect them that vnfainedly desire his grace who is himselfe so earnest a suiter to vs that we would seeke and receiue it 2. The delight God taketh in and the readinesse that is in him to accept
Dauid also professeth he would goe to Gods House in the multitude of his mercies and in his feare he would worship towards his holy Temple Psal. 5. 7. All things that are done in the Congregation should be done to edifying 1. Cor. 14. 26. We should so carrie our selues as our good example herein may edifie and stirre vp reuerence in others and not so as we may grieue and giue offence to others The third generall rule is this We must come all to the beginning of Gods publike worship and tarrie till all be done See this Zach. 8. 21. And the inhabitants of one Cittie shall goe to another saying let vs goe speedily to pray before the Lord and to seeke the Lord of Hosts I will goe also Ezek. 46. 10. The Prince shall goe in when they goe in and when they goe forth they shall goe forth together Yea It is the duty of Gods people in reuerence of his publike worship to be here before the beginning It becomes them to waite for the Minister of God and not to let him waite for them The conuersion of the Gentiles is noted by this signe that they shall so loue the word of Christ that they shall waite for his Law Esay 42. 4. And to such hearers is the blessing promised Prouerbs 8. 34. Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates and giuing attendance at the posts of my doores It is said of Cornelius and yet he was a great man and a Captaine that when he had sent for Peter he called together his kinsfolke and speciall friends before Peter came and waited for him Acts 10. 24. And for tarrying till the end we haue a notable example Luk. 1. 21. Though the publike worship that Zachary the Priest performed were not such as the people could make that vse of as our people may make of euery thing that the Minister vseth in our assemblies and though Zachary tarried much longer then ordinary yet they waited till he had done and would not away till he had dismissed them and giuen them the blessing The reasons of this are two 1. There is nothing done in our assemblies but all may receiue profit by 1. By the confession of sinnes and all other prayers vsed in the congregation a man may receiue more profit and comfort then by any other That is the reason why the Apostles euen after the Ascension of Christ when the typicall honour of the Temple was abolished and it had no more holinesse in it then our Temples haue were so delighted to goe to the Temple to pray at the times of publike prayer Acts 3. 1. and 22. 17. And all the Godly women at Philippi euen with perill of their liues were wont euery Sabboth to meet together onely for prayer Acts 16. 13. 2. By hearing of the Word read in the congregation all may profit as you may see Deut. 31. 12 13. Thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing that they may heare and that they may learne to feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of this law 3. By hearing the Word preached euen by the meanest Minister of Christ all may profit if the fault be not in themselues Iames 1. 21. It is able to saue our soules 1. Cor. 14. 21. Ye may all prophecie one by one that all may learne and may haue comfort 4. The singing Psalmes in the congregation furthers the fruit of the Word in the hearts of all the hearers When the Apostle exhorteth the faithfull that they would let the word of Christ dwell in them richly in all wisedome Colos. 3. 16. he tells them that to that end they should teach and admonish one another in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs 5. All the faithfull may receiue benefit by the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 10. 16. The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the communion of the bloud of Christ The bread which we breake is it not the Communion of the body of Christ 6. By being present at the administration of Baptisme all may receiue profiâ—… for thereby we are put in minde of the Couenant that God made with vs in our Baptisme and the benefit that was sealed to vs by it that which is said by the Apostle Rom. 4. 11. of Circumcision may be said likewise of baptisme that is come into the roome of it it is a seale of the righteousnesse which is by faith And we are also thereby put in minde of the Couenant we made with God in our Baptisme whereof it is good we be oft put in minde as appeares by the care Ioshuah had to set vp a great stone by the Sanctuary to keepe in the remembrance of the people the Couenant they had made with God Iosh. 24. 26. 27. Thereby also we performe a duty of loue to the infant and his parents and to doe good in this kind especially we should not forget for with such sacrifices and fruits of our loue God is well pleased Heb. 13. 16. 7. By the blessing pronounced by Gods Minister all may receiue good When Aaron and his sonnes should blesse the people the Lord saith they should put his name vpon the children of Israel and he would blesse them Num. 6. 27. When the Priest and the Leuites blessed the people 2. Chron. 30. 27. it is said Their cry was heard and their prayer came vp to heauen his holy habitation 2. Though we could receiue no profit by the exercises vsed in our assemblies yet we must be present at them all to doe our homage vnto God and shew the reuerent respect we haue to his ordinances for there is nothing done in Gods publike worship among vs but it is done by the institution and ordinance and commandement of the Lord. 1. It is his ordinance that whensoeuer the congregation assembleth there should be all sorts and kinds of prayer vsed yea this is a chiefe duty to be performed in our assemblies 1. Tim. 2. 1 2. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giuing of thankes be made for all men For Kings and for all that are in authority c. 2. It is his ordinance that in our publike assemblies the Word should be read Deut. 31. 11 12. When all Israel is come to appeare before the Lord thy God in the place which hee shall choose thou shalt reade this law before all Israel in their hearing Gather the people together men women and children and thy stranger that is within thy gates that they may heare and that they may learne and feare the Lord your God and obserue to doe all the words of this law And it is plaine by that place Acts 13. 15. compared with Acts 15. 21. that it was the custome of the Iewes while they continued to be the true Church and people of God to read the Law and the Prophets the whole Canonicall Scripture in all their Synagogues euery Sabboth
his fatherly affection and loue in Christ more fully and cleerely to vs then hee had done to his Church vnder the Law Gal. 4. 3. 4 5. We when we were children were in bondage vnder the elements of the world But when the fulnesse of the time was come God sent forth his Sonne made of a woman made vnder the Law To redeeme them that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes From hence then we haue this Doctrine to learne That No man can worship God aright till he know God to be his Father the better a man is perswaded and assured of Gods fatherly loue to him in Christ the better seruice he shall doe vnto him Therefore our Sauiour teaching vs to pray bids vs say Our Father Matth. 6. 9. As if he should say presume not to aske any petition of God till thou canst so conceiue and be perswaded of him And the Apostle tells vs it is the spirit of adoption that makes vs able to pray and makes this the voice of the spirit of prayer it cryes Abba O Father Rom. 8. 15. Yea he makes it an impossible thing for any man to pray aright without this assurance Rom. 10. 14 How shall they call on him in whom they haue not beleeued The reason of it is first because till we know God is our Father and Ioueth vs in Christ we cannot be assured that he will accept vs. When we know he is our Father in Christ it makes vs goe to him with boldnesse and confidence in Christ we haue boldnesse and accesse with confidence through faith in him Eph. 3. 12. I will arise and go to my father saith the Prodigall Luke 15. 18. and will say vnto him father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee Though he had sinned so outragiously yet the consideration of this that it was his father he was to go vnto gaue him boldnesse It giues vs assurance that not withstanding our infirmities he will accept vs I will spare him and deale gently and indulgently with him saith the Lord Mal. 3. 17. as a man spareth his son that serueth him When the Prodigall was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his necke and kissed him Luke 15. 20. And nothing graceth our prayers more with God then this confidence and boldnes Let vs come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in time of need saith the Apostle Heb. 4. 16. But without this faith and perswasion that God is our Father we can haue no assurance that any thing we doe in his seruice pleaseth him without faith it is impossible to please God Heb. 11. 6. And the best thing we doe in his seruice without this assurance that we please him in so doing is sinne Rom. 14. 23. Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Secondly because till a man be perâ—…waded of Gods loue and fatherly affection towards him in Christ he can neuer serue him of loue nor with a good heart but vpon some by-respects vpon a seruile feare or hope of merit Heb. 10. 22. We can neuer draw neere to God with a true heart till we haue assurance of faith and our hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience No man can truely loue God till he be perswaded by the spirit of Gods loue to him Wee loue God because he loued vs first 1. Iohn 4. 19. true loue comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and faith vnfained 1. Tim. 1. 5. And whatsoeuer seruice we doe to God vnlesse it proceed out of a good heart and from loue to God it cannot please him though a man should giue his body to be burned in Martyrdome yet if that proceed not from his loue to God it would profit him nothing 1. Corinthians 13. 3. For what man would accept of any seruice from him that hee knowes loues him not The Vse of the Doctrine is to exhort vs to get good assurance to our hearts that God is our Father that he beares a fatherly affection to vs aboue all sinnes striue against infidelity Examine your selues whither yee bee in the faith prooue your selues 2. Cor. 13. 5. Many want this assurance and seeke it not many seeme to haue it and haue it not I will giue you foure notes to trie it by 1. God is a Father to no man but in and through Christ Iohn 1. 12. So many as receiued him to them gaue hee power to become the sonnes of God euen to them that beleeue in his name Galathians 4. 5. Hee hath redeemed vs that were vnder the Law that wee might receiue the adoption of sonnes so that vnlesse a man ground his assurance and confidence that God is his Father onely vpon Christ if hee ground it vpon this that God hath made him and preserued him c. his assurance is in vaine 2. He that is perswaded indeed that God is his Father will â—…adly and boldly resort to him in prayer Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. They that seldome pray or pray with no willingnesse and cheerefulnesse or pray with no confidence doubtlesse are not perswaded that God is their father 3. He that is perswaded that God is his Father will not murmure against nor be put out of heart by any of Gods corrections but be perswaded of his loue euen in affliction according to that of the Apostle Heb. 12. 7. 9. If yee endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not And Rom. 15. 3. Being iustified by faith wee glory euen in tribulation They that in the time of their peace and prosperity onely are confident in Gods loue but haue no heart no comfort in affliction are not indeed perswaded that God is their Father 4. He that is indeed perswaded that the Lord beareth the affection of a Father vnto him will beare the affection of a childe vnto God will loue him and be carefull to please him fearefull to offend him Mal. 1. 6. If I bee your Father where is mine honour Heb. 10. 22. No drawing neere to God in assurance of faith till wee be sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience and washed in our bodies also They that haue no care to please God nor feare to offend him doubtlesse are not perswaded that God is their Father Now come we to the principall Doctrine which our Sauiour teacheth vs in this place namely That the onely true worship of God the onely worship that pleaseth God now especially vnder the Gospell is that which is spirituall the worship that is proper to the Gospell the true Christian worship is spirituall For so saith our Sauiour here The houre commeth and now it is that the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth and againe They that worship
In a sensible and visible manner he guided his people through the wildernesse in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night Exod. 13. 51. By a sensible and materiall fire that came downe from heauen he witnessed oft-times his approbation of the sacrifices that his seruants offered vnto him 1. Cor. 21. 26. In a sensible and visible manner his glory filled both the Tabernacle and the Temple 2. Chron. 7. 2. Now since the daies of Christ the Lord hath not beene wont to reueale himselfe to his Church in this corporall and sensible manner but as he is a spirit so in a spirituall manner only hath he reuealed himselfe to his Church It is therefore spoken of as a blessing peculiar to the dayes vnder the Gospel that vpon all sorts of his people he will powre his spirit in a far more plentifull manner then euer he had done before Ioel 2. 28 29. Hauing now finished the Doctrine that our Sauiour deliuereth in these two verses and both the Reasons that he bringeth for the confirmation of it it remaineth that we make our vse of it The first Vse of it is to condemne the religion of the Papists If we had no other reason against Popery this were sufficient to prooue it a false worship such as God alloweth not because it doth euery way match yea farre exceedeth the forme of worship that was vnder the Law euen in that point for which our Sauiour doth here condemne it The vestments their Priests vse in Gods seruice the Church-musicke and many other things are vsed in imitation of the Iewes But 1. In obseruation of daies and times in the number of their holy dayes 2. In the multitude of their significant ceremonies 3. In the pompe and worldly statelinesse of their Prelates and Clergie 4. In their superstitious ringing and set seruice and other ceremonies about buriall they doe farre exceed the Iewes If that forme of worship which God himselfe appointed vnder the Law must needs be abrogated as Christ hath here taught vs and no true worshipper might vse it any longer because it stood so much in externall and carnall rites in shadowes and significant ceremonies then certainely they that vse and delight in such a kind of worship that was but deuised by men must needs be deemed hypocrites and false worshippers of God See the iudgement that our Sauiour giueth of these kind of ceremonies and of them that are addicted to them The Iewes in his time had a ceremony that they would not eate meate before they had washed oft holding the tradition of the Elders Marke 7. 3. This might as lawfully haue beene vsed as any religious ceremony that was deuised by man for it was not vsed in Gods seruice and might haue seemed to be but a ciuill ceremony Yet our Sauiour discerning that it was inioyned by the Elders and was obserued by the Iewes as a significant ceremony a Doctrine to the conscience a meane to put it in mind of a spirituall duty Marke 7. 7. A thing wherein they put holinesse and which they accounted as a worthy seruice done vnto God he would not vse it himselfe Luke 11. 38. and taught his Disciples to refuse it and defendeth them for so doing Marke 7. 6. And this he did though he saw it would prouoke the Pharisees much and be likely to draw him and his Disciples to trouble Marke 7. 3. And three Reasons he giueth against them 1. He maketh it a certaine note of an hypocrite of a carnall man that hath no soundnesse of grace in him to be addicted to these ceremonies Marke 7. 6. In which respect also among others the ceremoniall Law is called a carnall commandement Heb. 7. 16. and the rudiments of the world Gal. 4. 3. 2. That it is a vaine worship Marke 7. 7. there is no profit nor sound edification that can come to the conscience by it The Apostle therefore calleth the ceremonies impotent and beggerly rudiments Gal. 4. 9. Obserue it well where they are vsed with most conscience and deuotion as in Popery they are they worke no knowledge or sanctification in men 3. That where they are vsed they will make the commandements of God of no authority Matth. 15. 6. They will destroy the power of true piety and godlinesse and euen eate out the heart of it And that was the cause why Sathan laboured not in any thing more busily in the Primitiue Church then to bring in againe the ceremoniall worship after God had abrogated it and the Apostle calleth them that were his instruments in this worke dogges that is enemies to all piety Phil. 3. 2. The second Vse of the Doctrine doth more neerely concerne our selues for it teacheth vs to take heed of hypocrisie in the seruice of God Striue to worship him in spirit and truth Luke 12. 1. Take heed to your selues saith our Sauiour of the leauen of the Pharisees which is hypocrisie The Lord doth exceedingly abhorre hypocrisie in his seruice The more seruice thou doest to God the more thou prouokest him if thou be an hypocrite Iob 36. 13. The hypocrites in heart heape vp wrath For the hypocrite is a false worshipper he maketh an Idol of God he thinketh he can deceiue God as he doth men Now there be three kinds and degrees of hypocrites that worship not God in spirit and truth and are therefore called here by Christ false worshippers of God 1. They that doe any seruice to God with their bodies onely without the vnderstanding and feeling and deuotion of the heart in euery seruice we doe to God he calleth still for the heart My son giue me thy heart saith he Pro. 23. 26. Paul had not pleased God in preaching if he had not in preaching serued God in his spirit Rom. 1. 9. Lydia had not pleased God in hearing the Word if her heart had not beene opened if she had not heard with feeling and affection of heart Act. 16. 14. No man can please God in praying vnto him vnlesse he pray with the feeling and affection of his spirit Psal. 86. 4. Reioyce the soule of thy seruant for vnto thee Lord do I life vp my soule nor in singing of Psalmes vnlesse he sing with grace in his heart vnto the Lord Ephes. 5. 19. Our prayers are compared vnto odours Reu. 5. 8. and vnto incense Psal. 141. 2. and the feruency of our affection is as the fire without which these odours and incense can neuer send vp any sweet sauour vnto God In which respect the Apostle biddeth vs be feruent in spirit as seruing the Lord Rom. 12. 11. as if no seruice could be acceptable vnto God without feruency of spirit Let euery one of vs therefore haue a principall care of that both in our prayers and in euery other part of the worship we doe vnto God Two good helpes are needfull to be vsed to this purpose 1. Watchfulnes Continue in prayer and watch in the same Col. 4. 2. for vnlesse we
minded and dare say nothing for God hath enioyned them silence and forbidden them to meddle with thee therefore they can say nothing therefore they dare say nothing Thou art a priuiledged person I tell thee and I dare say thou gloriest much in it But thou wilt finde it a wofull priuiledge one day Cain had such a priuiledge and protection Gen. 4. 15. God forbad all men to kill him or to touch him because he would haue him to be spectacle of his wrath vnto men And thou hast a priuiledge too God hath forbidden all men to rebuke thee to speake of good things in thy presence that thou maist goe on and fill vp the measure of thy sinne to such as thou art the Lord himselfe speaketh in this manner Reioyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart cheere thee in the daies of thy youth and walke in the waies of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes Eccles. 11. 9. If thou hadst so much grace as to iudge rightly of this thy priuiledge thou wouldst take small pride in it but pray rather that thou maist so liue as no godly man may be vnwilling or affraid to reproue thee according as Dauid a great King did Let the righteous smite me said he it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprooue me it shall be an excellent oile Psal. 141. 5. But you must obserue that when our Sauiour Christ was thus silent he stood as a priuate person In his publike ministry he spake good things and taught the will of God neuerthelesse freely and boldly though the Pharisees and other wicked men were present when he taught And by his example we are taught that we should not be daunted nor discouraged in our ministry by the presence of any wicked man whatsoeuer he be but we should do our work faithfully and chearefully whatsoeuer our hearers be For first though any come to heare vs with neuer so bad a minde God can and doth oft catch him and change his minde as he did the officers whom the Pharisees had sent to apprehend Christ Iohn 7. 45 46. and that vnbeleeuer 1. Cor. 14. 25. Secondly and though he doe not so yet our labour shall not be lost vpon them no not vpon the carpers the scorners that heare vs for they shall one day know there hath beene a Prophet amongst them Ezek. 33. 33. yet though this be an infirmity in a Minister to doe his worke heauily amongst such as he seeth no hope to do good vpon yet it is such an infirmity as the best of Gods seruants haue beene subiect to they haue beene apt to receiue great discouragement in their ministry by a bad auditory When God had made knowne vnto Ezekiel what a bad auditory he should preach vnto Ezek. 2. 3 â—…5 They are impudent children and stiffe-hearted surely they will not heare thee neither will they cease for they are a rebellions house it is said Chap. 3. 14. He went to preach to them in much bitternesse and griefe of spirit but saith he the hand of the Lord was strong vpon me that is to say Else I had neuer gone It may seeme by that speech that Iohn Baptist vsed when he saw many of the Pharisees and Saduces come to heare him O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Matth. 3. 7. that he was neuer a whit proud of such hearers No more surely are any of vs now to see notorious drunkards or whoremongers or blasphemers or prophane fooles that scorne all goodnesse come to hearâ—…e vs. On the contrary side when we haue such a people to heare vs as shew by their constancy and chearefulnesse in hearing and by their conuersation also that they are such whose hearts God hath prepared to receiue and obey his truth it doth vs good to preach to such a people be they neuer so learned this giues heart and cheerefulnesse to vs in our ministry and euen set an edge vpon our gifts and makes vs do our worke with more freedome of spirit and with a larger heart than otherwise we should The zeale and feruency which people shew in hearing doth euen warme their Minister and make him more zealous The Apostles had excellent gifts you know and yet the goodnesse of their audience did euen mend their gifts Though they had receiued commission to preach to all Nations Matth. 28. 19. yet they were at first vnwilling to goe to the Gentiles How did God encourage them Surely by making knowne the forwardnesse and readinesse of the Gentiles to receiue the Gospell Before Paul preached to the Gentiles at Antioch they besought him to doe it the whole city came together to heare the Word of God and vpon their first hearing of the Word they shewed much gladnesse when they heard that God had allowed his Word to be preached to the Gentiles and commanded it also yea they glorifyed the Word of the Lord Acts 13. 42. 44. 48. This made Paul so zealous and forward to goe to Macedonia he saw in a vision a man of Macedonia that prayed him saying come ouer into Macedonia and helpe vs Acts 16. 9. That made him shew such a zealous desire to goe and preach to the Romanes because they were so good a people Rom. 〈◊〉 8. 10. Yea our blessed Sauiour himselfe receiued as it were some helpe and increase of gifts by the forwardnesse and zeale of his hearers seeing the multitudes that flocked so to heare him he went vp into a mountaine that they might the better heare him and be opened his mouth set and bent himself to speake so as they might heare and vnderstand him and taught them Mat. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What made him deny so much time to himselfe from preaching as might serue euen for his necessary repast both at this time and also Mar. 3. insomuch as his kinsfolke euen thought him mad for it Mar. 3. 21. Surely the zeale of the people and their great desire to heare the multitude commeth together againe so as they could not so much as eate bread Mar. 3. 20. And if the Apostles and Christ himselfe had euen neede or at least receiued good by this helpe how much more may we The Reasons of this Doctrine are two 1. The faithfull Minister hath no ioy comparable to this when he seeth the forwardnesse of Gods people in receiuing and obeying the truth Iohn the Baptist reioyced to see his hearers flocke after Christ. Iohn 3. 29. The friend of the Bridegroome reioyceth greatly because of the Bridegroomes voice that is that the Bridegroomes voice is so well accepted that he findes so good entertainement with the Bride 2. The more zealous and prepared the audience is the better assistance of his Spirit God is wont to giue to his seruants As it is with thy prayer the better thy heart is prepared to pray the more comfortable and fruitfull shall thy prayer be when he prepares our hearts then will he cause his eare to heare
that he pretends he hath of Gods fauour emboldneth him to sin Ieremie 3. 4 5. Didst thou not still cry to me Thou art my Father c. but thou doest euill euen more and more They are wicked therefore can they haue no true peace there is no peace saith my God to the wicked Esay 57. 21. But on the other side the true assurance that Gods Spirit workes in the faithfull makes them carefull to please God fearefull to offend him Psalme 26. 3. Thy louing kindnesse is before mine eyes therefore haue I walked in thy truth Psal. 119. 166. Lord I haue trusted in thy saluation and haue done all'thy comman dements 1. Iohn 3. 3. Euery one that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe euen as hee is pure And indeed none can haue any true trust in God but such as feare him Psalme 115. 11. Yee that feare the Lord trust in the Lord. For God vseth not to speake peace to any but to his Saints and such as he doth withall by his grace restraine that they turne not againe vnto folly Ps. 85. 8. The third Vse of the former Doctrine is for the comfort of such as doe vnfainedly feare God and haue sometimes had an vndoubted assurance of their saluation and haue now lost the feeling of it This hath beene the case of many of Gods seruants and may be the case of euery one of vs. You know the Church complaines of this I sought him whom my soule loueth I sought him but I found him not Cant. 3. 1. And how oft doth Dauid complaine That his soule cleaued to the dust Psal. 119. 25. That is melted for heauinesse verse 28. That his spirit was in perplexity and his heart within was amazed Psal. 143. 4. Lord why doest thou reiect my soule and hidest thy face from mee Psal. 88. 14. Hee said in his haste hee was cast out of Gods sight Psal. 31. 22. Yea secondly sometimes he continued in this estate a great while together Psal. 13. 1. How long wilt thou forget me O Lord how long wilt thou hide face from me Psal. 119. 82. Mine eyes faile for thy promise saying When wilt thou comfort me And thirdly he had these fits oftentimes also Psal 88. 16. From my youth I suffer thy terrours Seeing therefore the dearest of Gods children doe oft lose this comfortable assurance and when they haue lost it are so apt to conclude against themselues that they were neuer in the state of grace they neuer had true faith I will therefore giue you fiue Rules for the comfort of such as are thus distressed 1. The first is to search out the speciall sinne that hath depriued thee of this comfort and repent of it This Rule is prescribed why is liuing man sorrowfull Let vs search and trie our waies and turne againe vnto the Lord Lam. 3. 39 40. Thus did Dauid recouer his comfort when I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long and I acknowledged my sin vnto thee c. and thou forgauest the iniquity of my sinne Psalme 32. 3 4. 5. 2. To call to minde the grace that in former times thou hast felt in thy selfe whatfaith and feeling and comfort in prayer what care of a good conscience thou art sure thou hast had in thee heretofore for from thence thou mayest boldly conclude That there is grace in thee still though thou canst not now feele it the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Rom. 11. 29. This rule Dauid followed when he had lost his feeling of Gods fauour and grace Psal. 77. 5 6. Then I considered the daies of old and the yeares of ancient time I called to my remembrance my songs in the night And 143. 5. Yet doe I remember the time past 3. To search thine owne heart diligently and thou shalt obserue euen when thou art at the worst certaine notes of grace in thee Now there is no Christian but when he is at the worst and hath least feeling of his Faith and of the certainety of his saluation but if he would looke into himselfe he should finde these graces in himselfe 1. That hee yeelds not to his infidelity but striues against it and grieues vnfainedly that he hath lost the assurance of Gods fauour Psalme 77. 2. His soule refused comfort Uerse 3. His spirit was full of anguish Verse 10. And I said this is my death 2. That he desires aboue all things and seekes vnfainedly and earnestly to recouer his feeling of Gods fauour againe Cant. 3. 1 2 3. The Spouse sought her Beloued in her bed verse 1. about in the City by the streets and by the open places verse 2. enquired of the Watchmen for her Beloued verse 3. So saith David of himselfe when his spirit was in perplexity within him Psalme 143. 6. I stretched forth mine hands vnto thee my soule desireth after thee as the thirsty Land 3. That though he haue no feeling of Gods loue to him yet he loues God and desireth to please and honour him is affraid to doe any thing that might offend him Psalme 44. 18 19. Our heart is not turned backe neither haue our steps declined from thy way though thou hast smitten vs downe to the place of Dragons and couered vs with the shadow of death Now if any one of these graces be in thee thou maist be sure thou art aliue As if we discerne in one that by many likelihoods seemeth to be dead that he eyther breatheth or moueth or heareth we are sure there is life in him So is it in this case And euery Christian is bound in the affliction of his conscience to take notice of that grace that is in him as well as of that corruption that is in him that he may be as well thankfull to God for the one as he is humbled for the other 1. Thess 5. 18. In all things giue thankes for this is the will of God in Christ Iesus toward you This rule Dauid followed Psalme 77. 6. I communed with mine owne heart and my spirit searched diligently 4. Vse the benefit of their aduice that can better iudge of thine estate than thou thy selfe for the present canst This rule the Apostle prescribeth Is any sicke among you Let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him And the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed sinnes they shall be sorgiuen him Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another Iames 5. 14 15 16. and this course the Church tooke when by her secret and priuate endeauours in her bed by night she could not finde her beloued she went out into the streets of the City among her godly acquaintance for their helpe and when that would not serue she sought helpe of the watchmen and Ministers of the Church Cant. 3. 2 3. 5. Lastly rest assured that though thou haue for the present lost it yet thou
prayer thou finde the comfort and peace of thy conscience encreased thou art well enough though thou obtaine not that thou askedst Yea this is the most comfortable answer of all that God vseth to giue to the prayers of his seruants By this as by the fire which he was wont to send from heauen to consume the sacrifice 2. Chron. 7. 1. he doth testifie that he is well pleased with the prayers of his seruants And this kinde of answer the godly seldome faile of Psal. 35. 13. I humbled my selfe with fasting and my prayer was turned into mine owne bosome This answer Dauid receiued euen whilst he was praying Psal. 6. 8 9. Away from me all yee workers of iniquity marke what case he was in before from verse 1. to 7. for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my petitions the Lord will receiue my prayer This the Apostle speakes of as a thing the faithfull may be sure of whensoeuer they pray aright in euery thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiuing let your request be made knowne vnto God and the peace of God which passeth all vnderstanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes through Christ Iesus Phil. 4. 6 7. The fourth comfort against this temptation is this If the Lord doe for a time with-hold not only the thing thou prayedst for but this answer also yet be thou assured he doth it for thy good he doth it for one of those three ends thou heardest of in the doctrine And if thou canst finde that the Lords delayes haue had those effects in thee they haue humbled thee they haue approued thy faith and obedience they haue increased thy desire and estimation of his fauour thou art a happy man The Lord in granting our requests respects not so much our words as the meaning of his spirit in our prayers Rom 8. 27. A fift comfort against this tentation is this That till the appointed time come till God see it good to giue thee either the thing thou askest or that sweet peace and comfort of conscience that I spake of he will certainely giue thee strength to abide this triall This is the thing thou most fearest and complainest of thou feelest thy selfe ready to faint and giue ouer but be of good comfort though he let thee feele thy weakenesse and how vnable thou art to stand or goe alone yet as the Nurse that dandles the Childe he holds thee and will not let thee fall Thus Dauid speakes of himselfe in the time of a most grieuous temptation Psal. 73. 22 23. I was as a beast before thee yet was I alwaies with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Thus though God refused to hearken to Paul in causing the messenger of Sathan to depart from him though he prayed thrice for it yet did he heare and answer his prayer 2. Cor. 12. 9. He said vnto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my power is made perfect through weakenesse And this may be a certaine argument to a man that God hath heard and receiued his prayer though he doe delay to grant his request when Gods grace makes a man able to continue in prayer and to hold out though it be with much paine and discomfort For this comes not of our selues but is a singular gift of God This is plainely proued Psal. 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the poore thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare And this testimony euery true beleeuer may be sure to finde in himselfe euen when to his owne feeling he hath least grace the spirit of God will helpe and sustaine his infirmity Rom. 8. 26. Therefore to conclude this first Vse I will say to them whom God exerciseth with this tentation that which the Apostle doth to them that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake and feare they shall not be able to hold out 1. Pet. 4. 19. Let them commit their soules to God in well doing as vnto a faithfull Creator The second Vse of this doctrine is to exhort all Gods people that they would labour so to pray as they may haue assurance to be heard when they pray for these comforts belong not to all but to such as pray aright It hath bin wont to be a matter of greatest discomfort to Gods people as we haue heard when they haue prayed and could not finde any audience with God be not silent vnto me lest if thou be silent to mee I become like them that goe downe into the pit Psal. 28. 〈◊〉 Therefore should we both marke well what we haue prayed for and obserue what entertainement we finde when we goe to our Father listen and hearken what answer we receiue from him Dauid prayes oft for an answer in thy faithfulnesse consider me Psal. 143. 1. As he that is a suiter to the King or any great man when he hath deliuered his petition will be diligent to enquire what the King saith to it so should we doe Psal. 8â—… 8. I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speake peace c. Two benefits we should receiue by it 1. It would worke in vs a great increase of comfort and assurance of Gods fauour of thankefulnesse and loue to God if we might perceiue that he had respect to our prayers whensoeuer we called vpon him so did it in Dauid as we shall finde in many places of the Psalmes Psal. 6. 8 9. and 28. 6. and 66. 19 20. and 61. 4 5. and 116. 1 4. 2. If by obseruing we shall finde that he hath had no respect to our prayers it would humble and driue vs to search into the cause of it and so inforce vs to make peace with him Foure things there are required in him that would so pray as he may haue assurance to finde audience and to receiue a good answer from God 1. The man himselfe must be in Gods fauour and know himselfe to be reconciled vnto God in Christ the Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering first to Abel and then to his offering Gen. 4. 4. 2. He must bring a heart that hath vnfainedly repented of all knowne sinnes and resolued to doe the will of God in all things If I regard iniquity in mine heart the Lord will not heare mee Psal. 66. 18. we know that God heareth not sinners Ioh. 9. 31. If thou wilt not hearken to God thou canst haue no hope that he will heare thee as he cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of hoasts Zach. 7. 13. 3. He must take heed the things he prayeth for be such as God hath in his Word warranted him to aske this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs 1. Iohn 5. 14. 4. He must not pray coldly nor drowsily but feruently I will pray and cry aloud and he shall heare my
possibly be brought to a people in their case verse 6. 8 yet though first the message was so comfortable secondly the persons that brought it were such as they knew came immediately from God Exod. 4. 30 3â—… thirdly before when they brought them a message that was not altogether so full of comfort as this they receiued it and praised God for it Exod. 4. 31. yet now it is said Exod. 6. 9. they hearkened not vnto Moses they made no reckoning of any thing he had said And the reason is giuen for anguiâ—…h of spirit and for cruell bondage And this was not their case onely but it is the very naturall property and effect of extreme heauinesse to make the soule apt to refuse and reiect all comfort So is it said of Iacob when he thought Ioseph had beene slaine Gen. 37. 35. All his sonnes and his daughters rose vp to comfort him but he would not be comforted And Dauid complaines oft that in this case his soule refused comfort Psalmeâ—…7 â—…7 〈◊〉 Now for the second point The man that hath had the best gift in prayer shall be hardly able to make vse of it in this case Extremity of sorrow will make a man vnfit and vnable to lift vp hi heart to God in prayer in any comfortable manner True it is that first a man is best able to pray in affliction and sorrow if it be moderate Lâ—…rd in trouble haue they visited thee they powred out prayer when thy chastening was vpon them Esay 26. â—…6 Secondly no affliction can vtterly quench the spirit of prayer in the childe of God euen then when through extremity of anguish we know not what to pray for as we ought the spirit it selfe helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for the Saints according to the will of God And the Prophet saith that he cryâ—…d vnto God and sought him by prayer euen when his spirit was ouerwhelmed with sorrow when he was so troubled that he could not speake Psal. 77. 1 4. that he prayed in that case But he did it without comfort verse 3. I thought vpon God and was troubled I prayed and my spirit was fâ—…ll of angnish In which respect the man that is in extreme affliction is compared to a drunken man Esay 51. 21. Heare now thou miserable and drunken but not with wine And what good can a drunken man receiue by the Word O how can a drunken man pray The Vses of this Doctrine are foure First to perswade euery man to take heed of immoderate griefe and to fence his heart against excessiue sorrow specially for worldly things I doe not disswade you from all sorrow for I know that all sound Christians are giuen much to mourning Blessed are they that mourne Matth. 5. 4. Iohn 16. 20. Verily verily I say vnto you that yee shall weepe and lament and the world shall reioyce and yee shall sorrow And this exhortation must not be deliuered without caution in this secure age wherein men had more need to vse all their skill to moue men to mourning and lamentation And know therefore that first it is a signe and note of an vngracious heart for a man to abandon all sorrow and repose all his felicity in carnall ioy Luke 6. 25. Woe be to you that now laugh Eccles. 7. 6. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning but the heart of fooles is in the house of mirth Secondly there be sundry cases wherein a man is bound to force his heart to griefe and sorrow as first for his sinnes when the faithfull looke vpon him whom they haue pierced by their sinnes they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely sonne c. Zach. 12. 10. secondly for Gods corrections and tokens of his anger thou hast stricken them but they haue not grieued Ier. 5. 3. thirdly for the dishonour that is done to God by the sins of others Psal. 119. 136. Mine eyes gush out c. and fourthly for the miseries and afflictions of others Iob 30. 25. Did not I mourne for him that was in trouble was not my soule in heauinesse for the poore Thirdly know that sorrow is not alwaies hurtfull for a man but many times exceeding wholesome and profitable Eccles. 7. 4. It is better to goe into the house of mourning than into the house of feasting because this is the end of all men and the liuing shall lay it to his heart Yea verse 5. Anger is better than laughter for by a sad looke the heart is made better Though the griefe be such which a man conceiueth vpon this occasion that it euen troubles and disquiets the minde for that is meant by Anger in this place and in that also 1. Chron. 13. 11. Dauid was angry that the Lord had made a breach in Vzzah And though it be so great that he cannot hide it but make shew of it in the sadnesse of his countenance yet this will doe the heart good And of godly sorrow the Apostle saith 2. Cor. 7. 8. Though I made you sorry with my Letter yet doe I not repent It were a fond conceit for men to thinke that if they should giue place a little to godly sorrow it would bring them to despaire No no there is no such danger in it no it is the readiest and surest way to attaine to true and sound comfort Bee afflicted and mourne and weepe let your laughter be turned into mourning and your ioy into heauinesse Humble your selues in the fight of the Lord and he shall lift you vp Iam. 4. 9 10. But though this be so yet is this also the counsaile and exhortation of the Holy Ghost to moderate our sorrow and to take heede of that sorrow that is immoderate and excessiue There is a time to weepe and a time to laugh a time to mourne and a time to dance No man is bound to mourne continually to spend all his time in sorrow Eccles. 3 4. sufficient vnto the day is the euill thereof men should not giue way to vnnecessary sorrowes Matth. 6. 34. They that weepe should be as though they wept not they should so moderate their griefe as it may no way hinder them in any duty to God or man 1 Cor. 7. 30. yea euen of excessiue sorrow for sin 2. Cor. 2. 7. Ye ought to comfort him lest he be swallowed vp with ouer much heauinesse And this exhortation the Holy Ghost inforceth with sundry reasons 1. Immoderate sorrow and heauinesse of heart is a great curse of God Deut. 28. 65. The Lord shall giue thee a trembling heart and a sorrowfull minde And on the other side a cheerefull heart is spoken of as a great blessing Act. 14. 17. Filling our hearts with food and gladnesse 2. It is a great enemie to our health which God hath bound vs to haue care of Pro. 17. 22. A ioyfull heart causeth good health but a sorrowfull minde dryeth vp the bones Psal. 31. 10. My life is wasted with heauinesse
and new functions were wont to bee confirmed by miracles 378. We need none now 378. Popish miracles are false and counterfeit 379. They are not done by the power of Christ 449 Christ shewed his power most in curing the bodies of men 445. 447. Sixe points obserued in these miraculous cures 446. Difference betweene Christs miracles and those of the Prophets Apostles 447 448 Multitude Faults that the common sort are especially addicted vnto 2â—…4 It is no safe thing to do as the most doe 427. Comfort for the godly that are scorned for their singularity because they will not doe as the most do 430. 431. N. Name A man is bound to haue care of his good name 86. Why Hebrew names are vsed in the new Testament and why we giue Hebrew names to our children 202. Nature See how void of all goodnesse and full of corruption euery naturall man is 26 28. How much goodnesse may bee in a naturall man 174. Nazaret Why our Sauiour did shun preaching in Nazaret aboue all other places 351 352. O. Obedience No seruice pleaseth God but that that is done in obedience to his Word 160. This is a certain note of an vpright heart 473 Seuen notes of sincere Obedience 474. Regenerate able to obey 473. Difference betwixt obedience of regenerate and other ibid. Others saluation to be sought 246. Obstinacie See hardnesse of heart This greatly aggrauates sin 422. Most men that liue in the Church sinne obstinately 424. Foure signes of a heart that is not hardened nor obstinate in sin 423. The fearefull state of the obstinate 423. P. Painting Painting of the face is vnlawfull 87. Papists They are like to the Samaritans in many things 36 37. They are Idolaters worship the diuell 163 Parents Great is their affection to their children 391. This should confirme vs in the assurance of Gods loue to his children 392. They must take heed of ouer louing their children and how wee may best doe them good 392. What respect is to bee had to the example of our parents in the matter of Religion 143. The hope and comfort Christian Parents may haue concerning their children 180. Their sinnes will bring Gods curse vpon their children and what sins chiefly 393. What a kind of seruice and solemnity it was 380. Patience The faithfull haue beene very patient in affliction and shewed it foure waies 398. The meanes to breed it in vs 398. 399. Peace of conscience It is a fruit of true faith 336. There is a false peace see presumption Euery affliction should driue vs to make peace with God and that three waies 404. Peace-offerings What they signified 187. People See Hearers Persecution None can be saued that is not willing to suffer and euen to die for the truth 139. To deride a Minister is to persecute him 28â—… Perseuerance The regenerate shall perseuere and are carefull so to do 481. He that is truly regenerate shall neuer fall fi nally nor totally yea he may be in this life certaine of it 339 341. Our chiefe care must be to be best at our end 274 275. Phisicke They sinne greatly that despise or neglect it 256 257. Pilgrimage Reasons against it 156. Pouertie The poore that are godly haue no cause to murmur or distrust God 33. The frequenting of religious exercises with an honest heart will begger no man 244. Prayer Helps to keepe the heart from wandring in it 198. Euery man must aske and cry for grace yea all whom God meaneth to saue shal do it 5 Obiection against the necessity of prayer an swered 5 6. All that can vnfainedly seeke to God for grace shall be sure to haue it 8. The weakest Christian should not be discouraged from prayer 9. Spirituall blessings rather to bee prayed for then temporall 9. Faith breeds boldnesse in prayer 336 337. God seemes oft to neglect the prayers of his people and that foure waies 407. Comfort for Gods people in this case 408 409 Labour to pray so as thou maist speed 411. Christ himselfe vsed much to pray 203. God delights greatly in the prayers of his people 193. Affliction driues the faithfull to it 3â—…6 Promises vpon which we should ground our faith in prayer 407. Three reasons why God seemes oft to neglect and reiect the prayers of his people 408. Signes whereby we may know God accepts our prayers though he grant not our Suit 410 411. We should inquire after the successe of our prayers 411 412. Properties requisite in the prayer that would speed well 412. Poore sinners should goe boldly to Christ for helpe in all their distresses 450. Preaching See Minisry A man may try his estate by the iudgement he hath to discerne of sound teaching 113 It is lawfull to keepe Lectures to frequent them euen on the weeke daies 243. Some are bound to goe to Sermons euen on the weeke day 242. Euen they that cannot should yet desire to do it 243. How to iudge of the best Preachers and Preaching 291. The necessity of it 278 279 280. Preparation We can do no duty of Gods seruice wel without it 487. It is a great and necessary helpe for our profiting by the Word 487. This preparation consists in sixe points 489. Thinke of the euill day prepare for it 488 Presumption Lewd men haue no cause to hope they shall repent and find mercy 82 83. They can haue no sound comfort in the knowledge of Gods mercy 99. 452. They are confident of their saluation and the notes wherby true faith may be discerned from this presumption 345. Pride Noe sin makes vs more odious to God 394. The greatest must beware they be not proud either against God or men 388. All men are strangly prone to this soule sin 295. Affliction is a singular meane to abate it 395 Prophanesse The sin of such as carry themselues prophanely in Gods publike worship 134 135. Profession We should all be willing and ready to make profession of our faith 349 350. Professours Poore men young men such as haue been formerly scandalous and women haue beene vsually most forward in Religion 222. This hath beene euer a great scandall to the Word and why 224. Preseruatiues against this scandall 225. Professours should striue to remooue this scandall and how they may do it 226. Prouidence God by his prouidence gouernes all things orders them for the good of his Elect 217. The knowledge of this is vsefull many waies 219. Psalmes It is fit they should be sung in the Congregation 121 122. How we should behaue our selues in singing them 126. Publike worship See Church-Assemblies It is necessary all should be present at euery part of it 121. 128. 129. To be preferred before any priuate 129 130. 153. All should come to the beginning and stay till the end of it 120. 131 132. Rules for reuerence in it see Reuerence All may profit by euery part of it and euery part of it hath good warrant in the Word 121. 122. The whole congregation
If the Spirit of God be in thee indeed thou shalt discerne it by these foure effects wherein it is like vnto water 1. It will pacifie thy conscience and free thee from the slauish feare of God and of his wrath 2. It will breed contentment in thy mind by abating in thee the immoderate desire of earthly things 3. It will cleanse thy heart and life from that filthinesse wherewith before thou wert defiled 4. It will make thee fruitfull vnto God meet for thy Masters vse and prepared vnto euery good worke as the Apostle speakes 2 Tim. 2. 21. But of the vses that this Doctrine serueth vnto we shall haue occasion to speake further vpon the 14. verse Lecture the second Feb. 7. 1608. FOlloweth now the second part of this text viz. What this woman should haue done and how shee might haue obtained this Water of life she should haue asked of him and he would haue giuen it her If she had knowne him aright she would haue asked it and he blames her for not asking it and if she had asked it though she were a Samaritan and one that for so many yeares to this present had liued in so great sin yet would he haue giuen it her Where we haue first to learne That it is not onely the duty of euery one that would be saued and obtain Gods grace to ask it but it is also the property of all that God meaneth to saue to beg grace of God Looke whom God purposeth to bestow his grace and saluation vpon they shall desire it vnfainedly and ask it of him Euery man must ask and cry for grace euery man shall certainly do it whom God intendeth to saue I shall best confirme this Doctrine by answering that which our profane hearts are apt to obiect against it No man can desire grace till he haue receiued Gods Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selues to think any thing that is good I answer that this is true indeed but yet this is the first worke of Gods Spirit in those whom he meaneth to saue he works in them a feeling of the need they haue of grace and makes them able to cry to him for it He first makes them poore in spirit and mourners meeke also and humble for that their pouerty and then he breeds in them an hunger and thirst after righteousnesse as we may see in that Gradation Christ vseth Mat. 5. 3. 6. He powreth vpon them the spirit of grace and of supplications as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 12. 10. The spirit of grace so soone as it entreth into the heart so soone as the worke of grace is begun in a man it makes him plentifull and abundant in supplicating and suing vnto God for mercy and grace Because ye are sonnes saith the Apostle Gal 4. 6. God hath sent forth the spirit of his Sonne into your hearts and how doth the Spirit first shew himselfe to be entred into our hearts surely by his crying Abba Father that is by making vs cry to God as to our Father for mercy and grace The Lord knoweth our case well enough and what we need to what purpose then should we thus pray Your Father knoweth what things ye haue need of before you aske him saith our Sauiour Mat. 6. 8. I answer that is a good reason indeed against vaine babling when as if we had to deale with a man that cannot know our desires but by our words we are more abundant in words then in affection But though God know our wants before we ask yet he willeth vs to make by prayer our desires knowne to him euen as if he were otherwise ignorant of them In euery thing saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 6. Let your requests be made knowne vnto God by prayer and supplication Yea he hath conditioned thus with vs that if we would haue any good thing from him we must pray for it Ask and it shal be giuen you saith our Sauiour Mat. 7. 7. and Ier. 33. 3. Call vnto me and I will answer thee and shew thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not Pro. 2. 3 5. If thou callest after knowledge and criest for vnderstanding then shalt thou vnderstand the feare of the Lord. The Lord hath determined in his eternall Counsaile who shall be saued and who shall haue grace He worketh all things after the Counsaile of his owne will saith the Apostle Eph. 1. 11. And my prayer cannot alter his purpose God is not as man that he should repent saith Samuel 1 Sam. 15. 29. I answer that as God hath determined who shall be saued and attaine to grace so hath he decreed this to be the meanes whereby they shall attaine to grace and saluation So that by this a man shall know whether God haue purposed to saue him if he giue him an heart to cry to him for it Ezek. 36. 37. When the Lord had declared how he had decreed the returne of his people from captiuity He addeth I will yet for this be sought of the children of Israel to performe it vnto them And Ier. 29. When the Lord had promised them Verse 11. I know the thoughts that I haue thought toward you euen the thoughts of peace and not of trouble to giue you an end and your hope he addeth that when the time of their visitation should come that he should execute and performe his decree vnto them ver 12. Then shall ye cry vnto me and you shall go and pray vnto me So that euen as a man cannot nor may not presume to search into Gods Counsaile till himselfe be pleased to reueale it nor giue any guesse what God hath decreed concerning him till he begin to execute his decree Deut. 29. 29. The secret things belong vnto the Lord so can no man say that God hath purposed his saluation till he giue him an heart vnfainedly to desire it The Lord is not of that disposition men are of who will not giue vnlesse they be asked He is farre more gracious and bountifull and giues to them that neuer asked Esay 65. 1. I am found of them that sought me not I answer that indeed we can neuer seeke to him for grace till he by his Spirit of grace begin effectually to call vs but when the houre once commeth that God hath determined to execute the decree of our election and to call vs the first grace he worketh in vs is the Spirit of supplication as we heard before Therefore it is said in the same place Esay 65. 1. I haue beene sought of them that asked not Though we had no ability nor mind to aske grace of him before yet then he makes vs to seeke to him for it And though the Lord be of a bountifull and gracious disposition yet vseth he in spirituall things especially not to be bountifull to any but to those vnto whom he giues grace to seeke to him and is not this bounty sufficient
Gods Word Yet because many are of that mind I will in few words endeauour to shew them the danger of this ignorance 1. He that wanteth the knowledge of Gods Word can neither haue true patience nor comfort nor hope in any affliction Rom. 15. 4. Through patience and comfort of the Scripture men come to true hope Experience teacheth this that all ignorant men like to Foelix Act. 24. 25. are apt to tremble when once the conscience is awakened at the very thought of death and iudgement That made Dauid say Psal. 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law As if he should say it is a great happinesse for a man that is in affliction to haue vnderstanding and to be instructed by the Lord in the knowledge of his Word 2. He that wanteth the knowledge of Gods Word is still in the power and dominion of Sathan as is plaine by that speech of Christ vnto Paul Act. 26. 18. I send thee saith he to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan vnto God In which respect also Satan is called Eph. 6. 12. the Ruler of the darknesse of this world Satan leadeth such whither he will 2. Tim. 2. 25. 26. And as the Prouerbe is the blind swalloweth many a flie so certainly such swallow many a great sin without any scruple or remorse for it 3. He that wanteth the knowledge of Gods Word can neuer go to heauen but must needs perish eternally God brings all to heauen by knowledge he wil haue all men to be saued saith the Apostle 1. Tim. 2. 4. and to come vnto the knowledge of the truth God hath said none that want knowledge shall come there My people perish for want of knowledge saith the Lord Hos. 4. 6. Yea God hath sworne it They haue not knowne my wayes saith the Lord Psal. 95. 10. 11. Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest But because men haue many figge-leaues to couer their shame in this point and many conceits whereby they blesse themselues against all that may be said against them for their ignorance I will shew you how the Holy Ghost in the Word driues them by all their shifts and thrusts them out of their starting holes 1. One blesseth himselfe in this that though he haue no Scripture-learning yet he is iust in all his dealings with men and leadeth as honest and vnblameable a life as the best Yea but the Scripture saith thou must ioyne to thy vertue knowledge or it is nothing worth 2. Pet. 1. 5. 2. Another in this that he hath more then so he hath not onely ciuill honesty to commend him to men but he vseth also to pray and shew deuotion toward God yea but the Scripture saith thy prayer can doe thee no good while thou art void of the desire of knowledge it is but the sacrifice of fooles Eccl 5. 1. Pro. 28. 9. He that turneth away his eare from hearing the law euen his prayer shall be abominable 3. Another in this that he thanks God he hath a good mind a good meaning and intent to please God as good and as vpright an heart toward God as the best but the Scripture saith the man that wants knowledge cannot haue a good mind nor a good meaning Pro. 19. 2. Without knowledge the mind is not good The Scripture teacheth vs that vprightnesse of heart and knowledge are inseparable there can be no vprightnesse of heart where there is no knowledge their good meanings and intentions will not bring any to heauen The true Religion and way to heauen is called the way of vnderstanding Pro. 96. 4. Another blesseth himselfe in this that yet this is his comfort that Christ died for sinners and he trusts to be saued by Christ though he care not for the meanes of knowledge he saith with them 1. Cor. 1. 12. I am neither of Paul nor Apollo nor Cephas I depend not on nor care for any Ministery I am of Christ. But the Scripture saith that no man can say that he is in Christ till he haue knowledge Ioh. 12. 46. I am come a light into the world that whosoeuer belieueth in me should not abide in darknesse No man can be iustified by Christ or obtaine any benefit by him that is void of knowledge By his knowledge shall my righteous seruant iustifie many saith the Lord Esa. 53. 11. 5. Another ignorant man comforteth himselfe in this that yet God is mercifull and he trusteth to be saued through Gods mercy But the Scripture saith none shall haue benefit by Gods mercy that is void of knowledge Oh continue thy louing kindnesse to them that know thee saith Dauid Psal. 36. 10. Esa. 27. 11. It is a people of no vnderstanding therefore he that made them will not haue mercy on them 6. Another in this that he hopes God will not looke that he should haue this knowledge of the Scripture for he through his education and age is vnlearned and simple and vnable to learne But the Scripture saith He that is skilfull and wise enough in the things of this life and can vnderstand and beare away other things as ballads and foolish songs and yet is too weakeheaded to conceiue in any measure of the Word of God shall neuer be excused by his simplicity before God He that is wise to do euill but to do good hath no knowledge as the Lord complaineth Ier. 4. 22. Yea how simple soeuer thou art if thou hadst the feare of God and an honest heart thou mightest attaine to the knowledge of the Word for in this very point the Scripture hath an excellency aboue all other learning Pro. 1. 4. Psal. 119. 130. It giues vnderstanding to the simple If this beso how miserable is the state of the most of the people in all places of the land Surely such as if we had the same mind in vs that was in Christ it would make our bowels to yearne within vs as his did Mat. 9. 36. For first they are extremely ignorant and it may be said of them as Acts 17. 23. They worship an vnknowne God they worship the true God ignorantly Examine them and aske whether they know themselues to be sinners they will answer in generall it may be all men are sinners But try them in particular and you shall find that they know not what sinne is they know not any commandement which they haue broken Ask them whether they be assured that they shall be saued their answer will be no none can be sure but they hope well Aske them how they hope to be saued some will answer by their good deeds others by Gods mercy Tell them that God is iust as well as mercifull and aske them how they hope to haue his iustice satisfied their answer will be they cannot tell they are not learned Aske them what Christ is their answer will be a man I trow if
gifts of God as accompany an effectuall calling are without repentance Euery good and perfect gift saith the Apostle I am 1. 17. and what he meanes by the perfect gift hee expounds verse 18. viz. the grace of regeneration is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights in whom is no variablenesse neither shadâ—…w of changing Though wee be wonderfully vnconstant and changeable yet is there not so much as a shadow of changeablenesse in the Lord in this case Insomuch as we may conclude this first reason with the words of the Psalmist in Psalme 118. 2 3 4. Let Israel now say that his mercy endureth for euer Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endureth for euer Let them now that feare the Lord say that his mercy endureth for euer 2. The power that is in God to performe what hee hath promised 1. Peter 1. 5. Wee are kept by the power of God through faith vnto saluation And this reason our Sauiour giueth in Iohn 10. 28. They shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of my hands verse 29. My Father which gaue them me is greater then all and no man is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hands For any strength that is in vs alas we might fall quite away euery day considering the temptations that wee are subiect to but this power of God is that that keepes vs from falling irrecouerably Psal. 37. 24. Though hee fall hee shall not bee cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand Wee our selues are apt enough alas to lose that grace wee haue receiued but the power of God preserueth vs and the weaker we are the more is Gods power glorified in preseruing vs. To which purpose that may bee applyed 2. Cor. 4. 7. But wee haue this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may bee of God and not of vs and 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakenesse 3. The prayer and continuall intercession that Christ maketh for vs. For as he prayed for Peter and that was the cause why he though he fell grieuously yet he lost not all grace Luke 22. 31 32. so he hath prayed for all the faithfull Iohn 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word And this is a principall part of the prayer that he made for them verse 11. Keepe them in thy name euen them whom thou hast giuen mee verse 15. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world but that thou keepe them from euill And this intercession is continuall Heb. 7. 28. Hee is able perfectly to saue such as come to God by him seeing he euer liueth to make intercession for them And these are the Reasons why though we fall we cannot loose quite that grace that we haue receiued The Vse that this Doctrine serueth vnto is 1. To worke in vs a loue and desire of grace and the meanes of grace In worldly things we loue certainties and perpetuities therefore though there be more vse of ready money for the present yet men rather desire land then money Behold there is no certainty nor durablenesse in any blessing but this Our Sauiour cals all the profits of this life another mans goods because we haue no certainty but they may we know not how soone be taken from vs and bestowed on another but grace he cals our owne Luke 16. 12. Therefore nothing but grace onely can be called durable riches Prou. 8. 18. Therefore our Sauiour saith Ioh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meate which perisheth but for the meate which endureth vnto euerlasting life Indeed if it were true as the Papists and some others say that grace may be lost there were the lesse cause to desire it for what inward peace or ioy could wee haue in this case without certainety but this ministers vnspeakeable comfort to the soule that when we once know we haue grace we may be sure we shall neuer loose it And as I said this should make vs in loue with grace so should it with the meanes of grace euen the ministery of the Word which is called the ministration of the spirit 2. Cor. 3. 8. We reade of the foolish Virgins when they came to their fellowes to aske some oyle they receiued this answer Matth. 25. 9. Goe yee to them that sell and buy for your selues Behold we are they that fell this oyle there is no man here so void of grace but may conceiue assured hope to obtaine it if he can submit himselfe as he ought to the meanes of grace Esay 55. 3. Heare and your soules shall liue And therefore if God shall begin now or at any time to touch and draw thine heart struggle not against this worke of his as many doe Heb. 3. 7 8. To day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation in the day of temptation in the wildernesse Stand not our against God but yeeld thy selfe and say to him as Cant. 1. 4. Draw me and we will runne after thee 2. To exhort euery man to try the good things that are in him whether they be of nature or grace This duty we are oft exhorted to 2. Cor. 13. 5. examine your selues saith he whether ye be in the faith proue your selues especially when we are to renew our Couenant with God in the Sacrament 1. Cor. 11. 29. To perswade thee to this duty Consider 1. There may be good things in a naturall man Say not with thy selfe I haue some good things in me and therefore I haue the Spirit of God because the Scripture saith of them that are meere naturall men that of them there is not one that doth good no not one Rom. 3. 12. that we are not sufficient of our selues to thinke a good thought 2. Cor. 3. 5. And the Apostle saith of himselfe that he knew that in him that is in his flesh in his vnregeneratc part and so farre forth as he was a naturall man there dwelleth no good thing Rom. 7. 18. Deceiue not thy selfe by the mis-vnderstanding of these places For though it be true that no naturall man can doe any thing that is truely good pleasing vnto God a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit saith our Sauiour Matth. 7. 18. yet may there be in a meere naturall and carnall man such things as are naturally and in themselues good things and commanded of God I tell thee there may be good things in a naturall man who besides the corruption of nature hath also some remnants of Gods Image in him Euery man that commeth into the world hath some light in him Iohn 1. 9. Euery man is made after the similitude of God Iam. 3. 9. 2. It will yeeld thee vnspeakeable comfort if thou canst finde by due triall that thou hast indeed receiued the Spirit of God Gal. 6.
by any fault he hath made himselfe worthy of punishment Deut. 25. 3. Matth. 18. 10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones but specially to the congregation of Gods people when they are assembled to serue him This reason the Apostle giues against certaine abuses in the congregation of Corinth 1. Cor. 11. 22. haue ye not houses to eate and drinke in he might haue said if he had liued amongst vs to sleepe in to talke and laugh in despise ye the Church of God 2. The presence of the holy Angels which as they haue a charge from God to minister and doe seruice to his people Heb. 1. 15. and to pitch their tents about them Psal. 34. 7. so specially at that time when they are assembled together to serue the Lord. This was figured to Gods people vnder the law The curtaines that the Tabernacle was made of were full of Cherubins Exod. 26. 1. So were the walls of Salomons Temple round about 1. King 6. 29. to typifie the presence and attendance of the holy Angels vpon the whole Church and body of Gods people for their protection and safety as at all other times and in all other places so specially in their Church assemblies This reason the Apostle giues why women should haue modest attire in the congregation 1. Cor. 11. 10. The woman ought to haue power on her head because of the Angels 3. The presence of the Lord himselfe who though he be euery where Ier. 23. 24. Doe not I fill heauen and earth saith the Lord Acts 7. 48. The most high dwelleth not in Temples made with hands yet is he in a speciall sort present in the congregation of his people as is euident by those two promises made by our blessed Sauiour Matth. 18. 20. and 28. 20. In which respect the publike worship of God is called the face and presence of God Psal. 105. 4. and 42. 2. And Cain being for his murder depriued of the benefit of Gods publike worship complaines he should now be hid from his face Gen. 4. 14. That is the reason of Dauids desire to dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life Psal. 27. 4. That I may saith he behold the beauty of the Lord. And Psal. 48. 9. We waite for thy louing kindnesse O Lord in the midst of thy Temple The place of Gods publike worship vnder the Law is called the glorious Sanctuary Psal. 26. 2. because the glory of the Lord did sensibly appeare in the Tabernacle Exod. 40. 34. and the Temple 1. King 8. 10. And the Assemblies of Gods people now may as well be called glorious because the glory of the Lord appeares also in them though not so sensibly yet no lesse comfortably and effectually as is plaine by that comparison the Apostle makes betweene that ministry and worship of God that was vnder the Law and this that is vnder the Gospell and by his preferring this for glory and excellencie far aboue the other 2. Cor. 3. 8 9. 11. Lecture the sixe and twentieth September 19. 1609. THe Vse that is to be made of this Doctrine is 1. For Exhortation 2. For reproofe 1. To exhort all men that they would learne to carrie themselues reuerently in all the parts of Gods worship and seruice specially in his publike worship And that ye may learne this the better I will giue you certaine rules out of Gods Word for your direction in this case And these rules shall be of three sorts 1. Such as belong in common to the whole worship of God 2. Such as concerne the publike worship of God in generall 3. Such as are particular and concerne the seuerall parts of that worship we doe vnto God in the publike assemblies And of those rules that are common to the whole worship of God this is the first 1. We are not bound to vse all the same gestures in Gods worship now which we reade in Scripture were of vse among Gods people but such as by which in the Countrie where wee liue men are wont to expresse their reuerence vnto their Superiours For this we finde was the rule the faithfull haue followed in all ages We reade that Ioshuah and the Elders of Israell when they had receiued the foile at the siege of Ai and came before the Arke of the Lord to pray they rent their cloathes and put dust vpon their heads Iosh. 7. 6. And Hezekiah when he came into the house of the Lord to pray at that time when Senacharib besieged Ierusalem rent his cloathes and put on sackcloth Esay 37. 1. Now none of these ceremonies and fashions were peculiar vnto Gods worship or appropriated thereunto but such as in their common vse and custome men in those times and countries did vse to expresse their griefe by For rending the cloathes and putting dust and ashes on the head we haue an example in Tamars case 2. Sam. 13. 19. and for putting on sackcloth in Benhadads seruants 1. King 20. 31. So we reade Iosh. 7. 6. that in prayer he and the Elders fell downe to the ground on their faces So did our Sauiour Matth. 26. 39. But this gesture was not peculiar to Gods seruice but such as was taken from the ciuill vse of those times and countries to expresse their reuerence to their Superiours in that manner as we see in the example of Ruth Ruth 2. 10. So their teachers were wont to sit when they taught the Scribes Matth. 23. 2. Our Sauiour Matth. 5. 1. and 13. 2. and 26. 25. Luke 5. 3. and 4. 20. Iohn 8. 2. the Apostles Acts 8. 11. vpon the same ground doubtlesse because in ciuill vse men were wont by that posture of their body to expresse that which they did in their places they did with authority and not as priuate men as appeares by that phrase so often vsed Psal. 69. 12. Pro. 28. 1. King 29. 27. 2. The second rule that concernes our reuerent behauiour in the whole worship of God is this More liberty may be taken in priuate and secret duties of Gods worship then in publike and that both in the vse of outward gestures and in forbearing the vse of them 1. Knocking of the breast â—…s Luke 18. 13. in a priuate prayer though the place were publike lifting vp the eyes and hands to heauen sighing and groaning and shedding of teares vse of the voice yea extention of it by crying and roaring may fitly be vsed in secret prayer but not so in publike because danger and appearance of hypocrisie may be in it if we vse these before others if we goe beyond the rest of the congregation therein therefore our Sauiour Matth. 6. 16 17. chargeth vs carefully to conceale from men all shewes and appearances of our priuate deuotion Therefore Nehem. 2. 4. Nehemiah prayed but vsed no gesture 2. In secret prayer we may pray in our bed lying all along and on horse back and at our tables sitting but in the congregation to do
so could not be without euill example and so offensiue and scandalous 3. The third rule is outward gestures may be omitted when we cannot vse them without euident danger of health or with such paine to the body as would distract and trouble the minde in Gods seruice For 1. God prefers mercy before sacrifice Matth. 12. 7. 2. No outward gesture can be acceptable to God when it hinders the seruice of the heart and spirit The Rules that concerne the whole publike worship of God in generall are fiue 1. The first of them is this that for the reuerence of Gods publike worship care must be had that the place where the congregation assembleth may be decent and comely True it is it is neither needfull nor fit that our temples should be either for building or furniture so glorious and rich as was that of Ierusalem Of that it was said Ier. 17. 12. A glorious high Throne from the beginning is the place of our Sanctuary For the statelinesse of that house was ceremoniall and typicall it was a type of the spirituall grace and glory of the body and kingdome of Christ Iesus as is plaine by that which we reade Iohn 1. 14. â—…6 compared with Iohn 2. 19 21. It hath beene the folly and superstition of the Papists to thinke that their temples could neuer be for their building and furniture stately and glorious enough or that the magnificence and rich ornaments of these temples doth adde any thing to the worship that is done vnto God in them When our Sauiour heard some admiring the building of the Temple and how it was garnished with goodly stones and consecrate things he reprooued their folly and said vnto them Are these the things that ye looke vpon Luk. 21. 5 6. 2. Neither is that holinesse to be ascribed or reuerence due to our Temples as there was to that Gods speciall presence was tied to that place his eye and his heart should be there continually 2. Chron. 7. 16. Of that Temple the Lord said he had hallowed it to put his Name there for euer and a speciall promise was made to the prayers made in that Temple 2. Chron. 7. 15. Mine eyes shall be open and my eares attend to the prayer made in this place Therefore Gods people esteemed that the best and fittest place euen for their priuate and secret prayers as we see in the examples both of Anna Luk. 2. 37. and of the good Publican Luk. 18. 10. And when they could not goe thither to pray yet they were wont to make their priuate prayers towards the Temple Dan. 6. 10. But we doe not finde that euer they shewed that reuerence and respect to any of their Synagogues they were not wont to go into their Synagogues to make priuate prayer Our Sauiour notes that to haue beene the fashion of hypocrites only Matth. 6. 5. Such holinesse I say is not to be ascribed neither is there such reuerence due to our Temples They are neuer a whit more holy then our houses are neither is Gods presence tied to them but to the congregation and Gods people assembled and the exercises of Religion performed in them they are neuer a whit fitter places to make our priuate prayers in then our owne houses and chambers are then when thou prayest he meanes this of priuate prayer enter into thy closet saith our Sauiour Matth 6. 6. 3. There is not that necessity of a Temple for Gods worship now as there was for the ceremoniall worship that was commanded vnder the Law for that might be performed in no other place but in the Temple Deut 12. 13 14. In so much as when the Temple was profaned by Idolatry and shut vp from Gods people as in the daies of Ahaz 2. Chron. 28. 24. So as they could not possibly come into it and for seuentie yeares together while they were in captiuitie yet durst they not presume no not in this case of necessity to doe it in any other place But the publike seruice of God now is not so tied to any Temple but that when we cannot haue Temples to doe it in it may be performed euery whit as acceptably to God and as much for the comfort of Gods people in another place Our Sauiour preached sometimes in the mountaines Mat. 5. 1. 2. Somtimes out of a ship Mar. 〈◊〉 1 2. Somtimes in priuate houses Mar. 2. 2. So did Paul Acts 28. 30 31. So for publike prayer the Godly vsed it sometimes in priuate houses Act. 1. 13 14. Somtimes by the riuers side Act. 16. 13. The Sacrament of Baptisme hath beene administred in a priuate house Act. 10. 48. and 16. 33. And the Sacrament of the Lords Supper also Act. 20. 7 8. But though all this bee so Yet euen of our Temples it may also be said 1. It is fit we should haue some places to assemble in that are set apart for this purpose And when we may haue such Gods publike worship is no where so well performed as in the Temple Therefore Christ's custome was chiefly to preach in the Synagogues and Temples Iohn 18. 20. 2. For the reuerence of Gods publike worship care should be had that the place where the congregation assembleth may be decent and comely And that there should be some outward beauty and comelinesse in those things that are vsed in Gods seruice It is noted as an argument of the holinesse of the Centurion and loue he bare to the Iewes Religion that he built them a Synagogue and at his charge prouided them a fit place to worship God in and our Sauiour when he heard it was the rather mooued to goe and helpe his seruant Luk. 7. 5 6. And our Sauiour as little as he regarded statelinesse and pompe in the whole course of his life yet he made choice of an vpper chamber that was large and trimmed and prepared to celebrate the Passouer and the Lords Supper in Marke 14. 15. The second generall rule is At our comming into the Congregation and during the whole time of our abode in the Congregation we should behaue our selues reuerently Wee may not come into this place as wee would doe into a dancing Schoole or Play-house leaping or laughing or â—…oying neither may we goe out of this place as we would doe out of such a one But in our very comming in and going out and whole outward carriage we should giue some signification of the reuerence that we beare to this place and that we doe indeed account it the House of God When God had reuealed himselfe to Iacob in Bethell and he perceiued that God was in that place and he not aware and I shewed you the last day that the Lord is in a speciall sort present in our Church-assemblies also it is said he was mooued with reuerence as the best translators reade it and said how reuerent is this place this is none other then the House of God and this is the gate of Heauen Gen. 28. 6 7. So
and praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it They had therefore vnder the Law by Gods appointment at the time of the assemblies certaine Leuites that were Porters set by the gates of the House of the Lord that none that was vncleane in any thing should enter in 2. Chron. 23. 19. And you shall see what diligence was inioyned them in their office 2. Chron. 35. 15. The Porters waited at euery gate and might not depart from their seruice And hath God lesse care of his seruice vnder the Gospell then he had vnder the Law Iohn admitted none to Baptisme but such as made profession of their repentance Matth. 3. 6. And may we admit such now for children now are admitted in their parents right as are knowne to haue begotten those children in whoredome that they bring to Baptisme and professe not repentance None that had any legall vncleannesse vpon them might eate the Passeouer Num. 9. 6. And it is said that Ezra had none to ioyne with him in the Passeouer but such only as had separated themselues from the filthinesse of the Heathen and ioyned themselues to Gods people to seeke the Lord God of Israel Ezra 6. 21. And may we admit to our Passeouer such as separate themselues from no filthines nor seeke at all to know and please the Lord Three great euills there are that come of this 1. Occasion is giuen to the weake to mislike our Religion This is one principall cause that hath made our assemblies and worship so contemptible and odious to the Brownists and caused them to separate from vs and to make so fearefull a schisme and rent in the Church I excuse them not in it I know they sin grieuously but I say in this case as our Sauiour doth Matth. 18. 7. Woe bee to the world because of offences Woe be to the Brownists that take this offence but withall I say as Christ saith there Woe be to the man by whom the offence commeth and as the Holy Ghost speaketh of the sin of Elies sonnes so speake I of the sinne of these men 1. Sam. 2. 17. The sinne of the young men was very great before the Lord for men abhord the offerings of the Lord. Did the people well to abhorre the offerings of the Lord No verily it was the peoples sinne so to do as you shall finde vers 24. But yet the sinne of Elies sonnes was very great before the Lord because they gaue the people occasion so to doe 2. The blessing we might otherwise receiue from God in our Church-assemblies is greatly hindered thereby The Lord out of the care he hath of his Vineyard hath taken order 1. That it should haue an hedge and fence about it and not lye open to euery beast that would come in 2. That the stones that might hinder the fruitfulnesse of it might be gathered out of it 3. That there should be a Watch-tower euen in the middest of it Esay 5. 2. And one chiefe cause doubtles why the Lords Vineyard among vs is no more fruitfull then it is is this that it wants this fence it lyes open the stones are not gathered out of it either we haue not any Watch-tower in the midst of it or if we haue there is no body in the Tower to watch who comes to plucke and gather who comes to spoile and deuoure the Lords grapes 3. The holy things of God are prophaned thereby The Lord complaines by his Prophet Ezek. 22. 26. That the Priests of Iudah had defiled his holy things and he was prophaned amongst them and giues this for the reason They put no difference betwixt the holy and prophane neither discerne betweene the cleane and the vncleane And the Apostle tells the Corinthians that if they did not put the incestuous person from among them but were so remisse in exercising the censures of the Church the whole Congregation would be indangered thereby 1. Cor. 5. 6. Know ye not saith he that a little leauen leaueneth the whole lumpe This is a chiefe cause of the marueilous increase of drunkenesse vncleannesse and prophanenesse in most places that infamous sinners are thus admitted to the priuiledges of the Church I say more this extreame prophanation of Gods ordinances amongst vs may giue vs all iust cause of feare that God will depriue vs of them and of this gracious liberty in his worship and seruice that we doe inioy and say of vs ere long as he said of his ancient people not long before their captiuity Ier. 11. 15 What hath my beloued to doe within mine house 2. The second sort of them that I told you were to be charged with this third and last sinne are such as ioyne with vs in Gods seruice and shew not the outward reuerence in it that becommeth them Of this sort there are very many 1. Some attend not to the worship of God that is in hand though they be present at it It is a sinne and a disorder I say not to sleepe or talke at any part of Gods seruice for they that are blind may discerne the sinne of such as doe so but euen to bee busied in any action that is otherwise good and holy if thereby we be hindered from attending to the publike worship of God The reading of our Bibles or turning to the places that are alledged if thereby we be hindered from attending is a sinne The Noble men of Thessalonica while they heard receiued the Word with all readinesse and afterward daily searched the Scriptures Acts 17. 11. To be at our priuate prayer while any publike part of Gods worship is in hand because it draweth away our minde from the publike worship which is to be preferred before the priuate is a disorder certainely and some degree of contempt done to Gods publike worship 2. Some will not vouchsafe to be bare at the reading of the Word some will be bare at the Psalmes not at the Chapters And if they could iustly pretend infirmity for it they were to be excused But they will not be bare many of them so long as the Text is in reading yea euery youth and boy in our Congregations are wont to be couered while the Word is read 3. But the chiefe abuse in this kind is the neglect of kneeling in prayer many that will kneele at their owne priuate prayers which they make at their comming into the Church can neuer be seene to kneele at the common and publike prayers 2. Many that will kneele at the Lords prayer will kneele at no other whereas though the Lords prayer be in sundry respects more excellent then any other yet there is as much reason we should kneele at any other prayer as at it For the reason of our kneeling is not the excellencie of the words that are vsed in prayer but the reuerence and duty we owe to the person we pray vnto 3. Some vse not to kneele at any prayer though they vse kneeling in a
then there can be in those that any of them shall make seuerally and apart The ioynt forces of many must needs preuaile more with God then if they were single Prayer therefore is compared to seeking and knocking Matth. 7. 7. And when many seeke a thing there is more hope of finding when many knocke at heauen gates they will be the better heard Matth. 18. 19. Verily I say vnto you that if two of you much more if many shall agree on earth vpon any thing whatsoeuer they shall desire it shall be giuen them of my Father which is in heauen See the force of publike prayer wherein many of Gods seruants do ioyne together Therefore Gods people at such times as they haue most desired to preuaile with God in prayer haue beene carefull to gather together as publike assemblies as they could possibly â—…oel 〈◊〉 15 6. vt supra pag. 125. 4. Christ hath promised to be present in a more speciall and comfortable manner in the assemblies of his people then in any of our houses or in any other place Matth. 18. 20. 28. 20. So that for the assemblies sake the seruice we doe to God in the Church is to be preferred before that we can doe in any other place not for any holinesse that is in the place it selfe And so much for the cleering of the Doctrine from the obiection that might be made against it Now I come to the confirmation of it And to this purpose we must obserue a notable difference in this case betweene the time before the death of our Sauiour Christ and that that followed Before our Sauiours death we shall read of diuers places that were holier then others 1. The whole land of Canaan because it was a type of the Church of Christ and of the kingdome of heauen was esteemed by Gods people a better and more holy place then any other in the world That among other reasons made Iacob and Ioseph to be so desirous to bee buried there Fiue things are worthy to be obserued in Iacobs desire of this He desired to be buryed in Canaan Though 1. It was a great way off 2. It could not be without great offence Of Iacob we read he calls Ioseph and chargeth him Gen. 47. 29. 31. And not contenting himselfe with that he chargeth all his sonnes with it Gen. 49. 29. 2. When immediately before his death as a matter that he had the greatest care of Gen. 47. 29. 3. In what manner exceeding affectionately and earnestly Gen. 47. 29. If I haue found grace in thy sight deale mercifully and truely with mee bury me not I pray thee in Egypt 4. He bound his good sonne Ioseph by oath to it and would not take his word Gen. 47. 29. 31. 5. When he had gotten Ioseph to sweare his heart was so comforted that hee gaue solemne thankes to God for it Genesis 47. 31. 2. In the land of Canaan some places are said to haue beene more holy then others namely such as wherein God did manifest himselfe in a speciall and sensible manner So the place where the Sonne of God appeared to Moses in the fierie bush is called holy ground Exod. 3. 5. And that wherein he appeared to Ioshua Iosh. 5. 15. And the Mount wherein he was transfigured is called by Peter The Holy Mount 1. Pet. 1. 18. But these places were no longer accounted holy then during the time of this speciall presence of the Lord in them Neither can we reade that any of Gods people did either goe on pilgrimage to those places after or gaue any religious respect vnto them 3. Ierusalem because it was the place that the Lord had chosen to put his name there was euer from the dayes of Dauid to Christs time holier then any other place of the world beside It is called the holy City Matth. 4. 5. yea euen to the very moment of Christs death it so continued notwithstanding the maruellous sins and corruptions of it it is called the holy City still Matth. 27. 53. 4. The Temple because God had hallowed it to put his name there for euer 2. Chron. 7. 16. was yet a more holy place then any other place in Ierusalem and is therefore oft called The holy Temple Psal. 5. 8. Fiue things there be that shew their Temple to haue beene a most holy place 1. Gods people were bound wheresoeuer they dwelt to resort thither at certaine times three times euery yeare all the males were bound to appeare there Exod. 23. 17. and the Eunuch you know came euen from Ethiopia to worship there Acts 8. 27. 2. Many parts of Gods worship they might performe no where but onely there thither shall yee bring all that I command you your burnt offerings and your sacrifices your tithes and the heaue offering of your hand and all the choice vowes which ye vow vnto the Lord Deut. 12. 11. 3. Those parts of Gods seruice which they might performe in other places as prayer euen priuate prayer was much better and more pleasing to God and more auaileable to their comfort there then in any other place In which respect it is called Matth. 21. 12. The house of prayer And 2. Chron. 7. 15. Mine eyes shall bee open and mine eares attentiue to the prayer made in this place Therefore Dauid desired to behold Gods power and glory as he had beheld it in the Sanctuary Psal. 63. 1 2. Therefore it is said of Anna that though through the affliction of her mind shee could not partake with her husband in the sacrifice and offerings yet shee went vp with him duly to the House of the Lord euen to make her secret prayers there 1. Samuel 1. 12. Shee continued praying before the Lord. Dauid went thither to make his priuate prayers 2. Sam. 7. 18. So did the good Publican Luke 18. 10. Yea 4. when they could not goe thither to pray yet the very looking towards the Temple made their prayer more acceptable with God according to that prayer Salomon made in the dedication of the Temple that it might be so 1. King 8. 44. 48. 5. Yea so holy was that Temple and such religious reuerence did Gods people beare vnto it that after the Caldeans had burnt it they honoured the very place where it had stood and esteemed it holier then any other This appeares by those 80. persons whom Ishmael murthered Ier. 41. 5. And by Daniels opening his windowes towards Ierusalem when he prayed Dan. 6. 10. 5. In the Temple it selfe though all the parts of it were holy yet some places in it were more holy then other some For there was a place where the people stood separated from the Priests Luke 1. 10. And this was an holy place so holy that Mar. 11. 16. Christ would not suffer any to carry any vessell through it And there was a place where the Priests executed their Ministry which was holier then that that the people stood in and is therefore called the holy place Leuit.
all the Prophets and of Christ himselfe shed Matth. 23. 37. 3. The reliques of Saints which they pretend doe make those places holier are notoriously knowne to be counterfeit 4. If the true bodies of the Saints were indeed there yet ought not such religious respect to be had to those places for them For for this cause the place where Moses was buried euen vnder the Law when some places were holier then other was so carefully concealed least the people of God should giue religious respect vnto it Deut. 34. 6. Yea Michael stroue and disputed with the diuell about this point Iude 9. 5. It is Iudaisme and a deniall of Christ to be come to hold that one place is holier then another as is euident by this Text. 2. The second superstition of Papists reprooued by this Doctrine is this that they put more holinesse in some places of buriall then in others For they hold that it is more beneficiall to the dead to be buried in the Church-yard then out of it and in the Church more then in the Church-yard and in the Chancell more then in the Church and neere the high Altar more then in any other place of the Chancell and that vpon this conceit that these places are consecrated and hallowed that they are holier then other places are 1. I doe not deny but a Christian may lawfully desire to be buried in the place where the rest of the faithfull are buried 2. There may be more ciuill honour done to some Christians then to others euen in the place of their buriall it was an honour lawfully done vnto Hezekiah that he was buried in the chiefest of the Sepulchers of the sonnes of Dauid 2. Chron. 32. 33. But to put any holinesse in this thing or to thinke the place where one is buried can any way tend to the benefit of the dead that is grosse superstition that is most vnlawfull 3. The third superstition condemned by this Doctrine is this that they hold priuat prayer made in a Church more auaileable because the Church say they is a more holy place then any other Whereas it is euident by that hath beene said that our houses and chambers are in themselues as holy places as the Churches are 2. That for priuate and secret prayer they are fitter places then any Church When thou prayest enter into thy closet and when thou hast shut the dore pray to thy father which is in secret Matth. 6. 6. 4. The fourth superstition condemned by this Doctrine is that they put holinesse and Religion euen in the situation of their Temples and placing of their bodies in prayer For the Temple say they should be built towards the East and we should worship towards the East Whereas it is not religiously materiall which way our Churches stand or which way we turne our selues in prayer so our hearts be lifted vp and directed to our Father which is in heauen Yet if any part of Heauen bee more vnfit for vs to turne our faces towards in prayer then other the East is the vnfittest Because we finde Idolaters blamed for doing so Ezekiel 8. 16. Which we cannot finde noted of any other part 2. Though the matter it selfe bee of small moment yet to put holinesse in it is a great sinne as is euident by that bitter inuectiue our Sauiour maketh against the Pharisees and Iewes for the holinesse they put in washing of hands and cups and such like things Marke 7. 6. 9. The second Vse of this Doctrine is to exhort vs that sith we haue learned that this is one chiefe priuiledge we haue by Christs death that all religious difference of places is taken away and our nation now is as holy as Canaan our townes as Ierusalem our houses as the Temple we should therefore make vse of this priuiledge in seruing God not in our Temples onely but in our houses also in establishing the exercises of Religion in our families and vsing them there constantly and conscionably We reade of Abraham that wheresoeuer he pitched his tent he was wont to erect an Altar vnto God Gen. 12. 8. and 13. 18. And many Christians are said to haue had Churches in their houses Rom. 16. 5. Col. 4. 15. Philemon 2. Vnder the Law they were wont to dedicate their houses and consecrate them to God before they dwelt in them Deut. 20. 5. Psal. 30. in titulo Though this were done then with sundry ceremonies which are now abolished yet the equitie remaines and we also should dedicate our houses vnto God and that can we doe no better way then this 2. Sam. 6. 11. God blessed the house of Obed-edom while the Arke was entertained in it And how can this choose but bring a blessing from God vpon our dwellings if he were serued constantly in them Contrarily Ier. 10. 25. There is a Propheticall imprecation against those families wherein no prayer is vsed The third Vse of this Doctrine is to teach vs that such is the seuerity of God against sinne that he will not onely plague them that commit it but curse the very place where it hath beene committed Ierusalem and the House of God may be an example to all places in the world in this point For what places in the world had so many priuiledges as Ierusalem and the Temple there Of which it is said 2. Chron. 7. 16. I haue now chosen and sanctified this place that my name may bee there for euer and mine eyes and mine heart shall bee there perpetually And Lam. 4. 12. The Kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world would not haue belieued that the aduersarie and the enemie should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem and yet behold how the sinnes committed therein made it the most accursed place in the world It is a speciall blessing oft promised to the godly that their habitation and dwelling shall prosper Pro. 3. 33. That he will make the habitation of their righteousnesse prosperous Iob 8. 6. Yea that they shall know and feele that peace shall be in their Tabernacles Iob 5. 24. And about them and their houses and all that they haue God keepes such a fence as Sathan cannot hurt them Iob 1. 10. It is the protection of God alone that keepes our houses from the calamities of fire within and lightning from heauen and from the annoyance and molestation of euill spirits and other iudgements On the other side it is certaine the curse of God is vpon the habitation of the wicked Pro. 3. 33. and 14. 11. the house of the wicked shall bee ouerthrowne Sinne defiles the house where it is committed and brings Gods curse on it the houses vpon whose roofes Idolatry had beene committed shall bee set on fire saith the Lord Ier. 32. 29. The curse shall enter into the house of the thiefe and of him that sweareth falsly and it shall remaine in the midst of it and it shall consume it with the timber thereof and the
Sonne will reueale him Matth. 11. 27. And the meanes whereby Christ reuealeth and makes his Father knowne vnto vs is the Word Iohn 17. 6. I haue declared thy name to the men that thou gauest mee out of the world verse 8. For I haue giuen vnto them the Word which thou gauest mee 2. For the second branch Whatsoeuer is not done of faith that is vpon a perswasion wee please God in it is sinne Rom. 4. 23. Now faith is grounded vpon the Word And how can a man be perswaded he pleaseth God in that seruice hee doth to him vnlesse he haue his Word for it For if we follow our owne good intent while we thinke we please God we may most highly offend him the Iewes when they killed the Apostles thought they did God good seruice Ioh. 16. 2. and so did Paul when he was exceedingly mad against the faithfull and compelled them to blaspheme Acts 26. 11. and he saith that this was then the height of his zeale he persecuted the Church Phil. 3. 6. The First Vse of this Doctrine is to teach vs 1. To esteeme this a singular prerogatiue that the Lord hath not suffered vs to walke in our own wayes Acts 14. 16. But to be thankefull that we haue the Word and to make our vse of it This was the chiefe preferment of the Iew aboue the Samaritan and all others Romanes 3. 1 2. If any want this the god that they serue is not the true god but an Idoll and fancie of their owne 2. Chron. 15. 3. They worship they know not what whereas wee haue a comfortable assurance that the worship wee doe pleaseth God 2. If therefore thou desire to serue and please God let this bee thy first care to liue vnder a good Ministry and to get knowledge Israel was without the true God while it was without a teaching Priest and without the Law 2. Chron. 15. 3. all the deuotion that ignorant people vse is but the Sacrifice of fooles till they be ready to heare and willing to be instructed that way Eccles. 5. 1. Therefore also the Lord complaineth Hos. 4. 6. that there is an ignorant Priest that cannot instruct them the people perish for want of knowledge 3. Count it thy wisedome to cleaue so precisely to the Word as in the maters of Gods seruice not to doe any thing which thou canst not finde warranted by the Word Psal. 119. 31. I haue cleaued to thy testimonies O Lord confound me not 4. Conceiue no otherwise of God then he hath reuealed himselfe in his Word Now if we apply this to our selues wee shall finde that the most of our people are in no better case then the Samaritans were who worshipped they knew not what 1. Indeed we haue the whole Word of God and so had not they But is our case euer the better for that No surely it is so much the worse they wanted it we haue it and contemne it We count it no prerogatiue to haue it wee make no benefit of it wee reade it not wee seeke not the knowledge of it we care not what Ministrie wee liue vnder we count it no benefit to liue vnder an able Ministrie Heb. 2. verse 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great saluation 2. Though they doe ioyne with Gods people in his true worship yet doe they it not vpon this ground that they know by the Word God will be thus serued But the rule they follow is either first the commandemâ—…nt of men as it is said of the Pharisees Matth. 15. 9. or secondly the custome of the place where they liue as we read the Samaritans of old did 2. Kings 17. 40. or thirdly their owne good meaning contrary to that commandement seeke not after your owne heart Numb 15. verse 39. The second Vse is to iustifie our Religion against the Papists For it is euident wee may truely say to them as our Sauiour doth heere Yee worship that which yee know not wee worship that which wee know 1. It is not possible they should haue any assurance that they please God in that seruice they doe vnto him how confident soeuer they seeme to be because they doe not worship God according to his Word 2. While they thinke they worship God they worship the diuell Of them certainely that is spoken Apoc. 9. 20. And the remnant of men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the workes of their hands that they 〈◊〉 not worship diuells and Idols of gold and siluer and of brasse and of stâ—…ne and of wood which neither can see nor beare nor goe For if the Israelites in Aarons and Ieroboams time were truely said to worship diuells when they worshipped the true God vnder the similitude of a molten Image then is their worshipping of Images no better then Idolatry and worshipping of diuells notwithstanding that they say that they neither worship the Image it selfe nor any false god in or by it The worshipping of the Virgin Mary as well as the worshipping of Venuâ—… or any of the heathen gods the kneeling before the picture of God the Father or Christ crucified as well as the kneeling before Baal is a worshipping of diuells Lecture the fiue and thirtieth December 12. 1609. IN this Verse as we haue heard three things offer themselues to our 〈◊〉 1. The fault he findeth with the Samaritans worship Yee worship that whâ—…h yâ—…e know not 2. The commendation he giues to the Iewes worship wee worship that wee know 3. The reason whereby he iustifieth this commendation hee giues to the Iewes For saluation is of the Iewes It followeth now that we proceed to the two last points contained in these words Wee worship that we know for saluation is of the Iewes In which words for the helpe of our memory and vnderstanding three things are to be obserued 1. That Christ prof sieth of himselfe that he worshipped God 2. That he worshipped God as the Iewes did 3. That he affirmeth saluation is of the Iewes Then the first Doctrine that we haue here to learne is this That our Sauiour himselfe though he were the Sonne of God did vse when he was here on earth to serue and worship God 1. He was wont diligently to frequent the place of publike prayer Luke 4. 16. Hee went into thâ—… Synagogue on the Sabbath day as his custome was 2. Hee was wont to vse prayer in his owne family Luke 9. 18. As hee was alone praying his Disciples were with him 3. He was wont alwayes at his meales to giue thankes and pray to God for his blessing vpon the creatures and that not onely when he was to worke a miracle Matth 14. 19. Hee 〈◊〉 vp to heauen and blessed the food that was prepared that is gaue thankes and prayed but ordinarily Luke 24. 30. As hee sate at table hee tooke the bread and gaue thankes 4. Besides all these kinds of prayer he was wont to pray in secret
heart and could haue wisht that himselfe bad beene accursed from Christ for restoring of them into Gods fauour See what affection Christ did beare vnto them Luke 19. 41 42. he wept and expressed exceeding compassion towards Ierusalem 2. For their Ancestours sakes the most honourable Nation vnder heauen they haue beene Christ himselfe was a Iew. No nation is able to deriue their pedigree nor bring so Authenticall Records for it as they See how Paul euen before the Corinthians that were Gentiles glorieth in this 2. Cor. 11. 22. Are they Hebrewes so am I are they Israelites so am I are they the seede of Abraham so am I This reason the Apostle giues for the affection he bare to them Rom. 9. 5. For if such respect was had to Iezabel because she was a Kings daughter though otherwise she had beene a wicked woman 2. King 9. verse 34. How much more respect deserueth this Nation euen for this 3. The promise we haue heard God hath made vnto that Nation that he will call them and make them his people againe should prouoke vs to pray for them See the force of this reason 2 Sam. 7. 27. For thou O Lord of hostes God of Israel hast reuealed to thy seruant saying I will build thee an house therefore hath thy seruant found in his heart to pray this prayer vnto thee 4. The glory that shall redound to God by their conuersion For then shall he be more purely worshipped then he is hitherto by all his Elect throughout the world 5. The good that we our selues haue receiued from them For they before the time of our calling prayed for vs and earnestly desired our conuersion as appeares We haue a little sister and she hath no breasts what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for Cant. 8. 8. and by sundry Psalmes Psal. 87. And from them we receiued the Gospell and worship of God in which respect also we may be called their debters as Rom. 15. 27. To comfort such as haue at any time had good euidence of Gods loue to them in Christ. For such may by this example be assured that though they haue iustly deserued he should cast them off and though through the tokens of Gods anger that are vpon them either inwardly or outwardly their owne reason and sense may perswade them he hath cast them off indeed yet whom he hath once loued in Christ and receiued into his couenant and called effectually to be his people and giuen his Spirit vnto them he will loue to the end and can neuer cast them off Ier. 31. 3. I haue loued thee with an euerlasting loue therefore with louing kindnesse haue I drawne thee And Iohn 13. 1. whom Christ loueth he loueth to the end And Rom. 11. 29. the gifts and calling of God are without repentance Let vs therefore giue all diligence to make our calling and election sure and seeke good euidence to our selues that God loueth vs in Christ 2. Pet. 1. 10. There is no certainety in the loue of any mortall creature which yet thou so much dotest vpon but the loue of God is certaine and vnchangeable For the comfort of Christian parents Many are the priuiledges which the Lord hath vouchsafed vnto our children but this is the chiefe that if we know our selues to be the children of God we may be assured that some of our posterity shall be so likewise So that this may quiet and secure our hearts though we haue many children and little to leaue them not only in the whole course of our liues but euen in the houre of death If 1. Wee haue good assurance that ourselues are within Gods Couenant 2. That we haue done our endeauour to bring vp our children in Gods feare and to make them his children THE NINE AND THIRTIETH LECTVRE ON IANVARY XXIII MDCIX IOH. IIII. XXIII XXIIII But the houre commeth and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth WE haue already heard that the answer our Sauiour maketh to the question which the woman of Samaria mooued vnto him consisteth of two parts 1. A commendation of that outward worship the Iewes vsed in comparison of that of the Samaritans 2. A discommendation of that outward worship of God which the Iewes vsed in comparison of that which God would shortly establish in his Church The former part of this answer is set downe in the 22. verse which we finished the last day The latter part of his answer is contained in these words which I haue now read vnto you The summe and effect of this part of his answer is this That though the worship which the Iewes then did to God were farre better then that of the Samaritans yet this ceremoniall worship which the Iewes vsed though it were commanded of God himselfe was not so much to be esteemed as she conceiued but should shortly be abolished and in stead thereof another forme of Gods worship should be established which should not consist in ceremonies and shadowes which suited best mans carnall and corrupt nature but should be spirituall as best agreeing to the nature of God and haue in it the truth and substance of all that which was figured and shadowed in those ceremonies The parts of this Text are two 1. A proposition or Doctrine concerning the true worship that Christians are to giue vnto God Now the true worshippers shall worship the father in spirit and in truth which is repeated with some increase they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth 2. The Reasons of this doctrine and Proposition and they are two 1. Because the Father euen seeketh or desireth to haue such worshippers 2. Because God is a Spirit and must therefore haue such worship and seruice done vnto him as is suitable to his nature The Proposition or Doctrine is inlarged or set forth by two circumstances 1. The Person to whom this spirituall worship is to be giuen the Father 2. The time when this spirituall worship shall be giuen vnto him the houre commeth and now is First then it is here to bee obserued that our Sauiour speaking of the worship that Christians should giue vnto God which should be farre better then that which the Iewes then vsed calls God to whom this worship was to be done the Father and that so oft euen three seuerall times once verse 21. and twise in this verse What should bee the reason of this Surely our Sauiour doth hereby intimate one chiefe cause why the Christians vnder the Gospell should doe God better seruice then the Iewes had done vnder the Law because they shall conceiue of God as of their Father True it is the Lord was a Father to his people vnder the Law and so they conceiued of him but the Lord hath reuealed
of righteousnesse it was fit that at his rising all those mists and shadowes should vanish away It was fit that God should honour and solemnize the marriage of his Sonne with his Church and his triumph ouer Sathan c. by bestowing his gifts and graces more aboundantly vpon men then hee had done before To this the Apostle hath respect when he saith Ephesians 4. 8. When hee ascended vp on high hee lead captiuity captiue and gaue gifts to men Lecture the one and fortieth February 13. 1609. IOHN IIII. XXIII WEe haue already heard that these II. Verses consist of a Doctrine and of two reasons that are vsed to confirme it The Doctrine is this that they onely worship God aright specially now vnder the Gospell as worship him not with a ceremonious worship but in spirit and truth The Doctrine we finished the last day it remaineth now that we proceed to the Reasons that our Sauiour giueth here to proue that they that should now worship God with a ceremonious worship as the Iewes had done hitherto should not worship him aright but they onely that worship him in spirit and in truth The 1. Reason is in these words for the Father requireth euen such to worship him or the Father euen seeketh and desireth such worshippers The force of this reason stands in three points 1. That worship onely is to be giuen to God not which pleaseth and seemeth best to vs but which himselfe requireth and delighteth in It is no better then Idolatry and spirituall whoredome for vs to follow our owne heart and good meaning in this case Num. 15. 39. Yea a man shall highly prouoke God if he doe him any seruice that he requireth not Nadab and Abihu were destroyed with fire from heauen for offering incense with fire that he had not commanded them to vse Leuit. 10. 3. yea the care of a Christian must be not onely to doe God that seruice that he requires but to doe it also in that manner as he may please God in doing it or else he doth but loose his labour Dauid was exceeding carefull of this in all his prayers Psal. 19. 14. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight And he professeth that if God when he prayed did not answer him that is giue him some comfortable assurance that he accepted and tooke his prayer in good part it would be euen a death to him Psal. 28. 1. Bee not deafe to me least if thou answer me not I bee like to them that goe downe to the pit And this should bee euery Christians care Heb. 12. 28. Let vs haue grace to serue him so as wee may please him 2. The Lord seekes and desires to haue such to serue him as worship him in spirit and in truth he euen seekes such worshippers yea he is greatly delighted with such a worship A strange thing it is that God should seeke or desire this at our hands that we should worship him For he hath no need of our seruice neither can he receiue any benefit at all by any worship we doe vnto him If we pray constantly in secret and constantly frequent the publike assemblies the benefit is wholly our owne Pro. 9. 12. If thou be wise thou shalt bee wise for thy selfe what shall the Lord gaine by it Iob 37. 5. If thou be righteous what giuest thou to him or what receiueth he at thy hand Nay the best seruice we can doe is so weakely and vnto wardly done as it is a wonder that God abhorres it not Esay 64. 6. All our righteousnesse is as filthy clouts Insomuch as the best of Gods seruants seldome please themselues in any seruice they doe vnto him but see cause of shame in the very best actions and seruices they haue done vnto him Nehe. 13. 2. Pardon me O my God according to thy great mercy Why what had he done that he craues pardon for Surely he had done an excellent peece of seruice vnto God he had shewed a marueilous zeale for the sanctifying of the Sabbath but he knew that good seruice of his was so imperfect so full of staines that he had need of pardon And yet such is the wonderfull goodnesse of God to them whom he loues in Christ such is the delight that he takes in his owne graces in the fruits of his owne spirit that as if hee should receiue some great benefit by it he seekes to vs and desires vs to serue him Call vpon me in the day of trouble Psal. 50. 15. seeke aske knocke that is pray earnestly and importunately Matth. 7 7 pray without ceasing 1. Thess. 5. 17. ye he professeth that he takes marueilous delight in our poore seruices we do vnto him This is plainely prooued by that speech the Lord vseth to his Church which is the company of all the faithfull Cant. 2. 14. My doue that art in the holes of the rocke in the secret places of the staires that is whose state is most stable and sure and against whom the gates of hell shall neuer be able to preuaile shew me thy sight let me see thee often come often vnto me let me heare thy voice pray often to me And marke the reason why he sues thus to his Church For thy voice is sweet and thy sight comely As if he should say howsoeuer thou thinkest of thy selfe whatsoeuer thou iudgest of thine owne prayers I assure thee that in my eare there is no musicke to that in mine eye there is no person in the world so well fauoured as thou art That euen as the affection that is in vs that are parents towards our little children when they begin to speake makes vs delight to heare them prattle though to another that hath not that affection it be very troublesome and though in anothers eye they seeme hard fauoured yet this fatherly affection makes vs thinke them to be very pretty and well fauoured children so is it with the Lord our God the fatherly affection he beares to vs in Christ makes him desirous to haue vs come oft to him to pray and worship him oft and to delight so much in our poore prayers though in themselues they be not worthy to be delighted in The Father seekes such worshippers Apoc. 5 8. The hearts of all the faithfull are compared to golden Viols full of odors What were those odors The prayers of the Saints of these true worshippers that worship in spirit and truth Why are the prayers of the godly called odors 1. In respect of the godly themselues because for the most part they yeeld a sweet sauour and vnspeakeable comfort vnto their owne hearts Iohn 16. 24. Aske that your ioy may be full But 2. Chiefly in respect of the Lord for the faithfull themselues sometimes feele no sweetnesse in their prayers but to the Lord their prayers are euen as the sweetest odors euen such prayers as themselues feele small sweetnesse or delight in are most pleasant
and delightsome to the Lord. Hezechia felt small sweetnesse in that prayer he made when in his sicknesse he turned his face to the wall and wept sore when his heart was so oppressed with griefe that he could not speake but in his prayer chattered like a swallow and mourned like a doue Esay 38. 14. But the Lord tooke great complacencie and delight in it as may appeare by the reward he gaue him for it presently for before the Prophet Esay whose message from the Lord you know had beene the occasion of that good Kings heauinesse was gone out into the middle of the Court the Lord bad him turne againe with a quite contrary message and tell Hezechia that he had heard his prayer euen that vncomfortable prayer and seene his teares and healed him so as within three daies he should be able to goe vp into the house of the Lord yea that he would also adde vnto his daies 15. yeares 2. King 20. 4 5. Dauid felt small sweetnesse in the prayer he made at that time when he said in his hast he was but a cast-away but euen that prayer was a sweet odour vnto God as appeares by the comfortable answer he receiued from God euen at that time Psal. 31. 2â—… Though I said in my hast I am cast out of thy sight yet thou heardest the voice of my prayer when I cryed vnto thee Will God so farre foorth respect the prayers that his poore seruants make vnto him in spirit and in truth euen when their hearts are so oppressed with griefe that they cannot pray with any cheerefullnesse yea then when in affliction of mind they haue so farre forth yeelded to their infidelity as that they doubt they are no better then Hypocrites and Reprobates that he desires euen then such prayers he would haue them euen when they are in that case to pray to him yea he delights and takes pleasure euen in such prayers Then is this most true which our Sauiour here teacheth vs that the Father euen seekes and desires such worshippers as can worship him in spirit and in truth though they doe it weakely and vnperfectly 3. Yet will the force of this reason the better appeare if we consider the third point Viz. How the Lord stands affected to that worship which hypocrites doe vnto him that worship him onely in ceremony not in spirit and in truth 1. He regards not such seruice men doe to him nor takes any pleasure in it Esay 〈◊〉 What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices as if he should say what care I for them Gen. 4 5. Vnto Cain and to his offering the Lord had no respect No not when they pray to him with most deuotion and earnestnesse as in their extreame affliction yet the Lord regards it not no more then you regard the roaring of the Beare or Bull when they are baited This the Hypocrites complaine of Wherefore haue we fasted and thou seest not Wherefore haue wee afflicted our soule and thou takest no knowledge Esay 58. 3. And thus the Lord threatneth Pro. 1. 26 27. 28. I also will laugh at your calamity I will mocke when your feare commeth when your feare commeth as desolation and your destruction commeth as a whirle-wind when distresse and anguish commeth vpon you then shall they call vpon me but I will not answer they shall seeke me early but they shall not finde me Though such a man doe the very same seruice vnto God that the Lord hath in his Word commanded though he say good prayers heare the Word sincerely taught receiue the Sacraments sincerely administred he doth but loose his labour he hath done a thankelesse office because God desireth no such matter at their hands Psal. 50. 16. Unto the wicked God saith What cause hast thou to doe to declare my statutes or that thou shouldest take my Couenant in thy mouth As if he should say What hast thou to doe to serue God Therefore it is added in that place of Esay 1. 12. Who required this at your hands to tread in my Courts As if he should say fitter for you to be in your shops or in the ale-house or any where else then here Psal. 118. 20. This is the gate of the Lord the righteous shall enter into it Many others come in that are not righteous nor haue so much as a desire to be godly or purpose to leaue their sinnes but hate them that are godly with all their hearts but alas the Lord takes no pleasure to see such here but askes them who gaue them authority to come hither It is not so dangerous a presumption I assure you for a Rogue that hath the plague running on him to presse into the Kings priuie Chamber and there to offer to waite at his Table as for the drunkard and whoremonger and swearer and hater of godlinesse to come into Gods House or to take vpon him to doe God any seruice Marke how the Lord casts this in the teeth of vngodly men Ier. 7. 9 10 11. Will you steale and commit adultery and sweare and come and stand before mee in this house whereupon my name is called Is this house become a den of theeues or a receptacle for whores and adulterers for swearers and drunkards behold euen I see it saith the Lord. 2. He desires not their seruice but reiects it Esay 1. 11. I desire not the blood of bullocks nor of lambs nor of goates No Did not the Lord himselfe require and command these sacrifices yes to his people the true worshippers he did but not to the hypocrite and wicked man 3. He abhorres the best seruice they can doe to him and detests them euen for praying to him and taking vpon them to doe him seruice Esay 1. 13. Incense is an abomination to mee I cannot suffer your new Moones nor Sabbaths my soule hateth your new Moones they are a burden to mee I am weary to beare them It is a thing the Lord abhorres and hates to see a wicked man vse prayer frequent the Church-assemblies A strange and fearefull yet a most true saying marke vpon what warrant I speake it Pro. 21. 27. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination how much more when hee brings it with a wicked heart As if he should say Though he doe not meane ill in it but haue a good meaning in it to serue God yet is it an abomination to the Lord. If any shall say this is strange Doctrine if we be neuer so bad would you not haue vs come to Church would you not haue vs pray and serue God Many a bad man hath receiued much good by comming to Church I answer 1. God indeed hath commanded all men to serue him the Morall Law was giuen to Adam and all his posterity wicked men shall be damned because they haue not vsed to pray and heare his Word yea it shall be easier in the day of iudgement for that wicked man that hath vsed to serue
God then for him that is vtterly irreligious and profane Therefore the Lord condemnes the very Atheist because he did not pray Psal. 14. 4. 2. The wicked by the seruice he doth to God doth oft obtaine freedome from temporall iudgements that otherwise would fall vpon him and gets temporall rewards 1. King 21. 29. Ahab did so 3. Many a wicked man by comming into Gods House yea euen when he hath come with a wicked intent hath beene effectually called as the vnbeleeuer that Paul speakes of 1. Cor. 14. 25 26. And those messengers that were sent to apprehend Christ Iohn 7. 46. In which three respects it may be thought good policy for the wicked man to pray and heare and serue God 4. No sinne that any man hath liued in in former time can make his prayers or seruice euer a whit the lesse acceptable to God if he doe now repent the Publican vpon his vnfained humiliation and repentance went home iustified Luke 18. 13 14. So that this Doctrine tends not to the terror and discomfite of any the most notorious sinner that is penitent but to the impenitent sinner to the man that continues in sinne it is indeed a fearefull doctrine and if it be not fearefull now being vttered by a weake man yet it will certainely be fearefull to thee when the Lord shall charge it vpon thy conscience God regards not any seruice thou doest to him nay he would not haue thee to doe him any seruice nay he abhorres whatsoeuer seruice comes from thee Lecture the two and fortieth February 20. 1609. ANd thus haue I finished the first Reason that our Sauiour here bringeth for the confirmation of this Doctrine his second Reason is this God is a Spirit Now in this second Reason we must consider first the meaning of the words then the force they haue to conclude that for which Christ alledgeth them First then we must not take these words as a perfect definition of the nature of God For that that is here spoken of God agreeth also to the Angels and to the soule of man The Angels are spirits Psal. 104. 4. He maketh thâ—… 〈◊〉 his messengers and Heb. 〈◊〉 14. Are they not all ministring spirits The soule of man also is a spirit Eccles 12. 7. The spirit shall returne to God who gaue it Aâ—…s 7. 59. Lord Iesus receiue my spirit But because of all the creatures God hath made these doe most fully and liuely resemble the diuine nature it hath pleased the Lord hauing respect therein to the weakenesse and shallownesse of our capacity to call himselfe a Spirit both here and in other places of the holy Scripture 2. Cor. 3. 17. The Lord is a Spirit Heb. 9. 14 Christs God-head is called the eternall Spirit 1. As they are immortall so the Lord is immortall yea he onely hath immortality 1. Tim. 6. 16. of himselfe 2. As they are wise and vnderstanding natures so the Lord is of himselfe infinite in wisedome In which respect he is called God onely wise 1. Tim. 1. 17. 3. As they are simple inuisible incorporeall not hauing 〈◊〉 mixture nor consisting of any corporall substance And therefore 〈◊〉 â—…oues himselfe after his Resurrection not to be a spirit by this reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Behold my hands and my feet handle mee and see for a spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…d bones as yee see me haue so is the Lord and in this respect principally is the Lord called a Spirit in this place because he is not a visible sensible corporall but a spirituall nature Now for the force that is in this reason to conclude that for which Christ bringeth it the true worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and truth not with a ceremoniall and outward worship because God is a Spirit The force I say of this reason is euident His worship must be answerable to his owne nature Such as himselfe is such must the worshippers be that he delighteth in According to the Prouerbe like will haue like like master like man Such as a mans owne disposition is such he desireth they should be that serue him Dauid had no better an argument to prooue that he did vnfainedly feare God then this that all his delight was in godly men Psal. 16. 3. Specially that his care was to seeke out such to serue him as feared God Psal. 101. 1. Mine eyes shall bee to the faithfull in the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serue mee This reason the Lord oft vseth Leuit. 19. 2. Yee shall bee holy for I the Lord your God am holy As if hee should say because you are my seruants my people you must frame your selues to my disposition and seeke to be like me The Lord therefore being a Spirit himselfe sets his eye vpon the spirit and heart of man to see how he is serued there 1. Samuel 16. 7. The Lord looketh not as a man looketh for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart His delight is to haue seruice done to him with the spirit and heart Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts saith Dauid Psalme 51. 6. Let the adorning of a Christian saith the Apostle 1. Pet. 3. 4. bee the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible euen the ornament of a meeke and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price So that he that thinketh a ceremoniall and bodily worship will content the Lord doth iudge erroniously of his nature and indeed maketh an Idol and a false God of him But it may bee obiected that there seemeth to bee no consequence in this Reason the true worshippers must now after Christs Ascention worship God in a more spirituall manner then they haue done vnder the Law because God is a Spirit for God was a Spirit then also as well as now To this I answer that it is true indeed and therefore he alwaies required to be worshipped in spirit for euen to them vnder the Law it was said Deuteronomie 10. 16. Circumcise the fore-skin of your hearts and Hosea 6. 6. I desired mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of God more then burnt offerings But as the Lord hath more cleerely reuealed himselfe now to bee a Spirit to be of a spirituall nature then he did vnder the Law so hee requireth spirituall worship of his people now more then he did vnder the Law Then God reuealed himselfe to his people in many sensible apparitions visions and voices hauing respect therein to the infirmity of his Church while she was in her child-hood We know the Lord appeared to Abraham in the body of a man and talked familiarly with him as one friend doth with another Gen. 18. 28. And in a vision to Ezekiel he appeared in the similitude of a man sitting vpon a throne Ezek. 1. 26. So with an audible and sensible voice he deliuered the Law vnto his people Deut. 5. 26.
to vse as a reason of all our petitions Matth. 6. 13. For thine is the kingdome and the power and the glory for euer And in that of the Apostle Romanes 11. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whom bee glory for euer Therefore saith he 2. Tim. 2. 20. In a great house there are not onely vessells of gold and of siluer but also of wood and of earth some to honour and some to dishonour The lewdest men are Gods vessells and such as he hath necessary vse of 2. The speciall and fatherly affection he beares to his children iâ—… Christ as there is no wise and good Father but how many how great or publike soeuer his affaires be in the midst of them all he will haue a speciall care of his own children haue them in speciall remembrance so is it with our heauenly Father the very haires of your head are numbred Mat. 10. 30. And he is the Sauiour or preseruer of all men specially of those that beleeue 1. Tim. 4. 10. The Vses of this Doctrine are of two sorts 1. More generall 2. More speciall The generall Vse is this Labour to be fully perswaded of this truth Iob 5. 27. Heare thou it and know it for thy good and to see and discerne this prouidence of God in all thy waies and in all things that haue befalne thee in the whole course of thy life in thy wealth and pouertie good and ill successes marriage children dwellings credit discredit health sickenesse life and death This is Salomons counsell Pro. 3. 6. In all thy waies acknowledge him Thus did Dauid Psal. 139. 3. Thou compassest my paths and my lying downe and art accustomed to all my waies And this will yeeld vnto a man many vnspeakeable comforts Some few of those many I will name vnto you and they shall serue for those more speciall vses I told you this Doctrine serued vnto 1. To perswade vs to the vse of prayer They that are assured God by his prouidence ordereth all things and the good successe of euery thing we take in hand depends vpon his prouidence must needs be carefull to commend the successe of euery thing they take in hand vnto God by prayer Our Sauiour teacheth vs to vse this as a reason why we begge all good things of God because his is the kingdome and the power Matth. 6. 13. When Abrahams seruant was to take a iourney he commends it to God by prayer Gen. 24. 12. When Nehemiah was to make a suit to the King his Master he commends it to God by prayer Neh. 1. 11. and 2. 4. When Christ was to feede the people he commends the creatures to Gods blessing by prayer Matth. 14. 19. Yea the Apostle saith that marriage and euery creature of God is sanctified to vs by the Word and prayer 1. Tim. 4 5. And on the contrary side the chiefe or onely cause why men neglect to pray is that men know not or beleeue not this Doctrine of Gods prouidence when Dauid had said that the foole saith in his heart there is no God Psalme 14. 1. he giue this for one reason to prooue it verse 4. they call not vpon the Lord. 2. It will free the heart from those cares wherewith it is wont to be disquieted and vexed about the successe and euent of things The time and successe of euery thing and action is appointed of God and depends wholly on his prouidence To euery thing there is a season appointed of God he meanes a time to euery purpose vnder the heauen as Salomon sheweth at large Eccles. 3. 1 8. And thereupon he inferreth verse 9. What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth seeing things doe not depend only or principally vpon the labour or endeauour of any man It is therefore a vaine thing for men to disquiet themselues with care of the successe of things a man must do his duty inioyned him of God and with a quiet and cheerefull heart commit the successe vnto him alone Many haue no heart to doe good duties God calls them vnto because they can see no likelihood of good successe many vexe themselues with care and feare of that that may fall out hereafter He that truely is perswaded of Gods prouidence is free from this care when he hath done his duty and commended the matter to God by prayer he casts his care for the successe wholly vpon God to whom onely it belongs Be carefull for nothing saith the Apostle Phil. 4. 6. but in euery thing by prayer and supplication with thankesgiuing let your request bee made knowne vnto God Cast all your care vpon him for he careth for you 1. Pet. 5. 7. This is able to free our hearts from care concerning our children euen at the houre of death hast thou laboured to bring them them vp in Gods feare giuen them good education commended them to God cast thy care then vpon him 3. It will worke patience in all afflictions I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Psal. 39. 9. See a notable example for this 2. Sam. 16. 10. Who dare then say wherefore hast thou done so See the vse Iob makes of this in affliction Iob 1. 20. 22. 1. It kept him from charging God foolishly 2. It made him rent his garment shaue his head fall downe to the ground and worship God 3. It made him giue thankes this was much but no more then his duty 1. Thes. 5. 18. In all things giue thankes He knew that sith God the ordering of it it should tend to his good in the end 2. Sam. â—…6 12. It may be the Lord will looke vpon mine affliction and doe me good for his cursing this day 4. It workes security in the heart and quietnesse from all feare of wicked men and of Sathan himselfe And it is not possible that any who considers rightly how infinite dangers his life is subiect to how many witches how many vile men there be should be without continuall feare were it not for this For what is it that preserues vs from danger surely the Lords prouidence 1. He so ouer-rules their hearts for without him neither Sathan nor wicked men can mooue in him all liue and moue and haue their being Act. 17. 28. that they haue not so much as a will or desire to practise any mischiefe against vs Exod. 34. 24. No man shall desire thy Land 2. He watcheth and keepeth vs and our houses Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleepe The Lord is thy keeper Psal. 121 4 5. He watâ—…heth vs when we are asleepe and protecteth vs from many vnknowne dangers without any care or forecast of ours when Ioseph was asleepe he admonisheth him of the danger they were in Matth. 2. 13. This is that that Iob professeth that in the daies of his youth and prosperity Gods secret for so it is in the originall was vpon his tabernacle that is
10. which on the other daies they are not 3. It is not to be denyed but some Christians may and ought to spend more time in the exercises of Religion then other some Such as are of wealth and ability to liue of themselues are more bound to frequent the publike exercises on the weeke day then poorer men Such as by their callings haue more leisure and freedome from worldly employment then such as haue more necessary and important businesse Of rich men it may be said There is a price put into their hands to get wisedome Pro. 17. 16. That maketh the Apostle speake as he doth of the priuiledge that the single person hath aboue the marryed the vnmarried man careth for the things that belong to the Lord how hee may please the Lord The vnmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord that shee may bee holy both in body and in spirit 1. Cor. 7. 32 34. and the widow also shee that is a widow indeed and desolate trusteth in God and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day 1. Tim. 5. 5. Whereas verse 14. Other women haue other imployments Such a widdow was Anna Luke 2. 37. she departed not from the Temple but serued God with fasting and prayer night and day Lecture the one and fiftieth Aprill 24. 1610. IOHN IIII. XXVIII XXIX IT followeth that we come now to shew what is to be said for the defence and encouragement of those men that not contenting themselues to serue God vpon the Sabbath do vpon the weeke daies leaue their worldly businesse and spend much time in Gods worship And that I will deliuer for the better helpe of your memory and mine owne in fiue principall and chiefe points 1. Euery Christian is bound to serue God not vpon the Sabbath onely but to spend some part of euery day in Gods worship This was signified in the Law 1. When God commanded there should be a morning and euening sacrifice offered euery day Exod. 29. 39. And the King is commanded notwithstanding all his weighty imployments to reade some part of Gods Word euery day Deut. 17. 19. and that we should pray euery day it is euident by the fourth petition of the Lords pray Therefore we reade that Gods seruants did set themselues certaine times for prayer euery day and obserued them precisely Psalme 55. 17. Dan. 6. 16. and yet both these were men that had much businesse Reasons for this are these 1. Though the Sabbath in a speciall sort be called the Lords day yet is euery day his too Psal. 74. 16. Therefore as the Apostle prooues we must glorifie and serue God with our bodies as well as our soules because they are both his 1. Cor. 6. 20. so may we prooue that God is to be serued euery day as well as on the Sabbath day because euery day is his 2. If we do not by this meanes euery day stirre vp quicken and nourish Gods grace in our selues The deceitfulnesse of sinne and Sathan and worldly occasions will by little and little harden vs and steale away our hearts from God security will creepe vpon vs before we be aware Heb. 3. â—…3 And the more dealings a man hath in the world the greater cause he hath to feare this That is the reason that is giuen why the Lord will haue the King to read euery day Deut. 17. 20. That his heart bee not lasted vp and that he turne not from the commandement 3. The little time spent in Gods seruice euery day will bring Gods blessing vpon the whole day and vpon the businesse and occasions of that day As the first fruits that Gods people gaue to him brought his blessing vpon all the rest Deut. 26. 10 11. It is that that giueth vs a sanctified vse of the day and of all the comforts of it of our owne labours and of the labours of our seruants 1. Tim. 4. 5. So that when a man shall remember how many houres in euery day he hath spent in sleeping eating drinking and sporting and how few houres yea minutes of the day he hath bestowed on the Lord and on his owne soule he shall haue cause to complaine as Iob 7. 6. My dayes are swifter then a Weauers shuttle and are spent without hope 2. It is lawfull to haue publike assemblies to keepe Lectures and Exercises not on the Sabbaths onely but on other daies also and for Gods people to frequent them This is euident in the practise and example of the Primitiue Church and of our Sauiour himselfe It is spoken to the praise of Gods people in the Primitiue Church that they continued daily with one accord in the Temple Acts 2. 46. And Luke 19. 47 Christ taught daily in the Temple and had a great audience verse 48. All the people hanged on him and 21. 37 38. In the day time he taught in the Temple and at night hee went out to the mount of Oliues and in the morning all the people came to heare him in the Temple Mar. 8. 13. We read that a very great multitude had followed him and continued with him three daies and some of them came from farre so that besides those three daies they spent some good time in comming to him and going backe If it had not beene lawfull to keepe Lectures and exercises vpon weeke dayes doubtlesse he would not so vsually and often haue preached on those dayes and if it had not beene lawfull for Gods people of all sorts to frequent them surely he would not haue suffered them to doe it he would haue reprooued them for it So that he that shall reprooue or deride or blame Gods people for this out of doubt he hath not the spirit of Christ in him 3. Though no man be so expresly and particularly commanded to goe to Sermons on the weeke day as on the Sabbath yet all that are able to doe it whose necessities will permit them are as well bound to goe to Sermons on the weeke day as on the Sabbath God requires more seruice of euery man then he hath expressely and particularly commanded Besides the sacrifices that God had expresly commanded there were free offerings vnder the Law which men of their owne voluntary will did bring vnto God Leuit. 1. 3. and 7. 16. None were expresly commanded to goe vp to Ierusalem at the three feasts but onely the males Exod. 34. 23. nor among the males any that were vnder 20. yeares of age for such onely were wont to be numbred Exod. 30. 4 and yet we finde that Elkanah was wont to take with him all his family his wiues his sonnes and daughters euery yeare to those feasts 1. Sam. 1. 4. 21. So did the blessed Virgin euery yeere keepe the Passeouer at Ierusalem with her husband And our Sauiour himselfe when he was but twelue yeares old was wont to goe with them Luke 2. 41 42. If any shall obiect and say that God alloweth no will-worship but hath straightly charged vs in his worship
haue neglected their worldly estates their profits or ease out of loue to his seruice No man shall desire thy land when thou shalt goe vp to appeare before the Lord thy God thrice in the yeare Exod. 34. 24. yet were their houses to be left very weake all that while that all the males aboue 20. yeares old were to continue at Ierusalem in those three feasts and they had many enemies in all their borders So we reade that our Sauiour did twice worke a miracle to feed them that came farre and tarryed long to heare him preach Matth. 14. 15. 21. and Mar. 8. 2 9. And no maruell for Heb. 6. 10. God is not vnrighteous to forget your worke and labour of God And what good Master would suffer his seruant to decay and grow to beggery by doing him seruice So that whosoeuer they bee that are thought by following Sermons to haue decayed their estates bee you assured that either their idlenesse and vnthriftinesse otherwayes hath decayed them or else they haue followed Sermons for some by-respects and not with vprightnesse of heart The second Vse is for reproofe 1. To discouer the vnsoundnesse of most mens hearts who make so great reckoning of earthly things and set their hearts vpon them It is euident they neuer yet found the true treasure they neuer truely tasted of heauenly comforts they affect these things so much for that they know no better This is made a note of the man that shall ascend into the hill of the Lord that he hath not lift vp his soule vnto vanity Psalme 24. 4. If any man loue the world the loue of the Father is not in him 1. Iohn 2. 15. Their end is destruction that minde earthly things Phil. 3. 19. 2. To reprooue such Christians as so ouercharge themselues with worldly businesse as they can finde no time for Gods seruice Lecture the two and fiftieth May 8. 1610. IOHN IIII. XXIX XXX THe first point wherein this Woman shewed her zealous endeauour to draw her neighbours vnto Christ we finished the last day and now we are to proceed vnto the two last viz. 1. The thing she mooued her neighbours vnto when she was come vnto them 2. The reason she vsed to persuade them to that she mooued them vnto For the first that we may vnderstand her words well and ground our Doctrine vpon them it is to be obserued 1. Though she was her selfe fully perswaded that Iesus was the Christ and did with all her heart desire that they might be also so perswaded of him yet she taketh not vpon her to teach and conuert them her selfe but seeketh onely to bring them to the same meanes whereby her selfe was conuerted 2. Though she were able by a good argument to conuince their consciences that he was the Messiah and seeketh also to doe it yet she thought not that enough she resteth not in that but would needs haue them to come to him themselues 3. She desires no more of them but that they would come and see him Why may one say what good would that doe could they know by seeing him that he was the Messiah Did she thinke that the beholding of him would suffice to bring them to faith No surely for many saw him that neuer could beleeue in him One would thinke she should rather haue said Come and heare him then come and see him for faith commeth by hearing and not by seeing Rom. 10. 17. If the hauing of Christs picture before our eyes that we may behold it when we pray had beene such a helpe to faith and deuotion as the Papists imagine out of doubt the Holy Ghost would haue so described his stature complexion and countenance in the History of the Gospell as that we might haue had some directions to make his picture by Why then desireth she no more of them but that they would come and see him I answer 1. She doubted not but if they would but come to him he would take occasion to instruct and conuert them as he had done to her selfe 2. When she biddeth them come and see shee meaneth come and prooue and make tryall whether he be not the Christ as the same phrase is vsed Psal. 34. 8. Taste ye and see how gracious the Lord is So that this is the Doctrine we are to learne from hence for our owne instruction That this is a chiefe duty whereby euery man must shew his zeale and desire of the saluation of others to draw them to the same meanes whereby themselues were conuerted to vse that credit and power they haue with them to draw them to the Ministry of the Word True it is this is not all that a priuate Christian may and must doe to procure the conuersion of others For 1. Some priuate Christians are able to teach their families and neighbours themselues and may doe great good that way and all should seeke to be able to doe this Aquila and Priscilla expounded the way of the Lord to Apollos Acts 18. 26. Euen women should be able to teach their children Pro. 1. 8. and 6. 20. and their seruants Pro. 31. 26. and their neighbours Tit. 2. 3. 2. There is great force in priuate admonition and exhortation to further the conuersion of others else our Sauiour would not haue prescribed this course for the restoring of a brother that is fallen that before we tell the Church we should deale with him priuately neither would he haue giuen hope of giuing our brother this way as he doth Mat. 18 15 16. Neither would this haue beene noted as a thing so highly pleasing vnto God and in these desperate and prophane times Gods people did vse this meanes to preserue themselues from the common contagion Mal. 3. 16. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a booke of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought vpon his name 3. A priuate Christian may greatly further the conuersion of others by his holy example Christian women may and ought so to liue as their husbands that obey not the Word may without the Word be won by the conuersation of the wiues 1. Pet. 3. 1. The like may be said of children seruants and neighbours also 4. A priuate Christian may do much for the procuring of the saluation of others by his feruent prayer vnto God for them 1. Iohn 5. 16. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne that is not vnto death let him aske and hee shall giue him life for them that sinne not vnto death When the Holy Ghost had mentioned the feruent prayer that Steuen made for his persecutors Acts 7. 60. immediately he addeth Acts 8. 1. And Saul consented to his death As if he should say Saul was one of these he prayed for and on him that prayer did light whatsoeuer it did on the rest But though a man that hath any zeale and desire of the saluation
saith he Matth. 11. 19. yea he was wont to take the benefit of Gods creatures not of such onely as serue for mans necessity but of such also as God hath giuen vs for our delight It was noted of him by his carping enemies that he was wont to drinke wine Luke 7. 34. And it is said of him twice that he suffered his feet to be annointed with very precious oyntment Luke 7. 38. and Iohn 12. 3. 5. neither refused he to goe to feasts when he was bidden no not vpon the Sabbath day Luke 14. 1. And for his Disciples we know there was offence taken at him because he did not teach them to fast Luke 5. 33. Why then doth he forbeare his meate at this time surely because he would not let slip a notable occasion and opportunity of winning soules to God which he knew was now to be offered vnto him Hee had another matter in hand which he calls his meat which he did as earnestly desire as any hungry man can desire meat and which he knew would delight refresh and comfort him as much as any meat can doe him that stands most in need of it and that was to winne and conuert soules vnto God Why but may some say he might haue eaten somewhat in the meane while in the space wherein the woman was going to fetch her neighbours and they in comming out of the City vnto him So that his eating of somewhat need haue beene no hinderance to that good worke he so much desired to do but a furtherance rather vnto it I answer it is true he might haue done so but his heart was so taken vp either in secret prayer to God for them or in meditation of that he was to teach them when they should come or with the ioyfull expectation of their comming and of the good he knew he should haue occasion to doe as it made him quite to forget all hunger and thirst Now that we may receiue our instruction from this notable example of our Sauiours zeale which is here set forth for our imitation let vs obserue these three points in it 1. That he is so carefull to take the occasion and opportunity that is here offered of inlarging his Fathers Kingdome that though he was hungry he neglects his meat for it 2. That he calls this his meate to doe the will of his Father in instructing and conuerting of men 3. That though he had time to eate without any hinderance vnto that worke yet the care he had of this businesse and ioy he conceiued in the expectation of the good hee was to doe made him forget his hunger And from hence this Doctrine will arise for our instruction That he that will be a true Disciple of Christ must be zealous in the Lords businesse zealous in seruing God and seeking to honour him It is not sufficient to a mans comfort that he hath professed the truth serued God in his calling done the duties God hath required of him vnlesse he haue done it with a zealous heart and earnest affection This is required of vs that would approoue our selues to God in preaching of his Word Apollos is commended for this Acts 18. 25. that being feruent in the spirit hee taught diligently the things of the Lord This is required in them that heare the Word Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burne within vs when hee opened to vs the Scriptures This is required of them that would pray with comfort Iames 5. 16. The effectuall feruent prayer of a righteous man auaileth much This is required in euery part of that seruice that we doe vnto God we must be Rom. 12. 11. Feruent in spirit seruing the Lord. Yea this is in generall required of vs in our whole profession and practise of Religion Tit. 2. 14 Christ gaue himselfe for vs to purifie to himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Therefore it is noted to the praise of Iehosaphat that hee lift vp his heart to the waies of the Lord 2. Chron. 17. 6. And of Hezechia it is said that in all the workes he began for the seruice of the house of God to seeke his god hee did it with all his heart and prospered 2. Chron. 31. 31. And of Iosiah that he turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his might 2. King 23. 25. They maintained and held out the profession and practise of Gods pure Religion with great zeale and earnestnesse of affection The Reasons and grounds of the Doctrine are principally three 1. Euery one that lookes to be saued by Christ must be a follower of Christ He that saith he abideth in him saith the Apostle 1. Iohn 2. 6. must himselfe walke also euen as he walked The best euidence that we can haue that we remaine in him is when we are conformed vnto his example and by his spirit made like vnto him 2. The Lord cannot abide such as serue him without zeale This is plaine by that speech of Christ to the Laodiceans Reu. 3. 16. 1. He professeth that he liketh not so ill of him that is cold that is an Idolater or a worldling a man of no Religion as he doth of the Christian that is lukewarme 2. That he will spue such a one out of his mouth yea he threatneth the Church of Ephesus that because she had lost her first loue her zeale that once she had he would come against her shortly and remooue her candlesticke if she did not repent and amend this fault Reu. 2. 5. 3. The Spirit of God is said to be like vnto fire in all them that haue receiued it and from thence comes that speech quench not the spirit 1. Thess. 5. 19. And all that are regenerated by the Spirit of Christ are said to be baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3. 11. and where fire is there must needes be some heate The Vse of this Doctrine is 1. To conuince a great error in iudgement that is common in the world We see this is held as a perfect definition of a good Protestant that he is a man found in iudgement and in the knowledge of the truth but not forward nor zealous either in the profession or practise of it yea it is counted the wisedome of a Christian and euen of a Minister too to be a moderate man in Religion not forward nor hot nor zealous in it Whereas we haue heard that such as are regenerate and haue Gods Spirit cannot be without this heate and zeale 2. That in Gods account neither Papist nor Turke is in so bad an estate in some respect as the Gospeller is that is void of zeale 3. That God hath threatned to depriue them of the Gospell that professe it without zealous loue vnto it 2. To exhort vs to examine our selues well whether there be any true zeale in vs yea or no that if we want it we may be humbled and seeke
that his mercy endureth for euer 2. We are weake and vnable to resist the least tentation much lesse those mighty enemies that we haue to encounter with and therefore Christ bids vs Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation We might for any strength that is in vs fall quite away from God euery day But the Lord our God is strong and of power sufficient to keepe that that is committed vnto him 2. Tim. 1. 12. I suffer and am not ashamed for I know in whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that that I haue committed vnto him vntill that day Wee are kept saith Peter 1. Pet. 1. 5. by the power of God through Faith vnto Saluation This reason our Sauiour giues for the perseuerance of the faithfull Iohn 10. 28 29. They shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of mine hand my Father which gaue them mee is greater than all and none is able to plucke them out of my Fathers hand This is that that keepes the Faithfull from falling irrecouerably Psal. 37. 24. Though he fall hee shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth vnder his hand 3. We do enough euery day to deserue that God should take his holy spirit from vs and cast vs off for euer But though we deserue no better Christ hath deserued that God should continue his grace and fauour towards vs vnto the end and this is that that is sealed and confirmed to vs in the Lords Supper yea he continually pleades this merit of his for vs before his Father and makes intercession for vs. The cause why Peter though he fell fearefully yet could not fall totally nor finally was that Prayer that Christ made for him Luke 22. 31 32. Now looke what prayer Christ made for Peter he made for all the faithfull as is plaine Iohn 17. 20. neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall beleeue on me through their word And this is a chiefe part of that prayer he makes for them verse 11. Holy Father keepe them in thy Name euen them that thou hast giuen me and verse 15. I pray not that thou wouldst take them out of the world but that thou keepe them from that euill one And that prayer was but the summe of that intercession that he makes for vs continually at the right hand of his Father Heb. 7. 25. He is able perfectly to saue such as come to God by him seeing hee euer liueth to make intercession for them And therefore to conclude seeing the Faithfull haue such a rocke to build their assurance vpon what maruell is it though they be so fully assured and vndoubtedly perswaded of their saluation Lecture the seuentie fiue December 11. 1610. IOHN IIII. XLII IT followeth now that we proceede to the Vse that is to be made of the former Doctrine for it is certainely a Doctrine of great vse And in teaching you the vse of this Doctrine I might first apply it to the confutation of the Papists who directly contradict this Doctrine which hath beene so clearely and euidently confirmed vnto you by the holy Scriptures But that I hold not to be so needefull or profitable in this place specially because in confuting the errour of the Papists in this point I should but repeate what I haue already taught in the confirmation of the Doctrine I will therefore make but three Vses of this Doctrine whereof the first shall be for Exhortation the second for Reproofe the third for Comfort First if a man may in this life grow so certainely and vndoubtedly assured of Gods fauour and of his eternall saluation we are all to bee exhorted by all meanes to seeke for this certainetie 1. Many thinke they haue faith that yet are not nor euer were certaine of their saluation haue no assurance from God what hee meanes to doe with them what shall become of them after this life but goe blundring on in an vncertaine opinion or wauering hope of Gods fauour and rest in that neuer seeking for any certainety 2. Some that are possessed with the spirit of bondage and often vexed with terrible doubts and feares about this matter yet will neuer set their hearts to seeke for this certainety 3. Some that haue felt in themselues this comfortable assurance and now through their folly haue lost it yet seeke not to recouer it as if it were a matter of no worth Well we are I say to be exhorted to vse all good meanes to be deliuered from the spirit of bondage and not to rest in an vncertaine opinion or wauering hope but to seeke to haue this assurance if we haue lost it labour to recouer it if we haue it take heed we lose it not Cause not the light of his countenance to fall as Iob speakes of himselfe in another case Iob 29. 24. Heb. 10. 35. Cast not away your confidence This is the exhortation of the Apostle 2. Pet. 1. 10. Giue diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee do these things yee shall neuer be moued As if he should say This certainety may be attained vnto if ye be diligent If we hold any land or lease we will spare no paines nor cost to make it as sure as we can specially if we haue euer an aduersary that contends with vs about it how much more doth it stand vs vpon to make this certaine This is a matter we can neuer make too sure Paul prayeth for all the faithfull Col. 2. 2. That their hearts may be comforted in all riches of the full assurance of vnderstanding And Verse 7. That they may bee rooted and built in Christ and stablished in the Faith abounding therein with thankesgiuing And for the Ephesians he prayeth Ephes. 3. 17 18 19. That being rooted and grounded in the assurance of Gods loue they might be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the loue of Christ which passeth all knowledge that they might bee filled with all fulnesse of God Mee thinkes I should not neede to vse reasons to perswade and moue you to seeke for this assurance yet because we haue all so great neede to be stirred vpto this duty I will giue you a few First it would free the heart from all slauish feare that vexeth and disquieteth it and worke a maruellous quietnesse and holy security in it Psalme 46. 1 2 3. God is our hope and strength therefore will we not feare though the earth be moued though the mountaines fall into the midst of the sea c. Rom. 8. 31. If God be on our side who can be against vs And without this we can haue no true quietnesse of minde specially in the time of extreme danger Secondly it would make our hearts maruellously comfortable and chearefull in euery estate 1. Pet. 1. 8. You beleeue and reioyce with ioy vnspeakeable In prosperity it would
Nicodemus was drawne to belieue that he was come from God because of the miracles that he had done Ioh. 3. 2. And here we see the fruit and vse of those miracles they that saw them were made willing to receiue and heare him The Doctrine then is this That the chiefe end of all true miracles hath been to gaine credit and estimation to the Doctrine and Word of God This is euident in the miracles of the Prophets when Eliah had restored the child of the widow of Sarepta she said vnto him 1. Reg. 17. 22. Now I know that thou art a man of God and that the Word of the Lord in thy mouth is true The like we see in the miracles of the Euangelists and Apostles Acts 8. 6. The people gaue beed to those things that Philip spake with one accord hearing and seeing the miracles that he did And Acts 13. 12. When the Deputy saw what was done vpon Elymas strucken blinde by Paul be belieued and was astonied at the Doctrine of the Lord. And this also was the vseof our Sauiours owne miracles Iohn 10. 41 42. Iohn did no miracle but all things that Iohn spake of this man were true and many belieued in him there What did his miracles worke sauing faith in them No this honour was euer peculiar to the Word Faith comes by hearing Rom. 10. 17. but they drew them to haue a good opinion of him to be willing to heare him that so they might be conuerted by him to begin to belieue that he was indeed a Prophet sent of God and so this their belieuing in him is expounded in the beginning of Ver. 41. And many resorted to him Three examples there be of those that receiued this good by them but none conuerted The first is here in this place compared with Matth. 11. 20. Where Christ vpbraideth these Galileans for this that though they had seene so many miracles yet they repented not The second example is Iohn 2. 23. Many belieued in him when they saw his miracles which he did but lesus did not commit himselfe to them because he knew them all he knew what was in them The last example is Nicodemus Ioh. 3. 2. he alleadgeth this to be the thing that drew him to Christ as to a Prophet sent of God No man can do the miracles that thou doest except God were with him yet was he not conuerted by these miracles but by the Doctrine of Christ. And that is the reason why our Sauiour first preached the Word and then wrought miracles that it might appeare the end why he wrought miracles was to gaine credit to his Doctrine Matth 4. 23. He went about all Galile teaching in their Synagogues and preaching the Gospell of the Kingdome and healing euery secknesse And though there be little mentioned of his preaching before this his returne into Galile yet it is euident by Nicodemus speech to him that he preached while he was at the Feast Ioh. 3. 2. Rabbi we know that thou art a Teacher come from God The Reason why our Sauiour wrought miracles to gaine credit and authority to his Doctrine though he were able to preach with such power and authority was this That his Doctrine was new his calling and function that he exercised in the Church was new And the Lords manner hath been alwayes when he erected any new worship and seruice or any new function or calling in his Church to giue testimony to it from heauen this way that it might be knowne to be of God Thus God gaue testimony to the worship vnder the Law So soone as the Tabernacle was erected Exod. 40. 34. The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle So when the Temple was finished 1. Reg. 8. 11. The glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. And thus God gaue testimony to his new worship established vnder the Gospell Marke 16. 20. They went sorth and preached euery where and the Lord wrought with them and confirmed the Word with signes that followed So when God hath raised vp a new calling and function in his Church he hath been wont this way to giue testimony vnto it from Heauen Moses his calling was confirmed thus Exod. 4. 5. and Eliah's 1. Reg. 17. 24. and though Iohn wrought no miracles Ioh. 10. 41. yet was his calling confirmed by many miracles first he was borne of parents that were both old and his mother barren also Luke 1. 7. 18. Secondly his father was made dumbe for doubting of Gods promise Luke 1. 22. Thirdly he leaped in his mothers wombe for ioy assoone as his mother heard the voice of Maries salutation Luke 1. 44. Fourthly presently vpon his birth his father was made able to speake againe Luke 1. 64. Insomuch as it is said all the neighbours gathered from all these things that certainly he would proue some extraordinary man Vers. 66. All they that heard of them laid them vp in their hearts saying what manner of Child shall this be So the calling of the Apostles God did beare witnesse vnto them with signes and wonders and with diuerse miracles Heb. 2. 4. So that of the Euangelists The people gaue eare to those things that Philip spake hearing and seeing the miracles that he did Acts 8. 6. So was the calling of all the Elders whether teaching or ruling onely confirmed Is any man sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and let them pray ouer him annointing him with oile in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp Iam. 5. 14 15. So Christ himselfe thought good to confirme his new calling by miracles and by this argument proues himselfe vnto Iohns Disciples to be the true Messias Mat. 11. 3. 5. and Iohn 6. 14. When they had seene the miracles that Iesus did they said This is of a truth the Prophet that should come into the world The Vse of this Doctrine is first for defence of our Church and Religion against the Papists who would from hence conclude our Church and Religion must needs be false because we haue no miracles and that theirs must needs be true because they haue the gift of miracles First for our selues we confesse that neither we haue this gift nor need it and themselues grant that miracles wrought there where there is no necessity are to be suspected For neither our Doctrine nor our Function being any other than such as Christ and his Apostles did teach and ordaine they are by the miracles that they wrought sufficiently ratified and confirmed For indeed to this end serued the miracles of Christ and his Apostles to be as seales to confirme the Faith of Gods people in the Doctrine they taught Many other signes truly did Iesus in the presence of his Disciples which are not written in this booke But these are written that ye might belieue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and that belieuing ye
many miracles declared my selfe euidently to be the Sonne of God which also you haue heard of yet that will not serue the turne but vnlesse you may see with your owne eyes you will not beleeue Nay you haue many of you seene my miracles yet will not that serue neither but vnlesse ye may see signes and wonders that is many miracles miracles of all sorts you will not beleeue Marke how roughly hee deales with him and yet for all this he intended not to reiect him but he loued him dearely euen when he did thus vpbraid and disgrace him he purposed to helpe him and to grant his request yea he purposed to conuert and saue his soule as appeares by that which followeth in the story And therefore euen in seeming thus to neglect him in rebuking him after this manner he sought his good From hence then this Doctrine ariseth for our instruction That the Lord oft times seeth it to be good for his dearest children to put them off for a time and seeme to neglect them and their prayers Before I confirme the Doctrine let me intreate you to consider well of the matter and you will see cause to wonder at it and so you will be the better stirred vp to attend vnto the proofe and confirmation of it First he hath bound himselfe by promise to heare his seruants when they call vpon him and to grant what they aske according to his will Iohn 15. 7. If yee abide in me and my Words abide in you aske what you will and it shall be done vnto you Secondly and specially hath he bound himselfe to heare them in those prayers that they make vnto him in their afflictions Psalme 50. 15. Call vpon mee in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt glorifie mee Thirdly yea this hath beene the chiefe meanes whereby Gods people haue sought comfort in all their afflictions euen to poure out their hearts to God in prayer Psalme 109. 3 4. They compassed me about saith Dauid with words of hatred and fought against mee without a cause for my friendship they were mine enemies but I gaue my selfe to prayer And fourthly the thing that hath encouraged them and giuen them heart in prayer hath beene this hope and assurance that they should finde audience and respect with God Psalme 65. 2. Because thou hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come And 86. 7. In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thee for thou hearest mee Fifthly therefore aboue all their afflictions this hath most afflicted them this hath gone nearest their heart when they haue prayed and could not perceiue that God hath heard them or hath had any respect vnto their prayers Psalme 28. 1. O my God my strength be not deafe towards mee lest if thou answer mee not I be like them that goe downe into the pit And yet for all this the Lord hath seemed oft vnto his dearest children to faile in this his promise to neglect them altogether and to haue had no respect vnto their prayers they haue made vnto him in their affliction See the proofe of this in foure degrees First when they haue prayed vnto him and that also according to his will he hath long forborne to grant them their requests he hath made them waite and attend so long till they haue beene almost weary with waiting as here he holds off the Ruler Psalme 69. 3. Dauid complaines thus I am weary with crying my throate is dry mine eyes faile while I waite for my God And 119. 8. Mine eyes faile for thy promise saying When wilt thou comfort mee And verse 123. Mine eyes haue failed in waiting for thy saluation and for thy iust promise Secondly hee hath not onely thus forborne long to grant them their requests but hath euen refused for a time to giue them any answer at all or to shew any respect that he hath had vnto their prayers As here he makes no answer at all to the Rulers suit nor shewes any compassion on him This we shall finde the faithfull oft complaining of that they could finde no comfort in their prayers they could not perceiue they were euer the better for them Lament 3. 8. When I cry and shout hee shutteth out my prayer And verse 44. Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayers should not passe through Iob 30. 20. When I cry to thee thou doest not heare mee neither regardest when I stand vp And Psalme 22. 2. O my God I cry by day but thou hearest not and by night but haue not audience Thirdly he hath not onely forborne to grant their requests and refused to giue them any comfortable answer but he hath seemed to frowne and hide himselfe from them and euen to shake them off in anget to be more offended with them for praying to him than he was before So dealt he here with this Ruler that came to him in his misery and besought him for helpe and succour he checkes and chides him as you haue heard So dealt he also with the poore woman of Canaan Matth. 15. First when the poore woman cried to him verse 22. Haue mercy on me O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a Diuell it is said verse 23. that hee answered her not a word Secondly when his Disciples became suiters to him for her verse 24. He answered and said that hee was not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israel Thirdly when the poore woman came verse 25. 26. for all this and worshipped him saying Lord helpe me He answered and said it is not good to â—…ake the childrens bread and cast it vnto whelpes And thus hath it falne out with Gods deare children they haue beene so farre from finding comfort in their prayers and obtaining a gracious answer from God that their discomforts and terrours haue seemed to increase much thereby they haue beene further perswaded of Gods anger against them than they were before This the Church complaineth of Psal. 80. 4. O Lord of hosts how long wilt thou be angry against the prayers of thy people Fourthly neither hath he seemed thus to refuse to grant their requests onely when they haue begged temporall blessings of him as the Ruler in this place but euen in those prayers they haue made vnto him for spirituall blessings 2. Cor. 12. 8. Paul besought the Lord thrice that the pricke in his flesh the messenger of Sathan that was sent to buffet him might depart from him But could not obtaine it Let vs now come to consider of the Reasons why the Lord hath beene wont to deale in this sort with his children To humble them the more deeply for their sinnes and so to make them more capable of his grace he seemes for a time to turne away from them ' and to stoppe his eares at their cries We are apt to thinke that a little sorrow for sinne is enough and that we should be
vndone if we should continue in it any time but the Lord seeth that it is very profitable and necessary for many of his seruants to be deepely humbled and that it is not good for them to be comforted too soone And what measure and continuance of sorrow is sufficient and good for vs he knoweth best This the Lord had respect vnto in refusing to grant Pauls request 2. Cor. 12. 7 8. he saw he would be in danger to be exalted and not be humbled enough if he should ease him of that affliction so soone as he desired The Lord doth this to trye and exercise the faith and obedience of his seruants that the same being found to be sincere it might yeeld them the more comfort He tries their obedience whether they will continue to seeke vnto him and call vpon him because they know he hath commanded them to doe it though they feele no comfort in it And he tryes their faith whether they will beleeue his promise and waite for the performance of it though he delay it long This Christ had respect vnto in those repulses he gaue to the poore woman of Canaan as appeares plainely Matth. 15. 28. O Woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee as thou desirest The Lord doth this to make his seruants more feruent and importunate in prayer vnto him for his grace and fauour that so they may feele the more comfort in it and make more account of it when they haue recouered it As when a man hath obtained a thing by long suite and it hath cost him much he will esteeme of it the more and thinke himselfe the more beholding to him that granted it To this the Lord Iesus had respect in with-drawing himselfe so long from his deare Spouse Cant. 3. 1 4. She sought him first in her bed by night shee sought him but shee found him not secondly then she sought him in the Citie by the streets and open places she sought him but she found him not thirdly then she inquired of the Watch-men that went about the City Haue yee seene him whom my soule loueth At length when with so great paines and diligent seeking shee had found him she saith She tooke hold on him and left him not This is the fruit of extreame affliction to increase feruencie in prayer It was so in our Head Luke 22. 44. being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly And so it is in all his members likewise This Doctrine serueth principally for two Vses 1. For comfort 2. For exhortation First it serues to comfort such of Gods seruants as the Lord shall at any time deale in this manner with as he did here with this Ruler that in their affliction pray but obtaine not they pray long and often and receiue no comfort at all If this be thy case as it may be the case of any of vs be not discouraged faint not vnder this tentation cease not nor giue ouer to pray and seeke vnto God though he seeme to turne away from thee and to stop his eare yea to be angry with thee for it Consider it is thy duty to waite rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him Psal. 37. 7. I waited patiently for the Lord and he enclined vnto me and heard my crie Psal. 40. 1. But for thy comfort and encouragement obserue these fiue points 1. Thou art not the onely man with whom the Lord hath dealt thus but there haue beene many of his dearest children of whom thou canst make no doubt that they were highly in his fauour whom he hath beene wont to vse in this manner nay with whom he hath dealt farre more roughly than he doth with thee as I haue made it euident vnto thee in the proofe of the doctrine Nay there is scarce one of a thousand of Gods children but at one time or other in one degree or other they haue beene exercised with this tentation This consideration hath great force to comfort Gods children in this and all other their afflictions By this argument the Apostle comforteth the faithfull 1. Pet. 4. 12. Dearely beloued thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall which is among you to proue you as though some strange thing were come vnto you and 5. 9. Whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world 2. Bee thou fally assured that thou neuer calledst vpon him in truth and with an vpright heart nor askedst ought according to his will but hee heard thee and tooke it in good part and regarded thy prayer and will certainely grant thy request whatsoeuer he hath seemed to thee to doe To this end thinke oft of these promises Esay 30. 10. Hee will certainely haue mercy vpon thee at the voice of thy cry when he heareth thee he will answer Psal. 145. 18 19. The Lord is neare to all that call vpon him yea to all that call vpon him in truth Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him hee also will heare their cry and will saue them 1. Iohn 5. 14 15. This is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske any thing according to his will he heareth vs. And if we know that he heare vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the petitions that wee desired Yea though thy prayer be vnperfect and weake yet remember that this promise is made to all Rom. 10. 12 13. He that is Lord ouer all is rich vnto all that call vpon him For whosoeuer shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall bee saued See the proofe of this in a prayer made in much infirmity when Dauid said in his hast and passion through the violence of his tentation that he was cut off from before the eyes of God that he was but a cast-away yet for all that God heard the voice of his supplications Psal. 31. 22. Yea be thou sure of this that he is much more ready to giue than thou canst be to aske 1. Pet. 3. 12. His eares are open as a kinde mother or nurse which vse to be so wakefull as they will heare the childe so soone as euer it begins to cry Dan. 5. 10. Feare not Daniel for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to vnderstand and to humble thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard And Esay 65. 24. Yea before they call I will answer and while they speake I will heare This the faithfull haue gloried in Psal. 4. 3. and 17. 6. and 38. 15. This reason is of great force to encourage and hearten vs to perseuerance in prayer O thou that hearest prayer vnto thee shall all flesh come Psal. 65. 2. In the day of my trouble I will call vpon thee for thou wilt answer me Psal. 87. 7. 3. It may well be that God regards thy prayer and answers thee too though he doe not presently grant that that thou desirest of him If after thy
voice not for the loudnesse of his voice but for the feruency of his spirit that made him cry so loud Psal. 55. 17. The effectuall seruent prayer of arighteous man auaileth much Iames 5. 16. Lecture the eightie nine Iune 11. 1611. IOHN IIII. XL VIII L. IT followeth now to consider why and for what fault our Sauiour thus rebuketh this Ruler And we shall finde that his sinne that he rebuked him for was his infidelity Except yee see signes and wonders yee will not beleeue As if he should say I can doe thee no good except thou hadst Faith but you neither thou nor thy nation haue any true faith you do not beleeue me to be Christ the Sauiour of the world as the Samaritans of Sychar did nay which is worse you will not beleeue you are obstinate in your infidelity God hath sufficiently by his Word and by the Ministry of Iohn Baptist manifested me to be the Messiah but that will not serue your turne you will not beleeue except you haue miracles to confirme it yea I haue already by many miracles declared my selfe euidently to be the Sonne of God which also you haue heard of but that will not serue your turne neither vnlesse you may see with your own eyes yee will not beleeue Nay you haue at least many of you seene my miracles your selues yet will not that serue neither but vnlesse you may see signes and wonders that is miracles of all sorts many miracles yee will not beleeue So that we haue in this reproofe that our Sauiour giues to this great man foure principall points to be obserued First that the infidelity of the Iewes is the onely sinne that Christ here reproueth in them that alone had power to restraine him from yeelding to this Ruler that helpe that he desired of him when he besought him to come downe and heale his sonne Christ returnes him this answer You beleeue not you haue no faith As if he should say I can doe you no good vnlesse you did beleeue in me Secondly the argument whereby Christ conuinceth the Iewes of infidelity and proues them to haue no true faith which is this because except they might see signes and wonders they could not be lieue Thirdly that Christ aggrauateth the infidelity of the Iewes by their obstinacy in it Except ye see signes and wonders ye will not belieue Fourthly that though this was the sinne not of this Ruler only but of all the Iewes common to him with his whole Nation yet Christ counts that no excuse to his sinne but checks and rebukes him for it neuerthelesse nay he so speakes of it as it may appeare he hated this sinne the more because it was vitium gentis and he dislikes him the more and iudged him the more vnworthy to receiue helpe from him because he and his nation were guilty of this sinne Therefore purposing to check him the more sharply speaking to him alone he speaks in words of the second person plurall Except ye see c. Now of these foure points we will speake in order And first in that Christ speaks here of infidelity as the chiefe sinne of the Iewes as of that that did most prouoke God against them that that did stop the streame of Gods mercy and as it were dis-enable Christ from doing the good that he desired This Doctrine doth arise for our instruction That no sinne offends God so much as infidelity when men will not belieue his Word no sinne is such a barre to all Gods mercies as this See the proofe of this Doctrine both in the examples of wicked men and of Gods deare children For the wicked we haue two famous examples in the Old Testament and two other in the New The first is in the Israelites that perished in the wildernesse Many grieuous sinnes they were guilty of but none prouoked God to wrath so much none were such barres to Gods mercy towards them as their infidelity When the Lord had said he would giue them such abundance of flesh as they should haue enough to eat Num. 11. 18 20. Not one or two dayes or fiue or ten dayes or twenty dayes but for a whole moneth together they said among themselues Can God prepare a table in the wildernesse Can he prepare flesh for his people Psal. 78. 19 20. They did not as it may seeme by the acknowledgement they made Vers. 20. absolutely deny that that God had said as many now adayes will doe but onely made a question and doubt of it but marke what followed Psal. 78 21. Therefore the Lord heard and was angry and the fire was kindled in Iacob and also wrath came vpon Israel Why what was the cause He had told vs before in the beginning of the 21. Verse But because he would haue vs in any case marke this well he repeats it againe in the 22. Uerse because they belieued not in God and trusted not in his helpe And whereas God did sweare vnto their fathers that he would giue the Land of Canaan to them and their seed after them Deut. 1. 8. we shall find that there were but two onely Caleb and Ioshua of all those that came out of the Land of Egypt that entred into it What was the cause Surely they had many sinnes they sinned in Idolatry they sinned in Whoredome and many other wayes but of all other sinnes that that most prouoked God that that barred them out of the promised Land was their Vnbeliefe as the Apostle plainly affirmes Heb. 3. 19. So we see they could not enter in because of Vnbeliefe The other example we haue of this kinde in the Old Testament is of a Prince of Israel a great man vnder Ioram the King of whom we read 2 King 7. when he had heard Elisha whom he knew to be the Lords Prophet and to speake from the mouth of the Lord say in the time of a great famine To morrow this time a measure of fine flowre shall be sold for a sheckle and two measures of barley for a sheckle in the gate of Saâ—…aria 2 King 7. 1. The Prince did not absolutely contradict that which the Prophet had said in the Name of the Lord as many now adayes will do but onely doubted of it and made a question of it Though the Lord said he should make windowes in the heauen could this come to passe 2 Kings 7. 2. But marke what followed The Prophet in Gods Name threatned he should see it for the increase of his misery but he should not eat thereof Verse 2. and so indeed it came to passe for he died a strange and base death for the people trode vpon him in the gate and be died Ver. 20. The examples we haue of this kind in the New Testament are two First the men of Nazaret of whom we read that though Christ desired out of the loue he bare to the place of his education to do good among them yet he could do no great works there Mar. 6. 5.
respect to my Name that it should not be polluted before the Heathen 2. God hath still a great people in the Land that feare him vnfainedly It is true that in many places he hath not so many as he hath had their numbers decrease very sensibly in sundry places yet hath he still a great people in the Land And this is another chiefe cause why the Lord spares the Land Gods people are a blessing vnto it thou shalt be a blessing Gen. 12. 2. As bad as Potiphars house was Gen. 39. 5. The Lord blessed it for Iosephs sake and the blessing of the Lord was vpon all that he had in the house and in the field Yea as bad as Sodome was if there had been but ten righteous men in it they had saued it Gen. 18. 32. And certainely of our Land it may be said that neither the wisedome of our Counsellors nor the valour of our Souldiers but as Iob 22. 30. The innocent haue deliuered the Iland and it hath beene preserued by the purenesse of their hand 3. There be many of Gods faithfull seruants that pray vnto him feruently day and night and so stand in the gap to keepe out Gods iudgements from the Land It is true fasting and prayer is not so much in vse as of old it was yet still is it vsed by many and this hath great force to keepe away Gods iudgements Psal. 106. 23. The Lord minded to destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach to turne away his wrath and Exod. 32. 10. the Lord saith vnto Moses Let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them 1. Euery man the more he sees iniquity to abound the more feruent should he be with God in prayer that so he may be one of those that stand in the gap to turne away his wrath The encrease of sin in the land should increase our feruency in prayer So did it in Moses Exod. 32. 11. and Num. 16. 4. And this the Lord lookes for at the hand of all his people Esay 59. 16. When he saw there was no man he wondered that none would offer himselfe Ezek. 22. 30. I sought for a man among them that should make vp the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the Land that I might not destroy it but I found none And this is the first thing we must doe in such euill times 2. Take so much the more heede to thy selfe that thou be not plucked away with the common errour 2. Pet. 3. 17. and that thy heart be not by little and little drawne to the liking of sin This is pure religion indeed to keepe our selues vnspotted from the world Iam. 1. 27. For it is a maruellous hard thing for a man not to receiue infection where sin is common Experience shewes how hard it is for a man that liues where swearing and drunkennesse or filthy talke or Sabbath breaking are in continuall vse to keepe his heart in the detestation of those sins Yea men shall be apt to thinke a sin to be no sin when he sees it to be in generall vse See the danger of this in two examples Ioseph had learned in Egypt to sweare by the life of Pharaoh Gen. 42. 15. And the Prophet complaines he was a man of vncleane lips because he dwelt among a people of vncleane lips Esay 6. 5. This must therefore cause vs to take the more heed to our soules Ephes. 5. 15 16. Take heed you walke circumspectly not as fooles but as wise redeeming the times because the dayes are euill Men must do in this case as they that liue in London when the plague is very rife they seeke preseruatiues and go not abroad without their Pomanders nor till they haue eaten and drunke some thing that may preserue them The worse the times are and the lesse comfort thou hast in them the neerer shouldst thou draw to God when the Prophet had spoken in the two former verses of the extreme badnesse of the times he liued in see what vse he makes of it therefore will I looke vnto the Lord I will wait vpon the God of my saluation My God will heare me Mich. 7. 7. the worse the places are thou liuest in the more diligently shouldest thou giue thy selfe to reading and hearing and prayer Obadia liuing in Ahabs house made vse of Gods Prophets in priuate 1. King 18. 4. And Daniel while he liued in the Court of Darius was giuen much to secret prayer Dan. 6. 10. They that liue now in such like places and giue themselues neuer the more to praying or reading declare plainely they haue no care of their soules 3. The third duty is that the worse the times are and places we be in the more carefull we should be to preserue others from the common infection Ministers must so much the more vehemently reproue sin by how much the more common it growes to be in the place where they liue Titus 1. 12. The Cretians are alwaies lyars euill beasts c. It is Vitium gentis Therefore vers 13. rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the Faith Parents and Masters should do in such times as Ioshua did he resolued thus with himselfe but as for me and my house we will serue the Lord Iosh. 24. 15. So one Christian should the rather stirre vp another as they that feared God did Mal. 3. 16. The third and the last Vse of the Doctrine is for comfort and encouragement of the godly that are euery where hated for nothing so much as for this that they will not be content to do as their neighbours do they thinke it strange that yee run not with them into the same excesse of riot speaking euill of you 1. Pet. 4. 4. and good soules they are oft ready to faint and giue ouer an holy course euen for this as euen Elia himselfe was 1. King 19. 10. because they are alone I will therefore giue vnto such some encouragements out of Gods Word to confirme and comfort them against this temptation 1. Remember the Commandement of God so oft giuen to his people in his word to separate themselues from the world and be vnlike to them The Lord instructed me that I should not walke in the way of this people saying Say not yee a confederacy to all them to whom this people shall say A confederacy Esay 8. 11 12. Come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no vncleane thing and I will receiue you and will be a Father vnto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2. Cor. 6. 17 18. 2. Remember the necessity that lieth vpon thee that thou must do otherwise than they do or thou must perish Better it is to go to heauen alone and with the ill will of all thy neighbours than to go to Hell with company and with the loue of all men Indeed you should desire their loue and to haue
art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me True it is that euery Christian man hath in himselfe cause enough of sorrow and he ought to mourne not onely for euery euill action that he hath committed through infirmity but euen for the wants and corruptions that he espieth in his best works for so did Paul euen for this cause O wretched man that I am saith he Rom. 7. 24. Yea he is onely an happy man he onely shall find true comfort that is able so to mourne Mat. 5. 4. yet hath he not so much cause of sorrow in himselfe as he hath to reioyce in the Lord yea it is a greater sinne not to reioyce in Gods goodnesse than not to mourne for his owne corruption Therefore it is very well worth the obseruing how often and with what earnestnesse this duty is enioyned the faithfull by the Lord Be glad in the Lord and reioyce ye righteous and shout for ioy all ye that are vpright in heart Psal. 32. 11. Finally my brethren reioyce in the Lord Phil. 3. 1. Reioyce in the Lord alwaies and againe I say reioyce Phil. 4. 4. Reioyce euermore 1 Thess. 5. 16. To conclude therefore this first encouragement I would haue these men to consider First they dispraise the Lord their Master much by being so heauy and vncomfortable As the King that Nehemiah serued could not abide to see his seruants sad Neh. 2. 1. no more can the Lord he delighteth in the peace and comfort of his seruants Psal. 35. 27. and is much offended with them if they serue him not with ioyfulnesse and with a good heart considering how bountifull and good a Master he is Deut. 28. 47. Secondly that they discredit their Masters seruice and do what lieth in them to alienate mens hearts from the liking of it And indeed what one thing causeth naturall men more to dislike Religion than this whereas God maketh this the onely priuiledge of his seruants and that that should greatly commend his seruice vnto men Esa. 65. 13 14. that when others shall be ashamed and cry and howle his seruants shall reioyce and sing The second encouragement that this Doctrine yeeldeth to the godly is this It may make them willing and desirous to serue the Lord to the vttermost of their endeauour and euen to thrust and enforce themselues gladly to doe him any seruice The most men we see do flie Gods seruice and count it more base and painfull than any bondage and drudgerie in the world as the Israelites did esteeme the house of God to be an house of greater bondage and misery than Egypt it selfe Were it not better for vs to returne into Egypt say they Numb 14. 3. Yea we shall find that Gods owne children haue oft times no heart at all to do him that seruice that he requireth but are ready to shift it off as Ionah did Ion. 1. 2 3. and the chiefe thing that alienateth mans heart from religious duties is this That men find they cannot performe them in that manner that God requireth and therefore they haue no heart to do any thing at all It was the excuse that the vnprofitable seruant made for his idlenesse and doing nothing in his Masters seruice I knew thee that thou art a hard man saith he Matth. 25. 24. And indeed if the Lord our God were so hard and strict a Master as would accept of no seruice vnlesse it were done in all points according to his commandement and would beare with no frailties and infirmities in his seruants what mortall man could serue him with any comfort and delight True it is and it cannot be denied that that to the naturall man it is vtterly impossible to doe that seruice God requireth That which our Sauiour speakes of the couetous man may be said also of the voluptuous proud malicious and ignorant man Luke 18. 25. It is easier for a Camell to go thorow the eye of a needle than for him to enter into the Kingdome of God Yea it is certaine that euen to the regenerate man Gods seruice is painefull and full of difficulty This we shall find said of the first degree of it viz. the forsaking of our selues and of all knowne sinnes If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and take vp his crosse daily and follow me Luke 9. 23. Resist not euill but whosoeuer shall smite thee on the right cheek turne to him the other also and is any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him haue thy cloake also Mat. 5. 29 30. And the like may be said of euery spirituall duty To say a prayer is an easie thing but no man can pray aright without great striuing and labour Lift vp thy prayer Esa. 37. 4. Unto thee O Lord do I lift vp my soule Psal. 25. 1. Striue together with me in your prayers to God for me Rom. 15. 30. To sit at a Sermon an houre is an easie thing but to heare as we ought to heare is a painfull thing to incline our eare and to apply our heart Pro. 2. 2. And in a word to make a profession of Religion as most men do hath no hardnesse in it but the whole course of his life that is a Christian indeed and not in shew onely is called by our Sauiour a striuing to enter in at the strait gate Luke 13. 24. But yet if we knew well the disposition of this Master whom we serue and in what manner he requireth seruice of vs we would confesse that his seruice hath neither any impossibility nor hardnesse in it at all but we would acknowledge that to be most true which both our Sauiour and the Apostle speake of Mat. 11. 30. My yoke is easie and my burden is light 1 Ioh. 5 3 His commandements are not grieuous Yea we would account his seruice the most perfect freedome and esteeme it to be the greatest happinesse in the world to be admitted vnto it That which the Queene of Sheba spake of Salomons seruants may much more fitly be spoken of them that serue the Lord 1 Reg. 10. 8. Happy are thy men and happy are these seruants which stand continually before thee When God first established his Worship vnder the Law the people did so striue who should be most forward in seruing him euen to the parting with of their goods by contributing to his Tabernacle as that Moses was faine by solemne proclamation to stay them Exod. 36. 6. And in the first times of the Gospell men were so forward in offering themselues to serue God in the worke of the Ministry though that calling was then subiect to much more hardnesse and danger than now it is and women also were so forward in offering themselues to serue him in the office of Church-Widowes which you know required much base and painfull seruice that the Apostle was faine to giue charge not to admit all that so offred themselues but such onely
all hypocrisie is not so grosse a man may be an hypocrite and haue a false heart and himselfe not know it Secondly a man that hath no grace at all nothing but nature may haue many good things in him First he may be free from many sinnes as the Pharisee gloried he was Luke 18. 11. There was a kind of incest that was not heard of among the Gentiles 1 Cor. 5. 1. Yea more free than the child of God Abimelech would neuer haue desired Sarah if he had knowne she had been another mans wife Gen. 20. 5. Secondly he may doe many good things The Gentiles which haue not the Law do by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14. and therein go beyond many a child of God he may shew much iustice in his dealings with men The Pharisee could say Luk. 18. 11. I giue tithes of all that I possesse he may giue much to the poore Mat. 6. 2. The hypocrite gaue almes in Synagogues and Streets and had a trumpet blowne before him which he would neuer haue done if his almes had not been large and bountifull he may be a good neighbour and a kind and thankfull man to his friend Mat. 5. 46. the Publicans were such he may be apt enough to forgiue an enemy Ahab was euen too apt to do so 1 Reg. 20. 32. Thirdly yea he may haue great shewes in him of sanctification he may feele in himselfe a check and remorse of conscience when he hath done euill by reason of the effect of the Law that is written in his heart his conscience will sometimes be ready to witnesse against him and his thoughts to accuse him Rom. 2. 15. He may haue some care and conscience to pray as euen the mariners had Ion. 1. 5. Yea to ioyne fasting with prayer as the hypocrites professe they did and glory in it Esa. 58. 3. He may shew great loue to Gods Word and delight in it Esa. 58. 2. They seeke me early and will know my wayes euen as a Nation that did righteously Yea he may do this not in shew and pretence onely but vnfainedly Mar. 6. 20. Herod heard Iohn gladly Yea the Word may cause him to leaue many sinnes he liued in before and in many things to lead his life like a Christian. Mar. 6. 20. When Herod heard Iohn he did many things And 2 Pet. 2. 20. it is said of certaine hypocrites That they had escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and of the Sauiour Iesus Christ. You see then no man may conclude thus I haue these and these good things in me therefore I am Gods child but euery man if he be wise and desire to prouide for the sound comfort of his soule had need to search and examine diligently whether these things be the fruits of grace and proceed from an vpright and sanctified heart yea or no. Satisfie not thy selfe with shewes and shadowes of goodnesse To this purpose belongeth that exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selues whether ye be in the Faith Yea we should pray to God to helpe vs in this worke as Dauid did Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way euerlasting Psal. 139. 23 24. Thirdly there is much euill and corruption in euery regenerate man the good things that are in him are as a little fire in such a heap of ashes as a little corne in such a deale of chaffe mixed and intermingled with corruption that it is hard for them to discern the work of grace in themselues We all are as an vnclean thing and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags Esa. 64. 6. Lecture the hundred and one Septemb. 17. 1611. IOHN IIII. L. IT remaineth that we now proceed to that which the last day the time would not permit me to speake of namely to shew how and by what notes a man may certainly discerne the vprightnesse of his owne heart and put a true difference betweene grace and nature betweene the good things that are proper to the regenerate and those good things that may be found in the hypocrite and carnall man For to exhort you as I haue done carefully to examine whether there be truth of grace in your inward affections may doe you much more hurt than good vnlesse I shall also direct you how that may be done how you may come to know that For our encouragement then to make entrance into so profitable and necessary a matter we must first vnderstand this that though it be difficult and hard yet it is not impossible for a man that hath grace to know assuredly that he hath it to be vndoubtedly perswaded of the truth and soundnesse of his owne heart It is true indeed that it is a farre more easie thing for a regenerate man to discerne that corruption that is in him than that grace that is in him When the Apostle speakes of the fruits of the flesh Gal. 5. 19. he saith of them That the workes of the flesh are manifest But when he comes to speake of the fruits of the Spirit he saith not so of them Uerse 22. The grace of Gods Spirit is a hidden and secret thing and is called therefore the hidden man of the heart 1 Peter 3. 4. and will not certainly be discerned vnlesse a man take great heed to obserue and marke it well to trie and examine it It is said of the good Merchant that when he had found the hidden treasure before he could be so certaine that it was the true treasure as to be willing to sell all that euer he had to buy it he was faine to with-draw himselfe as Merchants vse to doe that haue great accounts to make that he might trie whether it was the true treasure or no Matthew 13. 44. Yet is this also certaine that a regenerate man that will take the paines to examine his owne heart may be vndoubtedly assured that he hath grace that he hath more in him than euer naturall man or hypocrite could attaine vnto els had the Apostles exhortation been in vaine that we should Use diligence to make our calling and election sure 2 Peter 1. 10. if it were not possible for a man to be certaine and assured that he is effectually called Paul was assured that he had a good conscience in all things and was willing to liue honestly Hebr. 13. 18. and Peter knew well euen then when he was so humbled for his fearefull fault that he did vnfainedly loue Christ aboue all Iohn 21. 17. And Hezekiah in the time of his great affliction knew assuredly and was able to call God for a witnesse to his conscience in it that he had walked before God in truth and with a perfect heart Esay 38. 3. And the Apostle speaking in the person not of himselfe onely or some rare and extraordinary persons but of all
12 14 When God called to weeping and mourning to baldnesse and sackcloth and behold ioy and gladnesse eating flesh and drinking wine eating and drinking for tomorrow we shall die Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord of hosts And surely if euery affliction be a signe that God is displeased with vs it becomes the child of God to be humbled by euery affliction though not in respect of the crosse it selfe which happily is common and such as many haue had and done well enough yet in respect of the Lord and his displeasure from whence it comes Heare the rod and who hath appointed it Micah 6. 9. For is it a small matter to haue the Lords frownes and displeasure Amos 3. 6. Shall a trumpet be blowne in a City and the people not be affraid or shall there be euill in a City and the Lord hath not done it When Moses was a suitor for his sister Miriam he receiued this answer from the Lord Numb 12. 14. If her father had spit in her face should she not haue beene ashamed seuen dayes as if he should say How much more should she be humbled and ashamed when I haue shewed my selfe to be offended with her For this we haue a notable example in Iob 1. 20. who though he was so holy and righteous a man and though he could say Blessed be the Name of the Lord for all his afflictions yet when he considered all this came of God he thought neither of the Sabeans nor Caldeans the fire nor the winde but he considered The Lord had giuen and the Lord had taken Then Iob arose and rent his garment and shaued his head and fell downe vpon the ground and worshipped and the Holy Ghost saith Verse 22. In all this Iob did not sin And if Iob did thus humble himselfe when Gods hand was vpon him what man is there whom it will not well become to do so On the other side this is noted to be the disposition of the wicked to whom affliction is not sanctified that it doth not humble them at all Ier. 5. 3. Thou hast stricken them but they haue not sorrowed thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction And this is the cause why God is constrained to bring strange and more grieuous iudgements vpon vs because we will not feele nor be moued with ordinary corrections If ye walke contrary vnto me and will not hearken vnto me for all this I will bring seuen times moe plagues vpon you according to your sinnes Leuit. 26. 21. The third note wherby we are to try whether our affliction be sanctified vnto vs is this If it cause vs to search our wayes and to enquire into the cause of that displeasure God hath conceaued against vs we must enquire into the cause it is to no purpose to be sorry and humbled for our affliction vnlesse we do this Euery man must desire to know the cause of his affliction Euery man must know the plague of his owne heart find out the cause of the plague in his owne heart 1 Kings 8. 38. and say with Ier. 2. 17. Hast thou not procured this vnto thy selfe in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way This was the course God directed Ioshua to when he was humbled because the Lord had shewed himselfe to be angry with the Congregation of Israel Iosh. 7. 10 11. Wherefore lyest thou vpon thy face Israel hath sinned Search and finde out the man that hath prouoked mee to anger For this we must rest resolued of That mans sinne is euer the cause of Gods anger Esay 57. 17. For his wicked couetousnesse I was angry with him and haue smitten him And 64. 5. Behold thou art angry for we haue sinned And therefore it is to no purpose for a man to grieue and vexe himselfe in his affliction if he rest there he shall neuer haue ease till he can finde out the cause of it in himselfe Ier. 30. 15. Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquities As in a wound that hath some point of a sword or bullet or such like thing in the bottome of it till that be found there can be no hope of cure Lam. 3. 39 40. Wherefore then is the liuing man sorrowfull man suffereth for his sinne let vs search and try our wayes Let no man say Tush that cannot be the cause of my affliction though I be a sinner yet I am no worse than other men I am no such notorious sinner God seeth thou thinkest too well of thy selfe and he hath therefore afflicted thee to make thee looke more narrowly vnto thy owne wayes Be thou assured of this that he cannot wrong thee And say Psal. 119. 75. I know that thy iudgements are right and that thou hast afflicted me iustly And therefore if at the first view thou canst not finde out the cause search better yea pray the Lord to helpe thee in this search as he did Iob 10. 2. Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me and 13. 23. Shew me my rebellion and my sinne For this we haue a notable example in Dauid 2 Sam. 21. 1. When there was a famine in the land Dauid asked counsaile of the Lord. The meaning is as appeares plainly by the Lords answer he enquired into the cause of that famine The contrary is obserued as a note of a desperate sinner that contemneth Gods chastisements and receiues no profit by them Ier. 8. 6. No man said what haue I done And Ezek. 16. 43. I haue brought thy way vpon thine owne head yet hast thou not had consideration of thy abominations The fourth note is If it haue made vs carefull to make our peace with God For this we haue a notable example Numb 16. 46. Moses said to Aaron take the censer and put fire therein from off the Altar and put incense therein and go quickly vnto the Congregation and make an attonement for them for there iâ—… wrath gone out from the Lord the plague is begun This is that the Lord lookes for at our hands in all our crosses and the chiefe end he aimes at in afflicting his children is to cause them to seeke him more diligently and to get better assurance of his fauour Esa. 27. 5. Will he apprehend that is take notice of and acknowledge my strength that he may make peace with me and be at one with me And we shall find three wayes whereby the faithfull haue sought peace with the Lord in this case First by acknowledging freely vnto him their sin and so iustifying him in his iudgements as Dauid did Psal. 32. 5. Then I acknowledged my sin vnto thee neither hid I mine iniquity for I said I will confesse against my selfe my wickednesse to the Lord and thou forgauest the punishment of my sin Iob 33. 27 28. Secondly by praying earnestly vnto God and seeking assurance
of his fauour in the pardon of their sin Iob 9. 15. Esay 26. 16. Lord in trouble haue they visited thee they poured out a prayer when thy chastisement was vpon them Thirdly by forsaking their sinne whereby they had prouoked him and so remouing the cause of his displeasure Esay 27. 9. By this therefore shall the iniquitie of Iacob be purged and this is all the fruit the taking away of his sinne This course the Niniuites tooke Ionah 3. 8. The contrary is obserued as a note of a desperate sinner when in his affliction he neuer seekes to God Hos. 7. 14. They haue not cryed to me in their hearts when they howled vpon their beds Esay 9. 13. The people turneth not to him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord of hosts And 57. 17. I hid me and was angry yet they went away These men are like vnto vngracious Absolon 2. Sam. 13. 38. when his father was iustly prouoked he neuer sought to him but fled and went to Geshur and was three yeares there his father was readier to seeke to him than he vnto his father The fift note If it haue brought vs to vow vnto God greater obedience and care of our waies for the time to come Psalme 66. 14. Dauid speakes of vowes which his lips had promised and his mouth had spoken in his affliction And 61. 8. and 132. 1 2. Remember Dauid Lord with all his afflictions who sware vnto the Lord and vowed vnto the mighty God of Iacob c. and 119. 7. It is said of our blessed Sauiour himselfe Heb. 5. 8. Though hee were the Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered that is to say he shewed his obedience more then than before how much more should we Of Hezekiah it is said 2. Kings 20. 8. that he asked the Prophet What is the signe that the Lord will heale mee and that I shall goe vp the third day to the house of the Lord and the reason of the demand was because God had promised him verse 5. that he should doe so But if we compare that with Ezekiahs prayer Esay 38. 20. it will appeare that God had respect in that promise to the desire that Hezekiah had had and the vow that he had made in his affliction that he would loue the house of the Lord the better while he liued yea this the very light of nature hath taught men to doe the mariners that carried Ionah did so they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vowes Ionah 1. 16. The sixt note is If we be carefull to performe the vowes we haue made when our affliction is gone and past Most hypocrites haue many good motions and purposes and seeme to be new men in their afflictions but when Gods hand is remoued they returne to their old byas againe yea become worse than before An example we haue of this in Pharaoh oft times specially when he saw that the raine and the haile and the thunder were ceased he sinned yet more and hardned his heart he and his seruants Ex. 9. 34. and in the wicked Israelites when he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God Psal. 78. 34. But on the other side the Elect are able to say they are the better for their afflictions afterwards as Dauid did Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I haue kept thy word Psal. 119. 67. And of all the chastisements God layeth on his children it is said that afterward they bring the quiet fruit of righteousnesse Heb. 12. 11. Let euery one therefore consider what he promised to God in the time of his affliction and how he hath kept promise with God since and thinke well of that speech of Salomon Eccles. 5. 3 4. When thou vowest a vow vnto God deferre not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in fooles pay therefore that which thou hast vowed Better is it that thou shouldest not vow than vow and not pay it THE EIGHTIE EIGHT LECTVRE ON APRILL XXIII MDCXI IOHN IIII. XLVIII XLIX L. Then said Iesus vnto him except yee see signes and wonders yee will not beleeue The Noble man saith Sir come downe ere my childe dye Iesus saith vnto him goe thy way thy sonne liueth and the man beleeued the word that Iesus had spoken vnto him and hee went his way WE haue already heard that from the beginning of the 46. verse to the end of the Chapter the Euangelist sets downe the History of the first miracle that our Sauiour wrought after his returne out of Iudea into Galile And that this History stands vpon foure parts first the occasion that was offered vnto Christ to doe this miracle secondly the manner how Christ wrought this miracle thirdly the fruit and effect of this miracle fourthly the conclusion of the story The occasion is set downe in the 46. and 47. verses which I finished the last day It followeth now that we proceed to the manner how this miracle was wrought which is contained in these words I haue now read vnto you And in setting downe this the Euangelist obserueth three things First the checke and reproofe that Christ gaue vnto this great man and to his whole Nation verse 48. Then said Iesus vnto him except yee see signes and wonders yee will not beleeue Secondly the answer this great man made to Christ when he had beene thus rebuked by him verse 49. The Ruler said vnto him Sir goe downe before my sonne dye Thirdly the comfort and satisfaction that Christ gaue vnto the Ruler after he had thus reproued him and receiued this answer from him verse 50. Iesus saith vnto him goe thy way thy son liueth First then we must obserue here the course that our Sauiour tooke with this great man Then when he saw him to be in great heauinesse for the extremity that his sonne was in Then when he saw him come in this humble manner vnto him to beseech him for helpe when one would haue thought he should haue pitied his case and spoken comfortably vnto him and commended and fostered those good beginnings that he saw in him and reioyced that he had so great a man come to him for helpe euen then I say doth hee take a quite contrary course with him he seemes to be not at all moued with his misery nor to regard his suit but in stead of comforting of him and helping him he checkes and rebukes him Then said Iesus vnto him except yee see signes and wonders yee will not beleeue As if he should say I can doe you no good except you had Faith and you neither thou nor thy Countrey-men haue any Faith no you will not beleeue you are obstinate in your infidelity God hath by his Word and by the Ministry of Iohn the Baptist sufficiently manifested me to be the Messias yet you will not beleeue his Word vnlesse you may haue miracles to confirme it yea I haue already by