tell this people Hear ye indeed but understand not and see ye indeed but perceive not 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their eares heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their eares and understand with their heart and convert and be healed 11. Then said I Lord how long And he answered untill the Cities be wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the land be utterly desolate 12. And the Lord have removed men farre away and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the Land GOD at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the Fathers by the Prophets Heb. 1. 1. Somtimes viva voce by his own immediate audible voice as Exo. 19. 19. Somtimes by Consultations by Vrim according as was directed Numb 27. 21. Somtimes by manifesting his will and pleasure in a dream as to Pharaoh and to Joseph the Patriâ—rch Gen. 41. Somtimes by visions as here in this Chapter The whole Prophesie in general is called the vision of Isaiah the Son of Amoz a Isa 1. 1. and this in the Text is like Ezechiels wheel within a wheel b Eze. 1. 16. a vision within a vision These words of the Prophet are of a very sad and gloomy aspect as full of threatning as these times wherein we live and let this be observed from them in general That there is not in the whole booke of God a Text that Christ and his Apostles made so much use of for the convincement of obstinate and rebellious Hypocrites as thiâ— of this Prophet Isaiah So that however it may seeme to be an old stale obsolete threatning directed only uâ—… the Jews many hundred yeers ago yet if we consult the Evangelical History we shall find it owned and adopâ—… by Christ and by S. Paul as â—… when he preach'd to the Saints 〈◊〉 Rome as when he wrote unto tâ—… Romans from Corinthus a Mat. 13. 14. Mark 4. 12. Luke 8. 10. Ioh. 12. 41. Acts 28. 26. Rom. 11. 8. nay orâ—ginally to be the language of Chrâ— himself and dictated unto this Pâ—…phet long before his incarnation â—… will appear if we look well upon thâ— of John 12. 41. These things said Esâ—ias when he saw his glory and spake of him That is spake of him prophetically and saw his glory as S. Stephen did b Act. 7. 55. as the glory of the eternal Son of God So that I could have taken my Text out of either of the Evangelists out of the Acts of the Apostles or the Epistle to the Romans as well as out of this Prophet but that I desired to fetch my water as neer the spring head as might be It is but the language of the same holy Spirit in all these and sure the holy Ghost hath fixed a particular mark of observation upon that Text which he hath so frequently recorded and inserted in the Sacred volume To this may be added the near Relation and Correspondency between the Text and these times what was then but in minis is with us in poenis Isaiahs threatnings unto Israel are Gods visible executions in England To say nothing of the admirable State and Majesty wherein God appeared when he delivered this Message to his Prophet not much inferiour to that which was observed in the promulgation of the Law as appears v. 1. 2. 3. 4. 't is enough to startle and awaken us that it is First Of Judgement not of Mercy and Judgement as once the Psalmist sung a Psal 101. 1. But solely and entirely of Judgement not a syllabe of mercy that I can find in it a sad I confesse but no unsafe Theam to awe and regulate a man into obedience and submission The Gospel it self stands surest upon this foundation and the seed ofGods word never thrives and prospers so well as where the surrows have been made by the terrors of the Law Secondly Of Judgement not upon the Nations of the earth at large upon Edom or Moab or Egypt or Caldea which elswhere have their several burdens denounced and by this prophet too but here the sad message is directed unto Judah the most selected Tribe of all his own people a people that God had ever dandled upon the lap of his mercy and distinguished from all the world by his visible care and protection over them Go and tell Thâ—… people c. and if Judgement begin aâ— Judah at the house of God what shall bâ— the end of those that obey not the Gospâ—… of God 1. Pet. 4. 17. Thirdly The Judgement here threatned is not like those which were onâ— propounded by God to Davids choise a 2. Sam. 24. 13. a Judgement of a day or a moneth or a yeer but a more lasting Iudgement which was not to be removed till the Cities were wasted without inhabitant and the houses without man and the Land were utterly desolate vers 11. Fourthly With the Continuance we have here a very dangerous Quality in the Iudgement A Iudgement not of blasting or mildew upon the fields or of murrain upon the flocks not upon the goodly pillars of the land Religion and Iudicature by removing them out of their places not upon the person of their King the joy of their hearts and the breath of their nostrils a Lam. 4. 20. all which are sore and heavie Iudgements but a judgement beyond all these a judgement upon the Heart Infatuation of Mind A judgement that hath no sense of judgement Make the heart of his people fat c. There is no plague like unto that of the heart Fiftly This infatuation is made by Prophets partly by false Prophets namely by the seduction of their false and byassed visions and partly by true Prophets namely by the hardning power of the divine Oracles on those that rebel against the convincement of that sacred light And lastly We may observe the Time when this sad message was delivered to the Prophet and by him denounced unto the people and that was In the same yeer that good King Vzziah died v. 1. A King that had deserved well of his people and of whose government none had cause to complain unlesse it were the Priest in one particular which is more then our Clergy could complain of in all the raign of our blessed Hezekiah who fell not so much the peoples martyr as the Priests In all which particulars the Vision of Isaiah is so visible a character of these times that any man that is not involved in this Iudgement of Infatuation may run and read it Which I mention for no other end but to alarum and awake the sensless and secure of our Age and Nation who never think themselves in danger till theâ— are surprized past all recovery and like men in a Consumption never think themselves sick till they find themselves dead The Text is a Commission given from the mouth of God himself Go and till this people c.
Country men 2. Cot. 11. 26. Our Condition not unlike that which is described by the same Apostle in another place Troubled we are on 1. Cor. 4. 8. 9. every side yet not distressed Cast down but not destroyed Perplexed but not in despair Persecuted but we hope in Christ not under the Doom in the Text not forsaken of our God In these pâ—rils and perplexities our securest way will be to betake our selves unto his shelâ—er and Protecton who is the Psal 65. 5. confidence of all the end of the earth and of them that are a far off upon the sea To thee therefore O merciful and gracious God do we resigne and recommend our selves our souls and bodies out Cause and all our Councels and designs beseeching thee to remove our sins as far from us as they have removed us out of thy favour O thou that sparedst Ninive in compassion to those many thousand innocents that were therein be pleased out of thine infinite mercy to spare those sinful Nations from whence we are and give not up thine heritage therein to such Confusion but turn us O God at the last and be gracious unto thy servants Oh satisfie us with thy mercies and that soon and do not suffer thy whole displeasure to arise upon us but do thou arise and have mercy upon Sion build thou the walls of our decayed Ierusalem and cause thy face again to shine upon thy Sanctuary among us So we that be thy people and sheep of thy pasture shall give thee thankes for ever and declare thy loving kindness from generation to generation Thus I have shewed the several kernels of this Pomgranate but to have insâ—sted particularly upon every one of them would have swelled this Treatise beyond its intended Bulk The main thing I shall fix upon for my subject is the Doctrine of Spiritual Infatuation the epidemical disease and infection of these Times reserving the other considerations to be inserted and interweaved as subservient handmaids to this grand purpose or to be used as so many slight dashes in the pourtraicâ—ure of this ugly and deformed monster of this Age. Incrassa cor populi hujus Make the heart of this people fat The disease we have to do withal lies not in the Head it is not a vertigo or whimsey in the brain an error in opinion But 't is a desperate malignant humour thaâ— flies to the Heart the seat of the vital Spirits and the principal part of the whole body In that black roll of curses we read of Deut. 28. the greatest to my apprâ—hension is that which is set down v. 28. The Lord shall smite thee with madness and bliâ—dness and astonishment of heart And Salomon in that excellent prayer which he made at the Dedication of the Temple makes the knowledge and removal of this plague of the heart to be the characteristick note of true repentance and acceptation with God 1. King 8. 38. 'T is this part that is primum vivens and ultimum moriens as well in Grace as Nature And therefore since the Act of the Spiritual Physitian is so much concern'd in the preservation and recovery of this principal part that I may proceed with the more hopeful successe therein It will not be amisse to proceed after this method namely to shew 1. The disease it self 2. The Causes of it 3. The Symptomes of it 4. The most hopeful way of Cure of it First of the Disease We say in Physick that a disease is more then halfe cured when it is certainly known and disovered and more grand errors are committed by unwary assurances then by illiterate applications This of the heart is mentioned in Scripture with great variety of expressions That which we read so frequently in Scripture of the Sons of Belial men that lived in their generations Absque jugo without any yoke of Religion or Government upon them That which the Psalmist speaks of a people whose hearts were as fat as grease or as brawn according to the vulgar translation Psal 119. 70. That which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of an Impudent stif hearted people Ezek. 2. 4. That which the Protomartyr Stephen speaks of a stiffnecked people and uncircumcised in heart and ears Act. 7. 51. That which S. Paul mentions of some whose consciences were cauterized and seared as with an hot iron 1. Tim. 4. 2. That which he calls elsewhere Blindness of heart in those who being past feeling have given themselves over unto licentiousness to work all uncleaness with greediness Eph. 4. 18. 19. That which he calls a strong delusion in those who are designed to believe a lie to their own destruction 2. Thess 2. 11. That which he calls the darkness and defilement of the mind and Conscience Tit. 1. 15. The same is the desperate disease of the fat heart in the Text. All these are but so many expressions of the same Malignitie in the Soul So that by the fat heart we are to understand such a Brawny obstinate and obdurate heart as no admonitions can reclaim or mercies move or threatnings regulate or motions mollifie an heart that hates to Psal 30. 17. be reformed that is wilfully resolved to subscribe to â—o command but to pursue with greediness and delight the full swinge of its own sensual and depraved inclinations We say in Philosophy Qualitates intenduntur remittuntur All Qualities admit of intensions and degrees For as in Artificial Contrivances one wheel insers the motion of another and one colour is a preparative to another till the cloth be dyed in Grain As in Matters Military a small defeat at first may be the occasion of a total Rout So in Matters Spiritual per sâ—elera ad scelus one iniquity is ordinarily the dore and preparative to another till at last the sin becoms of a scarlet dye and one Judgemâ—nt if not entertainâ—d as coming from the just hand of God becomes a fatal preparative to another till at last the soul becoms palseystricken and hath no sense at all of the hand that smiteth it Thus it fares with this Porosis tes Kardias This Infatuation or Obduration of the Heart â—s of several Kinds or Degrees I shall speak only of three of them unto which all maâ— be reduced First There is an obduration which is natural and common to the whole lump and masse of mankind The Prophâ—t Jeremy spâ—aks of a foreskin groâ—ing upon the heart which must be taken off Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the foreskins of your hearts Ier. 4. 4. Of which Spiritual Circumâ—ision the â—egal in the flesh was but a Type and figure the true Circuâ—cision being that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of man but of God Rom. 2. 29. With this foreskin about the heart is every man born into the world and 't is no shame for us to acknowledge the vilenesse of our natural pollution according as Ezechiel describes it Ezech 16. 4.
wound our friends and their designs at any distance would be seriously thought on by all that wish us good luck and that we may prosper in the name of Lord. That as we are hungry and greedy enquirers after news and transactions so we would be as zealous in abstaining from that which will certainly render our intelligence more welcom and desired That after a long and sad experience of the severe hand of God against us God may at last have the â—onouâ— and our selves the comfort of a final victory over our selves and sinful enormities as well as Enemies 2. Somtimes God suffers the hearts of such as hate to be reformed to be hardned and infatuated perâ—inisterium Diaboli by the service and ministry of our grand enemy the Divel For the Angels which kept not their first estate are not so reserved in chains under darkness but that they have leave to walk the world to promote the Kingdom of darkness S. John tells us The great dragon was cast out of heaven that old serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world he was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him Rev. 12. 9. And our Saviour compares the Kingdom of heaven to a man who sowed good seed in his fiâ—ld but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way Mat. 13. 24. 25. Almighty God hath four principal fields Heaven Paradise the Church and mans heart In heaven Lucifer sowed pride In Paradise Satan sowed disobedience In the Church he soweth Schismes and Heresies and in mans heart he sows all manner of unlawful sects And for the great harvest he gains by his unwâ—aried industry in sowing he is called the God of this world the Eph. 2. 2. prince of the ayr who ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience It is said of Judas Iscariot that after he had recâ—ived the sop from his masters hand which was the signal discovery which of the twelve should prove the Traitor that Satan entrâ—d into him Ioh. 13. 27. What advisâ— this infernal tutor dictated unto him is sâ—t down V. 2. He put into his heart to betray his master which was prophesied long besore that Satan should stand at his right hand Psal 109. 6. It was very proper and natural that the Divel should have the sole conduct of Iudas who was to be the guide unto them who were to take Jesus All Trâ—ason though never so â—peciously guilded and disguised we know from whence it comes it is neither beâ—ter nor worse then the Divels whisper And indeed there is no reconciling Christ and Belial no middle path between oâ—edience and disobedience no neutrality between God and his enemies They that will not have the one of raign over them do ipso facto subscribe unto the others Goveâ—nment Saul is no sooner deserted by a good Spirit but immediatly possessed of an evil one And this is most agreeable to the Iustice of God that 1. Sam 16. 14. such as will not be led by the saving conduct of his good Spirit should be left to the mercy of a Spirit so full of malice that when he cannot have his full blow aâ— man receives some satisfaction in the destruction of an herd of swine Mar. 3. 12. We read of Ahab that being designed by the Iustice of God to fall at Ramoth Gilead a lying Spirit comes and offers his service to be the instrument of his destruction and propounding a very plausible way to effect his designe namely by being a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophers he gains a Commission or rather a Permission to go and act accordingly Where we may pause a little and enquire what was the reason the Divel was so active and officious in this service Was it to befriend the Syrian army with a glorious victory 'T is not likely he should be friend to any party who is the irreconciliable enemy of all mankind Or was it for the accomplishment of Eliahs Prophecy concerning Ahabs fall Doubtlesse the promoting and accomplishing Gods Truth quatenus his Truth is no very pleasing employment to a lying Spirit He that was a Lyar from the beginning and the arch Patron of all imposture would certainly change Gods Truth into a lye if the thing were possible and his power proportionable to his malice No his malice strikes at the King of Israel that in that one blow he mâ—ght â—ound all the thousands of Isâ—ael He knew well that if the sheperd were once but smitten the sheep would immediatly bâ— scattered into misery and confusion enough Which as Micaiah saw in a vision so the Divel by the advantage of long experience knew would be the certain consequent of the Kings fall And therefore for this grand purpose he wher 's all his endeavours for this he Councels the King of Assiriâ— to issue out a Command saying Fight 1. King 22. 31. neither with small nor great save only with the King of Israel For this he sends his Emissaries among all the Prophets For this he raiseth persecution against single but faithful Micaiah because he would not follow his false suggestions And at the accomplishment of this designe how do the hellish and infernal suries clâ—p their black hands in a tryumphant acclamation saying There there so would we have it I have insisted the longer on this story for the near affinitie and correspondence it hath with these times For let us but set a good King in the place of a bad and sure we have much of Micaiahs vision accomplished in our Israel Sure I am we are scattered on all hands as sheep that have no shepherd at least no shepherd where he should be and in this our sad confusion we are not without good store of Foxes and Tygers and wolves in sheeps clothing preying upon us And no wonder for was the lying Spirit so active and busie in Ahabs time and hath he been lesse active and busie in ours Was he so active and busie in cutting of an Ahab from the Throne of Israel and hath he been lesse active and busie in cutting of an Hezechiah from the Throne of England Was it the language of the lying Spirit in thâ— Prophets of those times Go up and prâ—sper and is it not the language of the same Spirit in the b'ack mouthes of our Prophets Go on and prosper in the most prodigious ways that ever â—he Sun beheld Was Michaiah smitten and imprisoned and reduced to bread and water for speaking in the name of the Lord And are not our Micaiahs our Prophets as vilely and villanously intreated by our Pashurs and Zedechias among the Prophets and by our Ammons and Governours among the people I would to God that many of us the Lords Prophets had but so much as bread and water that we could call our own till our Soveraign Lord the King were setled in his Throne in peace But alas what can either Priest or
to behave himselâ— proudly against the ancient the base against the honourable and the people to be oppressed every one by another which is an accursed condition as full of torment and vexation to an ingâ—niouâ— spirit as of absurdity confusion If he hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of us delivered us up to spiritual drunkenness and madness and blasted all our Treaties perhaps for the secret insincerity of our specious disguises Isa 15. 14. Ier. 13. 13. If he hath suffered our people to be eaten up like bread our blood to be made as cheap as water our metropolis to become a portion for sozes our stately pallaces and Temples to be a quarter for horses or a receptacle for thieves and rebels and the overflowings of ungodlines to proceed so far as to quench the light of our Israel by taking away the joy of our hearts and the breath of our nostrils in the life of our Soveraign And notwithstanding all this hath closed Isa 29. 10. the eys of our Prophets and rulers with the spirit of a deep sleep of senslesness security which is the map of our present misery and confusion sure there is great wrath gone out from the Lord against us it concerns every man to enquire after the secret Achan of his own bosom there is great reason to suspect we are under the immediate power and enchantment of a general Infatuation And therefore since the first ground and bottom of infatuation is from a stumbling block of our own laying in the secret depravities and reservations of the heart Let the people no longer charge the errors and infelicities of the times on the prophets nor the prophets on the people but let all look well into our selves and we shall find matter of high provocation both in the prophets and in the people And therefore laying a side all bitternesse and evil speakings against each other Let us turn our charges and clamours into prayers for each other the people sor the prophets that they may be more faithful sincere in the administration and execution of their sacred function and the prophets for the people that they may be more diligent in knowing and more conscionable in practising what is delivered unto them out of the sacred Oracles the people for the prophets that they may be burning and shining lamps in the sanctuary of God and the prophets for the people that they may be translated from the kingdom of darknes into the glorious light and liberty of the sons of God That so both people and prophets may twist and concâ—r in their utmost endeavours to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. and both be brought nearer to God to serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear To all these instruments of Infatuation I shall add but one more and that I take to be expresly set down in the Text namely The sincere preaching of the good word of God Go first and tell this people and afterwards make the heart of this people fat that is deliver my message sincerely unto this people though I know before-hand they will grow more obstinate and obdurate upon the hearing of it The prophet Isaiah compares the word of God to Rain and Snow As the rain cometh down and Isa 55. 10. 11. the snow from heaven and returneth not thither but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater So shall my word be that goeth out of my mouth it shall not return unto me void c. And yet as the same frosty snowy weather that is health to the sound is a burthen to the weak and crazy Constitution As the same refreshing shower which bringeth up the grasse and corn bringeth up the weeds and tares also So the same good word 1. Cor. 15. 15. 1. of God never returns in vain our Labour cannot be in vain in the Lord It may be in vain in respect of your conversion It will not be in vain in respect of your Conviction It may be in vain in respect of your humiliation It will not be in vain in respect of your Obduration It may be in vain in respect of your Regeneration and Salvation It will not be in vain in respect of your Iudgement and Câ—ndemnation Moses was assured before-hand from the mouth of God himself that all his embassies and transactions with Pharaoh should produce no other effect but to render him more obstâ—nate and resolved not to subscribe to the command of God in the dismission of his people yet Moses is sent unto him that the hardnesse of Pharaohs heart as well as the greatness of Gods power might be known unto the world There was message upon message and if these were not enough there was miracle upon miracle and if these concerned him not there was plague upon plague like wave upon wave beating upon himself his servants and the whole Nation of the Egyptians and yet notwithstanding all this we find the heart of Pharaoh hardned into a proverb and an instance of an obdurate spirit unto all posterity What shall we say then Is there unrighteousnesse with God in sending Prophets to the ruin of a people Is there mors in olla Is there death in the Prophets pot Is there poyson in the sincere milk of Gods word I shewed before that corruption in the hearts of the people might occasion corruption in the prophets but can the stench and infection of that corruption extend it self so far as to â—aint the good word of God No certainly Let God be true though every man a Lyar and let his word be ever sacred and immutable though all the world should be convicted and condemned by it Heaven and earth shall passe away but his word shall not passe away that is accordâ—ng as the Rev. 6. 14. scripture comment else where The heavens shall passe away as a scroul when it is rouled together and the Elements 2. Pet. 3. 10. shall melt with fervent heat This goodly Ball of Earth shall be crumbled into nothing and all the gaudy vanities we so much dote on shall passe away like a smoke But not one jot or tittle of that word which may save and must judge us shall passe away or be changed And therefore to prevent any mistake that may arise in a businesse of so great concernment It may not be impertinent to shew first the innocent Quality of Gods word in its own nature Secondly The different operation of this word per accidens in some hearers Thirdly The Reason of this different operation Fourthly what Cautions and Counsels may be needful to prevent its hardning quality in our selves First that we may have no quarrel against the preaching of the word what ever exception lies against the preachers we must know The word of Mark 4. 1. Pet. 22. God is alwaies good seed what ever the ground
the hearts are already prepossed There is mammon a covetous worldly divel and there is Bâ—cchusâ—a swâ—…ish drunken divel and there is Venus a lalciviâ—uâ— uncleâ—n divel there is revenge a raging foming divel These and many more have taken possession of the soul insomuch that there is no room for any Evangelical guest so that would you know the reason why our sermons are duri sermones hard sayings iâ— is from dura corda because your hearts are hard heartâ— Totum durum est quiâ—quid imperatur invitis Every thing is hard and severe to a man that hath no inclination to obey Quot genera preceptorum tot adversariorium So many precepts as we find in the Decalogue so many enemies hath the carnal and licentious liver Such is the power and predominancy of deliberate and resolved wickedness that men had rather deny the Gospel it self thâ—n themselves and their own destâ—uctive lusts Malunt execrari legem quam emendari mentem they had rather the Law it self were abolishâ—… accursed then their own ungodly minds reformed bear a greater hatred to the clear commands of God then to their own vilenesse so that Cui aniâ—…us perversus est nec Moses nec Prophetaeâ—nec unus e mortuis prodest Nor is this all the damage or miscariage That our pâ—eaching is in vain to such men and the good seed lost because the stony ground will not suffer it to take root no the mischief of all mischiefs is the good seed is lost and the stony ground becoms more stony not hearing aâ—d no undâ—rstanâ—ing as in the text but here is hearing turned into hardning not stones chang'd inâ—o bread as was once expected from our Saviour but here is bread changed into stones the bread of life and the food of the soul changed into putrefaction and obdurâ—tenesse of spirit And now if any man shal ask me Sir I pray resolve me what do you think is the reason why my heart is so refractory and impenetrable after the hearing of so many good sermons after so many solemn applications to the means of grace c. Truly Sir my answer must be because you have heard so much to so little purpose Every sermon you have heard every convincement you have checkt repulsed is one blow more upon the Anvil of your heart and the oftner or the longer you have been in the furnace of affliction without refining and reforming the error of your mind the the more you are hardned to your own destruction And that I do not speak this of my self I shall give you authority for it I shall make my instance in those Gentils S Paul speaks of Rom. 1. who certainly were not without the knowledge of God sor it is said v. 21. Because when they knew God they glorified him not as God but held the truth of God in unrighteousness v. 18. therefore God gave them up unto uncleanesâ— v. 24. and even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge so God gave them over to a reprobate mind v. 28. how far their mind was reprobate we learn v. ult Who knowing the judgement of God that they which commit such thâ—ngs are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them The Scribes Pharisees had so great a prejudice against our Saviours doctrine and such a malicious hatred against his person the growth of his Gospel that they resolved beforehand if any man should confesse him to be the Christ he should Iohn 12. 11. be put out of the Synagogue And this they execute upon a poor man who being born blind was guilty of no other crime but of having the eys of his body and of his mind both opened together by a miracle And so far were they from being converted by his gracious words and miracles that tâ—ey resolve to put Lazarus to death who had been an instance of his power and mercy for no other reason but that because of him many of the Iews went away believed on Iesus I cannot imagine what should be the reason that men are grown so liberal of their excommunications executions both in England Scotland unlesse it be upon some Ieâ—…ish principle because they either will not or cannot see their own blindnesse and seduction Of such as these doubtless our Saviour speaks Ioh 2. 39. for judgement am I come iâ—to this world 〈◊〉 they which see noâ— might see and they which see might be made blind Theâ—e is a strange sâ—irit of slumber fallen upon this age a deep sleâ—p from the Lord I fear hath seized those who brag of nothing more then of strange visions and revelations from God And most justly for when men are resolved afoâ—chand to reâ—el against the light as Iob speaks Iob 24. 13. with the Pharisees and Lawyers to reject the counsel of God against themselves Luk. 7â— 30. It is just with God to seal up their eys that they shall never receive the benefit of another convincement to bow down their backs alway that they shall never look up to heaven more with any comfortable assurance of mercy to make that word of his which is a piercing word dividing asunder between the joynts marrow to be a hardning word making the heart of flesh as hard impeneâ—rable as the Adâ—mant it self So that a twofold design there is in the Gospel of Christ one whereof is proper and natural that is to propound the way of life and salvation the other is unnatural and accidental which is to be the occasâ—on of greater blindnesse condemnation by the wilfulnesse obstinacy of unbelievers Thus ye see what the god of this world cannot effect by the baits and snares of abused prosperity what the tempter cannoâ— bring about by his secret instigations and illusions nor Simon Magus and his prophets by their spells and sorceries is at last completed by the profaniâ—g of an holy ordinance This drives the nail to the head and without a miracle of mercy fastens the obstinate and obdurate hearer to his eternal lost condition And therefore some short counsel and caution in a businesse of so much concernment cannot be thought super fluous or unnecessary I do not know any admonition so of en insisted on by our Saviour as this He that hath ears to hear let him hear But beside this general two cautions we have from him in particular concerning hearing The one Mat. 4 24. Take heed what ye hear The oâ—her Luk. 8. 18. Take heed how ye hear Take heed what for the matter Take heed how for the manner The first concerns my self as well as you and all those of our function For if ye must take heed what ye hear we must also take heed what we preach But this being beside my Text I shall noâ— insiâ—t upon it only I shall say thus much That he that shall sâ—aâ—tâ—r from the Pulpir chaf and tarâ—s and wild gourds insteed of wheat may
little on our selves in this particular I could wish the strong delusions I speak of dwelt only on the other side the salt water I do not intend to meddle with our Councels and publike Transactions which by many men are thought to savour somthing of insatuation I shall ever pray for Gods blessing upon them but otherwise understand them to be both withoutâ— above the sphere of my profession But let us reflect upon our selves as we are christians and upon our conversations as they are exposed to every eyâ—…s not the world strangely cheated and abused by false ghosts when light is so ordinarily put for darknesâ— and darkness for light Good for evil and evil for good When that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sigâ—… of God and that which is most vile abominable in the sight of God is mâ—… acceptable plausible in the â—steemâ—… men To give you an instance or two The murther of Abel by Cain his brother was an act so soul and horrid that God thought fit to punish it immediately with no less then an hell of horror and trembling And to prevent the imitation insection of so soul a crime a law was presentâ—y enacted Gen. 96. Who so sheddeth mans blood by man shalâ— his blood be shed and the reason is there added â—or in the image of God made bâ— man The shedding of innocent blood in Manasses was a sin that the Scripture declares God would not pardon And 2 King 24. 4. yet the Divel hath put so fair a glosâ— upon this soul sin that the world pleadâ— a necessity that this scarlet siâ— be woâ—… with the Buff coat and that man that is not preresolved to chaleâ—ge the field â— there attempt the butchering of his Christian brother and perhaps his laâ—… friend and in that stab at God himselâ— in his own image upon the least drunken or passionate provocation is noâ— thought fit to associate with any gentleman Thus by vertue of a wild notion honour which is no more honour thâ—… the mire in the streets is gold mâ—… are sent away many times to Gods Tribunal of Justice with their blood about their ears and all their murtherous intendments in their hearts without the allowance of â—ne hours time to make up their accounts with God Thus are men hurried away to their eternal ruine by the power of a strong deluâ—…on without ever considering or expostulating with themselves Have not I put my self out of the protection of my heavenly father have not I put my self into the pofsession of the divel Am I not going about a most desperate and horrid employment am I able to pray or believe or perform any act of Christian duty as becoms a Christian Is there not a ly in my right hand So that according to this wild principle of honour That man must lie under the brand of a Coward that will not be damned for company or at least that will not run a desparate hazard to dare his own damnation Again The Treason of Judas was so desperate and abominable that the traitor himself was thought â—…t to be his own Executioner and without troubling either Judge or Jury or witness in his condemnationâ— Iâ—das conveys him self to his own place Act. 1. 25. and yet this Traytor Divel is now grown so plausible both in the Court and in the Camp that a man is thought a weak brain'd sool that hath not so much of Judas in him as to betray his Lord and Master Quid dabitis ego tradam what will ye give me and I will beâ—ray a Fort a Garison an Army into your hands may well be the motto of this false age sor its foul Treasons and Conspiracies Nay so strong is the delusion grown that we begin to disclaim the very principles of Religion Justice and Honour and think those prophets little lesse then mad men that would hold us to those safe easie and unerring rules as if we were possessed with that profane and desperate spirit of Jehoram the son of Ahab who in the extremity of siege famine rejected the Lord and the counsel of his prophet saying behold this evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer 2 Kin. 6. To come yet closer unto our selves Have we not reason to suspect we are under the power of an infatuation or delusion when those sins which at first we committed not without great trembling and hâ—rror are now by custome and acquaintance growâ— so plausible and familiar that we can hug them in our bosoms and ly down upon our pillows without the least disturbance arising from the thought of them is there not an apparent witchcraft in the pleasures of sin when our very judgements become changed and perverted by the vileness and loosness of our afsections and notwithstanding all the curses and threatnings of Gods word denounced against our beloved sins yet we can bless our selves in our own apprehensions and say we shall have peace though we walk on in the imaginations of our own deluded spâ—rits is it not a strange vanity Deut. 29. 19. of mind to believe that God will un-God himself and lay aside that glorious attribute of his Justice which is essential to his nature to indulge and comply wiâ—h us in our sinful enormities I will not rashly or severely conclude of any mans condition I shall rather entreat you all to be your own private conâ—essors and ask your selves whether these and such like perswasions are not lodged in your boâ—oms What may I not be Christian enough with some few secret sins reserved or â—s there not time enough hereafter to lay them aside when the lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eys and the pride of life have had their seasonable satissactions must I account with God for tâ—ose oaths that slip from me unawares as insensibly as my breath passeth from me or for that deliberate Perjurie without which I cannot save my Estate my Wife and children from extreme misery shall I deprive my self of the benefit of my Saviours death for living a litle or a litle longer to my self To my proud envious and ambitious self To my vain sensual and vitious self I am not so wicked and debauched as many others and there are many that passe for eminent and wise men that are as wicked as my self These I take to be the pleasing dreams and delusions of our Corrupt and seduced hearts In answer where-unto you must know that the Generality of iniquity doth not lessen or abate the guilt of it Leprosie is not lesse Leprosie because it hath overspred the whole body nor is the Pestilence of lesse danger and infection because every house in the street is infected wâ—th it These thoughts if they were searched to the bottom I believe would be found to arise from no lesse then secret Atheisme And if men would speak out their language would differ little from him that said Tush God hath
Angels hath given this priviledge unto mâ—n He may take his choise whether he will be judged Here or Hereafter by himself or by another God hath made us all Châ—ncelours â—n our own Causes with this proviso That if we will deal truly and impartialâ—y with our selves that is if we will Summon our selves to â—ppear before our selves arraign our selves before the Tribunal of our own Consciences and there Examine Indite convict and condemn our selves we shall not come into any further condemnation If we would judge our selves we should not be judged of the Lord. But if we will not judge our selves we must stand or fall according to the Sentence of another Most Certain it is that we must all appear before the Iudgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad S Iohn in a vision saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which was the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works They are Books in the plural that shall be opened The Book oâ— Nature The Book of the scripture The Book of Conscience And out of these books several accuâ—…ons will be framed The Divel that Grand acâ—useâ— will sâ—and soâ—th and plead against us The abused Creature will accuse us of excesse and luxurie The souls of the holy martyrs will 〈◊〉 us with oppression and blood guâ—…iâ—…e The Sacred Oracles of God will 〈◊〉 â—s with infidelâ—ty aâ—d Contempt and our own guilty Consciences instead of pleading for us will give up a verdict against us The only way thâ—n to supersede the judgement of that day is to call our selves to an account beforehand To agree with our adversary quickly whilst we are in the way lest we be delivered up unto the Iudge and the Iudge send us to that prison from whence there is no Redemption To riâ—le every cranny and coâ—ner of our hearts To bring sorth our murthering lusts our bosom Traytors and to use them as Ioshua did the five Kings that were hid in the cave of Makkedah that is set our feet upon their necks and slay them in the sight of all the world And this if we do we shall not fail of such a part in the first Resurrection as will secure us from the blow both of the second death and second judgement also So that it is in our own choise who shall pass sentence upon us whether our own selves or else some other person And what shall we be able to say for our selves in that great and terrible day of the Lord why the sentence of eternal death should not pass upon us when God hath given us the space of 10 20 30 40 50 60 years for the performance of so easie a task so reasonable a service and we have not done it We see with what malicious dexterity and boldness blood-thirsty and deceitful men manage the Tryals and desâ—gn the executions of persons of the highest quality and merit but how cold how dull and indisposed in enquiring after the guilt of their own wretched souls Certainly such men as they may be thought to be strongly infected with this disease of Infatuation so it may be feared they are very far removed out of the way of their recovery who have so much of other arens so little of their own guilt before their eyes A Cure then ye see there is for the Infauated soul and the first step to that Bethesda pool which cureth all diseases is by a descent of humiliation But do not mistake your selves It is not every sâ—gh or sad look no nor every tear that concludes a solid humiliation for sin There is a great difference between an humble man and a man that is humbled there are many of us God help us that are humbled and driven into great straits and extremities persons that have lived in their own Countries with great charity and hospitality towards others that have neither what to eat nor wherewithal to be clothed themselves And yet I fear were our purses as full of silver as our hearts are full of sin we should soon find the way to our former pride and luxury Physitians are wont to cure vomiting by a vomit and bleeding by letting of blood And truly the best cure I can prescribe for all our secular sorrows is by adding more sorrow and compunction for our sins then I fear resides in our dejected spirits I have dwelt long enough upon the severeâ— part of the Cuâ—e it may be demanded of me what are the messages of the Gospel to be delivered by Boanerges the sons of thunder Sure the world has â—ore then enow of such that take a great deal of pains to bring men unto Hell gaâ—eâ— by representing unto them the horrors of a damned Condition and the iâ—reâ—overable Estate of all the world besides themselves but then their Art fails them in bringing them back again They can bring the soul into a deep dejection but they know not how to raise it again They are good at the Corrasive but to seek in the application of the Cordial Like our Refoâ—mers in England they are deâ—…erous in pâ—lâ—ing down but they know not how or what to build in the place of it These are ignorant if not â—ll natured Physitiansâ— that please themselves with wounding when they know not how to heal make work for their own mercinary and adulterate Art to practise on shaping their Cures too often accordâ—ng to their incouragements and though they will not sell the gifts yet they can find a way to sell the Comforts of the Holy Ghost for mony and advantage Now in the Samaritans Cure of the wounded man that fell among hâ—eves as he journied from Ierusalem to Iericho we find two ingredients wine and oyle not wine alone or oyle alone but both first wine to search afterwards oyl to supple Thus when S. Peter sound his auditory pricked in their hearts he presently applies an Evangelical Cordial and tells them that the promise was made unto them and unto their children even as mâ—ny as the Lord should call Thus S. Paul directs the Church at Corinth to deliver up the incestuous person to Satan for the destruction of the flesh but it was for no other end but that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus For the Churches censure having humbled him he writes a second Epistle to the same Church both to forgive him and to comfort him lest perhaps he be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow And indeed the more we are broken with sorrow and contrition the more firm and compacted shall we find our confidence and assurance in Gods mercy For though self-humbling be the certain fruit and effect of faith yet faith is not so clear and conspicuous till repentance hath scoured off the rust but
lies like a coal raked up in an heap of ashes or like fire in a flint which is there before but is not discernable before the stroke of the steel hath made it so Without doubt the light of faiâ—h burns cleerest in the dark and solitary chamber of our saddest retirement and the believing ey hath never so cleer a prospect into heavenâ— as when it is full of penitent tears An instance whereof we have in the distressed condition of the Church of Israel in the Prophetâ— Miâ—ahs time When good men were perished out of the earth and evil and corrupt men were multiplyed and twisted in mischievous designs when the best man was as irksom as a briar and she most upright sharper then a thorn-hedge when a friend might not be trusted nor confidence reposed in a guide nor a secret committed to her that lay in the bosom when the son dishonoured the father the daughter rose up against her mother and a mans enemies were the men of his own house And yet in this dark dismal night of affliction see with what an humble confidence the Church addresseth her self to the strong God of her salvation Therefore will I look unto the Lord. I will wait â—or the God of my salvation my God will hear me Rejoyce not against me O mine â—nemy when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him until he plead my câ—use and execute judgement for me he will bring me forth to light and I shall behold his righteousness Now though in chastning or sorrow or whatsoever for the present seemeth joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby The Law saith S. Paul is our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ that we might be justified by faith but after that faith is come we are no longer under a Schoolmaster Prop and Supporters we know are necessary in the building of an Arch and scaffolds are necessary in the building of a Spiâ—e but when once these fabricks are finished these helps and advantages are laid aside The heyr as long as he is a childe differeth nothing from a servant though he be lord of all but is under Tutors and Governours until the time appointed of the father But when he comes to full age he understands his Title to his estate and is understood to be Sui juris at his own liberty in the disposing of it There is a time when the Christian is discharged from the Terrors of the Law from the Bondage of sin and Satan and restored â—… the glorious liberty of the sons of God Which is nor such a liberty as our Anabaprists dream of a liberty to live as they list a liberty to deny all manner of obedience to spiritual and temporal Governours As there is an Evangelical liberty so there is an Evangelical yoke and no man can pretend to the one that does not subject himself to the other Omnia sunt libera nob is per fidem tamen omnibus servi sumus per charitatem ut simul consistat servitus libertatis libertas servitutis The Gospel gives me an exemption from the Curse of the Law For there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus provided always that they walk not after the flesh but after the spirit It gives me the liberty of my person notwithstanding all my debts because they have been satisfied by my surety but then I must understand my person to be a consecrated Temple which I may not defile or dispose of at my pleasure It gives me liberty and â—ree access unto my Creatâ—… a liberty to present my suits unto him whensoever I am in want or extremity a liberty to serve him without the bondage of fear but it must be according to good old Zachariahs rule in holiness righteousness all the days of my life It gives me a liberty to uâ—e his good creatures a priviledge which was lost in Adam and is restored by Christ but then it must be wisely soberly justly charitably thankfully and contentedly Nay I shall ever think it agreeable to Christian wisdom to have my cancelled obligations still before mine eys that I may know my greater obligatâ—ons of duty and gratitude to my Redeemer And if from a changeling or brat of hell I am regenerated and formed anew according to the glorious image of my maker yet I will still have an humble ey upon my former ugliness and deformity if from a crooked bruised and decrepid Cripple I am restored to pâ—rfect strength and soundness I will hang up my crutches in the Temple not only as memorials of my gratitude but as monitors against any future relapse And though I know my sins are forgiven and forgottâ—n of my Redeemer when I have my patdon under sâ—al yet I will ever retain the memory of them to aw and humble me into an holy fear into a constant warines circumspection how I becoin again entangled in those snares out of which by the mercy of God I have escaped Thus ye see The Law and the Gospel Moses and Christ are not opposite and divided but subordinate and serviceable one to the other The Law was given by Moses but Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ The Law was delivered with thunders and lightnings and earthquakes The Gospel descends into the soul lâ—ke rain into a fleece of wool like Elijahs small still voice that succeeded the whirlwind and the earthquake like the voice of the Turtle and the singing of birds after the winter is past and the rain is over and gone Moses takes his stand upon mount Ebal and from thence proclaims the curses of God Christ takes his stand upon mount Gerezim and from thence proclaims his beatitudes as appears Mat 5. 3. c The first solemn sermon that ever he pâ—eached to his disciples was a sermon of mercy The first Text that ever he preached upon was a Text of mercy which he did not light upon by chance as S. Austin did upon that of S Paul Rom. 13. 13 but the book of the Prophet Isaiah being delivered to him it is said that he opened the book and found that is turned to the place where it was written The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath Anoynted me to Preach the Gospel to the poor he â—ath sent me to heale the broken hearted to preach deliverance to the captives and recoveâ—ing of sight to the blind to sâ—t at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable yeer of the Lord And sure we that are employed as his Embassadours for peace and Reconciliation ought to follow him in this choise to understand it our main businesse to Heal and to recover and to set at liberty and to preach the acceptable yeer of the Lord. And if at any time wee fall upon severer