fearelesse but vsefull as the rod of Moses was to worke wonders for our guidance and safety in the midst of all our spirituall enemies Å¿ Deut. 33. 29. who shall be all found liars vnto vs and we shall treade vpon their high places t Mat. 14. 30. 31. Yea but as soone as thou pitchest thy conceit on the Law for direction in all things indifferent thou beginnest to sinke in the depth thereof as t Mat. 14. 30. 31. Peter did in the sea and thou art at such an amazement with u 2 Chr. 20. 12. King Iehoshaphat that thou knowest not what to doe Yes being Gods childe thou hast receiued the spirit of adoption whereby thou canst cry Abba Father let thine eyes then be vpon Christ as Iehoshaphats were vpon God and cry with Peter Lord saue mee cry with Dauid w Psal 119 18. 19 20. Lord open thou mine eyes that I may see wondrous things out of thy Law I am a stranger vpon earth hide not thy commandements from me O let me not wander from thy Commandements Thou canst not bee so ready to looke and cry vnto him as he is ready to leade and saue thee it is but x Mat. 7. 7. aske and hâ—ue seeke and finde y Esa 45. 22. looke vnto him and bee saued For z Deut. 4. 7. what nation is so great that hath God so nigh vnto them as the Lord our GOD is in all things that wee call vpon him for Call yea a Esa 65. 24. before we call hee will answere and while wee are yet speaking he will heare Yea but thou wouldest haue me shew thee presently that perfect direction of the law in the choise and vse of things indifferent So would b Exo. â—â— 18 19 20. Moses haue God shew him his glory when good man hee asked hee knew not what for hee could not liue see Gods face But answere mee wouldest thou see the full eare while the blade is springing and the stalke growing or can a growing-childe comprehend what belongs to full age Or canst thou bee in thy heauenly Mansion-house whiles thou art in thy earthly Tabernacle Then and there shall wee c 2 Cor. 5. 7. walke by sight but now by faith d 1 Cor. 13. 1â— now wee see through a glasse darkely but then face to face now we know in part but then shall wee know euen as wee are known Such perfect knowledge as it is too wonderfull for vs Pilgrims on earth so it is neither for our owne safety e 2 Cor. 12. lest we should be exalted aboue measure in the abundance of reuelations neither for our Sauiours glory f Verse 9. whose strength is made perfect in weakenesse Be content therefore now with Moses g Exo. 33. 23 to see his backe-parts whose face cannot here bee seene thy Sauiours h Verse 13. 14. presence shall still goe with thee i Esa 59 21. by his spirit and word whereby he will be so gracious as to make k 2 Cor. 12. 9 his grace sufficient for thee Onely humble thy selfe to walke with thy God shew thy willing minde and endeauour to keepe his word and he wil be thy aduocate to pleade for thee that thou hast 1 Ioh. 17. 6. kept his word namely in that euangelicall manner and measure which grace requireth of thee Yea but here is a doubt how thy humble willing indeauour must bee made manifest Herein let no man deceiue himselfe with his faint wishings and sluggish wouldings neuer can such wishers and woulders thriue in the kingdome of heauen which m Mat. 11. 12 suffereth violence and is taken of those that n Luk. 16. 16. presse into it and take it by force Here therefore if euer thou must bee o Iam. 5. 16. feruent in prayer and instant in p 2 Pet. 1. 5. giuing all diligence that aboue q Pro. 4. 7. all gettings thou maiest get wisedome and vnderstanding thou must r Pro. 2. 2. cry for the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding and ply all means as they that Å¿ Verse 3. digge for treasures by continuall t Ios 1. 8. meditation v Iam. 1. 19. Pro. 8. 34. hearing w Reuel 1. 3 Col. 4. 16. reading and x Psal 119. 13. 48. Acts 17. 11. conference of the word that so thou maiest bee y Col. 1. 9. filled with all wisedome and spirituall vnderstanding in applying generall knowledge to particular practises by z Heb. 5. 14. reason of which vse thou maieâ—â— haue thy sences exercised to discerne both good and euill and so a Acts 24. 16. exercise thy selfe to haue alwaies a conscience void of offence toward God toward men Then when the b Psa .. 119. 21. proud that erre from Gods commandements shall bee cursed and c Esa 45. 24. 65. 14. all that be incenced against him shall bee ashamed and howle for vexation of spirit being snared in their owne transgression thou shalt d Pro. 29. 6. sing and reioyce with the righteous and shout for ioy in the e 2 Cor. 1. 12 Pro. 15. 15. testimony of thy conscience as in a continuall feast Yea but by the former meanes applied thy conscience accuseth thee of many sinnes yea of f Gen. 42. 21 sinne many yeares past and of the g Iob 13. 26. sins of thy youth sins h Psal 40. 12 more then the haires of thy head and the more thou lookest into the glasse of Gods law the more thou seest thy sinnes to abound Yet being washed in the bloud of the Lambe were they multiplied to thousands and euery penny debt increased to a pound to a talent the i Heb. 9. 14. 1 Ioh. 1. 7. bloud of Christ who through the eternall spirit offered himselfe without spot to God doth purge thy conscience from them all So that they may now serue thee as good remembrancers to magnifie that grace that hath k Rom. 5. 20 ouer-abounded them all but l Rom. 8. 1. condemne thee they cannot being in Christ Iesus and walking after the spirit Yea but as thou walkest thou art still yet erring on the right hand or on the left and how farre so many errors may carry thee thou canst not but feare But Gods promise I say stands for thee that m Esa 30. 21 in all these errings thine eares shall heare a word behinde thee saying This is the way walke yee in it and this shall n Psal 19. 13 keepe thee backe from presumptuous sinnes and thou shalt be innocent from the great transgression Yea but sometimes thou stumblest fouly thou sayest and fallest downe flat Yet o Psal 37. 24 though thou fall thou shalt not vtterly be cast downe for the Lord vpholdeth thee with his hand yea p Deut 33. 27. the euerlasting armes are vnderneath thee to raise thee vp and q Psal 34. 7. Angels encamped round about
neede of the phâ—sitian but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous that is h Luk. 16. 15 thoâ—â— that iustifiâ— themselues before men but sinners to repentance that is such as i Mat. 11. 28 labour and are heauy laden with the k Psal 38. 4. burden of their sinnes The l Gal. 3. 24 Law therefore must be the Schoole-master to bring men to Christ from mount Sinai they must come to mount Sion from m Heb. 12. 21 feare and quaking to n Vers 24. that speaketh better things then that of Abel and neuer any receaued the spirit of adoption to cry Abba Father but they first â— receaued the spirit of bondage o Rom. â— 1â— to feare For vnlesse men come to Christ with aâ—hes and mourning and the spirit of heauinesse how â—â—all he p Esa 61. 3. giue them beauty for ashes the oyle of ioy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse Arist This is that which is euery where spoken against as the q Act. 28. 22 doctrine of the Apostles was and say men this is to begin at the wrong end For say they you must first begin with faire and soft words to winne the loue of men or else you will neuer doe other good then stirre the world about your eares and make variance and combustion as some crackt-brained preachers doe where â—re they come And in common discretion say tâ—ey how should men expect the quiet fruite of righteousnesse from others if they gash and cut them to the heart with such terrors and sharpe rebukes Arch. First I answeare this sounds as if some young conceited scholler not knowing what belongs to husbandry should tell a ploughman whom he seeth breaking vp his fallow grounds and ploughing and grubbing vp his thistles and thornes alas â—â—r what meane you can â—ou looke your ground â—hould euer yeelde you good crop if you vse it â—us hardly Or like as if â—ome Shepeards swaine beâ—olding a wise builder pulâ—ing down ruinous towers and digging vp and casting out the rubbish that he may lay a sure foundation should blame him for making such heapes ruines where in his conceipt there needed not but a few plaâ—tering or dawbing reparaâ—ons And when we heare the Lord r Iere. 1. 10. setting the Prophet to roote out and to pull downe to destroy and throw downe and then to build and plant and when accordingly the Prophet chargeth the men of Iudah and Ierusalem to Å¿ Iere 4. 3. breake vp their fallow ground and not to sow among thornes who is so simple but he that will not learne that may not heereby be instructed how to begin spirituall husbandry and building This is not therefore to begin at the wrong end for thus began God himselfe with Adam and Eue after their transgression by t Gen. 3. 7 8 c. shame and feare and iudging them to lay a ground in their hearts for the Lord Iesus the corner stone that so they might be fitted to receaue the promise of the blessed seede And as all the Prophets held the same course so Iohn Baptist greater then all the Prophets began his u â—uk 3. 3. preaching with the baptisme of repentance for the â—emission of sinnes and â— so did the Lord Iesus vv Mat. 4. 17 himselfe and x Luk. 24. 47 directed also his Apostles to the same course which not 〈◊〉 they obserued in y Heb. 6. â—â— Act. 20. 21. laying the foundation first of repentance from dead workes and then of faith towards God but all that in the primitiue times preached with Apostolicall approbation as S. Paul z 1 Cor. 14. â—4 26 witnesseth so conuinced and iudged all vnbeleeuers that they fell downe on their faces worshipping God and reporting that God was in them of a truth Secondly concerning the combustion and variance that accompanieth the a Zac. 7. 5. ministery of the spirit and the b 1 Thes 1. 5. 6. Gospel where euer it comes not in word onely but in power and in the holy Ghost which is a c Esa 4. 4. spirit of iudgement and of burning let me intreate men to stay themselues and seriously to consider of what spirit such men are who now dare to cast that as a reproach against Preachers wherein our Sauiour gloried professing that he d Mat. 10. 34 came not to send peace on earth but e Luk. 12. 49 fire sword and for which hee so highly magnified the Preaching of Iohn Baptist saying f Mat. 11. 12 From the dayes of Iohn Baptist vntill now the kingdome of heauen suffereth violence and the violent take it by force What will â—â—ey indite afresh the Lord 〈…〉 us as the chiefe Priests 〈…〉 d who when they had â—othing else to say layed it â—eauily to his charge sayâ—â—g g Luk. 23. 5. Hee stirreth vp the people teaching throughout all Iury c Or shall â—ae spirit of Festus or any wiâ—e temporizer stand vp againe against those fiery-tongued men that h 1 Pet. 1. 12. Preaâ—hed the Gospell with the â—oly Ghost sent downe â—rom heauen and iudge â—hem to bee i Acts 26. 24. madde with â—uch learning or at least as â— men besides themselues k 2 Cor. 5. 13 because l Verse 11. knowing the terâ—or of God they so powerâ—â—lly perswaded men that â—â—ey turned many from iâ—â—ls and turned out diuels and ouerthrew idolatrous and diuellish crafts and gaines whereby they m Act. 16. 19 c 19. 24. c. exceedingly troubled as some cryed out their city and n Acts 17. 6. turned the world vpside downe as others said Or must wee now at last cast yeelâ— vp that chosen vessell S. Paul to be a o Acts 24. 3. pestilent fellow and a mouer of sedition through the world as hee was accused because he was p 2 Tim. 3. 11 persecuted at Antioch and Lystra pelted and q Acts 14. 19 driuen away with stones from Iconium r Acts 16. 22 c. openly whipt and stockt in Philippi Å¿ Act. 17. 5. 6 forced to hide his head at Thessalonica and his ministery generally opposed and blasphemed with t Acts 18. 6. â— insurrections v Acts 19. 28 20. 1 vproares w Acts 21. 30. 34 tumults and x Acts 22. 22 23. out-cryes following him and â— bands y Act. 20. 22. 〈◊〉 afflictions in euery ci 〈…〉 abiding him I confesse that the wiseâ—â—me from aboue is peaceâ—ie as pure and neither â—eacher nor Professor â—ay either carry in his own â—eart or kindle among oâ—â—ers any z Iam. â— 14. c. bitter enuying and strife which is earthly sensuall and diuellish the â— seruants of God must not â— 2 Tim. 2. 24. 〈◊〉 striue but rather as blesâ—ed peace-makers they must raw water out of the wels â—â—saluation to quench all 〈◊〉 fiery passions that are 〈…〉 on fire of â—ell But the
Psal 78. 34 c. returne and enquire earely after God and they that were as vnruly as u Ier. 5. 8. fed horses euery one neighing after his neighbours wife are brought to vv Pro. 3. 11 12. mourne at the last and say How haue I hated instruction and my heart despised reproofe Wherefore affliction being a furnace wherein as God will make the hardest hearts were they x Ier. 6. 28. brasse iron to y Eze. 22. 20 21. melt when he bloweth vpon them in the fire of his wrath so he purgeth others and new mouldes them as choise vessels vnto honour choosing them as the Prophet z Esa 4â— 10 saith in the furnace of affliction Wee must therefore watch to strike when the iron is hot as men say remembring that one sound stroke of reproofe may then doe more good then an hundred before Finally there are some speciall acceptable times of grace when it pleaseth God more then other times to a Marâ— 6. 33 Ioh. 4. 30. 35 stirre the hearts of men as the b Iohn 5. 4. Angel moued the water of the poole Bethesda then he that is wise to winne soules must learne of Christ to apply himselfe to the opportunity as c Iohn 4. 35 husbandmen that fore-cast foure monethes before hand to attend their haruest wee may not then stand vpon set houres or other businesses but borrow from our meale-times as our d Verse 31. 32. Lord and his e Mark 6. 31 34 35. Disciples did and from our bedtimes as f Acts 20. 7. S. Paul did and from our worke-times as g Acts 18. 26 Aquila and Priscilla did to further the Lords haruest and to edifying each other in our most holy faith Arist Though for my owne part I haue so failed in the wise mans heart to discerne both time and iudgement that I may blame my selfe for many successelesse speeches yet say others that thinke it too strict to be held euery day to this duty of exhortation and therefore are in and out off and on like aguish stomackes that haue their good daies and bad to day opening the doore of their lips and ministring grace to the hearers and tomorrow shutting it with deepe silence and many dayes as silent as if it were cleane off the hinges say they what will yee haue men doe Wee haue often and long laboured and waited and taken the opportunities to deale with men and yet we can work little or no good on men shall wee still spend our strength for nought and labour in vaine Arch. As wee say they are void houses where the dores daily open not and there wants oyle when the dores moue not without creaking as on rusty hinges so a shrewd token it is that the h 2 Cor. 4. 13 spirit of faith is no indweller where the dore of the lips is not daily open to set forth Gods praise and sure great want there is of the i Esa 61. 3. Psal 45. â— oyle of ioy and gladnesse when mens lips like rusty hinges moue not without k Iude verse 16. murmuring and complaining It is with the spirit of regeneration as with the winde l Ioh. 3. 8. which bloweth where it listeth for God m Rom. 9. 18 hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardeneth And Christ that n Psal 45. 7. was annointed with the oyle of gladnesse aboue all his fellowes could finde matter of o Luk. 10. 21 reioycing in spirit thanksgiuing to his Father in that which seemed good in his Fathers eyes both in hiding and reuealing the mysteries of the kingdome of heauen And as Christ and his Apostles ceased not to giue witnesse to the truth no not when it seemed that rhey p Esa 49 spent their strength for nought and their labour in vaine because their iudgement was yet with the Lord to q 2 Cor. 2. 1 whom they were a sweete sauour in them that liued and in them that perished so should wee be r 1 Cor. 15. 58 stedfast and immoueable alwaies abounding in this worke of the Lord for as much as we know that our labour is not in vaine in the Lord whether we be Å¿ 2 Cor. 2. 1â— the sauour of death vnto death or the sauour of life vnto life God that could not endure t Deut. 23. 9. 11 Miscellane seede nor Linsey-wolsey in Israell can lesse endure that his people should bee v Ier. 12. 9. as a speckled bird here of one colour and there of another or vv Hos 7. 8. as a cake not turned hot on one side and colde on another this variablenesse cost Ephraim full dearely when his x Hos 6. 4. goodnesse being as a morning cloud and going away as the earely dewe it made y Hos 5. 14. God euen God to teare and goe away to take away and none could rescue him And we know it is z Phil. 3. 12. c. perseuerance that carryeth away the price which by a Rom. 2. 7. patieÌ„t continuance in well-doing and b Mat. 10. 2â— enduring to the end hath the promise of saluation and eternall life whereas the double-minded man that is vnstable in all his waies is so farre from receiuing a full reward that he not onely c 2 Ioh. vers 8. looseth the things which hee hath wrought but hee must neuer d Iam. 1. 7. 8. looke to receiue any thing else of the Lord sauing an e Mat 6. 2. hypocrites reward The time was when Iesus bidding Simon to f Luk. 5. 4. c launch out into the deepe and to let downe their nets for a draught Simon answered Master we haue toyled all the night and haue taken nothing neuerthelesse at thy word I will let down the net and then they enclosed such a multitude of fishes that the net brake and they filled their owne ship and their partners till they both began to sinke In like manner sometimes it fareth in fishing for soules At the first Preaching of the Gospell little was the good that Iohn Baptist and Christ himselfe wrought vpon soules for the fruit they reaped from most men for their labours whether they piped or mourned was nothing else but g rayling 〈◊〉 1. 18 â—9 and scorning And the Preaching of all the Apostles being added to the former yet small was the gleaning they all gathered till Christs ascension for the greatest assembly of Disciples that wee reade of till then and Pentecost ensuing was but about the number of h Acts 1. 15. 120. to fulfill that which was written i Esa 53. 1. who hath beleeued our report and to whom is the arme of the Lord reuealed And when on k Acts 2. 1. 3. 4. the day of Pentecost Christ had in the appearance of fiery clouen tongues powred out the holy Ghost vpon them at first when they spake with strange tongues as the spirit gaue them vtterance how were all their auditors l Verse 12. 13 amazed and in doubt and others how mocked they saying these men are full of new wine Yet afterward so mightily preuailed the word of God that m Verse 37. many were pricked in heart saying Men and Brethren what shall wee doe and the same day there were n Vers 21. added vnto them about three thousand soules And afterward o came in as wee reade the Rom 11. 25 fulnesse of the Gentiles to fulfill what Christ had foretold saying p Now Ioh. 12. 31 32. shall the Prince of this world be cast out and I if I be lifted vp will draw all men vnto mee Finally it is with the word of God spoken as with seed sowen wherin q Iohn 4. 37 that saying is true one soweth and another reapeth and the successe may be good though not presently apparant And therefore a foule-fault it is to be weary of well-doing and to cease exhorting any day while God commands vs to exhort euery day while it is called to day Wherefore as in hand-feeding so much more in lip-feeding r Eccl. 11. 2 giue a poâ—tion to seauen and also to eight for thou knowest not what euil shall be on the earth nay in hope of Gods blessing omit no opportunity of doing good but Å¿ Verâ— 6. in the morning sowe thy seede and in the euening with-hold not thine hand for thou knowest not whither shall prosper this or that or whither they both shall be alike good To GOD onely wise be glory FINIS