a tongue which having tasted the bitternes of sinne lifts up as bitter and lowd a cry Purge me with Hysop and I shall be cleane wash me and I shall be whiter then snow and shall I not heed such a warning I will heare the rod and who hath appointed it When he poureth forth the oyle of comfort into thy wounded heart bruised and broken with repentance Take words to thy selfe and say This is that glorious Comforter whom my Saviour hath sent to dwell in me and speake peace unto me that he might be a seale and earnest of his promises and that inheritance purchased with his blood This oyle he brings to my bleeding soule in that horne of Dauid an horne taken from his Altar consecrated and fitted by that holy Annointing I will therefore open my sores unto him and call upon him O Lord heale me for my bones are vexed When thou art exhorted to walke in the good path and to run in the way of Gods commandements thus meditate It is the onely true Way who hath giuen me his Spirit to leade me and he now cals vpon me by the voice of such a Guide who conducts me no farther nor faster then himselfe by his owne example goeth before me and shall not I hasten my slow feete and spurre on my dull affections to follow Yes certainely I will say unto him Let thy good spirit lead me into the land of righteousnesse Draw me and I will run after thee O enlarge my heart and I will runne in the way of thy Commandements In all thy course let this thought of thy Guide never depart from thee but commune thus with thine owne heart what is there that should stop me in this way What is there that should not rather incite and hasten me Shall I say I have great possessions promoted to some high oâ—fice increased in children keepe a great familie and burdened with many affaires both publike and private But how farre did this my Guide exceed me in all outward blessings Yet I find that every where he useth them as so many cords to pull on his heart with more force to the practice of Godlinesse Should I complaine of discouragements trouble contempt poverty affliction What a shame were this to me when I heare him professing They had almost conumed mee upon earth but I forsooke not thy precepts The proud have had me exceedingly in derision yet have I not declined from thy Law I am small and despised yet doe I not forget thy statutes Trouble and anguish are come upon mee yet are thy Commandements my delight Follow therefore cheerfully so good a Leader and learne of him in riches to be rich in good workes in poverty to be poore in spirit to imploy all thy power to adorne and beautifie the Temple of God within thee and when thou art despised by worldly Michals for thy zeale and cheerfulnesse in Gods service to be more vile and low in thine owne eyes 2 Reâ—utation Let us here not so much refute as detest and accurse those Popish blasphemies concerning this and other Scriptures Surely though a reverend opinion and speech of the written Word be not ever an infallible signe of a faithfull Christian yet an un-reverend aestimation contemptuous and disgracefull speech is a sure argument of infidelity and Atheisme The Ancients received the Scriptures as the Iudge sent from heaven and the voyce of Christ which they durst not censure but by which they censured all other writings yeelding to the Canonicall Scriptures and to them alone an un-deniable consent Thus Origen thus Austen And above other Scriptures they wonderfully extolled the Psalmes affirming the Prophet was a most sweet and delightfull companion of our journey relieving and helping all sorts that travaile this way becomming all to all men that there is nothing which we may not learne in the Psalmes that such as with a faithfull and serious mind exercise themselues in the Psalmes are in a manner fellowed with the Angels of God Thus Nazianzen Austen Chrysostome Bernard Now how they which boast so much of Antiquitie and the onely Church agree with the Ancients and with the true Church we may perceive in this particulars It is almost incredible how basely and despitefully they speake of the Oracles of God Let me cleare this point a little 1. They aâ—firme the Scriptures mistie and darke despising that woe pronounced on those who call light darkenesse and darkenesse light nor once fearing in evident termes to contradict the Spirit of truth who so often cals it light 2. They obscure it by many Apocryphall and humane writings which as the Moone under the Sunne mingled with the word of truth make a fearefull Ecclipse in the Church commanding those Bastard writings to be received as the Genuine with aequall authority and estimation 3. They have set up an earthly Meteor exhaled from their own braine to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 another counterfeit Sunne to confront the true in pretence to supply the defects of it This is their Traditions in word equaling but in deed preferring them before the Scripture 4. The better to depresse the splendour of it they haue laboured to hide it under a bushell under the veile of an vnknowne tongue And of many other haue they chosen the Vulgar translation as Authenticall which of all the rest is knowne and by some of their own confessed to be the most barbarous spotted and defectiue commanding it under censure of Anathema to be received and in no pretence whatsoever in any thing rejected 5. They affirme the Scripture is no further a light then it shall please the Pope to kindle and light it up by his breath and interpretation defining that whatsoever hath the holy Fathers exposition hath the very word of God though he know not whether it doe nor how it can possibly agree with the word expounded peremptorily decreeing that no man presume to receive it in any other sense then the holy Mother Church interprets it whose Prerogative it is to unfold it 6. With monstrous impudence they dare maintaine that the strength of all former Councels and if of all then of that Councell also which was held by the Apostles and all Doctrines depends upon the authority of the present Church Lastly they reproach and revile it that it is a nose of waxe a Lesbian or leaden rule that it may be well defended as godlily spoken that the Scriptures without the Churches authority is of no more force then AEsops fables and there the same Hosius stickes not plainely to say that the Scripture should have little waight with them without the Churches authority Nay a Priest in a controversie with my selfe blasphemously averres which testimony of Iesuiticall doctrine I will ever keepe by me that the Scripture was not written by the command of God nor of set purpose but by chance I have seene
we may more then probably gather from one to another but especially to the Patriarchs by inspiration and gift of Prophecie But in processe of time when he had called out a Nation sanctified them to himselfe to be his Church and people he contracted this spirituall light into the body of the Scripture and appointed not onely the people in his Chuâ—ch but even the Starres the Ministers to take from it what they brought to us and to shine with no other beames to the people then which they drew from the word Hence the Prophet recals the people to this fountaine of light to the law to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no lightâ— in them Hence so often called Light and the Apostle as before witnesseth that the Minister is made wise to salvation and perfect to every good worke by it As therefore the Creatour framed one great originall light to rule the day so that by the beames of it the creature might haue power to discerne all things necessarie to be seene so to this end he calleth the Scripture light because he hath given it a lightsome qualitie whereby it discovers unto us whatsoever is necessary to eternall life and it might direct and instruct us in every good way and worke for surely words are to the eare the same that light is to the eye the eye by light discerneth things visible and distinguisheth every creature which it seeth so the word of man opens his intention to us which else lieth hidden in his heart and is altogether imperceptible Thus the word of God doth manifest unto us the will and purpose of God and cleerely reveales to all and every one what is necessary for them to know as being all plaine to them that will understand Now then seeing God cannot dissemble and it were blasphemie to affirme that he who hath given us Christ would giue us an obscure light which should make us doubtfull in seeing and should utter words to discover his minde which wee cannot understand this he doth in judgment to the reprobate but he deales not so with his children see Mar. 4. 11. 12. How lewdly doth he thinke of God who should affirme that he giues to his children a word cals it light commaunds them so to use it and continually to converse with it which yet is darke and imperfect and may easily deceiue them 2. The word whether that which God hath written downe for our eyes by the hands of his Secretaries or that which he speaketh to our â—ares by the mouth of his Messengers is the very law doctrine and word of that great Iehova the Lord of all and therefore so to be received with more reverence and subjection then any word or law of any creature The first of these is evidently affirmed here namely that this doctrine is the law of the Lord the second necessarily deducted that therfore it must bee received with all submission and obedience which becomes us servants to so great a Lord. Neither can this doctrine be confined to the Scriptures onely seing God doth not onely by writing but by preaching teach us the way to happinesse and lead us in it Hence is it that as the Scriptures are sayd to be inspired of God and by the moving of the holy Ghost so our Saviour without any ambiguitie plainely testifies that he speakes and is heard in his Ministers Flesh and bloud stands out against this truth and by no meanes will yeeld to it that the Ministers who now liue speake the very word of God and that the word which they heare is indeed not mans but Gods The Prophets say they and Apostles were extraordinary men and furnished with peculiar gifts for such a calling and with an unerring spirit therfore their word was infallibly Godâ— message and so to be received but not so the Ministers of our times who haue not the same gifts but may erre and be deceived True it is that the Prophets and Apostles were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so infallibly assisted by the Spirit that they could not erre in their preaching and therefore their word without skanning might be safely received by those who knew them to be such But because even the faithfull themselues did not at the first thus know them therefore they examined their preaching by the touch-stone of the Scripture Paul was a singular Apostle in doctrine and miracles c. yet did not the faithfull take his word at adventure but tryed it by the Scripture and then gaue credit to it Acts 17. 11. Nay certainly had even these men though knowne Apostles preached other doctrine then was revealed in the written word it might not be received And therefore though the Ministers of these times are nothing comparable to them in gifts yet being Messengers of the same God sent by him when they speake the same doctrine which was before by them published and after left in writing they speake no lesse the word of God then they unlesse we thinke the qualitie of man can alter the truth of God When Satan spoke Thou art the holy one of God was it not the truth When Balaam a false Prophet over-ruled by God prophecied was not the prophecietrue because the tongue was false and might nay often did speake lies How much more is that word to be received as the truth of God which being spoken by his Messengers is no other then himselfe hath written In the time of the Law as there were some extraordinary Ministers as Prophets so were there ordinary Teachers the Levites who expounded the Law instructed the people and dare any man deny their preaching to be the word of God So was it likewise in the times of the Apostles They ordained Ministers in every congregation and was not their word the embassage of God Epaphras no Apostle and as farre as wee can gather no inspired Preacher yet planted the Church of the Colossians and the word preached by him was the word of Christ the Gospell the word of truth To conclude this point Hence the word delivered by Timothy an inferiour Minister was equally the word of God as if it had beene uttered by the Apostle see 1 Thes. 2. 13. Nay it must be remembred that those words of our Saviour he that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me were not spoken to the Apostles but to the seventie Disciples and then when as yet the holy Ghost was not given nay when as yet the Apostles themselues were altogether unacquainted with the chiefe mysteries of salvation even the death and resurrection of Christ. But if any man reply that he cannot giue so assured assent unto the word now preached as to that of the Apostles let him know the fault is in himselfe not in the word and Ordinance of God for he ought to be so stedfastly grounded in the truth that if Angels from heaven
should preach otherwise he should bee able to distinguish and accurse it know therefore Pastors and Teachers are as well given by Christ to his Church as Apostles and Evangelists both are his Messengers and these speake no lesse the word of God then the other so farre as they mingle not their own inventions but keep themselues to their commission and instructions delivered to them in the packet of the Scripture How therefore this word is to be received with what reverence and subject obedience judge thy selfe and consider the example of Cornelius see Acts 10. 33. nay even of that Heathen King who rose up from his Throne to receiue a message sent from God but delivered by a subject 3. The Law or word of God is full of sweetnesse and pleasure containing in it whatsoever may giue content or joy to the heart of man This truth evidently appeares in this place seeing delight in it is here required of all those which shall be blessed The experience of Gods Saints and their profession approues it They rejoyce in heart Sweeter then the hony or the hony combe They are the joy of our hearts The words of truth are pleasant words Hence the Church of Christ affirmes the mouth of Christ to be as sweet things And the reason is evident For as nothing is more grievous to the nature of man then darkâ—nesse imprisonment death so nothing more cheerefull then the contrary light liberty and life Now the word of God is the very light of our eyes not onely as the bodily light which is but a medium or meane of seeingâ— but first opening the eye and giving it inward light and then as a meane and outward light revealing other things to us So is it also called the meanes of libertie as well discovering unto us our naturall bondage and slaâ—very and how we are freed by Christ as also bringing us out of the chaines of Satan into the libertie of Gods childâ—en Hence it is called the Law of libertie So Christ is sent to preach libertie to the captiues Certainely the word of God is to the soule of man as the Angell to Peter It findes him in prison bound with divers chaines in a deepe sleepe in a darke Dungeon but it wakes him stirres him vp shakes off his bonds brings him out opens the iron gate and leaues him not till he is come to himselfe and feeles he is delivered by Christ. Nay it is his life by which being dead in sinnes and trespasses by nature he is quickned and raised up not to a corruptible but eternall and glorious life Therefore is it called our life that is the meanes which God hath appointed as well to giue us life as here to continue it therefore compared to seede and foode Looke then as light is a pleasant thing and it is a good thing to the eyes to see the Sunne so much more the soule which hath beene long held in miserable blindnesse and darkenesse cannot but rejoyce in the word which brings him that true light As a man being held in fetters and restraint is in a new world when he enjoyes his libertie so likewise that captiue soule which hath long beene bound and held fast by Satan in those heavie chaines of sinne is wonderfully ravished with the joyfull message of that glorious libertie Or as a man dying and ready to drop into the graue is not a little revived with the promise of a skilfull Physitian assuring him life so the soule that is now drawing neere to the gates of Hell and almost swallowed up in eternall death how is hee refreshed with the glad tydings of Salvation Therefore in all the historie of the Apostles travels and publishing the Gospell we shall ever finde that this word preached fild the Cities houses and hearts of men with rejoycing and gladnesse see Act. 8. 8.39 and 13.48 and 16. 34. And indeed as Corne Wine and such creatures were purposely created by God to strengthen and cheere up the body of man and by his ordinance not of themselues haue this power force to worke to that end to which he ordained them so this food of the soule is that creature appointed by God to fill the soule with gladnes strength to life eternall and therefore shall not misse of this end where God employeth it Even in earthly affaires heavinesse in the heart of man doth bring it downe but a good word reioyceth it how much more true is this of the word of God If that friendly word of Boaz fill'd the heart of Ruth with comfort and joy that being a stranger and having forsaken her friends and Country she found new friends good words and usage in a forraine place how much more must the cordials of that great Comforter in his word cheering our hearts and assuring us that though we haue forgotten our owne people and our fathers house yet of strangers and forreiners we are entred into the household of God and haue found the Lord Iesus so sure and fast a friend to our soules how much more joy and cheerfulnesse will this put into us How doe coole waters refresh a wearie Pilgrime toiled in dust and travaile so is glad newes from a farre Countrey Surely when the soule hath wearied it selfe and found nothing when it is tired in the travaile dust and sweate of the world and hath found all to be vanitie and vexation of spirit how welcome are those waters of life flowing from the Sanctuary how ravishing those glad tydings of pâ—ace sent downe from heaven by the Lord Iesus Christ and brought home to â—his heart by the blessed Spirit in the ministerie of the Gospell which is the power of God to salvation 4. It is not onely the dutie of such who desire happinesse to exercise their senses in the word of God but to doe it with delight that their hearts should stand so affected to the word as to their refreshing and pleasure for here is the feast of fat things which the Lord maketh for all nations and therefore inviteth to come cheerefully unto it being free and costing us nothing and willeth us to delight our soules in fatnesse verily the promise of delighting our selues in the Lord is confined to that dutie of delighting in these duties And indeed this delight being nothing else but that willingnesse of minde pleasing it selfe in this action infinite passages shall we finde in the scripture bending this way and exhorting us to embrace the word with this willing cheerefulnesse Bee swift to heare Be more ready to heare c. And the practise of the Saints is evident to this end as was before proved Reason will further enforce this affection upon us for 1. It is an Ordinance of God purposely set out by him for this end even to solace the heart and fill it with true joy and comfort as was before shewed and hence is it
that there is no estate of man which may not there find what soever is comfortable and usefull 2. Even heathen wise men acknowledged that in wisedome there were admirable pleasures and could perceive and professe him to be the wisest happiest who was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most godly wise 3. Especially the very object of delight being goodnes hence the wil is necessitated to take pleasure in it It proceeds from God the infinite goodâ— it is in its kind infinitly good therfore called the good word of God the end effect of it to lead us to our supream good happines But is it not the savour of death No otherwise then Christ is a rocke of stumbling not in it selfe but by the perversnesse of man Nay rather this argueth the goodnesse of it because as a thing is more good so the abuse of it is more dangerous In a word whatsoever goodnesse is in any creature whereby the bodily sense and life is refreshed all this in a farre more excellent manner and measure is comprised in the word The fleshly eye is ravished with beautifull colours and corporall fairenesse but the understanding is that eye of the soule to which truth is the most proper and pleasing object and therefore the feete beautifull that bring it The eare is pleased with sweete words and â—loquent speeches but how pleasant to a spirituall eare is this upright writing the words of truth The tast is delighted with sweet meats but the word is hony and â—he hony combe to the mouth of the soule How delightfull is gaine and profit to a worldly heart But this word is the currâ—nt coyne of that heavenly Kingdome which stocketh the heart with the treasures of grace and bringeth us to those full riches and inheritance of glory It is therefore our dutie to draw our averse hearts to delight in it and not onely necessarily but joyfully to converse with it Try here and proue thy selfe whether thou art yet entred into this way of happinesse See here the happy or blessed man delighteth in the law of God as well the word it selfe as the way set him downe in that word is pleasant and delightfull Obserue therefore the worke wisedome of our Creator and thou shalt find that as he hath allotted to the creatures severall beings and natures so hath he filled every nature with severall affections dispositions Among the sensible some take their pastime in the ayre some in the water nay some within the earth In the vegetatiue we see some trees and herbs delight and thriue in waterie and marish grounds other in dry and rockie some in hot and others in cold some in a fat others in a barren soile Thus in the food and nourishment of sensible bodies what a strange difference doe we see That is pleasant and wholsome to one which to another is loathsome and a deadly poyson Thus hath that all-wise Creatour disposed that there shall be a kind of aptnesse and affection in one creature to sustaine and beare up the nature of another Now as he hath given to the creatures severall natures and fitted them with severall nourishments answearable to their constitutions so also hath he so tempered their complexions that they are necessarily and strongly carried by their appetite to desire those things whereby their nature is sustained and comforted applying their tast to delight in those nourishments Thus in thy bodily life he hath given bread and wine for thy sustenance and so ordained that by his blessing there is in this food a power of increasing and strengthning the body and in the body a necessary and earnest desire of these aliments and in the tast a pleasure to receiue them Thus now is it with thy soule If thou art entred into this new life Christ Iesus is that bread which came downe from heaven the bread and water of life the true vine which cheeres up thy soule hee is brought home to thee in his word which word God hath purposely given to be the meanes of spirituall life and hath put into it his power to salvation therefore as he hath given to the spirituall man an unseparable appetite to hunger and thirst after it so likewise hath he given a spirituall tast to which this good and wholesome word is as hony and the hony combe so that they are not a little delighted and pleased with it If therefore thou canst finde in thee this spirituall tast constantly delighting in the word it is a sure note of life But had not Herod and haue not temporary beleevers a tast yea a delighting tast in the word Yes but 1. not constantly no not in the promise 3. The delight which they haue is not indeed in the word but in their owne conceits falsly drawne from it as remission of sinnes at all adventure mercy and grace without any true change or repentance and such like yea even then many things of Gods law they spit out as bitter and unsavory But the true Beleever hath this tast in him constantly though sometimes dulled by tentation and rejoyceth not onely in those sweet promises which nourish him but even in those bitter reproofes as in sowre but wholesome salets provoking to appetite and clensing the stomacke So likewise all the wayes of heauenly wisedome pointed out to him are wayes of pleasure The way of godlinesse righteousnesse sobrietie are all delightfull This is not so with the wicked man who may please himselfe or at least seeme so in some of these but hath no heart to many necessary duties nay utterly dâ—tests and abhors them The most civill man will take much libertie not onely in omission of pious duties as of prayer in his closet and familie breach of some part of the Sabboth but â—steems it a light matter to breake out into commission of some ungodlines as oaths so they be not frequent nor of the greater size in his measure but especially in shaping a religion and worship of God after his owne fancie neglecting nay even despising the rule of God at least precisenesse of that rule The hypocrite will gild over his out-side with a faire resemblance of pietie to God and the eye must be very sharpe to spie out a fault in the outward forme of his profession but is far from that seeming care of righteousnesse and just dealing with men but that we may easily discerne grosse neglect of such duties But he that delighteth in the Law of God cannot be thus disposed But as he loues the Lord for himselfe and delights his soule in rendring to God that which is his so doth he loue his brother for God and will carefully obserue his respects unto him 3. Seing the Lord giues this name of Law to the Scripture hence is just occasion to refute that blasphemous errour of Poperie that the written word is not a perfect rule or direction But 1. God in evident termes contradicts it The Law
prosperous Commaunder Alexander the great brought into subjection the greatest paâ—t of the earth then knowne But what beast what fowle must this Papisticall Aâ—tichrist be How many feete must he haue How many wings Who in much lesse then halfe this time shall bring under his yoake and raigne over many moe Countries and people then ever Antichrist â—new Is it possible in reason that any who hath not pluckt out his eyes should thinke the Pope Christ his subject nay Deputie who opposeth and exalteth himself aboue all that is called God Doth he not challenge to be unto the Vniversall Church an head to giue influence a Monarch to giue Lawes nay a Spouse to giue and receiue benevolence so that to be subject to the Pope is of necessitie to salvation nay doth he not usurpe and with all tyrannie maintaine a Monarchicall Omnipotencie Surely that judgment mentioned by Tertullian is fallen upon them They beleeve without Scriptures that they may beleeve against Scriptures We evidently see the Prophesie of the Apostle fulfilled in them Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God hath sent them strong delusions that they should beleeve lies that all they might be damned which beleeved not the truth But the Popish Faction aâ—firme that they cannot bee accounted heretickes because they haue never beeâ—e convicted nor condemned by a generall Councill But first it is suâ—ficient conviction to proue an hereticke that his errour is manifestâ—d unto him by the Scripture unlesse wee will thinke Simon Magus no hereticke untill hee was dead and rotten because no Councell before his death condemned his errours Againe the Papists maintaine things openly interdicted in generall Councels Thus they use defend in their Pope the title of chiefe or highest Priest censured and forbidden by the 3. Councell of Carthage so also the worship of Angels is by them stiffely maintained yet condemned plainly by the Apostle in the old heretickes Colos. 2.18 and after by the Councell of Laodicea They set up images in Churches prohibited by the Councell of Eliberis But what hope is there that this harlot will reforme any errour who in her head Paul 4. in his Epistle to Gropper condemning certaine abuses doctrines as being such which could not by that way that is by Scripture be defended yet never reformed any either abuse or doctrine nay who in her whole representatiue bodie the Councill of Trent is not ashamed to confâ—sse that Christ ordained and distributed to his Apostles non conficientibus not adâ—inistring the Sacrament both bread and wine and cannot deny but that it was so continued in the primitiue Church yet take upon themselues power to determine that whole Christ the true Sacrament is received in the bread alone and that the Church hath authoritie to alter this institution of Christ with a most brasen face challenging right to change any thing in the Sacrament excepting the substance and so consequently denying the bloud of Christ reprâ—sented and presented in the Cup to be of the substance of the Lords Supper Let every soule try here his claim to this true blessing Two notes â—re here offered unto us by which we may come to an infallible knowledge of our estate 1. How art thou disposed to that word of God which cals thee out of thy sinne be it either some gracious promise or sharpe reproofe how standest thou affected to it The word is a fire to melt and soften the iron heart of man that it may be fit to receiue the impression of Gods image Thus Iosiah melted the hearts of Gods people tremble at his voyce and when they profit are pricked in hearing Either thou standest in the way of sinners or else it is thus with thâ—e Amaziah can with some patience heare and follow the commaund but hate the reproofe of the word Ahab can approue and obey the counsell of God in ordering his Armies but hates Michaiah who would order his conversation according to the rule of God Oh! then considâ—r how thou art disposed to the rebuke of Christ as Moses who preferred it before the treasures of AEgypt or as Herod who beheaded his messenger How ofâ—eÌ„ hast thou heard that gentle reprehension joyned with a gracious invitaton O yee disobedient children returne and I will heale your rebellions doth thy heart then answer Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God we lie down in our eonfusion and our shame covereth us Hast thou lamented with Ephraim Thou hast corrected me and I was chastised Convert thou me and I shall be converted for thou art the Lord my God Surely after I converted I repented c. Thus doe these heires of happinesse they will lament they will mourne as for an onely sonne they will abhorre themselues and lye downe in ashes 2. Examine thy estate by thy care and endeavour to rise after thou art slipt and fallen Dost thou consider thy wayes and turne thy feete into the testimonies of the Lord Dost thou make hast and delayest not David strucken downe with that sinne of adulterie and murder and benummed with so many blowes of Satan lay a while as dead but when the rebuking voyce of God called unto him and testified Thou art the mâ—n how soone did hee awake from his swoone and expressed a whole world of griefe in one word I haue sinned As thou hast fallen with that Saint so hast thou risen with him and renewing strength hast fortified thy selfe and art become even impregnable on that side The more foule thy sinnes are the more are thy teares and sorrow the more thy loue to thy gracious Lord pardoning such and so many offences Obserue every where this disposition in the Saints and happy art thou if thou canst finde it in thy selfe But thou shalt see Ahab humble himselfe in sackcloth but still proudly and rebelliously disposed in heart Thou shalt heare the sinner say They haue stricken mee but I was not sicke they haue beatâ—n mee but I knew not when I awoke therefore will I seeke it yet still If it be thus with thee if thou confessest thy sinne with thy lippes but forsakest it not in thy heart how shouldest thou find mercy If thou tremblest for feare of judgement as Felix and yet nourishest in thee a corrupt heart and puttest off the word I will heare another time what art thou better nay how much worse then that Heathen Consider what strâ—ames of teares flowed from the eyes of Mary Magdalen What fire of loue burned in her heart How did Paul humble himselfe in respect of his persâ—cution How ardent his loue to Christ flaming out in all his actions Thus will thy heart be affected thus thy actions directed if thou art in the same estate Here come under reproofe 1. Those rebels which wilfully set themselues to resist the word of God and put it from them Two sorts may we
when they can best use them Bee not thou therefore of an hastie spirit But much more are those to be rebuked who when they perceiue a man turned from his former course of life and now to frame his heart and actions to his profession they instantly expect an Angelicall puritie in such and an heavenly estate without sinne or blemish Hence is it that if they find any the least infirmitie they presently breake out into tauntings not onely of the person but the profession and into revilings no better indeed then blasphemies against the Lord and that holy calling which themselues professe In the meane time like grosse hypocrites they neither doe nor will see their notorious dissimulation and the foule deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts for themselues liue in sinne delight in sinne resolue to goe on in grosse sinnes and though there be nothing in them like a Christian yet will they be called and counted Christians 3. Here are refuted and reproved Papists and all other ungrounded Christians who deny the perseverance of the Saints and affirme that even those who by a true faith are entred into Christ and are now in the Covenant of grace may yet fall backe againe and become utter Apostates from the truth of grace which they haue received and so finally bee damned This errour a rag of Pelagianisme newly washed and worne by the Papists confuted and condemned by the primitiue Church and especially by that learned Saint Augustine is so palpably contrary to this and many other Scriptures that it cannot be defended without manifest and grosse impudence and contradiction to Christ and his Spirit But they object to what end are those many cautions in the word Let him that standeth take heede least hee fall c. We must know for answer that this Scripture speakes onely to such as thinke they stand and indeed such warnings of God are not onely given that we may know there is a possibilitie in man as of himselfe to fall but for divers other ends 1. Some of them are spoken not of utter or universall falling from God or from faith but into some sinne noâ—withstanding which fall he may still retaine communion with God and faith in Christ unlesse we thinke that every minute the Saints are out and in with God 2. Such warnings are given to humble us by knowing that not onely our lapsed nature but even in this new life of regeneration there is a power utterly and finally to fall awayâ— much more in this then in that state of innocency so that our standing is onely by the Covenant of God his mercy and truth that we continue in this grace is not from any principle in us but from that infallibilitie of Godâ— grace seaâ—ed up in his Couenant 3. Such admonitions are meanes whereby the Lord exciteth our hearts to watchfulnesse and all other duties by which he hath decreed to support us nay whereby we aâ—â— upholden For when God commaunds to stand fast he giues power to stand as he commaunds As in the word of Creation when the Lord commanded Let there bee light there was light so in our renovation what hee commaunds in his Elect he performes and makes his word powerfull to actuate what he perswades Againe they object many passages of Scripture They haue made shipwracke of faith c. Know that in faith there are many things 1. A knowledge and profession of the truth 2. A consent to that doctrine both being actions of the understanding 3. There is an action of the will which not onely chuseth Christ as a great blessing so may a reprobate who hath set his heart upon the world but as the supreame and onely blessednes in whom alone without any addition he is happy and therefore resteth upon him and acquieteth himselfe in the enjoying him The other two are often called faith and are in part yet not without that third action of the will that true faith whereby wee liue in Christ but the other separated from the last are but the Devils faith now this may be lost without any prejudice to this cause But further they say as did their Predecessours the Pelagians this is a key to open a way to all licentiousnesse Answer them not onely as before in the fourth Instruction but 1. That there is no doctrine which crooked men may not pervert to wicked ends 2. Deny that there is any just cause for a reasonable man to take liberty from hence of sinning Should a weake man know that by eating this or that meate he should not dye but yet be grievously sicke and lye in much and long torment were not this sufficient to keepe him from eating it But as hee of whom the Poets write that was made of mortall immortall yet subject to disease being wounded with a poysoned dart earnestly wished a possibility of dying so let us know that the stings and sorrowes and many most smarting effects of sinne are such that they will sufficiently fright the faithfull from falling backe and revolting to sinne though they know they shall not be utterly or finally cut off from Gods favour Beside how shall they which are dead to sinne liue yet therein nay where this hope is which maketh not ashamed there will follow a continuall purifying and cleansing from sinne Let every weake soule apply this soveraigne medicine to it selfe thou shalt not utterly fall away the same God who hath called thee and begun this good worke iâ— thee shall perfect and continue it to the day of the Lord Iesus Thou shalt bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ. For faithfull is he that hath promised who will also doe it Be not too much discouraged with thy slow growth for know he surely growes who feares that he stands at a stay and is jealous of himselfe and of his deceitfull heart The sense with griefe that thou so little thrivest is an evident signe that thou increasest Ground therefore and stablish thy soule on the truth of God and remember his promise The mountaines shall depart and the hils bee removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee oh thou afflicted and tossed c. Labour for those never-fading fruits and giue no rest to thy soule till thou hast obtained them Oh how is it that we are so slothfull in matters concerning our eternall happinesse If we plant an Orchard how diligent are we by all meanes to fill it with the best and choicest fruit if a garden we will be sure to get the faireâ—â— flowers if wee desire increase of Cattell sheepe bullockes horses c. we will dearely buy and by price or friends labour to stocke our selues with the best breed Shall we suffer then our soules to bee barren or bee content with those wild grapes those rotten figs which the Lord abhorres
alone Church and Spouse of Christ True it is that as the body of that Antichristian Synagogue is covered with sheepes clothing so the head hath put on the front of the Lambe Rev. 13.11 but indeed the body when it is stript easily discovers it selfe to be the beast and the head when it speakes in the doctrine proclaimes the Dragon You shall know these false Prophets which come in sheepes clothing by their fruits that is by their teaching which is the proper fruit of a Teacher They teach perverse things saith the Apostle Acts 20. 30â— to draw Disciples not after Christ but after themselues How by their traditions and vaine inventions they haue made the word of God of no effect may appeare by these few points of their religion But first let us remember that Pietie consisteth either in inward or outward duties to God the one being as the soule the other as the body of religion Of the first those are principall knowledge loue feare of God faith in him and his word Of the second Prayer hearing the word administration of the holy mysteries and right observation of the Sabboth Now how grossely the Papists in their doctrines haue perverted all these parts of Gods worship may very briefly appeare to them who will duely consider it For knowledge they deliver that hellish proposition Ignorance is the mother of devotion to which their other doctrines and practise are squared labouring to hold the mindes of their people in grosse darkenesse and therfore not onely forbidding on great penalties the common acquaintance and use of scriptures but affirming that he is a friend to heretikes who maintaines an ordinary reading of Scripture nay that it is pernicious and impious For loue they haue utterly broken the bond of spirituall marriage First by that Saint-adoration deifying holy men and allowing them Altars prayers c. Secondly also by their digressing and wilfull departing from the word and Ordinances of Christ which is a manifest breach of loue Ioh. 14. 24. For the feare of God the very bond of our Covenant Ier. 32. 40. first they haue made it in vaine by the traditions of men Esay 29. 13. Secondly in place of that filiall feare knitting our soules to him in reverend loue they plant an hellish feare of God in the hearts of their people to be afraid to approach unto him by prayer as being a great King and a rigide observer of all that is amisse For faith they haue wholy unsinued it not onely in teaching faith and prayer of faith to creatures as a right object of both but delivering no other faith then that which is common to many reprobates and Devils For that second kinde their invocation of Saints asking of them whatsover a creature should aske of God the neglect and contempt of the word setting up against it the false light of their traditions perverting the Sacraments despising the Sabboth a sinne so notorious among them and maintained make evident what religion they professe and whence they had it But especially obserue their rejecting of Christ in all his oâ—fices as King as Priest and Prophet allowing him indeed the names but detâ—acting in effect the power and exercise of these dignitiâ—s from him For first whereas the Lord God hath given us onely Christ to be his King over us the head Monarch of his Church Psal. 2. 6. Ephe. 1. 22. 23. Col. 1. 18. and absolutely interdicted all â—itles and exercise of Lordly authoritie to his very Apostles they doe not onely ascribe full power to the Pope over the universall Church on earth nay under the earth also namely that which they dreame to be in a purgatorie yea even of that which is in heaven for they take upon them to commaund Angels but also call him openly and justifie those titles the head the Monarch and Spouse of the whole Church Nay saith Bellarmine Hee is the supreame head to giue outward influence of doctrine faith and Sacraments Secondly for the Priesthood of Christ they abase that perfect sacrifice and whereas the Scripture so highly prefers it before the Leviticall they as low depresse it by the same argumentâ— namely the frequent and indeed infinite repeatings of it and to supply it they adde their owne satisfactions and merits whereby they remoue temporall punishments and haue invented a new sacrifice of Christ unbloodie and a new priesthood of Masmongers Thirdly whereas Christ is our onely Prophet or Teacher Mat. 23. 8. so that men and Angels are accursed who bring any other doctrine they haue so tied the eare of the Church to the tongue of the Pope that they do not only ascribe unto him an uâ—erring power in teaching but most brasenly affirme that if the Pope should erre in commanding vices or forbidding vertues the Church were bound to beleeue that vice were good and vertue naught So is their practice for whereas God pronounceth surfeting and druâ—kennesse to be sinnes excluding from life they affirme that eating of flesh in Lent though in all sobrietie is a greater sinne then it the breach of the Popes more heinous rebellionâ— then the breach of Gods commandement Thus to burne in lust is a filthy and hatefull sinne in the sight of God they teach that marriage in a votarie is greater so that when God commaunds they which cannot containe let them â—arrie this command of God in their votaries they call and maintaine a sinne a very great sinne so to liue in burnings in a votaâ—ie which is a foule sinne in Gods account is not onely with them an holy estate but full of merit and superâ—rogation Thus their doctrines the fâ—uit of false Teachers discover them so that those blind ones from whom the God of this world hath concealed the â—ight of the Gospell excepted every one sees through their grosse hypocrisie Certaine is it that all those doctrines wherein they differ from us haue neither suâ—ficient ground from the scriptures but are devises and traditions of men nor haue any aime to the glory of God but wholy tend to the advancing of the Pope and enriching his Treasurie and Clergie Heere that blockishnes of people some hellishly ignorant some obstinately wilfull is to bee rebuked who though they liue in open and confessed sinnes and rebelliously maintaine themselues in that course neyther reforming nor purposing to reforme themselues nay hating and scorning the name of reformation so desperately impure that they laugh out the name of puritie yet still suppose themselues members of Christ and such as shall stand in the Congregation of the iust There are many who imagine themselues free from those grosse and apparent sinnes of the time or at least from that measure which they see or suppose to see in others and consider themselues in the fâ—attering glasse of their owne partiall opinions as being no common drunkards swearers whoremasters theeues oppressours nay keeping their Church well living honestly among their neighbours and by them esteemed