soe over loue either my self or all the wealth vnder heaven but that I coulde have accounted my harte and state incomparably more comfortable in your service then in your kinanes in your spirituall then in mine owne temporall advantage and might I have still enjoyed my libertie among you to have honoured God and done you good I had beene in full contentment to my harts desire But I see it may not be I must out of my paradice I will not say the divell either entises or enforces me out I desire to looke only vpon the hand of God in all things as I taught you all to do doe not long since the greatest heavines of my hart is this that he seeth me not worthy or fit to abide in it because I have honoured him so litle during the time I enjoyed it And soe at his pleasure that shutts and no man opeÌ„s I now passe away as I came in when he did open and no man did shutt my soules desire is and hath beene that the Lord might have his will aboue myne and that his good pleasure might ever be predominant and overule all my desires Let vs all labour to beleeue that that is and must be our best estate which come's vpon vs from him who is God to be blessed for ever who manifesteth and magnifieth himself to be only wyse and infinitely gracious in all things that come to passe vpon his children Faith will thus judge and determine though our flesh would fasten other perswasions vpon vs. And thus considered I dare not but conceit my remoouall to be better then my resting here howbeit nature doth distaste it as a thing exceeding bitter Grace can make that truly good which corruption apprehendeth to be a heavy evill And when once sanctification hoth conquered coruption and got the vpper hand and that the Lord hath taken the scales of ignorrant and erroneous judgment from myne eyes that I may see himself clearely in this thing I know I cannot but be comforted with joy vnspeakable glorious In the meane time I now beholde you with heavines whome I must beholde no more in this heavenly duty and ministration my soule overflowe's with sorrow I am vnspeakeably affucted in my spirit that I shall not thus see your faces any more nor you mine againe in this place and service But our God shall beholde vs both and all of vs in the brightnes of the face of his son Iesus Christ and if we will strive to looke vnto him as we ought the lustre and beames of his most blessed countenance will breake through all these foggs and mist of our naturall perturbations which appeare abundantly in the mournefull teares wherwith now we doe so sorrowfully salute one another which whether they doe more breake or solace my hart is hard to say I cannot but deepely symphathize with your sorrow yet can I not but joy againe to beholde your deare regard of me expressed in these affectionâ—te significations Thus these two doe fight an eager combate within me but greife prevailes I see both in you my seâ—f for this our vnseasonable separation But now it is see that I must goe and according to the good pleasure of his will who here spake vnto Iacob assoone as I heare I desire to obey and to returne into my countrey and I desire nothing seing I must be gone but to depart in true peace as I signifyed to you all the last Lords day when we did all feast with the Prince of peace that it might appeare we parted as the children of peace in his blessing and love whose bread wine of blessing we did louingly eate drinke together I must leaue you but know he will not leaue you nor me nor any of his how soever it be soe that we must live a sunder in this world Stay you here in this land of Labans who receiue you to enrich themselves and affect you litle futher then they finde that you are beneficiall to them Be faithfull in your employments the Lord can send you home with his blessing in abundance though you might at first come over this Iorden but with your staffe or but some slender support portion in externall things My soule doth wish every one of you Iacobs wealth but with Iacobs faith his prosperity with his piety the Lord make you equall to him in greatnes goodnes also Yea the God of Abraham Isaac Jacob d ee you all good bestow his best benedictioÌ„s vpoÌ„ your Society that the body therof may ever inherit her ancient honors and aduantages and the members may share not only these common comforts but every one in particuler his owne welfare and benefit beside Of this one thing you must ever be ceartainly assured and perswaded that you cannot be more happy then Pagans may be but in the prosperity of soule body together if the Lord divide these and doe give abundance only to the owtward man this is his heavy justice these are your vnhappy riches Therefore am I and ever shal be a harty wellwiller to the wellbeing of both Gods law doth command your loue hath bounde me to be an vncessant suitor for this double mercy if accordingly I be not so farre as I may or can let me finde no favor in earth no felicity in heaven And soe I leave you to the love of God whose power guard you against all evill grace guide you vnto all good peace rule in your harts mercy compasse you about in all estates As the church of Christ I leave you to him that is head of the church and saviour of his body As my late flock I leaue you to the great shepheard of your soules As my louing freinds I leave you to him that is the helper of the freindles As christians I leave you to Iesus Christ both your Lord and myne he abide with you his graces abound in you his holy spirit be your comforter on earth your conductor to heaven I cannot make an end or give over the multiplication of my soules wishes of your soules and bodyes good I am full of matter and my spirit within me constraines me to goe on but dolour can keepe no decorum it is an ill orator and you see affection drowne's both matter and methode yet I must conquer my felfe and end vnwillingly and soe I endeavour spite of my longing hart to wish longer desiring only this one thing that what good this time will not permitt me to vtter the Lord of his goodnes may please to expresse vpon you all for ever That soe it may come to passe that in all respects states what soever wherin you are or may be considered you may in every of them be truly blessed that as men you may be faithfull as merchants you may be samous as christâ—aens you may be gracious as saints you may be glorious More then these I cannot pray for and I doe and will pray that you
apprehend perswade himself might be a maine motive with God to obtaine what he asked And the sequell did well shew that this supplication was of force with the Lord to doe them good for whome he prayed It were most easy to produce the practise of many more even of all the saints of God who haue received the earnest of the spirit and are sealed to be his but we will let goe all other and take knowledge of one for all euen of Iesus Christ who is Lord over all ought to be all in all vnto vs. Mat. 26. Let vs goe into the garden and heare him pray there loe he besought the Lord three times and in every request this shal be added ver 39. and not omitted in any one O my father if it be possible let this cup passe and the second time ver 42. ver 44. O my father if this cup may not passe c. and yet againe the third time the same words saith the Evagelist that is to say words to the same purpose and of the same sence note though not of the same syllables for we finde them something varied by the other Evāgelists Marke Luke as touching the letter From thence let vs follow him to his crosse and there we shall finde him in the same kinde calling vpon his father my God my God mat 27.64 and this he did in his vtmost extreamity when he was vnder the full weight of his fathers infinite indignation and at such a time and in such a straight every one will endeavour to vtter that which may be most effectuall to moue them to whome we make our suites and our saviour thus using this doth therby make it evident to be of excellent and singuler jmportance to prevaile with the Lord in the heaviest estate wherin we can be vnder heaven Nay let vs not looke only on what he did in his owne practise but what he doth comād vs to doe in ours when he would teach his disciples and with them all christians so to pray that they might be happy after they had prayed he will haue them begin with their interest mat 6.9 say Our father c this must stand in the forefront as the first most forcible thing to set vpon God withall shewing clearely that he can haue no comfort to pray who cannot thus begin his prayer if a man cannot make his title good in the first place all wil be but vaine and jdle that follewe's it is but folly to seeke the face of God if we doe not know him to be our father cannot boldely soe call him when we call vpon him And it is well to be noted Rom. 8. that the apostle tell 's vs that the same spirit that assure's vs we are the childrē of God doth not only embolden vs as was remembred before to cry Abba father but in case it stand soe wit vs ver 15. that through any extreamity of body or impotency distresse of minde we cannot pray which was once Dauids case Psa 77.3.4 may be the condition of any true tender harted christian I say this spirit doth pray and preferre our requests for vs our very assurance it self will speake for vs through we could not speake for our selues Even this that we are Gods is if we could vtter no more enough to harten vs in the hope of being heard as we finde by him who sayd this and no more Psal 146.6.7 I sayd vnto the Lord thou art my God heare my prayer o Lord and further O Lord God of my saluation c. Nay not only in prayer but in the whole worship of God are we cheered by this same reason soe saith the spirit of God Psa 95.6 Come let vs worship c for he is the Lord our God we are the people of his pasture and the sheept of his hands so that if vpon any tearmes a man will come to the Lord this must be one one of the mayne things he must mention before the Lord. Thus our consolation come's vpon vs in regard of our prayers when we can goe to God as to our owne it matters not how Satan may otherwise entwitte vs as long he cannot overturne our title And the joy and comfort of this consideration will yet shyne more clearely vpon vs if we marke well how wicked men when they come to speake to God doe not once offer to vtter one word of interest but still come with generall appellation without any speciall or particuler impropriation of God to themselfs mat 25.11 or of themselues to him all that they say is Lord Lord open vnto vs it may be to blinde vs withall they dare being themselues blinded by the God of this world presume and be jmpudently overbolde with the Lord 2. Cor. 4.4 call or rather miscall him theirs but when the great day shall come wherin they shal be detected and discerne their owne estates standing before their judge the mighty God speaking immediately to him they shall feare and not once dare to offer the pleading of any interest they shall stand without cry houle to him who being none of their Lord doth condemne and cast them into internall infinite damnation of soule and body Oh that their soules could consider this who thus forget both God and themselues Psal 50.22 and now before men fawne vpon him with prophane tongues and hypocriticall harts speaking of him as of their sweete Iesus and their deare sauior whenas before his owne face they dare not at all entitle him soe who seeth not but that their former prayers were vile being hypocritically presumptuous and these latter vayne and themselues reprobated of God for pretending a title before men and wanting it when they appeare before himself But of this we shall haue better occasion to speake more in our next vse In the meane time this want of interest in them is that which debarre's them of all present comfort and brings them vnder Gods eternall curse all their suplications be cast away first and themselues also at last because they haue it not And what can be the consequence herof to the saints of God but this that they by vertue of this their right in through Christ shall haue both their persons and petitions accepted of God to whome they may goe with all solace and rejoycing of soule and spirit notwithstanding many other miserable faylings because all the infinite compassions of God Psal 103.13 are to be exercised only vpon his owne whome he hath promised to spare forbeare as a man doth his son whome he loueth And this is the first comfort that flow'es from our interest Psa 34.15 that our prayers shall haue happy issue with him who is our God and whose we are For his eyes are vpon the righteous and his cares are open to their cry our clayme doth out-cry our corruption
as the apostle avoucheth of Elias his prayer Jam 5. least any man should say I Elias oh he was a rare and extraordinary man of singuler graces and more admirable piety then is now to be found alas what are we to Elias the holy ghost answer's that he was a man and a corrupt man as we are ver 17. subiect to the like passions as the story of his life doth shew yet being a righteous man and having right in the Lord Judg. 15.18.16 his prayer was powerfull and prevailing And soe was Samsons also who went much out of the way in many things yet being the Lords one that he had set apart to himself and appropriated to his service it was the good pleasure of his will to heare his desires and help him in all his distresses And the same might we say of many more vpon whome we cannot now insist because it is time we set forward toward one second consolation And that is touching our afflictions and miseries Consolation in Affliction in the mid'st wherof seeme they never soe insufferable our interest in the Lord will ease our soules and joy our spirits within vs. And herof we haue abundant witnes in the booke of God taken both from God himself and from his saints yea and from sinfull and vngodly men too If we will hearken what the Lord God doth say in this case beholde he vtter's his minde most freely that wee may be free from all feare in respect of any perills I will not cloy you with a multitude of witnesses See what he saith by his prophet Isaiah who heard it once yea twise from God that such as are his shall not sinke in theit deepest sorrowes Looke cap. 41. where he cheere 's his people and giue 's them words of wonderfull hartening saying Jsa 41. Feare not be not dismaied but vpon what ground why even vpon this ver 10. which will beare them vp in all bitternes for I am with thee for I am thy God I will helpe thee I will strēgthē I will vpholde thee with theright hād of my righteousnes againe feare not for I the Lord thy God whill helpe thee and yet againe feare not ver 13. thou worme that is were thy state never soe weake despicable I will helpe thee saith the Lord thy redeemer ver 14. Againe the 43. chapter begins with the same words of encouragement feare not but why Jsa 43. Ver 1. for I haue called redeemed thee thou art mine oh but we haue many mighty miseries to passe through well saye's God let the worst come that can come if it be as extreame as fire and water and they we say haue no mercy yet saith the Lord feare not I will goe with thee when thou wadest through the greatest woes that the world can yeelde and least any should doubt or demaund what might make the Lord or moue him to be soe vnspeakably kinde and gracious he answers by repeating the same reason againe that he had given before for I am the Lord thy God thy holy one of Israell thy Saviour c Loe here how the Lord doth dwell vpon this argument to perfwade their perplexed spirits how well it shal be with them even at the worst that can come vnto them And herevnto would all the Prophets giue witnes if we should summon them one by one for the Lord speakes much to this purpose in every of them but one word of God were enough to satisfy the whole worlde if there were no more and therefore it shal be needles for vs to quoate more in this matter Let vs heare his children speake whose language we shall sinde to be like their fathers and assoone as they tell vs their mindes herin it will most readily appeare that they apprehēded the most speciall reason of their comfort and releife to consist in the right clayme which in their miserablest condition they could make vnto God Aske David Psa 23.1 he will tell vs that seing the Lord is his shepheard he shall not want any good thing even then when things goe never soe ill with him in his sorrowes he shall haue consolation ver 4. in his dangers preservation supply in his wants safety in his waies and whatsoever may be meete for him in any estate which may befall him The same he speakes againe elswhere and double's the declaration of his interest in God saying Psal 116.16 Behold Lord for I am thy servant I am thy servant c. And this he doth there where he hath discourced of the heaviest afflictions that ever befell him shewing evidently that if he had not beene soe neere and deare to the Lord as he was he had sunke perished in those calamities which had now seized on him but seing he could with good assurance say he was Gods that estate was to him recouerable which to another for wāt of this worthy comfort had beene desperate incurable Nay let vs enquire of more then one aske all the Iewes either in Isatahs time or in leremiahs Beholde in both prophets how they plead proue their comfort in the middest of their calamities Jsa 63.16 Doubtlesse say they thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not thou o Lord art our father and our redeemer c. and againe we are thine c. ver 19. And if we looke into their state in Ieremiahs time when the hand of God was greivous vpon them as both the title and the whole tennor of the booke doth relate it being called the Lamentations from their lamentable condition therin described we shall see them plunged into the deepest and deadlyest distresses that it was possible for people to endure howbeit they could yet holde vp their heads and cheere vp their harts with their title to the Lord Lam. 3.24 saying the Lord is my portion saith my soule therefore I will hope in him Even that estate which was soe wofull vnhappy and hopelesse yet is conceived to be curable and vnder the heaviest burden and bitternes therof they are hopefull harty cōfortable because they can boldly say that god is their portiō they are his people nothing was left but this this alone was enough to lift them out of the desperate conceit of their owne estate All externall and visible signes tokens of Gods favour were gone both temporall in regard of their land the happines they had in all the good things thereof spirituall in regard of the temple the holines of the things of God therin but this inward invisible assurāce seale of Gods interest in thē theirs in him that remaineth by it they are revived kept in such hart hope that they can comfort and joy themselves therin as in that which will holde out holde them vp when all other consolations fayle And soe we see Gods
if Christs thou art a currant christian and an heyre apparant of heaven thou mayest as boldly say thou art the Lords as any man childe may say he is the son of a man But if those monstruous and diabolicall parts of impiety prophanes appeare in thee which are founde in swearers drunkards sabbath-breakers couetous idolatrous vnjust or vncleane persons know thou art as ceartainly the divells Ioh. 8.44 as thou art conceitedly Gods Christ himself tell 's thee soe Yee are of your father the diuell there is no more reason such a one should call God his then that a beast should be accounted the childe of a man Every thing begett's and bring 's forth his like all creatures that propagate and procreate produce evermore of their owne kinde all plants that have life and no sence all beasts that have life and sence and no reason all men which have both life sence and reason this is the vniversall order and perpetuall ordinance of God for nature And shall the almighty who hath all these perfections infinitely and infinite more besides these shall he only breede and bring forth divelish monsters children that heare no representation of him but are branded withall the hellish parts and lym's wherof reprobates are composed Who can beleeue a blasphemer or any of the fornamed offendors when they say Our father nay it is wonder how they can beleeue themselues 2. Thes 2.11 were they not giuen ouer to strong delusions to beleeue lyes that they might be damned it were impossible they should not see how hydeously they did slander and vilefy him who is God to be blessed for ever and who will one day be infinitly avenged vpon them as for all other their damnable impietyes among men soe especially for this dishonor done to himself whome they have abused by innumerable falshoods in their oftē calling of him father Goe now yee wicked wretches and weepe mourne for this that being the base broode of Satan and the hellish monsters of sin yee have fathered your selves vpon him whose soule doth loath you because you are not like vnto him It is double blindnes you are given over vnto in this point who having the whole schoole of nature in all the works of God and the vniversall and cleare current of his word to teach you this one lesson That nothing produceth any thing but that which is like it self and yet you cannot learne to leave lying against the Lord in laying a false claime vnto him having nothing in you like vnto him Pray for eye-salue to discerne this evill and wayle before him whome you have soe wickedly abused there is yet a possibility that you may become his be made like vnto him for he hath power to change you from what you are to what you should be he can make a thistle to become a myrrhe tree Isa 55.12 Mat. 3.9 and the bryar a fyrre tree he can raise vp children to Abraham of these stones nothing is or can be so evill and vnlike him which he cannot alter into his owne image And they that are thus changed already are happy and have the Lord for their God to whome they may boldely and freely goe as to their father who hath graciously begotten them whenas they can carry with them the evidences of his holy image in them in any measure of that true grace they have received from him For this one thing we must carefully consider Note that we may not discomfort our owne soules that it is not the likenes of quantity or equality but of quality only that we urge vpon you and that God expecteth in you When he sayth and we teach that men must be holy as he is holy mercifull as he is mercifull c we doe not neither doth God meane there should be soe much of these in you as in himself Noe such matter but only that there should be some measure of them any measure doth argue the nature of a thing the truth wherof is also further discerned by the growth of the same Now then if you can goe to God shew him some beginnings of his owne graces you are his An infant the members and parts of whole body are exceeding litle and of no strength in respect of one that is a growne man yet is knowne by those feeble hands and other weake lineaments to be the child of his father Their likenes doth argue it though they want greatnes And so is a childe of God approved to be his by those graces that be in him though yet they be infirme and infinitely short of that they should be We may not then dismay our selves and make voyde the evidences of our consolation in the Lord our God because we have not much but litle yea very much too litle grace and piety in vs that which we haue must joy vs that which we want should humble vs we may make our claime by the very least graine of true grace we have gotten but our clayme is confirmed by our encreasing therin and gayning of more He hath tolde vs that he will not despise the small things Zach. 4.10 Mat. 12.20 nor quench but kindle the smoaking flaxe nor breake but binde vp the bruised reede and why should we despaire of our estate in that which he doth not despise no let vs vnfainedly blesse him for the first friuts of our interest in him and beseech him to stampe and jmprint his jmage more deeply in vs that not only our selves may perceive it but men may see it and soe he that hath given it may be glorifyed of vs in it and by the cleare and comfortable assurance of our childe-hood by this our consimilitude Satans assaults may be resisted and himself constantly honoured of vs all our dayes And this is the fourth signe of our right in our God The sift and last Signe 5 wherof we will treate at this time is the Spirit of God And this is the absolute assurance of our being his Whosoever hath received the spirit of God God hath received that man for his owne This is affirmed fully by Iohn 1. Joh. 3.24 who assureth vs that we are nay that we may know we are his by the spirit which he hath giuen vs and hervnto the Apostle attesteth Rom 8.6 when he telleth vs that if any man haue not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his This is further evident by such particulers as whervnto this spirit thus given is compared to wit to a scale Ephe. 1.14.15 and an earnest penny and both these as all men know doe assure men of their right in any thing that is conditioned for betweene man and man And the Lord in discovering his spirit vnto vs vnder these tearmes doth thereby giue vs to vnderstand that it hath a conveying power and an assuring property to giue vs reall and vndoubted interest in himself all such good things as from him are to be given to
vs. Hence it is also that this spirit is sayd to enable vs by vncontroleable testimony to avouch Ro. ◠15 Gal 4.6 that we are the sons of God and he our father and therevpon we are bidden by vertue therof to cry boldely Abba father that is to clayme him as our father But here it may be some will say vnto me Obiectiō it is past all question and without controversy that they that haue the spirit are the Lords none doubt's of that but all the matter is to know who hath it and how any man may know whether he haue it or noe I answer it is true Solution this case of conscience is worth scanning and debating at large but it is not our purpose now to doe it further then appertaineth to the present point we haue in hand Assurances of Gods spirit in vs and such evidences of the spirit in vs as are also evidences of our interest in God we will giue you or some few of them First therfore Assuran ∣ ce 1 the spirit of God where it is effectually received soe as that by it we may know that we are Gods is that by it we are asisted to offer vp spirituall sacrifices to God to pray in the spirit or by the power therof speaking in vs vnto him who gaue this his spirit to vs. These prayers that they may be knowne to be spirituall most consist of such matter as this spirit by the light therof shyning in vs doth suggest and for their manner they must be vttered whether by voyce or other wayes with such feeling of our wants such affectiō to him who can supply vs as floweth from the life of the same spirit and concluded with such assurance of successe by faith as the joy of the same spirit doth minister to vs that whether we be heard or noe For that spirit will assure and convince every one who hath it that the euent of all our petitions is good because every answer given vnto vs is evermore the fruit of the infinite wisdome and loue of God vnto vs both which being as they are combyned in all the issues of our supplications we cannot conceive by any thing that this spirit begetteth in vs but that it is best for vs which way soeever it be if we speed it is good if we speed not it is as good saith the spirit in vs though our foolish flesh doth not think soe because God jmployeth the same wisdome and loue to deny vs now as he did at other times to give vs our desires And they that have thus received the spirit in this duty of prayer may by the presence and power of it workeing in this manner in them be assured they have right in God who himself is a spirit doth thus send his spirit into the harts of all his elect Secondly the same spirit which doth thus furnish vs to pray for any good doth also minister to vs resolution and endeavour to doe all the good we are re-required vnto by God I say resolution to be throughly perswaded that we ought and endeavour to strive to the vtmost that we may doe as much as is possible to be done The spirit of God never work 's desire of having good from God without desire of doing good before God It teacheth men how to practise as well as how to pray and make's men as willing to obey Gods precepts as they are that the Lord should answer ther prayers And when once a man ha's gotten a hart thus resolved vpon vniuersall and constant obedience to the Lord and that he had of the two rather doe the will of God then have his owne will accomplished he may assuredly know he hath right in the Lord. And herof is the spirit of God a witnesse where it saith Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that doe his commandements that they may haue right to or that their right may be in the tree of life c. which tree of life is Iesus Christ the Lord of life Is it not plaine here that they who doe the commandements that is doe their vtmost to doe them have right in Iesus Christ and may truly say he is theirs and that they are his by right And this may yet more clearly appeare if we consider that the Lord doth often vse this argument of his interest in his people as a principall instigation to perswade them to obedience In the praeface to the commandements this is praemized to provoke their subjection to the whole law Exod. 20. Levi. 18.4.5 I am the Lord thy God and againe I am the Lord your God yee shall therefore doe my judgments and keepe my ordinances and this was the reason of the peoples resolution in Ioshuas time For the Lord is our God c Josh 24.17.18 therefore will we also serue the Lord for he is our God Now would God vrge it to his people or his people alledge it to the Lord in this particuler of their incitation to all conscionable walking before the Lord if it were not the bande of his spirit to bynde them thervnto He then that hath received in himself a setled resolution that he ought and a sincere desire joyned with endeavour that he might walke in all the commandements of God the same is the Lords God will graciously acknowledg him he may comfortably lay clayme to God Thirdly as to doe all good Assuran ∣ ce 3 soe to suffer all evill of punishment or persecution and to resist all evill of sin and corruption is a sure signe of the spirits residence in vs and of our interest in God by it Reu. 21.7 He that can couragiously endure the one conscionably doe the other he is one of Gods owne deare one 's God himself hath spoken it He that ouercometh shall inherit all things I wil be his God he shal be my sonne The spirit of God doth not only subdue us to it self in all good but it also subdueth all euill to us Ro 8.37 make's vs more then cōquerours in both as the holy ghost telleth vs. To withstand jmpiety resolutely to vndergoe persecution valiantly is a property of one of Gods owne When neither temptations to sin nor tiranny of men can draw a man from God it 's a sure signe such a one is fastned to God and sealed as one of his Neither of these was ever given to any vngodly person no lym of Satan hath any power in either And nothing but the spirit of God can give this power to any man He that hath it then hath the spirit he who hath the spirit of God the same is Gods as we heard before Every one will judg that ceartainly he must be very neere to a man who can neither be entised by any alurement nor constrayned by any enforcement to displease him but that scornes all aduantages beare's all jnjuries rather then he will doe any thing that maybe greivous to him
who would not say were he not his neere freind or his father he would never refuse such offers suffer such oppressions as he doth for his sake By the same reason is our nearenes vnto God concluded And this conquering power of his spirit wherby we prevayle against all things in this kinde is not communicable to any but such who have received the same as their earnest penny and seale that they are the Lords And these three among many others which we might speake of are sufficient assurances vnto vs that we have received this spirit which spirit doth assure vs that we are the children of God And thus we see the signes of our interect in the Lord our God whervpon we have the more largely and somewhat the longer insisted because it is much materiall to every man to know well and be stedfastly setled in the assured evidence and true tryall of this point wherin soe many wicked men doe deceive themselues by secure presumption and soe many of Gods owne children are deceived in themselues through their owne ignorance weaknes for want of due information We have now no more to say touching this vse of the point but by these aforesayd signes to set every one a worke even a searching of himself whether he can finde them within him or noe And therin let every one in the feare of God and as he tender's the favour of God deale soundely and vnpartially with his owne soule sift himself as in the sight of God before whome he must appeare one day and be judged acording to this word which hath from him beene spoken herin He that cannot discerne them in himself let him haste to the Lord of whome they may be had cease clayming any right in the Lord till he have obtayned them and begin to greiue in his owne soule for that he hath beene soe seduced all this while thus boldely to abuse the Lord being none of his not thinking themselves a litle judebted to his patience who hath rejourned that justice which even for this sin might long since have seized vpon them and sent them to Satan whose vassalls all such are as by him are set on thus blindely to challeng the Lord to be theirs without any sight or sounde assurance of these signes in themselves And to them that have obtained received them who doe see them in themselues and can shew them to others wherevnto come's all this that we have sayd but vnto their wonderfull consolation the confirmation wherof flowe's naturally from the possession of these peculiar loue-tokens which the Lord giveth to none but to such as to whome he giveth himself that they that have them might also know that they have him And what a happines that is who can imagine for what can a man have more to make him most happy he that rightly knowe's what God is may give some guesse at the absolute and vnspeakable advantages of that man who hath right in the Lord and from the glimpse of them for that is all that can be gotten in this life their infinite fulnes is reserved till we come to glory may learne to give some prayse even with his soule vnto him for the most gracious recovery of this interest vnto vs which once we razed out by our owne rebellion he hath raised vs into it againe out of the riches of his grace Who shall not laude him and loue him for this that when we were soe wicked that we would not be his but gaue or solde our selves to Satan he will yet be soe loving that he will give himself to be ours and redeeme and purchase vs againe though it cost deare to become his Oh that we could magnify him according to this mercy but it being beyond measure we are not able to attaine to such a strayne of thankfullnes yet let vs dearely beloued straine the utmost we can and doe our best to breath out his honour who hath made vs soe jnestimably happy The saints of God haue abounded in times past and both blessed God because he is the God of his people blessed those people who are the people of God Moses thus blessed Israell Deut. 33.29 1. King 8.55.56 c. Psa 33.12 Psa 144.15 soe did Solomon too David exceedes all other in this subject and is soe oft vpon it both for himself and for the people as if he could never say enough to the point Soe we finde Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord and the people that he hath chosen for his inheritance and the same in another psalme yea in many other psalmes is repeated And in the name of all the saints he speake's all thy workes shall praise thee o Lord Psa 118.28 and thy Saints shall blesse thee And for his owne part Thou art my god and J will praise thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee And last of all Psa 100.4 on the behalf of all lands Enter into his gates with thanksgiving and into his courts with praise be thankefull unto him and speake good of his name and why even for this that we are his people and the sheepe of his tasture Now goe we and endeavour to doe likewise seing he hath shewed the like loue vnto vs that our whole man soule and body may blesse him all our dayes As also seing it is such a marueillous mercy to be the Lords let vs by all meanes make our vse and benefit therof so often as we goe to him by supplication and soe often as Satan sett's vpon us by temptation let vs help our selves herewith for it is both a singuler jnducement to moue the Lord to shew vs mercy and it is also an excellent sheild against Satans fury The Lord cannot witholde his favours from his owne neither can the Divell fasten his fiery darts vpon them To proue our selves Gods is armour of proffe against him he cannot peirce it or wounde vs soe long as we have it well gyrt about vs. But if we leave it off or let it hang loose we may soone be hurt Let vs looke to it then and be carefull herin that we damage not our selves and give our enemy aduantage against vs. If herin we acquite our selves well and can follow the Lord with this fruit of his loue his hart is open to vs for good if not Satan will follow vs we lye opē to him for evill It is good then to make our best of this our interest and to plead it vncessantly before the God of heaven from whome we have it Whensoever we speak to him let him heare of vs as of those that have right in him Whatsoever we beg let this be remembred I am thine for this hath beene vrged by all the people of God when they have prayed for any thing for illumination I am thine oh give me vnderstanding for preservation I am thine oh saue me for confirmation or compassion I am the son of
taken them neere oh how sweete vnto me are thy words c. And lastly ver 103. not to be too tedious in instancing he doth lay a downeright clayme vnto them as his owne land intayled to him and never to be taken from him Thy testimonies haue I claymed as myne heritage for euer ver 111. for thy are the joy of my hart Thus doth good Dauid bestirre him herin and goe's before all Gods people whose commendation and comfort it would assuredly be to trace him in these steps But we neede not stand on particuler persons for we finde that whole churches have done the same in the dayes of their sorrowes So we reade of the church Haue respect to thy covenant and againe The Lord will not cast of his people Psal 74.20 Psal 94.14 micah 7.20 nor forsake his inheritance and yet againe Thou wilt performe thy truth to Iacob and thy mercy to Abraham which thou hast sworne to our fore-fathers of olde In all these and many the like which we spare to vrge we see the saints carriage and practise whether we coÌ„sider them apart or combined together into one body And now is it a small thing that this threefolde corde should be soe lightly broken wherwith the Lord would binde his people to this practise shall himself his law and his holy ones be all so slighted of vs Have we soe many worthy jnducement to draw vs on and soe many worthies that have gone before us and shall we lye behinde and not once striue or stirre that way nay which is yet worse run a cleane contrary course and fly from our owne comforts to the fearfull aishonour of God and danger of our owne soules through this desperate infidelity Oh deare Christians whervnto will this come what shall we say vnto you â— Cor. 4.21 how shall we intreat you let vs demaund the apostles question shall we come among you with a rod or with the spirit of meeknes when we have to doe with you for this fault well I know we must be wonderfull wary when we have to doe with wounded consciences we will not be too tart with the Lords tender lambes but endeavour since reprooffe must have place here to mixe reprehension and commiseration together inasmuch as we have to doe with afflicted soules and humbled spirits which speake not according to the truth in a setled resolution but according to the distraction and terror of some present temptation wherwith their adversary the divell doth so feircely assault and soe furiously fight against them that they are not able to stand vnder his stroakes but faint and sinke because he is so violent and they soe impotent fayne they would be better perswaded and beleeve professe otherwise if they could but their enemy aboundes with outrage and they are voyd of courage and hence it is he overules them and having captivated the power of Gods spirit in them for the present he make's them speake according to his owne the truth is that the people of God in their perplexity are the divels parhots and by him made to vtter that evill which many times he knowe's not well how to vent otherwise Oh that these poore soules the true most proper subiects of all good mens pitty and prayers did but well know and were throughly convinced that it is not they that doe it but sin yea Satan dwelling in them that the Lord will of his especiall grace discharge them of it and charge it as well he may vpon him who is both his adversary and theirs But the divell is so subtile in dealing with Gods sorrowfull saints that he will be exceeding loth to be seene in this or knowne of it but rather layes it vpon God and provokes many a distracted saint that is not himself to surmize that it is no small jmpiety against God to appropriate the promises And the better to seduce them therin he puts such pretences into their mindes and mouthes as they dreame and jmagine to be of God against whome they thinke they should fearfully offend if they should clayme these heavenly comforts to theÌ„selves Which pretences of his seing they are the maine impediments which hynder the happines of Gods people let vs take such knowledge of them as may make them apparantly knowne to be infernall therefore in no wise to be beleeved but alwayes abborted Among many other two to my obseruation are most vsuall doe prevaile vpoÌ„ the faithfull soe afright them that they dare not meddle but doe in some sort forsake their owne mercy He suggesteth into the dejected soules of these afflicted saints to make their harts the more fearfull 1. that the promises of God are not assigned to them by name how then can they have any interest in them 2. that they are soe vnworthy of them in regard of their wickednes that they dare not owne them or have any thing to doe with them These are the sear-crewes the bug-beares wherwith he make's them to forbeare and put off all But you that thus speake according to temptation now speake according to truth and shame the divell the father of lyes who suborne's these fruitles things against you to rob you of the riches of Gods vnspeakable grace Iob. 28.2 Spake out I say and tell me Is not this to darken the truth of God by words without knowledge which no man ought to doe Is not this to disparage his truth and faithfullnes who is Amen Reu 1.2 Cor. 1.20 the true faithfull witnes that faith that all his promises are yea and Amen vnto us that we might be rooted in the assurance of them Is not this to be beyond all Gods boundes to be besides ones self in our spirituall estate being overcome of a mysticall frenzy to cast of all affiance in the Lord Iob. 9.16 â—7 speaking stroÌ„gly in this distemper as Iob did if I had called vnto him and he had answered me yet would J not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voyce And shall we stand on that which we see will not beare vs but let vs fall nay throw vs downe and make vs fall for soe will these aforesayd pretences doe No be it farre from vs to doe soe And that it may be soe let vs come neerer to a more straight and narrow inquisition touching them which that we may the better doe we will set vpon them seuerally and soe set them out before you that we may shew them and you may see them to be the base subornations of Satan and by him bent to abuse God and beguile you of your blessednes and these two are all his only ends For the first which stiâ—ks so much with many Pretence and wherat they stumble to wit that because they are not named they dare not intermedle they know not that they are mean't or may make bolae with that which is written and wherin others are by name interessed You tell
all temptation giving no place to the divell or any instigation of his touching the application of the truth of God Let it not greiue vs a litle that we have given see much eare to him already and that the Lord hath beene soe slenderly beleeved of vs. Our insidelity hath done the Lord wōderfull dishonour we haue ill shewed our selves children of such a father whenas like froward infants we haue refused the sweetnes he hath provided for vs and even put into our mouthes We must soundly repent of this refractary carriage or els we may live to cry for that which now we will not have It were our part and duty rather to pant after the truth of God and to faint for want of it then thus frowardly to put it from vs when it is so lovingly proffered to vs. We litle know what we doe in refusing to receive his gracious truth he never spake that which was not worthy that we should heare it conscionably and lay it vp carefully Let vs resolve to doe soe heareafter and thinke him worthy of all prayse from vs who hath revealed his truth soe clearely as it may be entertayned of vs comfortably And if we will thus doe and endeavour hervnto we shall soone see what inconceivable consolations the Lord hath reserued for vs in those promises he hath revealed to vs. If this reproffe worke kindely to purge out this evill we may then give you some taste of the good the Lord hath in store for you Shall we speake euill to our selves where God speake's good or turne his goodnes into our owne euill this is for Satan not for saints to doe Strive we to doe as the Lord would have vs and if we will now cease to lend an care to the divell and further for ever hearken to our God we shall see what more he hath to say to his people in the second place from the truth of the doctrine which we have propounded And all that is sayd by God touching his people is only good Consola ∣ tion 2 for if it be an absolute and infaillible truth that every one ought to apply that truth of God which God speaketh to him then may all the Lords saints know for a surety that all the sacred blessed and sweete sayings of God contayned in his booke are now become their owne the Lord intende's they should apply and enjoy them Not a good word is fallen any where from the mouth of God but the same is wholy and solely meant to the soules of his children he sptake it of purpose that they might take it it was reuealed by him that it might be receiued by them Noe heavenly tydings of gladnes and great joy no speech of life and peace either for present or eternall happines but it is meant and sent by God to them and from him they have it sometimes immediately from his owne mouth I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speake peace to his people to his saints c. Psal 83.8 Luk. 2.10 sometimes by the ministrey of Angells Beholde we bring you glad tydings of great joy c. The Lord hath nothing to say on his churches childrens behalf but when thy speake to him to answer them with good words comfortable words Zach. 1.13 as the prophet Zachariah tell 's vs. Whatsoever is found any where that savours of any saving efficacy or excellency it is appropriated to them by the Lord himself who is the sole authour and the allsufficient founder of the same He sets open the fountaine of grace and compassion to the house of David his servants Zach. 13.1 and to their only vse benesit and behooffe is it reserved such only may drinke of the water therof as he hath of his grace put apart to partake of himself it is noe open place for all persons or any ordinary for all commers but enclosed and jmpaled to the Lords people alone All the consolations of God are theirs Isa 52.12 God himself sayes it both by his prophet I euen I am he that comforteth and by his apostle blessed be God the father of all mercy and God of all consolation who comforteth us in all our tribulation c nay he gives so much that if they will receive it their consolations may abounde not only in themselves but towards others they may have comfort to spare that we may comfort others with the same comforts wherewith we were comforted of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people will your God say Isa 30.1 speake comfortably to Ierusalem cry unto her that her jniquity is pardoned her warfare is accomplished c Behold how freely how fully the Lord speake's how he doubles his comforts Comfort yee comfort yee and jtterates his words Speake comfortably cry vnto their and this saith the prophet will your God say it may be nay it is sure the divell◠and the world will say otherwise to you thus to others it is their manner miserably to misapply all that God saith they vse having their heads yea their harts full of ydle proclamations to promise peace to themselues and their fellowes in jmpiety and prophanes and out of their owne spirits to blesse themselves and discomfort the saints of the living God but if the Lord once open his mouth and come to speake his minde we are to know that his words which are simply good in themselves and himself absolutely able to make them good to vs are to be vttered only to his owne none but they are spoken too when he speakes good He drawes out the breasts of his consolations to them but shuts vp his bosome to all others not a drop of this milke is for any mans mouth but his owne babes and to them both breasts are tendered that they might drinke freely and have thier full draught Soe saith the Lord by his prophet Isa 66.10 Rejoyce with Ierusalem all ye that loue her c that yee may sucke the breasts of her consolations and be satiffyed that yee may milke out and be satiffyed with the abundance of her glory For thus saith the Lord ver 11. ver 12. I will extend peace like a river and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing streame then shall yee sucke and be borne upon her sides and be dandeled upon her knees As one whome his mother comforteth ver 13. soe will I comfort you and yee shal be comforted in Jerusalem And when yee shall see this your hart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish the hand of the Lord shal be knowne towards his servants c. Thus in this most comfortable metaphor doth the Lord make knowne his mercy and favour and we all know the most that can be manifested in nature is betweene the tender babe and the loving mother and this similitude the Lord assumeth to resemble his vnto vs the nature wherof cannot be fully shaddowed by any thing vnder
against you and your owne confusion before him Ro. 2.5 and so store vp wrath against the day of wrath and the iust declaration and excecution of his iudgement vpon your soule and body for ever And that you may see I speake not this without booke I pray you looke what God saith in his booke to this purpose how read you in the sift booke of Moses called Deuteronomie read there striue to understand what you reade and out of your vnderstanding of it ponder that saying and lay it vp in your harts There you shall heare God speaking thus touching the point we haue now in hand Dent. 29.18 ver 19. Least there should be among you any roote that beareth gall and worme wood and it come to passe that when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his hart and say I shall haue peace though I walke in the imagination of my owne hart ver 20. to adde drunkenesse to thirst The Lord will not spare that man but the anger of the Lord and his iealousy shall smoake against him all the curses that are written in this booke shall lye vpon him ver 21. the Lord shall blot out his name from vnder heaven And the Lord shall separate him vnto evill out of all the tribes of Israell according to all the curses of the covenant c. ver 21. So that the generation to come shall say when they see these plagues c. Thus you see the Lord doth manifest and that in many words his minde concerning this matter and that we may the better discerne his meaning we may bretfely abridge all that these words doe import into two particulers 1. how haynous a thing it is in Gods sight sinfully to shift off the saving truth of God from our selves 2. how heavy the hand of God wil be in the extreame extraordinary punishment of him that doth soe The act is exceedingly amplified and aggravated if we doe well consider the particulers of the text wherin we finde it branched and blazed out to be an evill consisting of many evills a very composition of many impietyes and much corruption First it is an impious thwarting of God a crossing of him even a giving him the lye to his face when any man shall dare to say I shall have peace though c. Is not this extreame impudency thus to out face the Lord of heaven in his owne truth to tell him as it were to his teeth that we shall have peace whē he saith resolutely we shall have none in any vngodly way are we nor vndertakers against the wisdome power and justice of God by all which that which he hath here vttered against this sin shal be assuredly executed vpon the sinner shall we offer to say I shall have peace when the Lord who is only wise allmighty and most just saith we shall not is not this to make the world beleeve that we thinke our selves able well enough to secure our selves against him and know a way how to avoyd that which he saith he will inflict as if we could goe beyond God and overeach him by some policie or power of our owne Secondly it is a proude exalting of our selves aboue the Lord a trusting vpon our owne vayne lying and blasphemous words blessing our selves and giving no creddit to his most stable and immutable words of truth as if our blessing of our selves had farre more efficacy to save and comfort vs then his words of cursing have to cast vs downe and terrefy vs. Thirdly it is an encreasing of sin we adde one evill to another and soe lade our soules with more and more impiety augmenting our evill before the Lord and encouraging our selves in the same by this blessing of our selues in our sinfull courses and casting aside Gods righteous and heavy curses All these three amplifications of this impious and hellish act are apparant in the text and thus much sin doth he commit that applyeth not but putteth off the sacred word and truth of God from himself The punishmet due to this threefolde act of impiety followe's in the text too it is layd out both negatiue and affirmatiuely Negatiuely in that one wofull sentence The Lord will not spare or the Lord will not be mercifull to that man a truth clearely contradictory to the conceit of these accursed miscreants who are soe be sotted that they can beleeve nor apprehend nothing in the Lord but mercy and soe make him a notorious monster therin as if he had nothing els in him Affirmatiuely and that many wayes in such miserable sayings as follow every one worse then other if we note them Such a sinner shall feele 1. the anger of God and to put him out of hope of appeasing it it is added that 2. the jealousy of the Lord shall breake out and smoake against him and jealousy is jmplacaple rage such as will heape vpon an offendor 3. all the curses written in Gods booke none no not one to be avoyded or escaped among the rest 3. notorious curses are named to wit 1. that his name shal be blotted out from vnder heaven 2. that the Lord shall separate him unto euill 3. that the ages to come shall fall into admiration of that mans fearefull condition Loe thus shall it be done to the man that the Lord will avēge himself vpon for this one sin of shifting off the sacred truth of God from himself He shall have no mercy from God but all the misery that may be he shal be the vnhappy object of Gods heavy anger of his fearfull jealousy of all his curses vnto which the Lord shall soe set him apart and pick him out that he shal be the wonderment of all succeeding times This is the Lord doome vpō him who fawneth vpō himself in his prophanes and flyeth as much as in him lyeth and wil not heare of the justice of God revealed in his word against his wickednes Let vs then deare christians take heede and beware of a stubborne hart a stiffe necke an jmpious spirit to throw away what the Lord saith to vs Doe not provoke him to jealousy we are not able to deale with him he is stronger then we know we that nothing well more vexe or sooner prouoke him herevnto then this jmpiety of refusing to apply his worde to our selves He is heavily jealous as well he may be of that mans estate that will not endure his truth For why consider I pray you what good can be in him what evill can be out of him who rejecteth what God saith it is not possible he should haue any good who will none of that word which is the only ground of all good to vs and the only guide of vs vnto it neither is any euill jmpossible but all most easy to be fastened vpon the man who forsaketh the sole and soueraigne meanes of his good That man must needes heare Satan that heareth not
seruice to a King so we might well take vp this for a more true even for a most true proverbe yea principle no service to the King of Kings which thing he wil soe evidence and make good that not only his owne shall see it but wicked men shall assent to it Psal 58.11.12 and be forced to say verily there is a reward for the righteous Thirdly Reason 3 the Apostle tell 's vs that piety hath the promise both of this lyfe the lyfe to come of things present and future now how can this be true in case our doctrine were false if it have the promise of both sure it shal be well with them indeede and they cannot but be well dealt with all who wil be ordered by God The Lord cannot frustrate neither will make voide any whitt of that worde of truth he hath spoken but justify and verify every jott in his worke vpon his faithfull one 's But if he should not deale well with his owne he should nullify and anihilate all his truth and faithfullnes all his mercie and kindnes all his love and goodnes The glory of his righteousnes and honour of his holynes were gone his owne saints had nothing to settle and rest their soules and harts vpon nothing at all to trust to Besides what occasion would the slaves of Satan and vassalls of sin take to vpbrayde vs that we serve a master that will doe vs good as farre as good wordes will goe and no further I might adde as many manifest reasons as testimonies herof it were as easy to abound in the one as in the other but what needeth it The good pleasure of his will that thus it shal be is infinitely aboue and beyonde all allegations which he or any lym's of his have or can have to contradict it in the least the divell and wicked men are to weake to wage evidence or arguments with God in the prooffe of the truth of any point of divinity And seing this his gracious pleasure is to this purpose so apparently revealed let us rest and trust therin resolve our selves as fully satiffied for the truth herof I but that the divell will not let vs doe if he can chuse and therfore he bend's his greatest forces against this blessed instruction and doth besiege and lay battery to the soules of Gods saints to see if he can enforce them from the truth herof and on the other side he fortifyes the prophane spirit of impious persons in the contrary perswasion Two things are principally obiected A double ObjectioÌ„ first the hard measure and vnhappy condition of Gods saints Secondly the wellfare prosperity of vngodly persons The one being rebells to the Lord are raysed on high and have what they will yea more then their hart can wish as the Psalm saith Psal 73.7 The other being Loyall and obedient subjects ever ready to doe his will to the vtmost are in the worst case of any other meÌ„ none so perplexed within none so persecuted without as they scarce any are in so bad a case none in worse These are the two hornes like those of Hananiah that he doth runne at men with with all might and maine endeavoring the overturning both of this sacred truth and the true comfort of it the setting vp of a godles liberty of sinning to all men But wee that wee may save harmeles the honor of our God and the glory of this his holy truth and at once confute yea confounde every such absurd and infernall argumentation as may make any insurection against the maiestie of the most high to abate any mans hart or heate in goodnes or to Câ—ette any soule in any sinfullnes it shall become vs well to answer these cavills and to quitt the Lord in his truth and to comfort his servants in the same notwithstanding this diabolicall opposition Know wee therfore and beleeue that what soever seemeth to bee true either in the one allegation or the other either for the ill vsage of Gods chosen or for the peace and contentment of sinfull persons yet neither jndeede is any thing against the truth wee have spoken which shall remaine infallible vndoubted and vndeniable so longe as the heaven and earth shall have a being Touching the ill vsage of Gods children consider I pray you these things First that the world may deale ill with men when that the lord deales well with them Answer to the 1 branch Joseph found it so in his particular Christ tolde his disciples soe in the world yee shall haue troubles but be of good comfort Though therfore the world doe offer vs hard measure yet it noe way hindereth the heavenly truth of what we speake Secondly the worse the world deal's with the Lords people the better will the Lord be to them Ro. 8.28 So saith the Apostle for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glorie which shal be revealed in vs So againe 2. Cor. 1.5 as our sufferings abound for Christ so shall our consolations abound much more by Christ And yet againe the Apostle saith that the saints rejoice with joy vnspeakeable glorious though they be in heavines through many afflictions And yet once more Saint Iohn in his relevation tell 's vs Reu. 7. what Gods Angel tolde him therfore they are in the presence of God day night c. And the reason hereof is because by the worlds bad vsage their graces by tryed more throughly and soe themsclues are crowned more gloriously Thirdly that all this evill which Gods saints finde here is not indeede evill but the outside of it the onely appearance therof not the substance so sayth the Apostle when he tell 's them that he was as anknowne as dying as sorrowing as poore as hauing nothing c. yet though it seemed thus it was not soe indeede but farre otherwise as the text avoucheth Nay which is yet more we may be assured that all those things that be accounted soe evill by men are in Gods intention truly good and soe shal be to vs in the issue and consequence of them if with the eye of faith we endeavour to looke vpon them So Dauid sayd of Shemeis rayling God will doe me good c. againe it is good for me that I was afflicted Fourthly though the Lord say as in this our text that he will deale well with all his children yet he doth not tye himself evermore to make it true in externall and temporall things but will giue it vs it may be even in these two sometimes but howsoeuer in things spirituall and eternall and these are the things wherin he deals well with vs indeede other favors are both too common and too meane to be the reputed either the best fruits of his favor or the only reward of his churches faithfulnes Fiftly nothing could ever be infallibly concluded from the externall state only of a christian How God
as the Lord would have them but followed the prophanes and stubbornes of their owne vile spirits and the Lord measured vnto them in instice as he did to his owne in mercy even strange and vnexpected justice such I assure my self as they never look't for or once conceited could haue befallen them And let vs know that he is still the same God in seuerity and indignation if wee be the same men in impiety and rebellion if he finde vs out in the one assuredlie wee shall feele him in the other and that to our eternall horror of hart before his face when his hand shal be heavy vpon vs as our harts have beene hellish before him A third vse of this point enforceth the truth of the same vpon vs vse 3 that we should now learne to be resolute in our judgments and powerfull in our practise herein that both may fully accord in vs and wee be faithfull and not faint before the Lord in both and either Faithfull I say and not faint for in holy writte these two are opposed to each other for neither the faint are reputed faithfull nor the faithfull faint Reu. 2.10 Hence the holy ghoste exhorteth Feare none of those things which thou shalt suffer beholde the diuell shall cast some of you into prison that ye may be tryed you shall haue tribulation tenne dayes be thou faithfull vnto death and I will give thee the crowne of lyfe Hence the Apostle vseth the phrase oppositiuely saying of himselfe his fellow-labourers we are bolde and faint not Hence his counsell to the Ephesians was that they should not faint at his tribulations c. And much neede there is that this should be powerfully prest vpon vs that wee may be throughly posest of it for God doth know that no thing is performed more feebly more faintely with more jmbecility and jmpotency then his busines men are not more fearfull and hartles in any thing then in the things of God especially if they have not a safe outside that the world cā fancy In matter of holines men are miserably timerous In matter of sin desperatly timerarious There must be such a rule made and such adoe before a man can be gotten to goe Gods way especially if it seeme rough it is so long er'e one can bring his hart to be ruled by him as it is both wonderfull it should be soe and wofull that it is soe But our owne wisdome though deceivable is easily followed our owne way though damnable is lightly trod by our selves and others are quickly led into it The mischeife is this that all the difficulty is to bring vs into the way of God and to make vs resolute to follow the same being once in it How well were it had we got this measure of abnegation of our selves that once we could be setled in this minde that the Lord should have vs at his beck and but say the worde and we would doe the deede without all dispute or any delay yea we would set vpon it if the Lord will have it whatsoever it cost or whatsoever come of it yea that nothing should soe much as once seeme or be conceited to be evill that he commands and that not the least of our jmaginatiōs should dare to stirre or offer to make any insurrection against the high pleasure of his most holy majesty Paul was excellēt at this in his perticuler as we reade in his story therof Agabus had foretolde his martyrdome and shewed it by a signe himself with Pauls girdle both before Pauls face and as it seemeth by the sequell in the sight of many other of the saints who being wonderfully affected at it doe earnestly entreat him seing he had this fayre warning to doe his best to escape and shun it But what was the answer of Paul to them Act. 10.22.23.24 why in summe this that seing he saw it was the minde of God that thus it should be he was ready and resolute to vndergoe it no feares of his owne no teares of others who loved him entyrely could doe any thing God should rule him to the losse of his dearest life This was a minde truly christian and couragious This was a man rightly resolute and magnanimous Here was a spirit subdued to Gods spirit worthy approbation in him worthy jmitation in vs. Pray we for the like it will come well to passe with vs if we can as by prayer we may obtaine it if we have not harts that the Lord may command to the death it wil be heavy with vs his justice will abandon vs to death eternall if for the honour of his truth we will not vndergoe a temporall Let vs then in no wise forget our part to doe well and the Lord will not nay he cannot forget his promise to deale well if nothing doe hinder vs in the one nothing shall hinder him in the other And to animate and harten vs herevnto that with cheerfulnes and without fearfullnes we may willingly vndergoe the hardest taske that the Lord shall please to set vs about let vs but cast our thoughts a litle vpō the oddes and advantage accrewing vnto vs by this course The difference is not small betweene our doing well before God and Gods dealing well with vs. Alas what are our deedes at the best but poore weake maymed and corupted obedience it bring 's no good to God to whome it is done And what is his dealing well to vs at the least is it not all true absolute good both for present and for future time yea to all eternity beyond time It were very easy to amplify this oddes abundantly for the one to wit Gods part toward vs is incomparably beyond ours But what neede we many words about it when it may be all sayd in one Looke what difference there is betweene God vs in all goodnes and excellency wherin we cannot but confesse he doth every way infinitely and jmmeasurably exceede vs so much more as he is more then wee is his well dealing beyond better then our well-doing And have we not sounde reason then to goe through stitch with the worke of God and to resolue to be ruled by him whatsoever seeming reason in the world may stand vp and offer to rise against it The very oddes and advantage is able to overturne all opposition and interruption in every hart that the Lord hath subdued to himself and sanctified with the true savour Conclusion and power of sauing grace And now my dearely beloued in the Lord Iesus in the truth of this point as in the last lesson which from me you must take forth I must leaue you but my trust is that neither you nor I shall ever take leaue of it or it of vs but that this truth of God shall dwell in all our harts all our dayes It is a lesson as well becomming me to learne as to teach It is a lesson I have beene and I hope ever shal
may never enjoy lesse from the hands of the living God who giveth abundantly and vpraydeth no man who sincerely seeketh his face for any present or future favour And soe Jamt 5. now deare Christians fâ—â—hers bretheren sisters from the greatest to the meanest my faithfull affectionate hort bidds you all farewell you are all beloved of me and my love desireth you may every one be blessed of God with me That as while I was present with you I did my best to helpe you forward towards Christs kingdome soe absent I may meete you there when once the time is come and the date out that we must depose this earthly tabernacle O let our cheise care be that we may be sure beforehand that we shall change it for a heavenly I say beforehand because the Lord make's few comfortable exchanges with man at the last day or houre of his dissolution or ot last day of the worlds consummation We never read but of one the good theife that sped well at such a time I am sure there is none that ought to suppose or once sarmize that himself shal be the second man that shall reape the like measure of extraordinary favour You see how I am suddenly slip't into discourse againe and forgotten my ending let your loue pardon this excesse of myne Might my speech be as long as my hart is large or could it possibly be soe when should I surcease these my hartiest benedictions these my kindest valedictions which I neither know how to expresse as I would or to end when I should But I am now resolued to master my selfe wholely and to end instantly not to detayne you longer my last salutations shal be in the gracious words of the holy Ghost inspired into Paul when he was to take his leaue of the Ephesians Act. 20.33 Now bretheren I commend you to God the word of his grace which is able to builde you vp to giue you an inheritance among them that are sanstified of the Thessalonians 1. The. 5.23 Now the very Ged peace sanctify you throught and I pray God that your whole spirit soule body may be preserued blamelesse vnto the appearance of our Lord Iesus Christ. of the Hebrewes Now the God of peace Heb. 13.20.21 make you perfect in every good worke to doe his will working in you that which is pleasing in his sight through Iesus Christ to whome by vs all be glorie honour for ever ever Finally I end in all the divine and heavenly deprecations and blessings of all Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles yea of Iesus Christ himself vttered in the dayes of his flesh while he dwelt among vs which I wish the Lord may assigne and make ouer to you that you may feele them in the full fruit and consolation of every particular petition contayned in them all and your soules be filled with the sweetnes of them as with marrow and fattnes and in their fullnes you may rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable glorious And now I will constraine my self silence and muzle my overflowing minde and mouth shutting vp all with sincere suplication of all good to you all from our God who is all in all And to glorify and honor this God let vs for ever joyne our endeovours at present joyne our prayers to him because we know he is able to doe vnto vs exceeding abundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke All yee that loue the Lord doe this all true harts all vpright spirits confoederate combine conjoyne herin that with one mynde and one mouth we may blesse God even our Father Doe the same all yee that desire to be beloued of the Lord and through his loue to liue with him for ever So shall it assuredly come to passe that God who is loue and who is life it self shall turne all our heavines into Hallelujahs our mortality into life our misery into glory Faith full is he which hath promised who will also doe it in his due time To him be praise glory in all his whole family the Church tryumphaÌ„t in heaven the churshes militant on earth and in all saints apart both now for ever and ever Amen Amen and let all that loue the Son of God the Sion of God their owne soules and the soules of all true christians say againe and evermore Amen Amen even so be it saith my sorrowfull soule once more and evermore breathing out her last and best desires that the Lord may seale all these supplications with an answer and issue gracious to vs and glorious to himself according to the most wise counsell of his sacred will Glory be to God on high