the eyes of our understanding as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 1.18 all the light and clearenesse that is in the holy Scripture will doe us no good at all An this is therefore spoken of as a principall worke of the spirit of Christ in our conversion Esa. 35.5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall bee unstopped then and never till then that we be converted and regenerated by the spirit of God That which the Apostle saith of the Iewes 2. Cor. 3.15 16. Even unto this day when Moses is read the vaile is upon their heart neverthelesse when it shall turne to the Lord the vaile shall be taken away may be sayd of every man while he is in his natural estate when the word is read or preached unto him the vaile is upon his heart and till he be regenerate and converted the vaile will never be taken away A little child that wanteth capacity though you teach him any thing never so plainely cannot possibly learne And such are wee all by nature wee have no capacity for heavenly and spirâ—tuall things The naturall man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 hee is not capable of them for they are fooliâ—hnesse unto him neither can bee know them because they are spiritually discerned Till the Lord doe renew us in the spirit of our minds as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 4.23 give us new minds till hee give us an understanding that wee may know him that is true as the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.20 saith wee have no capacity at all in us for these things Therefore the holy Ghost commending the word of God for this property among others even for the perspicuity and lightsomnesse of it telleth us who they bee to whom it is so cleare and easie to bee understood Proverbes 8.9 They are all plaine to him that understandeth saith hee A strange manner of speech this is but the meaning of it is no more but this The Scriptures are plaine indeed but to whom are they plaine Not unto all but to them onely whose eyes God hath opened from whom God hath taken the vaile that was upon their heart whom hee hath by his spirit given capacity and an understanding heart unto and to no other man Yea proportionable to the measure of this grace of this worke of Gods spirit in the opening of our eyes and curing our naturall blindnesse in the renewing of our minds and enlightning of the eyes of our understanding shall the measure of our knowledge in heavenly things bee shall the meaning of the holy Scriptures bee plaine and easie unto us For wee must understand that this cure of our naturall blindnesse is not perfected in any man in this life The best of Gods servants may say with the Apostle 1 Corinth 13.9 We know but in part Hee that hath the clearest sight in spirituall things shall have cause while hee liveth heere to cry unto God with David Psalme 119.18 Open thou mine eyes Wonder not that every one of Gods servants doth not see the truth in some points that to thee are most cleare and evident though they heare as much as thou hearest and read and study as much to understand the truth as thou dost To every one of us saith the Apostle Ephes. 4.7 is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. So much light and understanding in heavenly things as Christ by his spirit is pleased to give unto us we shall have and no more When we shall come to heaven our blindnesse shall be perfectly cured the darknes that is in our understanding shall be fully done away as the Apostle teacheth â— Cor 13.12 All good men shall be of one mind and of one judgment in all things but never till then The second objection that may be made against this truth is this That common experience proveth that many a naturall man hath attained to the knowledge of the truth yea unto a great measure of it also so as they have beene able soundly to teach it unto others The Scribes and Pharisees sate in Moses chaire that is taught the doctrine of Moses so soundly and substantially that our Saviour commandeth the people Mat. 23 2 3. to observe and doe whatsoever they sitting thus in Moses chaire did bid and teach them to observe And the Apostle speaketh of knowledge 1 Cor. 8.1 as of a common gift that all that live in the Church under good meanes of instruction though they have no grace may easily yea cannot choose almost but attaine unto We know saith he that we all have knowledge To this I answer That a naturall man may indeed understand the literall sense and meaning of the holy Scriptures so as hee may bee able soundly to discourse dispute and write of them But this knowledge is not sufficient there is another manner of knowledge then this that is necessary to the salvation of every man Such a knowledge as you heard described to you when I delivered â—o you the properties and signes of saving knowledge 1. Such a knowledge as hath in it full assurance and undoubted perswasion of the truth full assurance of understanding as the Apostle calleth it Col. 2.2 2. Such a knowledge as is spirituall Paul prayeth Col. 1.9 that they might bee filled with the knowledge of Gods will in all wisedome and spirituall understanding Such a wisedome as worketh upon the heart and breedeth love and care to practise that wee know This was that knowledge of Christ that Paul so much desired and made such reckoning of Phil. 3.10 That I may know him saith hee and the power of his resurrection And thus wee should all desire to know every thing that we know in religion to know not onely the cleare and certeine truth of it but to know it with an experimentall knowledge to know the goodnesse the sweetnesse the life and power of it also A man may have the literall and historicall knowledge of the truth and yet want this saving and sound knowledge 1. He may be void of assurance and full perswasion of the truth of that he knoweth as they that are compared to the stony ground were Marke 4 17. 2. He may be void of spirituall understanding and have no feeling no love no conscience of the practise of that hee knoweth but scorne that and hate it and count it foolish precisenesse 1 Cor. 2.14 2 Tim. 3.5 And such is the knowledge that all naturall men have they are not fully perswaded of the truth and goodnesse of that they know their knowledge is not spirituall they feele no sweetnesse no life and power in it Now this assurance of understanding this spirituall knowledge which only deserveth the name of true knowledge and which onely is sufficient unto salvation no man with the best abilities he hath by nature without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is able to attaine unto Of this knowledge Elihu saith Iob. 32.8 There is a spirit in
confession and aggravating of the sinnes of that Church and Nation And thus have you heard the Doctrine confirmed to you in both the branches of it Now for the grounds and reasons of it they are worth the enquiring into why have Gods servants beene wont thus to confesse their sinnes and that so fully and at large unto God Yea why hath God required them thus to do it and delighted in it Surely the Lord knoweth all our sins better then our selves and neede not have them discovered to him by us O God saith David Psalme 69.5 thou knowest my foolishnesse and my sinnes are not hid from thee And 1 â—9 2 4. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes there is not a word in my tongue but thou knowest it altogether thou knowest my thoughts afarre off And why have Gods people so openly before men discovered their owne shame seeing wee are bound to have a care even of our neighbours good name and not to publish his faults Matthew 18.15 Tell him of his fault betweene thee and him alone much more are wee bound to have care of our owne credit I answer Three reasons principally have moved Gods people to doe this First The fulnesse and aboundance of their hearts Their hearts have beene so full of the sight and sense of their sinnes that they could not containe themselves they must needes give a vent to their heart by confessing of them Out of the aboundance of the heart saith our Saviour Matthew 12.34 the mouth speaketh This appeareth to bee one reason why David here bursteth forth in this confession his sinne was ever before him And this was one reason doubtlesse why Iohn Baptists hearers could not hold but must needes in so publike an assembly burst foorth into a confession of their sinnes Matt. 3.6 Affection if it be full and vehement cannot bee kept close but it will out as wee see in the example of Ioseph Genesis 45 1. Hee could not refraine himselfe before all them that stood by but hee must utter his affection to his brethren Secondly They have done this and God would have them do it to testifie the sincerity and unfeinednesse of their repentance For as it is a signe a man loveth his sin and it is sweete to him when hee hideth it under his tongue and spareth it as Zophar speaketh Iob 20.12 13. So is this a good signe a man hateth his sinne and is desirous to leave it when hee is willing to disclose and confesse it freely The sicke man that will not bee content to tell his Physician what the meate was that hee surfetted of never meaneth to forsake that meate and that is the very cause why hee will not discover it So is it in this case Men by nature are full of selfe-love and cannot abide to heare any evill of themselves from their dearest friends much more to speake any thing to their owne disgrace And this hypocrisie and selfe-love is a chiefe cause of mens unwillingnesse to confesse their sinnes So Tremellius and others render that clause of Iobs words Iob 31.33 Hiding out of the love of my selfe my sinnes So that this argueth a man hath more in him then nature when hee can freely confesse his sinnes This is Davids meaning Psalme 32.2 Blessed is the man in whose spirit there is no guile As if hee should say While I kept silence I had a false heart my spirit was full of guile but when I became able fully to acknowledge my sinne then was my heart purged from that guile and hypocrisie that was in it before So Iob reckoneth this among the best arguments of his sinceritie and uprightnesse of heart that he could freely confesse his sins Iob. 31.33 He covered not his transgressions as Adam did hiding his iniquity in his bosome Thirdly and lastly They have done this and God hath required them to doe it that they might give glory unto God This reason Ioshuah giveth to Achan Iosh 7.19 My sonne give I pray thee glory to the Lord God of Israel and make confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done hide it not from mee 1. In confessing our sinnes to God we give glory to him For wee acknowledge the righteousnesse and equity both of his commandements and threatnings and this reason David giveth verse 4. why he doth thus confesse his sins here That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and cleare when thou judgest 2. In confessing our sins before men we give glory to God For he is greatly glorified by our profession of repentance when just occasion serveth Matthew 5.16 And therefore when Luke had said Act. 19.17 that the Name of the Lord Iesus was magnified in Ephesus he bringeth this for the proofe of it verse 18. And many that beleeved came and confessed and shewed their deeds Lecture XXXII On Psamel 51.3 Iuly 18. 1626. IT followeth wee proceed to the uses that are to the be made of it which are principally two 1. To exhort us to seeke for this grace 2. To direct us how to try and examine our selves whether wee have yet attained to it or no. The first use I say is to exhort us to seeke for this grace that is here commended to us in the example of David he when God effectually touched his heart with true sight and sense of his sins did breake forth into a free and full confession of it so shall wee bee ready to doe if ever wee attaine to true repentance hee tooke this course to finde mercy with God in the pardon of his sins and so must wee doe if ever we will hope to obtaine mercy and comfort Now in this example of David we have three sorts of confession of sin propounded and commended to us for our imitation 1. Hee confessed his sin to Nathan 2. Samuel 12 13. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. 2. He confessed his sinne to the congregation and Church of God for hee directed this Psalme that containeth the discovery and confession of his sin to the chiefe Musician for the use of the Temple verse 1. and publisheth it for the vse of the Church to the end of the world 3. He confessed his sin chiefly and most fully to the Lord himselfe as appeareth verse 4. and sundry other verses of this Psalme For the first Why did he confesse his sin unto Nathan his owne subject and servant Why did hee not rather when his sin was effectually discovered unto him betake him unto some secret place and confesse and bewaile his sins unto God I answer He saw it necessary to do it 1. To make knowne and approve his repentance unto the Prophet who was better able to judge of it then himselfe 2. That hee might receive comfort from the Prophet in the distresse and anguish of his conscience And surely every Christian when hee is in Davids case must if he be wise do as David did Concerning this confession of our sin in private
was there in him either to further or to hinder any of them And if the efficacie of grace that God giveth to men for their conversion were no more but this that they are made thereby able to convert and repent if they will how could that bee true which the Apostle speaketh 1. Cor. 4.7 Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Who made Peter to differ from Iudas that when they had both fallen the one truly repented the other did not Surely if this were so Peter might have said not the Lord but I made my selfe to differ from Iudas he had as sufficient grace given him of God for his conversion as I had he had power given him to repent if he had listed as well as I but he did not make right use of his free will for the accepting of Gods grace as I did and that was it that made the difference betweene him and me Lecture CIII On Psalme 51.6 Nouemb. 11. 1618. IT followeth now that wee proceed to the latter branch of the Doctrine namely to shew That the sound and saving knowledge of the truth that is in any man is to bee ascribed only to the worke of Gods grace and holy spirit not unto any power and ability that is in man himselfe In the hidden part saith David here thou hadst made mee to know wisedome See this confirmed unto you in three points 1. No man is able without the supernaturall grace of Gods spirit to attaine unto that knowledge of the truth as is sufficient unto his salvation 2 This supernaturall grace of Gods spirit is not common nor actually vouchsafed unto all that doe enjoy the meanes of instruction 3. No cause can bee given why this grace should bee vouchsafed unto one rather then unto another but onely the good pleasure and will of God For the first of these points I can no way better confirme it unto you then by answering two objections that may be made against it 1. Concerning the cleare and evident manifestation of the truth in the word and the ministery thereof 2. Concerning the great measure of knowledge that many a man by his naturall abilities without any supernaturall worke of Gods grace hath attained unto For the first It cannot bee denyed that all those truths the knowledge whereof is necessary unto salvation are not darkely and obscurely but plainly and clearely set downe in the holy Scriptures Thy word saith David Psal. 119.105 is a lampe unto my feet and a light unto my path And the Apostle 2 Peter 1.19 calleth the word of prophesie the Scripture of the old Testament a light that shineth in a darke place An evident demonstration of the plainnesse and easinesse of the holy Scripture to be understood is this that it was written for the use not of the learned onely but of all Gods people I have written to him saith the Lord Hosea 8.12 that is to say to Ephraim to the whole people and congregation of Israel the great things of my law but they were counted as a strange thing And how could Ephraim be blamed for counting them as a strange thing if they had beene written so obscurely and darkely that they could not bee understood by them So our Saviour speaking to the multitude to the common people Iohn 5.39 commandeth them to search the Scriptures that is to read and studie them diligently and giveth this for his reason For in them saith hee you thinke to have eternall life and they are they that testifie of mee which hee would never have done if he had thought the Scriptures had beene so darke that the common people could never understand them Neither would the Apostle have commended this in Timothy 2 Tim. 3.15 that from a child hee had knowne the holy Scriptures nor noted it to the praise of his grandmother and mother that they had trained him up so if hee had not knowne that the holy Scriptures are so plaine that even children may bee able to understand them Certainely they are so plaine in those points the knowledge whereof is necessary to the obtaining of eternall life as no man no woman no child need to bee discouraged from the reading and study of them Yea it was purposely written by the holy Ghost in that manner that it might bee understood of the simplest of them that read it and bring them unto knowledge The testimony of the Lord saith David Psal. 19.7 8. is sure making wise the simple the commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes And 119.130 The entrance of thy words saith hee or the doore of them as it is in the Originall giveth light it giveth understanding unto the simple As if he had said So soone as they doe but open the doore and make any entrance into them they shall see light and get understanding by them And if these necessary truths of God were so plainly delivered and set downe in the word of prophesie in the Scripture of the old Testament how much more in the new wherein all things are plainer then they were in the old and which doth open and interpret those things that were more darkely delivered by the prophets The mystery which was kept secret since the world began saith the Apostle Rom. 16.25 26. is now made manifest and by the Scriptures of the Prophets he meaneth as they are now opened and interpreted according to the commandement of the everlasting God made knowne to all nations for the obedience of faith And if all necessary truths be so plainely set downe and delivered in the written word how much more in the ministery of the word preached For this is a chiefe worke and duty of the ministery to open the Scriptures and make the meaning of them plaine unto the people as those Levites did Nehem. 8.8 They gave the sense of the law of God and caused the people to understand the reading And if all necessary truths be with such evidence and plainnesse delivered in the word and the ministery thereof why may not any man having the use of reason and judgement and being attentive in reading and hearing without the helpe of any supernaturall grace attaine to the sufficient knowledge of them nay how can he choose but doe it To this I answer The whole truth of God that is necessary to be knowne unto salvation is indeed plainely and clearely revealed in the holy Scriptures there is in the word and ministery thereof a bright and shining light But alas every man by nature is blind Hee that lacketh these things saith the Apostle 2 Peter 19. he that is unregenerate and lacketh saving grace is blind And what use can the blind man make of the light while he remaineth blind and till his eyes be opened Till the Lord annoint our eyes with that eye-salve that Christ speaketh of Revel 3.18 and cure us of this blindnesse till he open our eyes till he by his spirit inlighten
doth the spirit of God also in his ordinary manner of teaching the heart of man by the holy Scriptures which the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.19 calleth a more sure word of prophesy then any of those extraordinary revelations were speake so expresly as the people of God that have beene taught by him have beene so certaine of the truth that they have beene willing to seale it even with their dearest bloud So the Evangelist saith Luke 1.1 that all the parts of the Gospell all the articles of our faith were most surely beleeued among the faithfull And Peter saith of himselfe and the rest of the elect Apostles Ioh. 6.69 We beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ the sonne of the living God And our Saviour saith of them all Ioh. 17.8 that they knew surely that be came out from God and beleeved that God did send him The people of God by the teaching of the holy spirit do attaine you see not unto a probable opinion onely but to an undoubted certainty of knowledge and faith And from this certainty hath growne that marvellous courage and comfort that the holy Martyrs have expressed in all their sufferings They were â—laine for the Word of God saith the Apostle Revel 6.9 and â—or the testimony which they held They did professe and give testimony to the truth of God which they had learned in his Word and they did hold fast this their testimony and would not by any meanes be drawne from it and therefore they were slaine If a man have no certainty in the matters of religion but is wavering and unsetled in it certainely he was never yet taught of God Fiftly No man can attaine to this undoubted certainty in religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the spirit of God Though a man be a constant hearer of the most excellent teacher and enjoy all other the best meanes of knowledge that are upon earth yet shall he never bee able to attaine to a cleare and certaine knowledge in the matters of his salvation till the spirit of God doe teach and instruct him When Peter had made this confession of his faith Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the sonne of the living God Iesus answered and said unto him verse 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Marke two things in this speech of our blessed Saviour 1. That till a man be taught of God he can never understand and know no not thus much 2. That he is a blessed and happy man that can find in himselfe that hee is taught of God Why but may you say May not flesh and bloud reveale so much to a man May not a naturall man be perswaded of this that Iesus is Christ the sonne of the living God I answer that he may say so and he may thinke so and he may in some sort know it to be so and be able to prove it to be so but he cannot be fully perswaded of this article he cannot beleeve it with all his heart as Philip speaketh Acts 8.37 till God by his holy spirit have revealed it unto him and perswaded his heart of it No man can say that Iesus is the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 but by the Holy Ghost As if he had said He cannot say and professe it from the full perswasion of his heart till the Holy Ghost hath taught it him that hee is so indeed No man can have a cleare and certaine perswasion in matters of religion but onely he that hath the spirit of sanctification and is instructed and guided by it Certainely saith Elihu Iob 32.8 there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding There bee many arguments whereby a man may bee convinced and forced to acknowledge that the holy Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of God 1. The marvellous consent of all the holy Writers that penned it 2. The certaine fulfilling of all the Prophesyes contained in it 3. The strange miracles that have confirmed it 4. The admirable providence of God in preserving of it 5. The testimony that the Church and Saints of God in all ages have given unto it 6. The divine and supernaturall doctrine contained in it But none of all these arguments can undoubtedly perswade the heart certitudine fidei that the holy Scripture or any doctrine contained in it is the Word of God till we be taught it of God till the holy spirit of God have inwardly certified and assured us of it Therefore is this knowledge this cleare and certaine knowledge in matters of faith and religion called Pro 30.3 the knowledge of the holy and 9.10 The knowledge of the holy is understanding A carnall man by his naturall parts and by the helpe of learning of hearing of study and conference may know much in religion and teach it also excellently and maintaine it strongly against any adversary but this cleare and certaine knowledge this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that carryeth with it as with full saile the whole man to the love and obedience of it that makes a man able and willing to suffer and die for the truth can no man have till the holy spirit of God have sanctified his heart and perswaded him in the truth Sixtly and lastly Proportionable to the measure of the spirit of grace and sanctification that any faithfull man hath received shall the measure of his knowledge and certainty be in the matters of his faith and religion He that is spirituall saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.15 by whom though he oppose him to the naturall man he meanes not every one that hath the spirit and is regenerate but him that hath the spirit in a greater measure then many other of the regenerate have as appeares by the opposition he makes Chap. 3 1. betweene them that are spirituall and them that are â—aâ—es in Christ. He that is spirituall saith he judgeth all things that is to say is not only certaine of the truth that himselfe holdeth but can judge and clearely discerne and reject any errour that is held by other men yet he himselfe is judged of no man As if he had said He is so certainely assured of the truth that hee holdeth that the contrary judgement of other men whatsoever they bee cannot over-sway him or cause him to stagger Grow in grace saith the Apostle 2 Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. The holyer and more spirituall a man is the more hee growes in grace in the feare of God in sorrow for sinne and hatred of it and in the love of goodnesse the better and with the more certainty of assurance shall hee know the mystery of Christ the clearer and more certaine assurance shall hee have in spirituall things And thus having opened and confirmed this first reason of the Doctrine I come to answer a maine objection which the Papist
808. 3 The respect we have to the Lord and his honour ought to be dearer to us then any other thing And that 's no way so much advanced as by the liberty of the Gospell and the good successe of it p. 809. Lect. 152. It s a great error to thinke that much preaching is not now necessary for 1 though prayer be a chiefe worke of the Minister and part of Gods publike worship yet is it not the chiefe of all but preaching p. 810 811. 2 No man can pray till by preaching he bee made able to pray 3 Preaching is the best meanes to quicken and stirre up the Spirit of prayer in them that have it p 812. 2 Preaching is necessary for them that have longest enjoyed it for 1 in the best Congregations the greatest part are still ignorant 2 Such as have profited by it have still need of it for 1 the most are weake and unperfect in knowledge and grace 2 they that are of best growth in grace are apt to decay 3 most care must bee had of them that have most profited p. 813. 3 It s no good reason against the necessity of much preaching because men grow weary and are glutted with it for 1 much preaching is not the cause why men loath the Word 2 Its the best meanes to cure that disease p. 814. 4 It s no good reason against much preaching that it is said to do little good where its most used p. 815. Severall places of Scripture opened and applyed in this Booke Booke Chap. Verse Folio Geneses 2 2 701 Geneses  3 704 Geneses 4 7 209 Geneses 20 16 694 Geneses 33 10 645 Geneses 50 19 752 Exodus 9 16 16 Exodus 14 15 72 Exodus 23 5 119 Exodus 34 7 599 Leuit. 24 14 186 Leuit 26 42 159 Num. 15 35 231 Num. 23 21 659 Num. 25 12 631 Deut. 4 9 42 Deut. 6 7 Ibid Deut.  25 433 Deut. 7 9 719 Deut. 17 20 321 Deut. 26 13.14 724 Deut. 29 19.20 91 Deut. 30 â— 3 288 Deut.  6 390 Deut. 32 5 533 Deut. 3â— 4 49â— Iosh. 23 14 4â—8 1. Sam. 2 25 602 1. Sam. 14 â—8 148 1. Sam. 15 23 230 1. Sam. 2â— 30.31 209 2. Sam. 23 1 5 2. Sam. 24 24 25 1. King 8 13 104 601 1. King 23 33 544 1. King 15 14 369 1. King â—0 35.36 381 1. King 21 9.10 312 1. King  12 180 1. Cron. 23 30 4 2. Cron. 5 13 5 2. Cron. 11 16.17 807 2. Cron. 17 7 480 2. Cron. 30 19 593 2. Cron. 35 1 718 Iob. 1 22 246 Iob. 2 3 664 Iob. 8 13.14 â—18 Iob. 11 13.14 593 Iob. 13 23 665 Iob. 18 15 687 Iob. 21 14 424 Iob.  23 620 Iob. 23 11.12 770 Iob. 27 5 374 Iob.  6 209 Iob. 29 3 404 Iob.  14 678 Iob. 34 31.32 606 Iob. 36 89 685 Iob. 42 7.8 561 Psal. 4 6 402 Psal. 5 7 130 Psal. 9 12 735 Psal. 16 9 7 Psal. 18 21 533 Psal.  2â— 7â—6 Psal.  25 466 Psal. 19 7 408 Psal. 22 30 290 Psal. 26 3 627 741 Psal.  5 6 179 Psal. 27 4 13â— 632 Psal. 28 1 78 Psal. 31 23 154 Psal. 32 1 677 Psal.  2 161 Psal. 34 8 488 Psal. 36 6 247 Psal.  7 645 Psal. 37 23 360 Psal.  37 469 Psal. 42 4 801 Psal. 44 17 18 771 Psal. 51 8 99 153 Psal.  18 171 Psal. 56 3 4 146 268 653 Psal.  10 11 624 Psal.  13 798 Psal. 59 10 126 Psal. 62 8 194 Psal. 63 1 â—3 632 Psal. 67 1 2 3 478 Psal. 68 21 390 Psal. 69 9 695 Psal. 73 1 466 Psal. 76 10 338 Psal. 77 1 67 Psal.  6 643 Psal. 84 9 647 Psal.  11 467 Psal. 85 8 620 639 Psal. 88 15 392 Psal. 89 50 51 553 Psal. 101 6 7 630 Psal. 102 10 250 Psal. 106 4 401 Psal. 107 42 43 645 Psal. 111 10 490 Psal. 112 4 686 Psal. 116 16 454 Psal. 118 28 628 Psal. 119 16 38 Psal.  30 31 770 789 Psal.  33 776 Psal.  64 130 Psal.  66 424 Psal.  73 493 Psal.  92 263 Psal.  104 490 714 Psal.  113 36 Psal.  130 513 Psal.  147 637 Psal.  155 424 456 Psal. 130 3 4 365 451 Psal. 137 1 6 7 564 565 Psal. 143 5 6 644 Pro. 1 27 28 590 Pro. 4 12 497 Pro.  26 642 Pro. 5 12 590 Pro. 7 2 235 Pro.  14 721 Pro. 8 9 514 Pro.  17 391 Pro. 9 10 484 Pro. 10 22 688 Pro. 14 14 643 Pro.  16 371 620 Pro.  26 376 638 Pro. 19 27 497 784 Pro. 20 12 7â— 650 Pro. 21 2 372 727 Pro.  15 678 Pro. 21 27 721 Pro. 22 6 584 Pro.  12 497 Pro. 24 29 752 Pro. 25 12 49 707 Pro. 27 7 620 Pro. 28 4 749 Pro. 29 24 186 Pro. 30 2 3 484 Pro.  9 118 Eccl. 5 1 197 585 Eccl.  2 310 Eccl.  6 494 Eccl. 7 2 3 4 260 Eccl.  16 381 Eccl. 10 1 549 Eccl. 11 2 117 Eccl.  8 2â—0 Eccl. 12 9 10 482 Cant. 1 7 796 Cant. 3 1 4 143 Cant. 4 4 263 Cant. 5 2 32 355 Cant.  3 640 Isa. 6 5 282 347 Isa. 11 2 488 Isa.  9 476 734 Isa. 26 2 769 Isa. 27 9 323 Isa. 28 12 617 Isa. 29 9 211 Isa. 30 20 21 776 Isa. 31 9 543 Isa. 32 2 676 Isa. 32 17 638 Isa. 38 16 739 Isa.  18 289 Isa.  19 630 Isa. 42 23 650 Isa. 44 5 628 Isa. 48 10 258 Isa. 50 4 165 Isa.  10 653 Isa. 51 7 488 Isa. 52 15 614 Isa. 53 1 588 Isa. 55 1 648 691 Isa.  3 127 Isa. 57 1 561 Isa.  19 19 797 Isa. 58 1 45 707 Isa.  10 117 273 Isa. 59 21 634 Isa. 61 3 46 144 Ier. 2 10 11 706 Ier. 3 12 13 158 Ier. 4 2 585 Ier.  3 498 Ier. 9 7 237 546 666 Ier. 10 25 70 Ier. 13 11 809 Ier. 15 10 47 Ier. 17 1 2 299 Ier.  16 17 273 396 Ier. 22 16 490 Ier. 23 6 673 Ier. 32 23 419 Lam. 3 29 311 Ezek. 5 15 547 Ezek. 13 19 695 Ezek. 14 7 8 593 Ezek. 16 9 14 107 Ezek. 18 10 11 726 Ezek. 20 12 702 Ezek. 24 7 8 718 Ezek.  13 345 Ezek. 28 19 548 Ezek. 33 11 455 Ezek.  31 32 27 698 723 Ezek. 36 26 27 739 Ezek.  28 31 736 Dan. 1 8 382 Dan. 4 27 117 1â—8 364 Dan. 3 5 627 Dan. 6 3 497 Dan.  6 589 Dan. 8 12 2 493 Dan. 10 1 437 Dan. 12 7 8 210 Dan. 13 9 455 Dan. 14 7 535 Amos. 5 10 52 Micah 2 7 241 Micah 6 9 219 606 Micah  16 545 Zeph. 3 18 801 Zach. 9 11 615 Zach. 12 10 17 627 736 Mal. 2
principall was the ministery of the word as appeares verse 18. God sent unto him Seers and Prophets that â—ake to him in the name of the Lord. So it was Peters ministry that pricked the hearts of those three thousand mentioned Acts 2.37 and brought them to a saving sense and remorse for that horrible sinne Yea this is the meanes that God hath sanctified in his word and appointed to that end Ier. 23. â—9 Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces Secondly This is Gods meane whereby he is wont to bring men to Christ and to worke in them a comfortable assurance of the pardon of their sins and of their reconciliation with God By this meanes the Corinthians were brought to faith 1. Cor. 4 1â— In Christ Iesus I have begotten you And the Ephesians 1 13. In whom also ye trusted after that ye had heard the word of truth Yea this is the meane that God hath in his Word sanctified and put apart to do this worke by namely to bring men unto Christ and to faith in him This we may see plentifully confirmed unto us in the holy Scripture Esay 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neare saith the Lord and I will heale him Peace peace that is aboundance of peace and the healing of those wounds that God hath made in the soule is called the fruit of the lips that is of the lively voice in the ministry of the Word This is also plaine by the speech of our Saviour Iohn 6.45 Every one that hath heard and hath learned of the Father commeth unto me Hearing is the meanes to bring men unto Christ. But what hearing may you say Is it hearing of the word privatly read or the hearing of my friend privatly instructing or admonishing No rather it is the hearing of the Word publikely preached as is plaine Rom. 10 14. How shall they beleeve in him of whom they have not hâ—ard and how shall they heare without a Preacher Private men that publish to their families oâ— neighbours and speake of that which themselves have learned may be said to preach to them as the Lâ—per that was cured did Mark 1.45 and the deafe man with his friends that brought him to Christ Mark 7.36 and the Daemmiack Luke 8.39 of all these it is said in the text that they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth to cry proclaime or preach and is the very same word that is used to expresse the preaching of Christ and his Apostles But is this the preaching that the Apostle meanes when hee saith Rom. 10.14 How can they heare without a Preacher No verily he meaneth it of publike ministeriall preaching of the preaching of such men as are called and sent of God and endued with speciall gifts to that purpose as is plaine by the next words verse 15. How shall they 〈◊〉 except they be sent And this is further confirmed 2. Cor. 5.18 God hath given to us the ministery of reconciliation And againe verse 19. Hee hath committed to us the word of reconciliation And for the third degree in mans conversion 1. This is the meane wherby he hath ever beene wont to change and renew the hearts and lives of men and to worke all saving grace in them How came Gods people of whose conversion the holy Ghost gives testimonie to saving grace but by the ministery of the word So Paul saith of the Galatians that were Gentiles Gal. 2.2 that they received the spirit by the hearing of saith So Peter saith of the faithfull he wrote unto that were Iewes that they were borne againe not of corruptible seed but of uncorruptible by the word of God 1. Pet. 1.22 Yea by the word preached as he expresseth himselfe verse 25. 2. This is the meane God hath sanctified in his word and appointed unto this worke of changing renewing and breeding Grace in the soule Therefore Paul calls the ministry of the Gospel the ministration of the spirit and the ministration of righteousnesse 2. Cor. 3.8 9. And the Apostle Iames 1.21 calls it the engrafted word To teach us that as the science of a good apple grafted into a crab-tree-stocke hath vertue to change the nature of it so hath the word preached for of that he speaketh as appeareth verse 19.22 23. vertue to change the heart of man Now if we will enquire into the reasons and grounds of this Doctrine wee shall find three given unto us in the holy Scripture First the Lord is wont to accompany this ordinance of his with the mighty power and operation of his holy Spirit Matth. 18.20 I am with you unto the end of the World It is therefore called the power of God unto salvation Rom. 1.16 It is not in the power of the best minister be his gifts and graces never so good to convert a soule Neither is he that planteth any thing neither hee that watereth saith the Apostle 1. Cor. â— 7 This is the onely worke of Almighty God yea such a worke as wherein he sheweth his omnipotent power as much as in any worke that ever he wrought The Apostle prayeth for the Ephâ—sians Chap. 1.18 19. That the eyes of their understanding being inlightned they might know what is the exceeding greatnes of his power to â—â—-ward that beleeve acâ—ording to the working of his mighty power O that those men who thinke they can repent when they will and easily convert and turne to God would think seriously of this place and see their errour It is a strange thing to consider how wonderfull a change the ministry of the word hath wrought in men how it hath tamed and subdued such sinners as have seemed most desperate as have beene most hard-hearted and unlikely ever to come to grace Publicates and harlots were wonne to God by Iohns ministry Matth. 21 3. Many of those Priests that had a chiefe hand in crucifying Christ by it were made obedieâ—t unto the faith Acts 6.7 Ignorant and gracelesse men have felt themselves rebuked and judged and the very secrets of their hearts discovered unto them by it 1. Cor. 14.25 It hath pulled downe their strong holds and cast downe their imaginations and every high thing that exalted it selfe in them against the knowledge of God stopt their mouthes quite and made them past reasoning against it and brought into captivity every one of their thoughts into the obedience of Christ. 2. Cor. 10.4 5. yea so quite changed their natures that the Wolfe could dwell with the Lambe and the Leopard lye downe with the Kid and the Calfe with the young Lyon Esa. 11.6 How was this change wrought Onely by the word of God which is called the rod of his mouth and the breath of his lips Esa. 11.4 Yea some that at that very instant when they have come to heare it have hardened their hearts against it and come with hatefull minds
soone as he would have had it he was not yet sufficiently humbled but in danger to have bin pussed up with the revelations he had received 2 Cor. 12.7 8. As if he had said It is too soone for thee Paul to be rid of that thorne 2. To make us more fervent and importunate with him It troubles great men to have suiters importunate ever following them with petitions and crying at their gates Luke 18.5 The widow troubled the unjust judge with her importunity But this is a thing that the Lord is highly pleased and delighted with Christ meant to grant the woman of Canaans suit but he put her off and 〈…〉 strangely of purpose to make her more importunate and earnest 〈◊〉 him Mat. 15.25 28. 3. To cause us to esteeme better of the good things we beg of him when we have obtained them The good things that are easily and readily come by are usually lightly esteemed The diseases that are easily cured men doe not greatly feare nor are very carefull to preserve themselves from them as experience teacheth us in that filthy French disease And surely this is one cause why God hideth his face so long from many of his deare ones even that they might learne thereby to prize the sense of his favour the better When the Spouse had lost her welbeloved long it is sayd Canticles 3 4. when shee found him whom her soule loved shee held him and would not let him goe 4. To keepe us from conceiting that our prayer how fervent soever meriteth ought Daniel 9.17 18 19. Cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake we doe not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses but for thy great mercies deferre not for thine owne sake O my God The second thing we must understand that we may judge rightly of this case is this That God doth oft graciously heare the prayers of his servants and give answer to them also before they perceive it Dan. 10.12 13. From the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to chasten thy selfe before thy God thy words were heard and I am come for thy words but the Prince of the kingdome of Persia withstood me one and twenty dayes And though they perceive it not 1. Sometime their heedlesnesse and negligence is the cause they perceive it not they put up their petitions and never enquire after Gods answer whereas we should hearken after it as Benhadads servants comming to sue for mercy did 1. Kin. 20.33 They did diligently observe whither any thing would come from him and did hastily catch it Psal. 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord God will say for he will speak peace to his people And 2. sometimes anguish and trouble of mind is the cause of it They pray to God and he heareth them and they cannot believe it as Iob speakes of himselfe in the extreamity of his anguish Iob 9.16 If I had called and he had answered me yet would I not beleeve that he had hearkened to my voice Davids sin was pardoned so soone as ever he repented and the Prophet Nathan in the name of God assured him of so much also 2. Sam. 12.13 and yet it is evident by his earnest suit he makes in these two first and diverse other verses of this psalme that he did not perceive nor feele it to be so Gods people in Egypt prayed and cryed to the Lord and he heard their cry and sent them a gracious answer by Moses Exod. 6.5 But it is said ver 9. they hearkned not unto Moses they could not receive Gods answer for anguish of spirit So it is certainly wth many of Gods best servants he heareth them graciously and answereth their prayers also and they through anguish of spirit cannot perceive it Now for the better understanding of this you must know there be divers wayes whereby God useth to give answer to the prayers of his people First When he granteth them the thing they have begged of him in prayer As he did to Hannah she begged a child of God and he gave her one 1. Samuel 1.27 For this child I prayed and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him And as he did to Abraham he prayed for Abimelech and God healed him Genes 20.17 Manoah prayed that the man of God might come againe and God hearkened to the voyce of Manoah and the Angel of the Lord came againe Iudges 13.8 9. Solomon prayed for an understanding heart and God gave it him 1. Kin. 3.9 12. He asked life of thee and thou gavest it him Psal. 21.4 Secondly when he doth not grant them what they have asked but denyeth them that and gives them a better thing Abraham beggeth of God that Ishmael might live before God Gen. 17 18. he denieth him that but granteth him a better thing verse 19. that he should have a sonne by his owne wife with whom he woâ—ld establish an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him David prayed that his childe begotten in adultery might live 2. Sam. 12.22 God denies him that but granteth him a better thing he lost not his prayer for 1 He saved the soule of that child as appeares by Davids words of him 2 Sam. 12.23 I shalâ— goe to him And 2 he gave him another sonne by Bathsheba and such a one as of whom he assured him by the Prophet that he was beloved of the Lord verse 24 25. Thirdly when though he neither grant us the thing we have begged nor a better thing in the same kind yet he supporteth us by his grace and gives us strength to beare the want of it Of this answer David speaketh Psal. 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soule So of our blessed Saviour it is said Heb. 5.7 that hee was heard in that prayer which he offred up with strong crying and teares unto him that was able to save him from death Yet did not God save him from death but the divine power supported him and made him able to beare the burden of that cursed death which otherwise had beene intollerable So though God did not take of the messenger of Sathan that buffeted Paul according to his request 2 Cor. 12.8 yet did he answer his prayer graciously for he gave to him strength to beare it verse 9. My grace is sufficient to thee So long as God supporteth thee by his grace and maketh thee able to beare the want of that that thou hast prayed for though thou hast thought thou art undone if thou have it not though he set thee feele thine own weaknesse so farre as thou art even ready to sink and faint say not that thou hast lost thy labour in praying Fourthly when though thou canst not find that thou hast by thy prayer obtained that particular blessing thou didst beg of God yet thou feelest thy heart after thy prayer cheered much and thy
inward comfort and assurance of Gods favour increased thereby this is such an answer as is best of all and may abundantly countervaile the want of any other blessing that thou hast begged of God In old time God was wont to answer and give testimony unto the prayers of his servants by sending fire from heaven to consume their sacrifices 2 Chron. 7.1 When Solomon had made an end of praying the fire came downe from heaven and consumed the burnt offerings And 1 King 18.24 The God that answereth by fire lâ—t him be God And as God was wont to answer his people and to testifie his approbation and liking of their prayers and service by fire so doth he now use by his holy spirit which was typified and resembled by that fire Mat. 3.11 to testifie that he is well pleased with the prayers of his people warming and comforting their hearts thereby Ioh. 16.24 Aske and ye shall receive that your 〈◊〉 may be full This is that that David meaneth when he saith Psal. 35.13 His prayer returned into his owne bosome This is the meaning of that promise that is made to the prayers of Gods people Phil. 4.6 7. In every thing by prayer and supplication let your requests be made knowne to God and the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keepe your hearts and mindes From hence it is that the faithfull have begun their prayers with great heavinesse yet before they had ended them have found unspeakable comfort as Psal. 6.8 1â— Fiftly when though the Lord do not either grant us the good things we have prayed for or those inward feelings and comforts of his spirit yet he makes us able to continue praying and crying still unto him even then when we feele our selves ready to give over and faint Certainely so long as we have strength ministred unto us to hold out in prayer we may be sure God heareth us and regardeth our prayers For this strength and ability to pray even then when God seemeth to neglect us is a speciall worke and fruit of Gods spirit Rom. 8.26 It is the spirit that thus helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercessions for us And God cannot but heare and regard the voice of his owne spirit verse 27. He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the minde of the spirit So long as thou canst pray specially with such striving and labour is not possible thou shouldst be neglected of God Psal. 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt confirme their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare Lecture XV. On Psal. 51.1 2. February 7. 1625. IT followeth now that we proceed to the second part of that answer I told you was to be made to the fourth and last reason that men are taught by Satan to alledge to prove that it is a needlesse thing to pray namely their owne experience that themselves have prayed long and found no comfort nor benefit by it And in this second part of mine answer I must shew you what we are to do in this case when we have used prayer for some blessings and comforts we want for our selves or others and are never the better for it Now in this case three things must be done by us 1. We must take this to heart and be affected with it 2. We must pray still 3. We must examine well what the cause should be why we obtaine not our suits why we receive no answer from God to our prayers First I say when we have prayed long and received no answer from God we must take this to heart and be affected with it as with a token of the Lords displeasure For so we see Gods servants have alwaies beene much troubled and complained of this as of a great affliction Iob 30 20. I cry unto thee and thou dost not heare me I stand up and thou regardest me not Psal. 22.1 2. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping mee and from the words of my roaring ô my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent â—am 3.8 When I cry and shout be shutteth out my prayer They have not onely complained of this that they could not obtaine of God the helpe and comfort that they stood in need of but this hath troubled them most that God gave them no answer shewed no respect unto their prayer You shall see how this troubled David Psal. 28.1 Vnto thee will I cry ô Lord my rocke be not silent to me least if thou be silent to me I become like them that goe downe into the pit as if he had said I am but a dead man if thou give me no answer Certainely It is our great sin that we are so carelesse and void of regard in this case 1. We never observe how our prayers speed whether God answer them or not 2. Though we evidently discerne that God hath hath shewed no respect to the prayers we have long made unto him for our selves or for the Church of God it never troubleth us I told you the last day we should hearken after our prayers how they speed two benefits we should receive by it 1. If we finde that the Lord giveth a gracious answer unto them it would greatly increase our faith and incourage us to depend upon him and to ply him with our prayers Psal. 116.1 2. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications because hee hath enclined his care unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live In which respect it is good for Gods people to keepe records and remembrances of the successe they have had in their prayers So did Sampson in giving a name to that fountaine that God upon his prayer had opened unto him when he was ready to perish with thirst and calling it Enbakkore the fountaine of him that prayed Iudg. 15.19 And Hannah in calling her sonne Samuel begged of God 1 Sam. 1.20 So doth David oft call to mind the comfort he had found in prayer Psal. 18.6 In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voice out of his temple c. And 120.1 In my distresse I cryed unto the Lord and he heard me and in many other places The second benefit we should receive by observing how our prayers speed would be this that if we find we have received no answer from God it would humble us and make us carefull both to enquire into the cause of it and to pray better that we may speed better then yet we have done This good Israel got by observing that they had twice sought to the Lord for successe against the Benjamites and prevailed not it caused them to humble themselves more deepely before the Lord and pray more fervently and in a better manner then they had done before as we shall reade Iudg. 20.26 And so much shall
suffered to come into the house of the Lord as you shall find 2 Chron. 26.21 Nor the woman that had borne a child for a good space after her child-birth Levit. 12.4 Nor he that had touched the dead body of a man Num. 9.7 19.11 Nor he that had the running of the reines Levit. 15.14 Yea see what the Lord saith to Moses Numb 5.2 3. Command the children of Israel that they put out of the campe every Leper and every one that hath an issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead both male and female shall ye put out without the Campe yee shall put them that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell Certainely by all these ceremonies God meant to teach his people this that no sinne maketh us more odious unto God no sin deserveth more that we should be forever seperated from God and his kingdome then the very corruption of our nature doth Now for the second branch of the doctrine that our originall sinne the corruption of our nature is the sinne for which wee should bee most humbled and abased in our selves see the proofe of it in foure notable examples besides this of Davids which we have in the Text examples I say of such of Gods people as being not guilty of any actuall sinne that did reigne in them yet have complained exceedingly and cryed out of themselves even for this The first is of Iob who though in respect of his conversation he was a perfect man and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evill Chap. 1.1 yet Chap. 40.4 he cryeth out thus unto God Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee As if he had said How shall I appeare or stand before thee The second is the Prophet Esay who so soone as he had seene the glory of the Lord in a vision and by that meanes discerned what himselfe was better then ever he did before breaketh forth into this complaint Esa. 6.5 Wo is me for I am undone The third example is the Apostle Paul of whom you shall not find that ever he complained so bitterly of any of the foulest sinnes that he had committed before he knew Christ as he doth of this Rom 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death this was a death to him and nothing so much as this The fourth and last example is that of the whole Church Esa. 64.6 We are all as an uncleane man using the very words that the Leper was commanded to use and to cry Levit. 13.45 I am uncleane I am uncleane worthy to bee separated for ever from God and from his people Now for the grounds and reasons of the Doctrine why the Lord hath so just cause to abhorre us for this corruption of our nature and why we have so just cause likewise to be humbled in our selves for it they may be taken from the properties and effects of it For as Adam by that first sinne of his which excepting onely the sinne against the Holy Ghost was in sundry respects the most heinous sinne that ever mortall man did commit and which sinne of his as we have heard in the first doctrine of this verse is most justly imputed unto every one of us as he I say by that first sinne of his did loose from himselfe and all his posterity that glorious image of God in which he was created and whereby he did wholly resemble the Lord in wisdome and holinesse so did he thereby also receive for himselfe and his whole posterity the image of Satan and was transformed into it Whereby it is come to passe that we do all by nature a fearefull thing to heare and yet a certaine truth most lively in our disposition resemble Satan Let us therefore consider our nature and the corruption of it in the properties and effects of it and it shall evidently appeare unto us that there is no creature upon earth that hath so venimous and poisonfull a nature as every one of us have Neither will I speake of such properties and effects of originall sin as are to be found in the naturall man onely and him that is void of all saving grace but of those that every one of us and the best of Gods children such as David and Iob and Esay and Paul were shall find in themselves And those are foure principally First This corruption of our nature depriveth us of the comfort of our best actions and maketh the dearest of Gods children heavie and uncheerefull even in those duties wherein they have most cause to bee comfortable and cheerfull according to that commandement of God Psal. 100.2 Serve the Lord with gladnesse For this flesh of ours this corruption of our nature 1. Disableth us unto spirituall duties maketh us unwilling untoward dull and cold and faint in them so as we performe them with no lust no life no servency of spirit This the Apostle complaineth of Rom. 7.18 I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me through grace he meaneth but how to performe that which is good I find not Heb. 12.1 It easily besetteth us on every side to hinder us from running in any way of Gods commandements 2. It will shew and intermingle it selfe and will not be kept out of doors no not for a moment when we purpose and go about the best duties but it will be medling and have a finger even in them When I would do good saith the Apostle Rom. 7.21 evill is present with me 3. It will crosse 3. It will crosse and oppose the spirit and interrupt the worke of it stirring up such thoughts and motions as are quite contrary and opposite unto it I see saith blessed Paul Rom. 7.23 another law in my members warring against the law of my mind And Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Yea 4. by these and such like meanes it defileth our best duties and maketh them not onely unworthy of all reward with God but worthy to be rejected and loathed by him as the Church complaineth Esa. 64.6 All our righteousnesses are as filthy raggs Secondly It draweth the best of us to offend God oft 1. Even to doe that that we do not onely know to be evill but that also that our hearts do hate In many things saith the Apostle Iam. 3.2 we offend all And Paul Rom. 7.15 What I hate that I doe and verse 23. It bringeth me into captivity to the law of sinne 2. Yea it is restlesse and never giveth over working this way Like thtroubled sea as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 57.20 which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt This root and fountaine is ever springing and putting forth one corruption or other Every imagination of the thoughts of our hearâ— saith the Lord Gen. 6.5 is
fearefully so long as they live How fearefull falls have many of Gods worthies taken in their latter times Davids first wayes are commended 2 Chron 17.3 which implyeth that his last dayes were not so good No no in his latter time hee fell as wee have heard fearefully The like is noted of Solomon 1 Kings 11.4 And of Asa 2 Chron. 16.10.12 And of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.35 For 1. while wee are in this world we are never out of Satans danger For hee is the prince of this world Iohn 14.30 2. That fountaine of corruption that is in our vile natures will never be drawn dry while we live here this root of bitternesse will never be stocked up nor killed there can never be a perfect cure made of that filthy leprosie that is run over our whole nature so long as this life lasteth Therefore are the corruptions of our nature called our members that are upon the earth Col 3 5. and worldly lusts Titus 2.12 because while wee are here upon the earth while wee live in this world we can never be rid of them The Apostle compareth himselfe and the best of Gods servants to earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 And the earthen vessells that were defiled with any legall pollution could not bee sufficiently purged till they were quite broken in pieces as you shall see Levit. 11.33 and 15.12 To teach us that wee can never bee perfectly cleansed from the filthinesse of our nature till we be broken in pieces by death We have a double righteousnes by Christ as we had a double unrighteousnes from Adam the one imputed to our justification and by that wee are already perfectly cleansed from all our sins as the Apostle speaketh 1 Iohn 1.7 the other inherent in our sanctification and that is not yet perfect as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 5.49 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners How Not by imputation only for of that hee had spoken verse 18. so by the obedience of one many shall bee made righteous They are not yet but they shall bee When shall they be so Surely after this life is ended As the Apostle calleth the faithfull departed Hebr. 12 2â— The spirits of just men that are made perfect The best mans sanctification is not perfect here the holiest man that is is not perfectly cleansed while hee liveth but hath much filthinesse remaining in him Prov. â—0 9. Who can say I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne We may doe much in the worke of mortification by such meanes as I have told you Gâ—â—s spirit in the word hath directed us unto wee may keepe it from reigning in our mortall bodies as the Apostle exhorteth us Rom. 6.12 but so long as these mortall bodies have life in them so long will our sins have life in them Though it raigne not in us as a King so as wee obey it willingly yet it keepeth us in bondage as a tyrant doth his captives and slaves as the Apostle complaineth Rom. 7.23 It brought him into captivity Now when death commeth it and nothing but it will set us free from this bondage Hee that is dead saith the Apostle Rom. 6.7 is freed from sinne Death will free us from all danger and possibility of offending God and falling away from him then may it bee said of our sins as Moses saith of the Aegyptians Exod. 14.13 Yee shall see them againe no more for ever And what child of God is there that would not even in this respect bee willing to dye When Ioseph was in prison though he wanted nothing there but had all at command Gen. 39.22 23. yet see how earnest he was with Pharaohs chiefe Butler to helpe him to his liberty Genes 40.14 Thinke on me when it shall bee well with thee and shew kindnesse I pray thee unto mee and make mention of me unto Pharaoh and bring mee out of this house I know well there may bee in the dearest of Gods servants an unwillingnesse and feare to dye as there was in Ieremiah Ier 37.20 Our Saviour fore-warning Peter of the manner of his death telleth him Iohn 21.18 he should be carried whither he would not Whereby it appeareth that even in the blessed Martyrs there hath beene some unwillingnesse to dye Though Lots righteous soule was vexed day by day while he lived in Sodom 2 Pet. 2.8 yet ô how he lingred when God would take him from thence Gen. 19.16 Even the Saints of God who while they live in this world this Sodom are dayly vexed and disquieted with their owne corruptions are not so willing to leave this world as they should bee When Cyrus made proclamation for the Iewes that who so would might returne from the land of their captivity it is said Ezra 1.5 none were willing to leave Babylon but those whose spirits God had raised up to goe Though we know this world is as Babylon to us the land of our captivity and bondage yet till God raise up our spirits by his grace we can never be willing to leave it but shall rather be desirous still to serve in this bondage as wee may also see Exodus 14.12 And great reason there is for this 1. Death is a parting of two most deare and inward and ancient friends When David and Ionathan were to depart one from another for a while ô how grievous was their parting 1 Sam. 20 41. But the soule and the body have bin more inward and ancient friends then ever Ionathan and David were no marvell therefore though their parting be painfull and grievous 2. The best of Gods children doe beleeve but in part Though the spirit be ready the flesh is weake as our Saviour speaketh Matth. 26.41 But though there be some unwillingnesse in the best to dye yet they know it is their fault and sin to be so they know they ought to be willing upon this ground even in this their spirit in them lusteth against the flesh as the Apostle speaketh Galat. 5.17 Yea they overcome this unwillingnesse in the end according to that promise Psal. 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace And certainely hee that desireth not that striveth not to be willing to dye even upon this ground because death and nothing but death will perfect the worke of mortification in him hath just cause to suspect that there is no truth of saving grace in him no sense of the vile corruption of his nature it is no bondage unto him Lecture LXVI On Psalme 51.5 August 7. 1629. THe seventh and last Meanes of Mortification is this He that desireth to mortifie and subdue any corruption that is strongest in him must flee to Christ by faith for strength against it he must exercise and make use of his faith for the mortifying of it and he shall find great force in it this way All other meanes we have heard of are in vaine without this and this will do the deed
thee to have my best services washed and cleansed from their filthines and seekest thou to mee for such poore services as I am able to doe Fourthly and lastly Hee doth also reward every service wee doe unto him notwithstanding all the imperfections and staines of it Whatsoever good thing any man doth saith the Apostle Ephes. 6.8 the same shall he receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free Not onely great services and such as much glory redoundeth to his name by but even the meanest and poorest and such as may seeme to bee of least use unto him See what Christ saith of the poore widdowes two mites Luke 21.3 of a cup of cold water given to one of his little ones in the name of a Disciple Matth. 10.42 and what the Apostle saith Colos. 3 24. of the conscionable service that a poore drudge that had an infidell to his master did Know that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance Therefore when Christ speaketh Matth. 25. of the good workes that shall bee rewarded in heaven hee speaketh not of Martyrdome nor of building of Colledges nor fighting the Lords battell nor redeeming of impropriations and such like great and excellent workes but of such as the meanest Christian almost may bee able to performe The poore mans sacrifice who was able to bring but a turtle Dove or a young Pigeon was an offering of as sweet a savour unto the Lord as you shall find Levit. 1.17 as the rich mans was that brought never so many sheepe or oxen either Yea those very services that have beene apparantly polluted with mixture of corruption have beene rewarded by him neverthelesse Because the mid-wives feared God saith Moses Exodus 1.20 21. and saved the childrens lives therefore God dealt well with the mid-wives and made them houses though they in doing this service had excused themselves by a lye as yee may see verse 19. Yea those services that we do unto God with sensible untowardnesse unwillingnesse and reluctancy of our flesh against them those God will bee most sure to reward God is not unrighteous saith the Apostle Heb. 6.10 to forget your worke and labour of love Now if wee will search the Scriptures and enquire into the reason of this admirable goodnesse of God and demand how it commeth to passe that so perfect and pure and righteous a God should so farre respect so imperfect and impure services as we are able to doe unto him we shall find three reasons given of it in the holy Scriptures First In these poore services that the faithfull doe unto God their heart is set to please him that is the end they aime at They would faine doe them in faith and love to God with fervency and vigour of spirit To will is present with them as Paul speaketh Rom. 7.18 They would faine doe better They would faine serve God even in that exact manner that hee requireth Their spirit is willing as our Saviour saith Matth. 26.41 though the flesh be weake And they oft-times pray unto God as David doth Psal. 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes And can say as Esa. 26.8 The desire of our soule is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee They that are after the spirit saith the Apostle Rom. 8.5 doe mind the things of the spirit The poore servants will was to pay his master even the ten thousand talents that he required of him Matth. 18.24 16. The faithfull doe not please themselves in any of their failings but are troubled with them and mourne for them As the poore man in the Gospell was that hee could beleeve no better Mar. 9.24 In all their coldnesse in prayer in all their wandrings and evill thoughts they find then they can say with the spouse Cant. 5.2 I sleep but my heart waketh And this is a thing that highly pleaseth God hee will beare with much when hee findeth this If there be a willing mind saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 8.12 a man is accepted according to that that a man hath The good Lord pardon every one saith good Hezechiah in his prayer 2 Chron. 38.18 19. and the Lord hearkened to him verse 20. that prepareth his heart to seeke God though hee bee not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary The Lord will pardon and passe by much where he seeth the heart is thus set to please him Secondly These poore services that we doe are for the substance of them the fruits the thoughts and desires the words and actions of his owne spirit in us It is God worketh in us both to will and to doe as the Apostle speaketh Phil. 2.13 In those poore prayers that the faithfull soule maketh when his spirit is overwhelmed so that hee knoweth not what to pray as hee ought the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot bee uttered as the Apostle speaketh Rom 8.26 And though God dislike never so much that that is ours the corruptions and staines that cleave to our best works yet that that is his owne the worke of his owne spirit hee cannot but like and delight in This reason wee shall find given by David Psal. 37.23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and hee delighteth in his way Therefore hee delighteth in the good mans way because hee by his spirit doth order and direct it And thus the Church reasoneth Esay 26.12 Lord thou wilt ordaine peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us Thirdly and lastly The faithfull are in Christ and God beholdeth them in him and because hee is in Christ well pleased with and loveth them therefore doth he take in good part their poore services He hath made us accepted saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.6 in the beloved And when we our selves are once reconciled unto God and in favour with him it is no marvell though he take our poore services in so good part The Lord had respect to Abel and to his offering saith Moses Genes 4.4 Wee that are evill ye know can beare with much in them that wee love dearely Yea the services that the faithfull doe unto God they doe not present them to him in their owne name but in Christs onely they doe not looke to have them accepted for their owne but for the Lords sake as Daniel speaketh Dan. 9.17 18. And Christ hath borne all these our blemishes and defects and fully satisfied for them As it is said of Aaron the high Priest Exod. 28 38. that he did beare the iniquity of the holy things that Gods people did offer in all their holy gifts Our spirituall sacrifices are acceptable to God by Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Pet. 2 5. For he presenteth them to his father in the merit of his sacrifice and in presenting them casteth of these his sweete odours and incense into them as you shall read Rev. 8.3 And being so perfumed it is no marvell though our
cannot say it is so with me Some commandements and duties I doe indeed make conscience of but others I neglect wonderfully Some sins I hate and tremble at but others I slip into ever and anon 6. True grace is constant and durable and no man is blessed and in the state of grace but he that feareth alway Proverbs 28.14 that doth righteousnesse at all times Psal. 106.3 But alas the goodnesse that is in me is like the morning dew as the Prophet speaketh Hosea 6.4 there is no constancy nor durablenesse in it I am extreamely inconstant in good things and cannot continue in a good temper and disposition of my soule for any time 7. Lastly No man hath truth of grace that contenteth himselfe with this that he abstaineth from evill and doth good unlesse his care bee to doe all this in the right manner unlesse he doe it to the Lord that is with an intent to please and honour him Whatsoever yee doe saith the Apostle Coloss. 3.23 doe it as unto the Lord unlesse hee doe it with his heart and spirit and not with the outward man onely and can say with the Apostle Rom. 1.9 I serve God with my spirit unlesse he doe it in humility and can discerne cause to bee humbled even in his best actions Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is lifted up is not upright in him Now though I doe good things sometimes yet doe I never any thing in that manner that I should For 1. The end that I aime at is not so much to please the Lord and to honour him but I have by respects to my selfe in every thing that I do 2. The good things I do I do without any affection and use to offer dead sacrifices unto God 3. I doe not walke humbly with my God but if I do any thing in any measure well I am ready at the least secretly to glory and to pride my selfe in it In a word all the signes of sincerity mentioned in the word of God make against me and are unto me as so many signes and evidences of the falshood and hypocrisie of mine owne heart These are the usuall complaints of the best of Gods people and there is no tentation wherewith they use to bee more troubled both in life and in death then with this that there is no truth of grace in them they are no better then hypocrites Now I have three things to say for the comfort of these poore soules and in answer to this first and maine objection that they make against themselves First Admit all this bee true that thou sayest against thy selfe this will prove indeed that there is hypocrisie in thee yea and much hypocrisie too it may bee but this will not proove that thou art an hypocrite It is not the having of hypocrisie or of any other wicked corruption in a man that maketh him to deserve the name of an hypocrite or of a wicked man but the raigning of hypocrisie and wickednes in him No man doubteth but Moses Samuel Iob and all the holiest men that ever were had wickednesse in them For who could ever say as it is Prov. 20.9 I have made my heart cleane I am pure from my sinne And yet to say that either Moses or Samuel or Iob were wicked men were to open our mouthes in blasphemy against them that dwell in heaven as the spirit speaketh Revel 13.6 So that a man may have sinne in him and as other sinnes so hypocrisie and much hypocrisie too and yet bee in the state of grace for all that so long as it raigneth not in him That which the Apostle saith of sin in generall 1 Iohn 1.8 may be said of this sin in particular If wee the best of the Apostles or Saints of God say wee have no hypocrisie in us wee deceive our selves and there is no truth in us How oft shall you find Master Bradford and other of the holy Martyrs complaine to God of their hypocrisie and crave pardon for it And certainely David would not have cryed unto God as he doth Psalm 119.80 Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed if he had not felt himselfe subject to unsoundnes and to hyprocrisie and much troubled with it I know our Saviour Ioh. 1.47 describeth the true Israelite to bee one in whom is no guile and David the justified man the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Psalm 32.2 to bee one in whose spirit there is no guile But these places are no otherwise to bee understood then that of David when speaking of godly men he saith Psalm 119.3 They doe no iniquity and that of the Apostle 1 Iohn 3 9. Whosoever in borne of God doth not commit sinne nay hee cannot sin because hee is borne of God Was there ever godly man of whom it could be truly sayd that hee did no iniquity that hee did commit no sinne No verily But this is the meaning of the holy Ghost in those phrases he that is regenerate doth not commit any iniquitie nor can doe it ordinarily and willingly with the full sway of his soule or in that manner as the unregenerate man doth so hee that is justified and sanctified hath no guile that is no raigning hypocrisie in him So this is the first thing I have to say for thy comfort though by this which thou objectest against thy selfe it may appeare there is hypocrisie in thy heart yet will it not follow from thence that thou art an hypocrite thou mayest be in the state of grace and the deare child of God for all that Secondly By this it is evident that though there be hypocrisie in thy heart yet it raigneth not in thee thou art no hypocrite because thou discernest thine owne hypocrisie thou feelest it and art so troubled with it It is not corruption but grace that maketh a man able to discerne his corruption specially so hidden and secret a corruption as hypocrisie is There bee thousands in the world that are indeed in that state that thou suspectest thy selfe to bee in that are hypocrites indeed and they discerne no such thing in themselves they thinke passing well of their owne estate But what speake I of others Thou thy selfe when thou wer◠an hypocrite indeed and hadst both this and many other vile corruptions reigning in thee perceivedst them not wert never troubled with them Yee were once darkenesse saith he Eph. 5.8 but now yee are light in the Lord. While wee were in the state of nature which the Apostle calleth darkenesse wee saw not a deale of naughtinesse and corruption which now wee discerne in our selves This discerning of our secret corruptions is a blessed signe we are no longer darkenesse but light in the Lord. All things that are reproved saith hee Ephes. 5.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things whereof wee are convinced in our selves that they are sinnes are made manifest by the light for whatsoever doth make manifest is light Before wee
had saving grace wrought in us wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 2.1 and the dead man wee know discerneth not nor hath any feeling of his owne estate sense is a signe of a living not of a dead man This the holy Ghost expresseth by a different phrase hee useth when he speaketh of the sinfulnesse of the naturall and of the regenerate man Of the naturall man hee saith hee is in the flesh Rom. 8 8. hee is in his sinnes 1 Cor. 15.17 hee is in the bond of iniquitie and in the gall of bitternesse Actes 8.23 plunged over head and eares in sinne But of the regenerate man he saith Rom. 8.9 he is not in the flesh but in the spirit sinne dwelleth in him Rom. 7.17 While a man is in the water though he have as much water upon him as would fill many hogs-heads or tuns he feeleth not the waight of it it is no burden to him at all but let him be out of the water foure or five gallons of water will bee a burden unto him This therefore is a blessed signe thou art no longer in thy sins though much sin be in thee thou art not in the state of nature under the raigne or dominion of thy hypocrisie or any other sinne because thou dost discerne and feele it to bee a burden unto thee The third and last thing I have to say for thy comfort and helpe against this tentation is this that though thou can take no comfort at all in any of those other notes and signes of an upright heart that have beene mentioned and handled before yet in this last thou mayest Thou canst find thus much in thy selfe that notwithstanding all that hypocrisie that is in thee notwithstanding all other thy frailties and failings yet thou dost in thy mind allow and consent to the law and word of God in all things the constant desire purpose and endeavour of thy heart is to please God and to doe his will And if thou hast but thus much in thee certainely as thou hast heard it proved sufficiently out of Gods word in the handling of this point thine heart is upright and thou art no hypocrite thou art a true Israelite in whom is no guile But thou wilt object against this and say How can this be Can hee that wanteth all the rest of the notes of uprightnesse take comfort in this How are they then given for signes and notes of uprightnesse if he that wanteth them all may have an upright heart neverthelesse To this I answer That if it were possible for him that wanteth all the other signes of an upright heart to have in him this onely and no more hee could certainely take no comfort in this But that is not possible he that hath this in him hath all the rest also in some measure And I may boldly say to every one of you that hath this in him whatsoever thou thinkest or sayest of thy selfe thou hast in thy selfe every one of those signes of uprightnes which thou hast heard delivered unto thee out of the word of God This 1. I will declare and explaine unto you by instancing in every one of them particularly 2. I will confirme it unto you For the first 1. Thou dost make the word of God the onely rule of thy religion and of thy life because both in thy mind and judgement thou approvest of this rule and disallowest all other and thou dost also in thy will choose and desire to be guided by it and by nothing else thou endeavourest to follow the direction of it in all things 2. Thou dost eschew evill and do good rather out of love to God then out of slavish feare because as thou knowest thou shouldst do so so thou consentest in thy mind to this that thou oughtest to doe so and thou dost also unfeinedly desire and endeavour and strive to doe so 3. Thou hast true justifying faith and assurance of Gods favour in Christ because thou dost in thy mind consent to the promise of the Gospell and dost also unfeinedly desire and endeavour to beleeve and thirstest after nothing so much as the favour of God in Christ. 4. Thou hast a totall change wrought in thee by the spirit of God because as thou dost in thy judgement consent to the word in this that it ought to bee so and is so in all that are truly regenerated so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to be sanctified throughout 5. Thy obedience to God is universall in one thing as well as in another because thou dost in thy mind approve of every commandement of God and dost not allow thy selfe in any sinne and thou dost also in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to forsake every sinne and to doe every thing that God hath commanded thee 6. The goodnesse that is in thee is durable and not temporary because thou dost in thy mind constantly approve of every good thing and constantly disallow of every thing that is evill and thou dost also in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour to 〈◊〉 constant in good things 7. Lastly Thou not onely dost good things but thou also dost them in the right manner because as thou dost in thy mind consent to the word in this that it ought to be so so thou dost in thy will unfeinedly desire and endeavour 1. to doe them to that end onely that thou mayest please and honour God thereby without all by respects to thy selfe 2. to serve God in them with thy spirit and affection and not with the outward man only 3. to be humbled for the blemishes and imperfections that cleave unto them See now the proofe of all this in three points First In the comfort that Gods best servants have taken in this against all their defects and failings when they have found that their mind and will hath beene set to please God in all things Three notable examples wee have for this The first is Davids who when hee had said Psal. 119.4 Thou hast commanded us to keepe thy precepts diligently Hee breaketh forth in the next words verse 5. into an expression of his unfeined and vehement desire to doe so Oh that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes As if hee had sayd ô that I could in all my wayes walke precisely and keepe thy precepts diligently And then in the next words hee answereth and satisfieth his owne soule in this manner Then shall I not bee ashamed when I have respect unto all thy commandements As if hee should say Though I cannot keepe thy precepts diligently as I ought yet if I have respect unto them all make conscience of every one of them allow and consent to them in my mind desire unfeinedly and endeavour to keepe them I know I shall never be ashamed nor disappointed of that hope and comfort that I have in thee The second example is Nehemiah who even in his prayer unto God found comfort in
to be good for thee he will be a sheild to thee when the evill day shall come In the time of trouble he will hide thee in his pavillion as David speaketh Ps. 27.5 When a thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand and at thy right hand as the Prophet speaketh Ps 91.7 he can so hide thee that the judgement shall not touch thee Thus he did hide diverse when he sent his destroying Angell to smite the city and other parts of the land with the pestilence and thus he can hide thee when he shall send his destroying Angell to smite our land with the bloudy sword if it please him Nay thus he will hide thee if he shall see that good for thee he will be a sheild unto thee Pro. 2.7 He is a buckler to them that walke uprightly But if he will not be a sheild he will certainely be a sunne unto thee he wil be a comforter to thee in that day Vnto the upright there ariseth light in the darknesse saith the Prophet Psal. 112.4 As when there was palpable darkenesse in all the land of Egypt all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings Exod. 10.23 So in times of greatest misery and perplexity that shall come upon the land certainely God will be a sunne to them that walke uprightly to the upright there shall arise light in darkenesse they shall find comfort in God even in that day yea more then then ever before Thus you have seene how God will doe good to them that are upright in heart in outward things But that is not all he will be better to them then so he will do good to them also in spiritual things Three speciall blessings of this kind hee hath promised them First Such shall never fall away nor loose his favour and grace O continue thy loving kindnesse saith the Prophet Psal. 36.10 and a propheticall prayer hath the nature of a promise as I told you before unto them that know thee and thy righteousnesse to the upright in heart And Psal. 112.6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever Thou art oft much disquieted with the feare of this that thou shalt never be able to hold out to the end thou fearest that thou maist fall that thou shalt fall before thou dyest labour to be upright in heart and God will continue his loving kindnesse unto thee he will love thee to the end surely thou shalt never be moved Though the seed was lost upon all the other three sorts of hearers though they all fell away and lost those beginnings of grace they had received yet he that had an honest and good heart as our Saviour speaketh Luke 8.15 he kept it If thy heart be not â—ound thou that makest profession of the truth with greatest forwardnesse and zeale maist become a Papist before thou diest and a persecuter of that truth which thou now professest and thou that seemest to be most reformed and sanctified in thy life maist prove a most profane and debaushed man The Prophet speaking of those Israelites that perished in the wildernesse who though they had made a most zealous profession as you may read Deut. 5.27 Speake thou unto us all that the Lord our God shall speake unto thee and wee will heare it and doe it yet afterward became some of them grosse Idolaters some of them beastly adulterers the Prophet I say giveth the reason of this Psal. 78.37 why they were not more stedfast in his covenant for their heart saith he was not right with him and verse 8. They were a generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God even then when they made the best shewes their heart was never right Thou canst not be sure to be preserved from any sinne how foule soever it be and how much soever thy heart seemeth now to abhorre it pay thou shalt be sure to fall fearefully one way or other if thy heart be not upright 2 Chron. 12.14 He did evill because hee prepared not his heart to seeke the Lord that was the cause of all Rehoboams lewdnesse he professed the true religion and made excellent shewes of goodnesse for three yeares 2 Chron. 11.17 but he fell fearefully hee had no care of his heart his heart was never right The Apple that is rotten at the Core though it seeme never so beautifull will quickly putrifie and so will every professour that is unsound at the heart But if thy heart be upright feare not certainely thou shalt hold out and persevere to the end Secondly Such as are upright in heart shall have strength given them of God to endure any tryall he shall be pleased to bring them unto The eyes of the Lord saith the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.9 run to and fro throughout the whole earth to shew himselfe strong in the behalfe of them whose heart is perfect towards him When thou thinkest of the fiery triall that all Gods people may be brought unto thou tremblest much and fearest that so weake a wretch as thou art shall never be able to endure it But looke thou to thy heart that that be upright and sound and certainely though thou be so weake God will shew himselfe strong in thee when that triall shall come What a measure of strength and courage shall we find in the booke of Martyrs that a number of weake and simple women and children did shew in the time of that fiery triall More a great deale it is to be feared then would bee found now if the like triall should come Wee have much more knowledge now then they had but they had better hearts then we have Feare not thine owne weaknesse if thy heart be upright For as it is not any strength that is in thee that can make thee stand in such a triall In his owne might shall no man be strong saith Anna in her song 1 Sam. 2.9 if ever we be strong at such a time it must be in the Lord onely and in the power of his might as the Apostle speaketh Ephes. 6.10 so the sense we have of our owne weakenesse is no hinderance to the Lords strengthening of us but a furtherance unto it rather His power is made perfect in weakenesse 2 Cor. 12.9 As if he had said it useth to shew it selfe most in them that have most sense of their owne weakenesse Out of weakenesse saith the Apostle of the Martyrs in the time of Antiochus Hebrewes 11.34 they were made strong Thirdly and lastly Such as are upright in heart shall be sure to have a comfortable issue and a joyfull deliverance out of all their tentations Marke the perfect man saith David Ps 3â— 37 and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace Thou art oft subject to grievous tentations and spirituall desertions that maketh thy life wearisome and burdensome unto thee Thy well-beâ—oved is gone thou hast no sense of Gods favour Thou art apt to say with Zion Esa 49.14
and let us goe into the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob and he will teach us his waies and we will walke in his paths There is I confesse a kind of knowledge in religion which a man may attaine unto and to a great measure of it also by his owne study and reading though hee never frequent Gods Sanctuary nor regard the publique ministery of the Word at all but a sanctified and saving knowledge that man shall never be able to attaine unto That which the Apostle saith of faith Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing he saith in another place of every saving grace of Gods sanctifying spirit and consequently of saving knowledge Gal. 3.2 This onely would I learne of you received ye the spirit by the workes of the law or by the hearing of faith that is the doctrine of faith preached The ministery of the Gospell is the ministration of â—he spirit as the Apostle calleth it 2 Cor. 3.8 So that in this respect the old sentence holdeth true auditus est sensus disciplinae of all the senses God hath given to man hearing even hearing of the Word preached is the sense whereby we get knowledge saving knowledge especially In which respect we shall find that when the Prophet speaketh of Gods mighty worke in the conversion of a man who was by nature both blind and deafe he useth to joyne these two workes together the opening of the eyes and opening of the eares too Esa. 35.5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the eares of the deafe shall be unstopped Yea he oft putteth the opening of the eare before the opening of the eyes In that day shall the deafe heare the words of the booke saith he Esa. 29 18. and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darknesse And 42.18 Heare ye deaf and looke ye blind that ye may see To teach us two things 1. That God doth never use to open his eyes and to give him saving knowledge whose eares he doth not also open and make both willing to heare and able also to heare profitably 2. That he usually openeth the eare first and maketh a man a hearer a conscionable hearer before he open his eyes and bring him to any cleare and saving understanding of his will Certainely even we that are preachers though we have greater helps to bring us to knowledge then other men yet shall we never attaine to a cleare a certaine a sanctified knowledge of the things we teach if we dispise the ordinance of God if God have not as well opened our eares as either our eyes or our lips if he have not made us both willing and able to heare conscionably In which respect also we find that though the Apostles had both their calling and gifts immediately from God yet Christ thought it fit to have them with him during the whole time of his ministery that they might bee continuall and constant hearers of his Sermons as well as eye-witnesses of his workes and miracles of his passion and resurrection and saw it good even by this meanes to bring them to knowledge and to prepare them and make them fit to preach well And the Apostle noteth this for the credit of their doctrine and ministery Hebrewes 2.3 that they were hearers of Christ themselves At the first saith he it was spoken by the Lord and was confirmed to us by them that heard him Two reasons there bee given for this why the frequenting of a sound ministery is the chiefe mean of all other to bring a man to saving knowledge First In respect of the gifts God hath bestowed on his Ministers that is to say the gift of interpretation and application of the Word which are great and effectuall helps to breed knowledge in men The manifestation of the spirit saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 12.7 is given to every man to profit withall As if he had said There is not the meanest faithfull Minister in the Church but some gifts of Gods spirit doe manifestly appeare to be in him which as hee ought to use to the profit of the Church so the Church may receive profit by them Nay there is not the best preacher of us all but wee may profit by hearing of the meanest of our brethren if the fault be not in our selves Secondly But the chiefe reason of the point is this that God hath beene pleased to ordaine this to be the meanes whereby hee will worke all saving grace and consequently this in the hearts of his elect and to promise to worke with and blesse this above all other It hath pleased God saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.21 by the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve And even as God under the law promised his people that he would meet them in the Sanctuary and declare himselfe to be present there in a more comfortable manner then in any other place in the world Exod. â—9 42 And David saith Psal. 6â— 1 2. his soule thirsted to see God so as he had seene him in the Sanctuary So hath God promised to be present in a speciall manner in the publique ministery of his Gospell and meet his people there I will be with you saith Christ Matth. 28.20 to the end of the world And to blesse them in their hearing Pro. 8.34 Blessed is the man that heareth me and Esa. 55.3 Heare and your soule shall live and Mar. 4.24 To you that heare more shall be given And these promises of God every conscionable hearer that commeth so prepared to this ordinance of God as you have heard with sense of his owne ignorance and with an humble heart may and ought to beleeve and expect the performance of them to himselfe and even claime and challenge them at the hands of God And although alas many that heare much because they come not thus prepared nor heare conscionably receive no good by it at all and so discredit this holy ordinance yet wisedome is justified of her children Luk. 7.35 and daily experience proveth that the onely men that attaine to a sound and setled knowledge of the truth whom no Papist nor other seducer can pervert are they that have beene constant and conscionable frequenters of a sound ministery And of them that have beene seduced it may bee said for the most part as the Prophet speaketh Ezek. â—4 â— they were scattered and divided from the rest of the flocke because there was no shepheard they had no sound and ordinary ministery to depend upon This being so Let me exhort every one of you beloved 1. To know your owne happinesse such of you as doe enjoy the benefit of a sound ministery prize it be thankfull for it Though God should give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction as the Prophet speaketh Esa. 30.20 yet so long as your teachers are not removed into a corner any more but your eyes may see your teachers in the solemne
5.6 that she had changed Gods judgements into wickednesse more then the nations and his statutes more then the countries that were round about her and yet unto Iudah God gave the meanes of salvation and denied them to all other nations in the world beside Chorazin and Bethsaida were worse people and did not make so good use of the light of nature as Tyre and Sidon did as is plaine by Christs speech Matth. 11.21 and yet unto them the Gospell was preached by Christ himselfe and denied unto the other The Gentiles that lived after Christs ascension and unto whom the Apostles did preach were nothing so morall men nor were comparable in the right use of the light and law of nature unto Socrates and Aristides unto Cato and Scipio and divers others that we read of For of some of them it is said that they even till the time of their calling Tit. 3.3 served divers lusts and pleasures lived in malice and envie and that they were odious men And of some of them it is said 1 Cor. 6.9 11. that they had beene not onely theeves and drunkards and extortioners and adulterers but even effeminate persons and buggerers abusers of themselves with mankind And yet to these God vouchsafed his Gospell and denied it unto the other that were not onely free from these foule vices but were also for morall vertues and for the use they made of the light and law of nature most rare and excellent men And may not wee all to conclude set our seale to this truth from our own experience Is our nation or are those townes in our land where the Gospell is most plentifully preached Or were many of our selves before our calling better people then any of those are to whom the Lord still denieth the light of his Gospell No no the Lord knoweth and our owne hearts know it is not so The Lord in giving us his Gospell had no respect at all to any goodnesse hee saw was in us Nothing moved him to it but his owne free grace and good pleasure towards us wee did nothing at all to further and procure so much as our outward calling All is to bee ascribed unto God alone Lecture CII On Psalme 51.6 November 4. 1628. IT followeth now that we shew this to be so likewise in the inward calling that that is much more to be ascribed wholly unto the Lord nothing unto man himself And this shall also appeare unto us in these three points 1. It is of God only that the meanes of grace become effectuall to the conversion of any man 2. The worke of Gods 〈◊〉 making the meanes of grace effectuall in any is no common worke 3. The worke of Gods spirit in making the meanes of grace effectuall to the conversion of any is most free nothing that man can do can either procure or hinder it For the first The best course I can take for the confirmation of it will bee by answering a question or two that may be moved touching the sufficiency and power that is in the Word and the ministery thereof to work the conversion of man First Doth not the Scripture speake great things and ascribe much to the Word it selfe in this case and to the preaching of it 1 The Word it selfe is said to be lively and mighty in operation sharper then any two edged sword Heb. 4.12 Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord Ier. 23.29 and like a hammer that breaketh the rocke in pieces And the Apostle calleth it the incorruptible seed whereby we are borne againe 1 Pet. 1.23 Yea the Prophet expressely saith Psal. 19.7 That the law of the Lord is perfect converting the soule 2. Of the faithfull Ministers and preachers of the Word it is said both 1 Cor. 3.9 and 2 Cor. 6.1 that they are workers together with God And Paul telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4.15 that he was their father in Christ Iesus he had begotten them through the Gospell and 9.1 that they were his worke in the Lord. Yea Philem. 19. Thou owest to me even thine owne selfe To this I answer First That these places are not so to be understood as if there were any naturall vertue or power inherent in the Word it selfe or the ministery thereof given unto it of God as there is in the fire to warme us or in our food to nourish us or in the seed to bring forth fruit Secondly That the reason why the Holy Ghost is pleased thus to speake and to ascribe thus much unto the Word and the ministery thereof is that hee might dignifie this ordinance of his and worke in his people an high esteeme of it And to shew them 1. It is that noble instrument that hee hath ordained to worke the conversion of man by and without which he useth not to worke the conversion of any It pleased God by the foolishnesse of preaching saith the Apostle 1 Corinthians 1.21 to save men And we are the Ministers by whom yee beeleeved saith he 1 Cor. 3.5 even as the Lord gave to every man And Rom. 10.14 How can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they heare without a preacher 2. He useth to work with it and to accompany it by the operation of his spirit though not in every one that heareth it yet in the hearts of his elect according to the promise of Christ Matth. â—8 20 Lo I am with you alway even to the end of the world This made the Apostle to say and to praise God for it 2 Cor. 2.14 that hee did make manifest the savour of his knowledge by them in every place God never placeth the faithfull ministery of the Gospell in any place but he useth to make it savoury and fruitfull unto some 3. To shew us the high account the Lord himselfe maketh of this his ordinance how he esteemeth of it We are unto God a sweet savour in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 2.15 in them that are saved and in them that perish As if he had said Even where God is not pleased to work with our ministery so farre as to make it effectuall to the conversion of men yet even there also our ministery is never the lesse acceptable to God but he joieth and taketh pleasure in it Thirdly and lastly I answer to this first Question that the vertue and power that the Word and ministery thereof hath to convert and worke grace is not in it selfe but wholly in the spirit of God that worketh with it And so the holy Scripture that ascribeth so much unto the Word as you have heard interpreteth it selfe in sundry places I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit saith the Lord Esa 48.17 that any man profiteth by the best meanes it is of God onely Of his owne will begat he us by the Word of truth saith the Apostle Iames 1.18 As though hee 〈◊〉 â—ay We were indeed begotten againe by the Word but
us enjoy the blessings of this life specially that we enjoy them with any comfort as those that have just title and right unto them Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth saith Solomon Eccl. 5.19 and hath given him power a mind to eat thereof and to take his portion and to rejoyce in his labour this is the gift of God But this mercy also the faithfull obtaine onely though Christ. Worthy is the lamb that was staine say the holy Angels Revel 5.12 to receive power and riches and wisedome As if they had said All riches as well as all power and wisedome are his and his onely Him God hath made heire of all things as the Apostle saith Heb. 1.2 All things are yours and ye are Christs saith he 1 Cor. 3.22 23. As though hee had said Nothing is ours wee have not a spirituall and comfortable title to any thing till we be Christs Fiftly The love and good will of God towards us which is the onely root and fountaine of all blessings and good things we receive from him is woon and procured to us onely by Christ. God cannot love or beare good will to any of us but onely through him and for his sake And therefore the Angels sing thus at his comming into the world Luke 2.14 Glory be to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards men As if they should have said God could beare no good will towards men but only through Christ. Sixtly and lastly No man can have any true boldnesse to goe to God or to looke for any good or mercy from him but onely through Christ. No man commeth unto the father but by me saith our Saviour Ioh. 14 6. In him wee have boldnesse and accesse with confidence saith the Apostle Ephes 3.12 and in him onely Whatsoever good thing we want and would beg of God by prayer we must aske it in his name and looke to obtaine it onely through him and and for his sake Whatsoever ye shall aske the father in my name hee will give it unto you saith our Saviour Iohn 16.23 And whatsoever good thing we have received from God and would be truly thankfull to God for we must ascribe it onely to Christ and acknowledge we have received it for his sake alone Giving thankes to God and the father by him as the Apostle teacheth us Col. 3.17 And thus we have seene the first proofe of the Doctrine No mercy can be expected from God but through Christ alone The second followeth No mercy can bee expected from God by Christ but onely through his bloud if hee had not suffered and endured that for us which hee did both in his soule and body wee could never have found any mercy from God at all See the proofe of this also in three particulars First All the mercies of God that concerne our justification the acquitting us of our sinnes and setting us in Gods favour are obtained to us by the passions and sufferings of Christ. Being justified by his bloud saith the Apostle Rom. 5.9 wee shall bee saved from wrath through him In Christ we have redemption though his bloud saith he Ephes. 1.7 the forgivenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace As if he had said It is of the riches of Gods free grace that any of us obtaine the forgivenesse of our sins but the riches of Gods grace are procured to us by the bloud of Christ and by no other meanes Him hath God set forth saith he Rom. 3.25 to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud Three things are to be observed in these words 1. God hath made Christ the mercy-seat The mercy-seat under the law was but a type and figure of him They that would obtaine any mercy from God must seeke it in and through him onely 2. Whereas the mercy-seat under the law stood in the holy of holyes within the vaile and was hiden not onely from the people but from the priests also the High-Priest onely had accesse unto it and that but once a yeare the Lord hath now by the ministery of the Gospell set forth this mercy-seat openly to the view of all men all men may have accesse unto it 3. As the Hhigh-Priest who was a type of Christ came not to the mercy-seat could find no mercy with God nor make atonement betweene him and his people without the bloud of a sacrifice Levit. 16.14 so may no man come to the true mercy-seat nor hope to find mercy with God through Christ but onely by faith in his bloud Secondly All the mercies of God that concerne our sanctification the subduing of our corruptions and the renewing of our hearts are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. Therefore doth the Apostle Rom. 6.6 ascribe our mortification to the death of Christ. Our old man saith he is crucified with him that the body of sinne might bee destroyed that hence forth wee should not serve sinne So that ability that is given us of God to lead a new life and to walke in his wayes is ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. It is the bloud of Christ saith the Apostle Heb. 9.14 who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot unto God that purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God And that strength that any child of God hath to resist tentation is to bee ascribed to the passion and sufferings of Christ. By Christ crucified saith the Apostle Gal. 6.14 the world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Thirdly and lastly All the mercies of God that concerne our glorification and the consummation of our happinesse in the kingdome of heaven are obtained to us by the passion and sufferings of Christ. We have boldnesse saith the Apostle Heb. 10.19 to enter into the Holyest into heaven whereof the holy of holyes in the temple was a figure by the bloud of Iesus As if hee should say There is nothing that can make a man die and goe to God with true boldnesse and expectation of a better life but onely faith in the bloud of Christ. And in this respect it is that the Apostle calleth his whole ministery the preaching of the crosse of Christ 1 Cor. 1.18 and we preach Christ crucified saith he verse 23. that was the whole matter and scope of his ministery to teach men to looke for all mercy and comfort from God onely through the passion and sufferings of Iesus Christ. Yea he telleth the Corinthians 1 Cor 2.2 that when he was among them where learning and eloquence did abound hee determined not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified he resolved with himselfe to shew no other learning but this to set forth to them in the best manner he could the sufferings of Christ and the benefit and fruit that commeth to Gods people by them Nay he professeth of himselfe Gal. 6.14 that the crosse of Christ his passion and sufferings
spirit in them as well as if wee expressed it in the best words and method in the world And thus have I finished this Doctrine with all the uses that are to be made of it Lecture CXXVIII On Psalme 51.7 Septemb. 15. 1629. WE have already heard that this verse consisteth of two parts The first is an earnest petition wherein David beggeth of God to be purged and washed from his sins by the bloud of Christ and to have that sprinkled upon him and applyed to him by the spirit of God The second is the reason that moved him to beg this of God so earnestly which is taken from the fruit and benefit he knew he should receive by it and that is double 1. He knew that being thus purged he should be cleane no filthinesse should remaine upon him no sin that ever he committed should be imputed to him 2. He knew that if he were thus washed he should be whiter then the snow he should have so perfect righteousnesse imputed to him as should make him beautifull and glorious in the sight of God The petition we finished the last day and now it followeth that we do proceed to the reason of it And herein we are to observe how confidently David speaketh heere of the blessed estate of them whom God hath washed and sprinkled with the bloud of Christ yea of the blessed estate that he knew himselfe should be in so soone as God should have vouchsafed that mercy unto him notwithstanding the foulnes and odiousnesse of his sins was more then ordinary yet he knew that when once God should have washed him with and applyed to him the bloud of Christ he should have no spot of his sins remaining upon him yea he should be whiter in Gods eye then the very snow And from this point thus observed in the words of David this Doctrine doth arise for our instruction That all such as have their soules washed and sprinkled with Christs bloud that is all that truly beleeve in him are perfectly cleansed from all their sins and are as pure and white in Gods sight as any snow Now the best and plainest way I can think of for confirming this Doctrine unto you will be by answering of a doubt and Question which every one of your hearts will be apt to move against it For who is there among us all that marketh and considereth this Doctrine well that will not see cause to bee amazed at it as it is said Matth. 19.25 that the Disciples of our Saviour once were at the hearing of a certaine Doctrine that he taught Which of us will not be ready to say of this Doctrine as they did of that Who can then be saved Who then can be said to be a true beleever Is no soule washed or sprinkled with the bloud of Christ doth no man truly beleeve in him that is not so white so perfectly cleansed as he hath no filthinesse at all no one spot of sin remaining on him Who then can say hee doth truly beleeve in Christ that ever hee was washed or sprinkled with his bloud Or if others can say so surely wilt thou say I cannot say so For I know and feele there is still a great deale of filthinesse many a foule and blacke spot remaining in my soule For answer unto this we must understand that all true beleevers are cleansed and washed from their sins two waies As you shall find the Apostle teacheth us 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you saith he but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of our Lord Iesus and by the spirit of our God He speaketh this for the comfort of such as before their conversion had been guilty of those foule crimes he had spoken of in the 9. 10. verses Some of them had been idolaters some adulterers some Sodomites buggerers some theeves some drunkards some extortioners No marvell though such persons were apt oft to call in question their owne estate though they were subject to many doubts and feares in themselves And therfore two things are remarkable in this manner of speech which he useth of purpose that he might speake the more effectually to their comfort The first is his so often repeating of his words But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified As if he had said Though some of you were guilty of such foule sins I say unto you and for your better assurance I say it to you againe and againe you are now fully acquitted of all those sinnes no one of them shall ever be laid to your charge againe The second is this that he nameth their sanctification in the first place which as the effect and fruit did in order of nature come after and their justification in the second place which as the cause and root of it did go before of purpose as I said to increase their comfort As if he should say Ye are sanctified by the spirit of our God yea and more then that for your sanctification you will be apt to say is but poore and weake ye are justified also from all these your sinnes in the name of the Lord Iesus So that you see heere that the Apostle speaketh of a twofold washing that the faithfull have received from all their sinnes 1. They are washed from their sinnes in the name of the Lord Iesus that is in Christ and through the merit of his bloud which hee calleth there justification 2. They are washed from their sinnes by the spirit of God which he calleth there sanctification Now although these two goe alwaies together Christ justifieth no man by the merit of his bloud but he sanctifieth him also by his holy spirit the Lord accounteth no man righteous by imputing Christs righteousnesse unto him but he maketh him also righteous by a righteousnesse inherent in himselfe And the surest way for a man to know himselfe to be one of those that are justified by the bloud of Christ is to find himselfe to be one of thâ—se that are sanctified by the spirit of Christ. Let no man deceive you saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.7 hee that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as hee is righteous As if he had said thus He that hath inherent righteousnesse and he onely is the man that is righteous by imputation he that is sanctified is justified and none but he And therefore also the Apostle calleth all them that receive benefit by Christ the sanctified ones Heb. 2.11 Both hee that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all of one nature And 10.14 By one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified Though this I say be so yet betweene these two kinds of washing there be foure notable differences to be observed which it is profitable for us all to be acquainted with First The cleansing from sinne that is wrought by the spirit of God in our sanctification as it is a grace inherent and a
thou art that art most bitter and violent of either side then art thou certainly thy selfe most wilfully blinde And I doe assure thee in the name of the Lord and by good warrant out of his word that if thou canst not unfeignedly love every one that truly feareth God whither he conforme or not conforme if thou canst not bewaile and strive against these hard conceits thou hast beene wont to entertaine against such thou canst have no comfort at all in thine owne estate before God Let there be no strife I pray thee saith Abraham unto Lot Gen. 13.8 betweene mee and thee for we are brethren And it is noted by the Holy Ghost Verse 7. for a circumstance that did much aggravate the sinne of Lot and the griefe of Abraham for that variance that the Cananite and the Perizzite dwelt then in the land Certainely all that truly feare God are brethren And have not we Cananites and Perizzites enough in our land Papists and Atheists and profane persons that doe mortally hate us all that have any true feare of God in us and rejoyce much in our variances Or is the number of them that truly feare God so great that we must dishearten and weaken one another by nourishing heart burning and discord among our selves But the time will not permit me to enlarge my selfe in this point as I desire to doe I will therefore conclude my speech with the words of the Apostle Iam. 5.9 Grudge not one against another brethren lest yee be condemned Lecture CXLIV On Psalme 51.7 August 2. 1631. IT followeth now that we proceed unto the second of those foure effects and fruits whereby a man may certainly know whether he hath the spirit of Christ and consequently whether he hath Christ and is by his death and obedience perfectly justified in the sight of God and that is constancy in Religion This is then the Doctrine that I am now to insist upon That he that hath the spirit of Christ in him will be constant in his Religion above all things Now before I give you the proofe of the point I must explaine first and prevent the mistaking of it by answering three questions and removing three doubts that may rise in your mindes against it First You may aske me Is it a certaine note of a man that hath the spirit of Christ to be constant in his religion I answer No unlesse it be the true Religion that he doth professe It is indeed a morall vertue and one of the best things that are to be found in a naturall man to be constant in his Religion be it true or false And so the Lord noteth it to be Ier. 2.10 11. Passe over the isles of Chittim and see and send unto Kedar and consider diligently and see of there be such a thing and to be found even among them hath a nation hath any nation changed their gods As if he should have said Hath not even the light of nature discovered thus much unto all nations that it is a shamefull and odious thing for a people to be variable and unconstant in their Religion But my people have changed their glory their Religion he meanes For this constancy in a mans Religion which he is perswaded is true though it be false argueth a zeale of God in him though it be not according unto knowledge And that the Apostle speaketh of you know Ro. 10.2 as of a good thing iâ— it selfe as of one of the best things that can be in a naturall man But yet this is no signe of grace no fruit of the spirit of Christ to be constant in an erroneous and false way It was no commendation either to Ieroboam himselfe or to Iehu or to any other of the Kings and people of Israel that they abode even to the dissolution of that state in that Religion that Ieroboam did at the first establish and would by no meanes be drawne to forsake it The children of Israel saith the Holy Ghost 2 King 17.22 walked in all the sinnes of Ieroboam that he did they departed not from them This constancy in their Religion is oft mentioned in the story to their great shame and reproach It is no praise at all nor signe of grace in a Papist or any other Heretick or Schismatick whatsoever that they have beene constant in their Religion even unto death It is not the punishment that a man indures but the cause for which he suffers that maketh him a Martyr It is not constancy but obstinacy in a man to abide so resolute and unmoveable in any errour as he will admit of no meanes that may informe him better to be like the aâ—afe Adder Psal. 58.4 5. that stoppeth her eare which will not hearken to the voice of the charmers charming never so wisely Yea it is not only a great sin but a fearefull judgement and curse of God too He hath blinded their eyes saith our blessed Saviour Ioh. 12.40 and hardned their hearts that they should not soe with their eyes and understand with their hearts and be converted and I should hâ—â—le them So that when I say constancy in Religion is a note of him that hath the spirit of Christ I meane constancy in the true Religion It is the cleaving to the truth of God that is such a note But then you will aske me secondly How shall I know in that great difference of opinions in Religion that is in the Church and that even among learned and good men too which is the truth Whether that that I hold and professe bee the truth that so I may constantly hold it and cleave unto it When our Saviour had said Ioh. 18.37 38. and it was that good confession that the Apostle 1 Tim. 6.13 saith he witnessed before Poncius Pilate to this end was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse unto the truth Pilate said unto him what is truth And certainly wee have many now that were borne and bread in the Church that know no more what the truth is then Pilate did but like men utterly ignorant and unsetled in Religion are as ready to say as he he was What is truth Now to these men I answer with the words of our Saviour Ioh. 17.17 Sanctifie them with thy truth thy word is truth If that Religion that thou professest be no other then that which God hath taught thee in his holy word then is it doubtlesse the true Religion If thou holdest nothing in Religion but that thou canst warrant and prove by Gods Word then holdest thou the truth and thou must hold it fast and cleave constantly to it It is the word of truth Eph. 1.13 it can never deceive thee Thy testimonyes are very sure saith David Psalm 93.5 This sacred booke of the holy Scriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apostles is the foundation upon which God buildeth his Church as the Apostle teacheth us Eph. 2.20 If thou
bee with him and that hee might send them sorth to preach Christ sent mee saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.17 not to baptize that is not so much to baptize but to preach the Gospell For this worke chiefly is our maintenance due unto us not by the law of man onely but by the law of God too The Lord hath ordained saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 9.14 that they that preach the Gospell should live of the Gospell The Elders that labour in the Word and Doctrine specially above all others saith the Apostle 1 Timothy 5.17 are worthy of double honour by which hee meaneth maintenance as appeareth Verse 18. It should bee such maintenance so free so liberall as may testifie that you honour him in your hearts such as may keepe him from contempt it may not bee so base and niggardly as that the very meannesse of his estate may make him vile and contemptible yea this double honour this liberall maintenance hee is worthy of it it is no almes or meere gratuity hee is worthy of it hee deserveth it well And as this is the chiefe work that we are called of God to exercise our selves in and for which our maintenance is due to us from the people so is this the chiefe worke wee should exercise our selves in gladly taking all opportunities for doing this worke You heard afore Christ did so and we shall find Act. 5.42 that the Apostles did so daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Iesus Christ. I know well we are not bound by these examples to preach every day as we have heard Christ and his Apostles did for they could preach without study and so cannot the best of us doe if wee desire to preach well but if wee were as able as they were certainely wee were bound to doe as they did and certainely wee are bound by their examples to preach as oft and as diligently as the abilities of our bodies and of our mindes will enable us to doe having alwayes respect to our people and their necessities And to conclude my first answer to this first objection made against the necessity of preaching I pray you observe that our Saviour and his holy Apostles ever were wont to take the opportunity of the Church assemblies on the Sabbath to preach then Of our Saviour this is plaine Marke 1.21.39 and 6.2 Luke 4.31 and 6.6 and 13.18 And it is as plaine that the Apostles were wont to doe so Acts 13 14 16 44 and 17.2 3 and 18.4 and 20.7 though the occasion of the Churches meeting at Treas upon the Lords Day was principally for the Sacrament of the Lords Supper yet because he knew that there was no better way either to sanctifie the Sabbath or to prepare mens hearts to the Sacrament then preaching it is said he spent the whole day in preaching And so much shall serve for my first answer to this first objection Secondly I answer That no man can pray aright till he be first by preaching made able and fit to pray This is evident by that of the Apostle Rom. 10.14 How shall they call upon him in whom they have not beleeved And how shall they beleeve on him of whom they have not heard And how shall they heare savingly he meaneth without a Preacher A people may be accustomed long enough to heare prayers read unto them and good prayers too but they shall bee little or nothing the better for them till first their hearts bee wrought upon by preaching and made able to pray All our prayers and what other services soever wee doe unto God will breed us small comfort till we have beene hearers first and beleevers till we have profited by our hearing till we have beene ready to heare till we have heard the word with desire delight and comfort Thirdly and lastly As preaching is the meanes to convey into our hearts the spirit of prayer at the first so it is also the best meanes to stirre it up and quicken it to set it on worke in them that have received it And that is the reason why Gods people at their solemne fasts the chiefe use whereof is to make our prayers more fervent to make us cry mightily unto God as it is said Ion. 3.8 did use preaching so much Two notable examples we have for this The first is Nehe. 9.3 The Levites stood up in their place and read in the booke of the Law of the Lord one fourth part of the day And how did they read Their manner of reading you shall finde Neh. 8.8 They gave the sense also and caused them to understand the reading Yea they applyed it also so effectually that it wrought marvellously upon the hearts of the people as appeareth Verse 9. The other example is that in Ier. 36.5 6. Ieremy would faine have gone into the house of the Lord to have preached there at the publike fast And because he was shut up and could not doe it he sendeth Baruch to read his Sermon there as he tooke it from his mouth But why did they use preaching thus at fasts seeing prayer is doubtlesse the chiefe duty that is to be performed at a fast Surely as a helpe to prayer to stirre up mens affections and make them able to pray more fervently And this reason Ieremy giveth why he would have preached at that fast and when he could not would needs have Baruch goe and read his Sermon unto them Ier. 36.7 It may be saith he they will present their supplication before the Lord. As if he should say it may be this Sermon will stirre them up to pray more fervently And this may serve for a full answer to the first objection But then they object secondly that though preaching were granted to be never so necessary for the first planting of a Church and bringing of men to the knowledge of the truth yet in such a Church as ours is that hath so long enjoyed it and wherein knowledge doth so much abound it might well be spared and instead thereof more time spent in prayer To which I answer That plentifull and profitable preaching is still as necessary in our Church as ever it was For first there is no congregation wherein there are not still many that are ignorant and unconverted yea it is to be feared the greatest part by farre in our best congregations are such And of them no question can be made but they have still need of preaching Those sheepe that are not yet of Christs fould not yet converted and of the number of true beleevers Christ must bring and they must beare his voice as our Saviour himselfe speaketh Ioh. 10.16 or they will never come into Christs fould and be converted And how shall they beare without a preacher saith the Apostle Rom. 10.14 Secondly even those that have profited most in grace and knowledge have need of preaching still even of the continuall Ministery of the word Three evident reasons there
saith the Prophet Habacuk 2.4 It is not our feeling but our faith that wee must live by Take two examples to perswade and encourage thee to this The one in David the other in Abraham What time I am afraid saith David Psalme 56.3.4 whensoever I am most disquieted with doubts and feares in my selfe I will trust in thee How could he doe so will you say That hee will tell you in the next words In God saith hee I will praise his word In God have I put my trust As if he had said What cause of feare soever I find in my selfe yet I thanke God I have the word and promise of God that hee will bee mercifull to mee and that I will trust unto Our other example is in Abraham recorded by the Apostle Romanes 4.19 10.21 Hee beleeved that hee should have a sonne by Sarah in whose seed himselfe and all the nations of the earth should be blessed though hee saw and â—elt in himselfe great cause to doubt that this could never possibly bee For his body was now dead that is the strength and vigour of it was quite gone and so was Saraâ—s too How could hee then beleeve this Why hee had Gods word and promise for it and that though it were contrary to his sense and reason he gave credit and trusted to He staggered not at the promise of God through unbeleefe saith the Apostle being fully perswaded that what hee had promised hee was able also to performe And in thus doing the Apostle saith hee gave glory to God By how much the more matter of doubting and feare and despaire wee feele in our selves by so much the more glory wee give unto God when notwithstanding this wee can give credite unto and rest upon the word and promise of God O but you will say Abraham was strong in saith he staggered not through unbeliefe as the Apostle saith of him there No marvell though his faith were imputed to him for righteousnesse though it justified him in Gods sight What speake you of his example to such a one as I am that am so weake in faith and am ever staggering through unbeliefe can such a faith as mine is justifie me in Gods sight and make Christ and all his merits mine I answer yes the weakest faith will do it if thou can receive Christ rest upon him even with the weakest faith it will serve thy turne The weake faith of the poore man that came to Christ for his child that was possessed Mar. 9.24 though he staggered much through unbeleefe which made him cry with teares Lord I beleeve helpe mine unbeliefe yet this weake faith of his served his turne and obtained mercy from Christ. Take heed thou thinke not that it is the strength of thy faith that justifieth thee no no It is Christ and his perfect righteousnesse which thy faith receiveth and resteth upon that doth it He that hath the feeblest and weakest hand may receive an almes and apply a soveraigne plaister to his wound as well as he that hath the strongest and receive as much good by it too Thy blessed Saviour that gave that charge concerning such as thou art Matth. 18.10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones will not despise or reject thee for the weaknesse of thy faith which thou mournest for and strivest to amend but will have tender respect to thee in it A bruised reed saith the Evangelist Mat. 12.20 shall he not breake and smoaking slax shall he not quench This is a comfortable speech indeed will you say for them that can beleeve and trust in Christ though but with a weake faith But alas I find my selfe to be â—ouâ—worthy a wreth so oppressed many times with the sense of my unworthinesse that I cannot beleeve I cannot rest upon Christ nor hope and look for mercy through him When thou art so yet lift up thy heart to God crave helpe of him in this case beg of him that he would make thee able to go to Christ and to rest upon him Do as David did When my heart is overwhelmed saith he Psal. 61.2 lead mee to the rocke that is higher then I. And what was that rocke I pray you Surely the Lord Iesus of whom himselfe saith Matth. 16.18 Vpon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Was the rock that David desired God to lead him unto when thy heart is overwhelmed with feares and doubts and thou canst get no sensible assurance of Gods favour nor comfort in thy selfe nor hast power to goe unto Christ pray thou likewise to God with David that he would lead thee to this rocke that he would make thee able to stay and rest thy selfe upon Christ and then the gates of hell all the subtiltie and power of the divell shall never be able to prevaile against thee This is all true indeed If I could pray I were happy when I find my selfe able to pray then am I safe but alas my heart is so overwhelmed many times that I cannot pray To this I answer First That it may well bee so with thee for so it hath beene with many a good servant of God Thus David complained Psalme 77.4 I am so troubled that I cannot speake Thus good Hezekiah said of himselfe Esa. 38.14 Like a craâ—e or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourne as a dove And the Apostle telleth us Romanes 8.26 it is thus oft with Gods people in extreame affliction Wee know not hee putteth himselfe in the number what wee should pray for as wee ought But then I say secondly When thou findest thy selfe thus unable to pray yet doe what thou canst pray as well as thou canst chatter unto God as Hezekiah did sigh and grone unto God as the Apostle there saith the faithfull oft doe they pray with gronings which they cannot utter and even this will prevaile with God as much as any prayer which with the greatest liberty and freedome of spirit thou ever madest unto him in all thy life David found it to be so for hee saith Psalme 77.1 the Lord gave eare unto him even when he cryed to him in such a troubled manner And Hezekiah found it to be so for he saith that after that chattering prayer of his hee found abundance of comfort Thou hast saith hee Esa. 38.17 in love to my soule delivered it from the pit of corruption for thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy backe And the Apostle giveth us this reason why it must needs be so Romanes 8.27 Hee that searcheth the hearts saith hee knoweth what is the mind of the spirit because hee maketh intercession for the Saints acrording to the will of God As if hee should say Those prayers that are made with sighs and grones which wee cannot utter proceed from Gods spirit as well as any other that ever wee made and the Lord that searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of his