drinke but to cease from sinne as the Prophet speaketh August super Iohan. Esay 58.6 Chrysost suâ— per Math. Hee that sinneth and yet withall fasteth saith Chrisostome doth not fast to the glory of God but spareth his owne substance onely This is handled at large in these Treatises wherein is noted what the true exercise of fasting is what are the outward and inward parts thereof the one answering to the other together with the severall abuses of the counterfeit fastings True it is the Church of Rome complaine against us and accuse us as enemies to fasting even as the Pharisees sometimes condemned the Disciples of Christ Math. 9.14 whom he excuseth and defendeth but were we worthy of this reproch and reproofe yet are they the unfittest to upbraid us with it who beside the bare name and naked title of fasting have nothing remaining of the true nature and right practise thereof but the end they ayme at is to set up their owne merits and to puffe up them selves with pride as it was with the blind Pharisees their predecessors whom in this and in sundry other points they follow These things thus laid open J presume to offer to your Worship whose good affection to our Tribe so much scorned and scoffed at in the world and carefull frequenting the exercises of religion many wayes appeareth and as a token and testimony of my thankfull remembrance of your love to me in that you disdaine not but upon every occasion of passing by to come under the roofe of my poore cottage remembring the words of our blessed Saviour Mar. 6.4 A Prophet is not without honour save in his owne Countrey and among his owne kinne and in his owne house The God of heaven and earth encrease your zeale to the truth and finish that good worke which he hath begunne in you unto the day of Jesus Christ Your Worships at command William Attersoll THE DOCTRINE AND PRACTISE OF FASTING and PRAYER of FAITH and REPENTANCE IONAH 3.4 And Ionah beganne to enter into the City a dayes iourney and he cryed and said Yet forty dayes and Nineveh shall be overthrowne THis Prophecie is wholly Historicall as the other prophecies are dogmaticall It containeth the History of Ionah relating what happened to himselfe when he was sent of God to the great Cittie Nineveh Gen. 10.12 to denounce unto the Ninevites their utter overthrow Who this Prophet was and when he prophecied may be gathered sufficiently out of the Scripture where we reade that Ieroboam the second restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Hamath unto the Sea of the Wildernesse according to the word of the Lord 2 King 14.25 which he spake by his servant Ionah the sonne of Amittai the Prophet which was in Gath Hepher And it seemeth that he was the first of all the Prophets whose writings are extant and remaine in the Church for the instruction thereof in faith and obedience For he lived before the battell of Ioash King of Israel with the Syrians about the end of the dayes of Elisha 2 King 13.14 and 14.25 Neither let any object the Prophecy of Micah as though he were before in time the same that prophecied in the daies of Ahab 1 King 22. Because these two were not both one but different neither doe their names accord in the Originall as may appeare to every one that readeth True it is this prophet hath this end and yssue of his writing with the rest to set forth the judgements and mercies of God toward mankind but this he hath proper and peculiar that he is not here sent unto the Church and people of Israel but onely unto prophane unbeleevers and uncircumcised persons that we should understand thereby that God hath rule over all nations and is the God of the Gentiles as well as of the Iewes Rom. 3.29 and an avenger of sinne in whomsoever he findeth it Rom. 2.12 according to the saying of the Apostle As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law Rom. 2.12 For then the Prophets were sent to the Syrians 1 King 17.9 19.15 2 King 8.7 and to them of Damascus and to the Tyrians howbeit extraordinarily at the will and pleasure of God And doubtlesse by his sending of his Prophets to strangers out of the promised land God would reprove and condemne the desperate stubbornnesse of the people of Israel who would not be moved and perswaded by so many of his holy Prophets that were sent and dwelt among them and by so many threatnings as were brought upon them where as these poore infidels and unbeleevers did by and by beleeve and obey the voyce of one Prophet Math. 12.41 Luk. 11.32 that the Lord might say of them as he doth in an other case Matth. 8.10 I have not found so great faith no not in Israel I will not stand to discourse at large the vaine conceit and idle speculation of Epiphanius Epiphan of the life of the Prophets touching this Ionah For he telleth us that Elias gat himsalfe into the Wildernesse by reason of a great famine which hee had called upon the land where being nourished by Ravens he quenched his thirst with the water of the brooke and when the brooke was dryed up hee was an hungred and removed into Sarepta a Citie of Sidonia 1 King 17.9 Luk. 4.26 unto a poore woman a Widdow the mother of Ionah and entred into her house now the woman left nothing undone of that which he commanded her and he did eate and blessed her for he could have no abode with the uncircumcised And when as Ionah the sonne of the woman was deceased God raised him up by Elias and restored him alive unto his mother because of the entertainement which she gave unto him and that when Ionah was come to full age he was sent unto Nineveh to the Assyrians Where we have some truth mingled with much falsehood and therefore he deserveth to be credited no farther then he hath the warrant of Gods word being deceived with the tales of the Iewes that are masters of such lyes I know the common sort are most of all delighted with such new tangled devises that have no substance in them howbeit we should not please such itching eares nor feed them with empty winde in stead of wholesome food but avoid prophane bablings and oppositions of science falsly so called which some professing have erred concerning the faith 1 Tim. 6.20.21 In this prophecy observe a twofold calling or sending of Ionah the first in the two former chapters which he rejected the second in the two latter which he executed In this third chapter is set forth the execution of his calling together with the fruit and profit thereof in the Ninevites whereby we may see his errour and oversight in flying from his function and supposing that he was sent in vaine when
Israel when they saw the wrath of God kindled against them the chosen men of Israel smitten down Iosh 7.8 the Canaanites to preuaile against them to cry out O Lord what shall I say when Israel turneth their backes before their enemies And when the people were smitten by the children of Benjamin with a greeuous slaughter they went up and came to the house of the Lord and wept and sate there before the Lord Iudg. 20.26 and fasted that day untill the even The third cause is Gods threatning to destroy for some generall or notorious sins reigning in the land crying unto God for vengance This moved these Ninevites to fast when Ionah the Prophet cryed out against them Chap. 1.2 because their wickednesse was come before the Lord. This is so urgent a cause that it prevailed with Ahab who by the instigation of wicked Iezabel sold himselfe to worke wickednesse for when he heard the fearful threatning denounced against him by the Prophet against his house he rent his garments put on sackcloth fasted 1 King 21.27 and humbled himselfe whereby he obtained a respit of the judgement a temporall reward for a temporal repentance The fourth cause is the calamity and misery of the neighbour Churches lying under the Crosse Psal 80.13 when the boare out of the wood doth waste them and the wild beast of the field devoure them to witnesse our communion of Saints and to shew a fellow feeling of their sighes and sorrowes that they also may doe the like for us This seemeth to be the cause of the assembly of the Congregation at Antioch they laboured mightily in praier fasting for the people of God dispersed among the Gentiles Act. 13.2.5 and specially for the poore Saints at Ierusalem persecuted through the cruelty of Herod Act. 12. The last cause why the Churches assembled in this manner was to crave a blessing from God when they did enterprize or execute any special work which highly cōcerned the church or cōmon wealth Act. 13.3 When the Church did lay their hands on Paul Barrabas they fasted and prayed cōmended them to the grace of God that he would prosper their ministery These were the reasons of such solemne assemblies And are not the same causes found among us Yes doubtlesse all of them presse us to the practise of this duty and call upon us for humiliation to move the Lord to shew mercy in these daies of trouble heavinesse Are not dāgers threatned on every side nay are they not already inflicted upon us Hath not the Lord a controversie against us for our common sinnes hath not iniquity the upper hand and is not godlinesse troden under foot And as for the miseries and desolations of the neighbouring Churches are they not in paine like a woman in travaile bring forth nothing but wind Psal 79.1.2.3.4 may we not say The heathen are come into thine inheritance thine holy Temple have they defiled and shed the blood of thy Saints like water that they are become a reproach to their enimies a scorne and derision to them that are round about them who say where is their God Lastly we enterprize great things how can we looke for a blessing if we crave it not with fasting and prayer doubtlesse this is the cause why we have no better successe in our endeavours because we trust in our multitudes munition pollicies and seeke not aright the God of heaven Let us come to the uses Vse 1 First it reproveth such as hold fasting to be meerly Iudaicall and ceremoniall a part of the rudiments of the Law which are shadowes of things to come and that it hath no use in the times of the Gospel And true it is this exercise had in it somewhat ceremonial and proper to the Iewes annexed unto it as one certaine and fixed day of the yeare Levit. 16. Levit. 16.29 Zach. 7.5 This shall be a statute for euer unto you in the seuenth moneth on the tenth day of the moxeth ye shall afflict your soules c. and it had sundry legal rites and facrifices annexed unto it But may we not say the like of the Sabbath is it to be holden wholly ceremoniall not to be obserued as moral because the day is changed and all the rites abolished together with the strict rest No doubtlesse there remaineth a Sabboth and holy day of rest for the people of God to the end of the world or else religion would soone perish out of the earth So we may say touching fasting true it is we find no setled time in the new Testament appointed and set apart to fast by the ordinance of Christ neverthelesse because the causes of fasting remaine which we noted before as great a necessity lyeth upon us as ever lay upon the Iewes when the like occasions shall be offered unto us that were offered unto them Now where the causes of the institution remaine there the things themselues must continue but the causes of the institution remaine therfore fasting it selfe must continue Be sides when our Saviour was blamed by the Pharisees Disciples the Disciples of Iohn because his disciples fasted not doth he exempt them vtterly from it discharge them from such practise as impertinent unto them No doubtlesse he only sheweth the unfitnesse of the present time Math. 9.15 but layeth a commandement upon them to do it afterward then shall they fast And they performed it accordingly Act. 13. Secondly it reproveth the Popish fasting to whom I may say as Paul sometime did to the men of Athens Act. 17.22 I perceive that in all things yee are too superstitious And indeed here is one mystery of iniquity The chiefe points of religion remaine in the Church of Rome howbeit in name onely not in nature in shew not in substance in appearance not in truth I may say therefore of them as Iohn doth to the Angel of the Church in Sardis I know thy workes Revel 3.1 that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead They have the name of Christ of justification of the Scripture of prayer of faith of the Sacraments of repentance but they have set up a mock-Christ they have overthrowne his humanity and destroyed all his Offices they beleeve justification but it is by their owne workes they receive faith but it is nothing but a beleeving the word to be true which also the Devils doe they admit repentance but it is nothing else but penance and corporall chasticement they acknowledge the Scriptures but they have patched their Apochryphal additions unto them and their owne Traditions as unwritten verities to be of equall authority with them they use prayer but it is in an unknowne tongue they have the Sacraments but one of them they have defiled the other they have destroyed and turned it into the idolatrous and blasphemous Masse And herein lyeth the depth of Satan For if he should utterly have
the Gospel be more generally entertained and the places of our assemblies be better replenished But we will not learne this lesson or at least we will not practise it This is a generall fault among us all if we come to the house of God our selves we thinke we have done enough and many will not doe so much whereas in the meane season we neglect the rest of our families never considering that our children and our servants must keepe the Sabbath as well as our selves not remembring that we must give an account to God for them what they doe when they are in the house of prayer that they doe not abuse themselves the holy place of Gods worship and hinder the edification of others that they do not turne the house of God into a play-house and his service into a may-game And if any proceed so far to have an eye to their families we must know that God hath given yet a farther charge even of our neighbours except we will be like to wicked Caine who said Gen 4.9 Am I my brothers keeper As he dealt cruelly toward his brothers body so doe we unmercifully to his soule when we shake and shift from us all care therof as if we were not made keepers one of another There is a mercy to be shewed the soule as wel as the body If a man should escape the hands of theeves be brought out of danger ought he not to give warning to others that trauail that way to look to themselues if he do not is he not guilty of the losse he sustaineth So it is in this case And certainly when we see the coldnesse backwardnes of all persons we should sharpen whet up one another Pro 27.17 according to the precept of Salomon Iron sharpneth iron so a man sharpneth the countenance of his friend and say Come neighbour come friend let us go to the house of God let us go to the Sermon there we shall heare that will doe us good and be to our soules health I have found much comfort and benefit by being there and so I doubt not you may If it be to sporting and playing to a drunken feast or to a prophane meeting we see how ready men are not only to call their neighbours to goe with them but also if they were not there with them to set it out to the full at their returne as largely as they can And doth not God looke for as great care for the soule salvation of our brethren But some will say Ob. I could be content to doe so but alas I shall doe no good Solut. I were therefore as good sit still and let all alone Pro. 18.13 and looke well to my selfe I answer or rather let Solomon answer He that answereth a matter before he heareth it it is folly and shame unto him Againe be it 2 Cor. 2.13 it were so that which is said to the Minister belongeth to all We are the sweet savour to God in them that perish Let it be with us as it was with Peter Luk. 5.5 he said Master we have toyled all the night and have taken nothing neverthelesse at thy word I will let downe the net Thus ought we much rather to fish for mens soules and leave the successe to God God sent his Prophets to the people and telleth them before hand they will not hearken unto them yet they went and obeyed Ezek. 3. Math. 13. Object Others likewise pretend that it is a thanklesse office we shall be accounted busi-bodies and medlers in other mens matters What thanklesse thou wouldest Solut. I am sure thou shouldest say thankfull yea doubly thankfull Thou shewest thankfulnesse toward God for thine own conversion Can we better shew it toward God than this way And do we not owe him more seruice than this for our calling who might have left us in blindnesse and ignorance as he hath done many thousands in the world Yea doubtlesse we should do more good hereby 2 Thess 3.2 than we can imagine For as the Apostle saith All men have not faith so all men have not a love to religion they must be perswaded and provoked to it As then the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 7.16 1 Pet. 3.1 What knowest thou O husband whether thou shalt save thy wife or what knowest thou O wife whether thou shalt save thy husband So may I extend it farther and say what knowest thou O man whether God hath ordained thee to be the meanes to convert thy neighbour thy kinsman thy acquaintance and familiar friend that is contrary minded at least use the meanes and then thou hast delivered thine owne soule whereas otherwise thou maist be guilty of his blood Never say therefore thou shalt loose thy labour God that commandeth this duty Dan. 12.3 will reward thy seruice and labour of love as Dan. 12. They that turne many to righteousnesse shall shine as the starres for ever And if ever it shall please God to open their eyes to see their owne misery 1 Sam. 25.328.33 it will be with them as it was with David toward Abigail who had advised him well and kept him from doing evill who said to her Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advise blessed be thou c. Neither can there be a better property of a good neighbour than to wish well and to doe good to the soule and if any desire to be accounted a good neighbour in the sight of God and man let him shew it this way Secondly The second reproofe it reproveth all such as are come to this passe that they cannot abide to be admonished much lesse reproved but are like to the Israelite Exod. 2. when Moses reproved him for smiting his fellow and put them both in mind that they were brethren he that thus did the wrong thrust him away Exod. 2.13 Act 7.27 Gen. 19.9 saying who made thee a ruler and a judge over us or like the men of Sodome Gen. 19. This fellow came in to soiourne with us and he will needes be a judge But let such remember the saying of Solomon Rebuke a wise man Pro 9.8 and he will love thee If God require it as a duty at the hands of every one to exhort to admonish and to rebuke he requireth it by the rule of relation that others suffer the word of exhortation and admonition Psal 141.5 and Psal 141. the Prophet saith Let the righteous smite me and it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oyle which shall not breake my head Therefore it is no matter of unkindnesse Thirdly The third reproofe it reproveth such as being pressed to this duty doe it indeed sometimes but it is never in love or in the spirit of meeknesse but in rage and choler or else it is in a taunting disgracing and deriding manner and
sorts of the Ministery of our selves of our families Dan. 9.3.7.8 of our fathers of our Princes of our people and of our whole land For all our fasting is nothing worth without this Fasting is no part of Gods worship but onely joyned to prayer to be an helpe unto it or as a wing to mount is up toward heaven and make it ascend into the presence of God Prayer is avaylable without fasting because it is a lifting up of the heart to him but fasting never without prayer because it goeth not beyond the outward man Prayer is a spirituall exercise of our faith wherein as in an acceptable sacrifice God delighteth but fasting is a bodily exercise which in it selfe pleaseth not God who is a Spirit Ioh. 4.24 and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth God being of a spirituall nature requireth a spirituall service and agreeable to his nature And cry mightily vnto God This is the life and the very quintessence of all the great abstinence before commanded For what had it availed to cover themselves with sackcloth and ashes and to abstaine from food had they not used prayer to God to crave mercy and forgivenesse at his hands Yea this is the end of private or publike fastes that we should call upon God the more fervently and effectually They are not prescribed as hath beene shewed as parts of Gods seruice for whether we eate we are never the worse or whether we abstaine we are not at all the better in respect of any religion or holinesse that consisteth in them but onely as they are meanes to further us in his seruice Now in these words we must observe three things the matter the manner and the object that is their prayer their zeale and the person to whom they prayed their prayer is noted by their crying their zeale by doing it mightily the person to whom they prayed unto God Let us consider these in order The first is the matter they prayed they cryed the end is that thereby God might turne away from his fierce wrath Doct. This teacheth us that prayer is a principall meanes appointed and sanctified of God to remove his judgements Prayer is a meanes to remove Gods judgments This is as it were the tongue or voyce of repentance The prayer of this people was more worth a thousand times than the crying of the beasts and the loud noyse of men women and children They cryed they cryed mightily they cryed to God This the heathen by the light of nature have confessed The Marriners acknowledged this to be the only meanes to obtaine mercy at the hands of God Ion. 1.6 and to remoove his judgement when they were like to perish So did Pharaoh he was glad to fly to it in his misery and calamity Exod. 8.28 Pray for me and for my people to the Lord that this plague may depart So it was with Ieroboam little better than the former 1 King 13.6 1 King 13. So it was with Simon the forcerer they all thought it was the readiest way to remove his judgments from falling upon them Behold sundry examples of this truth in traveilers in captives in sicke men in sea-men and sundry other troubles of which the Prophet saith They cryed unto the Lord in their troubles Psal 107.6.13 19.28 Amos. 7.2.3 4.5.6 and he delivered them out of their distresses We see this oftentimes in Moses the servant of the Lord when he praied for the Israelites Exod. 32. Numb 14. Yea so forcible were his prayers with God that they after a sort tyed up his hands that he could not smite but said Exod. 32.10 Let me alone that I may destroy them So Gen. 19. he said to Let I can doe nothing till thou art gone and Exod. 17. Gen. 19.22 the prayer of Moses prevailed more for the overthrow and destruction of the Amalekites than the sword of Ioshua and the people The reasons are Reas 1 first it hath a promise of blessing to such as use it a right Math. 7. Psal 50. We do not beat the aire nor build upon the sand our labour in the fire Psal 50.15 when we pray unto him but we lay a sure foundatiō upon the certaine rocke of his promise Math. 7.7 which shall never faile us who hath said Aske and ye shall receive Secondly our sinnes cry up to heaven pierce the cloudes Gen. 18.20 4.10 come into Gods presence and call for vengance Gen. 18. Our prayers cry to God for mercy and drowne the noise of our sinnes that the cry of them cannot be heard though they cry never so loud Thirdly we obtaine not because we aske not aright Iam. 4. We aske and receive not Iam. 4.3 we seeke and find not but the cause is not in God the fault is in our selves Vse 1. This reproveth such as pray not at all Vse 1 nor desire to have conference with God as if they stood in no need of him as if they enjoyed all things by their owne labour as if they did not live and move by his blessing as if it were not in his power to stoppe our breath when we must goe hence and be no more and as if any thing could do us good without a sanctifying of the creature to our use Psal 14.4 whereas he can take away the staffe of bread whensoever it pleaseth him All these should be motives to move us to paryer Rom. 10.13 The Prophet maketh this the note of Atheistes they call not upon the Lord. If a man should be waighed in this ballance alas how many would be found to light and if whosoever would be saved must call upon the name of the Lord how many are there that stand not in the state of salvation because they know not what prayer meaneth it is a stranger to them and they unto it Secondly it is our duty to practise this duty to call upon his holy name But it may be said what needeth prayer God hath foreappointed what to do and our prayer cannot altar Gods purpose decree which is unchangable I answer we do not pray to chage Gods decree but to shew our obedience faith toward God It pleaseth him to try them this way whether as his children they will depend upon him or not Again it may be said He knoweth what we need what need we then to put him in mind as if he had forgotten to shew mercy I answer we do not pray to teach God any thing that he knoweth not neither to bring to his remēbrance what he hath forgotten yet this ought to be farre from discouraging of us in prayer and from stopping our mouthes Math 6.8 9. that it rather openeth them wider for asmuch as therefore we ought to be encouraged in prayer because our heavenly father knoweth whereof we have need and thus our Saviour reasoneth your father knoweth your necessities after this manner therefore pray ye
Master it is joyned with open contempt of him no marveil therefore if disobedience to God be also a contempt against God as the Prophet saith If I be a Master where is my feare saith the Lord of hostes This teacheth that doubtlesse many stand guilty of a multitude of sinnes which they never thought of Vse 1 neither once dreamed upon Many men happly will grant there is some conscience to be made of committing evill who never thinke it a sinne to omit a good duty Such will confesse it a sin to worship a false god but never consider they are commanded to vnite their affections to the true God to trust in him to beleeve him to love him to feare him and to depend upon him that it is an heinous Crime to pray to a strange God or to Saints and Angels or to bow downe to an image who regard not to worship God in truth and sincerity and to call upon him in the day of trouble Many will refraine from working on the Sabbath day and prophaning it by riding about their businesse or running after their sports and pastimes they would be loth to doe these but in the meane season how doe they sanctifie and keepe it holy when they care not to heare the word or to performe publike and private duties of religion upon it We must all give account at the great day of the Lord as well what good we have done as what evill we have done That good governour of the people Nehemiah desired the Lord to remember him concerning the good deedes which he had done for the house of his God Neh. 13.14 It had beene small comfort to him if he had onely done them no hurt and gone no farther for so much might be said of an image or of the bruit beast but his comfort was he had endeavoured and employed himselfe to doe them good And how did Obadiah shew his religious heart in the dayes of persecution toward the Lords Prophets what did he rest in this that he had done them no hurt No 1 King 18.13 he did an hundred of them by fifty in a cave and fedde them with bread and water Or how did Rahab the harlot testifie her faith toward the spies that were sent to search the land did she content her selfe to offer them no injury and to bewray them or deliver them into the hands of their enemie No doubtlesse she was justified by her workes Iam. 225. Heb. 11.31 when she had received the messengers with peace and had sent them out another way But the religion of most men in our dayes is a negative religion they have little positive you may sooner obserue what they doe not Gal. 6.10 then understand what they doe We must obserue the rule of the Apostle As we have opportunity let us doe good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith Secondly it reproveth such as content themselves with idle shewes and appearances of obedience and sincerity It will not serve our turne to be Christians onely in outward profession if we be fruitlesse and faulty in conversation It is not enough to make us sound Christians to come to Church to be at prayers to heare the word and receive the Sacraments when we yeeld no fruit of obedience as if it were sufficient that the fig-tree were planted in the Vineyard albeit it bare nothing but leaves Psal 1.3 but we must be as trees of righteousnesse planted by the rivers side which bring forth fruite in their season True it is the Church hath alwayes had such painted Sepulchers or gilded tombes outwardly as the Iewes that had the Temple of the Lord alwayes in their mouthes who yet remained wicked and prophane persons in their lives The sound Christian is not discerned by the leaves of outward appearance but by the precious fruits of the spirit not by his profession but by his practise and they are the true Israelites which are so within whose praise is of God and not of men The fig-tree had leaves good flore which were seene a farre off Mar. 11.13 and seemed to promise great store of fruit but when Christ drew neere and looked for fruit found none he said Never more fruit grow upon thee Let us take heed in time of such a wofull sentence For may not Christ Iesus trow you finde store of such fruitlesse fig-trees in this Vineyard of his nay when he commeth to looke upon his Vineyard will it not be a rare thing and an hard matter to see a fig-tree with any fruit upon it Nay are we not for the most part come to this passe that we have scarce any leave at all to be seene that a man may take a Candle and search for leaves and yet find none upon them This is the state and condition of sundry among us how neere are such to the curse and to be burned up which have neither fruit nor leaves neither substance nor shew neither body nor shadow neither truth nor appearance but openly and evidently make plaine Demonstration of wild and wicked fruit Deut. 32.32.33 their grapes are grapes of gall their clusters are bitter their wine is the poison of Dragons and the cruell venime of Aspes Such shall never be suffered to remaine within the Vineyard the axe is laid to the root of the tree to cut them downe Thirdly this checketh and controlleth the slanderous mouthes and pennes of the Romish Church opened wide and enlarged against our doctrine which they knew not or will not know who beare the world and their ignorant Disciples the multitude in hand that our religion destroyeth good works Math. 5.16 whereas we call upon the people to bring forth the fruits of the Gospel and to let our light so shine before men that they may see our good workes and glorifie our father which is heaven Nay we teach a necessity of good workes as well as they to be in all true beleevers that they which have beleeved in God might be carefull to maintaine good workes these things are good and profitable unto men Wherein then lyeth the difference between us they teach them to be the causes of our justification we that they be lively fruits and effects of faith they doe not goe before him that is to be justified but they follow him that is already justified they are not necessary in the act or office of justification but they are necessarily required to be in every justified person Lastly let us all be provoked to the diligent practise of good workes No man must thinke himselfe exempted or priviledged from good workes albeit he be never so poore or simple The most sort post over this duty from one to another and thinke when we call for good workes it is a doctrine that toucheth onely rich men and such as have the wealth of this world at will and none other as if there were no good workes of charity that did deserue the
of sinne then the former This is the sinne of our time the common sinne of every place yea almost of every person The light is come among us but we love darknesse more then the light and are luke-warme Revel 3.16 as retchlesse men that care not which end goeth forward God will spew out such out of his mouth as evill humours out of the stomacke Salomon teacheth us in the Proverbes that he which is sloathfull in his worke Prov. 18.9 is brother to him that is a great waster so is it with such as are sloathfull in the Lords worke and in their owne duty they are companions and brethren with such as are open and obstinate contemners of the Word and make haste a pace after them they follow them close at the heeles and in short time will overtake them There is such carelesnesse and security every-where in the matters of God among us as if every man were left to doe what he list as if the soule were the least matter of a thousand as if Religion were last of all to be regarded or as if there were no day of account to come hereafter Among those that come to the place of Gods worship many indeed are kept in awe and in order but how and wherefore Is it by any conscience of their duty or by love to the Word Nay nay but for sinister ends some by force of the Law because they feare to be presented some by awe of their Superiours because they would not be thought stubborne some come for custome and fashion sake because it is Sunday some for company of others because they would doe as their honest neighbours doe and love not to be singular some for that they would not be accounted Papists because the State fauoureth them not some lest they should bee esteemed Atheists and so be pointed at with the finger some to please their Parents because they should leave them a better portion some to content their Masters lest they should be thrusted out of their dores or because they hope to gaine by them some to passe away the time because they have nothing else to doe some to meet with their friends and acquaintance because they are loth to spare another day some to meete with their debters because they would demand their money but the fewest number to meet the Lord in his owne Ordinances because they love the habitation of his house and the place where his honour dwelleth Psal 26.8 who hath promised to be in the middest of them that are gathered together in his Name Matth. 18.20 Happy are we if we be in the number of these few If such retchlesse men were left to themselves without any bridle of Law or feare of Superiour and authority of whom we spake before and suffered to doe what they pleased without any checke or controlment we should have our thinne Assemblies a great deale thinner and our streets and fields and houses and Ale-houses fuller-stuffed and thronged then our Churches And this may appeare hereby that notwithstanding we have Lawes and Magistrates and Officers and good examples of the chiefest and principall among us yet they are few a very few in comparison of the rest that are constant and conscionable in their hearing some if their presence and absence were ballanced together the waightier scole would be given to their absence and would waigh downe their presence as being found too light Others albeit they dwell neere enough are starting away at every turne and when they make shew of going to the Churche turne aside another way Others are more carefull to fill the body then to feed the soule who take every even the least occasion to feast with their friends forgetting the feast that God hath prepared in his house and not regarding it though they even starve their owne soules Others are gadding yea madding in a manner after every vanity and doe delight much more in the pleasure of the body then in the profit that commeth to the Spirit Others are weary of the Word as the Israelites that loathed Manna Numb 11.6 Others have hired ground and they must needs goe see it others have bought five yoke of Oxen Luk. 14.18 19. Matth. 22.5 and they must goe to prove them others must visit their Farmes or attend their Marchandise and yet every one must be holden excused though all set light by the Word and runne after their owne wayes like the guests in the Gospell that were bidden to the wedding and to the great Supper God sendeth out his Servants to invite them Come for all things are ready I have prepared my Dinner my Oxen and my fatlings are killed but they neglect the Lords sending to them and his calling of them But what followeth The Lord pronounceth Luke 14.24 I say unto you that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my Supper These are they that are araigned as guilty of the neglect of heavenly things who will sometimes seeme to beare some affection to the house of God but partly their profits and partly their pleasures carry them another way of all which the Prophet speaketh Ier. 48.10 Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently or deceitfully All these stand under this heauy curse of the Lord and therefore I counsell them to looke to it betimes to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to meet him by unfained repentance while he is here Lastly Contempt of the Word another hinderance to the Kingdome touching the contempt of the Word who seeth not how common it is which notwithstanding is the top of impiety and that many have filled the measure of their sinnes till it be full that the cry of them is come up to heaven If any aske the cause I answer Our great negligence and generall coldnesse have brought this evill upon us and God doth hereby in his deepe and yet just Iudgement revenge our carelesnesse in his Service by giving us over into all prophanenesse The Word of the Lord by which wee shall all be judged at the last Day is so farre from holding men in awe and from having their lives and hearts in subjection that they reject it from them as a needlesse thing and regard it no longer The Minister may teach what he will and threaten as long as he list but these Gallants like Gallio in the Actes of the Apostles Acts 18.17 care for none of those things The time hath beene when the Word hath beene reverenced even by such as were not converted by it nor transformed into the obedience of it yet it hath held them in some awe but now in these our dayes loosenesse and licenciousnesse have generally prevailed in every place and sinne is growne to such an head and height as if the Word were but a Scare-crow and all Religion but a fable We are come to this passe to mocke at zeale and Religion and to contemne the