honour God rest not in this that you dare not basely pride your selves in any of your parts above God but beware of a finer spun selfe then this deny your selves even the second time as I may say lest otherwise you fall in love so farre with your service that you grow to thinke God cannot want you Perhaps God may try you in your onely sonne Ishac Gen. 22.2 whether you can be content to want him or no for God as well as to enjoy him in God The onely tryall of the denying of your owne parts for God is if when God calls for them in sacrifice you be as willing to make shipwracke of them as to improve them Be not more anxious for God then he is for himselfe for he can make the stones cry although you should hold your peace To serve God so with your gifts as to be loth upon any need to forgoe your selves distrusting God in case of losing them fearing the reproach of men or what domage hurt and dishonour may accrue to you in your private despised conditions I say this is to serve your selves and not the Lord. Enquire closely as well upon what termes your very gifts themselves may prove dishonourable to God as the case may stand as your forfet of them yea much more if God call for them Note well To despise to stoope to the enquiry after the least evill which may defile your consciences in the improveing of your gifts or to live ignorant of any such duty as might honour God as much or more then your gifts To conceale and hide from your owne eyes any part of Gods will under pretence of the best service done by your gifts To distrust God in supporting you for a good conscience in the forfeit of your gifts and lastly to rest in this that seeing God may use your sinne to his owne glory therefore your sinne may seeme lesse in your owne sight What are all these save unseasonably to pin your service upon Gods sleeve and to serve under a false banner to lose more in the hundred then you gaine in the shire and in a word Vzza like out of your heat and resolution to serve not to care upon what dishonourable and unseemly conditions you goe to worke I judge no particular person I leave you to the judgement of your owne conscience I doe not accuse you as if ye sought to winne the spurres by your parts or could not take it well of God if sometime he held you short in gifts and performances I presse yet another thing Bee your service never so allowable yet fall not in love so with it pittie not others so farre in the want thereof that you should be unwilling to come under the command of God as well in suffering as in obeying 1 Cor. 14.32 The spirit of Prophets must bee subject to the Prophets be it never so good how much more to God himselfe And it is as good sometime to take counsell as to give it and as good to looke so to some one thing which wee desire and finde our selves enabled by God unto as yet not to blindfold our other eye to over see some other duty lying before us which although perhaps it be unwelcomely sudden to us and speake in our cast yet is such an one as God calls for at our hands to a further honouring of him So shall wee doe greater things when God abases us in our selves and hath us at his becke then when all our best gifts are improved without such a command so also shall we proportion our selves in some beautifull sort to walke with God and trust his Alsufficiencie both in our sufferings and our doings and God shall honour himselfe in both and us for both we doing both in selfe-denyall and faith Luke 17.10 Although poore wretches when wee have done all wee shall be but unprofitable servants Fourthly this is terror and conviction to all Papists and formall worshippers Vse 4 Papists first Popish statelinesse of devotion is odious to God for their scorning the simplicity of Christ and his Ministery and ordinances and counting the meane things thereof a derogation to their Religion and an occasion to make the worship of God vile and contemptible to the people And therefore instead of meane and foolish things they stablish pompous great and wise waies and devices of their owne glorious Images Roods Crucifixes reliques donaries of gold silver and jewels They fill their Churches with paintings and curious pictures and strive who shall outstrip the other in the beauty of buildings the curiosity of carvings of imbellishings of Idols who shall have the richest copes and canopies and the most sumptuous Altars chalices pixes and other complements belonging when their Masse is most gorgeously set forth to the sense and when the Ministery of Christ is thereby eaten up as the fat kine by the lean when all spirituall means of mortification are turned to carnall and outward such as the flesh delights in but the lazy and base heart of man abhorres then do they think the service of God best dispatched Oh ye hypocrites who doe oppose God point blanke in his purpose and turne the conversion of soules into perdition of them how will ye answer God in his day of account ye pretend that hereby ye grace Gods service but the truth is ye overthrow it embondaging the senses and enthralling the consciences of men to a worship pleasing and possessing the carnall part but leaving their soules leane and sterved for lack of spirituall instruction God requires that his spirit in the ordinances 1 Cor. 2.1.2 should quash and controll all the excellency of man and you strive by amusing and detaining the eies and eares and senses of the body with pompe and state to quash the power of preaching and the efficacy of the spirit But there shall come forth a fire out of the breath of his mouth one day and consume all these inventions of yours and carry both you and them to the place whence they came The misery is that in the meane time you do snare and lead innumerable soules to hell and leave them at last either to senslesnes or despaire and none may say what doe you Proud hypocrites disdaine to be taught by mean persons The like I may say of all formall hypocrites who disdaine the sillines of Gods Ministers preaching and sacraments they forsooth scorn that every base fellow should have the credit of converting them they could be content to heare Christ preach or Paul or some of the Apostles who yet if they were among them should be as base with them as the basest they must either heare some great learned Doctor or schollar of renowne speake to them or else they will not lend their eare others say that their Jesuits are the only men of learning now a daies as for our English Preachers alas they are but silly fellowes to build a mans faith upon In a word either
conversion in the Soule These are some few of many Doctrines and Points handled in the ensuing Discourse A taste is sufficient Read and finde them out A Table of the principall things contained in this Book Alphabetically framed A. ACknowledgement and Revelation of truth is to be sought from God by payer pag. 6 Advantage which God hath us at in all respects should teach us to walke humbly pag. 22 Ascribing too much to the instrument makes God deprive us of so many promises The like effect of proud ascribing too much to our own parts ibid. pag. 69 Arts and learning must not bee pul'd downe because God uses poore helps pag. 72 All sorts must beware of carnall reason pag. 22 Advices for the well ordering of our course 3. Faith in God 2. Righteousnesse to Man 3. Contentation in our selves pag. 256 Admonition to all sorts Beware lest you claw this itch of Selfe in any Ministers and others take heed of it pag. 260 Assisting grace wherein it stands Sundry instances of it mentioned p. 282. It is the ground of great consolation to a poore soule by reason of the priviledges issuing thence ibid. It is a bottome of great confidence and experience to a poore soule and how ibid. It is encouragement to fearfull ones and how ibid. To Advise aright in spirituall distresses is no easie task Reasons why 321. Both in respect of the party counselling and counselled and that sundry wayes both for the dispositions and diseases ibid. Many particulars about both ibid. pag. 326 Anger must bee pacified with meeknesse 327. yet with exception ib. Administrations of God must not bee quarrelled pag. 352 Assurance cannot bee where faith is not yet faith may be where assurance is not pag. 480 Markes of Assurance pag. 513 Aequivocating with our conscience in point of Commands for the saving of our owne skin is abominable pag. 525 Accord of promises stands in two things either of promises to persons or of persons to them pag. 569 All sorts may not by and by beleeve promises but such are qualified ibid. Accord of promises to persons stands in sundry particulars 1. Promises must be conceived with reference to the truth in generall 2. according to Gods order which is first to beleeve the promises of being and reconciling and then of well-being and sanctifying 3. a promise must bee beleeved according to the intent of the promiser 4. when a promise is beleeved according to the extent thereof 5. when it is beleeved according to the peculiarity and speciall use thereof 6. promises made to the head belong to the members promises made to the whole body belong to each part promises belonging to any one member belong â—o the body and to any other member except there bee a restraint to the person 7 when they are beleeved according to the scope ibid. to pag. 574 Affectation to turne Scriptures to allegoricall and typicall senses is bold and dangerous pag. 593 Admonition to the people of God to nourish the Spirit of grace and conversion pag. 873 B. The Battery which God layes against the fort of a rebellious soule pag. 31 Bodily crosses can reach no further then to bodily ends to abase the outwâ—rd man pag. 62 Body of death not encountred by a few pangs and desires of conversion pag. 144 To be bottomed and grounded soundly is a singular favour of God pag. 253 Bad servants must not thinke it too late to repent pag. 312 Blesse God for bringing us under the condition of his grace pag. 490 Not to beleeve a promise according to the intention of it is sinfull How and wherein it may bee instanced pag. 581 A question how farre Bonds binde in conscience The answer to it and six reasons of the same ibid. 607 Breakers of covenant with God are in a bad condition pag. 605. 609 C. Calling to grace double unconditionall or conditionall both free pag. 10 Conditional call what and how free pag. 10 Cavillers against the free grace of God confuted p. 25. Five or six sorts of them ibid. 26. 27. Corruption is subdued in Gods people by peece-meale pag. 61 Charity in our judgement of men must not draw us to over-foolish credulity pag. 64 Corrupt fraile nature cannot beare any great measures of grace without swelling pag. 90 Christians must look for dâ—ff culties as well in their progresse as in their entrance pag. 94 Corruption how restrained by God pag. Civill men in how dangerous a state pag. 106 Carnally wise men scorne the simplicity of Christ pag. 107 Carnall worldling full of himselfe pag. 107 Carnality of good parts an enemy to Christ pag. 108 Carnall savour of superiority or greatnesse how prejudiciall to Christ pag. 109 Carnall persons admonished ibid. The Creature a dangerous object to tickle inchant a corrupt heart 10. It hath a peculiarnes of deceit in it 10. What an enemy it is to Christ 113. in three respects 1. It conceits falsly that God loves it 2. Nestles it selfe in her ease and welfare 3. Heare 's the Word preached without due respect if not with disdainâ— ibid. Remedies against this disease foure or five ibid. Constantines restoring the Church to her priviledges eclipsed her purenesse pag. 116 Crosses great meanes to let out Selfe out of the soule as a dropsie by incision pag. 150 Corruption of mans heart how fertile of shifts and tricks to hurt her self pag. 192 Cavils of a bâ—se heart against Religion and the grace of God pag. 193 Carnall reason a great enemy to faith 195. What it is ibid. Three steps or degrees of it ibid. What subjects I meane not prophane persons but Professors ibid. Sundry instances of Carnall reason pag. 197. 198. 199 Corrupt custome hath marred right reason in us pag. 202 Carnall reason justly infatuated by God pag. 203 Convincement of Carnall reason in sundry particulars pag. 204 Carnall reason described by the savour thereof ibid. and that in three or foure particulars pag. 205. 206 Carnall policy causeth jealousie among Christians pag. 210 Carnall reason eates up grace pag. 211 Christians of all other had need bee wisest Carnall men deale with God as they doe in common affaires pag. 225 Counsels against carnal reason foure pag. 229 Carnall reason must come in humbly and yeeld up her weapons to God pag. 230 Carnall reason wishes old wayes in stead of a promise pag. 231 Carnall policy unlawfull 239. In what particulars it appeares 1 politick shifts 2. politick neutrality 3. politick and Iesuiticall equivocations 4. Selfe love 5. Formality 6. Profanenesse 7. Religion 8 Blanching of evil ibid. Choicenesse which men use in things outward should teach them wisedome to be well principled in spirituall things pag. 256 Cavillers against God as if hee were in fault that they are no better convinced pag. 272 Close cleavers to the promise of God are in a blessed state pag. 355 Comfort to all fearfull ones in that Gods way is sweet and easie pag. 377 Common service in the season of speciall duty stinkes
for that which is cursed for ever not onely through the want of Christ but through her enmity to Christ 4. See the ugly hue of this sin Fourthly They shall see the ugly shape of that creature which they have made an Idoll and committed spirituall Sodomy with it as degenerate a villany as to commit filthinesse with a beast They shall see what a dampe it brings the soule into when it places her happinesse in the earth and the hidden treasures of it how it makes the word and ordinances most fulsome and unsavory 5. All the savor of a creature rests upon mercy 5. That all sweetnesse which any creature can afford must come from Christ dropping fatnesse into it by his footprints in it what savor then can it afford when it opposes Christs sufficiency by her own vanity and so robs him of his what savor can the soul suck from a creature which is a dead carrion what is all the comfort of a creature to a dead soule not only destitute of the life of Christ but stabbing Christ to the heart rejecting his life yea 8. It will worke the soul to a revenge of it selfe chusing to cut off the creature from it self then it would not be cut off from it By these the like convincements the Lord will cast down the fort of self in the creature stripping it naked of all her false sufficiency shewing her she is but a gull not able to afford that which she crakes of that shee hath nothing but bare walles to boast of that so this strong hold being razed and made levell with the earth poverty of spirit may enter into the soul and Christ and his sufficiency which onely belongs to them who are brought to nought in themselves may come into it 2 Cor. 10.4 Therefore let all such as have felt this disease in themselves cease to marvell why their hearts have beene so empty of Christ Conclusion of the point and beene left to such a wofull staggering of heart in point of comfort For they have forsaken the fountaine and digged broken pits to themselves which will hold no water Let them renounce them for hereafter and say Ashur shall not save us wee will not ride upon horses upon these vaine creatures for with thee the fatherlesse shall finde mercy make them no prop of support either by greedy seeking Jer. 2.13 Hos 13.2 sensuall keeping or loathnesse in forgoing And Lord I finde my selfe as destitute and forlorne a wretch in point of grace notwithstanding all my deep portion in the creature as if I were the veriest begger in the Country I see all true sufficiency to be in thee and that thine exceedes mine both for kinde roote quality and degree of content as much as a carnall a fading blasted and vanishing yea a vexing one is inferior to a spirituall immortall incorruptible and satisfying sweetnesse wherefore I count my selfe the same man whether I want or have abhorring my selfe in dust and ashes I renounce mine own and rest at thy dispose for the creature to have more or lesse of it and cleave to thine And so much also shall serve for this fourth branch The last kinde of grosse selfe is Selfe-religion or Religious selfe The fifth Branch Selfe-religion And this is the invention of Satan Christs deadly foe that whereas all will not be prophane nor naturalists nor epicures but will be religious lo he hath a baite for every fish What it is and can insinuate himselfe aswell into Religion it selfe as into lusts and pleasures and so provide that in all the duties and priviledges which professors of Christ boast of yet there shall bee a cord upon their heele which shall pull them backe from all power and savor of Christ aswell as if they had never been towards any Christ at all And so the nearer Christ they seeme to goe the more dangerous shall their selfe-delusion prove and the more confident their sufficiency of devotion makes them the more wofull shall their defeat at last bee and all for want of soundnesse and sincerity And in this point I would insist in three things Priviledges Duties The branches of Religious selfe three and degrees of Religion All these strengthen Selfe-religion in hypocrites and time-servers and shroud them under a false covert and protection of that which is farre from them for the first it was alway is and will be 1. Privledges the boast of Jewes Papists and common Protestants They were the children of the free not the bond-woman Abrahams seed such as whose all the promises were to whom the Ordinances and Oracles of God belonged others were dogs and swine and accursed to them they cried the Temple the Temple they were of all other nations the chosen generation Matth. 3.9 the peculiar people all others rejected save themselves The Lord must want worshippers if he cast them off and by this meanes they were so puffed up in themselves that when Christ came in person to offer himselfe for salvation they abhorred and slew him and cast him out of the vineyard that fulnesse and sufficiency they felt in their priviledges Privledges of Religion great enmity to many in keeping them from Christ caused them to live in a practice of horrible treachery and impiety against God and desperate contempt of the Lord Jesus as it were under a banner of defiance Just the like is the practice of Papists who under colour of the Church the Church the succession of Bishops the ancientnesse of their Religion the glory of their outside of worship pompe and bravery of rites and ceremonies their prosperity and worldly happinesse their large and generall extent in government their superstitious devotions and what not which flesh can desire make themselves beleeve that they are the onely Christians and all other are upstarts and counterfeits So doe our common Protestants and hypocrites they boast of their baptisme their part in the communion of Saints their right to their word and ordinances they are no hangbyes no Gibeonites no recusants no prophane ones no morallists nor epicures but constant worshippers of God frequenters of the sacraments and partakers of all the priviledges of the Church When Constantine restored the Church to her priviledges she began to degenerate And this puffes them up the divell blinding them that they should bee bewitcht with his charme and looke no further then a bare priviledge comparing themselves with such as still walke in a loose and prophane course and in respect of such deeming themselves very religious But what is the effect hereof surely this that under pretence of their great priviledges they are full of themselves so that the pith and marrow of them for all tend unto and end in Christ or else are empty shells faith I mean and Christ in his sufficiency to forgive save and sanctifie them is a meere stranger unto them The Church was purest when her priviledges were fewest The
to clasp closely with his promises 5. Because the Lord promiseth nothing but what hee first purposed to performe 6. Because hee measures his promises not according to our capacity but his owne bounty from page 595. to 598. Gods performing of promâ—ses to bee understood with limitation What those bee Three in number viz. 1. Hee performes them yet not in that very kinde wherein the soule expects 2. In generall promises to the Church the time of performance must bee left to God 3. God performes to his but then they must live uprightly and keep their covenant not else ibid. The Vses 1. Gods people looke more at the good of a performance then the bare performance it selfe 2. We must not taxe Gods administrations 3. They who breake with God must looke that God break with them pag. 598. 599 God must be left to himselfe for the performing of promises without our mixing of our wits and wills therewith pag. 606 Gods faithfulnesse in keeping promise with us must teach us to bee faithfull to others in keeping promise pag. 607 Gods people ought to bee encouraged thankfull and comforted for the Lords faithfull performing of promises Also humbled for their provoking of God to the contrary pag. 618 H. Heathen stories fall short of those rarities and wonders of the Scriptures pag. 4 Husbands and wives must abhorre câ—rnall reason pag. 220 Humblenesse in Gods way a speciall grace pag. 463 Hypocrites who come with their cost and toyle to God rejected pag. 365 Hypocrites and elect ones differ in the issue of their labours pag. 453 True Humility scornes not to learne of the meanest Teachers pag. 460 Humility alway goes before grace pag. 464 Most Hearers abide in unbeliefe because their hearts were never humbled pag. 466 Humbled soules comforted pag. 469 Hypocrites false grounds in breaking of Gods commands discovered 528. The trickes and wayes whereby they defend it ibid. six or seaven of them The 1. By avoyding their realnesse 2. By avoiding conviction 3. By diminishing the extent 4. By opposing one command to another 5. By false plea of examples 6. By adding of new commands of their owne 7. By cavilling against the strictnesse of Gods ibid to page 531. I. Iewes strangely insensible of God in the middest of all his miracles pag. 4 The truest Iudgement of a mans estate is rather what corruption he wants then gifts which he hath or graces he seemes to have pag. 60 Instances of much folly and indiscretion in the dealings of Christians pag. 213 Irresolution in matter of Religion as dangerous as grosse blindnesse pag. 254 Inferiors if gracious are a great convincement to superiors pag. 288 Inferiors being to deale with superiors must consider what their persons will beare pag. 329 Iudge not rashly of Gods administrations either publicke or personall dispensings of grace with difficulty or ease pag. 376 Iudgement of controversall truths to be ascribed to men of most sincerity who these are pag. 414 Inconstancy and disproportion in mens affections and â—ctions argues falshood pag. 435 Inferiors must not withdraw their service from their superiors if God call them to it 461. Perswasions to it ibid. The Ingredients of a promise serving to inable and improve it 483. five or six of them ibid. Iudgements of God upon carnall and wilfull unbeleevers pag. 494 Intention extension of commands what Vide Extent pag. 521. 522 Inferiors must enquire into the lawfulnesse of their superiors commands and not obey implicitly pag. 524 Inferiors must not follow the commands of superiors to break Gods commands 527. especially the command of the Sabbath ibid. Iudgement of God upon hollow-hearted dispensers with his commands pag. 530 Iordens waters though no Type yet a resemblance of Baptisme pag. 592 Indifferency and neutrality of Spirit worse then open prophanenesse 868. and usually it growes to it ibid. Iesuiticall equivocation to be abhorred and upon what grounds pag. 240 L. Letter of the Scripture not to be wrested against the sense for mens private ends pag. 58 Love and honour of Gods Prophets appeares in this that we obey their voyce Reasons of it pag. 397 Lovers of the Minister in the generall yet concealers of their errors corruptions to be reproved pag. 401 Le ts of faith to bee seriously abhorred five or six of them mentioned pag. 502 Lesser light in faith may yet goe with greater assurance pag. 513 The Law how far it 's strengthened or weakned by the Gospel pag. 523 Le ts of close walking with God to be abhorred 550. eight or nine of them named ibid. Limiters and restrainers of promises are to be reproved 580. Sundry instances ibid. All Le ts of performing the promises of God to be studiously shunned 113. What these are 1. Mistaking of performances 2. Carnality and deadnesse of heart 3. Murmuring 4. Some grosse sinne 5. Limiting of God 6. Errour of the wicked 7. Vnobservance 8. Curiosity or censure with others ibid. M. Miracles serve to convince the soule of the truth of God sealed thereby pag. 5 Miracles how farre ceased uncertaine to us and in Gods hand ibid Ministers must be jealous of the least aspersion to Gods glory to their owne persons or of offence to others by their carriage pag. 58 Man very prone to idolize meanes and to set them up in Gods place pag. 68 Ministers must not abuse their parts to case and pampering of the flesh pag. 75 Markes of fleshly wisedome subdued foure or five See pag. 81. 82. 83. Ministers must bee first in Selfe-deniall It is the true Mortmaine pag. 164. 165. Ministers of all others must abandon carnall reason and that in many things mentioned pag. 215 Magistrates must beware of carnall reason pag. 220 Markes of Selfe defeated to teach us to avoid it 1. Shee is coy and queasie upon reproofe 2. Lazie and slothfull to amend 3. Alway in her extremities 4. Partiall pag. 263 Meane silly persons if godly need not thinke themselves contemptible pag. 289 Masters must chuse their servants by this mark of faithfulnesse pag. 310 Masters must bee Fathers to their Servants 315. Reasons of it 1. They have betaken themselves under their protection 2. They are as children to thee in point of fidelity ibid. Wherein this duty stands 1. In preparation 2. In performance Both in sundry Branches 1. See and adore Providence in ruling thy servant for thee 2. Manage thy servant with thy best skill 3. Give his soule her portion as well as his body 4. Feed his eye by thy example 5. Command in the Lord 6. Impose not violence in lawfull things through excesse 7. Conceale not his painfulnesse 8. Defend him from hurt 9. Carry an equall hand among servants 10. Neglect him not at his departure ibid. 320 Ministers must not count the worke of setling the conscience a slight worke 332. Helpes for the enabling the Minister to it ibid. Exhortation to it both by preparation and practice Rules for it in speciall 1. Discerne mixt sorrow from single and separate them and
casting up mire and dirt in them and in the face of the truth and this irksomnes abides long if God see good to enlarge Satan according to his malice Others are discouraged through want of Ministry to follow on that little seed of grace which is cast into them which is ready to dye for lacke of quickning and advice and so living in desolate places and destitute of powerfull meanes are long ere they come to any setling and strength in a promise not knowing that where ordinary meanes faile God himselfe will not bee wanting to perfect what hee hath begunne Others meet with discouragements from such as should encourage them and so they fall the more sadly upon them When the Spouse had dallyed with her beloved through ease and carnalll tendernesse security and selfe-love lo in following after him she was met by the Watchmen Cant. 5.6.7 who buffetted her These should have encouraged her Even Ministers are oft great affronts in the way of poore soules rating and scorning them for their singularity especially when they through errour light upon such as thinking better of them So doe Parents Guardians Masters lay offences in the way of their children orphans servants some threatning to dis-inherit them or to disgrace them others by their snibbing and chiding or over-bearing them doe blast that bud which else would blossome and beare Others also hoping to see examples of many others as zealous as themselves to encourage them and finding that the Gospel prevails little in these dayes the Spirit growes straitned people wax dead and sottish and all their devotion stands in hearing Sermons Alas they quaile and pull in their horns like snails and are afraid they have been too forward and therfore wax as lazie and loose as others except God rouze them up by some sad crosse and make them to see that there must be more resolution in them if they look after salvation each tub must stand upon his own bottome Others resting upon their good duties and performances and thinking religion to consist therein chiefly when they feele small inward life from thence but ebbings and flowings grow at last to suspect their bottome but alas how long is it ere they can reforme their error and take a right course So that by these few instances it may appeare that the difficulties of many who begin fairly are very tedious so that they finde not the worke of conversion so easie as they expected Conclusion of all with admonition I conclude therefore as before let not such be dismaid nor give over the work of God but remember God is now trying them whether there bee soundnesse or no in them to continue and if they will wait meekly his leasure after hee hath taught them to deny themselves he will be found of them as here of Naaman and reveale himselfe to them at last more then at first Vses 2 Secondly this should also teach those who have obtained mercie already Instruction Christians must looke for difficulties as well in their progresse as in their entrance much lesse to wonder if they meet with sundry affronts in their course of Christianity For if this be done in the green tree how much more in the dry If novices who are so unfit for trials meet with so many rubs to keep them from faith how much more must they looke for them whose strength is greater Therefore consider I pray you and know God will try all upon whom he hath bestowed any speciall favours and blessings One way or other sooner or later the Lord will lay stops and blockes in your way to try what is in you and whether all that hee hath done for you can prevaile so farre with you as to think him worth the cleaving and clinging unto with faith and confidence Gen. 22.2 Esay 38. Job 1. Gen. 39.7 2 Sam. 16.5 25. Matth. 26.69 Abraham must be tried by Isaac Hezekiah by the Embassadours Iob by losse of all hee hath Ionah by the errand to Ninivee Ioseph by Putefâ—rs wife David by Shemei by Nabal by Mephibosheth Peter by the Damosell and others of the Saints by other trialls whether God be above their carnall delights whether their hearts be lowly whether they can deny their wealth their will whether they be that in secret which they are openly what meeknesse patience equality of heart is in them Professors in their novicery looke not to meet with many troubles whether they bee sound and resolved to stick to God or no. None shall want their trials Alas many a poore soule entring upon profession lookes but from hand to mouth how he may hold fast the promise and live according to knowledge but lo in a short time after troubles arise in the married estate sicknesse losses enemies pursuits wrongs such as hee expected not On the other side A none of them the Lord perhaps armes some strong corruption to pinch and gall him which he knowes not how to be rid of or stings him by unthankfulnesse of such as owe most love by unfaithfulnesse and aloofnesse of such as have been greatest friends by the sad revolts and scandals of such as for their owne ease and private ends renounce that love to Gods cause and that zeale to the truth which they have testified Sometimes by false aspersions and reports staining them and unjustly depraving them behind their backes otherwhiles by bad times frowning upon them and turning their prosperity into affliction Againe perhaps the Lord tries others by some hard duty beset with great difficulties so that either they must forfeit conscience or else some desirable thing which they are loth to forgoe Oft-times the Lord tries some by company pleasure liberty occasions of sudden wrath distemper worldlinesse and infinite it were to mention all By these he would let men see all that is in their heart he will either discover their grace that he may trust them for ever after or else their halting self-ends hollownesse pride love of themselves strong poysons of heart breach of covenant and so humble them subdue their sinnes for them in due season that they may not deceive and destroy their owne soules And what wonder Doe wee thinke that God is willing to lose his cost or to harbour such under his roofe as he knowes not what to make of Such as under colour of Religion maintaine a great deale of loose scurfe within them Is it for the glory of God to owne such No surely he will put them to it one time or other that hee may by this meane separate the pretious from the vile and their owne hay and stubble from his owne Pearles and Jewels I grant we thinke otherwise and hope to escape in a mist and to carry our course even and faire God will try his to separate the pretious from the vile without any great trials or affronts and the rather because perhaps wee have long made a shift to goe on smoothly with praying in
it to see an insufficiency in a thing which is the price of every thing Mony and wealth can build Churches pulpits buy all ornaments of a Church Bibles and Tables and Chalices and hire Preachers and maintaine the Gospel now why then should it not buy Christ too especially if alms good deeds and workes of charity accompany a profession of Christ and his religion and a verball depending upon him and his merits alone not any Popish works or Idolls for salvation Alas such profession of word and holding Christ in judgement may easily stand with living upon the creature and building the soules nest of joy content and sufficiency in the holes of this rocke How hardly then should such a rich man or such a selfe in the creature enter into heaven What an enemy it is to Christ It is easier for a Camell to goe through a needles eie The Lord Jesus the truth it selfe spake it of a yong man who thought himselfe past danger Matth. 19.23 who yet hearing of this sufficiency of Christ if he would sell all went away sorrowâ—ull and why he had great possessions that is great possessions had him and filled him top full with another sufficiency which made Christ unsavory and the same I may say of these who were in the chase to get them when the sufficiency of Christ and all his dainties and fulnesse even a feast was offered them lo their answer was I am to goe see a farme I have bought oxen Luke 14. I am to marry a wife have us excused we have that which we like better we cannot come Farmes and oxen are joyned with wives to shew that selfe in any creature and carnall content sets the heart at rest and gives it a common wealth within so that it need not seeke out Matth. 13. So the third and last bad ground which had both some roote and some depth within yet without was so cumbred with these thorns of mony and pleasures living preferment great dependances favor and repute in the world that like a canker they fretted out the marrow and vigor of Christ and faith or neede of his sufficiency First How the creature forestalls Christ 1. It swells the soule with imagination that God loveth it 2. Prides it selfe in the ease and welfare which it feeles the fulnesse of the creature swells the soule up with a conceit that God loves it deerely that hee will entertaine it so richly thinking him to be as busie in heaven to make it a mansion as hee hath beene liberall in giving it one here not dreaming that the body may be full when the soule is leane and that riches are given for a snare of the owners as Micoll to betray David Secondly it prides the soule to thinke of her selfe according to the outward appearance and glee of wealth and welfare and that the soule is in as good case to God as worldward and though there bee infinite much in the world against it yet such is the bribing property of selfe in the creature that it perverts sound judgement not suffering the soule to thinke a thought against her owne worth conceiving that all should think her as she doth her selfe very good and in a safe condition Not remembring that for all the creature it may be blinde miserable and naked and go from a Paradise here to an hell hereafter as Dives did Thirdly it stiffens and hardens the heart against the words both of Law and Gospel 3. Stiffens the heart against the word preached the one including all the richest within wrath and driving them to a losse within themselves the other offering the eie-salve gold and robe of the Lord Jesus to supply that losse How shall that soul hearken to either which feeles no neede when the eare and heart is so bedulled and ingrossed with fulnesse and fatnesse of the creature that none of the Redeemers sufficiency can enter Now if it stumble at these two in the porch how should it ever enter into the secret the holy of holies in faith and regeneration This may be enough for the purpose of this discourse to open the truth save that this one reason may be added That selfe in welfare and wealth hath in it the spirit of scorning the Ministery of Christ With disdaine it bewrayed it selfe even when Christ himself preached for it is said That some who heard him scorned him for they were rich Luke 5. and the like humor possesses their successors And this property agrees well with them who make the creature their strong hold as I have heard of a City besieged which cast out loaves and victualls to the enemy in scorne and telling them that they were farre from starving As he said soule take thine ease thou hast laid up for many yeares Even for so many that the need of Christ will hardly be felt Therefore to conclude this branch also let mee admonish these persons that if ever the Lord will settle the alsufficiency of Christ upon them Admonitions to this sort he will first captivate this selfe in the creature and sub-ordaine it to himselfe he will cause the image of it to be despised yea cause the soule to cry out of her selfe and say what a foole yea a beast am I in thy sight Psal 73. the soule I say shall bee full of the creature even in a contrary sense that is stomacke sicke of it as a surfet The Lord shall rectifie the soules judgement about this selfe then the ranknesse of this pleurisie to be let out of the soule 1. See the vanity of the creature First by shewing it the vanity and insufficiency of it to helpe in the day of wrath how poore a fort it will prove in the day of affliction and feare It cannot rid the owner of an ague of the tooth ache of the least affront it hath no bloud in it to satisfie 2. Behold the image and face of God in the promise Secondly the Lord shall set the soule in a serious posture and meditation of that presence of his which shall make all the earth and the glory of it to vanish and melt and those who have beene formost in this creature-happinesse to come hindmost stand a far off from them who have chosen Christ to be their sufficiency then shall the glory of the one bee turned to confusion and the disdaine of the other to admiration Then shall all their worldly proppes become as broken staves the splinters of which shall pierce them much more then ever the care to get them could pierce them with sorrow 3. Behold the curse stamped upon the creature yea despaire The Lord will cause them to looke into the creature and to behold it as branded with a curse by sinne but doubly cursed when in stead of serving Christ it resists him and fights against him and makes Christ and the soule servants to it which is to renounce him who is blessed for ever
never hoped or beleeved in him for that Wherein they come short And why First they never came to see themselves wholly lost and forlorne in themselves but still held some prop of their owne to support them though Christ should faile them and so never feeling need of him could never savingly and cordially make to him and apply him Secondly they never looked at a promise for it selfe but from some pangs and flashes of selfe liking the newes of Christ for the good it presented taking the word to themselves rather in a dreame and a fancy after a thing they would have then for the naked truth of the promiser Thirdly or else they were led by outward sense the credit gifts and plausiblenesse of the Preacher in whose light they rejoiced while it lasted but if the minister were once removed then as a sive out of the water so they lost all their zeale againe It bred with him and died with him Fourthly they heard without discerning of truthes taking all alike not cleaving to the doctrine as such able to ground and to settle them in peace through Christ but as good thinges in generall at randome without putting difference observing order or coherence For if another Minister came who preached his owne vagrant and ungrounded fancies they were as ready to heare him and be led away as by the former Matth. 11.19 Fiftly they looked upon the zeale of others who snatch the Kingdome with violence and thought it a disgrace for them to bee more backward and so hanging upon the common haunt and multitude never examined what inward principle led them and so when zeale grew cold and profession more dead they grew as cold and dead as others Sixtly or else having no roote in them they clave to the word in peace and prosperity of the Church but when they saw the times to frowne and trouble to come then they saw they thrust themselves further in then they had strength to winde out and so withered and brought shame upon their profession Seventhly or if they were grounded in knowledge yet not in soundnesse of heart for so soone as the divell came to recover his possession Luke 11.25 hee found them empty swept and garnished that is still tainted with old lusts world and pleasures though for a while they seemed to have forsaken them Eightly though they received the truth of Jesus yet not as the truth is in Jesus not to purge them Ephes 4.21.22 to change their base qualities to transforme them from glory to glory Ninthly if they have proceeded to some shewes of holinesse yet they have not come under the authority of the commander from the faithfulnesse of the promiser who hath made his yoke easie and his burthen light Their obedience is rather in the letter and in the easier points of the Law then the hard and craggy Matth. 11.29 1 Sam. 13. they goe not up the hill with Ionathan upon all foure but downe hill They are like dead fishes which swimme downe the streame not living ones which swimme against it in some few thinges not all with an equall exact carriage in some acts not in the bent of their spirit and the stream of their life As the springs are so is their running to themselves if they be taxed for any evills 10. Then they excuse them by infirmities and lick themselves whole by the sores of the godly not remembring that the godly have sundry defects in grace but not one as themselves maine want of grace and these they pretend not as excuses but grone under as burthens also they colour themselves by this that their sinnes are few and but small or else necessary or but secret and not breaking out whereas a sound heart knowes one sinne may be as full if it runne into one channell and may be as much delighted in and fed on as many dishes also that Gods people never fall into such a necessity as to sinne are free from such straits as to stretch conscience for ease credit wealth and outward respects and lastly Lots wife paid as deare for her contemplative sinne as for her actuall And to end they abide in their evills and recover not whereas Gods people are as a blade of good mettall which beeing bent will returne and are never well till with the needle of the diall they stand just toward the North of repentance Twelfly and lastly if they goe forward to suffer for Christ it is with much adoe and struggling against it and in such sufferings as they can licke themselves whole another way or if they be driven by necessity of shame or light to it yet rather out of compulsion then purity and goodnesse of their cause and conscience And so much bee spoken for the clearing of these three branches of selfe-Selfe-religion I conclude this last branch with admonition also that we abhorre this sufficiency of selfe-selfe-religion and righteousnesse It s the stillest streame of all yet the deepest gulfe and under pretence of drawing nearest to Christ his privy chamber becomes the greatest traitor to him I condemne not morality civility religious duties and degrees As the Towne-clarke Acts 20. said to them of Ephesus Diana is a great goddesse who denies it But we must make no uproare for her So these are good but they must make no mutiny against Christ and by a sufficiency of their owne destroy his If they come under his banner to fight for him they doe well But to erect one of their owne against his is deadly treason Therefore as marriners in danger of life by shipwracke looke not at the value of their wares nor the use of them silkes velvets corne wine tacklings of ships but how they endanger their lives so in Gods feare let us doe with selfe-religion a commodity in shew farre above morality or carnall welfare but if it equally or more endanger the ship and life of the soule cast it also with the rest overboord remember not many of these five sorts of grosse self politiques carnall wizards moralists worldlings or Pharisees get into heaven Alas they stick at the porch This sufficiency of selfe must be abhorred not in the narrow gate how then should they enter If ever God make such capable of Christ he will pare off their Camels bunch and make them of Sauls Pauls who saith of this aswell as of all the rest I counted them all as losse and as dogsmeat that I might bee found in Christ not cloathed with mine owne Phil. 3. but his righteousnesse Be wise in time lay not out their mony for no bread nor your paines for that which satisfies not empty their soules of it that Christ and his good things refined wiâ—es and fatnesse may satisfie you Let others pray to God to pardon their vices Esay 55.2 doe you beg mercy and pardon for their vertues for their religion duties and performances If the heart be brought to renounce this sufficiency it s a signe there
vessel without a bottome thou canst not endure the talke of such things 1 Cor. 1.20 Matth. 16.21 they are an offence unto thee There is a peece of the Jew and Gentile in thee as yet Gods matters are a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse unto thee and thou art as yrkesome and fulsome a creature to the appetite of God and good men as a potion is to a sicke stomack Try thy selfe I say by thy taking up the customary errors and speeches of worldlings as thus what make yee of this precisenesse What Thinke ye there was no Religion in the world ere these singular fellows came up What Will not indifferency and reason serve men to bee honest and no medlers to pay all men their due as quiet folke should doe but men must pester the world with so much zeale As for these Preachers what are they Meane fellowes such as the world might want yet subsist few of them have any learning and they are bad for a common-wealth And as for these yong hotspurres let them alone but a little and by that time they have wife and children to look to and feel what the hard world is we shall have the wind in another doore then they will be lesse in their heate and fall to their businesse as other men By my faith and truth or as God mend me I love Religion well so that too much of it make not men mad I would I were dead or hangd if I love not an honest man with my heart so it be with reason Ah! thou saplesse and barren wretch thy language of Ashdod betraies thee and that exceeding emptinesse of good utters it selfe in thy very speech and carriage thou art weighed and found light Secondly try thy self by thy Protestant carnality which is an addition Instance 2 of some divine light to the dim light of nature Protestant common savour whereby carnall reason is somewhat alaied and abated but yet the old principle abides still and Religion prevailes no further then carnall reason will admit Try thy selfe about this also Dost thou drive two trades a spirituall and a carnall Dost thou heare pray receive and professe with thy carnall savor and sent still unpurged So farre as thy wealth credit mony pleasures and worldly appetite will suffer so farre thou wilt be Religious upon condition thou maiest lose nothing by Religion but keepe the bredth of carnall jollity ease and content still nourish thy old thoughts and affections close sanctifie a rest upon the Sabbath so farre as will stand with thy businesse taking mony hireing workemen paying rates debts and recknings maintaine so much Religion as will keep thee from open prophanenesse but as for conscience alas there is little thou wouldest please a carnall husband wife friend rather then God and lose thy repute with God rather then thine ease credit living and maintenance in the world and yet thinke thy selfe to have as good an heart to God as the closest worshipper in spirit and truth To equivocate with thine owne conscience to flatter to lye to cog and play the timeserver thou carest not so it make for thine ends and yet Religion shall be the stalking-horse all the while and that shall be the soder for all cracks examine thy selfe is this thy condition Then is thy state as bad as the former and in this respect worse because thou art a subtill hypocrite further from sincerity then a downe-right carnall person thou art just of the temper of the times and if a Religion of bowing to altars to images and pictures of Saints and our Lady and the crucifix should bee obtruded or a worship of blinde devotion or Popish pompe void of all sap lo thou wert the man most like to imbrace it For why Since that a mediocrity best contents thee betweene Atheisme and Precisenesse what were more like to agree with thy humour then such a medly Nay thirdly try thy selfe by this Perhaps the Lord is so full of thy Instance 3 carnality Gods leaving of thee to the savour of the flesh that he hath secretly given thee over to the sway and swinge of thy carnall reason so that thou bewraiest thy selfe what thou art as the rat behinde the painted cloath Try thy selfe by this also Is thine heart thy tongue thy penne thy carriage let loose so farre that no Preacher no perswasion can unsettle thee from thy dregs but still thou holdest and wilt hold thy base principles they grow from a twig to a strong arme and bow of an oke past bending thou wouldest pull out the throat of any man that should rob thee of these whelps and as a chaste matron is to an harlot so is a spirituall Minister or Christian an offence and indignation unto thee Dost thou say as once a Pharisee did Wife let our children goe to our Parish Church so they go no further for they are green and raw but as for thee and me we need it not we are not now to learne the way to Heaven it is tedious to our old age to keepe our Church we may doe as well at home in reading upon a booke verily many such there are who thus lye in their mire and there like old jades dye and will not come out Art not thou such an one Nay art thou not growne so rooted in thy carnall reason that it makes thee little better then a politicke Atheist swaying all thy course by it sitting at the helme of it and adoring it as then Idoll Achitophel was a worshipper of God too 2 Sam. 16.21 but a villaine who for his politicke ends would have Absalon spread himselfe a tent and defile all his fathers concubines to make all Israel to know there could be no reconciliation what Was not such a thing against God Yes but what is God to a politician Tush tell yee him of selling Church livings of following his lusts and pleasures of serving the times and framing his conscience to the Religion of his betters Is not that the way to be quietest to have the favor of men to have our lusts and to be furthest off from a Puritan As Machiavel was wont to say truth of Religion is hard and needlesse a forme is easie and to as good purpose I say examine thy selfe perhaps thou hast overlived thy hope and accomplished thy destiny being now growne to measure all by thy owne fleshly meet-wand and to count gaine and lust godlinesse Instance 4 Againe try thy selfe about these particulars following First about Godâ— attributes Dost thou limit that infinite power providence alsufficiency of God to thy carnall sense So that God cannot change the miseries of the times cannot restore the integrity of his Gospel and the power of practice cannot curbe and restraine the malice of bad instruments because it seemes unlikely Secondly about the way to salvation Instance 5 Dost thou cavill unweariedly with restlessenesse of arguments against the doctrine of selfe-deniall the utter inability of flesh to convert himselfe or
flattery of superiors Oh! there is a slavishnesse in some mens spirits that so they may bee taken up with their betters they will forfeit their Religion they will lose God rather then the company and countenance of the great An eight is base ease and formality Ease and formality of profession it is an Idoll universally received and spit out of the mouth of carnall reason the Masse as we say bites not A ninth is pollicy Equivocation when men equivocate with their owne conscience for their safety sake as those in Queene Maries time who would come to Masse to spare their skin and now adayes what dare not men doe to save a living Here perhaps it might be expected that I should say somewhat about Jesuiticall equivocations But if men of their owne side might be heard speake against them Papists against Papist I need say nothing Josephus Bâ—rnes for sundry of them have written in the open disclaiming of such villany It is sufficient Mâ—lderus Episcopus Antwerp that in such equivocations the heart thinkes one thing by reservation and speakes another and that to deceive What is lying if this be not And whereas they say that is for lawfull evasion I answer it is indeed for evasion but that which is by a lying way cannot be lawfull A Papist is asked art thou a Priest He answers no hee reserves this not a Priest of Baal or not a Priest to utter it to thee herein is a lye both for matter and manner for matter in that he utters for manner in that he means that is to deceive They object the whole proposition made both of the expression and suppression is true I answer That only which is expressed is the proposition which is a lye not that which is concealed if that were uttered the whole were true but so there were no cosenage To thinke a truth which in word they gainsay is a lye A lye properly respects another by declaring his minde by words which serve to that end no man is said to ly to himselfe but to another If I should say the fire is not hot meaning by an heate externall or a man is no reasonable creature meaning as an Angel are not here lyes Hee that denies denies whatsoever is contained under the sense of that he denies He therefore that so answers and sweares is perjured and so all sound Divines affirm Let what tricks be used that can be God takes the oath not as he intends it who makes it but as he who takes it oaths must go according to the common use of men To sweare is to call God as witnesse in things doubtfull but who doubts whether a Priest be a Priest of Apollo Truth is an act of righteousnesse not to be esteemed by conceits but words See Jerem. 9.8 2 Cor. 4.2 It is objected they maintaine not such answers alway but for uses to shunne danger death c. I answer that which is nought must never be done He that saith I saw not such a Priest reserving in his minde at Rome or Venice doth not qualifie his lye because he doth it to himselfe onely another cannot apprehend his mixture or limitation Such therefore are of Saint Iames his double minded ones It is objected that which is concealed is but onely a desperate thing not contrary to that which is uttered I answer yet it is a lye for if I affirme that of Plato which is only true of Socrates it is a lye yea this is a double lye because it is under the colour of simplicity Againe an oath is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 But by these oaths controversies are never ended but endlesly multiplied they object the judge is incompetent or they are asked of things under the seale and secret of confession but then we must not lye but shunne such a judge or deny to answer for what is so false but may be made good if we may reserve what we list A written lye borrowes no truth from him that reads it nor a spoken lye by him that heares it a lye it is because it is so in the writer and speaker Truth must be to us as David was to his souldiers worth tenne thousand of them so worth our life goods liberty and all The speech of a woman I will not therefore deny a truth lest I should die but I will not lye lest I be damned Tell me what lawes could bridle lyers if this course were lawfull How foolish were the Martyrs who lost their life for want of this trick Whose testimony should be currant in Court These equivocators object the lies of the midwives Abraham David Rahab c. But one sinne excuses not another When 1 Sam. 16. the Prophet said he came to sacrifice he was not asked the question he spake the truth but not all neither needed he Christ seemed willing to goe further but did not and why Because he was disswaded by others Other examples which they bring are not words which require a reservation to cleare them from a lye but have an entire truth in them being aright understood The conclusion is the trade of equivocation is divellish Ambition A tenth is affectation of honour and preferment for which it is easie to lose a good conscience hee that can lose a little pompe may purchase a great deale of peace So also to end schisme and singularity these and such like Schisme and singularity are oyle to this flame of this corruption cut these off intercept these succours and through mercy this carnall reason may be starved and vanish for lack of nourishment and fewell But I insist no longer let this serve for the fourth branch and so for the whole use of Admonition A fourth use may be confutation of Popery It is a meer dunghill raked Vse 3 together by carnall reason Confutation of Popery All the world itcheth to goe after them Those that fear God should say as Peter answered Christ Joh. 6. Will ye Instance 1 also goe after them No Lord thou hast the words of eternall life Alas men are weary of spirituall worship when they have carnall The Divell and his eldest sonne know well the complexions of carnall people and when the Gospel hath beene preached twenty yeare together yet people will long after the garlick and onions of old Religion and carnall reason with her taile sweepes downe a great part of the starres of heaven we doe but gugge and tire most men with our preaching of selfe-deniall and faith Alas one carnall Popish fellow would draw more after him then tenne Preachers As one saith The Divell never shed drop of bloud for us yet he boasteth that he can have ten to one more at his beck then Christ Popish Embassadours have puld away abundance of London professors to their Masse they stablish their throne upon these two pillars of pompe and devotion both carnall and by their Circe her cup have made drunken the Princes Peeres people of
sorts And therefore for so weighty respects they permitted that for the present which afterward no doubt they would have abhorred The Jewes no doubt did hereby thinke him to concurre with them in the esteem of ceremonies but their error was nothing to him whose end was to confute slander for whenas he came among such as opposed the doctrine of Christ by urging the necessity of ceremonies he was as strongly against them as he was yeelding in the other where no such danger was For neither was he so hot against the Jewish ceremonies when they were used for conscience by the weake and ignorant and not with opposition to Christ in the point of salvation Nay rather then he was all in all to all that he might win some and gave way wisely to things not confessedly abrogated for a better end And to these instances many more might be added but I see the time beloved is more then past The conclusion of all is let us abhorre all falshood and subtilty let us try and examine the colours of good and evill let us keepe that which is sound and abhorre that which is contrary suspecting alway our base nature which seekes her uttermost liberty and through selfe-love easily beleeves that to bee warrantable which it desires And so joyning an equall caution the simplicity of Doves with the wisdome of Serpents wholly resigning up our selves to be guided by God and not seeking our selves the Lord will mercifully bring us out of both sides of extremities Eccles 7.18.19 Which that he would doe let us begge heartily of him as all other graces in the name of his Sonne To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all glory and praise both now and for ever And so I finish this doctrine also of carnall reason the first of those points which I propounded to speake of out of this twelfth verse purposing to proceed in the next Lecture with those that remaine THE NINTH LECTVRE still continued upon this twelfth VERSE VERSE XII VERSE 12. Are not Abana and Pharfar rivers of Damascus better then all the waters of Israel May I not wash in them and be cleane So he went away in a rage VERSE 13. Then his servants came neere unto him and said Father if the Prophet had sayd c. I Have already beloved in our Lord Jesus dispatcht those two former points which I gathered out of this twelfth verse 2 Kings both arising from the cavill of this poore leper Naaman at the unexpected way of the Prophet to effect his cure The former point was How full and fertile a base heart of unbeleefe is of cavills and exceptions against the cleare truth of God The latter was carnall reason is a great caviller and enemy against the word and promise I dwell no more upon either It is time now for us to hasten forward to the second generall head contained in this verse And that in a word is Naamans distemper upon both the defeat of his erroneous conceit and the heresay of a new senselesse to his reason and unlooked for direction In this second generall through providence we will insist in this order First enquiring into the roote of this distemper of his and discontentednesse Secondly The Second generall head 〈◊〉 this verse Naamans distemper handling the distemper it selfe To leave the latter to his place and come to the former The roote of his distemper was a maine error or mistake of the Prophets message and a false opinion of his owne way of curing If this had not beene all his pudder had beene spared If he had but admitted one true principle before hand that God must be left to his owne way and course of working a miraculous cure and it is not a meete thing that man should be both chapman and customer to pitch his owne price upon Gods commodity or binde God to his owne invention but leave him to worke freely as him pleaseth being glad that he will worke any way for the releefe of a poore distressed creature I say had Naaman but stooped so low as to suffer free mercy to utter it selfe freely and beene thankefull for it too all this distemper of his which doubtlesse expressed it selfe in more passages then the text mentions might have all beene prevented Then his cavilling with the message as foolish then his discontented receiving it with wrath then his proud and coy heart that could no longer forbeare to waite at the doore then his scorning of the Prophet as being of a great friend become an enemy then his flinging away in a mad humour and desperate rage not caring to return home as he came and lose his labour then his fiery indignation and railing upon all the occasions of his defeate all and every of them had beene forestalled and he brought on to the cure with ease and content But now we see how this one error causeth a world of sorrow not easily redressed except the same mercy which this silly orphan cavills at so much had even pittied him in his kicking against it and had inclosed him in her armes and not suffered him to be miserable who would not be happy But of that after Doctrine Admit but one eâ—ror in Gods matters and infinite follow This being our bottome to ground upon let the point brethren be this That the yeelding to one erroneous principle in the weighty matter of grace salvation or in any matter of Religion causeth a great deal of danger and distemper to follow thereupon It is as a breach in the sea which at first a little cost if foreseene might have stopped but after is hardly recovered Jam. 2. As S. Iames speaks of the tongue so here Behold how great a fire a little sparkle kindleth Proofes of the point I will prove the point first God willing by Scripture reason and experience and then which is my maine aime will apply it And for the first take these texts Psal 73. David had forgot his rule That the wicked though they prosper never so much yea though they live an hundred years Eccles 8.12 yet it shall goe never the worse with the righteous For a sinner of an hundred yeare old is accursed And there is no discovery either of love or hatred certainly by outward administration Now what comes of it Oh! saith he my feete had well neare slipt nay he had slipt indeed and fallen too I had almost condemned the generation of the righteous hee beganne to blesse the wicked and to wish their portion to be weary of his choice his hopes and that he was anointed King And why Because the wicked florished as the greene bay-tree their paths were anointed with butter and all prospered with them Such a foole so disguised yea a beast in Gods sight he became by one error committed in the admittance of a false ground which when once removed the eclipse ceased the coast waxed cleare againe and he recovered his former hold againe
best grounded yet alas have many feares are very much unsettled and have never done in the proving of them to be sound Answ I answer They who stagger about their grounds may be to seeke and so remaine doubtfull But yet by their studious enquiry and serious deliberating at last they come to determine whereas the prophane carelesse and Atheisticall never are troubled at all and therefore remaine in their wofull condition Psal 17. And whereas some of them as Iob and the Psalmist speaks seeme to die in peace yet that peace is accursed for though they force to themselves a wilfull peace there is none to them they goe downe to the pit with such peace as a drunken prisoner goes to execution Esay 57. ult But this doth not infringe the doctrine because although some live and dye lawlesse and senslesse yet the case of the greater sort is otherwise They rush without due consideration upon their maters and accordingly meet with sorrow and repentance onely the godly who fix their eies upon Gods stable bottomes provide best for themselves hee that walketh soundly walketh safely and although through unbeleefe Esay 26.2 weaknesse or temptation they are often appalled it is to teach them to cleave better to their grounds But ordinarily they walke by rule and finde peace when trouble befalls them it comes not by their closing with but by warping from their rule and when they recover their grounds they recover their peace So much for answer to this objection Now the uses follow First Instruction to teach us the wonderfull Vse 1 wisdome of the art of Godlinesse Instruction Râ—ligion is grounded upon most solid foundations It is grounded upon most weighty and materiall bottomes No man would suppose the Lord to be so infinitely wise as he is till he set himselfe seriously to try his conclusions Few men thinke there is any great matter in living by faith in shunning appearences of evill in cleaving to the company of the good in pitching the soule upon a truth of a promise threat or command But by that time they feele the sad fruit of their errors then they grow to looke backe and behold a most hidden excellencie in Gods principles when their peace is lost and themselves cast upon hideous sorrowes then they beginne to applaude them that goe to worke by knowledge and discerning of things that differ as Scholars never grow in love with an Artists principles till they have examined them and finde out their exactnesse then they behold the misery of an inartificiall and ungrounded course of study So is it here Art hath no enemies save idiots no more hath Religion Secondly it teaches us It is a singular favour of God to any when they are bottomed soundly how great a favour of God it is to any beginner Branch 2 in Christianity when as the Lord prevents them with wisdome in grounding themselves throughly both in point of faith and conversation Who can expresse the depth and height of that mercy which hath prevented so much sorrow Let it but appeare in this one principle That a poore soule though it have but a poore measure of grace yet is taught of God to deny herselfe and to captivate herselfe to the truth of the word not daring to goe on the right hand or left to the contrary Why This is in a sort the comprehension of all other graces the Lord herein hath laid a ground of many prevented a world of misery at once Look back into thy life past and aske who hath thus led me as a Shepherd leads his sheepe through a wildernesse Oh! Esay 63.14 the helpe of some one principle is as much as a mans soule is worth What a mercy then is it to be led on by knowledge in all our course To shunne all the snares of death Oh! be thankefull and say It is not my carnall wit Lord it is thy lore and word which hath made me wise to frame my course so that I doe now esteeme welfare not to stand in wealth or favour of men but in the losse of all these yea although persecution and the crosse should betide me for thy truth and name yet so long as conscience and peace abide and I am privy to it that thou hast lost no honour by me I count my state happy Looke upon the snares which the proud ambitious covetous flatterers and servers of the time pull upon themselves and then judge whether it be not a favour to be kept by a principle of truth from such sorrow and repentance The world boasts of her many tricks and policies but thy one is worth them all and shall preserve thee when they with all their inventions shall bee intercepted Vse 2 Secondly let it be use of Admonition to all that desire to see good dayes and a quiet life Admonition Be well grounded upon the unchangeable principles of truth 1 King 13. to ground themselves carefully upon the principles of God and to eschew all false waies and inventions Be earnest with God to remove far from thee all waies of error and to turn thee out of all crosse paths of deceit Remember still one error in the ground produces infinite many dangers in the sequell Rehoboam had better have given halfe his Kingdome then to have split himselfe so irrecoverably upon the rocke of his ill counsellers What sorrow did it worke him all his dayes Stript him of three parts of his Subjects at once What a misery did one error create to Saul to wit his owne carnall wisdome 1 Sam. 13. 15. rejecting Samuels charge What one quiet day had hee thirty yeares after in all his whole life but perpetuall vexation till he was faine to consult with a witch and to fall upon his owne sword Nay consider what Gods owne deare servants have purchased to themselves by one error and tricke put upon them by Satan As Davids lust what a world of sorrow did it procure So let it warne us to abhorre the incurring of such a premunire with God by embracing any principle of error or vanity as being once bred in the bone will never out of the flesh Beware we either of instilling or of drinking in any base error into any or from any of speciall note for parts learning or authority Let such as are men of place whose example if bad would like poyson pierce into the bowells of silly ignorant ones I say let such looke to themselves lest after in hell they cry out of them and say woe bee to such examples had not their authority beene stronger with me to draw me to formality to ambition to pleasures and lusts then the word to disswade I had never come here Beware of such offences Woe be to the world because of offences Matth. 18.7 both in laying blocks and stumbling at blocks It is just with God that one should destroy the other because neither cared for the truth nor to be principled upon
and there the most refuse stuffe the most base opinions of the vulgar the errors of the wicked their own conjectures selfe sowne corne and the seed which growes upon their own soile will serve seeking out no further whence it comes to passe that their fruit their corne and their cattell prosper but their soules and consciences their spirituall peace and growth in grace comes to nought In other matters they finde no pudder onely in their estate to God-ward their feares and distempers are unspeakeable and for the most part remedilesse Oh! be choice then in your grounds and principles Search the Scriptures goe to the Law and Testimony get Gods heifer to plow with deny your selves and to conclude with this example of Naaman ascribe this honour to God that he is meetest to rule in his own element and therefore doe not forestall him in his owne way Thou wouldest hearken to each man in his owne element it is a maxime of experience as to a mariner in the judgement of the windes to a plowman about oxen to a souldier in point of battell and shall every one be preferred as a Counsellor for Religion and heaven before God and his word Pray and use all meanes for the spirit of thy great Prophet the Lord Jesus to advise thee how to passe all thy matters establishing all thy thoughts by his counsell that happy successe and blessing may follow thee in all thy waies Psal 119. and thou maiest be free from the miseries of error Advices for the well ordering of our course One word of advice and so an end It may be here demanded what principles should a man get for the managing of his course To which I answer It were needlesse here to number or instance in particulars It must be the habit of wisdome which must prompt the soule in such cases as fall out onely these three I would briefly commend to all who would cut off sorrow from their life The first concerning God himselfe the second touching men the third our selves yet all tending one way And these three are faith righteousnesse and contentation No three vices create so tedious a pudder in the course as distrust unrighteousnesse and discontent For the first see Heb. 13.5 1. Faith in God Let not your conversation be in covetousnesse for he hath said he will not faile I doe not give this rule to the poore onely but to the rich not onely this * Preached in the yeares 1630. 1631. deare yeare but alway Oh! this one error of distrust what a flood-gate of sorrowes doth it let in when charge of children debts deare prises unthankfull unmercifull world pinches a man then at the hardest to have this bond of the Lords in a corner to sue what a stay what boot in beame is it Oh! when a man can say my bond shall be as good as mony at all times I hold upon all sufficiency I have that I have from a fountaine alway running which shall hold when the deepest lake shall drie up But let a man want this bottome this center to draw lines of supply from it and what is a mans life but vexation causing the heart to bee endlesse in flinging about coasting and sherking every where and what then Indirect courses snares and endlesse unquietnesse defeat and disappointment of expectation and lying down in sorrow Oh! ye rich men in these hard times if God bee able to satisfie you as well in spending as sparing and provide you rest in the middest of other mens carking who thinke when all is done they shall dye beggars what shall ye lose by releeving the poore and starven ones Secondly righteousnesse is a brestplate armor of proofe 2. Righteousnesse to man to keep out darts and stinging vexation See Ephe. 6.14 As faith fences the inward man so doth this the outward Oh! goe out walke abroad in the world with this corslet and it shall repell all reproach and odious disdaine of men It will make a man shotfree as Charles the fifth rushing into the battell said a true Emperor was never shot with a bullet it will harnis thee against all feare what any man can cast in thy teeth whatsoever courses others take raking and scraping tooth and naile by hook or crook yet thou goest on quietly servest providence makest no more haste then good speed and hereby perhaps thou thrivest faster then great sticklers with all their irons in the fire But say thou shouldest not yet thou canst say that 1 Sam. 12.3 Acts 20.33 which they cannot with Samuel and Paul whose oxe have I taken whose silver have I coveted whose bloud have I sucked whose face have I ground Oh brethren This deare yeare I doubt may call the sinnes of many oppressors to remembrance The poore shall curse thee Oh thou regrater thou engrosser of corne and raiser of prises from seven to tenne shillings or a marke in the bushell And shall not the Lord heare them Will not the example of that corne cormorant who hanged himselfe the other day sting you A sad example will it not cause all thy false weights cut measures cheats tricks and cunning to vex thee then is the more behinde and one day this error of thine will gugge thee to the quicke and cause thee to cry out away with this mammon of deceit I am choked with it Thirdly contentation is a sweet ground to settle upon Phil. 4.6 Let your moderate minde be knowne to all men the Lord is at hand Bee content with your present state 3. Contentation in our selves as Heb. 13.5 Oh! what a world of sorrow doe they incurre who beginne their course with unsettled discontent Oh! the present is of all other most unpleasing They are going up the craggy hill looking at last to get to the toppe and there to finde a Paradise but they meet with a Purgatory A quiet minde sitting at the bottome of the hill is much better beside the trouble Get the ground of your content within for without you cannot it is safer to bring your mind to close with your meanes then make a coate for the Moone that is to draw them to an equipage with it for it is endlesse Oh! mens hopes and hurries are their life And what comes of it pudder and vexation The roote of the error is never amended in the progresse but growes worse as a fore that rankles House must be joyned to house land to land farme to farme trade to trade riches will not come in fast enough Alas to trade with a mans owne stocke is simple men must occupy with three parts of other mens stocks to a fourth of their owne They gape at their commings in but at their charges housekeeping servants toile of body and spirit ill debtors usurious payments they looke not They looke to cleare all and prove rich men But in the meane time their principle being bad corrupts their whole course and blasts their hopes For hee that
of fidelity to appeare in the course of service refusing no employment whereby the heart may utter it selfe for Gods sake to man to whom God hath committed authority and commission to presse obedience and faithfulnesse in a lawfull condition of life whereof more in the exhortation if Cod will shall be spoken I now hasten to the Uses The first use may be just Terror and Reproofe to bad and unfaithfull Vse 1 servants who neither looke at faithfulnesse ere they enter Bad and unfaithfull servants terrified neither care to practise it when they are entred For Terror first Alas whither shall we goe to finde such as first give themselves to God and after to their Masters Who lookes after entrance or moulding into Gods principles They doubt not but to the worke they are hired unto they can dispatch it so can horses and oxen and goe through stitch with it They have been in good houses they say where there were folke as hard to please as others and yet them they could give content too and they hope they are wise enough to make their covenants But as for being made faithfull as Paul saith 1 Tim. 1. and putting into Gods service first alas they know not what it meanes so they be faithfull droiles and drudges they thinke more cannot be required so they can doe worke enough what care they to lye to sweare to guzzle at their times appointed to abuse and prophane the Sabbaths to balke the congregation to runne about their own occasions when God should be worshipped And if they be reproved they aske Is not your worke done And so thinke to stoppe all mouthes But alas There be yet worse then these even debaucht and slacke hayred companions whose trade and course of life it is to runne from Master to Master and when they have wearied one house then runne to another and poyson that with their prophane drunken uncleane and cursed qualities I speake of this Nation of bad servingmen then which generally none are more ignorant of God or loose licentious in life As for faithfulnesse to their Masters they know none save to cast on their livery and waite upon them idely at home or abroad and spend their dayes and yeares in a most vanishing cursed prophanenesse And the truth is the condition of servants in the houses of great men who keepe a retinue and attendance of servants for state and number is so idle and slothfull for the most part that it is of necessity that servants be so wicked ease and base sloth so defiling them that whether they depart quickly they pester so many the more houses or if they abide they defile that house so deeply that the taint of it can never bee washed out I speake not A caution as if God denyed to great persons the liberty of much attendance But then they should not thinke it a disparagement unto them to looke so narrowly to the wayes of their servants that when their attendance upon their tables or their persons within or without is ended thay may improve them in some such other businesse either ingenuous or mechanique as may prevent that forlorne and wofull sottishnesse and sloth which when it hath possessed servants causes them to be noysome to God to men yea oft to themselves besides the poysoning of the family by their examples The siâ—s of bâ—d servants If servants were first leavened with the fear of God durst they enter into service upon such tearmes Now as concerning meaner mens covenant servants or journey-men what should I say where is there one of tenne that enters into service with the least sparke of Religion in them I dare speake it this Nation of journey-men for the most part is a greater bane to townes and families then any one besides For what is their life save a licking up of the scurffe of the Country yea the depth of Satan and leaving it behinde them wheresoever they become So that the lewdnesse the swearing the bastardy the unseasonable houres and revell route of townes may as much be fathered upon these as any And as for the beholding of God in the ordinance of servants how far are they off it They can skill to get inâ—o houses of liberty where there be no Puritans where they may have most elbowroome good usage for meate and drinke best wages and when they fayle of these get them gone on the suddaine and leave their Masters in the lurch to provide for themselves God they see none in an ordinance their governours they looke at as they serve their turne as they shew them countenance according to the vayles they can get under them But as for conscience to deny their proud hearts to live meekely subjectly and patiently under that yoke which God hath put them under they are so farre from it that let them be crossed their blood being up they neither will spare their Masters in words nor deeds blowes nor wounds What wonder They never came where Religion and faith grew their sent is still in them and occasion being offered there is no basenesse so horrible but they will commit it no unfaithfulnesse so great but they will adventure it They are traytors to God how therefore can they chuse but be unfaithfull to man But all their unfaithfulnesse is not in the entrance for what is their practice save a perpetuall trade of unfaithfulnesse Witnesse the infinite company of bankerupts dayly growing and the decaying of so many husbands tradesmen and shop-keepers whereof if yee enquire the causes it is an hundred to one but bad servants come in among the chief If their Masters be thrifty circumspect to overlooke the state of their families to debar them from free egresse and regresse too and fro all their commodities they blaze them abroad for such hard Masters and unbeteaming that it is pitty they say that a good servant should ever come within their doores And if they dislike their diet never so little as not dainty enough though indeed too good for them what is their custome but to combine and each to lay their heads together to filch their Masters commodities bread wine beere what not for the serving of their appetite What is more usuall among servants then to forfeit their trust and to use those keyes which are committed to their care for the safeguarding of commodities under their hands in Dayrie in Almery Buttery or the like for the betraying of them into the hands of them that imbezzel them by unseasonable feastings junketings and merry-makings their governours perhaps being asleepe in their beds And because these are thought but trifles what servants almost are there now adayes who may safely be trusted with those thinges which yet they cannot be well kept from I meane their Masters receits accounts and moneyes which they are trusted with either as Prentices Receivers or Stewards Servants being now growne to that point that further then they are watched narrowly they will have it by hooke or
simply What then Is thy speech to be commended No in no case For why Dost thou not go by the worlds rule it seems not to be so I cannot thinke it Is this enough to bury the truth of a word of the eternall God under Doe not still speake evill of the way of salvation because God makes it not so rationall as thou wouldest and will not sell thee heaven for thy praiers and devotions He askes no more then his word beleeved will give thee power to performe if thou reject it not by distrust Instan 2 Another Instance is this Beloved so long as Gods government in the Church Administrations of God must not be quarrelled or upon our selves pleases us while hee dandles us in his lap holds off enemies enlarges our abilities keepes under our corruptions tries us by no great temptations annoints our paths for us and gives us better gifts fruit of our labours and outward blessings then we expected Oh how we can cleave to him This drawes water out of a marble stone But let our sunne enter never so little into an eclipse or if God remove our strong holds from us leave us to enemies seem to smile upon them side with them suffer them to enjoy whatsoever their heart could wish Psal 80.4 Job 1. Mica 2.7 in having their wills on us But to frown upon us not onely while we sinne but when we repent and to disregard us even in our most frequent importunate praiers Do we then persist in our uprightnes Dowe then as Micah saith beleeve that still Gods word is as good as ever it was to such as walke uprightly When neither Moon nor Sun appears for many dayes do we abhor to suffer darkenesse to possesse us within because there is such a darkenesse without Can we fall to Pauls remedy Act. 27.20 Act. 27.20 Judg. 6. Mica 7.9.10 I beleeve God No no wee cavill and say If the Lord be with us how are all these evills upon us Why I beseech you Although hee hath promised to all beleeving soules to shew them light in darkenesse and after to turne their darkenesse into light yet did hee ever promise us to keepe this darkenesse quite from us Had Christs love so appeared if he had come and kept Lazaras from dying as it did by raising him up when hee was dead and beganne to stinke Bring me forth one word sounding that way that God would alway keepe one even tenor of outward peace and prosperity over his Church and then tell him hee is not as good as his word But this is a Religion better fitting Papists who know not what faith is then such as we Oh be warned This carnality of ours sits neere Gods heart loades him as the cart with sheaves is loaden Doe not give God over thus say there will be light for the righteous it is sown for them though not come up yet God is good to Israel to the upright in heart The eternall strength of God is a brasen pillar Psal 73.1 which the soul may swing all her strength upon in the greatest straits although heaven and earth goe together such shall have peace peace that is sure peace as Esay speaks and as for carnall reason she shall see it too Esay 26.2.3 2 King 7.3 but she shall not eat thereof it is a dainty onely serving for waiters and beleevers It is faith which must doe the worke of workes keepe fire from consuming the bush or burning the three children It is faith which must doe all these feats Heb. 11.35.36.37 Carnall reason never wrought one miracle but it hath marred many Faith and the power of God hath kept a venice glasse from being broken against the wall when it was cast with violence But carnall reason breakes all it throwes Therefore to conclude take heed of her and learne admonition to lot upon the word of truth for thy selfe for the Church in the promise of God in the providence and alsufficiency of God If he satisfie not thy desires know it is not because he is weaker or falser or lesse pitifull then he was but he hath other ends then thou seest hee aimes at purging out thy canker of Selfe and perhaps hath more universall ends for the manifesting of his vengeance upon a Nation not worthy to be beloved deserving a decree to come forth This is no season for carnall sense to lowre but for faith to fall to worke if not to save others yet to save each one himselfe and lay in as Iosia did for himselfe Jer. 45. 2 Kings 22.20 that he may have his life for a prey and he may not see the evills which shall come upon others And so also to lay in pledges of hope for posterity that when Gods winter is come downe and his people scoured and his old brasse and candlesticks melted he will make better vessels of our posterities even zealous ones and prepared for every good worke And againe a third Instance may be this The outward difficulty of Instance 3 the times is great the Lord having marveilously plagued our spirituall surfeting upon his bread of life not onely with a famine of it but even with cleannesse of teeth This hath beene a sore yeare for the poore and pinched the rich What doe you poore ones now For the rich may scape better Do ye fall to fears that you shall be starven Or your do ye solace your selves that still the word abides for a stay unto hearts in these hard times Tell me truly Doth lesse meat serve you because you trust God Doth faith and a cheerfull heart make a little goe a great way Or doe ye runne to the cursed phrase If windowes were in heaven it could not be holpen Truly I hope some of ye speake the truth when you say Gods word for man is not fed with bread only doth sustaine you It is a signe that flesh and sense doe not altogether beare rule I am glad it is no worse goe on and prosper and as the Lord hath hitherto holpen you so that the scarsity of other thevish savage poore hath not oppressed you so hee shall still finde mercy in mens hearts and purses to relieve and helpe you through this famine while plenty come onely learne by this experience to build your altar with Samuel and say Hitherto the Lord hath holpen us and so hee will he hath not kept us from a Beare and a Lion that a Giant 1 Sam. 7.12 a Dog should destroy us Say thus The Lord hath not yet put us so sharply upon the pikes of famine as that we should eate our owne children or mice dogs cats and rats as in former ages of Popery they have done in this Kingdome Therefore I will trust him still and although there shall be no Calfe left in the stall Habac. 3. nor Bullocke in the flocke yet the Lord shall be my salvation I will not as poore as I am say as a Carle lately did
Christ and a lightnesse in his burthen Others a marveilous difficulty and such a thing as must be striven for and yet may be mist The answer is Heaven and Grace are both the most easie and the most difficult that can be Answ Grace is the hardest and the easiest thing of all Math. 19.26 both may well stand They are most easie to the soule which will bee taught of God and will not resist his method by attending their owne wisdome But to others they are matters of greatest difficulty To God all things are possible to flesh and bloud to the wit and will of man to the freedome of our owne choice nothing is so impossible I remember the answer of a Philosopher to a great Prince who had beene his scholar and was discontented at him for publishing his bookes be content saith hee and know my bookes of Philosophy are publisht and not published for none are ere the wiser for them save those to whom they were read and made evident So here The mystery of Christ is the most easie and the most hard easie only to such as in whom the Lord hath opened an eare Job 33.15 and revealed it to others hard So much for Instruction Vse 2 Secondly this is Terror to all such libertines and carnall Gospellers who make Religion Faith great works light and slight matters Terror to many running away with them as horses with empty waggons not through any Branch 1 ease they have by the Spirit but from the excesse and superfluity of their own blindenesse and presumption Slighters of the worke of grace abuse the doctrine of ease Others are blinde idiots tell them of Regeneration and Conversion and they run to their own strength they doe hope well that if they put their good will to Gods God will so far enable them as to get somewhat They hope men make more ado about matters then God himselfe God hath told them that faith in the promise is easie and none of these sowre Preachers shall pull this liberty from them what needs all this adoe If God be on our side we feare nothing as long as men walke even and faire harmelesse and devout bearing a good minde toward God keepe their Church and pay all men their dues and give to the poore for ought they see God is mercifull will not the death of a sinner is found of them that sought him not Esay 65.1 Matth. 11. â—9 Esay 57.17 His yoke is easie he saith he will not bee alway heavy upon men he knowes we be no Angels yea he saith that he hath seene the iniquity of mens covetousnesse and hee will heale them and make no more adoe It is for his glory to bee mercifull As for these Ministers who sticke so much at the truth of heart and faith unfaigned they say onely God knowes the heart and they trouble mens heads more then they doe them good making men unquiet and finding out new crotchets What is mans life say they if hee may not bee merry and cheerfull God loves it and Christ hath dearly bought it and its best to be merry eat and drinke and cast away care God say these hath made us of bodies as well as soules we be not all spirit nor shall be in this world we must tend Sermons so as we may tend our worke too our bodies must be made of for God and what skils it though we play and be good fellowes and drinke a cup or two so it be in the feare of God although we be none of these Puritans yet wee be not against them we hope by this meanes to spend out our short time having God afore our eies and to be in heaven ere we be aware Oh yee wofull creatures Doe you thus construe Gods ease I aske you Hath the Lord ever brought you under the bondage of spirit for all your cursed nature and impious prophanenesse Did it ever cut you off from your old stocke Did it ever bring yee under hope No doubtlesse Thinke not then to make faith an easie purchase upon your owne purse it will be one day in that your last night of death and darkenesse such a toilesome journey through tempest and foule weather dirt and wearinesse that you shall be quite tired and then shall true toile succeed false ease Hearken not to that lying spirit which beares you in hand all ease ease for it shall turne to extremity of anguish and to a desperate impossibility The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The Lord indeed moderates the labour of his poore weary travellers to Zion Psal 84. So that they shall grow from strength and feele no faintnesse But no man shall goe up in a feather bed to heaven if it were ever an easie way it was never easie foolehardy stout travellers which boast of their limbes shall faint suddenly Matth. 15. Dogs must not come with poore children for Gods dole it belongs not unto them So much for the first Branch Others also there are whom this terror reacheth unto And they are Branch 2 base hypocrites who come with their toile and cost to God Hypocrites who come with their toile and cost to God are rejected devising painfull and tedious waies of their owne but shunning Gods easie way They will obtrude their whole rivers of oile and wine and whole barns of corne for the sinne of their soules whereas he askes onely a third part of an Hin and an handfull of flower for a meat offering A poore thing in Gods way is better excepted then all excesse of our owne Ye load mee saith God and pester me with your offerings I groane under the burthen of your sacrifices Honour me in mine owne way and I will make it easie and sweet to you But else the sand is not more heavy to mens shoulders then you to Gods you are out of Gods element therefore every thing is weighty you may complaine that you are not regarded but the Lord pitties no toile of hypocrites against his word Elija shall sooner consume the sacrifice with fire from heaven by standing still and praying in Gods way then all Baals Priests with their lancings and leapings upon the Altar Cost without wit is waste It s said of Ionathan that he had wrought with God that day on which he overcame those Philistins So I say Gods people work with God 1 King 18.28 with 37. 1 Sam. rather he with them but hypocrites work with themselves therefore they lay out their labour for that which profits not and mony for no bread They goe against the streame a Esau in his hunting for the blessing went another way with lesse adoe Esay 55.2 1 Sam. 14.45 2 Tim 3.7 As it s said in Timothy Alway hearing never comming to knowledge Oh the endlesse bootlesse toile of hypocrites You poore asses running the Divells round and grinding in his mill with your eyes blindfold at last be scared out of your trade You doe but as Sampson
thou hast dealt with thy servant in mercy thou hast not laid heavy taskes upon me I cannot accuse thee like an hypocrite that thou hast taken up where thou hast not strawed nor reaped where thou hast not sowne Rather I may say that others have laboured and I am entred into their labours that is found a sweet and easie work of beleeving Now as I blesse thee for this so yet be not angry with me if I have another request to make unto thee Matth. 25.24 and that is that thou wouldest still hold the like hand towards me in making the life of faith sweet unto me and the course of obedience most welcome and familiar Oh! let it be no harsh thing unto me to beleeve all thy other promises Gen. 18.30 concerning strength against tentations power against my lusts And breed experience for time to come Lord let not the difficulty of walking be as great as the ease of conversion was mercifull just it were with thee to make it so and to try me what soundnesse what uprightnesse were in me by hard trialls But oh lead me not into tentation do not suffer my corruptions to wax stronger then I can master nor Satan to be more fierce and fiery in his darts then I can resist or quench I doe not pray against crosses or assaults but that they may be according to man and that an issue may be given with them that I may say thou hast been afflicted with me in all my afflictions to make them tolerable Esay 63.9 by thy meekenesse confidence patience and courage put into me Let the Angel of thy presence save me and conduct me beare me up by thy hand continually and redeeme me out of them all at last in an happy manner give me O Lord both the upper and the nether springs enlarge my coast and be with me against those Cananites of the mountaines Judg. 1.15 who have iron chariots If thou shalt indeed blesse me as Iabez said thou shalt be my God 1 Chron. 4.10 Teach me mercy to the distressed patience in affliction faith in straits sobernesse in blessings faithfulnesse if a Minister subjection if a wife understanding if an husband dutifulnesse if a child trustinesse if a servant and let there be sweet ease in all these Lust is sweet Lord to my unmortified part but present thou such a prevailing sweetnesse in thy love by thy promise that it may bear down the corrupt pleasure of my sinne so that while thy love and the joy of thy countenance is present the image of such scurfe may bee despised and it may not be tedious to mee to reject the tentations to wrath revenge earthlinesse loosenesse in liberties pride vanity But all these may become bitter to mee thy grace making them so Oh brethren the Lord teach you to thinke of this Strange it is how many of us goe to worke with God in the way of our conversation especially if private solemne dangerous disgraced hard duties be urged wee finde our hearts so sullen weary hollow fickle carnall in any duty which concernes us as if God were highly beholding to us for our worke What then should be the pitch of our ambition with God save that still he would carry us upon Eagles wings hide all difficulty of Religion from us present it to us as a sweet object remove our waywardnesse of will and fill us with love that wee comprehending the length depth and height of it might be filled with his fulnesse and be carried on without any great rubs or sad offences that our heads may not be brought to our graves with sorrow but wee may finish our course with joy David in that Psalme 27.4 having found one mercy with God staies not there but laies in for a new What is that One thing I will aske of God that he will not deny me That I may walke and spend all my daies in his house continually A child findes it no trouble to him to walke in the presence of a loving father who pitties and provides for him So shouldest thou Mourne thus if ever any thing come between my soul and ease it will be this treacherous heart which will come to a point It s that which so manacles and pinions my soule that I cannot reach that liberty and joy which thy servants feele It s that Lord which makes me so darke so lowring discontent unfruitfull and sad Esay 38. Oh Lord ease me here these have oppressed me deliver me I doe not lay in for liberty to the lusts of the flesh to fulfill them Pray for five things to make Religion sweet I desire the curbing and destruction of them for ever and their wasting daily But till thy sweetnesse satisfie my soule and soake me to the rootes I shall never be as I would be nor can thy worke bee as it ought to be Accept therefore first the will for the deed a little for much that shall be one vantage Then againe cover and hide defects and looke upon my better part thine owne grace and not my corruption interpret me with favour to the uttermost Then thirdly betrust me with those principles of love and sincerity which will make a little goe a great way And then make my lusts to be my clogs and as Sauls armour upon Davids backe who could not goe with them And to conclude make the yoake of thine afflictions easie and enlarge me to runne the way of thy commandements with cheerfulnesse So much for this third Branch Branch 4 But there is yet a fourth branch of Exhortation behinde flowing more necessarily from this Doctrine Nourish not feares about the way of God then any of the former And that is this That seeing the people of God have an allowance from God of ease in beleeving Therefore let all poore soules set their hearts at rest and not nourish fears within themselves of a more tedious entrance into the Kingdome of Grace then the Lord hath promised Nay rather let them fasten upon this priviledge not looking at themselves but at him who hath all impossibilities at his becke and can turne them to ease In which respect Abraham is said to beleeve that although in shew Sara's wombe was to be barren yet because God was able to make good his word therefore from one who was as dead should issue thousands Thus faith gives glory to God and drownes her owne fears in his power True it is wee cannot beleeve that God will make his promise easie till we beleeve But one excellent argument to draw us to beleeve is the meditation of it as an easie worke and that the Lord can and will make it so As I noted before the cause why so many start and shrinke from the way of God is the conceit of the most noysome and tedious hardnesse of it The sluggard still cries A Lion is in the way Proverb I dare not goe Take we heed of this bondage Wee cannot dishonour God
No they would not for a world have concealed it but now they were glad that they gave not place to their Masters madnesse or their own feare of his ill will and that by this craft of theirs even of sincerity they had conquered him Oh how many temptations we have within and without to lay downe our counsells and give all over thinking wee shall tire our selves and prevaile little purchase ill will for our love and hatred for our sincerity and that would grieve us Grive us nay it would have grieved us if we had beene hollow but there is no cause of griefe now whether our counsell take or not our labour is with God Sonne of man saith God to Ezek. 18. If thou seest the plague comming and shalt plainly tell them of it thou hast saved thine owne soule their bloud shall be upon their owne head if they beleeve not Here is the season of upbraiding by base Rebels for our plaine dealing But bee of good cheere hereafter will be the day in which wee shall be admired when the Lord shall arraigne all Sycophants for their flattery and spilling the bloud of soules and the bloud of Christ the price thereof then conscience shall rend them in peeces then all their owne ends of gaine or ambition shall vanish and then they will cry out Oh that we had beene faithfull Then shalt thou be comforted and they tormented yea let all such as have received good counsell rejoice and bee thankefull David having heard Abigails plaine counsell was rapt into praise unto God 1 Sam. 25. Oh saith she my Lord it will not grieve thee when thou shalt sit upon the throne that thou hast obeyed thine handmaid and not shed innocent bloud Grieve thee nay wonderfully glad thee that thou scapedst such a disaster Oh saith he blessed be the Lord and blessed be thy counsell which hath turned off my sword from this fact which else I had committed so shalt thou blesse God for a counsellor and for mercy to perswade thee by it and say it was ten to one that I tooke it I had as many temptations to reject it as Naaman had here which if I had I had gone on in my unbeleefe and pride to hell which gulfe I have now shot We need not aske whether Naaman comforted himselfe in following the advice of his Servants Concerning which the verses following entreat Thus much for this third argument of the Servants viz. the sincerity of Elisha his counsell There is yet one more which now I come to and so finish the whole Verse And that is in the last words How much more when he saith unto thee wash and be cleane It is taken from a comparison of unequalls Their fourth and last aâ—gument from comparison Thus thou pretendest great respect to the Prophet in greater things this is but a small one if thou meane as thou makest shew thou must needs obey in the lesser if thou meantst it in the greater else thou shouldest be but hollow and not to be trusted The point is He that is honest and upright Doctrine The faithfull in greater things will much more be so in smaller if he be faithfull in greater things will much more be so in smaller This point attends the former very fitly That called upon us for the brestplate of righteousnesse This puts upon us the belt or girdle of Truth Both are peeces of the Christian armor Ephes 6. and the summe of it is That where truth is there is proportion and equalnesse A man may know where to have an honest man if he shew forwardnesse in great things by good reason a man may expect readines to do smaller matters He is but a meer boaster and hypocrite who makes great shewes of doing this or that but being puâ— to the triall shrinkes his neck out of the collar even in trifles no man judges such a one to be any better then a gull But to speak a word or two in the Proofe and so breefly come to the Use Luke 16.11 The ground of it may be fetcht from that speech of our Saviour If you be unfaithfull in the lesser things the Mammon of this world who will trust you in the greater Treasure That is if you may not be trusted in the disbursing of a little pelfe and trash that perisheth for the good of the body and releefe of the poore who will trust you in the dispensing of heavenly treasure to the comfort of the soules of such as need it As if he had said The Law of equity supposes that if you were faithfull in a greater you might be well trusted with the lesser but if the lesser bewray you to be unfaithfull doubtlesse much more would you be so in the greater If I should betrust a man with twenty shillings to distribute it among poor folke the party should deceive me and rob the poor of it I durst hardly trust him to be my Executor to disburse a great summe to their use The reason is good and holds strong that basenesse of heart which hinders him from the lesse by reason of a trifle would assuredly much more withdraw him by a greater booty and try his falshood And so by contraries But I will adde a Reason or two First Religion agrees well with naturall principles and admits those consequences which reason allowes Now there is nothing more common Reason 1 in nature and reason then this That every whole must needs containe his parts and every general his particulars for why its greater and therefore includes his lesser Againe we have a rule issuing from hence That which availes in the greater much more availes in the lesser Whether greater in quantity the greater circle includes the lesse the perfectest figure as a circle comprehends a lesse perfect as a cube or in quality as a greater heat containes a lesser a greater light as the Sun containes the lesser as the Moone So in other degrees greater strength containes a lesse in numbers hundred comprehends scores oftnesse comprehends seldomenesse in notions the more unlikely comprehends the lesse the more difficult the more easie and arguments may easily be drawne from the one to the other to convince any that is guided by sound reason Therefore it must hold in Religion also Reason 2 Secondly God is the God of order and his off-spring is like him Religion is an orderly thing no confusion But if men might goe to worke as they list and goe out and in be off and on in greater matters conscionable in lesser carelesse bound to no rule where should wee have or finde men Religion being the seed of God acts and workes the heart to grace or duty by an infallible principle so that who so makes conscience of great things doth it upon a command of God and not only for observation sake or base respects Now he who is guided by a command considers it according to the extent of it and if he bee willing in cases
of difficulty to obey he is much more ready to obey in easier and lesser because else he should justly question his sincerity in the greater The same generall tye lying upon the soule in both great and small the soule dares not offend in the small lest it should seeme to obey the greater for some ends of it owne to avoid the shame which the neglect of the greater might rather cause then the violation of the smaller Reason 3 Thirdly faithfulnesse in the greater takes away that barre of falshood which might hinder the performance of the smaller Perhaps a false heart might possibly buckle to a greater worke of Piety or Charity then to a smaller because it sees more carnall content accruing to it selfe by the greater then by the smaller But a sincere heart that abhorres falshood is carried by another instinct and cares not so much what men thinke as what God thinkes remembring that speech Not he who men praiseth is a true Jew or Christian but whom God praiseth The argument in sundry respects prevailes with a Christian from the lesser to the greater Rom. 2. ult as well from the greater to the lesser When great duties lye upon him to be done he argues thus Shall I make conscience of smaller secreter offences and shall I not much more abhor the grosser Doe I provide for my owne peace in the smaller so that the least gnat makes me straine and doe I not make much more conscience of greater which would more waste and weaken my peace So in good things Doe I make conscience of smaller duties as to give an almes to rule my tongue or a passion wherein God is lesser honoured and doe I not much more regard the maine duties of faith and the purging of my heart and inner man from hypocrisie in which I should honour him much more Again when the question is of lesser sinnes avoiding or duties doing then it disputes another way Have I found the yoke of God light unto me in those things which I feared my base heart would never be drawne too because of their difficulty and danger and shall I draw backe in smaller wherein no such hurt or hardnesse is to be feared Surely this were to requite God evill for good and to bewray my lewdnesse that I seeke starting holes and excuses to shake off the yoke when I see the least crevis of liberty to the flesh afforded so that I will serve God no more then needs must and would shift my hands of the greatest much more if the necessity thereof and the expectation of others did not compell me So then the point is cleer He that is faithfull in a greater will be so much more in the lesser Howbeit the point must be understood aright Explanation of the point and according to the naturall meaning and intent of it we must therefore qualifie Greatnesse and Smalnesse in their due measure or else the point will not hold First we must qualifie men aright in their opinion for to some men that may seem greatest which to another is smallest and another may judge that least which another thinks greatest When that young man came to our Saviour and told him He had kept all the Commands from his youth our Saviour answered him Goe sell all The scope of Christ was to confute his presumption in keeping all by laying open his inability to keepe one and that lesser then any of the morall ones For to obey one command in the manner and due measure thereof is that which never yet flesh could do But to sell all hath beene done by many who never obeyed one command of the morall Law in his extent and fulnesse Now yet marke this young man tooke it otherwise for hee thought to sell all to be harder then all the other in which respect our Saviour searcht him to the quicke but in the thing it selfe it was not so Againe in this case circumstances prove essentialls sometimes as of time for at some time a man may be fit for a greater who at another is not fit for a smaller As to give ten pound at his death for religious uses who perhaps while hee lived could not so well spare tenne shillings Also the preparation of the heart must be considered In the generall David may be thought to be readier to pardon Mephibosheth then Shemei the one failing by error the other substantially but he was armed in the case of the one but naked in the other Besides he beheld Shemei under a true colour as set on by God to try him but the other in a false as suspecting that a favorite should be treacherous which was nothing so So a generall custome of corrupt nature may fasten greater degree upon a lesser thing and a lesser upon a greater Act. 14. Those people of Lycaonia might have thought it a greater humility for men to abase themselves to men then to God But Idolatry and corrupt custome caused even their proud hearts to proffer worship to Paul and Barnabas as agreeing with a fleshly heart rather then God himself whom when they were urged to worship they tooke up stones to kill the Apostles And endlesse it were to shew the variety of respects wherein this rule may faile But this I say if the true natures of things and the judgements of men about them be reconciled taking things in their due extent without error then the point alway holds true He that is faithfull in the greater is so much more in the smaller For why A Christian is acted by such a spirit as teaches him to doe all things with sincerity equality and proportion both great and small one and another lest if any flaw appeare it should breed a disproportion in the eye of God or of man and cause an ey-sore to both As when wee see a comely face joyned to a crooked body or a deformed and crooked back and shoulders to a good countenance presently there appeares an indignation in us at the eye-sore Vse 1 The first Use is for Instruction It informes us of the reason why many men who seem forward in some greater acts of religion especially for the bulke thereof yet faile most grossely in the smaller Iâ—struction It s a shrewd marke of unfaiâ—hfulnesse to be forward in great duties and backward in small Surely it is an argument of great unfaithfulnesse and impurity of spirit For if there were soundnesse there would bee much more forwardnesse in lesser then in greater as being joyned with lesse damage and difficulty But when the heart is impure there is no sure rule in a man to keep him in he may bee franke in greater acts and very defective in smaller What was the cause that moved our Saviour to magnifie the woman that cast in two farthings into the treasury above them that cast in handfulls of silver Mark 12.43 Not for the summe but the different spirit of both She cast in out of devotion and would have
forsake himselfe because he made a promise to his posterity So let us doe But if we want any gift as of memory prayer asking questions conference we distrust God although we have received greater gifts of the Spirit which are onely peculiar to sanctification We love Christ say some and his members without dissimulation Esay 26. and our desires are to his name but we have no gift in private prayer fasting or uttering of our mindes and wants what then doth not the greater circle include the lesse If it bee meet for you he that gave you the cheefe can give you the smaller if hee doe not you shall not need them If you have got those that concerne the Kingdome and righteousnesse of God Matth. 6.32 the other shall be cast in Only I adde seeke God in the smaller as well as in the cheefe and beleeve the particular as well as the generall else although you have scaped a gulfe yet a shallow may endanger you Iona was abased in the whales belly yet impatient for the losse of a gourd Jona Cap. 3. and 4. Our fooles bable is more to us then a Kings Crowne If our bafe heart be set upon a trifle it s with us as a penny cuttle or a fine feather is with an Indian more pretious then much gold If God have kept thee in thy midle age he can keep thee in thine old age If in thy long sea-voyagâ— he can keepe thee from shipwracke in the haven much more provided that thou doe not entertaine any base lust which should eclipse thy former honour As Hezechia dyed with his blurre through loosenesse Phil. 3 But if thou wilt looke still forward to the price of the high call of God and not backward with pride for that which is past not be high minded but feare God will not deceive thee having escaped a Lion a Beare shall not devoure thee Vse 4 Fourthly let us be exhorted to that which is the scope of the Doctrine Admonition and Exhortation even Faithfulnesse and Sincerity for that will preserve in us that boldnesse and confidence whereby we shall beleeve that he who hath made us faithfull in the greater things will not leave us in the smaller otherwise nothing is more easie for us to fall into then this He whose head gazes up to the clouds soonest falls into the ditch but hee who walkes with his eye upon his way circumspectly and narrowly shall not need to feare it Ephes 5.16 The truth is our cursed spirit is so beset with corruption of all sorts that no law no rule of proportion can levell and make our lives equall and sutable We thinke that because we have wonne the spurres in one great battell therefore no lesser enemy dare looke us in the face But let not any that puts on his harneis boast as he that puts them off When the house is swept and garnisht then comes in the uncleane spirit and marres all our logicke and confidence 1 King 20.11 and makes many who beganne in the spirit to end in the flesh Behold and observe the course of such men as want the bridle of God to curbe them there is no certainty where to finde them Matth. 12. Inconstancy in mens affections and disproportion argues fashood though at a time you may perceive them above the clouds in their zeale often hearing vows of great reformation yet you shall marke them in a short time quite other persons for why Not a principle of grace acts them for then you should see a proportion in them but a pang an humour soone up soone downe Some time in the clouds in admiring such a Preacher or Christian none are like them by and by as the ship in the sea tossed from the tops of hils to the lowest depth none are so bad or meane as they they thrust them downe to the lowest pit Who abhors not so base and inconstant a course Their proud prodigall vainglorious foolish selfe-loving heart puffes them sometimes to very deepe protestations and purposes what they will doe but not wisely weighing with themselves that they want stocke to hold out they who at sometime will buy a good Minister into the Parish with great cost at another time will runne and ride to hunt him out as fast on their supposed death bed they bequeath great things to the poore but being recovered they doe nothing nay perhaps grinde their faces As those Barbarians Acts ult now made Paul a God but presently a murtherer Oh saith one I love thee from my heart I would ride an hundred mile to doe thee a good turne an hundred pounds should not part thee and me who would not beleeve him But there is no soundnesse within for at another time he will deny you his horse to ride five mile or to lend you five pound if you should goe to prison for want of it what Christian that feares God would not looke close to himselfe when he sees the world so mad and so unsettled through a false heart When a tender body goes abroad into the aire or foule weather he puts on his cap and hood close about his eares and girds up his loines close lest any the least dint or impression of weather should annoy him So will a tender conscience feele the smallest distemper and take heed of the least occasions of evill whereas a base heart is for all weathers companies occasions Let us then seeke to get into us a principle of constancy which may undertake for us else an inconstant man is as a wave of the sea and is unlike himselfe in all his wayes Jam. 1.4 Beware lest by this malady men cast our Religion in our teeth What is so common as this We have a good Churchman as any in the Country if he were as good out of the Pulpit as in it and could play at small game as well as at great in his worldly businesse family government liberties company studies or the like as in his preaching none were better where he does well as he spake of Origen none does better but where ill none worser What a sad reproach is that to his stedfastnesse So for Professors Oh saith one for his Sabbaths zeale to God and piety few may compare with such an one But come to the second Table to the duties of righteousnesse mercy keeping promises ruling his children scarce one civill man in the Town but is more reasonable compassionate and keeps his day better What faithfull in the cheefe treasure and yet untrusty in the smaller What principle doth this come from Who dare dispute for the credit of such a man as confutes all arguments by his unfaithfulnesse Iob hath a pretty allusion in one place and bids us try the Unicorne whether he will be bound to our yoke Job 39.9 or draw our cart or plough meaning that his wildnesse will not frame to it Surely a man might as soone doe that or tye the wilde Asse to
our Crib as binde an unstedfast man to one settled course in Religion or duties Alas he is a man at his owne hand an outlaw masterlesse not redeemed with a price from the service of himselfe and his vagrant humours to serve God Conclusion of the Use To conclude labour for truth as a girdle to compasse thy soule and that will set this argument on foote for thee and keepe in thy sides as a corner stone doth the walles from flying out this will set thy course streight If thou hast beene zealous in Gods matters this will awe thee to a zealous care of a sutable walking in the second Table If thou hast obeyed the Lord in doing his will it will urge thee to bee as conscionable in suffering also for God if thou hast denyed thy selfe in the promise of salvation it will compell thee also to renounce thy selfe liberty and life for God in the matter of persecution the crosse for his names sake It will alway be reading that maxime to thee whatsoever is done according to God is done equally Disproportion in Religion argues great unsoundnesse And as it will argue from the greater to the smaller for an holy sutablenesse so it will doe also from the smaller to the greater for the procuring of the greater glory to God For alas what is our greatest and best but silly Except he accepted us who hath said Thou good and faithfull servant thou hast been faithfull in a little be ruler over much Marth 25. enter into thy Masters joy Vse 5 To finish all this should bee comfort to all faithfull ones because God will trust them Disconsolation to the unequall and unsound and men wil honour them and dismayment to all sly and subtill ones who cannot bee trusted Let men plead for themselves as they will and insinuate themselves into the mindes of some Christians as they can thinking to encredit and ingratiate themselves into their affections by their shew of zeale at some running pulls or in their good moodes yet God and such as are wise to observe their inconstancy will be so bold as to doubt of them by their leaves It s to be noted that although Barnabas for kindred sake favoured Iohn Marke Act. 15.38 to associate him to the worke which himselfe and Paul went about yet Paul and the Church who had noted his staggering before in the same worke durst not trust him then and it was a just blur unto him The Lord warrants us to suspect the inconstant and hee will have constancy and sincerity to be honoured Read the Scripture and you shall observe a brand of infamy set upon them who have withdrawne themselves from the yoke of God Those spyes how are they blurred Numb 14. Caleb and Ioshua how honoured Phinees in the case of Zimri and Cozbi those Levites in the common defection of the Tribes to Idolatry Exod. 32. how are they graced That curse of Iaacob was by this meane turned to a blessing as appeares by the reason which Moses gives thereof Deut. 33.7 If we have observed a man not to be trusty in great matters of executorships or other trust reposed upon him though he be never so neer thee honour him not with such a trust for he hath disabled himself It is no uncharitablenesse at all but wisdome and caution He that in a smaller office of the Towne hath been slacke and backed the bad trust him in no greater let him have the repulse with shame The like I might say in other cases He that in marriage hath lived badly with one wife let him not have thy voice for another till thou see a change Put not thy child to be a servant to him or her who by their ill government of former servants is disabled in in their credit Hee that cannot rule his owne children well commit not the education of thine to him either living or dying for feare of unfaithfulnesse And so much for this Verse this Doctrine and Lecture The end of the Fifthteenth Lecture THE SIXTEENTH LECTVRE upon the Fourteenth VERSE VERSE XIIII Then he went downe to Iorden and washed himselfe seven times according to the saying of the man of God and his flesh came againe as the flesh of a young child and he was cleane WEE are now by Gods assistance come to the 14. Verse and the upshot of the foregoing Story wherein I told you brethren that the fourth and last generall head of the whole is contained Transition to the â—ourteenth Verse viz. the issue of the counsell of the Prophet and of the Servants That is the cure of Naaman both bodily and ghostly A very sweet conclusion of so sad a distemper as passed betweene and so happy as every one that would wish it a good end could not have wisht it better then it fell out In the which that wee may steere our course aright in the beginning let us doe with this as wee did with the former generalls that is analyse it into the naturall branches arising from it The Verse in generall containes the obedience of Naaman to the charge of the Prophet Explication and Analyse of this fourth generall and it hath two parts to wit the act of his obeying Or the consequents thence following In the former we have three things First the time when Then he went viz. being by the counsell of the servants and the perswasion of Gods Spirit brought downe from his former resolution and mollified to an humble spirit of obeying Then he went The Prophets message enraged him But the Servants counsel overpowres him We may say of it as Deborah in another case said to Barak Judg. 4. Thou shalt not have the honour of the victory but a woman So the Prophet must not have the credit of the conquest but the poore Servants The second is the act it selfe noting wherein the worke of faith consists even in the obedience of the soule to a word of command and promise He went and washed seven times The third is the extent of his obedience it was full as large and no more then the word of charge and promise imported for he did according to the saying of the man of God The sense of it is he went not casually or for his own ends or by compulsion because they would needs force him to it but of his owne accord by the leading of the word The second generall is the consequents hereof and they are first or remote The first and chiefe is the issue of his obedience partly expressed and partly implyed expressed at large as if the holy Ghost would be as full in laying down the issue on Gods part as he had done the obedience of the part on Naaman His flesh became as a childs cleere and contrary to the scurvy and unsightly flesh of a leper and he was cleane as if hee should say God was not wanting in his performance to the uttermost nay did more then he promised cast in
a servant not as a God to put confidence in and then all is well Some report of that good King of Swedes that he thought his life was but short because men did so deifie him but that was not all much more I thinke should we with Elihu tremble to give titles of God to men lest our Maker should destroy us for Esay 42. Job 31. Jam. 5. He will not give his glory to another In a word to use Saint Iames his stile you ought to take God with you saying If God will blesse it it shall heale Alas it s but a patcht remedy when it is at best howbeit it s in Gods hands to blesse or crosse it Enough of this The like counsell take we from hence touching all other earthly creatures or contentments therein Our life it selfe our strength our wealth wit experience friends parts bravery in fare dwelling retinue and any other blessing either for necessity or comfort What one is there of all these but hath in it one way as great a misery as another way an happinesse So that setting aside the sobriety of heart making it as it is pure to the pure what good is in it which in some other respect is not requited as much with an evill As that great man who threw his Diademe or Kingly wreath on the ground saying If a Subject knew what was wrapt up in it he would not stoop to take it up to have it What carking care goeth with riches A poore Cobler very merry in his songs while poore having a bagge of money cast into his puy ceased to sing At last he that threw it him in came and askt him why he was so sad all on the sudden He suspecting who it was threw him back his bagge and bid him take it for he could never bee merry with it Doe I inferre hereby that Gods blessings are to bee despised No But that God hath left a cracke in the best of them in all of them to teach poore man to Idolize none of them but to set his heart upon better things Race is not alway to the swift nor wealth to the wise nor battell to the strong Eccles 9.11 saith Eccles How many mens wealth by their sinne is given them as the bane of them that have it What prophanenesse pride boasting scorne mischiefe doe they by it How many poore mens bodies know the diseases of full diet I might bee endlesse but I cease In Gods feare look upon the wormes that breed in our Manna behold the defect the sting the penalty the vanity of the creature loath excesse in it getting having forgoing Set thine heart solidly upon perfection those dainties that have no surfet that portion which hath no sorrow with it Grace and favour of God which hath no lacke that excellent cure of faith and the new creature which is Gods cure which restores the leprous soule to such a smoothnesse as it was first created with nay much better Every gift of God is perfect Jam. 1.16 saith Iames 1.6 like himselfe Be in love with Gods remedies a quiet humble patient heart under thy afflictions which are not onely not worse then the diseases but better then prosperity it selfe such as restore the soule to such a cure as is not subject to any future decay or relapse So much for this Another thing here I observe How marvellous and soveraigne an Branch 2 effect the Lord of this water of Jorden workes by the silly creature God over-rules the silly creature to bee the instrument of working great effects The flesh of Naaman saith the Text being washt in Jorden becomes as the flesh of a little childe Not surely by any inherent quality therein by nature but by the concurrence or rather over-ruling power of Almighty God using them to be instrumentall in this kinde for the setling Naamans faith thereby as by a signe q. d. As surely as thou in obedience of faith shalt wash so surely shalt thou be cleansed Means of an unproportioned strength to effect a supernaturall effect may yet be relied upon as Gods when any direct word is given us to warrant them Learne then first by the law of contraries that all meanes used by man without a warranting word are justly to be suspected as not proceeding from God but from another principle justly permitted by God to worke for the deluding of unbeleevers who will not embrace the truth revealed All Unproportioned meanes used by men without the Word for effecting of great workes are evill and to be abhorred but detaine it in unrighteousnesse And let the colours of men be never so holy in pretence of Religion yet God is not with them As well those Exorcists of the Jewes taking upon them the dispossessing of Divels without ground Acts 19.13 As the Mayd or Pythonisse that gather Masters great gaine by her divinations Acts 16.16 was from Satan Good Witches and bad differ in colour but not in Divellishnesse Papists their exorcismes and Spelles or charmes working by words of Saint Iohns Gospel or any devout prayers Popish Miracles and cures what to bee thought of or other sentencss of Scripture because they have in them no such naturall operation to produce such effects as to heale Agues or other like diseases nor yet are determined by any expresse word of God to any such use or end are as bad as the Medicines or Charmes applied by good Witches for the cure of man or beast For why Naturall things they are not Divinely supernaturall they are not Diabolicall therefore they must needs bee Charmes and spells of good Witches to bee condemned Wee must have a word for it to enable bare dead sentences of Scripture so and so by such at such a time in such a manner to such diseased men or cattell applied to effect such a cure on Gods name else though the words be good yet the Charme is never the better but much worse Better were it and lesse sinfull for such to use prophane gracelesse words then holy to so cursed an end And although the material end be good to cure a malady yet the meanes are Divellish limitations of unlikely agents must bee warranted else their device is from man by Satan Indeed men looke so much at the apparant supposed good of things to restore things lost or the like that it tickles and withdrawes them from the suspicion of the forked hooke which lies covered under the baite Oh! say they I warrant you the Divell is a murtherer from the beginniâ—g and doth no man good but hurt But there is a white Divell like an Angell of light as well as a blacke one with horns hooâ—s and the former of the two is the more sly and dangerous The Divell spake good truthes when he confessed Christ and the Apostles that he might overthrow him by his lying witnesse and conveighes double poison hereby which else he could not For what else doth he by such wiles and tricks
a new body of people not defiled with this scurffe and live among them Ezek. 9. rather then to take these Coleworts of ours to feede upon aad this refuse remnant and scraps of that royall feast which we were wont to make him whiles the savour of his grace continued among us Large I might be in urging particulars but by the Paw judge of the Lion and let this shaâ—p reproofe in Gods feare warne so many of us as in whom every sparke of old spirit is not extinct to looke about us 1 Thes 5.25 that we nourish this marke of Grace in us and quench it not And so I goe on to speake of that Use of Admonition And Use 4 first to warn all in whose hearts any spark of this Spirit of Grace Branch 1 and Zeale to Gods truth hath beene bred Admonit Admonition to the people of God to nourish the spirit of first conversion in themselves that they nourish and nurse it in themselves continually That they waxe not confident in their first beginnings because their edge was quick at the first as if they were past danger or as if this grace would grow up in them without their owne industry and watchfulnesse Alas poore soules you have but saluted Religion with the upper lip Tender spirits and keene edges may be soone damped and dulled you have a great journey to goe a world of worke to doe a wofull heart of secret poyson still to subdue which will not easily yeeld it is not your affections which will beare you out against a sad body of death and a nature of old Adam many crosses feares bad examples and errours of the wicked abide you and early or late will shake your frame and try what metall you are made of Doe not prophecy to your selves a shot-free ease and to walke without feare of bullets and darts in this world The Devill seemes to be sad that he hath lost you but of all other people he watcheth you a mischiefe and would bee gladdest if he could pay you home you are his objects of fury and set in the forefront of his battery if the dint light upon any it is likest to seise first upon you And thousands who have given as great hope of as sound and close a spirit to God and have opposed sinne base formall courses as much as you have yet revolted to Satan and he hath laid seven times as many irons upon them as at first to secure himselfe from a second escape Tremble to thinke of it Matth. 12.45 Seeke to improve this first Grace of yours this zeale and affection to the Gospel and against all enemies of sincerity with a wise steddy and full resolutenesse of heart to undergoe any brunts pursuits discouragements offences by false Hypocrites or other affronts which may come in the way It is not possible but this Age affecting nothing more then a contrariety to power of good and upright walking with God must needs put you to it daily and try you throughly with the infinite many trials which it hath devised to ferret out the good from themselves that they and their hypocrisie might predominate and all soundnesse be abandoned Lie not therefore as two irons on both sides the loadstone let not your soules play booty with God in this weighty businesse stagger not be not now haled by the false flatteries of this painted harlot or scared by the terrours and threats of a frowning tyrant for the world is both but seeke to be insensible of her If she finde that love of Gods truth wanzeth in thee and thou coudst beteame to be at more ease and elbow-roome in the world or that thou fearest trouble or beginst to strew and garnish thy false heart with any other lust she hath enough she is sure of thee Rather set before thine eyes the wofull end of all decliners All that come rolling down the hill faster then they ever got up Caveats against a declining course in sundry particulars They shatter themselves and breake their bones without hope of setting againe their end is commonly worse then their beginning Loath each step of a base heart going this way and allaying this spirit with her owne mixtures If first heate chill it will die a thousand to one if that which should inflame all the whole course be it selfe cold how great is that coldnesse Discerne it in the first approach whether it be by casting on cold water or not laying on more fuell If the love of the world pleasures merry company a loose heart tickle thee of if thou grow scanter in meanes as in prayer hearing meditation or fasting lesse watchfull and timorous suspect thy selfe betimes Stumble Stumble not at the infirmities of the religious but cover and interpret them mercifully take no occasions of offence nourish every thing which might breed in thee a better opinion of holinesse and entertaine no suspitions against it let not her fare the worse for the errours of them that professe no nor for the revolts of time-servers Harbor not in thy spirit any secret distemper of pride selfe-love selfe-conceit fullennesse frowardnesse carnall wisdome earthly mindednesse These will creepe in and tickle as a Viper under colour of some lawfulnesse or other but they will eate out the very bowels and heart-heate of the spirit of grace Nibble at none of the Devils baits Behold not too wisely the errour of the wicked and the streame of evill without feare or checke lest this cause the love of many to waxe cold Matth. 24.13 Matth. 24.13 Daily ply the meanes and lay on fewell arme thy selfe by prayer against the course of decliners as David did Ps 101.3 Pal. 101.3 Nourish humility and simplicity of spirit next to faith above all Inure thy selfe to deny much for God that so he may grow dearer to thee and thou to him Spend not nor waste thy zeale needlessely and rashly upon objects of lesser weight but reserve thy selfe till a better warrant and call a stronger and more weighty object to pull thee forth lest thou faile in the hottest of the attempt as those mostly doe whose zeale is unballanced Be not wedded to thy selfe for the spirit of grace doth not so well befit him who abounds in his owne sense Compare Num. 23. with Exod. 32.19 Moses was a man who in his own matters was very meek and calm and therfore his zeale in breaking the Tables and indignation against that Idolatry became him the better Esteeme and value each sinne by the nature of it not the cry or outside of it The losse of thy spirit perhaps seemes not so hideous to thee as some open sinne which thou seest in others as to oppresse or be drunke but it is worse not onely because it is the seed of thee but because although thou shouldest never breake out so farre yet it is the decay of thy frame and temper of goodnesse A burning Ague is not so dangerous as a
Diabolicall temptations from our own feares whether moderate or excessive whether terrors proceed from sin properly or some evil of punishment whether the heart rebell under conviction or no 2. Deferre not the season search out the speciall let which holds the soule from the condition or being under it from faith 4. Vpon revolts what to doe Whence the particular trouble arises ibid. Ministers must not bee distrustfull of God in the execution of their place 384. Snare not their consciences Dishonour not their persons or disable themselves in doing good to the people ibid. And set himselfe cheerfully on worke to feed and rule them ibid. 387 Ministers reproach themselves much by ascribing too much to such people as are unsound pag. 407 Ministers must love the people for no sinister ends but for obedience to the truth pag. 409 Ministers who will purchase interest in their people must forgoe some of their owne right pag. 412 Magistrates Ministers and all Governors must be sincere in their censures 416. See them reckoned up there Motives to it ibid. Popish Mortification discovered to be hypocritical pag. 431 Ministers should gaster lewd people out of those errors that harden them pag. 485 Motives to faith sundry 505. First faith gives most glory to God 2. Christs last enquiry will be for faith 3. God will be admired in all and onely beleevers 4. God shall come in vengeance against all unbeleevers 5. Faith is a rare Iewell 6. No riddance of our distempers till wee beleeve ibid. 510 Ministers must not prostitute their authority to the backing of such commands as are against God pag. 524 Markes and proofes of the liberty and dispensations which men take for sin 1. Their number 2. Their cunning 3. Carnall counsell 4. Their questions 5. Their wits 6. Their malice 7. Their partiality 8. Their basenesse ibid. 554 555 Wee must mourne for such as have forsaken their closenesse in obeying God 556. Much more for our owne loosnesse in that kinde ibid. A short form of such a complaint ibid. Meanes helping the soule to close obedience 562. as first Faith in Christ our Law-giver 2. Due meditation of the object of obedience 3. Mark examples of closenesse 4. Prayer 5. Humilitie 6. Observe Gods judgements 7. And thinke of his rewards 8. Selfe-deniall ibid. Misery of such as rest in false Cures and an unsound condition pag. 864 N. Nature of old Adam insensible and unperceivable of holy things and the more holy the worse especially mysteries pag. 1 Naamans story and the pâ—ssages thereof very remarkâ—ble pâ—g 7. Particulars of it ibid. Number of seven very holy with Papists but in it selfe no holâ—er then others pag. 65 Novices in grace must know there be many difficulties in getting it and not be dismaid pag. 92 Novices looke not at the troubles for time to come but onely at the present pag. 95 None so bad but have some good 105. and what abuse the civill person makes of it ibid. Nourish no such dregges in us as by which carnall reason might bee supported 210. Sundry of these noted ibid. And ten more of abettors to this sin noted after ibid Newters Atheists c. terrified pag. 347 Nourish not your feares about the way of God 374. and counsels against this disease ibid. O. Obedience to the command of faith is easie 357. Clearing it by answer to the objections of hypocrites by reasons ibid. As 1. In respect of the difficult way of the Law 2. In respect of a further thing aimed at by the Lord viz. the recovery of his Image 3. In respect of the merit and price of it 4. In respect of the dispensation of it 5. In respect of that grace which accompanies all under the condition ibid. The particular meanes by which the Lord makes faith easie to his people ibid. Such as have found ease in this way must be thankfull pag. 369 Obedience of love to the Minister urgâ—d in sundry instances 405 Occasionall and temporary commands binde as strongly for the present as the morall and perpetuall doe pag. 516 P. God prevents such by his providence and ministring meanes and occasions whom he means to save 41. Both to his Church in general and each member Reasons foure or five The ends are his therefore the means else Gods purpose should hang upon man The end ordereth the whole frame of the action ibid. Gods preventions in what kinde and manner they lye pag. 44 Gods preventions and mans forecast differ much ibid. Six preventions of God named 1. God over-rules diverts alters our intents to sway unto his ibid. 2. Overpowers the soule from stumbling at discouragements 45. 3. Disposeth of all occasions and antecedents ibid. 4. Accommodates all things to sort to his owne ends 46. 5. Removes such things as he foresees would hinder ibid. 6. Especially inspires the meanes and blesseth them to the attaining of their effect pag. 47 To want all Preventing grace and to live as dead blocke very fearfull pag. 47. 48 Preventing grace of God deserves adoring and thanks at our hands 49. and praier ibid. Passages of preventing providence pag. 50 Preventions of God should humble us ibid. 51 Dallying with them causeth God to blast us pag. 48. 52 Preventions past should arme us against feare of corruptions prevailing pag. 52 53 Popish insolency of the Clergy over Gods people intollerable pag. 57 Proud nature of man quickly forgets humiliation pag. 63 Popish stately devotion odious to God pag. 79 Proud Hypocrites disdaine to bee taught by meane ones pag. 80 Priviledges of Religion keepe many from being truly Religious what it is and how dangerous pag. 115 Pharisees terrified pag. 148 Professors unsound in peace will much more bee rotten in triall pag. 211 People must abhor carnall reason as well as Ministers and in what pag. 216 Parents and Governours ought to beware of carnall reason pag. 219 Phisitians beware of Atheisme pag. 220 Prejudice an abettor of carnall reason pag. 220 Popery notoriously tainted with carnall reason and wherein three instances pag. 222. 223 Practise of carnall reason reproved in all sorts twelve of them noted pag. 227 Policy though it may appeare to some to be sinfull yet may be warrantable 241. and wherein six or seven instances propounded ibid. upon what tearme ibid. Proud pharisees alway most ready to taxe others of pride who are innocent pag. 261 Preventing Grace cannot be severed from assisting in such as are saved 279. The reasons of the point wherein this assistance stands pag. 281 Papists put us downe for government pag. 311 People must take heed lest they turne their eare from counsell of their Ministers 335. counsels tending thereto three or foure ibid. Putters off of the promise to bee reproved pag. 352 Preachers who sow pillowes most odious and to be abhorred pag. 368 Pelagian ease of free-will and selfe-conversion confuted ibid. Pitty such as get to heaven with much difficulty pag. 370 Pray for five things to make Religion sweet 1. Acceptance of the will
for the deed 2. Looke upon thine owne grace and hide my defects 3. Betrust me with the principles of sincerity and faith working by love which will make a little goe a great way 4. Make my lusts to be my clogs as Sauls armour to David 5. Make the yoke of hard dangerous disgraced solemne duties and crosses to be tollerable pag. 374 People exhorted to love honour and support their Ministers How that may bee pag. 392 People that will seeme to love their Minister that so they may snort in their sinnes odious pag. 400 Popish Martyrs against the Scriptures not to be regarded notwithstanding their pretended selfe-deniall 415. Popish falshood in all their wayes pag. 415 People must be sincere and open to receive good counsell pag. 425 Poore men have a priviledge above the rich in this That they may bee reproved pag. 425 Proud harts terrified by Gods resisting pag. 468 Plead hard for faith if once wee bee under the condition pag. 481 Promise must be pleaded for sanctification as well as pardon pag. 511 Perseverance in beleeving breeds assurance pag. 513 Promises must bee beleeved according to their nature and kinde 567. Reasons of it Popish abusers of promises terrified pag. 579 Preposterous appliers of promises reproved pag. 582 Promises must be beleeved according to the utmost extent of them wherin it stands in three things 1. A promise must bee sounded to the bottome 2. Wee must draw out of the wells of salvation 3. The promise must not bee given over though wee be long held off pag. 583. 584 Physitians must know themselves to be only instruments of providence for such as God will have to recover pag. 588 People are very fond in magnifying the outward instrument neglecting God ibid. Popish Miracles and Cures what they are to be thought of pag. 590 Pelagian spirits which cavill at the freedome of the grace of God far from the true spirit of cure and conversion 869. So are Popish spirits likewise pag. 870 Prayer for healing the numb palsie of the spirit of our times necessary pag. 886 Q. Quarrellers against the Minister for not comforting the distressed sinfull pag. 456 R. Rebellion in all whom God meanes to save shall worke greater humiliation in them pag. 60 Repentance goes not before faith pag. 103 Religious Selfe how dangerous Vide Selfe Rationall carriage not simply to bee condemned pag. 209 Religion stands more in wanting somewhat then in having pag. 237 Religion is like an harmony pag. 250 Religion grounded upon most sound foundations pag. 253 Religious servants yet failing in faithfulnesse are to bee blamed 306. Their trickes and qualities ibid. Resigning up of the soule to God is one chiefe work of faith pag. 500 Revolters from their first zeale and grace of conversion are in a sad case pag. 871 S. Scriptures filled by the holy Ghost with rarities and wonders and why Two causes pag. 2. 3 Sensible and outward objects the meanes by which God workes upon us ibid. Scriptures bark and outside not to be rested in but the scope and sense pag. 6 Soveraignty of Gods will and pleasure must cause us first to confesse it 14. 2. To lye humbly and quietly under the conviction of it 15. in sundry particulars 1. By considering the root of this soveraignty ib. 2. Bee content that God dspence his grace according to his owne measures 16. 3. Iudge not God in the effects of soveraignty as in the sinnes penalties or snares of the wicked ibid. 6. Nor for punishing the sinnes of parents upon their posterity 17. 7. Doe the uttermost that lies in thee to obey ibid. 8 Be charitable to others a farre off ibid. 9. Break thy hard hart hereby lay down thy pride and rebellion 18. Then the â—â—use soveraignty is free to save as well as destroy 19. Look not at election but at the tree offer ibid. Assay to beleeve and that upon sound warrant by venturing upon the promise 20. 21. Lastly know this is the greatest honour which thou canst doe to God pag. 22 Straits and extremities are Gods season to pull downe a proud heart 29. In how many respects See the reasons ibid. Straits both publick and personall do but little humble men in these times pag. 36. 37 Straits doe make hypocrites onely to counterfeit 33. Not to be trusted ibid. Straits are very unpleasing to flesh we are lâ—â—th to heare of them lest wee shouâ—d humble our selves and profit bâ— them pag. 38 Shun not straâ—ts for first it is bootlesse and then they câ—nnot bee mâ—ssed 39. Pray for â—n holy use of them not to awe thee violently but change thy heart pag. 40 Signes and Sacraments why used by the Lord in effecting spirituall things pag. 85 Sacraments differ from common signes ibid. And why 1. To stop mans bold inventions 2. To assure weake faith of his sincerity ibid. Suspect trials bee comming upon us when our state is calmest pag. 96 The manifold snares in the way of Gods people should make them watch and bee armed ibid. Selfe the main enemy to rob the soule of grace when all is done 98. and why because most inward and immediate pag. 101 Selfe in the root of it is nothing but the instinct of old Adam and the frame or vent of a corrupt heart ibid. Selfe of two sorts either opposite Selfe to Christ or mixing Selfe with Christ ibid. Selfe opposite what ibid. Of how many sorts it is ibid. Five named Prophane selfe Naturall selfe Carnall selfe Creature selfe Religious selfe ibid. Selfe prophanenesse described ibid. Self natural or civill described pag. 164 Carnall selfe or savour of the flesh what The sorts of it many ibid. Selfe sensuality or in the Creature what pag. 111 Selfe-religion what The branches of it three pag. 115 Mixt selfe in what particulars it discovers her selfe 121. Ten or twelve mentioned Nature of mixt selfe discerned in foure things 1. Familiarnesse 2. Generalnesse 3. Violence 4. Tenaciousnesse pag. 127 Selfe supports her selfe by false comparisons pag. 128 Satan imbarkes himselfe more deeply in Selfe then in other corruption pag. 129 Self deludes by Gods just giving her over to her selfe pag. 129 Selfe may be discerned by three degrees or properties ibid. Passages of Selfe may bee conceived three wayes 1. By the ground 2. The carriage 3. The scope pag. 131 Selfe is but flesh in all the worke of Law and Gospel and how pag. 132 Carriage of Selfe is sutable to her ground which appeares in foure things 1. Her instinct 2. Her eagernesse 3. Her endeavour 4. Her disappointment ibid. The ends of Selfe and her scope is sutable to the ground and carriage pag. 138 All seekers of salvation must abhorre Selfe and how 1. In discerning her trickes divers of them mentioned 139. Shee will deny herselfe in somewhat to satisfie herselfe in other things 2. To mask sin under holinesse 3. To defile it selfe in that it knoweth 4. Pretence to seeke God but intending it selfe 5. To offer God more service then he
he might pitty and succour those who are tempted And surely wonderfull use there is of this grace For alas in these troubles many a poore soule though not wilfull yet is not her owne because it is overpowred with the violence hideousnesse and irkesome of temptations without feares and unsustained horrors within so that for the time it hath no power of fastning upon counsell be it never so strong nay the stronger it is the harder to enter It must be time and stanching the bloud and waiting by degrees putting in here a droppe a line a little and there a little into the soule which must winne such an one to some hope by degrees Some texts observe for this Elihu seeing Iobs state sore snarled by his prejudicate friends and by the self-love of his own heart that it was hard to reduce all to a mediocrity applies himselfe in the spirit of singular modesty and meeknesse to be a mediator between them Job 32. Behold saith he I will not deale harshly in misjudging thee but be unto thee as thine owne soule this was the next way to redresse his sorrowes So Paul to the Galathians when he had sharpely reproved them yet seeing many of their weake mindes entangled tells them My little children of whom I travell againe till Jesus Christ be formed in you They had fallen into the hands of false teachers who had made their state more dangerous Gal. 4.19 And what doth hee Meekely and lovingly he bestowes the paines to travell againe of them Simil. A woman hath enough of breeding her fruit once and bearing it once but wee should count her a very tender mother which should beare the paine twice and fellow-feele the infants strivings and wrastlings the second time rather then want her child So Paul here is content to beare the paine twice of travelling for these Galathians hee meanes not a second birth but a second travell to reduce them home to Christ from their errors and to sympathize them so far for their good till they felt Christ againe revived in themselves after a former miscarriage and false conception So in Gal. 6.1 The Apostle againe doth require those Galathians which were strong to restore in the spirit of meekenesse such as were fallen the word is set in joint Be meeke and worke in the bone with much oile that so it may returne againe into the socket with lesse paine And Ezekiel tells us Ezek. 34.16 that this is one peculiâ—r property of a true shepheard that hee seeke up the lost and suffer not the bitten or broken to perish but carry it home upon his shoulder tender it dresse it and binde it up againe These and the like places shew with what spirit the Lord wishes such to go to work even so be it with us in Gods fear limpe with the halting lispe with the stuttering sit still and be silent a while till deepe affliction can speake out helpe forth the words of the distressed which sticke in the passage be tender and pitifull till God draw the heart by these cords of a man Hosea 11.4.13.2 and be as the Master of the cattell who taketh off the yoke and layeth meat unto them yea as the Lord Jesus who would not breake the brused reed Matth. 12. nor quench the smoking flax till judgement brake forth into victory Iron and steele come not to an edge without much oile Thirdly 3. Branch apply counsell and remedies with all wisdome and seasonablenesse speake a word in due season Now here the maine worke lieth But some may aske and say how should I performe this duty I answer The variety and difference of estates admit no rules in generall onely to satisfie the desirous I will instance in a few kindes and shew what remedies most fitly agree with them Observe wisely and discerne the estate of the afflicted Rules for this and that will be a great helpe to tell a qualified counsellor how to judge both of the malady and medicine For as it is in bodily diseases each one hath his severall symptomes which are not easily concealed So it is here A wise man will discover the sore by the behaviour of the party both for the kinde the measure the continuance of it and accordingly apply himselfe First then let it be one caveat 1. Discerne and separate mixt sorrow from â—â—â—gle that we observe whether the dolor bee single and simple or mixt and compounded If it be simple the trouble is the lesse But if mixt that is partly temporall and that first and chiefe partly spirituall The way is first to separate the one from the other and not to multiply spirituall comforts to such a one for his disease admits none because the roote is carnall And although it have ceased also in part upon conscience yet at the second hand Here then labour to lessen and diminish carnall and worldly griefe if it can by any meanes be removed as if it be a crosse upon the name body or state see if that can be effected and then you shall see if there continue any sorrow if it doe not it was meerly carnall and no spirituall in it if that cannot be removed then labour to divert the heart from the outward to the spirituall and that thus First shewing that this without the other is fruitlesse That the soule may bee as miserable without it as with it That love or hatred stands not in it That it may easily deceive a man about his sorrow That God either sends it as a needle to draw the thred of godly sorrow after it by the stirring of the spirit or else to leave the soule worse and that if it vanish as it came it will be so That the nature of it is deadly for worldly sorrow causeth death If these motives scatter the carnall sorrow and the spirituall remaine then it is from God And then the counsell is strive not to remove it at first but to ground it well upon the word that it may seaze kindely and so deale with it accordingly as in the rules following 2. Rule Discerne diabolicall temptations from inward The next is discerne diabolicall injections and temptations from the troubles arising from our selves Here the counsell is strive by all means to resolve the party that the Divell shall pay for his own sin Suggestions terrifying the spirit from Satans malice are none of ours Judge them by the disproportion to the souls disposition their unwelcomenes their irkesomenesse desperatenesse and tenaciousnesse And if a poor soul can truly say they are none of hers although she cannot be rid of the insulting of this god of flies yet by praier for riddance constant detesting to have fellowship and consent with them whether thoughts against God his word the Ministry Heaven Hell Providence Religion or lusts and vile affections the Lord will weaken them and not suffer thee to bee held under temptation And to say truth violent externall causes
last not long The greatest danger is lest the heart being rid of them wax wanton and secure and bee not humbled for that corruption whence these have their welcome and fiery fiercenesse 3. Rule Oâ—serve the measure of the trouble The third rule is observe wisely of what measure the trouble and affliction is If it be moderate then proceed accordingly But if it be excessive so that extremities may be feared succour the fainting heart with some hope even at the first though perhaps the condition of it may bee farre from applying a promise Yet because the horror or trouble may threaten despaire or violence Shew such a one that the Lord delights in no such thing but in mercy to the oppressed and when the heart is eased then returne to such a method of counsell by degrees as their estate needeth Necessity as we say hath no law Much may be done to avert a present danger which else might stay longer The jaylor was to be staid for feare of selfe-murther 4. Rule Whether terror come from sin or feare of punishment Fourthly discerne wisely of terrors of conscience whether from sin as sin or as a mischiefe which cloggeth and loadeth the heart excessively Many a wretch and these dayes are full of such will roare and cry out of himselfe the horriblenesse of his sins their returns upon him after intermission not from any true abhorring of the evill of them but because God dogs his cursed heart delighting in those evills with shrewd terrors which although they are two extremities I meane great swinge and sweetnesse in sinne and great horrors for sinne yet nothing hinders why both may not be at once and yet the mediocrity farre off In such a case to beleeve such a wretch for his outcries and horrors when it is manifest he doth but seeke for hope and sodering and possibility of pardon that hee may returne to his vomit the more boldly were to adde oile to the flame The marke of such is this their object is that which presently pinches them you shall heare little or no aime at Christ and his sweetnesse for they regard it not The counsell is to hold them hard to the law that their soules may bee under bondage of sinne as sinne and not onely under present accusation If this prevaile not they will rush themselves quickly out of their horrors into prophanenesse more and more And had not comfort beene well bestowed upon such as need none Fifthly though thou perceive the soule to bee under bondage 5. Rule Consider whether the frame of the heart under conviction be tame or rebellious yet consider well of what frame the party is If the heart bee rebellious and that sinne doth wax more sinfull by that conviction then though it bee a good signe for time to come yet the Lord makes no haste to comfort such a one till his rebellion bee brought downe and then his heart will be doubly humbled both for guilt and rebellion also It is meete that some should lie and wait under their legall abasings because else commonly they returne to their old byas againe if they come not to see how out of measure sinfull sinne is in her nature I observe it in this age of ours that the law troubles few except some violent crosses attend it which argues that they will hardly hold humble when their troubles cease Be not too hasty therefore Sixtly when thou seest it a season to speak a word to a poore soule 6. Rule Observe due season deferre it not For there may be as great perill in delay as in rash haste And shew thy selfe as carefull and cordiall in pressing of a promise earnestly and effectually to a soule in case to receive it as thou wert backward in applying it till it was so A loaden soul is under the condition of the promise and therefore to delay such an one from it is to defraud it of her portion due to it which is a worse sinne then rashnesse even as despaire is worse then presumption To this end bee conversant with the promises and be able to apply variety of them not knowing which may prevaile If the affliction bee an holding downe of the soule from beleeving 7. Rule Whether under the condition or no what lets it or if so what hinders beleeving when as yet it is under the condition of the promise search out what the speciall stoppe of the soule is and accordingly apply remedies For instance if the soule be tossed too and fro between the condition and the performance labour to settle the heart upon the condition first proving it truly loaden and hold it there telling it that the Lord is willing that it hold that which it hath gotten and then it shall be more easie to finish the other worke If the glasse bee shaken who shall see his owne face rightly So againe if the feare be that it hath not the conditions of the Gospel or hath them not in such a measure as it ought resolve such a one that the Lord having wrought a true loading in the soule will also worke the same to the sight of ease by the promise which promise as it appeares more and more reall both in the meriter and the offerer so it must needs afford more hope more desires mournings and longings after it As for the measure of these God snares no poore soule with them Be it never so feeble and brused hee will not breake it So againe if the trouble be that it hath long waited and is weary that the heart is exceeding hard corruption very strong others are got before us we are afraid we be not elected wiih a hundred more apply the remedy thereafter And whereas the maine stoppe is Selfe and aiming at our owne ends and a dead heart to beleeve let the counsell be thereafter Subdue the base heart under meer mercy enlarge the glory of the promiser above the gaine of the beleeve Also bee well exercised in the thorow opening and urging of a promise on Gods part by enlarging the length and depth of the free full and faithfull heart of God infinitely above that which a soule can long after But if I should enter into particulars I should be endlesse 8. Rule What to doe in revolts Eightly if the trouble arise from revolts and breach of covenant after repentance first observe whether former experience of mercy have broken such an heart or no if not then endeavour to breake it and to raise up the soule from the present desertion wherein it seemes destitute of that grace which formerly it enjoyed Convince it that the Lord hath never cut off nor cast out any branch which was ever planted in him Also that by such desertions he labours to hold the heart at a deeper bay of humility Read for this Jer. 3.1 and Hosea ult when once it comes to outgrow the confusion of feare and horror which a guilty conscience hath snared it