through the deceitfullness of sin I do not teach you that you can avoid and escape the wrath of God by your doings but this I say the work is done to your hand accept of Gods love and Christs merits and all shall be well He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved Mark 16.16 What should keep from believing ye have a commandment to believe and ye have a promise That he that believeth shall be saved Object But may some say All shall not be saved all are not elected therefore some are commanded to believe a lye for if they be commanded to believe that Christ died for them and he did not as he did not if they belong not to Gods election then they are commanded to believe a lye Sol. For solution and satisfaction most certainly every one that believes in the Lord Jesus and takes Christ offered in the Gospel shall be saved by him He that believes Christ died for him believes no lye but a truth And it is a sin not to believe And John 5.40 Christ complains of the Jews that they would not come to him that they might have life They that do not believe shall be damned they have made God a lyer voluntas approbationis effectionis But yet as there is Gods will of Precept so there is his will of working and he will call in all his elect The Command of the word we ought to look after and so to do is a sign of salvation 2 Thes 1.10 When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony was believed among you in that day Here we have to deal with two sorts of People First The prophane multitude these say they have had a strong faith from their childhood But let us talk with them a little What Demonstration can ye make of your faith Have ye a Mean or medium We will help you to one out of the 2 chap. of James and that is Works this will be a demonstration of the Cause by the Effects If thou have faith shew it make it out by thy works by thy carriage and conversation Love to the Saints will be another notable Mean or medium to make out a mans faith in Christ Therefore it is that they to wit the Cause and the Effect are joyned together often as Col. 1.4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ and of the love which ye have to all the Saints If good People be your delight and good men the men of your counsell if you can say with David Psal 26. that ye have not sate with vain persons c. If ye account religious persons as Christ did as your Brethren and Sisters and Mothers Why then hereby ye may demonstrate your passage from death to life and that ye are born of God and know God 1 John 3. ver 14. chap. 4. ver 7. And so these two Means or mediums will help ye well if ye wil be true to yourselves If ye have a respect to all the Commandments there 's one And if ye have love to all the Saints that 's the other And therefore Soul deceive not thy self any longer If thou have neither an obedient frame of Spirit to do Gods will nor love to the People of God thou hast no faith Shew me thy faith But you will say God knows my heart what care I for you I will not give an account to you Yea but I say thou are bound to give an account to me and to every man that asketh a reason of the hope that is in thee and that with meekness and reverence or fear 1 Pet. 3.15 But poor neighbours it is plain you have no faith in Christ for ye are rebellions against the Lord and despisers of his People The Lord pitty ye and soften your hearts that ye may escape the wrath to come The other sort I have to deal with all are such poor Souls as out of holy and blessed jealousie are ready to condemn themselves and to give sentence against themselves and indeed against the truth They know not whither ever they believed they are afraid they have not Never went a soul to hell that feared the want of faith and breathed after it Mat. 5.3 and 6. The poor in spirit and the hungerers and thirsters c. are pronounced blessed But you have said Faith must have its demonstrations I answer So they must and so they have in thee even in this thy emptiness and jealousie and groaning frame of spirit O these groaning Souls are blessed Souls Such a one was Paul Rom. 7. ver 14. to the end of the Chapter Have a care yeild not up your Castle however it be with you in your present apprehension Learn of Christ who though he cried why hast thou forsaken me Yet held fast his relation my God my God Never disown God that 's that the Divel would have There are but three things all that may seem to be just causes so to do as 1. Desertions 2. Great afflictions 3. Great sins Yet bear up against them all neither of them is a Medium sufficient to conclude thy damnation Neither of them are certain tokens of Gods being thine Enemy David is a famous example for all three God did hide his face from him And his afflictions were very many And what sins in a Saint comparable to his And Peter denied and did aggravate it with Cursing and Swearing that he knew not Christ To despair after a fall is a greater fall then the fall The main push is that perhaps thou hast sinned after knowledge So did those two Worthies Calvin Perkins Capel of tentations p. 124. and yet they died in peace and honour We must fortifie our selves after Relapses especially yet a man may fall into the same gross sin after true repentance as Abraham twice laid his wife open to adultery But still hold fast by God thou must be bold The end of the 13. verse The Twlefth Sermon Mat. 22. ver the 14. For many are called but few are chosen NExt to the Commission for the execution of the unworthy Guest of whom ye have heard often formerly followeth the ground or reason of it viz that howsoever this condemned man came into the Church by reason of an outward call yet he was none of Gods chosen ones he was not of the number of Gods elect as neither are many others though called outwardly as he was to the profession of religion because many are called but few are chosen Object But some may Object and indeed I find such a question in Mr. Calvin upon this Parable If all be bid to come and yet when men come they shall be rejected and cast out for lack of a wedding garment then who shall be saved or is it in mans power to procure it himself Sol. To this I answer that the Holy Ghost intends not here to shew whence the garment is to be had for
so Humble Yet such we read of Psal 12.4 who have said with our tongue will we prevail our lipps are our own who is Lord over us Malacy complains cap. 3.15 That the proud were called happy This is the cause of contention among People Prov. 13.10 Only by Pride cometh Contention but with the well-advised is wisdom O that men would marke such threatning Scriptures as I shall mention against Proud men Lev. 16.19 I will break the pride of your Power Prov. 15.25 The Lord will destroy the house of the Proud Prov. 16.18 Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall Luk. 1.51 He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud c. James 4.6 God resisteth the proud but he giveth Grace to the Humble Pride is either in regard of God or men but I must not meddle now with those particulars Vse 2 A second use therefore is to comfort those that are Humble They are like God God will not despise such as be like himself He will teach them Psa 25.9 He will honour them Ps 113.7 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his People He will dwell with them as Isaiah 57.15 mentioned before Humility is the fore-runner of honour Vse 3 as a haughty heart is of destruction Prov. 18.12 Let the Sons of men be in love with this Grace Who would not be like God Motive 1 This Grace of Humility is a most excellent Grace Knowledge Wealth Honour zeal neither of them is comparable to it Yet further think upon the necessity of having it the want of it is a fore runner of destruction in the forenamed Prov. 18.12 No entring into the Kingdom of Heaven without Mark 10.15 Thirdly Consider the sins we have committed the judgements we have thereby deserved For the first what good have we done in our places with our wealth how unprofitably have we spent our time And then consider wrath is abroad the world This is not a time sure for men to be proud The 2. branch Doctr. But I proceed to the second thing held out concerning God viz. his dignity Though he will be likened to a man yet it shall be to a man that is a King Surely Gods humility ought not to cause disrespect of his dignity Kings are to be honoured 1 Pet. 2.13 The King is Supream and therefore to be submitted unto to be honoured v. 17. And if Earthly Kings how much more the King of Heaven the King of Glory God is the King of Glory Psalm 24. ver 7.8 9. and 10. In every one of those four ver he is called the King of Glory Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors that the King of Glory may come in Who is this King of Glory the Lord strong and Mighty the Lord Mighty in Battel Lift up your heads O ye Gates even lift them up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in And twice in the last verse Who is this King of Glory The Lord of Hoasts he is the King of Glory Selah He is a King that remains for ever whereas other Kings die and leave their Kingdoms to others Psalm 29.10 the latter part of the verse Yea the Lord sitteth King for ever His dominion is an everlasting dominion and his Kingdom is from Generation to Generation Deuteronom cap. 4. ver 34. Reason Although God be Humble yet he must not be despised for this Reason Because Humility in great Ones call's for the more respect We have a saying of a proud heart and a Beggers purse when we will set out an absurd Ass Surely even so To say a Mighty man and an Humble Soul is to give a notable Character of one worthy to be had in Honour The Humble carriage of Abraham a man of Might he had in his house thirty eight Pâ—sse nollenobile * Gen. 14.14 Trained Souldiers got him a great deal of respect among the children of Heth. You may read the story at large your selves Gen. twenty three ver six unto the thirteenth He stood up he bowed himself to the people of the Land even to the children of Heth. ver 7. And again Abraham bowed down himself before the People of the Land So I say Gods humbling of himself should rather be a cause why People should give him the greater Honour and Reverence But I must draw to an end I therefore shall speak a word by way of Use and Application and so end this first particular to wit the feast maker and also this Sermon Vse 1 The first Use shall be to reprove sharply that Jndian-like frame of Spirit so common among men Those poor Infidels stand in great awe of their Hoggery God as they call him Abamaccho because he doth them much mischief But their good God Tanto they care not how they use Surely they are much to blame that abuse the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth them to repentance Romans 2.4 O despise not the Humble and plain wayes of the Lord undervalue not his Gospel because the poor receive it Matthew 11.5 and the rich blaspheme that worthy way Ja. 2.7 If you do provoke him and grieve him and slight him he will make a way for his Anger Psal 78.40 41.50 He will be terrible the heathen shall perish out his land Psal 10.16 The Lord reigneth let the People tremble Psal 99.1 He is a great King and his name is dreadfull among the Heathen Malachy 1.14 They that abuse Gods kindness shall not gain by it They that scoff at his patience as 2 Pet. 3.3 c. or at the meaness of his worshippers Joh. 7 48 49. and the like shall find that blue-apron Mechanicks shall be too hard at last for Scarlet-coats and bring down the mighty from their throne Vse 2 Be of good cheer ye that honour God God will honour you 1 Sam. 2 30. Though God would walk low and seem to be not worth the looking after yet he will come at last to be glorified and admired by them that have beleeved his testimony and have worshipped him even in a stable and have kept the despised faith But here shall be an end The Second Sermon Mathew 22.2 The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a King that made a Marriage for his Son WE have finished in this place of meeting besides divers other things dispatched the last time the first of those three Particulars noted in the predicate of this parabolical Proposition viz. the feast maker we have heard of that twofold representation of him as a man to shew his condiscension and humbling of himself for our good And yet a man that was a King to set forth his dignity and greatness over all Now the next thing we have to do The
second particular is to speak of the Honourable person that gives occasion for this feast And that is Christ who is to be married whose Spouse is the Holy Church In this particular there are divers things of great weight to be taken notice of First The Author and fountain of saving grace viz. God called here A King making a Marriage for his Son Secondly Here is implied the neer union that is betwixt Christ and the Elect. It is agreed that there shall be a marriage concluded upon according to God the Fathers everlasting purpose between them and his son Jesus The Kingdom of heaven is like unto a King that made a Marriage for his Son Thirdly we shall also out of these words speak of the way and Means whereby this Grace from God in the supper of the Lamb is conveyed made out to the Elect towit the powerfull preaching of the Gospel This lies wrapped up in these words the Kingdom of Heaven whereby is meant as I told you in the beginning the word of the Kingdom The plain Truth is and the Summary Sense The preaching of Christ and the offering of him in the Ministry of the Gosepl is the way the Lord hath ordained to work faith by whereby we are united unto Christ and justified I will begin with the first and so proceed to the handling of the rest at this time as in the presence of the Lord. Doct. The first Doctrine shall be this From the first That grace here and glory hereafter are the free gift of God It it his pleasure that his Son be Married and such a Wedding Supper held as may shew forth the riches of his Grace according to the capacity of man somewhat answerable to the bounty of a God You see the Subject matter is Grace which we must warily speak of that we may shun the Charybdis of Popish merit and yet not fall upon or into the Scylla of Lawless Antinomianisme Most certain it is that Salvation is of Grace and not of works as that learned Dr. of the Church the Apostle Paul disputes it and demonstrates it both in his Epistle to the Romans and also in his Epistle to the Galatians And although there are many uses of the Holy Moral Law which I purpose not now to meddle with yet must it stand aside as weak and insufficient through the flesh and give place unto Gods sending his Son into the world that whosoever believeth in him and accepteth of Gods offer of Grace should not perish but have life everlasting This Grace of God is by much the Elder brother if we look no higher then Abraham Gal. 3.17 And this I say saith Paul that the Law which was 430. years after cannot disannull the Covenant that was before of God in respect of Christ that it should make the Promise of none effect All is of Grace First Election is of Grace Rom. 11.5 There is a remnant according to the election of Grace Ephes 1.5 6. Having predestinated us c according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved See Cap. 2. to the tenth And in many other places Secondly all the Coordinated Mediums all that God works by all are free and of Grace As first Christ is given Romans 8 32. Who spared not his own Son but gave him for us all to Death Secondly The word bringing savation is free and is therefore called the Grace of God Titus 2.11 bringing Salvation Thirdly Repentance is of Gods giving also Acts 11.18 Fourthly Likewise Faith that mother-Grace is the gift of God Phil. 1.29 And generally the whole Law of the Spirit of life as it is called Rom. 8.2 is of Gods gracious working as is testified Ephes 2.1 And you hath he quickned which were dead in trespasses and sinnes Reas 1 We may reason from the very name Grace it signifies that which is imparted gratis Conveniunt rebus nomina saepè suis that is freely So the Holy Ghost often reasons in these words or else Grace were no Grace And Grace and Merit do stand extremly in opposition one to another Secondly We may reason from universality from the General to Particular Quicquid praedicatur de genere praedicatur de specie Of him and through him as well as for him are all things Every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the father of lights c. James 1.17 All common Graces are of his Grace and free gift much more saving grace which is a more speciall effect of his love and favor Vse 1 But I come to the Uses having two other Doctrines to dispatch at this time And first here falls to the ground the Doctrine of merit so mightily and subtilly among our latter Popish School-men contended for What should I read Lectures of Polemical Divinity in this popular auditory They have a blind distinction of merit of congruity and condignity one place of Luke will serve for all Cap. 17.10 So likewise ye when ye shall have done all that is commanded you say We are unprofitable Servants There is neither merit of congruity before justification nor merit of condignity after But by Grace are we saved through faith Dona sua coronat Deus non meritatua Aug. and that not of our selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2.8 not our Merits but Gods gifts are with his mercifull and bountiful vouchsafements crowned here and hereafter Vse 2 Secondly comfort ye comfort ye your selves with these words O all ye desirers of saving Grace They that hunger and thirst c. are pronounced blessed Mat. 5.6 What though ye see nothing in your selves but that which loads you even such are invited to come Mat. 11.28 If God send to invite surely he will not reject those that desire him though they be never so sinfull But we must take heed First of being contented with a few weak and faint desires If thy desires come from a right principle they are as truly Grace as faith it self There is Grace desiring Gratia sitiens sitiata as well as Grace desired Secondly take heed of regarding wickedness in your hearts Psal 66.18 or else the Lord will not regard your desire And no marvail These desires so accompanied shew themselves not to proceed from that preventing Grace which all successfull desires do proceed from Vse 3 I have yet one use more Grace here and Glory hereafter are of the free gift and Grace of God Ye see where to go for both the one and the other God is the Author and Fountain of all Grace seek it of him Mot. 1 And to move you consider first the Excellency of that condition ye shall be in Christ to partake of his goodly Image and Grace to be transformed into his Image from Glory to Glory Secondly It is of absolute necessity that ye come to this supper I say He that refuseth and cometh not shall
thee unto me for ever c. Therefore come away marry this Kings son forsake not your mercy do not overstand your Market You will never have such an offer again I mean not of another opportunity for what am I to limit the Holy one of Israel But of another happiness for in this seed of Abraham alone blessedness is to be had I say you cannot possibly speed your selves better There is none so lovely none so able to make you every-way happy none so willing to do every body good These expressions of ours are to your capacity These glorious beams of Christ shine brightly the Lord open your eyes to see them seek by Prayer wait upon Ordinances argue upon promises And the Lord strike hands with you in much mercy Amen Amen It remaineth that something be spoken of the means Ordained by the Lord to attain this assurance of Union with Christ to wit the Preaching of the Gospel signified by these words The Kingdom of Heaven for by it is saving Grace conveyed Gospel preaching is Ordained and appointed of the Lord to that end that men may hear of Christ believe in Christ be saved by Christ and be glorified with Christ So in that the Kingdom of Heaven that is the Gospel Preached is compared to a Marriage-making I observe this last Doctrine The end of the Preaching of the Gospel is to prepare People for a Marriage with Christ the Son of God Reason And the Reason is because it is that very instant of Grace which God who hath appointed a time for every action hath appointed for his Elect to come and joyn hands with Christ in the Act of believing It is the means of faith Rom. 10.17 So then faith is by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Lord hath appointed that the Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached over all the World for a witness unto all Nations That the Elect in every place may be brought in according to Gods eternal purpose of Love to communion with the Church and Union unto Christ Vse 1 We may hereupon conclude in the first place the necessity of the Preaching of the Gospel contrary to their vain conceit that think it needless they see not the end of it to wit a Marriage with Christ Or if they do yet they mean not to be divorced from their wicked Lusts unto which they are already Wedded But yet lodge this truth among the Oracles of God That Gospel Preaching is necessary And that it is the ordinary and usual means to obtain Faith Vse 2 O Therefore what a happiness do those people enjoy if they had eyes to see it that have the Gospel faithfully preached unto them to prepare them for a Marriage with Christ Vse 3 And how shall they escape which neglect so great salvation Which to do is a greater sin then to break the whole Law The punishment shews the greatness of the sin a double curse is pronounced against them that love not the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 16.22 that is against those that neglect Gospel offers and Ordinances in which Christ goeth 〈◊〉 wooing to the children of men If any one therefore here present be an Enemy to the dispensations of the Gospel or a neglector of this gracious offer of Christ therein let him look upon himself as on an execrable thing which God hates and let him see God even stretching out his power to confound him and the Gospel cursing him Vse 4 Be exhorted therefore to improve this appointed imployment This concerns both Preacher and Hearers Motive Motive It is the best preferment a man can come unto to be United and Married to Christ And therefore no small preferment to be imployed in this high work of bringing People to Salvation And to move other People let this be weighed well that to lose all things in the world to gain Christ is the best bargain that ever man made Phil. 3 7. 8. But what things were gain to me these I counted loss for Christ Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung that I may win Christ Quest But how shall Ministers improve this benefit Answ I answer by Preaching Christ unto the People Plainly Powerfully in the evidence of Gods spirit not in the enticing words of mans wisdom 1 Cor. chap. 2. ver 1. c. Object But if a man do not Preach eloquently he shall lose his repute and the Grace of his pains Sol. I answer No for although some that know not God will be prating yet he is the best schollar that edifies most 1 Cor. 14 v. 12.18.19.21.22 To excell to the edifying of the Church to speak five words with understanding that others may be taught to Prophesie so as men may believe are special Phrases in those verses A man that speaks pithily to the conscience will shew himself a scholler besides his purpose to all judicious hearers Such men shew themselves to have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty not walking in craftiness not handling the word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the truth commending themselves to every mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4.2 And yet further ver 5. For we Preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake And then note I said not only plainly but powerfully We should have such a spirit as Paul who out of the abundance of his Zeal was stirred in spirit Acts 17.16 And so Philip. 3.18 He told them WEEPING of their faults that were Enemies to the Cross of Christ This proceeded out of the abundance of his Love to Christ and mankind And this was a sign of Lots sincerity that his righteous soul was grieved and vexed c. 2 Pet. 2.7 And to hate the work of the Nicolaitans which God hateth is very commendable Rev. 2.15 To hate them that hate God Psal 139.21 and to be grieved with those that rise up against him Now for Hearers They must improve this benefit and blessing of Gospel Preaching 2. Hearers By striving and labouring hereby to be prepared for a Marriage with Christ By putting off the old man and putting on the new man Ephes 4. ver 16. to the 25. People must forget their own People and their Fathers house and labour to be clothed with clothing of wrought Gold Psal 45. ver 10.13 Labour to get Oyle in your Vessels as well as in your Lamps Mat. 25.4 That ye may enter in with him to the Marriage when the door shall be shut against such as have neglected these opportunities ver 10. You must labour to make your selves ready for the Marriage of the Lamb to put on Christ who is the clean and white and fine Linnen of the Saints Rev. 19.7.8 O that you would know now even now in this your day the things that do belong to your
especially if we find the hand of the Lord with them that is an expression Acts 11.21 Question But how is that to be known I answer It is to be known by the effects there mentioned And a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. O 'T is a mercy to live under the sound of the voice of a servant of the Lord. Gods immediate voice no man is able to hear Exod. 20.19 And they said unto Moses speak thou with us and we will hear but let not God speak with us lest we die So Deut. 5.25 the presence of God is terrible who may abide it Therefore God hath appointed our brethren to teach us familiarly and to be in his stead among us and it is our happiness to enjoy them if we could see it Vse 3 And lastly to end this point it serves to teach us that these men whom the Lord imployes as his special servants ought to be esteemed although it be their portion to be as David was the song of the drunkards Psal 69.12 And to be despised by yong children as Job was cap. 19.18 Yea by yong men whose fathers he would have disdained to have set with the dogs of his flock cap. 30.1 All the silly yet proud fools and all the knaves in the country think that Gospel-Preachers are fit to be made a Parable of reproach and object of despight O how do some among us ruffle it in the second and third Generations whose Ancestors infamously scrapt a little dung together and ended their dayes remarkably I But this ought not so to be neither will it be so among them that fear God Neither let it be so among you For Mot. 1 First To dishonour them is to dishonour God Luke 10.16 He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me saith Christ to his Disciples and this is to despise him that sent Christ as it is in the same verse Secondly If you carry your selves respectfully towards them it will encourage them in the Lords work And Thirdly It will be for your own benefit Both these are to be proved Heb. 13.17 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you And indeed experience teacheth that when the persons of Ministers are out of esteem their Doctrine lies the more open to prejudice and misconstruction Quest Question But how shall I know whether I esteem them as I ought to do or no Answ I answer If thou look upon them as Ambassadours sent of God for this very end that People may believe in Christ and dost so come to hear what they say c. this is a good note of such as are sound Christians and have the spirit of God 1 Cor. 14.37 If any man think himself to be a Prophet or spiritual let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord. And no doubt such as are spiritual will so acknowledge and in their eyes the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things will be beautifull Rom. 10.15 Thus I have finished the second particular observed in the first offer of Christ to the Jews his Ancient acquaintance I now come to the third and last to wit the ground and Original of this action of calling people to come to Christ And that is a Commission given he sent forth as it is in the Text. The Servants go not untill God whose messengers they be sends them These words he sent forth his servants are not only in this third vers I am now upon but also in the next the fourth and likewise ver 9. a Commission is expresly given unto them So that we may have good ground for this Doctrine Doct. That such as take upon them to invite â—â—ople to Christ and to Preach are of Gods â—ending in a speciall manner if they be of the right stamp I will give them Pastors after mine own heart Jerem. 3.15 Such as run before they be sent have success accordingly But they have somewhat else to do and all trades must 〈◊〉 as we say and so must they And this â—ort of men though called Ministers are the very tail of men It is the part of a servant to have the word from his Muster first and then to do faithfully what they are Commissionated and commanded to do It was the Lords complaint by the Prophet Jer. c. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets yet they rann I have not spoken to them yet they Prophesied And when the spirit of a man hath received a Call from the spirit of Christ and knows it self to be sent of God it will put him upon strict duty First To deliver nothing but what is warranted 1 Cor. 11.23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you And. 1 John 1. ver 3. And Secondly To extend his gifts to the utmost advantage of the giver and benefit of those that a man is sent unto 1 Pet. 4. ver 10. As every one hath received the gift so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God Lastly He must and shall know on whose arrand he goes whose Messenger he is So 1 Pet. 4. v. 11. If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God if any man Minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth Vse 1 Know therefore for the first use that the Call and comming of Ministers of the Gospel is of God it is not without Authority They are in Gods stead they must give account to him that hath sent them Vse 2 And therefore they should not be despised and opposed as they are by foolish proud People It is thought now among us to be a sufficient cause of injustice iniquity and oppression because Ministers shall not be masters of the Town because they shall not have their will which yet indeed is Gods will Alas neighbours are we not men as well as you Why then should we not enjoy our common priviledges as well as you are we unworthy to be heard because we are Ministers how low would ye bring us But I desire not to provoke but rather to convince that you might not be found despisers of God in despising contradicting and opposing of us in the way of our well doing Vse 3 But Thirdly You that obey the Lords Call to you by us doubt not of kind wellcom We call not of our own heads He sent us forth that will make good whatsoever we promise you according to our instructions that we have received from him Vse 4 And lastly be perswaded to hearken to our Call in regard of the authority of the Sender It will not be well taken under any pretence whatsoever to slight the Lords gracious offers to trample under foot his
blessed Ordinances If the messenger sent please you not yea suppose you had just cause of your displeasure yet that will not excuse your slighting of the Sender and his gracious messages Do not think that what we do by vertue of the Authority which the Lord hath given us shall be let fall by him He will require an account of our sowing from all sorts of ground where we sow He telleth our fleetings He puts our tears into his bottle and our groans under your wrath of pride and folly are written in his book The Lord bless unto you these words You and I shall appear at the barr of his tribunal upon this very controversie between us And so much of the first part of this Text. The great ingratitude of the Jews comes next to be spoken of out of these words And they would not come There is an emphasis in these words they could not come Would they not come why would they not come Surely there can be no other reason given but this they would not because they would not So that here is intended to be set forth by the Holy Ghost First The willfull contempt of the People of the Jews And Secondly From the word they is to be noted the generality of their wicked wilfullness They it is not said some of them but they that is as it were all of them Surely the greatest part of them by farr They were upon the matter as we use to say all hanged in a string never a barrel the better herring They would not come Beloved it is a very sad story That God should have a peculiar people whom he calls his own John 1.11 He came unto his own and his own received him not But that there should be such a general defection and blindness on the whole Nation aver few only excepted not worth the speaking of is a sad aggravation of the condition of the Jews so pitifull in bondage to Wicked Will And is it so in Israel And shall we wonder if it be so among us But I will keep to my method which I have accustomed you unto This shall be the Doctrine Doct. That the great Grace of God in inviting men to the Marriage of his Son Christ is by the most of folk willfully refused or neglected That at least it is neglected but here wilfully refused Quest Question But you will say perhaps Why do you put into the Doctrine this word neglected seeing you have so urged the emphaticalness of the words before Answ To this I Answer That the greater contains the lesser where there is wilfull contempt there must needs be careless neglect Therefore no wrong is done to the Text. And I would lay the Doctrine as large as might be that it might be extended in the Application to the greater advantage of all the hearers We read of such a general distemper 2 Kings 17.13.14.15 But I will but read the 14. v. because the time runneth apace mark it Notwithstanding they would not hear but hardned their necks like to the neck of their fathers that did not believe in the Lord their God And so of Judah we read 2 Chro. 24.19 Yet he sent Prophets to them to bring them again to the Lord their God and they testified against them but they would not hear And there is the like complaint Psal 81.11 but my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Such another instance is John 5.40 And ye will not come to me saith Christ to the Jews that ye might have life Reason Now the reason of this rejecting of God and his Son Jesus is because people are married already to their sinfull lusts So Isaiah 65.1.2 The Lord there complains of his spreading out his hands all the day unto a rebellious People which walked in away that was not good after their own thoughts Now when men either leane to their own wisdom or are Wedded to their own will or have any carnal worldly or sinfull distemper in their hearts and do inebriate themselves with the present comforts of the world though the things in themselves be lawfull or have inordinate cares or lastly do harbour and cling to any base lust whatsoever here there is no room for Christ he can have no entertainment Strong lusts hang upon men as an haereditary disease and they must not be crossed If you would oppose them they swell the more as a water that is pallisadoed up swells and overrunns all This is the reason that the gracious offer of Christ is so contemned and despised Vse 1 Then first learn that the enjoying of the outward means of Grace is no certain or infallible argument to prove people to be happy People may live under excellent vonchsafements and yet be of the number of negligent and unprofitable hearers yea despisers of them Many do deceive themselves in this kind Because they eat and drink in Gods presence c. they think there are Jews and Pagans enough to fill up hell But they shall have the worser place in Hell that have glorious means of Grace and despise them or though they do but slight them What is a man the better to have abundance of good food if he will not eat of it If Christ be offered and people will not receive As it is recorded of the Jews John 1.11 That when Christ came urto them they would not receive him and therefore had not the power or priviledge of being the Sons of God Their case is the worse not the better that Christ is among them but they do not receive him nor submit to him Vse 2 The second Use is to set forth the greatness of their sin that will not submit to Christ that will not receive him They expose themselves to great danger their sin is great for they set light by Gods Grace as it is said ver 5. of this chap. They made light of it they cared not for Christ his Supper Herein people do even despite the spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 They tread under foot the son of God and count the blood of the covenant an unholy thing Yea they grieve Gods spirit which is condemned at least dehorted from Ephes 4.30 And indeed do but consider Would it not grieve a man when he hath made a feast for his friends and sent his messengers to call them thereunto if they should peremptority reject his kindness and good will Now here the danger must be very great this contempt being offered to the King of Heaven and Earth Surely they shall smart for it We read 2 Chron. 24.19 of this sin to wit that when the Prophets sent to the people to bring them back to the Lord had testified against them they would not hear Therefore it is denounced against them vers 20. by Zachariah the son of Jehojadah the Preist that they should not prosper and that the Lord had forsaken them It is true they stoned him for his labour ver 21. But yet they
and scraping together the dung of the World You may peruse Luk. 19.41.42.43 and 44. ver The sin is they knew not their visitation they considered it not and this puts me upon a Reaâ—on of the point Reason to wit they know not the worth of it this is the reason they put such a low price upon the seasons of Grace Having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart Ephes 4.18 And they give themselves to other wayes ver 19. Men that have not learned Christ have no understanding no judgement they are bewitched And such as go about to hinder them from walking in their evil wayes they account them troublesome persons So Ahab accounted Eliah 1 Kings 18.17 Art thou he that troubleth Israel and his Enemy cap. 21.20 Hast thou found me O mine Enemy But they are their best friends if they could see it that tell them Gods truth Paul is become an Enemy to the Galatians for telling them the truth cap. 4.16 Alas What reason can People give why they will not love Gods People but only because their minds are worldly and because the light of God doth not shine in them The minds of Earthly People are so drawn after the World that they cannot see the excellency of the love of God nor the worth of his Salvation They cannot say with Simeon Luk. 2. their eyes have seen his Salvation A worldly man may abhorr some sin because of the baseness of it but a Saint doth eschew it with a spiritual heart which he that is a worldly man hath not And this is the cause that many sins which indeed have much sinfulness in them seem no sins or very little ones to People that are Worldly ones Covetous men are usually proud men they think themselves none of the worst and yet upon the matter they are grievous murderers as will be shewed hereafter God willing when we come to the 7. vers Pharaoh said who is the Lord c. These say in effect who is Christ what is Salvation ye talk so much of They are murderers of Christ upon the matter that do not receive him they are accursed and accursed 1 Cor. 16.22 They are self murtherers Soul murtherers They hale their neighbours to hell what in them lieth by refusing Christ and by their selling him with Judas for the pelf of the World But I forget where I am Let us make use of this point Vse 1 Great is their folly Great is their fault and Great will be the punishment of worldly minded men I shall referr you to some places Heb. 10.28.29 There the greatness of the sin is argued by a comparison between despising of Moses his Law and neglecting Christ And great language is used to set out the greatness of the latter sin Treading under foot the Son of God counting the blood of the sanctifying Covenant an unholy thing a doing despite unto the spirit of Grace O consider this ye worldlings ye Gadarens that preferr Hoggs to which ye are fitly compared in Scripture before Christ When a great man hath made a feast and hath sent out for his poor Tenants and poor Kindred to come to him promising them great Legacies when he dieth and great gifts in the mean time and they shall scorn to come or for a penny matter stay away would he not be angry and be ready to vow that they shall never come within his door more and bid his Servants go out and fetch in the beggars to eat up that meat so prepared This doth a little set forth the greatness of their sin that do refuse to come to Christ to partake of Gospel-Ordinances to believe in the Lord Jesus which he that doth not shall be damned Mark 16.16 And as the folly and sin is great so will the punishment be great also of all such as neglect so great Salvation Because I have called and ye refused I have streched out my hand and no man regarded but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would none of my reproof I will also laugh at your calamity I will mock when your fear commeth c. O what a wosull condition will that man be in to whom God will be as a hard-hearted man to his Enemy whose utter ruine he takes pleasure to hear of whose dolorous groanes he laughs to hear without the lest pitty in the World Not that God is properly harsh or milde angry or pleased Note these are attributed to God that we might a little behold him who is invisible and know him who passeth knowledge They are effects not affects as the Schoolmen distinguish But lastly Last use The example of worldly minded men is not to be followed unless you think it be a sport to be damned And let me say this word by the way of the Torments of Hell that in comparison of them the cruellest Torments that ever were invented are but as flea bitings If God will then act as God in execution of justice upon ungodly men judge what they shall undergo on whom the full vialls of his wrath shall be poured out The drowning of the old world the burning of Sodom and Gomorra the swallowing up of Korah and his company the Soul-melting miseries of Jerusalem at its last destruction Eating of children of a span long to be flead alive to be gang'd to death and the like these are sad stories But O when Gods righteous judgement shall be revealed Rom. 2.5 which till then is as it were covered tremble ye souls and shake even into shivers at the thoughts thereof what Torments even as long as God shall be shall be endured Walk not therefore with Gospel-despisers Mot. 1 Their practice is hatefull to Allmighty God Hurtfull to thine own soul How wouldst thou look upon that man that seeks thy life And wilt thou not with indignation behold them which go about to damn thy Soul Who so despiseth the word shall be destroyed Prov. 13.13 Take heed therefore of following their Example Quest Quest But how shall I know whither I make light account of the season of Grace or no Answ I answer By thy labouring or not labouring to take the benefit offered thereby If a man want a commodity when the Market or Fair comes he will come to seek for it he will buy it If it be dear yet if it be of absolute necessity as corn to make bread or the like he will say It is no matter I must have it whatever it cost If Christ were here in person he would heartily chide many a Martha who are as bold to plead as she was and to blame those bookish Sermon gadding Maries that seem to be more precise then wise c. But yet it will remain for a truth that they have chosen that good part which shall not be taken from them Luk. 10. They which neglect not the seasons of Grace but improve them
And this was implicitely foretold Matth 10.28 And fear not them which kill the body And we see their spirit Acts 22.22 Away with them cried those Jews of Paul for it is not fit that he should live I shall out of this verse from all these particulars handle but one Point of Doctrine Doct. That the grace of God offered unto men in the preaching of the Gospel hath not only such enemies as contemn it but also such as carry themselves with all possible baseness and cruelty against the Messengers thereof This appears out of the 21 of Matth ver 35 to the 39. likewise cap. 23. ver 34. to the 38. cap. 26 4. Acts 7.52 to the 59. It is very evident that such was the usage of the Servants of Christ in the time of the Jewish Church and Common wealth Peter and the other Apostles whipt Acts 5. Steven stoned Acts 7. James slain with the sword Acts 12. John banished into Patmos Rev. 1. And the stories of the Church do shew what usage they have had since But what may be the reason hereof Christ who sends is the Prince of peace the Gospel is the Gospel of Peace and the end eternal peace What therefore should be the reason Christ should have no better entertainment in the world The son of man came not to destroy but to save t is true but yet men do either think that such as pretend to be Messengers sent of God are not but are wicked men as the Jews did not stick to say of Christ himself Joh 8.48 and they thought they said well and ver 52. they are very confident that he had a Divel And Joh. 10.53 they pretend they did not find fault with him for any thing but blasphemy or else they think that they are their enemies because in declaring the grace of God they declare their duties or rather their properties that are partakers of it Tit. 2.11.12 For the grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared unto all men teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present evil world But this wicked men cannot abide to be told because they cannot choose but know that they are not such as they are to whom Christ appeareth in power And because their sins and they are one like Hippocrates Twins born together live together and die together he that toucheth their sin toucheth the apple of their eye They and their sins do mean to run their fortunes together Now we tell you as the truth is that they that take Christ to be their Priest must and shall take him to be their King to rule them and their Prophet to instruct them Now men think we are too strict unreasonable that we abuse them and they will not be so used by us But Friends we must tell you the truth and we have the best Preacher that ever was for our example John 8.44 Ye are of your Father the Devil c. VVe must be plain if you will not love the children of God if you will not make much of them that fear the Lord if vile persons in your eyes be not contemned if you do not hate the congregation of the wicked if you love to sit with vain persons if you set not up God in your families if you be cozeners oppressors prophane if you neglect the Kingdom of God and the ways of the Lord Jesus and the Ordinances which are prescribed by the Lord to wit Sacraments and the ways of worship c. you must know that it is not we that make the breach but your selves because ye are in the Gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity as Peter told Simon Magus Acts 8.23 Vse 1 And therefore for the first Vse they are deceived that think otherwise John Baptist was a famous Preacher he spake plainly he calls them a generation of vipers he plainly rebukes Herod Mark 6.16 to the 20 verse Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him as after she prevailed to have it done Yet mans deceitfull heart makes himself stark blind it is deceitfull above all things O if the Jews had lived when their Fathers did they would have been loth to have killed the Prophets but yet they thought it no sin to put Christ to death Ye cannot think what hearts ye have if God do but leave you to your selves You have all of you the seeds of all sin even of the vilest abominations Christ only hath this priviledge that the Prince of this World coming found nought in him both because of his freedom from Original corruption and that special supportation that he had from God But secondly It sheweth the greatness of their sin that are come to this height to abuse them that intreat them to be reconciled unto God This is our work 2 Cor. 5.19 20. And what your work hath been the Sun can witness But yet it is though to you a sign of perdition to us a token that we are right and do our duty because we finde such entertainment from ungodly men among us as I profess I know not one man that hath the least testimony or signe of grace that hath opposed us But these dirty ways you make us to trot through though they be somewhat irksom to us as we are men yet are they comfortable because we know by the dirtiness of them that we are in our way for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Vse 3 Yet God forbid that I should cease praying for you or give over advising you I will sow the precious seed of councell once more who can tell whether the Lord will leave a blessing behind O take heed ye be not in the number of them that deal cruelly with the Messengers of Gods grace that deal despightfully with those that bring the gospel of salvation For our parts we live in the upper region we are above ye we are upon such an high Tower as makes ye all look like crows in our eyes though ye were bigger then ye be For he that can make his calling and election sure if he have to do with the greatest Nimrods in the world he need not fear his strength shall be the munition of rocks c. But I advise you for your own sakes and your poor families whom you would be loth should be Vagabonds and beg their bread as I have known the children of some opposers and persecutors to do that had as big sooks one day as any of you as I say you would be loth the curse of God should light on you and yours take heed of touching these apples of Gods eye I say as Pilates wife said to her husband Matth. 27. Have nothing to do with these men Ye were better anger all the Witches in the World O take heed how ye force the Church to fall to their desperate prayers and to set God upon some notable Work for his great
bring good out of it This consideration is of great use we will a little look into it All the creatuets both in heaven and earth act go and come at Gods command When we see men bold in their opposing the wayes of God we many times are troubled we do not consider that as in wisdom he made all things so in wisdom he ordereth all things excellently Gen 45. ver 5.7.8 saith Joseph there God did send me before you to preserve life c. And Gen. 50.20 but as for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring it to pass as it is this day to save much People alive And so for lusts and temptations God suffers them sometimes in his own children either to teach us to observe his rules better or to humble us that we may cleave closer to God and that graces may grow Humility saith one is the Nurse of graces or that we may know God and our selves better or that we may be the more thankfull when victory comes but yet all this while God is bringing good out of it and that Oracle worthy to be remembred that all things shall work together for good to them that fear God c. Rom. 8.28 will be found in the end to be gloriously true Vse 3 Therefore let us learn to take notice of the power wisdom and goodness of God that can and doth thus bring good out of evil good effects out of evil causes Mot. 1 This will confirm us in the truth of Gods goodness and other attributes And Secondly It will teach us in evill times instead of murmuring to bless God for his providences and goodness and power in thus converting of evil to good And Lastly It will make us to walk confidently and to lie down confidently and to put our trust in God and in nothing to be carefull Though we meet with afflictions yet we shall not be much troubled because we shall by taking notice perceive that these are to nurture us Deut. 8.2.5 that we may learn to know him better and to know our selves Therefore it is good I say to take notice of Gods dealing in this kind So much for this point From the word of command Go ye we may learn Doct. That Christians must do warrantable actions They must have a care to do what they have a word of command for at least what is neither directly nor indirectly forbidden in the word of God For there are some actions which are called indifferent as 1 Cor. 7.28.30 If thou marry thou hast not sinned c. and to weep as though we wept not and to rejoyce as though we rejoyced not Such things are not a transgression of a Law for so sin is 1 Jo. 3.4 they are indifferent in themselves Though every particular determined thought word or action be either good or bad a step either to heaven or to hell yet for the actions themselves there are some that are neither good nor bad But to the point I say Christians must do warrantable actions Reas 1 For first they are Gods Servants Servants must attend upon the commands of their Masters And Secondly We have all the ancient practices of the Saints to look upon As first of Noah Gen. 7.14 and cap. 8.1 〈…〉 In both which chapters he had a word 〈…〉 mand both for his making and also for 〈◊〉 entring into the ark and ver the 8. for his taking in accordingly clean and unclean beasts as he was commanded c. 8.12 and 16. he staied other seven dayes that is he would have a warrant for his comming out of the Ark. And Abraham Gen. 12.1 had a command to go out of his country from his kindred and from his fathers house c. And Jacob Gen. 31.3 must be bid to return unto the Land of his fathers and to his kindred And in his old age though he resolve to go to Egypt Gen. 25.28 yet he must have and had a warrant cap. 56. ver 1.2.3 and 4. And Numb 9.18 At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched c. Heb. 5.4 No man taketh this honour unto him to wit of the priesthood but he that is called of God as was Aaron Vse 1 Therefore such as do unwarrantable actions can have no comfort in their doings For they sin though they think not so Sin is not defined to be a thing against the Law only in regard of the actions of sin but even sinfull habits are forbidden in the Law therefore mans nature being out of tune is not so ready to do good nor so knowing what good is God therefore hath given rules to be observed which not to observe is a sin Mot. 1 And indeed well done will be pronounced only to those that have done what they have been bidden and warranted to do Neither will Conscience be so well satisfied with doing naked actions that are destitute of command and example and every thing that might be a ground of comfort to the conscience of the doer Neither will God have any glory from unwarrantable actions it is as if God were not wise enough to give rules or as if we had not a perfect rule to walk by Lastly It is an evil example to walk in this liberty of doing what is right in our own eyes as if we had no Law-giver this brings in boldness among men and makes them fearless But blessed is he that feareth allwayes I omit the School utrums upon this point as not being so usefull to this auditory Go ye therefore into the high wayes From the word of command we come to speak of the place where they they must go Luk. 14.23 hath it thus Go out into the high-wayes and hedges The mind of the spirit is to shew us Doct. That God in the offer of grace is altogether without respect of persons For all mankind are alike to him Reason Job 31.15 Did not he that made me in the womb make him and did not one fashion us in the womb cap. 34.19 He accepteth not the persons of Princes nor regardeth the rich more then the poor for they are all the work of his hands Therefore are the Commissions so large Mat. 28.19 and Mark 16.16 All Nations must be taught every creature must be preached unto Acts 10.34.35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him Read Acts 13.46.47 And mark the last words of the latter of those verses I have thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou shouldst be for Salvation unto the ends of the Earth Mat. 11.25.26 At that time Jesus answered and said I thank thee O father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes Even so father for so it seemed
And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works Here are two Books Gods Book of Science or Prescience he knoweth all things long before The other is the book of conscience this is our own book this will stop every mans mouth that is out of Christ He was speechless saith the Text. The Commission or warrant for his execution which also includes the sentence of condemnation follows in the next verses in which we have the sentence ver 13. The ground or reason ver 14. In the Sentence we have Circumstances and the Substance The Circumstances are three 1. The party commissionating the King 2. The party commissionated the servants 3. The time Then For the better handling of these particulars I crave your prayers And so much for this time The end of the 12. verse The ninth Sermon Matth. 22. ver 13.14 Then the King said to the Servants Bind him hand and foot and take him away and cast him into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen I Have finished as you may remember the examination and conviction of this unworthy Guest and false-hearted Professour out of the foregoing verses I ended my last Sermon with the division of these two verses now again read unto you I will not repeat what hath been delivered but proceed to that which remains to be spoken out of these verses The party that gives the Commission for the execution of this faulty person is said to be the King that is Almighty God who had vouchsafed the means of Grace to the Gentiles But this poor wretch among others abusing it he gives a Commission of another nature There was a time when this King was all white but now he is all red I have shewed you out of the foregoing verses that God woes the world in the preaching of the Gospel Go tell them that were bidden I have prepared my dinner c. You have heard of Tamberlains colours he was wont to display and his behaviour and dealing with places upon refusall of his offer of mercy Friends the Lord holds out to you the white flag of mercy he hath bid me tell you that his Justice is satisfied his vvrath is appeased in Christ if you will not come in if you will not submit he hath you see in this Text other colours to display Xerxes wept over his Army in consideration of their Mortality O that I could compassionate these hundreds that sit here this day Sirs a thousand to one but some of you will be damned or else you will escape better then ever so many people met together did in this World consider seriously what I say But I come to observe some poins of Doctrine The first is Doct. As God hath power and will to bestow and afford the means of Grace so also to punish the abuse thereof any way Any way I say My meaning is whither by a Swinelike carelesness or which is worse by a doglike barking at the Gospel and biting the Messengers or an Hypocritical closing with the Church God will punish the abuse of the offers of Grace I say any way with severity Gen. 6.7 And the Lord said I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the Earth c. God did strive with the old World 120. years it will not be ruled the People were diobedient When the long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah 1 Pet. 3.20 Ye know they were drowned and are now Spirits in prison As the Lord had a time to offer Grace and Mercy by Noah so he had a time to plague the refusers of it The Lord suffered Lot to live a while among the Sodomites and surely he was not idle he was a righteous man they vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds Then saith the Lord because the cry of Sodom and Gomorra is great 2 Pet. 2.8 Gen. 18.20.21 and because their sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whither they have done altogether according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know What 's the conclusion the Lord did destroy them He caused fire and brimstone to come down from Heaven and he overthrew those four Cities of the plain Gen. 19.24.25 Sodom Gomorra Admah and Zeboim So for Jerusalem you may read Luke 13. ver 34.35 Prophets were sent to them and Apostles and Christ himself was among them he would have gathered her children together as a Hen doth gather her brood under her wings they would not They killed the prophets and stoned them that were sent among them What followeth Behold your house is left unto you desolate c. And so cap. 19.43.44 Thine Enemies shall cast a trench about thee and compass thee round and keep thee in on every side and shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knowest not the time of thy visitation He that may and will not when he will he shall not O that you would read sometime even this very day Prov. 1. from the 20. verse unto the 32. I am loth to spend so much time now in reading those verses The summ is Wisdom crieth woeth useth many arguments but cannot be heard is disregarded You shall find there what followeth O sad expression I will saith God laugh at your calamitie and mock when your fear cometh God is just as well as mercifull Vse 1 Is it so that God which said erewhile Go ye out and fetch in all go tell them my son is dead and risen again tell them that if they will come away while my white flag is abroad they shall have mercy is now become so severe upon the abuse of his mercy then foolish if not mad are they that do not consider this that do not believe it that do so set and settle themselves daily to abuse the means of Grace Some by taking no notice at all thereof Others by making profession a cloak for their knavery Others by undervaluing it Others by having the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ in respect of persons Others by biting at and devouring what in them lies the honourable Professors of Religion and Ministers of the Gospel O where shall I begin and when shall I make an end I have much to say it may be you will be angry t is no matter hear me howsoever Let me speak though ye strike me afterward I will labour to pluck you out by the ears from your miserable condition though ye be angry with me for it It is better fear and so also anger a knave then kill him You think God will go in