namely in the iustification of a sinner he doth accept and make a sinner iust and this is onely by Christs righteousnesse in the latter hee declares him iust and this may bee by workes so Saint Iames Let me see thy faith by thy workes thus they iustifie before men not before God A man is condemned for euill workes and therefore saued for good workes If a good worke were as perfectly good as an euill is perfectly euill he should but not being so we are saued by Christs good workes which were perfect Let vs detest therefore that doctrine that misleadeth vs out of the plaine path to saluation and cast downe our selues at Gods feet confesse our sinne pray for pardon and plead not merit but mercy Let vs flie forth of our selues to Christ our head life and saluation hee is the carcasse whereunto we must resort let vs with Paul account our best workes but dung and much more all Popish deuices He hath nothing in Christ who hath any thing in himselfe and he that will not rest in that righteousnesse restored by Christ hath no part of blessednesse Secondly if it be a blessed estate to haue sinnes forgiuen then must a man certainely beleeue the pardon of his sinnes for this blessednesse is to bee enioyed in this life as we noted and no man can hold and enioy that he hath not The Church of Rome teacheth that to doubt is a vertue and so with-holdeth a man from the sense of this happinesse Their reasons are these We must worke out our saluation with feare and trembling This feare is not in regard of Gods mercy and our saluation but feare of sinne and his displeasure and this is not contrary but stands with assurance of forgiuenesse of sinnes Psal. 130. Mercy is with thee that thou mayest be feared It is presumption to beleeue so It is obedience to Gods Commandement 1. Ioh. 3. 23. This is his commandement that we beleeue in the name of his Sonne now to beleeue in his name is more then that he dyed for sinners else doe the Deuills beleeue as much as we but they cannot beleeue that Christ dyed for themselues None knowes Gods minde concerning him and so can haue no assurance but may only hope well No man knowes the secret will of God but his reuealed will he may know namely that whosoeuer beleeueth shall be saued the application of which draweth necessarily this conclusion Therefore I shall bee saued being a beleeuer which is infallible Experience sheweth that the most faithfull and best are full of doubtings therefore there is no certayne beliefe Doubting and Faith may stand and will dwell together else would not Christ haue said O thou of little faith why doubtedst thou euery Christian consists of Flesh and Spirit therefore Faith will bee assayled with doubtings and yet in the end triumph Hence we see as vve are to labour for pardon of sinne so also for assurance of pardon else can wee haue little peace in our selues and a comfortlesse happinesse Am I the richer because I know many other be or fuller because many eate I must take comfort in my own wealth strength by my owne foode and ioy in my owne pardon Thirdly vvee must euery one herein place our happinesse euen in Gods mercy pardoning sinne and accordingly set our hearts and affections vpon it longing after this assurance aboue all things in the world If a malefactor were condemned and at the place of execution what is it that would make him happy What wisheth hee aboue the vvorld onely a pardon from his Prince gold and siluer lands and honors can doe him no good only a pardon is the most welcome thing in the World This is euery mans case we are Traytors and Rebells to God our sins haue proclaymed vs Rebells through heauen and earth the Law hath condemned vs we are going on to execution and euery day neerer then other wherein then ought wee to place our happinesse if wee well weighed our estate but in a gracious and free pardon We would striue for pardon as for life and death Miserable men they be that place their felicitie in any thing else For consider that notwithstanding first the greatest part of men place their happinesse in wealth pleasure honor and these carry all their hearts yet this is an earthly and sensuall and farre from Christian happinesse which cannot leaue a man vnhappy in the end as all these doe Secondly the most wicked ones that the world hath had haue enioyed the greatest outward prosperitie Thirdly the most deare seruants of God haue beene strangers in the world and met with the strangest entertaynement Fourthly those whose portion hath beene outwardly most prosperous yet neuer thought themselues happy out of Gods mercy pardoning sinne an example in Dauid he had riches honor pleasu re a crowne kingdome subiects treasures but did he place his fclicitie in these things No but in the forgiuenesse and couering of sinnes in whose steps wee must tread Fifthly he that would build a firme house must lay a sure foundation and wilt thou lay the foundation of thy happinesse in the dust Lay it in wealth they haue wings and when they fly away so doth thy happinesse why doest thou trust a fugitiue seruant Lay it in pleasures it will end in sorrow and the Apostle saith It makes a man as a corps liuing dead while he liueth Lay it in honor what a vanishing thing is that like the footsteps of a ship in the Sea carried with a strong gale Yea lay it any where but in God and his assured mercies it will proue a tottering happinesse and the fall of such an happy man shall be great Secondly others thinke themselues most happy in the committing of sinne and practice of their iniquity and these are most miserable captiues to the Deuill so farre from thinking their happinesse to stand in the pardon of sinne as that they place it in the practice of it Hence is it that Monsters of men Deuills incarnate professe to sweare quarrell drinke riot whore and take them the greatest enemies to their happinesse that would helpe to pull them out of the snares of the Deuill I would know what other happinesse the Deuill hath then incessantly to sinne against God and draw so many as he can into his owne damnation which expresse image hee hath stamped on numbers marked to destruction Fourthly let vs checke our hearts that can find so much ioy in these earthly things and so little in these heauenly gifts of Gods loue such as are election vocation iustification adoption sanctification which are called the pleasures of Gods house and they blessed that enioy them and surely well may they suspect themselues to be as yet vnpurged that finde not a ioyfull sense of it Alas will the beleeuer say I finde little comfort of this doctrine I finde my heart much more affected to earthly things I finde
c. but hee will not because it is against his decree Againe God hath not eternally decreed to saue all but out of all a few a little flocke now if hee should remit the sinnes of the impenitent and of vnbeleeuers then he should saue all and so the way to heauen should bee the broad way and not many but all should goe in it which was Origens errour directly against Gods decree and word Secondly it will not stand with the iustice of God to forgiue their sinnes who repent not of them but rather loue them who obey their lusts and follow the leading of them most willingly 2. Thes. 1. 6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you If God haue any iustice he must exercise it against such as hate him and reiect all his commandements but to saue all would prooue him to bee a God all made of mercy Thirdly God could haue no mercy if hee should forgiue the sinnes of all good and bad for there could be no difference betweene his mercie and his iustice this is mercy to some to pull them out of the common corruption and curse of sinne and mercy only reioyceth against iudgement if there were no iudgement neither could there bee any mercy Besides will it stand with Gods wisedome to bestow and giue mercy to him that refuseth and despiseth it or to fill with mercy the vessels of wrath Fourthly where were Gods truth if he should forgiue the sinnes of impenitent and vnbeleeuing ones what strength were in the curses of the Law that the soule that sinnes shall die to what vse could the promises of the Gospell serue what vse of the prayer of Christ for beleeuers that his Father would keepe them in the truth why did he put such difference betweene men that hee would not so much as pray for the World What neede of the death of Christ of whom the Apostle saith The Iust died for the vniust but so as they should be righteous in him or what neede of any part of his righteousnes and obedience who fulfilled the Law for righteousnesse to euerie one that beleeueth Fifthly God hath made it a priuiledge of the Church and the members of it onely to haue their sinnes forgiuen So we say in the Creed I beleeue the Communion of Saints and remission of sinnes Isa. 33. 24. The people that dwell there shall haue their iniquitie forgiuen and 62. 12. They shall call them The holy people the redeemed of the Lord. Forgiuenesse of sinnes then is a part of the promise of God made to those that are in couenant with him Ier. 31. 31 34. The dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant for I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more Yea this Psalme in the first verse makes it a note of a blessed man and a prerogatiue of the Saints Sixthly if God should bestow remission of sinnes in generall to all what neede is there of any grace what vse of the feare of God of faith c then we might set open all the doores of licenciousnesse and sinne and euery man might doe what hee list without all restraint or bridle So that to tye remission of sinne to repentance makes not onely for our saluation hereafter but also to correct and bridle sinne here and set vs into the beginnings of eternall life euen in this present World But how is this remission of sinne free if wee cannot haue it without these conditions of faith repentance confession c Yet is it still free first because though it bee not giuen without these yet it is not giuen for these as our iustification is free though it cannot be had without faith because it is not giuen for the dignitie of our faith Secondly euen these conditions are not of our selues but the gifts of God and so can merit nothing Thirdly faith and repentance are required not to shew for what but to whom remission of sinnes is bestowed namely to such only as haue obtained mercy and for whom Christ hath freely merited the same This serues to confute a grosse and ignorant conceit of many who say That God who made all will saue all and so lay all the care of saluation on God and neuer trouble themselues in vsing the meanes Alas poore soules No no neuer thinke that thou canst diuorce what God hath coupled namely the ende from the meanes it is true which Saint Augustine saith Hee that made thee without thee doth not saue thee without thee Why say some did not Christ dye for all and euerie man and shall not they bee saued for whom Christ dyed To this the Schoolemen say that Christ dyed for all sufficienter but not efficaciter Christs merits were sufficient to redeeme 10000. Worlds if they had faith to apprehend them saith Leo. But we speake of the effectuall shedding of Christs bloud which was shed for many not all to the remission of sinnes Matth. 26. 28. Secondly Christ died for all that is for all those many saith Augustine namely all the Elect for the sinnes of the World of the Elect for there is a World of the Elect standing of Iewes and Gentiles who are brought to faith and repentance Thirdly all and euery singular man cannot receiue remission of sinnes but onely beleeuers by the hand of faith some of all sortes of men now the Apostle saith that faith is not of all men and therefore it is called the faith of the Elect Tit. 1. 1. Therefore let no man deceiue you with vaine words for for such things commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience Ephes. 5. 6. Secondly by this doctrine wee may see that no man can be assured of remission of sinnes but the true beleeuer who truly repenteth of his sinnes Euery man indeed will professe in his Creed that he beleeueth the remission of sinnes but this is but a vaine blast in the most whose sinnes binde them ouer to eternall death Onely the true beleeuer hath the right markes of remission of sinne which are these First he onely is weary and heauy laden and sees his neede of Christ whereas the wicked are whole in part or wholly and neede not the Physician Secondly onely hee hath a spirit free from guile which is made a note of remission vers 2. Of all other we may say as Peter did of Simon Magus Thy heart is not right with God one mans heart is a temple of Gods Spirit another hath not the Spirit of Christ and therefore is not his Thirdly onely a true beleeuer hath the consequents and fruites of remission of sinnes from which as from fruites we may goe to the tree as First the first of them is regeneration he is borne of God and sinneth not that is he hath not raigning sinne with him nor sinne vnto death because the seed of God is in him
this admire any teaching but this whereas onely this can make them wise to saluation and only this knowledge hath life eternall accompanying it that is a learned tongue that studieth out cases of conscience and speaketh a word in due season This is the learning and instruction of this Psalme and therefore is worthy all our attention and diligence to carry away the seuerall instructions of it So much of the Inscription VERSE 1. 2. Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the Lord imputeth no sinne and in whose spirit is no guile This Psalme hath two parts 1. A generall doctrine 1. Propounded in the two first Verses 2. Expoūded in the three next 2. The general vse which is four-fold 1. Concerning prayer vers 6. 2. Affiance in God vers 7. 3. Obediēce to God v. 8 9 10 4. Praise of God which is the end of all verse last The generall doctrine is first set downe in the precept in the two first Verses and secondly proued by example in the 3 4 and 5. The doctrine in the Precept is this That eternall happinesse called in the Text Blessednesse standeth in the forgiuenesse of sinnes Which forgiuenesse of sinnes is set forth by three phrases tending al to expresse the same thing namely the perfect iustification of a sinner in the sight of God whose sinne is here said first to be forgiuen Secondly couered And thirdly not imputed and then amplified by the inseparable fruit or companion of it which is the sanctification of the soule in these wordes And in whose Spirit is no guile First therefore we are to speake of the person and secondly of his blessednesse The person is he whose wickednesse is first forgiuen secondly whose sinne is couered thirdly whose sinne is not imputed and fourthly In whose spirit is no guile VERSE 1. Blessed is he whose wickednesse is forgiuen THe word translated Wickednesse signifieth sinne in an high degree and is in Scripture vsed for disloyaltie or treason to a King disobedience to Parents or Masters perfidiousnes or treachery to such friends as to whom we owe the greatest testimonies of thankefulnesse The second word translated Forgiuen signifieth to bee loosed eased or lightned Wherein is implyed this point of doctrine that Sinne is an intolerable burden which oppresseth the sinner with an infinite weight The Prophet Isay calleth the people of his time a people laden with iniquitie and our Sauiour calling sinners doth it in this forme Come vnto me all yee that are heauy laden Heb. 12. 1. Sinne is said to prosse downe In which sense also the day of sinnes finall destruction is called the day of refreshing and of finding rest to our soules And that sinne is such a burthen it further appeareth by these reasons following First because it presseth downe impenitent sinners into Hell and there for euer holdeth them vnder condemnation nay the weight of it pressed the Angels themselues from heauen who are now held vnder chaines of blacke darkenesse for euer Secondly it bringeth such a burden with it as all creatures cānot stand vnder namely the wrath of God which makes sinne so heauie the which being laid vpon Christ himselfe hee felt such a loade as made him sweat water and bloud Thirdly it is attended with the burden of conscience which it burdeneth with terrors feares accusation and guiltinesse the weight of which is so heauie as Salomon saith A wounded conscience or spirit who can beare all other infirmities the spirit of man can sustaine but this is impossible Fourthly it burdeneth the sinner first with the burden of Gods word which are the curses and threats of the Law and secondly with the burden of Gods hand which are the load of affliction and executions vpon sinners Verse 9. by which he breaketh the wicked and bendeth his children towards their dutie Fifthly as a burden it keepes vnder the sinner that he cannot bestir himselfe in good duties nor walke in Gods wayes But with this difference the wicked moue not at all the godly but weakely they feele it not nor complaine these grone and sigh and cry out Oh who shall deliuer me the good I would doe I cannot the euill I hate I doe And if the sinnes of the godly repented of be so heauie what are the sinnes of impenitent sinners There is no libertie in sinne but bondage it bindeth to the curse to guiltinesse horrors shame and sorrow none are such slaues as sinners and yet they thinke there can be no freedome but when they may doe what they list and are indeed the sonnes of Belial that is men lawlesse or without yoke but by such Libertine courses they lay the most heauy yokes vpon themselues all the Mountaines in the world wil be nothing to their burden Labour to feele this burden which is heauier then all the grauell on the Earth and sand in the Sea Neuer a one here present but we are laid vnder the burden of Adams transgression vnder the weight of our owne corruption originall and actuall sinne vnder the burden of the wrath of God of accusing consciences of Gods curses threatned and executed bound hand and foote as men ready to be pressed to death are wee senselesse and feele none of this weight If a man lay vnder an hundred or six hundred weight and neuer felt it nor groned nor struggled to get from vnder it he is a dead man so hee that carries the burden of his sinnes and feeles no danger no bondage grones not vnder the Law of his members is senselesse of his imperfections and corruptions this man is dead while he liueth as Paul speakes of widdowes laden with lusts and liuing in pleasure so this man abides vnder death till this houre What is the reason then that the most men neuer feele this burden neuer felt doubting nor trouble of conscience nor torment of heart they loued God euer they haue grace at will they serue God as well as the best they beleeue strongly they want no oyle in their lamps they would be sorry to be tempted as some are to bee so mopish and pensiue they haue peace in their consciences The reasons are First because they are dead without the life of God and grace without sense and feeling of this heauy burden which is felt onely by grace not by corruption and according to the measure of grace is the measure of this sense the lesse sinne is felt the lesse grace and so mayest thou accordingly iudge of thy selfe What is the reason that men can cry out of the stone in the reines but neuer or seldome of the stone of the heart but because they haue naturall life which affects them with the sense of the one but want supernaturall life which should strike them with the sense and paine of the other A spirituall burden no maruaile if it bee not felt of them that are all flesh destitute of the spirit Secondly
are very large And now hauing spoken of the person whose sinne is thus freely remitted wee come to speake of the blessednesse promised vnto him Blessed NOw we are to enquire First what is meant by the blessednesse pronounced on such a man as hath this ease couer and acquittance from his sinnes Secondly the instructions to be learned By blessednesse is meant an effect of iustification namely that happy state and condition of a man arising from all those heauenly blessings in Christ which are chained together Ro. 8. 29. 30. as from Gods prescience predestination vocation iustification sanctification and glorification This blessednesse of a man in Christ hath two degrees First in this life which may bee called a blessednesse of grace Secondly in the life to come which is a blessednesse of glorie The former is heere principally meant which may be reached in this life and necessarily draweth after it the other as he that draweth one linke of a chaine draweth the whole Pardon of sinne is such a gift as makes a man fully happy for the Text cleareth it thus First that which remoueth all miserie and burden maketh a man happy such as are the curse of God due to sinne in this life and the life to come the guiltinesse of conscience horrour of soule and expectation of vengeance which is hell before hell c. But this doth pardon of sinne it is the ease of our burden Secondly that which brings into fauour with GOD otherwise an enemie so as God and man can now walke together as friends God can looke with a cleare countenance on man and man looke vp with sweet comfort in his God This makes a man a happy man the light of Gods countenance is better then life But this doth pardon of sinne which couereth all our nakednesse and deformitie Thirdly that wherein we are iustified before God is our blessednesse but in not imputing of sinnes is our iustification as the Apostle from this place proueth Rom. 4. 6. 7. Hence is it that Zachary in his Song Luk. 1. 77. sayth that God by remission of sinne teacheth the knowledge of saluation Fourthly and lastly euen nature will draw this confession from the worst that the best to be happy need pardon that if God straitly mark what is done amisse none could abide and that euery man by the Law is accursed Secondly and much more doth the Scripture teach that before God haue begunne his grace with a man his whole life is hatefull his mind and conscience polluted yea and after euery thing is imperfect so as the best workes need pardon Thirdly and most of all the experience of the godly confirmeth this truth Neuer did any man feele the burden of sinne and Gods wrath in his soule for it but hee could say his happinesse was to be eased Neuer did any see the ougly face of his sinne and Gods angry face beholding it out of Heauen as a consuming fire but hee would proclaime him happy whose sinne is couered Neuer did any feele Gods Tribunall set vp in his conscience and God and his conscience casting him for his insufficiencie but he did place his peace and happinesse in Gods not imputing his sinne vnto him If blessednesse stand in the pardon of sinne and imputation of righteousnesse then not in merits and satisfactions This vse the Apostle draweth out of this place Rom. 4. If righteousnesse stand in the hiding of sin then not in meriting it Besides there are but two wayes of discharging debts eyther forgiuenesse or payment If I pay it is not forgiuen Popish doctrine standeth here against the light of the Scripture in the Campes of naturall reason which suggesteth that something must bee done by a man to his owne iustification as the young man What good thing shall I doe to be saued And the Papists neuer asking God what they should doe set themselues on workes satisfactorie which hee neuer enioyned as Donations to Churches Pilgrimages Fastings Pater-nosters Aueës Creeds Inuocations Visitations Oblations to Saints keeping and kissing yea praying to Reliques Merits of Saints Workes supererogatory Purgatory Vowes Vigils Masse-chantings Iubileës martes of pardon and a thousand such Symoniacall trickes to make a sale of remission of sinnes all which wage battell and warre to this learning of Dauid Of all these in generall will one day bee said Who required these things at your hands these things so derogatorie to the bloud of Iesus Christ which cleanseth vs from all sinne Secondly to the nature of iustification which is the full absolution of a sinner before God by reason of Christ who is made our righteousnesse by imputation Thirdly so derogatory to the truth of the doctrine concerning good Workes which are farre from iustifying or meriting I speake of good Workes euen of grace which first are imperfect in number secondly in degree not being done with all due intents nor the whole heart and strength neither can be because the heart is partly spirituall partly fleshly the best workes therefore haue flesh and corruption in them and whatsoeuer is defiled performeth not the Law needeth a couer and cannot in it selfe be accepted Thirdly they are imperfect in the person No good worke can proceede from any but a good worker and a iustified person first make the tree good and then the fruit will be good also therefore they cannot iustifie seeing the person is already iustified And the iustified person when he doth the best is vnprofitable he cannot answere one of a thousand and if the Lord should marke what is done amisse who could stand The best worke hath matter of humiliation which may exclude all our reioycing Paul knew nothing by himselfe but had practised workes of grace many yet saith he was not thereby iustified But they say God hath promised a reward of life eternall to good workes Let them shew a place where it is promised to the worke but to the worker being a beleeuer to whom Christs righteousnesse is imputed in which regards all such rewards are meere mercy But Christ hath merited that our good works should merit That is false for then Christ merited that our good workes should fulfill the iustice of the Law which they cannot being stayned with sinne and that they are dyed in the bloud of Christ maketh them not meritorious of eternall life but that they bring not eternall death Dauid prayeth Psal. 7. 3. to bee iudged according to his righteousnesse Righteousnesse is either of the cause or of the person Dauid here speaketh of the former for hee had a good cause and conscience though Saul pursued him to the death but he speaketh not of the righteousnesse of his person before God of which Iob speaketh when hee saith that if hee should iustifie himselfe namely before God his owne clothes would defile him The last iudgement is by workes and therefore iustification These are diuers workes of God in the first
not this ioy of my saluation the sense of Gods fauour in pardoning my sinne warmeth my heart but a little what may I thinke of my selfe may not I hope my sinnes are pardoned It is true ordinarily that a reconciled soule possesseth felicitie with great ioy and the heart seazed of Gods loue holdeth the consolation of it yet these rules must be held to vphold the weake Christian. First the gift of pardon and loue is giuen often before the comfort and ioy of it when grace is as it were in the seede and men in the beginnings of conuersion begin to haue right in the tree of life and to bee adopted it is not so soone discerned to come vp to a ioyfull haruest but first is a blade then an eare then corne in the eare And a time there is when a soule which is partaker of true grace is busied and taken vp rather with sense of sinne desires of grace and seeking of helps and proppes to beleeue then with the ioy of any thing attained True desire argues the presence of the things desired and yet argues not the feeling of it and that a man may haue that gift which is not felt appeareth in Dauid who by Nathan was told that his sinne was pardoned and yet long after he prayeth for the forgiuenes of it that is for a more full sense of the forgiuenesse Secondly the gift of Gods free grace is not giuen in respect of vs all at once nor in the same measure and therefore the comfort of it is not all alike or at once for the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from faith to faith and so iustification and reconciliation are in the meanes more and more reuealed and the comfort is proportionable to the gift Thou hast not such strong comfort of thy estate as some other or as thou desirest thy gift of knowledge and vnderstanding of Gods loue perhaps is lesser then his comfort thy selfe stirre vp thy selfe in the meanes to inlarge the gift and thy comfort shall be inlarged Hence is it that the Apostle to the Ephesians 1. 18. praied that they whose faith and loue he had commended might haue their eyes opened to see the hope of their calling by the Spirit of reuelation Get further knowledge of thy estate and so thou shalt attaine further comfort Thirdly the state of a Christian soule is not all alike there is a Christian combate wherein sometime faith preuailes sometime doubting sometime grace hath the better sometime corrupt nature When faith is foiled of infidelitie or kept vnder sense of reconciliation faileth with it The light of the minde is often eclipsed as in Ionah I am cast from the sight of God and Dauid said once all men were liars Now the eye of the soule being so dimme the comforts of God must needs bee ouercast and clouded but as the Sunne breakes from vnder a cloud so doth light to the troubled soule and comfort growes often to a confident glorying and a ioyfull triumph as Dauid Returne O my soule to thy rest Fourthly as the carriages of a mans conuersation bee diuers so be the apprehensions of his comfort sometimes it is more attended and carried more purely sometimes care is remitted and the course more corrupt Common infirmities hinder not so much the comfort of saluation as great sinnes doe as appeares in Dauids adultery Restore me the ioyes of thy saluation If thy comforts be small it is likely thy corruptions are the greater here looke to thy former graces feelings and workes Bee diligent in awaking thy soule shake off worldly delightes which bring it on sleepe and the deceitfull shew of righteousnes which bewitcheth it set thy selfe before God and thy dulnesse before thy selfe say Oh what haue I done all this while Fifthly the Christian is an happy man whatsoeuer his outward estates be else hath Dauid misplaced happines And herein is their happinesse that they are in fauour with God and can neuer be cast out of fauour againe all happy men are in a sure estate which cannot be lost This happinesse of grace is surer then that of nature which Adam had in innocency that was lost because in his owne keeping this is seated in the fauour of God which is vnchangeable vnto which we are preserued also by the power of God True it is the godly may haue many afflictions and haue as Abraham Isaac Iaacob Dauid Abel but none of them neither inward nor outward can hinder their happinesse nay they shall all further it Romans 8. all things turne to the best The worldlings folly is palpable he thinkes himselfe most happy when his corne wine and oyle is increased as for this light of Gods countenance it is in the last of his accounts As for the godly they count them of all men most simple and most miserable and indeede if a man had no other eyes then of his body no eye of faith he could not think such blessed whom the world hates whom the earth casts off whom their Country scarce acknowledgeth their owne kinsfolke will not know whom their friends forsake enemies kill who are made meate for the sword fewell for the fire and seldome haue liberty to enioy fire and water or the commonest benefits of nature in safetie They onely are in mens account happy whom all men flatter vvho bathe yea drovvne themselues in carnall delight vvho can tumble in their gold and siluer vvhose mouth runnes ouer vvith laughter c. But these vvho are entred into Gods teaching can hold against their ovvne reason and sense that they are blessed that hunger and thirst after rightcousnesse that mourne novv that suffer persecution for righteousnesse sake those of vvhom men speake all manner of ill for Christs cause and Gospell They iudge not good or euill by any thing afore them they thinke Lazarus a godly poore man an happy man vvhen as Diues vvas a miserable miser Their felicitie is not outward but inward not earthly but heauenly it depends not on man but on Gods fauour who hath forgiuen their sinnes for his names sake Iudge therefore of thy selfe and others with a righteous iudgement if heauen approoue thee care not if earth cast thee out if God iustifie who can condemne if Christ will confesse thee let thy friends deny thee Thou hast a sure word and promise of God by which thou mayest apprehend in sorrow ioy in trouble peace in nothing all things in death it selfe life eternall Get faith and thou shalt clearely behold thy happinesse if al the world should set it selfe to make thee miserable Get faith and thou shalt thinke him only happy whom God so esteemes although the worlds miserie is to place happinesse onely in miserie Get faith and thou shalt see not onely Christ himselfe the blessed Son of God when he was reiected of the world and lifted on the Crosse but euen his members then happy in Gods fauour when the World most frowneth vpon them Faith in the
deceiued them and shall pronounce the sentence of death against themselues and the flower of their righteousnesse Secondly this deceit is fed by the bounty fauour and blessing of God who prospereth them in their labours houses in themselues others O if I were not in Gods fauour he would not prosper me so long and so sundry wayes Thus they wil know loue or hatred by the things afore them This is the guile of rich men whose houses being peaceable without feare pride compasseth them but little know they the end of their fat pastures or of their lifting vp vt lapsu grauiore ruant that they may catch the greater fall These seeke not their peace in the pardon of sinne but haue set vp themselues a-fatting till the day of their destruction Thirdly what way soeuer God deale the heart vvill deceiue it selfe For let God change his hand and bring crosses and tryalls on a man which should shake him vp from drowsinesse and securitie yet hence without further ground many will presume of Gods loue for why doth not the Lord loue those whom he chasteneth and I hope I haue my punishment here vvhen indeede the Lord doth curse them in their counsels and attempts And thus men throw poyson into the Lords cup wheras were these signes of loue amendment would accompany it sorrow for sinne feare of offending and diligence in good duties in a word their security would rise of the pardon of sinne and not of punishment of them The second guile is in respect of sinne the worke of it is manifold and that eyther before the sinne be committed or after Before the sinne First it flatters a man and tolles him on many wayes First it beares him in hand that great sinnes are but small and veniall which the sinner easily beleeues for he would haue them none at all Hence charge men with swearing rayling drinking gaming away the Sabboth their answere will bee I would I had neuer done worse c. Grosse sinnes with them are but infirmities Secondly that if it be greater yet GOD will not regard it conceiuing of God as an idle Essence that had shaken off his power of iudging the World The foole that is euery naturall man sayth in his heart there is no God to see or require such frozen persons that say God will doe neyther good nor euill Zephanie threatens that God will visit them as with lights lest any thing escape him and will teare them and none shall rescue them Thirdly when men shake hands with hell and death absoluing themselues from guilt while they fauour themselues in their lusts though the Lord say Sword goe thorow the Land yet it shall passe ouer them such as blesse themselues when the Lord pronounceth the words of the curse Deut. 29. 20. The Lord will not bee mercifull to that man Yet what a number of Ruffians Contemners and Prophaners of the Lords Ordinances Scorners of Religion Out-facers of godlinesse Drunkards Adulterers and Swearers whom the Lord hath shut Heauen against goe on in a gracelesse and ventrous presumption by this guile kept from seeking peace in season with God though the Lord say hel was made for them they say I shall escape hell Isa. 28. 15. Whether of these words shall stand Fourthly they thinke nothing more easie then repentance this sinne if I doe it is not vnpardonable I shall repent and find forgiuenesse hereafter GOD cals at all houres so he neglecteth all counsell those exhortations come not neere him Seeke the Lord while he may be found to day if ye will heare his voyce c. I gaue her a time to repent but shee repented not The Lord would haue purged them but they would not bee purged till his seueritie sudenly cut them off as vnprofitable Trees to the burning Would a man bee so carelesse of his bodie as to suffer a disease to preuaile by weekes and moneths together because so long as there is life hee may seeke helpe and recouer no he will seeke present helpe be hee neuer so young but for the soule men put off care from age to age and because they can repent hereafter they will doe that whereof they may repent and whereof indeed they shall repent though too late Secondly after sinne the guile of the soule is not sleeping though the conscience often bee for whereas after bodily harmes men are for the most part wiser here they are more foolish vnlesse the deceit be more timely discouered They can warily abstaine from whatsoeuer hath bred them sorrow or sicknesse but here the deceite of the heart first nourisheth and hideth yea maketh cloakes and vizards for sinne to which it is more prone after euery new practice The truth is if euery sinne might be seene in it owne colours it would be as blacke as a Deuill but that sinne might goe downe the cleanlier and stay in the bowels the heart ioynes with Satan in the varnishing and colouring of it Hence is it that Cut-throat couetousnesse goes masked vnder the habit of good husbandry fornication but a tricke of youth scarce an ouersight ryot and excesse is counted liberalitie drunkennesse but good-fellowship pride but comelinesse or ornament at most and blacke vices are growne neere of kinne to the most beautifull vertues Secondly after sinne committed the wiced heart can defend it all Eues brood suckt this from her When God came to her the Serpent gaue her to eate when he comes to Adam his wife gaue him to eat it seemed but reasonable when he comes to Cain Who made him his brothers keeper Come to the couetous man hee hath Scripture for himselfe He that prouides not for his family is worse then an Infidell Come to the Drunkard why was not Noah and Lot drunke and many good men besides Come to the Swearer hee is safe so long as hee sweares nothing but truth and by that which is good be it bread or fire or salt c. Come to an Athiest that neuer kept Sabboth in all his life so that with him there is but little difference betweene it and another day of the six why was not the Sabboth made for man and not man for the Sabboth hee can serue GOD on his horsebacke none but he and his horse together another laden with all vnrighteousnesse tels vs how the best sinneth seuen times a day Thus is sinne growne wittie and strong within the wals of a false heart and feares no colours nor forces Thirdly If any sinne hap to make any gash or skarre in the conscience that it troubles a little the sinner the heart is not backward to seeke to apply remedies in which are as little helpe more danger for it seekes to stoppe the mouth of the conscience and to choake and stifle the voyce of it First by calling in other distractions to take him from such melancholy it sets Cain on building a Citie and Saul to fetch in Musicke
is alreadie pronounced against vs We are weighed in the ballance and found too light Fourthly against the great mercies of God this doubles the sinne in Gods sight 2. Sam. 12. 7. to 13. the Prophet Nathan exaggerates Dauids sinne by shewing him the particular benefits wherein God had remembred him and concludeth the greater Gods loue was the greater was his ingratitude and forgetfulnesse What a number of mercies haue we in this one that the glorious light of grace shineth so bright vpon vs in the Ministery whereby we may be put in minde of Gods exceeding loue and what he deserues at our hands and what are our sinnes against him which giue him iust occasion to remooue his blessings from vs Let vs looke to it if we doe not vse these large blessings conscionably our sinne will be so much the more heauy in the punishment Let vs confesse our sinnes and vnthankfulnes especially and in our confessions become enemies to our selues for wee see true confessions are to bee thus qualified and that by these meanes prescribed which may helpe vs thereunto And thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne DAVID had made himselfe an enemie to himselfe and now to obtaine that which he laboured for he makes God his friend this is the fruite of serious confession Thou forgauest The Word signifies to wipe off all the score namely the debt of sin and of punishment The punishment or rather iniquitie of my sinne as the Word may be better translated that is my wicked sinne as if he had said Though it was against my conscience a foule filthie and bloudy sinne yet thou madest it as if it had neuer beene God forgiueth sinne two waies first in his owne secret counsell according to his owne decree and this is when he accepts the satisfaction of Christ for the sinne committed against him Secondly actually vpon humiliation and repentance and this is when he puts foorth actuall forgiuenesse in mens owne consciences whereby he perswades them that their sinne is forgiuen And this latter is here spoken of Dauids sinne was remitted before by faith in the Messiah but now the remission thereof is testified to his owne conscience and hence hee comes to retaine his former ioy and his mourning garment is turned into a garment of gladnesse he had now a comfortable experience of his happie estate Now in that Dauid thought and purposed to confesse and then it followes presently Thou forgauest note that So soone as euer a sinner doth truly and soundly confesse his sinne the Lord doth presently follow with forgiuenesse remission of sinne doth immediatly follow a very intent and purpose to confesse it Prou. 28. 13. Hee that hideth his sinne shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh it shall haue mercy There must be forsaking of sinne with confession to shew the soundnes of it and then presently followes remission And why First it is grounded on Gods faithfulnesse who hath made a promise for this fruite of confession 1. Iohn 1. 9. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to clense vs from all vnrighteousnesse As if he should say God of his infinite mercy hath promised to all true penitents and confessors that he will forgiue and neuer remember their sinnes any more he must stand to his promises or else he should be vnfaithfull and hee is iust saith the Apostle to forgiue a man would haue thought he would rather haue said Hee is mercifull to forgiue no but hee is iust to forgiue the sinnes of true beleeuers because they are all satisfied for their whole debt is paid and Gods iustice will not let him demaund the same debt twice of the suretie and of the debter Secondly true confession is a fruite of sound conuersion at the first act whereof all a mans sinnes are done away although the tydings of it comes not so soone to his owne conscience This appeares in the example of Dauid here he no sooner said that is truly resolued to confesse but the Lord remitted his sinne and preuented him saying Thy sinne is put away thou shalt not die see the storie 2. Sam. 12. 7 13. The prodigall sonne saies He will goe to his Father and whilest yet he is comming before his confession his father sees him a farre off runnes to meete him falles on his necke and kisseth him Thirdly true confession is a signe of adoption Now where this is there is a heart resolued to seeke God so that a man puts off all his former hatred of him and the affections of his heart are sanctified to desire peace and reconciliation with God this cannot proceede from a heart that is now at enmitie with God as it was by nature but which is a friend and reconciled A wicked and reprobate person can desire saluation out of selfe-loue and to saue his skinne but not properly reconciliation but a godly man desires Gods loue and friendship and reconciliation with him for his owne sake more then and aboue his owne saluation Fourthly remission must needes attend sound confession because this confession is ioyned with some kind and seede of sauing faith which be it neuer so small is a fruite of the sanctifying Spirit and makes a man partaker of Christ and in him of God the Father with all his blessings for in this confession as wee haue noted there is First a deniall of a mans selfe which is a worke of the renewing Spirit which whosoeuer hath he is the childe of God Secondly there is in it an apprehension of Gods mercifull nature with application and taking hold of it for himselfe which application is either not at all or false in the wicked Thirdly there is in it a true touch which holds on in seeking God whereas in the wicked there are some good wishes and confused apprehensions but being without sinceritie fall off and come to nothing Whence we conclude that true confession of sinne goeth alwaies with remission and pardon of it But how can confession be sound before sin bee pardoned seeing nothing can be acceptable where sinne is not pardoned it seemes rather that confession should follow remission To answere this we must conceiue that in God the iustifying of a mans person his sanctification faith repentance and confession are al giuen at once at the same moment because at the first acte of grace there is a change in the whole soule but in respect of vs of our apprehension and application one grace goeth before another as the cracke of thunder and lightning are both at one time but we see one before we heare the other because our sight is more quicke and apprehensiue then ourhearing Likewise these graces are wrought all together by God yet in regard of vs and our sense and apprehension pardon comes after confession Secondly God in the beginning of our conuersion giues vs that grace the which he doth not presently giue the feeling of
precise points he shal be generally condemned What then Dauid cast away all such by-respects and Moses forsooke all euen Pharoahs court to abide reproch with Christ Heb. 11. 24 25 26. the Apostle left all and followed him and the Saints alway counted the reproches of Christ aboue the treasures of a Kingdome They so ordered their families that they would not brooke a lyer a swearer a deceitfull person a prophane and scoffing Ismael all must be cast out Oh then we shall shortly doe our worke ourselues But Dauid did so Psal. 101. 5 7. and other of Gods children are we not also counselled Heb. 12. 16. that no prophane person be amongst vs Thus we see that there is no such strictnes but an example therof may be found in the Scripture therefore let the world scoffe and laugh while it will yet the godly must make vse of these examples Thirdly we must hence learne to be ready to speake of our experiences of God to euery godly man that others may learne from vs to trust in his mercie so doth Dauid Psal. 66. 16. Come harken all ye that feare God and I will tell you what he hath done to my soule Thus are Fathers charged to tell their children and the children their children concerning the Passeouer and the stones that were pitcht in Iordan So Hezekiah said when longer life was granted him Isa. 38. 19. The liuing the liuing shall confesse thee as I doe this day the father to the children shall declare thy truth And by this meanes there shall be a succession of men still vpon earth to tell of the mercies of God when we are gone and so while we in our owne persons shall doe it in heauen others by our meanes shal do it on earth Fourthly here is a note to know when a man makes right vse of the Scripture not onely when hee beleeues the storie for so doe the deuils but when he affects it applies it to himselfe mingleth it with faith to make it profitable to admonish himselfe and others by it Hence issue three great benefits First a Christian shall be in no condition but he shall bee able to parallell his estate in some of the Saints hee shall see his owne case in some of them and so shall obtaine instruction direction and consolation by them Secondly wee shall testifie to God and his Saints when our liues shall be exemplarie and conformable to godly precepts and examples Thirdly in the day of iudgement we shall haue all the Saints Patriarkes Prophets and Apostles to witnesse with vs and for vs. In a difficult case a man would giue all hee hath for a witnesse on his side and we in this great assise of life and death shall haue the witnesse of all the godly God shall stand for vs the practices of the Saints shall iustifie our practices if we iustifie their practices here they shall iustifie ours hereafter Euery one that is godly HEre is the person that must pray the godly and euery one of them The word translated godly signifies in Hebrew two things first one whom God sheweth mercy vnto a gracious man in fauor and grace with God so the elect are vsually called vessels of mercy that as a vessell is filled with liquor so are they with Gods mercy Secondly it signifies one that sheweth mercy a mercifull man which is a propertie of a godly man who is like his father mercifull as he is the lionish and wooluish nature is put off and hee is become humble meeke gentle as the Lambe and the little childe Isai. 11. 6. Out of the former consideration wee may note that Onely the godly man is fit to pray or onely hee that hath grace can pray for grace vessels of mercy can pray for mercy and none else Prou. 15. 8. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the prayer of the righteous is acceptable vnto him Genes 4. 4. The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering but vnto Caine and his offering he had no respect Now by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice then Cain Heb. 11. 4. First His person was accepted because he was in Christ and then his sacrifice Iames 5. 16. The prayer of the righteous auaileth much if it be feruent Ier 11. 11. Though they crie vnto me I will not he are them What is the reason see it in the tenth verse They turned backe to the iniquities of their forefathers which refused to heare my words c. The reasons of this point are these First he must be a good man that must pray a good prayer a good tree that must bring forth good fruit a bad man cannot make a good prayer for such as the roote is such is the fruit Secondly he only can pray aright that hath the Spirit of prayer which teacheth vs to cry Abba Father this is the Spirit of adoption Rom. 8. 15. neither doth God know any other voyce but the voyce of his owne Spirit Ephes. 6. 18. Pray in the Spirit Yea but it is said Luk. 11. 13. the holy Ghost is giuen to them that aske him therefore hee can pray and obtayne the Spirit that wants him The scope of this place is not to shew whether the holy Ghost or prayer goe before but to shew how those that receiue the Spirit are to be exercised who where he is lyeth not dead or idle in the heart but stirs vp desires and grones vnspeakeable But how can a man pray for the holy Ghost and obtayne him when he hath him already By the holy Ghost is meant first the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost Secondly the inward sense and feeling of him in the heart thus we may pray both for increase of his gifts and for a comfortable sense and feeling of him for neither of them is euer so great but we may still pray for more to haue them increased Shall we not pray for daily bread because we haue bread or shall not we say Forgiue vs our sinnes because wee beleeue the remission of our sinnes yes because we pray for Gods staffe and blessing on the former and a more full and comfortable feeling of the latter Thirdly onely the godly man can pray because hee only hath the promise of prayer all the promises of life in grace and glory are made to godlinesse the promise to be heard in prayer is made to the go dly man Ioh. 15. 7. If yee abide in me and my Word in you aske what ye will and it shall be giuen you How can hee aske mercy that hath no part in mercy or how can he be heard in mercy to whom mercy belongs not Fourthly because onely the godly man hath faith without which nothing can please God this faith assureth vs of that we aske and issueth from iustifying faith see 1. Ioh. 5. 13 14. That yee may beleeue in the name of the Sonne
we owe them to God to whom wee owe all loue feare obedience and duetie but by similitude and resemblance from ciuill debts for first euery debt ariseth of some contract betweene the creditor and the debter so God is the great creditor Man is the debter whose debt ariseth out of the contract and first couenant of workes Doe this and liue Secondly euery creditor hath a bill bond or booke wherein the debt standeth to be seene and there remaynes vn-cancelled and vn-crost till the debt be satisfied The bill or bond betweene God and man is his Law which shewes the parcells of this debt and how it riseth it shewes the forfeiture and the totall summe whereto the sinner is bound to satisfie The Morall Law is Gods bond against vs the hand-writing of ordinances which is against vs Col. 2. 14. and contrarie to vs. The Law shewes the parcels of this debt namely that we are bound First to the obedience of the whole Law in perfect loue to GOD and our neighbour whence Rom. 13. 8. loue is called a debt to our neighbour this debt wee still owe notwithstanding our transgression Secondly the Law sheweth that sinne is a debt in regard of the corruption which accompanieth the transgression and the blot which the sinne committed leaueth in the offender which is attended with an aptnesse either to the same or any other sinne by reason of the former act That this is a debt appeares because the Law requires perfect puritie and sanctimonie which we owe vnto God though the hearts of vs all be full of corruption and vnholinesse Thirdly the Law sheweth the forfeit which is the guilt binding ouer the sinner to punishment both temporall and eternall This curse of the Law by reason of transgression wee are indebted to vndergoe we owe vnto Gods iustice by reason of sinne eternall death without which Gods iustice cannot be satisfied 4. The Law sheweth how and wherein we wrong our neighbor bindeth vs straightly besides the satisfactiō to God to a recompence of the wrong done vnto him Thirdly sinne is a debt because it brings a man euery way into the seate of a debter First it argues and brings a man into a weake state which is very comfortlesse what a grieuous burden is debt aboue a mans abilitie Secondly it makes a man hide his head for shame Thirdly hee loseth his libertie that he dares not goe abroad Fourthly he feares the Sergeant and the Iayler continually and fiftly at length hee is catcht and clapt vp in prison and thence comes not out till hee hath payed the vttermost farthing but there is laid in bonds and chaines of darknesse for euer Fourthly because till sinne be discharged and satisfied for the sinner hath all these sinnes vpon him but as a debter once satisfying the debt by himself or a surety and compounding with the creditor is as free as if hee had neuer come in debt so for sinne once discharged the sinner is neuer charged with it any more Now sinne is discharged two wayes First when the debter himselfe satisfies in his owne person according to the strict letter of the Law Thus the damned men and Angels discharge their debt to God who because they are able to pay are kept in perpetuall prison and damned euerlastingly as a man dying in prison satisfies all But no liuing man can thus satisfie Gods iustice if God shal straitly mark what is done amisse When we haue done all we can we are vnprofitable there is not a clause in the bond which we haue not forfeited a thousand times ouer so haue we broken in anfinite Law sinned against an infinite God deserued an infinite punishment which no finite creature can sustaine neither man nor Angell The second vvay of discharging this debt is Euangelicall namely when another satisfies for the debter and thus the debts of beleeuers are discharged through the satisfaction of Christ who hath payed the vttermost farthing for the Elect. And this is the not imputing of sin here meant which is all one with the free remission and forgiuenesse of it But Math. 18. 26. the seruant said Master haue patience with mee and I will pay thee all therefore wee our selues may pay our owne debts First it is a Parable and this is not the maine scope Secondly feare forced the seruant to promise more then he was able to performe But if no seruant bee able to pay one talent much lesse is he able to pay 10000. yea the Parable teacheth that hee that ought but 50. pence was as vnable to pay it as he that ought 500. Luke 7. 41. But is this not to impute sinne to iudge a sinner as no sinner not to require the sinne not to inflict the penaltie how will this stand with Gods Iustice It is proper to God to account of things that are not as if they were so also of things that are as if they were not without any violation of iustice it beeing an Euangelicall imputation not Legall for that vvould not stand with iustice whereby GOD accepts Christs satisfaction in full payment But is this no imputing of sinne seeing wee pay the whole debt in our surety is this a forgiuenesse of a debt to exact it wholly It is a free forgiuenesse and no imputing to vs that receiue this grace we conferre nothing to it it cost vs nothing but good acceptance God the Father saw nothing in vs why he should not impute our sinne but giue vs so free redemption God the Sonne saw nothing that wee could returne to gratifie him againe in any measure so in regard of God and vs it is a free forgiuenesse and no imputation to vs though it bee not so to Christ. If sinne be a debt then note the misery of sinners and our wofull estate before God by reason of sinne being no better then desperate banquerupts laden with debt and danger vnable to satisfie the least farthing What remaines but either the mercy of the Creditor or perpetuall prison Thou that canst say thou owest not all the world a penny I challenge thee and arrest thee of an infinite summe and the forfeite of a bond aboue all thy substance if thou hadst the Kingdomes of the earth at thy dispose wert the god of the world I ask no more witnesses then thy own conscience First to proue the debt and therefore it is time to bestirre thee and looke about thee to procure thy libertie If thou hast paide all thy debts to men thinke of Gods debt at length for this must bee satisfied and thou shalt know that delay is no payment Thou that wouldst neuer come into bonds for any man thou hast not kept thee out of bonds which wil cast thee into euerlasting bands if thou lookest not the better and timelier to thy selfe Secondly see the carelesnesse of most men that runne on still in sinne and increase their debts which endanger them
so it calls in company gaming merriments and other exercises like water to a dropsie Little is the ease of forgetting that paine the cause of which remaineth it will certainly returne againe Secondly by contenting a man with some short humiliation and as vnsound as short to flatter God withall onely forced by feare and selfe-loue The Iewes confessed their sinnes and promised to doe so no more but they dissembled with their double hearts and their goodnesse was like the morning dew How many such flashes made Pharaoh how many sickemen on their beds haue in their affliction sought God but it was onely for ease and to get out of his hands or for feare because they saw no way to get out affecting deliuerance not repentance nor seeking sound reconciliation and peace but a truce for no sooner recouered but they are out in the field with God againe al the time of their straitenesse being quite forgotten And let soft-hearted Protestants that at some Sermons can melt with great motion to teares and yet afterward make little or no conscience of their waies but yeeld libertie to their lustes thinke vpon this point and consider how the deceit of spirit ouer-reacheth them Thirdly by satisfying with some outward ceremonie and formall seruice which when they haue done they shall find that God is not friends with them Some after sinne committed and accusing them by saying or framing a prayer though without heart-breaking faith or the spirit draw a skinne ouer their heart and there is peace for a time others whose whole life was spent in oppression and euery penny worse got then other if about the time of their death or after they giue a little money to the poore or bee liberall for a guilding Sermon they haue peace without any satisfaction or restitution according to the law of repentance What they haue wickedly got they leaue to their heires who are made happy by their fathers going to the deuill as the prouerbe saith They neuer loosed their bonds of wickednesse and now are chained in the bonds of blacke darknesse for euer The third guile of the heart is in respect of vertue and grace whereby the vnsound heart doth rest it selfe vpon counterfeit vertues for the wickednesse of euerie mans heart by nature is such that let it be neuer so vicious yet it will counterfeit any vertue First it will make a man outwardly seeme a true worshipper of God it will bring the body and frame it to reuerence when there is none within it will make the lips draw neere when the heart is farre remooued it makes Congregations and people sit before God when their hearts are gone after their couetousnesse Idols in Churches are put downe but idols in mens hearts are set vp and this is the reason why the Word and Prayer are so forcelesse wee haue mens bodies now and then when they list but seldome or neuer their hearts Secondly it will make a man outwardly seeme a good Christian when inwardly he is a Iudas or Demas an vnsound heart will make a man professe religion but vtterly neglect the work of it the forme of godlinesse contents him without the power so he haue a lampe of profession he cares not for oyle in it it suffereth him to get knowledge and rests in that without conscience it suffereth him to pray but publikely more then priuately and to neither ioyneth watching to his prayer yea he can shew the shell of any duty but neuer cares for the kernell Secondly inwardly it can counterfeit the most excellent graces as first faith when it hath neuer a iot it wil presume of Gods mercy and thinks this presumption faith What man saith not hee beleeues that hee shal be saued but all men haue not faith saith the Apostle therefore it is a shaddow without substance Secondly repentance a man in sicknesse will cry out of himselfe and his sinnes he will promise if he liue to become a new man and practise godlinesse but when God hath restored him his wicked heart carries him as farre backe as euer hee was here was a shew of repentance but it was counterfeit Thirdly loue where is nothing but deuillish malice two neighbours are fallen out and are at deadly hatred at the time of the Sacrament both of them dissemble loue and charitie but after it they are as malicious and mischieuous as euer they were before Fourthly strength in temptation where is none Peter while he was with Christ would die with him before he would deny him but when the maide daunted him he saw that that was but a flourish and that he was not so well acquainted with the wiles of his heart as he should haue been And so of the rest of the graces A fourth guile of the heart is in respect of the worke of the Word and Spirit when the deceitfull heart forceth the sinner to rest in the restraining of some corruption in stead of renewing grace for example the Word by a common worke of the Spirit planteth some kinde of vertues as temporary faith ioy in the word reuerence to Preachers loue to Professors releeuing them speaking for them and helping them euery way and yet such are not cleansed from their filthinesse all their hearts are corrupt all is ioyned with deepe hypocrisie Herod heard Iohn gladly reuerenced him tooke him for a good man and did many things but his heart was right in nothing for it claue to that speciall sinne of keeping his brothers wife And as the heart is so is euery action so is the ioy loue and labour some sinister respect it hath and doth not good purely and for it selfe Thus our Sauiour witnesseth that the good and bad hearers are both in appearance fruitfull and for a time but the one is purely affected in bringing fruit so is not the other But doe not the best finde such deceit in doing good as that they haue great cause to bewaile it Yea but although reliques of natural hypocrisie mixe themselues into their actions yet they sway not the hart but are striuen against and the maine motion of the heart is sincere and chooseth good for goodnesse sake as in the other it is not Now when a wicked heart findeth in it selfe knowledge consent confession and defence of the word al which were in Iulian the Apostate hee rests in this as sauing knowledge whereas it is a common gift whereby the Lord will haue his truth witnessed by the enemies of it Againe when a guileful heart comes to a sight of sin to feare it to terror of conscience griefe and vexation for sinne it rests in that as a sound feare of God whereas it is a seruile feare like that of the deuils and the vexation is not for sinne but for the punishment of it it is a common worke of the Word and Spirit to prepare the wicked to iust damnation Further when a guilefull heart sees many corruptions cast out
loth to know himselfe and his sinnes and farre from holy Dauids minde who saith Let the righteous smite me for that is a precious oyle Psal. 141. 5. he desires as in Zach. 1. 11. that all the world might be still and at rest and neuer a Trumpet or voice like a Trumpet to waken it to shew the people their transgressions and the house of Iaacob their sinnes These men say to the Ministers as the Sodomites did to Lot Shall hee iudge and rule Gen. 19. 9. and as Corah and his complices said to Moses and Aaron Yee take too much vpon you Numb 16. 3. therefore come let vs breake their bonds in sunder and cast away their cords from vs Psal. 2. 3. But know whosoeuer thou art that thou must looke for no peace by vs till thou warrest with thy sinnes Shall wee preach mercie to thee that feelest no neede of mercie Shall we cast a pearle to a swine Thou that art of the frozen generation that needest a Boanerges a sonne of thunder why expectest thou a Bar-Ionah Vnto the Horse belongs a whip and to the Asse a bridle and a rod to a Fooles back prou 26. 3. Wert thou an humble soule and hungry after Christ then our word would be as good newes out of a farre countrey Prou. 25. 25. but till thy wound be lanced and the core thrust out wise Surgeons will neuer powre in oyle doe thou let the plough of the Law breake vp thy fallow ground and then blame vs if wee bring not the seede of the Gospell Now followes the fourth point in Dauids confession the manner of it First in respect of God Secondly of himselfe For the first First hee will confesse before the Lord and make his sinne knowne to him Secondly he will not hide it the one amplifying the other as it is also in these phrases Thou shalt dye and not liue Iohn confessed and denyed not so here I made knowne and hid not the doubling of the phrase shewes that hee doubled not but did that he did to the purpose In that Dauid saith hee will confesse vnto the Lord note that all true confession of sinne must be made vnto God So Psal. 51. 4. Against thee against thee onely haue I sinned And what is the reason hereof First because it is God that is most offended with sinne his Law is transgressed his displeasure incurred and his reuenge prouoked and what reason haue I to confesse a debt to him to whom I owe nothing God is the partie offended therefore I must go to him alone Secondly he onely can properly forgiue sinne Who is a God like vnto thee that passest by the sinnes of thy people saith the holy man The Iewes that were blind in many things yet could see well enough that onely God could forgiue sinnes and indeede who can remit a debt but he to whom it is due therefore S. Iohn saith If we confesse our sinne he is faithfull to forgiue vs Chap. 1. 1 9. Thirdly confession is a part of prayer and diuine worship whereof it is said My glory I will giue to none other Isa. 41. 8. Fourthly this is manifest by the sence of such as truely confesse who need many compassions but great are thy tender mercies O Lord Psal. 119. 156. and hee is rich in mercy Ephes. 2. 4. All the mercie that can come from Man or Angell is but a poore mercie a little mercie which can doe no good to the satisfying of the debt or cancelling the bond Men and Angels are but children in whom are drops onely but God is the Father of mercies in whom is the sea and seate of mercie But how can a man make his sinnes knowne to God by confession seeing he knowes them before First it pleaseth God so to speake of himselfe and to suffer vs to speake of him as wee our selues are capable Thus he brings himselfe in like an earthly Iudge who though he know the facts of the prisoners yet seemes for the orderly course of iustice not to know them as Gen. 18. 21. Come Let vs goe downe and see if it be according to the cry of Sodome how can hee goe downe who is euery where and how can hee but see who is all an eye but thus hee speakes after the manner of men So he saith to Abraham Now I know thou louest me who sparedst not thine onely Sonne for mee God knew Abrahams loue to him before but now Abraham knoweth that God knowes it Secondly men are said to hide their sinne when they seeke to extenuate or lessen or conceale any necessarie circumstance of it or seeke colours and shifts that it should not bee presented naked and bare as it is in the Lords sight and then it is said to bee hid from God not that it is so indeede for it is so much the more manifest to God but because it is so in the corrupt iudgement of the sinner which folly soone tooke hold of Adam after his fall who thought himselfe well hid from God with trees and his sinne with leaues But seeing God knowes all so well why must we confesse to him First not to make God know any thing which hee knowes not but hee will haue vs performe homage and duety to him as an absolute Lord and soueraigne Iudge So Ioshua said to Achan My sonne confesse and giue glory to God Iosh. 7. 19. Secondly that our selues may take better knowledge of our sinnes and humble our hearts in the sight and sense of them Thirdly because this is a meanes in which himselfe will be found mercifull and which he hath appointed for vs to attaine ease and comfort by wee must take Dauids course here if we would obtaine an happy discharge of sinne as he did But was not Dauid farre ouerseene to confesse onely to God Why did hee not goe to the Priest and tell all his sinnes in his eare Auricular confession of all a mans sinnes in the eare of a Priest as necessarie to saluation was not knowne in Dauids time besides he knew he had not sinned against the Priest and therefore he cared not for his forgiuenes it was not the Law or bond of any Priest that hee had broken and therefore what had he to do to forgiue him Doe you then condemne all confession of man to man Doeth not S. Iames say chap. 5. 18. Confesse one to another We allow confession of sinnes to men First publike Secondly priuate in sundry cases Publike confession thus First for the setting vp of Gods glory with the shame of a mans selfe Thus did the holy Pen-men of the Scriptures writing of themselues proclaime their owne sinnes to all the world that God might thereby bee glorified and his Church edified And Gods speciall prouidence hath detected in sundry persons those sinnes which they haue kept close by them and forced them by a free confession vnto men to glorifie God
and neuer open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done c. Secondly if thou settest thy selfe before God in confession it will breed anguish and sorrow of spirit for that sinne which is confessed as the conuerts Act. 2. 37. were pricked in their hearts in conscience of their sinnes there will be inward griefe for offending a good God and grieuing his good Spirit Thirdly it will bring in a purpose to leaue and forsake that sinne which is confessed and all other Can a man setting himselfe before God confesse that sinne which he purposeth to liue in and hold and not forsake this is but to aske leaue to sinne Nay the setting of a mans selfe before God wil bring in a resolution to renounce all sinne as Hos. 14. 9. Ephraim shall say What haue I more to doe with Idols Fourthly it will bring in a secret but most earnest desire of forgiuenesse for it cannot but consider in God First the Maiestie offended Secondly the danger of his wrath which is a consuming fire and an execution of all the plagues written in the booke of the Law and thirdly the riches of his mercie in prouiding so precious a meanes of redemption which neither man nor Angell could once thinke of 1. Pet. 1. 18. Fiftly it breeds a reforming of that which is amisse and an healing of the error as Zacheus did Luke 19. 8. Lord halfe my goods I giue to the poore according to the counsell of Samuel 1. 7. 3. If ye be come againe to the Lord with all your heart put away the strange gods frō among you Sixtly it breeds an holy feare for time to come because it beholds Gods eye vpon euery sinne his anger on euery one till by the bloud of Christ he be appeased his mercie in forgiuing that he may be feared and this feare abates the rage of sinne nay it will feare the occasion and hate the appearance of euill 1. Thes. 5. 22. and the garment spotted with the flesh Iude 23. Seuenthly there is a mourning and complaining vnder the burden and bondage of sinne Oh who shall deliuer me from the body of this death saith Paul and Isa. 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made vs to erre from thy wayes and hardned our heart from thy feare Eighthly there is great desire 2. Cor. 7. 11. namely a longing to satisfie Paul and the rest of the members of the Church with desire to be restored to their fauours and fellowship Ninthly Confession to men For duties of Pietie and Charitie must goe together or else all is abominable as appeares Ier. 7. 9. 10. Will ye steale murder and commit adultery and sweare falsely and burne incense vnto Baal and walke after other gods whom ye know not and come and stand before me in this house which is called by my name and say We are deliuered though we haue done all these abominations So Isay 1. 11. What haue I to do with your sacrifices c. for your hands are full of blood verse 15. Against my selfe This is the second branch of the manner of Dauids confession hee will confesse against himselfe Hence note that He that will truely and soundly confesse his sinne must become his owne vtter enemie he must set himselfe against himselfe as much as possibly he can So did DAVID here hee shamed himselfe to all posteritie and spared not his owne name though a King so GOD might haue the praise of his mercie and the Church the benefit of his example Iob 42. 6. When Iob was reproued for his inconsiderate words he brake out at last into this speech I abhor my selfe and repent my selfe in dust and ashes He is a great enemie that hates man but farre greater that abhors him yet so was Iob to himselfe Daniel in his prayer saith I am confounded and ashamed to looke vp to heauen shame and confusion of face belongs vnto vs this day Dan. 9. 5. c. So close doth he follow the matter against himselfe 1. Tim. 6. 13 15. Saint Paul rippeth vp his owne grieuous sinnes in such sort as his greatest enemy could not haue spoken more against him then he spake against himselfe Hee was not contented to call himselfe a vile person but as though he had said too little he adds that he is the chiefest of all sinners Who could more accuse the poore Publican then he did himselfe Oh I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes to heauen Luc. 18. 13. and the Prodigall Son I am not worthy to be called thy Son Luc. 15. 18 19. And good reason it should be so for First sound confession is called a iudging of our selues 1. Cor. 11. 31. Now in the course of iudgement there are foure things all against the partie to be iudged First arraignement and this in confession is when wee present and summon our selues before the barre of Gods iustice Secondly examination and this is when wee narrowly inquire of our selues what wee haue done wherein as the Kings Atturney sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor to make it seeme as odious as may be so should we sift out euery circumstance of our sinne to make it as vile to our owne eyes as may be so as our hearts may be conuinced Thirdly conuiction or pleading guiltie and confession that is when with the penitent Thiefe our soules can say We are righteously here and iustly laid vnder Gods indignation worthy to be cast into Hell And neuer was he truely humbled that is more ashamed to confesse sinne then to commit it Fourthly there is an execution and holy reuenge 2. Cor. 7. 11. and this is when we beate downe our bodies and mortifie our members and vndertake good duties that the like occasions may be preuented for afterward These parts of an enemy doth euery humbled soule take vp against it selfe when it iudgeth it selfe before God and who can be a greater enemie to himselfe then he that doth so Secondly it is an essentiall difference betweene the sound confessions of the godly and the slubberd confessions of the wicked the godly renounce themselues and their sinnes but hypocrites doe not they neuer learned the first lesson of Christianitie which is selfe-denial their mindes are set vpon euill workes and therefore how can they be against them They repent not but with a repentance to be repented of Thirdly all the accusers and enemies that the child of God hath if they be put together cannot obiect halfe so much against him as hee can against himselfe men may speake much but not so much as himselfe And therefore if he deale truely betweene God and himselfe he will so shame himselfe as all his enemies cannot And for this end God hath seated the conscience in the middle of the soule as a Iudge of the actions and hath giuen it an eye to pry into the secrets of the heart and cleared
that suppose Christ as man had power to forgiue sinnes yet not that they should bee equall vnto him herein and haue the same power that he had And the similitude stands in these foure things First Christ was before all Worlds ordained to bee a Mediatour so they were ordained to the office of Apostleship not of Priesthood Secondly as Christ himselfe was immediately called to the publike execution of his office of Mediatorship by the voice of his Father as appeares in his Baptisme This is my well-beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased so were the Apostles immediately called by Christs owne voice And this was their prerogatiue aboue other Ministers to come from Christs owne bosome as he did come from the bosome of his Father Thirdly as Christ in publishing the Gospell had supreme and absolute authoritie to giue Lawes to his Church from which there might be no appeale So his Apostles had from him an immediate assistance of infallibilitie so as they could not faile in their doctrine and writings howsoeuer as men they might erre yet not as Apostles so that from them there lay no appeale Fourthly as Christ was made a King and a Prophet not onely of the Church of the Iewes but ouer all the Churches in all Nations so the Apostles commission was not tied to any one Countrey but they must goe and teach all Nations And thus it is true that as God sent Christ so Christ sent them but all the while here is no equalitie for to make ordinarie Ministers equall to Christ in power is to make them Mediatours and redeemers yea gods Secondly this ouerthrowes another doctrin of theirs teaching that no man can be perswaded of the remission of his owne sinnes vnlesse it be by a speciall reuelation or by a morall certaintie of workes whereas we see Dauid here had this perswasion of forgiuenesse by neither but by a certainty of faith vpon true confession Thirdly seeing remission of sinnes is a fruite of confession we see the errour of silly ignorant people that say they are as sure of remission as any man in the world they hope as well as the best nay are sure to bee saued with the first if any get remission of sinne they are sure it shall be they and all this without sound confession But how is this remission sealed vp vnto them by what pattents they neuer had any doubting no touch of conscience for sinne no dislike of themselues they neuer confessed to the Lord against themselues and therfore the Lord neuer answered them in assuring them of forgiuenes There is nothing yet in their liues but wickednes and rebellion and therfore this is but a senselesse presumption which destroyeth their soules Others not a few there are that thinke to ease their conscience by lessening their sinne or excusing it Some say before the Angell it was their ignorance and so mince their sinne and harden their soules till the Lord be angry at their words Eccles. 5. 6. Others seeke to forget God while he knocketh and vrgeth their consciences If they can thrust him out of presence and put out the remembrance of himselfe and the feare of his iudgement Oh then they be safe But how are these men wofully deluded that thinke themselues safest and best when God is farthest off them Others when sinne comes afresh vpon them draw their thoughts and turne their sailes another way as when Sauls furious thoughts come vpon him they must be appeased by Dauids musike whereas remission must be gotten by confessing and not by committing of sin Some must haue Iesters to fill their hearts full of folly to take God and all good motions and remembrance of sin out of their soules whereas of all the delights that euer Salomon tried his heart withall wee neuer reade that hee kept a Iester or Foole. Some when a warning peece of humiliation is shot off by God haue no better way to resist it and to driue away the qualmes of conscience then by sorting themselues with drinkers gamesters and good fellowes as they call them and as euery mans delight drawes him so is his practice But this is no other then the brawning of the conscience farre from lasting peace which comes from remission of sinnes and remission comes not from commission but confession of sinne If men that are now called to confession and repentance by the Word or the Spirit or any of Gods works on themselues or others will yet doe as the hardned Iewes kill Oxen and Sheepe and drinke wine in boules and in the meane time deride the threates of God and make a tush at these warning peales let them feare and tremble the ende of such laughter shall be heauinesse Thou forgauest me THe person that receiued this mercy was Dauid a true beleeuer and a true penitent sinner which teacheth vs that God remitteth not the sinnes of any but such as being touched with true repentance confesse them Iob 33. 27 28. God looketh vpon men and if one say I haue sinned and peruerted righteousnesse and it did not profit me he will deliuer his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light He shall pray vnto God and he will be fauorable vnto him and he shall see his face with ioy vers 26. So also 1. King 8. 47. If they turne againe vnto their heart in the Land to which they be carried away captiues and returne and pray vnto thee saying Wee haue sinned wee haue transgressed and done wickedly then heare thou their prayer in heauen c. This is the forme of repentance set downe for the people returning vnto their God Hoshea 14. 3. Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs graciously What cannot God without the condition of repentance and sorrow and confession of sinne remit sinne and conferre fauour vpon sinners Yes if we speake of Gods absolute power whereby he can doe a number of things which he neuer will hee could haue made 10000. Worlds when he made but one hee could raise vp of stones children to Abraham Christ could haue prayed for 12. Legions of Angels and his Father could haue sent them to deliuer him or hee could without them haue deliuered him from the Crosse but would not Thus if God would hee could remit sin without repentance and confession and that without all impeachment of his goodnesse because whatsoeuer hee can will is most iust and good but if we consider Gods actuall power and his reuealed will which belongs to vs and our children he cannot because he will not the reasons hereof are these First it will not stand with his eternall decree by which he hath tied the meanes and ende together the end is saluation the meanes to come to it is faith and repentance So God hath decreed that a mans body should liue by meanes he could now preserue it without meat drinke sleepe
thy worthinesse is the sense of vnworthinesse and an apprehension of Christs worthinesse What worthinesse was in Israel when the Lord couered her with his skirt and shee became his Did shee not wallow in her blood and filthinesse And is not God the same promising and performing mercie to them that confesse their sinnes and forsake them Oh but my sinnes haue abounded and haue so separated betweene God and mee that I doubt I shall neuer finde him Not so For where sinne hath abounded grace hath abounded much more and in the forgiuenesse of many sinnes God shall haue honour of much mercy and loue from the sinner in greater measure And if hee delighted in the death of a sinner or tooke pleasure in the death of him that dyes any one sin would furnish him with matter of reuenge enough but he is much in pardoning and delights therein The Apostle Paul saith I was a persecutor an oppressor a blasphemer c. yet God had mercie on me to be an ensample in time to come to all that should beleeue in Christ Iesus Alas he sinned of ignorance but I of knowledge against the light of my minde the voice of God the motions of his Spirit the cryes of my owne conscience and haue so quenched and grieued the Spirit that hee will come no more I may not look to finde God as Paul did Tell mee when Iohn said The blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth vs from all sinne 1. Epist. 1. 7. doth he meane onely sinnes of ignorance No verily and if GOD haue made no distinction of small great sinnes sinnes of knowledge and of ignorance of weaknesse and of presumption you may iustly and must defie a distinguishing deuill Thirdly the godly must bee incouraged by this doctrine to seek the Lord in a time when he may be found Oh that I knew that time when is it First one time of finding is when a man hath beene truely humbled and-toucht for his sinne Of this time our Prophet speakes in the Text after humiliation Dauid found God and teacheth that euery godly man shall then find him It is the troubled spirit that God respects and at whom else doth the Lord looke Isai. 66. 2. CHRIST came not to the righteous in their owne conceit but to call laden and humble sinners Secondly another time of finding God is when all good meanes and care haue been vsed to finde him God will not be found at first because he will try the diligence of his seruants in which hee sees the price they set vpon him and the thing asked The Spouse in her bed cannot finde Christ but if she get out and vse all good meanes enquiring and seeking after him at last hee is found and a godly heart cannot but thinke that the comforts Christ brings with him are worth all his paines and labour And it will manifest our care if wee seeke him First early as Prou. 8. 17. I loue them that loue mee and those that seeke mee early shall finde mee Secondly if we seeke him with all our heart as Deut. 4. 29. Thou shalt find him if thou seeke him with all thy heart and all thy soule Thirdly in perseuerance not by starts and fits as the carelesse and temporizers but as the Church that neuer rests till she finde him Thirdly another time of finding God is the godly mans extremitie and vrgent necessitie for that is Gods opportunitie The Lord will be a refuge for the poore a refuge in due time euen in affliction when hee hath no refuge elsewhere Psal. 9. 9. and Psa. 10. 1. Why hidest thou thy selfe O Lord in due time euen in affliction Deut. 4. 29 30. When thou art in tribulation and all these things are come vpon thee at the length if thou returne to the Lord he wil not forsake thee When Ionas was wrapt with waues and weedes in the bottome of the Sea hee cryed and God spake to the fish to set him on land Dauid called out of the deepe and God heard him Moses cryed at the Red Sea and then God was found Christ in his agonie in the garden prayed and GOD sent the Angels to comfort him Abraham found God three dayes after the commandement on the mount And after three dayes when the case was hopelesse and the Disciples faith was a little preiudiced Christ rose againe Therefore wait thou art not yet in the deepes nor yet at the mount the third day is not yet come Fourthly another time of finding God is when God offers himselfe to be found in the preaching of the Gospell for by it God comes and knockes at our doore and seekes entrance Reu. 3. 20. and the opportunitie of the Gospell is called the day of saluation and the day of visitation Let vs walke while wee haue the light this is the acceptable time The Iewes knew it not till it was past and they were left in their sinnes let vs take heed it be not so with vs. How can wee want motiues to seeke the Lord with comfort and assurance of finding him for First God hath a fatherly care ouer vs and as a faithfull Shepheard seekes thee leauing ninetie nine to saue one and is not he willing to be found if thou seeke him oh goc and meet him Secondly Christ seekes and sues to thee Open vnto me my beloued and why should not wee set open the gates of our hearts that the King of glory may enter in Euen when wee runne away from him hee seekes vs and offers vs conditions of loue hee runnes after fugitiue ADAM that if hee will beleeue in the promised Messiah hee shall bee saued And haue not wee encouragement enough to knocke at the doore of his mercy Thirdly consider what a wofull threatning is sent out against such as will not seeke the Lord as Zeph. 1. 6. Hee will stretch out his hand against all them that turne from him that sought not the Lord nor inquired after him and Zech. 7. 13. It is come to passe that as I cryed and they would not heare so they cryed and I would not heare saith the Lord of Hosts Fourthly the Gospell is the hammer by which God still knockes now if thou wilt lay hold on mercy offered thou shalt haue a blessed answere but if thou wilt bolt vp thy heart with securitie and ignorance how can he come vnto thee Christ when hee was borne found no roome in the Inne but was content to lie in the Stable and surely the world is no changeling it is as vnthankfull still men are loth to make Christ a roome in the Inne of their hearts If now in his glory he would be content with Stables that is hearts filled with noysome lusts as so many filthy beasts this roome they could afford him But know that hee is past infancie and abasement and hath shewed himselfe a Lord of glory and will haue a roome and entertainement like himselfe and if thou
What meane others by their ridiculous distinction of Gnats and Camells in the matter of sinne as though any were in it selfe a Gnat some indeede in comparison of others are lesser in degree and lesser in respect of disturbing humane societie then others but in respect of God offended the Law and the Curse which are all infinite the sorrowes due to the least are infinite which Christ must sustayne before he could remooue the least sinne If a Gnat can be infinite then some sinnes may be esteemed so many Gnats How profanely and ignorantly doc they speake who caÌ„not abide these scrupulous fellowes that straine at Gnats and stand vpon such nice points as if they were the greatest matters c But vvhere Gods Word bindes the conscience he shall haue least sorrow that stands most strictly in the least things He that is vnfaithfull in small things will neuer be faithfull in great and obserue these fond Haters of strictnesse in small things ye shall see them stand neither vpon small nor great things to make any conscience of any for the most part Let no man aduenture on any sinne because it is little say not as Lot did of Zoar Is it not a little one and my soule may liue in it for let it be neuer so small a mote in thine eye Gods law makes it a Mountayne and thy presumption makes it swell and thy continuance in it vpon that ground makes increase both of sin and of sorrow no hole is so little but vnlookt too will sinke a ship We weigh our sinnes often in a false ballance and foolishly esteeme them by the matter wherein the offence is done to eate an apple oh that is but a small thing to sweare little oathes to lie in small things a little worke on the Sabbath or a little play and recreation on the Lords day or to gather a few sticks oh this is but a trifle No take heede of such resolutions looke into the true glasse and there see first that the person against whom the sinne is coÌ„mitted is infinite in mercy and power now a smal thing against a Prince is high Treason Secondly that thy owne malice and presumption makes a small thing great as appeares in him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath Wilt thou in so small a thing incurre the Lords so high displeasure in other disputes we heare often The lesse the thing commanded is the greater is the contempt besides Thirdly consider that the price paid for the least sinne is the precious bloud of Iesus Christ. Fourthly and lastly consider the weight of vengeance and the gulfe of sorrow into which the least sinne casteth the sinner being vnsupportable and vnvtterable Any one of these well considered argues no sinne to be small and much lesse to be ventured on vpon that conceit Thirdly if this be the miserable estate of a wicked man then we see plainly that the wicked are not so happy as they thinke themselues They thinke themselues the happyest men vnder the Sunne because of their outward prosperity and others flatter them and Mal. 3. 15 We count the proud blessed and they that worke wickednesse are set vp and they that tempt God are deliuered thus the prosperitie of wicked men often vnsettles and offends the godly themselues but little reason they should stagger at it If we can hold the truth of this doctrine wee shall haue little cause to enuy his happinesse that is a wicked man vnlesse we can account him happy for whom the Lord hath prepared such changes and armies of sorrowes And to see this truth more cleerely we must know that nothing in the world can make a wicked man happy for First it is an error to say or thinke that iniquitie and peace sin and prosperitie can dwell together seeing the Lord hath said There is no peace to the wicked man Isa. 57. 21. the tenor of the promise is Acquaint thy selfe with God and so shalt thou haue prosperitie Iob 22. 21. Secondly all their happinesse is in outward things Now all the parts of temporal felicitie are only good in them which can vse them as helps and instruments to eternall happines and that good which is independing Neither doth the matter but that which giueth a forme to happinesse make a man happy Neither is it the hauing of things but the happy enioying of them that can make a man truely happy which no wicked man can haue Why then doth God giue these things to wicked men First to shew his bountifulnesse Rom. 9. 22. Secondly to shew that these be not things to be esteemed much Thirdly to be as snares to themselues and scourges for some others Fourthly to reward that little good that is in many of them Thirdly notwithstanding this temporall happinesse a wicked man is for the present the Deuills prisoner his fetters are indeede of gold but he is chained to the day of iudgement which commeth apace Fourthly all his flourishes are vnhappy in that they end in teares and sorrowes God shall turne his meat in his belly and make his Sunne to fall at Noone-day for euery graine of externall ioy he shall be sure of a talent of eternall sorrow when the sword of the Almightie shall pierce him Tell me now whether if thou sawest this his estate with the eyes of thy body as thou oughtest now with the eyes of thy faith thou wouldest admire or pitie such a one Well were it if wicked men would weight their present estate with the future surely it would be a meanes to afray them from many sins and preuent many sorrowes Fourthly if such be the vnhappy state of the wicked what great cause haue the godly â—o be thankefull for their deliuerance from so manifold sorrowes both vnto God who deuised a way to temper mercy with iustice and to our Lord IESVS CHRIST who was a man of sorrowes and bore vpon himselfe and brake all these sorrowes for vs. How glad will a man be when he hath escaped a great danger that would haue made him heauie to death How thankefull would we bee to that man that would put himselfe betweene vs and some deadly danger but neuer was there such miserie as this escaped Psal. 126. 1. The Iewes were so glad of their deliuerance out of the Babylonish captiuitie and their returne thence that they scarce could beleeue whether it was not a Dreame Our captiuitie was farre greater being vnder the Curse of the Law sold vnder sinne Bond-slaues vnto Satan and Sonnes of Wrath which bondage could wee rightly acknowledge our deliuerance would bee farre more gratefull then it is Our Deliuerer was not Moses not Ioshua not Zerubbabel but the Sonne of God of whom they were Types both in the first induction of that people out of Egypt into that Land and in their second reduction backe againe He by putting himselfe into the Prison of our flesh and in that flesh by suffering that execrable death and all the
foorth sound worshipping of God Fourthly sound consideration preuents much sinne and much punishment and drawes a man out of sinne and iudgement First it preuents sinne for if a man did seriously consider of sinne what paine and losse and shame and sorrow comes by it he would not meddle with it being so heauie so dangerous There is a Historie of a vertuous woman that being sollicited to folly by a younker called for a pan of hot coales and desired him to put his hand vpon them but one houre he refusing that she replied How much lesse will you bee able to indure hell-fire for euermore and so he desisted Secondly it preuents punishment or the iudgements of God the Niniuites considered of the threatning of Ionah and so preuented the threatned destruction Thirdly it drawes out of sinne as Hos. 2 6 7. the Church of the Iewes seeing her selfe so crossed and hedged in with afflictions that shee could not follow her idols then shee considers her present miserie and the small hope and helpe from them then she saith that is resolueth to goe and returne to her first husband for it was then better with her then now Fourthly it drawes out of iudgement Ier. 12. 11. They haue laid it waste and being waste it mourneth vnto me the whole land lieth waste because no man setteth his minde on it that is considereth deeply of the cause of its desolation in his heart Fifthly we haue so much the more neede to be stirred vp to consider of our waies because there is no vice that doth appeare or dares to appeare in his proper colour but apparelled and masked in the likenesse of some vertue as no counterfeit coine is offered to a man in the copper-colour of it but washed ouer with siluer or gold Now if we consider not of things offered vs we shal easily be deceiued yea surprized of enemies vnder the colour of friendship Thus seeing the necessitie of sound consideration to set vs yet more forward in so needefull and so neglected a dutie obserue these directions First let vs labour to see the dulnesse of our nature to crosse it and stirre it vp and thinke the dutie so much the more necessarie and excellent as our natures oppose or are heauie vnto it What shall a man consider of his houses rents fields or garments and take no time to repaire himselfe and hurts sustained by inconsideratenesse Secondly set some time apart to consider of thy estate more seriously Ioshua and Dauid had as many distractions and more weightie affaires to intend then we haue and yet they meditated in the Law of the Lord night and day a shame for many Christians that take care how to passe their time neuer passing any in consideration of their estate this were a good pastime indeede Thirdly make choise of good matter for sound consideration as first consider of God first of his presence this kept Ioseph from sinne Secondly of his mercy to feare him Thirdly of his loue to loue him againe Fourthly of his workes first of Creation delight more in a spirituall then in a naturall vse of them Secondly of gouernment for there is no day or time that passeth but we may make speciall vse of Gods works either on our selues or others Secondly consider of thy estate with God whether a change be wrought in thee being the child of wrath by nature what markes thou hast vpon thee to distinguish thee from them who are not the Lords whether thou beest in the state of grace how thou growest in it or whether and how farre thou art gone backward what assurance of remission of sinne and what strength against sinne thou hast whether thou liest foiled of any corruption whether thou resoluest of amendment of life how thou hast kept or broken thy vowes with God what vse of Gods mercies or corrections thou hast made whether it haue not been better with thee then now and whether thou mayest not be in farre better estate were it not for thy owne default Thirdly consider of thine actions for the matter whether allowed by the Word for the manner whether done in faith and obedience for the end whether thou aimest at wealth pleasure or preferment in the world rather then at Gods glory and to be rich in God for God aimes at his glorie in all things and so must wee Fourthly consider of thy calling first generall as thou art a Christian whether before thy profession thou cast the costs as a wise builder and captaine Luk. 14. whether thou hast the power of godlinesse and art not content with the meere forme of it whether thou adornest thy profession or disgracest it by inconsideratenes Secondly speciall in which thou spendest most of thy time whether thou seruest God in seruing man whether thou art faith and iust or vniust and vnfaithfull in these lesse things whether thou sanctifiest it by prayer whether thou dependest vpon God for daily successe and blessing or leanest to thine owne labour whether thy ende be to enrich thy selfe or to make it as a meanes to please God and passe thee through the world Fifthly consider thy latter end and therein First the recompense of reward so did the Patriarkes Heb. 11. 16 26 and so moderated their hearts in doing their duties and in suffering afflictions Secondly consider of the account that is to be made of euery idle word and thought much more of euerie wicked swearing reuenging word and thought Thirdly consider of the day of death the vncertainty of life the leauing of that wealth for which thou strainest thy conscience and the neede of much comfort in such an vncomfortable houre how that peace of conscience at that time will prooue the best wealth Fourthly consider of the day of Iudgement when all things shall bee naked and euery man shall receiue according to that which he hath done in the flesh bee it good or euill These and the like considerations will bring foorth sound resolutions of bettering a mans estate if any thing in the world will A second point of doctrine arising out of Dauids resolution is this Where Gods Spirit hath taken place it preuailes at length against all the corruptions of the flesh Dauid was a long time hindred from going to God first by the greatnesse of his sinne Secondly by the strength of corruption against which hee was not fully resolued Thirdly by the vnworthinesse of his person Fourthly by the greatnesse of Gods anger and reuenging hand And fifthly by the sentence and curse of the Law Yet on the other side by the secret worke of the Spirit in his heart vnto all these was opposed first the greatnesse of Gods mercy Secondly the merit of Christs sacrifice Thirdly the promise of the Gospell Fourthly the nature of faith which beleeueth aboue and against sense These being committed together after a doubtfull combat faith foiles infidelitie hope despaire the Gospell the Law the promise
the threatning and life kills death that now he saith resolueth and professeth hee will come and confesse his sinne This truth also we see in the Church Cant. 5. 3. c. Christ calls her to open vnto him and tells her of the drops of the night and labour hee had taken to come vnto her Oh but shee had put off her coats washed her feete and was loth to stirre and disease her selfe till Christ went away in displeasure yet putting in his hand by the hole of the doore and secretly affecting her heart her heart was affectioned to him then she arose and sought and found him So in Peter how was he ouermastered by his flesh a man would haue thought him vtterly lost when he denied and forswore his Master and cursed himselfe but Christ looked backe vpon him and the Spirit began to shew himselfe as before and got the masterie And all this stands vpon very good reasons for First the Spirit in Christians by regeneration is more excellent then by creation both in respect of the beginning and of the ende and continuance the former wee haue from the first Adam meere man the latter from the second Adam God and man by the former Adam had power to continue if he would but had not the act of continuance but by the latter Adam had and we also haue both the will and deede of continuance So 1. Ioh. 3. 9. They that are borne of God sinne not that is finally or to death because the seede of God is in them Secondly the Spirit of grace may by corruption bee hid a long while as the Sunne vnder a cloud but it shall breake out againe because of those many promises which God hath made to the godly as first Mat. 17. 20 Faith if it be but as a graine of Mustard-seede shall rise to a great tree to shelter the soule vnder Secondly that if there be any fruite of grace though it be neuer so weake yet he wil not quench the smoking flaxe nor breake a bruised reede Isa. 42. 3. but cherish it as he did the young man Mark 10. 21. and dresse it to be more fruitfull Iohn 15. 2. Thirdly that the gates of Hell shall not preuaile against it Matth. 16. Fourthly that the godly in their declinings to the right hand or to the left shall at length heare an inward voice of the Spirit saying This is the way walke in it Isai. 30. 21. Thirdly the Spirit of grace I meane not of restraint but of renouation is a seede of all vertue because it is in stead of originall sinne which is a spawne or seede of all sinne now as life is in the seede which seemes to be a dead thing so is the Spirit aliue and quickening when it seemes farre otherwise hence it is called the spirit of life which as it raised Christ from a naturall death so it doth raise his members at first from the death of sinne to the life of grace and much more from the sicknesse of sinne to the soundnesse of grace Fourthly the many titles which the Spirit hath pleased to make himselfe knowne by clearely confirme the truth propounded especially these foure The holy Ghost in the Scriptures is called First the Spirit of strength to strengthen and confirme the elect be they neuer so weake and to foile their corruptions be they neuer so strong 1. Iohn 4. 4. Stronger is he that is in you then he that is in the world Secondly the Spirit of libertie to loose the captiues that if a man be neuer so miserable a slaue and in bonds where this Spirit comes he will loose the fetters of corruption that grace shall haue the vpper hand and the Spirit shall master the flesh 2. Cor. 3. 17. Where the Spirit of Christ is there is libertie Thirdly he is the Spirit of comfort When the Comforter shall come c. to shew that when life is ready to be gone for want of comfort then hee comes with new life and comfort Fourthly he is called the Spirit of supplication which makes vs able to pray euen when we are at the worst and weakest nay himselfe makes requests for vs Rom. 8. 26. So that if our prayers bee so weake as they can yeeld little comfort or helpe yet his requests are preuailing enough First then this serues to confute such as hold that grace can be quite shaken out of the heart as though the lust of the Spirit did not continue as long as the lust of the flesh Gal. 5. 17. as though the grace of regeneration had no priuiledge aboue the grace of Creation as though God had made no promise vnto it for perseuerance as though the Spirit of God were a dead or dying spirit a spirit of weakenesse a spirit of bondage a comfortlesse spirit without all motion and desire in the heart Secondly this comforts Gods elect who haue euer had the gift of the Spirit though thou art toyled with corruption and feelest the Spirit gone yet be of good comfort he wil come againe and not absent himself for euer Many are the heart-sorrowes which many that are deare to God are broken withall both in respect of euil and of good For the former the euill they would not that doe they they are vexed with wicked thoughts desires motions and actions and vow to leaue sinne to serue God better then they haue done to forsake euill company and to follow the meanes of grace and amendment men say they will obey euen in comming to the word and in hearing it they say they will learne and practise but their sayings vowes and promises come to nothing If good meanings and purposes would serue the turne they were well but you see nothing done the motion is no sooner kindled then quenched they are monstrous persons all mouths and tongues and voyces without hands and feete The Conuert sonne said hee would goe to his father and went the dutifull sonne is he who saith he will goe into the vineyard and goeth but the sluggard feareth many Lions Oh there is a beare in the way and so many strawes are so many hedges of thornes to hinder him in any good resolution Let the sound Christian learne better things of Dauid and feed his godly motions first by the Word secondly by prayer thirdly by heauenly meditation Now followes the third point in the confession namely the matter of it and that is set downe in three seuerall words My sinnes mine iniquities and wickednesse or rebellion for the Holy Ghost vseth a most forceable word to set out the vilenesse of this sinne the iniquitie of my sinne Dauid would confesse all kindes of sinne all manner of sinne whence wee may learne that Serious confession of sinne reacheth vnto all sinne knowne vnknowne and sets it before it selfe in a most odious manner So the Prophet here in three phrases all tending to one thing ioyned together noteth the seriousnesse of his confession and that